Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 13, No. 12
By Krishna-kripa das
(June 2017, part two)
(Sent from Blackpool, England, on July 27, 2017)
By Krishna-kripa das
(June 2017, part two)
(Sent from Blackpool, England, on July 27, 2017)
Where
I Went and What I Did
I
chanted harinama
for
three hours daily in Paris for the second half of June. Our focus was
inviting people to the Ratha-yatra on July 2. Three devotees from
Mexico joined us the last week, and then the Harinama Ruci traveling
party joined us as the month came to an end. Hridayananda Goswami did
a Krishna West program in Paris consisting of two lectures, and I
attended part of each.
Aksayananda
Prabhu interviews devotees who have been practicing Krishna
consciousness for many years to inspire his congregation, and one day
he chose to interview me. If you are curious to hear the interview, click on this link,
https://youtu.be/T0L-0Cu8Evw.
https://youtu.be/T0L-0Cu8Evw.
I
share an excerpt from a conversation, a letter, and a purport by
Srila Prabhupada. I share quotes from Sri
Ksetra by
Sripada
Sundarananda Vidyavinoda, a disciple of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati
Thakura, which is soon to be published by Touchstone Publishing. I
include excerpts from Japa
Transformations, My Relationship With Lord Krishna and
Soul
Eyes, a
book of poems, all by Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, as well as a poem from
his online journal.
I
proofread the Srila
Prabhupada Tributes books,
and I include excerpts from offerings by Jayadvaita Swami, Bir
Krishna Goswami, Giridhari Swami, Janananda Goswami, and Bhurijana
Prabhu in this issue. I share notes on lectures in Paris by
Hridayananda Dasa Goswami and Janananda Goswami, and other senior
Prabhupada disciples, Adikarta and Pitavasa Prabhus. I also share
notes on lectures by Titiksu Prabhu, Bhavasindhu Prabhu, Rajadharma
Prabhu, Nitai Gaurasundara Prabhu, Nrsimha Kavaca Prabhu, Vicaru
Prabhu, Aksayananda Prabhu, Acarya Nistha Prabhu, and Dharmaraja
Prabhu from Mexico.
Thanks
to Adikarta Prabhu for his generous donation. Thanks to Adi-Guru
Prabhu for his gift and the pictures he took of our harinamas
in
Paris.
Itinerary
July
29: Berlin Ratha-yatra
July
30–July 31: Berlin harinamas
August
1–5: Polish Woodstock
August
6: Kostrzyn train station harinama
August
7: Dublin harinama
(4:00
to 7:00 p.m.?)
August
8: Boston harinama
(1:45
to 3:15 p.m.)
August
9–16: Ottawa Vaishnava Sanga Retreat / Janmastami and Vyasa-puja
August
17: York harinama
(2:30
to 5:30 p.m.)
August
18: York Ratha-yatra
August
19: Newcastle Ratha-yatra
August
20: Glasgow Ratha-yatra
August
21: Edinburgh Ratha-yatra
August
22: Edinburgh Fringe Festival Harinama and Tuesday program
August
23–25: harinamas
in
Manchester and Liverpool to promote Ratha-yatra
August
26: Manchester Ratha-yatra
August
27: Liverpool Ratha-yatra
August
28–September 5: UK and Ireland [September 2: York]
September
5–November ?: New York City (except Sept. 19–23: Philadelphia)
November
?– November 30: Florida
December:
New York City
Harinama
in Paris
June
21 is the Festival of Music all over France, and the streets are
filled with people doing music. It was a great opportunity to share
the holy name, to distribute Srila Prabhupada’s books, and to pass
out invitations to the Paris Ratha-yatra.
For
our Paris harinamas,
we
would take the train to Gare du Nord, and then a metro.
Here
Adikarta Prabhu distributes books.
Here
I give out Ratha-yatra invitations, and a brahmacari
distributes
books.
Many
different devotees led the chanting on the Festival of Music day, and
I was the last one to do so. I must have been very enthusiastic after
listening to the others chant for almost three hours because more
people than usual participated in dancing to my singing.
It
all began with two girls and a boy who decided to follow my dancing .
. .
clapping
when I clapped . . .
and
raising their arms when I raised my arms.
Here
Janananda Goswami, Acarya Nistha Prabhu, Rohininandana Prabhu, and I
led the chanting of Hare Krishna on the Festival of Music day in
Paris, and onlookers enjoyed dancing with us
(https://youtu.be/_Vpbs3Vuryk):
One
day, on one of the three days in two months that I chanted alone in
Paris, a man took a video of me singing. When he finished, I offered
him a Ratha-yatra invitation, and he happily told me, “When I was
twenty in the early 1970s, I was a student of journalism, and I interviewed your
leader [Srila Prabhupada].” He said he still writes, mostly on art
and travel. I said that devotees would like to learn more about his
experience with Srila Prabhupada, and I gave him my card. It is
always wonderful to meet people who have met Srila Prabhupada!
