Author Archives: Krishna-kripa das, Mayapura

Travel Journal#13.22: New York City
→ Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 13, No. 22 
By Krishna-kripa das 
(November 2017, part two) 
New York City 
(Sent from Hartford on December 11, 2017)

Where I Went and What I Did
I chanted with the Yuga Dharma New York City harinama party for the second half of November, without going anywhere else. One day Ramesvara Prabhu, who is famous for his service with the BBT, came by and chanted and danced with us for an hour. We were happy our leader, Rama Raya Prabhu, returned from six weeks in Vrindavan. Satya Dasi of Radha Govinda Mandir let our harinama party have their Thanksgiving feast for free, and it was very good.
I share notes on and quotes from recorded classes by Srila Prabhupada. I share notes on Radhanath Swami speaking at The Bhakti Center on Gita Jayanti. I share notes on the morning classes at The Bhakti Center by Rama Raya, Shyamananda, Shubha Vilas, Gaura Sarana, Karuna Gauranga, Virabhadra Rama, and Mahotsaha Prabhus. I share excerpts from Back to Godhead articles by Nagaraja and Caitanya Carana Prabhus. I share an interesting point from a conversation with Jaya Jagannatha Prabhu, and two Radhanath Swami quotes from Jai Giridhari Prabhu.
Thanks to Atmanivedana Prabhu, who runs the Saturday night Bhagavad-gita class at 26 Second Avenue, for his very generous donation. This time at that program, while I led the kirtan, I prayed to Srila Prabhupada to be able to chant the same pure holy name of Krishna that he chanted there in 1966 and which he spread all over the world, and thus that kirtan became an especially ecstatic experience for me. Thanks to Dina Bandhu Prabhu and his family, Larry, and all the other devotees at the Gaura Nitai temple in Queens for their kind donations. Thanks to Sunanda Prabhu and Bhakta Bob of the Krishna Balarama temple in Queens for their kind donations.
Thanks to Bhaktin Diana for the photos of me on harinama in Jackson Heights.
Itinerary
November 11, 2017–January ?, 2018: Yuga Dharma New York City harinama party
except:
December 24 : Christmas Eve with my relatives in Albany
lectures in New York City:
December 23: ISKCON Queens
December 30: 26 Second Avenue
Chanting Hare Krishna in New York City
I continued chanting with the Yuga Dharma New York City harinama party six hours a day, except on the days I had evening lectures.

I mostly watched the book table, sometimes playing shakers and sometimes dancing, as here in Jackson Heights. Besides that I would lead the chanting usually for half an hour or an hour.
Rama Raya Prabhu’s kirtan attracts the most participation by both the devotees and the passersby, and the devotees on the party were happy he returned from Vrindavan.
Here Rama Raya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Times Square subway station, and three passersby play instruments (https://youtu.be/OoJGRybbSW4):
Here Rama Raya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Atlantic Avenue / Barclays Center subway station, and a man dances (https://youtu.be/RsGqCM2ncdA):
Rama Raya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Times Square subway station (https://youtu.be/1RXTTQF2x_8):
We like to give visiting devotees the chance to lead kirtan. Here little Radha, whose family joins our Yuga Dharma NYC chanting party from time to time when we are in Jackson Heights, plays the harmonium and leads the chanting of Hare Krishna although she is only nine years old (https://youtu.be/mvrQiG7O-sk):
Once time Krishna Prasada Prabhu chantedHare Krishna in Jackson Heights, and some youths playedshakers and danced.

I personally encouraged them by handing them the shakers and dancing myself.
They had such a good time participating in our harinamathat although they tried to leave twice, they could not go. Finally Mahotsaha Prabhu brought their dancing to another level (https://youtu.be/3QEqthgZWn0):
Krishna Prasad Prabhu chants Hare Krishna, and Ramesvara Prabhu, who did a lot for Srila Prabhupada’s BBT and presently gives occasional lectures at The Bhakti Center, dances at Penn Station subway station (https://youtu.be/PJLgrzPjzm8):
Kalpavrksa Prabhu of New Jersey chants Hare Krishna at Atlantic Avenue / Barclays Center subway station, and some boys dance (https://youtu.be/00tYeQZZSsk):
Kalpavrksa Prabhu of New Jersey chants Hare Krishna at Atlantic Avenue / Barclays Center subway station, and two kids play shakers (https://youtu.be/TsNwriivCQ0):
Kanai Krishna Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Jackson Heights, and a young girl plays shakers as her mom watches (https://youtu.be/olw6zaLxSKA):
Natabara Gauranga Prabhu chants Hare Krishna, and a mom and daughter play shakers in Grand Central subway station (https://youtu.be/MD_fN0wWbqw):
Kanai Krishna Prabhu chants Hare Krishna, and two kids play shakers and dance at Jackson Heights / Roosevelt Ave. subway station (https://youtu.be/CRWRHkstcfo):
Mahotsaha Prabhu chants, and two Ukrainian tourists who attend Hare Krishna programs in their country play shakers and dance (https://youtu.be/wTZ-ngTcPFU):
Kaliya Krishna Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Times Square subway station, and a man dances (https://youtu.be/iDSeT4Qlvww):
Kaliya Krishna Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Times Square subway station, and Mikey and Richard dance (https://youtu.be/CQne9XtpLMM):
Kanai Krishna Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Penn Station (https://youtu.be/-sFLAcO1f5E):
Tota Gopinath Prabhu, originally a full time member of our New York City harinamaparty, chants Hare Krishna in Penn Station after work (https://youtu.be/vB3TQ8JyYmk):
Natabara Gauranga Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Times Square subway station (https://youtu.be/ffbkCTeGmew):
Insights
Srila Prabhupada:
From a lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.25.2 in Bombay on November 2, 1974:
Krishna is maintaining all the large elephants, all the small ants, all the 8,400,000 different species. Why are we worried about Him maintaining us?

“Therefore the conclusion is that ‘Don’t try for your so-called happiness or so-called distress. Try to achieve that position where you can understand Krishna and get shelter at His lotus feet.’”

“President Nixon was thinking, ‘I am very fortunate. I have become the President of United States.’ But now he’s realizing, ‘I am the most unfortunate.’”
Sometimes a yogi may show a little mystic power by manufacturing some gold, and we are so foolish that we accept him as God. However, we forget that the real yogi, the Supreme Lord Himself, has created millions of gold mines and is floating them in space.
What is the difficulty? God personally explains Himself as He is, and if we accept the Bhagavad-gitaas it is, we shall no longer have to transmigrate. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti. We shall no longer have to endure birth and death, for we can attain our spiritual bodies (sac-cid-ananda vigraha) and live happily in Krishna’s family. Krishna is providing for us here, and He will also provide for us there. So we should know that our happiness is in returning home, back to Godhead, where we can eat, drink, and be merry in Krishna’s company.
From a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam1.13.12 given in Geneva on June 3, 1974:
A lesson to be learned from the destruction of the Yadu dynasty is that “if we fight amongst ourselves, even we belong to the family of Krishna, we are ruined.”
From a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.15.1 in New York on November 29, 1973:
“Actually, he [Arjuna] was unhappy on account of being separated from Krishna. Similarly, not only Arjuna, all of us. . . . he is also a living entity, we are also living entity. So we are also unhappy, because we are separated from Krishna. These modern philosophers or scientists, they may suggest . . . that they can improve the world situation in their own way, but that is not possible. We are unhappy on account of being separated from Krishna. They do not know that. Just like a child, a child is crying, nobody can say why he is crying, but actually a child is generally in crying condition being separated from the mother.”
“Everyone of us [is] very intimately connected with Krishna, and Krishna is sitting in everyone’s heart. Krishna is so kind, that He is simply waiting, ‘When this rascal will turn his face towards Me.’ . . . He is so kind. But we living entities, we are so rascal, we shall turn our face to everything except Krishna. This is our position.”
“There are also living entities [in the spiritual world], but they know perfectly well that real enjoyer, proprietor, is Krishna. That is spiritual kingdom. Similarly, even in this material world, if we understand perfectly well that we are not enjoyer, Krishna is enjoyer, then that is spiritual world. This Krishna consciousness movement is trying to convince everyone that . . . we are not enjoyer. Enjoyer is Krishna. Just like, this whole body, the enjoyer is the stomach, and the hands and legs and eyes and ears and brains and everything, these should be engaged to find out the enjoyable things and put it in the stomach. This is natural. Similarly, we are part and parcel of God, or Krishna. We are not enjoyer.”
“We living entities, we are eternally servant of Krishna. That is our position. But if we deny this position, ‘Now why shall I become servant of Krishna? I am independent,’ then suffering begins, immediate. Krishna bhuliya jiva bhoga vancha kare, as soon as you desire to enjoy independently, immediately that means immediately he is captured by maya. Krishna bhuliya jiva bhoga vancha kare pasate maya tare japatiya dhare. It is very easy to understand. Just like if you don’t care for the government laws, if you want to live independently, that means immediately you are in the clutches of the police force. . . . So our position is always dependent on God. We should understand this. This is Krishna consciousness.”
You Americans consider you can take by force the Arabian oil which is Krishna’s property, but you should let the Arabs freely live on your land which is also Krishna’s property.
Radhanath Swami:

From a lecture at The Bhakti Center on Gita Jayanti:
Arjuna was thinking “I can’t not fight yet I can’t fight.”
“This bewilderment is beyond my control.”

From the very beginning of the GitaKrishna tells Arjuna that each of is eternal and individual. Our nature is to serve the Lord and to love the Lord.
That question philosophers have been asking for centuries “Who am I?” Krishna answers in chapter 2. Who is seeing through these eyes?

Love for God and all living beings is what we are and what we have always been. When we do not find that love within us, we look for it outside of us.


To awaken the dormant love of God in our hearts is the perfection of yoga.

The sun ray is not the cause of the sun, but the sun is the cause of the sun ray.

Prabhupada defined bhaktias devotional service because when we love we want to serve.

God’s happiness is my happiness. God’s will is my will.

Krishna says in Bhagavad-gita 18.66 “live in the spirit of love.”

When the leaves falls from the trees we see it is beautiful. Death can also be seen as beautiful.
My mind is my underwear, and my body is my clothes. No one laments the change of clothing.

Bhagavad-gitawas spoken to activate Arjuna to act in this world but not be of this world.

A warrior is the last person you would think to talk to about peace and love.

When our mind is acting in harmony with our soul it is our friend.

According to our association and activities we are controlled by the ropes of material nature. Bhagavad-gitatells us how we can become free.
The nonsectarian nature of knowledge in Bhagavad-gita has made it loved by people of every religion.

Bhagavad-gita4.7 tells how the Lord is always coming to deliver us.

Srila Prabhupada said that to awaken the innate love for the Supreme in our hearts is religion.

Krishna says one who is advanced in love for Him sees all living beings equally (Gita 5.18).


The illiterate brahmanawho daily read Bhagavad-gita according to his guru’s order had so much love for his guru he didn’t mind being ridiculed for his mispronunciation. He would visualize Krishna acting as the driver Arjuna’s chariot as he read, and he told Lord Caitanya, “When I think of how much love Krishna has for His devotee it makes me cry.”

By applying the basic principles of the Gitain our lives we attain perfection.

The Gitateaches us how we can live in this world and remain pure like a lotus and really make a difference.

Haridasa Thakura said the goal of kirtan is prema,unconditional ecstatic love for God and all living entities.

We should pray to be free from false ego and situated in love of God. We should desire to be an instrument of God’s love.

Nagaraja Prabhu:

From “Being with God to be with God” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 52, No. 2 (March / April 2018):
“Once we’re convinced that we must revive our relationship with Krishna, how do we go about it? . . . We do everything we can to keep ourselves in Krishna’s company right now.
“Fortunately for us, that’s easy to do, in theory at least, because everything about Krishna is Krishna. When we chant Krishna’s name, read books about Krishna, hear classes about Krishna, and so on, we’re with Krishna directly because, being absolute, He’s identical to everything related to Him. We’re trying to live with God – Krishna – constantly so that we become qualified to be with Him eternally. That’s what Hare Krishna is all about.”
Rama Raya Prabhu:
Niksepa(regret) is one category of Vaishnava expression, and many songs of Narottama Dasa Thakura are in that category.
Illicit sex is the worst offense in Vrindavan, where everyone is meant for Krishna’s enjoyment.
We should always be on guard against becoming proud of whatever little respect we have achieved within the Krishna consciousness movement. There are still many ways we can serve Krishna which have not yet been revealed to us.
Except for sincere devotional service, everything else is simply a show.
Hellish punishment is meant for people who have so misused their human form of life that nothing but such punishment could wake them up.
When Srila Prabhupada was informed about the rock bank “Kiss” who some say consider themselves servants of Satan, he said, “They have been sent from the hellish planets to bring people back there.”
The potency of the Krishna consciousness movement is very great because it is the movement of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Having a material body is like having a prison uniform, and we can easily understand our fallen position if we possess one.
By giving our utmost to this Krishna consciousness movement, we will become qualified to go back to Godhead.
The problem of Arjuna was an acute bodily conception of life which is the problem of all of us.
The Bhagavad-gita can solve all mental agonies – we do not have to go to a psychologist.
Those merely engaged in temple worship should be respectful toward and offer all facility to those in spreading Krishna consciousness.
Because Krishna chastised Kaliya in the cold December water of the Yamuna, Radharani was concerned He would catch cold. Thus Aditya, the sun god, manifested twelve suns on the hill, therefore known as Dvadasaditya, to warm Him.
Bankibihari is the form of the Lord who killed Kamsa.
Mayakeeps people in illusion until they give up the idea of trying to imitate Krishna by being the enjoyer.
2042 is the 500thanniversary of the Radha-Ramana deity of Vrindavana.
In Bhagavad-gita Krishna tells people what they need to know, what they need to hear, and what they need to blessed with.
It is wonderful that forty years after Srila Prabhupada’s departure book distribution is still going on in America.
When a maha-bhagavata like Srila Prabhupada was present, people could go far beyond their realizations in rendering service.
In 1975, there was a book distribution marathon between the Chicago and the Los Angeles temples the day before Thanksgiving, 2,042 hardbound books were distributed by Chicago and 1,800 by Los Angeles. One devotee distributed 210.
When I was doing books in New York City as a young man your age, it was a privilege to be in Manhattan, what to speak of on 5thAvenue.
What are good places to distribute books in New York City?
Fifth Avenue from 34thStreet to Central Park, 34thStreet itself, and Astor Place and St. Marks Place at night.
Shyamananda Prabhu:
Srila Prabhupada came to America with a pamphlet “India’s Message of Peace and Goodwill.”
When someone said to Srila Prabhupada before his transcontinental ocean voyage, “So you are going to America?” Srila Prabhupada humbly replied, “Srimad Bhagavata is going to America.”
One man asked an abbott, “What do you do in the monastery, in one sentence?”
He thought for awhile and replied, “We fall, and we get up, we fall, and we get up, we fall, and we get up.”
Arjuna has hatred for the sons of Dhrtarastra, affection for his grandfather and teacher, and pity for the others who would be killed.
Duryodhana just wanted the kingdom.
Dhrtarastra wanted his sons to get the kingdom and was worried about the influence of the holy place.
There is no one who says, “Everything belongs to me.” Only Krishna says that. He is either a lunatic, or it is true. You have to decide.
We see that Krishna’s devotees are enjoying. The gopis are enjoying, the cowherd boys are enjoying, Mother Yashoda is enjoying, Lord Caitanya’s associates are enjoying, and they are inviting us to join them.

Caitanya Carana Prabhu:
From “See Criticism with a Critical Eye” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 52, No. 2 (March / April 2018):
“Returning to our discussion about outer cynics, neglecting them entirely is difficult because we are social beings. We need a supportive circle that encourages and appreciates us. Our social needs remain even when we start practicing spiritual life. Materialists are usually critical of spiritualists. So, if we are to persevere on the devotional path, we need the association of devotees. When we get a sense of belonging in devotee circles, we can develop the necessary thick skin to endure the inevitable criticisms of materialists.”
“Ultimately, to sustain our devotion amidst criticism, we need to connect spiritually with the one who has given us our gifts and for whom we are striving to develop them. Our relationship with Krishna established through prayer, meditation, and worship provides us an inner sanctuary beyond the reach of critics. By finding affirmation and inspiration in His loving remembrance, we access inexhaustible inner empowerment for persevering despite the world’s criticism.”
Shubha Vilas Prabhu:
After reading the final chapter of the Fifth Canto, you can get very depressed hearing all the different hells you can suffer in for making different mistakes, and thus in the first chapter of the Sixth Canto, Sukadeva Goswami tells how by chanting the holy name you can easily escape all the hells.
The Ajamila story is the story of all of us because were destined to go to hell, but by the mercy of the devotees, we received a change of destination.
Ajamila was kind to one sadhu who advised him to name one of his sons Narayana.
The guru gives direct instructions, and when that is not possible, he gives indirect instructions.
King Uttanapada had two wives, Suruci and Suniti. Suruci means a taste for material things. Suniti means attraction for higher principals. Actually we often have these two choices.
Bhaktimeans engaging what you have in Krishna consciousness. Do not worry about what you do not have. If you can’t sing, if you can’t cook, if you can’t dress the deities, do not worry. Just engage what you have in Krishna’s service.
The monkeys fighting for Lord Rama would engage what they had in the fight.
The spiritual master is like a vessel. If you want to heat water, you need a vessel. You are like the water, Krishna is like the fire, and the spiritual master is the vessel. Without the vessel it is not possible to heat the water.
Lanka is symbolic of temptation, and Hanuman’s burning Lanka was his response to the situation of temptation.
If you do not check temptation, it can grow out of hand.
Some people think the proper way to deal with desires is to fulfill them, but the Bhagavad-gita says something else. If you fulfill your desires, they will just become more and more uncontrollable.
If we succumb to tempations, we become unable to follow the spiritual master.
The role of the Paramatma is to give us warnings if we go in the wrong direction.
Ajamila repented after the fact, but it is better to hear the guidance of Paramatma beforehand.
Our heart beating fast before we did some mischief as a child is an indication from Paramatma. We have to learn to listen for such indications.
Gaura Sarana Prabhu:
Comment by Adi Purusha Prabhu: It takes two years for a bamboo seed to sprout, but when it does so it grows three feet a day for thirty days. In the same way, there will be effect from the chanting of the holy name, but we must wait to see it.
Comment by Natabara Gauranga Prabhu: Visvanatha Cakravarti says that the effect of chanting the holy name is not immediate and dramatic by the arrangement of Krishna so as to allow people to still have faith in karma and jnana [knowledge].
It can just take a moment to regret our past misdeeds and turn toward Krishna.
In this age of Kali, even in India people, may think they are pious, but in reality they engage in so many materialistic activities that is just their mental conception.
Karuna Gauranga Prabhu:
Not only the holy name, but also the deity and the prasadam purify if received jokingly or critically.
Even though we loved to play with dolls and toys as a child, we have absolutely no interest in them now. Similarly the material things that allure us now will not disturb us in the least when we advance in devotional service.
One devotee asked Srila Prabhupada why he had to suffer so much although he was a pure devotee. Srila Prabhupada explained that the material world spares no one. Even Krishna encountered so much difficulty in the material world.
Jaya Jagannatha Prabhu:
From a conversation:
I find if I speak tattva(spiritual truth) to people, they feel I am caring for them.
Virabhadra Rama Prabhu:
I was born in a devotee family so I knew all the practices, but when I was a teenager they were not a part of my life. I had other interests. I worked with Arjuna Prabhu doing land surveying, and after work he would suggest, “Why not stop at the temple?”, and after we got there, “Why not offer obeisances? Why not honor the caranamrita?”And then in time he would gradually include other ideas. “Why not offer a donation? Why not stay here and chant a round? Why not read a verse?” In this way because of his compassion, he gradually created a taste for all these devotional activities within me.
Comment by Gopal Campu Prabhu: One lady who talked to us on book distribution came back an hour later accusing us of stealing her wallet. The police listened to her story, and said to us, “We have seen you coming here for seven years without any incidents, so it is difficult for us to believe her story.” Two of the policeman asked for books before they left.
Comment by Jaya Jagannatha Prabhu: Gaura Govinda Swami explains that sin is like a layer of dust that can easily we wiped out, but aparadha[offense to the devotees, the scriptures, the guru, the Lord, etc.] is like a thunderbolt that cannot be destroyed. Our scriptures do not emphasize sins because the fire of bhaktican easily destroy them all, but aparadha is greatly warned against.
Yashoda Dulal Prabhu in New Jersey told me there was one person who would regularly come to The Bhakti Center Thursday kirtana with alcohol on his breath. He kept coming and gradually progressed to chanting sixteen rounds a day and becoming an initiated devotee.
Jai Giridhari:


From The Bhakti Center Gita Jayanti festival:

Radhanath Swami says:

“The sirens remind us there is suffering in this world.”

