Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 21, No. 3
By Krishna Kripa Das
(Week 3: January 15–21, 2025)
Tallahassee, Gainesville, Alachua
(Sent from Gainesville, Florida, on January 25, 2025)

Where I Went and What I Did

I spent the first two days of the third week of 2025 in Tallahassee, chanting Hare Krishna and promoting Krishna Lunch at Florida State University. The next four days I was in Gainesville attending a Bhaktivedanta Institute for Higher Studies conference called Evolution 2025: Philosophy, Facts, and Fiction. The first and fourth days in Gainesville I was also able to do some harinama there.

I share lots of quotes from the books, lectures, conversations, and letters of Srila Prabhupada, many I read in Bhakti Vikasa Swami’s soon-to-be-published book on the mood and mission of Srila Prabhupada. I also share quotes from the Caitanya-bhagavata by Vrindavana Dasa Thakura and its commentary by Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. I share notes on the latest journal of Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami called The Mystical Firehouse. I also share notes on classes in Alachua by Bhaktimarga Swami and Nagaraja Prabhu and in Gainesville by Sukhavaha Devi Dasi. I share some notes on a conversation with Janaki Rama Prabhu, who attended the BIHS conference.

Thanks to Prishni Devi Dasi for getting me at the bus in Gainesville. Thanks to Madhvacarya Prabhu for driving me to Alachua. Thanks to Mrkanda Prabhu for driving me to Gainesville. Thanks to Lila Devi Dasi for driving me to Krishna House. Thanks to Nate for driving me to the home program with Bhaktimarga Swami. Thanks to Alain for driving me back to the Alachua temple ashram. Thanks to Saksi Gopal for driving me to Krishna House. Thanks to Alain for driving me back to the Alachua temple ashram again.

Itinerary

January 6–April 10: Tallahassee harinama and FSU college outreach
– January 25: Gasparilla harinama and Ratha-yatra in Tampa
– January 26–29: Tampa harinama and USF college outreach 
– March 9–16: Krishna House Gainesville harinama and UF college outreach
April 11: Gainesville harinamas
April 12: St. Augustine Ratha-yatra

Chanting Hare Krishna in Tallahassee

During the two days I was in Tallahassee I chanted an average of 3½ hours of Hare Krishna to make up for some of the previous days when I wasn’t able to do the full 3 hours that I like to do. I got one name for our temple WhatsApp group each day and averaged 9 promotional samples of halava.

Chanting Hare Krishna in Gainesville

I took an early bus to Gainesville so I could chant Hare Krishna at Krishna Lunch before the BIHS Evolution 2025 conference.

Here Purusartha Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Krishna Lunch at UF, and I dance (https://youtu.be/T79guQE6HEI):

Here Nagaraja Prabhu chants Hare Krishna with Alachua devotees across from the University of Florida (https://youtu.be/Kaa9CGnk5H0):

I decided to chant in Gainesville by myself after the conference was over on Monday, but when I went to Krishna House to pick up my harmonium, I found to my great surprise that Nate was eager to join me for harinama for about 45 minutes before going to Alachua for a home program with Bhaktimarga Swami. While we were chanting we met Santanu, a devotee student, who often visits Krishna House and was happy to join us for the rest of the time. I was surprised by the number of students walking around and by the high percentage who smiled, cheered, and moved with the music. When I had barely finished the pranama mantras, a black youth coming out of a fast food place danced and played the shakers that I had brought. He even accepted an “On Chanting Hare Krishna” pamphlet. One girl said appreciatively, “sounds great,” as her party passed us. Another played the shakers and danced. It seemed like the students were out with their friends to have a good time, and they appreciated we were out with our friends to have a good time too, just in a different way!

Because I learned Florida State University was closed for two days due to bad weather, I stayed in the Gainesville/Alachua area so I could chant at Krishna Lunch.

Here Presence chants Hare Krishna at UF Krishna Lunch in Gainesville (https://youtube.com/shorts/9IovM-TmF6s?feature=share):

Nate chants Hare Krishna at the Krishna House Tuesday evening program (https://youtu.be/tZ9ZaEuijP0):

Chanting Hare Krishna in Alachua

After the third day of activities at the evolution conference, I went to the Alachua temple for the Sunday feast program.

