POST KARTIK BLUES

Kartik has ended. Where will I find special Maha Harinam?

I have to say I felt a vacuum. I went to evening artik the following day hoping against hope there would be maha harinam and prayed to Pancatatva. I was hankering for a Srivas Thakur’s house for us devotees, a place where we could chant the holy names with no concern for time restrictions, just abandoning ourselves in endless chanting, chanting, chanting... I prayed to be again in association with devotees for extended singing of the holy name, begging for more opportunity to cry out for the Lord’s service.
How can I love you? How can I serve you?

“… Helpful practice for those who aspire to become more absorbed in chanting, and thus more attached to it, is to chant congregationally with mrdangas and kartals. Congregational chanting quickly binds the mind to the holy name, and when the mind is bound to the name, the Lord becomes responsively bound to the devotee’s heart. Chanting with other devotees allows us to experience a special type of joy – a joy that encourages us in our path.” - Nama Rahasya – Sacidanandana Swami

The following day I found my prayers answered, I was invited to take part in a special Harinam down the Ganga, I almost disregarded the invitation thinking I had service that might be more urgent. Going on a boat, climbing in and out, I don’t find that easy. The mind was creating reasons why I would be better to stick to my desk. Remembering my pleading of the previous evening, I chose to see it as Sri Srivas’s answer to my request.

We gathered at Srila Prabhupad’s Gath, and found a seat on a large boat. We chanted peacefully to ourselves while waiting for Gaur Nitai and his chanting party to join us in the boat. It had already been loaded with 8 large, very large, vats of prasadam kitri and stacks of leaf plates.

Speakers, microphones, harmoniums, mrdangas, kartals and many devotees, all in the boat with Gour Nitai in the center. The chanting started, as the boat slowly traveled the Ganga past Navadwip Gath towards the bridge.

As we arrived the sun was setting in the horizon, warming our hearts with its evening glory.

I had to be courageous; normally I am very afraid of heights and not very steady on my feet. As I looked at the plank, narrow plank steeply leading down to the shore, I almost gave up, I almost went to sit down and giveup on the Harinam that was soon to take place. I have to thank the assembled devotees for their help. Gita Nagari prabhu said: “If I can go down, you can go down” as he proceeded very carefully down the plank. It looked even more difficult after seeing him but with devotees willing to help from both sides, and Krishna in my heart guiding me it was very doable. Just as life is precarious, however with the help of Krishna and others, anything can be accomplished. It was almost enjoyable to tip toe down the narrow plank, barely holding on to the hands of steady helpers. I soon was on shore, solid ground.

The chanting was ecstatic. Some of the devotees unrolled long mats, creating rows for locals to sit. Many children, but also mothers and fathers took their seat, as devotees walked  back and forth pouring nutritious prasadam kitri on the leaf plates. We just chanted and danced, chanted and danced, as they ate to their heart’s content. When finished they would get up and others took their place. Eventually many joined us in chanting and dancing, mostly children as they have less inhibitions. The adults were doing the same in their heart as they appeared to be staring at us smiling. They were purposely avoiding too intimate eye contact as their natural shyness would have given way to their heart already softened by the Holy Names. We would have seen them join in the kirtan with abandon of their self imposed control. May be next time.

Two hours of chanting while distributing prasadam, what an ecstatic program. What a taste I got this day. Srivas Thakur had answered my prayer. Where will I find ecstatic kirtan next? Where will He send me next? Today, I write, tomorrow is another day.

More next time, as I slowly and happily take one step at a time towards Radha and Krishna's Love.

your ever servant of the servants

GROWING SPROUTS – MAYAPUR KARTIK

Have you ever grown sprouts? Mung bean sprouts? I have. First you soak the beans overnight and through a careful process of frequent rinsing and the right amount of light gradually they grow. Often you will find a few beans that remain dry, others rot, and yet others are just starting to grow, just showing a tinny stem bursting ever so slowly from the seed, while others are already 2 inches long. These slow beans are sometimes discarded along with the dry and rotten ones. I will never again discard the barely open beans.

While Srila Prabhupada was with us for a brief 10 years +or-, he also grew sprouts, some took off and grew very fast, others never fructified, yet others are just now maturing. None were thrown away. It apparently took Srila Prabhupada 30 years to perfect his chanting, not sure how long it will take any of us. Are we the slow growing sprouts? The fast ones? or yet the ones that rot in spite of watering, most likely due to unforgivable offences.

