Diary
of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 11, No. 19
By Krishna-kripa das
(October 2015, part one)
By Krishna-kripa das
(October 2015, part one)
New
York City
(Sent from Brooklyn, New York, on October 17, 2015)
(Sent from Brooklyn, New York, on October 17, 2015)
Where
I Went and What I Did
In
the first half of October, I stayed with the Brooklyn Harinama
Ashram, run by Abhiram and Rama Raya Prabhus, and I chanted six hours
a day, seven days a week, mostly in Union Square, sometimes leading
the chanting, sometimes dancing and distributing invitations and
pamphlets, and sometimes working the book table.
During
this period we were visited by Jayadvaita Swami and Janananda
Goswami. I also gave lectures at Atmanivedana Prabhu’s program
one Saturday evening at 26 Second Avenue, and the next Saturday at
the ISKCON program in Queens. I am rememorizing chapter one of
Bhagavad-gita
this
month
and
learning a new beat on the drum from Ananta Gauranga Prabhu. After a
virtual absence of about six months, I am back to answering questions
on Krishna.com Live Help again. I am very happy to have caught up on
this journal, so I can
write
about the present instead of the past.
I
share excerpts from the online journal of Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami. I
share notes on lectures at the Harinama Ashram by Jayadvaita Swami,
Abhiram Prabhu, Rama Raya Prabhu, Madhavendra Puri Prabhu, Bhakta
Avatar Prabhu, Babhru Prabhu, and Acarya-nistha Prabhu. I share notes on a Srila Prabhupada
remembrances videos featuring Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, Jayapataka Swami, Gargamuni Prabhu,
Guru-kripa Prabhu, Narayani Devi Dasi, and Rupa Vilas Prabhu.
I
would like to thank Atmanivedana Prabhu for his kind donation and
also the Bhakta Lawrence, who regular serves at the Brooklyn
temple and attends the program in Queens.
Itinerary
September
28–November 12: New York City Harinama
November
13: Philadelphia
November
14–17: Washington, D.C., Harinama
November
18: Jacksonville, FL
November
19: Tampa
November
20: Orlando
November
21–December 15: Krishna House (except 5 days in Tallahassee)
December
16–January 3: New York City Harinama
Mostly
we chanted in Union Square Park, except for a few rainy days where we
went underground.
At
Union Square, we were visited by Janananda Goswami, who is originally
from the UK and my authority there in The North of England in the
summer.
Janananda
Goswami greatly praised the work of Rama Raya Prabhu in establishing
this six-hour daily harinama
program
in New York City. He reminded us that in the 1970s, before book
distribution became popular, Hare
Krishna devotees
often chanted eight or ten hours a day in the streets. Now this
harinama
program
in New York City is unique. Janananda Goswami promised to join us for
a week next year as next October is the fiftieth anniversary of the
public
chanting of Hare Krishna in the West, which was established at
Tompkins Square Park on October 9, 1966.
This
time he stayed with us about two hours, leading the chanting for
about forty minutes and listening to Garrison sing and talking with
devotees the rest of the time. His visit, although brief, was an
inspiration for me. Here he is leading the chanting
(https://youtu.be/-VR2sEcHU_4):
One
little girl, who played the shakers briefly with us, wanted to have
her picture taken with the party.
Later
we were visited by Jayadvaita Swami, who sang the tune popularly
known as “The Prabhupada Tune” for about an hour.
In
this picture, he is a responding singer.
Kalyani
Devi Dasi danced with one girl while her friend took photos.
The
other girl then danced while the first girl took photos.
Finally
they both danced.
A
couple danced, the guy with his guitar.
A
lady danced with her daughter,
even
swinging her around.
And
older lady took pictures for a while.
And
then burst into an ecstatic dance.
And he came back this October to celebrate his fourth.
Recently
many book distributors have been joining our party for some days at
Union Square. Babhru Prabhu, a brahmacari who you see
ecstatically dancing with us in some of the videos, has been with us
several weeks.
Here
Brajananda Prabhu sold a young lady both a Srimad-Bhagavatam
volume 1 and a Science of Self-Realization. Initially she
was not interested in getting a book, but somehow he convinced her to
take Science of Self-Realization, and she gave five dollars.
He told her if she threw in another five, he would give her the
Bhagavatam, and so she did.
Here
Acarya-nistha Prabhu, holding several books under his arm, plays the
drum of a passerby.
