Chapter 40

[Guest guest]

Diary of a Traveling Preacher

 

Volume 3, Chapter 40

 

June 12-18, 2001

 

On June 12 we packed up our festival program in Gorzow Wielkopolski and

headed south, back towards Lodz to begin final preparations for our festival

there. Gorzow Wielkopolski had been a picnic for the devotees - we were

special guests in the city and the authorities had made all the arrangements

for our festival program. Devotees were relaxed and had enjoyed the

preaching, but the light mood gradually changed as we drove south.

 

The attack on our festival in Tomaszow, near Lodz, was still fresh in the

minds of the devotees, and word had spread among them that our hired

security felt that Lodz was the most dangerous city in Poland. Although the

harinamas we had in Lodz before leaving for Gorzow Wielkopolski were well

received, the writing was "on the walls" in Lodz. The all-pervading graffiti

in the city revealed the hate and frustration of much of the youth there:

"Poland for Poles,Death to Jews," and "Nazis Rule Here" are favored

slogans on the sides of buildings everywhere. Lodz is an industrial town

with lots of factories, but many people are out of work. Boredom and

frustration give rise to the sentiments of xenophobia (extreme nationalism)

that caused the attack on our festival in Tomaszow.

 

The further south we drove the worse the weather became. Big black clouds

hovered overheard as we passed Lodz and neared our base. After looking out

the window, one devotee turned to me and said, "Maharaja, some devotees feel

we're asking for trouble by doing a festival in Lodz. They say the same

people who attacked us in Tomaszow may come back."

 

I replied, "We shouldn't worry. Devotees are not afraid to defend themselves

if necessary." I quoted from a class by Srila Prabhupada in London in July

1973:

 

". . . Vaisnavas do not simply chant Hare Krnsa. If there is need, they can

fight under the guidance of Visnu and become victorious . . . Generally, a

Vaisnava is non-violent [however] if Krsna wants we shall be prepared to

become violent also."

 

I then said, "But if there's trouble we won't do the fighting. We're well

protected by our hired security team for the entire three-day festival.

Don't worry, their very presence will act as a deterrent to anyone who would

want to harm us. We must go ahead with the festival. Many interested people

are expressing a desire to come. All the major local newspapers have written

articles about the festival. If there's anything we should worry about it's

those dark clouds above. They're our most formidable enemy right now!"

 

Not wanting to worry the devotee, I didn't share with him the advice our

security firm's manager gave at a recent meeting. He had said, "Despite all

the security we're offering you, there remains one way your enemies can stop

this festival for good."

 

"What's that?" I said.

 

Looking at me intently, he said, "Take you out."

 

Coming closer, he continued, "You have to take certain precautions from now

on. From the attack in Tomaszow it's obvious that some people will go to any

extreme to try to stop your festival. Here's a brochure describing different

types of bullet-proof vests. You'd be wise to place an order."

 

Taken aback, I thought to myself, "A bullet-proof vest! What would the

sannyasis of yore think of that? They were carrying only a water pot and a

staff, and here I'll be wearing a bullet-proof vest and carrying a can of CS

tear gas and a fighting stick tucked into my dhoti!"

 

I was going to reply that Krsna protects His devotees, but I realized Krsna

expects His devotees to use their intelligence as well. The story of Narada

Muni initiating a cobra flashed through my mind. Narada had accepted the

cobra as a disciple, and at his initiation ceremony the snake had promised

to follow the four regulative principles. But Narada Muni requested one more

discipline of him, and said: "Don't bite anyone."

 

Having heard the snake wouldn't bite anyone any more, all the children

started throwing sticks and stones at him as he slithered through town the

next day. The snake returned to Narada Muni's asrama that evening and

complained about the children taunting him. Narada Muni chastised his unique

disciple, saying, "I instructed you not to bite, but I didn't tell you to

give up your intelligence! If the children come near you again, simply show

your hood like you are going to bite . . . then they'll run away!"

 

The security team manager continued speaking: "It's your decision, but don't

underestimate your enemies."

 

I pushed the brochure back across the table . . . and he pushed it back.

"We're not playing games here," he said. "Give me your measurements."

