Admissions of a Fool

The following is an interview by His Grace Nityananda Dasa to His Grace Maitreya Rsi Dasa taken from the 10th edition of the Matchless Gift magazine.

This article was titled by Maitreya Prabhu himself:D

1. What was your first touch with Krishna consciousness?

My first touch with Krishna Consciousness was a book of impersonal philosophy. I will not say which book specifically, because I do not want to advertise that rascal. He was describing some meditation practices and fortunately one of them was chanting the Hare Krishna mantra. I tried that out when I read the book, but aside from that, I had never heard about Krishna consciousness, devotees, or Shrila Prabhupada. I heard nothing about Krishna before I read that book about 6 years ago.

2. What made you get serious about the process?

Well I took a bunch of psychedelic drugs (laughs), and I realized that there is something beyond ordinary experience. But I knew that it was not obtainable only by taking drugs; the drugs were also messing me up. So I was looking for a more religious or spiritual experience. But no spiritual practice or book satisfied my intelligence until I came across Shrila Prabhupada, and then I felt “Okay, this is a tangible practice and a complete philosophy.” When I found Srila Prabhupada's books I decided to try to take it more seriously.

3. How did Shrila Prabhupada's books come to life?

They started coming to life because I would hear from Shrila Prabhupada about working hard on a job like an ass, and I was also at that time working on a job. So I saw in my own life that if I don’t cultivate some spiritual experience or strive for realization of God, then really I'm just working hard like an ass for my basic necessities. When Shrila Prabhupada was talking about that it really resonated with my personal situation at the time. Shrila Prabhupada would say many other things also, and afterward I would have some experience, and it confirmed exactly what Shrila Prabhupada was talking about. Or he would answer my questions that I had by reading his books or watching his lectures. I think everyone that reads Shrila Prabhupada's books can feel that he is communicating with them directly.

4. How come you decided to start the temple life, what attracted you? 

I didn’t have anything better to do really, but that doesn’t mean that temple life was out of boredom. After seeing the futility of the future that was ahead of me, that I wouldn't find satisfaction of working on a job or running after the various so called goals or aspirations that had been pushed upon me when I was a child, I decided that there was really no other option rather than taking to spiritual life as full time as possible. I don’t think I would have done it via any other path except through Shrila Prabhupada's books, but because the process of Krishna consciousness is so sublime and easy, I was naturally desiring to join the temple, which everyone can experience if they read Shrila Prabhupada's books.

5. You said you would not find satisfaction living outside, why not? Many people do find satisfaction, they are very happy.

Well yeah, that happiness is more like the happiness that you experience in a dream. You have some happiness because of a lack of understanding or a lack of knowledge, just like a pig, you know? He is covered by ignorance and is enjoying in stool, and doing all kinds of abominable things, rolling around in mud, etc. But if some civilized person comes and sees the pig, he is not exactly envying the pig; he doesn't want to be in the pig's situation. But the pig is enjoying. So, similarly, we have a very low standard of enjoyment, actually. Most of the time it’s suffering, we go to work, we work hard, we have to deal with the boss and the colleagues, then you come home and you have to pay your taxes, so many sufferings we have for very little happiness. And that happiness is actually just an escape from the suffering, so it is not very high class. The more you realize that, the more you realize that “I still want more deep and fulfilling happiness.” Then spiritual life is for you. But that doesn’t mean you have to live in the temple to practice spiritual life. The point is to endeavour for Krishna consciousness. Then your home or whatever will also become a temple.

6. A very deep answer, thank-you. So where and how long ago did you join the movement?

7. I joined the movement in the US, in the state of Washington. It's a very beautiful place, like the heavenly planets really. I started practising there, and got Shrila Prabhupada's books at my home. I started reading the books after taking a gap year from college. I wanted to be a yoga teacher, at that time I was studying various books about yoga and eastern philosophy. That was about 5 years ago. When I took things more seriously, I moved to Spain after meeting my teacher His Grace Purujit Prabhu. He asked me if I would like some more training in a temple environment. Of course, who would pass up an opportunity to be trained by a senior member of the Krishna consciousness movement? I ended up going to Spain with the idea that I would only stay for three months initially. But that three months turned into one year, and eventually I gave up my green card in the US and all my possibilities of a future there as well. 

8. You gave up your green card for a Vaikhunta card! At that point, did you ever think you're going to be a temple president and such an influential devotee in BLISS?

Yes, that was my ambition the whole time, simply to become a guru (laughs). No, actually I started by trying to make a temple in the US, but it was not my idea that I am going to be a temple president, that happens automatically when you set up a temple. But having a temple in the USA was very difficult, I am not ashamed to say, it was very difficult to maintain the place as there was a lot of rent due, and I was maintaining everything myself, with scanty knowledge of Krishna consciousness. So, when I went to Spain, my idea was to stay at best just a floor sweep in the temple, observe how things are going on, and stay in association of more advanced devotees. Then things progressed, and it's a long story how we are now here in London, but now I have somehow or other been placed in the position of temple president, and the devotees are very kind to tolerate me.

