Krishna Consciousness on a Cruise Ship
I was recently forwarded the wonderful story of ISKCON devotee, Devindra-gopal Das came to Krishna consciousness on cruise ship. The story is so nice I decided to share it with you.
He was a working on cruise ships, and his ship at some point ported in India. While there he asked local people for a plant, because he wanted some greenery on the ship. So someone gave him a tulsi plant. He took it to his room and would water it. He was doing this for many months.
He was a working on cruise ships, and his ship at some point ported in India. While there he asked local people for a plant, because he wanted some greenery on the ship. So someone gave him a tulsi plant. He took it to his room and would water it. He was doing this for many months.
Then, because of the plant’s not having enough sunlight and too much salty air, it died. But he kept the plant. Shortly after this he lost his taste for meat and intoxication, and he couldn’t figure out why.
While stopped at another port, he went into the city and met a devotee and got a book from him. Then next day, the devotee met him again and asked him whether he had read any of it. He said no.
The next day they met again, and the devotee asked, “Have you read any of it?”
“No, I haven’t gotten around to it yet.”
The next day he also saw the devotee, and this time he thought he would lie just to satisfy the devotee. So he said, “Yes, I have started to read it.”
“And what do you think?”
“Yeah, it’s okay. Some of it is good.”
“The devotee said, “You haven’t read it yet. Whoever reads these books is either really into it or against it.”
"Wow, maybe I should read it," he thought, "This seems serious." So he did. And he loved it, and he started chanting.
He heard from the devotee later that you chant 108 mantras to make a round, and you do that 16 times. So to keep track, he would chant one mantra for every card in a deck of cards. There are 54 cards in a deck, so he would use a deck of cards. 54 + 54 =108. And with his socks he counted his rounds. Every two socks would be a round. That’s how he kept track of his rounds.
Of course, later he got beads. He is now the head purjari; previously and still now, he is the main go-to person at the temple, ready to fix anything, kind of the Jayananda Prabhu of Ljubljana.
It is always so enlivening to hear how our devotees have come to Krishna consciousness. Everybody's story is simply wonderful.
Aromal Satiayababu
Please accept my blessings.
We promote bhakti, which is perfection of yoga and meditation. So the answer is “both.” This is confirmed by Lord Sri Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita, Chapter 6, Text 47, wherein He states:
yoginām api sarveṣāṁ
mad-gatenāntarātmanā
śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ
sa me yuktatamo mataḥ
"Of all yogīs, the one with great faith who always abides in Me, thinks of Me within himself, and renders transcendental loving service to Me is the most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all. That is My opinion."
Hoping this meets you well,
While stopped at another port, he went into the city and met a devotee and got a book from him. Then next day, the devotee met him again and asked him whether he had read any of it. He said no.
The next day they met again, and the devotee asked, “Have you read any of it?”
“No, I haven’t gotten around to it yet.”
The next day he also saw the devotee, and this time he thought he would lie just to satisfy the devotee. So he said, “Yes, I have started to read it.”
“And what do you think?”
“Yeah, it’s okay. Some of it is good.”
“The devotee said, “You haven’t read it yet. Whoever reads these books is either really into it or against it.”
"Wow, maybe I should read it," he thought, "This seems serious." So he did. And he loved it, and he started chanting.
He heard from the devotee later that you chant 108 mantras to make a round, and you do that 16 times. So to keep track, he would chant one mantra for every card in a deck of cards. There are 54 cards in a deck, so he would use a deck of cards. 54 + 54 =108. And with his socks he counted his rounds. Every two socks would be a round. That’s how he kept track of his rounds.
Of course, later he got beads. He is now the head purjari; previously and still now, he is the main go-to person at the temple, ready to fix anything, kind of the Jayananda Prabhu of Ljubljana.
It is always so enlivening to hear how our devotees have come to Krishna consciousness. Everybody's story is simply wonderful.
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Question: Yoga and Mediation or Bhakti?
Does ISKCON (The International Society for Krishna Consciousness) promote yoga and meditation, or is its main focus on bhakti (devotion)?Aromal Satiayababu
Answer: The Perfection of Yoga and Meditation
My dear Aromal,Please accept my blessings.
We promote bhakti, which is perfection of yoga and meditation. So the answer is “both.” This is confirmed by Lord Sri Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita, Chapter 6, Text 47, wherein He states:
yoginām api sarveṣāṁ
mad-gatenāntarātmanā
śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ
sa me yuktatamo mataḥ
"Of all yogīs, the one with great faith who always abides in Me, thinks of Me within himself, and renders transcendental loving service to Me is the most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all. That is My opinion."
Hoping this meets you well,
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