As we all know, for the past months there has been political turmoil and instability in Ukraine which has been gradually escalating to more and more violence, with a lot of blood being shed. Naturally I had been very unsure whether or not to visit Ukraine this year. Furthermore the media in the Western world tends to misrepresent the actual situation, and things are easily blown out of proportion. So it was not easy for me to assess the actual situation - whether it was safe enough to visit the Ukrainian devotees.
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On my arrival in Kishiniev/Moldova on the 19th of May I was eagerly welcomed by devotees at the airport. Moldova is one of the poorest countries in Europe, situated South of Ukraine and bordering onto Romania. It used to be part of the former Soviet Union and is now a separate country. Most people speak Russian, but they also have their Moldovan language, which is similar to Romanian and almost sounds a little like Italian or Spanish.
Being one of the poorest countries with little opportunities for sense enjoyment, people are proportionally more interested in religious life and spiritual practice than in Western parts of Europe, where people enjoy a higher standard of life. As long as the mind is flooded with plans and desires to enjoy life and advance materially, it is difficult to turn towards the Lord with sincere feeling. On my arrival in Munich/Germany on the 9th of May I was requested to give the evening lecture.
The devotees are renting a spacious house in a quiet residential area of a suburb of Munich. The facilities are very nice, nevertheless only a hand-full of devotees are living in the temple. Recently HG Prthu Prabhu (ACBSP) decided to base himself here to try and recruit new devotees to join the temple. Very enlivening news! He wants to specifically target the students and young people - something I have also been meditating on for a long time. On the 10th morning we drove out to Simhachalam - an ISKCON farm in the very Eastern part of Germany, (near the Polish and Czech border) which serves as the abode of Lord Nrsimhadev. They call it "Der Loewen-Tempel", or "The Lion-Temple" - very befitting and attractive to newcomers. |
Devaki Devi Dasi's Traveling DiaryDevaki Devi Dasi is sharing her realizations and adventures in her Traveling Diary. Welcome to relish this nectar! |
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