Thursday, June 19, 2008

travel journal#4.11: Harinamas in Six Cities

Harinama in Brno, Czech

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 4, No. 11
By Krishna-kripa das
(June 2008, part one)
Munich / Prague / Brno / Modra / Bratislava / Sofia
(Sent from Prague, Czech Republic on 6/19/08)


Correction: To see more Eiffel Tower harinama pictures, click on this link:
http://picasaweb.google.fr/srisriradhaparisisvara/HarinamTrocadero31Mai2008WithJananandaGoswamiMaharaj
that does not work, then click on the link
http://picasaweb.google.fr/srisriradhaparisisvara/ and then on the album named "HarinamTrocadero31Mai2008WithJananandaGoswamiMaharaj".

Addition: Previously on the way to Simhacalam, our car died near Bonn and we took a train to Cologne, Germany, where we have a temple. While on the train, we did a harinama, led by Janmastami Prabhu. Bhaktin Elaine, from near Amsterdam, shares these two videos of the harinama on the train:
http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=OWWMpkJRxqU

http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=hT5zUotsOcA

Where I Am and What I Am Doing

The first half of June has been very exciting for me, traveling to new cities and old favorites to do harinama: Munich: 2 days, Prague: 3 days, Brno (CZ): 3 days, Bratislava (SK), 3 days and Sofia (BG): 1 day; 12 days in a row without a break, and only 3 days without harinama. Those days also were special, as I got to hear from Janananda Swami in Paris before going to Munich and Bhaktivaibhava Swami in Sofia the last weekend.

Devotional Notes


Jiva Goswami writes in the Bhakti Sandarbha regarding the glories of nama-sankirtana:
"In the Javali Samhita the process of nama smarana has been described. Those who are desirous of obtaining unlimited varieties of spiritual bliss should always perform japa, meditation (dhyana) singing (gana) and kirtana of the topmost names of Sri Hari. But in the practice of nama smarana one cannot obtain spiritual bliss as long as the heart remains impure. Whereas the practice of nama sankirtana does not depend on purification of the heart. Therefore nama smaranam is less effective than nama sankirtanam, and nama sankirtana has greater importance."
--contributed by Janananda Goswami


Wise words from Bhaktivaibhava Swami in Sofia:

"Bhagavad-gita is the art of living in this world."

"If you think this body belongs to you, try to keep it. Actually everything belongs to Krishna."

"People who take to Krishna consciousness are very fortunate to be giving up the stubborn materialistic mentality, and we should encourage them by all means."

"We should not tell people who like to work in a passionate way to act more in the mode of goodness, but rather to work passionately for Krishna."

"People who like to work to acquire wealth should not be discouraged. Rather they should be encouraged to engage their wealth in Krishna's service."

Gems from Kadamba Kanana Swami in Munich:

"Spiritual life is difficult, but material life is impossible."

"We see that Krishna puts the purification of an individual devotee ahead of using him as an instrument in His mission."

"'Sannyasi life is simple. Wherever the women go, go in the other direction.'
—Jayadvaita Swami"

"To go deep into our spiritual consciousness can help us benefit other people."

"Krishna decides what your role will be, and you have to accept that."

"Bhaktisiddhanta Saravati Thakura explains that true empowerment means to be empowered with both spiritual knowledge and spiritual happiness."

"Krishna wants to benefit all living beings, and so if you want to please Krishna, you also have to want to benefit all living beings."

Kadamba Kanana Swami said he saw someone with a self-designed T-shirt, "I have heard it all, I have seen it all, and I have done it all. But I cannot remember it all."

That struck me as the epitome of this famous verse spoken by Prahlada Maharaja, "Because of their uncontrolled senses, persons too addicted to materialistic life make progress toward hellish conditions and repeatedly chew that which has already been chewed. Their inclinations toward Krishna are never aroused, either by the instructions of others, by their own efforts, or by a combination of both" (SB 7.5.30).

Wisdom from Priti Vardhana Prabhu who teaches at Bhakti Vidya Purna Swami's asrama:

"The Vedic process is to hear from the teacher in the morning and to apply the knowledge during the day."

"If the students do more than is required, we praise them, but not publicly, as that would breed competition which promotes working for rewards [not working in devotion]."

"Children should be given some responsibility. Without exception, they must do their duty before they play. Then they will learn to use their intelligence do their duties quickly so they can play."

