By Mayesvara Dasa ACBSP
Hanuman Flag Brouhaha At Ojai July 4th Rathayatra
Thank you to all of the wonderful devotees who helped make the Ojai Rathayatra a wonderful event! Despite the searing heat of 96 degrees we had a great turnout and a wonderful response from the community for the free feast at Sarazottie Park at the end.
Many devotees know that for the last five years our entry has been so far beyond what most of the other organizations have offered that we managed to win either first or second place in the parade. This year with the addition of the Sastra Rath (Explained Below) hooked on the back of the normal Rath our entry was even more splendid than ever before. So hopes were understandably high that we would again add another award to our wall of victories.
However this year It appears that Lord Jagannatha had a different idea in regards to having his fame spread among the citizens in the local community. After the parade was over I contacted the Ojai Independence Day Committee to see if we won another award this year. Their response was so unexpected I felt compelled to write a response which was published as a Feature Commentary in the July 11th, edition of Ojai Vally News. That Article is provided here for the interest of the Vaishnava Community:
God Trumps Nation
(Flag Controversy)
Guest Editorial Commentary by William Roberts July 7, 2014
It’s understandable why some might have been disturbed by the small flag flying above the American flag in this year’s Independence Day Parade. Even Boy Scouts are taught not to hoist anything above the American Flag. While this is certainly true the majority of the time, most probably don’t know the exception to that rule.
U.S. Flag Code states: “… the church pennant may be flown above the flag during services for the personnel of the Navy.” This flag etiquette exception originated during wartime with the hope that it would deter enemy forces NOT to attack when a religious service was being conducted. There is currently a “Church” flag for the Christians and a different one for the Jews. The Navy Chaplain Corps anticipates yet another different flag to denote when Muslim members of the US Navy are engaged in prayer.
In 1954 the “Pledge of Allegiance” was amended by Americans specifically to acknowledge that we are “…one nation UNDER God.” The only people who object to this declaration are the militant atheists who remain deluded about the limitations of their human shortcomings and promote their own speculative manifestos for the betterment of humanity.
America is a great nation because we can express our beliefs so freely. But history is a sober reminder that every nation will someday deteriorate into just another historic milestone in the annals of time. Conversely; all faiths recognize that God is never subject to any form of deterioration. So regardless of what country one is a citizen of, those who respect the sovereignty of God agree His divine authority always trumps everything else.
The small flag causing this disturbance portrayed the revered image of Hanuman. We learn from India’s most sacred Bhagavad Gita that this image flew on the top of Ajruna’s chariot:
“Arjuna, the son of Pandu seated in the chariot bearing the flag marked with Hanuman, took up his bow and prepared to shoot his arrows.” –Bg.1.20
Those who place their faith in the Vedic tradition further accept that it was none other than God Himself who drove that chariot! The reader might also appreciate that the flag on the top of our float was an exact duplicate of the same flag recently gifted to the American ambassador to India by the people of India.
I offer this short letter to the community as an apology to those who may have been offended by this gesture. For those sympathetic to our reasoning it is also an explanation for how the flag of Hanuman got positioned at the top.
It has been hinted to us that this faux-pas is what eliminated us from being considered for any awards in this year’s parade. We appreciate the hint and learned our lesson.
Our purpose for being in the parade is not to win a plaque. The festivities which accommodate our large colorful chariots are intended to attract the heart of the conditioned soul. Chanting God’s name, regardless of which name you prefer, is the Vedic process for restoring one’s lost relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead during this dark age of Kali and everyone is welcome. More info call: 640-0405.
Sastra Ratha – New Sankirtan Tool!
Since last year I have had the opportunity to build what has been appropriately named a “Sastra Ratha”. The idea was to design an easily opened, exotic vending booth with a full Ratha canopy on the back of a 4 X 8ft standard trailer so it can be easily transported. The advantage here is that when the Sastra Ratha is fully deployed, it will stand out way above all the other vending booths at any public event, street festival or county fair etc. Because all the books are already nicely stacked inside the trailer, there is no need to haul huge boxes from the back of a truck to a counter where the public can review them. The back of the Sastra Ratha has a built in showcase and vending table that folds out and presto! When that is done you are in business!
As the idea unfolded, I realized with just a few small modifications the whole project could be also designed for use as a parade float itself. By making such adjustments the Sastra Ratha then became even more versatile. It not only doubles the visual impact we will have on the estimated crowd of 10,000, but it also gives us all the space we need to carry the free public feast right along with us during the parade!
We will gather to chant the Holy names to the crowds along both sides of the street and celebrate with a wonderful picnic at the end for all attending devotees and any members of the public who want to join us. Participate in this opportunity to awaken the souls who have become entrapped by the half-truths of non-dualism and Mayavadi thinking.
This is an invitation to all the Vaishnavas of the Lord in the Southern California area to cooperate together in this blissful chanting, dancing and feasting of Lord Caitanya’s Sankirtan Movement.