Drumming It Up
→ travelingmonk.com

This morning we went on harinama samkirtan in Ahmedabad to drum up publicity for this evening’s festival program. People were fascinated to see so many western devotees along with their blissful Gujarati brothers and sisters chanting and dancing in great happiness through the streets of the city. Srila Prabhupada once called ISKCON the, “United Nations [...]

Travel Journal#9.24: New York
→ Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 9, No. 24
By Krishna-kripa das
(December 2013, part two)
New York
(Sent from Gainesville, Florida, on January 12, 2014)

Where I Went and What I Did

I continued chanting in New York City as part of Rama Raya Prabhu’s harinama party for five or six hours a day, and chopping vegetables for Govinda’s Vegetarian Lunch at our Brooklyn temple. I visited the Quaker Meeting in Brooklyn the Sunday before Christmas and went to the Doughnut Plant that evening with my sister and her daughter, and one of my sister’s friends. I visited my family in Albany on Christmas Eve and Christmas. I also was a guest speaker at a Friday Gita class in Queens, and twice the speaker at Atmanivedana Prabhu’s program at 26 2ndAvenue on Saturday, where I made sure to have a stand up kirtana at the end with lots of dancing which people liked. Thus it was a busy time. As this is the last journal for 2013, I include my accounting and thank the many, many people who donated to allow me to share the Hare Krishna mantra and philosophy in different places.

Laksmi Nrsimha Prabhu and his wife invited Jayadavita Swami to speak a few times at their Monday evening program at 26 2ndAvenue, so I continue to share notes from his lectures. I also have some notes on a class by Candrasekhara Swami. All this in addition to some quotes from Srila Prabhupada’s books and Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami’s journal.

Thanks to Braja-raja Prabhu for his videos, Alex Vaishnava for his photos of harinama in Times Square on New Year’s Eve, and Silvana Delgado from Columbia for her video of harinama in Union Square.

Itinerary

January 13–February 7 - Gainesville, Florida
February 8–11 - Tallahassee
February 12–13 - Jacksonville, Florida
February 14–February 19 - Gainesville, Florida
February 20 - Orlando and Philadelphia
February 21–24 - Dublin, Ireland
February 25 - Mumbai
February 26 - on a train between Mumbai and Howrah
February 27–April 14 - Mayapur
April 16 - Mumbai
April 17 - Dublin, Ireland
April 27 - Kings Day, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
May–July (first two-thirds) – The North of England, Birmingham 24-hour kirtana, London Ratha-yatra, Stonehenge Solstice Festival
July (last third)–August (first two-thirds) – Baltic Summer Festival, Polish Woodstock, Czech Woodstock
August (last third)–September (first half) – The North of England
September (rest) – New York

Income and Expenses for 2013

Income

Donations
4224.00
Book Sales
7.60
Loan Repayment
50.00
Total Income
$4,281.60


Expenses

Travel
3309.90
Gifts
444.57
Supplies
118.46
Festival Fees
47.22
Internet/Phone
20.56
Food / Water
8.27
Total Expenses
$3,948.98

Comments: I do not usually ask people for donations unless I need cash for a ticket to America, Europe, or India. Sometimes people give me donations when I give lectures or do extra harinamas in their region. I do sell more books than appears from this statement, but the funds are for the temple or project I am currently working on. Phone and internet are small because the U.S. government gives free phones to single people making less than $16,000 per year, because devotee friends sometimes top up my UK phone as a favor, and many temples have wireless internet. Food expenses are minimal as I eat in the temples. Gifts include donations to swamis and temples, and prasadam for relatives. Travel expenses in 2013 included the costs of going to New York and Florida, in the United Statues, and England, Belgium, Holland, Ireland, Lithuania, Poland, Germany, Czech Republic, and Slovakia in Europe, and buying a ticket for my biannual trip to India in February 2014.

I want to thank the following people who kindly gave donations to me in 2013. They are listed in order from largest to smallest amounts, along with where the contributors are from, where they are living now, or where I met them. Rama Raya Dasa (NYC), Kaliya Krishna Dasa (NYC), Prema Sindhu Dasa (Columbus), Prema Vilasa Dasa (Columbus), Dhruva Dasa (Kansas City), Kalakantha Dasa (TP Gainesville), Uma Devi Dasi (Tampa), Pat Beetle (my mother, Albany), Praghosa Dasa (GBC, UK & Ireland), Newcastle, England, temple, the people who gave donations on harinamain many places, Atmanivedana Dasa (NYC), Janananda Goswami (UK), Charu Gopika Devi Dasi (Queens), Den Haag temple, Premarnava Dasa (Dublin), Sivananda Sena Dasa (Rotterdam), Prema Sankirtana Dasa (Newcastle), Jivamukta Yoga School (NYC), Naveen Krishna Dasa (Columbus), Nanda Kumar Dasa (Gainesville), Sthita-dhi Muni Dasa (Alachua), devotees from Leeds, Govind (NYC), Vrajendralal Dasa (Bolton), Caru Candra Dasa (Leeds), Clive (Chester), Raj Sharma (Leeds), Amsterdam temple, Ananta Nitai Dasa (Dublin), Gopali Devi Dasi (Slovakia), Pankajanghri Dasa (Queens), Bindu Madhava Dasa (NYC), Dauji (Switzerland), Kapil (Queens), Victor (Albany), Sunanda Dasa (Queens), Stevie B. (London), Alexi (London), Karen (my sister, Albany), Mr. Joshi (Plymouth), Govinda Prabhu (Bhaktivedanta Manor), Asta-sakhi Devi Dasi (Holland), the Sheffield devotees, Muni Priya Dasa (CZ), Daru Das (Tallahassee), Haryasva Dasa (Philly), Rasikananda Dasa (Alachua), Bhakti Rasa Dasa (Newcastle), an Indian guest (Sheffield), Magdalena (Liverpool), a man in pub in Hazel Grove, Nayan (Bhaktivedanta Manor), Ram Charan (London), a new devotee (Bratislava), Iksvaku Dasa (Amsterdam), Bhakta Andrej (London), Jivananda Dasa (Slovakia), Bhaktin Erzsebet (London), a man at the Philadelphia airport, and a Birmingham devotee.

