Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Travel Journal#5.4: Florida Rainbow Gatherings & Great Insights

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 5, No. 4
By Krishna-kripa das
(February 2009, part two)
Alachua County and North Florida’s Regional Rainbow Gatherings
(Sent from Ljubljana, Slovenia, on June 24, 2009)

Highlights

Harinama and Food Distribution at North Florida's Regional Rainbow Gatherings
Insights from Hridayananda Dasa Goswami and Others
Conversations with Others About Spirituality

Where I Was and What I Was Doing

One eventful experience during the second half of February was going to the Rainbow Gathering in Ocala National Forest to chant and distribute spiritual food. Later, in March, we went to the Rainbow Gathering in Tallahassee, a fairly new, but similar event we had never done before. Although in different months, both are history now, so I will describe them together to compare and contrast them. The second half of February was also special because I heard at least five lectures by Hridayananda Goswami, much more than usual, and I mention his interesting insights. Also younger and newer devotees tell some nice stories and share some nice realizations in this issue.

Harinama and Food Distribution at North Florida’s Regional Rainbow Gatherings

To assist our food distribution at the Ocala Rainbow Gathering, Gainesville’s Krishna Lunch program donated one bucket of rice, one bucket of dal, and one bucket of rice and dal mixed, and most importantly, seven buckets of halava, I favorite among devotees and Rainbows alike. When we found out we had to walk an hour into the woods at Ocala’s National Forest, we realized that we were understaffed to easily transport it all. A very philanthropic man drove us and our equipment over a rugged road to a slightly closer entrance. Some of us had to stand on the back bumper of the truck to fit on board. We had a couple trolleys of limited effectiveness and some of the Rainbows helped us carry the prasadam in. With great endeavor did we get the food to where the people were. We stopped part way to the main circle, at a place where a lot of people were sitting around and distributed almost all the rice and dal, singing kirtana as we did so.

Then we went to the main circle where we distributed all but about two buckets of halava, to the mostly young people who stayed in a circle at sundown to share food around a bonfire. Another bucket we distributed on the way out. At the main circle bonfire Visvambhara, Bhadra Prabhu’s son, who is an excellent kirtana man, sang for two or two and a half hours. Usually, according to Garuda Prabhu, also known as Yogi G. and Soaring Turkey, a seasoned Rainbow Gathering attender who often sets up his own Krishna tent, the Rainbows don’t let the Krishnas chant for more than twenty minutes. Visvambhara and his drum playing friends were such good entertainment for them, they were able to keep going over two hours. Some of the devotees and some of the Rainbows danced around the bonfire. I gave our Gainesville mantra cards and invitations to the most appreciative people. Although most of the people liked our chanting, a few became restless and wanted to hear something else. Since most of the people liked it, we didn’t take the others too seriously, until they became more assertive. I think that next time, we should stop a little sooner, just avoid making some people irate, even if most of the people like it. It is better to leave people desiring more, than to leave people desiring less. In addition to Visvambhara and his Vaishnava youth band, I recall that Maha-kirti Prabhu and Mother Ali Krishna were particularly enthusiastic and played important roles in the event. In particular, Ali Krishna distributed many books to people with a spiritual interest, who have time to read them while camped out there in the woods.

The Tallahassee event was different in many ways. The national forest which hosts it, is just outside the city limits, and thus it is convenient for Tallahassee residents. The main circle is just a ten or fifteen minute walk instead of a whole hour, a welcome relief. We had nine devotees and stayed for the whole afternoon and part of the evening. One difference about this event was that the Rainbows invited us to participate in one of their circles just about to commence when we arrived. Mother Mrgaksi thought it would be good for us from the social point of view to accept their invitation, and as she is senior person and made a good point, I went along with it. The topic of that meeting was how to respond to violence committed by Rainbow’s own front gate staff on the others as they came and left the gathering. One man was clearly responsible and was ultimately the object of some disciplinary action by the others. Each person in the circle could say something which others were allowed to respond to, when they were holding a certain feather, which indicated the right to speak. Many of the points were repetitive, but since each person had a right to speak, that was almost inevitable. When it was my turn, I decided to mention part of our mission there, distribution of spiritual food, and I explained that one effect of eating spiritual food is that it makes one less violent, citing a few practical examples. Bhaktin Jackie spoke nicely, mentioning the beneficial effects of the universal principal of chanting the holy name of the Lord. Some of the devotees left the circle early and did some harinama around the site, a sentiment I could also appreciate. Later one of the Tallahassee Rainbow leaders told a devotee that his appreciation of the Hare Krishnas increased to a new level as a result of their participating in the circle. That was certainly a victory for us.

At the Tallahassee Rainbow event, our chanting party had, in addition to traditional kirtana instruments, two guitars, a ukulele, a djembe drum, and a trumpet, and we played for a few hours along the path leading to the main circle, and a few people joined us to listen or play their own djembe. We distributed prasadam there to those who passed by. I passed out invitations to our campus lunch, yoga, and temple programs to those whose dress indicated they were locals, and would be in the position to attend them. We also distributed books to interested people. I cooked twelve gallons of kitri and five gallons of halava, which I found to take more time and be more physically demanding than I ever imagined, and I gained admiration for those who routinely cook large quantities for prasadam distribution. Daru Brahma Prabhu also donated prasadam from his campus lunch program. We had too much prasadam as this was just the third year of this regional gathering and attendance was not as great as at the other. While I was distributing halava at the main circle, one middle-aged man with his two pre-teen daughters said he had made a lot of halava in his day. I inquired what he meant, and he explained he had been a cook in our Chicago temple in the 1980s named Atmaratha Dasa. I told him about our local temple programs in case he wanted to again pursue the spiritual practice of his youth. As we already chanted for several hours and because we had got some negative feedback from chanting too much at Ocala’s main circle, I was doubtful abut chanting at the main circle at the Tallahassee event, but when some of the people saw us preparing to leave, they asked us to stay and sing. We chanted for twenty minutes or so. It felt better to be asked to sing, rather than to be asked to stop.

