Before accepting the Bhagavad Gita, I wasn't very inclined to understand God or anything like that. So today after few years, honestly, nothing has changed except all that I know is...
I am not this body,
Krishna is God
Chant Hare Krishna and
Prabhupada rocks!
So somehow, with these four things, I share, speak and write. Some like it, many don't and call me out on my shallow understanding of the truth. It hurts for sometime but I convince myself to continue and do the show all over again. No one listens, no one cares but still I repeat the four things I know.
With only these four things not sure when the show will end though!
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.
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.
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):
Two young men who were friends stayed with us for over two hours, one coming to the entire program and taking japa beads.
During the kirtana at our evening program, he accompanied the singer on the harmonium. Later he admitted to being a musician himself and said his favorite instrument is a 14-string lute.
He also danced with the men.
The ladies also danced at the program.
Harinama in Sunderland
We met a 55-year old man named Colin who asked me if I knew a devotee named Janananda. He remembered him from 35 years ago. He had been to Soho and the Manor, Juhu, Vrindavan, and Kurukshetra. He was more into yoga and said bhakti was not for him. Too bad.
Harinama in Chester
I chanted with Clive for two and a half hours in Chester. Agi, Clive’s wife, was there for almost all the time, except when she picked up their boy, Mark, who stayed for the end of the harinama. Then Chand and his two kids joined.
About the harinama, Agi wrote, “We chanted for 3 hours in Chester yesterday. Many people stopped, listened and talked to us. The kids were fascinated by the chanting. Some of them even tried to play the little drum we had. One man stopped and was taking pictures of us. We were sitting in front of a shop, which was closed, but it seemed like had a new owner and was getting ready to open, so this man came and we asked ‘Is this your shop?’ and he said yes. Clive told him that we were blessing his shop. . . . He was from London, but took a leaflet and a book and gave a small donation.”
Some social activists from a group called Concern were enlisting support for their cause. I noticed two of them seemed attracted to the kirtana, the guy moving to the music and the red-haired young lady glancing at us and smiling. I found they were from Manchester, and I gave them invitations to our temple there. The lady said she liked the chanting.
We learned from one busker that we were supposed to relocate every hour, and he relocated us after we had sung two hours in one place.
We had an evening program after the harinama, and three people who had come to a program the Hare Krishna Festivals devotees did in Chester earlier in the year came, all having a good time.
Harinama in Liverpool
While traveling between Chester and Sheffield, I had to change trains at Liverpool Lime, and I had about 25 minutes to do harinama there. I set up on the ramp leading up to the station, across from the steps where people were smoking cigarettes and eating, while waiting for trains or rides to their next destination. After my brief kirtana, I made a short announcement thanking the people for listening, telling them that Hare Krishna was a spiritual sound vibration and offering them invitations to our programs in Liverpool. A lady and her daughter, who had taken some pictures of me, applauded, and I inquired if they were from Liverpool. They said they were from Brighton, and I told them I would be there this Friday, and one swami was doing a program there at the Phoenix Center from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. I also gave them a “On Chanting Hare Krishna,” and an invitation to our Soho center in London, which is just an hour from Brighton on the train. As I began to pack up my books, a guy asked if they were sale. I said yes, and he asked the price. I told him the Gita was £5, but the others were just £1. He took two small books for £2. I felt victorious that I had connected with some people in Liverpool. I had chanted half an hour in Chester before starting my journey that morning, but no one had interacted with me there.
Chanting in Sheffield
Hari Suta Devi Dasi came up and chanted for two hours with me in Sheffield, and a couple of her friends had positive interactions with us. A few people gave donations, a couple books went out, and a few people learned of our weekly program.
The second day I chanted by myself for three hours in the morning. I thought people would be more interested in the morning, as goodness is more prominent then, but it was slow. One lady who wished I had some Hindi books gave a pound and took Krishna Consciousness: The Topmost Yoga System.
The chanting at the Burngreave Ashram was very inspired.
Calib, a Christian preacher in his early seventies with a very universal vision, was dancing both indoors and outside.
He even danced on a chair,
and then the table!
Many people looked in the window and smiled, with several giving the old thumbs up in appreciation. The devotees and attendees decided to do a harinama in the town the next week to spread the mercy beyond the Burngreave Ashram and its passersby, and since I was to be based in Manchester then, I decided to join them.
Harinama in Brighton
Taking advantage of a cheap £5 advanced purchase ticket, I took a midday train to Brighton on Friday to do harinama that afternoon, instead of arriving just in time for Janananda Goswami's evening program there.
I chanted by myself for three hours, getting a mixed reception, although expecting a more positive one from this community, largely of descendants of the hippies.
I set up first in between two shops, hoping to avoid antagonizing anyone. Because one shop was displaying clothes in front of it, I was actually to side of the shop adjacant to it. After I played no more than 7 minutes, the lady from the clothes shop went into the shop next door, and told the owner to kick me out, which he did in not a very polite way. I was not enthusiastic to pack up so soon after setting up, but I did so anyway. As I left, I told the clothes shop lady that usually people let me play half an hour or an hour before they tell me to leave, and I expressed surprise. She said something about business. I could not see how her business would suffer if she let me sing for half an hour before complaining. I was not blocking traffic to her shop nor singing so loud she could not talk to her customers.
