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| February 2008 Issue 2 : : email: janananda@yahoo.com |
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Dear Prabhus,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
In this issue I have included some small reports from the Newsletter's home base and publisher. I would also like to thank Satya medha prabhu for tirelessly putting out the letter despite his busy life.
ONE SINCERE SOUL
11 November, 1967
My Dear Brahmananda,
I have read your statements regarding opening centers. I am not in agreement with Mr. Altman that we are expanding very thinly. In my opinion, a single sincere soul can maintain a center. You know I started the center at 26 2nd Ave. alone. I took the risk of 200.00 dollars per month for the rent. At that time there were no assistants. Mukunda was at that time a friend but there was no responsibility for him for maintaining the center. Gradually Kirtanananda and Hayagriva joined but they did not take any responsibility. Still I was maintaining the establishment simply depending on Krishna and then Krishna sent me everything—men and money. Similarly, if a sincere soul goes out and opens a center in any part of the world Krishna will help him in all respects. Without being empowered by Krishna, nobody can preach Krishna Consciousness. It is not academic qualification or financial strength which helps in these matters, but it is sincerity of purpose which helps us always.
In this way you will follow my example as I did in the beginning at 26 2nd Ave. That is preaching, cooking, writing, talking, chanting everything one man's show. I never thought about the audience. I was prepared to chant if there were no man to hear me. The principle of chanting is to glorify the Lord and not to attract a crowd. If Krishna hears nicely then he will ask some sincere devotee to gather in such place. Therefore, be advised that thousands of centers may be started if we find out a sincere soul for each and every center. We do not require more men to start. If there is one sincere soul that is sufficient to start a new center.
Your ever well-wisher
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
SANKIRTAN IN NEWCASTLE – by Janananda Gosvami
It was back in 1981 that I started the first centre in Newcastle in the UK. Thus I have a soft spot for the preaching there and annually visit the centre.
Although it is still small there is no limit to the potential. The following are some small experiences of two devotees in the Newcastle area.
Satya Medha Gauranga dasa is from Bangladesh and is working full time in the city. Madhusevita lives in Edinburgh, a few hours away and is well into his sixties. Both of them, despite the material considerations providing more than enough excuses to avoid going on sankirtan, have none the less taken it upon themselves to go out on the streets as much as possible and preach. An exemplary example showing that anyone can do it. I hope this will inspire some devotees to add more sankirtan to their lives and those of others. This sankirtan movement is the prime benediction for humanity at large. Even one or two sincere persons can spread the sankirtan movement and evoke devotion in people’s hearts.
From Satya:
“Last Saturday I went on Harinama sankirtan alone, as all devotees had gone to Bhaktivedanta Manor.
I was in Newcastle and was remembering your various newsletters on Harinama. Every time I receive a newsletter, I feel more and more that I should go out. So Saturday morning, feeling restless, I grabbed the folding table, speaker system, took karatals and some books and went to city centre. When I arrived in front of Marks & Spencers (a large department store) and set up the table with books, I felt so happy, actually more than happy...oh here I'm supposed to be! I never felt I was alone, rather I thought You would be pleased, Guru Maharaja would be pleased, and Srila Prabhupada would be pleased... and there was so much sunshine on the street, everyone became bright, cheerful and happy... and there were books on the table "Chant & Be Happy"...
The kirtan went very good for the next one hour. Then I stopped and was about to pack my things, but interested pedestrians started coming one after another and started taking books and giving donations. They were happy and there were some small happy kids who came along to give some money. I became very inspired and thought maybe Krsna doesn't want me to stop now, so I took the karatals again and started Harinama ... it was so nice...bright sunshine and many people were on the street, curious and sometimes shaking their body or raising hands and smiling ...
From Madhusevita:
The desire is there to go on Harinama as much as possible; however Satya can only manage Saturdays when he is off work. Hence the plan to go out solo on weekdays as well with accordion accompaniment, staying in one spot with a small book table in front to distribute books to people who are attracted.
From Satya and Madhusevita:
We had a very good day today. Madhusevita prabhu and I went to Durham for sankirtan this morning. We walked on the main streets of the city and chanted the holy names for more than 2 hours and it was so blissful. Later we set up a small table with books and chanted in city the centre under a monument beside the Saturday market. At first we thought the shop-keepers might disturb us or rather be disturbed, but actually they were appreciative and enjoyed our kirtana. Then a nice thing happened. Some council people were observing us from a little distance and I could feel from their expressions that they were preparing to stop us or something like that. Then one lady, with a wireless radio approached us, she was grave and serious. I attempted to give her whatever best smile I had in stock and tried chanting nicely so that Krsna is pleased. Suddenly she stopped and smiled back at us so nicely. She stood and listened to kirtana for a few moments and went back to her team. Later I saw them discussing among themselves and after a while they disappeared!
Satya:
Abhaya Prabhu from Bhaktivedanta Manor came to Newcastle for a few days. We went out together this morning to distribute books. We were there on the street for four hours, then I had to go to work. By Prabhupada’s mercy I was able to distribute 40 books. Abhaya Prabhu kindly taught me some techniques to distribute big books.
