Diary
of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 9, No. 2
By Krishna-kripa das
(January 2013, part two)
By Krishna-kripa das
(January 2013, part two)
Where I Went and What I Did
During
the second half of January, I returned to Gainesville to live at
Krishna House and help maintain the program of chanting for two and a
half hours during the serving of Krishna Lunch at the University of
Florida and chanting at the Gainesville Farmers Market on Wednesday.
In addition, I attended a program of our Krishna Club at University
of North Florida in Jacksonville.
On
Martin Luther King Day five of us chanted in the parade for King,
with Damodar Prasad singing enthusiastically and Hladini talking to
people and distributing literature, and then we joined the other
Krishna House devotees for a picnic in a nearby park. While we were
chanting in the park, one man remarked that our chanting was
disturbing the wildlife. I laughed to myself, thinking that as we are
vegetarian, we do less damage to the environment than your average
American meat eater. In addition, all the wildlife made great
spiritual benefit which the poor chap could not see.
Devotees
from both Alachua and Gainesville drove to Tampa to do harinama
at
a the Gasparilla Pirate Festival, which is said to be attended by
500,000 people, and I share some descriptions, pictures and video of
that.
I
have many insights from Srila Prabhupada’s lectures and his books,
some notes on a recorded lecture by Niranjana Swami, notes of
lectures from Prabhupada disciples, including Kalakantha and Sesa
Prabhus, and realizations from newer devotees at Krishna House.
Thanks to Tulasirani dd for the picture of the Krishna House picnic crew, Flickr user BXGD for the picture of the devotees dancing at Gasparilla, and Amanda from Krishna House for the videos.
Thanks to Tulasirani dd for the picture of the Krishna House picnic crew, Flickr user BXGD for the picture of the devotees dancing at Gasparilla, and Amanda from Krishna House for the videos.
Chanting
at the Gasparilla Pirate Festival in Tampa
The Gasparilla Pirate Festival in Tampa on January 26 was a great event for exposing thousands of people to the Hare Krishna mantra and getting a number of them to dance with our chanting party.
Tulasirani
dd from Krishna House commented, “At the Gasparilla Pirate Festival
in Tampa people were standing around waiting for something fun to
happen, and we supplied the fun with the harinama and
people were very happy to dance with us.”
These
videos by Amanda from Krishna House in Gainesville will give you a
feel for the wildness of it all. In particular, you can see why the
Tampa
Bay Times
wrote, “A number of apparently well-lubricated spectators danced
with devotees of Hare Krishna.”
One
girl from the crowd encountered the devotees on three separate
occasions and danced enthusiastically with us each time.
A
party of devotees from Alachua chanted for three hours, while a party
of younger devotees from Gainesville chanted for two. I was amazed
that the older people from Alachua showed greater endurance than the
Gainesville youth. Perhaps they did not jump up and down so much in
the hot sun and thus could keep going longer. After my friends from
Gainesville desisted, I joined the Alachua party, as I was psyched to
do the whole three hours.
The
weather was incredible, sunny and around 75°
F [24°
C]. I got sunburned as I was not prepared for so much sun in January.
After
the afternoon of chanting the Tampa nama-hatta
devotees
served excellent prasadam
in
a nearby park for all the devotees.
We
all had a great time and look forward to doing it again next year.
Come and bring your dancing shoes.
Insights
Srila
Prabhupada:
If
I am not jolly, maya
has
attacked me. If I am in contact with Krishna, how can I be morose?
That is the test.
We
must be enthusiastic, but we cannot be enthusiastic artificially. It
has to be based on connection with Krishna.
If
we cannot rise early in the morning, we are under the clutches of
maya.
That
is the test. Sleeping is very dangerous. It is the symptom of
tamo-guma
(the
mode of darkness).
A
politician may pose that he is advanced spiritually, but when we see
he is more interested in politics than Krishna consciousness, we can
understand his real position.
Vaishnava
means to understand the Absolute Truth is a person.
Krishna
understanding is difficult, but by the mercy of Krishna in the form
of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, it is possible because of His great
liberality. If we do not take advantage, how unfortunate we are!
from
Srimad-Bhagavatam
5.18.32,
purport:
“Nothing
is false. One thing may be permanent and another temporary, but both
the permanent and the temporary are facts. For example, if someone
becomes angry for a certain period, no one can say that his anger is
false. It is simply temporary. Everything we experience in our daily
lives is of this same character; it is temporary but real.”
from
Srimad-Bhagavatam
5.18.33,
purport:
“Philosophers
and scientists have been trying to study the entire cosmic situation
and have been theorizing and calculating in different ways for
millions and millions of years. However, the speculative research
work of a so-called scientist or philosopher is always interrupted
when he dies, and the laws of nature go on without regard for his
work.”
from
Bhagavad-gita
5.29,
purport:
“A
pure soul is the eternal servant of God as His fragmental part and
parcel. He comes into contact with maya
(illusion) due to the desire to lord it over maya,
and that is the cause of his many sufferings. As long as he is in
contact with matter, he has to execute work in terms of material
necessities. Krishna consciousness, however, brings one into
spiritual life even while one is within the jurisdiction of matter,
for it is an arousing of spiritual existence by practice in the
material world. The more one is advanced, the more he is freed from
the clutches of matter. The Lord is not partial toward anyone.
