Travel Journal#15.18: New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, Martha's Vineyard

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 15, No. 18 

By Krishna Kripa Das 

(September 2019, part two) 

New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, Martha’s Vineyard 

(Sent from New York City on October 5, 2019)

Where I Went and What I Did

I chanted with the Yuga Dharma Ashram harinama party for the second half of September, except for the last two days of the month. In addition to chanting in the New York City area at Union Square, at Times Square, and at different subway stations, we traveled to Boston for their Hempfest, where we had amazing success, and to Philadelphia, where we promoted and attended their Ratha-yatra. My sister arranged that some relatives get together on Martha’s Vineyard, off the coast of Massachusetts, to celebrate my mother’s ninety-fifth birthday, so I spent the last two days of the month with them, including my sixtieth birthday.

I share notes on the books and lectures of Srila Prabhupada. I share excerpts from the Free Write Journal of Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami. I share notes on The Living Name by Sacinandana Swami and notes on classes by Candramauli Swami speaking in Boston and Bhakti Vijnana Swami speaking in New York City. I share notes on classes by Rama Raya Prabhu and Radheshyam Prabhu of Pune. I share quotes from Back to Godhead articles by Gauranga Darsana and Narayana Prabhus. I share a note from a kirtan introduction by Jaya Jagannatha Prabhu at the Bhakti Center.

Thanks to Prishni Devi Dasi and Bhaktivedanta Institute for sponsoring my flight from Newark to Gainesville to attend their cosmology conference there in November. Thanks to Sergey for his very generous donation at the Philadelphia Ratha-yatra. Thanks to my mother for her very kind donation on the occasion of my sixtieth birthday, to my cousin, Kellie, for the nice orange hat, and to my niece, Fern, for the notepads.

Thanks to Kaliya Krishna Prabhu for his video of me leading the devotees in chanting Hare Krishna in Union Square and amazed Bengali tourists chanting, clapping, and taking videos and for his video of me dancing while Kalki Prabhu led kirtan. Thanks to Kaliya also for sharing photos of me standing at our book table in Columbus Circle and singing on harinama in Boston on Newbury Street and of the Hempfest book distribution. Thanks to my sister, Karen, for all the photos on Martha’s Vineyard.

Itinerary

October 2 – December: NYC Yuga Dharma harinamas

November 1–3: Bhaktivedanta Institute cosmology conference in Gainesville, Florida

January–April 2020: North Florida colleges, mostly Florida State University

Chanting Hare Krishna in New York City

I chanted Hare Krishna six hours a day with the Yuga Dharma Ashram party from Monday through Saturday at Union Square, or in subway stations when it rained. On Sunday, we have a special program at our place for new people and then chant Hare Krishna at Times Square for an hour after that. 

One day, we did a venue the devotees were doing in the summer but which was new to me, Columbus Circle.

Here Krishna Prasad Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Times Square, and a man dances (https://youtu.be/YgM-lQE6iLk):

Natabara Gauranga Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Union Square (https://youtu.be/XSBUkKRZqhQ):

Natabara Gauranga Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Union Square, and two ladies play shakers, dance, take prasadam, and take an “On Chanting Hare Krishna.” (https://youtu.be/kYxnLURGqeA):

Savyasaci Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Times Square, and several people dance (https://youtu.be/BtCK9N3JYXE):

Bhakti Vijnana Goswami chants Hare Krishna at Radha Govinda Mandir in Brooklyn (https://youtu.be/uTPIZ2FCPkM):

Krishna Kripa Das leads the devotees in chanting Hare Krishna in Union Square, and amazed Bengali tourists chant, clap, and take videos. Video by Kaliya Krishna Prabhu (https://youtu.be/wek5B THrje0):

In this video of devotees chanting Hare Krishna at Union Square, we see that former Krishna House devotees play a big role in the New York City harinama with Kalki Prabhu leading the singing, Ananda Prabhu drumming, Krishna Prasad Prabhu distributing books and supplying cookies, and myself dancing. Video by Kaliya Krishna Prabhu (https://youtu.be/1JmgLIdCFFw):

Rama Raya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Union Square, and a young mom dances with her kids (https://youtu.be/yXBHHQ2wSYk):

Rama Raya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Union Square, and seven school girls play shakers and dance, encouraged by Krishna Prasad Prabhu at Rama Raya’s request, and they all have a great time. One is brave enough to accept a Krishna cookie (https://youtu.be/g9hKbw5forI):

Ananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna, and a couple plays shakers and eats cookies (https://youtu.be/SE-1pin9tSY):

Natabara Gauranga Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Union Square, and a man with a dog plays shakers (https://youtu.be/Jk0WOad2_20):

Gokulendra Prabhu, visiting from North Carolina for a week, chants Hare Krishna at Columbus Circle (https://youtu.be/LYaEGTGBD7c):

A young lady, happy to have just purchased a set of four Prabhupada books in Union Square, dances with delight to the Hare Krishna chant (https://youtu.be/895vUQ-aLVw):

Natabara Gauranga Prabhu reminds us that when the amplifier is in an elevated place, the sound is broadcast a greater distance.

On Ekadasi the blueberry halava made with buckwheat flour and pecans was so good I just had to take a photo of it.