“What good is there in being eternal and full of knowledge if you are not happy?”

Mahotsaha Prabhu:
Everyone is walking around with God in their hearts, but the saints are always realizing this.
If you become humble, then you can surrender to a guru.
If you aware of abhidheya [the practice of devotional service] and prayojana [love of God] but you do not know sambandha [your position as God’s servant]you will become a prakritya sahajiya, one who does sense gratification in the name of devotional service.
Narada advises Yudhisthira that householders can advance by hearing sadhus.
Comments by Adi Purusa Prabhu:
In the story of Ajamila we see how one can be dragged down by association with a sinful person, but there are examples how a sinful person can be lifted up by good association, like the pastime of Haridasa Thakura delivering the prostitute.
At a devotee marriage, the priest asked the couple if they wanted their love to grow and grow. They said yes. He advised them to encourage each other in acts of Krishna consciousness. Otherwise he said that if they simply engaged in acts of sense gratification it would soon come to an end.
Comment by Vasudeva Prabhu: Bhurijana Prabhu, who has been married practically longer than anyone in ISKCON, says that in marriage in the West there is love and then commitment, but in the East there is commitment and then love.
—–
There are many verses describing the great potency of chanting the holy name of the Lord. This is one of three I memorized from the Ajamila pastime in the beginning of the Sixth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Why does the holy name have such potency? Because it is not different from the Lord Himself. It is the incarnation of God in the form of transcendental sound! People may joke about or ridicule our chanting parties on the street, but by saying “Hare Krishna” the rascals advance spiritually despite their negative intentions. One devotee tells how one man in Johannesburg, South Africa, criticized the chanting party every day when it passed his apartment, yet ultimately he became a devotee.
sanketyam parihasyam va
stobham helanam eva va
vaikuntha-nama-grahanam
asesagha-haram viduh

 “One who chants the holy name of the Lord is immediately freed from the reactions of unlimited sins, even if he chants indirectly [to indicate something else], jokingly, for musical entertainment, or even neglectfully. This is accepted by all the learned scholars of the scriptures.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.2.14)

Travel Journal#13.10: Paris
→ Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 13, No. 10
By Krishna-kripa das 
(May 2017, part two) 
Paris 
(Sent from Paris on June 12, 2017)

Where I Went and What I Did
I spent the entire second half of May chanting Hare Krishna for three hours each day in different venues in Paris. It was nice for me to stay in the Paris temple, with a morning program and beautiful deities of Radha and Krishna (Parisisvara), which was an increase for me over The North of England. Also by the grace of Krishna, every day devotees joined me on harinama:
  Date       Place         # of Devotees
05/17/17 Republique               9
05/18/17 Caumartin                8
05/19/17 Republique               6
05/20/17 Caumartin               15
05/21/17 Gare du Nord             5
05/22/17 Garges Sarcelles         4
05/23/17 Montmartre               3
05/24/17 Republique               3
05/25/17 Republique               9
05/26/17 Republique               7
05/27/17 Republique               15–20
05/28/17 Gare du Nord             11
05/29/17 Garges Sarcelles         3
05/30/17 Bastille                 3
05/31/17 Republique               8
In recent years, devotees only did harinamas in Paris on Thursday and Saturday, and to get so many people coming out on a daily basis was impressive. Thanks to Pranesvara Prabhu (Ram Das) for coming out almost every day and Kalavati Devi Dasi for coming out several days a week and talking to people and distributing books and prasadam and collecting emails of favorable people.
I share excerpts from the books and online journal of Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami. I share notes on classes by Janananda Goswami, Pitavasa Prabhu, Bhavasindhu Prabhu, Nitai Gaurasundara Prabhu, Vicaru Prabhu, Aksayananda Prabhu, and Gauranga Prema Prabhu. I share some realizations of Yasoda Dulal Prabhu from a conversation and of Murali Gopal Prabhu from a seminar on Vedic cosmology.
Many thanks to Pranesvara Prabhu, a disciple of Srila Prabhupada, who volunteered to pay travel expenses for devotees to go on harinama in Paris. Thanks to Mantrini Devi Dasi for her photo of a sign in front of a Baptist Church with a quote from God. Thanks to the Paris ISKCON Facebook people for their photos of harinama in Paris. Thanks to Bianka of Hungary for her photos of me on harinama and at kirtan programs. Thanks to Atmarama Rasa Prabhu for his photo of devotees at Bhakti Loka. Thanks to Jean-Baptiste, a Paris photographer, for his photo of me singing by the Indian shops near Gare du Nord.
Itinerary
June 4–July 14: Paris
July 15–18: Leicester Ratha-yatra and harinamas
July 19: Newcastle harinama and kirtan
July 20: Chester harinama and program
July 22: Oxford Ratha-yatra
July 23: Birmingham Ratha-yatra
July 24–25: Scarborough area harinamas
July 26–27: Preston area harinamas
July 27: Accrington program
July 28: London
July 29–July 31: Berlin Ratha-yatra and harinamas
August 1–6: Polish Woodstock
August 7: Dublin
August 8: Boston
August 9–16: Ottawa Vaishnava Sanga Retreat / Janmastami and Vyasa-puja
August 17–27: North UK Ratha-yatra Tour
August 28–September 5: UK and Ireland
September 5–November ?: New York City (ex. Sept. 19–23: Philadelphia)
November ?– November 30: Florida
December: New York City
Chanting Hare Krishna in Paris

On the days when we had lots of people on the party, I was free to take some videos.
Here Vicaru Prabhu chants Hare Krishna outside Printemps, a massive high-end shop in Paris, on a very rainy Thursday. Refugee kids dance and otherwise interact with devotees (https://youtu.be/qb1OU-rdgdo):

A lively group of Paris devotees chants Hare Krishna with enthusiasm every Saturday for two or three hours, this time outside Printemps. Passersby often take photos and/or dance, and a few brave souls accept spiritual food and literature (https://youtu.be/xaBcr1V8bCk):
Usually I danced and distributed literature.

Although sometimes I sang.

Here Gaura Bhakta, Gauranga Prema, and Jagattarini Prabhus along with myself, led the chanting of Hare Krishna at Republique in Paris and passersby danced and learned the karatalas (https://youtu.be/At8hYPTTtSw):
Anotherday at Republique, a young girl played with the karatalasas Pranesvara Prabhu and I chanted Hare Krishna (https://youtu.be/yFgXWGIMkcM):
Later that day, a devotee boy played harmonium and chanted Hare Krishna (https://youtu.be/j-rsLnSLpXY):
Here Gauranga Prema Prabhu chants Hare Krishna, Anton plays clarinet, a devotee couple from Chile dances and Kalavati Devi Dasi distributes books at Republique (https://youtu.be/mUNWVpjIMhw):
Later that day, Raghava Pandit Prabhu of Chile chantedHare Krishna and a friend playedaccordion and Kalavati Devi Dasi danced(https://youtu.be/j_xnmEgcGcc):
One Saturday when there was too much competition with other musicians at Republique, the devotees did harinama along a canal. Yasoda Dulal Prabhu led the chanting (https://youtu.be/FIziEvNnGGs):

I distributed prasadam burfi along the canal and many people tried it.
On Sunday’s I would chant on the street between Gare du Nord and Place de la Chapelle where there are lots of Indian shops. Many people would give donations, and I could fund my weekly transit pass in this way. Once a local photographer named Jean-Baptiste took a photo of me singing there before others joined me, and he sent it to me by email:

Here Yasoda Dulal Prabhu leads the chanting by the Indian shops near Gare du Nord (https://youtu.be/68Kmi3s4Z0c):
Wednesday Evening Kirtan

Every Wednesday evening Atmarama Rasa (center) and Jagattarini (playing clarinet) have kirtan at their apartment for an hour, followed by tea. Many new devotees come. All are encouraged to lead the kirtan sometimes and to learn to play the different instruments.

While going to attend that program, one dayon a crowded bus in a Paris traffic jam, two guys had a heated argument which disturbed my mind and those of others. Some people tried unsuccessfully to stop them. After a while I picked up my harmonium and chanted Hare Krishna kirtan softly for two minutes, and they quieted down. A couple of people smiled broadly in appreciation. The guys rekindled their argument after a few minutes, and I chanted again. This time they quieted down after half a minute. Chanting Hare Krishna is the solution in this age of quarrel.
Sunday Morning Program at Bhakti Loka

Aksayananda Prabhu has a program at his apartment on Sunday morning with kirtan, Srimad-Bhagavatam class, prasadam, and more kirtan.
Here Yasoda Dulal Prabhu chants during the kirtan at the end of the Bhakti Loka program (https://youtu.be/keDLG10bgyI):
Here Jagattarini Devi Dasi chants during the kirtan at the end of the Bhakti Loka program (https://youtu.be/pMSltY-7bvQ):
Here Olivier, a musician who has only been coming around for a few weeks, chants a tune of his own during the kirtan at the end of the Bhakti Loka program (https://youtu.be/iAWdvtPrpwI):
Advice from God
Last issue I mentioned that a Baptist preacher told us in Newcastle that God was more concerned that we love each other than that we agree with each other. When I shared that quote on Facebook, Mantrini Devi Dasi shared a Baptist quote of her own with me:

Insights
Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:
From a “Japa Poem”:
“When Prabhupada was in Tehran
he told a group of Muslims
that the sound vibration ‘Allah’ was non-different
from Allah Himself. They could not accept
it. But it
is an absolute fact.”
From another “Japa Poem”:

“I wrote of preparing for a Bhagavatam class.
I picked verses from the First Canto
where Vyasadeva expresses
his despondency after compiling
the Vedas. He thinks,
‘This may be because
I did not specifically
point out the devotional service
of the Lord.’
In my diary I comment,
‘This is the story
of my japaretreat’ –
indicating I am
dissatisfied with my
japabecause I
didn’t chant with love.”
From Begging for the Nectar of the Holy Name:

“I want to really understand how important it is to beseech the mind to cooperate with our attempts to chant japa. In a sense, the mind is responsible for our japa. When the mind is under control, we can actually hear the holy names without being attentive to other ‘noises.’ It requires the cooperation of the mind. 

“Of course, we also know that it is not just the ‘badness’ of our minds, but the material world is filled with distraction. However, the mind has become so implicated in past activities and impressions that he has become part of the problem. 

“Krishna’s power and attraction is greater than maya’s, so although it is not easy for the mind, we have to coax him, sometimes sternly, and preach to him about the wonderful effects that will come from hearing the holy name in faith. So manah-siksa, to instruct and pray to the mind, is a central part of japa.”

“One way to practice manah-siksa is to talk to the mind during japa (or at other times) and ask for his full cooperation. We also have to ensure that the mind does not become absorbed in other things, either during the japa hour or during the day. We have to protect our minds from mundane engagement. Then, if we become enough of a friend of our mind, we can become aware of our mental activity. We can become conscious. The mind will begin to signal to us: ‘Now I am thinking nonsense, now I am chewing the chewed. What are you going to do about it?’ When the mind gives that signal, then we can immediately preach to our minds: ‘Wake up! Hear the holy names!’ Therefore, dear friends, let’s follow the previous acaryas and instruct our minds in a friendly way, always conscious of the goal we want to attain—attentive, devotional chanting.”
From Prabhupada Nectar:

Once in the middle of the night, Srila Prabhupada awoke his servant, and announced his decision, “I want to go back to Godhead. I want go to Mayapur.”
[Regarding Srila Prabhupada:] “His purity created an aloofness from those who were impure.”
Srila Prabhupada said, “It is my responsibility to make sure all the aratis are going on and all the floors are swept in our temples all over the world. By your cleaning the floor in a particular temple, you are assisting me. Just like if I was offering a arati and you hand me the fan, in the same way, you are assisting me.”
Comment by Vicaru Prabhu: Srila Prabhupada likened Westerners to people who were asleep and Indians to people who were pretending to be asleep. It is easy to wake up a person who is asleep, but it is difficult to wake up someone pretending to be asleep. The Westerners did not know about Krishna, and so they could easily accept the knowledge that Srila Prabhupada gave, while the Indians, often thinking they already knew Krishna, could not hear what he was saying.
Janananda Goswami:
One may think the incarnations of God in different forms are fantastic and inconceivable, but there are lots of amazing things in the universe. Consider a tiny insect: within that small body there is a brain, a digestive system, etc. So many things are going on! No scientist has designed it or built it, but there it is.
Bhaktivinoda Thakura explained that you cannot understand how God can be all-pervading throughout the universe and also localized in the spiritual world until you come to the level of Brahman realization.
On the platform of material identification we cannot understand the situation of Personality of Godhead.
Surrender to or acceptance of the fact that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is not affected by the material energy is an important step in understanding Him in truth.
People dress differently for different purposes although they remain the same internally. One wears a wetsuit when going scuba diving but not to the office. Similarly the Lord takes on different forms to accomplish His purposes although remaining the same person.
Remembering the presiding deity of each of the elements purifies us of attachment to these elements and is another facility given by the Lord for our purification.
The name of the English town Swindon [where Janananda Goswami comes from] derives from “Swine Down” and historically was a region of pig farmers.
If there is a cockroach incarnation of the Lord, He would not be affected by the different poisons one uses to get rid of them.
Some Puranas describe things in one way, but other Puranas describe them differently for persons who are not yet able to assimilate the actual understanding.
Pitavasa Prabhu:
People in general do not have a clear idea of the soul. Some speak of animals as having a different kind of soul. Others speak of a Jewish soul.
We may feel unqualified to distribute Krishna consciousness, but if we try to distribute Krishna consciousness, the Lord, being pleased with us, will give us the necessary qualifications.
There was a blind man who would chant the glories of the Lord outside a certain temple in India always. The ritualistic smartabrahmanas would tease him. One day in dressing the deity, the brahmanas neglected to give Krishna His flute, but the blind man noticed that in his meditation, and he corrected them to their surprise.
There are songs that become famous for just some few weeks on the top ten, but I have been chanting Hare Krishna for several decades, and I never get tired of it.
There are billions of living entities that are waiting for this human form of life, so we must be careful to use our human life for spiritual realization. The chanting of the holy name is so powerful that it can benefit all kinds of living entities.
There are so many rites of purification in the Vedic literature but none compares to the chanting of the holy name.
Bhavasindhu Prabhu:
For a devotee, every place should be a temple.
As soon as a traveler gets to his hotel room, he should get out his Bhagavad-gita and install it, making the place a temple.
Krishna says, “He who meditates on Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, his mind constantly engaged in remembering Me, undeviated from the path, he, O Partha, is sure to reach Me.” The key is to be “undeviated from the path.” We may have difficulties, but we will be successful if we are “undeviated from the path.”
Comment by Raja Dharma Prabhu: My Guru Maharaja, Bhakti Caru Swami, would say, “Whether you are a pot washer or the temple president, if you want to control, everyone will hate you, but if you want to serve, everyone will love you.”
Nitai Gaurasundara Prabhu:
The Lord reveals Himself through His devotees. He gives intelligence to devotees who are preaching His glories.
The devotees do not chant mantras for liberation but to glorify the Lord because they take pleasure in doing so.
Laksmi’s prayer is full of knowledge of the Lord and is very condensed.
It is great mercy to see God everywhere as most people see God nowhere. They see God’s energy but have no idea where it came from.
The impersonalists consider God does not exist but is merely a conception.
In sadhana-bhakti we are trained to understand the energies of the Lord working.
One who is not determined on the spiritual path cannot control the mind.
When one writes a biography he puts his own opinion in it, depending on whether he likes or hates the person. The biography of God that Vrindavan Das Thakur wrote, however, is based on facts that were revealed to him by persons who knew.
Vrindavan das Thakur was a cowherd boy in Krishna’s pastimes and thus was very absorbed in the pastimes of Lord Nityananda. He knew others would also write about Lord Caitanya, and he left lots out for them to tell.
Vrindavan das Thakur greatly warns about the destructive influence of criticizing devotees.
In Lord Caitanya’s childhood pastimes He shows how much he likes food cooked by His devotees in love by crawling on the altar three times to eat the food a brahmana offered. He also demonstrates this by requesting the food that Jagadish and his brother offered to Lord Vishnu on the Ekadasi day.
Nimai demonstrates that He wants to hear from His mother about defeating Mayavadi philosophy.
Comment by Raja Dharma Prabhu: When Nimai would be chastised by His mother, He would run outside because His mother would not leave home because it was the custom that the chaste ladies stay at home.
Comment by Pitavasa Prabhu: Devotees relish when the Lord shows symptoms of a normal child yet in the course of such play He also demonstrates His supernatural power, as Krishna did by killing the demoniac.
Parents nowadays become frustrated trying to control their kids, but when Nimai would act in a naughty way, Sacimata became more loving toward Him.
Comment by Pitavasa Prabhu: The Vedic understanding was that children under five would be corrected but not punished, children between five and fourteen are punished if they misbehave, but after fifteen they are treated as friends, otherwise they will revolt and leave the parents.
Comment by Pitavasa Prabhu: When Krishna steals, it is not like ordinary stealing because Krishna is reminding us that everything in reality belongs to Him.
Laksmi knows the Lord in detail. We are here to increase our knowledge and appreciation of the Lord, and we can learn from her.
She glorifies the Lord as the only beneficiary. We tend to glorify so many people with gold medals, but actually all glory goes to the Lord, the source of their sensory abilities. The devotee, knowing this, gives all credit to Krishna.
Krishna understands all the needs of everyone and meets them as well.
Laksmi is nonenvious. She sees that although Krishna is her husband, Krishna is husband of everyone.
The Lord is the only husband because His protection is not limited by time or by ability.
Although fulfilling people’s material desires, Krishna gradually reveals that the desired things are useless and pure devotion to the Lord is the real cause of satisfaction.
Material benedictions received by the people in general are received from Durga Devi not Laksmidevi.
Radharani’s benedictory hand can bless everyone with devotional service to the Lord.
Although present on the chest of the Lord, Laksmi wants to receive the blessing of the touch of His hand on her head.
Comment by Raja Dharma Prabhu: Laksmi could not enter the rasa dance because she was unwilling to bow down to the gopis who she considered village girls while she was the goddess of fortune.
Comment by Pitavasa Prabhu: I went to the temple of Vyenkata Bhatta. There is a altar with Jagannatha Deities that were personally made by Lord Caitanya. The devotees there are very respectful to the Gaudiya Vaishnavas, and they gave me a whole plate of maha-prasadamtulasi leaves.Lord Caitanya came to make one sampradaya. He did not come to start a fifth sampradaya.
Srila Prabhupada told us about the Ratha-yatra from Puri to Gundica but not from Gundica to Puri.
Aksayananda Prabhu:
Mayavadis see personality is the cause of conflict. Thus personality which is a cause of misery cannot be in the Absolute Truth.
Actually conflict arises when a person wants to control someone who does not want to be controlled.
The biggest fault with impersonalism is that it cannot explain the cause of the material world.

Astanga yogic perfections easily distract one from attaining perfection.

While in the material world you cannot really enjoy the impersonal Brahman.

We cannot manifest our personal qualities when we are isolated from others.

Bhaktiis completely different from any other activity because the theory, the practice, and the goal are the same.

