Lord Krishna in the 21st Century
Chapter 27 - Hari & Bol
I remember years ago how there was some criticism regarding people who owned dogs. Some years later I was traveling with Ganapati Swami and we spent the night at the home of some friends living in Colorado. They had two white dogs, Hari & Bol.
Then about three years later, on the cover of Parade Magazine (which is included in most Sunday newspapers across America), I saw a picture of Mrs. Caroline Hebard and her German Shepard, Pascha. Both are famous for their rescue work during disasters.
I also remember a conversation I once had with Jayananda prabhu, who was letting me stay in his room at the Manhattan temple. He told me that we don't have to give up what we enjoy doing but rather, simply learn how to dovetail our propensities in the service of the Lord. If you are a carpenter then fine, you don't have to give this up but instead of building strip malls, build temples.
I can't help but pause for a moment and remember the criticism that I heard about people who owned dogs, even directed at these two wonderful devotees. Is this why they felt compelled to leave?
Perhaps some of us need to have a broader view. For example, keeping the vision of Krishna Disaster Relief in mind, along with what Jayananda told me, if I were to meet some friends of Lord Krsna who liked dogs, I would follow in Jayananda's footsteps and say to them: "This is wonderful and by working with Krishna Disaster Relief you will can dovetail your love for dogs by raising and training the best rescue dogs in the world?
There are people all over the world who do this kind of work with their dogs. They are the first to enter an area where buildings are down. During a violent natural disaster these dogs are so important in locating and saving the lives of men, women, and children who are buried alive or whose bodies need to be recovered. So yes, I would tell them to join our Krishna Search & Rescue (which is part of Krishna Disaster Relief).
From the beginning I have been saying, "Krishna to the rescue." It doesn't take much imagination to see the enormous diversity and opportunities for devotional service that Krishna Disaster Relief has to offer. This book is barely scratching the surface.
Photo by: Ronald E. Boutelle (Rohini-suta dasa)