Everything depends on one’s practical performance of duties in
Krishna consciousness, which helps one control the senses in every
respect and conquer the influence of desire and anger. And one who
stands fast in Krishna
consciousness,
controlling the abovementioned passions, remains factually in the
transcendental stage, or brahma-nirvana.”
from
Srimad-Bhagavatam
5.18.4,
purport:
“The
Lord is always prepared to excuse His devotee, but if a devotee takes
advantage of the Lord’s leniency and purposefully commits mistakes
again and again, the Lord will certainly punish him by letting him
fall down into the clutches of the illusory energy. In other words,
theoretical knowledge acquired by studying the Vedas is insufficient
to protect one from the clutches of maya.
One must strongly adhere to the lotus feet of the Lord in devotional
service. Then one’s position is secure.”
from
Srimad-Bhagavatam
5.18.7:
“Prahlada
Maharaja, the topmost devotee of the Lord, is a reservoir of all the
good qualities of great personalities. His character and activities
have delivered all the fallen members of his demoniac family.”
from
a lecture on Bhagavad-gita
2.13:
Nature
is like a great machine. Every machine has an operator. Thus nature
must have an operator. We may not be able to see the operator, but
the operator is there. That operator is God. Human life is meant for
inquiring about God.
All
science and philosophy is there, but if you are not interested in
philosophy you can just chant Hare Krishna and attain perfection. But
if you think “what is this nonsense chanting of Hare Krishna?”
Then so many books are there you can read.
Although
you are not initiated, your coming here counts as service. It is like
depositing a cent in the bank every day. Someday you will have $100.
So coming here every day is like depositing a cent every day. When it
gets to be $100, you become a devotee.
Q:
One man says he is not suffering and he is not afraid of death. What
do we say to him?
A:
He is a madman.
You
can attain Krishna by surrendering to Him. How long does it take to
surrender to Krishna? It can be done in a moment. What does surrender
mean? You do what Krishna says. What is that? Four things. Man
mana bhava mad bhakto . . . Think
of Krishna, become His devotee, bow down to Him, and offer homage to
Him. Then you come to Him.
A
human being will ask how he can control his mind. A dog will never
ask how to control this barking habit. That is the difference between
a human being and a dog.
from
Srimad-Bhagavatam
5.19
Chapter Summary:
“Bharata-varsa
has special significance because in this tract of land there exists
the Vedic principle of varnasrama-dharma,
which divides society into four varnas
and four asramas.
Furthermore, Narada Muni’s opinion is that even if there is some
temporary disturbance in the execution of the varnasrama-dharma
principles,
they can be revived at any moment. The effect of adhering to the
institution of varnasrama
is
gradual elevation to the spiritual platform and liberation from
material bondage. By following the principles of varnasrama-dharma,
one gets the opportunity to associate with devotees. Such association
gradually awakens one’s dormant propensity to serve the Supreme
Personality of Godhead and frees one from all the basic principles of
sinful life. One then gets the opportunity to offer unalloyed
devotional service to the Supreme Lord, Vasudeva. Because of this
opportunity, the inhabitants of Bharata-varsa are praised even in the
heavenly planets. Even in the topmost planet of this universe,
Brahmaloka, the position of Bharata-varsa is discussed with great
relish.”
from
The
Nectar of Devotion:
“In
the Naradiya
Purana there
is a statement of how this
servitorship is transcendental. It is said there that a person who is
constantly engaged in devotional service by his body, mind and words,
or even a person who is not practically engaged but is simply
desiring to be so, is considered to be liberated.”
“Third
Canto, Seventh Chapter,
verse 19, of Srimad-Bhagavatam:
‘Let
me become a sincere servant of the devotees, because by serving them
one can achieve unalloyed
devotional
service unto the lotus feet of the Lord. The service of devotees
diminishes all miserable material conditions and develops within one
a deep devotional love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead.’”
“In
the Padma
Purana also
it is stated, ‘The chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra
is
present only on the lips of a person who has for many births
worshiped Vasudeva.’”
from
a lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam
5.6.10
given in Bombay on December 28, 1976:
In
India it is simply in name. There is actually no varnasrama.
Most
people are sudras.
Most
people do not have a clear idea of God nor a desire to know Him.
The
same activity performed with knowledge of atma-tattva,
knowledge
of the spiritual truth, leads on to spiritual perfection but
performed without such knowledge leads to a hellish condition.
Don’t
act anything except for the satisfaction of Krishna. That is Krishna
consciousness.
