HH Bhakti Charu Swami visits Pune, 15 March 2016

After attending the intense meetings in Sridham Mayapur, Guru Maharaj came to Ujjain on 12^th March 2016. Then on 14^th March Guru Maharaj came to Govardhan Eco Village, Wada, Mumbai for giving classes at the GBC college. There he spent time together with his very dear god-brother HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj.

As many other cities all over the world, there is always the great eagerness and excitement to receive Guru Maharaj at ISKCON Pune. Very mercifully this year Guru Maharaj visited Pune for two days.

Devotees were expecting Guru Maharaj at 5 PM on 15^th March, however Guru Maharaj arrived early at 3.30 PM! Devotees ran to finalize the preparations and decorations for Guru Maharaj’s welcome. After reaching at the house of HG Parshuram Prabhu, Guru Maharaj had a small conversation with the assembled devotees and then took Prasad.

In evening, Maharaj came and gave very wonderful class to the present devotees at home. Some points from the class:

1. One cannot stay without working. Soul’s nature is to be active.
2. We feel need to sleep as soul becomes fatigued by carrying the load of dead matter – body.
3. Bhakti means service as an expression of our love for Krishna
4. Love means service.
5. Become very good servants of Krishna

After class, Guru Maharaj led very intense Kirtan for about 20 minutes.

Next day, on 16^th March 2016, Guru Maharaj came to Sri Sri Radha Vrindavanchandra Mandir (New Vedic Cultural Centre, Pune). Guru Maharaj was welcomed by the temple devotees with roaring Kirtan. As Guru Maharaj, offered garland to Srila Prabhupada, HH Bhakti Marga Swami Maharaj entered the temple. Both Maharajas embraced each other and together offered their obeisances and prayers to Sri Sri Radha Vrindavanchandra, Sri Sri Jagannath Baladeva Subhadra and Sri Sri Gaura Nitai.

As Guru Maharaj sat on vyasasana, he saw a verse selected for the class. Guru Maharaj asked devoees, “We should discuss today on book bhagavata or person bhagavata?” Then Guru Maharaj started singing the verse form Gopi gita – “Tava Kathamaritam.” Guru Maharaj so wonderfully explained the connection of this verse with Srila Prabhupada and how Srila Prabhupada is the most munificent as His Divine Grace distributed Krishna Consciousness all over the world. Some points from the class:

1. Gopis in the verse 10.31.9 actually foretells about Srila Prabhupada as he distributed the glories of Krishna all over the world
2. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu also was exclaiming “Bhurida! Bhurida!” indicating the one who will distribute Krishna Consciousness all over the world – Srila Prabhupada.
3. As we are very close to Srila Prabhupada, we may sometimes fail to recognize his greatness just as when we are very close to a big mountain we fail to appreciate its real greatness. Even a small hill can obstruct our vision.
4. Familiarity breeds contempt. More close we go to a spiritual personality, we may fail to recognise his greatness.
5. Envy makes one blind to see the greatness of a saintly personality.

After class, Guru Maharaj met with HH Bhakti Marga Maharaj and then went to the temple kitchen for inaugurating the new organic burners. Guru Maharaj personally lit the fire with cow dung cakes and then initiated cooking on the burner. After the inauguration, Guru Maharaj distributed sweets to all the devotees.

Then Guru Maharaj gave another amazing class on “Importance of Harinaam Sankitan.” Some points from the class are:

1. Dharma means the way to get situated in one’s constitutional identity.
2. Yuga dharma for Kaliyuga is chanting of the holy name as other methods of sacrifice, meditation are not possible
3. Krishna wants to make our journey back to him very simple. Therefore he gave us the simple process.
4. Just as father will be the most attentive and affectionate to the youngest child (who is also sick) in comparison to his grown up and well established children, Krishna is more merciful on the living entities of Kaliyuga who are naturally spiritually handicapped.
5. Best Sankirtan is to spread the glories of Krishna

In evening Guru Maharaj, met all disciples and aspiring disciples in Pune. Guru Maharaj instructed all devotees to become very good devotees and to always remember three things:

1. Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead
2. We are souls and our nature is to be servants of Krishna
3. The best way to experience endless bliss is to be in our constitutional position – to serve Krishna through devotional service.

After the disciples’ meeting, Guru Maharaj gave a common Maha Satsang program in the temple congregation hall filled with hundreds of devotees. Guru Maharaj sang the song “Krishna Jinka Naam Hein” and told how this song is the very simple version of whole Gaudiya Vaishnava siddhanta which Chaitanya Mahaprabhu taught.

Then Guru Maharaj gave class on “Srila Prabhupada gave us everything” relating with this song. Guru Maharaj told:

1. Krishna was in trouble that
   1. How can anyone come to Goloka Vrindavan when the world is worshipping Krishna with Sadhana bhakti (with rules and regulations)?
   2. In Vrindavan there is spontaneous love and with Sadhana Bhakti no one can enter in Vrindavan.
   3. If no one can enter Vrindavan then what is the use of displaying braja lila?
2. To solve this problem Krishna came as Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. By worshipping Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Who is in the mood of a devotee, with Sadhana Bhakti one can go to Goloka Vrindavana.
3. If residents of Vaikuntha will get to know about Goloka Vridavana then they will also aspire to go there and then Vaikuntha will become empty! Therefore this opportunity of serving Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is so rare.

After explaining about the fact that Srila Prabhupada gave us everything, Guru Maharaj told all devotees to take a vow that they will never leave Srila Prabhupada’s shelter. Guru Maharaj ended the program with ecstatic Kirtan where everyone danced.

On 17^th March 2016, after his morning japa walk, Guru Maharaj came to Sri Sri Radha Kunjabihari temple, Pune. Devotees welcomed Guru Maharaj with ecstatic Kirtan. Guru Maharaj took the most beautiful darshan of Sri Sri Radha Kunjabihari and Sri Sri Gaura Nitai.

Guru Maharaj gave class on SB 4.7.57 where description of Daksha Yagya is given. Guru Maharaj told whole pastime of the fire sacrifice of Daksha and how Lord Shiva was offended. Some golden points from this class are:

1. Daksha saw Lord Shiva with materialistic point of view and thus on basis of Lord Shiva’s external appearance and behaviour, he considered Lord Shiva uncivilized. So, the materialistic person similarly give more attention to the externals.
2. Lord Shiva acts and lives like a madman as he is mad in the ecstatic love of Krishna
3. Lord Shiva lives so austere life as he don’t have any attachment to this material world.
4. Increase in one’s material opulence means increase in wasting more and more time in maintaining the material life. As time get wasted in the material activities, doing glorification of the Lord becomes so difficult.
5. Ashes on the body of Lord Shiva are the ashes of the bodies of devotees who left this world. Lord Shiva loves devotees so much that when they leave their bodies, and their bodies are burned, Lord Shiva puts on that ashes.
6. Daksha yagya pastime tells us what all can happen if we commit Vaishnava aparadh
7. Devotees’ nature is that even if the offence is there, they don’t take offence. But the offender surely get affected.
8. Never judge a vaishanva. Maintain respectful attitude, especially with senior devotees. Among equals you should have friendship and for juniors you must be exemplary.
9. By glorifying Srila Prabhupada we can develop relationship with him. Glorifying Srila Prabhupada is actually seeing him.
10. Srila Prabhupada taught that our real love for him will be displayed by how we co-operate with each other to propagate Krishna Consciousness all over the world. Love doesn’t means any sentimental expressions.
11. No matter whatever happens, never ever leave ISKCON.

