I followed her to school one day

From my journal, January 1, 2009

Didn't really think I'd go to any schools. Wanted to focus on temples and chanting. But, one day, I was lost and couldn't find Radha Damodara Mandir. (I later discovered that I walked past it a couple of times.) I asked a little girl, "Radha Damodara Mandir?" She pointed toward where I had just come. She saw my face and decided to take me there. Along the way she picked up a friend. They took me in and then took me on parikrama around the temple and samadhis. She said she was going to school--the word "school" and a motion with her hand. So, I invited myself along. I felt like Mary's little lamb who followed her to school one day, school one day . . .

They met in what looked like an abandoned temple, but I later found out that it's an abandoned courthouse at Govind Ghat. The veranda is sunny, so they put out mats and line up according to grade levels, using their backpacks and bags as desks. There are two black boards leaned up against a wall, with two worn-out charts for numbers and the alphabet. The teacher has a chair and when the principal comes, she has a desk and chair. A nice sign is hung up on the building--Sri Govind Primary School, Vrndavan.

Each child has pencils and pens in their bag, a school book or two, and a small notebook for practicing their writing. Also in their bag is a stainless steel plate for lunch which is delivered every day by Akshya Patra, the rtvik group in Vrndavana. That's it for school. There's recitation, discipline with a stick, a few books, and very little else.

They brought in a translator, eventually, to see what I was doing there. They somehow thought that I was going to take the two girls back with me to America to go to my school. "When will you take them?" she asked. I had to quash that idea real fast. The translator was a bit insulting but I just kept apologizing and saying that my curiosity has gotten me in trouble more than once. Eventually we all became friends and I offered to help them. The principal said they needed uniforms--some of the children's clothes were in severe need of repair--but I asked about books. She said "As you like." Well, I took that as an instruction.

When I was in Delhi to see the dentist--that's a whole 'nother story--we went for lunch at a bookstore in Khan Market. I was pretty tired and my friends had errands to do, so I decided to stay and look at children's books. I was really dismayed to see that about 80% of the books were in English. Then I found a section of books that were bilingual--English and Hindi. They were so adorable that I started taking them off the shelf and making a pile. One of the bookstore employees helped me look for appropriate children's books that were either bilingual or Hindi only. There were so inexpensive--50 to 100 rupees or $1 to $2 each--it just didn't seem to matter. Everyone at the Govind Primary School could have a book of their choice. I was so excited!

The next day I called D. Swami to see if he knew of someone who could translate for me when I brought the books to the school. He found a great guy, J., who was born in Mathura, close by, and was an excellent English speaker.

A few days later we went to the school, books in hand. I apologized to the teacher again for previously barging in. I told her that in America (the day before was Christmas) we always give presents. So, I brought presents for everyone--books!

The kids were so excited. I put down a cloth and put all the books on it. I asked that the little ones come first to choose. That was okay for about two minutes, then everyone was there going through the books. It was so much fun! J. told the teacher that she had to read each book to the whole class. What a great idea. I thought I might be able to come again before I left, but wasn't able to. Maybe M. will be able to. We'll see.

I also visited the Sandipani Muni School. It's for children who cannot pay for school. Children are sponsored and get meals, clothes, books, and school. R. has so many great programs related to the school. He has a health facility and hospital for families, sewing facility for single parent girls, nursery for children who are in the care of students attending the school (they get bathed and fed). They also have a library, computer lab, tofu-making facility and so much more. I'm hoping to raise some money for classroom leveled readers. Center for Learning Resources publishes the bilingual books I brought in Delhi and they're leveled to help new readers. I'd also like to get computer books in Hindi and see what I can do to get Hindi fonts for their computers. Looks like I already have plans to go back!

. . . All this from following a little girl in Vrndavana. Radhe Radhe!
.
.

Jiva Goswami's Disappearance Day

From my journal, December 30th
Jiva Goswami, Wikipedia link

Jiva Gowami's Disapperance Day was a special day. There I was in Vrndavana and I could go to his samadhi to observe it. My place was just up the street from Radha Damodara Mandir--boy, what a location!--so I went down after I paid obeisances to Sri Sri Radha Syamasundara (also close by, just a few doors up the street). As I went in to Radha Damodara, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Seemed like a regular crowd in the Temple courtyard. As I turned to go to Sri Jiva Goswami's samadhi, there were men sitting on mats on either side of the walkway. Each one was garlanded and had a bookstand with a book. They were all reading their books out loud. Now, not everyone had the same book, so it was a cacophony of Jiva Goswami! So incredible!

