Where has it all gone ?

Coming to pune, back to college. One could understand my plight. Now that I was completely out of regular social activities, I was forced to witness some and be a part of some. The whole batch is young, most of them out of their safe protective houses for the first time and many who already learnt the art of staying away from family. The newly found freedom mixed with pune's youthful life. Life @ SITM was bustling with enthusiasm and hopes. Hopes for a better....(nah!).....romantic...(nah!)....pleasurable future.

New faces, clean new slates to start with, forging new friendships, developing new crushes with same old gut wrenching feelings. Life was usual. We had many outings arranges to which i didn't wish to be a part of. Singhad Fort, Manas Resort and A night out at Fire n Ice. The pics were bubbling with fun and enjoyment. It seemed life took a pleasuarable turn for a group of 98-99 people, for they were finding the life too good to be true. Finding good friends in such a competitive course as SITM, it was a miracle. So sweet, so nice and so short sighted.

It wasn't long since the regular life started taking a toll on all the goodie goodie stuff, everyone dreams about. 90%boys were broken hearted as it came to their surprise, that 95% of the gals were engaged or commited. The crushes developed into more intense crushes, raising expectations to the next level, where most people are not able to stand. Committee work having an effect of its own, friendships becoming more and more bitter. People turning negative, jealous, indifferent and aggressive.

where has it all gone?
The FUN ?
Where has it all gone,
the FRIVOLITY
Where has it all gone,
the FRIENDSHIP
Where has it all gone,
the FREAKINESS.
Where has it gone...?

Then came the final hour of test. Examining our understanding (They people think they can really do that...!) Spending hours trying to finish the course and then to mug it all up. People shifting their base camps to people where they got a more conducive environment. People stayed with newer groups so as to avoid bitterness with old friends.

Then we went to MRA....agin the spirit of enjoyment surged like a phoenix rises from its ashes. But this was short term, almost 4 days and 3 nights long. It was a fad, practical manifestation of a recently learnt concept in marketing. Fad - short term fashion.. The relations got strained, friends got more professional, more distant, more diplomatic, more intolerable. And life continues at SITM.

So much so for the background. The sum total of all this has been succintly stated by Sri Krishna in Bhagwad Gita as " dukhalayam, asaswatam".........That this world is ,first, full of miseries and second, temporary. So no no matter how much we try, and how much we endeavor for happiness, we'll only get is more misery, hopelessness and suffering. For there is no such thing as happiness in this world. Its an illusion, that people run after. And even if someone is happy, very soon his illusionary happiness would leave him. Who can describe a creation better than the creator. And if Krishna is calling it that, it has to be that.

The only real happiness is in.....guess what.....surrendering to this very same person, lord Mukunda, the Vrajendranandana, the Radha kanta. For he is the most magnanimous, merciful and big hearted. He is welcoming all of us to his opulent house to enjoy with him. So LET'S GO, Lets go back to GODHEAD.

Rare Opportunity

Its been almost 1 year since I started associating with ISKCON. It was these very days since I had been initiated into the most sublime method to purify oneself and live a perfect life by constant chanting of the holy names of the lord.

I remembered the winter mornings when I was in middle school and got ready for the school. My mother used to play a very nice cassette. It had a hymn as follows:

Sri Krsna Chaitanya Prabhu Nityananda
Sri Advaita Gadadhara, Srivasa Adi Gaura Bhakta Vrinda

Taking it to be a hymn in praise of Lord Visnu, I memorized it and over the years forgot it. Then when I entered ISKCON Delhi for the first time, the sound of kirtan hit me like shock waves. I was disoriented for a few seconds. I have a very hazy picture of what I could see around, the sound was so blaring loud. I felt as if something awakened inside me. The kirtan was so ecstatic and nice, that I could feel my hair standing and I nearly cried. Though now that I know the importance of these mptoms, they are totally absent.

So here I heard the hymn again and gradually got to know its real meaning. Some devotees say that I had already connected to the movement of Sri Chaitanya in childhood, it was just a matter of time to actually physically associate. Mahaprabhu had already showered his mercy.

I downloaded gaura arotik, heard it over and over and memorized it too. I loved all the kirtans and arotiks so much that it was a matter of time, I learnt all of them.

Deep inside I had this urge to sing the glories of my beautiful lord. When I closed my eyes and sang, I used to imagine a group of people sitting and listening to what I was singing and the kirtan would be so potent that people would not be able to stop themselves from going into the sweet trance of love for govinda.

Got to know that no matter how well you sing or how many orchestras u take, if it doesn’t pleases Krishna it won’t please any devotee. So our service is to attract Krishna, not the crowd by our singing.

Then in Pune, the fortunate day: 25^th of November came, I visited temple. Gaura Arotik went nicely. We all danced. Then what happened next was so exhilarating, that I could not stop and take a toll of what was going on in my head. I was asked to sing Narsimha Pranaam. Yes, Narsimha Arotik, that too alone. I took the service and started singing. I felt good about thinking the wonderful opportunity I got to sing for my thakurji. So its true, that only a devotee can show true mercy to a beginner, and I sincerely thank that prabhuji to give me that rare opportunity.