After the class Guru Maharaj personally signed the Bhagavatam books for those who purchased full set of recently released Marathi Srimad Bhagavatam. Then Guru Maharaj gave another class on Vaishanava Sadachar. Some points from the class are as follows:

1. Vaishnava sadachar – how vaishnavas act and how they should act
2. Difference between spiritual and material is very small. Spiritual means Krishna is in the centre whereas material means “I” is in the centre.
3. We naturally becomes humble when we become devotees. This is because we see the greatness of Lord.
4. Material relations are centred on the body. But spiritual relations are centred on Krishna.
5. Relation with devotees will grow only with love. Don’t keep any enmity or envy with the devotees.
6. Love develops by the six exchanges:

(1) Giving charity to the devotees,

(2) Accepting from the devotees whatever they may offer in return,

(3) Opening one’s mind to the devotees,

(4) Inquiring from them about the confidential service of the Lord,

(5) Honouring prasada, or spiritual food, given by the devotees, and

(6) Feeding the devotees with prasada.

Always accept whatever devotees offer you with great respect.

7. Relations don’t develop by living in the same room. Relations develop by the six loving exchanges
8. To become devotee is only 50% but another 50% is to preach Krishna Consciousness
9. Krishna Conscious management should be with love and with mood of serving and helping other devotees.
10. Material world is the world of exploitation but spiritual world is the world of service
11. Higher you go in spiritual life, bigger servant you become.
12. In ISKCON, to remain united, base all your relationships with Srila Prabhupada in centre.

After class, Guru Maharaj came to the house of HG Parshuram Prabhu. In evening Guru Maharaj personally taught cooking to the devotees.

In evening Guru Maharaj visited to the house of HG Radha Vridnavanchandra Prabhu. This devotee’s mother is very sick and bedridden from many months. She can hear but cannot talk and or move herself. She and the whole family is initiated by HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj. Guru Maharaj led Kirtan for her and talked with her and the other family members telling them how suffering in this material world is also to bring us closer to Krishna. One of the best qualities of a devotee is that he always remain grateful. We have to remember always our ultimate goal i.e. to remember Krishna always.

In night, Guru Maharaj met various devotees came from temple and congregation. Then after Guru Maharaj gave personal time to HG Parshuram Prabhu’s family.

Next day, early morning Guru Maharaj prepared himself to leave for the airport. Before leaving he sat and talked with all the devotees present. He told them to be good devotees and to serve Krishna nicely. There is no measure to what devotees received with these 2 days association of Guru Maharaj. It is the very impetus and elixir for their spiritual lives.

Guru Maharaj then left for the airport for his next destination – Bangalore, whereas devotees bid him farewell with the tearful eyes.

Bhakti Swami Guru Maharaja chanting at beach, Durban 9 January 2014

Bhakti Swami Guru Maharaja chanting at beach,  Durban on 9th January 2014

Anecdotes with Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaja by Chandrashekhara acharya dasa

Guru Maharaja is now, june 2013, in Locarno, Switzerland, after having spent three days in Villagio Hare Krishna (near Milano). Five days ago, Guru Maharaja was driven all the way to Villa Vrindavan, near Florence - four hours away. There, Guru Maharaja met with several of his godbrothers such as Madhusevita prabhu and Trai dasa prabhu. After lunch prasadam in the Govindas’ restaurant, Madhusevita prabhu accompanied Guru Maharaja to the Ratha Yatra procession, during which Guru Maharaja led the kirtan for fifteen minutes. Early through the parade, Guru Maharaja took his leave from Lord Jagannatha and drove back in Madhusevita prabhu’s car to Villagio Hare Krishna. The next day, he went to a program that his disciple Raghunatha prabhu had arranged in Piacenza. Today he goes to Zurich.

Below are a  few personal anecdotes that I forgot to post while Guru Maharaja was in New York and Gītā Nagari several weeks ago.

One day, I asked Guru Maharaja how can it be that one individual associate of the Lord - namely Vrinda devi - can be present simultaneously in a countless number of physical bodies (i.e., each and everyTulasi plant). Guru Maharaja answered, “Actually, the Tulasi plants are her hair.”
I said, “This makes the answer even more esoteric.” Guru Maharaja smiled.
He added, “It is similar to Krishna being present in the deity. Krishna is present in the deity - He expands Himself unlimitedly in each deity.”

I said, “But one may ask how it is possible for an individual jiva soul, or at best one of Krishna’s shaktis  (and not Krishna Himself or any Vishnu-tattva) to expand unlimitedly...”

Guru Maharaja replied, “Tulasi cursed Lord Vishnu to become a stone. So he became the shaligram shila. And Lord Vishnu cursed Tulasi to become a plant and said that the worship of Himself as a stone would not be complete until she was there.” 

++

Another time, Guru Maharaja recalled with a smile how, in Vrindavan in late 1977, Tamal Krishna Goswami “cursed” Guru Maharaja to get married. Guru Maharaja said, “I became worried, and so I brought it up to Srila Prabhupada and told him, “Srila Prabhupada, Tamal Krishna Maharaja cursed me to get married.” 

Srila Prabhupada replied, “You are already married to Krishna.” 

++

On another occasion, Guru Maharaja recalled how Tamal Krishna Maharaja had chastised Guru Maharaja rather heavily in the adjacent room in Srila Prabhupada’s personal quarters in Vrindavan. The walls were quite thin, and thus Srila Prabhupada must have heard Tamal Krishna Maharaja’s loud voice. Indeed, when Guru Maharaja entered into Srila Prabhupada’s room, Srila Prabhupada reassured him, “The real sign of advancement is not the high position that one has attained; the real sign of advancement is how much one has learned to tolerate.”

++

On our way to Gītā Nagari, we stopped at a "Rest Area" on the freeway, and Guru Maharaja, Sumon, Prema-Sindhu dasa and I had a picnic on the grass - stir-fried Chinese noodles that Guru Maharaja had cooked earlier before leaving. At one point, I served myself with my left hand. Guru Maharaja told me, “You know the standard, Chandrashekhara.” 

He added, “Don’t serve or accept anything with your left hand.” 

He continued, “Sumon is doing the right thing; he is serving while we take prasad, and he takes afterwards.”

Sumon said, “It is all by your mercy, Guru Maharaja.” 

Guru Maharaja smiled. 

++

In Gītā Nagari, at Bhakti Tirtha Swami’s home, Guru Maharaja was humbled by the fact that Bhakti Tirtha Swami had given precise instructions to his disciples Ekavirya and Vrajalila to the effect that Guru Maharaja should stay in Bhakti Tirtha Swami’s personal room when Guru Maharaja would visit. Vraja līlā confirmed to Guru Maharaja,  “Maharaja, Gurudeva especially wanted you to stay here in his room, most probably because of all the times he stayed in your residence in Mayapur.”
Guru Maharaja looked down in embarrassment, softly shaking his head.

