Please join us in prayers
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Deena Bandhu Das: Hare Krishna! Please join us in prayers for my very dear Godsister I’ve known since she became a devotee, Jagadhattri Mataji (Jean Prem), is getting ready for her onward journey in Hawaii. This last few months has been very troublesome, but her son, my dear Godbrother, Raghunath (Raghu John Giuffre Rg, has
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Prasadam Distribution in Kharkiv
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Parasuram das There are two teams of devotees distributing Prasad in Kharkiv. Serving under difficult circumstances, recently the local power station was blown up, so there is no electricity or water available for the whole city. Still these devotees continue, distributing Prasad accompanied with Kirtan. This video is of the team headed by Mahavishnu prabhu.
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Interfaith Festival in Support of Ukraine, Alachua Florida, Saturday Oct 1, 2022
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PRESS RELEASE ONE DAY FOR UKRAINE festival will take place on Saturday, October 1st, 2022 in Alachua, FL (15 minutes outside of Gainesville) and will aim to bring awareness to the ongoing war in Ukraine. This will be the first interfaith event for the community, uniting people of various cultural, religious, social and economic backgrounds,
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Srila Prabhupada’s Arrival in America
Giriraj Swami

I will begin by reading a couple of exchanges with Srila Prabhupada about his coming to America. Once, Srila Prabhupada was asked, “Your godbrothers who came to the West went to England and Germany. Why did you choose to come to America?” And he replied, “They went and came back to India without accomplishing anything. So I thought, ‘If I am going to fail, at least let me fail in a different place.’ ”

And on a morning walk in Los Angeles, a disciple said to Prabhupada, “When you came to the Western world, no one anywhere believed it would be successful. But actually it has become very successful, by preaching.”

“I myself did not believe, ‘I shall be successful,’ ” Prabhupada replied, “what to speak of others. But because I did in the proper line, so it has become successful.”

Of course, it was a difficult voyage for Srila Prabhupada on the ship Jaladuta, and on the way he had two heart attacks, and he thought that if he had a third, he might not survive. He kept a diary, and that has been published—The Jaladuta Diary.

I will read a little from Srila Prabhupada-lilamrta to give the background leading up to Srila Prabhupada’s arrival: “On the night of the second day, Prabhupada had a dream. Lord Krishna, in His many forms, was rowing a boat, and He told Prabhupada that he should not fear, but should come along. Prabhupada felt assured of Lord Krishna’s protection, and the violent attacks did not recur.”

On Thursday, September 9, Srila Prabhupada wrote in his diary, “This afternoon, we have crossed over the Atlantic Ocean for twenty-four hours. The whole day was clear and almost smooth. I am taking my food regularly and have got some strength to struggle. There is also a slight tacking of the ship and I am feeling a slight headache also. But I am struggling and the nectarine of life is Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita, the source of all my vitality.”

Then the next day, Friday, September 10, just a week before he arrived in America, he wrote, “Today the ship is plying very smoothly. I feel today better. But I am feeling separation from Sri Vrindaban and my Lords Sri Govinda, Gopinath, Radha Damodar. The only solace is Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita in which I am tasting the nectarine of Lord Chaitanya’s lila [pastimes]. I have left Bharatabhumi just to execute the order of Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati in pursuance of Lord Chaitanya’s order. I have no qualification, but I have taken up the risk just to carry out the order of His Divine Grace. I depend fully on Their mercy, so far away from Vrindaban.”

And when Srila Prabhupada arrived at Boston Harbor on September 18, 1965, he wrote a wonderful poem with rhyming stanzas, Markine Bhagavata-dharma, in which he expressed the same mood of dependence on the mercy of his spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu:

baro-krpa kaile krsna adhamer prati
ki lagiyanile hetha koro ebe gati

“My dear Lord Krishna, You are so kind upon this useless soul, but I do not know why You have brought me here. You can do whatever You like with me.”

In his humility, Srila Prabhupada refers to himself as a “useless soul.” And he submits himself, as he says later, as a puppet in the hands of Krishna and the parampara to do with him whatever they like. That should also be our mood in our devotional service, that we just want to be puppets in the hands of our spiritual master and act as he wants us to act or do as he wants us to do. And Srila Prabhupada’s poem gives us an insight not only into his mood of surrender and dependence on the mercy of the Lord and his spiritual master, but also into what our mood should be in our execution of devotional service.

ache kichu karja taba ei anumane
nahe keno aniben ei ugra-sthane

“But I guess You have some business here; otherwise why would You bring me to this terrible place?”

It is interesting that Srila Prabhupada called America a “terrible place” (ugra-sthane). Most people want to come to America. They think America is the promised land, where their desires will be fulfilled and all their aspirations will be met. But Srila Prabhupada is not seeing America like that, as the promised land, the land of the free and the home of the brave; he is seeing it as a terrible place.

rajas tamo gune era sabai acchanna
basudeb-katha ruci nahe se prasanna

“Most of the population here is covered by the material modes of ignorance and passion. Absorbed in material life, they think themselves very happy and satisfied, and therefore they have no taste for the transcendental message of Vasudeva. I do not know how they will be able to understand it.”

