20160321 A Talk at the Congregational Development Ministry Night.

20160321 H.H.Jayapatākā Swami gives a talk at the Congregational Development Ministry Night. [360p]

Gurumahārāja: I was coming here to hear all the presentations, but since they have asked me to speak, I will speak a few words. We know that the Namhatta was a thing that was established by Lord Nityānanda. But we don’t know exactly how his Namhatta’s were. But Bhaktivinod Thākur reestablished the Namhatta at the turn of the century in the 1800’s, and… or maybe in the mid 1800’s. So, we have some of his writings, but we needed something for the 24th century, something for the explosion in Urban city dwelling. Like in America, 95% of the people live in cities, and that’s the trend everywhere, more people live in the cities and less in the country. Also, that people remember more if they are more actively participating. That’s why our V.T.E courses have drama’s, brainstorming, various other interactive parts. So, the Bhakti Vṛksha has various parts like the ice-breaking where each member gets to know each other in the form of a family chanting together, japa together. Then instead of just a class where one person speaks and the others listen, and at the end others are asking questions; but instead there is a discussion where there are some themes, either some parts of śāstra like Bhagavad-gītā or modules where ślokas have been picked out to help on progress step by step, and there is discovery, understanding. And also, the realizations and applications. Instead of being the servant leader of the group, he or she is more of a facilitator, rather than just giving a class. He or she gets everybody to try to participate in the discussion. So, this allows for a deeper and a quicker understanding of the subject. And then, there is some strategy discussion how to maybe spread out the group, or how to participate in an upcoming festival in the nearby temple. So, this strategy and discussion is depending on what’s the future. Then a little maybe ārati, kīrtan and prasādam. So, this kind of interactive program allows people to become closer to each other; how to apply the Bhakti yoga principles in their lives, and that’s why it is called kind of a miracle or a wonderful thing, because the binding of the group and the speed at which they realize things is very fast. It is not unusual that by the end of year some people are ready for initiation, or someone… even two or three or four people may be ready to lead their own group. So, like this the groups can expand exponentially, and as it is seen that some groups may observe their own ratha yātrās, or some participate in some temple festivals or some help distribute books in a marathon, some take up the cultivation of interested people. It’s a very wonderful thing. So, we would like to show you some of the experiences, and in some places where it is not legal to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The groups can survive in this hostile environment, but also where there are temples and where there is no problem, they can be an integral part of the temple program. So, gradually the Bhakti Vṛksha groups have become a very integral part of every preaching strategy, and we are very thankful to all the devotees who are making this possible. That’s why I had a vision that we should give out some awards to our teachers, to the group leaders, to the temple or leaders or zonal leaders, to the chakra and mahachakra members, and also for those who make many devotees. So, the medallions have yellow, orange, red, green and blue. So, with that I would like to hear some of the presentations that they have scheduled for tonight. 

Hare Krishna.

Bhakti Vṛksha ki…………………………………. [Jaya]

Ikshavaku Prabhu: Thank you very much Gurumahārāja for attending this program. Everyone please thank Gurumahārāja.

Haribol………….

Gurumahārāja ki…..

Śrīla Prabhupāda ki……… [Jaya]

So, now the next part as His Holiness Jayapatākā Maharaj informed us, there are several places in the world that Bhakti Vṛksha has really expanded; particularly middle east, Russia, South America, in other countries. So, now we are going to show some of the samples of this success in preaching. 

So, we invite his grace Vasudev Prabhu – ISKCON filmer, and he is going to tell us about a very interesting anecdote or experience that he had in the middles east while filming a movie on Bhakti Vṛksha. So, thank you Vasudev Prabhu for helping us to expand the glories of Bhakti Vṛksha.

Vasudev Prabhu: Yes, I just set up this light. It is just not for me, but it includes everyone tonight because I am working on the second film after “Somewhere in the gulf.”

May I ask the audience, “How many of you have watched this film “Somewhere in the gulf”? 

Follow the leader. 

