My India Diary-Part 13

Day 31 Chowpatty 1/6

HH Radhanath Swami Maharaja entered the esoteric realm of dreams during his Bhagavatam class this morning, imploring us to "Jiv Jago" from our attachment to so many plans, hopes, and enjoyments in the material realm. Even with some so-called intelligence, we understand the material world is a dream, but we think we can figure out the puzzle like some New-Age Bollywood plot with plenty of cheesy dances thrown in. We even decide to think we're God, trying to become transcendental to the whole affair, when we are not even transcendental to our own bladder.

Maharaja relates a story of a lot and hot harinama in Italy a few years back that ended with a refreshing dip in the sea. The only problem was that a million jellyfish were waiting to sting the tender skin of the devotees. So, the material world is like that. A shimmering, inviting illusion on the surface that hides a lot of pain below, and there is no escape in the material world from the pain, unless one dives into the ocean of bliss that is Krsna Consciousness.

I can't place what it is with the kirtans here-it's actually a combination of the effulgent exuberance of the devotees, the sheer number of jumping spirit souls, Maharaja's presence, etc...You actually FEEL that this is the Yuga-Dharma. No mental speculation. Just sweat, shouting the Holy Names, and hopefully no bruises or blood. All head games and other various flappings of the false ego disappear. It's true! This process really works! The devotees here in Chowpatty can show you if you dance with them.

Day 32 Chowpatty 1/7

It feels like we've always been here. Driving in the left lane, honking, traffic jams. The way people speak, shouting, holding hands like brothers. Cows in the street, even in downtown Mumbai. Everything's an austerity. Nothing is glossy except the plastic imported from the West. Krishna is here. He's on people's shop signs, in the movies, in the temples and homes, on their tongues and hearts. That's the nice part. When we touch down in Pittsburgh, PA, we'll be back in a land, where for now, Krishna is our secret that we need to share. The freeways will be smooth, quiet, and fast. The people not so warm and pushy. The temples instead huge football stadiums, the gods inside named Tom Brady. There will be big cinema screens too, but not even as big as India. Talk about culture shock.

Brahmacari class went on about the qualities of the soul, as described in verse 2:20 of the Gita. The discussion was very lively, and I did my best to keep up. Interesting questions from HG Damodar Gopal Prabhu: What are the desires of the soul? How do these desires become so polluted in our mind? What is the true form of the soul? Is is a spark or our svarupa? How can it change if it is unchangeable? All I know is that we have to re-program our mind through spiritual intelligence and strong sadhana (of which I'm no expert) and that this is the only way to answer any questions about the soul. The great souls here in Chowpatty are the most inspiring examples for me in this regard.

They even take us across town for another late-night dinner at Radhe-Shyam, a restaurant owned by a local community devotee. A nice experience-in the association rather than the cuisine. The microwave-style pizza and Velveeta-cheese pasta congeal in our stomachs, but the glorifications and the friendships made are the real nourishment. May we continue to save the world.

My India Diary-Part 12

Day 29 Chowpatty 1/4

Finally had a chance to read today, as I am a long-time nerd and this is my pleasure. I hang out mostly in the Vrndavana Gardens area, a picturesque replica of the Dham with many blooming and flowering plants, and a wonderful kadamba tree, which is right next to the Mandir building. HH Radhanath Maharaja would wander in every once in a while, so I tried to look like I was studying extra hard and not spacing out.

Had a nice talk with HG Karuna-Sindhu Prabhu, from Montreal, after an opulent Ekadasi feast. Lots of nice nectar, helping em to get beyond some misconceptions of brahmacarya. Brahmacarya is not just celibacy and no speaking with the ladies. Rather, it's pure, humble service-attitude, a great desire to give Krsna to others, and seeing all living entities as souls, especially by distributing books. I'm eternally grateful for devotees like him for helping me find out my own misconceptions that I didn't even consciously know I had. I look up to him and all the brahmacaris here with all humility.

We also went to a nice home program this evening at the home of another Caitanya Prabhu, a congregation member and architect who also spends time in NYC. Our Caitanya Prabhu, in his own American transcendental way, even got the big atheist doctors on the couch to chant the Holy Names. I've never heard such a transcendental motivation speech from Caitanya. Must've been his hunger, exhaustion, and exasperation when people don't chant during programs. I wish I would've recorded it. Anyway, after some nice, simple prasad, and cultured Mumbai association, it turned out to be a very warm and gracious experience for all involved.