A
classless society cannot be. Even in the Russia, the Communist
country, they wanted to create a classless society but ended up
having to retain a managing class and a working class.
from
Srimad-Bhagavatam
5.17.4,
purport:
[Srila
Prabhupada was not enamored by the accomplishments of material
science as statements like this reveal.] “So-called
advanced scientists of the modern age are trying to go to the higher
planets, but at the same time they are experiencing a power shortage
on earth. If they were actually capable scientists, they could
personally go by airplane to other planets, but this they are unable
to do. Having now given up their moon excursions, they are attempting
to go to other planets, but without success.”
from
Srimad-Bhagavatam
5.17.24,
purport:
“.
. . the living entity is entangled in fruitive activities, which are
executed by the illusory energy, maya.
He is exactly like a computer handled by the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. The so-called scientists say that nature acts independently,
but they cannot explain what nature is. Nature is nothing but a
machine operated by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When one
understands the operator, his problems of life are solved.”
from
The
Nectar of Devotion, Chapter
Two:
“As
a man's mental disease is cured by the
directions of a psychiatrist, so this sadhana
bhakti cures
the conditioned soul of his madness under the spell of maya,
material
illusion.”
“According
to Vedic injunctions, when a brahmana
eats
it is to be understood that the Personality of Godhead is eating
through him. It is not, however, that the brahmana
should
simply eat on behalf of the Lord and not preach the message of
Bhagavad-gita
to
the world. Actually, one who preaches the message of the Gita
is
very dear to Krishna, as is confirmed in the Gita
itself.
Such a preacher is factually a brahmana,
and
thus by feeding him one feeds the Supreme Lord directly.”
Sri
Visakhanandabhidha-stotra: Prayers
with Names That Are the Bliss of Visakha by Raghunatha Dasa Goswami:
She
is known as Radha because the worship (radha)
of Her removes all distress.
Niranjana
Swami:
from
a lecture on Bhagavad-gita
6.32 given in Boston on Sunday, December 9, 2012:
Prahlada
Maharaja describes the materialists as chewing the chewed, repeating
trying to enjoy the same things that have not satisfied them in the
past. I had a friend in school who would stick his gum on the bottom
of his seat at the end of the day, and then take it off and begin
chewing it the next day.
The
Lord relishes the activities of those who are selflessly engaged in
service to Him and who are thus so satisfied that they desire nothing
else. The Lord gives His heart to such a devotee. And that devotee
can share the Lord with others.
When
Durvasa Muni approached the Lord, desiring His compassion, the Lord
indicated that He had given His heart to Maharaja Ambarisa, and
therefore Durvasa should approach him.
Devotional
service is such a rare, precious, valuable jewel. To render service
to the Lord is the most precious gift of life. We must learn to
appreciate that gift when it is offered to us. Otherwise we might
mistake it for something else.
The
Lord can fulfill our desires much better than anyone else. He knows
how to fulfill the desires of his devotees.
In
Ananda
Vrndavana Campu, Kavi
Karnapura explains that within His form as an eternal fresh youth,
are His baby and childhood forms, and He manifests those forms to
please His devotees who want to see Him in those features.
Even
when Krishna does something amazing, His intimate associates in
Vrindavana are not disturbed by thinking the Krishna is God, but
remain fixed in their intimate relationship with Him.
Satsvarupa
Dasa Goswami:
from
his journal, Viraha Bhavan,
January 30, 2013, poem:
They
are the original conjugal couple,
and all love relations expand
from Them, even the perverted
forms in the material world.
When we worship Radha-Krishna
we give up mundane sex desire
and only wish to serve Them
in Their pastimes. To serve
the Lord of the senses with
your senses is the perfection
of bhakti. It is the eternal svarupa or
nature of the liberated
being. It is eternal, blissful, and full of knowledge.
are the original conjugal couple,
and all love relations expand
from Them, even the perverted
forms in the material world.
When we worship Radha-Krishna
we give up mundane sex desire
and only wish to serve Them
in Their pastimes. To serve
the Lord of the senses with
your senses is the perfection
of bhakti. It is the eternal svarupa or
nature of the liberated
being. It is eternal, blissful, and full of knowledge.
from
Shack
Notes:
“Love
of God takes the form of lust in the material realm. The cleansing
process is the chanting and hearing of the name, form, teachings and
pastimes of the Supreme Lord. Just apply yourself to
bhakti
and
all contamination will be washed away. Extra counseling and
discussion is only needed by ‘dysfunctional’ persons, or those
who think they are dysfunctional. Only those persons who cannot obey
the command, ‘Chant and don’t worry’ need special attention.
And who is not
in
that category?”
Akuti
Prabhu:
Maya,
the Lord’s illusory energy, is sometimes called a witch, and “that
which is not.” Hearing these qualities, would we be attracted to
serve her?
Devotional
service convinces us that in this life we should abandon illusory
material enjoyment and engage in the service of Krishna.
Unless
we surrender to Krishna, we are surrendering to maya.
One
of maya’s
tricks
is glitter. She can make rotten flesh an exotic culinary preparation
or rotten grapes a tasty beverage.
One
trick to conquer maya
is
to get up early. I think she takes a nap at that time.
When
the mind bothers you, go outside and chant louder and more
distinctly.
Go
out and tell someone else about Krishna. It is so healthy for your
spiritual life. At least once a week. Tell either a devotee or a new
person.