"When the parent is busy, and the child comes by, the parent should try to think of how the child can assist, rather than tell the child to get out of the way. In this way, the child feels useful."

"Even primitive societies that worship some aspects of the Lord's material form (virat-rupa) last for centuries, while atheistic societies are short-lived."

--Prana Natha Prabhu (from Brazil) in Brno

An Extra Harinama in Prague


My friend Jaroslav from Prague, who loves harinama and helps organize the Happy Days festivals in Czech Republic as well as their Ratha-yatras, organized a four-hour harinama in Prague on Thursday. Thirteen devotees attended. A couple friends, Prana Natha Prabhu, from Brazil, and Bhakta Tom, from Slovakia, who did harinama with us in Mayapur this winter were there—a nice treat. To see the enthusiasm of the devotees, and the bystanders as well, made me so happy. One young lady watching the party surprisingly gave me a book of Vedic saying in Czech that she takes pleasure in distributing. It is rare to encounter people already attracted to Vedic philosophy. Another promised she would dance with us but remained watching from a distance with her boyfriend. I went to interest her in some books, and she asked me to tell the leader of the band to play faster so she could dance. When he did, she came over and danced for awhile with great delight. I encouraged her to come to the evening programs at Govinda's, where she sometimes dines. In Prague there is a positive attitude among the people in general because of the steady harinama program and three prasadam restaurants, and when you add to that the enthusiasm of the devotees to chant in public, it makes it a great place for harinama. In 2004, when I asked Lokanath Swami the best place to do harinama, he told me, "Prague." People from all over the world see us there. Even my mother saw the devotees chanting there when she visited once.

Surprising Appreciation in Brno

Sometimes I wonder why I bother to travel around and give class as my classes are not any better then anyone else's and probably worse than a lot of people's. Therefore I was very surprised that two bhaktins from Brno decided to stay for my evening class although it meant taking a bus leaving at midnight to go to Prague to attend mangala-arati and Kadamba Kanana Swami's class the next day. I guess one can argue that they are so devotional that they can find merit in even my classes. They expressed gratitude about the extra harinama and the evening programs we had in Brno, and it sort of validated my whole traveling and preaching program, in which I am trying to promote an increase in harinama and evening programs wherever I go.




Among other things, I try to go through the words of our standard songs with the new devotees, as the songs are so much more meaningful when we know the words. I also try to read a little Krishna book in the evening after Bhagavad-gita, so both myself and the audience will increase our attachment to Krishna's pastimes. It is nice to encounter enthusiasm for hearing and chanting about Krishna among the younger and newer people. It makes one feel the mission will continue and flourish.

Bratislava

I did a nama-hatta program at Peter and Jana's in Modra, Slovakia, near Bratislava. They are aspiring disciples of Kadamba Kanana Swami, and some of their friends came, who like to get to together and hear and chant about Krishna. Our gathering reminded me of a great verse:

naham tisthami vaikunthe
yoginam hrdayesu va
tatra tisthami narada
yatra gayanti mad-bhakta

Krishna explains to the great sage Narada that He is not to be found in the spiritual world nor the hearts of the yogis but where His devotees are chanting His glories. This also calls to mind a Biblical saying where Jesus Christ tells his followers, "Whenever two or three of you are gathered in my name, I am in the midst of you." These references reveal the truth that we can experience the Lord's presence when we get together to chant and talk about Him, an important clue in spiritual life.

After our talks, we had prasadam which made mostly with fruits and vegetables from Peter's own garden, and the strawberry halava was the best I have ever had. We had some nice discussion as we had dinner.

We hoped to do harinama in Bratislava on Sunday, but our hosts were not feeling well and the weather was uncooperative, so Bhakta Tom and I chanted kirtana at the bus station, as we waited for our respective buses. I'd hoped to give the Sunday feast lecture there, but the Sunday program was cancelled due to temple renovation, so I returned to Brno where I knew I had friends to do harinama with. In Bratislava the devotees are fully engaged both in their Govinda's Restaurant, which served a record 248 customers one day that week, and in doing book distribution. The Bratislava restaurant, which is quite successful, has made the local people, who are very much from a traditional Christian background, much more open to the devotees than they originally were. The devotees are committed to their weekly harinama on Wednesday, which I returned for. The enthusiastic party of five devotees chanted in a nice section of town with lots of people and different restaurants with outside seating. The people are less open to getting the invitations than in many places, and I had to really smile at them a lot, and hand them the invitations in a very dramatic way for them to finally accept. Harinamas require permission from the authorities, but not individual musicians, so on Thursday, I played the drum and chanted and passed out invitations to Govinda's for a little over an hour before catching a bus to Vienna to get my flight to Sofia.

