This article was witten by Madan Gopal das / WVA Secretary for Slovenia and was first published on vina.cc.
Our present president, Dr. Janez Drnovsek, world famous politician, one of the last presidents of former Yugoslavia and former prime minister of Slovenia, has lately moved into a new direction. I do not know for how long he was internally developing this, but about one year ago, he started to seriously move in the spiritual direction and he also revealed it publicly. Dr. Janez Drnovsek went through many purificatory practices and meditations and obviously got some spiritual realisation. About half year ago he founded and registered his own ‘Movement for justice and development’, which has many goals such as stopping violence in any form, vegetarianism, natural and ecological production of food, helping to the poor, founding ecological farms, helping people to realise their spiritual self, to help people realise inter-relationship of all living beings etc.
I thought this was a good opportunity and wrote him a letter, with the invitation to meet Srila Bhaktivedanta Sadhu Maharaj (Munger Raj Mandir, Vrindavan) who was just about to visit Slovenia. In the letter I put a short biography of Srila Sadhu Maharaj, explaining that he is originally coming from a royal family in India, but now he is travelling as a Gaudiya monk, that he is a high representative of WVA and finally I also included one short article of my most revered Gurudev Om Vishnupad 108 Sri Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Gosvami Maharaj, so that the president could be acquainted with the basic message of the Gaudiya Vaishnavas. At the end I mentioned that he could meet Srila Sadhu Maharaj either personally, on the level of his Movement or on the State level.
Almost immediately I got an email answer in which the president said he wants to meet Srila Sadhu Maharaj on the State level. Then, just two days before the meeting, I got a call from his secretary that the president wants to invite him for lunch also. I then informed his staff that we do not eat meat, fish, eggs, onion and garlic. They said it’s not a problem, because the president is also strict vegetarian.
We met Dr. Janez Drnovsek on Saturday 8.7.2006 in his presidential summerhouse in a nice natural environment. Immediately upon meeting, Srila Sadhu Maharaj warmly embraced and garlanded the president and afterwards Dr. Janez Drnovsek also garlanded Srila Sadhu Maharaj.
Then they had a personal talk by the lake and afterwards slowly came to the wooden house where me and my mother Tungavidya Dasi could present the Slovenian translation of ‘Holy biography of Srila Bhakti Dayita Madhav Goswami Maharaj’ and ‘Nectar of Harikatha’ books written by our Gurudev and also sweet fruit balls Prasad which he happily accepted.
At lunch it was obvious to all of us present that Dr. Janez Drnovsek was heartily impressed and attracted by Srila Sadhu Maharaj’s loving character. They exchanged many thoughts on spirituality after which the president sincerely said with great respect: “Until now, I have met many different spiritual leaders, also from India, but I never met someone like you! I myself invite you to come next time. You may also use this place for your stay in Slovenia and also please come to my own house”. Srila Sadhu Maharaj smiled and humbly agreed to visit him again next year. Then Dr. Janez Drnovsek asked whether Srila Sadhu Maharaj has an ashram in India and Srila Sadhu Maharaj answered that he has, but he is afraid to invite him there because it’s a small place. Then I interfered and said: “Maharaj is very humble, that’s why he is speaking like this. He has a very nice ashram there in Vrindavan and I heartily suggest you to go there”. Dr. Janez Drnovsek said that he would definitely go there in the future.
Altogether it was a very happy and also spiritually powerful meeting. Ultimately the president invited me and my mother to cooperate with him and his Movement.
The report of the meeting was published on the official website of the president, on some radio stations and in the biggest newspaper in Slovenia.
All glories to the All-merciful Nitai and Gauranga!
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