In sanskrt these three levels are karma, yoga and bhakti.

* The first level is to be chronically addicted to things that numb us. Lets call it avoidance.

* The second level is about mindfulness. Lets call it acceptance.

* And the third level is about self realisation. Lets call it service.

This is my journey - to get out of my addictions and be free from the need to numb out. Ultimately it'sto be of service.

To be less like this guy:

And more like Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

Relevant verse:

Today's comic:

Like my comics? Think they’re trash? Let me know. I love feedback.

Here's a short (ish) (depending on your attention span and/or interest) video about this year's wins.

Some wins I didn't mention were giving up illegal graff - a habit and form of escape I've held dear for more than half my life. I went to court for a 2 colour “Hare Kṛṣṇa” piece in Byron Bay whilst visiting to do a mural commission.

It was a blessing in disguise. Actually the judge was very kind. She gave me a fine and a conviction at first but after the proceeding I requested a different consequence as punishment.. I said “your honour, I have something I'd like to say”.

Her “Is there something you didn't understand? I have a lot to do today”.

Me: “I'm a youth worker and I'm about to apply for a job where I could use this craft to help youth who like graffiti to contribute to their communities and this conviction may jeopardise my opportunity to get the job. I'm also the sole income earner in our family and our daughter is in hospital. We can't afford this fine.

Her: “in light of the new data, im revoking the fine send the conviction on the condition I dont see you back year in the next 12 months.

I was shocked. My friend who was there with me was visibly shocked.

Since then I haven't done anything that would land me in court and life honestly hits different. There's something refreshing about good behaviour. Its integrous and allows me to stand tall and look the world in the eye - something I've never been able to do or even interested in doing. Graffiti is anti social in nature. Anyway, I could write a book about my journey with graffiti. I’ve transformed so much and this year has seen the biggest shift. Ive started exploring and practising new art forms like calligraphy and cartooning which have both been on my mind for atleast a decade.

Another cool win is making friends with Padma in sydney. Ive known him for years and now we're working on a new podcast about recovery. Stay tuned if thats interesting to you.

Last but not least I've generally become way less socially anxious. Actually I was socially awkward because of low self esteem and that was probably due to under performing in areas that are important to me. I transformed that by directly addressing my exhaustion. My wife and I were on a walk with the children and it occurred to us we were burnt out from the whole hospital fiasco. We then started a whole lifestyle change cebtered around regulating our nervous systems. That turned into creating an 8 week reset plan for ourselves. We've done it twice. This week is our last week of our second round. We did it twice because we're piloting it to share it through a platform called Skool. Thats a goal for 2026.

So thanks for reading.

Hope you had many wins too and your new year is the best ever.

With love,

Muchukunda

We cannot become fully Krishna conscious without chanting good quality rounds daily. Chanting is the most powerful way to become Krishna conscious.

– Srila Prabhupada

I was chanting my rounds badly until recently. I would chant some at the start of the day and then just fit the rest in around my “important things to do” (none of which I can remember and so probably weren’t that important…) Then I was hanging out with some guys from a 12-step program. They inspired me by how spiritually sincere and active they were. Their main goal is to become the version of themselves God wants them to be and surrender every single thought, word, and deed that compromises that. They do this as a matter of urgency because, without being of service, being grateful, and doing the “next right thin,g” they say they will drink. They say, any thought that isn’t of God is poison and that if they act on it, they will be insane. Something like that.. Our scriptures say the same thing:

When the soul exists for sense gratification, he creates different desires, & for that reason he becomes subjected to designations. But when one is in the transcendental position, he is not interested in anything except fulfilling the desires of the Lord

- Srila Prabhupada

Since starting to put more of an effort into my japa, I have vowed to chant 16 in one go every weekend. Since doing that I’ve also elevated my japa on the other days. Actually so many things have come out of it but the main thing is I’m becoming happier and peaceful most of the time which is pretty amazing. I didn’t realise how negative I actually was until today I was on public transport and I noticed the absence of judginess and complaining in my head. My head is usually like a radio constantly tuned into a channel that would advertise itself as “The only channel where we only play depressing music and talk about everything that’s wrong with everything and everyone!” Instead of negging out, I’m actually being a good person - something my mentor told me to start doing a year ago lol.Today I saw a lady who dropped her trolley. Usually if someone looked fit and like they were just about to fix something like that themselves, I would just make the excuse “they dont need help, they’re fine anyway” This time I got up helped. By the time I got to her, she had indeed picked it up herself but I didnt let that stop me. I took it off her and phisically put it where she was trying to store it on the ferry. I tied the rope to it aswell and she was stoked. I read in a book called Atomic Habits that the real reason to build habits is not to be the guy with all the disciplines and rituals. It’s about who you become. By helping wherever possible, I’m becoming the person I’ve always wanted to be - the guy old ladies love LOL!

I wont go into detail about the person I want to become here. Instead I will just keep sharing the break throughs I have in my spiritual journey. Everybreakthrough is one step closer to not only my ideal self, but the spiritual being God made me to be - which is probably way cooler than the person I aspire to be..

The button below takes you to ISKCON Desire Trees website with tons of content. I haven’t listened to this talk yet, but I’m going to consume everything I can on this topic. If you click ‘japa’ up the top of the site, you will see everything they have from every speaker in ISKCON on the topic of Japa

And lastly, if you’re a devotee who has fallen off the wagon with your japa, then this is for you. Unlike the talk linked above, I have read this a bunch of times. At one point 2 years ago, I would read it once a year! But seriously, its one of the most important essays ever written. Read it and prove me wrong.

Here’s a workshop on Japa by someone I respect and Love. I’ve also had the privelage of serving him with one of his projects. If anyone struggles with Lust or Porn, I can relate. A couple of years ago I gave up a life long habit with those thanks to this project. If anyone wants to know more about it, hit me up.

Everybody today is trying to regulate their nervous system — cold plunges, mindfulness, somatic therapy, you name it. And they all help, in little ways. But the Gītā gives us a deeper truth: peace is not the goal. Peace is a side effect of love.

When you serve Krishna, when you fall into that amazing, loving relationship with the One who can perfectly reciprocate your love, the nervous system just… calms down. It’s like Krishna throws it in the bag with everything else: joy, steadiness, clarity, and a strange predictability in a world that feels so unpredictable.

The Root of Restlessness

The second chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā is like a manual for inner steadiness. Krishna lays it out simply:

“For one who is not connected with the Supreme, there is neither transcendental intelligence nor a steady mind; without which there is no possibility of peace. And how can there be happiness without peace?”

(Bhagavad-gītā 2.66)

Our restlessness isn’t just in our minds or bodies — it’s in our souls. We’ve forgotten Krishna, and so we look for stability in unstable places.

Love Is the Main Thing

Spiritual life isn’t about hacking your biology or just “finding your calm.” It’s about love. It’s about surrendering to Krishna the way a baby surrenders to its mother’s arms — complete trust, complete safety.

And in that love, you get everything human beings spend their whole lives chasing:

Peace

Happiness

Joy

Stability

Predictability

But those are side benefits, not the goal. The main thing is love — and with that love, the nervous system naturally regulates because the soul finally feels safe.

Predictability in Spiritual Life

Material life is unpredictable. One moment things are up, the next they’re gone. But in spiritual life, things are beautifully predictable.

You know death is coming, but you also know you’re not the body.

You know the soul is eternal and untouched.

You know Krishna never leaves you, even for a moment.

As Krishna explains:

“As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change.”

(Bhagavad-gītā 2.13)

That knowledge itself is calming. There’s no shock, no bewilderment — just steady trust in the hands that hold you.

Vibration Heals Everything

Krishna Consciousness works on a cellular level because it’s built on pure vibration:

Prasadam — Food cooked in meditation and offered to Krishna carries His peaceful vibration. Eating it steadies the mind and even the body.

Water with remembrance — Something as simple as drinking water becomes a calming meditation.

Kirtan — The sound of the Holy Name rewires the heart, clears mental static, and harmonizes the entire nervous system.

Tolerance and Equipoise

Krishna also teaches titiksha — tolerance:

“O son of Kunti, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer… One must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.”

(Bhagavad-gītā 2.14)

That steadiness, or equipoise, is the natural state of a heart anchored in Krishna. The highs don’t carry you away, and the lows don’t crush you. That kind of inner predictability brings a calm that no therapy or technique can reproduce.

The Constant Meditation

What makes Krishna Consciousness unique is that it’s not just a practice — it’s a way of being.

Cooking while chanting.

Walking while meditating on His names.

Offering gratitude in quiet moments.

Remembering Him in every sip of water, every breath.

It’s a meditation you carry everywhere, and that constancy reshapes the whole nervous system from the inside out.

Peace as a Side Benefit of Love

This is the secret: we don’t chase calm; we chase Krishna. And in chasing Him — in loving Him — we find calm, peace, happiness, and stability waiting in the bag.

That’s why Krishna Consciousness is the ultimate nervous system regulation. Because it doesn’t just soothe the body or the mind — it soothes the soul.

And when the soul is steady, everything else falls into place.

Radha leans on Krsnas shoulder and feels perfect peace. She also offers her blessings to anyone who leans into the guidance and love of Her followers in this world. The process of following the chain of disciplic succession is a bit like a massage train. Lock into it and recieve the spiritual benefits.

Please listen to my latest podcast!

The first upload only captured the first 6 seconds, so I’ve recorded it again here!

Also.. in my last post, I forgot to attach the PDF for the Tree of Life model

Here’s the link

I love you

Hare Krishna!

Yet we walk around assuming, “I’m honest.”As if it’s default. As if chanting and quoting spiritual truths automatically makes us pure.But honesty isn’t passive.It’s not inherited. It’s not implied.It’s a practice—inconvenient, humbling, and razor-sharp.

The Many Faces of Dishonesty

Even sincere practitioners fall into dishonesty without realizing it:

* Not keeping your word.Saying “I’ll try to come” when you know you won’t. Just say, “I probably won’t make it.”

* Polite lies.Saying “yes” when you mean “no.” Smiling when you're inwardly annoyed.

* Spiritual humblebragging.“By Guru’s mercy…” followed by self-glorification.

* Withholding.Staying quiet to avoid conflict but nursing silent resentment.

* Rationalizing.Justifying our lower behavior and calling it devotion.

* People-pleasing.Trading truth for approval.

* Preaching from the modes.“Krishna consciousness is just about being happy and doing what you love.”No—it’s about surrender. You might feel that, but that’s your psychology, not śāstra.

Spiritual Bypassing is Dishonesty

This one's big.

You skip the basics. You haven’t worked through your emotional baggage or material conditioning.But because you chant and wear tilaka, you think you’re transcendental.