Here Mitra Prabhu and his wife chant Hare Krishna in Alachua before Gaura Arati on Sunday (https://youtu.be/2tM4KJtEcyg):

A rāsa is a dance, and a rasa is a relishable relationship. Thus, the gopīs’ rāsa with Kṛṣṇa is part of the gopīs’ rasa with Kṛṣṇa.

Insights

Srila Prabhupada:

From Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.9.36, purport:

“There is no need to seek properly qualified candidates for discharging devotional service to the Lord. Let them be either well behaved or ill trained, let them be either learned or fools, let them be either grossly attached or in the renounced order of life, let them be liberated souls or desirous of salvation, let them be inexpert in the discharge of devotional service or expert in the same—all of them can be elevated to the supreme position by discharging devotional service under the proper guidance.”

From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.13.42, purport:

“Conditioned souls are devoted to the motherland in which they take their birth, but they do not know their father. The mother is not independent in producing children. Similarly, material nature cannot produce living creatures unless in contact with the supreme father, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Srimad-Bhagavatam teaches us to offer obeisances unto the father, the Supreme Lord, along with the mother, because it is the supreme father only who impregnates the mother with all energies for the sustenance and maintenance of all living beings, both moving and nonmoving.”

From Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.18.9, purport:

“The material world is full of envious persons, but if one frees himself of envy, he becomes liberal in his social dealings and can think of others’ welfare. Anyone who takes up Krishna consciousness and engages himself completely in the service of the Lord cleanses his mind of all envy.”

“Even pure (niskama) devotees pray for some benediction, as instructed by Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in His Siksastaka:

ayi nanda-tanuja kinkaram patitam
mam visame bhavambudhau
kripaya tava pada-pankaja-
sthita-dhuli-sadrsam vicintaya

‘O son of Maharaja Nanda [Krishna], I am Your eternal servitor, yet somehow or other I have fallen into the ocean of birth and death. Please pick Me up from the ocean of death and place Me as one of the atoms at Your lotus feet.’”

From Srimad-Bhagavatam 9.10.51, purport:

“If people take to this sankirtana movement of chanting Hare Krishna, Hare Rama, they will certainly be freed from the contamination of Kali-yuga, and the people of this age will be happy, as people were in Satya-yuga, the golden age. Anyone, anywhere, can easily take to this Hare Krishna movement; one need only chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, observe the rules and regulations, and stay free from the contamination of sinful life. Even if one is sinful and cannot give up sinful life immediately, if he chants the Hare Krishna maha-mantra with devotion and faith he will certainly be freed from all sinful activities, and his life will be successful. Param vijayate sri-krishna-sankirtanam.”

From Science of Self-Realization, Chapter 2:

“It is not necessary to become a great philosopher, scientist, or whatever. We need only chant the holy name of the Lord, understanding that His personality, His name, and His qualities are all absolute.”

From a room conversation in Hamburg on September 8, 1969:

“Then next question is, ‘Then what is the price? What shall I have to pay for it?’ And Rupa Gosvami says, ‘Oh, the price is simply eagerness.’ Tatra laulyam. ‘Yes, I must have Krishna consciousness.’ That is the price, that’s all.

“But that laulyam, that eagerness, is not achieved even after many, many births. That is the price. Therefore it requires a little intelligence. ‘Oh, such a valuable thing? I can purchase only by eagerness? Why not become eager immediately?’ That is intelligence.”

From a room conversation with Dr. Sharma from Russia on April 17, 1977:

“You don’t require to read book. We simply say that ‘You come here, chant Hare Krishna and take prasadam.’ This is the treatment. These boys, foreigners, they have come to me not by reading my book. First of all I invited him, ‘Sit down, chant Hare Krishna and take prasadam.’ And then gradually. This is the general treatment.”

From a letter to Gargamuni on November 28, 1970:

“It requires a little intelligence how to keep pace with Krishna and the world simultaneously.”