Next I set up in front of a vacant shop. A couple people gave donations in the course of an hour, but I think neither wanted books. One guy, who claimed to be a Buddhist, told me that my chanting was agitating everyone's mind and that I should stop. He thought it was cruel that I was forcing the chanting on people. I pointed to my donation bowl and said, “Well, some people liked it, otherwise they would not have given anything.” He scoffed at what he called £1.20 which was in reality more like £1.80. Completely disgusted with his mentality, I decided to move to another location where he would not be bothered. I was planning to stay only an hour at each location anyway, as some towns have rules like that for buskers. Before I could pack up even one of my books, a lady from a nearby shop came up to me, saying she could hear me singing in her shop, and that she just wanted to give a donation. She gave £1, and I gave her a book. I was very pleased to see the arrogant rascal's statement that everyone disliked my chanting proved false immediately!
I chanted over an hour at my next spot, which was near a bank machine, and as luck would have it, the Buddhist guy came by to take money out. He used the opportunity to say more negative things to me, calling me a Nazi for forcing my beliefs on people. This time I did not move. Several other people had appreciated my chanting by then, and I knew the guy had no authority in Brighton despite his threats and that he would go away. Thus I just chanted, being happy I was doing my duty, and giving pleasure to more open-minded people. People gave £8.22 and took two books that afternoon in Brighton.
After chanting by myself for three hours, I did harinama with Janananda Goswami and local devotees from the library to the Phoenix Community Centre. I was happy to be in the association of the devotees again, after a more stressful afternoon than usual.
On Saturday, there was a music festival in The Level, a park near the devotees regular meeting place, the Phoenix Community Center, and we did harinama there for three hours.
The presence of Janananda Goswami was a great inspiration. He has a lot of faith in the holy name and interacts nicely with both the devotees and the onlookers.
Many, many people were there, and the venue was big enough we could chant and be heard in several places in the park and still not disturb people who wanted to hear the music on the stage.
One girl, wearing black, who loved dancing with us, said one of her best friends was Sita Dasi, a devotee from London.
She did a video phone call with Sita Dasi so she could show her that she encountered the Hare Krishnas in Brighton.
The girl was happy when I told her and her friends about tomorrow’s Ratha-yatra in London, and she said she would try to go.
It was beautiful to see the happy smiles of those dancing with us.
Sometimes people would raise their arms like dancing devotees.
One couple swung each other around.
Another danced with us for fifteen minutes.
One couple followed us for at least an half an hour.
One young mom wanted blessings for her baby.
One girl who sometimes attended our Brighton programs danced the best she could on her rollerblades.
One devotee lady delighted in swinging onlookers around.
She was so bold, she even swung one police lady.
At one point we chanted in a nearby indoor market.
Janananda Goswami had to leave after 2¼ hours, but I like to chant three hours a day, so I was overjoyed that several devotees were willing to stay out another forty-five minutes.
Some people who danced with us in the park earlier, danced with us again at the exit, like this lady in the purple.
One devotee got separated from the harinama party. He expressed to his friend some worry that he would not be able find the Hare Krishnas in the festival crowd. His friend reassured him, “They will be easy to spot. They will be the ones who are smiling.”
London Ratha-yatra
I was very happy that when I got to the Soho temple, Radhe Shyam Prabhu, Veera, and Priyanka, who I did harinama with in Newcastle, were there at reception to greet me.
Erzsebet was organizing a harinama to the Ratha-yatra site, and I arrived with my harmonium and amplifier, and there at reception were four friends I had done harinama with before. Thus we chanted together to Hyde Park Corner, the start of the procession. I led for ten minutes.
Madhuri led the rest of the time.
Madhuri’s mother came with us, carried the Hare Krishna sign, andliked her experience on harinama. Radhe Shyam Prabhu played the drum.
Although devotees traditionally have three carts in the London Ratha-yatra, this year Titiksu Prabhu broke his foot, so they did not have enough cart drivers. Rather than having two carts, they had just one, as we do in the smaller cities.
I like to dance for Lord Jagannatha, so I like to be in the chanting party closest to His cart. In the procession, there were some kirtana parties with powerful sound systems, but immediately in front of Lord Jagannatha there was Parividha Prabhu, a great performer, with only a bull horn.
I joined him, and played the kalatalas.
Ratnavali dd played the djembe, and Rupa Manjari dd played the mrdanga. Later I let Parividha Prabhu use my amplifier to supplement his bull horn.
At one point, there was no kirtana near the deities between the lines of rope pullers, and I lent Govardhan dd, who does harinama in York and other cities in The North of England, my karatalas and amplifier to start a kirtana for the pleasure of Lord Jagannatha and His chariot pulling devotees.
At London Ratha-yatra I saw devotees from Newcastle, York, Leeds, Sheffield, Preston, Manchester, Chester, Leicester, Birmingdam, Brighton, Amsterdam, Paris, and Berlin.I talked to onlookers from Ireland, Sweden, and Australia.
One group of four young ladies asked about this one man was sitting on a platform by himself the whole time, pointing to the Prabhupada murti. I explained that Prabhupada left this world in 1977, and that was like a statue of him, which we consider worshipable. They were surprised because he looked so real. One of them who was from Ireland had been to Govinda’s there. The ones who lived in London I gave an invitation to a couple of introductory programs we are having at our Soho temple in the summer. I also gave that invitation to others who showed some interest in our stage program and festival.
Jayadvaita Swami had a questions and answer booth, and was answering questions and promoting his book, Vanity Karma, about Bhagavad-gita, Ecclesiastes, and the purpose of life.
Sometimes I would dance with those chanting on the stage.
Generally I felt satisfied being engaged the Lord’s service in many ways.