The
evening kirtanas at Union Square are generally the most
lively. Here is one with Ananta Gauranga Prabhu leading
(https://youtu.be/FXHSWo6gHm8):
Here
are two with lead singer Rama Raya Prabhu, whose intensity in kirtana
is reminiscent of his inspiration, Aindra Prabhu
(https://youtu.be/p-r0NkaC0XE
and https://youtu.be/6klshrRQXY8):
You
can watch the New York City Harinama live every day online at
www.mayapur.tv.
Chanting
in Union Square Subway Station
When
rain would occur in the middle of our session, we would descend into
the Union Square subway station. Sometimes the chanting there would
be quite lively. Here is a video of Rama Raya Prabhu chanting there
(https://youtu.be/qifXFX-ufws):
Chanting
in Jackson Heights / Roosevelt Avenue Subway Station
On
completely rainy days we would sing in different subway stations such
as Jackson Heights / Roosevelt Avenue. There are many Indian people
and many Hispanic people who use the Jackson Heights / Roosevelt
Avenue subway station, and a higher percentage of them than average
appreciates our activities. Also compared to the other subway
stations, more devotees and onlookers participate in the dancing
there.
Here
is a video of Tulasi Das Prabhu singing there
(https://youtu.be/3p-tfNO7mJk):
And
here is one of Brajaraja Prabhu singing there
(https://youtu.be/Z1OKsi9Tpik):
To
see the pictures I did not include in this journal, click on the link
below:
Insights
Jayapataka
Swami:
From
a Srila Prabhupada remembrance video:
Srila
Prabhupada’s guru told him to preach in the West and he did that
successfully, but he saw how India was becoming degraded and losing
its culture, and thought, “How can I stand by and let this happen?”
Comment
by Brahmananda Prabhu: The Deity Dvarakadhisa in Los Angeles spoke to
Prabhupada, telling him to go back to India.
Satsvarupa
Dasa Goswami:
From
“Poem for October 5”:
Prabhupada
said haribol
was
“a shortcut for the Hare Krishna mantra.”
From
Prabhupada Remembrances #46:
He
impressed me like the Buddha, sitting cross-legged and his chest
bare. I was interested in Eastern thought.
They
had straw mats. Prabhupada also had a straw mat.
He
started the kirtana
very
slowly.
I
was impressed with the kirtana
and
with him.
He
was the first Indian teacher I met.
His
gravity and grandfatherlyness I liked very much.
My
first question was “Is there freedom from miseries?”
He
said, “No, you can break your arm, go to the hospital, and get it
fixed, and then you can break another bone. Then it continues next
life. Only by getting liberation does misery end.”
I
asked in his room alone with him “Is there a level of advancement
which you do not fall down from?”
He
answered, “Yes.”
From
the first night I met him all my bad habits went away by themselves.
I
did not go to the first initiation but I did do some typing for him
which I brought the next day. He asked why I missed the initiation. I
said I did some typing and gave it to him.
He
said, “I will love you if you love me.” I looked within my self
for reasons that I might not love him and I kicked it all out.
Srila
Prabhupada had Dr. Radhakrishnan’s Bhagavad-gita
and
some of the other boys also got them. He
said, “Don’t
read the purport at all. It is contaminating.”
I
asked about if at initiation is the karma removed. He answered with
the fan analogy. Initiation is like unplugging the fan on your karma,
which gradually stops.
I
did not have a problem that my parents rejected me. I accepted Srila
Prabhupada was my father.
Tamal
Krishna Goswami wondered if it was alright to write his mother
regularly when he took sannyasa.
Srila
Prabhupada asked, “Do
you wish to make your mother a special object of your mercy?” Tamal
Krishna Goswami decided that he should not write his mother quite so
often but to occasionally write her.
Prabhupada
would make the point that everyone has to bow down. You have to bow
down to “old age.”
Once
he wanted me to go to a bank in Calcutta and get something done. They
would not do it. I returned. Prabhupada said I should have got in
writing the reason for the refusal, and that would have been
progressive, but that I had failed to accomplish anything.
He
said I was a perfect gentlemen but I could not manage.
Jayadvaita
Swami:
Kirtana
is chanting the names or the glories of
Krishna. Both are krishna-kirtana.
Anything
short of pure devotional service has some sin mixed in with it.
People
are attracted by the bright faces of the devotees chanting on
sankirtana.
Their
bright faces are the mercy of Lord Caitanya. Imagine how people would
be attracted by seeing Lord Caitanya’s own wonderful form!
