At the end of November last year, after spending a few days in Gurugram near Delhi, I flew to Kathmandu for two weeks - together with Dhara Mataji from Cologne. We were booked to visit Bangladesh together, but because of the recent political instabilities we were advised better not to come; and so we went to Nepal instead.
I had not visited Nepal for around 12 years, so it was wonderful to meet the devotees once again, after such a long time. We stayed at the comfortable Guest House of the main temple in Budhanilkantha - outside of Kathmandu - and we were very nicely taken care of. Devotees had arranged a number of programs at the temple and in the nearby preaching centres of Patan, Chandri Giri and Bhaktapur, and Dhara Mataji led nice kirtans everywhere.
In the last 12 years the local devotees have developed the property of the main temple very nicely and created more facilities with the help of substantial government funding - ISKCON has been recognised for preserving Hindu culture in Nepal. Also there has been a lot of internet preaching going on, which brought many young devotees to the temple, with the Mangal Artik being amazingly well attended!
I had not visited Nepal for around 12 years, so it was wonderful to meet the devotees once again, after such a long time. We stayed at the comfortable Guest House of the main temple in Budhanilkantha - outside of Kathmandu - and we were very nicely taken care of. Devotees had arranged a number of programs at the temple and in the nearby preaching centres of Patan, Chandri Giri and Bhaktapur, and Dhara Mataji led nice kirtans everywhere.
In the last 12 years the local devotees have developed the property of the main temple very nicely and created more facilities with the help of substantial government funding - ISKCON has been recognised for preserving Hindu culture in Nepal. Also there has been a lot of internet preaching going on, which brought many young devotees to the temple, with the Mangal Artik being amazingly well attended!
As we were giving programs in those preaching centres, we also had an opportunity to do a bit of sightseeing and visited some of the numerous ancient, pagoda-style temples. As the name Bhaktapur already indicates, it is the city of devotees and was founded in the 12th century. Although it has become today a popular tourist attraction, and in most of the temples there is no regular puja taking place any longer, one can still perceive the spiritual atmosphere lingering in this city; with a little bit of imagination one can envision how sublime and uplifting life must have been here some centuries ago! The beautiful architecture of these former places of worship are surely evidence of a high level of God consciousness and devotion in times gone by. One commonly sees ancient Deities of Nrsimhadev at public squares and at the gate of King's palaces.
On our visit to Nepal, we were churning one of my favorite topics - death, our final challenge. You may know that I journeyed two times through the experience of having cancer. With a mundane vision, to receive the diagnosis of such an aggressive and fatal disease is considered one of the most horrible situations one can imagine. Yet, a Vaishnava can turn any calamity into a golden opportunity to cling more firmly to the shelter of Krishna and His devotees; in reciprocation, the Lord manifests Himself more tangibly to such a devotee; thus, going through the journey of a cancer treatment can almost become a sweet experience which, for an outsider, is difficult to fully comprehend.
When going through the first ordeal of being diagnosed with cancer in 2007, Krishna kindly reciprocated by giving me deep realisations and joyful experiences. On the morning of the day of a major surgery, while chanting all my rounds, my meditation was to simply put my life in Krishna’s hands; not praying to be saved; rather, my contemplation was, “Okay, Krishna – here I am. Whatever You want to do with me, I am ready to accept it.”
To surrender means putting our life in Krishna’s hands – giving up our plans and being willing to accept Krishna’s plans. After all, undergoing cancer surgery is a heavy blow – we don’t know whether or not we will wake up again; how much the disease may have spread throughout the body, and how long the remainder of our life may be... It is full of uncertainties. Now, putting my life in Krishna’s hands awarded me peace of mind and true shelter – I let go of my plans, and was ready to accept whatever Krishna would arrange.
In fact, I was so peaceful and relaxed that I myself was shocked, contemplating: “How is it possible? I am about to undergo cancer surgery, but am completely relaxed and at ease – no anxieties or fears!"
It was an opportunity for me to put Krishna consciousness to the test, realising that this powerful process does work! Without a doubt! How else was it possible for me to feel happy while about to go through such an ordeal?
As long as we hang onto our plans, hoping and praying that Krishna will fulfil them, we will be in anxiety over whether He will fulfil them or not. Only after letting go of our hopes and plans will we feel peaceful and sheltered. This meditation accompanied me throughout the entire time of recovery after the surgery and the chemotherapy taken thereafter. When we take shelter of the Lord, He tangibly manifests Himself, allowing us to taste a special sweetness never experienced before; a sweetness which cannot be understood by outsiders.
When going through the first ordeal of being diagnosed with cancer in 2007, Krishna kindly reciprocated by giving me deep realisations and joyful experiences. On the morning of the day of a major surgery, while chanting all my rounds, my meditation was to simply put my life in Krishna’s hands; not praying to be saved; rather, my contemplation was, “Okay, Krishna – here I am. Whatever You want to do with me, I am ready to accept it.”
To surrender means putting our life in Krishna’s hands – giving up our plans and being willing to accept Krishna’s plans. After all, undergoing cancer surgery is a heavy blow – we don’t know whether or not we will wake up again; how much the disease may have spread throughout the body, and how long the remainder of our life may be... It is full of uncertainties. Now, putting my life in Krishna’s hands awarded me peace of mind and true shelter – I let go of my plans, and was ready to accept whatever Krishna would arrange.
