Hare Krsna.
We stayed up until 12.15PM last time and so didn't get up so early. We did that because we were lonely and were reading things about peoples lives and adventures. It is normal. We are learning how to have Krsna as our life and family. We already know to some degree.
One time we were in India, like 1984, our second time, and we had been staying in Vrndavana Temple with Krita-karma Das, our friend, who was General Manger for the Temple. Then we took off to go to Lucknow to visit Nitai-gaura-sundara and his family. He had sent us the address and dates, but then at the last minute, train coming, we discovered that we had lost them. KKD said: Chant Hare Krsna. Krsna will arrange everything.
So off we went, not knowing where we were going, with evil looking men smoking Bidis and with knives hanging from their belt looking at our luggage. Well we got to Lucknow in the afternoon on a Second Class sleeper train, that Jules Vernes took when he went "Around the World in 80-days".
Then we didn't have the slightest idea where to go. Well, at least we could go to Naimisaranya. It was near by. So we walked out onto the street with our Sannyasis luggage and after some time we learned that the local name for Naimisaranya was Nimsar. Then we understood in, 75% Hindoo, that buses left in the morning and it was like 4.30PM, so one Rickshaw walla who looked 65% honest indicated that he would take us to "First Klass HOtel". Off we went.
It was a kind of simple place at the edge of a market district, like a guest house with trees, patio, rooms here and there, more than any kind of hotel. It was like run by some family. We negotiated a simple, 77% functional, room with the 25-year old, little surley, manager and the Ricksha walla got some cut of the payment. Then he carried our bag to our room and then by interesting Indian hand gestures asked if wanted a female companion to play chess with. We were surprised that he would ask someone in Saffron cloth such a thing, but we said, "No".
Then we were all alone and wondering if we would be killed in the night for our luggage. We took Lord Nrsmha-deva out of our box, and established Him pretty well. Then we sang Gaura arati and did some mental Puja for him and the manager's friends started practicing their rock band across the patio, and we felt loneliness and terror surrounding us, but we looked at Lord Nrsmha-deva and felt His friendship and company.
Well, dark out and nothing to eat, so we went for a walk to the market. It was really busy. Found an open air sweet shop and bought "100 grams of Milk-Cake". People were looking at us with sane attention while drinking milk-tea.
Then we found a Hanuman Temple and rang the bells as we walked in and out like others. One man approached us and said: Hare Krsna! I am ISKCON Life Member. You are ISKCON? Why are you here? You are British?
So, we talked for some time and I went back to the room and offered the Milk Cake to Lord Nrsmha Deva. He shared it with us and we had a little island of sanity with now father, mother, wife, kids or neighbors.
At the time of death we are all alone. We get very morose, but we can have friends who have both material and spiritual bodies, whose material body relations will lead us to transcendental relations.
It is just like developing a friendship with the person next to you in the Theater. They are not a part of the movie, but they are in the Cinema House. After you leave the Cinema with them they want you to work for them.
O.K. We answered the one URGENT letter.
Now we will answer a few more.
Today was a good day!
FMP with ART, CMDD, MvDD, YkD, NkbD ... Emily ... PKD ... NOD was about Shanta Rasa. We got some of that. We gotta get association and move ahead!
Then fresh juice for Lord's breakfast. Japa. BG-12 Tpp. Nap. Clearing brush from around the pear tree in the back. Lot of it. Hard work. We have a little poison ivy rash on our skin from cleaning up poisnon ivy site a few days ago, but it is like 5% of what we got last time. We are winning the war. Think the work cloths need to be washed in a washing machine.
Then had the enthusiasm to call Dr. Samaresh. Call went through on Reliance the second try. It was 10PM his time. 11.30AM our time. We had a very, very good discussion about Radhika's Conference in Madras the 7th-10th of January, our book publication, South America, Sankhya book.
Then I called Radhika right after that and communicated from Dr. Samaresh. He was worried that his son, Purusottama wanted to get into dance, but that would mean like 90% association with women, so I suggested that he might try Tai Chi. He said he never thought of that and would look for a world famous Tai Chi Master in Logan, Utah. We worked on the tickets to India in December etc.
Cooked my Lord's Sunday Feast: Sweet Rice, Halavah, fresh Celery.
Honored Prasad, read a page of Jerald Larson's Samkhya, Three rounds, three rounds, three rounds, Tweeting all the time. Another nap (we will become cats in our next life).
Then working on our Sankirtan Post that we are developing by the sidewalk. It has little New-papers that we are writing and photo-copying and hanging in plastic bags for the interesting people that pass by.
Then some transcribing of "Dialectical Spiritualism" of Prabhupada on Jung. NGD called. He is a very good friend. They are having nice program this weekend in Kentucky. I didn't know until Friday they were going.
Vijaya (73-years old) and his wife called yesterday to ask us to dinner, but we had "Saturday Night Live" and they had other guests tonight, "Some other time".
Washed and ironed our clothes. Talked with Upendra about next BhVaibhava Cantos.
While we were bush-wacking a nice old guy in his pick-up (300,000 miles) pulled up and asked if we wanted to sell Rtadhvaja Swami's mothers, 1993 Cutlass. We were just talking very seriously about it with NGD and Tandavika because it is really starting to fall apart, even though it still has some good life in it, look for a pick-up truck.
He had another one just the same as ours that he had resurrected and then someone smashed into it so he was looking for the same year car. Krsna's arrangement??!!
Well that was today. Now it is 8PM.
We write out all these details because we are supposed to be a "Guru" and some people are supposed to be our "Disciples" following Prabhupada in some ways, so that you will know what kind of media we are to connect you to Prabhupada.
Now we need a little Prasad from Lord and go to market to look for water bottle and see some people, otherwise we have not had much physical association for Brother Ass today.
Answer a few letters! Hare Krsna! Hare Krsna.
Read the KRSNA book!
Thank you!
(Our legs itch and burn a little)