Diary
of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 19, No. 20
By
Krishna Kripa Das
(October 2023, part two)
New
York City, Stuyvesant Falls
(Sent
from Stuyvesant Falls, New York, on November 4, 2023)
Where I Went and What I Did
I spent the first eleven days of the second half of October living at ISKCON NYC in Brooklyn as a member of Rama Raya Prabhu’s NYC Harinam party, and I chanted Hare Krishna in public for four hours a day, six days a week with them at their usual venues of Union Square, Washington Square Park, and Columbus Circle, and in Times Square subway station on rainy and cold days. I would also make sweets for Radha Govinda once a week. On the first Sunday, I chanted Hare Krishna over the Brooklyn Bridge with about eight devotees, for about two hours, including the subway rides to and from it.
On October 31, after dressing the deities, I made a day trip to New York City to rejoin NYC Harinam for Halloween, one of the best days for harinama because people are much more likely to interact with harinama parties because of the festive mood and because they are wearing costumes. In addition to the sitting harinama which we did at Washington Square Park that day, we did a walking harinama afterward in Greenwich Village led by Pavan Nitai Chandra Prabhu, and many people interacted with us.
I share quotes from Srila Prabhupada’s Srimad-Bhagavatam and from Stowies by Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami. I share notes on lectures by Candrasekhara Swami, Vedavyasapriya Swami, Nanda Devi Dasi, Prishni Devi Dasi, Rama Raya Prabhu, Sita Ram Prabhu, Yasoda Dulal Prabhu, Yugala Kisora Prabhu, and Param Brahma Prabhu.
Thanks to Aer Lingus for their generous compensation for delaying my return to New York City last May by five hours so I missed an entire harinama. Thanks to Baladeva Vidyabhusana Prabhu for contributing to my taxi and gas to attain Stuyvesant Falls and nearby locations. Thanks to Maha Prakash Prabhu and ISKCON Schenectady for their donation toward my gas to attend their Sunday program. I thank Ahaituki Prema Prabhu for his photos and videos of me on harinama in New York City.
Itinerary
October
27–November 12: serving Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami in Stuyvesant
Falls, NY
November
12–16:
NYC Harinam
November
17–19: BIHS Conference, Gainesville
November
20–23: Gainesville harinamas
November
24–25: Festival of the Holy Name, Alachua
November
26: Tampa
harinama?
November
27–January 2024: NYC Harinam
Chanting Hare Krishna in New York City
Arjunananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Union Square during a light rain, and devotees dance (https://youtu.be/Go1HiKr97Mc):
Premanjali Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna there, too, and devotees dance (https://youtu.be/_NuMuezBaI4):
Keshava Madhava Prabhu chants Hare Krishna, and devotees and students dance (https://youtu.be/86XCKA2d5zQ):
Radhe Shyam Prabhu chants Hare Krishna, and devotees and passersby dance (https://youtu.be/0dOltsxPtO8):
While we were chanting Hare Krishna at Union Square, three teenagers approached me, two girls and a boy. One girl asked if I would kiss her friend. I said that as a monk I don’t kiss girls but she could ask the guys not wearing orange if she wanted. I said I could give her a cookie though. The girls declined, but the lucky lad took the prasadam cookie.
Param Brahma Prabhu chants Hare Krishna after Guru Puja at ISKCON New York (https://youtu.be/BhxeFjrYXGQ):
I chanted Hare Krishna at Union Square (https://youtu.be/UbN8YFkQjMs):
Pavan Nitai Chandra Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Union Square, and students and passersby play shakers and dance (https://youtu.be/g7xoaV_YatM):
Here is another video of that from a different orientation (https://youtu.be/TgBM4fhO_Mw):
The above four highschoolers were dancing with us for a second time. They had also done so a few days before, however, this time two of them also chanted. I invited them to the Brooklyn Sunday program for new people. Seeing they liked the music, I told them that after the dinner, which is at 7:30 p.m., enthusiastic youths do music till 10:30 p.m.
Deepti (center), who lives in New Jersey, accepted my invitation to sit in the kirtana and play the instruments. Afterwards she asked to get the text messages telling where we sing each day so she can join us again.
The woman in the white attended the Sunday feast in Moscow during the two years she lived there. I invited her to join the kirtana, and she stayed until it ended over a hour later.
