Battlefield Bhajans Vol. 14

Battlefield Bhajans Vol. 14

Dedicated to my Spiritual Master, HH Kadamba Kanana Swami, who is so kind and merciful to keep me engaged in devotional service everyday.

Cure of birth and death in the material world.

 I just returned from Balad Air Base in Iraq. I had to have some surgery performed there. As it seems after doing this service for so long, and the austerities that go along with it, I contracted a rare infection and needed immediate surgery to correct it. The doctor who saw me thought it might have been when I was in the human sewage in Baghdad or maybe a result of a kidney stone that caused the infection. So on the day of my surgery I showed up and was admitted. I brought a small bag, containing a Bhagavad-Gita, my japa mala and a photo of Srila Prabhupada. After the procedure, I was admitted to the intermediate care ward with others. I could not leave the bed by the doctors orders, so I began to read the Gita, when a nurse and a male airman came up and asked my what I wanted to eat. I explained that I was a strict vegetarian to which the man replied,” I am also, I got you covered”. And he ran off, as I was waiting for my meal, the nurse asked me what I was reading.  I explained to her that I was reading a sacred text that will do something no hospital in the world could do. Curious, she asked what that was, and my reply was simple. ” Ma’am it will save you from birth and death in the material world.” She explained that in her ward she sees many trauma patients and often wonder what the goal of life was.  She knew there was a higher purpose, but she explained she had to get going because she had other patients. I thanked her for the talk. 

    A little but later the man returned with a small paper plate of cute fresh fruits and bread. We started talking and he was asking why I am a vegetarian, I explained that we are suppose to be the well wishers of all living entities, and that animals have souls, and to eat them is a grave mistake. He was very interested, but about this time the pain was getting to much for me. While talking with him, I was praying to my Salagram SIla’s ” my Lords, please allow me to ignore this material pain for a little longer to assist you in reawakening this souls lost love for You.” And as we talked more and more about Krsna, about devotional service and about the purpose of this life and about the glories of the Holy Name, his eyes showed a new life. Like a sponge he was soaking up all this Absolute Knowledge. After one hour of speaking,  I said to him, I need to take some rest because I am in too much pain, but before he went I had a gift for him. I picked up my Bhagavad- Gita and the photo of Srila Prabhupada and placed it in his hands and let him know, his seed of devotional service is planted and this wonderful sacred text will sow it and by Srila Prabhupada’s mercy it will grow into a wonderful tree. His hands were trembling as he accepted them and I could see the look in his eyes, that look of determination to accept this process into his heart.

Sadhana:

Japa: because of health reasons, I could not follow my standard of 25 rounds or 64 on Sunday. But this was ok in my opinion. It is better for me this week. Due to the pain from the surgery, I am feeling my japa as a cure for my material suffering. My rounds take a lot of my energy but I am being careful and resting plenty. 

Reading the Cc and Srila Prabhupada Siksmrta: since I my energy is down while i am recovering, I am using this time to increase my reading time and to careful read Srila Prabhupada’s books and make notes from each purport and letter. With this notebook of nectar, I can find inspiration at anytime from any page. 

Sankritan: Just one book this week. But even one of Srila Prabhupada’s books is like a transcedental time bomb. At any moment it can blow you out of the material world. Still I look forward to when my health is better and I can give my self again to this service.

We are at 24 days left and counting, please pray for us that our health fully recovers before we leave and that our material desires are destroyed so we can help more souls in this material world. Our only desire in this body is to help others find the beauty and love that only Krsna can give.

Forgive us for any offenses we made

your servant in Srila Prabhupada’s mission

Partha-sarathi dasa

ISKCON Iraq