There are “believers” who we do not consider transcendentalists. Even there are demons who believe in God.Those who attend church weekly and feel themselves purified so they can begin another week of sinful activities we cannot consider transcendentalists.
To be transcendental we have to fix the mind on Krishna.

When we are in front of a plate we should consider that Krishna has given us this prasadam.

Our effort to please Krishna and how much we want to please Krishna are more important than the results of our activities.

We cannot cheat Krishna.

Transcendental knowledge is not the goal but the satisfaction of Krishna is.

Union of the soul with God is yoga, but union of man and woman is not called yoga, yet both theman and woman can be yogis if they are individually linked with God.


When we are not linked with God, we suffer, and thus we seek God. The scripture says our spiritual life does not begin until then.

Krishna is the center of everything. In our conditional life we put things other than Krishna in the center of our lives. Krishna wants to enter, but there is no room.

Surrender means considering “I am yours.” The soul must come to take pleasure in being dependent.

Radha feels She has no love for Krishna because She did not die when separated from Him.

Our sense data is inaccurate, and so we are in illusion.

If you have people in the three different modes together they will not be able to work together because of different interests.

Krishna disappears when the love of the devotee reaches its climax in order to increase that love. Then he reappears when the feeling of separation becomes unbearable.

When we take birth in an animal form our consciousness is restricted by the form. That is not the case when Krishna incarnates as an animal.

We should know whatever we put on the plate to offer already belongs to Krishna.

A nondevotee could never accept the idea of serving the Lord no matter how the Lord chooses to reciprocate.

When Krishna sees one has an attachment that he cannot give up, He arranges that the devotee can engage it in His service.

Jesus would be less glorified had the Lord not allowed him to be crucified.

Christ said many things, and the Lord had to allow the crucifixion to happen for those words to come true.

Krishna is amazed by the activities of His devotees, and we are also.


Suffering is caused by attachment. If we see something as the property of Krishna and not ourselves, it will cause us to suffer less.

Judas is seen as evil, but he was a faithful follower of Christ, and it was his service to betray Christ.

Comment by Mandakini Devi Dasi: The Russian devotee Ananta Shanti told me he was imprisoned in such an extreme way he prayed to Krishna that he did not see how he could tolerate it. A Bhagavad-gitaverse came clearly to him about how the soul is indestructible, and he became peaceful, realizing that they could not harm his soul.

Yasoda Dulal Prabhu:
Sivarama Swami says our preaching is on three levels:
1. to make common people devotees
2. to make devotees pure devotees
3. to make pure devotees perfect devotees.
I like the daily harinama program because it has the power to do all three.
Gopinathesvari Devi Dasi:
The tendency of one in grhasthalife to become absorbed in one’s family and business and forget about his relationship with the Supreme Lord.
The analogy of the crocodile being weakened on land but regaining strength by reentering the water implies when the grhasthaagain remembers his relationship with the Supreme Lord he is happily and naturally spiritually situated.
We must always remember that the material world is a place of transit. It is not our eternal place.
Because everyone has a spiritual body in the spiritual world, the love there is not the same as loving the flesh of a material body.
At the age of fifty, one should analyze his life and conclude that it is incomplete without perfection in spiritual realization.
If we offer to Krishna our profit, we do not lose, but our profit is multiplied.
Comment by J.P.: I have tried to enjoy in the material world but in the end I realized I always paid the bill. While living here [at the temple], I tasted something I never tasted before, happiness. I see so many people out there have attained nice cars and nice families, but they are not happy without Krishna.
We have to be careful because often we think we are Krishna conscious, but when we leave class we can easily take a direction which has nothing to do with our spiritual realization.
Comments by Pitavasa Prabhu:
Once Srila Prabhupada was talking with Muslims in Iran. They were saying the prophet taught them to offer prayers five times a day, but that was too much so they do prayers three times day but they double them up to make them count as five. Srila Prabhupada reprimanded them for speculating and not following their guru.
There are different teachers sent by Krishna that come from time to time, but we should follow whichever one we choose strictly if we want to make advancement.
Murali Gopal Prabhu:
There is no place where Srila Prabhupada says the earth is flat, and there are many places where Srila Prabhupada says the earth is round. Visvanath Cakravarti Thakur also uses gola or sphere to refer to the earth.
The opinion of the scientists is that the climate change is a reality, it is manmade, and it is irreversible.
Gauranga Prema Prabhu:
All the modern medical technology is simply to keep the body working longer so people can enjoy sense gratification.
If people come to the mode of goodness, they will automatically live longer, but they will not be so inclined to sense gratification. Because of performing austerities to attain the state of goodness, they realize the limitations of sense gratification and lose interest in it.
Radhanath Swami likened a person who tries to correct individual societal anomalies one at time to a person with boils who tries to treat each boil individually without treating the blood disorder which is the cause of them. The sadhu, the saintly person, treats the cause of all social anomalies by purifying the hearts of the people.
I learned working with Greenpeace that if we stopped our activities that cause environmental damage right now, we would not experience the beneficial effect for twenty years. In the same way, good effects of adopting a spiritual practice may take years to manifest in our lives.
It is guaranteed that our material situation will change, but it is also guaranteed that our bhaktiwill never be taken away.
We should not be attached to a material situation because that will cause us suffering.
We are connected with all devotees, even those in a distant place, because we are all serving Krishna.
Janananda Goswami tells that Srila Prabhupada once said that after the ten thousand year golden age of Lord Caitanya still Krishna will make sure there is always a pure devotee on the planet.
—–
My favorite reading program is to read fifteen minutes each day from Bhagavad-gita, from Srimad-Bhagavatam, from Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, and from one other book, either The Nectar of Devotion, Nectar of Instruction, or Sri Isopanishad. Now, having read the two other alternatives, I am reading Sri Isopanishad and trying to memorize the Sanskrit for the mantras as well. As I have not read it for years, I had forgotten how wonderful and how essential the mantras are. This is a recent one that I particularly liked:
yasmin sarvani bhutany
atmaivabhud vijanatah
tatra ko mohah kah soka
ekatvam anupasyatah

“One who always sees all living entities as spiritual sparks, in quality one with the Lord, becomes a true knower of things. What, then, can be illusion or anxiety for him?” (Sri Isopanshad, Mantra 7)

Travel Journal#13.5: North Florida
→ Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 13, No. 5

By Krishna-kripa das
(March 2017, part one)

North Florida

(Sent from Gainesville, Florida, on March 19, 2017)

Where I Went and What I Did

March got off to a great start with two harinamas the first day, one at Krishna Lunch in Gainesville during the day and the other at the Jacksonville Art Walk in the evening. The next day I chanted at Krishna Lunch, and the following day I went to Tallahassee to chant at First Friday. I stayed there, chanting at Lake Ella on the weekends and Florida State University during the week until Gaura Purnima, when I went to our festival in Alachua. That evening I went to Jacksonville to chant at University of North Florida through the middle of the March.

I share notes on classes by Mother Nanda, Sesa Prabhu, Madhava Prabhu, and Hanan Prabhu. I share notes on a group reading of Radhanath Swami’s The Journey Within, along with comments by the other listeners. I include wisdom from a conversation with Nama Kirtan Prabhu, from an introduction to a kirtana by Tulasirani Devi Dasi, and from a sign in front of a Tallahassee church.

I would like to thank Navina Shyam Prabhu for his kind donation. Thanks to Britt and all the other people who kindly gave donations on harinama in Tallahassee. Thanks to Race Smith of Florida State University for the photo of himself and me on Landis Green.

Itinerary

March 12–April 8: North and Central Florida campuses

April 8: St. Augustine Ratha-yatra

April 9–11: Washington, D.C., harinama

April 11: Philadelphia Bhakti Garden Tuesday program

April 12: Albany

April 13: New York City

April 14–19: Ireland

April 20–24: Newcastle

April 26: Radhadesh

April 27: King’s Day

April 28: Rotterdam

April 29–30: Birmingham 24-Hour Kirtana

May 1–5: Newcastle

May 6: York

May 7–August 7: Europe

August 8­–16: Ottawa Sanga Retreat and Janmastami and Vyasa-puja

August 17–September 5: Europe

September 5–November ?: New York City

November ?– December 1: Florida

December: New York City

Chanting Hare Krishna at Krishna Lunch

We were fortunate that our Gainesville Krishna House temple president, Kalakantha Prabhu, led the Hare Krishna chant at Krishna Lunch one day. Hari Priya played the drum for him (https://youtu.be/i3qsvnuMWJw):

Then Hari Priya led the Hare Krishna chant at Krishna Lunch, and Kalakantha Prabhu played the drum for her (https://youtu.be/dC8z9BOUtPw):

When it rains, Krishna Lunch moves to a walkway in front of University of Florida’s Library West, which is protected from the precipitation. When our chanting party is too loud there, we get in trouble with the library staff, thus we used the tambourine instead of the karatalas, which can easily become too loud.

Krishna Nama Prabhu leads the Hare Krishna chant at Krishna Lunch at our rainy day venue, and Abhimanyu Prabhu plays the drum for him (https://youtu.be/YG4cVOLDpqA):

Kishor Prabhu leads the Hare Krishna chant at Krishna Lunch, and Dhameshvar Mahaprabhu das Prabhu plays the drum for him (https://youtu.be/OdRx6FtZr0Y):

Tulasirani Devi Dasi leads the chanting of Hare Krishna, Ekayani Devi Dasi plays drum for her, and Bhakta Jorge dances with alacrity (https://youtu.be/JG9HWlvPHUI):

Chanting Hare Krishna at the Jacksonville Art Walk

After getting kicked out of the Jacksonville Art Walk several times in previous months, we become proactive and asked for a place where we could perform our group chanting of Hare Krishna. The staff granted us a place in the park, not on the street, but still a place getting significant pedestrian traffic.

Here Hare Krishna devotees from Gainesville’s Krishna House chanted for 2½ hours at the monthly Jacksonville Art Walk and different passersby,including some dressed as animals, interacted with the party (https://youtu.be/wlASiVKPi5Y):

Savanah, who happened to see me and Dorian chanting at the Art Walk back in January, was happy to sing and dance with us again. Turns out she will be moving to Gainesville for massage school in a couple of months, so she can meet the Krishna House devotees again there.

Bay talked to some really sweet people and got their contact information.

Chanting Hare Krishna at Florida State University

This Florida State University student wanted to play my harmonium as he is an accordion player. After he did that we talked and then chanted a few Hare Krishna mantras responsively as I played harmonium. He concluded he and his girlfriend have not been meditating enough lately and he is going to read her Bhagavad-gita over spring break.

One girl from Tampa named Christina, who got books from Adikarta Prabhu the last week in February, came by and talked to me for an hour. Adikarta told her about the Hare Krishna mantra and gave her some beads. She said she was chanting the mantra every day. I invited her to a mantra meditation class I was doing the next day, and she and a friend of hers came and chanted ten minutes of kirtana and ten minutes of japa with me. Nama Kirtan talked to Christina at Krishna Lunch and invited her to the Gaura Purnima festival in Alachua. I told her I had friends from our club at University of South Florida coming from Tampa for Gaura Purnima in Alachua, and I could find her a ride to Tampa with them after the festival for the upcoming spring break. She decided to go to Gaura Purnima with us and had a great time. Alex, who rents the room behind the temple, also came to Gaura Purnima, as did Melanie’s son, John, and his girlfriend. It was great seeing all these people getting Lord Caitanya’s mercy on His appearance day. Another fortunate soul was the roommate of a regular attender of our University of South Florida program, who had come to our Sacred Sounds event in February and liked it so much she decide to come to Gaura Purnima. Thus by Lord Caitanya’s mercy we see His mission is continuing to expand in America and in the West in general.


Chanting Hare Krishna at Lake Ella in Tallahassee

On the weekends I am in Tallahassee, I chant at Lake Ella. One black girl, perhaps age 9, asked if she could play an instrument. I showed her some karatalas and demonstrated the standard one-two-three beat, and she got it right the first time. Two of her sisters came, and I showed them the beat. For a while, all three would play the karatalas in perfect time, and then someone would go off, and I would stop singing, and we would start again, and then they would all be in time for a while once again. I wished I brought my video camera to film it, but as I had too few people to sing with me that day I did not bring it. Because of that incident, I decided to always bring my camera, even when I go chanting alone. The next time I went out to Lake Ella I met a little girl who was also willing to learn the standard karatala beat (https://youtu.be/e9_vio38UgI):

I also met a guy who liked playing on the drum (https://youtu.be/7GpanoBKON8):

On the Saturday which was the day before Gaura Purnima, I spent almost eight hours at Lake Ella. Half the time I chanted japa and read Srila Prabhupada’s books on my blanket with the books, invitations, and vegan cookies on display. The other four hours I did the congregational chanting of Hare Krishna with Brahma Haridas Prabhu joining me for a little over an hour and a half and Melanie joining me for a little over an hour. At least four people gave donations just because they liked the chanting or liked what we were doing.

One young lady, who was in Tallahassee briefly to visit relatives, chanted the entire Hare Krishna mantra perfectly as she passed by me. Turns out she lives in Oakland and attends our Berkeley temple. Her father, she herself, and also her brothers and sisters are devotees. I encouraged her to sing with us, and she did (https://youtu.be/zjljDUMBCxs):

We also encouraged her relatives to take part, and while we sang a little girl, hearing the music, danced in the background (https://youtu.be/EAA0xwM9dPU):

I reminded the young devotee lady that tomorrow was Gaura Purnima, and I recommended she attend the temple when she returns to the San Francisco area the next day.

One young man whose father was a Prabhupada disciple came by. He had lived in New Vrindaban for a couple years, and he had lived in Tallahassee when Rupa Vilasa Prabhu was around, and he befriended Rupa Vilasa Prabhu’s son. He got an Isopanisad and a Higher Taste, and he wanted to get some japa beads for the girl who was with him. I invited them to the temple on Gaura Purnima.

One middle-aged lady named Britt, with a jolly mood, was very happy to encounter me chanting there. She asked, “Is it true that the master appears when the disciple is ready?” I said yes, because Srila Prabhupada indicated that to be the case. She said she actually wanted to get a Bhagavad-gita and was worried she’d have to go to India to find one. I taught her the Hare Krishna mantra, and she chanted it along with me several times as I played the harmonium. She was very grateful that she was healing from cancer with chemotherapy and said she had not expected to be alive. I told her about our temple in Tallahassee, and I explained briefly who Lord Caitanya was and that many of us were going to Alachua for a big festival in honor of His appearance day the next day, and she expressed some interest in going. Wanting the Bhagavad-gita, she placed a folded bill in my hand as a donation. I looked at it, and it was a $100 bill. I gave her one copy of each of the books I had on display, a hardbound Bhagavad-gita, a Science of Self-Realization, and The Nectar of Instruction. I gave her my card, and told her to write if she had questions about the books. That is only the third time in thirty years someone donated $100 on harinama. I hope she reads the books and visits the temple and finds the joy of the soul she is seeking.

Gaura Purnima at New Raman Reti

On Gaura Purnima in Alachua, there was fire sacrifice involving the small Gaura Nitai deities outside the temple and a kirtana by Godruma Prabhu of Jacksonville going on in the temple when we arrived from Tallahassee.

Bhadra Prabhu led Hare Krishna chanting on Gaura Purnima in Alachua for almost two hours and devotees chanted, danced, and played musical instruments in a festive spirit (https://youtu.be/wEYQlD8BJM4):

Having the spinach paneer at the feast on Gaura Purnima is a favorite part of the festival for me. So is going to the Gaura Arati, the evening service, with an amazing kirtana of chanting the holy names after which the feast is usually served. I decided to cut out of Bhadra Prabhu’s ecstatic kirtanaafter an hour to get the feast, and I was amazed to find that except for the chutney, a little sauce from the Gauranga potatoes that was stuck to the container, and a couple of trays of scraps from the laddus, the entire feast was finished. I had lived in Alachua since 1994 and attended all the Gaura Purnimas except a handful of years when I was in India, and I would always get the feast after the final kirtana, but I do not ever recall ever missing out like this. I subsisted on a couple of cups of tomato chutney and a plate each of Gauranga sauce and laddu scraps. My friend, Nama Kirtan Prabhu, had intellligently brought some khichri from Tallahassee in case there was not enough prasadam. Next time I will have a friend save me a plate, so I can participate in the kirtana without disappointment.

In addition to the local Alachua Hare Krishnas, devotees from Gainesville, Jacksonville, Tallahassee, and Tampa stayed for the Hare Krishna bhajans after the feast on Gaura Purnima at New Raman Reti (https://youtu.be/8vZ4s4efXuk):

Regarding the bhajans,Feren of our Bhakti Yoga Club at the University of South Florida remarked, “Such bliss, it was unreal.”

Chanting at the Jacksonville Bhakti House

The day after Gaura Purnima, we had a record number of devotees at the Jacksonville Bhakti House morning program. In addition to Amrita Keli, Lovelesh, Youssef, Richie, Kira, and myself, there were two Lauras, both regulars at the University of North Florida Krishna Club. Laura, our first Krishna Club president, on spring break from teaching high school science, plays guitar and leads the chanting, while Laura, in the blue sari, who was celebrating her birthday, dances (https://youtu.be/MFfFr0y21rY):

At the end of Monday’s evening program at the Jacksonville Bhakti House, after everyone in the room got a chance to sing each of the three parts of a lively Village of Peace Hare Krishna tune, they all got up and danced ecstatically (https://youtu.be/ZME69idb5Z8):

Here Richie leads another morning kirtana at Krishna House and the devotees dance (https://youtu.be/PONJZ7eEoMc):

Chanting at University of North Florida

Dorian has a catchy Hare Krishna tune he likes to sing, and he took a break from his studies to chant with Hare Krishna chaplain, Amrita Keli Devi Dasi, myself and four other students from the University of North Florida Krishna Club in front of the UNF Bookstore on a rainy Monday (https://youtu.be/v_T0kHw_xw4):

I was very happy that three new students came to the University of North Florida Krishna Club weekly meeting from seeing us chanting on the campus during the week. One, a nice chap with an Irish background named Patrick who had seen me chanting on campus twice, also invited a friend. Another, a girl named McKayla, began dancing as soon as the kirtana started. It was a very joyful evening.

Here you can see Tulasirani Devi Dasi leading the Hare Krishna chanting at the Krishna Club meeting (https://youtu.be/W9P1i9JpQNg):

Chanting Hare Krishna at the Jacksonville Beach Art Walk

On a very chilly evening Laura, who is singing, and Richie, who is playing the harmonium, joined me in chanting Hare Krishna at the Jacksonville Beach Art Walk (https://youtu.be/l2yyAWPxjvg):

During the hour we chanted Hare Krishna, two people took “On Chanting Hare Krishna” pamphlets, one man gave a dollar, and his daughter took a cookie. A few people took photos and videos, and a girl danced, as her friends took pictures of her.

Insights

Radhanath Swami:

From a group recitation of his book, The Journey Within:

Just prior to a temple opening festival in the Gaudiya Math, temple leaders banished one monk, who had become attached to a woman. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was so upset by their action, he refused to conduct the festival until that monk had been found and reinstated. After great difficulty, the devotees found the monk working in a watch maker’s shop. When he heard of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarsvati Thakura’s compassion upon him, he returned, and he later became an important preacher in the Gaudiya Math.

When each member of the family is seen as a beloved child of God, taking care of them becomes a joy.

One should have good spiritually minded friends and invite them to one’s home and accept their invitations.

Focus on our higher purpose.

Even the most degraded person can become a world spiritual teacher by the power of the chanting of the holy name.

Chanting the holy names transcends all sectarian boundaries.

Everything in the material world is made of sound.

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura would have monks that fought sit down facing each other and enumerate the good qualities of each other so they would realize that their good qualities outnumber their supposed faults.

Comments by Amrita Keli Devi Dasi:

I saw a sign that said, “We tend to judge ourselves by our ideals and others by their acts.”

Just being a soul in a material body is very disorienting. We are all in a hospital or in a clinic.

