Diary of a Traveling Preacher

Volume 5, Chapter 29

By Indradyumna Swami

Posted Dec. 19, 2004

October 16 - November 1, 2004

"Hidden Glories"

I returned to Warsaw from my month-long preaching tour in Russia and immediately set out for another tour in Poland. After a night's rest, Sri Prahald das, Jayatam das, and I headed south, stopping on the way for a house program in Kelice attended by 15 devotees.

I was so exhausted I could hardly keep my eyes open, and I fell asleep during Sri Prahlad's opening bhajan. I woke up after a few moments, and I caught Sri Prahlad's eye. We both laughed.

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Diary of a
Traveling Preacher
Volume 5, Chapter 28

By Indradyumna Swami

Posted October 20, 2004

Indradyumna Swami

September 25 - October 15, 2004

"Blood Brothers"

As I continued my travels throughout Russia, crisscrossing from city to city, I wrote to my astrologer friend, who had warned me not to set foot in the country at that time. I told him I had not experienced any life-threatening situations apart from the usual austerities in traveling. His reply came quickly:

"It is a six-week transit, from September 16 to November 1. The final weeks will be the most difficult. Let me remind you, it is not a time to be traveling, while Mars is in your eighth house."

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September 12 - 24, 2004

"My Chest Swells Up With Pride"

This year's summer tour was especially successful, with over 300,000 people all together visiting our programs, including the Woodstock festival. It was a sad moment indeed when the tour came to an end and most of the devotees packed up and headed home to return to school or work.

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September 11, 2004

Vyasa Puja Offering 2004

Dear Srila Prabhupada,

Please accept my most humble obeisances in the dust of your lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine Grace.

I have traveled a great distance to be with your devotees here at New Vraja Dhama in Hungary for this wonderful event. By the Lord's grace alone I have come just in time to relish the last moments of this day. Because this community is so much like the eternal abode of Goloka, both in form and in mood, I feel as if I've come back to the spiritual world, to your eternal home at the lotus feet of your beloved Radhe-Syama.

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August, 2004

"Shoot for the Rhinoceros"

After the Woodstock festival, we returned to the Baltic coast to resume our summer festivals. But no sooner had we arrived than Maya's forces dealt us a blow. We had chosen a town near our summer base and had signed the contract with city hall well in advance. Two days before the festival we did Harinam and flooded the town with thousands of invitations. Our colorful posters could be seen everywhere. Tourists were pouring in, and the whole town was buzzing about the upcoming event.

The second day I took the Harinam party out for another day of advertising. We chanted on the beach, occasionally stopping to speak to crowds about our festival the next day. At the end, we were exhausted. I crawled into my van after the Harinam was over.

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Woodstock #2

Posted August 28, 2004

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Posted August 26, 2004

It's true: Indradyumna Swami does not exaggerate. I'm sorry I don't have a photo of Jurek Owsniak, the organizer of the festival and a good friend of the devotees. If I can get one, I will post it. In any case, I will be posting more photos of the festival in the next few days.
—Umapati Swami

(There are many photos, so the page may take a long time to download if you have a slow connection.)

[See "Diary of a Traveling Preacher, volume 5, chapter 24"]

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July 25 - 31, 2004

"Up on the Hill"

As I work on this chapter of my diary, I am at a loss as to how to begin and how to finish. The great Woodstock festival has just concluded. I don't know how to put it into words—Krsna's Village of Peace, situated on a small plateau over the festival site and looking like a temple on a hill, and the miraculous events that took place there over three days.

From every direction at the Woodstock festival, the 300,000 people who attended could see us. A month earlier, we were inspecting the general area with Jurek Owsiak, the main organizer. Jurek pointed to the plateau. "That hill's for Krsna," he said. It was a gift whose value we could only appreciate after Woodstock had actually begun.

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Diary of a Traveling Preacher
Volume 5, Chapter 23

By Indradyumna Swami

Posted August 11, 2004

July 16 - 24, 2004

"Nerves of Steel"

When we woke up on the morning of Monday July 12, we couldn't believe our eyes. The sun was shining and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Devotees ran outside just to have a look. For weeks on end, we had struggled with the rain, wind, and cold. One by one, devotees had come down with colds and flu, and at one point I had even thought of canceling the rest of the summer tour.

