Early Morning Vrindavana Ecstasy

This morning (26 September 2010), as is my usual practice, I rose before 3:00 am to bathe, dress in my early morning devotional attire (dhoti and chadar), and mark my body with tilaka (sacred clay). After completing part of my daily vow of chanting at least sixteen rounds of the Hare Krishna mantra on japa mala beads I walked to the Krishna Balarama temple to attend an ecstatic worship service at 4:10 am in the samadhi (tomb) of my most beloved spiritual master, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Then at 4:30 am I returned to my quarters in the MVT-Bhaktivedanta Ashram to offer worship to our deities, Sri Sri Radha Damodar. It was a deeply ecstatic experience. As I offered them arati (worship) presenting before them various auspicious articles--incense, a ghee lamp, bathing water in a conch shell, a drying cloth, a flower, and a camara whisk--I sang a beautiful bhajan (devotional song) glorifying the Supreme Lord and His devotees as well as the many holy places of the Lord's transcendental pastimes in Vrindavan. It was so sweet and exhilarating to feel my connection through the medium of the arati ceremony and that wonderful song with all of those great personalities and holy places. This was a sublime reminder of my eternal identity as a surrendered servant of Lord Sri Krishna in His pastimes in the spiritual sky. If one enters deep enough into the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra and such songs, he can be carried by their wings into that mellifluous (full of sweetness) transcendental dimension situated far, far beyond this miserable material existence.

Here's the lyrics to the beautiful song I sang:
http://www.ultimateselfrealization.com/Songs/Glories_of_Vrindavana_Lyrics.html

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

Here Are Sri Sri Radha Damodar in Vrindavana
Photographed on 26 September 2010Here Are Sri Sri Radha Damodar in Vrindavana

Answers According to the Vedic Version:

Question: Change of Faith?

I have a bit personal question. I want to know what you did before you come into contact with ISKCON. Why you think that Christianity is a half book and Krishna is the Supreme Lord? Is there anything about Christianity that forced you to look elsewhere? Why only Christian people turn to the Hare Krishna movement positively? I haven't seen a single Muslim person. Why do you love India when there are floods in Vrindavan currently? Did you believe in God before turning to Hare Krishna Movement?

Sorry if I asked too much.

Regards,
Vibhor

Answer: Strengthening Faith, Not Changing Faith

Before I came into contact with ISKCON, the spiritual movement of my spiritual master, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, I was a spiritual seeker endeavoring to attain spiritual enlightenment. Because I understood the transcendental, universal nature of religion or spirituality I was not aligned with any particular faith. Rather I felt my myself to be connected with all religions because ultimately they are all one in that in their original pure forms they all teach that we should fully surrender ourselves to God.

There is a vast difference between modern day Christianity and what Christ actually taught. If one aligns with what Christ actually taught, there is nothing half-way about it. Christ taught pure bhakti just as Lord Krishna teaches pure bhakti. There is no question of choosing either Krishna or Jesus Christ because they are a package deal. When you truly accept either of them, you automatically accept both of them.

We have many wonderful Muslims who have joined our movement. Apparently you have not had the good fortune to meet any of them. In fact one of the greatest spiritual leaders of our movement, Srila Haridasa Thakur, was a Muslim. He was elevated to the post of Namacarya by Lord Caitanya due to his rigidly following the principle of chanting three hundred thousand holy names of the Lord daily: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare

Do you think the flooding of a river can take away the wonderful Krishna consciousness of thousands and millions of Indians? Please try analyze things with a cool brain.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

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