Anga
can
mean “limb”. We refer to someone’s “right-hand man”. Thus
“anga”
can refer to the devotees with whom Lord Caitanya performs His
pastimes.
Speculative
knowledge is knowledge that does not lead to devotional service.
If
we become proud of our devotional knowledge that becomes an
impediment to our devotional service.
If
you are devotee, but you are not learned, better to say you do not
know rather than make something up, and then consult someone who
actually knows.
Srila
Prabhupada explained that realized knowledge means you can apply it.
Even
those who do not believe in a divinity must accept the existence of a
superior power.
Maya
does not just have one arrow in her quiver.
We
cannot overcome maya,
unless
we surrender to Krishna.
The
more we try to conquer maya
the
more we are defeated. Nuclear power was originally advertised as
clean power. Now even to analyze the options for dealing with the
waste from these power plants is a multi-million dollar, multi-year
task.
Q:
With the sankirtana
going
on how is it there is a five-year drought in California?
A:
How much sankirtana
is
going on and how much sinful activity is going on? San
Francisco alone is enough to sink California.
There
is a kirtana
rabbi
in New York City with a harmonium who sings Jewish prayers.
Q:
Cynics decry religions promising a better after life if you renounce
sense enjoyment.
A:
Even in this life, if you go all out to experience sense enjoyment,
you will find yourself in misery.
Koheleth
takes a very empirical approach to life yet he accepts God without
question. He wonders why the good appear to be punished and the evil
to be rewarded, and thus he doubts.
Q:
What is your personal take away from the experience of writing this
book?
A:
I have a deeper appreciation of Ecclesiastes from reading the
scholars commentaries on it. I also have a deeper appreciation of
Srila Prabhupada, and his Bhagavad-gita
and
Srimad-Bhagavatam,
and
the knowledge they give. Even just to explain what we see, the Vedic
literature is valuable, what to speak of explaining what is beyond.
Abhiram Prabhu:
It
took centuries of fighting to convince Gajendra that his situation
was hopeless and death was near and take he should take shelter of
the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
There
are people who feel their lives are so empty they play their
television 24 hours a day so they feel that something is happening.
But what is a television show but patterns of light on a screen?
People
are waiting for the apocalypse to take Srila Prabhupada’s
instructions to implement varnasrama
seriously,
but the apocalypse is now. One in three people will die of cancer.
The embryo is not even safe in the womb of his mother. Worst of all,
there is no spiritual knowledge, so in frustration one cannot even
turn to God.
The
purpose of Srila Prabhupada coming on the boat across the ocean was
to present this knowledge in a variety of ways for our enlightenment.
I
was sitting with Srila Prabhupada in his last days. As I was
massaging Srila Prabhupada I heard this conversation:
Srila
Prabhupada: I do have one lamentation.
Brahmananda:
Because you did not finish Srimad-Bhagavatam,
Srila
Prabhupada?
Srila
Prabhupada: No, that I did not establish varnasrama.
Another
time I recall this conversation:
Srila
Prabhupada: I will teach you varnasrama.
Abhiram Prabhu: How will you do that?
Srila
Prabhupada: I will go to Gitanagari, I will sit down, and I will show
you how to live off the land.
In
India you will see the mother cow will be lying down and even monkeys
and dogs will take milk from her, and she does not complain.
Srila
Prabhupada felt the suffering of the people in general, and he wanted
to help them.
Death
never announces itself. It just comes and takes us.
Q:
What is the importance of going to Vrindavan?
A:
It is part of Srila Prabhupada proscription for us, to come yearly,
if possible to Vrindavan and see where Krishna performed his
pastimes.
We
can be more in Vrindavan by chanting in Union Square than wondering
around Vrindavan looking for a pizza.
In
New
York City
if you are not Krishna consciousness, you will be seriously in maya,
and
that can motivate you to be very serious.
But
in the holy dhama,
if
you are not careful, you can drift along without getting serious
about Krishna consciousness.
Unfortunately
egalitarianism does not bring us to respect everyone but to respect
no one.
Gargamuni
Prabhu:
From
a Srila Prabhupada remembrance video:
Srila
Prabhupada wanted three cars, one each for his main ISKCON centers in
India. The foreign cars could not handle the India roads, so he
wanted me to get cars from Birla. At that time, there was a waiting
list of 7,000 people to get a car, but Prabhupada wanted the cars
immediately, so I talked to Mr. Birla personally and obtained them.