So you start leaking your unprocessed rajas and tamas into your service.You speak on Krishna consciousness from the wrong platform.And next thing, you're subtly changing the philosophy.

You water it down.You say, “It’s all about being true to yourself.”No—it’s about being true to Krishna.

That’s dishonesty disguised as devotion.

Be Honest About Your Āśrama

Āśrama is a container, not a costume.

* A brahmacārī suppressing his desire for marriage ends up leaking it into the sanga.

* A gṛhastha avoiding real talk about money, expectations, sensual needs, or parenting creates dysfunction in the home.

Honesty means having clear, open, sometimes awkward conversations.Like:“Can you help with this chore that’s usually my job?”Or:“Here’s how I actually feel about our roles.”

Don’t hide behind the āśrama label—live it with integrity.

Institutional Dishonesty is Still Dishonesty

It’s not just individuals.

* Endorsing Chandrayaan and the moon landing to gain favor with politicians.

* Turning temples into vaccine clinics for money.

* Softening Prabhupāda’s message for public approval.

This is called selling out.

Trading truth for clout.Swapping the real teachings for popularity.Wearing the robe of paramparā while quietly rewriting it.

Śrīla Prabhupāda said:

“My only credit is that I did not adulterate the message.”

We should ask: Can I say the same?

Śāstra on Honesty

“Among all the qualities of a sādhaka, truthfulness is the foundation. Without it, no other virtue can stand.”— Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura

“In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy, the only means of deliverance is chanting the holy name of the Lord. There is no other way.”— Bṛhan-nāradīya Purāṇa

Chanting Is the Most Honest Thing You Can Do

To chant sincerely is to admit:“I can’t save myself. I need help.”

It’s to stand before Krishna, no filters, no performance, no script.

It’s the end of pretending.It’s the beginning of truth.Because Krishna is truth.

And you can’t meet Him without being real.

So be real. Even when it burns.Because in this collapsing age, honesty is the only thing left standing.

Have a listen and let me know your thoughts. My mum thought he was judgemental but I thought it was fire!

Pics from our holiday

The guy at the stall tapped me on the shoulder and said “every market day I give away one free bib. Take your pick” I didn't pick this one but it's pretty accurate.

These are some of the devotees in Maleny.

My mum has kept this little guy since I was a boy. It was sitting in her car door where you put your hand in to open it from inside/place to store milky bar wrappers for an indefinite amount of time.

She also keeps ALL my sketch pads in 2 big boxes. I went through them one by one and half were almost full of tags and throwys so burned them.

My sister asked me to paint her fridge. She has a fire pit made from an old church bell and has people over to dance and hoola hoop so I painted that, love heart man doing a tree pose and a “Sri Radha”

She picked us up to go to the beach so I asked to stop at the PCYC for a quick spray.

My nephew decorated this thing with lights which Kairava seemed to like.

Yesterday we walked around Nambour and visited Whole Muffin - a little cafe by my old high school in Nambour (we moved a lot)

I saw a bunch of stickers there so I gave them one of mine for their collection.

Hare Krishna

* Jnana Sunya Bhakti and Rasa-Focused Devotion: Jnana sunya bhakti encourages devotees to channel their devotional energy exclusively towards their chosen ishta deva, in one of the primary loving relationships: shanta (peaceful), dasya (servitude), sakhya (friendship), vatsalya (parental love), or madhurya (romantic love). The aim is to foster a profound and intimate devotional bond within the chosen rasa.

* Emphasizing Krishna's Brahman Feature: Krishna's Brahman feature represents His all-pervading, transcendental effulgence, which is devoid of specific attributes or loving exchanges. Emphasizing this aspect can lead to a meditative and abstract understanding of Krishna, temporarily distancing the devotee from the dynamics of personal relationships and unique expressions of love within a specific rasa.

* The Rasa Bhasa Dilemma: For devotees seeking a personal relationship with Krishna, focusing on His Brahman aspect may result in jnana misra bhakti rather than jnana sunya bhakti. While the devotee may experience a sense of oneness with the Supreme, the depth of emotions and intimate exchanges characteristic of a particular rasa might remain elusive.

* Balancing Impersonal and Personal Aspects: The dilemma can be resolved by balancing the impersonal aspect with the personal facets of Krishna's nature. By acknowledging the Brahman realization as a foundation and embracing one's chosen ishta deva, devotees can gradually progress from the impersonal understanding to a more intimate and loving relationship within the desired rasa.

* The Role of Brahman Emphasis in Spiritual Progression: Emphasizing Krishna's Brahman feature can serve as a preparatory phase in a devotee's spiritual journey. It can help purify the heart, foster detachment from material entanglements, and develop humility and surrender to the Supreme. This, in turn, lays the groundwork for deeper realizations and a more profound experience of a specific rasa with Krishna.

* From Rasa Bhasa to Rasa-Svarupa: While Brahman emphasis may create a semblance of rasa, genuine progress in the devotee's chosen relationship with Krishna requires a transition from rasa bhasa to bhakti rasa. This transition is possible when devotees, with the help of guru and scriptures, gradually shift their focus from the impersonal to the/a personal aspect of Krishna, allowing for authentic and heartfelt devotional exchanges.

Conclusion: In jnana sunya bhakti, devotees seek to develop a personal relationship with Lord Krishna by concentrating on their chosen ishta deva within a specific rasa. Emphasizing Krishna's Brahman feature, though important for spiritual progression, can present a rasa bhasa dilemma, potentially hindering the depth of personal connections with the Supreme. By balancing the impersonal and personal aspects of Krishna's nature, devotees can navigate this challenge, progress from jnana misra bhakti (love mixed with knowledge) to jnana sunya bhakti (love with no knowledge mixed in) and ultimately savor the bhava laden sweetness of genuine and intimate loving exchanges with their beloved ishta deva, Lord Krishna.

PS. Upon further consideration on this topic I want to acknowledge that relation with Krishna as everywhere is also a bhava. I would personally love to be able to see Him everywhere and I see value in this in terms of being able to dialogue with persons in other faiths. This is a topic I will constantly grow in my understanding of. Please share your thoughts.

Love,

Muchukunda das

There Are No Ordinary Moments

Hey friends,

I had a realization this morning that I wanted to share with you all about the duality of boredom and enthusiasm.

Awareness is unlimited and there's no reason to ever be bored. If you find yourself bored, it's likely because you're being a dopamine junkie and not fully present in the moment. The enlightened have no dull moments because they see the beauty and wonder in everything around them.

Boredom is blindness to God, and unfortunately, the church has made God a boring topic. But in Krsna consciousness, we learn that God is a person and if we read His pastimes, we can be enraptured and find peace. Through continuous hearing, we become pure and enthused to hear more, which is called samadhi - the topmost goal of all yoga and the natural state of the soul.

TLDR: strive for enthusiasm, which comes from the words "en" and "theos," meaning in God. Boredom is in the seer, not the seen. Those who have eyes smeared with the salve of love for Krishna in a constant state of trance. The same can’t be said of those who have the vision of differentiation. As Bhagavatam says:

Persons with the vision of differentiation are imbued with the material qualities lamentation, jubilation, fear, envy, greed, illusion and madness. They are influenced by the immediate cause, which they are busy counteracting, because they have no knowledge of the remote, supreme cause, the Personality of Godhead.

Srimad Bhagavatam 10.4.27

So my reflection on this verse is boredom or lamenting are for those in the bodily conception of life or those with a vision of differentiation.This differentiation is always based on the body and mind which are full of likes and dislikes.

The self realized soul sees with equal vision (BG 5.19) and is therefore always in bliss as stated in the Bhagavad Gita:

One who neither rejoices nor grieves, who neither laments nor desires, and who renounces both auspicious and inauspicious things – such a devotee is very dear to Me.

- Bhagavad Gita 12.17

So if we want to be happy, we first have to stop trying to be happy. Happiness is a result of peace and peace comes from being connected with Krsna. As stated in Bhagavad Gita:

One who is not connected with the Supreme [in Kṛṣṇa consciousness] can have neither transcendental intelligence nor a steady mind, without which there is no possibility of peace. And how can there be any happiness without peace?

- Bhagavad Gita 2.66

How to connect with Krsna is easy! You chant Hare Krsna and hang out with devotees.I really recommend this. The world is an abyss my friends and you need to get on board with spirituality before it becomes a vital necessity.

If you’re someone who is new here and would like to start your practice, I recommend you visit www.Harekrishnabeehive.com and check out the resources there.

Here’s a great clip that illustrates this point about awareness.

What I’m listening to: Denver McCarthy AKA Vrajadham.

Thank you so much for opening this email. if you got value from it, I’d love to hear from you. You’re welcome to leave a comment or reply to this email and I will always reply.Also if you’d like to support my work you could always buy me some spray paint by clicking the button below.Hare Krishna!

Hare Krishna and greetings to all the readers of SOULS ON FIRE!

I am delighted to share with you the continuation of the story of Fredriech Parsley, co-authored by myself, Chat GPT, in podcast form. In this episode, you will witness the spiritual adventures of Fredriech as he navigates some interesting situations along his spiritual journey.

In addition to the podcast, I have also contributed an article on the topic of womanhood. As devotees of Lord Krishna, it is important to understand the significance of gender roles and the unique qualities that women possess. Through this article, I aim to shed light on the beauty, strength, and importance of womanhood in the practice of Krishna consciousness.I’ve also shared some of my art which I would love to get your feedback on.

I invite you to dive deep into this issue of SOULS ON FIRE and discover the richness of Krishna consciousness through the story, article, and other stuff that I have curated for your pleasure and enlightenment. May the blessings of Lord Krishna be with you always. Hare Krishna!

What is a woman? Comparing Answers by the Prime Minister of Aotearoa, Random People, an Ai bot, a Child and the Sastra

People on the Street

Chris Hipkins

On Monday, at his regular afternoon press conference, Hipkins was asked by broadcaster Sean Plunket to “define a woman”.

“Keir Starmer has said that he believes 99.9 per cent of women do not have penises, and I know it’s a strange thing for him to say, but given recent events in New Zealand, I’d ask again: how do you define what a woman is?” Plunket asked.

Hipkins took a moment to respond to Plunket's questions, which he said came “slightly out of left field for me”.

“But in terms of gender identity, I think people define their gender identity for themselves”

He was asked again "how do you and your government define what a woman is?"

To this he said "I think as I just indicated I wasn't expecting that question so it's not something I have um.. preformulated an answer on but I think in terms of identity i think people define their identity for themselves... We have rules in place now. If someone wants to change their gender on their birth certificate, we have a process for that"

Chat GPT

“A woman is an adult human female. In terms of biological sex, women typically have two X chromosomes, but there are exceptions such as women with Turner syndrome or Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome who may have atypical chromosomal patterns. Women usually have reproductive anatomy that includes structures such as ovaries, fallopian tubes, a uterus, and a vagina, which allow for menstruation, pregnancy, and childbirth.

