Janmasthami/Prabhupada's Appearance Day

Happy Janmasthami! (Yesterday)

Happy Appearance Day of Srila Prabhupada! (Today)

JOURNAL:

Yesterday I went to the Portland "Preaching Center" for the first time. This is different than the ISKCON center in Hillsboro, which I still have not been to. I was welcomed by my old friends, Kshetrajna Prabhu and his wife Mahabhagavat Mataji, which I had recently re-met at last month's Ratha Yatra. These two have been running preaching centers in the Portland area since the early nineties (or maybe longer). There I celebrated Janmasthami; taking my turn reading from "Krsna Book", and sharing prasadam with a handful of devotees.

It was so good to see these two again. They remembered me from their last location but not from before that until I reminded Kshetrajna of the time, while balancing my two year old son in one arm, I knocked over Tulasi's water bowl. That made him laugh. They identified the picture of the deities that I carry with me; they are Sri Sri Radha Shyamsundar, from Vrindavan, India. I was invited to come back the next day for Srila Prabhupada's Appearance Day.

When I arrived at 10:30 this morning I was the only one there. Kshetrajna Prabhu bathed the murti of Srila Prabhupada while I quietly watched and chanted. It was the most intimate pastime I have ever had in a temple; beautiful beyond description!

When the bathing ceremony was completed, Mahabhagavat Mataji surprised me by giving me a strand of neck beads. I was also given a song book by Kshetrajna Prabhu. A few other devotees arrived and we had arati. We then read from a book of praises to Srila Prabhupada that was published this year for those who contributed to it. Kshetrajna Prabhu, Mahabhagavat Mataji and one of the other devotees present had contributed. The prasadam was again wonderful and I left in a totally blissful state with a bag of cookies to distribute.

All glories to Sri Sri Radha Krishna! All glories to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and the most gracious devotees! Hare Krishna!

(Above photo: Allahabad, around 1924. From left to right: (seated) Abhay and his son Prayag Raj; his father, Gour Mohan; his older sister, Rajesvari, with her daughter, Sulakshman; (standing) Radharani, Abhay's wife; her nepheu Tulasi and her brother Krishna Caran.)