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NEWSLETTER ABOUT HIS HOLINESS Compiled November 10, 2001 As this newsletter goes for editing, Srila Gurudeva has embarked on a visit to America from November 10th to the 24th 2001. He will arrive in Houston first to celebrate Govardhan Puja and spend time with his disciples there. Then on the 16th he will go on to Denver, Colorado, for the annual convention of the American Academy of Religion (AAR). This year he will deliver two academic papers, one in conjunction with HG Krishna Ksetra Prabhu. After the AAR conference Gurudeva will visit Radha Kalachandji Dhama in Dallas during the American Thanksgiving holiday time, from the 20th through the 23rd, then back to England. We hope to get reports of this trip for inclusion in future newsletters. On August 26th Srila Gurudeva visited Bhaktivedanta Manor for the Radhastami celebration. He and HH Jayadvaita Swami were the main speakers and they spoke together, one after the other. We include a short synopsis of Gurudeva’s talk in this newsletter. In September Krishna arranged for Srila Gurudeva to move his residence from Cambridge to Oxford, where he will continue to work on his Ph.D. dissertation this last year. There are a number of devotee-scholars in Oxford affiliated with the Centre for Vaisnava and Hindu Studies, such as Krishna Ksetra Prabhu. The center is headed by Saunaka Rsi Prabhu, a disciple of HH Satsvarupa dasa Goswami. Srila Gurudeva attended programs on October 28th and November 3rd in honor of His Grace Tribhuvanath Prabhu, a legendary figure in the British and Irish ISKCON who passed away in late October in Brazil. On the weekend of the 28th Tribhuvanath’s body was cremated and many devotees glorified him, including Srila Gurudeva. On Nov. 3 another program was held, which was also attended by HH Sivarama Swami, who was unable to be at the first one. This newsletter also includes an ecstatic report of Srila Gurudeva’s visit to the Philippines in August. We are very grateful for the lengthy report submitted by JAYASRI DEVI DASI, GOPAL KRISHNA DAS and MITRAVINDA DEVI DASI. We are also indebted to Dwaraka Iyengar in Dallas, who has now taken charge of Srila Gurudeva’s website. Dwaraka posts the newsletters on the website and is also planning to put new photos on the site from time to time. If you have nice photos of Srila Gurudeva, please contact Dwaraka at his email address, (dwaraka_iyengar2001@yahoo.com). RADHASTAMI CELEBRATION – August 26, 2001 – Bhaktivedanta Manor Srila Gurudeva arrived a little after 7 a.m. during a rousing guru puja kirtan. HH Jayadvaita Maharaja, HH Vipramukya Swami and HH Amiya Vilasa Swami were present along with a throng of devotees. Tribhuvanath Prabhu, an unassuming, grassroots leader of the British yatra for the last thirty years or so, and who was in the last stages of terminal cancer, was blissfully absorbed in the kirtan and in the association of devotees. Gauri dasa, a disciple of Srila Gurudeva who was the gurukula ashram leader for many years in Vrndavana sang ‘Radhe Jaya Jaya Madhava Dayite’ for the greeting of Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha Gokulananda, Sri Sri Sita-Rama-Laksman-Hanuman and Sri Sri Gaura Nitai. Srila Gurudeva and Jayadvaita Swami were the main speakers. Jayadvaita Swami spoke first in his usual lucid, crystal-clear Krishna conscious manner and then it was Gurudeva’s turn. Srila Gurudeva did something unusual. He began by playing an audio tape of Srila Prabhupada speaking on a Radhastami celebration years before in Montreal and he commented on points Prabhupada made on the tape. What follows is a paraphrase of some of Gurudeva’s remarks in his talk: "Srila Prabhupada sings Radhe, Jaya Jaya Madhava dayite – Radharani is Madhava dayite, the beloved of Madhava. Jayadvaita Swami once wrote an article in Back to Godhead magazine entitled, ‘Who is that Girl with Krishna?’ Radha and Krishna are originally one, but They have expanded into two for spiritual enjoyment. Rupa Goswami in his Ujvala Nilamani describes the moods of the Gopis. Srila Prabhupada presented Krishna consciousness very broadly. Srila Prabhupada speaks of all the rasas (relationships with Krishna) as perfect. Krishna appreciates the love of a small calf as much as He loves Srimati Radharani. Srila Prabhupada wanted to encourage us in our present level of Krishna consciousness [in which we do not yet realize what our eternal relationship with Krishna is]. Gurudeva mentioned that although now we do not know our eternal relationship with Krishna, if we keep serving, gradually it may be revealed. He gave the example of Ratnaranjini devi dasi, a devotee in Scotland who left her body a few years ago. In her last days her husband asked her, ‘what do you do for Krishna’, and she described how she helped prepare His meals, etc. Gurudeva mentioned that his disciple Kirtida also got some realizations about her service to Krishna in the spiritual world in her final weeks. In Sivarama Maharaja’s book, Gurudeva explained, it describes Syamalata, one of the manjaris, or servants of Srimati Radharani. The happiness of Radharani’s friends or maidservants is thousands of times greater than that of Srimati Radharani Herself. How is that? Krishna is Madhusudana – He is like a black bumblebee who lands on the yellow flower of Srimati Radharani, and this shakes the twig and the manjaris, at the end of the vines, shake the most. [this is an analogy explaining how the manjaris feel so much ecstacy, like blossoms at the end of a vine shake more than the center of the vine] [Srila Gurudeva commented on some verses of Raghunath dasa Goswami from his Sri Vilapa Kusmumanjali]. He quoted Raghunath, who declares to Radharani, ‘You have the right to be very proud, since Krishna likes you the most!’ He mentioned a verse in which Radharani is described losing a belt while dancing for Krishna and Rati Manjari finally went and fetched that belt. He spoke about how he read of a Christian saint, Julian of Norwich and how she had a very surrendered mood to God also, very intense. Gurudeva explained how Raghunath had intense desire for Radharani’s mercy, how he wanted the red dust of the dye Srimati Radharani uses on her feet. He calls out, ‘I am yours; I am yours. I cannot live without you! O Devi, bring me under the shelter of Your lotus feet!" As Srila Gurudeva was getting into his car for the drive back to Cambridge, he spotted Tribhuvanath Prabhu in the parking lot and called him over. Tribhuvanath, always jolly, even while his body was wracked by cancer, joined Gurudeva and the two spoke together in the car. Although he was near death Tribhuvanath didn’t want a lot of fuss made about his condition, and he acted quite nonchalant about the whole thing. Gurudeva asked him what he was going to do and Tribhuvanath told him he was going to visit Brazil where a healer might be able to help his medical condition. Tribhuvanath was the president of Bhaktivedanta Manor shortly after George Harrison donated it to Srila Prabhupada. He did great austerities in the early days. He preached in many Muslim countries and in fact was arrested and put in jail for one month in Syria. He spearheaded a festival program which made scores of devotees in festivals held all over the British Isles and Africa as well. This short visit with Srila Gurudeva in the car turned out to be the last time these two transcendental god brothers were together, as it was only a little more than a month later when Tribhuvanath Prabhu left his body. Although he is physically departed, Tribhuvanath lives on in the hearts of so many devotees and non-devotees who he has touched over the years by being a fearless preacher of Srila Prabhupada’s message. Tribhuvanath Prabhu Ki Jaya!!! TRANSCENDENTAL MELLOWS: SRILA GURUDEVA'S STAY IN HARE KRISHNA PARADISE, CEBU, PHILIPPINES AUGUST 3-9, 2001 AUG. 3 SRILA GURUDEVA'S ARRIVAL IT WAS AN EXCITING DAY FOR EVERYONE. AFTER THREE YEARS OF WAITING, FINALLY OUR MOST BELOVED SRILA GURUDEVA IS COMING!!! THE WEATHER WAS QUITE UNCERTAIN: IT WAS CLOUDY AND DRIZZLING THE PAST SEVERAL DAYS, BUT THE SPIRIT OF CEBU YATRA WAS NOT HAMPERED IN ITS PREPARATION TO WELCOME SRILA GURUDEVA AND A HOST OF DEVOTEES COMING BOTH FROM NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL PLACES. EVERYBODY WAS OOZING WITH THRILL AND EXCITEMENT, MAKING SURE EACH DETAIL OF THE WELCOME CEREMONY WAS IN PLACE. HIS HOLINESS GIRIDHARI SWAMI MAHARAJA TOGETHER WITH HG BHARAT DAS, PARTHA SARATHI & SUDARSANA PRABHUS OF SINGAPORE WENT TO FETCH SRILA GURUDEVA AND HIS TAIWAN ENTOURAGE, HEADED BY EKACAKRA DAS AND HIS WIFE JAHNAVI DEVI. TIRTHARAJA OF AUSTRALIA WAS PART OF THE GROUP TOO WITH HIS WIFE, MOTHER TARAKA. THE PLANE WAS ON TIME. SOME FUNNY THING HAPPENED OUTSIDE THE ARRIVAL HALL. OF COURSE, CEBU TEMPLE PRESIDENT BHARAT DAS WANTED TO SEE GURUDEVA FIRST SO HE APPROACHED THE AIRPORT GUARDS TO ALLOW HIM TO GO INSIDE BUT THE GUARD REFUSED. BUT DUE TO HIS INSISTENCE, THE GUARD ALLOWED JUST OF ONE THEM TO GO INSIDE. BUT BHARAT, BEING SUCH A WARM PERSON, THOUGHT IT WAS BETTER IF ONE OF HIS SINGAPORE GUESTS COULD GO AND MEET GURUDEVA. AFTER A SHORT DISCUSSION, PARTHA SARATHI WENT INSIDE. YET BHARAT STILL WAS NOT SATISFIED. WHEN HE SAW THE CHIEF GUARD HE IMMEDIATELY APPROACHED HIM AND WAS ABLE TO GET THE PERMISSION FOR ALL OF THEM TO GO INSIDE!! THAT WAS GREAT!!! FINALLY GURUDEVA AND HIS TAIWAN ENTOURAGE ARRIVED AT HARE KRISHNA PARADISE AT 6:20 PM. IT WAS SUNDARA AROTIK TIME. MORE THAN A HUNDRED TEARY-EYED DEVOTEES FLOODED THE TEMPLE LOBBY JUMPING AND SHOUTING JAI GURUDEVA!!!JAI GURUDEVA!!!!!! FLOWERS IN THEIR HANDS, ONE AFTER ANOTHER THE DEVOTEES SHOWERED SRILA GURUDEVA' S PATH. MOTHER MITRAVINDA WAS QUICK ENOUGH TO PRESENT GURUDEVA A BUNCH OF FRAGRANT GARDENIAS, WHICH SRILA GURUDEVA OFFERED TO SRILA PRABHUPADA'S MURTI. EVERYTIME HE COMES SHE ALWAYS MAKES A POINT TO GIVE HIM FLOWERS AND HE IN TURN OFFERS IT TO SRILA PRABHUPADA'S LOTUS FEET. THIS SERVICE IS VERY SATISFYING FOR HER. GOVINDA DAS BRAHMACARI LED AN ASTOUNDING KIRTANA, INSPIRING THE DEVOTEES TO JUMP, DANCE AND SING THE HOLY NAMES. SPIRITUAL VIBRATIONS COULD BE FELT IN ALL CORNERS OF THE TEMPLE. IN EACH AND EVERYONES’ EYES REAL LOVING EMOTIONS WERE SHARED. SRILA GURUDEVA EXCHANGED GLANCES WITH EVERYONE PRESENT, INDUCING THEM TO DANCE AND JUMP LIKE PUPPETS. HE WANTED TO KNOW WHO WERE PRESENT AND WHO WERE NOT. THE KIRTANA LASTED FOR SOMETIME. THEN GURUDEVA LED THE NRSMHA PRAYERS, WHICH LASTED FOR SOMETIME TOO. HE SANG THE HARE KRISHNA MAHAMANTRA IN THE TUNE OF JAI NRSMHADEVA AND THAT WAS VERY SWEET. AFTER THE ARATIK, SRILA GURUDEVA COMMENTED THAT IT WAS THE FIRST TIME HE SANG THE MAHAMANTRA IN THAT TUNE AND HE ALSO LIKED IT. HE SAID IT WAS DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF THE FILIPINO DEVOTEES WHO INSPIRED HIM. HE SAID IT JUST CAME AND IT TURNED OUT FINE. EVERYONE SHOUTED "JAYA!!!!" AFTER THE KIRTANA SRILA GURUDEVA & HH GIRIDHARI MAHARAJA TOOK THE SEAT ON THE ESPECIALLY