Both the Ocala and Tallahassee programs were tiring, as after packing up and walking out to our vehicles, we still had at least a two-hour drive home to Gainesville. We returned between 1:30 and 2:30 a.m. each time, but it was worth it to distribute prasadam, chant Hare Krishna, make new friends, and visit old ones, and many people, including those of us who participated took another step toward Krishna. And so both were very happy experiences, and I am very thankful to all the devotees who participated. In particular, I appreciate Mahakirti Prabhu, a veteran organizer of festival events like the Czech Woodstock, who assisted greatly by contributing his enthusiasm, transportation, and funding to both the programs.

Insight from Lectures

Hridayananda Dasa Goswami:

Hridayananda Goswami (February 15, 2009):

Srila Prabhupada said it is our duty to mold our lives to always think of Krishna. If we realize our life does not facilitate Krishna remembrance, we have to reboot it. Sraddha means not merely to believe God exists but to place one’s faith in God. The temple is meant for making you see Krishna in everything when you walk out the door. Imagine a friend comes to you and is dressed in a different way, and you don’t recognize him. That is what we are doing when we see Krishna in the Deity but not in everyone’s heart.

The “akama sarva-kama” verse means that everyone has the same duty (one-pointed devotional service), and everyone has the same chance.

Krishna is not, thank God, a religious fanatic.

When an ISKCON leader was too severe, Srila Prabhupada said, “They are my disciples, do not break them.”

Hear entire lecture at:
http://acharyadeva-nectar.pbworks.com/Same+Chances+for+Everyone+(Alachua+2-15-09)

Hridayananda Dasa Goswami (February 19, 2009):

The name “Dhrtarastra” comes from two words “dhrta” meaning “to hold” and “rastra” which means “kingdom”, and so Dhrtarastra is he who held on to the kingdom.

Formerly when people went to the forest for retirement there were places (ashrams) and people who could instruct them on how to live in the forest and counsel them about their issues regarding leaving their families.

When Pandu died, Dhrtarastra saw it was his chance to get the kingdom, and thus he looked the other way when his son Duryodhana tried to murder the Pandavas. Later Duryodhana practically took control. After that, sometimes Dhrtarastra remembered Pandu and felt bad about supporting his son’s atrocities against Pandu’s sons, the Pandavas. But still he went on with the war.

Yudhisthira recalled Dhrtarastra’s taking care of him and his brothers when they were young and felt Dhrtarastra had paid for his crime of supporting his son’s murder attempts against him and his brothers by losing his hundred sons in the war.

In a society dedicated to sense gratification, old people are a nuisance. But in a society dedicated to wisdom, old people are a great asset and should be taken care of and respected.

Hear entire lecture at:
http://acharyadeva-nectar.pbworks.com/Dhritarastra%3A-One-Who-Held-onto-the-Kingdom

Hridayananda Dasa Goswami’s japa talk (February 21, 2009):

We want sat, cit, and ananda. In other words, we want to continue to exist, we want to understand, and we want to be happy.

In our relationship with Krishna, our self-centeredness is a problem for us.

In this world, we idolize people to fan our own fantasies.

We have to make a conscious decision to approach Krishna and do what is required.

I like to take long japa walks and practice seeing Krishna everywhere. We actually live in Krishna and should be looking for Him everywhere, like the Six Goswami’s taught. Every living body is a mandira (temple). We go to the mandira, so we can learn to see that when we go outside there are mandiras everywhere.

Japa is an opportunity to hang out with Krishna. Krishna is a really nice guy, in addition to being God.

We do not give our whole heart to Krishna because part of our heart is not quite sure about it yet.

Krishna is His name, so we have immediate access to omnipotence.

The perfection of Srila Prabhupada is not in terms of knowledge of the material world but in terms of knowledge of the spiritual world and how to attain it. In time, Srila Prabhupada was increasing his knowledge of the material world, such as the modern Western technology with which he was originally unfamiliar. Prabhupada expressed many times his perfection was he represented the scripture as it is. Srila Prabhupada created a gurukula system, yet he had never set up a school before. Basically he wanted to facilitate the spiritual life of the children and facilitate the parents of the children to have time to work for the benefit of others. Although there were problems, still his motives were pure, and we should honor his pure desires. He tried different strategies and learned as he went along.

Hear entire lecture at:
http://acharyadeva-nectar.pbworks.com/Hanging-Out-with-Krishna-During-Japa

Hridayananda Dasa Goswami (February 26, 2009):

To torture your own children forever for mental crimes (doctrinal mistakes) as some religions characterize God as doing is most evil.

If all you knew were the religions of Asia, would you consider religion the cause of war?

In Bhagavad-gita 12.3, Krishna acknowledges those who work for the welfare of others.

We are not stuck with a jealous God who has self-esteem issues.

To those who are vegetarian and for animal rights, we ask, “Why not add gratitude to the person who has given you everything to your good qualities?”

Some people who give charity out of pride do not like God.

The central component of goodness is devotion to God. For those who want to understand God, to be open-minded about it, is a very important qualification. Because there is only one God, we should be willing to consider information from other sources, especially a culture with so much knowledge and devotion to God for thousands of years, like the Vedic culture. There is nothing like Vaishavism in terms of sophisticated philosophy. It is really unique, and a serious person should consider it.

