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| June 2008 : : email: janananda@yahoo.com |
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Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
DON’T FORGET WORLD HOLY NAME WEEK SEPTEMBER 13TH TILL 21ST THIS YEAR.
(more about that in the next newsletter)
The Rathayatra season is upon us in the Northern hemisphere. This festival is so important. On 7 August, 1973 Srila Prabhupada wrote
My dear Bhutatma,
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.
At the Rathayatra lecture in San Francisco, July 5, 1970
Prabhupada: So Jagannatha means the proprietor or the master of all these movements, He is Jagannatha. And Balabhadra, Balarama, bala means strength and rama means enjoyment. So Balarama means who gives you spiritual strength for enjoying eternal blissful life, He is Balarama. And Subhadra, su means auspicious and bhadra means well-being. Subhadra, Jagannatha and Balarama combined together are present before you to reclaim you all from your miserable condition of life. That is the purport of this Ratha-yatra Festival. [break] If anyone sees on the cart Jagannatha, Subhadra, and Baladeva, then he does not take birth again in this material world.
We are attending the New York Rathayatra for the first time this week– later newsletter - and then the London one.
This newsletter however is about :
TRAVELS AROUND THE UK
The British Yatra may be famous for the Manor and Soho St – Radha London Isvara- but the whole country is ready and set for Krishna consciousness. There is tremendous scope and reciprocation for preaching in the provinces. Just need more preachers to get our there.
LONDON
Arriving in London after an all day flight from Malaysia we dive straight into the intense mood of London. And perhaps the best preaching field in the west. (don’t tell that to a New Yorker)
Up to one million people a day walk on Oxford St. You can imagine the impact of the Harinam party going every down this river of jivas. Every one of them records in their sub consciousness an indelible picture of the Harinama which we carry them out of the material world.
"HELP! LONDON IS HELL"
1969 Newspapers report – “Swami calls London hell!”
The reporter had asked, "Swamiji, do you have a concept of hell in your religion?"
"Yes," Prabhupada replied. "London is hell.
Times have changed – is it still Hell?
Recently I had a sharp realization, a reminder waking me from my sleep.
It’s a crispy Saturday morning in early May as I open the door of the Temple flat in the heart of London. I’m on the way to Mangal arati at the nearby Radha London Isvara temple. I look around to see the result of a night of mayhem in the heart of one of the worlds’ greatest “civilized” cities. A man grovelling on the footpath groaning. A half crazed looking women crying loudly. An intoxicated man pulling a drunken woman half naked in the gutter. Another pack of shaky, shady night prowlers struggling to keep on their feet - holding on to railings and grasping for some shelter. Someone calling out HELP ME! – his mates laugh and watch the spectacle. Broken bottles and fag ends strewn everywhere. Beer cans. “Smoking kills” glaring out from empty fag packets lying dead on the floor.! Lost in the world of madness. The sounds of bottles smashing in a distance. Shrieking cries echo in the dark streets and alleys. Vulgar language. Welcome to KALI’S domain. Civilization at it’s …….A normal scene as we walk to mangal arati in London. The pubs and restaurants are just winding down after another night of revelling. Gays and lesbians of all races loiter around in this part of London “making love”. Anything you can think of blends harmoniously with whatever happens around here or does it? This is the centre of western civilization. This is advancement. The city where the paths are paved with gold? Now broken glass, fag butts and broken hearts. Inside shop entrances, down and outs are huddled up in filthy sleeping bags, blankets – whatever they can get – right there on Oxford Street.
Phew! I made it. The temple, and the oasis of Radha London Isvara. I sit and reflect – get my breathe back.
Was that real or a dream?
My mind races back to a moment in Heathrow airport, London. I see Srila Prabhupada sitting on the mezzanine floor as his flight is delayed . Thousands of travellers are milling about below – where are they going? Prabhupada is watching. His eyes brimming with tears. A moment of realization. His mood – “How are we going to save them? They are all our brothers and sisters. They are Krishna’s children. We must save them before they are dead and gone” Prabhupada’s heart is flooded with compassion for them. These thoughts flash through my mind.
Back to the here and now . How can I walk past them like this every day? Have I no heart. People are suffering everywhere. How can I sit and worry about my own problems having been injected by Srila Prabhupada’s mercy. What am I doing? I seem to be caught up in my own little world. How long is this going to go on? Wake up sleeping soul. It is not enough to chant 16 rounds and go through the rituals. Sit in the temple chanting to ourselves. Where has my spirit of preaching gone? Preaching to the converted? A day before I had been flying over the Bay of Bengal when the pilot announce. Ladies and gentlemen we are sorry but due to a strong cyclone building up we will have to change our course and thus we will the flight will be delayed. Oh no I thought – I might miss my connection. This is terrible. Little did I know that down below a storm was about to hit the coast of Burma and around 60,000 people were about to lose their lives. Oh no they may have missed their connection. Who cares for mine. An earthquake in china knocks out another 70,000. But what about my prasadam. What about me?
