Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 16, No. 20
By Krishna Kripa Das
(October 2020, part two)
New York City
(Sent from Brooklyn on November 7, 2020)
Where I Went and What I Did
I continued living in Radha-Govinda temple in Brooklyn, assisting Rama Raya Prabhu in his NYC Harinam daily harinama party and making sweets for the afternoon offering of Radha-Govinda. Having missed too many Ratha-yatras this year, I decided to attend the Queens Ratha-yatra organized by Sunanda Prabhu, a disciple of Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu, who has a non-ISKCON Krishna Balaram temple in Richmond Hill in Queens. Jagaddhatri Devi Devi of ISKCON NYC organized a harinama on Halloween evening to share the holy name with people celebrating at Washington Square Park, which I also attended. I also would sometimes speak at the The Science of Self-Realization class which was Wednesdays at 26 Second Avenue, but is now on Zoom.
I share excerpts from Srila Prabhupada’s books, especially Sri Caitanya-caritamrita and The Nectar of Devotion. I also share excerpts from the Eleventh Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, largely from “Uddhava Gita,” Krishna’s conversation with Uddhava in which He reveals knowledge more confidential than in Bhagavad-gita. I share notes on classes by Candrasekhara Swami, Hansarupa Prabhu, Nikunjabihari Prabhu, Narada Rishi Prabhu, Rama Raya Prabhu, Shobha-mayi Devi Dasi, Ter Kadamba Prabhu, Hari Vilasa Prabhu, Jaya Jagannatha Prabhu, and Divyangi-devi Dasi speaking at ISKCON NYC. Also I share an interesting comment by Jagat Purusa Prabhu.
Thanks to Sasha Prabhu for his generous donations. Thanks to Lalita Manjari Devi Dasi for her kind donation. Thanks to Kaliya Krishna Prabhu for all his videos of NYC Harinam.
Itinerary
September 12–January 2021: NYC Harinam
December 5: Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami Vyasa-puja
December 24: Albany, Christmas Eve with relatives
January–April 2021: Tallahassee
Chanting Hare Krishna in New York City
As I described the Bhagavad-gita to a young Muslim man at the NYC Harinam book table, he told me that on the subway he was just listening to a lecture advocating acquiring spiritual knowledge, and coming out of the station he saw our sign for “Books on Spiritual Knowledge,” and now I was showing him Bhagavad-gita. As I talked, he pointed out things in common with his Islamic tradition. When I showed him the table of contents in Science of Self-Realization, he noticed the article entitled “The Human Form of Life is Meant for God Realization,” enthusiastically agreeing with it. I said that is a common theme in all these books. Seeing he was serious, I told him we had a special deal: four books (Bhagavad-gita, Science of Self-Realization, Nectar of Instruction, and Sri Isopanisad) for just $10, and he immediately gave me $10. I gave him my personal business card, inviting him to contact me with questions or for more books, and I said, “Spiritually inquisitive people are very rare.”
He said, “I am realizing that more and more.”
I think I am realizing that more and more too!
The NYC Harinam party continued to chant at Washington Square Park, Union Square Park, Columbus Circle, and on rainy days, at Radha Govinda Mandir. I share these video clips in chronological order.
Here Natabara Gauranga Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Radha Govinda Mandir in New York City on a rainy day (https://youtu.be/rZPm5P7m4Bg):
Natabara Gauranga Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Washington Square Park and youths play shakers and dance (https://youtu.be/0w8oRVGJsmA):
Braja Sakhi Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna at Washington Square Park, Godruma Prana Prabhu plays trumpet and Lee plays flute (https://youtu.be/3waUz4r2rvk):
Hari Vilasa Prabhu, a disciple of Kadamba Kanana Swami from South Africa who helps with the management at ISKCON NYC, chants Hare Krishna at Washington Square Park [video by Kaliya Krishna Prabhu] (https://youtu.be/fec7hCug2xs):
Rama Raya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Washington Square Park, and passersby play shakers and dance (https://youtu.be/m3rGg_4NhAg):
Braja Sakhi Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna at Washington Square Park, and devotees dance (https://youtu.be/wnHaIj9Xf6M):
Rama Raya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Washington Square Park, and six females play shakers and dance (https://youtu.be/iE9eyZUXssE):
Tulasirani Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna at Washington Square Park (https://youtu.be/ghie0i6KaVg):
As we chanted Hare Krishna at Columbus Circle, a passerby asked, “Did you used to live in Gainesville?”
I replied, “Yes, from 1994 to 2005.”
He said, “I was at UF from 1997 to 2001. I used to eat your lunch and often come by your house and visit. I talked with one guy . . .”
I suggested, “Noah, Savya, Parama . . .”
He said, “That’s it, Parama!”
I explained Parama is now a lawyer in Gainesville with a wife and two kids.
The man said his name was Brian, and he works as an anesthesiologist at Mount Sinai. How did he recognize me, wearing a mask, in a different city, with a body twenty years older? Amazing!
I gave him a card for Govinda’s Restaurant in Brooklyn so he can continue his interest in Krishna food and friendship with Krishna devotees.
