One of my missions in Cologne was to apply for a Russian visa. I had not been to Russia for around twenty years, and it was not so easy to obtain a visa these days. I had gathered all the necessary documents, and a travel agent in the suburbs of Cologne arranged the rest within a couple of days.
I received a Cultural and Humanitarian visa, which would allow me to enter in Vaisnava dress and with shaved head. After all, it would not be so easy for me to pretend that I was an ordinary tourist. I don't even carry anything else but devotional clothes with me....
I received a Cultural and Humanitarian visa, which would allow me to enter in Vaisnava dress and with shaved head. After all, it would not be so easy for me to pretend that I was an ordinary tourist. I don't even carry anything else but devotional clothes with me....
I was invited to give a couple of SB classes, and on Saturday afternoon we visited a senior grhastha couple, Dhara Mataji and her good husband Mangalananda Prabhu for a house program. For many years Mangalananda Prabhu had been one of the big book distributors of the German yatra, when he all of a sudden had come down with a neurological disease a few years ago, which put him in a handicapped position. And it had all started with a seemingly insignificant tick bite.... It had been a big shock for the entire German yatra. His wife had accepted the calamity with great tolerance and faith in Krsna. She is giving cooking classes and yoga classes in all kinds of educational institutions and in their home, and thus is able to maintain her family, preach and at the same time care for her husband. I have great admiration for her. She has been accepting the whole situation in such Krsna conscious spirit, simply carrying on without being disturbed. She is a wonderful example of a chaste and tolerant wife, and is indeed becoming very glorious by accepting whatever Krsna has allotted for her in order to deepen her Krsna consciousness and dependance on Him. Krsna knows what we need to become deeply purified. One could almost see it as Krsna playing some jokes by giving this person one situation, and another person something else. All these so-called calamities are after all only related to the body, and don't have anything to do with us being eternal souls. They cannot affect our relationship with Krsna. They are simply part of the nonsensical stage performance of material existence.....
These are the moments when we actually make progress in spiritual life: when we agree to do some internal work by accepting all kinds of calamities and challenges with great tolerance. A person's spiritual strength and advancement can be measured in how tolerant he/she is. Often we tend to measure our progress in external achievements. And we tend to neglect the internal development and transformations....
These are the moments when we actually make progress in spiritual life: when we agree to do some internal work by accepting all kinds of calamities and challenges with great tolerance. A person's spiritual strength and advancement can be measured in how tolerant he/she is. Often we tend to measure our progress in external achievements. And we tend to neglect the internal development and transformations....
Dhara mataji's home is around 60 minutes' drive from Cologne. The atmosphere is simple and Krsna conscious, with a nice altar and a spacious temple room being the center of the house. A very mixed group of around 25 devotees and guests had assembled. Dandadrk Prabhu lead a melodious kirtan, and I chose to speak on the topic of death, which is always relevant to one and all, no matter whether people are coming for the very first time, or have been practicing KC for twenty years. And there were indeed some people who had never been to the temple and attended a program for the very first time! Through her cooking classes Dhara Mataji can bring many newcomers to Krsna consciousness, and she systematically cultivates them further. Very inspiring indeed!
I had introduced Rasarani Mataji to the audience, sharing how she had grown up in Mayapur, and now she was here to discover the Western world. During prasadam people were curious and asked her to share her impressions. And she stated: "It's all very new and interesting for me...."
She had never been to a program where people attended in nondevotional clothes of all different styles, and where the ladies would wear open hair or have all kinds of modern hair cuts. Later in the car, on the way home she shared how she felt reminded of how Srila Prabhupada had started the movement preaching to the hippies and all kinds of people....
Yes, her visit to the Western world would certainly deepen her appreciation for what Prabhupada had done, making Krsna consciousness available to the entire world.
I had introduced Rasarani Mataji to the audience, sharing how she had grown up in Mayapur, and now she was here to discover the Western world. During prasadam people were curious and asked her to share her impressions. And she stated: "It's all very new and interesting for me...."
She had never been to a program where people attended in nondevotional clothes of all different styles, and where the ladies would wear open hair or have all kinds of modern hair cuts. Later in the car, on the way home she shared how she felt reminded of how Srila Prabhupada had started the movement preaching to the hippies and all kinds of people....