Balavanta
Das Prabhu of Mexico, who plays for Harinama Ruci, chants Hare
Krishna in Paris on the streets at Place du Havre, on the trains (RER
E), and at the train station (Gare du Nord), the day before the rest
of the Harinama Ruci party arrived (https://youtu.be/TsdbecjJDv0):
The
Harinama Ruci traveling party chanted Hare Krishna in Paris for two
days before the Paris Ratha-yatra, inspiring people on the streets
and trains to chant Hare Krishna and dance. Two special incidents
happened the first day on the street:
Often
Muslims are attracted by Hare Krishna chanting parties, but rarely
does a whole family get into dancing with the devotees as here with
Harinama Ruci on Rue de la Harpe in Paris
(https://youtu.be/DvQA7UYWZNI):
Soon
after, a priest joyfully danced with Harinama Ruci, accepted a
Ratha-yatra invitation, gave blessings, and disappeared into nearby
Saint-Merry Catholic Church and Halles-Beaubourg Pastoral Center
(https://youtu.be/PvaZbPLTnrw):
Here
are other clips of Harinama Ruci chanting Hare Krishna through the
Paris streets (https://youtu.be/xXTirQVDvp0):
Here
Harinama Ruci chants Hare Krishna on two trains, continuing on
through the train station. On
the first, many children participate by chanting, dancing, smiling,
and playing instruments. On the second, an adult acquires a taste for
dancing with us, which he did on the platform and all the way out of
the station.
(https://youtu.be/jeogR8U30ZU):
Anton,
a student of music in Paris, leads the chanting of Hare Krishna at
the fountain in Les Halles (https://youtu.be/IWC5-fipGZM):
Chandrashekhara
Prabhu chanted Hare Krishna with a group of attendees at a Krishna
West meeting in Paris (https://youtu.be/2dg3ISLkJRo):
Insights
Srila
Prabhupada:
From
a conversation in Vrindavana on May 27, 1977:
“Our
only ambition is we live among devotees and execute the mission of
our predecessors, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Krishna. This is our
ambition.”
From
a letter to Devananda on November 23, 1968:
“Simply
our prayer should be, My dear Krishna, please remind me to always
chant Your Holy Name, please do not put me into forgetfulness. You
are sitting within me as Supersoul, so you can put me into
forgetfulness or into remembering You. So please do not put me into
forgetfulness. Please always remind me to chant, even You send me
into the hell, it doesn’t matter, just so long as I can always chant
Hare Krishna.”
From
Sri
Caitanya-caritamrita,
Adi-lila 8.16, purport:
“One
is understood to be an eternal servant of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead if he considers himself an eternal servant of the holy name
and in this spirit distributes the holy name to the world.”
Sripada
Sundarananda Vidyavinoda
[disciple
of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura]:
From
Sri
Ksetra:
“In
order to teach that without the permission and subordination of the
Vaishnavas, one has no right to serve the Supreme Lord, Sriman
Mahaprabhu begged from Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya the service of
cleansing Gundica temple.”
“Anyabhilasa
pierces the very soft, unadulterated devotional service. The dust of
material desires with the help of the cyclone of fruitive activities
covers our clear and pure mirror of the heart. Just as after taking
bath nicely an elephant again throws dust over its own body,
similarly by the performance of fruitive activities with a desire to
enjoy its fruit one ends up in obtaining the result of karma only.
Simply by loving devotional service the heart of the living entity
becomes easily rectified and cleansed. Then in the throne of that
pure heart the Supreme Lord accepts His resting place.”
“In
order to transform one’s own heart into Sri Vrindavana or the
natural place where the supremely independent Sri Krishna
spontaneously enjoys His pastimes, a practitioner should cleanse his
own heart while loudly chanting the holy name of Krishna with a
desire to please Him. This was taught by Sri Gaurahari, who is the
ultimate teacher of all, for the benefit of all living entities.”
“Sri
Gaudiya Vaisnavas who are desirous of the service of the gopis
of Braja, are eager and interested in bringing Sri Brajendranandana
Sri Jagannatha from Sri Kurukshetra or Sri Nilacala to Sri
Sundaracala or Sri Vrindavana; they are not interested in Punar Yatra
or the return journey.”
“When
spontaneous attachment is transformed into imitative duplicity, it is
called religious fanaticism.”
Satsvarupa
Dasa Goswami:
From
Japa
Transformations:
“He
does his daily sadhana
and laments he doesn’t go higher. What do you expect, little sailor
– to achieve the saksad
darsana of
the Lord? To converse with Him like Sanatana Gosvami and
Madana-mohan? To immerse yourself in His wonderful qualities and His
pastimes with the gopis?
Well, why not? That’s the goal of the chanting. Ah, but He has to
allow you in those sacred precincts, and He doesn’t think you’re
worthy just yet. Chant with enthusiasm, confidence, and patience at
the lower stage and pray that the day will come.”
“How
do I get to know You by chanting? You are nondifferent from Your
Names; You are present in the sound vibration. So the more I chant
with the desire to be with You, the closer I will come into Your
association, and You will reveal Yourself to me. It is a little
bewildering how just by uttering these brief syllables we can
accomplish what even great, austere yogis and meditators cannot
attain, but that is the prime benediction for this age as given by
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He came to deliver the chanting of Hare
Krishna imbued with the sentiment of pure love for You, as carried in
Her heart by Your chief consort, Srimati Radharani.”
“Someone
once asked Prabhupada, ‘What do you gain by chanting?’ He replied,
‘Chanting brings chanting.’ That’s like saying chanting brings
Radha-Krishna. They will dance on your tongue. Harinama
will cleanse the mirror of the mind, and you will see yourself as you
are, as spirit soul. The chanting will increase the ocean of
transcendental bliss and help us to taste the nectar for which we are
always anxious.”
“My
dear Lord,
“If we want to chant with more devotion, we have to rise early and exercise with concentration in japa yajna. The daily japa yajna is a relatively easy thing. It only takes about two hours, and we can surely find that much time out of twenty-four hours. If we can chant more than the minimum of sixteen rounds, that is good. But let’s start with sixteen good ones, offenseless chanting. That means chanting while avoiding the ten offenses, which start with disobeying the spiritual master and include inattention while chanting. Then we will receive the mercy. If we don’t make the effort, it’s like we’re hiding from the sun’s rays. What can the sun do for us if we don’t go out and expose ourselves? If we hide from its rays, we will grow pale and unhealthy. We need a little sunlight. Similarly, we need to bask in Your mercy.