The blue skies and the first warm breezes of summer made us feel as if a huge weight had been lifted from our spirits, and after our morning program we eagerly prepared for Harinam and the festival that afternoon in Pobierowo. But as we often experience on our festival tours, a golden opportunity was nearly ruined by a potential setback.

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July 11 - 15, 2004

"A Lesson from an Old Cleaning Man"

Since the beginning of our summer tour it has rained every day, and unseasonably cold weather has prevailed. One couldn't imagine more unfavorable circumstances for outdoor festivals. Advertising the programs has become a cat-and-mouse game with the weather. Each day we start Harinam under threatening dark clouds and chant until the rain starts. Then we find shelter from the downpour, wait for it to stop, and begin again. This goes on for hours each day, and after many weeks it has become a test of our determination.

It is also a challenge for the thousands of festivalgoers who brave the bad weather to come to our festivals, only to have to dash into our tents many times throughout the programs when it rains.

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Diary of a Traveling Preacher
Volume 5, Chapter 21
By Indradyumna Swami
Posted July 27, 2004

June 28 - July 10, 2004

"On the House"

I flew back to Poland from Baku, and as soon as I arrived, the tour committee held its last meeting for the summer festivals. The first order of business was security.

"I found three security companies we can choose from," Jayatam began. "Which one we take depends on Srila Gurudeva's recent collection."

All eyes turned towards me.

I hesitated. "Well ...," I said, "ummm ... actually, I didn't bring anything back. I spent the week in Azerbaijan with my disciples. It's a poor country, but we had some great programs."

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Diary of a Traveling Preacher
Volume 5, Chapter 20
By Indradyumna Swami
Posted July 10, 2004

June 17 - 27, 2004

"The City of Doom and the Temple of Fire"

The second half of our spring tour was going well, and I was looking forward to the final program, to be held in Olsztyn in the north. Though our tour had been marred by run-ins with rougher elements of society, no real damage had been done and the festivals had brought good results. The congregation had been strengthened, and many people had been introduced to Krsna consciousness, some of them potential devotees. Olsztyn would be the icing on the cake.

It wasn't to be, however. Disaster struck in a very personal way, halfway through the program. It would be one of my darker days.

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Diary of a Traveling Preacher
Volume 5, Chapter 19
By Indradyumna Swami
Posted July 5, 2004

June 13 - 16, 2004

"Counting my Blessings"

After leaving Kielce, where we successfully defended our festival against right-wing extremists, we arrived back in Warsaw at midnight. I fell asleep by 1:00 a.m., but woke up at 4:00 because of a terrible nightmare, where I dreamt skinheads broke through the barrier of security men and beat up the devotees. I sat up on my bed, wide awake, unable to forget the drama of the previous day.

I thought about a lecture I had recently heard by Srila Prabhupada where he mentioned that in days of yore people often dreamt about the Lord because of their constant engagement in His service and meditation upon His lotus feet:

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June 2 - 12, 2004

"The City of Scissors"

As our tour went on, I was especially looking forward to our program in Kielce, a moderate-sized town of 100,000 people nestled in a beautiful forested region of Poland. In 1993 we had a small but successful festival there, and I remembered the people as especially pious.

Our congregation members there were eager to have us return, and in recent weeks, they had gone out of their way to put up hundreds of posters. I considered hiring a security firm, but I remembered the warmth of the people, and when I heard of the growing interest in the festival within our congregation, I decided against it.

My decision would prove to be a mistake, however, and almost cost us dearly, for Kali-yuga has firmly taken root in Kielce since my visit in 1993.

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Diary of a Traveling Preacher
Volume 5, Chapter 17
By Indrayumna Swami
Posted June 20, 2004

May 2 - June 1, 2004

"The Pampered Prince"

As my flight circled over Warsaw waiting for permission to land, I looked out the window at the city below. Even from the sky, Warsaw wasn't attractive. Once one of the more beautiful cities in Europe, it was leveled by relentless bombing by the German air force in World War 2. The rebuilding of the city was done by people who had little appreciation for architecture or design. Nevertheless, I looked forward to my arrival. Poland has been my prabhu-datta-desh, my assigned preaching field, for 15 years. In effect, I was returning home.