Here Rama Raya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Union Square (https://youtu.be/KamjKfW5fK8):
Arjunananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Columbus Circle and devotees dance (https://youtu.be/UIqgdywXNDc):
Nityananda Chandra Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Columbus Circle (https://youtu.be/K9Ku056w4RM):
Namarasa Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Columbus Circle (https://youtu.be/eBTkaUIx7js):
Natabara Gauranga Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Union Square (https://youtu.be/2fsg12_sjqg):
Jayananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna there, too (https://youtu.be/Qy_IiuEz8bI):
Nityananda Chandra Prabhu chants Hare Krishna (https://youtu.be/N5bpqzTpkAA):
Hadai Prana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna, and Conner dances (https://youtu.be/K4Vc2reHXn8):
Gopal Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Union Square (https://youtu.be/YTENJXtFBtU):
Narayan Prabhu chants Hare Krishna there, too, and Conner dances (https://youtu.be/JegcJQHOk1A):
Pavan Nitai Chandra Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Union Square (https://youtu.be/Yu-fricc-vI):
While he was chanting Hare Krishna, devotees danced (https://youtube.com/shorts/7gUmaIe59Qc?feature=share):
Rama Raya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Union Square, and passersby and devotees dance (https://youtu.be/WSd2xhTqh2Q):
Finally Keshava Madhava Prabhu chanted Hare Krishna there, and devotees danced (https://youtu.be/3t3pS8E1ZUY):
I chanted Hare Krishna in Times Square subway station (https://youtu.be/ZVaVtlaixSk):
I chanted Hare Krishna at Washington Square Park the next day (https://youtu.be/RFUZ7XM3PMQ):
Ananta Govinda Prabhu and others chant Hare Krishna at Washington Square Park, and women play shakers and dance (https://youtu.be/3xsE_E3usyo):
Ananta Govinda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Washington Square Park, and many passersby watch (https://youtu.be/0unu0EGGLI4):
Pavan Nitai Chandra Prabhu chants Hare Krishna there, and many people play shakers and dance (https://youtu.be/7OXZiNEt_vs):
Natabara Gauranga Prabhu chants Hare Krishna there, and a man plays shakers and dances (https://youtu.be/-hqy8QbLOdQ):
Yasoda Dulal Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Washington Square Park, and passersby play shakers and dance (https://youtu.be/Io61e5t_g30):
Janaki Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna at 26 Second Avenue (https://youtu.be/LQpDNBW7RIo):
Hadai Prana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna under the Brooklyn Bridge (https://youtu.be/gWGVrDENvPE):
Hadai Prana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna on the Brooklyn Bridge (https://youtu.be/o70L9GeNk9o):
Matanga Prabhu chants Hare Krishna on the Brooklyn Bridge (https://youtu.be/rqP3ZMROzsY):
Matanga Prabhu chants Hare Krishna on the Brooklyn Bridge, and a passerby dances (https://youtu.be/pBHCwgq33nw):
Janaki Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna on the Brooklyn Bridge (https://youtu.be/OLtLQwoM4RA):
Pavan Nitai Chandra Prabhu chants Hare Krishna on the downtown 4 train and at the Borough Hall subway station (https://youtu.be/lWrkiHKQtME):
Pavan Nitai Chandra Prabhu chants Hare Krishna on Fulton Street in downtown Brooklyn (https://youtu.be/8Zs2zQlSmoE):
Rama Raya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna during Sunday Feast at ISKCON NYC (https://youtu.be/qS9dICz94IE):
Keshava Madhava Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Union Square Park (https://youtu.be/53y-lZRl4ZQ):
Keshava Madhava Prabhu continued chanting there (https://youtu.be/W5NUuDY5NYg):
Pavan Nitai Chandra Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Union Square, and a woman dances with Premamani Devi Dasi (https://youtu.be/X5YkU9HzFk8):
Param Brahma Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Union Square (https://youtu.be/iKWOTW7LspI):
This
woman named Karma was born in northeastern India in 1984. Until 1993
she said Mahabharata was on one of the two TV channels from 11
a.m. till noon on Sunday, and everyone in the family would watch.
Her
daughter, also Karma, enjoyed playing the shakers with us for several
minutes although not usually able to focus on one thing so long.