In a spiritual community, we are focusing on the good aspirations of the other people.

Resentment is disempowering. Radhanath Swami says it is like holding a burning coal and waiting to throw it at the person you hate, while in the meantime it is burning you.

I had ideals to benefit others, but I knew that I did not have the potency myself to become the ideal person I wanted to be. I see by the power of the holy name it is possible.

Comment by Misti:

I was interacting with someone, and it was unusually tense. I decided to be grateful and thank the person for all the things I liked about her. The interaction changed dramatically for the positive, and the tension never reappeared.

We have to really practice honesty as this society conditions us in so many ways to present a false image of ourselves.

Comment by Youssef:

I like to share even little things I have issues with. Just to be able to laugh at insignificant things I have difficulties with helps to get past them.

Comment by Laura:

I can trace dissatisfication to my lack of attention to my spiritual practice. But is miraculous just coming to the morning program once so many dissatisfactions are eliminated.

If the relationship is more important, it may be worth it to give up having your way in particular instance. 

Comment by Lovelesh:

The mind needs to be heard. If you can keep a journal where you note down the mind’s voice so it is heard, it will stop annoying you.

There are four kinds of people:

1.    Those who only see the good in others.

2.    Those who only see the bad in others.

3.    Those who see both good and bad in others but who magnify the good. 

4.    Those who see both good and bad in others but who magnify the bad. 

Mother Nanda:

Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that Dhenukasura is the example of material intelligence rooted in the bodily concept of life. Balarama, as the original guru, can shake us up out of the bodily concept of life.

Mother Narayani explains that Bhaktivinoda Thakura indicates that by repeatedly hearing a particular pastime one overcomes the anartha exemplified by the demon in that pastime.

Radhanath Swami explains the fruits from the tal trees symbolize the fruits that we are unable to offer to Krishna because of our bodily concept of life.

Dhenukasura’s plan to was send the tal fruits to Kamsa because he was an associate of Kamsa. 

People in the bodily concept of life carry the burden of their karmic reactions life after life.

Comment by Kalakantha Prabhu:

The Dhenukasura pastime has three special features:

1.    Dhenukasura is killed by Lord Balarama not Lord Krishna.

2.    Dhenukasura is killed outside Vrindavan.

3.    Dhenukasura did not first approach Krishna and Balarama to attack Them.

Comment by me:

Your point that materialists are never satisfied no matter what they attain reminds me of one Bhagavad-gita purport where Srila Prabhupada writes, “In the mode of passion, people become greedy, and their hankering for sense enjoyment has no limit. One can see that even if one has enough money and adequate arrangements for sense gratification, there is neither happiness nor peace of mind. That is not possible, because one is situated in the mode of passion. If one wants happiness at all, his money will not help him; he has to elevate himself to the mode of goodness by practicing Krishna consciousness.” (Bhagavad-gita 14.17, purport)

Sesa Prabhu:

That the Supreme Personality of Godhead is all-lovable is the real glory of Krishna not His majesty.

Krishna is not God because He can kill you but because He loves you.

Krishna uses His supreme power to deliver Kaliya and not to kill him.

The different sportive activities which Krishna’s friends performed with Him are called anubhava in The Nectar of Devotion. Dancing is an important one of these.

Kaliya, rather than being a disturbance, actually increased the ecstasy of Krishna’s friends, who observed His sportive activities in play with the serpent.

Krishna was held by Kaliya in his coils for two hours. The fear for Krishna’s safety experienced by the residents of Vrindavana increased their attachment for Him.

Anugraha or compassion is the mood of the devotees in the parental rasa or relationship. The natural reaction of Mother Yashoda was to enter the water to protect Krishna.

By doing the same activities, the one person Krishna was nourishing a variety a different relationships with His different devotees.

If you only want shanti, shanti, shanti [peace, peace, peace], do not come to Krishna consciousness. Krishna likes to churn our emotions.

Krishna’s dancing on the hoods of serpent was also meant to please the young damsels of Vrindavan, who were beginning to develop love for Him, purva-raga. 

Madhava Prabhu:

The Brahma-vimohana-lilapastime not only has some sweet descriptions of Krishna and His devotees, but there are many very important philosophical points, especially in Brahma’s prayers.

In a lecture Srila Prabhupada praises the poetic genius in Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.14.58:

samasrita ye pada-pallava-plavam
 mahat-padam punya-yaso murareh
bhavambudhir vatsa-padam param padam
 padam padam yad vipadam na tesam

So much beautiful alliteration is there!

You can say that vipadam meaning ‘miseries’ literally means ‘misstep.’

Our real danger is forgetfulness of Krishna.

Nama Kirtan Prabhu:

From a conversation:

In Los Angeles, a book distributor friend would tell me, “Every day is a good day in Krishna consciousness, even it seems like a bad day.”

Tulasirani Devi Dasi:

From an introduction to a kirtana at the University of North Florida Krishna Club:

Mantra meditation is easy and has great potency. It makes your heart lighter and more full. Even if you do not know what the words mean, it will have a powerful effect. Very easily the mind can be be controlled by listening to a sound vibration.

Hanan:

From a class on Sri Caitanya-caritamrita at the Gainesville Krishna House:

Although Raghunath das Goswami was the most renounced of the Goswamis, eating practically nothing, he took on the enormous task of renovating Radha Kund.

I went to Radha Kund with a group of devotees who were cleaning Radha Kund. I felt very satisfied just doing the cleaning work. When we finished, the time had come when no one bathes in Radha Kund, so we could not take bath, but I was so happy from cleaning Radha Kund I did not mind not bathing there.

Jayadvaita Swami said that doing service is the visa for entering a holy place.

People, especially at holy places, will tell us so many things about Krishna, but we can ask them, “Where is that described in the revealed literature?”

Maya is working with Krishna, not against Krishna. She wants to make sure we are making spiritual progress.

The reason we are here in the material world is not Maya and is not Krishna, but fully our use of our free will.

Comments by Tulasirani Devi Dasi:

We can’t blame mayafor us being in maya. We are choosing not to be so Krishna conscousness at that time.

Much, much worse than being in maya and thinking you are in mayais being in maya and thinking you are really Krishna conscious.

On harinama at a football game, even though surrounded by drunken fans, when I am seeing all the Jagais and Madhais chanting and dancing in the kirtana of Lord Caitanya’s devotees, I feel as if I am in the holy dhama.

Comment by Ekayani Devi Dasi: When I was in school, I had one teacher who made us pray before class. That prayer changed the whole atmosphere.

Lakeview Baptist Church pastor:

The lesson you teach is the life you live.

—–

With the recent holidays of Nityananda Tryodasi and Gaura Purnima, seeing the special mercy newcomers to Krishna bhakti have received on these auspicious appearance days of Lord Nityananda and Lord Caitanya, when I see Their deity forms I think of this first stanza of Locan das Thakura’s song “Sri Sri Gaura Nityanander Daya” and I feel gratitude to Them for Their mercy and Their joyful process of self-realization:

parama koruna, pahu dui jana

nitai gauracandra

saba avatara-sara siromani

kevala ananda-kanda

“Lord Nitai and Lord Gauracandra are very merciful. They are the essence of all incarnations. The specific significance of these incarnations is that They introduced a process of chanting and dancing that is simply joyful.”

Travel Journal#13.3: North Florida
→ Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 13, No. 3

By Krishna-kripa das
(February 2017, part one)

North and Central Florida

(Sent from Gainesville, Florida, on February 25, 2017)

Where I Went and What I Did

I spent the first week of February in Tallahassee, chanting at Florida State University during the week and at Lake Ella on the weekend. About nine devotees from Gainesville’s Krishna House came up to Tallahassee for First Friday, an art walk where Nama Kirtan Prabhu distributes a Krishna Dinner, and it was great to be chanting with a lot of devotees again. February 8 was Nityananda Prabhu’s Appearance Day, and my sister, Karen, and her partner, Victor, came to visit me in Gainesville and Alachua, and they got lots of prasadam and met some nice devotees. We went to Ichetucknee Springs the next day as they like the outdoors. Friday I chanted at Krishna Lunch midday and with the Alachua devotees in the afternoon.

Then I gave a talk called “Blissful Traveling” for the Friday night program at Krishna House, showing harinama videos from different parts of the world. 
On Sunday, devotees from Gainesville’s Krishna House and Jacksonville’s Bhakti House chanted in Ocala National Forest at the Ocala Regional Rainbow Gathering for six hours, also distributing prasadam and books. The next three days I chanted with Krishna Club students at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville. I also attended the Monday evening program at the Jacksonville Bhakti House, and I chanted with Youssef and Richie at the Jacksonville Beach Art Walk on Tuesday.

I have a nice quote by Srila Prabhupada about the importance of the association of spiritually minded people. I share an excerpt from Satsvarupa dasa Goswami’s Begging for the Nectar of the Holy Name. I share notes on lectures by Mother Madhumati, Caitanya Carana Prabhu, Ekayani Devi Dasi, Abhimanyu Prabhu, and Bhakta Hanan.

Thanks to Nama Kirtan Prabhu of ISKCON Tallahassee for donating to my travel expenses there. Thanks to Lovelesh Prabhu of Jacksonville for his kind donation.

Thanks to Victor for the nice picture of Karen with Radharani’s garland. Appreciating Radharani’s mercy on my sister, over ninety of my Facebook friends liked that picture. My posts are rarely so popular!

Itinerary

February 25: Sacred Sounds @ USF, Tampa

February 26–28: Gainesville Krishna House

March 1: Jacksonville Art Walk

March 2: USF, Tampa

March 3: First Friday, Tallahassee

March 4–April 8: North and Central Florida campuses

April 9–11: Washington, D.C.

April 12: Albany

April 13: New York City

April 14–September 5: Europe

Harinamas at Florida State University

I chanted on the Landis Green behind the main Florida State University library for three hours each day, distributing free vegan, gluten-free cookies, and trying to interest people in Srila Prabhupada’s books, our Krishna Lunch program at FSU, and our local temple programs.

One young lady said she really enjoyed hearing my singing whenever she passes by Landis Green, and she said that she should stop and ask what it is about when she has free time. I gave her a flyer for the Krishna Lunch and the Sunday Feast. Although I almost never do so, I said, “My name is Krishna-kripa. What is yours?”

She said, “My name is Reema. I teach Arabic here.”


After taking a gluten-free vegan oatmeal cookie from my table, one young lady returned three minutes later saying, “I just had to come back and tell you how good that cookie was!” 


I always try to use the best ingredients, and I pray to Radharani to empower me to make cookies that please Her beloved Krishna. Another person said the cookies were “awesome!”


A couple ladies stopped by at different times and said they had often seen me singing on the green and they wondered what it was all about. That just reminded me about how important it is that devotees go out in public and represent Krishna in order to create an interest in Him.

Lord Nityananda’s Appearance Day

Several devotees who do not sing every day at Krishna Lunch, came out especially to sing in celebratation of Lord Nityananda’s Appearance Day:

Here Purusartha Prabhu chants (https://youtu.be/dKgi5G7aIvI):

Here Radha Govinda Prabhu chants (https://youtu.be/qmtdmXSgd-Q):

Here Tulasirani Devi Dasi chants (https://youtu.be/3mVxT6_5ZT0):

My sister, Karen, and her partner, Victor, on a Florida vacation from the New York winter came to visit on Nityananda’s Appearance Day. I suggested that would be a good day because it always seems there is extra mercy for everyone on the festival days. While eating Krishna Lunch spaghetti with the devotees, they got to hear Tulasirani Devi Dasi tell the amazing story of Lord Nityananda’s delivering Jagai and Madhai from their lives as debauchees. Victor was reading a novel about a Jewish saint, and as Tulasirani was from a Jewish background she was interested to hear about it. Tulasirani gave Victor a copy of The Journey Home by her guru, Radhanath Swami, and before Victor left the next day he gave Tulasirani the book about the Jewish saint, although he hadn’t finished reading it. Karen and Victor also visited our harinama at the Farmers Market and attended the festival for Lord Nityananda in Alachua. They met lots of nice devotees, including Sukhada Devi, who had met Karen when she visited seventeen years ago. 

Sukhada gave her the garland worn by Radharani on Nityananda’s Appearance Day.

Here Tulasirani Devi Dasi leads the Krishna House devotees in chanting Hare Krishna at the Gainesville Farmers Market on Lord Nityananda’s Appearance Day (https://youtu.be/vCOPirHWzeI):

The Nityananda feast was wonderful, and Karen, Victor, and I all liked it. I was happy there was plenty of sweet rice.

Ichetucknee Springs


Ichetucknee Springs is a popular spring to visit for the Hare Krishna devotees in Alachua. I had thought of visiting Payne’s Prairie State Park, which was more on our way, as Karen and Victor, as well as myself, were southbound the day after the Nityananda festival, but when Karen and Victor had heard from Sukhada Devi that her son had seen manatees at Ichetucknee, they developed a desire to go there. Sukhada’s son, Ramananda Raya, was our guide, and he was very knowledgable about the springs and he got on well with Victor. They went for a swim together, while Karen and I floated down the river in our kayaks, wondering where they were. I had hoped to visit the springs in the morning and go to Tampa with Ramiya Prabhu in the afternoon, but I realized at the pace we were moving that would be impossible, and the frustration of my desire to chant at University of South Florida colored the rest of the day for me. 


Still the springs was very beautiful and peaceful. 

We used Ramananda Raya’s three inflatable kayaks and rented one more. 

I saw more turtles than I ever have had before. They apparently take great pleasure in sunning themselves on the logs that fall into the river. Everybody besides me enjoyed a swim.

Here Karen swims at one of the deeper springs that feed the Ichetucknee River, which is said to be 72° F (about 22° C) all year.

Govinda’s in Gainesville

Karen, Victor, and I all went to Govinda’s in Gainesville for dinner. We all got the buffet, and we were satisfied with it. There was plenty of variety, and everything was good, especially the soup. Thus my relatives got plenty of prasadam during their visit, something that Srila Prabhupada considered essential.

Chanting at the Ocala Regional Rainbow Gathering

Devotees from Alachua and Gainesville have been visiting the Ocala Regional Rainbow Gathering in Ocala National Forest for decades. At least once in the mid-1990s, New Vrindavan devotees also came. At least a couple of people from that Rainbow Gathering have become Hare Krishna devotees. Now there are more alcholics and druggies than spiritual seekers, and some people do not go there anymore for that reason. Still we find people happy to encounter Krishna music, Krishna food, and Krishna literature both for the first time and once again. This year was better than last as we had more devotees, and we had more positive interactions. Altogether, we had nine devotees from Krishna House, six devotees from Jacksonville, and one former Krishna House resident who was traveling through.


Coconut, here talking with Tulasirani Devi Dasi, participated in the chanting for over 3½ hours, though never having encountered it before!

 

Tulasirani Devi Dasi really has a taste for talking with people.


 

We served sabji, halava, and salad.

This person, after having gotten some prasadam, chose some spiritual literature.

Megan, holding her son, was happy to encounter the devotees again. She told me that once Adikarta Prabhu did a program at her house, and she said, “I owe that man my life!”

One girl wanted to take a picture of her stuffed monkey, so Abhimanyu put it on our drum, and we posed for this picture.

One vehicle we passed on harinama had many slogans on its rear door. One my mother used to always say prompted me to take the photo, “We’re all in this together.” Many are consistent with Hare Krishna philosophy or practice like “LOVE>FEAR” and “PLANT SEEDS & SING SONGS.” 
See Krishna House devotees chanting Hare Krishna and distributing spiritual literature and food at the Ocala Regional Rainbow Gathering (https://youtu.be/tiTPlKMlIMQ):

Armed with musical instruments, a box of books, and a bucket of halava, Hare Krishna devotees from Gainesville’s Krishna House walk through the woods and by a lake sharing Krishna music, literature, and food with attendees (https://youtu.be/aN0Sdngs5K0):

Here Amrita Keli Devi Dasi, Hare Krishna chaplain at the University of North Florida, leads the chanting of Hare Krishna, as devotees from Gainesville and Jacksonville share Krishna consciousness with Ocala Regional Rainbow Gathering (https://youtu.be/n8kRrituYcs):

Jacksonville Bhakti House Monday Evening Program

Every Monday at the Jacksonville Bhakti House is a evening program with prasadam, kirtana, and a spiritual discussion.

Realizations of attendees on prayer and deity worship:

Laura: Prayer even works if you do not believe in it.

Kira: Through prayer I find I refine my desires until I focus on what I really want.

Amrita Keli Devi Dasi: When I was first attending Krishna House in Gainesville, for six months I did not even notice the altar. As I began chanting and developed devotion, it became noticeable to me.

I worried when I began the Deity bathing, “Oh, this is going to take hours!” But when I am done, I feel blissful, and if I was feeling sick, I feel better.

In junior high school, I was a vehement atheist, but I wanted to find the truth. I prayed to God, “If you exist, I am willing to admit I am wrong. If you exist, I want you to come into my life.” After that I immediately felt there was a presence around me as I was walking down the street.

Richie: I realize the Deities set the atmosphere for the whole house. People like the atmosphere here, and I tell them, “It’s the Deities.”

Youssef: I agree you do not have to believe in God to start making prayers. I started making prayers before I really believed in God. Can you really improve yourself the way you want by yourself? Prayer is really special, whether you believe in God or not. It can really help your self-improvement.

Jarel: Although I consider myself an agnostic, I enjoyed making the halava, and I liked to participate in the ritual of making the offering.

Krishna-kripa das: I found although I had no attraction to deity worship, when I did it out of a sense of duty, I noticed when I went on vacation and left it behind, when I returned, I was eager to get back on the altar with the deities. Just as we all have become attached to kirtana and prasadam, the spiritual chanting and food, although we formerly knew nothing about them, in the same way you can find yourself becoming attached to deity worship because all these devotional activities are natural for the soul, and we are all souls.

My favorite prayer, which I have offered regularly every day for some segments of my life and which I still offer frequently is: “My Lord, I know that young girls have natural affection for young boys, and that young boys have natural affection for young girls. I am praying at Your lotus feet that my mind may become attracted unto You in the same spontaneous way.” (Padma Purana, quoted in The Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 9)

Although we had two kirtanas before discussing prayer and deity worship and having prasadam, the youthful attendees were excited to have two more afterward, and most of the people stayed for them. What was striking for me is to see the expressions of absorption on the faces of the chanters.

Here Laura chants Hare Krishna at the Jacksonville Bhakti House Monday evening program (https://youtu.be/bznFrNk3SII):

Here Amrita Keli Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna at the Jacksonville Bhakti House Monday evening program (https://youtu.be/TbSvmB97l5c):

I am sorry the video is so dark. My camera does not work well in the dim light, and many places, unfortunately for me, devotees like to chant kirtana in dim light, and I did not want to disturb them by turning on the light.

Harinamas at University of North Florida in Jacksonville

I felt grateful that Youssef was willing to chant with me the whole three hours on Monday, Amrita Keli chanted with me on Tuesday, and Kira on Wednesday, so I had someone to chant with each day at University of North Florida in the grassy area between the Student Union and the lake. In addition, Richie came part of the time on Monday, and Youssef came part of the time on Tuesday and Wednesday. As usual we saw old friends and made new ones.

Here is some video of Youssef chanting Hare Krishna with Amrita Keli on Tuesday and with Kira on Wednesday (https://youtu.be/LvqapbamXs8):


While waiting at the campus bus stop near the library, I saw a man, perhaps forty or fifty years old, wearing a spotlessly white dhoti and a blue kurta. He looked just like a Hare Krishna devotee. He saw me wearing yogi pants and a kurta, and he saw my harmonium, but he did not say anything to me. I figured he was from another group, and I thought of a question I could ask him to find out. I decided to say, “Are you some kind of spiritual practitioner?” He explained that he was a Buddhist and that he was a student. I mentioned I had a friend at the Interfaith Center and asked if dealt with that organization, but he said he was too busy studying. I told him that my sister taught mindfulness, a Buddhist practice, but that I was a Hare Krishna. I could see he was not interested in talking so I left it at that. I never saw a Buddhist student wearing a dhoti before.    
Jacksonville Beach Art Walk

In January when I learned from the Jacksonville devotees about the Jacksonville Beach Art Walk, a new event they chanted at, I immediately developed a desire to attend and tentatively added it to my schedule. That happens the second Tuesday of each month.

