The efforts, austerities, and practices involved with the acceptance as a disciple do not end with initiation. Rather they begin, in a formal sense, at that point. Whatever outer challenges or inner demons we have, will be overcome by Krishna’s grace for those who persevere in their vows. It is only those who quit who will suffer defeat. Even as the connection and dependency between the words “disciple” and “discipline” are obvious, some devotees tend to be more attentive to the fruits than the root. Disconnected from her root, the bhakti-lata will wither. However much we may balk or resist the concept, it is discipline that forms the soul of vaidhi-bhakti and reveals the heart of raganuga-bhakti in due course of time. Discipline applies to four levels of spiritual development, each successively deeper and subtler: body, mind, words, and emotions. Herein lies the comparison of the outcome of a disciple’s life in contrast to the undisciplined one. Continue reading "Discipleship → Dandavats"
1) Who is a guest? The Sanskrit word atithi means ‘not scheduled’. An ‘unscheduled’ or unexpected guest is considered a representative of the Supreme Lord, since his arriving unannounced is just what the Lord might do to test His devotee and see how ready he is to serve Him in any situation. With this understanding, we should offer the unexpected guest full hospitality. Members of the general public, invited guests, life members, V.I.P.s, visiting Vaishnavas, relatives of Vaishnavas all should be treated in such a way that they will feel comfortable and want to return. A single thumb rule is that we should treat guests as we ourselves would like to be treated. Continue reading "Role Of Guest Reception Service → Dandavats"
Old maps depicting Mayapur discovered (Album with photos)
Bhaktivedanta Research Centre: These maps were found within Sundaranand Vidyabinode collection. These images show a government map of Burdwan and Nadia districts from 1917-18, the year that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura took sannyasa and began his preaching through the Gaudiya Matha.
Present day Mayapur in those days was called “Miapur bil” and was simply rice paddies.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/H5hrcl
This article has significance for all Russian preachers, but especially for foreigners preaching in Russia: The first known victims of Russia’s new anti-evangelism laws have been convicted and fined, according to the Forum 18 news service.
Two individuals, one a US citizen and one Ghanaian, have been heavily fined.
On October the 2nd one of them also lost the appeal against his conviction for evangelising.
An earlier case brought against a Hare Krishna devotee resulted in the acquittal of the accused, Vadim Sibiryev.
To read the entire article click here: https://goo.gl/DI8pG2
Legendary rapper KRS-One expresses his appreciation for Krsna prasada (6 min video)
KRS-One, the award winning Hip Hop artist, who rose to international fame in the mid 90’s, made a visit to ISKCON Leicester today (Sunday 2nd October), while he was in the City for a show.
In a completely surprise visit, KRS-One, expressed his appreciation for prasada, telling the devotees that he used to receive prasada as a homeless youth in New York. “You never know who you are feeding…I was one of them,” he said.
After taking darshan of Sri Sri Radha Madhava, and receiving a copy of the Bhagavad-gita, KRS told the devotees about how he came into contact with Krishna consciousness as a youth. Clutching his copy of Bhagavad-gita As It Is, he recalled how the New York devotees would distribute prasada to the homeless, and gave copies of the Gita to those who would help to serve. KRS-One was immediately drawn to the philosophy, and said that it sparked the beginning of his spiritual journey. His affinity to the Hare Krishnas led him to be nicknamed ‘Krsna’, and the name eventually stuck, as he used to graffiti the name Krsna on the NYC subway. His tag became KRS-One, and he eventually rose to international fame.
While in Leicester, KRS, whose acronym is: ‘Knowledge Reigns Supreme’, and is a vocal vegan, said that he wanted to share his philosophy and release a spiritual album. He also did a ‘freestyle’ rap, much to the delight of the devotees present.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/srpx7e
Oneness with God.
Oneness is actually based on oneness of interest. A pure devotee has no interest but to act on behalf of the Supreme Lord. When one has even a tinge of personal interest, his devotion is mixed with the three modes of material nature. (SB 3.29.9p)
The devotee therefore endeavors to apply everything in the service of the Lord because he knows that everything is the property of the Lord and that no one can claim anything as one’s own. This perfect conception of oneness helps the worshiper in being engaged in His loving service. (SB 2.6.23p)
Our philosophy of Krishna consciousness is the same, but instead of becoming one with Krishna, we depend on Krishna. That is actual oneness. If we simply agree to abide by the orders of Krishna and have no disagreement with Him, we are situated in actual oneness. (TQK, 10p)
To read the entire article click here: https://goo.gl/fyUA0G
Q: Krishna is in love with Radha. Radha’s love is so greatit makes Krshna so mad about her that even if He is with another beautiful Gopi, He can not stop thinking about her. A soul who is in love with Krishna will give Him their entire heart, their entire self – but it seems Krishna can never do same as He is always longing for Radha only.
Is there no hope for anyone other that Radha? Is it possible to have direct experience and emotional exange with Him? If not, it does not sound very interesting or satisfying. We are persons, and we want a relationship, full and direct, with the person we love. But how can a small insignificant jiva can expect to have a direct, fully satisfying, overhelming emotional exange with Krishna, when Krishna is completely overwhelmed with his relationship to Radha?
I agree with your first premise: Rādhā’s love for Krishna is so intoxicating and extreme that Krishna is completely fascinated and enchanted by it, and cannot withdraw his heart and attention from it at any time, and is never really satisfied or happy without being fully absorbed in it. I agree with this completely.
I also agree with your second premise: that love is anāvṛta, it wants to give itself fully, completely, and directly to the beloved.
How then can anyone besides Rādhā ever achieve perfect divine love to the fullest extent?
It is impossible for anyone who ignores Rādhārānī.
It is impossible for anyone who ignores Rādhārānī. Actually, those who ignore Rādhārānī cannot even comprehend Bhagavān Krishna at all. Śaktimān simply does not exist without śakti.
Those who do not ignore Rādhā relate to Krishna in context of her relationship with him.
