Krishna Disaster Relief
BY: ROHINI-SUTA DASA
May 01, AUSTIN, TEXAS (SUN) — Founded in 1990, Krishna Disaster Relief (KDR) was truly an unexpected paradigm that resulted from an act of kindness toward the village of Limon, Colorado after it was hit by a tornado. This was KDRs first mission.
The most impressive memory from that fateful day was the intense degree of appreciation that the residents of that small community expressed to me. Compared to feeding the ill-mannered and habitually homeless milling around Denver’s infamous “Devil’s Triangle,” the temporarily homeless in Limon actually gave a heartfelt, “thank you.”
As the editors of the Sun have so correctly pointed out, a global doom does seem to looming. Even my latest issue of Wired Magazine has devoted a number of pages pointing out that our planet is running out of drinking water. An inedible fruit, Kali yuga is ripening.
Remember those Mighty Mouse cartoons? Hm…OK, Superman or Batman will work, too, but I’m partial to Might Mouse. Regardless of your favorite hero, some type of doom is hell-bent on inflicting as much suffering as possible, prompting Might Mouse to fly to the rescue. This is what stirs us: seeing our heroes come to the rescue. When I was in the Air Force, our entire squadron was shown a film about the Air Force’s response to a massive earthquake that seriously jolted Alaska on March 27, 1964. Nobody knew in advance what the film was going to be about and after watching it I was stunned. Not at all the damage. Not at the speed in which the United States Air Force mobilized. Rather, what I’ll never forget was how all around me grown men, including my self, swelled with pride and eyes watered tears of appreciation. The dramatic feelings that this film brought out in me were profound and totally unexpected. It was just a normal day, after lunch and out of the blue these intense feelings suddenly surfaced without warning.
In the same way that my laptop has been programmed to pop-up a little box to alert me when my battery is low, mankind has been programmed by God to love a hero. On queue, grown men will swell with pride and become emotional when watching a film about the Air Force rushing to the rescue. We all love heroes. It's just the way we are wired. Part of the human-side of our dharma. Even dogs are awarded medals - such as the Carnegie Medal of Honor - for acts of lifesaving valor. Everyone loves a hero.
Have I fallen victim to sentimentality? So far what I've said sounds rather emotional. But I say, “exactly what the doctor ordered!” The most valuable kind of wisdom is knowledge that can be employed intimately in fulfilling the highest realm of devotional service. What am I talking about? What can be more intimate than helping Srila Prabhupada achieve his fondest dream? Listen to our beloved Gurudeva reveal what is on the altar of his heart.
"Let us try to make them Krishna conscious. That is our only interest. Because I love Krishna, I want to see all - everybody in the world to become Krishna conscious." (Because I love Krishna, I want to see all - everybody in the world love Krishna).
The love that Srila Prabhupada has for his Krishna is very much the “heartfelt kind” and there were many instances of Srila Prabhupada’s eyes filling with tears. Because Srila Prabhupada loved Krishna so much, he came to America to introduce us so that we, too, could fall in love with his Lord and Master. Srila Prabhupada says this himself. He wants the whole world to love Krishna. I would like to see Krishna Disaster Relief take a leading role in making this happen.
This is my first public article on KDR in nearly 20 years, still addressing what I have always seen as a tremendous opportunity to serve Srila Prabhupada. Although this is just a concept piece, still, if there is any profound wisdom here, then at least on paper let KDR transform the gloom and doom of today’s topic into the topmost service: fulfilling Prabhupada‘s hearts’ desire.
Doesn’t it strike you a bit odd that when you watch one disaster after another that you seldom, if ever, hear a word on the nightly news about Lord Krsna? Because I am interested in this, since 1990 I have watched countless newscasts covering everything from tsunamis to tornadoes, earthquakes to hurricanes, wars and famine. Not one single time did I hear the sound of Lord Krsna’s Holy Name come out of my television set. Hm, that doesn’t at all square with what we preach. Srila Prabhupada taught us that Lord Krsna is the greatest person. What this means is that Krsna is also the Greatest Hero! There is no greater hero than Krsna. Well, OK ...so where is He? This void, along with the unfulfilled dream of Srila Prabhupada can be traced directly to our failure to present to the world Lord Krsna, as He is. My proposal has always been that devotees, everywhere, turn their combined talents and resources into showing the world the Greatest Hero via Krishna Disaster Relief; right actions produce right results.