One man we met remembered eating prasadam on the University of Florida campus in 1971, the year the Krishna Lunch program began. He recalled that they served a potato salad dish on Monday and that they distributed Bhagavad-gitas. His pleasant Krishna memories inspired him to donate two dollars, but he did not take a book, thinking he already knew about Krishna.

One rather drunk lady who was paired with a fairly sober guy was attracted to interact with the devotees. Richie went through the mantra two words at a time with her, and she tried chanting it for a while. She also did quite a bit of dancing. She wanted us to play while she sang some mundane love songs, but I was not into it. She had a nice voice, and I recommended that she sing devotional songs about God. At one point she was fascinated with the harmonium, leaning too close to the poor brahmacari, who was playing it and who had to smell the alcohol on her breath. Youssef encouraged her to dance, and she left the harmonium player alone. The guy she was with read the entire “On Chanting Hare Krishna” while she was interacting with the kirtana party, and according to Richie, he seemed to understand it. As he goes to University of North Florida, he may well come to the Krishna Club meetings there.

One friendly lady donated a candle for Youssef to use to heat the mrdanga head to improve its sound.

Youssef distributed some books and pamphets while we chanted.

Insights

Srila Prabhupada:

From Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.9.11:

“Transcendental devotional service cannot be complete and cannot be relishable without the association of devotees. We have therefore established the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Anyone who is trying to be aloof from this Krishna Consciousness Society and yet engage in Krishna consciousness is living in a great hallucination, for this is not possible.”

Satsvarupa dasa Goswami:

From Begging for the Nectar of the Holy Name:

“How will it take place that the ordinary, struggling japa will evolve into awareness of Krishna’s presence in His form, qualities, and names? What does Srila Prabhupada say? He says it will happen. There is no doubt about it. Krishna will reveal Himself; Krishna will teach us if we follow the guru’s order with full faith.

“Srila Prabhupada should be confidently accepted as a great authority for faith and realization of the holy name. He did what no one else dared, and what many Vaisnavas hardly dreamed of—brought the chanting of Hare Krishna mantra to mlecchas and yavanas who had never even heard of Krishna before. And Srila Prabhupada convinced us to chant with love, to enjoy kirtana, and to join and work with him in founding the Hare Krishna movement. No one could spread the chanting of the holy name so widely and deeply unless he was empowered by Krishna (krishna-sakti vina nahe tara pravartana).

“So let me chant because he told me to. Never doubt. And wait for the day to come when Krishna will appear and say, ‘I am like this.’”

Mother Madhumati:

The yogis sit with half-closed eyes but not completely closed, as we sometimes see in Bhagavatam class.

The Indian answer is yes and no, moving the head sort of like this. [She moves her head in such a way that she indicates neither clearly yes or no.]

All Nityananda is saying is, “Have faith in the holy name and all perfection will be achieved.”

Nityananda is freely giving the holy name. Sometimes when someone gives us something for free, we do not value it.

Just by hearing of the activities of Lord Caitanya’s associates we become purified, what to speak of if we actually follow them.

Next time you clean the temple room at Krishna House, you can meditate on the pastime of Lord Caitanya cleansing the Gundica temple. Actually we should always meditate on Krishna’s pastimes when we do our services.

“Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu washed and cleansed the temple in great jubilation, chanting the holy name of Lord Krishna all the time.” (Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya-lila 12.85) We should also follow Lord Caitanya in always chanting Hare Krishna as we serve.

When you are chanting Hare Krishna and doing service, there is no grudge.

Caitanya Carana Prabhu:

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura said:

1.    One who thinks this world is in need of reformation is himself in need of reformation.

2.    We see faults in others because we are honeycombed with faults ourselves.

Seeing the suffering in the material world people conclude God does not exist or God does not care. Because God is omnipotent, if He has not reduced the suffering, they think it means He does not care.

Walking away from a situation is different than running away from a situation.

Ekayani Devi Devi:

We see people in society who appear to have good qualities but they are not steady in these qualities, and when their senses go out of control, they can do things that are not good. Thus, it is said one that who is not devoted to God has no good qualities because he cannot act steadily in a good way.

Krishna steals the butter and the clothes of the gopis. He also stole the parijata tree for Satyabhama.

Krishna is always making arrangements to fulfill everyone’s desires. Kishor was serving Krishna Lunch, and he said he was so bored just lifting the prasadam and putting it on the plates and that he was a more active person. Not more than ten minutes later, a thief ran off with the cash box, and Kishor ran after him.

The brahmanas work best without an authority structure or under anarchy, the ksatriyas thrive in monarchy, the vaisyas work best with capitalism, and sudras prefer communism, where they work and get their necessities. If anyone of these four social structures predominates, some people will not be happy, because all four classes of people exist in society.

Lord Caitanya’s pastimes are the sweetest because they are of Krishna who has come to experience the joy of devotion to Krishna.

Abhimanyu Prabhu:

Even though Suruci, Dhruva’s stepmother, offended Dhruva before he became a pure devotee, she still had to die untimely as a reaction to the offense. Thus we have to take care not to offend someone who may become a pure devotee of God in the future.

The ksatriyas would appreciate the prowess of fighters on the opposing side.

The weapon Lord Narayana has made for us is the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, and it can dissipate so many illusory distractions to our spiritual life.

Q: If the holy name is completely pure why does it matter who is chanting it?

Comment by me: Although the holy name is pure, because the holy name is Krishna Himself, He reciprocates with the surrender of the chanter, and so the demoniac may attain liberation from the holy name, but they do not attain the perfection of love of God that a pure devotee would.

Hanan Prabhu:

The madhya-lila of Lord Caitanya is known as the acarya-lila because He is teaching religious principles by His example especially at this time in His life.

At Krishna Lunch there was a controversy between devotees in which different devotees were criticizing each other. I told them they were ruining their spiritual lives by criticizing each other and they should stop, and I said I would be happy to discuss with them the details later.

It is said that Krishna’s mercy is especially present in Vrindavan in its dust and in the Yamuna River, His mercy is present in Mayapur in the kirtana, and in Jagannatha Puri in the prasada of Lord Jagannatha.

Even if a field is full of stool and there is only one flower, a bumblebee will seek the flower.

I went to take the Bhaktisastri course in New Vrindaban, and it was advertised that Radhanath Swami was going to teach. As it turned out, he was present, but he did not teach. Once Radhanath Swami was coming down the path opposite to us, and he spoke to my wife, who had sometimes cooked for him. He asked how we were doing. I expressed how the flyer had said he was going to be teaching Bhaktisastri, and he said that he was not planning to do that. I said that I was going to tell the devotee lady who had organized it.

Radhanath Swami interjected, “You are not going to tell her anything because she is doing her best.”

I replied, “Yes, Maharaja.”

—–

This is the third verse of the “Siksastaka” of Lord Caitanya in which he reveals the proper mentality in which to chant Hare Krishna. Reflecting on my lack of humility and tolerance, it is no wonder it is not easy for me to chant always. This verse is a reminder of what work I have left to do. Srila Prabhupada said this verse is the formula for attaining krishna-prema, love of God.

trṇad api su-nicena

taror iva sahisnuna

amanina mana-dena

kirtaniyah sada harih

 “[Lord Caitanya said:] ‘One who thinks himself lower than the grass, who is more tolerant than a tree, and who does not expect personal honor but is always prepared to give all respect to others can very easily always chant the holy name of the Lord.’” (Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Antya 20.21)

Travel Journal#13.2: North and Central Florida
→ Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 13, No. 2

By Krishna-kripa das
(January 2017, part two)

North and Central Florida

(Sent from Gainesville, Florida, on February 18, 2017)

Where I Went and What I Did

I continued staying in Tallahassee for eight days, chanting at Florida State University for three hours each weekday, distributing vegan oatmeal cookies and invitations to our campus Krishna Lunch program and to the temple Sunday Feast and Tuesday Bhagavad-gita class, and trying to interest people in the philosophy of Bhagavad-gita. I also taught a class on mantra meditation there. Then I spent a Wednesday chanting at the Gainesville Krishna Lunch and the Farmers Market and attending a University of Florida interfaith event, a progressive dinner. Then I joined Ramiya Prabhu and his wife, Ananta Dasi, in chanting at and attending our campus Bhakti Yoga Society program at the University of South Florida in Tampa. Friday I chanted at Krishna Lunch and with the Alachua devotees at the University of Florida entrance. Saturday devotees from Alachua, Gainesville, and Tampa chanted for three hours at the yearly Gasparilla pirate festival in Tampa and had a picnic in a park. After attending the Sunday feast in Alachua, I went to Jacksonville to chant with the University of North Florida Krishna Club devotees on that campus and attend the evening program at the Jacksonville Bhakti House. Then I returned to Tallahassee for the final day of January.

I share insights from Srila Prabhupada’s books and lectures. I share excerpts from Begging for the Nectar of the Holy Name by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami. I include notes on lectures by Srila Prabhupada disciples from Alachua, namely Mother Nanda, Ramiya Prabhu, and Mother Sukhada. I present notes on a class by Kaliya Damona Prabhu about japa, and quotes from “A Succession Conflict Caused by Selflessness,” a Back to Godhead article by Caitanya Candra Prabhu. I share notes on a class by Hanan of Krishna House, and interesting quotes from a Christian preacher and people from different faiths who attended the University of Florida interfaith progressive dinner.

Thanks to the lady who gave me a donation on harinama at Tallahassee’s Lake Ella.

Itinerary

February 18: Jacksonville Monster Truck Jam harinama
February 19–24: Tallahassee, FSU campus

February 25: Sacred Sounds @ USF, Tampa

February 26–April 8: North and Central Florida campuses

April 9–11: Washington, D.C.

April 12: Albany

April 13: New York City

April 14–September 5: Europe

Harinama at University of North Florida

University of North Florida in Jacksonville is my favorite college to chant Hare Krishna at because so many students from their Krishna Club are willing to join us and so many students passing by are open to taking cookies and invitations.

Special thanks to Amrita Keli Devi Dasi, Hare Krishna chaplain at UNF and organizer of the party, who is playing the drum in the beginning of the video, and thanks to lead singers, Richie, Youssef, and Dorian, respectively (https://youtu.be/tCwwGnW_7UA):

All the devotees had led kirtana except Courtney (on the far right at the end of the above video), who had never led before and who was celebrating her birthday that day. I suggested she lead, but she said she preferred to follow. Amrita had suggested she could sing the Prabhupada tune because it is very easy. So I offered to I play the Prabhupada tune for her while she sang it. She decided to try. Afterwards I complimented her for going beyond her limits, and she replied, “That was awesome! I really loved doing that!” It is nice to be an instrument in people taking another step toward Krishna. If you have a Facebook account, by clicking on this link, you can see Courtney sing in this video taken by Amrita Keli Devi Dasi (https://www.facebook.com/2040949/videos/vb.2040949/10110281001766861/?type=2&theater). Amrita also took a video of me singing (https://www.facebook.com/2040949/videos/vb.2040949/10110281005304771/?type=2&theater). It is nice to see the enthusiasm of the students for the chanting.


Chanting Hare Krishna in Tallahassee

I chanted at Florida State University in Tallahassee for three hours each weekday, distributing vegan oatmeal cookies and invitations to our campus Krishna Lunch program and to the temple Sunday Feast and Tuesday Bhagavad-gita class, and trying to interest people in the philosophy of Bhagavad-gita.

One day a young lady named Isabella stopped by my table, and in the course of our conversation, she mentioned that her mother did meditation and had compiled research showing how meditation actually changes the structure of the brain. I invited her to the Krishna Lunch and the mantra meditation class I was going to do that evening behind the library. She looked at her watch, and realized she had better leave soon if she wanted to make it in time for lunch. As it turns out, she was the only one to show up for mantra meditation. I explained how we have an existence beyond the body and mind and that the mantra nourishes our transcendental self. We chanted twice for ten minutes each, with some discussion in between, and I encouraged her to chant ten minutes each day. She has been doing it for three weeks now and writes, “It is wonderful. I am so happy to have stumbled upon the practice. It has impacted my life very positively.” She also became a regular attender at Krishna Lunch and enjoyed the one Sunday Feast program she came to.

On Inauguration Day, as I was chanting at FSU’s Landis Green I could heard students protesting that event behind me. Of course that made it harder for me to focus on my chanting. Some students seeing me chanting with the protesters behind, expressed to their friends that my contribution was the real solution, and I appreciated that.


One day I made oatmeal with slivered almonds roasted in coconut oil, cinnamon, and turbinado sugar, and offered it to our Gaura-Nitai deities at the Tallahassee temple. It was just awesome. I really think it was the best oatmeal I had this life. Maybe Gaura-Nitai were pleased I decided to cook Them something instead of just having Krishna Lunch leftovers for breakfast.
The last day of the month I returned to Tallahassee. While I was singing, a woman named Suzette came up to me who appreciated the chant. She told me she lived for two months in a Hare Krishna ashram in Chapel Hill.


Looking at her graying hair, I asked, “In the 1970s?”

She replied, “Yes.”

She told me that the Hare Krishnas had the best food in the world, and I smiled and told her of the Krishna Lunch on the FSU campus. Every Tuesday, she takes a class in teaching French, so she promised to check out the Krishna Lunch the next week, and sure enough she did. She was very happy to see the Hare Krishnas still have the best food in the world. She wanted to learn how to cook it, and I told her about Yamuna Devi’s amazing cookbook, Lord Krishna’s Cuisine: The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking, that won awards for being the best Indian and the best vegetarian cookbook the year it came out.

Chanting at the Gainesville Farmers Market

The devotees canceled the weekly harinama at the Gainesville Farmers Market because the yearly interfaith dinner was Wednesday night, and they felt there was not enough time to do both. I had returned from Tallahassee on Wednesday just to participate in it, and so I encouraged them to chant at the Farmers Market for an hour so they would have time to do the other event. Later the devotees expressed gratitude that I resurrected the program that week.

Here Bhaktin Christiana chants Hare Krishna at the Gainesville Farmers Market (https://youtu.be/9XBDG5XTHYo):

Here Krishna Prasada Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at the Gainesville Farmers Market (https://youtu.be/SEzem0rHa9A):

  

The University of Florida Interfaith Progressive Dinner

For the last four years or so, the chaplains at University of Florida have organized what they call an interfaith “progressive” dinner. The initial snacks are always at the Hillel House far to the west on University Avenue. The main course is always the Hare Krishna spaghetti which this year was served along with the Lutheran’s salad at their place to the east of Hillel. The Episcopal church serves the hot drinks, usually tea, coffee, and hot chocolate. This year they had Bengal Spice, my favorite of the herb teas.

At that church some artistic types had made a nice sign welcoming the people from the different traditions and thanking Christ and Krishnas:

Other signs in that church had progressive messages:


Standing up for truth is important. Truthfulness is sometimes said to be the distinguishing quality of a brahmana.

What does Krishna say about kind words? “Austerity of speech consists in speaking words that are truthful, pleasing, beneficial, and not agitating to others, and also in regularly reciting Vedic literature.” (Bhagavad-gita 17.15)

I had never heard of Gandhi’s seven deadly social sins. Have you?

This year I decided to talk with some of the older people who encourage the students in their faith instead of the students themselves. I asked one Christian gentleman in charge of a spiritual program for his group what motivates the students the most in a spiritual direction. He explained retreats, where you get away from your daily life and just focus on spiritual activities, either in town or at some remote retreat center, are the most powerful way of motivating the students.

The Wesleyans have the dessert at the end, along with the entertainment.

Chanting with Alachua Devotees at the University of Florida Entrance

Almost every Friday since I moved to Alachua in 1994, I would chant with the Alachua devotees at the corner of University Avenue and Thirteenth Street in Gainesville, on the northeast corner of the University of Florida campus, where the entrance gate stands.

Here Nagaraja Prabhu, editor of Back to Godhead magazine, chants Hare Krishna at University of Florida entrance (https://youtu.be/nA7XcFxv39M):

Here Shankha Prabhu, the famous cook, chants Hare Krishna at the University of Florida entrance (https://youtu.be/ogQ81m7ieLI):

Here Hari Priya chants Hare Krishna at the University of Florida entrance (https://youtu.be/aRq48CTK4zA):

Here Bhaktin Christiana chants Hare Krishna at the University of Florida entrance (https://youtu.be/bvD5CbiH8ks):

Chanting at the Krishna House Friday Evening Program

Every Friday we have a program at Krishna House which begins with twenty minutes of kirtana.

Here Bhaktin Tsurit chants Hare Krishna at Krishna House Friday program (https://youtu.be/R6dJgQjoXfs):

Chanting After the Alachua Sunday Feast

After the Sunday feast devotees who love kirtana, young and old alike, stay and chant in the temple room until the deities are put to rest for the evening, just after 9 p.m.

Here Lilananda Prabhu, disciple of Srila Prabhupada, chants Hare Krishna after the Alachua Sunday Feast (https://youtu.be/4gKEf2MuLiM):

Here Dhanya, wife of Bali Prabhu and daughter of Havi Prabhu, chants Hare Krishna after the Alachua Sunday Feast (https://youtu.be/yo_y9TfM8Nk):

Anasuya, a third-generation devotee girl, chants Hare Krishna after Alachua Sunday Feast (https://youtu.be/2kOtP4esZtY):

Conversation with a Nurse

A nurse asked me what I did as a monk, and I told her that I taught classes on Bhagavad-gita. She surprised me by saying, “I am studying Bhagavad-gita.” I asked her where she was studying the Gita, and she explained that the hospital she was working in had a course on holistic medicine, and that was part of the course.

Later as she reviewed my chart, seeing the date of my birth she exclaimed, “September 30! That is the same day my dog, Bhakti, was born!”

“You have a dog named Bhakti?” I inquired incredulously.

“Yes,” she replied. “I have three of them, Jai Ram, Kali, and Bhakti.”

I asked her how she came up with such spiritual names for her dogs, and she told how a very devout Muslim patient, who gave a her Koran out of gratitude, started her on a spiritual search.

She said that she thought that our meeting was providential.

I had explained I was doing a meditation on my beads, and when I left, I gave her a copy of the new On Chanting Hare Krishna, with the text of Srila Prabhupada’s description of the Hare Krishna mantra from the record album, and I told her about Dhira Govinda Prabhu’s research showing the Hare Krishna mantra decreased stress and depression to a statistically significant degree while a bogus mantra of Sanskrit words in the same pattern was ineffectual from the statistical point of view.

It was striking to me that a Western lady about forty, with a perceptable English accent, would be studying Bhagavad-gita and have dogs named after an incarnation of Krishna, a pure devotee of Krishna, and the process for attaining Him.

Harinama at Gasparilla

The last Saturday in January, devotees from Alachua, Gainesville, and Tampa chanted for three hours at the yearly Gasparilla pirate festival in Tampa and had a picnic in a park.

On college-aged lady told her friend, “They are the Hare Krishnas. They are on all the campuses. I see them at the stadium in Gainesville.”

Cloe, who attends Krishna Lunch at Florida State University in Tallahassee, and who has stopped by my book table behind the library two or three times during the last couple of weeks, greeted me in Tampa, as surprised to see me as I was to see her. She apparently drove at least four and a half hours by herself from Tallahassee to Tampa to attend Gasparilla for the first time. She was amazed to see the large group of devotees, and I explained we have a large community in the Gainesville / Alachua area, and we came down for the event.

One couple, who enjoyed dancing with us, especially the girl, said they had moved here just recently from Colorado, and were happy to encounter us. They wanted to know if we had a Tampa temple, and I made sure they had an invitation card for the local nama-hatta programs. She had graduated from University of South Florida in Tampa, and I gave her a card for the programs we have at that university.