9. Who decided to make a temple in London? How did it happen? There are already many other temples in London, what's the difference between BLISS and other organizations?

Well, the answer to this question as a whole is, why only have one temple? If the temple is such a good thing, and it is a good thing, as in the temple you can immediately dive into the ocean of a Krishna consciousness atmosphere in the association of devotees, you can hear the kirtan, take prasadam, etc. Actually every home should be a temple, what to speak of just a few temples in a huge city like London? There should be hundreds of thousands of temples, so why not open another? But the initial idea to open a temple in London was that His Grace Purujit Prabhu was not satisfied with the small preaching we were doing in Spain, and he wanted to expand to a busy, highly densely populated city, such an important city as London, and that is also very scientific: if something takes off in a central, metropolitan city like London, then the whole world will follow. So, he told me to go to London, and that I did. I flew in, took shelter of some very nice locals, and started building the temple from scratch under the guidance of His Grace Purujit Prabhu. 

The difference between us and other organizations? So far other organizations are following Shrila Prabhupada and spreading Krsna consciousness as it is, teaching others to follow Shrila Prabhupada, then I see no difference. But BLISS has a very clear vision. We would not mind co-operating, of course, with any sincere group or organization. 

10. Very interesting details, thank you! How did the London temple start?

The London temple started… It's a long story and it's been explained in various places in our BLISS media, there are some podcasts on our YouTube channel that describe the story in detail for many hours. But in summary, we were living in Spain and we really had no money. So we collected and purchased a ticket for UK, and we had just a little bit to pay for the air BnB. But when I got to London, however, the AIR BnB canceled for no apparent reason, I guess it was the arrangement of Krishna just to test me a little bit. When I arrived it was about 9pm at night, and I was unable to get access to the house. I made some calls, but it was very late and nothing was available, and I was unable to find any other place, so I just took shelter outside a library and used some cardboard boxes to make a bed to cover myself, but it was very cold, even though it was July.

Then, by the arrangement of one of my Godbrothers, His Grace Makhancora Prabhu, I was able to get in touch with a nice lady, Giselle, and she was able to give me shelter in her small apartment. From there, I was able to make calls, look for properties, and it gradually developed until I found a small apartment right in the smack bang center of London: Waterloo. From there, I called His Grace Purujit Prabhu and told him the coast was clear. He came from Spain, and we started operationing. Now we're here in a four bedroom detached house with a garden. These are all blessings from Krishna, Shrila Prabhupada, and Purujit Prabhu, what can I say more? 

11. Not a very warm welcome, but a very nice result! What is your vision for BLISS, what would you like to achieve for Krishna in this life?

I would like to reduce the intake of gulab jamuns (sweet balls soaked in syrup, the recipe for which is in this magazine!) because I'm feeling very tired now (laughs). What would I like to achieve? Of course, the ultimate goal is to achieve Love of Godhead, but aside from that, we have the humble ambition of making a center in every town and village in the universe. If the universe is not possible, then at at least the whole world. To try and make at least 100% of people Krishna conscious. We are looking right now at some more temple opportunities, and we are currently working towards the BLISS manor, which is an exciting project that we hope to have south of London; a very beautiful manor surrounded by a lake and nice ground where we can have cows, a school for Krishna conscious children, and a place where people can come and be peacefully educated in the principles of Krishna consciousness away from the bustle of materialistic city life. Perhaps we will be even arrested if we disclose all our plans, we are so ambitious (laughs).

12. Wow, what a vision! So, if all of that was not enough, please tell us, why should people support this movement?

Well, you have to support something. You're putting your money towards something, because a little bit you have to support yourself, your body, your family, etc. That's alright, but what are you going to do with the rest of the money? If you spend it for useless things, then it won’t really bring you any satisfaction; in many cases, it will just make the situation worse. Or, you can spend it for something sublime, and this Krishna consciousness movement is very sublime. People of a higher intelligence, who have gotten wealth by their hard endeavour, can appreciate what it's like to suffer. So they give donations to charity and hospitals so that people that are in conditions that they were once in can be elevated and happy. Of course, that is material, but this Krishna consciousness is the greatest hospital or charity, because it elevates people to where they become free from birth, death, and suffering all together, what to speak of disease and poverty? It's a very nice movement, and the effect of it can be immediately experienced by a sincere practitioner or anyone that participates in simply chanting Hare Krishna. So, why not participate? This is a very noble cause. Don't waste your money, and don’t just keep your money also, don't hoard your money like a miser, passing it on to the next generation... it will not benefit anyone, just like it does not benefit you. Even if you can just give a little bit of your money to this movement, it will give you eternal benefit. So, that is such a nice thing.

13. Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview, it was a pleasure, Hare Krishna!

Thank you for asking good questions, Nityananda Prabhu, this was a nice interview. And I'm honored to take part. And I hope that anyone who reads it has paid for this magazine.

Hare Krishna!

If you're interested, here's the link for the latest edition of the Matchless Gift magazine.