Those who do not ignore Rādhā relate to Krishna in context of her relationship with him. This is not “indirect” or “less” than a one-to-one singular relationship. A many-to-one relationship actually “more” and equally direct (considering that the beloved is Krishna who is unlimited. See the paintings of the Rāsa dance, etc). Further, the relationship which includes Rādhā has two inspirations for love: Rādhā and Krishna, rather than only one: Krishna alone.
Our participation in Rādhā and Krishna’s relationship integrates with and augments it. There are two ways of doing this: direct and indirect.
The queen of those who take the indirect approach is Candrāvalī. Not only her and her associates, but also all the gopas and elders in Vraja also embrace the indirect approach. The essence of the indirect approach is to enhance the value of Rādhā by making her availability more precious, rare, difficult to attain, etc. And also by inspiring Krishna for it (increasing his appetite) and inspiring Radharani (competition is an important inspiration). Candravalī takes the outward appearance of competing with Rādhā, but the fact is that she is Rādhā[‘s primary expansion], and she serves Rādhā by providing competition.
Among those who take the direct approach: Lalitā is the queen. She and the gopīs like her, and all their friends directly augment the relationship of Rādhā and Krishna by literally and directly participating in it. They are flowers augmenting a central flower. This is the literal meaning of the word “mañjarī” – flowers that do not stand alone, but cluster together. There is a central diamond on a ring, but the gold and other stones around that diamond add their beauty to its. In fact the entire ring is usually appreciated as one unit, with special attention to the central stone.
It isn’t easy for us to conceive of Krishna’s love life, because our own love-lives are doomed to be so meager and paltry by comparison.
It isn’t easy for us to conceive of Krishna’s love life, because our own love-lives are doomed to be so meager and paltry by comparison. Our appetite and capacity for enjoyment is limited by the restricting prakṛti in which we enjoy, and also by the fact that we are infinitessimal (we are only “infinity to the power of one” while Krishna is “infinity to the power of infinity, infinite times”). Krishna has incalculable appetite for pleasure, and incalculable ability to enjoy it. The concept of romance held by we kali-yuga mortals falls a billion light-years short of what happens in the groves of Vrindavana! Vedic culture has some reflection of it, you can see some of it still in ancient sculpture from that culture and epoch. It came into the world through Kāmadeva and Rati, and was propogated by their paramparā, esepcially the scholar Vatsāyana. It is not exactly “monogamy” by any means, although there is one central lover who is the main focus of the beloved’s attention and enjoyment.
Krishna has incalculable appetite for pleasure, and incalculable ability to enjoy it. The concept of romance that we kali-yuga mortals have falls a billion years short of what happens in the groves of Vrindavana.
It is quite a lot like how Vedic theism is neither poly- nor mono-theistic – there is an abundant plurality of divinity, yet a central figure as the unifying link through it all. Similarly, in Vrindavana the romance of the Supreme Enjoyer is neither polygamous nor monogamous – it is both. There is an abundant, infinite plurality of gopīs / lakṣṁīs, yet a singular central figure unifying and coordinating them all as the focal point – Śrī Rādhā.
I aologize if my discussion of sexuality has startled any reader who might be unprepared for such discussions. I thought it was necessary background information to help express my understanding of why Krishna’s relationship with Sri Radha doesn’t preclude our participation. We add our beauty and talent to Sri Rādhā’s, augmenting her, supporting her, assisting her in every way. There are many girls involved (polygamy) but Sri Radha is their central focus and queen (monogamy). Krishna’s one pointed attention on Rādhā doesn’t preclude the fact that Śrī Rādhā manifests herself as and thorugh counteless divine goddess gopīs who all simultaneously coperate in a singular mādhurya-rasa.
This is why the poets and scriptures describe Krishna as “surrounded/covered by gopīs.” This is where we fit in. Our relationship with Krishna is never independent of Sri Radha’s relationship with Krishna, but this should not be envisioned as meaning we sit 20 miles away knitting a sweater for them while they make love.
In fact, our ability to taste, feel, smell, see, and hear Krishna is augmented to the power of infinity by our directing our senses primarily into the seva of Śrī Rādhā. By considering her interest to be ours, her heart to be ours, her mind to be ours, her senses to be ours and dedicating our emotions, thoughts, and actions accordingly – we (as a natural concomitant result, not a separate pursuit) experience Krishna through her – which is not at all indirect but rather is an immense, incalculable magnification of the experience of Krishna’s tan-mātra. (Similar in a way to how a telescope can hardly make our experience of Jupiter less intense and direct).
Thank you for this wonderful question. I have explained only whatever I can explain. I do not claim to know the whole story, but I hope my angle on the story may be helpful to you.
When we read about Krsna’s neutrality, we need to understand it in proper perspective. Krsna is looking at all the living beings and thinks, “Please, do not get so entangled in the material energy. Just somehow or other, avoid all this. Use what you need to live but never for a moment think that this is the place to be! The spiritual world is the place where we should be.”
Do not love the place of your birth because birth is not loveable, birth is painful. If you love the place of your birth, you will take birth again and again, bhauma ijya-dhīḥ (Srimad Bhagavatam 10.84.13). The type of intelligence where we love the place of our birth, śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ (Srimad Bhagavatam 2.3.19), is like hogs, dogs, camels and asses as Bhagavatam is stating. This is not intelligent. Our real love should be reserved for the spiritual world, for Krsna and everything there and the devotees in the spiritual world.
We know what this material world like by now. When you are a child, you think, “Maybe this is a wonderful world.” But by now, I mean… it is not that. We are meant to have nothing to do with the material world. Zero! Prabhupada said that we should reduce our material involvement to zero, really. We should have nothing to do with it.