Jahnavi Harrison chants Hare Krishna at the Bhakti Center Tuesday evening kirtan, where those new to kiran are invited to participate from 7:15 to 8:15 p.m. each week (https://youtu.be/KX1SqulJQB8):

Chanting Hare Krishna in Boston

Rama Raya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna during mangala arati in Boston, where the Yuga Dharma Ashram went to chant Hare Krishna and distribute books at the Boston Hempfest on Saturday, September 14 (https://youtu.be/KjrYlcm0tOw):

According to the lunar calendar, that morning of the Hempfest was the fifty-fourth anniversary of Srila Prabhupada’s arrival in Boston at Commonwealth Pier after his thirty-eight day journey aboard the Jaladuta.

Boston devotees arranged a program at the pier at 6:00 a.m. in the morning.

Srila Prabhupada was present in his murti form.

Rama Raya Prabhu was one of the speakers.

Our first day in Boston we chanted for eight hours at the Boston Hempfest.

Devotees on the Yuga Dharma Ashram party distributed 1,421 books at that event!

Even I distributed four Bhakta Stacks, sets of four softbound books we sell for $10, when in New York City I hardly ever do even one in a month.

As we chanted Hare Krishna at the Hempfest, I would pass out invitations to the Boston temple to people who seemed to be appreciating the chanting. I would describe our programs in Boston, and then tell the people we had books on the table if they were interested, and about half the people would come over to the table. In other places, perhaps one in ten would come over to the table.

Once as I was distributing invitations, someone said “Show me the books.”

I took him to the table and showed him the set of four books and told him we sell it for $10, and he said, “Fine, I’ll take one.”

And he gave me $10.

It was so easy to distribute books there, even I could do it!

Here Gokulendra Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Boston Hempfest, and two guys play shakers (https://youtu.be/daZM1n2IM8A):

Chatamayi Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna at Boston Hempfest, and a couple plays shakers and tries chanting. Later they came back with a friend when Rama Raya Prabhu was singing (https://youtu.be/C4DD6HuKvzc):

Chatamayi Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna at Boston Hempfest (https://youtu.be/SymeRI7HxOo):

Rama Raya Prabhu, inspired by the receptivity of the crowd, personally led the Hare Krishna chant for three hours at the Boston Hempfest, and passersby played shakers and danced (https://youtu.be/MsjOPWeD84Q):

Boston devotees say that one lady who played the shakers with us came to the Boston temple the next day for the Sunday feast. 

We did a walking harinama on Newbury Street on Sunday, the day after the Hempfest, and I was one of the lead chanters in the beginning.

Here Devarsi Narada Prabhu chants Hare Krishna on Newbury Street (https://youtu.be/pIwM0YaASSE):

While Devarsi was leading we encountered a street band, which played along with us for a minute or two, and people stopped to watch and take pictures (https://youtu.be/lvKriCOjI1o):

Later Gokulendra Prabhu led kirtan, and passersby danced and waved (https://youtu.be/30b6dRkVvI0):

Chanting Hare Krishna Back in New York City

Here Radheshyam Prabhu of Pune, who is visiting the U.S.A., chants Hare Krishna in Union Square Park in New York City (https://youtu.be/1wyVwKFt1xg):

While Radheshyam Prabhu was singing, a passerby offered to dance, but he requested the music be faster. I explained that to Radheshyam, and he increased the tempo, and the guy danced (https://youtu.be/vR8ikptRUdg):

Rama Raya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Union Square, and devotees dance (https://youtu.be/KD4odHCW2PI):

Rama Raya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Union Square, and a kid plays shakers (https://youtu.be/woQNoba3dOM):

On September 25, the day that was seven and a half years since our harinama party began, two high school girls happily chanted Hare Krishna with the Yuga Dharma Ashram Party in Union Square. 

To our surprise, they said they had been chanting Hare Krishna with their friends earlier in the day. How was that? They saw a school play six months ago about the 1960s which featured the Hare Krishna chant, and they said they could not get it out of their minds, and thus they regularly chant it with their friends! They chanted with us over twenty minutes and each received “On Chanting Hare Krishna,” a small book, and prasadam cookies. One girl was vegan and had a mother who was vegan and interested in spiritual things. We told them our schedule and hope to see them again. Krishna works in mysterious ways (https://youtu.be/FAC8kHLc0NA):

Kaliya Krishna Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Union Square, a guy dances briefly, and several others watch for a while (https://youtu.be/Q6qlPOIgMRw):

Chanting Hare Krishna in Philadelphia

Here Krishna Prasad Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia where Yuga Dharma Ashram devotees went to promote and attend the Ratha-yatra (https://youtu.be/UlhB2uzlRNM):

Prashant Silver from Baltimore chants Hare Krishna in Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia (https://youtu.be/kH8cAsJB95w):

Two young devotee girls must have distributed more invitations to the Ratha-yatra than anyone except me. 

Here one of them tries distributing a sapta-rsi after receiving some tips from Mahotsaha Prabhu.

Mahavishnu Swami, who is traveling with Harinama Ruci, chants Hare Krishna in Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia (https://youtu.be/KKBWfO3MJ1M):

Rama Raya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia, and a Buddhist monk plays shakers. The monk came to the Ratha-yatra the next day and enjoyed the prasadam. Then she again played shakers with Rama Raya’s kirtan party, this time for at least 3 hours (https://youtu.be/FATsvYtJKEk):

Besides the Buddhist monk I met someone else who came to Ratha-yatra after having met us chanting at Rittenhouse Square, but I am sure there were many more as many people were happy to learn of the event, some remembering it from previous years.

