APRIL - JUNE 2001

WASHINGTON, DURBAN, CAPE TOWN, JOHANNESBURG, SOWETO, PRETORIA, SYDNEY, BRISBANE, MELBOURNE, NEW GOVARDHANA, AUCKLAND, HONG KONG, PENANG, MANILA, BALI, TOKYO, LOS ANGELES, GITA-NAGARI, MARYLAND, KUALA LUMPUR

Let us offer our respectful obeisances to the lotus feet of ISKCON Founder-Acarya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada. Let us offer our humble obeisances to our beloved spiritual master His Holiness Srila Bhakti Tirtha Swami. All glories to the spiritual warriors who are actively engaged in Lord Caitanya's mission. Let us all become enlivened as we hear about the first leg of Gurudeva's around-the-world tour.

WASHINGTON, DC

In spite of health challenges and other complications, Gurudeva is more fired up than ever. As we are all working to support and assist him, we must intensify our efforts in all areas. Isn't Krsna consciousness wonderful!

On the day before leaving America, Gurudeva compiled materials for the editors who are working on his three new books. While he is blazing around the world, this work will be completed.

SOUTH AFRICA

Durban

His Holiness arrived in South Africa at the Johannesburg airport. He was met by our godsisters, Mother Nirvana Murti and Mother Ghandharvika. They asked questions and sought advice on several matters before leaving for Durban. There was an awesome ratha-yatra festival in Durban. Hundreds of people pulled the carts and thousands of people saw the Deities. Thousands and thousands of people participated in the three-day festival at the Durban beachfront. Many senior leaders attended and gave classes: H.H. Jaya Pataka Swami, H.H. Bhakti Caitanya Swami, H.H. Bhakti Ragava Swami, H.G. Mahamantra dasa, H.G. Partha Sarathi dasa, H.G. Kaliyapani dasa, and H.G. Ramanuacarya dasa. There were many different tents, lectures, cultural recreational, and other festive activities.

His Holiness led most of the kirtana for the procession, and he was as vibrant as ever. Everyone was surprised since devotees knew of his health challenges, but you will see throughout this tour that His Holiness is more active than ever before.

The festival grounds had a main stage that accommodated thousands of people. There were question and answer booths, multimedia presentations, cooking demonstrations, special children's corner, and dramas. There was a tent for gopi dots and various types of paraphernalia. There were exhibits, gift stalls, and book tables. There was a special tent for Soweto; this was a new feature. It was one of the more active tents. The Soweto devotees were in charge of it. There was a fantastic fireworks display.

His Holiness spoke on various topics to mixed audiences. On the first day, he discussed "Are You Truly Happy." He had the devotees to examine a happy time in spiritual life and contrast that with an unfulfilled or sad time in spiritual life. He asked them to look closely at the circumstances surrounding these events. With that evaluation, they could recapture, recreate, or maintain those things that caused excitement about Krsna consciousness. He instructed them to be aware of things that are a disturbance to spiritual life.

In the evening of the second day, His Holiness gave a major presentation on the main stage. His topic was "Krsna Consciousness: The United Nations of the Spiritual World." He talked about the diversity of Krsna consciousness, how Krsna consciousness is a spiritual embassy, and how Krsna consciousness is a dynamic environment for certification. When we get certified, we have permission and right of passage to enter the spiritual world.

Later in the evening, His Holiness gave an interesting class and workshop on "Human or Animal Society." He wanted the audience to be the judge. Basically, human society is at a standard of proper human life or people functioning as animals. He discussed the different modes and showed how human life is operating at the mode of goodness. Everyone understood that most people are influenced by the modes of ignorance and passion. Therefore, people are not sufficiently honoring the amazing boon of elevation to the human platform.

On the third day, His Holiness explored "Transforming Lust into Love." He explained the six enemies of the mind. He had the audience to address their successes with conquering the attacks of various enemies of the mind. He stressed that these enemies never rest, so we must never rest by taking them for granted. We must protect ourselves and seek out ways to keep them from disturbing us.

Later, His Holiness gave the last lecture of the festival: "Back Home to Godhead." This was the theme of the festival. He stressed that all of the acaryas address this issue. He reminded everyone that ratha-yatra is about returning to Vrndavana. He made it clear that the quality of our practice determines how ready we are to return; we must take our day-to-day associations as most important because they are determining our qualification to go back home to Godhead.

One of the special features of this festival was the first participation of H.H. Bhakti-Marg Swami. He arranged delightful plays with the youth. He is expert in this area, and his input is highly respected and appreciated. The plays were first class. They had a special flare. With the dramas, the different dances and bhajans, and the other festive activities, it was totally astounding. Once again, His Holiness feels that South African ratha-yatras are definitely some of the best in the world.

His Holiness engaged in many variegated activities during his stay in Durban. One was the meeting with his disciples. He explained clearly what he expects from them. He asked them to write more often. He established an avenue for finding husbands and wives for his disciples. Kartika, Aja, and Krsna Nandini are creating a unique package for finding mates. It will give more insight on maintaining a healthy relationship.

When the festival ended, His Holiness had a lot of administrative responsibilities and preaching opportunities. Bhakta Avatara Prabhu, a godbrother who is a pharmacist, works at R.K. Kahn Hospital. He had arranged a program with a group of pharmacists, doctors, medical staff, and administrators of the hospital. The evening started with a dinner. The Medical Superintendent and two of the chief Indian politicians, Rajbansi and Aswin Mahanlall, had dinner with His Holiness at Bhakta Avatara Prabhu's house, which is located on the grounds of the hospital. After dinner, they walked to the auditorium where His Holiness would be speaking. Everyone was happy and surprised that the auditorium was packed with medical professionals from different backgrounds and different communities.

The medical profession has been having some difficulty. This particular hospital has had many staff members to leave due to lack of manpower and lack of facilities. People have to wait in long lines to receive medication and other services.

His Holiness concentrated on management concerns, improving communication, and principle-centered leadership. He stressed healing the body, the mind, the institution, and the planet. He shared many similar ideas that he addressed at the American Medical Association. The reciprocation of the audience was fantastic. Many people bought books. The devotees were quite enlivened and impressed to see how His Holiness expertly handled the audience and managed to be loving, kind, and relevant.

Devotees served nice prasadam. Many people asked His Holiness to have a program at their medical facility or medical group when he returns to Durban.

His Holiness attended many different Board meetings, almost every other day and sometimes two or three a day. The afternoon before the hospital program there was a Board meeting.

