8/MAY/2020 - Sri Mayapur, India

(8/MAY/2020 - Sri Mayapur, India) Another day with Guru Maharaja in lock-down. I am here with Guru Maharaja but I am not much being next to him - whenever he calls or if there is any service then I be with him. Rest of the time, I am busy with Archives and Publications services.

Today morning there was a first EIDC Meeting over Zoom. It was inspired by Guru Maharaja to the EIDC members to take training and use the Zoom (technology) to conduct meetings. And they did it today, Bhakti Vijaya Bhagavata Maharaja was the chairman, and Madhava Kanta Prabhu was the secretary. So, I was there in the meeting with Guru Maharaja to control the camera and sound. But after some time, when they were little bit struggling with Zoom controls, Bhagavata Maharaja made Guru Maharaja as Host and I was assisting Bhagavata Maharaja. So there were 56 participants and there was discussion about festivals and preaching. And everyone was happy with this Zoom session, and they decided to do this very frequently so that many agendas can be discussed. All glories to Guru Maharaja! 

The meeting was over by 12:15pm. And Guru Maharaja was free for sometime, we requested Guru Maharaja for some video recordings - but he was tired so Guru Maharaja was just relaxing. So, I asked Guru Maharaja, "May I show you our website works, and Caitanya Book artworks?" Guru Maharaja said, "Okay!" Then I showed him our new website www.jayapatakaswamiarchives.net - in which we are introducing the interactive transcript technology. We made some sample with Srila Prabhupada's lecture - and I showed to Guru Maharaja - he liked it very much; previously he saw this website and gave comment only on the appearance, not in detail. But this time by Lord's mercy got a chance to explain him. Then when I open Srila Prabhupada's lecture (which was only 5 mins), Guru Maharaja started here and read the transcription with full absorption (as usual). So, he liked it very much. It was a lecture on sannyasa ceremony. And Guru Maharaja asked me, "Do you know whose sannyasa ceremony was that?" I said, "I don't know!" Then Guru Maharaja also listened to his 1980s lecture - and there Guru Maharaja was narrating a story about the fisherman's basket and how a grhastha invite this fisherman to his home and get the fishy smell of that basket. And Maha Varaha Pr was there, and Guru Maharaja every was laughing listening to that story.

Then I showed the paintings of Adi-lila of Sri Krishna Caitanya Book that was done by Rasikananda Prabhu. And Guru Maharaja was discussing about some points for some paintings. In one painting where Sacimata was blessing Laksmipriya on the Ganga-ghat, Guru Maharaja said, "Laksmipriya looks small girl!" Then I said, "She may be 8 or 10 years old at that time. As in those days they were married when they were young. Mahaprabhu may be was 14 years when He got married. As per the books and your lecture." Then Guru Maharaja said, "Okay!" Next painting was Jagannatha Misra giving Upanayana mantra to Lord Nimai. And Guru Maharaja said, "Lord should be shown with saffron cloth, but here He is in yellow!" So, we need to do that change. Then Guru Maharaja say, Vidyarambha painting of Lord Nimai, and said, "There should be a plate (bamboo plate) with rice mixed with kumkum, in that Nimai will write KRSNA! and Aksaras!" So like by Lord's mercy I got this unexpected appointment with Guru Maharaja. 

Then Guru Maharaja was telling that we need to have a Zoom session with West Africa - Bhakti Tirtha Swami Maharaja's disciples and Guru Maharaja's disciples. This session got already scheduled by Maha Varaha Prabhu in this week. And Guru Maharaja said, "As Maha Varaha Prabhu to get South Africa, Durban, Capetown, etc." Maha Varaha Prabhu, "Already scheduled Ghana, Nigeria! He will add South Africa! And everyone will get separate sessions with Guru Maharaja." Guru Maharaja's caring for Bhakti Tirtha Maharaja's disciples are very much in deep love for his beloved Godbrother Bhakti Tirtha Maharaja.

Guru Maharaja took his lunch and took his afternoon rest. And woke up at 4:30pm - and Jaya Radha Krishna Prabhu started the Prabhupada memoir review session with Guru Maharaja. Meanwhile, after our lunch I and Maha Varaha Prabhu went to all the rooms, where Guru Maharaja's servants are staying. As Purandara Krishna Prabhu fell down two days back and got a hairline crack in his wrist, and Haridasa Caitanya Prabhu fell down two weeks back, and recovering form his leg injury. So, we went to visit them, also to check their rooms, and their needs.

And by 5:30 pm there was Covid-19 Food Relief meeting, as usual today also Guru Maharaja was very heavy. When Guru Maharaja saw a video of today's reports He was telling that, the villagers are not following any social distancing, we have to make them understand that how much it is important. If they are not following then you should say, until then we won't serve prasadam. Don't serve everyone prasadam, this is not prasadam distribution program. This is Food-relief program - we have to give prasadam to the needy. And if someone want to honor prasadam then serve them in donna separately. Like this Guru Maharaja was giving instructions. And Guru Maharaja very much stressed the point that we have to serve prasadam inside Navadvipa mandala. And he asked Aloy Govinda Prabhu measure 10 miles radius from keeping Mayapur as center. As per Srila Prabhupada's instruction we have to serve prasadam at least the first 10 mile radius first. And actually if Guru Maharaja would have been healthy - he would have gone personally to distribute prasadam during this Pandemic situation. That much force emanating from him during this Covid-19 meeting. So, the meeting made the class delay today also. So the class started at 6:30pm.

As usual today the Caitanya Book topic was very special. Lord Caitanya in Balarama's mood asking for honey! Guru Maharaja relished the class very much. After the class Guru Maharaja took his dinner, and he came for the Zoom session - today it was with Russian Bhakti-vrksa leaders, Maha Varaha Prabhu and Janaki Ramacandra Prabhu was managing this meeting. Angira Gauranga Prabhu was hosting the session from Russia, and here Narayani Radha Mataji was helping in translation. Maha Varaha Prabhu said, it was very nice session, Bhakti-vrksa leaders asked very nice questions. And there was a devotee (Radhanatha Swami Maharaja's disciple) showed her painting and seeing her work, Guru Maharaja asked her, "Are you interested to help me in Caitanya Book artworks?"

So, I went to be with Guru Maharaja before he goes to bed, and Guru Maharaja was ewatching a news channel where Trump was speaking, then after that there was a program in thatt a scientist was explaining about his research on dragon-flies. How their wing got a power to disinfect any bacteria. And the scientist was testing and making some pattern based on dragon flies wings and creating some medical stuffs to prevent bacteria. Guru Maharaja said, "How much Krishna is intelligent! He kept an anti-bacterial pattern in Dragon-flies wings!" "I LOVE YOU KRISHNA! I LOVE YOU MORE AND MORE!" Then like this, Guru Maharaja was telling how glorious is Krishna's creations. 

Then Isvara Puri Maharaja Prabhu said, "I saw a Korean Movie - there they are showing how a person was going through seven hells. And the graphical works were impressing." And I said, "We will crop that portion and will show to you Guru Maharaja!" Guru Maharaja was very much mediating on the content of TOVP-Exhibits - on how to present Srimad-Bhagavatam using best CGI and graphics, technology. So, in this way around 12 midnight - Guru Maharaja went to bed. (Personal Diary - Syama Rasika dasa)