In
those days there was no quality control, and we took the cars apart
and rebuilt them to make sure they were in order.
Srila
Prabhupada was doing everything through us and thus he deserves the
credit, but he would give us the credit. When I got the LA temple, in
the prema
dhvani, he
said, “Jaya Gargamuni!” but I knew it was his doing.
Srila
Prabhupada never made you feel bad. If he had to correct someone, he
would say something positive to you after.
Srila
Prabhupada would make you feel important as a servant of Krishna.
Guru-kripa
Prabhu:
From
a Srila Prabhupada remembrance video:
A
devotee appreciates Krishna in everything whereas the demon cannot.
Narayani
Devi Dasi:
From
a Srila Prabhupada remembrance video:
In
my initation letter, Srila Prabhupada told me to do six things. These
included:
chant
16 rounds
study
all our books
go
on sankirtana
do
deity worship
engage
24 hours in devotional service
In
another letter, Prabhupada stressed being enthusiastic, sincere and
cooperating with the devotees.
In
Calcutta, literally I was in rags. I tried to cover up the holes in
my sari
when
I offered obeisances to Srila Prabhupada but he must have noticed
because four days later one of our richest life members took me
shopping
to
three or four sari
shops
for saris.
And I never had any lack of saris
the
rest of my life.
Rupa
Vilasa Prabhu:
From
a Srila Prabhupada remembrance video:
I
asked Srila Prabhupada, “It is so difficult for us to get the
gurukula
kids
to do what we want. How can we do it?”
He
replied, “Point to a student who is doing nicely and tell the
others to act like him and that they will be happy if they do so.”
Rama
Raya Prabhu:
Attachment
to our own mental speculation is a great impediment to attaining pure
Krishna consciousness.
It
is our mission to facilitate everyone achieving ecstatic love of
Krishna.
Mirabhai
decided that no mortal man would touch her body. In other words, she
was meant for Krishna alone. Her family was greatly opposed to her
devotion to Krishna. Her envious brother sent her a basket with a
cobra in it telling her it was a beautiful salagram-sila
form
of Krishna for her to worship. His plan was she would open the basket
and be killed by the
cobra. When she opened the basket, however,
she found a beautiful salagram-sila.
That
salagram-sila
exists
in a
temple in Vrindavan.
Our
mission is to bring people back to Godhead, and the mission of the
MTA [the New York City transit company] is to bring people from point
A to point B. They are sympathetic to our mission as long as we do
not impede their mission.
“I
will be true to you forever.” Sounds like a mundane love song. It
is a nice sentiment, but terribly misplaced.
Srila
Prabhupada showed how by remaining true to the disciplic succession
one can do amazing service to the Lord.
Bhaktivinoda
Thakura says a Vaishnava can be gauged by how many devotees he has
made in his life.
Srila
Prabhupada said that when kirtana
is
performed before Gaura Nitai, the center becomes all perfect.
Lord
Caitanya takes great pleasure in the distribution of love of God with
His associates.
When
you see the lila
of
the Lord you come to realize there is a vacancy in the lila
and
that is your part to fill.
None
of the other demigods came to rescue Gajendra because they could tell
his prayers were meant for the Supreme Lord Himself.
The
cheating religionists say things like, “You just believe in this
and do this little ritual, and you are good to go.”
There
is no greater leader of the Hare Krishna movement than Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu. He personally went out on
nagara-sankirtana with
His followers every day. He did not stay back, pushing pencils, and
send other people out. He had a real taste for it.
If
someone congratulates you for stopping your car at a red light, what
is that? You are just doing what you are supposed to. So if someone
glorifies us for doing the congregational chanting of the holy name
in public, what is that? It is the dharma. It is what we are supposed
to do.
Rather
than worrying about entering our rasa
with
Krishna, better aspire to enter Srila Prabhupada’s mood in “Markine
Bhagavat Dharma,” feeling sorry seeing the suffering of the people
and praying “I wish that You
may deliver them.”
If
Srila Prabhupada had not been committed to following the order of his
spiritual master, where would we be now?
Abhiram
Prabhu, who is a scholar of history, says that no religious movement
that has radically changed society has started in the parlors but in
the streets.
Srila
Prabhupada wants to empower us. Sometimes his disciples would do
offensive things, but he still would not want them to leave.
Gajendra
has come to the point of realizing that he has no alternative but to
surrender Krishna.
There
was one devotee who cried for Krishna for years in Vrindavan. He
cried so much he went blind, but he did not care because he
considered eyes that could not see the Divine Couple to be useless.