You cannot give something you do not have. Srila Prabhupada empowered his disciples to give Krishna consciousness to others. He encouraged them: “Do something practical.” “Krishna consciousness is common sense.” When Srila Prabhupada would go somewhere [mentally], he would take you there.

Q: What is the biggest misconception we have of Srila Prabhupada?
A: The guru does not want to take anything from us. He just wants to give us love of God. He had no attachment to anything of this world. He saw the devotees were bright-faced because they were happy sharing Krishna consciousness with others.

Q: How can we attract people?
A: We are not trying to attract people. We are trying to attract Krishna.

Hear entire lecture at:
http://www.acaryadeva-nectar.com/Gainesville%5B2-26-09%5D_SB_1-14-22.mp3

Hridayananda Dasa Goswami (February 27, 2009):

Because we have taken up Krishna consciousness based on our previous practice, we enter at different levels.

Some people think that a perfect person has stripped away all personal tendencies, but fortunately that is not our philosophy. It would be very weird to hang around with denatured people.

On a morning walk in Los Angeles, a devotee told Srila Prabhupada that in Israel, the government is criticizing the rabbis for praying all day. Srila Prabhupada replied, “Why do they pray all day? They should do something practical.”

Srila Prabhupada considered that ignorance is to some extent an excuse.

The sincerity of the devotee is the extent to which he struggles with his conditioned nature and tries to surrender to Krishna.

If we represent Srila Prabhupada’s heaviness and not his compassion, then we are not really representing Srila Prabhupada.

Srila Prabhupada was not really against science but against scientism and pseudoscience.

People who oppose me are either:

(1) Reasonable and I learn from them and refine my position. (2) Emphasing the opposite side but serving a valuable role in that they keep people from taking my side to an extreme. (3) Crazy.

Plato says that when you come out of the cave into the brightness of the sun, because you are used to the dim light of the cave, you stumble about and are less functional for a while.

Srila Prabhupada personally told me that there was no time that he did not remember Krishna, and I have no doubt that he was telling the truth, and that he came from the spiritual world.

Adi Karta Prabhu:

The only real enjoyment for the soul is love of God. Persons who attain this give up the pursuit of physical knowledge.

Krishna appeared as a cowherd boy to show us the importance of the cow to human society.

Mother Akuti:

We should not wait to the end of life to take spiritual life seriously, as Dhrtarastra did.

Srila Prabhupada was addicted to Krishna and was hoping we would become addicted to Krishna.

Bhakti can be attained with the help of someone like Vidura who sticks with you till the end.

Gandhari, because of her austerity, was powerful enough to reprimand all the great Kaurava leaders like Bhismadeva and Dronacarya, although no one else could do so, when these leaders callously permitted the insulting of Draupadi.

A book distributor once asked Srila Prabhupada how he could be unaffected by dealing with all the materialistic habits of the people he approached on book distribution. Srila Prabhupada advised him to chant all sixteen rounds in the morning in one sitting.

Kalakantha Prabhu:

If we see bad things done to us as our karma, then we can forgive the offender.

Srila Prabhupada said, “We must learn how to forgive and forget, otherwise how can we live.”

Srila Prabhupada once said a class should contain four important ideas: (1) we are not these bodies, but spiritual souls, (2) the mission of Lord Caitanya is to spread love of Godhead worldwide, (3) chanting the holy name is best way to approach God, and (4) the personal feature of God is superior to His impersonal feature and is the desired goal.

Phanibhusana Prabhu on The Nectar of Devotion:

Offer Krishna forest flowers not florists’ flowers!

The term “His Divine Grace” referring to the spiritual master can be explained with the “His” referring to Krishna because the guru is the ‘divine grace’ of Krishna.

On surrender:
I will go where you want me to go.
I will do whatever you want me to do.
I will say whatever you want me to say.
I will stay wherever you want to stay.

Mother Indrani:

Yudhisthira Maharaja teaches us to inquire when we in distress and thus be relieved, just as he inquired from Sanjaya and Narada Muni.

“If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.”

When Arjuna is depressed because he doesn’t want to fight and turns to Krishna, Krishna smiles. Similarly Krishna is smiling when we turn to Him.

Q: You can get angry at God for sending you bad things. How to avoid this?
A: On a bad day, we see it as Krishna’s plan. We ask Krishna, “What are we to learn from this?” He will show you.

Q: How do you make plans if you know that Krishna may not accept your plans?
A: Just to live we have to make plans, but we can seek guidance and observe our motives. Is it to help others? Is it to please Krishna?

I wanted to go to Bhakti Tirtha Swami’s samadhi opening in Mayapur, and I made so many plans, but due to some physical aliment I couldn’t go. Then I had to surrender to the fact that Krishna did not want me to go. I had to pray to be able to accept it.

Bhakti Tirtha Swami said, “The mind puts up a wall for the soul to express itself. The mind, by its very nature, can only accept and reject the subject matter of the material world.”

Mother Ali Krishna:

Krishna consciousness is all auspicious because it: (1) attracts everyone, (2) benefits everyone, (3) liberates everyone, and (4) brings happiness to everyone.

Just like when you are a kid and you really want a tricycle for your seventh birthday, you cry to express the intensity of your desire, in the same way, we should cry to be engaged in some kind of devotional service to Krishna.

Our situation in his world is like someone who comes out of a coma and has amnesia and cannot recognize his dearmost relatives. In the same way, we cannot recognize our beloved Lord until we come out of amnesia by the process of devotional service.

Mother Namamrita:

When I was younger, when my mom went to dress the Deities, sometimes I felt remorseful, thinking I was being neglected, but now I can understand and appreciate the value of her service and her greatness.

