|
NEWSLETTER of HIS HOLINESS TAMAL
KRISHNA GOSWAMI
(referred to as Srila Gurudeva) August 2, 2000 ---
Cambridge, England
Srila Tamal Krishna Goswami returned from a two-week
preaching visit to Hong Kong and the Far East on July
6th 2000, arriving at the airport in London after
a 13-hour flight, non-stop. Although physically tired,
Srila Gurudeva was enlivened by the ecstatic experience
of being with his dear disciples in the Far East.
Although--unfortunately for his American disciples--
he did not physically participate in the Vyasa-puja
celebration held in Houston in his honor as planned,
it appears that the prayers of Gurudeva's sincere
and surrendered disciples in the Far East (who had
not seen Srila Gurudeva for two years) impelled Krishna
to arrange for the change in his schedule so that
they would get his association after such a long time.
This was the most intensive travel and activity he
has undergone since his surgeries and it appears that
the devotional nature of the trip boosted him with
the necessary strength to complete the demanding mission.
Upon arriving back in England, Srila Gurudeva immediately
prepared for a two-day academic conference that was
held on July 7-8. On Sunday, July 16th Srila Gurudeva
gave the morning class at London's ISKCON-Soho Street
temple. He was asked to speak about a passage fr om
the Prabhupada Lilamrta that describes Prabhupada's
first visit to New York's new temple in Manhattan
in the late 1970's. Gurudeva was a leader of the New
York temple at that time and had many memories of
Prabhupada's visit. He used this class to make many
important points, which we will review in detail in
an upcoming newsletter.
What follows is a special report recently written
by Srila Gurudeva's Hong Kong disciple, Citra Vilasini
devi dasi, which describes the glorious and Krishna
conscious leaving of the body by Ananda Mataji, a
very dear Chinese disciple of Gurudeva. By Krishna's
arrangement Citra Vilasini was allowed to be with
Ananda Prabhu right up until she left her body, and
she gives a heartfelt and moving description, for
which we all must be very grateful. Although English
is not her first language, the sober and sincere nature
of her description transcends language and conveys
important realizations. Gurudeva plans to attend Janmastami
in Hungary. - Hare Krishna-
ANANDA MATAJI'S LEAVING HER BODY - by Citra Vilasini
devi dasi - June, 2000
My stay in New Govardhan last week witnessing Ananda
mataji leaving her body has been the best lesson to
me, which I will never forget in this lifetime. I
beg to share this precious experience with all devotees,
as what we are practicing now is how to face the last
moment of our life. Since this is the most important
issue in our life, please allow me to describe the
whole incident and my realization in detail. Meanwhile,
may I express my gratitude for the devotees who took
up my service when I was away.
Actually, I did not plan to go to New Govardhan as
I just visited there not long ago. When Jahnava mataji
requested me to bring books to New Sanket with her,
I told her I was very tired and might go next time
. She told me to take rest and whatever service I
had, she'd do for me provided I would go with her.
Then she washed all the pots for me in the Deities
kitchen and mopped the floor. So I decided to go and
we finally brought seven full luggages of books to
New Sanket, together with Lord Caitanya's other armies.
Since I was in New Sanket, which is near New Govardhan,
I thought I should go to see Ananda mataji in the
hospital and then return to New Hastinapur within
two or three days. It is imperative that I thank Jahnava
mataji, as by her mercy, I made this valuable trip.
Upon arrival at New Govardhan on Saturday evening
(June 10, 2000), I called Bhakta Tommy who was in
the hospital. He asked me to do a few minutes kirtan
with Ananda mataji through his mobile phone. Mataji's
voice was clear and quite pleasant to sing the Hare
Krishna mantra with me. On Sunday afternoon when I
arrived at the hospital, mataji was in serious condition.
Mother Padma had been there, desperately preparing
everything for mataji to leave the body; Srila Gurudeva
was performing kirtan for her through the mobile phone.
