Sankirtana Nectar
1) Sankirtana Nectar in the Army Mitravinda devi dasi
After months of healing in the physical therapy unit, several of us were sent back down to Basic Combat Training to finish the requirements of graduation. I remember training from the first time around and decided I would have no time for preaching. There is no storage for Srila Prabhupada's books in the barracks. The books would be too heavy for me to carry along with all my army-issued supplies. Only my one Bhagavad Gita and Japa beads would be packed. That was a huge mistake! A good sankirtana devotee always needs a generous supply of Krishna conscious materials.
Krishna, being the Supreme Controller, did not need me or any of my insignificant sentimental attempts at serving Him. On the one hand, I felt humiliated yet, on the other, I was amazed by Krsna's magnificent independent potency of using a brand new bhaktin in spreading His Holy Name. Back in the high-speed mode of passion training I was walking thru the barracks of 56 female soldiers. From a top bunk I was hearing Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. Private Aber, a 19-year-old from Pennsylvania decided to pack all her Krishna conscious materials because unlike myself, she had great attachment to the Lord. Aber was teaching Private Duncan, a 17-year-old from Arkansas how to chant Japa. A crowd began to gather on the top bunk. Aber requested my assistance in preaching. I told Aber she was preaching perfectly, she should continue. Listening to her glorify Lord Krishna I realized who the real heros were: the soldiers themselves.
Aber took out her copy of Back To Godhead and passed it around. That was not enough, she displayed all her cool pictures of Krishna that she had cut out of old BBT calanders my godsister sent us. The barracks was filled with oohs and aahs over the beautiful art.
Private Wise, a 20-year-old from Alabama, was a very nice artist. She took one of the picture and went back to her bunk. It was 21:00, (9:00 pm) lights out. Wise took out her flashlight and continued to draw a picture of Krsna late into the night. She woke me up a few hours later to ask if her drawing looked like God. "Oh, yes this was God." I assured her. The night before graduation when we were all given back our cell phones, ipods, and civilian clothes the soldiers went nuts enjoying what limited sense gratification was available.
Duncan decided we should have kirtana. She led us in a sweet kirtana as I tapped on the metal bunks and made the sound of karatals. Aber led us in prayer asking Lord Krishna to protect us birth after birth.
2) Basic Combat Training Fort Jackson, South Carolina by Mitravinda devi dasi
I was thinking my Army career was finished before it even started. In the military doctor's office, he stamped my medical file with "PTRP", Physical Therapy Rehab Platoon. Several broken bones and a hip injury; I wondered what mistake was made. Right now I should be chanting Hare Krsna in a nice devotee community. The doctor explained to me that I may need screws in my hip and at my age I may not heal so fast; I may never run again. He suggested I consider a medical discharge.
"What in the world would possess a 40-year-old female, initiated Hare Krishna devotee to enlist in active duty in the US Army during war?"
My drill sergeants, military gurus, wished me well as they dropped me off at the Physical Therapy unit. It was a sad separation as we had come to respect and care for each other. My head hung low in shame, lamenting in my failure. When I looked up I noticed that the soldier standing in line ahead of me, also waiting to be admitted, had a name tag on the back of his cap. His name was "Misra". A reunion of souls!! Private Misra just moved to the USA from the Fiji Islands where he attended an ISKCON temple. In the States however he did not live near a temple, and this was his first time since being here, 6 months, that he met a devotee. He asked about Bhagavad Gita.
Later, I tied a Bhagavad Gita in a bag to the handle of my crutches and somehow made my way to his barracks. I understood at that moment why I was here, to serve guru and Krishna, to somehow please Srila Prabhupada. Eight months, 252 of Srila Prabhupada books later, I graduated from Basic Combat Training.
From Hours of physical therapy and retraining I was able to run again, no screws or surgery required. In training we have very strict rules, one of which is no reading material outside religious or military is allowed. The Bhagavad Gita, Mahabharta and Ramayana are all considered both religious and military and thus accepted as approved literature. Fort Jackson, South Carolina trains 45,000 new soldiers annually, 90% of whom will be deployed to combat within a year's time. Mostly young American men and women between the ages of 17-25 who for the first time in our nations history will enter war and have the opportunity to meet Lord Jaganatha. A wonderful devotee named Partha-sarthi dasa has already established the presence of Lord Jaganatha on base in Iraq. Prasadam and book distribution on the battlefield, are a part of this sankirtana mission.
In the physical therapy unit we were expected to heal our bodies. Extremely boring for a soldier who is used to high-speed mode-of-passion activity. We passed our days dreaming of the time we could return to full training.
Weekly Bhagavad Gita classes on Sundays, watching Abaya Charan videos and nightly readings of Mahabharata. The new bhaktas and bhaktins came from places like Wyoming, Nebraska, South Dakota. Some were Creole, Native Hawaiian, Eskimo, white, black and mixed. These soldiers were the most awesome devotees. We chanted japa together and when I felt hopeless they reminded me of Krsna. Several of our authorities already knew about Krsna from years of prior sankirtana. The Chaplain, Company First Sergeant, and Drill Sergeants already heard of Krsna from devotees in Germany and Italy located near US Military bases. One Drill Sergeant even reported having met devotees in Bosnia.