Pavan Nitai Chandra Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Columbus Circle (https://youtu.be/dW5of-rCKnQ):
Hadai Prana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Union Square Park, and people play shakers and dance (https://youtube.com/shorts/ijB252FkzoM?feature=share):
Hadai Prana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Union Square, and a kid plays shakers and dances with Premamani Devi Dasi (https://youtu.be/srOT_qVh8nA):
Jaya Goracand Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Union Square, and a woman dances with Premamani Devi Dasi (https://youtu.be/sHp8bCZPLHc):
Pavan Nitai Chandra chants Hare Krishna at Union Square, and a mom and kid play shakers (https://youtu.be/OMxdFe795pw):
Rama Raya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Union Square, and devotees dance (https://youtu.be/kf-psYfXuec):
I chanted Hare Krishna in Washington Square Park on Halloween before many of the costumed entities appeared on the scene (https://youtu.be/mTdW7Lia-Yk):
Many people, both costumed and uncostumed, delighted in playing the shakers and dancing on NYC Harinam on Halloween, and I was happy to encourage them and offer them cookies, “On Chanting Hare Krishna,” and temple invitations as well as to record these videos:
Here Natabara Gauranga Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Washington Square Park, and man plays shakers and dances (https://youtu.be/-hqy8QbLOdQ):
Jaya Goracand Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Washington Square Park on Halloween, and kids play shakers and dance (https://youtu.be/KorB9b91n_M):
Ishan Thakura Prabhu chants Hare Krishna there, and passersby play shakers and dance (https://youtu.be/DBVNU_2j6-M):
Hadai Prana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna there, and youthful Parisians enthusiastically play shakers and dance (https://youtu.be/EX9PwWVwLf8):
They accepted “Chanter Hare Krishna” and gave a donation and received Bhakti-yoga. I showed them details for Yoga Lyrique on my phone, and they said they had already heard of it.
Rama Raya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Washington Square Park on Halloween, and many shake and dance (https://youtu.be/hhDMrzGJhKA):
As Rama Raya Prabhu chanted, the kirtan became more intense (https://youtu.be/XzFm0lb9cq4):
Rama Raya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Washington Square Park, and a man, balancing a tire on his head, dances (https://youtu.be/P_lZPVTEFnA):
Rama Raya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Washington Square Park on Halloween, and a man who is smoking ganja, imitates the dance of Lord Shiva (https://youtube.com/shorts/-wDkt-Eb_T8?feature=share):
“A person who offers a lamp to Lord Krishna during Karttika attains the eternal spiritual world where there is no suffering.” Therefore, on Halloween Divyāngī-devī Dāsī, Janaki Devi Dasi, and others encouraged dozens of New Yorkers of various genders, ages, races, and nationalities to offer lamps to Lord Krishna as Damodara on NYC Harinam as Narayan, Rama Raya, and Pavan Nitai Chandra Prabhus chanted Hare Krishna and “Damodarastakam” (https://youtu.be/atjqvGEyePs):
After our sitting down harinama at Washington Square Park, Pavan Nitai Chandra Prabhu chanted Hare Krishna with NYC Harinam in Greenwich Village on Halloween and people interacted by dancing and taking videos (https://youtu.be/V_WLZV0uAMA):
Here is an edited version of the above video including just the portions of the kirtan when people interacted with us (https://youtu.be/hdwjwYYjySo):
At one point, Pavan Nitai Chandra Prabhu chanted Hare Krishna in a Greenwich Village shop (https://youtube.com/shorts/DeKWfJebVG4?feature=share):
The Bangladeshi cab driver who saw me chanting Hare Krishna by the Hudson train station said there are many Hindus in his country and that they do kirtan. He asked to hear kirtan as he drove me to my guru’s place, so I played NYC Harinam videos the whole way. I said they do kirtan locally on Wednesdays, and he gave me his number.
Rishi Isvara Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at ISKCON Schenectady (https://youtu.be/7VS7eW8-GTs):
Other Stuff
Not only do devotees find it cheaper to purchase things in India, so does the City of New York!
Back in May, Aer Lingus canceled my flight to New York from Dublin and rerouted me so I arrived 5 hours late and missed the entire 4-hour harinama. I asked for compensation, and they refunded the entire round-trip ticket! It pays to complain.