During our stay there, Guru Maharaja repeatedly reminded Sumon and I to keep the place clean. He said, “Keep the kitchen spic and span.” He added, “For Bhakti Tirtha Swami’s disciples, this house is a place of pilgrimage.”

++

Guru Maharaja once spoke to us about the state of affairs in Iskcon today. He cheered us up, “Everything goes in waves: light goes in waves, water goes in waves, sound goes in waves. So this movement also goes in waves.”

++

Sitting down at the table another time, Guru Maharaja asked an open question, “Why is it that today’s American youth are not coming forward?”
I said, “If I dare to answer to this question, Guru Maharaja, I would say that it is in large part because we stress too much the traditional Indian attire for our Western members, pressuring them to wear the dhoti, kurta, shaved head, shikha, and so on.”

Guru Maharaja did not think this was important, and he added, “Besides, there must be a temple standard.”
I then pointed to my pants and shirt, and said strongly, “Guru Maharaja, if one day - by your grace - I start a temple or a center in North America and I run it, I want to manage it just like this: on Western cultural terms - in Western clothes.” 

To my surprise, Guru Maharaja smiled and emphatically said, “Do it.” 

He repeated, “Do it.” 

***

One day, as the car was making its way from Bhakti Tirtha Swami’s house to the temple on the dusty dirt road, Guru Maharaja observed the cows on the green field to the right. He mentioned in passing, “Cows are such beautiful animals.” 

In fact, Guru Maharaja often glorified the efforts of Dhruva Maharaja prabhu - the Gītā Nagari temple president - and his team, to revive cow protection and the sustainable production and sale of non-violent mil. He urged everyone who lives in the Philadelphia/New York area to cooperate with this project by paying the extra dollars and purchasing their milk from the Gītā Nagari co-op. 

 

++

On another occasion, Guru Maharaja spoke about the Ritviks. He said, “The ritviks, what they are saying - indirectly - is that Srila Prabhupada was a failure. He was not able to make one pure devotee.”

++

One day, when I returned from getting a haircut - a small haircut, still keeping most of my hair, Guru Maharaja looked at me and said, “You got a hair-cut? I could have done better than that!”

++

At the end of a lecture, Guru Maharaja said to all of us, “Always remember that this human form of life is meant for spiritual advancement. Offer this life to Krishna.”
He added, “This is what Srila Prabhupada told me. He said, “For so many lifetimes you have been trying to enjoy. But you can see that you are still not satisfied. So just offer this life to Krishna, and see what happens. After all, it’s just one life among so many.” So, surrender. Become very good devotees. Thank you.”

Loving Exchanges with my Dear Godbrothers

Dear Devotees, 

Please accept my best wishes. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

A few days ago when I got to know that H.H. Giriraj Swami Maharaja was in Santa Barbara I decided to cut short my visit to Sacramento by one day and visit him. My initial plan was to spend two days with my very dear godbrother Udayananda Prabhu in Sacramento. When I informed him of my change of plan, he was not at all happy but when I explained the reason he understood my need to visit Giriraj Maharaja. Fortunately H.H. Indradyumna Swami Maharaja was also present with Giriraj Maharaja. He spends one month every year in Santa Barbara to prepare himself for his Polish tour. It was indeed a spiritual retreat to meet these two very exalted devotees and very dear disciples of Srila Prabhupada.

Giriraj Maharaja has a place in Santa Barbara which is about one and a half hours drive from Los Angeles. It is a very serene and beautiful place famous for avocado and various fruit orchards. As soon as I reached, practically straight away, Giriraj Maharaja and I began discussing various spiritual topics. Indradyumna Maharaja had a severe migraine so he was taking rest in his room but when he got to know that I had arrived he immediately came. He mentioned, “I jumped out of my bed totally disregarding my headache, took my bath, and came running to meet you.” For about three hours we had very stimulating discussions about various spiritual topics on how to spread this Krishna consciousness movement all over the world, overcoming various difficulties and hurdles, and thus fulfilling the prediction of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Then we took lunch while Indradyumna Maharaja excused himself due to his inability to eat because of his painful migraine. It was a delicious Iranian cuisine cooked by Kandarpa Manjari and served by a host of Giriraj Maharaja’s disciples. We relished so much prasadam together that both of us felt the need to lie down for some time. We met again at 7:30 in the evening in Indradyumna Maharaja's room.

Indradyumna Swami Maharaja has a deep inclination to visit various pastime places of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, especially in Vrindavan and Gaura Mandala Bhumi. He was expressing some disappointment about the difficulties in visiting the places of Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s pastimes, whereas in Vrindavan it is quite easy. I pointed out that Krishna's pastime places are spread over a rather small area while Mahaprabhu and His associates' pastime places are spread over the entire Bengal. In course of his travel to these places, Maharaja collects various articles. He is an ardent worshiper of Lord Nrsimhadev and he narrated how he received a beautiful Ugra Nrsimha murti killing Hiranyakasipu which is more than 600 years old. Then he told us about how he befriended the main pujari of a temple in Vrindavan, who still has the japa beads of Jiva Goswami. Maharaja received one of the beads from that mala from the pujari. He showed us that bead that he very carefully preserves within a silver casing and often wears around his neck. In this way he started to show us different articles that he has and he also told us that many of them are in Vrindavan. He only travels with a few of them. 

One of the articles came from one of Maharaja's acquaintances, a mahant of a temple in Vrindavan. Maharaja was helping him renovate the temple and assisting him in various ways. The mahant brought out many articles of Mahaprabhu and His associates which he had in his possession. He also brought out two armlets of Nityananda Prabhu made of nine jewels called nava ratna. While he was showing them, one of the gems fell and Maharaja immediately pounced on it and when picking it up asked, “This is a clear indication. Can I please have it?” The mahant replied, "You have done so much for us, how can I say no to you." The mahant gave that gem to Maharaja. Both Giriraj Maharaj and I held all these incredibly rare spiritual articles on our heads, meditating upon Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Nityananda Prabhu, Jiva Goswami and other associates.

After showing us the articles, Indradyumna Maharaja asked me to translate a very beautiful verse from Prabhodananda Saraswati Thakur's "Sri Caitanya Candramrta."  (verse 88)

yatha yatha gaura-padaravinde 

vindeta bhaktim krta punya-rasih 

tatha tathot-sarpati hrdya-kasmad 

radha-padambhoja-sudhambu rasih

I wrote the translation on a piece of paper as follows: "As one develops his attachment to the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, due to heaps of pious activities, accordingly, all of a sudden his heart becomes inundated with the nectar emanating from the lotus feet of Srimati Radharani." 

Indradyumna Maharaja, out of his humility, took a photo of me writing the translation and said with a bright smile that he would stick the photograph on that sheet and preserve it. He also said, "And then eventually, I will auction it to my disciples." He mentioned how he once took the hand-written notes that Radhanatha Swami had used in his lecture. Later on the occasion of one of Radhanatha Swami's disciple's birthday, he presented it to him and the disciple was very happy. The disciple naturally considered that this was one of the best gifts he had ever received. Indradyumna Swami really knows how to collect nectar and distribute it. 

