The Online-Offline Duality

If you are reading this on 9 January 2008, it is by Krishna's mercy. I am on a remote island where even through the telephone I am not able to get a dial-up connection to the internet. The only alternative we could find is a resort that has a satellite connection for which they charge $30 an hour. But even that is not very reliable. If there are heavy rain-filled clouds in the sky the satellite transmission is cut off. And it rains here a lot. So today I am writing "Thought for the Day" without knowing whether or not I will be able to send it to you. This situation immediately reminds me of Krishna's words in the Bhagavad-gita:

matra-sparsas tu kaunteya
sitosna-sukha-duhkha-dah
agamapayino 'nityas
tams titiksasva bharata

"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 seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed."
---Bhagavad-gita 2.14

While traveling preachers certainly face the above dualities as they move across the face of the earth spreading the glories of Krishna, they also face the online-offline duality of sometimes being being to access the internet and sometimes not being able to.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

P.S. The resort failed. We drove another hour past the resort on a bumpy dirt road to a town where we finally got an internet connection at no charge from one of our subscriber's, Mr. Mukesh Chottu.

Arriving at Taveuni's Organically-Air-Conditioned-by- South-Pacific-Breezes Open Air AirportArriving at Taveuni's Open Air Airport

Our Remote Farmhouse Taveuni ResidenceOur Remote Farmhouse Taveuni Residence

Sharing the Nectar of Krishna Bhakti in TavenuiSankarshan Das Sharing the Nectar of Krishna Bhakti in Tavenui

Answers According to the Vedic Version:

Question: How Can I Serve?

Do you have any particular task for me that you would want me to do. At present for the last month and a half I have been just reading Bhagavad-gita and chanting Hare Krishna mahamantra along with my friends who gather at my house every week. My friends are not yet devotees but they enjoy this activity what I am doing. Also, I am learning along with them. After the sankirtan we eat prasadam together. Please let me know if I should do something else.

Thank you again.
Hare Krishna!

Shobha

Answer: By Explaining Krishna Consciousness to Others

The best service you can do is to chant 16 rounds every day on your japa mala beads and read Srila Prabhupada's books as much as possible, the more the better. The more you chant and read, the better you will be able to understand and explain what is Krishna consciousness to others. I want you to take the weekly classes you are holding to be your most important service. Krishna says that there is no one more dear to Him than the person who explains His glories to others.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

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