Regularly
hear Srimad-Bhagavatam,
online
if not live.
comment
by Kaliya Phani Prabhu: I have a technique for dealing with the mind
like the strategy of not letting the salesman get in the door. When
the mind proposes something, tell it, “We may do it or may not do
it, but we will not do it now.”
comment
by Indian student: I found at Krishna House during the break there
was less service so my mind became more materially directed. I found
if I did more service at Krishna House that solved the problem.
comment
by another devotee: Prabhupada said to keep the mind at peace we
should think of how to spread this Krishna consciousness.
Ananda
Loka Prabhu:
In
devotional service, all we give up is temporary and all we gain is
eternal.
Bhakti
cannot be regulated or controlled by anything other than bhakti.
Brahma
Tirtha Prabhu:
It
is said that death and taxes are for certain. I know some successful
tax evaders, but death evaders are harder to come by.
Lord
Bhisma was happy that Krishna broke his vow not to raise a weapon in
order to protect His devotee Arjuna, thus teaching the people in
general that Krishna values protecting His devotees more than keeping
His personal promises.
As
devotees our biggest challenge is to do something and think of
Krishna. Sometimes we decide to just think of Krishna, and we do so,
for some time, before our mind wanders. Sometimes we decide just to
do something. But to do something and think of Krishna at the same
time is a challenge.
My
mother-in-law was about as fervent atheist as you can be. As the time
of her death was approaching, she moved to Gainesville to be near her
daughter. When she talked to her daughter, it was all mundane, but
when she would go out of the room, she would turn to me and say, “So
what is going to happen when I die.” So I explained about it, and
she said, “When I go, I am going to wave goodbye.” When the end
was near, my wife and I were reading the Bhagavatam
to
her and trying to create the better spiritual situation for her
passing. At one point, she did wave her hands, and then she was gone.
Q:
Some say we must die to live. What does that mean?
A:
Of course, we also have to live to die. To me, it means we cannot
really live properly without taking into account death.
Comment
by Kalakantha Prabhu: We have to give up our false conception of who
we are to live spiritually.
from
a class by Niranjana Swami played by Brahma Tirtha Prabhu in his
class:
This
civilization is designed in such a way people are taught to pursue
sense gratification without considering there is an ultimate event
that is going to come at the end of life and the purpose of life is
to understand how to deal with that final event.
Sivarama
Swami advised me to be with my mother at the time of death for in
that way I could pay back the debt I owed to my mother, and that was
one reason I was there.
Kalakantha Prabhu:
Bhismadeva,
celebrated as the grandfather of the Pandavas, was so dear to Arjuna
he was willing to renounce his occupation as a fighter rather than to
fight with him.
The
fact is that Bhagavad-gita
is
considered by the scholars to be a very authentic text, without
disputes about the original text, unlike many major religious
scriptures.
Utsaha,
enthusiasm,
means to put a little energy in to doing things nicely for Krishna.
To be enthusiastic to serve our creator is our actual position.
When
you are sick, focus your devotional energy on chanting your rounds.
Prevention
is worth days of recuperation.
When
I was a new devotee, there was a devotee who was struggling like
anything to stay awake while chanting in the morning on his beads. He
finally asked the temple president if he could go upstairs and take
rest. When the temple president said “Yes,” the devotee
exclaimed, “Jaya!” and ran up the stairs to take rest. This made
a big impression on me—most fatigue is mental.
Fatigue
is overcome by regulation. Go to sleep early.
from
a discussion after lunch:
When
packing a car, it is best to put the biggest item in first, and then
pack the other smaller items around it. If you put the smaller things
in first, you may not have room for the biggest one. Similarly with
our spiritual life, we should put our spiritual practice first, and
fit the other aspects of our life, our family, our work, etc., around
that. If we prioritize our family and our work and other things, we
may find we have no time for our spiritual practice, and our life may
be wasted without profiting spiritually.
from
a Sunday feast lecture in Alachua:
Yamuna
Prabhu explained that the recording session that George Harrison did
to make the Radha Krishna temple album went late into the night. All
the devotees fell asleep except Yamuna who played the harmonium and
sang a bhajana,
a
devotional song, that she had heard Srila Prabhupada sing many times,
Bhajahu
Re Mana, as
she waited for George to finish mixing the recordings.
George
recorded her singing without her knowing, and decided to include it
in the album. Yamuna protested vehemently, but George liked it and
included it anyway. Some of the words were wrong and the verses were
in the wrong order, but Srila Prabhupada liked it very much, and said
she could fix it later.
There
are sixty trillion cells in the human body, and the creepy thing is
that only ten trillion cells are human, the others being symbiotic or
parasitic.
It
is not by guilt, fear, coersion, that we advance in devotional
service.
We
have to be happier performing devotional service, however faulty,
than pursuing sense gratification, however successfully.
“O
Lord please let me serve you.” I had never heard that prayer in all
my life. Usually it is “O Lord give me this or that.”
