"The Good And Bad Parts of Devotional Service"

[Guest guest]

"The Good And Bad Parts of Devotional Service"

by Bhakta Red

Way back in l975, I became a permanent Tulasi plant worker. My name

was officially: Bhakta "Red". I was from Muscle Beach, so I enjoyed

lifting the big Tulasis around. Mother Vidya was in charge and taught

me everything she knew about Tulasi worship.

 

Mother Vidya said: "Tulasi picks you; there's certain one's that

Tulasi likes, and the others she's indifferent to." Well, Tulasi sure

liked me. I could feel the energy coming off Her two-feet away; and

when I picked manjaries in the morning, I would take a nap and

envision Tulasi manjaries floating before me, and this was normal.

 

Sometimes, I could feel strong love vibrations from five-feet away. I

could even feel bliss going into a store for fertilizer for Tulasi. I

gave Her most of my money since the green house kept expanding.

 

Then, in late l977, pressure came from within and without for me to

"join the Temple." I was scared, since it seemed too regimented, and

I had been kicked out of the military for being unable to adapt to

military life.

 

So I lay down on the cold wet cement and I prayed for hours; when I

got up and turned the corner to the Watseka Ave. temple, I saw:

"Vaikuntha!" The devotees appeared like Gods, some with seemed like

demigods, "so it was all real."

 

Tulasi showed me "New Dwarka" without the maya. Then, after that, I

just kept getting visions, etc., etc., etc. You wouldn't believe it!

Three days later, I sort of incoherently "joined the temple."

 

I moved into the Tulasi House and slept there at night. I didn't like

the brahmachari "barracks." Well, Tulasi flourished... a little too

much. There were over a THOUSAND Tulasis, and they spread out into

the BBT Book Press's parking lot. There was a "Little Big Man" there

named Radha Ballava Das, who threatened, cursed, and insisted on

getting back the parking places Tulasi was now utilizing.

 

So he, together with Rameswar and Gopal Bhatta, made our lives as

miserable as possible. Rameswar would rant and rave how he hated

Vidya, and I would note that: "he certainly does," (Vidya means:

knowledge). Then, Ramesvara became a Big GBC Guru (however I knew he

had no realization), and he ordered the Tulasis killed, around l978.

 

Gopal Bhatta das came over and tried to bribe me with "guru

initiation" if I would kill the Tulasis. Using Mother Vidya's own

words, I said: "over my dead body." I went out and bought a riot shot

gun, and things stayed tense for a couple of months.

 

But...during that time "Vrinda" appeared before me. She was the most

beautiful Goddess I could ever imagine. She lit up the entire Green

house with an overwhelming pure love. But, believe me, the Goddess

Vrinda is absolutely gorgeous. She really didn't say much. She just

wanted to reward my devotion by appearing before me.

 

Needless to say, this was the high point of my useless life. When

"they" say one moment's association with a pure devotee is worth

thousands of mundane lives; well, multiply that by billions, and you

might have some idea, what "Vrinda Devi" is like.

 

Things were at a standstill until some drunken, debauched, ex-

sannyasi told Rameswar that he heard Prabhupada say it was okay to

kill the Tulasis if there was no other way. I prayed about it, but

couldn't find the answer.

 

If I shot the Tulasi offenders, I didn't think it would look right

for a "love temple." So, I asked the the devotees to rally round and

support Tulasi. Naturally they: especially Ramesvara, Gopal Bhatta

and Radha Ballabha, kicked us Tulasi pujaris out for "inciting anti-

GBC and guru revolution."

 

Then, they destroyed the Green house, and killed over 900 Tulasi

plants! For their sacred parking lot! None of the Tulasi's project

money was the Temple's. The Green House, the grow lights, the

heaters, over l,000 pots, and the soil, even the water bill was paid

by us and private donations. Anadi das was a big contributor in

workmanship both for the house and the beautiful tables.

 

They destroyed the tulasis but kept Her big pots and soil, and put

everyday house plants in them, and distributed them throughout the

community, giving many of their favorite householders big everyday

house plants! They ripped up all the Tulasis and hung them up-side

down to dry-out, in the name of making beads. THEY THEN DUMPED HER IN

THE TRASH. The pujari who was forced to drive the Tulasis to the city

dump, soon went totally blind, within one year.

 

I stayed around. As usuual at the time, they physically threatened to

harm me. I said: "If you touch me I will call the police," and so

they let me keep going to the Temple.

 

Tulasi, as Bhakti Devi, is the Mother of Devotional service, which is

the "Pure Love Energy." They certainly did a good job in destroying

that, and replacing it with their "Guru-Dictatorswork like a

foolish slave" energy. You know, they lost the Press, and didn't even

save the "precious" parking lot.

 

And so they still call me, Bhakta Red