After concluding my tour around the US, I arrived in Munich/Germany on the 6th of May - just in time to travel out to Simhachalam for Nrsimha Caturdasi...
Simhachalam is for me the BEST place to celebrate Nrsimha Caturdasi - a MUST in my yearly schedule. Even Mayapur can not compare to this! In this rural community situated in the Bavarian Forest, around 3 hours away from Munich, the devotees serve big Lord Nrsimhadeva in a devoted way, and His appearance day is celebrated in a grandiose style over 4 days. It is one of the main festivals - not only within Germany, but in Europe. Many devotees gather from the neighboring countries such as Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Slovenia, Hungary, Austria, Switzerland and even all the way from the UK. This year we had the good fortune to welcome many saintly personalities: HH Sacinandana Swami, HH Candramauli Swami, HH Bhakti Vaibhava Swami, HG Krishna Premarupa Prabhu, HG Parivida Prabhu, Vraja Bihari Prabhu and many young generation kirtaniyas.
Simhachalam is for me the BEST place to celebrate Nrsimha Caturdasi - a MUST in my yearly schedule. Even Mayapur can not compare to this! In this rural community situated in the Bavarian Forest, around 3 hours away from Munich, the devotees serve big Lord Nrsimhadeva in a devoted way, and His appearance day is celebrated in a grandiose style over 4 days. It is one of the main festivals - not only within Germany, but in Europe. Many devotees gather from the neighboring countries such as Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Slovenia, Hungary, Austria, Switzerland and even all the way from the UK. This year we had the good fortune to welcome many saintly personalities: HH Sacinandana Swami, HH Candramauli Swami, HH Bhakti Vaibhava Swami, HG Krishna Premarupa Prabhu, HG Parivida Prabhu, Vraja Bihari Prabhu and many young generation kirtaniyas.
Lord Nrsimhadeva enjoyed all kinds of beautiful arrangements, and as every year, I could not miss going on the altar to help put the "Sandesh Outfit" on - an outfit made from coloured sandesh being put directly on His body. As an established tradition, I was allowed to take part in arranging Lord Nrsimhadeva's dhoti - this year in yellow, with little purple patterns. Another unique darshan is the traditional "forest outfit" - Lord Nrsimhadeva likes the jungle... And many other offerings and rituals were conducted with love and devotion.
Since the actual appearance fell on a Sunday there were a lot of devotees and guests visiting, making it difficult to get some glimpses of the abhishek. However, I was in bliss reaching out to devotees and guests, connecting with them on my book table - listening, guiding and inspiring them. This is always most satisfying to my heart...! This year around 700 devotees and guests attended over 4 days. My meditation was that the devotees are so dear to the Lord, and caring for them is even more pleasing to Him than attending the programs.... But the katha during the morning I certainly did not miss and thoroughly relished.
I was invited to offer a 2-hour seminar on "Meeting Death With Joy" which was well attended and received with great interest.
Since the actual appearance fell on a Sunday there were a lot of devotees and guests visiting, making it difficult to get some glimpses of the abhishek. However, I was in bliss reaching out to devotees and guests, connecting with them on my book table - listening, guiding and inspiring them. This is always most satisfying to my heart...! This year around 700 devotees and guests attended over 4 days. My meditation was that the devotees are so dear to the Lord, and caring for them is even more pleasing to Him than attending the programs.... But the katha during the morning I certainly did not miss and thoroughly relished.
I was invited to offer a 2-hour seminar on "Meeting Death With Joy" which was well attended and received with great interest.
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In the summary of Canto 7, Chapter 12 of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Srila Prabhupada describes the severe austerities performed in previous ages during vanaprastha life, and in his last sentence he states:
"At last, when because of old age he can no longer perform the activities of a vanaprastha, he should gradually stop everything and in this way give up his body."
In former times, this was the common practice in regard to giving up one’s body. There was no need for big hospitals and an elaborate system of old-age care with numerous life-extending measures. When the time came for a person to be unable to accept food, he would simply fast from food and water; and after a few days, a person was relieved from his suffering condition.
For a Vaishnava, this is a most glorious and dignified way to depart from this world. Why unnecessarily extend one’s suffering? Why force the body to accept food or even water when it does not want to? It is the most natural and simple way to move on. Many great souls in the past and present millennia have taken this path and set inspiring examples for us to follow. Pariksit Maharaja fasted until death, Srila Prabhupada stopped eating and drinking during his last days, and so did Srila Bhakti Tirtha Maharaja and others. Srila Kadamba Kanana Maharaja had firmly decided that once he became too weak to sing, he would fast from food and water. And so he did, and left this world in a dignified and composed manner. My mother also made the same resolute decision and had a glorious departure.
Especially when being afflicted by terminal lung diseases such as advanced lung cancer, we can bypass the torturing experience of suffocation or being connected to a ventilator in the final stage. Being on the verge of intense breathing difficulties leading to great anxiety and panic attacks, may be a warning for us to stop taking food and water. In this way, we can end our life naturally – as the sages, saints and even common people have always done in the past.
This cannot be called suicide, as the body is in the process of demise. It is only common sense to assist a person in this way, unlike the hasty decision to take him to the nearest intensive care unit to artificially extend his life.
On the 13th of May I flew to Mauritius....
Your servant, Devaki dd
Please visit www.theholynameretreat.net
www.therootsofspiritualculture.net
https://www.facebook.com/instituteforspiritualculture/
"At last, when because of old age he can no longer perform the activities of a vanaprastha, he should gradually stop everything and in this way give up his body."
In former times, this was the common practice in regard to giving up one’s body. There was no need for big hospitals and an elaborate system of old-age care with numerous life-extending measures. When the time came for a person to be unable to accept food, he would simply fast from food and water; and after a few days, a person was relieved from his suffering condition.
For a Vaishnava, this is a most glorious and dignified way to depart from this world. Why unnecessarily extend one’s suffering? Why force the body to accept food or even water when it does not want to? It is the most natural and simple way to move on. Many great souls in the past and present millennia have taken this path and set inspiring examples for us to follow. Pariksit Maharaja fasted until death, Srila Prabhupada stopped eating and drinking during his last days, and so did Srila Bhakti Tirtha Maharaja and others. Srila Kadamba Kanana Maharaja had firmly decided that once he became too weak to sing, he would fast from food and water. And so he did, and left this world in a dignified and composed manner. My mother also made the same resolute decision and had a glorious departure.
Especially when being afflicted by terminal lung diseases such as advanced lung cancer, we can bypass the torturing experience of suffocation or being connected to a ventilator in the final stage. Being on the verge of intense breathing difficulties leading to great anxiety and panic attacks, may be a warning for us to stop taking food and water. In this way, we can end our life naturally – as the sages, saints and even common people have always done in the past.
This cannot be called suicide, as the body is in the process of demise. It is only common sense to assist a person in this way, unlike the hasty decision to take him to the nearest intensive care unit to artificially extend his life.
On the 13th of May I flew to Mauritius....
Your servant, Devaki dd
Please visit www.theholynameretreat.net
www.therootsofspiritualculture.net
https://www.facebook.com/instituteforspiritualculture/
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