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EDITORIAL  How A Muslim Came To Krsna BY NARARATNA DAS EDITORIAL, Sep 27 (VNN) — Hare Krsna Maharajs, Prabhus & Mothers. Please accept my humble obeisences, all glories to Srila Prabhupada. Some of you know me from Mayapur and what we are doing in the Middle East but for those who don't, I'll give you a brief account of our history. Yes! All glouries to Srila Prabhupada transendental book distribution & the surrendered souls that distribute them, why? Well, for 24 years I lived with my strict Muslim family as a desent Muslim in London. Then in 1994, after watching most of my friends and 2 of my brothers become swallowed and trapped by Regular material life (get married, get a house, go to work everyday, come home, watch TV, sleep and then get up to do the same mundane things) I came to my senses and thought this cant be all there is to lifa? There must be something more Although I was quite a happy positive 24 year old adult, I didnt feel satisfied. Something was always missing but what, I asked!! My brothers & I were all brought up as strict Muslims following the principls of Islam. My father would force us study the koran, we would get the belt if we didnt study every night and memorise our verses. As life went by, I started asking questions that were not answered, such as who is Allah, what does He look like, what does he do? and What happens to people who die now, where does the soul go? And if God were fair, Why are souls put into different circumstances at the time of birth which gave rise to a soul living and suffering in Africa while another soul, born to a rich American family lives in complete comfort and safety? I was told I shouldn't ask such questions and to not pursue the answers! Unfortunaely, this is how most Muslims are brought up, Here are the rules to follow and some little information but don't ask questions that can't be answered! This lack of freedom and encouragement to enquire and question the teachings is what has led to the kind of fanatic Muslims we have today. (As His Divind grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta swami Prabhupada has stated,Philosophy without Religion is speculation and Religion without the philosophy becomes fanaticism.) Not that Islam doesn't have philosophy because it does but the way it is being used and presented today is the problem. Fortunately for me, Krsna arranged that I wasnt complete happy. By the time I was 24, Krsna gave me the courage, faith and push to stop everthing and leave London on a planned two year trip that would take me in a caravan from London through Europe, Eastern Europe, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan and finally to India. My inspiration was this was the only way I could satisfy myself, to learn as much as I could from other cultures and become a better person. That final leaving day came, as I surrounded by heart broken weeping family members and friends, one of my brothers gave me a book. He said that a friend had given it to him as a birthday gift but had been too busy to read it or even look at it. I put it in my caravan and slowly drove away. I can honestly say That this was the most painful time of my life, I was 24 yet I cried as I drove to the coast for the next 3 hours and my so called heart was in london for the next 2 months! It was so hard to leave things behind (even for just two years)and focus knowing that õ wouldn't see them for a long two years. Inspite of this, I held on to the thought that if I really wanted to become a better person, there was no other way! Six months later I found myself in Turkey getting back into studying the Koran because unlike the Muslims I had known in London who taught one thing but practiced something different,the Turks seemed to apply the teachings of the Koran into there daily life a bit more. But Again as I read and asked questions I came up against the same frusrations, a lack of satisfying information for my queries. I put the Koran back onto my book shelf and feeling dejected I went through my book shelf hoping there was something to enthuse my soul. Suddenly a book jumped out at me. I didn't recognise it, it was the book that my brother had given to me as I was leaving London. It had a beautiful picture of a blue celesial person with 4 arms and the name of the book was just the title to excite me THE SCIENCE OF SELF REALISATION, wounderful title! I couldn't put it down until I had finished it all. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said I owed a magnificent day to the Bhagavad Gita. It was as if an empire spoke to us, nothing small or unworthy, but large, serene, consistent, the voice of an old intelligence which in another age and climate had pondered and thus disposed of the same questions which exercise us now. His divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta swami Prabhupada answered all my questions and gave me alot more in such clear and easy to understand English, just perfect! For me a big hole in my life had just been filled and I felt alittle strange, pain from having my false ego exposed and cut by the sword of knowledge but happy to finally get the truth! Now at least philosophically I knew we were all souls and there was a Supreme soul Known as Krsna or Visnu and we all had an