Sofia Harinama
The weather was truly miserable, but the devotees have a backup location one floor under the street level. Many teenagers were skateboarding there in the beginning, an odd audience for harinama. Bhakta Stoyan is very enthusiastic at both organizing harinamas and during them, continuously distributing invitations and one page summaries of our philosophy to anyone and everyone, and it was inspiring to see. One group of teenaged girls sitting about twenty feet from us for over an hour finally got enough courage to dance along with us at the end and the devotees gave them prasadam. Another couple of teenaged girls took pictures of the chanting devotees from many different angles. Many people spend several minutes watching us before continuing on their way.
Nirjala Ekadasi

About Ekadasi, Srila Prabhupada writes in Nectar of Devotion, "The basic principle is not just to fast, but to increase one's faith and love for Govinda, or Krishna. The real reason for observing fasting on Ekadasi is to minimize the demands of the body and to engage our time in the service of the Lord by chanting or performing similar service. The best thing to do on fasting days is to remember the pastimes of Govinda and to hear His holy name constantly." I mentioned to the devotees in Sofia that I was willing to stay up all night on Nirjala Ekadasi if anyone wanted to. Bhakti Efi from Israel volunteered. He suggested we read Caitanya-caritamrita, but in light of the above quote we decided on Krishna book instead. We took turns choosing which chapter to read and took turns reading, and when we got tired of reading, and it was past midnight, we chanted four rounds toward the coming day's japa quota, and then returned our Krishna book reading, alternating between the activities in that way. Sometimes I nodded out while either reading or listening and a few times I felt like quitting because staying awake seemed so artificial, but in the end it proved to be quite a manageable austerity. After breaking the fast at sunrise with water and some khira, I took an hour nap before greeting of the Deities. A two-hour nap midday facilitated almost normal functioning of the body on the Dvadasi. Bhakti Efi, amazing enough, only took an hour nap. I write this to inspire others that it is not so hard. In his evening lecture, Bhaktivaibhava Maharaja encouraged such fasting and minimizing of bodily needs because at the end of life the body often cannot digest properly and so we may be forced to fast and to be practiced to remember Krishna in such awkward circumstances can greatly benefit us.

Friday, June 06, 2008

travel journal#4.10: Simhacalam / Japa Retreat / Paris Metroyoga & Eiffel Harinama

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 4, No. 10

By Krishna-kripa das

(May 2008, part two)

Simhacalam / Japa Retreat / Paris Metroyoga & Eiffel Harinama

(Sent from Prague, Czech Republic on 6/6/08)


Harinama at the Eiffel Tower

About twenty devotees from Paris have a lively two-hour harinama at the foot of the famed Eiffel Tower on Saturday nights.

One young lady and her fiancée watched us for a few minutes. The lady was captivated by the kirtana. Janananda Swami encouraged the couple to dance with us, which they did for ten minutes or so. The lady was smiling with great happiness the whole time. When they left, waving good-bye, I lamented I had no invitations to give them. Fortunately, they came back, and I gave the lady my final Krishna.com business card with the mantra and web site on it. She said she was from Uruguay in South America but had seen the Hare Krishnas in Thailand. I invited her to look up our temples in Uruguay on Krishna.com when she returns home.

One boy was selling miniature Eiffel Towers which dangled from a ring, and he humorously shook the ring like a tambourine in perfect time with the karatala beat. One young black man also selling Eiffel souvenirs moved his whole body in time with the music.

The most humorous thing was how one man who was painted silver and held poses for money interacted with the harinama party, imitating their characteristic dance pose. This induced bystanders to join in as you can see in the picture. Thus more people participated in exchanging with the devotees than otherwise would. It was very funny. Between Janananda Swami and the silver man in the pictures, is Nitai Gaurasundara Prabhu, who deserves special mention for his years of selfless service as Paris temple president.