From a letter to Trai on May 27, 1974:

“You must be very careful before you award the brahminical thread by recommending a man to me. Now that we are dividing our society into the four orders as much as possible, it is not that every man has to be made a brahmana after a year. Especially if one cannot even get up early and go to mangala-arati he cannot become a brahmana.”

From a letter to Dhananjaya on December 31, 1972:

“If new students are coming and they want to live with us in the temple, they must agree before living with us to follow these principles without any exception. Otherwise, it is better for them to live outside and attend the class, aratrika, prasadam, like that, and gradually as they become convinced by their intelligence, they will voluntarily agree to perform the austerity or tapasya of living in the temple. But anyone who lives in the temple must follow all these principles without exception, otherwise they may be asked to live outside.”

From a morning walk in Rome on May 27, 1974:

“We live like this. You see. If you like, you live like us. . . . We are not going to force anyone. ‘Our mode of living is like this. If you like you can adopt.’”

From a letter to Kirtanananda on December 12, 1971:

“You mention that you will open centers, many centers. I don’t think there is a need to open many more centers in your country. . . . To manage centers requires many men, so unless we have got many men this idea will not be very fruitful. Better if there are a few important centers and traveling parties for the smaller towns and villages, going and coming back, going and coming back, like this.”

From a letter to Prabhavishnu on January 3, 1973:

“I can understand that it is not an easy matter to travel extensively over long periods of time without proper food, rest, and sometimes it must be very cold there also, and still, because you are getting so much enjoyment, spiritual enjoyment, from it, it seems like play to you. That is advanced stage of spiritual life, never attained by even the greatest yogis and so-called jyanis. But let any man see our devotees working so hard for Krishna, then let anyone say that they are not better than any millions of so-called yogis and transcendentalists, that is my challenge! Because you are rightly understanding through your personal realization this philosophy of Krishna Consciousness, therefore in such a short time you have surpassed all the stages of yoga processes to come to the highest point of surrendering to Krishna. That I can very much appreciate, thank you very much for helping me in this way.”

From a letter to Mahamsa on December 17, 1975:

“Naturally the sankirtana men traveling with the bullock carts are blissful. It is Lord Caitanya’s engagement. Lord Caitanya personally traveled all over India for 6 years. His program was simply kirtana and prasadam distribution. Lord Caitanya never spoke philosophy in public. When he met big scholars like Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya he spoke philosophy, otherwise for the mass of people, kirtana and prasadam distribution. So continue this program, it is very pleasing to Lord Caitanya.”

From a Ratha-yatra address on July, 5, 1970:

“This Ratha-yatra Festival is a mass movement for enlightening people to this Krishna consciousness movement. We have got many other festivities in Krishna consciousness movement. We have got Janmastami, Sri Rama-navami, Dola-yatra, Jhulana-yatra. So there are twelve months, but we have got twenty-four festivals big as..., as big as this Ratha-yatra Festival. So if you kindly take to them, then as advised by Lord Caitanya, kirtaniyah sada harih. You will always be in Krishna consciousness, and there will be no scope of your frustration and confusion.”

From a letter to Aniruddha on July 7, 1968:

“To implement this transcendental bliss to the people of your country there is immense work to be done ahead and this Ratha-yatra festival is only a sample. If we get opportunity we shall be able to overflood your country with waves of transcendental bliss, by the grace of Krishna. We can introduce various other ceremonials in connection with Krishna and His different expansions or incarnations in such a nice way that people are sure to be attracted and become immersed in Krishna consciousness.”

From a letter to Sri Galim on November 20, 1971:

“Public festivals have proven very effective in spreading knowledge about Krishna consciousness to all the citizens. In fact, I have directed the GBC to organize such festivals and traveling sankirtana throughout their zones. The festival we are holding at present in Delhi has been extremely successful, and by Krishna’s grace everyone is appreciating this movement by seeing the beautiful deity worship, by hearing the melodious kirtana, and by seeing the bright faces of my students.”