eternal relationship With Him in the spiritual world as well as here in this world of temporary life. Infact right there in Turkey I started to apply this. I was alone in my caravan and my friend, his wife and son were in another caravan. I would wake up early to do some exercises, feeling alone I would imagine youthful Krsna jogging along side me and racing with him. I would go to disco clubs and as the song would sing about a boy's love for a girl or girl's love for a boy, I simply converted so that the song was about Krsna. Is was great! My world was slowing changing so Krsna became the center. Unlike Muslims (and preachers of other religions) who would tell me that only Muslims would go to heaven, the rest would go to hell, Prabhupada said Doesn't matter what bonafide process of religion you chose to follow, if that process increases your love and attraction to God (krsna), the supreme personality of Godhead, then that process was perfect. This simple but pure truth was so pleasing to hear, I would hate it and reject whatever when people said this is the only way. Ofcourse, I immediately understood and accepted that this Vedic knowledge gave me what the Koran was giving me and the bonus of alot more confidentail (higher) information about God and as Prabhupada again so innocently says how could you or anyone love God if you know nothing or very little about Him, so more detail information was essential and natural just like in any other relationship. I looked for a Krsna conscious temple or some kind of center but nothing exsisted here in Turkey. I was hungry for more information and practical tips on how to perform bhakti-yoga in daily life. Just before I left Turkey the same brother who had given me the book visited me here and all I could talk about was this vedic information and how it had completely changed my out look on life, from a selfish materialist to a thoughtful understanding human willing to live with, work with and love all species of life as members of my own family. My brother appriciated the concept but said that unless everyone changed at the same time it wouldn't work. So why bother! I simply answered that the change must start with the man in the mirror! To my great surprise two weeks later I received a parcel from him. Eventhough he thought vedic teachings were somewhat different from Islam still he had gone to the temple, bought and sent me the Jewel of all Eastern philosophy The Bhagavad Gita. I still don't think he knows how much I appriciated this because I knew he didn't like the Bhagavad Gita (thinking it was some Indian book for Indians) but he sent it because I liked it. I don't know if you can understand, but this was a Muslim buying something for another Muslim that (in his eyes) could possibily lead him (me) astray. I was eating the Bhagavad Gita night and day. From the transendental pages of the Bhagavad Gita I learnt about my real identity, nature around me, why we all exsist, how we are interconnected and ofcourse how to attain full freedom by self realisation. And for me this was the answer to all our worldly problems, this was the information that everyone needed to hear and know to gain real internal peace and happiness. I knew with this information the world could really be a happy place with everyone living and working in harmony. Later on I would accept this as my duty to humanity. As a result of this I became a strict vegeterian (actually only eating food that was first offered to Krsna), I started chanting the Hare Krsna Maha Mantra and following the four regulative principles given to bring one to the human platform of life. 1, No intoxications 2, No eating Meat (incl chicken, fish and eggs) 3, No sex outside of marriage 4, No gambling I was so happy and stress free. Really! I was singing the Hare Krsna mantra in the rain, at work, everywhere! People were asking me what is this song and how come I was so happy and full of positivity so I would explain it to them and some would try to sing the mantra with me. On observing Turkish people and how nice and openly friendly they were to everyone I remember saying there should definately be a Krsna conscious temple or some kind of center here, that would be great!! Yes, just a dream? ( a dream that Krsna would later manifest? Lets see?) There was no such center in Turkey, neither was anything listed in Iran or pakistan.I had to patiently drive and wait until I got to India to meet devotees who practiced this bhakti-yoga way of life. I drove to Vrindavan and upon hearing the hare Krsna Maha mantra being sung so sweatly at night and seeing all the devotees sparkle and dance in ecstacy, I knew this was the life for me. and joined the Hare Krsna Movement there but after 4 days I was advised that Mayapur would suit me better as it was the center of learning. The night I arrived in Mayapur I was introduced to Jananivas and pankajangri prabhus because they came from london too. The next morning I took a bath in mother ganga but on trying to get into my van õ suddenly realised that õ had swum with the keys to the van in my pocket and now they had gone! Devotees joked that Caitanya Mahaprabhu didnt want to leave me with a way to escape so ofcourse I joined the bhakta training program for 3 months and on completion I then immediately joined the interfaith