Later that day, Kaliya Krishna Prabhu chanted Hare Krishna at Columbus Circle, and a couple, who often attended the ISKCON temple in Pacific Beach during the ten years they lived in San Diego, danced, along with Richard, one of our regulars (https://youtu.be/K0A03W5iU_c):
I chanted Hare Krishna at Columbus Circle, and Kaliya Krishna Prabhu took this video (https://youtu.be/u2uy4QTwe-I):
Once while Jaya Jagannatha Prabhu was chanting Hare Krishna at Columbus Circle, dozens of birds alighted on the electric wires attached to a couple of the traffic lights to listen to his kirtana.
Both rows of birds could be clearly seen from behind our book table.
Jaya Jagannatha Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Washington Square Park, and devotees dance (https://youtu.be/Tc474lSMZ1g):
Rama Raya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Washington Square Park, and two kids dance (https://youtu.be/KcPb3kohVXs):
Jaya Jagannatha Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Washington Square Park, and passersby dance (https://youtu.be/T03BYzkvUyE):
Natabara Gauranga Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Washington Square Park, and passersby dance (https://youtu.be/3XiOKUXy58c):
I chanted a lively Hare Krishna tune during a “Dance for Democracy” rally at Washington Square Park, and Kaliya Krishna Prabhu took this video (https://youtu.be/D54ASqYSVW0):
We thought that the “Dance for Democracy” people should have decided to situate themselves on another side of the fountain where no group was performing, but they chose to stay right in front of us, despite my suggestion that they might relocate. What can be done? It is a free country!
Natabara Gauranga Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Washington Square Park, and girls play shakers and Rama Raya Prabhu gives them garlands (https://youtu.be/ARXvowRP91s):
Rama Raya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Washington Square Park, and devotees and passersby dance, including two guys and three young kids who also played the shakers (https://youtu.be/CDNkWuci8q4):
In addition to taking the above video, I also danced, as you can see in this video by Kaliya Krishna Prabhu (https://youtu.be/XXMN4BWX4ZM):
Priya Krishna Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Washington Square Park, devotees dance, and a lady carrying a “VOTE” sign also dances (https://youtu.be/BTTxi6ViWa0):
Rama Raya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Radha Govinda Mandir in New York City on a rainy day (https://youtu.be/hvNOihnb0V8):
Nandanadana Prabhu, who cooks the raja-bhoga and the mangala-arati sweets for Radha Govinda, chants Hare Krishna at Radha Govinda Mandir in New York City on a rainy day (https://youtu.be/BTTxi6ViWa0):
As a result of doing harinama at Tompkins Square Park on the anniversary of Srila Prabhupada’s original harinama there, Jagaddhatri Devi Dasi became inspired to do harinamas periodically at that sacred place. Thus she organized one for Tuesday, October 27, and devotees from Radha Govinda temple and the Bhakti Center attended. I did not want to completely abandon Rama Raya Prabhu’s party, which was at Union Square Park that day, so I just visited for twenty minutes to support their effort.
Here Minna chants Hare Krishna at Tompkins Square Park near the Hare Krishna tree (https://youtu.be/9z1fNNJfams):
As Minna chanted, one man felt inspired to dance (https://youtu.be/hjC9msi9TEY):
Natabara Gauranga Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Washington Square Park, and a mother and child play shakers and dance (https://youtu.be/6k9RJTR8tUE):
Natabara Gauranga Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Washington Square Park, and a guy plays a string instrument (https://youtu.be/-ILpbLVOUfY):
Jaya Jagannatha Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Radha Govinda Mandir on a rainy day (https://youtu.be/S_sPf81Iy40):
Nandanandana Prabhu chanted Hare Krishna after guru puja one day (https://youtu.be/Bytye5J9mtc):
I chanted Hare Krishna during the midday arati of Radha Govinda on the first day of Karttika [video by Kaliya Krishna Prabhu] (https://youtu.be/nz75RoUJfvk):
Godruma Prana Prabhu plays accordion and chants Hare Krishna on Halloween at Washington Square Park, and devotees and passersby dance (https://youtu.be/svXcw4AVoT4):
Hari Vilasa Prabhu plays accordion and chants Hare Krishna on Halloween at Washington Square Park, and devotees and passersby dance (https://youtu.be/Leo9H2gXNuw):
Hari Vilasa Prabhu plays accordion and chants Hare Krishna on Halloween at Washington Square Park, and black guys take pleasure in dancing and doing gymnastics, including our very own Chaitanya Thomas (https://youtu.be/3QPPntXAphE):
On the days that Rama Raya Prabhu’s party chanted in Radha Govinda temple because it was too cold or wet, I would chant with them for an hour and then chant in public for three hours. I tried chanting at different subway stations. Twice people gave me almost thirty dollars and took six or seven books. On slower days I would get six or seven dollars and distribute two or three books. Of the seven subway stations I chanted in, I was only told to stop by the police in two of them. I would always wear a mask, and I would try to sit where people would not usually get within six feet of me, except to give a donation or take a book.
