Wow, my face is red

I just came from the veranda to share a very embarrassing story with you all!

I was standing by as Chinmoydeva Prabhu was helping Srila Gurudeva pick out some fruit for a snack. His Divine Grace selected an orange and Chinmoy went to the kitchen to prepare it. Srila Gurudeva then turned to me and asked for some grapes. I ran into the kitchen to wash and rewash the grapes, pick out the best ones and make sure they were not sour. Gurudeva called out after ages of washing and I ran in with the grapes… no spoon or fork or anything… ok, this isn’t the bad part. Thankfully He had a fork that He was using for the orange. He ate some grapes and asked me for an apple. I again ran to the kitchen. Saraswati didi peeled and cut the apple much more quickly than I could have and then I brought it out. When I came out, Srila Gurudeva had moved closer to the end of the room so I brought the apple there… not thinking that he didn’t have a table. Jamuna Priya didi motioned for me to go get the table so I grabbed it and knocked it over sending the grapes and oranges all over the floor…. That would be the embarrassing part. My face was the color of the carpet (for those of you who haven’t been to the Kolkata Math Veranda… RED). Jamuna and Saraswati didi helped me out and brought the table/helped clean the floor and then sent me in for another grape washing bringing time… by the time I brought them, Srila Gurudeva didn’t want them…. Ya….. I am a klutz.

Srila Gurudeva is so merciful. I can’t believe I am here. I have a theory: I must be really bad so His Devine Grace wants to keep me out of society and is keeping me close to him so I don’t disturb the real devotees. He Himself is so merciful that he can tolerate me.

>>>>>>>>> I was going to post this immediately but the internet has taken 20 min and hasn’t loaded the website yet. I give up.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

It is now the next morning. Srila Gurudeva is resting. Ramchandra and Kalachand prabhus are sitting outside doing guard duty. Iti didi (from SLC) is getting ready to go to Nabadwip for a few days. She is only here for like 9 days and two of those she was sick, so time is short for her and she is taking a Tata with Satyabama from Italy.I am glad she is getting the opportunity to go.

It is really nice to have her here. She is a very nice devotee and is loving Kolkata! She says it feels like home... strange girl. I took her to VIP sweets... maybe that has something to do with it. :-)

back in Kolkata

So, we arrived back in Kolkata yesterday. Gurudeva decided Tuesday night and we left 6 am in Wednesday. I am a little sad to have left Nabadwip, but at the same time happy to be back here. Here everything is more convenient and Srila Gurudeva is closer to the doctors and hospital. 

The trip down was fun. Srutasrava prabhu drove! In the care were myself, Nakul Prabhu, Krishna Shakti Prabhu, and from Russia. We joked and talked... and tried not to get killed or to kill anyone. There was a guy brushing his teeth by the side of the FREEWAY and almost walked in front of the car. Cows, chickens, stupid people and the idea of "my huge loud indian truck is bigger than your car, so if you don't get out of my way I will squish you" kept the ride interesting. We arrived about 9:30 am to smog and filth... BUT the store with grapo fizz is a five min walk away AND there is wireless internet!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone!
I wish you all (and me) a year of increased seva, sadana and love for Sri Guru and Gauranga!

From the veranda

Saraswati didi is letting me use her computer on the veranda this morning, so I am writing this from within 10 feet of His Divine Grace (around a corner, of course). 

Saraswati didi is behind me making grape juice, Chinmoydev is studying bengali next to me, Krishna Shakti prabhu is helping him. Gurudeva is resting so we are all doing this very quietly. 

It is COLD outside but very VERY warm in here. I was actually sweating from my hairline while doing my seva this morning (again... not embarrassing at all)

I can hear the morning kirtan... sri guru vaisnava pada.... and the birds. A monkey and her baby are sitting on a branch outside the window. Ramchandra Prabhu, the bouncer at the gate this morning, is joking with someone outside. 

It is so nice to be in Nabadwip, not that I can see where I am... but something is burning through my muck that is my mind an

d showing me at least a glimpse. 

Bindu Mati from Russia and me in the veranda kitchen

So, my external hard drive decided not to work anymore the day after I transfered all my photos from the last year onto it... no such a bright idea... LOL.  Jamuna Priya didi is trying to fix it, but she said even if she can I will most likely lose everything... boo. that is what I get for being attached. Time to start carrying my camera around again. 

Srila Gurudeva is sitting... gotta go. Dandavats to all and to all a good night. :-)

Merry Christmas

Happy Christmas to all! Srila Gurudeva was happy this morning as several devotees came and wished him a Happy Christmas. Avadhuta Maharaja wished Him a happy Christ appearance day then maharaja and Srutasrava prabhu joked about communism and catholic school. Srila Gurudeva just sat by smiling.

thats it for now
dandavats

Lovely sunny morning

Firstly I want to apologize for any offense I make herein. This is meant to be a kind of diary/letter home, not at all an official report from SCS Math.

I am also sorry that updates/letters home have been few and far between but the Internet in Nabadwip is iffy as I don't have an internet key and the cafe hours don't work with my schedule.

Srila Gurudeva is maintaining good health and is continuing to go out almost every afternoon which is amazing for the devotees. He will just say, "wheelchair" and those on the veranda scramble to get everything together and make calls to get the men necessary to carry the chair down the stairs and off we go! Usually we go to Govinda Kunda first, then to see Param Gurumaharaja and then the deities, sometimes to the cow shed. The other day we went all the way to the village behind the math to see a newly acquired house.

