Diary of a Lazy Mo’Fo
→ A Convenient Truth


The universe (aka - Shri Krishna) seems to be telling me that I'm a lazy piece of shit that's full of excuses. It started on Facebook last week when I saw a post by my dear god brother Advaita Acarya. It was a link to a video (which I didn't watch), but his comment was something like, "For those who see the importance of distributing Srila Prabhupada's books they'll find a way to do it. For those who don't they'll find a lot of excuses why they can't." Something like that. I replied with a half-joke, "If you ever need excuses, I have a long list (winky face)." I thought I was joking (and he knew I was joking), but was I really joking? Or was there some truth to what I had just said?

Then one night while laying down I was reading this article on Cracked.com:

http://www.cracked.com/blog/6-harsh-truths-that-will-make-you-better-person/

It was like the events of that earlier day all started to make sense. Without going into too much detail, basically I was yelled at for work-related stuff. It was very shocking and emotional for me. I was even crying about it. I was already emotional because of being sick and dealing with the side effects of antibiotics. The getting yelled at was just the proverbial straw that broke my back. It was devastating.

So when I read that article on Cracked.com it was as if Paramatma was speaking to me, telling me the reason why I was getting reprimanded: I'm lazy and full of excuses.

Then today I got an email from my wife and it was a link to this:

http://zenpencils.com/comic/97-charles-bukowski-air-and-light-and-time-and-space/

BAM! There it was...again. And when I asked my wife why she sent it to me, she mentioned how she thought it was a cool comic and that it could also be related to sadhana.

So there it is. Shri Krishna and Shri Guru are clearly speaking to me. I need to stop being lazy, stop making excuses. Not only in terms of devotional service, but just in general, in life itself. Life is not about sitting idly by the side and just avoiding everything and waiting for death.

The really icing on the cake about the message Krishna is sending me was when I came across this video on YouTube by accident:



Spiritual activism. Yeah. Being active. Spiritual life is not about doing nothing. It's not about moving into a cave and not mingling with society, although at times that's exactly what I'd like to do. No. The real experience, the real lessons, the real opportunity to put ideals into practice is out here in the world.

My desire to negate everything (like the Buddhists) is quite impersonal. My relationships with everyone are reflections of how I relate with Shri Guru and Shri Krishna. Seeing duality between people I like and people I don't like is all illusion. Everything is Krishna and Krishna's energies. And I don't mean that in a "repeating what I heard" kind of way. I mean that in the way that THAT'S reality. To not see that is illusion.

Shri Guru speaks to us through everyone and everything, as long as we are receptive to it and not defensive, absorbed in false ego or full of pride. Through humility we can hear the message. We can't hold on to our initial negative reactions of anger, hurt, betrayal, disdain, denial, etc. We can't get caught up in the externals or only see the surface of things. We have to look beyond the appearance of the messenger and hear the message. We have to realize that every interaction with others is an interaction with Krishna.

So now that I can hear what Krishna is trying to tell me, the question becomes, "What am I going to do with this message?" Am I going to ignore it and keep doing whatever? Or am I going to try and make an improvement? Am I going to try and stop making excuses for everything and become proactive and enthused about serving everyone and everything?

My tendency to be lazy is deep-rooted. My tendency to make excuses is also deep-rooted. I can only pray to Shri Nityananda Prabhu that just as He has given me this message, that please also give me the strength to make a change.



How Millions of Farmers are Advancing Agriculture For Themselves
→ The Yoga of Ecology

Click here to read the full article from Jonathan Latham at Independent Science News


The world record yield for paddy rice production is not held by an agricultural research station or by a large-scale farmer from the United States, but by Sumant Kumar who has a farm of just two hectares in Darveshpura village in the state of Bihar in Northern India. His record yield of 22.4 tons per hectare, from a one-acre plot, was achieved with what is known as the System of Rice Intensification (SRI). To put his achievement in perspective, the average paddy yield worldwide is about 4 tons per hectare. Even with the use of fertilizer, average yields are usually not more than 8 tons.

Sumant Kumar’s success was not a fluke. Four of his neighbors, using SRI methods, and all for the first time, matched or exceeded the previous world record from China, 19 tons per hectare. Moreover, they used only modest amounts of inorganic fertilizer and did not need chemical crop protection.

How Millions of Farmers are Advancing Agriculture For Themselves
→ The Yoga of Ecology

Click here to read the full article from Jonathan Latham at Independent Science News


The world record yield for paddy rice production is not held by an agricultural research station or by a large-scale farmer from the United States, but by Sumant Kumar who has a farm of just two hectares in Darveshpura village in the state of Bihar in Northern India. His record yield of 22.4 tons per hectare, from a one-acre plot, was achieved with what is known as the System of Rice Intensification (SRI). To put his achievement in perspective, the average paddy yield worldwide is about 4 tons per hectare. Even with the use of fertilizer, average yields are usually not more than 8 tons.

Sumant Kumar’s success was not a fluke. Four of his neighbors, using SRI methods, and all for the first time, matched or exceeded the previous world record from China, 19 tons per hectare. Moreover, they used only modest amounts of inorganic fertilizer and did not need chemical crop protection.

Wish Granted
→ Seed of Devotion

From the moment I had woken up at 3:30 in the morning, I was an engine revving to go. Go, go, go! Go to Mangal Arati, go to the Mayapur Academy, go practice, go chant, go! Get everything done so that I could go hear my guru speak tonight.

Radhanath Swami had been here in Mayapur for almost a week, speaking every night to 4,000 people on the glories of Lord Chaitanya. Even though the pandal where he was speaking was only a couple hundred meters from where I was studying, I had not yet had time to spend one full night to listen. I was just so, so busy.

But tonight would be different. I was scheduling my day meticulously to leave school on time. Not only that, I was going to sit up at the very, very front and look at Maharaj's face the entire time!

Night fell. Despite my planning, I was still at school. Still practicing for my exam.

The lecture had begun. The pandal was so close by the Academy that I could hear the echoes of the microphone as Maharaj spoke. I felt spikes of pain to be so close yet so far. My hopes from the whole day crashed around me.

And yet at the same time, I knew that by being here, studying for Krishna, that was what Radhanath Swami himself would've wanted of me.

So I stayed.

Later that night, I was walking home from dinner with my friend Jahnava. We were turning a corner on the road when I saw up ahead a figure in orange, walking by himself, his orange cloth lit up by a streetlight behind him. At first I thought he was a brahmachari.

Then I looked again.

"Oh my, Maharaj!" I exclaimed. I immediately knelt to the dust to offer my respects. Jahnava also knelt.

By the time I had stood up, Maharaj had walked up to both of us, his eyes shining, his face beaming.

"Bhakti lata devi!" he said and looked into my eyes. "I have been yearning to see you."

I was speechless for a moment. "Maharaj... I... I've been yearning to see you!"

He was quiet for a moment, smiling, then he turned to Jahnava and asked, "What is your name?"

"Jahnava," she replied.

"Beautiful," he said, holding her gaze for several moments. He turned to me again and was quiet. Then, as if he had all the time in the world, he asked me gently, "How are you?"

"I am very well, Maharaj," I said, and I was thinking I would just end it there. After all, this was someone who only an hour before had been speaking to 4,000 people. Surely he had other things to do, other people to talk to. But I found no such mood of rush in Maharaj's face or his voice. He simply wanted to know how I was.

And so I shared with Maharaj a little about Mayapur Academy, and we spoke about how to learn the essence of every ritual we do. He said that he may come to my graduation in March to hand students their diplomas. "I may hand you yours," Maharaj said with a smile.

Then we folded our palms and bid each other goodbye and goodnight.

Jahnava and I continued to walk home, and my eyes were wide and shining.

The holy land of Mayapur seems to grant wishes.


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Wish Granted
→ Seed of Devotion

From the moment I had woken up at 3:30 in the morning, I was an engine revving to go. Go, go, go! Go to Mangal Arati, go to the Mayapur Academy, go practice, go chant, go! Get everything done so that I could go hear my guru speak tonight.

Radhanath Swami had been here in Mayapur for almost a week, speaking every night to 4,000 people on the glories of Lord Chaitanya. Even though the pandal where he was speaking was only a couple hundred meters from where I was studying, I had not yet had time to spend one full night to listen. I was just so, so busy.

But tonight would be different. I was scheduling my day meticulously to leave school on time. Not only that, I was going to sit up at the very, very front and look at Maharaj's face the entire time!

Night fell. Despite my planning, I was still at school. Still practicing for my exam.

The lecture had begun. The pandal was so close by the Academy that I could hear the echoes of the microphone as Maharaj spoke. I felt spikes of pain to be so close yet so far. My hopes from the whole day crashed around me.

And yet at the same time, I knew that by being here, studying for Krishna, that was what Radhanath Swami himself would've wanted of me.

So I stayed.

Later that night, I was walking home from dinner with my friend Jahnava. We were turning a corner on the road when I saw up ahead a figure in orange, walking by himself, his orange cloth lit up by a streetlight behind him. At first I thought he was a brahmachari.

Then I looked again.

"Oh my, Maharaj!" I exclaimed. I immediately knelt to the dust to offer my respects. Jahnava also knelt.

By the time I had stood up, Maharaj had walked up to both of us, his eyes shining, his face beaming.

"Bhakti lata devi!" he said and looked into my eyes. "I have been yearning to see you."

I was speechless for a moment. "Maharaj... I... I've been yearning to see you!"

He was quiet for a moment, smiling, then he turned to Jahnava and asked, "What is your name?"

"Jahnava," she replied.

"Beautiful," he said, holding her gaze for several moments. He turned to me again and was quiet. Then, as if he had all the time in the world, he asked me gently, "How are you?"

"I am very well, Maharaj," I said, and I was thinking I would just end it there. After all, this was someone who only an hour before had been speaking to 4,000 people. Surely he had other things to do, other people to talk to. But I found no such mood of rush in Maharaj's face or his voice. He simply wanted to know how I was.

And so I shared with Maharaj a little about Mayapur Academy, and we spoke about how to learn the essence of every ritual we do. He said that he may come to my graduation in March to hand students their diplomas. "I may hand you yours," Maharaj said with a smile.

Then we folded our palms and bid each other goodbye and goodnight.

Jahnava and I continued to walk home, and my eyes were wide and shining.

The holy land of Mayapur seems to grant wishes.


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Travel Journal#8.21: London, New York, Jacksonville
→ Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk


Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 8, No. 21
By Krishna-kripa das
(November 2012, part one)
London, New York, Jacksonville
(Sent from Stuyvesant Falls, New York, on December 17, 2012)

Where I Went and What I Did

I continued to do harinama and lectures in London, based at Radha-Londonisvara’s temple on Soho Street for three days, flying to New York City the afternoon of the third day, to do harinama for a week with Rama Raya and Ekalavya Prabhus and their party who chant for four hours a day, mostly at Union Square. It was amazing to see the enthusiasm of those devotees for harinama and the enthusiasm of the New Yorkers who listened, gave donations, and took books about Krishna consciousness. I took a three-day break from the harinama party to visit family members. I visited my sister and my mother for a day each, cooking several meals and helping my mother with various computer issues. I visited my diksa-guru, Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, where I assisted his team in a successful marathon to get the first volume of his autobiography, The Story of My Life, printed by the beginning of December. On November 15, I flew to Jacksonville, where I spent a very enlivening day assisting in our outreach at the University of North Florida there.

This issue is bountiful with the insights of great souls. I begin with many quotes from the books and lecture of our founder-acarya Srila Prabhupada. Next there are some wonderful insights from the letters of his guru maharaja, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura from a collection of his letters called Patravali, soon to be published in an abridged form by Touchstone Publishing as Patramrita. After that there some useful quotes from Bhakti Charu Swami and Radhanath Swami. Then I have excerpts from the first volume of the recently published, The Story of My Life, by Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, mostly memories about the early days of our first center at 26 Second Ave. Then there are some revolutionary quotes by Aindra Prabhu, a great lover of the holy name. And Rama Raya Prabhu, a follower of Aindra, shares his conviction about the public chanting of the holy name. And there is still more!

Itinerary

Dec. 17–19, 2012: serving Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami in Stuyvesant, NY
Dec. 19–23, 2012: harinama in New York City
Dec. 24–25, 2012: visiting family in Albany, NY
Dec. 26, 2012–
Jan. 7, 2013: harinama in New York City
Jan. 8–April 2013: Gainesville, FL (with visits to Tallahassee and Jacksonville)

London Harinamas

I did harinama in London the first three days of November, before flying to New York. As the month of Karttika was starting, there was increased impetus to do more chanting and that boosted attendance on our harinamas. The after-breakfast harinama in London was much more regular and attended by more devotees than usual. In addition, late Friday afternoon we did harinama to Kings Cross for their Friday evening program at their storefront called “Matchless Gifts.” The Saturday Weekend Warrior program of chanting and book distribution was located in Ealing, a London borough which is practically on the way to Heathrow Airport, so I was able to participate for three hours before flying to New York.

Harinama in Manhattan

For several months Rama Raya Prabhu, who spent many years on Aindra Prabhu’s 24-Hour team in Vrindavan, and Ekalavya Prabhu, who plays the trumpet and is an excellent musician and performer, have been doing harinama in Manhattan, usually at Union Square, for four hours each and every day from 4 to 8 p.m. I joined their party for seven days. Once during foul weather we were chanting at Roosevelt Avenue subway station. I was singing my favorite tune of Hare Krishna and Ekalavya Prabhu played trumpet and a crowd of at least fifty people were watching us. I was amazed to see so many people stopped to watch a kirtana in America, especially one I was leading. One Sunday we chanted at Union Square for six hours from 2 to 8 p.m. One time we had seventeen people chanting, mostly practicing devotees with a few new people who had become interested from the daily public chanting in their city. Another day we had fifteen people. Even the slowest days we always had six or seven people at the end, although sometimes in the beginning there were just three or four of us. Some devotees are dedicated and go out every day for at least part of the time. One of these is Rasika Gopi dd, who as Bhaktin Rose went out on harinama with me twice in the Netherlands two and a half years ago.

Several new people have developed an interest in kirtana and Krishna consciousness during the several months the daily harinama has been going on and several thousand books have been distributed to people, just from them hearing the holy name and choosing to give a donation. Both Rama Raya and Ekalavya Prabhus are very enthusiastic about the program, and after a short break from January to March to go on pilgrimage in India, they are looking forward to another successful year.

Sharing Krishna at the University of North Florida

I have been singing on the campus of the University of North Florida in Jacksonville a few times a year since back in 2003 or 2004. I find the students are less under pressure in that relatively small school, and you always find interesting and interested people. People buy books, play instruments with us, like our treats, and talk about spiritual issues.

After a two-and-a-half-hour flight and a two-hour bus ride, I arrived at the campus too tired to chant, so I took lunch and a nap. Then in the late afternoon I decided to sit on a bench on the green and play my harmonium and sing for a couple of hours before our Thursday evening program and invite some new people to come.

I was surprised to meet Regina, one girl who remembered me from our weekly programs back in January, and who told me she has been coming to them ever since. Another girl, Jessica, just came to a single program, back in January, and also remembered me from that. We had a nice conversation about some supernatural experiences she had, and she promised to come to the program. On top of that, I met a math professor, who had done her graduate studies at University of California at San Diego and developed a love for the Krishna lunch the devotees served there each week. I had met her before on the green at UNF, and on days I did not see her there, I would bring prasadam to her office. It was wonderful that she spontaneously walked by during the brief time I was chanting there. I also met one young Indian man who is a Krishna devotee, and had looked online for Krishna temples in the area but had failed to find any. I told him about our program on the campus, and about our temples in Alachua and Gainesville. As a result he became a regular attendee at our programs at UNF.

By the fall semester of 2012, Dina Bandhu and Amrita Keli Prabhus, the devotees doing programs at UNF nature pavilion since January, had created enough interest in the students that they could create a Krishna Club with meetings on the campus. I was happy to see about fifteen people at the weekly program. Sometimes they said they got twenty-five. They do some yoga, have a talk related to Bhagavad-gita, have chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra with instruments, and then Krishna prasadam, spiritual food for the soul. When I was there, after the program they discussed plans for a weekend field trip to a home program in LaCrosse and the Govardhan Puja festival in our Alachua temple. I was surprised to see the number of students interested in the devotional adventure. It was inspiring for me to see the interest in Krishna consciousness in a new place, and I bet such programs could be started on many campuses by enthusiastic young devotees who simply share in a straight forward way whatever they have learned about Krishna with others.

Insights

Srila Prabhupada:

from Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 1.55, purport:

“The development of submissiveness is the cause of proportionate spiritual realization, by which one can ultimately meet the Supreme Lord in person, as a man meets another man face to face. Because of his development of transcendental attachment for the Supreme Lord, a surrendered soul feels the presence of his beloved everywhere, and all his senses are engaged in the loving service of the Lord. His eyes are engaged in seeing the beautiful couple Sri Radha and Krishna sitting on a decorated throne beneath a desire tree in the transcendental land of Vrindavan. His nose is engaged in smelling the spiritual aroma of the lotus feet of the Lord. Similarly, his ears are engaged in hearing messages from Vaikuntha, and his hands embrace the lotus feet of the Lord and His associates. Thus the Lord is manifested to a pure devotee from within and without. This is one of the mysteries of the devotional relationship in which a devotee and the Lord are bound by a tie of spontaneous love. To achieve this love should be the goal of life for every living being.”

from a lecture:

In this material life, you will never be able to make anyone happy by your activities. That is not possible. Neither you will be happy.

For the jnanis (those interested in cultivating knowledge) Krishna says, “After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.” (Bg. 7.19), for the karmis (those interested in enjoying their senses) Krishna says, “Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer or give away, and whatever austerities you perform — do that, O son of Kunti, as an offering to Me.” (Bg. 9.27), and for the yogis Krishna says, “A yogi is greater than the ascetic, greater than the empiricist and greater than the fruitive worker. Therefore, O Arjuna, in all circumstances, be a yogi” (Bg. 6.46).

Nirguna means Krishna is not influenced by the three qualities of material nature (gunas) not that He has no transcendental qualities.

from a lecture:

Meditation begins with the lotus feet of Lord. Meditation on Krishna’s lotus feet destroys the dirty things in our heart.

Krishna’s feet are marked with four primary symbols: ankusa (goad), vajra (thunderbolt), sauraubya (lotus), . . .

When a British reporter asked me where hell was. I told him London is hell. There is no sun. It is always rainy and cold. You to do not have to search out hell in another place, hell is already here.

There is no light so you are paying electricity bill, but in the spiritual world no additional illumination is required. Why do you not go there? Why should we pay the electric bill? Go to the spiritual world. Every planet is effulgence.

In the material world, even the richest person is full of anxiety, but the spiritual world is Vaikuntha, without anxiety, so we should aspire to go there.

No material condition can check Krishna consciousness.

from an early-morning walk in Vrindvana, India, in September 1975:

On one side they promote contraceptives, and on the other side they encourage women
to marry three times a week. This is their civilization. If you want to stop increasing the population, why are you inducing people: “Indulge in sex”? Everything is contradictory. And it is all based on sense gratification.

from a lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.6 in London on July 23, 1973:

Without following the religious principle there is not humanity. . . . It does not matter what kind of religion you follow, it doesn’t matter, but you must follow. . . . That is the duty, dharma. Human civilization begins when there is a religious conception of life.

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura:

from the abridged Patravali, known as Patramrita, to be printed by Touchstone Publishing:

If you pray for the well-being of your subordinates then your own spiritual progress will take place.

As far as the present anarthas [unwanted tendencies] are concerned, if your hearing and chanting is very strong, they cannot display their prominence.
When I think that I am well, I become averse to Krishna, and as a result, I consider senior devotees to be junior to me. That is why, considering this, Lord Krishna keeps me in various distressful conditions, such as in ill health and other inconveniences. At such times I try to understand the meaning of the verse beginning with tat te’nukampam [My dear Lord, one who earnestly waits for You to bestow Your causeless mercy upon him, all the while patiently suffering the reactions of his past misdeeds and offering You respectful obeisances with his heart, words and body, is surely eligible for liberation, for it has become his rightful claim. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.14.8)].

When we remain absorbed in material subjects, which are not related to Krishna, we are inclined to quarrel with the different people of the world.

I am very glad to learn that Bhaktisarvasva Giri has received an English certificate. If the sannyasis and brahmacaris keep proving their merit in this way at different places, our happiness will know no bounds.

We should have churches for devotion and love all over India (preaching centers for pure devotional service and love of Krishna). Perhaps you remember the teachings of Mahaprabhu:

prithivite ache yata nagaradi-grama
sarvatra pracara haibe mora nama

“In every town and village of the world, My name [the holy name of Krishna] will be preached.”

No one has the right to drink even a drop of nectar from the ocean of the transcendental mellows of Lord Krishna’s pastimes without the mercy of the daughter of King Vrishabhanu [Radharani, Lord Krishna’s consort].

The dim reflection of madhurya-rasa is svakiya-rasa, and so it is simply another form of dasya-rasa. Many people make a mistake by accepting Lord Narayana’s pastimes with His legitimate wife as madhurya-rasa.

“A Vaishnava comes to this material world according to his karma, and after spending a fixed amount of time here, he goes to where he is being sent by Baladeva, according to his qualifications. Mahalaksmi resides within Balarama, and within Mahalaksmi resides the Supreme Lord. Therefore, Tota has gone back to serve his worshipable Lord. He was a Vaishnava part and parcel of Nityananda Prabhu, the predominating Lord of the sandhini potency and so if you learn to treat Lord Vishnu as your son, you will no longer feel the absence of your son.
“As the Supreme Lord lived in the heart of Tota and so you served Him, so now you should serve Lord Baladeva. The material body of Tota has been merged into the five gross material elements. The spirit soul of Tota will remain engaged in the service of the energetic Lord. Your material son has been separated from his material father. He is meant to be enjoyed by the Supreme Lord and so his real business is to serve Him. Realizing that you are not conditioned by maya, the Supreme Lord will not allow you to become overwhelmed with grief and will bestow upon you His unlimited mercy and power. This is my feeling.”

When Mahaprabhu accepted the renounced order of life, He said to His old mother, His wife Vishnupriya-devi, and the residents of Navadvipa, “I am only a human being and I am related to all of you in some kind of relationship. When I am gone, you should establish your relationship with Krishna instead of Me and thus give Me an opportunity to serve Lord Hari independently.”

“They may think that sincere premika bhaktas, who are under the shelter of the transcendental parakiya-rasa, are less ethical, but love for Hari has such a wonderful power that even a greatly delightful moral standard becomes dim in front of it.”

The Supreme Lord keeps Himself hidden within this universe in order to test us. If we can perceive Him behind every object, our apparent misunderstandings will diminish.

The Supreme Lord’s testing place is this material world. In order to pass this test, one has to hear glorification of Hari from the mouths of devotees of Hari.

Only those whose time for the destruction of anarthas has arrived will hear lectures on the topics of Hari and thus become successful in their attempt to achieve the ultimate goal of life.

If you chant one hundred thousand holy names every day then the offenders will not be able to disturb your bhajana.

There cannot be any better and more favorable condition for bhajana than giving up bad association.

In the inclination for service on the path of aisvarya, the chanting of the holy name, Hare Rama, refers to Lord Rama, the son of Dasaratha. But the devotees who worship the Lord on the path of madhurya know Rama to be Gopi-ramana, or the enjoyer of the gopis. He is the son of Nanda. In that case, the word Rama refers to Radha-ramana, and the word Hara refers to the daughter of Vrsabhanu.

There is never any possibility of falling down for a person who has received even a hint, or reflection, of the mula-mantra, or the secret of unalloyed bhajana. Still, as full-fledged members, their inability to accept the authority of the matha as a result of their previous offenses committed against the Vaishnavas is ultimately due to their personal weakness. When, by the grace of the Supreme Lord, the service attitude is progressively increased within their heart, they will not fall prey to sinful propensities. Try to benefit such fallen persons by helping them. That will be an act of real friendship.

Thoughtless and ignorant people who are unable to comprehend the magnanimous pastimes of exalted personalities question, “Why did Kala Krishnadasa, who was under the shelter of Gaurasundara, become attracted to the Bhattathari women? Why did Chota Haridasa, rather than exhibiting the example of a devotee, engage in inferior activity on the pretext of serving Gaura? Why did Ramacandra Puri give up his subordination to Madhavendra Puri? Why did a few so-called sons of Advaita Acarya Prabhu, and a few so-called disciples of Virabhadra, become independent?”
Ignorant people may like the arguments that challenge the faith of those on the kanistha and madhyama platforms which are put forth by those who are out of touch with reality and cannot accept the actual truth, but when these foolish people enter the deep meaning of the transcendentally magnanimous pastimes of exalted personalities who are under the shelter of Lord Caitanya or His devotees, they will understand that in order to provide an opportunity for well-being to all unfit and fallen souls, Lord Caitanya has revealed the truth that all living entities are constitutionally servants of Lord Krishna. Even though the service of Krishna temporarily manifested in a perverted form as an aversion to Krishna when combined with material enjoyment is abominable in the eyes of unqualified gross materialists who believe in direct perception, it does not violate the principle of the api cet suduracara verse. A maha-bhagavata knows everyone as his spiritual master and therefore only a maha-bhagavata is the spiritual master of the whole world.

The goal of our service is to arrange a meeting between the object of worship and the worshiper.

Bhajana is not something to make a show of. If we chant the holy name loudly, the enjoyment of idleness cannot devour us.

Bhakti Charu Swami:

Lord Caitanya taught Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Vrindavan is His abode, and the gopis method of worship is best.

If Yasoda knew that Krishna was the Supreme Personality could she try to tie Him up?

Everyone forgets that Krishna is God in Vrindavan.

The relationships of friendship, parenthood, and conjugal love are prominent in Vrindavan.

Aghasura could not be killed by the demigods, who would tremble in fear at the sound of his name.

If one performs vaidhi-bhakti he attains Vaikuntha.

After Krishna demonstrated his pastimes, he considered that when bhakti is merely performed according to rules and regulations, no one would ever attain Goloka Vrindavan.

Raganuga means to follow a resident of Vrindavan. By serving Lord Caitanya, we are serving Radharani, and what greater resident of Vrindavan is there than Radharani?

Asvatthama had the benediction from Lord Shiva to be invisible for one night, and so he could kill the sleeping Pandavas without being stopped. Why would Krishna would allow them to be killed? They had played their role in His pastimes and so they would not be needed in this world.

At the border of Vrindavan and Mathura when Krishna and Akrura bathed, Shyamasundara Krishna returned to Vrindavan and Vasudeva Krishna continued to Mathura and Dvaraka.

To go from Vaikuntha to Goloka Vrindavan, you have to come to this world and do sankirtana in Vrindavan.

Regarding your mother, because she went back to Godhead, you should consider what is your relationship with her now. Do you want to follow her example? Do you want to assist her in her service to Krishna? Do you want to pray to her that you might also be engaged in Krishna’s service?

When you give up an old car and buy a new one, do you lament? So in the same way, we should not lament when one gets a better body for serving Krishna.

A rich man is always changing his car while a poor man holds on to it until it is a piece of junk. We are neither the rich man nor the poor man. We are the chauffeur of the richest man, and He will certainly make sure we have a first class car to drive in His service, so we do not have to worry.

Radhanath Swami:

from a BTG article:

Mother Theresa spoke to me years ago, “The greatest problem in this world is not the hunger of the stomach but the hunger of the heart. All over the world both rich and poor suffer. They are lonely, starving for love. Only God’s love can satisfy the hunger of the heart.”

Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:

from his autobiography, The Story of My Life:

It is always good to live with the chanting and to bring it out in a time of difficulty. It may seem odd to the people who are confining you, but it will always work in your favor. They will know you are religious and serious.

And I was there among the first. I feel he [Srila Prabhupada] will always remember me as “Satsvarupa” from my typing and donations and giving him a daily mango. He picked me up as a sad lonely hippie and made me a happy and responsible son. I will never forget those days or fail to treasure them.

At the welfare office I chanted Hare Krishna mantras silently in my mind. The Swami had approved the practice. I had told him my co-workers engaged in talking nonsense. He said, “Even the greatest philosophers are talking nonsense. Go on chanting Hare Krishna in your mind.”

Going to meet the Swami was the nectar of life, and I did it every morning for Caitanya-caritamrta class and every evening for kirtana and his Bhagavad-gita class. He was so kind and inviting, accepting me as I was, and giving me typing tasks. I gave him my money and that solidified my relationship. He called me “Sat-svaroop.” I don’t have to make up the early days. I just have to remember them as they were. Gradually more intimacy developed and a sense of belonging to his group. I was learning the philosophy of Krishna and eating lunch with him daily and taking “heavenly porridge” with the boys in the morning. It was a favorable burgeoning time. I remember leaving the storefront in the morning and walking to my workplace, feeling that I was a cowherd boy with my necktie in my back pocket. I had friendly talks with Rayarama and the others and felt they were my brotherhood of friends. I had moments alone with the Swami when I asked him questions about the philosophy and commented on how I was feeling. I was no longer intimidated by the city buildings in the concrete jungle. I saw them as material energy, and now they were temporary and in a sense unreal. Real was Krishna in the spiritual world. We had pictures of Radha and Krishna in Goloka Vrindavan. Gradually we were setting the foundation for lifelong commitment starting with the summer of 1966. We kind of knew what we were getting into.

I knew the Swami as my spiritual master, the guru of my soul. He was guiding me into my relationship with Krishna through him. We needed him to be there, and we wanted him and he was there. We knew where to find him, in his apartment, in his temple. He started a Sunday Love Feast and chanting in Tompkins Square Park. He was like putting milk in a bowl, and we were like cats lapping it up. Everything was auspicious, even as the season changed. So life revolved around the activities with the Swami and the future seemed eternal. We didn’t think of it ending. This was just fine, getting up at 1 a.m. and chanting japa on the red beads, sitting on the floor. Then dressing and leaving the apartment, entering the streets and passing people on your way to the storefront. As dependable as the Big Ben clock in London, the Swami would enter the storefront and step out of his shoes and sit and lead us in the morning tune chant for twenty minutes. Then he set up his reel-to-reel tape recorder and started lecturing about Sanatana Swami’s getting out of jail and going to meet Lord Caitanya in Benares. A cliff hanger lecture every morning. I can keep going back and remembering, and it’s always there. I don’t have to make it up. It all actually happened, and it was wonderful as he took me up and molded me into a devotee of Krishna consciousness. He is my Swami, and I hope to remember him now and at the hour of my death and to somehow go to him in that same mood as when I first joined him.

Aindra Prabhu:

from a lecture on March 16, 2009, in Varsana:

Humility means you have to be humble enough to realize that you are a fallen conditioned soul and your only hope is the sankirtana which has been specifically prescribed by the scripture and by Lord Caitanya and His representatives for the fallen souls of this age. No other process can help you.

Manadena means to respect the actual position of the living entities by engaging them in devotional service.

Book distribution is meant to convince the people to take to the sankirtana movement of Lord Caitanya.

If people do not do sankirtana. they will look for a higher taste elsewhere.

Japa is like taking tablets, and sankirtana is an injection.

from a lecture in March of 2010:

There are five more important items of devotional service, but the supreme item is nama-sankirtana. The other items cannot be complete without nama-sankirtana.

One comes to Vrindavan for the service of Srimati Radharani, and the best way to please Srimati Radharani is by chanting Hare Krishna. By pleasing Radharani only can we get the original Krishna.

We used to chant 8 or 10 hours a day [in public], and on Saturday 15 hours. Srila Prabhupada wrote a letter full of approval to Damodara Prabhu, our temple president, for our program in Washington, D.C., where we were chanting 14 hours a day.

In Vrindavan, for every hour of kirtana we get credit for a thousand hours of kirtana.

All except nama-sankirtana [the congregational chanting of the holy name] and what supports it, are cheating religion.

Laksmi Nrsimha Prabhu:

Rupa Goswami read Bharata Muni’s Rasa-tattva, describing mundane relationships in detail, and used his ideas in describing the eternal relationships we can have with Krishna.

In explaining the different rasas to people, I ask them, “Isn’t the love you have for your children different from the love you have for your spouse or the love you have for your parents?”

Dasa Mula—Ten Roots given by Bhaktivinoda Thakura
    1. Pramana: Evidence comes from the scripture.
    2. Parama-tattva: Hari alone is the Truth.
    3. He is the possessor of all potency.
    4. He is the source of all relationships, rasa.
    5. We are all his amsas (parts).
    6. Souls in this world are baddha (bound by maya [illusion]).
    7. Liberated souls are free from maya.
    8. We are simultaneous one with and different from Krishna [acintya-bheda-abheda].
    9. Pure devotion the is only means for perfection.
    10. Love of Krishna is the goal.

Respect means to look again and appreciate the good qualities of the person.

Aldous Huxley says the most realistic vision is to see our ourselves the way others see us and to see others the way they see themselves.

William James says that when two person are in a room there are actually six people: the way each person sees himself, the way each person sees the other, and the way each person actually is.

There is a Sufi saying that “words that come from the heart go to the heart, and words that just come from the lips do not make it past the ears.”

If we appreciate the qualities of others, we should express it.

Dayananda Swami:

Srila Prabhupada did not think the strategy of his godbrothers to distribute the books of his guru maharaja which were written for another time and place was so wise.

As we develop bhakti, our bhakti will impel us to spread it to others.

Maya likes senior devotees. [She says:] “Come with me . . . ”

Rama Raya Prabhu:

This sankirtana movement is not meant just to make a few street vendors teasingly take a few dance steps but to bring everyone on the planet to the point of chanting Hare Krishna with faith and love.

Because of the devotee’s attraction to Krishna, what is going on in the material world, no matter how popular or well advertised it is, is not of interest to him.

Q (by me): Is is sufficient just to go on harinama, which purifies the people, knowingly or unknowingly, to bring everyone on the planet to the point of chanting with faith and love or should we be doing other things too?
A: When the disease is severe, the medicine must be stronger and more frequently given. Thus there should be thousands of sankirtana parties going out regularly all over the world to bring people up to such a level of purity.

Radha Caran Prabhu:

Krishna arranges that the material bodies of the gopis stay home to please their family members while they go in the rasa dance with Krishna.

