Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 19, No. 22
By Krishna Kripa Das
(November 2023, part two)
Gainesville, Alachua, Orlando, New York City
(Sent
from Upstate
New
York
on December 2, 2023)
Where I Went and What I Did
Devotees from the Bhaktivedanta Institute for Higher Studies invited me to their third conference on cosmology in Gainesville from November 17 to 19. During that conference I chanted Hare Krishna in public at least one hour each day with the Alachua devotees on Friday, the Krishna House devotees on Saturday, and by myself on Sunday. Instead of returning to New York after the conference, I stayed in Gainesville because one of my favorite festivals in Alachua was happening the next weekend, the Festival of the Holy Name. Monday I chanted with Purusartha Prabhu, who I have known for 44 years, and Krishna House devotees at Krishna Lunch. Tuesday I chanted with Krishna House devotees on the University of Florida campus, and Wednesday I chanted with them in Depot Park. On Thanksgiving Day, I chanted by myself for three hours before going with Krishna House devotees to the Alachua temple for the feast and the entertainment there. Friday I gave class at Krishna House before attending the absolutely wonderful Festival of the Holy Name. The Alachua devotees who are committed to the public chanting of the holy names took a break from the festival to do their weekly Friday evening harinama in Gainesville and their Saturday harinama at the football stadium, and I joined them for both. On Sunday Yogamaya Yajna Prabhu drove me to Gainesville, where we chanted for three hours at Lake Eola.
Monday morning I took a morning flight from Orlando back to New York, to rejoin NYC Harinam for the last four days of November.
I share notes from Srila Prabhupada’s books, including Srimad-Bhagavatam, Krishna: The Supreme Personality of Godhead, and Sri Caitanya-caritamrita. I share quotes from Suta Goswami and Bhaktivinoda Thakura. I share notes from Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami’s book, Given Time. I share notes on classes by Candrasekhara Swami, Kalakantha Prabhu, Pundarika Vidyanidhi Prabhu, Prabhupada Priya Devi Dasi, Radhika Ramana Prabhu, Kameshi Devi Dasi, Lila Kishor Prabhu, Vraja Mohan Prabhu, and Narada Muni Prabhu. I share quotes from Back to Godhead magazine articles by Srila Prabhupada, Visakha Dasi, Caitanya Carana Prabhu, Gauranga Darsana Prabhu, Brajanath Prabhu, Rukmini Vallabha Prabhu, Vraja Vihari Prabhu, and Suvarna Radha Devi Dasi.
Many, many thanks to Padmavati and her husband for their very generous donation. Many thanks also to Namamrita Prabhu, pilot for Southwest Airlines, for kindly giving me a complimentary round trip flight to Florida. Thanks to Bhaktivedanta Institute for Higher Studies for covering my travel expenses and giving a donation beyond that. Thanks to Lila Kishor Prabhu for his kind donation. Thanks to Bhakta Henry of DC for his generous donation. Thanks to Parama Karuna Prabhu of Portland for his liberal donation. Thanks to Upananda Prabhu and Shyamesvari Devi Dasi for accommodation, prasadam, transportation, and a donation. Thanks to Sthita-dhi Muni Prabhu for letting me stay at his place in Alachua and letting me use his car. Thanks to Sruti Sagar and Gopi Jivana Prabhus for letting me stay at Krishna House and funding my Thanksgiving dinner. Thanks to Lavanya for the ride from the Orlando airport to Gainesville. Thanks to Yogamaya Yajna Prabhu for the ride from Alachua to Orlando temple. Many thanks to Jagi Kirtan, who got me a very nice knapsack for my computer and other neccesities. This is the third one he has gotten for me as they wear out from time to time.Thanks to the other people who gave me donations that I may have forgotten. As always, I get by with a little help, or in this case, a lot of help, from my friends.
Itinerary
November
27–January 6, 2024: NYC Harinam
– December
2: Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami’s Vyasa Puja
– December
9: Bhagavad-gita
class
at 26 Second Avenue
– January
6: Bhagavad-gita
class
at 26 Second Avenue
January
7: Miami Ratha-yatra
Chanting Hare Krishna in Gainesville
I told the devotee who drove me from the Orlando airport to Gainesville for the Bhaktivedanta Institute for Higher Studies conference to drop me at the corner of West University Avenue and 13th Street so I could join the Alachua devotees doing their Friday evening harinama there.
