European Sankirtan Newsletter

Dear prabhus,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

This was one of the most amazing months to date outside of the Prabhupada marathon. The biggest news comes from The Bhaktivedanta Manor with 546 Srimad Bhagawatam sets as well as many other books with a total of over 40,000 points!!!! There hasn’t been anything even close since I have been producing the newsletter. Thanks to Divyanam prabhu and all the wonderful devotees of Bhaktivedanta Manor!! Also, the other temples in the UK London Soho, Wales and Scotland did very well.

There were also many surprises in continental Europe. Italy moved back up to first place but with Germany and the Netherlands close behind. The Netherlands hasn’t done this big in a long time and also Belgium did very well. If they combined together as Benelux, they would have beat everyone. Then right behind were Hungary, France,Czech R. and Spain. Especially Hungary and Spain are increasing steadily along with Switzerland and Sweden. The tidal wave of Lord Caitanya’s and Srila Prabhupada’s mercy is growing and expanding here in Europe and the UK. All the other temples are going on steadily and this month we finally got the scores from Estonia thanks to Visvavasu Maharaja and his contacts there. Also, Latvia and Lithuania did better than usual so the Baltics are coming up nicely.

This month I would like to quote from the Srimad Bhagawatam since Our world team just finished the Bhadra campaign of Srimad Bhagawatam sets breaking all records.

SB 6-5-22 purport “The members of this disciplic succession- in other words, the members of the Krsna consciousness movement- should follow in the footsteps of Narada Muni by chanting the transcendental vibration Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. They should go everywhere to deliver the fallen souls by vibrating the Hare Krsna mantra and the instructions of Bhagavad Gita, Srimad Bhagawatam and Caitanya Caritamrta. That will please the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” Vibrating the instructions means distributing these 3 works especially in the form of transcendental literature. Note the reference to the same 3 works distributed in the 3 yearly campaigns Bhadra, Be a gardener and Live to give which has now started. So, I am sure if we all concentrate on following this instruction of Srila Prabhupada the Live to Give campaign this year will smash all records.

Then another quote from the Srimad Bhagawatam 7-6-24 “Prahlad Maharaja ultimately instructed his class friends. The sons of the demons, to accept the process of devotional service by preaching the science of Krsna consciousness to everyone. Preaching is the best service to the Lord. The Lord will immediately be extremely satisfied with one who engages in this service of preaching Krsna consciousness. This is confirmed by the Lord Himself in the Bhagavad Gita 18.69 na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścin me priya-kṛttamaḥ: “There is no servant in this world more dear to Me than he, nor will there ever be one more dear.” If one sincerely tries his best to spread Krsna consciousness by preaching the glories of the Lord and His supremacy, even if he is imperfectly educated, he becomes the dearmost servant of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is bhakti. Letter from Srila Prabhupada “the real preaching is selling books You should know the tactic how to sell without irritating. What your lecture will do for three minutes, but if he reads one page his life may be turned."

Last minute news in from Ukraine. They came in just behind France and right above the Czech Republic. They are real heros in Lord Caitanya’s Sankirtan movement going on distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books in such difficult circumstances.

Srila Prabhupada kijaya!!

Your servant,

Trai Das

Sankirtan Meeting

Remember that on Friday, November 14th at 19:00 CET and 18:00 UK time we'll have the great fortune to have with us His Holiness S.B. Keshava Swami!!

Don't miss this opportunity,and invite as many devotees as possible to participate!

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Sankirtan stories

During last Harinam, I approached a British couple, who was watching their teenage son buying books at Book table.
I said, "Do you like our spirituality."
Father said, "They look so happy" (watching devotees dancing)
Mother said, "You too look so happy"
I put Bhagvad Gita in his hand said, "Now you will be happy too."
The father was moved when I explain what is in the book. Speechless, he finally said "what you do is great. We all need this."
He gave me a donation as he wanted take all the books in my hand and left happily truly deeply & ecstastically (if the word exists) I saw he moved his shoulder a bit with music in the end.
Well, I was thrilled too by this experience so I danced too with devotees.
Distributing books might appear a delayed-impact activity as we tend to see immediate results.
But in a long run, I'm sure we are a tiny part of much bigger plan.
Jay Srila Prabhupad
Hari Bol

France

Sundays in Paris are market days. Instead of church, people go to the market. So we brought Kṛṣṇa's church of the Holy Name to the market. Usually, we would take a small journey to the local train station where the market is situated, but today, every once a year, the market came to us, just at the temple doorstep. In a few meters we hit a flee market with kartalas, whompers and drum singing Hare Kṛṣṇa. People were immediately reactive and danced, clapped, smiled and took the good of the Holy Name.
Even the man selling honey was fond of the nectar of the holy name. Especially many children and locals heard the mantra and participated in one way or the other. We also distributed books and flyers about cow protection picturing Govinda, the Lord of the senses and the cows. For over two hours, the nectar flowed, four devotees chanted for a total of eight hours and Sarcelles received special Mercy by Śrī Śrī Nitai-Saci-Suta.