It was already about quarter to eleven at night. Giriraj Maharaja reminded me that I had to start early the next morning to catch my flight to Sacremento. When he expressed his desire to meet me before I left around 5am, I requested him not to do so because of his delicate health condition. However, he responded by saying, “Let us see what happens. If I get up then I will come to see you off.” I reluctantly parted with a desire to meet them again in Vrindavan during kartika. 

At about 4:30am, as I was preparing my things, Sumon whispered to me, "Giriraj Maharaja is here." I saw him standing by the door with his usual bright smile. We embraced each other and I told him that he should not have taken the trouble. Bu he said, "I woke up with thoughts of you and I am so sad that you have to leave now." Then with a smile, he jokingly said, "I was telling Svarup Damodar that if I throw myself in front of Maharaja's car, then he should restrain me from doing that." 

I took leave of a very wonderful godbrother of mine with a heavy heart and an intense desire to be with him again. Giriraj Maharaja, who after his heart condition fifteen years ago, has not been traveling much. However, he is planning to come to India in September and spend a few months there and I am looking forward to his very wonderful association with a lot of expectation and joy.

There was a time when we used to spend a lot of time together in South Africa and Mauritius. Due to his request, I became the co-GBC with him in these countries and had the good fortunate of serving Srila Prabhupada together. Maharaja is a very special devotee who at a very young age surrendered himself to Srila Prabhupada’s lotus feet. He totally disregarded his very wealthy family environment and his millions of dollars' worth of inheritance. Srila Prabhupada recognized his sacrifice and sincerity and made him one his most intimate and reliable assistants. During those days, when preaching in India was just developing, Srila Prabhupada brought Giriraj Maharaja to India and engaged him in the very difficult service of establishing Krishna consciousness there. After spending a short time in Calcutta and Mayapur, Giriraj Maharaja went to Bombay where there was nothing but an empty piece of land and devotees had to live in very austere conditions of temporary structures made of bamboos and tins. He was such an effective preacher that many important people of Bombay became ardent admirers of this young American. Srila Prabhupada commented that everyone in Bombay knew Giriraj Maharaja. In spite of being such an exalted devotee, Maharaja maintains such a genuine humble disposition. I use the word 'genuine' because one cannot fail to see how real his humility is. Even though he is so exalted he remains so simple and sincere.

When I arrived in Sacramento, I was telling Udayananada Prabhu about the wonderful time I had in Santa Barbara and he commented, "You are always giving yourself to your disciples and others. You need such association from senior godbrothers." Then he added, "Although I was disappointed that you cut short your visit to Sacramento in order to meet me, now I can see by your demeanor that the three of you should spend a month together every year." And I am indeed looking forward to that opportunity.

Yours in the service of Srila Prabhupada,

Bhakti Charu Swami

Bhakti Tirtha Swami remembers Bhakti Charu Swami by Kisora Krishna Das

one night while i was serving Bhakti Tirtha Swami,normally before Gurudev went to bed he would asked me to put his walk man on,where was Aindra prabhu kirtan,and everyday he would listen to the kirtan softly and fall asleep,while travelling to Krishna Balaram temple to phoenix temple,i left it to krsna Balaram temple,At night when Maharaj ask me to play the kirtan,i noticed that i forgot his tape there! i was stressed because i know he love this tape,i run to search for another kirtan tape and i got a kirtan tape of your Guru Maharaj,and i told him i got a kirtan tape of Bhakti Charu swami,Maharaj closed his eyes and said ''O Bhakti Charu Maharaj'' with so much love,i played the kirtan on sofly,Maharaj closed his eyes and with so much appreciation expressions on his face with a sweet smile meditating on the kirtans...

A VERY Humble Request

Dear Devotees, Godbrothers and Godsisters,

 

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. All glories to Guru Maharaj.

 

Thank you so much to all of you for sharing your input, advice and experience in serving Guru Maharaj... I sincerely appreciate how many of you pledged to take care of Guru Maharaj better and how many shared your valuable suggestions.

 

Good news I have is that Guru Maharaj arrived in Ujjain yesterday at 11:00am. He had darshan of the Deities and had darshan with the devotees of Ujjain, after which he mentioned that I have requested that he have complete rest so he therefore will not be giving any program and will commence as usual the next day. The first day should be complete rest!!  :) I gave Guru Maharaj the thumbs up and was so happpy.

 

This morning Guru Maharaj gave Srimad Bhagavatam Class and despite his cold he was looking much rested. He said he will do kirtan as usual in the evening, but at 11:30am I heard Guru Maharaj singing in the temple room as I was serving my Giriraj and the kirtan was ecstatic as always. I was so happy that Guru Maharaj was taking time out and singing kirtan when we least expected it...unfortunately my Giriraj seva did not permit me to run across the road and join the kirtan:(

 

Then at around 3:00/3:30pm ish... I was chanting my rounds on my balcony and saw Guru Maharaj and a group of devotees walking in the temple rose garden!  I could see Guru Maharaj giving instructions and was so happy that Guru Maharaj was relaxing though he was having meetings....

 

Please lets all pray that Guru Maharaj can have the rest he needs whenever he is travelling to various yatra... there is great power in prayer as we all know.

 

Once again thank you all for participating actively and positively in our discussions.

 

Your humble servant and sister,

Radharani devi dasi

Past Diary Entries (Chandrashekhara Prabhu) with H.H. Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaj

Guru Maharaja was speaking about a certain devotee with whom I and a few other devotees in Guru Maharaja's entourage had slight conflicts with. Guru Maharaja said, “She’s very respectful to the senior devotees.”   I waited a moment and then asked him, “Guru Maharaja, please bless me that I can be respectful not only to senior devotees, but to godbrothers and junior devotees also — that I can be the insignificant servant of all the devotees.” As I started saying this, Guru Maharaja smiled and said, “You have all my blessings.”  He added, “That is the perfectional stage of life, actually.”

**
As I came back from the local barber, Guru Maharaja, who was sitting in his office finishing a slice of papaya, told me, “You know that one peg of your wodden shoes is broken?”  I answered, “Yes; someone broke it. I’ll get it repaired in Mayapur.’ He asked me, “Do you wear these shoes in the West?” I replied ‘yes’ and told him, “Sometimes people walk up to me in disbelief, staring at my feet, and tell me, “Dude; those are the most far out shoes I have ever seen in my life!!”
Guru Maharaja laughed heartily. He then recalled, “A long time ago, I used to wear wooden shoes, even in the West. They make a lot of noise. Even with the rubber, they make noise. People would hear it and look at such a strange looking person as myself.” He added, “Once, I was walking down 5th Avenue with Bhavananda Maharaja. I was wearing my wooden shoes. He gave me twenty dollars and told me, ‘Go buy some shoes.’ Since then I don’t wear them anymore. I only wear them in the house.”  He finished, “You just went to get shaved up? You look smart.”

