An Authentic Life 1.1 for pdf - Universalist Radha-Krishnaism

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ing. I benefited from my involvement in religion. Yet I find all religious systems lacking. I’m fully me as totally as I can be at this moment. I’m constantly growing, evolving, changing. I am an instrument of God-dess, a vehicle for God-dess to work through. I am pure spirit. I am embodied. I am. We visited Verona, Treviso, Venice, and spent a memorable weekend with Geraldine’s cousins in Crespano. Their TV showed the bodies of seventeen Italian soldiers killed in Iraq being returned to Rome--the largest number killed since WWII. It was a somber event. I told our hosts that we didn’t support Bush or his war. This opened an interesting discussion for the rest of the day as we discussed our similar views on war, globalization, the environment, economics, etc. We happily learned they weren’t only distant blood relatives but also kindred spirits. We liked seeing ancient buildings house chic, modern shops and restaurants in beautiful downtown areas. Vital, bustling downtowns existed for hundreds or even thousands of years there. Yet one of the first places we visited because it was close to our hotel on the edge of Verona is a shopping mall, and near it was a UCI cinema that shows American movies dubbed in Italian. 262
I must admit, I found it refreshing that Italians are much more relaxed about sex and alcohol than conservative, Calvinistic West Michigan where they protested the posters at Victoria's Secret at the mall. In Italy, such posters abound as well as nudity in TV commercials. Some U.S. cities prohibit the sale of alcohol, and in cities that sell it there are many restrictions. In Italy, alcohol is sold most everywhere at a low price, often in "bars" that also sell coffee and snacks, which we consider coffee houses. I’m a spiritual person, but I also embrace sensual pleasures. I don't think a dualistic split between the two is good. Repression and denial of sensual pleasure is unhealthy. God-dess gave us sex, food, alcohol, and so many other things to enjoy. Of course, moderation and responsibility are best. Yet individuals need to decide what’s best for them and not let some holier than thou, life denying religion or government dictate what’s acceptable. Back home, the Kent-Ionia Labor Council awarded me the Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award, which recognized my three years unsuccessful work to get Grand Rapids to approve a Livable Family Income Incentive Proposal. In January 2004, I began writing a systematic theology, which developed over several years into Universalist Radha-Krishnaism. I published these early writings on my blog and website. I listened to radio news extensively. I thought the advances of the previous century that increased our freedom and improved the lives of ordinary 263
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An Authentic Life A Spiritual Autob
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Copyright © 2012 by Steve Bohlert
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TABLE OF CONTENTS IN THE BEGINNING!
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Chapter 1 IN THE BEGINNING When I w
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I laid in my crib at night listenin
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When I was eight, we moved to a new
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oad jump far enough. The Coast Guar
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other engineering students. I made
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ens, goats, vomiting babies, and po
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cali, on the California border. I t
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As the new year began, we went to W
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saying, “No, don’t stick me wit
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We heard a couple of fishermen appr
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When we reached Colima, Mexico, we
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started out, so we should march to
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Swami Bhaktivedanta would arrive at
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The small storefront temple was ful
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anarchist, and Swami advocated the
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Rubbing his head, Swamiji replied,
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Swamiji said, "What is your name?"
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were on the bill. The biggest names
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Subal seated left front, Krishna De
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The next day, we told Swamiji what
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was a big responsibility running a
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of Vrindaban. He gave a powerful ta
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plained that there were Indian buri
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the spiritual master. The bonafide
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sion and please try to follow my in
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The next morning, I took a train to
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When I got back to Santa Fe, Krishn
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for help. But we have to pray at ev
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and start ISKCON Press. Other times
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jana. Anthony later became Rebatina
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me Prabhupad was going to initiate
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ics, was senior editor. Cover artic
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tenement and had bed bugs in it. Mu
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Devotees went downtown afternoons a
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scene. When Prabhupad was in Boston
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A van full of devotees picked me up
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Prabhupad who handed us our staffs.
