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WORLD April 28, 1999 VNN3722 See Related VNN Stories Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja Visits Melbourne (2) BY SRIDAM SAKHA DASA  AUSTRALIA, Apr 28 (VNN) — Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja Visits Melbourne, Part 2 of 2 Saturday, January 30, 1999 While staying at the house of Dina bandhu prabhu Srila Maharaja spoke informally with a number of devotees by appointment. Today he was visited by a somewhat unusual guest, an anglican priest named Father Ian Hunter who has been ministering for over thirty-two years. Although apparently of a different religious practice, Father Ian is a vegetarian, he has been chanting four rounds every day for the last ten years, and daily reads Srila Prabhupada's books. He first received a book in 1972, and, becoming inspired, went to meet Srila Prabhupada in Melbourne airport in 1976. When he received Srila Prabhupada's glance, he said that it felt like a lightening bolt going into his heart. After hearing about the wonderful saintly qualities of Srila Maharaja from one of Srila Maharaja's disciples, Radha damodara prabhu, Father Ian became eager to meet him. After first offering his obeisances, Father Ian posed a number of questions to Srila Maharaja. He first asked about the eating of the flesh of the sacrificial lamb at the time of passover by Jesus Christ as per the Jewish custom of passover. Could it be, he queried, that Jesus Christ, although a saint, ate this because it was expedient to do so at that particular time, place and circumstance. Srila Maharaja replied that in varnasrama dharma there is some allowance for flesh eating, as practiced by ksatriyas for instance. However, he went on to point out, if someone is always loving and remembering God, then they will never do this. Such a person will honour a blade of grass and have love for even an ant. Father Ian went on to speak about his involvement in Krsna consciousness, telling Srila Maharaja how he had met Srila Prabhupada. Throughout the conversation, Father Ian asked Srila Maharaja a number of times if Srila Maharaja would accept him as his siksa disciple. At first Srila Maharaja laughingly declined, saying "I am not on the level to be anyone's guru". However, Father Ian was persistent. At last, before parting, Srila Maharaja told him: "Yes, if you want, you can think of me like this. But I will always see you as my very dear, bosom friend." Srila Maharaja then embraced Father Ian warmly, and Father Ian asked Srila Maharaja if he would pray for him. "Oh" Srila Maharaja replied "I must pray for you, whether you ask it or not." Speaking afterwards to Radha damodara prabhu who had introduced him to Srila Maharaja, Father Ian said that in all his life he'd never perceived such love and purity in a person. Radha damodara prabhu suggested that this quality was the presence of the holy spirit in Srila Maharaja, to which Father Ian agreed, saying that meeting Srila Maharaja had been the most wonderful experience of his life. On Tuesday 2nd February Srila Maharaja and the travelling devotees departed for Melbourne Airport. While waiting for all the luggage to be checked in, Srila Maharaja talked to the forty or so local devotees who sat in a semi circle around him. A few of the devotees lamented at the fact that Srila Maharaja was being so much attacked and blasphemed in some quarters. Srila Maharaja replied: "When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu started to preach, the mayavadis and atheists fled in all directions. So Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu followed them. Going to Jagannath Puri He defeated Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya in debate, the greatest scholar of his day, in this way bringing him to the path of bhakti. After this, thousands of the followers of Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya came to surrender to the lotus feet of the Lord. Going to Kasi, Mahaprabhu met with Prakasananda Sarasvati the great Mayavadi sannyasi, and converted him and his 60,000 sannyasa disciples, drowning them in an ocean of prema. So this ocean, no-one can escape it. Eventually even these people will become drowned in it." "Well," said Dina bandhu prabhu, "You've certainly drowned everyone here. We only expected about twenty people to come for your programmes here in Melbourne, but you've ended up initiating twenty-six!" Then another devotee asked Srila Maharaja the falling question: "Some devotees are saying that after being an associate of the Supreme Lord in the spiritual sky we have fallen down into this material world. As an example to prove this, they cite the case of Kala Krsna dasa who was an associate of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, but who still fell down, even while acting as the Lord's personal servant." Srila Maharaja replied: "This argument is false. Kala Krsna was not a nitya siddha vaisnava. He was not an eternal associate of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and his pastime with the Lord took place in this world. No-one can fall from Vaikuntha." Dina bandhu: "Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu dragged Kala Krsna away from the gypsies. Are you dragging us?" Srila Maharaja: "Yes, I'm dragging so many!" Different devotees then glorified Srila Maharaja, saying how he had miraculously changed their lives and given a powerful new burst to their spiritual existence. Srila Maharaja would not take the credit for their praises, attributing it all to the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, saying: "He can make day into night, or black into white" Then, referring to the torrential rainfall that had fallen for the first time in the area near his house for a couple of years, with a perhaps unintended double entendre Dina bandhu prabhu quickly replied: "And you can make it rain where before there was drought." Other devotees then praised Srila Maharaja saying that he had created the spiritual society which they had always aspired to live in. Srila Maharaja then told us: "Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja created miracles in the lives of his disciples and the world. Now he has somewhat empowered me to also create miracles." Srila Maharaja then went on to contrast Lord Ramacandra with Lord Krsna: "Ramacandra was 'Rama maryada purusottama'. His prema was bound by maryada, and he had to follow social and religious etiquette and codes of conduct. but Krsna is 'lila purusottama'. He has kicked this maryada like a football 1,000 miles away. Therefore His love has no limitations and is not bound in any way. When Srimati Radharani sees a tamal tree, black like Krsna, she runs to embrace it. She becomes so happy, thinking: 'Now I'm holding Krsna.' But when Uddhava comes from Mathura, although he looks exactly like Krsna and is even wearing Krsna's pitambara, why is that Srimati Radharani does not embrace him? Because prema has some maryada also. This is called 'prema maryada.'" As the time for Srila Maharaja's departure grew close, Tapan misra took out his guitar and lead the gurvastakam prayers. Many devotees wept as they sang, their separation increasing as Srila Maharaja finally departed through the immigration gates, to leave for his next destination, the Philippine islands via Singapore. --end-- All of the tours completed to date are archived at the following site: http://www.igvp.com/tours If you would like to read more material on or by Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja, then please contact the following websites: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/2469 http://www.angelfire.com/ar/goloka/index.html http://www.angelfire.com/va/vaishnavism/news.html http://www.igvp.com See Related VNN Stories | Comment on this Story | Contact VNN regarding this Story
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