Nandarani also detailed her personal preaching program. She is teaching about thirty Indian children devotional songs and practices two days a week. Their parents are all business people and have little time to inculcate their offspring with their own culture. In fact, Nandarani said the children were just like western children, who knew nothing of Vedic life-style and spirituality. So the parents are very happy that Nandarani is giving them some education in kirtana, puja and Krsna's pastimes. They even pay a small tuition fee of $15 or $20. Now she has formed the children into a drama troupe and they meet each day to practice "The Birth of Lord Krsna." Its performance will be the highlight of their Janmastami celebrations, to be held on August 18. They expect an audience of about 400 Indians to attend.
Srila Prabhupada also discussed some philosophy with her. Pointing out that Moslems offer prayers, he said that unless God was a person, how could He accept them? If their prayers were for the glorification of Allah, that meant that He must have glorious activities. Quoting the Brahma-samhita he said, "The Lord is tending cows and He's surrounded by so many goddesses of fortune, gopis. These things are described. So the Lord's activities, Lord's place, how He is surrounded by other devotees or servitors, how He is tending -- these are prayers. So what is their prayer? Did you try to understand? What do they offer?"
Nandarani said they don't emphasize how He is great, just that He is great.
"Then there is the proof of less intelligence," Srila Prabhupada said. "God is great, very good. But how He is great? What is the conception of greatness? You accept me as spiritual master, great; so you have got some conception of greatness. That you see in your spiritual master, therefore you accept him. And if you have no conception of greatness, what is the meaning of 'He is great'? They do not understand what is God, what is religion. Traditional, you can say superstition or some idea; actually no clear conception of religion. No idea in the world, except that in this Krsna consciousness movement. All vague ideas; 'God is great,' that's all. How He is great and worshipable? Who is God? And our ideal is to love God. So if I do not know about God, if I do not know who is God, then where is the question of love?"
"But their faith is there," Nandarani pointed out.
"That is good, but that is called bhakta prakrta smrtah. That is not exactly on the transcendental platform. In the material platform, just appreciating some great power beyond our reach, that's all. Not clear idea, therefore they are disturbed when they think form. Form means limitation, they think. They do not know. Nobody knows, except in our Krsna consciousness movement. Why we have described about God in so many books? But they have this idea, very poor idea. But they are accepting God is great, that will help in future."
"That faith is elevating them?" Nandarani asked.
"Someday, if they come in contact with a real devotee, they'll appreciate. Just like you are coming. So they have to meet some devotee, then they'll be benefited. With the present idea there will be very slow progress. Practically no progress, but even there is little progress, very slow. So unless they come in contact with a pure devotee."
I suggested they could get that contact through Prabhupada's books, and Nandarani also said that if they distributed Prabhupada's books and prasadam, that was as good as meeting Prabhupada personally.
"No, personally also, you can do," Prabhupada said. "If they come, you instruct them. But the prasadam and book distribution is very important line. If he's intelligent, by reading books will help him. In Europe and America, you have got intelligence. By reading books, they are coming to the sense."
Srila Prabhupada was pleased to hear Nandarani inform him that, because Iranians were not familiar with English, they were planning to get Sri Isopanisad translated, as well as the essay "Who is Crazy."
- From "A Transcendental Diary Vol 4" by HG Hari Sauri Prabhu
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