Many other people helped in different ways. Candrasekhara Swami (NYC) donated two shirts and a sweater, Bhagavata Dasi (Belfast) donated a hat, Govind (NYC) donated a gamsha and three sets of counter beads, Gaura Keshava Dasa (Slovakia) donated some shoes. Prema Sindhu Dasa (Columbus) and Kaliya Krishna Dasa (NYC) also purchased airline tickets for me to Columbus and New York, respectively. My family donated figs, chocolate, and socks for Christmas. Kapil (Queens) gave me a orange sweater, and Larry (Brooklyn) an orange hat. Amrita Keli Devi Dasi (JAX) gave me some coconut oil.

If I forgot you, let me know, and I will apologize and I will mention you in my next journal. Too many people to mention helped with rides and accommodation.

Thank you all for assisting me in promoting the chanting of Hare Krishna and the knowledge in the transcendental literature given by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

Harinamas in New York City



We continued mostly in the subway stations, occasionally chanting in Union Square or Washington Square Parks.

Braja-raja Prabhu took some attractive video [http://youtu.be/vnSmt5d3VEg] of us chanting at the Times Square subway station. It includes my exchange with a passerby, who when asked where he encountered Hare Krishna before, replied with a smile, “Everywhere!”


Even on one cold night in Union Square, many devotees came out.




There is one man who has trained his cat to sit on his head.



At one point, he was even doing some dance steps to our music!



One old man appreciated the chanting.

Displaced from Union Square by the Christmas Market and Green Market, sometimes we chanted at Washington Square Park.



Here a whole family participated.


Here a guy joined us, playing the gong at the back of our party.


Back in Union Square, one girl enjoyed dancing and playing shakers.



Then a group of two adults and two kids all played the instruments with us.



One day at Washington Square Park was very warm.


A father and daughter danced, even as they went on their way.



A young woman enjoyed dancing with us.


Later she looked at the books.

At Union Square, one cab driver danced with upraised hands as he walked to his cab’s trunk to unload his passengers’ luggage . . .



. . . and then again while returning to the driver’s seat!


The day after Christmas at the Union Square subway station, a couple from Columbia in South America was happy to encounter our harinama party. The guy enjoyed playing the shakers and dancing, and the lady took a video [http://youtu.be/z4C_7sKHhDs] of us all. At that time, Sofia from Siberia was singing and Rama Raya Prabhu was playing the harmonium, as you can see:


A few days later they passed us in Grand Central station, and I thanked the lady for sending me her video.



At Delancey Street a man in a Christmas hat happily played the gong.




There four friends danced in front of our party for almost an hour.




One day at Union Square subway, three girls chanted happily with us for half an hour.




Later four guys played instruments and clapped.


Their leader was familiar with kirtana.


Later another girl joyfully chanted with us.


The last Saturday in December was very warm, and we chanted in Union Square. Brajaraja Prabhu took some video of children participating and posted it on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=344917838983786&set=vb.100003967196971&type=2&theater

Jayadvaita Swami joined that day, and once at Grand Central Subway Station.



One girl passing by our party at Union Square subway station, joyfully said to her boyfriend, “I love Hare Krishna!”

One evening when we were chanting at Grand Central on the long hallway between the other subways and the Times Square shuttle, two policemen passed our party just as one of our lead singers finished his shift and the kirtana suddenly stopped. One of the policemen exclaimed, “Why did you stop?” It made me smile. Usually policemen want us to stop singing, but this one wanted us to continue!

On New Year’s Eve, Rama Raya Dasa's harinama party chanted on the outskirts of New York’s Times Square festival. One Arabic mother from Dubai and her two kids danced with us for twenty minutes, and you can catch glimpses of them in this video (http://youtu.be/5whX4vCh-PI).


It was awesome to see her joy at dancing in the kirtana. Later a Brazilian couple followed us for over an hour, smiling and moving with the sound of the kirtana.



The lady (above) expressed interest in looking up Hare Krishnas when she returns to Brazil the following day.



It was seriously cold, 26° F or -4° C, and that was at 11:08 p.m.


To get uptown to do the Times Square harinama, we did harinamaon the “F” train from Second Avenue (http://youtu.be/qBSRwBkKzw4).







