19910106 Introduction Talk in Melbourne, Australia

.Following is an introduction talk given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami on January 6th, 1991 in Melbourne Australia.

People from all community they will attend our program. Once there was a program that went the whole night most of the program went whole night because for the devotees it’s kind of event. In the mid night they lie down on the road and crying please don’t leave this is the chance for the lifetime we want to hear you till sunrise. So, we have to do two shifts of devotees some would preach till mid night and some second shift take over from mid night until 4am. After one program which was very well attended the happen to go next day on japa walk two-day program.

And I just talk to some local villagers they said last night don’t doesn’t matter what community Hindu Muslim everyone the whole village was empty nobody stayed in their house they are all there. So, they are already eager to hear then devotees around the world explain how they had become devotee. For this preaching going on in different parts of the world so to do that program.

So, the devotees little austere they have to drive few hours every day one or two, three hours through this not a nice road just as Australia some time (not audible) road some time they have to walk (not audible) kilometer to get to the final destination.

One day we were held up because of ferry got in the middle of the river the water went down, and the ferry got stuck in the sand and so we just stay there and chant few hours after about two hours water came up, we get to the other side.

So, finally people were waiting for us about seven o’clock in the night we got there about eleven o’clock two hours in the river. And the road was too narrow for the vehicles to go so they, we got rickshaw bicycle rickshaws or tricycles in some places and loaded up sound system everything and went on in the dark finally we reach about two kilometers later. There rickshaws couldn’t go any further we have to walk in some narrow pathway passing over wooden bridges where we are going and where we are taking us nobody is here in the midnight program was starting at seven. Then finally we go through like a jungle we can’t see anything and all of a suddenly we get it to little (not audible) look out there are thousands of people was sitting there with the generator and lights going on just chant Hare Krsna waiting five hours for the devotees to come. When they came all started you know lady’s ulu dhwani and the man Hari bol they are just waiting waiting hoping that the (not audible) then we did program there, then started Guar aarti in the midnight. Some devotees took (not audible) after that.

So, this way definitely (not audible) spiritual safari something (not audible) some days anything can happen they told us when we stuck in the river (not audible) hand in the water very salty (not audible) that we can hear the tigers roaring from the distance.  They said don’t worry they don’t generally come on this side of the river just in the rainy season you can see few crocodiles (not audible) well there was no problem devotees stayed in the (Not audible) we didn’t see any tiger.  Then they arrange for special tour all the devotees went to river queen launch then they enter the sunder ban jungle to try to spot a tiger I don’t know of anyone spotted.

So, like this we go there for preaching and came back and that was time disciples arrange for Vyas pūjā celebration Māyāpur on the Ekādaśī after Ram Navamī after that was over then everybody left after few days. Then Namhatta annual conference and the festival began, and they start to come in usually seven eight hundred come but this year over nine hundred came almost thousand.  And for three days we have seminars on how to expand book distribution how to do preaching from the house how to organize Namhatta.   Because we have about two thousand Namhatta unites each unite average of fifty members, so that comes to over hundred and thousand participants with effect over millions of people we consider people are expose to that kind of preaching.

So, become practically impossible for the devotees to supervise two thousand branches just on their own. So, we have to use system Bhakti Vinod Thakur gave for every so many Namhatta’s they form in to a circle and that the circle commander or circle senapati and then so many circles form in to mahā greatest circle district then from district division so on. So, how to organize like that we will decided we have district festival also throughout the year.

So, this year they had about half a dozen districts about sixteen districts in the Namhatta we have six to eight district big festival out of sixteen in the first year. There is one group which is… many groups which are lady groups, but majority are mix few are youth some are older people.  So different delegates came from each chakra and the book distribution section of the seminar.

One person had distributed sixteen thousand pieces of credentials (not audible) last year. So, he said one thing I am feeling incompetent I am not getting any competition so I am challenging I want some competition so like this few other can all can get fifteen thousand credentials last year (not audible). So, I don’t know the final score but not in the festival, how they remember the competition, (not audible)

Anyone here doesn’t know what Namhatta is?

Everybody know what Namhatta is. See Namhatta is one where we have like we have ISKCON temples we have full time devotees which are preaching. Namhatta is where we have group of devotees who may be working in their different occupations, but they got together at least once in a week and they chant

Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare

Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare.