This first film which I was requested by Vijay Veṇu Gopal prabhu to make last year, almost a little over one year ago in February 2015. I was then flown to Oman… I say it, “Oman”, but “Somewhere in the Gulf” means that we really don’t know where, because we really want anyone to know where. What matters is, it is somewhere in the gulf, and that is the birth of the Bhakti Vṛksha program. It’s a place where within the space of ten to fifteen years thousands of devotees has been made from two initial disciples of Mahārāja; had the energy, the enthusiasm, the determination to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness through the Bhakti Vṛksha program, and they succeeded to such an extent, that now in the movement, everyone is turning their eyes, their attention to this program which is very comprehensive on how to train people to become coming devotees. As you will see in the beginning of this trailer, because it is just seven minutes, to sum up a one-hour film. So, this is just to give you a taste so that you may want to see the whole thing. The question is asked in the beginning of the film, “Is this program for Indians or can it also work for non-Indians?” So, this is addressed little bit in the film, but really the gist of the film is to show that Bhakti Vṛksha works, and the next film we are working on… I am on my way to England where Bhakti Vṛksha has already made some headways, and as a sample of non-Indians in such a country as England, where of course there are a lot of Indians, but this film will have to convince you or anyone that this program can indeed work with everyone. In Oman the fact was that this movement worked… this program worked mainly… this is my opinion, because it was forming a community of expatriate Indians into foreign land, namely a Muslim country. So, they had reasons to find a new sense of belonging by getting together, and suppose ISKCON provided this setting. On the other hand, there is no question in places like the middle-east to preach to the Muslims because that is against the law, and you can get into big trouble. So, I remain to be convinced myself that this program can work, like here, it does work in the U.S… the former U.S.S.R which is Russia, and those Russian related countries. I am told that it works in China, in Argentina, in many parts of the world. But this second film, which, I think… I am thinking of a like Bhakti Vṛksha Global. The challenge of it is for me… first of all I am going to gather videos coming from these countries into my hands, because obviously I can’t travel to एवेर्य् one of them. I am going to England because it is next to France where I am going anyway. I know there is a strong beginning happening in Argentina. If anybody wants to sponsor me going there and filming first hand, great. So, I would put it in this way that Bhakti Vṛksha leaders need to convince me first of all if I am to make a convincing film about it. There has to be enough energy into this second film like the first one to be strong, to convince the “world of ISKCON” first of all, that Bhakti Vṛksha is the way forward. So, perhaps I will stop here and let you watch. Its takes seven minutes, and after the film if there is any question, I will be happy to try and answer. 

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (applause)

[After the Video Session.]

Vasudev Prabhu: I don’t know if there is any questions, but this film is available for screening, for watching on my Youtube channel. You go to vasudevadas; there is about thirty films lined up, and “Somewhere in the Gulf” is one of them. It is one hour long and it is free. So, you please feel free to go online and watch the whole film.

Ikshavāku Prabhu: So, you like the movie? So, you want to hear more about Bhakti Vṛksha? [Haribol]

So, you heard about the development of Bhakti Vṛksha in the middle east. Now we have some of the preachers around the world here. Here we have with us... we have with us Aṅgirā Muni Prabhu who is the congregational minister for C.I.S. So, we will hear from him how Bhakti Vṛksha has developed in Russia. We heard a little bit about it in the movie, but now we are going to hear from the main preacher in that area.

Aṅgirā Muni Prabhu: So, what I will do, I will speak English. Then translate myself into Russian. So, I will try speak English and then translate myself also. 

So, just a few Bhakti Vṛksha leaders from Russia and Russian speaking countries which is our pilgrimage group here. Yes, first we heard about Bhakti Vṛksha in 1996, just twenty years ago, maybe little earlier, maybe 1995, when at that time I was centennial minister for C.I.S, and I was getting some materials about Śrīla Prabhupāda centennial. 

So, in this congregational preaching journal which was started by Śrīla Jayapatākā Maharaj, I first read some articles about Bhakti Vṛksha. That time it was called Cell Program, and that time I understood that this is the future for ISKCON, and in 1996 Śrīla Jayapatākā Mahārāja for the first time came to Moscow, came to Russian festival and presented Bhakti Vṛksha program, and Bhakti Vṛksha in Russia started just from that time. 

So, in the 1996 I made first attempt to start Bhakti Vṛksha in Moscow. That time we do not have any program, we do not have modules, materials, it was just an ideal Bhakti Vṛksha. So, got the first congregational group in Moscow, and it started to grow quite successfully, more devotees were joining, they were progressing, they were chanting, the were following principles, and after one year we multiplied this first group. 