communications program. This project attracted me because I had read and seen so many poeple and organisations try to use knowledge and religion to create distinctions for the purpose of segregating people but these devotees had the aim of bringing all people and their religions together under one flag through the spiritual scientific analysis and understanding of Science, Philosophy and Religion. After being there for one year receiving futher education and learning how to practically apply this philosophy in my own life, I was happily shocked and amazed when the head of this dept said ok, you are ready to start helping others and we think you should go and start sharing this knowledge with others. And which place did they think I should go to? Yes! Turkey. This was like sweet music to my ears. Although everyone that I spoke to told me I should NOT go because I was relatively new and Muslim people specially in Muslim countries were heavy, no place for a new devotee! Fortunately, Krsna gave me such a clear feeling that this was what he wanted me to do as my service to Him. It was very clear to me that He had prepared me for this so I didn't feel scared at all. I knew He was behind me and infront of me. So, after praying intensely to all the presiding deities in Mayapur,SRI SRI RADHA-MADHAVA / LORD NARASIMHADEVA and THE PANCA TATTVA and asking all the devotees to give us their blessings, we set of for Turkey in 1996. The plan was to slowly expose ourselves to this new enviroment in stages. We would go for 3 months first then return for 6 months then go for 6 months and return for 6 months. Our stay in Mayapur didn't lose it's focus on our objectives. We continued to study, research and compile books aimed at bringing people of all religions together. We wrote five books specially connected with Krsna Consciouness and Islam. 1,SRILA PRABHUPADA ON ISLAM( everything His Divine Grace A.C. Prabhupada ever said about Islam) 2,BHAKTI YOGA and ISLAM (questions and answers encountered in the field by Srila Prabhupada & devotees sharing Krsna Consciousness with Muslims in Muslim countries) 3,THE HIDDEN TREASURE OF AL-QURAN. (the HOLY QURAN as explained by CAITANYA MAHAPRABHU) 4,COMPARATIVE COSMOLOGY. (a comparative study of Modern science, the QURAN, the BIBLE and VEDIC KNOWLEDGE) 5,ENLIGHTENMENT OF CHAND KAZI. (the teachings of Caitanya Mahaprabhu to the Muslim leader Chand Kazi) 6,KRSNA CONSCIOUNESS & ISLAM. A newly produced 20 hour double CD presentation about KC & Islam. The books are designed to help Krishna-conscious devotees present a Vedic viewpoint to members of the Muslim community in a non-argumentative way, as well as to encourage Muslim readers to deepen and strengthen their efforts at God-realisation. Our goal is to build a strong foundation of mutual understanding so that everyone's love and devotion towards the Supreme Lord whom we call Krsna and whom Muslims call Allah -- can be ignited and cultivated favourably. So, you can see we were very serious and commited to this goal as a life times mission. The first 3 month period in Turkey was both wonderful and very very difficult. Wounderful because we were experiencing a closeness to Krsna that I hadn't experienced even in Mayapur. Our prayers were intense specially to Lord Nrishimhadeva because we were alone in a Muslim country, no temple, no devotees, no kirtans, no Indian community and no support! Just the two of us! We could clearly feel and see how Krsna was behind everything that happened to us. For example, We had practically no money and we expected to be sleeping on the beach but Krsna arranged that someone offered us their cafe floor to sleep on after it closed at 10pm. Then someone offered us a half complete flat to stay in, no windows or doors but there was water and a roof which was better that nothing! Then for 3 weeks I suffered form Malaria, I really thought I might leave my body. During the day I would ok and would go around looking for a job then come 4pm the hellish region would desend on me and all night I would struggle with a burning body, the amazing thing was each time I would come back to an awaken state õ found my self chanting hare Krsna so I really wasnt scared of dying but luckily again Krsna was there to finally arrange some free treatment, they took care of me in hospital for 2 weeks something that would have cost us thousands we got for free. Slowly we got to know the people but we couldn't really find anyone who was interested in spirituality. Language was one big barrier we would have to overcome and the area we were in was made up of mostly conservative Muslims. Nevertheless, we had expected things to be like this so had planned that the first stage of our service would be to simply get to know the enviroment and the people. The second and third time around we planned to stay for 6 and then 9 months, each time continuing where we had previously left off . As we moved around and stayed in different areas we got to know the people more and more and how things worked here, we got jobs that allowed us to really mingle and become like normal people (from this angle we hoped we could better understand the poeple's problems and how best to help them. This gave us the time and experience to really see and feel how people reacted to our exsistence and our presentations. We