Author Archives: Krishna-kripa das, Mayapura

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)

Travel Journal#12.11: From Newcastle to London
→ Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 12, No. 11

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

Newcastle, York, Sheffield, Leicester
Northampton Ratha-yatra, Chester, London
(Sent from London on June 17, 2016)

Where I Went and What I Did

In the beginning of June I chanted in Newcastle for three days, and then I chanted harinama in York with a party led by Govardhan Devi Dasi and went to the York nama-hatta. I traveled with four York devotees to hear Janananda Goswami speak the next day at the Leicester Sunday feast program. The next week I chanted in Chester-le-Street and Durham on Monday, and then Sunderland, Newcastle, Sheffield, and Leicester the rest of the week. Sacinandana Karuna Prabhu, whose Weekend Warrior programs I would attend in the London area, invited me to the first ever Northampton Ratha-yatra, where he is now based. Later that day I went on a late-night Saturday harinama with the Leicester devotees, and many people danced with our party. I did harinama with devotees in Chester and spoke at the Chester nama-hatta on Sunday, and then went to London for a week to do harinama with the Harinama Ruci traveling harinama party and my friends at our Soho Street temple.

I share insights from many Srila Prabhupada lectures, mostly on the prayers of Queen Kunti. I share notes on Janananda Goswami’s Sunday feast lecture in Leicester. I share excerpts from Back to Godhead articles by Suresvara Prabhu about cooperating to please Srila Prabhupada and Caitanya-carana Prabhu about “Damodarastaka.” I share realizations on chanting Hare Krishna by Govardhan Devi Dasi and Gauridas Pandit Prabhu, who facilitate the York nama-hatta. I also share notes on Dayananda Swami’s lectures in Newcastle.

Thanks to Ramai and Vrinda Prabhus for their kind donation toward my travel from Newcastle to Sunderland and back. Thanks to Barbara of Liverpool for her kind donation, and Karsna Prabhu of Chester for contributing to my travel there. I would like to thank Dennis and the York nama-hatta for their kind donation to my travel between York and Newcastle and Bass for giving me a ride from Newcastle to York. I thank Govardhan Devi Dasi and Ashish for donating to me the harinama collections in York from Saturday and Sunday. Thanks to Aayush and Reena for letting me stay with them in Sheffield, and to Bali Mardan and his son for letting me stay with them in Leicester and driving me to the Northampton Ratha-yatra and to the Megabus stop. Thanks to Gauridas Pandit Prabhu for driving us from York to Leicester to see Janananda Goswami. Thanks to Joe Kenny for his picture of the Sheffield nama-hatta, and to Mark for his picture of the Chester harinama.

Itinerary

June 13–20: London

June 20–21: Stonehenge Solstice Festival

June 21–June 24: New Mayapur, France, with Janananda Goswami

June 25–30: Paris, France, with Janananda Goswami [June 26 – Ratha-yatra]

July 1: Newcastle

July 2: York harinamaand nama-hatta

July 3: Scarborough with Govardhan Devi Dasi and John

July 4–5: Preston and Blackpool, with Govardhan Devi Dasi and John

July 6: Newcastle

July 7–9: Polish Padayatra

July 10: Prague Ratha-yatra

July 12–16: Polish Woodstock

July 17–26: Polish Summer Festival Tour

July 27–29: Berlin harinama?

July 30: Berlin Ratha-yatra

July 31–August 4: Czech Padayatra

August 5–11: Baltic Summer Festival

August 12–14: Ancient Trance Festival?

August 15–17: Bratislava?

August 17: Prague?

August 18–21: Trutnoff (Czech Woodstock)

August 22: Prague

August 23: London

August 24–27: Newcastle [including Janmastami and Vyasa Puja]

August 28: Leeds

August 29: Newcastle

August 30: Edinburgh

August 31–September 1: Newcastle

September 2: Sheffield

September 3: York

September 4: Newcastle

September 5–12: Ireland

September 13–: New York City Harinam

Chanting in Chester-le-Street

All my Newcastle friends were busy, so I chanted with Atul Krishna Caitanya Prabhu for an hour and almost a half in Chester-le-Street, his hometown, and felt happy to brighten up his day, as with his health it is hard for him to go to the temple regularly.



He told me how his town has a spiritual history and showed me the Parish Church of St. Mary’s and St. Cuthbert’s, dated back to A.D. 883, where monks called anchorites lived, walled up for years in a sealed off room to focus on prayer and contemplation.

Atul wrote of our time together, “Lovely afternoon with Krishna-kripa Das. We visited the Anker’s House Museum attached to the Parish Church where the Anker (Hermit) would be walled in for a life of solitude and prayer. We were also invited to see the Church’s copy of The Lindisfarne Gospels, which contain the first Gospel to be written in Anglo-Saxon English. We also were invited to ring Cuthbert’s Bell in the Church tower. Then on to Front Street for a beautiful harinama, thank you Krishna-kripa Das for blessing my hometown with your company.”
Chanting in Durham

As soon as I got to Durham, set up my book display and began chanting, an Indian woman, who attends our temple in Leicester, where I happened to be the day before, stopped by, buying a Bhagavad-gita, and making for a good day.

Chanting in Sunderland

While chanting in Sunderland, I was challenged by a guy who had been imprisoned for ten years for stabbing someone. He claimed he prayed to God in prison for three or four years and got absolutely no response, and so he became an atheist. He said came to feel sorry to the person he hurt but not that he felt sorry to God. I argued that feeling compassion for someone is a quality that comes from associating with God, trying to show him that his years of prayer had some tangible result, but he claimed compassion was purely a human emotion with no spiritual basis. It was humbling for me not to have a convincing argument. I know many stories of people becoming devotees as a result of witnessing God answering their prayers, so I think of that as a reality, but it was a reality that former convict had no faith in.

Chanting in Newcastle

I chanted in Newcastle by myself three days in a row. I do not remember any striking experiences, although I see that many more people say “Hare Krishna” to you in Newcastle than a lot of British towns as we have had a continuing presence there for many years and this particular week people were more charitable than usual.



Dayananda Swami chanted at our Wednesday night kirtana, and I share this video of that  (https://youtu.be/CLeRWZwFgPA): 

The last day I was in Newcastle told my Facebook friends, “I had a mixed day on harinama. A bird crapped on my harmonium, and I had to wash it off. The ends of my fingers went numb from the continuous north wind in Newcastle, even though it is June. But a Newcastle University student bought a Science of Self-Realization, and a smiling man shook my hand, saying he is most of the way through the book he bought from me and he really likes it.”

Chanting in Sheffield

In Sheffield I talked to an Indian lady who had lived in Sheffield for years and not known about the ISKCON nama-hatta programs, which have been going on for three decades. That just underscores the importance of having devotees visibly out in the streets to connect people with local Hare Krishna activities. One fortyish man gave £2, declining a book because he already had one. Apparently from reading it, he felt we were worth contributing to. On the whole, I felt happy to be singing in Sheffield.

Three Latvians who are becoming devotees, Valeri, Alexandra, and Marita, regularly drive an hour from Barnsley to attend the Sheffield nama-hatta. They were the cooks this week.



Our attendees this week, from left to right and top to bottom were: Geoffrey, Valeri, myself, Aayush, Harisuta Devi Dasi, Alexandra, Reena, and Marita. Adam had to leave early, and Joe took the picture.




Speaking of Sheffield, we take this opportunity to congratulate Mariana of Ukraine, who has been regularly active in the Sheffield nama-hatta for several years, and who was just initiated by Indradyumna Swami this month as Madhavi-rani dasi. We hope she is steady in her service to her guru and she attains spiritual perfection as a result.

Northampton Ratha-yatra

As at some other places in England, the Northampton Ratha-yatra is the contribution of local Hare Krishna devotees to that city’s yearly carnival, which involved a parade for two and a half hours through the streets of the city, both the business and residential areas, and a festival in a park. As the entries in the parade were lining up, we began our kirtana, and thus I led for forty minutes, even before the parade left the park. Many people, both watching the parade and part of the parade, were attracted by the devotees.

I took some video clips of it (https://youtu.be/-d76THyaaf0):

One devotee, Nikhil Gohil, shared on YouTube his video of the procession (https://youtu.be/_Ip7Pu8v4kA):

Devotees also got to sing for 5 minutes on the single festival stage.

ISKCON PandavaSena shared this video on Facebook:

If you do not have Facebook, see this lower resolution one produced from downloading the other one and uploading it to YouTube (https://youtu.be/-nDvEQ9oW8o):

From the stage, I noted those who participated most enthusiastically and gave them “Krishna Wisdom” pamphlets after. Someone seeing me give out those pamphlets asked me for one.

The devotees were happy about participating in the event and discussed how they could increase next year.

Leicester Harinamas

I attempted to add two additional harinamas on Friday to the harinama schedule in Leicester, but only one person joined me for ten minutes for the first one and the second one got rained out. In Leicester, there are many Indian people who are willing to give donations but who say they already have the books.

Saturday is the usual harinama day in Leicester, and devotees go out twice, from 2 to 4 p.m. and from 9:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. We missed the first one because of attending the Northampton Ratha-yatra, but I did not want to miss the second one. Seeing all the partiers dancing with the devotees reminded me of the late-night harinamas we used to have in Gainesville, after the Friday evening program. Maybe I will start that up again when I return to Florida.

One girl, who was playing guitar as a street musician, stopped playing her guitar for money and sang with us. She had been to Hare Krishna free prasadam events in her native Latvia. I encouraged her to play her instrument along with us, if she wanted to, and she did. She also chanted and danced much of the time as well. I gave her the details of our Sunday feast, temporarily located at the Krishna Avanti Primary School, and she said she and some Latvian friends who like Hare Krishna would come. I thought of other Hare Krishna events in the UK she might like, and I mentioned the Stonehenge Solstice festival, and how the devotees sing for six hours and distribute vegetarian food. She was excited, saying that she had wanted to go to Stonehenge, especially at the solstice, and I explained to her briefly how to get there.

A group of five girls danced with us twice. The blond girl playing the drum was not a devotee or a drummer but joined our party because she liked to dance. Here are some highlights (https://youtu.be/PbM5FZuv_KY):

Chester Harinama

Eight devotees participated in harinama in Chester. The city was extra crowded with people observing a ceremony for the Queen’s 90th birthday and participating in and watching a triathlon. We felt grateful that we were not told to abandon our spot and to move on until it was time to pack up and go to the nama-hatta program anyway. One nice Indian couple with a young boy learned of our program by seeing our harinama and attended it that very day.

Here Bhanu, the young Indian girl, is singing. I am playing a harmonium, which is covered with a harinama cadar, because it is raining. Karsna Prabhu is playing the drum, and Āhāradā Devi Dasi is playing karatalas. The guy in shorts is smiling and moving with the music.

That we had lots of people on harinama, that two or three people really liked my lecture, that the new couple came, and that a couple of people contributed to my travel made it feel like a successful day.

London Harinama with Harinama Ruci

As often I have been chanting in public by myself in recent days, it was extra special going out with Harinama Ruci and my Soho Street friends. This time the main singer for Harinama Ruci was Syamarasa Prabhu, an Indradyumna Swami disciple from Croatia, who sings attractive melodies.

We would begin in front of Radha-Londonisvara Mandir on Soho Street in Central London. Sometimes people would even begin dancing with us there.

Devotees would swing passersby.

Sometimes people would imitate the dancing devotees.

Some people wanted photos of themselves with the devotees.

I suggested to this lady (above) to dance with the devotee ladies, but she said she did not know the steps. I encouraged her anyway, and she finally did and had a great time. She even said she would join us the next day.

The first day children from France, primary schoolers from Hartlepool (England), ladies from Holland, and young people from Spain delighted in chanting and dancing with Harinama Ruci and the Soho Street devotees at Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus (https://youtu.be/ViwDLJHvtNQ):


Two young Italian ladies (above, in black), one based in London and the other visiting her, danced with the female devotees for half an hour as our chanting party proceeded through Covent Garden on our second day of chanting Hare Krishna in London with Harinama Ruci and the Soho devotees. In one bar, the staff behind the counter enjoyed dancing until the boss lady came upstairs and made us stop and leave. Glasgow students delighted in chanting and dancing with us at Leicester Square. It was a lively day as you can see (https://youtu.be/Rd7ytH1E6Y8):

Visnu Jana Prabhu and another devotee took lots more video of the Glasgow students (https://youtu.be/ucQobuUnChY):


The girl on the left, who is swinging with Mangala-vati Devi Dasi, is the girl I asked where the kids came from and who told me Glasgow. I told her that we had a farm in Lesmahagow and programs in Edinburgh. She said she knew of Lesmahagow but that she lived nearer Edinburgh. I gave her my card, and said I could tell her the addresses of our places.

We were more successful entering a clothing shop than we were at the bar. This time four employees chanted and danced with us and later accepted invitations to our temple open day and the London Ratha-yatra (https://youtu.be/4sLqr1z9gUU):

To see photos I took and did not include, click on the link below:

Insights

Srila Prabhupada:

From a letter to devotees, San Francisco, March 30, 1967:

“If you always chant Hare Krishna, read my books, and preach this philosophy sincerely, then Krishna will provide you with all facility, and you will not fall down into material entanglement.”

From a lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.29 on April 21, 1973 in Los Angeles:

Regarding Putana, the witch who tried to kill Krishna, Krishna considered, “Somehow or other I have sucked her milk, thus she is My mother.” Thus He blessed her with the position of mother eternally.

No one can do harm to Krishna nor can anyone give anything to Krishna. So why are we giving so many things to Krishna? Because if we give to Krishna, then we become benefited.

“If you try to satisfy Krishna in all respects, you will be satisfied in all respects.”

“I receive so many letters daily how they [my disciples] are hopeful in Krishna consciousness.”

From a lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.29 on October 9, 1974 in Mayapur:

[Commenting on Krishna’s dealing with Putana] “The service side Krishna always accepts . . . a little service.”

From a lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.30 on April 22, 1973 in Los Angeles:

As our body is working because of the vital force, the universe is working because of the supreme vital force, Krishna.

Krishna is within the heart and also without as the visva-rupa, the universal form of the Lord.

Those who cannot see God have been advised in the Vedic literature to see God in so many ways: The highest planet is the skull of God. The mountains are the bones of God. The sole of God is the lowest planet.

Because God is great he can create an immense manifestation such as this cosmic creation but he also can create microscopic living entities. His greatness is not just one-sided. You can produce a 747 airplane, but can you produce a fly-sized flying machine? No, that is not possible.

If you can keep yourself always in the company of Krishna, all perfection will be there.

We are requesting everyone “chant, chant, chant,” and they are replying “can’t, can’t, can’t.” This is their misfortune.

If we put literature in his hand, he is becoming fortunate. He would have squandered his hard earned money in so many sinful ways, but if he purchases some book, no matter what the price, his money is properly utilized.

Somehow or other, bring everyone in this Krishna consciousness movement, and he will be profited.

The Lord is the source of the bliss that the impersonalists meditate on.

A devotee is always prepared to render service to the Lord.

Human life does not begin unless there is a conception of religion.

In Kali-yuga is practically 80% is sinful. The four pillars of sinful life are meat eating, illicit sex, intoxication and gambling. We request our students to break these pillars, so their sinful life will collapse. And then chant Hare Krishna.

If one has no good engagement, sinful engagements cannot be stopped. You must give people good engagement. The government has failed in this, but we have succeeded.

So-called yoga and meditation are all rascaldom because there is no engagement. There is engagement here with deity worship, sankirtana, etc.

We are forced to take birth, but Krishna voluntary comes to this world. Krishna has a great plan to take people back to home, back to Godhead, and therefore, He comes here.

From a lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.30 on October 10, 1974 in Mayapur:

It appears that the living entity loses his individuality when it is merged with the Brahman effulgence just as a green bird appears to lose its identity when it enters a green tree, but actually that is not the case.

The Lord comes to show us how to work and be happy, not that things come automatically. If you work, things come automatically, but not otherwise.

We are forced to accept happiness and distress because of destiny, but that is not so with Krishna. 

If you simply try to understand the constitution of Krishna, you become liberated.

From a lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.1.6 in 1974:

If one has to remember Narayana at the time of death, then why not directly practice?

The sankhya-yogasystem of philosophy is very much liked in Europe and Western countries because it is a system of metaphysics analyzing the whole cosmic manifestation.

You may analyze the creation very nicely but that does not mean you understand the source of creation. You may be a big scientist and analyze the material creation, but at the time of death, if you do not remember Narayana, you could end up as a cat or dog in your next life.

Just by analyzing the blood of a patient, you do not cure his condition.

In every birth you get a father or mother, but only in a human birth can you get a guru and Krishna.

If you do not take advantage of the second birth, initiation into spiritual knowledge, what is the difference between you and a cat or a dog?

You must make a cultural institution where people get the education to remember Narayana at the time of death.

I change my body after this body is no longer useful.

We do not give any stress on the bodily dress but on the soul within.

One movement is to revive a person’s consciousness and take him back to Godhead.

We want to help people to be Krishna consciousness, not cat conscious nor dog conscious.

From a lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.31 on April 23, 1973 in Los Angeles:

There is no one who is not afraid of Krishna, yet Krishna is afraid of Yashoda.

Even though Krishna is so beautiful He can enchant Cupid, Radharani can even enchant Krishna.

Every devotee can have such a privilege as Yashoda or Radharani if the devotee becomes sufficiently advanced.

Not I love You, Krishna, and You give me this. There is no such mercantile exchange. Krishna wants that kind of love.

When Krishna was a child, Krishna played perfectly as a child. When he played as the lover of the gopis, he played perfectly as lover.

The residents of Vrindavan do not know that Krishna is God, they just know that Krishna is wonderful. As they see His wonderful activities, that wonder increases more and more. They want Krishna and love Krishna.

Krishna is simply waiting for us to turn our face toward Him, but unfortunately, we are not looking for Krishna. We are looking for something else.

From a lecture given on  March 29, 1977, in Bombay:

When human society becomes devoid of dharma it becomes animal society. Dharma is given by the Supreme Lord – what Krishna says. “Always think of Me.” It is a very simple thing. Even a child can do it.

If you are thinking of Krishna within and without, what need is there to perform austerities? If you do not come to the point of thinking of Krishna within and without, what is the value of your austerities?

Krishna says in Bhagavad-gita, “Matra sparsas tu kaunteya . . . tams titiksava bharata. We have to tolerate. Lord Caitanya says the same thing. Trnad api sunicena taror iva sahisnuna.

There must be an institution in India for teaching Krishna consciousness to the Indians and to those who come to India.

From a lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.3.21 in Los Angeles on June 18, 1972: 

We can have riches if we bow down to the Lord, otherwise they will be a great burden.

If you misuse the power and do not feel obliged to the Supreme Lord, who has given you the power, then you’ll be finished very soon. Ravana is an example.

Krishna is purusa, the enjoyer. All else is prakrti.

In the material world, the purusa is artificial, just prakrti imitating purusa, like a woman in man’s dress.
Everyone is trying enjoy. But they cannot. It is a false conception to think oneself the enjoyer. This disease can be cured only by surrender to Krishna.

When the kings became puffed up and defied the authority of God, monarchy was finished.

Everyone should know his power is given by Lord for His enjoyment.

We should always engage everything in Krishna’s service.

If you have good engagement, there is no scope for wrong engagement.

Engage yourself always in Krishna’s service, then maya [illusion] will not be able to touch you.

Mayavadis try to stop senses by force. This is like plucking out the eyeballs.

The scientists think the dead stone and the living entity is the same, but the living entities is a different energy, superior energy.

The big scientists are called fools and rascals because they consider this body as self.

A dead man cannot use his senses. One without spiritual vision cannot use his senses in the Lord’s service, and thus he is considered spiritually dead.

Rich men must regularly see the Lord in the temple to become free from their false pride.

Seriousness or no seriousness, if one bows down to the Lord, he gets the result.

The temple is meant to give chances to the nondevotees to engage in devotional service.

Hearing is essential. By hearing we can realize the value of the deity.

However important a man may be, he must accept the supremacy of the Lord.

Because of the subordination of Maharaja Prataparuda to Lord Jagannath, the Pathans (Moslem) warriors could not conquer him.

Devotion to the Lord will even help you in your material life. The devotee does not want to enjoy, but Krishna makes all arrangements for the devotee’s enjoyment.

Your American standard of living is maintained, even if you move to another country. Just as a hog, even if he goes to heaven, will look for stool. Similarly, an Indian, even in America, pursues the spiritual.

If we are intelligent, we will understand our happiness and distress is fixed up by our destiny. Therefore, we should not worry about it. Use your energy to develop Krishna consciousness. Endeavoring for material happiness is a mistake.

This is a foolish civilization that is unaware of these truths.

Lord Krishna:

From Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.80.43:

“Simply by the grace of the spiritual master a person can fulfill life’s purpose and attain eternal peace.”

Janananda Goswami:

Because Krishna is complete, both all-knowing and absence of knowledge are there in Krishna. And yet Krishna’s knowledge is always increasing.

By dancing and singing together, the members of the Panca-tattva relish the ecstasy the gopisfeel in relationship with Krishna and make it available to others.

Everything in someone we love is lovable to us.

Because everything is a expansion of Krishna, if we hate something, indirectly we are hating Krishna.

People like to spread their name and fame, and Krishna does too.

When we look at Krishna’s beautiful form, our attraction to Him increases more and more.

Maya is the director of the drama of the material world. When you are in a drama, you have to identify with the part to be effective. Maya makes us completely forget our real identity and completely identify with our role in this world.

The more love you have, the more you are concerned with the pleasing the other person, and so it is true with loving God.

The first book I got was the Krishna book. I got it in a secondhand bookstore.

It may seem inconceivable that the pastimes are repeated and yet they are ever fresh. Even in this world, we experience that kids do the same thing every day, but it seems ever fresh to them.

The material energy seems so distant from Krishna, but actually it is not. Everything is connected to Krishna. We just need to see how to connect it.

Parasurama Prabhu has an almost unlimited ability for expansion of service.

Mahavishnu Swami is so serious about Srila Prabhupada’s instructions he practically never misses mangala-arati, and he even attends the Bhagavatam class, when it is given by Bhakta Ben. He goes on harinama for four to six hours a day, and he distributes books every other day.

The incorporation of ISKCON on July 13, 1966 did not make the news yet it was the most important of such events.

Govardhan Devi Dasi:

After chanting for three hours in the street nothing much bothers you.

Chanting the Hare Krishna mantra gives you the spiritual vision to see you are not your body.

When you chant in public, Krishna gives you special mercy.

Suresvara Prabhu:

From “To Cooperate is To Love” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 50, No. 5, September / October 2016:

When another GBC man wrote to inform Prabhupada of more dissension

in the ranks, Prabhupada was philosophical:

Material nature means dissension and disagreement. . . . But, for this Krishna consciousness movement its success will depend on agreement, even though there are varieties of engagements. In the material world there are varieties, but there is no agreement. In the spiritual world there are varieties, but there is agreement.

Different individuals have different ways of engaging material nature in devotional service. The agreement that harmonizes the “varieties of engagements” is their shared purpose, to please Kṛṣṇa.

The materialist . . . cannot come into agreement with varieties, but if we keep Krishna in the center, then there will be agreement in varieties. This is called unity in diversity.

To illustrate, Prabhupada sometimes gave the example of concentric circles.

No matter how many circles we draw, if they all share the same center, they never clash. In the same way, if pleasing Krishna is at the center of our intentions, we’ll be able to “agree to disagree” and continue working cooperatively to serve the Lord even when differences arise.

Prabhupada knew this would be an ongoing challenge:

I am therefore suggesting that all our men meet in Mayapur every year during the birth anniversary of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. With all GBC and senior men present we should discuss how to make unity in diversity. But, if we fight on account of diversity, then it is simply the material platform. Please try to maintain the philosophy of unity in diversity. That will make our movement successful. (Letter, October 18, 1973)

On March 16, 1976, in the holy land of Sridham Mayapur, along the Ganges’s green expanse, dozens of young Americans have crowded into Prabhupāda’s room at ISKCON’s international headquarters. He thanks them for cooperating to profusely distribute his books for the benefit of suffering humanity.

Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu – He is God Himself, Krishna Himself – He felt, alone, unable to do this task. He felt. So this is the position. You are cooperating; therefore I am getting the credit. Otherwise, alone what could I do? Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself wanted our cooperation. He is God, Krishna. And therefore cooperation is a very important thing . . . Nobody should think that, “I have got so great ability. I can do.” No. It is simply by cooperation we can do a very big thing. “United we stand, divided we fall.” Sankirtana. Sankirtana means many men combined together, chanting. That is sankirtana. Otherwise kirtana. Sankirtana means many, many combined together. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission.

Urmila Devi:

Krishna is not the cause, in one sense, because he is aloof, enjoying his pastimes, as Krishna, while as His expansions as the purusa incarnations, He is the cause.

We are all looking for happiness. In the U.S. Declaration of Independence it is said we have the right to pursue happiness, but it does not say we have the right to find it.

Something false cannot give you happiness.

Absolute Truth is noncontextual truth.

Contextual truth is relative. Krishna advises Arjuna that dishonor is worse than death and later He advises do not be attached to honor or dishonor.

My father asked Prabhupada if he could come to the temple if he was not a devotee of Krishna. Prabhupada replied, “It does not matter what your religion is. What is important is to know God and love Him.”

A study showed that those companies which remained successful, had plans for a succession and had leaders who took the blame themselves for what went wrong and gave credit to others for success.

Some religions say that God is not in charge of destruction, and they have another being in competition with God that takes charge of destruction.

On explanation is that there is death because we cannot fulfill all our desires in one life.

Thomas Kuhn says in his book on scientific revolutions that the paradigm only shifts with the death of the older people who are invested in it.

Krishna is not the cause in that he is busy enjoying with His associates in Goloka Vrindavan.

Krishna does not want there to be an illusory energy just as the government does not want to have to create a prison and parents do not want to have to punish their kids.

Hypnotism works because when the mind is asleep its functions of acceptance and rejection are not present. Thus the patient is open to the suggestions of the hypnotist.

Generally in different religions one seeks the truth to enjoy the material world or to liberate oneself from this world.

When we are in love with something, even our latest phone, which is a sort of perverted santa-rasa [relationship of adoration], we feel pleasure. Imagine how much joy there is in loving the source of everything!

We seek a total consuming love for the cause of all causes.

Srila Prabhupada did not demand that people change their faith. I know initiated devotees who live in Catholic monasteries.

Srila Prabhupada sometimes said that not blaspheming devotees who have dedicated their lives to propagation of his holy name includes blaspheming Christ and Muhammad.

Because we are talking about things that are beyond time, some things are not understandable to us, like how we came to the material world.

If you chant and do not offend devotees, you will realize that you are a fool, in so many ways, for neglecting Krishna, even now.

Dayananda Swami:

From lectures at the North UK Retreat the previous month:

In 1978 one young man was second in line in command on a cargo ship and making loads of money, but he realized that wasn’t what life about. So he and his girlfriend traveled to all the places the hippies would go, but he realized they also did not have the ultimate truth. He got back to Southampton and started hitchhiking to London. A van stopped and picked them up. After a while, the van driver started preaching Krishna consciousness. The guy really got into the philosophy. Then the van driver asked him for a joint, and he was confused that the driver was preaching this pure philosophy but wanted to smoke pot. At any rate, he gave him a joint, and driver lit it. The van driver took him to the Bhaktivedanta Manor and introduced him to the leader of new devotees, and he never left. We can learn from this that even if we are not following perfectly, we can still preach.”

There is a story about a guru would give a class, and one bull would faithfully attend it. Somehow the guru was unable to continue giving class, and the question of who the disciples would hear from came up. The guru recommended the bull, and the other disciples were incredulous. Then the guru explained, “The bull would faithfully come every day to hear class, and when I would get to an important point, he would stop chewing his cud, so I can tell he was attentively hearing.”

From classes in Newcastle:

Just as in a conversation you tell the main point first and then fill in the details, Krishna summarizes his message in the Second Chapter of Bhagavad-gita, and then explains the details.

Until we get the association of devotee, we cannot be introduced to Krishna.

To remember Krishna in every situation is Krishna consciousness. Without Krishna consciousness, we are just playing in the shadows.

Krishna is always there, but if we do not see Him, how can He help us?

Krishna gives us the consciousness to be happy in every situation.

We are either serving Paramatma (the Lord in the heart) or the material energy.

I was on sankirtana and visited many shops on seven or eight streets. At five o’clock, I went to the car. I felt around my pocket for the keys, but they were not there. I went to all the shops again but no keys. Then as I was walking, I felt my head slow turnly and focus on the ground, and there were the keys. Without Krishna giving me some special mercy, I never would have found them.

We must regularly hear from the revealed literature, so we can see the path. Not many people last the whole life in devotional service. That is because they do not regularly hear and see the world in terms of what they hear.

Our bodies are changing so slowly we do not notice it, yet we are foolishly becoming attached to them.

This is not a practice run. It is the real thing. The clock is ticking. We have limited time to attain perfection.

Q: How to get a strong desire to go back to Godhead?

A: Associate with people who have a strong desire. Pray to Krishna for that desire.

Impersonal realization gives some satisfaction to the mind, but it does not satisfy the senses.

Once one of Srila Prabhupada’s disciples went to hear from once of Prabhupada’s godbrothers in Calcutta. When he returned, Srila Prabhupada asked what the godbrother had been saying. After hearing what was said, Srila Prabhupada replied, “You have been scarred for life.”

If we have a desire to hear about genuine spiritual life, Krishna will send a suitable person to hear from.

Mukti means liberation whereas vimukti means devotional service.

The neophyte devotee just thinks of “me and Krishna” and does not appreciate the other devotees or their service.

Devotees on the middle level avoid envious people because when encountered they will blaspheme the Lord or His devotees.

Srila Prabhupada could speak the philosophy to all kinds of persons and make it suitable for their understanding.

The pure devotee puts the vani (instructions) in practice and thus we can learn greatly from him.

Although in this age we may not have so much personal association with our guru, we can download thousands of lectures of advanced devotees and be inspired by listening to them.

Without the association of devotees, we cannot be sure our realizations are actually valid. There is a story about a prisoner who got Bhagavad-gita in prison but did not have the association of the devotees. Later when the devotees got the clearance to go into the prison, they met the man. The devotees praised his fortune in reading the Gita, and ask him the conclusion. He said, “When I get out of prison, there are six kinds of people I can immediately kill.”

Our insurance for remaining a devotee for life is to follow the program Srila Prabhupada gave us.

We need knowledge to start devotional service and also to maintain devotional service. Knowledge means that we enjoy association with Krishna more than material activities.

The more we sacrifice for Krishna, especially by serving the devotees and by serving the people in general by giving them opportunities for devotional service, we come from the third-class to the second-class platform quicker.

Bhaktivinoda Thakura stressed attentively chanting the holy name, association with devotees, and giving mercy to others.

Caitanya-carana Prabhu:

From “Meditating on the Damodarastaka” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 50, No. 5, September / October 2016:

“God is both great and sweet. Awareness of His greatness evokes submission, whereas awareness of His sweetness evokes affection. Devotee seekers need to be aware of both features, for submission and affection symbiotically reinforce devotion. For exalted devotees such as Yasoda, however, their awareness of Krishna’s greatness is almost entirely eclipsed by their absorption in His sweetness.”

Caitanya Vallabha Prabhu:

From his announcements at the Newcastle temple:

As Maya has her trident of (1) miseries caused by the mind and body, (2) miseries caused by other living beings, and (3) miseries caused by the forces of nature, we have our trident of (1) distribution of Srila Prabhupada’s books, (2) harinama-sankirtana, and (3) distribution of prasadam.

Gauridas Pandit Das:

We are spiritual, and the Hare Krishna mantra is spiritual, coming from the spiritual world, and when these two meet, the result is wonderful.

—–

kathancana smrte yasmin

duskaram sukaram bhavet

vismrte viparitam syat

sri-caitanyam namami tam

“Things that are very difficult to do become easy to execute if one somehow or other simply remembers Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. But if one does not remember Him, even easy things become very difficult. To this Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu I offer my respectful obeisances.” (Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 14.1)

Travel Journal#12.10: The North UK
→ Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 12, No. 10

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

Newcastle, Sheffield, Manchester, Preston, Accrington
Liverpool, Karuna Bhavan, Glasgow, Edinburgh
(Sent from Newcastle-upon-Tyne on June 8, 2016)

Where I Went and What I Did

As the second half of May began, I finished my stay in Newcastle, chanting there and in nearby North Shields. Then I spent three days in Sheffield advertising their Ratha-yatra, returning to Newcastle for half a day for their Nrsimha Caturdasi harinama and evening program. After Sheffield Ratha-yatra I stayed in Manchester for five days, chanting there for three days and in one day each in Preston and in Liverpool, and speaking at nama-hatta programs in Accrington and Liverpool. Janananda Goswami recommended I go to the North UK Retreat, this year at Karuna Bhavan in Scotland, as we had attended it in previous years, however, I like to attend the Newcastle Eight-Hour Kirtana so much, I skipped the first day of the retreat. The retreat included lots of valuable realizations from senior devotees like Kripamoya Prabhu, Sri Guru Carana Padma Devi Dasi, Dayananda Swami, and Bhakti Prabhava Swami, which I share in the “Insights” section, and included a harinama as well. After the retreat I did harinama in Glasgow and Edinburgh on the last two days of the month of May.

In addition to insights from the senior devotees on the retreat, I have notes on several Srila Prabhupada lectures, a quote from Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s Harinama Cintamani, and a poem by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami to his deities, Radha-Govinda.

I would like to thank the Newcastle and Manchester temples for their kind donations. I would also like to thank Anthony Bate of the Preston nama-hatta, Alan Miles of the Liverpool nama-hatta, and Rima of the Edinburgh nama-hatta for their kind donations. Thanks to Balesvara Raman Prabhu, of Odisha, now based in Glasgow, for letting me stay at his place and contributing to my travels. Thanks to Aayush of Sheffield for letting me stay at his place twice and giving me a donation. Thanks to Lotus of Edinburgh for letting me stay at his place twice and for his donation to my travels. Thanks to Malini Devi Dasi, her Italian friend, and an Indian man from Edinburgh, whose name I do not know, for their kind donations. Thanks to the lady who attends the Manchester temple and who gave a donation when I met her in the city center.

Itinerary

June 1–8: Newcastle

June 9: Sheffield

June 10: Leicester

June 11: Northampton Ratha-yatra

June 12: Chester

June 13–20: London [June 17 trip to Northampton nama-hatta]

June 20–21: Stonehenge Solstice Festival

June 21–June 30: France with Janananda Goswami [June 26 – Paris Ratha-yatra]

July 1: Newcastle
July 2: York harinamaand nama-hatta

July 3: Scarborough
July 4–5: Preston, Blackpool, and more
July 6: Newcastle
July 7–9: Polish Padayatra

July 10: Prague Ratha-yatra

July 12–16: Polish Woodstock

July 17–26: Polish Summer Festival Tour

July 27–29: Berlin harinama?

July 30: Berlin Ratha-yatra

July 31–August 4: Czech Padayatra

August 5–11: Baltic Summer Festival

August 12–14: Ancient Trance Festival?

August 15–17: Bratislava?

August 17: Prague?

August 18–21: Trutnoff (Czech Woodstock)

August 22: Prague

August 23: London

August 24–29: Newcastle [August 28: Leeds?]

August 30: Edinburgh

August 31–September 1: Newcastle

September 2: Sheffield

September 3: York

September 4: Newcastle

September 5–12: Ireland

September 13–: New York City Harinam

Harinama in North Shields

I chanted in North Shields, one of those small towns around Newcastle that Janananda Goswami likes us not to forget. The people were grateful and gave double of what I spent on the metro to get there and back, but none took any books.

Harinamas in Sheffield

I chanted Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in downtown Sheffield to promote the Ratha-yatra on Sunday. The first day was the best because Harisuta Devi Dasi chanted with me for the first hour and a half and Adam chanted with me the second hour and a half. All the other days I chanted alone. Friday was Nrsimhadeva’s Appearance Day, and I chanted two hours in Sheffield, and then I went to Newcastle and chanted there for two hours more.



Before chanting on the streets of Sheffield on the special festival day, I chanted japa in Sheffield’s Winter Garden, which includes tropical plants like palm trees and which reminded me of Florida.

Newcastle Nrsimha Harinama

Bhakti Rasa Prabhu and his wife, Kirtida Devi, as well as Prema Sankirtana Prabhu, all like the idea of celebrating the festival days with harinama. Therefore, I knew I would have a good group of devotees to chant on Nrsimha Caturdasi there, and I did – eleven devotees.  Thus I took a break from advertising the Sheffield Ratha-yatra, and made the three-hour bus ride to Newcastle midday and back the next morning to celebrate with the devotees there. Often the devotees dance off to the side of the pathway, so some people can avoid the ecstasy, but in Newcastle, they danced right in the middle so people could not help but notice. One group of young people looked at our party and danced a little bit among themselves for over half an hour, but they were too shy to join us. We tried to sneak up on them, but they ran away. Finally, when they went on their way, they did a few dance steps as they passed our party (https://youtu.be/PldpDLV8_hE):

I gave a lecture on what we can learn from the Nrsimha pastime, which turned out to be a lot of the teachings of His pure devotee, Prahlada Maharaja.

Sheffield Nrsimha Festival

As we did with Janmastami last year, we celebrated Nrsimha Caturdasi in Sheffield at the Burngreave Ashram, an interfaith ashram a short walk from the city center. We did not get as many people as we had for Janmastami, but there were a few people to hear Dayananda Swami’s lecture. It is a challenge to present the pastime to an audience including very new people, and I think he did a good job. We had a couple kirtanas, which is always a good way to celebrate a festival. Then there was a feast of khichri, pakoras, and halava.

Sheffield Ratha-yatra

Rain was predicted for the day of the Ratha-yatra, and I asked several friends, including Calib, a very individualistic Christian preacher, who attends our Sheffield kirtanas, to pray for sun. I do not know whose prayers were most effective, but it was a party sunny day, and it did not rain at all.

Lara, a law student at Sheffield University from Italy, came to the Sheffield Ratha-yatra from seeing Harisuta Devi Dasi and I doing harinama in the city center ten days before. She had encountered Hare Krishna kirtana before at an ashram near St. Francis’s place in Italy, where she had spent time on retreats. While we were waiting for the procession to start, I showed Lara the article on Villa Vrindavan from the last Back to Godhead that I had proofread on my computer. I offered to send it to her, and she was into was happy to receive it.



Lara (in white scarf) also invited a fellow student from France named Louisa (wearing glasses), who was majoring in philosophy, to come to Ratha-yatra. They took prasadam and helped push, rather than pull, the Ratha-yatra cart. Lara was so pleased with the festival she gave Parasuram Prabhu a £10 donation. They both participated in the henna, and showed me their nicely decorated hands afterwards.

A group of kids danced with us during the procession. A couple of girls were especially into it.

Later, during the final kirtana, a couple groups of kids danced with the devotees. Behnam and Erzsebet were both competent in engaging the local kids in dancing.

I took some video of it (https://youtu.be/0_IzKTb3mM4):

Harinama in Manchester

I can see Krishna was encouraging me in my decision to chant in Manchester from the very beginning because the very first day I collected enough to cover the £13.50 weekly bus pass. One Indian man and an American Airlines pilot from near Boston both donated £10. The pilot was also a yoga teacher and knew about kirtana. I told him about our programs at 72 Commonwealth Avenue and the festival we have in September, and I gave him my card and said I would tell him the details about this years’ festival if he emailed me. He took a Chant and Be Happy and Krishna Consciousness: The Topmost Yoga System. The Indian man took Beyond Birth and Death.

The second day was crazy because one wild young man started to grab five books with no intention of paying for them, saying he wanted to learn about it. I said he could have one book for free and handed him a Krishna Consciousness: The Topmost Yoga System, but he grabbed a hardbound Science of Self-Realization instead.  In one sense that was better as my friend Tara gave me money to buy the SSRs so I did not lose anything on it. In the course of the afternoon, that crazy guy came by three or four times and ripped off two books. Once when he took one more, I challenged him asking if he knew about the law of karma. He said, “You mean good karma?” I replied, “If you steal, there is only bad karma!” He returned, and threw the book at me, but at least I got it back.

One day a friendly Muslim man from Bangladesh talked to me briefly. He mentioned that the Hindus he grew up with were all good people. I said I had friend from Bangladesh where I live in Newcastle. As he left, he gave me a 1.5 liter bottle of water as a gift.

Harinama in Preston

During the week I spent in Manchester, of Manchester, Preston, and Liverpool, Preston turned out to be the place where I distributed the most books and received the most donations. One young lady took three books, and an Indian mother took at Gita for £10. As I was walking from the Travelodge toward my harinama spot, I met a young couple, and the lady was very glad to see a devotee. She said she had been to Karuna Bhavan, our farm in Scotland, a few hours north. She wondered what programs we had in Preston, but I had to inform her we just had programs in Accrington but not Preston. She was not free on Thursdays, the night of the Accrington program. I gave her a card for Manchester temple, so she could at least go to some of the special festivals there. I met an amazing, well educated gentleman in seventies or perhaps eighties, originally from American, who had taken his kids to the Ratha-yatra in San Francisco in 1970 and who had been to Krishna Lunch in Gainesville. He had a lot of knowledge about many subjects. He mentioned he had his own spiritual practice but did not volunteer it, and I did not ask.

Harinama in Liverpool

A guy dabbling in Buddhism took a Beyond Birth and Death after donating £1. Two Sikh friends donated about £2 and took two books. I asked if they were vegetarian, because the Sikhs are supposed to be. One was, and one was not. Later they came back, donating three bottles of a yogurt drink that some people were distributing for free. One friendly older man told me he has been doing street photography in Liverpool for years, and he has taken many pictures of Hare Krishnas, and he would sent them to the devotees. I said he could take a picture of me if he wanted. He did, and I gave him my card so he could send it to me.

A new lady named Joanna came to the Liverpool program. She encountered the Hare Krishna chant at the evening Ganga Puja at Parmarth, an ashram in Rishikesh. She looked up Hare Krishna Liverpool on the internet and found out about our program. I told her how I was in Rishikesh in March, and that we chanted there. I gave her my card, and said if she looked at my blog, she could see videos of us chanting in Rishikesh. She seemed to have a good time at the Liverpool program, and she helped vacuum the floor afterwards.

Newcastle Eight-Hour Kirtana

Devotees new and old, playing Eastern and Western instruments, and wearing Eastern and Western dress, sang and danced with affection for the holy name of Krishna, prasadam, and each other at the Newcastle Eight-Hour Kirtana. One young Indian-bodied man came from Carlisle. Here are some video clips of the event (https://youtu.be/3GZwPCF4ZVA):

On the Train to Edinburgh

The train was so hot I took off my coat and set it on top of my pack on the rack above my seat, as there was no other free place to put it. While I was using my computer, all of a sudden, my coat fell on top of both me and my computer. I was a little surprised, and I exclaimed in relief, “At least it fell on me and not someone else.” People laughed. Then I added, “It must be my karma.” And they laughed again. I was dressed as a brahmacari as usual.

The 20th Anniversary of the Karuna Bhavan Deities’ Installation

Prabhupada Pran Prabhu [temple president of Karuna Bhavan]:

We had contracts to put “Say Gauranga and be happy!” on the buses in Scotland. The contracts were for only a year, but one company liked them so much they kept them for five or six years.

I heard some people saw Gauranga buses in Africa. I said that was impossible because we did not do it there. But then I learned that Stagecoach sold their old buses to Africa.

The idea behind the Gauranga campaign was that if people chanted Gauranga it would be easier for them to chant Hare Krishna.

After the Gauranga campaign had going on for years, the GBC was looking for a home for some Gaura Nitai Deities, and they ultimately approved giving them to Karuna Bhavan. They arrived on Rama Navami. Their boxes would not fit in the car, so They came out, sat on the seats, and on their way to the temple, they saw Scotland, the land where people had been chanting Gauranga for years.

Because it was the twentieth anniversary of the Gaura Nitai deities’ installation, we took them in a parikrama around the temple property. They are known as Mayapur Sashi (The Moon of Mayapur) and Khoda Nitai (Nitai in Person).

Also a devotee made an awesome cake!



Thanks to my friend, Raghuantha Bhatta Prabhu, who greatly assisted me in my travels in Scotland, as he had previously, in attending the nama-hattas around Manchester.
Harinama at a Scottish Park with the North UK Devotees

Devotees at the North UK Retreat took advantage of a rare, warm, sunny day in Scotland to chant Hare Krishna at a park near Karuna Bhavan. They attracted interest, with some young girls delighting in dancing with the devotee ladies (https://youtu.be/Enox-UGbaAo):

Harinama in Glasgow

Although only sleeping 4 hours the last night, after the North UK Retreat was over, I chanted on Glasgow’s Sauchiehall St. from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. One Nepali couple and a group of three Andhra Pradeshi guys working for a year in Scotland bought Bhagavad-gitas and were happy to learn of Karuna Bhavan. Thanks to all the inspiring speakers at the North UK Retreat, especially Kripamoya Prabhu, who motivated me to share Krishna with others. Three Scottish girls also chanted the entire mantra with me and were happy doing it.

Harinama in Edinburgh

One Indian student, originally from Jaipur, came by my Edinburgh harinama. He was studying at the university for his MBA. He wondered if we had extra neck beads since his had broken the day before. I told him about our Tuesday and Sunday programs at our Gouranga Mantra Centre. He was happy to come in touch with Krishna in Edinburgh.

At the Edinburgh nama-hatta program, in addition to the dedicated regulars, I was inspired to see some new attendees, who have been coming for just a few weeks but are quite committed.

After the devotees cleaned up after the nama-hatta program, about four or five new devotees had their own kirtana for ten or fifteen minutes. It was beautiful to witness their spontaneous enthusiasm to perform an additional kirtana of their own accord.

To see the pictures I took but did not include in this blog, please click on the link below:

Insights

Srila Prabhupada:

From a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.25 in Los Angeles on April 17, 1973:

Danger is very good if such calamities remind us of Krishna.

Danger must be there because the material world is full of danger. These foolish people do not realize this.

Birth and death must be stopped, not these so-called dangers.

Do not be disturbed by the sea waves. Just try to cross to the other side of the ocean.

Tapasya means we must proceed with our Krishna consciousness business in spite of all the dangerous and calamitous conditions of this world.

The devotee thinks, “God has appeared to me as this danger.” He’s confident that the danger is another feature of God. He thinks, “So why shall I be afraid? I am surrendered to Him.”

From a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.5.30 in Mauritius on October 2, 1975:

It is a defect of Kali-yuga that those who do not know the goal of life become leaders.

It is good we are self-interested, but we do not know what is our real self-interest.

If the leaders do not know the goal of life, what is the hope for the common man?

If your only aim is to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead, you can transform this material world into the spiritual world.

From a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.25 in Vrindavan on October 5, 1974:

We have to be a little intelligent. Hearing that the soul has no birth or death, we have to consider “Why I am subject to these conditions of birth and death?”

From a lecture given in Seattle on September 30, 1968:

“So study Bhagavad-gita to understand the real nature or identity of God and yourself and your relationship with God, and then, when you are a little conversant – when you are prepared to say, “Yes, Krishna is the only lovable object” – then the next book you take is Srimad-Bhagavatam. Bhagavad-gita As It Isis the entrance. Students pass their school examinations and then enter the college. So you pass your school examination – how to love God – by studying Bhagavad-gita As It Is. Then study Srimad-Bhagavatam. That is the graduate study. And when you are still further advanced, post-graduate, then study Teachings of Lord Caitanya.”
Bhaktivinoda Thakura:

“The purity of a Vaishnava is judged by how much attraction or rati he has for the holy name. It has nothing whatsoever to do with his official status as a Vaishnava, or his wealth, erudition, youth, pleasing appearance, strength or following.” (Harinama Cintamani, pp. 34–35)
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami:

From One Hundred and Eight Poems to Radha-Govinda:

“Radha-Govinda reciprocate with us…

You live in a timeless land,
sac-cid-ananda-vigraha
where speech is song,
walking is dancing and
the flute is the constant
companion. There are
numberless Surabhi cows
who moisten the ground
with their nectarean milk,
and Krishna is served by
millions of gopis or
goddesses of fortune.
But there is one who is
His favorite
who captivates Him and is
superior in everything and
controls Him completely.
That is Radha.
The residents of Vrindavana take shelter of
Her and cry out
‘Jaya Radhe!’ because they know if they get the
favor of Radharani She rewards them and
Krishna is obliged
to give them His mercy. We should know the blessings
of Radharani come through Lord Caitanya
who is a combination of Radha and Krishna.
He is Krishna
in the complexion and mood of Radharani in separation.
Follow Lord Caitanya’s sankirtana and receive the blessings of Radha and Krishna.
I am grateful Radha-Govinda reside with us in Viraha Bhavan.”

Kripamoya Prabhu:

One disciple asked Srila Prabhupada, “I am right in assuming that although your first organization was called ‘League of Devotees’ that you in fact were the only member?”

Srila Prabhupada laughed, and said, “You are right. I was the only one.”

If I fainted from the heat in Delhi, if I were gored by a bull, and if no one joined the institution I created, I would have given up, but not Srila Prabhupada. If I got two heart attacks on the ship, I would have given up.

It is not that Srila Prabhupada did not suffer. The glory of Srila Prabhupada that he did what he did despite the difficulties.

No one really came to Krishna consciousness because they like institutions.
Many people like Srila Prabhupada, but fewer like Srila Prabhupada’s organization.

The village, the company, and the extended family are natural divisions. Cities are an invention by wealthy capitalists.

When I joined ISKCON there were about forty people. Yet for six years, my world was four people traveling in a van and selling books.

I was at a meeting of about eighteen people, and Prabhupada was talking about book distribution. He began by looking at everyone in the room and then said, “Thank you very much for helping me spread my mission.”

I would say that 95% of our members are nice devotees, and let us say, the multi-colored patchwork history we have had, are due to other 5%.

Prabhupada made Kirtanananda a swami and sent him to preach in London, and instead of going to London, he went to New York and preached his own brand of Krishna consciousness without sikhas and without robes.

Srila Prabhupada considered, “If ISKCON fails, I want my books always in print, so that it can be recreated by those who read my books.” Thus Bhaktivedanta Book Trust was separately incorporated.

The British aristocracy was the object of the preaching of the Gaudiya Matha whereas Srila Prabhupada preached to confused young people.

Srila Prabhupada encouraged everyone to practice bhakti – men, women, everyone.

Iggy Pop was one of the first people to buy a set of Srimad-Bhagavatams directly from Srila Prabhupada’s hands.

Srila Prabhupada was attractive to all kinds of people, although he remained unchanged. [He did not have to present himself differently to attract a variety of people.]

Many devotees say that they felt that Srila Prabhupada had all the time in the world for them. We should at least try to make people feel we have all the time in the world for them. One reason is Srila Prabhupada realized we should not lose people.

If Prabhupada was angry with someone, when he was finished dealing with that person, and he dealt with someone else, he was free from anger and dealt with that next person according to his relationship with him.



When Srila Prabhupada came to the Manor for the last time, he treated his disciples with great affection instead of being the stern founder-acarya.

In 1992 we set up a Sannyasa Ministry to analyze the chance of devotees remaining celibate for life. Since then we have had only one or two minor issues with sannyasis.

In communist times about 28 devotees were lost to the communists, who tortured and killed them.

The devotees have the land permissions and the money to build a temple in Moscow, but the Church and Mafia are in cahoots to keep them from building a temple for twenty years. Still, in Russia we have festivals with 14,000 people.

We have our first Eskimo devotee now in Yellowknife in Northern Canada from getting a book and reading it.

In the early days in Dublin, the magistrate charged the devotees with two things:

1. Making noise in public.

2. Being dressed in such a way as to frighten the public.

In Australia someone from Time-Life joined ISKCON. He said, “I can change your image overnight.” He created a magazine showing the best of Hare Krishna with happy children and kangaroos, and we printed 1.5 million and we inserted them into Sunday papers, etc. And it did change our image overnight. We ended up having a preaching center for every million people, fourteen million people and fourteen preaching centers.

In ISKCON, there has been a great influx of people but there is also an outflux of people. Why? We have not done two things that Srila Prabhupada wanted us to do:

1. Look after people.

2. Develop living situations where people can live.

Our success depends on how we can retain our members.

Be real. Keep track of the people you meet. One vicar told me that he spends most of his time looking after his members. There is one lady I looked after for twenty-two years before she took initiation.

I have left ISKCON many times. But then I would wake up the next morning and decide to carry on. The reasons I am staying now are different from those when I was seventeen.

You will be judged by how many people you looked after in your life.

Try and look after people, about twenty. Have a few friends. Do not tell them what to do. Just be their friends. Have two or three people looking after you.

From a lecture called “The Reluctant Preacher”:

If no one speaks to strangers, then the movement will not move.

I was absolutely convinced that the world would be saved by 1979. But it did not happen, so I postponed it to 1985.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses would predict the end of the world, and then, when it would not come, without any embarrassment, they would update it.

We are good at broadcasting our message through book distribution and harinama.  

A farmer has to cultivate and have scarecrows to scare away those who nibble away the seedlings. We are lacking in these.

Many a slip twixt cup and lip.

We have remote gurus and disciples, and people are lacking in systematic education.

Often we lose devotees three or four years after initiation. We are so used to people coming and going, we are not too concerned about it.

Anyone committed to this movement should take a vow to let no one drift away.

One follower of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura drifted away. Bhaktisiddhanta inquired about that devotee. The other devotees said he had disappeared. They were planning to open a temple, but Bhaktisiddhanta refused to open the temple until they found that devotee. They looked all over Madras and found him in the back of a watchmaker’s shop. They explained that Bhaktisiddhanta did not want to open the temple until he returned. The devotee was so touched by his guru’s concern that he never again left.

Preaching is to exhort someone to a higher level of spiritual and moral behavior.

The ritualization of spiritual emotion should keep pace with our actual development of real spiritual emotions, otherwise it seems artificial and people are only willing to do it for so long.

One lady wrote a book about compassion and how to develop it because it is there in all religions and this society does not teach it but just the opposite.

The sannyasa danda is an emblem of compassion and is just the opposite of the selfie stick, which increases ego.

The glue that keeps society together is compassion.

I did not join the Hare Krishna movement but began living with some ex-hippies on a Beatles estate.

Even if we are “faking it till we make it,” if we allow ourselves to used as instruments of compassion, the Lord will work through us.

We are a religion that requires a high commitment of faith. This has to be developed gradually.

Krishna consciousness is beyond all religious designations. We are coming with a transcendental message, that we are transcendental and our transcendental nature can be experienced through transcendental sound vibration.

I had a friend who had a Ph.D. in physics and a spiritual urge. He took the train from England to Japan, and spent months in three Buddhists monasteries which all left him dissatisfied. He returned to London, but despondent. He prayed to God, “You know that I do not think you exist, but if do you exist, give me a sign.” The next day, he met the devotees, and he was attracted. They said he could come stay in their temple. He had great conviction because the Lord fulfilled his prayer, and he convinced many people to become devotees.
Whether you feel it or not, you do it because it is the guru’s order.

It takes a long time to bring one to Krishna consciousness.

One person encountered Hare Krishna when she was working at “Top of the Pops” when the devotees were on the show in 1969. Just recently she became a devotee.

We must become willing to extend ourselves to at least ten people. Write their names down and never forget them.

The individual reaching out with compassion is the Krishna consciousness movement.

We have to establish connection with people so they become new members.

We have to care for the people who become new members.

Q (by Radhika Nagara Prabhu): So many of our members have left. Should we do something to help them?

A: Srila Prabhupada would always want us to make some endeavor to bring them back. There is an attrition rate because people have different needs, and we are not always expert in meeting people’s needs as they go through their stages of life. Krishna recognizes the changing needs and created varnasrama. Prabhupada found that people would come and eat in our restaurants, but not our temples. Then we had 100 temples, and he said we had enough temples, and he said we should start doing more restaurants.

About 50% of interested people actually come to meetings. Some people just do not like meetings, but they like the practice.

In 1934, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura set up a system with 18 sannyasis, then some maha-upadesikas, looking after upadesikas, and each of those looking after group of devotees.

The real question is “Who is helping you in your spiritual life?” It is not “Who is your guru?” Everyone should have someone looking after his spiritual welfare. Without guidance, there is no impetus for movement.

People join groups because they get something they need, and they leave groups because do not get what they need.

When ISKCON meets the needs of a family man, such as residence and education for children, we will retain many more people.

Srila Prabhupada said in a purport in Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, “Right now the future devotees of the Krishna consciousness movement are living in every town and village, and it is up to the present members to find them.”

Sri Guru Carana Padma Devi Dasi:

Previously there was a tendency to speak of grhastha life or sannyasa life, so I find it encouraging that people like Jayadvaita Swami are speaking about the transitional vanaprastha ashram and are advising people in that way.

It is important to go on pilgrimage to see people in other places also practicing Krishna consciousness.

Dayananda Swami:

The Lord does not think “let’s get rid of the demons because they cause such a hassle for the demigods,” but rather He creates a situation where everyone, both demons and demigods, benefits spiritually.

Although Krishna is the Lord of all planets and the enjoyer of all sacrifices, at first these may not seem so relevant to us, but the fact that Krishna is the well-wisher of all living entities may attract us to Him. When people understand that Krishna is the well-wisher of all living entities, then they can really begin to surrender to Him.

The Lord is the well-wisher of Hiranyakasipu. It does not look like that when you see the picture. Actually when I was in Manchester, the temple president took that picture off the altar for the sake of preaching.
Even though sky is cloudy, like here in Sheffield, and we cannot see the sun, we know it is present because it is light, and we know the sun has set when it becomes dark. In the same way, although we cannot see the spirit in the body, we can tell it is present by the symptoms of life and that it has left from the absence of these symptoms.

There is no difference between any of us because we are all spiritual and we all have a relationship with the supreme spirit.

The Lord has arranged everything for our purification, and if we understand that and act accordingly, then very quickly we can progress spiritually, but we if act against it, that will catch up with us, and there will be a heavy reaction.

Although in the beginning we may serve God in fear, eventually we should be doing things for God because we want to.

Selflessness becomes spiritual when it is meant for the Supreme Person.

Q (by me): How to attain devotion like Prahlada?

A: Follow the dos and don’t in the scriptures. Then your consciousness will be elevated. Glorify God, especially by chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. Then the heart will become clean, and we will make progress.

We should have courses training grhasthas how to take sannyasa.

If we change our situation whenever we feel like it, we may just be guilty of indulging the restless mind. One place is as good as another if we are in Krishna consciousness.

We often think, “I live in this community or this city, and there are so few devotees.” But actually, like Devahuti, one can attain perfection from the association of a single devotee.

In devotional service, the most important thing is to never leave the association of devotees.
We can read the books and listen to the lectures, but unless we have the association of a devotee, the equation is not complete.

What will keep us going in devotional service is the taste from sharing it with others, either directly or by helping those who are directly doing it.

Bhakti Prabhava Swami:

Jayadvaita Swami advises that grhastha couples should set aside funds when they are younger, so they can take vanaprastha (retire) later.

As a traveling preacher it is good to go to different places, but it is also good to stay for some time in one place. Thus now I spend half my time in Leicester and the rest of the time traveling.

It is inspiring to go to India on pilgrimage from time to time.

When I go from temple to temple, in each temple the temple president comes to me and tells me all his problems. One thing I can learn from this is that no situation is ideal.

The more we are focused on the goal of pleasing Krishna, the less chance there is of conflict.

The avadhuta learned from the arrow maker to be one-pointed. We must chant with attention and concentrate on the order of the spiritual master.

The avadhuta saw the snake use the holes that were created by others and learned to live simply with what is provided.

Once Srila Prabhupada was asked what he thought of an important politician, and Srila Prabhupada replied that he did not think of him.

Doug Rowlings of Blackpool:

From a car conversation:

For many years, devotees from Scotland would put large “GOURANGA” stickers on the bridges in the Scotland and The North of England. Even now, on the radio, when the announcer reports the traffic conditions on the M65 motorway to Blackburn, in The North of England, he will mention how the traffic is backed up to the “Gouranga” bridge.

—-

Lord Caitanya is so liberal he gives people the chance to experience the topmost spiritual ecstasy, through the chanting of the holy names, regardless of their social position:

sei dvare acandale kirtana sancare

nama-prema-mala ganthi’ paraila samsara

“Thus He [Lord Caitanya] spread kirtana [the chanting of the holy names] even among the untouchables [uncivilized people who eat dogs]. He wove a wreath of the holy name and prema [love of God] with which He garlanded the entire material world.” (Sri Caitanya-caritamrita,Adi-lila 4.40)

Travel Journal#12.5: Mumbai, Mayapur, Rishikesh
→ Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 12, No. 5

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

Mumbai, Mayapur, Rishikesh
(Sent from Vrindavan on March 22, 2016)

Where I Went and What I Did

I flew into Mumbai, where I stayed a couple days to arrange my travel, then I took the train to Howrah, and onward to Nabadwip Dham for the Mayapur Kirtan Mela. At Mayapur I went on a tour of the Vedic Temple of the Planetarium the first day, and the remaining days I spent some hours in the Mayapur Kirtan Mela each day and in the late afternoon, I went on harinama with the Harinam Ruci worldwide traveling party for three hours, who I chanted with in Europe in the summer and the United States in the fall. One day while in Mayapur I attended the beginning of a vanaprastha initiation and the end of the marriage ceremony. The day after Kirtan Mela, I traveled with two friends to join Navina Nirada Prabhu and his party of harinama and book distributing devotees in Rishikesh to share Krishna music, food, and literature with the many people, both Western and Indian, who visit for study and pilgrimage.

I share notes on a lecture by Srila Prabhupada and excerpts from the books and journal of Satsvarupa dasa Goswami. I share notes on the many classes given by swamis in Mayapur, including Bhakti Charu Swami, who spoke on Tamal Krishna Goswami’s disappearance day, Jayadvaita Swami, who spoke at a vanaprastha initiation, and Lokanath Swami, Niranjana Swami, and Sivaram Swami, who glorified the holy name. I have notes on talks on book distribution by Bhakti Purusottama Swami and Vijaya Prabhu. I share inspirational words about the holy name from Agnidev and Rajendranandana Prabhus. I share notes on the classes we had in Rishikesh by Dharmatma and Mahabhavi Prabhus. I share notes from conversations with Amita Krishna and Hanuman Prabhus, and a quote from Maitreya Prabhu’s autobiography.

I would like to thank Tara Prabhu, who gave me a sizeable donation toward the purchase of his favorite book for distribution, Science of Self-Realization, so I can provide them to interested people I meet on harinama. Thanks to Navina Nirada Prabhu, who kindly paid for my train from Howrah to Haridvar and on to Mathura, so I could attend his wonderful program of distributing Krishna music, food, and literature in Rishikesh. Thanks to my friend, Pancatattva Prabhu, I knew from Alachua, for his contribution to my expenses. Thanks to the nice Indian devotee from Abu Dhabi, who paid for my trip from Howrah to Mayapur and who gave me a donation in addition. Thanks to Jaya Gaurasundar Prabhu and Kaumodaki Devi Dasi for the photos of their vanaprastha ceremony.

Itinerary

March 21–April 9: Vrindavan 24-Hour Kirtan

April 10–13: Mumbai

April 14–20: Ireland

April 21–24: Newcastle, England

April 26: Radhadesh (Kadamba Kanana Swami’s Vyasa Puja)

April 27: King’s Day in Amsterdam

April 28–29: Rotterdam

April 30–May 1: Birmingham 24-hour kirtana

May 2–July 9: The North of England and Scotland

July 10: Prague Ratha-yatra

July 12–16: Polish Woodstock

July 30: Berlin Ratha-yatra

August 5–11: Baltic Summer Festival

August 18–21: Trutnoff (Czech Woodstock)

September 13–: New York City Harinam

Impressions of Mumbai

I found out from the locals you can get to ISKCON Juhu from the international airport by taking a bus for 14 rupees to Vile Parle East Station and walking across the bridge at the station and taking an auto rickshaw for 40 rupees. I later learned from a Juhu devotee who works at the airport you can get to ISKCON Juhu by auto rickshaw from the international airport for 80 or 90 rupees.

The Western Union, not a long walk to the left, on the left side, as you leave ISKCON Juhu Main Gate, gives a good rate for changing money and does not charge commission. If you save enough rupees from your previous trip to reach the temple, you can avoid the exorbitant exchange prices at the airport.

I realized I never really appreciated the beauty of Sri Sri Radha-Rasavihari before. It was so wonderful to meditate Them as I chanted in the Hare Krishna kirtana.

Once a week, the devotees play a tape of Srila Prabhupada giving Srimad-Bhagavatam class, upstairs in Srila Prabhupada’s quarters. They give out the transcript for those who have difficulty with his accent. I found it pleasing to connect with Srila Prabhupada there in his quarters in that way.

Chanting on the Train from Mumbai to Howrah

Although I could not find a group of devotees to travel with from Mumbai to Howrah en route to the Mayapur Kirtan Mela, on the train I found devotees in my carriage, S2, and also in S10, S12, and S13. A group of devotees in S12 were very hospitable, and gave me prasadam, a seat, and let me charge up my computer (as in S2, we had only 2 outlets for 72 people). We chanted kirtana the second evening for about an hour, with several devotees taking turns. One devotee in this party showed me pictures of me chanting on the same train with his friends last time I came to Kirtan Mela two years ago. What a surprise! On my own, I chanted on the platform at two of the stations where we had a longer stop. I would walk along the length of the train, always careful to notice if it had started moving, so I could hop back on. I chanted on the platforms at Nagpur and Raipur, as those stops were longer than most.

A very nice Indian man from Abu Dhabi paid for my travel from Howrah to Mayapur, and I gave him some clues how to go so we got there before the other devotees. We took the Bardhaman train to Bandel and then the Katwa Local to Nabadwip Dham. We sang in the rickshaw to and from the boat ghats and on the boat as well.

Temple of the Vedic Planetarium Tour

Prishni Devi Dasi arranged for Antardvip Prabhu, who is in charge of the cosmology exhibits for the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium, to give a few of us a tour of the temple in its partially constructed state. 


It will have a dome with a volume greater than any other dome in the world. 


The view is wonderful of the Prabhupada Samadhi and the Ganges River in the distance. 


Apparently they have to collect 1.5 million dollars a month to finish it at the desired time. All the different levels of planetary systems, spiritual and material, will be depicted.

Vanaprastha Ceremony and Wedding in Mayapur

My friend, Radhika Nagara Prabhu, who assisted me greatly when I visited his native Spain and who I see in Manchester, England, each year invited me to his marriage with Vrajananda Devi Dasi, a disciple of Niranjana Swami and flute player in kirtanas at the Baltic Summer Festival. I was hoping that Niranjana Swami, who initially invited me to live in the 55th Street temple in New York City back in 1979, would give a lecture, but as a sannyasi, that is such a desirable opportunity for. I decided I would come at the end for the kirtana and the prasadam, especially because it was at the Jagannath Mandir in Rajapur, and I wanted to see Lord Jagannath.


That morning my friends told me that Jayadvaita Swami would speak at 10:30 a.m. at the old gurukula, and I decided to go hear him first and catch the end of the marriage. 


Turns out I knew the couple taking vanaprastha, two disciples of my Guru Maharaja, Satsvarupa dasa Goswami, named Jaya Gaurasundar and Kaumodaki Devi Dasi from Baltimore, so it was especially nice I was able to attend. By notes on his very nice lecture are included in the “Insights” section before. As it turned out, the lecture did not happen until 12:20 p.m., and I missed Jagannath’s darsana, but fortunately not the wedding prasadam, which was very nice, and the opportunity to sit with my friend from the UK, Gaura Krishna Prabhu, who was leaving the next day. I also gave the couple a small gift and wished them well. Jayadvaita Swami considered it Krishna’s mercy that I missed all of the wedding but the prasadam.  

Chanting with Harinam Ruci in Mayapur

Last year I chanted with the Harinam Ruci traveling chanting party in Amsterdam, Luxembourg, Germany, London, Prague, New York and Boston, and it was great to be singing with them again in Mayapur. It was nice to see Syama Rasa and Nrsimha Caitanya Prabhus again, as they did not make to New York City in the fall. Gopinatha Prabhu, from Finland but based in Mayapur, joined us and played the bass, which added another dimension. Sometimes, as on the last day I was there, they would join with the daily Mayapur harinama group along with their deities and sound system, and it was very powerful. So many people, old and new, were happy to sing and dance with the Harinam Ruci party. Here is some video I took on March 6 (https://youtu.be/FigstpI58_Y):

On March 9, Nrsimha Caitanya Prabhu, who assists his father, Muni Priya Prabhu, in managing the Czech Padayatra, led the Harinam Ruci worldwide harinama party chanting around the ISKCON property in Mayapur with unbounded enthusiasm and many people reciprocated by lively chanting and dancing (https://youtu.be/nt6Y2IgQ6C4):

On March 10, Syama-rasa Prabhu of Croatia led the Harinam Ruci party around the ISKCON Mayapur compound, and as you can see in this video, lots of people got into the chanting and dancing (https://youtu.be/vAtyyjIsJ0M):

Chanting in Rishikesh with Navina Nirada Prabhu’s Party

Navina Nirada Prabhu (dancing in the above picture), a famous Hare Krishna book distributor, has been coming to Rishikesh for seven years. Janardana Prabhu (distributing a book), based in Denmark, has joined him for several of those years. They and a group of about fifteen devotees chant Hare Krishna in the streets, distribute books, and distribute prasadam for one or two weeks in Rishikesh each March. There we would do harinama and book distribution from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. each day. Sometimes we would distribute a bucket of halava during the morning session.

Both devotees who happened to be visiting Rishikesh at the same time and new people just attracted would join our party.

The lady with the child on her lap is a Ukrainian devotee, who joined us a couple of times. The lady next to her is a devotee from Germany, who joined us almost every day, sometimes twice. The guy playing the shakers gave Navina Nirada nice donation and accepted several books including Bhagavad-gita As It Is. Mahabhavi Prabhu from Norway is leading the chanting and playing the drum. Pavitra Nityanand Prabhu plays the karatalas. I dance and give out mantra cards to interested people, briefly talking to them about their previous contact with Hare Krishna and telling them of Hare Krishna temples, restaurants, and festivals in their countries.

During the first session of the first day, a book distributor took a break for 3 minutes, handing me his books, and I distributed one to a young lady from Manitoba, Canada, who was studying to be a yoga teacher.

During the second session of the first day, so many people participated. One young lady, who met the devotees in Ukraine, played the karatalas and chanted Hare Krishna intently with great joy. A Russian lady with neck beads chanted, smiled, and danced with us for a while. Three students at a college two hours away, who knew the devotees from Chowpatty, sang and danced for what seemed like an hour. They also induced others to dance, and they successfully dealt with vendors who complained about us being there. Many others chanted, danced, and took pictures of us. Janardana Prabhu met one young lady from Denmark, who remembered he had spoken to her before, while distributing books in Copenhagen, his place of residence. On the whole, it was a very enlivening day. The other days were similar.

Here is some video from the event (https://youtu.be/EeuUvttRb1I):

To see photos I did not include in this blog, click on the link below:

Insights

Srila Prabhupada:

We can gain some material knowledge through our material senses, but spiritual knowledge cannot be acquired through our material senses. Therefore, we must hear from spiritual authority to acquire spiritual knowledge.

No one says, “I want to see knowledge.” No, we want to hear knowledge.

When we are asleep, our other senses are also asleep, but our ears are still alert and can protect us.

Dharma is what is enunciated in the Vedas.

Dharma means constitutional position. We are eternal servant of God.

Our nature is to serve, but because we are serving wrongly, because our service is misplaced, we are not satisfied.

Our only duty is to serve Krishna, and because we are not doing that, we are not happy.

There is no difference between the Vedas and Narayana, or God. There is no difference between God and His instructions.

Now people say, “I can manufacture my religion and you can manufacture your religion” but that is not real religion.  

If you do not accept Krishna is God, that is your mistake. The authorities say that Krishna is God. If you do not accept Krishna as God, you have to present an alternative. If you have no alternative, why do you not accept Krishna?

The guru distributes knowledge coming from the Lord just as a cloud distributes water coming from the ocean.

Those who are religious, regardless of their religion, know that God created.

To paint a flower, the artist requires so much concentration and skill. Do you think that the person who created the original flower was without skill? Actually the Lord is so expert, He makes the flower develop as if automatically, although He is behind it in every detail.

Satsvarupa dasa Goswami:

“An example of a true scholar of scripture is the South Indian brahmana whom Lord Caitanya embraced. Although the brahmana was illiterate, he had a deep love for Krishna as Partha-sarathi [the chariot driver of Arjuna]. In his appreciation, he became overwhelmed with ecstasy. Lord Caitanya told him that his reading of the Gita was perfect. We are not looking for information or any other kind of learning when we approach scripture, but to understand Krishna as He is and to experience love for Him. To study with any other motive leads ultimately to dissatisfaction.”

From “Poem for February 27” in Viraha Bhavan:

“Thoughts about practical service should not
intrude when you
are chanting japa. That’s
the peak performance
of the day. So it should not be
a discussion of “Things to Do.”
That’s why it’s important
to rise early in the morning after sufficient rest
before the day increases in the modes of passion.”

“Normally they [the chanters in the city] sing six hours
a day, which is a strenuous
yajna. But they enjoy
every minute of it
glorifying the Lord.
The people who pass
by are interested in the phenomena, and
the regulars have memorized the mantra. What they
don’t know is that they are having
their sinful reactions removed and
seeds of love of Godhead
planted in their hearts
by hearing. It is a secret
revolution going on in
the City. The chanters
are the instruments, and Krishna is in control.”

From “Poem for March 3” in Viraha Bhavan:

“The harinama chanters in the City have a great
responsibility. They
are carrying out the
legacy of Lord Caitanya to
deliver congregational chanting
in the Age of Kali.
If they did not
report for duty
the City would be
void of auspiciousness.
If they did not come
out and hold kirtana,
the rogues and thieves
would take over the
square. By singing
in their sacred spot,
they are staving
off maya’s influence.

They owe it to the Lord and the people
to keep themselves fit
and keep going out on sankirtana.”

From “Poem for March 6” in Viraha Bhavan:

“They are blissful with Krishna Nama.
Today I read the verse
spoken by the Supreme Lord
to Narada where He says,
‘I am not in My abode
in Vaikuntha, or in the
heart of the mystic yogis.
I am wherever My
pure devotees chant
My names and discuss
My pastimes.’ This is
very encouraging for the
Hare Krishna chanters in the City.
The Lord says He is with His
‘pure devotees,’ and the
kirtaneers are certainly
pure devotees. Their lives
are completely dedicated
to chanting the holy names.
They are compassionate, because
they chant publicly for
the benefit of the conditioned souls.
They can be aware and assured
that Krishna is personally present with them
as they perform kirtana of the Hare Krishna mantra.
The Lord says He is there wherever
devotees gather to chant, so it
is not restricted to the temple.
He is there with them in the city streets all day long.”

From Japa Walks, Japa Talks:

“I can’t think of anything more pleasant and spiritual to do than to take a walk just before dawn and to chant the holy names. I may fail to enter the potential of that rendezvous with the holy names, but I can’t fail to understand the holy name’s mercy. Just because I have a lot of work to do, I’m not going to forget my japa before the altar and – if I’m lucky enough to be in the right time and place – my morning japa walk. We who are workaholics, and who mostly associate with others who are similarly immersed in a vocation, might try to get association with devotees who have made chanting the purpose of their lives. Take a walk with one of them, or sit beside them in the temple room while you chant. Don’t neglect it. That’s my humble advice on a drizzly morning, advice I give to myself and to others.”

From “Poem for March 12” in Viraha Bhavan:

“The City workers pass
by, and the tourists keep coming,
hearing the harinama chanting.
But they should be aware
that time is precious. The
passing away of the great
sankirtana devotee, Jada Bharata,
reminds us that we all must
die one day. So seize the
opportunity while health
is with you, to serve
in the kirtana party
and go out every day to
distribute harinama
to the conditioned souls.
Don’t waste a minute. Time is
passing, and you can’t get a minute
back if you paid a million dollars.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy.”

Bhakti Charu Swami:

A few days before he left his body Tamal Krishna Goswami told me, while I was chanting japa: “Please take of these boys from Calcutta. They are your children.” He was referring to a few bright boys from Calcutta who took initiation from him.

Tamal Krishna Goswami told Visvambhara Prabhu, “I am leaving tomorrow.” Visvambhara replied, “Yes, you are leaving tomorrow morning.” Tamal Krishna Goswami said, “No, I am leaving.” Only later did he understand the significance of it.

The postmortem said Tamal Krishna Goswami left his body before the accident.

Tamal Krishna Goswami was dear to Prabhupada, and Prabhupada was dear to him.

Srila Prabhupada had incredible confidence in him. Prabhupada made him president of the new Los Angeles temple. He helped out in Paris. He started the Radha-Damodara party which ultimately expanded to five buses and spread Krishna consciousness all over America. When Prabhupada started focusing on preaching in India, Prabhupada made him a leader there. He helped Prabhupada by getting the land for Mayapur.

I got Prabhupada’s association doing Bengali translations and answering Bengali letters. Thus I saw Srila Prabhupada’s interactions with Tamal Krishna Goswami. The topic was the court case in New York regarding brainwashing. Srila Prabhupada was practically shouting, “Brain washing? They have no brains. I am giving them brains.” Adi Kesava Maharaja was leading the charge, and Tamal Krishna Goswami was overseeing the battle.

Srila Prabhupada asked me if I could write Hindi. I said yes, but my Hindi handwriting is not very nice. He said not to worry, “No one’s Hindi handwriting is nice.”

Prabhupada shifted the secretary to the room next to the room next his as the manual typewriters made such a racket. Tamal Krishna Goswami invited me to share the room with him. He was extremely regulated, rising at 3:00 a.m., and he would play Srila Prabhupada’s tapes as he used the bathroom. He made it a point to chant his rounds before the day began, and that is one thing I learned from him. When we traveled with Srila Prabhupada, we would continue to share a room.

Srila Prabhupada went to Rishikesh. He was excited to go as he had never been before and looked forward to drinking Ganges water.

Tamal Krishna Goswami gave up all his responsibilities at the end of Srila Prabhupada’s life just to care of Srila Prabhupada, because he felt that was his responsibility.

In Rishikesh, Palika was sick, and the lady who replaced her did not cook so nicely. I volunteered to cook. One day I cooked nicely, but the next day, it was not so nice. Srila Prabhupada exclaimed, “You have no standard.” The next day I cooked, but I was more careful. Srila Prabhupada liked it. I told him, “I was in anxiety the whole time I was cooking.” Srila Prabhupada said, “That is good. You should be in anxiety when you are serving the spiritual master.”

At 3:00 p.m. Srila Prabhupada would dictate the main points in letters to Tamal Krishna Goswami and he would write them.

Tamal Krishna Goswami told me, “You are so fortunate to have taken birth in India.”

I told him, “I may have taken birth in India, but I was brought up with the understanding that the West is best.”

Later I made the point that he and the other Western devotees assisting Srila Prabhupada were not ordinary souls but special people sent to help his mission.

At the time, one of us would be awake at night, in case Srila Prabhupada needed something. My shift was from midnight to 2:00 a.m., and at 1:00 a.m. Srila Prabhupada rang his bell, and said, “Make arrangements for me to go to Vrindavan immediately. It is time for me to leave my body.”

Very intimately Tamal Krishna Goswami and Srila Prabhupada would discuss. Tamal Krishna Goswami always had such penetrating questions. Prabhupada began making his wills, and he would consult Tamal Krishna Goswami about who should be there.

Tamal Krishna Goswami’s sudden departure was a great loss to our society. He was not so active in the society’s leadership at that point, as he was focusing on his academic studies, but he was just about to return when he left.

I feel he is still serving Srila Prabhupada somewhere where Srila Prabhupada needs him.

Jayadvaita Swami:

The stations of varnasrama are external and have nothing to do with our eternal identities. Thus Lord Caitanya said, “I am not a brahmana, I am not a ksatriya, I am not a vaisya or a sudra. Nor am I a brahmacari, a householder, a vanaprasthaor a sannyasi. I identify Myself only as the servant of the servant of the servant of the lotus feet of Lord Sri Krishna . . . ” (Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 13.80) Our goal is to be reinstated in our eternal service.

Varnasrama may be used to facilitate our attaining that eternal service.

Krishna consciousness is always the primary thing, and varnasrama is very much secondary.

For entering brahmacarya or vanaprastha no formalities are required.

Srila Prabhupada writes on a book flap he accepted vanaprastha in such and such a year, but as far as I know there was no ceremony.

Changing ashram is mainly a chance of consciousness.

The Bhagavatam details the entanglement of family life: “The attraction between male and female is the basic principle of material existence. On the basis of this misconception, which ties together the hearts of the male and female, one becomes attracted to his body, home, property, children, relatives and wealth. In this way one increases life’s illusions and thinks in terms of ‘I and mine.’” (Bhag. 5.5.8) Of course, the devotee can advance in that position as Lord Brahma advises: “Those who, even while remaining situated in their established social positions, throw away the process of speculative knowledge and with their body, words and mind offer all respects to descriptions of Your personality and activities, dedicating their lives to these narrations, which are vibrated by You personally and by Your pure devotees, certainly conquer Your Lordship, although You are otherwise unconquerable by anyone within the three worlds.” (Bhag. 10.14.3)

Grhastha life meets building up, and vanaprastha life means winding down. It means winding down the business of family life, because I am not this body, and in any case, this body will be finished. Before this body is finished, we want to be detached from things in relationship to the body.

Srila Prabhupada described vanaprastha life as midway between grhastha life and sannyasa life. It provides the space for gradually detaching people from family affairs.

This change of consciousness is the significant point in the vanaprastha ashram – thinking in terms of winding down one’s family life.

Vanaprastha is the invisible ashram, a rare species, hardly identified.

Grhastha life is not eternal but for some years only. It is not recommended one stay in household life forever. It is enjoyable for a few years only, and sometimes just a few days.

We are having this ceremony to a make an impression in the minds of the candidates and to remind the society of grhasthas that grhastha life is not eternal.

Because people have no direction, we see people having children when they are forty-five or getting married in their fifties.

Jaya Gourasundara said he entered grhamedi life at 23 and grhashta life at 42.

His guru, Satsvarupa dasa Goswami, advised him be an ideal grhastha, and he was.

He and his wife have been vanaprastha for years. This is just recognition of that.

Lokanath Swami:

namo maha-vadanyaya

   krishna-prema-pradaya te

krishnaya krishna-caitanya-

   namne gaura-tvise namah

This verse by Rupa Goswami glorifying Lord Caitanya mentions His name, form, quality, and pastimes. He is named Krishna Caitanya. His form is golden in complexion. His quality is His magnanimity, and He is giving Krishna-prema, love for Krishna.

The demoniac were conquered by the arrows of his beauty and the power of His holy name. Other weapons include His prasadam, ISKCON bullets.

Srila Prabhupada made his destination New York City, the capital of the age of Kali.

Niranjana Swami:

From a conversation after class in Mayapur:

Once a young man, who was just married, asked for me to bless him that he have a happy marriage. I replied, “I am a sannyasi. I cannot understand what a happy marriage could possibly be. I could bless you that you could have a successful marriage.”

From a vanaprastha seminar:

The important contribution of the vanaprasthas is they can give invaluable instructions on grhastha life based on their personal experience, which the sannyasis and brahmacaris do not have.

Two quotes from Caitanya Siksamrita on service to elders:

“There are three types of service to elders: protection of parents, protection of teachers, and protection of other elders. One must follow the instructions of parents and serve them as much as is possible. A person should serve those who have protected him as a helpless child; he should also service those who have given knowledge, especially those who have given spiritual knowledge and mantra. Those are considered superior who are bigger in body, greater in age or more experienced in knowledge. One must respect and serve them all. One cannot follow incorrect orders of a superior but one should not show hostility towards him, using disrespectful or harsh words. One should put a stop to their improper behavior or instructions by using sweet words, humility, and gentle reasoning at the proper time.”

“Disrespect to elders has three objects: parents, teachers, and other superiors. Even if the superior makes a mistake, he should not be disrespected. A person should be careful to please superiors with polite and gracious conduct. To disobey the orders of superiors is also disrespect.”

From a class on janmaisvarya sruta sribhir:

Those who are materially satisfied or who are aspiring for material improvement cannot call out the holy name of the Lord feelingly.

Lord Shiva explained to Sati that those who are proud of material acquisitions lose all good sense and cannot appreciate spiritual advanced people.

This does not mean that merely not having material acquisitions necessary means that one is spiritual advanced.

The qualification is to be satisfied with only devotional service.

Those proud people cannot recognize those who are chanting with pure feeling.

The Six Goswami did not feel they had found Krishna, but they were always looking for Him.

Lord Caitanya felt he had no love for Krishna. If He had love, how could He live in this world in Krishna’s absence.

Haridas Thakura explained to the assembly of brahmanas that the true glory of holy name is by chanting the holy name one gets love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Liberation and freedom from sinful reactions are secondary results attained by namabhasa, a glimpse of the holy name.

Bhaktivinoda Thakura explains that the devotee only wants Krishna’s pleasure. He thinks, “I will someday get Krishna’s mercy, in one day, in one year, or in millions of years.”

A devotee never thinks, “Just see how ecstatic I am.”

The devotees know there is nothing of value to be attained in this world, and thus they only aspire for devotional service, and relish hearing the glories of devotional service.

By hearing the glories of pure devotional service, the devotee becomes inspired to pursue it.

Narada says that by hearing the glories of pure devotional service, by chanting the glories of pure devotional service, or by even accepting the existence of pure devotional service, even one who hates the demigods and all living beings, can progress.

In conclusion, our aspiration in kirtana with others, should be to chant with feeling.

Sivarama Swami:

From a class Brhad-bhagavamrita 2.3.184

Brhad-Bhagavatamrita is highly recommended for one who wants to advance in bhakti. If you do not have it, get it. If you have not read it, read it.

Gopa Kumara represents the seeker who attains the path of perfection, or in other words, ourselves. He advances spiritually and passes though different level of attainment by practicing chanting the mantra that his guru has given him.

“Dearer to the Lord than even His own beautiful form, His easily worshiped holy name benefits the entire world. Indeed, nothing is as full of nectar as the holy name of the Lord.”

This is the first of sixty or seventy verses glorifying the holy name.

Although it takes time, the holy name of the Lord forgives offenses to both the name and form of the Lord.

The Vaikuntha-dutas tell Gopa Kumara that his chanting of his mantra out of duty can only bring him to the platform of liberation. He must give up everything and engage in the nine items of devotional service. The Gopal mantra he has been given must be chanted not only out of duty, but with ecstatic devotion to please Madan Gopal, the deity of the mantra, as an act of devotional service. They also explain that understanding the sambhanda-jnana from books like the Bhagavatam is necessary to accelerate his progress.

Sanatana Goswami gives nine meanings for “sa-rasa:

“Sa-rasacan mean ‘very gentle,’ since the holy names consist of sweet-sounding syllables. It can also mean ‘composed of pure spiritual substance, sac-cid-ananda.’ Or it can mean that the holy names are accompanied by all the various devotional relationships, the nine rasas, headed by srngara (madhurya-rasa). In the pure chanting of the holy names, all these

varieties of prema-rasa are manifest, in the moods of both separation (viraha) and meeting (sanga). Rasa also means ‘attraction to Krishna’ (raga), which devotees performing sankirtana unavoidably experience as their krishna-prema is rapidly evoked by the holy names. In other words, the Lord’s sankirtana inspires His servants and everyone else to become attracted to the Lord.

“Rasaalso means ‘special potency’ (virya–visesa); the chanting of the holy

names is extremely powerful. And rasa can mean ‘exceptional quality’

(guna–visesa), indicating in the present context that nama–sankirtana has the

power to deliver the most fallen persons in the world. Rasa also means

‘exceptional happiness’ (sukha–visesa); hari-nama is the most concentrated

essence of happiness. And it also means ‘exceptional sweetness’ (madhurya–visesa). Nama–sankirtana is often glorified for its sweetness, as in this famous verse from the Prabhasa-khanda of the Skanda Purana:

‘O best of the Bhrigu dynasty, the holy name of Krishna is the sweetest of the sweet, the most auspicious of the auspicious. This transcendental fruit of all the Vedas is purely spiritual. Whoever chants it but once, whether with faith or with contempt, is liberated.’”

Chanting aloud and serving the Lord with one’s senses, according to the residents of Vaikuntha, are superior to meditation, and of all devotional acts, nama-sankirtana is the best. They said seeing Krishna is the result of chanting the names of Krishna.

Srila Prabhupada gave so much emphasis on chanting Hare Krishna, and thus we are all here in Mayapur chanting Hare Krishna.

The result of sadhana is bhava for Krishna, which develops into prema, and seeing Krishna in person.

Nama-sankirtana, as opposed to other kinds of glorification of the Lord, is best because it can evoke at once the treasure of pure love for the Lord. The holy name brings sweetness to all our senses, although appearing originally through the sense of speech.

One who has attained perfection has the symptom of not wanting to stop chanting.

Nama-sankirtana is also described as the fruit of bhakti.

Prataparuda Maharaja was astonished to hear the sankirtana of Lord’s associates. Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya explained that was prema sankirtana, sankirtana of those endowed with love of God.

The holy name is a mantra that can draw Krishna near.

To get love of God, it is not enough to be without bad qualities and to chant out of duty.

If all you had to do is chant Hare Krishna, Srila Prabhupada would not have to write so many books. By reading these books, we will be able to chant with the proper mentality to achieve pure devotion and actually attain Krishna.

Agnidev Prabhu:

In “Gay Gora Madhu Svare”, Lord Caitanya sings the maha-mantra, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.”

The sannyasis, those in the renounced order, and the grhasthas, those in household life have the same duty, to chant the holy name.

Dharmatma Prabhu:

There was one mentally challenged man who really absorbed himself in our Mayapur harinama. You could see he had no real qualification except being willing to receive the mercy.

When I was in prison, I saw so many prisoners were saved by Jesus because they had to take shelter of something. But how many remember him when they leave the prison?

Daily I see on harinama with the Harinama Ruci party, so many people, regardless of qualification, have the opportunity to get mercy.

Comment by Navina Nirada Prabhu: Sometimes people cannot chant, but they can clap or they can smile.

Rajendrananda Prabhu:

In chanting Hare Krishna, we are pleading, “Krishna please accept me.”

In Los Angeles once while chanting “Jaya Radha Madhava”, tears shot from Srila Prabhupada’s eyes like a syringe, reaching even the camera man.

Bhakti Purusottama Swami:

Formerly book distribution was our main service and even the pujaris and temple presidents would distribute books. Now there are so many nama-hatta, bhakti-vrksa, ISKCON Youth Forum programs, but if we do not engage the people coming from these programs in book distribution we will not achieve the perfection.

Vijaya Prabhu:

This is a war on maya. Who likes war? Nobody likes war. But this is a friendly war. Have you ever heard of a friendly war? We gently, in a friendly way, encourage them to take Srila Prabhupada’s books, and the books kill their ignorance.

One person in 1976 encountered a devotee who spoke to him in a very friendly way about Srila Prabhupada’s books. He was not interested in the books but he was impressed with the polite presentation. At a rest area in Florida two years later, the man met another devotee, who also presented the books in a very gentle, friendly way. This time he wanted a book, but he had no money. He asked the distributor if they had a temple nearby. They did it, and he got the address, and went to the temple. He liked the devotees so much, he never left, and he has been a devotee ever since.

By our spiritual practice we develop qualities that attract the people when we present the books.

Amita Krishna Prabhu:

If a sannyasi been practicing to love Krishna and his guru for decades, why can he not speak about marriage? He has great experience keeping commitments in these relationships and keeping commitments in relationships is an important part of marriage.

Maha-bhavi Prabhu [from Norway]:

Sometimes we are struggling in devotional service, and we are thinking that Krishna is not pleased with us. But that is not the case. We are thinking that because Krishna is not fulfilling our material desires, He is displeased with us. But actually, Krishna is pleased that we are trying to perform devotional service.

To please one’s wife is not possible. I speak from experience. Similarly it is not possible to please all our friends or to please society.

Actually our intimate relationship is with Krishna, and that is what people are looking for, but they think that they will find that with the things of the material world.

If we are very attached to the material world, we are afraid of Krishna, because He is called Hari, one who takes away. Thus we tend to see Him as an enemy. By performing devotional service, we can become cured of this faulty vision.

We can be completely happy just chanting Krishna’s name on harinama.

Everyone is attracted to Krishna. We can see this when we are chanting on harinama. Sometimes they pretend to not be attracted as they walk by, and later we see them look with curiosity, “What was that?”

Lord Caitanya’s army is the most amazing army. What are the weapons? The karatalas, the mrdanga. No one is killed.

What is humility? Chanting Hare Krishna. Assisting in Lord Caitanya’s army.

Prahlad Maharaja could have such effect on his classmates because of the purity of his devotion.

Because Prahlada Maharaja was living in demoniac society, it makes sense he attained perfection by smaranam (remembrance), since hearing and chanting about Vishnu, who was considered an enemy, would be restricted.

Hanuman Prabhu:

From a conversation:

Mayapur has all the features I generally hate like cold water only, sleeping on hard floors, and crowds of people, and yet I am in complete bliss.

In the West I struggle to chant 16 rounds, but as an undercover security guard in Mayapur, I chant 32 or 64. I do not even count anymore.

Maitreya Prabhu [from England]:

From his autobiography:

“My aversion [to the Sunday religious service I was expected to attend in my youth] had nothing to do with form and substance but it was the lack of it that made the ordeal so unbearable and made escape the only remedy.”

—–

Sometimes we have difficulty fixing our minds on the sound of the holy name when we chant. If we internalize the understanding expressed in this stanza by Bhaktivinoda Thakura, that there is nothing but the holy name to be found in this material world, then it is easier to keep the mind focused.

krishna-nama-sudha koriya pan,

jurao bhakativinoda-pran,

nama bina kichu nahiko aro,

caudda-bhuvana-majhe

“Drink the pure nectar of the holy name of Krishna and thus satisfy the soul of Bhaktivinoda. There is nothing but the holy name within all the fourteen worlds.” (“Arunadaya Kirtan”, Song 1, by Bhaktivinoda Thakura)

Travel Journal#12.4: North Florida, New York City Harinam, Dublin
→ Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 12, No. 4

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

North Florida, New York City Harinam, Dublin
(Sent from Rishikesh on March 15, 2016)

Where I Went and What I Did

The beginning of the second half of February I spent based at Krishna House, chanting at Krishna Lunch each weekday and at the Farmers Market in Gainesville on Wednesday afternoons. I made a couple trips to Jacksonville, one to chant on the campus of the University of North Florida and at their Krishna Club meeting, where I talked about Lord Nityananda Prabhu, whose appearance day was the day after, and the next day to chant with the Alachua devotees at a special event, the Jacksonville Monster Truck Jam. On the way to Dublin I stopped in New York City for about three hours to sing with the New York City Harinam party in the Times Square Subway Station. I spent three days in Dublin during which we chanted harinama for thirteen hours, much of it with Premarnava Prabhu, who sings wonderfully and is a great friend. As we sang people donated almost 100 euros and accepted 33 of Srila Prabhupada’s books, which is big for a small timer like myself. The last day of February, this year the 29th, I flew to Mumbai via Istanbul on Turkish Airlines. Unfortunately, my bag spent an extra day in Instanbul as our flight arrived ten minutes before the subsequent one was scheduled to leave.

I share an excerpt from Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad-gita 5.29, purport, and excerpts from the books and journal of Satsvarupa dasa Goswami. I have notes on a wonderful class by His Holiness Varshana Swami on Lord Nityananda’s Appearance Day in Alachua. I also share notes on classes by Srila Prabhupada disciples, Kalakantha Prabhu and Mother Nanda in Gainesville, Kurma Prabhu in Dublin, and Narayani Devi from a recording. Also I share notes on classes by younger devotees at Krishna House and a list of recent realizations of the devotees there from an istagosthi.

I would like to thank very much Sankarsan Lila Prabhu and his wife, who kindly gave me a nice donation so I can survive on my India trip and also a great meal of dosas, idlis, and that awesome coconut chutney. I would like to thank the Dublin devotees for kindly letting me keep the profit from the harinama collection, so I can come back to Dublin and do more harinamas. Thanks to Sasha and Kaliya Krishna Prabhu of the New York City Harinam party for their donations. Thanks also to my friend, Michael, from New Vrindavan, for supporting my traveling and sharing harinama by his donation. Thanks to the Hollybolly Cafe in Rishikesh for letting me use their internet without buying anything and for accepting the maha-prasadam and literature I gave them in reciprocation.

Itinerary

March 12–20: Rishikesh Harinama

March 21–April 9: Vrindavan

April 10–13: Mumbai

April 14–21: Ireland

April 22–24: Newcastle, England

April 26: Radhadesh (Kadamba Kanana Swami’s Vyasa Puja)

April 27–29: Holland (including King’s Day in Amsterdam on April 27)

April 30–May 1: Birmingham 24-hour kirtana

May 2–July 9: The North of England and Scotland

July 10: Prague Ratha-yatra

July 12–16: Polish Woodstock

July 30: Berlin Ratha-yatra

August 5–11: Baltic Summer Festival

August 18–21: Trutnoff (Czech Woodstock)

September 13–: New York City Harinam

Krishna House Chants at the Gainesville Farmers Market

We chanted at the Gainesville Farmers Market a couple of Wednesdays in the second half of February. We have been chanting at that event for several years and at least two people have began practicing devotional service to Krishna having encountered us there, Anna and Christiana. Every year I leave, and the program becomes intermittent or nonexistence. This time I am hoping that Bali, Audrey, and Ekayani, who are the most enthusiastic attenders of it, can keep it going.



One young girl, Natalie, joined us both weeks, playing around with the instruments the first time and letting Audrey swing her around the second time.


She as been coming for three or four weeks and is very regular, despite being so young. 