In fact, I was so peaceful and relaxed that I myself was shocked, contemplating: “How is it possible? I am about to undergo cancer surgery, but am completely relaxed and at ease – no anxieties or fears!"
It was an opportunity for me to put Krishna consciousness to the test, realising that this powerful process does work! Without a doubt! How else was it possible for me to feel happy while about to go through such an ordeal?
As long as we hang onto our plans, hoping and praying that Krishna will fulfil them, we will be in anxiety over whether He will fulfil them or not. Only after letting go of our hopes and plans will we feel peaceful and sheltered. This meditation accompanied me throughout the entire time of recovery after the surgery and the chemotherapy taken thereafter. When we take shelter of the Lord, He tangibly manifests Himself, allowing us to taste a special sweetness never experienced before; a sweetness which cannot be understood by outsiders.
With a mundane vision, how can one experience any sweetness when undergoing chemotherapy? However, by His mercy, a devotee can maintain a level of deep inner joy and happiness even while going through such a dreadful experience. Such is the glory of the process of Krishna consciousness. It affords one a
higher level of joy, which cannot be taken away by anything – neither by cancer nor chemotherapy; not even by death. This is the true meaning of being transcendental. In his purport to verse 2.7.46, Srila
Prabhupada encourages us: "But in the devotional service of the Lord the only qualification required is surrender. Surrendering oneself is in one’s own hand. If one likes, he can surrender immediately, without delay, and that begins his spiritual life."
In other words, even in the early stage of devotional life, we may experience Krishna’s loving reciprocation if we are willing to surrender. According to Srila Prabhupada, anyone can surrender at any time – immediately, without delay. It is in our hands. Calamities can offer us an incentive to surrender, even if not initiated. One can decide, “Krishna, I am Yours! Srila Prabhupada, I am yours!” Therefore, Queen Kunti prays for calamities to come again and again.
As we gradually regain our health, we may lose the intense impetus to take shelter, and Krishna may proportionately fade away into the background. We may almost lament a little, regretting the loss of that special sweetness, as our life gradually gets back to normal. All this proves the fact that happiness is a question of consciousness – not of the external situation.
Once when taking chemotherapy in Melbourne in 2007 and visiting my oncologist for a check-up, we encountered a humorous situation. In the waiting room, there was a Muslim lady, a Christian nun and me. All of us were dressed in our uniforms – I was in a sari and tilak. Later, the doctor said, “All of you three ladies were in the same situation, suffering the same disease. It gave me a good opportunity to compare your religious practice; and I must say, you are doing the best! Factually, never have I ever had such a happy cancer patient before.” And laughingly, he added, “It seems like being a Hare Krishna offers a good disposition for doing chemotherapy!”
I couldn’t restrain myself and cheekily responded, “Maybe you want to recommend it?” We had a good laugh, and he said, “Well, I’m not quite sure about that!” In this way, even a non-devotee doctor could perceive that a devotee approaches such a situation with a different outlook; that a devotee can cross over these kinds of challenges without being confused, unlike others who may struggle in bewilderment....
On the 9th of December we flew to Kolkata to travel out to Mayapur....
Your servant, Devaki dd
Please visit www.theholynameretreat.net
www.therootsofspiritualculture.net
https://www.facebook.com/instituteforspiritualculture/
higher level of joy, which cannot be taken away by anything – neither by cancer nor chemotherapy; not even by death. This is the true meaning of being transcendental. In his purport to verse 2.7.46, Srila
Prabhupada encourages us: "But in the devotional service of the Lord the only qualification required is surrender. Surrendering oneself is in one’s own hand. If one likes, he can surrender immediately, without delay, and that begins his spiritual life."
In other words, even in the early stage of devotional life, we may experience Krishna’s loving reciprocation if we are willing to surrender. According to Srila Prabhupada, anyone can surrender at any time – immediately, without delay. It is in our hands. Calamities can offer us an incentive to surrender, even if not initiated. One can decide, “Krishna, I am Yours! Srila Prabhupada, I am yours!” Therefore, Queen Kunti prays for calamities to come again and again.
As we gradually regain our health, we may lose the intense impetus to take shelter, and Krishna may proportionately fade away into the background. We may almost lament a little, regretting the loss of that special sweetness, as our life gradually gets back to normal. All this proves the fact that happiness is a question of consciousness – not of the external situation.
Once when taking chemotherapy in Melbourne in 2007 and visiting my oncologist for a check-up, we encountered a humorous situation. In the waiting room, there was a Muslim lady, a Christian nun and me. All of us were dressed in our uniforms – I was in a sari and tilak. Later, the doctor said, “All of you three ladies were in the same situation, suffering the same disease. It gave me a good opportunity to compare your religious practice; and I must say, you are doing the best! Factually, never have I ever had such a happy cancer patient before.” And laughingly, he added, “It seems like being a Hare Krishna offers a good disposition for doing chemotherapy!”
I couldn’t restrain myself and cheekily responded, “Maybe you want to recommend it?” We had a good laugh, and he said, “Well, I’m not quite sure about that!” In this way, even a non-devotee doctor could perceive that a devotee approaches such a situation with a different outlook; that a devotee can cross over these kinds of challenges without being confused, unlike others who may struggle in bewilderment....
On the 9th of December we flew to Kolkata to travel out to Mayapur....
Your servant, Devaki dd
Please visit www.theholynameretreat.net
www.therootsofspiritualculture.net
https://www.facebook.com/instituteforspiritualculture/
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