 

When we arrived back at our base near Lodz, a letter was waiting for us from

the police in Tomaszow investigating the attack on our festival. They

discovered that on the day of our program a van had been rented by a priest

in the town of Czestochowa, 50km south of Tomaszow, which had transported 15

tough-looking boys to a parking lot not far from our program. Witnesses had

seen the boys hurrying to the festival site near the end of our program, and

20 minutes later running back to the van which then sped off. Further

evidence indicates that these boys may have been responsible for the havoc

that night. The investigation is continuing and legal action is to be taken

at its completion.

 

The night before the first day of the Lodz festival I tossed and turned in

bed unable to sleep. I was in anxiety about the event. I knew it could be a

huge festival, if only because we had done more advertising for it than any

festival before. We had distributed almost 50,000 invitations, put up more

than 1000 posters, and been featured throughout the media. The stage was

set. But two things weighed heavily on my mind: the frustrated youth of Lodz

and the dark rain clouds that continued to hang over the city.

 

When I woke up in the morning after a brief sleep, the first thing I did was

look out the window. The clouds were darker than the previous day and I

could feel the air thick with moisture. I asked a devotee to buy a

newspaper, and when it came my worst apprehensions were confirmed - the

weather report predicted rain. But my eye caught another concern which

hadn't been brought to my attention - not far from our outdoor festival, and

at the same time, there was to be a major soccer match, a sure sign of

trouble.

 

I did puja to my Deities, Laksmi-Nrsimhadeva, with all the devotion I could

muster, ran through the whole morning program with the devotees, and after

prasadam put everyone on to our buses to the festival site. Under ominous

clouds we worked for many hours setting everything up, and at 4.30pm opened

the festival to a small crowd. After one hour the crowd had grown to only

2000 people. Of course, many yatras would consider such a crowd a big

success, but our problem is never getting too few people - it is how to deal

with the huge crowds we often get of 10,000 or more. I attributed the "poor"

attendance to the possibility of rain, but as time went on the rain held off

and things were going smoothly.

 

The 15 men on the security team, however, appeared somewhat nervous,

apparently knowing the nature of the youth in Lodz and the fact that any

trouble at the nearby soccer match could easily spill into our festival. But

I couldn't see how these men had anything to worry about - each one of them

was over 6.5ft tall and built like a fighting machine with huge muscles,

fierce eyes and scowls on their faces! All of them were dressed in black and

armed with various weapons.

 

At one point, I approached the man in charge of security and asked if

everything was all right. He replied that we didn't have to worry about

anything, but that he did want to speak to me about one thing. I agreed and

we sat down to talk.

 

He said, "Maharaja, I don't want my men eating your food any more. During

the last festivals your devotees have been giving them all kinds of things

to eat from your restaurant."

 

I said, "Are you worried there may be drugs in the food?"

 

"No," he replied, "I know your pure standards. The problem is that your food

has a special effect on my men. It makes them become like all of you."

 

"What do you mean?" I said.

 

"It makes them smile all the time. It makes them soft and loving and

compassionate. These men have to be tough to do this job. Your food is

turning my lions into lambs! Just look over there."

 

I glanced over towards our restaurant, and saw two of his men eating samosas

while laughing and joking with the devotees in a relaxed manner.

 

"They were never like that before," he said. "It's the food, the singing,

and the whole atmosphere!"

 

"OK," I consented, "when the festival season is over we'll give them

prasadam to take home."

 

I wandered over to the stage just as Sri Prahlad and the Village of Peace

reggae band started to play. Darkness was setting in, but I could still see

the security men dressed in black guarding the stage. As Sri Prahlad and the

band broke into a number chanting Hare Krsna, I looked closely at the

security men and saw the words of their chief come true - they were swaying

slightly back and forth chanting the holy names! I left it to the chief to

tell them not to sing on the job - for me it was once again confirmation of

the power of the holy names to turn hearts of steel into soft butter.

 

"As the rising sun immediately dissipates all the world's darkness, which is

deep like an ocean, so the holy name of the Lord, if chanted once without

offenses, can dissipate all the reactions of a living being's sinful life.

All glories to that holy name of the Lord, which is auspicious for the

entire world!"