After the festival, the Harinama Ruci world harinama party led a harinama back to the temple that lasted for one and a half hours. Especially at Piccadilly Circus, many people interacted with us. I took some video of it but lost my best video because my memory card was full. Here is what I have (https://youtu.be/6Z-Z1nwIx2Q):
My friends in Newcastle passed by that harinama on their way to the train station, and joined us for fifteen minutes.I took a little video of that (https://youtu.be/_vwvyU-KazY):
Chanting in Birmingham
The day after the London Ratha-yatra, I chanted in Birmingham with Sutapa Prabhu, devotees from the Manor and the world harinama party, Harinam Ruci, on our way to Manchester to chant in the cities around there for the next several days.
We chanted through a shopping center of several buildings called the Bullring, and after the security kicked us out, we posed for a picture at the bull that was their mascot.
While in Birmingham, a young lady advertising for an oriental restaurant danced with us.
We also chanted in a Clark's shoe shop, and a couple workers especially loved it (https://youtu.be/EbKHed7PCDY):
“Simply ruling the land cannot solve man’s problems unless the leader has spiritual capabilities. He must be like Maharaja Yudhisthira, Pariksit Maharaja or Ramacandra. Then all the inhabitants of the land will be extremely happy.”
Sanatana Goswami:
From Brihad-bhagavatamrita:
“Indeed, without prema[love of God] the nine kinds of devotional service are like vegetables without salt, an elaborate meal without hunger, scriptural study without understanding or gardens without fruit.”
“Chanting Hare Krishna brings happiness to the self like no other thing. If you take a fish out of the water and offer to wine and dine it, it will remain miserable. It can only be happy if it is returned to the water. Our natural, constitutional situation is to serve Krishna and we cannot be happy if we are not doing that. Even if we have profit, fame and adoration. The scriptures say that in the present age intelligent persons will perform congregational chanting, ‘in order to worship the Lord who always sings the names of Krishna.’ The chanting of Hare Krishna pleases Lord Caitanya, the yuga-avatara,and therefore fills our heart with bliss because He is our Lord and savior.”
“The harinamachanters are empowered. To a superficial observer they may look like ordinary street singers or religious sectarians. But they are delivering the completely transcendental, potent sound vibration, the Hare Krishna mantra. This chant, composed of the names of Radha and Krishna is confidential even to the Vedas, but it has been made easily accessible by Lord Caitanya. He requested His followers to always chant the holy names. And He predicted the day would come when the Name would be heard in every town and village. Those who are actually assisting in His mission are very dear to Him, and they are making the world auspicious.”
“Kirtanais the life and soul of the harinama devotees. They go out every day and sing in public for many hours until their voices become hoarse. Krishna re-energizes them so they can sing another day.
They taste thekirtana as the greatest nectar and have no higher desire than to do it perpetually. They are direct descendants of Lord Caitanya, who appeared to inaugurate congregational chanting and who personally took part manifesting many physical transformations of ecstasy. Lord Caitanya stayed in India, but He wanted the mission to be sung in every town and village. Those who are carrying out His mission are empowered by Lord Caitanya with direct sakti.”
“I prayed to Lord Caitanya that the chanting not feel monotonous. The audaryaLord revealed to me that the mantra is ever-fresh. You have to concentrate, be alert, creative, and mindful. Hare Krishna is like a vaidurya stone and as you turn it on your tongue it lets you perceive new jewel-like features.”
From Japa Transformations:
“The Hare Krishna mantra is Him. It’s nothing else. It’s not about Him, it’s Him. The song is made up of His Names—His Name and the Name of Radha. The song is Him. The song is Her. Listen closely and you won’t miss it. The song is Krishna embodied, Krishna personified. The song is not another thing but Krishna Himself, and that’s what’s so wonderful about it. The song is Radha, the song is Krishna.”
“Harinamabrings together many varieties of people, and they all get along amicably and chastely. They may have different opinion and moods, but when they get together and sing Hare Krishna they are a unified group. Harinamais a great melting pot where all people of different backgrounds mix harmoniously. This is because beneath all the external differences we are all spirit souls, servants of Krishna. In harinamathe superficial differences are forgotten, and the spiritual oneness becomes prominent.”
“Lord Caitanya then asks how the trees and insects can be saved. Haridasa replies that when there is loud kirtanaan echo occurs. He says this is not actually an echo but the chanting of the non-moving living entities. Then Haridasa says, ‘When loud chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra is performed all over the world by those who follow in Your footsteps, all the living entities moving and nonmoving dance in ecstatic love.’ (Cc. Antya 3.72) This verse is appropriate to present- day harinamachanters, and they should frame it and put it in a prominent place.”
Jayadvaita Swami:
from a question and answer session after the London Ratha-yatra 2015:
A nurse told me how she became a devotee. One lady said to her in great anxiety, “Nurse! I am dying. What do I do?” The nurse said she did not know. The lady died. As she was packaging the body, the nurse considered, “I am also going to die. It is a problem that I do not know what to do at the time of death. I should find out.”
Janananda Goswami:
Sometimes we feel there has got to be something more to life. I remember when I was young I felt like that when I was watching a football game.
The real happiness and peace is within, but it is covered over by our attempts to find it in a material way.
We cannot enjoy in this material world as it is a reflection of the spiritual world. We cannot really enjoy a reflection of a person.
When you are attached to someone, then their picture is more than a piece of paper. Thus it is not hard to understand that the picture of the Pancatattva, Lord Caitanya and His principal associates, is special.
I was talking with a Sioux Indian, and I learned from him that they believe in reincarnation. He explained, “If we have to kill some animal, we offer prayers because that soul could be our grandfather. We do not know for sure.” According to their history, they came from India 20,000 years ago, and their totem poles were originally Garuda stambas.
In one Chinese city, some government officials asked the devotees to chant in public in their devotional clothes.