“Your
mercy is available in sadhu-sanga,
guru-sanga, and
sastra-sanga.
They will rejuvenate us. We need to receive these not just by lip
service, but by actual participation and association. Sometimes we
need to inquire directly, submissively from sadhu
and guru, and we need to regularly read the sastra
with faith. Your mercy is available there.”
“Bhaktivinoda
Thakura has written a book on chanting the holy names,
Harinama-cintamani,
and he analyzes the causes of the offenses and offers suggestions on
how to avoid them. His analysis of inattentive chanting is
particularly interesting. He calls it pramada,
or madness, and says, ‘One may carefully avoid all the other
nama-aparadhas,
yet still not experience the ecstasy of the pure name. This is an
indication of another type of nama-aparadha
known as pramada,
which restricts the natural growth of pure devotion.’ He says
that inattentiveness is similar to negligence and is of three kinds.
One is apathetic devotional service, or a lack of fixed resolve in
sadhana.
The second is laziness or even inertia. The third is distraction, or
misplacing one’s attention in engagements not directly connected with
sadhana bhakti.
He recommends chanting with a pure devotee and increasing the number
of rounds. But he also says it is important to concentrate on the
quality of the holy names and not try to artificially increase the
number of rounds. He also recommends spending ‘a little time alone in
a quiet place and concentrating deeply on the holy name.’”
“Japa
is a blessing. You bless yourself, as when taking caranamrta.
It’s like when you take the flame which is offered by the pujari,
or when he sprinkles you with water or offers you the flower to
smell. It is like honoring prasadam,
only it is better. It is directly Radha and Krishna. You are
nourished by your tongue and your ears. Japa
is even more merciful than the saksad
darsana
of the Lord’s form.”
“A
person chants the name of God that he is attracted to, but Krishna is
most powerful. A thousand ‘Vishnus’ equal one ‘Rama,’ and three ‘Ramas’ equal one ‘Krishna.’ The Hare
Krishna maha-mantra
is the greatest mantra. It’s made up of the names of Radha and
Krishna. It is quoted in the Upanisads, and Bhaktivinoda Thakura and
Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura chanted it and advised their
followers to chant it. Srila Prabhupada brought it out of India and
spread it all over the world. He recommended it as the great mantra
for deliverance. He gave his disciples diksa
initiation with the order that they chant at least sixteen rounds on
108 beads daily. He started public sankirtana
on Sunday afternoons at Tompkins Square Park. Crowds gathered to
watch. Some took part in the singing. He led the singing of kirtana
in the storefront temple three nights a week and every morning.”
“As
late as 1977 Prabhupada recalled that I used to bring him a fresh
mango every day. He reminisced about 1966 and said, ‘Those were happy
days.’ For me, they were the happiest days of my life. One of the
best times to chant was in the morning with Prabhupada. After kirtana
he used to say, ‘Chant one round.’ We did it together. He usually
finished before we did, and then we all trailed off, even if we
hadn’t finished the round.”
From
“JAPA POEM”:
“Reminiscing
‘chant one round’ with Swamiji
in
the morning with about 12 boys
gathered
in the
Matchless
Gifts storefront.
He
said we should chant softly
so
as not to disturb
the
tenant on the second floor.
When
the tenant got angry, he
would
pour water from his bathtub
through
the cracks in the floor
down
into our temple.
When
we did japa
with
Swamiji, some of the boys
would
take their beads
out
of the bead bags
and
string them around
their
necks. Swamiji kept
his
beads in his bead bag.
It
was ecstasy
chanting
under the
lead
of the Master.”
From
“Keep Your Love” in Soul
Eyes:
“Keep
your love for Krishna and Radha
and
you’ll learn the love that’s
everlasting.
“Learn
of love in chanting and you’ll
taste
the nectar for which
we
are always anxious.
“Love
the Lord and the Lord
will
love you, and you’ll be happy
forever.
“Love
is for Krishna, love is
Krishna,
Krishna is love, love
for
Krishna is true love. Only
that
way.”
From
“There is Nothing to Say” in Soul
Eyes:
“There
is nothing to say, but I’m happy
to
be a devotee of Krishna.
There’s
nothing to say, but you shall be
true
to the principles.
“We
shall abide by the laws and chant
the
names. We’ll walk down lanes
together,
thinking the same thoughts:
‘Harinama
is the best yajna
for
this age.’
“There’s
nothing to do except rest
and
ride. Watch your behavior,
and
don’t tell secrets of your
scandalous
behavior.
“There’s
nothing to do but believe in
the
truth of scriptures.
“Believe
in Narada’s story and Vyasa’s
mistake,
which Narada corrected—
praise
Krishna in your writings, or they
are
useless.
“There’s
nothing worth doing but
devotional
service to Krishna and
Caitanya.
There’s no money in it,
there’s
no mirth or joke, just
take
care of yourself and
perform
sadhana.”
From
“Your Last Thoughts” in Soul
Eyes:
“Your
last thoughts determine the
next
body you’ll get. Krishna says
we
should remember Him at the end.
The
best method is to practice from
the
beginning of life, not expect He’ll
suddenly
pop into your mind after a life
of
neglect.
“And
the best way to remember is to
chant
His holy names, Hare Krishna,
Hare
Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare /
Hare
Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama,
Hare
Hare.
“There
may be many impediments to chanting
Hare
Krishna. But one should tolerate
these
and continue to chant. If one
constantly
chants, he’s in the best
state
of mind for successfully changing
his
state of being at the end of life.”
