After arriving in Berlin on the 20th of September I applied for my Indian visa and took a train to Leipzig to visit the devotees for five days. Leipzig is a small yatra with nice and sincere devotees, and they rent a little store front, where they regularly meet.
I stayed with Julia and her 5-year old daughter Juno - they had just moved from Goloka Dham to Leipzig, and the boxes with stuff had not even been unpacked! But nevertheless, they eagerly received me in their home in Vaisnava hospitality. And we had meaningful talks and exchanges, which were uplifting to both of us.
I gave an evening program about Srila Prabhupada being our Founder Acarya - a topic which cannot be emphasized enough. Our gratitude and internal dependance on Srila Prabhupada has to become the very foundation of our spiritual practice and preaching. And this gratitude and dependance has to be nourished and cultivated. It does not develop automatically - simply by time passing. Any deeper relationship requires consistent endeavor and mindfulness.
Another evening one couple celebrated one of the Samskaras for the benefit of the child in the womb, so I took the opportunity to speak about Samskaras and raising children in Krsna consciousness - a topic which is very relevant in this community, since there are several young families with small children.
The Sunday Feast lecture I dedicated to the topic of tolerance - a most important quality to develop within spiritual practice.
I gave an evening program about Srila Prabhupada being our Founder Acarya - a topic which cannot be emphasized enough. Our gratitude and internal dependance on Srila Prabhupada has to become the very foundation of our spiritual practice and preaching. And this gratitude and dependance has to be nourished and cultivated. It does not develop automatically - simply by time passing. Any deeper relationship requires consistent endeavor and mindfulness.
Another evening one couple celebrated one of the Samskaras for the benefit of the child in the womb, so I took the opportunity to speak about Samskaras and raising children in Krsna consciousness - a topic which is very relevant in this community, since there are several young families with small children.
The Sunday Feast lecture I dedicated to the topic of tolerance - a most important quality to develop within spiritual practice.
After a nice and relaxing visit to Leipzig I moved on to Tuebingen to visit my old mother for three days. We spent harmonious days together and had deep conversations and nice exchanges. Once again I observed on her how old age and disease are so immensely purifying! If there has been some religious and spiritual practice in a person's life, then old age helps us to turn towards internal life and towards God. And it helps us to become humble, tolerant and grateful. We are forced to more and more give up all kinds of propensities to control and enjoy - an aging body is simply not designed for sense gratification! We witness how our body is gradually falling apart, and thus we can sense that we are different from this body. So many lessons are there to be learnt in old age and disease, and I have to say that my mother is doing pretty well in mastering all those lessons and challenges. She managed to set up a good support system of all kinds of people who come at certain times of the day and week, and thus she can still continue living in her house in the village, even though she is almost blind. She has two young boys - theology students, who come regularly to spend time with her: driving her around in nature with her wheel chair, and reading some stimulating literature with her in discussions. These boys enjoy visiting my mother, and they confessed that they don't know any other person of her age, who is so interesting to talk to. She also pays them something. But nevertheless, the exchange between the elderly and the youth is there, and it is inspiring and uplifting for both sides.
Now she indicated that she needed to buy new clothes and shoes, and I happily suggested to take her into town for a shopping trip. It was not all that easy: since she can't walk long distances she has a wheel chair with a little motor, which needs to be operated by a second person, meaning by myself in this case. It is a little tricky - one almost needs a driving licence for it! And we went with this wheel chair to the bus stop in her village and took the bus into town. To get on and off the bus was another adventure! I was simply curious to see how it would work out, and what life is like for a person in a wheel chair in Germany. But people were quite helpful.
We managed to find good shoes for her, and the clothes she wanted. So our mission was successful, and I was happy that I could serve her in this way and do her a little favor, which she indeed appreciated. After the shopping was completed I took her for a nice walk along the river Neckar, with a nice view onto the old part of the town. It was nice and sunny wheather, and the trees were getting gradually yellow, announcing the autumn season.....
We managed to find good shoes for her, and the clothes she wanted. So our mission was successful, and I was happy that I could serve her in this way and do her a little favor, which she indeed appreciated. After the shopping was completed I took her for a nice walk along the river Neckar, with a nice view onto the old part of the town. It was nice and sunny wheather, and the trees were getting gradually yellow, announcing the autumn season.....
In the past, my relationship with her has been rather tense at times, and now I realize more than ever that it was also my own false ego, which contributed to the tension. Parents are elders who deserve to be respected, even if they are not practicing devotees. We have to learn the art of offering respect and service without answering back and trying to proof that we know better. It is a matter of false ego. Let her be right, because she is my mother - even if she might be wrong.....!
There is an interesting quote from Bhaktivinoda Thakur's Caitanya Siksamrita:"There are three types of service to elders: protection of parents,protection of teachers, and protection of other elders. One must follow the instructions of parents and serve them as much as is possible. A person should serve those who have protected him as a helpless child; he
should also service those who have given knowledge, especially those who have given spiritual knowledge and mantra. Those are considered superior who are bigger in body, greater in age or more experienced in knowledge. One must respect and serve them all. One cannot follow incorrect orders of a superior but one should not show hostility towards him, using disrespectful or harsh words. One should put a stop to their improper behavior or instructions by using sweet words, humility, and gentle reasoning at the proper time. Disrespect to elders has three objects: parents, teachers, and other superiors. Even if the superior makes a mistake, he should not be disrespected. A person should be careful to please superiors with polite and gracious conduct. To disobey the orders of superiors is also disrespect."
Both of us have done some internal work in regards to our relationship, and thus it has become so much more harmonious and sweet. We have learnt to respect each other's differences without dwelling on them. I can see my association with her as an opportunity for me to cultivate more tolerance and humility. She has been a most amazing mother to me in my childhood, so she certainly deserves a bit of my attention, care and service....!
On the 30th of September I moved on to Harinama Desh/Wiesbaden......
Your servant, Devaki dd
There is an interesting quote from Bhaktivinoda Thakur's Caitanya Siksamrita:"There are three types of service to elders: protection of parents,protection of teachers, and protection of other elders. One must follow the instructions of parents and serve them as much as is possible. A person should serve those who have protected him as a helpless child; he
should also service those who have given knowledge, especially those who have given spiritual knowledge and mantra. Those are considered superior who are bigger in body, greater in age or more experienced in knowledge. One must respect and serve them all. One cannot follow incorrect orders of a superior but one should not show hostility towards him, using disrespectful or harsh words. One should put a stop to their improper behavior or instructions by using sweet words, humility, and gentle reasoning at the proper time. Disrespect to elders has three objects: parents, teachers, and other superiors. Even if the superior makes a mistake, he should not be disrespected. A person should be careful to please superiors with polite and gracious conduct. To disobey the orders of superiors is also disrespect."
Both of us have done some internal work in regards to our relationship, and thus it has become so much more harmonious and sweet. We have learnt to respect each other's differences without dwelling on them. I can see my association with her as an opportunity for me to cultivate more tolerance and humility. She has been a most amazing mother to me in my childhood, so she certainly deserves a bit of my attention, care and service....!
On the 30th of September I moved on to Harinama Desh/Wiesbaden......
Your servant, Devaki dd
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