Since I had come to Germany to attend Damodara-priya Mataji's wedding, I decided spontaneously to visit my dear mother for three days, together with Olga. My mother had expressed that she did not feel well, and I would have been very regretful if she was to leave her body in the near future, and I had not taken the opportunity to pay her a visit.
It surely must be very difficult to live alone in one's old age - something which is very unnatural, but a part of the modern way of life with all its selfishness and focus on sense gratification. However, my mother had been intelligent enough to establish a supportive network of several nice people, who would regularly visit her and give her attention and association. Thus, every day several people come and spend time with her in deeper conversations and exchanges, and taking her out in her wheel chair to the forest. But she has to pay them all - twelve Euros per hour! Otherwise, they would not come! This is life in materialistic culture! Most people are materially motivated and have forgotten the meaning of selflessness. I may be the only person who happily comes - without payment.....
We spent a nice time at her home, going for walks, taking prasadam together and exchanging thoughts on spiritual and religious topics. I also took the opportunity to show Olga the nearby city of Tuebingen with its historic market place and other beautifully restored buildings. Also the old farm houses in our nice village were interesting for Olga, leaving deep impressions on her mind - she had never seen such nice old houses. Village life must have been much more satvic in Germany than in other countries such as Latvia or Ukraine. In each country we find a specific and unique mixture of the three modes of material nature - there are unlimited variations! Of course, in these modern days, countries like Ukraine are so much more conducive to spiritual practice. In the Western world, the externals are polished and glossy, but underneath this attractive surface lingers boredom, disappointment and deep frustration with life. And people are too addicted to material enjoyment and distracted by the hopes for sense gratification in order to focus on spiritual life. I am forever grateful to Srila Prabhupada for saving me from the miseries of living in Germany.....
We returned to Goloka Dham for a few more days, where I continued working on my book. I was invited to offer a Sunday feast lecture and spent a nice time connecting with many devotees - serving by giving encouragement to move forward into the right direction. It was one of my most enlivening visits to Goloka Dham, with new visions and ideas manifesting - for the whole yatra as well as for devotees individually. We left Goloka Dham with my firm resolution to continue visiting this wonderful abode regularly in the future.
We spent a nice time at her home, going for walks, taking prasadam together and exchanging thoughts on spiritual and religious topics. I also took the opportunity to show Olga the nearby city of Tuebingen with its historic market place and other beautifully restored buildings. Also the old farm houses in our nice village were interesting for Olga, leaving deep impressions on her mind - she had never seen such nice old houses. Village life must have been much more satvic in Germany than in other countries such as Latvia or Ukraine. In each country we find a specific and unique mixture of the three modes of material nature - there are unlimited variations! Of course, in these modern days, countries like Ukraine are so much more conducive to spiritual practice. In the Western world, the externals are polished and glossy, but underneath this attractive surface lingers boredom, disappointment and deep frustration with life. And people are too addicted to material enjoyment and distracted by the hopes for sense gratification in order to focus on spiritual life. I am forever grateful to Srila Prabhupada for saving me from the miseries of living in Germany.....
We returned to Goloka Dham for a few more days, where I continued working on my book. I was invited to offer a Sunday feast lecture and spent a nice time connecting with many devotees - serving by giving encouragement to move forward into the right direction. It was one of my most enlivening visits to Goloka Dham, with new visions and ideas manifesting - for the whole yatra as well as for devotees individually. We left Goloka Dham with my firm resolution to continue visiting this wonderful abode regularly in the future.
On the 24th of July we took a flight to Vilnius/Lithuania - our next destination being the Baltic Summer Festival. I had not attended this festival for quite a number of years, so it was nice to meet many devotees from the "old days" of our humble preaching endeavors in this part of the world. During my married life, from 1989 to 1999, and by Krishna's arrangement we helped to establish the temple in Riga/Latvia, being one of the three Baltic countries. In those days we were coming regularly to Estonia and Lithuania, arranging Ratha Yatra festivals and conducting preaching events. They were very adventurous days in pioneer work, which had a profound effect on my life and shaped my further development in Krishna consciousness. At that time, I was a young devotee - only four years in Krishna consciousness. And I eagerly embraced the fresh challenges to intensely absorb my mind. Already then, life was full of excitement in Srila Prabhupada's mission - just as it has been up to this very day.
Visiting this festival now was a wonderful opportunity to connect with some of the senior devotees from those early days, who I had not seen for a long time.
We welcomed HH Bhakti Vaibhava Swami, HH Bhakti Bringa Govinda Swami, HH Dhira Shanta Swami and Mahadyuti Swami as the main speakers, with HH Bhakti Caitanya Swami being the host of the event.
We welcomed HH Bhakti Vaibhava Swami, HH Bhakti Bringa Govinda Swami, HH Dhira Shanta Swami and Mahadyuti Swami as the main speakers, with HH Bhakti Caitanya Swami being the host of the event.
Unfortunately, HH Niranjana Swami unexpectedly had to cancel his participation.
I offered a three-session seminar entitled "Being in Harmony with the Other Gender", which served as a nice introduction to my book. Devotees had made the arrangement to translate and print the book into Lithuanian - quite an amazing achievement in such a short time! In this part of the world, most devotees are not fluent enough to read in English, so it was great to have the book in Lithuanian.
HH Govinda Maharaja lead a wonderful evening kirtan which was especially ecstatic. Devotees were dancing in a very jolly and blissed out way, and the atmosphere was surcharged with transcendental joy.
I offered a three-session seminar entitled "Being in Harmony with the Other Gender", which served as a nice introduction to my book. Devotees had made the arrangement to translate and print the book into Lithuanian - quite an amazing achievement in such a short time! In this part of the world, most devotees are not fluent enough to read in English, so it was great to have the book in Lithuanian.
HH Govinda Maharaja lead a wonderful evening kirtan which was especially ecstatic. Devotees were dancing in a very jolly and blissed out way, and the atmosphere was surcharged with transcendental joy.
Once again I experienced the bliss of sitting at the book table outside the main tent, connecting with devotees and distributing lots of books - 160 English and 150 Lithuanian copies. It is a wonderful way of making myself available to devotees - they knew where to find me and could approach me in an informal setting. I also met devotees who live abroad and took books to their home yatras - to Boston, Ireland, London, Swansea/UK, Tallinn and Riga. I was swimming in an ocean of nectar - serving devotees by trying to give inspiration and encouragement. And my humble attempts were well received.....!
On the last morning of the festival I was invited to do the artik for Srila Prabhupada during the Guru puja. Singing the prayers while offering the artik, I felt my stone-like heart being moved. I could sense that Srila Prabhupada was trying to encourage me....
On the 29th of July Olga and I flew back to Kharkov/Ukraine........
Your servant, Devaki dd
On the last morning of the festival I was invited to do the artik for Srila Prabhupada during the Guru puja. Singing the prayers while offering the artik, I felt my stone-like heart being moved. I could sense that Srila Prabhupada was trying to encourage me....
On the 29th of July Olga and I flew back to Kharkov/Ukraine........
Your servant, Devaki dd
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