Travel Journal#14.8: Ireland, UK, Belgium, and Holland

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 14, No. 8
By Krishna-kripa das 
(April 2018, part two) 
Ireland, UK, Belgium, and Holland 
(Sent from Newcastle upon Tyne on May 7, 2018)

Where I Went and What I Did

I arrived in Dublin on April 15 and was happy to find some devotees willing to sing with me on the streets before the Sunday feast and others willing to sing in public afterward. I chanted in Dublin the next three days and gave the Monday evening Bhagavad-gita class and participated in the two-hour Tuesday evening kirtan. To maintain my relationship with our Belfast temple and Nitai Prabhu, one of the few brahmacari disciples of Satvarupa Dasa Goswami, I spent a day singing with him in Belfast, and we got a much better response than usual there. I chanted for four days in Newcastle, the first day with Bhagavata Purana Prabhu, whose visit overlapped mine by one day. The second day was the third Saturday of the month, the day of the monthly Newcastle Sacred Street Party. Although Caitanya Vallabha Prabhu, the organizer was out of town, still over ten devotees came out, and chanted, danced, and distributed books and prasadam for two hours. Before the Sunday feast in Newcastle, Kirill led a kirtan, playing on the bass guitar, which does not happen every day. I gave a lecture on the glories of the holy name, which several people liked and which you can hear at this link: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1tZQn7P8yInBMNzVQ8EDieCLH-OkOMjeY. Tuesday I did harinama and an evening program in Edinburgh, and Wednesday I joined the afternoon harinama in London. I took a night bus to Brussels, and a couple of trains to Radhadesh, spending the day I arrived recovering from my journey. The next day three buses full of devotees went to Amsterdam with Kadamba Kanana Swami to chant for about seven hours on Kings Day. Saturday we celebrated Nrsimha Caturdasi at Radhadesh, where among other things, we did harinama and devotees did a powerful drama of Am I a Demon or a Vaishnava by Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami. Sunday I gave the feast lecture in Antwerp and encouraged devotees to do an extra hour of kirtana afterward. The last day of April I went to Brussels to chant with my friend Janmastami Prabhu, and I will tell about my whole Brussels visit in the next issue of this journal, God willing.

I share a quote from Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s Jaiva Dharma, which I am reading for the first time, as it is a book which Srila Prabhupada recommended. I share notes on lectures by Kadamba Kanana Swami, Bhakti Brihat Bhagavata Swami, Bhagavata Purana Prabhu, Gopinatha Acarya Prabhu, Sutapu Prabhu, Sadbhuja Prabhu, Dina Dayal Prabhu, and Govinda Mohan Prabhu. I share interesting points from talks with Caitanya Vallabha Prabhu, Tulasi Dasa Prabhu of Bulgaria, Brajananda Prabhu of Sunderland and Tiru Prabhu of London.

Many thanks to Ekachakranatha of Newcastle for his kind donation. Thanks to the Dublin and Newcastle temples for their donations of half the harinama collections in their respective cities. Thanks to Purnatattva Prabhu and Tarunyamrita Devi Dasi for reimbursing my travel to and from Antwerp and for donating foreign currency they were not likely to use anytime soon. Thanks to the devotee lady in Antwerp, whose two daughters sang with us, for her kind donation. Thanks to Nitai Prabhu for reimbursing my day ticket on the Belfast bus.

Itinerary

May 7: Newcastle

May 8: Edinburgh

May 9: Edinburgh and Newcastle

May 10: Sheffield

May 11–12: Leeds

May 13: Manchester

May 14: London

May 15–July 18: Paris

July 19: London harinamas and program at Parasurama Prabhu’s place

July 20: Northampton harinama and program

July 21: Sheffield Tramlines harinama

July 22: Birmingham Ratha-yatra

July 23: Fly to Lithuania

July 24–30: Vaishnava Summer Festival in Lithuania

July 31–August 4: Polish Woodstock

August 5: Berlin

August 6: Dublin

August 7–13: Vaishnava Sanga Festival in Canada

August 14–15: Montreal harinama with Ekalavya Prabhu

August 16–28: North UK

August 29: Accrington program?

August 30: Manchester program?

August 31: Liverpool program

September 1: York

September 2: Newcastle

September 3–28: Mayapur

September 29: Newcastle

September 30: Dublin

October 1–January 5, 2019: New York City Yuga Dharma Harinama Party

Irish Immigration

At immigration in Dublin the jovial officer asked if my trip was for business or pleasure. I must have looked bewildered, probably because I was tired and wasn’t thinking of my trip as either business or pleasure, and so he added, “Or both.” I decided on both and said that because I am a monk both business and pleasure are the same. He smiled and stamped my passport. Later I recalled that Tamohara Prabhu once said in a Sunday feast lecture in Alachua that a study showed that clergymen scored highest of all occupations in job satisfaction.

