On my arrival in Zagreb on the 9th of September I was nicely received by the local devotees and settled into a comfortable guest room in the temple.
For my visit to Zagreb we had set the topic of our need for sheltering relationships - giving and accepting shelter. The devotees had started to establish a mentoring program in the yatra and were eager to receive deeper insights and inspiration in order to give it some further fine tuning. Unless we get a clear understanding of the importance of giving and accepting shelter, this aspect of our spiritual practice often remains rather superficial and external - almost like a formality. However, it is the very essence of spiritual practice, which accompanies us throughout our entire life: striving to take shelter of Krishna and His holy name, of Srila Prabhupada, of Guru and the Vaishnavas.
We introduced the topic at the Sunday feast lecture and continued to churn the nectar over two more evenings during the following week. Discussing the required qualifications in order to be able to give shelter to others is always especially important. It gives us a clear understanding who is a suitable person to take shelter of, and at the same time we receive insights which qualities we have to cultivate in order to qualify ourselves to eventually reach out to others and give shelter. Unless we reach the point of having a genuine and selfless concern for other devotees' spiritual growth our life remains superficial, and we remain self-centered - a kanistha adhikari. Once we deeply value the gift of Krishna consciousness, how much it has transformed our life, we should feel a burning desire to assist others in their spiritual development. It is a very natural progression within spiritual practice - a beginning sign of compassion for others. I have observed that very often senior grhasthas feel somewhat at a loss how they can serve and contribute within a community. To aspire to give shelter and guidance to younger devotees is a very important and highly rewarding mission, which at the same time helps us to move forward in our own spiritual development. To serve the devotees is the secret of success in spiritual progress, and what better way to serve than giving shelter, guidance and inspiration! It also brings about an intense churning process of our anarthas, which are coming to the surface through this process of giving and accepting shelter. Subtle motivations and material attachments are being exposed.
The devotees kept me busy with further sangas: a house program, a SB class in the temple, and a question-answer session for the ladies of the congregation. It had been well spent time in quality association - new relationships were established, and existing ones deepended.
We introduced the topic at the Sunday feast lecture and continued to churn the nectar over two more evenings during the following week. Discussing the required qualifications in order to be able to give shelter to others is always especially important. It gives us a clear understanding who is a suitable person to take shelter of, and at the same time we receive insights which qualities we have to cultivate in order to qualify ourselves to eventually reach out to others and give shelter. Unless we reach the point of having a genuine and selfless concern for other devotees' spiritual growth our life remains superficial, and we remain self-centered - a kanistha adhikari. Once we deeply value the gift of Krishna consciousness, how much it has transformed our life, we should feel a burning desire to assist others in their spiritual development. It is a very natural progression within spiritual practice - a beginning sign of compassion for others. I have observed that very often senior grhasthas feel somewhat at a loss how they can serve and contribute within a community. To aspire to give shelter and guidance to younger devotees is a very important and highly rewarding mission, which at the same time helps us to move forward in our own spiritual development. To serve the devotees is the secret of success in spiritual progress, and what better way to serve than giving shelter, guidance and inspiration! It also brings about an intense churning process of our anarthas, which are coming to the surface through this process of giving and accepting shelter. Subtle motivations and material attachments are being exposed.
The devotees kept me busy with further sangas: a house program, a SB class in the temple, and a question-answer session for the ladies of the congregation. It had been well spent time in quality association - new relationships were established, and existing ones deepended.
For the following weekend I traveled to the village area of Lika, a 90 minutes' drive from Zagreb. Murari Gupta Prabhu and his good wife Sundari Mataji with their two young boys were welcoming the devotees for a weekend retreat. Over the years they had turned their home into a wonderful facility in order to receive the devotees for various events: seminars, retreats and summer camps. A nice group of around 25 serious devotees had gathered - some had come from the neigboring countries of Slovenia and Bosnia. Over the entire Saturday and half the Sunday we churned the topic "From Grhamedhi Life to the Grhastha Ashram". A main theme was the importance of centering our family life around sravanam kirtanam. If we want to turn our family life into an actual ashram, then sravanam kirtanam has to be a highly important part of our daily life. Unless Srimad Bhagavatam becomes dear to us, we can hardly call our family life an ashram - a place for spiritual development.
Interesting to note that sravanam kirtanam has to be the very foundation to any project within Krishna consciousness - on the individual level of a family, a collective level of several families planning a project, and on the level of an entire yatra. If this foundation is not solidly established, whatever we try to build up will collapse sooner or later. When constructing a building, the foundation is the most important part and determines how high we can build. If the foundation is not strong, everything will collapse. We have had to experience this many times within our ISKCON society, on all levels. I know several instances, where devotees got together to establish a village community, but since sravanam kirtanam was not the foundation to the project, conflicts were arising, and eventually everything fell apart. Even major conflicts within a community can again be brought back to lack of sravanam kirtanam. Hearing and chanting focusses everyone's mind on service to Krishna. Unless this common focus is there, everyone will be situated in self-interest, which ultimately leads to clashes and conflicts. Going back to the very roots of sravanam kirtanam in the association of devotees will lead to success - individually and collectively.
Interesting to note that sravanam kirtanam has to be the very foundation to any project within Krishna consciousness - on the individual level of a family, a collective level of several families planning a project, and on the level of an entire yatra. If this foundation is not solidly established, whatever we try to build up will collapse sooner or later. When constructing a building, the foundation is the most important part and determines how high we can build. If the foundation is not strong, everything will collapse. We have had to experience this many times within our ISKCON society, on all levels. I know several instances, where devotees got together to establish a village community, but since sravanam kirtanam was not the foundation to the project, conflicts were arising, and eventually everything fell apart. Even major conflicts within a community can again be brought back to lack of sravanam kirtanam. Hearing and chanting focusses everyone's mind on service to Krishna. Unless this common focus is there, everyone will be situated in self-interest, which ultimately leads to clashes and conflicts. Going back to the very roots of sravanam kirtanam in the association of devotees will lead to success - individually and collectively.
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Murari Gupta Prabhu and his family serve as a wonderful example of having turned their family life into an ashram. They conduct mangal artik every morning, and Srimad Bhagavatam is an important part of their life. They also teach their boys BG verses and stories from the Bhagavatam, and train them in Krishna conscious life style.
Even though Murari Gupta Prabhu and his family do not have so much devotee association on a regular basis, their deep meditation on receiving the Vaishnavas for special events keeps them in high Krishna conscious spirit. They have a big garden where they grow vegetables - to serve the devotees when they visit. And thus the atmosphere during our retreat was surcharged with the spirit of Vaishnava hospitality in a selfless mood of service. They are well known for their tasty prasadam prepared with love and devotion....!
On the 20th of September I moved on to Riga/Latvia.........
Your servant, Devaki dd
Even though Murari Gupta Prabhu and his family do not have so much devotee association on a regular basis, their deep meditation on receiving the Vaishnavas for special events keeps them in high Krishna conscious spirit. They have a big garden where they grow vegetables - to serve the devotees when they visit. And thus the atmosphere during our retreat was surcharged with the spirit of Vaishnava hospitality in a selfless mood of service. They are well known for their tasty prasadam prepared with love and devotion....!
On the 20th of September I moved on to Riga/Latvia.........
Your servant, Devaki dd
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