Reflecting back on the last two weeks I see that we make our plans but Sri Krsna has His own. Not that I should not make plans or try to do the seva as best as possible, but I definitely learned the need to be flexible and open when He sends curve ball after curve ball.
From Shimla we went first to Panchkula. That we even went there shows what complex twists and turns the Lord weaves. We ended up in Rajendra’s home because he “happened” to go with a colleague to visit a special Hannuman temple, they had some extra time and her daughter who “happened” to be a disciple of Srila Gurudeva said they should stop in Vrndavan and visit Sri Rupa Sanatan Gaudiya Matha. While they where there they “happened to meet” Sukadha didi, “who happened to mention” that we would be in the Chadigar area. She took their info and texted it to me while we were in Shimla. I called and said we could come, sing some bhajans and speak something.
When we reached his home we were a bit surprised to see all kinds of commotion as they were hanging speakers off the balcony, preparing an altar with the traditional set of Hindi gods, spreading white sheets for sitting. “Can you really sing Hindi bhajans. Sing something now for us to hear.” At least three family members questioned us along these lines. “We didn’t think you could, so we invited someone who can sing many.” As the program began and the 70 odd guests arrived then we realized that we had become guests at the program originally organized for us. We did sing a few bhajans after the traditional ones for Ganeshji and other demigods were sung, and I am certain they sang more Krsna bhajans then they normally would.What to do? After the program we did our best to connect with people, distribute a few books and issue many invitations to Vrndavan.
The next morning we offered arati and sang for our deities. Besides the immediate family, grandma, aunty, uncle and cousins stayed the night. They began to join us and called for more songs, and more songs, and more songs. We began explaining something about the songs. They asked more questions which led to more explanation. All the points we had planned to make in the class we had prepared came out naturally that morning. Our host even said, “If I had known, we would have let you sing like this yesterday.” Everything has its reasons . . . we are not the controllers.
Next we shifted to a home near Chandigar. We stayed for a few days meeting friends and family. They had planned a program for the 10th. We were totally shocked when we came downstairs for lunch and saw a small pandal being constructed in the road in front of the house.
We had prepared our class and even made photocopies of the songs we planned to sing from the Hindi song book so everyone could follow. But the pandal was never expected.
We thought, “don’t panic, we are dancing white elephants. Whatever we do will be entertaining.” The pandal even had white elephants as part of the decorations.I think this family also was not sure we could pull off a good enough show so they also hired singers. This troop was somehow connected to Vrndavan, so at least everything they sang was Sri Sri Radha Krsna Bhajans. When our turn came we were less shy this time and sang bhajans until we got the tap . . . twice. Then Kunja told me, “they want us to let the others sing again, but just speak something quick.” We had planned a class starting with how you can’t be truly happy in this world so you have take care of the soul, building into the glories of the holy name with the grandspectacular conclusion that you need sat guru. I guess it needs more work, or else the crowd wasn’t ready for it. So I stammered something about where we where from, why we were here, why we sang so much mahamantra and invited everyone to visit us in Vrndavan and meet our beloved guru. Not what we planned but . . . we are not the controllers.
A few crazy days in Vrndavan, changed my traveling companions for Yashoda didi and off to Delhi and then to Nanital. Well turns out the family that I had met in Haridwar who said they lived near Nanital, actually lived over an hour away. And instead of the cool mountains by the lake, it was still on the plains and hot like Vrndavan. I definitely was tricked into this.
The first evening we went out for book distribution. The first few people I tried were not interested. I could hardly believe it when I was called over by a few men at a food cart with bits of chicken bodies skewered to look . . . appealing?! I tried to avert my eyes but ended up looking at the chopping board and knife. I winced as they spread the books I handed them on the counter. But I can never underestimate the reach and compassion of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. They took four books, including the Bhagavad-gita. After that we had quite good luck distributing books in this town, Haldwani, which I never even knew existed, much less planned to visit.
The family was very sweet and enthusiastic. The daughter, Papul, loved distributing books. She was always thinking where would be the best place to take us and what to say to people. Even the mother and sister who only spoke Hindi would tell guests to the home all about us and then start pulling books from the box and selling them to their neighbors, family and friends.But again all plans were changed when Yashoda didi came back from a day of book distribution quite sick. At the hospital I gave books to some of the staff who were helping us. One doctor spoke to us a long time and actually come to the house the next day. He ended up taking a Jaiva Dharma, and nine other books, including some to give as gifts. Maybe we came here to distribute books to the doctors at the hospital? Or maybe the guys in the chicken cart. Not sure. But we had to come back after just three days because our host family was called back to their village because their grandmother was in the final stages of cancer. A week in the mountains distributing books besides a lake, well . . . we are not the controllers.
I just pray that that Supreme Controller was able to make use of us somehow.
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