Chanting Hare Krishna in Dublin

Dublin is my favorite city to do harinama because the people are pious, musical, and generous. Because I just give out books to people who spontaneously give donations, I am more successful there.

Here Manu Prabhu leads a lively Hare Krishna chant before the Dublin Sunday feast program, joined by Dina Dayal Prabhu on the drum and myself on the karatalas (when not taking video). Thirteen-year-old Laura of Lithuania, who likes chanting and service, distributes invitations (https://youtu.be/VGoZptFbYpk):

Dublin kids enjoyed their encounter with our harinama party (https://youtu.be/-gBI0qmD2eg):

After the feast, we chanted on O’Connell Street again. At one point Pat played karatalas and chanted Hare Krishna accompanied by me on drum, still wearing my garland as the Sunday lecturer. Vojta of Czech Republic sang the response. Two Indian attendees at the Sunday feast joined us, along with some passersby wanting to have their photo taken with us. During our nearly two-hour kirtan, passersby donated €59 and took eight books (https://youtu.be/Y3wZYecnaL0):

I chanted the next three days for three hours each, having assistants for half an hour on two of the days:

Passersby enjoyed moving to the music as Dina Dayal Prabhu and I chanted Hare Krishna on Dublin’s busy O’Connell Street, less than half a block from our Govinda’s restaurant and temple, before the Tuesday night two-hour kirtan

(https://youtu.be/FNwwfKMq_Ps):

Here Dina Dayal Prabhu plays the drum, Laura plays the karatalas, and I chant the lead of my favorite Hare Krishna tune also on O’Connell Street (https://youtu.be/mwUulUxXue4):

My biggest challenge in Dublin this time was the wind. Having books blow off the book table was not uncommon, but this time the entire book table blew over, scattering the books on the pavement. Two or three books blew across two lanes of traffic to the median dividing O’Connell Street, and passersby helped gather them. One time when a book blew off the table, a lady picked it up and took it with her. I suggested she might give a donation, but she said she had no money. Within half an hour two people donated €2 coins and did not want books, so the cost of that book was easily covered.

We have a beautiful sign for the book table to make people aware of the books,

but it would get blown upside down by the wind as you can see here. 

The wind must have once gusted with such force on the sign that the table actually blew over.

Altogether in four days in Dublin, passersby donated €117.86 to and accepted eighteen books from the chanting devotees.

Chanting Hare Krishna at the Dublin Tuesday Evening Kirtan

Bhaktin Orla, who has been visiting the temple for many years and immerses herself in kirtan, chants Hare Krishna at the Dublin Tuesday Kirtan (https://youtu.be/CZoRReMiL7A):

Later Ananda Maya Devi Dasi chanted Hare Krishna at the Dublin Tuesday Kirtan (https://youtu.be/4rx7Gsj20T8):

Chanting Hare Krishna in Belfast

Nitai Prabhu, who faithfully does harinama for one hour mostly by himself every Thursday and Saturday in Belfast, chanted Hare Krishna with me during my one-day visit. He impressed me by staying out almost two hours despite his age and health. People took seven or eight books and gave £15.31 and €5.00 during the three-hour harinama, which is very, very good for Belfast (https://youtu.be/lFPBhnB68JI):

Chanting Hare Krishna in Newcastle

The first day I chanted in Newcastle, one man gave £7 for Bhagavad-gita and an additional £1 as a donation. That was Krishna’s encouragement to me. I saw the man three days later, and he said he liked the book. I said that he would find it easier to understand if he chanted the Hare Krishna mantra, and he sat down next to me, and we chanted several Hare Krishna mantras to the simple Prabhupada melody.

