On the 30th of September I arrived in Harinama Desh near Wiesbaden, which is Dina Sharana Mataji's home base, who serves as the GBC for Germany, Switzerland and Austria. She had many times invited me to visit, and now I had finally found an opportunity to accept her invitation. Some years ago ISKCON had purchased this property in the country side, and due to Dina Sharana Mataji's dedication and sharp intelligence she managed to conceive of a strategy how to gradually pay it off, without ISKCON losing lots of money. Now there are several families living in the building, and a couple of brahmacaris. So there are only a handful devotees here.
As soon as I entered the temple room I could sense that a lady's hand is in charge here. The interior is nicely coordinated in warm colors and creates a pleasant and welcoming atmosphere. Lord Jagannath, Baladev and Subhadra and Sri Sri Gaur Nitai are the Lords of the establishment.
Every first Saturday in a month the devotees conduct here a bigger program, where around sixty people from the surrounding cities are coming together.
Since Mo, the 3rd of October was a public holiday I was scheduled to offer the course "Giving and Accepting Shelter - the Foundation to Vaisnava Relationships and Devotee Care" over the long weekend, using the Saturday program as introduction to the course. We had a nice little group of interested devotees participating - the discussions were reaching their hearts, and some seeds were sown to the understanding of what Devotee Care is all about.
Every first Saturday in a month the devotees conduct here a bigger program, where around sixty people from the surrounding cities are coming together.
Since Mo, the 3rd of October was a public holiday I was scheduled to offer the course "Giving and Accepting Shelter - the Foundation to Vaisnava Relationships and Devotee Care" over the long weekend, using the Saturday program as introduction to the course. We had a nice little group of interested devotees participating - the discussions were reaching their hearts, and some seeds were sown to the understanding of what Devotee Care is all about.
Dina Sharana Mataji works very hard and has so many good ideas, capabilities and plans. This year the German yatra conducted a special program for the 50th anniversary of ISKCON at the Castle called Schloss Rettershof, which used to be one of the main centers in Germany at Srila Prabhupada's times. Now it has been turned into a fancy Hotel and Conference Center. The present owners were delighted about the idea to have a Hare Krishna Convention there, and gave the large Conference Hall free of charge. And Dina Sharana Mataji was the driving force behind the entire event.
It was a great pleasure for me to visit this community, and it gave me an opportunity to get to know Dina Sharana Mataji on a more personal level.
It was a great pleasure for me to visit this community, and it gave me an opportunity to get to know Dina Sharana Mataji on a more personal level.
On Tuesday the 4th of October I took a train to Koeln to visit the devotees here. It was my last destination before flying back to India - gradually it was getting cold here, and time had come for me to move on to the other side of the world to serve my commitments over there.
Out of all city temples in Germany the Koeln yatra is definately the most vibrant and dynamic one. It is also the only city temple which is ISKCON property, and this gives of course stability to a yatra. The area around Koeln is densely populated, and thus there must be around 300 devotees living within a radius of one hundred kilometers. The community has a very active Russian congregation, and also an active Indian congregation, and of course also a nice group of Germans, and they all work very nicely together.
Out of all city temples in Germany the Koeln yatra is definately the most vibrant and dynamic one. It is also the only city temple which is ISKCON property, and this gives of course stability to a yatra. The area around Koeln is densely populated, and thus there must be around 300 devotees living within a radius of one hundred kilometers. The community has a very active Russian congregation, and also an active Indian congregation, and of course also a nice group of Germans, and they all work very nicely together.
Over the weekend I offered the first part of the course "Men and Women in Spiritual Culture", starting Friday evening and including the entire Saturday and half of the Sunday. Since Bhakti Busana Maharaja was also here, quite a few of his disciples had come from other cities, and he requested everyone to participate in the course, which was of course very encouraging. Around 28 devotees participated and highly appreciated the discussions. Some took the course for the second time and found it once again very insightful and thought provoking. Koeln is Bhakti Busana Maharaja's base in Europe, and since he very much supports the vision of the importance of spiritual culture, it falls on especially fertile ground here.
In the verse and purport to SB.5.1.29 we find several interesting points in regards to Maharaja Priyavrata and his wife Barhismati:
".....He greatly loved his wife Barhismati, and with the increase of days, their exchange of nuptial love also increased. By her feminine behavior as she dressed herself, walked, got up, smiled, laughed, and glanced about, Queen Barhismati increased his energy. Thus although he was a great soul, he appeared lost in the feminine conduct of his wife. He behaved with her just like an ordinary man, but actually he was a great soul.
Purport: .... To maintain such a life of strict vigilance, one needs encouragement from his wife. In the varnasrama-dharma system, certain classes, such as the brahmanas and sannyasis, do not need encouragement from the opposite sex. Ksatriyas and grhasthas, however, actually need the encouragement of their wives in order to execute their duties. Indeed, a grhastha or ksatriya cannot properly execute his responsibilities without the association of his wife. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu personally admitted that a grhastha must live with a wife.
