Indian Travelling Saṅkīrtana Party

Service in separation is union in separation. Service renders physical laws elastic. Time and space repair to the background, and devotional service stands exalted. Association through sound, the spiritual master in sound, never leaves, never is lost or forgotten. The constant unexpected guide, the art of service, is to hear. Real hearing. To hear and immediately assimilate in the mind and senses and then to manifest the sound in service-that is "hearing". Hearing that stops when the speaker stops is not hearing. It is listening, merely a sensation. Srila Prabhupada's tongue and lips and voice are not limited. They have no beginning and never end in the hearts of those who can hear. Just like electricity carried by different conductors (aluminum and copper conduct but also resist electricity; it is not until we come to silver and platinum that there is no resistance), some things are revealed from master to disciple, and others, due to the contamination of envy, are resisted or temporarily blocked. But the iron is getting hotter, and soon it will be redhot-because his fire is very hot, because he is the pure conductor of the descending fruit of Bhagavata-rasa, to be drunk through our ears and passed on to those dehydrated on the desert of void, in the rasaless realm of nirakara (formlessness). Ideas which harbor all misunderstandings are cultured there. And the seeds of devotion fructify very slowly in such a desert. But he sends rain: his voice rains down torrents to enrich us. Srnvatam sva-kathaḥ-krsnaḥ: "Just hear about Krsna, talk about Krsna, sing about Krsna, cry for Krsna. Krsna Krsna Krsna." Prabhupada in kirtana is pouring rain upon us that we may grow and bear fruits, sing and inspire dancing, write and be read, speak and be heard by those who can "hear". Srila Prabhupada, when will we hear you? "When you are willing to hear like Maharaja Pariksit. When you desire to hear more than any other thing. When you are pure enough to transmit what I say intact. When you can hear me even when I am not physically present before you. Then it is real hearing, hearing and chanting. Our mission is to make people hear and chant, but first you must learn to hear."

Srila Prabhupada has heard. He has heard Sarasvati. He has heard Guara-kisora, Bhaktivinoda, Jagannatha, Baladeva, Visvanatha and Narottama. He has heard and is always hearing them. Just as they were sent to chant, so he has been sent. And we have been sent to hear, to assimilate and to go on chanting, to be heard by many more who are coming. That is the difference between His Divine Grace and all of the others, all the "men of knowledge", "men of science", "men of politics", "men of power and influence". They are all, honestly or dishonestly, attempting to find the truth, or God, or happiness, or whatever, but Srila Prabhupada has come from the Truth, down to us give something, to chant something. They are all striving, practicing, fighting, struggling, sometimes even succeeding in achieving their goal. But Prabhupada is there, there with Krsna, calling down to them who are fighting, struggling, and us who are practicing and striving. He is calling to us to join him in the chanting and hearing.

We are traveling for him through deserts, deserts of sand and scorching Indian May asphalt and searing winds that dry dhotis in two minutes. And we are traveling for him through deserts of void hearts scorched by Sahkara and forced to take shelter under the rocks where it is damp and dark, where even sense gratification is bland and cold. But still they are reluctant to come out-afraid, bitter, angry and, worst of all, envious. But we know more than they think we know because His Divine Grace has told us. He has told us what no one could ever conclude by study or degrees or science or yoga: Krsna….dancing. When they hear, most cannot understand. Some see and are amazed. "We never knew anything like this-Krsna beyond the light, beyond the gunas. I thought I had it all worked out, but baffled, baffled. Now we see, and we are dwarfed again (which is our true size)." And they give, they give their energy, the kidnapped Sita that they cannot enjoy but hoard in anxiety. And the Jeeps move to the next desert, successful. Srila Prabhupada; "Yes, the Jeeps idea is successful because it was my idea. That is my disease-I cannot think of any small plan, only gigantic plans. Cover all of India in your Jeeps. You never have to stop. You are free to go anywhere. You have my blessings."

By Your blessings everything can happen-and is happening all over the world, in the deserts. Your rain makes them like fruitful valleys and your devotees like lakes who preserve the rasa and nurture the land, the sandy waste, into a garden.

May your rain never stop pouring on us. May there never be another drought. May the clouds never fade away.