Have a regular spiritual program reading from Prabhupāda’s books doing Tulsi or Guar aarti and they also organize different kinds of programs like prasad distribution like festivals Harinām processions competitions gurukul Rath yatras all kind of things. So, take at least five people minimum to register Namhatta group we had to meet at least minimum once a week.

But usually, the groups expand up to hundred members or fifty members some of the groups are meet every day. If they meet every day, they call kendra or centers Namhatta centers they actually; dedicate some land to the Namhatta, and they establish a small temple then that call Namhatta temple. We have also many Namhatta temples may be two dozen above hundred Namhatta centers Namhatta sanghas for association to preaching service groups.

So, Prabhupāda said organize village preaching bring them all to Māyāpur have them trained up so organized annual program just bring them to Māyāpur. After that was over then I believe I went on a tour to south India. This year what happen I had to go Hyderabad because some resolution of GBC I went to Hyderabad from April 11th to May 7th visiting Tirupati and Bangalore Madras. We have six-hundred-acre park, but the donor of the land is trying to illegally get it back from.

So, I was assigned to go there and trying to organize some kind of detachment (not audible) for that property (not audible) still possession legal things are going on. Then after that I went to Māyāpur for the Narsimha Chaturdashi festival because after what happen last year in September the previous year 1989 when I was attacked, I went to worship Lord Narasiṁha dev for His causeless mercy knowing it to revealed to serve Śrīla Prabhupāda this body for some time longer.

So, then we had beautiful Narsimha Chaturdashi festival bathing Narsimha dev many different things (not audible). After that I told that Hyderabad situation had become frozen there was some emergency in the west. Then I flew almost immediately to North America we didn’t have (not audible) then I went to quick tour of south America organizing the things and having opening in October different things and I have a zone in south America which includes Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador.

I often visit Argentina Colombia as well. This year GBC gave me assistant GBC (not audible) Veerabahu prabhu was helping (not audible) without any help there he is very active. Bolivia, they got from the land… they got land from the government through colonization scheme. They get something like that in Australia to I don’t know. They have very few residences only six thousand citizens of Bolivia but it fifteen hundred kilometers by one-thousand-kilometer dimension. So, they have another (not audible) set of land so swami find a nice piece of land alongside river and he got fifteen hundred hectares from the government ten-kilometer-long and one and half kilometer wide alongside river. It’s like if has a plan then I go gradually up into the hills he took flat area alongside river and nobody is going to be settled up in the mountain so any way no man’s land from the government. So, the problem was it twenty kilometers from the nearest road and the only way to get to by walking bicycle can’t even go.

So somehow devotee very (not audible) put twenty kilometers. But then we got a bulldozer donated or purchase something and he got all local villagers agree to help.  So, he constructed a road with all the local peoples volunteer work twenty kilometers even come on television the government is said that what Hare Kṛṣṇa have done and that part of the country just on the boarder of the cocaine producing area of Bolivia was one of the main cocaine producer of coca plant.

And so, the government wants to stop the production of drug so we are producing in our part the alternative agriculture to grow vegetables and fruits things to we get all the villagers to help for building this road and our project came on television.

Villagers said the government never got road for us nobody got road that was Hare Kṛṣṇa, so they are… (jay). So, then I… then I went back to North America we had a big festival Atlanta of panihatti we offered over five hundred clay pots yogurt fruits and chipped rice as well as condense milk and chipped rice chida dahi annual festival.

About eleven sanyasis and GBC members attended (not audible) mahārāja (not audible) mahārāja Guruprasad swami. Then after that festival I return; back to India for the Rath yatra in Kolkata.

This year Kolkata Rath yatra was inaugurated by the biggest industrialist in India Mr B. K. Birla many years ago I made him a life member almost five years ago (laughter) Then as the Rath was starting start to pull monsoon rain it was just pouring buckets of but still everybody pulling the Rath something went nine- or ten-kilometer route never had such a heavy rain.

That year the Rath cart in Jagannath purī of Lord Balarāma broke wheel broke just as we are hundred meters end of the rout Balarāma, we also broke in our procession So the pandit said when Balarāma’s wheel break this is very heavy because Balarāma holding up the whole universe His wheel break this is going to be heavy trouble in the next twelve months in the world. Anyway no one is trouble in the world (laughter) It is just (not audible). Then this is very nice although usually we get about one or two million people because of heavy rain only half of them, small crowed (laughter).  But they are very enthusiastic (not audible) because in spite the rain and everything they was still there.