When I became vegetarian in 1969 that was such an uncommon thing that my parents thought I should see a psychiatrist.
The consciousness, not the work itself, is the key.
When I was treasurer we had so many unpaid bills. We had not paid the rent on Bury Place since we moved in six years before. The bailiff came to the Manor to see if he could get anything to pay off the debts, but because the property was in George Harrison’s name he could not seize it. Had George Harrison given it to us, the court would have taken away.
The Queen’s counselor told Sivarama Swami at the time of the court case against the Manor, “You do not know what a great thing your teacher has done.” When he saw that Sivarama Swami could not understand what he meant, he explained, “You do not know what a great thing he did, nor can you know, because you are in your forties, but I am in my seventies, and that your teacher started his worldwide movement in his seventies is not humanly possible.” The Queen’s counselor had read Srila Prabhupada-lilamrita to understand the case, and that was his realization.
Let us all try to realize that we are of the same quality spiritually though not materially. That is what the Ratha-yatra is all about.
Q: I was trying collect money for Food for Life in Nepal, and when I mentioned Hare Krishna, the person I was talking to said, “I do not give anything to religions.” What do I do?
A: It is just some covering from their past experience. You can ask them, if you want, what is their issue with religion. Just be humble. Everyone is entitled to his opinion.
Q: Have you found the truth?
A: Yes. In my encounters with my teacher, Srila Prabhupada, in the five or six years before he left this world, I realized he was someone who was living, loving, and giving the truth. I may not have fully realized the truth myself. It is not a monopoly. Jesus Christ also was giving the truth, maybe in different dosages and in different details.
All truly spiritual persons have feelings of goodwill for everyone.
Host: “This His Holiness Janananda Goswami.”
Janananda Goswami: “Not his holiness, his lowliness.”
Lord Vishnu is not so impressed with the demigods who come to Him to pray that He descend to kill the demons so the demigods can continue to enjoy a life of sense gratification.
Some of the pastimes in the Bhagavatam take place on the heavenly planets, so when it says something happened on the bank of the Narmada River, it may well be in the celestial Narmada and not the Narmada on this earth.
We are like postmen since we are just delivering the message of Krishna. We are not manufacturing it.
We think because we are born in a country, it belongs to us, and we can keep other people out. This discrimination takes place all over the world and is based on this false premise.
In Papua New Guinea, people did not recognize anyone beyond their rift valley, and thus on this small island, there were 750 languages.
In Kali-yuga, in a society of rascals, the biggest rascal becomes a leader. There are not pious leaders. If someone is pious, he gets the ax.
If Srila Prabhupada did not come to the Western world, there would be no sankirtana movement, even in India.
About fifteen years ago on Prabhupada’s disappearance day in Vrindavan, one of Puri Maharaja’s disciples said, “No one else actually understood the message of Bhaktisiddhanta Saravati, but Swami Maharaja [our Srila Prabhupada] alone. While others sat around discussing philosophy, he took the message and preached and boldly attacked science and sense gratification.”
There are 1 billion phones in India, which has a population of 1.2 billion.
In Chinese they have ant farms where they cultivate ants for human consumption. Still, eating ants and frogs is much less sinful than eating cows.
It makes no difference if we are in the mode of ignorance, passion, or goodness. If we take shelter of the holy name, we will be delivered.
When Bhaktivinoda Thakura encountered the pure teachings of Lord Caitanya, his love for Krishna immediately awakened, and he realized how much deviation had occurred in the practice of Gaudiya Vaishnavism since Lord Caitanya’s time.
Bhaktivinoda Thakura predicted, “A personality will soon appear to preach the teachings of Lord Caitanya and move unrestrictedly over the whole world with His teachings.”
Srila Prabhupada in his Back to Godhead was very topical. He wrote about topics that were on the peoples’ minds.
Jaladuta, the name of the boat on which Srila Prabhupada traveled to America, means “messenger of the water.”
For about twelve days there was a break in his Jaladuta diary because Srila Prabhupada was too sick to write.
One year we distributed 500 Bhagavad-gitasfrom our book table on the Boston common to students attending the hemp festival there.
Srila Prabhupada’s song, “Markine Bhagavata Dharma” is his mission statement. It a revelation from his heart.
Jagatatma Prabhu:
Bhaktivinoda Thakura was born into a situation where his family ate meat and worshiped the goddess Kali.
Lord Caitanya appeared in a dream to Bhaktivinoda Thakura and told him to take initiation from a jati-gosai guru,Bipin Bihari Goswami,because that was all that was available and so he did. This guru was one of those who thought Navadvipa, not Mayapur, was the birth site of Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Bhaktivinoda Thakura had the place in Mayapur excavated and found broken mrdangas and evidence for Vaishnavas.
Jagannatha Dasa Babajai chanted Gauranga ecstatically and leaped six feet in the air when brought to Mayapur, although he was 120 years and carried in a basket by his disciple.
Bhaktivinoda Thakura was the first person who was not British to be a high order judge during the British Raj.
The British were happy to let Bhaktivinoda Thakura worry about the Jagannath temple. They considered it was a Hindu place, and they did not want to deal with. It was actually the British Christians who originally discouraged Westerners from going into the Jagannath temple, not the Indians.
The British were afraid of Bhaktivinoda Thakura. One of them considered, “This Hindu is so powerful and so pure he could take over the world, minimizing Christianity, Islam and the other religions. He is a real saint.”
Bhaktivinoda Thakura is very strong and strict and has the full mercy of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He was especially empowered to write so many books, to establish a world Vaishnava organization, and to reestablish the teachings of Lord Caitanya.
