Show Unmarried men shave l heir heads for the sacred purpose of forsaking pride which they consider to be the ’ first sin “ Judy OwensStandard Examiner Bhagavati dasi helps son Janananda remove his shoes before entering the temple while other son Hari removes his own shoes fare work because it solves all problems of life” Christ is not sec indcrs of night his 3” while “surren- - focus on so highl) ural dis-- 1 a friend )00 years ave to be nnciples r in good or exam-ng- s to move them to ) in their rocess in- ducts no smoking j sex out-eatl- y onl style that e is still the While people kneel in India when they see Krishna monks "dressed in their orange robes they are often ridiculed in the United States she says Most of this stems from cultural differences Charu who is married and therefore not required to shave his head says the custom of wearing robes and shaving heads sometimes adds to misunderstandings While this custom may appear strange to people living in the United States it has sacred meaning to them namely the forsaking of pride something they consider tp be the “first sin” “A lot of our ego is in our hair” he says “So when one has a shaven head then it brings his ego down a couple of notches” He says it also discourages unwanted glances from women for men who choose to remain single Bai says their temple life does not follow the strictest of orders They allow for married couples for example They wear the traditional robes and tilak clay marks on their foreheads The clay seen on the middle of their foreheads is taken from the Ganges river in India where Krishna walked They anoint their bodies in 12 locations twice each day with this clay Charu says “It means the body is a temple” he say s 8 September 17 1988 At the conclusion of his lecture he explains the fire sacrifice ritual they are about to engage in and encourages everyone to chant and make noises as loud as they wish “What we want to do is build a tremendous edifice of sound” he says “All these sound vibrations are auspicious Why? Because Krishna is auspicious he’s supremely pure” He passes around copies of the in different languages and has four or five people read various passages at the same time Then he begins the chanting joined by everyone else which increases in volume and tempo as the midnight hour approaches At the stroke of midnight Charu signals the hour celebrating Krishna’s appearance by blowing into a conch shell just as Krishna is said to have blown 5000 years ago at the start of a battle Everybody breaks into cheers and laughter Soon after the chanting resumes followed by a vegetarian feast which many had come fasting for Outside the stars are burning brightly The night air seems especially still and quiet in contrast to the loud chanting that has been heard for five hours previous The llamas seem oblivious to all the commotion They are resting quietly at the far end of the corral In this pastoral setting they appear content and natural like they have always been there and always will be Occasionally a car or truck breaks the silence with the whine of wheels on cold pavement The llamas continue to rest No honking horns are heard this night ita Charu das bows at Krishna statue As the midnight hour approaches everyone gathers near the shrine Charu considered a spiritual teacher since his own initiation into the Krishna moved on the ment in 1970 sits floor and begins to lecture the group He tells them about how Krishna appeared at a midnight service 5000 years ago He says Krishna only appears on earth every four billion 300 million years but that he sends representatives occasionally as he did with AC Swami Prabhupada He says the only thing living beings can give that will never die is service and that the Gita points one to where all service should ultimately be directed “When you’re serving your family your friends your country humanity indirectly you’re serving Krishna because everything comes from Krishna" he says “Krishna consciousness is sometimes described as the greatest wel- cross-legge- Bhak-tivedan- ta The clay seen on the middle of their foreheads' is taken from the Ganges River in India where Krishna walked Standard Examiner Church News 7 |