In this verse Srila Prabhupada elaborates on the challenge he is facing in presenting Krishna consciousness, and that is that most of the population are covered by the modes of ignorance and passion, and to appreciate Krishna consciousness, or krsna-katha, one should be in the mode of goodness or at least be under the influence of goodness. So, Srila Prabhupada is seeing this formidable challenge that he will have to meet in presenting Krishna consciousness to the people in America.

tabe jadi taba krpa hoy ahaituki
sakal-i sambhava hoy tumi se kautuki

“But I know Your causeless mercy can make everything possible because You are the most expert mystic.”

After presenting his incapability, Srila Prabhupada now expresses his hope that Krishna will make the impossible possible, because Krishna is the most expert mystic. It is said in the Bhagavad-gita (18.78) about Krishna, yatra yogesvarah krsno, that He is the most expert mystic, so He can work miracles. And He did, through Srila Prabhupada.

ki bhave bujhale tara bujhe sei rasa
eta krpa koro prabhu kori nija-basa

“How will they understand the mellows of devotional service? O Lord, I am simply praying for Your mercy so that I will be able to convince them about Your message.”

Srila Prabhupada is exhibiting that mood of helpless dependence on the mercy of the Lord, and that should be our mood when we preach, that we pray for the Lord’s mercy to make our words suitable for the audience, and we also pray for the Lord’s mercy in the hearts of the audience, to make them receptive to the message.

When I was distributing books, I would always pray to say the right words to influence the person to take the books, and I would pray to the Lord in the heart of the person I was approaching, to inspire them to take the book and do some service, give some donation for the book or magazine.

tomara icchaya saba hoy maya-basa
tomara icchaya nasa mayar parasa

“All living entities have come under the control of the illusory energy by Your will, and therefore, if You like, by Your will they can also be released from the clutches of illusion.”

For me, this particular stanza has special significance, because shortly after I first came to the Boston temple, I was initiated by Srila Prabhupada by mail, and in my initiation letter Srila Prabhupada wrote, “I marked it in your person when I was in Boston, and I prayed to Krishna that this good soul may be aware of the importance of Krishna consciousness,” and Srila Prabhupada’s prayer for me was instrumental in my coming to Krishna consciousness. The Lord is known as bhakta-vatsala, very affectionate to His devotees, and if a devotee, especially a pure devotee like Srila Prabhupada, prays to the Lord, the Lord will accept the devotee’s prayer. Out of his causeless mercy, Srila Prabhupada prayed to Krishna to make “this good soul . . . aware of the importance of Krishna consciousness.” The prayer of the devotee to the Lord for the sake of a candidate for devotional service, or for the sake of a fallen soul, is effective.

Here Srila Prabhupada is saying, “All living entities have come under the control of the illusory energy by Your will, and therefore, if You like, by Your will they can also be released from the clutches of illusion.” So, yes, Krishna is all-powerful, and Srila Prabhupada is praying to Him on our behalf.

And then, in the next verse, he says it explicitly:

taba iccha hoy jadi tadera uddhar
bujhibe niscai tabe katha se tomar

“I wish that You may deliver them. Therefore, if You so desire their deliverance, then only will they be able to understand Your message.”

It reminds me of Prabhupada’s prayer for me, but he is so magnanimous that he is praying for everyone in America, and by extension for everyone everywhere, but specifically he’s praying for us fallen souls in America.

“I wish that You may deliver them. Therefore, if You so desire their deliverance,” which of course the Lord does, “then only will they be able to understand Your message.”

bhagavater katha se taba avatar
dhira haiya sune jadi kane bar bar

“The words of Srimad-Bhagavatam are Your incarnation . . .”

Very important. Yes, Srimad-Bhagavatam is Krishna Himself, an incarnation of Krishna.

Idam bhagavatam nama puranam brahma-sammitam: “This scripture named Srimad-Bhagavatam is the literary incarnation of God.” (SB 1.3.40)

krsne sva-dhamopagate
  dharma-jnanadibhih saha
kalau nasta-drsam esa
  puranarko ’dhunoditah

“This Bhagavata Purana is as brilliant as the sun, and it has arisen just after the departure of Lord Krsna to His own abode, accompanied by religion, knowledge, etc. Persons who have lost their vision due to the dense darkness of ignorance in the Age of Kali shall get light from this Purana.” (SB 1.3.43)

“. . . and if a sober person repeatedly receives it with submissive aural reception . . .”

So, these are the qualifications for understanding the message of Srimad-Bhagavatam: to be sober—not intoxicated by one’s own greatness or by the prospects of enjoying in the material world—and to receive it repeatedly (nityam bhagavata-sevaya). Nityam means “always,” or “regularly.” With submissive aural reception. It is very important to be submissive, not challenging.

When I was first coming to the Boston temple, one of the devotees told me that Srila Prabhupada had said that I was submissive, and I, in all my twenty-one years, had never heard of being submissive as a virtue. It was not something that we were taught. So, when Srila Prabhupada was appreciating that I was submissive, I thought, “Oh, that’s odd.” He was appreciating me for being submissive. And here he is saying, “The words of Srimad-Bhagavatam are Your incarnation, and if a sober person repeatedly receives it with submissive aural reception, then he will be able to understand Your message.”

