2 June '13. Pennysalvania, USA. Ratna Radhika
On the auspicies of His Holiness Bhakti Caru Swami the spiritual retreats are being held in all the coninetnts every year. The joy in paricipating such retreat is beyound sensual perception as it nourishes the soul proper. Such a retreat was held at Gita Nagari, 534 Gita Nagari Rd, Port Royal, Pennysalvania, USA from May 30 to June 2, 2013.
I am very grateful that I had the opportunity to attend Guru Maharaja’s Gita Nagari Retreat. There were around 150 devotees in attendance and even more arrived during the weekend. Guru Maharaja spoke for five and a half hours every day on the topic of Uddhava Gita and in the evenings there were Srila Prabhupada katha sessions. It was enlivening to hear Guru Maharaja speak for so many hours each day. I felt that my consciousness was being purified by the sound vibration and that my vision and focus was becoming more and more clear. I thank Guru Maharaja from the bottom of my heart for giving us so much of his time.
Guru Maharaja’s classes were held in the airy, well-lit temple room surrounded by windows looking out into the beautiful outdoor setting. On Thursday evening Guru Maharaja gave an opening address wherein he talked about the glories of Srila Prabhupada’s ISKCON. Srila Prabhupada set up ISKCON so that we can spread the movement collectively. We should not think what ISKCON will give us, but rather what we can give ISKCON. He spoke about the dedicated devotees in Gita Nagari who have been serving here for years. Guru Maharaja said that he noticed that Radha Damodara’s altar was not befitting the beautiful Lordships, so he decided to have a new altar built for them in Ujjain. At the end of the retreat, so many devotees raised their hands and pledged donations for Radha Damodara’s new altar. Guru Maharaja said that he was touched by the response. He had already planned to build the altar regardless, but now, he said jokingly, we had taken the service away from him. Part of the money devotees offered will also be used to build a new altar for Srila Prabhupada in the temple room.
On the auspicies of His Holiness Bhakti Caru Swami the spiritual retreats are being held in all the coninetnts every year. The joy in paricipating such retreat is beyound sensual perception as it nourishes the soul proper. Such a retreat was held at Gita Nagari, 534 Gita Nagari Rd, Port Royal, Pennysalvania, USA from May 30 to June 2, 2013.
I am very grateful that I had the opportunity to attend Guru Maharaja’s Gita Nagari Retreat. There were around 150 devotees in attendance and even more arrived during the weekend. Guru Maharaja spoke for five and a half hours every day on the topic of Uddhava Gita and in the evenings there were Srila Prabhupada katha sessions. It was enlivening to hear Guru Maharaja speak for so many hours each day. I felt that my consciousness was being purified by the sound vibration and that my vision and focus was becoming more and more clear. I thank Guru Maharaja from the bottom of my heart for giving us so much of his time.
The retreat setting was beautiful and peaceful, like Vrindavan. Gita Nagari is in a rural town in Pennsylvania. The temple property is around 300 acres and the temple has 70 cows. There are also many peacocks roaming the property and purifying the atmosphere with their enchanting calls. Gita Nagari is the home of the most merciful, Sri Sri Radha Damodara, Who, in the 1970’s, traveled all over the US in a bus called the Radha Damodara Sankirtan Party. It is also the temple that was under the guidance and leadership of H.H. Bhakti Tirtha Swami. His samadhi is just next to the temple.
Guru Maharaja’s classes were held in the airy, well-lit temple room surrounded by windows looking out into the beautiful outdoor setting. On Thursday evening Guru Maharaja gave an opening address wherein he talked about the glories of Srila Prabhupada’s ISKCON. Srila Prabhupada set up ISKCON so that we can spread the movement collectively. We should not think what ISKCON will give us, but rather what we can give ISKCON. He spoke about the dedicated devotees in Gita Nagari who have been serving here for years. Guru Maharaja said that he noticed that Radha Damodara’s altar was not befitting the beautiful Lordships, so he decided to have a new altar built for them in Ujjain. At the end of the retreat, so many devotees raised their hands and pledged donations for Radha Damodara’s new altar. Guru Maharaja said that he was touched by the response. He had already planned to build the altar regardless, but now, he said jokingly, we had taken the service away from him. Part of the money devotees offered will also be used to build a new altar for Srila Prabhupada in the temple room.
Guru Maharaja mentioned that the idea behind holding the retreat in Gita Nagari is to support ISKCON projects. Gita Nagari is struggling financially and is lacking man-power. So Guru Maharaja said that holding retreats like this provides financial support and also gives encouragement to the devotees living here. He urged all devotees living in the surrounding areas of New Jersey, New York, etc., to buy the pure, ahimsa milk from Gita Nagari cows, as well as the fresh vegetables. This is a way of offering support to the project. Although it is more expensive to buy the milk from Gita Nagari compared to store-bought milk, the money stays within the family of ISKCON. Guru Maharaja emphasized that we should support and encourage our family of ISKCON.
On Sunday, there was an initiation ceremony. Nineteen devotees received first initiation and seven devotees received second initiation. Guru Maharaja emphasized that at the time of initiation we are officially surrendering to the representative of the Lord. Srila Prabhupada is the Founder-Acharya and therefore he is the siksa guru of everyone in ISKCON. Srila Prabhupada is Lord Krishna’s representative and Guru Maharaja is Srila Prabhupada’s representative. For example, glasses don’t obstruct our vision but rather enhance it, similarly, the guru is the transparent medium of Krishna and Srila Prabhupada’s instructions. A telescope has many lenses so that we can see further, so in the same, the more we become connected to our spiritual master in disciplic succession, the more our vision becomes clear. Guru Maharaja’s final instructions to the new initiates were to always stay within ISKCON (“if you leave ISKCON there is no hope for spiritual advancement”) and to make Srila Prabhupada the center of their lives.
Though there were plenty of breaks in the day for devotees to rest, I noticed that Guru Maharaja did not get much rest. Sometimes he would stay after a session answering further questions by devotees. Or there would be personal darshans scheduled for disciples. On Saturday, Guru Maharaja also had to meet all the new initiates. I was amazed to see how much time Guru Maharaja sacrifices for our spiritual benefit and advancement. After the Sunday initiations, Guru Maharaja said that he had to now hurry to be in time to give the Sunday Feast lecture in New Jersey (3 hours away). All glories to Guru Maharaja’s profound and amazing service to Srila Prabhupada. I pray that the instructions he gave in his wonderful seminars stay in my heart and that I can somehow assist him in his service to Srila Prabhupada.
Guru Maharaja said that next year’s Gita Nagari Retreat will probably be August 21st-24th, 2014.
His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami ki jaya!
His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!
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