Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Travel Journal#5.15b: Berlin Ratha-yatra, Polish Festival Tour

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 5, No. 15b
By Krishna-kripa das 
(August 2009, part one, section two)
Berlin Ratha-yatra, Polish Festival Tour 

(Sent from Zagreb, Croatia, on 8/26/09)


Highlights

Berlin Ratha-yatra

Polish Festival Tour Experiences
Kavicandra Swami Reception Address
Janmastami Lecture
Instructions to Initiates by Indradyumna Swami
Nectar from Vyasa Puja Offerings

Where I Am and What I Am Doing


After the Polish Woodstock, Dhruva Prabhu and I joined the Poland summer festival tour for a couple weeks. They had more devotees than they needed, and we are grateful to Jayatam and Nandini Prabhus that we were allowed to come anyway. We took a break one day to attend the Berlin Ratha-yatra, which was for me, my fifth consecutive one. 


Berlin Ratha-yatra


Sacinandana Swami, and Kadamba Kanana Swami were there, along with Prithu Prabhu. Every Ratha-yatra has unique features. In Berlin, they have a small ratha cart which the children pull that goes in front of the larger one. Also Gaura-Nitai Deities ride on a palanquin carried by four men, or sometimes four women, ahead of the Jagannatha cart. Sometimes when the Jagannatha cart stops, the devotees turn the palanquin around so Gaura-Nitai can see Jagannatha and the devotees singing and dancing before Him. This reminds us of Lord Caitanya’s pastimes with Lord Jagannath when He was in Puri, and He exchanged feelings of love with Lord Jagannath in the course of the Ratha-yatra there. Once when the women were carrying Gaura-Nitai, a line of woman dancers danced underneath the palanquin, a sight I had never seen before. The following video hints at what it was like:




The crowd, like that in Prague, was full of tourists, and I talked people from America, Holland, and Spain, and of course, other parts of Germany. I could see the festive atmosphere created by the blissful devotees, colorfully decorated, singing and dancing, and pulling the cart, created quite a curiosity in the people. Because of this curiosity many more people took invitations than they would otherwise.

The Berlin devotees always do a good job with the feast, always a curd subji, and one special sweet, often malpura, this time srikand. 


The stage show did not started immediately after the Ratha-yatra. The feast was served out inside. Feeling a lack of transcendental sound, Kadamba Kanana Swami, picked up my mini accordion and played to fill the gap:




Kadamba Kanana Swami told me he is thinking of bringing me to South Africa, to do harinama, and to write a Back to Godhead article on the cultivation of the black community there.


Poland Summer Festival Tour Experiences


As a newcomer to this year’s tour, at first, my name was not yet on the list of devotees for the harinama bus. One day I chose not to compete for a seat on the harinama bus, but take a city bus or hitchhike to harinama instead. Because it was Sunday, buses were so scare, hitchhiking was the only opportunity. Three young men picked up me and Lilesvara Govinda Prabhu, my Mayapuri companion. They asked to hear me play my accordion, and thus unknowing got to hear the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. We gave them mantra cards and good wishes, and they dropped on the main highway, 89 km from Miedzyjdroje, our destination. We did not get a ride for two hours, but on the up side, we did chant a lot of kirtana while waitingFinally a minivan bus came by and took us to within 10 km of our festival site, the time to reach the harinama site before its end, having elapsed. As I sat waiting for my friend to shop at a bench by an intersection, two persons photographed me sitting playing the accordion and chanting Hare Krishna there and many more watched with curiosity. It took only ten minutes to catch a ride to our festival. When the driver saw we were Hare Krishnas, he smiled and asked if we were at Woodstock, and we said, “Yes.” He showed us his red Woodstock patrol badge, and told how he came for three years, and how he liked our food. We gave him and his wife a mantra card and invitation to our Wroclaw temple, which is near their hometown. They did not know about our festival in Mrzezyno, the town they visiting, and were happy to find out about it. It is always interesting to see who Krishna arranges for us to meet up with. Almost always we can see how both ourselves and those we encounter benefit by the experience. At the end of the evening, back at the base, Jananivasa Prabhu told me that the couple came to the festival, stopped by the book tent, and the lady purchased a copy Ramayana. That really made my day!


Insight from Lectures


Kavicandra Swami (reception address):


Christ washed the feet of his disciples to teach them to serve each other. Through this reception of me, Indradyumna Swami is showing how to honor one’s godbrothers, not only how to honor his godbrothers.


What the devotees do, Krishna is doing through them, so by glorifying the devotees you glorify Krishna. The devotee knows Krishna is doing everything, but that Krishna also wants to give the devotee credit.


I come here on the Polish tour for the inspiration. Except for Mayapur, there are more devotees working together here than any other place. Worshiping the Deity and teaching others to worship the Deity is exemplified here more than any other place. So much prasadam distribution.


Lord Caitanya made it easy, “Where every you go, whoever you meet tell them about Krishna.”


We have to make arrangements for people to find us, because by a moment’s association one can attain perfection.


I met a man who got a mantra card in Africa 30 years before. He said whatever I get into trouble, I chant the mantra. I advised him that it is good to chant both in happiness and distress. But the experience showed me how important it is to distribution mantra cards, books, etc.


My mother was very prejudiced, especially against Africans, so Krishna sent me there to preach to purify me so I can see all people as spirit souls.


The year 2012 is end of a calendar and the end of an age, but not the end of the world. Now is a very auspicious time because the Lord Caitanya’s movement is spreading all over the world. Many things are happening but this sankirtana is the leading edge. In Greece, the devotees chant at the yoga groups. The yoga groups sometimes have their own kirtana groups


It is heavy to accept all kinds of respect and gifts, because we have to pay back. We should never accept anything without giving back.


When I first came around the temple, the devotees told me you had better join right now because this movement is going to spread all over the world, and you don’t want to miss the opportunity to get in on the beginning of it.


Leipzig is the first place in East Germany to get Srila Prabhupada’s books. Now there are many enthusiastic young devotees there.


Usually Siva is famous for destroying the universe, but in the case of the churning of the milk ocean, he saves the universe by drinking an ocean of poison.


The demigods ultimately win because they take shelter of the Supreme Lord.


In Bangkok, there is a large diorama of the churning of the milk pastime which is the first thing you see coming from the airport, with Kurma, the big mountain, and parties of demons and demigods.


People are suffering because of their karma and there is not anything you can do to change it. One time some Americans arranged to send a boat of food to some starving people, and so many impediments arose, the food never reached the people.


Preaching Krishna consciousness is the most pleasing thing to Krishna, and for one who has pleased Krishna, there is nothing one cannot attain. Krishna fulfills such a devotees desires without his asking.


