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| July 2008 Issue 1 : : email: janananda@yahoo.com |
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Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
The Northern Hemisphere Rathayatra season is upon us. Every weekend there are several Rathayatras taking place, especially in Europe. This is festival of mercy and Srila Prabhupada introduced this festival even before Deities of Temples were established even before book distribution was established. 1967m in san Francisco. In London in 1969 before there was even a preaching centre. Lord Jagannatha bestows His mercy so freely.
"So because we have started this Krsna consciousness movement in your country, this car festival and Lord Caitanya's taking part in this is one of the paraphernalia of our Krsna consciousness movement. And because it revives our consciousness about Krsna, it is an easy process for reviving mass Krsna consciousness. Therefore if you participate in these car festivals, as it is stated in the scriptures, rathe ca vamanam drstva punar janma na vidyate... If you kindly see these Jagannatha deities riding on these cars and in procession, and as Caitanya Mahaprabhu chanted the Hare Krsna mantra in front of this car, then according to our Vedic scripture, if you participate in this festival, in your next life you'll go to back, back to home, back to Godhead.
So at least I'll request you to come and see this car festival. There is no expenditure, but it is simply joyful. You haven't got to pay anything. You simply come, chant Hare Krsna mantra, dance with us, and when you are tired we shall give you nice prasadam. So on behalf of Krsna conscious society I invite you, all boys, girls, ladies, and gentlemen, to take part in this car festival, and I thank you very much."
Srila Prabhupada at Rathayatra and Press Conference -- San Francisco, July 4, 1970
In a letter on 7 August, 1973 Srila Prabhupada wrote:
My dear Bhutatma,
Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter and enclosed photographs of the Ratha Yatra Festival. If we introduce this Festival in all big cities of the world along side with book distribution then in no time we will conquer the whole world. Yes! certainly I shall come to your festival next year, thank you.
To Where It All Began
In 1965 Srila Prabhupada began his preaching on western soil. A humble beginning. Although Rathayatra was held in many cities around the world surprisingly enough the first one in new York was not until 1976 organised by Jayananda prabhu. Since then it has happened annually. This year was the first year I had attended.
What a splendorous sight. The majestic chariots of Lord Jagannatha Baladeva and Subhadra being pulled down 5th Avenue between the towering skyscrapers of Manhattan. Hundreds of devotees chant, dance and pull the chariots to Washington Square Park for a grand festival. Over forty years ago Srila Prabhupada had preached in this very park. Still he is preaching there. Many old devotees, taking a break from active service, were milling in the crowd. Acyutananda and Nitai Chand, to name a few.
BOSTON
From the Rathayatra Festival we went directly to Boston - first time since 1983.
Ecsatic Sunday feast and Harinama through the streets of Boston. Niranjana Swami and Bhakti Visram Madhava Maharaja are here.
We visit Commonwealth Pier where Srila Prabhupada first arrived in the west and reminisce on his historic poem setting the mood and direction for the future of ISKCON.
"My dear Lord Krsna, You are so kind upon this useless soul, but I do not know why You have brought me here. Now You can do whatever You like with me. But I guess You have some business here, otherwise why would You bring me to this terrible place?
Text Three
Most of the population here is covered by the material modes of ignorance and passion. Absorbed in material life, they think themselves very happy and satisfied, and therefore they have no taste for the transcendental message of Vasudeva. I do not know how they will be able to understand it. But I know Your causeless mercy can make everything possible because You are the most expert mystic.
How will they understand the mellows of devotional service? O Lord, I am simply praying for Your mercy so that I will be able to convince them about Your message.
All living entities have become under the control of the illusory energy by Your will, and therefore, if You like, by Your will they can also be released from the clutches of illusion.
I wish that You may deliver them. Therefore if You so desire their deliverance, then only will they be able to understand Your message. The words of Srimad-Bhagavatam are Your incarnation, and if a sober person repeatedly receives it with submissive aural reception, then he will be able to understand Your message.
He will become liberated from the influence of the modes of ignorance and passion and thus all inauspicious things accumulated in the core of the heart will disappear.
How will I make them understand this message of Krsna consciousness? I am very unfortunate, unqualified and the most fallen. Therefore I am seeking Your benediction so that I can convince them, for I am powerless to do so on my own.