Ksatriyas were even allowed to have many wives to encourage them in discharging the duties of government. The association of a good wife is necessary in a life of karma and political affairs. To execute his duties properly, therefore. Maharaja Priyavrata took advantage of his good wife Barhismati, who was always very expert in pleasing her great husband by properly dressing herself, smiling, and exhibiting her feminine bodily features.
Queen Barhismati always kept Maharaja Priyavrata very encouraged, and thus he executed his governmental duty very properly. In this verse iva has twice been used to indicate that Maharaja Priyavrata acted exactly like a henpecked husband and thereby seemed to have lost his sense of human responsibility. Actually, however, he was fully conscious of his position as a spirit soul, although he seemingly behaved like an acquiescent karmi husband."
".....He greatly loved his wife Barhismati, and with the increase of days, their exchange of nuptial love also increased. By her feminine behavior as she dressed herself, walked, got up, smiled, laughed, and glanced about, Queen Barhismati increased his energy. Thus although he was a great soul, he appeared lost in the feminine conduct of his wife. He behaved with her just like an ordinary man, but actually he was a great soul.
Purport: .... To maintain such a life of strict vigilance, one needs encouragement from his wife. In the varnasrama-dharma system, certain classes, such as the brahmanas and sannyasis, do not need encouragement from the opposite sex. Ksatriyas and grhasthas, however, actually need the encouragement of their wives in order to execute their duties. Indeed, a grhastha or ksatriya cannot properly execute his responsibilities without the association of his wife. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu personally admitted that a grhastha must live with a wife.
Ksatriyas were even allowed to have many wives to encourage them in discharging the duties of government. The association of a good wife is necessary in a life of karma and political affairs. To execute his duties properly, therefore. Maharaja Priyavrata took advantage of his good wife Barhismati, who was always very expert in pleasing her great husband by properly dressing herself, smiling, and exhibiting her feminine bodily features.
Queen Barhismati always kept Maharaja Priyavrata very encouraged, and thus he executed his governmental duty very properly. In this verse iva has twice been used to indicate that Maharaja Priyavrata acted exactly like a henpecked husband and thereby seemed to have lost his sense of human responsibility. Actually, however, he was fully conscious of his position as a spirit soul, although he seemingly behaved like an acquiescent karmi husband."
Once we understand how a woman is the auspicious source of energy and inspiration to a man, it is further revealed to us how most men do need this source of energy and inspiration to be motivated and responsible. It channels his masculine nature and energy into a productive and uplifting direction and gives him a goal and mission in life. Infact, Prabhupada explains that only very brahminical men (and Sannyasis) don't need this feminine energy - all others do! This might give insights why so many of our Sannyasis were not able to maintain this ashram - because they were not brahminical enough and actually needed this feminine energy in their life in order to be inspired. For a man to get married or not get married is not just a question of whether he can remain celibate or not. No, there is also a subtle aspect to it - the feminine energy! I dare say we have not yet recognised this point enough, and as a result we find that many men in our movement are not properly situated.
Prabhupada further explains how in former days ksatriyas were even allowed to have many wives - not because they were so lusty that they could not be satisfied with one - no! They were such heroic leaders, that the feminine energy coming from one wife was not enough - they needed the energy of several wives in order to rule the entire world.
Sometimes we can find, that if a man is not situated in marriage but is lacking this feminine energy in his life, he might just steal a few drops of it, by reaching out to ladies, preaching to them and 'taking care of them'.
And of course, a lady can feel this, and as a result she might get attached to him, thinking that he might want to marry her. When approached with this question, he might react very surprised, exclaiming that he is simply preaching to her.....!
Let us clearly understand that not only do most of us women need the protection and care of a man - at least for some period of our life - but also most men do need the feminine energy in order to be motivated and responsible. Once again we can discover how perfect Krsna arranged the system He has given us.....
On the 10th of October I flew off to Delhi......
Your servant, Devaki dd
Prabhupada further explains how in former days ksatriyas were even allowed to have many wives - not because they were so lusty that they could not be satisfied with one - no! They were such heroic leaders, that the feminine energy coming from one wife was not enough - they needed the energy of several wives in order to rule the entire world.
Sometimes we can find, that if a man is not situated in marriage but is lacking this feminine energy in his life, he might just steal a few drops of it, by reaching out to ladies, preaching to them and 'taking care of them'.
And of course, a lady can feel this, and as a result she might get attached to him, thinking that he might want to marry her. When approached with this question, he might react very surprised, exclaiming that he is simply preaching to her.....!
Let us clearly understand that not only do most of us women need the protection and care of a man - at least for some period of our life - but also most men do need the feminine energy in order to be motivated and responsible. Once again we can discover how perfect Krsna arranged the system He has given us.....
On the 10th of October I flew off to Delhi......
Your servant, Devaki dd
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