Radha and Krishna decided to be merciful to him. Radha touched one
eye and Krishna touched the other eye, thus restoring his sight, and
his first object of vision was the Divine Couple Themselves.
We
can only be happy in relationship with that person who is beyond
everything.
The
more we can give our heart to Krishna, the more we can understand
Krishna.
Because
Krishna never leaves Vrindavan, you cannot describe Krishna’s
activities in and out of Vrindavan in one volume. Thus Rupa Goswami
was requested to divide his drama into two parts.
Q:
Is is alright to become a doctor and help people?
A:
What about becoming
doctors
of the soul that can give Krishna prema
to
people?
Q:
What about doing both?
A:
The track record for doing both is not very good.
Madhavendra
Puri Prabhu:
The
impersonalists and materialists fail to understand the Lord has His
own primordial personality beyond this cosmic manifestation which He
is the source of.
The
devotees in England noticed that when walking around Titttenhurst
Srila Prabhupada, in his Wellington boots, was not pushing down the
grass as the other devotees were.
Comment
by Rama Raya Prabhu:
The
devotees in England asked, “How is it that your feet are not making
any impression in the ground?”
And
Srila Prabhupada replied, “For that you will have to advance in
devotional service.”
Although
Krishna has a spiritual body, when Bhimsa shot Him with arrows
Krishna manifested blood on this body for the pleasure of Bhimsa who
had a chivalrous relationship with Him. Similarly when Lord Caitanya
experienced transcendental ecstasy, blood came through his pores,
although His body is also spiritual.
When
Lord Caitanya saw anything even remotely related to Vrindavan, he at
once remembered Vrindavan and Krishna..
Acinya-bheda-abheda
tattva
is Lord Caitanya unification of the philosophy of the four Vaishnava
sampradayas
(spiritual lineages).
Krishna
is so absorbed in His emotional relationships with His devotees, He
actually forgets Himself.
Comment
by Rama Raya Prabhu:
Srila Prabhupada told Govinda Dasi, “Just come to my classes, and all your problems will be solved.”She found that hard to believe, but she came to the classes, and found her problems were solved, and she developed a great taste for hearing his classes.
Bhakta
Avatar Prabhu:
Lord
Caitanya was always seeking Radha Krishna and Their associates, and
Srila Prabhupada, by arranging for Radha-Madhava asta-sakhi-vrinda
to
appear on the altar in Mayapur, fulfilled His desire.
If
all the gods were equal then why would Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva
worship Lord Vishnu?
Srila
Prabhupada did not take a day off and play volleyball or go to the
movies.
In
Krishna consciousness eating, sleeping, and mating are all
spiritualized.
We
see that the kids brought up in Krishna consciousness are special.
Krishna
consciousness is always increasing. Srila Prabhupada started alone
with no money and a box of cereal and a few books.
I
was talking to someone on harinama
who
stops by every day and listens to the harinama.
Comment
by me: That is his sadhana
[daily
spiritual practice].
People
have never heard anything like the chanting.
Comments
by Rama Raya:
We are serving Krishna directly by serving the holy name. Instead of trying to see Krishna in a bush in Vrindavan, see Krishna in the spreading of the holy name.Eight million people come to Manhattan every day to work for Maya. Why can’t 10,000 people come to Manhattan to chant Hare Krishna?By thinking big for our spiritual master, we conquer over petty material desires.
Q:
How did your son Vrindavan become such a nice devotee?
A:
I just kept my son Vrindavan away from bad association. I took him to
all the temples and all the festivals. Only for one year did he go to
a karmi
school.
He was living with my father. The school was just across the street.
My father would take him to school in the morning, pick him up for
lunch, give him some vegetarian food, and take him back and pick him
up at the end of the day, and thus he could not pick up the
materialistic habits of the other kids.
One’s
peer group is very important for kids. It is important to have other
devotee kids to associate with.
More
important than giving up bad association is attaining good
association. My son spent nine years with Aindra Prabhu, beginning
when he was thirteen.
Comments
by Rama Raya Prabhu:
Aindra Prabhu told one gurukula kid, whatever you do, do not stop doing kirtana.Yamuna Devi was very concerned that the youth understand Srila Prabhupada’s love.Only two things are going on on harinama: inclination toward Krishna and disinclination toward Krishna.Since harinama sankirtana is very dear to the devotees of the Lord, we are pleasing countless devotees past, present, and future by our chanting.Within eight miles of salagrama-sila is considered a place of pilgrimage.