Okay, we have to eat, that is alright as long as we offer it to Krsna. We have to pay the bills. As long as it sustains a life that is offered to Krsna then it is not material anymore. Then suddenly, it becomes spiritualized. So we spiritualize all these things that we use…
I mean everyone can appreciate a new car especially when you have to drive in this rainy weather. To have a super slow phone is also very frustrating, it is nice to have one of the better models. When the house is too cramped, it is nice to have some space. These are all nice but we cannot take it serious, “Oh this is my life… this is what I am living for.” It is not what we are living for, we just use these things. We want things that are nice while we are living in the material world but we cannot take it serious. Krsna is the goal of our life, the spiritual world is the goal of our life, getting out of the material world is the goal of our life. As soon as we get to that point, that is when we purchase Krsna, then Krsna is eager to give up that neutrality because it is an external façade. It is only a façade!
Prabhupada said Krsna is more eager for us to go back to Godhead than we are. Prabhupada said that his father used to tell him that Krsna has ten arms. He said if you want to hold on to material things, can you hold on if you deal with someone with ten arms? Those ten arms can come from all sides and he will get it out of you somehow. But if he starts giving with ten arms, then he will give more than you can receive. So ultimately that is it!
We must just remember all of the above while we are here in the material world; using all the things that we are using; living the busy life that we are living, working, making money, surviving. All our time is for Krsna consciousness. It is about the depth. It is about the understanding. Cultivation is like watering the plant but it is not the bhakti plant itself. Therefore, our Krsna consciousness is not the watering of the plant. Our Krsna consciousness is the conviction inside, it is about our consciousness and then we must water the plant by our practices, by our sadhna. But you may not have a lot of time to water your bhakti plant but do it anyway.
It is easy because we chant early in the morning before the world gets up, so they will never know. In this way, we do these things but the essence of Krsna consciousness is our conviction. The conviction is, let us just understand: Krsna does not want us to be here! We are here because of foolishness. This is not a place to be. Krsna wants us to return to the spiritual world but until we really want to, we will remain here. We will remain here. Let us somehow or other serve Krsna to the point where we purchase him and he will reveal himself, bestow his mercy and take us back to the spiritual world.
“Tompkins Square Park, New York, Prasadam for the homeless” (Album with photos)
Dharmatma Das Acbsp: I had the opportunity to take part again in this wonderful program started and maintained by Adi Purusha prabhu for over 16 years. One of the hardest working devotees I’ve known. He and his partner Evangel cook delicious and hot meals that are greatly appreciated by all those who receive them. Everyone in the Lower East Side knows Adi. If you’d like to donate to this worthwhile project contact Adi at: 212-473-3558 or when in the City come by and lend a hand.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/jHP7oi
Brisbane Boat Festival (Album with photos)
Ramai Swami: One of the recent events celebrated for ISKCON’s 50th anniversary by the Brisbane devotees was a boat ride on the Brisbane River.
About 140 devotees ( that’s all the boat could fit ) assembled at a Southbank jetty in central Brisbane to board the “Jaladuta 2”, which was a reenactment of Srila Prabhupada’s arrival into Boston on September 17th 1965.
On board we started with guru puja to Srila Prabhupada and for the next 4 hours there was kirtan, speeches, stories and wonderful prasadam.
Special guests were Srila Prabhupada’s disciples, HH Vedavyasapriya Maharaja, Gunarnava das, Vilasini dd and myself.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/N4eOE8
Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk. Journal by Krishna-kripa Das.
Excerpt: There is a story in the Hassidic tradition about a great doubter named Simon. He attended a festival at which they reserve a seat for Elijah, a great prophet of the past. Simon wondered if Elijah actually could come there. Then he saw a hand reach down from the ceiling. He had doubts about grabbing it, but he decided to. Elijah brought him up to the kingdom of God. He saw how everyone was living in harmony. Then Elijah brought him back. He saw the trivial quarrels and bickering between nations and families due to selfishness.
Srila Prabhupada said to the GBC at their first meeting, “When you all agree, I will be there in the decision.”
The Native Americans have games in which everyone wins or no one wins. Such games teach that you have to work together.
The Quakers make decisions by consensus. If 299 agree, but one doesn’t, the 299 think, “What does he see that we do not see?”
We think democracy is really great, but in reality, it generates power politics where people form alliances to exclude others.
Krishna expertly and mercifully gives us situations where we cannot proceed until we consider everyone in our decision.
To read the entire article click here: https://goo.gl/RSdMj1
International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).
But what Is Krishna Consciousness?
These are notes found in a handwritten diary kept by Srila Prabhupada, outlining how he intended to present the teachings of Krishna consciousness to the Western world.
This is our second visit to South Africa and the tour took us to Durban, Capetown, Johannesburg and Botswana, as well as some smaller cities. We were overwhelmed by the enthusiasm, support, cooperation, attentiveness and generosity of the South African Yatra leaders and general devotees, especially considering this was our second visit. We received pledges well over $2 million, matching the amount pledged on our first tour two years ago. The overall feeling was one of deep commitment to the project and unity of purpose. As reported by Swarupa Damodar prabhu, the Regional Secretary of Durban: *“The TOVP team made such exciting and inspiring presentations and although about $1m was ‘liberated’ from the Durban yatra, everyone, including the managers and devotees were so blissful. Continue reading "TOVP: Tour in South Africa highly successful → Dandavats"
Meditating On Krishna In Athens.
A stay in the capital city bore numinous insights about Krishna’s creative potency.
Tad Brennan writes in the Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy:
“The idea that the soul is the true locus of personhood, that its welfare is vastly more important than the body’s welfare, that … it survives death, is judged for its actions and may be reincarnated, that the post-mortem fate of the soul provides reasons to embrace a life of earthly virtue—for all of these Socratic commitments there is Presocratic precedent.”