Conversations with Others About Spirituality

Murti Dasa, an enthusiastic, young book distributor, decided to experiment by doing book distribution in varieties of attire. He tried wearing, on three different days, (1) a suit and tie, (2) ripped jeans, and (3) Hare Krishna brahmacari robes. His conclusion was that dress had an insignificant effect on the number of books he distributed. He suggested that one dress in whatever one feels comfortable in, but then added that acting for our own comfort may be yet another attachment to overcome on the path to pure love for Krishna.

Andres, one of the IVS students, told us that when he was becoming interested in Krishna consciousness, he was at a party of his friends, both those also inclined to devotional service and those not. The nondevotee friends all got intoxicated while his devotionally inclined friends remained sober. One by one the intoxicated friends passed out. Then the devotee friends had kirtana for half an hour, enjoying the spiritual intoxication of the chanting. His other friends were trying to enjoy life by getting intoxicated but in reality, they just passed out. However, his devotee friends, who did not take intoxication, were happily intoxicated chanting Hare Krishna.

Gemini told how he became vegetarian when he was tripping on acid and saw a TV show with a man jogging, along with his dog and his turkey, who were also jogging. He then understood the turkey was also a living thing, and became a vegetarian that very day, throwing out all the meat in his residence. His commitment was tested later when he was hitchhiking and a Muslim man offered him a ride. The Muslim man was going to a wedding, and made Gemini the guest of honor. As the honored guest, he was given the first plate of lamb at the wedding banquet. Gemini was worried. He did not want to offend the hosts nor break his vow of vegetarianism. Thus he told the wedding assembly that he had heard of Allah’s kindness to all, and it moved him to become vegetarian. They all applauded. Two weeks later, the bridegroom wrote Gemini that he had become inspired by Allah to become vegetarian too.

-----

patrapatra-vicara, nahi sthanasthana
yei yanha paya, tanha kare prema-dana

“In distributing love of Godhead, Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His associates did not consider who was a fit candidate and who was not, nor where such distribution should or should not take place. They made no conditions. Wherever they got the opportunity, the members of the PaƱca-tattva distributed love of Godhead.” (Sri Caitanya-cartamrita, Adi-lila 7.23)




Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Travel Journal#5.11: Harinama, Wroclaw Ratha, Feast in Park

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 5, No. 11
By Krishna-kripa das 
(June 2009, part one)
Antwerp, Amsterdam, Wroclaw, and Leipzig
(Sent from Leipzig, Germany, on 6/18/09)


Highlights

A Prabhupada Story
Harinamas in Antwerp and Amsterdam
First Annual Wroclaw Ratha-yatra
Sunday Feast in Leipzig’s Mariannen Park
Spiritual Encounters
Insight from Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, Kadamba Kanana Swami,
Dhananjaya Prabhu, and Others
Personal Reflections


Where I Am and What I Am Doing


I left France, with many nice harinama adventures behind me, and the blessings of the devotees to return. I went by bus to Antwerp, where I did the Sunday feast lecture, other lectures, and many harinamas, and then onward to Amsterdam, for another Sunday feast lecture and more harinamas. Next I went to Leipzig, and took a day trip six hours each way by train to Wroclaw, Poland’s first Ratha-yatra, and returned to Leipzig for great kirtana, prasadam, and the association of Kadamba Kanana Swami. 


A Prabhupada Story


In Amsterdam, Dhananjaya Prabhu told us that one time Srila Prabhupada, although he wasn’t feeling well, agreed to see George Harrison, who had a recording which he wanted Srila Prabhupada to hear. The song was entitled “Krishna, Where are You?” George had written the lyrics and arranged the music, and Ravi Shankar’s sister, Laksmi, was the singer. Prabhupada said it was in the mood of the Goswamis, and that if George Harrison continued writing songs like that he would quickly advance in spiritual life.


[Curious about the song, I did a search on the internet, finding a couple videos with pictures of Krishna accompanying the song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGJCmAWdD18

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkYltwdtEYU ]


Harinama in Antwerp

My friend Janmastami Prabhu, a disciple of Lokanath Swami, makes Antwerp a happy place for me. He’s been playing accordion for years, even before he met the Hare Krishna devotees, and he loves harinama. Last year we chanted in Amsterdam, but now he is back in Belgium, his home. Also here is Amita Krishna Prabhu, who I met in Chowpatty and again in Tirupati, who is a native of Antwerp, and loves Krishna kirtana andkatha. We went chanting in Antwerp, which like many European cities, is blessed with an abundance of cafes with seating on the sidewalk. We passed out many invitations to their upcoming Ratha-yatra.


One day we came across two young Oriental men who are Christian by faith. One had an interesting T-shirt that said on it, “Say Your Prayers.” My camera was temporarily not working, and they emailed me a picture they took for our party.


Harinama in Amsterdam


Amsterdam is full of tourists and a great place for harinama. The devotees do harinama on Thursdays at 6:00 p.m. and Saturdays at 3:00 p.m. for two hours each day, and about ten or twelve show up. I tried to have additional harinamas Monday through Wednesday, but no one came except for a bhakta from Slovakia, also a guest, but he did book distribution most of the time. I made some halava with chick pea flour and rolled it into balls for distribution, and tried to go out each day for three hours, with invitations, sweets, and books.


First Annual Wroclaw Ratha-yatra


Although Indradyumna Swami’s festival tour has put on many Ratha-yatras in Poland, none of the three Polish temples had done a Ratha-yatra in their home towns until June 13, when the congregation of the Wroclaw temple put on their first Ratha-yatra. I heard about the festival last September and had been cultivating a desire to attend. As I was traveling the six hours by train from Leipzig to Wroclaw, I was thinking the journey to be an insignificant austerity to have the pleasure of once again dancing for Lord Jagannatha, Lord of the universe.