DESIGNED PLATFORM MADE FOR THAT OCCASION BY THE TWO ARTISTIC DEVOTEES: BALADEVA DAS & GOPAL KRISHNA DAS. SRILA GURUDEVA SPOKE ON THE PASSING AWAY OF HIS TWO LOVING DISCIPLES, MOTHER KIRTIDA AND NAMACARYA PRABHU OF CHINA. SRILA GURUDEVA LOVINGLY REMINISCES THE PASTIMES OF THIS TWO DEVOTEES, HOW THEY WERE SO ATTACHED TO GURU AND KRISHNA AND TO THE PROCESS OF DEVOTIONAL SERVICE, ESPECIALLY THE CHANTING OF THE HOLY NAMES. SRILA GURUDEVA SHARED HIS DEEP & VERY PERSONAL REALIZATIONS OF SUCH EVENTS. HE SAID THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN THIS WORLD IS: "TO DEVELOP MORE LOVING RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE DEVOTEES." THE SPEECH WAS GRAVE BUT FULL OF REALIZATIONS THAT TOUCHED EVERYONES’ HEART. IN FACT, EVERYONE WAS SO ABSORBED IN HEARING SRILA GURUDEVA'S WORDS THAT THE ONLY THING YOU HEAR WAS SILENCE. WITHOUT THE KNOWLEDGE OF EVERYONE, AT THE SIDE OF THE TEMPLE GRILL, MOTHER VISAKHA OF HONG KONG WAS ALREADY IN TEARS WHILE GURUDEVA WAS RELATING THE DETAILS OF MOTHER KIRTIDA'S PASSING AWAY. WHEN MOTHER MITRAVINDA EXCUSED HERSELF FROM THE ROOM TO GET SOME WATER FOR HER DAUGHTER, SHE FOUND VISAKHA PRIYA HEAVY WITH TEARS. ALARMED, SHE ASKED HER WHAT'S WRONG? VISAKHA PRIYA EMBRACED HER AND SOBBING LIKE A BABY SHE TOLD HER THAT SHE COULD NOT FORGET THAT MOMENT BEING WITH MOTHER KIRTIDA IN HER DEATHBED AND SHE MISSED HER MORE THAN EVER. MITRAVINDA LISTENED TO HER ATTENTIVELY & AFTER A FEW MINUTES VISAKHA PRIYA WAS CALMED AGAIN. THIS IS A REAL TRANSCENDENTAL EXPERIENCE ONE CAN GET IN THE ASSOCIATION OF PURE DEVOTEE OF KRISHNA. ANOTHER VERY IMPORTANT REALIZATION THAT SRILA GURUDEVA SHARED WITH EVERYONE WAS HIS PRAYERS TO SRILA PRABHUPADA. HIS PRAYERS WERE FOR SRILA PRABHUPADA TO ENGAGE SRILA GURUDEVA IN DEVOTIONAL SERVICE WITH SINCERE HUMILITY. THE DEVOTEES WAS STRUCK WTH AWE HEARING THIS FROM THEIR BELOVED SPIRITUAL MASTER. AFTER SUCH GRAVITY, SRILA GURUDEVA EXPERTLY LIGHTENED THE MOOD BY PROMISING THAT HE'LL MAKE EVERYONE HAPPY THE WHOLE TIME OF THE FESTIVAL. AND THEN EVERYONE SMILED. AFTER THE SPEECH MITRAVINDA CAME WITH TWO BOXES OF MOON CAKE MADE BY KARUNAMRTA DASI OF SINGAPORE. SRILA GURUDEVA APPRECIATED IT SO MUCH THAT LATER HE REQUESTED HER TO ARRANGE A REGULAR SUPPLY OF IT WHEREVER HE GOES. SRILA GURUDEVA STOOD FROM HIS ASANAS AND STARTED TO GO WHILE MUNCHING HIS MOON CAKE. EVERYONE EAGERLY AWAITED FOR SOME MAHA FROM HIS LOTUS LIPS, BUT HE SWEETLY SHOOK HIS HEAD AND SAID HE WAS NOT GOING TO SHARE A BIT OF IT WITH ANYONE. SO THE DEVOTEES, KNOWING THAT THE REST WILL BE DISTRIBUTED IN THE LOBBY BY MITRAVINDA DEVI DASI, WERE ALL PANICKING TO BE ABLE TO GET FIRST. FORTUNATELY THERE WAS ENOUGH FOR EVERYONE. THE MOONCAKE WAS SUPERB! SEEMED LIKE COMING FROM RADHARANI'S KITCHEN. WE PRAY WE CAN HAVE SOME OF IT AGAIN IN NOT SO DISTANT FUTURE! BY KARUNAMRTA'S GENEROSITY! AFTER THAT LOVING EXCHANGE IN THE TEMPLE WITH SRILA GURUDEVA, THE ARRIVEES STARTED TO FEEL HUNGRY AFTER THE TRAVEL THEY'VE JUST BEEN THROUGH. BHARAT PRABHU IS NOW STARTING TO FEEL THE TRANSCENDENTAL PRESSURES AS A HOST. BUT HKP RESIDENTS WERE QUITE SENSITIVE AND CAME TO ASSIST BHARAT PRABHU. IN A MATTER OF MINUTES EVERYONE WAS FED. IN SHORT ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL!!!!!!!!! AUGUST 4 - GURUDEVA AND GURU MAHARAJA'S VYASA PUJA DAY THIS IS SRILA GURUDEVA'S FIRST MORNING AFTER THREE YEARS’ ABSENCE IN THIS TEMPLE. IT WAS LORD BALARAMA'S APPERANCE DAY. EVERYBODY TOGETHER WITH GURUDEVA AND GURU MAHARAJA GREETED THE LORD WITH AN ECSTATIC MANGALA AROTIK. AFTER THE MORNING PROGRAM, GURUDEVA AND HH GIRIDHARI MAHARAJA DID THEIR JAPA WALK ON THE JAPA PATH OF THE TEMPLE GARDEN WHILE DEVOTEES FOLLOWED THEM. AFTER THE GREETINGS AT 7 A.M., GURUDEVA SPOKE ON SRI BALARAMA'S DIFFERENT SERVICES TO KRISHNA LIKE TO TRANSFORMED HIMSELF AS THE BED OF KRISHNA OR SOMETIMES AS THE FLUTE OF KRSHNA. SRI BALARAMA IS ACTUALLY THE OVER-ALL FACILITATOR OF LORD KRISHNA'S DIFFERENT PASTIMES AND HIS SERVICE TO SRI KRISHNA IS HARD TO FATHOM. EVERYONE CAN ONLY HEAR IN AMAZEMENT THE GLORIES OF SRI BALARAMA'S WONDERFUL SERVICES TO KRISHNA. FROM BALADEVA TO QUADRUPLE EXPANSIONS ALL THE ACTIVITIES OF INERT MATTER WERE TRANSFORMED INTO INNUMERABLE FORMS. THEN HH GIRIDHARI MAHARAJA SPOKE ABOUT HOW SRI BALARAMA, ESPECIALLY HOW IN HIS NITAI FORM HE IS SO EXTREMELY COMPASSIONATE TO THE FALLEN CONDITIONED SOULS THAT HE IS WILLING TO EVEN GO TO FILTHY PLACES JUST TO ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO CHANT THE HOLY NAMES! SRI BALARAMA INDEED WAS THE ORIGINAL GURU AND SRILA GURUDEVA COMMENTED THAT THEIR VYASA - PUJA CELEBRATION WAS VERY SIGNIFICANT AND AUSPICIOUS BEING ON TIME FOR SRI BALARAMA'S APPEARANCE DAY!! THE LECTURE BECAME MORE LIVELY WHEN SOME QUESTIONS WERE RAISED ON WHO IS STRONGER, KRISHNA OR BALARAMA? SOME GUESSED THAT IT'S KRISHNA, WHILE OTHERS FAVORED BALARAMA. BUT SRILA GURUDEVA EXPLAINED THAT IN THE KRISHNA-BALARAMA MANDIR (TEMPLE IN VRNDAVANA) WE CAN SEE THAT AS KRISHNA IS HOLDING HIS FLUTE, BALARAMA HAS A PLOUGH ON HIS RIGHT SHOULDER, WHILE HIS LEFT ARM LEANS ON KRISHNA'S RIGHT SHOULDER. THIS PROVES THAT KRISHNA IS STILL STRONGER THAN BALARAMA AND THAT THE SOURCE OF BALARAMA IS KRISHNA! THE LECTURE ENDED JUST PAST 9:00 A.M. AT 10:30, DEVOTEES GATHERED AGAIN IN THE TEMPLE ROOM, SINGING BHAJANS WHILE GURUDEVA AND HH GIRIDHARI MAHARAJA WERE SEATED IN THEIR RESPECTIVE VYASASANAS. IT WAS TIME FOR THE VYASA PUJA OFFERINGS. BHARAT PRABHU MADE A SLIGHT MISTAKE. HH GIRIDHARI MAHARAJA WAS SUPPOSED TO MAKE THE