came to realise a very important point, these Muslim people were very very nice helpful and welcoming but if you push the wrong buttons and touch some sensative areas in thr wrong way, specially topics connected with their religious sentiments then your so called friendly friend could change into an erupting volcano in seconds. So be careful out there when you are dealing with Muslims dont judge the book by the cover. Actually, an any area, make a commitment, be patient & get to know your field before you farm it. Prabhupada often compares us to docters and what we have to give as the all liberating medicine so a good doctor studies his patient first then prescribes the right medicine in the right dose. I always remmember being told in Mayapur by our leader that for this service we had to give up the conditioning and identity that we were preachers and just see ourselves as normal people living among others because Muslims are really really sensative about poeple trying to change them and they can sense it immediately. People should see and really feel that we are simply living our personal life styles and who ever is interested in what we do, we are happy to share this spiritual culture with them. What they do with that info afterwards must be left to them. As Krsna says in the Bhagavad Gita ( 18.63 ) to Arjuna Thus I have explained to you Knowledge still more confidential.Deliberate on this fully, and then do what you wish to do. After our 9 month stay, we had to make an huge decision. In Mayapur our same team ran two departments: The interfaith communications dept and the Bhaktivedanta Research Institue which had produced 12 books for the education of both devotees in The Hare Krsna Movement and the general mass of people. Unfortunately the time had come where we could no longer be in two places for parts of the year, India and Turkey. Turkey needed us to be there all year round. We knew that for this project to develop nicely, we had to be there full time and there was no one else who would do it so in 1999 we left our merciful base Mayapur and headed for full time Turkey. This moved us into stage two of our plan. We found and started to rent a flat of our own where we soon held Sunday programmes and the reading of The transendental, all liberating, Bhagavad Gita. We started to teach people about The Vedic culture way of life, mantra meditation, vegeterian cooking and playing traditional devotional music. All aimed at the liberation of the soul, giving him entrance into the spiritual realm. We are endeavoring to continue to do tha same. One of the main problems we have faced is the small numbers of people that have come to our programme when you compare that to the 19 million people that live in this city. We have no choice other than to slowly get to know people and see if they themselves are intersted in what we have to offer, slowly cultivating that interest and then if it's safe (as in they won't call the police upon seeing or hearing something they don't like in our flat) we extended an invitation to our flat to learn more about the benifits of meditation and self realisation. Fortunately, we have never had any complaints from anyone, even our neigbours don't mind the singing on Sunday. We have always focused on developing good friendly relationships with everyone. After all we want to give this oppertunity to everyone. Once, we even had concerned parents of one boy come to see what there son was getting into, but when they came they really liked what they heard, the teachings of Bhagavad Gita ( we aren't body, we are soul, as such we are all related as brothers and sisters with one Supreme father, so try to give up using and abusing each other and try to help eachother come to the point of real understanding, real peace, real love, only to be experienced through full self realisation which this Vedic knowledge is teaching). You can imagine how much time & energy this takes with each person, plus the fact that we have to work at the same time in order to be able to maintain eveything financially, not easy! Since personally coming here in 1996, we have spent the first 3 years part time moving around this city and then another 3 years based in one flat (temple) and then last year we moved to the flat we are in now. During this time we have got to know the people, the country, the culture, the police and how they all work and interact better, we now feel confident that more people are interested and will come to learn more about Vedic culture, yoga, mantra meditation, vegetariansm and eventually bhakti yoga if given the chance. We have always faced two problems, TIME & MONEY. To generate money to finance things we have to scarifice time doing jobs and spending time with people that are not interested in spiritual life. Remember, this isnt England where you can get donations from the locals to help, these are Muslim people in a Muslim country. This means only a small amount of out potential time is really spent with people personally helping them. At present I pay 600 dollars per month for our flat and definately we will be here for a long time. From 1998 I've helped support other iskcon projects as well as this project by selling my small flat in London. Now I dont have any bulk money left. I just depend on what I earn monthly to run everything here. As taught by srila Prabhupada, we are always trying to be self dependent and not hassle others but in this case, I really do desprately need your assistance. We now have a strong desire to buy the flat we are currently in or one similar in a similar location. I really dislike it when it seems like we are wasting Krsna's money thus I feel alittle frustrated because I dont have the money to buy this place but are giving 600 dollars a month to the bin! Please help me stop wasting Krsna's money and purchase our own place for two big reasons. 