Diary of a Travelling Preacher.

Indradyumna Maharaja with his Siberian gipsy friends.

While Indradyumna Maharaja is in the country, seems a good time to mention his remarkable books. For many years Maharaja has kept a diary of his travels to all corners of the world, in his line of duty. He now publishes them regularly in separate volumes. These books tell of fascinating adventures from midwinter in deepest Siberia, to Sri Lanka in the aftermath of the devastating tsunami and again to exuberant chanting sessions with African village children. Maharaja describes his encounters with people he meets on his way, with thoughtful reflections on humanity, and an underlying grave compassion. His writing is well-paced and readable - and the Royal Scribe highly recommends them.

Indradyumna Maharaja's books are available at these two sites:

http://www.blservices.com/

http://www.travelling-preacher.com/marketplace.htm

And you might like to read an excerpt from one of his diaries below.

My Muslim Brother.

A chapter from "Diary of a Travelling Preacher" by H.H. Indradyumna Swami.

Each day, before downloading my email, I mentally prepare myself for dealing with the good, the bad, and the ugly. With hundreds of disciples and many other devotees regularly corresponding with me, the laws of nature force me to see the gamut of situations in this world.

March 16, 2006, was no exception. There were names to be given for babies, condolences for the families of departed souls, blessings for disciples (and chastisements for two), guidelines for a new marriage, and a plea for a departed student to return.

One name on the list in my mailbox caught my eye. It was Jahnukanyaka Dasi, a devotee from Sarajevo, Bosnia. I had met her years ago, on my first visit there. She risked her life to preach throughout the three-year war that took over 100,000 lives there in the early 1990s. Such a devotee deserves attention, so I immediately opened her email.

I was hoping to read of the recent success the Sarajevo devotees had had in book distribution, but instead I learned with great sadness of the departure of a good friend of mine, Doctor Abdulah Nakas.

I first met Dr. Nakas in April 1996 in the bloodstained hallways of the partially destroyed central hospital in Sarajevo just days after the war had ended. Our chanting party had been attacked by knife-wielding Muslim soldiers that day, and several of our devotees had been seriously wounded.

After taking the other devotees back to the temple, I went to the hospital to check on the injured. When Dr. Nakas heard that a leader of our movement was there, he came out to meet me. "Your people's wounds are serious," he said, "but not critical. They will live."

He raised his arms in the air. "I am a devout Muslim," he said, "but I am ashamed of what my people have done. The war is over, but now we are spilling the blood of foreigners in our town. Please forgive us."

He put out his hand. "We are brothers," he said, in a gesture of humility I will never forget.
I took his hand, red with the blood of the devotees and still holding a scalpel. "Doctor," I said, "you are not to blame, and neither is your religion. This is the act of a fringe element."

He once again turned his attention to the injured devotees.

While I was waiting, some of the soldiers who had attacked us came to the hospital to finish the job. They surrounded me and spat in my face. Dr. Nakas heard the commotion. He rushed out of the operating room and screamed at the soldiers to leave. Although he was defenseless and had no weapons, they backed down and went away.

Read on . . . http://www.iskcon.com/new/060428_diary.html

H.H. Indradyumna Swami in Ireland.

His Holiness Indradyumna Swami will be in Ireland next week for two Hare Krishna Festivals: Sunday October 1st in Dublin at Temple Bar Music Centre - 7.00 p.m. and Thursday in Galway at the Black Box Music Venue - 7.00 p.m.

Several Belfast devotees will be travelling to Dublin on Sunday to take part. Indradyumna Maharaja is one of ISKCON's most stalwart preachers, especially renowned for his efforts in Poland, where his wonderful summer festivals throughout the country attract thousands of Polish folk, young and old.

His books "Diaries of a Travelling Preacher" are full of fascinating stories of his preaching adventures, mixed with deep reflections on the practise of spiritual life. He is a dynamic and humble servant of God, so if you can make it to Dublin on Sunday, you will be assured of a good, transcendental experience!

For more on the Festivals please click here: http://www.krishna.ie/festival/

If you get the chance to go - why not leave a message in the Comments box, and tell us what you thought?

European Heritage Days at the Temple.

At which the devotees discover that Sri Sri Radha-Madhava live in the best house in N. Ireland.

"European Heritage Open Days celebrates Northern Ireland ’s impressive architecture and culture by offering free access to properties that are normally closed to the public or normally charge for admission. Every year for two days in September, buildings of every age, style and use throw open their doors. They range from castles to thatched cottages, churches to Hare Krishna Temples. It is a once in a year chance to discover and enjoy tours, events, activities which enliven our built environment." - from EOHD Website.