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wanted to run ISKCON, the Internati
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world. It was an opportunity to ren
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like the good fairy or aliens from
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was raining, but we managed to get
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I stayed with the devotees in their
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visible on many Berlin buildings al
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Bhaktivinode wrote many poems that
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queen did not accept unsolicited gi
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I was in charge of publicity. I han
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For a devotee like me, Vrindaban re
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enjoy sweet drinks, spicy pastries,
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Next, Sharma and I went to the Radh
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it was. I was enchanted by the exot
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woman. I didn't know what to do. I
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The next day, they visited me. It w
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Native residents of Vrindaban were
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ground together into a medicine. I
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courtyard. There was no toilet. We
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Dr. Kapoor referred me to Gauranga
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used to develop that mood. Swamiji
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Another time, we three monks went t
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who resisted Moslem conquest. Some
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Gaur-kishor Goswami, the head pries
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Rohini-nandan was Mr. Sharma's olde
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manufacturing family. When Swamiji
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We decided to risk spending the mon
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We raised 35,000 rupees in three we
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walking cane and told Biharilal to
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yard. However, the whole thing was
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chastised Yadav-acharya and I in fr
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The priests daily apply layer upon
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Thakur and brother of Bhakti-siddha
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seed and tulsi-wood bead necklace h
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and decorated in an Asian motif. We
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Chapel Hill, North Carolina, a univ
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Chapter 4 NATURAL DEVOTION I took a
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you've come all by yourself prepare
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This is my and Bhaktivinode Thakur'
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as a "Russian heart attack." They t
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thirteen even though I wanted to be
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It was spring, and devotees from th
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and a great way to end my stay in I
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make a counter-emblem. The communis
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A woman devotee got backstage and t
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quitoes. There was no body surfing,
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ers wanted it. We decided to resign
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Chapter 5 NEW LIFE I moved to Wailu
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“Yeah, but I couldn’t get the n
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As I regained outward consciousness
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along on the low branches from tree
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They accepted my offer. Jake let me
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dedicated to Shiva-Shakti, and she
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ing me astrology. There was a fring
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through Study of Religion and the W
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I met and knew many wonderful peopl
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lack-sand beach. I climbed down the
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He said I could camp on the beach,
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headed for Gaursundar’s farm on t
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attle or a prisoner on death row be
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in Bangkok, I found out why it's ca
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was asked to give a lecture in the
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loyalties would be divided between
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When I discussed this with Kuladri,
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an first, but since the other guy w
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Then she got more money from her fa
Page 211 and 212: times. Doing manual labor and worki
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Page 215 and 216: Chapter 7 UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST A
Page 217 and 218: He and I hosted an ecumenical study
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Page 221 and 222: She asked me to do her horoscope. I
Page 223 and 224: The interview went smoothly. We dis
Page 225 and 226: where we’d be more independent an
Page 227 and 228: paying nursing jobs and enrolled in
Page 229 and 230: Marv questioned whether Moses ever
Page 231 and 232: On vacation in the Oregon Cascades
Page 233 and 234: from birth to death. This along wit
Page 235 and 236: The next step was for me to fly the
Page 237 and 238: When we arrived in Clinton, church
Page 239 and 240: gued that he should be allowed to h
Page 241 and 242: fire me. They said if I left volunt
Page 243 and 244: I told Van, “This is no youth gro
Page 245 and 246: Our first winter there was unusuall
Page 247 and 248: I felt baptism was for people who j
Page 249 and 250: I met with Don Stalhutt, a UCC mini
Page 251 and 252: Sunday morning, I preached at St. J
Page 253 and 254: celebrate my call and her birthday.
Page 255 and 256: attended the ceremony, and Mom cook
Page 257 and 258: I worked with Concerned Clergy of W
Page 259 and 260: source materials. The hymns and pra
Page 261: pastor of Wallin United Church of C
Page 265 and 266: We walked to a meeting of this co-h
Page 267 and 268: I lay my life at your feet. My only
Page 269 and 270: live upstairs from Above and Beyond
Page 271 and 272: construction was out of our reach w
Page 273 and 274: meetings at our yurt. Jahnava and I
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Page 277: outstanding job of designing the bo
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