One boy on the train was favorably impressed by seeing the devotees at Woodstock in Zary, his home town, and recalled eating the rice and halava. I invited him to take a Polish book I brought for the occasion, but he declined saying he did not believe in God. I told him the story of what Ravinda Svarupa Prabhu once said to someone who did not believe in God, “Tell me about the God you do not believe in.” When the man described God as an angry person who takes pleasure in making people burn in hell forever for a finite number of a offenses, Ravinda Svarupa Prabhu replied, “I don’t believe in that God either!”


As I was trying find the location of the Ratha site, I met another young man who had seen the devotees at Woodstock. Since then, he became vegetarian and has been vegetarian for five years. Jananivasa KCS, one of my translators from the tour, told me that in the art school his friend attends in Wroclaw, half of the students are vegetarian, a high percentage, especially for Poland.


Both the  parade and festival were held in Rynek Square, a large rectangular area, surrounded by many cafes with outdoor seating. Because it was the first time the city gave permission, they were restrictive, and the Ratha-yatra could go round within the square several times for a couple of hours but not go into streets, however, since the square seemed to be the most happening place in town, that was not so much of a problem. Many of my friends from the Polish summer Festival of India tour were there, playing their characteristic roles as MCs, kirtana leaders, Jagannath pujaris, translators, chefs, and organizers. The whole festival seemed like a beautiful way to begin a summer of festivals in Poland, and both the devotees and the observers were very happy.

I saw one lady in a cafƩ holding her fork motionless in midair as she watched Lord Jagannatha and His associates pass by with their cart.

A friend saw two Polish men staring at the cart and the devotees from a cafĆ©, leaving their ever present beer mugs idle, at least for some time. Officials did not let the devotees distribute invitations or books, but I did not learn that till the end so distributed about a dozen Polish Hare Krishna mantra cards to people whose smiles, glances, and photography, made their interest obvious, and all but two of the people accepted them. A few observers danced along to the kirtana at the stage show afterward, but not as many as sometimes.


The Deities were made just for this festival, being painted for the first time just three days before, and Krishna Ksetra Prabhu did their installation ceremony on their Ratha cart. I praised him later for demonstrating Deity worship as well as writing books about it. Consistent behavior of the leaders strengthens the faith of the people in general. For me it is interesting to see the variety of jolly smiles on the different Jagannatha Deities, expressing the varying realizations of those blessed to be allowed be vehicles for their appearance. I thank Madhai Jivana Dasa for the picture.


Siva, a resident of Bangalore, visiting Wroclaw for a few days for a Hewlett Packard convention, was very happy to come across Lord Krishna’s devotees and their Ratha-yatra procession. He is a worshiper of Balaji, the famed Krishna Deity, of Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, and he stayed with us six hours for the whole Ratha-yatra and stage show. He said he had once heard in an ISKCON temple it is very important to chant the “Hare Krishna” part of the mantra first, and not “Hare Rama”, and he couldn’t understand why the devotee was so forceful about it as Krishna and Rama are the same. I answered the best I could and suggested the Krishna Ksetra Prabhu, who has studied Vaishnavism from the academic point of view as well as the devotional point of view may give a better answer. Krishna Ksetra Prabhu stressed the important principle is the Krishna and Rama are the same, so it does not really matter the order it is chanted in the mantra, and he told the story of how Lord Caitanya advised His devotee, Murari Gupta, the unalloyed Rama bhakta, to change his allegiance to Krishna. Not wanting to displease Lord Caitanya nor forsake Lord Rama, He stayed awake the whole night in a state of despair. When he revealed his mind to Lord Caitanya, Lord Caitanya accepted his devotion to Rama, saying it was just befitting him, as he was the incarnation of Hanuman. Siva was happy with Krishna Ksetra Prabhu’s answer, saying he could tell he was an elevated person by how he answered the questioned. We parted ways inviting him to the Wroclaw’s Sunday feast, and promising to keep in touch by email.

To see two albums of photos of the Wroclaw Ratha-yatra 2009, click on Album 1 and Album 2.

Sunday Feast in Leipzig’s Mariannen Park


I have heard that in the early history of ISKCON, sometimes the devotees would hold the Sunday feast in the park. In Leipzig, the devotees do that even now, on sunny days in the summer.


They bring an altar and Deities of Srila Prabhupada, Gaura Nitai, and Lord Jagannatha, Baladeva, and Subhadra, and well as Giri-Govardhan. They do the bhajana, kirtana, and lecture in the park, and if the weather remains good, the feast as well. One benefit of this is that passersby get a chance to see what a Hare Krishna Sunday feast program is like, and become attracted. The day I was there, at least five new people came for the feast.


In the picture above, you can see one onlooker watching from behind the pujari.


Another benefit of being in the park is there is more room to dance!


I thank Bhakta Karl for the video and thank Bhaktin Sasha for the pictures. For more of Sasha's pictures of the Sunday feast in the park, go to:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/--iskcon--leipzig--/sets/72157619774882342/


Spiritual Encounters


David of Antwerp is doing a video on the spiritual search, and the local Hare Krishnas are featured in it. He explained that early in his life he was not interested in religion, but now it had become an important concern of his. In his search he has discovered one characteristic that religious people have which he appreciates. No matter what religion they are with they, be it Christianity, Buddhism, or Hare Krishna, they tend to keep their appointments, an admirable trait. Those who callously ignore promises to others frustrate him.

   A young man from Niagara Falls, Canada, noticed the Bhagavad-gita on display as I chanted in a square in Amsterdam. He told me he met the devotees in Antwerp and bought a small book because he didn’t have enough money for a big one. Now he came across Bhagavad-gita when he had enough money to buy it and so he did.