“Krishna
is the God of Gods,
so
few people know it
or
accept. It’s our job
to
inform them. But
although
we try, most don’t
accept.
“Be
glad you know and build
your
potency so those you
meet
will be encouraged to
believe.
“He’s
given evidence, and Prabhupada
carries
it in his voice so direct
and
doubtless he turns your
mind
to Krishna consciousness.
On
your own, nurture your
relationship
with Him
directly
and specifically,
the
cowherd boy, the
speaker
at Kuruksetra,
the
lover of the gopis.
“At
least take care to save yourself
by
becoming a Krishna-ized saint
if
possible. Let your
mind
always think of Him
and
never forget.
“Pray
for constancy and listen always to
the
glorious acaryas
of the sampradaya.”
From
My
Relationship With Lord Krishna:
“I
offer the food to
Srila
Prabhupada, and he
offers
it to Lord Krishna.
Sastra
and Srila Prabhupada
guarantee
my connection. Yes,
I
certainly do have a reliable
connection
and true relationship
with
Lord Krishna. May He
reveal
it to me as He desires,
and
may I increase
my
appreciation for it.
‘Such
knowledge in Krishna
consciousness
can be achieved
by
a faithful person who believes firmly
in
Krishna . . . This faith is attained
by
the discharge of devotional service,
and
by chanting Hare Krishna . . .’
(Bg.
4.39, purport)”
Hridayananda
Dasa Goswami:
From
a lecture on the relationship between ISKCON and the Gaudiya Math:
The
Isopanisad
is
the only Upanisad
that is part of the four Vedas, the Yajur-veda.
Isopanisad
says by knowledge of avidya,
ignorance, you cross over material life, and that by spiritual
knowledge you experience spiritual pleasure.
There
is positive value in unity.
We
say Vaishnavism can bring peace to world, but if we do not have peace
among ourselves, it is at the least a little embarrassing, if not
hypocritical.
I
thought we should talk about it.
Contrary
to what people think about me, I do not think I can make the
situation worse.
I
want to speak about this from the historical point of view which will
avoid the tendency as a member of ISKCON to be biased toward ISKCON
in my presentation. I want to be fair.
There
is no evidence in the thirty years since Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati
Thakura that the Gaudiya Math tried to make a worldwide presence.
Srila
Prabhupada’s analysis was that the Gaudiya Math fell apart because of
leaders trying to take the position of acarya
against the instruction of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. There
are other theories, but I feel that Prabhupada’s is the most accurate
analysis.
Prabhupada
originally wanted to make his New York City center a branch of the
Gaudiya Math, and there are several letters demonstrating this. So
ISKCON was plan B.
When
ISKCON was successful and Prabhupada invited his godbrothers to join
him, it was something alien to their existing conception as the
Gaudiya Math was not a unified organization, but individual mathas.
[As they were not inclined to join their other Godbrothers, they were
not inclined to join Prabhupada.]
Originally
Srila Prabhupada’s strategy was to try to convince the important
people of the world, so they could help establish Krishna
consciousness in the world. That did not seem to work, and he ended
up convincing the young people of America to assist him. That was
plan B of plan B.
While
Acyutananda stayed with Prabhupada’s godbrothers, when he took
shelter of India to avoid the draft, he was affected by this idea of
Prabhupada’s godbrothers that our Prabhupada had usurped the title of
Prabhupada that really belonged to their guru, Bhaktisiddhanta
Sarasvati Thakura, and that ISKCON and its properties really belonged
to the Gaudiya Math. That idea still exists in some places in the
Gaudiya Math.
ISKCON
Los Angeles was Prabhupada’s world headquarters, and he had no
intention of returning to India. He was going to stay in Los Angeles
and write books and just meet with leaders in the morning. But when
his leaders in New York City, Los Angeles, and even Europe, were
affected by this philosophy Acyutananda heard from Prabhupada’s
godbrothers, he gave up that plan and returned to India.
For
the 1974 Gaura Purnima festival, we flew on Air India from New York
City with the New York City devotees, to London, where we picked up
the British devotees, and on to Paris, where we picked up the French
devotees, then to Rome, where we picked up the Italian devotees, then
to Beirut and to Tehran, and finally India.
Prabhupada
was as surprised as much as everyone with the worldwide spreading of
Krishna consciousness. He saw that this was Krishna. He often
encouraged his godbrothers to join and said they would not have to
worry about paying the bills, they could just preach. They never took
him up on it. They were quite honest about why not. Basically they
preferred to be leaders in a small organization rather than just
another preacher in a big organization.
The
GBC was invited to Sridhara Maharaj’s matha
for
a festival. Tamal Krishna Goswami recorded it, and he played the tape
for Srila Prabhupada when Prabhupada asked what was said. Someone
other than Sridhara Maharaja said something that was offensive to
Prabhupada, and Srila Prabhupada told us to never go back.
When
I finished my translation of Srimad-Bhagavatam,
I
sent the volumes to Sridhara Maharaja as a gift, and he appreciated
that. Because I had a good relationship with Sridhara Maharaja, I was
one of several people who went to see him on his deathbed. We asked
forgiveness. With tears in his eyes, he begged us to keep ISKCON
strong because all the Gaudiya Math groups depended on ISKCON.
I
could not get Narayana Maharaja to talk about making peace, although
I tried several times.
When
Prabhupada would discuss issues with his godbrothers, he would send
all the disciples out because the topics were sensitive. Narayana
Maharaja would do just the opposite and invite all the disciples in,
and that made it practically impossible to talk about sensitive
topics.