Pride disturbs the rasa [intimate relationship] we have Krishna, even in the case of the gopis [His most advanced devotees].

Ahladini Radharani Devi Dasa from her BTG article [Vol. 47, No. 1, page 22]:

“Just as red-hot cinders may smolder beneath a pile of hot ashes, love of God, though hidden, burns within the heart of every living entity. And just as blowing air on hot cinders can rekindle a flame, hearing the glories of the Lord can invoke one’s dormant love of God and revive one’s connection to Him.”

Caitanya-carana Prabhu:

Saying a resounding yes to Krsna is the most effective way of saying a decisive no to parasitic material desires.

Dr. Dina Bandhu Prabhu:

Religion regulates behavior, but so does our family or political system.

Religion is not so much different from other fields of study where there are teachers and a path.

Just as achieving an M.D. is not cheap, neither is attaining spiritual perfection.

Murali Gopal Prabhu:

Materialists love to know past, present, and future so they can maximize their sense gratification.

People are interested in the past life because they want to know why they are the way they are, but they do not ask the more important question, “What is my next life?”

Krishna’s cowherd boyfriends entered the mouth of the Aghasura demon fearlessly, although not knowing the future, because they had confidence that because Krishna was their friend, everything would be alright.

Although Krishna is omniscient, for the sake of His pastimes, He sometimes acts as if He does not know.

Although we may use astrology to understand some things about our nature, because a devotee is beyond karma, it cannot accurately predict a devotee’s life.

One devotee lady told Radhanatha Swami that before she became a devotee, by astrology she could very accurately see what was going to happen, but after she became a devotee sometimes astrology was accurate and sometimes not, and she asked him why. Radhanatha Swami explained that because she was now a devotee, Krishna was personally arranging her life.

a devotee at the Bhakti Center:

Offenses begin in the mind, progress to words and ultimately to action.

-----

kalim sabhajayanty arya
guna jñah 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).


Travel Journal#8.21: London, New York, Jacksonville
→ Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk


Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 8, No. 21
By Krishna-kripa das
(November 2012, part one)
London, New York, Jacksonville
(Sent from Stuyvesant Falls, New York, on December 17, 2012)

Where I Went and What I Did

I continued to do harinama and lectures in London, based at Radha-Londonisvara’s temple on Soho Street for three days, flying to New York City the afternoon of the third day, to do harinama for a week with Rama Raya and Ekalavya Prabhus and their party who chant for four hours a day, mostly at Union Square. It was amazing to see the enthusiasm of those devotees for harinama and the enthusiasm of the New Yorkers who listened, gave donations, and took books about Krishna consciousness. I took a three-day break from the harinama party to visit family members. I visited my sister and my mother for a day each, cooking several meals and helping my mother with various computer issues. I visited my diksa-guru, Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, where I assisted his team in a successful marathon to get the first volume of his autobiography, The Story of My Life, printed by the beginning of December. On November 15, I flew to Jacksonville, where I spent a very enlivening day assisting in our outreach at the University of North Florida there.

This issue is bountiful with the insights of great souls. I begin with many quotes from the books and lecture of our founder-acarya Srila Prabhupada. Next there are some wonderful insights from the letters of his guru maharaja, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura from a collection of his letters called Patravali, soon to be published in an abridged form by Touchstone Publishing as Patramrita. After that there some useful quotes from Bhakti Charu Swami and Radhanath Swami. Then I have excerpts from the first volume of the recently published, The Story of My Life, by Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, mostly memories about the early days of our first center at 26 Second Ave. Then there are some revolutionary quotes by Aindra Prabhu, a great lover of the holy name. And Rama Raya Prabhu, a follower of Aindra, shares his conviction about the public chanting of the holy name. And there is still more!

Itinerary

Dec. 17–19, 2012: serving Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami in Stuyvesant, NY
Dec. 19–23, 2012: harinama in New York City
Dec. 24–25, 2012: visiting family in Albany, NY
Dec. 26, 2012–
Jan. 7, 2013: harinama in New York City
Jan. 8–April 2013: Gainesville, FL (with visits to Tallahassee and Jacksonville)

London Harinamas

I did harinama in London the first three days of November, before flying to New York. As the month of Karttika was starting, there was increased impetus to do more chanting and that boosted attendance on our harinamas. The after-breakfast harinama in London was much more regular and attended by more devotees than usual. In addition, late Friday afternoon we did harinama to Kings Cross for their Friday evening program at their storefront called “Matchless Gifts.” The Saturday Weekend Warrior program of chanting and book distribution was located in Ealing, a London borough which is practically on the way to Heathrow Airport, so I was able to participate for three hours before flying to New York.

Harinama in Manhattan

For several months Rama Raya Prabhu, who spent many years on Aindra Prabhu’s 24-Hour team in Vrindavan, and Ekalavya Prabhu, who plays the trumpet and is an excellent musician and performer, have been doing harinama in Manhattan, usually at Union Square, for four hours each and every day from 4 to 8 p.m. I joined their party for seven days. Once during foul weather we were chanting at Roosevelt Avenue subway station. I was singing my favorite tune of Hare Krishna and Ekalavya Prabhu played trumpet and a crowd of at least fifty people were watching us. I was amazed to see so many people stopped to watch a kirtana in America, especially one I was leading. One Sunday we chanted at Union Square for six hours from 2 to 8 p.m. One time we had seventeen people chanting, mostly practicing devotees with a few new people who had become interested from the daily public chanting in their city. Another day we had fifteen people. Even the slowest days we always had six or seven people at the end, although sometimes in the beginning there were just three or four of us. Some devotees are dedicated and go out every day for at least part of the time. One of these is Rasika Gopi dd, who as Bhaktin Rose went out on harinama with me twice in the Netherlands two and a half years ago.

Several new people have developed an interest in kirtana and Krishna consciousness during the several months the daily harinama has been going on and several thousand books have been distributed to people, just from them hearing the holy name and choosing to give a donation. Both Rama Raya and Ekalavya Prabhus are very enthusiastic about the program, and after a short break from January to March to go on pilgrimage in India, they are looking forward to another successful year.

Sharing Krishna at the University of North Florida

I have been singing on the campus of the University of North Florida in Jacksonville a few times a year since back in 2003 or 2004. I find the students are less under pressure in that relatively small school, and you always find interesting and interested people. People buy books, play instruments with us, like our treats, and talk about spiritual issues.

After a two-and-a-half-hour flight and a two-hour bus ride, I arrived at the campus too tired to chant, so I took lunch and a nap. Then in the late afternoon I decided to sit on a bench on the green and play my harmonium and sing for a couple of hours before our Thursday evening program and invite some new people to come.

I was surprised to meet Regina, one girl who remembered me from our weekly programs back in January, and who told me she has been coming to them ever since. Another girl, Jessica, just came to a single program, back in January, and also remembered me from that. We had a nice conversation about some supernatural experiences she had, and she promised to come to the program. On top of that, I met a math professor, who had done her graduate studies at University of California at San Diego and developed a love for the Krishna lunch the devotees served there each week. I had met her before on the green at UNF, and on days I did not see her there, I would bring prasadam to her office. It was wonderful that she spontaneously walked by during the brief time I was chanting there. I also met one young Indian man who is a Krishna devotee, and had looked online for Krishna temples in the area but had failed to find any. I told him about our program on the campus, and about our temples in Alachua and Gainesville. As a result he became a regular attendee at our programs at UNF.

By the fall semester of 2012, Dina Bandhu and Amrita Keli Prabhus, the devotees doing programs at UNF nature pavilion since January, had created enough interest in the students that they could create a Krishna Club with meetings on the campus. I was happy to see about fifteen people at the weekly program. Sometimes they said they got twenty-five. They do some yoga, have a talk related to Bhagavad-gita, have chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra with instruments, and then Krishna prasadam, spiritual food for the soul. When I was there, after the program they discussed plans for a weekend field trip to a home program in LaCrosse and the Govardhan Puja festival in our Alachua temple. I was surprised to see the number of students interested in the devotional adventure. It was inspiring for me to see the interest in Krishna consciousness in a new place, and I bet such programs could be started on many campuses by enthusiastic young devotees who simply share in a straight forward way whatever they have learned about Krishna with others.

Insights

Srila Prabhupada:

from Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 1.55, purport:

“The development of submissiveness is the cause of proportionate spiritual realization, by which one can ultimately meet the Supreme Lord in person, as a man meets another man face to face. Because of his development of transcendental attachment for the Supreme Lord, a surrendered soul feels the presence of his beloved everywhere, and all his senses are engaged in the loving service of the Lord. His eyes are engaged in seeing the beautiful couple Sri Radha and Krishna sitting on a decorated throne beneath a desire tree in the transcendental land of Vrindavan. His nose is engaged in smelling the spiritual aroma of the lotus feet of the Lord. Similarly, his ears are engaged in hearing messages from Vaikuntha, and his hands embrace the lotus feet of the Lord and His associates. Thus the Lord is manifested to a pure devotee from within and without. This is one of the mysteries of the devotional relationship in which a devotee and the Lord are bound by a tie of spontaneous love. To achieve this love should be the goal of life for every living being.”

from a lecture:

In this material life, you will never be able to make anyone happy by your activities. That is not possible. Neither you will be happy.

For the jnanis (those interested in cultivating knowledge) Krishna says, “After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.” (Bg. 7.19), for the karmis (those interested in enjoying their senses) Krishna says, “Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer or give away, and whatever austerities you perform — do that, O son of Kunti, as an offering to Me.” (Bg. 9.27), and for the yogis Krishna says, “A yogi is greater than the ascetic, greater than the empiricist and greater than the fruitive worker. Therefore, O Arjuna, in all circumstances, be a yogi” (Bg. 6.46).

Nirguna means Krishna is not influenced by the three qualities of material nature (gunas) not that He has no transcendental qualities.

from a lecture:

Meditation begins with the lotus feet of Lord. Meditation on Krishna’s lotus feet destroys the dirty things in our heart.

Krishna’s feet are marked with four primary symbols: ankusa (goad), vajra (thunderbolt), sauraubya (lotus), . . .

When a British reporter asked me where hell was. I told him London is hell. There is no sun. It is always rainy and cold. You to do not have to search out hell in another place, hell is already here.

There is no light so you are paying electricity bill, but in the spiritual world no additional illumination is required. Why do you not go there? Why should we pay the electric bill? Go to the spiritual world. Every planet is effulgence.

In the material world, even the richest person is full of anxiety, but the spiritual world is Vaikuntha, without anxiety, so we should aspire to go there.

No material condition can check Krishna consciousness.

from an early-morning walk in Vrindvana, India, in September 1975:

On one side they promote contraceptives, and on the other side they encourage women
to marry three times a week. This is their civilization. If you want to stop increasing the population, why are you inducing people: “Indulge in sex”? Everything is contradictory. And it is all based on sense gratification.

from a lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.6 in London on July 23, 1973:

Without following the religious principle there is not humanity. . . . It does not matter what kind of religion you follow, it doesn’t matter, but you must follow. . . . That is the duty, dharma. Human civilization begins when there is a religious conception of life.

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura:

from the abridged Patravali, known as Patramrita, to be printed by Touchstone Publishing:

If you pray for the well-being of your subordinates then your own spiritual progress will take place.

As far as the present anarthas [unwanted tendencies] are concerned, if your hearing and chanting is very strong, they cannot display their prominence.
When I think that I am well, I become averse to Krishna, and as a result, I consider senior devotees to be junior to me. That is why, considering this, Lord Krishna keeps me in various distressful conditions, such as in ill health and other inconveniences. At such times I try to understand the meaning of the verse beginning with tat te’nukampam [My dear Lord, one who earnestly waits for You to bestow Your causeless mercy upon him, all the while patiently suffering the reactions of his past misdeeds and offering You respectful obeisances with his heart, words and body, is surely eligible for liberation, for it has become his rightful claim. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.14.8)].

When we remain absorbed in material subjects, which are not related to Krishna, we are inclined to quarrel with the different people of the world.

I am very glad to learn that Bhaktisarvasva Giri has received an English certificate. If the sannyasis and brahmacaris keep proving their merit in this way at different places, our happiness will know no bounds.

We should have churches for devotion and love all over India (preaching centers for pure devotional service and love of Krishna). Perhaps you remember the teachings of Mahaprabhu:

prithivite ache yata nagaradi-grama
sarvatra pracara haibe mora nama

“In every town and village of the world, My name [the holy name of Krishna] will be preached.”

No one has the right to drink even a drop of nectar from the ocean of the transcendental mellows of Lord Krishna’s pastimes without the mercy of the daughter of King Vrishabhanu [Radharani, Lord Krishna’s consort].

The dim reflection of madhurya-rasa is svakiya-rasa, and so it is simply another form of dasya-rasa. Many people make a mistake by accepting Lord Narayana’s pastimes with His legitimate wife as madhurya-rasa.

“A Vaishnava comes to this material world according to his karma, and after spending a fixed amount of time here, he goes to where he is being sent by Baladeva, according to his qualifications. Mahalaksmi resides within Balarama, and within Mahalaksmi resides the Supreme Lord. Therefore, Tota has gone back to serve his worshipable Lord. He was a Vaishnava part and parcel of Nityananda Prabhu, the predominating Lord of the sandhini potency and so if you learn to treat Lord Vishnu as your son, you will no longer feel the absence of your son.
“As the Supreme Lord lived in the heart of Tota and so you served Him, so now you should serve Lord Baladeva. The material body of Tota has been merged into the five gross material elements. The spirit soul of Tota will remain engaged in the service of the energetic Lord. Your material son has been separated from his material father. He is meant to be enjoyed by the Supreme Lord and so his real business is to serve Him. Realizing that you are not conditioned by maya, the Supreme Lord will not allow you to become overwhelmed with grief and will bestow upon you His unlimited mercy and power. This is my feeling.”

When Mahaprabhu accepted the renounced order of life, He said to His old mother, His wife Vishnupriya-devi, and the residents of Navadvipa, “I am only a human being and I am related to all of you in some kind of relationship. When I am gone, you should establish your relationship with Krishna instead of Me and thus give Me an opportunity to serve Lord Hari independently.”

“They may think that sincere premika bhaktas, who are under the shelter of the transcendental parakiya-rasa, are less ethical, but love for Hari has such a wonderful power that even a greatly delightful moral standard becomes dim in front of it.”

The Supreme Lord keeps Himself hidden within this universe in order to test us. If we can perceive Him behind every object, our apparent misunderstandings will diminish.

The Supreme Lord’s testing place is this material world. In order to pass this test, one has to hear glorification of Hari from the mouths of devotees of Hari.

Only those whose time for the destruction of anarthas has arrived will hear lectures on the topics of Hari and thus become successful in their attempt to achieve the ultimate goal of life.

If you chant one hundred thousand holy names every day then the offenders will not be able to disturb your bhajana.

There cannot be any better and more favorable condition for bhajana than giving up bad association.

In the inclination for service on the path of aisvarya, the chanting of the holy name, Hare Rama, refers to Lord Rama, the son of Dasaratha. But the devotees who worship the Lord on the path of madhurya know Rama to be Gopi-ramana, or the enjoyer of the gopis. He is the son of Nanda. In that case, the word Rama refers to Radha-ramana, and the word Hara refers to the daughter of Vrsabhanu.

There is never any possibility of falling down for a person who has received even a hint, or reflection, of the mula-mantra, or the secret of unalloyed bhajana. Still, as full-fledged members, their inability to accept the authority of the matha as a result of their previous offenses committed against the Vaishnavas is ultimately due to their personal weakness. When, by the grace of the Supreme Lord, the service attitude is progressively increased within their heart, they will not fall prey to sinful propensities. Try to benefit such fallen persons by helping them. That will be an act of real friendship.

Thoughtless and ignorant people who are unable to comprehend the magnanimous pastimes of exalted personalities question, “Why did Kala Krishnadasa, who was under the shelter of Gaurasundara, become attracted to the Bhattathari women? Why did Chota Haridasa, rather than exhibiting the example of a devotee, engage in inferior activity on the pretext of serving Gaura? Why did Ramacandra Puri give up his subordination to Madhavendra Puri? Why did a few so-called sons of Advaita Acarya Prabhu, and a few so-called disciples of Virabhadra, become independent?”
Ignorant people may like the arguments that challenge the faith of those on the kanistha and madhyama platforms which are put forth by those who are out of touch with reality and cannot accept the actual truth, but when these foolish people enter the deep meaning of the transcendentally magnanimous pastimes of exalted personalities who are under the shelter of Lord Caitanya or His devotees, they will understand that in order to provide an opportunity for well-being to all unfit and fallen souls, Lord Caitanya has revealed the truth that all living entities are constitutionally servants of Lord Krishna. Even though the service of Krishna temporarily manifested in a perverted form as an aversion to Krishna when combined with material enjoyment is abominable in the eyes of unqualified gross materialists who believe in direct perception, it does not violate the principle of the api cet suduracara verse. A maha-bhagavata knows everyone as his spiritual master and therefore only a maha-bhagavata is the spiritual master of the whole world.

The goal of our service is to arrange a meeting between the object of worship and the worshiper.

Bhajana is not something to make a show of. If we chant the holy name loudly, the enjoyment of idleness cannot devour us.

Bhakti Charu Swami:

Lord Caitanya taught Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Vrindavan is His abode, and the gopis method of worship is best.

If Yasoda knew that Krishna was the Supreme Personality could she try to tie Him up?

Everyone forgets that Krishna is God in Vrindavan.

The relationships of friendship, parenthood, and conjugal love are prominent in Vrindavan.

Aghasura could not be killed by the demigods, who would tremble in fear at the sound of his name.

If one performs vaidhi-bhakti he attains Vaikuntha.

After Krishna demonstrated his pastimes, he considered that when bhakti is merely performed according to rules and regulations, no one would ever attain Goloka Vrindavan.

Raganuga means to follow a resident of Vrindavan. By serving Lord Caitanya, we are serving Radharani, and what greater resident of Vrindavan is there than Radharani?

Asvatthama had the benediction from Lord Shiva to be invisible for one night, and so he could kill the sleeping Pandavas without being stopped. Why would Krishna would allow them to be killed? They had played their role in His pastimes and so they would not be needed in this world.

At the border of Vrindavan and Mathura when Krishna and Akrura bathed, Shyamasundara Krishna returned to Vrindavan and Vasudeva Krishna continued to Mathura and Dvaraka.

To go from Vaikuntha to Goloka Vrindavan, you have to come to this world and do sankirtana in Vrindavan.

Regarding your mother, because she went back to Godhead, you should consider what is your relationship with her now. Do you want to follow her example? Do you want to assist her in her service to Krishna? Do you want to pray to her that you might also be engaged in Krishna’s service?

When you give up an old car and buy a new one, do you lament? So in the same way, we should not lament when one gets a better body for serving Krishna.

A rich man is always changing his car while a poor man holds on to it until it is a piece of junk. We are neither the rich man nor the poor man. We are the chauffeur of the richest man, and He will certainly make sure we have a first class car to drive in His service, so we do not have to worry.

Radhanath Swami:

from a BTG article:

Mother Theresa spoke to me years ago, “The greatest problem in this world is not the hunger of the stomach but the hunger of the heart. All over the world both rich and poor suffer. They are lonely, starving for love. Only God’s love can satisfy the hunger of the heart.”

Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:

from his autobiography, The Story of My Life:

It is always good to live with the chanting and to bring it out in a time of difficulty. It may seem odd to the people who are confining you, but it will always work in your favor. They will know you are religious and serious.

And I was there among the first. I feel he [Srila Prabhupada] will always remember me as “Satsvarupa” from my typing and donations and giving him a daily mango. He picked me up as a sad lonely hippie and made me a happy and responsible son. I will never forget those days or fail to treasure them.

At the welfare office I chanted Hare Krishna mantras silently in my mind. The Swami had approved the practice. I had told him my co-workers engaged in talking nonsense. He said, “Even the greatest philosophers are talking nonsense. Go on chanting Hare Krishna in your mind.”

Going to meet the Swami was the nectar of life, and I did it every morning for Caitanya-caritamrta class and every evening for kirtana and his Bhagavad-gita class. He was so kind and inviting, accepting me as I was, and giving me typing tasks. I gave him my money and that solidified my relationship. He called me “Sat-svaroop.” I don’t have to make up the early days. I just have to remember them as they were. Gradually more intimacy developed and a sense of belonging to his group. I was learning the philosophy of Krishna and eating lunch with him daily and taking “heavenly porridge” with the boys in the morning. It was a favorable burgeoning time. I remember leaving the storefront in the morning and walking to my workplace, feeling that I was a cowherd boy with my necktie in my back pocket. I had friendly talks with Rayarama and the others and felt they were my brotherhood of friends. I had moments alone with the Swami when I asked him questions about the philosophy and commented on how I was feeling. I was no longer intimidated by the city buildings in the concrete jungle. I saw them as material energy, and now they were temporary and in a sense unreal. Real was Krishna in the spiritual world. We had pictures of Radha and Krishna in Goloka Vrindavan. Gradually we were setting the foundation for lifelong commitment starting with the summer of 1966. We kind of knew what we were getting into.

I knew the Swami as my spiritual master, the guru of my soul. He was guiding me into my relationship with Krishna through him. We needed him to be there, and we wanted him and he was there. We knew where to find him, in his apartment, in his temple. He started a Sunday Love Feast and chanting in Tompkins Square Park. He was like putting milk in a bowl, and we were like cats lapping it up. Everything was auspicious, even as the season changed. So life revolved around the activities with the Swami and the future seemed eternal. We didn’t think of it ending. This was just fine, getting up at 1 a.m. and chanting japa on the red beads, sitting on the floor. Then dressing and leaving the apartment, entering the streets and passing people on your way to the storefront. As dependable as the Big Ben clock in London, the Swami would enter the storefront and step out of his shoes and sit and lead us in the morning tune chant for twenty minutes. Then he set up his reel-to-reel tape recorder and started lecturing about Sanatana Swami’s getting out of jail and going to meet Lord Caitanya in Benares. A cliff hanger lecture every morning. I can keep going back and remembering, and it’s always there. I don’t have to make it up. It all actually happened, and it was wonderful as he took me up and molded me into a devotee of Krishna consciousness. He is my Swami, and I hope to remember him now and at the hour of my death and to somehow go to him in that same mood as when I first joined him.

Aindra Prabhu:

from a lecture on March 16, 2009, in Varsana:

Humility means you have to be humble enough to realize that you are a fallen conditioned soul and your only hope is the sankirtana which has been specifically prescribed by the scripture and by Lord Caitanya and His representatives for the fallen souls of this age. No other process can help you.

Manadena means to respect the actual position of the living entities by engaging them in devotional service.

Book distribution is meant to convince the people to take to the sankirtana movement of Lord Caitanya.

If people do not do sankirtana. they will look for a higher taste elsewhere.

Japa is like taking tablets, and sankirtana is an injection.

from a lecture in March of 2010:

There are five more important items of devotional service, but the supreme item is nama-sankirtana. The other items cannot be complete without nama-sankirtana.

One comes to Vrindavan for the service of Srimati Radharani, and the best way to please Srimati Radharani is by chanting Hare Krishna. By pleasing Radharani only can we get the original Krishna.

We used to chant 8 or 10 hours a day [in public], and on Saturday 15 hours. Srila Prabhupada wrote a letter full of approval to Damodara Prabhu, our temple president, for our program in Washington, D.C., where we were chanting 14 hours a day.

In Vrindavan, for every hour of kirtana we get credit for a thousand hours of kirtana.

All except nama-sankirtana [the congregational chanting of the holy name] and what supports it, are cheating religion.

Laksmi Nrsimha Prabhu:

Rupa Goswami read Bharata Muni’s Rasa-tattva, describing mundane relationships in detail, and used his ideas in describing the eternal relationships we can have with Krishna.

In explaining the different rasas to people, I ask them, “Isn’t the love you have for your children different from the love you have for your spouse or the love you have for your parents?”

Dasa Mula—Ten Roots given by Bhaktivinoda Thakura
    1. Pramana: Evidence comes from the scripture.
    2. Parama-tattva: Hari alone is the Truth.
    3. He is the possessor of all potency.
    4. He is the source of all relationships, rasa.
    5. We are all his amsas (parts).
    6. Souls in this world are baddha (bound by maya [illusion]).
    7. Liberated souls are free from maya.
    8. We are simultaneous one with and different from Krishna [acintya-bheda-abheda].
    9. Pure devotion the is only means for perfection.
    10. Love of Krishna is the goal.

Respect means to look again and appreciate the good qualities of the person.

Aldous Huxley says the most realistic vision is to see our ourselves the way others see us and to see others the way they see themselves.

William James says that when two person are in a room there are actually six people: the way each person sees himself, the way each person sees the other, and the way each person actually is.

There is a Sufi saying that “words that come from the heart go to the heart, and words that just come from the lips do not make it past the ears.”

If we appreciate the qualities of others, we should express it.

Dayananda Swami:

Srila Prabhupada did not think the strategy of his godbrothers to distribute the books of his guru maharaja which were written for another time and place was so wise.

As we develop bhakti, our bhakti will impel us to spread it to others.

Maya likes senior devotees. [She says:] “Come with me . . . ”

Rama Raya Prabhu:

This sankirtana movement is not meant just to make a few street vendors teasingly take a few dance steps but to bring everyone on the planet to the point of chanting Hare Krishna with faith and love.

Because of the devotee’s attraction to Krishna, what is going on in the material world, no matter how popular or well advertised it is, is not of interest to him.

Q (by me): Is is sufficient just to go on harinama, which purifies the people, knowingly or unknowingly, to bring everyone on the planet to the point of chanting with faith and love or should we be doing other things too?
A: When the disease is severe, the medicine must be stronger and more frequently given. Thus there should be thousands of sankirtana parties going out regularly all over the world to bring people up to such a level of purity.

Radha Caran Prabhu:

Krishna arranges that the material bodies of the gopis stay home to please their family members while they go in the rasa dance with Krishna.

Pride disturbs the rasa [intimate relationship] we have Krishna, even in the case of the gopis [His most advanced devotees].

Ahladini Radharani Devi Dasa from her BTG article [Vol. 47, No. 1, page 22]:

“Just as red-hot cinders may smolder beneath a pile of hot ashes, love of God, though hidden, burns within the heart of every living entity. And just as blowing air on hot cinders can rekindle a flame, hearing the glories of the Lord can invoke one’s dormant love of God and revive one’s connection to Him.”

Caitanya-carana Prabhu:

Saying a resounding yes to Krsna is the most effective way of saying a decisive no to parasitic material desires.

Dr. Dina Bandhu Prabhu:

Religion regulates behavior, but so does our family or political system.

Religion is not so much different from other fields of study where there are teachers and a path.

Just as achieving an M.D. is not cheap, neither is attaining spiritual perfection.

Murali Gopal Prabhu:

Materialists love to know past, present, and future so they can maximize their sense gratification.

People are interested in the past life because they want to know why they are the way they are, but they do not ask the more important question, “What is my next life?”

Krishna’s cowherd boyfriends entered the mouth of the Aghasura demon fearlessly, although not knowing the future, because they had confidence that because Krishna was their friend, everything would be alright.

Although Krishna is omniscient, for the sake of His pastimes, He sometimes acts as if He does not know.

Although we may use astrology to understand some things about our nature, because a devotee is beyond karma, it cannot accurately predict a devotee’s life.

One devotee lady told Radhanatha Swami that before she became a devotee, by astrology she could very accurately see what was going to happen, but after she became a devotee sometimes astrology was accurate and sometimes not, and she asked him why. Radhanatha Swami explained that because she was now a devotee, Krishna was personally arranging her life.

a devotee at the Bhakti Center:

Offenses begin in the mind, progress to words and ultimately to action.

-----

kalim sabhajayanty arya
guna jñah 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).


Obama’s Speech
→ The Vaishnava Voice

This was President Obama’s speech yesterday:

Thank you. Thank you, Governor. To all the families, first responders, to the community of Newtown, clergy, guests – Scripture tells us: “…do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away…inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.”

We gather here in memory of twenty beautiful children and six remarkable adults. They lost their lives in a school that could have been any school; in a quiet town full of good and decent people that could be any town in America.

Here in Newtown, I come to offer the love and prayers of a nation. I am very mindful that mere words cannot match the depths of your sorrow, nor can they heal your wounded hearts. I can only hope it helps for you to know that you’re not alone in your grief; that our world too has been torn apart; that all across this land of ours, we have wept with you, we’ve pulled our children tight. And you must know that whatever measure of comfort we can provide, we will provide; whatever portion of sadness that we can share with you to ease this heavy load, we will gladly bear it. Newtown – you are not alone.

As these difficult days have unfolded, you’ve also inspired us with stories of strength and resolve and sacrifice. We know that when danger arrived in the halls of Sandy Hook Elementary, the school’s staff did not flinch, they did not hesitate. Dawn Hochsprung and Mary Sherlach, Vicki Soto, Lauren Rousseau, Rachel Davino and Anne Marie Murphy – they responded as we all hope we might respond in such terrifying circumstances – with courage and with love, giving their lives to protect the children in their care.

We know that there were other teachers who barricaded themselves inside classrooms, and kept steady through it all, and reassured their students by saying “wait for the good guys, they’re coming”; “show me your smile.”

And we know that good guys came. The first responders who raced to the scene, helping to guide those in harm’s way to safety, and comfort those in need, holding at bay their own shock and trauma because they had a job to do, and others needed them more.

And then there were the scenes of the schoolchildren, helping one another, holding each other, dutifully following instructions in the way that young children sometimes do; one child even trying to encourage a grown-up by saying, “I know karate. So it’s okay. I’ll lead the way out.”

As a community, you’ve inspired us, Newtown. In the face of indescribable violence, in the face of unconscionable evil, you’ve looked out for each other, and you’ve cared for one another, and you’ve loved one another.This is how Newtown will be remembered. And with time, and God’s grace, that love will see you through.

But we, as a nation, we are left with some hard questions. Someone once described the joy and anxiety of parenthood as the equivalent of having your heart outside of your body all the time, walking around. With their very first cry, this most precious, vital part of ourselves – our child – is suddenly exposed to the world, to possible mishap or malice. And every parent knows there is nothing we will not do to shield our children from harm. And yet, we also know that with that child’s very first step, and each step after that, they are separating from us; that we won’t – that we can’t always be there for them. They’ll suffer sickness and setbacks and broken hearts and disappointments. And we learn that our most important job is to give them what they need to become self-reliant and capable and resilient, ready to face the world without fear.

And we know we can’t do this by ourselves. It comes as a shock at a certain point where you realize, no matter how much you love these kids, you can’t do it by yourself. That this job of keeping our children safe, and teaching them well, is something we can only do together, with the help of friends and neighbors, the help of a community, and the help of a nation. And in that way, we come to realize that we bear a responsibility for every child because we’re counting on everybody else to help look after ours; that we’re all parents; that they’re all our children.

This is our first task – caring for our children. It’s our first job. If we don’t get that right, we don’t get anything right. That’s how, as a society, we will be judged.

And by that measure, can we truly say, as a nation, that we are meeting our obligations? Can we honestly say that we’re doing enough to keep our children – all of them – safe from harm? Can we claim, as a nation, that we’re all together there, letting them know that they are loved, and teaching them to love in return? Can we say that we’re truly doing enough to give all the children of this country the chance they deserve to live out their lives in happiness and with purpose?

I’ve been reflecting on this the last few days, and if we’re honest with ourselves, the answer is no. We’re not doing enough. And we will have to change.

Since I’ve been President, this is the fourth time we have come together to comfort a grieving community torn apart by a mass shooting. The fourth time we’ve hugged survivors. The fourth time we’ve consoled the families of victims. And in between, there have been an endless series of deadly shootings across the country, almost daily reports of victims, many of them children, in small towns and big cities all across America – victims whose – much of the time, their only fault was being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

We can’t tolerate this anymore. These tragedies must end. And to end them, we must change. We will be told that the causes of such violence are complex, and that is true. No single law – no set of laws can eliminate evil from the world, or prevent every senseless act of violence in our society.

But that can’t be an excuse for inaction. Surely, we can do better than this. If there is even one step we can take to save another child, or another parent, or another town, from the grief that has visited Tucson, and Aurora, and Oak Creek, and Newtown, and communities from Columbine to Blacksburg before that – then surely we have an obligation to try.

In the coming weeks, I will use whatever power this office holds to engage my fellow citizens – from law enforcement to mental health professionals to parents and educators – in an effort aimed at preventing more tragedies like this. Because what choice do we have? We can’t accept events like this as routine. Are we really prepared to say that we’re powerless in the face of such carnage, that the politics are too hard? Are we prepared to say that such violence visited on our children year after year after year is somehow the price of our freedom?

All the world’s religions – so many of them represented here today – start with a simple question: Why are we here? What gives our life meaning? What gives our acts purpose? We know our time on this Earth is fleeting. We know that we will each have our share of pleasure and pain; that even after we chase after some earthly goal, whether it’s wealth or power or fame, or just simple comfort, we will, in some fashion, fall short of what we had hoped. We know that no matter how good our intentions, we will all stumble sometimes, in some way. We will make mistakes, we will experience hardships. And even when we’re trying to do the right thing, we know that much of our time will be spent groping through the darkness, so often unable to discern God’s heavenly plans.

There’s only one thing we can be sure of, and that is the love that we have – for our children, for our families, for each other. The warmth of a small child’s embrace – that is true. The memories we have of them, the joy that they bring, the wonder we see through their eyes, that fierce and boundless love we feel for them, a love that takes us out of ourselves, and binds us to something larger – we know that’s what matters. We know we’re always doing right when we’re taking care of them, when we’re teaching them well, when we’re showing acts of kindness. We don’t go wrong when we do that.

That’s what we can be sure of. And that’s what you, the people of Newtown, have reminded us. That’s how you’ve inspired us. You remind us what matters. And that’s what should drive us forward in everything we do, for as long as God sees fit to keep us on this Earth.

“Let the little children come to me,” Jesus said, “and do not hinder them – for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”

Charlotte. Daniel. Olivia. Josephine. Ana. Dylan. Madeleine. Catherine. Chase. Jesse. James. Grace. Emilie. Jack. Noah. Caroline. Jessica. Benjamin. Avielle. Allison.