The first week one guy also joined us, listening for over an hour and sometimes playing the tamborine (https://youtu.be/QkdYtlatGpY):

Later another little girl joined us for a while, while her mother watched (https://youtu.be/lydgC0ha6IM):

The second week, Kalki and Carlos, the biggest of the Krishna House book distributors, got into dancing, and so did Nickole (https://youtu.be/j8dXuAIyj8w):



At the end, three of the Krishna House ladies danced like anything, including Madhava Devi Dasi, who met us while shopping (https://youtu.be/2e-m57DXZzA):

Because of the harinama, all who hear advance spiritually by the influence of the holy name. Those who see us notice that there is another way of enjoying life, by acting in relationship with Krishna, and perhaps they will learn more about it in the future, when their materialistic sources of happiness inevitably fail them.

Krishna House Evening Kirtanas

The Krishna House devotees are so enthusiastic during the evening kirtana, I can’t help taking videos of them.

Here Dhameshvar Mahaprabhu das Prabhu leads (https://youtu.be/SdfGfFNaZM8):

Here Audrey leads (https://youtu.be/Of352vm-rOs):

University of North Florida Krishna Club

The Krishna Lunch devotees let me take one person from their staff to chant with me in Jacksonville at University of North Florida. 


That was Bali, who may just be the most enthusiastic in kirtana in Krishna House. We chanted for two and a half hours or so on the campus of the University of North Florida, and then attended the Krishna Club program. Bali liked Krishna Club very much. I described some of the glories of Lord Nityananda as the next day was His appearance day. Youssef led a lively final kirtana that got a few of the students dancing, and that was beautiful to see (https://youtu.be/w8IU1gEgFik):

Kyra, a new attendee who teaches yoga at the beginning of the meetings, seemed very much into the kirtana which was notable.

From a Krishna Club Ice Breaker:

What would you tell your five-year old self?

Bali: Study harmonium.

Youssef: Never stop questioning.

Nityananda Tryodasi Harinama at the Monster Truck Jam

Lord Nityananda Prabhu is famous for saving the most fallen persons, and so I am sure he was appreciative of the attempt of the twenty-five devotees from Alachua, Gainesville, and Jacksonville to share the holy name of Krishna with the thousands of fans entering the Jacksonville stadium for the Monster Truck Jam.

I was very impressed that we had twelve devotees from Krishna House who skipped the Alachua temple program for Lord Nityananda, along with its kirtana and feast, to travel one and a half hours each way to chant in Jacksonville.

Godruma and his wife, Mother Vishupriya, arranged packages of prasadam for us to take on the way home.

During the harinama, more people danced with us than they usually do at that event or at that stadium, and it was wonderful to see.


This family was attracted to the chanting, and one kid holds a Krishna pamphlet.

Here are some highlights I recorded on video (https://youtu.be/xWJ9Teeua3g):

Realizations Shared at a Krishna House Istagosthi

Ekayani: Whatever we desire, we will do.

Badahari Prabhu: How small I am.

Gopal Prabhu: There must be something in this chanting or I could not do it for so many [almost forty] years. The books are right!

Krishna-kripa das: Because we are Krishna’s marginal energy, if we do not take shelter of His spiritual energy by engaging in devotional service to Him, we will be forced to serve His material energy. If our devotional service is materially motivated or interrupted, we will not be completely satisfied.

Madhava Prabhu: Although I had an intense week at work, because I had a lot of association with devotees, it was one of the best weeks in my recent memory.

Hari Priya: Everything I am looking for is within the heart. I am not this body, and it is useless to seek happiness externally. Through the holy name and the association of the devotees, everything can be revealed in the heart.

Dhameshvar Mahaprabhu das Prabhu: I do not know anyone happier or more lovable than my spiritual master [Vaisesika Prabhu].

Vanna: When we are chastised by the devotees, it is most purifying because it is done out of love. I was always very independent, but Krishna broke me down, and I am now very dependent on the devotees.

Rasaraja Prabhu: It is important to have one or two devotees you can reveal your mind to. Chanting your 16 rounds every day, no matter what was going on, has kept me in Krishna consciousness.

Nickole: I am inspired by the realizations of the Vaisnavas. My grandmother used to say, “All I know is that I know nothing.”

Michael: Understanding that my mind and soul are different helps me accepting what is happening that I cannot change.

Nick: The more I read and chant, the more I feel the presence of God around me and inside me.

Jonathon: I saw a ghost at age 15, and I realized life was eternal.

Amrita: The only thing I truly have is the maha-mantra.

Dhrstadyumna Prabhu:

We cannot do anything without the sanction of the Supersoul, which is pretty profound when you think about it.

It is special in the innumerable universes that we are connected with Srila Prabhupada and through him to Lord Caitanya. We cannot glorify Srila Prabhupada enough.

Rangi: Krishna is always looking after me and everyone else on this planet. I see with my friends, sometimes they do not get what they want, but it turns out for their betterment.

Bali: It is important to appreciate devotees and take guidance and shelter. This world is not our home, and everything is so temporary. It is hard in spiritual life because we are so attached to this world. It takes great humility. The mind makes it difficult.

Cayman: Devotees association is very important. I cannot conjure up enthusiasm to serve Krishna alone. We must stay positive, although not able to immediately realize our devotional goals.

Sri Nama: It is difficult going to this devotional program and then going to school. Then I heard Sacinandana Swami say before every endeavor to say to Krishna “I am doing this for you,” and after you have done it, “Thank you for allowing me to do this.”

Mother Caitanya: Recently I have been rendering service to advanced devotees, and I am getting a lot of mercy from their realizations, and I am seeing how it very valuable to serve the advanced.

Audrey: We are always connected to Krishna, as if through spiritual umbilical cords, but he lets us go out on our own, so far we do not even see him, and we see others and think they are our shelter.

Kalakantha Prabhu: If husband and wife both put Krishna in the center of their lives, they can have a fulfilling marriage, otherwise they tend to exploit each other for sense gratification.

Nickole: Mother Caitanya was reminding us that the devotees are more merciful than Krishna because Krishna will let us get into maya but the devotees will not.

Chanting with New York City Harinam

It was just wonderful not to miss a day of harinama while traveling from Florida to Ireland because I could arrange a seven and a half hour stop in New York City where I could count on having friends to sing with. That New York City Harinam party led by Rama Raya Prabhu, and inspired by Aindra Prabhu, sings six hours each day in Union Square, in good weather, and in one of several subway stations in cold or wet weather. I sang with them for two and a half hours at Times Square Subway Station, and it was just wonderful to have their association again.

Chanting Hare Krishna in Dublin

I have wonderful experiences doing harinama in Dublin because of two friends who have great taste for chanting the holy names in public and who are willing to singing with me for hours. They are Ananta Nitai and Premarnava Prabhus. This time Ananta Nitai Prabhu was in Vrindavan, but Premarnava Prabhu increased his participation on our Dublin harinamas to make up for it.

We chanted three hours on Friday. All three days the temperatures must have been in the mid 40s to low 50s (7–12° C) and it was often windy, but fortunately it did not rain.

We did a seven and a half hour harinama on Saturday, February 27, the appearance day of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, and both Premarnava Prabhu and I chanted seven hours, taking a half hour break or two fifteen-minute ones. When I saw people glance at our party, I would pray to Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura that they might become attracted to Krishna by hearing the chanting of His holy names. More people gave us donations than I ever recall in Dublin. Several people danced with us and took photos and videos of us as usual. I told a few Indian people who lived in Dublin, about our temple and its Sunday program. Mayesvara Prabhu joined us for an hour and a half that day, and Dina Daya Prabhu for an hour, but all the rest of the time it was me and Premarnava. Because of the increasing coldness, the last hour I had to restrain myself from watching the clock. It was wonderful seeing more appeciation than usual, and I took it that was some special mercy from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura upon us.

On Sunday, before our midday feast program, I chanted with Kurma Prabhu and his wife for an hour and half. Dina Dayal Prabhu and an Indian congregational member joined us for some of the time. Then I chanted alone for almost half and hour. One lady said she had not seen Hare Krishnas chanting in Dublin since the 1980s, so I can see we really have to increase.

I felt victorious in that three devotees joined me after the Sunday feast program to chant more kirtana in the temple, and they all chanted with so much devotion it was inspiring. I encouraged all of them to have a post–Sunday feast kirtana every week, as they all seemed to have a taste for it, and it has sometimes been a regular part of the program in the past.

I like do three hours of harinama each day, and even liberally including our post-feast kirtana in the temple room, I was shy of three hours by just over half an hour. I encouraged Premarnava Prabhu to join me in the streets, and he was so fired-up we stayed out for an hour. Almost half an hour into it a devotee named Silavati, came by on her way home from work and chanted with us until we finished just over half an hour later. I was completely amazed to see her enthusiasm. Many people appreciated and contributed over 15 euros, taking several Chant and Be Happys and Beyond Birth and Deaths. It was a beautiful way to end my stay in Dublin.

In the three days in Dublin, we chanted thirteen hours of harinama, with eight devotees participating at least part of the time. People donated almost one hundred euros, and took one maha-big, eight medium, and twenty-four small books. All glories to Sri Krishna Sankirtana!

Special Pictures

Devotees of the Supreme Lord have an understanding that He creates difficult situations to help us advance spiritually. The most surrendered devotees even pray for them. Here is a poster commenting on such challenges from a bulletin board at the University of North Florida:



Sometimes you see something in life that you have never seen before, like a dishwasher with a lock on it.



We are starting a restaurant in Gainesville, and Badahari Prabhu, Krishna House maintenance specialist, was determined that the plates he was washing for it would not disappear.

To see photos I took but did not include in this journal, click on the link below:

Insights

Srila Prabhupada:

From Bhagavad-gita As It Is, 5.29, purport:

“Krishna consciousness means to work in full knowledge of one’s relationship with the Supreme Absolute, and the perfection of this consciousness is full knowledge of Krishna, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. A pure soul is the eternal servant of God as His fragmental part and parcel. He comes into contact with maya (illusion) due to the desire to lord it over maya, and that is the cause of his many sufferings. As long as he is in contact with matter, he has to execute work in terms of material necessities. Krishna consciousness, however, brings one into spiritual life even while one is within the jurisdiction of matter, for it is an arousing of spiritual existence by practice in the material world. The more one is advanced, the more he is freed from the clutches of matter. The Lord is not partial toward anyone. Everything depends on one’s practical performance of duties in Krishna consciousness, which helps one control the senses in every respect and conquer the influence of desire and anger. And one who stands fast in Krishna consciousness, controlling the abovementioned passions, remains factually in the transcendental stage, or brahma-nirvana.”

Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:

From Entering a Life of Prayer:


“There are many things I will have to sacrifice when I leave this solitary base for preaching tours. However, the one thing I hope I can keep with me is turning to Krishna as much as possible. It doesn’t take extra time, it takes quality. This is something I can learn to do here and do wherever I go, because Krishna is everywhere. He is always in our heart. In fact, there may be even more impetus for talking to Krishna and praying to Him in stressful situations. My dear Lord Krishna, please have mercy on this sinner. Dear Srila Prabhupada, please help me to be a devotee of Krishna by your grace. My dear Lord Krishna, please help me to be a sincere and faithful disciple of Prabhupada.”

From “Poem for February 16” in Viraha Bhavan:

“I want to beseech You as in the
prayer, Jagannatha Swami nayana-
patha-gami bhavatu me:
“O Lord of the universe, kindly
be visible unto me.” You
see the statue, but if you
want to see the Lord, He has to reveal
Himself to your eyes.
Lord Krishna says, ‘I am
not manifest to the nondevotees.
I cover Myself with My curtain of maya.’
You want me to see You
with Radha beside You,
I just have to become submissive.
The praying is what will work.
Please help me to be pure.”

From Japa Walks, Japa Talks:

“Very, very few of us can spend our full time chanting. Prabhupada says that constant chanting is the activity of a very mature – in fact, liberated – devotee. But we may feel that we’re not doing enough with only sixteen or twenty-five rounds. One way to feel better about this is to realize that all our activities can contribute to good japa. Be conscious of it, be deliberate. Understand that if you are cruel to someone, or if you find fault, or overeat, or are a nonsense in one way or another, it’s going to affect your japa. Everything you do either contributes to or works against your chanting. It makes me think of the athletes who train for years to perform in the Olympics. Their actual performance is over in a few hours, but they train for it and protect themselves from injury twenty-four hours a day. They make sure they get sufficient rest, eat the best foods, and don’t do anything that could damage their chances of success. And they think positively.”

From “Poem for February 24” in Viraha Bhavan:

“The Hare Krishna chanters in the
City are not of this
material world. They
are followers of Lord Caitanya
and Srila Prabhupada who had
spiritual forms. The sound vibration
made by the chanters
is transcendental, and they are
also transcendental. Srila Prabhupada used
to say the ISKCON temples
were not situated in
Los Angeles or London, but
they were part of the
spiritual world. The
City chanters are not
in a temple, but they
have transformed their
sacred spot into the
consciousness of Vrndavana. The passersby
are aware the chanters have created
a peaceful oasis amidst the urban
world of passion and ignorance. As
they appreciate the singing, their lives
are transformed.”

Varsana Maharaja:

What is an avadhuta? Someone so intoxicated with vraja-prema [the love of God found in Krishna’s supreme abode, Vrindavan] that he loses the discrimination about where to distribute it. Nityananda, as an avadhuta, simply wanted to fulfill the inner desire of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and thus They acted as a team to benefit the fallen souls.

We glorify Srila Prabhupada as uprooting impersonalism yet we do not realize there is so much impersonalism within us.

As Paramatma, the Lord of the heart, the Lord is impartial, but as Bhagavan [the Supreme Person] He is very partial.

The Lord shows his partiality by taking the side of His devotees.

Without Gauranga [Lord Caitanya] we cannot progress beyond reverential worship and enter the groves of Vraja.

Lord Gauranga does not give the reverential prema given by perfect worship of the other Kali-yuga avatars.

Until we surpass anartha-nivritta and attain nistha we cannot even contemplate vraja-prema.

We are dependent on the mercy of Nityananda, who gives His vraja-prema to anyone who is willing to accept His gift.

Lord Caitanya came for his own internal purpose. Lord Nityananda and Advaita Acarya were mostly the saviors of the fallen souls of Kali.

Previously in Kali-yuga one had to be highly qualified and perform the yuga-dharma for many births to merely attain reverential devotion, which does not satisfy the soul’s desire for sweetness.

Vraja can be a verb meaning to go, and also the destination, Vraja [Vrindavan].

By worship Lord Gaura by vaidhi-bhakti [the rules and regulations meant to awaken devotional service] we are in fact, following in the footsteps of Radharani, and at some point in our advancement, Lord Caitanya reveals His form as Radha-Krishna.

In Canto 11, this age of Kali is glorified because by chanting the holy name one attains everything, but Canto 12 says Kali is worst because practically no one chants the holy name. This contradiction is an invitation for one to go deeper, and no one goes deeper than the Gaudiya Vaishnavas [the followers of Lord Caitanya]. In Canto 11, this particular Kali-yuga is being described, which is special by the mercy of Gaura and Nityananda, who give the holy name to everyone.

Since in every age one can attain success through chanting the holy name, then one might ask “why are more difficult processes recommended?” The answer is that because people are so qualified to do the other things, they cannot place their faith in the holy name.

Krishna describes to Mother Ganga in 5,000 years, His mantra-upasaka [the representative who will teach the Lord’s own mantra] will travel all over the world, creating devotees, and bringing them to the Ganges to bathe in the river, thus purifying it. This will go on for 10,000 years. After that the Ganges will disappear.

This time is fearful as Kali is making plans for the degradation to come after the golden age, and the golden age is not fully manifest yet.

Lord Rama was always sober and tolerant not playful like Krishna and Balarama.

Sita was happy to go to Valmiki’s ashram because she wanted to celebrate her pregnancy by distributing charity to those who had benefitted her in the past.

Lord Nityananda altered Lord Caitanya’s instruction for the purpose fulfilling Lord Caitanya’s internal desire. Lord Caitanya wanted Nityananda to tell people to chant Krishna, to worship Krishna, and to carry out the orders of Krishna. Lord Nityananda told people to chant Gauranga, worship Gauranga, and to carry out the orders of Gauranga.

After the Khetari festival, which even mesmerized snakes, and in which Lord Caitanya and His associates reappeared to take part, Jahnava Devi took her party to Ekacakra on pilgrimage, and they found it in ruins.

When the Pandavas resided in Ekacakra, Nityananda appeared to Yudhisthira in a dream and told him, “This is not the supreme abode. Go to Navadvipa.” And so Yudhisthira and the Pandavas did.

Hadai Pandit wanted take birth after birth in Ekacakra waiting for his son Nitai, who had gone off with a sannyasi, to return.

The devotees despite great endeavor could not find Nityananda because Lord Caitanya wanted to teach that Nitai was very confidential personality.

Nitai, despite His external appearance, did not want to do anything independently of Lord Caitanya.

After much travel to different pilgrimage places, Nityananda came to Navadvipa and considered he attained the ultimate destination.

When Lord Caitanya told Narayani, future mother of Vrindavan das Thakura, to chant “Krishna, Krishna,” she immediately attained the supreme devotional ecstasy.

All we know about Lord Caitanya is the mercy of Lord Nityananda, whose devotees Vrindavan das Thakura and Krishnadasa Kaviraja are His principal biographers.

In his nineties, Krishnadasa Kaviraja, ordered by Lord Nityananda, began walking to Vrindavana from Bengal.

Kalakantha Prabhu:

What did Krishna fight Jambavan for twenty-eight days?

Comment by Cayman: To fulfill Jambavan’s desire to have a combatant.

Srila Prabhupada said once that Krishna fights to keep the body fit.

The Syamantaka jewel story shows how money can ruin good people. When there is an accumulation of wealth, it is difficult to resist the temptation to control it.

Comment by Dhrstadyumna Prabhu: Isn’t gold one of the places Kali is allowed to reside.

Response: Yes. Very good.

You can have bad habits or character flaws, but in Kali-yuga, you will be respected if you have money.

Q (by Amy): Money is such a part of life. Anything we can do if we have money to not be degraded by it?

A: Use it for sacrifice.

From an istagosthi:

If you are flirting, you’ll be hurting.

Kurma Prabhu:

It is good to learn verses. I first learned the Siksastakam. The rule is to always to remember Krishna, and learning verses can help this.

When he was being killed by a crocodile, Gajendra, the king of the elephants, chanted a prayer he learned in his previous life as King Indradyumna. Pleased by hearing the prayer, the Lord appear and protected him by killing the crocodile.

Srila Prabhupada tells the story of a person who had never tasted sugar cane. His friend was saying it looks like a rod, and you break it and chew on it, and it tastes very sweet. The man looked for something that fit that description and ended up chewing different types of bamboo and found only frustration.

The chanting of Hare Krishna was spread throughout South India because anyone who saw Lord Caitanya began chanting Hare Krishna, and those who saw those persons also began chanting Hare Krishna. And so on, and so on.

One devotee said to Srila Prabhupada, “I am the most fallen.” Srila Prabhupada replied, “You are not the most anything.” He said this because he detected that the disciple was artificially presenting himself as if he was an advanced soul, who actually feels himself to be the most fallen.

There are a thousand names of Radharani and Lord Balarama.

You cannot go a hot sticky yoga studio and sit on a hot sticky mat in your leotards and expect to attain God realization.

Your first thoughts when you wake up set the whole course for your day.

There is a mantra you can chant before you even step out of bed, asking Mother Bhumi (the earth goddess) for forgiveness for stepping on her.

It takes great practice to become more tolerant than a tree and more humble than a blade of grass.

Wealth is not a source of pleasure but a source of entanglement and anxiety.

One of the King Louis’s of France, was so completely disgusted with the falsity of palace life, he and some of his intimate friends would sometimes leave the palace and dress themselves as cow herds, and milk the cows and sport in the fields.

There is one song where Bhaktivinoda Thakura prays he would rather take birth as an insect in the house of a devotee than Lord Brahma. Why? If you take birth as an insect in the home of a devotee, that devotee will give you protection. He will not call the exterminator.

Lord Caitanya describes world of birth and death to be like an ocean because if you are drowning in a ocean, you have to be pulled out by someone. Similarly, we need Krishna to pull us out of samsara [the ocean of birth and death].

Srila Prabhupada said the love of a mother for her child is the closest thing to the unconditional love of the pure soul for God.

Srila Prabhupada said we should call out when we chant like a baby calling out for its mother.

Comments by Kurma Prabhu’s wife:

Although there is no phala-sruti [benediction for its recitation] given by Lord Caitanya for the “Siksastakam,” Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami offers this blessing after describing the “Siksastakam”: “If anyone recites or hears these eight verses of instruction by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, his ecstatic love and devotion for Krishna increase day by day.” (Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Antya 10.65)

Mother Nanda:

Krishna does not like mediocrity. He likes intensity.

Mother Yasoda has so much affection that her breasts would fill milk for her beloved Krishna, even when He was an adult.

Krishna sent Uddhava to Vrindavan because he was advanced in devotion, and he would be able to appreciate the great devotion of its residents.

The Absolute Truth is described as Brahman, Paramatma, and Bhagavan, but the realization of the residents of Vrndavana is beyond that because they just see Krishna is everything.

Advancement in devotional service happens automatically, but it does not happen mechanically.

Comment by Dhameshvar Prabhu: Take a chance on the dance of Krishna.

Comment by Kalakantha Prabhu: Uddhava means “festival.”

You can never be satisfied with a mundane life once you have had your eyes opened by the torchlight of transcendental knowledge. How can I repay the debt to my spiritual master, who has delivered me from ignorance that I did not even realize I was in.

We would have this experience that in Srila Prabhupada’s presence all our problems would disappear. They would be revealed to be truly insignificant.

Bhurijana Prabhu made the point that our determination to go back to Godhead must be so great that if we do not succeed this life, we will continue our endeavor in the next life.

The more we reciprocate with the voice of the Lord within our heart, the more advice He will give us in that way.

The acaryas explain that the Lord promised Bhumi that he would not kill her son, Bhauma, despite his demonic qualities, without her permission. Satyabhauma, Krishna’s wife, is a partial expansion of Bhumi, and she came with Krishna, to the battle with Bhauma, and at the end of the vicious fight, she gave her blessings to kill him.

The more you look for God in your life, the more you will see Him, and so practice looking. We can pray to the Lord to be able to see His loving hand in our life.

Narayani Devi:

From a recorded lecture:

Lord Caitanya explained that “satyam param” [the Supreme Truth] is sambandha [that with which we have a relationship] and “dhimahi” [meditation] is abhidheya [the path] and prayojana [the goal].

An honest person knows he must change. A dishonest person thinks everything is OK, and he does not have to change.

Srusrusubhih means intensely eager to hear. We have to be so eager to hear about Krishna.

Madhumati Devi:

Our purpose in the Krishna consciousness movement is to fall in love with Krishna as Rukmini did.

Can you imagine writing a letter to someone telling them that you fell in love with them but your parents arranged a marriage to someone else and asking them if they could please come and take you away. Rukmini was very bold.

We are attracted to people because of their qualities, and Krishna has all qualities in full.

This story shows an attractive quality I appreciate in my husband, Sesa Prabhu:

Once I tried to put a flyer advertising my vegetarian cooking class in the Potomac library. I saw there were all kinds of other ads there, but they would not accept mine. I was upset and explained what happened to my husband, Sesa Prabhu. He asked if I wanted to do something about it. I said yes. He went to the manager of the library with me by his side and put his lawyer card on the table. The librarian knew what it was about and was very nervous. I cannot tell you all the details, but the end result was that I was allowed to advertise our program, and the library had an exhibition of Lord Jagannath for a whole month. We did did a program in the library and when the librarian bit into a samosa, she said, “This is really good.” I wish I had a picture of it.

What are some qualities we like in others and which find their perfection in Krishna?

Being a good speaker.

Intelligence.

Being reciprocal in love.

Honesty.

Humor.

Willing to fight for the right reason.

Dina Bandhu Prabhu:

In school you have to know what your teacher wants you to know and be able to communicate that.

My initial religious experience was a fundamentalist background, but my blind faith was not sufficient to get me through different challenges in life, and I became an agnostic.

Later I read different spiritual books and created my own philosophy based on these.

People are willing to accept so many educational authorities, but at the same time, they are unwilling to accept any spiritual authority.

I feel my generation was the last one to offer their teachers apples out of gratitude.

To be purely good we have know what is purity.

Even the phrase “passing away” hints that the soul continues.

No one refers to the body as the person after death.

Comment by Robert Wilson: Cemeteries are more for the living than the dead.

The body without the soul is not desirable. By the influence of soul the body can even appear beautiful.

Shymala Kishori Devi Dasi:

When Jarasandha attacked Krishna in Mathura, Krishna had about 100 soldiers in his army, and Jarasandha had 4,000 soldiers for each one of Krishna’s.

The scene of the gruesome battle had a beautiful element to it because Krishna was present. 

The Dvaraka fort was 96,000 square miles.

By the time people see Krishna, they do not need see anything else, for seeing Krishna satisfies the soul.

After seeing Krishna, although Mucukunda had been awakened untimely, he did not pray to Krishna to continue his sleep because he was transcendentally satisfied by Krishna’s presence.

Prahlada prays, “I have no material desires, but if you really want to bless me, then bless me that I do not get any material desires.”

One hope animates my soul: To spend day and night singing Your holy name while living in Your divine abode.

Three important things about prayers:

They involve glorification of the Lord.

They are personal.

They are specific.

Just remember “GPS”, glorification, personal, specific.

As a kid we had a Christian prayer book, and as an experiment, we decided to pray to Jesus to help us find our coloring book. We found the book, and thus I concluded that Jesus was for real.

Comment by me:

Commenting on this pastime, speakers often say because Kalayavana was untouchable [because of his degraded habits], Krishna did not want to touch him in the processing of killing him, thus he arranged Mucukunda to incinerate him.

Sometimes I pray for uninterrupted sleep because I find my sadhana is so much better when I am well rested. Is that a bona fide prayer?

In The Nectar of Devotion, Rupa Goswami advises we pray to the deity for His mercy.

It is more pleasing to pray to Krishna about our actual situation than just robotically offer prayers we know.

Comment by Kalakantha Prabhu: One reason Mucukunda prayed for uninterrupted sleep and the ability to burn anyone who woke him, is that he was tired of fighting for the demigods and did not want them to ask him to fight for them again.

Comments after class by me:

In case you want to know my prayers for sleep, I have two:

My dear Lord Krishna, I desire to awaken my love for you by practicing the yoga you describe in Bhagavad-gita. You mention that one cannot be a yogi if he sleeps too much or too little. I am having great difficulty following that instruction to not sleep too little. Please help me.

May dear Krishna, if you think that additional rest will increase the quality of my service to you, then please allow it to happen.

Dhameshvar Mahaprabhu das Prabhu:

If I give my complete attention to you, I cannot give my complete attention to someone else. But Krishna can give his complete attention to all of us at once.

Spiritual life is not about conversion but about connection.

The universe is within Krishna, yet Krishna appears to be in the universe.

Comment by Abhimanyu Prabhu: Krishna “stole” butter from the older gopis  because they were all his confidential devotees and He wanted to fulfill their desires to personally serve Him.

Abhimanyu Prabhu:

I witnessed how Krishna provides remembrance of Himself for those who spread His message this morning accompanying my friend Dhameshvar Prabhu at the hospital. Although he was not in control of his body, he was able to remember all the prayers of Queen Kunti he was teaching us last semester. The others at the emergency room were left to listen to whatever was on the TV there.

Srila Prabhupada said that if a disciple desires from something material from the spiritual master, he may get that thing, but he will not get the empowerment to spread Lord Caitanya’s message.

Birth is one misery of the body. No baby comes out of the womb laughing.

Comment by Dhrstadyumna: The word “sincere” is derived from a Latin word that means “without cracks”.

Kalki Prabhu:

Maybe three times I would feel in the morning that I was empowered by Srila Prabhupada and the previous acaryas [spiritual teachers] and that I would do really big on book distribution that day, and I did do really big on sankirtana that day.

Carlos:

To understand that by chanting this transcendental sound vibration one can attain the spiritual world is the greatest gift.

To anyone I stop on book distribution, I try to get them to chant the entire maha-mantra, and I find that it changes the whole atmosphere. If they were not originally inclined to get a book, sometimes they change their mind.

A thirteen or fourteen year old boy who got a book from me came running up to me at hour later profusely thanking me for the book, saying, “You cannot get this knowledge in these books anyplace else. It is sacred knowledge.”

One girl I distributed a book to came up to me a few days later and said, “I had the best experience in my life chanting this maha-mantra. Just reading the Science of Self-Realization I am thinking of redirecting my life.”

If people get the books and come to the temple, and there is not harinama sankirtana performed there, they will not get the full benefit, because harinama sankirtana [congregational chanting of the holy name] is the yuga-dharma [practice for this age].

Srila Prabhupada said the secret of success in book distribution is to desire to please the previous spiritual masters.

—–

Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda are more on our minds than usual as Their appearance days are this time of year. Thus I share a verse about Them:

vande sri-kirshna-caitanya-

nityanandau sahoditau

gaudodaye pushpavantau

citrau san-dau tamo-nudau

“I offer my respectful obeisances unto Sri Krishna Caitanya and Lord Nityananda, who are like the sun and moon. They have arisen simultaneously on the horizon of Gauda [Bengal] to dissipate the darkness of ignorance and thus wonderfully bestow benediction upon all.” (Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 1.2)

Travel Journal#12.3: North Florida
→ Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 12, No. 3
By Krishna-kripa das
(February 2016, part one)

North Florida
(Sent from Mayapur on March 10, 2016)

Where I Went and What I Did

The first half of February I was based mostly in Gainesville, singing at Krishna Lunch, but I made one final trip to Tallahassee to chant at Lake Ella and behind the Florida State University library and to talk to students. With youthful, enthusiastic devotees from Krishna House who pleased me by their cooperation, I sang at three special events in North Florida: the Jacksonville Art Walk, First Friday in Tallahassee, and the Ocala Regional Rainbow Gathering in Ocala National Forest. While at Krishna House, I attended their Tuesday night program for new people, and I tell briefly about that.

I share insights from Srila Prabhupada’s conversations and from his books. I share a quote from Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s Jaiva Dharma. I share excerpts from Viraha Bhavan, the online journal of Satsvarupa dasa  Goswami. I had the good fortune to hear more from Giriraja Swami, and I share useful realizations from that. I share notes on lectures by Prabhupada disciples Akuti Devi, Adi Karta Prabhu, Brahmatirtha Prabhu, Kalakantha Prabhu, Mother Nanda, Ramiya Prabhu, and Sesa Prabhu. I also share insights from Madhava Prabhu from New Raman Reti, Pran Govinda Prabhu, Kalki, and Audrey.

I would like to thank Krishna Keshava Prabhu from Alachua, Nama Kirtan Prabhu from Tallahassee, Adi Karta Prabhu from Alachua, and Sravan Ananda Prabhu from Orlando for their kind donations toward my traveling expenses. I would like to thank Dhruva Prabhu from Kansas City for kindly loaning me the entire cost of my ticket from Dublin to Mumbai, almost $500, so I could go to India this year. I would like to thank Prishni Devi Dasi for paying my expenses so I could attend the Bhaktivedanta Institute meeting in Gainesville when I was in Orlando doing college outreach. Thanks to Vanna for her picture of the Ocala Rainbow Gathering and to Ekayani for her picture of First Friday.

Itinerary

March 5–10: Mayapur Kirtan Mela

March 12–21: Rishikesh Harinama

March 22–April 9: Vrindavan

April 10–13: Mumbai

April 14–21: Ireland

April 22–24: Newcastle, England

April 26: Radhadesh (Kadamba Kanana Swami’s Vyasa Puja)

April 27–29: Holland (including King’s Day in Amsterdam on April 27)

April 30–May 1: Birmingham 24-hour kirtana

May 2–July 9: The North of England and Scotland

July 10: Prague Ratha-yatra

July 12–16: Polish Woodstock

July 30: Berlin Ratha-yatra

August 5–11: Baltic Summer Festival

August 18–21: Trutnoff (Czech Woodstock)

September 13–: New York City Harinam

Krishna House Tuesday Night Program

There is a program every Tuesday to introduce students to the Hare Krishna philosophy and practice at the Bhakti House, one of the Krishna House buildings. Different devotees give the lecture each week. Recently the programs have become quite lively with people who are inquisitive and people who like kirtana participating. Here is some video of Adi Karta Prabhu and his wife, Rucira Devi, doing kirtana the first Tuesday in February (https://youtu.be/sIrk334EuH8):

Jacksonville Art Walk

The first Wednesday of the month, devotees from Krishna House do harinama and book distribution at the Jacksonville Art Walk. This month it was just me, Bali, Ekayani, Christiana, Audrey, and Vanna. Bali later said he came so I would not be the only guy. Although we were a small party, the devotees were very cooperative and participatory. We did not have a single book distributor but encouraged everyone to distribute books at least part of the time, and four out of the six of us did. I just talked to people who were obviously attracted by our small but enthusiastic chanting party, and relatively easily distributed a Bhagavad-gita, a Science of Self-Realization, and four small books. We met interesting people. One young lady knew Christiana from Gainesville and Vanna from Ann Arbor.



Several people danced with us.


One older man danced for a while, his arms raised in the air. I asked his wife, while he was dancing, if he had some connection with Hare Krishna earlier in his life, but she was not sure of the extent of it. They lived in West Virginia and had been to New Vrindavan. She had read the abridged biography of our founder, Srila Prabhupada, and told me, “I love that Prabhupada.”

Another older man wearing a National Park ranger’s uniform, expressed some interest, bought a small book, and offered to give us a tour of the National Park, with its Fort Caroline, which is near the beach in Jacksonville, and which includes the highest point in Florida, with a ten-mile view. 

One young lady, who delighted in dancing with us, told me she had danced with us at a previous Art Walk.

Vanna got one guy to chant. 


I wrote down the details of our University of North Florida Krishna Club for at least five people who were attracted by the chanting and the literature. I was happy how everything worked out well and everyone had a great time, although I was the leader and our party was smaller than usual. We were blessed with excellent weather. Although the first week in February, even at 9 p.m. when we ended, I was warm enough wearing a short-sleeved kurta.

In this video you will see how Christiana’s singing attracted lots of people to take part by dancing with us in Jacksonville and how Audrey was so enthusiastic she kept the chanting going at the van for a while before we left. (https://youtu.be/WaF_tpRCtYE):

Chanting Hare Krishna at First Friday in Tallahassee

I was happy we had a party of eight devotees to chant at Tallassassee’s First Friday this month, including Gauranga Prasad Prabhu, who is full of positive energy. At first I was annoyed that the people across from us were playing recorded music at too loud a volume, but I recalled I had my amplifier with me, and that helped to combat it a lot. I was impressed that we had more people listen to us for a longer time than before. 

One guy listened to us for half an hour. He told me he first became interested in Hare Krishna in New York City, hearing and getting a book from the devotees who chant in Union Square, but he had recently moved to Tallahassee. He remembered some of the names of the devotees on that Union Square harinama party. He said he was planning to look up our temple in Tallahassee but was too busy getting settled to do that. He came to First Friday and some people told him that the Hare Krishnas were serving food and explained where, and so he joined us. I invited him to the Tallahassee temple and he came for two Gita classes and developed friendly relationships with Nama Kirtan Prabhu and Elias. I found out he worked for a company that collected food that was past the expiration date and arranged to give it to charities, and I invited him bring some of the food to the temple. He brought 15 avocadoes on his next visit. 

Audrey (on right) and Nickole talked to some of the young people who enjoyed listening to us. In conversation, Nickole discovered that one of them had gone to the same high school as she did in Miami. 

At the end, Gauranga Prasad Prabhu led harinama not just once, but twice, around the Railroad Square. The organizers of an art and music festival to be held at the Square later in the month, upon hearing us sing, invited us to perform at it. Again I was so happy my friends at Krishna House came and shared their enthusiasm for devotion to Krishna with others.

Here is a rather fuzzy video clip with Gauranga Prasad Prabhu singing and showing Audrey dancing with one girl (https://youtu.be/5tdqwBnmmOQ):

Chanting Hare Krishna Elsewhere in Tallahassee

Because a wedding was going on near where I usually chant at Lake Ella in Tallahassee, I chanted by the playground. 


At least seven kids were excited to play my instruments as I sang for three hours on a sunny but brisk North Florida winter day. I would show the kids the standard one-two-three karatala beat and the four different sounds you can make with the drum, open and closed on the big and small ends. Then I would let them play as best they could, without additional instruction, as my mission was to allow people to hear the chanting of Hare Krishna and not teach the playing of musical instruments. 


They were happy playing with me and stayed longer than I would have expected. The parents did not object much to the kids associating with me.

I was happy that Ramiya Prabhu and his wife joined me for the final day of chanting at the Florida State University campus. Kirtana is so much more powerful with even one or two more people.

Chanting at the Rainbow Gathering in Ocala National Forest



We had a small but enthusiastic party of three guys and three girls chanting and distributing prasadam and literature one Saturday afternoon to those attending the Rainbow Gathering at the Ocala National Forest. I was happy Vanna chanted her mind and decided to go the last minute. As the previous year, we put our prasadam buckets in a cart which we pulled from one group of people to the next. 


People were very happy to get the prasadam.


Bali and Abhi were great in chanting and playing the instruments.
Audrey helped out in different ways.

Vanna pulled the cart and served out.

Amrita encouraged people to take mantra cards and books. 

Here Amrita teaches a guy the Hare Krishna mantra.


We met one guy who very, very happy to get Bhagavad-gita. One young mother told us that she read Bhagavad-gita every night to her child as the kid was taking rest. While serving prasadam and while people were eating it, we would chant. Then we would move on to the next group of people. Usually we go into the forest looking for people, but this year we found enough people parked and camped along the road that we were fully engaged. We had brought five buckets of halava, each a different flavor, from the five days of Krishna Lunch that week. The mint carob was especially tasty. The peach was pretty good too. At the end, I went to each of the different Rainbow kitchens to donation the rest of the halava. The lady, who was in charge of the first kitchen where we played earlier in the day, was very happy to take a bucket of halava. She said that for the moment she is living in the Gainesville area, and I invited her to come visit us sometime. The Jesus Kitchen took the last two buckets of halava. Some people sang with us or played their instruments. One young guy who sang with us a while helped pull our cart of prasadam. Thanks to all the devotees who came and made it possible to share Krishna music, food, and books at that event.

Here is some video showing the first kitchen we stopped at to give you a feel for what it was like (https://youtu.be/CxRzzKr38HI):

Funny Pictures



This sign on the Krishna House men’s ashram box of communal health and body care products reminds me of this Sri Isopanisad verse (1): “Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself, which are set aside as his quota, and one should not accept other things, knowing well to whom they belong.”



Giriraja Swami’s servant carried the Swami’s books for sale in a bag from All Souls Chapel and Crematory at St. Michael’s Cemetery. One of the books was entitled Life’s Final Exam. I thought that was so funny I had to take a picture of it!

For photos I took but did not include, click on the link below:

Insights

Srila Prabhupada:

From a conversation New Vrindaban, West Virginia, on June 24, 1976:

“People see, with their own eyes, how the soul is transmigrating from one body to another body to still another body. Nevertheless, with their dull brains they cannot understand that at death, when the aged body is finished, the soul goes on to yet another body, material or spiritual. But people cannot understand this. They are so dull-brained. They cannot make the simple distinction between the body and the soul. It will take five hundred years to teach them this simple truth – their education is so advanced.”

From Srimad-Bhagatavam 8.5.48, purport:

“The Supreme Personality of Godhead is actually the only object of our love. As long as we are in this material world we have so many desires to fulfill, but when we come in touch with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, we immediately become perfect and fully satisfied, just as a child is fully satisfied when he comes to the lap of his mother. Dhruva Maharaja went to the forest to achieve some material result by austerity and penance, but when he actually saw the Supreme Personality of Godhead he said, ‘I do not want any material benediction. I am completely satisfied.’”

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura:

From Jaiva Dharma:

“A natural human sentiment, compassion finds its highest expression in the works of devotees of the Lord. The tenderness of the heart experienced toward Krishna is known as bhakti. All other jivas are servants of Krishna. When one experiences tenderness of heart toward them, it is known as daya, compassion. Therefore, compassion is included within bhakti.”

Satsvarupa dasa Goswami:

“All creative work
comes from Krishna in the heart.
A devotee shouldn’t
chant hoping to
get personal, creative
ideas. He should pray to serve
Krishna nicely. We are
not egoistic creators
but ‘subordinate lovers of the Supreme.’”

“Today’s drawing shows four
devotees dancing and chanting
with upraised arms.
They are happy and jumping.
Even if harinama devotees
are chanting sitting down,
they are dancing
in their hearts. The
more enthusiastic and
physically nimble among
them will actually get
up and dance. This
adds to the ecstasy.
Lord Caitanya and His associates
used to chant and dance.
The people were so amazed
at Mahaprabhu’s
physical manifestations.
He used to leap high, and
Lord Nityananda would run beside
Him to catch Him if He fell. We
may not be so empowered and
we may be growing old and
not inclined to dance, but
on occasion, we may rise to our feet
and fill our spirit
and the spirit of the group
and what to speak of the onlookers!”

 “The Hare Krishna chanters in
the City go out every day
and situate themselves
in public in a sacred spot.
They sing kirtana for long
hours and purify the
atmosphere. They do
congregational chanting
of the Hare Krishna mantra, which is
the only sacrifice recommended
for the Age of Kali.
They are doing the
most important
welfare work for
humanity because
the chanting removes
sinful reactions and
awakens love of Godhead
in the hearts of those who hear.
No other philanthropic or altruistic
work is as important
because all other endeavors cannot
break the cycle of repeated birth and death.
Harinama can do that, and that is why
its servants are the best friends and rescuers.”

From a letter to a disciple:

“The simple explanation of the fight between the Kauravas and the Pandavas was that Dhrtarastra was favoring his own sons over the Pandavas, but in a way which was contrary to dharma. And since Krishna’s mission is to reestablish dharma for humanity at large, and since the Kauravas were not willing to act according to dharma in a peaceful way, Krishna used such a major fight to catch the attention of the whole world to His personal teachings about the ultimate dharma: surrender unto Him in loving devotion. This is the heart of the Mahabharata, as can be read in the Bhagavad-gita.”

Bhakti Tirtha Swami:

From a recorded lecture:

My mother said, “Give me my flowers while I can see them.” As a kid I could not understand, but as an adult I appreciate her love for life.

Giriraja Swami:

The cowherd boys asking Krishna for food are under the influence of the spiritual energy (yogamaya), while ordinary people asking God for food are under the influence of the material energy.

The yogamaya energy causes the devotees to forget that Krishna is God and also causes Krishna to forget that He is God, so they can act in an intimate relationship.

Krishna did not want to his friends to tell the wives of the brahmanas performing sacrifice that He and Balarama were hungry because that would cause them too much pain. Rather they should say Krishna and Balarama are nearby.

Krishna is atma-priya, the most beloved of the soul.

We are naturally attracted to Krishna, as iron is attracted to a magnet, but as rusty iron is not attracted to magnet, when we are covered by material contamination that attraction is not manifest.

Krishna gave the wives of the brahmanas’ suggestions how they could advance in devotion to Him while remaining at home: “It is by hearing about Me, seeing My Deity form, meditating upon Me and chanting My names and glories that love for Me develops, not by physical proximity. Therefore please go back to your homes.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.23.33)

We also have not met Krishna this life, but we are attracted to Him by hearing about Him.

Anu means both “continuously” and “following.”

These pastimes of Krishna’s kindness to His devotees should awaken in our hearts a desire to have such a relationship with Krishna.

When the brahmanas’ wives returned home and their husbands saw their advanced devotion to Krishna, they accepted them as gurus who knew how to transcend the path of birth and death whereas they were actually ignorant of it.

Adi Karta Prabhu:

Our civilization is not very advanced because people are simply trying to benefit their own bodies and those of others without considering the soul within the body and its needs.

The body ages, but the person within the body remains the same.

According to the Vedas there are multiple universes. Now even the scientists have decided there is more than one universe.

Practically everyone in India has a name that has some relationship with Krishna.

Just outside of London we have a temple and 70,000 people come each year to celebrate Krishna’s birthday. You will not find such attendance at Anglican Churches to celebrate Christmas.

Krishna never likes to be worshiped as God because it takes the intimacy out of the relationship.

Akuti Devi:

The cure for our egoistic protest about hearing extensive glorification of Krishna is to continue to hear such glorification.

Krishna is for everyone, those who like the sweetness of His childhood pastimes and those who like to see his amazing opulence.

Srila Prabhupada could glorify both the opulence and the sweetness of Krishna.

We can feel we are reeled into Krishna’s shelter, away from the craziness of materialistic life.

A lot of us are on a marathon, as we do not have so much time left, we who are more than 50 years old.

Prabhupada’s essay on the ideal varnasrama community includes morning and evening kirtana.

It costs no money to realize the soul, but it takes a lot of time and energy.

We cannot imagine we will have a great spiritual life if we cheat on our sadhana.

Comments by Pran Govinda Prabhu: Giriraja Swami was telling us if we can eliminate the offenses to Vaishnavas and inattention that the other offenses will be reduced. Giriraja Swami also said if someone is going to criticize someone to him, he asks the person why he think he needs to hear the criticism, to make the devotee consider what he is doing. Radhanath Swami said if we focus on the good qualities of the devotees, we will not be disturbed by things we may not like about them.

Brahmatirtha Prabhu:

As a cat playing with a rat and a cat playing with its kitten may seem from a distance to be the same thing, the love between the gopis and Krishna may seem like the relationship between girls and boys of the material world, although they are completely different.

To achieve higher consciousness, we must be willing to give up those things that keep us in lower consciousness.

Sacinandana Swami decided to pervade all his regular spiritual practices with gratitude to improve his devotional consciousness.

Sacinandana Swami expresses realization that there is a lover of God within his heart, and through prayers to the Lord, he found hope that he could be uncovered.

Comment by Shyamala Kishori Devi Dasi: Prabhupada was once asked about how one who could not hear or see or even touch could become Krishna consciousness. Prabhupada replied, “Well, he can bow down.”

Once Srila Prabhupada said, “When my disciples are hungry, they will eat any damn thing.”

If we really believe that as part of Krishna that we have something lovable about us, that belief will help us conquer lust. That will help us develop humility and confidence.

Comment by Bali: You cannot lie to Krishna. Why lie to everyone else?

Comment by Naomi: As far as bumps on the road, you can go around them. If you hit them, you may have to change a tire, which is something we could use help with. You can use them to humble yourself.

When I had a conversation with Srila Prabhupada about advancing in spiritual life, he began and ended the conversation with the very same verse, which was the only verse I knew: “Even if one commits the most abominable action, if he is engaged in devotional service he is to be considered saintly because he is properly situated in his determination.” (Bhagavad-gita 9.30)

Srila Prabhupada explained that if accidentally one makes some mistake due to conditioning it is forgiven but not if one intentionally does something wrong.

We have trouble accepting that the real self we are hearing about is really us.

Kalakantha Prabhu:

Srila Prabhupada asked the devotees, “Who is stronger Krishna or Balarama?” Seeing their bewilderment, he explained that all the planetary systems rest on Lord Balarama, but as in our deities in Vrindavan, Balarama rests on Krishna.

Pralambasura is the first demon who was killed without having first attacked and the first killed outside the immediate precincts of Vrindavana.

Balarama is the original spiritual master. He takes care of those who have rejected Krishna and tries to elevate them. Thus He is very important to us.

Laksmana was upset that as the younger brother of Lord Rama He could not prevent Him from suffering exile in the forest, thus He came as the elder brother, Balarama, of Krishna, in Their next appearance. He found even as the elder brother, Krishna would not listen to Him, thus in frustration He appeared as the avadhuta Nityananda, and He did as He pleased.

A friend had this exchange with his college professor:

Student: “I am not sure that what you are teaching us is true.”

Professor of Psychology: “Where in the contract does it say it has to be true? We are just teaching you what you need to get ahead in this field.”

Thus disillusioned, my student friend dropped out of school.

The distress of the householders is they work hard for success, but after attaining what society taught them would satisfy them, they find they are still dissatisfied.

Comment by Dhrstadyumna Prabhu: When there was a terrible blizzard in Denver, it was one of my most memorable and ecstatic experiences as we read Srila Prabhupada’s books ten hours a day. Previously, before I was a devotee, when we were shut in it was just suffering.

Almost all medicines are toxic, and therefore they have to be taken in very regulated doses. Krishna consciousness is not like that. With Krishna consciousness, it is the more the better.

Because we have no taste for devotional service in the beginning, our regulated devotional service is our greatest investment. If we can take it seriously, the rest of our life will be an experience of deep fulfillment.

Although driving Krishna and Balarama to Mathura, as a pacca [first-class] brahmana, Akrura stopped part way to take his midday bath.

Some parents see Krishna House as the termination of their kids’ lives. Other people find it to be an oasis from the madness of society. Others think, “Why are these people wasting their time? They could be earning money.” Similarly people misunderstand the pastimes of Krishna and their value.

Mother Nanda:

Even with the cows, Krishna has a personal relationship with each. It is not just a few great personalities in the Bhagavatam, but actually every living entity, including ourselves, has a intimate relationship with Him.

The blazing fire that Krishna swallowed can be compared to the blazing fire of material existence.

Our saga in the material world did not just start 18 or 23 years ago [with the beginning of this life], it has been going on for thousands of years.

The cowherd boys did not call out, “Father”, “Mother”, “Indra”; they only took shelter of Krishna.

We may not solely take shelter of Krishna. We may find we are taking shelter of our credit or debit card. But we can pray to able to full take shelter of Krishna soon.

Kunti prayed for calamities because calamities force you to take shelter of Krishna.

Comment by Bali: Sometimes when things are going well with our devotional service, we think that we are perfect, and then we start accepting things that are unfavorable, and then we get into trouble, and that is not a good thing.

Chanting your rounds with concentration, associating with devotees, and having a friend in devotional service are all helpful if we get distracted and can help us get back to normal.

One acarya said that Krishna advised His friends to close their eyes before He swallowed the forest fire because He got into so much trouble when His friends saw Him eating dirt He was worried what would happen if they saw Him swallowing fire.

Comment by Naomi: We can see from this pastime that surrendering to Krishna makes one fearless because the cowherd boys were in such anxiety, but they became completely fearless by taking shelter of Krishna.

Ramiya Prabhu:

If your professor told you that you are speaking like a learned person, but actually you are a fool, you might walk out of the class, but when Krishna spoke that way to Arjuna, Arjuna stayed to hear Krishna’s wise words.

Regarding being in his seventies, my father there is nothing “golden” about it.

Like a car gets old, breaks down, and needs to be repaired, so it is true with the body.

Yoga is to get your body and mind in a peaceful state, so you can consider what is beyond the body. After you practice yoga, when you walk out of this room, if you get caught up in the external world, you will lose your peace.

A proper teacher does not just speak. You can see in his life examples of what he is teaching.

Do you know anyone who is sometimes a friend and sometimes an enemy? One moment they are friends, and then next moment they are enemies. It is very scary. The mind is like that.

As far as enjoyment, it is beyond our control. Sometime it is there and sometimes it is absent, but we cannot let ourselves be disturbed in either case.

We struggle internally, I want it, I don’t want it, but when we give it to Krishna, we are freed of the struggle.

Radha makes a special manohara-laddu that is most attractive to Krishna. Once when Krishna received one and put it in his mouth, he made a terrible face as it if it was disgusting, and then He distributed them to His friends, including Radha to please them, because they all love His remnants. She understood this and was not disturbed by his behavior.

Comment by Zoe: The Latin word humus means soil, and this word humble is related, as soil is lowly.

Sesa Prabhu:

Q: One may ask, “Why did Krishna create an arrangement to punish Indra which involved His devotees getting so much distress in terms of the heavy rainfall?”

A: One answer is that is arrangement not of Krishna but of His pastime potency (lila-shakti). Because this pastime potency can act independently from Krishna, it can be said that it is not the doing of Krishna.

na tasya karyam karanam ca vidyate

na tat-samas cabhyadhikas ca dṛsyate

parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate

svabhaviki jñana-bala-kriya ca

“The Supreme Lord has nothing to do, and no one is found to be equal to or greater than Him, for everything is done naturally and systematically by His multifarious energies.” (Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.8)

The real glory of the Govardhan-lila is that Krishna very wonderfully reciprocated with all of His different devotees simultaneously. His lila-shakti made this amazing arrangement.

If we see meaning in everything that happens to us, then we can get an understanding of how Krishna is acting for us.

There are activities and relationships both in this world and in the spiritual world.

The name Vaikuntha, which means without anxiety, contrasts with our experience of this world, which is full of anxiety.

Comte de Mirabeau said, “Short absence quickens love, long absence kills it.”

Bhaktimarga Swami said in a class, “In the material world, love is accompanied by fear, according to Srimad-Bhagavatam.”

Because of the [absolute] nature of Krishna, love of Krishna is different than the love of the material world. Being with Krishna, desiring to be with Krishna, and lamenting the absence of Krishna, are all ways of associating with Krishna and experiencing His presence.

Understanding the difference between love in the spiritual and the material world can help us move toward spiritual love.

Comment by Kalakantha:  The gopis address Krishna as Govinda because He has stolen their senses, Damodara because his absence will kill Mother Yashoda who addresses him by that name, and Madhava, indicating that He is the husband of the goddess of fortune and not them, and thus He is guilty of harming other men’s wives.

When ordinary people criticize God, it brings condemnation upon themselves, but those in love with Krishna can criticize Him like anything without being degraded, and still Krishna does as He wishes.

Madhava Prabhu [from New Raman Reti]:

Srila Prabhupada explains that because this world is a reflection of the spiritual world the highest thing, the relationship between the gopis and Krishna, when reflected in the material world in the relationships of unmarried girls and boys, becomes the lowest thing.

If we cannot see the pastimes between Krishna and the gopis in a pure way, it is better to leave them aside and focus on other pastimes.

We may be hiding things, but when we come to Krishna to surrender, we cannot, for He knows all.

From a talk on “Building Strong Relationships”:

There are three features of relationship:

1.             Understanding our relationship.

2.             Acting according to that relationship.

3.             Reaching the ultimate goal of that relationship – love.

When the soul looks toward Krishna, the material influence slackens.

Pran Govinda Prabhu:

Advaita Acarya Prabhu asked Lord Caitanya to see the same universal form that He had shown Arjuna. And so Lord Caitanya showed him Arjuna, his chariot, and the same universal form that Krishna had shown. Advaita did this not for Himself, but to establish that Lord Caitanya was Krishna Himself.

The spiritual world is centralized [in the sense that it has a center, Krishna] while the material is decentralized.

Advaita Acarya was so attractive as a child, when he came with His father to a Durga Puja festival, which His father, as a minister, was invited to, people looked at Him instead of Durga. He did not bow to Durga, which bewildered the brahmanas. He said that he did not have to as Durga was His maidservant. He further said if He bowed to the deity, she would shatter. They pushed him to bow to her anyway, and the deity shattered.

Kalki Prabhu:

Srila Prabhupada makes the point that an acarya must propagate devotional service to Krishna and that Lord Caitanya is the original acarya.

In a caption to a picture of his guru in Bhagavad-gita, Srila Prabhupada glorifies his guru for spreading Krishna consciousness all over the world. He does not use that glorification as the caption for his own picture.

Serving the guru is the means of pleasing the Krishna.

Comment by Abhimanyu Prabhu: The determination of Advaita Acarya was, “Either I will bring Lord Krishna to this world, or I will destroy it by My Sudarshan cakra.”

Audrey:

From a dinner conversation:

I prayed that I did not want to have to worry about school or a job but that I would have hours to read Srila Prabhupada’s books every day. I find here at Krishna House, that Krishna gave me exactly what I wanted. I did not even know this place existed before!

—–

We may be frustrated by all the bad qualities of this age, but the situation is not hopeless. If we chant Hare Krishna it can be the best age, because we can awaken our love for God and attain the spiritual kingdom. We can also offer this solution to others. This verse explains that:

kaler dosa-nidhe rajan

asti hy eko mahan gunah

kirtanad eva krishnasya

mukta sangah param vrajet

“My dear King, although Kali-yuga is an ocean of faults, there is still one good quality about this age: Simply by chanting the Hare Krishna maha–mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 12.3.51)

Travel Journal#12.1: New York City Harinam, Atlanta, and North Florida
→ Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 12, No. 1
By Krishna-kripa das
(January 2016, part one)

North Florida
(Sent from USF, Tampa, Florida, on, February 18, 2016)

The first four days of 2016, I continued chanting with the New York City Harinam party in the subway stations. The next day I chanted in Atlanta for almost two hours between my flight from LaGuardia and my Megabus to Gainesville. The next day I chanted at Krishna Lunch and with my Krishna House friends at the Farmers Market. The next two days I chanted at University of North Florida in Jacksonville, and I attended their Friday Krishna Club meeting. Then I went to Orlando at the request of Trivikrama Swami, who wanted me to keep the Hare Krishna presence on the University of Central Florida campus alive while he was in Eastern Europe for two weeks at the beginning of the spring semester. The first day in Orlando, a Saturday, I chantedin public for two hours with devotees in Winter Park. The following week I took a day off my daily UCF campus chanting to attend a meeting of Bhaktivedanta Institute devotees in Gainesville, and I chanted at Krishna Lunch in Gainesville instead. The next Saturday, three other Orlando devotees joined me chanting for two hours in front the Patel Brothers, a popular Indian store.

I share many insights from Srila Prabhupada’s books and lectures. I include a beautiful poem about the holy name by Bhaktivinoda Thakura called Sri Nama Mahatmya. I share an excerpt about the public chanting of the holy name from the daily journal of Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami. I include notes on interesting lectures by Amala Bhakti Swami. There are notes on a recorded lecture by Radhanath Swami. Many nice realizations from Madhava Prabhu from New Raman Reti, speaking in Gainesville and Deva Madhava Prabhu, who runs a Krishna House near Ann Arbor, speaking at the Harinam Ashram in New York City. I also include realizations from newer devotees in Gainesville and Jacksonville.

Itinerary

February 18–24: Gainesville area (and UNF and USF campuses)

February 25: New York City

February 26–28: Dublin, Ireland

March 1–3: Mumbai

March 5–10: Mayapur Kirtan Mela

March 12–21: Rishikesh Harinama

March 22–April 11: Vrindavan

April 13: Mumbai

April 14–: Dublin, Ireland

April 27: King’s Day, Amsterdam

April 28–29: Holland

April 30–May 1: Birmingham 24-hour kirtana

May 2–: The North of England and Scotland

July 12–16: Polish Woodstock

September 13–: New York City Harinam

New York City Harinam

As I mentioned in the previous journal we chanted in Bryant Park on New Years Eve. I forgot to include the above pictures Stella took of us there.



The Times Square subway station is one of the busiest in New York City, although perhaps the coldest of the ones we regularly perform in.


Not only did we chant there on New Years Eve, but on New Years Day as well (https://youtu.be/SJspozyyDjQ):

Grand Central subway station is one of the warmer ones but the weather was so cold that even the subway station was too cold for me. 

Still Deva Madhava Prabhu chanted a very fired-up kirtana getting the devotees dancing (https://youtu.be/7m91FGuzDik):

Nihal was among the best dancers.

Chanting in Atlanta

After my direct flight from Laguardia in New York to Atlanta, I chanted for almost two hours across the street from the Megabus stop in Atlanta, the Civic Center stop on the MARTA train. It was sunny, but windy and in the 40s (between 5 and 10 degrees C). One guy who passed by, stopped and sat cross-legged in front of me and listened for 5 or 10 minutes. That does not happen every day!

Krishna House Evening Kirtana

Ever since I moved into the temple on 55th Street in Manhattan back in 1979, I have loved the evening kirtana. After serving Krishna all day, it is wonderful to come back to the temple, and sing and dance for Him in the evening. Every time I return to Gainesville’s Krishna House, the evening kirtana is more ecstatic, and that makes me so happy. You can see some of the excitement in this video (https://youtu.be/LMLo-TfIV78):

Thanks to Vanna for her enthusiastic singing!

Farmers Market Harinama



Ecstatic Krishna House devotees chanted at the Gainesville Farmers Market the first Wednesday in January.


It was wonderful how many devotees came out.

One young couple donated some organic carrots, and accepted a Beyond Birth and Death book and my invitation to chant with us. They ended up chanting until we left an hour later, and there faces were smiling!

Audrey took this video you can see if you are her Facebook friend, or perhaps, mine:
https://www.facebook.com/audrey.hunsicker.77/videos/vb.100006459198285/1948113685413919/?type=2&theater

All glories to the congregational chanting of the holy name!

University of North Florida

One day I chanted my last 12 rounds in a study carrel on the topmost of the quiet floors in the University of North Florida library, looking at this picture of Radha and Krishna, and meditating on how They are nondifferent from Their names and that the mantra awakens love for Them. It was one of my better japa sessions recently. Certainly a lot better than chanting on the New York City subway!

Youssef Benbrahim led a great kirtana at Krishna Club on Friday night, with Richie on the harmonium. Madison, playing the karatalas, Tyrell, playing the drum, and Marie, on Tyrell’s right all came for the first time, having met us singing on the green in the afternoon. They all stayed to the end and had a great time. Laura Jayne and Amrita Keli danced. I love University of North Florida Krishna Club. Thanks to Amrita Keli and Lovelesh Chawla for maintaining this ecstatic program! (https://youtu.be/AkhVwRHuYJE):

Winter Park Harinama in Orlando



I was happy to learn that the one day a month when the devotees do harinama, public congregational chanting of the holy name of the Lord, in Orlando, was the day I arrived. Unfortunately, most of the congregation lives away from the temple, so Dorian and I could not get a ride, and we had to ride the bus for almost two hours to get to Winter Park, the site of the harinama.Although we arrived twenty minutes late, still we were the second and third person to arrive. I started singing the lead, and then Dorian. Later on Rasikananda Prabhu arrived, and also took a turn leading. He has lots of musical talent and some natural devotion from being raised in a Hare Krishna family. You can see a little of our joy in this video (https://youtu.be/TSk8nqJjuhI):

We had a small book table between the sidewalk and the park behind us.

Chanting at the University of Central Florida in Orlando

The University of Central Florida has the largest undergraduate enrollment of all the colleges in the United States (52,539 students). The Hare Krishna temple is just two miles from the campus, and they say a fifteen-minute walk from the college’s free shuttle bus.

When I was in Orlando I chanted there for three hours every day classes were in session. Often I had a book table in front of the student union. When I did not have that, I would chant in the free speech area behind the library with the books spread out on a cloth. 

I was so pleased that two devotees who are students joined me for some time almost every day, and they also helped set up the table and carry the books and instruments. 


They were Dorian (left), who I knew from when he attended the University of North Florida and later lived in Krishna House, and Naman (right), a Ph.D. in optics who is the president of our club on the UCF campus.  

Harinama at Patel Brothers in Orlando

I hoped to convince the leaders of the Winter Park harinama to come out again the next Saturday, but I was unsuccessful.




Sravan Ananda Prabhu saw my enthusiasm for more harinama, and he decided we could go to an Indian store named Patel Brothers and chant, collect donations and sell books. 


He came out, along with his wife, and Naman, and myself.

He was very happy we distributed some books and collected $60.


During the evening, a couple Indian girls delighted in playing the tambourine and even chanting while the rest of their families shopped. The manager of the store donated ingredients so I could make coconut burfi for the Orlando temple’s Sunday Feast.

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

Notes on a Bhaktivedanta Institute Meeting in Gainesville

Prishni Devi Dasi:

Janaki Ram Prabhu’s Hindu Theology and Biology elevates the Srimad-Bhagavatam to the level of the best literature that deals with the question of biology and religion.

Brahma Tirtha Prabhu:

A serious problem in our movement is that a lot of people know the philosophy but they do not know philosophy.

Janaki Ram Prabhu:

Pradyumna Prabhu is a real untapped resource in our movement having knowledge about practically everything.

Murli Gopala Prabhu:

In Quantum Mechanics the math works perfectly, but the interpretation runs into difficulties such as Schrödinger’s cat paradox.

When the system is observed and measurement is taken, only the one of the many possibilities happens, and the equations cannot tell you which one. Wigner and Von Neumann argue that the consciousness of observer is the cause of the collapse of the wave function and the selection of a single possibility. Multiple observers are hard to deal with in this interpretation.

Rasaraja Prabhu interprets it in different way. He made the point that we are not here so matter can become actualized. Matter is a conduit is for one to exchange information with others. He argues that there is a universal observer and multiple observers.

Comment by Sthita-muni Prabhu: Rasaraja got published in Philosophy of Science and that means that among those people his ideas were worth considering.

Insights

Prabhupada:

From a lecture on The Nectar of Devotion,in Vrindavan, on November 4, 1972:

“Krodha, anger, is not good, but anger also can be utilized for Krishna’s service. Just like Hanuman, he became angry upon Ravana for the sake of Lord Ramacandra, and he set fire in the golden city of Ravana, Lanka. So that anger was utilized for Lord Ramacandra’s service. He never utilized anger for his personal sense gratification. In this way, everything can be dovetailed in the service of the Lord.”

“We can know also from the direction of the spiritual master how Krishna will be pleased.”

“You cannot avoid the miserable condition of this body. That is not possible. So we have to tolerate. There is no other excuse. But do not create another body. That is devotional service. . . . That is the aim of human life. . . . As soon as you get a material body, you are put into the miserable condition of material nature. So we should not create another body so that we shall be put into, under tribulation again. That is intelligence. So if we put ourself in the activities of devotional service, we save that risk. Not to create another body.”

From a lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.26.47, January 22, 1975, in Bombay:

There is spiritual sound, and therefore, there is spiritual sky. There cannot be sound without sky.

This sky is temporary, but the spiritual sky is eternal.

Omkara and Hare Krishna are sound vibrations from the spiritual sky.

If you chant material sound more and more, you will feel is disgusted, but if you chant spiritual sound you will feel transcendental bliss.

How to transfer to the spiritual world, the eternal world, is our only business in our human life.

You can be immediately in touch with Krishna by vibrating Hare Krishna.

“If you want water, if you chant only ‘water, water, water, water,’ you will not get water, because it is material sound. The water substance is different from the word water. Therefore, simply by chanting ‘water, water,’ you cannot quench your thirst.”

“But in the spiritual world, the name and the person or the substance is the same. There is no difference. Krishna and Krishna’s name is the same. There is no difference. Therefore, those who are chanting ‘Krishna, Krishna, Krishna,’ they are becoming more and more engladdened, enthusiastic to chant.”

“By chanting Hare Krishna vibration, the sound, you gradually become cleansed.”

“As soon as you begin chanting Hare Krishna maha-mantra,you gradually become self-realized, aham brahmasmi, simply by chanting. Aham brahmasmi [I am spirit], you can understand.”

“So ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Antya 20.12) means you’ll be freed from this ignorance that ‘I am something of this material world.’ This is wanted. So long we are not realized, self-realized, then we are no better than these cats and dogs, because they do not know that they are not the body.”

“If you are embarrassed with these four things, ahara-nidra-bhaya-maithunam ca [eating, sleeping, fearing and mating], then you are not making progress in spiritual life.”

“Some actress, some cinema artist, singing, and people are so fond of hearing that singing that the artist is paid fifteen thousand rupees for one song. There are many here in Bombay. So just see how much attraction we have got for the material sound vibration. Similarly, the same attachment, if we turn to hear about Hare Krishna maha-mantra, then we become liberated. The same sound. One is material; one is spiritual. So you practice to be attached by this spiritual sound vibration, then your life will be successful.”

“So this Krishna consciousness movement is meant for this purpose, that you have already attachment for sound. Now just transfer this attachment for spiritual sound. Then your life will be successful.”

“Don’t be very much happy when you are in [a] happy condition of life; neither you become mad in [a] miserable condition of life. Chant Hare Krishna and make your life [a] success. That is required. This is the propaganda of this Hare Krishna movement, or Krishna consciousness.”

From a lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.28.17 in Nairobi, Kenya, on Oct. 26, 1975:

“Just like the father wants to favor the son always. Father wants that ‘My son may become very fit, competent, to take all my favors.’ This is father’s wish. Every father, even in this material world, if father is very big man, great man, he wants that ‘My son also, let him become bigger than me.’ Is it not, practical?”

“[Krishna says:] ‘I am the seed-giving father of all living entities.’ It doesn’t matter in different forms. He does not say that ‘I am the father only of the white, not of the black.’ He never says. He has no such distinction: white, black, European, American, or poor, rich, bird, beast, human being. No. He does not make any discrimination. He is always ready to bestow favor as the original father. That is God.”

“You have to give up this designation that ‘I am Hindu,’ ‘I am Muslim,’ ‘I am Christian,’ ‘I am African.’ No. No designation. Simply become pure Brahman. Then aham brahmasmi. That is called ahambrahmasmi, not that ‘I remain a Christian,’ ‘I remain a Hindu,’ ‘I remain black,’ ‘I am white,’ and ‘I am Brahman.’ No, not that. You have to give up your designation. That requires practice. And that practice means this param vijayate sri-krishna-sankirtanam [the supremely victorious congregational chanting of the holy name of Krishna].Simply by chanting, you’ll be purified.”

“When you think like that, that ‘I am eternal servant of Krishna,’ then all these dirty things will automatically vanish.”

“Why you are trying to preach Krishna consciousness all over the world? Because we have accepted this principle, that ‘I am Krishna’s servant. Krishna wants to deliver these rascals from this misconception of life, so let me do something for Krishna.’ This is Krishna consciousness.”

“Whole world is servant of somebody, but he declines to become servant of Krishna. This is the disease, material disease. He will remain servant of thousands and millions of establishment and person, but he will disagree. As soon as Krishna says that ‘You give up. You become My servant,’ ‘No, no. Why can I? Why shall I do it?’ This is materialist.”

From a lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.31 in Honolulu on May 30, 1976:

We learn from the Vedic literature, the soul resides in the heart of the body.

The Vedas say we have to see through the revealed literature as our senses are imperfect.

We cannot see the closest thing, the eyelid, nor can we see what is most far away. Neither can we see at night. Our vision is subjected to so many conditions.

We cannot create earth, water, fire, air, and ether, only Krishna can. Thus our body composed of these elements is Krishna’s creation.

The yogis think “God is sitting with me, let me see.” Thus they engage in meditation to see God.

The devotee knows that everything belongs to Krishna and thus it must be used for Krishna. That is Krishna consciousness.

Everything is a fact, not mithya, false, as the Mayavadis say.

The princesses imprisoned by Bhaumasura could not find husbands because they had been taken by another man and had lost their respectability, thus they feelingly appealed to Krishna, who kindly agreed to marry all of them. We can learn from this if we take shelter of Krishna, whatever our position in society, He will take care of us. Therefore, we should be eager to take shelter of Him.

From a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.32 in San Francisco on July 17, 1975:

“Here you can understand that in the Vaikuntha planets, as the Lord Vishnu is four-handed, similarly, all the inhabitants there, they are also four-handed and equally dressed. Just like here, if your President Ford comes, he also dressed like a nice gentleman. And there are many others also, equally nicely dressed. You cannot distinguish who is president and who is ordinary man.”

“But the Vishnudutas [servants of the Supreme Lord] have come there because although he was sinful, although he was most impious, although he was a prostitute-hunter and cheater and so many good qualities, still, he has chanted the holy name of Narayana at the end of his life. . . . Whole life sinful—ante narayana-smritih [Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.1.6], but he has remembered Narayana at the end of his life.”

Bhaktivinoda Thakura:



From Sri Nama Mahatmya [The Glories of the Holy Name]:


Verse 1


What power does the Name
of Krishna possess?
My heart constantly burns
in the fire of worldly desires
just like a desert scorched
by the rays of the sun.
The holy name, entering the core
of my heart through
the holes of my ears
showers unparalleled nectar upon my soul


Verse 2


The holy name speaks from
within my heart,
moves onto the tip of my tongue
and constantly dances
on it in the form of transcendental sound. 
My throat becomes choked up
my body shivers again
and again and my feet cannot remain still.


Verse 3


Rivers of tears flow through my eyes;
perspiration completely soaks
my body. All my skin thrills with rapture,
my hairs stand on end
and my complexion turns pale
and discolored. My mind grows faint.
I begin to experience devastation
and my entire body is shattered in
a flood of ecstatic emotions.


Verse 4


While causing such an ecstatic disturbance,
the holy name showers
nectar on my heart
and drowns me in the ocean
of divine love of Godhead.
He does not allow me to understand anything
for He has made me truly mad
by having stolen away my mind and all my resources.


Verse 5:


Such is the behavior of Him
in whom I have taken shelter.
I am not capable of describing all of this
the Holy Name is independent
and thus acts on its own sweet will.
In whatever way He becomes
happy that is also my
way of happiness.


Verse 6:


The Holy Name is the bud
of the flower of Divine Love
and is the very abode of the
astonishing mellows.
Such is the power He manifests
that when the Holy Name starts
to blossom a little further
that reveals its own divine form
and qualities. Thus my heart is abducted
and taken directly to Krishna.


Verse 7:


Blossoming fully the flower
of the Holy Name takes
me to Braja and reveals to me His own love-dalliance.
This Name gives to me my
own eternal spiritual body, keeps me right by Krishna’s side,
and completely destroys
everything related to this mortal frame of mine.


Verse 8:


The name of Krishna
is a transcendental touchstone, a mine of all devotional mellows
is eternally liberated
and the embodiment of pure rasa.
When all impediments in pure chanting
of the Holy Name are taken away
and destroyed then my happiness will know its true
awakening.


Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:

From “Poem for January 16” in Vihara Bhavan:


“Harinama devotees
bring relief to people
with disturbed minds.
They have appeared at
scenes of recent disasters
or riots and spread
a calming influence.
The positive-mindedness
of the chanters offsets
the gloom and depression
present in intense situations.
God’s holy names have
the power to calm
agitated minds. Even in intense scenes
of material enjoyment,
at gatherings before
rock concerts or
sporting events, it
is good to share
harinama to bring
a level of sanity
and spiritual presence.”


Amala Bhakta Swami:

If we really desire something from the heart, Krishna will reciprocate by sending whatever is required.

Bhagavad-gita 2.66 is a very important verse because it talks about peace of mind, something universally sought, but rarely found.

Everything is connected with Krishna but not everyone is in consciousness of this connection.

Lord Krishna’s maya makes us think we are making things happen when in reality Krishna is behind the scenes making everything happen.

If we do not think of Krishna, we will not fall in love with Him.

Srila Prabhupada wrote the Krishna book because he wanted to make sure that we had the Tenth Canto of the Srimad-Bhagavatam in an authorized way, in a sober way, according to the line of spiritual teachers.

When you are ready for Lord Krishna’s rasa dance, you will be invited. You do not have to invite yourself. It is like in this world, if you crash a party you are not invited to, you will not be appreciated.

In Ratha-yatra, we are pulling Krishna back to Vrindavan.

We must desire to go back to Godhead, while at the same time being aware that we may not be yet qualified to go there.

By reading about Krishna’s pastimes, you will become attached to Him.

The spiritual sex of the Tenth Canto takes place in the heart region not the genital region. It is a completely different experience from the material experience.

I try to listen to Krishna book and Sri Caitanya–caritamrita every day to increase my attachment for Krishna.

Reading Krishna’s pastimes to the devotees in New Dvaraka for 23 years during meals helped me to develop whatever attachment I do have for Him.

When I die, I lose everything, so why should I envy those who have more than I do.

Freedom from sin is not the end, but it is just the beginning [love of God is the goal].

If we give the best to Krishna, He will give the best to us.

Q: How do deal with the gopis?

A: We try to understand they are the perfection of devotion. We aspire for such devotion. We pray for their mercy.

Rather than cause to distress to others, a humble devotee desires to tolerate distress himself. This is the example of Sanatana Goswami who tolerated the pain of the hot sand to avoid paining the brahmanas by possibly contaminating them.

Radhanath Swami:

From a recorded lecture:

It appears that the intimate talks between Krishna and the gopis are imitations of the romantic talks between boys and girls of this world, but actually just the opposite is true. The romantic relationships of this world are perverted intimations of the pristine pastimes of Lord Krishna and His pure devotees.

People say we assign human qualities to God to make Him appear more human, when in reality it is the opposite. We have different emotions because God Himself has emotions.

The impersonalist philosophers want us to annihilate our desires, but the devotees want to infinitely increase their desires to serve Krishna.

Madhava Prabhu [from New Raman Reti]:

The Ninth Canto has a lot of bewildering stories of how different people are allured by material distractions. The purpose of this to keep materially motivated people from reaching the Tenth Canto, the essence of Srimad-Bhagavatam.

Also in the Ninth Canto you see lists of names spanning millennia.

“To show causeless mercy to the devotees who would take birth in the future in this Age of Kali, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, acted in such a way that simply by remembering Him one will be freed from all the lamentation and unhappiness of material existence.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 9.24.61)

This especially appropriate because there is a lot of suffering in the Ninth Canto.

“Simply by receiving the glories of the Lord through purified transcendental ears, the devotees of the Lord are immediately freed from strong material desires and engagement in fruitive activities.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 9.24.62)

At the end of the Ninth Canto, it is as if Sukadeva is asking King Pariksit, “What do you really want to hear about Urvasi or Krishna?”

The sands of Vrindavan are special because Krishna goes barefoot there.

It is described the different notes that Krishna plays have special effects:

1st  note: bewilders the Demigods and Anantasesa sways to the melody
2nd note: Yamuna flows backwards

3rdnote: Makes the moon stop in orbit

4thnote: Makes the cows run to Krishna. Krishna calls the cows on the 4th note.

5thnote: Attracts the gopis and makes them come running to Him.

6thnote: Melts stones and manifests the Autumn Season

7thnote: Manifests all seasons

8thnote: Exclusively for Srimati Radharani. The flute takes Her name and calls for Her directly.

Seeing Krishna steals our sight away from all other attractions.

“Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, is the reservoir of all beauty. All beautiful things emanate from Him, and His personal form is so attractive that it steals the eyes away from all other objects, which then seem devoid of beauty in comparison to Him. When Lord Krishna was on the earth, He attracted the eyes of all people. When Krishna spoke, His words attracted the minds of all who remembered them. By seeing the footsteps of Lord Krishna, people became attracted to Him, and thus they wanted to offer their bodily activities to the Lord as His followers. In this way Krishna very easily spread His glories, which are sung throughout the world by the most sublime and essential Vedic verses. Lord Krishna considered that simply by hearing and chanting those glories, conditioned souls born in the future would cross beyond the darkness of ignorance. Being satisfied with this arrangement, He left for His desired destination.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam11.1.6–7)

Bhagavat Purana Prabhu:

If you sing from the diaphragm then you can sing louder and longer and not destroy your voice.

Deva Madhava Prabhu:

If you can take one soul back to Godhead, you are actually the best doctor. Otherwise the poor soul will take many births and suffer AIDS, cancer, heart disease, etc., in many lives.

Advaita Acarya is the incarnation of Maha-Vishnu and Sadashiva. He is a combination of multiple personalities like many persons in Lord Caitanya’s pastimes, including Lord Caitanya Himself.

Srila Prabhupada went to Shantipur to call out for Advaita Acarya’s mercy to distribute Krishna consciousness in the West, even as Advaita Acarya called out for Krishna to descend.

Lord Vishnu said he could not protect Durvasa from the Sudarsana cakra because that cakra was meant to protect His devotees.

In our college days, when we heard there was a party, our first question would be “Who is going to be there?” If our friends were not going to be there, it would not be worth going to. Krishna has a similar psychology. Krishna sends his associates to the material world before coming.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrita is the living manual for Vaishnava etiquette.

The practice that we are following is the process that Lord Caitanya taught to realize the highest truths about Himself.

Jayapataka Swami tells how Srila Prabhupada was paralyzed from the neck down from a stroke and yet was still preaching to the nurses and doctors in the hospital.

Jayapataka Swami says that amanina manadena, expecting not respect for oneself but willing to respect others, is the essence of all advice for self-improvement.

If we remember that all our abilities were given to us by others, then we can remain humble.

Lord Caitanya send His associates first so He would have others to serve with.

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura says that sacrificing one life in the fire of the sacrifice of the congregational chanting of the holy name yields one two spiritual bodies, one in the Goloka Vrindavan and one in the Navadvipa section of the same.

On harinama we are not trying to sing beautifully or collect money, but we are trying to engage the people we encounter in a loving exchange. If we treat people as their external designations, we may sell some literature, as professional salesmen do, but that exchange will not change their hearts.

To think that Krishna does not want us to be with those devotees who are presently around us is to doubt His love for us.

It is not what they can do for you but what you can do for them that will help you advance.

Comment by me: In Bhagavad-gita 2.44, the word prasaktanam means “too much attached.” It is natural that we may have some attachment for sense enjoyment and material opulence, but when we are too much attached then we cannot attain samadhi, the perfection of yoga.

Natabara Gauranga Prabhu:

Chanting six hours a day increases vata, and if you do not have a program for balancing that, in the course of time, it will adversely affect your health.

Amrita Keli Devi Dasi:

From a University of North Florida Krishna Club meeting:

Along with chanting, we are advised to associate with devotees. We are not meant to practice spiritual life alone.

Laura:

From a University of North Florida Krishna Club meeting:

I find my spiritual practice has really helped me in relationships with people. I analyze how I react and try to understand it.  I do not know how I could do marriage if I was not Krishna conscious.

Abhimanyu Prabhu:

Aham brahmasmi [I am spirit] is just half it. The rest of it is jivera svarupa haya krishnera dasa [I am by constitution a servant of Krishna].

Seeing the happiness of the people engaged in devotional service inspired me to take it seriously.

It is a science of self-realization, so if you practice it you will get some experience of it.

My father [Dhira Govinda Prabhu] said regarding his mantra study, “I am sure I am going to be punished terribly for creating a bogus mantra, but it was for science.”

—–

What is the value of all this public chanting of Hare Krishna?
People advance spiritually, even without their knowledge!

ajnanad athava jnanad

uttamasloka-nama yat

sankirtitam agham pumso

dahed edho yathanalah

yathagadam viryatamam

upayuktam yadricchaya

ajanato ’py atma-gunam

kuryan mantro ’py udahrtah

“Fire will act, regardless of whether handled by an innocent child or by someone well aware of its power. For example, if a field of straw or dry grass is set afire, either by an elderly man who knows the power of fire or by a child who does not, the grass will be burned to ashes. Similarly, one may or may not know the power of chanting the Hare Krishna mantra, but if one chants the holy name he will become free from all sinful reactions.

“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 6.2.18–19)

Travel Journal#11.24: New York City Harinam and Albany
→ Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 11, No. 24
By Krishna-kripa das
(December 2015, part two)

New York City Harinam, Albany
(Sent from Gainesville, Florida, on February 12, 2016)

I rejoined the New York City Harinam party for the second half of December, except for a one-day excursion to see my family in Albany for Christmas Eve. Because of the cold, our NYC Harinam party sang in the subway stations except for a couple days in Union Square and one night in Times Square. New Years Eve was special in that I did harinama with the NYC Harinam party at the subway stations at Times Square and Grand Central, and outside at Bryant Park, and with the Bhakti Center devotees all the way from the Bhakti Center, in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, over the Manhattan Bridge, to Radha-Govinda Mandir in Brooklyn.

I share notes on Srila Prabhupada’s lectures and books. I share a quote of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. I share excerpts from the online journal of Satsvarupa dasa Goswami. I share notes on a Prabhupada remembrance video wherein devotees talk about Prabhupada coming to the London Ratha-yatra. I also share notes from devotees speaking at the Harinam Ashram, including full-time residents like Abhiram Prabhu and Rama Raya Prabhu, and visitors such Bhagavat Purana from the 24-hour kirtana in Vrindavan, Yashoda-dulal Prabhu, a brahmacari doing outreach in Montreal, Deva Madhava Prabhu, who does harinama in Michigan, Isvari Jahnava Devi who does harinama in Vancover, and Bhima-Karma Prabhu, who teaches mrdanga. I also have notes on a recorded lecture by Kadamba Kanana Swami.

As it is the end of the year I provide my accounting report so people who give me money know how I spend it.


Income and Expenses for 2015 

Category              Amount
Book Sales             67.31
Donations           3,796.15
Loans                   8.16
Total Income       $3,871.62 

Category              Amount
Book Purchases         13.60
Festival Fees          54.21
Gifts                 377.09
Health                 74.22
Electronics             3.64
Maintenance            49.07
Prasadam (Food)        53.67
Travel              3,347.22
Total Expenses     $3,972.72   

Balance             -$101.10

I would like to thank all the people who kindly contributed in 2015 to make my extensive travel possible. These include, in descending order by amount: Sivam of Maryland, Kaliya Krishna Prabhu of New York City, Baladeva Vidyabhusana Prabhu of Gitanagari Press, Vishnu-priya Devi Dasi of Jacksonville, Nanda Kumar Prabhu (IDS), Sivananda Sena Prabhu of Rotterdam, Janananda Goswami, who covered my trip to Paris for Ratha-yatra and harinama, the Newcastle-upon-Tyne temple, Atmanivedana Prabhu, who runs the Saturday evening program at 26 Second Ave., Sankarsan Lila Prabhu of Gainesville, Sankarsana Prabhu of Potomac, Mother Sukhada of Alachua, Prahladananda Swami, for my doing proofreading for him, Alan Miles and the Liverpool Nama-hatta, Janardana Prabhu and the Leeds Nama-hatta, Anthony Bate and the Preston Nama-hatta, my sister Karen, the Bhakti Yoga Club of UNF, Nama Kirtan Prabhu of Tallahassee, Todd of Tampa, Dhruva Prabhu of Kansas City, my sister’s partner Victor, Gaura Karuna Prabhu of the Harinama Ruci traveling party, Janardana Prabhu & Amy, Lukas of Edinburgh, Kishor of Orlando and Tampa, my mother, Kalki Prabhu of Newcastle, Lovelesh of Jacksonville, Sthita-dhi Muni Prabhu (SDG), Jagannath Kirtan Prabhu (Havi’s son), Ali Krishna Devi Dasi, Malini Devi Dasi of Edinburgh, Bhakta Larry of Brooklyn, Martin from Leipzig, Clive of Chester, Eleanora of Ireland, Punya Palaka Prabhu from Czech Republic, Ananta Nitai Prabhu of Dublin, Govinda Prabhu from Scotland, Doug Rowling of Preston, ISKCON South London, Haladhara Baladeva Prabhu of Leeds, Joe of Sheffield, John of Leeds, Locan Das Thakura Prabhu of Brighton, Rima of Edinburgh, other devotees from the Leeds congregation, my niece Fern and her friend Oliver, Kanwar of Sheffield, Vishnujana Prabhu also of Harinama Ruci, Mariana of Sheffield, Caitanya Candrodaya Prabhu from Ukraine, a lady on Dublin harinama, Govardhan Dasi, the Munich public, a Warsaw devotee, Srinivas Prabhu of France, a man in Ybor City, an Oriental man at Lake Ella, a student at FSU, and Krishna Kirtana Prabhu of Warsaw.

Thanks also to my many drivers and those who gave me a place stay for the night. Thanks again to Jagannath Kirtan Prabhu for the Macbook he gave me so I can work on this blog.

Thanks to the many people who were willing to chant Hare Krishna with me in public and those who allowed me to chant with them. Striking among them was Rama Raya Prabhu and his amazing New York City Harinam party with dedicated souls doing harinama in New York City six hours a day.

Itinerary

February 10–February 24: Gainesville area (and UNF and USF campuses)

February 25: New York City

February 26–28: Dublin, Ireland

March 1–3: Mumbai

March 5–10: Mayapur Kirtan Mela

March 12–21: Rishikesh Harinama

March 22–April 11: Vrindavan?

April 13: Mumbai

April 14–: Dublin, Ireland

April 27: King’s Day, Amsterdam

April 30–May 1: Birmingham 24-hour kirtana

May 2–: The North of England and Scotland

July 12–16: Polish Woodstock

September 13–: New York City Harinam

New York City Harinam

We chanted Hare Krishna in the Times Square subway station the first Saturday I was there, and people interacted with us in different ways (https://www.youtu.be/v5J-ENYbmVw):

Once as we were chanting Hare Krishna in the Times Square subway station, a friendly Afro-American guy eagerly asked me, “What do you guys believe?” I explained we come in the Hindu tradition, but we worship “the one God,” as many religions do. According to the ancient Vedas of India, the most powerfully transformational spiritual practice is to sing the names and glories of God with others.” He replied, “That is the best thing I have ever heard!” I think he found it refreshing that we were not just another group claiming we were better than the others, but that we gave him universal knowledge.

I offered one young man who glanced favorably at our Times Square subway station chanting party a Bhagavad-gita. He said he already had it and that it was the best book ever written! I encouraged him to take a Science of Self-Realization, but he declined saying he already had the Gita. I offered to give him an invitation to our weekly Bhagavad-gita classes, but he said he would not come, because he was “a free thinker.” Such a mixture of fortune and misfortune!

One Sunday we had an especially lively harinama in the Union Square subway station. Nikunja Bihari, Rama Raya, and Kishor Prabhus all led some lively chanting of Hare Krishna inspiring people to dance and take photographs and videos. Devotees distributed books and sweets. Here are some highlights (https://youtu.be/CqyNYoLx71k):

One smiling Muslim lady watched our chanting party briefly in the subway station at Union Square, and I offered her an “On Chanting Hare Krishna.” She asked what this was about, and I explained it was a practice of worship of the Supreme Being, Allah, Jehovah, etc. She asked what we were singing, and I said, “As you have one hundred names of Allah in your tradition, in India they have a thousand names of Krishna, and we are singing some of these names.” She danced to the music, and swung around, smiling the whole while. The devotee ladies offered her shakers, and she happily played them with the music.

Here Rama Raya Prabhu sings at the Union Square subway station (https://www.youtu.be/UQDTxdFpR28)

Sometimes Rama Raya Prabhu sings Hare Krishna to seasonal melodies, such as the tune of “Auld Lang Syne” (https://www.youtu.be/souv1-FQEsc):

Some kids delighted in playing with the shakers on NYC Harinam at Union Square subway station later in the week (https://www.youtu.be/IE-IgR_S6vI):

Once Rama Raya Prabhu sang at Union Square, inspiring Murali Gopal Prabhu to dance, who in turn inspired others to dance (https://www.youtu.be/d2dJNq-pMbc):

Another place we chanted each week was Atlantic Avenue / Barclays Center subway station. On December 22, several devotees chanted very nicely and people were attracted to participate in different ways (https://www.youtu.be/oHRl4d3e7_g):


Even though the month of Karttika had ended, we still gave people a chance to offer lamps to a picture of Krishna for an hour in the evening, and some people participate, sometimes along with their kids.

Christmas Eve

I brought one of the Doughnut Plant’s seasonal doughnuts, the Christmas Tree doughnut, to show to and share with my family. Unfortunately, it lost some of its decoration in transit.

A week earlier, I had met by sister Karen and niece Fern at Penn Station, and shared with them a cocout crème doughnut and a Christmas Tree doughnut, but I wanted the others to see the Christmas Tree doughnut so I brought one home at Christmastime.



I went to the Quaker Christmas Eve program with my family. As usual there was a nice spiritual feeling when singing the songs about the appearance of Jesus in this world.

There was a little nativity drama depicting the story of the appearance of Jesus Christ. I volunteered to be a “wise man from the East” as there were too few volunteers.



While at the Quaker meeting, I read an interesting quote by E. B. White expressing difficulty in trying to improve the world without being seduced by the world. Ideally by working to enlighten people about their spiritual potential and how to achieve it, we can be so much engaged we will not have a chance to be seduced by the material world, and we will purify ourselves and others so much so that the world will benefit both spiritually and materially from our actions.

I made carrot coconut rice and coconut burfi for the Quaker potluck, but I did not stay as my family likes to eat at Indian restaurants on Christmas Eve. My Quaker friends encouraged me to stay, and I promised next year I would come in another vehicle so I could spend half an hour with them before going off with my family.

Christmas Eve was special as my family went to new Indian restaurant this year, and it turned out that the proprietor had visited Gitanagari, the Hare Krishna farm in Pennsylanvia that my mother had also visited at the time of my initiation. He had attended the Chicago Ratha-yatra as well. Because I was a devotee, he gave us all free galubjamuns, and he gave my friend Victor, a free mango lassi, as I let him try mine and he liked it.

Christmas

Christmas was warm enough for us to chant outside in the fresh air at Union Square during the day, a pleasant change from the subway station.

We were also able to sing at Times Square, which was Abhiram Prabhu’s inspiration, in the evening (https://www.youtu.be/VMQqg8KSy8Q):

A Hispanic mother and daughter delighted in watching and listening to the chanting at Times Square, taking pictures, and trying to sing along, reading the mantra from a card.

Some people took great pleasure dancing with the devotees, as did these girls. One of them told me she was from Wisconsin and seeing the Hare Krishnas chanting was a new experience for her.

After Christmas and Before New Years Eve

A young lady who learned of the 26 2nd Avenue program from our harinama came to visit it the day after Christmas. She joined us again on NYC Harinam, this time in the Times Square subway station soon after that.

December 27 was warm enough to chant outside at Union Square.

Some passersby played our instruments.

They also took pictures of each other with us.

Some kids also participated with us.

The next day at Grand Central subway station Rama Raya Prabhu ended Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s disappearance day with a fired-up kirtana getting the devotees dancing. Stella, visiting from Montreal, was delighted to record and share it (https://youtu.be/YkiulL-U9EU):

I also took some video of it (https://www.youtu.be/PYS_sHw2MGo):

New Years Eve

We began chanting at the Times Square Subway Station on New Years Eve at our usual spot just above the 7 train on the long corridor to Port Authority.

It was great chanting with Bhagavat Purana Prabhu as he is so enthusiastic and interactive, and he helped me sing the lead. Deva Madhava Prabhu was also a great asset, playing the drum and loudly singing the response. It was sufficiently fired up passersby took photos and movies. Stella, visiting from Montreal, took a video of me chanting, which you can see if you are my friend on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/krishnakripa.das/posts/10153896073293665).

Then a large group of Christians came. One would pace back and forth and evangelize into an amplifier directly in front of our party. He was so rude. The police solved the problem by telling both of us that the corridor was not wide enough for either of us and we would have to move. Although the police said we could go the subway station at Eighth Avenue, Rama Raya Prabhu thought it would be too chaotic there, and relocated us to Grand Center Subway Station. Around 5 p.m. Abhirama Prabhu took half of our party on a walking harinama from Grand Central up to Bryant Park. People from different parts of the world appreciated the devotees singing on the sidewalks there. Because I like walking harinamas, I went with Abhirama Prabhu and distribute Krishna: Reservoir of Pleasure. After what seemed to be a couple of hours I was so cold that when we passed the Bryant Park subway station I left the party to return to Grand Central only to find that rather than staying out extra late for New Years, our harinama party had finished at 7:30 p.m. as usual. At first we were told that Abhiram Prabhu’s party would be continuing, and so I grabbed another stack of Krishna: Reservoir of Pleasures and planned to rejoin them. Then we learned that party had also finished for the evening. Hladini, of the Bhakti Center, who I knew from doing harinamas in Florida, invited me to their Thursday evening kirtana which was to be followed by a harinama across the Manhattan bridge to Brooklyn, and then kirtana at Radha-Govinda Mandir till midnight. I was not enthusiastic enough to chant till midnight for Radha-Govinda, as I would still be woken up between 3:30 and 4:00 a.m. for our morning service, but I was up for the Bhakti Center kirtana and the harinama. I told my friend Deva Madhava Prabhu about the opportunity, and I was happy that he was eager to come along. He was a great asset on the harinama across the Manhattan Bridge as he has a loud melodious voice and a lot of enthusiasm.

Little Italy was the liveliest spot we passed through.

I found that in each group of people that liked our chanting party at least one was willing to take the Krishna: Reservoir of Pleasure.

My camera does not do videos in dim light, so I waited till we reached a well lit area of Brooklyn to take a little video (https://www.youtu.be/T9aHGfl3sE8):

To see photos I took but did not include above, please click on this link:

Insights

Srila Prabhupada:

From a class on Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 1.5, in Mayapur, on March 29, 1975:

Bhagavan means full of six kinds of opulence. Not as nowadays there are so many Bhagavans, they have no aisvarya[opulence].

“We should know this, that in the spiritual world, to remain as girlfriend and boyfriend, that is the topmost pleasure, and in the material world, the same thing is the most abominable thing.”

“So when Krishna wants to enjoy—the enjoyment means these loving affairs between man and woman—that is a fact. That is not an artificial thing. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura has explained Vedanta-sutra, janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. He has said, adi rasasya janma yatra. Adi-rasa. There are twelve kinds of rasas, mellow. Of all of them, the adi-rasa… Adi-rasameans the loving affair between man and woman. This is called adi-rasa. So, Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura explains, janmady asya means the adi-rasa, loving affairs between man and woman, that is from the Supreme Person. That’s a fact. Unless the loving propensity is there in the Supreme, how it can be reflected? Because this is perverted reflection only, so there must be the origin.”

“Our Kaviraja Gosvami says that this Radha-Krishna prema, loving affairs between Radha Krishna, it is a fact. It is not imagination. It is a fact. But this fact is different from the fact we have got experience in this world. That is to be understood. Don’t take… Just like sahajiyas. They take the Radha-Krishna premajust like ordinary lusty affairs in this material world. But that is not the fact. In the Srimad–Bhagavatam there is a verse that the loving affairs of gopis and Krishna, Vishnu, it is not ordinary thing. If one can hear from the proper source, and if he understands the real fact of rasa-lila, then the result will be that his heart, which is full with lusty desire, that will vanish. There will be no more lusty desires.”

“Sannyasa means giving up everything for the Supreme. So for simply to relish a little bit of brahma–sukha [spiritual pleasure], these saintly persons, great, great saintly persons, they are giving up everything. . . . This is very important point. If for understanding little bit of brahma-sukhawe are giving up all material enjoyment, how Krishna can enjoy materially? He is Param Brahman. Therefore those sahajiyas, those who are taking that Krishna is enjoying with ordinary girls, they are very, very, much misled. That is not the fact. Therefore it is said, hladini shakti. This is different. This is in the spiritual world the topmost mellow, hladini shakti.”

Comments by Abhirama Prabhu:

Srila Prabhupada is always reminding us that the loving affairs of Radha and Krishna are completely different from the loving affairs of the material world.

It is like there are two parties going on. One, with Krishna in the spiritual world, where everyone is loving Him and He is perfectly reciprocating everyone’s love, and everyone is feeling spiritual ecstasy. Another one in the material world, where Krishna is not present and everyone is trying to take His position. There everyone is pretending to have a good time, but no one really is.