Here Trivikrama Prabhu chants Hare Krishna with Alachua devotees in Gainesville, across from the entrance to the University of Florida (https://youtu.be/RthoNPcYCh0):
Prana Govinda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna there also (https://youtu.be/yaQ3MyYLeNI):
At 10 p.m., after a long day of travel from New York, harinama in Gainesville, and a Bhaktivedanta Institute dinner and presentation, I realized I had not offered Lord Damodara a lamp the whole day, thus I decided to offer him the light on my phone (https://youtube.com/shorts/lYuR30bgwnw?feature=share):
Because I like to do harinama every day, I encouraged the Krishna House devotees to go out on Saturday night, and seven of them joined me.
Here Steven chants Hare Krishna with Krishna House devotees in Gainesville (https://youtu.be/CF_QYmC7oIU):
Here are the segments of the above video in which people interacted with our party of Hare Krishna chanters (https://youtu.be/u0iWuICOwOM):
After Steven, Kiara chanted Hare Krishna (https://youtu.be/GbV7pt8hdhs):
On Sunday I could not find anyone at Krishna House to do harinama with me because everyone wanted to rest up so they could serve Krishna Lunch the next day. However, I encountered Jiva Goswami Prabhu of Blue Boy Pizza, who was happy to chant and dance with me as I passed his food truck (https://youtu.be/sXSRRSEehnI):
The student who took the above video was studying civil engineering, and I told him that I like the civil engineers so much better than the uncivil engineers. His female companion was an architect, and I told them their perfection would be to design and construct places of worship of the Supreme Lord. They accepted “On Chanting Hare Krishna.”
Kumari Sakhi Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna during mangala-arati at Krishna House (https://youtu.be/JABgSrUX5MQ):
Kartikeya Prabhu chants at Guru Puja at Krishna House, and devotees dance (https://youtu.be/9KAyoNf7JkY):
Nistha and Kunti chant Hare Krishna at UF Krishna Lunch (https://youtu.be/QYcXRidJYLo):
Here Sruti Sagar Prabhu, the temple president of Krishna House, chants Hare Krishna at UF Krishna Lunch (https://youtu.be/7WvuuV1gUyE):
Devotees chant Hare Krishna during Krishna Lunch at the University of Florida in Gainesville (https://youtu.be/aQldH8246pw):
From Monday through Wednesday, before Thanksgiving and the Festival of the Holy Name, the devotees had extra kirtans in the Alachua temple in the evenings.
Here Dhanya chants Hare Krishna in the Alachua temple (https://youtu.be/9F4wNGgJG2E):
Kunti chants Hare Krishna at mangala-arati at Krishna House (https://youtu.be/wG24_rfBEhM):
Because of the Thanksgiving holiday, the Krishna House devotees only served Krishna Lunch on Monday. On Tuesday we chanted at the place where we usually serve the lunch.
Deva Krishna Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at the University of Florida (https://youtu.be/dnDnRIvVTtM):
Caitanya Dasi chants Hare Krishna at the University of Florida (https://youtu.be/Jq8gH9vhq90):
Caitanya Dasi and Nitai Prasad Prabhu chant Hare Krishna at the University of Florida (https://youtu.be/kra3e48ERrg):
Vya chants Hare Krishna at mangala-arati at Krishna House (https://youtu.be/Y4NyB8UcGUU):
Carmen chants Hare Krishna at Depot Park in Gainesville with Krishna House devotees (https://youtu.be/kFlWqAJHDX0):
Krishna Kshetra Swami chants Hare Krishna in Alachua (https://youtu.be/RKCWaAiBl10):
In addition to chanting Hare Krishna, Krishna Kshetra Swami sang a song he heard at the Radha Raman temple in Vrindavan which stresses calling out the name of Radha Raman in any condition of life.
Gopi Jivana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at mangala-arati at Krishna House (https://youtu.be/9Kia--C6DW0):
Some of us went to the noon arati in Alachua on Thanksgiving, before the feast at 1 p.m., and Radha Shyamasundara looked gorgeous.