Insights
Srila Prabhupada:
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.8.81, purport:
“The Supreme Lord is the ultimate goal for the solution to all problems within this material world. In the spiritual world there are no problems, but the material world is always problematic. Since the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the master of both the material and spiritual worlds, it is better to approach Him in all problematic situations. Therefore those who are devotees have no problems in this material world. Visvam purna-sukhayate (Caitanya-candramrta): devotees are free from all problems because they are fully surrendered unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. For a devotee, everything in the world is very pleasing because he knows how to use everything in the transcendental loving service of the Lord.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.8.82, purport:
“By pleasing the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one pleases everyone, just as by watering the root of a tree one satisfies every branch, twig and leaf of the tree. If one can attract the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one naturally attracts the whole universe because Krishna is the supreme cause of the universe.”
Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:
From Stowies:
“Can we say that Prabhupada stowed away the Vedic culture and brought it to us in the West? Few Americans liked it. For that matter, few Indian caste brahmanas liked it either. Even most of his Godbrothers didn’t like it. But he stowed away the Srimad-Bhagavatam, carrying it to New York, then later to Moscow, this elderly, harmless-looking, poverty-stricken sadhu. What they didn’t know was that as he stowed the Bhagavatam, so he stowed us within the culture of bhakti— all these millions of born and unborn jivas, all claimed for Lord Caitanya’s mission. He unleashed us gradually, and we spread as quickly as bioterrorism. Then the walls came tumbling down.
“Sweet Prabhupada, now you have left us, and it seems that every week your disciples are leaving too. Are you stowing them all away to Vaikuntha? Please don’t forget us.”
“Krishna,
my ebony king.
Radha,
my golden goddess.”
“One day, a small devotee was singing on harinama on the Boston Common when a big man came up and punched him in the solar plexus. The punch completely took the wind out of the small devotee, but when his breath returned he said, ‘Krishna, Krishna.’ The other devotees grabbed the offender, punched him, and had him arrested. In court his defense lawyers argued that the small chanter had been making inflammatory speeches. The judge looked over at Bharadvaja and said, ‘I don’t think this man could make inflammatory speeches. I sentence you to thirty days in jail.’”
“One of the most famous stowaways in my recall is Scrooge McDuck. All he had to eat on his long Caribbean voyage were bananas. That’s because he was hiding in the banana hold. When he returned home, his nephews were so happy to see him that as a treat, they baked him a banana cake. You can imagine how he felt about that!”
“‘I know You are reasonable, all-powerful, and all-merciful, so please do with me as You like.’ It was a prayer of trust.”
“I read that the isvaras can do no wrong, even if they appear to act abominably. That’s not true of us earthly religionists. We have to be very careful. Any spot on our white cloth will be seen by everyone and sent out all over the Internet.”
“But young Krishna, that beautiful kisora, you don’t forget. He was once a stowaway: He climbed into a box and allowed Abhimanyu to transport Him to His Radha’s room. It’s a long story, and I can’t remember all the details, but I do remember that Jatila didn’t want that black boy coming anywhere near her daughter-in-law. But when that box arrived, supposedly filled with jewels from Ma Yasoda, Jatila accepted it, gloating over the fact that her daughter-in-law had brought such good fortune into the family. How could she know that at the last minute Krishna had emptied the box and then jumped in Himself, the ultimate stowaway? When the box was opened in Radha’s private chambers, out jumped Krishna to Radha’s great delight. That’s the best stowaway story in this book.”
“‘Lord, please make me Your devotee. It doesn’t matter where I go. I don’t need the advantage of escaping one country for another.’ I just need Your assurance Your mercy. Stow me within Yourself and let me see You in every blade of grass.”
“I know they have their particular troubles, and I have mine. Mine are almost the same—my advice too.”
Candrasekhara Swami:
Pradhana can be compared to a flat screen with all the pixels set to 0 or 255 and that is either all black or all white, because in pradhana there is no differentiation.
When we learn how material nature works, we are less swindled by it, and thus we need to hear this.
Although material nature seems solid it is actually always changing but not so quickly that we notice it.
Heraclitus famously said, “You can never step into the same river twice.” His philosophy was that everything changes. Parmenides on the contrary said that nothing changes, and thus they were always at odds.
Sankhya is part of the curriculum for genuine spiritual life.
There are fifteen negative things associated with wealth listed in the Avanti brahmana chapter of the Eleventh Canto.
If we let the senses go where they want, they will lead us in directions that lead to ignorance.
If we watch the world and the people in the world, we will see evidence that it works as the scriptures indicate.
The
mind functions in two negative ways:
1.
It induces us to engage in activities that create bad karmic
reactions.
2.
It causes us to identify with the sufferings of the body.