Queens Ratha-yatra
Many public events, including most Ratha-yatras, were canceled since last March because of COVID-19. Sunanda Prabhu of Queens was determined to continue with his. The authorities would only give him from 9 to 11 a.m. on a Saturday morning. The route is along a major road, known appropriately as Liberty Avenue, from 120th Street to 111th Street, and then just a couple of blocks along 111th Street to his Krishna Balarama temple, around the corner.
Sunanda Prabhu’s temple is not an official ISKCON temple, so I asked his guru, Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu, what he thought about me attending the Ratha-yatra, and he said, “I am inclined to think this is a free country . . .” He also said he was glad Sunanda Prabhu was doing the Ratha-yatra and that he hoped it would be successful. I decided to go because dancing for Lord Jagannatha at Ratha-yatra is one of my favorite devotional activities. Once at Rajpur, near Mayapur, I gave 100 Rs. to Lord Jagannatha and prayed to go to as many Ratha-yatras as possible. I was able to go to at least ten Ratha-yatras that year. This year the only other Ratha-yatra I attended was at Gasparilla in Tampa on the last Saturday in January, before the COVID-19 pandemic became serious. I decided to go to the Queens Ratha-yatra wearing a mask and doing my best to stand six feet away from other people, as far as possible.
I was surprised to see that the main Krishna and Balarama deities from the temple came out for the ride. At first I did not see the quite small Jagannatha deities, and I was feeling cheated because the cart had Krishna and Balarama, but no Subhadra!
The Ratha-yatra cart came up from North Carolina as did the devotee who steered it.
Here Priya chants Hare Krishna at the before the Queens Ratha-yatra proceeded (https://youtu.be/OMKn9ROGFTg)::
Sunanda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at the beginning of the Queens Ratha-yatra (https://youtu.be/sPG3-RSPIf4):
Locanananda Prabhu, disciple of Srila Prabhupada, chants Hare Krishna at the Queens Ratha-yatra (https://youtu.be/ojk4YXyTIa4):
Bhakta John chants Hare Krishna at the Queens Ratha-yatra (https://youtu.be/5phyD3GXjR4):
Ascending the steps to the 111th Street Station to catch the A train to Washington Square Park, I took some more video of Bhakta John’s kirtan (https://youtu.be/AAofDNBjjEg):
Funny Photo
What do you do if someone comes to Govinda’s after the manager locked the cash box?
You lock their cash in the refrigerator with the extra desserts!
Insights
Srila Prabhupada:
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 18.118–119:
[The residents of Vrindavan said to Lord Caitanya:] “By Your bodily features we can see that You are none other than the son of Nanda Maharaja, although the golden luster of Your body has covered Your original complexion. As the aroma of deer musk cannot be concealed by wrapping it in a cloth, Your characteristics as the Supreme Personality of Godhead cannot be concealed by any means. Indeed, Your characteristics are uncommon and beyond the imagination of an ordinary living being.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 18.120–124:
[The residents of Vrindavan continued:] “Simply by seeing You, the entire universe becomes mad with ecstatic love for Krishna. If they see You just once, even women, children, old men, meat-eaters and members of the lowest caste immediately chant the holy name of Krishna, dance like madmen and become spiritual masters capable of delivering the whole world. Apart from seeing You, whoever listens to Your holy name is made mad with ecstatic love for Krishna and is able to deliver the three worlds. Simply by hearing Your holy name, dog-eaters become holy saints. Your uncommon potencies cannot be described in words.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 18.219–221:
“Whoever got to see Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu would feel himself overwhelmed with ecstatic love and would begin to chant the Hare Krishna mantra. Whoever met Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu became a Vaishnava, and whoever met that Vaishnava also became a Vaishnava. In this way, all the towns and villages became Vaishnava, one after the other. Just as the Lord inundated South India on His tour there, He also inundated the western part of the country with love of Godhead.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 18.228:
“The pastimes of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu are an ocean of nectar. Even a drop of this ocean can inundate the whole world with transcendental bliss.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 19.54:
“We offer our respectful obeisances unto that merciful Supreme Personality of Godhead who has converted all three worlds, which were maddened by ignorance, and saved them from their diseased condition by making them mad with the nectar from the treasure-house of love of God. Let us take full shelter of that Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna Caitanya, whose activities are wonderful.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 19.69, purport:
“Generally brahmanas are puffed up with false prestige because they belong to the aristocracy and perform many Vedic sacrifices. In South India especially, this fastidious position is most prominent. At any rate, this was the case five hundred years ago. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu actually started a revolution against this brahminical system by inaugurating the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra. By this chanting, one can be delivered regardless of caste, creed, color or social position. Whoever chants the Hare Krishna maha-mantra is immediately purified due to the transcendental position of devotional service.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 19.143 [Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.87.30]:
“‘O Lord, although the living entities who have accepted material bodies are spiritual and unlimited in number, if they were all-pervading there would be no question of their being under Your control. If they are accepted, however, as particles of the eternally existing spiritual entity — as part of You, who are the supreme spirit whole — we must conclude that they are always under Your control. If the living entities are simply satisfied with being identical with You as spiritual particles, then they will be happy being controllers of so many things. The conclusion that the living entities and the Supreme Personality of Godhead are one and the same is a faulty conclusion. It is not a fact.’”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 19.146, purport:
“Literature or knowledge that seeks the Supreme Being can be accepted as a bona fide religious system, but there are many different types of religious systems according to the place, the disciples and the people’s capacity to understand.