And then, in his poem, Srila Prabhupada quotes five very important verses from Srimad-Bhagavatam:

srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah
  punya-sravana-kirtanah
hrdy antah-stho hy abhadrani
  vidhunoti suhrt satam

Suhrt satam—“Krishna is the benefactor of the truthful devotee.” Satam. Sat is often a word for “devotee,” but the root of sat is “truth.” So, we should be truthful; we should not be duplicitous, pretentious, or hypocritical. We should be truthful, we should be honest, we should be sincere.

nasta-prayesv abhadresu
  nityam bhagavata-sevaya
bhagavaty uttama-sloke
  bhaktir bhavati naisthiki

This verse also has personal significance for me. The translation is, “By regular attendance in classes on the Bhagavatam and by rendering of service to the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is almost completely destroyed, and loving service unto the Personality of Godhead, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an irrevocable fact.”

In the early days when we were serving Srila Prabhupada in India, he kept us so busy that we hardly had time to read. And I was starting to feel guilty that I wasn’t reading his books. So, one day I was sitting with him in his room in the Calcutta temple, and even though I didn’t say anything about feeling guilty, he could read my mind, and he quoted this verse: nasta-prayesv abhadresu, nityam bhagavata-sevaya. Bhagavata refers to the book Bhagavata or the person Bhagavata, the devotee Bhagavata. Srila Prabhupada was saying that by serving the person Bhagavata, all the truths of the book Bhagavata will be revealed to you even if you never read the book. He was encouraging me to continue with my service to him, the devotee Bhagavata, and he was assuring me that all the truths of the book would be revealed even if I didn’t read the book. Of course, that was a special time, when we were so busy; in general, we should do both—serve the person Bhagavata and read the book Bhagavata. But if under certain circumstances one is actually engaged fully in serving the person Bhagavata and does not have time to read the book Bhagavata—which could happen even now—all the truths of the book Bhagavata will be revealed.

tada rajas-tamo-bhavah
  kama-lobhadayas ca ye
ceta etair anaviddham
  sthitam sattve prasidati

evam prasanna-manaso
  bhagavad-bhakti-yogatah
bhagavat-tattva-vijnanam
  mukta-sangasya jayate

bhidyate hrdaya-granthis
  chidyante sarva-samsayah
ksiyante casya karmani
  drsta evatmanisvare

Now, this is all in Srila Prabhupada’s poem: “It is said in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.17–21): ‘Sri Krsna, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramatma [Supersoul] in everyone’s heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted.’ ”

Srila Prabhupada quoted these verses from Srimad-Bhagavatam as the process by which he would deliver the fallen souls he would encounter in the West. This cleansing of the heart is very difficult, and we are not able to do it on our own. Krishna enters the heart in the form of transcendental sound as Srimad-Bhagavatam, and that sound vibration is purifying, and more than that, Krishna, as the Supersoul, will also cleanse the heart of desires for material enjoyment. So, we’re really quite helpless on our own, but Krishna helps. All we have to do is lend submissive aural reception to His messages, and then He will help, both in the form of transcendental sound and as the Paramatma within the heart.

I’ll read it again; Prabhupada says it here repeatedly: “Sri Krsna, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramatma [Supersoul] in everyone’s heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted.” Punya-sravana-kirtanah: Just by hearing and chanting, one becomes pious or virtuous.

“By regular attendance in classes on the Bhagavatam and by rendering of service to the pure devotee, all that is troublesome in the heart is almost completely destroyed, and loving service unto the glorious Lord, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an irrevocable fact.”

The Sanskrit is nasta-prayesv abhadresu. Abhadresu means “all that is inauspicious,” nasta means “destroyed,” and prayesu means “almost completely.” Not completely—that comes later—but almost completely. (Commenting on this verse, Srila Prabhupada has said 75 percent.)

“At that time loving service is established in the heart and the modes of passion (rajas) and ignorance (tamas), and lust and desire (kama) disappear from the heart.”

Then you are really purified.

“And thus established in the mode of goodness, the man rejuvenated by loving service to the Lord gains liberation from all material association (mukti) and comes to know scientifically of the Personality of Godhead.”

Then the devotee, the listener, through submissive aural reception, which leads to liberation from material association (mukta-sangasya jayate), comes to know scientifically of the Personality of Godhead (bhagavat-tattva-vijnanam).

“Thus the knot in the heart and all misgivings are cut to pieces.”

It is so liberating just to read this.

“Thus the knot in the heart and all misgivings are cut to pieces. The chain of fruitive actions is terminated when one sees the self as master.”

After quoting these five verses from Srimad-Bhagavatam, Srila Prabhupada continues his poem:

ajas tamo hate tabe paibe nistar
hrdayer abhadra sate ghucibe tahar

“He will become liberated from the influence of the modes of ignorance and passion and thus all inauspicious things accumulated in the core of the heart will disappear.” Srila Prabhupada, in his Bengali, was summarizing these verses.

ki ko’re bujhabo katha baro sei cahi
khudra ami dina hina kono sakti nahi

“How will I make them understand this message of Krishna consciousness? I am very unfortunate, unqualified, and the most fallen. Therefore, I am seeking Your benediction so that I can convince them, for I am powerless to do so on my own.”

We can see Srila Prabhupada’s abject humility and his complete dependence on the Lord’s mercy. There is no pretense when he calls himself “the most fallen.”

