Padayatra America's Report # 16 - Nov 15 2003 thru March 26 2004

[Guest guest]

Padayatra América

 

Nov.15-Dec-Jan-Feb.15

 

Three months in New Raman Reti, the winter is coming to an end and soon with the

mercy of the Lord we will be on the road again. During this time we have been

doing local parikramas every weekend leaving Saturday, returning to the temple

on Sunday. The participation has been excellant, sometimes reaching up to 150

devotees. Everybody appreciates Sri Sri Nitai-Gaurasundara's "mood" of walking

and chanting- a simple powerful way of preaching Krsna consciousness to others.

The reception is so good devotees are "fighting" to have The Lordships in their

houses.

 

Difficulties are always there, but always there is a teaching behind. This

winter the Lord reveal to me why a preacher/aspiring renunciant should not stay

too long in one place... to stay in one place has the tendency to bring

familiarity, which in turn may generate disrespect (complacency); criticism and

politics-and especially the propensity to think that we are the "controllers".

 

Now there is realization, because on the road there are no politics, no

criticisms, no familiarity, and the only doer is the Supreme Personality of

Godhead who personally reciprocates with His devotee in all spheres through His

forms as Nitai-Gaurasundara and Jwala Nrsinha. The only consideration there is

how to continue,how will the Lord distribute His mercy today. It is perpetually

a situation where we humble ourselves and let the Lord take care of the

arrangements.

 

We are looking forward to our next trek Florida to Mexico.

 

Nitai-Gaurasundara´s padayatra mood is unique and powerful - we have seen the

attraction of countless devotees and non-devotees. This is Srila Prabhupada´s

perfect vision as he had wanted programs like this all over the world (a letter

addressed to the New Talavana farm USA discloses his desire that devotees there

and globally should initiate traditional padayatras) and we pray to be an

instrument in preserving the simplicity and purity of the program which is what

has made it so appealing.

 

Also during this time Lord Nrsimhadeva has fully manifested His vigraha form

through our good friend Indradyumna prabhu. His factions as Jwala Nrsimha are

now fully visible. (Indradyumna prabhu assisted by painting the Lord) The Lord

always reciprocates with our desires that are for His pleasure......

 

Sometime ago we want to cancel a Saturday program in the house of Gadi & Sranti

prabhus due to the distance (22 miles roundtrip) instead thinking it would be

better to visit them on the way out; (as we would be traveling that way on our

journey out of the dhama)and coinciding with the visit of His Holiness

Indradyumna Maharaja- that way we could get the blessings of the Vaisnavas to

continue. It would be a beautiful way to glorify Their Lordships in Their

departure. Thinking like this we continued, not asking further into it. Then

suddenly the week of the scheduled parikrama Gadi prabhu called and canceled the

program ! his wife Mother Sranti has to finish the Deity outfit for

Gaura-Purnima holiday and doesn´t have time to make arrangements (and he´s out

of town). Jaya!! Nitai-Gaurasundara reciprocate one more time with this fallen

soul. The date was changed for the day that Maharaja will be there....everyone

was happy.

 

March 22

 

We leave the dhama at 4 pm. We will have a few programs in the community before

we leave the area. Viththalesvar prabhu, a senior padayatri has joined us, a few

more devotees are interested...

 

March 23

 

We have seen how sweet the reciprocation has been between Nitai-Gaurasundara and

the community in Alachua -especially the young devotees- for padayatra has been

a blessing having been an instrument by which the Lord has made impressions in

those kids that they will never forget. For them good reflections in Krsna

conscious activities will help later to have positive/transcendental

remembrances. Some things may become routine, but seeing the Deities come out of

the temple with the horses and 100+ devotees moving on the roads in such a

joyous procession- all of them will be able to remember these unique moments of

Krsna consciousness on padayatra. We have witnessed the impact that the Lord has

had on them.

 

 

©2004 - Padayatra Office

 

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