Part Five
444ththth September 2004 --- 444ththth January 2005
Kiev, the Ukraine 4 September 2004
Odessa, Karkhov, Kiev 29 August--04 September
My Salagram altar, Odessa.
HH Bhaktivaibhava Maharaja giving a seminar, Odessa.
2 With Premavanya and Dvijata Pujaka, standing before Govinda's restaurant in downtown Odessa.
Govinda's is run very successfully by Bhakta Sasha.
3 The prasadam is absolutely exquisite!
Doing my email and In2 MeC work in Sasha's office.
In search of altar paraphenalia, I was taken by Sasha to a couple of esoteric import shops in Odessa. Note the brass chakras on the bookshelf. In one shop I purchased a jar of sandalwood powder mixed with saffron dust. Just add water and you have very nice chandan pulp for decorating Sri Salagram after His morning bath.
4 This is Jan the Cat, who guards Sandipani's home From 30 August through 2 September I day and night. was at Kharkov. There I stayed at the home of Sandipani Muni das and his good wife Premasagara dd. Sandipani Muni was formerly a general in the Soviet Army.
Sri Sri Gaura Nitai, ISKCON Kharkov. The temple is a few minute's walk from Sandipani Muni's house.
5
Evening program in the temple yard.
Prasad distribution to devotees and guests, ISKCON Kharkov.
Srimad Bhagavatam class, ISKCON Kharkov.
6
...where I met Professor Zechmistro, a philosopher of science, and his colleagues. We had an engaging discussion about quantum physics, consciousness, and God. Professor Zechmistro believes that modern atomic physics does not disprove ancient Indian and Greek wisdom about the nature of the world . Physics only points to a deeper reality which science cannot I visited Kharkov University... penetrate. I didn't tell him about the ISKCON MacNewletter article...he would have had a good laugh if I did!
7
Now I am in Kiev, where there are two ISKCON centers. One is a large temple in the suburbs. The other is a preaching center downtown. Today I gave a Gita class at the downtown center.
Kiev, the Ukraine 5 September 2004
Notes from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura's rendition of Srimad Bhagavatam 1. 2. 16, translated by Punya palaka Prabhu of ISKCON Prague.
The verse as it appears in the BBT edition of Srimad Bhagavatam , translated by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada:
susrusoh sraddadhanasya vasudeva katha rucih syan mahat sevaya viprah punya tirtha