Prabhupada once explained that the devotee is always looking at Krishna’s feet, and then after some time, when Krishna is satisfied, He bends down to the level of His feet, and smiles at the devotee, and says, “Here I am!”

Our materialistic society, through the media, creates all kinds of illusory stereotypes that people become frustrated trying to live up to because they have no basis in reality.

In America, we are living on land that we obtained by murdering the previous residents, and which we stole. We cannot expect positive cultural stereotypes to come from such a background.

If one has a bias to the truth, he will be the best scientist, because he will lean in the right direction.

From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 7.171, purport:

“Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu wanted to preach the sankirtana movement of love of Krishna throughout the entire world, and therefore during His presence He inspired the sankirtana movement. Specifically, He sent Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami to Vrindavan and Nityananda to Bengal and personally went to South India. In this way He kindly left the task of preaching His cult in the rest of the world to the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. The members of this Society must always remember that if they stick to the regulative principles and preach sincerely according to the instructions of the acaryas, surely they will have the profound blessings of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and their preaching work will be successful everywhere throughout the world.”

From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita,Madhya-lila 19.159, purport:

“Kutinati, or diplomatic behavior, cannot satisfy the atma,the soul. It cannot even satisfy the body or the mind. The culprit mind is always suspicious; therefore our dealings should always be straightforward and approved by Vedic authorities. If we treat people diplomatically or duplicitously, our spiritual advancement is obstructed.”

From a room conversation with Allen Ginsberg, May 12, 1969, in Columbus, Ohio:

“If one loves Krishna, he must love Lord Jesus also. And if one perfectly loves Jesus he must love Krishna too. If he says, ‘Why shall I love Krishna? I shall love Jesus,’ then he has no knowledge. And if one says, ‘Why shall I love Jesus? I shall love Krishna,’ then he has no knowledge either. If one understands Krishna, then he will understand Jesus. If one understands Jesus, you’ll understand Krishna too.”

From Path of Perfection, Chapter 3: Learning How to See God:

“As Lord Jesus Christ said, we should hate the sin, not the sinner. That is a very nice statement, because the sinner is under illusion. He is mad. If we hate him, how can we deliver him? Therefore, those who are advanced devotees, who are really servants of God, do not hate anyone. When Lord Jesus Christ was being crucified, he said, ‘My God, forgive them. They know not what they do.’ This is the proper attitude of an advanced devotee. He understands that the conditioned souls cannot be hated, because they have become mad due to their materialistic way of thinking. In this Krishna consciousness movement, there is no question of hating anyone. Everyone is welcomed to come and chant Hare Krishna, take krishna-prasada, listen to the philosophy of Bhagavad-gita, and try to rectify material, conditioned life. This is the essential program of Krishna consciousness.”

From Srimad-Bhagavatam5.18.11, purport:

“Simply by hearing of the powerful activities of the Lord, the devotee’s heart becomes almost completely cleansed of material contamination, and thus his original position as an eternal servant who is part and parcel of the Lord becomes manifest. While the devotee engages in devotional service, the passionate and ignorant modes of material nature are gradually vanquished, and then he acts only in the mode of goodness. At that time he becomes happy and gradually advances in Krishna consciousness. All the great acaryas strongly recommend that people be given a chance to hear about the Supreme Lord. Then success is assured. The more we cleanse the dirt of material attachment from our hearts, the more we will be attracted by Krishna’s name, form, qualities, paraphernalia and activities. This is the sum and substance of the Krishna consciousness movement.”

From The Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 30:

“It is stated in the Tenth Canto, Thirty-third Chapter, verse 11, of Srimad-Bhagavatam, ‘Upon seeing that Krishna’s arm was placed on her shoulder, one of the gopis engaged in the rasadance became so ecstatically happy that she kissed Krishna on His cheek.’ This is an instance of feeling happiness because of achieving a desired goal.”

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura:

From his commentary on Srimad-Bhagavatam11.17.53:

“Unless a householder worships child Krishna, his attachment for his children will remain strong. As long as the Lord’s pastimes in madhurya rasa do not become the subject of one’s meditation, one will continue to think of his wife as the reservoir of all pleasure. Unless one becomes a pure devotee of the Lord, accepting Lord Krishna as one’s only friend, just like Sridama, one will not be able to give up the hankering for temporary and superficial material relationships. Until one’s propensity for rendering devotional service to Lord Krishna is awakened, one will continue to foolishly demand service from others. One who is actually intelligent should understand that there can be no satisfaction for the self on any planet within the material world. Therefore, like a traveler who has become very tired while traveling, one should go back home, back to Godhead. Eternal peace is the condition of the faithful servant of Sri Krishna.”

Satsvarupa dasa Goswami:

From My Search Through Books:

One time, some of us told Srila Prabhupada that Camus and Sartre saw life as absurd. Srila Prabhupada replied, “It is absurd for him.”

“Today’s drawing shows three
bhaktas dancing and chanting
with upraised arms.
They are dressed very
colorfully and are dancing
with abandon. The
harinama movement brings
out the spontaneous spirit
of a person. It
is the original nature
and is evoked by
chanting. It breaks
up the material modes
of nature and brings
one to the transcendental platform.
While these men are
chanting Hare Krishna
they forget their material problems
and come directly
in touch with Krishna consciousness.
They even forget
their material bodies
and live as spirit souls.”

From a Prabhupada Remembrance Video about Prabhupada at London Ratha-yatra:

———————–
Shyamasundara Prabhu:

I picked up Srila Prabhupada up in a helicopter when he came for the London Ratha-yatra.

Prabhupada did not sit on his vyasasana[seat of honor] on the Ratha-yatra cart, but danced and walked the whole parade. We were all surprised because Prabhupada was sick.

Devotee lady:

After the helicopter ride, I heard Srila Prabhupada say, “I never want to travel this way again.”

Mahavishnu Swami:

I inherited £10,000 from my aunt. I was made in charge of London Ratha-yatra, and I spent the money for the festival.

Devotee lady:

The hairs of my body stood on end. Then I turned around and saw Prabhupada dancing. I felt Prabhupada before I saw him.

Srutakirti Prabhu:

The police wanted Prabhupada to stop dancing because it made the devotees go wild. I ignored their request the first time. The next time I tapped Srila Prabhupada’s shoulder, and said, “They want you to stop.” He turned and looked at me, and then swung around and went back to dancing. I told the police, “If you want him to stop, you will have to tell him yourself because he will not listen to me.” They didn’t, and Prabhupada kept dancing.

Devotee lady:

The way Prabhupada looked at Jagannath was the face of a man in love.

———————–

Abhiram Prabhu:

From a lecture on the disappearance day of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura:

Srila Prabhupada is an emissary from Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, empowered to expand his mission.

Srila Prabhupada spoke on this day in the last year he was present (1977) and made some important points:

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s appearance and disappearance was like that of Krishna in that he came to this world from the spiritual world to execute a certain mission.

This human form of life is a rare chance to attain spiritual perfection.

We are called vimudhan (foolish) because although Krishna has come to invite us back to the spiritual world, in this rarely attained life, we are not interested.

To convert us from vimudhan to intelligent, Krishna sends His representative into this world. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura is such a representative.

The Vaishnava is unconcerned with mundane profit, adoration, and distinction. He is busy doing good to others by enlightening the people with spiritual knowledge.

Mundane people do not know how to do good for humanity because they do not how to elevate them out of this cycle of birth and death.

The human being can take instruction from the scripture that he is a spiritual being and should endeavor for spiritual perfection.

If we do not think of Krishna, we remain in this cycle of birth and death.

The Vaishnava has the great responsibility to share this great knowledge.

The real business of the Vaishnava is not for himself. But to help others.

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s spiritual gift is that he wanted every one of his disciples to go out and spread this knowledge.

Lord Caitanya advised everyone to become guru. How to become guru? Just repeat what Krishna has said.

This Mayapur is meant for this purpose to preach Krishna consciousness all over this world.

Take Western money and Indian culture and make the whole world happy.

Notes from a summary of the life of Bhaktisiddhanta Saravati Thakura’s life:

Acyutananda, brother of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, became deathly sick, and Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati took karatalas and chanted Hare Krishna for six days without eating. After that time his brother said that in a previous life he was a Sri Vaishnava and he committed an offense against a Gaudiya Vaishnava. By the pure chanting of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura the offense was destroyed, and Acyutananda left this world.

At age seven, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati saw Bipin Bihari, the guru of his father, Bhaktivinoda Thakura, placed his foot on Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s head. When his father left the room, he questioned that action. He said, “Do you know that my father is a nitya-siddha [eternally perfect] devotee of the Lord. Are you really qualified to place your foot on his head?”

Because of the degraded Vaishnava sampradayas, the shaktas and the followers of Vivekananda and Ramakrishna became prominent.

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura would take on and defeat anyone and everyone to establish unalloyed Krishna consciousness.

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura knew the philosophies of all the Vaishnavas.

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura considered that to awaken the dormant attitude of service to the Supreme Lord is more important than any other activity.

Whatever Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura asked others to do, he followed himself.

He cited Mundaka Upanisad verse 1.2.12: “Tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet samit-panih srotriyam brahma-nistam – To understand these things properly, one must humbly approach, with firewood in hand, a spiritual master who is learned in the Vedas and firmly devoted to the Absolute Truth”] as describing the qualities of a guru.

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s presence was so impressive that people were humbled by it.

Of Hari-katha, he especially liked to glorify Govardhan Hill.

Kadamba Kanana Swami:

From a recorded lecture:

Keshava Bharati Maharaja, the guru who initiated Lord Caitanya into the renounced order of life, sannyasa, told him at that time: “I am calling you Krishna because You will make the whole world chant Hare Krishna. I am calling you Caitanya because You will bring life to the hearts of all people.”


Yasoda Dulal Prabhu [brahmacari preaching in Montreal, Canada]:

Even an insignificant living entity can speak nicely by the mercy of the Vaishnavas.

Unfortunately we have been raised in such away as to develop our attachment to our bodies.

You can say Krishna arranged the shop be named Matchless Gifts to remind the devotees of the value of what Krishna is giving. His first gift is the association of his confidential devotee Srila Prabhupada. Then Srila Prabhupada gave us the holy names of Radha and Krishna.

Pure chanting is for the pleasure of the Lord.

The material world is controlled by the Lord, but everyone in the spiritual world is controlled by love [prema], including Krishna Himself.

Even as devotees, our experience of the unlimited is limited.

If we make the holy name the center of our life we can come to experience the matchless gift.

Sincerity has no limit. If we think we are sincere, we are not sincere.

The inner experience of great souls like Srila Prabhupada and the Six Goswamis is only love.

Rupa Goswami’s definition of raganuga-bhakti is to follow an associate of Radha Krishna.

Comment by Bhakta Avatar Prabhu: The Radharani and Lalita deities at the Tota-Gopinath temple are black instead of their usual golden color, and their pujari says the reason for this is that they are absorbed in thinking of Krishna.

Like the fans of Brad Pitt, while watching his different movies, see only Brad Pitt acting, although he is playing different roles, the Gaudiya Vaishnavas see the incarnations of God as Krishna appearing as Nrsimha or Krishna appearing as Lord Rama, etc.

We are already in Gaura-lila. If we are going on harinama every day or distributing books every day, or if we are worshiping the deity every day under Srila Prabhupada’s direction, we are already in Gaura-lila. It is just a question of realizing it.

Gopala Bhatta, as a nine-year-old boy, for four months massaged the feet of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, cooked for Him, and ate His remnants. As a result Gopala Bhatta’s eyes were always filled with tears of love of God, and he was victorious in all scholarly debates because Lord Caitanya was present in his heart.

The Gaudiya Vaishnavas prefer to see Lord Caitanya standing by the side of the Garuda stambha rather than to see Lord Vishnu riding on Garuda, His carrier.

Prabodhananda Sarasvati Goswami says that worshiping the feet of Lord Caitanya leads to the supreme realization.

In Krishna book Srila Prabhupada describes in one chapter about the gopis feelings of separation. There Srila Prabhupada indicates that we are advanced to the extent that we feel separation for Krishna.

As the gopis felt separation from Krishna, Krishna felt separation from the gopis. However the gopis, because they were many, could console each other, while Krishna had to suffer separation alone in Dvaraka.

Sivaram Swami says that the holy name of Krishna is more reliable than Krishna Himself, because you can count on Krishna being present in His holy name, while otherwise Krishna is sometimes here and sometimes not.

Prabhupada disciple Mandakini said when Prabhupada was present they would feel that love of God was even emanating from the walls.

Verses that came to my mind during the class:

“O Brahma, whatever appears to be of any value, if it is without relation to Me, has no reality. Know it as My illusory energy, that reflection which appears to be in darkness. (Srimad-Bhagavatam  2.9.34)


“Whatever you desire to describe that is separate in vision from the Lord simply reacts, with different forms, names and results, to agitate the mind, as the wind agitates a boat, which has no resting place.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.5.1)


“One who engages in full devotional service, unfailing in all circumstances, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman.” (Bhagavad-gita 14.26)

Rama Raya Prabhu:

Srila Prabhupada wanted 24-hour kirtana in all our temples.

When Lord Caitanya went on harinama everyone went—the scholar Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya, the king Prataparudra. Also during Srila Prabhupada’s time, everyone wanted to go on the Saturday night harinama in Times Square. Some two or three people had to stay back to take care of the deities. They would take turns so they all could go on harinama sometimes.

Offering all respects to others in the ultimate issue means to respect them as spiritual souls by engaging them in Lord Caitanya’s sankirtana movement.

Either we are going to give our life to maya or we are going to give our life to Krishna.

Comment by Nihal: I met one person while distributing books who remembered the Saturday night harinamas. There were 60 to 80 persons chanting with such enthusiasm that the traffic would stop. The man telling me the story still felt the wonder of it after so many years.

There are people out there who are suffering and praying for God to help them. Srila Prabhupada said that we have many customers out there.

Seeing prema-bhaktas chanting the holy name is the ultimate coolness.

Lord Caitanya is the supreme revolutionary.

Srila Prabhupada’s prayer in “Markine Bhagavata Dharma” to Krishna “I wish that you may deliver them” was backed up by forty years of service.

“I just tried to blindly follow the order of my spiritual master” – look at how far it got Srila Prabhupada.

Jhansi was a failure, but he got the whole world.

Abhiram Prabhu tells that Stanley Kubrick said in an interview, just before his death from terminal cancer, that he was approached by NASA to make a moon-landing film.

Bhagavat Purana Prabhu:

From an after dinner conversation:

Q (from new devotee): What are salagram-silas?

A: You could describe them as anti-material pet rocks.

From a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam8.5.32:

Scientists, by doing things like cloning, try to imitate the original creator while at the same time they deny the existence of that original creator. They are not humble enough to understand the existence of the original creator.

Although the scientists have advanced intelligence from their past pious activities, they still are subjected to the four material defects of imperfect senses, the tendency toward illusion, the tendency to make mistakes, and the propensity to cheat.

Although people try to insure their friends will be happy by giving them gift cards so they can purchase their own gifts, their friends still purchase items which are temporary sources of satisfaction and incapable of giving them the ultimate happiness they desire, and so they are ultimately frustrated.

As I recall, Srila Prabhupada advised to make harinama banners having gold letters on a light blue background.

Comment by Isvari Jahnava Devi: When I was young in Russia, America seemed to us like a heavenly planet. We somehow got a Sears catalog, advertising things we never had in Russia, and it was like a Bible to us. Krishna arranged that now I came to Times Square, when I had no more material desires. Times Square was hell for me, and I vowed to never come there again, unless I am on a harinama party.

Isvari Jahnava Devi:

One reason Krishna consciousness has become popular in Russia is that the Russian people in Soviet times were brought up with ideals and people who lived for ideals, and they understood value of community.

The communist goal was that people would work and would receive whatever they needed. That is not possible in materialistic consciousness, but it is possible in Krishna consciousness.

Deva Madhava Prabhu:

The demigods teach by their example to first glorify the Lord before asking Him for a benediction, even when they are experiencing supreme distress and want relief.

Arjuna also, before asking Krishna to counteract the weapon fired by Asvatthama, offered prayers to the Lord.

If we understand that Krishna is present everywhere, then we should not feel anything is lacking anywhere at anytime. If we feel such a lack, our realization of Krishna is not complete.

We should not think that seeing Krishna and hearing from Krishna is different.

If we are not thoughtful, we will miss out on the fruit of the experience.

Saying the prasadam prayers helps us to take the prasadam in a devotional consciousness and to get the full benefit of it.

After Christmas and New Years people are down because their expectations are never met by their material enjoyments.

In the beginning of our devotional service, we are more running away from maya, and at the stage of ruci, we are more running toward Krishna.

Bhima-Karma Prabhu:

From a class on kirtana:

The mrdanga is a primary instrument in the sankirtana.

Whenever the question of instruments in kirtana came up, Srila Prabhupada was firm in insisting that mrdanga and karatalas were essential for kirtana. For some temporary preaching purposes, other instruments can be used, but whenever we present kirtana, mrdanga and karatalas should be the main instruments.

In India, among classical musicians, the mrdanga is considered a simple folk instrument.

The natya-sastra covers the art of performance and is a commentary by Bharata Muni on the section of the Sama Veda dealing with that topic.

Kirtana has musical aspects, but primarily it is a spiritual activity.

Srila Prabhupada defines rasa in two ways. One is relationship, such as the mother-child relationship Yasoda has with Krishna.

The ratio of the distance between the big head and the widest part of the drum and the distance between the small end and the widest part of the drum is the golden ratio (0.618).

The difference between a classical musician and a kirtaniya is the classical musician tries to please the audience and the kirtaniya tries to please the Krishna.

                                                       

Rasa is expressed in terms of kriya or activities.

Before we even touch the mrdanga, we offer respect:

mrdanga- brahma – rupaya lavanya – rasa-madhuri

sahasra-guna samyuktam mrdangaya namo namah

[Unto the mrdanga, that supreme Brahman formed as a clay drum which is infused with the sweet mellows of graceful enchantment, and endowed with thousands of transcendental qualities, I bow down again and again.]

Just as Krishna is the ocean among bodies of water and Krishna is the sun among the luminaries, Krishna is mrdangaamong the drums.

The mrdanga mantra te, re, ke, ta is used to help develop rhythm.

Visakha [the intimate associate of Radha and Krishna] plays the mrdanga.

The example that we can learn from Srila Prabhupada’s mrdanga practice is that he went to a mrdanga guru in the tradition and he remained chaste to his guru, not inventing beats of his own.

—–

This verse reminds us of the fact that if the holy name of the Lord is chanted, despite many different discrepancies, the function is a complete success:

mantratas tantratas chidram

desha-kalarha-vastutah

sarvam karoti nishchidram

anusankirtanam tava

[Sukracarya, the spiritual master of the demons, said to Lord Vamana, the incarnation of Krishna, regarding sacrifice:] “There may be discrepancies in pronouncing the mantras and observing the regulative principles, and, moreover, there may be discrepancies in regard to time, place, person and paraphernalia. But when Your Lordship’s holy name is chanted, everything becomes faultless.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam8.23.16)

Travel Journal#11.21: New York City Harinam, Philadelphia, and Maryland
→ Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 11, No. 21
By Krishna-kripa das
(November 2015, part one)
New York City Harinam
(Sent from Gainesville, Florida, on November 26, 2015)

 

Where I Went and What I Did

I continued participating in New York City Harinam for the first twelve days of November. We continued engaging the public in offering candles to a picture of Krishna in his childhood feature as Damodara. During that time, we were visited by Bhaktimarga Swami. On Thursday, November 12, we celebrated Govardhan Puja in our Harinam Ashram in the morning and the Brooklyn temple in the evening. The next day I chanted in Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Square and took my niece, Fern, to Govinda’s Gourmet to Go. Saturday and Sunday I chanted with my friends Sankarasan Prabhu and Sivam and the Potomac ISKCON devotees in Silver Spring, Maryland. Sunday was Srila Prabhupada’s disappearance day, and I attended the program in our Potomac Hare Krishna temple, and I share realizations of the several Prabhupada disciples who spoke on that occasion.
 
I foolishly left my computer bag on a New York City bus on November 10, so I lost all my lectures notes from the first ten days of November. Still I share insights from Bhaktimarga Swami, Jayadvaita Swami, and Romapada Swami, who were visiting New York City, Sikhi Mahiti Prabhu (temple president of Philadelphia), and an Indian devotee who speaks in Potomac.
 
Thanks to Abhimanyu Prabhu of Gainesville for the use of his computer to complete this journal issue. Thanks to Natabara Gauranga Prabhu for his photo of the Harinam Ashram Govardhana Hill, and to the servants of Bhaktimarga Swami for their pictures of him chanting in the streets of New York City.
 
Itinerary
 
November 21–December 15: Gainesville area (except 5 days in Tallahassee)
December 16–January 4, 2016: New York City Harinam
January 5, 2016–February 25?, 2016: Gainesville area (and Florida campuses)
 
New York City Harinam
 
As usual many people were engaged in the unlimited auspicious activity of devotional service to Lord Krishna by interacting with our chanting party.
 
One Malaysian NYU student, whose university is on one side of Union Square and whose dorm was on another, would see the devotees chanting as she passed by every day. She is interested in religion and the effect it has on people’s lives, and she decided to do her final audio/visual project on our New York City Harinam party.
 
One young college student said he had only enough money for lunch but none for a book. I suggested if I gave him lunch then he would have money for the book. He said that would work. Thus he gave two dollars for a medium book, and I gave him some khichri, which he liked.
 
A young man was begging for money for food on the subway, and I gave him half a piece of banana bread. He really liked it. Two weeks later he happened to come by Union Square. He recognized me and stopped, and he asked for a pamphlet. While visiting us, he chanted, played the shakers, and danced. I offered him a piece of banana bread out of gratitude. I was happy to see his devotional service to Krishna increasing.
 
 Once, three young ladies sat with our party, one singing and playing the shakers.
 
Another time a lady came up to photograph us, but I showed her a Science of Self-Realization, and photographed her.

 
Photographers would take photos of their friends dancing with Kalyani Devi Dasi.


Inspired by their young daughter,

 
these parents also played the shakers,
 
Once two Oriental kids played the shakers.
 

One lady who met the devotees the previous year and who remembered that joy, bought a Bhagavad-gita and delighted in dancing with Kalyani when I invited her to.
 
A guy also danced with us.
 
Another guy played shakers and danced, with his guitar on his back.
 
Harinama leader of ISKCON Denver, Ananda Murari Prabhu, led a delightful kirtana inspiring some dancing (https://youtu.be/j-YpZd7-ruY):
 
 
Rama Raya Prabhu usually led the evening kirtana.
 
It was often very lively as on this night (https://youtu.be/CbypuKNW_BI):
 
 
Here is another ecstatic night (https://youtu.be/6ZK70VONDv0):

 

We continued encouraging people to offer lamps to our picture of Damodara from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. each evening.

 Some new people really delighted in offering lamps to Damodara.
 

Kids also participated.

 So did a group of friends.

 One lady dressed in striking black offered a lamp.

One evening after offering lamps a young lady played the shakers with us.
 
Later a guy played the shakers with us.
 

One evening lots of wild dancing went on.
 
Previously we did not do the offering of lamps to Damodara in the subway because we knew authorities would object to the open flames, but now that we were using electric candles in Union Square because the park police had complained, we had them to use in the subway station.

Here Jake guides a happy lady in offering a lamp.

One man offered a lamp while holding his son.
 
Then he held the boy and helped him offer a lamp himself.
 

One day a young lady named Amanda was attracted by the chanting and the peaceful effect it had on her mind. She sat down on our rug next to the harmonium player, listening and smiling for two hours. She was surprised how much time had passed. I invited her to that nights’ program with Bhaktimarga Swami, who had walked and chanted across Canada four times.

 She came and delighted in the Bhaktimarga Swami’s kirtana, which I share the culmination of here (https://youtu.be/ZYw-uEOk0bI):
 

She and another young lady, who also learned of the program from our Union Square harinama, stayed to the end of the program.

 Amanda even joined us on harinama the next day.
 
One day when Tulasi Das Prabhu was leading kirtana in the Union Square subway station, one Afro-American guy really got into dancing to our Hare Krishna chant. After dancing for a while, he would go to leave, but he liked it so much, he kept coming back. Ultimately he gave a donation and got some literature. You can see for yourself (https://youtu.be/N1ceWgdDIkg):
 
 
I share videos of different devotees chanting, sometimes by day and other times by night, and inspiring the passersby to dance:
 
Kaliya Krishna Prabhu (https://youtu.be/FDzrLSkU_3Q):
 
 
Deva Madhava Prabhu (https://youtu.be/aqG3aHy8eW0):
 
 
Ananta Gauranga Prabhu (https://youtu.be/yHmgquDxlKc):
 
 
 
 
 
 
One day I came out of the Burlington department store bathroom to return to our Union Square harinama, and I was surprised to see a man standing there reading a Bhagavad-gita he must have purchased from us.
 
Bhaktimarga Swami in New York City

One day Bhaktimarga Swami joined us on New York City Harinam. He chanted the “Damodarastakam” followed by the Hare Krishna mantra. Nihal continued inviting passersby to offer lamps to Damodara. After they made their offerings, devotees gave them spiritual food and literature. You can see all this in the video (https://youtu.be/ctVrjl-PkNs):
 
 
Bhaktimarga Swami wrote about his experience, “In the evening we went to chant at Union Square in Manhattan.  It was outstanding to see how many people came forward to offer a small light to the image of Krishna and His mother, Yasoda, which was placed upon a small table, after being welcomed to do so as we chanted away.”

Once day Bhaktimarga Swami and some followers and devotees on the New York City Harinam team chanted from Union Square Park to Tompkins Square Park. There we chanted around the famous Hare Krishna tree.
 

Bhaktimarga Swami and those who walked with him, even part of the way, from Boston to Butler, Pennsylvania, and then finally to Manhattan, shared realizations, and Abhiram Prabhu and I told stories about the supernatural events that take place at the Hare Krishna tree.
 
Govardhan Puja
 
At our Harinam Ashram many devotees contributed sweets to our Govardhan Hill, which had the Govardhan-silas of Jayadvaita Swami and Rama Raya Prabhu seated atop it.
 
On Govardhan Puja day we chanted at Atlantic Avenue / Barclays Center subway station so it was easy for us to attend the evening program at Radha Govinda Mandir in the evening.
 
One young lady stepped forward with a smile and watched our kirtana party for some time. I spoke to her. She asked if it was intentional that our singer was playing in the same key as the competing musician nearby. I said yes, because he told us he was going to do that to make the best of the situation. She said she was a musician and that she played piano.
 

I invited her to sit and play the shakers with us, but she said she would rather dance, and so she took off her sweater and did just that. Here is a brief video of her dance (https://youtu.be/oHGbs2Xsae4):

 
She had Bhagavad-gita and knew about the Bhakti Center, and I told her about our Brooklyn temple, just one stop away on the subway, and our special festival that night. She said she would try to convince her boyfriend to go.

Later, when we did the offering of lamps to Damodara, Sasha gave remnants of our Harinam Ashram Govardhan Hill to the people after they offered their lamps.
 
The Govardhan Hill at Radha Govinda Mandir was very opulent.
 

It was covered with varieties of doughnuts from the Doughnut Plant.
 
Chant at Philly’s Rittenhouse Square
 
After taking my niece, Fern, to Govinda’s Gourmet to Go, in Philadelphia, I chanted by myself for three hours at Rittenhouse Square.
 
I met a nice young lady who was doing a documentary on spiritual sound and was happy to hear of the 24-hour kirtana at the Philadelphia temple starting at 6 p.m. that night. She asked if she could come and video it.
 
I met friends of the devotees who were also happy to learn of the kirtana program.
 
I met devotees I knew from England, New York, San Diego, and Florida when I visited the Philadelphia temple’s 24-hour kirtana program. It was truly amazing. Even though I could not participate the whole time, it was so inspiring to hear the constant kirtana.
 
Silver Spring Harinama
 
Both on Saturday, and Sunday, which was Srila Prabhupada’s disappearance day, we did harinama for about three hours in Silver Spring, Maryland, a Washington, D.C. suburb.
 
Gaura Vani Prabhu, a popular Hare Krishna kirtaneer, joined us on Srila Prabhupada’s disappearance day, after he chanted a couple hours at the temple. He told me, “I had work I had promised a friend I would do, so I was not planning on coming out. It’s my kids who got me on harinamatonight. They wanted to go. How could I tell them no?”
 
Devotee children distributed lollipops and pamphlets.
 

A lady onlooker played the djembe.
 
One lady heard our kirtana as she left an ice cream shop, and followed the sound to our party, listening to us as she finished her ice cream.

 
She remembered the Hare Krishnas from when she was a Moonie and also distributed in Miami airport. Since then she became involved in following an Indian teacher who also does kirtana, and thus she was attracted to our chanting.
 
Here is some of Gaura Vani’s kirtana on the streets of Silver Spring (https://youtu.be/LhSI_vUbFqw):
 
 
Srila Prabhupada’s Vyasa Puja in Potomac
 
Laksmivan Prabhu:
 
Srila Prabhupada didn’t like us singing songs without knowing their meaning.
 
The spiritual master is never touched by the three modes of material nature.
 
In the brief time Srila Prabhupada was present, his encouragement and the youthfulness of his followers combined to spread make Krishna consciousness dramatically.
 
Everyone was aware anyone could please him by distributing his books.
 
Even now, by distributing books and doing harinama,we can feel Prabhupada’s presence.
 
Palaka Prabhu:
 
Srila Prabhupada explains the situation of the pure devotee, and thus his own situation, in his purport to Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.13.55:
 
“A pure devotee of the Lord does not live on any planet of the material sky, nor does he feel any contact with material elements. His so-called material body does not exist, being surcharged with the spiritual current of the Lord’s identical interest, and thus he is permanently freed from all contaminations of the sum total of the mahat-tattva. He is always in the spiritual sky, which he attains by being transcendental to the sevenfold material coverings by the effect of his devotional service. The conditioned souls are within the coverings, whereas the liberated soul is far beyond the cover.”
 
Do not let Prabhupada disappear from your life. Keep him present by hearing from him.
 
Kalindi Devi Dasi:
 
Although living in Vrindavan, I was visiting Delhi the day Srila Prabhupada left this world, and I returned in the evening. I recall one godbrother, insufficiently dressed for the cold November evening, chanted bhajans all night before Srila Prabhupada’s body, before it was interred.
 
Dinanatha Prabhu:
 
Prabhupada said even if you do not understand, continue hearing and someday you will understand.
 
We would hear him speak in Hindi and would somehow understand.
 
The ear processes information 1000 times faster than the eye.
 
The devotees loved to please Srila Prabhupada, and he loved to please them.
 
He stressed “you are not the body” and “life is meant for self-realization.”
 
Sugata Prabhu:
 
When I first saw Srila Prabhupada step out of a car in Vrindavan in 1974, I realized he really was a pure devotee and I also realized, in shock, that I would have to surrender to him.  I am still trying to do that.
 
To see the photos I did not include in this blog, click on the link below:
 
Insights
 
Bhaktimarga Swami:
 
From a talk on walking at the Bhakti Center:
 
Walking is a chance to make friends. It is a friend raiser rather than a fund raiser.
 
I find the media is favorable and willing to learn.
 
Walking helps you focus on the present.
 
Devotional clothes make a difference. I have been called Buddha, Jesus, and Gandhi.
 
Walking is a chance for communication. It gives people a chance to perform service to the sankirtana movement. It shows people we are there. It can make you more sensitive.
 
We get into elementary schools and yoga centers.
 
When walking, you cannot help but wonder what it was like before the Europeans came to the West.
 
We have had incredible Hindu hosts, though usually we camp and bath in rivers and camp sites.
 
People from the Film Board of Canada traveled with me for a month, and we are part of their documentary, The Longest Road.
 
Srila Prabhupada said the GBCs (Governing Board Commissioners) should travel with brahmacaris throughout their zones.
 
I started walking in 1996 as an offering to Srila Prabhupada for the centennial of his birth.
 
My mantra for new devotees is “you are taking over.”
 
Every time you do a long walk, it gets better and better.
 
Now there is more security than when I started in 1996, but there is also more acceptance by the people I meet.
 
I told Ambarish (Alfred Ford) that I do not like cars. I do not like what they have done to the world. Ambarish said, “I don’t like cars either.”
 
In 2016 I plan to walk from New York City to San Francisco to encourage Americans in a more car-free, care-free life.
 
The food we eat is garbage. The wild food is heavenly.
 
We found a deity of Ganesh in a lake we went swimming in.
 
I would be happy if I could walk until I am 108.
 
Many people who do long distance walking end up believing in God after.
 
Jayadvaita Swami:
 
From a lecture on Govardhan Puja on this verse spoken by the gopis (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.21.18): “Of all the devotees, this Govardhana Hill is the best! O my friends, this hill supplies Krishna and Balarama, along with Their calves, cows and cowherd friends, with all kinds of necessities — water for drinking, very soft grass, caves, fruits, flowers and vegetables. In this way the hill offers respects to the Lord. Being touched by the lotus feet of Krishna and Balarama, Govardhana Hill appears very jubilant.”
 
The gopis praise Govardhana Hill for the variety of services it renders to Krishna, while they feel they themselves are unable to do so much. This is the attitude of the advanced devotee.
 
Annakuta comes from two words, anna meaning rice, more generally grains, or even food, and kuta which means mountain.
 
Everyone was pleased by Govardhan Puja except Indra.
 
As you [the New York Harinam devotees] seek shelter in the subway station from the rain, the residents of Vrindavan sought shelter from the rains sent by Indra. They did not have subways, so Krishna lifted up Govardhan Hill to protect them.
 
Govardhan Puja has all the elements to attract people all over the world, just as does the Jagannath Ratha-yatra. I envision someday a massive Govardhan Puja festival in Madison Square Garden.
 
Q: What is your favorite sweet?
A: Pure devotional service. The only problem is I cannot get enough of it. In Nectar of Devotion it is said that it is rarely attained.
 
Keshava Bharati Maharaja renovated a broken down old palace to create our present Govardhana facility. Vasesika Prabhu and others take shelter of our Govardhana ashram and read Srila Prabhupada’s books there hours a day during Karttika (October-November).
 
Rupa Goswami exalts Govardhana above Vaikuntha [the kingdom of God] and even Vrindavan [Lord Krishna’s personal abode].
 
Sridhara Maharaja said that Bhaktisiddhanta Saravati Thakura did not stay at Radha Kund. He considered Radha Kund the place of residence of his superiors.
 
Srila Prabhupada wanted us to strictly follow so we could ultimately attain the highest state.
 
We are dancing into the pastimes of Radha and Krishna by our sankirtana and our preaching, not being babajis or dressing in saris in Radha Kund.
 
Srila Prabhupada said the entire spiritual world is contained within the four walls of our Krishna Balaram temple compound in Vrindavan.
 
Comment by Abhiram Prabhu: When the sun shines from different angles at Govardhana, the rocks reflect different colors.
 
If you do not observe Govardhana Puja you will be bitten by snakes of Govardhana Hill.
 
Comment by Rama Raya Prabhu: Or the snakes of material desire.
 
Romapada Swami:
 
The Lord, having just encountered the brahmanas performing sacrifices in the forest, returned to Vrindavan to find its residents performing a similar sacrifice.
 
The Govardhan pastime is meant to teach us that there is one Supreme Lord, who is the recipient of all sacrifices, and that is Krishna, and also that Krishna and Govardhan are nondifferent.
 
Children who hear Krishna book when they go to sleep when they are young become so attached to it they will not go to sleep without hearing it, even though they can explain it themselves.
 
George Harrison donated $19,000 for the printing of the Krishna book. Srila Prabhupada never forgot George, and a few months before Srila Prabhupada left this world, he gave Tamal Krishna Goswami his sapphire ring to give to George as a gift.
 
Palaka Prabhu:
 
From a conversation over prasadam:
 
Kalindi Devi Dasi, former wife of Rupanuga Prabhu, says that in the sixties, she asked Rupanuga before he had met the devotees, where he wanted her to take him for his birthday. He had just seen in the local newspaper the picture of Srila Prabhupada singing with his disciples in Tompkins Square Park, so he told her he wanted to go to the park and chant with the Swami.  So they did. She took care of their kid, and he listened to Prabhupada sing.
 
Sikhi Mahiti Prabhu (Philadelphia temple president):
 
The Padma Purana states that chanting Rama once has the same potency as chanting Narayana one thousand times, and chanting Krishna once has the same potency as chanting Rama three times.
 
The holy name is so powerful people do not have to agree with it, they just have to hear it.
 
Anyone who hears the devotees chanting Hare Krishna is a mahatma, a great soul. It is so rare.
 
In the initiation letters throughout the 1970s, Srila Prabhupada would regularly list street sankirtana [congregational chanting of the holy name] as a duty of the newly initiated disciple.
 
Comment by Vishnu Gada Prabhu:
 
In New York City, when Srila Prabhupada visited in 1971 or 1972, he spoke on the first three chapters of Canto 6 of Srimad-Bhagavatam. He said that Maharaja Pariksit inquired about how the living entities could be delivered from the hells described at the end of Canto 5 because that is the kind nature of the devotee of the Lord. He quoted the verse “kecit kevalaya bhaktya / vasudeva-parayanah / agham dhunvanti kartsnyena / niharam iva bhaskarah: Only a rare person who has adopted complete, unalloyed devotional service to Krishna can uproot the weeds of sinful actions with no possibility that they will revive. He can do this simply by discharging devotional service, just as the sun can immediately dissipate fog by its rays.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.15) He said the Ajamila story is an explanation of this verse. The Hare Krishna mantra is an explanation of this verse: “aho bata sva-paco ’to gariyan / yaj-jihvagre vartate nama tubhyam / tepus tapas te juhuvu? sasnur arya / brahmanucur nama grinanti ye te: Oh, how glorious are they whose tongues are chanting Your holy name! Even if born in the families of dog-eaters, such persons are worshipable. Persons who chant the holy name of Your Lordship must have executed all kinds of austerities and fire sacrifices and achieved all the good manners of the Aryans. To be chanting the holy name of Your Lordship, they must have bathed at holy places of pilgrimage, studied the Vedas and fulfilled everything required.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.33.7)
 
An Indian devotee, who gives classes in Potomac on Sunday mornings:
 
Underneath Govardhana Hill, although you would expect to find a lot of dirt, there were grass and streams. Stones fell from the Hill and surrounded the perimeter thus keeping the water out. The light of Krishna’s toe nails illuminated everything.
 
Indra, the boys, and Yasoda were in anxiety. Indra was in anxiety because he offended Krishna, the boys were scared that Krishna’s flute playing would melt the stones of Govardhana Hill, and Yasoda was worried that Krishna was hungry. Krishna reassured the boys.
 
Krishna will deliver us if we take shelter of Him as did the residents of Vrindavan.
 
Indra’s mother advised him to approach his guru, Brhaspati, who advised him to approach Brahma, who told him to surrender to Krishna. This shows the value of devotee association.
 
Krishna corrected Indra in a secluded place, demonstrating his ideal leadership.
 
Engaging everything we have in devotional service to Krishna will protect us.
 
—–
 

Travel Journal#11:20: New York City Harinam
→ Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 11, No. 20
By Krishna-kripa das
(October 2015, part two)
New York City Harinama
(Sent from Brooklyn, New York, on November 1, 2015)
Where I Went and What I Did
I stayed with the New York City Harinam devotees for the rest of October. Special features of this time were our inviting passersby to offer lamps to our picture of Krishna as Damodara and also the festival of Halloween, which engaged many costumed persons in interacting with our chanting party and having some transcendental experiences.
I share insights from Srila Prabhupada’s lectures and books, Prabhupada memories from Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, notes on a lecture by Jayadvaita Swami at the Bhakti Center and a lecture by Niranjana Swami at the Russian festival. I share notes on lectures at the Harinama Ashram by Abhiram Prabhu and Rama Raya Prabhu and by visiting devotees, Bhakta Avatar and Vicaru Prabhus.
Thanks to Kaliya Krishna Prabhu for kindly paying my subway fare to attend New York City Harinam. Thanks to Atmanivedana Prabhu for his kind donation.
Thanks to Mathuraprana Krishna Dasa Prabhu for letting me use his camera to take the picture of Clarissa and Sanya, and for enhancing the photo.
Itinerary
September 28–November 12: New York City Harinam
November 13: Philadelphia
November 14–17: Washington, D.C., Harinama
November 18: Jacksonville, FL
November 19: Tampa
November 20: Orlando with Trivikrama Swami
November 21–December 15: Krishna House (except 5 days in Tallahassee)
December 16–January 4, 2016: New York City Harinama
Union Square Harinama

Once at the book table in Union Square, a friendly lady, perhaps in her thirties, came by, glanced at the books, and smiled at seeing the Bhagavad-gita. “I have that one,” she said. I think of the Srimad-Bhagavaam as the sequel to the Gita, so I told her that, and proceeded to open up the book and read her my favorite verse: “The supreme occupation [dharma] for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self.” (1.2.6) “This is the essence of what religion is all about,” I said. “Practically any monotheistic tradition could accept that idea.” She seemed a little doubtful about getting it, so thinking it was too large a book, I showed her Sri Isopanisad. I quoted verses 1 and 2: “Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself, which are set aside as his quota, and one should not accept other things, knowing well to whom they belong. One may aspire to live for hundreds of years if he continuously goes on working in that way, for that sort of work will not bind him to the law of karma. There is no alternative to this way for man.” I told her if people acted according to this verse we would have peace in the world. She agreed but did not seem to be ready to buy the book. I thought that perhaps all the Sanskrit was intimidating for her, so I showed her the table of contents of Science of Self-Realization, and pointed out there are different categories, and in each, articles, essays, and interviews that can easily be read in one sitting. After a little consideration, she “OK, I will take all three.” She gave $20, saying to keep the change, but as we only try to get $18 for the three books, I gave her Bhakti-yoga, as well.

 

 Several days a week Clarissa of Brooklyn, dressed in an Indian sari, comes after high school and Sanya of New Delhi, dressed in a Western suit, comes after work to share with passersby jewels of transcendental wisdom in the form of Srila Prabhupada’s books during New York City Harinama.
I admire the bravery of theseyouthful book distributors, and also Nihal, who comes after college and sells many books. Due to fear, I usually limit myself to selling books at the table. One day, however, because there were no other book distributors, because Babhru Prabhu had criticized me for distributing free pamphlet and not books which he said were just as easy, and also because I felt bad because the two ladies a third and half my age were brave enough to do it when I wasn’t, I spent about 3 hours distributing books to people who were stopped, listening to the harinama party. I was able to distribute one hardbound Science of Self-Realization and one softbound one, a softbound Bhagavad-gita, and four Chant and Be Happy books, collecting $29. I had nice conversations with a few of the people. One had regularly attended the Sunday Feast in New Orleans, so I told himabout the one in Brooklyn. I hope I can regular sell books to those who stop and listen, at least when we have no other book distributors.
Janananda Goswami is my authority in England and the reason I promised to make my base in Newcastle in the summer. His disciples, Janardana and Priya Sundari Prabhus, are always ready to join me for harinama, and I have chanted with them in Leeds (their home), York, Newcastle, and other places in England. Visiting relatives and Hare Krishna temples in America, they stopped by for an hour or so before returning to England. Priya Sundari’s mother, who is a devotee, also came.
They fully participated, 
 

with Janardana Prabhu playing the drum, 

 

Priya Sundari Devi Dasi distributing invitations, literature, and a CD,

and her mom clapping and dancing,
and they all sang the response as well. It was beautiful to see their enthusiasm and have them visit our party. They were thinking they did not have enough time to come, but words of encouragement from Janananda Goswami adjusted their priorities, and they were very happy they came. Janardana Prabhu liked New York, saying he felt it was less passionate that London.
I took videos of different devotees singing different days:
Kaliya Krishna Prabhu sings (https://youtu.be/I6S63buKHXc):
Tulasi Das Prabhu sings (https://youtu.be/_wMeRkFlAnI):
Phalguni Radhika sings (https://youtu.be/58XGqikPO7o):
Ananta Gauranga Prabhu sings and gets people dancing (https://youtu.be/5t55zxlaeZw):
Rama Raya Prabhu sings (https://youtu.be/A_q1hf5v0nY):
Offering Lamps to Damodara at Union Square

During the month of Karttika (October-November) Hare Krishna devotees offer lamps to Krishna in His childhood feature of Damodara. On New York City Harinam we took this to the streets and invited everyone to participate. The offering of lamps to Damodara is so auspicious the revealed literature states one can attain the spiritual world by that act alone. Many passersby who did this found it a joyous experience.
    
One man on a skate board offered a lamp.
 
One man with a cat on his back offered a lamp.

Offering lamps to Damodara transcended race and gender.

Three young ladies offered lamps.
 
Then they sat down with us for most of the rest of the “Damodarastaka.” Then two of them came by the next day and greeted us.
Commenting on our inviting of the public to offer lamps to Damodara, Tulasi-priya dasi wrote, “This is what is called ‘a cultural presentation for the re-spiritualization of society.’ It’s a misconception to think that we have to become mainstream to reach people by becoming more like the dominant society in which we live. Rather, outreach is the natural fruit of the knowledge that what we have is so beneficial and pleasurable, so right, that our joy in the life we live exceeds our own immediate circle, and we cannot help but share it with others, just as friends share their favorite places and pastimes. A group does not become mainstream by transforming itself to fit into the larger society in which it finds itself. That’s more like the group losing itself. A group becomes mainstream when the dominant society is transformed as a result of the powerful, positive, and persistent influence the minority has exerted on the majority.”
Halloween Harinama at Union Square
Halloween is a day in the United States of America when many people dress up in costumes. Many people are in a festival mood and being disguised, they are less fearful of being see interacting with the “Hare Krishnas”!

 Some costumed persons sat with us.
Some danced, like this young lady with Kalyani Devi Dasi.
 
Once a group of kids danced with devotee ladies.
 

Costumed kids played shakers.

Mostly the devotees wore their usual costumes,

except Paul, who dressed as a grasshopper.
 
and Lee, who colored his face, and played a giant conch shell.
  
Natabara Gauranga Prabhu made 150 laddus and many cookies to distribute. Sweet distribution is traditionally a part of Halloween, and it is good to take advantage of the opportunity.
   
We were set up near the Occupy Wall Street man.

Some costumed people posed with our chanting party.
  

Nihal Prabhu distributed books to costumed characters. 

One attender of Krishna Lunch in Tallahassee remembered me and introduced himself.
 

Later in the day, an attendee of Krishna Lunch in Gainesville also recalled me from University of Florida there. I told him about Govindas in Brooklyn and the Bhakti Cafe so he can connect with more Krishna food now that he lives in New York City.

 
Many costumed people offered lamps to Damodara. I took pictures of twenty-five!

To see the others, try the slideshow above, and if that fails, click on this link:
https://picasaweb.google.com/103872792410945983719/CostumedPeopleOfferLamps?authuser=0&feat=directlink

I took three videos on Halloween, one during the day, one at dusk, and one at night:

Clarissa chanted during the day at Union Square (https://youtu.be/T7lP2qT6UUM):
Ananta Gauranga Prabhu chanted at dusk (https://youtu.be/nSWDTKnhHmE):
Rama Raya Prabhu led an extra long and extra lively Halloween night harinama(https://youtu.be/CJ_LbZPYLRU):
Times Square Subway Station Harinama
When it is rainy or cold, we chant in the subway stations. One time in the Times Square subway station a group of friends took pleasure dancing with the devotees. I caught the end of it on video (https://youtu.be/U4DP5qQvleE):

Another day I was doing the book table and one young black man from Austin, Texas, came by. He show me his well read Science of Self-Realization, which he said changed his life, and told me the interesting story of how he obtained that book. He signed up for time on the computer in the library and was waiting for his slot, when a voice from within told him not to go back into the library just yet but to walk down the sidewalk. While walking down the sidewalk, he found the Science of Self-Realization, wrapped nicely in a bag, sitting on the bench. Reading the book, he could understand it was meant to lead him on a spiritual path. After telling his story, he donated two dollars, and I gave him an Isopanisad. I had explained all the books were based on the Bhagavad-gita, and it was the main book. He asked the price of the Gita, and I told him five, so he returned the Isopanisad, gave three more dollars and took the Gita. He said he has moved to New York City, and we made sure he knew about the weekly Gita classes on Saturday at 26 2ndAve.

Another man shouted “Hare Krishna” jubilantly as he passed our party. Approaching the book table, he asked the price of the books and told how he had lived in our temple in Gainesville, where I stay in the winter, for two weeks in 1996. He explained that he had been expelled from the ashram when it was found he had a hamburger and a Playboy magazine. I smiled. I will ask my friends running the temple then if they remember him.

To see pictures I took but did not include, click on this link:
https://picasaweb.google.com/103872792410945983719/TravelJournal1120?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCMPyxI-cjr2BEg&feat=directlink 

Insights
Srila Prabhupada:
From a lecture on Nectar of Devotion in Vrindavan on October 20, 1972:
Everyone is enjoying a particular type of rasa [taste] and nature is giving him a suitable body.
As in a dream we are covered with a subtle covering, in our waking state we are covered with a particular body.
One’s aim of life should be serve the acaryas [the spiritual masters who taught by example]. In our Gaudiya sampradaya [spiritual lineage], the Six Goswamis are our acaryas. By reading Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu [The Nectar of Devotion] we are directly associating with Rupa Goswami.
People do not know the siddhanta [the conclusion] generally.
If we neglect the words of the acaryas, we will misunderstand Krishna.
Srila Rupa Goswami does not tell about Radha Krishna in the beginning but trains his readers in pure devotional service.
We must be very enthusiastic, “I shall engage in the activities of the Hare Krishna movement. . . . I shall preach the glories of the Lord to my full capacity.”
If you are on bhaki-marga [the path of devotional service] your success is assured provided you are enthusiastic and patient. . . . Rest assured success is guaranteed. If we have enthusiasm and patience, we will not fall down.
The nondevotees accounts are kept by Yamaraja, and the devotees accounts are kept personally by Krishna.
If we surrender cent per cent immediately, Krishna will reciprocate immediately.
We see many sannyasis who renounce the material world as temporary in search of Brahman but who later come back to the material plane to open hospitals.
The Goswami were merged in the ocean of the loving affairs between Krishna and the gopis, thus they did not have to engage in illicit sex and intoxication to keep themselves fit for bhajana.
The more you preach, the more you get strength. This is because Krishna says in Bg. 18.68: “For one who explains this supreme secret to the devotees, pure devotional service is guaranteed, and at the end he will come back to Me.”
Krishna is speaking to everyone through Arjuna.
The message of the Goswamis is “Somehow or other get people to become Krishna conscious.”
You become convinced that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and you preach it.
People think the goal is liberation, but liberation is a very insignificant thing in comparison to pure devotional service.
Lord Caitanya has confirmed that prema [love of Krishna] is the supreme goal.
Every is trying to satisfy his senses to his fullest extent but maya will not let him.
Even seventy- or eighty-year-old man will go to the club seeking to satisfy his senses.
Sex life is so strong, if you remain in material existence, it will never be sastified. You have to come to Krishna consciousness.
If we are actually attached to seeing the beauty of Krishna then we shall never be enamored by the arrows of Cupid.
“As soon as you are engaged in the service, loving service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, immediately you feel liberation. This is practically. When you are fully engaged in Krsna consciousness, even if you walk on the street, you’ll feel that ‘I am separate from these persons. . . . I am walking on a different path.’ This is the feeling. Bhaktih paresanubhavah. This is bhakti. Paresanubhava.. . . You will experience yourself. That is the test. If you experience yourself that ‘I am different from these persons,’ then where is the attachment for material things? ”
The Goswamis found something better in Krishna consciousness so they gave up
lucrative service as ministers. . . . They are the best examples.
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.12.24, purport:
“To follow the instructions of the Lord is to associate with the Lord. The Lord is not a material object whose presence one has to feel for such association. The Lord is present everywhere and at all times. It is quite possible to have His association simply by following His instruction because the Lord and His instruction and the Lord and His name, fame, attributes and paraphernalia are all identical with Him, being absolute knowledge.”
Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:
From Prabhupada Remembrance video#46:
Srila Prabhupada said on gurukula, “Tell them Krishna stories and engage them in acting out Krishna pastimes. That will keep them engaged so they do not cause much disturbance.”
“The teachers should never hit the children. If they do, they should be hit.”
Srila Prabhupada considered a boarding school is better because the kids would go through the temple program and that they would learn from the good example from the teachers.
It could have worked out if the teachers were properly trained and acted properly.
It was said of Ram Das’ guru that he made you feel love for people, but our Srila Prabhupada made us feel love for God.
Srila Prabhupada’s most meaningful quality was his love. He did not always show it because he was a general on the battlefield. He had love for the cow, and other living entities, and most of all for his disciples.
He was an empowered agent to take people back to Godhead.
Prabhupada was asked what do you feel when you chant. He said, “You feel no fear.”
I need to be forgiven by his love, his charity, and his leniency. We need his empowerment to release us from this material world.
Niranjana Swami:
From a class on September 13, 2015 on Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 2.2 at the Russian Festival:
There is some doubt that you can attain perfection by service to the Supreme Lord but there is no doubt that you can attain perfection by serving the pure devotee of the Lord.
Vakresvara Pandit enlightened Devananda Pandit by telling him, “Srimad-Bhagavatam,wherever you open it, only glorifies pure devotional service. If you understand this, then you can speak on Srimad-Bhagavatam.”
No topic but pure devotional service to the Supreme Lord can satisfy the hankering soul.
One must be very careful never to contribute to the lack of pure devotional service in human society.
Jayadvaita Swami:
Yudhisthira Maharaja was concerned that Pariksit be a great king and a great devotee like those previously in his dynasty.
It was important especially for the brahmanas (intellectuals), ksatriyas (administrators), and vaishyas (businessman and farmers) that their children are qualified to carry on the family tradition.
It is the qualities of a person that determine a person’s social position, but when the families were very pure in their behavior most often the children would be qualified, though not in every case.
Not all power to the people. Some power to the animals. Some power to the plants.
We have the environmentalists today. That was also formerly the responsibility of the king, to protect the environment.
Keeping one’s word is valuable for the brahmanas and the ksatriyas. With leaders of the modern day, their word is good for nothing, and therefore they are good for nothing.
The ksatriyas protect the brahmanas and uphold the brahminical culture.
The brahmanas are like the eyes and the ksatriyas are like the arms. When the eyes and arms cooperate, great good can be done.
Just as now one might speak of a fighter as being like Muhammed Ali, Pariksit is compared to many high qualified persons of the past.
Q (Ghanashyam): Sibi was willing to give his life for the pigeon, but then he could not longer protect human society as a king. So was that really the best thing?
A: No one is indispensible. Not even me. No one should think “without me nothing will go on.” If the leader does not honor his word, then it will inspire the same in others, and society will become more and more degraded.
Better men of principle not men of convenience and creative pragmatism. If you go back on your word, your respectability is trashed.
Q: I scared a cat who had pounced on a bird so the bird could get away, but then I wondered if I did right?
A: It is a good question. Generally, we do not interfere in these things.
Comment by other devotees: In the case of cats and birds, the cats do not actually eat the birds, thus you are not depriving them of food by scaring them so they drop the bird.
These days everyone is overintelligent. Intelligence is meant to be used to execute our duty.
In rare cases one may abandon his superior, such the case where he goes against the supreme superior Krishna. Bali did with his guru, Prahlada did with his father, and Arjuna did with Bhisma and Drona.
Abhirama Prabhu:
Gajendra and elephants on the celestial planets are more aware than we are.
No one can be defeated on the path of bhakti except by bad association. When we become uninterested in the path charted out by the great acaryas [spiritual teachers] and become interested in other things, then we can know we are bitten by the crocodile of bad association.
Sridhara Swami says that one should not read devotional books other than what one’s guru has proscribed.
Srila Prabhupada has made the shortcut back to Godhead. If we try to make another shortcut, we will fall off the path.
Krishna is right before our eyes but we are not seeing because we are not surrendering.
Comment by Rama Raya Prabhu:
Yamuna Devi said that just before Srila Prabhupada left London after installing the Deities and spending three months with the devotees, he told the devotees: “If you just follow the instructions I have given, and you read the books that have already been translated, you will go back to Godhead at the end of life.”
When a devotee asked Srila Prabhupada, “What is meant spiritual technology?” even before he completed saying the word “technology” Srila Prabhupada replied by saying, “The guru-parampara [the spiritual lineage].”
Sivarama Swami wrote his book on the intimate details of Krishna’s pastimes in Vrindavana only with the consultation of many godbrothers.
Narottama Dasa Thakura’s life is very tragic in that several associates of Lord Caitanya who Narottama had hoped to meet, left this world while Narottama was traveling to see them.
By the time Narottama Dasa Thakura had appeared, kirtana had greatly reduced. Jahnava Mata, the consort of Sri Nityananda Prabhu, complained that now the mrdangas had become silent. Narottama revived the kirtana.
Rama Raya Prabhu:
Srila Prabhupada says that chanting the holy name under the direction of the spiritual master is pure chanting.
Following the regulative principles drys the wood so the fire of bhakti can ignite.
Srutakirti Prabhu says that Srila Prabhupada considered the successful Ratha-yatra in London with its festival in Trafalgar Square was as significant as the opening of the Krishna-Balaram Mandir in Vrindavan or Mayapur temple because it showed that in Great Britain, which had tried to subjugate India for decades, Britishers were now appreciating and following India’s Vedic culture.
Personally serving the physical form of the spiritual master one gets longevity.
Bhakti Pramod Puri Maharaja would not even eat maha-prasadam if it was cooked by someone not born in a brahmana family. Srila Prabhupada told him he wanted to give him a gift and asked if he would accept it. He said yes. Srila Prabhupada then gave him some maha-prasadam from Krishna Balaram that was cooked by his Western disciples. He accepted it because Srila Prabhupada, his godbrother, had personally given it to him. The next time the devotees saw him he had become completely transformed. He said by giving me that maha-prasadam your Srila Prabhupada taught me that all people, regardless of their birth, are eligible for Krishna consciousness, and that was a far greater gift than just the maha-prasadam.
One snappy British reporter was criticizing the devotees for not working.
Srila Prabhupada said, “We have the richest father. Why should we work? This mansion. How much did it cost? Do you think that by working your whole life you could make that much money?”
“No sir,” replied the reporter.
“Well this mansion was just given to us. Why then should we work?” said Srila Prabhupada.
The transformations of a devotee’s emotions in ecstatic love can be understood if we contribute to the transformation of this planet from its current Kali-yuga situation to Lord Caitanya age of prema-nama-sankirtana.
We are like Johnny Appleseed, sowing seeds of Krishna-prema, by doing harinama sankirtana.
Srila Prabhupada would make the point, “If you say you are good and we are good, we must disagree and say only we are good. That is not our arrogance or pride but the vision of the sastra [the revealed literature].”
Srila Prabhupada told Hari Vilas that true humility is to know that our money, reputation, etc., cannot protect us, and only Krishna can (Follow Prabhupada,#5, DVD).
Krishna and Balarama are expert in killing many demons, so we can call the names of Krishna and Balarama, appealing to Them to throw our ass-like material desires into the trees.
We can glorify the great teachers in our line by serving them by helping to fulfill their mission of Lord Caitanya.
Srila Prabhupada said to disciples, “All of you have had previous connection with devotional service, so Krishna as arranged for you to take birth in the West, so you can help spread Lord Caitanya’s mission.”
Srila Prabhupada considered the Christians, Jews, and Moslems more advanced than the Mayavadis, who twist the Vedas literatures to support their impersonal philosophy and deviate people away from worshiping the Supreme Lord in His original personal form.
Our focus on harinama is giving out the mercy of Lord Caitanya. We should experience that we are giving mercy, and in this way, we will always be enthused.
We are conscious of the pains and pleasures of this body, but the Supersoul is conscious of the pains and pleasures of all bodies.
If you live in an apartment, you have to make sure you do not anything that will upset the landlord. In the same way, we must do not use anything against the will of the Lord.
The living entities are varieties of forgetfulness of Krishna.
For a devotee, living without Krishna even in heaven is hellish, while living with Krishna, even in hell, is heavenly. We can apply the second part to living in New York City.
There is ten million times the benefit of offering a lamp to Damodara if the lamp is lit with a tulasi twig.
The Karttika month is so glorious that even if minimally observed great benefit is achieved.
By singing and dancing before Lord Hari during the month of Karttika one attains the eternal abode.
Be all you can be – for Krishna!
Once a devotee left the milk on the stove to boil over. Srila Prabhupada discovered it and asked, “Who is going to hell?” He considered it such an offense to waste the milk.
We see on harinama there is one Indian man who reads the entire New York Times at a distance and then throws a dollar in our donation box.
Being bound by our material desires and mental speculations we are blocked from getting to Krishna, like the gopis who were locked in their houses by their relatives and kept from running to Krishna.
By offering a lamp to Damodara in Karttika one can become freed from all sins and attain the spiritual kingdom.
Krishna consciousness is not artificially produced. It is in the heart and just needs to be resurrected.
Devotional service automatically gives all knowledge and enlightenment. One stumbling block is to think one has to acquire knowledge separately.
My godbrother, Jada Bharat told me 37 years ago. “Don’t think. Just do.” I still regularly recall this and am inspired by it.
Doing our harinama service increases our love of God, and whatever love of God we have attained increases our harinama service.
We are not supposed to be attracted to material things because they are manifestation of envy or hatred of God.
If we can come to the platform of prema-nama or suddha-nama-sankirtana, then people will be completely captivated. We will not have to endeavor to get people to stop and listen to the kirtana.
Narottama Dasa Thakura appeared in 1531, just three years before the disappearance of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Ganga Narayana Cakravarti was the chief disciple of Narottama Dasa Thakura.
In Narottama Dasa Thakura’s Prathana, the prayers or songs are divided in to different categoies like “Longing for Direct Service to the Lord,” “Prayers for Awakening Attachment to the Lord,” “Feeling Oneself Unworthy,” “Intense Hankering” “Repeated Intense Hankering,” “Feeling Separation from the Lord and His Associates,” etc.
Narottama Dasa Thakura glorifies Rupa and Sanatana Goswamis for having many jewels of love for the Divine Couple, Radha and Krishna, and begs for a few such jewels of ecstatic love in charity.
Points from songs of Narottama Dasa Thakura:
Bewilderment will be there when I cannot immediately attain my beautiful Lord.
When lust and his friends hear the sound Govinda, they flee.
This love of Radha and Krishna is the most valuable object in the three worlds.
O Lord, this Narottama is very unhappy, please engage me in Your sankirtana and make me happy.
Sadhana and prema bhakti are the same. Sadhana bhakti is just prema bhakti in the unripened stage.
The holy name and pastimes of Radha and Krishna are both the goal and the means to attain the goal.
Madhavendra Puri Prabhu:
From a room conversation:
It is the percentage of your powers you use that Krishna is looking for not the amount of your power.
Bhakta Avatar Prabhu:
Although there are signs of degradation like an increase in pornography there are signs of progressive consciousness. People are more aware that animals have feelings than they used to be.
It should be the goal of every devotee do to what he can to make the world Krishna consciousness.
We are at the root of everything, so we have to set a good example by chanting and dancing and spreading the love to others.
The demonic who are killed by the Lord attain liberation but those who serve him with devotion, attain the supreme liberation.
Imagine chanting and dancing with the whole Panca-tattva? How ecstatic that would be! That is possible when we return to the spiritual world.
Vicara Prabhu:
Srila Prabhupada says that human life is only meant for austerity, to find out what we are, and for taxing the brain, considering how to fully engage in devotional service.
Comment by Rama Raya Prabhu:
Srila Prabhupada’s books contains wisdom to benefit everyone, from the rank materialist to the topmost devotee.
The best talking we can do is to chant the holy name. No one can argue with that. [If you present some philosophy, people may argue, but not if you chant.]
During Srila Prabhupada’s time, the focus was compassion for the people suffering due to lack of devotional service. This should not be minimized, or worse, forgotten.
We are benefiting greatly from the devotees’ sacrifices in the 1970s. Things are so much easier now than they used to be. Similarly in the future, the devotees will benefit from the sacrifices we make now.
What Lord Caitanya is going to arrange in future decades is going to be super extraordinary.
I talked to two different people yesterday who both had been listening to our chanting party in Union Square for years. Both talked about starting to practice what we were doing.
—–
One day Abhiram Prabhu sang Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s song popularly known as “Udilo Aruna” before the morning class. This verse echoed in my mind for days afterward:
jivana anitya janaha sar,
tahe nana-vidha vipada-bhar,
namasraya kori’ jatane tumi,
thakaha apana kaje
“This temporary life is full of various miseries. Take shelter of the holy name as your only business.” (“Arunodaya Kirtana Song 1,” Verse 6)

Travel Journal#11.19: New York City Harinam
→ Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 11, No. 19
By Krishna-kripa das
(October 2015, part one)
New York City
(Sent from Brooklyn, New York, on October 17, 2015)
Where I Went and What I Did
In the first half of October, I stayed with the Brooklyn Harinama Ashram, run by Abhiram and Rama Raya Prabhus, and I chanted six hours a day, seven days a week, mostly in Union Square, sometimes leading the chanting, sometimes dancing and distributing invitations and pamphlets, and sometimes working the book table.During this period we were visited by Jayadvaita Swami and Janananda Goswami. I also gave lectures at Atmanivedana Prabhu’s program one Saturday evening at 26 Second Avenue, and the next Saturday at the ISKCON program in Queens. I am rememorizing chapter one of Bhagavad-gita this monthand learning a new beat on the drum from Ananta Gauranga Prabhu. After a virtual absence of about six months, I am back to answering questions on Krishna.com Live Help again. I am very happy to have caught up on this journal, so I canwriteabout the present instead of the past.
I share excerpts from the online journal of Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami. I share notes on lectures at the Harinama Ashram by Jayadvaita Swami, Abhiram Prabhu, Rama Raya Prabhu, Madhavendra Puri Prabhu, Bhakta Avatar Prabhu, Babhru Prabhu, and Acarya-nistha Prabhu. I share notes on a Srila Prabhupada remembrances videos featuring Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, Jayapataka Swami, Gargamuni Prabhu, Guru-kripa Prabhu, Narayani Devi Dasi, and Rupa Vilas Prabhu.
I would like to thank Atmanivedana Prabhu for his kind donation and also the elder bhakta who regular serves at the Brooklyn temple and attends the program in Queens.
Itinerary
September 28–November 12: New York City Harinama
November 13: Philadelphia
November 14–17: Washington, D.C., Harinama
November 18: Jacksonville, FL
November 19: Tampa
November 20: Orlando
November 21–December 15: Krishna House (except 5 days in Tallahassee)
December 16–January 3: New York City Harinama
Mostly we chanted in Union Square Park, except for a few rainy days where we went underground.

At Union Square, we were visited by Janananda Goswami, who is originally from the UK, and my authority there in The North of England in the summer.

Janananda Goswami greatly praised the work of Rama Raya Prabhu in establishing this six-hour daily harinama program in New York City. He reminded us that in the 1970s, before book distribution became popular, Hare Krishna devotees often chanted eight or ten hours a day in the streets. Now this harinama program in New York City is unique. Janananda Goswami promised to join us for a week next year as next October is the fiftieth anniversary of the public chanting of Hare Krishna in the West, which was established at Tompkins Square Park on October 9, 1966.
This time he stayed with us about two hours, leading the chanting for about forty minutes and listening to Garrison sing and talking with devotees the rest of the time. His visit, although brief was an inspiration for me. Here he is leading the chanting (https://youtu.be/-VR2sEcHU_4):
One little girl, who played the shakers briefly with us, wanted to have her picture taken with the party.
Later we were visited by Jayadvaita Swami, who sang the tune popularly known as “The Prabhupada Tune” for about an hour. 

In this picture, he is a responding singer. 
 
Kalyani Devi Dasi danced with one girl while her friend took photos.
  
The other girl then danced while the first girl took photos. 
 
Finally they both danced.
    
A couple danced, the guy with his guitar.

A lady danced with her daughter,
even swinging her around.

And older lady took pictures for a while.

And then burst into an ecstatic dance.

 
This boy came last October to celebrate his third birthday.


And he came back this October to celebrate his fourth.

Martin from Krakow took pictures of us. He heard that we had Krishna food at the Polish Woodstock but never went. To my surprise, he told me he had been to Mathura and Vrindavan, on his honeymoon, no less. He and his wife were visiting Agra and spent a day in Mathura and Vrindavan on their way back to Delhi.

Recently many book distributors have been joining our party for some days at Union Square. Babhru Prabhu, a brahmacari who you see ecstatically dancing with us in some of the videos, has been with us several weeks.

Here Brajananda Prabhu sold a young lady both a Srimad-Bhagavatam volume 1 and a Science of Self-Realization. Initially she was not interested in getting a book, but somehow he convinced her to take Science of Self-Realization, and she gave five dollars. He told her if she threw in another five, he would give her the Bhagavatam, and so she did.

Here Acarya-nistha Prabhu, holding several books under his arm, plays the drum of a passerby.
The evening kirtanas at Union Square are generally the most lively. Here is one with Ananta Gauranga Prabhu leading (https://youtu.be/FXHSWo6gHm8):
Here are two with lead singer Rama Raya Prabhu, whose intensity in kirtana is reminiscent of his inspiration, Aindra Prabhu (https://youtu.be/p-r0NkaC0XEand https://youtu.be/6klshrRQXY8):
You can watch the New York City Harinama live every day online at www.mayapur.tv.
Chanting in Union Square Subway Station
When rain would occur in the middle of our session, we would descend into the Union Square subway station. Sometimes the chanting there would be quite lively. Here is a video of Rama Raya Prabhu chanting there (https://youtu.be/qifXFX-ufws):
Chanting in Jackson Heights / Roosevelt Avenue Subway Station
On completely rainy days we would sing in different subway stations such as Jackson Heights / Roosevelt Avenue. There are many Indian people and many Hispanic people who use the Jackson Heights / Roosevelt Avenue subway station, and a higher percentage of them than average appreciates our activities. Also compared to the other subway stations, more devotees and onlookers participate in the dancing there.
Here is a video of Tulasi Das Prabhu singing there (https://youtu.be/3p-tfNO7mJk):
And here is one of Brajaraja Prabhu singing there (https://youtu.be/Z1OKsi9Tpik):
To see the pictures I did not include in this journal, click on the link below:
Insights
Jayapataka Swami:
From a Srila Prabhupada remembrance video:
Srila Prabhupada’s guru told him to preach in the West and he did that successfully, but he saw how India was becoming degraded and losing its culture, and thought, “How can I stand by and let this happen?”
Comment by Brahmananda Prabhu: The Deity Dvarakadhisa in Los Angeles spoke to Prabhupada told him to go back to India.
Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:
From “Poem for October 5”:
Prabhupada said haribol was “a shortcut for the Hare Krishna mantra.”
From Prabhupada Remembrances #46:
He impressed me like the Buddha, sitting cross-legged and his chest bare. I was interested in Eastern thought.
They had straw mats. Prabhupada also had a straw mat.
He started the kirtana very slowly.
I was impressed with the kirtana and with him.
He was the first Indian teacher I met.
His gravity and grandfatherlyness I liked very much.
My first question was “Is there freedom from miseries?”
He said, “No, you can break your arm, go to the hospital, and get it fixed, and then you can break another bone. Then it continues next life. Only by getting liberation does misery end.”
I asked in his room alone with him “Is there a level of advancement which you do not fall down from?”
He answered, “Yes.”
From the first night I met him all my bad habits went away by themselves.
I did not go to the first initiation but I did do some typing for him which I brought the next day. He asked why I missed the initiation. I said I did some typing and gave it to him.
He said, “I will love you if you love me.” I looked within my self for reasons that I might not love him and I kicked it all out.
Srila Prabhupada had Dr. Radhakrishnan’s Bhagavad-gita and some of the other boys also got them. He said, “Don’t read the purport at all. It is contaminating.”
I asked about if at initiation is the karma removed. He answered with the fan analogy. Initiation is like unplugging the fan on your karma, which gradually stops.
I did not have a problem that my parents rejected me. I accepted Srila Prabhupada was my father.
Tamal Krishna Goswami wondered if it was alright to write his mother regularly when he took sannyasa. Srila Prabhupada asked, “Do you wish to make your mother a special object of your mercy?” Tamal Krishna Goswam decided that he should not write his mother quite so often but to occasionally write her.
Prabhupada would make the point that everyone has to bow down. You have to bow down to “old age.”
Once he wanted me to go to a bank in Calcutta and get something done. They would not do it. I returned. Prabhupada said I should have got in writing the reason for the refusal, and that would have been progressive, but that I had failed to accomplish anything.
He said I was a perfect gentlemen but I could not manage.
Jayadvaita Swami:
Kirtanais chanting the names or the glories ofKrishna. Both are krishna-kirtana.
Anything short of pure devotional service has some sin mixed in with it.
People are attracted by the bright faces of the devotees chanting on sankirtana. Their bright faces are the mercy of Lord Caitanya. Imagine how people would be attracted by seeing Lord Caitanya’s own wonderful form!
Anga can mean “limb”. We refer to someone’s “right-hand man”. Thus “anga” can refer to the devotees with whom Lord Caitanya performs His pastimes.
Speculative knowledge is knowledge that does not lead to devotional service.
If we become proud of our devotional knowledge that becomes an impediment to our devotional service.
If you are devotee, but you are not learned, better to say you do not know rather than make something up, and then consult someone who actually knows.
Srila Prabhupada explained that realized knowledge means you can apply it.
Even those who do not believe in a divinity must accept the existence of a superior power.
Maya does not just have one arrow in her quiver.
We cannot overcome maya, unless we surrender to Krishna.
The more we try to conquer maya the more we are defeated. Nuclear power was originally advertised as clean power. Now even to analyze the options for dealing with the waste from these power plants is a multi-million dollar, multi-year task.
Q: With the sankirtana going on how is it there is a five-year drought in California?
A: How much sankirtana is going on and how much sinful activity is going on? San Francisco alone is enough to sink California.
There is a kirtana rabbi in New York City with a harmonium who sings Jewish prayers.
From a talk on his book, Vanity Karma, at the Bhakti Center:
Q: Cynics decry religions promising a better after life if you renounce sense enjoyment.
A: Even in this life, if you go all out to experience sense enjoyment, you will find yourself in misery.
Koheleth takes a very empirical approach to life yet he accepts God without question. He wonders why the good appear to be punished and the evil to be rewarded, and thus he doubts.
Q: What is your personal take away from the experience of writing this book?
A: I have a deeper appreciation of Ecclesiastes from reading the scholars commentaries on it. I also have a deeper appreciation of Srila Prabhupada, and his Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam, and the knowledge they give. Even just to explain what we see, the Vedic literature is valuable, what to speak of explaining what is beyond.
Abhiram Prabhu:
It took centuries of fighting to convince Gajendra that his situation was hopeless and death was near and take he should take shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
There are people who feel their lives are so empty they play their television 24 hours a day so they feel that something is happening. But what is a television show but patterns of light on a screen?
People are waiting for the apocalypse to take Srila Prabhupada’s instructions to take varnasrama seriously, but the apocalypse is now. One in three people will die of cancer. The embryo is not even safe in the womb of his mother. Worst of all there is no spiritual knowledge, so in frustration one cannot even turn to God.
The purpose of Srila Prabhupada coming on the boat across the ocean was to present this knowledge in a variety of ways for our enlightenment.
I was sitting with Srila Prabhupada in his last days. As I was massaging Srila Prabhupada I heard this conversation.
Srila Prabhupada: I do have one lamentation.
Brahmananda: Because you did not finish Srimad-Bhagavatam, Srila Prabhupada?
Srila Prabhupada: No, that I did not establish varnasrama.
Another time I recall this conversation:
Srila Prabhupada: I will teach you varnasrama.
Abhiram Prabhu: How will you do that?
Srila Prabhupada: I will go to Gitanagari, I will sit down, and I will show you how to live off the land.
In India you will see the mother cow will be lying down and even monkeys and dogs will take milk from her, and she does not complain.
Srila Prabhupada felt the suffering of the people in general, and he wanted to help them.
Death never announces itself. It just comes and takes us.
Q: What is the importance of going to Vrindavan?
A: It is part of Srila Prabhupada proscription for us, to come yearly, if possible to Vrindavan and see where Krishna performed his pastimes.
We can be more in Vrindavan by chanting in Union Square than wondering around Vrindavan looking for a pizza.
In New York Cityif you are not Krishna consciousness, you will be seriously in maya, and that can motivate you to be very serious. But in the holy dhama, if you are not careful, you can drift along without getting serious about Krishna consciousness.
Unfortunately egalitarianism does not bring us to respect everyone but to respect no one.
Gargamuni Prabhu:
From a Srila Prabhupada remembrance video:
Srila Prabhupada wanted three cars, one each for his main ISKCON centers in India. The foreign cars could not handle the India roads, so he wanted me to get cars from Birla. At that time, there was a waiting list of 7,000 people to get a car, but Prabhupada wanted the cars immediately, so I talked to Mr. Birla personally and obtained them.
In those days there was no quality control, and we took the cars apart and rebuilt them to make sure they were in order.
Srila Prabhupada was doing everything through us and thus he deserves the credit, but he would give us the credit. When I got the LA temple, in the prema dhvani, he said, “Jaya Gargamuni!” but I knew it was his doing.
Srila Prabhupada never made you feel bad. If he had to correct someone, he would say something positive to you after.
Srila Prabhupada would make you feel important as a servant of Krishna.
Guru-kripa Prabhu:
From a Srila Prabhupada remembrance video:
A devotee appreciates Krishna in everything whereas the demon cannot.
Narayani Devi Dasi:
From a Srila Prabhupada remembrance video:
In my initation letter, Srila Prabhupada told me to do six things. These included:
chant 16 rounds
study all our books
go on sankirtana
do deity worship
engage 24 hours in devotional service
In another letter, Prabhupada stressed being enthusiastic, sincere and cooperating with the devotees.
In Calcutta, literally I was in rags. I tried to cover up the holes in my sari when I offered obeisances to Srila Prabhupada but he must have noticed because four days later one of our richest life members took me shoppingto three or four sari shops for saris. And I never had any lack of saris the rest of my life.
Rupa Vilasa Prabhu:
From a Srila Prabhupada remembrance video:
I asked Srila Prabhupada, “It is so difficult for us to get the gurukula kids to do what we want. How can we do it?”
He replied, “Point to a student who is doing nicely and tell the others to act like him and that they will be happy if they do so.”
Rama Raya Prabhu:
Attachment to our own mental speculation is a great impediment to attaining pure Krishna consciousness.
It is our mission to facilitate everyone achieving ecstatic love of Krishna.
Mirabhai decided that no mortal man would touch her body. In other words, she was meant for Krishna alone. Her family was greatly opposed to her devotion to Krishna. Her envious brother sent her a basket with a cobra in it telling her it was a beautiful salagram-sila form of Krishna for her to worship. His plan was she would open the basket and be killed by thecobra. When she opened the basket, however, she found a beautiful salagram-sila. That salagram-sila exists in a temple in Vrindavan.
Our mission is to bring people back to Godhead, and the mission of the MTA [the New York City transit company] is to bring people from point A to point B. They are sympathetic to our mission as long as we do not impede their mission.
“I will be true to you forever.” Sounds like a mundane love song. It is a nice sentiment, but terribly misplaced.
Srila Prabhupada showed how by remaining true to the disciplic succession one can do amazing service to the Lord.
Bhaktivinoda Thakura says a Vaishnava can be gauged by how many devotees he has made in his life.
Srila Prabhupada said that when kirtana is performed before Gaura Nitai, the center becomes all perfect.
Lord Caitanya takes great pleasure in the distribution of love of God with His associates.
When you see the lila of the Lord you come to realize there is a vacancy in the lila and that is your part to fill.
None of the other demigods came to rescue Gajendra because they could tell his prayers were meant for the Supreme Lord Himself.
The cheating religionists say things like, “You just believe in this and do this little ritual, and you are good to go.”
There is no greater leader of the Hare Krishna movement than Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He personally went out onnagara-sankirtana with His followers every day. He did not stay back, pushing pencils, and send other people out. He had a real taste for it.
If someone congratulates you for stopping your car at a red light, what is that? You are just doing what you are supposed to. So if someone glorifies us for doing the congregational chanting of the holy name in public, what is that? It is the dharma. It is what we are supposed to do.
Rather than worrying about entering our rasa with Krishna better aspire to enter Srila Prabhupada’s mood in “Markine Bhagavat Dharma”, feeling sorry seeing the suffering of the people and praying “I wish that You may deliver them.”
If Srila Prabhupada had not been committed to following the order of his spiritual master, where would we be now?
Abhirama Prabhu, who is a scholar of history, says that no religious movement that has radically changed society has started in the parlors but in the streets.
Srila Prabhupada wants to empower us. Sometimes his disciples would do offensive things, but he still would not want them to leave.
Gajendra has come to the point of realizing that he has no alternative but to surrender Krishna.
There was one devotee who cried for Krishna for years in Vrindavan. He cried so much he went blind, but he did not care because he considered eyes that could not see the Divine Couple to be useless. Radha and Krishna decided to be merciful to him. Radha touched one eye and Krishna touched the other eye, thus restoring his sight, and his first object of vision was the Divine Couple Themselves.
We can only be happy in relationship with that person who is beyond everything.
The more we can give our heart to Krishna, the more we can understand Krishna.
Because Krishna never leaves Vrindavan, you cannot describe Krishna’s activities in and out of Vrindavan in one volume. Thus Rupa Goswami was requested to divide his drama into two parts.
Q: Is is alright to become a doctor and help people?
A: What about becoming doctors of the soul that can give Krishna prema to people?
Q: What about doing both?
A: The track record for doing both is not very good.
Madhavendra Puri Prabhu:
The impersonalists and materialists fail to understand the Lord has His own primordial personality beyond this cosmic manifestation which He is the source of.
The devotees in England noticed that when walking around Titttenhurst Srila Prabhupada, in his Wellington boots, was not pushing down the grass as the other devotees were.
Comment by Rama Raya Prabhu:
The devotees in England asked, “How is it that your feet are not making any impression in the ground?”
And Srila Prabhupada replied, “For that you will have to advance in devotional service.”
Although Krishna has a spiritual body, when Bhimsa shot Him with arrows Krishna manifested blood on this body for the pleasure of Bhimsa who had a chivalrous relationship with Him. Similarly when Lord Caitanya experienced transcendental ecstasy, blood came through his pores, although His body is also spiritual.
When Lord Caitanya saw anything even remotely related to Vrindavan, he at once remembered Vrindavan and Krishna..
Acinya-bheda-abheda tattvais Lord Caitanya unification of the philosophy of the four Vaishnava sampradayas(spiritual lineages).
Krishna is so absorbed in His emotional relationships with His devotees, He actually forgets Himself.
Comment by Rama Raya Prabhu:
Srila Prabhupada told Govinda Dasi, “Just come to my classes, and all your problems will be solved.”
She found that hard to believe, but she came to the classes, and found her problems were solved, and she developed a great taste for hearing his classes.
Bhakta Avatar Prabhu:
Lord Caitanya was always seeking Radha Krishna and Their associates, and Srila Prabhupada, by arranging for Radha-Madhava asta-sakhi-vrinda to appear on the altar in Mayapur, fulfilled His desire.
If all the gods were equal then why would Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva worship Lord Vishnu?
Srila Prabhupada did not take a day off and play volleyball or go to the movies.
In Krishna consciousness eating, sleeping, and mating are all spiritualized.
We see that the kids brought up in Krishna consciousness are special.
Krishna consciousness is always increasing. Srila Prabhupada started alone with no money and a box of cereal and a few books.
I was talking to someone on harinama who stops by every day and listens to the harinama.
Comment by me: That is his sadhana [daily spiritual practice].
People have never heard anything like the chanting.
Comments by Rama Raya:
We are serving Krishna directly by serving the holy name. Instead of trying to see Krishna in a bush in Vrindavan, see Krishna in the spreading of the holy name.
Eight million people come to Manhattan every day to work for Maya. Why can’t 10,000 people come to Manhattan to chant Hare Krishna?
By thinking big for our spiritual master, we conquer over petty material desires.
Q: How did your son Vrindavan become such a nice devotee?
A: I just kept my son Vrindavan away from bad association. I took him to all the temples and all the festivals. Only for one year did he go to a karmi school. He was living with my father. The school was just across the street. My father would take him to school in the morning, pick him up for lunch, give him some vegetarian food, and take him back and pick him up at the end of the day, and thus he could not pick up the materialistic habits of the other kids.
One’s peer group is very important for kids. It is important to have other devotee kids to associate with.
More important than giving up bad association is attaining good association. My son spent nine years with Aindra Prabhu, beginning when he was thirteen.
Comment by Rama Raya Prabhu:
Aindra Prabhu told one gurukula kid, whatever you do, do not stop doing kirtana.
Yamuna Devi was very concerned that the youth understand Srila Prabhupada’s love.
Only two things are going on on harinama: inclination toward Krishna and disinclination toward Krishna.
Since harinama sankirtana is very dear to the devotees of the Lord, we are pleasing countless devotees past, present, and future by our chanting.
Within eight miles of salagrama-sila is considered a place of pilgrimage.
Mathuraprana Krishna Das Prabhu:
The devotees were asking Srila Prabhupada about whether it was alright to chant this mantra or that mantra. Because they were all bona fide mantras, Srila Prabhupada accepted them, but after each he said mostly to chant the Hare Krishna mantra.
Comment by Rama Raya Prabhu:
Devotees do not think they are doing anything special because they are just doing what they are supposed to be doing, serving the mission of Lord Caitanya.
In Srila Prabhupada’s books the most quoted verse is “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna . . . ” The second most is “Harer nama harer mana harinamaiva kelavam . . . ”
Why should we make Krishna wait? He wants us to go back home back to Godhead now.”
Babhru Prabhu:
God reveals Himself to His devotee.
Madhavendra Puri Prabhu says it is practically impossible to understand God through science because Krishna has made it that way.
One should accept a guru who has the qualities of an advanced devotee that are described in the revealed literatures.
It is important to understand where we are at spiritually. Five people told me yesterday while distributing books on harinama that they had pure love for God.
Spiritual advancement can be gradual or fast. It is up to us.
If we are in the mood of giving up everything to understand Krishna, then it will be possible to understand Him.
I feel Krishnabook is the most important book Srila Prabhupada gave us. Krishnabook is full of Srila Prabhupada’s mercy.
Reading the biographies of the great spiritual masters in our line can give us faith that there is a state of love of God, and that it can be attained by following them.
We should pray for the mercy of the spiritual masters in our line. We should cry for such mercy.
By reading Srila Prabhupada’s writings and those of others in the line we can be more and more inspired.
Everything is revealed by the holy name. If we do not have a taste for the holy name, we should serve more.
If we offend a devotee, we should surrender to that devotee, be forgiven and make up for it.
Comment by Bhakta Avatar Prabhu:
As a new devotee I was asked to clean the bathroom. I thought, “I am a great personality. I have not cleaned a bathroom since I was a kid.” But I surrendered to it, and it was the most ecstatic experience.
Acarya-nistha Prabhu:
When we give in to the whims of the mind and the senses we lose the chance to remember to Krishna.
We have to practice seeing that people are not their bodies.
We have to staunchly execute devotional service in order to not be affected by the material influences and to please Krishna by our service.
If we are on the platform of the soul, we will not be disturbed by the material dualities.
To follow the injunctions of the revealed scriptures will always be a challenge for one attached to sense gratification.
It is a special opportunity to act on behalf of the Lord. Not every one has this opportunity. One who takes the opportunity comes to realize how Krishna reciprocates with his devotees.
Comment by Rama Raya Prabhu:
Sometimes people get attracted to reading the books of the previous acaryas [the spiritual teachers] and lose track of the task at hand, the preaching mission. It can actually be a trick of maya to distract us from the preaching.
The main lack in society is a lack of Krishna prema, love of God.
Unless we control our minds and senses, we will equate advance rasas[intimate spiritual relationships with the Lord] with mundane experience.
The more we enjoy in youth, the more we suffer in old age and in the next life.
We do not know what to desire, and if we do not desire to assist our spiritual master, you can be sure that maya will give us something to desire.
If you are preaching Krishna consciousness in a committed way, you are already back to Godhead.
Comment by John:
Abhirama Prabhu always quotes Srila Prabhupada as saying, “Take some trouble for Krishna. You will not be the loser.”
Natabara Gauranga Prabhu:
From a kitchen conversation:
Prasadam does not really go bad. Our consciousness goes bad.
Brajananda Prabhu:
From a dinner conversation:
Get out of the drama, and into the Rama.
—–
Can one attain perfection in this life? The answer is YES!
iha yasya harer dasye
karmana manasa gira
nikhilasv apy avasthasu
jivan-muktah sa ucyate
“A person acting in Krishna consciousness (or, in other words, in the service of Krishna) with his body, mind, intelligence and words is a liberated person even within the material world, although he may be engaged in many so-called material activities.” (Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu1.2.187, quoted in Bhagavad-gita As It Is, verse5.11, purport)

Travel Journal#11.18: Boston, New York City, Albany
→ Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 11, No. 18
By Krishna-kripa das
(September 2015, part two)
Boston, New York City, Albany
(Sent from Brooklyn, New York, on October 11, 2015)

Where I Went and What I Did
I went with the Harinama Ruci world harinama sankirtana party to Boston to do harinama at the festival honoring the 50thanniversary of Srila Prabhupada’s arrival in Boston. We stayed through Radhastami, the day after the festival weekend. Then I returned and chanted, danced, and distributed literature and invitations with the New York City Harinama party of Rama Raya Prabhu, taking a trip to Albany the next weekend to celebrate my mother’s 91stbirthday.
I share many realizations from the senior devotees attending the festival for the 50thanniversary of Srila Prabhupada’s arrival in Boston. These include Bhaktimarga Swami, Candramauli Swami, Giriraja Swami, Navayogena Swami, Niranjana Swami, Romapada Swami, and Malati Devi Dasi. I share wisdom from senior devotees at the Harinama Ashram in New York City, namely Abhirama and Rama Raya Prabhus and their guest sannyasi speakers, Jayadvaita Swami and Candrasekhara Swami. In particular I have notes on Radhastami lectures by Candramauli, Giriraja, Navayogendra, and Radhanath Swamis.
Many thanks to Kaliya Krishna Prabhu for paying for my subway expenses in New York City. Thanks to Kesihanta Prabhu of Alachua for his kind donation. Thanks to the Brazilian lady living in Boston who likes Hare Krishna and gave me a donation at Penn Station. Many, many thanks to Caitanya Mangala Prabhu of Boston for arranging our accommodation and travel for the Prabhupada festival there.
Thanks to Mahavishnu Swami for posting the pictures of us doing harinama on the Boston streets. Thanks to the Hare Krishna Festival devotees for their picture of me on harinama in Boston. Thanks to Dharmatma Prabhu and Mother Dvijapriya for their pictures of our Union Square harinama.
Itinerary
September 28–November 12: New York City Harinama
November 13: Philadelphia?
November 14–17: Washington, D.C., Harinama
November 18: Jacksonville, FL
November 19: Tampa
November 20: Orlando
November 21–December 15: Krishna House (except 5 days in Tallahassee)
December 16–January 3: New York City Harinama
Srila Prabhupada Festival in Boston
I found the festival for the 50th anniversary of Srila Prabhupada’s arrival in Boston to be deeply uplifting and inspiring. The many senior devotees and their realizations contributed a lot. I think that accepting our celebration, Srila Prabhupada must have blessed us with some special mercy.

I stayed with the Harinama Ruci traveling harinama sankirtana party in Boston. We traveled from our hotel to Boston Common via bus and train, and we did harinama on both, inspiring one or two travelers to join with us (https://youtu.be/CGyeOJ-tL-o):

Part of the festival was offerings to Srila Prabhupada on a boat which sailed around the Boston harbor for a couple hours.
Jayadvaita Swami:
Srila Prabhupada told Abhirama Prabhu it was very difficult for him to give up his family life. But he did that. Then he went to Vrindavan. Then he gave up Vrindavan. Why? Because he had a duty to his spiritual master.
Srila Prabhupada told one disciple, “If I did not preach, where would you be?”
There will be difficulties, but we have to think, “How can I do this duty despite the difficulties?” We must carry on the legacy given us by Srila Prabhupada and make our lives glorious.
Romapada Swami:
Complete humility, complete dependence on his guru, and complete confidence were the cause of Srila Prabhupada’s success.
Seeing Srila Prabhupada completely transformed my life.
Out of gratitude for his sacrifice, make sacrifice for him.
Trivikrama Swami:
I am convinced that within 50 years from now, Srila Prabhupada will be the most prominent spiritual teacher in this world.
Jagat-purusa Prabhu:
Srila Prabhupada embodies the understanding of being an instrument in the Lord’s service and showsthat in that position nothing is impossible.
Bhaktimarga Swami:
Srila Prabhupada did not come to America to elevate himself financially but to elevate everyone spiritually. Srila Prabhupada was at the cutting edge of everything, animal rights, reincarnation, etc. He came to change the world.
Radhanath Swami:
As far as we know, the first American Srila Prabhupada met in his life was the immigration agent.
Srila Prabhupada boarded the boat with his son and three employees of the cargo ship company. Now 50 years later, 15,000 people gathered in Kolkata to celebrate it.
Guru Gouranga Prabhu:
I was aimless before meeting Srila Prabhupada, but now I have a direction.
Srila Prabhupada came for me. We can each say that because he come for everyone. We all know what to do to pay our debt to him. Everyday we should wake up remembering that.
Niranjana Swami:
Fortunate is the person who is blessed with responsible work, and if one is conscious of his subordinate position, he will be able to act nicely.
“Markine Bhagavata Dharma” shows Srila Prabhupada’s conscious dependence on Krishna. Srila Prabhupadataught that from when he appeared in the West until he left this world.
If I forget that I am Srila Prabhupada’s servant, whatever I do is not done very nicely.
Anuttama Prabhu:
Srila Prabhupada explained, “Because of my enthusiasm, this movement is going on and you have had a chance take part.”
Our goal is simply to assist Srila Prabhupada in his mission.
Visakha Devi Dasi:
While researching Srila Prabhupada’s statements for a documentary, Srila Prabhupada’s Legacy and Life, wefound that he only rarely mentioned his heart attacks on his journey, but many times he spoke of his meeting with his guru. He was not interested in telling us how much he sacrificed for us. Rather he wanted to share the divine knowledge of his guru.
He was here to give, and he gave all the time.
Malati Devi Dasi:
In his letters to India soon after he arrived in America, he explained how the Americans were getting new knowledge from him. Although their English was different from his, they were understanding.
The captain got Srila Prabhupada a hot plate so he could cook for himself. He thought that if the captain had not done that he might not have survived.
He said he spoke in a church for the first time and the people liked it.
He described the place to people in India: “You cannot imagine. Here people impregnate women and take them to a doctor and abort the child.”
He told how some of the people began to follow him and gave up intoxication and illicit sex, and that he was surprised by their great reverence for him.
He predicted, “In the future, there will be preaching all over the world by these young people.”
Subhashcandra [What is his initiated name?]:
Srila Prabhupada would say to me, “You do not know how much I went through to go to the West.”
You have brought us to the doorway to the spiritual world. We just have to walk through it.
Lady:
Because of your austerity, humility, and determination Krishna gave you the force to spread Krishna.
I had the desire to touch the feet of the saint who had given Krishna consciousness to hundreds of Westerners. I came from Toronto to Chicago. My husband mentioned my desire in conversation to Srila Prabhupada, and he pulled up the end of his dhoticovering his feet and let me touch them.
Navayogendra Swami:
When I met Srila Prabhupada, he asked my name, and I repled, “Yogendra Kumara Sharma.” He replied, “Your name is Navayogendra Dasa.”

What is the gift of Srila Prabhupada to the whole world? Bhakti, unmotivated and uninterrupted.
Srila Prabhupada told some Britishers, “You have taken everything from India, but you have forgotten one thing, her culture, and I have come to give you that.”
Srila Prabhupada said about the Westerners, “I did not come to follow them, I came to make them follow me.”
Cintamani Devi Dasi:
Srila Prabhupada told me, “Cintamani is the place Krishna stays. Make in your heart a place for Krishna to stay.”

I was praying to Jesus for a year to find God, to find the truth. I became vegetarian. A devotee suggested I write Srila Prabhupada. I did and he replied, “We are followers of Jesus, just add the chanting of Hare Krishna.” I did. Within a month I got initiated.

How has my life changed? I really had no life. Without the holy name, there is no life.
My request is: “Just keep this Krishna consciousness going.”

Mahavishnu Swami:

Seeing that Piccadilly in London is just like a village compared to Time Square and seeing all of the tall buildings, I realized that New York City is center of Kali-yuga.
Everyone is suffering because we have no relationship with Krishna. Prabhupada taught this simple and joyful practice whereby we can awaken our love for Him.
Anuttama Prabhu [ISKCON Communications]:
Srila Prabhupada had a vision, and he fulfilled that mission.
His vision was that Krishna’s holy name and His instructions could purify the world.
After the Vrindavan temple opening, Srila Prabhupada was thinking about what next.
The flag of India was flown over City Hall in Boston on Thursday [September 17, 2015] to commemorate Srila Prabhupada’s arrival 50thyears ago. The mayor declared that day His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Day in Boston.
What about all those people who think intoxication, meat-eating, illicit sex, and gambling will really make them happy? We have more to do.
Ambarisa Prabhu [Alfred Ford]:
Fifty years ago they were grooming me for a corporate career, then there was the hippie scene. I do not think I would be alive today without Srila Prabhupada. I was without direction.

I wondered about how the Mayapur temple would happen, but I kept Srila Prabhupada’s order to me in the center, and it is progressing.
I would like to thank the ISKCON management for keeping things together the almost 40 years since Srila Prabhupada left this world. After being attacked in so many ways, from so many different directions, ISKCON is still going forward with the main teachings still intact.

Gopal Swami Prabhu [from France]:

Who does not feel alone sometimes? We can take heart seeing Srila Prabhupada’s courage in the face of his lonely journey.
From him we can learn nama-ruci, taste for the holy name of Krishna.
He showed the example of Vaishnava-seva (service of the Vaishnava).

Sumati Devi Dasi: 
Krishna arranged that Srila Prabhupada do it alone.

