How Long Can We Wait On The Sidelines?

[gHari]

The kids need us:<blockquote>Our small group of 15 devotees put on a simple but attractive stage presentation of bhajan, dance, theater, and a lecture. The people loved it. It seemed it was over before it began, and I soon found myself at the book table, signing books.

 

Suddenly I heard a voice: "Hare Krsna, Srila Gurudeva." Because of the noisy crowd I couldn't tell where the voice was coming from. Then a little hand with a bouquet of flowers came up in front of my face. "This is for you."

 

I looked down and saw a little girl dressed in a sari with a big smile on her face.

 

I smiled back. "Well thank you," I said. "What's your name?"

 

"My name is Kamila, and I'm nine years old," the little girl said. "Don't you remember me?"

 

"Well not exactly," I said. "I meet many children in my travels. But thank you for the flowers."

 

As she was just a child, I wanted to finish the encounter quickly and find a serious adult to preach to.

 

"We met two years ago," she continued, "at another of your festivals in this city. I saw you chanting in the rain that day. When my neighbors told me they were going to your festival, I wanted to go too."

 

"You saw us chanting in the rain?" I said. I thought about my hesitancy to join the kirtan in the bad weather that morning.

 

"Yes," she said, "and that night at the festival, when you saw I was interested, you talked to me and told me stories about Krsna."

 

Suddenly I remembered the little girl.

 

"And I never forgot you," she said. "I pray to you every morning when I wake up and every night before I go to sleep."

 

My eyes suddenly stopped searching the crowd for an older guest, and I looked down at her. "You do? I asked.

 

"Oh yes," she said. "I am so thankful to you."

 

"You are?" I asked.

 

"Yes," she said. "And as I promised you, I have been chanting three rounds on the japa beads you gave me every day. Srila Gurudeva, this time I would like to ask you for a spiritual name."

 

"Are your parents devotees?" I asked.

 

"No," she said, "and they're divorced. I live with my mother."

 

"Oh I see," I said. "Well what will she think if I give you a spiritual name?"

 

"Why don't you ask her?" the girl said. "I brought her to the program tonight. She's just over there. I'll go get her."

 

She ran off and within moments came back with her mother.

 

"I'm pleased to meet you," I said as I shook the mother's hand.

 

"I am more than pleased to meet you," the mother said. "You have done so much for my daughter. She loves you very much. The walls of her room are covered with your photos. I must admit that when she came home from your festival two years ago, I was quite upset. She had gone without my permission."

 

"But my irritation soon changed into astonishment," she continued. "She used to be such a naughty child, so difficult to handle. But after her one meeting with you she changed so much. So how could I complain when she prayed to you every day and chanted on the beads you gave her?

 

"She was even reading your movement's books. As an eight year old, she couldn't understand much, but what she did understand, she shared with her friends at school. One day in religion class, when the priest was speaking unfavorably about other religions, my daughter stood up and challenged him. 'All religions are good,' she said, 'and people have the right to choose the one they want to follow.' When she told him she was a follower of Hare Krsna, he went speechless.

 

"She was asked to leave the class for good. And recently I was called before the school administration. They told me that if she continues preaching about Krsna to her schoolmates, she'll have to leave the school permanently.

 

"They know she doesn't eat the meat served in the cafeteria but brings it home and gives it to the family dog. What would they say if they knew she doesn't even do that anymore? She makes little balls of sweets, offers them to your picture, and then gives them to the dog. I have the fattest dog in the neighborhood.

 

"But believe me, I'm not upset. I realize that I have a special daughter. She's taught me so much. Because of her I am now reading the Bhagavad Gita."

 

The little girl was standing before us, softly chanting on her beads.

 

"She's been so anxious to meet you again she can't sleep at night," the mother added.

 

Kamila smiled and looked up at me again. "Srila Gurudeva," she said, "I'd really like to have a spiritual name, but someone told me I have to chant 16 rounds and be your follower."

 

"Children can get spiritual names," I said, "and I can't imagine a better follower than you."