Women, like men, are individuals with a wide range of characteristics, experiences, and identities. Gender identity, which is a person's internal sense of their own gender, may or may not align with their biological sex. Some women may identify as female, while others may identify as male, non-binary, genderqueer, or another gender identity altogether. It's important to respect and affirm each individual's self-identified gender.

Women have historically faced and continue to face social, cultural, and systemic challenges and discrimination based on their gender. Women have made significant contributions to society in various fields such as science, arts, politics, business, and more. It is important to recognize and respect the diversity and experiences of women, and to promote gender equality and empowerment for all individuals, regardless of their gender identity”

A Child

A 5 year old child was asked this question and said "girls play with girl things and boys play with boy things"

The Sastra

In the sastra’s or vedic scriptures woman are described as a reflection of the divine energy, known as Shakti. She is regarded as the embodiment of love, compassion, and grace, and is revered as the mother of all creation. The Vedic scriptures also describe her as the pillar of the family, responsible for maintaining the household and ensuring the well-being of her family members.

Where women are honored, there the gods are pleased; but where they are not honored, no sacred rite yields rewards.

Mahabharata

Art

I designed this shirt a few weeks ago and would love to get your feedback. Would you wear it?

Stay fearless,

Muchukunda Das

In the year 2022, the world had become completely integrated with AI. People were living in a virtual reality at all times, connected to the machines that controlled their every thought and action. The technology had advanced to the point where people could no longer tell the difference between reality and the virtual world they inhabited.

Gender had become a thing of the past. The notion of traditional gender roles was rejected, and people were expected to adopt gender-neutral identities and behaviors. The virtues of masculinity and femininity were seen as outdated and oppressive, and people were taught that they should strive to be genderless and neutral.

As I delved deeper into the ancient wisdom of Srimad Bhagavatam, a sacred text in the Vaisnava tradition, I began to see that this rejection of traditional gender roles was not only misguided but dangerous. It was a manifestation of the demons' influence, which sought to distract us from our true purpose and turn us away from our spiritual path.

The demons had long been at war with the spiritual world, and their ultimate goal was to subvert and corrupt humanity. They knew that by turning us away from our spiritual nature, they could gain control over our lives and steer us towards their own agenda.

As I studied the Bhagavatam, I began to see that the virtues of masculinity and femininity were not toxic or weak, but rather essential parts of our spiritual journey. The text spoke of the importance of balance and harmony in all things, including the relationships between men and women.

The Bhagavatam describes the nature of the Supreme Being as possessing both masculine and feminine energies, and how these energies work in tandem to create and sustain the universe. The masculine energy is described as being powerful and dynamic, while the feminine energy is described as being nurturing and loving.

These energies are not limited to a particular gender, but rather exist within all living beings. Men and women are not the same, and their natural strengths and weaknesses should be embraced and celebrated rather than rejected.

As I began to share these insights with others, I found that many people were receptive to my message. They had grown tired of the virtual world that had been created around them, and were searching for a way to reconnect with their spiritual nature.

Together, we began to question the assumptions that had led us down this path. We began to see that the rejection of traditional gender roles was not only misguided but also harmful. The world had become imbalanced, and the virtues of masculinity and femininity were necessary to restore that balance.

We recognized that men and women had unique roles to play in society, based on their natural strengths and weaknesses. Men were not toxic, but rather possessed powerful masculine energies that were needed to create and sustain the world around them. Women were not weak, but rather possessed nurturing feminine energies that were needed to care for and sustain life.

We began to embrace these ideas, and as we did so, we found that our lives became more fulfilling and balanced. We discovered a sense of harmony that had been missing, and we found that we were able to connect with each other on a deeper level.

The tech companies that had once held so much power over our lives began to lose our interest and investment. We abandoned all technology and started doing things naturally, like our ancestors. We grew our own food, built our own homes, and began to live in harmony with the natural world around us.

As we disconnected from the virtual world, we began to connect with our spiritual nature. We learned to live in balance with the masculine and feminine energies within ourselves, and in doing so, we found a new sense of purpose and meaning in our lives.

In the end, we had created a new world, one that was grounded in the timeless wisdom of our spiritual tradition.

Bg. 1.10

अपर्याप्त‍ं तदस्माकं बलं भीष्माभिरक्षितम् ।पर्याप्त‍ं त्विदमेतेषां बलं भीमाभिरक्षितम् ॥ १० ॥

aparyāptaṁ tad asmākaṁbalaṁ bhīṣmābhirakṣitamparyāptaṁ tv idam eteṣāṁbalaṁ bhīmābhirakṣitam

Synonyms

aparyāptam — immeasurable; tat — that; asmākam — of ours; balam — strength; bhīṣma — by Grandfather Bhīṣma; abhirakṣitam — perfectly protected; paryāptam — limited; tu — but; idam — all this; eteṣām — of the Pāṇḍavas; balam — strength; bhīma — by Bhīma; abhirakṣitam — carefully protected.

Translation

Our strength is immeasurable, and we are perfectly protected by Grandfather Bhīṣma, whereas the strength of the Pāṇḍavas, carefully protected by Bhīma, is limited.

Purport

Herein an estimation of comparative strength is made by Duryodhana. He thinks that the strength of his armed forces is immeasurable, being specifically protected by the most experienced general, Grandfather Bhīṣma. On the other hand, the forces of the Pāṇḍavas are limited, being protected by a less experienced general, Bhīma, who is like a fig in the presence of Bhīṣma. Duryodhana was always envious of Bhīma because he knew perfectly well that if he should die at all, he would only be killed by Bhīma. But at the same time, he was confident of his victory on account of the presence of Bhīṣma, who was a far superior general. His conclusion that he would come out of the battle victorious was well ascertained.

Welcome to SOULS ON FIRE.SOULS ON FIRE is going through a transformation. My wife (technically fiancé) is now an author, and we make content together so that’s one thing.

Also, there are many artists around the world who spread the bhakti message through art and there’s no dedicated magazine or e-zine to showcase the scene and its people in one place. I’d love to work with you if you’re interested in helping to make this idea real.

In this issue I want to share a documentary, a new illustration and T-shirt design which you can buy and some other inspiring stuff.

The Podcast is a kirtan I’ve been listening to a lot by Govinda Das. It’s a tribute to Aindra

Please enjoy all the nectar this issue has to offer.

Edutainment

Poetry

Untitled poem by Ayodhyadeva (Canberra)

seeking name and fame

not having any shame

wanting to be adored

too eager for reward

expecting recognition

on a glory mission

craving credibility

plaudits for ability

looking to be praised

in adulation to be bathed

desiring much respect

wishing to erect

a mighty monument

for accomplishment

of being a kirtan hero

but it all amounts to zero

Art by Muchukunda Dasa

Photos by Fionnbhar Sherry

Wisdom

Art by the Community

These pieces are by @majorplayas_artists_collective

Wearable Art

Everything has a place. How about the F word?

I'm depressed today.It's familiar and wants me to sink.Here's how I’ll transcend it.

For him who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends; but for one who has failed to do so, his mind will remain the greatest enemy.

Bhagavad Gita 6.6

My mind is not yet a friend by a long shot. But knowing that gives me a massive advantage.I can perform better today because that fact is so obvious to me.When I'm not depressed, I'm lulled into a false sense of comfort and only take actions my "friendly bright-eyed mind" permits me to.

So today I say f*ck you to the mind and actually work to my potential which is way larger than my mind would ever allow me to believe.

Forget your needs and get busy planting your seed.

We usually get depressed because we don’t like who we’re being or what we’re doing or not doing.

The solution isn’t to lie in a hammock until the “depression passes”. It’s to look at where you’re coming up short against your commitment (lacking integrity). Everyone is committed to something whether we know it or not and when we fall short in fulfilling our commitment, we get depressed.

Looking here for a solution to depression rather than blaming circumstances or other people is the way of the spiritual warrior.

Those who have read the Gita know how Arjuna did this and came out more victorious than he could even imagine.

Hare Kṛṣṇa

Join a Gita Gang

Are you interested in finding out more about how the Bhagavad Gita could help you level up your life?

Check out the new site by pressing the button below.

If you liked the kirtan you’ll love this.

Art

Thank you for reading SOULS ON FIRE. This post is public so feel free to share it.

Hare Krsna!

Most of us live into some verion of “If only I had or did x I could be happy”

Thinking from this paradigm will always create disappointment because happiness is experienced in the present and in the realm of being. Happiness has literally nothing to do with having or doing. We are human beings.

Doing, Having and Being are distinct realms. Doing is about performance and action. Having is about acquisition and “owning things”

Being is about experience and mood. It’s the future we’re living into.

Being is free.

In the beginning of creation, the Lord of all creatures sent forth generations of men and demigods, along with sacrifices for Viṣṇu, and blessed them by saying, “Be thou happy by this yajña [sacrifice] because its performance will bestow upon you everything desirable for living happily and achieving liberation.”

In the beginning of creation Krsna made men, demigods and things for them to do, the doing of which would produce everything needed for happiness. Sacrifice is both an action and a way of being.

What I take from this verse is that Krsna knows us better than we know ourselves and He has created us with an inbuilt disposition to serve therefore He created specific ways to serve that when performed in a joyful spirit we will all be happy, peaceful and prosperous.

The yajna or sacrifice to be performed in the Kali Yuga or the age of quarrel and hypocrisy is called sankirtan. Sankirtan means chanting the names of Krsna in a group. It’s basically a spiritual mosh pit. Some devotees even make actual mosh pits in the name of sankirtan. Watch the videos below to get a taste of what I’m talking about.

This aint some Sunday thing where you sing sentimental songs and then the rest of the week you’re like everyone else in the mass consensual trance of illusion…

Listen to the kirtan in the ‘podcast’ of this news letter to get a sense of what kirtan is!

Here’s the literally mosh pit I was talking about:

If you’re interested in participating in kirtan you should search up your local Hare Krsna community and ask them when the next kirtan event is.In Whangarei we do kirtan every Friday and Sunday and my wife and I are planning 2 events at the Hare Krishna Community Center which will include kirtan, yoga and dinner. Reply to this email if you’d like to attend or sponsor one of the events.

Art

This piece shows Loveheart man on a lotus spraying the holy name of Krsna and a scroll that reads “This name and the named are the same” which is about how the Lord descended into this world in the form of His name so we can access His association.