A Day in the Life of a “Hare Krishna” (6 min video)
Lavanya Keli dd and the devotees from New Zealand in a new time-lapse video sharing their joyful life as “Hare Krishnas” and inviting everyone to try it.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/9FEjYY
The Conch Blows its Horn! Is it time to party? The number five is flyin’ high in the sky over the Vaisnava world these days: Lord Krishna’s appearance (5000 years ago), Lord Caitanya’s ‘birth’ (500 years back) and ISKCON’s beginning (50 years ago). And lo and behold, October 2016 marks The Conch’s fifth birthday anniversary. The Conch newsletter (New Govardhana’s only) began in 2011 at the prompting of Karunika devi dasi. It was initially slated to be only four pages long, but the faction for a lengthier publication won the day, and hence an eight-page monthly newsletter was born. Replete with photographs and newsy articles, the glossy pages gave readers a glimpse into New Govardhana happenings. The Conch smelled good, felt good, could be read in a favourite chair away from computer screens and became instantly accepted as a welcome addition to the community. Monthly hand deliveries to New Govardhana and Murwillumbah resident devotees enhanced readability and endeared the project to many. Hi-5 to The Conch! Continue reading "The Conch Celebrates Its 5th Anniversary → Dandavats"
The Padayatra was arranged between ISKCON temple and the famous Jamalpur Jagannath Temple, which is about 10 km away. Sharp at 8.00 am, we started from our ISKCON temple with more than 150 devotees and many more joined on the way. The atmosphere was cloudy, but no rain, so we felt it’s Krsna's mercy; otherwise we generally have very hot days even during the rainy season. Eventually, it started raining very heavily in the evening, after the completion of the Padayatra. The yatra went on very smoothly and reached in time, as decided, and we served breakfast to the Padayatris in Parimal garden (a well-known public garden). Here at Parimal garden, hundreds of people come for jogging in the morning and this being a Sunday, the crowd was also more than the regular days. Here we had very ecstatic Kirtan all the way in the garden; some of them joined us in Kirtan too. After breakfast Prasadam we continued walking. We halted at every 4 roads for few minutes, with the Kirtan resounding all around. We distributed around 67 Bhagavad Gita and 45 small books for the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada. Continue reading "2nd One Day PADAYATRA at ISKCON Ahmedabad → Dandavats"
Last Saturday, on September 24, history was created when ISKCON of Suriname held its first Ratha-yatra festival in the capital City of Paramaribo, with the Lord Jagannath cart parading through one of the busiest streets in the city. The festival was organised as part of ISKCON Suriname’s main 50th anniversary initiative. The procession began at 5:00 pm sharp with the ribbon cutting done by the Raghoebier family, who, over a decade ago, had kindly provided the facility in Paramaribo that ISKCON utilises. The parade was consecrated by offering and breaking dried coconuts, then as the cart began to move there was uproarious cracking of fireworks. The cart started moving from Lallarookh Square and ended at the front lawn of the ISKCON Centre at 459 Kwattaweg. The arrival of the Ratha-yatra cart at the temple was followed by a grand religious and cultural program featuring a drama of Lord Jagannath’s appearance, devotional music, exhibitions and discussions on Vedic spirituality—and a free vegetarian feast. The stage program lasted for full three hours. Continue reading "ISKCON Suriname holds First Ratha-yatra → Dandavats"
Q: Why did Krishna create us in such a way that we could be attracted to the material world? What purpose does that fulfil?
It’s difficult for logical thinkers to grasp this, but not everything happens because of a logical “why.”
The ultimate origin of reality is not a logical machine, it is consciousness (jñānam-advayam, ŚB 1.2.11). Consciousness has freewill, and freewill doesn’t always have to behave logically. Sometimes consciousness just does thingsbecause it does.
Why does someone like purple, while another likes yellow? Is there a logical “why”? Or is this a pretty good example of how consciousness has freedom of choice which doesn’t always have to be logical?
There is a rational, logical motive to the manifestation of reality. The Upaniṣads explain it beautifully: the root of reality (Krishna) wants to enjoy (“so kāmayata, eko bahu syām prajāyeta”). That’s the ultimate logical motive: pleasure. The one manifests as many because that is more pleasurable.
The infinite entities manifest from the one original entity are amazing to him and provide him incredible joy, largely because they are as divine/conscious as he is, and therefore also possess independent will, etc. These entities have various fascinating, exciting dispositions and preferences. Some of them like “purple” and some like “yellow.” Some take an immediate liking to Krishna, and some take a liking instead to the objects of pleasure that Krishna has manifested. There is no “reason” for this. It is simply a byproduct of their having individuality and freedom.
Some of them like “purple” and some like “yellow.” Some take an immediate liking to Krishna, and some take a liking instead to the objects of pleasure that Krishna has manifested. There is no “reason” for this. It is simply a byproduct of their having individuality and freedom.
Krishna hasn’t arranged or chosen for it to happen that way. Nor does a living entity deliberately or rationally “choose” it. It just happens… because that’s how consciousness, individuality and freewill is… individual, unique, and free… unpredictable and not bound by logic.
Although there is no logical “reason” behind it – the existence of people disinterested in Krishna creates side effects that enhance Krishna’s bliss after all. Two I can understand are:
By providing for these beings without selfish reward, as paramātmā, he experiences the bliss of selflessness (śānta-rasa).
By trying to help these beings attain a higher pleasure than they can experience without him, he experiences the bliss of heroism (vīra-rasa,)
This doesn’t mean that Krishna created the material world just so he could play hero. The material world exists as a result of individuality and freedom. But as a side effect, he winds up experiencing a new type of śānta and vīra rasa, because all of his energy always inherently serves him somehow or other (kṛṣṇer nitya dāsa).
To sum it up, Krishna didn’t create our attraction to his separated energy. He created entities with freewill, and they created their own attraction to his separated energy. Furthermore, there is no logical reason they chose this way. It’s just the way they are.
It’s not often that I’m greeted by a party of people who beat the drum and chant at an airport. Here in Whitehorse, with a population of 25,000, a swami is a rarity. I must also mention that my host, Ananda, is an animated personality and very amicable. He led the chant and the drumming.
After a long flight from Toronto and a stop-over at Vancouver, I was glad to meet this crew of greeters and to have my feet on the ground. Furthermore, to take in great air. According to this group, Whitehorse is the most pollution-free city in the world, so Guinness says.
“I believe you,” I said to Ananda, to which he added, “And it has the best water.”