God has called them all home. For those of us who remain, let us find the strength to carry on, and make our country worthy of their memory.

May God bless and keep those we’ve lost in His heavenly place. May He grace those we still have with His holy comfort. And may He bless and watch over this community, and the United States of America.


BHAKTI YOGA SEASIDE RETREAT – Invitation
→ Welcome to the official site of ISKCON Perth

Dear Devotees and well-wishers,

It gives us great joy to invite you and your loved ones to the first Perth Hare Krishna spiritual event for 2013 THE BHAKTI YOGA SEASIDE RETREAT Come and join your friends and fellow devotees to get their sublime association in the tranquil settings of the Indian Ocean, whilst participating in a spiritual feast of activities ranging from transcendental kirtans, spiritually uplifting workshops, international cuisine prasadam, cultural and beach activities, japa walks and more. With fun activities for kids, there is something for everyone!

All are welcome.

Book (paid) by Dec 16 2012, to take advantage of the Early Bird Discount! We kindly request a donation of only $90 per adult and $50 per child (under 16) for the whole retreat (includes accommodation and meals).

Early bird donations are only $80 per adult and $45 per child (under 16) for the whole retreat (includes accommodation and meals). If you are unable to join us for the whole retreat, please take advantage of the day visitor option which includes prasadam and day activities (excludes accommodation at the retreat venue) for the days that suit you for a donation request of $35 per adult and $20 per child per day.

Venue: Alfred Hines Seaside Camp, Hymus Street, Point Peron, Rockingham

Dates: 25 -28 January 2013Arrival Time: Friday from 5pm

Register now, by simply completing the attached registration form and returning with full cash only payment to Jane ASAP.

For more information or sponsorship opportunities, please contact Jane on
0430 810 800 or email iskconperth1@gmail.com

Best Wishes,

Bhakti Yoga Seaside Retreat Organising Team

Bhakti_Yoga_Seaside_Retreat_Poster4

Bhakti_Yoga_Seaside_Retreat_Registeration_Form4

Forecasting Denial: Why Are TV Weathercasters Ignoring Climate Change?
→ The Yoga of Ecology




It's been a busy year for TV weathercasters: July was the hottest month ever recorded in the United States, unprecedented wildfires scorched the West, the worst drought in 50 years parched two-thirds of the county. Then, in October, Hurricane Sandy slammed into New York and New Jersey. Yet the cause of much of the meteorological mayhem – global warming – was rarely mentioned on air. The reason: There's a shockingly high chance that your friendly TV weatherman is a full-blown climate denier.



Forecasting Denial: Why Are TV Weathercasters Ignoring Climate Change?
→ The Yoga of Ecology




It's been a busy year for TV weathercasters: July was the hottest month ever recorded in the United States, unprecedented wildfires scorched the West, the worst drought in 50 years parched two-thirds of the county. Then, in October, Hurricane Sandy slammed into New York and New Jersey. Yet the cause of much of the meteorological mayhem – global warming – was rarely mentioned on air. The reason: There's a shockingly high chance that your friendly TV weatherman is a full-blown climate denier.



Travel Journal#8.20: The North of England and London
→ Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk


Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 8, No. 20
By Krishna-kripa das
(October 2012, part two)
The North of England and London
(Sent from Stuyvesant Falls, New York, on December 12, 2012)

Where I Went and What I Did

As Newcastle and The North of England are my base in the summer, I felt I should return there before going to the U.S.A. for the winter. I spent a few days in Newcastle and was happy that Prema Sankirtana Prabhu encouraged a few new devotees to go out with us on harinama, and they all had pleasant experiences. During one busy period from October 21 to October 29, I gave nine evening lectures, in Newcastle, Sunderland, Leeds, Sheffield, Preston, Liverpool, Bolton, Manchester, and London. Harinamas in Sheffield, Preston, and Bolton stand out in my mind. In Sheffield favorable people talked to me, in Preston a couple who met us on harinama came to our evening program, and in Bolton several children joined us, carrying our mantra signs, chanting, dancing, and even trying to play the drum. I have several pictures of that lively Bolton harinama. I was planning to fly to New York on October 30, so I could be there to do harinama on Halloween, but Hurricane Sandy, under the direction of the Supreme Lord, delayed my departure, so I got to chant for a few days with my London friends on Oxford Street. One London devotee who was committed to doing harinama every Thursday night at 6:00 p.m., decided to increase for Karttika and do harinama 6:00 p.m. every night that he had no other engagement. Thus as it turned out on Halloween, I got to give two lectures and go on harinama for four hours. Indeed, had I turned down the second lecture opportunity and continued with the harinama, it would have been six hours. I like college outreach programs, however, as I met the devotees at that time in my life and like to encourage people of that age, so I spoke to the students instead of doing more harinama. In London, I also met some friends from America, specifically, my former temple president in St. Augustine, Vasudeva Prabhu, who came to the UK to help start a devotee restaurant in Nottingham, and Estefania, who encountered the devotees in Gainesville, and was enroute to India to study Bhakti-sastri and for pilgrimage. She joined us for harinama in London on Halloween.

I do not have so many lecture notes to share, as I was staying at places without morning programs, just a few from London where I ended out the month, most notably one by Candramauli Swami and another by Gaura Krishna Prabhu.

Itinerary

Dec. 12–19, 2012: Serving Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami in Stuyvesant, NY
Dec. 19–23, 2012: harinama in New York City
Dec. 24–25, 2012: Visiting family in Albany, NY
Dec. 26, 2012–
Jan. 7, 2013: harinama in New York City
Jan. 8–April 2013: Gainesville, FL (with visits to Tallahassee and Jacksonville)

Memorable Harinamas in the North of England

This time in Sheffield was the only time I could not find anyone to go out with me on harinama. Moreover it was lightly sprinkling a lot of the time. Still a few people stopped to talk:
  1. an Eastern European who did not know we had Hare Krishna programs in Sheffield.
  2. two Muslim couples, stopping at different times, who upon hearing my explanation, considered that chanting God’s names in public was a good thing to do.
  3. a lady who was a follower of another Gaudiya Vaishnava group who did not know there were Hare Krishna programs in Sheffield.
Because of informing a few people about our local programs and our process of chanting the holy name, the fact that I was chanting alone in the rain did not negatively color my experience, but rather I felt glad I had gone out on harinama in Sheffield.

In Preston, Bhakta Doug is full of enthusiasm. The weekly Thursday program that had been reduced to a monthly Thursday program has been elevated to its former status as a weekly program by him. Moreover Bhakta Doug is always ready to go on harinama. While the two of us were on harinama, we met a couple who attend our programs at Bhaktivedanta Manor. The man works during the week at different cities in the UK, sometimes at a company office in Chorley, just 20 minutes from Preston. He was happy to learn of our Thursday programs in Preston, and he and his wife attended it that very night.

I was surprised to see the number of people roaming the streets of Bolton on Saturday during the time of our monthly harinama. Some were children who were attracted to join our kirtana party.


A few boys danced.


Two girls carried our Hare Krishna mantra signs in front of our party for some time. 


One guy even tried playing the drum.


One girl bowed down to the the devotees.


One girl delighted in taking pictures of her friends with the devotees. The children must have participated for at least 45 minutes. Local devotees say that this was not the first time the kids participated. After the harinama, as we were driving to the temple for the program after, two of the girls who had held our mantra signs, spotted us in the car, and ran up to smilingly knuckle touch our driver.

Vrajendralal Prabhu, singing in front in the picture below, is the leader of the monthly Bolton harinama program, which is generally the last Saturday of the month.


Thanks to Manish Negi for the photos. To see more, if you have access to Facebook, click on this link: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151297177153665.514451.519068664&type=3


Insights

Candramauli Swami:

Even the residents of Vrindavana got into trouble because of their relationship with Krishna, but He saved them in the end. Krishna will always save you. Sometimes not in the beginning but in the end.

Life is about learning how to die in the right consciousness, thinking of Krishna, so you attain the spiritual world. One is happy to leave when Krishna says it is time to go.

Spiritual life is difficult, but material life is impossible. Material life is impossible because whatever you gain you lose, but in spiritual life, your spiritual assets come with you to the next life.

Hanuman becomes a physician, Murari Gupta, in Lord Caitanya’s pastimes. Actually he was also a physician in Lord Rama’s pastimes because he brought the herbs to bring Laksman back to life.
In the last stanza of the “Damodarastakam” the phrase “your unlimited pastimes” refers to rasa-lila [Lord Krishna’s celebrated dance with the gopis].

If we could hear Krishna’s flute we would drop everything in the material world.

When pride enters, Krishna is gone.

Bhakti means to assist the Lord in His pastimes.

The gopis always aspire to assist Radha and Krishna in Their pastimes.

People say they love God, but what do they actually do for God?

If you want to do something to increase the happiness of the other person, that is love.

Radharani can please Krishna by being mad at Him, and that is difficult to do, but Radha can do it.

Krishna wants to taste love from each and every soul.

In this world, people pray to God for food, but in the spiritual world, they consider what food to offer to God.

Prabhupada says Krishna’s favorite sweet is rasgulla.

The soft sweet sound in the heart is the Lord, and that loud voice is our false ego.

Krishna’s name, Gopi-vallabha, means one who gives ever newer pleasure to the gopis.

Niranjana Swami:

from a recorded lecture in Ukraine:

Krishna enjoys by sharing the pleasure He enjoys with His devotees.

Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:

from his autobiography entitled, The Story of My Life:

“Krishna-kripa quoted Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati as saying harinama sankirtana was the emperor of all sadhanas. Every form of sadhana must have its connection with harinama sankirtana in order to have its meaning. He said this was the best quote he had ever found and Agnideva said, ‘Wow!’ I hope I connected to harinama sankirtana while describing the spring, otherwise it’s useless. We chant while we work, singing the Lord’s Names.”

from Viraha Bhavan, October 25, 2012 poem:

I am remembering Bhaktisiddhanta
Sarasvati’s saying that the Hare Krishna mantra
is nama-bhajana to Radha.

Gaura Krishna Prabhu:

When Gopa Kumara attained Goloka Vrindavana and ran up to Krishna and embraced Him, they both fainted in ecstasy. At Heathrow you will see many reunions, but nothing like that.

Our reunion with Krishna comes through service.

We each have a special thing to offer to Krishna. Although He is self-sufficient He is missing that special thing until we reconnect and offer it to Him.

Kirtida dd:

Krishna explains that without tolerating dualities we cannot come up to the level of spiritual knowledge.

Radha Mohan Prabhu:

Just as people all over world were interested when Bin Ladin was killed, all the demigods were very interested to hear that Krishna had killed Aghasura.

Although Krishna as the Lord is worthy of being served, He took pleasure in letting His friends eat their lunch while He searched for the calves.

comment by Gaura Prabhu:

One student who joined a devotional retreat in South Africa became convinced that this Krishna consciousness was something special by the end of it because all we did was sing the same song and yet it got better and better. Thus he joined and became a very good preacher.

Radha Ramana Prabhu (of Wales):

conversation of prospective disciple with Radhanatha Swami:

prospective disciple: I feel you are my spiritual master.
Radhanatha Swami: I feel I am your servant.

-----

tava kathamritam tapta-jivanam
kavibhir iditam kalmashapaham
sravana-mangalam srimad atatam
bhuvi grinanti ye bhuri-da janah

[The gopis addressing Lord Krishna:] “The nectar of Your words and the descriptions of Your activities are the life and soul of those suffering in this material world. These narrations, transmitted by learned sages, eradicate one’s sinful reactions and bestow good fortune upon whoever hears them. These narrations are broadcast all over the world and are filled with spiritual power. Certainly those who spread the message of Godhead are most munificent.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.31.9)

Travel Journal#8.20: The North of England and London
→ Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk


Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 8, No. 20
By Krishna-kripa das
(October 2012, part two)
The North of England and London
(Sent from Stuyvesant Falls, New York, on December 12, 2012)

Where I Went and What I Did

As Newcastle and The North of England are my base in the summer, I felt I should return there before going to the U.S.A. for the winter. I spent a few days in Newcastle and was happy that Prema Sankirtana Prabhu encouraged a few new devotees to go out with us on harinama, and they all had pleasant experiences. During one busy period from October 21 to October 29, I gave nine evening lectures, in Newcastle, Sunderland, Leeds, Sheffield, Preston, Liverpool, Bolton, Manchester, and London. Harinamas in Sheffield, Preston, and Bolton stand out in my mind. In Sheffield favorable people talked to me, in Preston a couple who met us on harinama came to our evening program, and in Bolton several children joined us, carrying our mantra signs, chanting, dancing, and even trying to play the drum. I have several pictures of that lively Bolton harinama. I was planning to fly to New York on October 30, so I could be there to do harinama on Halloween, but Hurricane Sandy, under the direction of the Supreme Lord, delayed my departure, so I got to chant for a few days with my London friends on Oxford Street. One London devotee who was committed to doing harinama every Thursday night at 6:00 p.m., decided to increase for Karttika and do harinama 6:00 p.m. every night that he had no other engagement. Thus as it turned out on Halloween, I got to give two lectures and go on harinama for four hours. Indeed, had I turned down the second lecture opportunity and continued with the harinama, it would have been six hours. I like college outreach programs, however, as I met the devotees at that time in my life and like to encourage people of that age, so I spoke to the students instead of doing more harinama. In London, I also met some friends from America, specifically, my former temple president in St. Augustine, Vasudeva Prabhu, who came to the UK to help start a devotee restaurant in Nottingham, and Estefania, who encountered the devotees in Gainesville, and was enroute to India to study Bhakti-sastri and for pilgrimage. She joined us for harinama in London on Halloween.

I do not have so many lecture notes to share, as I was staying at places without morning programs, just a few from London where I ended out the month, most notably one by Candramauli Swami and another by Gaura Krishna Prabhu.

Itinerary

Dec. 12–19, 2012: Serving Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami in Stuyvesant, NY
Dec. 19–23, 2012: harinama in New York City
Dec. 24–25, 2012: Visiting family in Albany, NY
Dec. 26, 2012–
Jan. 7, 2013: harinama in New York City
Jan. 8–April 2013: Gainesville, FL (with visits to Tallahassee and Jacksonville)

Memorable Harinamas in the North of England

This time in Sheffield was the only time I could not find anyone to go out with me on harinama. Moreover it was lightly sprinkling a lot of the time. Still a few people stopped to talk:
  1. an Eastern European who did not know we had Hare Krishna programs in Sheffield.
  2. two Muslim couples, stopping at different times, who upon hearing my explanation, considered that chanting God’s names in public was a good thing to do.
  3. a lady who was a follower of another Gaudiya Vaishnava group who did not know there were Hare Krishna programs in Sheffield.
Because of informing a few people about our local programs and our process of chanting the holy name, the fact that I was chanting alone in the rain did not negatively color my experience, but rather I felt glad I had gone out on harinama in Sheffield.

In Preston, Bhakta Doug is full of enthusiasm. The weekly Thursday program that had been reduced to a monthly Thursday program has been elevated to its former status as a weekly program by him. Moreover Bhakta Doug is always ready to go on harinama. While the two of us were on harinama, we met a couple who attend our programs at Bhaktivedanta Manor. The man works during the week at different cities in the UK, sometimes at a company office in Chorley, just 20 minutes from Preston. He was happy to learn of our Thursday programs in Preston, and he and his wife attended it that very night.

I was surprised to see the number of people roaming the streets of Bolton on Saturday during the time of our monthly harinama. Some were children who were attracted to join our kirtana party.


A few boys danced.


Two girls carried our Hare Krishna mantra signs in front of our party for some time. 


One guy even tried playing the drum.


One girl bowed down to the the devotees.


One girl delighted in taking pictures of her friends with the devotees. The children must have participated for at least 45 minutes. Local devotees say that this was not the first time the kids participated. After the harinama, as we were driving to the temple for the program after, two of the girls who had held our mantra signs, spotted us in the car, and ran up to smilingly knuckle touch our driver.

Vrajendralal Prabhu, singing in front in the picture below, is the leader of the monthly Bolton harinama program, which is generally the last Saturday of the month.


Thanks to Manish Negi for the photos. To see more, if you have access to Facebook, click on this link: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151297177153665.514451.519068664&type=3


Insights

Candramauli Swami:

Even the residents of Vrindavana got into trouble because of their relationship with Krishna, but He saved them in the end. Krishna will always save you. Sometimes not in the beginning but in the end.

Life is about learning how to die in the right consciousness, thinking of Krishna, so you attain the spiritual world. One is happy to leave when Krishna says it is time to go.

Spiritual life is difficult, but material life is impossible. Material life is impossible because whatever you gain you lose, but in spiritual life, your spiritual assets come with you to the next life.

Hanuman becomes a physician, Murari Gupta, in Lord Caitanya’s pastimes. Actually he was also a physician in Lord Rama’s pastimes because he brought the herbs to bring Laksman back to life.
In the last stanza of the “Damodarastakam” the phrase “your unlimited pastimes” refers to rasa-lila [Lord Krishna’s celebrated dance with the gopis].

If we could hear Krishna’s flute we would drop everything in the material world.

When pride enters, Krishna is gone.

Bhakti means to assist the Lord in His pastimes.

The gopis always aspire to assist Radha and Krishna in Their pastimes.

People say they love God, but what do they actually do for God?

If you want to do something to increase the happiness of the other person, that is love.

Radharani can please Krishna by being mad at Him, and that is difficult to do, but Radha can do it.

Krishna wants to taste love from each and every soul.

In this world, people pray to God for food, but in the spiritual world, they consider what food to offer to God.

Prabhupada says Krishna’s favorite sweet is rasgulla.

The soft sweet sound in the heart is the Lord, and that loud voice is our false ego.

Krishna’s name, Gopi-vallabha, means one who gives ever newer pleasure to the gopis.

Niranjana Swami:

from a recorded lecture in Ukraine:

Krishna enjoys by sharing the pleasure He enjoys with His devotees.

Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:

from his autobiography entitled, The Story of My Life:

“Krishna-kripa quoted Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati as saying harinama sankirtana was the emperor of all sadhanas. Every form of sadhana must have its connection with harinama sankirtana in order to have its meaning. He said this was the best quote he had ever found and Agnideva said, ‘Wow!’ I hope I connected to harinama sankirtana while describing the spring, otherwise it’s useless. We chant while we work, singing the Lord’s Names.”

from Viraha Bhavan, October 25, 2012 poem:

I am remembering Bhaktisiddhanta
Sarasvati’s saying that the Hare Krishna mantra
is nama-bhajana to Radha.

Gaura Krishna Prabhu:

When Gopa Kumara attained Goloka Vrindavana and ran up to Krishna and embraced Him, they both fainted in ecstasy. At Heathrow you will see many reunions, but nothing like that.

Our reunion with Krishna comes through service.

We each have a special thing to offer to Krishna. Although He is self-sufficient He is missing that special thing until we reconnect and offer it to Him.

Kirtida dd:

Krishna explains that without tolerating dualities we cannot come up to the level of spiritual knowledge.

Radha Mohan Prabhu:

Just as people all over world were interested when Bin Ladin was killed, all the demigods were very interested to hear that Krishna had killed Aghasura.

Although Krishna as the Lord is worthy of being served, He took pleasure in letting His friends eat their lunch while He searched for the calves.

comment by Gaura Prabhu:

One student who joined a devotional retreat in South Africa became convinced that this Krishna consciousness was something special by the end of it because all we did was sing the same song and yet it got better and better. Thus he joined and became a very good preacher.

Radha Ramana Prabhu (of Wales):

conversation of prospective disciple with Radhanatha Swami:

prospective disciple: I feel you are my spiritual master.
Radhanatha Swami: I feel I am your servant.

-----

tava kathamritam tapta-jivanam
kavibhir iditam kalmashapaham
sravana-mangalam srimad atatam
bhuvi grinanti ye bhuri-da janah

[The gopis addressing Lord Krishna:] “The nectar of Your words and the descriptions of Your activities are the life and soul of those suffering in this material world. These narrations, transmitted by learned sages, eradicate one’s sinful reactions and bestow good fortune upon whoever hears them. These narrations are broadcast all over the world and are filled with spiritual power. Certainly those who spread the message of Godhead are most munificent.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.31.9)

Guess Whose Coming to Town?
→ Toronto Sankirtan Adventures


The much awaited weekend is here, the icing on the “Marathon Cake” – His Grace Vaisesika Prabhu and Her Grace Nirakula Mataji arrive on Thursday! An exciting extended weekend has been arranged for your transcendental pleasure and inspiration!
 
If you've been to any of these events before, you surely need no convincing; and if you have not, then you really don’t know what you're missing! Check out the detailed schedule below, and mark off the dates! Make the most of this amazing weekend, come and drown into the ocean of bliss…as much as you can!



Detailed Schedule
Special 4-part Srimad Bhagavatam Classes (Fri Dec 14th to Mon Dec 17th, 7:30 to 9:00 am): “Books are the Basis - Meeting Krishna Through Srila Prabhupada's Books”
“By regular attendance in classes on the Bhāgavatam 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.” Srimad Bhagavatam 1.2.18
Come to inspire and be inspired, learn how to do “Sastra-deity worship”, develop strong personal sadhana through reading and distributing Srila Prabhupada's Books

Friday Evening Seminar (Dec 14th, 6:30 – 9:00 pm) on Top 6 Techniques to Fast Track your Krishna Conscious ‘Career’
Where do you see your Krishna Consciousness in 5, 10…25 years? What did that senior devotee do right? How to maintain and grow your KC with increasing responsibilities in life (family/job/health)? Come to find out answers to these questions from the ancient yoga texts!

Saturday Street Sankirtan Festival (Dec 15th, Noon – 4:00pm)
A rare chance to head out with Vaisesika Prabhu and share this beautiful gift of Krishna Consciousness with people of Toronto! Highlight is the sharing of the nectar stories with everyone over sumptuous lunch prasadam in the temple!

Saturday Bhajan Night (Dec 15th, 7:00 - 9:00 pm) - Bhajans with Sankirtan Stories led by Vaisesika Prabhu
The all-famous Bhajan Night interspersed with Sankirtan Stories. Come...get a glimpse of the spiritual world!

Sunday Feast Lecture & Kirtan (Dec 16th, 6:30 – 9:00pm) 
Not to be missed!

Guess Whose Coming to Town?
→ Toronto Sankirtan Adventures


The much awaited weekend is here, the icing on the “Marathon Cake” – His Grace Vaisesika Prabhu and Her Grace Nirakula Mataji arrive on Thursday! An exciting extended weekend has been arranged for your transcendental pleasure and inspiration!
 
If you've been to any of these events before, you surely need no convincing; and if you have not, then you really don’t know what you're missing! Check out the detailed schedule below, and mark off the dates! Make the most of this amazing weekend, come and drown into the ocean of bliss…as much as you can!



Detailed Schedule
Special 4-part Srimad Bhagavatam Classes (Fri Dec 14th to Mon Dec 17th, 7:30 to 9:00 am): “Books are the Basis - Meeting Krishna Through Srila Prabhupada's Books”
“By regular attendance in classes on the Bhāgavatam 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.” Srimad Bhagavatam 1.2.18
Come to inspire and be inspired, learn how to do “Sastra-deity worship”, develop strong personal sadhana through reading and distributing Srila Prabhupada's Books

Friday Evening Seminar (Dec 14th, 6:30 – 9:00 pm) on Top 6 Techniques to Fast Track your Krishna Conscious ‘Career’
Where do you see your Krishna Consciousness in 5, 10…25 years? What did that senior devotee do right? How to maintain and grow your KC with increasing responsibilities in life (family/job/health)? Come to find out answers to these questions from the ancient yoga texts!

Saturday Street Sankirtan Festival (Dec 15th, Noon – 4:00pm)
A rare chance to head out with Vaisesika Prabhu and share this beautiful gift of Krishna Consciousness with people of Toronto! Highlight is the sharing of the nectar stories with everyone over sumptuous lunch prasadam in the temple!

Saturday Bhajan Night (Dec 15th, 7:00 - 9:00 pm) - Bhajans with Sankirtan Stories led by Vaisesika Prabhu
The all-famous Bhajan Night interspersed with Sankirtan Stories. Come...get a glimpse of the spiritual world!

Sunday Feast Lecture & Kirtan (Dec 16th, 6:30 – 9:00pm) 
Not to be missed!

“I’ll Be Your Best Friend”
→ Devamrita Swami's Facebook notes

The interior of Mexico, Guadalajara, is one of my last stops, before a 4-month journey around the world ends. Of course, the life of a traveling swami means that the finish of one journey soon fades into the fresh start of another. Will ever there be "home sweet home" for me? Well, frankly not in this lifetime, not in this world.

Don't worry, the reality is not as cold and heartless as it may sound. As the years in bhakti roll by, the more I seek to surround myself with glorification of Krishna, the more at home I feel. Basking in the association of bhakti-yogis eager to share talks and songs of Krishna, for me, means lying on the genuine lap of luxury. Just to be in the midst of Krishna talks and Krishna kirtan "sends me."

Maybe when you were a little, you would tell another kid, "Do this for me—for example, give me one of your candies—and I promise, you'll be my best friend." So if you want to grant me mercy, then indulge me in hearing, reading, and singing of Govinda, the enlivener of the cows and sense. Do it, and you can be my friend.

And remember, actually every living entity is homeless in this world, having strayed from our original home with Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Pleasure, who says:

"I am not in Vaikuntha nor in the hearts of the yogis. I remain where devotees engage in glorifying My activities." 

At Every Moment
→ kirtaniyah sada hari

In an age where the expectation is instant, whether it be in attaining gratification, results or service, it's no wonder that the path of Bhakti may seem difficult for some. And when I say some, I mean me!

This type of inculcation by modern society results in the mind becoming weak and susceptible to the notion that surrender to Krsna is next to impossible. Why? Because surrender is an active process that requires strength, faith in Krsna and most of all the realization that it is not a one time deal. Surrender to Krsna is something we must practice at every moment.

I remember when I first heard this. It instantly sat right with me. But then as time went on and the actual work needed to get started, I wasn't so keen anymore. Surrendering at every moment starts with becoming more conscious of Krsna. Specifically it means being able to see the Krsna conscious perspective of a situation and learning to let go of what "I think is right" and seeing through the eyes of sastra (i.e. seeing through the lens of what Krsna and his authorized representatives have told us).

Surrender is also difficult because it involves our free will, which is something some of us are not very good at utilizing. Normally we use our free will to protect the ego and defend our actions. Surrendering at every moment means we now have to choose between what's best according to Krsna, guru, sadhu and sastra and choosing to act according to what our mind thinks is best (which is normally the easy and "instant" way out).

Old habits are hard to overcome. After lifetimes of choosing "my" way, is it any surprise that we now grapple with utilizing our free will properly? But as I often have to tell my mind, it's not an excuse to give up. Like anything, this struggle can only help us become stronger if in conjunction we are practicing a strong regimen of chanting, serving the devotees and eating food offered with love to Krsna.

It's like lifting weights. I remember when I first started a year ago; it was embarrassing how weak I was! But when I made a commitment to go regularly, eat better and rest properly, I was surprised to see that I was making progress. In fact, the time soon came where I felt the need to increase the weight since it was getting easy.

I'm no expert on surrender, in fact I'm probably in the pre-school class, but it only makes sense that the proper diet and lifestyle change would need to be accompanied in the "Surrender program".

We always need a challenge, whether we realize it or not. So what better way to challenge oneself than increase the frequency by which we surrender to Krsna! Krsna says He helps those who help themselves, so what are we waiting for? Let's go grab that help!





At Every Moment
→ kirtaniyah sada hari

In an age where the expectation is instant, whether it be in attaining gratification, results or service, it's no wonder that the path of Bhakti may seem difficult for some. And when I say some, I mean me!

This type of inculcation by modern society results in the mind becoming weak and susceptible to the notion that surrender to Krsna is next to impossible. Why? Because surrender is an active process that requires strength, faith in Krsna and most of all the realization that it is not a one time deal. Surrender to Krsna is something we must practice at every moment.

I remember when I first heard this. It instantly sat right with me. But then as time went on and the actual work needed to get started, I wasn't so keen anymore. Surrendering at every moment starts with becoming more conscious of Krsna. Specifically it means being able to see the Krsna conscious perspective of a situation and learning to let go of what "I think is right" and seeing through the eyes of sastra (i.e. seeing through the lens of what Krsna and his authorized representatives have told us).

Surrender is also difficult because it involves our free will, which is something some of us are not very good at utilizing. Normally we use our free will to protect the ego and defend our actions. Surrendering at every moment means we now have to choose between what's best according to Krsna, guru, sadhu and sastra and choosing to act according to what our mind thinks is best (which is normally the easy and "instant" way out).

Old habits are hard to overcome. After lifetimes of choosing "my" way, is it any surprise that we now grapple with utilizing our free will properly? But as I often have to tell my mind, it's not an excuse to give up. Like anything, this struggle can only help us become stronger if in conjunction we are practicing a strong regimen of chanting, serving the devotees and eating food offered with love to Krsna.

It's like lifting weights. I remember when I first started a year ago; it was embarrassing how weak I was! But when I made a commitment to go regularly, eat better and rest properly, I was surprised to see that I was making progress. In fact, the time soon came where I felt the need to increase the weight since it was getting easy.

I'm no expert on surrender, in fact I'm probably in the pre-school class, but it only makes sense that the proper diet and lifestyle change would need to be accompanied in the "Surrender program".

We always need a challenge, whether we realize it or not. So what better way to challenge oneself than increase the frequency by which we surrender to Krsna! Krsna says He helps those who help themselves, so what are we waiting for? Let's go grab that help!





Travel Journal#8.19: The North of England, Scotland, and Ireland
→ Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk


Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 8, No. 19
By Krishna-kripa das
(October 2012, part one)
The North of England, Scotland, and Ireland
(Sent from Stuyvesant Falls, New York, on December 8, 2012)

Where I Went and What I Did

As the World Holy Name Festival continued into October, I continued traveling with Janananda Goswami and his party around Manchester, Newcastle, and up to Edinburgh, Scotland, where devotees held an 8-hour kirtana in the hall of a church downtown, and invited their yoga friends, and the people in general. I left the two-day Scottish festival, which continued on at Karuna Bhavan, to go to Belfast and help with a program for Quaker children at our temple there. Then after three days of harinama in Belfast, we chanted in Enniskillen, near Govindadvipa (Inis Rath), our Hare Krishna island in Northern Ireland. Friday we did harinama to all three Govinda’s Restaurants in Dublin. Saturday we did our second 12-hour harinama in Dublin, and got a larger participation than before. Sunday was the Sunday feast program, and Monday we did 12-hours of kirtana at the temple. Tuesday we did harinama in Bray, a city outside of Dublin and the usual Tuesday evening kirtana program, before returning to The North of England.

I share Srila Prabhupada notes as usual, and notes from Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami’s writings, including his recently printed autobiography, The Story of My Life, which includes new Prabhupada stories and Hare Krishna history. I also have realizations from Janananda Goswami and several Prabhupada disciples from the UK and Ireland, and a few other devotees.

Itinerary

Dec. 8–9, 2012: Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami Vyasa-puja
Dec. 10–23, 2012: Serving SDG in Stuyvesant, NY
Dec. 24–25, 2012: Visiting family in Albany, NY
Dec. 26, 2012–
Jan. 7, 2013: harinama in New York City
Jan. 8–April 2013: Gainesville, FL (with visits to Tallahassee and Jacksonville)

Edinburgh 8-hour Kirtana

I was happy that my first visit to Scotland was on the occasion of an 8-hour kirtana in Edinburgh. Janananda Goswami arrived just over an hour early and organized a harinama in the streets of Edinburgh, and we distributed the remaining invitations to the interested people. The venue for the event was a church community room, and different yoga people and alternative people came, some for the first time. Diya from Sunderland led a lively kirtana, and many of her friends danced nicely in the audience. Janananda Goswami led a super lively kirtana, with almost everyone dancing, and our only lamentation was he was not given a longer slot. Some of the organizers knew me and kindly allowed me to sing for half an hour. Gaura Prabhu from South Africa, who lives in Mayapur, played the drum, and by the end a lot of people danced nicely.

Quaker Kids Program at Belfast Temple

Every four years the First Day School teacher at the Belfast Friends Meeting (Quakers) brings her students to the Hare Krishna temple to experience another religious practice. Shelina, who had done the program four years ago, led the program again, and I assisted. I mentioned some of important similarities in the two philosophies, such as life is meant for seeking spiritual truth and the Lord is within everyone’s heart. I also taught a simple mrdanga (drum) beat to any child who wanted to learn, and I dressed interested boys in cadars. I was impressed with the good behavior of the kids. One boy almost immediately picked up the drum beat.

Enniskillen and Dublin Harinamas

During the whole bus ride from Belfast to Enniskillen rain was pouring down. Earlier I had been joking with the devotees about whether praying for good weather was bona fide. When we began to chant the rain stopped, and by the end of the three-hour kirtana the sun could often be seen. One lady who was interested in yoga bought a book from our book distributor and gave us a donation beyond that. She was happy to hear we had a temple in nearby Derrylin. Thus austerity of the bus ride and inclement weather was worth it as someone was happy to come in touch with Krishna.

The next we went to Dublin and did harinama in the late afternoon. My friend, Dhruva Prabhu, who is an ISKCON tourist was happy that on our evening harinama we visited all three of our restaurants in Dublin. We had tea in a couple places in addition to spring rolls, but unfortunately the desserts had already sold out. My fingers suffered from playing instruments in the cold weather.

Dublin’s Second 12-hour Harinama and 12-hour Kirtana


Everyone who went on our 12-hour harinama back in July really liked it, so Ananta Nitai Prabhu and I organized another one for October.



Ananta Nitai was so enthusiastic he also organized a 12-hour kirtana at the temple two days later. Having a positive experience, he decided to try to do a 12-hour harinama the first Saturday of each month, and follow it by a 12-hour kirtana on the following Monday. This time a traveling party of brahmacari book distributors mostly from Poland joined forces with us for the 12-hour harinama and increased our ecstasy.