So next seven days was a big pandal program His Holiness Bhakti Caru mahārāja other speakers I spoke three days or four days during the week ends and he spoke for few days.

Gurukul yagya Australian gurukul students from Māyāpur they perform a big yagya. Every day at pandal program they make a about eight-foot-high temple out of bamboo and cloth. It’s very beautiful Lord Jagannath stays there for seven days in spite camp fire floats and that were in the beginning in the procession this year they have moving diorama on the floats. So, those who put on the play for the week everyone was coming. Everyday thousands of people got prasādam so many people get prasādam, that they had to make two prasādam booths. I think they were feeding twenty thirty thousand people a day or more. On the fifth day hundred thousand people coming every day, in slow days twenty-five thousand.

Even though was still the (not audible) was going on that time Italian performs soccer tournaments still people came to the program that enthusiasm some time sporting competitions for spiritual (not audible). They just stay for a lecture they ran out to see the tv serial was waiting on those who are interested not but they didn’t miss the program.

So, then on return Rath sunny weather so almost about eight hundred thousand people were there for the return Rath.  Usually return Rath little inspires (not audible) than going usually half a million but this time eight hundred thousand came because they couldn’t all come for going Rath yatra and follow Rath safely.

Then they had meeting in Māyāpur about architect came over to discuss how to build the master plan for the city we have. Also, Matsya Avatāra prabhu from Italy came for finishing samādhi about fifteen days of nonstop architecture engineering meetings held.

Then what happened after that June July…Oh! I think I went to Malaysia because in august we have two Rath yatras. I think in Malaysia in august we have Rath yatra in Ipoh they made first Rath yatra cart they finally constructed beautiful little Rath. Since then, now they drive it all over the country we can change the wheel put another wheel. So, the devotee said year and half making this Rath cart fifteen-thousand-dollar expense donation from the Indian and Chinese communities very nice program for ten days going all over Malaysia Singapore and Jakarta.

Then we came back to India think to do the tour of South India like Māyāpur. Then around September it was time to go again to the west that time I flew to Zurich few days Stockholm for couple days Copenhagen for six hours gave a class. Then Poland for three four days Poland preaching really spreading like anything.

Then from Poland again to Roma where I went with Matsya avatar prabhu saw some of the monuments on which we are kind of thinking about in terms of making our Māyāpur temple having a big kīrtan hall we want to do it with dome.

In Italy they have beautiful domes like Saint Peter's, Florence, Basilica and then so we went to see this different.

Then I went to New Vṛndāvan were we have Rath yatra in Florence for the first time very small downtown they went three time around the same route and the third time start raining but it very ecstatic.

After that stop one day in London again I went to America to my zone next after America I went to South America again this time, I spent more time more usually going to Chile Ecuador everywhere then finally ended up in (not audible) where they were constructing past three years a Vedic architecture temple. This is a temple which about may be eight hundred feet I don’t know it’s quite truly higher got three beautiful domes because it is cold in winter so they put nice wooden poles (not audible) small pieces what you call it design… and the marble alter all beautiful Indian architecture with Jay Vijay on front gate. So, (not audible) from Māyāpur group who was there and some of the students organize three days mahayagna and there was a meeting all the leaders of America came and Sitaram Laxman Hanumān Madan Bihārī… Rādhā Madan Bihārī and Lord Lord andNitai deities were install all marble deities. Then a very nice ceremony then ambassador of India (not audible) and mayor of the city came and officially open the temple.

They all gave lectures appreciating Śrīla Prabhupāda and how the devotees were (not audible) Indian culture international culture exchange and serving the people it’s very positive effect on them. Then that came very close to Prabhupāda disappearance so that I flew up to (not audible) observe Prabhupāda disappearance then I went to Vrindavan to attend Indian continental meeting.

Then I got on the flight from America to Europe flight was taxing-(not audible) not only engine starts the pilot said forty-five years of flying this not happen to me engine died. Then he calls mechanic, it’s not safe to take off Then he called mechanic half an hour waiting waiting.  Then finally he said ok we go now he start to up the engine again then the other side engine exploded flame flam smoke is coming out fire engines came. He said he had no more speech to say we cannot proceed any more for the journey (laughter). So, we got back to the gate my left… my international connection already taken of New Yorke. So, then I have to make new booking (not audible) originally, I have meeting in India. Next day I got in time got my flight. Flight took of then as we are approaching New Yorke it said suddenly have the storm in New Yorke we cannot land. We are circling and circling for four hours then it said we ran out of fuel we have to make emergency landing so then we landed we stayed for total of eleven and half hours in a plan finally reach in New Yorke one thirty in the morning. All the connections already left I call India they said there is basically riots going on in Delhi because at that time Ram janma bhūmi problem is there and he said better not to come any way you missed all the meetings (laughter).

