75th issue - Nitya-seva Newsletter

 July, August, September 2024.

Dear Devotees,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. Jaya Radha-Syama!

After a sweltering summer, the oncoming of autumn, bringing with it rain and cooler temperatures, was a relief for many. The residents of New Vraja Dhama awaited its arrival just as the Vraja-vasis had done during the Lord’s earthly pastimes: “All creatures of the land and water took advantage of the newly fallen rainwater, their forms became attractive and pleasing, just as a devotee becomes beautiful by engaging in the service of the Supreme Lord.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 10.20.13)
 
Among the multitude of festivities of the past months, the appearance day of the Queen of Vrindavana was outstanding. The Radhastami festival was a weekend of joyous celebrations with a record attendance of about 900 devotees. The early Sunday morning pushpa-abhishek of Radha-Syama was performed for the third year running, but unlike worldly phenomena, the magic does not wane, nor does the surcharged atmosphere ever feel hackneyed. Before the abhishek, Srila Sivarama Swami gave participants a meditation: just as the flower petals fall naturally to the lotus feet of Radha-Syama, our surrender before Their Lordships should also be as natural and unreserved. Since the guru offers the disciple, as well as his/her services, to Sri Krishna, one must follow one’s spiritual master’s instructions with the surrender of the flower petals. This means one must give oneself without conditions; no “maybes”, no “ifs”, no “buts”.
 
The sweetness of the pushpa-abhishek was coupled with the gravity of the initiation ceremony some hours later. This was the first time two sannyasa disciples of HH Sivarama Swami - HH Mahaprabhu Swami and HH Bhaktipada Goswami - were accepting their own disciples. Our GBC, His Grace Radha Krishna Dasa, opened the ceremony by reminding us of three desires that HH Sivarama Maharaja had expressed many years prior. He wanted someone to take over his duties as GBC, to have Hungarian disciples taking sannyasa, and to have his disciples initiate their own disciples. The first two having already taken place, the third was about to come to fruition! Almost 30 devotees took first initiation from the three gurus present, as a tent packed full of devotees witnessed history in the making. This was yet another move forward to strengthen the foundations for the future development of this very carefully carved out Hungarian yatra.
 
As usual, we would like to introduce to you one of our latest Nitya-seva donors, Éva Dékánné, who first came in touch with Krishna consciousness in the nineties. She received the Bhagavad-gita from one of her close friends, and some years later, impressed by the contents, went looking for the temple in Budapest. But in the intervening period the devotees had relocated, so her search bore no fruit. It was only a few years ago, after some research, that she found the whereabouts of the current temple; as they say, everyone has a time when they are ‘ready’. She felt it was a real homecoming, for at last she was diving into what she had always been looking for, deep down. She moved closer to the temple so as to be able to associate with the devotees more. On her inspiration her husband also started to read the Bhagavad-gita, became vegetarian, and even began chanting. Furthermore, recently Éva retired, allowing her more opportunity to serve Gaura-Nitai and Radha-Syama. But in addition to giving her time, she also came forward to participate in Their Lordships’ Nitya-seva by sponsoring a day of worship for Their pleasure. Éva understood that serving Them is the essence of life and our eternal duty, so this was a true homecoming indeed.
 
We would like to thank her immensely for her service, and all of you who also take part in this wonderful seva!

 
On behalf of the Nitya-seva team
Your servant
Mohana Dasa
 
12th October, 2024., Somogyvámos