So, in 90’s, in the beginning of twenty-first century, we had about 10-15 Bhakti Vṛksha’s in Moscow, but it was not very successful in the sense that they did not multiply so much. This groups were nice, they had good atmosphere, very warm atmosphere, but devotees did not want to take initiative to become leaders. They were quite comfortable to be members of the groups, and didn’t want to become leaders. 

So, situation changed very much when we came in contact with Vijaya Veṇu Gopal Prabhu and Mātājī Prema Padminī whom you just saw in the movie. In 2007 Mātājī Prema Padminī first time came to Russia. It was January, it was -20, she came to Moscow for the first time, before she never saw snow in her life. So, in Moscow she came out of plane just in sari. So, we put some very warm cloth onto her and bring her to our flat, and she started to preach Bhakti Vṛksha in Moscow, and with their help and with their support and their materials we started to do Bhakti Vṛksha in a more systematic way, and it started much more successfully. 

We started first two groups which were just according to the system, to the modules which was developed by then, and then in the beginning of 2009 she first started two groups in Moscow, we multiplied and we got about fifteen groups. Just from this two initial groups we got about fifteen. So, that was the beginning of real Bhakti Vṛksha in Moscow. And then it was a equation with our new leaders, we saw so much successful as we were. But yes, it was continuing with our young leaders; they also getting new people in their groups, also multiplied and get new leaders. So, it started to grow, and now in Moscow we have about 140 bhakti vṛksha groups. (applause)

And then when we got some success in Moscow, then as it is in Russia and then in C.I.S, it again started to show more and more interest to Bhakti Vṛksha. All of them tried Bhakti Vṛksha in the1990’s, but they were not successful. Therefore, they were not very serious about Bhakti Vṛksha. But when we got some success in Moscow, then again, they wanted to start to try, and now perhaps in each city in Russia we have some Bhakti Vṛksha groups. In some cities there are a lot of Bhakti Vṛksha’s. In Saint Petersburg, in Ekaterinburg there are more than forty Bhakti 

Vṛkshas. In some other cities there are 70 Bhakti Vkshas, 20 Bhakti Vrkhas. All together in Russia together we have now about 500 Bhakti Vṛksha groups. (applause) In many yatras now it is the main program for developing the program. Leaders of the yatra they started to take it seriously, and Bhakti Vṛksha leaders they play an important role in the yatras. They become the members of the councils of the yatra, they become the leaders of some yatras. So, we see very good future in Russia because in Russia many people are interested in Krishna consciousness. We see in internet that hundreds and thousands of people are listening some lectures of Vedic culture, or interested in some system of self-development. So, there is a good field, and more and more people are coming, and as much as we can prepare new leaders, as much we can get more and more people for Kṛṣṇa conscious movement. But what happens then, is that in other countries of C.I.S, devotees also started to do Bhakti Vṛksha like Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, this part of former Soviet Union – they also got success in Bhakti Vṛksha, and then even unexpectedly for me some Russian Bhakti Vṛksha was started in some countries outside of C.I.S, like in Germany, England, Israel and now even in Unites States. Everywhere there are some Russian devotees, and now everywhere there are some Russian Bhakti Vṛksha groups, like now in Israel they have around sixteen Bhakti Vṛksha groups, in Germany them have about ten Bhakti Vṛksha groups, in London they have Russian Bhakti Vṛksha groups. Even in United States they have now five Russian Bhakti Vṛksha groups. So, it started to grow. So, at least we can say that the Russian Bhakti Vṛksha groups can be successful. But of course, it is interesting that in those places where we have Russian Bhakti Vṛksha groups, they also try to start Bhakti Vṛksha in local languages. For example, in Germany the Russian devotees, they start Bhakti Vṛksha’s in German; in Italy they start Bhakti Vṛksha in the Italians, so on. So, maybe a few Russians, we will get access to some other countries and some other languages, because seems that Russians, they are revolutionary by their nature. So, they like to do some revolutions in the world. So, they can be a part of the revolution of Lord Caitanya. So, now I would like to give mike to a few devotees who can exchange the experience. First, I would like to ask Śrīvas Panjit Prabhu; Śrīvas Panjit Prabhu, he is a young devotee, but now he is a Chakra leader in Moscow. He has a good Chakra. He has around twenty Bhakti Vṛksha groups, and together with his wife… she is also here. Like them to exchange little of their experience in Bhakti Vṛksha. (applause)

