I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in the Lord alone I hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, More than watchmen for the morning. – Adapted from Psalm 130 This time, like so many other times, is a time of waiting. Waiting for light; waiting for spring; waiting for political change; waiting for … Continue reading My soul waits for You, O Lord
Giriraj’s Radical Love
A homily/essay written for Govardhan Puja, October 28, 2019. There are those certain holidays when you just want to be with your people. Depending on your upbringing, it might be Thanksgiving; Christmas; Yom Kippur; Diwali; for me, Govardhan Puja ranks high on that list. No matter where I am, on Govardhan Puja I make it … Continue reading Giriraj’s Radical Love
Flowing with the River
Originally published at http://www.sacredecologyforum.org. I spent the summer working with family forest managers in Ohio and West Virginia, and sat to write an essay during an outing. I spent a peaceful morning on a hilltop overlooking the Ohio River. To my left and right are ridges and valleys thick with greenery, dusted with morning fog. … Continue reading Flowing with the River
Discipleship in the Last Supper
Discipleship in the Last Supper: What Vaisnavas Can Learn from the Followers of Jesus A reflective essay written during Holy Week, 2019. The church is quiet and dark. The altar is stripped of its embroidered fabrics and the cross lies bare upon the ground. Jesus is about to be arrested by the religious police and … Continue reading Discipleship in the Last Supper
Yamuna
This post is part of a series, Snapshots of the Eco-Village A day at Govardhan Eco-Village was incomplete without a visit to the Yamuna River. While the 'original' Yamuna is in Vrindavan, over 1000 km away, the 'Yamuna River' at the Eco-Village is a small pond turned into a (solar) motor-powered stream, complete with waterfalls, … Continue reading Yamuna
Embraced By Your Gaze
This post is part of a series, Snapshots of the Eco-Village Stories about Govardhan Eco Village would be incomplete without a story about Govardhan itself! Amongst the many ‘replicas’ at GEV is a replica Govardhan Hill in the center of the forest. Near Vrindavan (Bhauma Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh) is a hill called Govardhan, one … Continue reading Embraced By Your Gaze
Mood of Surrender
Part of a series, Snapshots of the Eco-Village The Vrindavan Forest lies in the middle of the Eco-Village. The 5-acre forest is a ‘replica’ of the sacred Vrindavan Dham, in both physical attributes and mood, with scale replicas of the seven Goswami temples of Vrindavan, dioramas representing major lilas (mystical pastimes), and various areas like … Continue reading Mood of Surrender
Mangalarati
This post is part of a series: Snapshots of the Eco-Village. It’s 4:15 AM. The sleepy murmur of chanting fills the temple as devotees sit in early morning meditation. Although many remain asleep, those who have awakened early are alert and focused on their precious moments of silence with their meditation on the Holy Name. … Continue reading Mangalarati
Snapshots at the Eco Village
I’ve spent the last two and a half months volunteering at Govardhan Eco-Village in Maharashtra, India. The Eco-Village – ‘GEV,’ as we call it – was established 12 years ago by His Holiness Radhanath Swami as a Krishna Conscious rural farm community offering spiritual education, rural development, Ayurvedic healing, environmental-sustainability R&D, and a sattvik (peaceful … Continue reading Snapshots at the Eco Village
Allegra Lovejoy 