Time is short and there is no time to waste, make haste, get a taste, and with the mace, of His divine grace, go to every place, with the holy names before it’s too late.
1 July, 1970
My dear Rupanuga,
Yes, that is our main program, this traveling and preaching just as I am doing. Now you have to keep the institution in living condition in the near future, so as such you have to preach vigorously to the right point so that people will appreciate our movement and take to it….. Just you save the foolish world from going to hell. Everyone has become already animals. They are not interested in morality, religion, or other subject matter of the human form of life. And when one is prepared to become animal, then what this school-college education will do?
There are 6 billion human wrecks out there. How long will it take before I develop some genuine compassion and as Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura writes: When kindness to all beings will be appearing, with free heart forget myself comforting, Bhaktivinoda in all humility prays, "Now I will set out to preach Your order sublime." When, oh when will that day be mine?
BRIGHTON
After 5 days of wonderful preaching opportunities we head off for the coast. The sun comes out and it’s a heat wave as we reach Brighton. Here there is a Krishna conscious innovative community centre run by Dinadayadra and his crew. It reminds me of what it may have been like back in 1967 in San Francisco. A family atmosphere, somewhat informal and relaxed, yet distinctly Krsna conscious. Everyone expresses a warm service attitude.
A nice community has developed here and a half a dozen live together in a large house in the central city. The house which they purchased serves as a temple, a meeting place for the rest of the community also. Kirtan bhajans and prasadam are at the centre of it all. Dancing chanting and feasting. Not a difficult formula.
The Harinama here is very special. All the devotees are into it and even though we went out in the evening and it wasn’t a busy evening, the result was, as always, ecstatic. The streets were quiet in terms of people, but not in terms or the sankirtan as we danced, sang and played musical instruments around the town. People poked their noses out of windows and doors and smiled, laughed clapped and joined in, some bringing their own instruments. Brighton is that kind of place where people like festivals and anything different. A priest, or perhaps a man dressed up as one comes up and embraces us – keep it up chaps. “They need this around here” he says, as we dance through the equivalent of Brighton’s red-light district. A leather jacketed dog jumps in amongst us. Tail and tongue wagging as he relishes every moment of it. His owner a bit of a rocker himself, stands amused watching. Drunks rock along with us. Girls and boys experience the joys of chanting Hare Krishna.
In Swindon Justin and his wife Lisa have been sincerely hosting programmes for many years in this town of my birth. Quite a few devotees actually came from here but have moved on – many to join the temples. Still, despite that, they carry on and I am sure in time their efforts will bear more and more fruits. It is important we visit these places to encourage and keep the flames burning.
LEICESTER
Leicester has the largest Indian community in UK outside of London.
It also has a huge Moslem population. The Leicester ISKCON centre is steadily developing and opening up to broader preaching programmes such as Harinama, book distribution, Food For Life, University preaching, going door to door etc., thus enriching it’s already established preaching to the Indians and the festivals and dramas they are famous for. Harinama in the provincial cities of the UK is fabulous and Leicester is no exception. The crowd is very mixed in their ethnicity. We stand and chant in the centre of the city – practically everyone passes this point and gets a drop of the holy name. Some want more than a drop and come forward actively diving into the ocean. Don’t be afraid – if you want to swim you must not be afraid of water. It’s more than fun. They love it. Muslims, Hindus, Christians, atheists, blacks, whites and browns. Any envy goes far away. All reciprocate, coming forward giving donations and taking books. We really feel all we have to do is share this message in every town and village.
17 July, 1973
Dear Cintamani dasi,
You ask how you can become free of envy. Simply by chanting Hare Krsna, Lord Caitanya has said the heart will become cleaned of all the dirty things accumulated in the heart. It is not that we have to endeavor separately to become rid of envy or any deficiency or impurity. In this age the chanting of Hare Krsna is recommended as the only possible method to associate with Krsna. By offenseless chanting, when we associate with Krsna through His Holy Name, then all inauspicious things are cleared from the heart. So wherever you are you should always go on chanting, and that in itself will bring all perfection.
NOTTINGHAM
Pundarika and his wife HareKrishna dasi both medical doctors as well as seasoned preachers have been – together with others – conducting a very lively namahatta group here for many, many years. It is always a great pleasure to join with these devotees in their wonderful preaching bringing many a patient to Prabhupada’s lotus feet – and doctors.
MANCHESTER
Manchester – the seed-town of the industrial revolution was here. Where it all started. From here the British Vampire exploited the Empire. I encourage the devotees to now start the sankirtan revolution here and they are into it. The temple has gone though it’s ups and downs over the years but now it seems to be on an up. The Harinama sankirtan here is one of the best. The city is made for it and the people don’t have much better to do than watch the Devil’s soccer team. They were away, so a lot of devils were in town and joined us in the kirtan. It’s a great experience – reciprocating and relating with our brothers in different dress. We’ve got a good party of devotees here and we are having a good party. Lot’s of people gather around and many dance with us. It is nice to see solid congregations building in these places.
YORK
An innovative programme – one of the first in York with a nice group of professionals from many backgrounds One of the most historic cities in the UK and like everywhere ripe for sharing Krishna consciousness.