Earlier in the day, we had sung at Grand Central subway station on the corridor to the Times Square shuttle.Between Christmas and New Years, often Rama Raya would sing Hare Krishna to the tune of the famous New Years song, “Auld Lang Syne.” (http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGerEnGdI0xJ4_V6CVn2KkkjOGQBqLHEn)


One girl passing by told her boyfriend, “That’s ‘Auld Lang Syne!’”

Atmanivedana Prabhu’s Program at 26 2ndAvenue

It is wonderful that Atmanivedanta Prabhu and his wife, Subhie, are dedicated to having a Gita class every Saturday evening at 26 2ndAvenue. The people who come really enjoy discussing the philosophy and asking questions. I am trying to always have a nice standing up kirtana with dancing at the end, and people have been liking it. It is great to see this pilgrimage place of Hare Krishna history nicely utilized. Laksmi Nrsimha Prabhu and his wife also have a program there on Mondays.

Charu Gopika Devi Dasi and Her Queens Program

Charu Gopika Devi Dasi uses the Internet to invite people to her home every Friday for a Hare Krishna program. She has interested some completely new people who have become regulars in that way. I was inspired by her dedication and innovation and hope to visit her program at least once each time I come to New York City.

Visiting the Friends Meeting in Brooklyn

I decided to visit the Friends Meeting (Quakers) in Brooklyn which is just three and a half blocks down Schermerhorn Street from the Brooklyn Hare Krishna temple. I had a friend from when I was teenager who attends that meeting, and I also like to share my realizations with them and hear what they have to say. My first encounter with the joy of the congregational glorification of God was singing Christmas carols with the members of the Albany Friends Meeting as a youth. Their worship, however, is sitting in silence, thinking about God, and sharing realizations. Learning of the power and joy of the practice of singing the glories of the Lord, I always think that the Quakers would do better to add more singing to their practice. Thus I mentioned in the meeting about my early experience with singing the Christmas carols and saying that they could take advantage of the season to do more of that. Surprisingly enough, at the end of the meeting, in honor of Christmas, the First Day school children entered the meeting room, stood right next to where I was sitting, and sang the song “Silent Night” for the pleasure of the congregation. Later I talked with an older lady who was originally from the Santa Monica meeting. She said in that meeting, in addition to speaking realizations during meeting, it was accepted, and even welcomed, if people would sing a song expressing their message. I told her how song is more common in Quaker services in recent years, and in Albany for half an hour one week a month they sing spiritual songs before meeting, and in Tallahassee some members come early and sing for fifteen minutes before meeting every week. She was inspired to suggest they might try that in Brooklyn. I also met a girl who asked the blessings of the congregation for her trip to India, and I offered to tell her of some special places to visit there.

Christmas in Albany

Victor greatly facilitated my program of making prasadam for my friends at the Albany Friends Meeting by greeting me at the Chinese bus in Albany with all the ingredients I needed for cooking. Since my sister had her own extensive cooking project, I cooked at the Friends Meetinghouse. A friendly Peruvian Catholic lady, Arinca, there with her Quaker friend, Crystal, kindly helped me grate for 4.5 cups of carrots that Victor had peeled, thus I was able to finish the carrot-coconut rice from Yamuna’s cookbook on time. I played a nice Hare Krishna kirtana tape while I cooked, which no one objected to.

We attended the Christmas play at the Albany Friends Meeting, and as usual people dressed up to act out different parts of the narration of Jesus’s appearance story, which included few appropriate songs which the congregation sang.



My eighty-nine-year-old mother played an angel.


And I played a wise man.


When the congregation sang the songs about the birth of Lord Jesus Christ, there was a nice spiritual feeling in the atmosphere.

After the drama, someone read The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey, a story about a wood carver whose hard heart was softened in the course of carving the figures in the Jesus story. Later at my sister’s house my family read The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, a story of a family of delinquent children who become righteous in the course of enacting a drama of the Christmas story. It is interesting to me that the transforming power of narrations concerning God or the son of God is a common theme in these two fictional stories. Different verses in India’s Vedic literature refer to power of transcendental narrations such as: “On the other hand, that literature which is full of descriptions of the transcendental glories of the name, fame, forms, pastimes, etc., of the unlimited Supreme Lord is a different creation, full of transcendental words directed toward bringing about a revolution in the impious lives of this world’s misdirected civilization. Such transcendental literatures, even though imperfectly composed, are heard, sung and accepted by purified men who are thoroughly honest.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.5.11) The story of the appearance of Lord Jesus Christ, who Srila Prabhupada considered to be a saktyavesa avatar of the Lord could be considered in this category of transcendental literature.

On Christmas I gave my adventurous niece, Fern, Radhanath Swami’s book, The Journey Home, her boyfriend, Oliver, who is studying philosophy, Bhagavad-gita, Victor, who has some devotional inclinations, The Nectar of Devotion, and my mother, Pat, the peace activist, Sri Isopanisad, with its message of peace through accepting our God-given quota and not taking that of others. I could not find a book I thought my sister would really like on our harinama book table.



Thus I decided to order for her online a Hare Krishna cookbook that she doesn’t have, Great Vegetarian Dishes by Kurma Dasa.

Oliver said he had read some passages from the Gita, and he was happy to get the entire book.