Here are just some of the highlights, including the dancing dinosaur [6 minutes] (https://youtu.be/k7M4s2WN3G0):

If you want more, here is all the video I took [32 minutes] (https://youtu.be/N8Jf2HPsNCY):

Insights

Srila Prabhupada:

From Srimad-Bhagavatam4.19.2, purport:

“Since no one in this material world can tolerate another’s advancement, everyone in the material world is called matsara, envious. In the beginning of Srimad-Bhagavatam it is therefore said that Srimad-Bhagavatam is meant for those who are completely nirmatsara(nonenvious). In other words, one who is not free from the contamination of envy cannot advance in Krishna consciousness. In Krishna consciousness, however, if someone excels another person, the devotee who is excelled thinks how fortunate the other person is to be advancing in devotional service. Such nonenvy is typical of Vaikuntha. However, when one is envious of his competitor, that is material.”

From a class on Bhagavad-gita 13.26 in New Delhi on September 22, 1974

“When this body, this old body, will not be workable, when the machine will not act, then I – or you, every one of us – will have to change. Suppose your car is going on then somehow or other it stops. Then you take another car and continue your journey. The car’s stopping to work does not mean that the man who is in the car also stops. No. He continues.”

“There are so many different types of next life, beginning from Brahmaloka, the highest planet, down to the smallest insect. So why should we try to make a better position within this material world? Why should we waste our time like that? We have seen that to occupy the post of president, Mr. Nixon had to work so much in the beginning. I was in America at that time. He was advertising, ‘America needs Nixon now.’ He had to spend millions and millions of dollars, and there were so many cliques and there was so much political intrigue. But now, somehow or other, his presidency is gone. He has been dragged down.”

“Krishna’s name, Krishna’s form, Krishna’s qualities, Krishna’s pastimes – everything about Krishna is absolute. You’re chanting the Hare Krishna mantra. It is not only a sound; it is Krishna personally. You are in direct touch with Krishna when you chant Hare Krishna. This realization is Krishna consciousness.”

“So how can one learn about Krishna consciousness? Those who do not know can come to this Krishna conscious center, and they will understand by hearing from the members. We are opening so many centers. Why? Because people do not know about Krishna, and it is our duty to give them the chance to know. They’ll inquire. They’ll see how we are worshiping Krishna, how we are offering prasadam, how we are serving. They also can go back home, back to Godhead by learning from us. It is a school. We are teaching others.”

“We are all eternally the servants of Krishna. That we have forgotten. Now, in this life, we have surrendered to Krishna and accepted His service. ‘Krishna, for so long I forgot You. I am Your eternal servant, but I forgot. Now, in this life, I can understand. Therefore I surrender unto You.’ This is our life. Krishna consciousness means, ‘Krishna, I forgot You. I forgot my relationship with You. But now I have come to know that I am Your eternal servant. Therefore engage me.”’

“Consider Mahatma Gandhi. He was serving his country, but his countrymen killed him. It is a fact. So you cannot satisfy anyone. Who can give more service to his country than Mahatma Gandhi? But what was the return? His countrymen killed him. This is the return. You go on serving your senses in the name of your country, society, and family, and they’ll never be satisfied. So why should you be so serious about serving someone other than Krishna? That is sensible.

“Better to serve Krishna. Then you surpass the jurisdiction of birth and death. You conquer the repetition of birth and death simply by this process of hearing. If you simply hear Bhagavad-gita from realized souls regularly, by hearing alone you will be able to conquer birth, death, old age, and disease. This is the result.”

Satsvarupa dasa Goswami:

From Begging for the Nectar of the Holy Name:

“You want to be a part of the spiritual world, of Krishna’s pastimes in Vraja. It is beginning to happen. But so far, it is not that real to you. You have only been hearing it for a few years, and it has only been a few months since you gained the focus that this should be the goal of your life. For many years and lifetimes, a file has accumulated, filled with so many real and imagined adventures (they are all actually mayic misadventures). So you cannot be part of any world right now. You cannot sink roots into this earth, and neither can you fly to Goloka. You cannot entirely give up your sense of self in this world, and you are tired of playing the center of existence. The condition of your japareflects this confused state of being.

“I am not confused, but between worlds is a more accurate wording. Arjuna also felt this and expressed it to Sri Krishna: ‘But for Yourself, there is no one who can remove this doubt.’ Arjuna thought that if he followed Krishna’s instructions for self-realization, then he would have to give up his hopes for happiness in this world. But what if he failed to attain the transcendental goal? Then he would be neither here nor there, but be like a small cloud torn apart from a big cloud and floating loose in the big sky. Lord Krishna assured His friend that one who does good never meets with evil. Even if Arjuna could not completely succeed on the path of bhakti, there would be no loss. Whatever gains he had made would be continued in the next life. As a result of his spiritual efforts in this life he would be born in the family of yogis or devotees, or pious wealthy people. From there he would be automatically attracted to spiritual life again, and as soon as possible, complete the course for going back to Godhead.

“Therefore, if we cannot chant with attention right now, chant anyway and chant more. Make efforts to control the mind. Discuss the aparadhas in chanting and be alert to when you may be about to commit them. Be glad if you don’t feel part of this world. Go on hearing the pastimes of Radha and Krishna. Associate with devotees and avoid those who would destroy your faith and enthusiasm. Your devotional activities are all gains. They often seem comical because of the awkward place you are in, so there is no harm in having a laugh at yourself. At least you won’t become proud that you are an accomplished taster of rasa.”

Radhanath Swami:

Quoted by a disciple:

There is no such thing as a mistake, if we are always learning.

Mother Nanda:

The primary characteristic of pure devotional service is favorable and in relationship to Krishna.

Such pure devotional service begins by developing faith in the spiritual master.

If we only look forward we may be discouraged because the distance we have to go is so vast, so it is good to look back sometimes to see how far we have progressed, but it is not good to always look back.

Comment by Gopal: A sign we are advancing is that, although we may still have material desires, our tendency to act on them is no longer present.  

Sometimes you realize you are not as advanced as you thought. That realization, although it seems like a step down, is actually a step up.

Ramiya Prabhu:

If we become Krishna’s devotee, we enter Krishna’s inner circle and He takes special care of us.

Our material life is like a quarter. You do not get just the heads, but you get the tails too. You want just happiness, but you get distress as well.

When we see Krishna has helped us, we should feel grateful and do something for Him to express our gratitude.

If we chant the glories of the Lord, He will take seriously our claim to be His devotee.

Like parents, what do they want from the child? Just love. Krishna is the same way.

Bandhu means you are my friend, like on Facebook, but not outside, but suhrt means someone who is always my friend.

Krishna is waiting for everyone in Tallahassee to turn to Him, but most of them are not inclined.

Srila Prabhupada explained that if we offer something to Krishna with the mood, “I have no good qualification to be Your friend, but please accept this gift,” Krishna will happily accept it.

Q: If someone is a great devotee his whole life and then does something wrong, what will happen to him?

A: That is up to Krishna. Bharata was a great devotee, but he become absorbed in taking care of a deer and forgot his devotional practice, and Krishna punished him giving him the body of a deer in the next life. Usually that does not happen to a devotee [that he takes an animal birth], but Krishna wanted to teach him a lesson.

Mother Sukhada:

Formerly kings were so powerful they could end drought and famine.

Srila Prabhupada would make the point there is no scarity only mismanagement.

Srila Prabhupada tried to connect with anyone he could. He would talk to famous amd important people in hopes of convincing them of his message.

Srila Prabhupada made an analogy in a conversation with Toynbee that the situation of the people in general is like children who have a father who has given them a great inheritance but whose dependents are unable to access it and thus benefit by it. God wants everyone to have the joy of Krishna-prema, but the people do not have the knowledge of how to attain it.

The drug problem is so bad that every 19 minutes someone dies of an overdose of drugs.

Srila Prabhupada, while talking with George Harrison and Yoko Ono, praised them for becoming successful in the music industry, and he urged them to take advantage of that popularity by sharing spiritual knowledge through their music. George Harrison took it seriously and thus inspired many in a spiritual way.

Kirtana is so popular that they even have rabbi kirtana in the synagogues.

One lady in Hawaii got a book from the devotees and put it on her shelf. She did not read it for years, but once she was a little depressed, and she took the book off the shelf, and read it. She read it a little bit more, and she moved in the temple in Hawaii.

There is a celebrated story of a man who was so disturbed by a lady distributing books on a bus, he ripped the book in half and stepped on it, and rudely pushed the lady off the bus. So as not to litter, he put the ripped up book in his bag. His maid found the book, repaired it, and put it on the shelf. Years later, the man’s wife died, then he got cancer, and he was depressed and he saw the book on the shelf and read it. He realized it really did tell about ultimate goal of life. He felt so bad about how he treated the lady who was distributing it, he went to the temple, and explained what had happened. He had one desire: to meet that lady and apologize. And the devotees made that arrangment.

Comment by Yugala: I distributed a book to one lady on a bus who wrote me back really grateful she got the book. She said she had decided to kill herself, but on reading the book she changed her mind.

Kaliya Damana Prabhu:

From a japa class:

Srila Prabhupada said that Jayananda was the first pure devotee to come out of ISKCON. Jayananda Prabhu would say, “Always encourage and never discourage.” He would always leave the room when he heard criticism of devotees.

Everything we do is to chant better.

Japa is like the password that unlocks your computer. Everything becomes available if you have the password.

In Denver as an experiment, we had the whole congregation chant one round of japa together at the Sunday feast. We happened to have 500 sets of japa beads on hand, and we engaged in the whole mostly Indian congregation in chanting one round together. We ended up selling 250 sets of japa beads that day and making japa a weekly event.

I find it hard to focus on the holy name on a japa walk. Prabhupada did it, but I know he wasn’t window shopping.

Comment by Abhi: In Jaiva Dharma, Bhaktivinoda Thakura said, “A Vaishnava has no taste for arguments.”

The Bible indicates that Jesus was a vegetarian:

Isaiah 7: 14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
15 Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.

Comment by Tulasirani Devi Dasi: I beg Srimati Tulasi Devi to help me when I chant japa, and I find very soon she helps me.

Krishna wants us to offer everything to Him, not just the good things. When we offer the bad things into the fire of Krishna consciousness, we become purified.

If thoughts come to mind during japa if you write them down, then they will be off your mind and you can chant peacefully.

Caitanya Candra Prabhu:

From “A Succession Conflict Caused by Selflessness” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 51, No. 3 (May / June, 2017):

“Valuing relations over possessions is foundational for the sustenance of family, society, and humanity. Bharata considered the affection he relished in his relationship with Rama far more meaningful and fulfilling than the gratification of ruling the kingdom. Even if we can’t be as selfless as Bharata, still a slight increase in selflessness in our relationships can significantly improve them and substantially decrease conflicts.”

Hanan:

The difference between the university and life is that in the university you learn first and then you take a test and in life you get a test first and then you learn from the test.

The first six chapters of the Bhagavad-gita deal withkarma-yoga, the next middle six chapters deal with bhakti-yoga, and the final six deal with jnana-yoga.

Bhakti is in the middle because it is confidential and to protect it.

Comment by Dhamesvara Mahaprabhu dasa Prabhu: Without the touch of bhakti, karma and jnana are not fruitful. Thus bhakti is in the middle in order to touch both.

When we hear if we remember Krishna at the end of life that we will attain Krishna, we might conclude, “I will do what I like and then just remember Krishna at the end.” That however is not practical because the time of death is a critical time and it not easy to just remember something that we have no deeply routed attachment for at that time. Therefore, Krishna recommends to practice to remember him.

Patanjali says that attachment is a moment of pleasure we become attached to so we want to do it over and over again.

Shabari was a goat herd girl, who was upset when she told she would be married and some of the her goats would be killed for the marriage feast. She did not want the goats to be killed, so she left home for the forest. She took shelter of the ashram of Matanga Rsi, and she rendered all kinds of services to him. Then the monks left, having attained perfection, and before going they instructed Shabari to continue worshiping Rama with devotion. Rama came by her place when He was in the forest. She would pick fruits, taste them to make sure they were sweet, and then offer them to Rama. Although it was nonstandard to taste fruits before offering them, Rama accepted her devotion, and blessed her she would attain perfection. After Rama left, she sat in trance, meditating on Lord Rama, and attained perfection. We can learn from this that bhakti is so easy that no qualification is needed to execute it.

The whole story of Shabari as told by Radha Govinda Swami in detail, I found online at:

Comment by me during prasadam to guests: We can also learn from the story of Shabari, about the power of associating with devotees in attaining bhakti.

Interfaith Progressive Dinner participants:

A Quaker lady: If you have 2 Quakers, you will have 3 opinions.

A Christian boy: If God leads you to it, He will lead you through it.

A young Mormon preacher: When God gives you a test, you are either strong enough to pass it or about to become strong enough to pass it.

Christian TV preacher:

God loves it when we trust Him. He loves it when we trust Him in all aspects of our life.

—–

In the Hare Krishna movement, we advise everyone to engage in the congregational chanting of the holy name of the Lord (sankirtana) and to encourage others also to perform this chanting for their ultimate deliverance from material existence and attainment of spiritual perfection. Lord Caitanya was so advised by His guru, Sri Isvara Puri, who said:

naca, gao, bhakta-sange kara sankirtana

krishna-nama upadesi’ tara’ sarva-jana

“‘My dear child, continue dancing, chanting and performing sankirtana in association with devotees. Furthermore, go out and preach the value of chanting krishna-nama,for by this process You will be able to deliver all fallen souls.’” (Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 7.92)

Travel Journal#12.17: North UK, Ireland, and New York City
→ Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 12, No. 17

By Krishna-kripa das
(September 2016, part one)

Hull, Sheffield, York, Scarborough, Newcastle

Belfast, Dublin, Kilkenny, New York City Harinam  

(Sent from Manhattan, New York, on October 1, 2016)

Where I Went and What I Did

Govardhan Dasi, a Prabhupada disciple who loves harinama, and her husband John joined me for harinama in Hull, a city none of us had chanted in before. Then I went to Sheffield for the last time this year, and did two evening programs with a harinama in between, which was attended by three other devotees, more than usual in Sheffield. Then I chanted with Govardhan and John in York and Govardhan’s place of residence, Scarborough. In York, we were joined by three devotees from the Preston area, a pleasant surprise. After the Scarborough harinama I returned to Newcastle to give the Sunday feast lecture, I went to Ireland the next day, and did harinama with Bhagavati Dasi and Ananta Nitai Prabhu in Belfast for five days and gave the evening Radhastami lecture. The next day we had six devotees on a six-hour harinama in Dublin. Instead of going to Govindadvipa for Radhastami, Ananta Nitai Prabhu stayed in Dublin and did three hours of harinama and made sure we had a Sunday feast program as usual. The next day, invited by Eleanora, Ananta Nitai Prabhu and I chanted in Kilkenny. The day after that, I flew to New York City, my base for the autumn season, where I joined the New York City Harinama party, doing harinama for the last three days of the first half of September.

I share a great quote from Srila Prabhupada’s Sri Caitanya-caritamrita. I include lots of nice realizations from Janananda Goswami. I have notes on a Radhastami lecture by Bhagavati Dasi, with some descriptions from Ananda Vrindavan Campu in it. I have notes from an amazing lecture on cooperation by Adi Purusha Prabhu, who does Food for Life in Manhattan.

Thanks to Angela for her kind donation to top up my British SIM card and other expenses. Thanks to the Newcastle and Dublin temples for supporting my harinama program. Thanks to Eleanora of Kilkenny for paying our bus fare to chant in her city and for giving us an additional donation. Thanks to Govardhan Dasi for paying for my unexpected harinama in Malton and allowing me to keep our harinama collections in Hull and Scarborough. Thanks to Krishna Katha Prabhu of Belfast for his kind donation. Thanks to Valeri of Latvia for his kind donation. Thanks to Ananta Nitai Prabhu for giving me half of our net harinama collection in Kilkenny and the U.S. currency he collected previously. Thanks to Dennis and the York nama-hatta for their donation toward the cost of my travel to York. Thanks to tall John of Leeds for his donation. Thanks to Madhavi Rani Dasi of Ukraine for her donation. Thanks to Anya, the daughter of two Polish Indradyumna Swami disciples in York, for her kind donation. Thanks also to the old lady who gave me a donation in Malton.



Thanks to Govardhan Dasi for her photos of our harinamas in Hull and Scarborough. Thanks to Joe Kenny for his photos of our Sheffield harinama. Thanks to Narinder Singh for his photo of us chanting in Belfast. Thanks to Stella Montoya for her photos of New York City Harinam in Grand Central Station. 

Itinerary

October 1–November 7: New York City Harinam

November 8: Philadelphia Harinama and Bhakti Garden Tuesday Program

November 9–11: Washington, D.C., Harinama

November 12–27: North Florida

November 28–January 2, 2017: New York City Harinam

January 3, 2017: Atlanta Harinama

January 4, 2017–April 2017: Krishna House (Gainesville) and Florida colleges

Unexpected Harinama in Malton

I took a train from Newcastle to York, which arrived at 8:40 a.m. The train to Scarborough left at 8:40 a.m., so I did not book a ticket for it, but for the 9:40 a.m. train instead. Turns out the 8:40 left at 8:45, so I was able to catch it. I thought if they did not want to honor my ticket, I would just get off at the next stop and wait for the next train, and thus I had nothing to lose. It turned out that they did not honor my ticket because the time was wrong, and they forced me to buy a ticket to Malton, the next stop, which cost £10 (about $13), which is something I never expected and made me really angry. I decided as long as I wasted £10 going to Malton, I might as well chant there, and then I could consider the £10 a preaching expense and feel better about it, and so I chanted for about an hour in Malton.

I walked to the main street, and I set up outside a vacant shop and chanted the Hare Krishna mantra with my harmonium and an amplifier. After perhaps 20 minutes, an older lady threw 47 pence in my basket, saying that would start me off. Then a older man came out of an adjacent eating establishment and complained about my chanting, saying I was following a false religion, and it was cruel to amplify the chanting and force people to listen to it. I said I was just there for 10 more minutes, between trains, and went back to my chanting. Then a lady from the same place complained to me on her way out, and said that no one liked my singing. I pointed to my donation box, and said some people must have liked it, or they would not have given me any money. She said that they probably just felt sorry for me. I continued chanting until it was time to go back to the train station, chanting through the streets of the town, and I continued chanting softly at the train station platform without amplification, waiting for the delayed train to Scarborough. When I told Govardhan Dasi my story, she was happy that I tried to share the holy name in Malton, she told me the poor response simply meant we had not chanted there enough and that we should go back in the future, and she gave me £10 to cover the cost of the train, all of which made me feel a lot better about the whole thing.    

Harinama in Hull



Janananda Goswami once remarked that there are many cities in the UK that have a significant population, but which we never go to for harinama, like Hull, for instance. Thus I suggested to Govardhan Dasi that we might do harinama in Hull sometime. She liked the idea, and she, John, and I drove to Hull on September 1, and chanted for three hours. The whole downtown was under construction for a celebration of Hull as a city of culture the following year, and it was hard to find a quiet place. We encountered people who were curious, people who danced to our music, and people who gave donations. There really was no negativity at all. We decided to return again next year.

As we got back to the car, a young man from a tattoo shop said “Hare Krishna” to us. As we do no regular programs in Hull, I asked him how he knew about Hare Krishna. He said they had one employee who was into Krishna consciousness, and so they were aware of it. They invited us into their shop, and happily participated in our harinama, chanting and dancing in the shop along with us. That was one of the high points of our visit to Hull.

Last Visit to Sheffield for 2016

I took an evening train from Hull to Sheffield, and then traveled to Barnsley, by car with three devotees who had been distributing books in Sheffield. Those devotees try one day each week to distribute books in Sheffield, an increase over past years. At the home of a Latvian couple, Valeri and Alexandria, who are enthusiastic about Krishna consciousness, we had kirtana and wonderful prasadam. I was grateful to Joe for arranging the program and the couple for providing the place and the prasadam.