So, best you Stay for North America meetings so then I stay for week in North America attended meeting in Huston where they have nice meeting fund rising preaching back to godhead.

Then I reach back to India in November 5th and in Māyāpur we had meetings on again master plan all the GBCs were there they also made some action plan.  They want architect so anyone will present design concept for the big temple based on the plan GBC decided last year.

So, some different devotees I think New Zealand Australian devotee (not audible) he does a main concept of architect (not audible) done of few other devotees walk up to present send GBCs many alternatives we can then they decide which direction we should go. Once we have a concept everybody approves of then we had to perceive with that with final design.

Just getting land for Māyāpur for the big city Prabhupāda wanted spiritual city and the biggest temple in the world Vedic planetarium so kind of fulfil all these things. So, after that was first completed stay in Māyāpur almost little less than a month. Then that was time to go to Silchar where other temple has started two years before and also, they constructed a big single door temple two story with the guest house three story guest house next door. Nice temple room marble floor nice, decorated doors Kṛṣṇa Lord Chaitanya’s pastime fourteen gurukul students came from Māyāpur including Australian New Zealand students did big yagya three days purifying the whole city. Twenty-four hours kīrtan was going on different fifty devotees came from all over the world including fourteen or twelve came from Russia and people were just go around (not audible) every evening there was a big preaching program. All day there was yagya going on for installing the deities of Rādhā Damodar and Mahāprabhu and Jagannath Baladeva Subadra. So, final day fifteen thousand people took prasādam it was the biggest festival in that city Silchar I don’t know Silchar is a place probably never heard I won’t be surprise I surprise if you have heard.

Silchar secondary city may be only half a million people other side of India other side Indian they say that here Bangladesh and here is Bengal and Assam. So, the other side of Bangladesh is part of Assam that use to be part of Bengal before the partition of India when they got independence from England. Then part of Bengal Lord Chaitanya’s (not audible) is more important because Lord Chaitanya visited there and Sachi mata and Jagannath Mishra born there. So that district has been divided in half. Half state in Bangladesh half went to India Silchar is temple in India and so the local Life members and devotees raise forty lakh of rupees (not audible) two years and build the temple without any international ---Just by their own enthusiasm. It is very nice everyone is very impressed the villagers all (not audible) festival.

Then I went to some were in middle of that I went to Kathmandu also I went to Thailand. Then I went again to Hyderabad Bangalore Coimbatore Guruvayur Madras. In Guruvayur we have land this is very big temple in India Tirupati and Guruvayur two biggest temples in South India. So, they have three hours procession every day. So, we have (not audible) special children center for preaching and (not audible) every month so Tirupati (not audible) guest house.

Again, I went to Malaysia for ten days we have three Rath yatras one in Kuala Lumpur after that one in Penang and one in (not audible). We also have other programs one day I am preaching in Singapore one day in Jakarta and Malaysia and came back to here (not audible) also we went to Bangladesh.

In Bangladesh we had a temple this year two hundred years old in the month of November when there was riots in Bangladesh our temple was vandalized. So, in month of July august I went to Bangladesh also. Then come back in December here to India in Māyāpur then I went to Middle east Muscat and Bahrain.

Then we all came to North America for Christmas marathon celebration in Atlanta.  (not audible) my sister very ill twice I went to California to see her she was kind (not audible) specially to hear me but she couldn’t speak so my previous ashram sister not my god sister but from my previous ashram before I was sannyāsī.

So, I chant Hare Kṛṣṇa (not audible) she uses to visit temple and take prasādam, but she wasn’t became devotee. I want her but try to preach her on some occasion she (not audible) minor operation but complicated she got (not audible) now she is in the hospital very sick my mother send me a fax that doctor says she may have few hours to leave that was four hours to go I have to pack. So, as we pray for the soul this (not audible). She is three years younger than I am then I flew (not audible) intensive care unit.