I
was at a program in Badger. I was chanting and dancing in ecstasy.
Narayana Maharaja was chanting and dancing in ecstasy. I thought,
“This is pretty good.” Later Narayana Maharaja’s disciples took
photos of us together, and told my disciples that their guru has
surrendered to Narayana Maharaja, and therefore, they should all take
reinitiation from him.
Guru
Prasad Swami thought there were so many problems with Narayana
Maharaja because he felt he was not properly respected. Guru Prasad
Swami decided to invite Narayana Maharaja to his zone and properly
respect him. They worshiped him with guru-puja.
Guru Prasad Swami washed his feet and invited him to give lectures.
Narayana Maharaja was appreciative of the reception, but the result
was that he reinitated all of Guru Prasad Swami’s disciples.
Once
the GBC was trying to resolve things with Narayana Maharaja. A group
was formed to meet with him nicely according to Vaishnava etiquete,
but they did not actually go. This may have been because of one
ultra-conservative member among them. I think that was a serious
blunder on ISKCON’s part, and it made things worse.
In
France I think the ISKCON leaders have not always dealt with the
Gaudiya Math in the best way. That is my opinion, and as Srila
Prabhupada said, “ISKCON exists to make devotees independently
thoughtful,” I feel it is alright to state my opinion.
What
inspired me about Hare Krishna from the beginning is Srila
Prabhupada’s presentation of it as “a spiritual science.” I had a
religion. I had some religious experiences growing up. I was not
looking for another religion.
I
wrote to Srila Prabhupada when I was living in the temple but going
to school, and asked if I should stay in school or go out on
sankirtana
with the devotees.
He
replied, “Stay in school. I want you to preach to similarly
educated people.” As Srila Prabhupada’s first instruction from his
guru was always important to him, so this first instruction from him
is important to me.
Having
Srila Prabhupada at the center of the Gaudiya Vaishnava world is
scientific. Krishna demonstrated that he is the Acarya with a capital
“A.”
The
older I get the more grateful I am for what my parents did for me.
Anyone
who has had his life transformed by association with a guru,
naturally has great regard for that person. But to claim that
therefore everyone should accept that person as his guru too is not
reasonable.
Srila
Prabhupada describes the quality of first-class devotee guru:
1.
he knows sastra
[scripture]
2.
follows sastra
3.
he wants to help other people
All
these three qualities are all observable, and thus it is scientific.
By
the magical arrangement of Krishna, spiritual leaders who cheat
always get discovered.
Srila
Prabhupada told the Beatles the guru is the one who is most addicted
to Krishna. That is not so hard to see. Just like in school if you
have a crush on someone, people usually find out who it is.
Suppose
you say, “My guru is liberated because he is dancing with Krishna.
You can see it in his eyes.” You cannot prove it, and you cannot
disprove it, and thus it has nothing to do with a spiritual science.
Srila
Prabhupada did more to spread Krishna consciousness than everyone
else in the Gaudiya Math put together.
Discussion
about the relationship of ISKCON and the Gaudiya Math is not so
important to me. In the real world no one cares for ISKCON or the
Gaudiya Math. The real question is saving France. Only a spiritual
science is capable of attracting the people of France. They are not
looking to convert to an Asian religion.
I
see Krishna has revealed Srila Prabhupada as the teacher of this
spiritual science.
From
a question and answer session:
In
Los Angeles they tried having a kirtana
program
to attract new people, and some people became attracted, but
practically no one was willing to visit the Los Angeles temple, just
a few meters away, because it was not appealing to them.
The
real purpose of the temple is to give knowledge to people, and the
puja
is
to keep the devotees strong. Too often now the purpose of the temple
is puja,
and
preaching is to finance the puja.
Once
the temple president of New Delhi was hard to get along with so that
all the devotees left, including the temple president’s wife. The
temple president had to do the puja
and
had no time to make life members and fund his operation, so he felt
he had to rent a smaller place that Prabhupada did not like as much.
Prabhupada said he had done wrong; he should have simplified the puja
and
kept the nicer place.
In
the 300s AD, the Christian Church split in half. One group accepted
Jesus’s statements describing himself as subordinate to God, and the
other group accepted the trinity idea where God and Jesus are one.
The trinitarians won, and by the end of the 300s you could be killed
if you accepted that Jesus’s statements about himself were factual.
We
know Jesus really lived because the Roman historians who had no
interest in him described a preacher in Galilee whose followers claim
he is a miracle worker.
The
idea of the holy spirit enabled the Church to invent ideas like
“original sin” and “eternal damnation.”
During
the life of Jesus, he and his followers were not considered to be a
new religion or even a new brand of Judaism.
I
think any historian looking at the trajectory of the ISKCON in recent
years would conclude the Hare Krishna movement is in danger.
When
I took sannyasa
and
began to preach in the colleges Srila Prabhupada told me to not
present Krishna conscious as set of rules and regulations.
France
has been important for at least 1,500 years. Julius Caesar became
famous because of his work in France. Because of good weather and
good land, France was successful in agriculture and thus rich and
able to afford culture. It has been a leader in art and philosophy.
It is one of the last countries where it is respectable to be a
philosopher.
Prabhupada
wrote me in Gainesville in 1971 about the difference between
philosophical speculation and mental speculation. If you doubt
Krishna is the taste of water, that is mental speculation. If you
explain how Krishna is the taste of water, that is philosophical
speculation.
When
I chant in public, I do not just want attention. I want people to see
and be attracted and think, “I would like to do that.” People go
to circuses and see and take pictures, but no one thinks, “I would
like to join the circus.”