FIRST OFFERING TO SRILA GURUDEVA, BUT IT SLIPPED FROM BHARAT PRABHU'S MIND. INSTEAD HE CALLED ON TIRTHARAJA DAS TO OFFER HIS OFFERING FIRST. BUT GIRIDHARI MAHARAJA DIDN'T COMPLAIN, TRANSCENDENTAL AS HE IS. TIRTHARAJA PRABHU'S OFFERING WAS QUITE SERIOUS AND GRAVE. THEN DEVOTEES FROM SINGAPORE FOLLOWED, AND EKACAKRA PRABHU OF TAIWAN YATRA. CRYING TIME STARTED WHEN JAHNAVA DEVI, EKACAKRA'S WIFE, MADE HER OFFERING. SHE COULD NOT REALLY KEEP HER TEARS FROM ROLLING DOWN HER CHEEKS WHILE REMINISHING HER PREVIOUS ATTITUDE AND UNDERSTANDING OF KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS. THAT MOOD BECAME A PRECEDENT AS OTHER MATAJI'S OFFERED THEIRS! BHARAT PRABHU EXPERTLY CHANGED THE MOOD BY CALLING UPON THE ‘FILIPINO SONGBIRDS’ SUCH AS NARADA RISHI PRABHU, CAITANYA CANDRA DAS AND MOTHER RATNAVALI TO RENDER INDIVIDUAL SONGS FOR THE PLEASURE OF SRILA GURUDEVA AND HH GIRIDHARI MAHARAJA! THAT MOVE WAS EFFECTIVE. THE MOOD LIGHTENED UNTIL BALADEVA DAS AND GOPAL KRISHNA DAS PRESENTED THEIR OFFERING OF PAINTING WORKS TO SRILA GURUDEVA AND HH GIRIDHARI MAHARAJA. CAN YOU IMAGINE WHO WERE THE SUBJECTS OF THE PAINTING? YES, YOUR GUESS WAS GOOD AS MINE! THE DEVOTEES DID THE PASTEL PAINTING ON SRILA PRABHUPADA AND GURUDEVA'S VERY FAMOUS PASTIME WITH HIM, WHILE HH GIRIDHARI SWAMI WAS PRESENTED WITH A PAINTING OF HIM AND GURUDEVA TOO. THAT WAS REALLLY GOOD! SRILA GURUDEVA AND HH GIRIDHARI MAHARAJA APPRECIATED THE WORK SO MUCH. BALADEVA DAS AND GOPAL DAS WERE QUITE SPEECHLESS AFTER THE PRESENTATION OF THEIR GIFT. BALADEVA DAS WAS ASKED TO COME NEAR SRILA GURUDEVA. SRILA GURUDEVA LOVINGLY TOUCHED BALADEVA'S HEAD TO SHOW HIS APPRECIATION AND BLESSINGS. THE VYASA-PUJA OFFERING WENT ON, BUT DUE TO TIME CONSTRAINT NOT EVERYONE WAS ABLE TO SAY THEIR VYASA-PUJA OFFERING. FOOT BATHING HAD TO BE DONE, SO DEVOTEES GATHERED AROUND THE VYASASANA AND HG RATNAVALI WAS ASKED TO LEAD THE GURUVASTAKAM PRAYERS. EVERYBODY STARTED TO FEEL MORE OF THE FIRE OF ECSTASY. THE KIRTANA WAS BUILDING UP AND ONE BY ONE DEVOTEES OFFERED FLOWERS AND GARLANDS TO THE TWO GREAT PERSONALITIES WHO, BY THEIR MERCY, EVERYONE GOT THE CHANCE TO PERFORM PIOUS ACTIVITY THAT WOULD CERTAINLY LEAD THEM TO DEVOTIONAL SERVICE REGARDLESS OF QUALIFICATION. THEN THE FOOD OFFERING FOLLOWED, AND THE KITCHEN CREW WERE FEELING THE FIRE ALL THE MORE! THE HEAD COOK WAS HG MANDALI BHADRA DAS, THE UNDISPUTED KURMA OF THE PHILIPPINE YATRA. HE WAS SO FULLY ABSORBED IN HIS COOKING THAT YOU COULDN’T AFFORD TO GO NEAR HIM UNLESS YOU HAD A VERY, VERY IMPORTANT BUSINESS OR ELSE YOU'D GET BURNED (JUST JOKING). HE WAS SO PARTICULAR WITH THE MOST MINUTE DETAILS OF SRILA GURUDEVA'S COOKING, FROM HIS CHOICE OF VEGETABLES, THROUGH EVERY ASPECT OF THE COOKING AND EVEN UP TO THE SERVING [once Srila Gurudeva said that a good cook must be on top of everything]. HIS DEDICATION IN COOKING FOR SRILA GURUDEVA, WHENEVER GURUDEVA VISITS THE PHILIPPINES, IS REMARKABLE. SRILA GURUUDEVA IN RETURN IS ALL PRAISES OF HIM: MANDALI BHADRA REALLY HAS A MAGIC TOUCH. FROM A VERY SIMPLE VEGETABLE HE CAN MAKE A FEAST, NOT BY QUANTITY ALONE, BUT BY HIS QUALITY OF COOKING.A LOT OF PREPARATIONS CAME TO SRILA GURUDEVA & HH GIRIDHARI MAHARAJA'S TABLE. AFTER A FEW MINUTES GURUDEVA STOOD AND TRUE TO HIS PROMISE, HE OPENED A SMALL CONTAINER WITH THE DUST LEFT FROM THE LOTUS FEET OF SRI-SRI RADHA MADHAVA DURING THE MOST RECENT INUNDATION OF MOTHER GANGA IN THE MAYAPUR TEMPLE. SRILA GURUDEVA WAS ABLE TO SAVE SOME OF THIS DUST LEFT BY MOTHER GANGA WHEN HER WATER SUBSIDED AND THE DEVOTEES OF MAYAPUR COLLECTED IT. SRILA GURUDEVA STARTED TO GIVE EACH DEVOTEE A PINCH OF THAT DUST AND WON'T YOU BELIEVE IT!!!!! HE PLACED IT RIGHT IN THE MOUTHS OF ALL THE PEOPLE WHO WERE PRESENT AND NEVER GOT TIRED DOING IT! IMAGINE—ALMOST A COUPLE OF HUNDRED WERE THERE IN THE TEMPLE ROOM, AND YET EVERY SINGLE SOUL WAS RECEPIENT OF THE MERCY OF THAT VERY MOMENTOUS EVENT. AND ONE MORE THING: AFTER TASTING ONE PREPARATION SRILA GURUDEVA AGAIN DISTRIBUTED IT IN SMALL, SMALL QUANTITIES TO THE FIRST MOST ALERT DEVOTEES OF THE CROWD... AND ONE AFTER ANOTHER HE PERSONALLY FED EACH ONE RIGHT FROM HIS HANDS TO THEIR MOUTH. QUITE AMAZING!!! SEEING EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED, SRILA GIRIDHARI MAHARAJA ALSO FOLLOWED SUIT AND SUDDENLY DEVOTEES WERE RUNNING HERE AND THERE TO BE ABLE TO GET BOTH FLOWS OF MERCY!!!!!! REALLY AMAZING!!!!! AND TAKE NOTE: THIS HAPPENS ONLY IN THE PHILIPPINES FIRST! SRILA GURUDEVA COMMENTED AFTERWORDS THAT ACT SOLEMNIZED THE ROLE OF THE SPIRITUAL MASTER AS A REAL FATHER BECAUSE HE PERSONALLY FED EVERYONE FROM HIS PALM. WHILE THESE THINGS WERE GOING ON TIRTHARAJA DAS AND GAURA SAKTI DAS WERE UNDETTERRED IN THEIR KIRTANA, INSPIRING EVERYONE TO DANCE IN ECSTACY. PRASADAM TIME... IT WAS FOUR O'CLOCK IN THE AFTERNOON. THE SETTING WAS TO BE IN THE GARDEN. THE AMBIANCE WAS QUITE PERFECT: OUTDOORS, BUT UNDER THE TENT. THE TEMPERATURE WAS FINE AND A LOT OF SPACE FOR EVERYONE. THE TWO GREAT PERSONALITIES AND CELEBRANTS WERE TOGETHER AND IT MADE EVERYTHING PERFECT AND COMPLETE. HKP DEVOTEES HEADED BY HG ISVARA PURI DAS HEADED THE SERVING, A VERY IMPORTANT ENGAGEMENT IN FUNCTIONS LIKE THIS. ASSISTED BY VIRABHADRA DAS AND OTHERS EVERYTHING FLOWED NICELY TO EACH TABLE, THE FOOD, DRINKS AND CAKES. THEN SRILA GURUDEVA MADE ROUNDS TO EACH TABLE INQUIRING FROM EACH ONE HOW THEY FELT, IF THEY WERE HAPPY AND WERE THEY EATING ENOUGH... THOSE SIMPLE BUT MEANINGFUL QUESTIONS FROM OUR SPIRITUAL MASTER IMMEDIATELY MADE US ALL FEEL SO