Srila Prabhupada had a disciple who once said to him, “I am the most fallen,” and Srila Prabhupada replied, “You are not the most anything.” When Prabhupada said it, he meant it. But Prabhupada was actually fulfilling his disciple’s desire; the devotee wanted to be humble, and he was presenting himself as humble, and Prabhupada’s words were humbling, “You are not the most anything.”

athaca enecho prabhu katha bolibare
je tomar iccha prabhu koro ei bare

“Somehow or other, O Lord, You have brought me here to speak about You. Now, my Lord, it is up to You to make me a success or failure as You like.”

Again, complete dependence on the Lord.

akhila jagat-guru! bacana se amar
alankrta koribar khamata tomar

“O spiritual master of all the worlds! I can simply repeat Your message, and if You like You can make my power of speaking suitable for their understanding.”

This is also a very important verse, because it speaks to the point of realization. “I can simply repeat Your message.” So, we repeat, but at the same time Srila Prabhupada is praying to the Lord to make his power of speaking suitable for his audience.  Indirectly, he is alluding to the point of realization.

In his purport to Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto One, Chapter Four, “The Appearance of Sri Narada,” text one, Srila Prabhupada gives a nice definition of realization:

        vyasa uvaca
iti bruvanam samstuya
  muninam dirgha-satrinam
vrddhah kula-patih sutam
  bahvrcah saunako ’bravit

 TRANSLATION

Sri Vyasadeva said: On hearing Suta Gosvami speak thus, Saunaka Muni, who was the elderly, learned leader of all the rsis engaged in that prolonged sacrificial ceremony, congratulated Suta Gosvami by addressing him as follows.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Sri Saunaka Rsi had all these qualifications, and thus he stood up to congratulate Sri Suta Gosvami when he expressed his desire to present Srimad-Bhagavatam exactly as he heard it from Sukadeva Gosvami and also realized it personally. Personal realization does not mean that one should, out of vanity, attempt to show one’s own learning by trying to surpass the previous acarya. He must have full confidence in the previous acarya, and at the same time he must realize the subject matter so nicely that he can present the matter for the particular circumstances in a suitable manner. The original purpose of the text must be maintained. No obscure meaning should be screwed out of it, yet it should be presented in an interesting manner for the understanding of the audience. This is called realization.

COMMENT

Now I come back to Srila Prabhupada’s words here. It’s exactly the same thing:

akhila jagat-guru! bacana se amar
alankrta koribar khamata tomar

“O spiritual master of all the worlds! I can simply repeat Your message . . .”

That’s the idea of just repeating, but more than that also:

“. . . so if You like You can make my power of speaking suitable for their understanding.”

taba krpa ha’le mor katha suddha habe
suniya sabara soka duhkha je ghucibe

“Only by Your causeless mercy will my words become pure. I am sure that when this transcendental message penetrates their hearts they will certainly feel engladdened and thus become liberated from all unhappy conditions of life.”

And that’s exactly what happened when Srila Prabhupada, empowered by Krishna, came—we heard him, we appreciated what he said, and we became happy. As Srila Prabhupada said, he was converting the hippies into happies.

aniyacho jadi prabhu amare nacate
nacao nacao prabhu nacao se-mate
kasthera puttali jatha nacao se-mate

“O Lord, I am just like a puppet in Your hands. So if You have brought me here to dance, then make me dance, make me dance, O Lord, make me dance as You like.”

Such a beautiful metaphor.

bhakti nai beda nai name khub daro
“bhaktivedanta” nam ebe sarthak kor

“I have no devotion, nor do I have any knowledge, but I have strong faith in the holy name of Krishna. I have been designated as Bhaktivedanta, and now, if You like, You can fulfill the real purport of Bhaktivedanta.”

Bhakti means “devotion,” and Vedanta means “knowledge.” Actually, veda means “knowledge,” and anta means “the end” of knowledge. So, Srila Prabhupada is saying that he’s been designated as Bhaktivedanta but actually he has no devotion, bhakti, or knowledge, Vedanta, but, “I have strong faith in the holy name of Krishna.” And this in one sense is really the secret of Srila Prabhupada’s success—his strong faith in the holy name of Krishna.

Srila Prabhupada had a godbrother named Akincana Krishna dasa Babaji Maharaja, who Prabhupada said was a paramahamsa, a liberated soul, and was always chanting. At Prabhupada’s sannyasa initiation, Akincana Krishna dasa Babaji Maharaja was present in the Gaudiya Matha in Mathura, where Prabhupada took sannyasa from His Holiness Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Maharaja. During the ceremony there was a break, and Babaji Maharaja started chanting, and then, when it was time for the mantras for the ceremony to begin again, the priest, not Kesava Maharaja, but his disciple who was doing the fire ceremony, motioned to Babaji Maharaja to stop chanting, and Prabhupada, behind his back, motioned to Babaji Maharaja, “Keep chanting, keep chanting.” And Babaji Maharaja said that at that time he understood that Srila Prabhupada would become the world leader of the Hare Krishna movement, because he had complete faith in the holy names. And Srila Prabhupada himself says it here: “I have no devotion, nor do I have any knowledge, but I have strong faith in the holy name of Krishna. I have been designated as Bhaktivedanta, and now, if You like, You can fulfill the real purport of Bhaktivedanta.”