He sailed into the Boston harbor and into so many of our hearts.
He turned hippies into happies.
I heard the chant from the musical, Hair, and sang it for two years, thinking it was just a cinema song.
 
In Boston we would do a radio show of theKrishna book. Satsvarupa would write the script. He played Krishna. I played Mother Yasoda. Satsvarupa played tapes of the shows for Prabhupada, and when Prabhupada heard Mother Yasoda screaming “Krishna!” in the Kaliya pastime, Prabhupada had them stop the tape. He asked who that was playing Yasoda. “Sumati,” Satsvarupa said. Prabhupada replied, “She should always cry to Krishna like that.”
Rukmini Devi Dasi:
Bhaktifollows the prayers of the pure devotee, and so it did from Prabhupada’s Boston prayers.
Srila Prabhupada said, “We hear ‘Preach, preach, preach,’ but they do not know you have to be empowered to preach.”

Rangavati Devi Dasi:
I was going through difficulties. I found my father could not help me.
I prayed for the truth without any conditions, in a field of flowers. Two days later I was in the Detroit temple.
Sarva Siddhi Prabhu:
I am convinced everything in my life has been due to Srila Prabhupada since I met the devotees.
We were at the furthest table from Srila Prabhupada. He was tossing prasadam. I had my head down, and when I looked up there was one almond in front of me, and two in front of my wife, who was pregnant.
Giriraja Swami:
Fifty years ago I was in Brandeis University in Boston. I was looking for a guru. I looked in different places. Each time I was disappointed. I had given up thinking I would find one. I heard of Srila Prabhupada’s lecture. I was doubtful but something within pulled me to go. I think it was Srila Prabhupada’s prayers. I went, and then I would go every evening.
I felt that the disciple should go to the guru, but Prabhupada was coming to us. Actually he was always coming to us.
We were really struggling in Boston. Prabhupada met with the devotees and patiently heard everyone out and suggested we meet collectively and discuss things and make solutions. My policy was always everything for Krishna, nothing for myself, and therefore I never complained. I learned from this that we have to take care of devotees because Srila Prabhupada was so concerned for devotees.
Srila Prabhupada was like Krishna in that he was there for everyone.
I could not exist without the association of Srila Prabhupada’s followers.
Harinama from Commonwealth Pier to the Boston Common

After the Boston boat ride, we did harinama from Commonwealth Pier to the Boston Common. It was wonderful to have a chanting party with so many devotees.

Many people were happy to see us.

And to dance with us.
One devotee lady swung onlookers around.
 
Once Malati Devi borrowed my friend’s trumpet to play.
I took a little video of part of it (https://youtu.be/2e8f-jZ4_f0):
At the festival site, the some of the Festival of India tents were set up.
  
Several devotees taught chanting Hare Krishna on beads as a personal meditation and distributed meditation kits to those they taught.
After lunch prasadam, we chanted Hare Krishna from the Boston Common to Faneuil Hall, carryinga full-size murti [statue] of Srila Prabhupada. Several curious onlookers asked about Srila Prabhupada. I was thinking how in 1965 practically no one was aware of Srila Prabhupada’s arrival in Boston, but now because of this festival in 2015, hundreds and perhaps thousands of people became aware of it.

A couple girls from Switzerland (above) and a boy from Austria, who had lunch prasadam with Sundar Nitai Prabhu and the devotees, came on that procession and danced nicely in the kirtana. Here is some video of it (https://youtu.be/wselo-RxEj8):
One man I talked to even gave me $5 for a Perfection of Yogawhich Gaura Karuna Prabhu gave me to distribute.
There was a program with chanting and talking about Srila Prabhupada at Faneuil Hall in the evening which was scheduled to be from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Because myself and my Harinama Ruci friends had not done our daily quota of chanting in the streets, we did not attend this but continued chanting.  

On harinama I distributed temple invitations and danced as usual..

We had many nice experiences.
Some people danced with us.
Boston Ratha-yatra
Boston Ratha-yatra was the second day of the weekend festival. I was busy dancing and distributing so I did not take pictures of it. We pulled Lord Jagannath, Lord Baladeva, and Lady Subhadra clockwise in a circularroute around the perimeter of Boston Common. Several devotees distributed books, invitations, and prasadam to the people. Many people were attracted by the procession.
After the Ratha-yatra, we did harinama downtown. Some other street performers participated with us at one point (https://youtu.be/iylbw3_p2GM):
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One Russian speaking devotee had rendered a sculpture of Srila Prabhupada walking down the gangway of the Jaladutain Boston. This was situated next to Srila Prabhupada’s vyasasana in the Boston temple at the end of the festival.

Sunday evening after the festivities,I was there with Niranjana Swami and Jayadvaita Swami, both of whom I knew from 1979 when I first joined the temple in New York City on 55thStreet. I mentioned how one of the speakers told how Srila Prabhupada had sailed into Boston harbor and that he had also sailed into our lives. I thanked the two of them for sailing into my life, as Srila Prabhupada’s representatives.
More Boston Harinamas
The Harinama Ruci Party chanted every day for at least three hours in Boston. In fact, they found Boston so favorable for harinama and bookdistribution they decided to stay two more days in Boston before returning to New York City. I did not stay as I am part of the New York City Harinama party, and I did not want to disappoint Rama Raya Prabhu, our leader.

Mahavishnu Swami was a great inspiration on harinama.
He would get people dancing.


Costumed people would dance with us.

Kids would dance.

Devotees would swing the onlookers.
 
One performer, a lady dressed in silver, wore a garland the devotees gave her.
One Boston policeman originally from Trinidad was captivated by the harinama. Because there are many Indians in Trinidad, although African himself, the policeman was aware of the existence of Hare Krishna, but he did not know much about it. I told him some additional details, and he spent some time with our party the next day.

Travel Journal#11.17: Newcastle, Sheffield, Ireland, New York City
→ Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 11, No. 17
By Krishna-kripa das
(September 2015, part one)
Newcastle, Sheffield, Ireland, New York City
(Sent from Brooklyn, New York, on September 30, 2015)

Where I Went and What I Did
September began with a final harinama in Newcastle, followed by the regular Sheffield nama-hatta program and a harinama and evening Janmastami program the next day, an increase for the devotees there. Then I went on to Dublin for harinama the day before Janmastami and a seven-hour harinama on Janmastami day, by the mercy of Ananta Nitai Prabhu, who pushed me past my limits. I observed the rest of Janmastami and Vyasa-puja on Govindadvipa, (Inis Rath Island) in Northern Ireland, and four of us chanted in Cavan, Ireland, on Vyasa-puja evening. My last day in Europe was in Belfast, where seven of us chanted in Victoria Square for three hours. Then I joined Rama Raya Prabhu and his New York City Harinama, helping out by leading, singing the response, dancing, distributing the Krishna: Reservoir of Pleasure, and manning the book table.
I share insights from Srila Prabhupada’s lectures. I share notes on the lectures of Jayadvaita Swami, Rama Raya, and Madhavendra Puri Prabhu in New York City, and notes on the lectures of Tulasi Priya Das and Gopalacarya Prabhu in Northern Ireland. I share notes from Srila Prabhupada remembrances by Mula Prakrita dd. I also share Srila Prabhupada Vyasa-puja offerings from the devotees at Govindadvipa in Northern Ireland.
Thanks to the Newcastle temple for helping with my expenses in England. Thanks to Shelina, who picked us up at Derrylin on Janmastami and Bhakta Tom, who drove us to Cavan for harinama on Vyasa-puja Day. I am very, very indebted to Kaliya Krishna Prabhu, disciple of Romapada Swami, who kindly pays for my subway expenses so I can attend the New York City Harinam. All thanks to him.
Thanks to Joe Kenny for all the pictures of the harinama and Janmastami program in Sheffield. Thanks to Ravi Chambers for his video of us chanting in Dublin.
Itinerary
September 28–November 12: New York City Harinama
November 13: Philadelphia?
November 14–17: Washington, D.C., Harinama
November 18: Jacksonville, FL
November 19: Tampa
November 20: Orlando
November 21–December 15: Krishna House (except 5 days in Tallahassee)
December 16–January 3: New York City Harinama
Harinama in Sheffield
 

I was happy we had eight people on harinama in Sheffield, including a new person who played guitar.

Sometimes I sang. 
 
When Geoffrey sang, I distributed.
Sheffield Janmastami Program

We had a Janmastami program on Thursday, because we were going other places on the actual Janmastami day (Saturday).

 

 The venue was the Burngreave Ashram, where we have prasadam and kirtana on every Thursday. 

The organizer of the ashram, Rev. John Vincent, came to the program, and I had a nice chat with him about religion before the program started. Both he and his wife, Grace, participated by chanting Hare Krishna and honoring prasadam. He gave me a copy of his book on discipleship.
 
I sang the first kirtana, and Harisuta dd did arati.
I spoke briefly about the universality of Lord Krishna’s instructions to remember Him, become His devotee, to worship Him, and to bow down to Him, and the importance of understanding the transcendental nature of His appearance and activities.
I also read the beautiful description of the evening that Krishna appeared, when everything was adjusted for supreme auspiciousness.
We had a second kirtana sang by one brand new person, a lady who was a friend of Geoff, a soprano who taught music to children. She ended up leading for almost an hour. She really got into the kirtana, and it was beautiful to see.
Thanks to Joe, Geoff, and Harisuta dd, for their organization work, and to the nice Indian lady, Manju, who along with help from her husband, a distinguished teacher of cardiology, made a wonderful feast.
Harinama in Dublin the Day Before Janmastami
The advantage of doing harinama the day before Janmastami is that you can invite people to the festival the next day. Both the Indians and the Westerners who like Hare Krishna and Hare Krishna festivals are likely candidates.
Amazingly I met one Indian man living in Dubai who I had seen back in April when I chanted in Dublin with my friends. He had taken a book, given a donation, gone to Govinda’s Restaurant, and come back to see us the next day. Now he was in Dublin with his whole family as his daughter enrolled in Trinity College. They knew it was Janmastami the next day and were planning to fast, and they were very happy to hear of our Janmastami festival at our Dublin temple, above the restaurant.
Ravi Chambers, who is originally from Ireland, was well known to Premarnava Prabhu, also from Ireland, and Ananta Nitai Prabhu and I knew him from his later life in the UK, where he is the MC of our 24-hour kirtana in Birmingham each year. We were all surprised to see him in Dublin as we were chanting on the steps of the Bank of Ireland. He took this little video of our meeting (https://youtu.be/Dv4cS2A1Ptw):
Harinama in Dublin on Janmastami
We planned to chant from 12:00 to 3:00 p.m. on Janmastami. I thought we should do a little longer, because I always do three hours, but I wanted to go to the Janmastami celebration on the island, and it takes three hours to get there. After some time, Ananta Nitai Prabhu said he was thinking of chanting until midnight. I was already noticing I was more tired than usual after 2:00 p.m., and I knew midnight would be too much. Thus I said I could chant for five or seven hours instead of three. That way I could still catch the end of the festival on the island. In this way, we chanted for seven hours!

Ananta Nitai Prabhu and I began the harinama.

  

 Premarnava Prabhu, and later Manu Prabhu, joined us.
We chanted on O’Connell Street near Govinda’s for a while, then we chanted through Temple Bar and down Grafton Street.
Manu Prabhu played his accordion and sang at the top of Grafton Street, a very busy area (https://youtu.be/L-qotxL_u8k):
Later, back on O’Connell Street, when it was just myself and Ananta Nitai Prabhu, one group of young guys enjoyed chanting and dancing with us (https://youtu.be/h-ImHWyV4o0).
They liked it so much that they came back to visit us again, this time wearing Burger King crowns (https://youtu.be/dk-FYUYwdyg):

Travel Journal#11.16: Trutnov (Czech Woodstock), Prague, and The North of England
→ Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 11, No. 16
By Krishna-kripa das
(August 2015, part two)
Trutnov (Czech Woodstock), Prague & The North of England
(Sent from Manhattan, New York, on September 22, 2015)
Where I Went and What I Did
After almost ten days with the Festival of India on Poland’s Baltic coast, I traveled to Wroclaw in the south of Poland, and the next dayacrossthe Czech border to Trutnov, for the Trutnoff Open Air Festival, also known as the Czech Woodstock. The Czech devotees are friends with Martin, the organizer, and we have a Krishna camp with Krishna music and Krishna food there. After the Trutnov festival, I chanted for a day with Harinama Ruci in Prague. Then I chanted in Newcastle a couple of days, and then Blackpool, Preston, Southport, Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, and back to Newcastle, doing evening programs in Preston, Liverpool, and Leeds and a kirtana program in Manchester, thus ending the very busy month of August.
I share quotes from Srila Prabhupada lectures and notes on the books and journal of Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami. I share notes on lectures by two Manchester devotees, Jagadatma Prabhu, a disciple of Srila Prabhupada, and Radha Mohan Prabhu, a disciple of Radhanath Swami, on Lord Balarama’s appearance day.
Thanks to Harinama Ruci for their pictures of the Trutnov festival and Prague harinama. Thanks to Ananga Sevika Devi Dasi for her video of our final kirtana at Trutnov. Thanks to Aharada Devi Dasi for the picture of our bhajana team in Manchester.
Thanks to the Newcastle temple for their kind contribution. Thanks to Tony and the Preston nama-hatta for their kind donation toward my travels. Thanks to Alan and the Liverpool nama-hatta for their kind donation toward my travels. Thanks to Janardana Prabhu and the Leeds nama-hatta for their kind donation, as well as to one of their congregation who also contributed. Thanks to Punya Palaka Prabhu, who also contributed to my travel fund. Thanks to Gaura Karuna Prabhu for always being willing to convert currencies for me.
Itinerary
September 22–25: New York City Harinama
September 26–27: Albany
September 28–November 13: New York City Harinama
November 14–17: Washington, D.C., Harinama
November 18–19: Jacksonville
November 20–December 16: Krishna House (except 5 days in Tallahassee)
December 16–January 3: New York City Harinama
Adventures on the Way to Trutnov
On the train from Wroclaw to the southern border of Poland, two boys in my compartment asked to hear me play my harmonium. Since the conductor was in the next compartment we closed the door and window, so as not to get in trouble. One of the boys had studied the piano for four years. They were really impressed, although it was not really impressive. I was impressed with them, for when they made a video of me chanting, they recorded at least five mantras. Usually people get bored after two or three. I gave them my card, and invited them to send it to me, if they were inspired.
I tried a new border crossing from Poland to Czech Republic this year, one that supposedly had a bus across it, because I was tired of walking across the border between Lubawka, PL, and Kralovac, CZ, but as it t

Travel Journal#11.15: Czech Padayatra, Wroclaw Food for Life, Polish Festival Tour
→ Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 11, No. 15
By Krishna-kripa das
(August 2015, part one)
Czech Padayatra, Wroclaw Food for Life, and Festival of India in Poland
(Sent from Sheffield on September 3, 2015)
Where I Went and What I Did
After leaving the Polish Woodstock, I joined the Czech Padayatra for four days. I then spent an afternoon chanting during Wroclaw Food for Life with some friends. Finally, being invited by Indradyumna Swami, I went to the Baltic coast to join his Festival of India in Poland. Then I took the train to Wroclaw, en route to Czech Republic for a rock concert where the devotees share spiritual food and music, meeting on the way three people who were attracted to Hare Krishna, and who wanted more Krishna opportunities.
I share insights from several lectures by Srila Prabhupada and some quotes from his books. I have some nectar from Bhaktivinoda Thakura. I include an excerpt each from both a book of and the journal of Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami. I have lots of notes on classes by Indradyumna Swami and Bada Haridas Prabhu, the two main speakers on the Polish festival tour. I also have a realization from Bhagavat Asraya Prabhu, and some wisdom from Muni Priya Prabhu, the leader of the Czech Padayatra and from one Czech brahmacari.I also include a few points I made in a lecture on the Polish tour about how we can attain complete absorption in Krishna.
I would like to thank Caitanya Candrodaya Prabhu, for giving me his extra Polish and Czech money, and the people who gave me donations on harinama in Wroclaw.
I would like to thank Indradyumna Swami for his pictures of me on harinama at Miedzyzdroje. I would like to thank Vishnu Patni Devi Dasi for her many pictures of Food for Life in Wroclaw. Thanks to the unknown person in Wroclaw, who took pictures of Bartek and myself chanting before the train station.
Itinerary

September 2–3: Sheffield

September 4–7: Ireland
September 8–18: New York City Harinama
September 19–21?: Boston
September 22–25: New York City Harinama
September 26–27: Albany
September 28–November 15: New York City Harinama
November 16–18: Washington, D.C., Harinama
November 18–19: Jacksonville
November 20–December 16: Krishna House (except 5 days in Tallahassee)
December 16–January 3: New York City Harinama
Czech Padayatra
After chanting at the Kostrzyn train station to the Woodstock goers waiting for their trains, I took 11 hours of trains costing just $22, split evenly over two days with the night at our Wroclaw temple, to reach Tynec nad Labem, at that time the location of the Czech padayatra.
Padayatra really captures the spirit of Lord Caitanya’s desire that His name be heard in every town and village. Lord Caitanya did not care just to deliver the masses in the cities, but he wants His followers to go out, and make Krishna consciousness available to everyone. That we have a full-size murti [form] of Srila Prabhupada and large Gaura-Nitai deities on the Czech padayatra reminds us even more that we are executing the mission of Lord Caitanya according to the direction of His surrendered devotee, Srila Prabhupada.
I arrived for the last half of the day’s walking and singing. I was amazed we passed through two towns with about twenty houses in each, but at our evening program in Tetov I counted at least 80 people and some devotees said there were 120. That is even more amazing when we consider that Tetov, according to the 2015 census has only 158 people. Also striking was that at least 75% of the people stayed for the entire two-hour show of chanting bharat-natyam dance, drama, spiritual food, and devotional prizes.
It was inspiring to see the enthusiasm of a handful of the attendees who really seemed to have some spontaneous appreciation for the chanting.
Kids liked to dance, which is a fairly common phenomenon.
 
They even danced with the devotees on the stage.

Here two ladies danced with upraised arms.

One guy also delighted in dancing.

He even let a devotee swing him around.
Here is a video clip of the kirtana in Tetov (https://youtu.be/ibMhTeyiNfU): 

Tuesday in the town of Řečany nad Labem, CZ, with a population of 1,364, over 110 people (8%) came to our program of spiritual culture.

Here is a video clip of the kirtana in Řečany nad Labem (https://youtu.be/cSegumksveA):

After the program, we chanted with the ox cart and our Deities back to the school that was our base.

Three villagers followed us the whole way and talked with the devotees afterwards.

 
One lady who followed us was a photographer, and she came the next morning to take photos of our procession as we left the town.
 

Wednesday, in the larger town of Premouc, only 70 people came to the evening program. Perhaps that was because it started at 5:00 p.m. instead of 6:00 p.m., perhaps because in larger places they people are more sophisticated, or perhaps because there was a musical event in town that night.

 
One young man was happy to get books.

Here is a video clip of the kirtana in Prelouc (https://youtu.be/HMvY3r7JrCU): 
Thursday was another small village, namely Lany na Dulku, population 330, and not surprisingly a small attendance at the evening program. Still each program is special, and the amazing thing there was that twelve villagers, or about half the people who had come, danced in the kirtana near the end, when the devotees give out prizes, such as books and pictures related to Krishna and incense, for the best performance in several categories.

Here is a video clip of that amazing final kirtana in Lany na Dulku (https://youtu.be/B4I_LStdPQk):


In past years, I recall 50 to 60 people was a very good evening, but this year they often had twice that. Devotees say one reason more people may be coming to the evening programs this year is the invitations. They listed the time and place of all twelve of the evening programs throughout the two and a half week long padayatra. They also advertise a contest which involves the chance of winning a prize. They ask the people getting the invitations if our program is for kids, youth, adults, senior citizens, or everybody. The correct answer, of course, is that it is for everybody. They ask the people send a text message with their answer to the phone numbers of the organizers, and say they must attend the program to win the prize. There are two winners, picked randomly from the contestants, by the youngest of the bharat-natyam dancers. The two prizes are Bhagavad-gita and Krishna book. Another selling point advertised on the flyer is the “flying bananas.” 

At the end of the show, they throw bananas offered to the Deities from the Their cart to an eager audience.

The play is a more dramatic and humorous version of “Liquid Beauty.” Muni Priya Prabhu, the devotee who organizes the padayatra,plays the prince, and his son, decked out with make up and wearing a sari, is the lady he is attracted to. There is no formal lecture, but rather a commentary on the drama.
There are a couple of bharat-natyam dancers.
One small.

One larger.

In the middle of the program, a snack of pakoras,raita, and cherry tomatoes is served to the attendees in their seats.

One devotee lady, Ananga Sevika Devi Dasi, does face painting for a donation.

 She has pictures of many styles to choose from.

She also has a variety of Czech chips, referred to as chipsy.that the devotees make themselves and market, and which are very tasty.
And of course, there are Srila Prabhupada’s books.

Before the kirtanas, the smaller bharat-natyam girl passes out instruments, which are rattles in the shape of various fruits, from the basket sitting on the harmonium.
Gaura Karuna Prabhu, while riding his small portable bicycle, has distributed books on five continents. When I asked him the best place, he replied, “Czech padayatra.” The oxen, the cart, the Deities, and the happy devotees chanting awaken curiosity in the people, and they are happy to buy books explaining what it is all about.
Friday the program was in the city of Pardubice, a place where I had once done harinama before a home program with Janananda Goswami. I did not go, but left the padayatra, as I was invited by the Food for Life coordinator in Wroclaw to chant at their weekly Food for Life event there, something I had done once before.
Chanting at the Wroclaw Food for Life

  

I tend to travel through Wroclaw to other places and not contribute much there, so I thought I should help out this time. 
 
The Food for Life person, Vishnu Patni Devi Dasi, is an initiated disciple of Indradyumna Swami, who grew up on the Baltic Coast and fell in love with the Festival of India, coming when the devotees performed in the towns nearby her home. Gradually she took Krishna consciousness more and more seriously. Now she is one of the main pujaris in Wroclaw, but once a year she takes a break for five days to sell books at the Polish Woodstock festival. Once a week she does Food for Life in Wroclaw as well. I thought I should encourage her by chanting at her program as I have known her for many years from the festivals.
After spending a few weeks on the Polish Tour and Woodstock, Caitanya Candrodaya Prabhu, who I chanted harinama with in Bavaria and in Newcastle this year, visited the Prague temple, and then stopped by Wroclaw on his way to Ukraine to see his parents, so he joined our harinama party, along with a local devotee lady. Usually Vishnu Patni has to do Food for Life alone, but she had three helpers that day.

Travel Journal#11.14: Munich & Prague Ratha-yatras, Polish Woodstock & More
→ Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 11, No. 14
By Krishna-kripa das
(July 2015, part two)
Prague, Munich, Warsaw, Stuyvesant Falls, Polish Woodstock
(Sent from Newcastle upon Tyne on August 25, 2015)
Where I Went and What I Did
On Thursday, July 16, I flew to Prague to go to the Ratha-yatra the following Sunday. Friday I did harinama in Prague with both the Harinama Ruci party and the Prague devotees.AfterI had purchased the ticket to Prague, I found that on Saturday there was Ratha-yatra in Munich, so I took the train to and from Munich that day to attend the Munich Ratha-yatra, although I had no time to stay for the stage show. That day I learned that my guru, Satsvarupa dasa Goswami, wanted me to come to Stuyvesant Falls, New York, and proofread his yearly book, and so on Monday after the Prague Ratha-yatra and after taking an overnight bus to Warsaw, I flew to New York, instead of taking a bus to Lithuania for the Baltic Summer Festival as I was planning to do. In Stuyvesant Falls, all I did for six days was eat, sleep, chant japa, and proofread the book, Looking Back, Volume 1. I did not finish, and I had to continue on the train to New York, on the plane to Warsaw, and on the train to Kostrzyn, Poland, home of the Polish Woodstock festival since 2004. I took a 75-minute break from my proofreading marathon to chant with about ten devotees during their Food for Life program in downtown Warsaw and found it inspiring. Then for the next five days I participated in Ratha-yatras and kirtanas at the Polish Woodstock festival.
I share notes on a Srila Prabhupada lecture, and an excerpt from a book of and from the online journal of Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, and I share notes on a lecture by Bhaktivaibhava Swami in Prague and a lecture of Trivikrama Swami in Warsaw. I share a comment by Indradyumna Swami to the young people of Poland and a comment of a Russian disciple on Krishna consciousness in his region of Russia.
Thanks to Baladeva Vidyabhusana Prabhu and GN Press for their kind donation for my proofreading Looking Back, Volume 1. Thanks to Martin of Leipzig for his kind donation. Thanks to Krishna Kirtan Prabhu and another Warsaw devotee for change to take the bus to the airport and to the train station.I would like to thank the person who dropped 200 Czech koruns(about $8) on the street in Prague and which I donated to the Czech farm devotees, in exchange for Czech chips and cookies for my travels, and to the Prague Ratha-yatra.
Thanks to Food for Life Warszawa – ISKCON for their photos.
Itinerary
August 25–26: Newcastle
August 27: Blackpool and Preston
August 28: Southport and Liverpool
August 29: Manchester
August 30: Leeds
August 31–September 1: Newcastle
September 2–3: Sheffield
September 4–7: Ireland
September 8–18: New York City Harinama
September 19–21?: Boston
September 22–25: New York City Harinama
September 26–27: Albany
September 28–November 15: New York City Harinama
November 16–18: Washington, D.C., Harinama
November 19: Jacksonville
November 20–December 16: Krishna House (except 5 days in Tallahassee)
December 17: Jacksonville?
December 18–January 3: New York City Harinama
Chanting Hare Krishna in Prague
As I was taking Lokanath Swami on a tour of the grounds at the Polish Woodstock in 2004, I asked him where was the best place in the world to do harinama, and he replied, “Prague.” Although I had no prior plan, I ended up doing harinama in Prague that very summer, after the Polish Festival tour. Now I go there almost every year.
I was happy to join Harinama Ruci for their harinama the Friday before the Ratha-yatra. Here are some highlights (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGerEnGdI0xKWWOOVi1yjrinxrgayPape):
After an hour and a half we joined the weekly Friday night Prague harinama party led by Vidya Vacaspati Prabhu. Here are some high points, including the participation of some street performers (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGerEnGdI0xKKgkCdqWtyXPztvfOr5_7z):
Chanting at the Munich Ratha-yatra

I discovered that I could take the train from Prague to Munich and back the same day for under 40 euros, and thus attend the Munich Ratha-yatra. Because I love Ratha-yatra, dancing before Lord Jagannatha, and attempting to inspire others to take an interest in Krishna consciousness and because I have many friends in the German yatra,it was worth it to me. Some of my friends who were also in Prague made the same journey by car, but they had no space, and another friend took the bus.
As I climbed the stairs at Karlsplatz U-bahn station, after seven hours of travel, and I heard the Hare Krishna kirtana, I felt joy within my heart. They had just broken the coconuts, and it was time for the procession to begin.
Munich Ratha-yatra is one of the longest in Europe, and I am sure it was a good four hours. I just had time to hear half of Kadamba Kanana Swami’s kirtana at the beginning of stage show as I waited in line for prasadam, before my return journey to Prague.
Krishna Ksetra Swami and Kadamba Kanana Swami were special guests. Sometimes the procession passed through crowded areas and sometimes more vacant ones.

Nice features I recall about the Munich Ratha-yatra were many people took photos of it.
We would pass outdoor cafes, and almost everyone would be attracted by the procession.
Devotees offered fruit to Lord Jagannatha and distributed it to people in the crowd, and onlookers and devotees both appreciated that.

Some people danced with us.

One couple took great pleasure dancing to our Hare Krishna music

 
Then the husband took a picture of his wife dancing with a devotee lady.

Others also enjoyed dancing.
At the end of my playlist of video clips you can see different people at Karlsplatz joined in the dancing at the end of the procession (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGerEnGdI0xKOzgvsV1jOqAJ6HCPrHUNS):
The first class compartment on the train home had WiFi, but the signal extended to the area between the first and second class carriages, and I would sit on on the floor and connect. In my email, I got an urgent letter from my guru telling me to come to his place in New York and proofread his lastest book. I checked prices on roundtrip tickets from Prague, Warsaw, and Berlin, to New York City, and found it was $200 cheaper to travel from Warsaw, where I was traveling to by bus the next evening after the Prague Ratha-yatra. I sent his servant the details, and I learned the next day I had a midday flight on Monday to NYC.
Prague Ratha-yatra
By contrast to Munich, the Prague Ratha-yatra is very short, about an hour and a half. It is in a busy tourist section, but the stage show was a bit off to the side.
Bhaktivaibhava Swami, Danavira Goswami, and Kadamba Kanana Swami were special guests. Titiksu Prabhu and the London cart came to Prague, as well as to Paris and Budapest for their Ratha-yatras.
Harinama Ruci posted a wonderful movie of the Prague Ratha-yatra on Facebook, and it got over 135,000 views:

I was amazed by the fascination of some Oriental girls, who smilingly took all kinds of pictures of the event.
We also distributed fruit offered to Lord Jagannatha in that Ratha-yatra.
One photographer even continued taking photos while holding the fruit in this hand!
Harinama Ruci likesthe chanting in the streets so much that during the stage show, usually during the Indian dance, we go chanting around the tourist section of the city. This time, probably because Janananda Goswami came with us, we had thirty devotees instead of just ten. A lot of onlookersparticipated in dancing with us.

Devotee ladies would dance, swinging ladies from the crowd.
 

Also both the devotees and newcomers would enjoy dancing in a circle together.
You can see some of the dancing in this series of video clips (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGerEnGdI0xKIfdoP2NNtAfCKjDeCZN0h):

Flying to New York City
I forgot to book a fruit plate as my meal on my Air France flight from Warsaw to New York City via Paris. So in flight, I asked the steward if he had any fruit. 
 

Later he brought me some cut fruit consisting of blueberries, kiwi fruit, mango, and more. I offered it to Krishna by chanting the mantras, and it tasted so good. When the stewards saw I liked it they brought me another bowl of it. As I deplaned I thanked the man who got me the fruit telling it was the best food I ever had on a plane, and he replied, “That is because it is our food.”
Stuyvesant Falls
It was a real marathon for me proofreading my guru‘s, Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami’s, latest book, Looking Back, Volume 1, in which he revisits some of the books he wrote and tells what was going on in his life when he wrote them, what inspired him to write them and to include certain things in them, and what parts were especially important to him. The excerpts were dictated and the typists generally did not check their typing with the books the excerpts were taken from so there were many discrepancies. I initially began, for the sake of strictness, to compare the text of the newbook with original sources in every case, but I could see by doing that I would not finish in the six days I had allotted, even if I worked twelve hours a day at it, which I tried to do. Then I just decided that I would check the originals only when I encountered something that did not make sense. That difficulty with that came with some parts that were really stream of consciousness stuff, and it was hard to understand whether it was supposed to sound like that or if it indicated a mistake, so you had to check it anyway. For some of the typists, English was a second language, and sometimes they would miss idioms, or type something that sounds right but had no meaning. I wanted to finish up so I could go to the Polish Woodstock festival, and share kirtana with thousands of people, and so it was a big challenge for me, a challenge I rarely have.
Food for Life in Warsaw

For the last six months or so, devotees in Warsaw, headed by Sasabindu Prabhu, have been distributing prasadam every Monday afternoon for an hour and a half in a busy region between the metro and the central train station. They invited me to chant with them the day I flew to New York City, but it was not possible, so I decided to go out with them the day I returned. Behind our chanting party, you can see people lined up for prasadam.

The devotee playing the drum, Sasabindu Prabhu, is the organizer of the party. 

After just proofreading and no harinama for a week, you can see I was happy to be dancing in the kirtana again.

Altogether, there were about ten devotees chanting, serving food, distributing books, and giving out invitations to the temple. It was nice to see a cooperative team working on an outreach program.
While in the Warsaw temple, I met a Polish lady who became a Muslim while working in the Middle East, not being satisfied with the Christianity she was presented with as she grew up in Poland. Somehow or other, her twelve-year-old daughter developed an interest in Hare Krishna, so lady herself has been studying our philosophy and appreciating the universal truths. She wants to encourage her daughter’s spiritual exploration. The young girl, who is named Myriem (in the green dress in the first picture above), very enthusiastically played the kalatalas and helped out in different ways on the food distribution outing, and it was very inspiring. What a remarkable story!
Food for Life Warsaw posted a video on their YouTube channel on the Food for Life event (https://youtu.be/8Gh_v2FkopY):
The Polish Woodstock
For the fifteenth year in a row, I attended the Polish Woodstock festival. It is really an amazing opportunity to share kirtana and prasadam with tens of thousands of people.
One guy, who talked to me twoor threeyears ago, commenting our kirtanayoga tent one night, said, “Most of these people are not Hare Krishnas, but they are singing, dancing, and smiling, and are completely happy. In the ordinary world, that would never happen!” I smiled, and said, “Yes I know. That is why I have been coming here for fifteen years. Anyone can be happy by chanting Hare Krishna, but at the Polish Woodstock, they are willing to try it, and so they get that experience.”
Originally this event was attended only by Polish people, and gradually more and more Germans would come. In recent years it has become more international. This year I talked to people from France, Norway, Estonia, Bulgaria, Mozambique, Mexico, Brazil, and Bolivia as well!
Gabriel from Brazil came up to me in the kirtana tent and reminded me that I talked to him last month at the Stonehenge Solstice Festival. At Woodstock he danced with with us every day, sometimes more than one, and he brought his friends as well. In one of the videosI took, you can see he really got into it.
I met people from all over Poland, from Gdansk, from near the border with Belarus, from near Wroclaw and near Katowice near Krakow, and of course, Warsaw. I gave out at least a couple invitation to our Wroclaw temple and several to our Warsaw temple.
Martin, the organizer of the Trutnoff Open Air Music Festival, also called the Czech Woodstock, came there to promote his event. I know him from a kirtana program we did in Trutnov’s Balaram restaurant one year.
At the Polish Woodstock, we do Ratha-yatra every day for about three hours.
 
We had a saxophonist on Ratha-yatra, which does not happen every year.
I, along with others, distribute flyers. 
 
Sometimes people have their hands full.

  
Many of the young people there joyfully participate by pulling the cart.

Others participate by dancing.

Some continue dancing after our procession ends.

Some read the mantra from our cards.
As at the Munich and Prague Ratha-yatra, at Woodstock we distribute prasadam from the cart.
Here Indradyumna Swami tastes the nectar of distribution.
Here is a video clip when Indradyumna Swami was leading the kirtana (https://youtu.be/2ebx0HYgiTw):
Here a segment with Mahatma Prabhu, who came for the first time this year, leading the singing (https://youtu.be/mq3sl9BVXbI):
One time he kept the kirtana going for quite a while after the Ratha-yatra, and many people danced (https://youtu.be/OTobXxUkRv8):
Mahatma Prabhu, who loves kirtana and sharing it with others, was very happy he came this year for the first time.
Bhagavat Asraya Prabhu, a Prabhupada disciple from the UK, also came for the first time. He also loved the event and wants to come on the whole tour next year. He spent a lot of time in questions and answers, and his interpreter was impressed with the expert way he answered the questions.
It is always a pleasure for me when devotees I know from other places come to the Polish Woodstock and have a wonderful time.
Arjuna Krishna Prabhu from Russia also led a lot of kirtana on Ratha-yata, and this kirtana at the end of one Ratha-yatra was particularly festive with lots of dancing (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGerEnGdI0xKnG0RrelYPsft3x0p7D-TO):
After one Ratha-yatra, I talked briefly to one college student from Mexico. I mentioned we had a couple of Mexican girls on our staff, and I went to get one of the them for her to talk to. Apparently this student had been attending our temple in Mexico City and was studying now in Leipzig. She had come to the Polish Woodstock by chance, not knowing of the great Hare Krishna presence there. I took her card, and promised to tell her the details of the Leipzig Ratha-yatra on August 29. She wrote me after I did so saying she would definitely go.
At the end of the Ratha-yatra kirtanathe last two days, I grabbed the microphone and toldthe people of other Krishna musicopportunities. The first day I told them we also had this Ratha-yatra the next day from 11:00 to 14:00 and that we had more Krishna music in the Kirtan Yoga tent from 17:00 to 2:00. The final day I told them that this was the final Ratha-yatra but we did have music in our Kirtan Yoga tent from 17:00 to 4:00. I translated each phrase in Polish as I made the announcements, since I had learned the words for everything I wanted to say by coming for so many years. Dominik (now initiated as Dvija Vara Prabhu), who has done lots of organization and practical work for the Krishna village at Woodstock for years, heard my announcement. He came up to me afterward, thanking me very much, and complimenting me on my Polish translation. I was happy to please such an important leader in Indradyumna Swami’s organization. I told him how it is important that when we have a favorable crowd gathered, that we take advantage of it and tell them of our events. One of the things that inspires me about Indradyumna Swami is his realization of the importance of promotion. He will will have devotees do three hours of harinama and distribute7,000 flyers for three days to advertise his festivals.
Standing at the opening of the mantra yoga tent, I offer mantra cards to those who show some attraction to the kirtana. In Polish, the short “i” is spelled with “y”, the sound “sh” is spelled “sz”, and the “y” sounds is spelled with “j”.
One lady took two mantra cards and gave one to her husband. At first he did not understand what it was, and she explained, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare . . .” He smiled, and kissed the card, and said, “I love you.”
I gave one young lady a mantra card, and she was going to embrace me. I showed her the pranammudra and she did that back to me. I explained as a monk, I am not supposed to embrace the girls, but that I appreciated her affection. She replied with a smile, saying of her experience in kirtanayoga, “I love it!”
One guy embraced me, happy to get the mantra card, and several girls tried to embrace me. I was a bit put off by it at first. Then I reflected that I enjoyed the first Woodstock festival I went to in 2001 so much that afterward I embraced Sri Prahlada, one of our main singers. I am not one who ever embraces anyone, but I was so happy with the joyous kirtanas that touched people’s hearts, that I spontaneously embraced him. Similarly a lot of people who came to our Krishna kirtana tent felt a lot of joy, and they wanted to express their gratitude to someone who was part of team making it happen by embracing him.
I met a lady from the UK who lives near York, and I gave her my card and promised to tell her of the programs there.
I saw one guy who originally met me in Zary at the Woodstock in 2003 and comes by to say “hello” every year.
Trisama Prabhu introduced me to a German man who was seriously curious about the philosophy, which I described in brief to him. I gave him a booklet listing all the German temples as he spends half the time in Berlin and Munich, and I gave him my card, in case he had questions.
I recall giving out contact information for our Berlin and Munich temples. I had talked to the lady from Berlin a previous year, and she seemed more serious now.
One lady from Gdynia, 400 km away, said she comes to the Woodstock festival to see us Hare Krishnas only.
One man had come to Woodstock ten years before and recalled that Hare Krishna was the most memorable part.
So many people felt positive energy in the kirtana tent.
One young lady said she could not relate to anything that was going on at the Woodstock, and she was so grateful she could come to our Krishna village and escape the craziness of it.
I share some videos of the devotees and onlookers dancing to several kirtanas, including those by Indradyumna Swami, Badahari Prabhu and Mahatma Prabhu (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGerEnGdI0xL4CQyHya_bUISZlzZDYi1L):
[Acyuta Gopi and Madhava also led wonderful kirtanas but so late at night my poor camera could not record it because of the darkness.]
Harinama at the Train Station
I was a little disappointed that I could not get a harinama party together to the train station the day after Woodstock, but it is such a great opportunity to share the holy name that I chanted by myself there for an hour. I had to buy a ticket anyway, so I brought my harmonium, my amplifier, mantra cards, and invitations to our centers in Warsaw and Wroclaw to the train station and chanted while waiting in line for a ticket and 45 minutes afterward.
One young lady enthusiastically chanted Hare Krishna as soon as I came near her. She was from near Warsaw and happy to get an invitation to our center there where she could continue her interest in Hare Krishna.
I continued walking through the crowd of hundreds of people at the train station, giving mantra cards to anyone who smiled or said “Hare Krishna.”
Another girl from near Warsaw was happy to hear my brief description of Krishna consciousness, finding it to be interesting, and she also took an invitation to the temple.
One guy who was familiar with a tradition where they vibrate sounds of certain pitches for their beneficial effects, suggested that we chant a Hare Krishna melody incorporating these sounds. I suggested he making a recording of himself chanting Hare Krishna in that way and send it to me, and that I would share it with my friends. 

To see the photos I did not include in the blog, click on this link below:



Insights
Srila Prabhupada:
from a lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam5.5.1 in Bombay on December 25, 1976:
This is the difficulty: we take leadership of human society although we remain in the bodily conception of life. Because they also have that conception, the leaders are no better than us, and in that conception we are no better than animals.
God is always God. He neither becomes God nor does He fall down.
There is no question of overpopulation. Because the people are godless, God is restricting the supply.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami:
“By the time
I wrote Japa Transformations, things were improving.
When I moved to Stuyvesant Falls
my japa gradually came
under control. Starting at
midnight in the sanctity of
my bhajana kutiraI began
to report: ‘I was not troubled
by outside thoughts.’ The
remaining distraction is
that I think of what to
write in my Japa Report
while I’m chanting.”
From Prabhupada Meditations, Volume 2, Part 3, Number 7:
“Srila Prabhupada removed the awkwardness by convincing us that we did not belong to a different religion than he. He referred to the transcendental level at which all things come together. He used to say, ‘No one should object and say that they can’t chant Hare Krishna because it is a foreign name and it is not one’s own religion. This is transcendental sound vibration. We are all spirit souls, parts and parcels of Krishna.’ In this way, he established spiritual intimacy.”
Bhaktivaibhava Swami:
Without the mercy of a pure devotee, one cannot attain the Absolute Truth, Sri Krishna.
The many useless commentaries on the Bhagavad-gita are the proof that without the mercy of a pure devotee of Krishna one cannot understand the Absolute Truth.
One should take shelter of a pure devotee and ask for his mercy.
Someone asked Vamsidasa dasa Babaji how one could attain perfection in devotion to Krishna, and he indicated the answer with a single word, “Begging.”
Prahlad Maharaja said, “Unless human society accepts the dust of the lotus feet of a pure devotee of the Lord, mankind cannot turn his attention to the lotus feet of Krishna which alone vanquish the miseries of material life.”
There is no greater embarrassment to a materialist than for his child to become a Vaishnava.
Brahma wanted to take birth as a blade of grass in the Vrindavan area to get such dust of the lotus feet of those so dear to Krishna.
Q: How can you recognize a pure devotee?
A: By his teachings. But, of course, a pure devotee never says “That’s me.”
Srila Prabhupada says in a letter, “One who claims he is a advanced Vaishnava is not advanced.”
Getting the mercy of the pure devotee means pleasing the devotee.
Srila Prabhupada is giving his mercy through his teachings, his books, his disciples, etc., but one has to take the mercy.
Trivikrama Swami:
When it is said women are less intelligent, it means they are more given to being carried away by their emotions.
With our intelligence, we are supposed to do everything for the satisifaction Krishna, but we are conditioned by years of acting for ourselves.
If we make a vow, “With this one life I will simply endeavor to make Krishna happy,” we will have wonderful success.
Although Srila Prabhupada is just one person, he was able to convince thousands of people of Krishna consciousness.
There is urgency because we have this advantage of this human form of life.
The problem is we are attached to material things, so we have to get a higher taste. That is why we advocate the kirtana, because it is the easiest way to get a higher taste.
As long as you have material desires, you will have to remain in the material world. The best thing is to pray to Lord Nrsimha to rip out your material desires with His nails.
Indradyumna Swami:
From an address during a Ratha-yatra kirtana:
By chanting Hare Krishna you are becoming happy as you have experienced. Narottama Dasa Thakura has explained why. This chanting of Hare Krishna is imported from the spiritual world.
Arjuna Krishna Prabhu:
From a conversation at the Polish Woodstock festival:
For seven years after Harikesa Swami left, only about ten devotees maintained book distribution, harinama, and prasadam distribution in the Ural region of Russia. Otherwise the whole yatrathere was spaced out. But because those enthusiastic devotees maintained those programs, beginning in about 2008, so many new people have begun to join. Now every month there are new devotees joining.
—–
ye lila-amrita vine, khaya yadi anna-pane,
tabe bhaktera durbala jivana
yara eka-bindu-pane, utphullita tanu-mane,
hase, gaya, karaye nartana
“Men become strong and stout by eating sufficient grains, but the devotee who simply eats ordinary grains but does not taste the transcendental pastimes of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Krishna gradually becomes weak and falls down from the transcendental position. However, if one drinks but a drop of the nectar of Krishna’s pastimes, his body and mind begin to bloom, and he begins to laugh, sing and dance.” (Sri Caitanya-caritamrita 25.278)

Travel Journal#11.13: Paris, The North of England, and London
→ Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 11, No. 13
By Krishna-kripa das
(July 2015, part one)
Paris, The North of England, London
(Sent from Siemyśl, Poland, on August 15, 2015)
Where I Went and What I Did
As July began, I continued doing harinama in Paris, sometimes with Janananda Goswami. Despite threats by the Gatwick UK Border Force on May 5 that if I left the UK I could not get back it, I made it back from Paris on July 4 (Saturday). That afternoon I attended our harinama in York which precedes our monthly program there, and in the evening, I went to the last hour or so of a six-hour kirtana with Madhava Prabhu in Manchester. Then I returned to Newcastle for several days of harinama there and in the neighboring regions of North Shields and Byker, and for a day-trip to Edinburgh. Then on Friday I did harinama in Leeds and went to their weekly evening program. Saturday I chanted and did harinama and a program in Chester. Sunday I joined the Manchester devotees for their monthly harinama. One Monday and Tuesday I went to London to see my niece play in an international Ultimate Frisbee tournament in St. Albans, invited by my sister. On Tuesday and Wednesday, I went on harinama with the London devotees, and on Thursday I flew to Prague for their Ratha-yatra on Sunday.
I share insights from several lectures by Srila Prabhupada and a quote from one of his Srimad-Bhagavatam purports. I share an excerpt from the daily journal of Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, and notes on lectures by a couple swamis, Janananda Goswami and Mahavishnu Swami, and Prabhupada disciple, Pitavasa Prabhu, from Paris. I include an excerpt from a essay in Back to Godhead magazine by Nagaraja Prabhu. I also havenotes on a lecture by Bhakti-sastri teacher, Radhika Nagara Prabhu, who visits Manchester in the summers. I share a interesting quote from my sister about a study revealing the U.S. lifestyle is detrimental to mental health.
I would like to thank Janananda Goswami, who kindly contributed for my travel expenses to Paris. Thanks to my sister Karen, for her contribution to my travel to St. Albans. Thanks to the Newcastle temple for their donation to my harinama program. Thanks also to Lucas and Malini of Edinburgh for their kind donations. Thanks to Janardana, John, John, and an nice Indian lady for their contributions in Leeds. Thanks to Gopijanavallabha Prabhu for bringing my sister and I prasadam from Bhaktivedanta Manor. Thanks to the people in Paris who gave me a few coins on harinama.
Thanks to Clive Holland for his picture of our Chester harinama.
Itinerary
August 9–19: Festival of India on Poland’s Baltic Coast
August 20–23: Trutnov (Czech Woodstock)
August 24: Prague / London
August 25–26: Newcastle
August 27: Preston
August 28: Liverpool
August 29: Manchester
August 30: Leeds
August 31–September 1: Newcastle
September 2–3: Sheffield
September 4–7: Ireland
September 8: New York City
September ?: Boston
September ?: Albany
September ?–November 15: New York City Harinama
November 16–18: Washington, D.C., Harinama
November 19: Jacksonville
November 20–December 16: Krishna House, Gainesville
December 17: Jacksonville?
December 18–January 3: New York City Harinama
Paris Harinama

After the Harinama Ruci party left Paris, we continued to do harinama there. One day we planned to chant downtown, but when we got to the train station we found that because of people on the tracks, they could not guarantee that the trains would make it all the way to Paris. We chanted at the St. Brice train station for a while, and because it was rush hour, many people heard us. Then we chanted in the local village for a while on the way back to the temple.  
The next day I could find no one to go out with, so I played my little harmonium and chanted in downtown Paris myself. I did a sitting harinama in two different places, totaling three hours. People donated a total of only 31 Euro cents, and thus I could not distribute any books. It was very humbling. While walking to the place where I chanted I met people from Indian backgrounds who did not know there was a Hare Krishna temple in Paris, and who were very happy to receive invitations. That was the high point of the experience.  
The next day Janananda Goswami was able to join us on harinama. We went to the village of Sarcelles, a short bus ride from the temple. The place was largely populated by Muslims, and at least two devotees discouraged us from going there. We found the Muslims were very receptive and many watched happily and took pictures. One Indian vendor donated bottles of water to each devotee in our party. It was refreshing to be chanting with Janananda Goswami, who has such faith in the universality of the chant that he is willing to go everywhere, and it was wonderful to see how the people appreciated. It was a nice ending for my trip to Paris.

Attaining the UK

They took so long at UK immigration with their paperwork, because of my previous issues, that the bus driver had to send someone in looking for me. The UK officials really harassed that young man for coming in the wrong door and were unnecessarily abusive. The bus driver went on anyway, and a UK border official had to give me a ride to the bus, which had not yet boarded the ferry, having missed the previous one. I thanked the guy who came in to look for me and who had to take such abuse. He said he was used to it. I said my spiritual teacher likened the immigration people to barking dogs. He smiled, and said, “I like that.”
The UK Border people like to see travelers have proof of health insurance, enough money, and a ticket home.From now on, I will have to be very careful to make sure I have all these things.
York Harinama
My eight Newcastle friends did not come to York this month, so and our kirtana was not quite as lively. We were fortunate to have Smara Hari Prabhu, a Prabhupada disciple from Bhaktivedanta Manor, who came to speak at the monthly evening program, and Rupa Manjari, who I have chanted on harinama with in New York City, Gainesville, and London.

At one point an onlooker felt inspired to hold our mantra sign, which he did with great pleasure.
Harinama in North Shields

Prema Sankirtana, Radhe Shyama, and Madhuri Prabhus joined me to chant in North Shields and later Byker. It was Madhuri’s first time in both places. In North Shields a number of people listened for a while, and a few gave donations and took books. In the beginning, it was a little austere because you could see our chanting party was completely different thing for so many of the people there, but after you chant for a while it does not bother you anymore.
 
We set up outside a mall, and there were always people coming and going.

One boy covered his ears, trying to avoid the holy name. This sometimes happens, but it was too late! The holy name already purified him before he could cover his ears, the rascal!
Harinama in Byker
In Byker, a region within Newcastle, we did a walking harinama for an hour. Radhe Shyam Prabhu played harmonium and sang, Prema Sankirtana Prabhu played drum, Madhuri Devi Dasi played karatalas, and I took pictures and videos.

Some people danced.
 

Some played with the drum.

One lady offered pranams.

The barbers were the best of all.
See how these two Byker barbers delighted in dancing to our Hare Krishna chanting (https://youtu.be/CE_u1Up61YU):

When we left, they invited us to come whenever we want for a free haircut.

When I posted this on Facebook, Anna Rozario commented, “Wow! You made a Muslim chant and dance! Amazing! The dance he was doing is a traditional Arab dance in Palestine and also Lebanon. It is preformed mainly on big occasions. All glories to Lord Gauranga!!”

A day on harinama is not complete without prasadam. Thanks to Madhuri and her friends for making great sweets.
Harinama in Edinburgh
I was happy we had three devotees singing this time, instead of just two. Malini and Rima joined me for half of the three hours. We found a good spot to chant, where we were protected from the rain that greeted us toward the end and which is not uncommon in Scotland.
Harinama in Newcastle
One day I chanted by myself, except for the walk up the hill back to the temple when Madhuri joined me. One young man with an Eastern European accent listened to the chanting for a while, and then later came by and gave a £5 donation. I offered him a book, and he took King of Knowledge as he had Bhagavad-gita.

On my last day singing in Newcastle for this trip, we had seven devotees at least for some of the time. These included (from left to right) Prema Sankirtana Prabhu, Radhe Shyama Prabhu, Satya Medha Gauranga Prabhu, Madhuri dd, Veera, and Priyanka.
Satya Medha Gauranga Prabhu, in suit and tie, used his hour lunch break from work to join us. Here is a video clip of him singing (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7u9a61qfjbo):
The young man to the left of the bicycle in the video listened to our harinamafor over half an hour. Seeing his interest, I explained how we Hare Krishnas promote unmotivated, uninterrupted service to God as the ultimate truth. I said the chant had the effect of awakening our dormant love, and he said he could see that. That was impressive to me. Because he seemed genuinely interested, I suggested he get a book and he gave £2.50 for Krishna Consciousness, the Topmost Yoga System. He listened a while longer and then offered £5 more to get all the rest of the books, so I gave him two more small books plus a small softbound Bhagavad-gita that someone had given me . We gave him an invitation to the temple, and I hope he comes by sometime.
Prema Sankirtana Prabhu later led a very lively kirtana (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGOnTzaLI9A):

I am greatly fortunate to have such nice friends to sing with in Newcastle.
Harinama in Leeds
Janardana Prabhu, now based in Leeds, chanted with me for an hour and a half or so, with John joining us midway. It was mostly sunny and the hottest weather I ever experienced in Leeds. One man, who could recall the Hare Krishna mantra from memory and who previously had a copy of Bhagavad-gita which he was separated from in the course of time, considered it providential that he met us, and purchased a new hardbound Gita for £10, promising to spend the evening reading it. He mentioned that it contained the truth. One African lady stood in front of us for a while, really delighting in moving with the music.
Chanting in Chester on Racing Day

There were many more people than usual in Chester because it was horse racing day. Seeing their attire, you would think an award were being given for the best outfit. Apparently the Chester races are famous for overindulgence in alcohol. Thus our audience was not of candidates likely to consciously take up bhakti-yoga, but degraded people of the age needing special mercy. Sakhya Prema Prabhu and his wife, and Barbara of Liverpool, joined Clive, Agi, and Mark, and Chand’s family on harinama. We ended up chanting a full three hours.
Sakhya Prema Prabhu sang at the program in Chester, and I spoke. There were several new people there. One middle-aged lady thanked me for explaining everything so clearly that a new person could understand it. That made me feel victorious. There were not many people, but everyone had a good time, and many, perhaps even all, took books.
Harinama in Manchester
After the harinama the devotees do in Manchester on the second Sunday of the month for an hour and a half or two hours, I decided to stay out and complete my personal quota of three hours on harinama. I can see Krishna really reciprocated with my decision as in the first fifteen minutes a young man who was interested in kundalini yoga came by and bought Bhagavad-gita and The King of Knowledge. In the hour and fifteen minutes I was out, I distributed five books and collected £13.99 (almost $22), just by singing and talking to the people who came by. It was all Krishna’s mercy.
International Ultimate Frisbee Tournament for 23 Years Old and Under

I am not a very sociable person, but I keep in touch with my closest relatives, my mother, my sister, Karen, and my niece, Fern. Karen suggested I watch Fern play in the Ultimate Frisbee tournament she was playing in as it was in UK during the time I would be there. While studying abroad in South Africa, Fern got involved in playing Ultimate Frisbee there and was a valuable enough person to make the South African team at the event along with Oliver, a South African boy, she met there. I was planning to fly to Prague from London for the Prague Ratha-yatra in mid-July anyway, so I came to London a little earlier so I could see the games. Turns out they played just 6 miles from Bhaktivedanta Manor. I hoped Fern or Karen would have enough free time to visit the Manor, at least for prasadam, but the schedule was very tight. 
 
I arranged for an old friend of mine from San Diego, Gopijanavallabha Prabhu (previously known as Jagannatha Krishna), who had since moved to near the Manor to bring some prasadam for my sister and I. 
 
It turns out that day there was not a vegetarian option at the event, and Karen, and another vegetarian fan she was friends with, were very happy to get the prasadam. 

The prasadamcame from the Manor gurukula, as it was before their regular lunch time.

It was interesting that Ultimate Frisbee is one of the least competitive sports in that they appreciate the best players on opposite team after the game is over. Oliver was appreciated by the Japanese team in this way.
 
Here are the Japanese and South African teams, who had just played, with the favored Japanese team winning, just barely in overtime. Oliver is the one holding the frisbee.

This is my niece Fern, in her Republic of South Africa Wild Dogs uniform. Apparently the team is named after a type of dog that achieves victory over its prey by running it to the point of exhaustion.
Over two days I saw the end of one game, a full game, and the beginning of another. In the first two games, South Africa was defeated by Japan anad Canada, teams who were expected to win, but they did score many goals against their opponents, showing their abilities. Fern and Oliver both made some nice plays. The most amazing for me is when they caught the Frisbee with outstretched arms and fell to the ground still clutching the Frisbee so the catch would still count. I do not think I could do that.
For pictures not included, click on the link below:

Insights
Srila Prabhupada:
From a lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam1.2.6 on October 5, 1975, in Mauritius:
Suprasidati means not just satisfied but completely satisfied. Atma means the body, the mind, the soul, and the Supersoul. So this verse explains that pure devotional service will completely satisfy the body, mind, soul, and Supersoul.
From a lecture in New York City on November 26, 1966, on Sri Caitanya-caritamrta,
Madhya-līlā 20.124:
If you learn how to obey the Personality of Godhead, Krishna, you will be happy.

“My relationship with the Supreme is eternal, but I have forgotten it. Now, that relationship is that He is the original father of everything and we are all sons. For so long we have been disobedient. Now we have to become obedient. That’s all. ‘Obedience is the first law of discipline.’ As soon as the people of this so-called advanced world become obedient to God, then there will be discipline and there will be peace.  There is no discipline now. They are not agreeable to follow any rules and regulations. Everyone is acting as if he is God. But everyone is a dog, thinking he can do anything, whatever he likes. There is no discipline.”     

“You are after peace and prosperity. What is the basis of peace? The basis of peace is love. Do you think that without loving anyone you can become peaceful? No. How it is possible? Therefore, if you love God, then you can love everyone. And if you don’t love God, then you cannot love anyone. ”

“The central point must be there.  So if you can love God, then you can love everything in relationship with God. You can love every man, you can love your country, you can love your society, you can love your friend. Everyone. That is the point.”

“If you follow the rules and regulations systematically, then all these qualities will develop. You’ll see it practically. And as soon as these qualities are there, then you actually become a lover of your country; you become a lover of your fellow man.  It is not expected that everyone will become like that. But if at least ten percent of the population become Krishna consciousness, then peace in the world is guaranteed.” 



From Srimad-Bhagavatam4.16.19, purport:




“We should remember that the embodiment of the conditioned soul is considered to be like a dress. One may dress in different ways, but a really learned man does not take dresses into consideration.”




From a lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.23 in Los Angeles on April 15, 1973:




In this material world, even if you become Krishna’s mother you will suffer, what to speak of others.




“If I think, ‘I am American. Why shall I take Krishna consciousness? It is Hindu God,’ that is foolishness. . . . But if we purify the senses that ‘I am spirit soul. The Supreme Spirit Soul is Krishna. I am part and parcel of Krishna; therefore it is my duty to serve Krishna,’ then you become free immediately. Immediately. 




From a lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.24 in Mayapur on October 4, 1974:




As I soon as I think I am comfortably situated, I am in maya [illusion].




A Vaishnava is so tolerant that although he suffers himself, he does not want others to suffer.




We should expect always danger, but if we expect help from Krishna, He will save us.




Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:







“When I wrote Japa Reform NotebookI chanted
thirty-two rounds for three months.
With the increase in numerical
strength came quality and
reverence for the holy names.
I honestly told of my
struggles. Some ISKCON leaders
objected to the book and banned
it in their zones. They did not think
it was appropriate for a guru
to admit that he was challenged
by japa.They misunderstood me.
I was celebrating nama-bhajana 
despite the obstacles.”




“Today’s drawing shows four
devotees dancing and chanting
with upraised arms.
They are a mixed group
but in union by kirtana. 
Today harinama parties
are made up of devotees
of different races, sexes
nationalities, ages, and even attitudes.
But when they go
out in public and
perform congregational chanting
they form a tight
and cooperative team
to present harinama
to the conditioned souls.
Putting disagreements aside
they rise to the occasion
of preaching Lord Caitanya’s
mission. The bliss
they feel and the seriousness of their
purpose creates
a sublime harmony. This is not
insignificant cooperation but a deep
linking of like-minded souls.”




Janananda Goswami:




When Jayapataka Maharaja was learning Bengali, he was practicing by conversing with a farmer. He asked the farmer if he had ever been to Calcutta. The farmer replied that he had been to Calcutta once, but he would never go again. Jayapataka inquired why, and the farmer explained that in Calcutta he had seen a man holding hands with a woman, and therefore, he would never go to that sinful city again.




With sex attraction, the problem is not the woman or the man, but the problem is in one’s own mind.




A sannyasiin Srngeri Matha told Bhakti Vikasa Swami, “If we had to preach in the places you do, I do not know if we would be able to do it.”




The danger with attraction to sense objects is that they distract one from devotional service to the Lord.




Full engagement in devotional service with no time to do anything else is the path of success – making our service, whatever it is, our life and soul.




I was wearing Western clothes and distributing Back to Godhead magazines in Newcastle. At one point I was looking in a electronics shop at the latest tape recorder. I did not have money, I was just looking. Then someone tapped me on the shoulder and said, “Maya,” and then disappeared. I never found out who it was.




Only the Lord’s mercy can protect us from the temptations.




We need a teacher to inform us about which instructions of the scriptures to follow.




In 1977, Srila Prabhupada said we have enough temples in West, we need preaching centers.




Brahmanananda Prabhu told me in Vrindavan, when I visited him two months ago, Srila Prabhupada said to him when he was in Africa, “Do not invite the Indian people to the temple. They will come anyway.”




We did a survey about the Sunday feast in Newcastle. People liked the chanting, the class depended on who gave it, but the arati they could not relate to.




Devamrita Swami has a very successful program in Australia where they have centers  where they do not introduce have all kinds of aspects of temple worship that would be hard for new people to relate to.




In the beginning of the Hare Krishna movement, we would all chant japa for an hour and a half before the deities, and then they would spend 30 minutes dressing the deities.




In England, for at least six months, we were worshiping a basil plant, instead of a tulasi, by accident.




Young people are not so much into revolution these days, but rather they are looking for a lifestyle they feel comfortable with.




Paris is the biggest tourist city in the world, and many of tourists are young people.




A woman’s eyes have the power to enter into a man’s heart and capture him. The only hope is that we may be attracted to the beautiful eyes of Lord Krishna. Unknowingly, practically speaking, the living entity in the female body is meant to capture the living entities in the male body, by providing many varieties of sensual enjoyment.




In this age, it is very hard because the woman are dressed, or undressed as the case may be, to attract the men.




Consider the nature of the material body. You put a nice samosain it, and stool comes out.




It is the clever arrangement of maya that the material body seems attractive. 




The prostitute sent to tempt Haridas Thakura was called Lakha Hira because she was a very expensive prostitute, costing 100,000 rupees.




Sometimes people renounce the world and go to the holy dhama, but then they again become attached to sensual relationships there.




A seed may be there, but if you do not cultivate it, it will not grow. Similarly we may have a tendency for sensual enjoyment, but if we do not contemplate it, we will not become victimized by it.




If we find ourselves becoming captivated, we can pray to Krishna, chant his names, focus on Bhagavad-gita, etc.




Q (by a older brahmacari): What about older men getting married?


A: It is not recommended. It is not unusual, but it is not the end of the world. You may be criticized for it, but that criticism is good for your spiritual life. There are various reasons for it, such as weak association. Krishna allows it to happen as He is concerned that we do what we have to do to go back to Godhead, not that we look respectable from the material point of view.




Living in the temples is meant for those serious about spiritual life. Similarly the gurukula was originally meant for people who were 100% submissive to the education.




Children become disturbed if they are forced by the parents or the society to learn something that is not their nature. They should be given facility to learn according to their natural inclination.




Comment by a devotee: There is one Jayapataka Swami disciple who teaches music and his students live with him and help him out in different ways, cooking for him, cleaning, etc.


Response: That is the culture there. It is very natural.




Mahavishnu Swami:




In Radha-Londonisvara Mandir, all we are doing is serving a pure devotee [Srila Prabhupada] and therefore there is hope for our attaining spiritual perfection.




This is a festival movement. Everyone is attracted by a festival, especially the Chinese people in Scandinavia.




We seek the highest standard of living. That is to be found in the spiritual world. In this material world, we have the highest standard of dying.




Any place a thirsty cow drinks is not different from the Ganges River according to the scripture.




Tulasiis called puspa-sara, the essence of all flowers.




In a purport, Srila Prabhupada says the bhakti-lata-bija [the seed of the creeper of devotion] is the instructions of the spiritual master.




When have sung many songs, but when we chanted Hare Krishna we experienced something difference, some purification of the heart, some reciprocation from Krishna.




The original love of God has become love of money, love of nation, love of so many things.




Q: How do I love Krishna like you?


A: I could ask you the same question. Actually we want to love Krishna like Srila Prabhupada does, and we can do that by following his instructions.




Nagaraja Prabhu:




From “Village Talk” in Back to Godhead, Nov / Dec 2015, Vol. 49, No. 6:




“Life is too valuable to waste in succumbing to the allure of village talk packaged by masters at grabbing our attention.We don’t have to accept maya’s soul-killing propaganda in its current forms. By the mercy ofSrila Prabhupada and his predecessors, we canturn off the village talk of this world and turn on the village talk of Goloka Vrindavana, Lord Krishna’s eternal home.”




Pitavasa Prabhu:




In Srila Prabhupada’s purports we see his compassion and his desire to help others.




To fight maya, we have to understand what maya it.




I was talking to someone who asserted Krishna is not God. I then asked him what is God. He repeated that Krishna is not God. I said OK, then could you tell me what is God. He did not have any answer other than to say that he was sure Krishna was not God.




We study the books not to just to become jnanis [intellectuals] but to realize Vishnu.




If there is some doubt about the knowledge, then we cannot act on the knowledge.




The saying “if we are not part of the solution, we are part of the problem” is true for us as devotees.




By our preaching we attract Krishna’s mercy.




The name of Govinda is beyond pious activities. It is transcendental.




Abraham sacrificing his son, that which was most dear to him, at God’s request, is pure bhakti yoga. Now they sacrifice sheep to commemorate this, but that is not God’s desire. The Lord is not satisfied by this great sacrifice of sheep, but He was satisfied by Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice what was most dear, his son.




Radhika Nagara Prabhu:




Srila Prabhupada explains that the ticket to back to Godhead is one’s intense desire for it. The purpose of human life is cultivate this desire.




That relationship which is eternal and in which we are completely understood is our relationship with Krishna.




By reconnecting with God we fill the vacuum in our lives. 




The sister of the Queen of Spain engaged in corruption to accumulate more wealth because she was not satisfied by her situation.




They say life is tough and then you die. You spent your whole life chasing the end of the rainbow.




You do not have to give up your friends and family. Do things in Krishna consciousness with your friends and your family.




The trick of maya is to think that happiness is found in something other than devotional service to the Lord.




Our counseling is to assist us in our chanting of the whole name.




Narada Muni told Narayana, “You can liberate anyone you want. Why do you not take them back to Godhead?” Narayana said to Narada, “You go and find someone who wants to go back to Godhead.” Narada approached one person and offered to take him back to Godhead, and the man offered some excuse, “My children are not grown.” Narada came back later, and the man offered another excuse, “I must help take care of the grandchildren,” and it went on and on like that. Then Narada could understand what Narayana meant.




When I was a new devotee they engaged me in washing pots. The pots kept coming. I  was washing pots for three and a half hours, but I felt more blissful than I ever had been. I thought, “I am so blissful, and I am just doing the pots, what to speak of the singers and those who study the scripture!”




The second time I was distributing books, I was in Chorley (in The North of England), and it was at Christmas time and it was snowing. I am from Spain and there it is just the opposite. I had a donation bucket and every few minutes someone would give me a donation, and I would give them a book. Yet I was amazed by how blissful I was.




Q: I fall asleep while reading Bhagavad-gita. What can I do?


A: Stand up. Read it aloud at a good volume.




When the mind proposes sense gratification, just tell it, “Later, just as soon I finish this devotional service.”




Enjoyment is from relationships.




“My dear Arjuna, O winner of wealth, if you cannot fix your mind upon Me without deviation, then follow the regulative principles of bhakti-yoga.In this way develop a desire to attain Me.” (Bhagavad-gita 12.9)




Karen Beetle, counselor and mindfulness teacher:




From a conversation:




“One study shows that in the U.S. the most effective treatment for a major mental illness is to get the patient out of the U.S. to a less developed country. Neither meditation nor counseling is as effective as that.”




—–




Here is a favorite quote about the spiritual world and spiritual consciousness:




yatra naisarga-durvairah


sahasan nr-mrgadayah


mitranivajitavasa-


druta-rut-tarsakadikam




“Vrindavana is the transcendental abode of the Lord, where there is no hunger, anger or thirst. Though naturally inimical, both human beings and fierce animals live there together in transcendental friendship.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.13.60)



	


	





	

		
Travel Journal#11.12: Chanting at a London Rally, Stonehenge, Paris Ratha-yatra and More 
 → Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk
	


	
	

		


Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 11, No. 12
By Krishna-kripa das
(June 2015, part two)


The North of England, London, Stonehenge, Oxford, and Paris
(Sent from Siemyśl, Poland, on August 10, 2015)




Where I Went and What I Did




After the London Ratha-yatra on Tuesday and Wednesday, I traveled with the Sutapa Prabhu, devotees from Bhaktivedanta Manor and the Harinama Ruci world harinama party to different cities in the Manchester area and did harinama and book distribution.I went on my own trip on Thursday to do harinama with Joe, Geoffrey, and three others in Sheffield, and Friday I went on the usual afternoon harinama on Oxford Street in London. Saturday we went with Parasurama Prabhu to a demonstration in London protesting inappropriate government spending and did harinama there. That evening some of us went to Stonehenge to chant all night at the Solstice Festival there. Later Sunday morning I went to Oxford for their 8-hour summer kirtana, a new event for me. I spent half a day in Newcastle recovering partially from two sleepless nights, and went to Edinburgh to do harinama and their Tuesday evening program, returning to Newcastle for harinama and our Wednesday evening kirtana program.Thursday I chanted with Govardhana Devi Dasi, John, and Doug in Blackpool and then in Preston, where Tony joined us, and Friday I chanted with Govardhana and John in Southport and Liverpool. Friday night I returned to Newcastle for the eight-hour kirtana on Saturday. Saturday night I took the train to London and the bus to Paris for Sunday’s very festive and enjoyable Ratha-yatra, followed by a stage show, and a very lively harinama. Finally, I chanted with the Harinama Ruci traveling harinama party in France for the last two days of June and enjoyed the association of Janananda Goswami in Paris.




I share a lecture quote from Srila Prabhupada, a couple quotes from Sanatana Goswami’s Brhad-Bhagavatamrita, an excerpt fromBhaktivinoda Thakura’s Sri Navadvipa Bhava-taranga, quotes from a book of and the online journal of Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, notes from a recorded lecture by Tamal Krishna Goswami, and notes on lectures I heard by Janananda Goswami, Jagadatma Prabhu, Rasesvari dd, Murli Manohara Prabhu, and Sadbhuja Prabhu.




Thanks for Dvijapriya dd for many great pictures of the harinama at the End Austerity Now rally and one from Stonehenge. Thanks to Govardhan dd for her pictures of Blackpool and Preston. Thanks to Harinama Ruci for their pictures of the Paris Ratha-yatra. Thanks to Janardana Prabhu for his picture of the Leeds harinama.




Thanks to whoever put £20 in my money belt while I was sleeping in the van after Stonehenge. Thanks to Lucas and Malini of Edinburgh for their kind donations. Thanks to Alan Miles and the Liverpool Nama-Hatta for their kind donation to my travels. Thanks to Vishnujana Prabhu for contributing to my travel in Paris.




Itinerary




August 9–19: Festival of India on Poland’s Baltic Coast


August 20–23: Trutnov (Czech Woodstock)


August 24: Prague / London


August 25–26: Newcastle


August 27: Preston


August 28: Liverpool


August 29: Manchester


August 30: Leeds


August 31–September 1: Newcastle


September 2–3: Sheffield


September 4–7: Ireland


September 8: New York City


September ?: Boston


September ?: Albany 


September ?–November 15: New York City Harinama


November 16–18: Washington, D.C., Harinama


November 19: Jacksonville


November 20–December 16: Krishna House, Gainesville


December 17: Jacksonville?


December 18–January 3: New York City Harinama




Harinama in Liverpool and Manchester




The first day, our party consisting of Sutapa Prabhu, devotees from the Manor, Sadbhuja Prabhu and another devotee from Germany, and the Harinama Ruci traveling world harinama party chanted at two cities in The North of England, Liverpool and Manchester, our base. 




I was impressed that at least three devotees from the congregation joined our harinama in Liverpool.








In Manchester a family danced with us













 So did a three-person street music act from Costa Rica













 A local boy also danced.








And more as well.




Harinama in Leeds and Bradford








The second day, three devotees from our Leeds congregation joined our party while we chanted for two and a half hours in Leeds. 
 








One older man, who had positive memories of the Hare Krishna, danced and bought a book.
  








One lady enjoyed dancing with the devotees immensely.



One guy in a bar encouraged us to come in and play









Priya Sundari Devi made a nice lunch for our party which we ate in the Cardigan Centre, the venue for our weekly and monthly programs.




We planned to go to York, but we were delayed and decided it was more practical that Bradford be our second city. Apparently, Bradford has the highest percentage of Muslims of any English city. Gaura Karuna Prabhu was very happy as he was able to distribute many books to the Muslims. I even distributed three books in Bradford, though mostly not to the Muslims, and one book in Leeds. While dancing I would watch for persons who were obviously interested but who the several book distributors had somehow missed, being engaged with others.
  








While in Bradford, one older guy took pleasure in playing the flute with us.








Muslim kids were attracted and sometimes danced.




Harinama in Sheffield




While Sutapa Prabhu and his party chanted in Blackpool and Preston, I went to Sheffield to support my friend Joe, who had organized a harinama there. I was happy to see that we had six people chanting for a good part of the two hours we were there. Joe and Geoffrey who are the most regular attenders at our Sheffield programs chanted as did Jackie, who has come on and off for many years join us, as well as Nigel, who used to come regularly many years ago, and Chris, who is a new devotee of Hare Krishna chanting who came from the kirtana programs at the multi-faith Burngreave Ashram. I hope that Joe can make that a regular program and that people keep coming.




Harinama in London




I returned to central London where Harinama Ruci and Sadbhuja Prabhu did harinama for a couple days, the first day beginning on Oxford Street as usual and the second at a rally.




One guy really enjoyed swinging around with Harinamananda Prabhu, and his female associate enjoyed photographing it.




Mr. Britannia always delights in doing a little dance with the Hare Krishnas whenever they come by (https://youtu.be/mt2gfFC-ivk):








In Leicester Square a group of youthful tourists delighted in dancing with us (https://youtu.be/c1NuW5httx8):








Two other groups and some guys also danced with us (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGerEnGdI0xK4uq7KJGdrceXGtLbDMX9F):
















 One Oriental lady really enjoyed dancing with us.




Some ladies danced with the devotee ladies:
  








First in a circle.
  








And then in a line.




One worker in shoe shop played karatalas briefly with us (https://youtu.be/_A9NfNfbrQI):








Shoppers in front of a Lush Cosmetics shop enjoyed listening and moving with the music as did at least one shop worker (https://youtu.be/TpA9BEh1l7I):
















Once in front of the temple a couple danced with us.
  








They continued dancing in a circle with the other devotees.




Harinama at the End Austerity Now Rally in London
  








Parasurama Prabhu invited devotees to join him in chanting Hare Krishna at the End Austerity Now Rally in London which was protesting government spending cuts for humanitarian programs while military spending continues.
  








Parasurama Prabhu played the ukulele.
  








Gopinath played the bass.
  








Harinamananda Prabhu danced as usual.
  








Prabhupada disciples, Dharmatma Prabhu (in the white dhoti) and Dviyapriya Devi Dasi (in a sari), joined us and took many nice pictures.












In the beginning just a few individuals, like this young lady would dance.




I took a video when several protesters danced with us









Young ladies even chanted with us
(https://youtu.be/gJkPOOIUd64):













There were many peace signs and signs with humanitarian slogans. 










It reminded me of when I used to join my mother at demonstrations, including the climate change rally in New York City last September.
  








Rather than remaining with Parasurama Prabhu within the procession, we decided to chant alongside, so that all the protesters would hearing the chanting as they marched by.
  








Two guys enjoyed dancing with us and Erzsebet gave them garlands. Later they encountered us again, dancing with their garlands on.




We continued chanting on the underground to Oxford Circle (https://youtu.be/1KAoyrb9gl8):








Then we chanted down Oxford Street back to the temple.




The London Temple Open Day




While we were chanting at the rally, the devotees at the Soho Street had an Open Day, encouraging the public to visit. Guests would get a tour of the temple, hear a little philosophy, do some meditation, and get some spiritual food.
  












The devotees set up a kirtana party right on the sidewalk to attract attention. 


 








A couple of devotee ladies chanted.








Later Sakhya Prema Prabhu joined.
  








One devotee passed out free lassi.




Chanting at the Stonehenge Summer Solstice Festival




Parasurama Prabhu brings enough food to serve 1,000 people and along with his Ratha-yatra cart each year to the Stonehenge Summer Solstice festival, attended by about 30,000 people. Other devotees join from Bhaktivedanta Manor and the Soho Street temple. 




 Mahavishnu Swami, who loves sharing the chanting the holy name with others, was the life of our party. 
 




 As usual when there is good weather, we had Ratha-yatra around 1:00 a.m.
 



	





	

		
Travel Journal#11.11: Harinama All Over the UK 
 → Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk
	


	
	

		


Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 11, No. 11
By Krishna-kripa das
(June 2015, part one)


The North of England, Edinburgh, Brighton, London and Birmingham
(Sent from Newcastle-upon Tyne on July 6, 2015)




Where I Went and What I Did




After so much traveling around The North of England in May, and even visiting London, I finally settled down in Newcastle for a week, except for two one-day trips, one on Tuesday to Edinburgh to do harinama and speak at their weekly Tuesday evening program,and one on Saturday to York, to do harinama and speak at their monthly evening program. While in Newcastle I did harinama there and in the nearby cities of Chester-le-Street, Durham, and Sunderland. The following week I did harinama and an evening program in Chester.Then to Sheffield for their Wednesday evening program and Thursday afternoon kirtana, and to Brighton to do harinama and spend time with Janananda Goswami on Friday and Saturday. Back to London for the Ratha-yatra on Sunday. Monday I chanted in Birmingham with Sutapa Prabhu and devotees from the Manor and the world harinama party, Harinam Ruci, on our way to chant in the cities around Manchester for the next several days.




I share a quote by Srila Prabhupada from Srimad-Bhagavatam, a quote by Sanatana Goswami from Brihad-bhagavatamrita, quotes from the books and journal of Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, a story by Jayadvaita Swami, and notes on lectures by Janananda Goswami, Jagadatma Prabhu, Parividha Prabhu, and Sadbhuja Prabhu. 




Thanks to Agi for the pictures of Chester harinama and evening program, Dharmatma Prabhu for the picture of Parividha Prabhu and me at the London Ratha-yatra, the Hare Krishna Festivals devotees for two pictures of the London Ratha-yatra stage show, Martine for two pictures of Brighton, and Harinama Ruci for two pictures of Birmingham.




I would like to thank Janananda Goswami, Clive of Chester, Lochan Das Thakura Prabhu of Brighton, Rima of Edinburgh, and Gaura Karuna and Vishnujana Prabhus of the Harinama Ruci world traveling harinama party for their kind donations. 




Itinerary




July 5–6: Newcastle


July 7: Edinburgh


July 8–9: Newcastle


July 10: Leeds


July 11: Chester


July 12: Manchester


July 13–15: London


July 16–17: Prague


July 18: Munich Ratha-yatra


July 19: Prague Ratha-yatra


July 20–26: Baltic Summer Festival


July 28–August 2: Polish Woodstock


August 3–15: Czech Padayatra?


August 16–18: Bratislava?


August 19: Prague?


August 20–23: Trutnov (Czech Woodstock)


August 24: London


August 25: Edinburgh?


August 26: Newcastle


August 27: Preston


August 28: Liverpool


August 29: Manchester


August 30: Leeds


August 31–September 1


September 2–3: Sheffield


September 4–7: Ireland


September 8: New York City






Harinama in Chester-le-Street








I was simply amazed by the positive response we received in Chester-le-Street, a city of 37,000 near Newcastle. One devotee named Atula Krishna Caitanya Prabhu lives there. His health is not good, and it is hard for him to come to the temple regularly. It means a lot to him for us to chant in his town, and he always joins us.








Prema Sankirtana Prabhu, Radhe Shyam Prabhu, Madhuri Devi Dasi, who are all young and enthusiastic, came from Newcastle. We chanted for ten minutes to and from our car to the front of a shopping center where there was a steady flow of people.




One lady, who gave us a donation, passed by our party a second time telling Madhuri, “It is nice to hear some music that makes you happy for a change.” A few school children, dressed in their uniforms, moved with the music and joked with us. 


Considering the smallness of the place, the sorts of people you find there, and that we stayed barely an hour, I was surprised that people donated £10.96 and took four or five books! 




Harinama in Durham 









After Chester-le-Street, Prema Sankirtana Prabhu, Radhe Shyam Prabhu, Madhuri Devi Dasi, and I went to Durham. They are so enthusiastic, it was great to be chanting with them.
  








I thought it was humorous we stood near a Marks and Spencer display entitled “Tastes of the British Isles.”
  








One favorable young man from Singapore, who had come to one of the Durham programs, was happy to see the devotees again. 




Still it was striking to me that although people are more sophisticated in Durham, a university town, much fewer people gave donations and took books than in Chester-le-Street.




Harinama in Edinburgh








In Edinburgh we have a new storefront called Gauranga Mantra Centre, which is run by a Lithuanian couple, Lucas and Rima, who have three programs a week there, Tuesday,  Friday, and Sunday.




I chanted in Edinburgh for three hours the day of our Tuesday program and an hour the next day. Yamuna Devi Dasi, a devotee who lived in Scotland for many years, and who was up from London visiting her daughters that go to the university there, joined me most of the time. We had a busy location and amazing weather for Scotland. We met a couple of Indian families and a couple of local musicians who were interested in hearing of our programs in Edinburgh, but otherwise not so many people interacted with us.
  








There were a few Scottish people at the program and many Bengali speaking people who had emigrated there. The final kirtana was very lively.




Harinama in Newcastle
  








I decided to encourage the devotees in Newcastle to do harinama before our two-hourevening kirtana on Wednesday, and I was very happy that six of them came out. 








One kid played the karatalaswith us.
  








Some Muslim kids enjoyed dancing with us.
  








Their mom enjoyed taking a video of the kids.




The Muslim familygave a £5 donation, and I gave them a Higher Taste cookbook.








On the way back to the temple, we met some partying young people who got into dancing to our music. 








One young lady delighted in playing the karatalas.




I took a video of the end of it (https://youtu.be/BlL9phSedNw):












As I was doing harinamaone day, an Indian student stopped to purchase Bhagavad-gita.He was from Iowa but getting his masters in organic farming at Newcastle University. He attended Hare Krishna programs in New York’s Lower East Side but had not met devotees in Newcastle yet. 
 








He chanted with me for half an hour.




Later that daya young lady majoring in psychology at the same school and interested in Hinduism’s oneness and altered states of consciousness also bought a Gita.




Harinama in York




Harinama in York was amazing. We had nine devotees coming from Newcastle and a couple from Leeds. Many groups of people danced with us, mostly ladies. Govardhan Dasi of Scarborough,is the inspiration behind the York harinama, and she sings in this video and many people dance (https://youtu.be/6BecU_ZP9KU): 








One man holding a tray of pizza samples really enjoyed dancing with us, but because I was playing karatalas I could not take a photo of it.
  








A married couple danced in front of our kirtana, and if you have Facebook, you can see Govardhan Dasi’s video of it: https://www.facebook.com/jackie.parcellgovardhana/videos/vb.100007077215749/1638889076356984/?type=2&theater




We also chanted in a fast food place, where all the employees were delighted to take part (https://youtu.be/96nd-H82aPE):












 A lady delighted in dancing in front of a cafe with us for several minutes, while her dining partners watched and took photos.








Another lady tried playing our instruments, both drum and gong.


 








Priya Sundari Devi Dasi swung one lady around.








Later when Radhe Shyam Prabhu was singing, another group of ladies danced with us (https://youtu.be/hIRIo-0vJ-g): 









	





	

		
Travel Journal#11.10: Manchester Ratha-yatra and Harinamas in The North of England 
 → Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk
	


	
	

		




Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 11, No. 10
By Krishna-kripa das
(May 2015, part two)


The North of England and London
(Sent from Newcastle-upon-Tyne on June 22, 2015)




Where I Went and What I Did




The second half of May I began by staying in Manchester for a week to do harinama to promote their Ratha-yatra on Saturday, May 23. Midweek I just took a brief trip to Sheffield to go to their Wednesday evening program and Thursday afternoon kirtana at the Burngreave Ashram as it was worth the trip to attend the two programs. After Ratha-yatra I went to London because Sthita-dhi Muni Prabhu, my friend, godbrother, and fellow assistant of Sadaputa Prabhu, was visiting after doing two presentations in Radhadesh at a devotee academic conference. I learned that the South London ISKCON devotees had organized a 24-hour kirtana the same weekend as the Manchester Ratha-yatra, and I sang in about 10 hours of it. After spending Monday and Tuesday in London, I returned to The North to attend the nama-hattas and do harinamas in Sheffield, Preston, Liverpool, and Leeds, and to attend the Newcastle monthly 8-hour kirtana on the last Saturday in May.




I share an excerpt from a lecture by Srila Prabhupada, quotes from Brhad-bhagavamrita by Sanatana Goswami, quotes from Navadvipa-dhama Mahatmya by Bhaktivinoda Thakura, excerpts from the daily journal and books of Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, and notes on lectures by Bhakti Charu Swami, Dhirashanta Swami, Dayananda Swami, and Sthita-dhi Muni Prabhu. Dayananda Swami collected some interesting quotes on forgiveness, some of which are included.


Thanks to Hassan Mahmood for the pictures of his friend playing karatalas with me, thanks to Manchester ISKCON for pictures of the Ratha-yatra, and thanks to Govardhan Devi Dasi for the pictures of us chanting in Leeds. We credit Caitanya-candrodaya Prabhu for the picture of me and the hot dog shop. 




I would like to thank Sthita-dhi Muni Prabhu, Anthony Bate and the Preston nama-hatta, Alan Miles and the Liverpool nama-hatta, ISKCON South London, and Janardana Prabhu and the Leeds nama-hatta for their kind donations.




Itinerary




June 22: Newcastle


June 23: Edinburgh Tuesday night program


June 24: Newcastle


June 25: Blackpool and Preston nama-hatta


June 26: Southport and Liverpool nama-hatta


June 27: Newcastle 8-hour kirtana


June 28: Paris Ratha-yatra


June 29–July 3: Paris harinamas with Janananda Goswami and Harinama Ruci


July 4: York harinama and Manchester kirtana with Madhava Prabhu
July 5–9: Newcastle


July 10: Leeds


July 11: Chester


July 12: Manchester


July 13–15: London


July 16–19: Prague


July 20–26: Baltic Summer Festival


July 28–August 2: Polish Woodstock


August 3–15: Czech Padayatra?


August 16–18: Bratislava?


August 19: Prague?


August 20–23: Trutnov (Czech Woodstock)


August 24: London


August 25: Edinburgh?


August 26: Newcastle


August 27–30: Newcastle retreat?


September 2–3: Sheffield


September 4–7: Ireland


September 8: New York City






Harinama in Manchester




One day I chanted 4½ hours in Manchester’s city center to promote our Ratha-yatra. An English lady chanted a few mantras with me, an Indian man gave me a vegetarian pastry. 
 










A young Asian guy played the karatalas a little while and his friend sent a picture of us.




I met an Indian lady who knew the Scottish devotees and had just moved to Manchester. She was very happy to learn of our Ratha-yatra and local temple. People got a couple books and donated enough to cover my weekly bus ticket.




On the way to Sheffield, I chanted through the Manchester Piccadilly train station till where they check your tickets. After I showed my ticket, a policeman came up to me and said a couple people said I was speaking negatively to them. I said I was a Hare Krishna and was just chanting “Hare Krishna.” He was aware that is what Hare Krishnas do and advised me just to be more sensitive toward other people. I asked if it was OK I chanted in the train station. He said it was. I invited him to Saturday’s Ratha-yatra. He said he had the day off and would be downtown with his daughter and he might come.




A curious Muslim girl asked if she could play my harmonium when I was chanting downtown. I reluctantly agreed, as you never know what will happen in those cases. Usually the people just play the keys, but she just pumped the bellows, so I played the keys and chanted Hare Krishna for three or four mantras as her friends watched amused. It must have been a funny sight.




One young Indian couple stopped by as I was chanting Hare Krishna. The girl, Priyanka, had been attending the ISKCON temple in Tirupati since she was very young. She and her partner, named Krishna, were happy to learn of the next day’s Ratha-yatra and the details about the Manchester ISKCON temple.




One English guy in his thirties or forties stopped by and bought a Gita because he just wanted to know what it was all about. That was the last of the four days I had been chanting in Manchester, and the first Gita sold.




Harinama in Sheffield




One Indian lady gave donations and took a small book from me two days in a row.




Manchester Ratha-yatra










Krishna blessed us with sunny and warm weather for the Manchester Ratha-yatra, which was held in Cathedral Gardens, where some people enjoy themselves and others pass by when going between city center to Victoria Station and the nearby parking lots.




Devotees attended from Newcastle, York, Leeds, Sheffield, Preston, Liverpool, Chester, and London, as well as from Manchester itself. 




Because Janananda Goswami has many disciples in Newcastle, more of my friends from there came than usual. 








Before the Ratha-yatra, about ten or fifteen devotees did a harinama for about 45 minutes down Market Street and gave out invitations and told people about our festival in Cathedral Gardens.
  


 






One mother and daughter from Portugal were very attracted by the Ratha-yatra procession, the mother videoing it while the teenage daughter beamed with happiness. I told them we had Hare Krishna centers in Lisbon and Porto, and they could find them on the internet.




 A group of ladies delighted in dancing at the front of the procession briefly.






At the end, some onlookers also joined the dancing.






Janananda Goswami’s lively singing and dancing really boosted the enthusiasm during the cart procession. Purusurama Prabhu later commented on how all the kirtanas that day were very good.






At one point Janananda Goswami danced with a brahmacari from the Manor, swinging him around.








The devotee ladies also swung each other in dance.




Except for one young British man who complained the prasadam was so cold he could not eat it, everyone said the prasadam was very good, with one young man describing it as fantastic. I especially liked the cabbage pakoras and the cake, but I found the vegetable dish a bit spicy for my taste.
  








  
One young Oriental lady was attracted by my garland. I gave it to her boyfriend to place it on her, and she was happy to receive it.




One young British lady moved with the music during the final kirtana, raising her hands in the air from time to time. As the chanting ended I gave her an invitation to the Manchester temple with the mantra on the reverse side, telling her these were the words to the song and our invitation to our Manchester center where we had weekly programs with the chanting and the Indian vegetarian food that she had experienced that day. Later I saw she went to the book tent with the mantra card, and an Indian devotee lady taught her how to chant japa and gave her beads.




Several onlookers joined in the dancing at the final kirtana. 




South London 24-Hour Kirtana




  
Normally I would not go to London for the South London 24-hour kirtana because I consider that my field is The North of England, but since I was going to London to see my friend, I decided to go early for the South London 24-hour kirtana.I rode back to Bhaktivedanta Manor with Parasurama Prabhu after the Manchester Ratha-yatra. By the time I took the underground and the overground and walked to the South London temple in Croydon it was 12:30 a.m. A young man who helped me navigate the overground said “Gauranga” to me as we parted. I asked if he would like a Gauranga wrist band, and he said he followed another path but that he would wear the wristband, so I gave one to him.  I was thinking of chanting till 2:30 a.m. and then taking a 2-hour nap like I did at Birmingham, but the organizer asked me to sing during his own slot at 3:00 a.m., which was generous of him. By then it was the brahma-muhurta time and then mangala-arati, so I decided to chant till 5:30 a.m. Then I chanted from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., so I got a good ten hours in altogether. The organizer, who had invited me to come to their South London kirtana at the Birmingham 24-hour kirtana earlier in the month, thanked me for coming and even gave me a donation.








Radha Londonisvara Das Prabhu was one of the big kirtana leaders, and he did a good job.




Dhirashanta Maharaja shared some nice realizations about the holy name with us. I shared a room with him and got to know him better which was nice. I usually just see him briefly at festivals in Eastern Europe.




London Visit




I took my friend, Sthita-dhi Muni Prabhu, to see different sites important in the history of ISKCON London. In addition to our present temple of Sri Sri Radha-Londonisvara at 10 Soho Street, we visited 7 Bury Place, the site of the first temple, Russell Square, where Srila Prabhupada would take morning walks, and Conway Hall, where Srila Prabhupada did a series of lectures.
  








We also visited Trafalgar Square, the site of the festival after the London Ratha-yatra. 




I went on harinama each day. One day the dancing was so lively I videoed it. Gopinath Prabhu led a great kirtana, playing my funky harmonium, and several onlookers joined us and played instruments and danced for a while (https://youtu.be/ykRU2aivtVo):












While waiting in line for prasadam at Govinda’s Restaurant, I got talking to a young American lady who first learned about Hare Krishna from buying a book in Union Square. Later she became attached to a British guy and moved to London, and she now participates in different devotional activities in the Sri Sri Radha-Londonisvara community.




Chanting in Preston




I chanted for a while along the streets in Preston with Tony, the organizer of our Preston programs, and then I chanted on my own. One young gentle couple with pleasant smiles was walking by, and I gave them an invitation to the program that night. They asked how to get there, and I tried to describe it the best I could. They actually came to the program and had a good time. I encouraged them to invite their friends. They said because just moved to Preston they had no friends. I smiled and said, “’We can be your friends.” The lady was vegetarian her whole life, being raised that way by her parents. They gave their email for the mailing list. I hope we see them again.




Chanting in Liverpool




I had the best day I ever had chanting by myself in Liverpool. We previously would begin our harinamas at Marks and Spencer, but the last time I chanted there, a Gaudiya Math person was annoyed that I chanted so close to his Gaudiya Math book table, so I asked the devotees to suggest another venue, which they did, St. John’s Shopping Center. An Indian man who had his own guru wanted to donate something to Bhagavan, so he bought some nuts that the devotees later used in the dessert for the program that night. A young Englishman donated bananas. Many people tossed some coins in my bowl, and they amounted to over £20 (over $30). One lady described the singing as beautiful. Another said she had not seen the Hare Krishnas for years and said it was lovely I had come out to sing.




One family from Southport ate their lunch no more than three yards (three meters) from where I was singing and gave me £2 as they were leaving. The husband said that they never see Hare Krishnas in Southport and that if I chanted there I would be a hit. That was striking to me because the bus I had taken from Preston to Liverpool that day had passed through Southport, and since I had a day ticket, I seriously considered getting off and chanting in Southport for some time. I think the next time I make the journey I will get off in Southport and chant for a while there.




Newcastle Eight-Hour Kirtan




I am always inspired by the enthusiasm of the Newcastle devotees for their monthly 8-hour kirtana. There is always lively singing and dancing and an amazing feast.








 Dhananjaya Prabhu often plays the bass.










The guys dance.
  








They even lifted Prema Sankirtana Prabhu off the ground!


The ladies dance too, but my pictures of them were blurry.
  








The prasadam seems more opulent each time.








Here are just the sweets and savories.




Chanting in Leeds








I was so happy ten devotees chanted together in Leeds before their monthly program on the last Sunday in May. I get the best turnouts there. Govardhan dd and her husband, John, now come all way from Scarborough regularly to participate in it. 




Later one of the Johns from Leeds chanted with me after the program for an hour on Briggate Street. We met an Indian man who had been in our Krishna-Balaram temple in Vrindavan the previous week. He was happy to learn of ISKCON programs in Leeds. 




Uncommon Photos








Some devotees are creative with their sikhas.
  








Would you eat at a restaurant named Samsara?








Sometimes people take misleading shots of you. 
Just for the record,
I have nothing to do with traditional British sausage hotdogs.




For more photos taken but not included, click on the link below:





Insights




Srila Prabhupada:




From a lecture on August 17, 1973:




Prabhupada: This morning when I was walking, some of our students inquired that “If somebody says that ‘I do not believe in God,’ what is the immediate answer?” The immediate answer is that you come to the street; instead of going to the right you go to the left, and here is a constable, he is your God. Immediately he will arrest you and harass you. So how you can say that you are independent of God? There is God for everyone, but the status of God may be different. One may be worshiping a police constable as God; [laughter] one may be worshiping his boss as God; one may be worshiping his leader as God. So in this way, everyone is worshiping some sort of God. But we are worshiping the Supreme God. That is the difference. 


Devotees: [applause] Jaya Prabhupada! 


Prabhupada: That is the difference. You cannot live without God, but your God may be of different quality and my God may be of different quality. Now what is that different . . . quality? We are selecting God: the richest, the most reputed, the most beautiful, the most wise. That is our  God. You are selecting a God who is less intelligent, no knowledge, not beautiful, not so strong—a false God. That is the difference. Everyone has to accept some God, because it is the nature of every living entity to serve under somebody superior. That is the definition given by Lord Caitanya: jivera ‘svarupa’ haya—’nitya krishna-dasa‘ [Cc. Madhya 20.108]. Every living entity is by nature, by his constitutional position, is a servant; but he is originally servant of Krishna. But because he has forgotten Krishna he has to become servant of so many people. Generally, so long we are not servant of God, we are servant of our senses. That is our position. We have to become servant. But our present position is that we are servant of our senses. I accept to serve somebody, not to that person, but that somebody gives me some money, and with that money I satisfy my senses. So because I am servant of my sense, I agree to serve somebody, even though I do not like it. [applause] 




Sanatana Goswami:




From Brhad-bhagavatamrita:




[Narada Muni said:] “It is quite fitting that your devotees care only for prema-bhakti,pure devotional service to the Lord’s lotus feet. Such prema-bhaktifor the Lord, who is very affectionate to His devotees, fulfills all their ambitions and is alone their final goal.”




