How A Muslim Came To Krsna

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September 27, 2004 VNN8707

 

How A Muslim Came To Krsna

 

BY NARARATNA DAS

 

EDITORIAL, Sep 27 (VNN) — Hare Krsna Maharajs, Prabhus & Mothers.

Please accept my humble obeisences, all glories to Srila Prabhupada.

 

Some of you know me from Mayapur and what we are doing in the Middle

East but for those who don't, I'll give you a brief account of our

history.

 

Yes! All glouries to Srila Prabhupada transendental book

distribution & the surrendered souls that distribute them, why?

 

Well, for 24 years I lived with my strict Muslim family as a desent

Muslim in London. Then in 1994, after watching most of my friends

and 2 of my brothers become swallowed and trapped by Regular

material life (get married, get a house, go to work everyday, come

home, watch TV, sleep and then get up to do the same mundane things)

I came to my senses and thought this cant be all there is to lifa?

There must be something more Although I was quite a happy positive

24 year old adult, I didnt feel satisfied. Something was always

missing but what, I asked!! My brothers & I were all brought up as

strict Muslims following the principls of Islam. My father would

force us study the koran, we would get the belt if we didnt study

every night and memorise our verses. As life went by, I started

asking questions that were not answered, such as who is Allah, what

does He look like, what does he do? and What happens to people who

die now, where does the soul go? And if God were fair, Why are souls

put into different circumstances at the time of birth which gave

rise to a soul living and suffering in Africa while another soul,

born to a rich American family lives in complete comfort and safety?

I was told I shouldn't ask such questions and to not pursue the

answers!

 

Unfortunaely, this is how most Muslims are brought up, Here are the

rules to follow and some little information but don't ask questions

that can't be answered! This lack of freedom and encouragement to

enquire and question the teachings is what has led to the kind of

fanatic Muslims we have today.

 

(As His Divind grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta swami Prabhupada has

stated,Philosophy without Religion is speculation and Religion

without the philosophy becomes fanaticism.) Not that Islam doesn't

have philosophy because it does but the way it is being used and

presented today is the problem. Fortunately for me, Krsna arranged

that I wasnt complete happy. By the time I was 24, Krsna gave me the

courage, faith and push to stop everthing and leave London on a

planned two year trip that would take me in a caravan from London

through Europe, Eastern Europe, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan and finally

to India. My inspiration was this was the only way I could satisfy

myself, to learn as much as I could from other cultures and become a

better person. That final leaving day came, as I surrounded by heart

broken weeping family members and friends, one of my brothers gave

me a book. He said that a friend had given it to him as a birthday

gift but had been too busy to read it or even look at it. I put it

in my caravan and slowly drove away. I can honestly say That this

was the most painful time of my life, I was 24 yet I cried as I

drove to the coast for the next 3 hours and my so called heart was

in london for the next 2 months! It was so hard to leave things

behind (even for just two years)and focus knowing that ` wouldn't

see them for a long two years. Inspite of this, I held on to the

thought that if I really wanted to become a better person, there was

no other way! Six months later I found myself in Turkey getting back

into studying the Koran because unlike the Muslims I had known in

London who taught one thing but practiced something different,the

Turks seemed to apply the teachings of the Koran into there daily

life a bit more. But Again as I read and asked questions I came up

against the same frusrations, a lack of satisfying information for

my queries. I put the Koran back onto my book shelf and feeling

dejected I went through my book shelf hoping there was something to

enthuse my soul. Suddenly a book jumped out at me. I didn't

recognise it, it was the book that my brother had given to me as I

was leaving London. It had a beautiful picture of a blue celesial

person with 4 arms and the name of the book was just the title to

excite me THE SCIENCE OF SELF REALISATION, wounderful title! I

couldn't put it down until I had finished it all. As Ralph Waldo

Emerson said I owed a magnificent day to the Bhagavad Gita. It was

as if an empire spoke to us, nothing small or unworthy, but large,

serene, consistent, the voice of an old intelligence which in

another age and climate had pondered and thus disposed of the same

questions which exercise us now. His divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta

swami Prabhupada answered all my questions and gave me alot more in

such clear and easy to understand English, just perfect! For me a

big hole in my life had just been filled and I felt alittle strange,

pain from having my false ego exposed and cut by the sword of

knowledge but happy to finally get the truth!