“The highest type of religious system is described in Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.6) thus: sa vai pumsam paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhoksaje. The highest form of religion is that by which one becomes fully conscious of the existence of God, including His form, name, qualities, pastimes, abode and all-pervasive features. When everything is completely known, that is the perfection of Vedic knowledge.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 19.147, purport:
“The jñani wants to extinguish the distinction between knowledge, the knower and the aim of knowledge. This philosophy is called monism, or oneness, and is characterized by spiritual silence.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 19.149, purport:
“A krishna-bhakta knows that his friend and protector in all respects is Krishna, who is able to do anything for His devotee.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 19.165:
“‘As long as there is not the slightest fragrance of pure love of Krishna, which is the perfect medicinal herb for controlling Lord Krishna within the heart, the opulences of the material perfections known as the siddhis [yogic powers], the brahminical perfections [satya (truthfulness), sama (peacefulness), titiksa (tolerance) and so on], the trance of the yogis and the monistic bliss of Brahman all seem wonderful for men.’”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 19.176:
“‘The material desire to enjoy the material world and the desire to become liberated from material bondage are considered to be two witches, and they haunt one like ghosts. As long as these witches remain within the heart, how can one feel transcendental bliss? As long as these two witches remain in the heart, there is no possibility of enjoying the transcendental bliss of devotional service.’”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 19.214, purport:
“In this position, one is freed from all material enjoyment. When one is not agitated or disturbed, he can immediately realize his relationship with Krishna. A santa-rasa devotee is therefore always fixed in realization.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 19.236:
“When one thinks of Krishna constantly, love for Him manifests within the heart. Even though one may be ignorant, one can reach the far shore of the ocean of transcendental love by Lord Krishna’s mercy.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 20.106:
“‘Those who are eager to awaken their spiritual consciousness and who thus have unflinching, undeviated intelligence certainly attain the desired goal of life very soon.’”
From The Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 24:
“Any person who is reliable in all circumstances is called dependable. In this connection Rupa Gosvami says that even the demons were relying upon the dependability of Krishna because they were confident that Krishna would never attack them without due cause. Therefore, with faith and confidence, they used to live with their doors wide open. And the demigods, although afraid of the demons, were confident of the protection of Krishna. Therefore, even in the midst of danger they were engaged in sportive activities. Persons who had never undergone the reformatory ritualistic ceremonies of the Vedas were confident that Krishna would accept only faith and devotion, and so they were engaged in Krishna consciousness and were freed from all anxieties. In other words, all kinds of men, from the demigods down to the uncultured, can rely on the causeless mercy of the Supreme Lord.”
From The Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 25:
“When a devotee is never tired of executing devotional service and is always engaged in Krishna conscious activities, constantly relishing the transcendental mellows in relationship with Krishna, he is called perfect. This perfectional stage can be achieved in two ways: one may achieve this stage of perfection by gradual progress in devotional service, or one may become perfect by the causeless mercy of Krishna, even though he has not executed all the details of devotional service.”
“A person who is freed from the false egotism of material existence, or an advanced mystic, is eligible to enter into the kingdom of God, known as Vaikuntha. Such a mystic becomes so joyful by constant execution of the regulative principles of devotional service that he thereby achieves the special favor of the Supreme Lord.”
“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.”
“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 which gives stimulation to love of Krishna are all Krishna, but for our understanding these items may be considered separately.”
From The Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 30:
“It is stated in the Tenth Canto, Thirty-third Chapter, verse 11, of Srimad-Bhagavatam, ‘Upon seeing that Krishna’s arm was placed on her shoulder, one of the gopis engaged in the rasa dance became so ecstatically happy that she kissed Krishna on His cheek.’ This is an instance of feeling happiness because of achieving a desired goal.”
“The gopis were advised by their superiors to bolt the doors at night, but they were so carefree that they did not carry out this order very rigidly. Sometimes, by thinking of Krishna, they became so confident of being out of all danger that they would lie down at night in the courtyards of their houses.”
“There is an authoritative statement in the Garuda Purana about mystic yogis who are under the direct shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead: ‘In all three stages of their consciousness—namely wakefulness, dreaming and deep sleep—the devotees are absorbed in thought of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore, in their complete absorption in thought of Krishna, they do not sleep.’”
From The Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 32:
“It is said that a great devotee brahmana would sometimes address the Supreme Personality of Godhead as master and sometimes joke with the Lord, using different kinds of familiar words. Sometimes he would protect the Lord with a filial affection, sometimes he would cry out to the Lord, addressing the Lord as his beloved, and sometimes he would meditate on the Lord as the Supersoul. This means that the brahmana expressed his ecstatic loving symptoms in different ways at different times. But in each instance, because of ecstatic love, the brahmana merged himself in the ocean of happiness and became situated in pure love.”