After a while, we conclude that this world is not what it seems to be.
The Supersoul is ready to give us knowledge, if we want to have it.
The verse about the two souls in the body being like two birds in a tree, which is quoted in the purport Bhagavad-gita 2.20, defeats the Mayavada idea that there is only one soul.
In both the Muslim and Jewish traditions God is presented as impersonal although it is described in the Bible that we are created in the image of God which implies God has a form.
When people take to a spiritual path they feel happiness from within which makes the problems of the material world seem less problematic.
Sometimes there is a calamity, and one person suffers but the person next to him does not suffer. That is because of karma.
We learn how we are situated in material nature, what to do about it, and the state we will attain when we are free.
Material enjoyment fades. It is like smoking more and enjoying less.
The more we practice devotional service the more we feel satisfied within, and the little bit of extra pleasure from things like a good meal does not seem so significant.
In the beginning devotional service seems theoretical to us, then it seems more natural, and finally we actually experience the reality of our relationship with Krishna.
Vedavyasapriya Swami:
From an initiation lecture in Schenectady:
These vows are absolutely necessary.
This chanting has to be done attentively. If the holy name is not pleased, we cannot make progress.
The holy name is the only way to attain to Krishna in this age of Kali.
We know that by pure devotion only we can realize Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and ultimately enter His eternal service.
These second initiates must cultivate the qualities of a brahmana and engage in the activities of a brahmana.
Those who are propagating the holy name are so empowered by Him and so dear to Him that even if we chant the holy name we will not get the Lord’s mercy if we offend them.
Ambarisa Maharaja was concerned about offending Durvasa Muni, but Durvasa Muni was not concerned about offending Ambarisa Maharaja.
When Durvasa approached Lord Vishnu He was sleeping. In anxiety, Durvasa Muni woke Him up, and said, “Your Sudarsana disc is burning me!”
Lord Vishnu said, “I’m sorry, I was sleeping. I was not aware of what he was doing.”
Lord Vishnu’s energies automatically carry out His desires without His command.
Then Vishnu told him, “Sudarsana is protecting My devotee, Ambarisa Maharaja, so you have to go to him and beg forgiveness.”
Srila Prabhupada gave us these meanings for the holy names:
Hara is the internal potency of the Lord.
Krishna is the Lord, who is all-attractive.
Rama is the Lord, who is the source of all pleasure.
These are the meanings. We should not concoct some other meanings.
Don’t say, “Maharaja, I made the promise. Can I withdraw it?”
To the faithful, you give the holy name. To the unfaithful, you give them prasadam.
We chant the ten offenses each day to remember them.
Offenseless chanting is important to make in advancement. If we commit offenses, our progress with be stunted.
In deity worship, you have to beg forgiveness for the offenses you create.
[He has the second initiates offer obeisances and reconfirm their vows, and vow to chant 25 rounds on Ekadasi.]
Rum and Ram do not go together, although some people in Guyana think they do.
Nanda Devi Dasi:
Because whatever we do spiritually goes with us to our next life, we encourage people can do whatever they can.
It is important to get a higher taste to give up the lower taste.
Srila Prabhupada revealed that our problem is that we consider our pleasure more valuable than giving pleasure to the Lord.
Because it takes karma a long time to play out, we do not realize that our suffering now is caused by something we did sometime in the past, and so we tend to blame our suffering on something else.
The point is that although Yamunacarya was highly advanced spiritually he still had thoughts of sex life, but he did not act on them. To get to that level takes some practice.
For those who aspire to please the Lord, Krishna will supply the way to do it.
What keeps me going is the little taste I have had. I also see Krishna’s hand more often. I see Krishna’s reciprocation more and more with whatever little I can do for Him. The more that you see things as Krishna acting in your life, the more you will continue to see it, and the less you do, the less you will see it.
Look for Krishna’s kind hand in your life. You will find that is very encouraging.
The Srimad-Bhagavatam describes the creation in great detail so that we can understand that Krishna is behind every single aspect of our lives.
Without the glance of the Lord, the elements of creation remain inactive.
Technology is not producing human beings who are peaceful, harmonious, and happy.
If life comes from a combination of chemicals, then why can we not combine the chemicals and produce life?
Srila Prabhupada uses the analogy of the nipples of the goat not giving milk to show how one can be in illusion and specifically how we think that material nature is self-sufficient and can act without the direction of the Lord.