Mataji did not go [leave her body] this time, she
was not yet ready. On Monday and Tuesday mataji was
in steady condition, and looked much better than on
Sunday. I told mataji the story about how Dhruva Maharaja
went back to Godhead, as narrated in Srimad Bhagavatam
4.12., in which a spiritual airplane from Visnuloka
came to take Dhruva Maharaja. The plane was so big
that it even had a lake and garden on it. She listened
with great delight and smiled happily. Tuesday was
nirjala Ekadasi and we had a total fast, including
water. I stayed in Bhaktin June's place, which she
kept clean and tidy. After mangala arotik, we chanted
16 rounds and read Srimad Bhagavatam before taking
rest. We finished the balance 9 rounds later on in
the afternoon. Bhaktin June sat there all the time
during chanting. She is in the mode of goodness. She
and Bhaktin Sherry are the most devoted bhaktins who
looked after Ananda mataji with great care and devotion.
This is why she both finally could see mataji leaving
the body. After taking rest for one hour, I went to
the hospital after breakfast. Bhaktin June came later
in the evening after preparing a cake for the devotees
to breakfast next morning; she stayed overnight in
the hospital. She is so devoted. May Krsna bless her
to make big progress in her spiritual life.
In the hospital, I read Srimad Bhagavatam (2.1.12)
to Ananda mataji. The translation of the text by Srila
Prabhupada is meaningful especially at this time.
It reads, 'What is the value of a prolonged life which
is wasted, inexperienced by years in this world? Better
a moment of full consciousness, because that gives
one a start in searching after his supreme interest.'
Mataji liked to hear my reading, and to my surprise,
she followed me to read the Sanskrit and translation
clearly, word by word. With so many tubes stuck on
her nose, her arms and body, she was still in perfect
consciousness despite the pain and bodily inconvenience.
With my right hand on her forehead, I looked at this
brave soul; tears ran down from my eyes. Anyhow, I
intentionally read loudly so that her son and the
other patient could hear. After reading, the husband
of the patient on the next bed approached me when
I took rest outside the corridor. He told me the contents
that I read sound reasonable and meaningful. Also
he was impressed by the devotion of the bhaktins who
looked after mataji 24 hours by terms. He has the
feeling that we are nice people. I preached to him
for a while and took down his name and address for
future contact. I also gave him a piece of cake that
Bhaktin June prepared, so he got prasadam. I am pleased
to see people attracted by Srimad Bhagavatam and the
devotees. I realize now how Krsna is attracted and
even controlled by bhakti, although He is the Supreme
Controller.
On Wednesday night, mataji looked in worse condition.
She had a fever. After 10 p.m. I called Srila Gurudeva
and informed him of her situation. Srila Gurudeva
immediately performed kirtan for her. His voice was
powerful and full of nectarean love for Krsna that
vibrated my heart. Mataji followed him to sing over
the phone, in a low and deep voice. After kirtan,
Srila Gurudeva talked to her for about 15 minutes.
I was deeply touched by his words. If I can remember,
Srila Gurudeva said in a clear voice with firm conviction
, ' Ananda, don't be afraid. The soul is going to
leave. The soul does not like the feverish condition
in the body. I am always with you. I have called up
all devotees over the world to pray for you and perform
kirtan for you. You can easily go back. So there is
nothing for you to be afraid of. Krsna is waiting
for you. You will have a young and beautiful body.
Do not hold on. You have to set an example to teach
all devotees how to leave the body in perfect Krsna
consciousness. If I were with you now, I'd put my
hands on your head. I'd put my hands on your arms.
I'd even stroke your face to show my love for you.
Although I am not by your side, my spirit and mind
are always with you.' Every time when Srila Gurudeva
phoned, Ananda mataji became very blissful. She showed
her teeth and called out loudly 'Gurudeva, Gurudeva!',
just like a child who called out her father in ecstasy.