I talked to many people who were attracted by the Ratha-yatra procession and the stage show afterward, some encountering it for the first time, such as a journalist from Temple University, and others who recalled it from previous years and who therefore come each year. 

Here Balabhadra Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Philadelphia Ratha-yatra in front of Lord Jagannatha’s cart (https://youtu.be/qLt7oBbprfg):

Here Mahavishnu Swami chants Hare Krishna in Philadelphia Ratha-yatra in front of Lord Baladeva’s cart (https://youtu.be/H6x9nKG8anU):

A devotee lady chants Hare Krishna at Philadelphia Ratha-yatra in front of Lady Subhadra’s cart (https://youtu.be/f1v8QqzDGyw):

Kripamoya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Philadelphia Ratha-yatra in front of Lord Jagannatha’s cart (https://youtu.be/UEh33k1Afx0):

Kripamoya Prabhu chants at the end of the Ratha-yatra, and two people dance with hoops (https://youtu.be/eo9B2fOG-_U):

I had seen Jagannatha T-shirts many times, but this year I encountered Srila Prabhupada disciple, Trilochan Prabhu, sporting a Jagannatha tie!

Rama Raya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna with his Yuga Dharma Ashram harinama party after the Philadelphia Ratha-yatra at Eakins Oval (https://youtu.be/ZJEUluGl9_g):

Mahavishnu Swami, while chanting Hare Krishna with Harinama Ruci and Yuga Dharma Ashram, swaps hats with a passerby, engaging him in chanting the holy names and dancing (https://youtu.be/76NtxpRgEyY):

Mahavishnu Swami chants Hare Krishna with Harinama Ruci and Yuga Dharma Ashram (https://youtu.be/oR98xQFlLR0):

Guru Dasa Prabhu, a disciple of Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami from Washington, D.C., chants Hare Krishna with the Yuga Dharma Ashram harinama party (https://youtu.be/AwyjBbFOSXY):

Visit to Martha’s Vineyard

Martha’s Vineyard is an island off the coast of Massachusetts, which is significant in my family because my father was born in its most prominent city, Edgartown. My sister arranged that some relatives get together on Martha’s Vineyard to celebrate my mother’s ninety-fifth birthday which was actually two weeks before, but the final four days in September were more convenient for the gathering. Two cousins from San Diego were visiting who I had not seen since I lived in San Diego twenty-five years ago. For this reason and because of my mother’s great age, I decided to attend the gathering, but just last two days because I did not want to miss the Philadelphia Ratha-yatra.

On the morning of my sixtieth birthday, Karen and Victor decided to go to the beach in Oak Bluffs to do their silent Buddhist meditation, and I joined them, chanting Hare Krishna japa a short way off.

We visited the grave where the ashes of my father were buried forty-seven years ago. Evidence of the time factor was present in the form of lichens covering many of the tombstones. In this photo my mother, Pat, and my sister, Karen, and Karen’s daughter, Fern, are present along with me. I wear the nice hat cousin Kellie gave me for my birthday. It occurred to me later I might have brought my harmonium and chanted Hare Krishna for the benefit of my father and the departed souls whose remains were buried there, while the others toured nearby Edgartown.

For my birthday I made ginger and cinnamon coconut sweets, dal, and the carrot-coconut rice and tomato chutney from Yamuna Devi’s cookbook. My sister, Karen, made cucumber raita and broccoli and cauliflower pakoras, which my cousin, Kellie, cooked very nicely. Karen and her partner, Victor, made mango lassi. I offered it all to a photo of Gaura Nitai I have on my business card. 

My two superiors, my mother and my cousin, Mary Ann of San Diego, who had her eightieth birthday this year, were happy I took the trouble to join them for the event, and I felt good about that.

My main lamentation was my time on my birthday was scheduled by others in such a way that my desire to chant Hare Krishna in public for an hour to benefit the tourists and residents of Martha’s Vineyard was not fulfilled and my dragging my harmonium from New York City to Boston and onward to the island and back was largely in vain. I will have to be more careful to not allow this to happen in the future.

Insights

Srila Prabhupada:

From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 24.60, purport:

“The four miserable conditions are due to the four kinds of sinful activities, known as (1) pataka, (2) uru-pataka, (3) maha-pataka and (4) ati-pataka — preliminary sin, very great sin, greater sin and topmost sin. However, Krishna assures the devotee, aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami ma sucah: ‘I will protect you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.’ The word sarva-papebhyah indicates four kinds of sinful activities. As soon as the devotee surrenders unto Krishna’s lotus feet, he is certainly relieved from all sinful activities and their results. The four basic sinful activities are summarized as illicit sex, intoxication, gambling and meat-eating.”

From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 24.63:

“When the devotee is freed from all sinful material activities, Krishna attracts his body, mind and senses to His service. Thus Krishna is very merciful, and His transcendental qualities are very attractive.”