Japa-yajna reveals what took place on the weekend of 9th and 10th September . . .

I have to admit, when I was first told of the European Heritage Day, I was not particularly impressed.

"Bang goes another of my weekends, and my wife won't be pleased at having to take care of our kids on her own."

But because my good friend Gauranga was so enthusiastic, I decided to plug in and help. As the weekend approached, my wife (Shantasya) and even my kids started to get interested in catering for the event. Shantasya cooked trays of her delicious cookies (these have become legendary, anyone who as tasted them fully understands why I now weigh 16 stone!) And even my children pitched in with the cooking. They also got very excited about the prospect of visiting other sites and buildings in the Belfast area. Well, I thought, if they are so looking forward to it, perhaps I won’t be sitting alone with Gauranga and several trays of cookies. Maybe, some people will want to visit.

When I arrived on Saturday evening, at the scheduled opening time, people were already waiting for us. We started to show them around and before we were a few minutes into the tour several other groups had joined us. This continued without a pause for the rest of the evening and all the next day. While taking the first group around, one lady asked me some detailed questions about the history of the building and its previous residents. I was just about to launch into a hodgepodge of information which I have picked up over the last eighteen years, when something stopped me.

"Before I say anything, does anyone here know anything that could enlighten us?"

Then an older gentleman, who was carrying a large folder, enthusiastically started to explain all sorts of facts about the building. He opened up his folder that was filled with photographs of the building from the 50s and 60s. It transpired that he had lived in the building for many years between Miss Jury (the architects daughter) and Dr. Donnelly’s family (who owned the building before Krishna moved in) . I was glad I hadn’t tried to wing it and pretend I was more knowledgeable than I am!

Over the next two days I spent a good proportion of my time listening rather than speaking. One gentleman, who was particularly interested in the building, a Professor of Medicine at Queens University, kept asking about specific features of the building that I had forgotten to show him.

"How did he know about these features", I inquired?

"Oh, they are mentioned in the many books that have been written on the great houses of Ireland."

Now, I was aware how important this house is; barristers, who I have consulted for legal work for the charity, had gone into raptures when I told them that our temple is 'Brooklands'. However, by the end of the weekend, I was left in no doubt: The general consensus is that Brooklands is one of the ten most important houses in Ireland, certainly the best example of an Art Nouveau (some say Arts and Crafts) House, in the North of Ireland.

As for the spiritual aspect of the event. The main purpose of ISKCON is not merely to show people around beautiful old houses. On our tour we included a visit to the temple room. It was satisfying to see over one hundred people, drawn predominantly from the top echelons of society, coming in to receive darshana of their Lordships Sri Sri Radha Madhava, beautifully enhanced by Their altar, whose Celtic design delighted our heritage-loving visitors . This was quite fascinating as I began to see the fulfilment of the raison d’etre of Brooklands. For years, many of us have have pondered why we are here in this old building, which we have struggled to maintain, situated rather off the beaten track. We concluded that this building is an excellent way to reach out to this particular class of people. By visiting out of interest in the architecture and features of the house, they may naturally begin to enquire about the wonderful philosophy of Bhagavad-Gita.

Some Features of Krishna's Elegant Temple.

View from the front door.



The fireplace in the (former) living-room.



The front entrance.
(The small, pointed windows come from an old castle in the south of Ireland).

 

Sunday Classes on Nectar of Instruction.

A course of classes on Srila Rupa Goswami's "Nectar of Instruction" on Sundays from 2.45 p.m. - 3.30 p.m.
Teachers: Lal-krsna das and Shyama dasi.

All are welcome.

This short classic of eleven verses, contains essential guidance for both the beginner and advanced practitioner of Krishna-consciousness. This Sunday's class will be looking at Verse One:

"A sober person who can tolerate the urge to speak, the demands of the mind, the actions of anger, and the urges of the tongue, belly and genitals, is qualified to make disciples all over the world."

With commentaries by Srila Prabhupada.

As the teachers also cook the Sunday feast one Sunday a month, please contact them at 02890 287590 beforehand. Or watch this space! We will post reminders before each class.

Temple Address: 140, Upper Dunmurry Lane, Belfast.

And here are a couple of reviews of Nectar of Instruction (the first by a former student of this course).
http://www.belfast.iskcon.com/BookReviews.htm

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nectar-Instruction-Bhaktivedanta-Swami-Prabhupada/dp/0912776854/sr=1-2/qid=1157713419/ref=sr_1_2/202-2056907-1440628?ie=UTF8&s=books

Sponsor a Rose!