I'd been away for nine months, traveling, preaching, and fundraising for my festival tour in Poland. I'd worked hard and had grown noticeably older. In fact, at 55, I was feeling the rigors of traveling more than ever. In South Africa, a devotee asked me about it. "Aren't you getting a bit old for those daily Harinams and festivals you have in Poland?" he asked. "You have trouble just walking up the stairs these days."

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March 12 - May 1, 2004

"The Jolly Swami"

I was waiting for Sridhar Maharaja in the arrival hall at London's Heathrow airport. Finally he appeared and started walking slowly toward me. He smiled as he came close. "What chapter of the diary are you up to?" he asked.

I immediately hugged him. "I just sent out chapter 12," I answered.

He smiled again. "I guess I'll be in the next chapter," he said, "but I won't be around to read it."

I couldn't answer. It was true, what he had said. He was in the terminal stage of liver cancer, and he was going to the holy dhama of Mayapura to spend his final days.

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New Indradyumna Swami CD
From Rasa Parayana das
Posted May 24, 2004

Dear devotees,

Please accept my humble obeisances; all glories to Srila Prabhupada!

We'd like to inform you about the release of Indradyumna Swami's "Diary of a Travelling Preacher - Volume 1" on double CD-rom.

The double CD-rom contains the following:

* Original book, written by H.H. Indradyumna Swami (PDF)

* Slide show with more than 200 photos

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Diary of a Traveling Preacher
Volume 5, Chapter 15
By Indradyumna Swami
Posted April 16, 2004

February 11– March 11, 2004

Remembering Goswami Maharaja On His Disappearance Day Festival

Dear Tamal Krsna Maharaja,

Please accept my most humble obeisances. All glories to our beloved master, Srila Prabhupada.

Goswami Maharaja, this is the first time I have visited your samadhi mandir in Mayapura. I have often walked past the samadhi since I have been here, but I could not bring myself to come in. Please excuse me, but in my heart of hearts I have still not reconciled myself with your leaving. It is too painful.

"What is the most painful thing in the life of a devotee?" Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu asked Ramananda Raya.

"But for separation from a Vaisnava, I can think of no unbearable pain," the governor replied.

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Diary of a Traveling Preacher
Volume 5, Chapter 14
By Indradyumna Swami
Posted April 7, 2004

January 30 - February 10, 2004

"Narottam! Narottam! Narottam!"

"Why do you want to visit my country?" the Bangladesh Ambassador asked suspiciously. "We're the poorest people on earth."

"I know, Sir," I replied as I adjusted my Yankees baseball cap, "but in a BBC survey several years ago it was determined that the people of Bangladesh are the happiest on earth. I am curious to find out why the poorest are the happiest. My country, America, is the world's richest, but came in a disappointing seventh place in the survey in terms of contentedness. Obviously, happiness is not synonymous with material prosperity."

"I'm intrigued by your reasoning," the ambassador said. "I'm a Muslim, and the Koran teaches the same principle. I'll make an exception and grant you a visa. As an American, you'd normally have to obtain it at our embassy in America, not here in a foreign country.

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Diary of a Traveling Preacher
Volume 5, Chapter 13
By Indradyumna Swami
Posted March 29, 2004

January 31, 2004

"A Gift of Grace"

This chapter consists entirely of letters written by, to, or about Lance Ackerman, a South African devotee. His first letter is to Sankarsan Prabhu, a dear Godbrother of mine based in Austin, Texas.

December 1, 2003

Dear Sankarsan das,

I am trying to locate a devotee who taught me a great deal many years ago. He headed up the Temple of Understanding in Durban, South Africa, in 1987. His name was Indradyumna Swami.

He then went on a trip up the Amazon, and since then I have lost track of him. I would really love to talk to him again. He inspired my life at the time and started me on the road to higher consciousness.

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Diary of a Traveling Preacher
Volume 5, Chapter 12
By Indradyumna Swami
Posted January 31, 2004

December 18, 2003 – January 30, 2004

"Hankering for Home"

I saw the same stewardess, and she greeted me again with a cheerful "Hari Bol!"

"Hari Bol!" I answered. I looked at her badge and saw that she was the chief purser.

After we were airborne she came by and sat on the armrest of the seat directly across the aisle from me. A few passengers raised their eyebrows, but she was not disturbed. "I can afford it," she said. "I've been with the company for twenty years. I'm retiring next month."

"Congratulations," I said.