You
can get people to adopt a new culture:
1.
if you demonstrate with reason that it is in their self-interest.
2.
if one society is perceived as superior to the other.
Jayadvaita
Swami:
From
Srila
Prabhupada Tributes:
“One
instruction of his [Srila Prabhupada’s] that I remember came to me
from a German godbrother named Uttamasloka Dasa. Sometime in the
early days when our New York temple was at 61 Second Avenue,
Uttamasloka came from Europe and stayed at the temple for some days.
And he repeated an instruction he had heard from His Divine Grace
about how to chant Hare Krishna: ‘Just try to hear yourself chant
sincerely.’
“For
all the years since, that instruction has stuck with me.
“It
is not that while chanting we are meant to focus on some particular
picture or pastime. We simply have to chant and hear. As Srila
Prabhupada wrote to Jagadisa Dasa (February 27, 1970), ‘When we
chant, we must concentrate our mind on the sound vibration and in
that way everything will be revealed one after another; the form,
qualities, pastimes, etc., of the Lord. And this is the way of
cultivating spiritual realization.’
“Just
concentrate on the sound, and everything else will follow.”
Bir
Krishna Goswami:
From
Srila
Prabhupada Tributes:
“Cooperation
means acting cooperatively, and simultaneously with one’s heart
loving those with whom one is cooperating. This is quite a challenge.
Everyone has a different point of view, different needs, and
different strategies for carrying out your mission. The devotees who
are dedicated to your mission are individuals with sometimes
radically different ways of approaching your service. Still, their
love for you is unquestionable. These different approaches to serving
your mission may sometimes cause confusion and stimulate dissension
and faultfinding. In this way Kali tries to enter.”
Giridhari
Swami:
From
Srila Prabhupada Tributes:
“Of
all the devotees, this Govardhana Hill is the best! O my friends,
this hill supplies Krishna and Balarama, along with Their calves,
cows, and cowherd friends, with all kinds of necessities— water for
drinking, very soft grass, caves, fruits, flowers, and vegetables. In
this way, the hill offers respects to the Lord. Being touched by the
lotus feet of Krishna and Balarama, Govardhana Hill appears very
jubilant.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam
10.21.18)
“Raghunatha
Dasa Gosvami reveals that this verse was spoken by Srimati Radharani
Herself—a very significant fact, considering that She is Krishna’s
feminine counterpart, His own pleasure potency (hladini-shakti).
Indeed, Her love for Krishna is so great that even Krishna Himself
cannot fully comprehend it. Therefore He comes as Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu just to understand the depth of Radharani’s love for
Him. Still, She says that Govardhana is hari-dasa-varya,
the greatest devotee of Lord Hari.”
Janananda
Goswami:
Krishna
is the reservoir of all good qualities. Just as we get our tap water
from the reservoir, we get our good qualities from the Lord.
By
the good fortune of association with a pure devotee, one can awaken
his good qualities.
When
one becomes purified the natural qualities of the soul begin to
manifest.
The
Bhagavatam
says
that one who is not connected to God has no good qualities. Sometimes
Srila Prabhupada would say, “Even if they have good qualities, what
is their value, if they are not used in relationship with Krishna?”
Everyone
is looking for some hero. That is a reflection of the pure soul’s
worship of the Supreme Lord.
Krishna
is always consistent, and He always protects His devotees.
When
the leaders sacrifice for Krishna, they can inspire others.
Mahavishnu Swami played accordion for 6 hours on New Years Eve and
led the kirtan for 3 hours although he is 72 years old.
Are
we here to make a nice nest here? No, we are here to give that all
up.
To
surrender means to try to share this with others.
On
harinama
sometimes
everyone in the crowd is somehow attracted to the kirtan.
If
you dress as a devotee, it reminds at least some people of Krishna.
On
the harinama,
people
were coming up to us asking for books.
Every
day 300,000 human beings are dying. Every day 150,000 are dying in
the womb.
There
is a Crown Casino in Melbourne. It is six city blocks in size. There
is one room where the minimum bet is 100,000 AUD. There are 120 bars,
and the whole place makes 2 million AUD on alcohol. There is an
average of one suicide there a day, of someone who lost all his
money. The government encourages such an illusory conception of
pleasure because it makes money on it.
Eagerness
to render service is the price to attain Krishna. Rupa Goswami says
laulyam,
eagerness.
I
was at the Manor years ago. During prasadam
time
only one devotee lady, holding a kid in her arms, was serving.
Although a guest, I tried to recruit more people. So many people gave
some excuse, saying they were too busy. I helped and so did one or
two others. We served everyone as much as they wanted, and we took
prasadam
ourselves.
When we left, many of the people who said they were too busy to serve
were still sitting there, talking with their friends.
From
his Vyasa-puja offering in Srila
Prabhupada Tributes:
“Maybe
one day I can offer you something pleasing instead of the annual
desperate appeal for your mercy—mercy that is already there.
Unfortunately, this rascal needs the mercy to take your mercy.”
Adikarta
Prabhu:
In
Bhaktivedanta Manor they used to just have Radha-Gokulananda,
but the worship of Lord Rama is so popular in India even now, the
devotees decided it would be pertinent to install Sita-Rama,
Laksmana, and Hanuman there.
The
daughters of Varuna were so attracted to the fish incarnation of the
Lord, they wanted to have an intimate relationship with Him, but He
could not do that, so they became gopis
during
Krishna’s time to have an intimate relationship with Him.
We
can perfect our lives by following the path of the Vedas because the
knowledge is perfect, and so we should follow it.
Krishna
becomes absorbed in and conquered by the love of His devotees, so
much so he forgets His position as the Supreme Personality of
Godhead.
