My India Diary-Part 4

Day 9 12/14 Vrndavana

I think the thing we all can agree on so far is that it's pretty hard not to think of Krsna when we're here. It's hard to put into words. For myself, I've never been so excited to chant all my rounds, all at once, and then some.


HH Sacinandana Maharaja said in his sweet evening Gita class that in the Holy Dham, sandhini-sakti is all pervading. Even the useless neophyte such as myself can have this taste, without hesitation if I'm just a little bit open, as my soul can be connected in a very direct way to the Holy Name.


The Holy Name is not an ordinary ruby or diamond. It is the cintamani gem, the true wish-fulfilling substance. If we cling to it, taste it, and meditate upon its meaning deeply, calling for help out of our miserable condition, then everywhere becomes the Dham. For now, it's nice to have the real dust upon my feet.


Another sweet sensation is being so close to Prabhupada. To be in his samadhi, in his rooms, so close to his actual presence, radiates to me a very grandfatherly warmth and protection. I pray to him for his causeless mercy so that I may indeed be of some use to Mother Earth and her inhabitants in this time of great need and change. Otherwise, we are useless without it.



Day 10 12/15 Vrndavana



There were many ways that I perfected my life today. It began as we took a tour of Mathura, offering ourselves to the holiest spots led by the transcendental tour-guideness of HG Devananda Pandit Prabhu. Our various darshans included the prison cell whee baby Krsna appeared to Vasudeva and Devaki just over 5000 years ago. Following that we also visited the birthplace of Srimati Radharani, Raval, where the sweet breeze of the most beloved of Krsna nearly trapped me to a life of making piles and piles of cow-dung patties. However, being a complete rascal, I somehow pulled myself away.



We visited Raman and Vasudeva Ghats and tasted the water of the Yamuna for the first time in this lifetime at least. A sacred moment, for this was also the place where Krsna was accused of eating mud by Balarama, and where Krsna then revealed His Universal Form to Mother Yasoda, who had come to peer into His mouth. We were then treated to a Braj Breakfast cooked by a few local pious souls, close to the spot of Damodar-Lila. The spicy curry and hot-and-fresh chapatis were the best breakfast of my life.



We finished our day in Raman-Reti, rolling in sand crushed by the surabhi cows to ease the path for the tender feet of Krsna and Balarama. This sand is more valuable than the Vaikuntha planets. At the behest of Devananda Pandit, we then engaged in wrestling pastimes. I squared off with Mauricio, and my false ego got me good. I am thinking here is a skillny physics Ph.D student from Colombia, who dances like no other, and that I will beat him. Immediately I remembered that he was a fourth-degree black belt in karate and immediately thereafter Mauricio choked me down in the Holy Dham. I've never felt so fortunate.



In the evening I rushed out to buy a pair ove overpriced kartals and was lucky enough to christen them in a kirtan led by HG Aindra Prabhu, transcendentally fulfilling my dream of being a rock star. Gulabjamuns and samosas for dinner, and I pray that I get up for mangal-arati tomorrow.

My India Diary-Part 3

Day 7 12/12 Delhi

Made it through 18 hours in 2-Tier AC Rajdhani Express goodness from Mumbai to Delhi. Daydreaming of wandering as a babaji through the mysterious haze of the Indian countryside begging for rice as the sun sits as a golden disc overhead, giving pleasurable darshan.

Back at ISKCON Delhi overnight, awaiting the arrival of the rest of our crew, including HG Mauricio Prabhu from our Athens, Ohio Dham, and his presence will be as sweet as a fresh rasagulla. This city is completely hellish, with exhaust fumes and untuned guitars from the Bina Music Shop fillinf my lungs and ears. The beauty of the temple, of the gaze of Sri-Sri Radha Parathasarathi is an oasis and soothing balm in the middle of millions seemingly wallowing in their own filth, internally and externally. The brahmacaris here are super fired-up for the Book Marathon (a truck with 5000 Gitas was pulling up just as we were), so at least Prabhupada's mercy flows through the congested, noisy streets and avenues

Off to Vrndavana tomorrow, ready to roll in the dust.

Day 8 12/13 Delhi-Vrndavana

Today marked the auspicious arrival of our two leading superstars from Athens, Ohio Dham: Sriman Mauricio Prabhu and Srimati Jamie Prabhu. Mauricio is one of the most unique dancers in the history of sankirtan, and the Delhi brahmacaris couldn't get enough of his groove. I told Mauricio he better be careful. He'll end up prime minister or a big Bollywoo sensation before too long.