SATISFIED. HE ALSO CRACKED JOKES TO SOME DEVOTEES,CAUSING EVERYONE TO GIGGLE. THAT DAY WAS A REAL GREAT TREAT FOR EVERYONE PRESENT AND WE ARE SHARING IT ALL TO YOU DEAR GODSISITERS & BROTHERS. HOW WE PRAYED THAT ALL OF US WERE PRESENT ON THAT MOST AUSPICIOUS DAY!!!!!! SRILA GURUDEVA SAID THAT THE HAPPIEST PART OT THAT CELEBRATION WAS WHEN HE WAS FEEDING EVERYONE FROM HIS BARE HANDS. AND EVERYONE SAID A VERY BIG Y.....E.......S...!!!!!! THAT EVENING NO ONE EXPECTED TO SEE GURUDEVA IN THE TEMPLE ROOM AFTER THE SUNDARA AROTIK, SINCE IT WAS QUITE A TAXING DAY FOR HIM. IT WAS A LONG CELEBRATION AND THE DEVOTEES FELT THE SAME TOO. BUT ALL OF A SUDDEN SRILA GURUDEVA WENT DOWN AND AFTER OFFERING HIS OBEISANCES HE WENT AND ASKED MOTHER JAYASRI FOR HIS LAUNDRY AND THE SWEATSHIRT HE GOT AS A GIFT. THEN HE NOTICED NEW FACES AROUND AND STARTED ASKING MOTHER JAYASRI ABOUT THEM. A YOUNG GIRL THERE HAPPENED TO BE THE DAUGHTER OF ONE HIS FIRST DISCIPLES HERE NAMED DHYANA CANDRA DASA, BUT WHO HAS BEEN INACTIVE THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS. BUT NOW HE DECIDED TO MAKE A COMEBACK AND TO SEE HIS BELOVED GURUDEVA AFTER A LONG SEPARATION. THEN THERE WAS THIS OLD WOMAN ALSO IN HER EIGHTIES WHO HAS BEEN VERY FAITHFUL TO THE PROCESS AMIDST HER VERY SIMPLE LIFE AS A CHARCOAL VENDOR, YET WAS SO DETERMINED TO FOLLOW KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS, EVEN WHILE SHE GOT A CATARACT AND WAS BLIND FOR SOMETIME. IN FACT, SINCE HER OPERATION SHE HAS MORE WHOLEHEARTEDLY EMBRACED THE PROCESS ALL ON HER OWN IN HER HOME ISLANDS, FAR AWAY FROM THE TEMPLE. WHEN SRILA GURUDEVA LEARNED OF HER PREDICAMENTS, BEING MERCY PERSONIFIED, HE ASKED HOW HE COULD SERVE THIS OLD WOMAN. MOTHER JAYASRI TOLD HIM THAT SHE ONLY HAD ONE DESIRE, TO TAKE SHELTER AT HIS LOTUS FEET. THEREFORE GURUDEVA IMMEDIATELY SAID SHE SHOULD BE IN THE INITIATION THE NEXT DAY. WHILE CONVERSING LIKE THIS, GRADUALLY SEVERAL DEVOTEES STARTED TO COME NEARER, WANTING TO BE PART OF THAT EXCHANGE. DEVOTEES FROM SINGAPORE ALSO CAME FORWARD. SRILA GURUDEVA STARTED TO SPEAK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF DEVELOPING A RELATIONSHIP WITH ONE'S SPIRITUAL MASTER AND THE QUALIFICATIONS OF ONE ASPIRING FOR INITIATION. IT WAS A REAL SWEET EXCHANGE, FREE FROM FORMALITIES, DEVOTEES FELT THE CLOSENESS AND INTIMACY OF SUCH EXCHANGES WITH THEIR SPIRITUAL MASTER. AUGUST 5 INITIATION DAY AGAIN GURUDEVA LED EVERYONE CHANTING JAPA ON THE JAPA PATH. NAROTTAMA & JAHNAVI MA, THE ONLY KIDS THERE, GOT THE OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN THE THRONG OF DEVOTEES ACCOMPANYING GURUDEVA. SRILA GURUDEVA AND HH GIRIDHARI SWAMI GAVE CLASS ON THE THIRD CANTO PART ONE "REMEMBRANCE OF LORD KRISHNA." SRILA GURUDEVA SHARED A VERY DEEP REALIZATION ON THAT PARTICULAR VERSE. WE CANNOT WRITE IT HERE, SINCE IT REQUIRES A LOT OF SPACE. ANYWAY THESE ARE MADE AVAILABLE IN TAPES. THE LECTURE WAS LONG AND POWERFUL, FULL OF NECTAR. EVERYONE IS ABSORBED IN HEARING SRILA GURUDEVA SPEAK. AFTER THE LECTURE IT WAS ANNOUNCED THAT THE INITIATION COULD NOT START AT THE ORIGINAL TIME, DUE TO A POWER FAILURE THAT WOULD LAST TILL NOONTIME. IT WAS DECIDED TO MOVE IT TO 2:OO PM. HG BHARAT PRABHU WENT TO THE EXTENTION OFFICE OF THE ELECTRIC COMPANY TO MAKE SURE THAT ELECTRICAL POWER WOULD RESUME AS SCHEDULED. DEVOTEES RESTRAINED THEMSELVES, FINISHING THEIR ROUNDS AND OTHER CHORES THAT DO NOT NECESSARILY NEED WATER . SEVERAL STUDENTS FROM THE POST GRADUATE STUDIES CAME FOR INQUIRIES. THESE ARE ALL FROM THE PRESTIGIOUS STATE UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES OR UP. THEY WERE FROM THE MASTERAL LEVEL OF ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES. HG MAHENDRA PRABHU/HG BHARAT PRABHU & MOTHER JAYASRI ATTENDED THEM. EACH BOUGHT SOME LITERATURES LIKE "DIVINE NATURE" & THE HIGHER TASTE. THEY LIKED THE CAKE THAT WAS SERVED TO THEM WITH SOME JUICES TOO. FINALLY AT ABOUT 1:30 THE ELECTRIC POWER RESUMED AND IMMEDIATELY THE WATER PUMP STARTED TO RUN. DEVOTEES TOOK BATH AND READIED THEMSELVES FOR THE MOST AWAITED PART OF THE FESTIVAL, THE INITIATION. ABOUT 3:00 PM EVERYONE WAS IN THE TEMPLE ROOM WHILE BHAJANS WERE GOING ON. SRILA GURUDEVA GAVE ANOTHER TALK ON THE SIGNIFICANCE OF INITIATION AS PART OF THE PURIFICATORY PROCESS FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE MASTERAL STUDENTS IN PARTICULAR, WHO WERE CHRISTIANS THEMSELVES. GURUDEVA SPOKE IN SUCH A WAY THAT EACH PERSON SITTING THERE, DEVOTEE OR NOT, WAS INSPIRED. AFTER THE TALK, DEVOTEES ASSIGNED TO PLAY THE DRUM WERE ASKED TO BE READY ALONG WITH THE KARATALA PLAYERS. BUT BEFORE THE INITIATION PROPER A VERY FUNNY YET INTERESTING THING HAPPENED. WHEN MITRAVINDA MATAJI CAME TO THE TEMPLE ROOM SRILA GURUDEVA SIGNALED HER TO GO NEAR HIM. WHEN MITRAVINDA MATAJI REACHED THE PLATFORM WHERE SRILA GURUDEVA AND HH GIRIDHARI MAHARAJA WERE SITTING SIDE BY SIDE, SHE SAT ON THE FLOOR AT THE REAR CORNER OF THE PLATFORM. WHEN SRILA GURUDEVA WAS ABOUT TO START, HG GOKULA CHANDRA PRABHU ASKED MITRAVINDA TO MOVE FROM HER SEAT TO ACCOMMODATE THE NEW INITIATES. WHEN SRILA GURUDEVA NOTICED IT, HE IMMEDIATELY ORDERED GOKULA CANDRA TO TEMPORARILY VACATE WHERE HE WAS SITTING AS THE RTVIK PRIEST OF THE INITIATES. AND GURUDEVA MADE A COMMENT THAT IT SEEMS GOKULA CHANDRA PRABHU WAS BECOMING ATTACHED TO HIS POSITION AS THE RITTVIK PRIEST. GURUDEVA STRESSED THAT ONE SHOULD NOT BECOME ATTACHED TO POSITION IN ISKCON BECAUSE USUALLY THAT POSITION WOULD ALSO WILL BRING ONE DOWN. EVERYBODY WAS GIGGLING BECAUSE