My dear friend Krishna,
First of all I want to wish you Happy Birthday!
I remember how I visited you in my childhood in different places, sometimes in the temples or at the Yamuna. I remember the streets and different places and I am very proud of being Brijwasi and having you as my friend. I also remember that I was sometimes angry with you when something was going wrong.
Think of that time when our Vrindavan was a little peaceful place where the streets were filled with sand and the Yamuna flowing around it. Do you come out of the temple sometimes these days? Or are you just staying and sitting in the temple, waiting for people to come to you?
If you don’t go out, I don’t blame you, I can understand. It is the same reason why I do not come to visit you in the temples anymore. I am fine, sitting in my home and you are fine, sitting in yours. We know our love and that is good.
We know each other since my birth and each year I see how everybody in your and my hometown celebrates your birthday. I remember on your birthdays I used to stay up the whole night and come to see you at three o’clock in the night, no matter how big the crowd in the temple was. Now I do not come anymore but you can come anytime here and meet me.
You always loved to play at the bank of the Yamuna and swim there. You have not been there anymore for a long time. Let me tell you, don’t go there and don’t swim in it anymore! I can guarantee, you would get eczema and allergies. All fish and tortoise have left or died, you would not like to see the Yamuna like this. Better stay at home.
I know you love cows so much, but do you know what is happening with them these days? They eat garbage on the streets, they eat the plastic and they die from it.
You were running around with bare feet, enjoying the sand between your toes. But now the sand is gone, you would need to go by car. No wait! The streets are too narrow, there is too much traffic, you better take a motorbike.
And please tell your devotees, who keep on doing Aarti, fire ceremonies at the river, to better start taking out the garbage and stop putting dirt into the river. You were stealing only butter from gopis but they rob money from people!
I have even heard that there is an old man here in Vrindavan who introduces himself as being you, sits in a temple which his disciples have spent millions of Dollars on and asks women to sleep with him as if he was God. All over the world there are women who say that he raped them but still people believe he is you! Don’t you think people should stop imitating you? His business is flourishing, how can you just sit there and watch?
Do you know that people came from outside and bought half of the land of Vrindavan in your name? They made a big temple where tourists come to from all over the world. You have become an attraction for sightseeing! We know that you were flirting with gopis but we also heard that in your temple this has become an excuse for sexual abuse! Do you know this? And this all is happening in your name!
Those who know you since their birth but who don’t have much money now have difficulties living because prices for vegetables and food became so high!
There is no land left, those who did not have money had to buy land where in our childhood there was nothing but fields and trees. Don’t you know that they had only the money for this cheap land which is flooded each year or each second year by the Yamuna? We go there today to celebrate your birthday with them. We made Puri and Sabzi and we will have a big feast, the feet in the water of the Yamuna.
Could you ask your devotees all over the world to help the poor people of your town, especially in the time of your birthday? Just give them this link, they only have to click on the button below and make their donation.
I don’t have much time now, I will go and distribute food in your birthday celebration and have to leave. Have a great birthday!
Whoa I didn’t know what to expect when I saw the title of this entry. I really enjoyed it. Thanks Swami Ji.
Haha, great.
I wish I had grown up with Krishna as a friend.
This is beautifully written.And a sad little tale lies within it.
It must be hard to see a beautiful little town turn into something else.It is hard but just the reality of the world, and how things are always changing. We can only hope for more positive changes in the years to come.
I knew the story of Krishna but was quite taken aback by just how much of this lovely town has been devoted to him and how some good things have turned to bad. It is so sad to hear these stories of how the river once was, compared to how it is now and how people are abusing the memory of Krishna. I hope in the future that the profits from tourism can be used for the good of the people here and not turned against them.