Report by Daiva dasa, Om Sri Surabhi Campaign- State of Hawai`i Coordinator & North America National Coordinator
Our Hawaii yatra was blessed to welcome and help facilitate the Om Sri Surabhi Campaign ‘Chant & Plant’ Island Tour led by His Holiness Bhakti Raghava Swami. This is his second visit on behalf of this 12 year global campaign to promote deeper appreciation for Mother Surabhi & Mother Bhumi and further stimulate the growing interest in actually creating Vedic villages that are connected to the city temples. He was accompanied by campaign Continental coordinators Sri Krsna Purusottama and his brother, Sri Rama and took place from October 15-20.
The tour’s theme, a slogan used by Bhakti Raghava Swami, ‘Chant and Plant’, was the continuous underlying message that deeply resonated with our island devotees. And rightly so, since in the very early days of Hawaii preaching, His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada instructed the local devotees that ‘preaching in Hawaii means farming’. This is a fact which makes total sense to those who understand the essence of the rich land-based traditional Hawaiian culture deeply rooted in care for all of nature’s sacred resources and its dependence on Akua (God).
So we were very happy to accompany His Holiness on Oahu, and to the neighbor islands of Hawaii, aka Big Island, as well as Maui island. His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada, worldwide transcendental marketing genius that he is, once commented upon seeing the logo for Sherwin Williams paint company, ‘Cover the Earth’. He remarked that we should ‘cover the earth’ with Krishna consciousness through the sankirtan movement. Similarly, the Om Sri Surabhi Campaign, being the 4th wave of the Sankirtan Movement, ‘covered the islands’, or at least some of it. Prabhupada named his Honolulu temple on Oahu, New Navadwip, which also comprises several islands as does the original Navadwip. The campaign reached across our island community to the hearts and minds of many of our Hawaii ohana (family), largely due to the broad minded spiritual leadership, unwavering commitment to this final order of our founder Acharya and bold conviction of His Holiness Bhakti Raghava Swami.
Here are a few reflective statements from devotees across the island who were inspired during the ‘Hawaii Chant & Plant Tour’
“Since meeting Maharaja, Sri Krishna Purusottama and Sri Rama Prabhu, I am looking at a map of the entire Big Island and seeing where we can buy up land to expand farms and cows and create Vedic Villages one by one.” Niscintya dasa- pujari, book publisher, astrologer-Hawaii island
“I was inspired when Maharaja said that If one does not hear the sastras attentively, one cannot understand Krsna Conscious philosophy. We should practice our philosophy in order to fully understand the value of cows and land.” Golokesvari dd- Oahu island
“Go Go Go! Go means Cow-So go for it! Prabhupada said to do it immediately ! So what are you waiting for?” Narayana (25 year old young farmer and cowherd at New Srivas Angam Teaching Farm- Big Island)
“Maharaja was amazing and his two disciples my favorite!! They must come back!!” Karina, cook and entrepreneur- Big Island
“We are thankful for his lecture on cow protection as the basis for a successful Daiva Varnashram system. Over the years we have tried to support and be part of this lifestyle. That is why we bought 100 acres on the Big Island, following Srila Prabhupada’s guidelines what is needed for success; land for agriculture and cow protection, water, soil and clean air. Bhakti Raghava Swami is very straightforward in his presentation and gives practical plans to actualize this transcendental life”-Bhavatarini dd & Nrhari dasa, Big Island farm owners
“This Mother Surabhi campaign has made me finally come to realize that Prabhupada has brought every aspect of Goloka Vrindavan to this material world; the name, fame, form, pastimes and paraphernalia of Krsna and His eternal associates, including Sri Surabhi, and this can all be fully realized and actualized when we live simply depending on the land, the cows and Krsna’s divine social system” Daiva dasa, State of Hawai`i Campaign Coordinator & North America Coordinator
“The Om Sri Surabhi Campaign is doing a valuable service by giving much needed guidance how all of Prabhupada’s family can live truly healthy spiritual lives and practically work together and share this Vaikuntha life with the entire world.” Gauralila dd, book distributor and fundraiser , Master gardener- Maui island
“In this age of Kali, when selfishness and materialism are the norm (so much so that one can easily lose hope – and I’ve come close), the darshan of such a benevolent soul as His Holiness Bhakti Raghava Swami revitalizes one’s spirit. It did mine. Among other things, his visit made me think about what benevolence means. It’s not diaphanous or gauzy, flimsy. Instead, real benevolence takes a tremendous amount of courage; courage borne of faith. Maharaja is such a sraddhavan. When he arrived at our little Maui airport to our humble reception, I was reminded of how Krsna makes so much more effort to find us than we do to find Him. That is His mercy.” Rupa Manjari dd -Mother, wife, teacher- Maui island
The Om Sri Surabhi Campaign message that His Holiness is stressing embodies the guidelines within ‘eternal Vedic culture’ as given by the Supreme Lord Himself. It is not Indian traditional culture or for that matter any unfamiliar or foreign concept. Most unfortunately, instead of focusing on these essential eternal principles, even amongst our own devotees, we get caught up on issues that continue to divide us. Meanwhile, the destructive slaughterhouse civilization remains most visible and thriving and the Vedic villages remain practically invisible and at best struggling. We humbly beg devotees worldwide, especially in America, to wake up and broaden their understanding of our Senapati/Sankirtan General, Srila Prabhupada’s complete strategic plan to bring the bhakti science not just in temples through Deity worship, harinam, book distribution, membership, restaurants, but also via the all important 50% of establishing Varnashram colleges and ‘Vrindavan villages’. Lord Caitanya’s prediction is that the holy name will be chanted not just in every town or city but also every village!
His Holiness has a brilliantly simple way of explaining to everyone how we should and could be living in Vedic village models. Just imagine what we could accomplish if we just put our current assets and talents together! We could immediately save so many cows and acquire so much land and introduce the simple life of Goloka Vrindavan all across the globe!!! Prabhupada had this vision before even leaving India and gave this order to his followers so long ago. So just how many more papers need to be written, how many many more seminars and workshops exploring the topic need to be held, how many more useless and discordant speculations on how Daiva Varnashram is to be established and its role in society, before we clearly realize and implement this absolute mandate of our founder Acharya? Srila Prabhupada told us ‘impossible is a word in a fool’s dictionary’. I have Hawaiian-ized this statement a bit, ‘with Aloha (love) and Laulima (cooperative spirit), anything is possible’.
So let’s immediately do what is necessary to cooperate so that Krsna will be pleased and thus give us all facility and intelligence to properly serve His dearmost Mother Surabhi and His dear devotees.
Om Sri Surabhyai namah
