Sankirtana Newsletter no. 8|Krishna Island, Hare Krishna Island, Govindadwipa,

Sankirtana News 8

Yo Me Bhaktah Sa Me Priyah

The scene is Omagh town. Just an hours drive from the temple. It’s a cloudy but dry Saturday afternoon, and the streets are busy with people shopping and wandering around town on their lunch brake from work.

“No! I’m not interested in religious books. I don’t believe in God anymore!” Feeling compassion Mayesvara Prabhu decided to try and understand why the man he had just approached was so negative.

“Is that because of problems with the catholic church or some other religious institution.?”

“Well yes!”

“But you shouldn’t abandon your search for the truth just because of some institutional problems”.

“I was also in the Omagh bomb attack some years ago. I was in a pub with some friends when the whole building collapsed around me. As I emerged onto the street I saw so many people injured and dead lying everywhere. It was ghastly and very traumatic and I haven’t really gotten over it despite the passing of many years.”

Mayesvara opened up the Bhagavad-Gita As It Is verse 2.10 and read aloud, ‘O descendent of Bharata, at that time Krsna, smiling, in the midst of both the armies spoke the following words to grief-stricken Arjuna’. “It might seem callous” Mayesvara explained, “that Krsna is smiling in the midst of two armies on a great battle field but He is smiling because in the following verse He explains. The man reads along with Mayesvara, ‘Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be’. A look of relief and understanding appeared on the mans face and after talking some more he purchased a copy of the Bhagavad Gita As It Is.

The knowledge contained in the instructions of Lord Krsna provide relief from suffering for the people in the world. Krsna Himself says to Arjuna “ I shall impart to you this most confidential knowledge and realisation, knowing which you shall be relieved of the miseries of material existence.” Srila Prabhupada would often say that people are suffering in a fearful condition due to a lack of knowledge. Who am I? Why do I or other people have to experience suffering? Why do I have to die and what happens when I die? If one is bereft of substantial answers to these basic questions then how can one live comfortably and peacefully in this world, not knowing who they are, or where they are and why? It is a fearful condition. Fear of the unknown.

Science may be able to give answers to some “How?” questions. How the sky is blue or how a chemical or a disease is working to eat away at your body, how the cold or heat effect your body…. They may provide so many answers but without answering ‘why’ questions, people will never be satisfied. Why?! Because the human form of life is meant for inquiry. It is meant for asking questions. In the human from of life we are actually able to understand such things. The Bhagavad Gita contains the answers to the questions all humans are supposed to ask. The most valuable and satisfying knowledge is contained in the Gita.

Bhagavad Gita translates as The Song of God. And what is that song that Krsna is singing to all the conditioned souls “Because you are My very dear friend, I am speaking to you My supreme instruction, the most confidential knowledge of all. Hear this from Me, for it is for your benefit. Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me and offer you homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend. Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.” BG 18.64-66

Krsna is our dear most friend and He very mercifully has given us this transcendental knowledge so that we can become free from our suffering without removing our free will. And Srila Prabhupada as explained those teachings so nicely in disciplic succession so that the full import of their meaning can be realised by absolutely anyone. There is no greater gift you could give anyone, than the gift of knowledge. The Gita is not just relevant to a certain section of society but Krsna’s teachings are relevant to anybody who lives in this material world. —- Gaura Hari Dasa

Special Thanks

We would like to offer our heartfelt thanks to Bh Kevin Prabhu for all his wonderful service supporting the sankirtana mission. Kevin recently donated his car to the sankirtana devotees. This has been very beneficial for Paurusa Prabhu as he distributes only to shops and sometimes door to door. The freedom of having a separate vehicle from the sankirtana van allows him to go to places that other devotees would usually not go to, such as smaller, quieter villages and towns.

Recently he has also been working out from Belfast temple systematically distributing books to every shop and business in the city and surrounding area. Having that car is a great boost to the sankirtana efforts in this country. As well as that Kevin Prabhu has helped considerably with other projects such as the new book room and maintenance of the sankirtana camper van. His practical help, advice and general input into developing sankirtana here in Ireland has been very helpful and encouraging.

On top of all that he and his good wife Shelina are always looking for opportunities to give out Prabhupadas books to people they meet and sometimes distribute in the local area.

We would also like to mention the valiant efforts of Medhavi Nimai Prabhu. Despite his wife giving birth to their second child, (congratulations!!) and having a mortgage to pay, constant rain for the last 4 months, and having to spend 90% of his time in the same place, Medhavi has been maintaining himself by distributing books on the streets of Galway full time. He has distributed hundreds of Bhagavad Gitas this summer.