Day 30 Chowpatty 1/5

It has been another successful year, for I am here celebrating my appearance day in the company of Vaisnavas. My gift to myself was another day of chanting Hare Krsna, which I did today on japa beads, playing guitar, through headaches and painful foot problems, etc.

HH Radhanath Maharaja spoke in Bhagavatam class on enemies the devotee has, which may seem like a contradiction since a devotee is not supposed to have any enemies. Of course, our only enemy in devotional service is our mind. Great demons like Ravana and Hiranyakasipu performed all pious deeds and austerities to gain what they desired, and once they gained what they desired their mind took over, and all inauspiciousness happened. Arjuna says that the mind is harder to control than the raging wind, like a hurricane. The mind is like a tiger, always looking for an opportunity to escape its pen and wreak havoc, because we don't build our fence high enough. What hope do we have?

Our only hope is constant absorption in Krsna, attentive chanting of the Holy Name, and surrounding ourselves always with the association of strong like-minded devotees who can inspire us and lift us up beyond the mundane.

We celebrated with a late-night feast at Govinda's, despite our previous stomach problems. The Vyasa-Puja offering was not words of appreciation, but gigantic slices of cake. Forced to make a speech, I said that the only measure of success in my life is that I always spend my birthdays filling my gourd with pizza with the devotees. Maybe after a few more slices of the chili paneer, I may come to some level of self-realization. In any case, please pray for my digestion.

My India Diary-Part 11

Day 26-27 Puri-Chowpatty 1/1-2

Somehow we survive another journey and arrive back home, at Radha-Gopinath Mandir. We immediately take advantage, and I mean take advantage, of our one free meal at Govinda's. The only cost is some serious stomach problems the next morning....early the next morning, at 215 am. The added benefit is that I get most of my rounds done before mangal-arati, old NV style.

Later in the morning we are there for the revival of the brahmacari class, led by HG Govinda Prabhu. He speaks on speaking, on knowing how to speak the truth, how to speak it sweetly, and how to speak it absolutely. He says that we should understand that to correct someone on an equal platform is a subtle art that depends on our relationships, and the trust we have developed in these relationships.

As a preacher, we can either use the rose or the thunderbolt, depending on the personalities involved or the situation, but it is best not to imitate the heaviness of Prabhupada, as some devotees may be wont to do. HH Radhanath Maharaja joins us to add his ever-flowing nectar, saying that Prabhupada always used his chastisements to lift devotees up further in their bhakti. If we cannot lift people up through our concern or corrections, then we have no other alternative but to speak sweetly.

We also rendezvous with Govinda Prabhu for some katha in the afternoon. Govinda can do nothing but share and speak the Absolute Truth, so we are beyond fortunate. He speaks about the importance of proper training, applied strongly and consistently in order to make sure our preaching and sadhana is not just like a quick fire in the frying pan. I ask him about the difficulties of maintaining brahmacarya coming from a Western background, and Govinda gets lovingly heavy with me, saying there are hundreds and hundreds of examples of people, like Catholic monks, who have kept similar vows living in the West.

It is a mistake to think that because I'm a Western body that I cannot keep such vows, and if I am thinking in such a way, I am instantly disqualifying myself. He also says that the needed mental discipline for this process comes from sticking to the process with sincerity, faith, and above all effort. HH Radhanath Maharaja kindly interrupts us, and ends up asking Ghanashyam Prabhu to one day make bagels NYC style for the assembled Vaisnavas. When, oh when, will that day be mine??

Day 28 Chowpatty 1/3
Today we braved the hellish ride through the billboards of Mumbai to briefly visit the Gopal's Garden school, a very charming institution where the Vaisnavas of tomorrow are blooming. We then made the long trek to the Govardhan Farm Community. The tranquil, beauteous atmosphere shined this lad up real nice, with memories on New Vrindaban, sans 3 feet on snow.

We took darshan of Gaur-Nitai and the cows and headed to the river for a dip. I'm no Olympic swimmer, but thanks to a few sandbars I was able to be a big boy and swim across. Mauricio, also not a gold-medalist, made it about 3/4 of the way across and then came to a halt, saved by the hero of the day Justin. Never a dull moment with this crew.

We honored prasad and then got a short tour of the facilities, checking out the bio-gas set-up, in which the farm devotees supply their cooking and electricity needs through the methane gas produced by the piles and piles of cow dung. Caitanya and Justin, looking like a potato bandit, then took a spin on the temple motorcycle. Unlike Mauricio, they did not have any near-death experiences.