 One man who had seen us chanting for 12-hours on Saturday was surprised to see us chanting on Sunday morning. Nanda Kumar Prabhu and Bhaktin Anet distributed many books during the course of the harinama, which spend most of its time at the big intersection near the temple. In the evening, instead of doing the usual sit-down harinama, since the sidewalk was wet, we did harinama to a crowded area called Temple Bar, which is frequented more for its bars than its temples. One Indian girl looked with interest at our chanting party, and I talked with her and she followed us. She explained that because it was Saturday the train schedule was different, and she missed her last train home and thus had the opportunity to meet our harinama party. That was Krishna’s mercy on her. She expressed an interest in coming to our events, and I hope she remembers this desire of hers at the opportune time to act on it.

Devotees joined our 12-hour kirtana throughout the day on Monday, and there were always just enough people to keep in going. 



Manu Prabhu, one of Dublin ISKCON’s celebrated kirtana leaders, was one of the singers.


I danced a lot of the time.


Caitanya-candrodaya Prabhu took pictures of the devotees during the kirtana, and they are all so meditative. I share a couple. Thanks for all of your pictures of the harinama and kirtana in Dublin, Caitanya!





On Tuesday we traveled with the brahmacari book distributors to Bray, about half an hour from Dublin, and we chanted as they distributed books. Because we had chanted for twelve hours the previous Saturday and Monday, we found two and three-quarters hours went by like no time at all.

Insights

Srila Prabhupada:
from Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.14.26, purport:
“The scientists are cheaters because they present so many bogus things in the name of science. They propose going to the moon, but actually they end up cheating the entire public of large sums of money for their experiments. They cannot do anything useful. Unless one can find a person transcendental to the four basic defects, one should not accept advice and become a victim of the material condition. The best process is to take the advice and instructions of Sri Krishna or His bona fide representative. In this way one can be happy in this life and the next.”

Janananda Goswami:

If we had as much enthusiasm for Krishna as we do for our computers and mobiles, we could make rapid advancement.

There are some things we do every day, eat, sleep, use the toilet, and brush our teeth. Similarly we should read Srila Prabhupada’s books every day.

Krishna consciousness is not just to make our material life or our present existence more comfortable. It is to go to the spiritual world and to become released from birth and death and redevelop our relationship with Krishna.

Four things given by Srila Prabhupada to make your house a temple.
  1. have an altar
  2. offer your food to Krishna
  3. chant the holy name, the Hare Krishna maha-mantra
  4. read the scriptures
Another important activity for householders is taking care of guests.

Srila Prabhupada told his GBC members their first duty is to make sure everyone in the temple is chanting 16 rounds of Hare Krishna and following the four rules prohibiting intoxication, meat-eating, illicit sex, and gambling.

Haridasa Thakura was chanting 300,000 names of the Lord before Lord Caitanya’s appearance.
Sometimes it is described that some devotee of the Lord is an incarnation of two intimate associates of the Lord. This is not so strange as in the material world sometimes someone is haunted by a ghost and two souls are inhabiting the same body and vying for control. Of course, in the Lord’s pastimes, the two devotees are cooperating to serve the Lord’s mission.
Q: How to measure spiritual strength?
A: Enthusiasm for chanting and hearing and association with devotees, enthusiasm to render service, being less affected by our material situation, taking shelter of guru and Krishna, all these are symptoms of spiritual strength. When the body ages, you may not be able to do so much physical activity, but you still have enthusiasm for them.
One devotee who was 93 years old was explaining he could not remember anything but Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare, but in one sense, that is a good thing.
Story of Mother Isa who Niranjana Swami visited in a nursing home: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=10841&paged=2
If we are not feeling increasing spiritual strength, perhaps we are being tested by Krishna or else we have done something unfavorable.
When we carry on our spiritual practice beyond our slip ups, we can become stronger than before.
One devotee had a late night program and so his sadhana was quite irregular and the devotees were concerned and asked Srila Prabhupada whether he should be asked to leave the temple. Srila Prabhupada replied that if he at least goes to mangala-arati, our early morning service, then he can stay.
We had five classes a day in our first temple in London on Bury Place—two in the morning, The Nectar of Devotion or Sri Isopanisad before greeting of the deities, Bhagavatam class after, The Nectar of Devotion or Sri Isopanisad (whichever was not done in the morning) before the evening arati, Bhagavad-gita after, then a song class and Krishna book reading after the evening arati.

comments by Saksi Gopal Prabhu:

In the early days one new devotee was sent by the treasurer, with a half-shaved head to go out and collect for a razor blade to finish the job.

One time in the early days the pujari came through temple room to bring the breakfast offering to the deities and found that not only had everyone hearing the morning class fallen asleep but the speaker had also fallen asleep.

Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami (mostly from his web site, www.sdgonline.org):

from Narada-bhakti-sutra, text 67, purport:

“Being single-pointed in devotional service does not mean shutting out reality. Exclusivity can become sectarian if one focuses on relative truths or dedicates oneself to an ordinary person. But when the object of appreciation is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one attains the broadest vision, the vision of a mahatma.”

from Viraha Bhavan, October 3, 2012, poem:
They say if you prematurely
think yourself a sakhi you
will come back next life
as a material woman.

from Viraha Bhavan, October 15, 2012, poem:

Prabhupada said if we
follow him he has a key
to enter the back door of
Goloka Vrndavana. I am
counting on that, although I am
completely unfit.

from The Story of My Life, his autobiography:

“[At Ananda Ashram] We had a wild kirtana in the big yoga studio. Swamiji let a black man play a big double bass, swinging it in rhythm like a jazz beat. We danced around in a big circle. The ISKCON people mixed with the Ananda Ashram people. Round and round we danced in ecstasy for an hour.”

“Himavati made him [Srila Prabhupada] a set of clothes for Them [his Radha-Krishna deities]. Radharani’s skirt was a little short. “That is all right,” he wrote, “It affords us a look at Her lotus feet.”

A boy had raised his hand for a question. “What happens when you go inside and you look further and further and further and Further!?” He was crazy. Prabhupada replied, “That I do not know. You know.” That boy chanted Hare Krishna and became an initiated disciple in time, Kusakratha. He became a great Sanskrit scholar.

ISKCON is like the Ganges, sometimes it is flowing thin and somewhere it is roaring wide, but it is always flowing.

Srila Prabhupada asked us why we closed the temple and came to New York. What did we leave Jagannath, Baladeva, and Subhadra locked up? “If you left me locked up in a room how would I eat?” he asked. He told us not to do that again.

Once I was preparing eggplant and small peanuts at his request and he [Srila Prabhupada] came into the kitchen to see how I was doing. He said, “I don’t ask for this because I want it. I just want to train you in how to cook it.”

He [Srila Prabhupada] liked a cup of warm milk with sugar in the evening also.

I took part in an all-night schedule of single men going inside Prabhupada’s mosquito net and sitting on his bed and rubbing his body. I would take the ten to midnight or the midnight to 2 a.m. time. That was very intimate, and you had to use all your strength to keep rubbing him and stay awake. I managed to do this, and it was a great thrill of loving exchange towards him. It was hard to keep awake, and I did it by thinking who Prabhupada was, siksa-guru for anyone who had the sense to come to him, and diksa-guru for anyone who had vowed to be his eternal servant. “I am so fallen, Prabhupada,” I thought, “I want to fall asleep. I must stay awake and massage you for your comfort.” I managed to say awake, and when my shift was over I looked forward to doing it again.

from Passing Places, Eternal Truths:

“Walking for japa at 6:00 A.M. by Raman Reti:

A mangy dog approached me with gruff barking. I thought, ‘If you come any closer, you’ll get the end of this danda,’ and he went away. Madhu and I then circumambulated the Krishna-Balarama Tree. At the same spot there were two old Indian matajis bowing down in the sand. They smiled slightly to us. Then the same aggressive dog went up to one old lady. She was so small and had no stick. To my surprise, she began speaking softly to the dog in low tones. He sat down before her, making gruff sounds. She then disentangled her hand from her bead bag, reached into another bag, pulled out a piece of food and threw it on the ground for the dog. By now we had passed her, and I saw this by looking back. Once again I saw that I had misunderstood the meaning of Vrndavana.”

Bhagavatasraya Prabhu:

Last semester students at Bath got 25 signatures for a club on Krishna consciousness, and this year they got 100 signatures.

If you ask people what they want most in life, they invariably say that they want to be happy. Then if you ask them how long they want to be happy for, they will tell you they want to be happy forever. It is not surprising that everyone wants a condition of eternal happiness because that is the nature of the soul.

We are so conditioned, we think this body is alive and that we need a material body to be alive.
Srila Prabhupada’s greatest challenge to create life out of matter which has never been done because it can never be done.

When you come into this world, you become so conditioned that you cannot get out. You do not even know which direction out is.

The nectar for which we are always anxious is the nectar of our relationship with Krishna.

Only through the intervention of the Lord in human society, as in his instructions in Bhagavad-gita can we know of spiritual world and how we can get there.

Krishna gives you the ticket to get out of the material world, but we have to take the ride.

Previous misconceptions of God are very difficult to remove from the mind.

It is not difficult to have faith in Krishna because we immediately begin to feel happy by following His instructions.

Arjuna surrenders to Krishna twice in Bhagavad-gita, to be instructed in Bg. 2.7 and in Bg. 18.73 when he agrees to follow Krishna’s instructions.

We are brought up with the idea that evil is separate from God, but nothing is separate from God.

We have to give up the idea that we are the victim of something beside our own actions.
Dhrtarastra asked Krishna why he was born blind, and Krishna showed him his past 100 births. For 99 births he was an ideal king, but in the previous birth he had a skin disease, and the only cure was to prepare an ointment from the bodies of 100 swans. Instead of worrying about the protection of the swans residing in his kingdom as an ideal king, he ordered the 100 swans killed and the ointment prepared, and his disease was cured and for the rest of his life, he was an ideal king. For his blindness in not protecting the swans for his own sensual pleasure 100 births ago, he was born blind and the 100 swans took birth as his sons, his sons were all killed, and he lost his kingdom. [The speaker said he heard this from Krishna Das Swami.]

In our material conditional life we cannot see Krishna because our desire to forget Krishna blinds us. 

We see Krishna first by hearing from the scripture.

In our conditioned state our love for Krishna is in a dormant state like a tree in the winter which appears leafless and lifeless.

We need to learn that Krishna exists, our relationship with Krishna exists, and to act in relationship with Krishna is our constitutional position.

Perfection in Krishna consciousness does not come quickly, just as walnut trees take 50 years to mature or olive trees take 100 years to produce the best olives.

Remaining in the association of devotees and developing a strong practice of hearing can protect us from maya.

We are making rapid progress back to Godhead, but our experience is one of gradual development.

Srila Prabhupada gave excellent lectures on Narada’s instructions to Vyasa, and I think they should make it into book.

Few people are interested in Krishna consciousness because it takes a long time being kicked by maya before one asks if there is something else.

\Bhakti Charu Swami argues that the whole development of modern civilization over the last several hundred years which started about the time of Lord Caitanya was meant to facilitate the spread of Lord Caitanya’s sankirtana movement.
We should deepen our conviction to do what we are doing for the simply for pleasure of Krishna.
Gopal Kumara’s guru told him that your fix your intention and then chant the mantra and your will get that result. So make your intention to do just what you are doing for the pleasure of Krishna.
When asked at Bhaktivedanta Manor by a journalist about the purpose of life, Srila Prabhupada explained that the purpose of life is to enjoy. Then he explained that we have forgotten the real platform of enjoyment.

If we stop serving the Lord favorably we will have to serve the Lord unfavorably and indirectly, and that will not be satisfying to ourselves or to anybody else.
Krishna knows that the living entity cannot be happy without being engaged in the Lord’s service because that is his constitutional position.

One time there was complication regarding a preaching program, and a devotee expressed concern that Prabupada be inconvenienced. Srila Prabhupada replied, “Preaching means inconvenience.”

Sometimes devotees complain, “I gave the best years of my life to ISKCON, and what did ISKCON do for me?” Praghosa Prabhu has offered this response which I like, “Actually ISKCON has given you the best years of your life, and you should really try to understand what ISKCON did give you.”

Here it is described how a person whose body, mind, and words, are fully engaged in devotional service is liberated. I experienced this traveling with Vaisesika Prabhu in England. Our itinerary was ill-conceived and we drove two and a half hours from Leicester to Manchester for an evening program, returning at 1 a.m. Then we had to drive to London for a program at 6:30 a.m. in the morning. Vaisesika cheerfully participated as he was expected to and would absorb himself in reading during the journey, not disturbed by his surroundings.

Prabhupada observed that in the West the people have all material facility but they are suffering greatly mentally.
One woman wrote a book called The Secret, which speaks about the universe as reciprocating your desire. This conception is expressed by Srila Prabhupada: “Such materialists cannot even imagine that there is a transcendental body which is imperishable, full of knowledge and eternally blissful. . . . For such materialistic men, the form of the gigantic material manifestation is supreme.” (Bhagavad-gita 4.10, purport)

Lord Caitanya would sit on the floor and his intimates associates would describe Lord Krishna’s pastimes and He would cry. Srila Prabhupada explained that is our practice: sit down, hear about Krishna, and cry.

When I was young I had the opportunity to read a copy of Krishna book that was in a house I was sharing with someone. I read it for awhile, and I could not deny anything that was written there, but at a certain point, I decided I was not ready for this, and I put it aside. Then Krishna put me through the wringer, and two years later I was ready for this.

When the Bible or Koran says “You cannot see the face of God and live,” it is my conviction that it means that you cannot engage in an ordinary materialistic life once you have seen God and not that you literally die.

We are all here because our love for Krishna has been reawakened. Ecstasy means to go beyond the static.

The question is, “How close do you want to sit to the fire of sankirtana?”

The degree that this knowledge is revealed to you and the degree that you apply it determine how soon you become Krishna consciousness.

You can become Krishna conscious in a minute, but that minute may take millions of births to reach.

Srila Bhaktivinoda in explaining Bhagavad-gita 9.30 says that eventually the devotional service will displace all the materialistic tendencies.

He, referring to a godbrother who remembered the Lord at death, was liberated, but he was not famous. You do not have to be famous to be liberated.

Duryodhana Guru Prabhu [one of Srila Prabhupada’s Sanskrit editors]:

Religion is often a relationship with dogma while spirituality is a relationship with God.

Some people are very uncomfortable with the term God because they have had a bad experience with a particular religion and thus they have negative feelings toward God.

In Kali-yuga the degradation progresses, but there is within it, an age of enlightenment, and we see evidence of the both progressive degradation and the enlightenment.

I was in Nashville, Tennessee, and we stopped at one traffic light, and on each of the four corners there was a church.

Hinduism has no founder and no founding date, unlike the other major religions which all appeared in the age of Kali, the age of degradation.

Dharma is duty, obligation, honesty, integrity, and acting according to our own nature.

Yoga is the union of the soul with God.

Bhakti-yoga the yoga of love and devotion.

We are all attracted to bhakti-yoga, whether we know it or not, because we are all looking for love.

What does God wear? What does he like to eat? Most religions cannot answer these questions.

Who did the Indian people invade? Nobody. The Indian people invaded no one for the last ten thousand years. Neither the Hindus invaded others, nor the Buddhists. The Jews also were not interested in invasion. But the religions that arose later in Kali-yuga, the age of degradation, Christianity and Islam, are always invading others.

If you are thinking you are God, you will find it difficult to have a loving relationship with God, because love requires two people.

We can become free from material limitations by serving God.

Once you choose a spiritual path, stick with it until you attain success

In the spiritual world, everything is conscious. When Radha cooks rice for Krishna, she asks the rice, “Are you done yet?” And the rice says, “No. It will be a couple more minutes.”

Q: Is astrology useful in bhakti-yoga?
A: Of course, that is what I do, and I have been doing that for thirty-five years. Astrology is a tool. As long as you understand it is tool, you can use it.

Q: What is the price to become as free as Narada Muni?
A: Complete surrender..

As deep as your love goes, that is the level Krishna will reciprocate at.

Pundarika Vidyanidhi Prabhu:

In 1973 Srila Prabhupada began speaking about varnasrama. Prior to that he spoke about chanting Hare Krishna and becoming purified in that way. This is because he saw people leaving his society because of not being engaged properly.

There is some injunction that says if you follow varnasrama for seventy lives you will attain liberation.

Krishna tells Arjuna not to follow the Vedas (Bg. 2.45) because they deal with the three models of material nature, and yet He also says He is goal of the Vedas (Bg. 15.15). Thus there is transcendental aspect to the Vedas that is valuable for us.

A mature devotee is willing to do whatever is required in the service of the Lord, but if we engage a new person in doing whatever needs to be done, disregarding the person’s natural propensity, he may not stick around long enough to become a mature devotee, being dissatisfied at working contrary to his own nature.

Saksi Gopal Prabhu:

According to the Vedas, you can offer rice wine to Varuna on a certain day of the moon, but that is not for those on the highest level of religious practice.

Every tradition has mystics that can access other realms.

Many ancient traditions are being lost. Who would have thought that India, which has a cultural of cow protection, would become the world’s second largest exporter of beef.

It is rare in yoga that the means and end are the same, but in bhakti-yoga, because it is our eternal activity, both the means and end are the same.

Srila Prabhupada once said, “Do not think that I am not also making advancement.”

Once Srila Prabhupada said at Bhaktivedanta Manor, “Don’t take birth again in Kali-yuga [this present age of degradation].” At the time, I was thinking it was not so bad, but now that over 30 years have passed, I see how things have degraded and how we have had so many problems, even in the Hare Krishna movement.

We have a spiritual cleaning service.

Bhakti-yoga is a process for constantly purifying our intentions.

comment by Janananda Goswami:

Eight years ago I was talking to someone from the Sioux Indian tribe who was a scholar who taught their history in the university. I asked him about their origins, and he said they came from India about 25,000 years ago. He also said that their totem pole derived from the Garuda stambha.

Dayananda Swami:

From sraddha to bhava two symptoms are prominent, klesa-ghni, freedom from miseries, and subha-da, the beginning of all of auspiciousness. Then at bhava, moksa-laghu-krt, the minimization of liberation, and sudurlabham, the rareness of attainment is experienced.

I used to think it would be nice if I had a service where I could just chant, but then later I realized that the quality of my chanting was not so great that that would be best for me.

A devotee asked Srila Prabhupada how one could attain perfection in a moment. Prabhupada replied with an analogy. Dry wood placed in a hot fire can immediately burst into flames, while wet wood takes awhile to come to the point of burning. So if one is advanced from a previous practice, very quickly one can attain perfection.

At nistha one realizes there is no difference between the holy name and Krishna.

Everything is already Krishna’s, we just have to agree to it, and then engage everything in Krishna’s service.

Ananta Nitai Prabhu:

I was distributing books on Grafton Street in Dublin early in the morning. People were going to work. I tried to stop one young man. He said he could not stop, he was in a rush. So I said to him, ““Are you in a rush to die?”” He stopped dead in his tracks and asked me what I meant by that statement.I said, ““Well, you are in a rush today, you will be in a rush tomorrow, and the next day, and the next, so ultimately you’re in a rush to die.”” He was struck by what I said and took Science of Self-Realization and gave a donation.

Nanda Kumar IDS Prabhu:

All yoga traditions stress the importance of the spiritual teacher.

Once a bhajana leader in Radha-Ramana temple one evening chanted Guruvastakam, and I could participate and felt Srila Prabupada had the gave the essence of Vrajavasi life.

Jesu [from a conversation on an Irish ferry]:

Mahavishnu Swami and I went to see George Harrison and ask him about his interest in reincarnation as we had heard about it but wanted to know the truth of it. We went to his house in the morning and saw him sitting in his garden chanting Hare Krishna japa, and we offered obeisances and chanted pranamas to Srila Prabhupada in George’s presence so he would know we were followers of Srila Prabhupada. When we arose, he said something that made us all crack up laughing, “What are you? Dropouts from the Hare Krishna temple?” In fact, Mahavishnu Swami was so absorbed in laughing that I ended up talking to George myself.

------

sa hanis tan mahac chidram
sa mohah sa ca vibhramah
yan-muhurtam ksanam vapi
vasudevam na cintayet

“If even for a moment remembrance of Vasudeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is missed, that is the greatest loss, that is the greatest illusion, and that is the greatest anomaly.” (Vishnu Purana, quoted in Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.9.36, purport)

Travel Journal#8.19: The North of England, Scotland, and Ireland
→ Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk


Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 8, No. 19
By Krishna-kripa das
(October 2012, part one)
The North of England, Scotland, and Ireland
(Sent from Stuyvesant Falls, New York, on December 8, 2012)

Where I Went and What I Did

As the World Holy Name Festival continued into October, I continued traveling with Janananda Goswami and his party around Manchester, Newcastle, and up to Edinburgh, Scotland, where devotees held an 8-hour kirtana in the hall of a church downtown, and invited their yoga friends, and the people in general. I left the two-day Scottish festival, which continued on at Karuna Bhavan, to go to Belfast and help with a program for Quaker children at our temple there. Then after three days of harinama in Belfast, we chanted in Enniskillen, near Govindadvipa (Inis Rath), our Hare Krishna island in Northern Ireland. Friday we did harinama to all three Govinda’s Restaurants in Dublin. Saturday we did our second 12-hour harinama in Dublin, and got a larger participation than before. Sunday was the Sunday feast program, and Monday we did 12-hours of kirtana at the temple. Tuesday we did harinama in Bray, a city outside of Dublin and the usual Tuesday evening kirtana program, before returning to The North of England.

I share Srila Prabhupada notes as usual, and notes from Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami’s writings, including his recently printed autobiography, The Story of My Life, which includes new Prabhupada stories and Hare Krishna history. I also have realizations from Janananda Goswami and several Prabhupada disciples from the UK and Ireland, and a few other devotees.

Itinerary

Dec. 8–9, 2012: Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami Vyasa-puja
Dec. 10–23, 2012: Serving SDG in Stuyvesant, NY
Dec. 24–25, 2012: Visiting family in Albany, NY
Dec. 26, 2012–
Jan. 7, 2013: harinama in New York City
Jan. 8–April 2013: Gainesville, FL (with visits to Tallahassee and Jacksonville)

Edinburgh 8-hour Kirtana

I was happy that my first visit to Scotland was on the occasion of an 8-hour kirtana in Edinburgh. Janananda Goswami arrived just over an hour early and organized a harinama in the streets of Edinburgh, and we distributed the remaining invitations to the interested people. The venue for the event was a church community room, and different yoga people and alternative people came, some for the first time. Diya from Sunderland led a lively kirtana, and many of her friends danced nicely in the audience. Janananda Goswami led a super lively kirtana, with almost everyone dancing, and our only lamentation was he was not given a longer slot. Some of the organizers knew me and kindly allowed me to sing for half an hour. Gaura Prabhu from South Africa, who lives in Mayapur, played the drum, and by the end a lot of people danced nicely.

Quaker Kids Program at Belfast Temple

Every four years the First Day School teacher at the Belfast Friends Meeting (Quakers) brings her students to the Hare Krishna temple to experience another religious practice. Shelina, who had done the program four years ago, led the program again, and I assisted. I mentioned some of important similarities in the two philosophies, such as life is meant for seeking spiritual truth and the Lord is within everyone’s heart. I also taught a simple mrdanga (drum) beat to any child who wanted to learn, and I dressed interested boys in cadars. I was impressed with the good behavior of the kids. One boy almost immediately picked up the drum beat.

Enniskillen and Dublin Harinamas

During the whole bus ride from Belfast to Enniskillen rain was pouring down. Earlier I had been joking with the devotees about whether praying for good weather was bona fide. When we began to chant the rain stopped, and by the end of the three-hour kirtana the sun could often be seen. One lady who was interested in yoga bought a book from our book distributor and gave us a donation beyond that. She was happy to hear we had a temple in nearby Derrylin. Thus austerity of the bus ride and inclement weather was worth it as someone was happy to come in touch with Krishna.

The next we went to Dublin and did harinama in the late afternoon. My friend, Dhruva Prabhu, who is an ISKCON tourist was happy that on our evening harinama we visited all three of our restaurants in Dublin. We had tea in a couple places in addition to spring rolls, but unfortunately the desserts had already sold out. My fingers suffered from playing instruments in the cold weather.

Dublin’s Second 12-hour Harinama and 12-hour Kirtana


Everyone who went on our 12-hour harinama back in July really liked it, so Ananta Nitai Prabhu and I organized another one for October.



Ananta Nitai was so enthusiastic he also organized a 12-hour kirtana at the temple two days later. Having a positive experience, he decided to try to do a 12-hour harinama the first Saturday of each month, and follow it by a 12-hour kirtana on the following Monday. This time a traveling party of brahmacari book distributors mostly from Poland joined forces with us for the 12-hour harinama and increased our ecstasy.


 One man who had seen us chanting for 12-hours on Saturday was surprised to see us chanting on Sunday morning. Nanda Kumar Prabhu and Bhaktin Anet distributed many books during the course of the harinama, which spend most of its time at the big intersection near the temple. In the evening, instead of doing the usual sit-down harinama, since the sidewalk was wet, we did harinama to a crowded area called Temple Bar, which is frequented more for its bars than its temples. One Indian girl looked with interest at our chanting party, and I talked with her and she followed us. She explained that because it was Saturday the train schedule was different, and she missed her last train home and thus had the opportunity to meet our harinama party. That was Krishna’s mercy on her. She expressed an interest in coming to our events, and I hope she remembers this desire of hers at the opportune time to act on it.

Devotees joined our 12-hour kirtana throughout the day on Monday, and there were always just enough people to keep in going. 



Manu Prabhu, one of Dublin ISKCON’s celebrated kirtana leaders, was one of the singers.


I danced a lot of the time.


Caitanya-candrodaya Prabhu took pictures of the devotees during the kirtana, and they are all so meditative. I share a couple. Thanks for all of your pictures of the harinama and kirtana in Dublin, Caitanya!





On Tuesday we traveled with the brahmacari book distributors to Bray, about half an hour from Dublin, and we chanted as they distributed books. Because we had chanted for twelve hours the previous Saturday and Monday, we found two and three-quarters hours went by like no time at all.

Insights

Srila Prabhupada:
from Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.14.26, purport:
“The scientists are cheaters because they present so many bogus things in the name of science. They propose going to the moon, but actually they end up cheating the entire public of large sums of money for their experiments. They cannot do anything useful. Unless one can find a person transcendental to the four basic defects, one should not accept advice and become a victim of the material condition. The best process is to take the advice and instructions of Sri Krishna or His bona fide representative. In this way one can be happy in this life and the next.”

Janananda Goswami:

If we had as much enthusiasm for Krishna as we do for our computers and mobiles, we could make rapid advancement.

There are some things we do every day, eat, sleep, use the toilet, and brush our teeth. Similarly we should read Srila Prabhupada’s books every day.

Krishna consciousness is not just to make our material life or our present existence more comfortable. It is to go to the spiritual world and to become released from birth and death and redevelop our relationship with Krishna.

Four things given by Srila Prabhupada to make your house a temple.
  1. have an altar
  2. offer your food to Krishna
  3. chant the holy name, the Hare Krishna maha-mantra
  4. read the scriptures
Another important activity for householders is taking care of guests.

Srila Prabhupada told his GBC members their first duty is to make sure everyone in the temple is chanting 16 rounds of Hare Krishna and following the four rules prohibiting intoxication, meat-eating, illicit sex, and gambling.

Haridasa Thakura was chanting 300,000 names of the Lord before Lord Caitanya’s appearance.
Sometimes it is described that some devotee of the Lord is an incarnation of two intimate associates of the Lord. This is not so strange as in the material world sometimes someone is haunted by a ghost and two souls are inhabiting the same body and vying for control. Of course, in the Lord’s pastimes, the two devotees are cooperating to serve the Lord’s mission.
Q: How to measure spiritual strength?
A: Enthusiasm for chanting and hearing and association with devotees, enthusiasm to render service, being less affected by our material situation, taking shelter of guru and Krishna, all these are symptoms of spiritual strength. When the body ages, you may not be able to do so much physical activity, but you still have enthusiasm for them.
One devotee who was 93 years old was explaining he could not remember anything but Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare, but in one sense, that is a good thing.
Story of Mother Isa who Niranjana Swami visited in a nursing home: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=10841&paged=2
If we are not feeling increasing spiritual strength, perhaps we are being tested by Krishna or else we have done something unfavorable.
When we carry on our spiritual practice beyond our slip ups, we can become stronger than before.
One devotee had a late night program and so his sadhana was quite irregular and the devotees were concerned and asked Srila Prabhupada whether he should be asked to leave the temple. Srila Prabhupada replied that if he at least goes to mangala-arati, our early morning service, then he can stay.
We had five classes a day in our first temple in London on Bury Place—two in the morning, The Nectar of Devotion or Sri Isopanisad before greeting of the deities, Bhagavatam class after, The Nectar of Devotion or Sri Isopanisad (whichever was not done in the morning) before the evening arati, Bhagavad-gita after, then a song class and Krishna book reading after the evening arati.

comments by Saksi Gopal Prabhu:

In the early days one new devotee was sent by the treasurer, with a half-shaved head to go out and collect for a razor blade to finish the job.

One time in the early days the pujari came through temple room to bring the breakfast offering to the deities and found that not only had everyone hearing the morning class fallen asleep but the speaker had also fallen asleep.

Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami (mostly from his web site, www.sdgonline.org):

from Narada-bhakti-sutra, text 67, purport:

“Being single-pointed in devotional service does not mean shutting out reality. Exclusivity can become sectarian if one focuses on relative truths or dedicates oneself to an ordinary person. But when the object of appreciation is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one attains the broadest vision, the vision of a mahatma.”

from Viraha Bhavan, October 3, 2012, poem:
They say if you prematurely
think yourself a sakhi you
will come back next life
as a material woman.

from Viraha Bhavan, October 15, 2012, poem:

Prabhupada said if we
follow him he has a key
to enter the back door of
Goloka Vrndavana. I am
counting on that, although I am
completely unfit.

from The Story of My Life, his autobiography:

“[At Ananda Ashram] We had a wild kirtana in the big yoga studio. Swamiji let a black man play a big double bass, swinging it in rhythm like a jazz beat. We danced around in a big circle. The ISKCON people mixed with the Ananda Ashram people. Round and round we danced in ecstasy for an hour.”

“Himavati made him [Srila Prabhupada] a set of clothes for Them [his Radha-Krishna deities]. Radharani’s skirt was a little short. “That is all right,” he wrote, “It affords us a look at Her lotus feet.”

A boy had raised his hand for a question. “What happens when you go inside and you look further and further and further and Further!?” He was crazy. Prabhupada replied, “That I do not know. You know.” That boy chanted Hare Krishna and became an initiated disciple in time, Kusakratha. He became a great Sanskrit scholar.

ISKCON is like the Ganges, sometimes it is flowing thin and somewhere it is roaring wide, but it is always flowing.

Srila Prabhupada asked us why we closed the temple and came to New York. What did we leave Jagannath, Baladeva, and Subhadra locked up? “If you left me locked up in a room how would I eat?” he asked. He told us not to do that again.

Once I was preparing eggplant and small peanuts at his request and he [Srila Prabhupada] came into the kitchen to see how I was doing. He said, “I don’t ask for this because I want it. I just want to train you in how to cook it.”

He [Srila Prabhupada] liked a cup of warm milk with sugar in the evening also.

I took part in an all-night schedule of single men going inside Prabhupada’s mosquito net and sitting on his bed and rubbing his body. I would take the ten to midnight or the midnight to 2 a.m. time. That was very intimate, and you had to use all your strength to keep rubbing him and stay awake. I managed to do this, and it was a great thrill of loving exchange towards him. It was hard to keep awake, and I did it by thinking who Prabhupada was, siksa-guru for anyone who had the sense to come to him, and diksa-guru for anyone who had vowed to be his eternal servant. “I am so fallen, Prabhupada,” I thought, “I want to fall asleep. I must stay awake and massage you for your comfort.” I managed to say awake, and when my shift was over I looked forward to doing it again.

from Passing Places, Eternal Truths:

“Walking for japa at 6:00 A.M. by Raman Reti:

A mangy dog approached me with gruff barking. I thought, ‘If you come any closer, you’ll get the end of this danda,’ and he went away. Madhu and I then circumambulated the Krishna-Balarama Tree. At the same spot there were two old Indian matajis bowing down in the sand. They smiled slightly to us. Then the same aggressive dog went up to one old lady. She was so small and had no stick. To my surprise, she began speaking softly to the dog in low tones. He sat down before her, making gruff sounds. She then disentangled her hand from her bead bag, reached into another bag, pulled out a piece of food and threw it on the ground for the dog. By now we had passed her, and I saw this by looking back. Once again I saw that I had misunderstood the meaning of Vrndavana.”

Bhagavatasraya Prabhu:

Last semester students at Bath got 25 signatures for a club on Krishna consciousness, and this year they got 100 signatures.

If you ask people what they want most in life, they invariably say that they want to be happy. Then if you ask them how long they want to be happy for, they will tell you they want to be happy forever. It is not surprising that everyone wants a condition of eternal happiness because that is the nature of the soul.

We are so conditioned, we think this body is alive and that we need a material body to be alive.
Srila Prabhupada’s greatest challenge to create life out of matter which has never been done because it can never be done.

When you come into this world, you become so conditioned that you cannot get out. You do not even know which direction out is.

The nectar for which we are always anxious is the nectar of our relationship with Krishna.

Only through the intervention of the Lord in human society, as in his instructions in Bhagavad-gita can we know of spiritual world and how we can get there.

Krishna gives you the ticket to get out of the material world, but we have to take the ride.

Previous misconceptions of God are very difficult to remove from the mind.

It is not difficult to have faith in Krishna because we immediately begin to feel happy by following His instructions.

Arjuna surrenders to Krishna twice in Bhagavad-gita, to be instructed in Bg. 2.7 and in Bg. 18.73 when he agrees to follow Krishna’s instructions.

We are brought up with the idea that evil is separate from God, but nothing is separate from God.