Although devotees grow old, they grow closer to the Lord and closer to attaining spiritual perfection.
Even devotees who try to regulate their lives occasionally slip up, but the sun infallibly rises on schedule every day.
The acaryas express hopelessness, but they do not leave us there. They give us confidence that by the Lord’s mercy they can achieve the supreme goal.
Although the Lord is the destroyer of everything, He is also our great well-wisher.
Someone may treat us harshly, and we may try to iron out our relationship with that person, and we may be a tad successful, but we also have to remember that the harsh treatment was still our karma, and we may also be treated harshly again in the future.
Comments by me:
When they see similarities in different species, scientists conclude that one evolved from another instead concluding that they were designed by the same person.
The only people who don’t grow old are the people who die before they have a chance to grow old.
As I become older, it becomes more and more clear that birth, death, disease, and old age are the actual miseries of life.
When the tree leaves fall, why don’t they turn brown straight away instead of manifesting so many beautiful colors. We can see the artistic sense of God in that.
Because God is all-knowing and all-merciful, it makes sense that following His instructions instead of acting according to our imagination would make for a better result. Yet people refuse to act according to God’s direction, and thus they are completely responsible for the mess that results.
There are the terms sarga and visarga, which refer to the creation by the Lord and the creation by Brahma respectively.
Prishni Devi Dasi:
The 33 questions and answers in the eighth chapter of Vedic Cosmograpy and Astronomy are still very relevant, and I encounter them practically daily.
Knowing how the word “height” is being used in the Puranas helps us understand how the height of the moon is greater than the sun. It refers to the how far the planets move in their orbit above the ecliptic plane, the plane of the sun-earth orbit.
This diagram from a presentation by Murli Gopal illustrates that nicely.
I have compiled six pages of what Srila Prabhupada said about the moon landing.
Comment by Brahmatirtha Prabhu: Sadaputa Prabhu said that the figures that NASA gave for the velocity of the moon flight would never have brought them to the moon. He later realized this was because NASA did not want to release the real figures and thereby assist the Soviets in their endeavor to go to the moon, so they reported false figures.
There is evidence a lot of things were faked, like the photography, but I think the astronauts did go to the moon.
I see Dhruvaloka as a disk, and thus when precession of equinox occurs, it remains within the disk of Dhruvaloka.
Some devotees ask why devotees endeavor to understand the Fifth Canto. The answer is Srila Prabhupada wanted us to do it for preaching. There is a letter from him to the BI devotees to understand the cosmology of the Fifth Canto.
Why bring in the Surya-siddhanta? Because Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura cites it. Srila Prabhupada does in the Caitanya-caritamrita. Other Vaishnava acaryas also have.
Do we have to accept the jyotisa-sastras as authoritative as the Puranas? No, the Puranas are our actual authorities.
Why not accept the hellish planets as allegory as Bhaktivinoda Thakura does in one book? Because Srila Prabhupada doesn’t.
Comment by Brahmatirtha Prabhu: There are many Sanskrit words that are translated as universe so we cannot assume they all refer to the universe of modern science.
Rama Raya Prabhu:
The anniversary of the day Rama killed Ravana is the day the 24-hour kirtan in Vrindavan was started by Aindra Prabhu in 1986.
Srila
Prabhupada was asked, “Can we do 24-hour-kirtan in all our
temples?”
Srila
Prabhupada replied, “Why not?”
When people are attracted to the public chanting of the holy names, whether they know it or not, they are being attracted to the atmosphere of Vrindavan, because golokera prema-dhana harinama-sankirtana, this sankirtana is imported from there.
Sita Ram Prabhu:
When the Lord comes to this material world, he is unaffected by the conditions of the material world. It is just like if the president visits a prison, he is not affected by the regulations that govern the prisoners. He may go there to arrange the release of a reformed prisoner.
Comment by Candrasekhara Swami:
I recently read in the Avanti brahmana section of the Eleven Canto that the suffering of the soul is not caused by other beings, his karma, his senses. Rather the mind is the cause of suffering.
Comment by me:
Comment by me:
That everyone in this world is conditioned by the material energy is supported in this verse, Bhagavad-gita 18.40: “There is no being existing, either here or among the demigods in the higher planetary systems, which is freed from these three modes born of material nature.”
