One new devotee's realization

[Guest guest]

911:

 

An emergency wake up call for Krishna Consciousness

 

By James S. Seymour, II

 

(Aka Bhakta Jim)

 

I was moved to write down some thoughts about Krishna Consciousness in light of

the shocking events that transpired in New York City on the 11th of September

2001. First off, please permit me to give the readers some background on how I

personally came into the orbit of Srila Prabhupada's teachings and Krishna

Consciousness.

 

As a public high school teacher (and football coach!), I had the very good

fortune of having some devotee children enrolled in my school district's

independent study program. The way the program works is that students meet

with me once a week for all their assignments, and then turn the work back in

the following week. This allows students the flexibility of pursuing subjects

not offered in the regular curriculum, and also the time to work in family

businesses, etc. Anyway, by Krishna's causeless mercy, I got to gradually

associate more and more with this wonderful devotee family. Now after about

three years, I am holding bhakti yoga classes twice a week in my own home!

There is a growing number of young people here in my community who are

realizing that the only way to solve their myriad problems is to chant the Holy

Names of Krishna, and in their own individual fashions, to weave Prabhupada's

teachings into the fabric of their daily lives.

 

This summer, I was sent to a US History teacher workshop (on the Revolutionary

War) in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. I decided that while I was back east, I

should explore not only the origins of the United States, but of Krishna

Consciousness in America! So, with a dual "karmi/Krishna" angle of vision, I

made plans to visit Washington DC, Philadelphia and Boston, along with Tompkins

Square Park, 26th Second Avenue, New Vrindavana, Prabhupada's Palace of Gold,

etc. Wow! What an incredible "education" I received this summer. I spent the

entire month of August on the east coast.

 

It is truly amazing, how seeing the world through Prabhupada's teachings just

totally transforms your reactions to everyday people, places, and things. I am

working on getting my private pilots license, and being the son of an airline

pilot, I thought for sure that a visit to the National Air and Space museum at

the Smithsonian would be a real rush. I have to admit that it held no

fascination for me. In fact, it was a very disturbing experience, especially

in light of what Prabhupada had to say about America's moon landings. To

witness thousands upon thousands of tourists just "ooing and awing" over the

marvels of our scientific and technological achievements actually made me sick

to my stomach.

 

Maya is so thick, so insidious, and so completely all consuming, that I

realized; without the Holy Names, without Krishna Kirtan, this planet is a

sinking ship of misery and suffering. All I could do for relief was to quietly

chant Hare Krishna to myself, and constantly think about what Prabhupada

actually did for this planet's suffering living entities, by personally risking

everything he had for our benefit. For an "All-American guy" like me to come

to Krishna Consciousness relatively late in the game, (I'm 36 years old), it is

still very uncomfortable at times to live here in America, knowing what I now

know. But fear not, the story definitely gets better from here!

 

After "doing the Capital thing" in DC under a full moon in Pisces, I made my

way over to West Virginia to see a dear friend of mine who also happens to be a

neophyte Krishna devotee- and get this- a Major in the United States Army! We

went together (on Janmastami) to see New Vrindavana and the Palace of Gold.

While there, we met up with two wonderful devotees, Balabhadra das and his wife

Chayadevi. Obviously, the Palace of Gold was awe inspiring, and a beautiful

tribute to our eternal Spiritual Master.

 

However, as an environmentally oriented educator, I was deeply moved with the

Cow Protection work being done by these humble and dedicated devotees of

Prabhupada. Especially after the events of September 11, (and what they might

signal with regard to global conflict), karmically speaking, Cow Protection

takes on a whole new urgency. I recall now where Prabhupada taught us that

widespread animal slaughter is the cause of world wars. So as we lurch ahead

into the future of Kali Yuga after these terrorist actions, it is indeed a very

profound thing to ponder.

 

Probably the most incredible and enlivening experience on this summer sojourn

was what lay ahead for me in New York City itself! By Krishna's arrangement, I

found myself at the St. Mark's Place Sri Radha Govinda Temple, right in the

thick of the lower east side! I felt a deep historical significance being able

to stay so close to the elm tree in Tompkins Square Park, where everything

started back in 1966! As luck would have it, the very first Harinam of my life

started right there at the elm tree, with devotees coming from several

different temples to join in.