That
is why we like that bhajana
(“Bhajahu
Re Mana”)
so much because it has Srila Prabhupada’s name, Abhaya
Caranaravindam.
Srila
Prabhupada said that if we just once say, “Krishna, take me, I’m
yours” that we may forget it or change our minds, but Krishna never
will, and He will make all arrangements for us.
Caru
asked Srila Prabhupada how long it takes to become purified once in
Australia when he was alone in Srila Prabhupada’s room. Srila
Prabhupada replied, “About forty years.”
With
what ever discretionary time you have, engage in your favorite
devotional service, and you will advance more and more.
Q:
Is our spiritual progress stalled if we do not follow the
instructions of Krishna’s representative?
A:
Yes. Krishna has sent this representative to us, so we must take
advantage. Srila Prabhupada said we should not try to become big
paramahamsas,
but
rather we should hang on to his dhoti,
for
he knows the back door to the spiritual world.
We
can tell we are advancing when we spontaneously avoid things
detrimental to devotional service because they are no longer
appealing.
Even
though they may not know a lot, no one can tell them they are not
happy in devotional service. That is nistha
or
steadiness.
If
you are enjoying japa
you
have made advancement.
If
we had one-tenth as much faith in Krishna as we do that we are our
body, we would attain Krishna prema
[love
of God].
Sesa
Prabhu:
Srila
Prabhupada was not so much interested in propagating a religion as
giving people the opportunity to have their consciousness fully
blossom.
One’s
character is a manifestation of one’s consciousness.
Mahabharata
addresses
who is qualified to be the ruler of the entire world, and can be said
to be about properly governing the world and not about religion.
One
can take Mahabharata
as
a job interview by Krishna, the paramesvara
(supreme
controller), for the position of ruler of the world.
Employers
hire for competence and fire for character.
Employers
look for ability, track record, character, positive attitude, and
enthusiasm.
Duryodhana
was asked to find someone greater than himself, and he could not.
Yudhisthira was asked to find someone less than himself, and he could
not. This indicates that Duryodhana was narcissistic, proud,
bombastic, etc. Would you want to hire someone like that? Often when
people have these bad qualities, they have other bad qualities
because of not being able to deal properly with other people.
Recently many military leaders have been found to have other serious
character flaws.
There
is a path to full developed consciousness that people have followed
in the past and which can be followed even now.
Shiva
drank an ocean of poison to save humanity from its ill effects.
At
a petrol station in India one devotee asked a local student who knew
English what he wanted to do with his life. He said that he wanted to
do something to bring honor to his father’s name. You won’t get a
response like that in America! That is just a remnant of the Vedic
culture.
Svayambhuva
Manu would use his free time to study the scripture to become a
better leader, not to enjoy his senses in different ways.
The
real solution to different ills like violence in society is to change
the consciousness of the people. Mahabharata
gives
knowledge by which we can do that.
To
make mistakes is human, but as our consciousness develops, we learn
from our mistakes.
Bhaktisiddhanta
Sarasvati Thakura says others cannot harm us unless we harm
ourselves. So just to protect ourselves it is in our self-interest to
develop our character.
We
can be overcome by lust but if we take shelter of the Lord, He will
protect us.
Superficial
change is not real change.
comment
by Vaishnava dasa: I did not make a plan to be clean, but just by
engaging in devotional service that came naturally.
The
the asrama divisions in varnasrama follow the natural
changes of our body.
The
details of what we do might change but the reason we do things, to
please Krishna, does not change.
Change
should be made to develop our devotional service rather than as a
reduction.
The
instruction to stay in your own position does not mean to be
complacent.
comment
by a devotee: Srila Prabhupada used the analogy of cleaning a room to
explain how when we begin our spiritual practice it seems that our
life initially gets more complicated and confusing.
Q:
What should we do when devotees disagree about what is a principle
and what is a detail?
A:
There is a principle of ista-gosthi,
whereby
which the devotees discuss the subject in detail, and then even if
there seems to be no resolution, you will get mercy from Krishna from
following His process of ista-gosthi.
Fault-finding
is a very dangerous quality.
When
we find faults, that person’s fault does not become magnified,
rather our bad qualities become magnified.
Martin
Luther King says he has a dream of a day when one is judged not by
the color of his skin but by the content of his character.
When
I was a brahmacari
in
LA in the 1970s, the brahmacaris
would
take prasadam
together,
mostly in silence. One day one brahmacari
said,
“Baseball season starts today.” He could have been advising us of
good opportunities for harinama
or
book distribution, but we did not give him a chance. Instead we got
on his case for being in maya
for
talking of materialistic things
because
in those days we were very fanatical.
There
are different kinds of intelligence, and if a manager because of
being attached to a particular one, and not appreciating others,
discourages a person that can be very detrimental.
Mostly
the criticism is more about the person who makes criticism than the
person who is criticized.
Motivations
for criticism:
- gaining a sense of superiority.
- getting back at someone
- establish our position as being the best
- to distract people from considering our own faults
The
pure soul is devoid of the quality of fault-finding.