[Padyavali, Text 16]

 

After days of worrying about the festival I started to relax, seeing our

preaching bear fruit.

 

Then suddenly, without warning, I saw them coming . . . a big gang of youths

appeared on the field out of nowhere. I immediately recognized them by their

attire - skinheads! Dressed in black boots, tight Levi's and T-shirts, they

moved slowly towards the crowd. Their faces manifested the same hate and

anger I'd seen on numerous occasions on the street, and at the festival in

Tomaszow in particular. The ominous words of the devotee I had spoken to a

few days earlier came to mind: "Maharaja, some devotees feel we're asking

for trouble by doing a festival in Lodz. They say the same people who

attacked us in Tomaszow may come back."

 

I looked to the left and right and saw our security men move in closer and

brace themselves for trouble. The skinheads went slowly through the festival

area keeping in a big group, as they always do. As they moved around, people

backed away and I even saw some start to leave, fearing violence. I looked

again towards the security men who were hastily meeting, obviously planning

a strategy if a fight broke out. The situation was tense and my adrenaline

was running. I touched my jacket to make sure that my tear gas and fighting

stick were still in my pocket - and then it happened.

 

The skinheads moved quickly into the crowd of young people dancing before

the stage and stood there for a moment, as if waiting for a signal. The

security men started moving towards them. Sri Prahlad and the band,

oblivious to the danger, were singing another song with the maha mantra,

chanting the holy names loudly while the drummer played a driving beat that

had the kids dancing wildly. I jumped on to the stage, figuring it would be

a vantage point if there was a fight. Suddenly, to my amazement I saw a few

of the skinheads start to tap their big black boots to the music. Then as

our powerful sound system carried the maha mantra far and wide, some of the

skinheads stood there as if dazed, then slowly but surely began repeating

the words of the mantra. After a few minutes all of them were chanting and

swaying back and forth - a little self conscious at first, but as soon as

the kids saw them chanting, they grabbed them and pulled them into the

kirtan and they started dancing wildly! Eventually they were completely

absorbed in the kirtan, chanting Hare Krsna at the top of their lungs and

twirling and dancing without abandon. I sat down at the front of the stage

in utter astonishment. As I did so, I saw the security men back off to their

original position, smiling to themselves.

 

I said to myself, "What is happening here? How is it that these boys who

came here intent on fighting are now laughing and dancing along with the

devotees? How has this sudden change of heart come over them?"

 

I looked at Sri Prahlad, perspiring profusely as he chanted the holy names

with deep faith and conviction from the stage and leaping and twirling

through the air. I looked at the audience again and saw skinheads,

teenagers, children and adults all holding hands dancing in a big circle.

The lights from the stage illuminated them and made them appear as a huge

firebrand being twirled around.

 

As the kirtan went on I sat there in amazement. At one point I thought to

myself, "My God, this is what it must have been like during the time of Lord

Caitanya! The gentle and the ruffians all chanting the holy names together

in ecstasy by the unfathomable mercy of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu."

 

Knowing it to be one of those rare occasions that we experience only once in

a great while in Krsna consciousness, I relished every moment. Then suddenly

the band stopped and the kirtan was over. The skinheads, still laughing and

enjoying themselves, just turned around and started walking out of the

festival grounds. In a few minutes they were gone - although you could still

hear them from a distance singing Hare Krsna. I immediately thought of the

pastime of Srila Haridas Thakur, who at one time lived in a cave with a

dangerous snake. People hesitated to come and see him, and so one day the

snake (being inspired by the Supersoul within his heart) just slithered away

and left. It seemed to me that these hooligans had been directed by the Lord

within their hearts to chant Hare Krsna . . . and afterwards He sent them

away.

 

All glories to the holy names! All glories to our most merciful master, Lord

Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is the shelter for the whole cosmic manifestation

and the actual protector of His devotees!

 

"Chanting the Hare Krsna maha mantra, His own holy names which bring

auspiciousness to the world, His hand trembling with love as He touches the

knotted string about His waist to count the number of names, His face bathed

in tears as He comes and goes, eager to see His own form of Lord Jagannatha,

and bringing great delight to the eyes of all, may the golden form of Lord

Caitanya protect you all!"

[sri Caitanya-candramrta - Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati]