EKADASI, the Day of the Lord

Diary of a spiritual journey 13
August 9, 2006

We spent a nice Ekadasi in Sweden in a beautiful, natural setting in a summer house on a lake. The theme of the day was sadhana and although we increased our number of rounds and our hearing, it was still a very relaxing experience. We woke up in the early morning and jumped in the cool lake, a very nice and refreshing way to take bath then we began chanting and later more devotees came for the morning class. The class was about chanting and surrender, about conquering our mind, which is thinking of a 1008 other things to do, but this time no excuse, no phone, no e-mail, no work, one day nothing else to do, ....just chant. Then we started on the extra rounds, everyone chanted more than usual.

In the middle of the day, because it was hot, we had planned to have a swim in the lake. But why only us, certainly Sri Sri Gaura Nitai, also felt attracted to the cool lake in the sweltering summer heat. So we took the Deities in to the water, we went waist deep and held them in front of our chest then the devotees scooped up water with our hands and all were bathing the Deites in this way. Since this time the lake has been transformed by the mercy of Sri Sri Gaura Nitai and anyone who takes bath at that place will certainly attain love of God. Tapas named it "Karuna Ghat", the bathing place of mercy. Bathing in cool lakes is good for the appetite so we all relished the nice ekadasi preparations. Next we sang the holy name a little and then all together chanted a chapter of Bhagavad Gita, sanskrit and translations. For the rest of the afternoon, more japa and in the evening, devotees started singing rocking bhajans followed by some ekadasi cake with srikand, fasting and feasting. It was not an ekadasi of great austerity, of dry fast and staying up all night, -maybe we'll do that some other time-, this day was one of a lot of fun and plenty of hearing and chanting.

Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji one day wanted to observe the disappearance of Srila Sanatana Goswami with a feast. Devotees who were present said, that is wonderful idea, Babaji Maharaja. Then after some time they asked, but where are we going to get the ingredients for the festival. Then Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji pointed at his japa mala and said: "All the ingredients for a festival are here."