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| | Enviado Sábado, 22 de Enero de 2005 - 03:32 pm: |  |
Padayatra América
July 4th
The scene is quite different...we are in the Harlinger district; hot temperatures, palm trees, everybody is of Latin descent (2nd, 3rd generations and all kinds of mixing) and everyone is bilingual; the tropical atmosphere is predominent. “El Tigre” gas station....Things are more simple but still the American culture of materalistic life is present.
The border is 10 miles away. Tomorrow we will complete our 2,700 mile journey througout the United States of North America which will bring us to the Agriculture Dept. for exportation at the Brownsville airport; where we will wait for the papers to come back from Austin and Mr. Muller will meet us with a trailor to transport the program. (they won´t let us walk across.)
Ekodeva prabhu is waiting for us on the other side in Matamoros.
Talking with the local “border patrol” (a whole department dedicated to preventing illegal importations) we see the contrast of life- on one side is a struggle for “improvement” of life; but here on the other side is that same struggle, but camoflouged with some aspect of sense gratification. In any sense, the struggle will always exist because that is the nature of the material world. The young officer (of Mexican descent) told us a story how yesterday they catch 3 people; the “collote” Mexicans know the routes through the desert section of the Rio Grande bringing hundreds of immigrants into America daily. I laugh and say “People want to come in and we want to go out”.
Anyway, the Lord has an arrangement for the Latin American countries....and I want to participate even if I can´t know what is that arrangement is for increasing the impact of Their mercy...
July 6th
Ekodeva prabhu joined us today, it was a mystical arrangement how we meet....Mr. Muller and myself were bringing the horses over to a “pesebrera” a community corral where he also owns some stables.
We will rest there. After coming over the bridge (Rio Grande, who is not so grande anymore) we had to stop to wait for the officials; I was in the car when suddenly just in front of me I see a devotee of Lord Krsna!! He was walking, not knowing exactly where we would meet. This bridge and customs area is the biggest in the Matamoros area, and we had very little points of reference- so you might be concerned, but the Lord stopped us right at the proper place and time and without difficulty we picked prabhu up and now we are off to the resting place.
Mexican flag- green, red and white with a bird and snake in the middle- remininscent of Garuda- a cultural shock immediately on the other side of the river. In one sense there is more poverty, but at the same time there is a cultural background that makes us feel more welcome. At the first traffic light a group of young children and a young mother run to the wagon and ask for a “peso” for some food to eat....we show them the beautiful Deities and give them cards with the holy name, ask them to chant. This is what we have to give.
The horses need to rest, especially the hoof. At this point 4000km, (2700 miles) they are deteriorated from the impact of the asphalt. We plan to stop for a 2 month break.
Matamoros is a classic Latin American town, we see the Catholic church cathedral in the center of town surrounded by a colorful park with shady trees where people of all ages sit to spend time, talk, eat,or just sleep. Occasional street dogs enter the scene; temperature is a cool 32°C (95°F). Fruiterias on every corner...personally I feel very comfortable in the atmosphere, and I am very confident of the reception of the padayatra preaching in this new country, culture; especially since the Vaisnavas are eager to see Their Lordships conquer the Latin America with Their mercy.
North Mexico is an area of “rancheros” or traditonal cowboys. Historically we see many battles have taken place on the shores of this Rio Grande (remember the Alamo) for independence of the Spanish Mexicans, American Indians and Texas colonists.
Either culture, the poor or rich; what remains the same is a struggle for sense gratification and an intense need for Krsna consciousness.
Candrabhaga writes:
What we see from the perspective of a devotee is the fact that whether one is materially superior or inferior, it is simply another way to try to mitigate the inevitable sufferings of a world of duality...a struggle for some bodily gratification. Srila Prabhupada explains the happiness of the material world as bhoga-tyaga which means that any kind of so-called happiness requires some amount of suffering, and he gives the example that if you want to build a big sky-scraper building you must dig just as far into the earth. And the result of such labor still hovers on the material platform; but the ecstatic realm of devotional service to God gives a transcendental result, something eternal and full of substance. This is the more important need of the soul. Otherwise, simply to struggle to eat, sleep, mate and defend is no better than the animal.”
Oh, my Lord Nrsimha, You are in Your ferocious form (Ugra) full of love for Your devotee. Desiring to preach, You came and developed this program. You manifest/installed Sri Sri Nitai-Gaurasundara and put this program on the roads. 4000 km and 14 months- all glories to You!! You have directed through Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, North & South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, and now Mexico (Tamaulipos). Oh Lord of Prahlada, You are leaving behind a country where You impacted unlimited living entities by freely distributing Your mercy in the form of the holy name; books, magazines, prasadam, darshan, direct devotional service...This is all Your credit. Under Your guidance we faced many difficulties, and by Your mercy we learned and solidified our relationship with You.
“Om namo bhagavate Vasudevaya”- all glories to You Lord Nrsimha!
quote:Obeisances to Lord Nrsimha, the all-pervading Supreme Personality of Godhead. Supreme in all the worlds, He is the resting place of all the living entities; eternally glorious with strength, power, heroism, and splendor. He is brilliant like a great silver mountain; splendid with a great mane; dazzling with a ruddy golden glory that fills the universe.
[from the Sri Visnu Dharmottara Purana.]
Oh, Lord Nrsimha by Your mercy only can we satisfy Your sevants, those who desire to see the glories of the holy name to be expounded in every village and town . This is Your padayatra, I am Your servant. Do with our life as You desire, and under all circumstances bless us with the proper consciousness to live Your will; knowing that is the way to acheive the perfection of our service.
quote:sankarenadarat proktam padaram tattva uktara
tri-sandhya yo jupet tasya vidya yuh sris ca vardhate
Lord Nrsimha, You are the Supreme Soul; I bow down to You and consider myself Your servant seeing everyone else has voluntarily become Your servant. Thus Sankara Paramesvara has explained the real meaning of every word....
Ugra Nrsimha Bhagavan ki jaya!
Padayatra America is moving on. Hare Krsna Hare Krsna......
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