Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 16, No. 2
By Krishna Kripa Das
(January 2020, part two)
North Florida
(Sent from Gainesville, Florida, on February 8, 2020)
Where
I Went and What I Did
I
continued chanting on the campus of Florida State University in
Tallahassee for three hours each weekday and at Lake Ella on the
weekend, except when I took a eight-day break to go to south to
attend three events, the Martin Luther King March harinama in
Gainesville, the University of South Florida Bhakti Yoga Club program
in Tampa, and the Gasparilla Ratha-yatra, also in Tampa. I also
attended other harinamas and other events while in the
Gainesville and Tampa areas.
I
share a lot of quotes from Srila Prabhupada’s books and from the
Eleventh Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, authored by his humble
servants. I share excerpts from the writing of Satsvarupa Dasa
Goswami. I share quotes from Back to Godhead articles by Srila
Prabhupada, Sacinandana Swami, Nagaraja Prabhu, Visakha Dasi,
Caitanya Carana Prabhu, and Christopher Booth. I share notes on
classes in Krishna House by Chaturatma Prabhu, Kalakantha Prabhu,
Mother Sukhada, Nandanandana Dasi, and Lavanga Devi Dasi, and a
Sunday feast lecture by Ranjit Prabhu in Alachua. I also share notes on recorded
lecture of Niranjana Swami and a class by Brajananda Prabhu in
Tallahassee.
Thanks
to Krishna Dulal Prabhu of Ottawa for sponsoring my ticket to the
Canadian Vaishnava Sanga Festival. Thanks to Jaya Govinda Prabhu, who
originally purchased our present Tallahassee temple, for his kind
donation. Thanks to Kesihanta Prabhu for his donation of foreign
currency from his European trip.
Itinerary
January–April
2020: North and Central Florida colleges, mostly Florida State
University
Special
events in Florida:
February
15:
Ocala Rainbow Gathering
March
14: Daytona Beach Ratha-yatra
March
21: St. Augustine Ratha-yatra
March
28: Tallahassee Ratha-yatra
April
10: FSU Kirtan Event
April
11–12: Albany
April
12–13: Yuga Dharma Ashram harinama
party
April
14–16: harinama
in
Washington, D.C., with Sankarsana Prabhu
April
18: Manchester
harinama
April
19: Newcastle Sunday feast
April
24: Liverpool harinama
and
program
April
26: harinama
at
Antwerp 10-Mile Race
April
27: King’s Day harinama
in
Amsterdam
May
2–3:
Birmingham 24-Hour Kirtan
mid
May–mid July: Paris harinama
July
28–August 1: Pol’and’Rock festival
August
19–23: Canada Vaishnava Sanga Festival
August
24: Montreal harinama
September
15: Brighton harinama
September
16–December 31: Yuga Dharma Ashram harinama
party
Chanting
Hare Krishna in Gainesville
The
devotees at Krishna House in Gainesville are very enthusiastic about
going on harinama on Saturday nights, going to two different
venues.
Here
about twenty-one Krishna
House devotees chant near the
bars
across from University of Florida in Gainesville on a Saturday night,
with
Yasu Prabhu leading the first kirtan
(https://youtu.be/_vmtaPrNh7U):
Haripriya,
daughter of Prabhupada disciples Yadubara and Visakha Prabhus, leads
Krishna House devotees in the Hare Krishna chant
(https://youtu.be/2suh6L4wjSY):
While
Haripriya was chanting, many passersby danced with our devotional
party (https://youtu.be/bB6jCyYN5aw):
Here
Gaurangi
of Mayapur leads Krishna House devotees in the
Hare
Krishna chant, and several passersby dance with the devotees
(https://youtu.be/fZdioMPRBNw):
Ananta
Vallabha Prabhu leads the Krishna House devotees in the Hare Krishna
chant, and many dance (https://youtu.be/JMTRac_ddVc):
Ananta
Vallabha Prabhu chants Hare Krishna, and a man from a
bar
chants and dances (https://youtu.be/phGu_zutVt4):
Once
a
friend of the Krishna House devotees working in a local shop happily
joined
the harinama
then led by Bhakta Steven which was passing by his workplace at the
end of his shift (https://youtu.be/hO5AZacVEYA):
Here
Bhakta
Steven leads the Krishna House devotees in the Hare Krishna chant
near the shops by the University of Florida, and many dance
(https://youtu.be/TCTqw5Bhcn0):
Here
is more video of Bhakta
Steven leading
the Krishna House devotees in the Hare Krishna chant
(https://youtu.be/0_pavQvJaVE):
After
chanting by the bars near University of Florida, we had some more
cake, and thirteen of us went downtown to chant to another crowd for
another forty-five minutes.
Here
Ananta Vallabha Prabhu leads Krishna House devotees in chanting Hare
Krishna in downtown Gainesville (https://youtu.be/YOijw-TuDBM):
Here
Haripriya
chants Hare Krishna on the way home to Krishna House in a very dark
van (https://youtu.be/38Qvb94kYec):
Here
Alachua
devotees chant Hare Krishna during their Sunday feast program
(https://youtu.be/XSN4bzCXhcA):
Every
year on Martin Luther King Day, there is a march from the Bo Diddley
Plaza to the Martin Luther King Center, and I encourage the devotees
from Krishna House and also from New Raman Reti in Alachua to go.
Here
Ananta
Vallabha Prabhu chants Hare Krishna with devotees from Krishna House
and
Ekadasi Vrata Devi Dasi from Alachua
during the Martin Luther King March in Gainesville, Florida
(https://youtu.be/pWk4rW79S6o):
Haripriya
chants Hare Krishna with devotees from Krishna House, after the
Martin Luther King March outside
the King Center (https://youtu.be/Goeza_f4J7U):
Here
Sruti
Sagar Prabhu, who manages Krishna House, chants Hare Krishna on the
way to the van after the Martin Luther King March
(https://youtu.be/3tQvYxL4UQY):
The
devotees were so enthusiastic from chanting in the Martin Luther King
March that on the way back to Krishna House, noticing a bunch of
students were out and about on University Avenue, the devotees
decided to do
another
harinama
after
lunch. It was Ekadasi, and I just wanted to chant extra japa,
but
to encourage them in their enthusiasm I also went out.
Here
Ananta Vallabha Prabhu chants Hare Krishna through the University of
Florida campus and stadium in Gainesville on Martin Luther King Day
with Krishna House devotees (https://youtu.be/JLMMDrScsSE):
While going through the part of the University of Florida campus where we serve the Krishna Lunch we passed by a plaque honoring Srila Prabhupada, the inspiration behind our Krishna Lunch.