 

I thought for a moment. "We'll give you the name Syama-lila dasi," I said.

 

She immediately bowed down. When she stood up, she had tears in her eyes. "I'm so grateful," she said.

 

I looked at her mother. "And we're both grateful to you," I said.

 

Syama-lila hugged me and said goodbye.

 

I closed my eyes and thanked the Lord for fulfilling the wish I had shared with Sri Prahlad that day. The Lord had sent a little angel.

 

I looked to the sky and vowed I would never again hesitate to go out and preach the glories of the Lord— even in the rain.

 

dasyam te krpaya Natha

dehi dehi mahaprabho

patitanam prema data

syato yace punah punah

 

"O Mahaprabhu! I beg you again and again. Please be merciful and give me Your service, for You are the bestower of love of Krsna to those fallen into the jaws of the serpent of samsara." [srila Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya, Susloka-Satakam, Text 10]

 

Indradyumna.swami@pamho.net

 

www.traveling-preacher.com

Official website for Diary of a Traveling Preacher

 

© dipika.org June 20, 2004

Full Article

</blockquote>

[theist]

Sounds as if an expansion of Prahlada is among us. Speechless. Thanks gHari.

 

"Become as little children for such is the Kingdom of God."

[Guest guest]

I cried when I read this diary entry. For many weeks and months I have been lamenting about the future of our Krishna Consciousness movement. But now I can see that this little girl's generation will usher us in to the golden age.

[yasodanandana]

prabhu you are responsable of making me cry... hare krsna

 

the harinama is the greatest thing

[stonehearted]

This girl was ready, but Indradyumna Maharaja was out there at the right time. I'm moved by gHari's subject line along with this story. If more of us old-timers were out there giving Krishna consciousness, stories such as this one would not be unusual. I see gHari's subject line as a challenge, and one I need to plan to meet. Thanks, Gary.

[theist]

I experienced this right up in my face and personal yesterday. Every Saturday the berkeley temple and congregation has a harinama for a couple hours on Telegraph Ave. I was reading on campus and heard the drums. It always makes me happy even from a distance just to know they are there. But today they seemed father away than usual; it was due to some construction around their ususal spot. So I felt compelled to walk closer. Couple blocks down Telegraph and there they were across the street. 9-11 devotees chanting Hare Krsna and dancing.

 

I was drawn to join them for a while but didn't. I just stayed across the street and watched them and the passers by. Why didn't I just jump in? There was a time when I would hitchhike for miles to meet up with the sankirtana party. I would run the last few blocks when they came into ear shot feeling exceeding happy with anticipation.

 

Now I won't even cross the street. It's obvious I have died a type of death somewhere along the line.

[AncientMariner]

I have always hoped I could keep waiting on the sidelines until the Kalki-avatar comes but I don't see how I can possibly manage to keep this physical body alive for another 427,000 years. I love the chanting and the books but I just can't stomach the preaching part of it. Isn't it an offense to preach to people that don't want to hear it? At least that is the excuse I always come up with in my brain to save me the trouble.

[yasodanandana]

prabhu

 

i accept the challenge for myself, i have to became pure and competent and i should be preaching

 

but you and other devotees are surely preaching in a very effective way, being or growing as nice vaishnavas in your everyday life..

 

so the preaching is surely going on

[krsna]

Do I feel left out from this grand old party of street sankirtana.

 

The mercy mission of going out every day and at every opportunity to 'save' the fallen conditioned souls who are totally ignorant of their spiritual welfare has passed right out of me.Why?

I realized one day that I'm the one conditioned soul who needs to be 'saved'.Isn't it the greatest mercy is to save oneself?(no ,I'm not Vasudava Datta who wanted to save everyone and he could stay in the material world forever)

 

I feel that I need to become perfect before going out and trying to make others perfect.

How can I tell others to give up eating sweets when I'm still hooked on eating sweets ??? /images/graemlins/confused.gif

[Govindaram]

 

 

3 rounds a day, asks Gurudeva for a spiritual name, this girl has Mercy given to her or what!