A LOT OF US THERE EXPERIENCED THE TRUTH ABOUT THIS. FOUR DEVOTEES FROM MANILA WERE ACCEPTED INTO THE DISCIPLIC SUCCESSION BY THE MERCY OF SRILA GURUDEVA AND HH GIRIDHARI MAHARAJA. A MOTHER AND DAUGHTER AND TWO MALE DEVOTEES GOT IST INITIATION AND THE OLD LADY GOT HER NAME EKSHAMUKTI, BHAKTA ELTON WAS NAMED AIRAVATA, BHAKTA JOJO GOT JAYADEVA, MOTHER MONETTE GOT MOKSHA LAKSHMI AND RADHA GOT RADHA PREME. DEVOTEES WHO RECEIVED SECOND INITIATION WERE LAKSHMI KANTA, BALADEVA DAS, AND HER SISTER RADHA LILA DEVI DASI, ACYUTANANDA DAS, RAMANATHA DAS AND MOTHER VATSALYA LAKSMI. AN ECSTATIC KIRTANA FOLLOWED WHILE THE SERVICE CREW HURRIEDLY PREPARED THE LAWN FOR THE RECEPTION. PRASADAM IS ALWAYS THE PART THAT CULMINATES THE DAY. WHILE EVERYONE TOOK PRASADAM, GURUDEVA AND HH GIRIDHARI MAHARAJA TOOK TIME TO SEE EVERYONE HONORING PRASADAM IN THE GARDEN. MOTHER JAYASRI'S RELATIVES WERE SO FORTUNATE TO GET SOME MOMENT OF ASSOCIATION FROM THEM. THE PARTY ENDED PAST NINE IN THE EVENING. AUGUST 5 -THE SHOW TODAY WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A BEACH DAY BUT IT WAS A HOLIDAY SO THE PLAN WAS MOVED FOR TOMORROW! GURUDEVA CHANTED ON THE JAPA PATH AGAIN. DEVOTEES WERE FOLLOWING HIM, AND HOW WONDERFUL THE SIGHT WAS. GURUDEVA LOOKED HEAVENLY BY THE GENTLE BREEZE OF THE EARLY MORNING THAT TOUCHES HIS ROBES. THE ATMOSPHERE WAS SERENE. EVERYONE WAS INSPIRED CHANTING WITH THEIR BELOVED GURU; MOMENTS LIKE THIS ARE SO RARE. SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM TODAY WAS APPRECIATED AS ONE OF THE MANY BESTS DELIVERED BY SRILA GURUDEVA. IT WAS THE CONTINUATION OF THE THIRD CANTO "REMEMBRANCE OF LORD KRISHNA." AGAIN WE APOLOGIZE TO NOT MENTION SO MUCH OF THE DETAILS. KINDLY CONTACT GOVINDA DAS FOR AUDIOTAPES FROM HIM. WHILE EVERYONE WAS IMMERSED IN HEARING, A FEW DEVOTEES IN BHARATA'S KITCHEN WERE ALSO IMMERSED IN PREPARING SRILA GURUDEVA’S AND HH GRIDHARI MAHARAJA'S BREAKFAST. MOTHER MITRAVINDA WAS ASKED BY GURUDEVA TO MAKE SURE HE WOULD HAVE FRESH PINEAPPLE JUICE FOR HIS BREAKFAST. SHE IMMEDIATELY CHECKED BUT THERE WERE NO PINEAPPLES, SO SHE SENT SOMEONE TO THE MARKET IMMEDIATELY TO BUY A FEW. THEN PADMA DEVI DASI OF HONG KONG WAS ALSO APPREHENSIVE, SINCE THERE WAS NO YOUGHURT EITHER. BHARAT PRABHU ORDERED FROM THE DAIRY FARM BUT IT WAS ALREADY 8:00 0'CLOCK, YET NONE HAD COME. PADMA WAS QUITE UPSET BECAUSE SHE COULD NOT MAKE GURUDEVA'S BREAKFAST WITHOUT IT. NORMALLY SRILA GURUDEVA TAKES FRUITS (WITH SOME GRAIN ON THE SIDE) FOR HIS BREAKFAST. PADMA WAS COOKING SOME VADA FOR SRILA GURUDEVA AND YOUGHURT WAS A VERY ESSENTIAL INGREDIENT IN IT. FORTUNATELY, JUST BEFORE THE LECTURE ENDED BOTH YOUGHURT AND PINEAPPLE CAME! IMMEDIATELY THE SERVANTS PREPARED EVERYTHING QUICKLY TO MAKE IT ON TIME. WHEN SRILA GURUDEVA WENT TO HIS ROOM AFTER THE LECTURE HH GIRIDHARI MAHARAJA CAME CHECKING TO SEE IF PRASADA WAS READY. BY KRISHNA'S GRACE THINGS WENT ON FINE—OR SO THE SERVANTS THOUGHT! SUDDENLY RAMABHADRA DAS CAME RUNNING FROM GURUDEVA'S ROOM WHILE HH GIRIDHARI MAHARAJA WAS FOLLOWING. THE PINEAPPLE WAS TOO COLD BECAUSE THEY HAD PUT ICE CUBES ON IT AND SOME SUGAR. SRILA GURUDEVA WANTED IT FRESH, PURE AND CHILLED, BUT NOT WITH ICE. NOW LUNCH WAS PLANNED. DEVOTEES FROM SINGAPORE HEADED BY PARTHA SARATHI AND MOTHER VATSALYA LAKSMI WERE TO COOK SRILA GURUDEVA'S LUNCH. SRILA GURUDEVA LIKED THE IDEA. IT WOULD BE A PERFECT ALTERNATIVE SINCE MOTHER VATSALYA IS KNOWN FOR HER COOKING. EVERYTHING WENT FINE THAT DAY. THE REST OF THE DEVOTEES GOT THE CHANCE TO ASSOCIATE MORE WITH EACH OTHER, KNOWING OTHER DEVOTEES AND MAKING FRIENDS. SRILA GURUDEVA TOLD EARLIER THAT MORNING IN HIS LECTURE ON HOW TO MAKE THE BEST OF FESTIVALS LIKE THIS IS TO MEET YOUR OLD FRIENDS AND MAKE NEW FRIENDS ALSO. EARLY THAT DAY WEATHER WAS QUITE COOPERATIVE, ALTHOUGH THE DEVOTEES FROM COLD COUNTRIES FOUND IT TOO HOT. THERE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE HARINAMA IN THE AFTERNOON BUT LATER RAIN POURED AND THE PLAN WAS CANCELLED. INSTEAD, DEVOTEES ATTENDED THE EVENING AROTIK AND WERE ENTERTAINED WITH SONGS FROM THE SONGBIRDS OF MANILA YATRA, RATNAVALI DEVI DASI AND CAITANYA CANDRA DAS. COMICAL SKITS HEADED BY GOPAL KRISHNA DAS AND GAURA SAKTI PRABHU WERE PERFORMED. A DANCE WAS PERFORMED BY THE GURUKULIS AND YOUNG LADIES OF HKP, NAMELY MANJULA DEVI DASI, MALATI DEVI DASI, AND LAKSHMI KANTA DD, WHILE THE YOUNG LADIES AND THE CHILDREN, INCLUDING JAHNAVI MA (8), RUKMINI (10), SUBHADRA (8), AND GOPAL KRISHNA DAS RENDERED A BHARAT NATYAM DANCE FOR THE PLEASURE OF EVERYONE. SRILA GURUDEVA APPRECIATED THE DANCE MORE AND HE GAVE THE DANCERS A KRISHNA DOLL COURTESY OF HG VISAKHA PRIYA OF HONG KONG. GURUDEVA COMMENTED THAT THE CHILDREN OF HARE KRISHNA PARADISE WERE ALL NICE AND THAT HE GETS ENERGY FROM THESE KIDS. AUGUST 7 BEACH DAY ITS TUESDAY! THERE WAS NO STOPPING THE DEVOTEES. EVERYONE WAS ALL SET TO GO. JEEPNEYS WERE HIRED TO TRANSPORT EVERYBODY TO THE NEXT ISLAND. MITRAVINDA LED THE WAY TO KALINGAO BEACH RESORT OWNED BY A GOOD FRIEND OF THE HARE KRISHNA'S IN CEBU. GURUDEVA’S ARRIVAL WAS DELAYED, HOWEVER, BECAUSE HE WAS STILL IN THE TEMPLE ENGAGING TIRTHARAJA DAS WITH HIS COMPUTER. BECAUSE TIRTHARAJA IS EXPERIENCED WITH COMPUTERS HE WAS HELPING TO CHANGE THE PROGRAM AND, IN FACT, HE WAS SCHEDULED TO LEAVE FOR AUSTRALIA AT TEN A.M. HOWEVER, GURUDEVA ASKED THAT HE PUT OFF HIS DEPARTURE UNTIL 2:00 P.M.. WHILE TIRTHARAJA WAS DOING HIS WORK GURUDEVA CHANTED ON THE JAPA PATH AND SAW MOTHER KRPA MAYI. HE CALLED HER AND THEY TALKED FOR SOME TIME. THAT