When Srila Gurudeva led the kirtan, she followed to
sing with all her strength, although in a low and
hoarse voice. Anyone who witnessed her affection and
faith in guru would surely move. Non-devotees could
never understand why a dying person who looked so
helpless on the bed could be so ecstatic just hearing
the voice of her spiritual master. Mataji is a surrendered
soul. From her deep love to guru, I can see how much
care and love Srila Gurudeva has given her. At the
end of the phone call, Srila Gurudeva said he felt
obliged to all the devotees who looked after mataji
so well and requested the devotees to hold her hands
more so she would feel love and support from the devotees.
On Thursday afternoon, mataji was again in a dangerous
situation. The doctor said she could leave her body
at any moment. When I arrived at the hospital, all
devotees had started the kirtan around her bed, and
Srila Gurudeva performed the kirtan through the mobile
phone. I saw mataji was in nervous condition and she
was crying. The devotees were singing too loud. I
told them to lower the volume and sing a bit softly
to give a peaceful atmosphere. Bhaktin Sherry was
crying in front of her head. She has deep sentiment
with mataji. She told me she used to stay with mataji
before. Every morning Ananda mataji got up at 3:30
a.m. and taught her all the processes in performing
arotik. I put my hands on mataji's head and shoulders
to soothe her. I told her not to be afraid, not to
be nervous, just remember Krsna. I reminded her what
Srila Gurudeva said to her last night. She calmed
down but she did not leave on that day. The doctor
and nurses were amazed at her strength and insistence.
Another amazing thing I observed was that after the
dangerous period, mataji's face changed to bright
instead of dark and dull. She looked peaceful with
a sweet smile on her face. Everyone around her bed
agreed that mataji looked very sweet. I hardly believe
she suddenly looked so young and pretty. It seemed
that she was changing her material body to a spiritual
body.
On Friday and Saturday, mataji's condition was steady
again. On Saturday night, Srila Gurudeva called and
told her he was going to join the Ratha Yatra in London
and would not call her tomorrow. Instead he would
bring her along with him in his mind. Mataji and the
devotees there felt happy.
On Sunday, the final day, not many devotees came
today; but I had the feeling that Ananda mataji would
leave today. When I arrived at the hospital around
5:00 p.m., Bhaktin Hina told me she was not chanting
today and did not speak at all. In the past few days,
even at the most serious moment that had happened
thrice, she did not stop chanting. She did try very
hard to keep on chanting. I asked mataji why she was
so naughty today. She showed her teeth and said "Haribol"
to me. Bhaktin Hina said she finally opened her mouth
and spoke. So I read Srimad Bhagavatam to her and
she was happy. Sometimes she talked to me in one or
two sentences. In the last few days, when I asked
her if she wanted to eat, she said no. When I asked
her if she wanted to hear Srimad Bhagavatam, every
time she said yes. Sometimes I thought she was sleeping,
but when I asked her if she wanted me to carry on
reading, she nodded her head. If someone made some
noise, she said with her eyes closed, 'Don't make
noise.', with a sense of dignity in her voice. She
was eager to hear Srimad Bhagavatam, even at the last
stage of her life. She really had a higher taste.
After I finished reading a few texts, she said she
had to pass. Bhaktin Wendy helped her to sit up. I
saw her face became young again. She looked like a
different person. Then I noticed her eyeballs did
not move. It seemed she was staring at something.
I showed her pictures of Krsna, she had no response.
I gave her the bead bag; she put it away. In the past
few days, she had been holding the bead bag tightly.
I started to worry. Then Hari Vilas came. I asked
him to read to mataji. She still listened with delight
and her eyeballs moved again. After 9:00 p.m. she
slept. From the look of her face, I felt she was dying.