The Yukon River runs through the town. Ananda calls the river “Yamuna” after the sacred waters in India, the river which also is the place where Krishna enjoyed his childhood pastimes.
I was also greeted with a subji (veggies) mixed with golden Yukon potatoes known as world-renowned. Yes! Delicious!
It had been a long day, with no sleep the night before, and also included a visit to one of our Toronto congregants dying from breast cancer in the hospital. For Meena, whom I may not see again, I chanted by her bedside with her brother Mukesh and his wife Jayamala. That was before the flight. I was exhausted. Ananda addressed it with a massage. Thanks to him I’ll be in competent shape for the next day of devotional life, a life that is people-interactive and most rewarding.
Santosh, twenty-three, is a young student of history who just came to Canada. He’s here for a three month stay at the ashram while attending classes at York University. He is from Surinam and has never ever been in a metropolis before.
When someone new comes to the city, my way of giving them the keys to the city is by introducing him/her to the streets and trails.
Thus far he is liking the city and I wish him well in his studies. His stature is tall, but he carries a humble disposition. He has the facial, pious look of a demigod and is most helpful. I’ve engaged him in multiple tasks that are of a more physical nature. In fact, I would say he’s a rare kind who does everything with a healthy attitude.
I realize it’s important to not overlook him with everything that needs doing. That would be a burn-out program. A recipe for disaster. A new person can be very vulnerable, and when people who have services in the temple ashramrequire help, as in “Can you help me lift this, or carry that, fetch this, fetch that?” such assistance can really stack up.
I guess one of the reasons for my showing Santosh the better walkways is so that when he needs his time off and privacy, he can then know where to go. His taking a break will be legit.
If you are reading this entry Santosh, please keep in mind the importance of balanced out-put.
(Sent from Manhattan, New York, on October 1, 2016)
Where I Went and What I Did
Govardhan Dasi, a Prabhupada disciple who loves harinama, and her husband John joined me for harinama in Hull, a city none of us had chanted in before. Then I went to Sheffield for the last time this year, and did two evening programs with a harinama in between, which was attended by three other devotees, more than usual in Sheffield. Then I chanted with Govardhan and John in York and Govardhan’s place of residence, Scarborough. In York, we were joined by three devotees from the Preston area, a pleasant surprise. After the Scarborough harinama I returned to Newcastle to give the Sunday feast lecture, I went to Ireland the next day, and did harinama with Bhagavati Dasi and Ananta Nitai Prabhu in Belfast for five days and gave the evening Radhastami lecture. The next day we had six devotees on a six-hour harinama in Dublin. Instead of going to Govindadvipa for Radhastami, Ananta Nitai Prabhu stayed in Dublin and did three hours of harinama and made sure we had a Sunday feast program as usual. The next day, invited by Eleanora, Ananta Nitai Prabhu and I chanted in Kilkenny. The day after that, I flew to New York City, my base for the autumn season, where I joined the New York City Harinama party, doing harinama for the last three days of the first half of September.
I share a great quote from Srila Prabhupada’s Sri Caitanya-caritamrita. I include lots of nice realizations from Janananda Goswami. I have notes on aRadhastami lecture by Bhagavati Dasi, with some descriptions from Ananda Vrindavan Campu in it. I have notes from an amazing lecture on cooperation by Adi Purusha Prabhu, who does Food for Life in Manhattan.
Thanks to Angela for her kind donation to top up my British SIM card and other expenses. Thanks to the Newcastle and Dublin temples for supporting my harinama program. Thanks to Eleanora of Kilkenny for paying our bus fare to chant in her city and for giving us an additional donation. Thanks to Govardhan Dasi for paying for my unexpected harinama in Malton and allowing me to keep our harinama collections in Hull and Scarborough. Thanks to Krishna Katha Prabhu of Belfast for his kind donation. Thanks to Valeri of Latvia for his kind donation. Thanks to Ananta Nitai Prabhu for giving me half of our net harinama collection in Kilkenny and the U.S. currency he collected previously. Thanks to Dennis and the York nama-hatta for their donation toward the cost of my travel to York. Thanks to tall John of Leeds for his donation. Thanks to Madhavi Rani Dasi of Ukraine for her donation. Thanks to Anya, the daughter of two Polish Indradyumna Swami disciples in York, for her kind donation. Thanks also to the old lady who gave me a donation in Malton. Thanks to Govardhan Dasi for her photos of our harinamas in Hull and Scarborough. Thanks to Joe Kenny for his photos of our Sheffield harinama. Thanks to Narinder Singh for his photo of us chanting in Belfast. Thanks to Stella Montoya for her photos of New York City Harinam in Grand Central Station.
Itinerary
October 1–November 7: New York City Harinam
November 8: Philadelphia Harinama and Bhakti Garden Tuesday Program
November 9–11: Washington, D.C., Harinama
November 12–27: North Florida
November 28–January 2, 2017: New York City Harinam
January 3, 2017: Atlanta Harinama
January 4, 2017–April 2017: Krishna House (Gainesville) and Florida colleges
Unexpected Harinama in Malton
I took a train from Newcastle to York, which arrived at 8:40 a.m. The train to Scarborough left at 8:40 a.m., so I did not book a ticket for it, but for the 9:40 a.m. train instead. Turns out the 8:40 left at 8:45, so I was able to catch it. I thought if they did not want to honor my ticket, I would just get off at the next stop and wait for the next train, and thus I had nothing to lose. It turned out that they did not honor my ticket because the time was wrong, and they forced me to buy a ticket to Malton, the next stop, which cost £10 (about $13), which is something I never expected and made me really angry. I decided as long as I wasted £10 going to Malton, I might as well chant there, and then I could consider the £10 a preaching expense and feel better about it, and so I chanted for about an hour in Malton.