Next Schedule |
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| Feb 27 | Fly to Calcutta and Mayapura |
| March 11 – 13 | Kuala Lumpur |
| March 13 – 24 | Manila Philippines for Gaura Purnima |
| March 25 – April 22 | Vrndavana and travelling in India |
| April 22 – 24 | Kuala Lumpur |
| April 24 – 27 | Kuching Rathayatra |
| April 27th May 4th | Penang and Malaysia |
| March 4th – 11th | Manilla |
| March 12th | leave for UK and Europe |
– Satya dasa
In Newcastle I went out on Nityananda Trayodashi at around 7pm in the evening with a folding table, Srila Prabhupada's books and kartalas and stood outside some pubs and cinema hall in the city centre.
At the beginning nobody was noticing but later on they became interested, even the drunkards were stopping and listening. There were two guys with travel bags who stood in front of the table listening to the kirtana. After a while they took a book, smiled and with folded palms said "Gauranga"!
One fellow was so drunk that he could hardly stand. He took a 'Perfect Questions and Perfect Answers' book, and attempted several times to ask a question, but being too intoxicated failing to phrase his perfect question he started singing Mahamantra!
Later on a few young lads - drunk, joined in Harinama and were chanting loudly.
One of them, called Michael, was very enthusiastic, waving his hands towards the Pedestrians and saying loudly - 'Hare Krsna to everyone, Hare Krsna to everyone'!
A guy wanted to take a book but had no money. He went away and came back after a while with some coins.
He was not drunk but it seemed he became intoxicated after taking a book. He was turning the pages, looking at the pictures — picture of Krsna, Srila Prabhupada!
While leaving he was looking back repeatedly saying - 'have a good time, my friend, have a good time!'.
Nectar from the Stavavali
By Raghunatha Dasa Goswami
radheti nama nava-sundara-sidhu mugdham
krsneti nama madhuradbhuta-gadha-dugdham
sarva-ksanam surabhi-raga-himena ramyam
krtva tadaiva piba me rasane ksud-arte
An excellent fresh nectar drink with endless subtle tastes—
Such is the name of Radha, by whom all three
worlds are graced.
Condensed milk that is wonderfully delicious—thick and
swee
Such is the name of Krsna, in whom all attractions
meet.
Now mix these drinks, O thirsty tongue, and add the
fragrant ice
Of love, a prize the wise will try to buy at any
price.
And then at every moment drink this beverage most
fine,
And make my heart supremely blissful, peaceful,
and divine.
WHEN WAS I BRAHMA?
It is a common conception in ISKCON that our first birth in this world is as Lord Brahma. That sounds pretty inconceivable – just imagine if every jiva in the universe first appeared as Brahma – there’s only one Brahma in each universe. The jivas themselves are more or less uncountable and the time they would have been conditioned would beyond calculation no doubt. Trillions of universal manifestations.
However in Srimad Bhagavatam we find the following verse:
Srimad Bhagavatam 4.29.4
“When the living entity wants to enjoy the modes of material nature in their totality, he prefers, out of many bodily forms, to accept that body which has nine gates, two hands and two legs. Thus he prefers to become a human being or a demigod
.
PURPORT
This is a very nice explanation of how the spiritual being, the part and parcel of Kåñëa, God, accepts a material body by virtue of his own desires. Accepting two hands, two legs, and so on, the living entity fully enjoys the modes of material nature. Lord Kåñëa says in Bhagavad-Gita (7.27):
iccha-dvesa-samutthena
dvandva-mohena bharata
sarva-bhütani sammohah
sarge yanti parantapa
"O scion of Bharata [Arjuna], O conqueror of the foe, all living entities are born into delusion, overcome by the dualities of desire and hate."
Originally the living entity is a spiritual being, but when he actually desires to enjoy this material world, he comes down. From this verse we can understand that the living entity first accepts a body that is human in form, but gradually, due to his degraded activities, he falls into lower forms of life—into the animal, plant and aquatic forms. By the gradual process of evolution, the living entity again attains the body of a human being and is given another chance to get out of the process of transmigration. If he again misses his chance in the human form to understand his position, he is again placed in the cycle of birth and death in various types of bodies. The desire of the living entity to come into the material world is not very difficult to understand. Although one may be born in a family of Aryans, where there are restrictions against meat-eating, intoxication, gambling and illicit sex, still one may want to enjoy these forbidden things. There is always someone who wants to go to a prostitute for illicit sex or to a hotel to eat meat and drink wine. There is always someone who wants to gamble at nightclubs or enjoy so-called sports. All these propensities are already within the hearts of the living entities, but some living entities stop to enjoy these abominable activities and consequently fall down to a degraded platform. The more one desires a degraded life within his heart, the more he falls down to occupy different forms of abominable existence. This is the process of transmigration and evolution. A particular type of animal may have a strong tendency to enjoy one kind of sense enjoyment, but in the human form one can enjoy all the senses. The human form has the facility to utilize all the senses for gratification.”
Wishing everyone all the best
Your servant
Janananda Gosvami
Singapore - Sudarshan Deities
Sanatana Gosvami's samadhi in Vrndavana
Yamuna at Sunset
| February 2008 Issue 2 : : email: janananda@yahoo.com |