I also gave all my relatives each a piece of maha-prasadam pera from Radha Govinda.

I received two package of figs, one of my favorite treats, some chocolate, and a couple pairs of socks, useful for keeping warm on harinama. 

Some people living near my mom had an elaborate display of Christmas lights which was hard to avoid taking a picture of. 



Is it all done for the glorification of the Lord and free of karma? Let’s hope so.

To see the photos I took but did not include in this journal, click on the link below (the unused pictures appear after the used ones):

Insights

Srila Prabhupada:

from Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya-lila 11.89, purport:

“Simply by accepting the associates of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu as nitya-siddha [eternally perfect], one can very easily go back home, back to Godhead.”

from Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya-lila 11.95, purport:

“There are many professional chanters who can perform congregational chanting with various musical instruments in an artistic and musical way, but their chanting cannot be as attractive as the congregational chanting of pure devotees. If a devotee sticks strictly to the principles governing Vaishnava behavior, his bodily luster will naturally be attractive, and his singing and chanting of the holy names of the Lord will be effective. People will appreciate such kirtana without hesitation.”

Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:


“Today’s drawing shows three
bhaktasdancing and chanting
with upraised arms.
They are jolly and moving
together. They are detached
from the material world.
They avoid intoxication
illicit sex, meat-eating
and gambling. This
situates them on the transcendental plane.
They have no anxieties
or fear for material life.
This because they are
chanting the great mantra
for deliverance which
puts one under
Krishna’s protection.
The mantra is
so powerful it
beats back the material miseries. Anyone
can receive this position
if he or she chants
in a submissive, surrendered mood.”

“Today’s drawing shows four
bhaktasdancing and
chanting with upraised arms.
They are jolly and
moving together.
Prabhupada encouraged us
right from the beginning
in 1966 to get up
and dance. When the
first boy, Bob Lefkowitz
danced, I thought
he was too sensual, but
Swamiji smiled at him
approvingly. Later I
rose for the first time
and did the Swami
step, and he nodded that it
was good. In
later years the
dancing grew more
choreographed and wild.
But Prabhupada allowed it.
He just wanted to see
that we were enthusiastic.”

Jayadvaita Swami:

Devotional service is practical activity, not imaginative ecstasy. The example could be given that a man comes home and asks his wife if dinner is ready, and she simply says, “I love you so much.”

Bhakti is not just a feeling, but practical service, and that service is performed in knowledge.

[After telling the story of the bum who donated toilet paper to 26 2ndAve.:] We are all more or less bums, just of different caliber.

We at the BBT (Bhaktivedanta Book Trust) would have put a ceiling on editing the books a long time ago, but we keep finding things that really need to be changed.

Srila Prabhupada told Hayagriva he could use the Bhagavad-gita translations from the other editions which were more or less accurate. Hayagriva said that would be plagiarism. Prabhupada replied, “What plagiarism? They are Krishna’s words!”

Hayagriva’s son Stambha delivered some of his father’s papers to the BBT not long ago. In them I found a page of the Gita manuscript with Srila Prabhupada’s introduction of a handwritten line blasting Mayavadi philosophy. It is good we did not put a ceiling on the Gita so we can include this change Prabhupada obviously wanted.

I think for everyone to be concerned about everything is psychologically unhealthy, and Krishna recommends that one be concerned about doing his own duty.

I think that it would be better if those concerned about the editing issue voiced their concerns to the people who can actually do something about it and not by mentioning them on Facebook.

One might ask if we can change the format of the books, by eliminating the Sanskrit, the word synonyms, the transliteration, etc. The BBT trustees are discussing this issue, but it has not yet become an Internet discussion.

When I was at our temple on 55thSt. I revised the translations for the first two chapters of the First Canto of the Srimad-Bhagavatam. When Srila Prabhupada was visiting New York, I was going to drop them off with his secretary, but he was there, and he had me read a few of them to him. He heard them and asked what I had done.
I said, “I just tried to make them closer to what you originally said.”
He said, “Oh, in that case, it is alright.”

Although Srila Prabhupada blasted Radha Vallabha for liking to change things too much, when he proposed to resign, Srila Prabhupada would not allow him to, saying “What else can he do?”

There are genuine issues and then there is internet madness, which unfortunately obscures the real issues.

Comment by Abhirama Prabhu:

When Srila Prabhupada was personally present, and we did not understand something, we would ask him about it, and he would explain it in another way. We can understand from this that Srila Prabhupada approved of different explanations of the same thing as long as the meaning was not altered.

Q: There is so much controversy about this edition of Bhagavad-gita or that edition. Is there something else I can do besides reading Bhagavad-gita?
A: Yes. You can chant Hare Krishna. That was one of the original attractions for me. I saw philosophy in school was just a lot of hot air with nothing definitive about improving my life. Thus when Srila Prabhupada presented that the Hare Krishna mantra came directly from the transcendental plane beyond the mind and intelligence, I thought that was great—I can circumvent all the hot air and attain the spiritual plane.

Actually the differences in the editions of Bhagavad-gita are really minor. It is not like Krishna is supreme in one edition and Shiva is supreme in another.