On the next day, His Holiness had a newspaper interview with The Tribune. Also, he had an interview on South Africa Broadcast Company, SABC-FM, on a program called "Woman of Today," which emphasizes some of the needs, interests, and concerns of women. He had a program on Radio Lotus, an Indian radio station.

Two days later, one of the most outstanding programs was at the home of a disciple of H.H. Giriraja Swami. This devotee lives with his family and has many contacts in the New Age community. His Holiness delved into variegated topics such as dreams, pyramids, UFOs, etc. He did not know quite what to expect. He was enlivened to see a group of pious people who are interested in metaphysics. He helped them to understand that there is something beyond metaphysics and planted seeds to allow them to embrace transcendence.

Once again, the audience was quite intrigued to hear from an African-American who is an African Chief, a Swami, and a Princeton scholar. As usual, His Holiness was personal, down to earth, and insightful. Many people felt that he was speaking directly to them. Of course, this happens often when he gives presentations because he expresses himself in such a dynamic way. Several people bought books, and everyone took prasadam in an enchanting atmosphere surrounded by mystical mountains. It was as if they were dining in the Himalayas.

On the same day, His Holiness took an entourage of devotees to visit a hospital maintained by nuns of the Mother Theresa order. Several of these nuns had met His Holiness last year when he attended an extraordinary interfaith conference. He was prominent, and his presentation was moving. The nuns begged for a meeting with His Holiness at the Hare Krsna temple at a later time. They desired more personal association and interaction. His Holiness was honored to meet with them. He encouraged them and was most grateful to be invited to their clinic. Bhakta Avatara Prabhu has been in touch with them since last year. The temple has been sending free meals to their patients on a regular basis. They are highly appreciative of the temple's response.

During this visit, the nuns took His Holiness and 15 devotees on a tour and explained their activities. His Holiness is amazed that they are caring for people who are most unfortunate -- the poorest of the poor. They assist people who are unable to care for themselves. Most of their patients are invalids. He is astonished at the tolerance, compassion, and commitment of these nuns. After the tour, they went to a room where His Holiness led a short kirtana and gave a sweet but powerful presentation.

We know that His Holiness is inspired not only by Vaisnavas. When he sees anyone who is being serious or committing themselves to a spiritual path, he is willing to encourage and stimulate them with a higher understanding of the culture of bhakti.

On Sunday morning at the Durban temple, His Holiness had a show on Radio 702, a national radio station. After giving Bhagavatam class, he had a meeting with the managers to discuss the vision for the project. In the afternoon, there was a meeting with the Board and all of the leaders of the nama hattas. There are about 30 nama hattas in South Africa. His Holiness met with all of them. As in the past, he has been encouraging the nama hatta leaders and presidents of the different temples to work closer together, to meet on a regular basis to create synergy, and to find ways to complement and support each other in caring for devotees.

After a rather intense meeting with the nama hatta leaders, it was time for His Holiness to give the Sunday lecture. When he sat down, he started the Jaya Radha Madhava prayers. The devotees were a little disappointed because they usually have an ecstatic kirtana before the class during guru puja. During guru puja, His Holiness was meeting with the nama hatta leaders, but the devotees were expecting him to lead the kirtana. To everyone's surprise, he jumped up and started the kirtana. It was as if His Holiness realized that the devotees wanted to have a powerful kirtana with him. For the next hour or so, he had everyone dancing wildly all around the temple. After the lengthy kirtana, he gave the evening class. It was an exhilarating experience for His Holiness to see all the devotees so deeply absorbed in the Deities.

Cape Town

After His Holiness arrived in Cape Town, he met with the candidates for initiation and Sikhi Mahiti Prabhu, president of the Cape Town temple. They discussed the candidates' weaknesses and strengths, agreement to take initiation, and areas that need improvement. His Holiness was happy to do this because he wants the devotees to work nicely together in each of the local projects and in projects around the world. He wants a teamship whether they are working in a guru-disciple relationship or receiving guidance and nice care from the temple presidents. He wants to have good relationships with all the temple presidents, as they are working together to facilitate Srila Prabhupada's mission.

Later that day, there was a tremendous program for the upper-class Afrikaner community. An Afrikaner spiritual teacher, Marike, had met His Holiness on an airplane several years ago. Since that time, she has been reading his books and has been using his books in her study group. She teaches several courses. She has become so favorable that she has visited His Holiness at the Durban and Cape Town temples. She brought her mother to a wedding ceremony. Her sister has been following His Holiness and reading his books. At this meeting, His Holiness met her husband and several of her students.

His Holiness gave an impacting class tailored for this group. This group had been reading his books, and they were eager to meet the author in personal and hear from him. His Holiness left a powerful message. He gave them a wake-up call and explained the important role that white Afrikaners of higher consciousness could play in developing a new South Africa. The program was in the auditorium of a New Age bookstore. It was a good venue for these discussions. After speaking, His Holiness was not able to interact much, but some of the devotees stayed to talk with people and to sell books. He had a short time before the next program.

After the Afrikaner program, His Holiness spoke at the University of Cape Town. Devotees have a wonderful Bhakti-yoga Society there. It has been going on for many years. This year His Holiness was most impressed. Usually, the Society would have about 30 to 50 people to hear the lecture and take prasadam. This time he was caught off guard as he walked into a much larger room of well over 100 diversified and intelligent students. They were excited to hear from His Holiness. He is glad that the Bhakti-yoga Society is expanding.

His Holiness expounded on "Expanded Realities." He explained the difference among material truths, psychic truths, and spiritual truths. He demonstrated that there are various ways to understand knowledge, showing that material but orthodox ways of approaching reality and knowledge is not sufficient. He discussed the life of Lord Buddha to help the students to better understand his conclusions.

In the early evening, there was a program at Hrish's house on "Solace for the Heart in Difficult Times."

Many times His Holiness would have to end Bhagavatam class early to be on time for community programs. After the morning program, His Holiness and several devotees went to the University of Western Cape. This university is primarily for coloreds. His topic was "Leadership." He addressed a rather small audience of students and delineated the role of principle-centered spiritual leadership.

Later in the evening, the Cape Town temple had its regular Wednesday program. In South Africa, there is the regular Sunday program and the regular Wednesday program. The Wednesday program is almost as big as the Sunday program. Instead of the regular Wednesday program, Srila Bhakti Tirtha Swami gave initiations to aspiring disciples who had been waiting for some time. He gave six first initiations and five second initiations. Devotees came from Johannesburg and Durban to attend and receive initiation.

As usual, the initiation ceremony was ecstatic, colorful, and animated. Throughout this world tour His Holiness gave initiations, increasing our spiritual family considerably. It would be exciting to have an international reunion of our god family; many of us have not met or seen each other in person.