Then
Haripriya chanted Hare Krishna through the campus, and students
interacted with the party (https://youtu.be/gw41xzBsx9Q):
That
night Haripriya chanted Hare Krishna at Krishna House’s Meditation
Mondays, an event run by Daryl to inspire people to chant Hare
Krishna (https://youtu.be/-BqygvOXqng):
Toward
the end the kirtan became very fired up, and a couple of the young
ladies began to dance (https://youtu.be/PCyNDCvvis8):
On
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, I chanted at
Krishna Lunch at University of Florida, leaving early on Thursday to
go to Tampa
to chant before our program at University of South Florida in the
evening.
Tuesday
just a couple devotees joined me for no more than forty minutes of
the entire two and a half hours, so I could not take any video, but
on Wednesday and Thursday more devotees came out. I suggested to
Sruti Sagar Prabhu that they schedule singers to chant during the
Krishna Lunch in addition to scheduling all the other services at
Krishna House.
On
Wednesday, Sruti Sagar Prabhu led
the
Hare
Krishna chant
at
Krishna Lunch at University of Florida in Gainesville, and Savyasaci
Prabhu, who managed the program from 1997 to 2005, sang
the response and danced
(https://youtu.be/atEnXiInbxI):
On
Thursday, Satyahit Prabhu started chanting Hare Krishna at Krishna
Lunch at University of Florida in Gainesville
(https://youtu.be/wDzCseyBPGI):
Kumari
Sakhi let different devotees sing the lead, and while they were all
singing
a student practiced yoga in the background
(https://youtu.be/q-eoPTGoatk):
At
one point, Sruti was inspired to stand up and bring the kirtan to
another level (https://youtu.be/vv3XM0JYKLA):
Chanting
Hare Krishna in Tampa
Here
a devotee lady named Rain chants Hare Krishna at University of South
Florida outside the Marshall Center, where our Bhakti Yoga Club meets
on Thursday evenings (https://youtu.be/KNaMSHXsXIc):
Here
Vivasvan
Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at University of South Florida
(https://youtu.be/R-nixKX6yFc):
I
stayed overnight in Tampa, and I chanted the next day for three hours
at the University of South Florida in front of the library with
Christopher, who played the drum, and another person who was staying
at the Tampa temple. Christopher and his mother, Linda, both chant
sixteen rounds of Hare Krishna, and live at the Tampa temple.
While
chanting at the university, I would say to anyone who smiled and
looked in our direction, “Yoga, meditation, every Thursday!” The
students were so favorable I must have passed out forty cards to the
program.
This student actually is from Krishna’s homeland of Vrindavan. It
is so rare to meet Vrindavan residents on college campuses in the
west.
Vivasvan
Prabhu convinced this young man to play the drum with us for a while.
I
met a girl who had come to the Bhakti Yoga Club the previous night
but did not chant the mantra. I asked her if she liked listening to
the mantra, and she said she did and that she would come back.
Here
Giridhari
Prabhu chants Hare Krishna during Tulasi Puja in Vivasvan Prabhu’s
temple in Tampa (https://youtu.be/sGnwe-eCf44):
The
Hare Krishna contribution to the Gasparilla festival is twofold.
Devotees from Alachua and Tampa chant for three hours beginning well
before the start of the Gasparilla parade, and devotees from Alachua,
Gainesvlle, and Tampa chant Hare Krishna with a Ratha-yatra cart in
the Gasparilla parade itself. I participated in both, as did
Christopher of Tampa.
Here
Gasparilla
fans enjoy dancing and playing instruments as devotees, mostly from
our Alachua community, chant Hare Krishna in Tampa, and some of the
them also accepted cookies, invitations, pamphlets, and small books
there on Bayshore Boulevard (https://youtu.be/TH0YoEDg0VA):
Gasparilla
fans in Tampa joyfully greet Jagannatha and His Ratha-yatra devotees
by waving, smiling, cheering, dancing, photographing,
videoing, throwing
kisses, throwing beads, and hi fiving as they hear the all-auspicious
Hare Krishna chant (https://youtu.be/Htn1RbateWA):
My
iPhone exhausted its battery, and I switched to using an Android for
the rest of the Ratha-yatra and continued taking video of those
people who were happy to encounter our party
(https://youtu.be/9nEEfOFWRGA):
During
the parade devotees did hi five to the enthusiastic fans.
They
were brave enough to do the same to the
security
guards.
And
even the policemen.
Bhadra Prabhu was even daring enough to swing a policeman in dance.
The
enthusiastic youthful devotees singing in the Gasparilla Ratha-yatra,
who were mostly from Alachua, continued chanting Hare Krishna after
the parade was over as we walked to the bus bringing us homeward, and
a few people interacted with us on the way, several
by dancing
(https://youtu.be/1M9Qm0uaqrM):
Chanting
Hare Krishna in Tallahassee
Here
Brajananda
Prabhu chants Hare Krishna during an evening kirtan in Tallahassee
(https://youtu.be/Lg8qrUzUEPA):
Insights
Srila
Prabhupada:
From
The
Nectar of Devotion, Chapter
11:
“In
the Hari-bhakti-vilasa
there is the following statement about self-surrender: ‘My dear
Lord, a person who has surrendered himself unto You, who is in firm
conviction that he is Yours, and who actually acts in that way by his
body, mind and words, can actually relish transcendental bliss.’”
“In
the Nrsimha
Purana,
Lord Nrsimha-deva says, ‘Anyone who prays unto Me and takes shelter
from Me becomes My ward, and I protect him always from all sorts of
calamities.’”
“In
the Skanda
Purana
there is another statement about tulasi
as follows: ‘Tulasi
is auspicious in all respects. Simply by seeing, simply by touching,
simply by remembering, simply by praying to, simply by bowing before,
simply by hearing about or simply by sowing this tree, there is
always auspiciousness. Anyone who comes in touch with the tulasi
tree in the above-mentioned ways lives eternally in the Vaikuntha
world.’”
From
The
Nectar of Devotion, Chapter
12:
“A
similar statement is in the Third Canto, seventh chapter, verse 19 of
Srimad-Bhagavatam:
‘Let me become a sincere servant of the devotees, because by
serving them one can achieve unalloyed devotional service unto the
lotus feet of the Lord. The service of devotees diminishes all
miserable material conditions and develops within one a deep
devotional love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead.’”
“The
same thing is confirmed in the Adi
Purana
by Krishna. While addressing Arjuna He says, ‘Anyone who is engaged
in chanting My transcendental name must be considered to be always
associating with Me. And I may tell you frankly that for such a
devotee I become easily purchased.’”
