Some conversancy of mine lately said me about how fantastic it was to go to what is known as the “Israeli folks extension” at the local synagogue where peoples of all age get involved with this variety of dancing. Since I was e’er diffident and not truly a terpsichorean and too because I am not Jewish, I was loath to am. They stated me anyone could go.

So I finally decided to take a peek one Sunday evening (after the anesthyl ISKCON temple program, ironically) to see what it was all roughly, just as a casual observer. While both locations were religious or spiritual institutions, each had their ain unique atmosphere that were gulfs apart in terms of intent and ideology. I’m glad I went because while driving back home I had these incredible realizations that I would like to share with fan.

I entered the synagogue and to my surprise there were as many as 100 or more workforce and women of varying aging all participating in a folk dance that for the most part was very lyrical. The ballet and music was very refreshing and something I had never seen before. There were people from many walk of ghetto and faiths. I thought to myself, how interesting. Interesting that this many populate can come together and enjoy the social function of just saltation. My nous of course went to Krsna.

I sat down and spent a hour or so equitable observation the different people dance and suddenly I thought of the “rasa extension” wherein Lord Krsna expands Himself into million of extra forms and dances with millions of gopis and of course, His eternal honey consort, Srimati Radharani. Everything began to make sense. This is what people need. Dance is the eternal polynomial of the psyche in every culture throughout the entire Hesperus since the beginning of clip. But this type of dancing was material, impermanent, perhaps an ancient reminiscence of the REAL, eternal extension, transcendental in nature.

Israeli dance to me is an unusual blend of Greek, traditional Israeli and even Russian dance steps that have a very elegant quality to it. Sometimes it’s secured and Modern, sometimes slow and genre. Whereas in Modern extension, such as disco, country-westerly et al the briny focus is consciousness gratification and bondage desire, that is, men and women coming together to gymkhana and mate, Israeli dance is somewhat different in that the dancers sometimes form circles and clap and have very unique dance steps. It’s not overtly lusty.

I enquire what Srila Prabhupada would make of all this and we all know that he would look at this from a pure Krsna conscious point of view. Fortunately, I could also. Of course, there were no deities. While the conception of bringing men and women together for such a social event may seem pleased, it is primarily self-centered, in other words, it excluded the heart of attraction, Lord Sri Krsna as the supreme enjoyer.

I then wondered what ISKCON would have been sort if Srila Prabhupada introduced this kind of temple worship where, rather than held men and women segregated as opposed to dancing together, would the movement have been more popular? Maybe it would because it would not have seemed like a “strict” mendicant movement. That is, popular in terms of a spot where one can congregate without feeling disaffected by institutional constraints.

I then said to myself, no, this was not in abidance with the Vedic conclusions and Krsna knowingness in general and besides, men and women in the temple were eventually meeting and marrying anyway, danced together or not. This would have gone against the master nature of the temple environment Srila Prabhupada launching in conformation with the dictates for practicing pure Krsna consciousness.

Krsna always had to be in the center, else, ISKCON would have degenerated into just another rage, another mundane religion. In fact, what makes Krsna consciousness so unique is that, to my knowledge it is the only spiritual move that incorporates sankirtana, congregational dance into their temple idolizing, whereas other religions tend to concentrate on singing hymning and hearing to sermons. If there is dancing and food, it is usually a separate social running for money-raising etc.

Still, I enjoyed watching everyone dance and horde housed feeling a sense of sadness for these psyche caught up, as I sometimes am, in the manner of passion when their eternal rasa is to dance eternally with Krsna in Goloka, Vrndavana in the spiritual sky, their only real interior. I also sensed that these dancers were very lonely.

Krsna consciousness is not easy. But just as we became Krsna conscious, we must, as Srila Prabhupada often said, “Hope against expectancy,” pray that unity day they will also emanate to grips with the conclusions of the Vedas and join the reform-minded march back to Godhead to extension forever in their eternal rasa with Lord Sri Krsna.