At breakfast I was blessed with the mercy of suddenly going all-out in eating with my bare hands rather than Western spoon-style. It was ecstatic. India is feeling more and more like home.

We spent the rest of the day visiting various sites in the mood of awe and veneration. The Lotus Temple, a Bahai place of worship close to ISKCON Delhi, where silent prayer is the modus operandi. Caitanya was nearly overcome with the urge to let out a big OM in the middle of this massive concrete flower, but he behaved himself. We also took a harrowing rickshaw ride to the Swami Narayana Mandir, of which the sheer size, audacity, and complexity provoked some vibrations of deja-vu and the like, but which left the assembled Vaisnavas a little cold in the feet. Even some folks from Switzerland that we met told us they were not exactly feeling any warmth in the soul from all the assembled gold. I personally got more benefit from observing the art of haggling with taxi wallas as performed by Caitanya on our way back to the Delhi temple.

After picking up the rest of our NV crew at the airport, we took a late-night drive to Vrndavana. We arrived at 3am, taking the dust of the Holy Dham on our heads.

O Krsna, I cannot imagine or remember the pious deeds I performed to earn the privelage of being here in Vrndavana now. Let me fully imbibe what is here for me to experience in love and devotion.

My India Diary-Part 2

Day 5 12/10 Radha-Gopinath Mandir


Mellow today. Pretty sore from doing the quick-jig with Shyamsundar during kirtan yesterday. Caitanya even got quite a welt on his head. Indian traffic-jam kirtan. Dangerous business. One has got to be greedy in the good way to floing yourself mind, body, and soul into such ecstatic displays of athleticism.


Cracked open Sri-Caitanya Mangala by Locana Dasa Thakur. Downright enchanting so far to this hard heart. Also began Spiritual Warrior IV by Bhakti-Tirtha Swami. As always, practical, real, and dripping with compassion. For example, he writes "we should never think that God has left us alone without any help or guidance and without anyway to get us out of our maya or our problems....the true spiritual warrior can never be captured by excessive anxiety because of his or her constant absorption in giving and recieving love."


Jagannath Kirtan Das is a great devotee here from Vancouver, always happy to see western faces. We discussed "The Great Change" that looms upon this Planet Earth and he related to me his realization that it really doesn't matter which part of the military-industrial-media complex is most nefarious. None of these little demons is actually in control. It's Krsna who is really running the show, and by fearing and dwelling on those who pretend to be in control, we are reflecting our lack of faith in Krsna's personal concern for the sake of all Earthlings.


We also spoke about self-sufficency and how it's an eternal need of the living entity, not dependent on external circumstances like global warming, etc. Modern culture is non-Vedic culture and is nothing new. We truly fight the power by letting Krsna pervade our heart and then giving that gift to all others.



Day 6 12/11 Train to Delhi

Currently riding the Rajdhani Express to Delhi. 18 hours. Not anything like a nightmare, though plenty of weird dreams. No bombs going off. No smells other than the usual Indian odors. Still, you don't realize until coming to India what luxury we have in the West. It's better to realize that austerity is the true wealth of the universe.



HH Candramauli Swami spike in Bhagavatam class in Chowpatty today of life in Krsna consciousness, and of the extra, less-spoken tolerance of the uncomfortable, challenging situations that Krsna places us in to purify us. It is in these situations that the art of devotional service to Guru and Gauranga can develop more and more fully.



I also recieved a lot of encouragement from HG Mahamuni Prabhu, a famed book distributor and preacher who had been on the Radha-Damodar Traveling Sankirtan Party. In his great radio voice, he instills confidence in being an ambassador of Krsna, in being all-attractive, and in being the best because we are giving the best. Keep it simple, he says. Chanting dancing feasting.



As I relate just now to a nice disciple of HH Narayana Maharaja on the train, we make it too complicated with philosophical arguments and too many fine points on what to do/what not to do. All we must do as preachers is give the Holy Name, maintain our own sadhana, and fill bellies with expert prasad. Be open, be friendly, be vessels of Gauranga's mercy. There is nothing finer and I fall at the feet of all Vaisnavas who are expert in the flooding of this mercy on this beautiful blue globe.

My India Diary-Part 1

Take a deep breath. Wash your glasses, and rub the sleep out of your eyes. Here are some impressions from the other side of the world, as myself, Caitanya Das, and Justin hit the Holy Dham.