 

It was an intense synchronicity for me that right after touring the capitol of

the United States of America, I would be in the capitol of Krishna

Consciousness in America! We circled the elm tree several times, and then made

our way all through the Bowery, finally ending up at the 26th Second Avenue

Temple. I got to walk into the back courtyard where that famous picture of

Prabhupada standing next to a fountain was taken. I thought to myself, "this

is where history was made, not in Valley Forge or Philadelphia!"

 

But that's not all! I got to actually live for a week in the St. Mark's Place

temple, and finally experience "a sliver" of devotee life. It was a very

purifying experience for me, because up until that time, the daily reality of

being out on the streets was all just a mental concept. We would go out

everyday and have kirtan, while distributing Prabhupada's books. New York is a

wonderful place to preach Krishna Consciousness because overall, everyone

really loves the Krishnas.

 

The week wrapped up with some very climactic events. I got to join with

several other devotees and have a rousing harinam in Times Square on a Saturday

night, as well as chant Hare Krishna with other devotees who were riding in a

big yellow truck right down Madison Avenue in the India Day Parade!

 

I'd like to conclude this little story by saying that before I learned about

Krishna Consciousness, (i.e. as a karmi), I really have "been there, and done

that". I grew up in southern California and graduated from college at UC Santa

Barbara, which is a real "party school" to be sure; where drinking alcohol and

chasing girls are the focal points of life. I've traveled the world many times

over, made tons of money, played music on MTV, worked on a blockbuster film,

hob-knobbed with boozing politicians at the National Republican Convention,

scuba dived on the Great Barrier Reef, and basically done my fair share of

wild, crazy and really stupid things early on in this lifetime.

 

So I can honestly say, with 100% conviction, that there is no single activity

in this material world that is more thrilling, more enlivening, more blissful,

more potent, more purifying, and utterly more important for the future of this

planet than the congregational chanting of the Lord's Holy Names!!!

 

I am making an urgent, honest, heartfelt plea to the Krishna Devotees of the

world, but most especially to those in New York City!!! Please, as Srila

Prabhupada's followers: organize yourselves and converge in large numbers upon

this disaster zone of America, and bombard the atmosphere with the Holy Names

of KRISHNA.

 

If other karmi groups can organize everything from "million man marches", to

gay pride parades to Super Bowls, why can't all the different temple groups of

Hare Krishnas re-energize Lord Caitanya's Sankirtan Movement, and zero in on

New York City? This is a perfect "launch window" of opportunity!

 

It's no coincidence that Srila Prabhupada chose New York as the epicenter of

Krishna Consciousness in the western world. New York City sets the pace for

the rest of the world in every sphere of activity, from finance and fashion, to

art, music and cuisine. If devotees could stage kirtans around the clock all

through the city, with special focus around the damaged areas, they could not

only help to counteract the glaring effects of Maya, but could also focus

international media attention on Prabhupada's Movement!

 

This terrorist event is actually the wake up call for all the Krishna Devotees

of Prabhupada's Society to transcend the "little sectarian differences" that

have preoccupied and stagnated the movement! This in-house quarreling has not

only turned-off multitudes of potential new devotees, but it has kept existing

devotees from the real work that is so urgently needed, RIGHT NOW, which is

widespread, intensive, and focused efforts to invade New York City with Krishna

Kirtans!!! As an ex football coach, believe me! There's nothing like a

"COMEBACK KID"!

 

Why not start a massive, second wave of Krishna Consciousness in America?

With a constant onslaught of kirtans all over the city, devotees could get

media coverage on Larry King Live, Oprah Winfrey, 20/20, Nightline, you name

it! (Besides, all the other religious groups are banding together to pray for

the victims of the terrorist disaster, and they're getting media attention!)

So, it is in this spirit of national urgency that I urge all the leaders of

ISKCON, plus any and all other Krishna groups to unite in the Holy Names, and

really BOMB New York with the one sound that can end all quarreling and

dissention:

 

 

 

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare,

 

Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare!

 

 

 

So, "who's game"? To quote President John F. Kennedy, "If not you, who? If

not now, when?"

 

 

 

Thank you all very, very much for reading this, and All Glories to Srila

Prabhupada!

 

Hare Krishna!

 

 

 

 

 

My email address is: james_seymourii (AT) excite (DOT) com, jimmy171 (AT) juno (DOT) com

 

 

 

Very Sincerely,

 

Your most fallen, eternal servant,

 

 

 

James S. Seymour, II.

 

AKA (Bhakta Jim)