Krsna Christ

So I recently checked out a nearby temple of th International Society for Krishna Consciousness, a.k.a. th Hare Krishnas. I had met a kind fellow on th street who offered me a book, Sri Isopanisad, which I took home & read with interest. Sunday I went to an open house promising:

* Musical Performance & Mantra Meditation
* Transcendental Philosophy
* FREE delicious vegetarian Feast

(I do enjoy feasts.)

I have found many things about th Hare Krishnas that I like a whole bunch. They advocate living a natural, simple life devoted to peace, love, & appreciation for th universe. They sing songs & chant, welcome people with open arms, & work to expand their consciousness. They consider all things Godly.

I have found a few things about them that irk me, also. Altho I can think of few more open-minded organized religions (they accept Jesus & th Buddha as holy men, even tho they don't connect directly with their movement, & they acknowledge that their path is one of many), they believe in Krishna as th Absolute Personality of Godhead, rather than one of many possible metaphors for an otherwise nearly unknowable God. They consider their path Supreme or Best & their holy books (particularly th Bhagavad Gita) Absolutely Perfect.

I don't accept Absolutes, but Relatives. I acknowledge Einstein & th Quantum Physicists & what they have taught us about th limitations inherent in every model.

For example, Hare Krishnas say that all forms of God emanate from th supreme, Krishna. Krishna has th attributes of a blue-skinned four-armed male anthropomorphic deity, who, while omnipotent & able to change forms, reduces absolutely to a blue-skinned four-armed male anthropomorphic deity. As soon as we accept this as th perfect image of God, we say that God cannot truly be black-skinned, twelve-armed, female & feline. But of course, ideas of God have emerged of so many different types that it makes no sense to me to limit our concept to one Absolute image.

Th idea of Krishna, like that of Isis, Yahweh, Tlaloc & Prometheus, can help us make sense of th universe & become more spiritual human beings. I find Krishna a beautiful metaphor, but not one that I choose to take literally.

That said, I intend to continue my exploration of th Krishna Consciousness Movement, thru reading, chanting, meditating, conversing with th very friendly monks, & trying to experience th Absolute Personality of Godhead as best I can while remaining agnostic.

th Gods of Certification Tests (& 111th st)

Going on three hours of sleep, I drove my desperately-in-need-of-an-oil-change-&-tune-up Honda way th hey down to 111th st for a teacher certification test in th area of music (kallisti free, this kind). Indeed, fatigue I felt, although also zippy zaps from my lapsang souchong, but I survived (did well, I think) & have th gods to thank. You see, I rolled a 1 (again) on a d6, selecting by chance a reality-tunnel to see thru today: Paganism. So I traveled Long & South whilst praying to (amongst many): Apollo, Eris, Pan, Baphomet, Orpheus, Ra, Isis, Horus. On th return trip, I added Thoth & Odin. You may recognize a Western bias here, & I would surely agree that I have much work to do on introducing myself to non-Western god(desse)s. So that will constitute a project for this afternoon: starting with some African Yoruba Orishas (here) & moving on th Mayan pantheon (which I began studying last night in point of fact; did you know th Mayans worshiped a goddess of suicide named Ixtab, whom we often find depicted hanging from a tree, partially decomposed? How deliciously morbid!).

Hail Ixtab!

Eris inspired some beautifully ridiculous bureaucracy today, when a couple hundred or so teachers & teachers-to-be were not allowed to enter th testing facility before exactly 7:30 (although I think it was later than that) & were forced to stand huddled in th pouring rain right outside th door. (Hail th Rain Gods, all zillion of them!) Th testing experience provided lots more opportunities to witness th utter confusion & discord that inevitably accompanies our beautifully ridiculous bureaucracy. Even th spelling of th word bureaucracy exudes utter confusion & discord, don't you think? Hail Eris!

Lastly, I want to mention th spec-effing-tacular show that George & Tiffany & I attended last night. Th wondermagickal Fiery Furnaces performed at th Empty Bottle, rather near my apartment, I popped my mama-effing brainhole, I swear to Yahweh! They have a way of shattering their songs to a billion pieces & piecing them back together in inspiring ways with beautiful chaotic glue. They made me want to throw all my songs off th Sears Tower & write new ones! In a good way! Hail Furnaces!

Mojoday Milwaukee Ave Performa

'Twas yester on th street called Milwaukee Ave that yet again I exhibited tunes of Nimnitude for all to bear with. In celebratory fashion, I sang an hymn to many gods & th great Discordian Apostle Dr. Van Van Mojo, whilst all along distributing Pope, Saint & Messiah Cards to innocent-looking bywalkers. Here I show th doings:

.. I improvised a hymn to Ra, Isis, Horus, Demeter, Luna, Helios, Mercury, Baphomet, th Great Goddess, Mummu, Pan, Dr. Van Van Mojo, & of course Eris Kallisti Discordia [may her fiery totems ever elucidate].
.. hail Discordia
.. 2 G's
.. lov song 5
.. 25% mor monstr
.. stelr nursery > baby star
.. wil we go out together?
.. e blu apratus
.. ant lizard dragon man [lyrics by S. Marshalladoo]
.. brown dwarf star
.. lov song 1
.. how to ferment the colon
.. th posm [lyrics by J. Master Coolidge]
.. pungenday [daybyou]

Somewhere in there, I played a rottenbad attempt at th blues. Also rottenbad was my attempt to play th not-so-finished pungenday. All's well, though; I made $4.05.

Most folks enjoyed receiving news of their Popedom/Saintdom/Messiahdom. Who doesn't want to be a Discordian Holyone? No one, that's who!

thus

Continuing to work at th same school, same class; continuing to study th tarot; battling a cold; blessing Egyptian gods every day; catching some great &or amusing movies; eating lots of popcorn; pondering electronic Nimliness.