Long Days short Nights for a Hindu Monk

A visitor is greeted with a blast of sight and sound. Thirteen men and one woman are twrilin and dancing ,playing cymbols and drums chanting Hindu tunes. Hare Krishna monks are in orange and white robes. Civilians wear suites and jeans, facing alters covered with flowers and statues of the supreme Hindu god Krishna and his female friend Radha.
Gadadhara Pandit Dasa pours water as an offering which marks the half-way point in his three hour morning worship service, which is a daily celebration. Which he thinks is a better way to start the day. That's deeply moving forthe soul and makes the rest ofhte day much more clear because you have nourishedhte mind and soul for the morning , according to Pandit.
Pandit -whose name means "Saint" begins to chant he Hare Krishna mantra, and explains the reapeating of names for Krishna is a spiritual event of sorts, by allowing the Gods to enter his soul.
Since soun is an awesome tool they tend to focus on the vibration itself, TI cn cause abalanches and coan move emotions in several different directions.
By saying Hare Krishna mantra, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna,Krishna, Krishna, Hare; Hare Krishna is actually a present there.
Pandit grew up as an only chils in an observant Hindu family. His family moved from India and to California when he was 7. And when his father's business began to fortunes ebbed and flowed he stared asking questions.
Later in life, in his late 20's, he moved to Bulgaria to help his father with his import-export business. He was not able to speak the language so he spent evenings alone and lonly so he began reading the sacred Hidu text, the Bhagavad Gita since he had few friends,
Pandit found solce in Hare Krishna explanations for different beliefs; why does life flucuates-(because of karma- what goes around, comes right back around; you reap what you sow), why does reincarnation occur-(because one life may be too short to pay off past debts ), why soes Hinduism have thousands of god's-(because Krishna is the Supreme god and lesser gods help run creation.
He returned from Blgaria thinking to live and study with a monk just temporaty but stayed for up to eight years.
Padit wondered if he could live the rest of his live without income or savings for the future and live out of a locker where he kept his belongings. But he found that material things ment nothing next to the wealth of his spiritual life and friendships.
He felt as if he wasn't mising anything he received the most jou from his friendships and there is no shortage of relationships there withhis friends. They seem to spend more time together than most couples and families.
Pandit prepares a traditional Indianstew calles Kichiri made with butternut squash, braccolli, green peas, and potatoes, Hare Krishna's don't eat meat.
According to Pandit the way he cooks reflects his faith down to honoring-rather than eating those he says are also children of God.
If you are trying to love [God]but at the same time cause harm to and vioiece to his children, he is notgoingto be pleased. So if you love God's two legged children, what about his four legged one's?
Every monk knows how to cook,clean, play instruments and sing. But Hare Krishnas says most important worship is done outside, by engaging the world.
Monks are not at all isolated, meditation all day, they are on their computers,e-mails, driving and using cell phones and on facebook. Some even have their own websites.
Before a crowd of 50 students can eat, they have to listen to a 5 minute Hindu philosophy.
He knows that most ofhte students wont convert to Hinduism bu he hopes to give them tools as thy head into a world of stress and possible burnout.
Spirituallity and meditation is the solution, practicing yoga and connecton with God and our innerselves, not Prozac.
Hoping that' s the case, Pandit goes home at 11:00 to crawl into bed to be back up at 4:00 the next morning for another workship day.