I tucked myself into a little aisle of samadhis where no one was sitting (in the picture, right behind the big one in the foreground) so I could see Jiva Goswami's samadhi and watch the proceedings. After a while of everyone reading, they stopped and started a short kirtan, beginning with my favorite, Madhurastakam, sweet Krsna.

adharam madhuram vadanam madhuram
nayanam madhuram hasitam madhuram
hridayam madhuram gamanam madhuram
madhur-adipater akhilam madhuram

His lips are sweet, His face is sweet,
His eyes are sweet, His smile is sweet,
His loving heart is sweet, His gait (walk) is sweet,
Everything is completely sweet about the Lord of Sweetness.

And, oh, how sweet it was. Transported--Srila Jiva Goswami in samadhi, all the devotees, Srila Prabhupada, all the devotees in samadhi, Srila Rupa Goswami, Sri Sri Radha Damodara, and monkeys, too! Can't get much better than that! Monkeys came and broke up the proceedings as the sadhus were leaving, eating their breakfast leftovers. Pots were thrown, yelling ensued, very funny. Can't take ourselved too seriously. Jaya Jiva Goswami, our Vaisnava lifeline!

.

.

Reflection and pictures

It was great to be in India, in Vrndavana. But it was also horrible. The stink, the trash, feces everywhere, men peeing in the street--I've not seen that much in a looooong time! The only thing I could think of was that it was so gross so that I could see the nectar more clearly. The "hidden Vrndavana" is truely hidden when that is all you see. I was forced to go beyond the gross. Here in the US, at least where I live, everything is very nice--landscaped yards, streets with curbs and sidewalks, nice buildings, clean people. No need to go anywhere else. There's a kind of apathy and languor--this is enough. No need to go beyond it. But suffering is suffering, you will always find it. That's the springboard.

With that aside, I've posted pictures of the trip at Shutterfly. http://toindia2008.shutterfly.com/
.
.
.

RadheRadhe!

It was a wonderful trip. It was not what I expected, but it was everything I needed. I pretty much threw out all my expectations the second day I was there and decided to let Sri Sri Radha Syamasundara lead the way. Srimati Radharani was really the one in charge. She is the guru.

I stayed in Vrndavana, Mathura District, Uttar Pradesh, India. For a few days I stayed with a friend while she got me acclimated to everything--here's the store, this is how much you should pay the rickshaw driver, here are some people you should meet, here's how to avoid the monkeys, etc. Then I was on my own in a little apartment, lent to me by another friend, in Seva Kunj.

This is the first page of my journal:

Seeing Your face encircled by curling locks of hair, Your cheeks beautified by earrings, Your lips full of nectar, and Your smiling glance, and also seeing Your two imposing arms, which take away our fear, and Your chest, which is the only source of pleasure for the Goddess of Fortune, we must become your maidservants.
-- SB 10.29.39

Surely they are describing Sri Syamasundaradevajimaharaja. So beautiful! From my little apartment I could see the top of the temple building of Sri Sri Radha Syamasundara Mandir. What wonderful Deities. (Their website has THE most beautiful pictures.) I would go most every day to this temple to chant japa. I would watch the pujaris putting the awesome candana (sandalwood paste) on the Deities' faces, intimately resting their arms on the Lord's while putting all the dots and decorations on His face. What a meditation.

This part of town is so wonderful. From the veranda I could see Seva Kunj to the right and to the left on the hill I could see Rupa Goswami's Govinda Mandir. Down on the street if I turned to the right from my gulley I could go to Sri Sri Radha Syamasundara Mandir, turn to the left I could go to Sri Sri Radha Damodara Mandir. Wow. So incredible.

More from my journal:

I really like LalaLali. The fact that Srimati Radharani gave Syamananda a Deity from Her heart is so amazing. Vrndavana is like that. So many stories of Her helping devotees. I pray that She helps me, too.

One day, while I was there chanting, I was watching the pujaris. One came in with a huge pile of Tulasi leaves and started setting up the arotika tray. He picked up a Tulasi leaf and dunked it in the acman cup, then stuck it on the bell. The he got two more, dunked them in the water then dropped them into the conch shell full of water. Then, to top this all off, he took the plate of Tulasi leaves over to the altar. He picked up one, touched Srimati Radharani's hand, then placed it at Sri Syamasundara's feet! He repeated this a couple of times.

I was completely enthralled. First, what a great idea, Tulasi on the bell and in the conch water. But then, touching Srimati Radharani's hand before offering them to Krsna's feet? Wow, of course! Everything should be like that. Everything offered to Syamasundara should have Her approval, Her touch. Her hand is in every devotional act we do, whether we recognize it or not. So sweet.

Everything there felt so natural. One devotee said that I looked like a fish in water. It's true. There was no opposition to anything--either from my side or from anyone else's. Everyone chants, everyone's a vegetarian, everyone knows the books I read--the shared culture, for me, was great. Of course, I'm the western woman in a sari so I can't blend in that much, but I felt at ease. I felt the authentic nature of the tradition and felt authenticated by it. I needed this trip in so many ways. I felt my place in the world there. I was at home, as I should be.