From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 1.53, purport:

“Aham means ‘I’; therefore the speaker who is saying aham, ‘I,’ must have His own personality. The Mayavadi philosophers interpret this word aham as referring to the impersonal Brahman. The Mayavadis are very proud of their grammatical knowledge, but any person who has actual knowledge of grammar can understand that aham means ‘I’ and that ‘I’ refers to a personality. Therefore the Personality of Godhead, speaking to Brahma, uses aham while describing His own transcendental form. Aham has a specific meaning; it is not a vague term that can be whimsically interpreted. Aham, when spoken by Krishna, refers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead and nothing else.”

From a lecture:

Trying to advance spiritually while performing sinful activities is like trying start a fire with wet wood. It takes a long time.

You cannot be mad after Hari as long as you are mad after material things.

Bhagavatam is not meant for saptaha [a seven-day recitation], but nityam [every day recitation].

From a lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.7.12 in Vrindavan in 1976:

Krishna’s dancing with the gopis and His being leader at the Battlefield of Kuruksetra are the same. They are both transcendental.

The Lord and His pure devotees are transcendental, and one can take shelter of either to escape the influence of the material energy.

What is inconceivable to us is not inconceivable to the Lord Himself or His pure devotees. Thus we have to hear from a pure devotee about the Lord’s activities to understand.

From a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.38 in Mayapur on March 16, 1976:

“Krishna said, raso ’ham apsu kaunteya: ‘My dear Arjuna, I am the taste of the water.’ Now, who does not drink water? Anyone? The animal also drinks water and the human being also drinks water. But the animal cannot understand God, although God is there in the water, and the man can understand because he is human being. Therefore a human being is different from animal. If we remain like animals – we are drinking water, but we are not realizing Krishna – then you are animal. . . . So every time, if you drink water and remember Krishna, then you are on the devotional service. Where is the difficulty? But the fools will not take it.”

From a class on Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila 20.354–358 on New York on December 28, 1966:

“Lord Caitanya says that incarnation, He never advertises Himself that He is avatar. But experienced munis, those who are liberated souls, those who are expert in Vedic knowledge, they understand that this is avatar, or incarnation, by the symptoms, as they are stated in the scriptures. In the scripture, the color, the activities, the time and the place and the parents—everything is described about the incarnation.”

As scientists can identify a drug by chemical analysis, the sages by scriptural reference can identify the avatar.

“The avatar never advertises. Anyone who advertises himself that ‘I am incarnation,’ he should be at once rejected.”

“Why in human society there is religion? The purpose is to elevate himself to the transcendental position. That is religion. Where there is no such aim to raise one from the fallen condition to the liberated state, that is not religion. That is sentiment. Religion means that one should be raised from the fallen condition to the highest elevated condition. Therefore there are so many rules and regulations.”

“There is not much difference between the activities of material life and spiritual life. Only the consciousness has to be changed. When my consciousness is to lord it over the material nature, that is material life, and when my consciousness is to serve Krishna, the Supreme Lord . . . Krishna consciousness, that is spiritual life.”

“Srimad-Bhagavatam is called Maha-purana. Maha-purana means the topmost of all the puranas. You have seen the review by the Theosophical Society of India of my books. They have stated this very word, Maha-purana, Bhagavatam, the Maha-purana.”

From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya-lila 4.79, purport:

“The Krishna consciousness movement has spread all over the world within a very short time (within five years), and mundane people are very much astonished at this. However, by the grace of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, we understand that everything is possible by the grace of Krishna. Why does Krishna have to take five years? In five days He can spread His name and fame all over the world like wildfire. Those who have faith in and devotion to Krishna can understand that these things happen so wonderfully by the grace of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. We are simply the instruments. In the fierce Battle of Kurukshetra, Arjuna was victorious within eighteen days simply because Krishna’s grace was on his side.

yatra yogesvarah kṛsno yatra partho dhanur-dharah

tatra śrir vijayo bhūtir dhruva nitir matir mama

“Wherever there is Krishna, the master of all mystics, and wherever there is Arjuna, the supreme archer, there will also certainly be opulence, victory, extraordinary power and morality. That is my opinion.” (Bg. 18.78)

If the preachers in our Krishna consciousness movement are sincere devotees of Krishna, Krishna will always be with them because He is very kind and favorable to all His devotees. Just as Arjuna and Krishna were victorious in the Battle of Kurukshetra, this Krishna consciousness movement will surely emerge victorious if we but remain sincere devotees of the Lord and serve the Lord according to the advice of the predecessors (the six Gosvamis and other devotees of the Lord). As Narottama dasa Ṭhakura has stated: tandera carana sevi bhakta-sane vasa, janame janame haya ei abhilasa. The Krishna consciousness devotees must always desire to remain in the society of devotees. Bhakta-sane vasa: they cannot go outside the Krishna consciousness society or movement. Within the society we must try to serve the predecessors by preaching Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s cult and spreading His name and fame all over the world. If we attempt this seriously within the society, it will be successfully done. There is no question of estimating how this will happen in the mundane sense. But without a doubt, it happens by the grace of Krishna.”

Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:

From “Initiation Day” in Free Write Journal #57:

“I was initiated on September 23, 1966—53 years ago—on the occasion of Radhastami. I was initiated with two other devotees, Kirtanananda and Acyutananda. Prabhupada conducted the ceremony personally, and it was held in his apartment. He chanted a full round audibly on each of our sets of Tandy’s wooden beads and then handed us the beads and asked us what were the four prohibitory rules and ordered us to chant sixteen rounds daily. I remember Swamiji made me bow down at his lotus feet and repeat after him his pranam mantra. He said one or two words at a time, and I replied: ‘Nama om vishnu padaya krishna presthaya bhu-tale srimate bhakti-vedanta . . .’ When he said the word “bhakti,” I plunged into a swoon of devotional emotion with my eyes closed. It was an unusual out-of-the-body experience for me.

“In his lecture, he mentioned guru daksina. It was the first time I heard the words. He explained that in return for the gift of initiation by the spiritual master, one should offer him a gift. He said the gift he wanted was that we enthusiastically preach and tell others about Krishna consciousness and ask them to practice it. Since this was the first time I heard it, I felt a new sense of responsibility connected to the initiation. Prabhupada was giving us the mantra and the beads and the order to chant and avoid sinful activities, but he was also expecting us to preach on his behalf. This was a new order, a new responsibility, and I accepted it sincerely, but as a weight on my shoulders to oblige. Every year on Radhastami some of my disciples congratulate me on my initiation anniversary. It is an auspicious coincidence that I received diksa under the shelter of Srimati Radharani’s Appearance Day. I am proud of the coincidence, and I take it to heart. It is a little something extra to bring me closer to Srimati Radharani. Out of all days in the year, I was given initiation on Her birthday! This was the mercy of Srila Prabhupada. I missed the first initiation, which was held two weeks earlier on Krishna Janmastami. I felt I wasn’t ready to fully surrender, but when I saw the devotees with their red beads and heard their new Sanskrit names, I became anxious and enthusiastic to also become an initiated devotee. So I went to Prabhupada and told him I wanted to be initiated. He said yes, and that there was an auspicious date coming up in two weeks, and I could receive it then. That auspicious date was Radhastami, and he picked it out personally.”

From “Was Srila Prabhupada Fastidious about Keeping Plans, Making Dates on the Calendar Long in Advance, Scheduling His Itinerary?” in Free Write Journal #58:

“Prabhupada was not a slave to following a week-by-week or month-by-month planning schedule. He was more spontaneous than that. Prabhupada sometimes promised a temple president in a particular country that he would visit them, but then he would change his plans and go somewhere else instead. The devotees whose visit was canceled felt themselves insincere and unqualified for Prabhupada’s visit. But he maintained the right to change his schedule as he was inspired to do.”

“Arjuna captures Asvatthama after he has killed the five sleeping children of Draupadi. Arjuna ties him up like an animal and brings him into the camp. Arjuna does not want to kill him because he is the son of a great brahmana and military teacher, Dronacarya, who specifically taught Arjuna the military art. But Krishna tells Arjuna to immediately kill Asvatthama. When they get to the camp and meet Draupadi, she pleads for the life of Asvatthama and says his mother should not have to grieve like her. She reminds Arjuna of his debt to Dronacarya for training him up in the military arts. King Yudhisthira agrees with Draupadi, but Bhima says the culprit should be killed. Krishna smiles to Arjuna and tells him he has to make a difficult decision. Because different persons have different opinions, Krishna assumes four arms to hold them apart. Arjuna finally decides that Krishna is testing him to use his intelligence. He therefore cuts off the hair and the jewel on Asvatthama’s head, and this is considered as good as killing him. Asvatthama is also driven out of the camp.” [I recalled the pastime, but the detail I put in italics above was new to me.]

Candramauli Swami:

In this world, the names are just temporary designations associated with features of the ever changing material energy.

The material energy is compared to the ocean. Even if you are an Olympic gold medal winner you cannot swim across the ocean. You need a ship and a good captain.

Ignorant so-called spiritual masters drown themselves and those who follow them.

The true spiritual master knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.

Providence is the way that Krishna wants things to happen.

You might call this age an age of distraction. Sometimes devotees get caught up in this distraction.

Srila Prabhupada uses strong language to make the point that one should not look toward materialists for ultimate happiness but should look toward Krishna.

I was taught a supposedly secret mantra for $35. Later I found all my friends were given the same mantra. Later I met the devotees and changed my mantra to Hare Krishna and got more than $35 of benefit.

Srila Prabhupada was not going to say something different from what Krishna presented to gain followers.

Srila Prabhupada said there are only four books you need to read. All the other books are just a rehashing of what is in these books.

Reading is one thing, but there are five steps. Reading, study and understanding, application, realization, and attaining spiritual qualities.

Srila Prabhupada gave us so much knowledge, and he answered every question. If you cannot find the answers, it is just you have not yet been able to find them.

Many spiritual people came to the West around and before the time of Srila Prabhupada, but they were not able to establish Krishna’s teachings in a significant way. Four or five of them once praised Srila Prabhupada, saying, “We never thought it was possible that you could teach the truth about Krishna in the West.” Srila Prabhupada was not interested in the praise. He simply responded, “If you know the truth, why are you cheating people?”

You have to have a sense of awe and reverence to worship the deity, otherwise you will make offenses.

If we are not following Srila Prabhupada’s instructions and trying to please him by following his instructions, there is no connection, although we may do so many other things.