From a letter to Ram Prashad on January 29, 1973:

“Our Bombay Hare Krishna Festival has been a grand success. More than 15,000 people attended each night and joined in the kirtana and arati, and listened very attentively to my discourses. At the end of the last day seven young men, two from Europe and 5 from India, shaved their heads as brahmacaris and have joined us full time. People are eager for Krishna consciousness, when it is given in its pure form.”

Vrindavan Dasa Thakura:

From Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 10.236:

“On the strength of devotional service Narada became the greatest among sages.”

From Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 10.237–239:

“After compiling many scriptures dealing with Vedic religious principles and yoga, Vyasadeva did not feel any satisfaction at heart. The cause of his dissatisfaction was due to the fault of describing devotional service too briefly in the course of his elaborate presentation of the most confidential knowledge. On the instructions of Narada, he elaborately described devotional service. Then his distress was vanquished and he delivered the entire world.”

From Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 10.245:

[Lord Visvambhara continued speaking to Mukunda:] “Whatever you have said is indeed true, for one cannot achieve perfection without devotional service, even if he sees Me face to face.”

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura:

From Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 10.245, commentary:

“As stated in the Padma Purana, Uttara-khanda, Chapter Fifty: . . . ‘As a blind person cannot see anything, even with the help of a lamp or a mirror, persons who are averse to Lord Vishnu cannot see Him even if He stands before them.’”

Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:

From The Mystical Firehouse:

“Now I’ll try to talk some more about Srila Prabhupada. I hear him singing on a recording, and I enjoy it very much. He’s singing bhajanas and songs. He has an exquisite voice and plays melodies that are wonderful. We should share these and hear these as much as possible. They contain beautiful melodies of Prabhupada’s original voice.

“It’s a joy to hear him singing. He has a unique, original voice, which is a great pleasure to hear, unique melodies, Sanskrit joy. Prabhupada is spreading the chanting, although it is not comprehensible to me in my one language confinement of English. But I enjoy it very much. Prabhupada is our mentor in melodies. I cannot understand what he is singing because he sings Sanskrit, and I know only English. His melodies are joyful for me, however. Thank you, Srila Prabhupada, for singing those joyful melodies in your unique language of Sanskrit or Bengali.”

“I pray to Krishna to relieve me from small pains and to allow me to give all pleasures for Krishna and guru. I want the best things, the surrender to Krishna.”

“We’ll never feel unhappy again. We’ve got Krishna to protect us, even up to our death. Krishna, the all-kind, almighty, will see us to the end of our lives. It is up to us to love Him. Loving Krishna is the highest duty. Loving Krishna is the greatest happiness, loving Krishna is the summum bonum.”

“When the devotees go on harinama, it is like they are firefighters taking a fire hose and spraying the water of the holy name on the people burning in the blazing fire of material existence.”

Bhaktimarga Swami:

If you hesitate to do what needs to be done, you will receive a reaction that is no fun.

Do your dharma, avoid your karma.

When you are in lust, you are lost, at least for a while.

Ultimately we are to get close to Krishna. But in our conditioned state we seek other kinds of closeness, and we are very eager to connect our senses with their objects.

We are all like Arjuna in that he was a little bit lost. He was having a nervous breakdown.

The romance period has a short shelf life.

Srila Prabhupada drew lines between lust and love.

Bhakti is a bridge.

Krishna is not against sense gratification. Krishna is not against lasagna.

What is the enemy of everyone? And it is bad news for many people . . . lust.

Krishna tells where the enemy lies. In the senses, mind, and intelligence. We are at an advantage if we know where the enemy is.

Anyone like to be a fighter? We have to be ready – 24/7. At least internally, we have to have to be ready to fight.

Arjuna forgot that people were expecting things from him.

Even if you are in an awake condition, you can still be asleep.

If you think life is a party, you have part with that idea.

Q: We are exposed to internet and are encountering things that stimulate lust. What to do?
A: Remain a fighter. Do not succumb. Spend more time with people and not your phone.

Q: What if our minds are disturbed by bad association.
A: Contact devotees. Contact nature.

Q: What if you are agitated by lust?
A: Take a deep breath. Chant. Go outside. Look at the sky. Go for walk. Hug a tree. Pick up a drum and chant Hare Krishna.