I walked to the main street, and I set up outside a vacant shop and chanted the Hare Krishna mantra with my harmonium and an amplifier. After perhaps 20 minutes, an older lady threw 47 pence in my basket, saying that would start me off. Then a older man came out of an adjacent eating establishment and complained about my chanting, saying I was following a false religion, and it was cruel to amplify the chanting and force people to listen to it. I said I was just there for 10 more minutes, between trains, and went back to my chanting. Then a lady from the same place complained to me on her way out, and said that no one liked my singing. I pointed to my donation box, and said some people must have liked it, or they would not have given me any money. She said that they probably just felt sorry for me. I continued chanting until it was time to go back to the train station, chanting through the streets of the town, and I continued chanting softly at the train station platform without amplification, waiting for the delayed train to Scarborough. When I told Govardhan Dasi my story, she was happy that I tried to share the holy name in Malton, she told me the poor response simply meant we had not chanted there enough and that we should go back in the future, and she gave me £10 to cover the cost of the train, all of which made me feel a lot better about the whole thing.
Harinama in Hull
Janananda Goswami once remarked that there are many cities in the UK that have a significant population, but which we never go to for harinama, like Hull, for instance. Thus I suggested to Govardhan Dasi that we might do harinama in Hull sometime. She liked the idea, and she, John, and I drove to Hull on September 1, and chanted for three hours. The whole downtown was under construction for a celebration of Hull as a city of culture the following year, and it was hard to find a quiet place. We encountered people who were curious, people who danced to our music, and people who gave donations. There really was no negativity at all. We decided to return again next year.
As we got back to the car, a young man from a tattoo shop said “Hare Krishna” to us. As we do no regular programs in Hull, I asked him how he knew about Hare Krishna. He said they had one employee who was into Krishna consciousness, and so they were aware of it. They invited us into their shop, and happily participated in our harinama, chanting and dancing in the shop along with us. That was one of the high points of our visit to Hull.
Last Visit to Sheffield for 2016
I took an evening train from Hull to Sheffield, and then traveled to Barnsley, by car with three devotees who had been distributing books in Sheffield. Those devotees try one day each week to distribute books in Sheffield, an increase over past years. At the home of a Latvian couple, Valeri and Alexandria, who are enthusiastic about Krishna consciousness, we had kirtana and wonderful prasadam. I was grateful to Joe for arranging the program and the couple for providing the place and the prasadam.
The next day we did harinama in Sheffield, and Madhavi Rani Devi Dasi, recently initiated by Indradyumna Swami joined us for the first time. Indradyumna Swami is such a supporter of harinama it was beautiful to see his new disciple embracing it. Alex (right) was there most of the time, and Joe came by and tried distributing a few books. Actually I think it was the best-attended harinama I went on in Sheffield this year.
An Indian saxophonist even played with us at one point.
That evening we had a program. Some devotees were at a seminar with Bhakti Vikasa Swami in Manchester and one was sick, so it was just Joe, Alex, and Geoffrey, who came after work, just in time for prasadam as usual.
I made strawberry sweet rice for prasadam.
York Harinama and Program
It was raining lightly for practically the entire three hours on our York harinama. As we looked for an area protected from the rain to chant in, we passed an abandoned shop with an overhang. One apparently homeless man was sitting there with a cup in front of him for donations. Using gestures I asked if we could chant there, and he said he was working there. I had to smile. For me, sitting in front of a bowl and collecting money does not constitute working. You have to be offering a service for the benefit of society.
We continued and finally found a place where we chanted for two hours, until a nearby vendor complained.
Then we walked around in the rain again following our usual route. It brought back memories of other rainy harinamas in York. Here is a little video of the part of it before we started walking (https://youtu.be/PTJSqpPXorM):
The most striking thing for me was that Rasesvari Dasi, a Prabhupada disciple from Accrington in Lancashire, on the other side of England, came with two others, an older lady, who is a close friend of hers, and Doug, who has been involved in the Preston nama-hatta for years. Even more amazing than their coming so far to do harinama on a rainy day, was that Rasesvari was very happy she had come and found the harinama to be very ecstatic. She must be a very elevated soul!
A nice feature of the evening program was that several devotees came up from Leeds. The monthly Leeds program the previous week was canceled, and I was thinking I would not see my Leeds friends till next year, but Krishna kindly arranged to bring a bunch of them to York.
Also one devotee was visiting from Glasgow. Thus we had a wonderful program attended by devotees from all over the North UK, my base in the summer.
Somehow during the last ten days I was in the UK I saw friends from Chester, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Sheffield, Preston, Leeds, and York, and it was all Krishna’s mercy I was able see them again before returning to America for the winter.
One young lady who called herself Anya, was fascinated by the harinama. Her parents were both disciples of Indradyumna Swami, and she was born in Kolobrzeg, the city nearest our base of the Festival of India in Poland tour. It was coincidental that both Rasesvari Dasi and I had just been in Kolobrzeg a month ago. Anya’s mom makes prasadam to sell in York on the weekends, and she is one of the salespersons. She had a friend, also a daughter of a devotee parent, and both the young ladies came to the program, along with one mom and one dog, and they had a good time, especially participating in the kirtana and relishing the prasadam. Anya even gave me a donation, which is rare for devotee kids and rare in general. I told her about our Newcastle eight-hour kirtanas, which are organized by some young and enthusiastic devotees and which she and her friend would definitely like.
Harinama in Scarborough
I had hoped to chant in Scarborough for a full three hours, but it took us longer to recover from the trip to York than planned. Still we chanted over an hour before I had to leave to Newcastle for the Sunday feast. The sky was threatening to rain, and there were a few sprinkles from time to time. One lady felt happier about life from hearing us and expressed her gratitude, and that alone made the harinama feel worth it. In reality, just our going out on harinama gives great pleasure to Srila Prabhupada and Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and thus harinama is always a success, whether we perceive it or not.
Harinamas in Belfast
Thanks to Bhagavati Dasi, who is always ready to go on harinama for three hours every day when I visit Belfast, and thus makes going to Belfast a pleasant experience.
