Caring for Govardhan Silas and adoring them intensely. From Vrindavan. 11/2/2014

My dear devotees
Accept my affection from Vrinda Kunja,

Yesterday we were doing a very nice ceremony on the banks of the Yamuna river. The first ceremony of its kind, where more than 100 devotees were celebrating the 20th anniversary of the installation of Gauranga Radha Vraja Mohan. And this morning Govardhan Silas were delivered to the devotees who want to worship Govardhan in their temples and programs. I was very happy about this. The vrajavasis do not like people to take away stones from Govardhan hill, but if they knew how the devotees take them to their country and worship them, they would be very happy. Perhaps they think that these foreigners wanted to take the whole mountain and steal it, but the devotees simply take them to worship. 

So the Lord manifests Himself in the form of Govardhan Hill and the Vrajavasis feel scared that Krishna is not respected in the way He deserves. But the Lord Himself arranges that many Silas exist in order to travel around the world. Surely, having a stone from Govardhan hill one should leave the equivalent of his weight in gold for Vraj seva ... even that weight means nothing compared to the importance of having an expansion of Govardhan hill in our temple. That's the message of the chat today: Caring for Govardhan Silas and adoring them intensely. 

Last night in the program at the Yamuna we performed Govardhan abhisek. To the devotees from South America we want to say that we are very happy for all the devotees who have arrived. We do not know how to serve them well, nor how to serve them all properly. For us all of Krishna's associates are of paramount importance. So we want to serve the devotees forever. Our Srila Prabhupada is the associate of Krishna who we want to serve and follow. We pray to serve Srila Prabhupada and offer him all of our love for the Supreme Lord, who is the most loving of all. 

Continuing on the path of bhakti where Krishna enjoys with the gopas and gopis, always longing to go to Vrindavan forever, that is the path of Srila Rupa Goswami. And the path of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur who would not go into the details of the intimate pastimes of Krishna, as there is always the danger that one confuses the pastimes of Krishna with material coverings. We follow that example. For, in truth, there is nothing to enjoy in the material world, the only thing here is repeated birth and death: unions and separations, unions and separations. Agonizing. Better go to Goloka so that does not happen again. Sure, there is separation in Goloka, but on another level. There Srimati Radharani suffers in separation from Krishna, so much so that lakes form of from Her tears. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu repeated that tears fell from her eyes. 

Srila Gour Govinda Swami said that this is a school for learning how to cry. But who has really learned to cry? We only cry when our money or documents are stolen. We do not cry for real things ... we do not cry in longing for the love of God. My dear devotees, to end today's message I want to send a hug and ask you to count on me. Let me always and frequently serve all of you with your blessings. Sometimes you have one or another idea on how to serve, but I hope that in the future all of that has very good results for all of you. 

Vrindavan Dham is such a special and wonderful place and to be with all of you here is more special and wonderful. Having been last night on the banks of Yamuna with all of you is the greatest happiness, the highest point. It is the highest point of beauty of association with Vaishnavas. And as I said in the beginning, this was the first year we did a celebration at the Yamuna like this. Before, we did it in a smaller format, but this time it was a very beautiful party. What better party than on the sand of the Yamuna. 

When I'm in the Vraj-raj (the dust of Vrindavan) I do not need anything more, rather I am very happy with the most simple life imaginable. Rather, we could go all night on the banks of Yamuna to celebrate together. Of Course, our Vrinda Kunja is also very nice to be together. 

Thank you very much for sharing together during these 30 years of the Vrinda family. 
Jay Srila Prabhupada 

Your always well-wisher, 

B. A. Paramadvaiti Swami