Krishna House devotees sing English translation of “Damodarastakam” by Kalakantha Prabhu with the text displayed so that you can sing along (https://youtu.be/rhuQo_ZBpkg):
Premamrita Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna at mangala-arati at Krishna House (https://youtu.be/9OyENvK-1SM):
Krishna House devotees sing English translation of “Damodarastakam” by Kalakantha Prabhu (https://youtu.be/AISyeyhn41w):
Friday morning I gave the morning class at Krishna House (https://www.youtube.com/live/laHbEIeI55c):
Shyamala Kishori Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna at the Festival of the Holy Name in Alachua (https://youtu.be/TTN7g5eiAlE):
Ananta Gauranga Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at the Festival of the Holy Name in Alachua, and devotees dance (https://youtu.be/s_ymjYhUIa4):
Madhava Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at the Festival of the Holy Name in Alachua (https://youtu.be/A1Y_q9Knn14):
Kaliya Damana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at the Festival of the Holy Name in Alachua (https://youtu.be/uJ_2QtliDXg):
Jitari Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at the Festival of the Holy Name in Alachua (https://youtu.be/-YoHYF3SEZo):
Krishna Keshava Prabhu chants Hare Krishna with Alachua devotees in Gainesville (https://youtu.be/-K3FSISZwvI):
Nagaraja Prabhu chants Hare Krishna with Alachua devotees in Gainesville (https://youtu.be/NYiFYp7GLoY):
Jamuna chants Hare Krishna at the Festival of the Holy Name in Alachua (https://youtu.be/bMvzPcqv2Hg):
Here is that kirtan in portrait mode so you can better see the dancing (https://youtu.be/tvejTh4x05w):
Thakur chants Hare Krishna at the Festival of the Holy Name in Alachua (https://youtu.be/ICAVLddSliQ):
Pracarananda Prabhu plays mandolin, and chants Hare Krishna to “Damodarastakam” tune in Alachua (https://youtu.be/73iR4MieC-A):
Virabhadra Rama Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at the Festival of the Holy Name in Alachua on Saturday (https://youtu.be/19D8xG0hEJ0):
Lilananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna there, too (https://youtu.be/-08UKpR_D2g):
Next Sraddha chanted Hare Krishna at the Festival of the Holy Name (https://youtu.be/CV1uSmZKDD0):
Caitanya Dasi chants Hare Krishna at the Festival of the Holy Name in Alachua (https://youtu.be/uL4EvRBQ5i0):
Parijata Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna there also (https://youtu.be/WuCUOvjy4ds):
Panca Tattva Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at the Festival of the Holy Name in Alachua, accompanied by his daughter, Shara, on the drum (https://youtu.be/-dNqojxYM1Q):
Abhay Caranaravinda chants Hare Krishna at the Festival of the Holy Name in Alachua (https://youtu.be/Dhkgk-D7Hpw):
Raghunath Prabhu of Shelter chants Hare Krishna at the Festival of the Holy Name (https://youtu.be/CEWYKKGyfAA):
While Raghunath chanted, many devotees danced (https://youtu.be/QASFeWqdQTI):
Nagaraja Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at the UF stadium before the UF Gators and FSU Seminoles game (https://youtu.be/67PzDMgaNMs):
Apurva Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at the stadium, too (https://youtu.be/bX5h75RJ6bg):
Devotees chant Hare Krishna at the UF Stadium before the game, and many people interact (https://youtu.be/fnlSLQ02cXw):
Pran Govinda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna with Jiva Goswami Prabhu of Blue Boy Pizza on the way back to Krishna House from the stadium (https://youtu.be/0DzMmdsmTps):
The tent was so crowded Saturday evening that I could not get close to the singer. Thus I show Kalindi chanting Hare Krishna at the Festival of the Holy Name in Alachua as seen from the tech room (https://youtu.be/6SwOZrHlYPc):
I also show the men dancing to Kalindi’s chanting (https://youtu.be/DLwZTlnuZFE):
And the women dancing to her chanting as well (https://youtu.be/4iMPlf3w6Es):
I left just before 10 p.m., but devotees told me her kirtan continued past 10:30 p.m.
Chanting Hare Krishna in Orlando
I am so grateful to Yogamaya Yajna Prabhu for driving me to Orlando, on his way to Lake Wales, and for chanting with me for three hours at Lake Eola on the way.
