Detained at the Russian Border

20 October 2006--11:30 am. 
My premonitions of trouble at the Russian border turned out to be well warranted. Even though we had bona fide double entry visas issued by the Russian embassy in Washington, DC USA, the border officials did not want to let us enter Russia. They took our passports away from us and kept Mataji and I standing for over an hour on the sidewalk in the cold without even a place to sit down. I knew we were in a battle with the material energy, and I started chanting prayers to Lord Nrisimhadeva, the protector of the devotees from the harassment of the non-devotees.

border detention at Russia

(The scene of our border detention)

Finally they called us into an office to interrogate us. The uniformed official wanted to know why we wanted to enter Russia. He wanted to know where we were staying and how long we would stay. I gave him all the information he requested.

I did not know what was the problem, why they were hesitating to allow us in. There was a language barrier also. I speak only one word of Russian and the official spoke very little English. Foreseeing possible border crossing difficulties I had had the foresight to obtain two days previously the mobile phone number of the devotee, Vishvavasu Das, who would meet us at the border. He was a Russian citizen and was expert in knowing how to deal with the Russian mentality. I gave the official Vishvavasu's phone number and asked him to call him. The official spoke with him for couple of minutes and then left the room. When he returned he smiled slightly and wished us a good trip. So I knew our problems were over.

It turned out that they were completely bewildered by my wearing a dhoti instead of pants and therefore did not want to let me enter the country. Vishvavasu Prabhu tactfully explained to him that as my wife was India I sometimes dressed like an Indian. This was reasonable to the officials and they decided to allow me to enter.

Srila Prabhupada compares border officials to barking dogs who do not want you walking on what they consider to be their street. The fact is that this entire planet is the property of God and that we are all God's children. But we foolishly claim God's property to be our own establishing artificial borders and restricting the motion of God's children.

Answers According to the Vedic Version

Question: Why "Lotus Feet"?..

1. What is the meaning of "lotus feet"?

2. When Krishna created the material world for those who want to enjoy independently why did He create suffering in it? He could have created a world with no suffering just like the spiritual world for those who wanted to enjoy independently.

Madhav

Answer: They Enable Easy Crossing Over the Material Ocean...

Krishna's feet are called lotus feet because they enable one to easily cross over the vast ocean of material existence as confirmed in the following verse:

samasrita ye pada-pallava-plavam
mahat-padam punya-yaso murareh
bhavambudhir vatsa-padam param padam
padam padam yad vipadam na tesam

"For those who have accepted the boat of the lotus feet of the Lord, who is the shelter of the cosmic manifestation and is famous as Murari, the enemy of the Mura demon, the ocean of the material world is like the water contained in a calf's hoof-print. Their goal is param padam, Vaikuntha, the place where there are no material miseries, not the place where there is danger at every step."
--Srimad Bhagavatam 10.14.58

Just as a fish can never be satisfied out of his natural habitat, the water, the material world must necessarily be a place of suffering because it is not our nature to be enjoy independently from God.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

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