Tonight at radha-Gopianth there was a wonderful program celebrating the devotees' selfless service during the book marathon. Exciting stories and experiences were shared about the times in Dadar Stall and the equally hellish coal mines of Bihar. HG Mahamuni Prabhu shared some wisdom from New Vrindaban's very own HH Varsana Swami, in which Maharaja described the synergy of yoking two oxen together, getting the power of three oxen (via the power of Krsna). he compared this to the combined efforts of all the devotees during the marathon, saying the power of their combined sincerity and effort produced results beyond expectations, and more importantly, connected the devotees deeper and deeper.

HH Radhanath Maharaja shared his impressions of a Prabhupada lecture, in which Prabhupada spoke about the instructions of his Guru Maharaja ("If you ever get money, print books"), and of how deep Prabhupada's gratitude is towards us for being vessels of his Guru Maharaja's mission. An incredibly inspiring program. Devotional empowerment was passed freely to all assembled.

My India Diary-Part 10

Day 23-24 Mayapur-Calcutta-Puri 12/29-30

We left Mayapur with the fortunate association of HG Ananda Tirtha Prabhu and his wife, HG Radha-Sundari Mataji, joining us for the ride to Calcutta. We all guzzled coconut water, debated what to do when a street dog is dying on the beach next to the Ganges, and celebrated Mauricio's first passing of water in natural, outdoor conditions. Ki Jai!

We had a quick stop-over at the ISKCON Guest House in Calcutta, stuffing ourselves with thalis, and then I watched, utterly fascinated, as some of the local boys played a pick-up game of cricket. On the ride to the train station it was decided that one of my new services at New Vrindaban would be to impersonate Indian cinema legend Amitab Bachchan for guests on the weekend. The checkbooks will open and the donations will roll in like tidal waves.

The train ride was pretty damn hellish. The possibly communist train conductor wouldn't let me one measly extra blanket, deciding I had an advantage over the working class. He also not-so-gently woke me up at 530 am as we arrived in Puri. At this point, I'm pretty damn grumpy and burnt-out with moving like a tourist sardine in a tin-rickshaw. I'd rather be back at New Vrindaban hauling something heavy through the snow and chilling with Ghosh and Soma over lunch prasad. However, there is one cure to this grumpiness, and that is to hit the ocean. Nothing like getting tossed around by 15-foot waves to get humble again.

We take a short tour of beautiful, mystical Puri in the evening, stopping first at Toto Gopinath Temple, meditating heavy on the sankirtan mission of Mahaprabhu and how fortunate we are to be directly following in His footsteps. We then travel to the Bhajan Kutir and birthplace of Srils Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur, the home of Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya, and the Bhajan Kutir of Haridas Thakur, praying deeply for the spiritual strength that is essential for the true preacher of harinama-sankirtana. Each and everyone of us must work internally and externally to be able to give the Holy Name freely and powerfully. As I meditated on the fact that Mahaprabhu was just here, I could sense that what had unfolded already, wand what is to unfold by our own hands and the mercy of the Lord is the only solution for this chaotic, in-need-of-love world. We have chosen the highest profession and we must, indeed we can't go back on that choice.

Day 25 Puri 12/31

Last night was pretty hellish, with swarms of mosquitoes attacking my cactus-hide. I turn on the fan and curl up under a makeshift mosquito net, and then proceed to re-catch the cold I had in Vrndavana. I know, I know....this is rather exciting. Sick and grumpy. Sick and grumpy.

I stumble over to join Mauricio for a few rounds in the Samadhi of Haridas Thakur, meditating on the very beads he chanted on, saturated with pure love of the Holy Name. Pretty far-out. If we even unplug the salt-water from our ears, we can hear his vibrations cooling the fires of lust and passion in our own hearts.

We hit the beach again for a little therapy. Justin and I want to get some tubes to enhacne our wave-riding experience, but no luck, so getting dumped on my head by 15-foot waves doesn't really make me feel better. I try to sleep in the sand and sub, and Justin makes some locals' day by sharing pictures and addresses. He gets thoroughly weirded out by their intense need for friendship with an American person. There is no more peculiar excitement for some Indian people than hanging out with a white man. They must think we are all movie stars.

Up on the roof to watch the sunset over the Indian Ocean. The sun just kinds dissolves into the haze, with no fireworks. Kirtan in the evening in the temple room, inspired by Mauricio's always-grooving dancing, gets me off the bodily platform for at least a moment. Now my only goal is to finish my big 7-Up. For some reason my body has gone completely haywire and the only thing I crave is 7-Up.

Puri is wonderful, so I am praying to return in a mood of service, not so affected by my externals, sometime in the future.