We have to give up the idea that we are the victim of something beside our own actions.
Dhrtarastra asked Krishna why he was born blind, and Krishna showed him his past 100 births. For 99 births he was an ideal king, but in the previous birth he had a skin disease, and the only cure was to prepare an ointment from the bodies of 100 swans. Instead of worrying about the protection of the swans residing in his kingdom as an ideal king, he ordered the 100 swans killed and the ointment prepared, and his disease was cured and for the rest of his life, he was an ideal king. For his blindness in not protecting the swans for his own sensual pleasure 100 births ago, he was born blind and the 100 swans took birth as his sons, his sons were all killed, and he lost his kingdom. [The speaker said he heard this from Krishna Das Swami.]

In our material conditional life we cannot see Krishna because our desire to forget Krishna blinds us. 

We see Krishna first by hearing from the scripture.

In our conditioned state our love for Krishna is in a dormant state like a tree in the winter which appears leafless and lifeless.

We need to learn that Krishna exists, our relationship with Krishna exists, and to act in relationship with Krishna is our constitutional position.

Perfection in Krishna consciousness does not come quickly, just as walnut trees take 50 years to mature or olive trees take 100 years to produce the best olives.

Remaining in the association of devotees and developing a strong practice of hearing can protect us from maya.

We are making rapid progress back to Godhead, but our experience is one of gradual development.

Srila Prabhupada gave excellent lectures on Narada’s instructions to Vyasa, and I think they should make it into book.

Few people are interested in Krishna consciousness because it takes a long time being kicked by maya before one asks if there is something else.

\Bhakti Charu Swami argues that the whole development of modern civilization over the last several hundred years which started about the time of Lord Caitanya was meant to facilitate the spread of Lord Caitanya’s sankirtana movement.
We should deepen our conviction to do what we are doing for the simply for pleasure of Krishna.
Gopal Kumara’s guru told him that your fix your intention and then chant the mantra and your will get that result. So make your intention to do just what you are doing for the pleasure of Krishna.
When asked at Bhaktivedanta Manor by a journalist about the purpose of life, Srila Prabhupada explained that the purpose of life is to enjoy. Then he explained that we have forgotten the real platform of enjoyment.

If we stop serving the Lord favorably we will have to serve the Lord unfavorably and indirectly, and that will not be satisfying to ourselves or to anybody else.
Krishna knows that the living entity cannot be happy without being engaged in the Lord’s service because that is his constitutional position.

One time there was complication regarding a preaching program, and a devotee expressed concern that Prabupada be inconvenienced. Srila Prabhupada replied, “Preaching means inconvenience.”

Sometimes devotees complain, “I gave the best years of my life to ISKCON, and what did ISKCON do for me?” Praghosa Prabhu has offered this response which I like, “Actually ISKCON has given you the best years of your life, and you should really try to understand what ISKCON did give you.”

Here it is described how a person whose body, mind, and words, are fully engaged in devotional service is liberated. I experienced this traveling with Vaisesika Prabhu in England. Our itinerary was ill-conceived and we drove two and a half hours from Leicester to Manchester for an evening program, returning at 1 a.m. Then we had to drive to London for a program at 6:30 a.m. in the morning. Vaisesika cheerfully participated as he was expected to and would absorb himself in reading during the journey, not disturbed by his surroundings.

Prabhupada observed that in the West the people have all material facility but they are suffering greatly mentally.
One woman wrote a book called The Secret, which speaks about the universe as reciprocating your desire. This conception is expressed by Srila Prabhupada: “Such materialists cannot even imagine that there is a transcendental body which is imperishable, full of knowledge and eternally blissful. . . . For such materialistic men, the form of the gigantic material manifestation is supreme.” (Bhagavad-gita 4.10, purport)

Lord Caitanya would sit on the floor and his intimates associates would describe Lord Krishna’s pastimes and He would cry. Srila Prabhupada explained that is our practice: sit down, hear about Krishna, and cry.

When I was young I had the opportunity to read a copy of Krishna book that was in a house I was sharing with someone. I read it for awhile, and I could not deny anything that was written there, but at a certain point, I decided I was not ready for this, and I put it aside. Then Krishna put me through the wringer, and two years later I was ready for this.

When the Bible or Koran says “You cannot see the face of God and live,” it is my conviction that it means that you cannot engage in an ordinary materialistic life once you have seen God and not that you literally die.

We are all here because our love for Krishna has been reawakened. Ecstasy means to go beyond the static.

The question is, “How close do you want to sit to the fire of sankirtana?”

The degree that this knowledge is revealed to you and the degree that you apply it determine how soon you become Krishna consciousness.

You can become Krishna conscious in a minute, but that minute may take millions of births to reach.

Srila Bhaktivinoda in explaining Bhagavad-gita 9.30 says that eventually the devotional service will displace all the materialistic tendencies.

He, referring to a godbrother who remembered the Lord at death, was liberated, but he was not famous. You do not have to be famous to be liberated.

Duryodhana Guru Prabhu [one of Srila Prabhupada’s Sanskrit editors]:

Religion is often a relationship with dogma while spirituality is a relationship with God.

Some people are very uncomfortable with the term God because they have had a bad experience with a particular religion and thus they have negative feelings toward God.

In Kali-yuga the degradation progresses, but there is within it, an age of enlightenment, and we see evidence of the both progressive degradation and the enlightenment.

I was in Nashville, Tennessee, and we stopped at one traffic light, and on each of the four corners there was a church.

Hinduism has no founder and no founding date, unlike the other major religions which all appeared in the age of Kali, the age of degradation.

Dharma is duty, obligation, honesty, integrity, and acting according to our own nature.

Yoga is the union of the soul with God.

Bhakti-yoga the yoga of love and devotion.

We are all attracted to bhakti-yoga, whether we know it or not, because we are all looking for love.

What does God wear? What does he like to eat? Most religions cannot answer these questions.

Who did the Indian people invade? Nobody. The Indian people invaded no one for the last ten thousand years. Neither the Hindus invaded others, nor the Buddhists. The Jews also were not interested in invasion. But the religions that arose later in Kali-yuga, the age of degradation, Christianity and Islam, are always invading others.

If you are thinking you are God, you will find it difficult to have a loving relationship with God, because love requires two people.

We can become free from material limitations by serving God.

Once you choose a spiritual path, stick with it until you attain success

In the spiritual world, everything is conscious. When Radha cooks rice for Krishna, she asks the rice, “Are you done yet?” And the rice says, “No. It will be a couple more minutes.”

Q: Is astrology useful in bhakti-yoga?
A: Of course, that is what I do, and I have been doing that for thirty-five years. Astrology is a tool. As long as you understand it is tool, you can use it.

Q: What is the price to become as free as Narada Muni?
A: Complete surrender..

As deep as your love goes, that is the level Krishna will reciprocate at.

Pundarika Vidyanidhi Prabhu:

In 1973 Srila Prabhupada began speaking about varnasrama. Prior to that he spoke about chanting Hare Krishna and becoming purified in that way. This is because he saw people leaving his society because of not being engaged properly.

There is some injunction that says if you follow varnasrama for seventy lives you will attain liberation.

Krishna tells Arjuna not to follow the Vedas (Bg. 2.45) because they deal with the three models of material nature, and yet He also says He is goal of the Vedas (Bg. 15.15). Thus there is transcendental aspect to the Vedas that is valuable for us.

A mature devotee is willing to do whatever is required in the service of the Lord, but if we engage a new person in doing whatever needs to be done, disregarding the person’s natural propensity, he may not stick around long enough to become a mature devotee, being dissatisfied at working contrary to his own nature.

Saksi Gopal Prabhu:

According to the Vedas, you can offer rice wine to Varuna on a certain day of the moon, but that is not for those on the highest level of religious practice.

Every tradition has mystics that can access other realms.

Many ancient traditions are being lost. Who would have thought that India, which has a cultural of cow protection, would become the world’s second largest exporter of beef.

It is rare in yoga that the means and end are the same, but in bhakti-yoga, because it is our eternal activity, both the means and end are the same.

Srila Prabhupada once said, “Do not think that I am not also making advancement.”

Once Srila Prabhupada said at Bhaktivedanta Manor, “Don’t take birth again in Kali-yuga [this present age of degradation].” At the time, I was thinking it was not so bad, but now that over 30 years have passed, I see how things have degraded and how we have had so many problems, even in the Hare Krishna movement.

We have a spiritual cleaning service.

Bhakti-yoga is a process for constantly purifying our intentions.

comment by Janananda Goswami:

Eight years ago I was talking to someone from the Sioux Indian tribe who was a scholar who taught their history in the university. I asked him about their origins, and he said they came from India about 25,000 years ago. He also said that their totem pole derived from the Garuda stambha.

Dayananda Swami:

From sraddha to bhava two symptoms are prominent, klesa-ghni, freedom from miseries, and subha-da, the beginning of all of auspiciousness. Then at bhava, moksa-laghu-krt, the minimization of liberation, and sudurlabham, the rareness of attainment is experienced.

I used to think it would be nice if I had a service where I could just chant, but then later I realized that the quality of my chanting was not so great that that would be best for me.

A devotee asked Srila Prabhupada how one could attain perfection in a moment. Prabhupada replied with an analogy. Dry wood placed in a hot fire can immediately burst into flames, while wet wood takes awhile to come to the point of burning. So if one is advanced from a previous practice, very quickly one can attain perfection.

At nistha one realizes there is no difference between the holy name and Krishna.

Everything is already Krishna’s, we just have to agree to it, and then engage everything in Krishna’s service.

Ananta Nitai Prabhu:

I was distributing books on Grafton Street in Dublin early in the morning. People were going to work. I tried to stop one young man. He said he could not stop, he was in a rush. So I said to him, ““Are you in a rush to die?”” He stopped dead in his tracks and asked me what I meant by that statement.I said, ““Well, you are in a rush today, you will be in a rush tomorrow, and the next day, and the next, so ultimately you’re in a rush to die.”” He was struck by what I said and took Science of Self-Realization and gave a donation.

Nanda Kumar IDS Prabhu:

All yoga traditions stress the importance of the spiritual teacher.

Once a bhajana leader in Radha-Ramana temple one evening chanted Guruvastakam, and I could participate and felt Srila Prabupada had the gave the essence of Vrajavasi life.

Jesu [from a conversation on an Irish ferry]:

Mahavishnu Swami and I went to see George Harrison and ask him about his interest in reincarnation as we had heard about it but wanted to know the truth of it. We went to his house in the morning and saw him sitting in his garden chanting Hare Krishna japa, and we offered obeisances and chanted pranamas to Srila Prabhupada in George’s presence so he would know we were followers of Srila Prabhupada. When we arose, he said something that made us all crack up laughing, “What are you? Dropouts from the Hare Krishna temple?” In fact, Mahavishnu Swami was so absorbed in laughing that I ended up talking to George myself.

------

sa hanis tan mahac chidram
sa mohah sa ca vibhramah
yan-muhurtam ksanam vapi
vasudevam na cintayet

“If even for a moment remembrance of Vasudeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is missed, that is the greatest loss, that is the greatest illusion, and that is the greatest anomaly.” (Vishnu Purana, quoted in Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.9.36, purport)

Scientific Spirituality
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Science is Great

Science is great! Science helps us understand the world, cure diseases, build great things like computers, mobile devices, skyscrapers, and jet airplanes. It is useful, fascinating and magical. Indeed, sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic, as the physicist and science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke famously said.

Moreover, additional benefits of science include wonderful inventions like coal-fired power plants, automobiles, and industrial farming, all allowing humans to do great things like destroy the rainforest, raise the temperature of the entire planet, and cause mass extinctions, clearly undesirable side effects of science. However, science will surely be able to solve the problem it has created. Take the Toyota Prius, for example, a wonder of technology, a hybrid car that is extremely fuel efficient. While it still uses fuel like any other car, it is much better than the gas-guzzlers of yesteryear. So good that its “fuel efficiency” is close to that of a horse. With a few more years of scientific advances, we will surely be able to make cars that run on nearly nothing, re-grow the rainforest and clone extinct species back into existence. So, science is great. Right?

The Horsemen Approach

Have you heard of the Four Horsemen? The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Conquest, War, Famine and Death, are described in the last chapter of the Bible as harbingers of final judgement of God over all people. However, I’m not speaking of these horsemen. Rather, I’m referring to the self-styled Four Horsemen known as the torch-bearers of the “New Atheists” movement: Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens. These four scientists claim to represent critical thinking, knowledge and reason. Disagree with their thinking and you must be an irrational, delusional religious fanatic. After all, they represent science. 

The most famous of the Four Horseman is Professor Richard Dawkins of Oxford University. A prolific author, Dawkins is best known for his book “The God Delusion”. He also occasionally gives public lectures. I remember hearing of one of his lectures a few years ago. 

The Horseman Speaks

I was sitting in my office in the School of Computer Science at the University of Manchester, an office with narrow slits of windows letting in a little daylight, a building that is perpetually either too hot or too cold, having been designed with a monstrously over-powered air-conditioning system for the vacuum tube computers of years gone by. This building, the hallowed halls of learning, the zenith of Western Civilization, is not named after Alan Turing, the famous scientist from Manchester who came up with a universal theory of computation. Instead, it is named after Tom Kilburn, the engineer who built the first stored program computer, highlighting the difference between science and engineering. Scientists come up with ideas, but it is the engineers that make them actually work and create technology. Engineering is applied science. 

While sitting at my desk, Mikel, a friend and fellow PhD student, came in wearing a large backpack. I waited until he sat down and caught his breath, then asked him where he just came from. He explained he was at Oxford University for a public lecture by Richard Dawkins. I then asked what he thought of the lecture, expecting a rant about how Dawkins was brilliantly condemning religion, especially the Catholic Church. Mikel was a staunch atheists with a special axe to grind against the Catholic Church, an organization quite prominent in his home country of Spain. I enjoyed these rants, as they were quite entertaining and often led to interesting friendly arguments between the two of us.

Much to my surprise, however, Mikel said he was disappointed by Dawkins’ talk. Mikel explained that he was expecting Dawkins to make some good arguments for atheism, but instead the Professor was using emotional language and preaching like a Bible-basher. According to Mikel, Dawkins sounded as much as a religious fanatic, as the religious leaders he was speaking against with such “religious” fever. 

I remember this incident because it taught me of the insidiousness the Western materialistic scientific worldview. Matter is imbued with extraordinary secret powers. The material universe can come from nothing by magic, life can arise from matter by accident, and consciousness can arise from the brain by biochemical reaction. These claims are true, because, well, they just are.

Science is True

Let us examine a few of the ideas of materialistic science. I was quite astounded when I first learnt of each of these, reacting with a “wow, I would never have thought!”

It is common knowledge that the Earth orbits around the Sun. The Earth as the center of the Universe is an archaic idea, an outdated concept, one that no one believes in anymore. Western scientists as far back as Copernicus have discovered that actually the Sun is in the center and the Earth orbits around that. 

But not so fast. If we dig a bit deeper we learn that accepted wisdom is false. The Earth actually orbits around the gravitational center of the solar system. Large planets such as Jupiter and Saturn, pull on the Earth with their enormous gravitational force. This causes the central point of orbit to vary greatly. Indeed, it is almost never being centered directly on the Sun. We can go further still. Let us take into account that our entire solar system is orbiting around the galactic core, and our galaxy, in turn, is probably moving and orbiting in some undiscovered pattern around other galaxies. So, why do we believe one childish simplification of the structure of the universe (Sun is the center) in favor of another (Earth is the center)?

To quote Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi:

"Luke, you’re going to find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view."

There is more scientific “truth” that falls into this hazy realm, a realm of generally accepted scientific wisdom, a place of theories that no one has ever verified by observation and theories which are impossible to verify by observation.

One such hypothesis is the big bang theory. It proclaims to explain the origin of matter, time and space, but it seems highly unlikely that anyone will be able to stage an experiment to verify what actually happened at the beginning of the universe.

Then there is macro-evolution. A species is defined as a group of life-forms that can interbreed producing fertile offspring. Evolution claims that species evolve into other species, yet scientists have never observed any animal evolving into a new creature that no longer can interbreed with members of its previous species).

The last question we will tackle is the origin of life, and the origin of consciousness. How best to get to the bottom of these mysteries and know for sure? Could such a thing even be possible? Believe it or not, I see very good reasons to be optimistic about solving these conundrums.

Science is becoming more Scientific

Why do I see reasons to be optimistic? Two reasons, each converging on the other, as if seeking to merge in a wonderful fusion of spiritual and material knowledge.

On the spiritual side: we are rediscovering ancient spiritual knowledge that gives a detailed scientific account of life, the universe and consciousness. More on this a bit later on.

On the material side: some scientists are beginning to remove the blinders of materialism, considering that perhaps there might be more to the universe than just matter. Chinks are beginning to appear in the armor of the Western materialist worldview. People are beginning to realize that money does not buy happiness, unlimited economic growth is unsustainable, and something as subtle as consciousness plays a significant role in the laws of physics. Scientists are realizing there is a great need for scientific research to answer fundamental questions such as: What is consciousness? How can we become more conscious? What is happiness? How can we become more happy?

In short, science is realizing that true science can and should be open to the study of everything and scientific spiritual knowledge is eagerly waiting to be rediscovered by open-minded scientists. Wonderful! 

Vedas: Knowledge of Everything

I first came across the Vedic wisdom ancient India in the year 2000 while studying at the University of Southampton. I stumbled upon a university club dedicated to studying and applying the knowledge contained in the Vedas. “Veda” literally means knowledge, and the many books that encompass the Vedic literature indeed contain a great deal of knowledge.

One of the many pearls of timeless Vedic wisdom is that real spiritual knowledge should be scientific. The Vedas teach how to use scientific methods to study and understand spirituality. This was an intriguing proposition. I had always admired the rigor of scientific knowledge, and here was a way to apply that methodology to the big questions of life (who am I, why are we here, etc.) 

The Vedic wisdom explains the mystery of conscious as follows.

“O son of Bharata, as the sun alone illuminates all this universe, so does the living entity, one within the body, illuminate the entire body by consciousness.”

- Bhagavad-Gita 13.34

That is the basis of scientific spiritual teachings. The body only functions when there is consciousness, without consciousness there can be no life. At the same time, the conscious entity is a separate thing from the material body. Some interpretations of quantum mechanics lead to similar conclusions.

Happiness, proof in the pudding

Everyone wants to be happy. The United States of America was founded on the promises of the right to the “pursuit of happiness.” Yet it offers no clue on how someone might go about finding happiness. Indeed, that is one of the great mysterious of life. What will make me happy?

It turns out that happiness is one of the key factors in the scientific approach to spiritual knowledge. The Vedic knowledge explains a step-by-step process for finding happiness, happiness with a very distinct flavor, happiness unlike any previously experienced, happiness that is, quite literally, out of this world.

Here is a quote from a Vedic scripture on the topic of happiness.

“Some say that people will be happy by performing pious religious activities. Others say that happiness is attained through fame, sense gratification, truthfulness, self-control, peace, self-interest, political influence, opulence, renunciation, consumption, sacrifice, penance, charity, vows, regulated duties or strict disciplinary regulation. Each process has its proponents." 

- Srimad Bhagavatam 11.14.10

All the persons I have just mentioned obtain temporary fruits from their material work. Indeed, the meager and miserable situations they achieve bring future unhappiness and are based on ignorance. Even while enjoying the fruits of their work, such persons are filled with lamentation.  

O learned Uddhava, those who fix their consciousness on Me [Krishna], giving up all material desires, share with Me a happiness that cannot possibly be experienced by those engaged in sense gratification.”

- Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.14.12

This quote acknowledges various approaches to attaining happiness, ultimately recommending the approach of fixing one’s consciousness upon Krishna, Krishna being the Supreme Personality of Godhead, universally revered throughout the Vedic literature. The happiness experienced during this practice of “Krishna Consciousness” is markedly different from the happiness experienced through so many other activities. Here we have a scientific hypothesis: happiness in Krishna Consciousness is distinct from the happiness experienced when pleasing the senses.

“Hold on!” you might say, “happiness is a subjective experience, not something that can be objectively measured. Science only deals with things that are objectively measurable.” True enough, but consciousness is an entirely subjective experience, and that is exactly what we are trying to study here. We have to cast off the shackles of materialistic science to make progress is this exciting new field of spiritual science. Just because something is not objectively measurable does not mean it does not exist, and certainly does not mean we should not endeavor to study it. Otherwise, if we neglected to study anything new and unknown, how could we make any progress?

Process

So how does one make process in this exciting realm where science and spirituality coalesce? The Vedic wisdom suggests an approach.

“Now hear, O son of Pr?th?, how by practicing yoga in full consciousness of Me, with mind attached to Me, you can know Me in full, free from doubt.”

- Bhagavad-Gita 7.1

Here Krishna is speaking in the seventh chapter of the Bhagavad-Gita. He is explaining a scientific yoga process for understanding His nature. This process is more than just physical exercise. Yoga is a complete system for self-realization where the physical yoga postures are only one small part of the routine, there to make the practitioner fit to dive deeper into the complete system, culminating in complete absorption in the spiritual energy, resulting in full consciousness of Krishna beyond any doubt. So, at the end of a systematic process we have scientific proof. 

The process Krishna mentions involves integrating Krishna consciousness into everyday activities, aligning them with Krishna’s desires. Krishna recommends, reading about him, chanting of special Vedic mantras, contemplating the spiritual science and ultimately dedicating all one’s actions for a spiritual purpose. At the end of the process, the result should speak for itself.

As the Nobel Prize winning quantum physicists Werner Heisenberg has famously said: 

“The first gulp from the glass of the natural sciences will turn you into an atheist, but at the bottom of the glass God is waiting for you.”

Scientific Spirituality
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Science is Great

Science is great! Science helps us understand the world, cure diseases, build great things like computers, mobile devices, skyscrapers, and jet airplanes. It is useful, fascinating and magical. Indeed, sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic, as the physicist and science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke famously said.

Moreover, additional benefits of science include wonderful inventions like coal-fired power plants, automobiles, and industrial farming, all allowing humans to do great things like destroy the rainforest, raise the temperature of the entire planet, and cause mass extinctions, clearly undesirable side effects of science. However, science will surely be able to solve the problem it has created. Take the Toyota Prius, for example, a wonder of technology, a hybrid car that is extremely fuel efficient. While it still uses fuel like any other car, it is much better than the gas-guzzlers of yesteryear. So good that its “fuel efficiency” is close to that of a horse. With a few more years of scientific advances, we will surely be able to make cars that run on nearly nothing, re-grow the rainforest and clone extinct species back into existence. So, science is great. Right?

The Horsemen Approach

Have you heard of the Four Horsemen? The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Conquest, War, Famine and Death, are described in the last chapter of the Bible as harbingers of final judgement of God over all people. However, I’m not speaking of these horsemen. Rather, I’m referring to the self-styled Four Horsemen known as the torch-bearers of the “New Atheists” movement: Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens. These four scientists claim to represent critical thinking, knowledge and reason. Disagree with their thinking and you must be an irrational, delusional religious fanatic. After all, they represent science. 

The most famous of the Four Horseman is Professor Richard Dawkins of Oxford University. A prolific author, Dawkins is best known for his book “The God Delusion”. He also occasionally gives public lectures. I remember hearing of one of his lectures a few years ago. 

The Horseman Speaks

I was sitting in my office in the School of Computer Science at the University of Manchester, an office with narrow slits of windows letting in a little daylight, a building that is perpetually either too hot or too cold, having been designed with a monstrously over-powered air-conditioning system for the vacuum tube computers of years gone by. This building, the hallowed halls of learning, the zenith of Western Civilization, is not named after Alan Turing, the famous scientist from Manchester who came up with a universal theory of computation. Instead, it is named after Tom Kilburn, the engineer who built the first stored program computer, highlighting the difference between science and engineering. Scientists come up with ideas, but it is the engineers that make them actually work and create technology. Engineering is applied science. 

While sitting at my desk, Mikel, a friend and fellow PhD student, came in wearing a large backpack. I waited until he sat down and caught his breath, then asked him where he just came from. He explained he was at Oxford University for a public lecture by Richard Dawkins. I then asked what he thought of the lecture, expecting a rant about how Dawkins was brilliantly condemning religion, especially the Catholic Church. Mikel was a staunch atheists with a special axe to grind against the Catholic Church, an organization quite prominent in his home country of Spain. I enjoyed these rants, as they were quite entertaining and often led to interesting friendly arguments between the two of us.

Much to my surprise, however, Mikel said he was disappointed by Dawkins’ talk. Mikel explained that he was expecting Dawkins to make some good arguments for atheism, but instead the Professor was using emotional language and preaching like a Bible-basher. According to Mikel, Dawkins sounded as much as a religious fanatic, as the religious leaders he was speaking against with such “religious” fever. 

I remember this incident because it taught me of the insidiousness the Western materialistic scientific worldview. Matter is imbued with extraordinary secret powers. The material universe can come from nothing by magic, life can arise from matter by accident, and consciousness can arise from the brain by biochemical reaction. These claims are true, because, well, they just are.

Science is True

Let us examine a few of the ideas of materialistic science. I was quite astounded when I first learnt of each of these, reacting with a “wow, I would never have thought!”

It is common knowledge that the Earth orbits around the Sun. The Earth as the center of the Universe is an archaic idea, an outdated concept, one that no one believes in anymore. Western scientists as far back as Copernicus have discovered that actually the Sun is in the center and the Earth orbits around that. 

But not so fast. If we dig a bit deeper we learn that accepted wisdom is false. The Earth actually orbits around the gravitational center of the solar system. Large planets such as Jupiter and Saturn, pull on the Earth with their enormous gravitational force. This causes the central point of orbit to vary greatly. Indeed, it is almost never being centered directly on the Sun. We can go further still. Let us take into account that our entire solar system is orbiting around the galactic core, and our galaxy, in turn, is probably moving and orbiting in some undiscovered pattern around other galaxies. So, why do we believe one childish simplification of the structure of the universe (Sun is the center) in favor of another (Earth is the center)?

To quote Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi:

"Luke, you’re going to find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view."

There is more scientific “truth” that falls into this hazy realm, a realm of generally accepted scientific wisdom, a place of theories that no one has ever verified by observation and theories which are impossible to verify by observation.

One such hypothesis is the big bang theory. It proclaims to explain the origin of matter, time and space, but it seems highly unlikely that anyone will be able to stage an experiment to verify what actually happened at the beginning of the universe.

Then there is macro-evolution. A species is defined as a group of life-forms that can interbreed producing fertile offspring. Evolution claims that species evolve into other species, yet scientists have never observed any animal evolving into a new creature that no longer can interbreed with members of its previous species).

The last question we will tackle is the origin of life, and the origin of consciousness. How best to get to the bottom of these mysteries and know for sure? Could such a thing even be possible? Believe it or not, I see very good reasons to be optimistic about solving these conundrums.

Science is becoming more Scientific

Why do I see reasons to be optimistic? Two reasons, each converging on the other, as if seeking to merge in a wonderful fusion of spiritual and material knowledge.

On the spiritual side: we are rediscovering ancient spiritual knowledge that gives a detailed scientific account of life, the universe and consciousness. More on this a bit later on.

On the material side: some scientists are beginning to remove the blinders of materialism, considering that perhaps there might be more to the universe than just matter. Chinks are beginning to appear in the armor of the Western materialist worldview. People are beginning to realize that money does not buy happiness, unlimited economic growth is unsustainable, and something as subtle as consciousness plays a significant role in the laws of physics. Scientists are realizing there is a great need for scientific research to answer fundamental questions such as: What is consciousness? How can we become more conscious? What is happiness? How can we become more happy?

In short, science is realizing that true science can and should be open to the study of everything and scientific spiritual knowledge is eagerly waiting to be rediscovered by open-minded scientists. Wonderful! 

Vedas: Knowledge of Everything

I first came across the Vedic wisdom ancient India in the year 2000 while studying at the University of Southampton. I stumbled upon a university club dedicated to studying and applying the knowledge contained in the Vedas. “Veda” literally means knowledge, and the many books that encompass the Vedic literature indeed contain a great deal of knowledge.

One of the many pearls of timeless Vedic wisdom is that real spiritual knowledge should be scientific. The Vedas teach how to use scientific methods to study and understand spirituality. This was an intriguing proposition. I had always admired the rigor of scientific knowledge, and here was a way to apply that methodology to the big questions of life (who am I, why are we here, etc.) 

The Vedic wisdom explains the mystery of conscious as follows.

“O son of Bharata, as the sun alone illuminates all this universe, so does the living entity, one within the body, illuminate the entire body by consciousness.”

- Bhagavad-Gita 13.34

That is the basis of scientific spiritual teachings. The body only functions when there is consciousness, without consciousness there can be no life. At the same time, the conscious entity is a separate thing from the material body. Some interpretations of quantum mechanics lead to similar conclusions.

Happiness, proof in the pudding

Everyone wants to be happy. The United States of America was founded on the promises of the right to the “pursuit of happiness.” Yet it offers no clue on how someone might go about finding happiness. Indeed, that is one of the great mysterious of life. What will make me happy?

It turns out that happiness is one of the key factors in the scientific approach to spiritual knowledge. The Vedic knowledge explains a step-by-step process for finding happiness, happiness with a very distinct flavor, happiness unlike any previously experienced, happiness that is, quite literally, out of this world.

Here is a quote from a Vedic scripture on the topic of happiness.

“Some say that people will be happy by performing pious religious activities. Others say that happiness is attained through fame, sense gratification, truthfulness, self-control, peace, self-interest, political influence, opulence, renunciation, consumption, sacrifice, penance, charity, vows, regulated duties or strict disciplinary regulation. Each process has its proponents." 

- Srimad Bhagavatam 11.14.10

All the persons I have just mentioned obtain temporary fruits from their material work. Indeed, the meager and miserable situations they achieve bring future unhappiness and are based on ignorance. Even while enjoying the fruits of their work, such persons are filled with lamentation.  

O learned Uddhava, those who fix their consciousness on Me [Krishna], giving up all material desires, share with Me a happiness that cannot possibly be experienced by those engaged in sense gratification.”

- Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.14.12

This quote acknowledges various approaches to attaining happiness, ultimately recommending the approach of fixing one’s consciousness upon Krishna, Krishna being the Supreme Personality of Godhead, universally revered throughout the Vedic literature. The happiness experienced during this practice of “Krishna Consciousness” is markedly different from the happiness experienced through so many other activities. Here we have a scientific hypothesis: happiness in Krishna Consciousness is distinct from the happiness experienced when pleasing the senses.

“Hold on!” you might say, “happiness is a subjective experience, not something that can be objectively measured. Science only deals with things that are objectively measurable.” True enough, but consciousness is an entirely subjective experience, and that is exactly what we are trying to study here. We have to cast off the shackles of materialistic science to make progress is this exciting new field of spiritual science. Just because something is not objectively measurable does not mean it does not exist, and certainly does not mean we should not endeavor to study it. Otherwise, if we neglected to study anything new and unknown, how could we make any progress?

Process

So how does one make process in this exciting realm where science and spirituality coalesce? The Vedic wisdom suggests an approach.

“Now hear, O son of Pr?th?, how by practicing yoga in full consciousness of Me, with mind attached to Me, you can know Me in full, free from doubt.”

- Bhagavad-Gita 7.1

Here Krishna is speaking in the seventh chapter of the Bhagavad-Gita. He is explaining a scientific yoga process for understanding His nature. This process is more than just physical exercise. Yoga is a complete system for self-realization where the physical yoga postures are only one small part of the routine, there to make the practitioner fit to dive deeper into the complete system, culminating in complete absorption in the spiritual energy, resulting in full consciousness of Krishna beyond any doubt. So, at the end of a systematic process we have scientific proof. 

The process Krishna mentions involves integrating Krishna consciousness into everyday activities, aligning them with Krishna’s desires. Krishna recommends, reading about him, chanting of special Vedic mantras, contemplating the spiritual science and ultimately dedicating all one’s actions for a spiritual purpose. At the end of the process, the result should speak for itself.

As the Nobel Prize winning quantum physicists Werner Heisenberg has famously said: 

“The first gulp from the glass of the natural sciences will turn you into an atheist, but at the bottom of the glass God is waiting for you.”

The Help Everyone Needs
→ Matsya Avatar das adhikari


The path of spiritual evolution is marked by different phases, breakthroughs,  deviations and stagnations, falls, imprisonments and  progressive liberations.
Even the man who has testified the important improvements on the path of spiritual realization and is sincere in his intention to evolve, is still bound to make mistakes and therefore is subject to karmic conseguences due to the remaining unsolved conditionings. 
However it is at the time of crisis that a person needs our affection more than ever, needs our help through comprehension  and forgiveness in order to try once again and overcome the limits, that had been structured in the numerous past lives.
As I have been observing for decades, the persons meet a lot of difficulties along the path of evolution, and it is rare that one proceeds steadily and coherently, rather everyone makes steps backwards and forwards according to one's peculiar characteristics: the individuals most advanced in the inner growth are those who make more steps forwards than backwards.
Through their walking towards spiritual love and perfection all these souls in the prakriti world need encouragement, most of all when they are in the process of rolling back. A sincere help received at the most crucial moments of life is the best call in order to carry on along the right path.

The Help Everyone Needs
→ Matsya Avatar das adhikari


The path of spiritual evolution is marked by different phases, breakthroughs,  deviations and stagnations, falls, imprisonments and  progressive liberations.
Even the man who has testified the important improvements on the path of spiritual realization and is sincere in his intention to evolve, is still bound to make mistakes and therefore is subject to karmic conseguences due to the remaining unsolved conditionings. 
However it is at the time of crisis that a person needs our affection more than ever, needs our help through comprehension  and forgiveness in order to try once again and overcome the limits, that had been structured in the numerous past lives.
As I have been observing for decades, the persons meet a lot of difficulties along the path of evolution, and it is rare that one proceeds steadily and coherently, rather everyone makes steps backwards and forwards according to one's peculiar characteristics: the individuals most advanced in the inner growth are those who make more steps forwards than backwards.
Through their walking towards spiritual love and perfection all these souls in the prakriti world need encouragement, most of all when they are in the process of rolling back. A sincere help received at the most crucial moments of life is the best call in order to carry on along the right path.