Q: So I am to understand that by chanting Hare Krishna I will be able to actually understand either edition of Bhagavad-gita?
A: Yes. The chanting cleanses the heart so we can understand. That is why we chant before our classes.

Once the GBC suggested the BBT footnote Srila Prabhupada’s statements that might offend some people, but the BBT declined. Who was qualified to make those determinations and where would they end? Srila Prabhupada is against anything except pure devotional service to the Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead, thus there is something Srila Prabhupada’s books that will offend anyone.

We have a few “will not fixes,” things that Srila Prabhupada said a certain way, and we are not going to change them.

Some things are hard to define. How many hairs do you have to have on your face to have a beard? Twenty? Forty?

I suppose if Srila Prabhupada were here, there may be a few changes he didn’t like. [With folded hands:] “I am sorry, Srila Prabhpada.” But he would be very happy so many important corrections were made.

[After class, Jayadvaita Swami advised one disciple of Tamal Krishna Goswami to take second initiation from a swami who has a relationship her initiating guru and who will continue guiding her in the same direction.]

Death for the devotee is the path back to Godhead. Death for the atheistic is total loss.

Death of the demons is compared to the cat capturing a rat. Demons are like rats. Rats always hope the cat is absent so they are free to do as they please.

The people who pass by us at the subway station benefit. They are not hearing the holy name offensively; they like it. Their misunderstandings compared to their appreciation are insignificant.

Q (by Abhirama Prabhu): Is that first smile of those who hear us chanting, worship of Krishna?
A: Yes. They are appreciating Krishna in the form of His name. Otherwise, they would not be wandering through the subway system thinking, “I love God.” But they love the chanting, and the chanting is not different from Krishna.

Q (by Murli Vadaka Prabhu): Doesn’t Krishna make it hard for us after the initial stage?
A: No, we make it hard for ourselves because of our misgivings. We did not realize how dirty our consciousness is, and what it will take to clean it.

Happiness is more than just maintaining a smile. It involves sacrifice. Like the happiness of the warrior is to fight for the protection of the innocent people although it may be troublesome. Or the happiness of the nurse is taking care of the patients despite so much inconvenience. Similarly the devotee is happy despite the difficulties in executing devotional service.

Comment by Abhirama Prabhu: We see people on harinama who are so happy to encounter the devotees and the chanting that their eyes fill with tears of joy.

We can be as happy as the newcomers on harinama. If we think we have too much work to do and so we cannot go, then we will miss out on that happiness that even the newcomers experience.

The Six Goswamis were engaged in utkirtana, the loud chanting of the holy name, and they were big, big philosophers.

Q (by Murli Vadaka Prabhu): What about people in other traditions who engage in some limbs of devotional service but still engage in sinful activities?
A: It is good they are chanting the name of God, but not good that they engage in sinful acts. Still they are much better than those who do not engage in any acts of God consciousness. They can maintain their situation in their own tradition, and learn from the Hare Krishna devotees to avoid illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication, and gambling.

I do not think I am afraid of birth and death. But I am afraid of dying, and coming back, and having to go through adolescence again.

Once Basu Ghosh Prabhu was telling Srila Prabhupada some of the austerities the Jews perform, and after hearing these, Srila Prabhupada said, “Something good.”

Philosophically one should find an uttama-adhikari, or a devotee on the highest level to be one’s guru. But Lord Caitanya did not make a big issue of it. He simply accepted that anyone who knows the science of devotional service to Krishna is qualified to be a guru.

One must see that Krishna is coming in the form of the spiritual master.

The devotee thinks, “I may be insignificant, but my spiritual master can take you back to Godhead.”

Just take up the service of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and all the confidential understandings will be revealed. If we try to pursue these separately we will fail.

Revatinandana Prabhu told Srila Prabhupada that it was his understanding that by chanting and serving his spiritual master, all higher understandings would be revealed. When Srila Prabhupada heard that, he smiled and replied that he was correct and that our process is one of revelation.

Q: What is the difference between kirtana at our temples, and kirtana on the streets.
A: Caitanya Mahaprabhu would do both.

At one point, Srila Prabhupada wanted 24-hour kirtana in all our temples.

When we were working on his books in Boston, the most important work, he still said we should go out on harinama an hour a day, and we would do that. And that hour of public chanting would nourish us the whole day as we were connecting with the people we are supposed to be reaching.

If we just chant in our temples, that would not be the movement that Srila Prabhupada created.

And when we did kirtana in the temple, it was not like Lord Caitanya at Srivasa Angam where outsiders were not permitted. Srila Prabhupada always had the doors open to all.

Ramesvara Prabhu said his realization was that book distributors were in the mood of the gopis because they are bringing others to Krishna for His enjoyment. Someone asked Srila Prabhupada about that, and Srila Prabhupada said Ramesvara was right.

comment by a senior devotee: Srila Prabhupada said humility means to boldly preach Krishna consciousness.

Q: What does it mean that Srila Prabhupada is the siksa guru of everyone in ISKCON?
A: He is the samstapaka-acarya (founder acarya). He created the whole formula. Sixteen rounds of Hare Krishna. Four rules, mangala arati. He made the teachings of the previous teachers accessible to people of the present day. ISKCON is that society that appreciates Srila Prabhupada’s presentation of Krishna consciousness. If you like that, you can be part of it. If not you can look elsewhere.