If
we can find faults in ourselves, we are in a better position to learn
from others’ criticism of ourselves.
comment
by Dorian: Before Einstein was a great physicist he worked in a
patent office, and his boss said that he would never amount to
anything, and he said it just made him work harder.
Bhaktisiddhanta
Sarasvati Thakura said, “Look within. Amend yourself rather than
pry into the faults of others. Cultivate patience, humility, and
respect for others”.
some
verses related to the topic of fault-finding from Krishna-kripa das:
“The
worker who is always engaged in work against the injunctions of the
scripture, who is materialistic, obstinate, cheating and expert in
insulting others, and who is lazy, always morose and procrastinating
is said to be a worker in the mode of ignorance.” (Bhagavad-gita
18.28)
“One
should mentally honor the devotee who chants the holy name of Lord
Krishna, one should offer humble obeisances to the devotee who has
undergone spiritual initiation [diksa]
and is engaged in worshiping the Deity, and one should associate with
and faithfully serve that Pure devotee who is advanced in undeviated
devotional service and whose heart is completely devoid of the
propensity to criticize others.
(Nectar
of Instruction, verse
5)
Tattva-vit
Prabhu:
Desire
to serve the Lord personally does not imply service the Lord alone or
without any intermediate.
Srila
Prabhupada says becoming the servant of the Lord’s servants is the
sum and substance of life. Narottama Dasa Thakura prays in that mood,
“tadera
carana-sebi-bhakta-sane bas—May
I live with those devotees who serve the lotus feet of these six
Gosvamis.”
Preachers
should serve the Lord purely and joyfully to inspire others.
Our
body, life, and ego are Krishna’s energy, and thus ultimately
Krishna Himself.
Srila
Prabhupada writes in The
Nectar of Instruction that
the first business of spiritual life is to train the senses and the
mind.
By
associating with devotees one will also come to desire eagerness to
serve Krishna.
Srila
Prabhupada told a reporter that his message could be very widely
accepted if “they would hear it.”
comment
by Bhakta Marlon:
Because the self is part of Krishna if you present Krishna
consciousness by telling people its about themselves that will be
more appealing to them than telling them that its is about Krishna,
who they are not so interested in.
Dana-keli
Prabhu:
We
hear about the pastimes so we can become purified and hear about
about the pastimes in a deeper way.
Tamal
Krishna Goswami in his Ph.D. dissertation explains that Srila
Prabhupada special contribution was that he digested all the truths
presented by the previous teachers in the spiritual line and expertly
presented them for the modern world.
We
may have difficulties in our spiritual practice but if we never
abandon the association of devotees, ultimately we will attain
success.
One
thing that attracted me in the beginning of my practice of Krishna
consciousness, was the idea that I have a relationship with God that
is completely unique, not like that of anyone else’s, and I wanted
to experience that.
One
person would trick his mind into doing book distribution. When the
mind would protest his program of going downtown and distributing
books, he would tell his mind, “We are not going to distribute
books. We just going to put books in the car and drive downtown.”
When he got downtown, his mind would again protest, and he would say,
“We are not going to distribute books, we are just going to get out
of the car with a bag of books, and walk around.” So he got out of
the car with the books and wandered around. When the mind was again
worried about distributing books, he would say, “We are not going
to distribute books, we are just going to say ‘Hello’ to people.”
And by going on and on in this way, he tricked his mind into
distributing books.
If
we want to read the advanced Vaishnava literature Srila Prabhupada
recommended in Sri
Caitanya-caritamrita, it
is good to do it in the association of devotees.
Madhava
Prabhu (from Alachua):
Twice
Prabhupada spoke on the teachings of Queen Kunti and from those
lectures, the BBT was able to publish the book Teachings
of Queen Kunti.
To
take shelter of Krishna alone is the great lesson we can learn from
Kunti and her sons, the Pandavas. Vyasadeva teaches this important
lesson in the very beginning Srimad-Bhagavatam.
Q:
In Mahabharata
Krishna
asks Arjuna to get weapons from the demigods for use in the battle,
so some people argue that it is alright to worship the demigods.
A:
Krishna is sending Arjuna to his devotees to get the blessings of his
devotees, the demigods. It is not that Arjuna is thinking that the
demigods can offer him something that Krishna can’t.
Prema
Manjari dd:
This
is the most important of Kunti’s prayers as it is very rare that
someone prays for more calamities.
In
a crisis our whole world may fall apart. We may feel fear,
depression, etc. Some people fall apart emotionally. Even after the
crisis, people continue to suffer for years because of not being able
to process what happened.
Psychologists
who have analyzed post-traumatic-stress syndrome say those who suffer
the most are those who consider themselves as victims.
On
the other hand, there are cases of post-traumatic growth, which is a
exciting field of new research in psychology. This is symptomized by
greater psychological, emotional, and spiritual confidence, greater
compassion, increased faith in self and others, more capacity for
intimacy, gratitude, etc.
The
crisis is an opportunity for us to apply the spiritual knowledge we
have acquired, especially by taking completely shelter of Krishna.