Some people wanted to stop the free food distribution in London. They were worried that it would encourage people to become or remain homeless, so they could get free food. Former homeless people, now much better situated materially, testified, “The Hare Krishnas saved my life.” The spokesman for those opposing the free food said, “The Hare Krishnas can distribute free food, but the others must stop.” He recognized that the devotees, led by Parasurama Prabhu, were doing more than just offering physical nourishment. They were changing people’s lives for the better.


We should be thankful to Lord Nityananda for giving us this opportunity.


If Krishna sees that a person gives up everything to help others, Krishna will take care of that person better than he could by himself.


Janmastami lecture:


Bhaktivinoda Thakura says holy days like Janmastami are the mother of devotion for those who celebrate them. Srila Prabhupada recommended kirtana, katha, abhiseka, and a prasadam feast.Kirtana is an expression of love from the heart. Thus Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura would sometimes purposely have the less expert musicians play to stress the devotion is more important than the music. Take full advantage of the freedom we have to chant kirtana in the streets. We have not always had it, and may not always continue to have it. Bhavisya Purana states when the citizens of Mathura asked when Krishna had taken birth so they could have a festival. He told them persons eight or older should observe it by fasting and that His Janmastami would someday be observed in every town and village of the world. Krishna’s conception is the original immaculate conception as He appeared in the mind of Vasudeva and was transferred to the mind of Devaki. Jiva Goswami in Gopala Campu comments that in addition to Yogamaya, Yasoda had a boy, Krishna, and that Narayana was born to Devaki. When the Narayana was swapped with Yogamaya Yasoda was left with both Krishna and Narayana until Narayana merged into Krishna in the next moment. 


The day after Janmastami is called Nandotsava, and Nanda Maharaja gave charity in honor of Krishna’s birth. That Krishna arranged that Srila Prabhupada take birth on that day is Krishna’s greatest charity to the world. We are grateful to Srila Prabhupada that he is engaging us in fulfilling Lord Krishna’s own prediction, that Janmastami will be celebrated in every town and village of the world.


The real nectar of the Vyasa Puja Day is to hear the glories of the honored personalities that the Lord reveals in the hearts of their faithful followers.

 

Instructions Given to Different Initiates by Indradyumna Swami:


Be strict in your practice and merciful to those who have no connection to this movement. Follow your vows strictly and you will get spiritual strength. Srila Prabhupada said after initiation you should chant in earnest. Be brahmacari as long as you can. Take good care of your fiancĂ©. It is nice to accept as disciples those people born in Vaishnava families—in these cases, we feel we are just adding the finishing touches. And read Srila Prabhupada’s books—all essential knowledge is there.


Nectar from Vyasa Puja Offerings


Indradyumna Swami:


Vyasa Puja Day is an important day of all of us in ISKCON. We can remember his pastimes and sacrifices. We are all recipients of his mercy, and we all have some realizations of this. Someday people may appreciate what he did for the world. For now, appreciation lives in the hearts of his followers. Prabhupada wanted Krishna to be a household word, and it is to a large extent. We must similarly try to make Srila Prabhupada famous.


Sri Prahlada Prabhu: 


About eight years ago, some Sri Vaisnava pandits came to a temple in South India, and asked to talk someone. They were sent to me, and they asked their question, “Who is Prabhupada?” I replied, “He is the founder of ISKCON, and disciple of Bhaktisiddhana Sarasvati Thakura. He spread Krishna consciousness all over the world.” They said, “No, that is his biography. Who is he?” I said, “Could you explain what you mean by that question?” The Sri Vaishnava explained, “In our tradition, we understand that because Ramanujacarya spread Vishnu-bhakti in South India in a miraculous way, and we understand he must be Balarama, the Lord’s personal expansion. But your teacher, spread Krishna consciousness not only in South India, but all over the world. Therefore we are wondering who is your master.” I replied, “When Srila Prabhupada was asked that question, he merely said, ‘If I told you, you would faint.’”


One time a book distributor in San Diego encountered a person who was excited to find he was distributing Bhagavad-gita. The man took the book, and turned it over, and saw Prabhupada’s picture. “That’s him, that’s him,” the man excitedly said to his wife. “He came to me in a dream and told me to read Bhagavad-gita.


Prahlada-Nrsimha Prabhu:


In Ecuador, the authorities decided to stop book distribution to raise money to buy temples instead continuing to rent houses. I fought it, and they let me keep the book distribution going in my temple alone. I worried I offended many Prabhupada disciples in my arguing. That night I had a dream with Srila Prabhupada leading my through the woods to a break in the trees wherein we saw Krishna and Balarama and their friends playing. Then Balarama turned to us, and from His hands emanated a pile of coins and jewels. Next in the dream, Srila Prabhupada told me not to worry. “Just maintain the book distribution and everything will come.”


Indradyumna Swami:


By your desire to save me, I have been saved from a life like my contemporaries ending in being harassed by material desires, though wanting peaceful autumn years. By reflecting every day on your mercy upon me, I recommit myself daily to your service. There is no difference between your traveling the world fourteen times over to preach and frolicking in Goloka with Krishna, Balarama, and their cowherd boy friends. For us, such preaching results in our joining the eternal pastimes. One you lamented how the Mayavadis were flourishing as the Vaishnavas retired to nirjana bhajana. We wish that we may save you from such lamentation by our preaching. You spoke of preaching vigorously in Poland. We are now in our 20th year doing Festival of India on the Polish sea coast. At least 75,000 people come and appreciate bhajanas, katha, dramas, prasadam, etc. At Woodstock we distributed 130,000 plates of prasadam. We appreciate you are engaging some of us hapless souls in assisting your mission. I would gladly do this preaching work eternally. Service to your lotus feet is more attractive than all the charms the world has to offer.


Sitala Mataji on Srila Prabhupada:


Why is it difficult to write a Vyasa Puja offering to Srila Prabhupada?

1. He is like a gem with so many facets that you cannot describe it.

2. His brilliance exposes all. We realize our actual position—how far we have to go and how insignificant we are.


Govinda dasi had more association with Srila Prabhupada than practically any other female. Once in the early days, Govinda dasi made a birthday cake for Srila Prabhupada and placed it on his altar with candles flaming. She explained that is how we celebrate birthdays in America. She continued, “You make a wish and then blow out the candles.” Prabhupada compiled expertly blowing out every last candle and exclaiming, “I have done well.” She explained, “Now your wish will come true,” Govinda Dasi said. Srila Prabhupada explained, “I wish only for Krishna and for Krishna’s service.” In her remembrance, Govinda dasi expressed gratitude that Srila Prabhupada accepted her offering of an American birthday party, and then shared his important and instructive realization about the value of Krishna’s service with her.