Jatayu
knew that because Ravana was more powerful he could not be successful
in protecting Sita, but he felt it was his duty to try, and by his
attempt he became glorious, although vultures are not generally
glorious.
We
have to be convinced that nothing but surrendering our lives to
Krishna will make us happy.
Krishna
always has a plan, but we cannot always see what that plan is. Here
in Paris, Krishna has a plan.
If
we try as far as possible to execute Krishna’s plan, we will get
Krishna’s protection.
During
Muslim rule in India, it is estimated that two to four hundred
million Hindus were killed.
We
are fortunate in the West, in places like France and America, that we
can talk to people about Krishna in the streets. In China and the
Arab countries it is not possible, and in Russia it is becoming more
restricted.
Bhurijana
Prabhu:
From
Srila
Prabhupada Tributes:
“Srila
Prabhupada, the Western culture reveres as a hero one who has risen
from poverty to wealth, but the ancient culture spoken of in the
Bhagavatam
reveres the opposite: one who renounces kingly wealth for a life of
poverty and spiritual pursuits.”
Pitavasa
Prabhu:
Our
original French translator of Bhagavad-gita
used
such flowerly language I preferred to read it in English. Srila
Prabhupada wrote it in simple English so everyone would understand
it. He did not make it unnecessarily flowery.
Srila
Prabhupada had a good British education at Scottish Church’s College.
Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was well educated. So was
Bhaktivinoda Thakura. This education greatly helped their preaching.
Similarly it is good for the children in this movement to be well
educated.
The
Protestants are a minority in France. They try to train their
children to become preachers, and those who are not inclined to that,
they would train in finance so they could support the preaching. Thus
many bank executives in France are Protestants. I am not saying our
children should necessarily learn finance but some skill so that they
can support our preaching.
The
disease of ignorant people is that they ignore that they are
ignorant.
Titiksu
Prabhu:
The
Jehovah’s Witnesses will not open a center until they have 700
families to support it.
We
can conquer lust through harinama
because
it purifies the heart and engages us in the mood of the gopis
of
bringing souls to Krishna.
During
the Prabhupada book distribution marathon in December, Mukunda
Prabhu, the manager of a Hare Krishna charity shop in Rochester,
England, engaged volunteers who did not practice the Hare Krishna
principles in selling books at a table outside his shop. They did
well. He found they became so happy from selling the books it was
difficult to get them to work inside the shop selling the goods
again.
Rajadharma
Prabhu:
People
are always asking for miracles, but the situation of the planets in
their orbits and the fact the sun is sending forth so much heat and
light without being exhausted are themselves miracles.
In
the West we speculate about God. Da Vinci was speculating about God
that he is very old and has a beard, but from the Vedas we learn
Krishna is an eternal youth.
Because
we have turned away from Krishna, maya
is
beating on our heads.
The
body can give us very little pleasure but a lot of pain.
We
can transcend sex desire through attaining love for Krishna.
Srila
Prabhupada told my spiritual master, Bhakti Charu Swami, “You have
had so many lives. Just give this one life to Krishna.” The idea is
that if you regret your decision, you will still have many lives to
enjoy sense gratification, so you really have nothing to lose.
I
heard one story that Tim Leary was offered a maha-prasadam
sweet
by a some devotee who as he was eating it told him that he was
fortunate as it would guarantee him a human body. Hearing that he
spit it out saying, “I want to become a ghost in the next life.”
Comment
by Mataji from the Manor: “If we associate with devotees who are
serious about developing love of God, who practice not finding fault
with others but seeing their good qualities, we will find it very
inspiring.”
According
to Caitanya-caritamrita,
the
desire to satisfy one’s own senses is called lust and the desire to
satisfy Krishna’s senses is called love.
We
use other people to satisfy our senses, and we call it love.
A
simple analogy is this: Just as the finger acts for the pleasure of
the entire body, because we are part of Krishna, we are meant to act
for the pleasure of Krishna.
Nothing
can impress God. He has all wealth and power. These things cannot
impress Him, but He is impressed with our love.
The
three great treasures are Krishna, love of Krishna, and service of
Krishna.
All
our efforts wherever we are are meant to inquire into God
consciousness.
Because
this society does not encourage such inquiry, Srila Prabhupada
considered our society to be suicidal.
Now
we have received this knowledge, it is up to us how much we apply it.
Gaura
Govinda Swami used to say that Lord Caitanya is giving His mercy to
everyone, but some people have received very little from His mercy.
Why? They do not have a suitable receptacle to contain His mercy
because they have not practiced humility like the grass and tolerance
like the tree.
In
Vrindavan my guru Bhakti Charu Swami was reprimanded severely by his
godbrother. He was so disturbed he decided to go to Srila Prabhupada
and express his mind. Before he had time to explain what had happened
to Srila Prabhupada, Prabhupada told him that one is not spiritually
advanced by possessing leadership positions in society but by
acquiring tolerance and humility.
The
beauty of the parampara
is
that God can empower His servants to act more wonderfully than
Himself. Lord Caitanya distributed this love of Godhead throughout
India, yet Srila Prabhupada spread it all over the world.
Srutakirti
Prabhu said the first quality of Srila Prabhupada that attracted him
was that he was laughing all the time, so much so he would slap his
thighs.
Bhavasindhu
Prabhu:
It
is the special mercy of Lord Jagannatha that He allows people from
all divisions of society to become His personal servants.
Prabhupada
disciple Gadagraja Prabhu personally told me that when Jayananda
Prabhu was seriously ill with leukemia he wanted money not spent for
his hospitalization but to be used for the service of the Lord.