This
world is not a place where we can be comfortable and happy, but
unfortunately most of us do not believe that. Thus Krishna needs to
create situations for us to realize this. It is best to see
calamities in this way.
After
being in the holy dhama,
when
you return to the West the power of the material energy to impede our
spiritual progress is very obvious.
Rohini
Kumara Prabhu:
The
coach of a team that twice won the Super Bowl said, “Everyone wants
to win. My teams wants to prepare to win.”
Caitanya
dasi from Krishna House:
Hearing
from the learned devotees while in Vrndavana, a common theme was that
theoretical spiritual knowledge becomes realized more and more by
sharing it with others.
My
japa
at
Radha Damodara temple was very sweet, but it was not my doing it.
Nanda
Kumar Prabhu:
What
is striking about the narration of the prostitute Pingala, who
because of frustration in her profession, surrendered to Krishna?
Typically
misery causes frustration, but Pingala’s frustration brought
detachment and knowledge. That was due to her past devotional
activities.
comment
by Tulasirani dd: Although sensual enjoyment is glorified in human
society, Pingala the prostitute, comes to the conclusion that it is
all useless, and that is very rare, and thus very striking.
comment
by Indian student guest: The narration shows how even the most sinful
person can get the mercy of the Lord.
Arjuna
Prabhu:
It
is a goal of mine to see how each of the chapters of Bhagavad-gita
contributes
to Krishna’s point that He is obtained by bhakti.
Tulasirani
dd:
We
were coming back from Festival of Inspiration, and we were really
tired. The person who was driving swerved off the road. I cried out
Krishna like I had never before done in my life. One of the girls was
unconscious and covered with blood, and I knew she was not going to
live, so I just chanted Hare Krishna and talked to her about Krishna.
I was able to do that because I had just heard from my spiritual
master at the Festival of Inspiration. There is nothing that anyone
could have done for me in that car accident, except to tell me to
remember Krishna. Earlier that very day my friend had said, “If I
died today I would be so satisfied because I feel that I have this
warm blanket of Krishna’s love around me.” I was so upset they
took us to separate hospitals, because I would not be able help her
remember Krishna, so I prayed to Srila Prabhupada and Krishna. Turns
out she was taken to a hospital where a devotee doctor was on duty
and happened to remember her name and called all the devotees, and
they came and were able to help her remember Krishna at the end of
her life. This car accident helped me realize that death can come at
any moment.
A
friend was telling me that Krishna is the only one she has, all
others will be taken away from us. I was surprised to hear she had
such an advanced realization.
The
devotees are valuable because they remind us to remember Krishna.
I
asked one of my friends what made her so inspired. She said, “I
think if this was the last day of my life, what are all the things I
would do to please Krishna on this day, and then I try to act that
way.”
We
are dependent on Krishna, but it is up to us to depend on Krishna.
When
you are in distress, where do find solace? What are you taking
shelter of? It is good to step back and see, was I trying to take
shelter of Krishna or something temporary?
We
should be making plans to become more attracted to thinking of
Krishna by hearing about Him and seriously chanting His holy names.
We
should visit the holy dhamas
to
increase our attraction to Krishna.
Death
is something that happens to everyone, yet we talk about so many
nonsensical things but we do not want to talk about death.
Prepare
for death is not as difficult as preparing for many tests. Going to
mangala-arati
and
singing and dancing with your friends is easier than studying for
many other tests.
Q:
We make so many plans, getting our Ph.D., getting a job, etc.
A:
As a duty to your family and Krishna you have to have to make plans,
but you also have to spend time completely absorbed in sadhana
[your spiritual practice] every day.
unspoken
comments by Krishna-kripa das on the topic of the class:
In
the Vishnu
Purana
it is written:
sa
hanis tan mahac chidram
sa mohah sa ca vibhramah
sa mohah sa ca vibhramah
yan-muhurtam
kṣaṇam vapi
vasudevam
na cintayet
“If
even for a moment remembrance of Vasudeva, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, is missed, that is the greatest loss, that is the greatest
illusion, and that is the greatest anomaly.”
yasyam
vai sruyamanayam
krsne
parama-puruse
bhaktir
utpadyate pumsah
soka-moha-bhayapaha
“Simply
by giving aural reception to this Vedic literature, the feeling for
loving devotional service to Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, sprouts up at once to extinguish the fire of lamentation,
illusion and fearfulness.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam
1.7.7)
Vaishnava
Dasa:
Radharani
accused Krishna of being impure for killing Aristasura because he had
the body of a bull, so Krishna called all the holy rivers to fill up
Syama-kunda and he bathed there. Then he accused Radha of being
impure for siding with a demon, and demanded that she purify Herself.
Jai
Nitai Gauranga Prabhu:
If
a scientist takes a dead mosquito he cannot repair it by taking body
parts from other mosquitos. That is not possible.
We
can ask ourselves how can manifest sincerity in my life now.
Dr.
Dina Bandhu Prabhu:
Spiritual
life includes material life, but my experience is that material life
does not always include spiritual life.