Sitala recalled that in 1971 the devotees made a chocolate cake for Srila Prabhupada on his Vyasa Puja day and offered him a piece which he began to eat as he disappeared into his room. The devotees devoured the remain cake, and when Srila Prabhupada asked for another piece, the devotees were ashamed there was nothing more to give him.


Govinda dasi recalled how Srila Prabhupada told her to chant to a poor slug which she had expressed disgust at seeing. She was grateful to witness his compassion in this way.


Once Hari Sauri was trying to remove a mosquito from Srila Prabhupada’s mosquito net before Prabhupada took rest. He hit it so hard that it fell to the ground resting on the sheet. Prabhupada had a pained look on his face, and Hari Sauri felt like he had murdered someone. They both looked at the mosquito for some time and then suddenly it flew away, and Srila Prabhupada expressed relief, saying, “Oh, I thought he was gone.” 


-----


“In the Bhavisya Purana it is said, ‘In such a ceremony, if even a candala [dogeater], simply out of curiosity, sees the Lord on the cart, he becomes counted as one of the associates of Vishnu.’” (Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 9)


Sunday, August 16, 2009

Poland Woodstock 2009

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 5, No. 15a
By Krishna-kripa das
(August 2009, part one, section one)
Polish Woodstock

(Sent from Siemysl, Poland, on 8/17/09)


Where I Am and What I Am Doing


The end of July and beginning of August is the traditional date of the Poland Woodstock festival which I attended for the ninth time. I’ll just describe my experience this year, since the whole event takes pages to describe. I got involved in taking videos clips of the attendees dancing to the kirtanas, and I developed a real taste for that. Mostly the event for me was participating in kirtanas,including the Ratha-yatras, and distributing both invitations to our Krishna village and mantra cards. Some of the attendees were so happy to participate in the kirtanas and so glad to receive the mantra cards, I was happy to be able to assist them.


Woodstock


Mantra card distribution was a main service for me. I would stand at the entrance of the kirtana tent and offer mantra cards to all people as they were leaving, as a parting gift, and to anyone who watched for any length of time. I also went through our entire main tent two or three times during Hare Krishna kirtana giving the cards to people. I would say 95% of the people took the cards in the main tent, 90% while leaving the kirtana tent, and maybe 60% of the people watching from outside the kirtana tent.

Sometimes the people would become inspired seeing the mantra and reading the brief explanation of it and beginning to chant in earnest. At other times, the people’s faces would light up with smiles and happy exclamations, often of “Text!”, like receiving an old friend. They had heard the mantra for minutes, hours, or years, but never had the words to it before, and were glad to get them.

We had a Ratha-yatra through the crowds of many tens of thousands of people for three hours for each of the four days.


People smiled and chanted as they pulled the cart.



Some did their own dances in front of the Lord.


Others tried to follow the movements of the ladies in the lead.

One girl having dredlocks and wearing a gold shimmering dress danced briefly in the Ratha-yatra a couple times continuing an interest in Krishna from at least two years which I remember.


Some Ratha participants appeared like they'd attained the supreme happiness.

We remember the great benedictions offered to those who see, follow, and pull the Ratha-yatra cart described in books like The Nectar of Devotion, such as attainment of the spiritual abode, and we rejoice in their uncommon good fortune.


Different people happened by our kirtana tent during the day and danced for some time.


Devotee ladies danced with these guests.

There are always people with wild costumes. Three of these guys above wore sleeping bags, one with a stuffed animal peeking out of it, and another had a pillow stuck to his head. Somehow despite their madness, they get the spiritual credit for dancing in the Lord's kirtana.

One man from Katowice liked the chanting and purchased a book on spiritual happiness. I told him about our nama-hatta program in Katowice. He seemed interested and gave me his email which I gave that very evening to Adam, the nama-hatta leader there. I am wondering if he will follow it up. I previously met two separate girls from earlier years who got nama-hatta information from me and did not follow up on it. It is rare for people to take Krishna seriously, but whoever does, gets great reciprocation.


I met a young lady from San Francisco who is majoring in German and living in Heidelberg next year. She heard from a friend in Holland about the Poland Woodstock and decided to come. She liked our presentation at Woodstock and took down the web page address of our temple in Heidelberg. She was one of several German tourists, including some from Berlin I invited to the next Saturday’s Ratha-yatra there.


Dhruva Prabhu, an Indian devotee in his late fifties who lives in Kansas City, originally saw Srila Prabhupada in 1974 at one of those large pandal programs in Bombay. He decided he liked my lifestyle of doing harinama and festivals in Europe in the summer and wanted to travel with me. He put tilaka on consenting people both those on the Ratha-yatra and those who visited our Krishna village. He also taught pranayama at our yoga tent. Having heard about this festival for years, he was happy to come and hopes to return next year, like many Poland Woodstock festival addicts.


The prasadam was very popular as usual. Many people considered it was the best so far with the vegetable dish and the halava improved over last year. I talked to one young man who has eaten with us for five Woodstocks because our food is cheap and good. One guy wanted a free lunch. I got it for him although we cannot do that for everyone. It will give him a good impression of the devotees, and I do not get such requests every years, only two or three times in nine years. This year the devotees, headed by Rasikendra Prabhu, distributed over 130,000 plates of prasadam over five days, a number which increases each year.


One time waiting for the Ratha-yatra, I played my small accordion under the Ratha-yatra in the shade of which perhaps twenty people were sitting eating prasadam. One young lady chanted the response perfectly in a pleasing mood. I talked to her and found out she loves to sing and sings opera as a hobby. I explained that the perfection of song is to glorify the Lord and encouraged her to endeavor in that way.


B. B. Govinda Swami and his wonderful bhajana band was one of the highlights of the festival for many of the devotees, and the attendees took great pleasure in hearing and dancing along with his supremely beautiful kirtanas. He played several evenings in our kirtana tent. The dancing to those kirtanas by the devotees and attenders was wonderful to see.


For me, some other devotees, and some of the attendees at the Woodstock, the Village of Peace reggae band with its original lead singer, Sri Prahlada was a special treat. Over the years, we grew to love his Hare Krishna tunes and songs with spiritual lyrics, and it was great to have him back. Many attendees in the crowd sang Hare Krishna, danced, and repeated the chorus of the different songs like “Wake Up,” “Reincarnation,” and “Rainbow”. Reggae music was something people asked about when I was distributing invitations, and it was great we had a solid offering in this area, as the music is the main thing the kids go there for.




Kavicandra Swami is a great devotee of the Poland Woodstock and the festival tour coming almost every single year. He says that the questions get better each year. This year most of the people were asking the kinds of questions that devotees usual ask, not those of newcomers.