Bhagavata Purana Prabhu’s musical ability and devotional attitude always add life to any harinama or kirtan. Our visits to Newcastle overlapped on a day the devotees there do harinama, so we both joined their dedicated harinama team of Prema Sankirtana and Satya Medha Gauranga Prabhus (https://youtu.be/g-y19xLUnPA):

Satya Medha Gauranga Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Newcastle, kids in strollers watch, one mom takes a video, and visiting Bhagavata Purana Prabhu plays the drum (https://youtu.be/Go2chwR6vto):

Bhagavata Purana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at the Newcastle Friday program (https://youtu.be/gPbrexIsNOY):

Newcastle devotees took a video of me chanting Hare Krishna to evening tune at the same Friday program (https://youtu.be/9B9_tLI1J-s):

Bhagavata Purana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Newcastle Saturday morning program (https://youtu.be/F1k7EV5Gpc0):

Dhananjaya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at the beginning of Newcastle’s monthly Sacred Street Party, on the third Saturday of the month (https://youtu.be/DHRMmztORWU):

Prema Sankirtana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Newcastle’s monthly Sacred Street Party (https://youtu.be/oq6QHEkfwFc):

Bhakti Rasa Prabhu, originally from Newcastle, chants Hare Krishna at Newcastle’s monthly Sacred Street Party (https://youtu.be/OSFJ5qijXIo):

Vishnu Priya Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna at Newcastle’s monthly Sacred Street Party (https://youtu.be/K-MyTKK3Crw):

The Sacred Street Party is just two hours, but I like to chant for three, so I stayed another hour. Here I chanted Hare Krishna, and Prema Sankirtana Prabhu and his family, who stopped by on their way home, induced passersby to dance (https://youtu.be/eyVd8RRvkLc):

Kirill played bass and chanted Hare Krishna before Newcastle Sunday feast lecture (https://youtu.be/ZmwISDWKRBM):



Here Cammy, a devotee girl who has just been coming to programs for a year or so, chants Hare Krishna on Northumberland St. in Newcastle with Satya Medha Gauranga Prabhu and myself (https://youtu.be/U8c3yeg1SJ4):

Chanting Hare Krishna in Edinburgh

Suparno Deb chants Hare Krishna on Princes Street in Edinburgh (https://youtu.be/YxencIi82Ro):

Suparno, whose family is from Bangladesh and has weekly Hare Krishna programs at their house in Edinburgh, leads the chanting of Hare Krishna at one such Tuesday evening program (https://youtu.be/X9WnSZNqY28):

I spoke at that Tuesday program, going through each word of the Nrsimha prayers and describing its meaning so devotees can be more conscious of the meaning of the prayers when they sing them. That was an especially relevant topic because the next Saturday was the appearance anniversary of Lord Nrsimha.

Chanting Hare Krishna in London

Ananta Nitai Prabhu, who I chanted with several times in Ireland, chants Hare Krishna in London on their daily afternoon harinama (https://youtu.be/alq8a6ajIZs):

It was refreshing for me to be able sing the response, dance, take videos, and distribute invitations because of the size of the party, which although small for London, was big for me.

Chanting Hare Krishna at Kings Day in Amsterdam

Parasurama Prabhu chanted Hare Krishna at the beginning of our Kings Day harinama, in the street just outside the temple room of Amsterdam ISKCON, playing his ukukele and accompanied by a bass guitar and a drum set (https://youtu.be/p_hlhDr3Sl0):

Dayal Mora Prabhu of the United Kingdom chants lively Hare Krishna tunes at Kings Day in Amsterdam, getting devotees and onlookers to dance (https://youtu.be/XakuWCbq_Bo):

Kadamba Kanana Swami chants Hare Krishna with intensity at Kings Day in Amsterdam, getting devotees and onlookers to dance (https://youtu.be/-cJ-cgAUP0s):

Vraja Krishna Prabhu from Bulgaria, chanted a lively Hare Krishna tune at Kings Day in Amsterdam, getting both devotees and onlookers to dance (https://youtu.be/RPTzo2uCcjA):

Here Parividha Prabhu, disciple of Srila Prabhupada and performer, originally from Holland, chants Hare Krishna at Kings Day and gets devotees and onlookers dancing (https://youtu.be/X8J0rZniEwM):

After lunch Sadbhuja Prabhu of Germany chanted a lively Hare Krishna tune at Kings Day, getting devotees and onlookers to dance (https://youtu.be/uwjlmKTvqIE):

One devotee dancer accidentally knocked my camera out of my hand rendering it permanently damaged, so I took more video of Sadbhuja Prabhu chanting Hare Krishna at Kings Day in Amsterdam with the iPhone I am borrowing from the Yuga Dharma NYC Harinama Party (https://youtu.be/Z2_NiY0ViFo):

Kadamba Kanana Swami led the Hare Krishna chant on Kings Day in Amsterdam again after we took our lunch with characteristic intensity, getting the devotees and the onlookers to dance (https://youtu.be/Ui-Hdfqb-Cc):

At one point Rati Manjari Devi Dasi played a drum set and very enthusiastically chanted Hare Krishna at Kings Day in Amsterdam, getting devotees and onlookers to dance (https://youtu.be/YcV-YvQDPl0):