***

Guru Maharaja recalled how once he and Tamal Krishna Maharaja got into a disagreement. Tamal Krishna Maharaja apparently had told Guru Maharaja, “I curse you that you’ll get married!”  “In those days,” Guru Maharaja recalled, “it really was like a curse to get married. So I got really worried, and I went and told Srila Prabhupada what Tamal Krishna Maharaja had said to me. Srila Prabhupada stated, “You are already married; you’re married to Krsna.”  Guru Maharaja added, “Two months later he gave me sannyasa.” Guru Maharaja continued, “I then went and told Tamal Krishna Maharaja what Srila Prabhupada had said to me. Tamal Krishna Maharaja told me, “I was just joking.” Guru Maharaja recalled how special a relationship Tamal Krishna Maharaja had with Srila Prabhupada. “For example,” Guru Maharaja recalled, “Whenever Srila Prabhupada woke up, the first thing he would say was, ‘where is Tamala?’ He also remembered how, during those last days in Vrindavan, Srila Prabhupada used to call Guru Maharaja "the famous cook." Since I had never heard Guru Maharaja say this before, I told him, "You've never told us this before, Guru Maharaja.” I added, “Once in a while you let out some information which we never heard before."  Guru Maharaja smiled and replied, "I told you that I am not the type to blow my own trumpet."

***
Guru Maharaja flew into Washington DC the next day, May 29th. Bhakta Henry greeted him at the Dulles airport and drove him to his beautiful ancestral home on Massachusetts avenue. Guru Maharaja is attended a three-day meeting at the Iskcon Potomac temple, with godbrothers including Prahladananda Swami, Radhanatha Swami, Jayapataka Swami, Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu, Garuda Prabhu and Anuttama prabhu. The three-day meeting consisted of discussions on how to establish a standard, or a course, for future gurus in Iskcon. Guru Maharaja appeared very happy to be in their association. During the occasional session intermissions, Guru Maharaja and Radhanatha Maharaja would take a stroll together in the parking lot of the property, hand on the other's shoulder.

In the evening of June 30th, Guru Maharaja gave a talk in the temple. As often, he sang 'tavakathamritam' and explained how this verse, spoken five thousand years ago by the gopis, actually predicts the appearance of Srila Prabhupada, who was later confirmed by Lord Caitanya (to King Prataparudra) as being "bhuri-da, bhuri-da," or "most munificent, most munificent." After this talk, as Guru Maharaja was putting on his shoes in the temple hallway, a six year-old girl, standing with a plate of prasadam in her left hand and a spoon in her right hand, looked up to Guru Maharaja and asked him, "Are you are real Maharaja?"Smiling, Guru Maharaja bent down and patted her head, saying, "No, no; I am just a servant of the servant of the servant."

Letter Bhaktin Carol To H.H. Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaja (Wonderful New Years letter for His Divine Grace)

Please accept my humble obeisences
All glories to Srila Prabhupada
All glories to Guru Maharaja
January 1, 2013
Dallas

Dear Maharaja, when when you first spoke to me at the Dallas temple,if I can tell you, I had been sad for three days. I was so sad. It had to  do with the death of the Pope. A mentor at the time had said the Pope
was a very evil man and that I should not think  kindly toward him. The mentor seemed angry with me and I was so sad. It seemed anothe sad idea on top of what seemed many sad ideas to me, since I didn't understand those topics and was new to the temple.

I had tears and was wandering around, wandering for three days. I happened to visit the temple the night that you later spoke to me. I walked in to the temple room to hear you speaking. You were speaking  -- about the Pope. I'd never heard anyone speak like you. You seemed to radiate love. And you spoke with love about the Pope. Without me telling you my thoughts your class answered my questions, you provided
explanation that soothed away the distress I'd been feeling. I knew I wanted to learn from you.

You left with several devotees and walked down the hallway. I followed behind. I didn't know if it was proper. I followed behind as you with the group walked up the stairs in another building. I don't know if I
had heard this somewhere else or what the reason that it was in my thoughts, but as I followed behind on the stairs I felt like a dog following it's master. I don't know how to explain this.

I had followed at a distance and the door was closed when I got to the top of the stairs. I knocked and was invited in to speak to you. I asked would you teach me. And you said you would teach me. I couldn't
believe it was happening! You were so kind, and good, to me who was so foolish and didn't know what to do.

I am so grateful you agreed to teach me, Guru Maharaja.

Thank you so much, Guru Maharaja

your servant
bhaktin carol

Being Inspired by Bhakti Charu Maharaja, A Beginner In Krishna Consciousness Breaks A Record Of Chanting

Story Written By His Grace Vrajendrasuta Dasa

http://www.naamhat.blogspot.nl/2012/08/a-biginner-in-krsna-consciousness.html

'Life has never been so blissful than in Krishna Consciousness despite my hellish condition of living' says Khadga Bhandari Baa commenting that the search for higher consciousness requires someone to show the way, someone who has already seen the absolute truth.

Khadga Bhandari baa, inspired by Bhagavad Gita As It Is: 'I want the boat that sails across the material ocean of existence, I want the sailor who leads one to the spiritual existence...' writes Bhandari baa in his small note book of poems reflecting his life's aspirations. He also wrote some hymns praying to the ultimate divine to rescue him. Then the time came that assured his salvation, the shelter under the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna through His pure devotee in line to the bona fide disciplic succession-  the guru parampara. It was on 24th July that Bhandari baa was blessed with the path of perfection by having accepted in this succession by His Holiness Bhakti Caru Swami Maharaj, the most eloquent propounder of the Vedas, who has been also a messenger of peace to the UN in resoliving the Middle East peace process.  Swami is the disciple of His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada who was empowered by the Lord as like Jesus and  Mohammad to spread the vedic wisdom in the world. He is  the one who built 108 temples, including schools and farms in almost all the major countries of the world in 1960s. His movement widely know as Hare Krishna or ISKCON in the West  has eternal succession known back in India as Brahma Gaudiya Sampradaya, one among the four bona fide system in the devotional service. It is the fortune of Bhandari baa to be connected in this line of pure devotees, as a disciple who puts into practice the vedic wisdom, mainly the Bhagavad Gita As It Is, without any tinge of misinterpretation.

Baa with His Holiness Bhakti Caru Swami Maharaj

http://www.naamhat.blogspot.nl/2012/08/a-biginner-in-krsna-consciousness.htm

l

Baa offered his humble oebsiances to Guru Maharaj and offered a garland. Then he asked to maharaj, ' what are my duties? what are the rules I should follow for my benefit?. Maharaj instructed thus to follow the four rules out

of the Vedic sastra, that is to avoid four sinful activites, namely- do not eat meat, also onion and garlic, eggs, fish and anything contaminated. Do not take intoxications, ie wine, beer, smoking etc. Do not indulge in illicit sex, and do not gamble. Baa  agreed. Then maharaj said; chant in this mala the Hare Krishna Mahamantra, at least 16 rounds daily. Baa agreed. Maharj handed over the chanting beeds with prayers to Baa who surrendered unto his lotus feet. This was the begining of the spiritual life of Baa, a second life born from the Vedas as the mother and Guru as the father. Baa felt jubilient and happy. This occassion was arranged by the Naamhat Dhaam. Baa began with the humble prayers chanting the mahamantra, the religious process recommended for this age kali, the age of quarrel. 