Her face became more serious. "You know," she said, "I was married to a Hare Krsna devotee when I was young."

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November 2 – December 17, 2003

"Will We Have Harinama?"

As my flight circled over Sarajevo, Bosnia, waiting for permission to land, I saw that the first snow of winter had already fallen on the city. On our descent, I also caught a glimpse of the ancient mosque in the city center. During my last visit, seven years ago, Muslim soldiers attacked our Harinama procession there. The people of Sarajevo were shocked by this provocation on foreigners, only months after a prolonged war in the Balkans had ended, and they came by the thousands to our festival the next day to express their sympathy.

As the devotees drove me to an apartment, my mind was filled with vivid memories of how the city had looked seven years ago, with almost every building damaged by the war, so I was surprised to see that they had almost all been repaired.

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September 15 - November 1, 2003

"Lessons on the Road"

The customs official grabbed my passport, put it in the drawer in front of him, and locked the drawer. He was smiling with confidence. "You're going to miss your flight unless you give the tax," he said.

Angry at his audacity, I leaned over the counter. "Go to hell," I said.

It may not have been the most tactful thing to do. He picked up the phone and called several other customs officials over. As they talked off to the side, it was obvious that they were all in on the effort and for me to appeal to higher authority would be useless.

Another customs official, apparently of higher rank, then came around the counter. "Come with me," he said as he led me to a nearby office.

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September 1 - 15, 2003

"He lives forever"

"Remember the Pantheon?" the woman said. "And all those architectural wonders?"

"Yes, of course," her husband replied. "The only thing we missed was the Coliseum. This time it's a must."

"O yes," she said. "All my life I've wanted to see the Coliseum."

"All your life you've wanted to see the Coliseum?" I thought. "Surely life is meant for more than seeing relics of the past. You're old now. You should be more concerned about your future, about life after death."

Then I thought about my own future. "Be careful," I told myself, "and don't get pulled into the charm of ancient Rome while you're here."

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August 17 - September 1, 2003

"A Sweet Raincloud"

It took 50 devotees three full days to break down our festival at Woodstock. By the time we left, not a soul could be seen on the huge field. As we drove away, I thought back on the success of our festival. Most of the 500,000 people who had come to Woodstock had passed through our site at some point and experienced the blissful world of Krsna consciousness.

We rounded the last turn onto the main road, and I looked back. I felt empty inside. I would have to wait a full year to experience such a great yajna again.

"The fortunate town of Navadvipa remains on the earth. The seashore remains. The city of Jagannatha Puri remains. The holy names of Lord Krsna remain. Alas! Alas! I do not see anywhere the same kind of festival of pure love for Lord Hari. O Lord Caitanya, O ocean of mercy, will I ever see Your transcendental glory again?" [Srila Probodhananda Saraswati, Sri Caitanya candramrta, Chapter 12, verse 140]

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Woodstock Photos

See "Diary of a Traveling Preacher,
Volume 5 - Chapter 7" dipika.org, August 18, 2003

Diary of a Traveling Preacher,
Volume 5 - Chapter 7
by Indradyumna Swami
Posted August 18, 2003

July 2 – August 8, 2003

"Help From Above"

Mathuranath das and I were the first to arrive on the Woodstock field, two weeks before the great three-day event. Although 52 bands and 500,000 people would soon come here, only a few rabbits now scurried across the large grass field that was once an airfield. The German air force launched its first bombardment of Poland from here at the beginning of World War II.

After the war, the region became part of Poland, and Jewish freedom fighters trained on this field to fight in Palestine (now Israel) in 1946. As I lay on the grass looking up at the sky, I thought how ironic it was that in a few days this field would host the biggest musical event in Europe with the theme "No Violence, No Drugs."

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June 21 - 27, 2003

"Now There is Hope"

Our last festival of the spring tour was in Mlawa. The newspaper that had slandered us was also in Mlawa, so I was a bit nervous as we drove into the town with a busload of 60 devotees for the first Harinam. The newspaper had printed our rebuttal, of course, but people in general are more inclined to bad news than good, so I feared that the people of Mlawa might be indignant.

We arrived in town as thousands of people began a busy morning shopping in an outdoor market near the center of the city. Fruit and vegetable stands and stalls selling varieties of clothing, shoes, and other commodities packed the area, with crowds milling through the small lanes.