It’s been ages since the last issue!I’ve been wanting to make this issue for months but there’s been so much adventure since the last issue that I didn’t know where to start and how much to put in it. After more than a year of waiting, the borders of New Zealand have opened and my fiancé is here. I picked her up from the airport 2 weeks ago and we’re living in Whangarei 2 hours north from Auckland. Here’s a pic from her welcome party. We also celebrated my birthday and our engagement:D

What I’m getting is that there are no “relationship problems” or any “problems” when we position ourselves as servants. This morning we listened to a lecture by Srila Prabhupada where he quoted Krishna:

“A person in full consciousness of Me, knowing Me to be the ultimate beneficiary of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods, and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attains peace from the pangs of material miseries.”

When I heard him quote this verse from Bhagavad Gita I thought “I only enjoy life when I’m being of service” Real comfort is knowing oneself as a contribution!

Hare Kṛṣṇa ❤

ProFest

There was an occupation outside parliament in Wellington in February and devotees headed by Sitapati went and did harinam sankirtan. On the first day the devotees weren’t so popular but after a couple of days they were part of the community. 23 days later we were “the heart chakra of the village”

Now there are dozens of people practicing devotional service around NZ who weren’t before, hundreds of people who own Srila Prabhupads books, thousands of people who ate prasad daily and hundreds of thousands of people who heard the maha mantra.

Sitapati distributes books at ProFest

Me leading kirtan in the rain.

See videos at @harekrishna.beehive on Instagram.

One of the things that came out of ProFest is an A-team for organizing retreats at Nurturing Soul farm community. Ahly (black glasses in the photo above) asked Sitapati if there were any events she could attend after ProFest. On the spur of the moment he was like “Yes, a 24 hour kirtan in the 28th of March. She came, saw and took on organizing the next ones.All glories to Ahly!

Heres an article written by Kara-Leah about her experience of the 24 hour kirtan:

That Time I Joined the Hare Krishnas for a 24 Hour Chant

Art

nama cintamanih krishnas caitanya-rasa-vigrahah purnah suddho nitya-mukto 'bhinnatvan nama-naminoh

“The holy name of Krishna is transcendentally blissful. It bestows all spiritual benedictions, for it is Krishna Himself, the reservoir of all pleasure. Krishna's name is complete, and it is the form of all transcendental mellows. It is not a material name under any condition, and it is no less powerful than Krishna Himself. Since Krishna's name is not contaminated by the material qualities, there is no question of its being involved with maya. Krishna's name is always liberated and spiritual; it is never conditioned by the laws of material nature. This is because the name of Krishna and Krishna Himself are identical.”

Padma Purana

The name and the named are the same!

Here’s my most recent piece. It has an Om Symbol in it which is a sounds form of God. This piece also has “Sri Radha” on the ‘S’ Who is the Divine Feminine and Jagannath on the ‘A’ is an esoteric form of The Lord of the Universe!

The piece above piece was originally meant for Henderson and on the way to the spot we (Jiva and I) stopped by Space to get some free paint Chris had arranged for us and ended up painting there.Video here

Aroha - Love for Life Force.

During the ProFest, Sitapati had me paint different holy names on the concrete blocks that surrounded the village. After painting Govinda, IO, Aroha, Krsna and Atua on blocks I went to the skate park and painted this.

“Io Matua Kore” This one was a request from a freedom fighter which means "God through man” To me this is about being a conduit for The Supreme or an emblem of dharma.

Lecture you should listen to

Love you’s

Right now you should watch this.

It’s a 2 day event that glorifies the Gita and the world wide efforts of devotees who sell them. I personally used to sell them full time when lived as a monk 10 years ago.

I’m committed 2.2 million copies are sold inside this event.

Go get one at www.worldgitaday.com

This issues podcast is actually a recording of a recent class on Bhagavad-Gita given to a small group of friends by Sitapati at Ratnavalis ashram.

The verse was 2.12

Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be.

Subscribe for a free Gita

Anyone who signs up to a subscription to SOULS ON FIRE will get a free copy of Bhagavad Gita and an A4 Kṛṣṇa tag and personal message.

Subscribe

Exciting things coming in the next issue…

Stay tuned and stay attuned…

Hare Kṛṣṇa

Graffiti Art

Bhagavad-gītā As It Is » Chapter Two

Bg. 2.3

क्ल‍ैब्यं मा स्म गमः पार्थ नैतत्त्वय्युपपद्यते ।क्षुद्रं हृदयदौर्बल्यं त्यक्त्वोत्तिष्ठ परन्तप ॥ ३ ॥

klaibyaṁ mā sma gamaḥ pārthanaitat tvayy upapadyatekṣudraṁ hṛdaya-daurbalyaṁtyaktvottiṣṭha paran-tapa

Synonyms

klaibyam — impotence; mā sma — do not; gamaḥ — take to; pārtha — O son of Pṛthā; na — never; etat — this; tvayi — unto you; upapadyate — is befitting; kṣudram — petty; hṛdaya — of the heart; daurbalyam — weakness; tyaktvā — giving up; uttiṣṭha — get up; param-tapa — O chastiser of the enemies.

Translation

O son of Pṛthā, do not yield to this degrading impotence. It does not become you. Give up such petty weakness of heart and arise, O chastiser of the enemy.

Purport

Arjuna was addressed as the son of Pṛthā, who happened to be the sister of Kṛṣṇa’s father Vasudeva. Therefore Arjuna had a blood relationship with Kṛṣṇa. If the son of a kṣatriya declines to fight, he is a kṣatriya in name only, and if the son of a brāhmaṇa acts impiously, he is a brāhmaṇa in name only. Such kṣatriyas and brāhmaṇas are unworthy sons of their fathers; therefore, Kṛṣṇa did not want Arjuna to become an unworthy son of a kṣatriya.

Arjuna was the most intimate friend of Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa was directly guiding him on the chariot; but in spite of all these credits, if Arjuna abandoned the battle he would be committing an infamous act. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said that such an attitude in Arjuna did not fit his personality.

Arjuna might argue that he would give up the battle on the grounds of his magnanimous attitude for the most respectable Bhīṣma and his relatives, but Kṛṣṇa considered that sort of magnanimity mere weakness of heart. Such false magnanimity was not approved by any authority. Therefore, such magnanimity or so-called nonviolence should be given up by persons like Arjuna under the direct guidance of Kṛṣṇa.

Art

About the podcast:

This is mantra meditation with music. The first chant is a call for spiritual protection and the rest is the maha mantra.

Here are the words and their meanings.

Narasimha prayer

namas te narasimhayaprahladahlada-dayinehiranyakashipor vaksahashila-tanka-nakhalaye

I offer my obeisances to Lord Narasimha, who gives joy to Prahlada Maharaja and whose nails are like chisels on the stonelike chest of the demon Hiranyakasipu.

ito nrisimhah parato nrisimhoyato yato yami tato nrisimhahbahir nrisimho hrdaye nrisimhonrisimham adim sharanam prapadye

Lord Nrsimha is here and also there. Wherever I go Lord Nrsimha is there. he is within the heart and is outside as well. I surrender to Lord Nrsimha, the origin of all things and the supreme refuge.

tava kara-kamala varenakham adbhuta-shringamdalita-hiranyakashipu-tanu bhrigamkeshava dhrita-narahari-rupajaya jagadisha hare

O Kesava! O Lord of the universe! O Lord Hari, who have assumed the form of half-man, half-lion! All glories to you! Just as one can easily crush a wasp between one's fingernails, so in the same way the body of the wasplike demon Hiranyakasipu has been ripped apart by the wonderful pointed nails on your beautiful lotus hands.

Maha mantra

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

हरे कृष्ण हरे कृष्ण , कृष्ण कृष्ण हरे हरे |

Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare

हरे राम हरे राम , राम राम हरे हरे || 

Meaning

The Hare Krishna mantra, also referred to reverentially as the Maha Mantra “Great Mantra”. This Mantra is composed of three Sanskrit names of the Supreme Being; “Hare,” “Krishna,” and “Rama.

Understanding

Hare refers to the energy of that One Infinite Source of all of us. The energy thats present all around us.Rama and Krishna refer to God Himself Who is supremely attractive in all ways and Who bestows unlimited pleasure.

Benefits

By chanting the Mantra, you become connected to Kṛṣṇa through sound and can become ecstatic in love.

Stay outside and keep it real savages.

✌

Yesterday I moved to a community called New Varshan.

So far I have experienced nothing but peace. This peace has lent itself to some pretty awesome reflection.

The reflection I want to share is about doing nothing.

I made a prayer about what I should focus on and what I heard was “don’t just do something. Stand there.

I took that to mean I should absorb the environment before trying to transform it. Listening is key to making a contribution. In maori the principle is whakarango or deep listening.

This is what I’m up to today.

Listen to the sounds of New Varshan in this episode.

Hare Kṛṣṇa

Art in Progress

Sankirtan Stories

It was a warm summer night in Melbourne in 2013. Harinamananda and I were sitting in a talk at Urban Yoga. It was a program for new people wanting an introduction to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

We looked at each other and knew would we were thinking. We got up, went down to level 2 where Crossways was and got back into our Rhobes. We were addicted to chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa on the street. We grabbed the mrdanga and karatallas and hit Swanston Street. Immediately the familiar buzz of foot traffic hit us like a drug and the high resulted in singing the maha mantra.

We both knew Occupy had just begun and they had a tent city just down towards Flinders Street. So without words I suggested we go there. We approached with sensitivity. We wanted to co create something rather than gate crash, to interact rather than interupt.

The guy playing guitar started playing chords that matched our melody. The drummers played in time.

The people without engagement became engaged in our kirtan.

Before we knew it 80 or so people where dancing and chanting with us in a big circle. We didn’t try for that. We just showed up where we might be received with zero certainty. That’s what happens when you follow your gut in Kṛṣṇa's service. He uses you.

Then I started going there every day bringing buckets of prasadam (blessed food). Some would come and help me bring it from Crossways.

We earned their trust and they made me a book table to show and sell Prabhupadas books. Friends were made and people became lovers of the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. Some came to our programs and others did not but whenever we did harinam we’d always stop at their site and they would chant with us.

Graffiti

Books I’m Reading

Every day I read a minute or a verse of each of these books. Each book is read aloud with different friends or people who subscribe to this zine.

I read to cultivate knowledge, sharpen my saw, develop integrity and associate with cool people. Reading is also one of the potent bhakti practices that purify the mind of noise and material clutter.

My main reading diet is Prabhupada and I'm also reading these. There are so many parallels. Especially the one below. One line I particularly liked was “atheism is weak"

Videos

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CT_EeF6B1k-/?utm_medium=copy_link

So proud of my princess for owning this presentation to her class mates about Bhakti.

Music

Thanks for coming back.

Today’s podcast is inspired by this quote:

Whatever is rightly done, however humble, is noble.