Bhaktivinoda Thakura has written confidential things beyond what the Six Goswamis had given, and thus he was considered the seventh Goswami.
Parividha Prabhu:
All my material desires were satisfied in my early twenties, but I was not satisfied at heart. Thus I was looking for what life was all about.
We are always in maya, either maha-maya [the material energy of the Lord] or yoga-maya [the spiritual energy of the Lord] .
If you become rich or famous, it is difficult because you do not know who you can trust. You do not know who likes you or who is attracted by your opulence. Thus rich and famous people have friends from their youth, before they became rich or famous.
London is one of the temples where they have plenty of flowers. Srila Prabhupada said that many flowers make for opulent deity worship. If you worship the Lord with opulence, you will find you will be blessed with opulence.
“Pajama” you can say is related to yamini in Sanskrit which means “night.”
What is not in relationship with the Lord becomes boring, but that which is in relationship to the Lord is ever fresh.
I went to a reunion of my secondary schoolmates about ten years ago, when I was 55 years old, and most of them appeared to be at the end of life. There bodies were aching. But we devotees still have lots of energy.
If we find a hobby we can do in devotional service, we can find our niche and be very satisfied.
Sadbhuja Prabhu:
People seek harmony and peace, but love is higher than these.
For one to give one’s complete love, requires the perfect object. That is Krishna, who is the complete whole.
There is a verse in the Srimad-Bhagavatamthat says if you worship Krishna you may come to Him but if you worship His devotee, you will definitely come to him.
Lord Caitanya said, “When Vrakresvara Pandit is dancing I am present. Indeed, when he is dancing both the demigods and demons are in ecstasy.”
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mad-asrayah katha mrstah
srnvanti kathayanti ca
tapanti vividhas tapa
naitan mad-gata-cetasah
[Lord Kapila said:] “Engaged constantly in chanting and hearing about Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the sadhus [saints] do not suffer from material miseries because they are always filled with thoughts of My pastimes and activities.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam3.25.23)
In a lecture by His Grace Nityananda Prabhu, the following question was posed: “How do we balance the spiritual and material aspects of education in the gurukula?” His response was insightful and thought-provoking. It is not a question of balance, he replied, but a question of integration. Krsna consciousness can be integrated into any subject being learned, because Krsna is everywhere. In other words, the two aspects of education are not mutually exclusive. That being said, my goal for this past year was to find some connection to Krsna, while covering all grade-level educational objectives.
It is with this goal in mind that the Upper Elementary Class applied five over-arching themes to our studies throughout the school year. As there are five subjects to the Bhagavad-gita – Isvara (God), jiva (the living entity), prakrti (nature), kala (time), and karma (action) – so each term had its own theme. Everything we learned in class was tied back to the theme of the term.
In addition to constant assimilation of Krsna consciousness into the curriculum, students also had opportunities to partake in activities exclusively dedicated to Krsna. To this end, students attended a daily sadhana morning program with Mother Gopi Gita and a Spiritual Friday program at the end of each week. In this class students chanted japa, learned the bhajans of our Vaisnava acaryas, bathed and dressed the deities, and prepared presentations for selected festivals.
We also read a wide variety of Vedic literature. This year in our class, we continued our study of Bhagavad-gita As It Is by His Divine Grace, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada. In addition to systematically studying the Bhagavad-gita with Mani Mandala study guides and memorizing verses, students read and discussed the following selected works: Nectar of Instruction, Bhakti Bhava (by His Holiness Devamrta Swami), and selected stories from Sivarama Swami’s Nava Vraja Mahima.
Finally, students had the great fortune of attending weekly leadership classes with His Grace Nityananda Prabhu, wherein they learned how to become leaders and train others in becoming leaders by virtue of their knowledge of transcendental subject matters.
We are very fortunate to be able to learn and teach in a school that offers such a comprehensive approach to the acquisition of knowledge. It was an amazing year, and we pray to continue growing spiritually and trying to see the world through the eyes of sastra.
Radhanath Swami at the Burj Al Arab Hotel in Dubai (Album with photos)
Radhanath Swami speaks to leading industrialists on Simple Living
See them here: https://goo.gl/6DHgi3
Suta Goswami spoke all eighteen major Puranas at Naimisharanya, and the sages present accepted them as authentic. Nonetheless, three groups of six Puranas each are meant for three different audiences, depending on which of the three modes of nature predominates each audience. But for each individual Purana the situation is more complex because most Puranas display some mixture of the modes. For example, the pastimes of Lord Krishna and those of Lord Ramachandra, which are in the mode of pure goodness (suddha satva), are described to some extent in most of the Puranas.
Despite vedic references, sometimes people criticize ISKCON saying that ISKCON ignores other Gods and other Puranic literature beyond Srimad Bhagavatam. I think ISKCON maintains vedic integrity (thus authentic in my opinion) than any so-called new-age advaita vadis.
The way to reconcile all the contradictory nature of the scriptures is by following in the footsteps of Mahajans (Mahajano yena gata sapamta). This is the criterion to understand Godhead or anything spiritual. On our own, reading scriptures is not permitted in the Vedas. It should be studied under a bonafide spiritual master following the parampara system.