   A jolly middle-aged lady, who was accompanied by her sister of a similar age, did a few dance steps along with my singing. I gave them sweets and invitations which they accepted. They said they were Christians. After one of them commented on my happiness, we had a brief conversation in which I made the point that our real pleasure is to glorify God, which they also agreed with. They ended up praying for me and continuing in a happy mood.

   One young lady from Ukraine just enjoyed listening to our singing, and after ten minutes or so, we stopped and talked to her. She had enjoyed seeing the devotees in several places in Ukraine, such as Kiev and Dnepropotrovsk. I told her how I liked chanting in Ukraine, in both Kiev and Kharkov, because the people were so receptive, and how we have big festival every year near Simferopol, attended by four thousand people, and with three hours singing in the evening. Tomas introduced the Isopansad to her and she decided to buy it.

    One lady from Tennessee asked if she could take a picture of me. She was developing an interested in Hinduism and already had a copy of Bhagavad-gita. I mentioned how I appreciated from that tradition the idea that all creatures, even plants and animals of living souls, and deserving of respect. 

   On a flight from Cologne to Leipzig, the lady who had the seat in the same row as mine knew very little English. As she said she was from Cologne, I decided to show her the invitation to their temple’s Sunday feast, which tells a little about the philosophy on it. She asked if our group originated from India, and I said “Yes.” She took a book from her bag, and in the white space on the back of the back cover, she wrote down the details about our program and returned the invitation card to me. When leaving, I gave her my business card and asked her to write me if she attends the temple and to let me know what she thinks. Perhaps she will go and have a wonderful experience. The Deities are beautiful and the devotees are friendly, why not?


Insight from Lectures and Reading


Satsvarupa Dasa GoswamiYellow Submarine, #91: “There are so many valuable devotees who render their service to guru and Krishna without being heralded and given great attention. But Krishna loves them, and He has room for them in His heart. You don’t have to be a superstar to be appreciated by Radha and Krishna. Just render steady service, and you’ll be deeply appreciated.”


Kadamba Kanana Swami:


When we chant we feel something uplifting but not the full manifestation of what is there, Krishna Himself. So much mercy is there, but we do not all realize all of it. Vaishnavas meditate on all all-attractive, wonderful features of Krishna. When we serve Krishna, He reveals His attractiveness. Because Krishna manifests in the Deity, we can easily serve Him.


Many people are religious but not happy because they worship God out of fear. We do not spend our daily meditating on giving up bad qualities but rather meditate on positive activities in relationship with Krishna and find the bad qualities gradually disappear. Actually the greatest Vaishnavas, although thinking themselves fallen, glorify the greatness of the Lord’s mercy for He can easily deliver them. Bhaktivinoda Thakura talks about receiving an auspicious desire tree from our guru but not properly caring for it. By properly caring for it, we can make to bloom. Some punish themselves in the name of bhakti saying they have made the greatest blunder, and can never progress, but this is not a proper meditation. As we absorb ourselves more in Krishna’s service and pastimes, the more we experience the spiritual world.


Kadamba Kanana Swami asked his disciple to pose a question on the lecture and answer it himself, an interesting teaching strategy.


Dhananjaya Prabhu, Amsterdam temple president:


In Alalanatha, at a temple of Vishnu said to be millions of years old, there is an impression of Lord Caitanya in the floor, where the stone melted in ecstasy, when Lord Caitanya had offered prostrated obeisances before the Deity.


Narottama Dasa Thakura states that simply by accepting that the associates of Lord Caitanya are perfect, one can attain the service of Krishna in Vrindavana.


Shyamananda Pandita spoke Krishna-katha so nicely that atheists, agnostics, and blasphemers became moved by hearing his words, and became his followers.


Time is running out for all of us. Therefore, we should approach Krishna.


If we existed before this creation, and we will exist after the annihilation, that means that we have nothing to do with this cosmic manifestation.


Janmastami (LOK) Prabhu:


In “Suddha-bhakati,” Bhaktivinoda Thakura mentions observing Vaishnava holidays with care and attention. Similarly in “Guru Vadanam,” Narottama Dasa Thakura mentions one must bow down to the guru with great care and attention.


Direct smaranam is when we remember the form of the Lord, and indirect smaranam is when we remember Krishna as the taste of water.


In the beginning faith is the driving force in our spiritual life. When we reach the stage of ruci [taste], rati [attachment] is the driving force, and at prema [love] love itself is the driving force.


If we chant Hare Krishna, while trying to give up offenses, we will experience devotional service to be a happy experience.


Amita Krishna Prabhu:


Lord Caitanya is our only friend because He has the medicine to cure our disease.


The best service to help others is to give the holy name.


Lord Caitanya told Srivasa Thakura that by not disturbing my kirtana when your son died, you purchased Me, but still, next time you should tell Me.


Initially some people may reject the sankirtana, but if we persist, we will break through the resistance.


If your religion is for real, you can spread it by changing the people’s hearts. Other methods, such as politics, are bogus. 


If people come to understand that the Hare Krishna movement has relevant contributions to knowledge of religion, politics, medicine, and family relationships, they will appreciate us.


Mother Bhagavati:


When I prepare to give a lecture, I always listen to lectures by Srila Prabhupada’s disciples because they often illuminate aspects of the purport, which I completely miss.


Knowledge is to know the living entity, the material nature, and the Lord who controls the other two.


Chanting Hare Krishna offensively is like taking a shower with dirty water.


Q: How can we explain that Krishna’s quality of nirguna does not mean He has no qualities?

A: We have qualities and we emanate from Krishna, so Krishna must also have qualities.