Although Woodstock is frequented by many in their teens and twenties, there were families there as well, and even some elderly people as way. Some families participated by singing and/or dancing in the kirtana.


At one gathering after the Woodstock, Indradyumna Swami told us that three of the older people in the kirtana tent who enthusiastically participated in the kirtana were the head mistress of the green school and her two secretaries. She had not wanted to rent us the school, but our other prospects fell through, and so the mayor of Kostrzyn pressured her to rent us the school, and she acquiesced against her will. Because so many people said good things about us, she went to our Village of Peace, and came to the kirtana tent. She was mesmerized by the singing of B. B. Govinda Swami and then a devotee girl pulled her into the dancing. She ended up coming every day to the kirtana tent, and now desires that we rent her school first the next year.


Harinama the Day After Woodstock


Govinda Prabhu from Scotland and I did harinama at the train station for an hour the day after Woodstock. It was a program I started two years ago and felt was beneficial enough to continue. There are always people are always happy to see to see the devotees chanting Hare Krishna. One girl, smiling to see us, did a few dance steps and whispered the mantra as her voice was burned out from the dust, like many of us. She didn’t want the mantra card because she already knew the mantra. A couple of guys wanted to learn our karatalas and one who plays a drum set, tried the mrdanga. A taxi cab driver took pictures of us close up, and promised to email them to us. He later came back and recorded a few mantras of a catchy Village of Peace Hare Krishna tune we sang, using his MP3 player. When I gave one boy a mantra card, he said happily, “I was looking for this!” One older lady, with hair dyed bright red, danced with her hands raised above her head. Later she came across the street with her friend to get mantra cards. Other people, seeing us giving out the mantra cards, came up to get their own. I would say at least four out of five people took the mantra cards. After twenty minutes or so, two Russian devotees who had come to book a train for later in the evening joined us. One even had his own karatalas. I felt so happy about the experience. You really see how Lord Caitanya is the real organizer beyond such events, as it went so smoothly. Harinama sankirtana, ki jaya!


In the beginning I had a conversation with a guy who was both drunk and thoughtful. His main doubt was, “Why repeat an obscure name of God? It just confuses people.” I explained that was why we had the mantra cards with some explanation. It was an interesting point, and I think we should in all places we do harinama, we should distribute an explanation of it as well. Otherwise in addition to purifying people unknowingly, we may confuse them. We have good reasons for chanting and whenever I take the trouble to explain it, people appreciate.


Spiritual Conversations


At evening prasadam Bhagavan Misra Prabhu was explaining to me the analogy of the mountain which Srila Prabhupada used to explain the three features of Brahman: Brahman, Paramatma, and Bhagavan. He said that when the mountain is just a colored patch on the horizon, that distant vision is like Brahman realization, when you can actually see the form of the mountain, that like Paramatma realization, and when you see the rocks and trees, that is like Bhagavan realization, realization of Krishna. I told him that reminded me of the train analogy, which Prabhupada used to explain the same point. There, Brahman is like seeing the light of the train from a distance, Paramatma is like seeing the individual cars, and Bhagavan realization is like seeing the people on the train. He told me he never heard that analogy, although I thought it was common knowledge. Then he told me something that surprised me even more. He said he had just returned from a japa walk, during which he had chanted down by the railway tracks. He had seen a train coming from the distance, which eventually came so close to him, that the driver of the train waved to him. He had only seen a train from so close up maybe three times in his life, and this time, later on the very same day, I had told him that Prabhupada analogy of the train, which he had never heard before. What an amazing coincidence!


One of B. B. Govinda Swami’s servants waits till the last possible minute to prepare to travel, and Maharaja often has to wait for him. Indradyumna Swami seeing the situation asked B. B. Govinda Swami how he tolerates it. B. B. Govinda Swami said that when one acts as badly has he has acted himself in his own life, he cannot find fault with others. Such a humble soul!


Insights from Lectures


Patita Pavana Prabhu (Lord Balarama’s appearance day):


Although I have inauspicious material desires and have therefore taken birth in this material world, still by speaking Srimad-Bhagavatam and the instructions of my spiritual master, I can be purified.


There was no Hindu temple in the USA until Srila Prabhupada opened one at 26th 2nd Ave.


Lord Balarama appeared in this Hare Krishna movement, along with His brother, Lord Jagannath, and sister, Lady Subhadra, in San Francisco in 1967.


Shyamasundara Prabhu, who carved Deities of Lord Jagannath, Lady Subhadra, and Lord Balarama under Srila Prabhupada’s direction, said that at the first Ratha-yatra in San Francisco was one of only times in history, you could tell the people that the Deities of Lord Jagannath, Lady Subhadra, and Lord Balarama were God Himself and they would accept it.


In Bhubanesvara, with the help of Srila Prabhupada, Gour Govinda Swami introduced the worship of brass Deities of Krishna and Balarama.


You are evidence that this movement is not fixed but will continue to expand carry out Lord Caitanya’s desire.


Indradyumna Swami could not do what he has done without praying to Srila Prabhupada at every moment.


One time at Bury Place Srila Prabhupada told the devotees that they had all been together in a previous life and were now together again, and they were overcome with emotion and all started to cry.


Srila Prabhupada said that astrology was not necessary, but that if you know it is going to rain, you will bring an umbrella.


Balarama in the form of Nityananda tolerated the misbehavior of Jagai and Madhai to deliver those rogue brahmanas.


One devotee was glorifying the building of the World Trade Center to Srila Prabhupada, but he was not impressed, saying all these buildings will be destroyed.


As Ananta, Lord Balarama is eternally narrating the glories of Lord Krishna and has not run out of things to say.


Intoxication in this world is a reflection of the intoxication in the spiritual world, exemplified by Lord Balarama and His varuni beverage.


The Supersoul in the heart is an expansion of Lord Balarama, and we can pray for His guidance. The guru is His representative.


Balarama is the enjoyer of His strength.


If there is anyone who can know the mind of Krishna, it is Lord Balarama.


Lord Nityananda is the original spiritual master, and the line of the spiritual masters represents him, and thus the spiritual master must be followed strictly.


According to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, “Asking the spiritual master for a material benediction is like asking a king for ashes.”


Kavicandra Swami (Lord Balarama’s appearance day):

Q: What’s the different between Krishna and Balarama?

A: Krishna is black, and Balarama is white. Krishna wears yellow, and Balarama wears blue.


Krishna expands to have a friend who is equal to Himself to enjoy with. Just like sannyasis like to enjoy with their sannyasa friends, and Russians like to enjoy with other Russians. Thus Krishna expands as Lord Balarama to have a friend to enjoy with.