And Srila Prabhupada signed the poem:

“Signed-the most unfortunate, insignificant beggar
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami,
on board the ship Jaladuta, Commonwealth Pier,
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
dated 18th of September, 1965”

This poem was unknown to us, and Srila Prabhupada himself wasn’t even sure if there was any record of it. But devotees did find it, and they published it in Back to Godhead magazine. And that Back to Godhead with the poem came into our hands in 1971 when we were staying at the Sea Palace Hotel in Colaba, which was owned by our friend and life member Ramachand Chhabria. It was a vegetarian hotel, and we didn’t have any other place to stay in Bombay then, and he allowed us to stay free of charge. So, the magazine came, and Gurudas and his wife, Yamuna Devi, and I were reading that from it, and when we came to the signature, “the most unfortunate, insignificant beggar, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami,” Yamuna Devi burst into tears. She was just so moved by Srila Prabhupada’s humility. I will never forget that. She burst into tears. We should have such feelings for Srila Prabhupada.

So, this is a momentous historic occasion—Srila Prabhupada’s arrival in America—and because of his coming here, pursuant to the order of his spiritual master, our lives have been changed: we have been saved from nature’s modes of passion and ignorance and all the other things that Srila Prabhupada described about the population that he was preparing to encounter.

Devotee: What do you think inspired Srila Prabhupada to write such a poem? Most of us, when we land in another place, the first thing we think of is, “Thank God we are out of this airplane, or this boat.”

Giriraj Swami: Srila Prabhupada was very sober and deliberate, and he was feeling very helpless and dependent on the mercy of the Lord and his spiritual master. It’s true—I never thought of it in that way, but it’s true—that usually after a journey we can’t wait to get off the boat or out of the airplane. But yes, I guess it was out of Srila Prabhupada’s humility, his feeling meek and humble, that he wrote this. He said it was a terrible place, so maybe that was part of it; he wasn’t in a hurry to get into the terrible place.

It’s such a gift to us that we have this poem in which he expresses his mood of surrender: “O Lord, I am just like a puppet in Your hands. So if You have brought me here to dance, then make me dance, make me dance, O Lord, make me dance as You like.”

Siddhi-lalasa dasi: I heard Prabhupada saying that he was successful because he was in line. So, does that mean being in line with the disciplic succession? My question is, Weren’t his godbrothers also in line? So, what was the difference?

Giriraj Swami: The difference, I would say, and I’m not saying—I’m repeating what Krishna dasa Babaji Maharaja said. . . . Srila Prabhupada had a godbrother named Bon Maharaja, and Bon Maharaja also came to the West. So, once, Babaji Maharaja asked Bon Maharaja, “You went to the West, and Swami Maharaja went to the West . . .” That was how they referred to Srila Prabhupada: Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja. “You went to the West, and Swami Maharaja went to the West. You presented the teaching of Lord Chaitanya, and he presented the teachings of Lord Chaitanya. You did the same things that he did, but he was successful and you could not do anything. What is the reason?” And then Babaji Maharaja himself gave the answer: “Because he had full faith in the holy name of Krishna.” And Srila Prabhupada says as much here: “I have no devotion, nor do I have any knowledge’’—that is his humility—“but I have strong faith in the holy name of Krishna.” And he had faith that if we chanted, everything else would follow.

[A talk by Giriraj Swami on Srila Prabhupada’s arrival in America, September 9, 2020, ISKCON Portland (via Zoom)]

Srila Prabhupada’s arrival in the USA
→ Ramai Swami

Srila Prabhupada: I planned that I must go to America. Generally they go to London, but I did not want to go to London. I was simply thinking how to go to New York. I was scheming, “Whether I shall go this way, through Tokyo, Japan, or that way? Which way is cheaper?” That was my proposal. And I was targeting to New York always. Sometimes I was dreaming that I have come to New York.

Then Bhaktivedanta Swami met Mr. Agarwal, a Mathura businessman, and mentioned to him in passing, as he did to almost everyone he met, that he wanted to go to the West. Although Mr. Agarwal had known Bhaktivedanta Swami for only a few minutes, he volunteered to try to get him a sponsor in America.

It was something Mr. Agarwal had done a number of times; when he met a sadhu who mentioned something about going abroad to teach Hindu culture, he would ask his son Gopal, an engineer in Pennsylvania, to send back a sponsorship form.

As the day of his departure approached, Bhaktivedanta Swami took stock of his meager possessions. He had only a suitcase, an umbrella, and a supply of dry cereal. He did not know what he would find to eat in America; perhaps there would be only meat.

If so, he was prepared to live on boiled potatoes and the cereal. His main baggage, several trunks of his books, was being handled separately by Scindia Cargo. Two hundred three-volume sets—the very thought of the books gave him confidence.

The ocean voyage of 1965 was a calm one for the Jaladuta. The captain said that never in his entire career had he seen such a calm Atlantic crossing. Prabhupada replied that the calmness was Lord Krishna’s mercy.

Mrs Pandia asked Prabhupada to come back with them so that they might have another such crossing. Srila Prabhupada wrote in his diary, “If the Atlantic would have shown its usual face, perhaps I would have died. But Lord Krishna has taken charge of the ship.”

After a thirty-five-day journey from Calcutta, the Jaladuta reached Boston’s Commonwealth Pier at 5:30 A.M. on September 17, 1965. The ship was to stop briefly in Boston before proceeding to New York City.