Janananda Goswami came out with us one day in Belfast, and as always, more devotees came out and more people interacted with our party than usual, as you can see in this video (https://youtu.be/M4xXdR8pMmg):
One little girl danced to our music.
Then forgetting her mom for a moment, she followed our party.
Thursday is one of two weekly harinama days in Belfast, and we had seven devotees in our party that day.
Narinder Singh, a devotee of Krishna who passed by and was happy to see us, took a photo of his son with our party, and sent it to us.
We chanted in Belfast on a rainy Radhastami. Four devotees chanted three hours in a sheltered place, distributing eight books to those who helped donate a total of £9.20 and €2.00.
Harinamas in Dublin
We planned a six-hour harinama in Dublin on Saturday. Bhagavati Dasi, Ananta Nitai Prabhu, Bhakta Alec, and I, who had been doing harinama in Belfast during the week, all took the coach to Dublin, where we were joined by Pat of Wexford, for the entire time, and Dina Dayal Prabhu, who came for the end, after his day of book distribution. Dina Dayal Prabhu greatly pleased me by fixing the straps on my harmonium, increasing its utility.
Dublin is my favorite place to do harinama. I always have one or two core people I can count on to chant with me the whole time, and our venue is on one of the busiest streets, just a block from our temple and restaurant. There are people from all over the world, but they are less rushed than in London or New York. They take pictures, chant, dance, buy books, and give donations.
Finishing her ice cream cone, a young lady danced.
One young man played a box drum, a cubical box on which the drummer sits and plays.
People were so generous we covered the cost of our coach to Dublin, paid for the books we distributed, and gave a donation to the temple as well.
Harinama in Kilkenny
Eleanora externally appears to be a retired lady with a heart condition, but she is incredibly enthusiastic to share the Hare Krishna mantra with the residents of the nearest city to her, Kilkenny. She paid the coach tickets for Ananta Nitai Prabhu and I to come down from Dublin and chant for three hours in Kilkenny, and then she cooked a wonderful Ekadasi meal for us to have afterward. Her health permitted her to join us for just an hour, but she was very happy to participate. It was a little awkward to do a day trip from Dublin the day before my transatlantic flight to New York, and Kilkenny pales when compared to Dublin as a harinama spot, but it was worth it to please a devotee and to do outreach in a neglected area. We were happy to see that we were more favorably received than during our first visit to Kilkennylast year, and we distributed more books and collected more donations as well.
New York City Harinam
I was very happy to rejoin Rama Raya Prabhu’s amazing six-hour a day harinama program in New York City.
The very day I arrived from Dublin, I was able to participate for the last three hours of the harinama, and it was wonderful to see Rama Raya Prabhu’s wonderful enthusiasm for chanting Hare Krishna, and the inspirational effect it had the devotees, and on the onlookers. You can get a glimpse of it from this video (https://youtu.be/BQU7gk8typ8):
The next day the weather was not so nice, so we had to chant in Grand Central station. The intelligence, technology and human expertise you need to find trusted answers all comes from chanting Hare Krishna. When the heart is purified by chanting, you can hear the Lord speak from within:
Stella (right), of Montreal, a regular member of our party, took some pictures there, and engaged a friend in taking others.
One day Binky, who originally became interested in Hare Krishna from encountering the New York City Harinam party, sang my favorite tune, while Yasoda Dulal Prabhu, accompanied her on the harmonium (https://youtu.be/zq88lhAQ3To):
While Kaliya Krishna Prabhu was singing and I was dancing off to the side, I saw one blond lady who seemed ever so happy to see the chanting and dancing, so I approached her and gave her a pamphlet. Because of her joyful demeanor, I told her that she should not be shy but should also dance if she felt like it. She did not immediately take me up on that proposal, but that did not surprise me, and I just went back to dancing to the side. Later, however, I noticed she and one guy had begun to dance. I assumed it was the person she was planning to meet at Union Square, but I later learned it was just another guy who had come by, and who wanted to dance. You can see their enthusiasm for dancing to the Hare Krishna chant in this video (https://youtu.be/HEae1bbVOoM):
I am happy to be back on the New York City Harinam party again.
To see other photos I took but did not include, click on the link below:
“The result of chanting is that one awakens his love for Krishna and tastes transcendental bliss. Ultimately, one attains the association of Krishna and engages in His devotional service, as if immersing himself in a great ocean of love.”
Janananda Goswami:
The wreath that garlands the world has flowers of Krishna prema intertwined with the holy name.
Lord Caitanya appeared to Narada and declared, “With the chopper of nama-sankirtana I will deliver people from the sinful activities of this age, and for those who flee to distant corners of the world I will send my senapati bhakta [commander-in-chief devotee] to deliver them.” This refers to our Srila Prabhupada.
In 1886, Bhaktivinoda Thakura made this prediction: "Oh for that day when the fortunate English, French, Russian, German, and American people will take up banners, mridangas, and karatalas and raise kirtanathrough their streets and towns. When will that day come? Oh for the day when the fair skinned men from their side will raise up the chanting of ‘Jaya Sacinandana, Jaya Sacinandana, ki jaya’ and join with the Bengali devotees. When will that day be? On such a day they will say, “Our dear Brothers, we have taken shelter of the ocean of Lord Caitanya’s Love; kindly embrace us" that day will witness the holy transcendental ecstasy of the Vaishnava dharma to be the only dharma, and all sects and religions will flow like rivers into the ocean of Vaishnava dharma. Oh when will that day come?”
Between 1886 and 1896 Bhaktivinoda Thakura predicted very soon someone will appear who will move unrestrictedly throughout the world with Lord Caitanya’s message.
In the history of the Irish yatra about 10% of the people driving the vehicles had licenses. Whenever they got into accident, they would just say that the driver was the one devotee who had a license.
Srila Prabhupada’s song “Krishna Taba Punya Habe Bhai” reveals his mood.
I am sure there is a Jaladuta in the spiritual world going down the river Yamuna.
The mission of Srila Prabhupada was not to tear down physically the Western civilization but to destroy the consciousness that produced it.
