| Some acquaintances of mine recently told me about | | | | this and we all know that he would look at this from |
| how wonderful it was to go to what is known as the | | | | a pure Krsna conscious point of view. Fortunately, I |
| "Israeli folk dance" at the local synagogue where | | | | could also. Of course, there were no deities. While |
| people of all ages get involved with this style of | | | | the concept of bringing men and women together |
| dancing. Since I was always shy and not really a | | | | for such a social event may seem pleasing, it is |
| dancer and also because I am not Jewish, I was | | | | primarily self-centered, in other words, it excluded the |
| reluctant to attend. They told me anyone could go. | | | | center of attraction, Lord Sri Krsna as the supreme |
| So I finally decided to take a peek one Sunday | | | | enjoyer. |
| evening (after the local ISKCON temple program, | | | | I then wondered what ISKCON would have been like |
| ironically) to see what it was all about, just as a | | | | if Srila Prabhupada introduced this kind of temple |
| casual observer. While both locations were religious or | | | | worship where, rather than having men and women |
| spiritual institutions, each had their own unique | | | | segregated as opposed to dancing together, would |
| atmosphere that were gulfs apart in terms of intent | | | | the movement have been more popular? Maybe it |
| and ideology. I'm glad I went because while driving | | | | would because it would not have seemed like a |
| back home I had these incredible realizations that I | | | | "strict" religious movement. That is, popular in terms |
| would like to share with devotees. | | | | of a place where one can congregate without feeling |
| I entered the synagogue and to my surprise there | | | | alienated by institutional constraints. |
| were as many as 100 or more men and women of | | | | I then said to myself, no, this was not in keeping |
| varying ages all participating in a folk dance that for | | | | with the Vedic conclusions and Krsna consciousness in |
| the most part was very lyrical. The choreography | | | | general and besides, men and women in the temple |
| and music was very refreshing and something I had | | | | were eventually meeting and marrying anyway, |
| never seen before. There were people from many | | | | dancing together or not. This would have gone |
| walks of life and faiths. I thought to myself, how | | | | against the original nature of the temple environment |
| interesting. Interesting that this many people can | | | | Srila Prabhupada established in keeping with the |
| come together and enjoy the social function of just | | | | dictates for practicing pure Krsna consciousness. |
| dancing. My mind of course went to Krsna. | | | | Krsna always had to be in the center, else, ISKCON |
| I sat down and spent an hour or so just watching | | | | would have degenerated into just another fad, |
| the different people dance and suddenly I thought of | | | | another mundane religion. In fact, what makes Krsna |
| the "rasa dance" wherein Lord Krsna expands Himself | | | | consciousness so unique is that, to my knowledge it |
| into millions of duplicate forms and dances with | | | | is the only spiritual movement that incorporates |
| millions of gopis and of course, His eternal beloved | | | | sankirtana, congregational dancing into their temple |
| consort, Srimati Radharani. Everything began to make | | | | worship, whereas other religions tend to concentrate |
| sense. This is what people need. Dance is the eternal | | | | on singing hymns and listening to sermons. If there is |
| function of the soul in every culture throughout the | | | | dancing and food, it is usually a separate social |
| entire planet since the beginning of time. But this | | | | function for fund-raising etc. |
| type of dancing was material, temporary, perhaps an | | | | Still, I enjoyed watching everyone dance and drove |
| ancient memory of the REAL, eternal dance, | | | | home feeling a sense of sadness for these souls |
| transcendental in nature. | | | | caught up, as I sometimes am, in the modes of |
| Israeli dance to me is a strange blend of Greek, | | | | passion when their eternal rasa is to dance eternally |
| traditional Israeli and even Russian dance steps that | | | | with Krsna in Goloka, Vrndavana in the spiritual sky, |
| have a very elegant quality to it. Sometimes it's fast | | | | their only real home. I also sensed that these dancers |
| and modern, sometimes slow and classical. Whereas | | | | were very lonely. |
| in modern dance, such as disco, country-western et | | | | Krsna consciousness is not easy. But just as we |
| al the main focus is sense gratification and sex desire, | | | | became Krsna conscious, we must, as Srila |
| that is, men and women coming together to meet | | | | Prabhupada often said, "Hope against hope," pray |
| and mate, Israeli dance is somewhat different in that | | | | that one day they will also come to grips with the |
| the dancers sometimes form circles and clap and | | | | conclusions of the Vedas and join the progressive |
| have very unique dance steps. It's not overtly lusty. | | | | march back to Godhead to dance forever in their |
| I wondered what Srila Prabhupada would make of all | | | | eternal rasa with Lord Sri Krsna. |