Lord Shiva is one of the Mahajans and we follow His instructions. Below are His words to His wife Mother Parvati. It is taken from Padma Purana Uttara Khanda 236.18 - 20.
vaishnavam naradiyam cha tatha bhagavatam shubham garudam cha tatha padmam varaham shubha-darshane sattvikani puranani vijneyani shubhani vai "O beautiful one, the Vishnu Purana, the Narada Purana, the auspicious Bhagavata Purana, and the Garuda, Padma, and Varaha Puranas all belong to the mode of goodness. They are all considered auspicious.
brahmandam brahma-vaivartam markandeyam tathaiva cha bhavishyam vamanam brahmam rajasani nibodhata "Know that the Brahmanda, Brahma-vaivarta, Markandeya, Bhavishya, Vamana, and Brahma Puranas belong to the mode of passion.
matsyam kaurmam tatha laingam shaivam skandam tathaiva cha agneyam cha shad etani tamasani nibodhata "And know that these six Puranas belong to the mode of ignorance: the Matsya, Kurma, Linga, Shiva, Skanda, and Agni Puranas.
Reading these puranas come with its consequences. The whole point is to elevate one to higher consciousness and not degrade. However, one who is against God will degrade. Below Lord Shiva mentions the result of reading such scriptures.
satvika moksadah prokta rajasah sarvadashubhah tathaiva tamasa devi niraya prapti hetavah tathaiva smrtayah prokta trsibhis trigunanvitah Sattvika Puranas are said to give liberation, rajasika Puranas is everything inauspicious and tamasika Puranas cause one to go to hell, oh Devi!. Thus they should be remembered as endowed by three gunas. - Padma Purana Uttara Khanda 236.21-22
In these puranas stories are narrated in such a way to incite devotion to a particular god. Satvik puranas invoke devotion to Vishnu, rajasic to Brahma and tamasic to Shiva. As a result, one will find contradictions in Supremacy. Below is a criterion given by Lord Shiva to reconcile such contradiction.
ata uktam skande shanmukham prati sri-sivena siva-sastresu tad grahyam bhagavac-chastra-yogi yat paramo visnur evaikas taj jnanam moksa-sadhanam sastranam nirnayas tv esas tad anyan mohanaya hi. iti. The statements of the Siva scriptures should be accepted only when they agree with the Visnu scriptures. Lord Visnu is the only Supreme Lord, and knowledge of Him is the path to liberation. That is the conclusion of all the scriptures. Any other conclusions are meant only to bewilder the people." - Lord Siva to Karttikeya - Skanda Purana
In conclusion, if one is serious to ascertain the identity of the Supreme Personality of Godhead without doubt, then one must approach a bonadide tattva darshi (not self proclaimed so-called sadhus).
Vaisampayana rishi who is a great sage has this to say;
ankhyam yogas ca sanatane dve vedas ca sarve nikhile 'pi rajan sarvaih samastair risibhir nirukto narayanam visvam idam puranam. iti. Sankhya and yoga are both eternal. All the Vedas are also eternal. All the sages declare that Lord Narayana is the ancient Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of all the worlds - Moksa-dharma, Narayaniyopakhyana
Hare Krishna! An Eternal Relationship: Prabhupada’s Fourth Visit to New Vrindaban
June 21st, 1976 was a normal day at the Pittsburgh International airport until a group of Krishna devotees from New Vrindaban, dressed in an odd combination of dhotis or saris with large rubber farm boots, appeared. Commuters stared open-mouthed as the fifty-strong crew exploded into a cacophonous burst of chanting, mridanga drums, and gongs in front of the arrival gate. They were there, of course, to greet their beloved guru Srila Prabhupada, who appeared presently, effulgent and regal with his silver-topped cane and bright orange sweater. Diving to the floor to offer their respects, the devotees piled flower garlands about his neck and fanned him vigorously with peacock feathers.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18307
Hare Krishna! VaniTalks – an Interview
Visnu Murti: Vanipedia is a humble but bold attempt to offer an unparalleled platform for Srila Prabhupada to continuously inspire and train devotees, strengthening their faith to take up the process of devotional service through his teachings. It is meant to be a long-term project. We have done this work in the last 35 years since Prabhupada’s demise, but still there is a lot of work to be done. Why? When Srila Prabhupada left the planet, he left us possibility to serve him by bringing his teachings to pristine condition. So what do we mean by this “bringing in pristine condition”? We understand this as a work in progress, because still there are books, his lectures, conversations and letters, which have to be translated in different languages, Prabhupada’s audio tapes have to be made available and studied, the same applies to all his teachings, that is, we have to have educational courses into those messages. Why should we make such an effort? Prabhupada said, “If you want to love somebody you have to know who they are.”
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18300
Hare Krishna! All you ever wanted to know about the Bhaktivedanta Research Centre
In 2008, an Indian devotee named Sharma Suka donated a run-down six unit apartment block in Calcutta and this was the beginning of the Bhaktivedanta Research Centre (BRC). Shortly afterwards Hari Sauri met Pranava Prabhu, who had a PhD, spoke seven languages and could read ten. He told Hari Sauri that he had 4000 books and handwritten documents, written in Bengali, which he was going to export to Oxford University Museum and Library, because he didn’t know of anywhere in Calcutta where he could safely store them. Hari Sauri persuaded him to use the books and documents to start the library in the BRC. Hari Sauri immediately began to refurbish one of the apartment units to act as a library. He completed this in six months and installed the 4000 books and other publications.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18297
Ratha Yatra Budapest 2015 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: “In Dvapara-yuga one could satisfy Krishna or Visnu only by worshiping Him gorgeously according to the pancaratriki system, but in the Age of Kali one can satisfy and worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead Hari simply by chanting the holy name.” (Narayana-samhita)
See them here: https://goo.gl/ArSxbH
Among the many games that the mind plays, comparison is one of its favorites – and one that is rarely favorable in terms of how it affects us.