I am not saying to do away with Food for Life. It has a tremendous place. And I am not saying to do away with Bhaktivedanta Charities, etc. What I am saying is that Krishna Disaster Relief should be created and brought to the forefront. As Rush Limbaugh, the greatest talk-show personality in the history of radio has said countless times, “words mean things.” I seriously doubt that if a group of average citizens were asked, “What does Food For Life mean?” …that any of them would say Krishna's name. As far as Bhaktivedanta Charities, very few could even pronounce it, what to speak of knowing what it means. But Krishna Disaster Relief …either look at those three words or utter those 7 syllables and with a snap of the fingers, everyone understands that Krishna has come to the rescue.
Let me tell you a little known fact. In 1990, I received a phone call from the head of the American Red Cross in Denver, Colorado. She asked me to meet her in an underground bunker beneath the Denver Federal Center and speak with the acting president of NVOAD (National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters). He had heard of Krishna Disaster Relief. After going underground, past a military checkpoint and walking down a long tunnel, I met with this esteemed gentleman from Washington D.C. who told me an amazing thing. He said that NVOAD was being confronted with so many vegetarians during disasters that they had no way of providing them the necessary meals. He then asked if Krishna Disaster Relief would consider becoming a member of NVOAD. Now, I ask you, why is this so important?
Disasters are a unique occurrence in many ways. They certainly get enormous media attention with the “event” streamed into the living rooms of millions and millions of homes. CNN, Fox News, CBS; they all send their news teams right into ground zero. Although often affecting large areas, disasters are also well protected by police, national guard, and even dog catchers and game wardens. They are all utilized to stop the general public from entering these dangerous areas. Most want to just look while others want to loot. Similar to a stage at a rock concert, unless you have a stage pass, you cannot enter. You have to have the proper credentials, no matter who you are. Just like in the military, there is a disaster chain of command that has to be followed and obtaining a stage pass is crucial. It is hung around the neck. This is how to understand the anatomy of a disaster. These valuable federal credentials are what NVOAD was offering Krishna Disaster Relief. With them, KDR can get through the police lines and right up onto stage, right next to the CNN cameras and where all the media focuses their attention. As far as I know this invitation still stands.
Let me get back to transforming the gloom and doom of today’s topic into making Srila Prabhupada’s dream come true: (Because I love Krishna, I want to see all - everybody in the world love Krishna). Right now there is an existing Food for Life network. How difficult would it be for them to simply put on a different hat when called upon and perform disaster relief work under the banner of Krishna Disaster Relief? This is my vision of Lord Krishna in the 21st Century. In the global marketplace of religious ideas, devotees of Lord Krishna are also advertising. "Please stop and examine what we have." The most important thing is to get the public to stop and take favorable notice. Why is this so important? In one word, appreciation; appreciation of Lord Krishna. And if you think about it, the word, "appreciation" has many meanings and they all apply: to prize, regard, cherish, relish, savor, acknowledge, thank, comprehend, realize, recognize and understand. Once appreciation has been kindled within the heart, a monumental event takes place. Srila Prabhupada explains:
August 19, 1972, Shrimad Bhagavatam 1.2.16 - “This is the beginning of spiritual life - people are praising our activities - this appreciation is a lift for such persons. If he doesn’t hear, doesn’t come, simply says, ‘it is very nice.’ Yes!”
The beginning of spiritual life ...this is the result when appreciation is awakened for Lord Krishna. Appreciation is where love for Krishna begins. In a nutshell here is the formula that Krishna Disaster Relief represents: A tornado strikes downtown St. Louis. Monitored by KDR, the Food For Life teams in St. Louis, Dallas, and Chicago are activated. Mobile kitchens are dispatched, the St. Louis team deploying first. City officials already know about KDR from its participation in city and state disaster drills. As a member of NVOAD, Krishna Disaster Relief is allowed to enter the hardest-hit areas. Within 24 hrs. the Dallas and Chicago KDR teams arrive, one of them sporting KDR's newest, state-of-the-art mobile pizza kitchen. If you had omnipresent x-ray vision, you would see billions of televisions sets across America and the world tuned-in to find out what’s happening. In these countless homes people watch as Krishna comes to the rescue. On queue hearts swell and eyes water. Over the next 100 years, every time a disaster strikes, on all the news outlets, people everywhere see the Greatest Hero coming to the Rescue. Appreciation for Lord Krishna reaches monumental proportions. Public support for KDR surpasses the 10 billion dollar mark. Srila Prabhupada smiles. This is the formula.