Q (By Ananga Mohan Prabhu): If I see a beautiful woman is that lust?
A: Do not worry about it unless you look again and you look longer the second time or you start whistling.

Q: How to control eating sweets?
A: White sugar is more additive than cocaine. It is the worst thing for you. Read about how bad sugar is.

If people push me to eat more sweets too many times I say, “My mother was a diabetic. She ate too many sweets and she died from it, and diabetes is heredity.”

Be with smart people, those who are devotionally inclined.

We take things too seriously that we should just ignore.

We have to learn how to flow through this world without being a menace.

Q: What about admiration?
A: If we are doing wholesome things, do not worry too much about it. If we present something, it should be for the upliftment of humankind.

Try to do something to please the Supreme Lord, and because we are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, we will be happy.

If someone says, “You are nothing!” as they sometimes do, we have to say, “You are right.” And we may add, “So are you!” As souls we are all one ten-thousandth the tip of a hair in size.

Krishna says, “I am the father and the mother.”

There is a devotee in Canada whose father tried to kill him 34 times. His mother did not do anything about it. His name is Tota Gopinatha, and an uncle taught him English by reading The Nectar of Devotion. He ultimately became an outstanding citizen. He helps people who come from neglected backgrounds.

People swing politically from the left to the right, and vice versa, but actually the best place is in the middle.

In Canada, before you do a program, you have to honor the native people of the area, who previously maintained the place, by mentioning them by name.

The divine incarnation Varaha became a hero for the planet earth.

Of all the battles in the Vedic literature the description of the battle between Varaha and Hiranyaksa is most compelling.

All over the world people are attracted to “the game” and seeing the moves of the participants. They play them back in slow motion so you can get a good view. The Lord knows this and performs pastimes to attract the attention of the people in general.

Praying for the Lord’s appearance is always good, but we do not have to wait for the Lord to appear because he is already here in the form of His holy name.

There are people who jump into devotional service, and then jump out of devotional service. It is better to advance steadily by baby steps.

To help an atheistic lawyer appreciate, I explained that theists try to have reverence for that which is greater and beyond us.

Although there are many Vaishnavas around us, we have to be picky and choosy. It is best to spend time with those who are encouraging.

Vanaprasthas are encouraged to go out.

Nagaraja Prabhu:

When I was in my first year in college, I got a Back to Godhead magazine. I wasn’t ready. I couldn’t make sense of it.

Later I got a Reservoir of Pleasure, and I read the whole thing. I decided to go from my residence in Sacramento two hours to the San Francisco Sunday feast. I arrived at noon and learned the program started at 5 p.m. Devotees took me to Keshava Bharati Prabhu’s apartment, and I stayed with him until the feast.

It was Srila Prabhupada’s charisma and teachings that sustained all the devotees in the beginning.

Unless you have a model of the theory, it is hard to accept it. Thus Srila Prabhupada’s example was so inspirational.

We should not think it will not work for me, although our goal is very high.

I just read Srila Prabhupada-lila and Srila Prabhupada Lila with my wife over the last few months, and it was amazing to see he was always glorifying Krishna, and that was very powerful.

We have so many saints in our tradition. Not one week goes by without the appearance or disappearance days of amazing saints.

Lord Caitanya and His associates show the ecstasies of Krishna consciousness.

Sometimes it is described that Mother Saci laughed in ecstasy for six hours.

I like to read, and I read a lot. And I am always discovering new things. You see in the Vaishnava commentaries so many new lights, new revelations.

At Kumbha-mela, Srila Prabhupada took a bath early in the morning, although he was sick, to set an example for his disciples who were sleeping in.

Once Srila Prabhupada said, “You know Krishna is God because when you chant Hare Krishna and when you serve, you feel the ecstasy.”

Srila Prabhupada gave us this society to give us what we need to make advancement.

There is first appreciation and then gratitude.

You have to cry for the mercy.

Vamsidasa Babaji was asked questions, and he often didn’t answer them very much or give long answers. Once when many people were asking him how to advance, he simply answered, “Cry!”