Kartik is Srimate Radharani’s month, a beautiful month full of opportunities to render devotional service, to grow spiritually. In Mayapur we are so very fortunate to have – I am convinced – the best kirtans. Every night devotees gather in front of Damodar and mother Yasoda, first in a prayerful mood, offering their lamps while singing along to a most melodious Damodarastakam. In the lamp lit temple room, it becomes easier to see so many souls shining as sparks of light, with their offering and moving about from one altar to another. The prayerful mood gradually develops into a frenzy of imploring chants while swaying, clapping, dancing and twirling, as many devotees become blessed with a taste of the Holy Names. Some dance in unison, to the beat, back and forth or sideways, moving their bodies as elegantly as their material covering allows. Others dance on their own letting their soul take the lead or clap or sway while sitting. Pilgrims, residents, young, old, few can escape the Holy Names as they melt the hearts… as it brakes open the outer shell of the hardened bean so the sprout can grow…

These evenings of kirtan reveal the meaning of the first verse of Siksastakam. It provides a daily cleanse of all the activities of the day at the cost of the devotee’s minimal sincerity.

ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam

shreyah-kairava-chandrika-vitaranam vidya-vadhu-jivanam

anandambudhi-vardhanam prati-padam purnamritaswadanam

sarvatma-snapanam param vijayate sri-krishna-sankirtanam

Glory to the Sri-Krsna-Sankirtana, which cleanses the heart of all

the dust accumulated for years and extinguishes the fire of conditional life,

of repeated birth and death. This sankirtana movement is the prime

benediction for humanity at large because it spreads the rays of the

benediction moon. It is the life of all transcendental knowledge.

It increases the ocean of transcendental bliss, and it enables

us to fully taste the nectar for which we are always anxious.

Some devotees observe different austerities during that most auspicious month culminating with an increase in austerities for the last 5 days. Those who want to observe an ekadasi diet for the last 5 days are facilitated by the temple.

On the very last day, one of Srila Prabhupada’s most senior disciple – one of those beans who grew instantly – H.H. Jayadvaita Swami, celebrates his birthday with the assembled god-brothers and god-sisters. I was privileged to be able to attend this gathering, I expected very nice prasad but what I did not expect was the exceptional mood and grandeur of the reception.

We were greeted with Maharaj offering his prostrated obeisances one by one, to every one of us. He then directed us to a group of devotees ready to pamper us. On this warm dusty day they sat us down on a chair and while the merciful kartik sun bathe our bodies, devotees washed our feet, dried them and applied sandalwood paste to our foreheads. It was most refreshing and certainly a pleasant surprise. We then were guided a room set up with comfortable chairs wherein we could converse with one another in a enjoyable atmosphere while sipping water or juice. Maharaj also came to thank us for coming. His words were in harmony with his heart.

When most seemed to have arrived, we proceeded to our seats for prasad to be served. There was an endless assortment of the best preparations presented before us, all cooked perfectly Maharaj himself served all of us, not only the first dish but he kept serving and serving as a never-ending variety of delectable prasad adorned our plates, ending with an assortment of authentic milk sweet and a digestive fennel tea. I thought I had witness the best and nothing could be added to the reception but there was yet more personal gestures to come. As we stood up from our seat, devotees came towards us with a basin, water and a towel to assist us in washing our hands. I could see that maharaj was standing by the door close to the mataji who was giving breath freshening spices. Everyone of us was thanked once again for having come and handed an envelope – I was expecting a thank you note, and was most surprised to find a generous gift hidden inside. Maharaj was once again teaching, he had given class in the morning and he now had been teaching us how to greet and receive guests, how to celebrate a birthday.

The last day of Kartik is celebrated at the temple as Rasa Purnima as thousands of pilgrims come for that occasion, sleeping under a tree with their family, in order to spend a couple of days here and take darshan. In front of the altar they find 8 principal gopis dancing with 8 youthful and mischievous looking Krishna's. Many devotees decorate their rooftops and place sweet rice there for Krishna, hoping he will come dance in the moonlight attracted by their offering. It also marks the first deity procession of the year atop the temple elephant.

As I walked around on that day, I also found devotees celebrating Tulsi Salagram Vivaha, in their humble ways. In this picture Subhangi mataji dressed a Tulsi in a sari and place her beloved Salagram by her side.

Life in Mayapur is not ordinary. Kartik was so nice what does Krishna have in store for me now?

More next time, as I slowly and happily take one step at a time towards Radha and Krishna's Love.

your ever servant of the servants