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An Authentic Life 1.1 for pdf - Universalist Radha-Krishnaism

An Authentic Life 1.1 for pdf - Universalist Radha-Krishnaism

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The small storefront temple was full of guests<br />

and Swami’s disciples. Incense wafted through the<br />

air. He remained in his apartment upstairs in the same<br />

building. Only his disciples from New York could<br />

visit him that day as he was too tired from the flight<br />

to receive many visitors. His disciples in the temple<br />

led more chanting, served a vegetarian meal, and invited<br />

everyone to attend morning and evening classes<br />

as well as a Sunday afternoon "love feast."<br />

The devotees served curried vegetables, fried<br />

pastries, spiced fruit, rice, and fried curd balls soaked<br />

in sugar water. Being on a simple macrobiotic diet, I<br />

thought the food contained too much sugar and spice.<br />

I had a hard time even identifying what the sweet<br />

balls of fried cheese were since I didn't eat milk products<br />

or sugar.<br />

Some years later, I spoke to Bhaktivedanta<br />

about that first experience at the temple. He said the<br />

cheese balls were “ISKCON bullets, and when they<br />

pierce the heart they kill the material propensity and<br />

develop attraction <strong>for</strong> Krishna.”<br />

We were eager to hear Swami Bhaktivedanta's<br />

teachings the next day. Since we lived only a few<br />

blocks away, it was easy to attend his classes. Sitting<br />

on a cushion on a raised plat<strong>for</strong>m, he chanted Hare<br />

Krishna be<strong>for</strong>e and after each lecture and made a<br />

point of emphasizing its potency as a means of attaining<br />

enlightenment and love of God.<br />

“Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.<br />

<strong>Radha</strong>, his consort, the Divine Mother, is addressed<br />

as Hare. Krishna means the All Attractive,<br />

33

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