Once when talking to the devotees, Srila Prabhupada said, “This whole movement is just chanting, dancing, and feasting.” Devotees tried to argue that there were more things, but Srila Prabhupada explained those other things in terms of chanting, dancing, and feasting.

People are always looking for new things because material things become stale in time, so we can always tell them, “You have tried so many things, try this.”

The mercy of the Lord is carried by His pure devotee fully.

Developing love for the spiritual master is natural for he has given us something that no one else has given us, the path to eternal happiness.

Spiritual life should never become dry, mechanical, or routine. The transcendental words are living personalities.

Devotees asked Srila Prabhupada, “Why did you not come earlier?”

He replied, “Because you were not ready.”

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura said if you are doing so many activities that you do not have time for hearing and chanting about Krishna then you will not get the mercy of the spiritual master.

People would say “God is dead.”

Srila Prabhupada replied, “Your intelligence is dead.”

Become enthusiastic by associating with people who are enthusiastic.

We should consider, “I have this good fortune. Let me take advantage of it.”

One devotee who had cancer and had a couple of operations preached to the hospital workers and the other cancer patients. He organized three or four cancer seminars at Bhaktivedanta Manor, and thirty-five cancer patients attended.

There are plenty of old ways to preach, but if you not satisfied with these, try something new. Go for it!

When you are regulated, you can use your intelligence to see how you can add new things to your regulated program.

Read to understand.

There is a 95-slide seminar on improving reading created by Laksmimoni. I modified it to be 65 slides and that takes about an hour and a half to go through.

Maharaja Pariksit did not say, “Get to the Tenth Canto. I only have seven days.”

All the Bhagavatam is preparing us for Vrindavan.

Notes on seminar on “Why it is more important to study Srila Prabhupada’s books more deeply now than ever before?”

Mother Laksmimoni presented this slide show to the ILS a couple years ago.

Issues, Instructions, Context, Intention

Issues: siksa/diksa, varnasrama, etc.

Instructions: books, lectures, conversations, letters, personal instructions

Context: time, place, circumstance

Intention: will, mood, the desired purpose

Studies of religious organizations show that:

Intention starts to fade with one generation.

Context starts to fade with the next generation.

Instructions start to fade with the next generation after that.

When those fade, one has to associate with those remaining persons still aware of what is fading and strengthen them.

When everything fades we need a relevant system of education and careful study of those instructions that Srila Prabhupada left us.

“All the devotees connected with the Krishna consciousness movement must read all the books that have been translated (the Caitanya-caritamṛta, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita and others); otherwise, after some time, they will simply eat, sleep and fall down from their position. Thus they will miss the opportunity to attain an eternal, blissful life of transcendental pleasure.” (Cc. Madhya 25.278, purport)

“And you must all study very scrutinizingly all of the books so that when the need arises you can repeat in your own words their purport. Also I will be very pleased if you contribute articles to BTG. By writing regularly, what you read will become realized. As much as possible read, chant, and preach. This is our life and soul. If we keep to this simple formula then there is no doubt that we will be victorious wherever we go . . .” (Letter to Hrdayananda, Jan. 6, 1972)

“If you want to stay in Krishna Consciousness you will have to develop firm faith in Guru and Sastra. Therefore, you must study my books very scrutinizingly, follow the four regulative principles very strictly and chant 16 rounds daily avoiding the ten offenses. Don’t take this movement as something cheap.” (letter to Srutadeva das, Oct. 30, 1976)

“Therefore, I recommend you to read books more and more and try to understand the subject matter from different angles of vision and be always discussing it with your godbrothers even while you are working at the press, and when you are working and you cannot read, then listen to the tapes of my lectures and hear in that way. And never neglect to chant your 16 rounds of beads daily, rise early without fail, attend mangal arati, take bath, and follow the other regulative principles, and everything will come out very successfully, you can rest assured of that.” (Letter to Bhargava, June 13, 1972)

When the Brahma-samhita with Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s commentary came out, it was so difficult to comprehend that Srila Prabhupada’s disciples asked him to make a commentary on that so they could understand. Srila Prabhupada told them to just read it over and over.

Personal study, group study, systematic group study.

Personal study:

Prayerful Reading

1. Decide on what you will read.

2. Decide how long you will read for. It is up to you.

3. Go to a place where you can be alone with the book, uninterrupted and quiet.

4. Make yourself comfortable, but do not fall asleep.

5. Cultivate an appropriate attitude.

6. Before starting, offer prayers. Santana Goswami has four prayers to Srimad-Bhagavatam.

7. Read aloud or silently.

8. Read until a word, a phrase, or an idea strikes you or catches your attention. Strive to understand it deeply.

9. Offer obeisances and review in your mind what you read.

10. Assimilate into your life what you have read and realized. Read Srila Prabhupada’s books in this fashion as much as you can.

Reading with devotees, discuss, share.

What to look for when you read:

Knowledge:

knowledge

understanding

realization

Personal application:

personal application

preaching application

theological application

Values and Attitudes:

faith and conviction

evaluation

mood and mission

authority

academic and moral integrity

responsibility for learning

If you are reading Srila Prabhupada’s books, and you do not know how to behave, it means you do not really understand them.

By reading you get:

theoretical knowledge

understanding

application

realization

higher thinking skills and values

Why do I not have realization? Because I am not understanding and applying.

