03/04/98 - 1672

Red's Story About Tulasi

USA (VNN) - by Bhakta "Red"

Way back in 1975, I became a permanent Tulsi plant worker. My name was officially: Bhakta "Red". I was from Muscle Beach, so I enjoyed lifting the big, Tulsis around. Mother Vidya was in charge and taught me everything she knew about Tulsi.

Mother Vidya said: "Tulsi picks you; there's certain ones Tulsi likes, and the others she's indifferent to." Well, Tulsi sure liked me. I could feel the energy coming off Her 2 feet away; and when I picked manjories in the morning, I would take a nap and envision Tulsi manjories floating before me, and this was normal. Sometimes I could feel strong love vibrations 5 feet away. I loved serving Tulsi and everything about Her service. I could even feel bliss going into a store for fertilizer for Tulsi. I gave Her most of my money since the green house kept expanding.

Then, in 1977, pressure came from within and without for me to join the Temple. I was scared, since it seemed too regimented, and I had gotten kicked out of the military for being unable to adapt to military life. So I lay down on the cold wet cement and I prayed for hours; when I got up and turned the corner to Watseka Ave., I saw; "Vaikuntha"! The devotee's w6re Gods, some with elephant heads, and "so it was all real". Tulsi showed me "New Dwarka" without the maya. Then, after that, I just kept getting visions, etc., etc., etc. You wouldn't believe it! Three days later, I sort of incoherently joined the temple.

I moved into the Tulsi House and slept there at night. I didn't like the barracks. Well. Tulsi flourished... a little too much. There were over a Thousand Tulsis, and they spread out into the BBT Book Press's parking lot. There was a "Little Big Man" named Radha Ballava Das, who threatened, cursed, and insisted on getting back the parking places, Tulsi was now utilizing. So he, together with Ramaswar and Gopal Bhatta, made our lives miserable. Ramaswar would rant and rave how he hated Vidya, and I would note that: "he certainly does", (Vidya means: knowledge). Then, Ramaswar Became a Big Guru (without any realization), and ordered the Tulsis killed.

Gopal Bhatta das, came over and bribed me with initiation if I would kill the Tulsis, so using Mother Vidya's own words, I said: "over my dead body". I went out and bought a riot shot gun, and things stayed tense for a couple of months. But... during that time "Vrnda" appeared before me. She was the most beautiful Goddess I could never even imagine. She lit up the entire Green house with an overwhelming pure love, but I, like Lord Shiva, couldn't handle it, (if you know what I mean). But, believe me, the Goddess Vrnda is absolutely gorgeous. She really didn't say much. She just wanted to reward my devotion by appearing before me. Needless to say, this was the high point of my useless life. When "They" say one moment's association with a pure devotee is worth thousands of mundane lives; well, multiply that by billions, and you might have some idea, what "Vrnda Devi" is like?

Things were at a standstill until some drunken debauched, ex-sanyasi told Ramaswar that he heard Prabhupada say it was O.K. to kill the Tulsis if there was no other way. I prayed about it, but couldn't find the answer. If I shot them, I didn't think it would look right for a love temple. So, I asked the devotees to rally round and support Tulsi. Naturally, they kicked the Tulsi pujaris out for inciting a revolution.Then, they destroyed the Green house, and killed over 900 Tulsi plants! For a parking lot!

None of the money was the Temple's. Private donations and we paid even the water bill the Green House, the grow lights, the heaters, over 1,000 pots, and the soil. Anadi das was a big contributor in workmanship both for the house and the beautiful tables.

They kept the big pots and soil, and put karmi plants in them, and distributed them throughout the community, giving many of their favorite householder's big Karmi plants! They ripped up all the Tulsis and hung them up-side down to dry out, in the name of making beads. Then, they dumped them. The pujari, who was forced to drive the Tulsis to the city dump, later went blind, within one year. I stayed around. They threatened me. I said: "I would call the police". They let me go to the Temple.

ALL the others blooped, including Ramaswar, Gopal Bhatta, and Little Big Man: Radha Ballava das. Tulsi, as Bhakti Devi, is the Mother of Devotional Service, which is the "Pure Love Energy". They certainly did a good job in destroying that and replacing it with Guru Dictator work energy. You know, they lost the Press, and didn't even save the "precious" parking lot.

So my name is still Bhakta "Red"

Bhakta Red was chanting 15 hours a day to get these kind of realizations

Bhakta Red say's any comments are welcome

Bhagavatam@aol.com

Web Site http://members.aol.com/bhagavatam