Bhaktivinoda Thakura:




From Navadvipa-dhama Mahatmya:




“In the Vayu Puranaas well, the Lord Himself speaks of His appearance, ‘In Kali-yuga I will appear in populated Navadvipa on the bank of the Ganges as the son of Sacidevi to begin the sankirtanamovement. I will appear in a brahmana’shouse in the best of brahmana’sfamily.’”




“In the Agni Purana, the following is said: ‘He will appear as Gauranga and will be very peaceful with a long neck, and surrounded by devatas,or devotees.’ In the Garuda Puranait is said: ‘In Kali-yuga, the devotees will give up all other holy places and reside in either Vrndavana or Navadvipa.’”




The Skanda Puranasays: “In Kali-yuga, anyone who takes shelter of Mayapur
and worships Me will be freed of all sins and attain the highest goal. The glories of whatever tirthas are present throughout Navadvipa increase a million times in Kali-yuga. The glories of all tirthasincrease by association with Gauranga just as the value of metal increases by association with a touchstone. Mayapur is none other than the spiritual energy of the Lord, Yogamaya, which increases everyone’s bliss.”




Bhakti Charu Swami:




It is still a custom to go to Kurukshetra during a solar eclipse to take bath in Simanta-panca.




Nothing other than pure devotional service to the Lord is the goal. The great sages aspire for this only. Other practices are means, but devotional service is the goal.




Is samadhi perfection? What do you do when you see the Lord in the heart? In santa-rasa, they are just happy with that, but others will not be satisfied with that. Thus the sages who are perfect in meditation are aspiring for devotion like the devotees, because they have only santa-rasa or meditation on the Lord. Love is manifest in the form of service which is the actual engagement of the living entity.




Dhirashanta Maharaja:




The challenge is to be a proper receptacle for the spiritual sound.




We may think that chanting Hare Krishna is difficult, but try standing on your toes with your arms in the air or standing on one leg with your arms in the air. In comparison to these austerities, chanting Hare Krishna is very easy.




If we try to accomplish our other responsibilities before chanting 16 rounds, then we  will find we have no time to chant Hare Krishna at the end of the day, but if we chant Hare Krishna first, we will find we have more energy to do our other duties properly.




Srila Prabhupada said, “If you chant your 16 rounds of Hare Krishna by ten in the morning, you will not have any anxiety during the day.”




It is said that each hour of your sleep between 8:00 and midnight counts as two hours, from midnight to 3:00, each hour counts as an hour and a half, from 3:00 to 6:00, each hour counts as one hour, and sleep after 6:00 has no value.
  


Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:




From Japa Transformations:




“Japashould be chanted from the heart, the seat of affections. It is an act of love toward Radha and Krishna. Short of love, it is a pleading. Anything less than that is just reciting the outer covering of the mantras, the syllables without the heart. I should not be satisfied with my little speed rituals in the morning. It is a desperate act, with time running out. When will you love Radha-Krishna while reciting Their names? When will you dare to ask for service? There is a legion of lackadaisical chanters, and they are not appreciating suddha-nama.I have far to go, but seem stuck in namabhasa.Chanting more is one remedy. Praying at other times for improvement in nama-bhajana.Even writing, asking for it.”




From “Poem for May 20” in Viraha Bhavan:




“All harinamadevotees should
know the ‘Siksastakam’ and take
its lessons to heart.”




From “Poem for May 21” in Viraha Bhavan:




“Prabhupada said, ‘Just hear,’
and there is a lot of wisdom
and practical advice packed in
those words. Because the name
of Krishna is more merciful than
His form, all you have to do
is chant it with submission
and love and you are
vaulted to the front
ranks of advancement
in nama-bhajana.No
need for complicated
meditation or discursive
thought. Just call out
to Radha-Krishna, ‘Please let
me chant Your names,
please let me serve You!’”




From “Poem for May 25” in Viraha Bhavan:




“Today’s drawing shows four devotees
dancing and chanting
with upraised arms.
They look like they
are having fun but seriously
engaged. Harinama
is like that. It is
simultaneously a happy
and a heavyvrata(vow).
To sing Hare Krishna
brings waves of bliss.
The devotees are attached
to go out into the streets
and express their
joy and share it with the nondevotees.
But the obligation to
do it every day,
and in the pressure of
the materialistic atmosphere
of the city, can be daunting.
The harinamadevotees
are spiritual warriors
and connoisseurs of spiritual happiness.”




From Wild Garden:




“O Prabhupada,
I play my part,
an actor on the stage,
in the start of old age,
please touch me again
tell me when.
Let me be your son
as I am, happy serving you
in a way that makes you
smile,
and claim me as a worker
for your cause.”




From “Poem for May 26” in Viraha Bhavan:




“Harinama devotees are expansive,
and they embrace the world
with a performance of congregational
chanting. With open hearts,


they guide everyone to
hear Radha and Krishna’s
names, and better yet,
ask them to join in the singing.
They are making the greatest
act of charity by
distributing the holy names.
How? Because singing
God’s names
cleanses the mirror of the mind
and lets one see he
or she is a spirit-
soul, an eternal servant of Krishna.
Chanting Hare Krishna relieves a person
of birth and death and promotes
one to the eternal spiritual world.
So there is no higher welfare
work than promoting harinama.”




From “Poem for May 27” in Viraha Bhavan:




“Harinamadevotees are motivated
by love. They don’t
go out mechanically or
merely by a sense of duty.
They love to sing the
holy names, and they love to attract people
to the bliss of congregational chanting.
They love Lord Caitanya and
Srila Prabhupada and desire
to please them by carrying out their requests
and mission. The
whole endeavor is
motivated by love,
and by acting in this way. Krishna,
who isbhakta-vatsala,
is inclined to the devotee
because He is conquered by the bhakta.”




From “Poem for May 28” in Viraha Bhavan:




“I remember chanting japain the
street and feeling dissatisfied
that I was ‘chanting to the
air’ with no counting of the
numbers. I expressed this to
Prabhupada, and he informed me how to
use the small counter beads tied
to the bead bag. Quotas give
us a proof, a tangible recording
of the substantial accumulation of
beads we have accomplished.”




“At the Krishna-Balarama Mandira
the twenty-four hour kirtanainspired
by Aindra Prabhu has
been going on for many
years. But Prabhupada said,
‘Vrndavana is inspiration only.
Our real mission is worldwide.’
Devotees have to come out
of Vrndavana and present
congregational chanting in the
big cities of the West.
This is the compassion Prahlada Maharaja
spoke of when he said he
didn’t want to go back to go back to Godhead
unless he could take the fools
and rascals with him. Devotees
who have left Vrndavana to chant
in the city are making a great
sacrifice. Krishna is pleased
with them and is making
Vrndavana in their hearts.”
  


Dayananda Swami: 




“If we cannot forgive, it means we are in maya [illusion], because we do not understand that by the law of karma we are getting distress because a bad misdeed of our own.”




We have to forgive ourselves first, not beat ourselves over the head for some mistake we made. If we cannot forgive ourselves, it will be more difficult to forgive others.




Our Krishna consciousness is demonstrated by how quickly we can pacify mental agitation and go on with life.




Haridas Thakura shows an amazing example by forgiving the people who beat him twenty-two marketplaces, and Jesus Christ also did so by forgiving those who nailed him to the cross. With such good examples, why do we refuse to forgive people? Maybe we think we are not on that level as those great saints or think that our chanting alone will bring us to a higher level.




Forgiving is not about the other person so much as it is about our relationship with Krishna. Krishna is looking to see if we are willing to forgive and move on.




Quotes about Forgiveness from Different Sources:




“Forgiveness is the release of all hope for a better past.”(Alexa Young) 




“If we apply an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, most of the world will be blind and toothless.” (Mahatma Gandhi)




“Deal with the faults of others as gently as with your own.” (Chinese proverb)




“Forget the past that sleeps and ne’er
The future dream at all,
But act in times that are with thee
And progress thee shall call.” (Bhaktivinoda Thakura)




“Forgiveness is the only medicine that can cure the hurting soul.” (David Bruce Linn)




On the platform of tolerance and humility, we will not become offended and feel the need to forgive an offender.




We should be able to act to protect innocent people without hating the offender.




There was a case of a boy stabbing a girl to death in the presence of her mother, in which the mother had the sentiment of wanting to help the boy. The boy had anger on his face throughout the whole trial. The mom said to the boy at the end of the trial, “I do not feel angry with you, but I am very hurt. I pray that God may act so you may lead a better life.” And the anger disappeared from the boy’s face.




There is a case of a six-year-old black girl who was being escorted to a white school the day after segregation ended in the United States. The white people were saying nasty things to her the whole time. The people escorting saw she was saying something to herself the whole time, and they asked her about it afterward. She said she was praying to God for the people who were speaking harshly to her. And she was only six years old.




Those things we think we cannot forgive, we have to examine philosophically and ask why. The main philosophy is to consider thus, “My dear Lord, one who earnestly waits for You to bestow Your causeless mercy upon him, all the while patiently suffering the reactions of his past misdeeds and offering You respectful obeisances with his heart, words and body, is surely eligible for liberation, for it has become his rightful claim.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.14.8)




Whatever happens, if I take shelter of Krishna, I will come out smelling like roses.




If we start complicating things, such as our observance of Ekadasi, we may find our outreach activities get minimized.




In 1970 my father to me yelled from another room to see a program on the TV. It was a newscast of the Ratha-yatra in London. I recall seeing the devotees happily dancing with upraised arms. My father said, “This is real religion!”




By rendering devotional service, we get piety, and become qualified to hear Srimad-Bhagavatam. One who has a taste for hearing is qualified and fortunate, and by such hearing one becomes motivated to engage in devotional service.




Srila Prabhupada was noted by his guru as one who likes to hear.




Whether we can understand it or not, it auspicious to hear.




To see Krishna in the sphere of our activities is a very auspicious thing.




A child sees, but without knowledge, what does he actually see? Those without factual knowledge will just speculate on what they see and not see the reality.




When one new devotee heard the Bhagavatam class, he was amazed that the speaker always spoke on things that were on his own mind.




Comment by Sakhya Rasa Prema Prabhu: Bilvamangala Thakura felt that his eyes were going to all the wrong places, and so he took them out, but then he saw Krishna. So that is evidence that Krishna is not seen with our ordinary eyes.




Sthita-dhi Muni Prabhu:




The reason we feel a sense of separateness from God is that we have the freedom to love to God. If there was only one choice, there would be no love. Krishna likes relationships of love, and so there has to be the choice. 




If we have some natural piety, we will admit that we should offer the fruits of our work to the Lord, but we may not be so enthusiastic, because we are still in an unnatural condition.




The rules are meant to draw out the joy in our hearts. If we are too upset about them, we have to recalibrate.




The point of physical therapy is not to do the physical therapy well but to be able to move naturally. Similarly the goal of bhakti is not to do the activities of the practice perfectly but to purify the heart so we are in a healthy condition.




Krishna has our best interest in mind. He wants to party with us.




It unfolds now, not like a pie in the sky at the end. 




As time goes by, we work through our tests, and go on to the next level.




By doing the bhaktinow, the renunciation comes naturally.




The experience of bhakti as no limits.




Q (by me): Have you see from your practice evidence of Krishna’s protection and His providing for you?


A: I have a sense that Krishna puts me into different situations that I would not have voluntary put myself in which have made me grow in ways I needed to grow. 




I see there is something beneficial to be gained from any situation.




In the history of ISKCON there was a devotee that did a lot of good things and a lot of crazy things, but Srila Prabhupada would always encouraging him, sometimes being very heavy, but all to keep him moving forward.




If you crack the whip or lavish them with praise, that is all for the same purpose, to encourage them to move forward spiritually.




Through the difficult times I realized that the knowledge alone was not enough to completely deal with the situation, but it gave me a construct that could keep me going through the difficulties.




Radha Londonisvara Das Prabhu:




When you act for Krishna’s pleasure, you can get so absorbed you do not notice the passage of time.




Ralph Waldo Emerson:




Quoted on a “MHK: Meditation the Hare Krishna Way” brochure:




“What lies before us, and what lies behind us are small matters compared to what lies within us.”




—–




I like verses describing the superexcellence of Krishna’s beauty such as:




krishna-madhuryera eka svabhavika bala  


krishna-adi nara-nari karaye cancala




“The beauty of Krishna has one natural strength: it thrills the hearts of all men and women, beginning with Lord Krishna Himself.” (Sri Caitanya-caritamrita,Adi 4.147)

	


	





	

		
Travel Journal#11.9: Simhachalam Festival, Birmingham Kirtan, Sheffield Ratha-yatra, and More 
 → Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk
	


	
	

		


Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 11, No. 9
By Krishna-kripa das
(May 2015, part one)


Bavaria, Birmingham, and The North of England
(Sent from Newcastle upon Tyne, England, on June 4, 2015)




Where I Went and What I Did




I attended the Nrsimha Caturdasi festival at Simhachalam, the Bavarian Hare Krishna farm, which has a single, though awesome, deity of Prahlad-Nrsimha. I joined the Harinama Ruci traveling party and some festival attendees for harinama in Passau on Monday after the festival. Tuesday I chanted in Munich with two friends before flying to London. Bhakti Rasa Prabhu really impressed me by picking me up at the Megabus and chanting with me downtown for 45 minutes before our Newcastle Wednesday evening kirtana program. I chanted in Newcastle Thursday and Friday and spoke at the Friday evening program. Saturday and Sunday I joined the Birmingham 24-hour kirtana for the fifth time. Many of my friends from the UK were there, and it was great to see them. Monday I chanted in Sunderland, where Caitanya-candrodaya Prabhu and Prema Sankirtana Prabhu joined me, and Tuesday in Newcastle, where in addition to them, Madhuri, Veera, and Priyanka joined me. I spent the next thee days chanting in Sheffield, advertising Sunday’s Second Annual Sheffield Ratha-yatra which I later attended. Saturday I chanted with Manchester devotees there, and helped to advertise their Ratha-yatra the following week.




I share great insights from Srila Prabhupada’s lectures and books, Sanatana Goswami’s Brihad-bhagavatamrita, Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami’s books and blog, and notes on lectures by Bhakti Vaibhava Swami, Krishna Kshetra Swami, Sacinandana Swami, Kadamba Kanana Swami, Jagatatma Prabhu, Manidhara Prabhu, Prithu Prabhu, and more. I also share notes on an interesting seminar about death by Devaki Mataji. 




Thanks to Kalki of Newcastle, Ali Krishna Devi Dasi of Oxford, and Haladhara Baladeva Prabhu, Joe, and Mariana, all of Sheffield, for their kind donations. A very special thanks to Hare Krishna Festivals UKfor the great pictures of the Sheffield Ratha-yatra. Thanks to Caitanya Candrodaya Prabhu for his picture of us chanting in Passau.




Itinerary




June 5: Newcastle


June 6: York


June 7–8: Newcastle


June 9: Chester


June 10–11: Sheffield


June 12–13: Brighton with Janananda Goswami


June 14: London Ratha-yatra


June 15–20: Manchester with Sutapa Prabhu and his party, including Harinama Ruci


June 21: Stonehenge Soltice Festival and Oxford Summer Kirtan


June 22: Newcastle


June 23: Edinburgh


June 24: Newcastle


June 25: Blackpool and Preston


June 26: Southport and Liverpool


June 27: Newcastle


June 28: Paris Ratha-yatra


June 29–July 3: Paris harinamas with Janananda Goswami and Harinama Ruci


July 4: York harinama and Manchester kirtana with Madhava Prabhu




Harinama at Simhachalam
  








My favorite place to be on Nrsimha Caturdasi is Simhachalam, the farm with Prahlad-Nrsimha deities in Bavaria.




The Harinama Ruci world traveling party is so attached to doing harinama that during the Nrsimha Caturdasi festival at Simhachalam, they decided to do harinama there.




On the day before Nrsimha Caturdasi, they chanted in the Simhachalam barn.








The guys danced.








The ladies danced.
  








The party even chanted in the kitchen!

Here is a little video of it (https://youtu.be/AZeNCjsZWYE):












On Nrsimha Caturdasi the small Prahlad-Nrsimha, riding on palanquin, circumambulate their temple three times. 
  




The Harinama Ruci party led the chanting. 




It was a joyful experience (https://youtu.be/QBUwVKZFbJI):














At the end of the final parikrama,just before the feast, they have a fireworks show for the pleasure of the deities.




The day after Nrsimha Caturdasi, the harinama devoteeschanted through the main building.
  








Including the hallway.








And the shop.




The shop harinama must have continued at least fifteen minutes, and it became very lively as you can see from this video (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGerEnGdI0xKCbdHu2rPBR3Wb8lmaQqW8):








Thanks to Nadia-jivani Dasi for the picture of us chanting in the shop.




Kadamba Kanana Swami led a lively kirtana for those lingering on after the main festival (https://youtu.be/Cl_GWxk1puw):








Harinama in Passau
  








The Harinama Ruci world harinama party consisting of Vishnujana Prabhu of Slovakia, Gaura Karuna Prabhu of Czech Republic, Rasika Mangala Prabhu of Lithuania, Syamarasa Prabhu of Croatia, Harinamananda Prabhu of Australia, and their guest from South Africa, Savyasaci Prabhu, along with nine devotees from the Nrsimha festival, chanted for two hours in Passau on Monday, after the weekend festival. From the response of the residents, you could understand they do not see many Hare Krishnas chanting in their town. Still, a few people chanted the mantra with us, and a number of people were curious enough to take invitations. Devotees sold several books. 




This video gives you a taste of it (https://youtu.be/rj4pl67SHac):








We chanted in a couple shops.




In one, the proprietor really welcomed us (https://youtu.be/_m6KIZIIz8g):








In the drug store, they were not so appreciative (https://youtu.be/j0BQ5aZ4VNw):








One family was very much attracted by the chanting (https://youtu.be/TAcuw_yABZY):








Harinama in Munich




When I arrived in Munich, I was so happy to encounter my harinama partner from France, Gadadhara Priya Prabhu, who had been living there for three weeks. In Paris we would do Metroyoga on the metro, and in Munich we, along with my godbrother from Ukraine, Caitanya Candrodaya Prabhu, did a little U-bahn yoga on the way to and from our chanting site, Marienplatz. It worked well, and at least a couple people gave us donations on the U-bahn, although we made no endeavor to collect. I distributed a couple of books, one on the U-bahn, and could have done more had I been alert to offer one to everyone who gave a donation that day. One lady smilingly gave us three pints of fresh blueberries. She declined the offer of a book, saying she just liked the music. One young couple really enjoyed listening to us. The guy took a video of us, which he said he would send us, and the girl bought Perfection of Yoga for 2½ euros. We chanted to a group of handicapped people who were on a field trip, and many of them were especially happy to interact with us, appreciating our music and attention. One lady on the U-bahn told us we were not allowed to play music and wanted us to stop. We discontinued our chanting, and I announced that anyone who wanted to continue their U-bahn yoga session could join us in the next compartment of the train, where we continued after the next stop.




As usual, lots of children, of all ages, would smile, laugh, and dance upon seeing our chanting party.




It was a very positive experience, and I am very indebted to my two friends for coming out and chanting with me for almost two and a half hours before my flight.




Harinama in Newcastle




I told my friends I would be glad to do harinama for 30 to 60 minutes in downtown Newcastle when they picked me up from my 6½ hour bus ride from London. I was happily surprised when Bhakti Rasa Prabhu came to greet me with a mrdanga around his neck. It was so nice to be chanting on the streets instead of cooped up in a bus. The harinama really does give you energy. We were both happy to be chanting together again after almost a year. Bhakti Rasa Prabhu has a beautiful loud voice that does not need to be amplified, a lot of devotion, and the ability to understand the locals, being from that area himself, and thus he adds a lot to the harinama.




As I sang by myself the next day, my first full day back in Newcastle, a man asked, “Are you collecting for Hare Krishna?” I said yes and he gave me £10. I offered him a Gita,but he already had one. He majored in environmental studies in school and told me he had a theory that the religions that believe in reincarnation are more environmentally friendly. He spent the last 8 months living in a campground a two-hour walk from the city. You never know what kind of people you will meet on harinama. 




As I was packing up, a girl who was perhaps ten years old, was moving to my singing, as her friend of the same age watched. I started clapping as it usually inspires others to either clap or get more into dancing. The girl seemed to get more into it, so I gave her our invitation with the words to the song, and she sang it several times. I picked up my harmonium, saying “it is better with the harmonium,” and we continued singing. Turns out she and her friend were going in the same direction as I was for the next ten or fifteen minutes. They walked a bit ahead of me, but periodically they would stop, turn back and gesture to me and say the mantra. Krishna always arranges positive experiences for me on my first day back in Newcastle.




The day before the Birmingham 24-hour kirtana, as I was chanting down the hill past all the bike shops, one bike shop lady came out to greet me. She had not seenme since last year. Previously she bought Prema Sankirtana Prabhu’s old motor home and requested he throwin some meditation beads for good luck.
  








She told me she did not usually wear the beads but that very day she was inspired to put them on.




The last day I was in Newcastle before going to Sheffield, at one point we had six devotees chanting all together. People forget how nice chanting in public is if they do not go out regularly, and it made me happy to see the devotees having a positive experience of harinama. 


In Kali-yuga, Lord Caitanya makes love of Krishna very easily available. In that sense, it is like this week’s offer of 90% off: 


 








You can get the highest experience of love of Godhead (krishna-prema) simply by chanting the holy name of the Lord.


Madhuri Devi joined Caitanya-candrodaya andPrema Sankirtana Prabhus and I on harinama. 




Then later Veera and Priyanka joined us. It was Veera’s birthday, and I was happy to see Veera and her friend chose to go on harinama on her birthday. What a way to celebrate! What a way to purify one’s birth!
  








Here Veera happily plays mrdanga as Madhuri sings.











You can see a glimpse of how crowded Northumberland Street is.




Here is a video clip so you can see what it was like (https://youtu.be/3jHpNRgypsY):








Birmingham 24-Hour Kirtana




I went to the Birmingham Ratha-yatra, featuring Sacinandana Swami and Madhava Prabhu, for the fifth time. It is wonderful to be with so many people committed to chant the holy name for so long, and it was great to see my friends from all over the UK, Ireland, and France. Ali Krishna Devi, who I originally met at a Rainbow Gathering, who served at Krishna House for three years, and who has been living in Japan with her husband, Krishna Sharana Prabhu, surprised me by showing up in Birmingham, being based at Oxford for two months. Our movement is so international. This year ten devotees came from France.
  








Ananta Nitai and Prema Sankirtana Prabhus, who once did a 24-hour harinama in Dublin, were happy to see each other again.




I slept a couple hours at night, and woke up just a few minutes before mangala-arati, which was attended by about fifteen or twenty people. I tried to stay absorbed in the kirtana as much as possible. Talking with my many friends was the biggest challenge to my absorption in chanting this year. 




I figured out that by chanting japa while the leader is singing and counting the one mantra I sing in response, I can gradually complete sixteen rounds of japa by 9:00 a.m., while participating in the kirtana at the same time.
  








Guys danced.
  










 Ladies danced.








Newer people danced.






Even Nitai Charan Prabhu, the temple president, danced.


 




On the final day, toward the end, many devotees danced, including Sacinandana Swami, and you can see some of it in these video clips (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGerEnGdI0xKfvaIxsejtgUMVKcKbjrK5):








Harinama in Sunderland




After Birmingham 24-hour kirtana, I took the Megabus seven hours to Newcastle, and then I took the metro to Sunderland with Caitanya-candrodaya Prabhu, and we chanted kirtanafor most of the trip. Prema Sankirtana Prabhu later joined us in Sunderland. We chanted for three hours there, before going to the home of Ramai and Vrinda for more kirtana and prasadam. That was a long day for me!




Sheffield Harinama and Ratha-yatra




In addition to having their weekly Wednesday program with chanting, a talk, and spiritual food at the Broomhall Center, I was inspired to see the devotees have a new weekly program in Sheffield.
  






It at the Burngreave Ashram, a multifaith chapel and library near city center. 




 






Every Thursday, they have lunch at 12:30 p.m. followed by a chanting session scheduled from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., which in reality goes for two or more hours.


 






I saw at least two new people sing for the whole two hours, which really impressed me.







	





	

		
Travel Journal#11.8: Toronto, Ireland, Holland, Radhadesh, Luxembourg, Germany 
 → Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk
	


	
	

		




Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 11, No. 8
By Krishna-kripa das
(April 2015, part two)


Toronto, Ireland, Holland, Radhadesh, Luxembourg, Germany
(Sent from Manchester, England, on May 18, 2015)




Where I Went and What I Did




The last half of April, I went on harinama every single day. Early the morning of April 16, Ireturned from Sacred Sounds in New Jersey and caught two hours of sleep before flying to Dublin via Toronto, where I had a twelve-hour layover and visited the temple, caught up partly on my sleep, had a couple meals, went on harinama for two hours, and chanted the evening arati song for the Deities. In Dublin we did three hours of harinama the first day and had our nine-hour harinama the next day. Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday we chanted in Dublin at least three hours  a day. Next we went to Kilkenny, Bagenalstown, and Cork, before flying to Amsterdam to attend King’s Day. I chanted with Sivananda Sena Prabhu and wife, Moksa Laksmi Devi Dasi, in Rotterdam, along with other six devotees two days for two hours each day, and I spoke on harinama at the weekly Saturday night program there. On Sunday, the day before King’s Day, I chanted with Sivananda Sena Prabhu,  Moksa Laksmi Devi Dasi and two other devotees in Amsterdam, which was already very crowded. King’s Day was amazing with over 200 devotees chanting for eight hours. More people from the crowd were enthusiastic to participate than usual. The next day I went with Harinama Ruci, the world harinama party, and devotees from Germany to do harinama in Luxembourg for two hours, thus beginning our journey to the Simhacalam farm for the upcoming Nrsimha Caturdasi festival. Amazingly, two people we met in Luxembourg joined our party for two days. We stayed the night at Goloka Dhama and chanted with seven devotees from there in Kaiserslautern the next day. That night we stayed at our temple outside Heidelberg and chanted in Heidelberg the next day.




I share wisdom from Srila Prabhupada’s lectures, realizations about japa and harinama from Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami’s books and journal, and insights from Duryodhana Guru Prabhu in Ireland and Kadamba Kanana Swami in Radhadesh. I also share many interesting insights and realizations from newer devotees I was doing harinama with in Ireland and Germany.




Thanks to Eleanora, who kindly paid most of the cost of my bus from Kilkenny to Cork. Many, many thanks to Sivananda Sena Prabhu of Rotterdam for all the harinamas, and his donation of many euros, a new watch and a new suitcase with wheels. Thanks to Govinda Prabhu of the UK for donating the extra euros from his trip to Amsterdam. Thanks to Sadbhuja Prabhu, who allowed me to travel from Radhadesh to Simhachalam, in his traveling temple bus.




Thanks to Vishnujana Prabhu for the photos from our trip to Luxembourg and Germany with me in them and the closeup of the Goloka Dhama sandesh. Thanks to Simon P. whose picture of the Toronto temple I downloaded from Wikipedia. Thanks to the Students of His Grace Sriman Sankarshan Das Adhikari Worldwide, whose picture of the Toronto Hare Krishna deities, Sri Sri Radha Ksira-Chora Gopinatha I downloaded. Thanks to Krishna.com for the picture of the Radhadesh deities,  Sri Sri Radha Gopinatha.




Toronto








When I bought my round trip ticket from Dublin to New York last year, I was very happy to find out I had a layover of twelve hours in Toronto on the return. I had never chanted Hare Krishna in the streets of Toronto nor visited our temple there, which is in an old church building, and I was eager to do both. With the expert directions of Bhakta Nick, I made it to the temple by bus and subway in about an hour and a half. I took breakfast and a nap, and went on harinama. Apparently two devotees regularly go on harinama for 2½ hours each afternoon, but one was out of town and the other decided not go to out. Bhakta Nick had to do reception, and I was wondering if I would have to go out alone, when one Indian devotee, Vijay Krishna Prabhu eagerly agreed to come out. He was a great asset, playing the karatalas in time, singing on key, having a loud voice, and being agreeable to chant in public for two hours. While we chanted, we met a young devotee from Russia who joined us for the last forty-five minutes. A few people were happy to see us, and I passed out several invitations to the Toronto temple Sunday feast. 








On returning to the temple I took a shower and a nap, sang the evening arati song, and had dinner at the Govinda’s restaurant in the temple building, before returning to the airport by public transportation, thus completing a quick but fulfilling visit to Toronto. One devotee had made incredible oatmeal for breakfast in Toronto with dates, raisins, and nuts, and I took some for my breakfast in Dublin the next day. Thanks to Bhakti Marga Swami, who got me in touch with Bhakta Nick, and Bhakta Nick himself for spending a lot of time facilitating my visit. 




Dublin Nine-Hour Harinama








Ananta Nitai Prabhu said, “I usually just do five hours of harinama, so I was overwhelmed with the idea of doing nine hours. I decided I just had to surrender to it, and the time went by so fast.” Actually Ananta chanted over nine hours as he and Nimai did a harinama themselves in the morning to Temple Bar, where Gopi Gan and Karuneshvari sell samosas, to get some breakfast.




I was also surprised how fast the nine hours went by, especially considering the temperature was in the fifties (10–15° C), and it was very windy.




One Indian man from Dubai donated ten euros and took two books. I invited him to Govindas, and when I saw him the next day, he took pictures of us and told me he went to Govinda’s. His wife is very involved in ISKCON activities in Dubai and is impressed with Radhanath Swami.




One young boy took an interest in the chanting party, and one of the devotees gave him the karatalas, showing him how to play. He could not grasp the one-two-three, but he was often in time. Most amazing to me was that he stayed for quite a while for someone his age (https://youtu.be/jqKukztGa_8):










  As usual, some people danced with us.






 






  




Others took photos.








We went through the populated Temple Bar area, and a bunch of ladies from a hen party joined us.








We chanted outside a music store  called Gandharva Loka owned by a devotee. 






At 7:30 p.m. we relocated to the usual Saturday night harinama location. 


 


While we were there, a group of young people took part, taking pleasure in dancing with us. I praised the best of the dancers, and they stayed and danced even more (https://youtu.be/wWUtx8M97cE):








Harinamas in Kilkenny,  Bagenalstown, and Cork




Ananta Nitai, Nimai, and I planned to chant in Cork for two days, but we did not have any place to stay there, so we decided to stay with Eleanora, a retired school teacher who is enthusiastic about harinama and lives between Dublin and Cork, near the city of Kilkenny, after doing harinama in Kilkennythe first day. Then we planned to do harinama in Cork the second day. That way we could do harinama in two places.
  








Kilkenny has a castle, which was a popular site for tourists to visit, and by chanting there we could count on people regularly coming by. 




As is often the case, the people most interested in the harinama were little kids. The next most interested were school girls, who passed us while buying something from the shop. One group of them asked what we were doing.








That evening we chanted in front of the supermarket in Bagenalstown between 6 and 7 p.m., and we also encountered a steady stream of people going shopping after work. You could understand practically no one had ever seen the Hare Krishnas before. Most people either smiled or ignored us. One middle-aged lady inquired about what we were doing and gave us a euro. We had forgotten to bring the books to this second harinama, but I had a few pieces of literature in my computer bag in the car, so I got them out and gave her a King of Knowledge. She considered it was probably worth more than one euro and gave another one.




I was amazed that on three occasions that day passersby shouted complete gibberish at us as they walked or drove by. I guessed that is because they are unfamiliar with us. In Dublin, where people know us, they usually say “Hare Krishn

	


	





	

		
Travel Journal#11.7: North Florida and the Northeast U.S.A. 
 → Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk
	


	
	

		


Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 11, No. 7
By Krishna-kripa das
(April 2015, part one)


Jacksonville, Gainesville, Tallahassee, Washington, Albany, New York, New Brunswick
(Sent from Rotterdam, Holland, on April 26, 2015)




Where I Went and What I Did




April started off with two great harinama adventures, chanting at the Jacksonville Art Walk on April 1, and chanting at First Friday in Tallahassee on April 3. In between these, I chanted on the campus at University of North Florida in Jacksonville, and Iattended theirKrishna Club, along with twenty-four others. On April 4 was a meeting of Sadaputa Prabhu’s associates, the Alachua Holi Festival, and an evening program with Jayadvaita Swami. After a couple of days of chanting at Krishna Lunch, I flew to Washington, D.C., to chant with my friend and godbrother, Sankarsan Prabhu, on the mall by the Air and Space Museum there. Then I spent a day with my family in Albany. I ended up the first half of April by singing with Rama Raya Prabhu and his party at Union Square for three days, and attending the Sacred Sounds event at Rutgers University in New Jersey where the Mayapuris and Gaura Vani and Purushartha Prabhu played.




I share insights from Srila Prabhupada’s lectures, a beautiful quote by Lord Krishna from Brihad-bhagavatamrita,and notes on the journal of Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, a lecture by Jayadvaita Swami to mostly Indian students in Gainesville, and notes on lectures by Prabhupada disciples, Akuti Dasi, Brahmatirtha Prabhu, Garuda Prabhu, and Urmila Dasi, and notes on lectures and conversations of many more.




Thanks to Shivam for his very liberal donation and for coming on two harinamas in Washington, D.C. Thanks to Sankarsana Prabhu of Washington, D.C., for his hospitality, donation, and gift of karatalas. Thanks to my friend Victor for his donation, especially the Canadian currency for my trip there.




Thanks to Amrita Keli Devi Dasi for her picture of me at UNF, Vaisnava Prabhu for his picture of us at the Jacksonville Art Walk, Shafayat Rahman for his picture of us at First Friday, and Alexis Jones for her picture of us in Washington, D.C.




April Fools’ Day Test from Krishna




The first day of April I decided to chant on the campus of the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, my favorite school to chant at. The devotee who usually drives me to the bus had misplaced his key to his car, and I decided to take the city bus to the Greyhound station to catch the bus to Jacksonville, rather than inconvenience another devotee. Unfortunately, I was so tired, when I got off the city bus near the Greyhound station, I left my computer bag on the bus. I had to wait for the bus to go to the end of its route and come back, if I was going to retrieve my bag, but by then the only bus to Jacksonville that day would have left. All I could do was wait and hope for the best. Over half an hour later, I intercepted the same bus going in the opposite direction, and was overjoyed to be reunited with my computer bag. I then went to the Greyhound station ten minutes late and found to my great happiness the Jacksonville bus was fifteen minutes late, and I had not missed it. I chanted Hare Krishna throughout the whole time as I was in the process of completing my daily quota of chanting, and I realized that it would only be by Krishna’s mercy that I would regain my bag and make it to Jacksonville to chant at UNF for the last time this spring. On writing this up it occurred to me this was April Fool’s Day, and I wonder if that was Krishna’s April Fools trick on me.




Chanting at the Jacksonville Art Walk
  








The Jacksonville Art Walk, which occurs the first Wednesday of each month, is a great venue for chanting the Hare Krishna mantra in public and for distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books. Somehow we had missed every one this semester, but we were not going to miss this last one. Mother Caitanya of Krishna House brought a van load of about fifteen devotees from Krishna House, and we chanted and distributed books for over three hours.




 Mikey added to the kirtana by playing his saxophone.










The devotees joyfully danced in a circle.












You can get a feel for it from this video (https://youtu.be/9uEmwk7gCgk):












 Many, many people of all sorts joined us in the course of the evening.




























 One guy (on the right) danced with us for quite awhile.




You can see in this video how these guyswere happy to dance with us (https://youtu.be/mK9XbmzYHWQ):












 Amrita engaged some little girls in dancing in a circle.




One mother with three children under her care was happily watching the devotees sing and dance. She told me we were her favorite part of the Jacksonville Art Walk.




Many devotees distributed many books. 
 








This guy started reading his on the spot.
  








Laddus and lollipops were also distributed.




 I met one older man who happily remembered the Hare Krishnas from seeing the first Ratha-yatra in 1967 in San Francisco. I told him about our Ratha-yatra in Jacksonville Beach, scheduled for August 15, and gave him a contact number for more details. 






Chanting at the University of North Florida








The University of North Florida is always my favorite school to chant at because so many students who attend the Krishna Club are willing to chant with us on the green, at least for a few minutes when they have free time.
  






Here Amrita Keli Devi Dasi plays the drum and sings, with Gudu (on left) and Jeseka  and Braden (on the right).










 








Later Dorian (left) and RaeJeana (middle) joined us. Jeseka (right) wanted to learn a beat on the drum, and I taught her the only one I knew. She picked it up really fast.




Jeseka amazed me by staying with us for four hours as we chanted on the green, and then coming to the Krishna Club meeting for three hours. On the green she lent us her bicycle so we could get the drum we left in the car and got she allergy tablets from her dorm for the devotees who had issues with the pollen.








Later Kaki came by. She became so absorbed in reading Bhagavad-gita, she set the cookie we gave her on her knee until she finished reading.
  








She smiled when she realized we were taking her picture.








Sometimes students would stop and talk. We offered everyone one of Laura’s amazing cookies and invited them to our Krishna Club meetings. It was a beautiful to spend the afternoon with my friends from University of North Florida for the last time before my trip.




The evening meeting of the Krishna Club was awesome with many regulars and a few new people who had a great time, twenty-five people altogether.




First Friday in Tallahassee




After returning to Gainesville from Jacksonville on Friday, in the afternoon I drove nine devotees to Tallahassee for First Friday. Babhru and Dhameshvar Mahaprabhu reviewed Bhagavad-gita chapters 11 and 14, the second chapter of the Bhagavatam, and all of Queen Kunti’s prayers with me, so I would not fall asleep while driving.




Most of the devotees were interested in doing book distribution, with just three of us spending the 2½ hours singing kirtana.  




I felt very indebted to Autumn and Kristina, who were very committed to the nama-sankirtana. One young man, Rahman, kindly send me photos he took of us.




Mikey said he distributed more books in Jacksonville but had nicer conversations with more interested people in Tallahassee.




The Holi Festival in Alachua




I went to the Holi festival in Alachua to see my friends from Alachua and my friends involved in the college outreach in Jacksonville and Tampa, who had traveled about two hours to take part. I was hoping I could avoid getting entangled in paying the fee and in getting covered with dye, but it was not to be. Fortunately I brought some useless clothes, just in case, and it is always auspicious to donate to the temple, so that was not a problem.




I was amazed the Holi event attracted several college students in Jacksonville and Tampa to come so far. Indeed a student who had come to Krishna Club for the first time in Jacksonville just two days before ended up in coming to Holi and also some very new participants in the USF Bhakti Yoga Society also came. I hope they increased in attachment for the association of devotees and the kirtana, and the sacred temple in Alachua as a result, and that they are motivated to come to some of the more devotional festivals in Alachua in the future.




Dhameshvar Mahaprabhu invited some friends from his work at the Alachua County Crisis Center to come, and he chanted a round of japa with them and showed them the temple room.




Harinama in Washington, D.C.




After Sankarsan Prabhu, the disciple of Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, from Potomac, had invited me several times to sing with him, for the first time I decided to stop by. I  was on my way from Florida to New York City to fly to Europe for the summer.








Sankarsan Prabhu, in addition to chanting in Washington, D.C., at the mall near the Air and Space Museum regularly, doespujari work and cooking for the Potomac temple.








He makes the mangala-aratisweets with the ahimsamilk they get from Gitanagari Farm, and they were really good. 




The first day, Jahnava Devi Dasi, Sankarsana Prabhu’s wife, took this video. In it one boy is attracted to film our chanting, but his friends object. He does not let them push him around (https://youtu.be/YXkUS5MGNEE):












You can see Sankarsana’s harinama set up.








He is in a great location, with lots of tourists visiting the national museums passing by.








The next day I chanted with Shivam, who I knew from when he lived in Tallahassee. He would sing with me at First Friday there. Guru Das, the disciple of Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami,who posts his blog every day on the internet, joined us. 




Several people, mostly school children, danced to our kirtana, 










These includeda group from Ohio.




 






Besides dancing, some would read the mantra from the pamphlet and try to sing along.






 Alexis, an Afro-American girl from Indiana who got into the dancing, sent me the above pictures of us singing.
  






She smiles, seeing us photographing them.




Sankarsan Prabhu has a great location between the Washington Monument and the Capitol on the Mall, near the Air and Space Museum. He has a powerful sound system with a generator, a mixer, three microphones, and three speakers. He is short of people to help him. Only his wife, and a couple devotees who distribute pamphlets and talk to people, regularly assist him.




A Day in Albany




Shivam’s wife made some cookies for me to distribute at my mother’s Quaker meeting, and Sankarsana Prabhu’s wife made lunch the previous day which I ate for breakfast, so I had less cooking to worry about on the way to Albany. I also picked up some doughnuts for my relatives at the Doughnut Plant in New York City, which fortunately was just a few blocks from where the Megabus from Washington dropped me off the night before.




At the Quaker meeting I spoke about how we are so conditioned, both individually and collectively, that only by the power of God’s mercy can we progress and thus it is essential that we perform devotional activities to advance in life. I mentioned the bus driver who realized that only by a higher power could he give up smoking. At least a couple of people liked it.




I offered the fruit my mother brought to Krishna and distributed the cookies after the meeting.




Later I cooked dal, spinach and panir, and capatis for dinner, with the help of my mother, my sister, and Victor. I played Madhava kirtanas the whole time. They were mellow enough that no one complained. Victor had a friend visiting named Eric, who at age seventy was retiring from teaching Buddhist seminars. Eric is very respectful of other traditions, having been involved in them and having friends involved in them. He liked the prasadam very much. It was nice to distribute prasadam to others in addition to my family members. 




Chanting at Union Square








It was striking to see how well Rama Raya Prabhu’s harinama party is established with a solid team of devotees, especially in contrast to the small party I had just experienced in Washington, D.C. Rama Raya is very happy to have Ananta Gauranga Prabhu and his brother Kishor Prabhu, who are great musicians, and who are very steady and devotional. There were some new people since I was last there who were also contributing.
  








One day a whole group of people danced with us.
  




You can see they were really into it.
  




And they were very happy about it.




You can see in this video their enthusiasm (https://youtu.be/-6ORAVWzDqA):








Typically there is a lot of participation at Union Square. In this short video, one guy dances, a young lady plays the shakers, and another guy smiles and claps (https://youtu.be/Bue6pzwD9ms):












Here two ladies play the shakers. Jiji, in front, who works in marketing, took some time off work to relax with the devotees. She started coming back in the fall during my last visit. 
 








As usual, kids are fascinated with the kirtana.


 








A guy dances with a devotee.








Two devotees dance.








The Harinam Ashram has a business to help support themselves, Krishna‘sBakery, and Johnlet me sample one of theirnew products.




It was great to connect with that vibrant harnama team dedicated to six hours of chanting in Union Square every day, and I look forward to rejoining them in September.




Sacred Sounds




I like kirtana programs and also sharing Krishna with college-aged people, and so I was attracted to attend the Sacred Sounds event at Rutgers, the University of New Jersey, at New Brunswick, an event the student bhakti-yoga club puts on once each semester. 




The Mayapuris were there with Gaura Vani and Purusharta Prabhu as well. They played a nice reggae Hare Krishna tune, and a creative love song to Krishna based on the idea that He is the “1” before our string of 0s that gives our lifevalue.




I made encouraging comments to some of the students, appreciating their participation, and I danced to all the music. You could see that there were some students there who were having a positive experience with Krishna kirtana for the very first time. There were a few hundred students attending.




Unfortunately, I could not stay to the end as I had a flight out of LaGuardia at 7:30 a.m. the next morning, and it took me almost three hours to get back to Brooklyn.




To see photos I took but did not include in this journal, please click on the link below:





Insights


Srila Prabhupada:




From a lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam1.7.28–29 in Vrndavana on September 25, 1976: 




Nothing is bad when it is utilized for Krishna. Nothing is good if it is used for your sense gratification.




From a lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.54 in Vrindavan on April 9, 1976:




If you do not understand what is spirit, then where is the question of spiritual life or advancement?




There are those who are sreyas-kama [desirous of ultimate benefit] and those who are  preyasa-kama [desirous of immediate sense gratification]. This Krishna consciousness movement is meant for those who are sreyas-kama.




The yogis control the breathing. In this way they extend their life. Just like if you can control your spending, you can extend your vacation.




Without becoming dhira [sense controlled] one cannot make advancement in spiritual life.




Lord Krishna:




From Brihad-Bhagavatamrita:




“. . . a person who can remind one of a beloved not present is considered the most sincere and helpful friend. Please understand: When somehow made mindful of those one loves, one is given back one’s life. Forgetting those more dear than one’s own breath is more painful than dying. Those dear as life one can never forget but when reminded of them in a special way one feels happy like one who has lived a life of good fortune.”




Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:







“In the beginning at 26 Second Avenue 
no one danced during the kirtanas.
Then one night a young man 
named Bob Lefkowitz stood 
up to dance. His pants were low 
on his hips, and I thought
 he danced in an egotistical 
and erotic way. I didn’t like it, 
but Swamiji looked at him 
approvingly and smiled. Soon after that, Swamiji 
taught us the ‘swami step,’
a sedate movement where 
you held your arms in the 
air and took small steps. 
We all began doing it in the
 temple. Over the years, the 
dancing grew more vigorous and even rowdy. Almost 
without exception, Prabhupada approved. 
He just wanted to see the devotees’ enthusiasm.”







“Prabhupada gave great emphasis
on chanting the maha-mantra.
In the Bhagavad-gita,in the beginning
of the eighth chapter where
Arjuna asks Krishna how
to think of Him at the time
of death, Prabhupada repeatedly writes
out all the words of the Hare Krishna mantra.
Prabhupada writes that of all
the instructions of the spiritual master,
the chanting of sixteen rounds is essential.
But ultimately he says that
congregational chanting is more important
because the conditioned souls
get a chance to hear. That
is why the harinamaparty is so vital.”




“I finished reading the first volume
of Yamuna-devi’s biography/memoir.
It was a wonderful, inspired read.
Compared to her, I feel unsurrendered
and insignificant. She was definitely
a pure devotee, one hundred percent
dedicated to pleasing Prabhupada and
very beloved and intimate to
him. Because of her generous, humble
qualities I feel no envy in
reading of her greatness as a Vaisnava.”







“I’m grateful to say
the problem of inattention
while chanting is mainly a
thing of the past. In my
concentratedbhajanafrom midnight
to 3:00 A.M. I am able to hear
the Names clearly and attentively. Some minor distractions and
digressions come and go but
nothing serious. I have not
been able to sustain prayer from
the heart, but at least I
follow Prabhupada’s order to
“Just hear;” I listen to
the transcendental sound vibration
with awareness that this
is a significant achievement.
I am at the namabhasastage
of chanting where the first
ray of dawn penetrates the night.
I have a far distance to go
to reach suddha-nama,where
the Lord’s form, qualities, and pastimes
are revealed to the chanter
and bodily transformations take
place. I may not attain that stage
in this lifetime.
I take shelter in the holy names.”




“They are
like ordinary folks,
but they are chanting
Hare Krishna, and this makes them
extraordinary. Just as
Krishna could not be
appreciated by themudhaswhen He
descended to this world
in His humanlike
form, His devotees
are ignored and met
with indifference when
they sing in the streets.
But the potency of
the mantra still works
and the mudhasare
blessed by the sankirtana yajna.”




Jayadvaita Swami:




We become enlightened by hearing, even in ordinary knowledge. 




Srinvatammeans those who are eager to hear.




In order to hear, someone has to be chanting, so hearing and chanting go together.




This body is temporary yet I am thinking that through the senses of the body, I will get some fulfillment. That is illusion.




We have so many illusions about ourselves, and we are thinking through these illusions we will become happy.




Krishna is the friend of everyone, but if we approach Him, He will approach us.




When we hear about Krishna, Krishna from within purifies the heart.




The name of Krishna and the message of Krishna is not different from Him.




The man be the CEO of Apple, but if you like his dog, he will be pleased with you. Similarly God is pleased if you appreciate His servant.




We can read Bhagavad-gita every day, one or two pages.




The result of passion is suffering, but the result of goodness is knowledge, happiness and satisfaction.




You can read how to do heart surgery from a book. This is jnana, knowledge. Vijnana is realized knowledge. This is like if you are trained by an experienced surgeon, and you have assimilated it so you can become a licensed heart surgeon yourself.




One of my godsisters was receiving some solicitation. There was a older woman in a bathing suit, enjoying life, and saying, “My goal is to live forever, and so far I am doing very well.” That is like someone who has fallen 25 stories from a 50-story building saying, “So far, so good.”




Even the animals meet Mr. Right, have lots of kids, and die. 




Q: You renounced everything at the age of 29. How were you convinced you could do it for life at such a young age?


A: Well, renunciation does not mean giving up everything. It means dedicating everything to Krishna, and I had been doing that for 10 years. So I was just continuing what I was doing before. After all, you decide to go to graduate school after only four years of experience with college, and I had ten years of experience of renunciation. 




Goodness is compatible with bhakti, while ignorance is incompatible with bhakti.




By performing bhakti, you advance to goodness without having a separate program.




We say there is no difference between Krishna and His name, so we can understand that theoretically, and we can even tell others. By chanting Hare Krishna, one can experience Krishna’s presence in His name, and then it becomes vijnana or realized knowledge.




The vibration comes from the spiritual platform and when we hear the chanting we come to the spiritual platform.




In the 1970, we were publishing Back to Godhead, with a company representative, Paul Blair, from a local printing company. Because of working on our account, he associated with the devotees, who gave him some chanting beads. One day he said, “When things get really rough at the office, I just close the door, get out my beads, and chant Hare Krishna.” So he had gottensome realization about the chanting.




When you think in terms of eternity, the things that are disturbing your mind are truly insignificant. Because the chanting of Hare Krishna brings us to the plane of eternality, we become free from anxiety.




We are eternal, full of bliss and knowledge, yet we are suffering in this world. Why? Because we are subjected to maya. But Krishna is not suffering under the control of maya. He is the controller of maya. Therefore we and Krishna are not one.




If there is only one consciousness, then why is Arjuna in ignorance and Krishna in knowledge?




The smoke is part of the fire, but it is the part of the fire that obscures the fire. Similarly maya is the manifestation of Krishna that obscures Krishna.




If you are saying you are one with God, but that you do not realize you are one with God, then how are you one with God? God is never lacking realization.




Joke: Arjuna merges with Krishna in the 19thchapter of Bhagavad-gita.




If everything were one there would not be the different interpretations of theoretical physicists.




Some people, when asked when they will become Krishna conscious, say, “when God desires.” They do not know that God already desired that in Bhagavad-gita. When asked when you are going to get your degree, you do not say, “when God desires.”  




Akuti Dasi:




When we go away, we tell our best friends to keep in touch. But when we left Krishna, we did not want to keep in touch. We thought, “I am out of here.” But Krishna wants to keep us in touch, thus He sends His representative and expands Himself into everyone’s heart. He is waiting for many, many births for us to turn to Him. We must take advantage and keep in touch through the holy name.




Because we think we know how to do everything ourselves, it is hard to take shelter of the Lord. That is our false ego.




After acting as if independent for years, in the beginning, it is hard to act according to Krishna’s direction.




Srila Prabhupada said, “I came here to teach you what you forgot. Everyone is a devotee of Krishna.” He pointed to everyone. “But these people,” he pointed to his disciples, “admit it.”




The holy name works for everyone. I see this in my travels.




Bhaktivinoda Thakura says if you give the holy name you get a commission.




When you have not seen people for a long time, it takes time to revive the relationship. And so it is with our relationship with Krishna.




Each person has a different task Krishna wants him to perform.




We may feel bad we missed the pioneer days of this movement, but the pioneer days are still here.




There is a saying: “You can go fast by yourself, but you can go far together.”




Brahmatirtha Prabhu:




Three keynote speakers at a conference attended by 3600 psychotherapists agreed, “We are mental health professionals, but we do not know what the mind actually is. We do understand, however, that the mind is not limited to just the brain.”




Garuda Prabhu:




I was the first devotee that went to back college to get a degree in the religion field.




What is Krishna consciousness?


Ideas from the audience:


Selfless service to God.


Pure enjoyment.


Learning how to love to God.


A process by which we can act as our true selves.


A loving dynamic relationship with God.


Awakening our natural relationship with God.




[Comment by Syamala Kishori Devi Dasi: Niranjana Swami said, “We have a Krishna-shaped hole in our heart that only Krishna can fill.”]




We seek self-realization because Krishna is calling us because He loves us. We tend to neglect this important point. That Krishna desires us is the greatest secret of yoga.




Verse 18.64 is most emphatic, saying “you are desired by me.” This is the essence of Krishna consciousness.




The maha-mantra is a unique mantra as (1) it is composed of proper names and(2) it is all in the vocative. “In the vocative” means that we are desiring to get Krishna’s attention. Krishna is responding to our calling.




We have a vision of divinity calling us and waiting for eternity for us to respond.




Krishna does not manipulate. There is no manipulation in love.




God is the source of unconditional love. We cannot love people unconditionally unless we participate in His unconditional love.




The virat-rupa (the universal form) and the paramatma (God within the heart) are ways in which Krishna is already embracing us.




Krishna is gradually elevating Arjuna to the highest form of yoga.




To aid other persons in bhaktiyou must understand their present situation and be sensitive to their needs.




Vishnu-smaranam(remembrance of Vishnu) is our definition of samadhi. 




Aparadha means literally “opposing devotion.” If I discourage someone in their devotion or I move someone away from Krishna that is aparadha.




It is better to ask, “how can I make it up to you?” than to ask, “will you forgive me?” “Will you forgive me” means it is still about me.




There can be no love if there is no knowledge of or awareness of the feelings of others.




Meditation means nothing exists except you and the divinity.




We are in effect having Krishna and the gopikas[His cowherd girlfriends] dancing around our heart in the mala [the garland of chanting beads].




Urmila Devi:




For us to be happy with Krishna and with the gifts He has given us is very pleasing to Krishna.


  
Hari Parayana Prabhu:




I was impressed with the similarities between Srila Prabhupada’s commentary and that of Sridhara Swami, the original commentator on the Bhagavatam, and I began noting them down. I stopped when I realized they were toonumerous to enumerate.




Sankarsana Prabhu [from Potomac]:




remembrances of Yamuna Devi:




I helped her cook once. She would play the same Prabhupada lecture over and over while she cooked. She said assimilated them best that way. She was very meticulous. I slightly burned some things I was preparing for her, and she said they could not be used, and I should make more. She made very dainty samosas. That meal she prepared was the best prasadam I have ever tasted.




Later she asked me to tell her about myself. She said that it was important to get to know the devotees you serve with.




Giri Govardhan Prabhu [from Potomac]:




Krishna is always enjoying with his internal energy while Shiva, whose consort is the material nature personified, is completely renounced.




We engage in material activities because we are not self-satisfied.




The senses become used to certain stimuli, so you have to do something different to keep feeling that things are new and exciting.




In material life if someone else enjoys we do not benefit.




That Krishna is the enjoyer and everyone else contributes to his enjoyment does not seem a good deal for us according to material calculation.




The Krishna is the Supreme Enjoyer does not mean He is the only enjoyer or the biggest enjoyer, but He is the best enjoyer because He enjoys wonderfully and shares His enjoyment with others.




Lord Shiva’s best devotees become devotees of Lord Vishnu according to Brihad-bhagavatamrita.




It is not that Krishna is stingy as the Supreme Enjoyer, not giving material opulence, but rather he wants give spiritual opulences.




In the form of Lord Caitanya, He is chasing after us and sending His devotees to chase after us, while as Krishna, He is asking us to surrender.




Those people that Krishna says remain in demoniac species birth after birth are saved by Him as Lord Caitanya and by His devotees.




In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus Christ says one cannot leave hell until he has paid the last farthing, not that there is eternal damnation, but rather the law of karma.




Tulasirani Devi Dasi:




from a Facebook post to my timeline:




“So my mom was just in town, and all of a sudden I heard her in the kitchen saying ‘Gauranga’ over and over again. So I came and asked her what she was doing, and she said, ‘Your magnet says, “call out Gauranga be happy.”’ So I asked if she was happy and she said YES…… Thanks for the magnet! Just see the potency of your desire to spread the holy names; you may have left Gainesville, but still you are getting people to engage in chanting the holy names here. 🙂 GAAAUUUUUUURAAANGAAAAAAAAAAAAA”




Bhimakarma Prabhu [in Brooklyn]:




The words of a pure devotee come from the spiritual platform and therefore have a powerful spiritual effect on our consciousness. 




Amrita Keli Devi Dasi:




Spiritual life is not about believing but experiencing. If you have an experience of something, no one can convince you that you have not.






At age fourteen I had Krishna Lunch at University of Florida for the first time on Spaghetti Wednesday. After I ate it, I thought, “What is the food? Who are those people?” I kept trying to find something that tasted that good, in my high school cafeteria, in Indian restaurants, in Thai restaurants. Nothing was quite as good as prasadam.




Krishna is so wonderful. He says you can just offer Him a leaf. There are leaves everywhere.




I would offer food to Krishna on an altar in my room at college. Sometimes my roommates would knock on my door. I would say, “Just a minute.” And I would hide all my paraphernalia for worship. I felt like was kid trying to not to get caught smoking pot.




Ice breaker: How old do you feel?




Youssef: I feel old at times and young at times.




Matt: I never feel older or young just the same.


Laura: I have a childlike perspective but a lot of wisdom I have accumulated.




Alice: I am very young and very old, and that never leaves you.




Mallory: I feel old like one hundred. I feel I was around in the sixties and the seventies, and it didn’t work out so I am back.




Amrita: When I am thinking about my future, I feel my age, but when I do our Krishna Club activities I feel young.




Michaelangelo: I felt ten years younger or twenty years older, never my age.




Dorian: I feel old in the morning, then 8 years old, and then old at night.





	





	

		
Travel Journal#11.6: Two Florida Ratha-yatras and More 
 → Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk
	


	
	

		


Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 11, No. 6
By Krishna-kripa das
(March 2015, part two)


Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Gainesville, and Alachua
(Sent from Brooklyn, New York, on April 15, 2015)




Where I Where and What I Did




I spent the third week of March at Krishna House chanting at Krishna Lunch every day. We had the first of many Florida Ratha-yatra in Saint Augustine on March 21, and my friends at Krishna House were really blissed out for at least two days after it was so wonderful. The final week of March I spent going to Tampa and Tallahassee to chant and promote our programs there. I participated in the Tallahassee Ratha-yatra on March 28.




I have insights from Srila Prabhupada’s books and lectures, from Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s Navadvipa Dhama Mahatmya, from a book by Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, from Batu Gopala Prabhu, a wonderful Prabhupada disciple visiting from Hillsborough, North Carolina, and from the devotees at Gainesville’s Krishna House.




I would like to thank Sankarsan Lila Prabhu and his wife Sanatani Radha dd of Gainesville for their wonderful South Indian meal and donation. Thanks to Victoria O’Hara for her video clip of me chanting at Florida State University. Thanks to Yamaraj Prabhu for his picture of Tallahassee Ratha-yatra, and Dhira Das, Sudevi Dasi, Vaisnava, and Marlon for their pictures of Saint Augustine Ratha-yatra. Thanks to Syamala Kishori Devi Dasi for the Farmers Market picture. Thanks to Raju for his pictures of the USF program in Tampa.
 




Itinerary




April 13–15: New York City 


April 16: Toronto 


April 17–23: Ireland (Dublin and Cork)


April 24–26: Rotterdam 


April 27: Amsterdam (King’s Day)


April 28: Radhadesh, Belgium


April 29: Germany 


April 30–May 3: Simhachalam, Bavaria, Germany (Nrisimha Festival)


May 5: London


May 6–8: Newcastle


May 9–10: Birmingham 24-hour kirtana


May 10–12: Newcastle


May 13: Sheffield
May 14–24: Sheffield and Manchester areas promoting their Ratha-yatras


May 25: London


May 28: Preston?


May 31: Leeds




Saint Augustine Ratha-yatra








Devotees from Alachua, Gainesville, Jacksonville, Orlando, and even Tampa, joined together to participate in the Ratha-yatra in Saint Augustine on March 21. 




I traveled with the Krishna House devotees.  










When we stopped for a bathroom break, Satyahit Prabhu, a disciple of Srila Prabhupada, started singing and playing djembe, as we waited for everyone to return to our vehicles.








Several devotees danced in the parking lot of the gas station.




It was so warm sweaters were not necessary, and as it was cloudy, it was also not too hot  during the parade itself and sunscreen was also not required. 




Chelsea of Krishna House swept the road at one point.


 




Several people were so attracted by the chanting, dancing, and procession that they followed us and took pictures. 







Karly of Krishna House leaped out of joy in the kirtana for Lord Jagannath. 






I also danced a lot.






In addition to the Ratha-yatra, which follows a largely unpopulated route for much of the time, we do a one-hour harinama (chanting procession) up and down the very busy St. George Street. 




Many people danced with us, some even reading the mantra on our sign and chanting along. 




Here is a video clip in which two new guys, one in red and the other in lime green, took pleasure in singing and dancing with the devotees: (https://youtu.be/s-yBwrcl6zQ):












Tulasirani Devi Dasi encouraged one lady in dancing with us.




Over a case of Krishna: Reservoir of Pleasures were distributed and other books as well. 


 






Mikey Prabhu from Krishna House was one of the distributors.




Many local people love the festival, one saying she has come for five years.




While I was telling one young resident of Saint Augustine and her friends about the history of the festival, she gazedat the devotees andinterjected, “There is Tulasirani!” I was surprised. “How do you know Tulasirani?” I asked. She explained she was from Columbus, Ohio, and encountered the devotees there, including Tulasirani. “They taught me about yoga and it changed my life.” 


 






Later she (right) and her friend (center) took prasadam with Tulasirani (center). They exchanged phone numbers, and she promised to meet Tulasirani the next time she came to Gainesville.




Chanting at Krishna Lunch in Gainesville








In the winter, my main engagement is to chant during Krishna Lunch at the University of Florida in Gainesville for 2½ hours while the devotees serve vegetarian food offered to Krishna to from 800 to 1200 college students.





Danielle Veenstra, a student photographer, came by one day and took some nice photos which she sent me.










 Purushartha Prabhu, a Prabhupada disciple, who played the bass and drums before meeting the devotees and now also plays the harmonium and mrrdanga, sings at Krishna Lunch once or twice a week when he is not traveling playing bass for Gaura Vani and his band called “The Hanumen.” One particular day his chanting was especially sweet. Here is some video: (https://youtu.be/rl-VssH9qEY):








Syamala Kishori Devi Dasi, disciple of Indradyuma Swami, played the role of arranging educational programs and field trips for the devotees at the Krishna House. She is a talented singer and musician. In this video, she sings and plays harmonium, and her father, Batu Gopala Prabhu, disciple of Srila Prabhupada, plays the mrdanga (https://youtu.be/5-QjWUAKJBM):












Hari Priya, daughter of Yadubara and Visakha Prabhus, is another one of the beautiful chanters at Krishna Lunch.




During the rainy days we serve Krishna Lunch by the library. The drawback of that is we cannot play the karatalas (cymbals) as the library workers will complain to the police and we will get in trouble. On the other hand, we are closer to those who are serving the lunch, and they can take part in the chanting as you can see in the video below. Dhameshvar Prabhu, who is leading here, is the most reliable of all the Krishna Lunch chanters, coming out everyday for the whole time (https://youtu.be/QQMvGxf5Ckg):










Krishna Lunch on Sunday




Hanan Prabhu asked me to teach his Sunday Krishna Lunch participants a dance step, and just see how they responded! (https://youtu.be/5syEsdwVXz0)


 






Thanks to Tsurit who took the video using Syamala Kishori’s camera.


Chanting at the Farmers Market         






Every week a few of us chant at the Farmers Market in Gainesville for a couple of hours. 
Chanting at the University of South Florida








I chanted almost three hours, sometimes with Raju, our Bhakti Yoga Club president, and we passed out flyers to students who showed some interest in us. A few people we distributed flyers to seemed happy to get them, and two people came come to our meeting as a result. Still we had many new people because one guy named Carlos, who had come before, invited a friend of his named John, and John invited a girl named Madison. Chris also learned of the program from John, and he brought Abigail and Taylor. So even though Carlos himself did not come, he was instrumental in at least five people coming! 




That whole group of people all experimented with both japa and kirtana, and were very happy to encounter them. Several of them said they would be back and Chris and Abigail (sitting in front) purchased beads to chant on. The next week two carloads of students from Tampa came to Alachua for the Holi festival, including Chris and Abigail, who was wearing her chanting beads around her wrist. 




The day after our club meeting I chanted on the campus in front of the library for about three hours. I mentioned to one girl who came by as I was chanting in front of the University of South Florida Library that our club did yoga and meditation, and that we talked about Bhagavad-gita, a well known text which summarizes India’s revealed wisdom and is the ultimate book on yoga and meditation. She sat down near my book display to look at the books, and she asked me what meditation was all about. I explained we did mantra meditation or meditation on spiritual sound, and I showed her the verse in the Gita [6.26] that explains how in meditation one must bring the mind back under the control of the self, from wherever it wanders. I taught her the mantra, and she tried singing the response, but to learn both the words and the tune were too much for her. I mentioned we also chanted the mantra softly on beads, and I pulled out my beads and demonstrated. She listened as I chanted, and then she chanted herself and liked it. I told her she could get some beads of her own at next Thursday’s club meeting. In the midst of my meditation lesson, I talked to a couple about Bhagavad-gita, and the guy ended up buying it and a small book as well. Then at the end of the meditation lesson the girl I taught decided to buy a Bhagavad-gita too!




Tallahassee Ratha-yatra








Tallahassee Ratha-yatra is our participation in the Springtime Tallahassee parade viewed by many thousands of people. 




 We were limited to 30 devotees in our procession, many youthful devotees from Alachua and Gainesville. Bhadra Prabhu encouraged us to march and dance in a more choreographed way than in your average Ratha-yatra. 


 


Visvambhara, Dhanya, and Bali of the Mayapuris were among the singers. 




 Anupayini organized the dancers. Afterwards we had prasadam at our temple in Tallahassee with the congregational devotees and sang some kirtana and told some pastimes about Lord Ramacandra as it was His appearance day. Thanks to Damodar Das for the great photos.




Chanting at Florida State University in Tallahassee




One middle-aged lady came up to me, surprised to see someone playing a harmonium, and asked if she could take a picture. I replied, “Yes, if you send it to me.” Turns out she is Victoria O’Hara, a music teacher at Blessed Sacrament Catholic School in Seminole, Florida, and she plays the piano and the guitar herself. 
You can see her brief video clip (http://youtu.be/AgaPlOmZzkg):












Zeta Beta Tau fraternity had a giant ball they were trying to get signatures on. The idea was that a business would donate a certain amount to Childen’s Miracle Network for each signature on the ball.






 I decided to sign it so people would see the name “Krishna” and become purified.




Kim, a young lady who loves the Florida State University Krishna Lunch, would come by my book table every day that I was at the campus behind the library in January, February, and March, and take a free vegan oatmeal cookie. On my last visit for the year, I invited her to our club meeting. She came, and I taught her how to chant japa. The next day she told me she tried. It was hard because there was too much noise around. I encouraged her to continue.




One day a young lady came up to me with five dollars in her hand, saying she wanted the Gita. She had meant to get it on one of my previous visits but had not. The same day two Indian students came by. One recognized Srila Prabhupada from the picture on the back of the books. He knew Hare Krishna from visiting the Miami temple, and he also bought a Bhagavad-gita. He was studying at University of South Florida in Tampa but was visiting his friend at FSU. I gave him an invitation to our Tampa club, and I told them both about Krishna Lunch at FSU, and they went that very day and liked it.


I always meet nice students on the Florida campuses, and I enjoy giving them the chance to experience Krishna sound, Krishna wisdom, and Krishna food.




To see photos I took but did not include in this blog, click on the link below:





Insights




Srila Prabhupada:




from a lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.33:




As merely washing the clothes of a hungry man will not satisfy him nor will polishing the cage of a hungry bird satisfy him, satisfying the needs of the body will not satisfy the soul.




We need to give comfort to the soul.




To advance in life and to reduce our miserable condition of life is [real] science.




Even in the bird society, there are difference between the crow class and swan class. Similarly in human society there is a difference betwwen the crow class of men and the swan class of men. By Krishna consciousness we can transform the crow class man to the swan class man, just as an uncultured man can be trained to become cultured.




It does not matter how fallen a man is, if he follows our instructions he can be reformed.




When we understand we are part and parcel of God, that is brahma-bhuta [spiritual] stage.




War, pestilence, etc., can kill so many people. Krishna does not have to come here to kill the demoniac. He comes when He is requested by His devotees.




When the scientists are in danger they pray to God, but when they are not in danger, they defy God.




Artificially we are trying to banish God.




From a lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam1.2.24:




We are conditioned at every step. The animals cannot live in the town, and we cannot live in the jungle. 




If you are in put in prison, you cannot improve your condition. You are given a certain cell.




In grhastha life one lives with wife and family but desires to improve spiritually.




It is all individual. I have to surrender to Krishna individually. Just like one has to fly his own plane. No one can help him. Not that when my husband will do I will do or when my wife will do I will do. And no one can check our individual surrender to Krishna.




Bhaktivinoda Thakura:




from SriNavadvipa Dhama Mahatmya, Parikrama-khanda, Chapter Six: Sri Ganga-nagara, Prthu-kunda, Simantadvipa, Saradanga, Visrama-sthana:




“Therefore, Lord Gauranga’s pastimes are considered the highest. Gauranga’s abode, name, form, and qualities do not consider offense; rather, they expertly deliver one from any offense. If the devotee has some offense in his heart then Krishna’s name and abode will deliver him only after a long time. But Gauranga’s name and abode immediately bestow premaon the devotee, for offenses create no obstacle and are easily overcome.”




Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:




from Day by Day: A Record of a Seven Day Japa Vrata:




“ . . . whatever we gain here, when we can recall it later, we’ll see that it wasn’t some evanescent short period in which we imagined something, but that we were touching the most indestructible entity, Krishna Himself, the holy name, and our chanting link with Him.”




Batu Gopal Prabhu:




Krishna sees things in a different way than we.




It is as important as bathing to bathe ourselves in optimistic thoughts about Krishna consciousness. Optimism fuels your enthusiasm.




Q: How do we see Krishna when we are busy doing things that have no direct relationship with Krishna?


A: The more you become Krishna consciousness the more you see Krishna everywhere. The first and foremost thing is to give up the fruits of work. Everyone who is working can give something to Krishna.




Krishna thinks about each living creature, “Even though he is in a state of rebellion, let him at least have something to eat.”




Of every dollar we earn, we should give so many cents to Krishna. You will be surprised how such a small discipline provides so many rewards, and I do not mean material rewards, I mean the revelation of Krishna in different circumstances.




Krishna accepts all the people who come with material motives and gives them more than they deserve. He says the person in knowledge is the best, but He accepts them all.




Q: How to practice Krishna consciousness our whole life?


A: You will not be able to escape. Lord Caitanya is spreading a net to capture everyone, and He will not let you escape. Krishna is not like us. He is wonderful. Our imagination cannot approach the mercy of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Everyone who has taken prasadam or heard the holy name in any city is on their way to joining this sankirtana mission.




Q: In my travels sometimes people ask how they can inspire their children to become Krishna conscious. Your daughter who is here (Syamala Kishori) is very enthusiastic about Krishna consciousness. How were you successful in inspiring her?


A: The more there are talks about Krishna, everyone benefits. Other talks should be kept to a minimum. So also it is true in our homes. The more there is talk about Krishna, wonderful things will happen. People will acquire a thirst for these topics.




Religious people consider God is great, but the extent of his greatness is not known. Because God is so great that universes emanate from Him, even people who are devotionally inclined tend to see Him impersonally.




Brahma was curious about Krishna, and as if performing a scientific experiment, he stole His friends and calves, to see how Krishna would react. Krishna responded in a nonaggressive way because ultimately Brahma is a devotee of the Lord. Similarly because Indra is a devotee, Krishna did not pick up the mountain and throw it him like He could have. [He just held it as umbrella to protect His devotees.]




The worst feature of Kali-yuga for me is that evil appears to be rewarded and piety is ridiculed.




One qualification of God that is not so obvious to most people is that God is the Supreme Enjoyer. How else could he enjoy all the offerings offered to Him? How else could He reciprocate the devotion of all living entities.




If I love myself, and I do, it must be because I am part and parcel of Krishna. I am lovable only because I am part and parcel of the Supreme Person, Krishna.




Q (Tulasirani dd): Brahma’s prayers are amazing and cover all important parts of the philosophy yet all Krishna did was simply nod at Him. How is that?


A: You do not understand the significance of His nod. Just like His sidelong glance.


Krishna’s business is to make sure all His devotees are fully satisfied.




There is always the next chapter with Krishna because He is eternal.




Krishna says in Bhagavad gita7.27 that all living beings are born into delusion. That includes us. Generally we rebel if someone says we are deluded, but we cannot do that with Krishna. Fortunately, however, Krishna does not end there. He reveals His transcendental nature and ours, and He tells how we can escape this delusion. We can follow Krishna’s instructions and get out of here. This is a gradual process, and it takes time. But even in the beginning, just by chanting the Hare Krishna mantra we experience a lessening of delusion.




Q (by Syamala Kishori dd): What about people who feel that everything is OK in their life, and they do not have the inclination to apply Krishna’s teachings?


A: Srila Prabhupada would explain that everyone bows down to Krishna, either voluntarily to Him personally or forcibly to His form as death.




Q (by Arjuna): How exactly are we bewildered by this dualities?


A: Although we are spiritual beings we identify with our body, and because of that, we are affected by these dualities. Again and again I am pursuing the objects of the senses although I repeatedly experience they do not satisfy me. This is delusion. Actually because we are spiritual, nothing in this world can satisfy us.




This world is not as we wish, where beloved relatives get old, sick, and die, where we are laid off by our employer despite so much faithful service.




There is simultaneous realization of the self and God by practicing this bhakti-yoga.




Start making your plans to get out of this material situation. No matter how long it takes, it is the only reasonable direction to go in.




Even in the most primitive civilizations, God has provided some way of progressing.




Don’t give this up. Even reading one verse of Bhagavad-gitacan save your life. In a dark time, even simply remembering that Bhagavad-gitaexists can be a cause for optimism.




Syamala Kishori Devi Dasi:




The Hare Krishna mantra is an individual prayer to Krishna, but it is powerful to do it together, and it creates a spiritual bond between us.




Krishna took more pleasure in glorifying Balarama than in glorifying Himself.




Krishna was conscious of the desires of the plants and animals in addition to the human beings.




Krishna is a God who is willing to be tricked by His friends




If you think that the spiritual world is a boring place, Krishna book can remove that misconception.




Comment by Dhamesvara Prabhu: When the gopissaw Krishna dancing on Kaliya, they developed the urge to dance with Him.




Giriraja Swami asked how Krishna could dance on all of Kaliya’s hoods. Srila Prabhupada explained Krishna expanded Himself to dance on each hood, but the residents of Vrindavan saw just one Krishna, and he reminded Giriraja Swami it was not possible for him to understand Krishna from his own point of view.




We hope to become the kind of the people that the devotees will pray to Krishna for.




We can pray that Krishna may dance on our tongue in the form of the holy name.




Sanatani Radha dd:




My parents came from India to visit me and my husband in America for three months. My father was a Communist and an atheist, and in the beginning, he was challenging my beliefs and practices at every step. Then gradually things changed. When I was out, my mother would make snacks for him, and first offer them to Lord Jagannatha. Once she forgot to make the offering, and my father complained they tasted nasty and asked if she made some mistake in the preparation. She thought about it and concluded that she had made them the same way she always had and just forgotten to offer them to Lord Jagannath. My father told her to make them again and offer them to Lord Jagannath, and then they tasted as good as usual. 




We do not have a TV or get the newspaper so my father was bored without anything to do. We gave him the Srila Prabhupada-lilamrita to read, and he read the entire book. His conclusion at the end was that Srila Prabhupada was a genuine person.




Now my parents are back in India. My father has insomnia at night, and my mother sees him pacing back and forth and softly chanting Hare Krishna, until he is tired enough to sleep.




My mother’s friends find her to behave differently. She only speaks when it is required, and spends much of the rest of her time chanting Hare Krishna. Before she would just chant one round a day.




Vaishnava Prabhu (from New Vrindavan):




Growing up in New Vrindavan I got to take care of the cows. By doing that I feel I could relate more to Krishna’s pastimes as a cowherd boy. The cows are worshipable because they are very dear to Krishna.




Krishna’s friends were so confident of Krishna’s protection they fearlessly entered the body of the snake demon. This confidence in Krishna’s protection is a symptom of a great soul advanced in devotional service.




Krishna performs many pastimes in order to facilitate our remembrance of Him.




A devotee lady Yamini has written songs for children describing Krishna’s pastimes. 




Comment by Kalakantha Prabhu: The Romans had a pagan worship centered around the worship of a deity represented as a bull. As Christianity become more popular it ultimately became the state religion during the time of King Constantine. Then the bull became a symbol of Satan. 




Having moved from New Vrindavan to Gainesville, I miss the nice places in the woods to chant japa.




Q (my me): It is amazing the cowherd boys were so confident of Krishna’s protection they fearlessly entered the mouth of the demon. How can we attain this level of confidence in Krishna’s protection?


A: We can begin by making a simple prayer to Krishna, “I am not very surrendered, but I want to be surrendered.” Then by associating with devotees, and by taking advantage of preaching opportunities, we become more surrendered.




Hanan Prabhu:




The example of the musk deer searching for the fragrant smell that comes from itself, sages use to illustrate that our real happiness comes from within although we do not know it.




I was working for an insurance company in Israel, which was ripped off by a thief, and the managers decided they would come out ahead if they settled it out of court. I was the person sent to carry the money, which filled an entire suitcase. I found when I was carrying this suitcase of money, I had this consciousness that I was very important for the time I was doing that service. 




Because we want to be selfish, we get entangled in karmic reactions.




Q: Why is bhakti-yoga powerful?


Suggested answers by the audience:


We can eat food.


You can do it with anyone and with anything.


It is practical because we are active, and we can engage our senses, which are otherwise disturbing elements.


It is fun.


It is the natural situation of the soul which is going on in the spiritual world.




The first step in dealing with a challenging situation is to accept it.




The whole Srimad-Bhagatavam is an answer to the question, “What is the duty of a man at death?”




Dennis:




We have to be more enthusiastic in sharing Krishna with people than they are to remain in material life.




I found I could introduce Krishna only very gradually at my office. All I did was to burn incense for years. Then my coworkers were ready for prasadam.




comment by Krishna Kumara Das: One professor explained 60 years of research in social psychology shows that people are convinced by emotional arguments more so than by rational arguments. Rational arguments can be used later to make the people feel their choices were reasonable.




comment by Tulasirani Devi Dasi: We are not meant to defeat the mind or intelligence of the people but to conquer their hearts.




Ricky Lee:




from an ice breaker called “What did I last lend and not get back?”:




I lent people a lot of time, and I never got any of it back.




Darlina:




from an ice breaker called “What did I last lend and not get back?”:




I never let anyone borrow anything that I want back.




Marlon:




What is the use of having a gold cage if you have a dead bird?




Naomi:




Hearing that I am a soul, my first question is what are the needs of the soul?




Realizations Shared at an Evening Program:




Krishna-kumara Das: Vaisesika Prabhu says practice is always effective. Even a little regular practice goes a long way. 




Vaishnava: If one is of good character, that is more convincing than speaking nicely.




Karly: Speaking your actual realization to someone is most powerful.




Varangi Radha dd: I heard a class in which Devamrita Swami was explaining how just as we encounter distress without endeavoring for it, in the same way we will encounter happiness even if we do not endeavor for it. Thus it is better to endeavor for spiritual life and be satisfied with the happiness that comes without endeavor rather than wasting time endeavoring for happiness. Since I am always endeavoring for happiness so much, this was a great realization for me.




Vaisnava’s father: When you just serve, without worrying about anything, you experience real happiness.




Naomi: It is awesome how the Bhagavatamthough written so long ago is so relevant to our lives.




Lavanga: When Brahma told Priyavrata to get married after Narada had previously instructed him in renunciation, it was amazing to me that Narada did not get envious and object, but rather Narada actually appreciated Brahma’s instructions.




Karly: I was just meditating during the kirtana how wonderful it is that everyone here and even the plants and animals nearby are benefiting from the kirtana. How wonderful is the holy name!




Christina: When Kalakantha Prabhu was reading about the first devotees that Prabhupada initiated by in 1966 who were very inexperienced in very basic ways, I felt relieved thinking there is hope for me.




Mike: There is a purport in the Second Canto where Srila Prabhupada mentions peace and satisfaction three times as results of practicing Krishna consciousness.




Syamala Kishori Devi Dasi:




My father was saying that the Bhagavatam is a book of happy endings, and Krishna is the author of happy endings.




At Payne’s Prairie, I was telling my father, “If we chant Hare Krishna to this caterpillar that will be the best day of its life. He agreed and so we did, and my father chanted it so loud it jumped from his position and fell a ways down.” 




Comments on my class on improving sadhana:




Carlos: In India I was busy running around to holy places and doing many things, but I felt some dissatisfaction I could not explain. Then in Vrindavan I read for two hours and felt satisfied. Then I realized I was dissatisfied because I had not time to read.




Syamala: Reading puts everything in perspective. In Vrindavan I read 2 or 3 hours a day and got more realizations than ever before.




Autumn: When you read you realize you do not always have to be busy doing something, and you are more in the mode of goodness.




Chelsea: Reading is my time with Srila Prabhupada.




Syamala: Reading the Varaha pastime, I felt I was on a safari and Srila Prabhupada was my tour guide.




Marlon: Devamrita Swami said when he heard the devotees say that the sense gratification we have is the same as that of the dogs and hogs that convinced him to pursue spiritual life and his telling of that inspired me in the same way.




Carlos: Aindra Prabhu said japa[chanting privately on beads] is like a pill but harinama[singing in a group] is like a shot.




Vrinda:




This idea of doing a fast and praying to Lord Shiva for a good husband is such apart of Hindu culture my mother did it in her early life and trained me to do it too. The last time I did it, we recited the translation of the prayers. The final one was a prayer to attain Lord Shiva’s abode, and once I realized that, I stopped it as I wanted to attain Krishna’s abode.




Comment by Dennis: There was one lady in Denver was not a very expert cook, but because she was so sincere, everything tasted wonderful, although the puriswere misshapen. In contrast someone who cooked very expertly did not produce food that tasted so good.




In the pastimes of the brahmanas wives, Krishna reveals that devotion to Him is not attained by proximity to Him but by hearing and chanting about Him.




Krishna’s diverse qualities can attract.




What qualities of Krishna attract you?


Dennis: He is humble.


Dhameshvar: He is in everyone’s heart.


Naomi: He is able to relate to everyone individually.


Mother Caitanya: He is funny.


Vrinda: He is a trickster.


Madhava: We may not always experience His reciprocation at every moment, but we see as time goes by that He ultimately reciprocates.




Suresh:




Valmika’s Ramayana is divided into seven divisions called khandas, and these are divided into sargas. The first khanda is called Bala-khanda, and its first sarga is a one hundred verse summary of the entire Ramayana.




Someone has also composed a list of names of Rama which tell the whole story of Ramayana. Its refrain is: rama rama jaya raja rama, rama rama jaya sita rama




Some people analyze that the Ramayana is a series of examples of different living beings taking shelter of Lord Rama and Him giving them all protection.




—–




ramante yogino ’nante


satyanande cid-atmani


iti rama-padenasau


param brahmābhidhīyate




“The mystics derive unlimited transcendental pleasures from the Absolute Truth, and therefore the Supreme Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead, is also known as Rama.” (Padma Purana)

	


	





	

		
Treval Journal#11.5: Adventures in North Florida 
 → Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk
	


	
	

		


Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 11, No. 5
By Krishna-kripa das
(March 2015, part one)


Tallahassee, Gainesville, Alachua, and Jacksonville
(Sent from Potomac, Maryland, on April 10, 2015)




Where I Went and What I Did




The first week in March was the spring break for University of Florida in Gainesville, so I spent the first weekend chanting at Lake Ella and Monday, Tuesday and Wednesdaychanting at Florida State University, bothin Tallahassee, and I spent Thursday and Friday chanting at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville. In the middle of the week, I returned to Alachua County for our Gaura Purnima festivals in Gainesville and Alachua. Then Saturday I chanted with friends from Gainesville and Jacksonville at the annual Jacksonville Veg Fest. The second week of March I chanted at Krishna Lunch at UF and spent one day trying to promote our weekly evening program at Santa Fe Community College. That week culminated in harinama in Gainesville with the Alachua devotees, the Krishna House Holi Festival and the Krishna House Eight-Hour Kirtan.




I share notes on Srila Prabhupada’s books, lectures, and letters, quotes by Prahlada Maharaja and Bhaktivinoda Thakura, notes on lectures from many Prabhupada disciples and other senior devotees in Alachua County, as well as realizations from the students at Krishna House.



I would like to thank Nanda Kumar Prabhu of Gainesville for his kind donation. Thanks to Mother Caitanya for the money belt and mirror. Thanks to Cayman and Michael for picking me up and dropping me at the bus station, and to Dr. Dina Bandhu for medical advice, accommodation and transportation between Gainesville and Jacksonville.




Itinerary




April 8–11: Washington, D.C. 


April 12: Albany 


April 13–15: New York City 


April 16: Toronto 


April 17–23: Ireland (Dublin and Cork)


April 24–26: Rotterdam 


April 27: Amsterdam (King’s Day)


April 28: Radhadesh, Belgium


April 29: Germany 


April 30–May 3: Simhachalam, Bavaria, Germany (Nrisimha Festival)


May 4–July 16: United Kingdom




Chanting at Lake Ella in Tallahassee








A young guy of American Indian descent approached me with a broad smile as I was singing at Lake Ella, asking what I was doing. I briefly explained. He was a drummer and asked to play my drum, and he played in time. After I while I stuck my business card, which has the Hare Krishna mantra on its back, under the rubber strip that bisects the drum so he could see it, and he sang along as he played the drum. He kept the card when he left. Now that does not happen every day!




Chanting at University of North Florida




On Gaura Purnima day, Dina Bandhu Prabhu of Gainesville kindly gave me a ride to Jacksonville after the abhiseka for Lord Caitanya in Alachua. We chanted on the green at University of North Florida for four and a half hours. Amrita Keli Devi Dasi brought us invitations, books, granola bars for distribution, and a blanket to sit on. She chanted with us for part of the time.








Later Ekendra Prabhu joined us later for several hours, adding a lot of musical talent and devotion to the party. 




As far as the fasting was concerned, I think it was easier me than ever before. I did not eat anything, and just had a cup of caranamrita and a couple of cups of water, but I did not feel fatigued nor did I get a headache, as often happens. As we finished our final Hare Krishna tune, just after the break fast time of 6:37 p.m., a guitar player that Ekendra Prabhu had spoken to much earlier stopped by and glanced at our books. He was attracted by Bhagavad-gita and give a five dollar donation. 




The Gaura Purnima festival at the Krishna Club was very special. 








Twenty-six people came.








The guy playing sitar is a music major who ultimately wants to study music in India.








The girl playing tambourine and happily singing in the center of this picture came to the club three years ago as a freshman but did not come again until this year as a senior. She said as a music major, with all the rehearsals, she was too busy.




We had two kirtanas, one led by Dina Bandhu Prabhu and the other led by Tulasi-priya Dasi. During the second kirtana, people offered flowers to the Gaura-Nitai deities. I show excerpts in this video [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGerEnGdI0xL8P5w0H7lY7f8mY8T-570Q]:








Dina Bandhu, Ekendra, Tulasi-priya, and I have been involved in assisting with the Krishna Club from its very beginning three years ago, and it was wonderful to be celebrating Gaura Purnima with them.




The day after Gaura Purnima I chanted three and a half hours at the University of North Florida. It was cold and very misty. After an hour and a half, Amrita had to leave to do other things and Dina Bandhu had to go because he was not dressed for the cold. I kept chanting. I could only display hard bound books because the mist would ruin the paperbacks, and even they I had to wipe off every few minutes.  A couple of passersby felt sorry for me, seeing me struggling with the cold and mist, and helped me relocate my display. Amrita later told me that couple came to next Krishna Club meeting. They chanted sincerely, and the guy took some chanting beads home. 




That night I attended Dina Bandhu Prabhu’s program at his home in Gainesville to celebrate the Jagannath Misra festival with lots of kirtana andprasadam, and with many Krishna House friends. There the final kirtana by Purushartha Prabhu many people said was a highlight.








The next day we chanted for about 3 hours at the Veg Fest with Amrita Keli, Lovelesh, and Lovelesh’s mother. Lovelesh distributed all of Laura’s wonderful prasadam cookies fairly early on, and there was a lot of talk about doing more with prasadam at the festival next year. 








Prabhupada disciple, Dhira Prabhu (center), resident of Jacksonville, was happy to join us, as was Mallory (right), a regular at Krishna Club. 










We encountered many people happy to see and hear the Hare Krishnas.




Gainesville Harinama











On the Gainesville harinama a couple people danced with us.








 One lady in a car was happy to receive a garland








from Mother Nitai.




First Annual Krishna House Holi Festival




Caru Prabhu at Spanish Fork, Utah, made Holi a popular event for Hare Krishnas, and in recent years, it is seen by many temples as an event that can attract new guests. Holi has been celebrated in our Alachua temple for three years, and now at Krishna House in Gainesville. The venue was our Friday night program, which was started by an Indian engineering student years ago, and attracts primarily those of Indian backgrounds. Thus it was striking to see that more Americans came to the Holi than the usual Friday programs. 




Arjuna Prabhu had the people do some different activities before throwing the dyes, the main Holi activity.








One of these included an Indian art of decorating the ground with colored dyes.








We had a little chanting going on during the throwing of colors. 








All kinds of people participated.




Eastern and Western.


 






Girls and guys.


 








 Older.




Younger.




Krishna House devotees.


 
Workers at Krishna Lunch. 




The best part was lots of people who had never been to Krishna House before came for Holi, heard the chanting, took some Krishna food, and had a great time!




Krishna House Eight-Hour Kirtan




At my insistence, the devotees scheduled the eight-hour kirtana after the spring break, as I thought that way some students could attend. Just a couple did, but even that made it worth the change. One of them ended up coming to the Alachua temple afterwards with devotees for first time. Originally we were going to have a twelve-hour kirtana but the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium promoters were doing a special event with Jananivasa Prabhu from Mayapur in the evening, so we had to cut our event short. That day I had a meeting of Sadaputa Prabhu’s associates, the first one since he departed from this world six years ago, so the kirtana was even shorter for me.








Ekendra was sitting in a chair in the corner playing the guitar, and when I returned five hours later, after the Sadaputa meeting, he was sitting in the same chair playing the same guitar. It was striking. Here Purushartha Prabhu is leading. Everyone sang nicely.









Here Tulasi-priya Dasi is singing. 








Syamala Kishori Devi Dasi took a picture while I was dancing.




I think it is great to have a big kirtana event every semester, and I am glad we are doing it at Krishna House.




To see other photos I shot but did not include in this journal, please click on this link:





Insights




Srila Prabhupada:




from a lecture on Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 7.1, on March 1, 1974, in Mayapur:




“. . . we do not know what is the destination of the movement in this age. The trees are not moving, but we are moving. But that movement has not very much improved our condition. Real movement means to go forward to reach the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”




Through the teachings of Lord Caitanya, we can reform our habits.




Because people do not try to understand Krishna through Lord Caitanya, they fail to understand Krishna.




The present importance of Vrindavan exists because of Lord Caitanya and the Six Goswamis.




Because he is personally teaching everyone about the love of Radha Krishna, Lord Caitanya is the most magnanimous avatar.




There are many incarnations, but Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He is the most magnanimous incarnation, because in other incarnations, just as Lord Ramacandra, He killed the culprit Ravana. Krishna also, when He appeared, He killed so many demons. But Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu did not kill demons like Jagai and Madhai but delivered them to become the best type of Vaisnava [devotee of the Supreme Lord].




from a lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.10.14, in Mayapur on June 27, 1973:




“That is the highest perfection of life – to shed tears for Krishna.”




“So here is the example. Tears by force are coming out: “Oh, Krishna is going away.” At the same time they want to check: “There must not be any inauspiciousness for Krishna.” They’re thinking about Krishna’s welfare, not their own. Not “Oh, I am now crying. I have become very fortunate. I am crying for Krishna.” No. “My crying will create inauspiciousness for Krishna; I must check it.” This is Krishna consciousness.”




From a letter dated May 17, 1968:




“My advice to you . . . is that at least for one hour you must all go to have Sankirtan outside on the streets or in the park. That is your life and soul, first business. . . . If need be, the whole temple can be locked, but the outdoor kirtan cannot be stopped.”




From a letter dated May 14, 1969:




“Regarding your questions about Sankirtana . . . , I think you should try to always have Sankirtana going on. All other things are subsidiary. This chanting is our life and soul, so we must arrange our program now so that there will be as much chanting on the streets and at college engagements as possible . . . .”




From Beyond Beyond and Death, Chapter 2:




“The word yoga means ‘to link up,’ and the yoga systems are meant to enable us to link with the transcendental world. . . . originally we are all connected to the Supreme Lord, but now we have been affected by material contamination. The process is that we have to return to the spiritual world, and that process of linking up is called yoga.”




“Just as a student studies a subject for four or five years and then takes his examination and receives a degree, similarly, with the subject of life, if we practice during our lives for the examination at the time of death, and if we pass the examination, we are transferred to the spiritual world. Our whole life is examined at the time of death.”




Prahlad Maharaja:




From Sri Naradiya Purana:




“One who loudly chants the holy names of the Lord is a hundred times greater than one who silently chants, because those who chant silently purify only themselves, while those who chant loudly purify themselves as well as those who hear them.”




Bhaktivinoda Thakura:




“Upon fully blossoming, the Name takes me to Vrindavan and shows me His divine


pastimes. He gives me an eternal body, keeps me by Krishna’s side, and completely


vanquishes this material body, granting me supreme perfection.”




From Navadvipa Mahatmya:




“Seeing the Yamuna’s good fortune of taking part in Krishna’s pastimes, the Ganges performed penances for the same purpose. Krishna bestowed His mercy by appearing before Gangadevi and saying, ‘ln the form of Gauranga I will perform pastimes in your waters.’”




Brahma-tirtha Prabhu:




A good lawyer knows the law. A great lawyer knows the judge.




Caturatma Prabhu:




If one tries to attain Krishna without taking shelter of Lord Caitanya, he will be successful only after a long time. But if he takes shelter of Lord Caitanya, he will successful very soon because all his offenses will cease.




The Lord as Lord Caitanya fills the world with transcendental bliss by chanting His own holy name.




For His own pleasure, He came as a hidden incarnation [Lord Caitanya], to set the standard by acting as a pure devotee.




In his youth when He had a grammer school, Lord Caitanya kept His divinity hidden for the sake His pastimes.




Scholars avoided him because they could not defeat Him.




Although Nimai Pandit was well off, he would beg in charity from merchants as a pleasure pastime.




One fragrant oil vendor told him to take whatever he wanted. For Him there was no set price. He sat down and poured all kinds of oil over His body. The shop keeper was very pleased.




He went through the town, interacting with all the vendors who were His eternal associates.




One time he came upon a fortune teller whom He bewildered by showing Him all the incarnations of Krishna one after another. When He pressed him for his conclusion, he told Him to come back later in the afternoon.




Sridhara, who was apparently very impoverished, but still spending half of his meager income on the worship of Mother Gangas, was nonetheless very satisfied with life. Nimai Pandita accused him of having hidden wealth that was the cause of his satisfaction and demanded that he share it with Him. Of course, he did have hidden wealth, the great wealth of devotional service. He protested saying he just had a few bananas, a few radishes, and a drink with milk and gur, unprocessed sugar, which He gave to Nimai Pandit.




When Keshava Kasmiri, the champion scholar, was defeated by Nimai Pandit, Nimai Pandit’s students made fun of him, but Nimai Pandit forbade them to. We can learn from this that we should not take pleasure in the suffering of others or in making jokes at the expense of others.




Nimai Pandit was very charitable and hospitable. One time twenty sannyasis came to His house. His mother said they had nothing in the kitchen. Nimai told her to look again. She was astounded to find all kinds foods had suddenly appeared. Laksmi then cooked a feast for the sannyasis.




Many demigods disguised themselves as brahmanas and mendicants to get food cooked by Laksmi in the house of Lord Caitanya.




The main duty of a householder is to take care of guests. By doing this they conquer the tendencies for untruthfulness and deceitful behavior.




Jananivasa Prabhu:




Srila Prabhupada said that if you can get the President of the United States and the Queen of England to come to the opening of the Mayapur temple, Bhaktivinoda Thakura will personally take you back to the spiritual world.




Kalakantha Prabhu:




As we grow older, things that were very important become less important, and things that were less important become more important.




Gaura Purnima is like the new year for us. Choose just one thing you would like to improve in your spiritual life and pray to Lord Caitanya on Gaura Purnima for it.




There are about 10 meters for chanting the verses of the Tenth Canto of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, and they are used to create different effects compatible with the story.




Fear is a stimulus for approaching God.




Some people in Islam say that Allah will respond to prayer in one of three ways:
(1) by fulfilling your desire, (2) by protecting you from misfortune, or (3) by fulfilling your desires in the afterlife.




One person said that of the things we fear, 90% never happen and 10% we cannot change anyway.




The fear of losing things is the main reason we are afraid of death.




Most of our fears are based on the false ego.




The verse in the Putana pastimes glorifying Krishna’s mercy upon her despite her demonic attitude is the one that inspired Pundarika Vidyanidhi with ecstasy.




Laksmimani Prabhu:




Krishna had to take into account His own promise to protect His devotee and Bhimsa’s promise to kill Arjuna or else force Krishna to fight.




One lesson taught by the Battle of Kuruksetra is that the Lord wants to see His devotees glorified more than Himself.




Bhisma was completely satisfied when Krishna came rushing toward Him with the chariot wheel, for whatever Krishna did would be alright with him. 




Brahma is usually the liaison between the demigods and Vishnu, but when Lord Vishnu as Nrsimha was in such an angry mood, He pushed Prahlada Maharaja forward to pacify Him. 