Gauranga Prema Prabhu said for so many days, her consciousness
was the worst today. He talked to her in her ears
that Srila Gurudeva was coming to see her, but she
had no response. Bhaktin Sherry and Bhaktin June said
maybe Srila Gurudeva was taking her to Ratha Yatra
in London, and she was now in samadhi. I was not sure
but I decided to stay overnight in the hospital. I
put Salagram Sila on her head and tilak on her forehead,
and we started kirtan. At around 12:00 a.m. Gauranga
Prema Prabhu left.
Mataji was sleeping with her eyes half opened. She
was breathing with her mouth, which made a big noise.
Around 2:00 a.m. I was too tired to chant. Bhaktin
June was chanting on her bead bag the whole night,
as she had taken rest in the afternoon. Bhaktin Sherry
was sleeping in the next room. Around 3:00 a.m., mataji's
breathing became weaker and weaker. No noise was made
now but her mouth was still moving due to breathing.
The doctor and nurses kept coming in to give her injections
of heart stimulants. A bit nervous, I asked the doctor
the situation. He did not say anything. He only talked
to mataji's son by his ear. Finally at around 4:30
p.m. the doctor and nurses came in again. Bhaktin
June was still chanting besides the bed. Srila Prabhupada's
chanting [on the Walkman at her right ear side] was
on all the time. Saligram Sila was on her head. I
started to kirtan softly, although she was unconscious.
At that moment, mataji's breath stopped. That was
her last breath. After a few seconds, a noise came
from her throat. It seemed that she spit twice with
a slightly opened mouth. I thought that perhaps this
was the time that the soul and Supersoul left the
body. (If this is a wrong guess, please delete). Then
all her activities stopped. I put the tulasi leaf
in her mouth when the doctor left the room. Bhaktin
June put Ganga water into her mouth. Two nurses came
in and asked us to help change her clothes. I and
one nurse changed the top. Bhaktin June and the other
nurse changed the bottom. Bhaktin Sherry went out
to make phone call to Bhakta Tommy and informed Candrashekar
Prabhu in Hong Kong.
We carried on kirtan. Bhakta Tommy and Prema das
came around 5:30 a.m. and joined the kirtan. After
mataji's husband came, two workmen came to wrap the
body with black plastic sheets and moved the body
out. We followed them along the corridor with kirtan.
We went through the garden with coconut trees and
other bushes. The sky was clear and the air was fresh.
The kirtan we led brought a spiritual atmosphere along
the way. I felt that we were seeing Ananda mataji
off to the spiritual world. After a 5 to 7 minutes'
walk, we reached the place where the body was kept
at the back of the garden. The body was put into an
iron tin, pending to be burned off later on. The place
looked like a garbage stand, and the body was just
like a garbage being thrown into a garbage stand.
We returned to the room and packed the things. Mataji's
husband thanked us before he left with his son. Ananda
mataji finally left her body peacefully. My special
thanks to Caru Candra Prabhu for his mercy to have
Salagram Sila with Ananda mataji all the time until
she left her body.
I was not so familiar with Ananda mataji. I only
met her twice. I stayed until she left the body because
I was impressed by her boldness, her insistence to
chant the holy name at the last stage of her life,
her strictness in practicing sadhana, her attachment
to hear Srimad Bhagavatam, as well as her deep love
and loyalty to her guru. If I can learn all these
from her, this will be the most valuable lesson in
my life. My realization is: what is the use of this
body? Thi s body is only a shell of skin and bone,
which will finally be thrown to a garbage stand! I
definitely do not want to have this body, what to
speak of the next body. The soul is a noble element
from the Supersoul. Why do I attach to this body which
is composed of inferior material elements? If I do
not follow the bhakti yoga process seriously, I will
have a disgusting body one after another. Although
now I have to struggle to get up before sunrise as
instructed by Srila Prabhupada, I have no hesitation
to follow, with the highest goal to go back home,
back to Godhead, leaving my body behind.
Ananda Mataji Ki Jay!!! Srila Gurudeva Ki Jay !!!
Srila Prabhupada Ki Jaya!!!