Duchess of Cambridge’s baby: It’s a girl!
→ The Vaishnava Voice

I have been a bit surprised at the level of media interest in the Duchess of Cambridge’s pregnancy. From all over the world reporters have descended on London, crowding the streets outside the private Edward VII hospital where Kate was admitted two days ago with acute morning sickness. Congratulations are certainly in order, although traditionally not offered until after the safe period of three months has elapsed.

The child  - now known to be a girl – will be third in line to the throne, although why this fact should be of interest to the world is a mystery to me. The longevity of our current monarch means that those in the royal line may never be monarchs themselves, no matter their legitimate claim to the throne. Whatever the reason for the intense interest, this royal baby must be already the most famous embryo in the world. Its a superlative level of real fame when everyone’s talking about you – and your physical body is not yet formed.

One of the most famous embryos in the history of the world was the child of Uttara and Abhimanyu, Pariksit by name. He was the grandson of the celebrated Arjuna – another royal – and even in the womb he was attacked. When Krishna gave him mystical protection, his life was spared and he lived to become famous as the great hearer of the Bhagavata Purana. His name means ‘the examiner’ as he was always looking at people’s faces to see whether he could recognise the Person who saved him in the womb.

While Kate’s foetus, barely 12 weeks in existence is already being personified as ‘a girl,’  and ‘royalty,’ just streets away from the Edward VII Hospital another foetus – another little girl – of 24 weeks will tonight be cut from her mother’s womb, de-personified as ’tissue’ and thrown away.

Only when all little girls, inside or outside the womb, are venerated as princesses will we be able to call ourselves a civilized society.


Creating a Masterpiece
→ Undoing Reality

The human spirit craves mastery over its carnal shell.  There is an intoxicating feeling of control derived from flesh altering practices.  But we must ask ourselves, “Why are we not satisfied with the body given to us? ”   We have tattooing, body piercing, plastic surgery, body building, and transgendering.  Also people resort to bulimia and anorexia to satisfy the need for the perfect body.  When people want to change their bodies or their minds, they join the gym, go to the beauty salon, visit a medium or psychic, or psychotherapists.  All these things will change the shell but not the person within who remains at a constant equilibrium despite the changes wrought upon its frame.

“I can tell you what you need to be perfect.”  How many industries make their profit on making you feel good and look good?   Business is based on supply and demand. When there is a demand for something, be sure that a business will spring up to make money meeting it!  Our desire for self-improvement has sprung up industries that would shock generations going back even 100 years ago.  As human perfection has taken on a new meaning, ideals and virtues that reflect the character of a person are becoming less and less important.

A bird in a cage is a good metaphor to use.The cage is the material body, the carnal shell and the bird is us. Today’s society focuses on the cage and not the bird within.  We have to take responsibility to release the bird from it’s cage, and desist on

trying to make a masterpiece by altering our bodies in the myriads of fashions available.   Create a masterpiece by changing our consciousness, escaping the cage of this body.

Be Prepared…for the Atheist Boy Scouts
→ The Vaishnava Voice

Here’s the news today, as relayed by the Theos website:

The Scout Association has launched a consultation to gauge support among members for an alternate atheist Scout promise, removing the invocation of a deity. At the same time, the Guide Association, the parallel movement which began two years later, is to launch a consultation about its very similar promise, with views sought on all parts of the wording from early January.

The current version of the Scout promise reads: “On my honour, I promise that I will do my best to do my duty to God and to the Queen, to help other people and to keep the Scout law.”

My thoughts about this, should my dear readers be interested, is that yes, on the one hand the consultation simply reflects the reality that boys can be atheists at a young age, and why shouldn’t they be allowed to be Scouts if they’re atheists? Does faith in God really help in putting up that tent, after all? Will their compasses no longer point to the true north if they don’t believe in a deity?

On the other hand, the Scouts were founded by someone who obviously believed that faith was important in the building of a young man’s character. Its not all about rubbing sticks together to make a fire, tying knots and singing ging-gang-gooly; its about the many-layers of development that go into formation of character and making us fully-rounded human beings. Spirituality being one of them.

Lord Baden-Powell had just come through the Boer War when he formed the Boy Scouts in 1908. He took the existence of God as a truth, felt the recognition of God and duty to Him to be a prerequisite of character formation, and that’s why the Scouts promise was written as it is. Perhaps – as ‘BP’ and my own grandfather did – you have to be pinned down by an opposing army and pray to God for help before you realise you’re not alone in the universe.

The sinking feeling I had when reading this news is that it was yet another indication of Britain’s swing away from the very legitimacy of having ‘deity’ as a useful part of life, and towards an unofficial adoption of atheism as a standard, and more logical, disposition. Once we start that, full de-legitimisation of religion per se – as in North Korea – comes very quickly. Within 100 years we could see religion done away with completely.

Long before that, of course, the Scouts will also have dropped pledging their allegiance to the monarchy, (a remnant of Biblical notions) and the salute of the Union flag (since it is based upon three Christian symbols and therefore highly suspect) will have been also dismissed.


Travel Journal#8.18: Ukraine Festival, Bavaria, British Harinamas
→ Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk


Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 8, No. 18
By Krishna-kripa das
(September 2012, part two)
Ukraine Festival, Bavaria, British Harinamas
(Sent from Gainesville, Florida, on December 3, 2012)

Apologies

I have been so busy proofreading, doing evening programs, and going on additional harinamas and kirtana events, I am two months behind on this journal. I hope to really focus on it and catch up by the end of the year and not fall behind next year.

Where I Was and What I Did

The last half of September was wonderful because of all the good spiritual association at the Ukraine festival, where I collected many jewels from the swamis to share with you. After that Trevor, my harinama and traveling partner, and I went to Warsaw for Radhastami. I continued on to attend the last two days of the 30th anniversary of the installation of Prahlada-Nrsimha at Simhachalam, our Bavarian Hare Krishna farm, which ended with the first annual Passau Ratha-yatra. Then I flew to London where the book distributors shared their realizations from their Radhastami book marathon. The next day I began traveling with Janananda Goswami and his followers, doing harinama in and around Manchester, England, for the beginning of the World Holy Name Festival. I offer thanks to Vishnujana Prabhu for the photos of the Ukraine Festival and the Passau Ratha-yatra.

The insights this time begin with Srila Prabhupada quotes from books and lectures, and includes nectar by lots of swamis attending the Ukraine festival, such as Bhaktivaibhava Swami, Bhanu Swami, Candramauli Swami, Devamrita Swtami, Indradyumna Swami, Niranjana Swami, Prahladananda Swami, and Sivarama Swami. There are also notes from Warsaw’s Radhastami and Bavaria’s Prahlada-Nrsimha installation anniversary festivals. As usual, there is material from Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami’s journal and his books, this time including lots of prayers, and there are lectures by Janananda Goswami in The North of England as well.

Itinerary

Dec. 3–5, 2012: Gainesville, FL
Dec. 6, 2012: Jacksonville, FL (UNF)
Dec. 7, 2012: Philadelphia and New York
Dec. 8–9, 2012: Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami Vyasa-puja
Dec. 10–23, 2012: Serving SDG in Stuyvesant, NY
Dec. 24–25, 2012: Visiting family in Albany, NY
Dec. 26, 2012–
Jan. 7, 2013: harinama in New York City
Jan. 8–April 2013: Gainesville, FL (with visits to Tallahassee and Jacksonville)

Bhakti Sangama (Ukraine Festival) 2012


I went to the Ukraine festival for the eighth consecutive year. Formerly in Odessa, the last few years, it has been held outside Evpatoriya, on the coast of the Black Sea, an hour or so from Simferopol, in Crimea. The festival has many nice features for me. Niranjana Swami, who invited me to live in the NYC temple back in 1979, is almost always there, and it is always nice to see and hear from him. 


Many other swamis I know and like also come there regularly. This year Bhaktivaibhava Swami, B. B. Govinda Swami, Candramauli Swami, Devamrita Swami, Indradyumna Swami, Prahladananda Swami, and Sivarama Swami were also there. This year Madhavananda Prabhu came for the first time. There are three hours of kirtana every night. The last three years Madhava Prabhu has come to participate in that. I know some of the devotees from Indradyumna Swami’s Festival of India in Poland, and it is nice to see them again. Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, my diksa guru, has some disciples there who are always coming out with new titles in Russian, and it nice to encourage them in their service. Every year more people come to the festival, and this year there were 7,000. The devotees have such a nice service attitude there, I always feel very welcome. The weather was perfect every day this year, sunny and warm. There are so many good speakers, you can never attend all the seminars you want to, but you always hear lots of spiritual knowledge you can apply in your life and share with others, and you can find some of it under “Insights” below.

I got to talk to some of the swamis I have known for years, and Candramauli Swami and Prahladananda Swami encouraged me in my program focusing on just a couple places and trying to assist with our outreach there, as Niranjana Swami, my siksa guru, advised me. The places I choose are Newcastle in The North of England, by the invitation of Janananda Goswami, and Gainesville, Florida, my home for several years.

At the Ukraine festival, the morning program kirtanas, especially guru-puja, and the evening kirtana, are so powerful with many devotees participating and are always a highlight for me. During guru-puja I would recall how Srila Prabhupada came to Moscow and talked to one Russian, who became a devotee, and now in Ukraine, part of the former USSR, forty years later, there is a yearly festival with seven thousand people and in Russia a festival with over ten thousand people. Such is the influence of the pure devotee of the Lord. It was spiritually very enlivening to witness that amazing result.

Harinamas from Ukraine to Germany

Andre, who we knew from the Polish tour and other Ukraine festivals, kindly arranged us a ride to the Simferopol train station with devotees in a car with plenty of room and horsepower. The two devotees who came with us did not know English but had an iPad with Russian-English translation and communicated to us in that way. After we loaded our bags on the train, I decided to chant for the twenty minutes on the platform before we left. The two devotees who brought us there sang along for several minutes before going on their way. Several people looked with curiosity and some took pictures. The conductor motioned it was time to get aboard when there was still almost ten minutes till the train was to leave, but at least some harinama went on. At the first lengthy stop on the train, Trevor and I chanted for ten minutes or so, as people bought and sold things, smoked cigarettes and got some fresh air during the break, and again, a few people looked with curiosity and took pictures, and no one hindered our chanting.

Three or four times on the trains to and from the Ukraine festival, I would get out and chant like this when we stopped for fifteen minutes or more. No one protested, although occasionally, the conductor indicated it was time to get back on the train five or ten minutes early. Some people would always stand and listen, others would smile, and still others would take pictures.

The several times I have crossed the border from Shegyni, Ukraine, to Medyka, Poland, there has always been a minibus waiting to take people to the Przemysl train station to continue their journey through Poland. This time there was just a crowd of people hanging out, some of them selling liquor and cigarettes. I assumed some of them were waiting for the minibus, so I decided to play harmonium and chant while waiting. After a while, Trevor got out his karatalas, and we had a kirtana with about fifty people surrounding us. I chanted some more, and then let Trevor take over. Some people took pictures and others took movies, some for many minutes. A couple of men danced a bit. I saw a bus across the street and wondered if it went to the train station, assuming if it did, it would stop here where people were waiting. Then a lady informed me in Polish that it was the bus to Przemysl and the bus stop was across the street and some thirty meters away. We stopped singing abruptly and ran to catch the bus. As Trevor packed up his harmonium, some people gave him some kind of sugar candy as a gift. We must have chanted half an hour.

Trevor stayed in Warsaw where we spent Radhastami in the association of many friends from the Polish tour. I continued to Simhachalam for the end of the 30th anniversary of the Prahlad Nrsimha installation.

I took a train from Warsaw to Czech Republic, changing trains in different places, including Brno, where I chanted at the station during the morning rush hour and three large trainloads of commuters got to hear the Hare Krishna mantra as they rushed to work and a bum gave a couple of small donations. I then took Czech trains to the last stop near the German border, and walked to the town of Haldmühle where I chanted with my harmonium by the side of the road as I waited almost an hour for the devotees to pick me up and drive me to Simhacalam. Two ladies came by at different times, one clearly a senior citizen. One gave a 10 euro donation and the other gave a couple euros. One of them was chanting Hare Krishna as she walked away. I was amazed to see such appreciation for the chanting in a small rural Bavarian village.

I had been on trains for seventeen hours from Warsaw to the German border, and had only done two hours of harinama, in one each in Brno and Haldmühle, so when Advaita Gauranga Prabhu, my driver to Simhachalam told me he was going on book distribution after dropping me off at the temple, I suggested I could go with him and we might do harinama at the same time. He recruited another harinama devotee and another book distributor, and I grabbed a large plate of the super excellent festival prasadam from Simhachalam, which included srikhand, one of my favorite sweets, and we drove to the nearby town of Waldkirchen, and chanted and distributed books for an hour before the evening kirtana. A few people smiled, but in general, you could understand people were uncertain and unfamiliar. I think that not too much harinama has happened in Waldkirchen. Still it was great to go out and complete my program of trying to chant three hours a day.

Passau Ratha-yatra


In my travels I see Lord Jagannatha and His associates are performing the Ratha-yatra pastime in more and more cities each year. In 2007 Ratha-yatra came to Brno, CZ, and in 2008 to Prague, CZ, in 2009 to Wroclaw, PL, in 2011 to Hamburg, Germany, and now in 2012 to Passau, Germany, the nearest city to Simhachalam, our Bavarian Nrsimha farm.


Hare Krishna guru and scholar, Krishna Ksetra Prabhu, seen playing harmonium above, blessed the event by his presence, and there were a number of devotees mostly from Germany, Czech Republic, and Poland.


People at the sidewalk cafes were attracted by the unusual site of Lord Jagannatha and His cart, and His associates.


I was with my friends Vishnujana and Gaura Karuna Prabhus, who really like harinama, and we chanted around Passau both before and after the Ratha-yatra for practically an hour each time.

Soho Street Devotees Remember Their Radhastami Book Distribution Marathon

Saci Kishore Prabhu:
I do not have the ability to convince people take books. But doing book distribution is an opportunity for me to see Krishna working His magic.

Bhakta Lawry:
I was distributing books at one location where there was a man on the roof who was threatening to jump off and a crowd watching. There were people who were shouting “Jump. Jump.” I couldn’t believe it. I distributed books for several hours. Then I heard a scream when the person actually jumped. One man who passed by later said, “I missed all the fun.” I was shocked to see how people were so degraded they were taking pleasure in man’s mental anguish and suicide. This age is becoming worse and worse.

Bhakta Alexi:
I met two people who were dumb and could not speak. A devotee had taught me the hand gestures for the language of the dumb. I taught them the mantra using this and they learned it. They gave a donation and took a book.

World Holy Name Festival, Part I

Once a year, usually in September, the Hare Krishna movement really tries to increase its program of congregational chanting, both in the temple and outside. Janananda Goswami, my authority in The North of England, is committed to harinama, the congregational chanting of Hare Krishna in the streets of the towns, and he invited me to travel with him in The North of England and Scotland during The World Holy Name Festival this year.

Janananda Goswami really likes to go to places that we rarely or never go to and to small places, into addition to the metropolitan areas where we often chant.

One day, traveling between Manchester and Liverpool, we chanted in St. Helens and Prescot. I rarely distribute books, but in St. Helens, a couple people were so attracted by our kirtana, that even I was willing and able to sell them books.

Most amazing was a well attended Saturday harinama in Leeds, where we had so many enthusiastic devotees chanting on harinama that I was able to distribute five books without much endeavor.

Sunday, September 30, was my birthday, and I bought ingredients at the local shop to make laddus for the Manchester Sunday feast, as an offering to purify my birth. They came out really good by Krishna’s mercy. Janananda Goswami was so generous that he encouraged the congregation to support my program of traveling and doing harinama, and they were so kind, I got enough to pay over half the cost of my ticket to the USA and back for another summer in the UK. I thank all the Manchester congregation who kindly helped out in that way.

Insights

Srila Prabhupada:

from a purport to SB 5.12.13:

The pure devotee is never interested in material topics. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has strictly prohibited His devotees to talk about worldly matters. Gramya-varta na kahibe: [Cc. Antya 6.236] one should not indulge in talking unnecessarily about news of the material world. One should not waste time in this way. This is a very important feature in the life of a devotee. A devotee has no other ambition than to serve Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This Krishna consciousness movement was started to engage people twenty-four hours daily in the service of the Lord and in His glorification. The students in this institution engage in the cultivation of Krishna consciousness from five in the morning to ten at night. They actually have no opportunity to waste their time unnecessarily by discussing politics, sociology and current events. These will go their own way. A devotee is concerned only with serving Krishna positively and seriously.

from a conversation with a guest, August 1973, in London, quoted in Back to Godhead, Vol. 46, No. 6, Nov./Dec. 2012:

“When you paint a flower with a brush, the brush is not the creator of that painting—you are the creator. Similarly, in the creation of a real flower, nature is only the brush, but the creator is God.”

from a lecture on Bhagavad-gita 9.15 in given in New York City on December 1, 1966, quoted in Back to Godhead, Vol. 46, No. 6, Nov./Dec. 2012:

We are very much proud of seeing, but as soon as the light is turned off, we cannot see. So our seeing is conditional. All our senses are conditional. Therefore they are imperfect. . . . Nobody can become a representative of Krishna, or God, without becoming His devotee. One who thinks “I am God” cannot become the representative
of God. Suppose you are a businessman and you send your representative to secure business. If he represents himself to the customer, “I am the proprietor,” how long can he continue? As soon as the master knows “This foolish man is representing himself as the proprietor of this firm,” he will cancel his employment at once. Because the so-called representative is cheating; he’s not the proprietor. Similarly, anyone who says “I am God” should not preach. . . . You cannot preach, “I am God.” Because if you promote yourself as God, then people may ask you, “If you are God, then show me your allpowerfulness.” That you cannot show. So you cannot preach, “I am God.”

from a lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.6 given in London on July 23, 1973:

One can ask questions of the guru once one has fully surrendered. Otherwise it will not act. Don’t waste your time.

In the beginning Arjuna has friendly talks with Krishna, but nothing was solved, and so Arjuna surrendered to Him as a disciple.

from Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.13.25, purport:

The whole world is revolving under the bodily conception; therefore there must be devotees all over the world to deliver people from the false bodily conception and fully
engage them in Krishna consciousness.

from Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.14.2, purport:

This Krishna consciousness movement is therefore teaching people to control the mind and five knowledge-acquiring senses by a definite process. One should practice a
little austerity and not spend money on anything other than the regulative life of devotional service. The senses demand that one see beautiful things; therefore money should be spent for decorating the Deity in the temple. Similarly, the tongue has to taste good food, which should be bought and offered to the Deity. The nose can be utilized in
smelling the flowers offered to the Deity, and the hearing can be utilized by listening to the vibration of the Hare Krishna mantra. In this way the senses can be regulated and utilized to advance Krishna consciousness.

Bhaktivaibhava Swami:

Incidents when we call out to Krishna and He protects us make our faith strong, but when we see so many people engaged in materialistic activities and we are very few, we may again have some doubt. These festivals where thousands of devotees chant together are therefore valuable. Actually this movement is meant for the masses. The more people join, the more ecstatic it becomes. This movement is meant to drown the entire world in the holy name.

Bhanu Swami:

In the material world, if we do not like our master, we can run away and find another master, but we can not run away from our eternal master, Krishna.

The master expresses gratitude for service, and the relationship is one of respect and love.

Sometimes people think that Krishna wants to exploit His servants like happens in the material world.

Krishna is master because He is the supreme controller and He knows everything.

When we say master, when mean a person, not an entity with no personal qualities.
Krishna does not need anyone or anything because he is made of bliss. Yet because he is compassionate, he shows perfect love.

Krishna reciprocates according one’s surrender and one’s favorable attitude. But because He is independent, He can break all the rules and show extraordinary mercy to an unqualified person as with Putana.

Krishna does not hate the demons—he enjoys fighting with them and He purifies them.

The prison is a manifestation of the government which is an attempt to reform the prisoners, although the prisoners may not appreciate that.

The Lord shows special compassion to those who recognize themselves as servants of the Lord.

Those who follow no rules for elevation are considered uncivilized. Better than them are those who follow the varnasrama guidelines or the karma-kanda path, but still their goal is the material world, and so the jnanis and yogis are better because their aim is beyond this world. The devotees are beyond these.

Krishna is not eager to give benefits that will disturb a person’s devotional service.

Krishna prefers pure devotional service, but he considers contaminated devotional service better than no devotional service. The mixed devotees get better reciprocation from Krishna than either the karmis or jnanis, but not the ultimate perfection that comes from pure devotional service.

Bhakti is the desire to please Krishna and nothing else.

When we perform sadhana, we are not trying to get something from Krishna for ourselves.

Sometimes people mix elements from other practices in with our bhakti, and if these do not obstruct the bhakti, they are not a problem.

Bhakti can also be mixed with the three modes of material nature, if we have motivations. The mode of ignorance causes us to harm others, the mode of passion causes us to desire material enjoyment.

In prema the devotee gives himself completely to Krishna, and Krishna gives Himself to the devotee. That is the highest bliss in which both the Lord and the jiva are satisfied.

Because Krishna is complete, the servant and master relationship transforms in different ways, with Krishna becoming equal as a friend, with Krishna becoming inferior as the son of Yasoda, or of Krishna surrendering completely, as with Radha. Still all the while Krishna remains the master and the devotee is the servant.

Vishnu is not a lesser God than Krishna because there is only one God. Vishnu has all the qualities of Krishna, but He does not manifest them in the form of Vishnu. Just as when you go to work, you show some qualities to your boss, but at home, you show more qualities to your family.

Shiva is isvara, the Lord, not jiva, an ordinary living entity, but he manifests fewer qualities than Vishnu, and therefore, is not on the same level. Although he appears to be contaminated by the mode of ignorance, having long hair and living near the crematorium, he always isvara, the Lord, and therefore factually transcendental to the modes of nature.

Saktyavesa-avataras, or empowered jivas, being jivas, are always servants, and thus can never become the Lord.

The conclusion is that Brahman and Paramatma exist and are included within the Lord and His name, and thus we can realize all these features of the Lord by chanting His holy name.

We should not accept food offered to the devatas (demigods) alone.

Demigods can be pleased by offering them the prasadam of Lord Vishnu.

Strictly speaking, Vishnu does not come from Krishna, nor Krishna from Vishnu, for they are both eternal. We say expansion because the expansion manifests fewer qualities.

Each Veda has four divisions: samhitas, brahmanas, aranyakas, and upanisads.

To blaspheme the scriptures or to come to the wrong conclusion about them are two ways we offend the scriptures.

The universal form of the Lord describing His bodily parts as features of the universe seems to be symbolic.

Candramauli Swami:

Prahlad Maharaja is embarrassed that Lord Nrsimha wants to offer him a benediction because he is happy serving.

It is the position of the living entities to be happy in service but that gets covered in the material world if we think of ourselves as only serving in a particular way.

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, when asked how many disciples he had, said none. They are all his teachers, and he learns something from each.

Balarama serves Krishna is each of the five rasas. In neutrality as the Lord’s paraphenalia and in conjugal love as Ananga Manjari.

Without concern for the object of service, it becomes routine.

When Lord Nrsimha persisted in offering a benediction to Prahlada Maharaja he asked to remain here to benefit the souls.

Four things block our progress in bhakti, the devotional service of the Lord:
1. Philosophical misconceptions.
2. Pious activities.
3. Impious activities.
4. Offenses.
According to Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura in his Madhurya Kadambini:

Misconceptions about bhakti are partially removed at bhajana-kriya, completely removed at nistha, and will not return at the stage of ruci (taste).

Sinful and pious desires are almost completely removed at bhajana-kriya, completely removed at nistha, and will not return at the platform of asakti (attachment).

Offenses are partially removed at the stage of bhajana kriya (spiritual practice), greatly removed at nistha (steadiness), almost completely removed at bhava (preliminary love of God), completely removed at prema (love of God), and will not return when one has attained shelter at the lotus feet of the Lord.

Jaya and Vijaya are evidence that offenses can still arise even at the stage of love of God.

We must become adosa-darsi, one who does not see the faults in others.
Harinama sankirtana can destroy all anarthas.
Bharata Maharaja’s defect was he did not have regular association with the devotees. If he did, seeing him so attached to the deer, they would have said, “Hey Bharata, you are in maya [illusion]!”
The holy name is Krishna, but Krishna is coming and going according to our consciousness.
There are so many things we can say about Krishna:
Krishna was born on Wednesday.
Krishna’s favorite sweet is rasgulla.
A nice exercise is to read something about Krishna and share with others each day.
Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura said chanting without krishna-katha, is like Krishna without Radha (His internal potency).
Someone once requested Srila Prabhupada, “Please give me your mercy.” Prabhupada responded, “I am giving everyone my mercy. Just take it.” Association of the devotees is mercy, prasadam is mercy. Just take it.
There are two kinds of ruci. One in which one has a taste for hearing the kirtana if the melody is nice and the singing is nice, and one in which one has a taste for hearing the holy name regardless of the quality of singing or the melody.
We may make special endeavors to make Krishna available for others, but for ourselves, we do not make special endeavors for basic needs.
If Krishna wants, He provides what you need, and if he doesn’t provide, it just means that you did not need it, or you did not need it at that time.

Devamrita Swami:

Love of God is so exalted that even if it takes many hundreds of births to attain, it is still worth the price.

We are like children who do not know what we want, but it is difficult to admit that.

Once we understand that Krishna is the Supreme Enjoyer, we should also understand that He knows how to get the greatest love.

Yasoda never accepted that Krishna lifted the hill. She thought His father did it.

In the spiritual world, there is so much crying, anxiety, and pain, but it is all ecstatic. Do you still want to go?

You will learn how to be in anxiety in ecstasy, how to cry in ecstasy, and how to suffer the pain of separation in ecstasy.

Krishna is the butter thief, and Balarama is His assistant.

Krishna does not steal milk products because He wants to eat them, but rather because He just likes to steal.

Yasoda did not see the universes in Krishna’s mouth but in His belly, according Lord Brahma. Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura said there was dirt His mouth as well as the whole universe, but seeing the entire universe distracted Yasoda from noticing the dirt.

The pure devotees’ accusations against Krishna are based on pure love, but our accusations against Krishna are based on frustration of material desires.

Q: Krishna’s pastimes sometimes seem like fairy tales.
A: Actually material life is a fairy tale. If you get this and that, you will be happy. Isn’t it a fairy tale?

Death for a devotee is a change of service. It may look like the death of a nondevotee just as food offered to Krishna may look like ordinary food, but there is a great difference. Srila Prabhupada used the analogy of the kitten and rat in the mouth of the cat to illustrate this point. The kitten feels protection in the mouth of the cat while the rat feels fear and imminent death. The body gets to the point where it cannot serve Krishna anymore. Why should we want to maintain it, if it can not longer serve Krishna?

Neophytes consider fulfillment of their desires for sense gratification to be Krishna’s mercy. But we should consider that Krishna’s mercy acts to increase our devotional service.

Krishna does not want us to enjoy material things because He has better things to give us but we are so stubborn, we do not believe it.

There is a story of a kid whose parents were so proud of their child’s devotion to Krishna they told the kid to give me his favorite toy truck. He came right up to me, but at the last moment, he could not do it and started crying. The parents thought he was just attached to that truck, so they arranged he give away a brand new truck, but at the last moment, he could not give that away either without crying.

Although a child, Prahlada knew the cause of spiritual destruction, material desire. He understood that not by experience gained in life but simply by hearing from his guru. Sometimes we have difficulty understanding that experience acquired through hearing is also experience.

Material desire is not some innocent thing but the cause of our ultimate destruction.

Srila Prabhupada explained in Bombay in 1977 that guru-puja is not just some ritual but the receiving of divine knowledge from the guru.

Krishna is expert at purifying devotees who have material desires. If Krishna could handle Kubja, He can handle you. Kubja was filled with desires to enjoy with Krishna in an materialistic way, but as she approached Him to embrace Him, she was purified of all material contamination by smelling the fragrance of His feet, and then she embraced Him as a completely liberated soul. If we cooperate with Krishna’s program, He can expertly purify us.

Indradyumna Swami:

Human life begins when we inquire beyond the body.

Because Krishna is unlimited, there are unlimited questions we can ask about Him. Unfortunately, we do not even know what to ask, so the great spiritual teachers teach us

Krishna consciousness is presented to us on a silver platter, but we do not take it.

Unless we know who we are, we cannot conduct our lives to live in a better way.

We should have learned at five years old that we are not our bodies but servants of Krishna.

As Srila Prabhupada is our ever well-wisher, we should be ever grateful.

Janananda Goswami:

There is nothing more powerful in life than love and devotion.

People are attracted to Hare Krishna because it touches something deeper in the heart.

The Bhagavad-gita wasn’t understood in the West for centuries for to understand it you have to practice the instructions in it.

Drama as “Rama” in it.

It is important to know how to apply knowledge.

Paul McCartney’s office is around the corner from our Soho temple, and he would regularly take prasadam.

Ananta Caturdasi is famous in South India in the Sri Sampradaya as the appearance day of their worshipable deity of Padmanabha.

The circumstances of the birth of Haridasa Thakura are not known in certainty or how he came to point of chanting 300,000 names of Krishna per day.

After the Brahma-vihomana-lila, Brahma went to Navadvipa and performed austerities desiring to be purified from his pride. Lord Caitanya appeared and said during His next appearance, Brahma would appear from a low-born family as Haridasa Thakura, and teach by his example that there is no material disqualification for chanting the holy name. In this way, it can be said that Haridasa Thakura was initiated into the chanting of the holy name and given the name Haridasa Thakura by Lord Caitanya before his appearance. 

Haridasa Thakura appeared about 36 years before Lord Caitanya, according to Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura.

Haridasa Thakura exemplified Lord Caitanya’s “Siksastakam,” be humble and tolerant, and no matter what, keep chanting.

Although Haridasa Thakura forgave Gopal Cakravarti for his offense, Gopal still had to suffer because he had defamed Haridasa Thakura in public. Had he made a public apology and had he glorified Haridasa Thakura to the same extent as he defamed him, he could have been completely relieved from any reaction to the offense.

With the strong association of devotees, the impossible can become possible.

Sannyasa means never alone, always remembering that Krishna is present.

Q: Some people says that the title “Goswami” is given to those who were previously married and then took “sannyasa” while the title “Swami” is given to sannyasis who were never married before.
A: As far as the sannyasis Srila Prabhupada initiated, that is not true in every case. Srila Prabhupada writes in a purport that the name does not change at sannyasa.

Sannyasa is a state of mind not just an order. You can be a grhastha and much more renounced than a sannyasi.

The consciousness that must be developed, whether one officially takes sannyasa or not, is to become more dependent on Krishna.

We have found millions of things to eat on Ekadasi. Devotees have discovered many tasty preparations without grains. You do not need to eat grains.

Five hundred Gitas were sold to a crowd of mostly students at the Boston hemp festival which coincides with the Hare Krishna festival in Boston for the anniversary of Srila Prabhupada’s original arrival in Boston in 1965.

The record in a gulabjamun eating contest in my experience was a mataji by the name of Subha-laksmi who ate 96 gulabjamuns in one sitting.

Once I ate two trays of laddus with 70 laddhus on each tray. It was very cold and the others were jumping up and down outside the van to stay warm. My duty was to look after the van, and noticed the three trays of laddus.

Bhaktivinoda Thakura said, “My only hope lies in the limitless nectar of Your holy name.”

Srila Prabhupada likened the appearance of Lord Jagannatha in the memories of a dying man who had seen a Ratha-yatra to a bright light that exposes the film of all his karmic reactions.

It is said if you go to a new place where harinama has never gone before that Bhaktivinoda Thakura personally accompanies you.

In one city where we had not done harinama for years, one person was very emotional upon seeing the devotees on the harinama party. He grabbed one devotee and pushed him up against a wall and shook him. The devotee was worried, but the man, said excitedly, “Where have you been? I have not seen you for twenty years!”

Srila Prabhupada explains that whether they want to hear or not, the chanting will create an auspicious atmosphere for everyone.

Niranjana Swami:

Seminar on Patience:

Devotional service is easy if one is fixed on the goal.

Pure bhakti means no other desires.

The impatient cannot perform the work of sadhana, although they may be able to work some job.

Karmis want material gain, jnanis want liberation and yogis want mystic powers, but the devotee just wants Krishna to be pleased. Without pure devotional service, it is more or less a show.

Bhaktivinoda Thakura explains that one who is not sufficiently patient may fall from the path of pure devotional service. The patient devotee thinks, “Krishna must be merciful to me today, tomorrow, or in another birth.”

Those with firm faith continue performing devotional service.

The patient person first controls himself and then the whole world.

Raghunatha Dasa Thakura’s father, Govardhan, always protected him from seeing the evils of this world. Once Govardhan sent Raghunatha to Haridas Thakura, along with a cartload of material amenities, to get a benediction. Balaram Acarya was a follower of Haridas Thakura and knew the kind of benediction that Haridas Thakura could give. After Raghunatha Das Goswami asked for a benediction, he made a loud sound so others could not hear the benediction which Haridas Thakura gave, which was to be completely detached from this material world. When Govardhan asked what the benediction was, no one could say. When Govardhan directly asked Balaram Acarya the benediction Haridas Thakura gave, and Balaram Acarya said, “Your son will be able to control the whole world.” Govardhan was impressed. He only controlled a tract of land, but his son would control the whole world. Actually this was true, because Raghunatha Das was detached from this world, he was in control of himself, and the world could not control him. And thus he could control the world.

Actually we can control the tongue simply by speaking about Krishna, but there are situations when it is difficult to speak about Krishna.

It is significant that Verse 1 of Upadesamrita describes the person who can tolerate the urges not the person who does not have the urges. Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that one who cannot tolerate these urges and acts on them can never have peace.

When Krishna steals the butter and does other childhood pranks, the ladies of town come to Mother Yasoda to talk about Krishna, on the pretext of complaining Him.

Where topics of Krishna are flowing, then the material necessities of life are not even noticed.

Getting together and talking about others is natural, and talking about others is perfected in talking about Krishna.

Sometimes when we speak about others, we do so to establish ourselves as superior to others. Thus before we start speaking, we should consider carefully our motives in speaking.

If one speaks unnecessarily and does not tolerate the urge to speak, his mind will never be so peaceful he can fix it on Krishna.

Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that talking about others should be rejected in all respects, but there are some favorable topics that are so pure that even though they are about others they can be spoken about.

He explains it is best for householders to live in a Krishna conscious family and not talk about others without reason.

A guru can use others as an example to make a point clear to the disciple, if done without envy or desire to be superior.

Sukadeva Goswami’s warning about envious householders who sleep and have sex and night and maintain and decorate their bodies during the day, and Lord Caitanya saying he cannot tolerate seeing the face of a member of the renounced who talks intimately with women are examples of using others to make a point clear.

If one speaks for the purpose of instructing others then it is not prajalpa, unwanted and degrading talk that blocks devotional progress.

If our speech about others is contaminated by envy, hatred, pride, or distinction, then it is an offense against Bhakti Devi.

When we ignore this good advice, we can create enmity and disturb minds, and create an atmosphere which is not conducive to development of Vaishnava relationships. People become afraid to reveal their minds, thinking whatever they say will become public knowledge.

We have practice patiently the control of our own urge to speak, instead of telling others how to control theirs.

The goal of the sadhaka is to see that Krishna is pleased. When is Krishna pleased? When the devotee follows His instruction, man mana bhava mad-bhakto . . . When the devotee has no shelter but Him.

The Lord gives his heart to His devotees, and therefore He could not help Durvasa Muni, who had offended His devotee.

If there is envy (malice) in our heart, then how can we work for the benefit of others?

Practitioners of devotional service should not speak unnecessarily.

There is no restriction on glorifying the devotees.

Lord Caitanya advised an offender who criticized devotees that he could become free from offense by using the same mouth to glorify devotees.

Sometimes people glorify their friends who are devotees in a very lofty way. This calls to mind that King Prthu rejected the glorification by the professional reciters for qualities of his that he had not manifested, saying that that such praises were actually insults.

I went to the kitchen to encourage the devotees who do so much work there during the [Ukraine] festival. I saw one devotee who was washing all the buckets that were used to serve prasadam. It looked like he had been there for a long time, and that he would be there for a long time still. I asked him if there were any difficulties in his service. He replied that his difficulty was that they were only allowing him to wash the buckets for one day.

The regulative principles of bhakti-yoga does not mean the vows we accepted at initiation. Those are the regulative principles of human life. The regulative principle of bhakti-yoga is to always fix the mind on Krishna. If one cannot fix one’s mind on Krishna twenty-four hours a day, at least some part of the day one should fix his mind on Krishna.

Prahladananda Swami:

Astrology is meant to help one move toward liberation and was given by Parasara Muni.

By liberation, I mean freedom from misconceptions.

I memorized the Krishna book because I thought it would be less boring to remember Krishna’s pastimes while I was chanting japa. I wrote Srila Prabhupada asking if it was alright to remember Krishna’s pastimes while chanting japa, and he said, “No. Just chant and hear, and if you happen to think of Krishna’s pastimes spontaneously that is all right.”

To be successful in devotional service we must simply understand who is the right source to hear from and what is the right attitude to hear with.

Maya has no power to hold on to us, but we are holding on to maya, and why are we holding on to maya? Because we like to hold on maya. But it is not enough to let go of maya, we must embrace Krishna.

The pure devotee sees everyone suffering because of being separated from Krishna.

In astrology there are three kinds of planets, male, female, and neutral. Male planets are concerned with doing the right thing. Female planets are concerned with enjoyment. The female does the right thing when she is happy, and the male is happy when he does the right thing.

The sun is very generous. No one gets a bill for heat and light from the sun. It is very regulated. It always rises every morning and never sleeps in.

The planets have a higher and lower nature. The sun is generous and noble on the positive side, and on the negative side pride or depression result.

The sun, Mars, and Jupiter are male. Venus and the moon are female. Mercury and Saturn are neutral. The world is set up so the combination of influences has a balancing effect. One lives nicely in this world, but wonders, “is there anything more than this?” and then inquires about Krishna consciousness.

Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:

from his journal, Viraha Bhavan, August 26, 2012:

I read a lecture by Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura which gave me a great enhancement in chanting. He said the goal of life is to render service to Srimati Radharani, the attractor of Krishna. And the best way to do this is by nama-bhajana to the Hare Krishna mantra. The word “Hare” is the vocative form of “Hara,” which indicates Radha. And “Rama” means Radhika-Ramana, the lover and enjoyer of Radharani. So the entire mantra is yugala kishora, the joining and separation of Radha and Krishna, which is how Lord Caitanya chanted.

from My Dear Lord Krishna:

“Please let me serve You and love You in my next life. I will have to serve something or someone
—some nation, etc. I ask that it be You. I don't want to be born in the darkness of ignorance. I want my eyes opened by the torchlight of knowledge carried by my spiritual master. I had to wait twenty-six years in this life before I began serving You. It was wonderful when I began, but it was too long to wait. I almost died before I met Prabhupada. Please don't let anything like that happen to me in my next life. Let me get a speedy start. Let me begin chanting Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare as soon as possible, even in the womb of my mother. Such a thing is possible. Let me meet the first obstacles of my life with You by my side.

“Give me Krishna conscious parents, or bring me at once to the spiritual sky. I am greedy for the best. I can't claim qualification, but I'm afraid of this material world in Kali-yuga, and I'm attracted to You. So I ask to be born where You are. If You want me to come back to the material world to preach, then so be it. But in that case, give me the spark of compassion to be a preacher. Make me strong and put me in the association of strong devotees.

“Please let my next life be auspicious. Protect me from calamities. Let me be pure. Let me find my eternal spiritual master and affectionately serve him. Let me have a friendly, intimate relationship with him. Let me be of actual use to him in his mission. Let me be attracted to the eternal dhamas, such as Vrndavana and Mayapura, and render service there and purify myself there and associate with devotees. Let me practice brahmacarya. Let me not be attracted to material objects like beautiful women, opulent food and clothing, and fine residential quarters. Let me live simply.

“Let me do some creative service for You, if You desire. Let me work for You. Wherever I am, let me think of You with devotion. I would like to feel ecstatic symptoms of love of God. If I am in a position where I have to defend Your good name in the world, give me the courage to do so.

“These are some thoughts that come to my mind about how I would like to relate to You and Srimati Radharani in my next life. Let me know raganuga sadhana bhakti. Give me time to read and relish the scriptures and speak about them to others. I want to be a faithful devotee wherever I live. Let me be happy in Krishna consciousness. I think it is right to aspire for going back to Godhead, as Srila Prabhupada encouraged.

“Let me be with You,
let me love You,
please accept me
as Your humble servant.”

Sivarama Swami:

This world seems real because it is a reflection of the spiritual world.

One must have great faith in Krishna’s divinity to be able to understand His pastimes in which he does things that in this world that would be unacceptable behavior, like His lying, stealing, etc.

Kubja is considered to be both an incarnation of Surpanakha and also the partial expansion of Satyabhama. After being rejected by Lord Ramacandra, she underwent austerities to please Lord Shiva for many, many years. Lord Shiva said he could not give her the benediction that Rama would be her husband as he accepted a vow of eka-patni vrata.

Because Kubja wanted to enjoy with Lord, her love is not considered pure. The queens because they want to give pleasure to Krishna are superior, and best are the gopis who want to please Krishna and have no conception of another self-interest.

Dhirasanta Prabhu:

We still make too many distinctions between devotees based on whether they are brahmacari, grhasthas, or sannyasis, although it is not bad as earlier in ISKCON history.

If we do our spiritual duties nicely in the morning, we will be able to all our other duties throughout the day in an exemplary way that inspires others.

I present Krishna philosophy and culture in the Hinduism classes in the school. One day one of the teachers who very passionate and who did everything very hurriedly, was acting in a very peaceful way after hearing two hours of my presentations in her classes, and her friends were amazed by the change in behavior. She said maybe it was the incense this Hindu priest uses. She said it was not something I said that affected her behavior, but the whole way I acted. I explained that every morning I chant Hare Krishna for two hours, and that gives me the spiritual strength to deal with the issues.

Bhaktivinoda Thakura sings, “Lord Gauranga said, ‘I have descended just to save you; other than Myself you have no friend in this world. I have brought the medicine that will wipe out the disease of illusion from which you are suffering. Take this maha-mantra-Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare/Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.’”
If it was not for Bhaktivinoda Thakura, we probably would not be sitting here today.

Nagaraja Prabhu:

from Back to Godhead, Vol. 46, No. 6, Nov./Dec. 2012:

As Srila Narottama Dasa writes, “The sound of the glorification of Krishna is a gift from Goloka Vrindavana, Lord Krishna’s eternal abode.” If we immerse ourselves in that liberating sound, we won’t die either. As Prabhupada once said, at the end of our time in this body we’ll close our eyes, and when we open them, we’ll be with Krishna.

Pancaratna Prabhu:

I am from Mayapur, and Mayapur is known for festivals, and I have to say, this [Ukraine] festival is extraordinary. After Devamrita Swami’s kirtana took us to a higher level, your loud cry of “Haribol!” I do not think I had heard resounded at such a volume since the installation of the Pancatattva in Mayapur.

The Lord desired in the beginning that although one He might become many. It all begins with desire.

The Mayavadis want to be without desire, but without desire, what do we have?

We all know of the flow of desires in our minds, and without the mercy of Krishna, the guru, and the Vaishnavas, we cannot get out of the service of these desires which never can satisfy us, because they are for the temporary.

The Buddhists say by eliminating desire, we eliminate suffering, but Krishna has a better idea: “The embodied soul may be restricted from sense enjoyment, though the
taste for sense objects remains. But, ceasing such engagements by
experiencing a higher taste, he is fixed in consciousness.” (Bhagavad-gita 2.59)

Kavitam in Siksastaka 4 means fruitive activities described in flowery language.

The desire to serve the Lord does not come from the mind, but from your heart, from your actual self.

God desires. He desires love, pleasure with us. By pleasing Him we share in that pleasure.

Madhava is always reminding us, “Chant from the heart.” What does that mean? It means not for any material reason, for Krishna’s pleasure.

Srila Prabhupada taught us to chant like a child crying for his mother. Why does a child cry for his mother? Because from his mother everything comes.

We want Krishna. That is our hearts’ desire. In our chanting of the holy name, we must connect with that desire.

Bhaktivinoda Thakura says in Bhakti-rahasyam that Siksastaka 4 describes the state of no desire which happens at ruci.

Trnad . . . [tolerance and humility] is how we get to nistha [steadiness in devotional service].

Bhakta Vatsala Govinda Prabhu (from a Radhastami lecture):

Without accepting the Absolute Truth is a person we cannot understand the philosophy of Krishna consciousness.

The energies of the Absolute Truth are also persons.

Through Krishna consciousness we are trying to revive our relationship with Him.

The easiest way to attain Krishna is through Srimati Radharani.

Radha is described in great detail in literature by great devotees. She is fourteen years old, has elder brother, Sridhama, younger sister, Ananga Manjari, and many friends known as sakhis.

Radha has pets such as parrots, cows, calf, monkey, doe, birds like swans and peacocks.
Radha has ornaments like tilaka, necklaces, earrings, a medallion with Krishna’s picture, a syamatanka jewel, touchstone, bracelets, blue dress (usually, but sometimes red), jeweled mirror, golden stick to decorate her eyes, comb, mirror, private flower garden with golden jasmine flowers like lightning.

Radha-kunda with the kadamba tree where she sits and talks with Krishna. She has favorite ragas (musical arrangements) and dances. She worships the sun-god every day with the desire to marry Krishna.

We can learn from this list of possessions of Radha that the spiritual world is not so different from the material world. There are families, pets, etc. The idea that the spiritual world is completely different had by impersonalists is erroneous. Impersonalism means to take the person features out of spiritual life.

Material life is “it is all about me” everyone else is competition, and Krishna is the biggest competition, but someday I will conquer Him.

In the spiritual world all the things that are inanimate in this world are conscious there. Thus we have to act consciously with every person and thing.

Krishna is already ready to help us attain the spiritual world, but the question is are we willing to follow His advice.

Vamsivihara Prabhu:

from Back to Godhead, Vol. 46, No. 6, Nov./Dec. 2012:

Everyone loves certain foods, drinks, clothes, and music, and Lord Krishna is no exception. In fact, we have our likes because we are parts of Krishna, who has His own personal likes. Krishna loves butter, yellow clothing, peacock feathers, cows, flutes, and the land of Vrindavan. Similarly, of all months, He loves Karttika the best.

When devotees see the master of the entire universe bound by the love of His devotee, their hearts are filled with extreme gratitude. Attracted by Krishna’s divine qualities, their hearts are uncontrollably pulled toward Him. Although devotees do not wish to subdue the Lord, He takes extra pleasure in being ordered and controlled by His devotees. Each tries to be controlled by the other, because where love is present, happiness lies not in winning but in being won over. Srila Prabhupada writes in his purport to Srimad-Bhagavatam (6.16.34), “The Lord and the devotees both conquer. The Lord is conquered by the devotees, and the devotees are conquered by the Lord. Because of being conquered by one another, they both derive transcendental bliss from their relationship.”

Sarvatma Prabhu:

Although a devotee for years, I had only been able fix my mind on the Lord for a fraction a second at a time. Once on my birthday, I expressed this frustration to the Lord, and prayed to Him, as Radha-Ramana, “Please let me fix your mind on your lotus feet.” I found without difficulty I could meditate on the lotus feet of the Lord for the whole day. Of course, the next day, it was like as before, but I could appreciate that Krishna is a person and will respond to our prayers.

Your love is the only thing that Krishna does not have. He has everything else but love is voluntary.

Krishna is in your heart. He knows about your desires before you do.

We are so far from performing devotional service, yet as the Supersoul, Krishna always remains with us, for lifetimes.

If have a chronic condition and enter the hospital your friends will come and see you, but if you are there for months and years, how many will continue to visit. But Krishna continues remains with us through many, many lifetimes of our miserable disease.

Inattentive chanting is like inviting Krishna and closing the door in his face.

Srila Prabhupada said that if you remember Krishna 24 hours a day, He will remember you 26 hours a day, but if you think of yourself, He will think of Himself.

Here [in Simhachalam] Lord Nrsimha is not in his ugra [fierce] feature. He has Prahlada Maharaja on His lap, so He cannot leap.

King Vena was so bad, the only good thing during his administration was that were no criminals because he was the main criminal and he did not allow other criminals to prosper.

Stambha-bhava Prabhu:
One time Janananda Goswami came to our brahmacari ashram in Manchester. We went on harinama with him to twelve different towns in one day. We would get out of the car, chant up and down the main street and get back in the car, and go to the next town.

notes from Nrsimha installation anniversary festival:

Lord Nrsimhadeva’s conch shell sounds three times. The first time to chastise the demoniac, the second time to bless the devotees, and the third time to celebrate the victory of a pure heart.

------

tasmat sankirtanam vishnor
jagan-mangalam amhasam
mahatam api kauravya
viddhy aikantika-niskrtam


Sukadeva Gosvami continued: “My dear King, the chanting of the holy name of the Lord is able to uproot even the reactions of the greatest sins. Therefore the chanting of the sankirtana movement is the most auspicious activity in the entire universe. Please try to understand this so that others will take it seriously. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.3.36)

Travel Journal#8.18: Ukraine Festival, Bavaria, British Harinamas
→ Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk


Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 8, No. 18
By Krishna-kripa das
(September 2012, part two)
Ukraine Festival, Bavaria, British Harinamas
(Sent from Gainesville, Florida, on December 3, 2012)

Apologies

I have been so busy proofreading, doing evening programs, and going on additional harinamas and kirtana events, I am two months behind on this journal. I hope to really focus on it and catch up by the end of the year and not fall behind next year.

Where I Was and What I Did

The last half of September was wonderful because of all the good spiritual association at the Ukraine festival, where I collected many jewels from the swamis to share with you. After that Trevor, my harinama and traveling partner, and I went to Warsaw for Radhastami. I continued on to attend the last two days of the 30th anniversary of the installation of Prahlada-Nrsimha at Simhachalam, our Bavarian Hare Krishna farm, which ended with the first annual Passau Ratha-yatra. Then I flew to London where the book distributors shared their realizations from their Radhastami book marathon. The next day I began traveling with Janananda Goswami and his followers, doing harinama in and around Manchester, England, for the beginning of the World Holy Name Festival. I offer thanks to Vishnujana Prabhu for the photos of the Ukraine Festival and the Passau Ratha-yatra.

The insights this time begin with Srila Prabhupada quotes from books and lectures, and includes nectar by lots of swamis attending the Ukraine festival, such as Bhaktivaibhava Swami, Bhanu Swami, Candramauli Swami, Devamrita Swtami, Indradyumna Swami, Niranjana Swami, Prahladananda Swami, and Sivarama Swami. There are also notes from Warsaw’s Radhastami and Bavaria’s Prahlada-Nrsimha installation anniversary festivals. As usual, there is material from Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami’s journal and his books, this time including lots of prayers, and there are lectures by Janananda Goswami in The North of England as well.

Itinerary

Dec. 3–5, 2012: Gainesville, FL
Dec. 6, 2012: Jacksonville, FL (UNF)
Dec. 7, 2012: Philadelphia and New York
Dec. 8–9, 2012: Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami Vyasa-puja
Dec. 10–23, 2012: Serving SDG in Stuyvesant, NY
Dec. 24–25, 2012: Visiting family in Albany, NY
Dec. 26, 2012–
Jan. 7, 2013: harinama in New York City
Jan. 8–April 2013: Gainesville, FL (with visits to Tallahassee and Jacksonville)

Bhakti Sangama (Ukraine Festival) 2012


I went to the Ukraine festival for the eighth consecutive year. Formerly in Odessa, the last few years, it has been held outside Evpatoriya, on the coast of the Black Sea, an hour or so from Simferopol, in Crimea. The festival has many nice features for me. Niranjana Swami, who invited me to live in the NYC temple back in 1979, is almost always there, and it is always nice to see and hear from him. 


Many other swamis I know and like also come there regularly. This year Bhaktivaibhava Swami, B. B. Govinda Swami, Candramauli Swami, Devamrita Swami, Indradyumna Swami, Prahladananda Swami, and Sivarama Swami were also there. This year Madhavananda Prabhu came for the first time. There are three hours of kirtana every night. The last three years Madhava Prabhu has come to participate in that. I know some of the devotees from Indradyumna Swami’s Festival of India in Poland, and it is nice to see them again. Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, my diksa guru, has some disciples there who are always coming out with new titles in Russian, and it nice to encourage them in their service. Every year more people come to the festival, and this year there were 7,000. The devotees have such a nice service attitude there, I always feel very welcome. The weather was perfect every day this year, sunny and warm. There are so many good speakers, you can never attend all the seminars you want to, but you always hear lots of spiritual knowledge you can apply in your life and share with others, and you can find some of it under “Insights” below.

I got to talk to some of the swamis I have known for years, and Candramauli Swami and Prahladananda Swami encouraged me in my program focusing on just a couple places and trying to assist with our outreach there, as Niranjana Swami, my siksa guru, advised me. The places I choose are Newcastle in The North of England, by the invitation of Janananda Goswami, and Gainesville, Florida, my home for several years.

At the Ukraine festival, the morning program kirtanas, especially guru-puja, and the evening kirtana, are so powerful with many devotees participating and are always a highlight for me. During guru-puja I would recall how Srila Prabhupada came to Moscow and talked to one Russian, who became a devotee, and now in Ukraine, part of the former USSR, forty years later, there is a yearly festival with seven thousand people and in Russia a festival with over ten thousand people. Such is the influence of the pure devotee of the Lord. It was spiritually very enlivening to witness that amazing result.

Harinamas from Ukraine to Germany

Andre, who we knew from the Polish tour and other Ukraine festivals, kindly arranged us a ride to the Simferopol train station with devotees in a car with plenty of room and horsepower. The two devotees who came with us did not know English but had an iPad with Russian-English translation and communicated to us in that way. After we loaded our bags on the train, I decided to chant for the twenty minutes on the platform before we left. The two devotees who brought us there sang along for several minutes before going on their way. Several people looked with curiosity and some took pictures. The conductor motioned it was time to get aboard when there was still almost ten minutes till the train was to leave, but at least some harinama went on. At the first lengthy stop on the train, Trevor and I chanted for ten minutes or so, as people bought and sold things, smoked cigarettes and got some fresh air during the break, and again, a few people looked with curiosity and took pictures, and no one hindered our chanting.

Three or four times on the trains to and from the Ukraine festival, I would get out and chant like this when we stopped for fifteen minutes or more. No one protested, although occasionally, the conductor indicated it was time to get back on the train five or ten minutes early. Some people would always stand and listen, others would smile, and still others would take pictures.

The several times I have crossed the border from Shegyni, Ukraine, to Medyka, Poland, there has always been a minibus waiting to take people to the Przemysl train station to continue their journey through Poland. This time there was just a crowd of people hanging out, some of them selling liquor and cigarettes. I assumed some of them were waiting for the minibus, so I decided to play harmonium and chant while waiting. After a while, Trevor got out his karatalas, and we had a kirtana with about fifty people surrounding us. I chanted some more, and then let Trevor take over. Some people took pictures and others took movies, some for many minutes. A couple of men danced a bit. I saw a bus across the street and wondered if it went to the train station, assuming if it did, it would stop here where people were waiting. Then a lady informed me in Polish that it was the bus to Przemysl and the bus stop was across the street and some thirty meters away. We stopped singing abruptly and ran to catch the bus. As Trevor packed up his harmonium, some people gave him some kind of sugar candy as a gift. We must have chanted half an hour.

Trevor stayed in Warsaw where we spent Radhastami in the association of many friends from the Polish tour. I continued to Simhachalam for the end of the 30th anniversary of the Prahlad Nrsimha installation.

I took a train from Warsaw to Czech Republic, changing trains in different places, including Brno, where I chanted at the station during the morning rush hour and three large trainloads of commuters got to hear the Hare Krishna mantra as they rushed to work and a bum gave a couple of small donations. I then took Czech trains to the last stop near the German border, and walked to the town of Haldmühle where I chanted with my harmonium by the side of the road as I waited almost an hour for the devotees to pick me up and drive me to Simhacalam. Two ladies came by at different times, one clearly a senior citizen. One gave a 10 euro donation and the other gave a couple euros. One of them was chanting Hare Krishna as she walked away. I was amazed to see such appreciation for the chanting in a small rural Bavarian village.

I had been on trains for seventeen hours from Warsaw to the German border, and had only done two hours of harinama, in one each in Brno and Haldmühle, so when Advaita Gauranga Prabhu, my driver to Simhachalam told me he was going on book distribution after dropping me off at the temple, I suggested I could go with him and we might do harinama at the same time. He recruited another harinama devotee and another book distributor, and I grabbed a large plate of the super excellent festival prasadam from Simhachalam, which included srikhand, one of my favorite sweets, and we drove to the nearby town of Waldkirchen, and chanted and distributed books for an hour before the evening kirtana. A few people smiled, but in general, you could understand people were uncertain and unfamiliar. I think that not too much harinama has happened in Waldkirchen. Still it was great to go out and complete my program of trying to chant three hours a day.

Passau Ratha-yatra


In my travels I see Lord Jagannatha and His associates are performing the Ratha-yatra pastime in more and more cities each year. In 2007 Ratha-yatra came to Brno, CZ, and in 2008 to Prague, CZ, in 2009 to Wroclaw, PL, in 2011 to Hamburg, Germany, and now in 2012 to Passau, Germany, the nearest city to Simhachalam, our Bavarian Nrsimha farm.


Hare Krishna guru and scholar, Krishna Ksetra Prabhu, seen playing harmonium above, blessed the event by his presence, and there were a number of devotees mostly from Germany, Czech Republic, and Poland.


People at the sidewalk cafes were attracted by the unusual site of Lord Jagannatha and His cart, and His associates.


I was with my friends Vishnujana and Gaura Karuna Prabhus, who really like harinama, and we chanted around Passau both before and after the Ratha-yatra for practically an hour each time.

Soho Street Devotees Remember Their Radhastami Book Distribution Marathon

Saci Kishore Prabhu:
I do not have the ability to convince people take books. But doing book distribution is an opportunity for me to see Krishna working His magic.

Bhakta Lawry:
I was distributing books at one location where there was a man on the roof who was threatening to jump off and a crowd watching. There were people who were shouting “Jump. Jump.” I couldn’t believe it. I distributed books for several hours. Then I heard a scream when the person actually jumped. One man who passed by later said, “I missed all the fun.” I was shocked to see how people were so degraded they were taking pleasure in man’s mental anguish and suicide. This age is becoming worse and worse.

Bhakta Alexi:
I met two people who were dumb and could not speak. A devotee had taught me the hand gestures for the language of the dumb. I taught them the mantra using this and they learned it. They gave a donation and took a book.

World Holy Name Festival, Part I

Once a year, usually in September, the Hare Krishna movement really tries to increase its program of congregational chanting, both in the temple and outside. Janananda Goswami, my authority in The North of England, is committed to harinama, the congregational chanting of Hare Krishna in the streets of the towns, and he invited me to travel with him in The North of England and Scotland during The World Holy Name Festival this year.

Janananda Goswami really likes to go to places that we rarely or never go to and to small places, into addition to the metropolitan areas where we often chant.

One day, traveling between Manchester and Liverpool, we chanted in St. Helens and Prescot. I rarely distribute books, but in St. Helens, a couple people were so attracted by our kirtana, that even I was willing and able to sell them books.

Most amazing was a well attended Saturday harinama in Leeds, where we had so many enthusiastic devotees chanting on harinama that I was able to distribute five books without much endeavor.

Sunday, September 30, was my birthday, and I bought ingredients at the local shop to make laddus for the Manchester Sunday feast, as an offering to purify my birth. They came out really good by Krishna’s mercy. Janananda Goswami was so generous that he encouraged the congregation to support my program of traveling and doing harinama, and they were so kind, I got enough to pay over half the cost of my ticket to the USA and back for another summer in the UK. I thank all the Manchester congregation who kindly helped out in that way.

Insights

Srila Prabhupada:

from a purport to SB 5.12.13:

The pure devotee is never interested in material topics. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has strictly prohibited His devotees to talk about worldly matters. Gramya-varta na kahibe: [Cc. Antya 6.236] one should not indulge in talking unnecessarily about news of the material world. One should not waste time in this way. This is a very important feature in the life of a devotee. A devotee has no other ambition than to serve Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This Krishna consciousness movement was started to engage people twenty-four hours daily in the service of the Lord and in His glorification. The students in this institution engage in the cultivation of Krishna consciousness from five in the morning to ten at night. They actually have no opportunity to waste their time unnecessarily by discussing politics, sociology and current events. These will go their own way. A devotee is concerned only with serving Krishna positively and seriously.

from a conversation with a guest, August 1973, in London, quoted in Back to Godhead, Vol. 46, No. 6, Nov./Dec. 2012:

“When you paint a flower with a brush, the brush is not the creator of that painting—you are the creator. Similarly, in the creation of a real flower, nature is only the brush, but the creator is God.”

from a lecture on Bhagavad-gita 9.15 in given in New York City on December 1, 1966, quoted in Back to Godhead, Vol. 46, No. 6, Nov./Dec. 2012:

We are very much proud of seeing, but as soon as the light is turned off, we cannot see. So our seeing is conditional. All our senses are conditional. Therefore they are imperfect. . . . Nobody can become a representative of Krishna, or God, without becoming His devotee. One who thinks “I am God” cannot become the representative
of God. Suppose you are a businessman and you send your representative to secure business. If he represents himself to the customer, “I am the proprietor,” how long can he continue? As soon as the master knows “This foolish man is representing himself as the proprietor of this firm,” he will cancel his employment at once. Because the so-called representative is cheating; he’s not the proprietor. Similarly, anyone who says “I am God” should not preach. . . . You cannot preach, “I am God.” Because if you promote yourself as God, then people may ask you, “If you are God, then show me your allpowerfulness.” That you cannot show. So you cannot preach, “I am God.”

from a lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.6 given in London on July 23, 1973:

One can ask questions of the guru once one has fully surrendered. Otherwise it will not act. Don’t waste your time.

In the beginning Arjuna has friendly talks with Krishna, but nothing was solved, and so Arjuna surrendered to Him as a disciple.

from Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.13.25, purport:

The whole world is revolving under the bodily conception; therefore there must be devotees all over the world to deliver people from the false bodily conception and fully
engage them in Krishna consciousness.

from Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.14.2, purport:

This Krishna consciousness movement is therefore teaching people to control the mind and five knowledge-acquiring senses by a definite process. One should practice a
little austerity and not spend money on anything other than the regulative life of devotional service. The senses demand that one see beautiful things; therefore money should be spent for decorating the Deity in the temple. Similarly, the tongue has to taste good food, which should be bought and offered to the Deity. The nose can be utilized in
smelling the flowers offered to the Deity, and the hearing can be utilized by listening to the vibration of the Hare Krishna mantra. In this way the senses can be regulated and utilized to advance Krishna consciousness.

Bhaktivaibhava Swami:

Incidents when we call out to Krishna and He protects us make our faith strong, but when we see so many people engaged in materialistic activities and we are very few, we may again have some doubt. These festivals where thousands of devotees chant together are therefore valuable. Actually this movement is meant for the masses. The more people join, the more ecstatic it becomes. This movement is meant to drown the entire world in the holy name.

Bhanu Swami:

In the material world, if we do not like our master, we can run away and find another master, but we can not run away from our eternal master, Krishna.

The master expresses gratitude for service, and the relationship is one of respect and love.

Sometimes people think that Krishna wants to exploit His servants like happens in the material world.

Krishna is master because He is the supreme controller and He knows everything.

When we say master, when mean a person, not an entity with no personal qualities.
Krishna does not need anyone or anything because he is made of bliss. Yet because he is compassionate, he shows perfect love.

Krishna reciprocates according one’s surrender and one’s favorable attitude. But because He is independent, He can break all the rules and show extraordinary mercy to an unqualified person as with Putana.

Krishna does not hate the demons—he enjoys fighting with them and He purifies them.

The prison is a manifestation of the government which is an attempt to reform the prisoners, although the prisoners may not appreciate that.

The Lord shows special compassion to those who recognize themselves as servants of the Lord.

Those who follow no rules for elevation are considered uncivilized. Better than them are those who follow the varnasrama guidelines or the karma-kanda path, but still their goal is the material world, and so the jnanis and yogis are better because their aim is beyond this world. The devotees are beyond these.

Krishna is not eager to give benefits that will disturb a person’s devotional service.

Krishna prefers pure devotional service, but he considers contaminated devotional service better than no devotional service. The mixed devotees get better reciprocation from Krishna than either the karmis or jnanis, but not the ultimate perfection that comes from pure devotional service.

Bhakti is the desire to please Krishna and nothing else.

When we perform sadhana, we are not trying to get something from Krishna for ourselves.

Sometimes people mix elements from other practices in with our bhakti, and if these do not obstruct the bhakti, they are not a problem.

Bhakti can also be mixed with the three modes of material nature, if we have motivations. The mode of ignorance causes us to harm others, the mode of passion causes us to desire material enjoyment.

In prema the devotee gives himself completely to Krishna, and Krishna gives Himself to the devotee. That is the highest bliss in which both the Lord and the jiva are satisfied.

Because Krishna is complete, the servant and master relationship transforms in different ways, with Krishna becoming equal as a friend, with Krishna becoming inferior as the son of Yasoda, or of Krishna surrendering completely, as with Radha. Still all the while Krishna remains the master and the devotee is the servant.

Vishnu is not a lesser God than Krishna because there is only one God. Vishnu has all the qualities of Krishna, but He does not manifest them in the form of Vishnu. Just as when you go to work, you show some qualities to your boss, but at home, you show more qualities to your family.

Shiva is isvara, the Lord, not jiva, an ordinary living entity, but he manifests fewer qualities than Vishnu, and therefore, is not on the same level. Although he appears to be contaminated by the mode of ignorance, having long hair and living near the crematorium, he always isvara, the Lord, and therefore factually transcendental to the modes of nature.

Saktyavesa-avataras, or empowered jivas, being jivas, are always servants, and thus can never become the Lord.

The conclusion is that Brahman and Paramatma exist and are included within the Lord and His name, and thus we can realize all these features of the Lord by chanting His holy name.

We should not accept food offered to the devatas (demigods) alone.

Demigods can be pleased by offering them the prasadam of Lord Vishnu.

Strictly speaking, Vishnu does not come from Krishna, nor Krishna from Vishnu, for they are both eternal. We say expansion because the expansion manifests fewer qualities.

Each Veda has four divisions: samhitas, brahmanas, aranyakas, and upanisads.

To blaspheme the scriptures or to come to the wrong conclusion about them are two ways we offend the scriptures.

The universal form of the Lord describing His bodily parts as features of the universe seems to be symbolic.

Candramauli Swami:

Prahlad Maharaja is embarrassed that Lord Nrsimha wants to offer him a benediction because he is happy serving.

It is the position of the living entities to be happy in service but that gets covered in the material world if we think of ourselves as only serving in a particular way.

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, when asked how many disciples he had, said none. They are all his teachers, and he learns something from each.

Balarama serves Krishna is each of the five rasas. In neutrality as the Lord’s paraphenalia and in conjugal love as Ananga Manjari.

Without concern for the object of service, it becomes routine.

When Lord Nrsimha persisted in offering a benediction to Prahlada Maharaja he asked to remain here to benefit the souls.

Four things block our progress in bhakti, the devotional service of the Lord:
1. Philosophical misconceptions.
2. Pious activities.
3. Impious activities.
4. Offenses.
According to Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura in his Madhurya Kadambini:

Misconceptions about bhakti are partially removed at bhajana-kriya, completely removed at nistha, and will not return at the stage of ruci (taste).

Sinful and pious desires are almost completely removed at bhajana-kriya, completely removed at nistha, and will not return at the platform of asakti (attachment).

Offenses are partially removed at the stage of bhajana kriya (spiritual practice), greatly removed at nistha (steadiness), almost completely removed at bhava (preliminary love of God), completely removed at prema (love of God), and will not return when one has attained shelter at the lotus feet of the Lord.

Jaya and Vijaya are evidence that offenses can still arise even at the stage of love of God.

