Newsletter April 2021
Dear Friends and supporters,
Please accept our best wishes, all glories to our most merciful spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada.
In these days, we are getting a wonderful chance to catch a glimpse of Lord Krsna´s beauty simply by observing nature around us. Indeed, in the 10th chapter of Bhagavad Gita, Krsna reveals to His friend Arjuna that of all seasons, He is the flower-bearing Spring. As flowers slowly open, they reveal their beauty and fragrance. Likewise, we pray that our soul will also flourish in connection and remembrance of the Lord´s beauty.
In this newsletter we would like to share with you a new project by the youth of Goloka Dhama and also a beautiful inspiration about becoming empowered.
Solidarity project
4 Young adults of Goloka Dhama, in collaboration with the EU Solidarity Corp, are starting a new project to benefit the local community and more. Under the motto "Ways to Serenity in Times of Crisis", our youths are giving time and energy in organising 12 events for 2021 with the aim of helping people in general to cope with the difficult times we have been going through.
On the 27th March, the first program was successfully completed. Because of the lock-down situation, this event was held online. Our young adults invited a famous psychologist Dr. Maika Steinborn to give a presentation on how to deal with emotions. The members of the team organised posters and did a great job in advertising the event online. The participants were grateful for this first event and benefited from the wisdom they received.
The European nations are giving financial support for such programs and at the same time, the young adults are also benefiting by developing their skills and gaining new experiences in: team building, organisation, responsibility, developing expertise in many areas in which they have some capacity…
Please send your best wishes to our 4 compassionate souls (Hari Vyasadeva, Vaisnavi, Anna and Elias) so that they will be empowered to help and support people in need.
Becoming empowered
Last week we also celebrated the most auspicious appearance of Lord Caitanya. When Svarup Damodara (His dear associate) met Him for the first time, he offered beautiful prayers. One of them, suitable for meditation is: “O ocean of mercy! Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu! Let there be an awakening of Your auspicious mercy, which easily drives away all kinds of material lamentation by making everything pure and blissful“.
On the appearance day of Lord Caitanya, H.H.Sacinandana Swami gave an inspiring online lecture in which he underlined a great desire of Sri Caitanya: “that all the followers of His followers dedicate their time and energy in distributing love of God to all living entities”. But how can one do that without being empowered?
Lord Caitanya was empowering so many of His disciples in different aspects of devotional service. His ability to empower others is limitless. The right question should be: “How can “I” be empowered”.
In a recent lecture by Sutapa Prabhu, he revealed powerful secrets on how anyone could become empowered by the Lord´s loving energy:
1: We need to become detached from our own plans. We think our plans are good but do we have faith that Krsna´s plans are best? Empowered devotees are those who are very flexible, willing to change and adjust; ready to give up their own ideas to follow a higher idea.
2. Being in a mood of service: those who desire to serve open themselves up to being empowered by the Lord. If you want to serve, you will always see an opportunity to serve but if you do not want to serve you will see problems that will impede you from serving. If one has strong desires to serve devotees, he will see all their good qualities. But without this desire to serve, he will only see faults to justify not serving them.
3. Having guidance and association with devotees: If you can hear devotees, then you can hear Krsna. If you are able to accept and fully give your heart in confidence to a great devotee of Krsna, through that medium, all Krsna´s messages will come to you.
In case you would like to hear this wonderful lecture, please look at:
Hoping to give you pleasure with these inspirations and news, we would like to express our gratitude for your continual support and send you our best wishes.
In the name of Goloka Dhama community,
Your servant, Gaurahari dasa