Flood The World
Hare Krishna. Please Accept My Humble Obeisances. All Glories To Srila Prabhupada
I'm still writing from Perth, Western Australia. Most Of the devotees now are in Mayapura engaging in the topmost ecstatic festival in the World, so I'm feeling a little depressed since I can't be there this year. I used to go every year, but due to some financial obligations and some immigration requirements I can't be there. Fortunately next year I'll be able to go. I'm starting to prepare already.
Things have been a little tough here due to not having much association, but Krishna has been helping me to learn to be more dependent on him and it has been strengthening. I've been meeting some really nice people on Sankirtana and having some amazing realizations. I started reading the book, "Radha Damodara Vilas" by Vaiyasaki prabhu again and it has been giving me so much solace. It is really showing me that if the devotees focus on Sankirtana as the main thrust of this movement there will be no stopping Krishna Consciousness taking over the world. Gopala Krishna Maharaja was asked why he was able to distribute so many books in his Zone. He was asked this at the recent GBC meetings. His reply was that if the leaders push book distribution then the devotees will distribute books. That's good instruction for the leaders of ISKCON. This movement is many faceted, but temples must have good Deity worship, good facilities, good leaders, good Harinama parties, and also good book distribution teams. Every temple isn't complete until these areas are filled. One problem that must be rectified in our movement is the fact that many temples are too different in their emphasis and preaching than other temples. Srila Prabhupada wanted us to preach on all fronts. Nice restaurants, book distribution, Deity worship etc. Then our movement can be more successful.
I invited a few people I met on Sankirtana to the Festival of Lord Nityananda's Appearance and that was nice to see them actually come to the temple and receive the blessings of Lord Nityananda.
The other day I gave some books to a group of Chinese girls. The Chinese usually don't take books but these girls were very enthusiastic. When I talk to Chinese people about the books I say they are a type of Yuja or Yoga for the mind. Yuja for the mind and soul. In Chinese Yuja means Yoga. It turns out that two girls in the group actually were named Yuja. Their names were Yuja. The girls told me that their friends address them as Yoga. They each took a book and gave a good donation.
Everyone I meet I invite them to the Sunday feast and restaurant here. Not many come, but out of many thousands some do come and it will make a lasting effect i'm sure. I was reading a letter from Srila Prabhupada yesterday, and I don't have the exact reference, but Srila Prabhupada said that there are Many, Many devotees on every street in the world and all we have to do is go out and meet them. I thought that was amazing how he said Many, Many. They are there, but we must meet them and bring them to the temple. If we have thousands and millions of devotees out meeting people and inviting them like Srila Prabhupada wanted, then amazing things will happen.
Due to the difficulty I sometimes undertake in distributing books Lord Caitanya is sometimes very merciful to me. Probably not because I'm very pleasing to the lord but because he feels sorry for my fallen state of existence and is trying to encourage me and inspire me since I"m so pathetic. I joined ISKCON in 1990 in San Diego. When I first came to the temple the Gaura Nitai deities were smaller Brass ones than the Large Marble ones that are in the temple today. While I was sleeping the other night I had an amazing dream that I went into the temple room for mangala arati. The curtains on the altar were closed so I waited for the arati to begin. I kept waiting and waiting but the arati never came so I got curious and I peeked behind the curtains and the brass Gaura Nitai deities were running back and forth on the Altar and Dancing and chanting with their arms raised! They looked like molten gold. Their effulgence was blinding. It was so beautiful that in the dream I went into a trance and felt ecstatic symptoms. When I woke up I could still feel the bliss. It was amazing. Normally my life is nice due to Krishna Consciousness but every now and then the Lord arranges something like that and it really keeps me going and makes everything worthwhile. No matter how hard things get in this Kali Yuga, never give up preaching and distributing books, Gaura Nitai are right around the corner waiting to reward you.
This Sankirtana mission is so ecstatic that we should flood the world with Krishna Prema by Chanting and Distributing books.
Sankirtana Yajna Ki Jai!
Your Servant,
Devaki Nandana Dasa. Radha Damodara TSKP.