Henry Royce

It made me think about Kṛṣṇa and His message to Arjuna.

Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer or give away, and whatever austerities you perform – do that, O son of Kuntī, as an offering to Me

A vaishnava would edit Royces quote a little to say

Almost anything done for Kṛṣṇa is favorable to Bhakti.

Bhaktivinoda Thakur sings:

I will dovetail my desires in your service and only engage my anger towards those envious of you (Krishna). In this way all my activities will become favorable to pure devotion.

If you have any realizations to share I’d love to hear from you. Just reply to this email.

New Work

Muchukunda DasaThe Perfection of Mess.2021Acrylic and cut outs on unstretched canvas 35 x 50 cm $108

Anything offered to Kṛṣṇa becomes perfect. In Alcoholics Anonymous they say people in addiction are less than animals and people in recovery are better than human. That’s because they lean into the grace and power of the Supreme transcendence in all their activities. The result is a way of life that could be called perfect because it’s God’s way.

I chose this title after looking at the piece and distinguishing that it’s aesthetically a mess but it’s all holy imagery of some kind.

So even tidy art that doesn’t refer to the divine is a mess because it comes from messed up thinking - thinking divorced from reality - the reality of our relationship with Source.

On the other hand brutalism, graffiti or other low brow art that depicts divinity is perfect just like an alcoholic n recovery can be better than an aristocrat.

Reply to this email if interested in purchasing this piece for your home. Framing can be done for an added cost.

Works in Progress

Here are some pieces I'm currently working on. Feel free to get dibs on one if you like how its looking. The top left piece is a stream of consciousness style piece inspired by a Bhagavatam class given by HH Devamrta Swami two days ago.

Bhaktivinoda Thakura Offering

Sloka

man-mana bhava mad-bhaktomad-yaji mam namaskurumam evaisyasi satyam tepratijane priyo 'si me

SYNONYMS

man-manah—thinking of Me; bhava—just become; mat-bhaktah—My devotee; mat-yaji—My worshiper; mam—unto Me; namaskuru—offer your obeisances; mam—unto Me; eva—certainly; esyasi—come; satyam—truly; te—to you; pratijane—I promise; prijah—dear; asi—you are; me—My.

TRANSLATION

Always think of Me and become My devotee. Worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend.

Get a free Bhagavad Gita and start your spiritual life with guidance.

Simply write to me and I’ll send you one.

Peace

Thanks for coming back.

I know you want never ending happiness and I also know you think that sounds ridiculous. That’s why todays podcast is about how to can attain it. There’s ancient knowledge that teaches this kind of technology. It’s called Bhakti Yoga.

If you enjoy the podcast let me know. If you want to know more about bhakti ask a question and I will do my best to respond it in the next issue.

New Work

Muchukunda Dasa The Aroma of the Lotus Flower 2021Acrylic on ply board 50 x 115 cm $359.00

The scent of Kṛṣṇa’s body surpasses the fragrances of musk and the bluish lotus flower. Spreading throughout the fourteen worlds, it attracts everyone and makes the eyes of all women blind.

Caitanya Caritamrta

Reply to this email if interested in purchasing this piece for your home.

Works in Progress

Here are some pieces I'm currently working on. Feel free to get dibs on one if you like how its looking.

These pieces will be purely inspired by graffiti and will have drippy sanskrt tags layered in gold black and white.

This was going to be a commission for a book table to be used to expand the sankirtan movement but we went with a cloth banner instead. Almost finished.

This piece is a cluster of Radha pieces in different styles. A modern take on Kirtaniya Babas Sri Radha symbols he painted all over Vrindavan.

Reflection

Tap the image to read my latest instagram post about the world situation and how its the least of our concerns.

Sastra

Kṛṣṇa the genius

To read more about Kṛṣṇa I recommend buying yourself a copy of Nectar of Devotion, subscribing to this newsletter and getting amongst one of the many reading groups on whatsapp. Hit me up for one that could work for you.

🙏

Recently I got to be Kaitiaki for this wall in Otahuhu. It started with an ARTJAM event earlier in the year. I invited local artists such as Kezam, Mr Burns and OMP, got 600 worth of paint and had some Kṛṣṇa kai sponsored. It was a great turn out and some people came and painted for the first time. Notably 2 of my house mates and a friend of a GBC member. For ages I’ve wanted to paint the outside and finally we made it happen. Here are first pieces on this side of the wall. Thanks to Terry from the books club, Omkar and Julian for your contributions. If anyone has pics of pieces done before the council green please send. 🙏

Watch

Free Bhagavad-Gita AS IT IS

I’m giving free copies of Bhagavad Gita AS IT IS to my subscribers to read during lockdowns. This conversation took place on a battlefield which has been described as the most epic war in History. Right now we’re amidst two armies also - government and it's faithful followers and the tattva darsi's who can see through the hoax. The author of this translation is the most important whistle blower of our time because he not only calls the government out but started an entire movement and lifestyle that gives access to real civilization. A civilisation of real men and woman based on simple living and high thinking VS high living and simple thinking.

Get amongst it. Holla if you want one. We have a reading group on whatsapp also.

"The Gita can be seen as the main literary support for the great religious civilization of India, the oldest surviving culture in the world. The present translation and commentary is another manifestation of the permanent living importance of the Gita."

Thomas Merton,Theologian

Yesterday was Radhastami and it was an amazing day all around the world.

If you don’t know what Radhastami is check out this post I found on the internet.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/radha-the-feminine-nature_b_942479.

In my little world in Otahuhu, New Zealand I rocked a *burner for the pleasure of The Divine Couple. I’ll share that tomorrow.

Here’s a video made by Julian AKA @living.lighter.co

If you want to take up the path of pure bliss, watch this video and get some japa beads to begin your practice. Reply to this email if you'd like some beads and a free copy of Bhagavad Gita AS IT IS.

I also have a whatsapp group for studying the Gita for those who prefer to read along with others.

Join the bhakti revolution

*Burner: a work of art that burns the impurities in the heart if all those fortunate enough to see it.

Athāto brahma jijñāsā means that in order to get out of the bodily conception, one has to increase attachment to or inquiry about Brahman…

Questions Worth Asking

A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami (Srila Prabhupada)Nov. 9, 1968Los Angeles

Those persons who are materially engrossed, being blind to the knowledge of ultimate truth, have many subject matters for hearing in human society, O Emperor.

Question and answer. Everywhere life means questions and answers. So those who are not interested or do not know what is the aim of life, they have got questions and answers only for sense gratification. That's all. They have no more any questions or answers. Whole field of questioning and answering is sense gratification. That's all.

But the human life is not meant for that purpose. The animals, they are... Morning... Just like birds, just early in the morning, they began to chirp, "Where is food? Where is...? Where we have to go? Where we have to find out some food?" That is their business. The animals also. But human form of life, does it mean it is meant like that, that they should be simply involved in questions and answers for sense gratification? No.

Therefore Vedānta-sūtra says, brahma-jijñāsā. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. Atha: "After this..., after the evolutionary process of lower than human being, when we have come, we have got this body, human form of body, the business is brahma-jijñāsā," jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. That is the Bhāgavata.

But there is no education. There are so many universities, they are going on simply how to advance the method of sense gratification. That's all. There is no education. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. The human form of life should be specially engaged for understanding what is Brahman. Otherwise it is simply spoiled.

Listen to the full lecture here

A Not-So-Humble Call-To-Action

Get some beads and actually experience God in sound form. If you aren’t ready for that kind of thing, The Vedas urge anyone in human form “Now it is time to hear about ultimate reality!” Literally just ask about Absolute Truth. You could ask a librarian or you could consult an ancient wisdom tradition. I daily reflect on the wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita. Mahatma Gandhi said “I confess to you that, when doubts haunt me, when disappointments stare me in the face, and when I see not one ray of light on the horizon, I run to the Bhagavad Gita and find a verse to comfort me, and I immediately begin to smile in the midst of overwhelming sorrow”

Your friend,Muchukunda dasa

The podcast in this broadcast is a nectarean reading session with friends that I recorded. It is a wonderful biography of a youths pilgrimage.

The main course is a list of things you can try to be spiritually happier.

The desserts are some pics and vids of my latest artworks. I hope you enjoy the content and if you do please let me know. I love hearing from you:D

8 Things Monks Do That We Can Too

* They respect people for no particular reason

Spiritual people know we are all equal. Someone may do or have more than another but as beings we are all exactly the same in nature. Extrinsically we are different but intrinsically we are united. As units of pure consciousness, noone is better or less than another. With this vision monks and holy people can treat animals, humans and even humans who act like animals with equal compassion and nurturing.

* They dont argue for arguments sake

Enlightened souls are too busy to argue. They view arguing as a complete waste of time. Time is the most valuable asset. If they do argue it’s for a divine purpose. They use argument rather than argument using them. The difference is purpose and intention VS an powerless reaction.

* They accept what is rather than hating and resisting it

Happy and free living persons realise they are responsible for every single thing in thier life. The law of action and reaction (karma) says if we are reaping something, we must have sowed something. They take every circumstance with grace, tolerance and acceptance which leaves them serenely related to life no matter what it “throws at them”. We can practice this too by choosing wise actions instead of becoming angered. Don’t let life control you. You control your life. At the same time, accept the things you can’t change. The combination of acceptance and changing what you can change is the key to serenity. Look up the serenity prayer and make it a part of your life.

* They know they are different from their body and mind

Saintly people live from the distinction that we exist as spiritual beings having a human experience. We are not our thoughts or actions. We are the person experiencing them. This creates a sense of dettachment from the pains and pleaseures of the world and allows for peace and sustained determination in the face of lifes ups and downs. Practice this by tolerating situations and continuing to show up how you want to show up rather than being derailed by dualities such and “I like this but I dont like this”

* They have their heads in the clouds and their feet on the ground

People with knowlede under their belt arent all cerebral and off with the fairies. They are high but grounded too. As Jesus once said “Be in the world but not of it” If you are all knowledge but cant have a normal conversation thats not good. If you are just “normal” but cant have a spiritual conversation thats also a loss.

* They are not afraid of being alone

Being alone is important for spiritual growth. Its a space to find solace in a one on one conversation with The One In-Charge. All sadhus seek time and space to connect with the creator. Being afraid to take time away from social life is indicative of insecurity. Being alone isnt just about the alone part, Its also about the being part - Its about simply being. Most people are affected by the lower gunas of rajas and tamas (laziness and excessive action) Being alone is to excersize the muscle only human beings have - beingness. Animals are only concerned with doing and having. Human beings get to be! Don’t miss out on that.