The next day we did harinama in Sheffield, and Madhavi Rani Devi Dasi, recently initiated by Indradyumna Swami joined us for the first time. Indradyumna Swami is such a supporter of harinama it was beautiful to see his new disciple embracing it. Alex (right) was there most of the time, and Joe came by and tried distributing a few books. Actually I think it was the best-attended harinama I went on in Sheffield this year.

An Indian saxophonist even played with us at one point.


That evening we had a program. Some devotees were at a seminar with Bhakti Vikasa Swami in Manchester and one was sick, so it was just Joe, Alex, and Geoffrey, who came after work, just in time for prasadam as usual.



I made strawberry sweet rice for prasadam.
York Harinama and Program

It was raining lightly for practically the entire three hours on our York harinama. As we looked for an area protected from the rain to chant in, we passed an abandoned shop with an overhang. One apparently homeless man was sitting there with a cup in front of him for donations. Using gestures I asked if we could chant there, and he said he was working there. I had to smile. For me, sitting in front of a bowl and collecting money does not constitute working. You have to be offering a service for the benefit of society. 

We continued and finally found a place where we chanted for two hours, until a nearby vendor complained. 

Then we walked around in the rain again following our usual route. It brought back memories of other rainy harinamas in York. Here is a little video of the part of it before we started walking (https://youtu.be/PTJSqpPXorM):

The most striking thing for me was that Rasesvari Dasi, a Prabhupada disciple from Accrington in Lancashire, on the other side of England, came with two others, an older lady, who is a close friend of hers, and Doug, who has been involved in the Preston nama-hatta for years. Even more amazing than their coming so far to do harinama on a rainy day, was that Rasesvari was very happy she had come and found the harinama to be very ecstatic. She must be a very elevated soul!

A nice feature of the evening program was that several devotees came up from Leeds. The monthly Leeds program the previous week was canceled, and I was thinking I would not see my Leeds friends till next year, but Krishna kindly arranged to bring a bunch of them to York.

Also one devotee was visiting from Glasgow. Thus we had a wonderful program attended by devotees from all over the North UK, my base in the summer.

Somehow during the last ten days I was in the UK I saw friends from Chester, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Sheffield, Preston, Leeds, and York, and it was all Krishna’s mercy I was able see them again before returning to America for the winter.



One young lady who called herself Anya, was fascinated by the harinama. Her parents were both disciples of Indradyumna Swami, and she was born in Kolobrzeg, the city nearest our base of the Festival of India in Poland tour. It was coincidental that both Rasesvari Dasi and I had just been in Kolobrzeg a month ago. Anya’s mom makes prasadam to sell in York on the weekends, and she is one of the salespersons. She had a friend, also a daughter of a devotee parent, and both the young ladies came to the program, along with one mom and one dog, and they had a good time, especially participating in the kirtana and relishing the prasadam. Anya even gave me a donation, which is rare for devotee kids and rare in general. I told her about our Newcastle eight-hour kirtanas, which are organized by some young and enthusiastic devotees and which she and her friend would definitely like.

Harinama in Scarborough



I had hoped to chant in Scarborough for a full three hours, but it took us longer to recover from the trip to York than planned. Still we chanted over an hour before I had to leave to Newcastle for the Sunday feast. The sky was threatening to rain, and there were a few sprinkles from time to time. One lady felt happier about life from hearing us and expressed her gratitude, and that alone made the harinama feel worth it. In reality, just our going out on harinama gives great pleasure to Srila Prabhupada and Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and thus harinama is always a success, whether we perceive it or not.

Harinamas in Belfast



Thanks to Bhagavati Dasi, who is always ready to go on harinama for three hours every day when I visit Belfast, and thus makes going to Belfast a pleasant experience.

Janananda Goswami came out with us one day in Belfast, and as always, more devotees came out and more people interacted with our party than usual, as you can see in this video (https://youtu.be/M4xXdR8pMmg):



One little girl danced to our music.



Then forgetting her mom for a moment, she followed our party.

Thursday is one of two weekly harinama days in Belfast, and we had seven devotees in our party that day.

Narinder Singh, a devotee of Krishna who passed by and was happy to see us, took a photo of his son with our party, and sent it to us.

We chanted in Belfast on a rainy Radhastami. Four devotees chanted three hours in a sheltered place, distributing eight books to those who helped donate a total of £9.20 and €2.00.

Harinamas in Dublin



We planned a six-hour harinama in Dublin on Saturday. Bhagavati Dasi, Ananta Nitai Prabhu, Bhakta Alec, and I, who had been doing harinama in Belfast during the week, all took the coach to Dublin, where we were joined by Pat of Wexford, for the entire time, and Dina Dayal Prabhu, who came for the end, after his day of book distribution. Dina Dayal Prabhu greatly pleased me by fixing the straps on my harmonium, increasing its utility.

Dublin is my favorite place to do harinama. I always have one or two core people I can count on to chant with me the whole time, and our venue is on one of the busiest streets, just a block from our temple and restaurant. There are people from all over the world, but they are less rushed than in London or New York. They take pictures, chant, dance, buy books, and give donations.

You can see some of these nice features in these video clips (https://youtu.be/jlpJDBLZRmk):





At one point an old man danced to our music.

Finishing her ice cream cone, a young lady danced.

One young man played a box drum, a cubical box on which the drummer sits and plays.

People were so generous we covered the cost of our coach to Dublin, paid for the books we distributed, and gave a donation to the temple as well.

Harinama in Kilkenny

Eleanora externally appears to be a retired lady with a heart condition, but she is incredibly enthusiastic to share the Hare Krishna mantra with the residents of the nearest city to her, Kilkenny. She paid the coach tickets for Ananta Nitai Prabhu and I to come down from Dublin and chant for three hours in Kilkenny, and then she cooked a wonderful Ekadasi meal for us to have afterward. Her health permitted her to join us for just an hour, but she was very happy to participate. It was a little awkward to do a day trip from Dublin the day before my transatlantic flight to New York, and Kilkenny pales when compared to Dublin as a harinama spot, but it was worth it to please a devotee and to do outreach in a neglected area. We were happy to see that we were more favorably received than during our first visit to Kilkenny last year, and we distributed more books and collected more donations as well.
New York City Harinam



I was very happy to rejoin Rama Raya Prabhu’s amazing six-hour a day harinama program in New York City.

The very day I arrived from Dublin, I was able to participate for the last three hours of the harinama, and it was wonderful to see Rama Raya Prabhu’s wonderful enthusiasm for chanting Hare Krishna, and the inspirational effect it had the devotees, and on the onlookers. You can get a glimpse of it from this video (https://youtu.be/BQU7gk8typ8):



The next day the weather was not so nice, so we had to chant in Grand Central station.

The intelligence, technology and human expertise you need to find trusted answers all comes from chanting Hare Krishna. When the heart is purified by chanting, you can hear the Lord speak from within:

 Stella (right), of Montreal, a regular member of our party, took some pictures there, and engaged a friend in taking others.




One day Binky, who originally became interested in Hare Krishna from encountering the New York City Harinam party, sang my favorite tune, while Yasoda Dulal Prabhu, accompanied her on the harmonium (https://youtu.be/zq88lhAQ3To):

While Kaliya Krishna Prabhu was singing and I was dancing off to the side, I saw one blond lady who seemed ever so happy to see the chanting and dancing, so I approached her and gave her a pamphlet. Because of her joyful demeanor, I told her that she should not be shy but should also dance if she felt like it. She did not immediately take me up on that proposal, but that did not surprise me, and I just went back to dancing to the side. Later, however, I noticed she and one guy had begun to dance. I assumed it was the person she was planning to meet at Union Square, but I later learned it was just another guy who had come by, and who wanted to dance. You can see their enthusiasm for dancing to the Hare Krishna chant in this video (https://youtu.be/HEae1bbVOoM): 

I am happy to be back on the New York City Harinam party again.



To see other photos I took but did not include, click on the link below:
Insights

Srila Prabhupada:

From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Antya 20.14:

“The result of chanting is that one awakens his love for Krishna and tastes transcendental bliss. Ultimately, one attains the association of Krishna and engages in His devotional service, as if immersing himself in a great ocean of love.

”

Janananda Goswami:

The wreath that garlands the world has flowers of Krishna prema intertwined with the holy name.

Lord Caitanya appeared to Narada and declared, “With the chopper of nama-sankirtana I will deliver people from the sinful activities of this age, and for those who flee to distant corners of the world I will send my senapati bhakta [commander-in-chief devotee] to deliver them.” This refers to our Srila Prabhupada.

In 1886, Bhaktivinoda Thakura made this prediction: “Oh for that day when the fortunate English, French, Russian, German, and American people will take up banners, mridangas, and karatalas and raise kirtanathrough their streets and towns. When will that day come? Oh for the day when the fair skinned men from their side will raise up the chanting of ‘Jaya Sacinandana, Jaya Sacinandana, ki jaya’ and join with the Bengali devotees. When will that day be? On such a day they will say, “Our dear Brothers, we have taken shelter of the ocean of Lord Caitanya’s Love; kindly embrace us” that day will witness the holy transcendental ecstasy of the Vaishnava dharma to be the only dharma, and all sects and religions will flow like rivers into the ocean of Vaishnava dharma. Oh when will that day come?”

Between 1886 and 1896 Bhaktivinoda Thakura predicted very soon someone will appear who will move unrestrictedly throughout the world with Lord Caitanya’s message.

In the history of the Irish yatra about 10% of the people driving the vehicles had licenses. Whenever they got into accident, they would just say that the driver was the one devotee who had a license.

Srila Prabhupada’s song “Krishna Taba Punya Habe Bhai” reveals his mood.
I am sure there is a Jaladuta in the spiritual world going down the river Yamuna.

The mission of Srila Prabhupada was not to tear down physically the Western civilization but to destroy the consciousness that produced it.

Most of the acaryas in our line are followers of Radharani and followers of Lalita Devi because Rupa Goswami is a follower of Lalita Devi.

“Markine Bhagavata-dharma” is very much a mission statement for Srila Prabhupada and us, his followers.

Srila Prabhupada was not a philosophical machine, but rather he had great affection for people.

Srila Prabhupada, when he was in India before coming to America, had plans to send thousands of Back to Godheads to different countries in different continents.

 

When he was developing the League of Devotees in India, he was planning to have a Sanskrit college as an important part of it.

Old people, who have not lost their youthful desires, suffer greatly.

Old age is created as a warning to all human beings that death is near and to prepare ourselves for it.

When people become old they tend to become fearful and less happy, but Srila Prabhupada said a devotee becomes fearless and happier with age.

Our arguments, our attachments, and our quarrels seem insignificant at the time of death. 

Sincerity of purpose is a key factor in our going back to Godhead. Srila Prabhupada would stress that sincerity is all that is necessary. Sincere means without material motives.

Surrendering to the lotus feet of the Lord means surrendering to His instructions.

Srila Prabhupada that his success was due to his faithful following of his guru’s instructions.

Srila Prabhupada said that no one can follow properly, neither the brahmacaris, nor the grhasthas, the vanaprasthas, or the sannyasis. If I criticize you and you criticize me, we will all go away and no one will go back to Godhead.

Surrender to Krishna is the only way of escaping bondage to sex life and the conception of ourselves as the enjoyer.

By engaging in the service of the Lord one’s consciousness is purified.

St. Francis was traveling with another brother, and they arrived at a monastery too late. The abbot spoke sharply, accused him of being an imposter, hit him with a stick, and knocked him into a ditch. St. Francis took it happily with a smile, seeing it as destroying his material illusions and leaving him to depend on God alone. This was amazing to the brother traveling with him.

People are trying to use Krishna’s property for their own enjoyment, and thus they are subject to punishment, which is meant to rectify their consciousness.

Q (Bhagavati dd) The Bhagavatam speaks even of respectable family life as being a dark well, but in this age people cannot even act properly in their family relationships so I am doubtful about the relevance of those instructions to renounce family life.

A: This age is an ocean of faults. We should give instructions according to peoples’ ability to benefit by them. In the age of Kali, people as described as sudras, and sudras are not allowed to take sannyasa. Those instructions to renounce family life were given to mature people who could understand their purpose. We just encourage people to chant Hare Krishna, which is recommended in this age, to take prasadam, and to do some service and gradually they can understand other things. The program for sudras is to get married and stick with one person. If people can do that in this age, they are doing well.

Bhagavati Dasi:

Srila Prabhupada said that Radharani is the best servant of Krishna.

When you cook in the Deity kitchen, you are acting as the servant of Radharani.

When you become conditioned by the material energy, you forget there is a spiritual energy, and you imagine that you are nicely situated in the material energy.

You can have some realization there is a spiritual energy that is superior to the material energy, but to actual realize Srimati Radharani is more difficult.

To have any potency in convince people to get out of the material energy we must be enthusiastic to do so ourselves.

From Ananta Vrindavana Campu:

The night of the rasa dance surpassed the best of the nights of the spring, summer, and autumn seasons combined, having flowers of all the seasons.

If you chant the gayatri mantra perfectly it is said you can hear Krishna’s flute.

The flute of Krishna had an intoxicating effect on Sri Radha.

Krishna’s flute’s sound is the joy of all joys, the sweetest of all sweet things.

The instrumentalists played according to the rhythm of the dancing of the gopis.

The other gopis could not keep up with Radha’s singing and dancing. And other beings, like the Gandharvas and Apsaras, of course, could not compare in the least.

Adi Purusa Prabhu [who does Food For Life in NYC]:

Before class, let us all pray that we will only speak what we have heard from guru, sadhu, and sastra [the revealed scriptures].

The pastimes of the Lord are decorated with the sweet dealings between the Lord and His devotees.

Our own pride and ambition, our desires for profit, love, and distinction, all distort our ability to have loving dealings with others.

There is a story in the Hassidic tradition about a great doubter named Simon. He attended a festival at which they reserve a seat for Elijah, a great prophet of the past. Simon wondered if Elijah actually could come there. Then he saw a hand reach down from the ceiling. He had doubts about grabbing it, but he decided to. Elijah brought him up to the kingdom of God. He saw how everyone was living in harmony. Then Elijah brought him back. He saw the trivial quarrels and bickering between nations and families due to selfishness.

Srila Prabhupada said to the GBC at their first meeting, “When you all agree, I will be there in the decision.”

The Native Americans have games in which everyone wins or no one wins. Such games teach that you have to work together.

The Quakers make decisions by consensus. If 299 agree, but one doesn’t, the 299 think, “What does he see that we do not see?”

We think democracy is really great, but in reality, it generates power politics where people form alliances to exclude others.

Krishna expertly and mercifully gives us situations where we cannot proceed until we consider everyone in our decision.

If the brahmacaris form their own clique and are unconcerned with everyone else that is not good.

The brahmanas must go out and encourage others to take part Lord Caitanya’s mission.

When met with a challenge, some people leave the movement, some people go to another temple, etc., but the actual solution is to turn to Krishna. Until we learn to turn to Krishna, we will meet with the same challenges wherever we go.

If we have attachment and aversion, even if Krishna speaks to us, we cannot hear Him.

—–

This verse is another reminder about the amazing potency of chanting the holy name of Krishna. How auspicious is this chanting!

apannah samsritim ghoram

yan-nama vivaso grinan

tatah sadyo vimucyeta

yad bibheti svayam

“Living beings who are entangled in the complicated meshes of birth and death can be freed immediately by even unconsciously chanting the holy name of Krishna, which is feared by fear personified.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.1.14)

Travel Journal#12.16: Czech Woodstock, Prague, Newcastle, Chester, Edinburgh
→ Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk

Dairy of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 12, No. 16

By Krishna-kripa das
(August 2016, part two)

Czech Woodstock, Prague, Newcastle, Chester, Edinburgh

(Sent from Brooklyn, New York, on September 21, 2016)

Where I Went and What I Did

I traveled from the Baltic Coast to northern Czech Republic for the Trutnov Open Air Music Festival (Czech Woodstock), where Hare Krishna devotees share Krishna food, music, and wisdom with hundreds of people at a rock concert for three and a half days. Then I did harinama in Prague for one day. The next day I was held up uselessly at Gatwick Airport by immigration officials and missed the London harinama. I did salvage the day by going to Southall and getting my harmonium repaired for just the cost of the new reeds. The next three days I did harinama in Newcastle by myself, as well as attending the Wednesday evening kirtana and the Janmastami, and Vyasa-puja ceremonies. I include inspiring notes on the Vyasa-puja offerings of the Newcastle devotees as well as some we read that day from the international Vyasa-puja book. I spent the weekend with Karsna Prabhu, Mother Aharada, and their son, Mark, doing harinama in Chester and attending their semimonthly program, which was also attended by two new people who came because of the harinama. The next week I finished out August, chanting in Newcastle on Monday and Wednesday, and going to Edinburgh Tuesday for harinama and our Tuesday evening program there.

The last half of August I was staying at many venues with no regular Bhagavatam classes, so I have notes on a recorded lecture by Srila Prabhupada and Bhakti Charu Swami. I have also an excerpt from the online journal of Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, and a couple quotes from Sadaputa Prabhu from his Mysteries of the Sacred Universe, which I proofread recently for its reprinting and which will soon be available from Amazon.com.

I would like the Newcastle temple for their generous donation. Thanks to Karsna Prabhu and the Chester nama-hatta for their donation to cover my travel expenses from Newcastle to Chester and Lukas and the Gauranga Mantra Centre for their donation to cover my travel expenses from Newcastle to Edinburgh. Thanks to Rama Prasada Prabhu, Lotus, and Malini Devi Dasi of the Edinburgh congregation for their donations and Emma of the Chester nama-hatta for her donation. Thanks to Punya Palaka Prabhu for contributing to my travel to Trutnov for the Czech Woodstock. Thanks to the Indian tourist for his donation on Prague harinama. Thanks to JAS Musicals of Southall, who repaired my harmonium for only the cost of the three reeds that needed to be replaced. Thanks to Chand, Mark, and other devotees of the Chester nama-hatta for their pictures of our harinama there.

Itinerary

September 13–21: New York City Harinam

September 22–25: Philadelphia Harinamas and Ratha-yatra

September 25–mid November: New York City Harinama

Three days in mid November: Washington, D.C., Harinama

last two weeks November: North Florida

December: New York City Harinam

Trutnov Open Air Music Festival (Czech Woodstock) 2016

Like at the Polish Woodstock, Hare Krishna devotees are friends with the organizer of the Trutnov Open Air Music Festival (Czech Woodstock), and we have our own camp and our own stage, where we distribute Krishna prasadam (spiritual food) and Krishna kirtana (spiritual music). 

On our first harinama, we passed a vendor of flower crowns, and the devotees tried them on.



Here is our kirtana leader Nrsimha Caitanya Prabhu so decorated.
Also on our harinama was Ananta Gauranga Prabhu, who I know from his childhood in Alachua, his youth at Krishna House, and most recently from New York City Harinam, where he sang beautifully and played mrdanga for Rama Raya Prabhu’s harinama party.

The first night I was surprised to see one girl chanting and dancing in our tent named Eliska (in the center of the above picture), who I remembered from 2009. She and some high school friends really enjoyed chanting and dancing in the kirtana so much back then (https://youtu.be/bWcHj6U9ijM):

She had traveled to different parts of the world, attending the festival only once since then. She is a regular attender at Baladeva’s, Trutnov’s Hare Krishna restaurant. I told her to look out for the kirtana programs we have there during the year.



These two girls appeared so joyful to be chanting and dancing to the Hare Krishna kirtana.

The prasadam was wonderful as usual.

The samosas were very tasty.

They also had rice and sabji, raita, pasta salad, halava,and coconuts balls in three flavors.