Now
at age 33, after 28 years of education I am a practicing physician,
but in all that education I was never taught anything about the needs
of the soul. I experienced difference levels of attainment in life
but not the increased happiness I expected from that attainment. I
was never taught that there is a spiritual goal for this human form
of life.
When
I would inquire about causes of the suffering in this world from
people in the course of my life, they would generally discourage me,
wondering why I wanted to think about such negative things.
Ultimately
we take intoxication because we are not satisfied in ourselves or
with our relationships.
What
is required in spiritual life is to be open minded and be willing to
try the experiment.
If
a spiritual practice is bona fide, we should see some positive
results from our practice.
comment
by Amrita Keli dd: When I am absorbed in material consciousness,
seeing devotees happily engaged in devotional service, makes me so
happy.
comment
by Matt: I was doing my own meditation and self-study, and I had come
to some conclusions, but until I met the devotees, I never really
had this well of bliss within me.
comment
by Tulasirani dd: I was in Mayapur chanting with thousands of people
from over 40 countries, and it was bliss to be with so many people
chanting together from all different background. It is my dream to
bring everyone there.
comments
by Laura: I was agnostic before. I chanted Hare Krishna and found I
was more peaceful and less angry. Why don’t I go around believing
in God for a while and see if it makes a difference. So I did.
When
you associate with people who have had spiritual experience their
sincerity is very contagious.
from
a conversation in Krishna House after hearing about Prabhupada in
1966 in New York City:
Krishna-kripa
das:
I
had a friend who in the beginning of his experience with Krishna
consciousness was still getting high on marijuana. He noticed that
the marijuana brought him down from the pleasure of chanting Hare
Krishna, and so he gave it up.
Tulasirani
dd:
When
I first met the devotees in Ohio I had a habit of going to the bar
every night, and so I would have them drop me off at the bar after
the kirtana
programs,
saying they did not have to take me all the way home but could drop
me downtown. After a while I noticed that drinking and the atmosphere
of the bar did not feel so enjoyable anymore, so I would chant Hare
Krishna more and go to the bar less.
The
secret of Krishna consciousness is to stop endeavoring for your own
happiness, but to try to act for Krishna’s happiness. Then you will
find you become happier than you ever were before.
Hanan
Prabhu:
I
read Prabhupada’s books and lived in India, and felt that all my
problems were all solved. But then when I returned to Israel, so many
problems arose. We had to leave our place because it was going to be
demolished, and then the Israeli army called me back for a month of
service, and I had to rethink things.
story
by Anna Angel: My father left home, leaving my mother with eight
children to bring up, which upset me greatly. After many years,
hearing I had some children, my father contacted me for the first
time, wanting to see them, but I told him he could not. Four years
later he died, and I had never seen him since he left. I felt very
guilty and suffered greatly over it, but I came out realizing that
without forgiveness we cannot progress spiritually.
One
friend, who is being treated for cancer, said that they always tell
the cancer patients that they are the cause of their disease, and
then have to take responsibility for that, and then they can cure it.
When
I am serving the Krishna Lunch, people come up and ask me why
Bhagavad-gita
is
spoken on a battlefield, so I tell them in two minutes while I am
serving the rice, that Krishna is teaching that by
raising your consciousness you can do the most difficult thing in the
most difficult place.
How
to deal with difficulties?
- respond with prayer
- to react according to dharma
- get spiritual support
If
a child gets up and tries to walk, adults nearby will come and help
him so he does not fall over. However, if does not get up and try, no
one will come to help. In the same way, God helps those who make some
endeavor on their own.
There
is a story from the Upanishads
that
is an analogy to our spiritual awakening. A merchant wanders through
the forest, and is trapped by a tribe looking for a king, and
rendered unconsciousness with a loss of memory of his former
existence. They find the merchant has all the qualities they need, so
they make him king. Later the brother of the merchant passes through
the kingdom and is surprised to find his brother is king. But his
brother the king could not recognize him. The brother read up on the
tribe and found out the get a new king each year, and then cook the
old king, and eat his body, thinking they will gain some of his
qualities. So his brother tells the king of his actual situation, and
after some time, was able to convince him of their relationship as
brothers.
Why
is bhakti
the easiest yoga?
Here
are some reasons:
- You do not have to have any material qualification to begin bhakti.
- The Lord helps you because you are approaching Him directly and He is reciprocal.
- You can engage all your abilities and all your emotions in it.
- You can do it twenty-four hours a day.
Practicing
yoga is like keeping a spark in the fire. Without being in the fire,
it will be extinguished.
-----
svasty
astu visvasya khalah prasidatam
dhyayantu
a sivam mitho dhiya
manas
ca bhadram bhajatad adhoksaje
avesyatam
no matir apy ahaituki
“[Prahlada
Maharaja prayed:] May there be good fortune throughout the universe,
and may all envious persons be pacified. May all living entities
become calm by practicing bhakti-yoga,
for by accepting devotional service they will think of each other’s
welfare. Therefore let us all engage in the service of the supreme
transcendence, Lord Sri Krishna, and always remain absorbed in
thought of Him.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam
5.18.9)