 

Now at least philosophically I knew we were all souls and there was

a Supreme soul Known as Krsna or Visnu and we all had an eternal

relationship With Him in the spiritual world as well as here in this

world of temporary life. Infact right there in Turkey I started to

apply this. I was alone in my caravan and my friend, his wife and

son were in another caravan. I would wake up early to do some

exercises, feeling alone I would imagine youthful Krsna jogging

along side me and racing with him. I would go to disco clubs and as

the song would sing about a boy's love for a girl or girl's love for

a boy, I simply converted so that the song was about Krsna. Is was

great! My world was slowing changing so Krsna became the center.

 

Unlike Muslims (and preachers of other religions) who would tell me

that only Muslims would go to heaven, the rest would go to hell,

Prabhupada said Doesn't matter what bonafide process of religion you

chose to follow, if that process increases your love and attraction

to God (krsna), the supreme personality of Godhead, then that

process was perfect.

 

This simple but pure truth was so pleasing to hear, I would hate it

and reject whatever when people said this is the only way. Ofcourse,

I immediately understood and accepted that this Vedic knowledge gave

me what the Koran was giving me and the bonus of alot more

confidentail (higher) information about God and as Prabhupada again

so innocently says how could you or anyone love God if you know

nothing or very little about Him, so more detail information was

essential and natural just like in any other relationship.

 

I looked for a Krsna conscious temple or some kind of center but

nothing exsisted here in Turkey. I was hungry for more information

and practical tips on how to perform bhakti-yoga in daily life. Just

before I left Turkey the same brother who had given me the book

visited me here and all I could talk about was this vedic

information and how it had completely changed my out look on life,

from a selfish materialist to a thoughtful understanding human

willing to live with, work with and love all species of life as

members of my own family. My brother appriciated the concept but

said that unless everyone changed at the same time it wouldn't work.

So why bother! I simply answered that the change must start with the

man in the mirror! To my great surprise two weeks later I received a

parcel from him. Eventhough he thought vedic teachings were somewhat

different from Islam still he had gone to the temple, bought and

sent me the Jewel of all Eastern philosophy The Bhagavad Gita. I

still don't think he knows how much I appriciated this because I

knew he didn't like the Bhagavad Gita (thinking it was some Indian

book for Indians) but he sent it because I liked it. I don't know if

you can understand, but this was a Muslim buying something for

another Muslim that (in his eyes) could possibily lead him (me)

astray.

 

I was eating the Bhagavad Gita night and day.

 

>From the transendental pages of the Bhagavad Gita I learnt about my

real identity, nature around me, why we all exsist, how we are

interconnected and ofcourse how to attain full freedom by self

realisation. And for me this was the answer to all our worldly

problems, this was the information that everyone needed to hear and

know to gain real internal peace and happiness. I knew with this

information the world could really be a happy place with everyone

living and working in harmony. Later on I would accept this as my

duty to humanity.

 

As a result of this I became a strict vegeterian (actually only

eating food that was first offered to Krsna), I started chanting the

Hare Krsna Maha Mantra and following the four regulative principles

given to bring one to the human platform of life.

 

1, No intoxications

2, No eating Meat (incl chicken, fish and eggs)

3, No sex outside of marriage

4, No gambling

 

I was so happy and stress free. Really! I was singing the Hare Krsna

mantra in the rain, at work, everywhere! People were asking me what

is this song and how come I was so happy and full of positivity so I

would explain it to them and some would try to sing the mantra with

me.

 

On observing Turkish people and how nice and openly friendly they

were to everyone I remember saying there should definately be a

Krsna conscious temple or some kind of center here, that would be

great!! Yes, just a dream? ( a dream that Krsna would later

manifest? Lets see?) There was no such center in Turkey, neither was

anything listed in Iran or pakistan.I had to patiently drive and

wait until I got to India to meet devotees who practiced this bhakti-

yoga way of life.

 

I drove to Vrindavan and upon hearing the hare Krsna Maha mantra

being sung so sweatly at night and seeing all the devotees sparkle

and dance in ecstacy, I knew this was the life for me. and joined

the Hare Krsna Movement there but after 4 days I was advised that

Mayapur would suit me better as it was the center of learning. The

night I arrived in Mayapur I was introduced to Jananivas and

pankajangri prabhus because they came from london too. The next

morning I took a bath in mother ganga but on trying to get into my

van ` suddenly realised that ` had swum with the keys to the van in

my pocket and now they had gone! Devotees joked that Caitanya

Mahaprabhu didnt want to leave me with a way to escape so ofcourse I

joined the bhakta training program for 3 months and on completion I

then immediately joined the interfaith communications program. This

project attracted me because I had read and seen so many poeple and

organisations try to use knowledge and religion to create

distinctions for the purpose of segregating people but these

devotees had the aim of bringing all people and their religions

together under one flag through the spiritual scientific analysis

and understanding of Science, Philosophy and Religion.