Balarama was a year older than Krishna, but during the first year of His life he was practically inert, Then Krishna appeared, and He came alive.


Duryodhana was a very submissive disciple of Lord Balarama, his club fighting teacher, and thus Balarama favored him. Still when Duryodhana asked him to fight on his side, He declined because he did not want to fight against Krishna. Neither did he want to fight against Duryodhana. Thus Balarama was disgusted with all the politics and went on pilgrimage.


Lord Balarama sometimes becomes quickly angry as when the Yamuna would not come near for pastimes, when the Kurus, after arresting Samba, insulted Krishna and the Yadu dynasty at the time that Balarama came to seeking his release, when Rukmi cheated at chess, and when Dvivida gorilla insulted His associates and stole his varuni beverage. Yet as Lord Nityananda, the very same person, He is glorified as akrodha, without anger.


When Lord Nityananda first entered the Jagannath temple, He took off Lord Baladeva’s garland, placing it on Himself, and He embraced Baladeva. The guards tried to stop him, but He threw the guards out of the way. Then they realized He was not ordinary.


When the Krishna Balarama Deity was installed in Vrindavana, Srila Prabhupada was ecstatic. The next day on a morning walk, he said, “Now Balarama is here. If you feel weakness, pray to Balarama for spiritual strength, and He will give you strength.”

-----

garbha-sankarsanat tam vai
prahuh sankarsaṇam bhuvi
rameti loka-ramanad
balabhadram balocchrayat

The son of Rohini will also be celebrated as Sankarsana because of being sent from the womb of Devaki to the womb of Rohini. He will be called Rama because of His ability to please all the inhabitants of Gokula, and He will be known as Balabhadra because of His extensive physical strength. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.2.13)

Friday, August 14, 2009

Srila Prabhupada Vyasa Puja Offering 2009

Dear Srila Prabhupada,

Please accept my obeisances again and again, and yet again:

Nama om Vishnu-padaya Krishna-presthaya bhu-tale Srimate Bhaktivedanta Swami iti namine.
Namaste sarasvate deve gaura vani pracine nivisesa sundavadi pacatya desa tarine.

Today is your Vyasa Puja Day. It is traditional to glorify the guru as the representative of Srila Vyasadeva on this day. Vyasadeva divided the one Veda into four and engaged his disciples in expanding them into human society. Thus he gave transcendental knowledge and practice by which society’s members could advance toward the kingdom of God. You proved to be a most confidential representative of Srila Vyasadeva because you took the cream of the Vedic knowledge
specifically Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam, which were obscured by being originally in Sanskrit and commented on by nondevotees, and translated them into English, giving commentaries following the line of disciplic succession, appropriate for time and place. You engaged your followers in translating these authorized works into all the major languages of the world, thus giving billions of people access to the cream of Vedic knowledge, and you encouraged your followers to distribute the books widely. You and your followers have established hundreds of temples in which there are morning and evening classes in this confidential Vedic knowledge and in whichLord Krishna, who is to be known by all the Vedas (Bg. 15.15), is properly worshipped. In addition, under your direction, your followers have organized courses offering systematic study of this literature, often in holy places especially suitable for devotional service. Thus you have made the Vedic conclusion delivered by Vyasadeva easily available worldwide. Therefore in the history of the world, we cannot find anyone who has represented Srila Vyasadeva as well as you.

Our prayer on this glorious day of your appearance is that we may always faithfully apply your teachings and continue to make opportunities for other people to come in touch with them. In this way, we all may advance toward love of Krishna, the perfect stage of the living entities, who are His fragmental parts eternally (Bg. 15.7).

Srila Prabhupada ki, jaya!

Sri Vyasa Puja Day ji, jaya!

Attempting to be the servant of your servants,
Krishna-kripa das

Monday, August 10, 2009

Travel Journal#5.14: Prague Ratha-yatra, Czech Padayatra, Berlin

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 5, No. 14
By Krishna-kripa das
(July 2009, part two)
Prague Ratha-yatra, Czech Padayatra, Berlin
(Sent from Siemysl, Poland, on 8/13/09)


Highlights

Prague Harinamas
Prague Ratha Yatra
Czech Padayatra
Bliss in Berlin 2009
Insights from Srila Prabhupada, Bhakti Vikasa Swami,
Prithu Prabhu, and Others

Where I Am and What I Am Doing


After Budapest, I went to Prague to do harinama and go to the Ratha-yatra, and then the Czech farm, to attend the beginning of the Czech Padayatra. Next on to Berlin to meet Dhruva Prabhu, an Indian devotee from Kansas City who wanted to travel with me for two months, especially to the Poland festivals. We did harinama in Berlin a couple days before going to Kostrzyn, Poland, for Woodstock 2009.


Prague Harinamas


In 2004, Lokanatha Swami told me Prague is the best place in the world to do harinama. There are tourists from all over the world, and the narrow streets amplify the sound nicely. When the three-month summer bhakta program is in session, there is harinama five days a week, Monday through Friday. The rest of the year, it is just Wednesday and Friday.

Some people always sing and/or dance with us, like these young people, who happily tried chanting the mantra after getting a mantra card.


Prague Ratha Yatra


Prague Ratha-yatra was attended by ISKCON dignitaries


Danavir Swami, singing and dancing in ecstasy,


Bhaktivaibhava Swami, who took his turn sweeping for the Lord,


and Prithu Prabhu, always smiling, who played a full-sized harmonium as he sang.

Prague harinama veteran, Vidya Vicaspati Prabhu sometimes led
and sometimes accompanied others on the harmonium.


The large cart and narrow streets made the parade extra impressive.


I danced and distributed flyers describing the festival in both English and Czech.


Actually 85% of the people were tourists, and I talked with people from Norway, Holland, Belgium, France, England, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, Germany, Italy, and Nepal, in addition to a few people from Czech Republic itself.


A group of high school girls from Belgium glanced at our party as we completed the parade, some mimicking the dancing. I decided they had some attraction and said a few words to them. The most interested among them was a girl who said she became vegetarian at the age of ten. I gave her the address and web page for the temple in their hometown of Antwerp, as well as a few nice words about that temple from my personal experience. They stayed for part of the stage show.


Two college girls from Spain, one health care student and one philosophy student, listened to the stage show for over an hour and took prasadam. I explained some of the philosophy and gave them the address and phone number of our temple in Madrid, their home town.

On the Ratha-yatra parade itself I met a congregational member of our temple in London. During London’s Ratha-yatra parade he was so busy rendering service, he had merely enough time to bow down to the Lord in his cart but missed the whole procession. Later, being tired of living in London, he bought a ticket to Prague for the weekend. Unknowingly he happened upon the Ratha-yatra parade and ended up staying through the stage show. Lord Jagannatha is so kind to his servant that because he could not attend the parade in London, the Lord inspired him to come to Prague on the day of the Ratha-yatra there, so he could participate in the Ratha-yatra parade!