Personal Reflections


I served out the Sunday feast in Amsterdam. After serving, I ate alone as the others were finished and on their way. It reminds me of long ago, before doing the book tables at the Alachua feast, when I would have the same experience—sitting, and eating alone. Now, as I did then, I pray to Krishna, who always remains when our other friends go, and who we can thus realize is our supreme friend—always ready to pay attention to us, as we pay attention to Him.


The temple president in Antwerp invited me to give a series of lectures on the holy name, and I did four, but after that I decided I would rather hear the realizations of my friends, Amita Krishna and Janmastami Prabhus. You have to be really advanced to be able to give so many lectures to the same people without hearing them speak as well. For me it seems artificial.


When I chant japa while traveling, I tend to worry about my different travel connections. Noticing that I began preaching to myself , “Listen to the Krishna’s names, and He will made your travel connections work out.” I think that helped both my chanting and my traveling to go smoother.

As I took the train from Leipzig to Wroclaw, I noticed in the all small East German towns I passed, the tallest building was always the church, reminding us of a day when religion was given more importance.


-----


"If even a candāla [dog-eater], simply out of curiosity, sees the Lord on the cart, he becomes counted as one of the associates of Vishnu." (The Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 9)


Friday, June 12, 2009

Travel Journal#5.3: First Friday / Prahlada on Campus

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 5, No. 3
By Krishna-kripa das 
(February 2009, part one)
Gainesville, Tallahassee
(Sent from Leipzig, Germany, on 6/12/09)


Highlights


First Friday

Sri Prahlada Chants on Campus

Insight from Hridayananda Dasa Goswami, Indradyumna Swami, Jayadvaita SwamiAindra Prabhu, and Other Devotees
Tamohara Prabhu: On Devotional Relationships


Where I Was and What I Was Doing


The first half of February meant chanting at the University of Florida campus in Gainesville, and going to Tallahassee for harinamas and the festival for Lord Nityananda. It was a special month because Indradyumna Swami and Sri Prahlada visited Alachua, and Sri Prahlada chanted with us on the UF campus, to the delight of both the devotees and the students. Param Gati Swami also visited us for a couple weeks in Gainesville. In Tallahassee, Sivam and I chanted at a new event for us, First Friday, and found it a great opportunity to give many nice people a chance to hear Krishna’s holy name.


First Friday


An abandoned industrial park in Tallahassee’s Railroad Square was transformed into a colony of art galleries, and on the first Friday of the month, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., they have an open house, and people leisurely stroll from one gallery to another. Daru Brahma Prabhu, who runs the Krishna Lunch at Florida State University and who serves daily a hundred students, finds First Friday to be a chance to distribute prasadam (spiritual food) to a wider audience. He is assisted by Ramayana Prabhu and Rafael, who serve out, as well as set up tables and chairs on the grass for the guests to eat at. Also taking advantage of the many people strolling around Railroad Square is Garuda Prabhu, whose Peace on Earth Yoga Center occupies a building in that area. Garuda teaches hatha yoga for free Monday thru Thursday, and had spiritual programs on Saturday and Sundays, during the day, a more ecumenical one on Saturday, and a more Krishna centered one on Sunday. 


Sivam and I chanted at First Friday in February, March, and April. We had different nice experiences. I met Jena at Garuda’s center, and she ended up attending many future harinama. There we also met her friend, Ashley, who came on one harinama at the Lake Ella park. Sometimes Alex, an FSU student who received a Gita from Ananda Vidya Prabhu, and who is taking a serious interest in Krishna consciousness would come and play his guitar. Jena would also come. Once a lady and her husband listened to one Hare Krishna melody till the end and asked us to play another, staying to hear. Other person gave us a $12 donation. Sometimes children would dance in front of us as their parents waited in line for prasadam. All and all, it was a pleasant atmosphere to share Krishna sound with a mostly appreciative crowd devoid of negativity. I look forward to returning to Tallahassee for First Fridays whenever I am in northern Florida, and sharing the Hare Krishna mantra with others.


Sri Prahlada Chants on Campus



When Sri Prahlada chanted during the lunch serve out on the campus, many more devotees came than usual. Jaya Sita came and played her cello. The combination of Sri Prahlada, Jaya Sita, and the large number of devotees attracted more attention than usual, and several people stopped to see and hear, and became inquistive.




All the devotees were very enlivened. I hope Sri Prahlada can come out at least two times during his next visit.


Insight from Lectures



Hridayananda Dasa Goswami (2/5/09):


King Pariksit is glorified by how he treated those above him and those subordinate to him, and by his character.


We do endeavor, but we depend on Krishna, as Krishna recommends in Bhagavada-gita 8.7, “Remember Me and fight.”


Krishna is the Supreme Personality of  Personal Trainer and our life is filled with different exercise machines, and Krishna engages us with different ones. We chant Hare Krishna, and Krishna accepts us into a personal program. If we are running into difficulties and do not pass a test, Krishna administers the test again.


From our perspective, Pariksit was bitten by a snake bird and passed away, but for him it was a promotion.


To maintain material attachments means to ignore the fact that they are our enemies (Bg. 3.39).


We have to seriously take care of our spiritual life, and we also have to take care of everyone’s spiritual life. If you see everyone as spiritual soul, you will understand they are our family members, and we should encourage them.


We should think of our mission as dialog and not monolog.


Q: What is the best thing I can do for my grandfather who is dying?

A: I would just pray for his spiritual progress. It was Krishna’s arrangement that he had a Vaishnava daughter who would pray for him.