“As
soon as one develops his spontaneous service attitude, he can
immediately understand the transcendental nature of the holy names of
the maha-mantra.”
From
The
Nectar of Devotion, Chapter
14:
“Parvata
Muni, a friend of Narada’s, saw the wonderful transformation of the
hunter by devotional service and remarked, ‘My dear hunter, your
unwillingness to kill even an ant is not very astonishing. Any person
who develops the devotional attitude has all the good qualities
automatically manifested in his person. A devotee is never a cause of
distress to anyone.’”
“With
the first complete engagement [in any one of the nine processes of
devotional service], one becomes automatically detached from material
contamination, and liberation becomes the maidservant of the
devotee.”
From
The
Nectar of Devotion, Chapter
19:
“In
the Narada-pancaratra
it is clearly stated that when lust is completely transferred to the
Supreme Godhead and the concept of kinship is completely reposed in
Him, such is accepted as pure love of God by great authorities like
Bhisma, Prahlada, Uddhava and Narada.”
“An
example of such extraordinary mercy is given in the Eleventh Canto,
Twelfth Chapter, verse 7, of Srimad-Bhagavatam,
wherein Lord Krishna tells Uddhava, ‘The gopis
in Vrindavana did not study the Vedas to achieve Me. Nor had they
ever been in holy places of pilgrimage. Nor did they devoutly execute
any regulative principle. Nor did they undergo any kind of austerity.
It is simply by My association that they have attained the highest
perfection of devotional service.’”
“In
the Narada-pancaratra
pure, unalloyed devotional service is explained as being without any
motive for personal benefit. If a devotee is continuously in love
with Lord Krishna and his mind is always fixed upon Him, that
devotional attitude will prove to be the only means of attracting the
attention of the Lord.”
“In
the Narada-pancaratra
Lord Shiva therefore tells Parvati, ‘My dear supreme goddess, you
may know from me that any person who has developed the ecstasy of
love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and who is always merged
in transcendental bliss on account of this love, cannot even perceive
the material distress or happiness coming from the body or mind.’”
From
The
Nectar of Devotion, Chapter
20:
“The
gradual process of development to the stage of devotional service is
explained in Srimad-Bhagavatam,
First Canto: ‘The beginning is to hear about Lord Krishna in the
association of devotees who have themselves cleansed their hearts by
association. Hearing about the transcendental activities of the Lord
will result in one’s feeling transcendental bliss always.’”
From
Sri
Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya
1.1:
“Even
a person with no knowledge can immediately acquire all knowledge
simply by the benediction of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Therefore I am
praying to the Lord for His causeless mercy upon me.”
From
Sri
Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya
1.63, purport:
“Those
who were thought unfit to enter the Jagannatha temple were daily
visited by Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and this indicates that Caitanya
Mahaprabhu did not approve of the prohibitions.”
From
Sri
Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya
1.87, purport:
“In
the highest transcendental ecstasy there is a feeling of being
enchanted in the presence of the enchanter.”
From
Sri
Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya
1.126, purport:
“The
conclusion is that whenever a kirtana
of pure devotees takes place, the Lord is immediately present. By
chanting the holy names of the Lord, we associate with the Lord
personally.”
From
Nectar
of Instruction, Text
3, purport:
“One
should not be impatient in Krishna consciousness. Indeed, this
Krishna consciousness movement was started single-handedly, and in
the beginning there was no response, but because we continued to
execute our devotional activities with patience, people gradually
began to understand the importance of this movement, and now they are
eagerly participating.”
From
How Krishna Displays God’s Qualities” in “Back
to Godhead, Vol.
54, No. 3 (May/June 2020):
[From
a lecture in Los Angeles on May 18, 1972.]
“There
are 8,400,000 species of life: the aquatics, the trees, the plants,
the birds, the bees, the insects. Then human beings. And out of the
human beings, many are uncivilized. Civilized human beings are very
few. And out of the civilized human beings, very few take to
religious life. Very few. And out of these so-called religious
persons in human society, most of them simply designate, ‘I am
Hindu,’ ‘I am Muslim,’ ‘I am Christian,’ but they do not
know about religion.
“Those
who are a little attracted are engaged in philanthropic work – to
give help to the poor or to open a school or a hospital. This is
called karma-kanda.
Out of many millions of these karma-kanda
people, one is a jñani.
Jñani
means “one who knows.” Out of millions of persons who know, one
is liberated. And out of millions of liberated persons, one can
understand what is Krishna. This is the position of Krishna.”
“To
understand Krishna is a little difficult. Actually, to understand God
is a very difficult subject matter. But God Himself is explaining
Himself in the Bhagavad-gita:
‘I am like this. I am like this. This material nature is like this.
The spiritual nature is like this. The living entities are like
this.’ Everything is completely described in the Bhagavad-gita.
God Himself is giving His own knowledge.
“That
is the only process to understand God. Otherwise, by speculation we
cannot understand God. It is not possible. He is unlimited, and we
are limited. Our knowledge, our perception, all of these are very
limited. So how can we understand the unlimited? But if we accept the
version of the unlimited – ‘I am like this, like that’ – then
we can understand. That is perfect knowledge.”
From
Srimad-Bhagavatam
4.8.44,
purport:
“The
process by which we give up our thoughts of material things is called
pratyahara,
which entails being freed from all material thoughts and
engagements.”
From
Sri
Caitanya-caritamrita,
Madhya 22.25, purport:
“It
is a fact that every living entity is eternally a servant of Krishna.
This is forgotten due to the influence of maya,
which induces one to believe in material happiness. Being illusioned
by maya,
one thinks that material happiness is the only desirable object. This
material consciousness is like a chain around the neck of the
conditioned soul. As long as he is bound to that conception, he
cannot get out of maya’s
clutches. However, if by Krishna’s mercy he gets in touch with a
bona fide spiritual master, abides by his order and serves him,
engaging other conditioned souls in the Lord’s service, he then
attains liberation and Lord Sri Krishna’s shelter.”
From
Sri
Caitanya-caritamrita,
Madhya 22.33, purport:
“One
is immediately freed from the clutches of maya
if he seriously and sincerely says, ‘My dear Lord Krishna, although
I have forgotten You for so many long years in the material world,
today I am surrendering unto You. I am Your sincere and serious
servant. Please engage me in Your service.’”
