My very own book Options

[zanardi]

After three years of intensive writing, soulsearching and writing again, 336 pages of descriptions and reflexions of life inside ISKCON is ready. My own book. Biggest publisher here in Finland got the original rudimentary manuscript from me about two years ago and they engouraged me to go on with my project. We wrote the publishing contract one year ago. At this very moment it is being printed. I broke my wrist shortly after I had made the last corrections to the manuscript. Talk about timing! About the contents: it is an unique presentation of the subject matter.

[0Oneiros0]

After three years of intensive writing, soulsearching and writing again, 336 pages of descriptions and reflexions of life inside ISKCON is ready.  My own book.  Biggest publisher here in Finland got the original rudimentary manuscript from me about two years ago and they engouraged me to go on with my project.  We wrote the publishing contract one year ago.  At this very moment it is being printed.  I broke my wrist shortly after I had made the last corrections to the manuscript. Talk about timing!  About the contents: it is an unique presentation of the subject matter.

Congratulations on finishing your book! I take it that it is in Finnish?

[zanardi]

Finnish language. The only language I truly can. I read your bio and thought that were was one who has gone through a lot in his life!

[babu]

[quote=Oneiros,Oct 10 2005, 11:37 AM]At this very moment it is being printed.

[/quote]
Congratulations on finishing your book! I take it that it is in Finnish?

[/quote]

wouldn't that it is being printed state the obvious that it a finnished product?

15 years in iskcon... wow, that's a long time... i feel really embarrassed when i tell people i was in for 7

i do some acting and so if this gets made into a movie, i want a shot at playing you

[0Oneiros0]

I read your bio and thought that were was one who has gone through a lot in his life!

Me? I guess that I have gone through a lot, and yet there is so much that I still want to do.

Could you tell us a bit about your book? Perhaps a brief abstract in English?

[0Oneiros0]

15 years in iskcon... wow, that's a long time... i feel really embarrassed when i tell people i was in for 7

It was less than seven years for me.

[zanardi]

15 years in iskcon... wow, that's a long time... i feel really embarrassed when i tell people i was in for 7

i do some acting and so if this gets made into a movie, i want a shot at playing you

[/quote]

If the picture I can see with your texts is you, such a character must be considered for a part! Your seven years is more than enough, too.

[zanardi]

I read your bio and thought that were was one who has gone through a lot in his life!

Me? I guess that I have gone through a lot, and yet there is so much that I still want to do.

Could you tell us a bit about your book? Perhaps a brief abstract in English?

It describes the "whole" process of how I became a holy roller, joined the temple,
life within a sect, losing faith, falling out, existential crisis and anxiety etc.
Ultimately ISKCON is just the framework within which I develope my thoughts and understanding of what secterianism is and why people have the need to pretend "to know" how and why things are as they are in this world, how the fruitive mentality functions in those desperate moments when we get a glimpse of our actual cosmic situation and realize we truly do not know anything and blaa blaa blaa, like that.
The book is critical about ISKCON, but it is also critical about any kind of sectarean mentality and tries to make us aware of our tender "isms", how instead of trying to protect them we should be bold and try to face our existential situation (basically;anxiety because of it), take it with stride and understand that it can actually work as a cooling, even if a tad bitter medicine for us crazy people who seem to carry on destroying this world and fighting its people as if there was no other alternative.

[Tapati]

Congratulations, Zanardi!

I hope it gets translated into English someday so I can read it!

I was a devotee for 15 years, though not in the temple for all of that.

[Homer]

Wonderful accomplishment. Not just the finishing of your memoirs, but to have a commercial printing is a double feat.

Well done! Just wish I could read Finnish.

[Preyobrazhenya]

Congratulations, Zanardi!

I hope it gets translated into English someday so I can read it!

I was a devotee for 15 years, though not in the temple for all of that.

17 years an ISKCON believer here, but only about 5 of those in the temple itself.

Congratulations Zanardi. I really hope we will be able to read your book someday. It sounds awesome! I wish you all success!

Speaking of Finns and Holy Rollers, Mother Isha who is probably about 89 years old and lives on Cape Cod speaks Finnish. She used to come to the Boston Temple for Sundays and Holidays but she is too old now. Mother Isha was brought up Holy Roller and her family spoke Finnish at home. She always felt her Holy Roller background made her receptive to the chanting and dancing of ISKCON. If you ever saw the old promotional ISKCON film from the 70's, Mother Isha is the older Mataji in white at the typewriter in the film. I believe she is still a devotee.