After the parade, as the cart stood still during the stage show, devotees distributed maha-prasadam to eager devotees and attenders.

The pictures of Prague Ratha Yatra that were not taken by me were downloaded from www.photoholyindia.com/thumbnails.php?album=19 and you can find many more pictures there.

Jarek who used to help organize festivals in Czech and who is opening the fourth Hare Krishna restaurant in Prague this summer, Tomas, a brahmacari from Slovakia, and other friends decided to do a spontaneous harinama around downtown Prague during the bharat-natyam dance portion of the stage show after the Ratha-yatra. We told everyone we met about our stage show and free prasadam at Old Town Square. During the chanting, a short, college-aged girl came up to me, and asked “Are you from Gainesville?” I explained I had spent four-months there earlier this year. She told me her name was Amy and that she and her boyfriend attended University of Florida and that she was a regular at Krishna Lunch, where I had chanted earlier this year. I explained that we were demonstrating how we can experience spiritual happiness by chanting the names of God, and I was traveling all over Europe promoting the idea. A Czech brahmacari gave her a book, and she gave a donation for it. She is just a freshman, so perhaps I’ll see her again at UF. You never know where you will meet the people from Krishna Lunch! Last year I met one in a park in Amsterdam.


Prithu Prabhu’s appreciation: “The people at the Prague Ratha-yatra were amazing. Even the Germans were friendly! One German man came up to me and said, For two hours, I haven’t been get out of here. What is it about this place?” I gave him a plate of prasadam.Although he eaten a meal just two hours before, he ate the whole plate, commenting that he had never had vegetarian food before and couldn’t imagine it could be so good.


“You have the best tourists in Prague. The tourists are relaxed here. London and New York cannot compare. In that sense, you have Krishna’s mercy. For preaching to tourists you have the best place in the world.”


Czech Padayatra


The Czech Padayatra is similar to the Slovenian Padayatra in many ways. In Czech they started padayatra in the early nineties while in Slovenia they started in 2002. Both places have steadily done padayatra till the present day.


Book distribution is part of the program.

One nice feature of the Czech one is that they have a bullock cart instead of a horse-drawn cart.


Also with attractive Gaura-Nitai Deities,


and having a beautful picture of Krishna on the back.

Another is instead of doing an evening program for the public just four times during the two-week event, they do one every day. These two to three hour programs include chanting, Indian dance, face painting, plays [“Truth and Beauty” and “Krishna Kidnaps Rukmini”], prasadam sweets,


instruction in chanting and dancing,
and a dance contest with prizes, especially for children.

Each night a few local children, in addition to the devotee children, would really enjoy the chanting and dancing as well as the prizes they got which included a padayatra postcard, pictures of a horse, pictures of Prabhupada, a reincarnation book,Prabhupada-lilamrita (abridged), Krishna book, Sri Isopanisad, and garlands from the Deities. I would make sure the kids who really liked to chant got an invitation with the mantra printed on it, so they could take the mantra home with them.


During the padayatra, if it was ever austere because of being tired or feeling that there is so little interest in our message, I would remember that Lokanath Swami telling us “Lord Caitanya is taking us on His padayatra, not that we are taking Him on our padayatra. Thus our business is to satisfy Him and not our own mind’s whims nor the whims of others. Thinking in that way, I would become peaceful. Lord Caitanya’s mission is to give the greatest spiritual ecstasy to even the least qualified people. It the most glorious mission and it is the highest honor to be allowed to take part in it by the grace of His stalwart representative, Srila Prabhupada.


For more information on Czech Padayatra, you may visit their web site at www.padayatra.cz.


Bliss in Berlin 2009


We chanted on harinama for two days, an hour and a half on one and two hours on the next. The first day was austere, and we did not meet any very special people nor did anyone at all give a donation. The second was just the opposite. We had one mysterious encounter with three thirteen-year-old girls. One of them returned the invitation our distribution had given them to the devotee who was playing the karatalas, not the person who gave it to her. They then decided to tease us by throwing things at us. Next they decided to insult us by putting cigarette butts in our donation box. I had never before seen such a thing. I was reminded of the sadhu, who when given ashes by a man while begging alms, humbly accepted them, saying, “Let him begin his charity!” They teased us for some time but we keep chanting happily. I was singing a very upbeat Hare Krishna tune that Sri Prahlada used to sing on the tour, and from the response of the people, it was the best tune of the day. Next the girls sat down before us, watching and sometimes smiling or making faces at us. A bhakta gave them each an invitation with the mantra on it and encouraged them to chant, and they did, in a joking way, at first. Then they got into it and became very dedicated. The bhakta then indicated they should not sing when the leader is singing. When one of them would forget, the others would remind her by putting their fingers to their mouths and whispering “Shhhh.” And so they chanted for half an hour, always smiling and sometimes chanting in a very exaggerated or boisterous way. When they left, they each took invitation cards and distributed them for twenty minutes. Later that night as I was using the computer, we received a call at the temple from one of the girls. She asked if I could sing her the tune that we sang on harinama. I did not know German, and I asked a devotee to thank them for singing with us and to tell the girl where she could find Krishna music on the web. He also told her about the upcoming Ratha-yatra and the Sunday feast program. Also on that harinama, one man gave ten euros and several people watched for some time, a couple buying books. The donations covered our travel expenses. The transformation of the girls from taunting rascals to enthusiastic appreciators, wanting to render service shows the wonder of the holy name. We never know what adventure Krishna has in store for us on harinama. Two weeks later a devotee from Berlin said some devotee had met the girls on the street, and that they wondered when we would be singing again. That hints at the value of regular harinama programs—people can more easily increase their participation.


Insights from Lectures


Srila Prabhupada, from Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami’s The Yellow Submarine, No. 141:

In a 1968 lecture, Prabhupada said that taste (ruci) is when you like Krishna consciousness so much that you go out and perform sankirtana in the streets. It gives you such a nice taste.”


Bhakti Vikasa Swami:

It is not difficult to criticize modern society, for the age of Kali is an ocean of faults. Indeed, every facet of life has some problem, yet ironically the devotees are criticized for being nonconformists.


There are many people who think we should go back to a more traditional culture. This Vedic culture is the oldest such culture.

We greatly value freedom, but in traditional societies that was not so.


Although there is a philosophy of egalitarianism in modern society, there is still a working class, intellectual class, and an aristocratic class, which is now based on amassing wealth, rather than refined behavior.