From
a class on Bhagavad-gita
7.1 in Los Angeles on December 2, 1968:
“Your
business is to satisfy Krishna, and then the crowd will be
automatically satisfied. We are not going to please the crowd. We are
going to give them Krishna. So you should be very much careful
whether you are delivering Krishna in the right way. Then they’ll
be satisfied. Your only business should be to satisfy Krishna.”
From
Sri
Caitanya-caritamrita,
Madhya
24.39:
“Pure
devotional service is so sublime that one can very easily forget the
happiness derived from material enjoyment, material liberation and
mystic or yogic perfection. Thus the devotee is bound by Krishna’s
mercy and His uncommon power and qualities.”
From
The
Nectar of Devotion, Chapter
25:
“Anyone
who becomes exhilarated by hearing of the pastimes of Lord Krishna
when He was present on this earth with His associates is to be
understood as nitya-siddha,
eternally perfect.”
From
Sri
Caitanya-caritamrita,
Madhya
2.28:
“‘My
dear friends, unless I serve the transcendental form, qualities and
pastimes of Sri Krishna, all My days and all My senses will become
entirely useless. Now I am uselessly bearing the burden of My senses,
which are like stone blocks and dried wood. I do not know how long I
will be able to continue without shame.’”
From
Sri
Caitanya-caritamrita,
Madhya
2.32:
“The
nectar from the lips of Lord Krishna and His transcendental qualities
and characteristics surpass the taste of the essence of all nectar,
and there is no fault in tasting such nectar.”
From
Sri
Caitanya-caritamrita,
Madhya
2.36:
“Because
I could not see the beautiful form of Krishna to My heart’s
content, when I again see His form I shall decorate the phases of
time with many jewels.’”
From
Sri
Caitanya-caritamrita,
Madhya
3.14–15:
“When
He heard all the cowherd boys also chanting ‘Hari! Hari!’ Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu was very pleased. He approached them, put His
hand on their heads and said, ‘Go on chanting like that.’ Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu thus blessed them all, saying that they were all
fortunate. In this way He praised them, and He felt very successful
because they chanted the holy name of Lord Hari.”
From
Sri
Caitanya-caritamrita, Antya
4.192–93:
diksa-kale
bhakta kare atma-samarpana
sei-kale
krishna tare kare atma-sama
“At
the time of initiation, when a devotee fully surrenders unto the
service of the Lord, Krishna accepts him to be as good as Himself.”
sei
deha kare tara cid-ananda-maya
aprakrta-dehe
tanra carana bhajaya
“When
the devotee’s body is thus transformed into spiritual existence,
the devotee, in that transcendental body, renders service to the
lotus feet of the Lord.”
From
The
Nectar of Devotion, Chapter
26:
“To
be attracted by the qualities of Krishna means to be attracted by
Krishna Himself, because there is no real distinction between Krishna
and His qualities. Krishna’s name is also Krishna. Krishna’s fame
is also Krishna. Krishna’s entourage is also Krishna. Krishna and
everything related with Krishna that gives stimulation to love of
Krishna are all Krishna, but for our understanding these items may be
considered separately.”
The
humble servants of Srila Prabhupada:
From
Srimad-Bhagavatam
11.2.38:
“Although
the duality of the material world does not ultimately exist, the
conditioned soul experiences it as real under the influence of his
own conditioned intelligence. This imaginary experience of a world
separate from Krishna can be compared to the acts of dreaming and
desiring. When the conditioned soul dreams at night of something
desirable or horrible, or when he daydreams of what he would like to
have or avoid, he creates a reality that has no existence beyond his
own imagination. The tendency of the mind is to accept and reject
various activities based on sense gratification. Therefore an
intelligent person should control the mind, restricting it from the
illusion of seeing things separate from Krishna, and when the mind is
thus controlled he will experience actual fearlessness.”
From
Srimad-Bhagavatam
11.2.38,
purport:
“Srila
Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura has made the following comments on
this verse. ‘Control of the mind is a result of living a life of
devotional service to the Lord. By the influence of fixed devotional
service, the accepting and rejecting mind can stop its thirst for
sensory enjoyment apart from Krishna. In transcendental Krishna
consciousness there is no contradiction, pettiness or lack of
ecstasy. In other words, it is not like a material object, which
always proves temporary and constantly miserable. Having forgotten
Krishna, the conditioned living entity is suffering the misdirection
and perversion of his own so-called intelligence. The living entities
are fragmental parts of the supreme shelter, Krishna, but have fallen
from Krishna's kingdom of spiritual pastimes. Because of forgetting
the Supreme Lord, they become prone to sinful life and turn their
attention to dangerous material objects, which fill them with
constant fear. If one desires to subdue the mind, which is constantly
engaged in the duality of mental concoction, one must take to the
devotional service of Lord Krishna.’”
From
Srimad-Bhagavatam
11.2.39–40:
“An
intelligent person who has controlled his mind and conquered fear
should give up all attachment to material objects such as wife,
family and nation and should wander freely without embarrassment,
hearing and chanting the holy names of the Lord, the bearer of the
chariot wheel. The holy names of Krishna are all-auspicious because
they describe His transcendental birth and activities, which He
performs within this world for the salvation of the conditioned
souls. Thus the holy names of the Lord are sung throughout the
world.”
From
Srimad-Bhagavatam
11.2.39,
purport:
“If
one accepts a bona fide spiritual master, follows the example of
great saintly persons and becomes conversant with authorized
literature such as Bhagavad-gita
As It Is
and Srimad-Bhagavatam,
one’s program of chanting the holy names of the Lord and hearing
about the Lord’s pastimes will be completely successful.”
“Srila
Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura has stated that throughout the world
the Supreme Lord is known by many names, some of them expressed in
vernacular language, but any name used to indicate the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, who is one without a second, beyond the
influence of material nature, can be accepted as a holy name of God,
according to this verse.”
From
Srimad-Bhagavatam
11.2.40,
purport:
“In
this connection Sripada Madhvacarya has quoted a verse from the
Varaha
Purana:
kecid
unmada-vad bhakta
bahya-linga-pradarsakah
kecid
antara-bhaktah syuh
kecic
caivobhayatmakah
mukha-prasadad
dardhyac ca
bhaktir
jñeya na canyatah
‘Some
devotees of the Lord exhibit external symptoms, acting like madmen,
others are introspective devotees, and still others partake of both
natures. It is by one’s steadfastness and by the merciful
vibrations emanating from one’s mouth that one’s devotion can be
judged, not otherwise.’”
From
Srimad-Bhagavatam
11.2.45,
purport:
“In
fact, everyone is suffering the pangs of separation from Krishna.