Govinda Maharaja, successor of Srila Prabhupada’s godbrother Sridhara Maharaja, said, “We are all eating Srila Prabhupada’s remnants.”

Sridhara Maharaja said that if you try to skip over any of nine steps from sraddha to prema, that part that you skipped will remain hollow. I accept that because it agrees with Srila Prabhupada’s condemnation of jumping over parts of the devotional process.

Candrasekhara Swami:

There is an eternal world, one that is not manifest at a certain point, and is thus called aprakat. Not apricot, but aprakat.

Scientists have difficulty explaining the origin of language. From the Vedic knowledge we understand that because language exists eternally in the spiritual world, it exists in this world.

Unless we come to point of an intimate relationship with God, we have not attained the perfection of religion. Developing this relationship is not a minor point but rather is the central point of religion.

The spiritual realm seems to people like an endless prayer meeting, so they are not attracted. God seems like an ego maniac who gets off on engaging people in glorifying Him.

We in the material world are like a teenagers so absorbed in video games that they forget to eat and do not notice people in the room around him.

The Vedic literature describes the spiritual world as having the same sorts of varieties that go on in the material world but in perfection, and thus it is easier to become attracted to go there.

-----

kalim sabhajayanty arya
guna jnah sara-bhaginah
yatra sankirtanenaiva
sarva-svartho bhilabhyate

“Those who are actually advanced in knowledge are able to appreciate the essential value of this age of Kali. Such enlightened persons worship Kali-yuga because in this fallen age all perfection of life can easily be achieved by the performance of sankirtana [the congregational chanting of the holy name of the Lord].” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.5.36)

Principles for Effective Chanting, Putrada Ekadasi, January 11, Andheri, Mumbai
Giriraj Swami

01.11.14_MumbaiGiriraj Swami and Bhurijana dasa spoke at a program at the home of Vrindavan Bihari dasa and Prema Manjari dasi.

“Whether we are just beginning chanters or the most expert chanters chanting on the platform of prema-nama, we still should chant Krishna’s names. And we should chant the best we can, on the highest level we are able to.  So, the first principle is to chant Krishna’s names. The second principle is that when it is time to chant japa we have to make a determination—a sankalpa—‘At this particular time while I am chanting my japa, I have nothing else to do.’ We have to make that decision: ‘I have nothing else to do now’. Because, if we don’t make that decision, when our mind starts accepting and rejecting so many things, we will fall into thinking that ‘This—whatever my mind tells me—is what I have to do right now. But now we have to make the determination—the sankalpa, decision—that I have nothing else to do right now but chant japa.”—Bhurijana dasa

Talk by Bhurijana dasa and Giriraj Swami
Kirtan by Giriraj Swami

New Vrindaban Daily darsan @ January 12, 2014.
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

05

Please click here for all photos

02

If you desire to easily get vast wealth, a beautiful wife, good children, a palatial home and the other opulences that don’t come in this world without a struggle, and if you desire krishna-bhakti, which carries liberation in the palm of her hand, then simply reside in the spiritual realm named Vrindavana.

[Source : Nectarean Glories of Sri Vrindavana-dhama by Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati Thakura, 1-34 Translation ]

The Method Of Chanting
→ Japa Group


"The method of chanting refers to physical considerations such as sitting straight on an asana, chanting during the peaceful predawn hours, and associating with lovers of nama. It also includes using tulasi beads; clear pronunciation; concentrating on the meaning of the mantra; reviewing and avoiding the ten offenses and repentance for transgressions."

From Art Of Chanting Hare Krsna
by Mahanidhi Swami

The thrills in Krsna consciousness
→ KKSBlog

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Leicester, UK, Pandava Sena Program)

IDS_tourThere are thrills in the material world and there are many thrills in Krsna consciousness but the difference is that thrills in material life are all about the thing itself. Let’s say – a party, “Hey, hey, party, party! Ok! Ready! Gonna have a good party now!”

We are going to this wonderful, really good party where we will have a really good time. So we’re at the party and we’re having a good time and then the party is over – and that’s it. Finished! That is a material party.

But with a spiritual party, you have a good time and simultaneously there is another dimension to the party – a spiritual dimension of eternal benefit because all the spiritual things you do, get you eternal benefit. So, that’s a good party! Therefore, Krsna conscious parties beat all the others – they are the best! So yes, we have our thrills.

Over the years, I have spoken to many audiences and maybe the toughest audience that I ever had to speak to was a school class that was sent to the Hare Krsna temple – they didn’t really want to but they were sent to our temple. It was a school class of thirteen-year old girls. So, they were there at the temple, looking as though they did not really want to be there but they had to listen to my talk. That was tough!

kks_kirtan mela 2012So I spoke very short because I could see that they could not take much. Then immediately the first question came, “Are you ever going to a discotheque?” I knew it was a burning question because if I would have said “no”, then I was a square and that was it. At the same time, I did not go to the discotheque, so what to say?

So my brain worked at lightning speed and finally I said, “No, we don’t go to discotheques because we have a party here every day! We’re dancing everyday here so why would we go to a discotheque when we have it at home?” I said, “Would you also like to get into it?” And they said, “Yeah, why not!”

