On the 16th of August I took an overnight train to Odessa, with Vicka and
Acyuta Priya matajis as my assistants.
The brahmacaris from Odessa temple had strongly requested me to come for a
visit. It had been three years ago that I visited here last, and I remembered how
eager and appreciative they had been of our discussions on previous visits.
Acyuta Priya matajis as my assistants.
The brahmacaris from Odessa temple had strongly requested me to come for a
visit. It had been three years ago that I visited here last, and I remembered how
eager and appreciative they had been of our discussions on previous visits.
And also this time they kept me busy with programs: two evening classes,
two SB classes and the Sunday feast lecture, and one matajis' program in
a private home.
For the evening classes I read from Mahanidhi Swami's book "Appreciating
Vrindavan Dhama". If we want to develop our personal relationship with
Krsna it is so important to hear about His abode, His associates and His activities.
How else to gain attraction for the spiritual world....?!
The scriptures are like the advertisement catalogue of the spiritual world,
and the more we absorb ourselves in hearing about this transcendental
abode the more we develop a taste and attraction to one day go there.
It is very natural. An ignorant person who does not know anything about
other countries in this world will think that his home country is the best
place to be. But a person in knowledge will desire to go and visit other
countries, because he has heard so much about life in those places. At
the time of death it will be very natural for us to want to leave, if we have
filled our minds with thoughts and informations of Krsna's abode.
The devotees attending the programs were very eager to hear and
discuss, and we had a wonderful time together, mainly with the boys living
in the temple. They seemed almost starving for association, sometimes
exclaiming: "Mataji, who else should we ask all these
questions....!?"
Odessa had gone through similar changes like our Kharkov yatra:
the previous and first temple president had stepped aside, and now it
is up to the next generation of devotees to come forward and take the
lead. And they were eager for advice and guidance.....
On Saturday evening we went on a wonderful harinam around the city of
Odessa. So many people were out there looking for some enjoyment -
Odessa isa big city and a very popular holiday area with a large port on the
Black Sea, which brings about a Mediterranian atmosphere and spirit of
relaxation and pleasure.
On our Harinam around the City Mall and further down to the Beach
Promenade we met a variety of musicians and Pantomime artists who were
standing like statues - with colored faces and extravagant costumes. One
fellow was dressed up like a golden angel, standing high up on some wooden
boxes hidden underneath his long and beautiful angel's dress, with wings on
his back and golden colored hair.
He was pretty cool - I liked to watch him, and he enjoyed our harinam party.
He had seen the devotees many times, and every time he had accepted some
little packet of prasadam and was quickly getting some money from his pocket
in his jeans, which he was wearing underneath his angel's dress. This time
he even accepted one of Srila Prabhupada's books aswell and quickly hid it
underneath his dress to continue with his artistic performance of being an
angel....
The temple devotees were treating me like their mother, and their eagerness
for association touched my heart - so much so that I decided to regularly
visit here in Odessa in the future. As a preacher we are equal to all, but
wherever our humble attempts of giving inspiration fall on fertile grounds we are
inspired to give more....I invited two of the boys Namacharya and Parama
Karuna Prabhus to visit Bangladesh at the end of October, together with two
of our Kharkov brahmacaris and Sahasrajit Prabhu with his son Visvambhara.
And they happily accepted my invitation.
Bangladesh is a wonderful place for brahmacaris to visit.There are hundreds
of brahmacaris - it is 'brahmacari loka'....Recently I heard the saying:
"Mayapur is not a place for brahmacaris...." Unfortunately it has become
like this, and I am trying my best to preserve and protect the pure atmosphere
of Bangladesh......Brahmacaris need special care and protection - they are
an almost extinct species in the Western world....
On the 21st of August I took an overnight train to Kiev.....
Your servant, Devaki dd
two SB classes and the Sunday feast lecture, and one matajis' program in
a private home.
For the evening classes I read from Mahanidhi Swami's book "Appreciating
Vrindavan Dhama". If we want to develop our personal relationship with
Krsna it is so important to hear about His abode, His associates and His activities.
How else to gain attraction for the spiritual world....?!
The scriptures are like the advertisement catalogue of the spiritual world,
and the more we absorb ourselves in hearing about this transcendental
abode the more we develop a taste and attraction to one day go there.
It is very natural. An ignorant person who does not know anything about
other countries in this world will think that his home country is the best
place to be. But a person in knowledge will desire to go and visit other
countries, because he has heard so much about life in those places. At
the time of death it will be very natural for us to want to leave, if we have
filled our minds with thoughts and informations of Krsna's abode.
The devotees attending the programs were very eager to hear and
discuss, and we had a wonderful time together, mainly with the boys living
in the temple. They seemed almost starving for association, sometimes
exclaiming: "Mataji, who else should we ask all these
questions....!?"
Odessa had gone through similar changes like our Kharkov yatra:
the previous and first temple president had stepped aside, and now it
is up to the next generation of devotees to come forward and take the
lead. And they were eager for advice and guidance.....
On Saturday evening we went on a wonderful harinam around the city of
Odessa. So many people were out there looking for some enjoyment -
Odessa isa big city and a very popular holiday area with a large port on the
Black Sea, which brings about a Mediterranian atmosphere and spirit of
relaxation and pleasure.
On our Harinam around the City Mall and further down to the Beach
Promenade we met a variety of musicians and Pantomime artists who were
standing like statues - with colored faces and extravagant costumes. One
fellow was dressed up like a golden angel, standing high up on some wooden
boxes hidden underneath his long and beautiful angel's dress, with wings on
his back and golden colored hair.
He was pretty cool - I liked to watch him, and he enjoyed our harinam party.
He had seen the devotees many times, and every time he had accepted some
little packet of prasadam and was quickly getting some money from his pocket
in his jeans, which he was wearing underneath his angel's dress. This time
he even accepted one of Srila Prabhupada's books aswell and quickly hid it
underneath his dress to continue with his artistic performance of being an
angel....
The temple devotees were treating me like their mother, and their eagerness
for association touched my heart - so much so that I decided to regularly
visit here in Odessa in the future. As a preacher we are equal to all, but
wherever our humble attempts of giving inspiration fall on fertile grounds we are
inspired to give more....I invited two of the boys Namacharya and Parama
Karuna Prabhus to visit Bangladesh at the end of October, together with two
of our Kharkov brahmacaris and Sahasrajit Prabhu with his son Visvambhara.
And they happily accepted my invitation.
Bangladesh is a wonderful place for brahmacaris to visit.There are hundreds
of brahmacaris - it is 'brahmacari loka'....Recently I heard the saying:
"Mayapur is not a place for brahmacaris...." Unfortunately it has become
like this, and I am trying my best to preserve and protect the pure atmosphere
of Bangladesh......Brahmacaris need special care and protection - they are
an almost extinct species in the Western world....
On the 21st of August I took an overnight train to Kiev.....
Your servant, Devaki dd
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