Most of the acaryas in our line are followers of Radharani and followers of Lalita Devi because Rupa Goswami is a follower of Lalita Devi.
“Markine Bhagavata-dharma” is very much a mission statement for Srila Prabhupada and us, his followers.
Srila Prabhupada was not a philosophical machine, but rather he had great affection for people.
Srila Prabhupada, when he was in India before coming to America, had plans to send thousands of Back to Godheads to different countries in different continents.
When he was developing the League of Devotees in India, he was planning to have a Sanskrit college as an important part of it.
Old people, who have not lost their youthful desires, suffer greatly.
Old age is created as a warning to all human beings that death is near and to prepare ourselves for it.
When people become old they tend to become fearful and less happy, but Srila Prabhupada said a devotee becomes fearless and happier with age.
Our arguments, our attachments, and our quarrels seem insignificant at the time of death.
Sincerity of purpose is a key factor in our going back to Godhead. Srila Prabhupada would stress that sincerity is all that is necessary. Sincere means without material motives.
Surrendering to the lotus feet of the Lord means surrendering to His instructions.
Srila Prabhupada that his success was due to his faithful following of his guru’s instructions.
Srila Prabhupada said that no one can follow properly, neither the brahmacaris, nor the grhasthas, the vanaprasthas, or the sannyasis. If I criticize you and you criticize me, we will all go away and no one will go back to Godhead.
Surrender to Krishna is the only way of escaping bondage to sex life and the conception of ourselves as the enjoyer.
By engaging in the service of the Lord one’s consciousness is purified.
St. Francis was traveling with another brother, and they arrived at a monastery too late. The abbot spoke sharply, accused him of being an imposter, hit him with a stick, and knocked him into a ditch. St. Francis took it happily with a smile, seeing it as destroying his material illusions and leaving him to depend on God alone. This was amazing to the brother traveling with him.
People are trying to use Krishna’s property for their own enjoyment, and thus they are subject to punishment, which is meant to rectify their consciousness.
Q (Bhagavati dd) The Bhagavatam speaks even of respectable family life as being a dark well, but in this age people cannot even act properly in their family relationships so I am doubtful about the relevance of those instructions to renounce family life.
A: This age is an ocean of faults. We should give instructions according to peoples’ ability to benefit by them. In the age of Kali, people as described as sudras, and sudras are not allowed to take sannyasa. Those instructions to renounce family life were given to mature people who could understand their purpose. We just encourage people to chant Hare Krishna, which is recommended in this age, to take prasadam, and to do some service and gradually they can understand other things. The program for sudras is to get married and stick with one person. If people can do that in this age, they are doing well.
Bhagavati Dasi:
Srila Prabhupada said that Radharani is the best servant of Krishna.
When you cook in the Deity kitchen, you are acting as the servant of Radharani.
When you become conditioned by the material energy, you forget there is a spiritual energy, and you imagine that you are nicely situated in the material energy.
You can have some realization there is a spiritual energy that is superior to the material energy, but to actual realize Srimati Radharani is more difficult.
To have any potency in convince people to get out of the material energy we must be enthusiastic to do so ourselves.
From Ananta Vrindavana Campu:
The night of the rasa dance surpassed the best of the nights of the spring, summer, and autumn seasons combined, having flowers of all the seasons.
If you chant the gayatri mantra perfectly it is said you can hear Krishna’s flute.
The flute of Krishna had an intoxicating effect on Sri Radha.
Krishna’s flute’s sound is the joy of all joys, the sweetest of all sweet things.
The instrumentalists played according to the rhythm of the dancing of the gopis.
The other gopis could not keep up with Radha’s singing and dancing. And other beings, like the Gandharvas and Apsaras, of course, could not compare in the least.
Adi Purusa Prabhu [who does Food For Life in NYC]:
Before class, let us all pray that we will only speak what we have heard from guru, sadhu, and sastra [the revealed scriptures].
The pastimes of the Lord are decorated with the sweet dealings between the Lord and His devotees.
Our own pride and ambition, our desires for profit, love, and distinction, all distort our ability to have loving dealings with others.
There is a story in the Hassidic tradition about a great doubter named Simon. He attended a festival at which they reserve a seat for Elijah, a great prophet of the past. Simon wondered if Elijah actually could come there. Then he saw a hand reach down from the ceiling. He had doubts about grabbing it, but he decided to. Elijah brought him up to the kingdom of God. He saw how everyone was living in harmony. Then Elijah brought him back. He saw the trivial quarrels and bickering between nations and families due to selfishness.
Srila Prabhupada said to the GBC at their first meeting, “When you all agree, I will be there in the decision.”
The Native Americans have games in which everyone wins or no one wins. Such games teach that you have to work together.
The Quakers make decisions by consensus. If 299 agree, but one doesn’t, the 299 think, “What does he see that we do not see?”
We think democracy is really great, but in reality, it generates power politics where people form alliances to exclude others.
Krishna expertly and mercifully gives us situations where we cannot proceed until we consider everyone in our decision.
If the brahmacaris form their own clique and are unconcerned with everyone else that is not good.
The brahmanas must go out and encourage others to take part Lord Caitanya’s mission.
When met with a challenge, some people leave the movement, some people go to another temple, etc., but the actual solution is to turn to Krishna. Until we learn to turn to Krishna, we will meet with the same challenges wherever we go.
If we have attachment and aversion, even if Krishna speaks to us, we cannot hear Him.
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This verse is another reminder about the amazing potency of chanting the holy name of Krishna. How auspicious is this chanting!
apannah samsritim ghoram
yan-nama vivaso grinan
tatah sadyo vimucyeta
yad bibheti svayam
“Living beings who are entangled in the complicated meshes of birth and death can be freed immediately by even unconsciously chanting the holy name of Krishna, which is feared by fear personified.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.1.14)
By Varsana Swami
By Sri Sri Radha Gopinath Mandir
By Braja Vilas das
By Mukunda Goswami
By Muralimohan Das
By Paramatma dasa