Nrsimha Caitanya Prabhu chanted Hare Krishna on Kings Day in Amsterdam as we proceeded toward our buses to return to Radhadesh. One young Hindu lady delighted in dancing at the end and was happy to hear of our local temple and its programs (https://youtu.be/IHpy464JjvA):

During the six or seven hours we chanted Hare Krishna in Amsterdam on Kings Day, several onlookers enjoyed waving our Hare Krishna banners, thus advancing spiritually by their spontaneous service to Krishna (https://youtu.be/jgYGRi6nKPg):

A lady from Connecticut, who never encountered the Hare Krishnas before, after watching the chanting for awhile, at my suggestion, decided to dance with the devotees at Kings Day, and she had a great time (https://youtu.be/3vRH_buvo9s):

I told her about our temple in Hartford, saying I just visited it last December, and I mentioned that we had a big festival in September that I thought she might like. I gave her my card and told her to write me if she ever goes.

I talked to many people from Spain, others from America, one from Brazil, one from Italy, and one from Turkey. Several people who liked our music were from Amsterdam or nearby communities and were happy to accept invitations to our Sunday feast and Wednesday and Friday dinner programs.

On the whole, I felt many people were happy to contact Krishna as a result of our massive chanting party there in Amsterdam on Kings Day, the anniversary of the birthday of the King of the Netherlands.

Chanting Hare Krishna in Radhadesh

Kadamba Kanana Swami chants Hare Krishna at Radhadesh (https://youtu.be/tLAWms24_gk):

Ananta Gauranga Prabhu, who I know from Alachua, Gainesville, and New York City, chants Hare Krishna during the tulasi arati in Radhadesh (https://youtu.be/QlAQkevrc0s):

Because of the schedule of festivities on Nrsimha Caturdasi at Radhadesh, there was no opportunity for a chanting party to travel to a city good for public chanting, so we chanted around Radhadesh with Nrsimha Caitanya Prabhu playing the accordion and leading. We visited a bas-relief of Nrsimhadeva, and later, the offices of Bhaktivedanta Library Services (https://youtu.be/6tD6Az1ezsk):

Chanting Hare Krishna in Antwerp

I spoke about the glories of the holy name during the Sunday feast lecture in Antwerp, and I was happy that several people said they liked the lecture. Bhakta Stefaan recorded it, and it is on Facebook as a video. 

I failed in my attempt to organize a harinama either before or after the Sunday feast in Antwerp as I had done in Dublin. Instead we had an extra hour of kirtan afterwards. Three devotees took turns leading, and for the last fifteen minutes three devotee girls led the chanting of Hare Krishna (https://youtu.be/KDbbxgNKqsM):

As my friend, Amita Krishna Prabhu, had unexpectedly left Antwerp for two days to visit Radhadesh with the ISKCON temple president of Tirupati and his wife, I decided to go to Brussels to do harinama with my friend, Janmastami Prabhu, on the final day of April.

Photos of Note

The problem of Bhagavatam speakers going over the scheduled time for class exists in many temples. At Radhadesh, they offer the above solution.

Abortion is a controversial issue in Ireland that is coming up for a vote. Posters advocating both sides appear on many lamp posts in Dublin. Here is one photo I took from the window of a moving car.

Insights

Bhaktivinoda Thakura:

From Jaiva Dharma:

“Babaji Maharaja, ‘Dear sir! My advice in this regard is that one should be dispassionate about one’s outer dress—towards it practice neither attachment, nor hate. When the heart and consciousness become purified from within, the outer garments are also automatically rectified. When too much stress is laid on dress codes and grooming external looks, then disciplining the consciousness within is neglected. My opinion is that after inner cleansing, one is naturally inspired to conduct oneself in accordance with the behaviour of saintly devotees, and thus one’s outward appearance—dress and so on—will be freed from blemishes in the natural course of events. Just surrender completely to the ideals of Sri Caitanya and then whatever external activities are inspired in you will be executed with proper consciousness. Always remember the following instruction of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in the Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya-lila, 16.238–9:

markata-vairagya na kara loka dekhaña

yatha-yogya vishaya bhuñja’ anasakta haña

antare nishtha kara, bahye loka-vyaahara

acirat krishna tomaya karibe uddhara

“You should not make yourself into a show-bottle devotee and become a false renunciant. For the time being, enjoy the material world in a befitting way, but do not become attached to such enjoyment. Within your heart, you should keep yourself very faithful, but externally you may behave like an ordinary man. Then soon Krishna will be very pleased and deliver you from the clutches of maya.”’

