Summer news from Finland
Please accept our humble obeisances all glories to Srila Prabhupada
Many times it is painful to see how tv is guru to people. But luckily this time this also this tendency was engaged in a service of sankirtan.
Some 3 weeks ago there was very positive tv-program. One grhasta couple, Gopinatha prabhu and Rasarani dd and couple brahmacaries were interviewed, there was discussion of basic philosophy, Srimati Tulsi devi in studio, bhajans.
The interviewer was excellent, making nice questions, eating and glorifying prasadam, participating to street harinam in devotional clothing etc.
We have met so many people while distributing books and prasadam who have very positive attitude because of this program. "Of course I must support you, you are such a nice people.","I thought you are the sect where children cannot meet their parents, but you are so nice." "You are standing behind your words, you live as you teach." and many similiar comments.
We have simultaneously increased our distributing in devotional clothing, previously we were not so much into it, it was thought that results would decrease, but it seems that the same amount, or more, books and prasadam is going out and people are generally respectful and positive, when we have dhoti and tilak.
The biggest newspaper in Finland will soon have an article about one of our brahmacaries, article dealing with: "people with personal dressing style" saffron is in, they said!
By Guru`s and Gauranga`s mercy Helsinki temple has been blessed with many many visiting elevated Vaisnavas during last few years. In last two months Bhakti Caitanya Maharaja,HH. Bir Krishna Das Gosvami,HH.Kadamba Kanana Maharaja and H.G.Viyaja Prabhu have been visiting.
This time it was rare mercy to see two great Vaisnavas, Kavicandra Swami and Devamrta Swami both sitting in our temple room.
His Holiness Devamrta Maharaja was visiting for just for some hours, he mentioned how he was repeteatly informed in St.Petersburgh that so many sannyasis are visiting in Helsinki that"there is no need for you to go". Maharaja mentioned that he came curious to see what is happening in here. He gave very inspiring speech, mentioned that nobody now in early eighties, while Maharaja was regional counsil in Sweden(?)that Finland would be THE SPOT of scandinavian sankirtan some day,"it was considered specially sleepy…".
HH.Kavicandra gave some very inspiring lectures here and distributed also some books in Helsinki Railwaystation before going to skt-mela companied with some of our skt-devotees.
Transendental sankirtan yajna ki jaya!
Your Servant
Muniraja Das