Because the conditioned soul imagines that he has no eternal
relationship with Krishna, he is unable to ascertain that all his
miseries are due to this separation. This is maya,
or ‘that which is not.’ Actually, to think that misery arises
from anything other than separation from Krishna is to be in
illusion. So when a pure devotee sees living entities suffering
within this world, he correctly feels that just as he is suffering
because of separation from Krishna, all other living beings are also
suffering from separation from Krishna. The difference is that a pure
devotee correctly ascertains the cause of his heartbreak whereas the
conditioned soul, bewildered by maya,
is unable to understand his eternal relationship with Krishna and the
unlimited pain arising from neglect of that relationship.”
From
Srimad-Bhagavatam
11.2.47,
purport:
“Because
the kanistha-adhikari
[neophyte devotee] is ignorant of the higher realms of devotional
service and the unlimited transcendental bliss of Krishna
consciousness, he sees devotional service merely as the religious
aspect of life but thinks that life has many enjoyable and worthwhile
nondevotional aspects. Therefore he becomes angry when second-class
devotees, who are experiencing that Krishna is everything, criticize
the nondevotees.”
From
Srimad-Bhagavatam
11.2.49,
purport:
“Caitanya
Mahaprabhu’s hari-nama
sankirtana
movement is kevala
ananda-kanda,
the pathway of pure bliss. Simply by chanting the holy names of
Krishna, eating the remnants of sumptuous food offered to the Supreme
Lord and hearing the enchanting pastimes of the Personality of
Godhead, one merges into an ocean of bliss called Krishna
consciousness.”
“Srila
Madhvacarya has given an elaborate description of the process by
which material miseries arise. When a conditioned soul of demoniac
mentality identifies himself with the gross material body, he
undergoes miseries of constant drowsiness and unquenchable sexual
desires that burn all mental peace and serenity to ashes. When a
demoniac person identifies himself with prana,
the life air, he suffers from hunger, and by identifying himself with
the mind he suffers panic, fear, and hankering that ends in
disappointment. When he identifies himself with intelligence, he
suffers profound existential bitterness and frustration deep within
his heart. When he identifies himself with the false ego, he feels
inferiority, thinking, ‘I am so low.’ And when he identifies
himself with the process of consciousness, he is haunted by memories
of the past. When a demon tries to impose himself as the ruler of all
living beings, all of these miseries expand simultaneously.”
“Srila
Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura
has described the process by which one becomes an uttama-adhikari.
If one is fortunate, he gradually becomes disgusted with the limited
vision and activities of the kanistha-adhikari
and learns to appreciate the expanded vision of the
madhyama-adhikari,
who is able to recognize that every living entity should become a
devotee of Krishna and that one achieves the perfection of life by
following in the footsteps of an uttama-adhikari
devotee of the Lord. As one’s devotional service gradually
intensifies and one repeatedly bathes in dust from the lotus feet of
a pure devotee, the harassment of birth, death, hunger, thirst, fear
and so on gradually cease disturbing the mind. As stated in
Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu
(1.2.114): alabdhe
va vinaste va bhaksyacchadana-sadhane aviklava-matir bhutva harim eva
dhiya smaret
– ‘Even if a devotee is frustrated in his attempt to eat properly
or clothe himself properly, he should not allow this material failure
to disturb his mind; rather, he should use his intelligence to
remember his master, Lord Krishna, and thus remain undisturbed.’ As
one becomes mature in this process of remembering Krishna in all
circumstances, he is awarded the title maha-bhagavata.”
“Srila
Bhaktisiddhanta gives the example that just as a child’s ball may
be fastened to the end of a rope so that it cannot bounce away, a
devotee who surrenders to Krishna becomes tied to the rope of Vedic
injunctions and is never lost in worldly affairs. In this connection
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura
has quoted from the Rg
Veda
(1.156.3) as follows: om
asya jananto nama cid vivaktan mahas te visno su-matim bhajamahe om
tat sat.
‘O Vishnu,
Your name is completely transcendental. Thus it is self-manifest.
Indeed, even without properly understanding the glories of chanting
Your holy name, if we vibrate Your name with at least a small
understanding of its glories – that is, if we simply repeat the
syllables of Your holy name – gradually we shall understand it.’
The supreme entity indicated by the pranava
om
is sat,
or self-revealing. Therefore, even if one is disturbed by fear or
envy, the transcendental form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
will become manifest to one who continues to chant the Lord’s holy
name.”
From
Srimad-Bhagavatam
11.2.50,
purport:
“All
intelligent human beings who are unable to take directly to the
process of bhakti-yoga
should at least be sufficiently educated to recognize the first-class
devotee of the Lord and accept his guidance. In this way human
society can be very nicely organized so that not only all human
beings but even the animals, birds and trees can make advancement in
life and gradually go back home, back to Godhead, for an eternal life
of bliss and knowledge.”
From
Srimad-Bhagavatam
11.2.51,
purport:
“According
to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, when a devotee
understands that the process of bhakti-yoga
is complete in itself and he becomes absorbed in hearing and chanting
the glories of the Lord, the supremely merciful Personality of
Godhead affectionately lifts such a first-class devotee onto His own
lap.”
From
Srimad-Bhagavatam
11.2.52:
“When
a devotee gives up the selfish conception by which one thinks “This
is my property, and that is his,” and when he is no longer
concerned with the pleasures of his own material body or indifferent
to the discomforts of others, he becomes fully peaceful and
satisfied. He considers himself simply one among all the living
beings who are equally part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. Such a satisfied Vaishnava is considered to be at the
highest standard of devotional service.”
From
Srimad-Bhagavatam
11.2.52,
purport:
“The
impersonal speculative philosophers are fond of imagining that
although in our present illusion we appear to be individual entities,
at liberation we shall all merge into God and be God. Such wishful
thinkers cannot reasonably explain how the omnipotent God could
arrive at the embarrassing position of having to enter a yoga studio,
pay weekly fees, press His nose and chant mantras to regain His
divinity.”
“In
Bhagavad-gita
(1.21) Arjuna said to Krishna, ratham
sthapaya me ’cyuta:
‘My dear Acyuta, please place my chariot between the armies.’
This body is also ratha,
a vehicle, and therefore the best policy is to request the infallible
Lord to take charge of our conditioned body and guide us on the path
back to the kingdom of God. The word acyuta
means ‘the infallible’ or ‘one who never falls.’ Learned or
sane human beings will not entertain the silly notion that the
omnipotent, omniscient God has slipped and fallen because of maya.
No amount of wishful thinking can erase our eternal servitorship at
the lotus feet of the Lord.”