It is a lovely warm and sunny morning. I had 4 showers before nine am... if you have been to India, you know what that means. :-) I have been unusually tired and have started taking Chaywanprash and getting to bed earlier, which usually means missing dinner... so get some give some. Dinner isn't until 8-8:30 pm and when wake up time is 4 and there is little time in the day to get stuff done, that isn't always doable.

Anyways, I am going to take a little nap now as I had lovely insomnia last night and am on 4 hours of sleep and need to be back on the veranda at 1 (its 11:30 now)

Missing everyone and praying for your prayers! :-D

This morning in photos

This Amazing Morning


Srila Gurudeva gave Hari Nam initiation to the nephew of Srila Guru Maharaja!

Sripad Avadhut Mahraja gave a very wonderful and funny class...

as Bhakti Lalita Didi...

Ashram Mahraja and many others listened...

Nitai Prabhu from Australia led Nam Sankirtan


From The Last Weeks taken from my cell phone


Srila Gurudeva on His birthday

Birthday Cake

Amazing Grace

my day

I keep getting asked what I do here so have decided to give a breakdown of a typical day.

I get up at about 4 and heat up my water for a bath... exciting! It is really cold and I am not as young as I used to be (if you say you are as young as you used to be, you lie), so cannot handle the cold that early.

I get dressed, try to catch some arotik and am on the Veranda about 5am. What happens next really depends on what Srila Gurudeva is doing. In the course of the morning I usually do an assessment ( I get to touch His Lotus Feet every day!!!!!) and a few other tasks. Mostly I sit in the corner reading scripture or discussing with the other servitors.

I go to breakfast if His Divine Grace is resting at about 8 and am back for 8:30.

Class is at 9, but I usually can't go because my "shift" ends around 10.

A beautiful devotee chanting Japa. I think it is Dhol Govinda Prabhu?

Goswami Maharaja Giving Class on the Samadhi Mandir

I go back to my room, do laundry, chant Japa, clean, etc until prasadam at 12:30 or 1 pm. After lunch I have a little nap or wash my hair (you all know you needed to know when I wash my hair)

My shift starts again at 3pm. This is the time Srila Gurudeva likes to go out. Sometimes it is short, sometimes it is long. There have also been a few days he hasn't felt up to it. The devotees get so much nourishment from seeing Him. It isn't like it was years ago. There is no Darshan time, so this is the time most devotees get to see Him.

After the walk, I do another little assessment and some other jobs. Sometime Srila Gurudeva will walk in the veranda. I got to help once :-D yay! Sometimes He talks to the sanyasis especially Acharyya Maharaja. Gurudeva is always so happy to see Him.
If His Divine Grace is resting I will try to go to evening arotik.
Again, I spend most of my time reading or watching Srila Gurudeva happily talking with His associates.
I leave the veranda again between 7 and 8 depending on Srila Gurudeva's mood. I take some dinner and go to bed... sometimes to read and sometimes to fall unconscious.

So that is my day in brief.

Please leave comments... I know this sounds silly but it encourages me to keep this up.

Update

I know, this is seriously long overdue update to this little blog.
Wednesday
I had to go to Paramatala today to go to the ATM… In very Indian style the first ATM was being serviced… the second was out of money and finally at the third and last ATM in Nabadwip I was able to get some takka.
OK, why do they make rickshaw seats slanted forward? Really, it doesn’t make it easier to stay on at all. I have sore toes when I get off because I am keeping myself on the seat, trying to sit up straight, not let my sari fly over my head, and trying to look sane at the same time. At least it wasn’t on a main road in Kolkata  see, always a silver lining.
The devotees are starting to leave and the Math is getting quiet. Brihaspati Prabhu was here from Arizona with his son Jaya Rupa and Jaya’s fiancée Heidi. It was great to see them all and I shared a room with Heidi.

Brihaspati got new Japa Mala chanted on by Srila Acharya Maharaja and was very happy to have been here. He is also a respiratory therapist and taught me loads that will help in my seva to Srila Gurudeva.
I got The Nectarian Glories of Sri Nityananda Prabhu in the bookstore yesterday and finished it this morning. What a truly amazing compilation. I am trying to memorize the Sri Nityananda Pranam mantra:

nityanandam aham naumi
sarvananda – karam param
hari nama – pradam devam
avadhuta – siromanim

“I bow down to the Supreme Lord Sri Nityananda Prabhu, who is known as Avadhut, the crest jewel of all paramahamsa mendicants. He is the awarder of the highest joy to all and the bestowed of the Holy Name of Lord Hari”

Thursdsy
I washed my clothing today on the roof of the guesthouse next to Govinga Kunda. Looking out I saw the many Mandirs of Sri Chaitanya Saraswath Math shining mercy through the morning fog.

Srila Gurudeva is showing some improved health here in Nabadwip Dham. He has been going out in the wheel chair and on His divine appearance day, he gave us all a great gift: Naming His successor – Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaja.

This was said in a very direct way in both Bengali and English. He spoke of Srila Acharya Maharaja’s service to Himself and the Math. Srila Gurudeva said that Maharaja was very qualified.

What an amazing, wonderful, merciful gift! I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off; like I am safe… I don’t have to think about what to do when Srila Gurudeva finishes his pastimes here… He has given us our next master: Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaja Ki Jai!