Experience is the best teacher, and a fool learns by no other means.

“To hear and explain them [the revealed scriptures] is more important than reading them. One can assimilate the knowledge of the revealed scriptures only by hearing and explaining. Hearing is called sravana, and explaining is called kirtana. The two processes of sravana and kirtana are of primary importance to progressive spiritual life.” (SB 1.1.6, purport)

A Gallup poll revealed that people retain 5% of what they read, 10% of what they hear, 20% of what they see, 50% of what they see and hear both, 70% of what they do, and 90% of what they teach.

“It is not blindly accepted, this Krishna Consciousness. With considerable deliberation, we take the decision.” (Lecture on Bg. 7.1–3 on December 14, 1972)

Knowledge is meant to lead to service, and service leads to realization and development of Vaishnava qualities.

“The process is that you should memorize the purports of my books and then speak them in your own words. Do not adulterate or change anything. Then you will be the perfect preacher.” (Letter, November 15, 1975)

It is not practical to memorize all the purports, but find one that inspires you and memorize that, and use it in your preaching. I know the purport to SB 4.30.8, not verbatim, but all the key points.

We are good at bringing people in, but not in bringing them from one stage to another. We have not done that as a society.

In Ukraine, they get twenty or sometimes forty new people for the Sunday feast. Someone takes down their information, gives them a book, and invites them to future programs.

You can question any instruction, but once your questions are answered, you have to follow. Sometimes the authority will consider what you say and modify the instruction.

If you just do things blindly, after a while, you develop no intelligence.

The followers of Madhvacarya and Ramanujacarya are still strong because they both encourage their followers to read their founder’s books.

Sacinandana Swami:

From The Living Name: A Guide to Chanting with Absorption:

Sambandha literally means bound together, sam – together, bandha – bound.

We should chant with awareness of our connection with Krishna.

Sadaputa Prabhu:

From a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.9.34 on August 3, 1994 in Alachua, titled “Illusion”:

“So of course, one important point here is that the individual personalities of the living beings are not part of the illusion. They’re actually real. Because there’s also a philosophy that says that individual personality is a matter of illusion. So this of course creates a problem because if individual personality is a matter of illusion, then what is it that is in illusion? You’re just individual personality. At least normally according to a naive way of thinking, if there is illusion, there’s somebody who’s in illusion. Normally one would think that. If there’s nobody there to be in illusion then there is no illusion. For example, suppose the magician performs his act on the stage, but there’s nobody there in the audience, the auditorium is simply empty. In that case, will there be an illusion? One would say no. The magician isn’t in illusion. He knows what he’s doing. So, if personal existence is an illusion, then what is it that is in that illusion?”

Bhakti Vijnana Swami:

Just to know that the living entity does not die and that just the body dies is a great relief.

In Russia there is a famous song, “Everything Will Be Alright,” but everything will not be alright because we will die.

Yudhisthira says the most amazing thing is that every day we see people are going to the abode of death, but we somehow think we will escape.

Krishna is saying because the soul cannot be killed therefore nothing will happen to you.

Krishna says that ultimately He is behind everything and that is another reason not to worry.

The first six chapters of Bhagavad-gita stress how the soul is eternal. In the second six chapters, He explains how He is behind everything, and thus it is best if we surrender to Him. The third six chapters explain how we are entangled and why it is difficult to become liberated. We are so accustomed to being associated with the material nature there is little motivation to get out. You may be born as a bug, but you will still think everything is OK.

God is just arranging everything according to our desires.

People act according to their own whims, and when they get in trouble, they blame God.

We are attracted to certain association with the gunas, and we like it, and thus we remain in material nature eternally.

The material world is a nice place if you realize it is not a place of happiness.

If we understand that whatever we need Krishna gives and whatever He doesn’t give we do not need then we can be satisfied.

When you diminish your enthusiasm to endeavor for material happiness, you will find your natural spiritual happiness increases.

The Hamsa avatar explains to the four Kumaras that the goal of yoga is not to withdraw the senses from their objects but to withdraw oneself from the mental concoctions of one’s mind.

Our problem is based on misconceptions, and the solution is to hear the truth from the proper source.

When you are chanting Krishna’s name you are already with Krishna and thus you are on the platform of spiritual happiness.

The more you are detached from the hopeless attempt to attain material happiness, the more you can experience the spiritual happiness of the soul.

Live in New York, but turn inward and appreciate how Krishna is working.

Rama Raya Prabhu:

Bhaktivinoda Thakura describes in Jaiva Dharma that chanting the holy name of the Lord is the dharma of the soul.

One’s own self interest lies in rendering pure devotional service to Lord Krishna.

It is said in the Bhagavatam that the river of material existence runs swifter by the bank, and thus it is difficult to get out. This is because we are tested when we try to escape.

Once Srila Prabhupada made the point that people think we are not benefiting society because we are not benefiting their bodies. He used an analogy explaining that people think that car and the driver are the same and they complain we are not giving petrol to the driver not understanding the driver needs a different kind of food.

To relieve the distresses the residents of Vrindavan feel when Krishna left for Mathura and Dvaraka, according to Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, is the constitutional position of the soul.

Srila Prabhupada explained the reason why we have big festivals such as Ratha-yatra: “We want to save as many people as possible.”