Somehow or other, O Lord, You have brought me here to speak about You. Now, my Lord, it is up to You to make me a success or failure as You like. O spiritual master of all the worlds! I can simply repeat Your message, so if You like You can make my power of speaking suitable for their understanding.
Only by Your causeless mercy will my words become pure. I am sure that when this transcendental message penetrates their hearts they will certainly feel engladdened and thus become liberated from all unhappy conditions of life. O Lord, I am just like a puppet in Your hands. So if You have brought me here to dance, then make me dance, make me dance, O Lord, make me dance as You like.
I have no devotion, nor do I have any knowledge, but I have strong faith in the holy name of Krsna. I have been designated as Bhaktivedanta, and now, if You like, You can fulfill the real purport of Bhaktivedanta. Signed-the most unfortunate, insignificant beggar
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami,
on board the ship Jaladuta, Commonwealth Pier,
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
dated 18th of September, 1965
LONDON
Off to London for the Rathayatra there,
The 40th annual parade. A gorgeous day with thousands of devotees. 3 carts. Ecstatic kirtan, massive prasadam distribution. What a festival. Dancing and chanting -
"Lord Caitanya and Nityananda introduced a process that is simply joyful-simply chant and dance. Therefore, Locana dasa requests everyone, bhajo bhajo bhai, caitanya-nitai: "My dear brother, I request that you just worship Lord Caitanya and Nityananda with firm conviction and faith." Don't think that this chanting and dancing will not lead to the desired goal. It will. It is the assurance of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu that one will get all perfection by this process. Therefore one must chant with firm faith and conviction.
(Locana das Thakura)
"They were practicing to teach us, apani acari' prabhu jivere sikhaya. Simply teaching will not do unless we practice. That is very important thing, practice, practical life. Simply quoting verses, like parrot, will not be very much beneficial. One must apply, jnanam vijnana-sahitam. Jnana means to know the thing, and vijnana means to apply the things in practical life. Jnanam vijnana-sahitam. So we must know the vijnana, how practically.
That is taught by the Gosvamis, krsnot-kirtana-gana-nartana, always chanting the glories of Krsna. Kirtana, gana, nartana, nartana means dancing. Dancing is very good. The more you dance, the more you become light; means the burden of material contamination becomes reduced. Dancing is so nice. Even if you don't feel ecstasy, if you dance by force, that will also help us. Krsnot-kirtana-gana-nartanau-parau premamrtambho-nidhi. By dancing dancing, we shall develop our dormant Krsna consciousness, love for Krsna.
This is a nice process. Krsnot-kirtana-gana-nartana-parau premamrtambho-nidhi. Then you will merge into the ocean of love for Krsna. So this is the highest stage of ecstasy for Krsna consciousness, always chanting Krsna's name, dancing in ecstasy, and to be merged in the ocean of love for Krsna. These are the perfection.
Dhiradhira jana-priyau, in this way we shall become friendly to every people, dhiradhira. There are two classes of men. Dhira, sober, and other class, rogue. So both of them will be pleased by krsnot-kirtana. You have practical experience. When there is krsna-kirtana, people, all classes of people, become very much pleased, and they join.
As soon as your kirtana will be pure sankirtana, not artificial, not professional... There are many professional dancer. That will not attract. But, even if you do not know the art of dancing, if you simply dance in ecstasy for Krsna's love, that will be appreciated by everyone. That will be appreciated by everyone.
Krsnot-kirtana-gana-nartana-parau. These are the art. One does not require to become a Vedantist. Simply if one chants Krsna's name, holy name, and in ecstasy dances, he's more than a Vedantist. Actually vedanti means one who knows the ultimate knowledge, veda. Veda means knowledge. And anta means ultimate, vedanta. Then what is that ultimate knowledge? Krsna. Vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [Bg. 15.15].
That is ultimate knowledge. So one who has understood Krsna and Krsna's love, he's dancing, then what more vedanta can do? That is the first class realization of vedanta.
Candra Mauli Swami and devotees at New York Rathayatra
New York Rathayatra on 5th Avenue
New York - evening programmein the Sanctuary Manhattan
Commonwealth Pier Boston
Harinama in Boston
Lord Jagannatha in Boston
Haribol spirit soul - a young onlooker took spontaneously to the chanting
London Rathayatra