Even though Nrsimha was so angry he just ripped Hiranyakasipu apart because He was so cruel to his son, Prahlada, a pure devotee, He was immediately willing grant Hiranyakasipu liberation to please Prahlada.




Lord Caitanya wanted to kill the constables who whipped His devotee Haridasa Thakura, but He could not because Haridasa Thakura was praying for their welfare.




At the stage of prema, the devotee controls Krishna by his love.




The devotee is so confident that Krishna is going to take of Him he is not the least bit worried in any condition of life, no matter how bad it looks.




Equality does not mean that Krishna takes care of everyone in the same way but that he is concerned with everyone.




The Bhimsa Parva, in which Bhimsa instructs King Yudhisthira, is the longest section of the whole Mahabharata.




Q: What is the different between having confidence in Krishna and the blind faith people accuse us of having?


A: We start by having a little faith, and we see how Krishna takes care of us. Also we see how Krishna takes care of His devotees in the present and in the past.




I had a stroke and when I got to the hospital I was beginning to feel better because of the medication they were giving. An Indian man greeted me and asked if there was any prasadam. He then said, “You have a very nice nurse. Her name is Glani.” Turned out she was an initiated disciple of Hridayananda Goswami. When I went into the operating room I had the Hare Krishna mantra written on a paper, I wanted to give to the doctor to say if anything went wrong. He was reluctant as he thought it was superstition, so I gave it to someone else. That person was just reading Sri Isopanisad on the plane and had a daughter who eats Krishna Lunch. As I was getting the anesthesia, someone noticed my neck beads and asked if I was a Hare Krishna, and wanted me to tell them about Krishna. That was last thing I remembered before I went out. I could see that Krishna was taking care of me in so many ways.




Nanda Dasi:




The rules and regulations are meant to ultimately expand our consciousness. By following them our minds become peaceful and happy because we are not driven by our senses. Then we can taste transcendental pleasure.




In the beginning we are pushed by the rules and regulations and later we are pushed to act by our desire to please the Lord.




Once Srila Prabhupada even said, “If you followed all the rules and regulations, you would not even get out of the bathroom in the morning.”




In my conditioned state I do not like restrictions and therefore I may be attracted to the spontaneous love of the residents Vrndavana simply because there are fewer restrictions, but my consciousness is like iron compared to theirs which is like gold.




Comment by Gopala Prabhu: When Krishna says, “What will repression accomplish?” he is not saying we should not repress the desire to perform sinful activities but that if Arjuna left the battlefield and went to the forest he would ultimately recall the offenses of Duryodhana and fight him anyway.




Sadaputa Prabhu:




from a lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.2.31 [https://youtu.be/qCQGq-O4fsM]:




The present scholarly understanding is stillbased on the work of Max Muller. Due to the many flaws of Muller’s methodology, Muller himself has fallen out of favor, but his dating of the Vedas is still the predominant theory. As an interesting aside, Max Muller himself said that the Vedas could not be dated.




Sesa Prabhu:




You can put a spark out with your hand, but you cannot put the entire fire out with your hand.




Our problem is that we are living an unnatural life, experiencing unhappiness, and ultimate death.




None of our material conditions are the same.




We should not settle for such an unnatural condition of life, especially as human beings, because we can do something about it. The animals cannot do anything about it. They must simply suffer. The horses are just standing there, feeling the heat, the cold, and the rain.




We need a new paradigm of life, what they call on Krishna.com, a bhaktiworld view. This begins accepting knowledge from the Vedas.




We cannot lose our eternal relationship with Krishna.




Because we do know what we are doing, we keep bumping into things, namely our karma.




Krishna describes that this world is temporary and full of misery. Even we are so expert we can avoid all the miseries, our situation is temporary.




There is more to loving God than saying “I love God.” There is a process. The more we practice serving God, the more we become purified.




It is so simple, it is practically unbelievable, and yet it is true.




The stubbornness to rebel against Krishna is rooted in the mind.




I pray that you all make great spiritual advancement.




“Just give one life to Krishna. You have had many lives, and if you do not perfect it, you will have many more. So just give this one life to Krishna.” This is how the devotees convinced me to join them, and I have not regretted it.




Before we lose this form of life, must take this opportunity seriously.




Anubhava is an action that results from heightened affection for Krishna, which serves to further enhance that affection.




Vyabhicari-bhava is an emotional experience that results from intensified affection for Krishna, which serves to embellish and further stimulate that affection.




Subuddhi Krishna Prabhu:




Krishna will not direct us from within until we want Him to.




Krishna demonstrated that he was beyond all caste designations as He was born as a ksatriya, grew up as a vaisya, drove Arjuna’s chariot as a sudra, and enlightened Arjuna as a brahmana.




Madhava Prabhu:




From a talk on deity worship:




I started my deity service by doing garlands. Then I got to iron the deity’s gamshas [undergarments] every day.




My parents tried to deprogram me. I escaped, but it was not safe for me to stay in Boston, so I went to Puerto Rico for a few years. Only three temple leaders knew where I was and no one else.




We offered 120 or 130 sweets a day to the deities in Boston.




Deity worship can sometimes seem mechanical, chanting the same mantras every day. By reading Jagannath Priya Nataka I came to experience deity worship in a deeper way.




I was both cook and pujari in Boston for many years.




When dressing Gaura Nitai, it is preferred to do Nityananda first, as indicated in the pastime of the chipped rice festival.




Comment by Guru Seva Devi Dasi: I saw how my husband Madhava was benefiting from doing Deity worship, and I felt I was really missing out. I find that I am appreciating different aspects of the worship from him, but that is natural because we are different persons.




The first worship is to the spiritual master.




There are different numbers of items you can offer. Mostly we offer 16 items, but in other cases 64 may be offered, or just two.




There are different mudraswith different meanings, greeting the deities, etc.




Our nima deities we decided to name appropriately Nimai Nitai.




The sila is a direct manifestation of Krishna and does not require to be installed as carved and sculpted deity forms.




In Vrindavan, the inhabitants see Govardhan as a loving father not the Supreme Personality of Godhead.




To begin the worship of Govardhan, you must first be given a Govardhan sila, and then secondly, you have to ask a resident of Vrindavan for permission to take him out of Vrindavan.




All the incarnations of Vishnu have forms as salagramas.




We begin deity worship by worshiping Gaura Nitai. If someone offers you Gaura Nitai deities, you should accept them. 




We wanted the nima deities because we felt as a married couple, we would not have the time to properly take of brass deities.




From a lecture:




Lord Caitanya came to bring a very high level of love of God that was not brought before.




I have dealt with many coconuts in my life but very few have had the pulp separated from the shell. Similarly the self-realized souls are very rare.




I tried to separate the coconut from the shell by heating, and it ended up cracking. Similarly we cannot artificially attain the advanced stage of spiritual life.




According to Bhaktivinoda Thakura, the bodily symptoms of ecstasy occur because the reciprocation of Krishna with the devotee is so intense the material body cannot handle it.




Bhadra Prabhu:




Skanda Purana says that Lord Jagannath appeared to King Indradyumna on the day of snana-yatra. 




Because it is hot in that season in India, they bathe Lord Jagannath then.




During the Lord’s sickness, Laksmi takes care of Him.




The paints used to paint Lord Jagannath are made with fruits.




Laksmi does not allow Jagannath back into the temple after the return Ratha-yatra, although she lets Balaram and Subhadra in.




King Indradyumna asked for two boons: (1) He did not want a son. (2) He wanted Jagannath to accept another meal as soon as His hands dried from washing them after the previous meal.




If the pujari is doing the arati in Puri andthe king comes, the pujari lets the king perform the arati.




[The following two stories Bhadra Prabhu recalled are from a book on Lord Jagannath by Bhakti Purusottama Swami. They were so elaborate I could only write down the beginning of them. If you want to know the end, you’ll have to read the book.] 




(1) King Purusottamadeva of Puri visited South India and the princess of Kancipuram become attracted to him. Her father was favorable but sent his minister to Puri to investigate his character. The minister was favorably impressed until he saw Purusottamadeva sweeping the road before the Ratha-yatra. The minister recommended against the marriagebecause the king was a road sweeper. King Purusottamadeva was upset and said he would fight and defeat the King of Kancipuram and take his daughter. Another condition was the Ganesh deity worshiped by the King of Kancipuram would come to Puri and be worshiped behind Lord Jagannath. Purusottamadeva lost but went back to Puri and cried to Jagannath in the temple, as it was unthinkable to him that Lord Jagannath would go to Kancipuram and be worshiped behind Ganesh. The Lord appeared in a dream and said he would help. Ahead of the king’s army were two soldiers on horses, one of light complexion and one who was dark. They were offered drinks by a vendor, which they accepted, but when asked about payment they replied they had no money and thatthe king, who was just behind, would pay for them, and thus they went on. When the vendor questioned the king who soon came, and hearing of the incident the kingconcludedthe two soldiers were in fact Balarama and Krishna, and he became encouraged in the battle, and became victorious . . .




Laksmi was visiting her devotees some of whom came from low class backgrounds. Jagannath protested. Laksmi appreciated the worship of her devotees and wanted to reciprocate with them, so she did not take Jagannath’s protest very seriously and left to see her devotees . . .


At the end of 1966 Srila Prabhupada drew some pictures of Jagannatha and asked the Brahmananda to go to the tombstone shop on Second Avenue and ask them to carve them. He did but they did not do it.




Srila Prabhupada said in 1976 in a lecture that if we will accept Lord Jagannath He will unite us. We are doing Ratha-yatras all over Florida to unite our community.




Srila Prabhupada said that anyone who participates in the Ratha-yatra attains the spiritual world in the next life.




At my meeting with the Saint Augustine officials, one policeman said, “I have never before such happy persons as you guys coming to this town. You guys have good food.” Turning to the officials, the policeman continued, “You all should go to their festival.”  




Nama Kirtan Prabhu:




If everyone tries to act as a brahmana, all the other work will not get done.




Even if one has an insignificant service, if he works to please God, he is better situated than one who performs a more important service without an attitude of service to God.




Dina Bandhu Prabhu:




The symbols which appear on both the lotus feet of Srimati Radharani and Lord Krishna appear on the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya, who is an incarnation of Them both.




Introduction by Mikey: I used to be in a male fraternity based on degrading ourselves. Now I am in a coed fraternity based on elevating ourselves.




Introduction by Syamala Kishori Devi Dasi: I was praying to Govardhan to be in a situation where I was living more with devotees and two days later Mother Caitanya came up to me and said they had a free room in Krishna House.




Q: Suppose we are not so enthusiastic?


A: Associate with enthusiastic devotees.




If someone offers us something we should accept it. It is not like we are trying to get people to give us things, but if someone offers us something we should learn the art of accepting it gratefully.




Tamraparni Prabhu:




The followers of Lord Caitanya had split into the intellectual Goswamis of Vrndavana and the spirited kirtaniyas of Bengal. Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami united these groups by writing Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, explaining the intellectual philosophy of the Goswamis in the Bengali language.




Radha Jivan Prabhu:




One poet writes “I would rather die than beg funds for the maintenance of my own body, but for the glorification of the Lord I will beg without shame.”




Lord Nityananda told Jiva Goswami a wonderful temple establishing the eternal service of Lord Caitanya will appear in Mayapur. 




Srila Prabhupada told Jananivasa Prabhu, “Take care of Radha Madhava and make other people pujaris.”




Jananivasa Prabhu told me that there were two things he desired never to do after becoming a devotee, (1) to go to America, and (2) to ask for money, and on this tour he is doing both of them.




Srila Prabhupada explained that all the Gaudiya acaryas have made some gift to Lord Caitanya in Mayapur. Bhaktivinoda Thakura begged a rupee from many people to build a temple in Mayapur at Lord Caitanya’s birthsite. Bhaktisiddhanta Saravati Thakura established 65 temples throughout India, but his biggest temple was in Mayapur.




Six million visit Mayapur each year. That is an average of 15,000 a day. It is the glory of Srila Prabhupada, so many people are coming.




Once Srila Prabhupada said, “My idea is to bring that whole world to Mayapur.”




The niece of the Queen of England has a relationship with the Hare Krishnas and told the devotees if they give her 15 to 18 months notice, she said that she could bring the Queen to the opening of the Mayapur Vedic Temple of the Planetarium.




If someone gives more than their capacity, that is being truly magnamimus.




There are two things (1) mana (respect) and (2) dana (charity). The Supreme Lord does not need our charity, but we should give him our respect. 




There is a saying that aptitude does not matter as much as attitude. 




Mother Caitanya:




Before I became a devotee I could not say I loved God because I did not really know enough about God to love Him. I was thrilled to encounter Srimad-Bhagavatam and to learn so many details about Him.




Mikey:




We are always dealing with death, and how we deal with it determines how we live our life and how we approach our spiritual practice.




The main problem with Kamsa was his association. He explained transcendental knowledge to Vasudeva and Devaki, but later returned to his demoniac ways because of bad association. While Narada, because of good association, went from being in ignorance to becoming a great saint.




Whatever happens to the body does not matter. All the bliss we are getting in life comes from our devotional service, and that will continue in our next life.




Comment by Dhameshvar Mahaprabhu: We have more faith in those who have already left their bodies, as their life of virtue is complete, while the living virtuous could always fall down from their positions before the end of life.




Comment by Nicholas: There is no situation that is so bad that you can no longer make spiritual advancement.




Comment by Dhameshvar Mahaprabhu: The demons in Krishna’s pastimes embody the extremes of human evil.




Comment by Syamala Kishori Devi Dasi: Kamsa was using the philosophy to his own advantage. We must also consider whether we are using what knowledge and facilities we are given for Krishna’s pleasure.




Notes Gauranga Prasada Prabhu’s program:




Tell how you become a devotee:




Gauranga Prasada Prabhu:




I had become vegetarian. I was thinking of attending church and seeking the association of higher vibrational people. Then I met the devotees at Krishna Lunch. I found vegetarian, meditation, music, and everything I was looking for.




During the time we are absorbed in the kirtana we are free from material contamination. We thus can get a glimpse of Vrindavana as the song “Gauranga Bolite Habe” states. It is so practical. We just have to follow the previous spiritual teachers.




Cayman: The books really moved me. I just never read anything like them before.




Chelsea: My high school teacher was a devotee and had a little murtiof Krishna on his desk. He invited me to the temple for the Sunday Feast and I and a friend came. We did not fit in, but I kept coming. Then one week we did japa, and it was a very powerful experience.




Varangi Radha Dasi: Six years ago I met a guy on the campus who knew more important things than anything I learned in school. I asked him where he got all this amazing knowledge from. He would not tell me. I kept hearing from him for several weeks. Then he told me and brought me to a Friday Gitaclass at the Laguna Beach temple.




I felt my hurts healing and superficial issues resolved so I can appreciate what Lord Caitanya is giving us.




Naomi:




My mother would always talk about the devotees, when I was living in another place.





	





	

		
Travel Journal#11.4: Ocala Rainbow & More Florida Adventures 
 → Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk
	


	
	

		


Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 11, No. 4
By Krishna-kripa das
(February 2015, part two)


Ocala Rainbow Gathering, Gainesville, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville
(Sent from Gainesville, Florida, on March 22, 2015)




Where I Went and What I Did




The second half of February started off with an adventure – sharing spiritual food and song at the Ocala Rainbow Gathering. Then I spent a couple of days chanting at Krishna Lunch in Gainesville, and then on to Orlando and Tampa for three days ofchantingon campuses and invitingpeople to evening programs. Then the next weekend was another harinama at a special venue – the Monster Truck Rally at Jacksonville’s Everbank Stadium. The final week I was back at Krishna Lunch, with the exception of the final day of February, the first day of spring break, when I went up to Tallahassee.




I share insights from Srila Prabhupada’s books, Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami’s journal, lectures from three Prabhupada disciples in the Gainesville/Alachua area, namely, Brahmatirtha Prabhu (Bob Cohen of Perfect Questions, Perfect Answers), Kalakantha Prabhu (temple president of Krishna House), and Ranjit Prabhu, and a lecture by the manager of Krishna Lunch, Hanan Prabhu. I also share comments and realizations by devotees at Krishna House.




I want to thank Vishnu Priya Devi Dasi of Jacksonville for her very generous donation. 




Thanks to Autumn for her pictures of the Ocala Rainbow Gathering, Raju for his pictures of the program at the University of South Florida in Tampa, Dhira Prabhu for his pictures of the chanting party at the Monster Truck Rally in Jacksonville, and Govardhan Isvari Devi Dasi for her picture of chanting at the Farmers Market.




Itinerary




March 22–25: Gainesville


March 26–27: Tampa 


March 28–31: Tallahassee 


April 1–3: Jacksonville 


April 4–7: Gainesville 


April 8–11: Washington, D.C. 


April 12: Albany 


April 13–15: New York City 


April 16: Toronto 


April 17–23: Ireland (Dublin and Cork)


April 24–26: Rotterdam 


April 27: Amsterdam (King’s Day)


April 28: Radhadesh, Belgium


April 29: Germany 


April 30–May 3: Simhachalam, Bavaria, Germany (Nrisimha Festival)


May 4–July 16: United Kingdom




Ocala Regional Rainbow Gathering








Devotees had saved up 27 buckets of Krishna food for me to distribute at the Ocala Regional Rainbow Gathering, although I asked them to save just 8 buckets. Devotees from Alachua County have been attending this event for many years. I originally had a party of four devotees, and I decided 16 buckets was all we could handle. Fortunately Vaishnava Prabhu of New Vrindaban, who had cooked much of the prasadam, and Tessa, who loves to distribute prasadam, decided to also come at the last minute, so we had six devotees altogether, the others being Dorian, Autumn, and Chelsea, who drove her car.








We chanted over 5 hours as we walked through the Ocala National Forest with a trolley of prasadam(Krishna food), feeding people on the way. 




We would stop as we met people, and some of us would serve them and the rest of us would sing.



















Some people played their instruments along with our music.




 Some people danced. 




One lady said of the coconut raisin halava,“This is the best food you guys have ever given me.” 








This guy said of it, “Everyone should have the opportunity to experience this.” 


Another guy said of the prasadam,“Truly excellent.” Another said, “It is amongst the best food I’ve had since coming to these woods.” The people were so grateful we came.
  


Some had an odd assortment of eating vessels.
  








Some used coconut bowls.
  




One used chopsticks made from leaves to eat off a leaf plate.




Each day after we serve the Krishna Lunch to the students in Gainesville, the extra prasadam goes to a student cooperative living facility and to homeless shelters. What is left after all that, we sent to a pig farm for some time because we did not want to just it throw away.  One young lady who was eating our food at the Rainbow Gathering told me she worked at that pig farm, and her service was to feed the old Krishna Lunch to the pigs. The pigs were so excited when she opened the buckets to pour the old prasadam down the chute. About the pigs chasing after the prasadam, she said, “They really went to town!”








One guy followed our chanting party for two hours, and Tessa really impressed me by giving him her own beads and bead bag and teaching him how to chant the Hare Krishna mantra using them.




We gave our extra prasadam to different kitchens at the gathering before we left. 








At the end, we chanted and distributed prasadam near the path to the trading circle and one of the prominent kitchens.












We ended by giving a box of halava and a cooler of spaghetti to those at the main gate.




We did not return home till 8:30 p.m. Although it was a long and tiring day, the devotees were all glad they went and look forward to next year. The people we saw there were among the most grateful we ever meet.




Chanting at the University of Central Florida in Orlando




Within fifteen minutes of my setting up my table and beginning chanting, one young lady asked if she could listen to my singing while she ate her lunch. She sat in a sunny patch of grass across the sidewalk from me, and ate lunch and listened. Because it was market day and we did not reserve space for our local Bhakti Yoga Club, I was relocated by a student union official. I told my listener I was sorry, but I had to move. She gave me a dollar donation, and I gave her a Bhakti Yoga book, after verifying she did not already have it. She was happy to take the book. I asked if she did some kind of meditation, and she said she did and that if she had no other engagement she might come to our program on Friday.




Ultimately we chanted by the library, which had more traffic than the free speech area given us by the student union representative. There one young lady said “Haribol” to us as she passed. Turned out her mother was a Hare Krishna devotee in Brazil. We invited her to our program and gave her a card for the local temple, in case she wants to connect with Krishna again in Orlando.




Chanting at University of South Florida in Tampa




I chanted with Raju Manthena at University of South Florida by the library and the student center for 3½ hours, passing out invitations to our Bhakti Yoga Club program that evening. 








Seven additional people came to the Bhakti Yoga Club meeting from seeing us. Such a large number of newcomers coming from our chanting and passing out invitations is exceeding rare. One regular from last semester came, saying she was too busy to come this semester. She danced like anything, and said she would return the next week. Two ladies who came for the first time when I visited several weeks ago were still coming.








There was a lot of participation in the chanting as you can see in this video (https://youtu.be/iU99uUtjS2A):








Chanting at Valencia College in Orlando




As two devotees and I were chanting at Valencia College in Orlando, an older man with hair that was mostly gray passed us twice, the second time asking if he could record us in his studio. Kishor asked if he was a professor. And he replied, “Yes.” “Of what?”, Kishor asked. “Of sound,” he said. He explained he had read our book and knew all about us. He got Kishor’s phone number, and perhaps he will someday record Hare Krishna in his studio. Later I looked up Valencia on the Internet and found they have a major called “Sound and Music Technology.” After a couple weeks the professor called Kishor to schedule a recording session.




Chanting at the Monster Truck Rally



































One little girl loved dancing with the devotee ladies, and her father loved to take pictures of it.






One blond lady enjoyed dancing with the devotee ladies.










Guru Vagmi Prabhu always distributes.




So does Mother Nitai. 




In the beginning people were less receptive in general than usual, but at the end we encountered many people happy to encounter the devotees and their chanting.




This video shows what it was like at a not very busy time (https://youtu.be/Gjr7UuE5VsY):








Chanting at Krishna Lunch
  








Chanting at the Farmers Market








Innovations in Outreach
  




Bada Hari Prabhu, the maintenance man at Krishna House, not to be confused with the musician, thought of a novel tool for education – a Bhagavad-gita video built into the lunch table. 


 















 






   


Insights




Srila Prabhupada:




notes on Beyond Birth and Death:




“We are all seeking enjoyment through these bodies, but bodily enjoyment is not our actual enjoyment. It is artificial. We have to understand that if we want to continue in this artificial enjoyment, we will not be able to attain our position of eternal enjoyment.”




“Our enjoyment can be perfected when we participate in the enjoyment of God.”




“If we keep displeasing our supreme father, we shall never be happy within this material world, in either the upper or lower planetary systems.”




Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:




from “Poem for February 15” in Viraha Bhavan:




“The Hare Krishna chanters in
the City have found
the secret source of joy –
the nectar for which
we are always anxious.
It is lamentable that
only a relatively few people chant
the holy names
and that people think of it as sectarian religion
or mythology or brainwashing.
The devotees are trying their best
to chant the Names
but they are a minimum
amount of people in the world.
When, O when, will the people of the world
take to the chanting of the Names
and taste the nectar of holy love?”




Brahma-tirtha Prabhu:




How is it that Srila Prabhupada gave us in the beginning of our spiritual lives The Nectar of Devotion and Krishna which deal with such advanced topics?




Srila Prabhupada made the highest knowledge of devotional service available and then taught the process by which we can attain it.




Srila Prabhupada writes in a letter about a disciple who rendered a lot of service to him but who thought that Srila Prabhupada was existing only because of his service. Because of thinking of Srila Prabhupada in this way, as if he were a common man who was dependent on others, he lost the chance to serve him.




Krishna gives a taste of his association and then removes that opportunity. He did that with the gopis. Why did He leave them? Because of their pride.




It may look like the lamentation of the gopis losing Krishna is the same as that of a materialist, but they are completely different.




Even Srila Prabhupada said “I am going to need some help in figuring this out” to Hridayananda Goswami, Jayapataka Goswami, and Harikesa Prabhu, regarding the cosmology of the Fifth Canto.




The Fifth Canto is to create awe about the Lord’s creation.




Kalakantha Prabhu:




The scientists admit that they do not know it all, but because they know more than we do, they are our authorities.




People have fanatic blind faith in science.




Science and the Bhagavatam agree that the universe is beyond our understanding, but science thinks that someday they will understand it, while the Bhagavatam states it is so inconceivable we will never understand it.




The members of the British Raj, observing an eclipse in India, noticed that the Indian astronomers, just by moving a few stones, calculated its timings very accurately.




Science tries to explain how the universe works, but the Vedic knowledge can explain why the universe exists and why we are existing in it.




Because of the living entities desire to enjoy matter, Krishna had to create a material world to fulfill those desires.




The extent and diversity of the universe is explained in the Vedic knowledge to help us appreciate it, but why it exists is more important.




A couple reasons the planetarium is central to the temple in Mayapur are: (1) Srila Prabhupada wanted to demonstrate our faith in the cosmology of the Vedic literature. (2) The atheistic communist government of Bengal at the time would be more supportive of a planetarium than a temple.




Comments by Tulasirani Devi Dasi: My sister, who is a plant scientist, was very depressed at how human beings can be so cruel to each other and to the environment. She found no explanation for it. I presented that this universe is created for those who are envious of God. She replied, “That is most logical explanation I have heard.” But she could not accept it because she did not have proof.




Technology can be used in Krishna’s service, but it cannot help us find Krishna. So find Krishna first through devotional service, and then use technology in His service.




Comments by me:




Sadaputa Prabhu said that mathematicians in 1967 presented to biologists that according to probability theory, evolution was highly unlikely. The biologists replied that the mathematicians must have made some mistake, “because we know evolution happened.” Then the mathematicians left them alone, understanding the kind of people they were dealing with.




In Forbidden Archeology, the authors show many examples of scientists discrediting evidence simply because it does not fit in with the accepted theory. According to the scientific method, if evidence is found that is incompatible with the present theory, the theory should be modified so that it accounts for all the evidence. The scientists are proud of having objective knowledge by following their scientific method and they criticize the blind faith of the religionists, but when they discredit evidence to maintain their theory, they demonstrate blind faith in a theory which has evidence against it, which is an inferior position to the religionists they are criticizing.




from a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam7.9.19:




There was a difficult legal case in our Chicago temple in 1974. Devotees explained both sides to Srila Prabhupada and asked for his advice. He replied, “My advice is that you depend on Krishna.”




There is no greater emotional attachment that I have experienced in this life than attachment to my children. 




Loss of a child is the worst thing for a parent, either physically or to a lifestyle they do not agree with.




Why does Krishna neglect people? Because they neglect Him, like the rebellious adolescent who wants to do his own thing without concern for the parents.




Comment by Syamala Kishori Devi Dasi: The adolescent rebels against his parents while at the same time being maintained by the parents. In the same way, the conditioned souls rebel against God while they are being maintained by Him.




When we rebel against Krishna we always have that unsettled freedom, “How will I survive?”




Krishna is controlling everything, and He is my friend, therefore there is no anxiety.




Recognizing our helpless position is the beginning of our freedom.




We should be contrite that we gave up our wonderful relationship with Krishna.




A pure devotee is a person who depends on Krishna.




Pure devotion is expressed by our actions more than merely our words.




If a person who is successful without Krishna, is not actually successful.




Our sadhana evokes the mood of pure devotion in our hearts.




One of my godbrothers was distributing books, and someone came up to him and said he had a donation for him but it was in his car, and told him to come with him and get it. He came to the man’s car and the man pulled a gun on him, and demanded all his money. He gave him the money. The man said, “Because you have seen my face, I will have to kill you.” The devotee started chanting “namaste narasimhaya . . .”  The man’s accomplice came up in a car, and urged his friend to get in, and he did and they drove away.




Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura said to work as if everything depends on you, and to pray like everything depends on Krishna.




If we are trying to do something, and it just does not work out, it may be that it is not Krishna’s desire, and that is not a bad thing. However, if we have an order by the spiritual master, we should endeavor to carry it out no matter how difficult it is.




Three reasons people believe in impersonalism:


1. Fear of a personal relationship with the Absolute.


2. Pride in or ambition for the attainment of Godhead.


3. The teachings of Sankaracharya [Advaita Vedanta].




What do Vaishnava texts say about impersonalism?


1. The impersonal, God in the heart, and the Supreme Person are three nondual features of the Absolute Truth. (SB 1.2.11)


2. The impersonal comes from the personal feature of the Absolute Truth. (Bg. 14.27)


3. The impersonal realization is more difficult to achieve and maintain. (SB 10.2.32)




Krishna many times uses the Sanskrit equivalents of I, me, and mine in Bhagavad-gita so the impersonalists have to do a lot of word jugglery to explain the Absolute to be impersonal.




There is a problem of the conflicting interpretations of the Vaishnava and impersonalist:


aham brahmasmi: I am spirit [Vaishnava] or I am the Supreme Spirit [impersonalist].


tat tvam asi: You (Krishna) are that Supreme [Vaishnava] or You (the individual) are that Supreme. [impersonalist]




There are many examples of impersonalists becoming devotees but no examples of devotees becoming impersonalists. 




Ranjit Prabhu:




In Bhagavad-gita 7.10 Krishna explains that He is “the original seed of all existences.” Later in Bhagavad-gita14.4, Krishna stresses this point by mentioning that He is “the seed-giving father.”




Animal life is characterized by constant fear.




Material life ends in failure because as they say, “You can’t take it with you.”




Krishna says that there is no other performer than the three modes of material nature.




Bhagavad-gita2.55 says one in the transcendental consciousness gives up all desires for sense gratification, not that he gives up all sense gratification. We should direct our desires to hearing and chanting the holy name and service to the spiritual master with the understanding that Krishna is nondifferent from His holy name.




We can pray for holy name to enlighten us with this understanding of His nature.




Krishna explains to Arjuna that his idea was very limited.




Ted Turner was going to give a billion dollars in charity, and he did so to UNICEF. He also bought up a lot of prairie to protect buffalo which were becoming extinct. Now if he was Krishna consciousness, he would have protected cows.




Seeing the ability of the Vedic literature to give a consistent explanation for what we see in this world, we can have faith that its description of the spiritual world could also be accurate.




Hanan Prabhu:




Prayer is more than just what you generally think of. It is opening your mind and filling up your heart.




Prayers can make miracles in your life.I have experienced this. Prayer is a primary devotional act in my life these days.




My elder brother in Israel said, “During the two-week war in 1973 I prayed like I never prayed in my life and I felt so protected.”




A Sufi poet said, “every heart will get what it prays for the most.”




Prayer is not easy because our ego gets in the way.




Bhagavad-gita is in one sense a book about transformation.




Arjuna had what psychologists would call a breakdown.




Bhagavad-gita is set on a battlefield because Krishna wanted to show even in the most difficult situation if we have knowledge of yoga we will be victorious.




As the three primary colors produce all varieties of colors, from the three modes of material nature all material varieties are produced.




Prayer in the mode of ignorance is to harm others. Prayer in the mode of passion is  for our own benefit. Prayer in the mode of goodness is to benefit others, to transform ourselves, or to just glorify God. Prayers to do the will of God are transcendental.




Prayer is not mere recitation of words although that is part of it. Srila Prabhupada gave the example of the parrot, who can be trained to chant “Hare Krishna” but does not do so when attacked by a cat.




I saw someone running with fear on his face who disappeared into the bushes, and the policemen who followed him and then arrested him. I was a little disturbed, so I decided to pray for him, the policemen, and myself. Several months later, someone I recognized came to do hours for Krishna Lunch as community service. I asked what was his offense, and he said, “running from the police.” Then I remembered how I knew him.




Love without service is not real love. It is still about me.




The taste a devotee gets in the beginning is like a free trial given by a company hoping you get attached to their product.




One businessman told Prithu Prabhu he took Krishna consciousness seriously when he read Bhagavad-gita2.40 and learned there was no loss in devotional service.




Q: Do you have example of your plans being frustrated by Krishna and it turned out for the better?


Comment by Kalakantha Prabhu: I was on the town council of LaCrosse. A redneck guy ran against me in the next election. I lost by one vote. If my wife voted for me, I would have won. Rtadhvaja Swami then said we need someone in Gainesville, and I was free to go, so I did. 




Additional comments on classes:




comment by Naomi: So God does not do anything in the spiritual world. He just enjoys?




comment by Nicholas: One devotee explained that everything is easy in the beginning in devotional service because we are coming up to the level we were at in our previous life. Then there is sort of a plateau.




comment by Mikey: I find when I go on harinama sankirtana I am forced to participate and I get so inspired it fuels me for another week. Therefore I always go out on Friday and chant on the corner with the devotees from Alachua.




comment by Nicholas: I decided I would just talk about spiritual things. It annoyed some of my friends. Some of them it still annoys so I do not associate with them. Others, however, who developed a taste for talking about spiritual things, now search me out for such talks.




From an evening discussion with sharing of inspiring moments:




Varangi Radha Devi Dasi: I have been noticing that my life is really empty without the devotees.




Michael from New Vrindavan: Krishna was been taking care of us since time immemorial. Why won’t He take care of us now?




Haripriya: I have been just trying to hear the holy name, and it has made me very inspired.




—–




ye yatha mam prapadyante
tams tathaiva bhajamy aham
mama vartmanuvartante
manusyah partha sarvasah




[Lord Sri Krishna said:] “As all surrender unto Me, I reward them accordingly. Everyone follows My path in all respects, O son of Pritha.” (Bhagavad-gita4.11)

	


	





	

		
Travel Journal#11.3:   Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Gainesville, and Alachua 
 → Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk
	


	
	

		


Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 11, No. 3
By Krishna-kripa das
(February 2015, part one)


Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Gainesville, and Alachua
(Sent from Gainesville, Florida, on February 22, 2015)




What I Went and What I Did




February started out with a full day of festivities in Alachua and Gainesville celebrating the all auspicious appearance of Lord Nityananda, a principal associate of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who greatly assisted Him in spreading the chanting of the holy name throughout India and beyond. After chanting at Krishna Lunch for a week, I joined a party of ten devotees going to chant and help distributed Krishna food at Tallahassee’s First Friday. Then I stayed in Tallahassee, chanting at Lake Ella on the weekend and behind the Florida Statue University library on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. 






 Then Wednesday afternoon I took the bus to Jacksonville and attended the nama-hatta program at Amita Keli Devi Dasi and Lovelesh’s place. I was happy to see a couple students from the campus there as well. Then I chanted with Amrita Keli and devotees from Krishna Club on Thursday and Friday, advertising Friday’s four-hour kirtana which was held in the student union ballroom. Saturday, Valentine’s Day, I chanted with Dorian at a new venue for us in Jacksonville, the Riverside Arts Market. In the evening I attended a nama-hatta program of Jacksonville devotees at a local Hindu temple whereKalakantha Prabhu gave a lecture on family life in Krishna consciousness, Ekendra and Tulasi-priya sang beautiful bhajans, and many Indian ladies and their kids danced.




I share insights from Srila Prabhupada’s lectures, quotes from great spiritual teachers preceding him in his line, including Raghunatha Dasa Goswami, Bhaktivinoda Thakura, and Bhaktisiddhanta Saravati Thakura, a nice realization on harinama from Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, words on Lord Nityananda Prabhu’s appearance day, from Caturatma, Kalakantha, Tamohara, and Hanan Prabhus, and much more.




Thanks to Syamala Kishori Devi Dasi for her pictures of First Friday.




Insights




February 22–27: Gainesville


February 28 – March 3: Tallahassee


March 4: Gainesville


March 5 – March 6: Jacksonville 


March 7 – April 8: Florida (Gainesville, Alachua, Tallahassee, Jacksonville, Orlando and Tampa)


April 9–11: Washington, D.C. 


April 12: Albany 


April 13–15: New York City 


April 16: Toronto 


April 17–23: Ireland


April 24–25: London


April 26: Radhadesh


April 27: Amsterdam (King’s Day)




Lord Nityananda’s Auspicious Appearance Day




For much of Lord Nityananda’s Appearance Day and the days after I was feeling gratitude for Lord Nityananda making the chanting of the holy names available to us. 




After mangala-arati that day we chanted two verses containing twelve names of Lord Nityananda, which I memorized before the day ended.




nityanando ‘vadhuty indur


vasudha prana vallabha


jahnava jivita patih


krishna-prema-prada prabhu




padmavati-suta sriman


saci-nandana purvaja


bhavon matta jagat-trata


rakta-gaura-kalevaram




(1) Nityananda: the embodiment of eternal bliss


(2) Avadhuty-induh: the moon of all avadhutas (renunciates)


(3) Vasudha-prana-vallabha:the beloved of the life-breath of his wife Vasudha
(4) Jahnavi-jivita-patih: the husband enthusing Jahnavi with life


(5) Krishna-prema-prada: bestower of ecstatic love for Krishna


(6) Prabhu: the Lord and Master of the devotees


(7) Padmavati-suta: the dear son of Padmavati


(8) Sriman: full of splendrous transcendental majesty 


(9) Saci-nandana-purvaja: older brother of Sacimata´s son (Lord Caitanya)


(10) Bhavonmatta: maddened with overwhelming ecstatic emotions


(11) Jagat-trata: the savior of the universe 


(12) Rakta-gaura-kalevara: having a complexion that is golden tinged with red




In Alachua, it was wonderful the devotees offered the deities a new outfit, and at the bathing ceremony of the small Gaura Nitai deities, everyone got to take part.




I learned more details than before about Lord Nityananda Prabhu from Caturatma Prabhu’s class. 








I just record a very few of these below as I was busy in the kitchen washing cilantro and cutting curd. Ever since I was a new devotee helping with the feast was always part of a festival day for me, so I decided to do that. I also rolled a few puris for the feast in Krishna House as well.








I was extremely happy that Syamala Kishori Devi Dasi (in the dark blue sari), who is in charge of special events at Krishna House, organized a harinama between the Gainesville midday program for Lord Nityananda and the evening program in Alachua. I think she was intending to just go around the block, but I suggested we go down University Avenue across from the University where there are some shops. 








Then Dhameshvar Prabhu (front and center) suggested we go in the bars and restaurants in the mood of Lord Nityananda. The devotees were so enthusiastic we continued chanting in the temple when we returned.








I was so happy I danced a lot.




You can see a few highlights in this video (http://youtu.be/yQsYZI5HfIU):








Krishna Lunch




 




On rainy day we chant and serve under the library walkway.








Purusartha Prabhu, on the harmonium, began chanting with us again twice a week.




First Friday




At the Krishna Dinner at First Friday in Tallahassee I met a girl named Michele who goes to Krishna Lunch at UF and her boyfriend Zak who goes to Krishna Lunch at FSU – a Krishna Lunch couple spanning two universities! They sat with some devotees from Krishna House in Gainesville and were comparing the different halavas. They liked the halava at FSU better as it sticks together more. Bassil, who also sampled both halavas, agreed. If only every campus had Krishna Lunch!








We chanted sitting down for awhile with Syamala Kishori Devi Dasi leading beautifully.










Chelsea talked to people and distributed some books.








Then we did a walking kirtana around the entire place.






 Syamala took this rare picture of Mike and his four-armed form.








Syamala and Bhaktin Chelsea had a great time dancing in front.








Mikey told me later he had many inspiring experiences distributing books.




Chanting at Lake Ella




On a sunny and warm Saturday I chanted at Lake Ella for three hours joined by Bassil, who was visiting from Gainesville to see if he might be better situated here in Tallahassee. Nama Kirtan Prabhu joined us at the beginning and end and Karl at the end. At least a couple of people liked the music, which impressed me as none of us are real musicians. One young lady who passed us said she might return for one of our free vegan cookies, and I joking replied if she did not, we would track her down. When she passed by again, just a few minutes before we packed up, going in the opposite direction, I was wondering how she would get her cookie as we could easily leave before she returned. As it turned out, we had packed up and were walking to the car, when she came back. We gave her a cookie, and several of us talked to her. She ended up taking an invitation to Krishna Lunch FSU and five cookies for her five friends. Many people sat in hearing range of us, but there was no sign of aversion to our music, just several cases of appreciation and one or two of suspicion by passersby. Bassil gave a long-haired older man a Beyond Birth and Death, saying it was the best book he ever read. Bassil and Karl helped distribute cookies. It was a good day.




Chanting at Florida State University




I met one girl who took a class on religions of Southeast Asia, which included Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism. She was attracted to Bhagavad-gita and Science of Self-Realization, and would have given a donation and taken them if I had a credit card reader. She said she would go to the ATM and return but she never did.




One young man came up to me because he heard my kirtana. He had gone to Krishna Lunch the previous year when Daru was doing it and had chanted kirtana with Daru at our place, thus he was attracted by the singing. He was majoring in philosophy. I encounter more philosophy majors at this school than any others. He spoke about coming to the Krishna Lunch again and coming to the Bhakti Yoga Club meeting that evening.




One Chinese girl who came to several programs a couple weeks earlier came to our Tuesday Bhagavad-gita class. I stressed how bhakti-yoga was the easiest yoga as you can engage your natural talents in the service of the Lord. You can do music for the Lord, or art, or cooking. As I knew she had a masters degree in accounting, I also said you can do accounts for Krishna. After prasadam she stayed for over an hour helping with the Tallahassee Krishna Lunch accounting and giving several practical suggestions. It is actually so rare that people are so enthusiastic to immediately apply what they hear in class it was inspiring to see. She also brought some vegetarian Chinese dumplings which we boiled and offered to Krishna, and included as part of the evening meal. When she left I gave her a few vegan cookies for her roommates. Actually devotional service is so valuable if thatgirl becomes a pure devotee of Krishna, all our outreach activities in Tallahassee over manyyears are a success.




As I was waiting for Nama Kirtan Prabhu to pick me up and take me to the Jacksonville bus, I kept singing and one young lady happily stop by who had gone to Krishna Lunch before and even cooked for the previous Higher Taste restaurant run by the devotees from South America. She had nice memories of that and the devotees, even though she never got paid for her work. She liked my vegan cookies, and I gave her a few to go to make her happy.




Chanting at University of North Florida




Some devotees from the University of North Florida Krishna Club and I chanted on the green for several hours for two days to promote the club and their four-hour kirtana event.




The first day I chanted by myself and also with Amita Krishna, the Hare Krishna chaplain at UNF, and several students for seven and a half hours. Once one student came by on her skate board, and listened for a while. 








Then she sat on her skate board, reading Visakha’s illustrated Bhagavad-gita, as I continued to chant. 








When Dorian and I were chanting this young lady








did a crude sketch of us.












Rae Jeana, the president of Krishna Club, and Dorian came out both days for several hours themselves. She sang and played the drum and Dorian played the karatalas (http://youtu.be/d0k1ty SgDn7k):






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and after I left, Rae Jeana, Dorian, and a friend of theirs sang for more than an hour before our Krishna Club meeting.




At Krishna Club we had more new people than usual. These included a young lady who was friend of a regular attender and a young Indian gentleman who had been to the Wednesday nama-hatta but never to the campus program. The ladytold me that the friend who brought her to Krishna Club previously gave her Radhanath Swami’s The Journey Home, and that she had already read 70 pages of it and was fascinated. Kara, a regular attender, for the first time led the few minutes of hatha-yoga in the beginning, and did sovery confidently and efficiently.




I chanted my favorite tune in the kirtana, onethat is beautiful to hear but is difficult to sing, and I was happily surprised to hear how well the students chanted in response. After the prasadam and before the lecture, Amrita Keli, our Hare Krishna chaplain at UNF, decided it would be good to go to a vigil happening just then at the Gandhi statue in front of our room to protest the recent and widely publicized cruel killing of three Muslims by an atheistic antagonist. We held candles and different people spoke. I did not speak as it is a delicate situation, and I was not sure exactlywhat to say. Amrita, from her campus interfaith work, knew many people involved in the quiet demonstration.




I spoke on that night’sBhagavad-gita verse describing lust which is later transformed to wrath which is the all devouring sinful enemy of the world. In the course of the lecture Imentioned how that assassin was moved by anger arising unfulfilled selfish desires to perform such a cruel act. Devotional service to the Lord, as a side effect, destroys selfish desires that lead to anger, but those who are too atheistically inclined will not perform it, and so they remain subject to anger and its destructive consequences.




One result of attending the vigil was the program went late and we did not have time for the second kirtana, which is a nice feature of our program at UNF’s Krishna Club.  Other such programsin other places often only have one kirtana. Srila Prabhupada’s original programs at 26 2ndAvenue, were kirtana, lecture, and then another kirtana. Sankirtana is the dharma of this age, and it is good to have as much of it as possible.






The second day I chanted on the campus, Richie, a guitarist, who previously had no relationship with Krishna Club, played along with Rae Jeana and Dorian(http://youtu.be/dge5qpxhuiQ):
























Later another boy joined Richie in playing guitar with us. When we left Richie said he would like to play with us again and later that day came to our four-hour kirtana event.




University of North Florida is my favorite school to chant at because students from the Krishna Club always join me in chanting. Besides that, new students also often join us and listen, sing, talk with us, or play instruments.




Devotees from Gainesville and Alachua came for the four-hour kirtana event organized by the Krishna Club at the University of North Florida.




Rae Jeana, the president of the Krishna Club, spoke in appreciation of kirtana, “I find I am often lost in the tangle of my mind, and I see other people in the same situation. By the chanting, I become free from this tangle. I find I connect with Krishna, and soI feel am never alone. I also feel through the chanting that I connect with others.”




Hari Priya, daughter of Yadubaraand Visakha Prabhus, said she had been chanting her whole life, but just in the last few months she feels more intimately connected with the holy name. She explained that recently she has been chanting kirtana in different countries, and hasnoticed how universal the chanting is. It does not depend on race, religion, or nationality. All kinds of people get caught up in the kirtana, and through the holy name they experience theyare all connected.




One young lady silently listened to the kirtana. During dinner she talked to Mother Akuti. Afterward she sang softly in addition to just listening. Just ten minutes before the end, Amrita asked if she wanted to dance, and she said yes, so Amrita broughther into the dance. I thanked her for coming after it was over and asked her if she had come to Krishna Club activities before. She had not. She just found a flyer on the floor of the library and came to the kirtana event. I gave her a flyer for the club and told her the address of Kalakantha Prabhu’s program at the Hindu temple the next day. Devotees told me later that she came to the Krishna Club meeting the next week, and that she is talented lady, playing five instruments.








Gauranga Prasada Prabhu, playing the harmonium, started off the evening with beautiful tunes. 








Matt, who has been coming to Krishna Club for over two years, led a Mayapuri’s tune he learned on the guitar.








Two young ladies who regularly attend Krishna Club smiled, chanted, and clapped, while sitting in the audience. 








Then when the devotees on the stage invited others to join them, they took advantage of the chance, and blissfully chanted on the stage with the other devotees. Madhava Prabhu, on the far right, who loves devotional music, came all the way from LaCrosse to help out.








The young and the young at heart danced.








Students danced.








Ladies danced.








Even a few guys danced on the left.








A couple danced.








Amrita danced with some very enthusiastic Indian girls.










Even the prasadam servers danced.








Kalakantha Prabhu led the final kirtana, inspiring many people to dance.






 People danced in a circle, coming into the center and back out.






 People would swing each other around.








At the end of the final kirtana, everyone was dancing.








The Krishna Club regulars came up in front at the end of the program.




A girl who had come to our Thursday program for the first time, being inspired by a friend who is one of our regulars, also came to the Friday kirtana program, staying almost the whole time. When she left, she told me to tell her when I would be singing on the campus green again because she wanted to join me. 




About 130 people came to the kirtana, fewer than we hoped, but the people who did come had a wonderful time, and many stayed for many hours. Thus it was a great success, and Amrita was talking about doing two this semester instead of just one.




Vaishnava Prabhu from New Vrindavan made wonderful vegan spaghetti, and people likedtheprasadam. 




All in all, it was a great event.




Chanting at the Riverside Arts Market




In other parts of the world I go on harinama every day, but when I am in Gainesville, I take the weekend off, primarily because I do not know of places where there would be a lot of people on the weekend. I feel a little bad about that, so when I had a chance to spend Saturday in Jacksonville, a far bigger city, I took advantage of it. When Dorian and I got to the Riverside Arts Market we were surprised that the person who greeted the marketguests was an older man who had attended our four-hour kirtana program the night before and loved it. I gave him the invitation to our Saturday programs in Jacksonville, and asked him the best place for us to chant where we would not disturb the vendors. We settled on a sunny place between the parking lot and the market entrance. Many favorable people came by. The first person I talked to knew about our event the night before, and asked how it was. She took an invitation for the weekly programs on the campus. I met one guy who remembered talking with me at the Jacksonville Ratha-yatra in September of 2013. We tried to encourage him to stay and chant with us, but he had different excuses to go and do something else.




For more pictures click on the link below:





Insights




Srila Prabhupada:




from purport to “Nitai Pada Kamala”:  “If one actually wants to enter into the dancing party of Radha-Krishna, he must firmly catch hold of the lotus feet of Lord Nityananda.”




from a lecture on the Appearance Day of Bhaktisiddhanta Saravati Thakura:




The most important of the so-called followers of Lord Caitanya are the jati-gosai, who have created a caste of goswamis. Such an idea is notpart of the traditionalculture.




Although the brahmana community had rejected Sanatana and Rupa Goswamis, Lord Caitanya made them Goswamis, the topmost level of brahminical culture. Thus the hereditary brahmanas do not like Load Caitanya.




Tirtha Maharaja, who was formerly with the Ramakrishna Mission, became an early disciple who helped Bhaktisiddhanta Saravati Thakura greatly.




In 1922 when I met Bhaktisiddhanta Saravati Thakura, he said “Why don’t you preach this Caitanya cult in the Western countries?” That was a memorable day. I talked in so many ways, “Who will hear your Cbaitanya’s message? We are a dependent country.”




I was married in 1918 and had my first child 1921, so in 1922 when I was convinced by my Guru Maharaja, “Here is the proper person who can give a real religious idea” I considered that this great personality was asking me to preach, but I was married, and he did not say I should give up my married life.




In 1928, there was Kumbha-mela, and the Gaudiya Matha people came to Allahabad, and sought my support, and started a center there in Allahabad. Because I was always thinking of them, I was very happy to meet them again.




Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura had 50 of his 64 temples in Bengal, and then others in Madras, Puri, Allahabad, etc.




I wrote him in December 1936, “I could not do any direct service for you as a householder. Is there anything I can do for you?” He replied, “Try to preach whatever you have learned from me in the English language. That will do good to you and others.” It was the same instruction he gave me in 1922.




Because he desired, only thing is I believed in his words, cent per cent. 




This movement should go on. This should not be neglected. Try sincerely to follow the rules and regulations. They are not difficult. They are simple, but because you are trained differently . . . . By the grace of Lord Caitanya I am hopeful that this movement can be accepted by everyone. This movement should be pushed on.




If we struggle hard to push on this movement, even if we do not get any followers, Krishna will be satisfied, and our goal is to satisfy Krishna. Our acaryas will be satisfied. Guru Maharaja will be satisfied. And by their being satisfied, Krishna will be satisfied.




There is no question of stopping anything. The question is purifying. Everything must be utilized in Krishna’s service.




I am simply a postal peon just delivering the message of my Guru Maharaja.




from a lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.7.19 at Vrindavan on September 16, 1976:




One is not a brahmanaunless he acts as a brahmana. This is the Vedic system.




They have discovered nuclear weapon, but not something to counteract it. 




Hitler had the nuclear weapon but did not use it because of its mass destruction, but the Americans got it and used it against Japan.




Srila Raghunatha Das Goswami:




fromSri Stavavali,Volume 4, Sri Visakhanandabhidha-stotra (Prayers with Names that are the Bliss of Visakha): 




“Text 124 




“Lord Madhava is famous in the three worlds
because His name is connected to the name of Radha.
Sri Radha is famous in the world
because Her name is connected to the name of Lord Madhava.




“Text 125


“Just as the sweet fragrance of musk perfume
is not different from the substance musk,
just as moonlight is not different from the moon, and just as the
beautiful blossoms of a tree are
not different from the tree,
in the same way Sri Radha is not different from Lord Krishna.”




Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura:




from Saranagati, Sri Nama-mahatmya, verse 7:




“Blossoming fully, the flower of the holy name takes me to Vraja and reveals to me His own love-dalliance. This Name gives to me my own eternal spiritual body, keeps me right by Krishna’s side, and completely destroys everything related to this mortal frame of mine.”




Bhaktisiddhanta Saravati Thakura:




“Let me not desire anything but the highest good for my worst enemy.”




Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:




from “Poem for February 2”:




“Going on harinamais a
delightful experience. At first
a devotee may be reluctant,
thinking he is tired or
he or she may be afraid they
will be mocked by the public.
But once they get out there
and sing with the group,
the spiritual energy
takes over. The pleasure-
giving potency infuses one with
bliss, and Krishna gives courage
to endure any unfriendly
reception from the nondevotees.
The more regularly one goes
out one gains confidence
and wants to do it every day.”




Caturatma Prabhu:




from a lecture on Lord Nityananda’s Appearance Day:




Lord Nityananda Prabhu did not do sankirtana in just a few villages around his home or just the nine islands of Navadvipa, but in every town and village.




The members of the kirtana party of Nityananda Prabhu did not eat for three months. They were absorbed in chanting and dancing with Lord Nityananda Prabhu.




Children who chanted the name of Nityananda were so overpowered by ecstatic devotion seven people could not restrain them. Some went for a month without eating, being absorbed in ecstasy.




on Bhaktisiddhanta Saravati Thakura’s appearance:




Bhaktisiddhanta Saravati Thakura introduced innovations wearing proper shoes and use automobiles that we not part of traditional Gaudiya Vaishnavism.




He was the fourth of Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s ten children.




He had the thirty-two auspicious characteristics of a great soul.




At six months it is time for a child to take solid food and that is celebrated with the grain ceremony in the Vedic culture.




Bhaktisiddhanta Saravati Thakura’s grain ceremony was celebrated on the cart of Lord Jagannatha on the day of Ratha-yatra when the cart stopped in front of his house.




The astrologer all agreed that his chart said “brilliant preacher of sanatana-dharma.”


He was the eleven generation in the line of Narottama dasa Thakura’s father, a very auspicious family.




He started worshiping the Kurma-sila at the age of seven and maintained it through his youth, not distracted by adolescence, which takes devotion. 




Bhaktivinoda Thakura noted that his son Bhaktisiddhanta Saravati Thakura heard his lectures with rapt attention.




He read all the books in the Sanskrit college library in Calcutta.


Jagannatha Dasa Babaji Maharaja encouraged him to produce a calendar, panjika,for the Gaudiya Vaishnavas.




One can visit the dhama as a tourist, seeing this place and that place, or a pilgrim, serving the residents of the dhama.




Gaurakisora Das Babaji Maharaj observing the renunciation of Bhaktisiddhanta Saravati Thakura and his vow to chant many holy names said, “I see the renunciation of Rupa and Raghunath in my Prabhu.”




Kalakantha Prabhu:  




Psychologists say we act compassionately toward those less fortunate than ourselves because we want people to help us when we are in an unfortunate condition.




Thoreau said most people lead a life of quiet desperation.




Spiritual life means addressing the issue of inevitable suffering and not postponing it.




Yoga means to live our life today so we come to peace with existence.




When we return home after seven years, although all our cells have changed, people still recognize us and feel affection for us because we are different from our body.




To share knowledge of a higher happiness is a compassion that is beyond any sectarian religious idea. It is a noble idea throughout history.




Sometimes we have an idea that God is a vindictive person ready to zap us at any moment. God is not mad if we go away, just sorry.




His outreach to humanity through His representatives and His literature are proof of God’s compassion. 




Nityananda is Krishna’s first expansion to reach out to humanity.




He would go everywhere and anywhere and approach anyone and everyone and invite them to chant the Holy Name, even though the people he approached had not previously shown any interest in anything spiritual.  




If you are shy, go into the closet and chant.




I can sit here and tell you how nice the chanting is, but when you try it yourself you can see.




The Wellness Center reported that depression rose 60% and suicide went up 100%. They found it was due to social media. People think they are connected, but they are not really connected.




Chanting brings peace of mind and culturing knowledge brings peace of mind.




Q (by Ananda Seva): People think material prosperity is evidence of God’s favor.


A: Any parent knows you cannot always fulfill the kids’ desires. You have to discipline them. Discipline is not always what the kids want but it is what the kids need. Thus adversity is also God’s favor.




Sudama, the garland maker of Mathura who gave Krishna and Balarama garlands, asked the Lord for the same benedictions as Maharaj Parikshit asked for, complete attachment to the unlimited Lord Krishna, association with His devotees, and friendly relations with all living beings.




When we chant it is just ourselves, Krishna, and His mercy.




If we are either angry with ourselves or proud of ourselves, it will be difficult to have friendly dealings with other people.




Not wanting respect but respecting everyone is the strategy for having friendship with all beings.




Saying anything in the name of honesty can be violence.




Diplomacy is the art of telling someone to go to hell and have them look forward to the trip.




To be a devotee means to always respond in a friendly way. There is a saying “to disagree without being disagreeable.”




Canakya Pandit lists four ways of dealing with a rascal. Start with sweet words and try to understand his point of view. Everyone has the potential to do the right thing and if we start in the right way, they may respond rightly. If that fails, offer them a gift to bring them to a position of a compromise.




It takes a while for us to realize that sense gratification will not make us happy so it is  not a surprise that people have difficulty.




False humility is the back side of conceit.




Comment by Syamala Kishori Devi Dasi: The acaryas explain that Krishna dealt more harshly with the garment seller in Mathura than usual because He was with Balarama and He considered the garment seller’s impudent refusal to give in charity was offensive to Balarama [who is most respectable, being both the Lord and a great devotee].




Evil convinces us this material world is not enjoyable.




One aspiring devotee in New Zealand decided to join ashram but he had never had the experience of sex, so he wanted to do it once before he moved in. He started the evening by taking an attractive girl he knew out to a bar. He was just sitting on the bar stool with the girl when someone came into the bar and punched him in the head, and he fell to the ground unconscious. He had to go the hospital. When he recovered from his wounds, the first thing he did was to join the ashram. He had enough of the material world.




In just 6% or 7% of the Bhagavad-gita verses Krishna talks about himself.




from Valentine’s Day lecture on Bg. 3.35:




Once Srila Prabhupada was teaching some of the early devotees how to cook. Mukunda opened the door to the kitchen, interrupting the lesson, and Srila Prabhupada asked him what he wanted. He just said he wanted to see his wife. Srila Prabhupada replied, “Do you want to go back to Godhead or back to wife?” Later Mukunda inquired, “Isn’t there love in Krishna consciousness?”


Prabhupada replied, “Love is for Krishna.”




Duty is a foundational principal in Bhagavad-gita. Also in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, first of all, Maharaja Pariksit inquired about the duty of man at the end of life.




Krishna does not expect us to immediately love Him: “If you cannot fix your mind upon Me without deviation, then follow the regulative principles of bhakti-yoga.In this way develop a desire to attain Me. If you cannot practice the regulations of bhakti-yoga,then just try to work for Me, because by working for Me you will come to the perfect stage. If, however, you are unable to work in this consciousness of Me, then try to act giving up all results of your work and try to be self-situated. If you cannot take to this practice, then engage yourself in the cultivation of knowledge. Better than knowledge, however, is meditation, and better than meditation is renunciation of the fruits of action, for by such renunciation one can attain peace of mind.” (Bhagavad-gita 12.9–12)




Love for Krishna is dormant in the heart and is awakened by hearing and chanting about Him, but it is a gradual process until it is fully manifested. During that time, our relationships with others can be done in a way that nurtures our relationship with Krishna.




Krishna explains to the gopis that there are three kinds of lovers: (1) those who do not reciprocate when loved, (2) those who reciprocate when loved, and (3) those who love whether reciprocated with or not. In the last category are true friends, parents, and saints. 




One cannot execute the duties of household life if there is no love just the warrior cannot execute his duty of fighting if there is no anger.




How can we be selfless in our relationship with Krishna without being selfless in our relationships with others?




Nothing has provided me with more experiences that have helped me in my service to Srila Prabhupada than my being married and raising a family.




Comment by Ekendra Prabhu: This verse about doing our own duty seems to indicate that we must have someone in our life who can enlighten us about our duty otherwise we will not have a clue what to do.




If our children know they are loved unconditionally that is the most powerful force in encouraging them to do the right thing.




Comment by Dhira Prabhu: Devotees asked the Srila Prabhupada about what to do in the case of a nuclear war. He advised them to chant Hare Krishna, explaining in the case, “The kirtana starts here and goes on in the spiritual world.”




If we make our duties to Krishna the prime duty in our lives, then somehow or other we will have time for the other things.




Nanda Dasi:




Although people make a show of being united, in different ways their diverging interests eventually become manifest.




Comment by Syamala Kishori Devi Dasi: As souls we are eternal, knowledgeable, and full of bliss, and so we are very much similar despite our bodily differences.




Q (Kalakantha Prabhu): When Srila Prabhupada was here, there was a great deal of unity. Since then there have developed schisms over GBC actions that some could not accept, What to do about this?


A: We have to focus on our points of unification. Wait for the tide to change. Our points of unity are so strong that in time the differences will be revealed to be inconsequential.




The Precetas were all individuals and did different things just as you at Krishna House do different things, cooking, serving out lunch, cleaning.




Comment by Tulasirani Devi Dasi: When you are dancing in kirtana together, all differences melt away, and I have experienced that.




It is said Krishna swallows the fire of disagreements between His devotees out of his compassion for them.




Comment by Dhameshvar: It is good to stick with our group in the beginning. Later when we mature we can deal more individually because it is not that everyone in ISKCON is good and everyone outside ISKCON is bad.




Tamohara Prabhu:




The entire of village of Ekacakra was absorbed in love of God seeing Lord Nityananda enact the pastimes of Krishna.




Laksmipati Tirtha Swami asked that Nitai be his traveling companion.




All the expansions of the Lord have their own personalities. Lord Nityananda was funny, childlike, and without material desires.




Srila Prabhupada explained we must get spiritual strength from Balaram (Nityananda) and Lord Gauranga to advance in Krishna consciousness.




If we approach the degraded people to give them the holy mercy, Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda will be merciful to us.




Madhai and Jagai were like a street gang. Because they were full engaged in sinful activities, they did not have time to criticize devotees.




Because Jagai advised his brother not to strike Lord Nityananda again, Lord Caitanya became merciful and blessed him with love of Godhead and revealed his Vishnu form. Seeing the mercy Madhai received, Madhai appealed to Lord Caitanya for mercy, and Lord Caitanya advised him to take shelter of the feet of Lord Nityananda, which he did, and Lord Nityananda embraced and forgave him.




Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda continue to extend their mercy through the chanting of the holy name of the Lord.




Comment by Advaita Acarya Prabhu: Until the 17th century in Vrindavan, there was a debate about whether Gaura Nitai could be worshiped on the same altar as Radha Krishna.  Baladeva Vidyabhusana, with his commentary on Govinda-bhasya, resolved this.




Subuddhi Krishna Prabhu: 




The powerful lion often has but one club. Similarly Gaurakisora Dasa Babaji Maharaja had one disciple, Bhaktisiddhanta Saravati Thakura.




Dina Bandhu Prabhu:




We are better off in doing outreach to be situated in an ashram, either as a householder or renunciate, or in other words, to be committed to a spouse or to be committed to practicing celibacy, because then our minds will be peaceful.




Hanan Prabhu:




One Christian who preaches to gang members says that we have circles of compassion. For example, for some people compassion extends to their immediate family, while for others it extends to the whole community. 




I encountered a man in a place of pilgrimage in India who said he came to feed the ants. Because it was a holy place he wanted to feed the ants there as a good deed.




Do you have examples of compassion touching your heart? Say briefly.




Mikey: It touched me how Mother Caitanya first invited me on harinama.




Ananda Seva Prabhu: I feel God is compassionate to me because I am surrounded by a lot of people I did not really deserve to be associated with.




?: One study show homeless people with less are willing to give more.




Rasa-raja Prabhu: I feel grateful for all my mentors.




?: I have been traveling since high school. I felt grateful for the many people who have  helped me along the way.




?: I got a book at a music festival.




Mother of Gauranga Prasada Prabhu: I am grateful I can receive compassionate messages.




Tulasi-priya Devi: If you would subtract all the compassion I have received this life I would just be a pile of ashes and not a real person like you see here.




Brahma-tirtha Prabhu (formerly Bob Cohen, who inquires in Perfect Questions, Perfection Answers): I am composed of the compassion I received. I had a spark of 


interest, and Srila Prabhupada fanned it, and I am grateful for that.




Prahlada explained to his classmates that the Lord was present everywhere but that we have to please Him to see Him everywhere.




I was explaining to my father that in India people are really happy. Although we think wealth, fame, and beauty are causes of happiness, we see that people who have these are not always happy. Marilyn Monroe committed suicide out of loneliness. 




	


	





	

		
Travel Journal#11.2: Florida 
 → Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk
	


	
	

		


Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 11, No. 2
By Krishna-kripa das
(January 2015, part two)


Florida
(Sent from Gainesville, Florida, on February 4, 2015)




Where I Went and What I Did




The second half of January I remained in the Gainesville for the first week. That Monday, January 19, devotees from Gainesville and Alachua chanted in the Martin Luther King Parade in Gainesville. The rest of the month I visited Jacksonville, Tallahassee, and Tampa, especially to chant at the campuses there and attend the programs we have for students at University of North Florida, Florida State University, and University of South Florida. I also chanted at Lake Ella while in Tallahassee and in Ybor City, a night spot in Tampa on the last Friday of January. The last day of the month devotees from Gainesville, Alachua, and Tampa chanted at the Gasparilla Pirate Festival in Tampa.




I share quotes and notes from Srila Prabhupada’s books and lectures. I also include an excerpt from a poem by Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami on the introduction of counter beads in ISKCON. I share notes on classes by senior devotees in Alachua and Gainesville such as Mother Akuti and Kalakantha Prabhu, and the newer devotees at Krishna House. I also have some notes on a Skype class by Prema Sindhu Prabhu which I heard while staying with Vijay, a middle-aged Indian devotee, who is based in Tampa.




Thanks toLovelesh and Nama Kirtan Prabhu for their kind donations. Thanks to Vijay of Tampa for letting me stay at his place and for giving me rides. Thanks to Krishna Kishor, generally known as Kishor, for driving me around Tampa and joining me on harinama and college outreach.




Itinerary




February 4–5: Gainesville


February 6–10: Tallahassee


February 11–13: Jacksonville


February 14: Gainesville


February 15: Ocala Rainbow Region Gathering


February 16–17: Gainesville


February 18: Orlando


February 19: Tampa


February 20: Orlando


February 21: Jacksonville Monster Truck Rally Harinama


February 22–27: Gainesville


February 28 – March 3: Tallahassee


March 4: Gainesville


March 5 – March 6: Jacksonville 


March 7 – April 8: Florida (Gainesville, Alachua, Tallahassee, Jacksonville, Orlando and Tampa)


April 9–11: Washington, D.C. 


April 12: Albany 


April 13–15: New York City 


April 16: Toronto 


April 17–23: Ireland


April 24–25: London


April 26: Radhadesh


April 27: Amsterdam (King’s Day)




Martin Luther King Parade








There was a greater Krishna presence than ever at this year’s Martin Luther King Parade. A larger group of devotees from Alachua joined us than usual, and they bought a very powerful sound system so I think everyone in the parade could hear Hare Krishna. We also had ten devotees from Gainesville, more than ever before.




I parked the van in the middle of the parade route as I did not think I had time to park it at the end. As I approached the beginning of the parade, a young man on a bicycle recognized me as a Hare Krishna, and asked if we were going to be in the parade. He was happy to hear we were, and asked if he could join us, and I said yes. 











He happily rode his bike alongside the chanting devotees for at least a third of the parade. 




While we were getting ready to start the march, an older Unitarian Universalist lady who spoke to me, said a couple of times, “I like your religion.” 




 


One young Afro-American lady enjoyed clapping to our music.
  


Here is a little video so you can see what it was like (http://youtu.be/teRBFp32Gc0):








A perennial problem in parades is keeping up with the people ahead of us. I saw the gap widening between ourselves (the lastgroup)and the party ahead of us. I thought we should move faster and tighten up the gap, but I really dislike telling people what to do. So I decided to dance in front of our party and thus bridge the gap myself. Some of the male devotees behind me also began dancing in a similar way. 




 


One University of Florida journalism student took many pictures of the dancing devotees, and Franco and I spoke to her briefly. She said she would submit the photos to the student newspaper, The Alligator. I told her that we understand that all living entities, plants, animals, and human beings, are children of God, and are equal on the spiritual plane. By the congregational glorification of God we can attain that plane of equality. I told her how I had talked to a couple Christian girls at the progressive dinner organized by the U.F. chaplains, and how they sang in the choirs of their churches and that when I explained our tradition teaches the congregational glorification of God is the most powerful spiritual practice, they said “That is what we like most about our church too.” She had never heard of the progressive dinner and thought it would be an interesting event to cover.




After the parade, as I walked back to the van, a middle-aged Afro-American lady said, “You are not going already, are you?”




All the Gainesville devotees were very happy they attended the event, even though we were half an hour late for lunch. 




For one new girl named Mary (in the pants above), who works at Krishna Lunch, that harinama was her first, and she was glad she went. We shared out realizations in the van after the event. 




Dhameshvar Mahaprabhu (holding the drum above) said, “I like to chant in public a lot more than I like to chant in private. Because when you can get people to participate it is just that much more fun and dynamic. It just opens up the energy more, rather than it being a social thing.” 








Syamala Kishori Dasi (wearing the purple sari above) said, “It was fun when they were all dancing with us.”  




Franco (in the yellow cadar above) said, “It being Martin Luther King Day the people who would come us to ask up questions I would tell, ‘God is seated in the body of everyone whether they are black or white, so God consciousness means to be respectful of all races because God does not discriminate with race. God will reside in the body of black man, a white man, an Indian, an Asian, a whatever. Racial equality goes hand in hand with God consciousness. That is why we are here honoring Martin Luther King.’ I really liked to be able to connect with people in a meaningful way and relate it back to Krishna consciousness. That was my favorite part.”




The Alachua devotees stayed and chanted for a half hour at the end of the parade. Krishna Keshava Prabhu said that everyone appreciated our presence there. There was no negativity.




Chanting at the Farmers Market








We continued chanting at the Farmers Market on Wednesdays.




  
One lady (on the left above) danced with us.








Mother Caitanya is always reaching out to others.




Evening Kirtan at Krishna House












Chanting at the University of North Florida




As we were unloading our instruments and books to chant at the University of North Florida campus in Jacksonville, a police lady asked if I was a Hare Krishna. I said yes and asked how she knew about Hare Krishna. She explained she grew up in the neighborhood of our Miami temple in the late 1970s, the property with a lot of fruit trees on it. She remembers that the Krishnas had the same tropical fruits other people had, but they had star fruit in addition. The devotees would give the the kids food and be friendly toward them. The parents warned their children to be cautious dealing with the devotees, but she saw the Hare Krishnas were good people, and she credited her visits to the devotees with making her more trusting of people of different backgrounds, so much so that she married a Jamaican. She told us that at University of North Florida one police officer who was a friend of hers, was given the service of interfacing with the student clubs, and she said she would give our invitation card to her. She further said that new officer is trying to live without red meat and is moving in the direction of being vegetarian.




A new lady named Laura, who has only been coming to the nama-hatta programs for a week, joined Amrita Keli and I chanting on the campus for two hours. Dorian and Youssef, who plays the guitar, joined us midway.








Amrita took a picture of our growing party with Laura’s camera. 




Alex, Chad, and Matt also joined us.








Matt, who has been coming to the University of North Florida Krishna Club for over two years, went to the Sacred Sounds event at that campus and liked a tune sung by Kish of the Mayapuris so much he figured out how to play it on the guitar. Matt sang the tune with four other attenders of Krishna Club on the green (http://youtu.be/CvRsAW0zWSc): 








I like that school so much because the students are always willing to sing with us.




At the meeting, Laura sang a tune from Mitra Sena’s CD that she learned how to play on the guitar.




I was stressing in my lecture how there is higher taste from devotional activities and on the strength of that one can renounce material activities. I asked the students if they had experiences showing performing devotional activities had a positive effect on their lives.




One girl mentioned how she was in track in school, and they had to run, but she was not in the mood. Their instructor told her to do nine more laps. She decided to pray to Jesus. She found she gained such strength she was passing some of the other girls although previously she did not feel like running.




Mit told how he used to travel an hour and a half each way from Jacksonville to the Alachua Hare Krishna temple for the free feast on Sunday. His friends thought he was crazy. One Sunday, as he was finishing his feast, one devotee serving the drink was asking for volunteers to help clean up. Mit did not want to do it so he said he had to go in 15 minutes. The devotee, Kaliyaphani Prabhu, replied, “Whatever you can do will be sufficient.” Mit realized he was tricked into doing 15 minutes of service, thus he went to the kitchen. He kept his eye on the clock, and but when fifteen minutes passed, he decided to stay just a few minutes more. When he would finish the pots in the sink, the devotees would bring more pots. He ended up staying two hours, and he experienced great happiness from doing the service, which for him, was completely unexpected.




A man and his son visiting the campus helped Amrita Keli bring in the prasadam, and she gave them a plate of Krishna food, which was a very good pasta with vegetables.




Dorian is always willing to lead a second kirtana, and a bunch of people stayed for that.




The students at that program also like to talk among themselves after the formal discussion and before and after the final kirtana, so it often goes late. Still it is auspicious that they value the association of fellow spiritual aspirants. 




Chanting at Florida State University in Tallahassee




The first day at FSU I only went out for two hours in an area protected from the rain at the front of a building with classrooms in it. I met a young lady who is graduating this year with an undergraduate degree in religion and psychology. She also studied yoga in Boulder, Colorado, during the summer  break. I told her that Bhagavad-gita is full of both religion and psychology, and she should definitely get it. I quoted Bg. 2.62–63 and 6.5–7, and she liked what she heard. She did not have money with her for the book, but I told her where I would be on the campus next week also said that the books are available at the lunch program. I talked to a freshman lady majoring in biology who was vegetarian. She was very excited to hear of the Krishna Lunch all you can eat vegetarian meal for just $5. There were other students interested both in the vegetarian lunch and the classes on mantra meditation, and I was very happy I went out, despite the rain, to try to connect people with Krishna.




The second day on the campus two philosophy majors stopped by the Bhakti Yoga Club table where I was chanting Hare Krishna. I think Krishna must be sending people to me, otherwise what are the odds? Often days go by without seeing a philosophy major. Another young man said “Hare Krishna” as he walked by, and I asked him how he knew about Hare Krishna, and he said his name was Cody and he got Bhagavad-gita and some small books from Damodar, now Dhamesvara Mahaprabhu.




He came that very evening to the meeting of the Bhakti Yoga Club on campus, and he came by my book table and talked with me every day I was in Tallahassee. One of the philosophy majors also came to the meeting of the Bhakti Yoga Club on campus. He wanted to buy the Bhagavad-gita, but he had no money with him. I encouraged him to get it at our Krishna Lunch or the next club meeting. In the interim, he could download Gitabase for his Android phone. One person stopped by the table and asked the price of the soft bound Gita, and I said we just needed a donation enough to cover the price of the book, and he asked if $10 was enough, and I said it was, and so he took. A couple girls walked passed my table, and one said she just found $1 on the ground and asked if I wanted it, so I said yes. I recall three girls who stopped by the table had been to our Tallahassee Krishna Lunch. Two said they loved it and the other said, “They have the best food!” I had some other nice conversations, and it was one of my best days on that campus. Perhaps it was because it was Advaita Acarya’s auspicious appearance day. Nama Kirtan Prabhu invited a girl from the Krishna Lunch to come for the club meeting and she came as well. Even though we found out just half an hour before the meeting our room was not booked for this week, we went to the building and found we could have our meeting in the yoga and meditation room of the same building. We put a sign about the new room where people looking for the original room would spot it, and we had a successful meeting with three people we invited that day. The lesson I learned from that is if you do not stop trying and you try to work with the other devotees, Krishna will reciprocate.




While in Tallahassee I attended a yoga program by Garuda Prabhu, who teaches yoga postures along with an interfaith presentation of spiritual wisdom. He had a full crowd. Several persons introduced themselves as followers of Christ, so when I introduced myself I said I was interested in singing devotional songs and universal wisdom rather than stressing Hare Krishna. We did lots of stretching postures. I am sure there are parts of my body the only get stretched the three times a year I go to Garuda’s program. At the closing, we were asked to share a verse or a realization. I contributed by paraphrasing the verse saying that “One should always remember the Supreme Lord and not forget Him at anytime. All other proscriptions and prohibitions are servants of these two principles.” I was thinking that the Christians would feel included by that. The next person stressed forgiving others, later saying he responded in that way to accommodate the persons who were not theistic. I had forgotten that some of the people attending that event might not be accepting of God. I distributed halava to everyone who would accept it, which was almost everyone, and I gave out a couple invitations to the FSU Krishna Lunch program.




The next day one of the Christian girls who came to Garuda’s program stopped by my  book table. She said she had a good time. I praised Garuda for his wisdom, gained from different traditions, and his sincere desire to benefit others. I asked her about her interest in Christianity. She explained the history of her developing faith in Christ. In the course of talking with her I explained I liked the teaching of Christ to love the Lord with body, mind, and soul, and to love thy neighbor as thyself, but in the Bhagavad-gita I learned that in addition to human beings, the animals and plants, are also are children of God and thus neighbors who are meant to be loved. I mentioned how in the Bible, in the beginning in Genesis, the diet given by the Lord for humans is vegetarian, and that the kingdom of God, where the lion will lay down with the lamb, is a place of nonviolence. I mentioned there are some people who say that Jesus was a vegetarian, and in any case, I doubted he would be happy about the millions of animals slaughter in Christian-owned slaughterhouses, a point that she agreed with. At the end I gave her my card and asked her to tell me of her continuing spiritual journey.




I also encountered another person who had gotten Bhagavad-gita from Dhameshvar Mahaprabhu and who was also interested in our programs.




At the campus I encountered two people who had seen me at Lake Ella, one coming to my table to get the cookie she promised to get from me that weekend at the lake but never did.




All together I got thirteen names for the Bhakti Yoga Club mailing list. I was very happy to meet a lot of interested students on the campus, and I look forward to returning in February.




Chanting at Lake Ella




Just as we just began chanting at Lake Ella in Tallahassee, an eccentric old man  came by, singing the nursery rhyme “Itsy Bitsy Spider” and collecting donations for his presidential campaign. As he had a purple “jesus is lord” sticker on his guitar, I doubted I could get him to chant “Hare Krishna,” so I asked him if he knew the Christian spiritual “Amazing Grace.” He smiled, and said, “Yes. It is one of my favorite songs!” And so he played it on his guitar and sang, and Nama Kirtan Prabhu played the mrdanga,I played the karatalas,and Carl, the didgeridoo. A young Afro-American couple took pictures, and I stopped playing the karatalasto take this video (http://youtu.be/cVdmTvcxCuI). 








He was very happy and felt that God had directed him to come to Lake Ella that day, as he usually sings elsewhere. I felt victorious as I got him to go from singing nursery rhymes to praising the Lord. You never know what will happen on harinama.




The next day I went out by myself. Hardly anyone stopped to talk, and I distributed one cookie in the first two hours. During the last half hour I met some interesting people. One was a double major in psychology and criminal justice. He had a class on leadership in the same building in which we serve lunch, and he was happy to learn of the lunch program. The other amazing enough was a double major in philosophy and criminal justice. He came to Lake Ella to meditate, and he chose a place near me because he thought it would be good for meditation. He had gotten Bhagavad-gita As It Is at a concert in Tampa on the Warp tour, and he also had Journey of Self-Discovery. He gave his email for our Bhakti-yoga Club mailing list and was happy to hear of our Bhagavad-gita class. When I left I took my extra cookies to people seating nearby. Four students relaxing on a blanket all took cookies and were happy to learn of the vegetarian lunch program.




Almost all the students I talked to had not heard of the vegetarian lunch program, and many were happy to learn of it.




I was very happy I took the trouble to go out, and I was happy Krishna sent me some nice people in the end. 




Chanting at University of South Florida in Tampa




My friend, Kishor, although often preoccupied with his used car business, likes to share Krishna consciousness. Hekindly canceled his afternoon of appointments to pick me up at the bus and chant with me and later Raju at the University of South Florida in Tampa. We chanted in front of the Marshall Student Center. Kishor proved himself very enthusiastic in distributing invitations to our program. One exchange student from England who got an invitation came to the program and asked many relevant questions. One girl who is into health sciences found out about the program on the internet while searching for a program of self-improvement. She really applied herself to the kirtana, and you could see she was so happy. I encouraged her by telling her, “The more you apply yourself the more realizations you will get. It is really unlimited.” Everyone who came to the program participated in the kirtana, and it was beautiful to see. 




For the second kirtana, one new innovation was giving people the option of either standing up and dancing or sitting down and meditating on the sound.




About three people sat down and the rest danced. I think it was good that people had the choice to take the kirtana as a dance or a meditation according to their natural inclination. Raju was happy that everyone who came to the program accepted his friend request on Facebook.




The next day I chanted alone on in front of the library where we had signed up for a table. After our scheduled time for the table ended, I chanted on the lawn in front of the library. As it was Ekadasi, a day extra devotional activities are recommended, I decided to chant until my ride came in 4⅓hours. I had only 5 hours sleep, so after 2½ hours, I was wondering how I would continue. I decided to pray to Lord Caitanya. After that more people came by and stopped to talk, some quite interested, and one who bought a book. One girl in particular was very attracted to hear the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra and wondered what it was all about. I got several names for the mailing list and passed out invitation to the club. In the end I lost track of the time and was surprised when Vijay came to get me.




At one point a Christian came by, who was glorifying Christ for curing the sick and bringing the dead back to life. I mentioned that Lord Caitanya, who appeared in Bengal in the late 1400s, also cured the sick and brought the dead back to life. In fact, in one case the dead child who was revived spoke to the gathered family members about how he had taken birth in that family according to his karma, and now by the arrangement of the Lord it was time to leave that situation.My ride came at that time, and I gave the Christian my card offering to document what I said about Lord Caitanya, if he desired. The Christians are so proud of Lord Jesus Christ but they do not know in the Vedic literature many powerful incarnations and representatives of God are described with the abilities of curing the sick, raising the dead, freeing people of sins, and awakening love of God.




Chanting in Ybor City




I was grateful to Kishor that he organized a harinama on Ekadasi evening in the section of Ybor City with an active night life. Four devotees chanted almost two hours, distributed some Krishna: Reservoir of Pleasures, andencountered people happy to see Hare Krishnas. Some older ladies surprised me by dancing to our music. I wondered if theyremembered Hare Krishnas from the 1970s. 




We had a couple interesting encounters.




One young lady was happy to see us and said she used to attend the Krishna Lunch at the University of Florida. I explained we were going to chant at the Gasparilla Pirate Festival the next day, and I asked if she were going. She replied, “No, it is too degraded.” That really struck me and caught me off guard. Here the Hare Krishna devotees, who have much higher standards of renunciation than the people in general, were going to an event a former UF student felt was to degraded. I said to explain our attendance at that degraded venue, “We are just going there because there are so many people to share the chanting with.”




Three ladies at a table were so talkative with one devotee, the rest of stayed there and chanted while he talked. One of the ladies was from Wheeling, West Virginia, and had visited Srila Prabhupada’s Palace of Gold, which is a tourist attraction. She had a very positive experience there. 




Gasparilla Harinama




The last Saturday in January is the day of the Gasparilla Pirate Parade at Tampa Bay which is attended by 300,000 people each year.




Devotees from Gainesville, Alachua, and Tampa chanted before and during the parade this year on January 31. Everyone was in a partying mood and many danced with us. We met people who recognized us from Gainesville and Jacksonville.








Some people who knew us from the Krishna Lunch took pleasure in dancing with us, and I gave them invitations to our Krishna House program which they happily received.




As you can see in the video below, there were three young Afro-American ladies who took great pleasure in dancing with the devotee ladies for some time. Afterwards the devotees gave them “On Chanting Hare Krishna.” I gave them oatmeal cookies and invitations to our Bhakti Yoga Club programs at their school. They were happy to receive all the gifts. 




Gasparilla video (http://youtu.be/xch5zVhDUkM):












One lady delighted in the playing the whompers (large karatalas) with the devotees.








Abhimanyu Prabhu really got into dancing.








Guru Vagmi Prabhu distributed pamphlets as usual.












You could see people were really happy to encounter the devotees.


 




At least three devotees dressed as pirates:


















One lady, who danced with the devotees at Gasparilla, sported a shirt with “GOOD KARMA” printed on it. Of course, it is more than just good karma to dance with the Hare Krishnas. It is transcendental karma.








You can see she really got into it.








Chelsea and Autumn of Krishna House led our procession by dancing on the way back.








Some people who passed us would also dance.




It was awesome see the number of people advancing spiritually by hearing the holy name and dancing in the kirtana.




Abhimanyu Prabhu commented that it was appropriate that the Gasparilla harinama was on the appearance of Lord Varaha, the boar incarnation, who raised the earth from the dark depths of the ocean, as at Gasparilla, the Lord in the form of His holy name was saving the people of the earth from the depths of ignorance.




Tampa devotees provided plenty of spiritual food for all the devotees after the parade, and we were very, very, grateful.




Insights




Srila Prabhupada:




from the Preface of The Nectar of Instruction:




“In all spiritual affairs, one’s first duty is to control his mind and senses. Unless one controls his mind and senses, one cannot make any advancement in spiritual life. Everyone within this material world is engrossed in the modes of passion and ignorance. One must promote himself to the platform of goodness, sattva-guna,by following the instructions of Rupa Gosvami, and then everything concerning how to make further progress will be revealed.”




from a lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.7.6 on April 18, 1975, in Vrindavan, India:




Knowledge means to understand the original source of everything.




“When your anarthas[unwanted desires] will be finished and you will see every living entity as part and parcel of Krishna, that is called real Brahman realization. Part and parcel of Krishna – every one of us. So we shall not only engage ourself as part and parcel of Krishna in His service, but also we shall try to engage others because they are also part and parcel of Krishna. Why should we eliminate them? That is Vaisnavism. That is Krishna consciousness. And that is Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission.”




Although we are riding in this motor car, we do not think it is essential. Those who are captured by this materialistic civilization are thinking it is essential. 




Don’t forget Krishna simply for the matter of material advancement.




from a lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.7.7 on April 24, 1975, in Vrindavan, India:




“The dog cannot question that ‘Why I have got this dog’s body, and my master has got the human body?’”




“So Caitanya Mahaprabhu has prescribed a very easy method to become pious. That is the chanting of Hare Krishna maha-mantra.”




Our heart disease of lusty desires can be cured simply by chanting and hearing the Hare Krishna maha-mantra.




We are opening centers all over the world to give people the chance to hear about Krishna.




Pure consciousness is to understand I am very intimately connected with Krishna.




Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:




from “Poem for January 26”:




“I remember when I
first received my big
red beads and chanted
on them, I felt an
incompleteness in not
knowing how many rounds
I had chanted.
I confided
this to Swamiji, and he
advised me to buy small
counter-beads and tie
them on a string to
my bead bag. For every
round I should
move one counter-bead
separate from the rest.
This was especially useful on Ekadasi
when I chanted sixty-four rounds.
I was perhaps the first
disciple to inquire about
the counter-beads.
It gives a ‘muscle’
and a sense of accomplishment
to know how many
rounds we have chanted
rather than just ‘chanting them to the air.’
And it prevents us from
stopping prematurely.”




Mother Akuti:




Time is the most valuable thing, precious to all. It is subtle but has a profound effect.




Srila Prabhupada would often say, “Time and tide wait for no man.”




Men talk of killing time while time quietly kills them.




Time makes a fool of us because each life we always think that we will be successful in satisfying our desires, but yet again we die unfulfilled.




Death can be an embrace by Krishna for one who reaches out to Him.




Srila Prabhupada emphasized the chanting so much, especially in the beginning, and then he gave us deity worship.




If we think at each moment, “Would Srila Prabhupada be pleased with what I am doing at this moment?” then we will not waste time.




Faith, conviction, and enthusiasm are essential.




I visited my 93-year-old mother who is suffering because she fell out of bed. She just wants to sleep so she will not suffer because she does not have anything else to occupy her mind. I told her I can tell you thousands of things about God, but there was no interest.




Lord Caitanya would have kirtanas that would go on all night. When he talked with Ramananda Raya, they stayed up all night talking about Krishna.




Not only do we waste our time physically but we can waste our time mentally. 




Bhaktivinoda Thakura advises in his poem “The Jiva Soul”:


“Forget the past that sleeps, ne’er of 


The future dream at all


But act in times that are with thee


And progress thee shall call. . . . 


Let never matter push thee down –


O stand heroic man!”




We have to take shelter of Krishna. By serving we develop our love. Fear exists when there is a gap in our devotional service, so we have to try to eliminate all the gaps. 




Kalakantha Prabhu:




I have heard thousands of Prabhupada lectures, and still every once in a while I hear something I have not heard before. 




Prabhupada said Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.14.8 should be the motto for every devotee: “My dear Lord, one who earnestly waits for You to bestow Your causeless mercy upon him, all the while patiently suffering the reactions of his past misdeeds and offering You respectful obeisances with his heart, words and body, is surely eligible for liberation, for it has become his rightful claim.”It is not that the devotee is exempt from suffering, but his suffering is for a purpose while the suffering of a materialistic is simply a distraction from his enjoyment.




Sridhar Swami explains that just as one receives an inheritance if he simply remains alive, one will receive the Lord’s mercy simply by remaining alive in devotional service. The difference is that remaining alive in spiritual life is a very active thing while remaining physically alive is relatively passive.




If we even just follow Srila Prabhupada’s instructions experimentally we begin to experience the six results mentioned by Rupa Goswami:


(1) Pure devotional service brings immediate relief from all kinds of material distress. (2) Pure devotional service is the beginning of all auspiciousness.


(3) Pure devotional service automatically puts one in transcendental pleasure.


(4) Pure devotional service is rarely achieved.


(5) Those in pure devotional service deride even the conception of liberation.


(6) Pure devotional service is the only means to attract Krishna.




The voluntary suffering that we endure helps us to suffer less when we encounter the involuntary sufferings of life.




As I age, I see my facilities diminishing. When you are young, you think that won’t happen. That is part of being young. You may theoretically understand, but you do not really believe it.




In revealing our mind to Krishna we must not have a too inflated or deflated opinion of ourself but rather be honest with ourselves. 




We must keep ourselves in a position where we are eligible for Krishna’s mercy.




Comment by SyamalaKishori Dasi: The prayers of Bhaktivinoda Thakura in Saranagatiare how he speaks about himself when he is speaking to Krishna. When he speaking to others he does not speak of himself in the same way.




My godbrother, Hasyagrami Prabhu, who was on the Radha Damodar party and who played in the Murari Band, recently on his first trip to India, left his body in Mayapur after a heart attack on a motorcycle within our compound there. He was in charge of maintenance for the buses. The fuel pump broke on one, but because the bus was obsolete, despite much endeavor he found it impossible to find the part anywhere. It was Radhastami, and decided to observe the half-day fast, but stored some maha-prasadam in his locker to break the fast midday. When he returned to his locker at noon, he found a new fuel pump crushing the plate of maha-prasadam, and no one could ever explain how it got there.




In this present materialistic society, it is said if you want your children to pay attention to you when you are old, make sure you have money.




Getting older as devotees, we practically experience what the Bhagavatam says, that sense gratification does not make us happy. 




Comment by Caitanya: In Eastern societies we see that when parents encourage children in spiritual life, the children are more likely to take care of them when they are old.




Comment by Franco: I am very happy to sit in on these classes as I am seeing the impermanence of the things I was formerly taking shelter of.




Comment by Dennis: The Bhagavatam is a user guide for the material world.




Comment by Tulasirani Devi Dasi: The philosophy makes sense but when we get in a difficulty we can realize the truth. When I got in a car accident, by Krishna’s grace, I was very clear. I was thinking, “We got in a car accident. My friend is dying. I have to help her remember Krishna.” Previously in the car, I was dozing off, putting off chanting Hare Krishna on my beads, but with the accident, by Krishna’s grace everything became in focus.




In New Zealand at a university in Victoria the devotees have a Krishna Food program serving 200 or 300 people a day. Their price was half that of the competition, and thus all the other food vendors shut down.




Devamrita Swami has a seminar called “How to Crack a Western City” describing his successful yoga loft programs in New Zealand. 




The mood of Krishna House is that is alright to mistakes. God will not strike you down if you make mistakes. We want everyone to have a chance to give a class, cook an offering, lead a kirtana, etc.




B. B. Govinda Maharaja says regarding kirtana, “I dig a groove until everyone falls into it.”




comment by Brahmatirtha Prabhu: B. B. Govinda Swami’s father was Elvis Presley’s manager.


Response by Kalakantha Prabhu: Elvis would sometimes take B. B. Govinda Swami to the circus as a kid.




Yoga really means to connect with a person, Krishna, but until one comes to the point of bhakti there is selfishness.




Jnana, the path of knowledge, is a way of approaching God without being committed to the relationship.




The beautiful thing about Krishna consciousness that there is both knowledge and emotion. 




The danger of the mode of goodness is that one becomes attached to a happy life in this world and does not endeavor to attain the spiritual world.




Bhaktiis the love of the soul for its creator.




Comment by Ananda Seva Prabhu: Although the Lord’s Prayer does submit a list of requests to be fulfilled by God, the beginning is just glorification of God: “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”




Prema Sindhu Prabhu:




Radhanath Swami made a couple important points in a lecture. One was that as Sugriva was later able to use the knowledge of different places, which he learned while running from Vali, to engage in Rama’s service, we should use the skills we have acquired in life in the Lord’s service. Another point was that just as Sita rejected countless proposals by Ravana to marry her, we have to reject so many materialistic proposals and remain faithful to the Lord.




No matter what tribulations one experiences, one should not give up the shelter of the Krishna and His holy name.




Mahapurna, one of the gurus of Ramanujacarya, was ostracized because, although a brahmana, he performed a funeral ceremony for a sudra. Ramanujacarya asked him why he did something that would so disrupt his life in such a way. He explained he was just following the mahajanas, the great souls. That sudra had very nicely served his guru, Yamunacarya. Even once that sudra accepted a disease that Yamunacarya had, so that Yamunacarya would be freed from it. When the sudra was asked why he did not pursue treatment for that disease, and he said because he considered it the maha-prasadam of his guru. Mahapurna explained he was following Lord Rama who performed the funeral ceremony for Jatayu, a bird who had rendered service to Him. So we must be like Mahapurna, following the great soulsand being willing to tolerate adverse public opinion.




We must be strict with ourselves and lenient with others. Usually we are lenient with ourselves and strict with others.




Mother Caitanya:




I see at the Wellness Center people making material adjustment after material adjustment to their terminally diseased condition. The doctor advises them to take shelter of a high power. We are so fortunate because every day we practice to take shelter of Krishna. When devotees die they are free from anxiety compared to the people in general. I bought some prasadam chili there, and there was not a bean left. They said the next time we have a party, we want you cater it. Because my mom is well enough to leave there soon, I gave pocket Gitas to everyone there.




Gopala Prabhu:




One sannyasi said the meaning of “Krishna protects one” is “Krishna does what is best for the person.”




Syamala Kishori Dasi:




I was going to the beach or someplace fun with my sister, and I got in a car accident and got a broken leg. It changed my summer. I had to take shelter of Krishna in a way that I never did before.




Recently I had a health crisis. I was not able to focus on Krishna and worried how I would at the time of death. Kalakantha Prabhu said, “The wonderful mercy of Krishna is that He arranges that everything is taken away at the time of death and Krishna is the only opportunity for shelter.”




Ananda Seva Prabhu: 




We only have one child at ISKCON Gainesville, but if we can protect one child by doing background checks, it is worth it.




Hanan Prabhu:




Tolstoy has a story of two men going on pilgrimage to Jerusalem. One leaves to get water but gets entangled in taking care of sick people at the place he went to get water and never reaches Jerusalem. His partner continues on his journey and reaches Jerusalem. He think he sees his friend in Jerusalem but cannot approach him. He returns home and sees his friend still taking care of the sick people. He says I saw you in Jerusalem, but he says I never made it to Jerusalem. Tolstoy asks the reader, “Which man really went to Jerusalem?”





	





	

		
Travel journal#11.1: Gainesville and Jacksonville 
 → Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk
	


	
	

		


Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 11, No. 1
By Krishna-kripa das
(January 2015, part one)


Florida
(Sent from Gainesville, Florida, on January 21, 2015)




Where I Went and What I Did




I returned to my base in Gainesville, Florida, for the first three months of the New Year. We started the year with a largeharinama event at the Taxslayer Bowl at the stadium in Jacksonville attended by 36 devotees from Alachua, Gainesville, and Jacksonville. 




In Gainesville, in addition to chanting for 2½ hours during Krishna Lunch, the prasadam distribution at the University of Florida, we chant Wednesday at the Gainesville Farmers Market and Friday with the Alachua devotees on the corner of the University campus. Besides my practice of going to the temple morning and evening programs and reading one hour, I added cleaning the floor of my room and practicing mrdanga to my daily routine, along with chanting Queen Kunti’s prayers from memory every Sunday, and I hope I can maintain them throughout the year.




In this issue, I report my expenses and income for 2014, and I thank the many, many people who kindly supported my program of traveling and promoting the public congregational chanting of the holy name of the Lord and speaking on the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. I also apologize for a video I posted that some devotees complained about. I include a picture of a practical innovation at Krishna House.




I share notes on a couple lectures from swamis visiting Gainesville, Danavir Goswami and Bhakti Prabhupada-vrata Damodar Swami. I have notes on classes by Prabhupada disciples in the Alachua and Gainesville communities, Kalakantha, Nagaraja, Ranjit, and Sesa Prabhus, some from other initiated devotees, and a few nice realizations from very new devotees.




Thanks to Vishnu-priya dd of Jacksonville for her kind donation.Thanks to Prahladananda Swami for his generous donation for my doing the service of proofreading his book on health.Thanks to J.R. for his pictures of me on harinama in Gainesville.




Itinerary




January 21: Gainesville


January 22: Jacksonville


January 23–28: Tallahassee


January 29–31: Tampa 


February 1 – April 8: Florida (Gainesville, Alachua, Tallahassee, Jacksonville, and Tampa) 


April 9–11: Washington, D.C. 


