On our arrival in Almvik/Sweden I was immediately busy looking into various aspects of our upcoming Scandinavian Bhakti Sangam Festival. As in previous years I was playing the role of the overall supervising and hosting mother of the event, coordinating things in cooperation with Paramesvari Mataji and others.
Sunday the 17th of July was the day of arrival, followed by five seminar days with kirtan in the evenings, and the Saturday being a 12-hour kirtan day. On Sunday the 24th we had our usual massive harinam in the old part of Stockholm, concluding the event by taking the holy name into the streets, after nourishing and recharging our internal life.
Sunday the 17th of July was the day of arrival, followed by five seminar days with kirtan in the evenings, and the Saturday being a 12-hour kirtan day. On Sunday the 24th we had our usual massive harinam in the old part of Stockholm, concluding the event by taking the holy name into the streets, after nourishing and recharging our internal life.
This year we connected our festival with the title of "Uniting Srila Prabhupada's Family - 50 Years of ISKCON". We received Deena Bandhu Prabhu from Vrindavan, Suresvara and Praghosa Prabhus, HH Niranjana Maharaja, and Madhava Prabhu attended for the last four days of the festival week. And of course HH Smita Krsna Swami was there to be the hosting Sannyasi of the event.
As every year I conducted the opening ceremony, welcoming and introducing each respected guest with affectionate words of glorification - my favorite service. Of course it was my special joy and honor to be able to receive my Guru Maharaja, HH Niranjana Swami, glorifying him as the father of the Bhakti Sangam Festival, and a preaching who sees Devotee Care as the very first priority.
As every year I conducted the opening ceremony, welcoming and introducing each respected guest with affectionate words of glorification - my favorite service. Of course it was my special joy and honor to be able to receive my Guru Maharaja, HH Niranjana Swami, glorifying him as the father of the Bhakti Sangam Festival, and a preaching who sees Devotee Care as the very first priority.
Around 160 devotees participated, coming together from all kinds of remote corners of Scandinavia, and some also from neigboring countries such as England, Germany and France. The mood was very sweet and personal, with devotees eagerly attended the seminars - more than in previous years. Their taste for hearing had noticibly increased, which is always a healthy sign. We had an interesting variety of speakers this year: Deena Bandhu Prabhu gave the most wonderful Krsna Katha, with Kirtans reminding of a jolly dancing music coming straight from Goloka Vrindavan. Suresvara Prabhu enlightened us with selected sessions of his seminar on Srila Prabhupada, our Founder Acarya, and Praghosa Prabhu being the GBC for Sweden and other Scandinavian countries also chose to speak on Srila Prabhupada and ISKCON. HH Niranjana Maharaja blessed us with two days of his saintly association, and the two lectures he gave were so deep and powerful - everybody was struck, our hearts being deeply affected. I had requested him to share some realizations on the importance of these Bhakti Sangam Festivals, and how it all started in Ukraine. And devotees were deeply impressed, especially about his profound humility when sharing the tremendous success he experienced in Ukraine, arranging the entire festival without charging any fees, but simply on donation basis! This is certainly an amazing example of creating Vaikuntha atmosphere, where everyone is simply eager to serve - in whatever capacity it may be. (Please view www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBfXL8NAzlI).
The second class was on a SB verse deeply diving into the topic of the need for devotee association, which once again struck us all.
I had decided this would be my last year where I would be involved in coordinating the festival. I had done this service for six years now, and I felt it was exactly the right time to hand it over to the local devotees, which would also give me an opportunity to move on in my humble preaching activities. To introduce this festival here had been a wonderful absorption for me, and a great learning experience which had given me deep satisfaction - especially when observing how this festival brings so much joy and spiritual nourishment to the hearts of the devotees. But now it was time to move on, after we had managed to establish a good standard and culture.
I came to realize that unless we serve with detachment, it is difficult to move forward. And as a result we easily become stagnant. We should simply be attached to serving - in whatever capacity it may be. But if we are attached to serving in a particular position, then our service is easily tinged with some material attachment to some kind of gratification and subtle enjoyment. And this kind of subtle material attachment blocks us from moving forward. And not only ourselves, but other devotees around us aswell. They also can't move forward and become stagnant. As the saying goes: the perfection of any ability lies in handing it over to others. Very often we observe that devotees find this difficult. Infact, most of the times we wait until we are forced to do so - either due to a health crisis or some conflicts around us, with devotees trying to forcibly move us aside. I don't want to serve in such a mood. I don't want to become stagnant, and I certainly don't want to make others around me stagnant. Much better is to find the right point in time to voluntarily move on. However, it requires detachment.
On our closing ceremony I offered our respected guests a little bag with gifts. We had invested much thought, meditation and devotion into the question which gift to offer this year. Krsna Bhakti Mataji had made a nice beadbag for everyone, with the logo for our Scandinavian Bhakti Sangam Festival printed on it, which included also the logo of the 50th anniversary of ISKCON. Our head pujari Sriprada Mataji had made nice counter beads from maha jewelry which our Pancha Tattva Deities had been wearing for many years. So each beadbag was decorated with such beautiful mahaprasadam! And additionally there were delicious maha carob confectionaries for everyone, and last but not least a packet of ear candles - to offer the most humble service of cleansing the yajna pit of the ear, after the ghee of the holy name and Krsna katha had been poured on it with the ladle of the tongue, for the last five days, which flowed straight into the heart and made our devotion burn very brightly.(verse on Nama Yajna, Lochan Das Thakur in Sri Caitanya Mangala Madhya 21)
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After our children offered the gifts, to much delight and amusement of our guests and the assembled devotees, I shared my decission of handing over the festival to the local devotees, expressing my convinction that this will give new opportunities for many devotees to step forward and take a more active role in organising this event, which will bring the festival to higher and higher levels. And it will give some glimpse into the joy of being deeply absorbed in serving the devotees. Paramesvari Mataji had certain come to such deep absorption and was blissfully planning so many aspects of the festival throughout the entire year. Indeed, without this Bhakti Sangam Festival her life would almost be a little empty and boring!
Then, much to my surprise, the senior devotees had arranged for a little "fare-well number", which was unexpected and sweet. Some senior devotees from the Almvik community expressed their appreciation and gratitude for my humble service of bringing this Bhakti Sangam mood to Scandinavia, and I was offered some gifts. Sriprada Mataji expressed how wonderful it had been to receive my Guru Maharaja on this very last festival, and she concluded: "Now we can understand where you are coming from.....!"
Yes, Krsna had made the perfect arrangment to hand over the festival to the local devotees, with renewed inspiration to take it further.....
On the 27th of July I flew on to Kharkov/Ukraine, and Rasarani Mataji returned to Mayapur.....
Your servant, Devaki dd
Then, much to my surprise, the senior devotees had arranged for a little "fare-well number", which was unexpected and sweet. Some senior devotees from the Almvik community expressed their appreciation and gratitude for my humble service of bringing this Bhakti Sangam mood to Scandinavia, and I was offered some gifts. Sriprada Mataji expressed how wonderful it had been to receive my Guru Maharaja on this very last festival, and she concluded: "Now we can understand where you are coming from.....!"
Yes, Krsna had made the perfect arrangment to hand over the festival to the local devotees, with renewed inspiration to take it further.....
On the 27th of July I flew on to Kharkov/Ukraine, and Rasarani Mataji returned to Mayapur.....
Your servant, Devaki dd
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