Mathuraprana
Krishna Das Prabhu:
The
devotees were asking Srila Prabhupada about whether it was alright to
chant this mantra or that mantra. Because they were all bona fide
mantras, Srila Prabhupada accepted them, but after each he said
mostly to chant the Hare Krishna mantra.
Comment
by Rama Raya Prabhu:
Devotees
do not think they are doing anything special because they are just
doing what they are supposed to be doing, serving the mission of Lord
Caitanya.
In
Srila Prabhupada’s books the most quoted verse is “Hare Krishna
Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna . . . ” The second most is “Harer
nama harer mana harinamaiva kelavam . . . ”
Why
should we make Krishna wait? He wants us to go back home back to
Godhead now.
Babhru
Prabhu:
God
reveals Himself to His devotee.
Madhavendra
Puri Prabhu says it is practically impossible to understand God
through science because Krishna has made it that way.
One
should accept a guru who has the qualities of an advanced devotee
that are described in the revealed literatures.
It
is important to understand where we are at spiritually. Five people
told me yesterday while distributing books on harinama
that
they had pure love for God.
Spiritual
advancement can be gradual or fast. It is up to us.
If
we are in the mood of giving up everything to understand Krishna,
then it will be possible to understand Him.
I
feel Krishna
book is the most important book Srila Prabhupada gave us. Krishna
book is full of Srila Prabhupada’s mercy.
Reading
the biographies of the great spiritual masters in our line can give
us faith that there is a state of love of God, and that it can be
attained by following them.
We
should pray for the mercy of the spiritual masters in our line. We
should cry for such mercy.
By
reading Srila Prabhupada’s writings and those of others in the line
we can be more and more inspired.
Everything
is revealed by the holy name. If we do not have a taste for the holy
name, we should serve more.
If
we offend a devotee, we should surrender to that devotee, be forgiven
and make up for it.
Comment
by Bhakta Avatar Prabhu:
As a new devotee I was asked to clean the bathroom. I thought, “I am a great personality. I have not cleaned a bathroom since I was a kid.” But I surrendered to it, and it was the most ecstatic experience.
Acarya-nistha Prabhu:
When
we give in to the whims of the mind and the senses we lose the chance
to remember to Krishna.
We
have to practice seeing that people are not their bodies.
We
have to staunchly execute devotional service in order to not be
affected by the material influences and to please Krishna by our
service.
If
we are on the platform of the soul, we will not be disturbed by the
material dualities.
To
follow the injunctions of the revealed scriptures will always be a
challenge for one attached to sense gratification.
It
is a special opportunity to act on behalf of the Lord. Not every one
has this opportunity. One who takes the opportunity comes to realize
how Krishna reciprocates with his devotees.
Comment
by Rama Raya Prabhu:
Sometimes people get attracted to reading the books of the previous acaryas [the spiritual teachers] and lose track of the task at hand, the preaching mission. It can actually be a trick of maya to distract us from the preaching.
The
main lack in society is a lack of Krishna prema, love of God.
Unless
we control our minds and senses, we will equate advance rasas
[intimate spiritual relationships with the Lord] with mundane
experience.
The
more we enjoy in youth, the more we suffer in old age and in the next
life.
We
do not know what to desire, and if we do not desire to assist our
spiritual master, you can be sure that maya will give us
something to desire.
If
you are preaching Krishna consciousness in a committed way, you are
already back to Godhead.
Comment
by John:
Abhiram Prabhu always quotes Srila Prabhupada as saying, “Take some trouble for Krishna. You will not be the loser.”
Natabara
Gauranga Prabhu:
From
a kitchen conversation:
Prasadam
does
not really go bad. Our consciousness goes bad.
Brajananda Prabhu:
From a dinner conversation:
Brajananda Prabhu:
From a dinner conversation:
Get
out of the drama, and into the Rama.
-----
Can
one attain perfection in this life? The answer is YES!
iha
yasya harer dasye
karmana manasa gira
nikhilasv apy avasthasu
jivan-muktah sa ucyate
karmana manasa gira
nikhilasv apy avasthasu
jivan-muktah sa ucyate
“A
person acting in Krishna consciousness (or, in other words, in the
service of Krishna) with his body, mind, intelligence and words is a
liberated person even within the material world, although he may be
engaged in many so-called material activities.”
(Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu
1.2.187, quoted in Bhagavad-gita
As It Is, verse
5.11,
purport)