April 12: Albany 


April 13–15: New York City 


April 16: Toronto 


April 17–24: Ireland


April 25: London


April 26: Radhadesh


April 27: Amsterdam (King’s Day)




Accounting for 2014




Because people give me donations, I feel I should tell how I spend what I am given. 












ACCOUNTING 			FOR 2014








CATEGORY




AMOUNT








travel




3404.01








gifts




492.52








health




294.46








maintenance




102.70








food




64.03








festivals




48.33








books




26.77








communication




13.03








rent




10.56








loans




9.00








donations 			– public




−665.25








donations 			– private




−3692.80








balance




107.37










Gifts are donations to temples, swamis and and presents for my relatives. Communication is phone, internet, and computer expenses. It does not include my British phone expenses which Satya Medha Gauranga Prabhu kindly pays for, for which I am grateful, and which amount to around $50. Books are the cost of books bought for harinama minus books specifically sold, but many books are given in reciprocation for donations on harinama and these are not included here.  The festival fee is for the Baltic Summer Festival. Rent is what I paid to stay in Mayapur. Public donations are those people gave me on harinama,mostly in Europe. As far as travel, I went to Ireland, India, England, Holland, Belgium, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Czech Republic, Poland, Lithuania, Germany, Slovakia, and France. 




I am very, very grateful to GN Press, Kaliya Krishna Dasa (NYC), Dhruva Das (Oregon), Navina Shyam Das (Dallas), Tara Das (Mayapur), the Newcastle temple, Premarnava Das (Dublin), Srikar (Gainesville), Tony (England), Clive (Chester), Caitanya-candrodaya Das (Ukraine), Sivananda Sena Das (Rotterdam), the Preston nama-hatta, the Liverpool nama-hatta, Ajay (Huddlesfield), the Leeds nama-hatta, Gopalacarya Das (Govindadvipa), Jivananda Das (Slovakia), Janananda Goswami, Mariana (Sheffield), Vishnu Priya Devi Dasi (Newcastle), Kevin (Govindadvipa), Atmanivedana Das (NYC), Uma Devi Dasi (Michigan), the UNF Krishna Club, Sundari Gopi Devi Dasi (Jacksonville), Karuna Rasa Das (Watford),  Raghunatha Bhatta Das (Scotland), Rama Raya Das (NYC), Gauridas Pandit Das (York), Madhava Gauranga Das (Rotterdam), Nanda Kumar Das (Dublin), Sanatani Devi Dasi (Oslo), Bhakti Rasa Das (Newcastle), Charu Gopika Devi Dasi (NYC), Jagannath Misra Das (Bulgaria), Jon (Leeds), a devotee in the Queens temple, an Indian man who visited the Harinama Ashram (NYC), an Indian man on the street whose father was a life member (Philly), Mithuna Prabhu and ISKCON Queens, Sudevi Devi Dasi (Tampa), the USF Bhakti Yoga Club, Mohnish Goel (Delhi), Haladhara (Sheffield), Urmila (Leeds), Priya Sundari Devi Dasi (Leeds), Shelina (Govindadvipa), Doug (Preston), Jason (Sheffield), the London Soho temple, a lady on harinama (Philly), Mike (New Vrindavan), Jon (Florida), a German brahmacariin Mayapur, TravelersBox, and Gaura Karuna Prabhu (Czech Republic), and others who forgot to note down for their kind donations. I am also very grateful to all the anonymous persons who gave me donations on harinama.Thanks to all the people who have helped me in different ways who are too numerable to mention completely. Some include Kanwar and Mariana, who let me stay at their place whenever I come to Sheffield, Doug whenever I come to Preston, and Lovelesh and Amrita Keli Devi Dasi whenever I come to Jacksonville, Dr. Karuna Rasa Das of Watford, who gave me a medical checkup, and Gaura Krishna Das, who always gives me a lift to Bhaktivedanta Manor, and makes life in England easier.




Public Apology for “Brighton Harinam–Dancing Outside a Shop” Video




I want to publicly apologize for publishing a controversial video called “Brighton Harinam–Dancing Outside a Shop” on YouTube in the summer of 2013. Some devotees objected to Mahavishnu Swami’s joking behavior with a costumed man who was dancing with our party. I should have had enough intelligence to realize that might offend some devotees, and I should have edited out that section of the video. Otherwise it is a typical harinama video showing onlookers having a good time dancing with the devotees. I am sorry I offended some devotees because of my thoughtlessness, and I promise to use greater discretion in posting videos in the future. That video is no longer publicly accessible on YouTube in its original objected-to form, and in its place I have put an edited version made by my friend Vidyapati Prabhu removing the major complaint.




Harinama at the Taxslayer Bowl (Formerly Gator Bowl)








Devotees in Florida chant at the stadiums before the football games because that is one of the few times you can reach a lot of people at once. Alachua devotees and Jacksonville devotees have joined together and chanted before the Gator Bowl (recently named the Taxslayer Bowl after a company that is funding it) around New Years time for several years. Godruma and Vishnu-priya and other devotees from Jacksonville put on a nice feast for all the devotees before or after the harinama depending on the time of the game.








This year lots of people became exposed to the Hare Krishna mantra for the first time as the teams that were playing were from Tennessee and Iowa, where there are not many parties of Hare Krishna chanters.








As I was standing in front of our chanting party, dancing and handing out pamphlets, one jovial man from Tennessee asked me who Hare Krishna was. I explained that Hare Krishna are names of God in the ancient Sanskrit language of India. He asked if we worshiped the same God as the other religions worship. I explained there is one supreme being who is fulfilling the desires of all other beings, and that is the Supreme Lord, who we and all other religions are worshiping. He asked if we accepted the Bible. Not wanting to discuss the merits of the Bible, I said, “Christ said to love the Lord with body, mind, and soul, and to love your neighbor as yourself,” and we agree with that. If everyone followed that, the world would live in peace. God sent Christ to teach that truth. He then asked what was the position of Jesus Christ. That is always a touchy subject with Christians, so I was a little worried. I said God and Christ are simultaneously one and different. He smiled and said, to my great surprise, “I like that!” I continued explaining that Jesus said he was the son of God and he prayed to God, but he also said that he and the Father were one. Therefore, they are simultaneously one and different. He said, “You are very articulate.” He explained he was a Apostolic Pentecostal, and that while the Pentecostals worship the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost as distinct, the  Apostolics consider them all to be one. One of Lord Caitanya’s main teachings is that the pure souls [and in fact all emanations from God] are simultaneously one with and different from God, and for me to encounter a Christian who was excited to hear this philosophy really made my day, and I asked to take his picture.




Another fortunate encounter was a young lady who looked so happy to meet our chanting party I had to offer her an “On Chanting Hare Krishna.” One of the two guys with her asked some questions about our philosophy, and I answered them in such a way that he thought it sounded reasonable. She was from North Carolina, and I told her about our centers there, and gave her my card, offering to let her know details about them.






 As we ended our brief conversation, and they were walking away, Mother Madhumati approached the lady, and offered her a garland.








Then Madhumati invited her to dance.








She looked so happy dancing with the devotee ladies. You can see from this video, she really entered into it (http://youtu.be/I6vekhdSyaM):








Then the two guys she was with got into the dancing (http://youtu.be/wHDxWXalyUE):








During the rest of the harinama others took pleasure in playing the tambourine and dancing with the devotees (http://youtu.be/jDGbA_7LWNU?list=PLGerEnGdI0xLJJaibnU7l40IDgh8jbrA7):








Krishna Lunch








Some devotees from the Vaishnava Youth Mexican Bus Tour visited Krishna Lunch after their tour ended in Alachua so we had a few extra chanters and servers on the campus.






Here Nitya Lila (center), who I met chopping vegetables at the German Kirtan Mela, and later serving Radha-Govinda in Brooklyn, happily serves Krishna Lunch. Chelsea, who chanted with us in New York City, during school breaks from Rutgers University, also serving the lunch (right), decided to live in Krishna House for the spring session.




Chanting at the Farmers Market








The steps of an abandoned fast food place at the plaza became our new venue for our harinama at the Farmers Market.








All the devotees were so enthusiastic, we stayed out for 2½ hours!








Some people sat and listened to us.








Some clapped.








Some moved with the music.






 Some took pamphlets.








And also enjoyed reading them.








Some took books that Caitanya and Mikey distributed.




Chanting on the Gainesville Harinama




Devotees from Alachua and Gainesville have been chanting on the corner by the University of Florida every Friday since before I moved there in 1994. 


 






On January 16, we had a party of 16 men, 10 women, and 4 children!








I stand in front of the party and dance, 






 and invite people to the Krishna House programs in Gainesville.




One family of five walked by our party, and I talked to the parents briefly. The man had fond memories of eating Krishna Lunch 30 years ago. He said he also liked our music. He said, “It is part of the culture!” It was beautiful to see such a positive impression of Hare Krishna.




Innovation




Different temples have little innovations that make life easier. Microphone cables are always getting tangled up, and untangling them takes time away from more important services. 








Here Badahari Prabhu, the devotee in charge of maintenance at Krishna House in Gainesville, put brackets on the pujari room door so you can roll up and store the microphone cables and the microphones themselves in a simple elegant way.




To see the pictures I took but did not include in this journal, click on the link below:





Insights




Danavir Goswami:




The devotees do not have to take many courses to learn good qualities, but they are included in bhakti-yoga. The Lord personally reciprocates with His devotee, and so the devotee becomes greatly influenced by Krishna as a rod in a fire attains the qualities of fire. The devotees become qualified in that way to act in the position of God.




If God were here He could bless us, but His devotee can also bless us because he is empowered by Krishna.




Krishna purifies everything, and so His devotee purifies everything.




“If God is good, why are there so many problems in this world?” This is the most frequently asked question. God does not force His will upon us. And thus people engage in sinful activities and suffer.




If God came to a city, and the residents decided to receive and serve Him, then their whole city would become transformed. But if people did not believe He was coming, and just went on with their sinful life, such an opportunity would be missed.




We are thinking we are the only living beings in the universe, but actually most living beings are happily situated in the spiritual world.




People ask, “Why does Krishna give us free will if we misuse it?” but do we really wish that God made us robots? No parent will hold a gun to the head of his children, even if they do foolish things, in order to force them to do good things.




We have to tolerate because we cannot really do anything –the calamities are coming from a higher authority. Instead of spending our lives trying to counteract these things, it is better to focus on pleasing Krishna.




Christ is the ideal example. He prayed to Krishna as he was being crucified, “They know not what they do.”




In the Israeli army I had permission to do my offerings to the Lord. People were envious of me because I got exempted from parts of the program they were forced to do. One guy, the biggest one, said, “If you do not stop ringing that bell, I will push it down your throat.” So I stopped ringing the bell.




Haridas Thakura tolerated. In this movement, some devotees were disowned by their parents. That is very hard, but they had to tolerate.




It is the mercy of the spiritual master that he chastises us and thus corrects us. If you are going to hell, and someone tells you to stop, it is mercy.




Q: The Vedas say life is on every planet. Why do the scientists not detect it?


A: Maybe they have not gone to other planets. Life on other planets may not be as it is on this planet. It may be more subtle, and we may not be able to perceive that. The yaksas warned the Pandavas not to go further in the Himalayas. Bhima did not take that instruction very seriously. Then the yaksas said that even if you go, you will not be able to see anything anyway.




Q: We talk about Krishna consciousness being blissful, but here we have to tolerate so much. How to understand?


A: Even they tried to kill Krishna Himself. That is the nature of this world. Krishna does not force people to behave. If we practice tolerance then we can continue to chant. If we are not tolerant, we will be distracted from the chanting by so many things. “Why is he chanting so loud? Why are these billboards here? Why are they dressing like that?”




Q: Sometimes we tolerate but internally we are gritting our teeth. What to do?


A: If you are a singer, if the sound man does not have the sound quite right, you may make a few suggestions to him, but ultimately you go on with the show because you know if you get upset, it will ruin whole performance.




Q: How do we avoid anger that has gone past the point of being possible to tolerate? A: Anger comes from lust. Better to not let lust get out of hand. Better not to contemplate the objects of the senses.




Bhakti Prabhupada-vrata Damodar Swami:




In Bhagavad-gita 2.16, “no endurance” means “no ultimate endurance.” Material things, including the body, endure for sometime but not forever.




Apparently there are sub-species of the 8.4 millon species.




Our process is to perform devotional service to serve the reality.




We are real, not as these bodies, but as spirit souls.




It is not that we were Christians and are becoming Hindus, but we are waking up to the realization that we are spiritual souls.




If a drop of water says “I am ocean” that is alright but if the drop of water says “I am the ocean” that is crazy.




The problem with many famous Western philosophers, including John Locke, is that they think that sense perception and interference are the only ways of attaining knowledge. Locke says that all we know is the sense impressions but not what is causing those sense impressions. We also agree that we cannot understand with our senses what is causing the sense impressions.




For God to be God he has to have inconceivable potencies, and we are one, the marginal energy.




Phenomenologists believe you cannot really know what is real, and all you can do is study the temporary phenomena.




We are fortunate because we accept the way of attaining sabda, hearing from authority.




The pure devotee sees so deeply that all things are all Krishna’s energy and thus nondifferent from Krishna, that he is ecstatic. 




The Mayavadis say everything is illusion, but illusion has no meaning unless there is a person having an illusion, and if there is a person having an illusion, that defeats the Mayavadi idea that ultimately there is no personality. 




If we are convinced about the unreal nature of this world, we will be not inclined to enjoy this world either in a Western style or in a Eastern style, and thus the misconception of the karmis is defeated. The understanding of the real nature of this world is to counteract the misconception of the jnanis.




If we see the material world as Krishna’s energy, then we see its reality.




We share with the jnanis the idea understanding this world is unreal, but we go beyond that because we talk about the source of this unreal world and our relationship with that source.




The demons say “that this world is unreal, with no foundation, no God in control.” (Bhagavad-gita 16.8)We share the understanding that the world is unreal, but we understand that there is foundation, the Lord, and He is in control.




The care given to the architecture of the college buildings is to create the impression there is knowledge there.




Kalakantha Prabhu:




Emerson said the West is that strange part of the world where they think they only have one life.




You can say there is a touch of skepticism in Arjuna’s question in the beginning of the  Eleventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gita. In Chapter Ten Krishna describes how He exists in different manifestation in this world, and in Chapter Eleven, Arjuna asks to see this.




The tendency is to try to get as much sense gratification now before it passes away, and that puts us in the mode of passion.




People are so ambitious after sense gratification that now the weekend starts on Thursday.




Actually spiritual life is happiness now and more happiness in the future.




Activities can be classified in these four ways:


1. Important and Urgent: Crisis!


2. Important and Not Urgent: Preparation


3. Not Important and Urgent: Interruptions


4. Not Important and Not Urgent: Time Wasters




The whole life of a devotee is in the second quadrant, preparation (important and not urgent).




For the materialist, Krishna is time, the destroyer of everything, but for a devotee, Krishna is this loving person.




Hankering for the future is in the mode of passion. Lamenting for the past is in the mode of ignorance.




One in the mode of goodness does not worry for the future because of confidence that Krishna will take care.




In World War I, one Christmas the warring parties declared a truce and had a soccer game between the English and Germans. This is like the Pandavas and Kauravas meeting as friends in the evening after the day’s fighting.




When convincing someone of a path of action, appealing to their more noble motives is a good strategy. Krishna does this in the Gita, telling Arjuna about the example of King Janaka and asking him act rightly as a leader so common men will follow.




“If you can slave yet never crave the fruits of your endeavor,


you’ll savor liberation from this worldly cave forever.”


(from a Bhagavad-gita rap)




Q (by Arjuna Prabhu): How should we approach our relationship with Krishna?


A: Just start by offering whatever you have to Krishna.




Q (by Marlon): If we are focused all about Krishna then how do we understand our individuality?


A: It is counter-intuitive but by focusing on Krishna our individual spiritual personality becomes more and more revealed to us.


Comment by Krishna-kripa das: Because we are eternal servants of Krishna, the more we focus on Krishna, the more we understand our personal individuality which is in relationship to Him.




Nagaraja Prabhu:




summarizing the Prabhupada lecture, “Somehow Fix Your Mind on Krishna”, in Back to Godhead, Vol. 49, No. 3:




“Any contact with Krishna purifies our consciousness and gradually qualifies us 


for eternal loving exchanges with Him.”




Ranjit Prabhu:




Jayadeva Goswami lived on the bank of the Ganges at Navadvipa, and he was the court pandit for King Laksman Sena of Bengal. Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that Jayadeva Goswami imbibed the mood of Lord Caitanya from being in Navadvipa, the Lord’s place of birth, even before the Lord’s appearance.




When we drive past the Walgreens and we see the free flu shots, we can be reminded that disease is there and people have it and we may soon join them.




This body has a trillion cells and I have no knowledge of them or what I am doing, and yet I am the knower of this particular field.




Sesa Prabhu:




If we are trying to accumulate things, why would we want to worship someone who takes away things (Hari or Krishna).




If we keep the goal of love of God in mind, then when we meet challenges in life, we will be able to see them in the proper perspective.




We are conditioned for many births to think if we do good things, we will get good results and if we do bad things, we will get bad results, but that is not a complete understanding of how things are. Actually what happens to us is the mercy of God.




Comment by Madhumati Devi Dasi: Karma is like you hit a ball and it hits a wall and bounces back to you. Devotion is that you hit a ball, and Krishna catches it and throws it back to you.




Comment by Vaishnava Prabhu: This universe can supply the needs of all but not the greed of even one.




Janmastami, the day of Krishna’s appearance, is a national holiday in India.




I failed my bar exam after so much college. I was lined up to get a good job, but because I failed the exam I was not hired. From the material point of view, I could have lost everything. But I did not experience it like that. I saw that Krishna protected my sadhana (regulated spiritual practices) and gave me different service opportunities I otherwise would not have had. Later I passed the exam.




Before Thomas Aquinas the idea that one could change one’s character by practice was not popular. He got that idea from Aristotle.




Because we are trained poorly we think that sense enjoyment is the goal of life.




I had a friend who was such a bad influence on my life, I am still suffering sixty years later.




Comment by Brahma-tirtha Prabhu: I went to a house in Bombay, India, with a color TV. At that time, there were no TV stations broadcasting in color in Bombay. The TV was in the most prominent room and had garlands on it.




How does brahmacarya life reduce the fire of sense enjoyment?


He has time to hear and chant about Krishna and serve the guru. He lives in the ashram, and he practices celibacy.




In grhastha (married) life, through a spiritual partnership and sacrifice in service to others one reduces the fire of sense enjoyment. 




What do you need to control the senses?


Knowledge.


A higher taste from the practice of spiritual life.


To practice contentment.






Devamrita Swami points to five myths: 


1. Money brings happiness.
2. Technology brings well-being.
3. Weapons bring security.
4. The earth provides virtually unlimited resources we can exploit to satisfy our senses.
5. The earth provides virtually limitless room for the disposal of waste.


Ambarisa Prabhu (Alfred Ford) says the difference between poor people and rich people is that poor people think that money will bring them happiness, but rich people know that wealth is not the cause of happiness.


Radha Jivan Prabhu:




This world is described by the Lord to be a place where one living entity is food for another. We hide the fact by saying “I am nonvegetarian” not that “I am a meat eater.” We do not say “pass the cow,” but “pass the beef.” We do not say we want pig but hot dog.




These days the most popular movies are about real life stories because people can relate to them.




The Indian movie PK is done very expertly to mesmerize people.




Person who are a little intelligent can see there is power beyond us that is in control, and they seek to find out about it.




In the movie PK certain questions are brought out, and persons who are not deeply knowledgeable may be bewildered.




The message is that the alien who came to earth learned from the earthly people how to lie and he taught that to love, you have to be willing to sacrifice for people you love.




The movie says there are gods that we have created and gods that have created us, but it speaks without authority and confuses people.




God is not meant to supply our orders and if we take Him in that way, people will exploit that. Yet God does supply our needs, just as our parents do, without our asking.




I have been a devotee since I was twenty-three, for over thirty years, and I have seen Krishna’s protection in different ways. 




One young lady with two children heard the lecture of one devotee visiting Sydney. She told him she liked the lecture and agreed with vegetarianism but said that she was forced because of poverty to take a job at a butcher shop and wondered if she should give it up. He told her not to, but to offer a prayer every day to Krishna that, if He desired, to get her out of that sinful situation. The next year when the devotee spoke in Sydney he saw the the lady, now decorated with tilaka, and he recognized her and asked if she still had the job at the butcher shop. She said no and now she worked in a cloth shop for a man named Mr. Butcher.




We are bewildered by the questions raised by the movie PK because we have not taken shelter of the divine knowledge obtained by picking Krishna as our source of wisdom.




Krishna is giving relationship with God. He is not selling the various material things we are aspiring for.




The new president Mody of India gives foreign diplomats one gift and one gift only Bhagavad-gita. He considers that is India’s greatest gift.




Our behavior is according our knowledge. Our state of behavior becomes culture.




Despite centuries of foreign denomination by Muslims and the British, despite destruction of temples and killing of priests by the Muslims, India’s culture has not been obliterated. Because it is so deep-rooted and it is based on factual knowledge it could withstand so much.




Because we have not recognized the value of spirituality, we have not sought the truth of spirituality and thus we are subject to be cheated by godless “godmen.”




When I was young every school taught Bhagavad-gita and the writings of saints. In the evenings people would hear Mahabharata and Ramayana.




Srila Prabhupada has defined faith as “implicit trust in something sublime.”




As we have trust in an airline or a university because of the positive experience of ourselves and others, we can also have faith in a source of spiritual knowledge.




In India there are four bona fide sampradayas that give bona fide spiritual knowledge.




If your professor is speaking material that is different from the books, then you have some doubt. Similarly, if one claims to be a guru and speaks differently from the scriptures, it is natural to doubt.




In summary:


If you are looking for God with an ulterior motive, you will get cheated.


If you are looking for God you should accept a guru who is speaking about God.


That guru should present God as he is described in the scriptures.




One man, who I personally saw two years ago with 80,000 to 90,000 followers, was selling invented mantras. Now he is now in jail along with his son.




This is a story I heard a sadhu tell from the Puranas or Mahabharata. After the Kurukshetra War the Pandavas felt bad so many people were killed so their eldest brother Yudhistira could become king. Krishna explained he wanted them to teach dharma for the benefit of all citizens as the age of Kali or degradation was approaching. He asked the brothers to go out and report to him whatever strange sights they saw, and He would explain how they were symptoms of Kali-yuga.


Yudhisthira reported, “I saw an elephant with two trunks.” Krishna explained, “Just like that elephant has two trunks, in Kali everyone will have two faces. Everyone will speak one thing and do another.”


Bhima said, “I saw a big pond without water although all the small ponds nearby were full.” Krishna explained, “In Kali, my representatives are like the big pond, which although deep with knowledge, will have no money and no followers, while so many bogus people will flourish with money and followers.”


Arjuna said, “I saw a bird with writings of the Vedas on it eating the flesh of a human body.” Krishna explained, “That is a symptom of Kali-yuga. In Kali people will learn some scriptural verses and exploit people and take their money.”


Nakula said, “I saw a mother cow who had given birth to a baby and the mother cow was licking the baby cow, so much that the baby cow began to bleed, and it kept bleeding.” Krishna said, “In Kali the parents will give affection to the children by encouraging them unlimitedly in material ways but completely ignoring their spiritual life.”


Krishna explained, “I arranged that war so all these irreligious types would be eliminated and you righteous pious brothers would teach the populace dharma.”


Sahadeva said, “After a long way, I saw a boulder came crashing down a mountain knocking down everything, trees, buildings, monuments, etc. But just before it struck me, it hit plant which stopped completely its rushing speed.” Krishna explained that the boulder is Kali-yuga personified, and the trees, monuments, and buildings are philosophies trying to oppose Kali-yuga. The little plant is the holy name of the Lord which seems to be very insignificant but which actually has the complete power to stop the force of Kali-yuga. 




Madhava Prabhu from the Alachua community:




The first two verses of the Eleventh Canto, First Chapter, Verses 6 and 7 are very powerful:




“The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, is the reservoir of all beauty. All beautiful things emanate from Him, and His personal form is so attractive that it steals the eyes away from all other objects, which then seem devoid of beauty in comparison to Him. When Lord Krishna was on the earth, He attracted the eyes of all people. When Krishna spoke, His words attracted the minds of all who remembered them. By seeing the footsteps of Lord Krishna, people became attracted to Him, and thus they wanted to offer their bodily activities to the Lord as His followers. In this way Krishna very easily spread His glories, which are sung throughout the world by the most sublime and essential Vedic verses. Lord Krishna considered that simply by hearing and chanting those glories, conditioned souls born in the future would cross beyond the darkness of ignorance. Being satisfied with this arrangement, He left for His desired destination.”




comment by Shyamala: Vaisesika Prabhu said what we remember at death is what we are emotionally invested in. That was encouraging to me, that I might remember all the kirtanas that really touched me.




comment by Bhisma: I had a friend who was a devotee for a long time who was dying of brain cancer on the farm in Alachua. He had his difficulties over the years, and I was thinking he must be really cracking at death. When I asked him how he was doing, he said, “Krishna is giving me so much mercy.” He must have seen a touch of skepticism in my facial expression, and he said, “Really! You won’t believe how much mercy Krishna is giving me!” I could understand from that what fortune awaits us if we are faithful to Krishna till the end.




Q (by Autumn): Is our duty at death just to remember Krishna?


A: Yes.




Manorama Prabhu:




We try to get them dancing on the bus tour in Mexico because once they are dancing, they do not care that it is the same song over and over.




Krishna Dhana Prabhu:




from “Are You Having a PL?” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 49, No. 3:




“If even to get a gold medal in the Olympics takes rigorous practice and hard work, then just think how much practice and preparation are required to be transported to the spiritual world for eternity. Hence life is called a preparation.”



Tulasirani Devi:




Queen Kunti prays to Krishna, “I wish that all those calamities would happen again and again so that we could see You again and again, for seeing You means that we will no longer see repeated births and deaths.” How many people pray like this in this material world? Usually people pray to become free from calamities.




Why does she pray like this? Because whenever she experienced a calamities she realized that Krishna was there to protect her.




Krishna sends us personalized tests to see if we will take shelter of Him or run in the other direction. 




If someone stops cultivating their relationship with God, whether to due to happiness or distress, that is the greatest calamity.




I had been a devotee for two years and felt I really wanted to purify myself. I prayed to Lord Nrsimhadeva in New Vrndavana, “Do whatever it takes to get rid of my false ego.” I said it three times. Several hours later I was in the most horrific car accident. I did not die, although the policemen said, “You should not have lived through that.” We could see for each of us involved in the accident how that was Krishna’s mercy in every case, even for the girl who died, who left the world in a very spiritual state. In one sense I become more faithful to Krishna as I saw him respond to my prayers, but I also become more fearful of developing my relationship with Krishna and afraid of praying to him. Since then I have rectified that fearfulness in my relationship with Krishna. I do pray to Him now.




One lady prayed exactly the prayer of Queen Kunti, and she lost her husband, children, job –everything was gone. She became bitter and stopped practicing.




Comment by Hari Priya: Take shelter of Krishna by taking shelter of Krishna’s devotees and confide in them.




Usually we need a mixture of loving encouragement and stern correction.




Comment by Naomi: Remembering the sweet pastimes of Krishna in difficulties keeps me from blaming Him for the calamities.




In my own calamities I always meditate on this verse :




“tat te ’nukampam su-samiksamano
 bhuñjana evatma-krtam vipakam
hrd-vag-vapurbhir vidadhan namas te
 jiveta yo mukti-pade sa daya-bhak




My dear Lord, one who earnestly waits for You to bestow Your causeless mercy upon him, all the while patiently suffering the reactions of his past misdeeds and offering You respectful obeisances with his heart, words and body, is surely eligible for liberation, for it has become his rightful claim.”




How many people “patiently suffer”?




When we are experiencing calamities it is helpful to consider that Krishna has some greater plan.




Lord Caitanya’s program is to chant, to dance and to serve the devotees.




Dhameshvar Mahaprabhu Prabhu:




comment by Shyamala: By giving up material attachments we are benefiting the soul which is our ultimate responsibility.




Today responsibility means to conform with the norms of our selfish society. It is reacting to satisfy material needs but is devoid of intentional enlightened action.




Regular, faithful, and practical devotional service inspires Krishna to manifest in the heart.




The pure devotee is simply interested in attaining Krishna and is not disturbed by any number of material calamities.




If my peace of mind depends on people acting the way I want, then I will always be disturbed.




By making Krishna the center of their lives, the residents of Vrindavan enjoy the highest happiness.





	





	

		
Travel Journal#10.24: New York City, Albany, Puerto Rico, Gainesville 
 → Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk
	


	
	

		


Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 10, No. 24
By Krishna-kripa das
(December 2014, part two)


New York City, Albany, Puerto Rico, Gainesville
(Sent from Gainesville, Florida, on January 13, 2015)




Where I Went and What I Did




I spent my last few days with the New York City Harinam party in mid December, chanting six hours a day at different subway stations. On December 21, I visited my family for one day in Albany and distributed prasadam at the monthly potluck of the Friends Meeting (Quakers) I attended in my youth. Then I flew from Albany to Puerto Rico via Orlando, where I met my Vaishnava youth friend, Dhameshvar Mahaprabhu, who assisted me in doing harinamas before and after the first ever Ratha-yatra in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, on December 27. The day after the Ratha-yatra we attended a twelve-hour kirtana at our temple in Gurabo, high in the hills overlooking San Juan. I returned to Gainesville on the last day of the year to spend the last two hours of the year chanting with my friends in the streets of that city to give the New Years Eve partiers a spiritually auspicious New Year.




I share an excerpt from a letter Srila Prabhupada wrote to Tamal Krishna Goswami. I have some notes on Tamal Krishna Goswami’s memoirs which we were reading in the Harinam Ashram in New York City. I have notes on a class by Radhanath Swami at the Bhakti Center in New York City, and notes on a class by Laksmi Nrsimha Prabhu at the Harinam Ashram On Christmas Eve, Arisudana Prabhu, temple president of the ISKCON temple in Gurabo, Puerto Rico, invited the visiting Prabhupada disciples, to tell pastimes of Srila Prabhupada. Thus I have notes on the pastimes that Laksmimani, Akuti, and Sankha Prabhus told. I also have notes from classes by Adikarta Prabhu, who has been distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books since the 1970s. In additional, I have notes on a class by Malati Devi the day before Ratha-yatra on the wonderful story of how Lord Jagannath and His Ratha-yatra came to San Francisco in 1967. There are words of appreciation by Puerto Rico GBC Virabahu Prabhu for devotees who helped make the first ever Ratha-yatra in Puerto Rico happen. I also share my recollections of all the new adventures I had in 2014.




I would like to profusely thank Namamrita Prabhu, a pilot for Airtran, who donated two extra complimentary tickets he had left at the end of the year so that Dhameshvar Mahaprabhu and I could go to Puerto Rico to advertise and attend the first ever Ratha-yatra there. Because round trip tickets are over $500 during the peak Christmas season, we would not have been able to go otherwise. Thanks to Hladini for the maha-prasadam and incense she brought back from India for the New York City Harinam party and the tilaka for me. Thanks to Dhameshvar Mahaprabhu for additional photos of Puerto Rico. Thanks to Caitanya Jivan, Jaya Sita, and Bhakti Shakti Prabhus for their wonderful hospitality at their yoga center, Yoga Cultura Puerto Rico, in Rio Piedras.




New York City Harinam








I spent my final five days on the New York City Harinam from December 16 to 20, 2014. 




Two days a week we chanted in the largest subway station in New York City, 42 Street –Times Square.




Ananta Prabhu lead a lively kirtana, getting a couple of the ladies dancing, and a few people watching (http://youtu.be/j-psFv4rbdg):




 




Bhagavatananda Prabhu, who spent about a month with us, distributed invitations, pamphlets, and books.




We also chant at the 14thStreet –Union Square subway station two days a week. 




Here Natabara Gauranga Prabhu sang a sweet kirtana, and one kid who regularly stops when he sees us, had a great time playing the shakers and dancing (http://youtu.be/wjNSTIKrXzU):








Later Ananta Prabhu lead some lively harinama there beneath Union Square, and people played shakers and moved with the music (http://youtu.be/_3orXDQenMc):












We get the best response at Roosevelt Avenue –Jackson Heights, where we chant one or two days a week. 








Here Ananta Prabhu led a fired up kirtana that got a bunch of devotee ladies dancing, including an young Indian lady, who was passing by (http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGerEnGdI0xJnHu4WdqqXMdMMCTj4BDRE):






On some Fridays we chant in the Delancey Street subway station by the uptown F train.




Here Rama Raya Prabhu, the truly fearless leader of the party, leads an enthusiastic kirtana getting a bunch of devotees dancing and causing wonder among the passersby (http://youtu.be/jsC0Zgd7tTM):








I have great respect for devotees for the New York City Harinam party for their dedication to chant six hours every day in New York City. It was a great benediction to live with and work with people with such faith and dedication to the holy name. It is nice to see they have their own place in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, just about 35 minutes from Union Square by subway. I hope Krishna continues to send serious people to join their party. I look forward to chanting with them for a couple days in April on my way back to Ireland, the gateway to the UK and Europe for me, and to rejoin them for three months in the autumn.




My Visit to Albany




My mother told me the day I chose to visit home before Christmas was the day they have a potluck lunch at the Quaker Meeting I attended in my youth, so I got up early so I could make a carrot coconut rice dish for it before mangala-arati as I had a 7:00 a.m. bus to Albany.I also had some coconut burfiI made the previous day and some doughnuts that my friend Kana, who works at the Doughnut Plant, had obtained for me. Thus the Quakers got a lot of prasadam. One lady at the Meeting named Crystal remembered that rice dish  from my previous visit and wanted the recipe. Another named Barbara, who I met both in Albany and New York City, where she goes once a month for training as an interfaith minister, interviewed me about why I became a Hare Krishna devotee. 




At the meetinghouse there was a poster with a quote about spiritual outreach by Quaker founder George Fox that seems to have significance beyond that particular tradition. 




For dinner, we made spinach and paneer with dal and capatis. My mother, my sister, Karen, my niece, Fern, my sister’s boyfriend, Victor, and I also cooperated together in the cooking, and everything came out nice. I offered it all to a picture of Panca-tattva in Mayapur I got back in April.








Fern took a picture of the rest of us, including her dog, Farlo.








I looked in the meditation room at the Albany Airport as I awaited my flight to Orlando, on the way to Puerto Rico. I saw a book shelf and thought, “They should have Bhagavad-gita As It Is.” When I looked closer, I noticed they did.








They had meditation cushions and a natural scene to facilitate prayer and meditation, and I chanted on my beads there for awhile. 




Harinamas in San Juan Before the Ratha-yatra Festival




The very night we got to San Juan, Dhameshvar Mahaprabhu and I did harinama from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. in Rio Piedras, near Jaya Sita dd’s yoga center. We did not meet many people, but almost everyone we met was willing to take an invitation to Ratha-yatra.




On harinamain the Rio Piedras area the next day, one man asked me if I was in New York. He had returned from there on Thursday and thought he remembered seeing me. He probably did.








Bhaktin Paula took us to Old San Juan the first time we went there on harinama. We met an Indian family on vacation who joined us for some time, helping to distribute invitations.




The next day we went to Old San Juan via public transportation, and we found that we could play our instruments and chant on the train and bus without being restricted which is not true everywhere, even in other parts of America. 




The third day full day was Christmas Day. Adikarta Prabhu wanted to distribute books. Dhameshvar wanted to rehearse the play. Mother Akuti did not want to go out with so few people on harinama. Thus at 4:00 p.m., realizing there was no one to come out with me, I decided to go out by myself for three hours, playing the harmonium, chanting Hare Krishna, and distributing invitations to the Ratha-yatra. I would chant one mantra and then distribute invitations to nearby people, and then chant another mantra and do the same. 








One man was selling small toy drums, and he played in perfect time to my music with great delight.




After chanting in Old San Juan for a couple hours, I chanted in the bus station as I waited for the bus home. I offered everyone an invitation. One man asked me to sing a song for him. I chanted one tune for him for a while, and he gave me a dollar. 




I found a bus that went all the way to Rio Piedras, the region of San Juan I was staying in, but when we got to the final stop, I could not understand where I was in relation to where I was going. I explained to the bus driver that I knew where the church and the train station were but not the bus station, and after everyone got off the bus, the bus driver kindly drove me within walking distance of the church and explained how to get there, and thus I was able to get home.




First Ever Puerto Rico Ratha-yatra








One of the most visible and popular festivals celebrated by Hare Krishna devotees, Ratha-yatra, came for the first time to Puerto Rico, on December 27, 2014. 




In this festival, the Krishna deity known as Lord Jagannath, rides through the streets of the city on a cart, accompanied by His brother, Baladev, and sister, Subhadra. Devotees pull the cart with ropes, chanting the name of the Lord with musical instruments and dancing in procession. The venue was Paseo de la Princesa in Old San Juan. The weather was ideal, sunny and warm.




Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, when considering how to spread Krishna consciousness to the Western countries thought that the worship of Lord Jagannath, because of His nature as patita-pavana, the uplifter of those fallen away from spiritual Vedic culture, would be appropriate to introduce. When Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada brought this Hare Krishna movement to the West, Jagannath was in fact the first deity to appear. The day before the Puerto Rico Ratha-yatra, Malati Devi, disciple of Srila Prabhupada, gave a wonderful class telling about the appearance of Lord Jagannath and His Ratha-yatra festival in the Hare Krishna movement in San Francisco in 1967.




Malati told us that in March 1967, she was shopping at Cost Plus Imports in San Francisco, and was attracted by some carved wooden figures that were made in India. After all, Swamiji was from India and Hare Krishna was from India, so that was only natural. She spontaneously popped a blackish one in her bag. Later when Shyamasundara and Mukunda showed the figure to Srila Prabhupada, he surprised them by greeting the figure with joined palms in obeisance. He inquired about the origins of the figure, and Malati explained. He asked if there were more, and she said there was a white one and a yellow one. Srila Prabhupada asked that she get them. He explained about Lord Jagannath, who was a form of Krishna, Lord Baladev, His brother, and Lady Subhadra, His sister, and expressed his desire that a devotee carve a larger replicas of them for worship.




Malati explained, “Shyamasundar liked wood and worked with wood, but he had not carved anything before. Still when Srila Prabhupada wanted someone to carve a large Jagannath from wood, he immediately agreed to do it. We were able to do things beyond our normal scope by the mercy of Srila Prabhupada. Because Prabhupada told us the story about how the original Jagannath was carved from a log from the ocean, we decided to find a log from the ocean to carve Lord Jagannath. There was a salvage company that sold things found in the San Francisco Bay, so we went there. We told the guy in charge what we wanted, and he said to look around for it, and so we did. We found a large log, and were ready to go, but the guy in charge was no longer around, so we just left with it.


“Prabhupada said he would remain in San Francisco until Shyamasundar finished carving Jagannath. So Shyamasundar decided he would carve very slowly so Srila Prabhupada would stay with us longer.”




“When Srila Prabhupada unexpectedly came by our apartment to inspect the carving work, on the head of Subhadra was a pack of cigarettes. Shyamasundar said with genuine feeling, ‘I am sorry about the cigarettes.’ Srila Prabhupada said, ‘Yes, smoking is so hard to give up, but don’t let such a small thing as a stick of tobacco stand between you and your relationship with Krishna.’ With a flick of his walking stick he knocked the cigarette pack off the head of Subhadra. Then he gave Shyamasundar a practical strategy – to smoke one less cigarette each day until he was finished, and so he did.




“Their painting was the dress of the first Jagannath deities. Now we have elaborate deity ceremonies last three or five days, but ours was very simple. It must have pleased Lord Jagannath because He immediately reciprocated with us. Janaki was crying in the kirtana, and I asked her what was wrong. She said, ‘He is here. He is really here.’ 




“Srila Prabhupada explained that now the Lord Jagannatha had come they should observe the Ratha-yatra festival. The Skanda Purana gives a fixed date for Ratha-yatra, the second day of the bright fortnight in the month of Ashada [June-July], and the first one in 1967 in San Francisco was done on that day.”




Malati shared some of Srila Prabhupada instructions about the festival:




“Srila Prabhupada wanted profuse prasadam distribution. He said, ‘The cart is not different from Lord Jagannath. By decorating the cart, we are decorating our heart.’ He also explained, ‘Just looking at the cart is auspicious or touching the rope, touching at the cart.’




“Seeing Srila Prabhupada’s happiness hearing the report of our Ratha-yatra, we were overjoyed and became convinced about the festival’s great importance.”




Malati advised the devotees participating in Puerto Rico, “During the Ratha-yatra, interact with the public, smile at them, wave at them, and inspire them to take part.”




Paseo de la Princesa was a good place for the festival because it is part of a tourist section of Old San Juan and tourists both from Puerto Rico and abroad stroll through that area of the town.






 


The authorities gave us a less crowded time to pull Lord Jagannath on His chariot, but Bhadra Prabhu made up for it by doing a harinama, astreet procession of congregational chanting of the Holy Names, through a larger area later, at a busier time. Fortunately we had just enough invitations still left to invite people to partake of the spiritual food and the stage show. 








On both processionsseveral onlookers were enchanted by the singing and dancing of the devotees, and began dancing themselves with great enthusiasm and it was beautiful to see. 




 


Many copies of the Spanish version of “On Chanting Hare Krishna” were distributed. We had a book table at our festival site that was practically always busy throughout the day.




For the stage show we had music, bharat-natyam dances, and a short play. Bhadra Prabhu invited devotees from Alachua who perform at the Florida Ratha-yatras to come for that event. Bali and Dhanya lead kirtana, along with some of the local Puerto Rican devotees. Students from Bhakti Kalalayam Dance Academy came, along with their director, Anapayini dasi, and they did bharat-natyam dances that depict pastimes of Krishna. For over an hour there was a final kirtana that was very lively which Bhadra Prabhu and others led. Several people danced in the crowd, and passersby were attracted to stop and watch. 








The play was a rendition of the ISKCON classic about the fool who polishes the bird cage without tending to the bird inside till it reeks of death.




After the festival, Virabahu Prabhu, the Governing Board Commissioner for Puerto Rico, thanked everyone who took part in a very heartfelt way that was impressive to me:




“It is a very sweet moment to glorify devotees. We pray to the Lord to bless everyone who took part in making this Ratha-yatra festival happen. We want to thank everyone.  Nothing is small if it is offered to the Lord.




“I am moved that you [visiting devotees] who have great love for the holy name, Lord Jagannath, and these festivals, were inspired to come here. You have made this festival.




“If you ever had any doubts about miracles, now you can believe.




“Everyone has made a sacrifice. Thank you making such a nice sacrifice.”




Virabahu Prabhu told the story of how the festival came to Puerto Rico:


“The story started with Caitanya Jivan being brought in by Jaya Sita. Jaya Sita, although she met the devotees elsewhere, is from Puerto Rico. Prabhupada wanted the locals to do the preaching. We have to thank them for many more things than just Ratha-yatra. They encouraged a bhaktinto donate enough to pay the entire mortgage for the temple property on Janmastami in 2011. And before, that Caitanya Jivan donated a restaurant. I was very grateful and thanked him and asked, ‘Is there anything I can do for you?’
Caitanya Jivan said, ‘Yes. I just want there to be Ratha-yatra in Puerto Rico.’” 




Bhadra Prabhu, spoke up, “You mentioned to my wife a couple of years ago to do something with Ratha-yatra in Puerto Rico. I thought of December because it is cold in the north. There are many tourists, especially between Christmas and New Years. Thus I came in February to meet with the devotees and discuss it. When I was in Alachua, Jaya Sita would communicate with me three, four, or five times a day about Ratha-yatra organization. Arisudana Prabhu, temple president of our ISKCON temple in Puerto Rico, encouraged me saying, ‘I am glad you are doing Ratha-yatra. If you did not do it I would not be happy.’ We did 1,500 plates of prasadam.”




Some devotees were doubtful that it was practical to do Ratha-yatra in Puerto Rico in 2014, but Bhadra Prabhu pointed out that whenever they encountered an obstacle, that Krishna had always shown a way to overcome it and so they should be optimistic. Emanuel, one of the devotees who believed it possible, had a dream of Srila Prabhupada walking down Paseo de la Princesa, expectantly surveying the site and smiling.








I was impressed to see how Jaya Sita, who I had known for her competence as a cellist and yoga instructor, in Gainesville, Philadelphia, and Mexico, and her faith in her guru, Hridayananda Goswami, had really developed into a festival organizer. Krishna describes a yogi to be one who is always equipoised in the face of all dualities, and she really seemed to be in that spirit, dealing with all the issues arising the day of the festival and those leading up to it. Caitanya Jivan Prabhu played a humble role behind the scenes, with plenty of energy, always ready to do whatever was needed to make it happen. Bhadra Prabhu, who is the leader of a team of devotees who do eight Ratha-yatras in Florida, contributed his great experience and a lot of time, and he engaged many devotees in doing the needful to make it happen. One devotee left his family in Alachua for several weeks to work on the Ratha-yatra cart.




It was beautiful that different senior devotees came there to help to make it a successful festival, Virabahu Prabhu, Adikarta Prabhu, Sankha Prabhu, Malati Devi, Laksmimani Devi, and Akuti Devi. Sankha Prabhu missed the Ratha-yatra because he was cooking the whole time. It was a worthy sacrifice as none of the preparations, rice, chickpeas, sabji, or halava,ran out during the over five hours prasadam was served.




I was involved with doing harinama and distributing invitations before the festival. One morning Adikarta Prabhu, Dhamesvar Das, Leo, and I did harinamain the Rio Piedras area of San Juan for almost two hours. I was impressed that at least 95% of the people took Ratha-yatra invitations, far beyond what I experience anywhere, except with Indradyumna Swami’s festivals in Poland. Later we went to Old San Juan and found although the Puerto Ricans continued taking many invitations, the mainland American tourists were very reluctant. Only those from India were very interested. When we returnedthe next day via public transportation, Mother Akuti was impressed with the positive attitude of the people on both the train and the bus, who would tap to our music or even try to follow the words. The day before the Ratha-yatra, as Keshava Prabhu, Abhayananda Prabhu and I were taking the bus to Old San Juan, the city bus driver asked us to sing, and we sang the whole rest of the way! In most places, bus drivers are among the people who tell you to stop singing, but in Puerto Rico the people are so friendly, the bus drivers invite you to sing! When our harinama party encountered Adikarta Prabhu distributing books, he stopped and joined our kirtana party. Being invited by proprietors or customers, we chanted in a jewelry shop, a clothes shop, and a bar, and we also chanted with a street musician. You can see in this video our party chanting on the bus, in the shops, and with the street musician (http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGerEnGdI0xJbi8eRhvMhb54CZGvTJaFk):








All the devotees on the party were so enthusiastic to invite people to the festival, we would stop playing our instruments or singing to hand out the invitations to anyone who looked a little interested. Adikarta would even pass out the invitations when he was leading the chanting, and other devotees had to take over for him temporarily. I was so happy to see everyone’s enthusiasm to invite people to the Ratha-yatra!




Virabahu Prabhu advised the devotees about the Ratha-yatra deities: “You can consider the new Jagannath, Baladeva, and Subhadra deities to be installed by the enthusiastic kirtana and participation in yesterday’s Ratha-yatra festival. Srila Prabhupada wrote in his Srimad-Bhagavatam6.3.25 purport, ‘Recently, when we established a large Krishna-Balarama temple in Vrindavan, we were obliged to have Vedic ceremonies enacted by brahmanasbecause the inhabitants of Vrindavan, especially the smarta-brahmanas,would not accept Europeans and Americans as bona fide brahmanas.Thus we had to engage brahmanasto perform costly yajñas.In spite of these yajñas,the members of our Society performed sankirtanaloudly with mridangas,and I considered the sankirtanamore important than the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies.’The next time a householder says that his deities are not installed, I will say, ‘Did you chant Hare Krishna before them?’”




The day after Ratha-yatra devotees had a twelve-hour kirtana in their temple in Puerto Rico, in a town called Gurabo, about 40 minutes outside San Juan on a mountain over looking the city and the ocean. Different devotees led for a half-hour or an hour. In particular, Dhanya’s kirtana was so lively it got everyone up dancing at one point. If you have Facebook, you can see it in this video at the link below:





Although many of us were wiped out from the Ratha-yatra, it was a good idea to do the sustained kirtana. It is always good to give people the chance to experience the higher taste the comes from being absorbed in the congregational chanting of the holy name of the Lord. Lord Caitanya has said it is the nectar for which we are always anxious. Krishnadas Kaviraja Goswami says, “The Absolute Truth is Sri Krishna, and loving devotion to  Sri Krishna exhibited in pure love is achieved through congregational chanting of the holy name, which is the essence of all bliss.” (Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 1.96)




I was happy to go to the first ever Puerto Rico Ratha-yatra. I think Srila Prabhupada, who induced his father to do Ratha-yatra in their neighborhood, as a five-year-old child, feels some special joy to see the festival of his beloved Lord Jagannath come to another city. I went to the first Ratha-yatra in Brno, Czech Republic, in 2007, in Wroclaw, Poland, in 2009, in Fredrikstad, Norway, in 2011, in Passau, Germany, in 2012, and in Sheffield, England, in 2014, and I feel fortunate that by my friend Jaya Sita’s invitation and my friend Namamrita’s complimentary air tickets, my friend Dhameshvar Mahaprabhu and I could advertise and attend the first ever Puerto Rican Ratha-yatra.




This year I got to go early and do harinama and distribute invitations to the Ratha-yatras in Sheffield, London, Manchester, Dublin, Philadelphia, and Puerto Rico. Just the single day I spent promoting Dublin or the two days I spent in Philadelphia I felt was too short, so I went on six harinamas in five days in Puerto Rico. My realization is that the devotees put so much time and energy to organize festival programs to benefit the people in general, it is good if we become enthusiastic to promote them. On Indradyumna Swami’s Festival of India tour in Poland, for each festival site, he has three harinamas with fifty or sixty devotees, and each time in three hours, his eight distributors pass out seven thousand invitations, and nightly several thousand people attend his festivals. Such a commitment to advertising Ratha-yatras in ISKCON would really boost our popularization of Lord Krishna and His message of divine love.




Bhadra Prabhu hopes to make Ratha-yatra in Puerto Rico between Christmas and New Years a yearly event. For information on this coming year’s Ratha-yatra in Puerto Rico and those in North and Central Florida, check out his web site: www.festivalofchariots.org.




Harinamas in San Juan After the Ratha-yatra Festival




After the whole Ratha-yatra festival, we helped clean up for half an hour, and then did harinama to the taxi stand.








One lady wanted to have her picture taken with us.








Finding too few taxis, we took a bus, and Adikarta Prabhu led kirtanaon the bus, all the way to the train station. And then we chanted on the train all the way to Rio Piedras.




I had a feeling it would be difficult to get devotees to chant with me in Gainesville over the winter break, as well as to find populated places to chant, so I stayed in Puerto Rico until my ticket expired on December 31. I was glad I did because we got six devotees to chant together on harinama on December 29 in Rio Piedras and on December 30 in Old San Juan.




Krishna Keshava, Abhayananda, Atavi Krishna, Dhameshvar, and Sita Wolf chanted with me for about three hours in a busy shopping area on the streets of Rio Piedras near where Jaya Sita has her yoga center. 
  








One boy danced to our music.


  




Sita, though not famous among the Hare Krishna kids as a kirtana leader, had a pleasing and loud voice and sang well.






Many people were happy to see us, like this street vendor. 


 




One man, speaking to passers by his shop with a microphone, let us sing Hare Krishna into his microphone for as long as we wanted to, something that does not happen very often at all. Krishna Keshava started off.






Then Sita chanted into the mic.








The devotees chanted and danced in a circle in the middle of the street, where people were sitting on benches.








Bhakti Shakti dd, wearing green, who cooks for Jaya Sita’s yoga center, joined us in the kirtana. She is well known as a experienced vegetarian cook in Santa Domingo, where she got to cook for visiting guests like Bill Clinton and the Prince of Spain. We were all satisfied with her cooking, especially the pizza on the final day.








One woman played her tambourine with us.




Several people gave us donations although we had no donation box.








We even chanted in an indoor market with many vendors and many stalls, but no one complained.






One woman played her tambourine with us.






In that market Krishna Keshava bought coconuts to drink for everyone in our party, and we continued chanting as we drank the coconuts. 




After the others had left, as Dhameshvar, Sita, and I chanted back to the yoga center, Billy, on the left of the above picture, came up and asked me, “Are you from Gainesville?” Turns out Billy grew up in Gainesville but now summers in NYC and winters in PR. He also said he saw me in Union Square in the fall! He eats at the Bhakti Cafe and attends kirtanas at the Bhakti Center, and wondered if we had prasadam and kirtana in Puerto Rico! I gave him the details. Thanks to Sita for the picture.   








The final day we returned to Old San Juan.








This time we went to another tourist attraction, El Morro Fort (officially Castillo de San Felipe del Morro). Thanks to Jaya Sita for the picture.




The Trip Home to Gainesville




As we were flying standby, we decided to try for the early morning flight, which had four or five free seats the last time I checked. Turns out there when we arrived there were only two free seats and we were number seven and eight on the waiting list. Thus we did not make that flight and had to wait almost seven and a half hours for the next flight. As it was Ekadasi and I just wanted to chant extra japa of Hare Krishna on my beads and Dhameshvar Mahaprabhu just had to do some studying, because we could do both in the airport, we just stayed at the gate until the next flight. While waiting we also booked a Megabus for the evening from Orlando to Gainesville as we missed the Greyhound we previously booked.




When we got to Orlando, we still had to wait four and a half hours for the Megabus, but because the Orlando Airport has free wireless internet, we spent most of the time there.




New Years Eve Harinama in Gainesville




We arrived just before 10 p.m. in Gainesville, just in time for me to go on the New Years Eve Harinama which we had scheduled for 9:30 p.m. Krishna Keshava Prabhu kindly brought prasadam for me because all I had was tomato juice and peanuts on the airplane, and I was starving.




I was so happy we had thirteen devotees altogether. Some years I could only convince two or three people to come out on harinama on New Years Eve. This year I told Krishna Keshava Prabhu to organize it as I was out of town, and I asked Mother Mukhya, the temple president of Alachua, to advertise it, so we were much more successful.




Often passersby are too shy to participate in singing or dancing with us but on days like New Years Eve, and also Halloween, there is such a mood of celebration, many more people interact with the party, and knowingly or unknowingly get the benefit of serving the Lord by participating in His sankirtana movement, the congregational chanting of the holy name of the Lord.




You can see passersby in the video below were attracted to celebrate with the Hare Krishna devotees in Gainesville (http://youtu.be/5nv4mghcbdU):








Recalling New Adventures in 2014




Every year has some special new adventures for me, and I like to recall them at year’s end. The day after Gaura Purnima in 2014, I did harinama with Abhiram Prabhu in Bagru, Rajasthan, with the deities and sound system riding on camel driven carts. I did harinama all the way around Govardhan Hill for the first time with two friends from Ireland. I went to the first ever Ratha-yatra in Sheffield, England, and San Juan, Puerto Rico in 2014. In fact, I did harinama in Puerto Rico for the first time as well. I went to our Scottish temple, Karuna Bhavan, and did harinama in Glasgow, the city nearby, both for the first time, and also attended a kirtana program in Findhorn in the north of Scotland. Our harinama at the Green Festival in Newcastle, attracted participation by devotees from Scarborough and Leeds, and one of my Newcastle friends joined in our harinama in York. We also did harinama in a new city, Chester, England, for the first time, and also did an evening program there as well. These were so good we did both a second time this year too. It is nice to see the devotees in The North of England cooperating together to do more harinama. I was denied entry into the UK on August 25, the first time any country had denied me entry. I went couchsurfing in Lille, France, for the first time and ended up staying one night with a young Indian man, who had attended our temple in Hyderabad and who had gone to our Janmastami festival at Radhadesh the previous week, and a young lady from France, who had danced in our Mantra Yoga tent at the Polish Woodstock festival. I chanted in the Brussels Central Station for the first time. In Brooklyn we chanted in the Atlantic Avenue – Barclay’s Center subway station for the first time. In San Juan, a bus driver told our harinama party to sing on the bus for the first time. 




I went to the Brooklyn Doughnut Plant for the first time to get prasadam doughnuts for my relatives. I flew out of the Islip MacArthur airport for the first time in order to get to Jacksonville in time to chant at the campus. I took the Chinese bus from Jacksonville, Florida, to New York City for the first time, to save Krishna’s money, and lived to tell about it. I got a Smartphone for the first time from my friend Dorian, and it is great having all Prabhupada’s main books in the palm of your hand. I made coconut burfi with saffron, cardamom, and rose water for the first time. I have a computer with the Linux operating system for the first time, thanks to Jiva Goswami Prabhu, and it is a pleasant change from Windows.




To see the photos I took but did not include in this journal, click on the link below: 





Insights




Srila Prabhupada:




from a letter to Tamal Krishna Goswami written in Bombay on November 21, 1974:




“Yes, train up the brahmanasvery carefully. Many Indians and foreigners criticize us how we can create brahmanas.They are under the impression that brahmanasare born like horses and asses are born. According to Bhagavad-gita brahmanasare according to gunaand karma. So the training of brahmanasshould be so nice that people will be forced to accept them as brahmanasby guna, quality, and karma, action.”




Tamal Krishna Goswami:




Srila Prabhupada told us that if we give up sense gratification and dedicate our life to serving Lord Caitanya, He will take us back to Godhead at the end of our life.




Book distribution is the most powerful service to make spiritual advancement because it forces one to take full shelter of guru and Krishna.




Radhanath Swami:




Kunti says that aspiring for wealth, parentage, beauty, and education blocks our spiritual progress, but if these assets are engaged in service to God, they become blessings.




In the Bible it is said it is easier for a rich man to get into heaven that to put a camel through the eye of a needle. If the rich man uses his assets in God’s service, then God who is full of inconceivable power will help him put the camel through the eye of the needle, and then the impossible becomes possible.




Advice to businessmen: Earn with integrity; spend with compassion. 




I was with Srila Prabhupada in Vrindavan and just about six people were in his room. Someone asked him, “Are you guru of the whole world?”
Srila Prabhupada replied, with tears in his eyes, “No, I am servant of everyone.”


Hearing that, I thought within myself, “He is guru of the whole world!”




Compassion gives ecstasy to the soul. Sense gratification cannot.




Laksmi Nrsimha Prabhu:




You get lots of realization from book distribution, even if you do not do so well at it. You notice that you do not do so well, and so you pray to Krishna, and then someone asks, “Do you have any Bhagavad-gitas?”





	





	

		
Travel Journal#10.23: New York City and Stuyvesant Falls 
 → Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk
	


	
	

		


Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 10, No. 23
By Krishna-kripa das
(December 2014, part one)


New York City and Stuyvesant Falls
(Sent from Gainesville, Florida, on January 3, 2015)




Where I Went and What I Did




On December 1, I took the Chinese bus from Jacksonville toNew York City to save money, and it was a pretty austere 19 hours, though scheduled to be17. I was still able to do 3 hours of harinamawhenI arrived the next day. Then I spent the rest of the first half of December with the New York City Harinam party, doing nearly 6 hours of harinama each day in different subway stationsexcept for December 6.. That day I went with Rama Raya and Bhagavatananda Prabhu of the party and a couple other disciples, to Stuyvesant Falls, New York, to celebrate the Vyasa Puja of our diksa guru, Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami. 




One night I gave a lecture at Atmanivedana Prabhu’s program at 26 Second Avenue, and I am always happy to see the enthusiasm of the devotees who come to and maintain it. I also gave a lecture at Krishna Balaram temple in Queens, where I am greatly impressed to see the enthusiasm of the devotees for the congregational chanting. On the A train back to Brooklyn, I encountered three young Afro-Americans from the Bronx who had also come to the Queens program and who were very happy to chant kirtana with me until I got off the train at Utica Avenue, greatly inspiring me.




I share a quote from a Srila Prabhupada lecture, notes on Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami’s Vyasa Puja address, and some homages by his disciples, and notes on lectures by senior devotees at the Harinam Ashram, namely Abhiram Prabhu, Laksmi Nrsimha Prabhu, Rama Raya Prabhu, Janmastami Prabhu (in transit from Mayapur to Florida), and Lilananda Prabhu (visiting from Italy).




Thanks to Kaliya Krishna Prabhu, who always makes sure I have enough money to ride the New York subways. Thanks to the devotees at 26 Second Avenue for their kind donation. Thanks to Bhakta John for driving us up to Stuyvesant Falls for Vyasa Puja. 


Itinerary 




January 3 – April 8: Florida (Gainesville, Alachua, Tallahassee, Jacksonville, and Tampa)


April 9–11: Washington, D.C.


April 12: Albany


April 13–15: New York City


April 16: Toronto


April 17–24: Ireland  






New York City Harinam




Because of the cold and wet weather and because the Christmas Market took over our spot at Union Square, we chanted in the subway stations during the first half of December.




The Atlantic Avenue – Barclays Center station in Brooklyn is a new one for us, and we started chanting there for the first time in November 2014. In the beginning, people did not know what to make of us, but as time went by they became more favorable. According to Wikipedia, it is the busiest subway station in Brooklyn because the B, D, N, Q, R, 2, 3, 4, and the 5trains all stop there and also the Long Island Railroad.










Even a police lady was seen moving to our music.










A kid gave a donation and got a pamphlet.








Ishvari Jahnava dd, originally from Russia and visiting from Vancouver, developed so much love and respect for the party seeing them online, she decided to come and render service. Here she played a lively tune on the accordion, getting Madhavi dd to dance.








Later a man joined in the dancing.
 


 






Another man was attracted by the presentation.








Others also danced with us there.




You can get a feel for the scene at Atlantic Avenue – Barclays Center from this video where Rama Raya Prabhu is singing (http://youtu.be/sHQgI_5WrrI):




 




We also chant at 42ndStreet – Times Square subway station, said to be the busiest station in the whole New York City subway system. There the A, C, E, N,Q, R, 1, 2, 3, and 7trains meet, as well as the Times Square shuttle,and there also is the Port Authority Bus Station.








Sometimes people dance with us.








Sometimes they play the gong.












Sometimes they play the shakers.








Sometimes they take photos of themselves with the Hare Krishnas.




Onceat Times Square, Bhagavatananda Prabhu noticed a Christian was approaching him. Before the Christian had a chance to open his mouth, Bhagavatananda Prabhu said to him with a smile, “Hey brother, Jesus loves you!” The guy was caught off guard, was a little frustrated that Bhagavatananda had stolen his line, and complained through his little sound system that we did not understandabout the love of Jesus.








Jackson Heights, which is populated by a lot of Indians, other Asians, and Hispanics, is where we get the most people to stay for some and listen to our kirtana. There we sing in the Roosevelt Avenue – Jackson Heights subway station, the warmest of all the ones where we sing.




When Rama Raya Prabhu sings with unparalleled enthusiasm, often we get a crowd listening (http://youtu.be/onuwal3PHlo):








There we chant just near the stairs leading down to the subway, and when the trains come in, lots of people pass by us as you can see in this video, in which a local guitarist also joined us (http://youtu.be/GqTks5cMtPQ):








Because we sing at Union Square in the good weather, we are generally well received also in the Union Square subway station.








Here one man who received a pamphlet read it immediately.








If Madhavi dd can find another girl, like Clarissa, to join her, then she will become inspired to dance.








Lee, although 70 years old, often will come and play the flute at Union Square. 




Rama Raya Prabhu chanted Hare Krishna to the “Jingle Bells” tune and a passerby in a Christmas costume danced (http://youtu.be/zWsbKxgq4c4):








Michael Collins, who I know from chanting together in Gainesville, sometimes sings with us. Here he sings a lively tune at Union Square (http://youtu.be/znTvqEkBdTA):








Ananta Prabhu led a kirtana that got manyof the devotees dancing (http://youtu.be/PQksg8XhgTs):




 




One kid enjoyed dancing to the Hare Krishna music so much his mom had great difficulty dragging him away (http://youtu.be/pd_z-ddSoZg):








Ishvari Jahnava dd describes a wonderful incident at Union Square which I missed, having left early to give a lecture in Queens: “On December 14 a six-year-old could not pass us by . . . she stayed with us dancing and playing a shaker. And then she started to chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra,reading it from the card with her dancing sister. And when her dad came to pick her up she confidently took a card with the maha-mantrafrom the book table and handed it to her dad making him to chant with her. I could not believe my eyes . . . ” You can see some of this in her video if you have access to Facebook:







Vyasa Puja of Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami




Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, one of the early disciples of Srila Prabhupada, most famous for having written his authorized biography, Srila Prabhupada-lilamrita, was born seventy-five years ago, and his disciples observed the standard Vyasa-puja celebration in his honor. There were more people there than usual.




In this picture, he wears the string of red beads that Srila Prabhupada chanted on at his initiation in 1966. 




He gave a talk and people read homages. The oldest disciples, beginning from those initiated in 1978 read their offerings first. There were so many disciple those initiated in 1983, like myself did not get speak. I will include my offering below, which I had written, after the others.




When I came up to get a copy of the the third and final volume of his autobiography, The Story of My Life, I told Guru Maharaja that I had put my Vyasa Puja offering in the book of offerings that the devotees had given him, but I had forgotten a couple things. In his daily journal, he often writes, “I called out to Krishna because without His blessings I cannot do japaon my own endeavor. ” I told him I liked that sentiment when I initially read it, but it took two weeks or so before I was able to consistently pray like that every day, but now I can and I think it helps. I also told him, “Because you have faith in the holy name, we are able to have faith in the holy name, and because you have faith in Srila Prabhupada, we are able to have faith in Srila Prabhupada. Thank you.” He was pleased to hear that.




I saw Satya Devi, the wife of Ramabhadra Prabhu, the temple president of Radha Govinda Mandir, at Vyasa Puja for the first time in quite a while. She came with a friend, Lalita Devi, and they were glad that they came. 








Satya gave Guru Maharaja a garland from Govinda in Brooklyn. 
 








Guru Maharaja took off his previous garland and gave it to her.




The prasadam was awesome as usual, and there was plenty of it. Baladeva Vidyabhusana Prabhu’s spinach and panirwas very tasty, and his sweet rice was wonderful.




There was a winter festival that night in Hudson, the largest city nearby, and we hoped chant there with our instruments afterward. It was a cold and wet night, however, and no one except me still wanted to go out chanting. I thought we should have chanted one time down the street despite the bad weather conditions because there is so much benefit in it for all concerned. 




Doughnut Plant




Part of my relationship with my niece, Fern, and my sister, Karen, is to go to the Doughnut Plant, the prasadam business run by Hare Krishna devotee Mark Israel, which has just opened a new location in Brooklyn, at 245 Flatbush Avenue. We always go to the one in the Chelsea Hotel, which is generally closer to where we are. 








Here Fern and Karen are happy after doughnuts and hot chocolate with vegan marshmallows, a favorite.







To see photos that I took but did not include in this blog, click on the link below:





Insights




Srila Prabhupada:




“Srimad-Bhagavatamis filled with descriptions of the characteristics of various devotees, with reference to the service of the Lord. This Vedic literature is called Bhagavatambecause it deals with the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His devotee. By studying Srimad-Bhagavatamunder the direction of the bona fide spiritual master, one can perfectly understand the science of Krishna, the nature of the material and spiritual worlds, and the aim of life. Srimad-Bhagavatam amalam puraṇam. Srimad-Bhagavatamis the spotless Vedic literature, as we have discussed in the beginning of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Therefore, simply by understanding Srimad-Bhagavatam, one can understand the science of the activities of the devotees, the activities of the demons, the permanent abode and the temporary abode. Through Srimad-Bhagavatam, everything is perfectly known.”




Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:




Ravindra Svarupa’s book on Srila Prabhupada as founder-acarya is well researched and worth reading. I recommend it to everyone. 




I am a Prabhupada cela, although I have disciples. I instruct them to read his books.




Regarding my book Readings in Vedic Literature, Srila Prabhupada told me, “You having quoted the rascals without becoming contaminated.”




When I inquired from Srila Prabhupada about writing he replied, “Persons like the Goswamis wrote so many books, and so I am writing. My disciples will also write. Unlimited books can be written without deviating from the original source.”




Srila Prabhupda advised, “We should assimilate and present in our own words.”




The goal of the devotee artist is glorify Krishna with heartfelt expression.




Prabhupada Smaranam is one of my favorite books.




The BBT in Russia has printed Prabhupada,Readings in Vedic Literature, and Narada-bhakti-sutra. They are also printing the full length Srila Prabhupada-lilamrita.




Devamrita Swami wrote me greatly appreciating Prabhupada Smaranam, how the book draws you into it and shares beautiful insights about Srila Prabhupada, and you cannot put it down.




My disciples and I are a family within in the family of ISKCON. There are no temples of my disciples, but they can unite around my books. Some disciples who teach seminars use my books.




Chanting japa is a very personal connection with the spiritual master. It is the one vow you made to me, to Prabhupada, to the Deity, to the fire. Japais becoming increasingly the essence of my Krishna conscious bhajana.




From “Free Writing in ISKCON”:




Telling them “Not quarreling or fault finding.”




Bowing down before him, feeling surrender in your bones.




Prabhupada gave it [the danda, the staff of one in the renounced order of life] to you with the instruction, “Preach, preach, preach.”




Srila Prabhupada said Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s desire was fulfilled when Bengalis and Westerners chanted Hare Krishna together.




Prabhupada was satisfied whether I was in Boston, Dallas, or traveling.




From “Vani and Vapu”:




It became different when there was only vani[Srila Prabhupada’s instruction] and not vapu [Srila Prabhupada’s personal presence].I had a Prabhupada murti[worshipable statue] to keep in touch.




As you get older you do fewervarieties of service. You do japa,read, and write. You hope Srila Prabhupada is pleased with you.




I experienced sweet weeks of living like a sadhu in Vrindavan.




One is invited to do fiction by the acaryas who have written fiction [like Bhaktivinoda Thakura].




I decided to end this series called The Story of My Life because it may seem egotistical to have so many volumes with that title. I will create a new series with the working title Looking Backwards. Rupa Vilasa my proofreader suggested I abbreviate it to Looking Back, and explain in the introduction the reason. I want to review the books I have written in my life.




Offerings:




Disciples from 1978:




Janmastami Prabhu:




I had the honor of garlanding you when you came for the first time to 55thStreet in New York. I was thrilled. You spoke on Srila Prabhupada’s mood and the maya sukhaya [illusory happiness] verse. You have always talked about the chanting. You would say that Srila Prabhupada said we should use our best intelligence to chant Hare Krishna. And throughout our relationship you have always emphasized the chanting, and I am so grateful for that.




In Mayapur Suresvara Prabhu talked to all the devotees about Srila Prabhupada from Lilamritatoday, your Vyasa Puja day.




Brahma-sampradaya Prabhu:




You say you do not travel, but you are traveling all around the world every day by your web site.




Syama Gopa Rupa Devi:




I first heard you speak dispelling doubts arising by Srimad-Bhagavatam Canto5, Part 2. I was impressed by your pure devotion to Srila Prabhupada and his presentation of Vedic Cosmology.




You publish your daily journal which is honest and transparent.




I am blessed to be able to assist you publishing your writings.




We are an eternal spiritual family, and yet we do not know each other so much, so we should get together more.




Mukta-vandya Prabhu:




I was always fried about a lot of things, but when I heard you were going to be the guru for the devotees in Boston, I was happy because I had experienced you before.




You say for those who were first initiated by Prabhupada, they could take you as spiritual master or not, and I decided I would. Later disciples of Srila Prabhupada could not easily have his association, but if they were brought in my you or TKG, they could come right in. I feel if I am with you I will be with Prabhupada.




Samika Rsi Prabhu:




You said guru is like father and disciple is like son.




You lovingly taught us how to chant the gayatrimantra.




My mother wanted some material blessings for her son, and you explained the spiritual master is just for spiritual blessings.




You would write notes to Anarta, my wife, about what you wanted to eat, and that was a very personal connection.




Haridasa Prabhu:




You spoke in Dallas after Srila Prabhupada’s leaving.




One cannot think of you without thinking of Srila Prabhupada, and one cannot think of Srila Prabhupada without thinking about Krishna.




Disciples from 1979:




Haryasva Prabhu:




I wanted to know and love Srila Prabhupada. And you have given me that, and are giving me that more and more.    




You have given me a family of wonderful godbrothers and godsisters.




I have always felt love from you. The same as I felt from my mother except this is better.




Your books are a treasure. I understand more your enthusiasm to distribute them.  




Lila-avatara dd:




I appreciate how you stress chanting the holy names.




Once you told me, “If you cannot chant on your beads, chant in your mind, but do not forget the chanting.”




We want to emulate you by giving others so many things to benefit their spiritual lives.




I find by the chanting I forget about the pains of illness.




Your pictures and drawings of devotees dancing with upraised arms make me happy.




A person who chants japaand worships Madhusudana attains the spiritual kingdom.




Baladeva from Trinidad:




We are celebrating your almost 50 years of service to Srila Prabhupada.




Laksmi Narayana Prabhu:




Even disciples of other gurus glorify your books for inspiring them in spiritual life.




Kirtan Rasa Prabhu:




Pray to Krishna I may always go along with you. Pray to Krishna for your health and long life. Do not think it is selfish.




Vishnu Aradhanam Prabhu:




Thank you for your tapes, books, and website for telling us about Krishna and His holy name.




Kalki Devi:




“YOU ARE My INSPIRATION. You inspire me by the description of your feelings when you write about your chanting sessions.”




“So many human beings have been touched by these writings which are coming from your heart.”




“You share so much of yourself in many ways, and therefore this helps to bring us (your disciples) closer together under your shelter.”




“I just pray I can follow even in a small way your example and make this lifetime successful.”




When I see Radha-Damodara I think of you. You are together in my mind.




Disciples of 1980:




Bhagavatananda Prabhu:




I heard Srila Prabhupada had just left and there were new spiritual masters and one was coming. I returned and heard you. Sitting way in the back, I could hardly hear. I heard you was coming again. I returned and also sat in the back and did not really hear or understand. When I left the room and hit the street, I recalled that being in your association was so peaceful, quite unlike the street scene I was entering.




You gave me the service of preaching in Jamaica, and I am not done with it.  




Your disciples are very powerful.




That Jada Bharata Prabhu left us. I think he was the first of us to go. We should take note that we also will go, and we should associate while we can.




I have been with Rama Raya Prabhu his party. To be in the association of like minded people chanting Hare Krishna in New York, I am refreshed and invigorated like the old days and optimistic about the future of ISKCON. I am inspired you have produced disciples like that.




Disciples from 1981:




It was my great, great fortune that you were my zonal acarya.




When you give a class, you are giving us Krishna in a very direct way.




You wrote me once, “Janmastami [your leader on the book distribution party] is not your spiritual master.”




Rama Raya Prabhu:




That you have wonderful disciples doing things all over the world is evidence of your position as a bona fide spiritual master. You have led the way for all the devotees in ISKCON, stressing the chanting of the holy name. Many of your godbrothers are inspired in that way following your example. Srila Prabhupada said it is the first duty of a sannyasi to give a literary contribution, but you have given many, many literary contributions, and these are lasting contributions.




I am very inspired by your realization of the harinama. You are inspiring us in that.




Krishna-kripa das:




“You teach by your glorious example to put the japa of the holy names as a top priority by rising early and doing the bulk of your japa before other things. ‘Of all the instructions of the spiritual master, the order to chant sixteen rounds is essential.‘You always strive to improve the quality of your chanting, especially in attentiveness, and you share your struggles with others for their benefit. You remind us that the maha-mantra is composed of Radha’s and Krishna’s names and is a prayer to be engaged in Their service. You inspire us by telling how you are now, for the most part, not disturbed by outside thoughts. And you teach us to yearn for the day when we see the form and pastimes of the Lord spontaneously appearing in our minds when we chant.




“Now I am chanting with Rama Raya Prabhu’s party in Union Square, and you inspire us all by your appreciation, replete with choice scriptural references, of the supreme importance of nagara sankirtana, and your words especially encouraging us in our venue in New York City. Through your paintings and drawings of happily dancing devotees, you also remind me of the instruction you gave me back in the 1980s to ‘dance more in kirtana.‘By promoting the dancing you follow Srila Prabhupada, who always appreciated the dancing of the devotees, and Lord Caitanya and Nityananda, who are always dancing, even in Their Deity forms.




“Through your daily writing and artwork you teach the importance of engaging your God-given talents in His service, as well as reminding us that Srila Prabhupada wanted us to write down our realizations every day. Your writings provide inspiration for us to apply Srila Prabhupada’s instructions in our lives and thus attain spiritual perfection.




“Your determination to make good on your promises to Srila Prabhupada for the reminder of your life inspires us to keep our promises to you.




“Thank you for inspiring us, your disciples, as well as the devotees in general, by your personal example and your literature.




“Please bless us that we might always follow your path back to Godhead, your life of devotion to guru and Krishna.”




To see all the offerings in the tributes book for 2014, click on the link below:





Abhiram Prabhu:




There is a tendency for people to create an aristocracy, a privileged class. This is so powerful it happens even in a spiritual movement.




The Goswamis of Vrindavan accepted Bhaktivinoda Thakura because he was initiated by Bipin Bihari Goswami, but they consider the line stopped there. They do not accept Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, and what to speak of Srila Prabhupada?  




Comment by Laksmi Nrsimha Prabhu: On a morning walk in Central Park, Srila Prabhupada saw a branch detached from a tree and said, “Asara (useless).” Then he explained that because the branch was detached from the tree although it was green now it would soon dry up. Similarly he explained that because the different apasamprayadas [unauthorized lineages] are detached from Lord Caitanya they are worthless. 




Many persons I met in India while doing business were born in brahmana families and wore brahmana threads, but their activities were indistinguishable from the others in society.




It is easy for elitism to creep in. “I have been here for two years but this person has only been here two months.”




There is no special door to Krishnaloka marked “Prabhupada disciples.”




We offer respect to a superior because no one attains a superior position without the blessing of Krishna.




It is a great credit to realize that we are dependent on God for our daily bread, but simply to worship God to attain bread is a subreligious idea.




Lord Caitanya’s teachings are available, and we can execute this bhagavata dharma and attain perfection.




We have the tendency to serve someone great. This is natural and not wrong, but ultimately the Supreme Lord is meant to be the object of our complete devotion. 




Laksmi Nrsimha Prabhu:




The San Diego devotees had a Govardhan festival in Balboa Park in the 1970s. Between that and a college program, four people joined. On Radha Damodar it was not unusual to have two or four join the party from a program.




My greatest realization is that God is a person.




The Mayavada philosophy has the defect that we have a quality, namely form, that is not present in the Supreme. 




Bhakti is to meditate on the name, form, qualities, and pastimes of the Lord.




Golf is the materialists’ sannyasa. The forest is the golf course, and the danda [the staff of the renounced order] is the golf club. 




When the Radha-Damodara party became more oriented toward book distribution and the mood changed, the original members of the party dispersed, mostly to India. 




Srila Prabhupada did not want divorce, and Srila Prabhupada did not want remarriage. That is clear. Yet he sometimes permitted these when he felt that otherwise the devotee would leave the society of devotees. 




A pujari in the Gaudiya Matha fell down with a woman, and the temple leaders kicked him out. When Bhaktisiddhanta Saravati Thakura found out, and he was angry and said, “I will not come to your temple until you get that man back.”




The verse, Bhagavad-gita 9.30 is for us to recognize a sadhuand to respect him, not for the sadhuhimself.




Recognition, remorse, rectification, and reunion are the four stages of recovering from a falldown.




There is one tribe when if you do something wrong theyput you in the center of all the members and each one says something good about you. Then when the offender is inspired by the love of the others he generally rectifies himself. 




Comments by Janmastami Prabhu: There was a case when a sankirtanaleader had sex with two sankirtanaunmarried ladies. Prabhupada called the ladies in and advised them, “Do not that do anymore because it is not good for your spiritual life.” He called the sankirtanaleader and chastised him by sentencing him to not have sweets for a year. 




Fault faulting has been compared to bathing in the urine of an ass. You think you are getting clean, but you are actually becoming more dirty.




Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura had a retreat center where a sannyasicould go who had some falldown to gain strength. That kind of thing is what should be done.




Look how Krishna dealt with Ajamila’s falldown.




Comments by Brajaraja Prabhu:




If a soldier falls on the battlefield, you do not imprison him or kill him, but you bring him to a hospital.




Comments by Abhiram Prabhu:




In crowd dynamics the consciousness of a crowd tends to descend to the level of the lowest member.




Bhavananda and Ramesvara said Yamuna and Dinatarine were cut off from ISKCON because they were living on their own and not in the temple. They asked Srila Prabhupada what temple he wanted them to live in. He said that he saw no need for them to move, that they were nicely situated with their Deities, and explained that association can be two or two hundred, but it must be favorable. 




From a class on Sri Caitanya-caritamrita,Adi 1.63:




The moralist tries to make a better life in the material world but not transcend it, and so he is considered by Bhaktivinoda Thakura to be a materialist.




We are protected by the Lord when we are acting according to the scriptures and saints.




A great Muslim saint said that words that come from the heart go to the heart.




Krishna’s love enters the heart of the pure devotee, and from the heart of the pure devotee it comes into our heart.




In the association of a pure devotee are found the four other principle limbs of bhakti, namely the chanting of the holy name, hearing of Srimad-Bhagavatam, faithfully serving the deity, and living in a holy place.




We cannot distribute Srila Prabhupada’s books without reading them and appreciating they are the panacea for all the sufferings of humanity. 




The goal is to always remember and never forget Krishna, and Srila Prabhupada and the acaryas [the previous great spiritual teachers] have given us many ways to do this.




Materially tinged means having the tendency to put ourselves in the center.




Of the six Puranas in the mode of goodness, only the Srimad-Bhagavatam is known as amalam-puranam, having no material touch.




Janmastami Prabhu:




If we can find some area that Srila Prabhupada wanted developed that has been neglected and we make some significant contribution in that area, that will be a great source of spiritual strength.




After Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura departed, he had made it clear he wanted his mission to go on under the direction of a governing body. His disciples ignored this and elected someone to be their leader. That leader found out what his eternal relationship with Krishna was and engaged in raganuga-bhakti performing nirjana-bhajana, all against the desire of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. What was result? He fell down and the preaching mission of the Gaudiya Matha was curtailed. 




Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that the full pastimes of the divine couple are within the form of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.




Srila Prabhupada said that we have wasted many lifetimes but that if we dedicate this one life to the mission of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, even if we are not perfect, the Lord will make up for it, and we will go back to Godhead at end of life. Srila Prabhupada is so dear to Krishna that Krishna will certainly fulfill his words. 




Srila Prabhupada put so much importance on writing books because he could understand  by doing that he could massage the hearts of his followers for generations.




There is a verse that says there is no difference between bhaktithat is performed with a taste or without a taste as long as the goal is the same. 




Srila Prabhupada said that a representative for a company may negotiate a contract. Later the proprietor of the company may review the contract and disagree with it, but because his representative negotiated it, he will honor it anyway. When Giriraja Swami heard this, hefound it bewildering how that the acaryacould disagree with Krishna, but later he was able to appreciate that the Lord and His representatives have different personalities.




At the end of Nirguna Prabhu’s life, there is no question that his eternal relationship with Krishna was revealed to him. He was a completely dedicated book distributor, distributing many thousands of books. 




The first picture Nirguna had seen as a new devotee was Krishna lifting Govardhan Hill. About 10 days before he left this world, he got the intimation that he was a manjari in Krishna lila, but was not for sure. He talked as if he was waiting for an invitation to go back to the spiritual world and enter this pastime. Hari Sauri Prabhu asked him from time to time if he had received such a sign, but he said no dejectedly. When he had practically no pulse and was breathing 2 or 3 times a minute, and was unconscious, the doctor said he had just a few hours to live. They had kirtana all night. Kurma sang seven hours. Around 7:22 a.m. he became conscious and began singing along with the kirtana, although he previously could just make a whisper. Nirguna said he was told, “Get your piece and go.” A devotee asked him, “What is that?” He replied, “Giriraja.” The devotee repeated his understanding, “Giriraja said to go and take Him?” Nirguna replied, “Yes.” He was asked, “Did you get your invitation?” “Yes.” he said, very blissfully. One of the Govardhan silas was not found after he had passed away.




We do not endeavor for raganuga, but it will be revealed as our preaching matures.




Rama Raya Prabhu:




As long as we identify our self with our body and mind, we are slaves to the illusory energy of the Lord.




There is a limit to how much knowledge you can give people, but there is not a limit to how much harinama [congregational chanting of the holy name] you can give them.




You do not get realization about something you do not do.




By desire we come to this material world, by desire we stay in this material world, and by desire we go back to the spiritual world.




Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura: If the sadhu speaks flattering words, he will mislead people into sense enjoyment.




Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura: Tolerance and humility are meant to aid in preaching the Absolute Truth.




Bhaktivinoda Thakura blessed Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati with the ability to preach the truth despite all opposition by the people in general.




Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati explains that pure presentation of the truth is so powerful that even when it is opposed, it will be accepted by all honest people who hear it.




This material world is where people come to be the big fish. They do not want to be reminded that they are not the big fish but are meant to serve the big fish.




By serving the mission of the master, we get the vision of the master.




Actions speak louder that words. Lord Caitanya delivered millions of people in South India simply by harinama-sankirtana. He only spoke philosophy to just a few people.




The holy name is all merciful. It is up to us to arrange the meeting.




All the service the disciple performs for the guru is not for the benefit of the guru but the benefit of the disciple. This is just like the mathematical problems given by the math teacher and solved by the student are meant for the student’s benefit not the benefit of the math teacher.




Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura: Any deception in devotional service is actually only self-deception. 




Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura: Only one who hascandidly surrendered everything to the service of the Lord can obtain the ultimate good.




Prabhupada got into an argument with a unsubmissive hippie in India purposely to separate the audience in to those think the sadhu should always speak sweetly, who left, and those who are willing to hear the truth, even if uncomfortable, who stayed.




It is natural for people to be with their family members so for Krishna to tie someone into a family relationship with Him [as with the Pandavas] is a great favor. 




Abhiram Prabhu says we cannot go back to Godhead without our Godbrothers because when we get there Srila Prabhupada will say, with displeasure, “Where is so-and-so Prabhu?”




In the rasa dance all the gopis were together, yet they were experiencing Krishna individually. It is also like that when as a group we take darsana [or view] the Deity, we are all there together, but each of us has his own experience.




In our kirtana we should pray for the pure holy name to appear and deliver everyone.




Lord Shiva appears in four places to guard Vrindavan.




People tend to glorify those who are superior but that is misused to glorify leaders in sense gratification instead of the Lord who is possessed of all divine qualities.


Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati describes that just as the sun can be never seen at night by using artificial lighting, the Supreme Lord, the guru, and the Vaishnava cannot be understood by the mental speculation of materialistic persons but only when they reveal themselves.




A hippie challenged Srila Prabhupada, “How will this Hare Krishna benefit the world?”


Srila Prabhupada replied, “You are not of this world? As it has benefited you, it will benefit others.”




Lilananda Prabhu: 




Although Krishna is inconceivable, He can be partially understood by the grace of the lineage of spiritual teachers.




Srila Prabhupada once said, “Anyone who gives one cent to Krishna will not have to go to hell.”




As guru dakshina[remuneration to the guru] Prabhupada and his followers, who saved us from hell, wanted us to spread these teachings.




Although Jagannath Das Babaji Maharaj did not preach, he had a strong desire that Lord Caitanya’s teachings be spread.




In Italy the people are pious, and they can generally understand whether they are meeting a genuinely religious person or someone bogus.




We were taught to always give everyone something, spiritual food, literature, chanting, etc., and we try to do that.




Matysa Avatar Prabhu has cultivated academics and other leaders in society, encouraging them to chant Hare Krishna.




—–





	





	

		
Travel Journal#10.22: New York City and Florida 
 → Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk
	


	
	

		


Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 10, No. 22
By Krishna-kripa das
(November 2014, part two)


New York City and Florida
(Sent from San Juan, Puerto Rico, on December 26, 2014)




Where I Went and What I Did




For the second half of November, after four more daysof chanting with the New York City harinama party, I went to Florida for eleven days to attend the Festival of the Holy Name and to chant at four universities, two football stadiums, and the Gainesville Farmers Market. Only the two Sundays and Thanksgiving Day did I not do harinama, the other eight I did.








It was nice to see the beautiful deities Radha-Shyamasundar in Alachua, who look gorgeous even in their simpler evening dress.




I have a powerful quote from a letter by Srila Prabhupada, wonderful realizations on varnasrama by Bhakti Raghava Swami, wisdom from Rtadhvaja Swami, notes on classes in Alachua County, Florida, by Kalakantha Prabhu, Nanda Devi, and Ranjit Prabhu, and in New York by Abhiram Prabhu and Rama Raya Prabhu.




I would like to thank Namamrita Prabhu, who is a pilot with Airtran, for the guest pass enabling me to fly to Florida for the Festival of the Holy Name and several harinamas and college outreach opportunities in the second half of November. Thanks to Mithuna Prabhu and another devotee from ISKCON Queens for their kind donations. Thanks to Lovelesh and the JAX Krishnas and Sudevi and the Bhakti Satsang of USF for their donations. Thanks to Badahari Prabhu of Krishna House, Alex, Raju, Lovelesh, Amrita Keli, and Kalki for driving me around in Florida, and Lovelesh, Amrita Keli, and Sundari Gopi for letting me stay at their place in Jacksonville and Sudhir for letting me stay at his place near Tampa. I am so dependent on the mercy of the devotees!




Thanks also to Courtney for her pictures of us chanting at University of North Florida, Dennis Sher of PhotoIsMyLife.comfor pictures of the evening kirtana at the house of Gaura Shakti Allin, and JR (Janaka Rsi) for the pictures of the Gainesville harinamaon the street corner. Thanks to Jiva Photos – NRR for the photos of the Alachua Festival of the Holy Name. 


Itinerary 


December 26 to 30: San Juan, Puerto Rico
December 31 to April 2015: Florida (Gainesville, Tallahassee, Jacksonville, and Tampa) 






Chanting at the University of North Florida




 




After flying from New York, I chanted for four hours at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville on a beautiful sunny day. Eight devotees participated for some of the time! It was a pleasant change for me from the New York subways. Thanks all who participated. 
 






Chad, sitting with his back to the camera, impressed me by joining our chanting party twice and allowing me to rest at his place before the program although he has only been coming to Krishna Club for a few weeks. The Krishna Club meeting was also very nice. As usual there were dedicated regulars and new people.




I planned to take the Chinese bus from Jacksonville to New York City on November 30, the Sunday evening of the Thanksgiving Weekend, but it was full. 


  






Thus I got to chant at the UNF campus again the next day, and Amrita Keli, Dorian, Mallory, and Chad joined me. Both the day I arrived from Florida and the day I returned to New York, we met people on the campus who were very interested to learn of our Krishna Club and its meetings. One lady came by both days and the second time gave us a donation for the book she had received from us eleven days before.




Chanting at the University of South Florida
   








The next day after flying to Jacksonville from New York for the programs at the campus there, I took a bus to Tampa, where Raju Manthena and I chanted for four hours at University of South Florida and at least three new people came to the evening program as a result. The staff let us chant right in front of the library door. Andrew, a brand new person, learned the karatalasin one sitting. 






Another student enjoyed talking with us. 


I used to chant just three hours at the universities but inspired by Rama Raya Dasa and Harinama NYC I increased to four the first two days in Florida!








The evening program at University of South Florida was well attended. That night attenders included an inter-faith group liking to experience and to learn about different spiritual practices and who had lots of questions.








We did a lively stand up kirtana briefly at the end of that program, and the student who enjoyed talking to us, a first-timer at the club meeting, brought his instrument to play along.




  Chanting at the University of Florida Stadium 






Devotees from Alachua have been chanting outside the stadium for two hours before the University of Florida home football games since before I moved to Alachua in 1994. 








Here Kaliyaphani Prabhu, a Srila Prabhupada disciple originally from England, led the chanting. 








A group of devotees ladies danced, with Nitai dd distributing Krishna: Reservoir of Pleasure. Tulasirani dd most perfectly wore the orange and blue of the Florida Gators.








One young devotee lady distributed prasadam cookies. 




Other devotees distributed literature.




One aging fan smilingly said, “I was with you guys 45 years ago.” Turns out he was in Gainesville when Prabhupada visited on July 29, 1971, and was friends with Amarendra and Gadi Prabhus of the Gainesville Hare Krishna temple. Someone else, probably at least in his late forties, came up and said, “I just want to thank you guys for being here!”




Festival of the Holy Name








For several years devotees in Alachua have had a twenty-four kirtana called “Festival of the Holy Name” the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving (the fourth Thursday in November).  The devotees chant twelve hours each day from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. One devotee was telling me it is our best festival in Alachua, and I agree. Thus even when I am in New York City, I come back for it. Madhava Prabhu, originally from Mauritius, comes every year. This year and last Agnidev Prabhu from Trinidad came. One year Niranjana Swami came. He was very impressed with all the work the Hare Krishna devotee youth of Alachua did to put on the event and told me he would come again just to encourage them. Unfortunately it did not work out with his schedule the last two years. 




Beginning the Saturday before, there are evening kirtanas for three hours or so at different devotees homes or at the temple each night. 








The first one was Gaura Shakti Allin’s, and his place was packed full. It was ecstatic. He is dancing with upraised arms by the door. 








His beautiful Gaura Nitai deities made it extra special.
 


















Purushartha Prabhu played the bass.










I danced as did a number of others.


Ultimately I escaped to the kitchen in search of more room to dance. 




The other evening kirtanas were wonderful as was the Festival of the Holy Name itself. 








 


 Gaura-Nitai




and







Lord Jagannath, Lord Baladeva, and Lady Subhadra 




increased our meditation and our devotion.










It made me so happy to see so many friends, acquaintances, and people I did not even know all together singing Hare Krishna heart and soul. 








Events like this give the participants and onlookers a chance to experience that the holy name is a transcendental sound beyond our material experience and to increase their own commitment to chanting. Through chanting of the divine names all material miseries can be vanquished and all spiritual happiness can be attained. It is so nice. The ultimate attainment from chanting is described in this beautiful verse from Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 1.96: “The Absolute Truth is Sri Krishna, and loving devotion to Sri Krishna exhibited in pure love is achieved through congregational chanting of the holy name, which is the essence of all bliss.”




I did not take many pictures and just one video. Friday, the first day, the first kirtana that got a few people up dancing was lead by Mitra Sena Prabhu and lots of his friends, mostly from North Carolina. It was really upbeat and joyous (http://youtu.be/Y4MT1lr-APE): 








On Saturday, when I returned from Tallahassee, Dhanya was singing so beautifully I had to listen until she finished even though I needed to use the bathroom after the journey and was also attracted by the dinner being served out.




Madhava always tries to get the audience to completely absorb themselves in the holy name, and I appreciate his emphasis on that.


The final evening, when Madhava Prabhu sang, the tent was packed full. With great difficulty I found a place to dance behind the people sitting in chairs.




I personally want to thank all the Alachua youth and the New Raman Reti devotees who put so much time, energy, and money into the festival, and I hope it gets better and better every year.




Chanting in Gainesville Across from the University




It was inspiring to me to see that seventeen devotees took a break from the Festival of the Holy Name to maintain the weekly harinama across from the University of Florida in Gainesville.
 








One local joined in and danced with us.




Chanting at the Florida State University Stadium




Every second year the Gainesville Florida Gators play the Florida State University (FSU) Seminoles in Tallahassee, and devotees have been chanting outside that stadium for two hours before that game for several years. Now that event coincides with the second day of the Festival of the Holy Name, but still nine devotees took an eight and a half hour break from the festival to drive to Tallahassee and sing at that event. All the devotees involved in our student center by FSU were not there because of the holiday weekend, and Suresh, who has been involved in assisting Hare Krishnas in Tallahassee for over 20 years, helped facilitate our party in many different ways, and we were very grateful to him.








Nagaraja Prabhu, editor of Back to Godhead,came on almost all the harinamas for many years. Then for some time, being absorbed in other commitments, he did not come so much, but now I see him again almost every time, and we are happy to have him back.










One lady wearing Gator colors played the karatalaswhile she danced.
 








An older Gator fan tried beating the drum.








One Seminole fan danced with Krishna Keshava Prabhu in great delight for quite some time, and his friends took pictures of them.








Both men and women danced with upraised arms.












More fans than usual from both sides took pleasure dancing and sometimes even chanting with the devotees, and we felt it was worth the sacrifice to drive up there.




You can see how lively it was from these video clips (http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGerEnGdI0xLYqwl-xYn4_NiUd1ELebWw):








It was great to take a break from winter for eleven days and chant with my Florida friends.




For photos I uploaded but did not include in this journal, click on the link below:





Insights




Srila Prabhupada:




from a letter to Gargamuni on September 15, 1967:




“Take sufficient rest and chant Hare Krishna; so long as we have got this material body we have to undergo these situations [diseases such as jaundice], if we increase our love for Krishna we shall be able to get out of this maya.People who therefore not exerting to improve Krishna Consciousness are simply wasting their valuable time and human life. Their human life is a chance to be out of the entanglements of material bodies. We get material bodies according to our activities, doggish men get the bodies of dogs in the next life, men in Krishna Consciousness get bodies like Krishna, so developed consciousness of human life is to concentrate of Krishna Consciousness so that we may be out of the clutches of material entanglement. These truths should be preached all over the world and those who are intelligent enough will take to Krishna Consciousness very seriously.”




Bhakti Raghava Swami:




The five processes, sadhu-sanga [the association of devotees], nama-kirtana [chanting the holy name], bhagavata-sravana [hearing the Srimad-Bhagavatam], mathura-vasa [living in the holy city of Mathura], and sri murti sraddhaya sevana [serving the deity with faith]are especially important because they can give Krishna-prema [love of God] very quickly.




Mathura vasameans we should live in spiritual communities.




There are two sva-dharmas [personal duties], spiritual and material, and most people in society know of neither.




Krishna has created a social system, varnasrama. We do not have to invent one. We just have to hear about it and implement it. 




Cow that are protected protect the brahmanas who protect society.




We cannot be Krishna conscious without being cow conscious. This is important to understand even for devotees who live in the city.




There is a surabhi mantra glorifying the cows of the spiritual world which are the origin of all cows.