Yes, her visit to the Western world would certainly deepen her appreciation for what Prabhupada had done, making Krsna consciousness available to the entire world.
On Sunday I was invited to conduct the japa workshop and give the Sunday feast class. I was given the topic of appreciation and gratitude, and I decided to connect it with Srila Prabhupada, speaking about his position as Founder Acarya and emphasizing the importance of cultivating internal dependance on him, culminating in deep gratitude. This gratitude to Srila Prabhupada has to become the very foundation to our spiritual life. And I shared some of my favorite stories from the book "Our Srila Prabhupada - a Friend to All", which illustrate Prabhupada's dependance on his Guru Maharaja and the previous Acharyas, feeling himself so unqualified and helpless in regards to fulfilling his Guru's mission of bringing Krsna consciousness to the English speaking world
On the 14th of April we took a train to South Germany in order to visit my mother. It was her 86th birthday, and we had agreed to cook a nice birthday lunch for her and some 8 guests - relatives and neighbors. We had gone out of our way and had cooked a nice feast, with chinoa, sweet and sour subji, pumkin soup, baked "pizza-potatoes" with tomatoe, olives and cheese, a nice and colorful salad, mango chutney, halava and saffron sweetrice. Everything turned out really well, and people were impressed and highly satisfied. I was glad Rasarani was there to help me.....
Throughout the entire day people were dropping in to visit my mother and wish her happy birthday. It was the custom in the village, that people would simply drop in without invitation. A nice and personal tradition.
I had presented her a big box of Maha Sandesh from Goloka Dham, and a German book by HH Sacinandana Swami called "Der Weg des grossen Abschieds" - a diary he wrote when traveling through the Himalayas, contemplating the topic of cultivating detachment. A suitable book for people who are not actively practicing Krsna consciousness. She happily accepted it and showed it to all her visiting guests. It was evident that they had not put so much thought into what gift to present to her. It was always the same: flowers, sweets and alcohol.....
Rasarani Mataji was captured by the interesting personality of my mother. And my mother enjoyed having her around and being able to share her wisdom with her, and showing her some of her art work. Indeed, she even gave her one of her works as a gift, which Rasarani excitedly accepted. And we both received a nice hand-knitted scarf from her. Once again I could witness how important the exchanges are between the elderly generation and the youth - meaningful and uplifting for both sides. My mother always becomes so joyful when I visit with young matajis, and she usually conquers their heart with her open mind and generous affection.
Throughout the entire day people were dropping in to visit my mother and wish her happy birthday. It was the custom in the village, that people would simply drop in without invitation. A nice and personal tradition.
I had presented her a big box of Maha Sandesh from Goloka Dham, and a German book by HH Sacinandana Swami called "Der Weg des grossen Abschieds" - a diary he wrote when traveling through the Himalayas, contemplating the topic of cultivating detachment. A suitable book for people who are not actively practicing Krsna consciousness. She happily accepted it and showed it to all her visiting guests. It was evident that they had not put so much thought into what gift to present to her. It was always the same: flowers, sweets and alcohol.....
Rasarani Mataji was captured by the interesting personality of my mother. And my mother enjoyed having her around and being able to share her wisdom with her, and showing her some of her art work. Indeed, she even gave her one of her works as a gift, which Rasarani excitedly accepted. And we both received a nice hand-knitted scarf from her. Once again I could witness how important the exchanges are between the elderly generation and the youth - meaningful and uplifting for both sides. My mother always becomes so joyful when I visit with young matajis, and she usually conquers their heart with her open mind and generous affection.
On our last evening I requested my mother to show Rasarani her diary with fotos from her two visits to Mayapur and Vrindavan, since it is Rasarani's home. I read aloud her experiences from the diary entries and translated for Rasarani, and all the three of us went on a pilrimage to the holy dham within our minds, relishing the nice descriptions, which were occasionally spiced with a good sense of humor. She remembered how she had bathed the festival Deities in Mayapur on Gaur Purnima, wearing one of my white saris with a blue border.....! We spent a blissful and uplifting time together - truly a transcendental experience. My mother became so joyful, exclaiming: "We should do this more often...."
On the 19th of April we flew off to Florence to visit Villa Vrindavan....
Your servant, Devaki dd
On the 19th of April we flew off to Florence to visit Villa Vrindavan....
Your servant, Devaki dd
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