In modern life, everyone is educated, and after education, many people often end up with no worthwhile skills and many cannot find jobs.


Most people are stupid. Evidence for this is the popularity of Coka-Cola or Pepsi-Cola. Such companies make billions of dollars on colored, sweetened water, which is completely unnecessary. Only because it is advertised with young men and young women jumping around enjoying themselves do people foolishly buy it. And this has been going on for decades. The whole advertising industry therefore works on the supposition that people are stupid.


Traditional societies also were based on the idea that most people are stupid.


The difference is the traditional societies gave the people fixed social roles meant to keep them from harming themselves and others and meant to elevate themselves to a higher level, but the modern society exploits them for the economic development of a few.


Modern education is not conducive to human welfare. There is no evidence that life arises from chance combinations of chemicals, but that is what is being taught. Thus no one thinks about the next life.


Modern music is a transformation of a scream of frustration with a little melody and rhythm added.


The idea that is alright for people to believe in God in any way they like, does not make sense, because if God exists, then He must have specific qualities.


The fine points of the science of God are not understandable by everyone because God is the most subtle.


Worship of God was not just considered of primary importance only in Vedic culture, but also in Europe, not so many years ago.


The downside of freedom is that the rascals have more freedom to create trouble and people have freedom to do things that hurt themselves and others. The sexual freedom of adults results in children losing the right to grow up in a stable family situation.


In the Vedic culture, the brahmanas were given full freedom because they did not misuse it, whereas sudras were restricted from doing things against their self-interest.


The problem of unemployment did not exist in Vedic culture.


Actually when the industrial revolution began, there were riots since people was satisfied living and working in the villages and did not want to move to the cities and work in the factories. They had to forcibly take the land away from and leave the people with no choice. Then compulsory education was introduced to convince them that their new life is progressive.


The modern idea of freedom gives freedom to a few intelligent businessmen to exploit the masses.


Q: How can we realize the truth that we are not our body.

A: By acting on the spiritual platform. By offering Krishna a leaf, flower, fruit, or water, knowing Him to be the Supreme Lord as He describes in Bhagavad-gita, we can get the realization.


Prithu Prabhu:

I have not seen such a farm that works so nicely in England, France, Spain, or Germany, as you have there in Czech.


Any shortcoming there is in ISKCON is because we have not yet perfectly developed what Srila Prabhupada has already given. Sometimes people think we should try something else, but because our intelligence is affected by lust, our plans are inferior to the plans of our guru.


In Mayapur, one disciple of Srila Prabhupada told Srila Prabhupada, “The Ganga is rising but Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Road is protecting our property.” Srila Prabhupada said, “That is a fact. As long as we walk on Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s road, we shall be safe.”


In the beginning of the Rainbow Gathering preaching, ISKCON was the only Vaishnava group there, and we would have five hundred people coming to our Srimad-Bhagavatam class. We would invite people to help cut vegetables for breakfast. The devotees would send the sincere ones to me. At the first gathering, we made ten devotees. Five left in due course, but five remained and are still doing service. At the second one, we had nine people ready to join, and I thought we should have ten, so I looked around and found another. Then I thought actually eleven is a better number, so I spent half a hour and found one more and shaved him on the spot. He is Vishnu das and is still around even now. The next year, there were more Gaudiya groups, and so we could only make five devotees, the next year, only one, and the next year none at all. People would come up to us with long hair, and say I am so and so Das. Once a Vaishnava youth I was preaching to for three years came up to me saying he found a guru and told me his new spiritual name. I asked the name of his guru, and he said it was “Nara… something, I’m really not sure.” I said, “That’s alright, come takeprasadam.” As he got up to get prasadam, a joint fell out of his pocket.


Srila Prabhupada said that if you chant Hare Krishna and you smoke marijuana, you’ll go crazy because it is an offense to the holy name.

The mind is the dirtiest part of the body. When the mind and intelligence is engaged in Krishna, they become purified.

If we change what we hear, then we will mislead people.


I had a large group of devotees in Ireland I personally brought to Krishna consciousness who were initiated by one devotee. Then we found that guru was secretly taking acid. I explained to the devotees because their guru was not following, you have to reject him, and told them the story of Bali rejecting Sukracarya. All twenty-four of them rejected their guru right then and there. However, in England, we lost one hundred twenty people to illusion.


By suffering Krishna, at least we suffer for something, while the materialists suffer for nothing.


This whole world is made of people who think they know better. To think you know better is not a good qualification.


There is no defeat for one who controls his mind and senses and engages them in Krishna’s devotional service.


When we are linked with Krishna, we can do wonderful things, but without linking with Krishna, we are powerless.


I convinced my mother to be vegetarian, but the priest convinced her to eat meat again. He said that vegetarianism is a demoniac diet. However,

Jesus and his disciples, when all of Israel was eating the Passover lamb, were eating bread and drinking unfermented grape juice.


Srila Prabhupada said to one German professor, “Two thousand years have passed and still you have not understood Jesus.” If they could understand Jesus, they could understand Krishna, but they have not understood Jesus.


Q: Should we continue to perform devotional service throughout this life, even if we are full of material desires?

A: Yes. Krishna says even one who commits the most abominable act is saintly, if he is rightly situated. Whether one is free from all desires, full of all desires, or desirous of liberation, he should perform one-pointed devotional service. We should continue bhajana-kriya, devotional service, and then there will be anarta-nivrtta syat, freedom from anarthas, unwanted things. What else is there to do? There may be problems, but we keep going.


Real intelligence is to take shelter of truth. We make mistakes and so to take shelter of our own intelligence is not intelligent. To take shelter of Krishna is intelligent.


He tells about a foolish man who would drive his cows on to the devotees’ land at night. When they challenged him, he said he knew nothing about it. Prithu Prabhu hid behind a rock with a camera and took a picture of the man and put the picture in the man’s mailbox and with a note that he would call the police. Later he saw the man sawing a branch on a tree that he was sitting on. You hear about people who are so foolish that they do that, but you never actually see anyone doing that. But this man was actually so foolish he was doing just that. I shouted from my land rover to warn him. But he became angry. Then he fell off the tree, and all of us in the land rover laughed.


German saying: “Stupidity and pride are fruits on the same tree.”


As long as there is pride, we go from one difficult to the next difficulty.


Pythagoras said, “Everything in this world is moving.” Only Krishna is constant.


Krishna asks at every moment, “What do you want?” And then He kindly fulfills the person’s desires. And the other question Krishna asks, “When are you finished?” That is “When are you finished with all your nonsense desires?”


If we want to save the world, without listening to the wisdom of the great souls, we will lose our own selves.


