BUSY.
Highlights, you ask?
- Rathayatra - since I was partially in charge of volunteers this year, it was such a pleasure to see volunteers that had never heard/ seen Lord Jagannatha before pulling His cart! Furthermore, seeing some of these volunteers now come regularly to the temple and being engaged...gives me goosebumps! Best parts were 4 of us matajis trying to assemble Lord Jagganatha's altar in the DARK and dis-assembling it in the pouring rain! The rain Lord Indra sent down was...meh but it was great to see people coming from far places to see Lord Jagganatha. NO one can forget the Bus Tour kids and their phenomenal drama, dances and kirtan!
- Summer festivals - so fortunate this year that almost all of the main festivals have fallen on weekends or holidays so that we could truly plan huge celebrations. Totally blessed to work with wonderful devotees who come up with innovative ideas for each festival and it keeps getting better! Seeing devotees really appreciate our humble offerings to Their Lordships just goes to show the bliss that is achieved from devotional service.
This summer was busier with a job and summer school. I plan never to do those two at the same time again.
Now, back to the ups and MANY downs of third year. I have never felt so stressed before. The constant struggle between never-lasting time, so-called material responsibilities and spiritual priorities have started to take a toll. I wish time would just stop for an hour to let me organize myself and prepare myself for the onslaught of really, everything. But when has life ever done that? That's the whole point, right? There isn't anything you can do to stop the forces of maya, time and the modes of material nature. All I can do is chant, chant and chant some more in the hopes that I will be spiritually prepared.
- Rathayatra - since I was partially in charge of volunteers this year, it was such a pleasure to see volunteers that had never heard/ seen Lord Jagannatha before pulling His cart! Furthermore, seeing some of these volunteers now come regularly to the temple and being engaged...gives me goosebumps! Best parts were 4 of us matajis trying to assemble Lord Jagganatha's altar in the DARK and dis-assembling it in the pouring rain! The rain Lord Indra sent down was...meh but it was great to see people coming from far places to see Lord Jagganatha. NO one can forget the Bus Tour kids and their phenomenal drama, dances and kirtan!
- Summer festivals - so fortunate this year that almost all of the main festivals have fallen on weekends or holidays so that we could truly plan huge celebrations. Totally blessed to work with wonderful devotees who come up with innovative ideas for each festival and it keeps getting better! Seeing devotees really appreciate our humble offerings to Their Lordships just goes to show the bliss that is achieved from devotional service.
This summer was busier with a job and summer school. I plan never to do those two at the same time again.
Now, back to the ups and MANY downs of third year. I have never felt so stressed before. The constant struggle between never-lasting time, so-called material responsibilities and spiritual priorities have started to take a toll. I wish time would just stop for an hour to let me organize myself and prepare myself for the onslaught of really, everything. But when has life ever done that? That's the whole point, right? There isn't anything you can do to stop the forces of maya, time and the modes of material nature. All I can do is chant, chant and chant some more in the hopes that I will be spiritually prepared.
This has been quite the random post.