It rained during our kirtan, but we learned of a Publix market next to the lake with an awning that protected us from the rain. After an hour or so the rain stopped, and I took these photos and this video (https://youtu.be/G_QPiU4mEkg):
An Indian couple from Noida, who often visited Vrindavan, yet now resides in Columbus, Georgia, was happy to hear our Hare Krishna chanting.
Chanting Hare Krishna in New York City
Nityananda Chandra Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Times Square subway station (https://youtu.be/yih9aFdGMPM):
While chanting he became so ecstatic, he decided to get up and dance (https://youtu.be/e9Qtanuws3o):
Murari Gupta Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Times Square subway station (https://youtu.be/PECpskL2yIo):
I also chanted Hare Krishna there (https://youtu.be/nc-5oS0bISo):
Rama Raya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Times Square subway station, and devotees dance (https://youtu.be/gJsa0XAcOYc):
Conner, seen in the above video dancing with books in his hands, distributed a bhakta stack of three books to people who were attracted to take a video of his dancing!
I was the first chanter of Hare Krishna on Tuesday in Atlantic Avenue / Barclays Center subway station (https://youtu.be/XqAO6HXU0UI):
Devotees are trying to do 6 hours of harinama Monday through Thursday and 12 hours on Friday and Saturday. From the above video you can see that in the beginning of the day’s session there were very few devotees present.
Here Jagaddhatri Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna in the Atlantic Avenue / Barclays Center subway station (https://youtu.be/DYsNcAXcEFU):
Narayan chants Hare Krishna there, too, and a woman plays shakers and dances (https://youtu.be/DhFII0cdG4o):
Pavan Nitai Chandra chants Hare Krishna there at Atlantic, and devotees dance (https://youtu.be/xHpH-claAdg):
Rama Raya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Atlantic Avenue / Barclays Center subway station, and devotees dance (https://youtube.com/shorts/klSgYuUUtTM):
Narada Muni Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Times Square subway station (https://youtu.be/mob0ruNaeuA):
Jaya Goracand chants Hare Krishna at Times Square subway station (https://youtu.be/d6o3mMwtj34):
Hadai Prana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Times Square subway station (https://youtu.be/LuJiGZpWeXI):
Pavan Nitai Chandra chants Hare Krishna in Times Square subway station, and Caranti Devi Dasi dances (https://youtu.be/ZxUXzWdT6Yw):
I chanted Hare Krishna first at Penn Station subway station also (https://youtu.be/KLOGzVrpXd4):
We stayed at Penn for about three hours before relocating to Times Square. While we were there, I encountered the nicest people. I had not chanted there in ages, and I think it would be good for us to chant there at least once a week. The other devotees, however, prefer Times Square as they sell more books there.
Mathura Prana Krishna Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Penn Station subway station (https://youtu.be/zwL62QVbAFk):
Photos
As I traveled to the airport, I was surprised to see the subway full of commuters at 5:30 a.m.
As I headed from New York toward BWI, on an Amtrak train that cost just $15, to catch a nonstop flight to Orlando, I saw the sun begin to rise over the city in the east.
I never saw an altar decorated with a rope for Karttika till coming to Krishna House.
Insights
Srila Prabhupada:
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.19.36, purport:
“One can achieve the ultimate success of going back to Godhead if he is favored by the Lord's sending His true representative. As soon as a true representative of the Lord is met by a devotee of the Lord, the devotee is assured a guarantee for going back to Godhead just after leaving the present body.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.26.52, purport:
“The planetary systems are considered to form different bodily parts of that universal form of the Lord. Persons who cannot directly engage in the worship of the transcendental form of the Lord are advised to think of and worship this universal form.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.25.15, purport:
“Lord Siva actually became the spiritual master of the ten sons, and in turn his disciples took his words so seriously that simply by meditating upon his instructions (dhyayantah) they became perfect. This is the secret of success.”
From Krishna, Chapter 85:
“‘My dear Lord,’ Vasudeva continued, ‘despite all these defects of the conditioned soul, if someone somehow or other comes in contact with devotional service, he achieves the civilized human form of body with developed consciousness and thereby becomes capable of executing further progress in devotional service. And yet, illusioned by the external energy, people generally do not utilize this advantage of the human form of life. Thus they miss the chance of eternal freedom and unnecessarily spoil the progress they have made after thousands of births.’”