 

After being there for one year receiving futher education and

learning how to practically apply this philosophy in my own life, I

was happily shocked and amazed when the head of this dept said ok,

you are ready to start helping others and we think you should go and

start sharing this knowledge with others. And which place did they

think I should go to? Yes! Turkey.

 

This was like sweet music to my ears. Although everyone that I spoke

to told me I should NOT go because I was relatively new and Muslim

people specially in Muslim countries were heavy, no place for a new

devotee! Fortunately, Krsna gave me such a clear feeling that this

was what he wanted me to do as my service to Him. It was very clear

to me that He had prepared me for this so I didn't feel scared at

all. I knew He was behind me and infront of me.

 

So, after praying intensely to all the presiding deities in

Mayapur,SRI SRI RADHA-MADHAVA / LORD NARASIMHADEVA and THE PANCA

TATTVA and asking all the devotees to give us their blessings, we

set of for Turkey in 1996.

 

The plan was to slowly expose ourselves to this new enviroment in

stages.

 

We would go for 3 months first then return for 6 months then go for

6 months and return for 6 months. Our stay in Mayapur didn't lose

it's focus on our objectives. We continued to study, research and

compile books aimed at bringing people of all religions together. We

wrote five books specially connected with Krsna Consciouness and

Islam.

 

1,SRILA PRABHUPADA ON ISLAM( everything His Divine Grace A.C.

Prabhupada ever said about Islam)

 

2,BHAKTI YOGA and ISLAM (questions and answers encountered in the

field by Srila Prabhupada & devotees sharing Krsna Consciousness

with Muslims in Muslim countries)

 

3,THE HIDDEN TREASURE OF AL-QURAN. (the HOLY QURAN as explained by

CAITANYA MAHAPRABHU)

 

4,COMPARATIVE COSMOLOGY. (a comparative study of Modern science, the

QURAN, the BIBLE and VEDIC KNOWLEDGE) 5,ENLIGHTENMENT OF CHAND KAZI.

(the teachings of Caitanya Mahaprabhu to the Muslim leader Chand

Kazi)

 

6,KRSNA CONSCIOUNESS & ISLAM. A newly produced 20 hour double CD

presentation about KC & Islam.

 

The books are designed to help Krishna-conscious devotees present a

Vedic viewpoint to members of the Muslim community in a non-

argumentative way, as well as to encourage Muslim readers to deepen

and strengthen their efforts at God-realisation. Our goal is to

build a strong foundation of mutual understanding so that everyone's

love and devotion towards the Supreme Lord whom we call Krsna and

whom Muslims call Allah -- can be ignited and cultivated favourably.

 

So, you can see we were very serious and commited to this goal as a

life times mission.

 

The first 3 month period in Turkey was both wonderful and very very

difficult. Wounderful because we were experiencing a closeness to

Krsna that I hadn't experienced even in Mayapur. Our prayers were

intense specially to Lord Nrishimhadeva because we were alone in a

Muslim country, no temple, no devotees, no kirtans, no Indian

community and no support! Just the two of us! We could clearly feel

and see how Krsna was behind everything that happened to us. For

example, We had practically no money and we expected to be sleeping

on the beach but Krsna arranged that someone offered us their cafe

floor to sleep on after it closed at 10pm.

 

Then someone offered us a half complete flat to stay in, no windows

or doors but there was water and a roof which was better that

nothing! Then for 3 weeks I suffered form Malaria, I really thought

I might leave my body. During the day I would ok and would go around

looking for a job then come 4pm the hellish region would desend on

me and all night I would struggle with a burning body, the amazing

thing was each time I would come back to an awaken state ` found my

self chanting hare Krsna so I really wasnt scared of dying but

luckily again Krsna was there to finally arrange some free

treatment, they took care of me in hospital for 2 weeks something

that would have cost us thousands we got for free. Slowly we got to

know the people but we couldn't really find anyone who was

interested in spirituality. Language was one big barrier we would

have to overcome and the area we were in was made up of mostly

conservative Muslims. Nevertheless, we had expected things to be

like this so had planned that the first stage of our service would

be to simply get to know the enviroment and the people.

 

The second and third time around we planned to stay for 6 and then 9

months, each time continuing where we had previously left off .

