[Nectar] Laxmi Nrsimha Tour

[Guest guest]

11 Jul 05, Siemysl

Today we have a day off, so I have some time to write a little

contemplation on this whole amazing event.

As much as I can say, there is nothing comparable to it. The sweet

mood of cooperation between devotees from all over the world, who

would in either case perhaps never met, this sweet will to stick

together to spread more Krishna's nectar to more and more people, the

never ending enthusiasm to hold about 50 festivals in 3 months...

But why is all this happening? Why are so many devotees leaving their

regular services to go to some far place in Eastern Europe? I can

clearly say that it's only because of HH Indradyumna Swami Maharaja.

It's his firm faith in his spiritual master, HDG AC Bhaktivedanta

Swami Prabhupada, it's his inexhaustible preaching mood, the real

taste for the Holy Names and of course the real will to share this

nectar with as many people as possible.

Maharaja is such a great personality! Although he has so busy schedule

- organizing these festivals, collecting funds for it, constant

preaching, traveling all around the world, writing his Diary of a

Traveling Preacher, and many other activities, he is always trying to

find some time to spend with his disciples and have as much personal

relationship as possible, which is not an easy task if you consider

his having more than 2000 disciples now. Especially here one can

easily feel his loving care for all devotees, not just his diksa

disciples. Almost every morning he's coming to sing the mangala arati

and chant japa with devotees and than he often gives a wonderful

class. He also goes on every harinam and it is he who encourage

everyone to go to harinam and dance and sing nicely. Just once he

didn't go with harinam party and I felt his absence so much, something

was just missing. And of course without him the whole Festival tour

would not exist. Even if there are so many expert devotees who can do

so many things, even if the management is after 15 years experience

well build and the whole structure of the festivals looks like a

perfect machine, still we all know that if "Srila Gurudeva" would not

oversee and protect this project, there wouldn't be any Tour at all.

He really acts like a loving and caring father. Even if he chastise

you, you just know that it's in your own interest.

And he is SO kind to children. He knows very well that if you somehow

influence people from their very early years, even if they maybe not

become devotees immediately, they will be always favorable to Krsna

consciousness in their adult age. And of course children are very

naturally attracted by him, so he is many times accompanied by some

kids. He is so nice to them that I sometimes wish I were a child too:)

What I really appreciate on him is his steadiness and this sense for

sattva everywhere. It's really not easy to manage to somehow keep the

necessary quality of goodness amongst so many devotees from so many

places, since everyone naturally has little different habits and

manners plus there are also some devotees (like me) who are little

difficult to deal with etc. But by Maharaja's words and his personal

exemplary behavior we don't have much problems at all. Every little

thing here is simply dedicated to serve his mission to serve the

mission of Srila Prabhupada and Lord Caitanya, and this keeps also our

dealings with others in a very pleasant and peaceful state. There may

be big differences between us all but simply because we all love him,

this great thing is forever going on.

Srila Indradyumna Maharaja kiiiii-jaaaaaya!!!!!!

 

 

13th Jul 05, Mrzezyno

Today is our second day of festivals in the town of Mrzezyno, which is

a port town and our festival site is just in the very port next to

many fishermen boats and fish restaurants. Even though I was first

thinking that we won't have many visitors here, actually it's quite an

opposite. And people here are really nice, even if they looked little

cold when we first came for harinam here. But not everybody. Yesterday

the festival was almost cancelled because of the shopkeepers in the

area was making troubles and the problem was solved in last minutes.

And there was sooo wonderful harinam yesterday, but because this

problems our set up crew was late with constructing out festivals

tents, so few of us (including me...) were called back from the

harinam to help. For me it was really a test since the harinam was

just so ecstatic and I was so mental but I had to go. And these last

days are so hot, so it was quite heavy to carry these iron sticks and

put up tents etc. But this is really Krsna consciousness movement -

dancing and singing and festivals, however when something is really

need to be done, you just go even from the most ecstatic kirtan or

lecture and do it. Simply surrender.