1, As renters we can be kicked out anytime if someone doesnt like us for any reason whcih is a daily possibility and will become more likely if more poeple come. In real life here, a renter has no rights. On the otherhand we will have full rights to do what we want as long as it is within the confines of our flat if we own it. Ofcourse we will not be desrespectful or thoughtless. As prabhupada says, We must always be respectful and courtious even to our enimies, so if we want to invest our time and energy here to develop a spiritual oasis where people can come and revitalise themselves, owning our own property is a must. 2, Ofcourse we will save alot of money. Instead of paying 7,200 dollars per year for the next 20 years and get nothing, we can pay a simillar amount and within 20 years we will have our own building. No more rent!! Radha-istanbulisvara will have there own place and devotees wont have to worry about paying the rent. They can fully focus on the real work, rescuing souls from the clutches of this temporary material energy and setting them free. So many of the younger generation are interested in learning about spiritual life but are afraid to come and ask because of socail pressure from the older more conservative Muslims but finally under pressure from the youth of today and the European union spiritual or religous organisations will be given the rights and freedom to practise. This will take EVEN MORE TIME to actually manifest in peoples attitudes but the green light is definately coming in the future. So when that clear green light comes this center will be ready to transform into a fully fledged legal Hare Krsna center operating directly as Srila Prabhupada wanted, giving everyone the chance to experience the alternative to the struggle and stress of the imbalanced material life that is currently on offer to the frustrated soul. Openly, freely and directly educating people in all aspects of spirirtual life and how to directly apply such knowledge in daily life so that each and every indivdual can become a happy person and from a happier person we get a happier family, a happier city, a happier nation and eventually a happier world for everyone. Please Please feel our sincerity, see our commitment and understand krsna is pleased by any service you do but this service really does have a special place in Prabhupada's heart. As he himself said those who preach to Muslims, I take the dust from their lotus feet You can just read this as any other pamphlet, walk away and nothing will happen but I'm personally begging you not to do that. Please decide right now what you can do to help and contact us at visnupada@hotmail.com or harekrishnaturkey@yahoo.com Here are some of my suggestions (we need 120 thousand dollars): 1, We only need 120 devotees (individually or collectively) to donate 1,000 dollars each. 2, Devotees can loan us 1,000 dollars each and specify howlong they could give it to us for so those who need it back the quickest will be paid back first. I am personaly willing and able to pay back 600 dollars per month to anyone that loans us any money or arranges a loan for us. 3, Someone can secure us a 120 thousand dollar (morgage) loan for which the place can be registered in their name as security and I will pay back 600 dollars per month (if we dont buy a place I will have to pay 600 dollars per month as rent anyway so I can do this) Please impower us to give them such a nice revitalising experience that they will be inspired to look deeper into the subject of real health, the needs of the soul. As Srila Prabhupada has said we are concerned to have conviction as opposed to conversion. We are trying to inpire devotees to take advantage of the most auspicious day on which to give your donation Radhastani 22nd of sept, Wednesday, fasting till noon. So here are our bank details: For dollars: NAME: HSBC BRANCH: BAKIRKOY ADDRESS: BAKIRKOY CARSI HALKCI SOK. NO:8 BAKIRKOY-ISTANBUL SWIFT CODE: HSBCTRIX BENEFICIARY: BERNA KARAARSLAN BENEFICIARY A/C: 814-1019544-770-01 (USD) ********************************************* For pound sterling: BANK NAME: GARANTI BANKASI BRANCH : TOPCULAR ADDRESS: KISLA CAD. TIKVESLI SK. EMINTAS 3 TOPCULAR SAN. SIT. NO:1/70-71 34055 TOPCULAR-ISTANBUL-TURKEY SWIFT CODE: TGBATRIS BENEFICIARY: BERNA KARAARSLAN BENEFICIARY A/C: 9094172(sterling) ********************************************* I would be very encouraged and happy to hear your comments on this or any sugestions you may have to help us achieve this goal that is very pleasing to Srila Prabhupada and the whole Parampara Hare Krsna. All glouries to Srila Prabhupada. Ys, Nararatna das. Contact VNN about this story  Send this story to a friend
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