Sannyasi Thakura understood the importance of Babaji Maharaja’s words and refrained from further mention of the subject of dress.”

Kadamba Kanana Swami:

Holland is known as a free haven for everyone. That is well known, but why is not well known.

The Catholics controlled the North of Europe and forced people to pay a tax. England, Germany, and Holland rebelled, and because Holland was smallest, it was attacked by Spain in a war which lasted 80 years. People were born during the war, and they died during the war.

William of Orange liberated the country. Orange became the color of the freedom. Thus the Dutch are attached to their orange and their freedom. Holland thus became a haven for those who were oppressed and seeking freedom.

For us Kings Day is a festival of giving. If we go for ourselves, we may find it too much, but if we go to give, it is never too much, for we see people are getting the mercy.

Bhaktivinoda Thakura prayed at Nrsimha Palli to Nrsimhadeva to be freed from all obstacles for developing his devotion to Radha and Krishna.

Why do we worship Lord Nrsimha? For protection. But why? Krishna killed so many demons! Ultimately we worship Lord Nrsimha because Lord Caitanya did.

I was reading a description of The Renaissance in a book called A History of Knowledge, and I suddenly realized that ISKCON is in its renaissance. In the global acarya days things were very restricted, but great things were done and great individual surrender took place. Now there is more individual expression, but things are moving more slowly.

The BBT devotees showed Srila Prabhupada their new telex machine. Srila Prabhupada commented that this would only increase gossip in our society. And that was just a telex machine!

If we had a Kumbha Mela, and we all threw our phones in the water, I would lead the ecstatic kirtan after.

The fierce form of Lord Nrsimha is a symbol of the Lord’s soft-heartedness, as He appeared out of compassion to protect His devotee.

The Lord will protect the devotee and drive out the demoniac within us.

Bhaktivinoda Thakura prayed at Nrsimha Palli to be free from all demoniac tendencies.

All our rituals are not just rituals but connect us to important deities for needed mercy.

In South India all people are allowed to enter Nrsimha temples as He is understood to have appeared to the demoniac for their benefit.

In our temples we chant the Nrsimha prayers after almost every arati because we need His destroying of our demoniac tendencies.

The Lord promises to protect one’s soul not necessarily one’s body.

We would be impressed with the different agents of Hiranyakasipu used to tortune Prahlada Maharaja if we saw them employed against us, but he was completely unaffected due to his complete faith in the Lord.

Prahlada does not want to attain the spiritual world alone but wants to bring all others with him.

Prahlada did not pray to serve the Lord directly but to continue to serve Narada Muni, his guru.

Krishna is not only the supreme pure but the supreme purifier. By any contact with Krishna, one becomes purified.

In the beginning we have a speck of Krishna consciousness while maya is all-pervading. Later maya is more localized.

Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura says the surface of the consciousness is covered with taste at ruci [taste] while at asakti [attachment] that taste goes deeper.

In the material world, we are suffering in our material consciousness, however, in krishna-prema there is no suffering at all.

Pujari, you do not need to ring the bell. I am the bell. The speaker is the bell. It is said in the sastra that kirtana is the bell.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrita is an extension of the Bhagavatam because it is also the pastimes of the Supreme Lord and His devotees.

We are not condemned to be in the prison of the material world, but unfortunately we have no desire to leave.

I think ISKCON has lost something not having the bowl of gulabjamuns [sweets] by the door like in the beginning.

We have many festivals and activities where we can get some taste before we achieve the ultimate taste of krishna-prema. Vaishnava association makes this possible. Therefore, we need to be with Vaishnavas. Let us move to live nearer the devotees. If that is not possible, let us visit them regularly. Let us invite them to our homes.

We are all becoming purified in the association of devotees, and that is a cause for celebration.

I do kirtana alone, but it is not the same.

If we touch our beads as much as our phone, that would be very wonderful.

The holy name is Krishna, the supreme purifier, and therefore everyone becomes uplifted in the kirtan.

Vyasa-puja is important. One should not miss them. You do not have to work. Use your holidays to come. Plan now for next year. These are opportunities to go deeper in our relationships, our commitments.

We have to hear from other Vaishnavas about their spiritual lives. It is essential for going forward.

In Radhadesh, after the book marathon they had a festival for glorifying the book distributors. Then they increased it to glorify all the devotees. It went on for six hours, and physically it was challenging, but spiritually it was purifying.

Krishna prema is not just for the uttama-adhikari [topmost devotee], but the madhyama-adhikari [middle-level devotee] is also described as loving the Lord. [Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.2.46]

In ISKCON in the 1980s, there was a taste for giving out the mercy. People were forced to go out. But when they did it, they got a taste for giving out the mercy, acting as Krishna’s instruments. This giving is the beginning of love. The spirit of giving was something electric. That is the way to get Krishna prema.