My India Diary-Part 9

Day 21 Mayapur 12/27

Pretty homesick for New Vrindaban today. Not sure exactly why, but I feel a great need for some down-hoe love, some service hauling something heavy in the deep snow, and I miss all the devotees there who are my dear friends. One reason may be is that there are just too many people here for me to focus and go deep. One thing that I'm learning about myself on this trip is that I really don't like big crowds of pushy people.

We took a short trip around Mayapur, going to Yoga Pitha, the birthplace of Lord Caitanya, where we performed a rousing kirtan with Caitanya's freshly purchased mrdanga. We also visited Srivas Angan, the ISKCON Jagannath temple, and the Caitanya Math, where a group of devotees were holding a wonderful program at the samadhi of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur for his disappearance day.

Taking Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur's advice to seek the shelter of sadhus when visiting the Dham. we spent a lot of time at the magnificent gurukula built in Bengal-Zen style by HH Bhakti Vidya Purna Maharaja. We were there for his daily Bhagavatam class, and some key splashes of nectar were that we can only experience Krsna fully in the present moment. Not in the past or in the future, in which pur perceptions are governed by time and the modes. For Krsna, there is no time as we know it, and every moment is an ever-fresh experience. If we can immerse ourselves in the experience of the present moment, rather than analyzing it in any certain way, we can begin to realize what going beyond mundane time, and we can understand better the way Krsna is arranging things for us.

Another drop of nectar was that the Holy Name, even by offering it in nama-bhasa, takes away all sins, but that we cannot fully realize the effect until we accept and surrender to His love and plan. Then, we will have full shelter and purity, even as the material nature still acts. We met Maharaja privately later on in the day, speaking some brahmacari katha. Maharaja encouraged a strong program, with the emphasis on making sure strong, proper training is being offered, and care. So that even if a brahmacari wants to get married, because he has been properly trained he will be able to embrace the challenges and difficulties of switching asramas in the proper mood. It's not just a matter of needing a woman, or not needing a woman. Only a properly trained brahmacari can handle caring for a wife and children, helping them back to Godhead.

We were deeply inspired by the internal and external aesthetics of Maharaja's project, and we all deeply pray to take birth again soon so that we may be properly trained up in Navadvip Dham.

Day 22 Mayapura 12/28
Woke up and took a japa stroll to the super-sattvic atmosphere of HH Bhakti Vidya Purna Swami's gurukula, where there I was greeted by HG Ananda Tirtha Prabhu, fellow New Vrindaban Brajbasi, who gave me a guided tour of the facilties, including the wondrous temple room with its collection of various Nrshinga deities and silas. In Maharaja's class he spoke a point that neither Maya herself, nor the material nature, is actually the illusion. It is when we see and acit in such a way that we separate the material nature from its rightful owner, Krsna, that we fall into illusion. When we try to lord it over, falling into the traps and dwelling on the past and future, that we become responsible for creating the illusion.

Justin and I then took advantage of the local barber-shop walla, and we both find ourselves so fresh and so clean hair-wise for the first time in a couple of weeks. A freshly-shaved head actually cuts through my various head-games and firmly reminds me that I should act as a devotee. We followed that with another transcendental dip in the Ganges. Caitanya and Mauricio engaged in some Ganga-clay therapy by smearing a whole bunch over their bodies and letting it dry, turning them into ghostly nag-babas. Justin got to witness a local dog take its last breaths and twitches right next to the Ganga before passing on to something better. He hopes to be as fortunate to die on the banks of the Ganges.

We followed that excitement with a down-home pizza party with Ananda Tirtha and his wife, Radha Sundari, and we then had the association of HG Prahlada Nrshinga Prabhu, a wonderful devotee from Argentina, very warm with no pretensions and some astrological sakti. He regaled us with a few wild stories from his days in Miami and New Vrindaban and gave us all encouragement to continue on the path of bhakti.

In the evening we took a short boat-ride over to Bhaktivinode Thakur's house, stopping to take darshan of the huge banyan tree outside the front gate. Only the California redwoods are as impressive a sight in the tree department. The Thakur's house was filled with realizations, and it was very easy to imagine him rising early in the morning to inspire all future generations of Vaisnavas with his writings and visions. I pray to live long enough to see that "exceedingly beautiful temple" rising along the horizon from the very balcony where the Thakur has his vision. We owe our lives to hi, for he truly paved the way back to Godhead for us.

Tomorrow, off to Puri. Not enough time her, in ISKCON's most realized project. I pray to only to return to offer service to the Vaisnavas here, as they continue to build the spiritual capital of the universe.