From
Srimad-Bhagavatam
11.2.55:
“The
Supreme Personality of Godhead is so kind to the conditioned souls
that if they call upon Him by speaking His holy name, even
unintentionally or unwillingly, the Lord is inclined to destroy
innumerable sinful reactions in their hearts. Therefore, when a
devotee who has taken shelter of the Lord’s lotus feet chants the
holy name of Krishna with genuine love, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead can never give up the heart of such a devotee. One who has
thus captured the Supreme Lord within his heart is to be known as
bhagavata-pradhana,
the most exalted devotee of the Lord.”
Purport:
According to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati T“hakura,
all the world’s inauspicious conditions due to sinful activities
can be immediately eradicated by the chanting of the Lord’s holy
name. The Supreme Personality of Godhead never leaves the hearts of
those who give up all sinful behavior and chant His holy name. Even
if such chanting is not yet perfect, devotees who always remain in
the Lord’s service will gradually come to the stage of
prema-nistha,
or steady love of Godhead. Then they are to be considered
maha-bhagavatas,
or pure devotees of the Lord.”
From
Srimad-Bhagavatam
11.3.3,
purport:
“According
to Srila Jiva Gosvami, the actual purpose of the Lord’s creation is
only one: to facilitate the advancement of devotional service to the
Lord Himself. Although it is stated that the Lord facilitates sense
gratification, it should be understood that the Supreme Personality
of Godhead does not ultimately condone the foolishness of the
conditioned souls. The Lord facilitates sense gratification
(matra-prasiddhaye)
so that the living entities will gradually understand the futility of
trying to enjoy without Him. Every living entity is part and parcel
of Krishna. In the Vedic literature the Lord gives a regulative
program so that the living beings can gradually exhaust their
tendencies to be foolish and learn the value of surrender unto Him.
The Lord is undoubtedly the reservoir of all beauty, bliss and
satisfaction, and it is the duty of every living entity to engage in
the loving service of the Lord. Although there are apparently two
purposes for creation, it should be understood that ultimately the
purpose is one. The arrangement for sense gratification is ultimately
meant to bring the living entities to the single purpose of going
back home, back to Godhead.”
Satsvarupa
Dasa Goswami:
From
Free
Write Journal #75:
“Glad
day. Adventures ahead. Headaches too, delays, and maybe worse.
Krishna protects in any case. He will . . . Even if you have a car
accident, it’s under His control. Whiplash, pain, abandoned,
awkwardness, on your own, mistreated, no treatment for headaches,
etc.whatever it is, it’s Krishna working to bring you to Him.
That’s the real thing – not safety in this world, or reputation,
even publishing is not an end in itself. But Krishna bringing you to
Him, and you responding. Believe He is working on your behalf. In
Brhad-bhagavatamrta,
the
Lord tells Gopa-kumara, ‘I was waiting for the opportunity to bring
you to Me, back to Godhead.’ That means the Lord doesn’t force
us. He honors our desires. So, you better show Him you are sincere
and want to leave this place. Show Him you want to please Him, want
to use your life and self in service.”
“As
old Christian monks said, ‘Stay in your cell and your cell will
teach you how to pray.’ So, may the van teach me how to read and
write.”
“I
promise I will
never
abandon it, sixteen rounds and whaddaya
get?
Infinite mercy and freedom
from
laws of karma—liberation.”
From
Free
Write Journal #76:
“Prabhupada
personally said the Juhu story was ‘history,’ and a book should
be written about it. He also said that the ordeal was like the Battle
of Kurukshetra, and that Giriraja was his Arjuna.”
“Prabhupada,
seeing a snow-filled field from his car window said, ‘This is
Krishna’s picture.’”
“We’re
all moving along in years, and time is cruel to the body, wears it
down. No more pretty, comely faces after 40 and 50, and by 60 we’re
dried up and wrinkled like prunes. You can smile, though, because
you’re with Krishna in your heart. Believe it.”
Niranjana
Swami:
From
a recorded class on Srimad-Bhagavatam
7.9.39
in Boston in July 21, 2019:
Why
was Prahlada Maharaja dear to the Lord? Because he displayed all the
qualities of a pure devotee.
The
more we realize our fallen condition, the more we can understand our
need for Krishna consciousness.
Sacinandana
Swami:
From
Chanting in a Devotional Relationship” in “Back
to Godhead, Vol.
54, No. 3 (May/June 2020):
“The
Sanskrit word sambandha
indicates ‘relationship’, but literally it means ‘bound
together’ (sam:
together; bandha:
bound). Sambandha
is that understanding which binds you to Krishna. It is an inner
orientation for chanting the Holy Name that brings you into the
presence of the Lord.
“Sambandha
begins with a general sense that ‘I am a part of Krishna.’ Later,
when you chant the Holy Name free from offences, your relationship
with Krishna becomes clearer. At the last stage, the Holy Name
reveals your unique spiritual identity, including your spiritual
body, character traits, and the particular service you have for Radha
and Krishna in the spiritual world.”
“Krishna
lives in the inner mind which is called the citta
in Sanskrit and the
subconsciousness
by modern psychologists.”
“All
the acaryas
(great teachers), such as Jiva and Raghunatha Goswamis, Gopal Guru
Goswami and Bhaktivinoda Thakura, have left us lists of meanings of
the maha-mantra.
Srila Prabhupada compacts all of these into the prayer: ‘My dear
Radha, my dear Krishna, please engage me in Your service.’”
“The
Lord is not really attracted to our music; He has gopis
in the spiritual world who are expert musicians far beyond our
capabilities. They are served by thirty-three thousand ragas
and Krishna Himself plays His flute all day in a style that
transforms hearts, making even rocks melt! That is real music. He
really doesn’t need our music. He only needs our hearts.”
“There
is only one person who is tightly bound to us beyond the barrier of
death. He has always been with us, even before this life. He is a
friend who knows the contents of our
heart
. . . and yet we have somehow managed to forget Him. We have
inconceivably lost our most important relationship . . .
“Of
course, in the ultimate sense this relationship can never be lost; we
only lose our consciousness of it. We are always a part of Krishna
for we are souls and the soul is part of God. But we have to awaken
from our forgetfulness to fully benefit from that one relationship.”
Chaturatma
Prabhu:
From
a lecture at Krishna House on Srimad-Bhagavatam
10.14.3:
Although
there is so much understanding given by the acaryas
of
the Sanskrit words in this verse, Srimad-Bhagavatam
10.14.3,
the theme is simple: Krishna is conquered by one’s service and
love.
Another
important point is that anyone, regardless of his position in
society, can conquer Krishna simply by hearing about him in
devotional service.
