Soul Revival Retreat

23 December 2006--This weekend I am here in serene Govinda Valley in a beautiful forest near the ocean south of Sydney at a wonderful retreat center where I am taking 25 young people on a spiritual journey to revive the dormant enlightened consciousness within their hearts. This event has been advertised as a soul revival retreat.

We arrived here yesterday by car and after a comfortable night's rest began a rigorous day of seminars, classes, workshops, and personal meetings. This morning I presented a japa meditation workshop followed by a class on how one can practically apply the principles of the Bhagavad-gita in one's daily life. Then after breakfast we had another session in which I described what kind of bliss is experienced by one who is situated on the transcendental platform and how to be situated on that platform in all times, places and circumstances.

Whenever there was a break between sessions I would met with persons who wanted to meet with me personally. Then after lunch I gave the students an inside look at "Thought for the Day", its history, how it is composed, and some of its highlights over the years. Our last session today was a question and answer session. The participants came up with the toughest possible questions that negatively minded outsiders such as reporters might ask a devotee of Krishna. This Krishna consciousness philosophy is so perfect that I was able to deal with every possible objection against Krishna consciousness and solidly establish it as the topmost knowledge within existence.

Here at Govinda Valley there is beautiful river flowing through a natural forest teeming with varieties of wildlife including exotic birds

Beautiful river flowing through a natural forest, Govinda Valley

Whenever I could squeeze in few minutes I would work on my correspondence or "Thought for the Day"

Sankarshan Das Working on his correspondence, Sydney

The participants in the retreat were a delight to be with. There is nothing like the association of those who are sincerely traversing the pathway of spiritual perfection

Sankarshan Das with participants of the soul revival retreat, Sydney

Here is an aerial view of the lodges and meeting hall at Govinda Valley

Aerial view of the lodges and meeting hall at Govinda Valley,Sydney

Tomorrow we wrap up our soul revival retreat with a half day of transcendental activities including a class and question and answer session as well as a kirtan and prasadam picnic on the Pacific Ocean beach.

Answers According to the Vedic Version

Question: Can We Chant Translated Vedic Mantras"

I did not believe in religion, nor did I believe in India's Vedic scriptures. This was due to a lack of knowledge and unawareness of scriptures. But after knowing the facts of the cosmology and Einstein's theory of relativity and the theory of big bang explained by physicist Stephen Hawking, I began to realize my existence in the universe. I am trying to understand this now through Bhagavad-gita. And now as the days are passing I am becoming more and more conscious. This is all the mercy of God upon me.

My question is, according to the scriptures, for performing perfect meditation or rites, understanding with concentration is essential. If one can not understand Sanskrit can he perform it by translation?

Vasant Maheshwary

Answer: No Translation is Required...

Thunder does not require any particular language to understand. Similarly the Hare Krishna mantra is powerful and will act whether or not one is conversant with the Sanskrit language. Therefore everyone should chant the Hare Krishna mantra as much as possible everyday for realizing the Supreme Truth.

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

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