This turn to the divine way of living and of course dying too, indeed came with much struggle.The most praiseworthy in Bhandari baa's character is his disire for the higher consciousness, spiritual, search for the real

identity- the soul and its relation to the supreme absolute, Krishna. While forced out of Bhutan in early 1990 to exile in Nepal, he was forced to separate from one of his two brothers. He was terribly ill for several years, more than 30 years. While he was working as a labourer in the Chhuka hydel in Bhutan during 1980s he was injured in his lower hip and the infection to his urinary tract continued. He did not get treatment during his work in the hydel, the infection became chronic each year. Although sick he was, hanging a urinary bag under, he was  forcibly exiled along with one of his younger brother. In the refugee camp in Nepal, he did not had proper treatment. He used to recall this days of misery with tears. 

'Let my body, speech and action do not hurt anyone' was my motive in living, says Bhandari Baa adding that  whenever a drop of his bodily fluids falls down, he used to clean by himself not allowing anyone take trouble.Baa is unmarried, celebate to this age of 60's and  to avoid those four pillars of sins has always been his natural habit. He doesn't want to eat meat and other food of the mode of ignorance because he knew already that it will hinder his progress in the spiritual attainment. Following the Vedic principles raises one above the level of animalism because just to remain only in eating, sleeping, mating and defending is the animal propensities. The human form of life is not meant only for that purpose. It's the opportunity to qualify with spiritual wisdom to enter into the kingdom of God. Baa took this opportunity sincerely and rising above all those hundreds of Nepalese and Bhutanese in The Netherlands as a rare person in the devotional service that will lead him to liberation.

Baa with hundred of devotees in the Amsterdam Rathayatra

http://www.naamhat.blogspot.nl/2012/08/a-biginner-in-krsna-consciousness.htm

l

Although the search for the right method for liberation was  sought by Bhandari Baa through out his life in Nepal and Bhutan, he was led always to the path of bewilderment. He says that until he got the Bhagavad Gita As It

Is version, he was always allured to the illusory ways by commercial literatures and so called sadhus.  As soon as I read the Bagavad Gita As It Is, I could recognize the difference between the absolute truth and the man

made concoctions, he says.

One month later when I went to take him to the Rathayatra in Amsterdam, I found that his health was improved. His face was shining. He chants the mahamantra: Hare Krsna Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna Hare Hare. Hare  Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare, at least 32 rounds daily, a record break among the beginners in Krsna consciousness. This assures his success of his human form of life and go back to the kingdom of God, Goloka Vrindavana.

HH Bhakti Charu Swami Visits Ujjain [7th September 2012]

Hare Krishna. Dandavat Pranam

All Glories to Guru Maharaja.

All Glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Guru Maharaja arrived today in Ujjain and was greeted very enthusiastically by all the ujjain devotees. As Gurudeva arrived in his car all the devotees were roaring the holy names and were dancing in the ecstatic kirtan.

Matajis made beautiful flower carpet on the way to the temple hall and Guru Maharaja with gracious smile on his Lotus face and showering his merciful glances onto the devotees, walked his way through.

Guru Maharaja offered lamps to the deities and garlanded Srila Prabhupad’s murti,

Guru Maharaja also spoke for 30 minutes. It was amazing to see how His Holiness could extend himself so much after such a long travel. He took a flight from London to Mumbai and then from Mumbai to Indore and finally undertook a car journey to reach Ujjain.

Here are some of the points from the lecture :

      In earlier ages people who were interested to have the darshan of the lord would leave their homes like Dhruva Maharaja did .But Mahaprabhu has so mercifully revealed the holy names to everyone that now there is no need to leave home. You can just stay at home and chant the holy names.

“But Brahmacaris should not think like that. They have to stay in the temple.”(laughs)

      You chant and make others chant also. Jare dekho tare kaho……….

Whomsoever you meet, try to preach to him. That is why book distribution is so important(Ujjain sankirtan bus also arrived just today and the members felt as if Guru Maharaja spoke it knowing their hearts). 6 years back when we started the temple, only 15-20 people used to come but now you can see how many are there. How did it happen? – because someone gave you Krishna Consciousness.

Guru Maharaja also mentioned about the cruise trip and told what happened in south Hampton, La Rochelle. In Amsterdam they did the biggest harinam ever with more than 350 devotees. Guru Maharaja ended with an announcement of taking all the devotees to Vrindavan in October. Devotees felt great bliss to her that and loudly chanted ………..HARIBOL!!!!!.

Tomorrow (8-Sep) Guru Maharaja will lead mangal-arti and will also give the Bhagavatam class. In evening Guru Maharaja will give a class which will be broadcasted on mayapur.tv. The class will start at 5:30pm (local time). Guru Maharaja will also give SB class on 9th Sep (Sunday) and will leave from Ujjain just after that.

Guru Maharaja’s Ujjain arrival ki Jai!!!

Jagad-guru Srila Prabhupada ki Jai!!!

With Bhakti Charu Swami on Cuise

Experiences by HG Mandira devi dasi

For the first time in my life it was difficult to come back to Radhadesh Dhama where I living since 1997. The whole atmosphere with the so many Holy persons and the deep realisations I received by their mercy,wanted to keep me their eternally.

So I tought, if I give myself now the opportunety to not loose myself in my daily not always so spiritual toughts, and take full shelter of my realisations and experience, than the bliss will stay and also grow.
The inspiring knocks on the microphone from HH Sacinandana Maharaja where helping me a lot, to keep me more wake-up. And yes, it is working and sometimes not and then I realise immediatly "wrong way again".

The whole retreat was really "Spiritual Bliss!" for me. There was doubt before my booking to do it, because once in my life I did a small cruise in Egypt and I did a promess to myself to never repeath such stupid
entertainment. But this was a Spiritual Cruise by the association and inspiration of the different Holy Persons full of compassion for all of us.

My daily chanting was so much increasing in quality.  By this I like to express my whole-heartedly thankfulness towards HH Sacidananda Maharaja. Since HH.Sacinandana Maharaja started the Kirtan festivals and Seminars and was able to take some part here in Radhadesh Dham my chanting became better.
Everytime when Maharaja start to sing, for me it is like Maharaja is open the doors in the Spiritual connection with their Lordships thrue the Holy Name. By myself I would never be able to do that, I joined when I was 44 years old and my heart was like a dead stone full of material impressions.

The pastimes we could hear in the classes where so wonderfull, again by the purity of their heart they can take You with them inside, but real inside. For myself I could realise that it was the first time I received
this type of entrance. Different emotions came up which were not material contaminated. This was only possible by their Mercy. So for myself it is clear that I myself can do nothing and are fully depending on the causeless Mercy of the Holy persons.

Another briljant experience was to feel the different moods of the Holy Persons in speaking out the pastimes of Krsna .This is for myself good to understand "Equal and Different". There is no better or less.

Also the beautifull Harinama's give me special realisations.  Most of the time I feel strange in Harinama's, one of the reasons is that outsiders not understand what a treasure they receive by hearing the Holy Name. They look down on us as the most strange persons and do not understand what a great knowledge and Spiritual power is their to give to them.  So by this I received the full Bliss and Nectar in "Santiago de Compostella"!!! This was for me together with the entrance in Krsna's Pastimes the most Blisful realisations I received.