When we have a huge festival the spiritual energy is so powerfully manifest that the material energy recedes.

Srila Prabhupada has very strongly recommended daily distribution of Krishna consciousness through book distribution, harinama, prasadam distribution, etc., as an important part of our sadhana. Those who cooperate with that outreach effort get the same result of freedom from material existence and development of love of God as those on the front lines.

The more you worry about others, the less you worry about yourself.

Cultivating the mood of wanting to help people is necessary to advance in Krishna consciousness.

We do not come to see the Lord at greeting of the Deities, but we come so the Lord can see us.

Srila Prabhupada was himself asked the question of how discriminate between innovation and deviation. He replied, “That requires intelligence.”

Lord Caitanya personally chanted and danced in the streets.

Everyone is actually looking for devotees chanting and dancing on the platform of bhava-bhakti.

You do not get realization of that which you do not practice doing.

The dancing of Lord Caitanya interested all the residents of Jagannatha Puri in the subject of ecstatic love of Godhead.

Comment by Guru dasa SDG Prabhu: We can pray to the Lord for the ability to understand the internal meaning of Ratha-yatra.

Our method of understanding the internal meaning of the Lord’s pastimes is to preach. That is taught by both Srila Prabhupada and Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. Otherwise the tendency is to become Mayavadis or prakrta-sahajiyas.

Radheshyam Prabhu from Pune:

Giriraja Swami told that once his parents told their daughter they were not going to buy her a new dress this year for her birthday because she already had one hundred dresses. They were just going to give her a cake. She expressed great displeasure at that.

By regularly accessing the scripture, we will come to see Krishna in the pages of the scriptures.

The whole goal of the scriptures is to transform our hearts.

By studying the scriptures we come to appreciate Krishna’s qualities, and this makes it easier to chant the holy name in japa.

Yudhisthira was expert in throwing the javelin, Bhima was expert at throwing the mace, Arjuna was expert as an archer. Nakura and Sahadeva were great sword fighters. Despite their high material qualifications, they were completely dependent on Krishna.

God knows best. Sometimes we doubt this as this video shows, but it is true (https://youtu.be/dnwXl6KSSMA):

Sustaining concentration for 12 seconds is called dharana, for 144 seconds is dhyana, and for 1,728 seconds, or about half an hour, is samadhi.

You can say Srila Prabhupada is an amplifier for the Supersoul.

Gauranga Darsana Prabhu:

From “The Anatomy of Autonomy” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 54, No. 1 (Jan/Feb 2020):

“God is supremely autonomous. As a part of the Supreme Lord Krishna, every living entity also has autonomy, but to a minute degree. Factually that autonomy, or free will, or minute independence, is the only possession of the living entity. All of one’s other possessions are temporary and superficial. God never interferes with the minute autonomy of the living entity, although He is able to do so.”

“Krishna is sensitive to the situation of the conditioned soul and patiently waits for the soul to develop its innate love of God. He doesn’t interfere with the soul’s autonomy. Yet He doesn’t leave the conditioned soul to rot in the material world, experiencing inevitable misery. He inspires the conditioned soul to come to Him in the spiritual world, for that is the ultimate way of attaining eternal spiritual happiness.

“Lord Krishna descends into this world in various incarnations, He sends His representatives, the spiritual teachers, and He makes holy scriptures available – all to educate and inspire the living entity to come to the spiritual path and voluntarily choose to become closer to Him. He leaves the decision to the living entity to make the right choice.

“Thus the autonomy to go on the right or the wrong path always lies with the individual soul, who is responsible for his experiences in life, those experiences being the results of his own choices.”

Narayana Prabhu:

From “Aging in Krishna Consciousness” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 54, No. 1 (Jan/Feb 2020):

“A wise person performs religious duties ‘as if Death had seized him by the hair.’ [Hitopadesa]”

Jaya Jagannatha Prabhu:

Of the sun and the sunshine, we derive more benefit from the sunshine. Of the fire and the heat, we derive more benefit from the heat. Similarly of Krishna and Radha, we derive more benefit from Radha, because She blesses us with devotion for Krishna.

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Sometimes devotees offer food to Lord Krishna in our temples that is so hot that it burns the mouth. Krishna describes such food in Bhagavad-gita 17.9:

katv-amla-lavanaty-usna- 
tiksṇa-ruksa-vidahinah 
ahara rajasasyesta 
duhkha-sokamaya-pradah

“Foods that are too bitter, too sour, salty, hot, pungent, dry and burning are dear to those in the mode of passion. Such foods cause distress, misery and disease.”

In general Lord Krishna promotes action in the mode of goodness as spiritually uplifting. Food in the mode of goodness He describes in Bhagavad-gita 17.8 as follows:

ayuh-sattva-balarogya- 

sukha-priti-vivardhanah 

rasyah snigdhah sthira hṛdya 

aharah sattvika-priyah

“Foods dear to those in the mode of goodness increase the duration of life, purify one’s existence and give strength, health, happiness and satisfaction. Such foods are juicy, fatty, wholesome, and pleasing to the heart.”

Why not offer Krishna such food?

One swami asked rhetorically, would Lord Krishna’s eternal associates, who are always concerned that not the least distress touches Lord Krishna, offer Him food that would cause His mouth to burn? That is something to consider.