Regarding the Avanti brahmana:
He concludes, “I shall cross over the insurmountable ocean of nescience by being firmly fixed in the service of the lotus feet of Krṣṇa. This was approved by the previous acaryas, who were fixed in firm devotion to the Lord, Paramatma, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” Thus by fixing the mind on Krishna, we solve all our problems.
Yasoda Dulal Prabhu:
We need to take a break from the outside world to explore the inside world. This is the beginning of meditation.
Some people have decided to dedicate themselves totally to explore the inner world. They are the sages.
What we perceive with our senses is very incomplete. For example, we just see from the red to the violet. The infrared and what is beyond it and the ultraviolet and what is beyond that we do not see. Our other senses are similarly limited.
Just as we breathe, see, eat, etc., because we have that propensity. Similarly we can meditate because that is also a propensity.
We need to be fascinated by the prospect of meditation.
Meditation is for connecting with God.
In the inner world, there is God, ourselves, and all the living souls.
When we are chanting mantras we are calling names of God.
When you call Him, He will come.
One time Srila Prabhupada asked how we can understand that Krishna is God. Some disciples quoted several verses. One said to Srila Prabhupada, “Because you told us.” Finally one disciple said, Because I can feel His presence when I chant.”
By the chanting we are asking God to come into our heart.
If you study all the saints who claim to have realized God, you will see they have all good qualities.
The chanting is slow not because it does not work but because we are slow.
Krishna is shy and delicate, and He does not force Himself into our lives, unless we really want Him there.
As we do not reveal ourselves completely to people we meet for the first time, similarly Krishna does not completely reveal Himself to people who have a casual interest in Hieeeem.
You can verify meditation more precisely than any kind of science.
Krishna is not a cheater. He always responds to sincerity and love.
Love means giving everything without expecting anything in return. We will not lose because when we act that way, Krishna will give Himself in the same way to us.
It does not matter if you chant fast or slow as long as you put your heart in the chanting.
Even it takes a long time to chant it does not matter because chanting is the best use of time.
There is not anything we can do to make God appear. By chanting we are tuning ourselves with that reality.
We do not just want to know about Krishna. We want to see Krishna face to face.
You cannot cheat a Vaishnava because Krishna in the heart will let the Vaishnava know you are trying to cheat.
Krishna is guiding all the experiences of the devotee.
The guru wants to connect the disciple with the Supersoul in his own heart. He does not want to control so many disciples.
Sometimes people give us gifts that we really have no use for. We appreciate their sentiment, but we really do not know what we are going to do with the gifts. We should offer things to Krishna that we know He likes.
We need to have a direct to contact with Krishna.
We need to feel sad until we contact Krishna.
Without being connected to Krishna, we are trapped in a crazy dream we do not understand.
We are as crazy as the crazy people in the street.
The devotee cries because he wants Krishna’s mercy to come faster.
Our devotion has to become so intense that Krishna must reciprocate.
We can reduce the delay in attaining Krishna by increasing our eagerness.
Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura liked the definition of bhakti in Caitanya-bhagavata: Crying while chanting the name of Krishna.
Gaura Govinda Swami would say those who have cried have attained Krishna. Those who have not attained Krishna have not cried.
You can put the dust of the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada all over your body mentally because mental service counts the same in bhakti as physical service.
Comments not voiced due to wanting the new people to have a chance to ask their questions first:
Your class reminds me of these quotes:
“Only unto those great souls who have implicit faith in both the Lord and the spiritual master are all the imports of Vedic knowledge automatically revealed.”
“I think that His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura is always seeing my activities and guiding me within my heart by his words. As it is said in Srimad-Bhagavatam, tene brahma hrda ya adi-kavaye [SB 1.1.1]. Spiritual inspiration comes from within the heart, wherein the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in His Paramatma feature, is always sitting with all His devotees and associates.”
For Halloween, we saw someone dancing with a skeleton, but actually because we are not the body, you can say we are all dancing with skeletons!
Sacinananda Swami sats that we should chant with a desire to connect with Krishna.
One of the symptoms of bhava, ecstatic love of God, is samutkantha, or great eagerness. You seem to advocating that and showing that the acaryas did as well.
Yugala Kisora Prabhu:
Everything here is dead matter, but the spiritual soul can never be happy enjoying matter.
We are encouraged to study and get a job, have a family, and be happy, but the professors are not happy. Our parents encourage us in the same way, but they are also not happy.