WAS A VERY SWEET AND INTIMATE EXCHANGE BETWEEN THEM. GURUDEVA INQUIRED ABOUT HER FAMILY, HER HUSBAND CHANDRA SEKHARA DAS AND THE KIDS. KRPA MAYI DID NOT EXPECT THAT MOMENT TO HAPPEN. SHE WAS ECSTATIC THE WHOLE TIME. GURUDEVA FINALLY ARRIVED ABOUT 2:00 PM. AT THE BEACH AFTER DROPPING TIRTHARAJA DAS & MOTHER TARAKA AT THE AIRPORT, SO IT WAS QUITE LATE FOR THE DEVOTEES WHO WERE WAITING FOR THEM. BUT ALL THESE WAS COMPLETELY FORGOTTEN WHEN GURUDEVA ARRIVED. HE IMMEDIATELY TOOK OFF HIS ROBE AND IN HIS SWIMMING SHORTS HE IMMERSED HIMSELF IN THE WATER. HE COMMENTED THAT THE WATER TEMPERATURE WAS PERFECT.THE MALE DEVOTEES IMMEDIATELY JOINED SRILA GURUDEVA. HH GIRIDHARI MAHARAJA ALSO JOINED WITH SRILA GURUDEVA.THEY PLAYED BALL IN THE WATER AND THE WOMEN AS SPECTATORS. SRILA GURUDEVA STAYED FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES WITH THEM IN THE WATER. AFTER THAT A SUMPTOUS PRASADAM WHICH EVERYONE WAS WAITING SINCE MORNING WAS SERVED. SRILA GURUDEVA AND GIRIDHARI MAHARAJA TOOK THEIRS TOO TOGETHER WITH EVERYONE.THE PRASADA WAS REALLY GREAT, COOKED AND SERVED BY HG MANDALI BHADRA DAS AND MOTHER MADHAVI. IT WAS A MIXTURE OF CHINESE AND LOCAL PREPARATIONS. EVERYONE APPRECIATED IT AND WAS FULL TO THE MAX. THEN, SRILA GURUDEVA TOOK HIS REST IN THE BERMUDA GRASS IN FRONT OF HIS ROOM IN THE BEACH, LYING ON HIS SIDE PEACEFULLY. AFTER A FEW MINUTES ONE CHINESE DEVOTEE CAME WITH HER ZAMBOANGA-MADE HAT, WHICH AT THE SAME TIME COULD BE USED AS A FAN. SHE FANNED GURUDEVA, THEN KARUNAMRTA WAS ALSO CALLED AND THEY CHATTED FOR FEW MINUTES. SEVERAL DEVOTEES WERE CALLED AND HAD SOME CHAT WITH SRILA GURUDEVA. A LITTLE LATER SRILA GURUDEVA STOOD UP AND TOURED EACH TABLE, WHERE GROUPS OF DEVOTEES WERE HAVING NICE TIME ASSOCIATING WITH EACH OTHER. THE TAIWAN DEVOTEES LED BY JAHNAVA DEVI DID BHAJANS, TRYING TO LEARN THE SONGS FROM THE VAISNAVA SONGBOOK. AFTER ONE SONG SRILA GURUDEVA CLAPPED HIS HANDS INDICATING HIS APPRECIATION OF THEIR SONG. THEN HE CALLED JAHNAVI MA, THE DAUGHTER OF ISVARA PURI PRABHU AND MITRAVINDA DEVI DASI. JAHNAVI MA WAS QUITE SHY AND PRETENDED TO BE SCARED BUT SRILA GURUDEVA TOLD HER SHE SHOULD NOT FEEL LIKE THAT SINCE HE WAS JUST WANTED TO TELL HER THAT THEY HAVE THE SAME HAT. THEN GURUDEVA TOLD MOTHER MITRAVINDA THAT THE DRAMA THEY PERFORMED LAST EVENING COULD NOT BE EASILY UNDERSTOOD BY EVERYONE, SINCE THERE WAS NOT MUCH DIALOGUE IN IT. MITRAVINDA WAS SORRY AND TOLD GURUDEVA THAT THEY HAD VERY SMALL TIME TO PREPARE IT. GURUDEVA SAID SONGS AND DANCES ARE GOOD ENOUGH FOR A PRESENTATION IF THE GURU IS AROUND. DRAMA SHOULD BE PRESENTED ONLY IF IT WAS DONE WITH FULL PREPARATION. HE SAID ALL THE DRAMAS THAT WERE PRESENTED THAT NIGHT WERE NOT THAT GOOD. EXCEPT FOR THOSE WHO ALREADY KNEW THE STORY, NOT EVERYONE COULD UNDERSTAND IT. MITRAVINDA APOLOGIZED TO GURUDEVA FOR THAT DEFFICIENCY. THEN GURUDEVA AGAIN DID SOME WALKING IN THE RESORT AND CALLED FOR ISVARA PURI PRABHU. HE TOLD ISVARA PURI PRABHU TO TOUCH HIS SLIPPERS, TO SEE IF ITS SOFT OR HARD. ISVARA PURI PRABHU FOUND SRILA GURUDEVA'S SLIPPERS WAS QUITE HARD FOR HIS DELICATE LOTUS FEET. SRILA GURUDEVA TOLD HIM THAT HE WANTED IT TO BE CHANGED. IMMEDIATELY ISVARA PURI LEFT TO BUY ANOTHER SET OF SLIPPERS FOR GURUDEVA. HE WAS IN REAL ECSTACY TO BE ENGAGED IN SUCH A SERVICE. GURUDEVA WAITED FOR HIM. WHEN ISVARA PURI PRABHU BROUGHT HIM THE NEW PAIR, HE APPRECIATED THE SOFTNESS, BUT IT DID NOT FIT NICELY ON SRILA GURUDEVA'S LOTUS FEET. AGAIN ISVARA PURI PRABHU WENT BACK TO LOOK FOR THAT KIND THAT WOULD FIT SRILA GURUDEVA'S LOTUS FEET. HE WENT TO THE BIGGEST MALL IN THE CITY AND WAS ABLE TO FIND THE BRAND THAT GURUDEVA LIKED. WHEN HE ARRIVED HE IMMEDIATELY WENT TO SRILA GURUDEVA'S HOUSE AND GURUDEVA LET HIM COME INSIDE HIS ROOM. BUT AGAIN WHEN GURUDEVA TRIED IT, STILL WAS TOO SMALL FOR HIM. HE LET HH GIRIDHARI MAHARAJA TRY ALSO, BUT IT WAS TOO STILL TOO SMALL FOR HIM TOO. FINALLY GURUDEVA TOLD ISVARA PURI THAT HE COULD HAVE IT FOR HIMSELF AS MAHA FROM BOTH OF THEM. THAT WAS VERY INTIMATE EXCHANGE INDEED AND ISBVARA PURI PRABHU COULD NEVER FORGET THAT MOMENT THAT HE SEALED IT TO THE DEEPEST CHAMBER OF HIS HEART. THE BEACH DAY FINALLY CAME TO PASS! AUGUST 8- FEELING OF SEPARATION SRILA GURUDEVA CAME DOWN FROM HIS HOUSE ABOUT PAST SIX. HE WAS COMPLAINING THAT HE WAS QUITE TIRED. HE CHANTED FOR SOMETIME ON THE JAPA PATH, BUT THEN SAT AT WHITE STONE BEACH NEAR ISVARA PURI'S HOUSE. A LITTLE LATER HE WENT BACK TO HIS ROOM. IT WAS TIME FOR SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM AND GURUDEVA WENT DOWN FROM HIS ROOM AND WENT TO THE TEMPLE. ON THE STAIRS HE FOUND MITRAVINDA COOKING AND JOKINGLY SAID "LOOK WHO'S THE CHEF COOK FOR TODAY!" MITRAVINDA PAID HER OBEISANCES AND WENT BACK TO HER COOKING. SHE MADE A QUICK BREAKFAST FOR SHYAMARANI DD. FOR SHE GOT A VERY BAD COLD AND NEEDS TO TAKE SOME PAIN RELIEVER. SHYAMARANI WAS SCHEDULED TO COOK SRILA GURUDEVA'S BREAKFAST BUT SHE COULD NOT MAKE IT DUE TO THE COLD.WHEN MITRAVINDA LEARNED THAT NO ONE IS GOING TO COOK THE DHOKLA FOR GURUDEVA, SHE IMMEDIATELY ASKED GANDIVA PRABHU TO MAKE IT. GANDIVA AGREED AND THEY BOTH WENT TO BHARAT'S KITCHEN TO DO THE PREPARATION. SHYAMARANI ALREADY ATE HER BREAKFAST OF SEMI WET STEW NOODLES WITH MIX VEGETABLES, AND GRAPE JUICE. IMMEDIATELY AFTER EATING SHE TOOK THE MEFENAMIC ACID TO CALM DOWN THE COLDS. THEN MITRAVINDA ASSISTED GANDIVA IN MAKING THE DHOKLA. SHE WAS ASKED TO MAKE THE TOMATOE CHUTNEY SINCE THERE WAS NO CORIANDER LEAVES AVAILABLE IN THE MARKET.BEFORE LONG GURUDEVA'S