Excerts from Radha-Damodara Vilasa by His Grace
Vaiyasaki Prabhu
Srila Gurudeva and Vishnujana Separate
Los Angeles, November 1969: The big news around the
temple is that Tamal Krishna is leaving for London.
Everybody is talking about it. Tamal is excited about
the prospect of being with Srila Prabhupada, meeting
the Beatles, and maybe even chanting with them. With
the Beatles' help, the devotees had become famous
throughout Europe, and the maha-mantra was still the
number one song.
Dinabandhu: I was in L.A. when Prabhupada asked Tamal
Krishna to go to London. All the devotees knew that
Tamal and Vishnujana had asked Prabhupada that they
should always be able to do service together, that
they should never be separated. So it was a big thing
that Tamal was going and Vishnujana was staying. It
was a big thing that they were being separated. They
were in San Francisco together, and there was some
promise that they could always do service together.
They had always been inseparable, always attached
to one another. There was Tamal Krishna the administrator,
and Vishnujana the kirtan leader. Someone had to take
charge, and Tamal Krishna did. He managed everything.
He was ambitious. Vishnujana distributed the taste
of chanting Hare Krishna by tasting it directly himself.
They both had the realization of devotional service
and the confidence to carry it out. Vishnujana was
like the mother and Tamal Krishna like the father.
Together they had carried the La Cienega [Los Angeles]
temple. (pages 210-211)
Gurudeva Distributes Prabhupada in the Form of His
Photographs
On the day of his departure, Tamal calls the devotees
together for a last meeting. He praises them for all
the service that have done and encourages them to
carry on expanding the sankirtan movement as he is
doing by going to London. From his personal collection,
he distributes photographs of Prabhupada to each devotee,
trying to match the mood of the picture with the mood
of the individual. Individual pictures of Srila Prabhupada
are considered treasures. There are few magazines
to cut them out of and even fewer actual photos, so
not every devotee has a picture. Because they are
so hard to come by,
devotees who have their own picture treasure it. Each
photo carries with it the love of the person who gives
it and remains the special individual photo of Srila
Prabhupada that nobody else has. Prabhupada is there
in his picture, and some devotees say that they can
even see him moving or speaking in these pictures!
By distributing his Prabhupada pictures as gifts,
Tamal's loving gesture endears him to every devotee.
Tamal experiences an intimate loving exchange as
he prepares to leave. All of a sudden, he realizes
he is leaving home and family. They are all that he
has. They have grown up together in Krishna consciousness,
some even going back to those first days in San Francisco.
Vishnujana had been his best friend before he joined
the movement. He was the best friend he ever had.
They had both accepted Prabhupada's lotus feet and
been delivered from the material ocean of repeated
birth and death. They had sworn to always stay together
the first moment they met in the forest at Morning
Star Ranch. Now they were separating. But it is all
for a higher cause. (page 212)
- Recipe From Gopal Raja Dasa
Dum Aloo (curried potatoes) -preparation and cooking
time: 30 minutes-
6 potatoes
- 1 ½ tsp. salt
- 1 cut green chili
- 4 blended tomatoes
½ tsp. cumin seeds
- pinch asafetida
- 3 tbs. oil or gee coriander leaves
- 2 cups water
- 1 tsp. garam masala
- 2 tsp. fresh ginger
- 1 tsp. coriander pwd.
- 1 tsp. cumin powder
- ½ tsp. turmeric
- 1 bay leaf
Method:
1. Wash, peel & chop potatoes into quarters
or eighths. 2. Sauté cumin, asafetida, chili,
bay leaf, & potatoes. 3. Stir in turmeric, salt,
garam masala, cumin powder, coriander pwd, fresh
ginger. 4. Stir fry for 3-5 minutes. 5. Add hot
water, mix & cover. 6. Let it cook until potatoes
are tender. 7. Add blended tomatoes and cook for
another 10 minutes. 8. Garnish with fresh coriander
leaves before serving.
|
|