Fifty percent of people have mental problems. Once a doctor came to me, sharing his desire to commit suicide. He said, “I do my operations, put my money in the bank, and put my kids through college, but I am so bored.” I do not know what to do. I told him to become a Hare Krishna devotee. Then he would never be bored. He did, and he is never bored.
I was chanting for someone, who had done service in the temple, when he was in a coma, dying in the hospital. The nurse said the heart monitor was a flat line for a whole minute, so she told the doctor that he passed away. Somehow or other I had the conviction that he had not passed away, and I kept chanting. His heart started, and he opened his eyes after a few minutes, before he finally passed away a while later.
At twenty the body is a vehicle for enjoyment, but at fifty the body is a vehicle for suffering.
A person told Srila Prabhupada that he chanted Hare Krishna for sixteen rounds, and yet he had not seen Krishna. Srila Prabhupada told him to keep chanting.
Maya acts through the mind and the senses. A person situated on the platform of knowledge will continue his practice, otherwise he will not.
Param Brahma Prabhu:
All religions say that God is great, but in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, how God is great is enumerated.
Without the sanction of the Lord, a soul cannot do anything.
Shiva and Durga are the father and mother of our body, and Krishna and Radha are the father and mother of the soul.
The great demigods are happy to get a chance to serve Lord Krishna, but when we are offered the opportunity for service to Krishna we have so many excuses.
As a brahmacari or a brahmacarini that is the greatest opportunity in your life to perform devotional service so take advantage.
Comment by me, not voiced because of a lack of time: Regarding our needing Krishna’s protection, Kadamba Kanana Swami said we would fall down many times every day if Lord Caitanya was not personally protecting us.
All species, include humans have a boundary, and when we go outside of our boundaries we create chaos. When the Lord comes to this world, in addition to performing His pastimes, He teaches humans how to live within their boundaries.
In every field of knowledge we learn from an expert, however, when it comes to spiritual knowledge somehow we think we do not need guidance but that we know everything ourselves.
King Dasaratha could not have a son, so he asked his guru, Visvamitra, for advice, and he followed that advice and was blessed with four excellent sons, who were incarnations of the Lord and His expansions. We can learn from this to take shelter of the sages and to follow their advice for success.
We can learn from the Ramayana that bad association can cause one to lose everything. Kekayi, was the stepmother of Rama, yet she was more affectionate toward Him than toward her own son, Bharata. Yet by the bad association of her maidservant, she sent Him to the forest on the day He was supposed to be coronated.
Rama demonstrated that service is more important than position. He did not mind renouncing His kingdom because pleasing His father and mother was more important to Him.
When Rama was sent to the forest, he considered that He was being relieved from the anxiety of state management and being blessed with the association of the sadhus in the forest, and thus he was happy to go, and he explained that to his younger brother, Laksmana, and His wife, Sita, who wanted to go with Him.
One devotee wanted a break from his service for many years. I told him, “You had a break from serving Krishna for many lives.” He insisted. He just wanted to go to Bali for a break, so he did. While there he mysteriously left his body in the middle of the night. Thus we can learn that it is important that we always engage in devotional service because we do not know when the end of our life will come.
We maintain enthusiasm by associating with enthusiastic devotees. Associate with those who have the fire of devotion, and they will ignite the fire of devotion in us.
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In October I reviewed chapter 16 of Bhagavad-gita which is entitled “The Divine and Demoniac Natures.” The first verse I ever learned in that chapter is very valuable because it tells the secret to attaining perfection, happiness, and the supreme destination. It is not quoted often, but Drutakarma Prabhu would quote it, and I personally like it because all the problems in the material world can be traced to not following the principle it advocates.
yah
sastra-vidhim utsrjya
vartate
kama-karatah
na
sa siddhim avapnoti
na
sukham na param gatim
“He who discards scriptural injunctions and acts according to his own whims attains neither perfection, nor happiness, nor the supreme destination.” (Bhagavad-gita 16.23)
Practically everyone in society is acting according to their own whims, and thus there is chaos everywhere.
If people just try to follow the injunctions of the scriptures for one year, one month, one week, or even one day of their lives, they can get some realization that it is a better path than the path of following one’s imagination. In the Age of Kali, the most important of the injunctions of the Vedic scriptures is to chant the holy name of the Lord. Our attachment to materialism is so great that only the holy name of the Lord has the power to cut through it. Thus we advise everyone to chant the holy name of the Lord to attain perfection, happiness and the supreme destination.