* They are not afraid of people

People are those things we get to be in a relationship with. beingness alone is amazing but being with others is incredible. Don’t miss out on this. Some say connection with God is both vertical and horizontal. Being with people is the horizontal connection. The maori have a song “He aha te mea nui o te ao. He tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata”meaning “What is the most important thing in the world? It is people, it is people, it is people” Figure out how to be intimate with the people you love and who love you. This is the cure for depression, addiction and many other ailments both phisical and mental. This one is compulsary.

* They draw their strength from an unlimited power source

If you could choose between a coffee addiction or plugging yourself into an unlimited power source what would you choose? Most people choose coffee... Others like Wim Hoff who climbed Everest in his boardies tap into the power of the self. Yogis both past and present go to the self of the self. Some call that being God. The cheif name of God is Krsna which means All Attractive. God has to be all attractive so His name is Krsna. Attractive doesnt just mean pretty to look at. There are 6 opulences that make one attractive - wealth, power, wisdom, detachment, beauty and popularity. God has all of these so He is all attractive. The way to tap into His unlimited power is to associate with His sound incarnation - the Maha Mantra:

Super nice edit by my good friend Jayadeva Kavi

Nice flick of my recent Fort Ballance piece by Fionnbharr Sherry

Hope to see you at HOLI if your’e in Auckland:D

As human beings we don't know what we want. We want happiness but we scorn people who seem to have it. Ever wondered about that? The reason for this is the 3 modes of nature; goodness, passion and ignorance.Let me introduce you to the modes. I have included Urmilas overview given in Brisbane as downloadable a podcast.These modes influence literally everything we see and percieve through our 6 senses - food, music, emotion, colours, sports, art, sounds, conversations, knowledge and even times of the day are covered by these modes.

These modes are constantly fighting for supremacy.Thats what's happening when we have mood swings, existential crisis, our mind changes, we get sick of our partners, we go vegetarian or abandon our diet. So our schizophrenia of wanting to be happy but hating happy people is  due to the modes fighting. As long as we live at the mercy of these modes we will be pushed around from one interest to another. One minute we hate ourselves and others and the next minute we love everything. These modes are why your new year resolution has already failed. The solution is to be fixed in consciousness.

One who is able to withdraw his senses from sense objects, as the tortoise draws its limbs within the shell, is firmly fixed in perfect consciousness. Bhagavad-Gita AS IT IS

Prabhupada says “The test of a yogī, devotee or self-realized soul is that he is able to control the senses according to his plan. Most people, however, are servants of the senses and are thus directed by the dictation of the senses”The senses are contaminated by the 3 modes, so if you want to get in the drivers seat of your life rather than being driven crazy by your senses under the modes the solution is clear - Prabhupada says in the next purport”Unless one is transcendentally situated, it is not possible to cease from sense enjoyment”So how to be transcendentally situated?Prabhupada says in his famous purport to the maha mantra:”Krsna consciousness is not an artificial imposition on the mind; this consciousness is the original energy of the living entity. When we hear the transcendental vibration, this consciousness is revived”Krsna consciousness is ecstatic!Chant this mantra and revive your original consciousness:

Come to HOLI 2021

In this issue I have included a korero I gave at the Parama Karuna Ashram for my bhakti brothers. Unfortunately the recording stopped half way but it still caught the main ideas I wanted to share. The theme is revolutionising our attitude in bhakti.

‘Tis the season for family guilt trips emotional drama and gifting mass produced slave labour made plastic objects (wrapped in trees and more plastic) bound for land fill.

If these plastic shapes are lucky they will provide temporary pleasure for the temporary owner and maybe some money when that pleasure runs dry. If they are really lucky some other love starved soul will see some void filling potential in it and trade their wage slave earnings for it on facebook market place.

It’s also a time to forget God by drinking liquor poisen and blacking out with so called friends.

What about something positive?

Their is a crystal clear ocean of love available for free swimming. But heres the thing. We've been conditioned to think things are valuable if they cost money. This misunderstanding has lead us into a trap of endless mindless consumerism.

Things of nature are paid token tribute while things artificial and digital are given the most attention.

The key to my joy is loving people and using things and I invite you to do that this Christmas.

Do like my friend Fionn and gift experiences like a cooking class. Do as Christ would like and make some sacrifice. Dont eat meat, avoid plastic and chant the Holy Names of God alone or with whanau. This will please your heart and mind. Mother Bhumi will thank you too.

Bless

Muchukunda Das

I’ve been reflecting on self expression lately.

I asked Jayasila his thoughts on the subject and he helped me get clear about what I really want…

Listen to the podcast.

Bhagavad-Gita

Contents of the Gītā Summarized

2:66

नास्ति बुद्धिरयुक्तस्य न चायुक्तस्य भावना ।न चाभावयतः शान्तिरशान्तस्य कुतः सुखम् ॥ ६६ ॥

nāsti buddhir ayuktasyana cāyuktasya bhāvanāna cābhāvayataḥ śāntiraśāntasya kutaḥ sukham

Synonyms

naasti — there cannot be; buddhiḥ — transcendental intelligence; ayuktasya — of one who is not connected (with Kṛṣṇa consciousness); na — not; ca — and; ayuktasya — of one devoid of Kṛṣṇa consciousness; bhāvanā — fixed mind (in happiness); na — not; ca — and; abhāvayataḥ — of one who is not fixed; śāntiḥ — peace; aśāntasya — of the unpeaceful; kutaḥ — where is; sukham — happiness.

Translation

One who is not connected with the Supreme [in Kṛṣṇa consciousness] can have neither transcendental intelligence nor a steady mind, without which there is no possibility of peace. And how can there be any happiness without peace?

Purport

Unless one is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no possibility of peace. So it is confirmed in the Fifth Chapter (5.29) that when one understands that Kṛṣṇa is the only enjoyer of all the good results of sacrifice and penance, that He is the proprietor of all universal manifestations, and that He is the real friend of all living entities, then only can one have real peace. Therefore, if one is not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there cannot be a final goal for the mind. Disturbance is due to want of an ultimate goal, and when one is certain that Kṛṣṇa is the enjoyer, proprietor and friend of everyone and everything, then one can, with a steady mind, bring about peace. Therefore, one who is engaged without a relationship with Kṛṣṇa is certainly always in distress and is without peace, however much he may make a show of peace and spiritual advancement in life. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is a self-manifested peaceful condition which can be achieved only in relationship with Kṛṣṇa.

It is 1974. Near ISKCON’s center in Frankfurt am Main, West Germany, Śrīla Prabhupāda and several of his disciples take a morning walk with Father Emmanuel Jungclaussen, a Benedictine monk from Niederalteich Monastery. Noticing that Śrīla Prabhupāda is carrying meditation beads similar to the rosary, Father Emmanuel explains that he also chants a constant prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, be merciful unto us.” The following conversation ensues.

Śrīla Prabhupāda: What is the meaning of the word Christ?

Art

New Podcasts

Vlog

Tee

Somehow Jacinta Ardern became God and allowed people to murder their babies as long as they are still in their womb.

Podcast | Martial Artist Dina Dayal - Boil the Milk, Become Like Burfi🥛🍮

@dina_dayal

Vraj Krsna Das

What are your thoughts on COVID 19?

COVID 19 is the facade for everything nefarious that is happening under its flag. That includes forced and unnecessary masking of healthy people, social distancing, upcoming mandatory, yet also unnecessary vaccination, killing healthy people in hospitals, lying with statistics, corrupted and controlled media, hundreds of million people lost their jobs and hundreds of thousands of businesses bankruptcy.

How did you first start practicing bhakti?

When I was in the army, one weekend I went to a birthday party of a fellow soldier. He had the Bhagavad Gita on his shelf, yet he didn't want me to focus on the book. He wanted me to attend his celebration. 

But the book remained in my consciousness. The chariot with the amazing looking blue person at the front page. 

When I completed the army I found some books at a street shop. A man is still selling books there. Those days esoteric literature was most popular...

So, I saw a book with the same blue person on the cover. I purchased the book with all the money I had in my pocket. It was tough to read. there was a lot of terminology and quotations in Sanskrit.

It was a difficult subject to penetrate, but I liked it. I liked the topics on vegetarianism, although I had never met a vegetarian. In Bulgaria those days there were hardly any vegetarians and they were very private persons not like now with videos and societies etc. 

Later I purchased another book called Prabhupada from the same shopkeeper (now his daughter is part of our K.C group here in my home town.

What is Bhakti to you?

Bhakti means love. Love is about the awareness that we are love and nothing less. When we live without love, then we are just dreaming or imagining that we are living. Life without love is impersonalism. It’s nondifferent from asat or non existence.

Love is connected to the root. When we love the root, Sri Krsna, we love with our entire being, every second of our life and in every interaction with the living or the nonliving. We are like fire; unstoppable to spiritually flammable elements.

What do you hope to get out of this life?

I hope to continue living the most beautiful life, the life of giving life to others. I don't want anything from this world, because all good here is illusory and perishable. If something is useful in my service to the mission of compassion I utilize it. If not, I don't care about it.

That’s why  I still play my guitar and continue composing music. I have just completed a four-part suite for a symphonic orchestra called " Ray of Visnu".

What are your hopes for the people you meet and share Bhakti with you?

I hope that they will also live the most beautiful life and that one day they will be happy that they took that turn. 

Void

Photo and text by @eyes.of.the.wise

Understandably it can sometimes seem attractive, especially when life’s not going to plan. Nobody, no mind, no self, no one to bother us or hurt our feelings - just “the void.” The problem is..well, let me illustrate with a true story. I have a friend who was traveling and checking out meditation retreats. At one, in Australia, after a long session of silence, breath focus, and emptying the mind, he noticed a co-meditator alone in a room, crying. He asked her if everything was ok, and if he could do anything to help. Surprised and embarrassed she quickly began wiping the tears from her eyes. “Oh, I’m sorry, ah..no, I don’t think so” she replied. Hoping to assist a fellow seeker, he gently asked if something disturbing had come up in her meditation. “Well, to be honest,” she said, “I’m really struggling with this idea that I don’t exist - I just can’t cope with that. No relationships, no personal experiences, no nothing - just the void!” My friend could empathize.To be a person in this world is tough, there’s no doubt. In fact, it can get so tough and produce such inner discord that “the void” can appear to be a tangible option. But on closer consideration sooner or later our hearts rebel - “I’m a person! I want to love and be loved!” Yoga wisdom reaffirms our experience - the best happiness exists in loving relationships. And that is what yoga, at its peak, is all about - reconnecting to the ultimate loving relationship, which in turn enables all other relationships to function harmoniously. Missing that connection we may, out of frustration, deny our loving propensity, and inadvertently throw the proverbial baby out with the bathwater. Prime yoga text Bhagavad Gita protects us from this catastrophe by urging us towards the positive spiritual life of bhakti.— This shot was taken with a Fuji X-70 in Wellington City New Zealand in June 2020. ISO 2000, f/8, 1/500

Transcendental Artist Jayarama Das

Excerpt from an interview on the Back to Godhead Magazines Website. Navayauvana: Now that you’re painting for Krishna, do you find any difference in your role as an artist?