Although he’ll be working a regular job during the winter months, he plans to go out occasionally on Saturdays. A real Weekend Warrior!! Medhavi has set a wonderful example for all grhastas by looking after his family affairs yet maintaining a strong preaching spirit and desire to be fully immersed in Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s sankirtana mission.

Again we thank you all for your great service. Srila Prabhupada Ki Jaya!!

Spiritual Nectar

O King, as I repeatedly recall this wondrous and Holy dialogue between Krsna and Arjuna, I take pleasure, being thrilled at every moment.

purport: :

The understanding of Bhagavad Gita is so transcendental that anyone who becomes conversant with the topics of Arjuna and Krsna becomes righteous and he cannot forget such talks. This is the transcendental position of spiritual life. In other words, one who hears the Gita from the right source, directly from Krsna, attains full Krsna consciousness. The result of Krsna consciousness is that one becomes increasingly enlightened, and enjoys life with a thrill, not only for some time, but at every moment.

Bhagavad Gita As It Is 18.76

Above Medhavi Nimai Prabhu distributing books on Wicklow Street in

Dublin just a

few days before Dublin Rathayatra

Stories And Feedback From The Public

Medhavi Nimai has been distributing books, mostly Bhagavad Gitas, for the summer months in Galway city. He has been receiving so much positive feedback from people who have read the Gita that he says he always wants to distribute Bhagavad Gitas as his main book. Recently the travelling sankirtana party visited Galway and met many people who had gotten books from him. Mayesvara met one man who told him that he got the Krsna Book Volume 2 in a second hand book shop. He read it and liked it so much that he decided he had to get Volume 1. “I was looking around and then I met Mick (Medhavi) on the street, and just my luck, he had a copy of the First Volume I was looking for.”

Mayesvara Prabhu once saw an African lady walking down the street singing in her own language. “Are you singing a song about God?” he asked. “Yes” She replied. Then Mayesvara spontaneously started to sing prayers from the Brahma Samhita “ Venum kvanantam aravinda dalayataksam….” After singing a couple of verses the lady asked “How much are the books?” Mayesvara handed her one of the books he had and told her a price. Without any further words she said, “I’ll take one” and gave a donation.

Gopagana and Karunesvari were distributing prasadam at their market stall in Dublin. One lady came to them and noticing that they were devotees of Krsna mentioned how she had seen devotees before singing in the streets. “They looked so happy!” she said. She expressed a desire to find out more and so they happily gave her a copy of Perfect Questions Perfect Answers.

Another lady seeing the Higher Taste cookbook on the table, said “I read that book more than 20 years ago and as a result became a vegetarian and I haven’t gone back to eating meat since”

The following week at the Festival of World Cultures Gopagana met an elderly lady while selling prasadam there. She noticed the Bhagavad Gita As It Is and said “I bought that book many years ago on Henry St. in Dublin.” Gopagana said “It’s the most popular and widely sold edition of the Gita in the world” “I know!” the lady replied, “Sometimes I still pick it up and read a few verses for inspiration. It’s a wonderful book” The lady left after exchanging a few more words and Gopagana went back to selling prasadam. Some time later he noticed the same lady coming back to their table. “I think I would like to buy that Bhagavad Gita to give to my son.” Gopagana happily gave her the book, “It’ll make a great gift!”

Derek sometimes sells books while selling paintings door to door. Recently he met a couple from Mauritius. They got talking about Krsna Consciousness and the man revealed that he had gotten a copy of the Science of Self Realisation in his home country. He happily took a Perfection of Yoga from Derek after purchasing some paintings. Another family who lived nearby also took some small books from him. A few weeks later he visited the families again this time with Maha sweets and a copy of the Higher Taste cookbook. They were so happy. “We read that Perfect Questions Perfect Answers that you gave to our neighbours.” they said. “They read it and gave it to us.” “Oh you like to read these books in English” Derek said as he pulled out a copy of the Bhagavad Gita As It Is. Won over by his enthusiasm and affection and happily taking more books, they said “Please let us give you something for all this. You have been so kind coming back to visit us. Please take this donation”

Panca Tattva Seva Prabhu, noticing a student wearing a T-shirt with a picture of Danvantari on it, stops him to sell him a book. “Do you know who that is?” “Eh yeh, Siva!!” PancaTattva explained that it was an incarnation of Visnu and showed him a copy Sri Isopanisad with the picture of Lord Visnu on the front cover. Despite being a student he managed to give five euro donation and happily took the book!