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
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