On the next day and after giving Bhagavatam class, His Holiness had four or five programs. He had a second program at the University of Cape Town. This time he addressed "Interfaith." He showed the underlying connections of all faiths, the similarity in the message of the bona fide prophets, and the definition and clarification of the message in the Vaisnava teachings.

In the early evening, His Holiness spoke at Shambala, a metaphysical restaurant, library, and health and counseling facility. Mother Gandharvika, our godsister from Cape Town, is one of the managers of the project. She had arranged for His Holiness to speak on "Spiritual Aspects of Sexuality."

Later in the evening, His Holiness had a marvelous program at Bhaktin Raksha's home. She had helped to organize the programs for the Bhakti-yoga Society. As students are becoming serious in pursuing Krsna consciousness, she had a special program so they could interact more personally with Gurudeva. Gurudeva was thrilled to do this. He was delighted to see a large turnout. The students asked philosophical and personal questions, which showed their eagerness to apply Krsna consciousness in their lives. His Holiness was glad to see people from the two previous programs.

On the next day, Gurudeva and several devotees went to the farm of Dhamaraja's mother. She has been wanting to make the farm available for Dhamaraja and the devotees. His Holiness had an interest in visiting the farm. He was impressed with the facility and with Dhamaraja's mother. She is quite pious, creative, and supportive of Dhamaraja's commitment to Krsna consciousness.

On the next day, there was a nice program at Dhruva Prabhu and Mother Parajati's house. This was His Holiness' first visit since they bought and moved into a new house. There was amazing prasadam. His Holiness read from The Beggar. After prasadam, they had a harinama in the downtown area. Also, there was a harinama in Lenasia.

Johanesburg, Soweto, Pretoria

After leaving Cape Town, His Holiness joined the devotees in a blissful harinama in Lenasia. He stayed at the Lenasia temple for a few days. He gave classes and went to Soweto for darsana with several aspiring disciples. He is glad to see that Caitanya Rupa Prabhu and Mother Mohini have been cultivating several interested devotees in Soweto. The next time Guru Maharaja goes to Soweto he hopes to give some of them initiation.

His Holiness met with the National Council to bring the leaders together to facilitate the preaching. At the Lenasia temple, he gave the Sunday lecture on "Krsna Consciousness: The Crying Society." He explained that Krsna and Lord Caitanya cry for and with Their devotees.

After class and kirtana, His Holiness dashed back to his room for a program on Radio 702. He shared some of his experiences from traveling around the world, as he is an advisor, consultant, and well-wisher to important prominent people.

For the next few days, His Holiness stayed at Goloka Prabhu's house. He went to the Auckland temple to meet with devotees to discuss the future of the project. In the evening, there was a joyful program at Kartika's house. It was Visnu's birthday. This was His Holiness' first visit to Kartika's new house. There was a good turnout. Devotees served nice prasadam.

Before leaving Auckland, His Holiness had an inspiring interview with Vrsabhanu Prabhu, who is a management consultant. He has been reading Srila Bhakti Tirtha Swami's book on leadership. He was eager to discuss issues of leadership with him.

A day or two later, His Holiness went to Pretoria. Mother Murti had arranged a sweet program at her parents' house. His Holiness spoke on "Forgiveness." He showed the devotees how to meditate on the person they have anger towards and assisted them in releasing the anger. He talked about the dangers of anger and how to view it.

His Holiness had a short drive to the next nama hatta program, which was at Lila Mani Prabhu's house. He is in the Gaudiya Math and has regular programs. His Holiness led a rousing kirtana; everyone was extremely enlivened. He continued the bliss by elaborating on "The Properties of the Soul." Everyone was happy, for wherever His Holiness goes he has a harmonizing effect and encourages all Vaisnavas to focus on the essence.

Before leaving Pretoria, he gave class. He greatly enthused the devotees. Again, the class had to be shortened because he had a call-in on another national radio station with the country's chief sexologist, Dr. Eve. It worked out beautifully. After the class, he did not have time for questions. Instead, devotees remained in the temple room, turned on the radio, and listened to His Holiness having a question and answer session on relationship issues. His Holiness visited the cows to assess their present and future care.

His Holiness left South Africa a few days earlier than expected to be able to attend the festival in Malaysia. Before arriving in Malaysia, he stopped at Australia, New Zealand, and Hong Kong.

AUSTRALIA

His Holiness' first stop was Sydney, Australia. For quite a while, he had promised Bhaktin Christina, our godsister who manages a cafe, that he would visit her on his next visit. The cafe is a few hours from Sydney in the little, small, and cute town of Milton, which is full of interesting people. Of course, it is vegetarian and located downtown. It houses an art gallery. Those who patronize the cafe have great respect and affection for Bhaktin Christina.

Before His Holiness' arrival, there was a pleasing article in the newspaper announcing his schedule. People were geared up to see Bhaktin Christina's guru. This trip was full of surprises. Gurudeva came with a few disciples. They stayed at Bhaktin Christina's house while she stayed with friends.

In the evening, the program at the cafe was packed. There were over 100 people anxiously waiting to see and to hear from Gurudeva. The morning program was held at the cafe. The response was excellent, for many people returned who had attended the evening program. They asked intriguing questions. They could understand why Bhaktin Christina had such love and respect for her Gurudeva.

His Holiness returned to Sydney for Lord Nrsimhadeva's appearance day celebration. He led a penetrating kirtana and presented "The Importance of Lord Nrsimhadeva."

After meeting with aspiring disciples, His Holiness flew to Perth. Disciples had met him in Sydney, but he went to Perth by himself. Some of them met with him in Brisbane.

The president of the Perth temple had been in Malaysia last year when His Holiness gave a workshop on depression. It was quite popular. The president asked if His Holiness would give a similar workshop in the evenings. In the mornings, he gave Bhagavatam class. In the evenings, he spoke on "Vaisnavas Coping With Depression."

His Holiness gave a lecture at the University of Perth. While there, he spent some quality time with his godbrother, H.G. Bhurijana dasa. They had lunch together in one of the Chinese restaurants run by devotees. Perth is the farthest and most isolated city in the world. It is a unique place. His Holiness was inspired to go there. Mother Tapasvini, our godsister, lives there and is a native of Perth. She had an opportunity to associate with Gurudeva during this visit.