As part of our scheduled program there was a question and answer session with a senior devotee who could not make it that day. I had figured they would just ask another senior devotee to do it, but they announced they would just continue chanting. I had already left the stage, thinking the chanting was over, so I decided to use the bathroom before returning for more kirtana. Before I could return to the stage one couple asked if I would answer some questions for them. They asked the meaning of Hare, Rama, and Krishna, and about the relationship between Hinduism and Hare Krishna. I explained the three names mean the spiritual energy of God, God, who is the source of all pleasure, and God, who is all-attractive, respectively. I explained we are a group within Hinduism that stresses the worship of Krishna. Although many gods are worshiped within Hinduism, the Bhagavad-gita stresses the worship of the Supreme Lord, Krishna, alone. I explained Srila Prabhupada’s analogy that you do not have to give money to the different ministers in the government for defense, education, health, etc. You simply pay your tax to the central government, and it is all distributed. In the same way, we do not need to worship the sun god, the moon god, the rain god, etc. We just have to worship the Supreme Lord. They recognized I had been coming for many years. I explained there is a lot of joy in the chanting, and we like to share it with others. As they were from Prague, I gave them an invitation to our temple and restaurant there, which they were happy to receive. I was glad to answer their questions, especially as I thought the question and answers session was a good idea, and it should not have been skipped. 

I talked to a lady who had an interest in meditation. She has taught local Czech politics at a university in Prague for nine years. I explained that the chanting we do is a kind of meditation, and that if she liked it, she could attend our Wednesday programs at our Govinda’s restaurant in Prague. She danced to our kirtanas on at least a couple of occasions, looking very joyful.

I have many video clips of people chanting Hare Krishna and dancing with the devotees. Although these people are not yet serious about completely dedicating their lives to spiritual advancement, whatever chanting and hearing of the holy name of the Lord they do is very good for them. While viewing these videos keep in mind that Srimad-Bhagavatam (6.2.14) states, “One who chants the holy name of the Lord is immediately freed from the reactions of unlimited sins, even if he chants indirectly [to indicate something else], jokingly, for musical entertainment, or even neglectfully. This is accepted by all the learned scholars of the scriptures.” So these people are becoming more and more pious and gradually becoming eligible to perform devotional service to the Supreme Lord with determination in the future and attain love for God, the goal of life. 

The first two days of the four-day festival, the Harinama Ruci traveling sankirtana party chanted in town of Trutnov (both on the streets and outside, and even inside, the bars and restaurants), from the town on the way to the festival site, and at the festival site itself. We often tried to encourage the people we met to chant the Hare Krishna one word at a time, and sometimes we were very successful and sometimes less so

Because of a change in the price structure, fewer people came to the festival this year, about 6,000 instead of 18,000. Thus Harinama Ruci left early to chant in Prague on the final day. Although it would have been fun to go with them, I wanted to participate in our program at Trutnov.

There are many people who visit our Krishna tent to Trutnov every day to experience our Krishna food and Krishna music. For most of them, it is their only contact with Krishna consciousness the whole year, and it is an important part of the festival for them. Although their level of commitment is not comparable to those who adopt more of the spiritual practices we follow, still they need to be encouraged in whatever they can do, and we play a role there in encouraging them.

In different parts of the world we have festivals where devotees can go like the Sadhu Sanga festival in America or the Bhakti Sangam festival in Ukraine and become inspired. Our Krishna Camp at Trutnov is for these people with a just little initial attraction to Krishna, their Sadhu Sanga festival, and it is important we provide it to give them an opportunity for spiritual association. Otherwise all there is at these concerts is sex, drugs, and rock and roll, from which even those successful at them say, you “can’t get no satisfaction.”

In the afternoon, persons willing to hear and dance with our chanting were fewer but far between, but the devotees were still enthusiastic (https://youtu.be/1NfxORBnIrY):

Our special guest this year was Bhakti Gauravani Goswami, originally Vedavyasa Prabhu, a German BBT translator, who has taken sannyasa and is preaching in Spain recently. Here he led kirtana the first evening (https://youtu.be/Kk6pllXTAhs):

Evening kirtanas with Nrsimha Caitanya Prabhu (https://youtu.be/N9ItPdD-nr4):

Evening kirtanas with Dhruva Maharaja Prabhu from Slovakia (https://youtu.be/q6AO_rjzrcQ):

I took some pictures in the evenings with my phone, which has a light, to illuminate some of the enthusiastic dancers to our kirtanas.

Nrsimha Caitanya Prabhu began leading our first evening kirtanas on the first day of the Czech Woodstock (https://youtu.be/tYRqrw6ww9M):

The second evening we had the most participants dancing to our kirtana (https://youtu.be/8ECDfxVsQXQ):

Here is a kirtana on the final evening, to a smaller, but still enthusiastic crowd (https://youtu.be/CcLDVm5Q0Ag):

Thanks to all the devotees whose cooperation made it possible to share Krishna music and Krishna food with hundreds of people at Trutnov, the Czech Woodstock.

Janmastami in Newcastle

Janmastami I was not doing so well because of the fast, and tiredness from travel, and thus it was hard to appreciate. I was also frustrated that no one wanted to chant with me in public due to unfortunate circumstances. There was dance, drama, and kirtana as usual. Bhakti Rasa Prabhu spoke nicely.

Vasheel led a lively late night Janmastami kirtana at ISKCON Newcastle, getting the devotees dancing (https://youtu.be/wzq4pIemgLU):

I was satisfied with the feast.

Notes on the Vyasa Puja Offerings in the Vyasa-puja Book

In our Newcastle Vyasa-puja service we read a few offerings from favorite senior devotees from the international Vyasa-puja book.

Bhakti Caitanya Swami:

Srila Prabhupada taught that association with the pure devotee is not as valuable as service to the pure devotee. By serving Srila Prabhupada we attain love for Krishna.

Jayapataka Swami:

Lord Caitanya delivered people in India but engaged His commander-in-chief devotee, Srila Prabhupada, in delivering people in remote places.

Notes on Vyasa Puja Offerings in Newcastle

Several devotees mentioned they especially like Srila Prabhupada’s Vyasa-puja because they get to hear the inspiring realizations of their friends about Srila Prabhupada’s mercy.

Kirtida Devi Dasi:

I am glad to be here and reflect on my relationship with you and to hear the appreciations of the other devotees.

ISKCON is a vehicle through which you expressed your devotion to your guru, the line of teachers, and Krishna.

ISKCON is the people who make it up.

Please help me to be a solution to any problems I may find in ISKCON and not add to them.

Bhakti Rasa Prabhu:

ISKCON is your Krishna’s mercy distribution network.

Markandeya Prabhu spoke at a program attended by Mahakrama Prabhu, who suffering from throat cancer. Turns out Markandeya Prabhu had recovered from that kind of cancer and was very sympathetic to Mahakrama Prabhu’s condition. Although the odds were against it, in your ISKCON society, such a meeting was possible.

Vrinda Devi Dasi:

I think by your mercy, everything that is not possible will become possible for us.

When I thought of all you have done for us, I tried again to distribute a book on sankirtana although previously I was unsuccessful, and I succeeded.

Vasheel:

Thank you for being there for all us fallen souls.

I appreciate your simplicity. To someone who said, “I am God,” you once said, “You are dog.” Later the man thanked you.

Madhuri Devi Dasi:

Just because I have not met you personally does not mean I cannot have a personal relationship with you, so I decided to start with this offering.

Traveling in American recently, I was away from home, and I was thinking about how you were away from home all alone there in New York City.

In that foreign place what was most familiar to me was the devotees, who I am connected with because of you.

Let this movement of Krishna bhakti spread through my heart.

Gauridas Pandit Prabhu:

I visited Sweden. In a country with a different culture I felt out of place until entered the Stockholm temple. There everything was familiar to me. The devotees were so kind. It was like I was going from one home to another.

Radha Shyam Prabhu:

Your conversation with Bob Cohen [in Perfect Questions, Perfect Answers] struck many chords with me.

Although I am not reading your books at present, they have permanently changed my life.

It is rare to find anyone with a passion for anything, what to speak of a passion for benefiting humanity with spiritual enlightenment.

Varsha:

Hearing from your disciples about their interactions with you, I felt bad I missed your association, but then I considered at least I had the association of those who had your association.

Vrishni:

You came on a boat to America with nothing but your own love for Krishna and your desire to spread Lord Caitanya’s message.

Jagannathesvari Devi Dasi:

“All glories to the moons, who are devotees of the principal moon, Lord Caitanyacandra! Their bright moonshine illuminates the entire universe.” (Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 13.5) This verse always reminds me of you. 

Ramai Prabhu:

The whole world is indebted to you for teaching the purpose to life.

Those who have taken up the chanting can realize the depth of it.

It is a miracle that you have spread this chanting to so many parts of this world.

You have freely given a way of life so that everyone can be happy.

Ram Rao’s wife, Indira:

Everything you have given is for my heart’s content. Please accept my gratitude.

Anu:

Thank you for giving us ISKCON. I think this is my real family.

Gopal:

In 1973 or 1974 was in Gujarat and looking for a job at the time. I saw devotees setting up for a program. I helped Srila Prabhupada spread a carpet on the stage for it. More devotees came. I chanted with them. Soon after that my life improved. I got good employment. Whenever I feel lonely, I think of the experience with Srila Prabhupada, and I feel ananda [spiritual pleasure]. Ananda has no opposite.

Krishna-kripa Das:

Srila Prabhupada wrote in a letter to Sudama, December 23, 1972:

“Yes, from the very beginning I went to New York because I thought that Krishna Consciousness is the most important idea in the world, so let me go to that place, New York, which is the most important city in the world, and if I am able to do anything for Krishna and my Spiritual Master, even I am at the fag-end of my life, at least let me try for it there. So my dreams have all come true, and all of you nice boys and girls are getting the credit. When I was alone in your New York, I was thinking, who will listen to me in this horrible, sinful place? All right, I shall stay little longer, at least I can distribute a few of my books, that is something. But Krishna was all along preparing something I could not see, and He brought you to me one by one, sincere American boys and girls, to be trained-up for doing the work of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Now I can see that it is a miracle. Otherwise, your city of New York, one single old man, with only a few books to sell for barely getting eatables, how he can survive, what to speak of introducing God-consciousness movement for saving the humankind? That is Krishna’s miracle. Now I can see it.”

Srila Prabhupada was successful because of his amazing faith, and what was that faith?

Faith in his guru and his guru’s order:

(1) preach in the West

(2) if you get money, print books

(3) cooperate

Faith in parampara, the lineage of spiritual teachers:
(1) faith in their message
(2) faith in their desire to spread the chanting all over the world

Faith in the holy name:

(1) Simply by chanting 16 rounds of the Hare Krishna mantra on beads and giving up the four sinful acts in one life anyone, no matter their background, can become pure enough to go back to the spiritual world.

Newcastle Harinamas

I saw two women of the same age walking together, one pushing an old lady in a wheelchair and the other pushing a young kid in a stroller. It reminded me of how at both the beginning and the end of our lives, we are helpless and have to take the help of others. Such are the limitations of our temporary material bodies. If I was not busy chanting, I would have taken a picture of that striking image.

After our Vyasa-puja program in Newcastle I took a nap and went on harinama from 8–10 p.m. Following the advice of a sanitation worker I encountered on the way downtown, I sat on the sidewalk between the parking lots and The Gate, which claims to be “Newcastle’s premier leisure and entertainment centre.” As I watched the people walk past, it occurred to me that the difference between me and them was Srila Prabhupada’s mercy. Over seven people said Hare Krishna to me, four danced, one had a picture taken with me, an Indian couple who went to our Juhu temple I encouraged to visit our place in Newcastle, one guy, who gave a donation, chose Beyond Birth and Death when I offered him a book, and another guy happily told me he was already up to page 70 in Nectar of Instruction. Pointing to his beer can, he said was not fully enlightened yet, but he was on the path. I told him to read every day and his life would be transformed. He believed it. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Harinama in Chester

On my way to Chester, I stopped at the ticket office at Manchester Piccadilly. I did not have the debit card I used to book my ticket from Edinburgh to Newcastle, so I could not pick up my ticket from the automatic ticket machines but had to go to the counter. In the course of my conversation with the man behind the counter, he asked if I was a Hare Krishna. Then he said, “Gaur . . . and be happy.” I said, “Oh, Gauranga!” “What does that mean?” he asked, “Something about being happy?” “Oh, Gauranga is a name of God,” I replied. “He is a special incarnation of God who came to give the highest spiritual ecstasy to the most unqualified people, and that is a cause of happiness!” I asked how he knew about the name Gauranga, and he explained that when he was in high school many years ago a Hare Krishna devotee sold him some books.



Karsna Prabhu, Aharada Devi Dasi, and Mark of Chester are my favorite harinama family. It is not so often that both parents and the kids go on harinama. 


In Chester there are many people on the streets, and although there is often too much competition with other musicians, it was not so bad this time.

We chanted on Saturday for three hours in downtown Chester, accompanied by Alan, the main leader of our Liverpool nama-hatta and Kamalaksi Devi Dasi, the nice Indian lady who cooks for that program. 

The next day we chanted for two and a half hours with Chand and his wife (not in picture), daughter, and son. The second day two older ladies came by independently of each other, and both were attracted enough to attend our semiweekly program that night. One had a serious interest in yoga and different religions, and I would not be surprised if we see her again.   

After the Chester program, on my way home to Newcastle I chanted outside Liverpool Lime Street train station for half an hour. While there a guy came up to me and showed me a 20 pence coin saying, “I will give you this if you promise to be quiet for 30 seconds while I walk past.” I smiled, said “OK,” and accepted the coin. It seemed inauspicious to abandon chanting altogether just to please a demonic living entity, so I chanted my mind for 30 seconds before continuing out loud with my harmonium and amplifier after the man had passed. That had never happened before.

Harinama in Edinburgh

Although I had done five times as many books and collected five times as much in Newcastle the previous day, in Edinburgh my presence made a difference in the life of one high school graduate, who was half way through reading Easy Journey to Other Planets. He wanted another book. I recommended Sri Isopanisad as two days before Alan of Liverpool had told me he had become convinced by reading it, and therefore, I was reminded of how nice it was. The young man decided to choose Chant and Be Happy instead because he was a musician and he had a love for George Harrison. He took down the details of our Edinburgh Gauranga Mantra Centre and said he would try to come next Tuesday.

The Edinburgh nama-hatta attenders are participatory, cooperative, and charitable, and there are often some new people at the meetings. I am always encouraged to go there, and I look forward to returning next year, God willing.

An Odd Picture

After chanting downtown for 2 hours in the evening on Vyasa-puja day, I was walking up the hill to the Newcastle temple, and I saw this sign. I felt I had to take a picture of it.

Balaji in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, is one of the most famous and popular deities of Lord Krishna in India, and certainly one of those receiving the greatest contributions.


Here in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, however, the glorious transcendental name of Balaji is associated with beers and spirits, and “off-licence.” 


If you are non-British, you may wonder, as I did, what does “off-licence” mean? Apple’s dictionary says, “A store selling alcoholic beverages for consumption elsewhere.” Such is the degradation of this age!

To see pictures I did not include, click on the link below:

Insights

Srila Prabhupada:

From a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam  1.8.41 in Mayapur on October 21, 1974:

Traditionally sannyasa is meant for the brahmanas. We agree, but for those who are brahmana by qualities, not by birth.

We do not claim the position of Vaishnava but rather we wish to remain the servant of the Vaishnava.

There are four divisions of sannyasa, kuticaka, when one lives outside the village but receives food from home, bahudaka, when one begs door to door, parivrajakacarya, when one preaches from country to country, and paramahamsa, when one sits in one place absorbed in Krishna consciousness.

The whole process is detachment from family, community, etc.

We do not approve of nationalism, but instead we are creating internationalism.

Just as we cannot create our own laws but have to follow the laws given by the state, we have to follow the laws given by God and not act according to our own whims. Dharma is that law given by God, but we have created so many dharmas.

Gold is gold. There are not different kinds of gold. There is 14-karat gold, and 20-karat gold, but pure gold is one. In the same way, we are preaching pure religion, not religion adulterated by so many other things.

We have no other business than to follow the laws of God.

God is real, and anything in connection with God is real, otherwise it is all imitation.

We killing the demons by giving them the Hare Krishna mantra, which purifies them, so their demonic activities are stopped.

Whatever is done is done, but we must stop our demonic activities.

Satsvarupa dasa Goswami:

From a “Poem to Radha-Govinda” posted on Facebook on August 24, 2016:

“Radha-Govinda reciprocate with me.

Radha-Govinda taste the sweetness

of conjugal love.  They exchange it in

sidelong glances.

They taste it in

kisses and embraces.

And share it

with Their innumerable devotees.

Anyone can become

Their associate by following

in the footsteps of

the gopis, or accepting

a pure devotee

in disciplic succession

as the spiritual master. 

The spiritual master initiates one

into the Hare Krishna mantra,

which is made up of the names

of Radha and Krishna.

He teaches Bhagavad-gita

and Srimad-Bhagavatam,

and instructs

the disciple on how

to worship the Deity.

Vande guroh sri-

caranaravindam.”

From Begging for the Nectar of the Holy Name:

“Srila Rupa Gosvami says in Upadesamrta that although at present we don’t taste the sweetness of the holy name due to jaundice (avidya), the holy names are so wonderful that by repeatedly chanting them, the taste will return. This statement is not Rupa Gosvami’s imagination. The chanting is very wonderful, it does have a sweet taste, and we will attain it. Therefore, we will show our belief in the statement by acting on the basis of it. We will go on chanting.”

  

Bhakti Charu Swami:

From a lecture at Croatia Seminar 2016:

“Why did Krishna create this universe?” In that respect we can consider two explanations. One is a prison house, where the criminals are being corrected. A prison house is actually a reform house, meant for correcting our perverted mentality. Our mentality has become perverted, so there is a need to create this prison house. So Krishna has created this prison house, where the criminals are being punished to eventually understand what they should do. Now, sometimes some people find this quite shocking, “This material nature is a prison house? I am a prisoner? What’s wrong with you! I think I am the most decent and honest person.” So if we have some reservation or reluctance in accepting that concept, then let’s consider the other explanation. The child wants to play with his friends in the park. So the child says, “Daddy! Daddy! I want to go to the park.” The father says, “Okay, come”, and he takes the child to the park. And coming to the park, the child is completely lost in the games with his friends. When he is winning in the game, he is happy. When he is losing, he is sad. That’s the game. And he completely forgot about the father. While the child is playing in the park, the father is sitting there on a bench and watching the child. Then the child becomes afraid. All his friends have left, it became dark, so the child calls out, “Daddy, where are you?” So then the father comes, picks him up and says, “Come, let’s go.” So, in a way, our situation is like that. We are a bunch of kids who wanted to play, and coming to the playground, meeting our friends, we are completely immersed in play. In the course of our game some are our friends and some are our enemies. Those who are playing in my favor, they are my friends. Those who are opposing me, they are my enemies. In this way, in this field, we are creating duality. We are so lost that we have no time to think about the Father. But then, at some point, when we turn to the Father and say, “Daddy, where are you?”, then He comes and picks us up and says, “Come, let’s go home.”

Sadaputa Prabhu:

From Mysteries of the Sacred Universe (p. 170):

“According to the Bhagavatam, God simultaneously spans all scales of size from largest to smallest. God also defines space rather than existing within it as an object among other objects. The space thus defined involves unlimited scales and dimensions, and it is not limited to the three-dimensional Euclidian continuum. However, it does include this continuum. Indeed, it contains many three-dimensional continua.”

“This system of thought rules out the kind of comprehensive model of reality that we are familiar with in the West. Rather, it lends itself to multiple models that represent different aspects of an inconceivable total reality.”

—–

The verse reassures us that even if people chant without proper understanding they still benefit greatly from it.

yathagadam viryatamam
 upayuktam yadrcchaya
ajanato ’py atma-guṇam
 kuryan mantro ’py udahrtah

“If a person unaware of the effective potency of a certain medicine takes that medicine or is forced to take it, it will act even without his knowledge because its potency does not depend on the patient’s understanding. Similarly, even though one does not know the value of chanting the holy name of the Lord, if one chants knowingly or unknowingly, the chanting will be very effective.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.2.19)