On the nineteenth of September the Jaladuta sailed into New York Harbor and docked at a Brooklyn pier, at Seventeenth Street. Srila Prabhupada saw the awesome Manhattan skyline, the Empire State Building, and, like millions of visitors and immigrants in the past, the Statue of Liberty.

Srila Prabhupada was dressed appropriately for a resident of Vrindavana. He wore kanthi-mala (neck beads) and a simple cotton dhoti, and he carried japa-mala (chanting beads) and an old chadar, or shawl. His complexion was golden, his head shaven, sikha in the back, his forehead decorated with the whitish Vaishnava tilaka. He wore pointed white rubber slippers, not uncommon for sadhus in India.

Friday, September 9, 2022
→ The Walking Monk

Moundsville, West Virginia

On the Way to Betterment

The air was still and most comfortable as twelve of us were inside our Toronto ashram, when two chubby raccoons were milling around looking for food. By the time we got outside, loading our vehicle with weekend backpacks, destined for West Virginia, we saw a coyote racing down our street. He was on a similar program as the chubby ones – where is the food?

Generally, you find hungry gatherers and hunters busy in the dark but our purpose in being up so early, 4:45 am, was for yoga and a journey, a seven-hour drive to the Appalachians and then New Vrindavan; a spiritual oasis for a MANtra retreat.

Things were cool at the border and we were relieved at the lack of traffic jamming. That being so because we left early.

With our destination reached it became catch-up time. The theme “Together Again” was most appropriate due to the human separation of the last two “virus years.” The evening program was an actual sangha or gathering of the best comrades on the spiritual path. We chanted and walked up to the hill of the Palace of Gold, followed by a bonfire outside where we reflected on memories of our guru, Prabhupada.

Topics for discussion on this men’s retreat are just exhilarating and this evening’s presentation was by Venkata Bhatta on an interesting subject, “Strong and Silent: Healing toxic Masculinity in Devotional Communities.” That was powerful and addressed the disrespect often shown by males to females within the context of a devotional environment.

May the source be with you!

0 km



 

Thursday, September 8, 2022
→ The Walking Monk

Yorkville, The Annex/Toronto

Full Cup Day

 

Today was the birth anniversary of one of our great saints – Bhaktivinode Thakur. And so, as a poem:

Twas a half day fast

Birthday of Bhaktivinode

Bit of biography read

Ashram-ites in a good mode

 

Like me, you could say

It was Mike on the phone

He walked the whole country

Did it all alone

 

Had a Gita Zoom class

Humility was the theme

A human obligation

To get the soul clean

 

For a retreat in the US

We set on drama rehearsal

Practice and prepare

Hope no border reversal

 

At sundown came the moon

Walked under a waxing one

On the street called Bloor

Met a guy called Don

 

It was getting real late

An early rise tomorrow

Insomnia got me in a state

Triggered by some sorrow

 

Twas all about people stuff

The birthday made it up

Heard the news the queen passed

My day was a full cup

-          Composed by Bhaktimarga Swami, The Walking Monk©

 

May the Source be with you!

4 km



 

Wednesday, September 7, 2022
→ The Walking Monk

Queen’s Park, Toronto

Going Over

We are getting ready for the MANtra retreat. Staged in the beautiful Appalachia of West Virginia is this guy’s get-together. It’s our fifth annual and we are actually going to attend, physically, this year. Our crew from Toronto have been preparing a drama and it will become a feature for the entertainment night, which includes some chanting in the form of a killer kirtan this Saturday.

I was walking through the basement ashram corridor when Mangalananda happen to be there, looking all bright. He came in from Halifax and is also enroute to the men’s retreat. This is the case for Bader, coming from Montreal. Both of these visitors were being accommodated by Raj who is the project manager of “MANtra.” This group of three are a great team, pulling the project together.

Another of the organizers is Partha, from outside Kamloops in British Columbia, who unfortunately won’t be able to come. Passport renewals appear to be really slow in Canada. Which reminds me – I hope we have no problem at the US border. Borders have their purpose but to some degree they are often a headache; being superficial boundary lines.

I am not suggesting the two countries should merge but please, customs authorities, be a little easy on us coming over the border. We are coming over to perform a little bhakti yogafor the pleasure of our guru.

May the Source be with you!

4 km


 

Tuesday, September 6, 2022
→ The Walking Monk

Cobourg, Ontario

Getting Out

The women from our Bhakti Academy were squealing (and they don’t mind me using that word to describe it) as soon as the goats showed themselves from behind the pasture fence. It was an expression of ecstasy when both human and animal connected with each other. We were paying a visit to Jai Chaitanya and Rasa’s farm near Grafton. Both men and women alike enjoyed the outing, which included a ride by tractor on a wagon through the fields, petting the cows, eating a great meal over conversation and, of course, feeding the goats.

It was just great — an outdoor event – and we made it spiritual by holding kirtan on that moving wagon. At least the turkey vulture soaring up above really enjoyed, or was curious about all the excitement.