From Krishna, Chapter 86:
“You are the supreme controller and superintendent of the material nature’s activities. The atheistic class of men simply observe the activities of material nature but cannot find You as the original background. A devotee, however, can immediately see Your hand in every movement of material nature.”
“My feature of four-handed Narayana is not so pleasing or dear to Me as is a brahmana Vaishnava.”
“‘My dear Srutadeva, you may therefore accept all these great saintly persons, brahmanas and sages as My bona fide representatives. By worshiping them faithfully, you will be worshiping Me more diligently. I consider worship of My devotees to be better than direct worship of Me. If someone attempts to worship Me directly without worshiping My devotees, I do not accept such worship, even though it may be presented with great opulence.’”
From Krishna, Chapter 87:
“Undoubtedly the eternal living entity cannot be annihilated at any point. But the lower species of life exist in a miserable condition, whereas one who is engaged in the devotional service of the Supreme Lord is situated in the pleasurable, or ananda-maya, status of life. The different stages described above [anna-maya, prana-maya, mano-maya, vijñana-maya and ananda-maya] are all in relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although in all circumstances there exist both the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the living entities, the difference is that the Supreme Personality of Godhead always exists in the ananda-maya stage, whereas the subordinate living entities, because of their minute position as fragmental portions of the Supreme Lord, are prone to fall to the other stages of life.”
“When the mind is engaged in the devotional service of the Lord, it becomes the intimate friend of the living entity because the mind can then think of the Supreme Lord always. Your Lordship is eternally dear to the living entity, so when the mind is engaged in thought of You one immediately feels the great satisfaction for which he has been hankering life after life.”
“Materialistic persons generally worship the transient material body and forget the welfare of the spirit soul within the body. Some take shelter of materialistic science to improve bodily comforts, and some take to the worship of demigods to be promoted to the heavenly planets. Their goal in life is to make the material body comfortable, but they forget the interest of the spirit soul. Such persons are described in the Vedic literature as suicidal, because attachment for the material body and its comforts forces the living entity to wander through the process of birth and death perpetually and suffer the material pangs as a matter of course.”
“Women such as the gopis were attached to Krishna, being captivated by His beauty, and their mental concentration on Krishna was provoked by lust. They wanted to be embraced by the arms of Krishna, which resemble the beautiful round shape of a snake. Similarly, we, the Vedic hymns, simply concentrate our minds on the lotus feet of Your Lordship. Women like the gopis concentrate upon You under the dictation of lust, and we concentrate upon Your lotus feet to go back home, back to Godhead. Your enemies also concentrate upon You, thinking always of how to kill You, and yogis undertake great penances and austerities just to attain Your impersonal effulgence. All these different persons, although concentrating their minds in different ways, achieve spiritual perfection according to their different perspectives because You, O Lord, are equal to all Your devotees.”
“Sridhara Svami has composed a nice verse in this regard: ‘My dear Lord, to be engaged always in thinking of Your lotus feet is very difficult. It is possible for great devotees who have already achieved love for You and are engaged in transcendental loving service. My dear Lord, I wish that my mind may also be fixed somehow or other on Your lotus feet, at least for some time.’”
“Pious activities may purify one of the contamination caused by ignorance and passion, but this purification is automatically attained by a devotee constantly engaged in hearing the transcendental message of Godhead in the form of the Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam or similar scriptures. From the Bhagavad-gita we understand that even a person who is not up to the standard of pious activities but who is absolutely engaged in devotional service is to be considered well situated on the path of spiritual perfection.
“Srila Sridhara Svami has composed a nice verse in this regard, which states, ‘My dear Lord, let others engage in false argument and dry speculation, theorizing upon great philosophical theses. Let them loiter in the darkness of ignorance and illusion, falsely enjoying as if very learned scholars, although they are without knowledge of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As far as I am concerned, I wish to be liberated simply by chanting the holy names of the all-beautiful Supreme Personality of Godhead—Madhava, Vamana, Trinayana, Sankarsana, Sripati and Govinda. Simply by chanting Your transcendental names, O Lord Madhupati, let me become free from the contamination of this material existence.’”