From The Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 35:
“The devotees and self-realized persons who are engaged in preaching the glories of the Lord always maintain an ecstatic love for the Lord within their hearts. Thus they are benefited by the rays of the ecstatic moon, and they are called saintly persons.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.4.21, purport:
“The Lord is revealed not by one’s speculative power or by one’s verbal jugglery over the Absolute Truth; rather, He reveals Himself to a devotee when He is fully satisfied by the devotee’s service attitude.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.4.22, purport:
“In the conditioned state, the living being is subject to forgetting everything after a change of body, known as death. This potent knowledge is again inspired by the Lord from within the heart of every living being, and it is known as the awakening of knowledge, for it is comparable to awakening from sleep or unconsciousness. This awakening of knowledge is under the full control of the Lord, and therefore we find in the practical world different grades of knowledge in different persons. This awakening of knowledge is neither an automatic nor a material interaction. The supply source is the Lord Himself (dhiyam patih), for even Brahma is also subject to this regulation of the supreme creator.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.4.25, purport:
“There is no use in theories. Knowledge must be factual. There are many things that are complicated, and one cannot understand them unless they are explained by one who knows. The Vedic knowledge is also very difficult to know and must be learned by the above-mentioned system [through a succession of spiritual masters beginning with the Lord Himself]; otherwise it is not at all understood.”
The humble servants of Srila Prabhupada:
[The verses themselves in Canto 11, Chapter 29 below are spoken by Krishna Himself, unless otherwise stated. The purports are written by the commentators.]
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.29.19–20:
“Indeed, I consider this process — using one’s mind, words and bodily functions for realizing Me within all living beings — to be the best possible method of spiritual enlightenment. My dear Uddhava, because I have personally established it, this process of devotional service unto Me is transcendental and free from any material motivation. Certainly a devotee never suffers even the slightest loss by adopting this process.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.29.21:
“O Uddhava, greatest of saints, in a dangerous situation an ordinary person cries, becomes fearful and laments, although such useless emotions do not change the situation. But activities offered to Me without personal motivation, even if they are externally useless, amount to the actual process of religion.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.29.26:
“One who liberally disseminates this knowledge among My devotees is the bestower of the Absolute Truth, and to him I give My very own self.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.29.38:
[Uddhava said to Krishna:] “In return for my insignificant surrender, You have mercifully bestowed upon me, Your servant, the torchlight of transcendental knowledge. Therefore, what devotee of Yours who has any gratitude could ever give up Your lotus feet and take shelter of another master?”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.29.5, purport:
“As stated in the Narayaniya of the Moksa-dharma, in Sri Mahabharata:
ya vai sadhana-sampatti
purusartha-catustayetaya
vina tad apnoti
naro narayanasrayaḥ
‘Whatever among the four goals of human life can be achieved by various spiritual practices is automatically achieved without such endeavors by the person who has taken shelter of Lord Narayana, the refuge of all persons.’”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.29.10:
“One should take shelter of holy places where My saintly devotees reside, and one should be guided by the exemplary activities of My devotees, who appear among the demigods, demons and human beings.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.29.11:
“Either alone or in public gatherings, with singing, dancing and other exhibitions of royal opulence, one should arrange to celebrate those holy days, ceremonies and festivals set aside specially for My worship.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.29.13–14:
“O brilliant Uddhava, one who thus views all living entities with the idea that I am present within each of them, and who by taking shelter of this divine knowledge offers due respect to everyone, is considered actually wise. Such a man sees equally the brahmana and the outcaste, the thief and the charitable promoter of brahminical culture, the sun and the tiny sparks of fire, the gentle and the cruel.
“Purport: Therefore, although externally perceiving and dealing with the varieties of material situations, a wise man is more impressed by and concerned with the overwhelming unity of all existence, which is based on the presence of the Supreme Lord within everything.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.29.15:
“For him who constantly meditates upon My presence within all persons, the bad tendencies of rivalry, envy and abusiveness, along with false ego, are very quickly destroyed.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.31.12:
“Lord Krishna brought the son of His guru back from the planet of the lord of death in the boy’s selfsame body, and as the ultimate giver of protection He saved you also when you were burned by the brahmastra of Asvatthama. He conquered in battle even Lord Shiva, who deals death to the agents of death, and He sent the hunter Jara directly to Vaikuntha in his human body. How could such a personality be unable to protect His own Self?”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.31.13:
“Although Lord Krishna, being the possessor of infinite powers, is the only cause of the creation, maintenance and destruction of innumerable living beings, He simply did not desire to keep His body in this world any longer. Thus He revealed the destination of those fixed in the self and demonstrated that this mortal world is of no intrinsic value.”
From Prabhupada Meditations, Volume 3:
“Lord Krishna is not alone; He is always with His devotees. Similarly, Prabhupada’s followers are part of his eternal entourage. Too much criticism of his followers is a type of criticism against Prabhupada.”
“When we combine respect for Prabhupada with respect for his disciples, then we have the perfect union. One way to do this is to recall Prabhupada in his pastimes with his disciples. Lord Caitanya’s pastimes are not only about Himself, but are about His disciples and relationships among them.”