I was feeling so happy and connected with everybode, the devotees and all the spirit souls in our surrounding who where full of Bliss by hearing and seeing us.  I could feel so much connection with Lord Jesus Christ and
expressed to Him my thankfulness that I received the chance in this life to grow-up in a Christian family, no matter I was not able to understand and follow Him in a devotional way. I could feel a lot of tears from regret and
gratitude towards Him in my heart who came out later also from my eyes.  On the same moment I felt such a great gratitude towards HDG Srila Prabhupada, my Guru-Maharaja all the Holy Spiritual Masters there present and the devotees to let me take part in this great event.  A drop of realisation I received by this that we are all Eternal Spirit souls under the Loving care and shelter of Srimati Radharani en Lord Krsna.

By this I like to thank whole-heartedly all the Spiritual Masters and participated devotees in this beautifull Spiritual Cruise retreat. My greatfull thankfulness special for HG Radha Vinod das HG Campaklata devi dasi Lila vilasini devi dasi HG Janava devi dasi the agent Divyesh for the so wonderfull devotional and carefull organisation. I have nothing to complain on I am only very thankfull towards all of You and hope that I was lenient in my association with all of You.

Towards You,my Dear Guru-Maharaja, I like to express my thankfulness in a way I know it can make You happy. This way is to work a lot on myself  by all the deep realisations I received by Your causeless Mercy upon me. I remember so well the first time I got the chance to meet You in Rotterdam in 1996 this was for me a fact that I found back what I lost fora long time. For me it was a recognition.

Thank You so much  Lord Krsna to show me the way in 1994 after my prayer towards You and brought me in contact with the books of Srila Prabhupada.Now I realise that my prayer only was to know You and to become free from the bondage of the law of Karma and Reincarnation. By the causeless Mercy of Srila Prabhupada a could learn that the most important thing is to develop love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Krsna. Thank You so much Srila Prabhupada for what You did for us fallen souls in Kali-Yuga en brought me in contact with my Spiritual Master HH Bhakti Caru Maharaja after my prayer to You for this.

By ending now trying to express my realisations I feel I forgot an important point and that is that by this Seminar I felt doubly happy because I could see and feel how happy You were, dear Guru-Maharaja, by the so loving association with Your dearmost Godsbrothers and Sister. I feel really happy when You are happy!

I like to express my full thankfulness towards HG Ramananda Raya Prabhu, his wife Kamala Manjari Mataji to organise everything so nicely and comfortably for HG Yasoda Priya and myself for the travelling towards Southhampton and back to Radhadesh.

Cruise Retreat with Bhakti Charu Swami

Experience by Sachimata Mataji:

I want to share my experiences of the Cruise Retreat with you all. It happened in La Rochelle (France), the last port we visited. When we were waiting at the port for the Nitai coach after Harinam, I met a French

devotee, young girl, teacher, she speaks good English. I found out that she had her Harinam diksha from a Gaudiya Vaisnava Guru. They have no Namahata group there, nor any temple nearby. She travelled 60 miles to join our Harinam party. She was very happy to meet with us. As we were exchanging each other various information, one gentleman stopped in front of me but spoke to the French girl and asked,’ Who are these people? Where are they from? What were they singing? We have never seen them here before? Etc,

etc.’ So, she answered all his questions. Then he said, ‘whatever they were singing it was very nice, very soothing to the heart. Please tell them to come again’. Naturally ,I was very happy to hear this. We touched people’s heart.

I invited this young Vaisnavi to come to Bhaktivedanta Manor with my contact details. I also spoke to one/two devotee in Santiago de Compostella in Spain. They were staying there for few days just to join our Harinam party. Some of them had even flown in from Portugal.

This all is the result of our 2012 Cruise Harinams!!

Harinam Prabhu Ki Jaya!

Srila Prabhupada Ki Jaya!

Guru Maharaja Ki Jaya!

Ecstasies with Bhakti Charu Swami by Krishnarjuna Prabhu

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaja is in Europe now [July 2012]

The definition of a grain is that when the grain is ripe, the plant dies: HH Bhakti Charu Swami

Krishnarjuna Prabhu says, "So I have travelled the whole world. Literally. Circumabulated it. And I have stayed with Billionaires. With Millionaires. With the well off. The less well off. And the 'financially unwell'. I have travelled in mountains, over deserts, in major cities and through perochial peripheries. I have been in South Asia, South East Asia, Australasia, Oceania, North America, Europe and the Middle East. That too in the last 7 months. EVERYONE is trying to eat sleep defend and especially mate. EVERYONE is missing the point of their human point and EVERYONE is miserable. EVERYONE I met is this way. EVERYONE except Guru Maharaj, who is flying the perfect course to the perfect target - just like Arjuna's arrow" 

Please read about experiences of HG Krishnarjuna Prabhu with Guru Maharaja on 11th and 12th July 2012 in Rome here.  

See photos here.

Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaja solves a man's difficulty in praying [Vatican City]

On his preaching tour HH Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaja visited Rome on 9th July 2012. Since Guru Maharaja is involved in the construction of Vedic Planetarium temple in Mayapur, he wanted to see the Vatican City. He along with 6 other devotees went to the Vatican city. Guru Maharaja was seeing that many people were watching him because of his saffron robes. Guru Maharaja also saw a painting there in which Plato was wearing saffron robes.

Then a man, dressed in black suit with blue tie, came to a devotee and started to ask various things. Guru Maharaja was at some distance but he was seeing this person asking something to the devotees. Then Guru Maharaja heard his mention in the talks, so he decided to talk to the man directly. As Guru Maharaja went there, the man asked him a question. The man asked that he finds it difficult to pray. The man admitted that he had taken a vow of praying daily for two hours but he finds it to be very difficult.

Guru Maharaja told the man that since he had taken a vow, he must do that. Also Guru Maharaja told him that initially it seems to be difficult but when you practice then it becomes easy. But man again admitted his failure in doing so. Guru Maharaja then told him, “you are finding difficulty in praying because you are doing it mechanically. You are not actually communicating with God. But if you communicate with God then you find it easy.” Still he was not understanding. He was telling “It is very difficult.”

Guru Maharaja then asked him whether he had a son. He replied yes. Then Guru Maharaja asked the man, “do you love your son?”. The man replied, “I love my son very much!”. Guru Maharaja then asked him, “do you find any difficulty in talking with your son?”. The man replied “no”. Unfortunately his son doesn’t have much time for him now.  Guru Maharaja then pointed out, “You don’t find difficulty in talking with your son because there is reciprocation and love. So, similarly when you pray to the Lord, you must do it with the understanding that you love God and God loves you. Prayer is actually communication with God. An you must understand that God is in your heart and when you pray to Him, He hears you. You must also hear Him responding to your prayer. In this way when there is loving dialogue, loving exchange, then you will find that praying to Him is so easy. When you develop your love for God and start communicating that love with God, then not only for two hours, you will speak to Him for 24 hours a day. ”

The man admitted that he was in Vatican since 1955 and he had seen six Popes and  he never had an dialogue like this!

Then the man came and embraced Maharaja and lovingly kissed him on cheeks.

Guru Maharaja told the local devotees to be in contact with that old man.

All glories to Srila Bhakti Charu Swami Guru Maharaja who is helping the suffering souls all over the world by distributing the pure teachings of Srila Prabhupada, all over the planet !!

Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaja on phone by Ramananda Raya Prabhu

Similarly with Guru Maharaja I once had an amazing experience.  I had to phone Guru Maharaja in India from Radhadesh, Belgium here.  Somehow, because of a technical problem, while speaking with Guru Maharaja, suddenly I could hear Guru Maharaja, but at the other side of the line His Divine Grace could not hear me anymore.  And then Guru Maharaja started to literary shout in the phone :"RAMANANDA, RAMANANDA..."  Nobody has ever expressed anything to me with such intensity. I realized that Guru Maharaja's love will pierce any seperation through despite of any distance in time or space.

Mayapur 2010 with Bhakti Charu Swami by Nayaka Mataji

Nayaka mataji 2010

Hare Krishna,dear Devotees.

Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. All glories to Guru and Gauranga.

A few days ago we came back to Ujjain from Sri Mayapur dham where we spent almost one month. It was an unforgettable and most blissful experience. The only negative thing about the festival was that it ended so soon. We immediately noticed that the beautiful fountains and flower garden in front of the temple were gone and we were greeted by an empty field and heavy machinery. All around this fenced area were pictures of the spectacular future Temple of the Vedic Planetarium. Everything was ready for the important bhumi puja of the new temple.

The bhumi puja was held on 14 February. Guru puja was followed by a flag hoisting ceremony and powerful speeches from disciples of Srila Prabhupada. HH Bhakti Vidyapurna Maharaja and the gurukula boys performed the yagya and the rest of the program was held on the building site with all the members of the GBC and a large crowd of cheerful devotee faces.

By the kind arrangement of Guru Maharaja we stayed at Vamsi Bhavan. Our Godbrothers helped us to our room and offered us assistance whenever we needed. We felt so grateful to see how Guru Maharaja was taking care of us. That same night we were enchanted by Guru Maharaja’s sweet kirtan after Gaura arati. It was so special to see Guru Maharaja in front of Panca Tattva in Mayapur with so many of our Godbrothers and sisters around us, singing and dancing joyfully. Afterwards Guru Maharaja spoke with everyone and

enquired about their wellbeing.

We were also very pleased to see all the devotees who came from Ujjain. Their big, friendly smiles always reminded us of Ujjain.

So many interesting programs and seminars were organized for the enlightenment and education of the devotees. It was difficult to choose where to go as so many things were happening at the same time. On the

disappearance day of HH Tamal Krsna Goswami, Guru Maharaja gave a heartfelt speech about his beloved Godbrother. He said that Maharaja always had perfect and beautiful tilak and that he never used a mirror to apply his tilak. He also mentioned that, for him, Tamal Krsna Maharaja was such an exalted devotee and he at first thought that it was impossible to approach him. When Guru Maharaja started to serve Srila  Prabhupada personally he used to stay with Tamal Krishna Maharaja in one room and their relationship

became very close. Later there was a special program where senior disciples of HH Tamal Krsna Maharaja spoke about their pastimes with him. A transcendental atmosphere of love and devotion of his disciples to their beloved Gurudev prevailed. Guru puja and pushpanjali at Maharaja’s Samadhi was followed by a maha feast at Srila Prabhupada’s Samadhi.

Guru Maharaja also spoke movingly in honor of HH Bhakti Tirtha Swami on his vyasa puja and afterwards Bhakti Tirtha Maharaja’s disciples served a lovely feast to all the devotees who could not attend the parikrama. 

Guru Maharaja often gave the devotees news about the health of HH Jayapataka Maharaja and read Maharaja’s letters to the devotees. Everyone really missed HH Jayapataka Maharaja’s presence in Mayapur.

Guru Maharaja attended a prize giving ceremony for sankirtan devotees. He and many sanyassis spoke about the importance of book distribution and gave awards to devotees who have dedicated their lives to the glorious mission of Srila Prabhupada and Gauranga Mahaprabhu.

A huge pandal was the venue for cultural programs every evening. Devotees enjoyed wonderful performances of song, dance and drama. HH Bhakti Marga Maharaja enchanted everyone with his brilliant dramas. One drama was about Saksi Gopal and the other, a contemporary piece, dealt with the lives of

lonely people. Our Godbrother Chandrashekar prabhu delighted the audience with his talented and accomplished performances in these dramas.  We also saw a memorable performance by Manipuri devotees where diminutive Radha and Krsna danced in traditional dress. The next day a wonderful surprise awaited

one and all when Sri Sri Radha Madhava and the gopis were all decked out in Manipuri dress looking exactly the same as the children the night before.

Thousands of devotees participated in the parikrama. There were 3 groups, an international group with about 1500 devotees, a Bengali group with 2000 devotees and a Russian group with 1200 devotees. Guru Maharaja visited all 3 groups. Some friends from the Russian group said their hearts were touched

by Guru Maharaja’s sweetness.  Guru Maharaja attended the International group about 4 times. The most special time during the parikrama with Guru Maharaja was the last day when he walked in front and carried Srila Prabhupada. Guru Maharaja also gave a very nice speech about the pastimes of Murari Gupta with Lord Caitanya when we visited his house. The main leader at the international group was HH Lokanatha Maharaja. Many other sanyassis and senior disciples of Srila Prabhupada also enlivened us with their

presence. At the Jagannatha temple, we saw a drama about Kalavecha Sridhara and Caitanya Mahaprabhu. It was performed by the sanyassis and Pankajanghri and Jananivasa prabhus. The 2 brothers played the leading roles. 

On this divine day of Gaura Purnima it is greatly fortunate to be in Mayapur where Gauranga Mahaprabhu appeared and performed his lilas. So many guests came from near and far to get darshan of the Deities. Even at Mangal arati time the temple was packed and it was difficult to go inside. Guru Maharaja gave the Srimad Bhagavatam class inside the pandal and he was followed by HH Bhakti Purushotama Maharaja. There was a broadcast of HH Jayapataka Maharaja’s class from America. At noon Guru Maharaja gave initiations

alongside HH Bhakti Vaibhava Maharaja and HH Bhakti Vikasa Maharaja. Some devotees got initiation from HH Jayapataka Maharaja in absentia. Guru Maharaja appreciated HH Bhakti Vikasa Maharaja who spoke in Bengali for devotees who got initiation.

After initiation Guru Maharaja went with a group of disciples to Ganga to take bath. The abhishek of the Deities started at 4 pm. Three small pandals were erected in the garden next to Padma bhavan for the  abhishek, one for sanyassis and disciples of Srila prabhupada, one for prabhu’s and one for mataji’s. During pushpanjali it looked as if the Deities were drowning in the fragrant petals. All the devotees happily enjoyed the feast that followed.

Guru Maharaja said that everyone was happy to do parikrama and they loved parikrama but they would be even happier when they go back to their homes and remember the sweet times. His words were so true and now we are all really missing those sweet times.

Once during parikrama when Guru Maharaja saw us, he asked how we were. I replied that we were fine but I really wanted to say that were missing his association.  Still the few times we saw him was wonderfully special and sweet. Actually we saw him only a few times in Mayapur because he was always extremely busy, but still, we are so happy that we were there by the mercy of Guru Maharaja and had so many unforgettable moments.

Sridham Mayapur Gaura Purnima Festival of Loving Exchanges, ki – jaya!

Guru Maharaja, ki – jaya!