There are many ways to preach:

Let devotees to dramas on the streets where the people are. 

The BBC published a list of ten cities likely to run out of water soon, and London made the list. We could take advantage of that and explain how because we are not performing sacrifice we are running out of water.

According to Lord Caitanya, by chanting Hare Krishna without stopping and by serving the Vaishnavas, we can become empowered to distribute Krishna consciousness.

Q: How can we preach when our mind gives us problems?

A: Take sweets ourselves, and then distribute them to others.

It is difficult to balance. It is not that we figure it out once and for all, but we are always adjusting to keep the balance.

We have to balance these three:

1. Our personal well-being.

2. Our spiritual practice.

3. Our outreach.

The liberated soul sees the loving attitude of Krishna behind the material world, as providing a facility to gradually uplift souls, and so he is always happy.

Q: How will we celebrate your Vyasa-puja after you are gone?

A: There probably will not be one central celebration but small ones in different places. You cannot say you have celebrated my Vyasa-puja unless some preaching is connected with it. That is why we are continuing this Kings Day as long as possible.

Bhakti Brihat Bhagavata Swami:

From a lecture in Central London on the verse of Prahlada about sensual happiness coming in the course of time just as we attain distress:

Prahlada went to a special school for those working in the administration of Hiranyakasipu.

If a child tells you that you are wrong you do not take it too seriously, but if an adult tells you are wrong that is another thing.

Srila Prabhupada explains that a rich man suffers the same from typhoid fever as a poor man.

The only happiness in the material is looking forward to enjoying.

You work hard the whole year for two weeks vacation and during that vacation you worry about going back to work.

Real happiness is taking pleasure in the practical activities of devotional service.

Some devotees are initiated, but still they still chase after the objects of sense enjoyment. They are worse off in the sense they are guilty in knowledge.

When Jadurani asked Srila Prabhupada if it was alright to wear short shorts. Srila Prabhupada said, “The attraction is already there. Don’t aggravate it.”

It is unfortunate that unscrupulous men have conditioned women to dress as they presently do. The women themselves are innocent, but the men are to blame.

I cannot eat for you; you have to eat yourself. Just as you spontaneously eat yourself, you have to come to point of doing devotional service yourself.

If you do not know how to become a man of character, follow a man of character. That is the disciplic succession. Get attached to a real spiritual mentor who can give you ongoing instruction.

Bhavananda did not shave or cut his finger nails one Caturmasya. Prabhupada pointed to him and said to a disciple, “Who is this?”

Bhavananada interjected, “This is your Bhavananda.”

Srila Prabhupada said, “No, that is not my Bhavananda.”

Bhavananda shaved and cut his finger nails, and presented himself to Prabhupada, who said, “This is my Bhavananda.”

You never preach to materialists in a negative way. Try to be their friend.

We may preach to people in different ways, but we have to preach to people because they are suffering.

[He told an elaborate story about devotee lady who wore a sari to mangala-arati but work clothes to class, then sitting in the back of the room. Srila Prabhupada questioned her, and she said she did not have time to change before going to work. Srila Prabhupada advised her to wear her sari to class and indicated with the guru’s order comes the potency to execute it. She did not know what to do because she did not want to be late for work. Her husband advised her to bring her work clothes to the temple and change at a friend’s apartment across the street. She did that the next day, and Srila Prabhupada was pleased.]

Everyone is on the mental platform in the material world, and therefore, we have the mantra.

Bhagavata Purana Prabhu:

Bhakti-yoga has less restrictions than other types of yoga.

We increase our chanting and very gradually decrease our eating.

Excuse my English. I am American. Nobody is perfect.

I heard George Harrison singing Hare Krishna on Radio Luxembourg when I was thirteen.

Q (by Ekachakranatha Prabhu): What realizations do you have from chanting Hare Krishna?

A: The louder you chant, the more powerful it is because more people will benefit from the sound vibration.

Formerly when Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami was working in the welfare office as a new devotee, his intercom was turned on and he did not know it. He decided to take a break from work and chant japa, and everyone in the office could hear him. Fortunately, because he had seniority he did not get fired.

With the global terrorism, if you walk around with a bead bag, people might think it is a gun, so you might just want to chant with a bead bag at home.

With the holy name, there is no overdose.

One person who had just read Srila Prabhupada’s books but not yet encountered the devotees thought you had to sing the mantra, and it took him the whole day to chant sixteen rounds. He was relieved to understand singing was not required when he finally met the devotees in person.

