BG 2.7 – Initiation Program of B.B. Govinda Swami

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna!

I am very pleased to be here on this most auspicious occasion. As Srila Bhaktivinoda Gosvami Maharaja said, it is auspicious because it is the month of Kartika, and the last day of Kartika, Purnima. It is also the day on which you fortunate souls, some were initiated. Even those who are not directly initiated today were purified by being present and hearing the kirtan and the talks about bhakti-yoga and the mantras by which we offer ourselves to the spiritual master, the disciple succession, the Pancha-Tattva, and ultimately Sri Sri Radha-Krishna. It is an opportunity for us to rededicate ourselves in the mood of surrender to their service. This event is also marked by a strong spirit of loving cooperation among the godbrothers and other devotees. Sometimes it is said that it takes a whole village to raise a child. So, this assembly is like a village or part of that village, and ISKCON itself is like a great village that is meant to work cooperatively to help each and every devotee serve Srila Prabhupada and the paramparā and realize the ultimate goal of life. In this effort, there is no place for false ego, false proprietorship, no desire to use any of the devotees or resources for one’s personal benefit. Everything is offered through the disciplic succession to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Sri Sri Radha and Krishna.

I just felt that this whole month of Kartika was passing by and I hadn’t done any service to His Holiness Bhakti Bringa Govinda Swami Maharaja. I felt that at the last minute, at least I should come and be present. Vrindavan Bihari dasa renovated the house next door to make a facility that is congenial for me to spend time in Vrindavan near to him and other exalted neighbors. My nature is to always want to keep things simple, not spend money. But Govinda Maharaja just took over, and he was supported by His Holiness Indradyumna Swami Maharaja. At a certain stage, I just surrendered. I felt I can’t resist this, and I am glad I surrendered. I take it as Srimati Radharani’s special mercy through them to enable me to spend time here.

Maharaja said that living in Vrindavan was hard enough as it is, and old age is hard enough as it is. So we don’t want to make it harder unnecessarily. I am very grateful to him and to all his team, especially to Vrindavan Bihari Prabhu. As an added bonus, I get the association of all of you. Well, this is an American expression. I don’t know how well you relate to it, but it is like the cherry on top of the cake—the association of devotees and the opportunity to serve devotees. I will just conclude with one story that I heard just a week or two ago, which I had never heard before. Srila Prabhupada’s disciple Dhananjay Prabhu, who was temple president for some time. When he was a brand new devotee, just come to Krishna consciousness, he had begun reading Srila Prabhupada’s books. He read that there is a mountain made of gold somewhere in the Himalayas. He could see that the devotees were struggling financially, the movement was struggling financially. So he thought if he could go to that mountain peak with some tools, he could chisel out a few kilos of gold, not much compared to the whole mountain peak, and that would help with the financial challenges of the movement.

So he asked Srila Prabhupada, “Do you know where that mountain peak is?” And Srila Prabhupada said, “Yes, I do.” He said, “Can you tell me where it is so I can go and get some gold for the movement?” And Srila Prabhupada said, “No, I will not tell you. Because if you went and did that, it could be controversial.” Dhananjaya Prabhu’s interpretation was that maybe it was somewhere between India and Tibet or something; it might become a big controversy. Then Srila Prabhupada told him that even more valuable than any amount of gold are devotees. So if you make devotees, that will be more valuable. Dhananjaya Prabhu took that instruction to heart, and we should take it to heart. Of course, making devotees means maintaining them also because they are more valuable than gold. If we had a kilo of gold, we would be frantic to make sure that it was kept safely. So we should feel that way about the devotees. As Srila Prabhupada said, each and every soul is valuable in Krishna consciousness.

I feel extraordinarily blessed to have the opportunity to be associated with all of you and the opportunity to serve you and to try to encourage you in Krishna consciousness, under the loving shelter of His Holiness Bhakti Bringa Govinda Swami.

Hare Krishna!

Jaya Jaya Sri Radhe Shyama!