On my arrival in Cologne on the 2nd of October I received Julia and Polina from Ukraine, who I had invited to join me on a little tour around Germany. I consider it to be very educational to visit temples in other countries. It broadens our experience and leaves valuable impressions on our minds and hearts.
A six-hour train ride took us to Simhachalam near Passau, situated in the Bavarian Forest - a mountainous and touristy region near the Czech border. In German they call Lord Nrsimhadeva's abode the 'Lion Temple', and it is even listed in all kinds of touristic brochures and websites as a place of special interest. People come to have some "time out for the soul" - as the devotees advertise it. In this way, people get in contact with Krishna consciousness....
This was my first visit to Simhachalam outside the Nrsimha Caturdasi festival. And I was impressed how much Lord Nrsimhadev is the very center of the entire community - not only during the festival, but every day. So many devotees assemble to attend Mangal Artik - quite amazing! Everybody is so eager to take darshan of the Lord, serve Him and glorify Him. Every Saturday the devotees perform an elaborate yajna for Nrsimhadeva, and every Sunday early morning is a special public abhishek of the big murti. I was invited to come on the altar and participate, which was a special experience. I could strongly perceive His presence - an undeniable fact.
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Ramananda Prabhu serves as the head pujari for Lord Nrsimhadeva, and he gives his heart and soul to this service. I have never seen anybody offer the artik like he does: he leans forward while offering each and every item to the Lord in a very personal way. He is actually offering the item to Him, rather than merely performing a ritual. One can see without doubt that he connects with the Lord in a personal relationship, trying his best to please Him. His mood of service permeates the whole community and infects everyone with the same spirit.
More and more devotees are coming here to join this community - grhasthas as well as brahmacaris. It is one of the few temples in Germany which has a lively brahmacari ashram with a strong Sankirtan spirit: the boys are always out on traveling Sankirtan.
For the last couple of years Gour Mohan Prabhu has been serving as the temple president - he was born in Krishna consciousness and is only 27 years old. He was a brahmacari for seven years in this community and is now preparing to enter married life. A wonderful example of allowing the young generation to take over and bring a youthful and lively spirit into a community.
More and more devotees are coming here to join this community - grhasthas as well as brahmacaris. It is one of the few temples in Germany which has a lively brahmacari ashram with a strong Sankirtan spirit: the boys are always out on traveling Sankirtan.
For the last couple of years Gour Mohan Prabhu has been serving as the temple president - he was born in Krishna consciousness and is only 27 years old. He was a brahmacari for seven years in this community and is now preparing to enter married life. A wonderful example of allowing the young generation to take over and bring a youthful and lively spirit into a community.
I had come to offer the course "Entering the Grhastha Ashram" over three morning- and two evening-programs. Within the last six months the community had experienced several unsuccessful and painful attempts of devotees trying to get married. Thus they had invited me to offer this course. Gour Mohan Prabhu had even called all his brahmacaris and bhaktas to come back from traveling Sankirtan to participate in the seminar. How revolutionary to give such training to the brahmacaris!
It was very well attended by more than 35 devotees, and it was a big eye opener for everyone who participated. Senior devotees realized that they need to establish a marriage committee in order to help devotees change ashrams.
It was very well attended by more than 35 devotees, and it was a big eye opener for everyone who participated. Senior devotees realized that they need to establish a marriage committee in order to help devotees change ashrams.
It was very enlivening to visit Simhachalam - I might visit again outside the festival and give more courses here. The devotees are keen.....
Our next destination was Tuebingen, where we visited my mother for two days.
The three of us spent a nice and harmonious time with her - with walks in autumn colored nature, excursions around the old part of the village, nice prasadam and meaningful talks. She is 88 years old now - every visit could be the last one......
On the 11th of October we took the train back to Cologne. My two companions from Ukraine received many interesting insights and impressions on their little tour. Once while sitting in the train and looking out the window Julia asked, why in Germany the grass in the fields is always cut so nicely. I explained that as a rule the land in Germany is used and cultivated - not like in Ukraine, where one sees so much uncultivated land. And the farmers cut the grass to feed the cows or make hay for the winter. She laughingly exclaimed: "Oh, I thought they cut it to make it look nice - like a big park....!" Yes, in comparison to other parts of the world, Germany could almost be viewed like one big park.....
Especially South Germany where my mother lives is rather beautiful.
Back in Cologne I offered the seminar "Secrets of Success in the Grhastha Ashram" as a weekend course. As part of the seminar, we did an interesting exercise: we collected all possible traps, challenges and difficulties which this ashram can offer - starting from financial difficulties, attachment to sense enjoyment, arguments between husband and wife, challenges in child raising, and so forth. Then we discussed in detail the foremost secrets of success for this ashram:
1) Regular sravanam kirtanam being the watering process of the bhakti lata. 2) Regular association with devotees and having a mentor who can guide us.
3) Keeping our life simple.
And we discovered that these main secrets of success indeed offer the solution to all possible traps and problems! It was an eye-opening revelation......! But the challenge of the application remains.....!
However, this is what it means to mold our family life into an ashram: that we put these secrets of success as main priorities into our life.
On the 15th of October I flew off to India, while Julia and Polina returned to Ukraine. They had realized that Germany certainly offers more comfort and sense gratification, while Ukraine offers a more eager spirit amongst the devotees.....! And thus they happily returned to Kharkov......
Your servant, Devaki dd
Our next destination was Tuebingen, where we visited my mother for two days.
The three of us spent a nice and harmonious time with her - with walks in autumn colored nature, excursions around the old part of the village, nice prasadam and meaningful talks. She is 88 years old now - every visit could be the last one......
On the 11th of October we took the train back to Cologne. My two companions from Ukraine received many interesting insights and impressions on their little tour. Once while sitting in the train and looking out the window Julia asked, why in Germany the grass in the fields is always cut so nicely. I explained that as a rule the land in Germany is used and cultivated - not like in Ukraine, where one sees so much uncultivated land. And the farmers cut the grass to feed the cows or make hay for the winter. She laughingly exclaimed: "Oh, I thought they cut it to make it look nice - like a big park....!" Yes, in comparison to other parts of the world, Germany could almost be viewed like one big park.....
Especially South Germany where my mother lives is rather beautiful.
Back in Cologne I offered the seminar "Secrets of Success in the Grhastha Ashram" as a weekend course. As part of the seminar, we did an interesting exercise: we collected all possible traps, challenges and difficulties which this ashram can offer - starting from financial difficulties, attachment to sense enjoyment, arguments between husband and wife, challenges in child raising, and so forth. Then we discussed in detail the foremost secrets of success for this ashram:
1) Regular sravanam kirtanam being the watering process of the bhakti lata. 2) Regular association with devotees and having a mentor who can guide us.
3) Keeping our life simple.
And we discovered that these main secrets of success indeed offer the solution to all possible traps and problems! It was an eye-opening revelation......! But the challenge of the application remains.....!
However, this is what it means to mold our family life into an ashram: that we put these secrets of success as main priorities into our life.
On the 15th of October I flew off to India, while Julia and Polina returned to Ukraine. They had realized that Germany certainly offers more comfort and sense gratification, while Ukraine offers a more eager spirit amongst the devotees.....! And thus they happily returned to Kharkov......
Your servant, Devaki dd
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