Then we had a big kirtan and they danced around and liked it a lot. So in this way, we saved the day but if I would have just somehow or other said (in disgusting voice), “Discotheque?? That’s maya!”, then I would have been finished.

So, we see that Krsna consciousness is not dry. Sometimes people ask me, “What is it like to live in a monastery?” My answer is, “No idea! I don’t know! The Hare Krsna temple is not a monastery!”

 

 

Radhanath Swami Meets Legendary Social Activist Sindhutai Sapkal
→ Dandavats.com

On the evening of 22nd of December’ 2013, at Gangadham ground chowk, Pune, both Radhanath Swami and Sindhutai Sapkal were honored as the chief guests at the performance of ‘Jaoo Devayacha gava’, a Marathi rendition of a drama on the life of Saint Tukaram (1577-1650), one of the most important and popular saints of bhakti tradition. Over five thousand people viewed the show directed by Sanjay Bhosle. -- Read more ›

TEXAS FAITH 118: Aren’t we all searching for community and wonder? How would you describe your search for meaning?
→ Nityananda Chandra Das' Blog, ISKCON Dallas

Dallas Morning News,

Each week we will post a question to a panel of about two dozen clergy, laity and theologians, all of whom are based in Texas or are from Texas. They will chime in with their responses to the question of the week. And you, readers, will be able to respond to their answers through the comment box.

This Sally Quinn essay from The Washington Post struck me as a provocative piece. In writing about the search for meaning in our lives, she describes an anti-pastor, an anti-gay atheist and Billy Graham at the end of his career.

The piece is worth the read if only for the part about the “tattooed Lutheran pastor, weight lifter, stand-up comic, former alcoholic and drug addict and hard-swearing Nadia Bolz-Weber.”

At the end, Quinn, in talking about the search for meaning, asks: Aren’t we all searching for community and wonder?

How would you answer that question?

How would you describe your search for meaning?

NITYANANDA CHANDRA DAS, minister of ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness), Dallas 

The nature of the self is sat-cit-ānanda, eternity, knowledge, and bliss. Our present body is not sat-cit-ānanda. It is called asat for it is perishable. It is acit, full of ignorance, for we have very meager knowledge of this world and practically no knowledge of the spiritual world. And nirānanda, for instead of being full of bliss it is full of misery. All miseries of this world arise from this temporary body and mind but one who remembers Krishna, God, at the time of death, attains a sat-cit-ananda body.


It is our very nature to be full of bliss. Because the highest bliss to be known is from loving relationships, we seek community and love. However, because the body is temporary the relationships remain temporary and thus they cannot satisfy the self and also they create anxiety. In addition to that, the love found in this world is not pure and most often it is tainted with selfishness.

Because our nature is to be fully conscious, we are not only bliss-seeking but also knowledge-seeking. But our instruments of information are dependent on so many factors. Our eyes only see when there is light. Our ears and nose function when there is air. We are so ignorant that we are not even consciously aware as to how we are digesting food or whether there is cancer somewhere in our body.
Meaningful life is found when we act according to our nature. When we, the eternal, lovingly connect to the Supreme Eternal, Krishna.

To see all responses of the TEXAS Faith panel click here.

Kirtan with First United Methodist Church’s Confirmation Students
→ Nityananda Chandra Das' Blog, ISKCON Dallas

Every we are visited a blissful group of young students from the ages of 7-13 along with their supportive parents and youth leaders.  The students and parents always ask very nice and intriguing questions following by a lovely kirtan.

After the program we always get a lot of thanks about how they enjoyed the presentation and everything else.

Prasadam distribution in Mayapur 10/01/2014 (Album 66 photos)
→ Dandavats.com

“No one within ten miles radius of ISKCON Mayapur temple should go hungry”. “Our temple should be the via media for feeding the poor with food and spiritual knowledge” - Srila Prabhupada. To fulfill Srila Prabhupada’s desire, ISKCON Mayapur has formed a non profit, nonsectarian charitable food distribution program named FOOD FOR LIFE ISKCON MAYAPUR. Food For Life Iskcon Mayapur is working to conquer hunger in neighbouring villages throughout the holy dhama by engaging volunteers and qualified cooks to prepare and distribute sumptuous, nutritious, freshly-prepared vegetarian meals to all, regardless of cast, creed or religion. -- Read more ›

Srila Prabhupada on New Vrindaban: Seven Temples on Seven Hills – July 1968
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

Hare Krishna Explosion Book Cover

Hare Krishna Explosion Cover

Srila Prabhupada on New Vrindaban: Seven Temples on Seven Hills – July 1968.

An Excerpt from The Hare Krishna Explosion.

By Hayagriva dasa

The Montreal temple is located in a large, grey Gothic building near McGill University. The ground floor is occupied by a commercial printing company. The upstairs bowling alley has been converted into a kirtan hall and living area for new devotees—Shivananda, Jayapataka, Hansadutta, Vaikunthanath. Now it is crowded. There has been a flurry of activity since Prabhupada’s arrival.

Kirtanananda and I visit Prabhupada in his nearby apartment. As always, it seems, Prabhupada is seated behind his footlocker, the familiar aromas of gardenias, incense and sandalwood about him. Goursundar and Govinda dasi scurry about, fretting that too many people are disturbing him. We pay our obeisances, and I offer Prabhupada yellow roses, which Govinda dasi arranges in vases.