Sukhavaha Devi Dasi:

From a class in Krishna House on vulnerability:

If we were vulnerable in the past and our vulnerability was taken advantage of, we are not inclined to be vulnerable again.

Integrity for me means honoring our words, honoring others, and honoring their space.

Richard Rohr, a Christian mystic, said the opposite of faith is certainty.

Understanding more about ourselves helps us to be more understanding with others and helps us to better interact with them.

Vulnerability is a foundation of curiosity and creativity.

Boundaries allow us to love others and ourselves simultaneously.

Q (by Advaita): What is the best way to recover from shame?
A: The Lord gave us the ability to heal ourselves from the past now. We can give ourselves positive care now and that will help to heal the past hurts.

[She asked attendees to give examples of the pros and cons of vulnerability, and at the end of the class she thanked attendees, “Thank you for giving such a good class. I had no idea of what I was going to say.”]

The high point of my interaction with Sukhavaha came after the class. I had never met her before, but when I heard her name I felt positive about it. I figured I must have liked one of her Vyasa-puja offerings, and so I searched the documents on my computer for her name, and I found this wonderful poem she wrote in 2020 in glorification of Srila Prabhupada. I read it to her, and she appreciated the ecstatic way I read it. I told her I was transparent. It was an ecstatic poem, and so when I read it, the ecstasy came through:

“Dearest father, master, and guide,
Bowing to you, in prayer I confide,
Though I, most certainly, unqualified,
Even still, your mercy was not denied.

“How gracious are you!

“Though outwardly you were tested and tried.
Your guru’s order in your heart fortified.
With faith, you accepted Krishna’s free ride,
Though in the belly of that ship, you almost died.

“How committed are you!

“With no viable, visible support from outside,
Your compassionate love spread far and wide
Whatever you needed, Krishna supplied.
Showing the power of prayer from inside.

“How devotional are you!

“Though I, a fool, so full of pride.
You open my eyes, exposing I have lied,
To myself mostly, though I cannot hide
Your clear words at my closed heart pried.

“How transparent are you!

“Never giving up, though you openly cried,
You persevered, your faith did abide.
Spreading the holy name world wide
With Guru and Krishna ever by your side.

“How resolute are you!

“Your life epitomized what your words implied.
Pure and simple, by your message I was tied.
You showed us how Krishna would always provide.
By your inspiration, we gratefully complied.

“How supportive are you! 

“You asked us to cooperate instead of collide;
To curb our tongue, our senses subside;
To diligently chant, devotion applied;
Bringing back the mind whenever it would slide.

“How attentive are you!

“Smiling and nodding as we meagerly tried
Encouraging us when we got fried
Without you, dear father, to hell I would glide
Your life is a tribute, love exemplified.

“How caring are you!

“You showed us that maya never gratified
Instead ever binds us, our soul defied.
Through service we learn to be satisfied
As our connection to you becomes solidified.

“How available are you!

“Not looking for quick fixes from the outside,
I pray that I find my soul buried inside;
That my tiny love becomes intensified
As you actively continue to be my guide.

“How grateful am I!”

Janaki Rama Prabhu:

According to Sankaracarya, brahman does not have knowledge because to have knowledge you need three things, the knower, the object of knowledge, and the knowledge, and that is not possible in absolute oneness.

Jiva Goswami makes the point in the Paramatma-sandarbha that the only way we can have a false ego is if we have a real ego.

-----

King Yudhisthira, the elder brother of Arjuna, was so pious, so in tune with the will of God, that there was good fortune through his kingdom. That is described in this verse revealing the standard of good government according to the Vedic knowledge.

nadhayo vyadhayah klesa

“Because of the King’s having no enemy, the living beings were not at any time disturbed by mental agonies, diseases, or excessive heat or cold.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.10.6)

When I was reminded of this verse, we were in the middle of the worst cold snap I remember since moving to the State of Florida in 1994. For three days FSU in Tallahassee was closed, and it snowed there as well. Those three days happened to be the days immediately following the inauguration of President Trump, who therefore appears not to be a leader on the level of King Yudhisthira, but rather, just the opposite.