Mental
speculation is a disease. Srila Prabhupada came to deliver us from
this trap of illusion. How? By presenting the teachings of Lord
Caitanya.
If
your life is engaged in hearing about Krishna, you will go back to
Godhead. Why? Because you will remember about Krishna at the end of
life.
After
a few years of absorbing ourselves in doing devotional service, the
material energy doesn’t even bother us. If you have attained that
state, my obeisances to you. If not, you have to see how you can
absorb yourself more in devotional service.
People,
especially from India, often touch the floor upon entering a temple.
This is one way of bowing down to show respect. Also the entrance is
filled with the dust of the feet of all the devotees, so it is a way
of getting that dust.
We
have to also glorify the devotees in addition to glorifying the Lord
and the process of devotional service.
Bhaktivinoda
Thakura said that you should remember Kavikarnapura and his family,
and his father, Sivananda Sena, and the other followers of Rupa
Goswami, if you want to go back to Godhead.
Q:
How did your time living in the ashram help you later in your family
life?
A:
In the early days, practically all of us lived in the ashram, and
thus we had a very solid foundation in our devotional practice. I
always felt it was a
benefit
that when I had so many additional family duties that I had that
foundation.
Kalakantha
Prabhu:
From
a morning class at Krishna House:
Martin
Luther King was also an opponent of the Vietnam War in addition to
opposing the segregation of blacks.
Racial
equality is a by-product of Krishna consciousness.
Krishna
was not pleased that Brahma separated Him from His friends, and thus
He did not show much pleasure upon hearing his prayers.
Maharaja
Pariksit only asked seventeen questions in the entire ninety chapters
of the Tenth Canto, but in this pastime of Brahma stealing Krishna’s
friends and calves he asked two.
Bhagavad-gita
15.15 is the most quoted verse in Srila Prabhupada’s purports.
Srila
Prabhupada said that there are two kinds of devotees, those who like
serve prasadam
and
those who like to eat prasadam,
and
they are both nice.
Comment
by Shyamala Kisori Devi Dasi: It is wonderful that Krishna patiently
heard the extensive prayers of Brahma although He was eager to
continue His pastimes with His friends.
There
are three steps if you offend someone: remorse, recognition, and
rectification.
Making
mistakes is an important part of Krishna consciousness, to make them,
to become humbled by them, and to realize that Krishna still loves us
despite them.
Comment
by another devotee: Brahma is happy that his pastimes with Krishna
are broadcast in the Bhagavatam
because
it glorifies Krishna.
ISKCON
has a plurality of acaryas.
In
fact, Lord Caitanya has said for everyone to become guru.
In
our Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition one’s guru is kept confidential.
This keeps people from becoming proud of their guru. Also a disciple,
out of humility, feels he is a discredit to his guru, and he does not
want reveal his guru for that reason.
Nagaraja
Prabhu:
From
Lord Krishna’s Avatars” in “Back
to Godhead, Vol.
54, No. 3 (May/June 2020):
“Being
God, Krishna is greater than everyone else in every way. His devotees
feel eternally indebted to Him because with His unlimited opulence He
serves them better than they can ever serve Him. His avatars
demonstrate this dynamic. To please His devotees, Krishna appears
before them in whatever form of His they find the most endearing.”
Ranjit
Prabhu:
The
material energy, one of the five topics of the Gita,
is
difficult to understand. Even the simplest plant is very complex and
requires the whole science of botany to understand it.
It
is very important to understand that everything we are identifying
with in this material world is temporary.
Krishna
mentions we cannot refrain from doing something, even for a moment
(Bhagavad-gita
3.5). Thus we are on a constant treadmill of the material energy.
Lord
Rsabhadeva summarizes to his sons the path of enlightenment by which
we become free from false ego:
“O
My sons, you should accept a highly elevated paramahamsa,
a spiritually advanced spiritual master. In this way, you should
place your faith and love in Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
You should detest sense gratification and tolerate the duality of
pleasure and pain, which are like the seasonal changes of summer and
winter. Try to realize the miserable condition of living entities,
who are miserable even in the higher planetary systems.
Philosophically inquire about the truth. Then undergo all kinds of
austerities and penances for the sake of devotional service. Give up
the endeavor for sense enjoyment and engage in the service of the
Lord. Listen to discussions about the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
and always associate with devotees. Chant about and glorify the
Supreme Lord, and look upon everyone equally on the spiritual
platform. Give up enmity and subdue anger and lamentation. Abandon
identifying the self with the body and the home, and practice reading
the revealed scriptures. Live in a secluded place and practice the
process by which you can completely control your life air, mind and
senses. Have full faith in the revealed scriptures, the Vedic
literatures, and always observe celibacy. Perform your prescribed
duties and avoid unnecessary talks. Always thinking of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, acquire knowledge from the right source. Thus
practicing bhakti-yoga,
you will patiently and enthusiastically be elevated in knowledge and
will be able to give up the false ego.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam
5.5.10–13)
Mother
Sukhada:
Srila
Prabhupada explains that when one is Krishna conscious there are no
worries because one is convinced that Krishna will take care of
everything. He mentions this in connection with Krishna looking for
the calves who wandered off so that His friends could peacefully take
lunch.
Things
that seem difficult at the time can be an impetus for taking shelter
of Krishna and ultimately going back to Godhead.
When
devotees are going through some difficulty I ask them the question,
“If you knew that the result of you suffering these difficulties
was that you would ultimately go back to Godhead would you change
anything?” They always agree to accept the suffering.
Krishna
knows how to break our enjoying spirit because He knows what real
enjoyment is.
Srila
Prabhupada likened the scientists to Lord Brahma who was bewildered
by his own mystic power.
When
we talk to people we can consider they are actually spiritual beings
luminous like ten thousand suns and not the gross form we see before
us.
Comment
by Vaninatha Vasu Prabhu: Srila Prabhupada paraphrases the
conversation between Krishna and Arjuna. Arjuna is saying that I
understand that all these people dying in the battle will continue to
exist, but because they are friends of mine it will be difficult.
Krishna said to him that he had to tolerate that and that there was
no other option.
I
heard there was devotee in hospice named Nrsimha Caitanya. I had
never had any interaction with him because he was a brahmacari,
but
I just thought I should see him before he died. I first asked my
husband, and then my son, to accompany me, but they did not want to,
so I went myself. I reassured him, “You are so fortunate because
you have dedicated your life to Krishna. You can leave your body at
any time, and everything will be alright.” I told him a story of
Madhudvisa Prabhu, who was on his deathbed and had a spiritual vision
of many devotees taking prasadam
in
another realm just before he departed. I chanted the Brahma-samhita,
and
then because I knew he was into Lord Nrsimhadeva, I chanted the
Nrsimha Kavaca. Right then he left this world. I felt fortunate to be
there.