BREAKFAST WAS READY BUT THEY MISSED THE CLASS. BUT NO REGRETS, AS LONG AS GURUDEVA IS SATISFIED THAT WAS THE GOAL. GURUDEVA GAVE DARSHAN A LITLLE LATER IN THE AFTERNOON. SEVERAL DEVOTEES LEFT EARLY THAT MORNING TO THEIR CORRESPONDING PLACES. MANILA DEVOTEES HEADED BY MAHENDRA DAS ALSO LEFT TO PREPARE SRILA GURUDEVA'S ARRIVAL THERE THE NEXT DAY. THE FEELING OF SEPARATION FROM THE DEVOTEES WAS ALREADY FELT THAT DAY. DURING LUNCH PRASADA, ALL THE REMAINING DEVOTEES DECIDED TO MAKE A LETTER ADDRESSED TO SRILA GURUDEVA REQUESTING HIM TO COME DOWN THAT EVENING AND BE WITH THE DEVOTEES FOR THE LAST TIME. EVERYONE SIGNED. BUT GURUDEVA WAS STILL BUSY UP TO THE NECK. HE WAS GIVING INDIVIDUAL DARSHAN TO SEVERAL DEVOTEES WHO ARE DOING IMPORTANT PREACHING MISSION LIKE IN TAIWAN, KOREA AND HONG KONG. HOWEVER, AS MERCY PERSONIFIED, HE FINALLY ACCEPTED THE PROPOSAL. HE SAID IF HE COULD NOT MAKE IT TO THE SUNDARA AROTIK, THEN FOR SURE HE'LL BE THERE IN THE SAYANA AROTIK. DEVOTEES STARTED TO MAKE PREPARATIONS FOR THE LAST TIME. EVERYONE GATHERED AND GURUDEVA CAME AND LED SHORT BHAJANS. THEN THANKED EVERYONE FOR THE NICE FESTIVAL AND THE COOPERATION HE SAW FROM THE DEVOTEES OF HARE KRISHNA PARADISE. HE APPRECIATED EVERYONE’S MOOD TO PLEASE HIM AND EACH OTHER. HE SPECIALLY MENTIONED BHARAT PRABHU AND HIS WIFE FOR TRYING TO MAINTAIN THE TEMPLE. HE SAID HE DON'T MIND IF PREACHING WAS SLOW AS WAS IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD, BUT AT LEAST THE DEITIES ARE PROPERLY MAINTAINED AS WELL AS THE TEMPLE. IT IS ALREADY AN ACHIEVEMENT, SINCE IT IS NOT EASY TO MAINTAIN. TO CREATE IS EASY AS WELL AS TO DESTROY; BUT TO MAINTAIN IS ANOTHER THING. BUT HE SAID IT SHOULD NOT GO LOWER THAN WHAT IT IS NOW. HE ALSO PRAISED THE DEVOTEES FROM OTHER COUNTRIES WHO TOOK THE PAIN AND HARDSHIPS TO TRAVEL TO BE ABLE TO COME TO CEBU AND BE A PART OF THE FESTIVAL. HE SAID HE UNDERSTOOD THAT SOMETIMES THERE WERE SOME EXPECTATIONS NOT MET, SHOTCOMINGS AND DISCOMFORT, BUT EVERYTHING IS COMPENSATED BECAUSE THESE ACTIVITIES ARE ALL SPIRITUAL IN NATURE AND PART OF THE AUSTERITIES IN KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS. GURUDEVA THANKED HH GIRIDHARI MAHARAJA FOR ARRANGING HIS COMING AFTER THREE YEARS AND EXPRESS THAT HE HOPED TO HAVE IT LIKE THIS AGAIN NEXT YEAR. HE ALSO MENTIONED THAT HIS STUDIES WILL BE FINISHED IN ONE MORE YEAR AND AFTER THAT HE WOULD SEE WHAT KRISHNA WITHIN THE HEART WOULD DIRECT HIM TO DO. HIS PRIORITY NEXT TIME WOULD BE CHINA. HH GIRIDHARI MAHARAJA ALSO SPOKE AND THANKED GURUDEVA FOR EVERYTHING. HE SAID THE WHOLE TIME IT WAS SRILA GURUDEVA WHO HAS BEEN SUPPORTING HIM. AND HE SAID THAT AS LONG AS YOU FOLLOW SRILA GURUDEVA, EVERYTHING WOULD BE A SUCCESS!!!!!!!! THAT ENDED THE NIGHT.. AUGUST 7- THE FAREWELL SRILA GURUDEVA AND HH GIRIDHARI MAHARAJA WERE SCHEDULED TO LEAVE THE TEMPLE AT 6:00 AM. SRILA GURUDEVA. CAME TO MANGALA DURING NRSINGHA PRANAMA TIME AND LED THE PRAYERS. DEVOTEES STARTED TO FEEL THE INTENSITY OF SEPARATION FROM THEIR BELOVED FATHER SRILA GURUDEVA. WHEN WE WILL SEE HIM AGAIN IS NOT DETERMINE YET. THEREFORE THE DEVOTEES MUST BE READY AGAIN TO WAIT UNTIL WHEN???? ONLY KRISHNA KNOWS. TEARS ARE BECOMING VISIBLE TO THE EYES OF SOME. THE PRAYER WAS INTENSE, SEEMINGLY BEGGING FOR THE LORD TO INTERVENE, TO STOP THE EVENTUAL SEPARATION. BUT PREACHING IS VERY IMPORTANT ABOVE ALL THINGS. EACH DEVOTEE HAS HIS OR HER DUTY TO PERFORM TO PLEASE GURU AND KRISHNA. ALL THE DEVOTEES GATHERED AROUND THE LOBBY OF THE TEMPLE ROOM WAITING FOR SRILA GURUDEVA TO COME DOWN FROM HIS ROOM. THE FORD EXPEDITION CAR, COURTESY OF OUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBOR, THOMAS NGO, WHO LENT HIS VERY EXPENSIVE CAR FOR THE SERVICE OF SRILA GURUDEVA AND HH GIRIDHARI MAHARAJA. THIS WAS THE SAME CAR THAT FETCHED THEM UPON ARRIVAL. FOR THE LAST TIME GURUDEVA CALLED THE TWO PIONEER MATAJIS OF KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS IN CEBU, MOTHER JAYASRI AND MOTHER MADHAVI. EACH ONE GOT THE OPPORTUNITY TO SMEAR THE LOTUS FEET OF SRILA GURUDEVA. JAHNAVA DEVI BEFORE THEM GOT THE CHANCE TO; HER HUMBLE REQUEST WAS GRANTED. KRIPA MAYI WAS STANDING NEAR BHARAT'S HOUSE, WHERE GURUDEVA WAS STAYING. WITH HANDS FULL OF FRESH FLOWERS SHE STOOD THERE ALONE. GURUDEVA REACHED HER HAND AND PRESSED IT HARD. NO WORDS CAME BETWEEN THEM. JUST A SILENT UNDERSTANDING AND EXCHANGE OF LOVE. FINALLY GURUDEVA WENT INSIDE THE CAR AND TO HIS SURPRISE HE SAW RUKMINI, NITAI, YUTHESVARI, MITRAVINDA, NAROTTAMA & JAHNAVI MA HAD TAKEN THE BACKSEAT. BHARAT PRABHU WAS CLEVER ENOUGH NOT TO WASTE THE TRAVEL TIME WITHOUT DEVOTEES WHO COULD RELISH SUCH AN OCCASION WITH THEIR SPIRITUAL MASTER. AS THE CAR HEADED TO THE AIRPORT, GURUDEVA GAVE HIS PERSONAL BAG TO NAROTTAMA TO CARRY WHILE HIS COMPUTER WAS GIVEN TO NITAI. THEN HE ASKED IF THEY WERE SATISFIED WITH THE ASSOCIATION AND EVERYONE SAID "YES.". THE KIDS RELISHED THE MOMENT, FULLY OBSERVANT BUT SILENT. FINALLY THEY REACHED THE AIRPORT. GURUDEVA MOVED QUICKLY TO GET DOWN. DEVOTEES WHOM WE LEFT IN THE TEMPLE WERE ALREADY WAITING FOR HIM. IT WAS BECAUSE GURUDEVA'S DRIVER ALLOWED THEM TO GO AHEAD. THEY WERE ALREADY DOING KIRTANA AND GURUDEVA WAS AGAIN SHOWERED WITH FLOWERS. THEN HE MADE GESTURES OF GOODBYE BY FOLDING HIS HANDS THEN SUDDENLY HE JUMPED AND SANG "HARIBOL! HARIBOL! HARIBOL!" THEN HE WENT. THE REST WERE LEFT BEHIND, TRYING TO KEEP THE MEMORIES WITHIN… REPORTED BY: JAYASRI DEVI DASI GOPAL KRISHNA DAS MITRAVINDA DEVI DASI -Thus ends this edition of the newsletter- |