[zanardi]

Thank you so much! Hovering together with you all here in the realms of cyberspace means a lot to me. I was lucky to found this forum more or less by accident and sensed immediately that this is a special place. Funny, open, intelligent and sensitive.
What is this other book Tapati mentioned?

[babu]

If the picture I can see with your texts is you, such a character must be considered for a part! Your seven years is more than enough, too.

ok, i decided the part (if there is one) i want in the movie is the evil sankirtan leader who tries to get the devotees to sleep less, chant their rounds faster, has a quick 10 minute mangala aratik, a ten minute bhagavatam class, feeds them the cheapest diet of cabbage, grated carrots, raisins and yogurt with peanuts on the side and then pushes the bhaktas out the van for 14 hours of book distribution

[zanardi]

If the picture I can see with your texts is you, such a character must be considered for a part! Your seven years is more than enough, too.

ok, i decided the part (if there is one) i want in the movie is the evil sankirtan leader who tries to get the devotees to sleep less, chant their rounds faster, has a quick 10 minute mangala aratik, a ten minute bhagavatam class, feeds them the cheapest diet of cabbage, grated carrots, raisins and yogurt with peanuts on the side and then pushes the bhaktas out the van for 14 hours of book distribution

Sounds familiar. I decided to write the manuscript myself and with your kind permission the main traits of your Oscar-winning character are as you outlined. Beware, from there on all your future roles will be as gangsters, psychos and just plain mean persons!

[babu]

Sounds familiar.  I decided to write the manuscript myself and with your kind permission the main traits of your Oscar-winning character are as you outlined. Beware, from there on all your future roles will be as gangsters, psychos and just plain mean persons!

si, gracias senor

[Tapati]

Thank you so much! Hovering together with you all here in the realms of cyberspace means a lot to me. I was lucky to found this forum more or less by accident and sensed immediately that this is a special place.  Funny, open, intelligent and sensitive.
What is this other book Tapati mentioned? 

Our newest member also seems to have written a book, and of course Nori Muster (one of our inactive members) also wrote a book about her time in the movement. I even considered doing so, then decided against it. At the time I didn't want to spend that much time thinking about it intensively. For a long time I hardly mentioned it, thought about it, or did anything remotely connected with KC.

[zanardi]

Thank you so much! Hovering together with you all here in the realms of cyberspace means a lot to me. I was lucky to found this forum more or less by accident and sensed immediately that this is a special place.  Funny, open, intelligent and sensitive.
What is this other book Tapati mentioned? 

Our newest member also seems to have written a book, and of course Nori Muster (one of our inactive members) also wrote a book about her time in the movement. I even considered doing so, then decided against it. At the time I didn't want to spend that much time thinking about it intensively. For a long time I hardly mentioned it, thought about it, or did anything remotely connected with KC.

Tapati, your story could be very interesting indeed! I must say that reading Nori Musters book was one of the things that inspired me to start writing my own. If you are in contact with her, please give her my regard, peace and respect. Another thing has to be added. I remember hearing about Dhyana "standing up" and voicing her well founded and profound opinion of things in ISKCON. It was a pivotal moment in my career as a devotee. From her and also Marie Ekstrand I got the courage to fully break out of my cocoon. We have a saying here in Finland: Ladies first, even on to the thin ice!". So I have to admit it, and I do it without shame, I just followed in their slipstream. Peace and respect to ya all!

[babu]

We have a saying here in Finland: Ladies first, even on to the thin ice!".

here in the united states of whatever, ladies are the first ones allowed off the sinking ship onto the lifeboats

[Kalisurfer]

here in the united states of whatever, ladies are the first ones allowed off the sinking ship onto the lifeboats

Actually, here in the good old USA it is male Corporate Executives and Government Leaders first, then Christian ministers and Sannyasi's next, and finaly after all that excess of self importance comes their wives, girlfriends and children. The age of chivlery is long dead in the country bought out by those with money and power!

[babu]

here in the united states of whatever, ladies are the first ones allowed off the sinking ship onto the lifeboats

Actually, here in the good old USA it is male Corporate Executives and Government Leaders first, then Christian ministers and Sannyasi's next, and finaly after all that excess of self importance comes their wives, girlfriends and children. The age of chivlery is long dead in the country bought out by those with money and power!

true, kalisurfer, the reality is male corporate executives first...etc but they still pretend that women and children are taken care of as in women and children first