We must become adosa-darsi, one who does not see the faults in others.
Harinama sankirtana can destroy all anarthas.
Bharata Maharaja’s defect was he did not have regular association with the devotees. If he did, seeing him so attached to the deer, they would have said, “Hey Bharata, you are in maya [illusion]!”
The holy name is Krishna, but Krishna is coming and going according to our consciousness.
There are so many things we can say about Krishna:
Krishna was born on Wednesday.
Krishna’s favorite sweet is rasgulla.
A nice exercise is to read something about Krishna and share with others each day.
Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura said chanting without krishna-katha, is like Krishna without Radha (His internal potency).
Someone once requested Srila Prabhupada, “Please give me your mercy.” Prabhupada responded, “I am giving everyone my mercy. Just take it.” Association of the devotees is mercy, prasadam is mercy. Just take it.
There are two kinds of ruci. One in which one has a taste for hearing the kirtana if the melody is nice and the singing is nice, and one in which one has a taste for hearing the holy name regardless of the quality of singing or the melody.
We may make special endeavors to make Krishna available for others, but for ourselves, we do not make special endeavors for basic needs.
If Krishna wants, He provides what you need, and if he doesn’t provide, it just means that you did not need it, or you did not need it at that time.

Devamrita Swami:

Love of God is so exalted that even if it takes many hundreds of births to attain, it is still worth the price.

We are like children who do not know what we want, but it is difficult to admit that.

Once we understand that Krishna is the Supreme Enjoyer, we should also understand that He knows how to get the greatest love.

Yasoda never accepted that Krishna lifted the hill. She thought His father did it.

In the spiritual world, there is so much crying, anxiety, and pain, but it is all ecstatic. Do you still want to go?

You will learn how to be in anxiety in ecstasy, how to cry in ecstasy, and how to suffer the pain of separation in ecstasy.

Krishna is the butter thief, and Balarama is His assistant.

Krishna does not steal milk products because He wants to eat them, but rather because He just likes to steal.

Yasoda did not see the universes in Krishna’s mouth but in His belly, according Lord Brahma. Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura said there was dirt His mouth as well as the whole universe, but seeing the entire universe distracted Yasoda from noticing the dirt.

The pure devotees’ accusations against Krishna are based on pure love, but our accusations against Krishna are based on frustration of material desires.

Q: Krishna’s pastimes sometimes seem like fairy tales.
A: Actually material life is a fairy tale. If you get this and that, you will be happy. Isn’t it a fairy tale?

Death for a devotee is a change of service. It may look like the death of a nondevotee just as food offered to Krishna may look like ordinary food, but there is a great difference. Srila Prabhupada used the analogy of the kitten and rat in the mouth of the cat to illustrate this point. The kitten feels protection in the mouth of the cat while the rat feels fear and imminent death. The body gets to the point where it cannot serve Krishna anymore. Why should we want to maintain it, if it can not longer serve Krishna?

Neophytes consider fulfillment of their desires for sense gratification to be Krishna’s mercy. But we should consider that Krishna’s mercy acts to increase our devotional service.

Krishna does not want us to enjoy material things because He has better things to give us but we are so stubborn, we do not believe it.

There is a story of a kid whose parents were so proud of their child’s devotion to Krishna they told the kid to give me his favorite toy truck. He came right up to me, but at the last moment, he could not do it and started crying. The parents thought he was just attached to that truck, so they arranged he give away a brand new truck, but at the last moment, he could not give that away either without crying.

Although a child, Prahlada knew the cause of spiritual destruction, material desire. He understood that not by experience gained in life but simply by hearing from his guru. Sometimes we have difficulty understanding that experience acquired through hearing is also experience.

Material desire is not some innocent thing but the cause of our ultimate destruction.

Srila Prabhupada explained in Bombay in 1977 that guru-puja is not just some ritual but the receiving of divine knowledge from the guru.

Krishna is expert at purifying devotees who have material desires. If Krishna could handle Kubja, He can handle you. Kubja was filled with desires to enjoy with Krishna in an materialistic way, but as she approached Him to embrace Him, she was purified of all material contamination by smelling the fragrance of His feet, and then she embraced Him as a completely liberated soul. If we cooperate with Krishna’s program, He can expertly purify us.

Indradyumna Swami:

Human life begins when we inquire beyond the body.

Because Krishna is unlimited, there are unlimited questions we can ask about Him. Unfortunately, we do not even know what to ask, so the great spiritual teachers teach us

Krishna consciousness is presented to us on a silver platter, but we do not take it.

Unless we know who we are, we cannot conduct our lives to live in a better way.

We should have learned at five years old that we are not our bodies but servants of Krishna.

As Srila Prabhupada is our ever well-wisher, we should be ever grateful.

Janananda Goswami:

There is nothing more powerful in life than love and devotion.

People are attracted to Hare Krishna because it touches something deeper in the heart.

The Bhagavad-gita wasn’t understood in the West for centuries for to understand it you have to practice the instructions in it.

Drama as “Rama” in it.

It is important to know how to apply knowledge.

Paul McCartney’s office is around the corner from our Soho temple, and he would regularly take prasadam.

Ananta Caturdasi is famous in South India in the Sri Sampradaya as the appearance day of their worshipable deity of Padmanabha.

The circumstances of the birth of Haridasa Thakura are not known in certainty or how he came to point of chanting 300,000 names of Krishna per day.

After the Brahma-vihomana-lila, Brahma went to Navadvipa and performed austerities desiring to be purified from his pride. Lord Caitanya appeared and said during His next appearance, Brahma would appear from a low-born family as Haridasa Thakura, and teach by his example that there is no material disqualification for chanting the holy name. In this way, it can be said that Haridasa Thakura was initiated into the chanting of the holy name and given the name Haridasa Thakura by Lord Caitanya before his appearance. 

Haridasa Thakura appeared about 36 years before Lord Caitanya, according to Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura.

Haridasa Thakura exemplified Lord Caitanya’s “Siksastakam,” be humble and tolerant, and no matter what, keep chanting.

Although Haridasa Thakura forgave Gopal Cakravarti for his offense, Gopal still had to suffer because he had defamed Haridasa Thakura in public. Had he made a public apology and had he glorified Haridasa Thakura to the same extent as he defamed him, he could have been completely relieved from any reaction to the offense.

With the strong association of devotees, the impossible can become possible.

Sannyasa means never alone, always remembering that Krishna is present.

Q: Some people says that the title “Goswami” is given to those who were previously married and then took “sannyasa” while the title “Swami” is given to sannyasis who were never married before.
A: As far as the sannyasis Srila Prabhupada initiated, that is not true in every case. Srila Prabhupada writes in a purport that the name does not change at sannyasa.

Sannyasa is a state of mind not just an order. You can be a grhastha and much more renounced than a sannyasi.

The consciousness that must be developed, whether one officially takes sannyasa or not, is to become more dependent on Krishna.

We have found millions of things to eat on Ekadasi. Devotees have discovered many tasty preparations without grains. You do not need to eat grains.

Five hundred Gitas were sold to a crowd of mostly students at the Boston hemp festival which coincides with the Hare Krishna festival in Boston for the anniversary of Srila Prabhupada’s original arrival in Boston in 1965.

The record in a gulabjamun eating contest in my experience was a mataji by the name of Subha-laksmi who ate 96 gulabjamuns in one sitting.

Once I ate two trays of laddus with 70 laddhus on each tray. It was very cold and the others were jumping up and down outside the van to stay warm. My duty was to look after the van, and noticed the three trays of laddus.

Bhaktivinoda Thakura said, “My only hope lies in the limitless nectar of Your holy name.”

Srila Prabhupada likened the appearance of Lord Jagannatha in the memories of a dying man who had seen a Ratha-yatra to a bright light that exposes the film of all his karmic reactions.

It is said if you go to a new place where harinama has never gone before that Bhaktivinoda Thakura personally accompanies you.

In one city where we had not done harinama for years, one person was very emotional upon seeing the devotees on the harinama party. He grabbed one devotee and pushed him up against a wall and shook him. The devotee was worried, but the man, said excitedly, “Where have you been? I have not seen you for twenty years!”

Srila Prabhupada explains that whether they want to hear or not, the chanting will create an auspicious atmosphere for everyone.

Niranjana Swami:

Seminar on Patience:

Devotional service is easy if one is fixed on the goal.

Pure bhakti means no other desires.

The impatient cannot perform the work of sadhana, although they may be able to work some job.

Karmis want material gain, jnanis want liberation and yogis want mystic powers, but the devotee just wants Krishna to be pleased. Without pure devotional service, it is more or less a show.

Bhaktivinoda Thakura explains that one who is not sufficiently patient may fall from the path of pure devotional service. The patient devotee thinks, “Krishna must be merciful to me today, tomorrow, or in another birth.”

Those with firm faith continue performing devotional service.

The patient person first controls himself and then the whole world.

Raghunatha Dasa Thakura’s father, Govardhan, always protected him from seeing the evils of this world. Once Govardhan sent Raghunatha to Haridas Thakura, along with a cartload of material amenities, to get a benediction. Balaram Acarya was a follower of Haridas Thakura and knew the kind of benediction that Haridas Thakura could give. After Raghunatha Das Goswami asked for a benediction, he made a loud sound so others could not hear the benediction which Haridas Thakura gave, which was to be completely detached from this material world. When Govardhan asked what the benediction was, no one could say. When Govardhan directly asked Balaram Acarya the benediction Haridas Thakura gave, and Balaram Acarya said, “Your son will be able to control the whole world.” Govardhan was impressed. He only controlled a tract of land, but his son would control the whole world. Actually this was true, because Raghunatha Das was detached from this world, he was in control of himself, and the world could not control him. And thus he could control the world.

Actually we can control the tongue simply by speaking about Krishna, but there are situations when it is difficult to speak about Krishna.

It is significant that Verse 1 of Upadesamrita describes the person who can tolerate the urges not the person who does not have the urges. Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that one who cannot tolerate these urges and acts on them can never have peace.

When Krishna steals the butter and does other childhood pranks, the ladies of town come to Mother Yasoda to talk about Krishna, on the pretext of complaining Him.

Where topics of Krishna are flowing, then the material necessities of life are not even noticed.

Getting together and talking about others is natural, and talking about others is perfected in talking about Krishna.

Sometimes when we speak about others, we do so to establish ourselves as superior to others. Thus before we start speaking, we should consider carefully our motives in speaking.

If one speaks unnecessarily and does not tolerate the urge to speak, his mind will never be so peaceful he can fix it on Krishna.

Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that talking about others should be rejected in all respects, but there are some favorable topics that are so pure that even though they are about others they can be spoken about.

He explains it is best for householders to live in a Krishna conscious family and not talk about others without reason.

A guru can use others as an example to make a point clear to the disciple, if done without envy or desire to be superior.

Sukadeva Goswami’s warning about envious householders who sleep and have sex and night and maintain and decorate their bodies during the day, and Lord Caitanya saying he cannot tolerate seeing the face of a member of the renounced who talks intimately with women are examples of using others to make a point clear.

If one speaks for the purpose of instructing others then it is not prajalpa, unwanted and degrading talk that blocks devotional progress.

If our speech about others is contaminated by envy, hatred, pride, or distinction, then it is an offense against Bhakti Devi.

When we ignore this good advice, we can create enmity and disturb minds, and create an atmosphere which is not conducive to development of Vaishnava relationships. People become afraid to reveal their minds, thinking whatever they say will become public knowledge.

We have practice patiently the control of our own urge to speak, instead of telling others how to control theirs.

The goal of the sadhaka is to see that Krishna is pleased. When is Krishna pleased? When the devotee follows His instruction, man mana bhava mad-bhakto . . . When the devotee has no shelter but Him.

The Lord gives his heart to His devotees, and therefore He could not help Durvasa Muni, who had offended His devotee.

If there is envy (malice) in our heart, then how can we work for the benefit of others?

Practitioners of devotional service should not speak unnecessarily.

There is no restriction on glorifying the devotees.

Lord Caitanya advised an offender who criticized devotees that he could become free from offense by using the same mouth to glorify devotees.

Sometimes people glorify their friends who are devotees in a very lofty way. This calls to mind that King Prthu rejected the glorification by the professional reciters for qualities of his that he had not manifested, saying that that such praises were actually insults.

I went to the kitchen to encourage the devotees who do so much work there during the [Ukraine] festival. I saw one devotee who was washing all the buckets that were used to serve prasadam. It looked like he had been there for a long time, and that he would be there for a long time still. I asked him if there were any difficulties in his service. He replied that his difficulty was that they were only allowing him to wash the buckets for one day.

The regulative principles of bhakti-yoga does not mean the vows we accepted at initiation. Those are the regulative principles of human life. The regulative principle of bhakti-yoga is to always fix the mind on Krishna. If one cannot fix one’s mind on Krishna twenty-four hours a day, at least some part of the day one should fix his mind on Krishna.

Prahladananda Swami:

Astrology is meant to help one move toward liberation and was given by Parasara Muni.

By liberation, I mean freedom from misconceptions.

I memorized the Krishna book because I thought it would be less boring to remember Krishna’s pastimes while I was chanting japa. I wrote Srila Prabhupada asking if it was alright to remember Krishna’s pastimes while chanting japa, and he said, “No. Just chant and hear, and if you happen to think of Krishna’s pastimes spontaneously that is all right.”

To be successful in devotional service we must simply understand who is the right source to hear from and what is the right attitude to hear with.

Maya has no power to hold on to us, but we are holding on to maya, and why are we holding on to maya? Because we like to hold on maya. But it is not enough to let go of maya, we must embrace Krishna.

The pure devotee sees everyone suffering because of being separated from Krishna.

In astrology there are three kinds of planets, male, female, and neutral. Male planets are concerned with doing the right thing. Female planets are concerned with enjoyment. The female does the right thing when she is happy, and the male is happy when he does the right thing.

The sun is very generous. No one gets a bill for heat and light from the sun. It is very regulated. It always rises every morning and never sleeps in.

The planets have a higher and lower nature. The sun is generous and noble on the positive side, and on the negative side pride or depression result.

The sun, Mars, and Jupiter are male. Venus and the moon are female. Mercury and Saturn are neutral. The world is set up so the combination of influences has a balancing effect. One lives nicely in this world, but wonders, “is there anything more than this?” and then inquires about Krishna consciousness.

Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:

from his journal, Viraha Bhavan, August 26, 2012:

I read a lecture by Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura which gave me a great enhancement in chanting. He said the goal of life is to render service to Srimati Radharani, the attractor of Krishna. And the best way to do this is by nama-bhajana to the Hare Krishna mantra. The word “Hare” is the vocative form of “Hara,” which indicates Radha. And “Rama” means Radhika-Ramana, the lover and enjoyer of Radharani. So the entire mantra is yugala kishora, the joining and separation of Radha and Krishna, which is how Lord Caitanya chanted.

from My Dear Lord Krishna:

“Please let me serve You and love You in my next life. I will have to serve something or someone
—some nation, etc. I ask that it be You. I don't want to be born in the darkness of ignorance. I want my eyes opened by the torchlight of knowledge carried by my spiritual master. I had to wait twenty-six years in this life before I began serving You. It was wonderful when I began, but it was too long to wait. I almost died before I met Prabhupada. Please don't let anything like that happen to me in my next life. Let me get a speedy start. Let me begin chanting Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare as soon as possible, even in the womb of my mother. Such a thing is possible. Let me meet the first obstacles of my life with You by my side.

“Give me Krishna conscious parents, or bring me at once to the spiritual sky. I am greedy for the best. I can't claim qualification, but I'm afraid of this material world in Kali-yuga, and I'm attracted to You. So I ask to be born where You are. If You want me to come back to the material world to preach, then so be it. But in that case, give me the spark of compassion to be a preacher. Make me strong and put me in the association of strong devotees.

“Please let my next life be auspicious. Protect me from calamities. Let me be pure. Let me find my eternal spiritual master and affectionately serve him. Let me have a friendly, intimate relationship with him. Let me be of actual use to him in his mission. Let me be attracted to the eternal dhamas, such as Vrndavana and Mayapura, and render service there and purify myself there and associate with devotees. Let me practice brahmacarya. Let me not be attracted to material objects like beautiful women, opulent food and clothing, and fine residential quarters. Let me live simply.

“Let me do some creative service for You, if You desire. Let me work for You. Wherever I am, let me think of You with devotion. I would like to feel ecstatic symptoms of love of God. If I am in a position where I have to defend Your good name in the world, give me the courage to do so.

“These are some thoughts that come to my mind about how I would like to relate to You and Srimati Radharani in my next life. Let me know raganuga sadhana bhakti. Give me time to read and relish the scriptures and speak about them to others. I want to be a faithful devotee wherever I live. Let me be happy in Krishna consciousness. I think it is right to aspire for going back to Godhead, as Srila Prabhupada encouraged.

“Let me be with You,
let me love You,
please accept me
as Your humble servant.”

Sivarama Swami:

This world seems real because it is a reflection of the spiritual world.

One must have great faith in Krishna’s divinity to be able to understand His pastimes in which he does things that in this world that would be unacceptable behavior, like His lying, stealing, etc.

Kubja is considered to be both an incarnation of Surpanakha and also the partial expansion of Satyabhama. After being rejected by Lord Ramacandra, she underwent austerities to please Lord Shiva for many, many years. Lord Shiva said he could not give her the benediction that Rama would be her husband as he accepted a vow of eka-patni vrata.

Because Kubja wanted to enjoy with Lord, her love is not considered pure. The queens because they want to give pleasure to Krishna are superior, and best are the gopis who want to please Krishna and have no conception of another self-interest.

Dhirasanta Prabhu:

We still make too many distinctions between devotees based on whether they are brahmacari, grhasthas, or sannyasis, although it is not bad as earlier in ISKCON history.

If we do our spiritual duties nicely in the morning, we will be able to all our other duties throughout the day in an exemplary way that inspires others.

I present Krishna philosophy and culture in the Hinduism classes in the school. One day one of the teachers who very passionate and who did everything very hurriedly, was acting in a very peaceful way after hearing two hours of my presentations in her classes, and her friends were amazed by the change in behavior. She said maybe it was the incense this Hindu priest uses. She said it was not something I said that affected her behavior, but the whole way I acted. I explained that every morning I chant Hare Krishna for two hours, and that gives me the spiritual strength to deal with the issues.

Bhaktivinoda Thakura sings, “Lord Gauranga said, ‘I have descended just to save you; other than Myself you have no friend in this world. I have brought the medicine that will wipe out the disease of illusion from which you are suffering. Take this maha-mantra-Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare/Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.’”
If it was not for Bhaktivinoda Thakura, we probably would not be sitting here today.

Nagaraja Prabhu:

from Back to Godhead, Vol. 46, No. 6, Nov./Dec. 2012:

As Srila Narottama Dasa writes, “The sound of the glorification of Krishna is a gift from Goloka Vrindavana, Lord Krishna’s eternal abode.” If we immerse ourselves in that liberating sound, we won’t die either. As Prabhupada once said, at the end of our time in this body we’ll close our eyes, and when we open them, we’ll be with Krishna.

Pancaratna Prabhu:

I am from Mayapur, and Mayapur is known for festivals, and I have to say, this [Ukraine] festival is extraordinary. After Devamrita Swami’s kirtana took us to a higher level, your loud cry of “Haribol!” I do not think I had heard resounded at such a volume since the installation of the Pancatattva in Mayapur.

The Lord desired in the beginning that although one He might become many. It all begins with desire.

The Mayavadis want to be without desire, but without desire, what do we have?

We all know of the flow of desires in our minds, and without the mercy of Krishna, the guru, and the Vaishnavas, we cannot get out of the service of these desires which never can satisfy us, because they are for the temporary.

The Buddhists say by eliminating desire, we eliminate suffering, but Krishna has a better idea: “The embodied soul may be restricted from sense enjoyment, though the
taste for sense objects remains. But, ceasing such engagements by
experiencing a higher taste, he is fixed in consciousness.” (Bhagavad-gita 2.59)

Kavitam in Siksastaka 4 means fruitive activities described in flowery language.

The desire to serve the Lord does not come from the mind, but from your heart, from your actual self.

God desires. He desires love, pleasure with us. By pleasing Him we share in that pleasure.

Madhava is always reminding us, “Chant from the heart.” What does that mean? It means not for any material reason, for Krishna’s pleasure.

Srila Prabhupada taught us to chant like a child crying for his mother. Why does a child cry for his mother? Because from his mother everything comes.

We want Krishna. That is our hearts’ desire. In our chanting of the holy name, we must connect with that desire.

Bhaktivinoda Thakura says in Bhakti-rahasyam that Siksastaka 4 describes the state of no desire which happens at ruci.

Trnad . . . [tolerance and humility] is how we get to nistha [steadiness in devotional service].

Bhakta Vatsala Govinda Prabhu (from a Radhastami lecture):

Without accepting the Absolute Truth is a person we cannot understand the philosophy of Krishna consciousness.

The energies of the Absolute Truth are also persons.

Through Krishna consciousness we are trying to revive our relationship with Him.

The easiest way to attain Krishna is through Srimati Radharani.

Radha is described in great detail in literature by great devotees. She is fourteen years old, has elder brother, Sridhama, younger sister, Ananga Manjari, and many friends known as sakhis.

Radha has pets such as parrots, cows, calf, monkey, doe, birds like swans and peacocks.
Radha has ornaments like tilaka, necklaces, earrings, a medallion with Krishna’s picture, a syamatanka jewel, touchstone, bracelets, blue dress (usually, but sometimes red), jeweled mirror, golden stick to decorate her eyes, comb, mirror, private flower garden with golden jasmine flowers like lightning.

Radha-kunda with the kadamba tree where she sits and talks with Krishna. She has favorite ragas (musical arrangements) and dances. She worships the sun-god every day with the desire to marry Krishna.

We can learn from this list of possessions of Radha that the spiritual world is not so different from the material world. There are families, pets, etc. The idea that the spiritual world is completely different had by impersonalists is erroneous. Impersonalism means to take the person features out of spiritual life.

Material life is “it is all about me” everyone else is competition, and Krishna is the biggest competition, but someday I will conquer Him.

In the spiritual world all the things that are inanimate in this world are conscious there. Thus we have to act consciously with every person and thing.

Krishna is already ready to help us attain the spiritual world, but the question is are we willing to follow His advice.

Vamsivihara Prabhu:

from Back to Godhead, Vol. 46, No. 6, Nov./Dec. 2012:

Everyone loves certain foods, drinks, clothes, and music, and Lord Krishna is no exception. In fact, we have our likes because we are parts of Krishna, who has His own personal likes. Krishna loves butter, yellow clothing, peacock feathers, cows, flutes, and the land of Vrindavan. Similarly, of all months, He loves Karttika the best.

When devotees see the master of the entire universe bound by the love of His devotee, their hearts are filled with extreme gratitude. Attracted by Krishna’s divine qualities, their hearts are uncontrollably pulled toward Him. Although devotees do not wish to subdue the Lord, He takes extra pleasure in being ordered and controlled by His devotees. Each tries to be controlled by the other, because where love is present, happiness lies not in winning but in being won over. Srila Prabhupada writes in his purport to Srimad-Bhagavatam (6.16.34), “The Lord and the devotees both conquer. The Lord is conquered by the devotees, and the devotees are conquered by the Lord. Because of being conquered by one another, they both derive transcendental bliss from their relationship.”

Sarvatma Prabhu:

Although a devotee for years, I had only been able fix my mind on the Lord for a fraction a second at a time. Once on my birthday, I expressed this frustration to the Lord, and prayed to Him, as Radha-Ramana, “Please let me fix your mind on your lotus feet.” I found without difficulty I could meditate on the lotus feet of the Lord for the whole day. Of course, the next day, it was like as before, but I could appreciate that Krishna is a person and will respond to our prayers.

Your love is the only thing that Krishna does not have. He has everything else but love is voluntary.

Krishna is in your heart. He knows about your desires before you do.

We are so far from performing devotional service, yet as the Supersoul, Krishna always remains with us, for lifetimes.

If have a chronic condition and enter the hospital your friends will come and see you, but if you are there for months and years, how many will continue to visit. But Krishna continues remains with us through many, many lifetimes of our miserable disease.

Inattentive chanting is like inviting Krishna and closing the door in his face.

Srila Prabhupada said that if you remember Krishna 24 hours a day, He will remember you 26 hours a day, but if you think of yourself, He will think of Himself.

Here [in Simhachalam] Lord Nrsimha is not in his ugra [fierce] feature. He has Prahlada Maharaja on His lap, so He cannot leap.

King Vena was so bad, the only good thing during his administration was that were no criminals because he was the main criminal and he did not allow other criminals to prosper.

Stambha-bhava Prabhu:
One time Janananda Goswami came to our brahmacari ashram in Manchester. We went on harinama with him to twelve different towns in one day. We would get out of the car, chant up and down the main street and get back in the car, and go to the next town.

notes from Nrsimha installation anniversary festival:

Lord Nrsimhadeva’s conch shell sounds three times. The first time to chastise the demoniac, the second time to bless the devotees, and the third time to celebrate the victory of a pure heart.

------

tasmat sankirtanam vishnor
jagan-mangalam amhasam
mahatam api kauravya
viddhy aikantika-niskrtam


Sukadeva Gosvami continued: “My dear King, the chanting of the holy name of the Lord is able to uproot even the reactions of the greatest sins. Therefore the chanting of the sankirtana movement is the most auspicious activity in the entire universe. Please try to understand this so that others will take it seriously. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.3.36)

A Particle of Dust
→ Undoing Reality

Every day all over the world people dedicate some of their time to rid the environment of one of the most abundant substances of the universe – dust.  Companies have formed with soldiers brimming with intense enthusiasm to change the world by eradicating dust daily; armed with sprays and wipes saturated with electrostatic formulae designed to decimate dust from even the most modest domicile.  But is it possible to get rid of dust?  Is there a campaign or scientific expedition that will eliminate dust entirely?  There is an awakened understanding that the very same dust that we dedicate millions of hours in manpower to eradicate can be a sacred gift that can display the entire universe; nay, the whole of existence.

“Glory to the Sri Krsna Sankirtana which cleanses the heart of all the dust accumulated for years and extinguishes the fire of conditional of repeated birth and death.”

This prelude to the Sri Siksatakam is also about eradicating dust; the dust which covers our path, from illusion to illumination.  The dust that is the by-product of searching for pleasure in this material world.

“Please pick me up from this ocean of death and place me as one of the atoms at Your lotus feet”

This atom, or dust is a much sought after position.  To attain one particle of dust at the lotus feet of the Lord, or one particle from the Holy Place of pilgrimage.  Is this dust from the pilgrimage site metaphorical, allegorical, holographical?

Can one particle of dust give you the entire benefit of the Holy Place of Pilgrimage?  Is it a memento reminding us “We’ve been there!!“, either spiritually or physically?

One DNA strand contains the blueprint of the whole human body. One speck of dust from the Holy Land of Vrndavan contains the entire Vraja bhumi – land of the Supreme Absolute Truth and His associates.  This speck of dust expands to a triquandrantal, holographic plane of existence which is infinite spiritual manifestation and infinite accommodating space for insentient gross things.

 

Spuds – Two Words to Rule Them All
→ kurma News

spuds:

While admiring my newly sprouted potato plants this morning (the photo is above) I had an extraordinary flashback.

It's 1970, my last year of high school at Vaucluse Boys High. The year 12 students (called sixth form back then) are putting on a play called The Kitchen, by Arnold Wesker, written in 1957.

Looking back, that is sort of remarkable as it is, since The Kitchen is pretty much a two-word prediction about the rest of my life.

Talking about two words...

The play is set in the basement kitchen of a large restaurant, as thirty chefs, waitresses, and kitchen porters slowly begin the day preparing to serve lunch. The central story tells of a frustrated love affair between a high-spirited, young, German chef, Peter, and a married English waitress, Monique.

Anyway, I really wanted to be in the play but my auditions were less than impressive. I think the drama teacher felt sorry for me and gave me a part where I had to memorise two words. That's it - a two-word part.

It's opening night. As the stage lights start to rise a dark figure (me) enters the stage dragging a sack of potatoes. I am a female kitchen porter. I always got caste as women - don't ask me why - I don't know the answer. Oh, it was a boys' school - that could explain it. And I was in touch with my feminine side even back then.

Anyway, I heave the sack to centre stage and open my mouth to say my memorable two words; but I fluff my lines! Lines you say? Two words?!! Yep. I say 'spuds' instead of 'the spuds'.

I'm so nervous and ashamed I slink off the stage, past the incredulous drama teacher and end my theatre career as unceremoniously as it has began.

So there we have it. Spuds.

Split in Two
→ Undoing Reality

“Fake it ’til you make it.”  The feeling of faking it forces upon us a recognition of a split between something that we flatter ourselves is our “true” self and the role we are playing. More modestly, it is the feeling of our incomplete immersion in the role, with impious thoughts intruding about the role. Sometimes, it is merely a vague sense of dislocation that takes the form of worrying where we are amidst all the roles we must play: I worry about who I am; therefore, I guess, I am.

Until we know who we are, we will have anxiety about faking a lofty ideal of ourselves and the moral failure, psychological discomfort and social disorientation can lead us to a life split in two.  Does a life split in two mean that we are hypocrites?  We can be hypocrites and know that we are. This “self-aware hypocrite” is a conscious deceiver.  Or we can be a “naive hypocrite,” who thinks himself a paragon of virtue. The naive hypocrite does not feel themselves to be faking anything; they are delighted with the role they have assumed, experiencing themselves as sincerely what they are purporting to be, but be culpably deluded as to the sincerity of his sincerity.  The naive hypocrite a seamless self-deceiver.

Hypocrisy is a parasite, operating by mimicking the attractiveness of virtue, appropriating its rewards.  The rewards, fame, adoration and distinction are a delectable entree for the main course – wealth, followers, admirers.  Split in two we become unsure of our position and the ultimate reality becomes obscure and fades into a distant, meaningless hum that sings its tune when our conscience comes forth intermittently.

The Promise of the New Age
→ Undoing Reality

“Carefully consider before you act.  You may not be able to retract.  Understand well all that you do.  And you will have no cause to rue.”  The Golden Verses of Pythagoras spring forth from a brilliant philosopher, mathematican, statesman and mystic  who offered a system of learning for enlightenment 2500 years ago in Greece.  The Pythagorean Ideal is a system of balance whereby 10 stages of learning are progressively graduated in which personal development must be a process of natural unfoldment.  The time factor in this education system held little relevance.  Learning had to unfold like the opening of a rosebud, allowed to take place naturally; forced opening would only damage the rosebud, resulting in premature wilting.

Everyone must be prepared to accept total responsibility for their actions.  If this golden rule of action is implanted within our lives we will see a distant potential within ourselves and a promise for a New Age where truth will supplant falseness,  and wisdom replace rashness.  How exciting and rewarding life can be if every individual accepts a level of perfection and idealism for a path towards enlightenment instead of an emphasis on materialism and the striving for luxury and power.

Unlocking the secrets of the inner self is a lofty goal rarely achieved in modern times.  Pythagoras exhibits the traits of an ideal reformer establishing a 10 fold system of organised self-mastery:

  1. Silence and meditation
  2. Mnemonics – memory and awareness
  3. Temperance – moderation in all things suitable
  4. Fortitude – strength and courage
  5. Philanthropy – love, compassion and friendship
  6. Erudition – learning, especially about one’s environment
  7. Music – all aspects of harmony
  8. Dietetics and fasting – the essence of health
  9. Exercise and activity – for flexibility and vitality
  10. Method, order and efficiency

What was propounded 2500 years ago has such dynamic potential now.  Not only because it is intensely practical but also because it has no restrictions through race, age, culture, religion, philosophy…everyone can benefit.

Another Ecstatic Weekend
→ Toronto Sankirtan Adventures


Submitted by:- Minakshi Devi Dasi

We went on another two outings this past weekend during Prabhupada Marathon.
This past Friday November 23rdth we were at the Woodbine Banquet Hall for the HAONA Event and then on Sunday we were at Vaishno DeviTemple in Oakville.

The Friday event was fairly small with less than 300 people and many people that had already met us at other banquet hall events in the past few weeks.

One lady entered the foyer of the banquet hall and immediately came over, very pleased and joyful.  She began hugging me and telling me that she is on the board of directors of many community organizations and would love to have us come out to their events as well.  She happens to be a doctor with many connections that we can take advantage of to distribute more and more of Srila Prabhupada’s books.

A while later another I approached a woman who did listen with interest and looked at the Bhagavad Gita and then the Krishna book – she asked me which one she should take – I explained her that one is what Krishna spoke and one is about Krishna – she said that she has been thinking about the Lord for a few days and was thinking about getting some books but did not know where to go and here we are!  She took both books.

There was a huge extended family with sister-in-laws, husbands etc.  Radhapriya spoke to one, Vicky another, Jessica another and me the other.  Each of them was very interested and happily took a selection of Hidden Glory of India, Srimad Bhagavatam Condensed, Illustrated Bhagavatam Stories and more. 

Over 80 books were distributed at this event.

On Sunday we went to Oakville where we had kirtan and as well as a lecture by Subhavilasa Prabhu.  The congregation was very happy. They do not get to hear philosophy on a regular basis so this was refreshing and insightful for them.

One lady spoke to Ashalata devi dasi for a long time and just could not stop her enthusiasm for the chanting, the lecture, the books, etc. She took a Bhagavad Gita and a small book and exchanged her contact information.

I approached a teenager and showed him the Krishna book – he really liked it and showed it to his father.  His father made him promise that he would read the entire book and then agreed to take it. Another lady decided to take 2 Bhagavad Gitas as holiday gifts for her 20 and 21 year old sons.

A small girl of about 6 saw the kids books and desperately wanted it.  The mother was being very reluctant.  Finally Mother Ashalata told her that if your daughter wanted to buy a candy from the store you would buy it so why not buy this that the girl really wants and is more valuable.  She took 3 kids books.

There are so many more stories, so much nectar, but so little space….By the mercy of Srila Prabhupada over 80 books were distributed here as well. 


For the weekend, over 160 Books were distributed and about $800 collected.  Jaya Srila Prabhupada!