Śrīvas Panjit Prabhu: Thank you very much for the opportunity to take part in such wonderful meeting. My experience starts just from Bhakti Vṛksha. In just after one month after I joined Bhakti Vṛksha I heard Vijay Vinay Gopal Prabhu. He came to Moscow, and he told that actually everyone can be the servant leader of Bhakti Vṛksha, and I was inspired, and quite soon I became Bhakti Vṛksha leader and the leader of the sector. It just happened that our group leader, and also, I started by own Bhakti Vksha. Also a few groups were added to our sector. So, I got wonderful assistance. So, now we have chakra, and it will be multiplied this year. So, probably in the end of this year we will have mahachakra. We have mainly young devotees; mainly unmarried boys and girls. My wife helps me very much. We take care of devotees, we are doing the roles of counsellors for them, we organize preaching programs by ourselves, organize educational programs. So, except all Bhakti Vṛksha actually do nothing. We do only Bhakti Vṛksha. We just little do some work to get some money, but Krishna helps us very much. So, we recommend everyone to do Bhakti Vṛksha. (applause)

Ānanda Vrnadavana Dāsī Mātājī: I am doing Bhakti Vṛksha for about four years. My spiritual life also started just from Bhakti Vṛksha. We have been supported only by the mercy of Bhakti Vṛksha. It also seems that without so much association of devotees in life, most probably I will not stay in this movement. I am very grateful that Bhakti Vṛksha program gives a real experience of relationships in Krishna consciousness; relationship with seniors, equals and juniors. 

Hare Kṛṣṇa.  (applause)

Aṅgirā Muni Prabhu:  I would like to present Mātājī Monanga. She is also chakra leader in Moscow. Also, she is unmarried girl, but since she developed the full chakra, she started her own Bhakti Vksha six years ago, and she multiplied her group, and she has a full chakra with many leaders, with many grihasthas, and all of the are preaching. It is wonderful example. 

Mātājī Monanga: Bhakti Vṛksha gave me everything. Bhakti Vṛksha is first of all my family. I understand that I am in this movement just because the Lord gave me the possibility to serve the devotees. Just because of our chakra is that we have Bhakti Vṛksha’s mainly in the cities outside of Moscow, near to Moscow. So, for many cities Bhakti Vṛksha is just the only devotees in the city. And it is interesting to see how devotees grow, how they accept spiritual master. At times I am happy that I take part in this mission. Just request your blessing to be useful for devotees. It is only the mercy of the spiritual master. And by the mercy of devotees I can do this service. Please give your blessings.

Aṅgirā Muni Prabhu: I would like also to present Aswatantra Prabhu. Now we have developed a system of Bhakti Vṛksha coordinators in Russia. We have Bhakti Vṛksha coordinators for each city, for each region, for each part of the country. It helps very much. The devotees they take responsibility to support all Bhakti Vṛksha leaders in their zone. 

So, Aswatantra Prbhu, he is from far East, from Vladivostok city; probably you know, and he took responsibility to be responsible for the whole far east of Russia. This is a big part of the country. So, I would like Aswatantra Prabhu to tell about his experience.