Flew to again Los Angeles and then flew to Hawaii stay night give class in the evening catch midnight flight and flew straight to Sydney gave a class in the evening (not audible) morning class (not audible). lot of things happen I couldn’t remember everything I just give you the high lights. But wherever I have gone I think the devotees very sincerely trying to push on Kṛṣṇa conscious movement very dedicated to spreading Prabhupāda’s message this like gradually affect perceptively affect spreading society a large. We meet favorable people in aero planes we meet favorable people who are interested to know about this is the purpose of life.

Also, very fortunate this year we got land were Lord Balarāma have visited Nabdwip Dham five thousand years ago. We were able to purchase that piece of land and build small memorial for Lord Balarāma.

So, when the devotees visit Māyāpur, they know Balarāma personally had some pastime in Māyāpur. This by our Bhaktivedant swami charity trust program over trying to preserve all the holy dhams in the Holy Dham. This may be given ---------temples are almost forgot or lost not forgot out of sight so we trying to relocate those and preserve them for the pleasure of Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Any questions

Devotee: - Not audible

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: - Original plan was (not audible) couple of days some were else I think they only go that otherwise they wanted to start Sydney first. They think the plan is (not audible) because they have Rath yatra in January in Madras so I have to reach Singapore by eleven already connect Singapore (not audible) by eleven to connect to go to Madras for the Rath yatra so I have to leave before ten present ticket (not audible) going to Hongkong and then next morning connecting flight to Singapore and then night fly to Madras.

Devotee: - Not Audible

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: - (not audible) Well he was visiting all the Holy places during Kurukshetra battle that time there was a demon called Raktabahu who was torturing and harassing the brāhmaṇa’s no not Raktbahu his name was Mayāsura who was (not audible) but Mayāsura he was harassing brāhmaṇa’s.

So, brāhmaṇa’s requested Balarāma was playing the part of kshatriya please save us from the Mayāsura demon. So, then he went to (not audible) the Mayāsura demon to tell him stop harassing brahman’s but Mayāsura demon attack Balarāma. So, there was battle between them for some time and that by their fighting made big presser inside the earth became big lake (not audible) fighting fighting then finally Balarāma smash Mayāsura demon and like a Gaint something depression like a lake (not audible) finally he was liberated ātmā left the demon body and liberated Lord Balarāma sat cit ānanda transcendental form.

So, that place is still known by the ancient people as Māyā Māyā math. Bhakti Vinod Thakur said that there is a field Māyā Māyā Math. The field where Mayāsura was killed and that the place where Balarāma went. So, we glorified the (not audible) few people knew about then we purchase some land there to build this (not audible).

Devotee: - Is that near Jagannath temple?     

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: - Yes near Jagannath temple same side of Jalangi we hadn’t any trouble in Māyāpur only in Bangladesh Māyāpur is very peaceful. Whole Bengal is very peaceful also south India is peaceful only in North India UP and upper south India every (not audible).

Devotee: - Delhi is okay?

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: - Generally okay these troubles are happens in Delhi Lakhnow Agra

Devotee: - Not audible

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: - No we have Namhatta there is some devotees. Any question?

Devotee: - (not audible)

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: - One of the places we located which was very difficult because five hundred years ago on (not audible) side of Ganges. Ganges shifted about five kilometre five hundred years that was the birthplace of wife the consort of Nityānanda Prabhu Vasudhā and Janvha devī ashram of Gauridas pandit and Sūryadāsa Sarakhela so we found that temple ISKCON.

So, when we see these places the whole pastime of Lord Nityānanda go to the pastime anytime to trace out, so they say that Kṛṣṇa order the king of (not audible) He arrange the marriage between Sūryadāsa Sarakhela’s   daughters and Nityānanda. Personally, Sūryadāsa Sarakhela is against he didn’t have good impression on Nityānanda he thought Nityānanda was avadhut He wasn’t having any fixed residence He is moving here and there. How He is preaching some time acting ecstatic see Him kind of unusual person. How can He marry my daughters (laughter)? But Kṛṣṇa order that very angry with him you don’t know who Nityānanda prabhu is you have been very foolish, and He walkout said you know I won’t come back again I was offended. That night he had a dream, and in a dream, he saw Balarāma with His to consert Revatī and Vāruṇī then he was Balarāma turn into Nityānanda and Revatī Vāruṇī turn into Vasudhā Janhavadevi. Then he weak up and he realize that Nityānanda was Balarāma and his daughters was divine Lakṣmī’s and he send a message to Kṛṣṇa through Haridas and requested them marriage could be possible he approves.