After leaving Perth, His Holiness went to Melbourne where he gave Bhagavatam classes. He visited the restaurant to check on the preaching and to take prasadam. One of the outstanding programs was at The Loft. He discovered that there was a devotee couple who are engaged. His Holiness gave a timely discussion on "Spiritual Relationship." The atmosphere at The Loft is similar to that of The Institute. His Holiness felt comfortable speaking about different spiritual paths, various New Age groups, and many religious institutions. He expressed his appreciation for the diversity by raising their consciousness to a higher level.

After leaving Melbourne, His Holiness went to Brisbane. Several godbrothers and godsisters had come from Sydney to wait for him. He was informed that he was scheduled to give a workshop on Saturday. He was delighted because on this tour he is focusing on systematic courses and workshops. He gave an informative workshop on "Inviting Krsna Into One's Life." He assisted the devotees through various interactive exercises to develop greater trust in Vaisnavas and to develop greater trust in Krsna. He helped them to depend more on each other and gave techniques to instill more gratitude for the entire Vaisnava community.

On Sunday, His Holiness gave a class on "The Importance of Always Thinking of Krsna." Thinking fully of Krsna will capture Him fully.

On Sunday afternoon, His Holiness left for New Govardhana, a farm community where the largest group of devotees reside. He gave initiations. He arrived just in time to shower and join the devotees who were already waiting in the temple. It was a small initiation: Mother Sakuntala, a gurukuli, took first initiation. Her name is Saraswati devi dasi. Bhaktin Carol, a massage therapist and Reiki master, took first initiation. Her name is Sruti devi dasi. Matsyi Avatara took second initiation.

In His Holiness' initiation lecture, he made the analogy that Krsna consciousness is similar to a death, a birth, and a romance. He spoke on the same theme at the initiation ceremony two months later at Gita Nagari. It is a death because it is the end of bad habits. It is a birth because it is a new chapter in one's life. It is a romance because it is a loving commitment from guru to disciple and from disciple to guru as they prepare for the divine atmosphere of pure love.

His Holiness stayed at New Govardhana for five days and gave Bhagavatam class in the evenings. He gave workshops on "Strengthening the Vaisnava Community." All of these classes are on tape, and we encourage devotees to get them.

After having such special programs and associating with godbrothers and godsisters he missed seeing for some time, His Holiness went to New Zealand.

NEW ZEALAND

Previously, His Holiness passed through New Zealand for half a day and gave an impressive class. The devotees were anticipating his return. They were extremely happy that he accepted the invitation. He gave a workshop on "Strengthening the Vaisnava Community." Instead of giving Bhagavatam class, he gave a two-hour presentation in the morning and a two-hour presentation in the evening. He involved the devotees in interactive exercises to help them bond, to give them technologies to deal with issues and problems in the future, and to allow them to appreciate each other in a complementary way.

His Holiness spent some time with his godbrother H.H. Mukunda Maharaja, who is writing a book and who is now retired from managerial activities. They had prasadam together and quality discussions.

For the few days that His Holiness spent in New Zealand, devotees felt he really transformed the environment. For example, devotees who had not communicated for years had open communication and discussed their issues from a healthy perspective. He led exciting kirtanas, gave the Sunday lecture, and was available to as many devotees as possible. Throughout His Holiness' tour, he was constantly available for personal darsana.

After New Zealand, His Holiness went to Hong Kong.

HONG KONG

Before arriving in Hong Kong, His Holiness' godsister had contacted him for an interview with a major magazine. His arrival, as in several other places, was advertised in a popular journal, and she informed her friends. People were anxious to meet him. Many devotees in Hong Kong are teaching English or hatha yoga. They teach English to earn money, and hatha yoga is used for preaching.

Also, His Holiness' godsister had arranged an exemplary program at the Exotic Cultural Center where His Holiness spoke on "Reconciling Differences." His godsister has been living in Hong Kong for over 15 years, speaking Chinese fluently, teaching hatha yoga, and connecting with metaphysical and alternative groups.

His Holiness was pleased with the layout of the program. It was held in the central downtown area in a large building. The turnout was awesome. Devotees were constantly bringing more chairs to the already packed auditorium. The guests were respectable, highly-placed professional people. Most of them were ex-patriots from America and England, who had been in Hong Kong for some time engaging in business or other important activities.

The audience was practically hypnotized. Even though the lecture had to be translated from English to Chinese, which made the presentation slow, people were on the edge of their seats drinking in everything that His Holiness said. The proof is that all the books they ordered from Los Angeles and Harinama Press were sold out, and many orders were taken.

His Holiness had an article in the Hong Kong Economic Journal that took up 3/4 of the page. It is an English paper and the most popular paper in the country. He had an extensive interview with the South China Morning Post, which is a Chinese newspaper. He gave Bhagavatam classes regularly. He gave a special class on "Preaching Strategy." It is not easy to preach in Hong Kong. Devotees wanted ideas to reach more people. His Holiness gave an interesting class on "Bridge Preaching." He discussed ways to connect with people and to give them a healthy exposure to Krsna consciousness. Devotees were so delighted to have His Holiness' association that they reserved a hotel suite for him.

Facilities in Hong Kong are small and extremely expensive. People are pressed for space. The temple is in a building that is occupied with businesses, residences, and other types of enterprises. Hong Kong has a rather complex civilization where people are highly stressed out. This parallels with Japan.

His Holiness arrived after 10 p.m. He was shocked to see that all the stores were open, people were still shopping, and business was still going on as if it were 3 p.m. More will be expressed about this in the Japan segment.

Devotees made nice prasadam. Even though His Holiness stayed strictly on his diet while traveling, he sampled the local prasadam as much as he could in each country that he visited.

His Holiness traveled on Qantas Airlines, which is based in Hong Kong. He was a transient. He returned for a day to give another class and to encourage the devotees.

After a few days in Hong Kong, His Holiness went to Malaysia. Some of the devotees from China were in Hong Kong with him. They were going to the festival. His Holiness flew out with them from Hong Kong to Malaysia.

MALAYSIA

When His Holiness arrived in Malaysia, he was picked up at the airport and taken to the local airport to meet H.H. Jaya Pataka Swami. They went to Penang. They spent the day and participated in a Deity installation. His Holiness led a powerful kirtana, even though he was quite tired from traveling. He tried to sneak out a few times. The devotees had not danced with him in a year, so they would not consider letting him retire before finishing the kirtana. His Holiness honored their request and led a tumultuous kirtana.

His Holiness was excited to be in Malaysia. Last year he had such ecstatic classes there. Devotees were anxious to have him back. Yearly, the Malaysian devotees anticipate having a memorable retreat. It is a time when families have a spiritual vacation. A resort is rented out for recreational activities, and the conference rooms and ballrooms are used for classes. Many of the leaders gave regular classes: H.H. Jaya Pataka Swami, H.H. Maha Visnu Swami, H.H. Narasimha Swami, H.H. Bhanu Swami, H.H. Kavicandra Swami, H.G. Brahmananda dasa, and H.G. Gargamuni dasa. Six hundred or more devotees attended the festival.

