Stories and Reflections
By: Tyler Gullick
Story 1) “You must be a Ram Bhakta”
I moved into a Hare Krishna Ashram in the Summer of 2022. For me, this was a brave move.
I sold most of my belongings… renounced my career, romantic relationship and apartment in Pennsylvania to pursue a life of service and devotion in Gainesville, Florida. My mom even adopted my dog! To arrive there, I put my clothes, musical instruments and Hanuman Murti into my Subaru Outback…loaded that vehicle onto an AMTRAK car train, and woke up in Florida some time later. I like this part of the story a lot.
There, our mission was to distribute spiritual food, or “prasad” to the students at the University of Florida and encourage them if they were curious about our spiritual practices. Our line of hungry students often wrapped around the block and we served upward of 1,000 plates of vegetarian food each day. We followed a modest routine of communal prayer, classes, and service all in the pursuit of cultivating and sharing love for God, specifically Krishna…
We would sing Mahamantra together, so everyone knew of Rama…but no one around me had the same rasa (relationship) with him as I did. So, my love for Rama certainly was not a secret to anyone…I sang the Hanuman Chalisa to my Hanuman Murti each morning and made many first impressions by blasting Krishna Das “Hare Raaamaa” as I washed the dishes my first week there. Loving on Rama in the Krishna Ashram felt comically linear to my hippy-oriented resistance to authority… a part of my personality that provided many juicy opportunities to embody humility, which was critical if I wanted to cultivate relationships in that environment.
We would sit in a class on the Srimad Bhagavatam each morning. A teacher joined us virtually one morning to present, the audience was on camera and I sat in the very back row that day.
“Good morning everyone, I’d like you all to pass the microphone around, introduce yourself and share something that no one else knows about you”
I thought “wow, I’m glad I am sitting in the back corner, I’ll go second to last….” before I heard,
“...And this morning we’ll switch it up, let's start with the gentlemen sitting in the back corner”
A senior devotee introduced themselves. I would be lying if I remembered what they shared.
My turn… okay! “My name’s Tyler and uh, my favorite color is green.” - a total copout!
“Green, huh? You must be a Ram Bhakta…” Pensive, I chuckled and said you’re right.
Slowly my friends in the room turned to look at me over their shoulder holding back giggles through cheery eyed looks of admiration…the message was clear.
Krishna knows that I love Rama and he wants everyone else to know as well.
This experience suggested to me that God is in touch with my thoughts and that they are always going to curtail my experiences to encourage me to lean into honesty and vulnerability, whether I want to in that moment or not…I think I’m okay with that!
Story 2) The Yoga of Kitchari - Cooking at Hanuman Maui
Okay, the pressure is on! I’m leaving the Krishna House Ashram after months of not cooking for myself to serve at Hanuman Maui where I’ll be expected to cook for the Dassi Ma and the gang.
I texted my mentor asking them what I should make for Dassi Ma, what does she like?
He knows Dassi Ma and took care of Ram Dass and so, he advised me that any combination of cheese and tomato sauce would send Dassi Ma over the moon…
Considering offering Seva at Hanuman Maui? Remember that!
Now, this wasn’t good news for my GI issues. At that point I had avoided tomatoes for months and melted cheese was starting to cause me some grief. I really only liked to eat Kitchari.
My first weeks at the house had many botched batches of Kitchari. Those who are experienced in the kitchen know the difference between split mung dal and yellow split peas on site, but that wasn’t the case for me. My rice would dissolve while my “mung beans” were chalky and hard!
I stood next to Priti Ma asking if I added enough Turmeric
Lovingly, she answered “Entirely too much!”
I asked “Why does the tadka smell burnt?” - “it’s burnt!” - and so on!
Time after time, things got easier and I was always able to identify split mung beans visually.
Soon, making kitchari became a labor of love and a game to find out what people like best.
I just had to pay attention to how I cooked, and pay more attention at dinner time on the Lanai.
Who took seconds? Who wasn’t talking because they were eating the whole time?
Dassi likes kitchari more stiff - like rice and lentils rather than a soupy porridge.
One day, I worried that I added too much Garam Masala - Dassi Ma doesn’t dig spicy food.
Dassi Ma perked up - “it’s so good today!”
Dassi told me Ram Dass made Kitchari over a fire each night after he returned home from India.
One day, I served a plate of Kitchari to Rameshwar Das, a close friend of Ram Dass, and I saw him look at me with a look that I couldn’t pin down - it didn’t make sense, so I shrugged it off.
A year or so later, I read the first chapters of Be Love Now where I read of Rameshwar Das’s experience of learning to make Kitchari from Ram Dass - and I realized the role that this simple stew plays in our Satsang. Water, Rice, Lentils, and Spice - a recipe for edible, nonpersonal love.
I love Kitchari
About Tyler
https://www.instagram.com/back.to.bhakti/
Tyler Gulick, a devoted bhakta will guide us in an evening of sacred chanting.
Tyler’s journey into Bhakti began through the transformative power of kirtan and listening to Ram Dass’s teachings on the Bhagavad Gita. His yearning for deeper connection led him to live with Hare Krishna devotees in Gainesville, Florida, and later to Maui, where he served as a caretaker for Ram Dass’s home and community. Tyler now shares his heart through kirtan, offering a space where we can come together to sing, connect, and feel the divine presence in our lives
Saral Hanuman Chalisa by Tyler: https://open.spotify.com/track/5YOS5CKcOU6SFU3efgAogh