“Similarly we can remember how Tamala Krishna Goswami was willing to face fire for Prabhupada. We may recall how Prabhupada was pleased with the friendly service of Srutakirti. Prabhupada praised Pradyumna dasa: ‘I call him Panditji because he is actually pandita. He has worked hard to produce this Caitanya-caritamrita, and his wife also.’ Prabhupada gave tremendous encouragement to those devotees who distributed his books; he assured them that it was the best service. Therefore we may think of these devotees and how they tried to please Prabhupada. That forms a natural part of our Prabhupada meditation.”
From My Purpose at Isola di Albarella:
“SP [Srila Prabhupada] didn’t feel like a ship without a rudder even though BSS [his guru] was not in the world and even though the Gaudiya Math [his guru’s institution] broke up. So, follow his example.
“Work in your way to contribute to his movement. Don’t give up.
“And yes, you’ll feel separation.”
Candrasekhara Swami:
Namabhasa, the shadow of the holy name, is so powerful that it can give liberation and fulfillment of any material desires, but the one thing it cannot give is prema, love of Krishna.
In Harinama-cintamani three kinds of namabhasa are described:
Hrdaya-durbalyam (weakness of heart)
Asat-trishna (thirst for things other than Krishna)
Aparadha (offense)
Of these aparadha is the worst.
The power of the holy name can never be reduced, but our mentality can keep us from benefiting fully by chanting it.
If one chants while maintaining a Mayavada conception, he will make very little progress.
It is better we can chant with feeling. We will progress more rapidly.
Devotees can, by being lackadaisical about chanting, gradually chant less and less. If they notice that and try to rectify their chanting, they can again move in a positive direction.
Even if you only attempt to pay attention, though often falling short, you will find that you will feel that you have done something.
It is hard to believe that such a simple thing as the holy name can correct all problems.
It is also hard to repeatedly pay attention to the holy name.
Seeing all the challenges Haridasa Thakura faced without difficulty, we can see when properly chanted how powerful the holy name is.
Scientists always try to explain everything without recourse to anything beyond matter, but they always run into problems.
Scientists can never go so deep in their investigations that they reach the Supreme Lord because they are averse to coming to that conclusion. They are like people who dig in one place until they reach something significant, and then stop and start digging in another place.
In the Vedic literature, the universe is described as having seven shells of different substances, each ten times wider than the one beneath it. If it were a fruit, it would be very frustrating to deal with because so much of it is just shell.
Physical chemistry is very straightforward, and scientists have known about it for quite some time. The organic chemistry that goes on in cells is a completely different story, and the physical chemistry cannot fully explain it. Organic chemistry is just plain crazy. If you study what kinds of voodoo and shenanigans are going on, even at the cellular level, it becomes completely apparent that organic chemistry cannot be explained in terms of simple physical chemistry. In life, chemicals are dancing around in all kind of extremely unlikely ways. The proof is that as soon as life ends, regular chemistry takes over and the body disintegrates. There are unseen energies doing their magic all over the place. [He later shared some videos showing how complicated is the chemistry of living systems, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-uuk4Pr2i8 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tO-W8mvBa78.]
Ignorance is to not investigate at all or to not care to understand. Passion is to investigate but never ultimately connect everything to the Supreme.
That is a defect of science, that it does not connect everything to the Supreme Lord.
None of us knows how we digest food. There is no mental adjustment we can do to make it work better. Similarly we do not know how we see and hear. These are facilities given to us by the Supreme Lord, and without Him we could do nothing.
The endeavor for knowledge is good until we encounter Vedic knowledge presented as it is. If we do not accept this explanation and continue speculating, then that endeavor will mislead us.
Our situation in this world is like a deep sea diver swimming in this ocean of matter. Because we are not in our element, how much can we enjoy? How much can a deep sea diver enjoy, being restricted in so many ways?
Hansarupa Prabhu:
Srila Prabhupada once defined reciprocation as responsive cooperation.
In the last days of his manifest presence in Vrindavan, Srila Prabhupada heard a devotee chanting in the temple, who was thought by his disciples to be a good kirtana leader, and he said, “Who is that Raksasa [demon]?” Srila Prabhupada could see and hear the ego of the person.
It is not by seniority but sincerity of service that Krishna is pleased.
Laksmi, who was supremely chaste, did not want to approach Lord Nrsimha because she was doubtful if He was really her husband.
One may come to the Krishna consciousness movement for release from material distress, but ultimately we must come to the platform of selflessness.
How is it I am so peaceful by just washing the pots or washing the floor? That peace I was looking for in so many other activities, I find in these simple devotional engagements!
Srila Prabhupada created these temples to make devotees.
Without compassion there is no advancement in spiritual life. One must feel compassion for people who are suffering due to lack of spiritual knowledge.
You may find yourself the leader of a big community in the future if you are willing to serve the Lord in that way.
Yasodanandana Prabhu made Gujarat prominent in terms of opening temples and making devotees and more.
Jagat Purusa Prabhu:
From a conversation:
I did theater professionally before I met the Hare Krishnas. When I first saw a drama performed by the devotees, it was the most amateurish production I had ever seen, but it was also the most moving production I had ever seen!