Out of the mega city we were, indeed, and on the return journey back to urban madness we stopped by at Cobourg Beach for more bonding; in a wet way no doubt. I managed to walk an early start for the return. It was my privileged time to connect with the public on the main street. Coincidentally, today was the first day of students going back to school. Some appeared elated. Some looked glum. One chipper fellow yelled out saying, “I love your outfit.” And as I was leaving I met pedestrians of various backgrounds on the street leading to super Highway 401. This gesture of meeting the people is, to me, an essential practice

May the Source be with you!

4 km


 

Monday, September 5, 2022
→ The Walking Monk

243 Avenue Rd., Toronto

Chanting with a Backing

 

It was with great satisfaction that I conducted a Kirtan Standards course along with the Bhakti Academy students. The feedback that I received from this three hour interactive workshop/presentation were words like “informative,” “educational” and “clarification on things.” It was felt that before these students develop some habits regarding Kirtan (chanting) that fall in the realm of divergent, why not get it right in the beginning?

It was the founder-acarya of the movement, Prabhupada, who establish standards for when we are engaged in the culture of chanting. He once said there are two drums, or mridangas. One is the literature that goes far and wide and the other is the incarnation of sound vibration, or God in sound.

The idea behind this kirtancourse is to know the mood, the execution and the preservation of its sanctity. Chanting, after all, is at the heart of the movement. Sharing this treasure with integrity is the mandate of all followers of the ISKCON movement. Somehow or other, we are meant to deliver the goods and those goods are the pure sound of mantra. There is a need.

Have you all heard some of the music of today? Some of it is not very enlightening for sure. It’s time to offer an alternative and that alternative has the backing of sages and saints from ancient times.

 

May the Source be with you!

0 km


 

Sunday, September 4, 2022
→ The Walking Monk

Scarborough/Milton, Ontario

Two Winners

 

The smaller communities we have established in recent years are all doing well in terms of governance, attendance and participation. Financially things are also doing all right. Even during the pandemic, none of our places of education and spiritual wellness suffered in a major way. At least not in “Zone One” of North America, which I am responsible for. This is, by the way, the krpa of God — mercy from the Universe.

Two such centres were on my visiting list today – Scarborough and Milton. Scarborough is a place I love to visit for the warmth of the community. Whenever I attend a function there, usually on a Sunday for delivering a class, I get such a welcome. At the time of prasadam, blessed food, I get treated with a mixed berry juice which exceeds the power of a Booster Juice product. There is also an exceptional soup made by Dhira Nitai, one of the staff. It’s to die for.

Naturally I highlighted the message of reverence to the Goddess, Radharani, and this was repeated in another location, Milton. The group of devotees who manage this place are phenomenal because in just five years they built up a community by meeting regularly in a church basement.  Now they secured the second floor of a new building near downtown. Kudos to this group of devoted folks. It is comprised of mostly younger families that put an emphasis on education for the children. I would say that spiritual wisdom is superior to mundane knowledge, although both are essential.

 

May the Source be with you!

5 km


 

Saturday, September 3, 2022
→ The Walking Monk

Christie Pits, Toronto

Celebrations

 

Rishab and Juhi’s wedding was just about perfect. The two priests, Dharma and Rasaraj, are these two pure saints – humble, honest and attentive to their delivery of Sanskrit mantras. First of all, the program began on time. Friends and relatives were dressed their best. The venue was the temple room, which reserves the middle portion for the rituals, vows and blessings. The outer walls were laid out for the dinner reception with tables and chairs. Juhi, the bride, comes from a Sikh background and Rishab was raised in Krishna Consciousness. As the groom Rishab was handsome and Juhi was decked out like a queen. They looked like the perfect couple.

I delivered the welcome speech and, in ten minutes, tried to make everyone feel at home. I even threw in some Gitaphilosophy along with a couple of jokes. Isn’t that what the reverend is supposed to do? Lift the consciousness of the people?

I am grateful to Ryan for his passionate beat on the drum during the chanting session. He also pitched in, big-time, during the evening’s feast in honor of “The Goddess” – all about Radha, who Prabhupada described as Krishna’s girlfriend. Such a good energy prevailed the temple building and most likely beyond. The windows are open in the summer and sound carries through to the outside street. Pedestrians that walk by are hearing a vibration that is not found on the radio. They are getting a special treat. Jai Radha!

 

May the Source be with you!

6 km


 

Friday, September 2, 2022
→ The Walking Monk

Christie Pits, Toronto

 

The Goddess

 

The Goddess

 

The embodiment of beauty

The spirit of purity

Her complexion resembles gold

While Her senses are controlled

She is calm, composed, collected

To all souls She remains connected

She is the epicenter of radiance

As A flower’s essence is fragrance

She is the master in the cuisine

After Her craft She keeps it all clean

She is a teacher of surrender

Holding no place for a pretender

And those who are morose

To Her just can’t come close

She is the epitome of the feminine

Spontaneous in love, beyond regimen

Loyal to the Prime One

Through Him devotion had begun

She is indeed the Goddess, the Queen

The only way to get to the King

 

Her name is Radha

-          Composed by Bhaktimarga Swami, The Walking Monk©

 

May the Source be with you!

4 km


 

Thursday, September 1, 2022
→ The Walking Monk

The Annex, Toronto

Reflect on High Character

 

Mitch poked his head in the doorway of the temple room when we were engaged in drama practice. He just had a nutritious meal at Govinda’s Restaurant along with his companion. I haven’t seen Mitch for quite some time (due to covid), when he would bring his philosophy students to hear from us about the Gita. He just retired, doesn’t look 65, in fact he’s energetic and has a youthful zest. His companion, Tyler, will take over the course. Tyler possesses the same kind of enthusiasm as Mitch. I think we will be seeing him again.

