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When The Faith is Extreme……

Life
Life
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Abhishek ceremony picture of stolen deities.

Image: Previously captured Abhishek ceremony picture of stolen deities.

There are extreme believers on both ends of every issue. Extreme supporters have always surprised us from time to time. Here is a case that happened in Greater Noida, somewhere around midnight of Friday, 14/07/17.

The unfortunate incident happened at Iskon Preaching Center, Greater Noida. It was a fine evening of 14/07/17 when the temple devotees after doing their daily evening chores and scheduled spiritual practices went to sleep. Temple devotees have a very strict routine that starts very early in the morning, around 3 am, so they are very cautious about their eating and sleeping habits, and keeps over all routine in favor of their spiritual life.

So, next morning on 15/07/17  when one of the devotees woke up at around 3 am and went downstairs to the temple hall, he got the shock of his life when saw the temple deities missing from the altar. Also, he found out that the main door and the middle window were opened. And then within an hour, this news of theft was spread like the jungle fire. The temple was flooded with devotees, policemen, local residents and other authority figures.

The deities that were stolen were of Gaur-Nitai (Joint incarnation of Sri Radha-Krishna and incarnation of Sri Balaram) there in the temple for years. The devotees associated with the temple saw these deities as God (Radha-Krishna and Balaram) himself. So, one extreme of faith is this that the deities that might look ordinary statues to someone were being treated and pampered like a VIP not only materially but also emotionally and spiritually. The senior devotee couple, who initially established this preaching center at their home, brought it from Vrindavan and took care during initial few years. They cared for these deities as their own kids and their feelings for them kept growing more and more, so much that it inspired other devotees also to inculcate such emotions for these deities as well as other personal home deities that devotees serve at their homes.

Nitai Gaur Chandra Bhagwan

Image:  Nitai Gaur Chandra Bhagwan

(Home deities served by HG Purnanandi Radha Devi Dasi and HG Svarupanand Das)

Two days have passed since the incident of theft but the police is still clueless and working on it. The devotees spent entire weekend crying in pain of separation for their beloved Lord and performed non-stop keertan in the temple as well as outside, praying to the Lord to come back. Most of the devotees are so humble that they don’t blame anyone, neither the police for not being able to find out the thief nor the thief, for stealing the deities, instead they are blaming themselves. Each and every devotee is asking for forgiveness from the lord for not being sincere enough to serve them with the luxury and dedication that they deserve, and they are also promising the lord that if they come back then they will be served and pampered with so much more love and respect than ever.

Devotees can be seen so much united and supportive towards each other. There are untold feelings of compassion and understanding among them, supportive towards each other for the cause. Some can be seen almost fasting and crying whole day in the pain of separation. So much compassion and humbleness can be achieved only when one is really connected to the almighty. This is one of the extreme ends of faith, so much love and bonding with lord Krishna that life has stopped for these believers.

The other extreme is the thief, of course. He obviously saw the crowd of these humble devotees inside and around the temple so many times. He obviously knew the bonding, the attachment of devotees with their Lord, but still managed to steal these deities in which resided the Lord himself. Deities which were not even allowed to be touched and served by people other than very senior initiated devotees, were emotionlessly, carelessly, mishandled by this thief. Devotees bowed down and offered respect to them at every meeting and departure, but he saw them as only as pieces of precious metal, which will bring some handsome amount of wealth in exchange. Devotees consider themselves so blessed after eating the remnants of food stuff offered to them, but this thief obviously is keeping them unfed since more than two days. There were special air coolers, lights, beautiful and costly clothes, precious jewellery and so much love and care for devotees’ beloved lord inside the temple. Devotees are dying in pain for not being able to give all that to Gaur-Nitai, and on the other extreme is the heartless thief who is, god knows what, doing with them, hiding in a closet, selling at thief market, exporting or whatever.

Last but not the least, there is so much propagation of this theft news everywhere, news, social networking etc, the thief is definitely aware of the emotional turmoil that is going on inside the hearts of devotees which has such a huge impact on their lives and daily routine, but still he is so stone hearted to even give a second thought to the requests and prayers that are floating on social media for returning or finding the deities.

Both of these extremes, the devotees and the thief were created by the same God and the law of karma also applies equally to both of them. But the level of intelligence is holding them where they are.

Whoever has caused this, if you are reading my post, please consider returning Gaur-Nitai. There are millions of ways of making money without hurting someone’s emotions. May Lord bless you.

Hare Krishna!

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