Day 1 12/7
By the Lord's grace, we are here.
There is nothing like a cab ride to the airport, Delhi highways, early morning rush, to really make you hear the Holy Name.
14-hour plane ride to Delhi. Spent it eating airplane paneer and ginger ale, sleeping with my neck cocked sideways, dreaming about Sicilian gangsters, and reading "Taking Care of Krishna's Devotees" by HH Niranjana Swami, to learn about the mood at Radha-Gopinath Mandir.
Simplicity. Care. Sacrifice. Struggling together.
"If you are preaching, then management will follow like a shadow."
Not so simple to do. Addicted to the complicated...
In the Delhi temple overnight. Scenery is grey, wild dogs and remains of car accidents flashing by. This trip certainly isn't about the external.
Morning program is sweet, so many devotees, brahmacaris, one voice. Touched to see Justin so touched. Here we go...

Day 2 12/8 Radha-Gopinath Mandir Chowpatty Mumbai
I think the crabby body is adjusted sleep-wise, and I digested the first big prasad all right. Like I say, I'm an American boy with a South Indian stomach.
Traffic jams in Mumbai, these cities are so ugly. Where is India?
The first little piece is here at Radha-Gopinath Mandir. Shyamsundar from New Vrindaban greets us with promises of home-cooking in the days ahead, which thrills Justin to to no end.
Lucky souls that we are, always flying by the seat of our dhotis, we arrive just in the nick of time for the intimate brahmacari Vyasa-Puja of HH Radhanath Swami Maharaja.
After I get over my initial intimidation of being in a room with such fixed-up brahmacari superstars. I begin to hear and taste some sweetness. Maharaja is our spiritual father, loving, caring, even a little stern. He speaks that if we cooperate, Krsna will reciprocate. The better something is, the harder maya will try to attack, and usually in more hidden, subtle ways, leaving a broken pot that is very hard to fix. The true austerity is to not let maya in for one moment. (In like a needle, out like a plow).
Just hoping now to hear the Holy Name, that I don't embarrass myself too much, and that I, in some small way, can serve these exalted Vaisnavas.

Day 3 12/9
Today is quite the event. HH Radhanath Swami's BIG Vyasa-Puja at Cross Maidan, where Maharaja met Prabhupada for the first time.
Watching Maharaja offer puja to Prabhupada, while thousands sing along, is gigantic, cosmic, one of those moments where I can pull myself out of my problems, my hang-ups, my cold lonely hopelessness, and realize just how merciful the perfect Vaisnava sadhu is, just how correct this whole process is, and how sadhana and preaching and resounding Krsna Krsna is the real revolution.
Caitanya Das speaks in his offering of an impression I've had of Maharaja: He is like the warm. live-giving sun, and we are all just creepers, stretching out as best as we can towards his light.
Maharaja then speaks and it's another one of those "wow" moments considering the context of the present-moment, the history, and the whole transcendental exactitude of the cosmic alignment.
He speaks of the mode of goodness, transmuting its assets with Krsna at the center into real weapons of the soul. Simplicity and humility turns one into a soldier-child in the war against maya.
I also like Ghanashyam Prabhu's (from NYC) offering, his honesty and how we can't put on an outward appearance of humility forwards if that doesn't reflect what is going on in our mind, if we are criticizing other devotees. I pray to be shamed by that honesty, and I pray to to be able to surrender to Maharaja for at least a few seconds in this lifetime.

Day 4 12/10
Drinking coconut water like there is no tomorrow. Also, in India your car is not towed if you park illegal. They just deflate your tires.
Maharaj gives an epic Bhagavatam class in the morning. He says that the more we see faults in others, the more faults we carry with us. We should read the words of Ravana, of Hiranayakasipu, and understand they accurately describe many of our own negative character traits.
All is not lost, if we feed the good dog in our hearts, even though the bad dog, spoiled after lifetimes of surplus sense gratification, barks louder and louder. We can tolerate his barking if we cling to the Holy Name and to the association of the Vaisnavas.
Maharaja also speaks of the loving details of bhakti. The small gifts, soaked in love and devotion, that is better than any opulent diamond. Prabhupada was just as concerned with the smallest detail as with the big picture. As Balarama Chandra Das says, true bhakti is essential service done precisely.

Off to India!

Five weeks. Chowpatty, Vrndavana, Mayapur, Puri, and back to Chowpatty. HH Radhanath Swami's Vyasa-Puja, which in India is an event. This is not just a journey of the body and mind, it is a journey of consciousness. Pray I come back ready for much more of this sublime thing called devotional service. And best of all, stay tuned. The blogosphere lives in India, and I will be letting you live vicariously through me, if you want me to....