Initially, His Holiness felt that giving three classes a day for three days to hundreds of devotees would be exhaustive. He realized that it was Krsna's arrangement for him to extend himself. The schedule was: one class in the morning, one class in the afternoon, and one class in the evening. His classes were the most popular. His Holiness reported that the response was phenomenal, as many devotees had attended the previous year and knew the format was interactive. He helped them to transcend certain blocks and focus on spiritual advancement. It took a great deal of materials to discuss various technologies. Once again, we recommend that you order the tapes.

The prasadam was pleasing, and the devotees had arranged a well-organized program and exceptional accommodations for the gurus. The gurus stayed in a building that was constructed in the middle of the sea. They had the whole facility; it was quite unique and pleasant.

At the end of the festival, His Holiness returned to Penang and had a nama hatta program at the devotee's home where he stayed. This devotee invited His Holiness to stay with him due to the proximity of the airport. On His Holiness' next visit, he will have the same accommodations. The next stop on His Holiness' world tour was Bali, Indonesia.

BALI, INDONESIA

His Holiness has been desiring to go to Bali for years. Each time he sees photographs, postcards, or other types of pictures, he is fascinated. It is a colorful, cultural, and vibrant place. There was some confusion about the time of his arrival. When His Holiness arrived in the middle of the night, no one greeted him at the airport. To compound matters, he did not have the address of the temple. He went to the nearest tourist office and asked for the address. Since ISKCON had been officially banned a few years ago, it was not listed. However, by Krsna's mercy, the information clerk had a general idea of the temple's location. His Holiness secured a taxi and gave the driver general directions, hoping that would be sufficient. After a long ride and without much difficulty, the taxi driver found the temple. Although the devotees were asleep, His Holiness woke up one devotee who escorted him to his quarters. In the process, all of the devotees gathered. They felt extremely sorry that His Holiness had arrived at the airport to find no one waiting for him.

However, His Holiness' stay was quite the opposite of his initial experience. The devotees are extremely personal, loving, and appreciative. As a matter of fact, he was overwhelmed with their mood. He was impressed that Vedic culture is especially prominent in Bali. Throughout the city, he was amazed to see the murtis of Arjuna, Bhisma, and Krsna riding a chariot.

His Holiness attended an array of cultural events where there were dramas on the Ramayana and Mahabharata. Bali's main source of revenue is tourism. Thousands of people visit daily. One of the highlights of his stay was visiting other temples, thereby gaining a better understanding of the culture. The populace structures everything around the temple and around worship. Every day beautifully dressed girls carry fruit and other food on their heads for special programs at the temple. Ancestral worship is prominent, and many people have given up the personal conception of God for impersonalism. Even though ancient Vedic culture is there, things have deteriorated philosophically. There is more emphasis on accepting God as universal energy.

The devotees made enticing local prasadam for His Holiness. He was astounded by how much the devotees love kirtana. The evening programs were packed with hundreds of devotees, and everyone was enthusiastically engaged in kirtana. His Holiness led heavy kirtanas in Malaysia, Australia, and throughout South Africa, and he had a similar experience in Bali. He would give classes, have personal darsanas, and lead kirtanas. His Holiness accomplished a lot and is hopeful to return to Bali in the near future.

The temple president is unusually kind; he spent some time showing His Holiness many important sites. On one night, the temple president and his son took His Holiness to a performance of the Ramayana so he could study the people more closely. He feels that Bali is similar to a heavenly planet where people are focused on God and engaged in a culture of strong spirituality.

MANILA, PHILIPPINES

His Holiness arrived in Manila on Nirjala Ekadasi. Most of the devotees were fasting from food and water all day. Speaking of kirtanas and harinamas, there was some indecisiveness whether or not to have a maha harinama. The devotees felt that they did not want to miss this opportunity, knowing that H. H. Bhakti Tirtha Swami was arriving. It was timed so that H.H. Giridhari Swami would pick up His Holiness from the airport and drive to the site where the harinama party was waiting. H.H. Giridhari Swami is the GBC for the Philippines. H.H. Giridhari Swami and H.H. Tamal Krsna Goswami are the major gurus there.

The harinama was quite colorful; the devotees were dressed to perfection. They carried flags and other paraphernalia. Two devotees were dressed up as Lord Nityananda and Lord Caitanya with huge masks over their heads. His Holiness thought that it was spectacular to see the devotees with huge masks that were as big as their bodies. The people on the streets were stunned as they witnessed the harinama. The devotees had a portable loud speaker, so the chanting could be heard clearly. His Holiness led the harinama almost the entire time. Even though he had to ingest the pollution and he was tired from traveling, His Holiness was happy to call on the Lord's name with these wonderful Vaisnavas.

On the next day, it was decided that the program would be similar to the one in New Zealand. Instead of giving Bhagavatam class, His Holiness gave the first part of the course, and instead of giving Bhagavad-gita class, he gave the second part of the course. H.H. Giridhari Swami requested that His Holiness speak on leadership, community development, and innovative preaching. His Holiness spent a day discussing innovative preaching. For the next three days, His Holiness covered the other topics. The devotees took his classes seriously, as they took detailed notes and expressed their gratitude for this type of training.

H.H. Giridhari Swami is going to initiate the teachings of Bhakti Tirtha Swami. The points covered will allow the devotees to have a greater sense of community, have more open and powerful Vaisnava relationships, and have healthy communications. His Holiness hopes that this course helped the devotees to have greater faith in the entire process. Once again, by the time His Holiness departed, a transformation occurred.

Throughout his travels, His Holiness gave his full time and attention, even though he was answering e-mail and giving two-hour classes each day. He was steadily on the battlefield, traveling from country to country and relishing a chance to serve the Vaisnavas. In Bali, over 200 devotees attended the evening programs. In the Philippines, there was a much smaller group of devotees. In Tokyo, he met with an even smaller group of devotees.

TOKYO, JAPAN

His Holiness' visit to Japan was a profound experience. He said that Japan is similar to a heavenly hellish planet. The Japanese have an advanced society. The work ethic is strong, as they easily work 12 hours or more a day, and many work 7 days a week. Often, an employee will work until the boss says to leave. Working overtime is an ongoing part of life. His Holiness noticed similar work patterns in Hong Kong. When he arrived in the downtown area, it was 10 p.m. He was shocked that most of the stores were still open. The environment was congested, as if it were 3 p.m. One reason for this is that the Japanese strive hard for material success. Many leading companies in the world are located in Japan, so His Holiness could understand why the Japanese are hard workers.