Sankirtan is very nice to feel Krishnas presence and reciprocation. Sometimes, we may think a bit mechanically and then lose the connection. I was on my way to harinam, but then I decided to go for the books as i was really debating inside of me. How can i feel that Krishna is indeed a person and not just a concept. Maybe for some its clear already but when the mind goes in autopilot we can easily forget. I shared my thoughts with the devotees, and they told me to pray and see how Krishna reciprocates, especially in book distribution. I did try to connect. The more I pray, the more present I become. I could see how people interact and give more of their self and their time, Just sharing here, im not a big distributor, I do feel great when in this service And I really wanted to feel Krishnas presence. So I kept praying.
And I remembered George harissons song "I really want to see you, I really want to be with you" A few more nice reciprocations, Then also some leaving a bit empty when they start saying something off. I met one young man from maroco who came to Paris for work but after one week decided to go back home. Initially he presented himself as agnostic and that he tried to listen to all faiths but in the end he decided Allah is the best. Before that I showed him keshava swamis card and he said he has seen him already in a podcast. :) The young girl is from London and is here only a couple of days. Going to nice for a marathon and from a sick background is very happy to receive the isopanisad as it will help her see god in everything and the connection between her faith and the Vedic perspective. William, with the many books, was just standing behind us in the stairs while going to the metro. I felt an impulse to start a conversation and ended up talking really long . He was describing his experiences and life, work, realisations How we should be an instrument of God when we align and be responsive of our own happiness and not expect it from others etc. He got his bag filled with books and resources to embark on this journey. And I still pray how to strengthen my faith to see krishna as a person. Every Thursday we facilitate think gita online in greek and as we go, it gets more and more that we should deepen our realisation to be able to transfer that to the participants. One of them openly shared that he can perceive God as energy but its very difficult to see him as a person. And within this impersonal culture we grow in it is indeed hard to see To decolonise ourselves from impersonalism and have this loving reciprocation. We should be alert and open to see Krishna arrangement and trust his plan instead of our own speculations. One more book was given in the train station, and one more prayer to develop more faith 🙏

Germany

Today was a beautiful Ekadasi!
We visited my parents place of Siggi and Ilona.
We decided to go for a Harinama in the City and went through parks and the pedestrian shopping area.
The Mataji on the picture was highly pleased seeing us saying “That was a sign, meeting you!” I gave her a german easy journey, then she immediately gave me 10€.

I decided to instantly give her 3 more small books and she gave 20€ on top.
She was very happy and also wanted us to invite for a drink in the cafe, but I respectfully refused, prioritising our mission. She understood and let us go.
Later on we met her 2 more times, then I gave her a piece of an Abhishek Dhoti of Lord Nrsimha and gave her my number.
She sent us the pictures which we made with her phone.
I invited her to the house programme later but she didn’t came. She revealed that she is almost blind and feared not to find her home in the dark.
Later we distributed 7 more small books and in a park a group of children was following our Harinama Sankirtan. We invited a Mataji from a neighbouring city called Olha. She once send me a message after I distributed a Bhagavad Gita to her friend and she wrote me if I could send her one. Later I sent her also a Beadbag, Beads and a Srīmad Bhagavatam Set. She was several times in Simhachalam and now the third time at our house programme. My mother invited a big group of colleagues from her workplace at Hugo Boss. She is cultivating them in her own pace feeding them with Maha Cookies from Simhachalam and giving them Jaganātha stickers. Some of them were already at programmes, but today was the biggest group. Krpā-Sindhu Prabhu gave a brilliant lecture and we were discussing the personal form of Krsna, the difference to Christianity and meat-eating and the knowledge behind Prasadam. Steffi Mataji asked brilliant questions and a long, deep and satisfying discussion evolved. At the end of the Harinama I stumbled into my old best friend and invited him also to come. He came late in the middle of the lecture and left early. It seems he became agitated; later he said he became irritated as Krpā-Sindhu Prabhu made the point of connecting the genocide of the Nazis with Karma. After a Kirtan with Puja we honoured the Ekadasi feast and everyone was very happy and satisfied. Quinoa, Buckwheat, Carot Halava, Pumpkin Soup, Creamy and hot Potatoe-Cauliflower-Spinach Sabji, Mango Lassi, Beetroot-Apple Salad and Cucumber Raita.
On Top of it Maha sweets from Zürich.
We distributed a lot of the remaining Prasadam to all of them for tomorrow.
I could distribute 20 books to them and got 228,15€ donations.
All of them were blissed out and expressed the desire of coming again when we are back the next time.