By Acyuta Gopi
When I went to South Africa in ’09 the plane ride there I was too excited to notice how long it took. The plane ride back was another story. 21 hours on a plane for a direct flight sounds feasible. Until you are on said flight. At one point I was literally banging my head against the seat in front of me (which was empty at the time, I’m not that rude) wondering why, God, why, was I still on this plane.
When we landed I sighed and thought “there has GOT to be a better way of doing that” but I went there to sing Kirtan. To be an emissary of Radha Govinda and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mercy. A very very tiny ambassador.
I was comfortable the whole time. I didn’t even have any motion sickness from the plane. I had loads of things to read. Chanted japa. I Had my brother and Hari to talk to. I felt safe and protected the whole time. I journaled, but I admit, a lot of it was about how long the flight was. But I can tell you what I wasn’t.
I wasn’t 69 years old. I was 24. I wasn’t leaving my home for an undetermined amount of time for a brand new land that I had never been to. I was heading back home.
I traveled to South Africa where they really treated me amazingly. I had friends and those who treated me like family immediately. We did hours of Kirtan with devotees who were eager to chant the holy names. I didn’t have to pioneer anything or go through any hardships at all, because someone had already done that for me.
Our dear Grandfather Srila Prabhupada begged passageway on a freight carrier and journeyed across the ocean for 38 days. My 21 hour flight in the lap of luxury was nothing!
He came to a place where he knew no one and was unsure if anyone would be able to help him carry out his mission. He fought sea sickness, life threatening heart attacks and braved the roughest conditions because he had such firm faith and conviction in the orders of his guru and the message of Lord Caitanya.
Because of his journey and his sacrifice, I am here today. Because of his amazingly selfless personality I am able to say I’ve dedicated 30 years to this movement. Because of all of his hardships I was able to go to South Africa where I knew no one and gain an entire family in one day because we are connected worldwide by his vision. I can travel anywhere in the world confident that I will be cared for because of Srila Prabhupada’s work.
And when he journaled, it wasn’t full of complaints about the hardships he had to endure. Somehow he was thankful to be performing the work that would make his spiritual master proud.
Humbly and compassionately he wrote that somehow or other he would have to come to this place where the name and fame of Sri Sri Radha Govinda was relatively unknown and fill the consciousness of these people with the desire for devotional service.
And now, I can make a Facebook post about Radha Govinda and with no explanation needed hundreds will like it. Comment on it. Agree with my sentiments. Srila Prabhupada has made it as easy as the click of a button. A snap of the fingers. And suddenly we have a worldwide community.
The house that Srila Prabhupada has built is huge and magnificent and is growing everyday due to the efforts and faith of his brilliant, effulgent sons and daughters who shine like gems with the radiance of his love and blessings wherever they go.
I offer my respectful obeisances to my dearest Grandfather who took every difficulty to come and save me personally.
I offer my respects to my uncles and aunts, his sons and daughters who teach me constantly about the true heart and consciousness of a devotee and what it means to serve.
And I offer my respects to my spiritual father, my dear GuruMaharaj without whom I would not have made my formal link And my connection to Srila Prabhupada and his house.
Caitanya Mangala describes beautifully, the magic, and the gravity of our strong bond and connection to Sri Sri Radha Govinda and Srila Prabhupada.
Young Visvambhar has met with his guru Isvara Puri and falling at his feet, with tears in his eyes Lord Gauracandra says:
“I am fortunate to get darshan of your feet. Please tell me how I can cross the ocean of material existence. Please give me devotion for the lotus feet of Krishna. This body is meaningless without receiving initiation into the Krishna-mantra. The Puranas proclaim this and the saints concur”
This has been a quote that has stayed with me through the years whenever I reflect upon how fortunate we all are to have been blessed with the physical presence and the teachings of a soul like Srila Prabhupada. I don’t even like to think about what might have been had he not come to literally save us all.
On this day I hope to reflect on and rejoice about my good fortune. And to re-dedicate myself to taking advantage of that good fortune. He came with the medicine. All we have to do is take it. He made the process more simple than simple.
Seeing as how I am a woman, and let’s face it, the majority of women love a good sale (no offense, but it’s genius really) Lord Nitai came to open the market place of the holy name, and Srila Prabhupada came and put everything on sale!
His words aboard the Jaladhuta are some of my favorites, and although that type of faith is difficult to live by for those like myself with so many attachments, the sentiment is too sweet not to constantly repeat and Hope that someday in the future I rise to this level:
“Oh Lord, I am just like a puppet in your hands. So if you have brought me here to dance, then make me dance, make me dance, O Lord, make me dance as you like.”
All glories to Srila Prabhupada who crossed the ocean to drown the whole world in an ocean of love of God. And all glories to all of you, who constantly remind me of what the ultimate goal is.