Sankirtana is usually conducted after 8 p.m. Businessmen are so focused and busy during the day that the devotees find it difficult to get them to stop. Because the work schedule is intense, they frequent clubs and other environments for sense gratification. Every evening they spend many hours at these places and go home to sleep for a few hours before returning to work. They do not wait until the weekend to engage in serious sense gratification. By the end of the day, they are so stressed out and blown out that they seek release and relief. In the evenings, the devotees meet many businessmen. Usually, these businessmen are intoxicated, but they appreciate the devotees and give large donations.

One devotee goes to the monasteries to distribute books to the monks. The Japanese monks are not respected because they rarely drink or eat meat. Some of them are extremely wealthy and financially secure. They charge exorbitant prices for performing puja or other ceremonies, and many have businesses on the side. This is a clear sign of Kali-yuga: people are working like asses to make money and are stressed out by the end of the day.

His Holiness was surprised that everything is crowded in Japan. The temple is small and tight. Because of space, the buildings are tall, and people are packed in like sardines and are paying excessive rates.

His Holiness became somewhat ill from the pollution. For four days, he had a fever. This did not distract him from serving the devotees to the best of his ability.

His Holiness gave a three-day course on "Building a Stronger Community." It is difficult to make devotees in Japan, as there are only a few devotees. Those few are quite determined, sincere, and hardworking. His Holiness was glad to spend time with them and to encourage them. His approach is to get the devotees to be communicative and open. Japanese society is guarded, but he was successful in helping the devotees to release their defense mechanisms, which would benefit their association. The devotees were kind and hospitable. One devotee who was visiting from America took His Holiness to the different temples so he could get a better understanding of the spiritual culture.

LOS ANGELES

His Holiness returned to America one week earlier than anticipated. Since the festival in Malaysia had been pushed forward a week, His Holiness had to shorten his visit to South Africa.

While His Holiness was traveling, the editing of his three new books had progressed rather slowly. This allowed him time to speed up the work and do a few major programs. Also, it gave him a little break from riding in airplanes, being affected by the radiation, experiencing constant changes in water and air quality, and going through different time zones.

His Holiness arrived in Los Angeles after flying 16 hours from Tokyo, Japan. Mother Raga and two other devotees met him at the airport. After making a brief stop at Mother Raga's house to download e-mail, His Holiness went to the temple, took prasadam, and showered before going to an evening program. All of the programs had been arranged by Mother Raga.

His Holiness had a delightful program at Mr. Wisdom's. The program was broadly advertised. Many older devotees came to the program; they had not seen His Holiness for some time. There was a large group of devotees from other Vaisnava groups. His Holiness encouraged everyone to improve on the quality of his or her spiritual life.

His Holiness was surprised to see a mixed crowd of devotees and well-wishers from all parts of California, including San Diego, Laguna Beach, and Northern California. At least 60 guests attended. It was held outdoors in a large area between Mr. Wisdom's two adjacent buildings. Devotees had set up an opulent seat for His Holiness and a microphone under the stage with spotlights.

His Holiness discussed "Real Versus Pseudo Community." He talked about the necessity for good communication among members of any community, emphasizing that devotees or other community members should not shy away from or be afraid of conflicts or differences of opinion. These can be pillars or precursors to later success if handled with integrity and compassion. Because his advice was lovingly and tactfully delivered, His Holiness' words, although fairly bold and astringent at times, were well received and elicited numerous comments and questions. Because of everyone's enthusiastic participation, the question and answer session ran over time. After the program, His Holiness, Mr. Wisdom, and guests honored prasadam. A small feast was prepared by Ghanasyama Prabhu, a disciple of Bhakti Tirtha Swami's who is currently residing at Mr. Wisdom's preaching center, along with his father, Murari Hari Prabhu.

On the next day, His Holiness had a live interview at a Hollywood radio station on Sunset Boulevard on a program called "Caribbean Erotica." It lasted for an hour. Ms. Kaye Neale, the radio host, usually has a music format of jazz, reggae, and calypso. She was captured by Bhakti Tirtha Swami's charismatic presentation the night before at Mr. Wisdom's. After playing one introduction song, Ms. Neale spent the entire hour talking about His Holiness' books, his mission, and his spiritual culture. The interview went smoothly.

After the interview, His Holiness had to dash back to the temple because there were hundreds of guests waiting for him to give the Sunday feast lecture. Given the hour of the day and the distance between the venues, getting to the temple on time was almost an impossible feat. Fortunately, there was a special performance by an eight-year-old Manipuri dancer who kept the crowd spellbound long enough for His Holiness to be on time.

The Los Angeles temple was crowded and continued to increase. There was a diverse group of people, which allowed His Holiness to preach in a more progressive manner. He discussed the lack of faith of various religious paths and practitioners. People are failing to practice sadhana, tapasya, and yajna as intensely as they should. They are not experiencing the reverence and ecstasy of steady practitioners. Little by little they are falling down. His Holiness said that many pilgrimage sites are being contaminated by tourism, and it is important that people are genuine so they can receive the auspicious benedictions associated with transcendence.

After the Sunday feast lecture, many devotees thanked His Holiness for coming and asked more philosophical questions. As usual, he graciously stood outside the temple greeting devotees and responding to their questions and smiling for photographs.

In the morning, His Holiness took a flight to Washington D.C. Although his visit to the West Coast was short and intense, he made a lasting impression in the hearts of the devotees. The devotees were enlivened. Each year his classes are more energetic, and his kirtanas are more incredible.

WASHINGTON D.C.

After two months of travel, His Holiness returned to America for two weeks to work on his books and to officiate the initiation and wedding ceremonies at Gita Nagari. Devotees were waiting to greet him when he arrived at The Institute. His Holiness gave an update on his activities and heavily chastised several devotees who insufficiently followed through on projects. This lack of consciousness slowed down the preaching. He wants a greater level of excellence in disseminating the audiotapes and videotapes. He requested greater competence from those working on the website, and the devotees who are editing are being slack. In general, His Holiness warned the devotees that they need to work harder to have a balance. Most of the devotees in Washington have jobs. Of course, he wants them to take good care of their families, their financial needs, and their responsibilities, but they need to remind themselves that they are spiritualists first. His Holiness sympathizes with the devotees' challenges, but he feels that it is his duty to encourage everyone to raise his or her standard.