The temple gardeners are planning to plant up Krishna's rose-beds this autumn. As well as looking beautiful in His garden, the roses are used regularly in worship and temple-ceremonies. The plants last for many years, so it's a nice gift for Krishna, which will be sure to give Him pleasure.

We have a list of roses selected especially for fragrance, floriferousness and disease-resistance and plan to send off the order in a few weeks time. If you'd like to sponsor a rose by Credit Card please click here: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr and send a quick e-mail to hktemple@gmail.com to let us know. Or send a cheque made payable to ISKCON Belfast and the address is 140, Upper Dunmurry Lane, Belfast BT17 OHE. Mark the back of the cheque "Sponsor a Rose". Thank you very much.

Prices range from £7 - £10 - and you can choose a colour from blush-pink, pink, yellow, red and white - (hope we don't all choose the same one)!

Rose-Garden.

This is one of the areas where our sponsored roses will go. These beds were laid out almost a hundred years ago - and still going strong!

Guests at the Temple.

The temple was pleased to welcome Tribangananda and his good wife Rasika, from Leicester, for a short visit this week. Their visit was well-timed to correspond with the festival days on Tuesday and Wednesday; Tribangananda gave interesting and knowledgeable talks about the various personalities concerned, illustrated by pictures on his computer. And Rasika, an excellent cook, helped cook the lunch-offering for Radha-Madhava. Her spicy, stuffed parathas (griddle-fried bread) were apparently sensational!

Down the Garden Path.

If you visit the Belfast Temple now, we can show you not only the spiritual path of bhakti, but also a new gravel path in the garden! The first is sweet and juicy as a ripe mango; the second is hard and stony, but useful for walking on.



Mayeshvara and friends have been working hard all summer to renovate the beautiful Edwardian temple-garden







Well done, chaps!

Haridas Thakura.

Today is the feast-day of Haridas Thakura, the namacharya ('patron-saint') of chanting the holy names. Here is a story about Haridas Thakura, which illustrates, both his own saintly character, and the power of chanting the Hare Krishna mantra.

In his youth, Haridas lived in a simple hut in a forest in Bengal. He chanted on his beads all day and most of the night, every single day. Local well-wishers provided him with the small amount of food he would eat. He was so spiritually pure, that everyone in the neighbourhood came to love him - all except, the envious ruler of that district, Ramachandra Khan. Ramachandra tried his best to discredit Haridas, but couldn't find any flaw to expose him with. After some consideration, he called a group of prostitutes and asked them to use their seductive charms to unbalance Haridas. He would send a constable with them to arrest Haridas when he had succumbed.

The prostitutes selected the youngest and most alluring amongst themselves, who dressed herself enticingly and set off to Haridas's abode. There he was, seated as usual, absorbed in blissful chanting. The young prostitute sidled up to him, exposed part of her body, and said "Oh Haridasa! How handsome you are! For a long time I have wanted to have my desires satisfied by you. Now I have come all this way, won't you lie down with me?"

Haridas smiled and offered her to sit down. "Certainly, young friend". He said. "If you don't mind waiting until I've finished all my chanting. I've vowed to chant 300,000 holy names today. I've nearly finished, and you are welcome to wait."

So, the prostitute sat nearby and Haridas continued to chant until the sun rose. "Oh dear" he said, "It's too late now, I'm very sorry. Please come again tonight and I will surely satisfy you then".

The same thing happened for two more nights. On the third morning, the prostitute burst into tears and confessed her motives. "But now", she said, "I no longer want to seduce you, I want to know how I may also become saintly like you - please instruct me".

Haridasa told her that he had heard of the plot against him and had only stayed there to attract her to Krishna consciousness by the chanting of the holy names. "I knew that just by hearing the sound of Krishna's names, you would become purified and want to give up your old life".

The young lady gave away her possessions, shaved her head and lived in a simple cottage, chanting on her beads. Eventually she also became renowned as a great devotee and was visited by many people seeking spiritual instruction.

All glories to Srila Haridas Thakura!

Sweets to the (Supreme) Sweet.

Photos just arrived from Bhaktivedanta Manor, England. Look at these exquisite cakes made for Radharani on Her birthday! What love, devotion and expertise went into making these - and no eggs . . .

Of Saints and Scholars.

