ISKCON Helsinki, Finland Friday

Dear Godbrothers and sisters,
please accept our humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada, all glories to Guru Maharaja!

I would like to share some nectarian moments during GM's visit here in
Finland. Later mayby somebody will describe more details and write down some
lectures.

Guru Maharaja came last Sunday and were welcomed by a happy kirtan party.
Inc. the sunday guests we were about 100 devotees welcoming Him. It's
amazing that year after year so many people are coming to the temple when
He is here. GM began by greeting happily the kirtan party and after the
deity darsan He lead such a sweet bhajan.

The title of the lecture was "Filling the hole in the human heart".
It is recorded and I prefer not to try to explain it in an sutra form.
But it really touched the heart of the audience. The audience were clapping
there hands long after the lecture. They were also eagerly making so many
questions.

"Simply the highlight of the year !" was a comment from one regular
sunday quest, Tapio Pelttari
"I have always specially enjoyed the lectures of this particular
disciple of Srila Prabhupada ", this radio reporter continued.

On Monday morning GM gave a SB lecture. Devotees were very impressed
about the points He made. It was mostly dealing with the importance of
devotee relationships. He spoke many times about this subject in our
discussions and really broaded my vision.

Afternoon He visited Bhrigu-Munis and bhn Lauras home and was having lunch
with them. He seemed to enjoy that visit and mentioned that also to me.
In the afternoon GM was giving darsans and in the evening He met shortly
Bir Krishna Maharaja, who was here last week and was now coming back from
Estonia and then went back to USA.

Early Tuesday morning we left to the city of Tampere. GM was invited to give
lecture about the metaphysics or ethics. The teachers in that Tampere
classical collage were eager to hear both, so GM satisfied their needs by
combining these both titles.

One well respected professor Matti Luoma invited Him to visit and lecture
about the differences between the eastern and western metaphhysics in the
end of his course in the University. The course was now just in the
beginning and if it's still going on during GM's next visit, GM will for
sure visit there. Those academics have read all GM's books.

Last year we also visited in the same city the department where they also
train the new teachers. It's called the Normal collage of the Tampere
university. In Finland the collage means the same as the senior-high
school. So they are around 17-18 years old.

I just happened to lecture there some month ago and the teacher showed me
her transparents and syllabus. I looked at them for a while and was
suprised. Everything was just like directly collected from Srila Prabhupada's
books. The different stages of the vedic knowledge and so on..
Where did you get all these so detailed knowledge ?! i finally got out of my
mouth.
"From Suhotra Swamis books an lectures, " she said. She sent her thankful
greetings and thanks to Guru Maharaja while taking His newest book.

We stayed at Hare Krishna prabhus (Lokanath Swamis disc.) apartment during
those few days in Tampere. Bhrigu-muni and me as the classical servants of
GM. In the evening He was giving there darsan to Muniraja d and Janardhana
d. GM is really lovingly meeting all His disciples one after another.

Our preaching tour (India Experience, IE) which has been touring around
Finland now about eight years non-stop was just in that city. So Wednesday
morning we went to the IE base, which is a big cottage in the middle of the
forest at a lake. Which for sure is totally frozen. This winter-age time is
quite heavy here in Fin. On the way there was one advertisement which had an
picture about the polar-bears etc. GM asked humorously whether they existed
here also and I explained the situation. Connected to this he told an funny
story about the polar-bears which Manidhar prabhu has told Him after
visiting in Island and we had an good laugh.

Then began the morning program..
Guru Maharaja has been leading all the kirtans and songs during the visit
and so also this time. These traveling tour kirtans are really my favorite,
with the accordions and some extra instruments.
Guess how it was this time..
There are between 10-20 devotees traveling with that tour.

The morning lecture was from the first canto 1.13 3-4 and was dealing with
the womenly qualities. He made such an explanation that clarified so much
the meaning of the motherly care from the early childhood and the effects
of neglecting that. He was explaining the meaning of that while beginning
the devotional service and the various results while neglecting that. Then
He shifted to the realm of devotional service. The whole lecture made such
deep psychological points so clear.

There is no need of trying to explain these lectures in some short form.
They will be all available in the tape ministry after some time.

During the daytime some devotees got His darsan. Bh Jani was asking to
have Him as a siksa-guru and He agreed.

The main program on Wednesday night was held in one of the biggest an finest
libraries in Finland, called Metso. We expected about 70 people to come,
like normally there has been. They have to pay the entre, about 10 DM.
We were fully suprised seeing that the auditorium was fully packed. Double
as many came than we expected.

Guru Maharaja gave a lecture which was titled - Vedic Wisdom Means to Know
the Essence of Existence -

Better to listen those transendental moments from the tapes.
He spoke after the lecture with a University reseacher and that man become
so inspired that the same night he called to Mr Gowda (Phd) and couldn't
stop the clorification of GM..
(This leader of our Indian community, Doctor Gowda told me that yesterday.)

One Indian lady (Ph.d) came a long way to meet GM. She is an reseacher and
an teacher in the biology in the Oulu university near Lappland.
She has been reading GM's books with an great enthusiasm. In that same mood
she arranged few days off from her job.

The program took three hours. After that I was reading the written feedback
to GM while taking prasadam;
Her is just few of those comments;

- how fortunate I was that I could participate in HH Suhotra Swami's lecture
- wonderful, peaceful experience
- such a professional touch
- what a clarifying explanation

and the similar line was continuing all the time.

Tuesday we were supposed to meet one professor who is an old friend of
GM, but because in the afternoon there was also an collage prog for me in
Helsinki at the same time, we were postponing that meeting and we'll do that
visit next time.

The traveling back to Helsinki was quite a special. After finishing our
rounds we made the morning program in the car. GM was leading the kirtan and
Ajamidha prabhu was playing the accordion.
Ajamidha das is wery good in that and has been playing accordium over twenty
years in ISKCON. I almost forget that it was one of those very dangerous
Finnish winter wheather conditions, snowing all the time and the motorway
completely covered with the ice. After the kirtan GM spoke with Ajam so
kindly and that lead to very sweet darsan and discussion.

Today, Friday GM will speak with his oldest disciple here, hg
Vairaqua-laksmi dd and her huspand Purna-pragna prabhu and will visit
Ajamidhas and Bhakti-Acuyta Priyas home and take luch there.
In the evening all the devotees will be back from the preaching tour
and there will come some devotees from Estonia who like to see GM
personally.
Devotees here in Helsinki are really waiting for this evenings BG-lecture.

Bhrigu-Muni das promised to continue the report including the homevisit
and the remaining part of the visit.

Besides this Friday evening lecture there will be morning lecture on
Saturday and in the evening a special program arranged by the Indian
business-people. GM is invited to speak there.
Early Sunday morning He will take the flight back to Frankfurt and from
there to India.

Your humble servant Tattvavada das