People are slaves of their minds and slaves of their masks. The real person is he who is serves Krishna. Krishna told Arjuna, you have so many plans, but because they are different from My plan, they are all useless.


He told a story about a hunter and some birds. A hunter planned to trap some birds in a net, but the birds noticed the plan and talked about it among themselves. When the hunter saw the birds understood his plan, he was worried he would not catch any, but he continued anyway. He then put bread crumbs in the trap, to lure the birds. The birds warned each other, “The hunter is putting bread crumbs in the trap to lure us.” The hunter thought there was now very little chance he would catch a bird, but he continued. After looking at the bread crumbs in the net for some time, suddenly all at once the birds made a dive for it, and the hunter caught them all.” The moral of the story is that you may see what is going on but if your senses are uncontrolled you will not be able to profit by this knowledge.


In this material world everyone is fighting to get the best prison cell. That is all. And those who get the best prison cell in this life, get the worst prison cell in the next life because those who take more than their quota are punished by the laws of nature.


The greatest disqualification is disobedience to the Lord.


Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura wanted a united preaching mission but his followers disagreed. Srila Prabhupada tried to create such a mission, and therefore, he was empowered by his guru.


By associating with those who are disobedient, we become disobedient. By associating with the obedient, we become obedient.

Srila Prabhupada wanted us to stay within ISKCON. When Srila Prabhupada was present, some strayed from ISKCON, and I personally saw how angry Prabhupada became about it.


Jayapataka Maharaja invited some of Srila Prabhupada’s godbrothers to visit in Mayapur. I took the opportunity to ask them some questions.

Q: What was Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s standard for initiation?

A: Chanting 64 rounds, but if one lives outside or has a lot of service, 16 as a minimum.


Q: How many principles to do have to follow?

A: The four principles [the same ones we follow in the ISKCON].


Q: How is it some of you come to the West and initiate people who chant only 4 rounds and are only vegetarian?

Before anyone could answer, an elderly man from Madras, stood up and said, “We know who those people are and they should be kicked out of the Gaudiya Math.”


Then I knew Srila Prabhupada actually was representing Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura.

Srila Prabhupada said, “If a thousands asses say you are very good, what is the use?” We want to get a certificate from Krishna, “This man has done something for Me.”


If we comprise our culture, we lose everything. Just like what happened when Paul comprised the teachings of Jesus. The success of the devotee is to be in parampara. That was Srila Prabhupada great qualification. By following Srila Prabhupada’s instructions we meet all success.


Q: What about devotees who cannot be organized?

A: We should know the standard. We may admit that we are not qualified to follow the standard, but we do not change the standard.


Q: I mean we are renting a building for the Ratha-yatra but we cannot use the parking lot, but devotees do it anyway and we get in trouble.

A: Once when devotees were in a park, and the park warden said you have leave. Srila Prabhupada got up to leave. The whole reputation of the devotees in Germany went to hell because they did not think they had to follow the laws.


Once in Germany the man at the petrol station gave us five euros too much, and a devotee asked me what to do about it. I said we should return it. He was shocked, “But why don’t we use it in Krishna’s service.” I said, “Suppose he finds out later that he gave us too much.” So we returned it. Years later I was distributing books. One man didn’t want one. Then he said, “Who are you guys anyway?” I said, “We are the Hare Krishnas.” He said, “Well, in that case, I will take one.” I inquired why, and the man said, “I have an uncle. He worked in a petrol station. Once he gave the Hare Krishnas too much money and they returned it. My uncle has been talking about it for the last five years because that had never happened before. The Krishna people, you may say what you like about them, but they are very honest people.”


From the fact the demigods were disturbed by the mere presence of the demons, we can understand how much disturbance the presence of demons can cause.


The world should be run by those who are pure devotees of God. Now the leaders are all demoniac. Even the priests have so little spiritual knowledge. They do not know animals have souls. They think people have souls like they have ipods; not that they are souls. They do not know who is Krishna, who is Radharani, who is Lord Caitanya.


We live in a hellish society. In America every second child is aborted. That is worse than Auschwitz. It is mass murder. In the dairy industry, they monitor the milk production of each cow, and when gets too low so the cow is not profitable, she is sent for slaughter.


Srila Prabhupada said in reference to smoking cigarettes, “Only dragons blow smoke.”


The space station has cost 100 billion. It is a huge toy. There is a German saying, “What is the difference between a boy and a man? It is in the size of their toys.”


One time I was flying out of Delhi, and it was more crowded than I had ever seen it. I found out why. Mickey Mouse and Goofy had arrived

from Orlando. They had built for them the biggest vyasasanas I had every seen. A priest offered incense, lamps, and food, and passed the lamps and food around as prasadam. How sad—the worship reserved for God and His great devotees is offered to rats, and this in India, the mother of religion.


Whether we live inside or outside of the temple, our business is to chant Hare Krishna and to serve Krishna. It is the only authentic life.


Otherwise we are living a lie. Otherwise we identify with the body, and our activities are one lie after another.


People have such illusory values. The Fisher of Fisher Mansion fame, buried his pet dogs in caskets of gold 100 kilos each, and the neighbors dug them up after Fisher died.


Except for the endeavor for devotional service, are activities are waste of time.


Q: To get a society of brahmanas what can we do.

A: Preach. You have to go to the people, because the people will not come to you. This Ratha-yatra was wonderful preaching. You should have such a festival every week. Do things Prabhupada wanted us to do nicely. Book distribution. Trutnov (The Czech Woodstock). Padayatra.


Dhruva Prabhu (from Kansas City):

The bottom line is that everyone is endeavoring for happiness, just in different ways. However, real happiness is not to be found in the material world. People are cheated by advertisers who associate happy faces with their products and thus sell innocent people things that will not make them happy.


The karma-kanda portion of the Vedas is like advertising for the heavenly planets and is also cheating because going to heaven will not satisfy the soul.


Because we are part of Krishna, by satisfying Krishna, we can become happy, as we can nourish the parts of the body by feeding the stomach.


As time passes the chanting of Hare Krishna becomes more relishable whereas material activities become less relishable.


I find in my travels that the Jagannatha festival (Ratha-yatra) gets the most attendance of devotees and public participation of all our festivals.


We must stop sinful activities then there is hope. There is no hope a fan will stop if we keep it plugged in.


-----

yatha taror mula-nisecanena
trpyanti tat-skandha-bhujopasakhah
pranopaharac ca yathendriyanam
tathaiva sarvarhanam acyutejya


As pouring water on the root of a tree energizes the trunk, branches, twigs and everything else, and as supplying food to the stomach enlivens the senses and limbs of the body, simply worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead through devotional service automatically satisfies the demigods, who are parts of that Supreme Personality. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.31.14)