If you want to see a video of Bhagavata Purana Prabhu’s entire lecture at Newcastle’s Friday program, here it is (https://youtu.be/yjSQwBygDwg):

Gopinatha Acarya Prabhu [devotee scholar at Oxford]:

Some say we do not need to affiliate ourselves with a particular sampradaya [one of the four Vaishnava lineages] because Lord Caitanya, who is svayam-bhagavan [the original Supreme Lord], appears in our lineage.

The Six Goswamis did not present their teachings as those of a particular sectarian Vaishnava tradition but rather as universal Vaishnava truths.

Ramanuja and Madhava built their whole presentations on refutation of Advaita Vedanta. They insisted there is no such thing as impersonal Brahman. Brahman is only the varigated spiritual form of Lord Narayana.

We, on the other hand, accept impersonal Brahman as a reality but consider the understanding that it is the highest realization to be fallacious.

Our tradition as been decentralized from the beginning. Lord Caitanya refused to be a leader of more than those immediately around Him. He engaged others, principally Lord Nityananda and Lord Advaita, in leading others.

Although Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura established an institution, he warns about the danger of institutions practically more so than anyone else.

Narahari Sakara warns in his Krishna-bhajanamrita that two deviant groups will arise. Some will say dharma is more important than bhakti and stress that we should appear respectable in society, and others will pretend to be pure Vaishnavas while furthering their own sense gratification. He concludes by saying that if we stay true to the love of Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His spirit of giving love to all others, despite material considerations, then our tradition will survive.

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura would engage Vaishnavas outside his Gaudiya Matha in writing for its publications.

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura said four books are essential for Gaudiya Vaishnavas. One is that Krishna-bhajanamrita.

Narahari explains when our eagerness to hear and chant about Krishna and to chant His name are there, we will able to imbibe the loving mood of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. We just have to follow our initiation vows in order not to block this natural development.

Sutapa Prabhu:

It is said love, hate, and fear are the most powerful emotions, and they can cause people to do things they would not normally do.

The pastime of Lord Nrsimha is filled with these three emotions. The love of Prahlada for Nrsimhadeva and that of Nrsimhadeva for Prahlada, the fear in all residents of the universe caused by Hiranyakasipu, and the hatred of Hiranyakasipu for Vishnu because He killed his brother, which extended to the sages, the demigods, and all residents of the universe.

The fearsome Lord removes the fear of His devotee.

If we are happy, we are fearful it will end, and if we are unhappy, we are fearful it will not end.

Researchers say 40% of fears are of the past, 30% of fears are for the future, and 20% of fears are of something that will never take place, and thus 90% of fears are useless.

If you have unlimited material desires, you will have unlimited anxieties.

Material solutions for fearfulness fail as Hiranyakasipu demonstrates, but the spiritual solution taken by Prahlada Maharaja is successful: taking shelter of a pure devotee (such as Narada) and worshiping the Lord.

Prahlada thought, “Poison and Laksmi both were born from the ocean of milk, so why would my maternal uncle harm me? Fire is the mouth of Vishnu. Why would my father’s mouth harm me?”

Seeing Krishna behind everything is the cause of fearlessness.

As Prahlada saw Krishna everywhere so did Srila Prabhupada.

The Srimad-Bhagavatam says that fear is seeing a reality apart from Krishna and that is caused by forgetfulness of Krishna. Bhakti, given by the guru, is the solution.

When we act fearlessly the Lord manifests His presence.

Prahlada was not afraid to tell Hiranyakasipu the best thing he learned was that a materialistic householder should give up home and take shelter of Hari [Vishnu].

Later he fearlessly said to his father the best thing he learned was the nine items of devotional service to Lord Vishnu.

Similarly if we act fearlessly Krishna will appear for us.

Bhakti Tirtha Swami says when our desire to serve is so great we go beyond our capacity, but we continue without hesitation, then empowerment occurs.

Fears restrict us, limiting our options.

While we are hearing the katha [the glorification of the Lord], there are no problems.

Every time we overcome a fear in our spiritual life, we gain traction.

Krishna does not work in our life to give us convenience but to give us growth.

We have to see fears as great opportunities.

By not making a decision, you are making a decision.

One philosopher said after twenty years you are more likely to regret what you did not do than what you did.

Because we add our material desires to our devotional life, it makes what is naturally very simple actually very difficult.

Sadbhuja Prabhu:

The word “individual” comes from roots meaning not divided.

Our acaryas expressed themselves in quite different ways.

