NORTHERN LIGHTS

Indian Summer Sun, the lapping of a clear glacial lake, rolling, treed, mountains, the dancing stars and the morning dew - just some of the scenic surroundings of the Northern Lights Festival in Nelson, B.C.

The Nelson Festival was held on grounds nestled in the Kootenays. Premies from as far away as Toronto, Texas, and Washington attended the two-day festival.

A blissful parade through downtown started the festival and drew many approving smiles and lots of love from Nelson. The parade was led by a float carrying Mahatmas Adharanand Ji and Mahavir, a juggler, several musicians and many blissful premies. Immediately afterward, a caravan of costumed, balloon-toting premies raced to nearby Castlegar to welcome Raja Ji and Claudia. Love just exploded at the airport. Claudia said that when the plane was circling overhead she could feel all the energy from the premies. She also said that Guru Maharaj Ji and Durga Ji had really wanted to come, but preparation for their upcoming tour prevented it, and that They sent blessings to all the premies.

Premies returned to the campground for meditation, satsang and mellow music.

At the evening program, Mahatmas played on stage and managed to sing a duo a la "Smothers Brothers". The highlight of the evening program was the satsang of Raja Ji and Claudia who stressed meditation and propagation. Mahatma Adharanand stayed with premies and played and sang and threw out white rabbits to the crowd. Premies bundled together in the nippy Nelson air to sing Arti while the Arti while the Edmonton dance group performed a colorful dance of love and light.

The second day of the festival was completely relaxed. Premies buzzed around the bazaar area, sang, watched plays including the famous "The Cow", played with the children, swam, and meditated in the grass in the warm sunshine. Raja Ji and Claudia came to the festival site and walked around with the premies through the bazaar and down to the lake where a boat awaited them.

The evening program began with some downhome foot-stompin', bluegrass tunes by the Edmonton jug band. Premies do-si-do-ed all over the place, rolled, stood on their heads, reeled and blissed out. Mahatma Adharanand gave satsang and played with the premies. The Vancouver dance group then performed an interpretation of Santanas, "Love, Devotion and Surrender", at the request of Claudia and Raja Ji.

In his satsang, Raja Ji stressed the point that, "Really there is nothing to say," that we must follow the commandments of Guru Maharaj Ji and do satsang, service and meditation, that the real Divine City will manifest when the goat and the cougar drink from the same well. It won't be by any conceptions of what a Divine City should be like. It will be natural. Knowledge is natural and so will be the Divine City. He said that he was happy that the festival had happened because it was a chance for premies to come together and become inspired.

Perhaps the most beautiful thing of the festival was the mellow tenor, due largely to the small scale. The intimate setting and the small crowd filled the atmosphere with love - freed it from the usual long food lines, knee-to-chin seating and frantic running around. One American premie was overheard to say "Canada's so mellow, man."

Through the power of this incredible Knowledge, through concentration and centering, premies manifested their love for Guru Maharaj Ji, came together with brothers and sisters and experienced that we are really one in the spirit, one in the Lord.

DAYCARE
at Hans Jayanti

One of the most important services at a festival is daycare for children. In the past, it has been somewhat difficult to get enough people to help out. This time, there will be some premies assigned to daycare; in addition, we will ask that all parents who bring their children help share in the daycare duties.

Since this festival is a short one and since the travelling involved will be, for many, lengthy and tiring, perhaps those of you with children might consider leaving your children at home or in the care of friends or relatives. For those of you who do bring your children, may we ask that you please not neglect your service to them and that you understand that your cooperation is really needed to help make this festival something very special.