Narada Rishi Prabhu:
Divisions of man are not given by man but by God in terms of qualities and work.
Different races of ksatriyas [administrators and warriors] gave up their ksatriya qualities and became addicted to sinful acts.
India was so wealthy there is one temple in Gujarat that was looted seventeen times by the Muslims.
Krishna made many conditions for the people who left Him to regain His abode, but Lord Caitanya made no conditions.
Lord Caitanya did not have to chant and dance in the street, but He did it to teach by His example.
It is said: “Kirata, Huna, Andhra, Pulinda, Pulkasa, Abhira, Sumbha, Yavana, members of the Khasa races and even others addicted to sinful acts can be purified by taking shelter of the devotees of the Lord, due to His being the supreme power. I beg to offer my respectful obeisances unto Him.” We can see the reality of this verse in that there are gurus at present from all kinds of races who are practicing and preaching Krishna consciousness all over the world.
Nikunjabihari Prabhu:
When reading the Bhagavatam, it is good to look up the verses which Srila Prabhupada refers to in the purport.
There is no reason to lament for wherever you are, in the temple or in the subway, for you can always perform activities of devotional service to Krishna.
Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura indicates this material world is not a place to remain in for any length of time.
It is good to read the end of Srila Prabhupada’s purports twice because he puts important realizations there.
Do not expect the spiritual master to give instructions that are always pleasing to your senses for he is always trying to get you to control your senses.
Only by hearing can we learn to differentiate between religion and irreligion.
The senses will leave you one by one. Your eyes go. Your ears go.
We are so addicted to sense gratification only a solidly Krishna consciousness person can say no.
Rama Raya Prabhu:
A lot of people were loners before they came to Krishna consciousness. They weren’t in the “in crowd.” That is good for them because they can be free to develop their eternal relationship with Krishna and attain ultimate happiness.
Those in the rasa of neutrality lose interest in the impersonal feature of the Lord because they see the personality who is behind it.
Because of their envy of the personality of God, at best the Mayavadis can merge into the body of God.
Yamuna and her friend Dinatarini were living together and practicing Krishna consciousness in Eugene, Oregon. Devotees complained to Srila Prabhupada that they were not living in a temple. Srila Prabhupada indicated that good spiritual association can be two or two hundred, and thus he supported the lifestyle of these two dedicated disciples.
Tamal Krishna Goswami asked Srila Prabhupada how to settle disagreements after he left. Srila Prabhupada said to work for the correction of things, but do not leave under any circumstances.
Q (by me): How do we deal with those who left to join other Gaudiya movements?
A: Cordially. With mutual respect. Talk about things we have in common, like appreciation of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. Keep at a distance. Those who left should be respectful of the faith of those who stayed.
Srila Prabhupada was reticent as far as advanced topics go. Where did he get that from? His Guru Maharaja.
Does it make sense that Srila Prabhupada, who was empowered by the spiritual energy of the Lord, Srimati Radharani, to spread Krishna bhakti all over the world, cannot give one entrance into the most elevated realizations of Krishna consciousness?
Shobha-mayi Devi Dasi:
Arjuna depended on Krishna. Duryodhana depended on his big army. Who won? Arjuna.
When you fully surrender to Krishna, Krishna takes care of you.
Only do what you absolutely need to do to take care of your body, and then just serve Krishna.
In Bhagavad-gita 10.9, Krishna mentions, “They [My devotees] derive great satisfaction and bliss from always enlightening one another and conversing about Me.” Therefore Srila Prabhupada wanted us to have these Srimad-Bhagavatam classes.
Bhaktivinoda Thakura mentions in Bhakti-rahasyam six items to follow to attain offenseless chanting:
1. controlling the mind
2. pure life style
3. use words carefully; do not criticize
4. steadiness in the number of rounds and time of chanting
5. not getting disturbed if quality chanting is not possible
6. remembering the deity of the mantra and the meaning of the mantra, and adopting the path of saranagati (surrender)
Ter Kadamba Prabhu:
Knowledge comes through mercy.
I have been doing university programs for years, and the students know there are certain things that you just cannot ask because the theories do not cover them.
Scientists know that the consciousness of the person measuring data has an effect what is being measured. If you ask “Doesn’t that indicate consciousness is not a product of matter but rather matter is a product of consciousness?”, you will find that question is not acceptable.
The Danish word for science means creation of knowledge, but true knowledge is not created.
If you surrender to Krishna, you do not have to give up anything, but you have to see that Krishna is in the center.
In debating with people I try to destroy their illusion that sense perception gives accurate knowledge. Then their other ideas lack support.
The Vedic descriptions of the universe are to help us understand facts about it like a picture of an atom helps describe details about an atom, but you never see an actual atom looking like that.
When I first read Bhagavad-gita I had a sense that it had a superhuman origin because what human being could come up with the ideas it contains?
Hari Vilasa Prabhu:
Faithless people think bhakti-yoga is too simple to provide any substantial benefit.
Historically you have a war followed by struggle for survival, then economic development, and when things are stable, people have time to endeavor spiritually.
The hard sciences deal with quantities and the soft sciences with qualities.
