Saturday, August 30th, 2003

Govardhan, Uttar Pradesh, India

Sadhu Sangha

A moment's grace...

I am a little jet-lagged, so I get up late. It was so hot last night that I slept without a blanket or sheet. Two nights ago, in Johannesburg, it was 0°C (32°F) and I had the heater on...

Later in the morning, I meet the young, local Indian boy, the university student who came to the Srila Sridhar Swami Sevashram here in Dasbisa, Govardhan, on the last day that I was here in India, just before I left for Russia, in April. We introduce ourselves; his name is Ajay.

I remember that when Ajay was introduced to Srila Gurudeva that day, he asked Srila Gurudeva two questions. Obviously, Srila Gurudeva's answers (about the value of sadhu-sangha) impressed him, for he says that he has been coming to the ashram a few times a week ever since that day. He plans to ask Srila Gurudeva for harinama initiation when Srila Gurudeva arrives here next week.

How does that verse from the Chaitanya Charitamrita go again?

"A moment's association with a saint awards all success — this is the verdict of all the scriptures."