 

As we moved around and stayed in different areas we got to know the

people more and more and how things worked here, we got jobs that

allowed us to really mingle and become like normal people (from this

angle we hoped we could better understand the poeple's problems and

how best to help them. This gave us the time and experience to

really see and feel how people reacted to our exsistence and our

presentations. We came to realise a very important point, these

Muslim people were very very nice helpful and welcoming but if you

push the wrong buttons and touch some sensative areas in thr wrong

way, specially topics connected with their religious sentiments then

your so called friendly friend could change into an erupting volcano

in seconds. So be careful out there when you are dealing with

Muslims dont judge the book by the cover. Actually, an any area,

make a commitment, be patient & get to know your field before you

farm it.

 

Prabhupada often compares us to docters and what we have to give as

the all liberating medicine so a good doctor studies his patient

first then prescribes the right medicine in the right dose.

 

I always remmember being told in Mayapur by our leader that for this

service we had to give up the conditioning and identity that we were

preachers and just see ourselves as normal people living among

others because Muslims are really really sensative about poeple

trying to change them and they can sense it immediately. People

should see and really feel that we are simply living our personal

life styles and who ever is interested in what we do, we are happy

to share this spiritual culture with them. What they do with that

info afterwards must be left to them. As Krsna says in the Bhagavad

Gita ( 18.63 ) to Arjuna

 

Thus I have explained to you Knowledge still more

confidential.Deliberate on this fully, and then do what you wish to

do.

 

After our 9 month stay, we had to make an huge decision. In Mayapur

our same team ran two departments: The interfaith communications

dept and the Bhaktivedanta Research Institue which had produced 12

books for the education of both devotees in The Hare Krsna Movement

and the general mass of people. Unfortunately the time had come

where we could no longer be in two places for parts of the year,

India and Turkey.

 

Turkey needed us to be there all year round. We knew that for this

project to develop nicely, we had to be there full time and there

was no one else who would do it so in 1999 we left our merciful base

Mayapur and headed for full time Turkey.

 

This moved us into stage two of our plan. We found and started to

rent a flat of our own where we soon held Sunday programmes and the

reading of The transendental, all liberating, Bhagavad Gita.

 

We started to teach people about The Vedic culture way of life,

mantra meditation, vegeterian cooking and playing traditional

devotional music. All aimed at the liberation of the soul, giving

him entrance into the spiritual realm. We are endeavoring to

continue to do tha same.

 

One of the main problems we have faced is the small numbers of

people that have come to our programme when you compare that to the

19 million people that live in this city. We have no choice other

than to slowly get to know people and see if they themselves are

intersted in what we have to offer, slowly cultivating that interest

and then if it's safe (as in they won't call the police upon seeing

or hearing something they don't like in our flat) we extended an

invitation to our flat to learn more about the benifits of

meditation and self realisation. Fortunately, we have never had any

complaints from anyone, even our neigbours don't mind the singing on

Sunday. We have always focused on developing good friendly

relationships with everyone. After all we want to give this

oppertunity to everyone. Once, we even had concerned parents of one

boy come to see what there son was getting into, but when they came

they really liked what they heard, the teachings of Bhagavad Gita (

we aren't body, we are soul, as such we are all related as brothers

and sisters with one Supreme father, so try to give up using and

abusing each other and try to help eachother come to the point of

real understanding, real peace, real love, only to be experienced

through full self realisation which this Vedic knowledge is

teaching).

 

You can imagine how much time & energy this takes with each person,

plus the fact that we have to work at the same time in order to be

able to maintain eveything financially, not easy!

 

Since personally coming here in 1996, we have spent the first 3

years part time moving around this city and then another 3 years

based in one flat (temple) and then last year we moved to the flat

we are in now. During this time we have got to know the people, the

country, the culture, the police and how they all work and interact

better, we now feel confident that more people are interested and

will come to learn more about Vedic culture, yoga, mantra

meditation, vegetariansm and eventually bhakti yoga if given the

chance. We have always faced two problems, TIME & MONEY.

 

To generate money to finance things we have to scarifice time doing

jobs and spending time with people that are not interested in

spiritual life.

 

Remember, this isnt England where you can get donations from the

locals to help, these are Muslim people in a Muslim country. This

means only a small amount of out potential time is really spent with

people personally helping them. At present I pay 600 dollars per

month for our flat and definately we will be here for a long time.

>From 1998 I've helped support other iskcon projects as well as this

project by selling my small flat in London. Now I dont have any bulk

money left. I just depend on what I earn monthly to run everything

here. As taught by srila Prabhupada, we are always trying to be self

dependent and not hassle others but in this case, I really do

desprately need your assistance. We now have a strong desire to buy

the flat we are currently in or one similar in a similar location.

