Diary
of a spiritual journey 14
October 11, 2006
Vaisnavas
It was a wonderful month in South Africa, because of the devotees, vaisnavas
are such nice people. They are real friends. First I went to Durban and needed
a bit of rest because I came in straight from the Leipzig, Ratha Yatra. I did
some programs in Durban, but then quickly moved on to Pretoria, for a student
retreat, most of them were from african origin and kirtana was the main
attraction of the event. The african people have such a deep and natural attraction
for kirtana, that they immediately become totally absorbed. Among other
programs we did a Saturday night hari nama. So it was wonderful, although
a little difficult for me to keep up with the pace.
Soweto
The next program was in Soweto. The Ghetto where in the past about one million
black african people were forced to live in poverty and injustice under the
apartheid policy of the South African, white regime. Soweto was a lawless place
ruled by streetgangs. The Soweto uprising of 1976, where protesting students
were massacred by the police was followed by more violent protest demanding
racial equality. What is left today of that gruesome past? Still a very tough
present! Now in that same Soweto there is a Hare Krsna temple. Mahaprabhu dasa,
the temple president, grew up in Soweto, but joined ISKCON some 25 years ago,
and went back 6-7 years, it is by his preaching efforts assisted by his wife
Malini and his son Nitai. Mahaprabhu is wonderful devotee, humble and serious
about Krsna conscious and a great kirtan leader, his wife was the Deity
cook in Johannesburg temple for a long time and she is a great cook. The hari
namas in Soweto are very special, hundreds of kids follow the kirtan
party and dance along. The devotees do a lot of "Food for Life", which
made ISKCON very popular. I bow down at their lotus feet.
Gauteng
Next I did programs all over the Johannesburg region. Seminars on Srila Bhaktivinode
Thakura's Jaiva Dharma for a few days in a rented hall. Mostly attended by devotees
from Indian origin. South Africa is known as the rainbow nation, a multi cultural
society, with people from African, Indian and European background. In our movement
the combination works well, the Indian devotees bring some tradition and the
Africans bring life to the kirtan.
All over
Next
I traveled all over to smaller country towns, meeting many devotee friends.
Back to Durban for more seminars and on to Capetown, the cosmopolitan tourist
haven. A beautiful place with mountains, palmstrees and tropical flowers, where
two oceans meet. And sometimes too much wind and rain, but otherwise a great
place. People are relaxed and the alternative minded people in to yoga and new
age hang out on the Cape. We have a nice temple there with young people and
Devamrita Maharaj is running a yoga lounge program there introducing people
to bhakti via hatha yoga.
Back to Durban
For the first day of Kartika the beautiful Radha Radhanatha Temple a landmark
of temple architecture in the Indian area of Durban, was filled with many visitors.
The entire atmosphere was very much like Vrndavana, while people offered their
lamps to the Deities and were singing the Damodarastaka prayers.
Flight to Germany
Now I am resting a little bit in Germany before proceeding to Vrndavana. The
devotees here have welcomed me very nicely. What good fortune we have to be
always with devotees and to have this worldwide family of vaisnavas. Together
we can make it in Krsna consciousness.