Aswatantra Prabhu: Hare Kṛṣṇa. I thank you all very much that you all came to this program, and give possibility to exchange our experience. I have experience in Bhakti Vṛksha for about five-six years. Around 2010-2011 Aṅgirā Muni came to our city. All of them had some experience in Kṛṣṇa consciousness that time. And because of my job… I am a psychologist; I already had experience of working with groups of people. So, when I came to the society of devotees, I understood that we just lack such type of group work in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So, when Aṅgirā Muni came, gave us his Bhakti Vṛksha presentations, and he told that this system is the community of love and care. I understood that that is what we need. And Aṅgirā Muni Prabhu gave his blessings to us to develop Bhakti Vṛksha in Vladivostok, and we started, and after a few years by the blessing of Aṅgirā Muni, now have Bhakti Vṛksha perhaps in each city of far-east of Russia. (applause) Just here in this small Māyāpur Bhakti Vṛksha festival we will find some Russian devotees who want to start Bhakti Vṛksha in Japan, because Russian far-east is closed to Japan, Korea and China. So, we plan this year to start Bhakti Vṛkshas in those places. And just one year ago we have opened a new temple in Vladivostok. It is big temple. Need a lot of service, and we have about seven Bhakti Vṛksha groups in this city. All the groups, they take part in the service of the temple, help in the festivals. That service is mainly supported by the help of Bhakti Vṛksha members. So, we can just see these results. So, we expect that in each small city and each village far east we will have Bhakti Vṛkshas. Just using this opportunity before this international group of devotees I would like to get your blessings. And let us call to bless each one of us that in each country and each city Bhakti Vṛksha will be successfully developed. (applause)

Hare Kṛṣṇa

Aṅgirā Muni Prabhu: And the last I would like to present Rajskijkar Prabhu. Rajkishkar Prabhu, he is from Israel, from Telerik, and he is Russian speaking devotee, and he is one of the main Bhakti Vṛksha coordinator in Israel. So, he can speak a little about his experience. 

Rajksihkar Prabhu: My dear devotees, I will address you in English and Aṅgirā Muni Prabhu will translate to Russian. Ok, the question is, what the Bhakti Vṛksha gave to Israel? I maybe like to tell a tell a little bit how it started in Israel. About three and a half or four years ago Aṅgirā Muni Prabhu came to Israel and first told us about the idea of Bhakti Vṛksha, and I was then a Brahmachari living in the temple and I was distributing books, and when I heard first about this idea, I thought, “Well, it is for people who don’t have shakti to preach. So, they can you know preach at home.” And I was a little bit… Aṅgirā Muni Prabhu caught me in one of the hallways of the temple and he asked me, “Maybe you would like to also be engaged in Bhakti Vṛksha?” And I told him, “Maybe.” Because I was little bit sceptic about this way of preaching. I thought, well book distribution is much more effective. And, well Aṅgirā Muni prabhu was preaching. After he left, he left us some books on Bhakti Vṛksha in the temple, and these books presented where other books were presented and we had a very little space there, and I thought, maybe I shall sell them first to have more space for Bhagavad-gītā and something. And I was just trying to give to everyone, and one mātājī came, she was seventy years old. And I gave her the bhakti vṛksha manual and said, would you like to have a temple in your home? And she was living in the South of Israel which is like four hours from the temple, and she said, “Sure.” So, this old lady, she took the book and she started a group at her home, and I forgot about this. Some months passed, and I was going out every day and distributing books, and each time I was distributing books I was always trying to invite people. I was telling them, “We have such a nice temple. Please come and visit. Please give me your telephone. Please call me.” But there was some problem. Each time some of them were coming… they were coming only first time, seeing the devotees, the altar, everything, and never coming again. And I distributed maybe thousands of books but nobody called me. And phones of people I had, when I tried to call them, I didn’t have the… please come and so on, and I was inviting them, most of them would never ever come to the temple. When I would say, “Please come to our temple.” 

“Ok, you have a temple… no.” But there were a few people from the South city where this mātājī was living, and when they took the books, they asked me, “Do you have some contacts in the city?” And, I didn’t have any idea except giving this phone number of this mātājī. And I was surprised that after few months I found out, these people whose phones I gave, she took care of them and they started chanting, become devotees. (applause) Some of them are already doing their own preaching, Bhakti Vṛksha set in their house and so on. And I thought, “Well, maybe this program is effective after all.” After sometime the devotees asked me again to start Bhakti Vṛksha. And this time I did. And this was about two and a half years ago when I started by Bhakti Vṛksha. Now my group have multiplied, and they have started their own Bhakti Vṛksha, and we have developed preaching in the center of Israel and in the places where it never there at all.  And also, we are working on translating the Bhakti Vṛksha to Hebrew. And (applause) and what can say except that I am very much thankful for the opportunity to do this amazing, very inspiring service. I can say that my groups started to go to some kirtans with me, and this is much more impressive than just distributing books on your own. Thank you very much. 1.06.01

Aṅgirā Muni Prabhu: I think we should now give the stage to other devotees from other countries. So, thank you very much for you attention. 

Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Iksavaku Prabhu: So, did you like the presentation about the Russian explosion? 

We are so grateful to have these great souls amongst us. For the last three years we have been trying to have them with us to share their experience in preaching Bhakti Vṛksha. So, we want to also announce that with their initiative they want to open a congregational development ministry in Russia. Thanks to the grace of Śrī Guru Nitāi Prabhu under the supervision of Aṅgirā Muni prabhu. So, the next part will be a short clip. This is request from His Holiness Ananta Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja. We request Mother Premavatī please to come up the stage. His Holiness Ananata Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja is a big fan of Bhakti Vṛksha. He uses this festival to track people, but I don’t want to speak much because I have never been in Russia. I just passed through. Let Mother Premavatī to tell us a little bit about this. After the clip she will also report to us about what is going on in Argentina and South American countries.

Mother Premavatī: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Sorry I have a small daughter. She will be with me in the stage. Ok. Hare Kṛṣṇa. I joined first group of Aṅgirā Muni how he measure before. And also, I saw first festival “Goloka Fest.” It started like small festival, maybe about two hundred people. From beginning it was when just old devotees get together in Ekādaśī, and later on Maharaj started opening this project. They started renting different places. First was maybe about 300 new people. It was like Hare Kṛṣṇa discothek all over the night, and devotees had different kinds of performance, and also, they invited one famous DJ who is a devotee. And now like when I came this year to Russian, I mean there was huge football, I don’t know, like stadium was like… maybe 4000 people. And all these contacts which we are getting from the people, later we invited all of them to Bhakti Vṛksha. I think you can see everything in Video, but mainly like people is coming, we have some person who show everything around. They have different tables with different activities. You can learn how to make puris, how to offer this purī to Kṛṣṇa. Then you can make Reiki session, mehindi, many things, and it is huge hall where you can see different kirtans, music. And in the end of the program there is usually a huge cake, like huge, I don’t know, maybe three meters. Now we can see the video together. 

(After the Video Mother Premavatī continues speaking:

Hare Kṛṣṇa. Do you like this festival? Do you want to have in your place? You have to contact Maharaj.

Ok, I will tell little bit how I measure before I joined Bhakti Vṛksha of Aṅgirā Muni. I was like about sixteen years old, and when I was eighteen, I started my first Bhakti Vṛksha. And I think it was my best time in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. My house was full of devotees always. I have three-four program per week. I never have problem with prasādam, and in 2011 I got married with my husband. He is from Argentina. You know him. He is magician. He has many performances in Māyāpur. He lived two and half year in Moscow, and in 2013 or 2014, I don’t remember, we moved to Argentina. And one year before we came to Argentina for the first time, we did seminar. We introduced Bhakti Vṛksha program in Chili and in Argentina, Buenos Aires. And now in Buenos Aires we have five working groups. (applause) In Chili some groups. I don’t know numbers unfortunately. And in Brazil also my husband, he invited Premapadmini. She went to Brazil for one week and one week to Argentina. And in Brazil about twelve groups. And we can see that mainly young people coming to Bhakti Vṛksha. This year we opened one group in our house, and we can see that so many people wants to see Kṛṣṇa, and so many people want to get love, and I think if you didn’t start Bhakti Vṛksha yet, you have to start, because it is an amazing program which keeps you always busy in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It doesn’t matter if you live close to the temple or far away from the temple, because people always can come to your house. And when you preach in Bhakti Vṛksha, Kṛṣṇa always provide you. 

Thank you very much. (applause)

Please bless us that we can come every year to Māyāpur and service you, and that we can multiply our groups every year. (applause)

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Iksavāku Prabhu: So, as you can see, people are transmitting this message of Bhakti Vṛksha everywhere. Bhakti Vṛksha actually means a creeper, and this creeper is going around the whole world. So, if you are a Bhakti Vṛksha preacher, as soon as you travel to other country what you are going to do? But we don’t have that much left tonight. So, we want to invite another preacher. That’s also a part of the Bhakti Vṛksha. It is Her grace Kalasuna Devī Dāsī, the good wife of Advaita Chandra prabhu. They preach in the area of Texas, and they have developed new Bhakti Vṛksha edifications or modules. They are adapted to Western countries. It is a simplified way of applying Bhakti Vṛksha, but I would let you hear from her. 

Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Kalasuna Devī Dāsī: Hare Kṛṣṇa everyone. Thank you Iksavāku prabhu.

Hare Kṛṣṇa everyone. Thank you for coming tonight. So, I just like to say how I was introduced to Bhakti Vṛksha. It was the year 1995, and somewhere in the gulf, under the guidance of His Grace Vijay Veṇu Gopal Prabhu and Prema Padminī mataji, my parents, Bhakta Jana Prabhu and Manorakshi Devī Dāsī, they are here. We were there in the middle-east. At that time my father was working there. I was twelve at that time going to school. An in 1995 I was fifteen, I was initiated by Śrīla Jayapatākā Swāmi Gurumahārāj. And in mid-1995 Śrīla Gurumaharaja was visiting middle-east, and he gave us a presentation about the Bhakti Vṛksha concept, and that time in the Middle-east we had just 20 inititaed he middle-east, we just had around twenty initiated devotees. And Gurumahārāj said that he wanted to give the presentation about a new form of preaching. Actually, that very year wherever Gurumahārāja was travelling, he was presenting about the Bhakti Vṛksha concept, in every place that he was visiting around the world. And nowhere it was actually being implemented. But the middle-east, this particular city in Oman, we were a very small congregation. So, we were up for taking up this Bhakti Vṛksha concept as an experiment. So, one afternoon Gurumahārāja said that all the leaders would go up to his room and they will listen from him about the Bhakti Vṛksha. I was fifteen. I was also like excited. I also wanted to go, but I was told, “No, no, it is not for children. We have a program in the evening. So, it is better if you sit in the kitchen and make some cookies.” I was a little sad, but I said, “Ok, this is also a service for Gurumahārāja.” So, with a heavy heart I was sitting the kitchen and cooking cookies. There was another girl with me. We were both making cookies, and suddenly after some time, within 20-25 minutes I noticed that there was a saffron cloth just next to me, and I looked up and saw Jayapatākā Mahārāj. And he came and said, “What are you doing here?” I said, “I am making cookies for the evening program.” But he said, “I want you to see the presentation.” So, I got the presentation done. So, then he said, “You should come and participate in this presentation.” And then I said to Gurumahārāja, “There is one set of cookies getting baked in the oven right now. I can’t come now.” So, he said, “No, put it on a timer and you set it up. I will take care of it. You go and attend the seminar.” (applause) So, he took me inside, and he had just given the explanation about the groups and how it works. It is a discussion. He gave me a little preview, and then he asked me to join one of the groups. So, that was my first exposure to the merciful way that Gurumahārāja saw that Bhakti Vṛksha, even a child could participate, and Gurumahārāja didn’t forget the cookies though. He went in time and saved the cookies. But just two days ago I was discussing this whole incident with my parents, and my mother she actually told me what they were actually discussing upstairs. Then I was wondering why all these years I was not here. What they were saying is, Gurumahārāja it seems said, “How does rain fall?” Anybody, how does rain fall?

Audience: Drop by drop.

Many answers were given like this. In fact, my mother also answered. My mother said, “Rains come from yajña.” And Gurumahārāj nodded and he said, “But still, how does rain fall.” And then the answer was, “Drop by drop.” Then he said, “That is Bhakti Vṛksha. That Bhakti Vṛksha is a program with fifteen to twenty people group, and by drop by drop we can make it into a flooding ocean, and the entire world will by this drop by drop of this Bhakti Vṛksha process can be inundated, can be flooded with devotees.” So, this is a seed that I had received by the mercy of Gurumahārāja, by the mercy of my parents, and their mercy today we are since 2001, since my marriage we have somehow been in the U.S, and while there, just to keep ourselves engaged, in Texas we have started the Bhakti Vṛksha program. So, from 2001 to 2010 we were doing programs just with Indians. But we had a strong faith because Gurumahārāja would always tell us that Bhakti Vṛksha is a global thing, it can work for everybody, and we had the faith that will work for everyone. So, in 2010 we started our first non-Indian Bhakti Vṛksha program with just local Westerners. The program was so successful that just within six month it multiplied, and we had a lot of Spanish speaking people. So, the group multiplied into one group with Spanish speaking devotees, and right now we have four non-Indian groups, and total of around seventeen groups. (applause) We are in the stage of drop by drop compared to Russia. But by all of your mercy, by the mercy of Śrīla Gurumahārāj, we pray and we request that we can really flood North America through Bhakti Vṛksha. 