When people used to travel, they would bring their cows. They could not live without cows. If we find ourselves living without cows, we should examine our life.




Not only the vaisyas, but also the brahmanas and the ksatriyas had cows.




The human society has the responsibility of offering the products of the cow to the Lord for they cannot do it on their own.




Our goal for 2016 is to adopt 50 villages in India.




Every center and project should have a varnasrama college. 




comment by lady devotee: I have been hearing Srila Prabhupada’s lectures from 1976 and 1977 about a new phase of encouraging devotees to act according to their own nature rather than creating a brahminical society.




Prabhupada spoke of four movements: sankirtana movement (harinama and books), establishing temples and deity worship, spiritual initiation movement (connecting people with Krishna’s family through initiation) [nama-hatta,youth, and college preaching are in this category], classless society movement [although we are one as Krishna devotees, we act as if in a drama in a role in varnasrama dharma]. We have focused on the first three but not the last which makes our movement seem churchy or ecclesiastical.




When the present prime minister of India was a leader in Gujarat he closed the slaughterhouses and also restricted drinking and gambling, and it is said that he told people if he became prime minister, he would do the same in the entire country.




Cow killing is not permitted in India by law, but people have gotten away with it through loopholes. 




After one year in the house of Srivasa Thakura, Lord Caitanya took his sankirtana to the streets. Then he sent the Goswamis to write books in Vrindavan.




Also long as we are not pure devotees, we are dealing with the three modes of material nature, and as long as we dealing with the modes we need to act in varnasrama.




We need a foundational document on varnasrama just like we do on Prabhupada as founder-acarya,before we proceed.




How to get more involved with cows? We should make friends with people who have cows.




Sudras is a controversial term. We should think of sudras as servants, and as Vaishnavas, we glorify service to the Lord and His devotees.




comment: By not consuming food that destroys the earth and offering the deities natural produce, we indirectly support cow protection. 




Rtadhvaja Swami:




“Who I am” is a big question because if I misidentify myself to be something other than I am, then the activities I am performing may not allow me to progress.




Arjuna because of his identification with his bodily relations became completely confused and surrendered to Krishna.




Our tendency is to adjust spiritual truth to satisfy our material desires.




Krishna explained to Arjuna, “Whether you engage in this battle or not, everyone will die.”




As the sunlight contains heat and light, one would expect that its source, the sun, must at the least have these qualities. In the same way, we can expect that God, who is the source of our existence must have qualities of individuality and personality which we find in ourselves.




We are like ants wandering across the universe, trying to figure it out.




Our attachment to material desires causes us to lose our inquisitiveness about spirit.




We are not independent. We are like Jim Morrison said, “riders on the storm.” 




Because of the flickering nature of the mind, we cannot attain steady happiness until we attain the spiritual platform.




In the material world our attraction to sense gratification is so strong because it is a perversion of our strong attachment to Krishna, krishna-prema.




Those in the heavenly planets think our activities of enjoyment are foolish and disgusting just as we think that about activities of the hogs that happily eat stool. 




The real problem is life is not “she loves me, she loves me not” but to conquer the conditions of birth and death.




Self realization not sense gratification is the goal of life.




Abhiram Prabhu:




Because he is a pure devotee, there is nothing about the life of Prahlada Maharaja that is only indirectly related to Krishna.




In our conditioned state, our pure consciousness is altered by our material coverings of ego so we cannot see things as they are.




Just as when learning music one plays the music of great composers before one begins to make his own compositions, devotees on the stage of vaidhi-bhakti (devotional service in practice) offer the prayers of the great devotees before composing their own prayers.




Lord Nrsimha Himself in this verse (Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.10.14) accepts Prahlada Maharaja as an acarya to be followed.




Kalakantha Prabhu:




By his mystic power, Durvasa Muni could understand that Ambarisa Maharaja drank water before serving him breakfast but could he not understand the king had been fasting and needed to break his fast?





	





	

		
Travel Journal#10.21: Still More New York City Harinama 
 → Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk
	


	
	

		




Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 10, No. 21
By Krishna-kripa das
(November 2014, part one)
New York City
(Sent from Brooklyn, New York, on December 16, 2014)


Where I Went and What I Did




I continued chanting with the New York Harinam party organized by Rama Raya Prabhu in Union Square Park, from 1:30 to 7:30 p.m. every day. In the evenings, we continued engaging passersby in offering candles to a picture of Krishna in His childhood feature of Damodar, until the month of Karttika ended. On rainy and cold days we chanted in subway stations at Union Square and Times Square in Manhattan and Jackson Heights in Queens.




I include quotes and notes on Srila Prabhupada’s books and lectures, some notes on Tamal Krishna Goswami’s memoirs, and notes on the classes at the Harinam Ashram by Abhiram Prabhu, Laksmi Nrsimha Prabhu, Rama Raya Prabhu, and Jayadeva Prabhu, who was visiting from South Africa. I was especially impressed this issue by great number of useful realizations of Laksmi Nrsimha Prabhu. I also have a great quote from Back to Godhead by Nagaraja Prabhu.




Itinerary




December 16 to 20: New York City Harinam


December 21: Albany, New York, with family


December 22 to 30: San Juan, Puerto Rico


December 31 to April 2015: Florida (Gainesville, Tallahassee, Jacksonville, and Tampa) 




Harinama in New York City




I share stories, photos, and videos from harinamas in New York City, at Union Square Park, and the subway stations at Union Square, Times Square, and Jackson Heights / Roosevelt Avenue.




Sometimes encouraging passersby to offer candles to the picture of Lord Krishna as the child Damodara, along with His mother, was a challenge.




One Afro American guy, when I inquired, “Would you like to offer a candle?” said, “Are you crazy?” I did not think of anything to say other than “No.”




One lady did not want to offer a candle to a pagan God saying it was against her religion. I mentioned that the Catholics consider the forms of the saints to be worth of respect, but she replied she was Jewish and did not believe in that. I explained that God had his personal and impersonal features and both were worthy of worship, and I wished her a pleasant day, thanking her for her time.




On the bright side, one young lady was happy to offer the candle and to get a card for the Bhagavad-gita classes, saying she would definitely go.








Here is another guy happy to offer a candle. 








Sometimes quite a crowd would watch.




I offered someone a Krishna: Reservoir of Pleasure,and he declined saying, “I am alright.” I replied, “I can see you are alright, but you could be better!” As he continued walking, he said thoughtfully, “That is true.” A partial victory.  








One girl seemed happy to see the devotees, and I gave her some shakers to shake. Then I motioned for her to sit down and she did so and listened to the chanting with great absorption. 






Then she started to chant as well. She explained that she was in a jolly mood and decided to celebrate by chanting with Hare Krishnas. She must have stayed a whole hour playing the shakers and even chanting a lot of the time. When she got up to leave I suggested that she get a CD but she said she was spending her last money on a therapy session. I said if you listen to the CD, you will not need a therapy session. I explained that when my last girlfriend broke up with me, I took shelter of the chanting and surpassed my lamentation and that my guru approved of my program of chanting therapy. She said she would definitely be back to chant with us. 








One lady with a blissful smile on her face took a picture of our party in the Times Square subway station. She told me she knew Hare Krishnas from Amsterdam. I told her how Hare Krishna founder, Srila Prabhupada, spoke in Vondelpark there in the 1970s. She said that she remembered that because her parents were hippies living there at that time. I gave her an invitation to our temple in Amsterdam, and she said she would give it to her father. 
 










One kid loved playing shakers and dancing to our kirtana in the Union Square subway station.




She was really into it as you can see from this video (http://youtu.be/jJgub2nvd8o?list=UUyX3GeJnezBLxReGX0S6BTw):
















A lady also danced in the subway station there.






 A couple danced to our kirtana at Union Square.










One man played his djembe, and Lee, aged 70, a regular, played his flute. 








Two young ladies sat down with us and loved hearing the chanting and playing the shakers.






Another couple took pleasure in dancing with Bhagavatananda Prabhu and an onlooker took a picture of the scene. 
 










Two young ladies really delighted in playing the shakers and dancing.








More students from New York Film Academy came to Union Square and filmed the devotees. I talked to them afterward and mentioned how Mijal, also a student there, had made a documentary on one of our devotees. Eliana, Mijal’s instructor, said she was just telling the students about Mijal and her Hare Krishna documentary when I came up to talk to them. 


 






I gave Eliana a Krishna: Reservoir of Pleasure, and she and another lady on the film crew looked at it with interest.








She smiled when she noticed that I was photographing her. Usually she is on the other end of the camera!








When Natabara Gauranga Prabhu was singing, a small girl began dancing, perhaps inspired by Isaiah, who enjoys dancing with us regularly.




You can see them both dancing in this video (http://youtu.be/mYu6SNk6xDs?list=UUyX3GeJnezBLxReGX0S6BTw):








Once the police stopped us from playing the drum as people had complained to them about drumming in the Square, probably because of some of the other park drummers.








We did a standing up kirtana, just playing the karatalas. 


 




 




It became pretty lively with lots of dancing. 




Once while Ananta Prabhu was leading a lively kirtana, one guy took pleasure in dancing (http://youtu.be/nAZrtpi7TMY?list=UUyX3GeJnezBLxReGX0S6BTw).










New York City has quite a variety of people, some quite eccentric in attire and behavior. Some attract quite a crowd, and this is sometimes a curse and sometimes a blessing. Sometimes the eccentrics draw the attention of the onlookers, and even sometimes the devotees themselves, away from the chanting of the holy name. But they also get people who have no interest in our chanting to stay within earshot for a lot longer than they otherwise would and thus become elevated by the spiritual vibrations, even without their knowledge. 








On Halloween, the guy I refer to as the bird man came by.










He has a bird perched on his head, and he wears quite a costume. Although it was Halloween, I have seen him dressed that way on other occasions.








In the beginning of November, the cat man come by. He has trained his cat to feel completely satisfied to sit on the man’s head.






  The man even did a few dance steps, while cat remained in his fixed position.    






  One of my favorite subway venues is the Jackson Heights / Roosevelt Ave. subway station. 




Ananta Prabhu sang at Jackson Heights and people liked to listen and a few even danced (http://youtu.be/GCJx59o1zE0?list=UUyX3GeJnezBLxReGX0S6BTw):












One older man takes pleasure in dancing with us almost every time we go there.








Rachel would distribute books there.




Once in Jackson Heights, a young Afro-American lady with a bright smile, obviously happy to hear our singing, ascended the stairway across the hallway from us, glancing in our direction. I came over and offered her a Krishna: Reservoir of Pleasure, saying it described our spiritual practice from India, involving meditation and yoga. She declined to accept it, saying she was a Christian. I explained that it was universal knowledge, but she remained doubtful. I decided to try to give her a cookie, saying enthusiastically, “We have free cookies today. Do Christians eat cookies?” She said, “Yes.” and I got her a cookie from the table. She ate the cookie, continuing to listen to the chanting, and before she left she came up to me and said, “Christian or no Christian, you are one of the friendliest people I have met in quite a while.” To see photos I took but did not include in this journal, click on this link:





On the Disappearance of Urjasvat Prabhu




Laksmi Nrsimha Prabhu:




Urjasvat Prabhu was alwaysjolly, relishing every aspect of Krishna consciousness, playing the mrdanga, chanting “Hari Haribol,” taking prasadam, associating with devotees, and reading Srila Prabhupada’s books. He was put in change of the program for new devotees in New York, and you could see why. Everyone loved to be with him. In 1975 we had 30 or 40 devotees, and in 1980 when we sold the building we had 200 devotees.




Every Saturday night we would go on harinama a 100 or 200 devotees strong.




He later took over as temple president in the Dominican Republic for many years.




He was found lying on the floor, clutching a favorite book of Lord Caitanya’s glories. The day before he had said, “I am just looking in the sky for the Vaikuntha Express to come and get me.”




Rama Raya Prabhu:




He visited New York not too long ago and with great difficulty came on harinama. He classes after hisstroke were extremely powerful realizations of Krishna consciousness.




He told me in the 1970s to chant Hare Krishna and there will be no problems. Now looking back on everything, I can see he was right.




Insights




Srila Prabhupada:




from a conversation with disciples in Rome, Italy, in May 1974:




“Many a rascal thinks that now that he has gotten a human body, he can never again be degraded to the animal species. . . . But nature will force him to accept the body of a cat or dog. The decision is not yours but that of the superior authorities – just as in the office, when you get promoted or demoted, the decision is not yours but that of the directors. You cannot say, ‘No, no. I am not going to accept this new post.’ No. You have to accept.”




from an initiation lecture in Toronto, Canada, on June 17, 1976:




“If you purify your existence by tapasya [austerity],then you will be happy eternally. There will be no end. Here in the material world any happiness is temporary – either for five minutes or five days or five years or five hundred years or five millions of years. It will end. But if you purify your existence, then the happiness will never end.”




from  Srimad-Bhagavatam7.15.24, purport:




“People do not know that because of killing innocent animals they themselves will have to suffer severe reactions from material nature. Any country where people indulge in unnecessary killing of animals will have to suffer from wars and pestilence imposed by material nature. Comparing one’s own suffering to the suffering of others, therefore, one should be kind to all living entities.”




from Srimad Bhagavtam 10.9.19, purport:




“A devotee can understand how powerful is unalloyed devotional service to Krishna; it is so powerful that Krishna can be controlled by an unalloyed devotee. This bhrtya-vasyatadoes not mean that He is under the control of the servant; rather, He is under the control of the servant’s pure love.”




from Srimad Bhagavtam 10.6.27–29, purport:




The Ayurveda-sastra[the medical division of the Vedas] recommends, aushadhi cintayet vishnum:even while taking medicine, one should remember Vishnu, because the medicine is not all and all and Lord Vishnu is the real protector. The material world is full of danger (padam padam yad vipadam).




a letter to Mr. King in February 1975:




“We practice bhakti-yogastrictly and since bhaktiincludes all other results obtained from practicing other yogas, as it is declared in the Bhagavad-gitato be the culmination of all yogas it becomes unnecessary for us to apply any other techniques besides simply chanting and hearing about the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, who is called Yogesvara or the master of all yoga. Of course, it is certain that if one sits with straight spine it may be of some help in his ability to concentrate, but it cannot be considered as essential by any means. That thing which is really essential in bhaktiis to develop one’s eternal dormant love for Krishna.” 




from Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.30.37:




“Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu wanted His followers to move all over the world to preach in every town and village. In the Caitanya sampradaya,those who strictly follow the principles of Lord Caitanya must travel all over the world to preach the message of Lord Caitanya, which is the same as preaching the words ofKrishna— Bhagavad-gita— and Srimad-Bhagavatam.The more the devotees preach the principles of krishna-katha,the more people throughout the world will benefit.”




from a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.54 given in Vrindavan:




Dhira means intelligence. The opposite is crazy or rascal.




Without understanding what is spirit what is the question of spiritual advancement of life?




Our Krishna consciousness movement is to educate the rascals. That is all.   


Those who are dhira [sober] know “what I am.”




The first question is “what am I?”




Foolish people are after preyas, immediate benefit, while intelligent people are after sreyas, ultimate benefit.




If one wants to enjoy this material world in sense gratification, he cannot become Krishna consciousness. That is not possible.




If you are serious about the ultimate goal of life, you must approach a spiritual master.   




If you want to enjoy sense gratification go to the club, if you are inquisitive about the ultimate goal of life join the Krishna consciousness movement.




Rascals think they are independent. Factually no one can extend their life one moment.




By yoga system one can become dhira. It is a mechanical system, but it is valuable because without become dhira one cannot advance in spiritual.




If by great fortune one encounters a guru, one can progress.


Dhruva’s mother was Krishna consciousness so he became so nice.




Dhruva went to the forest to seek Krishna out of sentiment, but Krishna within his heart could see he was serious, and sent Narada to be his guru.




If one sees Krishna, there is no more benediction that is needed.




If one becomes a devotee, he asks for nothing material as Lord Caitanya teaches, “Na dhanam na janam na sundarim . . . [No wealth, no fame, no women . . . ]”




You may have a very beautiful wife, but how long can you enjoy.




At the time of death, if you have doggish mentality, you will have to take the body of a dog.




This is going on. You may believe or not believe. But if you do not believe you are a rascal.




From a lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.17 given on August 20, 1972, in Los Angeles:




“This vibration of Hare Krishna mantra is so strong that it will benefit anyone who hears. Therefore we are sending sankirtana party. They may understand or not understand, they may appreciate or not appreciate, we are forcing them to become pious simply by hearing this Hare Krishna mantra. It is so nice.”




Tamal Krishna Goswami:




No one had greater managerial duties than Srila Prabhupada yet he never missed an opportunity for direct preaching.




Without gaining the higher taste from preaching, what is the motivation for maintaining our strict vows of renunciation?




Abhirama Prabhu:




Karandhar Prabhu, by his organization skill, made ISKCON Los Angeles transition from a group of well-intentioned ex-hippies to an organized effective society. 




At this point we have no actual love and thus the love of the residents of Vrindavan is not conceivable.




Is there a love song, where the singer says, “I will love you like anything for two years, and then I will find someone else, and then I will love them and forget all about you.”? No, there is no such song, but there is such love in this world.




90% of Indians do not know anything about property taxes because they do not have to pay them. They just build a hut some place, and no one says anything about it.




Because the rope meant to tie Lord Damodar was a pure devotee of Krishna, it could not think of tying up Krishna because it knew Krishna as a rascal kid did not want to be tied up. But as Krishna realized His mother was becoming frustrated and felt compassion for her, when He agreed to let her bind Him, the rope assisted.




We start participating in the pastime by hearing about it, repeating it, etc.




We follow Srila Prabhupada because he came to the West to save us.




It is not advisable to think that you can absorb yourself in Krishna’s pastimes while neglecting the dharma for the age of harinama sankirtana.




We must be chaste to our particular guru although there may be many qualified gurus just as a wife must be chaste to her husband although there are many qualified men.




When our relationship with the divine is intact, all our other relationships become complete.




Although Krishna is most unforgettable, by the strength of his illusory energy, people can forget Him and lose themselves in all kinds of other relationships.




In this world, we are attracted by other people’s opulence and consider those people to be then worthy of our love.




Even the goddess of fortune cannot imagine how Mother Yasoda can breast feed Krishna and reprimand Him.




Krishna always has the pleasure of being the supreme controller, so He becomes eager experience being controlled. 




Because Krishna trusts Yasoda He is willing to subordinate Himself to her will. 




Krishna book was one of the first books Srila Prabhupada printed for mass distribution.




Janmastami is celebrated in a big way in India, more so in North India than South India.




Messiah was a commonly used term like guru. Not that there was only one messiah but that there was one great messiah.




As no one can attain Krishna without the mercy of the guru, no one can attain Lord Caitanya, who is Radha-Krishna Themselves, without the mercy of Lord Nityananda.




The Lord invests His potency in one who is submissive to the previous spiritual teachers.




Like a man who has a son who has rebelled and gone away may get another son to go find his brother, so the Lord sends the pure devotee to invite the conditioned souls to return to Him. Because of their brotherly relationship he may likely be successful, more so than if the father went himself.




As the movement is growing, it is becoming like India, and there are many devotees but not all disciples.




You are not going to get out of this material world by being a Hindu, but by strictly following the guru.




Srila Prabhupada advised, “Do not associate with the babaji in Radha Kund. Do not associate with the residents of Vrindavan. You will not understand them, and they will not understand you. Krishna-Balaram is your Vrindavan.”




Krishna has invited you via this parampara (spiritual lineage), and through it is how you will go back to Godhead. It is as if you get an invitation from the White House to lunch on November 14, you cannot think, “Oh I am pretty busy on the 14th, I will go on the 12th.”




The babajis preserved the purity of our succession. They would rather chant alone at a latrine than to be in the association of neophyte devotees.




We call others Prabhu. When we do that, it helps us cultivate humility ,and it cultivates in the others the attitude of giving spiritual shelter.




If we are not different from others, we will not go to a different place; we will end up in the same place. 




The dean of the liberal arts college of New York University said in speech, “Liberal arts means to understand cosmology. By that I mean knowing where am I, where God is, and what is in-between.”




Everything is there in Mahabharata.




Srila Prabhupada remembered everything I said or did.




He would continue a conversation that he had begun many days before without thinking anything of it.




Laksmi Nrsimha Prabhu:




If we say something we have heard from scriptural authority, it will have the spiritual potency to liberate people. We may say other things that sound intelligent and make sense, but they will lack potency.




Why do you want to be another face in the crowd when Srila Prabhupada gave you enough information from the scriptures and the previous teachers to glow?




Tamal Krishna Swami and Vishnujana Swami were called the spider and the spider web. Vishnujana Swami would attract people, and Tamal Krishna Swami would convince them to stay.




We must also accept the mood of the guru in addition to accepting his order.




The Vedic paradigm is that the siksa-guru must have the same mood as one’s diksa-guru.




The esarajwas used before the harmonium for Vaishnava bhajana.




Vishnujana Swami said to me, “Just travel with me for a year and see what you can get out of it, and if you do not like it, you can leave.” So I joined him 42 years ago.




Yoga is for people who are suffering to become free.




TheBhagavad-gita first gives general knowledge, then the confidential knowledge of the self as beyond the body, then knowledge of the relationship between the self and the Superself, and ultimately pure devotion to Krishna.




There is no trace of a separate conception from the Supreme Godhead in the personalities of the Lord’s eternal associates.




According to Kavi Karnapura’s Ananta Vrindavan Campu, Krishna’s pastimes of killing the demons and His pastimes as a baby only occur in His pastimes in the material world.




Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that inattentiveness causes distraction, laziness, and apathy. Attentive chanting can overcome all the other offenses.




There are three kinds of sukriti [meritorious activities] karma, jnana, and bhakti.




The genius of Srila Prabhupada is that he planted many seeds of bhakti by giving peoplethe opportunity to hear the glories of Krishna.




Srila Prabhupada told one disciple that she had no previous piety and her attraction to Krishna was simply mercy. 




Sridhara Maharaja said that Srila Prabhupada was specifically empowered by Lord Caitanya to spread Krishna consciousness in the West.




You are in the best field, New York City. I can tell you that by experience. [Laksmi Nrsimha Prabhu was temple president in New York City for many years.] 




There is one prayer by Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya that glorifies Lord Nityananda in relationship with His devotees, as the life force of His two wives, Jahnava and Vasudha, the son of Mother Padmavati, and the spiritual brother of Lord Caitanya.




Why does Krishna give four yoga systems and not just bhakti?Because people have different natures. He knows everyone is looking for Him, but because of their different natures, they are looking in different places. Because they do not know Krishna, they seek pleasure in His external energy, and because it is His energy, there is a little pleasure there.




God is complete, but how could He be complete without a form?




Bhakti is not a stepping stone leading you somewhere. It is the means and the ends.




In the beginning of Caitanya Bhagavata the holding of festivals on the appearance and disappearance days of the incarnations of the Lord and His pure devotees is stated to be of great importance.




Janmastami for me was always simply fasting, kirtana (chanting), and Krishna-katha. 




It was always earth shattering news when Srila Prabhupada had serious health problems. We could not imagine how we could continue the mission without Srila Prabhupada’s personal guidance. We would hold twenty-four-hour kirtana for his recovery, begging Krishna not to take Srila Prabhupada.




The force of Srila Prabhupada’s purity generated enthusiasm and determination to spread Krishna consciousness. 




We have to become Krishna conscious, and we have to convince others.




I was in charge of the money belt on Radha Damodara. Tamal Krishna told me to never take it off. I took it off to take a shower. I was late for mangala arati, so I ran to the temple room with it hanging on a hook in the bathroom. Tamal Krishna called me into his office, and he said he needed some money. I reached for the money belt, but it was not there. I went to look for it, and I could not find it. Tamal Krishna chastised me for a while, and then handed me the money belt back. That was just to impress upon me the importance of being responsible. Srila Prabhupada had done the same with him, and he was doing it to me.  




Srila Prabhupada’s vision was so broad that it included seemingly contradictory ideas of preaching. He encouraged both the sannyasisand brahmacarisin their bus program and the grhasthasin their businesses to support the preaching.




Both management and preaching must both go on, and those involved in each must appreciate those involved in the other.




We cannot understand the greatness of a devotee without service to him.




The Radha Damodara party picked up many people who would never would have made it a temple. My friend, Radha Ramana, who joined with me, and I were included among them. I had tried to live in our Henry Street temple before, but it was too claustrophobic for me. 




Srila Prabhupada was a man of total practicality.




On the Radha Damodara party we would occasionally run into the library party, headed by Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, which was placing Srila Prabhupada’s books in university libraries.




My wife’s uncle worked hard his whole life without taking a vacation until age 72 when he retired. He then bought round trip plane tickets for he and his wife to enjoy their first vacation. Unfortunately, while standing in the check-in line, he died of a heart attack. 




Srila Prabhupada, the Six Goswamis, and Lord Caitanya have given the world pure devotional service, unmotivated and uninterrupted service to Krishna.




Bhaktivinoda Thakura said that bhakti can be cultivated through five venues, the mind, the body, the senses, the natural inclinations of the soul, and through society. Family life is under the heading of society.




One of the greatest joys of the householder is that his children become devotees, and one of his greatest heartbreaks is that they are not so inclined. 




If you worship Krishna regardless of your desires, you become purified, and you do not want anything.




If one is progressing spiritually, if Krishna fulfills his material desires, the devotee is not very much concerned about it.




Destiny is the language of God. What happens to me is for my benefit. Krishna sees what lessons we need, and they unfold.




Forget what we have done for others, remember what others have done for us, and remember death.




We have four voices to contend with that of the body and senses, that of the mind, that of the intelligence, that of the ego, and beyond them the voice of the soul.




What you allow yourself to contemplate you will become attached to. It does not matter if you have been in the movement for five years or five minutes.




It is the nature of devotional service that if we live it, we will want to give it, and if we give it, we will want to live it more.




My father was very strongly built and was not intimidated by anyone. The only time I saw fear in my father’s eyes was at the time of death. Without relationship with Krishna, we cannot be fearless at the time of death, for death is nothing for a devotee.




Many brahmacaris did join the Radha Damodar party. Hemanga Prabhu wanted to join. The temple presidents did not want all their men to join our party, so we told him he could not come. He said, “Suppose I bloop [leave the temple] and you find me hitchhiking on the street, will you pick me up?” We said we would and so it happened that way, and he came on the party.




The neophyte devotee starts out being enthusiastic about everything, and later sometimes is unenthusiastic about those things he does not like to do. 




We do not see things as they are but as we are.




Bhakti is taking ourselves out of the center of the universe and putting Krishna there.




On the Radha Damodara party when the Christians chanted slogans to disturb us at Berkeley, the students shouted them down. We did not have to do a thing. We kept on chanting.




Bhaktivinoda Thakura cites six types of materialists:


those with no faith in God and no morals


those with morals but no faith in God


those with morals and faith in God but morals are more important


pretenders and their followers


impersonalists


polytheists




Pradyumna who was knowledgeable in Sanskrit defined bhakti as “to make oneself available.”




I tell people that I do not watch the news because it is the same things, just different names and places.




Nagaraja Prabhu:




from  “The Alarm is Ringing,” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 49, No. 2, March / April 2015:




“We’re all eternal spiritual beings, but we’re asleep in our material bodies, our present short life of no more eternal significance than the dream we had last night. The Vedas are the alarm to wake us up to reality. If we ignore that transcendental sound calling to us from our eternal home, we’re like the dreamer who thinks his ringing alarm clock to be a sound within his dream. He just snoozes on, sunk in deep illusion while life passes by.”




Rama Raya Prabhu:




The greatest fight in our life is to conquer our own mind and senses.




Srila Prabhupada asked Toshan Krishna Prabhu how he got the permit for the Ratha-yatra in New York City. Toshan replied, “I just asked for permission for a parade with three hand pulled carts, and they gave me a permit.”




Expanding the discussion of the Lord pastimes with the devotees and others gives joy to the devotees.




We are trying to get the mercy of the pure devotee by showing our sincerity by doing the sadhana nicely.




In addition to performing sankirtana and engaging others in it, we have to convince others of its paramount importance.




In 1907 Bhaktivinoda Thakura wrote his last writing that he cares not for piety but only that which will assist him in his pure devotional service.




To preach Krishna consciousness is the only valid reason to leave the holy dhama.




Bhaktisiddhanta Saravati Thakura said Radha Kund [Lord Krishna’s favorite body of water] would be very nice if it was rescued from 100 immoral men. Actually these men are not living at Radha Kund they are living at Naraka Kund [hell].




Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that family members who are nondevotees are no better than strangers.




We should be expert in not creating problems in a situation where there are no problems.




Prabhupada called the 26 Second Avenue, ‘A kindergarten of spiritual life.’




Jayadeva Prabhu [from South Africa]:




Prahlada Maharaja considered that material benedictions are a potential obstacle in pure devotional service and so he did not want any such benediction from Lord Nrsimha.




By Prahlada Maharaja’s association we can come up to a higher standard of devotional service.




If people ask you if Krishna consciousness is a religion, and you say “yes,” they will not want to hear about it. If you say it is a spiritual culture, you can continue the conversation.




If they say “I am God, you are God, she is God,” if you explain that we are both one with God and different from God, thus partially accepting what they say, they may be inclined to continue the conversation or buy a book about Krishna consciousness and gain higher knowledge.




The intelligence is next to the soul and meant to protect the soul, but if it is contaminated by lust we will be mislead. We should neglect our materially contaminated intelligence, and take direction from our spiritual master, the revealed books of knowledge, and the community of saints.




Association with preachers is valuable since one must be empowered by Krishna to preach, and thus you are associating with people empowered by Krishna.




You can melt the hearts of the devotees even more by doing service for them. 




An advanced disciple immediately understands what the guru wants.




—–




tattva-vastu—krishna, krishna-bhakti, prema-rupa


nama-sankirtana—saba ananda-svarupa




“The Absolute Truth is Sri Krishna, and loving devotion to Sri Krishna exhibited in pure love is achieved through congregational chanting of the holy name, which is the essence of all bliss.” (Sri Caitanya-caritamrita,Adi-lila 1.96)

	


	





	

		
Travel Journal#10.20: New York City Harinam 
 → Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk
	


	
	

		


Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol.1 10, No. 20
By Krishna-kripa das
(October 2014, part two)


New York City Harinam
(Sent from Brooklyn, New York, on December 9, 2014)




Where I Went and What I Did




I continued chanting with the New York City Harinamparty organized by Rama Raya Prabhu in Union Square Park, from 1:30 to 7:30 p.m. every day. Prahladananda Swami, who plays leadership roles in the Sannyasa Ministry and the Health Ministry, came and chanted on harinama with us one day as well lecturing at our ashram. He also engaged me in proofreading his book, Hope This Meets You in Good Health, about health and spiritual life, which took almost all my extra time. We celebrated Govardhan Puja both at the Harinam Ashram in the morning and Radha Govinda Mandir in Brooklyn in the afternoon. Mijal, a student at New York Film Academy, attended both festivals, filming for a final project, a documentary on Mathura-prana Krishna Das, a New York Harinam Party devotee, and his transition from being an average American youth to a Hare Krishna monk. We also attended a festival at 26 Second Avenue on Srila Prabhupada’s disappearance day. Finally, ending the month, on Halloween a few costumed onlookers participated with us by dancing.‘’




I share just a few Prabhupada quotes as I was busy proofreading this month and just a few quotes from the journal of Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami. I share interesting points made by Prahladananda Swami in his lectures and remembrances from a ceremony onSrila Prabhupada’s disappearance. The rest is the usual nectar from the dedicated devotees at the Harinam Ashram.




Itinerary




December 10 to 20: New York City Harinam


December 21: Albany, New York, with family 


December 22 to 30: San Juan, Puerto Rico 


December 31 to April 2015: Florida (Gainesville, Tallahassee, Jacksonville, and Tampa)




Union Square Harinamas




As usual I show photos and videos, and tell stories from our chanting party in Union Square.








Like always,kids played the shakers with us.
















 So did young adults.




In fact, once a family of four all played shakers.








Isaiah inspired one lady to dance.








We continued offering lamps to Damodar and inviting people to offer prayers. 










Radha Gopinath dd, who was visiting from the Baltics, chants with great intensity.




She inspired devotees and onlookers to dance and people to stop and watch, as you can see in these videos clips (http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGerEnGdI0xKU1H-hZWuLoO30o8cnG6Ou):




 








Occasionally famous people interact with the devotees. Here Alec Baldwin and his family leave after a brief visit. Previously he got a Krishna book from our table. 
 








His wife, Hilaria Thomas, waved to us.




Persons famous within the Hare Krishna movement also visit.








Here Prahladananda Swami shares his transcendental bliss with us.








Satyaraj Prabhu, who has written many books and articles on Krishna consciousness, talks with Braja-raja Dasa at our book table. He comes by several times a month for an hour or so.












On Halloween some costumed people danced with us.




In the Srimad-Bhagavatam, the attachment between male and female is said to be a cause of bondage to this material world. There is even a phrase “maithunya-agara,” or the shackles of sex life.








Thus when I saw this Halloween costume, I could not help but ask the couple if I could take a picture of them.




As I walked through Union Square Park, a young man asked if I was a spiritual person. I did not want to be so bold as to say I am a “spiritual person” so I just said I was trying to advance spiritually. He asked for some jewels of wisdom. I quoted “trnad api sunicena . . .”, explaining that one who is more humble than a blade of grass and more tolerant than a tree can chant the holy name of the Lord always. He said with conviction that amazed me, “That is most certainly true.” I gave him a mantra card and encouraged him to try chanting Hare Krishna and experience the purifying effects on his mind.




Uncommon Encounter on Harinama at Jackson Heights




One man who was 65 years old and had some devotion for and faith in the Christian tradition talked with me while I was distributing Krishna: Reservoir of Pleasure on harinama in Jackson Heights. He was aspiring for conjugal love with a woman at that advanced aged. I explained to him that in our tradition the final quarter of life was simply meant for focusing on reviving our relationship with God and experiencing a higher spiritual pleasure. As he was not interested in changing his religion, I suggested he find some Christian monks that were so absorbed in spiritual pursuits that they could transcend the need for male-female relationships and learn from them how they did it. He thought that made a lot of sense and considered it providential that he met me. I spoke to him in that way, as I could not imagine Srila Prabhupada encouraging such an elderly gentleman in pursuing male-female relationships. When Mukunda’s wife had left him, Prabhupada discouraged him from marrying again, although he was quite a bit younger than sixty-five.I do not ever recall Srila Prabhupada advising an older man to get married. 




Govardhan Puja




At the Harinam Ashram we had an incredibly lively Govardhan Puja festival in the morning. Natabara Gauranga Prabhu encouraged all the devotees to make sweets for the hill. Rama Raya Prabhu’s Govardhan-sila was the center of attention. I got to polish His silver paraphernalia. The chanting and dancing around the hill reached a level of ecstasy far above our normal daily kirtana. Neighboring devotees, like Michael Collins, came and took part. It kept going till almost 11:00 a.m. but the late breakfast was quite a feast. 




Natabara Gauranga shared this photo of the event with the following caption:








“Our Giri Govardan: Orange Cherry Halava mountain (me), Besan Ladoo boulders (Braja-raja Dasa), Mango Sweet Rice Radha and Shyam Kunds (Madhavi), Paneer and Pepper Pakora animals and Green Chutney grass (Bhakta Max), Cookie dirt (Ananta Das Sacasa), Saffron Coconut Burfi (Krishna-kripa Das), Rice, Bean Soup, Mashed Taters, Ginger Mint Tea morning Bhoga offering (Rachel), Gulab Jamun Manasi Ganga kund (me).  It’s so nice that in the spirit of Harinam (which means working together to glorify Krsna) the New York Harinam Yatra Dham devotees could all come and work together to put together such a nice offering on this auspicious day.”




During the previous week or so, I invited many people who were attracted to our chanting in Union Square to the Govardhan Puja festival at Radha Govinda Mandir. One hippie couple came and loved the mood and the spiritual food. 




Mijal and her partners on her documentary project also came and got some nice film of the colorful hill of spiritual food and the altar of Radha Govinda, and Their colorfully dressed devotees. 




Mijal’s Documentary on the Transition of a Hare Krishna




Seeing the devotees chanting of Union Square, New York Film Academy student, Mijal, enrolled in a course on documentary, decided to make them the topic of two of her projects. 




While interviewing the devotees, Mijal found Mathura-prana Krishna das to have the most fascinating history, and for her final project topic, chose his transition from being a typical American youth to being a Hare Krishna monk. She spent many hours filming and more editing. I hope you enjoy the video (http://youtu.be/oSZvsqUv-jM):








To see the pictures I took but did not include in this blog, click on the link below:





Insights




Srila Prabhupada:




Letter to Rayarama Dasa on March 6, 1969:




“Keep your health on good condition and work very hard for Krishna. That is our motto of life.“




Conversation in New Vrindaban on June 26, 1976:




“You must ask them what they need and provide them. Because they do not say, you’ll also keep silent. That’s not good. Every month they must be asked what they need. Necessities, they must be supplied. We have already discussed this point, the women; they require protection, children, and women.” 




Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:







“If we are submissive to guru and Krishna, the possibilities are ‘unlimited.’”







“I called out to Krishna for His blessing because I am powerless to do japaon my own endeavor.”







“I pray that Srila Prabhupada and Lord Krishna accept me as I am or correct me if I am wrong.”




Prahladananda Swami:




Krishna is very balanced. He says positive things and negative things.




We may have so many material perfections, but we still have to die. We are eternal so we do not have to die just to experience another life of miseries.




The government, instead of protecting people, is putting them into fear.




Comparing our small span of life to that of Lord Brahma, we can see that we are on the verge of death.




All people are serving their dead material bodies, and therefore, they are actually the greatest idol worshipers.




We do not feel we need Krishna or need His protection. We are happy enjoying the material world. People wonder when the iPhone 6 will come instead of when they will attain liberation or attain the spiritual world.




In Kali-yuga there are sudras [working class people] who live for sense gratification and vaisyas [businessmen] who live to exploit them. Our leaders are blind because they are illusioned by sense gratification.




Job security is a top priority among workers. If we seek the eternal that is real security. 




Our life is like a horror story. It may seem like a romance or a comedy, but ultimately it is a horror story.




By following the instructions of Krishna’s representatives we can attain real security. Realizing that Krishna is our only shelter and goal leads us to perfection.




Because of refusal to accept Krishna as the proprietor we are put into illusion.




Srila Prabhupada said if you are in the mode of goodness and thinking you are happy in this material world, you are in ignorance.




Ghosts are frustrated because they have no gross body and cannot fulfill their desires. Imagine being hungry for hundreds of years!




The more we understand that Krishna is our only shelter the more we will take shelter of Him.




We think that when we get everything we need, then we will get Krishna, instead of thinking if we get Krishna we will get everything.




Q: Is it possible to be inattentive [when chanting] if we have faith in Krishna.


A: No.




A rich man in Dallas had 16 billion dollars back in the 1970s. An interviewer asked him what he wanted, and he replied, “More money.”




We do not see philanthropists dancing in the street. Altruism does not satisfy our loving propensity like loving Krishna. Krishna can perfectly reciprocate our love. 




The main austerity to focus our attention on Krishna. If you do that you will experience Krishna’s reciprocation. If we focus our attention on Krishna and sacrifice for Him, His reciprocation will satisfy our loving propensity.




Remembering Krishna means to remember who Krishna actually is, the supreme controller, and not thinking of him like a cartoon character.




Bhagavad-gita10.9 speaks of (1) tusyantiand (2) ramanti.The first is liberation.




First we come to the level of Brahman, but we do that through the process of devotional service.




Because we are infinitesimal spiritual souls we tend to take shelter of something, and conditioned souls take shelter of the body. We must be convinced that we have to take shelter of Krishna. Although it is a bad shelter, people take shelter of the material energy because they know of no other shelter. By knowing Krishna’s glories, we can be inspired to take shelter of Him.




Yasoda has no need to take shelter and thus she does not need to know His glories.




We take shelter of Krishna by surrendering our activities unto Krishna and becoming instruments in His sankirtana movement.




When Srila Prabhupada visited Boston, he said in the presence of his disciple Purusottama, “I pray to Krishna every day to protect me from maya.”




Our little love for Krishna is our endeavor.




At asaktiwe have no other shelter than Krishna.




It is not a matter of binding Krishna or churning butter, but it is an intensity of love that is significant about Mother Yasoda.




There is no faster way than doing your sadhana and preaching to others.




When Krishna sees that we are sincere, He will enlighten us from within.




Other paths are not possible in this age because the material energy is very powerful and we are very susceptible to it.




If we take our spiritual practice seriously, Krishna will help us take it more seriously.




If we desire mercy, Krishna will give us mercy. That anxiousness to get Krishna’s mercy is essential to advancement. 




All our acaryas [previous spiritual masters in the lineage] took up the practice of preaching.




Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura talks of steadiness of mind, body, and speech, that is, how easy it is to remember Krishna, how easy is avoid engaging the senses in their objects, and how easy it is to avoid talking nonsense.




Abhiram Prabhu:




Jaipur is the most exalted city in the world. There the aristocratic people walk 3 or 4 miles barefoot to the Govindaji temple on their way to work and bow down to Govindaji. Then after work, they stop at the temple and offer obeisances to Govindaji on the way home.




Vishnujana Swami and Tamal Krishna Goswami loved each other like brothers, but they were completely different. Vishnujana was very ecstatic – “Krishna Krishna!”, and Tamal Krishna Goswami was very practical. To see the beauty of their relationship would inspire people to become devotees. 




We are proud thinking that we can destroy the earth, but at the end of the age when Kalki kills the degraded rulers and their followers, the planet is restored and in just a few hundred years the golden age is fully manifest.




Our materialistic enjoyment is like the excitement a cockroach feels when he finds a crumb in the darkness, and yet we glorify it and write books about it. This is because we are unaware of the beautiful pastimes of Krishna. 




Krishna’s creation of the universe is just like a dream for Him. His pastimes in Vrindavan are what actually absorb Krishna.




If a child leaves home the parents may engage another child in encouraging the wayward


child to return. The guru is like the child sent to bring his wayward brother home.




Sadhana is like an all day prayer.




Mastering is sleep is more difficult than mastering sex as we can see from our ashram life.




The pastimes are not performed to impress us but are the actual activities of the spiritual world where the Lord enjoys these relationships with His devotees.




Krishna creates a situation whereby Mother Yasoda is fully engaged in serving Him in a variety of ways.




Krishna feeds the monkeys who are mischievous like Himselfand who He feels camaraderie with.




We would be fortunate to be cursed to be born in the courtyard of Nanda and be liberated by Krishna.




Dipavali is the day Yasoda bound Krishna in addition to being the day Rama returned to Ayodhya.




There is American Indian creation story in which a tortoise carried the world on its back. Perhaps they heard from sages the story of Kurma.




“Myth” just means a story that is passed down, not a story that is fictional.




In Kerala the carpenters sing songs that describe procedures and measurements in their construction.




Scientists can gather very little knowledge about the world from their sense perception, even when it is extended through microscopes or telescopes. Then when they get a new piece of information in this way, they have to rework all their theories based on the old information.




The real meaning of darsana is to report to the Deity. “This is what little I could do for you. Please accept it.” 




Neophytes tend to misunderstand the philosophy and when many neophytes get together they can misunderstand it in big way.




Srila Prabhupada told Tamal Krishna Goswami when he was going to leave this world, “See that Abhiram is not lost. I have spent so much time training him.” So Prabhupada created this siksa relationship with Tamal.




The older devotee who would distribute caranamrita in Vrindavan for years, Vibhu Caitanya Prabhu, when Srila Prabhupada heard him singing in the pujari room said, “that is pure chanting.”




Our formula for Krishna prema[love of God] is trnad api sunicena . . . [to become humble and tolerant, offering all respects to others yet not seeking respect in return].




Jaya Tirtha was a good preacher but never was able to follow the strict discipline of bhakti-yoga. Later he got into other difficulties and eventually went mad before his unfortunate death being decapitated by a disciple. It was this and other incidents in my 45 years as a devotee that inspire to me to follow the path as strictly as I can.




Vishnujana Swami came with a party of seven devotees to my temple in Miami. The next year Tamal Krishna Goswami joined him, and he returned with a party of thirty.




There was wisdom in keeping untrained or unclean people away from the temple worship, but Lord Caitanya through his sankirtana process purified such people, so to not allow Westerners into Hindu temples is an antiquated idea. 




Originally the Hare Krishna devotees were not allowed in any temples in India. The Sankaracarya of Srngiri Matha, considered the major center for Hinduism, tested the devotees in their understanding of Hindu philosophy and culture, and he wrote a letter saying they were qualified to perform all Hindu sacrifices. 




In Bhagavad-gita, Krishna takes a lot of time to convince Arjuna’s intelligence.




The stone of Govardhan is different from that of the rest of the neighboring areas. The intensely heavy rock which goes deeply into the earth cools the area so it is the hottest region that is continuously inhabited.




Marx’s analysis of the defects of capitalism was correct. You end up with a few people getting rich and many being exploited.




Like a rich man can bring an associate into an exclusive club where he is a member, the spiritual master can bring his disciple to the spiritual world.




The devotees love Krishna and they also love the other devotees, and Krishna loves all the devotees, so that is the spiritual world. 




How great Krishna is that He is surrounded by so many great devotees.




Krishna is fully absorbed in interacting with you, and at the same time, He is absorbed in interacting with everyone else. 




To understand the Vaishnava is not possible. He is someone who owns Krishna because of his love.




Although Srila Prabhupada was strict about temple standards and would stress them, when someone who had difficulty was at the point of leaving, he felt for them and begged them not do go. 




Because the communist Soviet Union tried to oppress the Hare Krishnas more and more, the reaction was that the Hare Krishna movement spread there more and more.




Although the grandfather loves his own children, the grandfather has special affection for his grandchildren. Similarly Srila Prabhupada has special affection for his granddisciples.




Prabhupada made Tamal Krishna Goswami like an extension of his own self. There is no devotee who was able to surrender so much to executing Srila Prabhupada’s will. Whatever he did, he did with full commitment and excellence. One international journal that published Ph.D. theses published three of his papers as an undergraduate.




Time has no meaning to our spirit self because it only effects the atoms in our body.




Yasoda is so pure in heart she can realize who is the most wonderful person in the creation and love Him.




The most powerful force in the world is bhaktibecause it can bind Krishna. The love the bhakti-yogihas for the Lord drags him past all material obstacles. 




Bhakti-yogaharnesses our actual nature which is to love, and the practice and the goal are the same.




Krishna’s pastimes are all within the Hare Krishna mantra.




The devotees naturally get together around their natural interest of serving Krishna.




That many people do not want to join us is evidence that we have a long way to go.




We do not aspire to become Mother Yasoda but to glorifyMother Yasoda’s service.





	





	

		
Travel Journal#10.19: More New York City Harinam 
 → Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk
	


	
	

		


Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 10, No. 19
By Krishna-kripa das
(October 2014, part one)


New York City
(Sent from Brooklyn, New York, on December 4, 2014)




Where I Went and What I Did




I continued chanting with the New York Harinama party organized by Rama Raya Prabhu in Union Square Park, from 1:30 to 7:30 p.m. every day. The month of Karttika began, and we engaged passersby in offering candles to a picture of Krishna in His childhood feature of Damodar, just as we do in our temples. On rainy days, we chant in different subway stations. There we were not allowed to light candles. I also spoke at evening programs of Atmanivedana Prabhu at 26 Second Avenue one Saturday.








And one of Charu Gopika Devi at her place in Queens one Friday.




I have some extremely inspiring quotes from Srila Prabhupada’s books, even more inspiring than usual. I include a quote from Shack Notes by Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami. I also share great quotes from CandrasekharaSwami and the senior devotees at the Harinama Ashram, namely Abhiram Prabhu, Laksmi Nrsimha Prabhu, and Rama Raya Prabhu. 




Thanks to Dorian of Jacksonville for donating to me his extra Smartphone, which is so useful in my harinama service, providing weather forecasts, subway schedules, and access to Srila Prabhupada’s books while riding the subway. Thanks to Kaliya Krishna Prabhu for his kind donation to cover my subway expenses for the 9 weeks I spent on harinama in New York City. Thanks to Atma-nivedana Prabhu and Charu Gopika Devi for their kind donations. 




Itinerary




December 3 to 20: New York City Harinama [except December 6 for SDG Vyasa-puja]


December 21: Albany, New York,with family


December 22 to 30: San Juan, Puerto Rico


December 31 to April 2015: Florida (Gainesville, Tallahassee, Jacksonville, and Tampa)
 




Harinama in Union Square




We had different positive interactions with the people in general at Union Square, and I show and tell about them. First I show the pictures, then the videos, and finally I tell some stories.
 






A mom and two daughters all played instruments with us.










One female photographer delighted in dancing.











This girl liked playing the shakers.




 




This young lady listened to us and read Chant and Be Happy.








Then shesat down with us and began chanting.








Later she danced with Madhavi Devi.


Now she comes by and chants a few times week.








This girl had a tough day and was so happy to listen to the chanting for an hour and chill out.








Two girls joined us for some time.








Then a guy joined us.








Jim, often formally dressed, loves to stop by periodically and listen, and he does what he can to help the devotees on the party.








Madhvacarya Prabhu, who I know from when he helped Rtadhvaja Swami take care of the boys ashram in Alachua, now helps out Adi Purusa Prabhu with his spiritual food distribution program at Tompkins Square Park three days a week. When he has time, he comes and plays the drum as in this picture above.








These two adventurous young ladies chantedthe mantra which they read from our cards, and playedshakers to the beat.








Clarissa, a young teenager from Brooklyn, leads the chanting with intensity and a strong voice. 






 Nikunjabihari Prabhu danced attractively.






 




Seeing me as she passed by Union Square, one friend of my mother’s remembered me from the Albany Quaker meeting earlier in the year.












Our table with the picture of Damodar has signs on two sides inviting passersby to “offer a candle, and make a prayer.” From the number of candles, you can see many people did.
 






This young boy offers a prayer as he holds a candle to the picture of Krishna as Damodar.








A whole group of kids enjoyed playing shakers to the music.
 








Here a new lady offers a candle while Rachel explains to a guy behind her what is happening.








The lady in red, a frequent attender, takes pleasure in offering a candle.








Here a young man offers a candle.
 








My service was to offer the pamphlet, Krishna: Reservoir of Pleasure,to everyone who offered a candle, unless they gave a donation, when I would give them a book.
 












One boy celebrated his birthday with the devotees for some time.
 










Although very small, he was eager to try to play the mrdanga!
 










Sometimes in the evening, we had quite a large party.




         


In thistwo video playlistNikunjabihari Prabhu is leading. Isaiah dances in the beginning. Then Richard dances and hands a girlsome shakers, and she delights in playing them. In the second clip, Madhavi and Alice join in the dancing, going around the fountain, and the girl delights in dancing too (http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGerEnGdI0xINLNh_xytcNmp8hiXd9v-l):




 






Vrajananda dd, who I saw playing flute at the Baltic Summer festival, sings, Babhru Prabhu, the book distributor, dances, and Isaiah dances, and then Madhavi and Alice. Vrajananda’s second tune was avery pretty Hare Krishna tune that also attracteddevotees to dance and a crowd to watch (http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGerEnGdI0xLz5ROyPG5iOvEXTPcbKMes):




         










Murli Krishna Prabhu sings and devotees dance (http://youtu.be/O_-3MeAexfg). 




 






Arjuna leads a lively tune getting devotees to dance (http://youtu.be/W_AhNcJWGbI):






 






Radha Gopinath dd, an intense kirtana lady from the Baltics, also attracts a crowd and gets devotees dancing. Jai Giridhari Prabhu joins Babhru Prabhu in dancing, and Clarissa joins the other lady dancers (http://youtu.be/28xRc7pzZ2I):




 




The two young daughters of Kirtan dd also get their chance to sing (http://youtu.be/9DfeeYEnhgU):






 




Two girls were very happy to come upon the chanting party, smiling and moving with the music. I gave them shakers, and they happily played them. I then gave them mantra cards, and they both chanted the response for some of the time after that, one chanting almost every mantra.   




A young lady named Mijal, who was studying documentary at New York Film Academy, decided to do a couple projects on the Hare Krishnas at Union Square. She came to our ashram with a friend who recorded audio while she recorded video. They made lots of recordings, especially of Arjuna, a youth from a Hare Krishna family, who lives in our ashram.




One young lady vacationing from the Middle East looked with interest at our party at Union Square. When she saw the picture of Srila Prabhupada on the Krishna: Reservoir of Pleasure, she said she had many books of his and that she liked them. Before leaving she began dancing tothe kirtana.




I asked one girl who likedto chant with us her name, and she replied, “Karma.”




A young lady from Long Island came up to the NYC Harinambook table and told how she had been a ordained Buddhist monk in Thailand. She was a singer, and after a week she was kicked out of the ashram for humming, among other things. Rama Raya Prabhu and I explained that positive spiritual engagement was more practical and enjoyable than escaping material desire through meditation on nothingness, and she was very receptive. Turns out she went to the same high school as Rama Raya, a few decades later. I told her, “If you have enough enthusiasm to get ordained as a Buddhist monk, you definitely would be able to get into reading Bhagavad-gita,”and she ended up buying one.




A group of young people who get together and read Plato’s Republic chose Union Square because of the good weather. When they passed our harinama party, a devotee lady invited them to offer candles to Damodar, and they all did, holding their Republicsin their hands. I talked to their leader about Plato’s analogy of the cave and how this world is a perverted reflection of the spiritual world, where we love God in different relationships. He asked what the relationships were, and I described them. He asked if they were in a hierarchy, and I explained their order of intimacy. I considered if they liked philosophy enough to read the Republic every week, they would be able to handle Bhagavad-gita, so I showed the book to their leader. He was impressed with the Sanskrit and the word by word translation, and he bought the book.





Harinama Ashram




The New York Harinama devotees have their own ashram in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, about 35  minutes from Union Square on the subway. The temple room is in the basement, and there are three residential floors, and an fixed up area on the roof. They have a regular morning program beginning at 5:00 a.m. Abhiram Prabhu, Laksmi Nrsimha Prabhu, and Rama Raya Prabhu lead lively kirtanas and give inspiring classes. Many of the younger devotees also lead nice kirtanas. It is very inspiring to be in the association of people with such faith in the holy name. They cook enough in the morning for breakfast and lunch, and a few meals for the hungry in Union Square. They are looking for more musicians, singers, book distributors and dancers to expand the program more and more.  Visit their web page and consider how your can support them (http://www.nycharinam.com/). 


In the fall, during the times we had many devotees visiting, we sometimes had two parties. Once we did Union Square Park and Washington Square Park, and on a bad weather day, we did Times Square subway station and Herald Square subway station. Another time we sent an additional group to Jackson Heights, where we are always well received, especially by the many Indians and Mexicans there. Rama Raya Prabhu thinks that some day we should have 10,000 devotees, and 200 parties of fifty devotees each, all around the City. Why just 10,000, why not 20,000? 




Insights




Srila Prabhupada:




from Sri Caitanya-caritamrita,Adi-lila 7.25, purport:




“The Krishna consciousness movement of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is so powerful that it can inundate the entire world and interest all classes of men in the subject of love of Godhead.”




from The Nectar of Devotion,Chapter 48: 




“It is to be understood that any person who is constantly engaged in chanting the holy names of the Lord—Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare— has attained a transcendental affection for Krishna, and as such, in any condition of life, he remains satisfied simply by remembering the Lord’s name in full affection and ecstatic love.”




from Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.15.16:




“One who is content and satisfied and who links his activities with the Supreme Personality of Godhead residing in everyone’s heart enjoys transcendental happiness without endeavoring for his livelihood. Where is such happiness for a materialistic man who is impelled by lust and greed and who therefore wanders in all directions with a desire to accumulate wealth?”




from Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.15.18, purport:




“ . . . a devotee is always satisfied because he feels the presence of the Supersoul within his heart and thinks of Him twenty-four hours a day. That is real satisfaction. A devotee is never driven by the dictations of the tongue and genitals, and thus he is never victimized by the laws of material nature.”




from Sri Caitanya-caritamrita,Madhya-lila 16.64, purport:




“Preaching Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s cult throughout the world is more important than staying in Vrindavan or Jagannath Puri for one’s own personal satisfaction. Spreading Krishna consciousness is Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission; therefore His sincere devotees must carry out His desire.”




from Sri Caitanya-caritamrita,Madhya-lila 16.70, purport:




“The Lord replied, ‘You should engage yourself in the service of the servants of Krishna and always chant the holy name of Krishna. If you do these two things, you will very soon attain shelter at Krishna lotus feet.’”




from Nectar of Instruction, Preface:




“Everyone within this material world is engrossed in the modes of passion and ignorance. One must promote himself to the platform of goodness, sattva-guna,by following the instructions of Rupa Gosvami, and then everything concerning how to make further progress will be revealed.”




from Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.15.21, purport:




“For a devotee to be satisfied with the bare necessities is therefore the best advice for spiritual advancement.”




from Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.15.24, purport:




“Any country where people indulge in unnecessary killing of animals will have to suffer from wars and pestilence imposed by material nature.”




from Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.15.25:




“One must conquer the modes of passion and ignorance by developing the mode of goodness, and then one must become detached from the mode of goodness by promoting oneself to the platform of suddha-sattva.All this can be automatically done if one engages in the service of the spiritual master with faith and devotion. In this way one can conquer the influence of the modes of nature.”




from Srimad Bhagavatam 4.29.46, purport:




“The Supreme Personality of Godhead, influenced by the merciful devotees’ attempt to deliver fallen souls, enlightens the people in general from within by His causeless mercy.”




from Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.15.27, purport:




“The Supreme Personality of Godhead gives real knowledge to the entire world, and the spiritual master, as the representative of the Supreme Godhead, carries the message throughout the world. Therefore, on the absolute platform, there is no difference between the spiritual master and the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”




“There is no one as merciful as Sri Caitanya Mahāprabhu within all three worlds. Simply by seeing Him from a distance, one is overwhelmed with love of Godhead.” (Sri Caitanya-caritamrita,Madhya 16.121)





	





	

		
Travel Journal#10.18: New York City and Philadelphia 
 → Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk
	


	
	

		
Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 10, No. 18
By Krishna-kripa das
(September 2014, part two)


New York City and Philadelphia
(Sent from Brooklyn, New York, on October 17, 2014)




Where I Went and What I Did 




I rejoined Rama Raya Prabhu’s New York City Harinama party, living at their ashram in Brooklyn and chanting six hours a day in Union Square. There many, many people, from a variety of countries, have positive interactions with the devotees and advance in spiritual consciousness, and it is truly beautiful to see. In the midst of that I spent three days traveling with the World Harinama Party devotees to Philadelphia to do harinama and attend the Ratha-yatra there. In Philly I also spoke for three hours with Prishni dd, who is doing an oral history project on Sadaputa Prabhu. Contact her if you had personal association with him. One day in New York City I participated in the Climate Change March with my family, who visited from Albany. I also played my harmonium and chanted Hare Krishna both in that parade and alongside as it passed. I ended September by celebrating my 55thbirthday by making coconut sweets and sharing them with my friends nearby.  




I share inspirational quotes from Srila Prabhupada’s books and from the lectures of Bhatki Marga and Danavira Swamis and from those of Abhirama, Laksmi Nrsimha and Rama Raya Prabhus.




Thanks to Dharmatma Prabhu for his pictures at Union Square and Times Square and to Murli Krishna Prabhu for his pictures at Union Square. Thanks to Vishnujana Prabhu (alias Harinama Ruci) for his picture of Ratha–yatra in Philadelphia. Thanks to Jim Peppler for his pictures of the Climate Change March. Thanks to Marc Gordon for the pictures of me at the book table at Union Square.




Harinama in Union Square








Rama Raya Prabhu’s New York City Harinamapartychants in Union Square from 1:30 to 7:30 p.m., seven days a week, a great example for the world of dedication to the dharma of the age, the congregational chanting of the holy name.








Most often I would contribute by dancing.









Sometimes I would man the book table.








Sometime I would talk to people who liked listening to us.




There were many very positive kirtana experiences at Union Square. Some I photographed, some  I videoed,  and some I described.




Ananta Prabhu from Alachua led some kirtanas that were appreciated by the people in general (http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGerEnGdI0xL_peUACOf1UwMm_Xo_2CwV):








Nikunja Bihari Prabhu also led some pretty fired up chanting (http://youtu.be/mtTzeK4h4Ws):








Vrajananda dd from Lithuania sang and inspired a whole family to take part in playing instruments and moving with the music (http://youtu.be/abCGBEBXEAc):














Sometimes she would play the flute when others sang.






One time I was talking to a man in front of our party. 








He said he played the harmonica and opened a case containing thirteen of them, one for every key. 









He wondered what key Ananta Prabhu was playing in, and I suggested it was probably E or B because there were many black keys in it. He concluded it was E and took the appropriate harmonica and began playing along (http://youtu.be/AZxRJRR6kb0):








Arjuna Prabhu, son of Prahlada Priya Prabhu, sang in such a lively way lots of the devotees danced (http://youtu.be/Zcypg7Ev9Pw):




 




Sometimes the kirtanas were so lively that many people watched and some people danced (http://youtu.be/jo5ZfRXlLpE):








Sometimes people would bring their own instruments to play, like the guitar player in the video below, while others would play our different percussion instruments (http://youtu.be/38GiRaQ6Pd0):




 









Danavira Maharaja, who has great faith in the holy name and musical talent, kindly chanted with us during his visit.









Different people of all ages would play instruments with us.






















Devotees and onlookers both danced.
























Many people, include took pictures of us, sometimes at odd angles.









One lady held up the Bhagavad-gitafor all to see.








One girl asked if she had seen me in Jacksonville. I explained that I sometimes went to our programs at the University of North Florida, and she had too. She knew Amrita Keli dd, our organizer there.




One young lady who works in marketing stopped by our party at Union Square after work. She found the chanting to be very soothing. She took our free literature and also bought a book, took a mantra card and had prasadam. She had a mild smile on her face the whole time and applauded at the end. She must have stayed two hours and said she will come again. It is awesome to see new people connect with the chanting in such a positive way. Several days later she stopped to listen for some time. She said after she visited us before the Hare Krishna mantra had stayed in her mind the whole next day, and she told her friends about it. She had visited India once, and plans to return in November. I advised her to visit Mathura and Vrindavan and to ask the devotees about good places to visit.




World Religions professor, Zachary Smith, of Cooper Union, brought his entire class to Union Square to see the harinamaone Monday evening. Students listened for half an hour, got Krishna, Reservoir of Pleasure, ate prasadamcookies, and talked with devotees. The professor told me he thought, “What better way to teach them devotional Hinduism!”




Harinama at Times Square




When the World Harinama Party was visiting New York City they would sometimes do harinama in Times Square. In the second half of September, they did one on the Saturday night after the Climate Change March. We started by chanting on the subway (http://youtu.be/39dXe3P5UpE):








And then through the Times Square subway station.




We chanted on a crowded street, and many people got into dancing with us (http://youtu.be/M0V4SHJNFXA):








The World Harinama Party devotees were brave enough to chant Hare Krishna in the Times Square Radio Shack store, and the workers were all very happy about it (http://youtu.be/Merjtj3qO2c):








On the very day we returned from Philadelphia, they did harinama again in Times Square. Even through it was Sunday night, there were still plenty of people there. Again we started by chanting on the subway (http://youtu.be/Kj14nvKIdj8):








That day we chanted through a shoe store (http://youtu.be/U4VAbVCSt-E):








Philadelphia Harinamas




Haryasva Prabhu, owner of Govinda’s restaurant in Philadelphia, greeted the World Harinama Party with enthusiasm and had us sing kirtana for his large Panca-tattva deities as soon as we arrived. After prasadam, we rested and hit the streets.




Across from Rittenhouse Square on Walnut Street, we met a trombonist and trumpeter from Berlin, who loved playing and dancing with us (http://youtu.be/wYQBRe-HyHk):




 




Some students we met on the sidewalk danced with us (http://youtu.be/JRXcHnIKFl4):








One worker danced ecstatically in her shop when our party came to the door (http://youtu.be/dfEBFLSZraY):








The first day it rained, and there were not many people on the streets. Still as you can see in the videos above, we found some people who were happy to move to the beat of the kirtana and to hear about our Ratha-yatra festival. 




To avoid the rain, we chanted underground from Suburban Station to City Hall. 










We passed some musicians playing guitar and djembe.






The djembe player really enjoyed playing with us (http://youtu.be/0YsAAOsU_AY):








The next day when we were on Walnut Street, he was playing with his friends on the opposite side of the street, and then he saw us, he crossed the street to play with us. 








On Friday during the day, famed kirtana leader Agnidev Prabhu from Trinidad lead us one harinama on Walnut Street.










A guitar player later played with us in Rittenhouse Square.






On Friday night, Agnidev Prabhu and a kirtana leader from Toronto both led harinama on crowded South Street. We passed out almost all of the invitations to the Ratha-yatra.





Philadelphia Ratha-yatra









Harinamananda Prabhu read a description of the 1975 Philadelphia Ratha-yatra, and it sounded like the devotees had a better route, including big shopping streets. Still there were many people along the parade route who were very favorable when invited to the festival after the parade near the museum. 




Two years ago they did not have separate carts for the three Jagannatha’s deities, but they did this time, and they also had a separate cart for the Panca-tattva deities as before.








During the procession we passed a Shakesphere memorial with his famous quote, “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” Of course, that is a very Krishna consciousness statement when we consider the players to be the souls who are wearing different bodily costumes in each life.




In the stage show afterward, the comedian Yadunatha Prabhu told a story of a devotee who had difficulty with the loud kirtanas. He also had doubts about the restriction on elastic socks, finding it a bit unreasonable. When the devotee asked Yadunatha Prabhu about that restriction, at first Yadunatha said he was confused as he could not think of any restriction on elastic socks. But then it occurred to him that devotee meant “illicit sex” but because of the hearing damage from the loud chanting he had not heard properly.




At least three people we had invited during the harinamas we did the previous two days actually came to the festival. To one, who I remember from his gigantic beads, I gave a On Chanting Hare Krishna pamphlet at the festival and along with my business card. 









He expressed interest in attending the programs at Govinda’s. Later he bought a Bhagavad-gita from Harinamananda Prabhu. 








One girl I talked to remembered getting an invitation from us. She loved dancing in the kirtana at the festival.




I also gave her a On Chanting Hare Krishna pamphlet at the festival and along with my business card, and she also said she would come to our programs. She gave me an extra samosashe bought, and I gave her and her boyfriend some cookies. She was from Jamaica and had no problem with the hotness of the spicy samosa. 




Rasika Mangala Prabhu talked to a young man named Brandon at the festival who he had met on harinama at Rittenhouse Square. Brandon danced for hours in the kirtana and became a Facebook friend of Rasika. 








He changed his profile picture to one of himself wearing tilaka and with the chariots behind him. 








People were happy to receive the maha-prasadam from Lord Jagannatha.









They also enjoyed the chance to fan Srila Prabhupada and the deity with the camara.




I talked to two or three people who lived in the area and saw or heard our festival and were attracted to come. Some came from visiting a college fair or the nearby art museum. 






Our kirtana group was so lively many people were attracted to watch for some time and almost all took the “On Chanting Hare Krishna” pamphlets I offered them.




Both the vegan and vegetarian prasadam were very good, and I had a plate of each. I had a sense that there was a larger quantity of prasadamwhen I came two years ago, but I do not know if my perception is valid.




New York City Climate Change March




September 21, the day of the New York City Climate Change March was crazy for me with four different events I wanted to attend happening all at the same time. My mother, a social activist who had her 90th birthday the previous week, wanted her friends and family to celebrate by participating with her in the Climate Change March. At the same time a group of Hare Krishna devotees was chanting Hare Krishna in the march. Also that afternoon, devotees had arranged a memorial service for Jada Bharata Prabhu, a disciple of my diksa guru, Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, who was a book distributor in Manhattan when I joined the temple on 55thStreet in 1979. And as usual we had our six-hour kirtana at Union Square from 1:30 to 7:30 p.m.   








As I do so few things for my mother, I decided to spend some time with her and my other family members in the Climate Change March. Then I planned to join with the devotees who were chanting in that parade. I brought my harmonium, so in case I could not find the other devotees to chant with, at least I could chant by myself.




My sister made special T-shirts for my mother’s 90thbirthday which had a picture of her at a protest on the front along with the text “Happy 90th Birthday Pat Beetle” and a favorite saying of hers on the back, “We are all in this together.”








My sister, Karen, her boyfriend, Victor, and I with my harmonium, joined my mother, who was in a wheel chair only because of the long distance of the march. When no one was talking or shouting slogans and no bands were playing, I would sometimes play harmonium and chant Hare Krishna, and Victor pleased me by chanting nicely along with me.




A professional photographer friend of my mother’s, who works for Albany Times Union newspaper, took several pictures, three of which made the website of the newspaper. They were captioned, “Pat Beetle, age 90, considered to be the grand dame of Activism in the Capitol region, of Albany Fiends Meeting, marching (via wheel chair) in the People’s Climate March in New York City on Sunday, September 21, 2014. Photo by Jim Peppler. Copyright Jim Peppler 2014. All rights reserved.”






After spending time with my family, which included Gwen, my niece, and her husband, Matt, and their friends, who did not make the above pictures, I decided to look for my Hare Krishna friends in the parade. I thought they were behind us, and walked alongside the parade toward the end, chanting Hare Krishna and playing harmonium. I did not find my World Harinama Party friends till almost the end of the parade, and I could not join them because I had to run to get my kurta (shirt) from my sister’s bag, where I put it when I put on my birthday T-shirt, before she left to Albany by bus at 4:30 p.m. Still the result of me looking for the Hare Krishna party was that many, many people got to hear the chanting of Hare Krishna as I wondered around looking for them and that was Krishna’s mercy. I was engaged in devotional service, but not in the way I had hoped. Sometime after 5:00 p.m., I joined the Union Square harinama till 7:30 p.m., and then went to Times Square to sing with the World Harinama Party in the evening, so it was a very full day with lots of kirtana.





For additional photos of many of the activities described above, click on the link below:


https://picasaweb.google.com/103872792410945983719/TravelJournal1018?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCJbo-cqqyK7U4wE&feat=directlink




Insights




Srila Prabhupada:




from Srimad-Bhagavatam6.19.5, purport:




“Lord Krishna had the competence to win the Battle of Kuruksetra, but nonetheless He induced His devotee Arjuna to fight and become the cause of victory. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was quite competent enough to spread His name and mission all over the world, but still He depended upon His devotee to do this work. Considering all these points, the most important aspect of the Supreme Lord’s self-sufficiency is that He depends on His devotees. This is called His causeless mercy. The devotee who has perceived this causeless mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead by realization can understand the master and the servant.”




from Srimad-Bhagavatam7.9.46, purport:




“There are many who like to chant the Hare Krishna mantra in a silent, solitary place, but if one is not interested in preaching, talking constantly to the nondevotees, the influence of the modes of nature is very difficult to surpass.”




from Srimad-Bhagavatam7.14.3–4, purport:




“Simply by joining the kirtana– Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare – and by hearing about Krishna from Bhagavad-gita, one must be purified, especially if he also takes prasada.This is all going on in the Krishna consciousness movement.”




“In a dream we form a society of friendship and love, and when we awaken we see that it has ceased to exist. Similarly, one’s gross society, family and love are also a dream, and this dream will be over as soon as one dies. Therefore, whether one is dreaming in a subtle way or a gross way, these dreams are all false and temporary. One’s real business is to understand that one is soul (aham brahmasmi) and that his activities should therefore be different. Then one can be happy.”




from Srimad-Bhagavatam7.14.5, purport:




“Certainly one requires some means of livelihood, and according to one’s varṇaand asrama this means of livelihood is prescribed in the sastras.One should be satisfied with this. Therefore, instead of hankering for more and more money, a sincere devotee of the Lord tries to invent some ways to earn his livelihood, and when he does so Krishna helps him. Earning one’s livelihood, therefore, is not a problem. The real problem is how to get free from the bondage of birth, death and old age. Attaining this freedom, and not inventing unnecessary necessities, is the basic principle of Vedic civilization. One should be satisfied with whatever means of life comes automatically.”




from Srimad-Bhagavatam7.14.7, purport: 




“An intelligent person should try to spread Krishna consciousness through the chanting of the holy name of the Lord, and all the necessities of life will automatically follow.”




from Srimad-Bhagavatam7.14.8: 




“One may claim proprietorship to as much wealth as required to maintain body and soul together, but one who desires proprietorship over more than that must be considered a thief, and he deserves to be punished by the laws of nature.”




from Srimad-Bhagavatam7.14.10: 




“Even if one is a householder rather than a brahmacari,a sannyasior a vanaprastha,one should not endeavor very hard for religiosity, economic development or satisfaction of the senses. Even in householder life, one should be satisfied to maintain body and soul together with whatever is available with minimum endeavor, according to place and time, by the grace of the Lord. One should not engage oneself in ugra-karma.”




from Srimad-Bhagavatam7.14.13, purport: 




“ . . . if one intelligently considers the constitution of the body and the soul beyond it, what is the value of the body? Antavanta ime deha nityasyoktah saririṇaḥ:[Bg. 2.18] the body may perish at any moment, but the soul is eternal. If one gives up attachment for the body and increases his attachment for the spirit soul, his life is successful. It is merely a matter of deliberation.”




from Srimad-Bhagavatam7.14.14, purport: 




“The education of so-called scientists, philosophers and poets is now engaged in the service of maya,and the wealth of the rich is also engaged in maya’sservice. The service of maya,however, creates a chaotic condition in the world. Therefore the wealthy man and the educated man should sacrifice their knowledge and opulence by dedicating them for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord and joining this sankirtanamovement (yajñaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi sumedhasah[SB 11.5.32]).”




from Srimad-Bhagavatam7.14.29, purport: 




“The forest may be in goodness, the cities and villages in passion, and the brothels, hotels and restaurants in ignorance, but when one lives in the temple community he lives in Vaikuntha.”




from The Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 44:




“Lord Krishna has no rival; no one is equal to Him, and no one is greater than Him. His beauty is also without any rival, and because He excels all others in the pastimes of conjugal love, He is the original object of all conjugal love.”




“A pure devotee [of Krishna] follows in the footsteps of the gopisand worships the gopisas follows: ‘Let me offer my respectful obeisances to all the young cowherd girls, whose bodily features are so attractive. Simply by their beautiful attractive features they are worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna.’ Out of all the young gopis,Srimati Radharani is the most prominent.




Bhakti Marga Swami:




from a lecture before Ratha-yatra:




What is the mood? The idea is to share, for Lord Jagannath to meet His devotees. Who is that? Everybody.




We want to express the joy that Lord Jagannath Himself expresses. 




You cannot force people, especially in North America. You just have make it attractive so they will want to want to participate.




We are introducing a whole new concept of how to enjoy. No meat eating, no intoxication, no illicit sex.




Look presentable. Sound presentable. 




Q [by Harinamananda Prabhu]: Do you have examples of people taking Krishna consciousness more seriously as a result of Ratha-yatra?




I have seen people increase their commitment as a result of Ratha-yatra. Sometimes we do Ratha-yatra in a more secluded place and it is like a family festival but the people become more happy about their commitment as a result. [Later, at this year’s Ratha-yatra, I asked a new devotee how he came to practice Krishna consciousness. He had some books and read them, but he said that at a previous Ratha-yatra he became really commited. When he said that I remembered what Bhakti Marga Swami had said that very morning.]




my comment: I talked to one girl I met on harinama who was happy to get from me an invitation to Ratha-yatha and who gleefully told her friend, “This is the greatest festival!” One year I talked to three groups of people who came to the festival, and they had all come two or three times, although they were not devotees but just residents of the city. There are a lot of devotees of the festival in Philadelphia, more so than in many cities.  




comment by Nirantara Prabhu: Every group has their day. There is Gay Pride Day, etc. Ratha-yatra is our day.




comment Agnideva Prabhu: Ratha-yatra is Divine Dispensation Day.




after the Sita’s trial by fire and Rama’s ultimate acceptance of her in his Ramayana play:




“Relationships are always complicated, even in the divine and absolute realm.”




on Srila Prabhupada singing “Parama Karuna”in Atlanta in 1975:




He enjoyed the mood of the kirtana. There were devotees from all over America present, and even Canada. Our Canadian traveling party was in the USA, and we decided to follow Srila Prabhupada.Srila Prabhupada played mridanga although in 1975, he rarely played it in public kirtanas.




from a Srimad-Bhagavatam class on verse 7.3.36:




If we are materialistic, and we all are to a certain extent, we try to protect what is ours.




At one temple while I was visiting I got attached to pacing back and forth on a certain set of tiles while chanting japa. Then someone sat on one of my tiles, and I was upset.


And I was just a visitor!





	





	

		
Travel Journal#10.17: England, Dublin Ratha-yatra, Upstate New York 
 → Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk
	


	
	

		
Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 10, No. 17
By Krishna-kripa das
(September 2014, part one)


The North of England, Dublin Ratha-yatra, Newark, Upstate New York
(Sent from Brooklyn, New York, on October 10, 2014)




Where I Went and What I Did




I stayed in Newcastle for Radhastami because Bhakti Caitanya Swami, who is familiar with Lord Krishna’s pastimes in Vrindavan, was there on a rare visit. Then I did a final harinama and evening program in both Sheffield and Chester, saying goodbye to some friends in Manchester in-between. Then I took Megabus to Dublin for just £15, staying there just two days, one to do harinama to advertise their Ratha-yatra and the next to participate in it. Next I flew to Newark, where I got to chant Hare Krishna for a retiring airline captain, and took the train to New York City, where I got to spend 20 minutes on the Union Square harinama, on my way to Stuyvesant Falls. There I spent six days proofreading Volume 3 of The Story of My Life by Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami. Next I went to Albany to celebrate my mother’s 90thbirthday at the Quaker meeting in Easton, New York, to the north.




I include insights from books and a conversation by Srila Prabhupada, a powerful quote by Narottama Dasa Thakura from Prema-bhakti-candrika,and excerpts from the poems and books of Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, including the soon-to-be-published 3rdvolume of his autobiography. I have many notes from lectures Bhakti Caitanya Swami gave in Newcastle, including some from his Radhastami lecture. I also include notes on a class from Bhakti-sastri teacher, Radhika Nagara Prabhu, and several excerpts from the  soon-to-be-published January / February 2015 issue of Back to Godhead magazine.




Thanks to GN Press for their donation for my proofreading work. Thanks to Ratha Yatra Ireland for the pictures from their Facebook photo album, Dublin Ratha Yatra 2014. Thanks to Karen Beetle for the picture of the chapati.




Harinama in North Shields




The day before Radhastami we did harinama in North Shields. North Shields is one of those places I only would chant in by the influence of Janananda Goswami, who likes that the small towns and villages not be neglected, although he also approves of chanting in the big cities,. After all, Lord Caitanya said His name would be chanted in every town and village. 




Many children were attracted, smiling, clapping, and dancing, with their mom’s smiling. Some teenagers also smiled, clapped, and danced. A lady in a wheelchair, rolled up, looked at the books, and bought a Bhagavad gita. A very large lady bought a Sri Isopanisad.Several people gave donations, and a Perfection of Yoga and Beyond Birth and Death were given to some of them. None of the security and policemen bothered us although we chanted in the same place for over an hour and a half, and we spent two and a half hours chanting in North Shields altogether. There were five of us, including Prema Sankirtana and Radhe Shyam Prabhus, and Veera and Priyanka Devis, two college girls not yet back in school. We are sure North Shields will never be the same again.




Harinama in Chester, England




In Chester, England, I was chanting Hare Krishna in public for the second time ever, along with a devotional Indian family of four. One Quaker man came by and gave me a card with a summary of Quaker beliefs. I was happy to see all of them were compatible with Hare Krishna thought:




There is something sacred in all people.


All people are equal before God.


Religion is about the whole of life.


In stillness we find a deeper sense of God’s presence.


True religion leads to respect for the earth and all life upon it.


Each person is unique and precious, a child of God. 




I explained my mother was a Quaker peace activist, and she is still doing peace work although aged 90, and I am going to celebrate her 90th birthday at a Quaker meeting in a couple weeks. I felt I should offer some explanation of my being a Hare Krishna although in a Quaker family, so I said I like the idea the Hare Krishnas have of extending nonviolence to include becoming vegetarian, and that without people becoming vegetarian we cannot have peace in this world. He surprised me by saying he was vegetarian, which is not the case with most Quakers. As he left he said with a smile, “May Lord Hare Krishna bless you!”




Two young ladies, sitting on a nearby bench, listened to my chanting for a while, and then came up to me and chatted and gave a donation. I remember they did Reiki, an alternative therapy. They continued sitting on the bench and read the books I gave them.




In Chester, people gave me more donations than usually in England. My friend, Gaura Dasa Prabhu, from South Africa, says Chester is his favorite city in the UK to distribute books in as he always does better there.




Chester Program




For the second time, I gave a lecture at Clive and Agi Holland’s home in Chester. Gaura Krishna Prabhu has also spoken there. In addition to the Hollands and the family from Chester who had joined me on harinama, people came from other places such as Radha Mohan and Vrajendralal Prabhus of the Manchester congregation and Barbara and Meg from Liverpool. Gradually they are beginning to have regular programs in Chester, and it is great to see this increase in The North of England. I look forward to participating again next year.




On the Way to Dublin




While waiting for the ferry to Dublin at Holyhead, a young lady looked at my musical instrument, and inquired, “Is that a portable harmonium?” She said she played the harmonium, and she amused me by saying that she played devotional music, although she did not know who she was devoting it to. She was happy to learn of our Tuesday kirtananight at Govindas and our Ratha-yatra on Saturday in Dublin, and I hoped she would attend them.




Dublin Harinama




I arranged a three-hour harinama to promote the Ratha-yatra. Premarnava Prabhu, who I was counting on, had many responsibilities to prepare for the Ratha-yatra and could not come out the whole time. 








I was happy that one young couple, Jnana, an Indian guy, and Georgia, an English girl, was very dedicated to the harinama and participated almost the whole time.




One of Premarnava’s errands was to get a large pot from another Govinda’s restaurant, so we decided to take the harinama party there because then Premarnava Prabhu and Bhakta John could take part.








We put a Ratha-yatra poster on the drum to call attention to the event.








On the way back, Jnana Prabhu, carried the pot, as Premarnava Prabhu, played harinama and sang, while I played drum, and John, the karatalas. 








After the evening program, we did harinama inside and outside Govinda’s restaurant, getting ourselves and others in the mood for Ratha-yatra. 









We were happy that Ananta Nitai Prabhu joined us to play the drum.




Dublin Ratha-yatra








Praghosh Prabhu, GBC of Ireland and the UK, who a resident of Dublin, was the hands on manager of the Ratha-yatra procession and master of ceremonies for the stage show in the park. He greeted the official guest, the assistant deputy mayor of Dublin.








The assistant deputy mayor, wearing a garland,spoke briefly, better than officials usually do, about the benefit of religious festivals to society, thanking the devotees for putting on the festival. 








He swept the street following in the footsteps of Maharaja Prataparudra of Lord Caitanya’s day.








Later, others also swept the street, including this kid.








Before the Ratha-yatra procession began, I talked to a couple young ladies from South America, who often come to Govinda’s at the end of the day when they sell the remaining food for a discount price. 









They stayed and pulled the cart in the procession. 








After a while, they became so inspired they danced much of the time and stayed with us down the busy O’Connell Street. 









Madhumangala Prabhu, in the center, and a little back in the picture above, who is famous among Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami’s disciples for being his personal servant for many years, came on the Ratha-yatra procession. Apparently he lives in West Cork, and often comes to Dublin for Ratha-yatra.









Arjuna Prabhu (right) sees him from time to time.









Manu Prabhu, who plays accordion, was one of the main kirtana leaders.









Parasurama, playing enthusiastically on his ukulele, adds a lot to any festival. Ananta Nitai Prabhu, playing the drum, is also very good on harinama sankirtana.








I danced as usual.









I also invited people to the stage show.








There was a good crowd in the park for the stage show.








Srila Prabhupada and the Jagannatha, Baladeva, and Subhadra deities stayed there on a table to be viewed and to view the festival.








Some people were blessed with garlands from the deities.




There were Indian dances, bhajanas, a magic show by Parasurama, who is originally from Ireland, and of course, prasadam. Thanks to Mayesvara, Premarnava, and all the Prabhus who helped cook. An Indian organization supplied drinks. 




On the final kirtana, Praghosh Prabhu encouraged anyone to come on the stage who wanted to, and a few newcomers took part.




I enjoyed telling new people about the festival and our local programs in Dublin.




We did harinama all the way back to the temple, ending the joyous day.




Chanting in the Cockpit of a United Airlines Plane in Newark




As I boarded my United Airlines flight in Dublin, the airline captain passed by saying, “This is my last flight. I am retiring after 33 years.” He later made that announcement to all the passengers on the flight. After we landed in Newark, I came to the cockpit and congratulated him on a successful flight. I had my harmonium, and offered to sing a tune for him, saying as a Hare Krishna monk, I only played one song. He invited me in, and I played two mantras of my favorite Hare Krishna tune, and he and a lady who came to photograph him, took a video of it.




Proofreading Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami’s Autobiography in Stuyvesant Falls




I spent six days proofreading the third volume of Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami’s autobiography, The Story of My Life,in Stuyvesant Falls. In this volume he talks about zonal acarya days and some of the trials and tribulations from his point of view of that time in ISKCON history. He talks about his relationships with different senior devotees in ISKCON such as Tamal Krishna Goswami, Bhakti Tirtha Swami, and Jayadvaita Swami, and shares interesting details I had not heard before. He also describes his relationship with Narayana Maharaja. He tells about what he had in mind when he wrote different books like the “Stories of Devotion” series and the controversial book, Sanatorium. I enjoyed the reading, which I did practically twelve hours a day, but I looked forward to being back on the streets chanting with my friends.




My Mother’s 90thBirthday 




My mother thought of us celebrating her 90thbirthday by doing two things, attending the yearly Quaker gathering at Easton, New York, on Sunday, September 14, the actual day, and participating in the New York City Climate Change march the following week. As a Quaker peace activist that was completely in character for her. I made carrot coconut rice and coconut burfi prasadam for the luncheon after the Quaker meeting in Easton. There they have a tradition of telling a story before their meeting for worship once a year about how some armed American Indians working for the British during Revolutionary War times entered their meetinghouse as they were sitting in silent worship. The Quakers continued undisturbed, and the Indians put down their weapons. The story shows how the Lord protects those engaged in worshiping. During the meeting, I spoke briefly about how I met a Quaker while I was chanting in Chester, England, and shared with them the six very universal Quaker understandings listed on the card he gave me, and I suggested they might have a similar card for the US Quakers as they do in the UK.




That night somehow in a conversation with my sister I became inspired enough to try making chapatisto go with the spinach panir that Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami’s cook, Baladeva Vidyabhusana Prabhu, had made for my mother’s birthday. 













I had not made chapatis regularly in over a decade, and I was doubtful they would come out. I prayed to Radharanibefore I cooked, as usual, and the dough came out the perfect consistency the first time, and almost every chapati puffed up.








Karen, my sister, took a picture of one of them.




I showed my mother how to file her email in folders in a simpler way than before and helped her deal with her broken printer. I told her my birthday present to her was all the meals I cooked.  




There is a movie on the life of the popular kirtana singer named Krishna Das. My sister saw it and thought it was pretty good, so my mother, sister, and I watched it the next day. Although Krishna Das is not in the same spiritual lineage as the Hare Krishnas and does not teach pure devotion to Krishna, there were still some valuable messages in his story. It shows how by devotion to one’s guru and following the guru’s direction, one can attain success in life far beyond one’s expectations. That afternoon I took the Chinese bus to New York City to chant with the Union Square harinama party. I told Karen that watching the video increased my eagerness to go to New York and chant Hare Krishna kirtana with my friends. I had been nine days without harinama,way too long!





To see more pictures not included in this blog, click on the link below:





Insights




Srila Prabhupada:




from Sri Caitanya-caritamrita,Adi8.28, purport:




“As a result of chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra,one makes such great advancement in spiritual life that simultaneously his material existence terminates and he receives love of Godhead. The holy name of Krishna is so powerful that by chanting even one name, one easily achieves these transcendental riches.” 




from a conversation on May 30, 1974, during a morning walk in Rome:




The Vedic literatures advise, “My dear human being, please note: You have attained this human form of life after many, many births. You had to go through the various forms of the aquatic life, 900,000 species; and you had to go through the various forms of birds and trees and plants, two million species. Consider how much time you have spent in this slow, painstaking evolution. Now you have come to the human form of life. And although it, too, is temporary, nonetheless you can achieve the highest perfection. You can evolve from life in this temporary world of misery to life in the eternal world of bliss. So before your next death in this world, become a very adept student of spiritual perfection – and achieve it.”




from Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.14.31, purport:




“If the king or government becomes demonic, it is the duty of a saintly person to upset the government and replace it with deserving persons who follow the orders and instructions of saintly persons.”




from Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 15.180, purport:




“The conditioned soul is always fearful due to being controlled by the external potency; therefore the conditioned soul should always pray to the almighty Lord to conquer the external potency (maya) so that she will no longer manifest her powers, which bind all living entities, moving and inert. By praying in this way one will become eligible to remain constantly in the association of the Lord, thus fulfilling the mission of going back home, back to Godhead.”




from Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 15.237, purport:




“In the Hare Krishna movement, the chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, the dancing in ecstasy and the eating of the remnants of food offered to the Lord are very, very important. One may be illiterate or incapable of understanding the philosophy, but if he partakes of these three items, he will certainly be liberated without delay.”




Narottama Dasa Thakura:




from Prema-bhakti-candrika: 




Chapter Nine—The Ultimate Instructions Sri-Radhikasraya: The Shelter of Srimati Radharani




TEXT 10




“O brother, simply by chanting the names of Krishna, one can receive the lotus feet of Radhika, and by chanting the names of Radhika, one can receive the lotus feet of Krishna.”




Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:







“Prabhupada
once told me
we are responsible
for getting a good
night’s rest, rising
early and doing japa
in our sitting asana.”







I observe
Prabhupada’s advice to
“just hear,” and I am able to report
I was not
disturbed by outside thoughts.
My mind used to wander all over
the universe,
but now I hold onto
the bead until all the syllables are finished.
I hear the mantras clearly in
my mind. I am grateful for the little
progress I have made,
and I encourage all inattentive
chanters that they can do it too.




from Breaking the Silence – Selected Writings 1991–1997:




“O holy names, please forgive us. Please hear our plea. We are, for now, chanting sporadically in a wilderness of names and places and experiences. Many things still interest us (and bewilder us) instead of the One Supreme Interest. Please hear our call and honor our request.”




from The Story of My Life, Volume 3:




“Let us all acknowledge our debt to Prabhupada and witness how fulfilling it is to work in his service and reciprocate with him.”




“I once asked Prabhupada a question. I said, ‘I feel I can be many selves. Which self would Krishna want me to be?’ I was thinking how in relating to different acquaintances I would play different roles, and one didn’t know who one truly was. So which kind of a person would Krishna like me to be? I was thinking of the hip person, the boyfriend, the comrade, the writer, the reader. These were the different selves I was thinking of. The person who’s subordinate, the person who’s dominant. What do you want me to be, Krishna? What will be pleasing to you? And Prabhupada answered by saying, ‘This boy Steve is nice. He types and gives money. You all should do like that.’ So he went right to the core of the services I was rendering rather than address my question of masks before society. He told me what he perceived in me in plain language. My services. You are your services to Krishna. That’s your eternal identity, servant of Krishna. And in the spiritual world we have oursvarupa siddhi, sthayi-bhava, one main function that we do for Krishna,siddha-deha, our eternal form. That will be revealed to us one day, what kind of a self we will be for Krishna, and we will offer him that service in Goloka. Now we serve as sadhakas,chanting and hearing and preaching.”




“I met with Professor Sheridan Baker, the author of a book on writing. I showed him a BTGand he liked it, but he said we should be creative and not always use the same terms. For example instead of “spirit soul” one could sometimes alter it to “spark of spirit,” etc. In the introduction to one of his books Thomas Merton wrote that he might not always use the vocabulary of Catholic theology. He said something like, “I may be permitted to use my own language about my soul.” I’ve tried to keep my American (New Yorker) voice in my own writings while staying faithful to Prabhupada and the parampara.Prabhupada himself wrote differently than his spiritual master, and we may also.”




“I will have to die and give up my beloved schedule. I will go to a better place by Prabhupada’s grace. Where will I go? I don’t know my siddha-dehaor eligibility for transference to the spiritual world. Krishna’s kind to His devotees.”




“I’m on a quest, trying to live my life and die my death so I can go back to Godhead. Prabhupada is my shelter. Krishna is my God. He appeared as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is in the mood of Radharani in separation from Krishna. We are readingCaitanya-caritamrita and Srimad-Bhagavatam.”




Bhakti Caitanya Swami:




Krishna is not different from His name, and Krishna is our best friend.




Srila Prabhupada was asked by an outside person what was the goal of chanting, and he said, “More chanting.”




While chanting japa think, “I am associating with Krishna, my best friend, in the way He most likes to be associated with.”




Srila Prabhupada said, “You can know if your chanting is of good quality if you think, why just sixteen rounds, why not sixteen thousand rounds.?”




Giriraja Swami advises, “Hear the first ‘Ha.’” Then there is a chance of hearing the whole mantra. If you do not hear the first “Ha” there is no chance of hearing the whole mantra.




At the beginning of one mantra, think, “I am going to hear this mantra.” Then at the end of that mantra, think, I am going to hear this next mantra.”  




In namabhasa, the mind still proposes so many deviations from hearing the holy name, but the chanter does not give in to the mind’s proposals but remains focused on the holy name.




We are lost in the material world and in a precarious condition. Thus we are in a situation like Srila Prabhupada describes of a child crying for its mother, although we may not realize it much of the time.




It is good to focus the eyes on something spiritual, like Srila Prabhupada, the deities, or the text of the mantra, for the eyes are always engaged in looking at something.




from a class before Radhastami:




In Durban we had the usual morning class, then a class from 9 to 12, and another one from 3 to 5, and then in the evening from 7:30 to 9.




Krishna becomes affected by the bewildering features of Radharani so much so that He makes mistakes and becomes becomes embarrassed by them. Once He decided that He had enough, and was going act supremely cool in the presence of Radha. When milking a cow He tried to act very cool. Then He saw the gopis. He looked completely expressionless and kept milking. Then all the gopis laughed. Krishna was irritated, thinking He was doing OK. Then He realized He was trying to milk a bull.




We can pray to Srimati Radharani, “On Your appearance, please bless me that I may become a proper devotee by Your grace.”




Vasanameans a fundamental material desire, like attraction for the opposite sex.




If you declare war on maya, if you last one second you are lucky. But if you take shelter of Krishna, you can become free from lust and anger and other manifestations of maya.




Q: Is chanting and reading books sufficient to please Krishna? 


A: Krishna is certainly pleased to some extent by that. Rupa Goswami has said we must be free from karma, or materialistic religiosity. The Christians pray for bread. God has a great bakery in the sky, and we can save some money getting bread from Him. Srila Prabhupada said that the Lord’s prayer is not about love of God but love of bread. Rupa Goswami also we must be free from speculation about God. We calculate God is the oldest person, and thus He must look like the ultimate senior citizen. Actually Brahma-samhita says, adyam puranam purusam nava yauvanam ca. Although Krishna is adyam puranam purusam, the origin of all and the most ancient person, He is nava yauvanam ca,also a fresh youth.




Devotional service must be favorable. This has two aspects (1) having a favorable attitude and (2) doing things that actually please Krishna.




If you really want to please Krishna, you should do all recommended things under the direction of the spiritual master, in the association of devotees.




There is no such thing as an innocent victims. There are only people who think they are innocent victims. If someone punches you in the nose, that is because you punched that person in the nose in the past, and so in effect, you have punched yourself in the nose. And if you are devotee, Krishna reduces the reaction, so if you are punched in the nose, you should thank Krishna for giving you a greatly reduced reaction.




One devotee in Bombay had his leg swollen from mosquito bites, and he complained to Srila Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada said, “If you were not a devotee, you would have lost your leg by now.




If we are alive in Krishna consciousness we can collect our inheritance of attaining the kingdom of God.




We can be genuinely humble if we realize our shortcomings. If you are just a great guy, and everything is cool, then you have no reason to be humble. If you are in that situation, pray to Krishna, “I am so foolish I cannot realize how foolish I am. Please show me my shortcomings, so I can be genuinely humble.” I know people who have done this, and Krishna revealed so many things they could not digest it all and prayed for Him to stop.




Rupa Goswami wrote a verse glorifying each of the five most important processes of devotional service. The one on deity worship is:




“My dear friend, if you still have any desire to enjoy the company of your friends within this material world, then don’t look upon the form of Krishna, who is standing on the bank of Kesi-ghata [a bathing place in Vrindavan]. He is known as Govinda, and His eyes are very enchanting. He is playing upon His flute, and on His head there is a peacock feather. And His whole body is illuminated by the moonlight in the sky.” 




We would call the people who would come at the end of the arati, when the fan is offered, just before the Sunday feast, “members of Krishna’s fan club.”




When the devotees were registering ISKCON in South Africa, the bureaucrat handling  it said, “You cannot call it International Society for Krishna Consciousness, you must call it the South African Society for Krishna Consciousness.” The devotee explained that we are part of an international organization and so it must called the “International Society for Krishna Consciousness.” The bureaucrat disagreed, and it went back and forth. The devotee finally gave the man a simply wonderful sweet ball, and said, “my wife made this for you.” He ate it in one gulp, and he smiled. Then he agreed, “Alright, you can call it “International Society for Krishna Consciousness.”




Sthayi bhava means your rasa, or eternal relationship with Krishna.




One thing special about our sampradaya (spiritual lineage) is that we recognize that Lord Caitanya, who appeared in our sampradaya,is the yuga avatara, incarnation of Krishna for this age,and He taught the only dharma for the age, the chanting of the holy name.




Q: How to become more determined in Krishna consciousness?


A: Associate with devotees who are more determined and serve them, then you will pick up their qualities.




from a Radhastami lecture:




Srila Prabhupada asked the devotees in a lecture, “Who is God?”


The devotees said, “Krishna.” 


Srila Prabhupada replied, “No. Radha-Krishna is God.”