By comparing our situation with that of others, the mind makes us feel superior if our situation happens to be better. Or, as is more often the case, the mind imagines the grass to be greener on the other side and makes us feel dissatisfied. What if we actually have problems that are bigger than those of others? Even then, the mind’s comparisons submerge us in feelings of self-pity, thereby undermining whatever ability we have to deal with those problems.
The mind’s comparisons submerge us in feelings of self-pity, thereby undermining whatever ability we have to deal with those problems.
More importantly, the mind’s obsession with comparison by highlighting the difference between different people’s material situations blinds us to a far more fundamental and valuable truth: the universality of suffering. When our mind fills us with thoughts of how others are wealthier, healthier or better-looking than us, then we get caught in fantasizing about how we can improve our material situation and lamenting over not being able to do so. But such comparing, craving and griping are a colossal waste, or at least a gross underutilization, of our mental energy because improving our material situation can never provide lasting happiness. Why? Because this world is a miserable place for everyone, whatever their material situation. Everyone has to grow old, get diseased and die. Before that, everyone has to undergo the three types of miseries: environmental, relational and physical. The ways in which the wealthy suffer may be different from the ways in which the not-so-wealthy suffer, but that variety doesn’t change the reality that everyone suffers.
Pertinently, the Bhagavad-gita (09.33) reminds us that this world is a perishable and miserable place for everyone and urges us to strive for spiritual improvement by practicing devotional service. This injunction doesn’t mean that we give up all attempts for material improvement; certainly, we can and should strive to do justice to our God-given talents by using them constructively, but we shouldn’t make the material improvement that may come thereof our life’s primary ambition and we shouldn’t buy into the illusion that such material improvement will make us happy. It won’t. To the contrary, as long as we play the mind’s game of comparison, we will stay miserable. No amount of material improvement will remove that misery because the mind will always find something with which to unfavorably compare our situation and thereby make us miserable. We need to cure the mind’s diseased mentality with Gita wisdom. The Gita’s unambiguous, unsentimental, uncompromising declaration that this world is a place of misery puts a brake on the mind’s comparison game. And its exhortation to practice devotional service redirects our focus from material improvement to spiritual improvement.
The mind will always find something with which to unfavorably compare our situation and thereby make us miserable.
This world is like a hospital. Just as patients gain little by comparing their ailments with those of others, so do we gain little by comparing our material situations with those of others. Just as patients can gain actual relief only by taking the treatment diligently, we too can get lasting relief from misery by taking the treatment of devotional service. The more we practice bhakti-yoga, the more we realize our spiritual identity as eternal cognizant joyful souls, beloved parts of Krishna, who are meant to find lasting happiness in loving and serving him. As we find happiness in our relationship with Krishna, we become joyful even while living in the material world and we also progress towards Krishna’s eternal abode, the place of everlasting happiness.
Hare Krishna! Prelude to Gau-Gram Yatra
What appeared to be a small village preaching program in a sleepy village near Bodhan, small place in the state of Telengana and the border of Maharashtra turned to be a day full of activities, immersed in kirtan, Krsna katha and devotee association. Bodhan is said to be the treasury of Pandavas, no wonder it still retains some of its old splendor. As one keeps moving through its streets one can see number of beautiful and healthy desi cows strolling happily along with their calves.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18289
I'd like to point out an important aspect of ISKCON's interaction with anti-cult organizations, or cult-watching organizations. The goal of such dialogue is not to ascertain whether ISKCON is, or is not, a "cult."
Three Hare Krishna devotees, Aleksandr Grankin, Aleksei Vlasyuk and Pavel Ivanov, were detained in the streets of Vitebsk on 17 June for sharing their religious views and offering religious literature to passers-by, they complained to Forum 18. The three were detained by Sergei Fadeenkov, the Chief Specialist of Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee Department of Religious Affairs and Nationalities.
June 21st, 1976 was a normal day at the Pittsburgh International airport until a group of Krishna devotees from New Vrindaban, dressed in an odd combination of dhotis or saris with large rubber farm boots, appeared. Commuters stared open-mouthed as the fifty-strong crew exploded into a cacophonous burst of chanting, mridanga drums, and gongs in front of the arrival gate.
Members of the Youth Bus Tour present the drama "Three Modes of Nature" - based on teachings from the Bhagavad-gita. Recorded in Dallas, Texas, USA in 2013.
Namahatta Festival in Czech Republic (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: “Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare—these sixteen names composed of thirty-two syllables are the only means to counteract the evil effects of Kali-yuga. In all the Vedas it is seen that to cross the ocean of nescience there is no alternative to the chanting of the holy name.” (Kali-santarana Upanisad)
See them here: https://goo.gl/LCjL7i
Adya Samastam Radha’s Marriage (9 min video)
Today everything is fruitful. Today is the marriage of Sri Radha and Sri Krsna. 1) Her mother’s and father’s family are here. The families of all the people are here. Here are good fortune, wealth, transcendental pastimes, and Her peerless gopi friends. 2) Here are love, meeting, separation, auspicious reunion, and endless happiness. 3) How can I describe in song all the happiness Radha’s marriage has brought to the king and queen of Vraja, who are now Her father-in-law and mother in-law? This marriage is a glorious tilaka mark for the family.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/aUmhlw
Hare Krishna! Iskcon’s 50th Fast Approaching!