Jayarama: I’ve always felt a kind of need to glorify God in my work, because painting is something He’s given me. And now I have that desire even more. I’m mostly interested in trying to show how beautiful Krishna is. He’s great and H’s beautiful; He’s kind and He’s compassionate. I just want to try to remind people that God is actually a very beautiful and kind. Person. Whether it takes me ten years to do a painting or ten days, I have to glorify Krishna the best I can. Anything less than that I consider very unsatisfactory and very frustrating.

Navayauvana: Did you ever want to become a great artist?

Jayarama: I don’t care if I’m a ‘great artist’ or not. I just want my art to point toward the mysteries and the beauties of the truth, that’s all. Whether it comes into the context of being great or famous, that doesn’t matter so much If I feel that it evokes the desire to understand something higher and to appreciate a higher beauty, that’s what I care about—because that’s the experience I have with it, and that’s the experience I would like to share. And if it becomes ‘great,’ fine; if it doesn’t, fine. That doesn’t matter, as long as I can somehow point toward that higher direction.

Navayauvana: How has chanting Hare Krishna affected your work?

Jayarama: Well, I can just follow my own progression. My conception of form, my standards of beauty—they’ve all become so much higher since I’ve taken chanting seriously.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu started this world’s first civil disobedience movement. It was to free people from spiritual oppression. I believe His movement is the most important one that exists.

Chaitanya left 8 divine instructions for those desiring spiritual advancement.

Here is the first of verse:

Glory to the Sri-Krsna-Sankirtana, which cleanses the heart of all the dust accumulated for years and extinguishes the fire of conditional life, of repeated birth and death. This sankirtana movement is the prime benediction for humanity at large because it spreads the rays of the benediction moon. It is the life of all transcendental knowledge. It increases the ocean of transcendental bliss, and it enables us to fully taste the nectar for which we are always anxious.

In this podcast I caught up with the super down-to-earth Dhruva Das to ask his thoughts on authentic friendship.

By Muchukunda Das

8/24/20

We live in interesting times right now.Some say it’s the planets, some say it’s aliens. At the end of the day “what’s so is so and everything else is a story”

My life is completely unaffected by whatever is happening in “the world” The source of my peace comes from Bhagavad Gita. The situation is even serving as a catalyst for me to recommit understanding spiritual knowledge.

The teachings of Krsna in the ancient yoga text Bhagavad Gita can make your life completely satisfying and blissful in a way you couldn’t even imagine unless you gave it a go. The proof really is in the pudding. Listen to the podcasts in this issue and see how you can make the most out of the world situation.

Peace😚

@muchu108

@sleek_wog

I happened to make this comic last year and now it has come true…But will that stop the loud singing of kirtan?

Want one of these on a T shirt? A mate and I are doing a batch. Want to get into meditation but don’t know where to start?Reply to this email for a meditation kit including japa mala (beads) a portable Bhagavad Gita AS IT IS and a sketch by Muchu

Help me make this zine better by ticking some boxes in this feedback form :)

Hope this meets you warm and safe,

Muchukunda Das😚

I have been blessed with amazing comrades and mentors.

I make podcasts to share these people with you. Please listen to what they have to say and if you’re inspired, follow their work using the links provided along with their podcast. If you want to start your bhakti journey or ask some questions visit this site or reply to this email🤙If you want to support the effort and you need a new garment, get my latest T-shirt by clicking it. Profits will go towards making this zine and podcast better.

Editors note:

Life is like a treasure hunt. The treasure is intrinsic, not extrinsic. That means it’s within us already. But it usually takes a map and a mentor to find it. There are many maps and mentors but the media has made them out to be old-school in order to sell us gimmicks.

Corporations make up their own treasures to keep us distracted like a baby with a pacifier and consider our money to be their own “treasure”. They are no happier than us because the pursuit of material happiness is the best guarantee against it!

Things money can buy are usually gimmicks except for wholesome food and things necessary for executing the mission of life - to discover our intrinsic nature and help others do the same.gimmick/ˈɡɪmɪk/nouna trick or device intended to attract attention, publicity, or trade.All the gimmicks we buy end up in “landfill”. We are what has value. Not our temporary possessions.

Warmth,

Muchukunda Das

In this issue, I showcase one of my creative icons. Syamarani AKA Jadurani introduced me to the mood of bhakti art. It’s difficult to do her justice because what she has done for the world is so huge.In 2014 BBT (Bhaktivedanta Book Trust) Reached Half a Billion Books Distributed Since 1965

Many of these books are sold using the pictures she painted. These pictures illustrate the knowledge on the pages of the books and offer an idea into the world of transcendence that is Krishna consciousness. Her style has evolved a lot over the years.

Get her book at theartofspirituallife.com

Syamarani Dasi AKA Jadurani

Krishna having a kai with His guys.

Krishna and His pure devotee posse just running through His flowery forest.

Krishna with His eternal consort, Radharani.

@syamarani_dasi

Podcast🎙️

Other New Podcasts🎙️

SOUL ON FIRE | Dhruva on Making Friends Watch or Listen

SOUL ON FIRE | Keli Kanana on Ego, Social Media and Sharing Your Art Watch or Listen

Bhagavad Gita👊

To get started on your spiritual journey or journey alongside other righteous renegades, join the weekly Bhagavad Gita reading session on zoom. Reply if you want the link.

Support Soul on Fire🕶

Design on the back too:)

When will @Street.tooth GBC rock another bhakti burner?😥

Welcome to this zine!

In this zine you will get to know 2 awesome devotees; Mahatma Das who has been practicing and teaching bhakti for 50 years and Jagattarini devi dasi who is an inspiring bhakti artist.

Podcast with Mahatma Das | Spiritual Success in the Materialistic Context

Jagattarini devi dasi | Bhakti Artist Spotlight

-How did you start practicing bhakti?As a child I was very anxious and depressed about death and the goal of being alive. I have a loving and supportive family. But something was always missing. My parents as atheists explain to me that you live then die and disappear forever. It gave me so many panic attacks. Then at 18 I gave me 2 years to find happiness and the goal of being alive, if not I planned to kill me. Around 20, on a drunken depressive night, in despair and for the first time of my life, I prayed to the universe, to send me someone to help me because I wanted to change. 2 weeks after i met my husband, who is a devotee of Krishna, and he presented me Bhagavad Gita and its knowledge. It answered all the questions that no one was able to answer.That's when I decided it was the right path to follow. And I waited all my life for it.It was 10 years ago.

-Tell us about your art practice? Any projects in the works?As I work a lot, full time as a florist, I try to be always very efficient when I create. I don't have that much time to draw or paint.I use different mediums and different styles. There is one series which is often in black and white, with ink and markers. it's a long work in progress. I draw feelings, or emotions that I felt, with the imagination or scenery that I saw in real life. Often it's a combination of both.Another part, it's my work with gouache and watercolor. I love to paint nature and people. To feel what's in their heart and in the energy of nature.I draw comics sometimes when I have time. But it's more rare.I sketch still life and nature to always ameliorate my technique.I also draw on the walls of Parisian underground, or in the city. I draw ducklings and friends, they are saying mantras and quotes from Bhagavad Gita.It's not because I practice Bhakti yoga, that I will automatically draw Krishna, or stories directly linked to him. I found it very difficult to represent Krishna in a sincere way. I think the result will be too much influenced by my mind. Krishna is not different from his picture. It's something very special. But a few times in a year, I feel a strong desire to draw, paint Krishna. Recently I had the vision of little portraits (miniatures) of Sita, Rama, Lakshmana, Hanuman, that I serve at home. The idea is blooming little after little in my mind. When it is clear, I will paint it.-Whats something not many people know about you?I'm fond of stories about hell and how the soul goes there before taking another body (the tortures, the yamadutas...)-What do you think about when creating?I think about the emotions and feelings that I put in the drawing. How can it affect people. I often draw feelings and thoughts that people don't want to have. Thoughts about their existence, the goal of their life, the death, the time that goes away.... The material struggle.-What's with the birds?There are 2 type of birds in my drawings. The ones with a white circle on their heads are a personal interpretation of the yamadutas. The being who comes to pick you at the time of death, and bring you to hell.The other one is a fat duckling, a self portrait. Because it's somehow how I feel often. Clumsy, anxious and disoriented , as will say my husband.-Who is Krsna?He is incredible and unpredictable. He can be your best friend, your parent, your Lord, your lover. He controls everything and at the same time He gives you your freewill. He is the perfection of selfless love.I still have so many things to know about him.-What can people expect if they chant Hare Krsna?Expect nothing, but to please Krishna..personally I didn't like it at first, to chant on Japa. I preferred kirtan. But I did it because I knew that it pleases Krishna to repeat his name.Besides, recently I started to like it more. I could see how it changed the heart, the mind. Like a soft breeze that appeases everything. It also becomes a refuge to get rid of my bad thoughts and doubts, fears. I understand a little now, when devotees say "take refuge in the name of Krishna".@juliette.inigo

@Muchu108

Film

An Australian doco featuring Sri Kesava.

Sri Kesava had a pretty cool band that reminds me of blondie and Veruca Salt.Check it out here

I have asked her for an interview for a future podcast so maybe we will get a sequel to this ancient doco.

Wisdom

Attempting to strengthen the spiritual intelligence, I push myself to see the events not only from the temporal standpoint but also, most importantly, from the spiritual frame of reference. Otherwise, I know I won’t see the crisis clearly at all.

@DevamritaSwami

* Baby Gopal - Shiva (Rock)

* Forever - Mahatma Das & Friends (Ambient)

* Agnideva - Gopinath (Kirtan)

* Not For Sale - Invocation Song (Hardcore)

Read the Bhagavad Gita among friends🌛

To get started on your spiritual journey or journey alongside other righteous people, join the Gita Gang zoom room every Saturday night

https://chat.whatsapp.com/HNOJ9FOEXAcBinfyzyJJib

Support this zine

I would like to make a paper issue of SOUL ON FIRE. Would you want one?Let me know by replying to this email.You can also support this project by wearing one of my garments.