NEWCASTLE
Six days here of programmes, festivals and Harinama. Same experience with Harinama, yet ever fresh. People love it. The devotees love it. Books go out to whoever donates and that’s quite a lot. Newcastle is famous as a bit of a rough place at least in some areas like our Temple. They have put up metal shutters everywhere since the windows keep getting smashed. It’s notable that the most interested group are the youngsters between 12 and 16. Not only do they watch our harinama or take part, they also like to give donations and take books.
JUST LET THEM CHANT
So this chance should be given. Let them chant Hare Krsna, either willfully, or jokingly, or any way, let him chant Hare Krsna. This is the movement. Let him chant once, let his tongue utter this transcendental vibration, Hare Krsna, his life will be successful. It is such nice movement.
(SB Lecture 1.15.29. LA Dec 7th 1973)
And Caitanya Mahaprabhu blesses that iha haite sarva-siddhi haibe tomara. If you chant the holy name of Krsna in faith and according to rules and regulations... Even rules and regulation fails, but chanting may not be stopped. Even sometimes we fail. There is possibility of failing, because we are conditioned, and there is every chance of falling down. So despite you are fallen down, still, you should go on chanting. Gorakhpur 1971 SB 6.3.20 Lecture
An acarya should devise a means by which people may somehow or other come to Krsna consciousness. First they should become Krsna conscious, and all the prescribed rules and regulations may later gradually be introduced. In our Krsna consciousness movement we follow this policy of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. For example, since boys and girls in the Western countries freely intermingle, special concessions regarding their customs and habits are necessary to bring them to Krsna consciousness. The acarya must devise a means to bring them to devotional service. Therefore, although I am a sannyasi I sometimes take part in getting boys and girls married, although in the history of sannyasa no sannyasi has personally taken part in marrying his disciples. CC Adi 7.38
SAN FRANCISCO – 1967 – THE BEGINNINGS
As Prabhupada became absorbed in the bhajana, his body trembled with ecstatic emotion. The group on the floor sat swaying from side to side, watching him, his eyes closed in meditation, his delicate, practiced fingers expertly playing the cymbals. They heard the heartfelt minor moods and tones of his voice, unlike anything they had heard before. Then he began the familiar mantra they had come to hear-Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare-and immediately they joined him. The horns and drums sounded, and soon all the other instrument players joined in. Gradually, a few at a time, members of the audience rose to their feet and began to dance. Prabhupada's followers stood and began stepping from side to side as he had shown them, sometimes raising their hands in the air. Others moved as they pleased. Occasionally opening his eyes and glancing around, Prabhupada sat firmly, chanting, though his head and body were trembling. After twenty minutes many of the young dancers were leaping, jumping, and perspiring, as Prabhupada continued to sing, leading the dancers by the beat of his karatalas. His eyes were closed, yet he controlled the entire wild congregation, playing his karatalas loudly. The chanting and dancing continued, and Prabhupada approved. The kirtana of these hippies was different from the chanting of Indian brahmanas, but Prabhupada didn't mind-his standard was devotion. In his Radha-Krsna temple, whatever he accepted, Krsna accepted; this was his offering to Krsna through his spiritual master, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. Prabhupada was absolutely confident. Even if his young devotees didn't know how to play the harmonium keyboard or the mrdanga, even if they didn't know that congregational kirtana should be done not in constant unison (as they were doing) but responsively, and even if they didn't know how to honor the guru-still, because they were chanting and dancing, he encouraged them and nodded to them: "Yes." Srila Prabhupada knew that some aspects of the kirtana were wrong or below standard, but he accepted the offering-and not awkwardly, but lovingly. He simply wanted these American boys and girls to chant. That they dressed irregularly, jumped too savagely, or had the wrong philosophy did not over-concern him. These boys and girls were chanting Hare Krsna; so at least for the present, they were pure. The hippies knew that, too. And they loved it. Just as in Janaki's dream, Srila Prabhupada's pleasure was to see the whole world engaged in kirtana. Somehow or other, he would say, people should be engaged in Krsna consciousness. And this was the instruction of Lord Caitanya's chief follower, Rüpa Gosvami, who had written, "Somehow or other, fix the mind on Krsna; the rules and regulations can come later."
JANAKI’S DREAM
Yamuna: Swamiji, Janaki-devi wrote me this very nice letter where she had a dream that there was a gigantic platform above the surface of the earth, and all of our devotees, our Godbrothers and sisters and you, were assembled on this gigantic platform for saìkértana. And we had such a thunderous joy, magnificent kirtana, that the whole earth... When you said, "Jaya om paraà paramahamsa," the whole earth bowed down to you like this. And we were all crying, so happy. And you said, "Now my Guru Maharaja is satisfied." That was her dream. Prabhupada: Thank you very much. Yes. Thank you for your dreaming like that. It is very pleasing to me. Yes, I want to see like that.
Wishing everyone all the best
Your servant
Janananda Gosvami
| June 2008 : : email: janananda@yahoo.com |