Side route: New Vrindaban College Outreach

Side route:
New Vrindaban College Outreach
This last Tuesday I had to say good bye to many students. Im leaving to India for the rest of the quarter and many of them will graduate while I am gone. They will leave Athens for good, get jobs and continue to grow into the wonderful people they are meant to become. I love them dearly, as i have known them for so long. I've see them each week and observed their personal evolution from their freshman year to now graduation. I've seen their ups and downs and they have seen my ups and downs. It was an emotional evening. My friends are leaving. I'm going to miss them, they have taught me so much!

In reciprocation, Krsna consciousness has effected so many of their lives in various ways. Some of our students have accepted Gaudiya Vaisnavism as their religion, some have taken up sadhana, some are living according to principles of purity, some just love to chant, some read Gita each day, some ask us for guidance in their life choices, and some hate us but can't figure out why they have to keep coming back each week.

Its been four years since we started college outreach from New Vrindaban. It started in 2003 under the guidance of Kuladri Prabhu. It was a lone brahmacari in New Vrindaban. Anada Vidya Prabhu our, beyond comparison book distributer, took me out to the colleges for book distribution the previous months and rekindled my desire to share Krsna Consciousness with the youth. He had left to India for his yearly trip so I was left all alone in New Vrindaban winter months to milk the cows, wash dishes, and mop the floors with my mind just thinking about those local colleges and sharing Krsna Consciousness. I meditated on old stories of my Gurmaharaja hitchhiking, driving beat up vans, chanting in the grass, giving lectures, distributing prasadam and opening centers. I heard how he used to travel to colleges each day of the week in a large circle through Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. I learned about all the details of his travels, how he preached, how he started programs, how he slept, how he studied, how he chanted, and how he cooked and served each and every student with love. This is what I wanted to do and meditated on throughout the day.

Kuladri Prabhu would meet me each day and talk about Krsna. I remember we would just sit back with our arms resting over our heads and talk about what we've been reading and he would always tell stories about my Gurumaharaja. He always made sure I wasn't feeling lonely and that I was satisfied in my service. One day i asked him if I could start to travel and preach in colleges. With all the love of a kind father he was hesitant and discussed all the glories and difficulties of such a service. Especially being alone. He was all for it but was desirous that I find a partner to go out with, as that was best for a young brahmacari. Unfortunately there was no one. We even posted ads looking for others but no one showed up. Within the last year all our brahmacaris with the exception of Anada vidya had graduated ashrams and moved on to school, work or married life. Soon He gave a consession, that I could go but I had to be based out of Columbus and be here in New Vrindaban on the weekends. Nice arrangements were made that i stay with Krishna Balarama Prabhu, and Krishna Das Prabhu as they were single men and had a house near the temple. Kuladri allowed me to use the second sankirtan van which roared like a tank, got 10 miles to the gallon and which I loved and called Bhumi devi.

I had no Idea what to do but was confident that the Lord and Kuladri Prabhu would guide me. I sat down one day with Karnamrita devi and we looked at a map of colleges and we circled all the sweetest ones which my Gurumaharaja used to visit. I filled the van with books, instruments, bhoga, a table and flyers. I got all my warmest clothes, signed up for a cell phone and hit the road.

I traveled almost 100 miles each day visiting colleges, distributing books, setting up book tables, meeting students and professors. In no time I was invited to give lectures in classes, visit students in their homes and was distributing hundreds of books. Going out each day was not easy. At this time I barely knew anyone. So i camped out in the van by myself, ate by myself, drove myself, chanted by myself, distributed books by myself, ran book table by myself, and dreamed of the future by myself. All in the blizzards of the mid west. It was too much. I missed the dieties and the devotees. I lasted a month. Even though it was the number two thing which I wanted to do in this life, I knew I wasn't strong enough to do it by myself. I felt lonely and was getting disturbed. I didn't want to quit but I had no other choice, It was too difficult or I just saw it as too dangerous for me. Everyone warned against it but Kuladri Prabhu just said to try it out and see what happens, you can always come back. I wasn't a paramahamsa but just a young boy trying to stay engaged and please Srila Prabhupada. I called up Kuladri Prabhu very distraught and almost crying. He immediately just said to come home as soon as possible.

When I returned to New Vrindaban, my old friend, Atmanada Prabhu had just came back from India. I told him what I was doing and he was filled with excitement. He immediately wanted to join the fun and serve in this way. We spoke with Kuladri Prabhu and he explained that it must be Krsna's arrangement and that the college outreach must be meant to go on.

So in a few days we hit the road again and started actual programs in various colleges. We had no idea what kind of programs to start doing so we just tried a different type of outreach style at each college. We went to six different colleges in a week and Saturdays we stayed in New Vrindaban. We really wore ourselves out. But we were experimenting with how to communicate Krsna Consciousness with College Students and Professors. We held Bhagavad Gita classes, we utilized Radheshyam Prabhu's books for teaching, we held Kirtan nights, we held meditation groups, we held cooking classes, we tried so many things and everything we tried worked. Each type of class attracted certain individuals and each event was a success. Any problems came about due to our own limitations.

In due course of time, Atmananda Prabhu had to stop travelling, and I was left alone again. Fortunately by the end of Summer Narasinghachaitayna Prabhu, Gauranga Kishore Prabhu and Jagadish Chaitanya Prabhu also moved to New Vrindaban. Soon Bhakta William came, Chaitanya Prabhu, Jason Prabhu, and now Bhakta Chris have now come. Yugala Kishore Prabhu is also here. Some have left, some have come back and some will be back. Many more will come to help us. Gradually, with much pain to my heart, but with all neccessity others started to take over the various programs and some programs we have had to stop. With a gradually growing ashram of sincere and educated brahmacaris we have had to adjust our activities to spend more time with each other and serve in New Vrindaban.

After four years, other than the occasional programs about America, I mainly visit Athens Ohio. Each week, another devotee and I will travel the two and a half hours to Ohio University. We hold a cooking class each Tuesday night. We arrive at 6:30pm and leave at about 11:00pm. We usually sleep at around 1am after a full day of mangal arati, japa, diety seva, class, cooking for a hundred students, driving two and a half hours, teaching a cooking class, speaking with a hundred or so students, cleaning up, kirtan and driving to our house in Athens and calming down a bit with a few intimate friends. Its a full days sacrifice. One which I love and do not ever want to give up. I love the students and community which has developed around our cooking class. The students have called it Vegan Cooking Workshop, acronym VCW. I call it Vaisnava Culture Workshop-VCW. A place where one can learn to serve, learn to love and dedicate your every action to the Lord. Association with devotees is powerful. The process of Bhakti is inconceivable, and Mahaprabhu has his plans to purify everyone associated with this process. We hold a morning program of Japa, Gita, kirtan and breakfast each Wednesday. We spend the mid day with students for lunch at their homes, resting, studying, preparing lectures, and cooking dinner. Each Wednesday night we hold a discussion group which about 15 students attend. We gradually guide the students beyond their misconceptions of spiritual life, provide them proper Sastric based philosophy about themselves, this world, and God while teaching them how to apply knowledge to their lives. Students take up lives of purity and apply Sadhana to their daily routine. There are many things to say about each of our programs, but mainly it can be summed up by saying that I accept each of these students as my master and thank them again and again for providing the opportunity to serve Srila Prabhupada's movement. I am indebted to each of them. I am crying as I pray that I will see them again and that Krsna remains within their lives in some way or another.