 

She even preaches, offers food, reads Bhagavad-Gita, cooks food looks like it, knows to bow down & does it, the thing that broke me, was when she had tears in her eyes, 9 year old kid? Even a Pure devotee must be wishing to see this site!

[theist]

 

...

I love the chanting and the books but I just can't stomach the preaching part of it. Isn't it an offense to preach to people that don't want to hear it? At least that is the excuse I always come up with in my brain to save me the trouble.

 

 

In the previous two verses King Kulaçekhara has expressed himself emphatically, raising his arms and chanting as loudly as he can. He has learned the most precious secret of existence and does not wish to hide it. That which is of such inestimable value—the mantra composed of the names of God—should not be kept secret. People should not be denied access to it, even if they seem unqualified. Once the äcärya Rämänuja was given a secret mantra by his guru, who told him that revealing it would be detrimental to his spiritual advancement. But Rämänuja loudly chanted the potent mantra and taught it to the people in general. When his guru asked him why he had done this, Rämänuja said that if the mantra was beneficial, then he wished to give it to everyone, even at the risk of going to hell. This mood is reflected in Lord Caitanya and His saìkértana movement: “Not considering who asked for it and who did not, and who is fit and who is unfit to receive it, Caitanya Mahäprabhu distributed the fruit of devotional service” (Cc. Ädi 9.29.36). mundaka-mula-stotra commentary

 

There are many ways to preach and support others that are preaching. People need to hear they are not the body, that God is real and personal and to be reminded of His names.

 

If we can avoid coming off as "preachy" we can certainly plant some goods seeds even at other sites on the internet.

[theist]

 

Do I feel left out from this grand old party of street sankirtana.

 

The mercy mission of going out every day and at every opportunity to 'save' the fallen conditioned souls who are totally ignorant of their spiritual welfare has passed right out of me.Why?

I realized one day that I'm the one conditioned soul who needs to be 'saved'.Isn't it the greatest mercy is to save oneself?(no ,I'm not Vasudava Datta who wanted to save everyone and he could stay in the material world forever)

 

I feel that I need to become perfect before going out and trying to make others perfect.

How can I tell others to give up eating sweets when I'm still hooked on eating sweets ???

 

 

All we have to do is give up the idea of saving others. We are saving ourselves by trying to help others. If we have the attitude of talking down to people out of our mercy then for sure we won't get far. But people can't wait for us to become humble either. It's all too urgent. Maybe we fel some embarassment at our not being real devotees but even the struggle to become real devotees is far better then revolving in birth and death with no end in sight.

 

All I can do is welcome them to the struggle and know that if they are sincere Krsna will connect them up someone who is actually advanced. It's His show. What part we play will be up to Him and our sincerity.

 

[theist]

Glad to see you are back posting here prabhu. When the forum gets to quiet I start getting nervous.

[theist]

 

I cried when I read this diary entry. For many weeks and months I have been lamenting about the future of our Krishna Consciousness movement. But now I can see that this little girl's generation will usher us in to the golden age. [/guest]

 

That has long been said. But if they are not cared for and nourished as they grow we will be guilty of stunting their growth.

 

Maharaja Nanda was determined to do his duty to his boy Krishna even if he was God. Bedtime is bedtime. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[theist]

 

3 rounds a day, asks Gurudeva for a spiritual name, this girl has Mercy given to her or what!

 

She even preaches, offers food, reads Bhagavad-Gita, cooks food looks like it, knows to bow down & does it, the thing that broke me, was when she had tears in her eyes, 9 year old kid? Even a Pure devotee must be wishing to see this site!

 

 

And the guru didn't even know this was happening. She had no physical association. Who inspired her?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[yasodanandana]

1)everything started from a personal contact

2)the girl asked for a spiritual name

3)the guru can say that he do not know .. also for humbleness

 

perfectly traditional.. what indradyumna maharaja has done is an initiation.. we do not call it initiation because of gbc laws on age of the disciple, round's number, fire sacrifice, promises on principles, waiting period, recommending of temple president and so on..

