with Madhu Madhav Das,
Govardhan Eco Village
It was a perfect weekend to replenish calmness and soak in fresh prana, divinity and purity. I surrendered my mental noise to the sacred chants of Hare Krishna at Govardhan Eco village in the midst of the quaint Wada village. Engrossed in a sumptuously hearty meal I reluctantly lifted my head to the voice of a kind gentleman warmly greeting us, checking if everything was going fine.
His graceful disposition, tone of voice and choice of words intrigued me to delve deeper into his journey at the feet of pure service. I gobbled down what was left in my plate, requesting for a conversation
Madhu Madhav Das joined Iskcon after his post-graduation in business administration. The decision to surrender the usual worldly acquisitions for pure unconditional service was not too easy for his parents to accept. The hunger was so intense that he did not turn back on the resolution.
Inevitably, the seeds of the life experiences and decisions are sown in the childhood and that is what Prabhuji narrates. For many years, he was a closeted, emotionally bruised child with a bag pack of body shaming and bullying memories. The pattern continued till he found himself being treated for who he was at Iskcon, not judged, unbiased and with purity of intention. “Everyone is called Prabhuji here as we address the God within and not the body” says Madhu Madhav Das.
As the conversation meandered towards many questions I had about spirituality. I mustered the courage to ask him if spirituality or such schools are an escape from reality. The twinkle of knowing in his eyes broke into a convincing smile as he said “Where you escape may have the answers. For the first five years I loved the energy of the place, people are driven towards serving and the place exudes positivity. When we begin any journey, the focus is on the outside. The inner experiences unfold as you practice and give it more time. For me the epiphanic moment flashed when I was listening to the Chapter 13 of Gita. I have read it many times, but this time when one of the Prabhuji’s explained again that ‘The body is just a temple of the soul’ my baggage was somehow released. It was a magical moment. There was a feeling of liberation when it sunk in that I am not this body which people have been shaming or teasing. I needed to release the attachment and perception. After that day my relationship with myself changed completely”.
Discovering his true self through knowledge and practice of Jnana, Bhakti and Karma yoga Madhu Madhav Das was able to help many on the campus finding their true unique nature by uplifting their consciousness through conversations, satsangs, lectures, etc.
Our discussion, if monitored on the EEG machine would have mapped like a roller coaster wave, from soul to life to deep spiritual truths. Like a hip-hop artist he breaks down Sat-Chit-Ananda with total ease. “This is my go-to categorisation to find a purpose or solution to any life’s problem. Knowing the purpose or solution you can manoeuvre better actions to a large extent. Sat means eternal. Truth never dies. Hence the body dies but the soul doesn’t die. Chit signifies knowledge. Ananda translates bliss. How do we put this into practice? If you have the knowledge of wearing the body as clothes and your true nature being everlasting then insecurity, fear, anger, loss etc are temporary. This truth gives you freedom. Humans are born to give back hence service is what gives us delight. Every human being is serving something or someone. Then why be insecure, rather be in the bliss of truth. Any problem can be put into these three baskets and answers to any problems can be easily extracted”. After having read many versions of Sat-Chit-Ananda, he made the theory so relatable and easy to understand. This one created joy in my heart.
Resonating with the new acquisition my mind joined the dots. In this body we are serving the physical aspect with different tastes and comfort, emotions of need, protection and security of material objects, occupation, love, and so on. At work, we serve either the clients or employees. As a citizen we have a responsibility towards fellow humans, the city, country and the planet. The gap is the darkness, the diseases and unhappiness arise when we forget the service aspect, do not express gratitude instead demand power, claim entitlement, ask more and give nothing.
Deeper he submerged himself in the scriptures, Madhu Madhav Das was able to better comprehend his growing up years. He discovered the reason behind his disconnection with friends. He had developed a personality of “I am enough. I don’t need anyone”. An incident at school when no one was willing to lend him a pencil and he failed that examination triggered the extreme emotion. From then he started carrying extra stationery to help others. This was also the reason behind his weight gain which primary was nothing but emotions packed around his body to prove that he is self-sufficient.
Finding answers within, going inward led him to an outward transformational journey. As they say when you are ready the information appears. Non-Violent Communication (NVC) a concept from Marshall Rosenberg’s book was introduced to him by Vrajleela Devi Dasi, a practitioner from Pennsylvania. An unchartered new world of awareness unwrapped before him.
We live in a world of assumptions which lead to judgements and thereby unwholesome behaviour. Prabhuji went on to explain the process of NVC in detail as the method entails four steps in communication;
1. Observation – Observe the situation or person without the lens of judgement or evaluation. This gives it objectiveness and disassociation from the incident or person.
2. Feelings– More often than not, feelings are not expressed in relation to what is observed. Many are not even aware or struggle to figure out appropriate vocabulary for what they go through.
3. Needs-Feelings create needs and desires and these require to be communicated. Most of us are not taught how to express our needs from ourselves and others.
4. Request– Making clear positive request of needs from others makes relationships, situations and people more aware. When you ask what you want, more likely you will get it.
Madhu Madhav Das Prabhuji with sheer honesty, reflecting in his demeanour says that “My purpose now is to make people become self-aware and take responsibility of their behaviour and lives. I ask myself often ‘What can I do to make my need felt’ instead of blaming others.”
The heady mix of Sat-Chit-Ananda with Non -Violent Communication gave me an ecstatic high. Cannot wait to practice, it is what precisely we all need. We can run, escape or hide but what needs to be learnt will eventually appear in another situation or person. So, it is only sensible to be aware of our feelings, state the needs and take responsibility of our actions.
Light has always been there, its upon you to bring it out or be comfortable with ignorance.