If you are ever in Paris don't miss the Eiffel Tower harinama. It is a lot of fun, as you can see. To see more pictures, click on this link:

Where I Am and What I Am Doing

After repairing the car in Cologne, we drove to Munich, spending the night in our temple there; and then arrived at Simhacalam for Europe's best Nrsimhadeva's Appearance Festival. My ride to Paris having not materialized; I returned with the Radhadesh devotees hoping to catch a bus from Brussels, but I was happily detained by a very beneficial four-day japa retreat with Sacinandana Swami, like that I had been desiring to do for years, and which started the day after we arrived. The last week in May I spent in Paris, doing harinama and prasadam distribution, mostly on the subways, which the devotees here call "Metroyoga," and finally culminating in a walking harinama at the Eiffel Tower.

Devotional Notes

Notes from Lecture by Sacinandana Swami on Nrsimha Caturdasi at Simhacalam:

"If you have faith in the Lord's protection, you will be a devotee, if not you will be a materialist."

Q: Should we tolerate a painful situation considering that it is sent by Krishna or should we try to change the situation?
A: (by Sacinandana Swami) If we can see that it is an attack of maya, we should resist. But if it is coming from Krishna for our purification we should accept it.

From Sacinandana Swami's japa retreat in Radhadesh, May 20-24:

"You will not come to the next level if you keep doing what you are doing."

"Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati said that it takes three lives to perfect our chanting: one offensive, one clearing, and one pure." [Janananda Swami comments that Srila Prabhupada is more merciful because he said we can do it in one life.]

"If one is forced, resistance builds up. If there is taste, it is easy, and you do not want to stop."

"Advanced devotees have three desires: to reach Krishna, to serve Krishna; and to enter into a relationship with Krishna."

"The last gate to see Radha and Krishna opens from the inside [we may do many things to attain Krishna's mercy, but in the ultimate issue, Krishna reveals Himself.]"

"When you do not complete your sixteen rounds, the holy name, who is a person, slips into the background, thinking you no longer care for Him."

"To increase my appreciation of the holy name, which I came to understand is the most important part of our practice, for one month a year, I try to chant as many rounds a day as possible."

Tulasi is so important. Even Radharani offers Krishna tulasi leaves in hopes of pleasing Him and attaining His association.

"So as Nrsimhadeva touched the head of Prahlada Maharaja, immediately you can have that same facility. . . . Nama rupe kali kale krishna avatara. Krishna is present by his name, Krishna. . . . Always think like that, that as soon as you are chanting Hare Krishna, you must know that you are touching Krishna with your tongue. Then you get the same benefit as Prahlada Maharaja." --lecture by Srila Prabhupada on SB 7.9.6 in Mayapur on February 26, 1977.

"Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati advised that while chanting japa we can meditate that our beads are the toes of Lord Gauranga."

"The mind is like a roommate who is engaged in constant chatter and thus distracts us from our duties. It is filled with neurosis and lamentation. If we had such a roommate, we would be so eager to get rid of him we may even pay the additional rent for a new place, but we are so foolish that we continue to accept the mind's association."

"Devotee: Srila Prabhupada, it's very difficult to control my mind when I chant. It wanders.
Prabhupada: So what is the controlling of mind? You have to chant and hear, that's all. You have to chant with your tongue, and the sound you hear, that's all. What is the question of mind?" –Morning Walk, February 3; 1975, in Hawaii
[During the japa workshop both myself and a friend got more realization of these practical words of Srila Prabhupada than ever before.]

"If we address Krishna [by chanting] but then ignore Him when He turns to us; what will He think?"

"Therefore, when we chant Hare Krishna, we are praying, 'O Lord, O energy of the Lord, please accept me.' We have no other prayer than 'Please accept me.'" –Path of Perfection, Chapter 10

"Where a devotee takes shelter, especially in trying times, reveals the strength of his devotional service."

"We must be aware that on our own strength we cannot attain Krishna.

"Mauna does not mean just not to talk but silence the mind's chatter."

From Janananda Swami's SB 3.5.6 class in Paris:

"You cannot wake someone up if you are sleeping [we have to be enlightened ourselves if we hope to enlighten others]."

"Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati said that anything that can be measured is maya (illusion or relative truth) for the Absolute Truth cannot be measured."