HH Indradyumna Maharaja gave this morning a lecture in which he said a

lot about this surrender, how we should always try to improve our

devotional activities and always want to serve more and please Krsna

and spiritual master more and more. And he also emphasized that if we

really try to be recognized by Krsna and do our best for Him, He is

very pleased and notices us even in this little tiny planet in this

insignificant universe somewhere in a dark corner of spiritual world.

That was very encouraging.

Tomorrow HH Bhakti Vidya Purna Swami Maharaja will come and stay with

us next ten days (jaya!). Just recently I heard one of his lectures

where he said, that before taking rest we should pay obeisances to our

spiritual master and also meditate on how much service have we done

for our spiritual master this day, and he said that this list may have

been sometimes quite short. So our meditation should also be, how to

improve it. And when we wake up, we should do practically the same,

e.a. think about how to really do what we wanted to improve. That was

very inspiring for me especially in these days, when we all have a

rare chance to serve directly to such an advanced personality as His

Holiness Indradyumna Swami. And from so many of his activities and

words you can feel that he really appreciate this service.

And one more thing - I remember that before I left to Poland, HG

Vijaya Prabhu gave a lecture in our Prague temple and he said Gaura

Nitai are actually present where the sankirtan is being spread. So

even if I left my deities at home, I can really say They are present

here and happily enjoying these great festivals. Just now 18 Days have

a concert and again so many people dance and sang maha mantra. This is

real life.

 

14 Jul 05, Mrzezyno

Last day of our festival in the port town was again very nice. Even

though the town itself is quite small, again many people came and we

were blessed to give them somehow another dose of soul purification.

Let me point out some of the highlights of today's celebration of the

Holy Name of Sri Krsna.

First of all, we had a wedding ceremony today. This event itself

attracted a crowd of people right from the beginning. I didn't want to

watch the ceremony but somehow I was engaged in the kirtan which led

the groom and the bride to the stage, so I could realize that these

things are mostly done only because we can have a kirtan and

distribute some maha prasadam from the yajna. People of course loved

the whole ceremony very much.

Then to our great pleasure (especially of bhaktin Sol) HH Bhakti Vidya

Purna Swami arrived and even visited the festival site! It was very

nice to watch the two Maharajas expressing to each other their

friendship in service to their spiritual master, the most perfect

relationship one can have. So tomorrow we will see him for the first

time giving a lecture in real, we are very much looking forward to it.

I had two nice experience with local kids today. When I was in the

festival shop, there came a little boy. I noticed him before, when we

took prasad, he was going around saying "haribol". He looked quite

poor, was little dirty and wore only something like bathing dress. In

the shop he started to speak Polish, so I just say haribol and he did

the same. I could only lament I can't speak and understand Polish very

good, because I knew he was asking about Krsna. I just understand when

he asked "Krishna jest Bog?" (Krishna is God?) so I just confirmed

this and was very surprised by this little kid, who already has some

spiritual knowledge, so I gave him a little picture of Sri Makhan

Chora (Krishna stealing butter). Later while 18 Days played another

concert, I went little aside and read Bhagavad gita, when two boys

with beer glasses passed by. The first of them started to shout some

vulgar words in Polish (this time I regret I understand some Polish

words:), but then the other boy came to me and never mind he was

obviously little drunken, I could understand he was trying to

apologize for his friend's behavior and express that he also believes

in God. It was very nice. Actually I really appreciate how pious

Polish people are. There are churches in every town and people are

really going there, of course mainly on the Sunday mass. You can

hardly see any provoking advertisement and even on the beach all

adults wear at least some swimming dress. Even nuns are often smiling

and waving at us. And of course the main evidence is that people are

also interested in our books. One Ukrainian devotee, Sakhatari Prabhu,

goes often with harinam and distributes books. Till recent days he

didn't have any translator with him, and still he told me that during

one harinam he distributed about 14 books! It's quite a lot if you

consider that he doesn't speak Polish and he is distributing books in

Polish on beaches of Baltic sea dressed in saffron robe... Well, he is

really special personality, he is very humble and dedicated to the

mission of his Gurudeva, really nice.

That's all for now, you can expect more nectar in next days...

 

ys bh mira