Today is the feast-day of two important spiritual leaders of the Gaudiya-vaishnava tradition. Srila Jiva Goswami, the great philosopher, theologian and poet of the sixteenth century is celebrated today. Jiva Goswami was one of the famous Six Goswamis of Vrindavana, and following in the footsteps of his uncles Sri Rupa and Sri Sanatana, he spent much of his life writing and explaining the deep philosophy of Gaudiya-vaishnavism. His many books reveal a brilliant mind and profound intellect, and his influence on the Gaudiya-vaishnava community at the time was enormous.

Jiva Goswami is still widely read in India today, and gradually his books are being translated from Sanskrit into English. ISKCON scholar Dr Ravi Gupta, is in the process of publishing his book on Jiva Goswami entitled "When Knowledge Meets Devotion", helping to make known Sri Jiva's legacy to the Western world.

Although a renowned scholar, Srila Jiva Goswami lived the simple life of a renunciant, without personal wealth or family.

Sri Jiva Goswami's feast-day, celebrated in the temple he founded in Vrindavana.

(Radha-Damodara Temple).

And here, is Sri Jiva Goswami's elegant definition of God - all in one sentence!

"He who is the very form of existence, consciousness and bliss, who possesses inconceivable, multifarious and unlimited energies that are of his own nature, he who is the ocean of unlimited, mutually contradictory qualities, such that in him both the attribute and the possessor of attributes, the lack of differences and the varieties of difference, formlessness and form, pervasiveness and centrality all are true, who’s beautiful form is distinct from both gross and subtle entities, self-luminous and consisting entirely of his own nature, who has unlimited such forms that are manifested by his chief form called Bhagavan, who’s left side is beautified by Laksmi, who is the manifestation of his personal energy suitable to his own form, Bhagavan resides in his own abode along with his associates, who are furnished with a form that is a special manifestation of his own splendor, who astonishes the hosts of atmaramas, those who take pleasure in the self, by his wonderful qualities, pastimes, et cetera, which are characterized by the playing of his personal energy, who’s own generic brilliance is manifested in the form of the reality, who is the sole shelter and life of this marginal energy called the jivas, who’s mere reflected energy are the gunas, visible in unlimited phenomenal world, that person is Bhagavan (God)."

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura.

Today is also the feast-day of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura (1838-1914). It was this saintly gentleman's vision of spreading bhakti-yoga beyond the boundaries of India, which directly led to the world-wide society of devotees of Krishna (ISKCON) as we know it now. So we owe him a great debt, and this is a good day to remember this and to thank him.

By the nineteenth century, the pure teachings of Gaudiya-vaishnavism had almost been lost and were buried under many kinds of adulterated versions. Bhaktivinoda Thakura, almost single-handedly, reestablished the true form and practice of Lord Chaitanya's teachings. His son, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura carried on his mission, and was the spiritual master of our own Srila Prabhupada.

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was well-read, not only in Vedic scriptures, but also the Bible and the Koran. In relating to other religious traditions, he wrote:

"When we have occasion to be present at the place of worship of other religionists at the time of their worship, we should stay there in a respectful mood, contemplating thus: 'Here is being worshiped my adorable highest entity God, in a different form than that of mine. Due to a different practice of a different kind, I cannot thoroughly comprehend this system of theirs. But seeing it, I am feeling a greater attachment for my own system. God is one. I bow down before His emblem as I see here and offer my prayer to my Lord who has adopted this different emblem so that He may increase my love toward Him in the form that is acceptable for me."

Radhastami Nectar.

Radharani offers blessings on Her birthday.

The evening before the festival, Sandra, Nina, Deva, Karen, Cecilia and Tsvety came to help Syama with the garlands and the flower outfit. The company was good and stimulating. Sometimes we sang -eager to find new, nice melodies that could go with the Hare Krishna mantra. So the celebration started the night before!

On the actual day we started with warm-up bhajans (devotional songs) led by Syama. After that Mayeshvara gave a good lecture about love. It's main point, as far as I understood it was that love can only be pure, when directed towards Lord Kirshna, whereas mundane love is the perveted reflection of it, manifested in the material world as lust. The whole lecture was very inspiring and instructive as Mayeshvara explained how Radharani is the topmost example of perfect loving relationship with Krishna.

Many people came for the kirtan- including little Dana Nitai (Japa’s daughter). There were also two or three other children and it became a sweet and really joyous experience. I even got the impression that Krishna and Radha were smiling!

By The Temple Reporter.

Photos: Lal-krishna and Shyama.

What beautiful altar-decorations! Fresh flowers, the smell of incense, sweet sound of kirtan and association with faithful devotees - complete satisfaction for the senses!

A rare glimpse of Radha's lotus feet.

Offering flower-petals to Radha-Madhava; some got stuck to the camera!