I hope I will get such chances again and next time, I will concentrate more on pleasing HIM rather than myself.

Beginning @ Pune

All Glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Blessed by Sri Krsna, I am in the city of Pune...perhaps the eastern oxford in contemporary times.
Devotees say, its a rare opportunity to associate with ISKCON, Pune. Spearheaded by H.G. RadheShyam Prabhu, the youth preaching movement of ISKCON has inundated Pune with the sweetness of Krishna Consciousness.
I remember the last day at Radha Parthasarthi Temple in delhi, when Mayapur Shashi prabhu advised me to take full advantage of my stay at Pune.

With mixed emotions I arrived at Pune. Having known that my room mates booze as well as eat non-veg added to my fears. First few weeks were pretty hectic, with all the assignments, classes and informal sessions. After 15-20 days or so I called up one Prabhu, whose number I had taken from NandGopal Jivan prabhu. Taking directions from him, I went to temple in the evening.

Pune's temple is built on a big land and is not as opulent as the ones in Vrindavan and Delhi. Met Vipul prabhu near the shoe-stand. Introduced myself and requested him to show me around the temple and intoduce me to some one. Its stated in Bhagwatam that only devotees can help fallen souls take to the Krsna Consciousness. By their mere association, people in general learn the process of bhakti yoga. So here I was at his discretion.

He showed me around, the main temple hall, with the beautiful deities of Sri Sri Radha Kunjabihari & Sri Sri Gaur Nitai. We also moved around the prasadam hall, brahmchari ashram, bace, library, balaji's altar. And then he introduced me to Jai Nitai Prabhu.

Attended the Gaura Arotik, danced to my heart's content. Then attended the bhaktivriksa under the supervision of Jai Nitai Prabhu and Sri Kesava Prabhu.
There's a lot more to be told......

Prelude to Pune

All Glories to Srila Prabhupada

I still remember the day when I was on my way to Pune Airport to catch a flight to Delhi. I had come to appear for GD & PI process for SITM. I was thinking about what made me come all the way to Pune all alone for the process and whats makin me think that i'll be shifting to Pune in case I get through. I was a bit afraid and felt uncomfortable.
Then I thought, that there's a hand behind all this. I've done my work, now its upto Krishna to decide my fate. If he wants me here in Pune, he'll make arrangements and if he doesn't, probably i will stay in Delhi.It was February.

Three and a half months later I found myself at the Syamsundara altar in Vrindavan, ferverently praying to not to let me fall down and forget him. Rather he should keep me calling back to have the darshan of his trancendental beauty.

I asked him to take care of me, while I would for the first time in my life step out of the (false) sense of security that my home provides. I was scared.

3 days later I boarded down at Pune Station, experiencing a sense of wonder, excitement and fear. It was a pleasant day as it had rained the whole morning. I was in Pune to explore the new realities, to expand my horizon, to test my faith and to test my strengths. I was at the mercy of Lord Sri Krishna's lotus feet. Relying upon him for shelter and protection.

Dancing

Hare Krishna,

People say we devotees dont enjoy life. Who says so?

Most of the parties, the so called night long parties generally end at 4 A.M. From where they end we begin. For dancing to the ecstatic singing of mahamantra at Mangala Arati is not a new thing. Does any party starts in the morning before even sunrise. Our does, and that too everyday.

The bliss that devotees feel when singing and dancing in the temple for the entertainment of their lordships Sri Sri Radha Parthasarthi is inexplicable and can only be experienced personally.

The revelation happened when I inititally started visiting ISKCON. The loud kirtan hit me like a shock wave. I felt a change in my consciousness. My vision was blurred and could partially see the divine couple of Radha Rani and Parthasarthi. Standing there with folded hands I felt too shy to even look around and enjoy the dancing. People in general were enjoying themselves. Guys my age were involved with the saffron clad devotees in a friendly dance competition. This was new to me, but still I was never alien to this singing and dancing thing unlike many.

I generally preferred to stand close to the altar, thinking of myself as a high level devotee who would personally want to enjoy the transcendental beauty of the lord's form. From there I could hear the fastening mridanga beats and the excited shoutings of hari nam by devotees. I felt in love with the idea that Krishna, our very own syamsundara is makin people dance like mad men. Oh! I ached to join the bandwagon but couldn't because of my inhibitions.

Srila Prabhupada says all that Hare Krishna's devotees have to do is Sing, Dance and Feast. Where's the difficult part ?
Its so natural that one's hands go up in surrender and the feet start rocking at the perception of harinam. I personally feel it to be a blessing by God. For the mridanga and kartalas create such a charged up atmosphere that it becomes difficult to not to dance. The natural tendency, our Krishna consciousness revives when we dance at the harinama sankrtana.

Ever seen the vaishnavas in perfect vaishnava attire of a dhoti kurta, kanthi and tilak dancing in ecstacy of love for supreme personality of godhead: KRSNA. Just try it. I promise you wont be able to restrain yourself from dancing.