The difficulty is that His Holiness is moving around so fast and engaging in so many different projects, such as writing new books. It is becoming harder for some of his disciples to keep up with the work. We must not let the General be on the frontline without proper support. More importantly, His Holiness stressed that he does not want followers, but he wants leaders. He is opening many doors for us "to pick up the ball and run with it." His Holiness emphasized that a real leader is one who is constantly empowering and energizing others. He said that there is a need in the Vaisnava community and the secular world for devotees to become more expert in preaching Krsna consciousness. He elaborated that we must develop stronger faith and compassion so we can distribute more of Krsna's mercy to others. After a few days, he obtained the necessary visas, checked on the progress of the books, and continued to Gita Nagari.

GITA NAGARI

His Holiness had a great surprise. H.H. Rtatvaja Swami, who works with the gurukuli boys, brought 30 students to stay at the farm for a couple of days. His Holiness engaged in forceful kirtanas with them. He gave the boys various services. They worked in the garden and with the cows. They stayed busy by bike riding and hiking on the property.

On one evening, His Holiness invited the boys to The Institute. He had them to talk about themselves, their families, and their aspirations. Each boy was surprised with a gift, which His Holiness gave based on personality and level of Krsna consciousness. Some of the gifts were kurtas, T-shirts with the cow protection logo, books, CDs, and other things. At the end, he gave H.H. Rtatvaja Swami a gift.

We have witnessed Gurudeva's generosity several times before. It is our posture to serve and to give to the guru, but he is always serving and giving to others. Several years ago, His Holiness had a similar program when Laxmi Moni's girls came. He gave each of the 20 girls a gift. He likes to give gifts, as it is one of the exchanges of love. When we care about and honor another's existence, we want to show appreciation and affection. The gurukulis expected to stay for a few days, but they liked the farm so much they prolonged their visit.

His Holiness was scheduled for a radio show in Baltimore. Due to the visitors and other commitments, he canceled the interview. However, the radio host was so eager to have him on the show that he arranged, as in the past, to broadcast by telephone. His Holiness stayed at Gita Nagari to host the gurukulis and receive the guests. Devotees were coming from all over the country to attend the initiation and wedding ceremonies.

Dr. John Chissell was the radio host. He had written the forward to Beggar III: False Ego, the Greatest Enemy of the Spiritual Leader. Before the ceremonies started, His Holiness did a live call-in on Dr. Chissell's health program. His Holiness talked about his world tour for an hour. The listeners called in with questions on spiritual topics. His Holiness was impressed that so many people expressed that they were seriously benefiting from the discussion. He answered each question in a gentle but forceful manner to satisfy the caller and the listeners.

Initiation and Wedding Ceremonies

Once again, Gita Nagari had another successful initiation and wedding festival. These samskaras have become a tradition each year during May or June. This year the festivities were scheduled in June during His Holiness' brief return.

At the initiation samskara, 11 devotees took first initiation and 8 devotees took second initiation. There was a name-giving samskara for two babies and a haircutting samskara for two children. At the wedding samskara, three couples were married.

On Friday night, devotees started arriving for the three-day festival. It began with a darsana with His Holiness at The Institute. He facilitated an interesting interactive exchange. The devotees wrote on a piece of paper a major challenge in their spiritual life. He collected the papers and shuffled them. Each devotee selected one from the pile. After reading the selection, His Holiness suggested food for thought. Someone is sending out a distress call, someone sees the problem as a major challenge, and someone needs assistance in Krsna consciousness. He explained that the function of a real community is to help each member beyond his or her capactiy. We call each other prabhu, emphasizing that each person is our master. Therefore, we have a duty to serve our master, especially when the master is in need. He asked each devotee, based on his or her own experiences and realizations, to respond, to give some solace, and to elicit advice on how to deal with the problem. Several devotees engaged in this process.

His Holiness initiated this exercise to demonstrate that (1) we have similar types of problems; (2) we have the knowledge to solve such problems, so we can offer advice to others; and (3) although we have the knowledge to assist others, we fail to use the same knowledge to assist ourselves. His Holiness recommended that the devotees learn to appreciate each other more, use their intelligence in sharing the knowledge and helping each other, and utilize the knowledge to alleviate their own difficulties.

It was quite a dynamic exchange, and the devotees learned a lot. His Holiness said that each devotee had an opportunity to be a pandit and to offer sacred wisdom. The devotees realized that we should not feel defeated, and we should not minimize that Srila Prabhupada has given us the solutions to all problems. His Holiness said we have to become more expert in using these solutions.

On Saturday morning, His Holiness offered mangala arati while Pariksit Prabhu led an ecstatic kirtana, which was a nice way to kick off the festival. Greeting of the Deities was exciting. His Holiness gave Bhagavatam class, but he spent most of the time speaking about Srimati Sunita dasi who had recently left her body. It was extremely moving as he explained that people are thinking that ISKCON is dead, or there are no advanced or pure souls in ISKCON. Many times we minimize the purity of the devotees; we take these great souls for granted.

In retrospect, Mother Sunita was always extremely determined and dedicated. Both of these qualities made her special in Srila Prabhupada's mission. She was born in Vrndavana. At age 21, she joined the movement in New York City. Her service was sankirtana. She worked hard and collected a lot of money. Much of the money went to special projects, such as the purchase of Gita Nagari, Juhu, and Mayapura. She and her husband helped to open the first restaurant in Hawaii and New York. They were constantly moving to different environments, but each time they maintained their devotion. Mother Sunita was a good example of a wife, a disciple, a mother, and a devotee. Despite the situation or condition, she remained enthusiastic and eager to serve.

His Holiness requested that we pray to the great devotees who have left their bodies: Jayananda Prabhu, Mother Gauri, Mother Hladini, and Mother Sunita. Their lives have been successful in Krsna consciousness. They remained fixed in Srila Prabhupada's service. They graduated from their material bodies to the highest level of spiritual acceleration. If we do not have more examples of advanced souls in our society, devotees will gradually fall down. As we have greater role models, this will enliven everyone to become more determined in his or her devotional service.

The initiation ceremony was exceptional. Even though the ratha-yatra festival was simultaneously going on in New Jersey, there was a large turnout. As more and more devotees visit Gita Nagari, they are noticing that each festival has an energizing effect. When the devotees come from Cleveland and other places, they bring their djembe drums. It adds a special mood to the kirtana, which His Holiness loves. The additional instruments add spice to the chanting of Krsna's name.