Our play, “Demon” is in its preparatory stage, poised for the upcoming MANtra retreat. Female parts are given to the males from our Bhakti Academy group. I’m happy that we have some versatility amongst us.

I received an email from a Mayapur resident that I’m highly missed in India for the thespian presentations I conduct each February. I hear from other sources that the community there is starving for enlightening entertainment. Whatever I have been able to assemble in the way of drama is basically community theater, a mix of amateur/professional/devotional presentation.

Apart from the rich rehearsal, I was blessed to deliver two classes from both the Bhagavatam and BhagavadGita today, covering the subject matters of detachment from the world, equal position in happy and stressful conditions, and cultivation of love as in the tradition of heroes like Arjuna, Draupadi and the very aging Bhisma, etc. It is important to reflect on individuals of high character.

 

May the Source be with you!

3 km


 

Wednesday, August 31, 2022
→ The Walking Monk

Seaton Village, Toronto

The Best Reading Material

 

Of all reading material that comes my way in a natural devotional setting – the Gita, the Bhagavatamand anything else which is a publication of the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, I also include the occasional more secular material (even an occasional newspaper) – I confess to my favorite amongst all.

I just love hearing or reading of the past times of Prabhupada. There is a wealth of material out there on the subject of His Divine Grace, the founder and acharya (teacher) of the great bhakti movement of the International Society of Krishna Consciousness. I really enjoy all that’s been written about him from different authors such as Mukunda, Shyamasundara, Gurudasa, Yamuna, and there’s Yogeswara – all students of his who spent quality time with him. The one publication that has become a permanent fixture in our Hare Krishna society is Prabhupada Lilamrta by Satsvarupa Goswami.

At noon the head of our Bhakti Academy, Brhat Mrdunga, reads from this great literature while all participants take their lunch. Well, I had the opportunity to read several pages on his early time in New York. All were attentive. All were enjoying.

It’s a sweet little gesture that endears us to Prabhupada. A sample: “Once Prabhupada was talking with Mrs. Ferber about Indian cuisine, and she mentioned that she especially likes samosas. The next time he paid her a visit, he brought a tray of samosas, which she enjoyed.”

 

May the Source be with you!

5 km


 

Tuesday, August 30, 2022
→ The Walking Monk

Christie Pits, Toronto

Priceless Encounters

 

The light winds aroused the spirits of people as I walked on Bloor St., West. It was a struggle at intersections to get my dhoti (lower robes) to behave. But I was having fun with pedestrians.

The first one to approach me was like an elder hippie who came up beside me and said, “Are you on the path of enlightenment?”

“I’m on it,” I said. “It’s truly a work in progress. How about you? Are you taking steps to get there?”

To this he responded, “I’ve taken them.” We reached a red light and he made a sudden about face when our communication ended.

Not but five minutes later came another elderly person, bearded and partially bald, who stopped his bicycle to ask, “What do you think of the world?”

“It’s polarized. We need to step up on our dharma.” He wanted clarification. “I mean to say we need to get back to basics; back to obligation.”

“Even 20, 30 years ago people were not like they are now,” he noticed.

I proceeded Westerly when a smiling, middle-aged woman with a son and a partner halted, “How are you, walking swami?”

“I’m talking to people. They want to see a better world.” Just then a motorcyclist recklessly whizzed by. His music was pumped up to the max and he was actually gyrating with his bike quite precariously.

The woman asked me to bless her son, so I uttered a mantra and placed my right hand on his head.

“I used to hang out with you guys when I was at York U, in my anthropology class. I love it at your temple.”

My last encounter was with a Kolkata man who said from behind me, “Hare Krishna!” I turned around and we shot the breeze for a while.

 

May the Source be with you!

6 km


 

Monday, August 29, 2022
→ The Walking Monk

Forest Hill, Toronto

Taking in a Short Stroll

 

The evenings appear to be the only favorable time for taking that stroll, and even then, you start sweating within ten or even five minutes of movement. It’s the moisture in the air. If someone says humidity brings about humility then I wouldn’t argue the point.

I found that at least there was a breeze where I sat, on a bench on the grounds of the Toronto City Archives. This is the time of year for heat and also dryness. In the night crickets are abound. In wet areas frogs make their presence known. A lovely skunk came nearby. It held up its tail in defense of my presence. I was fortunate not to be hit by any of those spraying creatures. Apparently, the spray released is called “thiol,” something that contains a sulfur/hydrogen bond. I’ve been lucky. The smell can be quite repulsive.

Today was the last day of Vaisesika and Nirakula’s visit. In the class Vaisesika offered some advice or direction for the temple residents to follow. These helpful guidelines are as follows:

1) Look at your ATTITUDE. I live to be corrected. I bear no grudges.

2) Work on INCREMENTAL IMPROVEMENT. Even beginning with the smallest commitment, progress can be made

3) CONTROLLING THE TONGUE. Don’t talk behind someone’s back. Also, don’t over eat.

Good concepts and practices!

 

May the Source be with you!

2 km