[After
class I thanked Mother Sukhada for her
nice class. She asked if there was anything she could do for me.
Nothing came to mind except to say, “Do me the same favor you did
for Nrsimha Caitanya Prabhu.”]
As
we age, we can be excited because there is a special event coming up
for us. Actually there are many special events coming up for us.
Comment
by Bhakta Brian: It really hit me today that the problem is not that
we want to enjoy, but that we want to enjoy without Krishna.
Visakha
Dasi:
From
Ways of Progressing in Spirituality” in “Back
to Godhead, Vol.
54, No. 3 (May/June 2020):
“We
all would like to be absorbed in something so deeply that it takes us
out of ourselves to the extent that we forget our petty problems, our
insecurities, our past disappointments, even our age, gender,
economic status, and embarrassments. Devotional service, especially
devotional service suited to our propensities, can do that for us.
Krishna’s mercy is that as we completely absorb our attention in
serving Him, He can relieve us from the dreadful burden of thinking
that we’re our body and mind. More, we can gradually be free of
useless worry and unhelpful desires, of distractions and diversions
that leech our precious energy and time.”
Caitanya
Candra Prabhu:
From
“From the Use-and-Throw Culture to the Care-and-Share Culture” in
Back
to Godhead, Vol.
54, No. 3 (May/June 2020):
“In
an insightful verse from the devotional composition
Mukunda-mala-stotra
(17), the
great
saint Kulasekhara, who had been a powerful king in his pre-devotional
life, compares serving the Lord with serving an ordinary master:
“Our
master, the Personality of Godhead Narayana, who alone rules the
three worlds, whom one can serve in meditation, and who happily
shares His personal domain, is manifest before us. Yet still we beg
for the service of some minor lord of a few villages, some lowly man
who can only meagerly reward us. Alas, what foolish wretches we are!”
Nandanandana
Dasi of Krishna House:
Sometimes
students reject attending a certain school simply because they fear
not being able to make friends there.
Adjectives
describing people we interact with which cause us to experience
loneliness:
harsh
rigid
egocentric
judgmental
karmic
quiet
awkward
arrogant
standoffish
disrespectful
condescending
ignoring
belittling
unreasonable
out
of tune
demonstrably
repelling
non-inclusive
fake
pessimistic
Adjectives
describing people we interact with which cause us to experience
happiness:
inclusive
accepting
welcoming
friendly
kind/compassionate
talkative
smiling
acknowledging
similarly
interested
optimistic
open-minded
inquisitive
caring
sincere
Qualities
of Sattva (Goodness)
sense
controlled
tolerant
merciful
truthful
satisfied
in any condition
embarrassed
by improper behavior
generous
satisfied
within oneself
Qualities
of Passion
audacious
dissatisfied
even in gain
falsely
proud, considering oneself different and better
eager
to fight
fond
of hearing oneself praised
believing
might makes right
Happy
people do not feel like fighting.
Qualities
of Tamas (darkness)
stingy
aggressive
having
false expectations
lazy
Comment
by one attendee: I learned being stingy and mean and bossing people
around doesn’t work.
Comment
by another attendee: I believe what goes around comes around, and
people have to decide what they want to do with that knowledge.
Greed
means no matter what you have it is never enough.
The
Vedic literature is a wisdom text.
The
qualities of goodness are the natural qualities of the soul.
Lavanga
Devi Dasi:
Comment
by Steven: Prabhupada Priya explained that avidya
helps
one navigate the material world and vidya
helps
one transcend it.
Comment
by Bhakta Brian: Performing sacrifices for material ends is like
treating Krishna like a vending machine.
You
get more advancement by eating a gulabjamon
that
is Krishna prasadam
than
you do by worshiping a demigod.
Srila
Prabhupada said in a morning walk that if an animal takes prasadam
he
gets a human body, and if a human being takes prasadam
he
gets a human body in the next life.
When
we do not have people chanting at Krishna Lunch, students ask, “Where
is the music?”
Sometimes
as they join the line to get prasadam
you
hear them chanting Hare Krishna to the tune they are hearing the
devotees sing on the blanket.
Brajananda
Prabhu:
We
are in the material world, but we can use material things to get us
out of the material world, if we use them in Krishna’s service.
Christopher
Booth:
From
From Cornfields to Krishna” in “Back
to Godhead, Vol.
54, No. 3 (May/June 2020):
[I
was the typesetter and proofreader for Forbidden
Archeology, and
so it was inspiring for me to hear that it brought at least one
person to Krishna consciousness:]
“The
lack of spirituality continued for many years until about a year ago
when I read Forbidden
Archeology,
by Michael A. Cremo (Drutakarma Dasa) and Richard L. Thompson
(Sadaputa Dasa). Then everything changed. A connection was made.
“I
was so moved by the authors’ words that I wrote to Drutakarma. He
kindly replied, and he continued to reply to my inquiries. Since I
lived nearby, he suggested I attend a Bhagavad-gita
class at the Los Angeles temple, where he resides, and so I took him
up on that suggestion and went on a Tuesday evening.”
-----
I
first became acquainted with this verse
in the mid 1980s in Philadelphia when I asked Bhurijana Prabhu for
advice in blowing the conch shell which I had difficulty doing. He
said that very difficult things become
easy if
you remember Lord Caitanya, and he told me about this verse. Thus I
started to pray to Lord Caitanya whenever I blew the conch shell, and
I ultimately learned how to do it. Still whenever I encounter a conch
shell that is difficult to blow, I remember Lord Caitanya.
Sometimes
now if people ask me for my blessings, I quote this verse, and I
advise them to remember Lord Caitanya. Whenever I slip and fall or
when in a car, the driver slams on the brakes, I cry out, “Gauranga!”
and find myself protected. So please add this verse to your life, and
make difficult things easy by remembering Lord Caitanya. One way to
remember Lord Caitanya is to go on harinama-sankirtana
every
day, as He taught by His example, and as Srila Prabhupada requested
his followers to do.
kathañcana
smrte
yasmin
duskaram
sukaram
bhavet
vismrte
viparitam
syat
sri-caitanyam
namami
tam
“Things
that are very difficult to do become easy to execute if one somehow
or other simply remembers Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
But if one does not remember Him, even easy things become very
difficult. To this Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu
I offer my respectful obeisances.” (Sri
Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila
14.1)