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Polish Woodstock:
Help Needed
By Indradyumna Swami
Posted July 3, 2003

Dear Devotees,

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

As many of you know, each summer our Festival of India participates in the Polish Woodstock Festival, which attracts over 400,000 young people.

We erect a large village with many attractions, including a tent the size of a soccer field, in which we stage programs 18 hours a day. We distribute close to 100,000 plates of prasadam during the three-day event— more than 38 tons of foodstuffs.

This year we need the help of at least 300 extra devotees from outside the Polish yatra to perform this great yajna.

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June 11 - 20, 2003

"Vaikuntha Park"

Having seen the power of the media to bless or curse, I closely followed our lawyers' dealings with the newspaper. We had demanded either an apology or the right to publish an article by the Festival of India presenting our side. The editors were sure we would back down under pressure (and no doubt they wielded more power), but unknown to them, we held the trump card.

"Prahlada Maharaja loudly chanted the holy name of the Lord Nrsimhadeva. May Lord Nrsimhadeva, roaring for His devotee Prahlada Maharaja, protect us from all fear of dangers created by stalwart leaders in all directions through poison, weapons, water, fire, air and so on. May the Lord cover their influence by His own transcendental influence. May Nrsimhadeva protect us in all directions and in all corners, above, below, within and without." [Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.8.34]

After five days, the newspaper gave in and printed our rebuttal.

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June 6 - June 11

"Give No Quarter, Show No Mercy, Take No Prisoners"

The festival in Lipno was one of the most memorable in the 13 years of our Polish tour. News of the mayor's rousing speech to open the event spread throughout town, and even more people came for what was supposed to be the second and final day.

But the people wanted more. A group of citizens went to the Mayor before the festival ended and asked him to let it continue a third day. It didn't take much to convince him, and when we were told that he agreed, we also agreed. In order to reciprocate with the people, we announced that we would hold a Vedic wedding the next day. I ended the evening by asking the people to bring fruit and flowers for the bride and groom.

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June 1-5, 2003

"Aspiring to be a loyal disciple"

When Nandini and Radha Sakhi Vrinda visited the Mayor of Nidzica, as he had requested, he congratulated them for our three days of successful festivities. Ninety-five percent of the town was in love with Hare Krsna, he told them.

"What about the other five percent?" Radha Sakhi Vrinda asked.

The mayor's face became serious. "The priests in Nidzica were vilifying the festival from the pulpit and going to schools to deter the children from going," he said. "But I see our community as tolerant and open, and I encouraged the citizens. Because you gave me good publicity by entertaining the dignitaries at the castle, I am indebted to you. The next time you visit, the town will accommodate the entire festival group in our best hotel."

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Diary of a Traveling Preacher
Volume 5, Chapter 2
By Indradyumna Swami
Posted June 10, 2003

May 27-31, 2003

"Garlanding Heads of State"

The success of the Brodnica festival was confirmed the next day, when a local newspaper published a front-page article about the event. Under the headline "Hindu Festivities in Brodnica," it ran a large color photo of a devotee painting gopi dots on the face of a girl. Regional television also ran a 10-minute report about the festival using our own footage.

Our camera was a gift from Sunil Madhava das, president of the Chicago temple. When Sri Prahlad and I visited Chicago on our recent tour of America, Sunil Madhava Prabhu kindly bought us a professional digital camera for the Festival of India. The camera is of a higher standard than those of most Polish television crews, so local television stations gladly accept our footage, which is an asset to our advertising.

But victories often come at the expense of something dear. In the afternoon, Nandini dasi approached me with a dejected look on her face.

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Diary of a Traveling Preacher
Volume 5, Chapter 1
By Indradyumna Swami
Posted June 1, 2003

May 15-26, 2003

"Back on the Tour"

On May 15, I flew from Los Angeles to Ukraine for Nrsimhadeva Caturdasi. I felt uplifted to be going back to Eastern Europe and to my responsibilities on the festival tour in Poland, but the 36-hour journey, with connecting flights in Detroit, London, Warsaw, and Kiev, left me reeling.

Indeed, I was not ready for the young man who approached me at Kiev Airport and began preaching to me in broken English about the Second Coming of Christ and the need for redemption. He ended by asking for a donation.

"I don't have any money on me," I told him with a smile, "but I will be happy to share my own understanding of God with you."

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