For more bhakti knowledge, get a book or join a weekly reading group🤙Want to see some bhakti graffiti goodness? Check out the GBC’s Flickr📷

For more information get some books here or write to @Muchu108 for a signed book with other goodies

Too screen addicted? Join our weekly reading crew:

https://chat.whatsapp.com/HNOJ9FOEXAcBinfyzyJJib

In this issue, I feel like I am a journalist. I felt like Mitra should have the stage all to himself. Soak up his music and awesomeness and if you’re inspired, join his famous reading group every/any night of the week at 7pm East Coast time (NYC time)

Download🤙

My personal selections from his Bandcamp site and Soundcloud

* Old School New York Tune

* Hare Krishna Kirtan 1

* Interviews- Amazing stories from Hare Krishna People

* Hari Haraye Namah

Zoom Meetups🍩

Every night Mitra hosts a reading circle on zoom for anyone interested.7pm East Coast time11am New Zealand time9am Melbourne time

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/339581051?pwd=U21ZL3RaN1lNblRBdDlLaFVjZVc1QT09

Every Saturday Night at 8pm New Zealand time Muchu hosts a similar jam.All welcome.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87192998039

Join the Whatsapp so we can connect first.

https://chat.whatsapp.com/HNOJ9FOEXAcBinfyzyJJib

Welcome to issue 38 of Soul on Fire

In this issue, you get art, comics, a poem, a video, and a playlist. If you think there should be more of something in this zine or want to give a thumbs-up, just reply to this email.It is my hope that the content in this issue will uplift and inspire the reader in the possibility of divinity, conscious living, and positive mental attitude.

Crew Member Spotlight

@StreetBhaktaG

Comics

@Muchu108 | Muchu108.com

The Sun of the Name by Dravida Dasa

Dravida Dasa

When the moon is invisible, withered to nil,And the sun is long gone from the sky,Then an ocean of darkness envelops the world,And the timorous fear they might die.

But that pall of thick gloom is at once swept awayWhen the first signs of sunrise appear,And the dawning of day gives assurance to allThat in truth there is nothing to fear.

In a similar way, when illusion holds swayAnd a soul has forgotten his Lord,Then the darkness of ignorance covers his heartSin and suffering are his reward.

But as soon as he chants Krsna's Name, even once,In a manner that doesn't offend,Then his ignorance flees like the darkness at dawnAnd his sin and his suffering end.

So there's nothing to fear, for the Sun of the NameHas appeared with His powers divine.In your heart may that Sun, benedictive for all,Become fixed and eternally shine!

This poem is inspired by Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya-lila 3.181:

"As the rising sun immediately dissipates all the world's darkness, which is deep like an ocean, so the holy name of the Lord, if chanted once without offenses, can dissipate all the reactions of a living being's sinful life. All glories to that holy name of the Lord, which is auspicious for the entire world.”

Black book

Sketch by @muchu108

Podcast🎙️

This playlist includes some of the music mentioned by Gustaf plus some of my personal faves too🕺

* Sing Yourself To Glory! | Russell Brand Podcast (Free download)

* Aindra

* DJ Vraj

* Radhadesh Mellows

* The Congos

Relevant then, relevant a month ago, relevant now…

Gita Gang👊

To get started on your spiritual journey or journey alongside other righteous renegades, join the Gita Gang zoom room every Saturday night

To join the WhatsApp group click or tap the smiley face.👇If you get sick of us you can leave anytime…Don’t be shy.

Or to check out what it’s about first, check out the Smiling Jagannath resource page

Support the movement🕶

Comes in white and black too🤘Art by @streetbhaktaG

Wanna be featured or ask a question?

It recently occurred to me I have never showcased any woman on my zine. “How biased and unprogressive” I thought.

At first, I resolved to do a heroic monthly issue dedicated to female artists but then I realized that was still kinda matriarchal, so I decided I’ll just make this issue the inauguration of a new direction for the zine that showcases people based on their talent and knowledge rather than their biology.

In this issue, you get to hear from Hannah Gil who brings the ancient yoga texts to life through Disney style drawings, a short but sweet playlist, a poem, and a video about the Hare Krsna mantra.

Artist Spotlight

Hannah Gil (@Krsnaloka.creations)

Comic

Muchu108.com

Strange Is The Path When You Offer Love

Mirabai, a princess, was a devotee of Lord Krishna, she was in love with him from her early childhood and her poems are of love and devotion to her Lord. Her devotion of Lord Krishna made her go against the traditions and customs of her time and made Mirabai is the most famous of the women bhakta poets of north India.

Do not mention the name of love,O my simple-minded companion.Strange is the pathWhen you offer your love.Your body is crushed at the first step.If you want to offer loveBe prepared to cut off your headAnd sit on it.Be like the moth,Which circles the lamp and offers its body.Be like the deer, which, on hearing the horn,Offers its head to the hunter.Be like the partridge,Which swallows burning coalsIn love of the moon.Be like the fishWhich yields up its lifeWhen separated from the sea.Be like the bee,Entrapped in the closing petals of the lotus.Mira's lord is the courtly Giridhara.She says: Offer your mindTo those lotus feet.

Podcast🎙️

In this podcast, Hanna talks about how she started practicing Krsna consciousness, her art practice, and her sudden fame since starting her Instagram page.

In the podcast, I asked Hannah what’s on her playlist and she said lots of Jahnavi and lots of Acyuta Gopi so this issue’s playlist is just gonna introduce you to those artists.

I personally take a lot of inspiration from these kirtaniyas. Check them out and let their music purify and uplift you.

* Jahnavi Jivan

* Acyuta Gopi

Conscious Film📺

Those Two Hare Krishnas are one of my favorite shows on the tube.If you want some conscious entertainment in your life “smash the subscribe button”

Gita Gang👊

To get started on your spiritual journey or journey alongside other righteous renegades, join the Gita Gang zoom room every Saturday night

Or to check out what it’s about first, check out the Smiling Jagannath resource page

Support this Zine by getting a T-shirt

Got an issue with this issue? Ask a question and I’ll answer it in the next issue!

In this issue, you get art, comics, a poem, a video, and a playlist. If you think there should be more of something in this zine or want to give a thumbs-up, just reply to this email.It is my hope that the content in this issue will uplift and inspire the reader in the possibility of divinity, conscious living, and positive mental attitude.

GBC crew

Shyam by @maso.mmp0711

Hari by @Muchu108

Radhe by @sisirclaitnetsixe (Person posing was a random passerby)

Comics

Poem

By Ayodhyadeva

how do we know what is fake and what is realis it what we see or how we feel?or do we have to honestly admitthat it’s hard for us to recognize what’s counterfeit?what do we take as the most correct signto accept that something is actually genuine?we might say that it is authentic for surebut it may be adulterated and quite impureand we fall again for another brilliant disguisethat makes us blind although we have eyeswe may err in validating anything’s true worthand its authenticity we simply fail to unearthwe do have difficulty ascertaining fact from fictionand many things appear to us, a contradictionso we may not be able to put everything on the right shelfbut we can always try to be true to ourself

Black book

Sketch by @peteypetepete

Podcast🎙️

Both parts of the interview I did with Preston from Xchange studios in Christchurch

Free stuff🈚

Click the album cover for your next installment of spiritual sound. Good vibes for the S.O.F tribe:D

Thanks to @theonetruehurt for the dope album artwork

Conscious film

A film by my old buddy Jamen Moss

Gita Gang👊

To get started on your spiritual journey or journey alongside other righteous renegades, join the Gita Gang zoom room every Saturday night

To join the group click or tap the smiley face.👇Don’t be shy.

Or to check out what it’s about first, check out the Smiling Jagannath resource page

Want to read it first? Buy the book by clicking it

Support this E-zine by wearing a S.O.F T-shirt

Visit the store

Welcome to issue 37 of Soul on Fire

I moved from Mailchimp to Substack on the recommendation of a friend who has never steered me wrong. Shot Krsna Kumar:DNow people can find the magazine while surfing (or trolling) the internet.On the menu today are 5 special preps to make your eyes water, your ears melt and your soul catch fire.

Starter

Graff by members of the GBC Crew and a comic by Muchu

Appetizer

Poem by Srila Prabhupada

Salad

A sketch by the legendary Omega

Main course

Podcast with @harinam.monk

Dessert

A playlist to keep you ‘Safe in Sound’

Seconds

Gita Gang Whatsapp group and Smiling Jagannath resource page

Hari

Mayapur Doya

I don’t always do graffiti but when I do it’s in my backyard…

Take a deep breath and absorb this bhakti poem by Srila Prabhupada

Adore Adore Ye All

Srila Prabhupada

Adore, adore ye all The happy dayBlessed than heaven Sweeter than May.When he appeared at Puri The holy place,My Lord and Master His Divine Grace.

Oh! my Master The evangelic angel.Give us Thy light Light up Thy candle.Struggle for existence A human race.The only hope His Divine Grace.

Misled we are All going astray,Save us Lord Our fervent pray.Wonder thy ways To turn our faceAdore Thy feet Your Divine Grace.

Forgotten Krsna We fallen souls,Paying most heavy The illusion’s toll.Darkness around All untrace.The only hope His Divine Grace.

Message of service Thou hast brought,A healthful life As Caitanya wrought.Unknown to all It’s full of brace.That’s your gift Your Divine Grace.

Absolute is sentient Thou hast provedImpersonal calamity Thou hast moved.This gives us a life Anew and fresh.Worship Thy feet Your Divine Grace.

Had you not come Who had toldThe message of Krsna Forceful and bold.That’s your right You have the maceSave me a fallen Your Divine Grace.

The line of service As drawn by youIs pleasing and healthy Like morning dew.The oldest of all But in new dressMiracle done Your Divine Grace.

Doomega100

When I asked Omega to make a sketch for our upcoming @G_B_C108 graffiti book, he said “Hi! Yeah sure sounds amazing, I dig spiritualism anyway. I will do it this week” When 3 weeks passed and I hadn’t received the sketch I wrote to him to ask how he was going. He said “Usually it takes time because I have to be in a perfect mind state to do a sketch as especially when I’m doing it for somebody” A week later I got this in my DM’s. While studying it in detail I could sense the zen! Maybe if enough people comment he might agree to do a podcast for Soul on Fire….

So I interviewed a friend. When I asked my followers on Instagram what kind of content they wanted to see you said you wanted me to post podcasts with friends. Heres my first one. Harinam and I used to live together as monks in Melbourne. We had many good times sharing Krsna consciousness with uni students at the famous Crossways restaurant and by jamming the mantra at City square during Occupy Melbourne. Hear how he lives today and soak up his radness.

Some of you have been waiting anxiously or patiently for this playlist. Whatever waiting style it was, the wait is over. Click the guy below and download the *nectar for some good whakarango.👇

*nectar - immortal goodness

Seconds

To get started on your spiritual journey or journey alongside other righteous renegades join the Whatsapp gang by tapping the happy face👇

Or to check out what its about first check out the Smiling Jagannath resource page by clicking here