I have researched the preaching strategies of different swamis, and my conclusion is that they are all successful because their strategies are compatible with the personalities of those using them.

In ISKCON we have to decide if we want to manage our movement as a multinational cooperation or as a family.

There are many cases in which people acted according to the role for which they were trained for a certain time but could not do it indefinitely. This had to do with not being engaged properly and coming to a level of consciousness from their spiritual practice that they realized they had to do something else.

Kadamba Kanana Swami says on the back of his small book: “The principal duty of the spiritual master is to give people a greater vision for themselves than that which they can come up with on their own.”

Dina Dayal Prabhu:

Dvaraka is supposed to be the ideal city created by Krishna. It has many parks.

My guru, Indradyumna Swami, likes Moldova very much. It is like Russia twenty years ago. The people are very open.

Five personalities give access to Vrindavan: Gopisvara Mahadeva, Vrinda Devi, Giriraja Govardhan, Yamuna Devi, and the dust of Vrindavan.

Caitanya Vallabha Prabhu:

Srila Prabhupada said that England is beautiful when the sun shines. This is mentioned by Ranchor Prime in his book, When the Sun Shines: The Dawn of Hare Krishna in Great Britain.

Vaisesika Prabhu quotes one of his godbrothers saying, “There is no such thing as ‘no time’; there is ‘no taste’.”

Tulasi Dasa Prabhu from Bulgaria:

From a lunchtime conversation at Radhadesh:

There is a famous actor in Bulgaria, Fahradin Fahradinov (left), who is visiting Radhadesh with us and becoming a devotee. Not only does he act, but he also has a chain of theaters, and he is enthusiastically putting book tables with prasadam in them all.

In Russia there was one criminal who understood that very soon he would be caught by the police. He decided to take shelter of a Hare Krishna temple and pretend to be a new person interested in Krishna consciousness to avoid being caught. He followed the devotional program strictly so he would not be suspected, and after several months he decided he actually wanted to become a devotee after all. He told the devotees his story, and they said he could become a devotee, but that he would have to turn himself into the police first. When the judge heard his case, he was given a minimal sentence and allowed to live with the devotees.

Govinda Mohan Prabhu:

Varnasrama is to facilitate our performing devotional service continuously.

Brajananda Prabhu of Sunderland:

From a conversation on the way to harinama:

While I was working an office worker inquired about my haircut. He wondered if it had some spiritual implications. I said I was a monk.

He said, “You mean a Hare Krishna or a Buddhist or something like that.”

I said I was a Hare Krishna. He said he liked the Hare Krishnas because they were very peaceful. He said when he feels depressed he goes online and finds some Hare Krishna music and plays it. He recalled especially liking some Hare Krishna tunes from the Ukraine festival.

Tiru Prabhu:

From a conversation at the Dublin temple:

Tamal Krishna Goswami explained the early expansion of Krishna consciousness by saying Srila Prabhupada was pure and we were innocent, and therefore it was an effective combination.

-----

We always enter relationships hoping that the other persons will reciprocate our interest in them. In this material world, that is often not the case, and that is a cause of suffering for many people. Krishna, the Supreme Lord, is not like that. Here in Bhagavad-gita He promises to reciprocate, and He has the ability and integrity to keep His promise. Some people fail to reciprocate with us because of ignorance of our needs, and others fail because they lack the capacity to do what is required, even if they understand. Krishna, however, is omniscient and omnipotent, and thus He can infallibility reciprocate. Once Kadamba Kanana Swami told me he does not like this verse because Srila Prabhupada explained that the actual truth is that Krishna gives back ten or a hundred times what we give to Him. That is certainly true. Still I like this verse because Krishna Himself is personally promising us infallible reciprocation which is something we can all count on in this world of disappointment.

One example of Krishna’s reciprocation is found in the pastime of Rukmini writing a letter to Krishna inviting Him to steal her away before an arranged marriage scheduled with someone she did not like. After hearing the letter, Krishna said to the messenger, “My dear brahmana, I am very glad to hear that Rukmini is eager to marry Me, since I am also eager to get her hand. My mind is always absorbed in thoughts of the daughter of Bhimaka, and sometimes I cannot sleep at night because I am thinking of her.” Although being Supreme Lord, who is satisfied within Himself, He perfectly reciprocates Rukmini’s falling madly in love with Him.

ye yatha mam prapadyante

tams tathaiva bhajamy aham

mama vartmanuvartante

manusyah partha sarvasah

“As all surrender unto Me, I reward them accordingly. Everyone follows My path in all respects, O son of Pritha.” (Bhagavad-gita 4.11)