By Radhika krpa Devi Dasi
The Journey with Guru Maharaja……
“You have my blessings to preach anywhere on this planet,” these soulful words of my Spiritual Master His Holiness Gopal Krsna Goswami always ring in my ears. They have eternally been a cause of motivation for me to be daring and fearless. Past eleven years I have accepted challenges of travelling far and wide for preaching the Philosophy I accepted wholeheartedly twenty years back.
Entering the realm of my memories I see myself as a seeker, a pathfinder with a quest for knowledge. Life has always been a challenge for me in the material as well as in spiritual arena. My biological father was my strength to face the world and its affairs. He was the giver of the moral values in my life. To be respectful to saints of any man made religions was his training to me. To honor others irrespective of their cast, creed, gender was his core teaching to me.
His sudden demise brought me nearer to spirituality. The eagerness to know the mysteries of death and the purpose of life introduced me to ISKCON.
My Spiritual Master appeared before me to reveal all the intricacies of spiritual journey. God gave my father back to me. The father who would now train me on the path back to Godhead. The father who would shower all his love and affection, care and protection, support and strength for the journey.
My Spiritual Father blessed me to accomplish such extraordinary tasks that were out of my dreams even. He ordered me to preach in every way that I could. I was giving discourses, giving seminars, giving radio and television shows. All these first on national level and then going international.
He asked me to write articles for ISKCON’s Back to Godhead magazine but I was quite hesitant as I had never done so. But his encouragement gave me the confidence. With his sheer mercy I wrote various articles for the International Back to Godhead magazine as well for its counterpart in India.
My surrender to Guru Maharaja’s instructions perpetuated his faith in me. My loyalty to his words generated strength in me. His instruction for me to write a book on Bhagavad Gita and Sikhism proved to be very beneficial in propagating the “Harinaam.” The book was a bridge between two man made faiths and was named “Vaishnava Teachings in Sikhism.”
As it was a venture undertaken on Guru Maharaja behest it had to be a success. The book was soon popular among devotees and well appreciated.
Written in English it has been translated in Hindi in India; Sindhi and Urdu in Pakistan.
The recent preaching trip to Karachi was an achievement in itself. The minority masses there loved Srila Prabhupada’s simple Vedic translations.
We have a small center there named as Sri Sri Gaur Nitai Bhawan, but the influence of Srila Prabhupada’s simple translations of such a heavy subject of Bhakti is more than enough to attract large crowds.
I was fortunate to address large crowds at various places in Karachi, Hyderabad and Ghotki; all in Pakistan.
It was indeed a wonderful experience for me to mingle with the so called minority in Pakistan. They had infinite queries and doubts. I was amazed to see among the crowds the old and the young irrespective of the gender just wanted to reach out to me. I was overwhelmed with joy to see a ninety year old mother of a devotee following me in various lectures. She understood the Granth Sahib very well and could recite many verses. She loves Krsna from the core of her heart. The four generations of their household were totally influenced. The crowds were mostly Sindhi by origin so could relate to the Vaishnava teachings in Sikhism. The discourses were put live via Facebook on various pages where they attracted thousands of viewers. In twenty days span I gave nearly 42 discourses; many were broadcasted live.
The devotee family that hosted me nevertheless had a great role to play. Their enthusiasm and love for Srila Prabhupada’s teachings made this all happen.
It was arranged for me to speak in a “Gurudwara” on a weekend when they had the maximum gathering of nearly 400 hundred. The respect and love showered by the crowds and the Gurudwara authorities was soul stirring. Their welcome was heart touching. Their expressions clearly demonstrated their non denial to the facts I put forth from the Sri Granth Sahib. The distribution of Sindhi version of my book boomed with them. I have earlier also spoken many times in gurudwaras of Sydney and Canada where I demonstrated the similarities and Vaishnavism in Sikhism. But the experience here was astounding.
I had a chance to speak at various other organizations too who readily listened and loved us. Many of them could be seen again in discourses proved their liking for the teachings of Srila Prabhupada. Chanting the Holy Mantra and Bhoga offering captivated their minds as Kaliyuga offered this as an easy bargain to exit from the cycle of birth and death. With the mercy of Guru and Gouranga the trip was a success.
I pray to all Vaisanavas to bless me to be in preaching service till my last breath.
By Radhika Krpa Devi Dasi
New Delhi
An author (Vaishnava Teachings in Sikhism) and a travelling preacher.
Photo: Click here
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