Africa Revisited

You can't go back

I guess since I am only staying here in South Africa for three days (I leave for India on Thursday morning) no programs have been arranged. But where are the other devotees? The only devotees that I have seen so far are from Premasindhu Prabhu's family.

The beautiful Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Ashram that we have here in Johannesburg is our only center in South Africa, but, paradoxically, most of our devotees live in Durban (the seaport on the east coast of Natal where I was born and raised).

South Africa has so much potential! If only a few more devotees were inclined to take a step forward, to do a little more (yat karosi yad asnasi) instead of being content to stay where they are (sva-dharme nidhanam sreyah). But how to shake them out of their complacency without blowing them away?

It seems that everyone is so distrustful, so afraid to open their treasure chest, least it be plundered. But Srila Guru Maharaj has warned us that suspicion leads to suspension:

"Suspicion and hesitation are the worst enemies. We may be near to the truth, but because of our previous karma, our suspecting nature deceives us. Time is valuable, but it is passing in mere hesitation."

When Sripad Goswami Maharaj was here (in June) he was at least able to generate a semblance of enthusiasm, but now... it's like everybody has gone into hibernation.

O Srila Gurudeva, why have you sent me here? I cannot save myself, what to speak of anybody else.