Ikshavāku Prabhu: Do you want to hear more about Bhakti Vṛksha. So, we have very few minutes, but we have the presence here of the bhakti vṛksha and congregational preachers from the U.K. So, His Grace Madan Mohan Prabhu, please, he will tell us what’s happening with the Bhakti Vṛkshas in the U.K.

Madan Mohan Prabhu: In the U.K, from 2005 onwards Gurumahārāja always comes and asks us, “Start Bhakti Vṛksha.” Constantly every year Guru Mahārāja encouraging and inspiring us to start Bhakti Vṛksha. Somehow, we could able to start in 2009. There were just two groups. Now we have around 40 Bhakti Vṛksha groups. The main thing is… our success is, we established very good relationship with the temple. Because especially there are two temples in U.K, one is Rādhā Kṛṣṇa temple in city, and the other is Bhakti Vedānta Manor outside of London. We working with the Bhakti Vedānta Manor. We cooperate and we are helping and supporting, cooking, service, festivals, Sunday Feast cooking’s etc. Recently, since last three years we are coming number one in book distribution of congregation. Therefore, the Manor always look forward from the Bhakti Vṛksha to increase their scores. Last to last year we done five thousand books, and the last year we have done 10,000 books, and this year we have done 20,000 books. (applause) In this way the Manor is very, very happy that we are helping to increase the book distribution score. Because of the Bhakti Vedānta Manor… outside India it is the number one temple in book distribution by the support of Bhakti Vṛksha. (applause) Also, in every year of Ratha yatra, the Ratha yātra committee has to hire stewards to control the crowd because U.K laws are very strict. Recently, from the last few years Bhakti Vṛksha has taken the service and the committee chairman told, “Bhakti Vṛksha saved yearly saved 10,000 pounds for the group.” So, the Bhakti Vṛksha devotees suggesting in various services: setting up a pandal, setting up a stall. This is one of the very satisfactions of the Ratha Yatra committee in London. So, Panihāti program, bhakti vṛksha introduced first time in U.K. Damodar program also Bhakti Vṛksha introduced first time in U.K. and Gītā Jayantī and Drama and celebration we done in a unique way first time in U.K. So, we have, recent score is: 5000 bhakti vṛksha programs in Damodar Month, and 20,000 souls offered ghee lamps, and now due to all these programs, along with the forty Bhakti Vṛkshas we are starting 10-15 level-0 Newcomers programs, and five kids Bhakti Vṛkshas also. And also, recently, as mātājī mentioned how in U.S they were doing until 2010 with only with ten Indians, then 2011 onwards they started with non-Indians. Similarly, in U.K also we have recently started in different part of London Bhakti Vṛksha with non-Indian community. Few of them wanted to come this year to Māyāpur for Parikrama. Because we couldn’t manage the crowds separately, we already have sixty people from Indian community only coming to Māyāpur, we postponed them to bring next year. Also, we helped G.B.C to create Yellow pages and giving lot of information support to G.B.C, and devotees moved from here to other countries for Bhakti Vṛksha. They also started Bhakti Vṛksha in Congo. One devotee started Bhakti Vṛksha, and many very backward people were chanting, jumping and dancing. When we presented this video in Manor last year His Holiness Bhaktirasamrita Maharaj commented, “This is the greatest phenomenon, this tribal people come to Bhakti Vṛksha, and to see them chant and dance so enthusiastically.” Because there are no Indians at all in that place. This person only one family of Bhakti Vṛksha līlā. He had done great revolution over there, and from Bhkati Vṛksha we have one full time devotee in Manor now, and two devotees joined full-time Bhakti Vṛksha in Tirupati ISKCON. So, we request all your blessing and prayers so that we can continue our preaching and bring many more souls to Māyāpur every year. Thank you. 

Hare Kṛṣṇa.

******************