His Holiness mentioned that this is a unique year for him. Normally, he holds three or four initiations in various communities. As he is traveling, every month or so he is giving initiations in different parts of the world. He feels that Srila Prabhupada is kind to send him more servants and disciples to be trained up in Srila Prabhupada's service.

The temple room looked beautiful, as the devotees were dressed extremely colorfully. There were 20 devotees seated around the fire yajna with decorative garlands around their necks. Brahma Muhurta Prabhu, the priest, performed the yajna smoothly. Some of His Holiness' godsisters attended: Mother Cintamani from Detroit, Mother Jaya Sri from New Vrndavana, and Mother Malati, who is chairperson for the North American GBC.

Bhakti Tirtha Swami and Mother Malati spoke during the initiation ceremony. Mother Malati addressed the significance of avoiding the ten offenses. His Holiness explained that it is easy to make vows, but the real test and the real difficulty is to keep the vows. He stressed that it is important to be honest and genuine in honoring these vows. His Holiness reiterated, as he did in Australia, that taking initiation is similar to a funeral, a birth, and a romance. It is a funeral because it means death to old unhealthy patterns and to old identifications with the body. It is a birth because it begins a new chapter in one's life, as a responsible member of the Vaisnava community who is formally connected to the parampara system. It is a romance because the disciple and guru are making vows to work together in serving Srila Prabhupada. The disciple vows to chant 16 rounds, to follow 4 regulative principles, and to obey the orders of the guru. The guru vows to do everything in his power to help and to encourage the disciple to go back to Godhead. Ultimately, they are becoming deep lovers of the divine couple, praying to return to the eternal spiritual world where there is eternal loving association.

When the initiation ended, His Holiness led a raging kirtana that inspired almost everyone to participate. After prasadam, a play directed by Mother Yasodamayi, about the mind and false ego was performed by Mother Jambavati, Mother Cintamani, and Mother Yasodamayi.

After the drama, Ekendra Prabhu, who is a professional musician, and his wife gave a phenomenal performance of country and western music. This talented duo has written many songs using Krsna conscious philosophy. They demonstrated how one can dovetail their talents as an offering to Krsna. The devotees found it entertaining and informative.

In the evening, His Holiness met with the newly initiated Brahmins and gave them the gayatri mantras. He spoke about the responsibility of being a Brahmin.

On Sunday, the first samskara was the name-giving ceremony. Ajamila Prabhu and Mother Purana's baby girl was given the name Pisima devi dasi. Pisima is the Bengali word for auntie and the name of Srila Prabhupada's favorite sister. She was loving and caring, and this baby will be powerful and dominant and loving and caring. Madhusudana Prabhu and Mother Sacimata's baby boy was given the name Krsnapada dasa, the name of our Gurudeva. His Holiness mentioned that this child has so many godparents that he is sure to be spoiled. Gurudeva was spoiled by Mother Pearline throughout his life, and his disciples are continuing to spoil him. Because of this, he feels that this is a proper name.

Everyone was exhilarated with these names and even more excited during the reading of the charts. Mother Radha Sundari, who is the grandmother of Krsnapada dasa, read his chart. Madri Dasi read Pisima's chart. It was amazing to hear the wonderful qualities of the babies. His Holiness said that he is proud to be the grandfather to these special children. The grandparents are in a unique position. They do not have to deal with the child on a daily basis, but they can provide constant wisdom for the child's growth. He took a poll to see how many grandparents were present. He asked how many children were born at Gita Nagari. He is thrilled at the number of couples who have had children since their arrival. He is happy that the grandparents' children are devotees, and their children are having children who are devotees.

The second samskara was the haircutting ceremony. Akincana Krsna dasa, the son of Mother Acyuta and Sadacara Prabhu, and Visnu-Kiran dasa Saleem Ziyad, the son of Mother Krsnanandini and Bhakta Tariq, had their first hair cut. Everyone was astonished that both boys were so accommodating while their parents cut their hair and made nice sikas. The devotees chanted, and the priest recited many prayers of benediction. The atmosphere was surcharged with the children, the parents, the godparents, and the grandparents sitting with His Holiness. The devotees blissfully supported these samskaras. It ended with everyone feeling surcharged and ready for the last samskara, vivaha-samskara or wedding ceremony.

Three couples were married: Mother Rati Manjari from New Vrndavana and Dwija Mani Prabhu from England; Mother Ananga Manjari and Bhagavan Prabhu from New York; and Mother Sthayi Bhava and Aja Prabhu from the Washington, DC Area. The wedding ceremony was similar to those in the past. Each couple was escorted to a love seat, where garlands were placed on them and pictures were taken. One devotee held a decorative umbrella over the couple, and they were showered with leaves and flowers as they proceeded to the wedding arena. Srila Prabhupada and the Deities were brought on a cart pulled by oxen.

Due to bad weather, the initiation ceremony was held in the temple, but the wedding ceremony was held outside as the sun had come out and made it a beautiful day. This added to the ambiance, since Gita Nagari is a rural community with hundreds of acres of land. Devotees feel they are in a sacred place. All of the brides and grooms looked charming.

When the couples were seated, His Holiness thanked the devotees for their hard work in maintaining these festivals throughout the years. He thanked the parents of the couples for sharing in this special event. Dwija Mani Prabhu's parents came from England. The other friends and family members reside in America.

His Holiness said that parenting is a difficult service, and it is unfortunate that cases of child abuse have been reported recently in the news. Many parents are not taking care of the children they have invited into this world. He had several of the married devotees to offer some advice to the couples, helping them to have a secure and strong marriage. His Holiness said that a healthy marriage produces a greater viable community. He encouraged the couples to take care of their spouse and children's emotional, physical, and spiritual needs. He is proud of the householder disciples he has all over the world. He sees this as Krsna's mercy, sending him serious and mature devotees who have a healthy balance between the material and the spiritual. The priest continued with the marital rights, and a rousing kirtana led by the devotees followed.

Finally, the devotees gathered for a sumptuous feast. It was intoxicating as the devotees realized that every festival at Gita Nagari has many surprises. The atmosphere is pleasant, and it allows the devotees to get out of the city and enjoy the fresh air and green foliage. Also, the devotees were excited that His Holiness had come from Japan to be with them.

Our spiritual family is increasing literally every month, and we are excited to be a part of this wonderful coalition of spiritual warriors to serve Guru Maharaja and ISKCON Founder-Acarya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada. All glories to the spiritual warriors who wait with bated breath to hear of Gurudeva's travels from country to country spreading Krsna prema.

Your servants,

Paramesvara devi dasi, Raga devi dasi & Laghima Siddhi devi dasi

(With notes from His Holiness Bhakti Tirtha Swami)