Nitai
Gaurasundara Prabhu:
Because
the speakers of these verses are devotees of Lord Rama they put their
understanding of His personality into their prayers.
Although
so many things in the Ramayana
disturb
the minds of the conditioned souls the devotees see them in terms of
the exchanges of love between Lord Rama and His devotees.
Comment
by Hari Rama Prabhu: At the end of Lord Rama’s pastimes, Laksmana
leaves Lord Rama, transforms into Ananta Sesa and enters into the
Sarayu River.
We
may lament about sons taking sannyasa,
but
we should rejoice in their coming closer to Krishna.
Nrsimha
Kavaca Prabhu:
Srimad-Bhagavatam
5.19.1 describes Lord Rama as adi-purusa
which
indicates He is not different from Krishna, the Supreme Personality
of Godhead.
In
this world, according to the form the living entity has, he acts in a
certain way. You do not see tigers flying. But when the Lord
incarnates in a particular form, He is not limited by the form.
Nowadays
there is a trend to modify deities, like painting Lord Ramacandra
green or giving them eyes that look sideways, but it is considered
offensive to alter the original form in which the Lord has appeared.
We
try to please the deities by our service, but a lot of that means
attaining the divine qualities.
Although
monkeys are outside the rules of varnasrama,
not
only did Hanuman attain the level of bhagavata,
or
the level of the Personality of Godhead, but he is referred to as
maha-bhagavata.
Rasikananda
had a tiger and an elephant who were great devotees.
The
greatness of the devotees is seen by what they are willing to give up
to serve Krishna.
How
we perceive the material nature shows our state of consciousness. Do
we think the material nature is for our enjoyment or for Krishna’s
service?
As
it took great endeavor to wake the demonaic Kumbhakarna, it takes
great endeavor to wake up the conditioned souls who are so deeply
conditioned by material nature.
Srila Prabhupada makes the point that Krishna is not attracted by the amount of the service a devotee renders but by the love with which he performs it.
When
your vocation is a vacation then you are rightly situated.
Seeing
yourself as the servant is a key part of varnasrama.
How
can we advance spiritually without such an attitude of service?
I
do not see varnasrama
developing
in a societywide way but in different places different leaders will
manifest their version of it as Radhanath Swami has in Chowpatty and
Sivarama Swami has at New Vraja.
We
need more brahmanas,
but
now there are tests for first initiation and tests for second
initiation, and it can take years for one become a qualified
brahmana.
Why
do we need cars and all these material processions? Because we are in
the mode of passion. We have to attain the mode of goodness to be
satisfied to live simply. Even if the guru orders his disciples to
live on a farm, after some time because of being in the mode of
passion and desiring so many material things, they will leave.
Comment
by Madhavendra Puri Prabhu: We can see varnasrama
as
a safety net that keeps ourselves from falling down from the path of
spiritual advancement.
Comment
by Adikarta Prabhu: If the leaders did not fall down and if
Prabhupada was emphasized more, we would still be thriving and there
would not be the scarcity of devotees you see in the temples
nowadays.
Vicaru
Prabhu:
Srila
Prabhupada said many of his disciples will attain heaven because of
retaining material desires, so we have to be careful.
Lord
Ramacandra told Hanuman to stay in the material world because he was
such an advanced devotee, and He wanted him to be present for His
aprakata-lila
[unmanifested
pastimes]
and to help maintain the world.
Comment
by Pitavasa Prabhu: In the Paris Ratha-yatra, often the Muslims dance
with us, but the Christians never dance with us.
Aksayananda
Prabhu:
Some
notice the devotees have something special, and they want to know
more.
Acarya
Nistha Prabhu:
I
heard on one Srila Prabhupada memories tape how a devotee was telling
Srila Prabhupada that he was so lusty that he was always looking he
and there. Prabhupada said that the result would be that he would
become blind. The devotee inquired if it meant he would become blind
spiritually, and Srila Prabhupada replied he would become physically.
That reminded me of the story of Bilvamangala Thakura, who blinded
himself, disgusted with his lusty eyes.
The
demoniac Hiranyakasipu and Ravana understood so many Vedic
principles, but they did not understand the supreme Vedic principle
of surrender to Krishna.
Even
if we see people smiling there is something sad about them. They are
going to grow old and die, and then take another birth and repeat the
process.
The
Vedic samskaras
are
meant to make an impression in one’s mind, and that impression is one
of sacrifice to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Dharmaraja
Prabhu from Mexico:
The
devotee is always thinking about how to attain the Lord’s mercy. This
is his qualification.
It
is said that by chanting and dancing one can get the mercy of
Nityananda, and thorough Nityananda get the mercy of Caitanya, and
ultimately get the mercy of Radha-Krishna.
Lord
Caitanya cannot live without Lord Jagannatha, and Lord Jagannatha
cannot live without Lord Caitanya.
From
Rajadharma Prabhu: On the most ecstatic Ratha-yatra it was raining
like cats and dogs. I was holding an umbrella over the Srila
Prabhupada murti.
Bhakti
Tirtha Maharaja was beating on a drum, and the kirtana
was
amazing. Devotees were throwing fruit from the cart, and people on
their porches were catching it.
-----
Lord
Krishna describes in four verses [Bg. 14.22–25] the characteristics
of one who has transcended the material modes of nature, but in just
one verse, he explains how to attain that transcendental stage:
mam
ca yo ’vyabhicarena
bhakti-yogena
sevate
sa
gunan samatityaitan
brahma-bhuyaya
kalpate
“One
who engages in full devotional service, unfailing in all
circumstances, at once transcends the modes of material nature and
thus comes to the level of Brahman.” (Bg. 14.26)