[To hear the entire lecture visit this link: http://acharyadeva-nectar.pbworks.com/The-Purpose-of-Trouble]

Indradyumna Swami:


Srila Prabhupada once told the German devotees, “If there is no disturbance, there is no preaching.”


brahmana who performed rituals for material benefit, blasphemed Narottama Dasa Thakura for preaching as appeared in kayastha family. Goddess Durga appeared in a dream and told the brahmana he would get leprosy, which he did. Narottama Dasa Thakura mercifully placed his feet on the man’s head and told him to dance in an ecstatic kirtana that lasted all night. During the kirtana, the symptoms of leprosy left the man, and he fell at the lotus feet of Narottama Dasa Thakura, begging for initiation. Narottama Dasa Thakura embraced him and gave him initiation.


You cannot be compassionate if you have material desires because you will become envious of the material success of the people you are supposed to be delivering.


All too often we are busy as a bee with the affairs of this world, yet self-realization is our real business. Thus there must be a class of renounced persons to remind people that before they die they must learn they are souls, Krishna is God, and we have an intimate relationship with Him.


Sadhus spend full time on self-realization and share their realization with others, and society would maintain them, feeling gratitude. Sadhus are so satisfied they need just the bare necessities.


One sadhu begged from Lord Nityananda’s parents to have Nityananda to be his brahmacari assistant. Seeing Nitai’s mother crying from the loss of her son, the sadhu gave her a Deity of Muralidhara, saying, “If you worship Him nicely, you will see your son’s face in the Deity.”


Param-gati Swami:


The Vaishnava has no enemies in that he has no one that he thinks badly of in his heart, but some people many think of a Vaishnava as an enemy.


Q: What do we do if our mind creates impediments?

A: Staying in the association of devotees can help us.


Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, (from his journal, Vrindavana 7):


In Dhanurdhara Swami's book he interviews Aindra dāsa, who said as follows: “My experiences is that chanting is not a matter of simple endeavoring to articulate some syllables. Actually, such chanting is not really chanting. Chanting looks like chanting, but actually chanting is Krishna dancing by His own sweet will. He is making His Divine descent from Goloka dhama and dancing on our tongues. The holy name is a beautiful sweetest-of-all-sweetest cowherd boy. He is a cowherd boy, a beautiful blue cowherd boy, handsome and completely captivating to the heart. By the mercy of Hare, Radha, our hearts have become undeniably intensely enchanted by the sweetness of that little cowherd boy Krishna, and because we have become enchanted by Him—and He is aware of that, naturally—He will not leave us alone. Again and again and again He pastures on our tongues, by forcing His way into our consciousness, dancing on our tongues.”


Jayādvaita Mahārāja is a down-to-earth guy. When I told him BhÅ«rijana and I were discussing whether it was better to go next life to be with Prabhupāda where he was preaching in the material world or to join with Krishna in His pastimes in the spiritual world, Maharaja replied: ‘I’d take whatever I could get.’”


Chaturatma Prabhu:


When the Deity is worshiped in the householders’ home, the household gradually comes to understand the Lord is the actual proprietor.


If the senses are uncontrolled, there is no intelligence.


Kalakantha Prabhu:


We have to be aware that in our attempts to preach we may be trying to validate our choice to accept Krishna consciousness by convincing others to also accept it.


Q: How can we be humble when we understand we are one of a few fortunate people in devotional service?

A: The advanced devotees feel so low for having left Krishna.


If you ask people questions about their philosophy of life, after a while, they will run out of things to say. Then you can present Krishna consciousness.


Sri Prahlada Prabhu:


A real friend tells the truth for one’s benefit. Vibhisana said, “It is rare to find a friend who will tell us the truth for our benefit. But rarer is to find someone who will listen to it.”


We experience pain simply because of our false identification with our body and this world.


When Krishna told Dhrtarastra before the war that the fight could be avoided if he gave the Pandavas their rightful kingdom, Dhrtarastra told Krishna what He said was true, but he was so attached that Krishna’s illuminating remark was like a flash of lightening in the sky.


At the end of life we want to be in a space where we can give up sense gratification as a matter of realization not artificially.


Mother Ali Krishna:


Missing observing the Lord’s festivals is like forgetting your mom’s birthday. 


Circumambulating the Lord is a way of putting the Lord in the center of our lives.


By bowing down in the temple we touch the dust of the feet of the Vaishnavas.


Kelly:


Sometimes people say with outrage, “How can you say someone is put in a suffering condition because of their past acts?” I reply to them by asking, “Is it more reasonable to think the Lord whimsically puts one person in a good situation and another in a bad one?”


Trey: 


Bhakti cannot be checked by material circumstances nor is it caused by material things. By taking shelter of people who have bhakti, we develop bhakti.


Tamohara Prabhu on devotional relationships, especially marriage:


There is a way of wanting the best for someone but still accepting them as they are, and at the same time, maintaining our own spiritual standards.


The biggest problem is a difference in enthusiasm because the two partners.


One must help the other get through the low points.


We should always start out thinking of the marriage as a lifetime commitment. Not that I will try this person, and if it doesn’t work out then I’ll try someone else.


It is helpful to have a mentor who is a senior grhastha.


Changing circumstances or changing partners will not help. We have to change ourselves.


Sharing deeply in a devotional way can keep a relationship together. Other differences and problems will seem minor.


We must keep a sense of service to our partner. Because our family members are Vaishnavas, we must not be too familiar. Avoid offending them. Look for opportunities to serve them.


Be discriminating in the beginning before making a commitment, and when you do make a commitment stick with it.


I never recommend that a devotee marry a nondevotee.


There is a continuum between lust and love for God.

---

tasmad ekena manasa
bhagavan satvatam patih
srotavyah kirtitavyas ca
dhyeyah pujyas ca nityada


Therefore, with one-pointed attention, one should constantly hear about, glorify, remember and worship the Personality of Godhead, who is the protector of the devotees. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.14)