Mukunda Goswami: There is a Chinese proverb that says, “Little drops of water, little grains of sand, make the mighty ocean and the pleasant land.” If the longest journeys begin with the first step, then at minimum that first step should be taken. Doing what I know I can do in my limited sphere of influence is extremely important. Every member of ISKCON can take the first step. Thinking “big” should also be encouraged. Srila Prabhupada is known for saying that his only flaw was that he could not think small. Doing something magnificent globally is indeed a “consummation devoutly to be wished”, in the words of Hamlet.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18286
50th Anniversary of Srila Prabhupada’s Arrival in America - (Album with photos)
Sri Jagannatha Mandir, ISKCON Malaysia
See them here: https://goo.gl/kfoP6g
Maharaj Yudhishthira blamed himself for the Kurukshetra war and Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami considered himself to be lower than Jagai and Madhai. These are clearly not true things. So does humility mean not being honest about the reality?
Hare Krishna! The Holy Name
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura: My heart is like a desert, hot with the rays of the sun. This is my internal mental condition. The desire for temporary, material things cannot satisfy me because by nature they are death producing. And not one or two, but thousands of such death-producing desires have taken shelter in my mind. So, my subconscious region is always burning. This is my condition. But somehow, by the grace of sadhu and my guru, the holy name of Krishna with its infinite prospect has entered through the holes of my ears and reached the plane of my heart. And there, with some peculiar hope, with infinite, auspicious possibilities, it touched my heart with a new kind of nectar.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18283
Srila Prabhupada uvaca
Yamuna Devi: “After settling in Oregon with my Godsister Dinatarine, Srila Prabhupada, while pronouncing us ‘independent’ to a concerned Godbrother, at the same time twice rebuked us when we approached him to leave. 'You westerners are so restless,’ he admonished. 'Why can’t you remain in the same place? Stay where you are.’ We questioned, 'But Srila Prabhupada, they are saying that if we aren’t in ISKCON, we lose your blessings and cannot make advancement.’ Prabhupada replied, 'ISKCON is where you are chanting the holy name - that is ISKCON.’ We rejoined: 'They are saying we don’t have any association here and are therefore in maya.’ He replied: 'Association can be two or two hundred. If you are two and compatible, you can become perfect in Krsna consciousness. If you are 200 and are not, then no one will make advancement.’
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 10 July 2013, Serbian Summer Camp, Fruska Gouranga, Seminar Part 2)
I remember, one year I was with Sacinandana Maharaj and a whole group of devotees on a boat, sailing in Danish waters. Maharaj gave this seminar about Krsna’s sweetness. It was all about Krsna being so sweet, looks so sweet… and this sweet and that sweet… and at one point, it just got too sweet for me.
Having a bad character and being not sweet myself, when things get too sweet, I cannot handle the sweetness. So, I spoke after Maharaj and I said, “Well, I very much appreciate the presentation of Sacinandana Maharaj but I have one little question. Why is it that in the Middle ages, one third of the world population died of the Black plague? Why is that just a decade ago, in three days, five million people were killed in Rwanda? In one night in Bangladesh, five hundred thousand people drowned? Where is your sweet Krsna in the middle of all that? Is that sweet also?“
So I asked him, how is Krsna so sweet? I remember that he rolled-up the sleeves of his sweater and he even loosened his scarf. He was getting serious and philosophically explained how even this is sweet, bitter sweet! Because ultimately, the sweetness of Krsna means that Krsna will leave no stone unturned. Krsna is not a passive Lord who is just seated on a throne, accepting our offerings – another golden plate with beautiful fruits, “Bless, bless…” No. That is not Krsna. Krsna is the one who, out of his sweetness, is destroying our material life. As death he destroys everything. He acts as a destroyer – very sweet. Simply because Krsna cannot wait.
This point, that I have just reached now, is a very difficult theological point in our philosophy. Because we are the living beings who said to Krsna, “No, I want to go to the material world.” Even when Krsna wanted us to stay in spiritual world we said, “No, thank you. I want to try it, to see what it is like to be the Lord and master, to be an enjoyer.”
And here we are, trying hard but why is it that Krsna’s put sand in the sweet rice? It is not fair! Why did he put suffering in the material energy, just when we are enjoying. Why did he not give us independence to enjoy when we wanted to? Why did he have to create suffering in the material world, active suffering?
Passive suffering means the suffering of missing Krsna. That is alright; that is logical since we have left the spiritual world – so some suffering, some home sickness. But why is there active suffering if Krsna is sweet? If he is not cruel? Why does someone gets squashed under a car? I have seen it, so much suffering; I have seen with my own eyes. Wars – some people here are from Sarajevo and they can tell you stories about the dead bodies in the street. So how about that, is that sweet? Why this extra suffering? Why…
That is Krsna’s sweetness. It shows how deep Krsna’s love is. He cannot tolerate it. Krsna is like a parent who has a rebellious son that says, “It is my life! I’ll do what I want and I’m leaving home,” and he goes in the wrong direction, with the wrong friends. The parents say, “Yes, we let you free to do whatever you want,” but meanwhile, they are making all kinds of plans how to spoil his so called freedom so that he would learn a lesson and come back home soon because they are suffering.
So, actually, it shows that Krsna is suffering. It is not we who are suffering. No, it is Krsna who is suffering. Here, the Lord, who is the complete enjoyer, feels incomplete. When there is still one living being in the material world, even although there is an ocean of transcendental nectar which is eternally increasing, it is still incomplete.
Harinama under the rain in Moscow (Album with 155 photos)
Srila Prabhupada: “The essence of all Vedic knowledge—comprehending the three kinds of Vedic activity, the Vedic hymns, and the processes for satisfying the demigods—is included in the eight syllables Hare Krishna Hare Krishna. This is the reality of all Vedanta. The chanting of the holy name is the only means to cross the ocean of nescience.” (Narada-pancharatra)
See them here: https://goo.gl/2pbwNX
It is with this goal in mind that the 
We also read a wide variety of Vedic literature. This year in our class, we continued our study of 
