Hare Krishna Hanumatpresaka Swami! All glories to Srila Prabhupada! Please, accept my obeisances..
My name is Arina. I was born in Russia, but i'm living in Valencia, Spain, since i was 6.
My mother always had been searching some spiritual things, buddhism, osho, mantras, tai chi... So i had grown up in ambient of inciense, mantras, oriental music, soviet films and soviet animated films. But i think those films aestetically and morally are very good.
We meet devotees when a was 13 years old more or less, i liked vaisnava filosophy, chant and listen mantras, prasadam!! But I have strarted seriusly my spiritual practice one year ago more or less, now I'm 18. I have always been clear about the existence of God.
I didn't know about His name, His form.. But i thougth that 'It' has to be someone and not something like 'the universe'. My father is orthodox, when i was a child he used to take me whith him to church, i enjoyed those moments. Orthodox temples are very beautiful. But I could never fully understrand that kind of religion until nowadays.
Sometimes i go to church to hear about Krishna. I don't see big diferences between religions. I go to church nd hear "You have to serv to God with love". It makes me feel better when i have sad things in mind. Before knowing about Prabhupada's books and all this fhilosopy, i didnt understand what the priest was saying. But now is like hear a summary, the essence of what i have learned in Krishna consciense. I think is kind how people of different cultures and traditions can worship God. Is great go to chatolic temple and understand, because is the same yoga-religion..! hahaha :)
I really admire San Francisco de Asis. I'm sure that he didn't eat meat, but everybody says me he did. ¿What do you think??
HpS – Hare Krsna, Arina. Maybe he ate it if there was nothing else to eat in the cold Winters.
I started chanting 3 rounds one year ago, now im chanting 16 since september. I like chant rounds, altough at home many times is difficult to concentrate my restless female mind in only one thing...but do it listening Prabhupada's japa recordings helps me a lot.
Sometimes i go to Nueva Vrajamandala, there i can chant rounds better in the morning with devotees.. Mangala aratii!! Is very special moment for me, it is magic.. Is night, the world is in silence yet..and the deities wake up and the tday starts with chanting holy names!!.the insciense, fire, fowers.. Very placeful! Krishna is beeing served with love and happiness and He is smiling, and everyone is happy!! Is great!
At home we worship little Gour Nitai deities, and do mangala arati too.. But in NV with devotees is more impactant. I use to do mangala arati alone because my mum doesnt wake up when is doing cold..and lately is very cold. I have a little sister, she is 11...but she doesnt care about mangala arati.. :( About 4 principles, it's ok. I neves had dificulties whith them. Altough i used to go with people who smoke a lot of weed and drink alcohol, i never felt atracctive to do that. My social life has changed a lot. Before i didnt stop at home, i was always outside whith friends... Now basically i have social life in university. But is good because in that way i have time to chant my rounds. I losed interes for things like go to concert, or to someone's house to watch a stupid movie while everyone is smoking marihuana to understand the deep sense of the movie.
Sometimes is hard for me because i feel a little alone. Nobody wants go with me to church.. We have a preaching center, we do programs every sunday. We are 10 devotees more or less who come eventually to the programs. I started this year the university of arts. Is good, people are very friendly and i can talk whith them about Krishna and take them some little Prabhupada's books. I think art can be like yoga, because it can be used to contact with God. For example, when i see a deity or a painting of Krishna...for my mind ib that moment is like "ok He is Krishna, you are at Him side right now". I like a lot The ligth of Bhagavata!! The paintings are great! When oriental art comes together with Krishna..wow!! I heard in one of your classes about some film of Light of Bhagavata...Where i can find it?
HpS – I think Sananda Devi Dasi has a copy. We left several copies in Spain. Mantri-rama Das in Madrid may have copy. It is designed for BIG screen but you can also get some sense of it on a small screen.
Also I hear some russian seminars about vedic psycology. Is very interesant and useful. I think if you know some basic ideas , for example about how works male and female mind, it is easier to live.. In my case. Because now i know that some things are absolutly normal because of my female body, and i have a diferent dharma and diferent inclinations than man, diferent views, diferent worlds. I can see many times people acting without this knowlede and destroying relationships. So sometimes my mother and i traduce this seminars into spanish. I think is vety important to know how to relate correctly with people arround you.
Krishna is someone too. Maybe we have people around us to practice and learn how to love and serv, for do the same with Suprem Person.
Now i'm reading Bhagavad Gita and Sri Isopanisad. Sri Isopanisad motivates me a lot. I am really enjoying it. I find prabhupada's coments very truly and very funny.
Godruma Das and Pushpa are going to subsidize books for sankirtan, i think i can distribute in university libraries, to people in university, and i want try to do it in streets of Valencia with devotees..
Thank you very much for your seminars and clases! They inspirate me a lot for spiritual thoughts and actions. I read some of your sounds from heart.. These one about thief dog is great hahaha it made me very funny! Hare Krishna Majaraja!! Thanks you for your time! ...And sorry for my english Arina
HpS – Hare Krsna. You, Srinatha, Yamunesvara Das, every letter I am reading today is from people who are running at 10,000 miles an hour in Krsna consciousness! It is good if you got a basis!!! You seem to have it. Understand masculine mentality, getting up early.
I hope Krsna arranges a super, super, marriage for you soon. Maybe He will marry you Himself. Where you and Orthodox Nun in your last life?