“So how have you come?” Prabhupada asks.

“By plane from New York,” I say.

“Ah, very good. And in New York they are doing nicely?”

“Yes, Srila Prabhupada. Very nicely.”

“And what about New Vrindaban? That is doing nicely?”

“The owner has finally agreed on a long term lease,” I say, “but he wants the timber.”

“Oh, that cannot be. We must have all rights.”

“The coal rights were sold sixty-five years ago,” Kirtanananda says. “This is the case with all the properties in that area.”

“This means that if the government develops the coal industry, we may be asked to vacate,” Prabhupada says, concerned. “And no law can stop it.”

We admit that this is a point to consider.

“Yes,” he continues, “even if the government does not interfere, if some big industry moves into our vicinity, our New Vrindaban will fade away.”

I suddenly envision the little farmhouse and willow tree enveloped in a haze of smoke, the pastures invaded by steel drills abusing Mother Earth, giant smokestacks….

“New Vrindaban must be free from industrial contamination,” he says. “Industries like mining will ruin everything. Consider well the land’s future.”

“Most of the coal has already been mined through underground tunnels,” Kirtanananda says.

“Another important point,” Prabhupada goes on. “What happens to the property after ninety-nine years?”

I don’t know,” I say, not having really thought of this. “We won’t be around then.”

“But the Society will,” he says. “There must be an agreement that at the end of the lease, the property will go to us.”

This had been our oversight. Of course it must go to the Society! Great temples will be rising from the blackberries and pokeweed!

“We’ll try to get Foster to agree,” I say.

We then describe the property. As soon as Prabhupada understands where the main road is, he asks, “How do you get up to the farmhouse?”

“Well, that’s the big problem,” I admit. “It’s not really what you’d call easily accessible. But you could drive a jeep or horse and wagon up it. Otherwise, it’s a two mile walk.”

Prabhupada reflects on this a moment.

“Hm. Horse and buggy would be better,” he says at length. “You should avoid machines and become as self-sufficient as possible. And horses are pleasing to look at. They are the most beautiful of animals.”

Kirtanananda presents a quart of blackberry chutney and one of raspberry jam.

“Ah, very fresh,” Prabhupada says, sampling them. Then, serious, thinking again of New Vrindaban: “Yes, in New Vrindaban everything will be Krishna conscious because everything will be for Krishna. So building houses, tending cows, and working fields will also be bhakti-yoga. People mustn’t go there just to retire. They must be engaged. In your country, old people like to keep dogs and smoke pipes when they retire. Or they play… what do you call—?”

“Shuffleboard,” I say, thinking of the old men in Golden Gate Park. “And checkers.”

“Yes. That is what we want to avoid. We must always engage in Krishna’s service so maya cannot enter.”

“There’s no end to engagement, Prabhupada,” Kirtanananda assures him.
I think of breaking my back removing rocks from beneath the waterfalls. I think of all the wildflowers left unpicked.

“The hills and temples must all be named,” Prabhupada says. “On seven hills we will build seven main temples, as in the original Vrindaban—Govindaji, Gopinatha, Madana-Mohana, Shyamasundara, Radha-Ramana, Radha-Damodar, Gokulananda….

Sitting before him, we begin to see spiraling gold-domed temples in the West Virginia hills. Vaporous fantasies, perhaps, but so strong is Prabhupada’s confidence that for us his New Vrindaban temples seem as tangible as his tin footlocker.

“Of course, Kirtanananda, you have seen Vrindaban,” Prabhupada continues. “Remember the atmosphere? There are temples everywhere, some five thousand, it is said. That is a far distant scheme.”

A far distant scheme. I wonder if we can repair the farmhouse roof before the autumn rains.

“But now let us build at least seven temples,” he says, his eyes wide with anticipation. “The hills you can name Govardhan. There must be pastures for the cows, and ghats for bathing, like Kesi-ghat. Oh, I will give you so many names! And Kirtanananda, you can attract the neighbors with your delicious prasadam.”

Talking leisurely in the cool Montreal afternoon, Prabhupada describes New Vrindaban so graphically that we envision great lines of tourists waiting for guides to lead them through marble temples and palaces.

Every moment, Prabhupada builds and tosses out schemes to occupy thousands of devotees. On his footlocker is a lamp, some papers, and a few books. Bhagavad-gita is always within reach. I see him sitting thus eternally, looking up from the holy scriptures through his spectacles, creating whole cultures and civilizations centered about Krishna.

In the evening, Govinda dasi serves spiced puffed rice.

Prabhupada garlands us. We drink sweet yogurt, and he comments on Janardhan’s plans for a Back To Godhead in French for Canada. He is jolly, and when we pay obeisances before leaving, he says, “Yes, try for this New Vrindaban with heart and soul. And rest assured it will develop.”

For four days, Prabhupada waters the New Vrindaban devotional creeper. It is indeed a young, tender plant requiring special treatment.

On the fifth day, carrying plans, schemes, visions, and lofty aspirations, we fly back to New York, accompanied by universal royalty, the Jagannatha Deities, purchased from a Montreal import house.