 

but it is a classic and traditional gaudya vaishnava harinama (first) initiation

[theist]

The girl lasted for a couple years with no further contact right? I was thinking Supersoul was the source of her inspiration.

 

yes very traditional

[yasodanandana]

if the guru is really authentic and he's a manifestation of supersoul, there's no difference in saying that he or supersoul has inspired the disciple

 

but all is started from personal inspiration and a promise made to the guru of chanting the rounds

 

the girls has not seen the harinama and she's gone home thinking "i will pray paramatma..", she liked harinama and contacted directly a guru, making the promise to chant....... from this, everything is started

 

surrendering to the guru then linking to krsna

[Guest guest]

I found that whole entry in the traveling preacher book to be so inspiring. Our temple never goes out on Harinam and I am still not sure why, but I know there are so many devotees who really want to. We went out on Gaura Purnima and it was so awesome. Good and bad stares, but it still felt really good. Indradyumna Swami was there with Sri Pralahad and it was awesome. So much energy

and love was there. If we did that more I know more people would see their love for Krishna come alive like I did.

A.

[theist]

But guru didn't even remember her at first. She may have been inspired at seeing guru but Supersoul gave her the inspiration and remeberance to continue for two years.

 

The Lord in the heart was with her and conscious of her at every moment. From Him come knowledge and forgetfulness. He is the source of faith.

 

A person is guru in so much as he is linked to Supersoul not the other way around.

 

Oneness AND difference.

[stonehearted]

Of course the Supersoul was a factor. But this girl was not in a vacuum. She apparently had some association with devotees (otherwise who told her she needed to chant 16 rounds, etc. to get a spiritual name? Or all the pictures of Maharaja?), and she apparently was reading Krishna conscious books. The Lord makes the arrangements, but the association of advanced devotees is the key to spiritual advancement. You'll find that everywhere in Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita.

[Raguraman]

Hare Krishna,

 

Indrayumna swamy's experiences are extraordinary. Just a few of them I read in some websites are so inspiring. He should be a great devotee and makes me see how fallen I am.

[theist]

 

Of course the Supersoul was a factor. But this girl was not in a vacuum. She apparently had some association with devotees (otherwise who told her she needed to chant 16 rounds, etc. to get a spiritual name? Or all the pictures of Maharaja?), and she apparently was reading Krishna conscious books. The Lord makes the arrangements, but the association of advanced devotees is the key to spiritual advancement. You'll find that everywhere in Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita.

 

 

Supersoul was *a* factor?

 

Supersoul is THE factor.

 

"Association of advanced devotees is the key to spiritual advancement."

 

Supersoul is the key to those advanced devotees being advanced and anyone coming in contact with them.

 

Yes Krsna includes His devotees but no one is well served by trying to keep Him in the background. Should be obvious when all those advanced devotees do is to try to keep Him in the foreground.

 

[stonehearted]

1) Supersoul is not Krishna; he is an aspect of Krishna.

 

@) Krishna is more pleased by service given to His devotees than He is by service to Himself.

 

No one is suggesting--or even contemplating--pushing Krishna in the background. But He pushes them into the foreground.

 

One who calls himself my devotee is not my devotee; one who calls himself the devotee of My devotee is My devotee.

 

Lord Shive to Parvati:

aradhananam sarvesam

visnor aradhanam param

tasmat parataram devi

tadiyanam samarcanam

 

‘My dear Devi, although the Vedas recommend worship of demigods, the worship of Lord Visnu is topmost. However, above the worship of Lord Visnu is the rendering of service to Vaisnavas, who are related to Lord Visnu.'

 

 

 

 

[theist]

You win.

 

But if you look at all the years of debates and confusion over the guru issue conspicous by its absence is acknowledment of Supersouls position and role in bringing aspirant to guru.

 

I am also suspicious about someone who doesn't perceive the workings of Supersoul but yet feels inclined to try and describe the intimate nature of Sri Krsna. This is common. We all have the tendency to mistake intellectual progress as true realization.