In karma-kanda, you have many rules to follow that guarantee a certain kind of perfection, and in other traditions you also encounter different codes of laws the following of which guarantees a certain goal.
If your consciousness attains a certain level of spiritual development, it can attract Krishna’s attention.
It is important that we appreciate the value of devotional opportunities when we attain them.
By the mercy of Lord Caitanya, one can get some attraction for Krishna and thus have some motivation to perform devotional service.
Devotional service is described to be individual, voluntary, and spontaneous.
In your relationships with the devotees, you will see how much genuine devotion you have and how much you are just following some rules.
If you want to become more serious, make a vow to do some additional devotional service regularly.
Srila Prabhupada introduced a quantifying element in devotional service by making his disciples vow to chant sixteen rounds and follow four regulative principles. Before him it was not so defined.
Devotees who take specific vows are sincere about not wasting time.
Sometimes in leadership positions we can actly nicely as Krishna’s representives, but at other times we may act as if we are independent leaders. In those cases, Krishna will have to remind us of our actual position.
To maintain the proper consciousness is easy. It is simply a matter of regularly hearing and chanting about Krishna. Then you are reminded of Krishna’s position.
G. H. Hardy, a famous mathematician, studied the case of a Indian boy who was a genius in mathematics. The boy did puja to Mother Sarasvati every day, and he would endeavor figure things out, and then he would have a dream of Mother Sarasvati, and the next day he would receive the answer to his problem.
King Prithu saw himself as just doing his duties as king for the purpose of pleasing the Lord who had appointed him to that position. He advised the citizens to act nicely in their varnasrama duties so he would achieve a good destination after death.
All the social movements, although appearing different, are dealing with the same issue – an imbalance of power.
We need to create enlightened hierarchies where both the leaders and followers are aware of the supreme control of the Lord.
Jaya Jagannatha Prabhu:
The mangalacarana is to remove obstacles in being a medium for the revealed transcendental knowledge.
After Brahma studied the Vedas three times, he finally concluded rati or bhava to Krishna is the goal.
If you cannot perceive the happiness of your own soul, you will be forced to look for happiness in the material world.
Sukadeva Goswami was lured away from his absorption in brahmananda because the taste of descriptions of Krishna in Srimad-Bhagavatam was more attractive.
According to Caitanya Bhagavata, when Pundarika Vidyanidhi heard the verse, “Alas, how shall I take shelter of one more merciful than He who granted the position of mother to a she-demon [Putana] although she was unfaithful and she prepared deadly poison to be sucked from her breast?” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.2.23), he went into ecstasy for six hours.
Jiva Goswami defines envy as the tendency to devalue or to not recognize the value of others. Because everyone is a jiva, everyone has inherent value, and one must recognize that.
There is no difference between transcendental sound and that which it describes, and when one’s heart is pure, one can perceive the transcendental reality simply by hearing the transcendental sound.
We have to go to a teacher in the disciplic succession to understand the actual meaning of the text.
Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura explains there are two meanings of the sastra, the dictionary meaning and that which realized persons explain.
Divyangi-devi Dasi:
The three modes of material nature exist only in the material world. There is no need for them in the spiritual. In the spiritual world there is no creation or destruction, only eternal maintenance by the Lord.
If we encounter difficulty, we consult senior devotees and do whatever they say, even if it is difficult.
If we act according to Krishna’s direction, He is responsible for the result.
We can chose do services with enthusiasm, patience, and determination, as opposed to doing them just because someone told us to do them, and we will get a better result.
In Russia, students are forced to study all the subjects, but the result is that they develop a taste for study. Sadhana bhakti is like that. We develop a taste for the devotional engagements in due course.
Comment by Rama Raya Prabhu: Sincerity and determination are qualities Krishna likes to see in His devotees. Obstacles Srila Prabhupada encountered just made him more determined. An ordinary person with amazing success like Srila Prabhupada had in his old age would become excessively proud, but Srila Prabhupada became humble, considering it Krishna’s doing.
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I like the following Bhagavad-gita verse because everyone is looking for an easy way to achieve success, and here Krishna is telling how He can be easily obtained – by constant remembrance of Him. You may say that it is hard to always remember Krishna, but it is something easy to practice. We can think of Krishna’s name, His form, His instructions, His pastimes, or His pure devotees, whichever appeals to us. In a Bhagavad-gita purport Srila Prabhupada says one can attain perfection simply by thinking of Krishna being present in the heart of everyone we meet. How auspicious is the remembrance of Krishna! “With sword in hand, intelligent men cut through the binding knots of reactionary work [karma] by remembering the Personality of Godhead. Therefore, who will not pay attention to His message?” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.15) “The highest perfection of human life, achieved either by complete knowledge of matter and spirit, by practice of mystic powers, or by perfect discharge of occupational duty, is to remember the Personality of Godhead at the end of life.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.1.6)
ananya-cetah satatam
tasyaham su-labhah partha
nitya-yuktasya yoginah
“For one who always remembers Me without deviation, I am easy to obtain, O son of Pritha, because of his constant engagement in devotional service.” (Bhagavad-gita 8.14)