Nrsimhadeva's Appearance Festival at Simhacalam

I went to the festival at Simhachalam, a rural temple near the southeastern German city of Passau, a couple of hours northeast of Munich, for Lord Nrsimha's Appearance Day, and I was truly impressed. On the appearance day of the Lord, we desire to concentrate fully on Him, and I cannot think of a better place than Simhachalam, where Lord Nrsimha is so obviously in the center—the only large deity on the altar, along with Prahlada seated on His lap. His facial expression is fierce, but seeing Prahlada on his lap, we recall his affection for His servant, as a lioness is kind to her cubs.

The emphasis on kirtana (chanting) was very inspiring. I was amazed that the kirtana the day before the Lord's appearance went till nearly 11:00 p.m., and even great leaders like Sacinandana Swami stayed till the end. More impressive than this was the kirtana performed after the Nrsimha feast was served out at 8:30 p.m. At 9:30 p.m. as many as one hundred devotees were chanting together in the temple for the pleasure of the Lord, and when I left at 11:00 p.m., so I could make it till mangala-arati, there were still sixty or seventy devotees chanting together.

Devotees from all over Germany, and some from nearby Czech, Austria, and Poland gathered for the festival, with some attending from Radhadesh, Amsterdam, and London. Devotees who have often encouraged me to visit Simhacalam were there to add to the sweetness. Kadamba Kanana Swami encouraged me to participicate in the bathing ceremony of the Deity which was another nice feature.

Nrsimhadeva's appearance was a special day for me as I was initiated on that day, twenty-five years ago, and I felt really blessed to observe the festival so nicely there at Simhacalam. If you are ever in Europe at the time, take the opportunity to go.

Metroyoga

Chandrashekhara Acharya Prabhu and Gadadhara Priya Prabhu have developed an innovative harinama program palatable for the commuters on the Paris metro. They go out weekdays from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Chandra is a natural musican and master of ceremonies, and he speaks a few words of introduction after he and three devotees enter the metro car chanting, playing harmonium, drum, karatalas, and carrying sweets. "Now is the time for a daily session of what we call 'Metroyoga.' Yes, metroyoga, ladies and gentlemen—we have to adapt ourselves to urbanization. But do not worry; it is totally authentic according to the Gaudiya Vaisnava tradition of India, it is free . . ." After chanting for one stop, he tells about the associated culinary tradition and one devotee offers a Dwaraka burfi, using tongs, to each passenger beginning with the more obviously favorable, along with a mantra card with the "http://www.metroyoga.fr/" web page on the front. Many accept, sometimes as many as six of the eight in each division of seating. At the third stop, Candra mentions the purifying effects of the mantra, even twenty feet underground ("Thank God for us!"), and at the fourth he concludes, "Ladies and gentlemen, they do this free of charge, with devotion, to bring a little bit of joy to Paris. Please, give a round of applause to the metroyoga team! Thank you for your tolerance. See you next time." Then the devotees leave, continuing to chant, and waiting on the platform till the metro begins moving, when they wave to their audience, many who smile and wave as well.

What do the people think? One Muslim girl wrote an email that very evening: "I entered inside the metro . . . in the middle of the chanting that you were singing. I didn`t understand much, but I felt various emotions; it touched me immensely to see your smiles, your friendliness and kindness, which could be seen from the traits of your faces. As the doors of the train were closing, one of you gave me a CD, which I rushed to listen to upon returning home. I found these chants to be absolute amazing. . . . A big, big 'thank you' to you all for those few minutes of joy."

One girl who received the sweet and mantra card from us followed us when we moved from one subway car to another as we do on the high speed train home at the end of the evening. She visibly lamented when her stop came, and she had to leave us. The sweet mantras brought another girl to tears.

One girl waiting for the metro smiled as we walked by. I gave her our card; when she took it I offered her a sweet. When we chanted; I noticed she was chanting along, so I told her that we had some CDs of the music, and that if she gave a donation, I would give her one. She dug through her pockets as she boarded the metro with us, and then her bag, and finally gave us three euros, and we gave her the CD.

In five days, I only saw one guy who was a little offended, some were just absorbed in their books or listening to a portable music device, but many liked the chanting and the entertaining presentation, and no doubt have a good feeling about the Hare Krishnas and their chant.


kalim sabhājayanty āryā
guna jñāh sāra-bhāginah
yatra sankīrtanenaiva
sarva-svārtho '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 sankīrtana [the congregational chanting of the holy name] (SB 11.5.36).