A beginner in Krsna Consciousness breaks the record of Chanting

'Life has never been so blissful, than in Krishna Consciousness despite my hellish condition of living' says Khadga Bhandari Baa commenting that the search for higher consciousness require someone to show the way who has already seen the absolute truth. 

Khadga Bhandari baa, inspired by Bhagavad Gita As It is

' I want the boat that sails across the material ocean of existence, I want the sailor who leads one to the spiritual existence...' writes Bhandari baa in his small note book of poems reflecting his life's aspirations. He also wrote some hymns praying to the ultimate divine to rescue him. Then the time came that assured his salvation, the shelter under the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna through His pure devotee in line to the bona fide disciplic succession- the guru parampara. It was on 24th July that Bhandari baa was blessed with the path of perfection by having accepted in this succession by His Holiness Bhakti Caru Swami Maharaj, the most eloquent propounder of the Vedas, who has been also a messenger of peace to the UN in resoliving the Middle East peace process. Swami is the disciple of His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada who was empowered by the Lord as like Jesus and  Mohammad to spread the vedic wisdom in the world. He is the one who built 108 temples, including schools and farms in almost all the major countries of the world in 1960s. His movement widely know as Hare Krishna or iskcon in the West  has eternal succession known back in India as Brahma Gaudiya Sampradaya, one among the four bona fide system in the devotional service. It is the fortune of Bhandari baa to be connected in this line of pure devotees, as a disciple who puts into practice the vedic wisdom, mainly the Bhagavad Gita As It Is, without any tinge of misinterpretation.

Baa with His Holiness Bhakti Caru Swami Maharaj

Baa offered his humble oebsiances to Guru Maharaj and offered a garland. Then he asked to maharaj, ' what are my duties? what are the rules I should follow for my benefit?. Maharaj instructed thus to follow the four rules out of the Vedic sastra, that is to avoid four sinful activites, namely- do not eat meat, also onion and garlic, eggs, fish and anything contaminated. Do not take intoxications, ie wine, beer, smoking etc. Do not indulge in illicit sex, and do not gamble. Baa  agreed. Then maharaj said; chant in this mala the Hare Krishna Mahamantra, at least 16 rounds daily. Baa agreed. Maharj handed over the chanting beeds with prayers to Baa who surrendered unto his lotus feet. This was the begining of the spiritual life of Baa, a second life born from the Vedas as the mother and Guru as the father. Baa felt jubilient and happy. This occassion was arranged by the Naamhat Dhaam. Baa began with the humble prayers chanting the mahamantra, the religious process recommended for this age kali, the age of quarrel.

This turn to the divine way of living and ofcourse dying too, indeed came with much struggle.The most praise worthy in Bhandari baa's character is his disire for the higher consciousness, spiritual, search for the real identity- the soul and its relation to the supreme absolute, Krishna. While forced out of Bhutan in early 1990 to exile in Nepal, he was forced to separate from one of his two brothers. He was terribly ill for several years, more than 30 years. While he was working as a labourer in the Chhuka hydel in Bhutan during 1980s he was injured in his lower hip and the infection to his urinary tract continued. He did not get treatment during his work in the hydel, the infection became chronic each year. Although sick he was, hanging a urinary bag under, he was forcibly exiled along with one of his younger brother. In the refugee camp in Nepal, he did not had proper treatment. He used to recall this days of misery with tears. 

'Let my body, speach and action do not hurt anyone' was my motive in living, says Bhandari Baa adding that whenever a drop of his bodily fluids falls down, he used to clean by himself not allowing anyone take trouble.
Baa is unmarried, celebate to this age of 60's and  to avoid those four pillars of sins has always been his natural habit. He doesn't want to eat meat and other food of the mode of ignorance because he knew already that it will hinder his progress in the spiritual attainment. Following the Vedic principles raises one above the level of animalism because just to remain only in eating, sleeping, mating and defending is the animal propensities. The human form of life is not meant only for that purpose. Its the opportunity to qualify with spiritual wisdom to enter into the kingdom of God. Baa took this opportunity sincerely and rising above all those hundreds of Nepalese and Bhutanese in The Netherlands as a rare person in the devotional service that will lead him to liberation.

Baa with hundred of devotees in the Rathayatra

Although the search for the right method for liberation was  sought by Bhandari Baa through out his life in Nepal and Bhutan, he was led always to the path of bewilderment. He says that until he got the Bhagavad Gita As It Is version, he was always allured to the illusory ways by commercial literatures and so called sadhus.  As soon as I read the Bagavad Gita As It Is, I could recognize the difference between the absolute truth and the man made concoctions, he says.

One month later when I went to take him to the Rathayatra in Amsterdam, I found that his health was improved. His face was shining. He chants the mahamantra: Hare Krsna Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna Hare Hare. Hare  Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare, at least 32 rounds daily, a record break among the beginners in Krsna consciousness. This assures his success of his human form of life and go back to the kingdom of God Goloka.      Gautam