 

I really dislike it when it seems like we are wasting Krsna's money

thus I feel alittle frustrated because I dont have the money to buy

this place but are giving 600 dollars a month to the bin! Please

help me stop wasting Krsna's money and purchase our own place for

two big reasons.

 

1, As renters we can be kicked out anytime if someone doesnt like us

for any reason whcih is a daily possibility and will become more

likely if more poeple come. In real life here, a renter has no

rights. On the otherhand we will have full rights to do what we want

as long as it is within the confines of our flat if we own it.

Ofcourse we will not be desrespectful or thoughtless. As prabhupada

says, We must always be respectful and courtious even to our

enimies, so if we want to invest our time and energy here to develop

a spiritual oasis where people can come and revitalise themselves,

owning our own property is a must.

 

2, Ofcourse we will save alot of money. Instead of paying 7,200

dollars per year for the next 20 years and get nothing, we can pay a

simillar amount and within 20 years we will have our own building.

No more rent!! Radha-istanbulisvara will have there own place and

devotees wont have to worry about paying the rent. They can fully

focus on the real work, rescuing souls from the clutches of this

temporary material energy and setting them free.

 

So many of the younger generation are interested in learning about

spiritual life but are afraid to come and ask because of socail

pressure from the older more conservative Muslims but finally under

pressure from the youth of today and the European union spiritual or

religous organisations will be given the rights and freedom to

practise. This will take EVEN MORE TIME to actually manifest in

peoples attitudes but the green light is definately coming in the

future.

 

So when that clear green light comes this center will be ready to

transform into a fully fledged legal Hare Krsna center operating

directly as Srila Prabhupada wanted, giving everyone the chance to

experience the alternative to the struggle and stress of the

imbalanced material life that is currently on offer to the

frustrated soul. Openly, freely and directly educating people in all

aspects of spirirtual life and how to directly apply such knowledge

in daily life so that each and every indivdual can become a happy

person and from a happier person we get a happier family, a happier

city, a happier nation and eventually a happier world for everyone.

Please Please feel our sincerity, see our commitment and understand

krsna is pleased by any service you do but this service really does

have a special place in Prabhupada's heart. As he himself said those

who preach to Muslims, I take the dust from their lotus feet You can

just read this as any other pamphlet, walk away and nothing will

happen but I'm personally begging you not to do that. Please decide

right now what you can do to help and contact us at

visnupada or harekrishnaturkey

 

Here are some of my suggestions (we need 120 thousand dollars): 1,

We only need 120 devotees (individually or collectively) to donate

1,000 dollars each.

 

2, Devotees can loan us 1,000 dollars each and specify howlong they

could give it to us for so those who need it back the quickest will

be paid back first.

 

I am personaly willing and able to pay back 600 dollars per month to

anyone that loans us any money or arranges a loan for us.

 

3, Someone can secure us a 120 thousand dollar (morgage) loan for

which the place can be registered in their name as security and I

will pay back 600 dollars per month (if we dont buy a place I will

have to pay 600 dollars per month as rent anyway so I can do this)

 

Please impower us to give them such a nice revitalising experience

that they will be inspired to look deeper into the subject of real

health, the needs of the soul. As Srila Prabhupada has said we are

concerned to have conviction as opposed to conversion.

 

We are trying to inpire devotees to take advantage of the most

auspicious day on which to give your donation Radhastani 22nd of

sept, Wednesday, fasting till noon. So here are our bank details:

 

For dollars:

NAME: HSBC

BRANCH: BAKIRKOY

ADDRESS: BAKIRKOY CARSI HALKCI SOK. NO:8

BAKIRKOY-ISTANBUL

 

 

 

SWIFT CODE: HSBCTRIX

BENEFICIARY: BERNA KARAARSLAN

BENEFICIARY A/C: 814-1019544-770-01 (USD)

 

 

 

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For pound sterling:

BANK NAME: GARANTI BANKASI

BRANCH : TOPCULAR

ADDRESS: KISLA CAD. TIKVESLI SK. EMINTAS 3 TOPCULAR SAN.

 

 

SIT. NO:1/70-71 34055 TOPCULAR-ISTANBUL-TURKEY

 

 

SWIFT CODE: TGBATRIS

BENEFICIARY: BERNA KARAARSLAN

BENEFICIARY A/C: 9094172(sterling)

*********************************************

 

I would be very encouraged and happy to hear your comments on this

or any sugestions you may have to help us achieve this goal that is

very pleasing to Srila Prabhupada and the whole Parampara

 

Hare Krsna. All glouries to Srila Prabhupada.

 

Ys, Nararatna das.