“As one who is interested in gold accepts all the differently shaped gold ornaments, so a Vaishnava, knowing well that all living entities are of the same quality as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, accepts all living entities as eternal servants of God. A Vaishnava, then, has ample opportunity to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead simply by reclaiming these conditioned, misled living entities, training them in Krishna consciousness and leading them back home, back to Godhead. The fact is that the minds of the living entities are now agitated by the three material qualities, and the living entities are therefore transmigrating, as if in dreams, from one body to another. When their consciousness is changed into Krishna consciousness, however, they immediately fix Krishna within their hearts, and thus their path toward liberation becomes clear.
“Everyone is supported by You, and You are also situated in everyone’s heart. In other words, You are the root of the whole creation. Therefore those who engage in Your devotional service without deviation, who always worship You, actually pour water on the root of the universal tree. By devotional service, therefore, one satisfies not only the Personality of Godhead but also all others, because everyone is maintained and supported by Him.”
“Not only does a pure devotee purify his own personal existence, but whoever becomes his disciple also becomes purified and is ultimately able to enter the kingdom of God without difficulty. In other words, not only can a pure devotee easily surpass death, but by his grace his followers can also do so without difficulty. The power of devotional service is so great that a pure devotee can electrify another person by his transcendental instruction on crossing over the ocean of nescience.”
“The Krishna consciousness movement therefore issues a supreme call to all kinds of religionists, asking them with great authority to join this movement, by which one can learn how to love God and thus surpass all formulas and formalities of scriptural injunction. A person who cannot overcome the jurisdiction of stereotyped religious principles is compared to an animal chained up by his master. The purpose of all religion is to understand God and develop one’s dormant love of Godhead. If one simply sticks to the religious formulas and formalities but does not become elevated to the position of love of God, he is considered to be a chained animal.”
“In the material world, although the Lord is all-pervasive in His impersonal feature, the living entities have forgotten their Krishna consciousness to a greater or lesser degree, just as sparks sometimes fall from a blazing fire and lose their original brilliant condition. The sparks fall into different conditions and retain more or less of their original brilliance. Some sparks fall onto dry grass and thus ignite another big fire. This is a reference to the pure devotees who take compassion on the poor and innocent living entities. The pure devotee ignites Krishna consciousness in the hearts of the conditioned souls, and thus the blazing fire of the spiritual world becomes manifest even within this material world.”
“In the Bhagavad-gita the Lord says, ‘I am the seed-giving father of all living entities.’ It is very simple to understand that the father gives birth to the children but the children act according to their own desires. Therefore the father is never responsible for the different futures of his children. Each child can take advantage of the father’s property and instruction, but even though the inheritance and instruction may be the same for all the children, out of their different desires each child creates a different life and thereby suffers or enjoys.”
“Srila Narottama dasa Thakura, also, prays like this: ‘My dear Lord, O son of Nanda Maharaja, associated with the daughter of Vrsabhanu, I have come to take shelter under Your lotus feet after suffering greatly in the material condition of life, and I pray that You please be merciful upon me. Please do not kick me away, for I have no other shelter than You.’”
“It is said by Lord Ramacandra, ‘I always give confidence and security to anyone who surrenders unto Me and decides definitely that He is My eternal servant, for that is My natural inclination.’”
“The devotees are not at all interested in arguing with the nondevotees to nullify their theories. Rather than wasting time, they always engage themselves in the transcendental loving service of the Lord in full Krishna consciousness.”
“Sripada Sridhara Svami has composed a nice verse in this connection, in which he says, ‘O all-merciful spiritual master, representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, when my mind will be completely surrendered unto your lotus feet, at that time, only by your mercy, I shall be able to get relief from all obstacles to spiritual life, and I shall be situated in blissful life.’”
“Actually, ecstatic samadhi, or absorption in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, can be achieved by constant engagement in His service, and this constant engagement in devotional service can be performed only when one works under the direction of a bona fide spiritual master.”
“Those who are actually pure devotees are celebrated as mahatmas, or great sages, personalities perfect in knowledge. They always think of the Supreme Lord and His lotus feet, and thus they automatically become liberated. Devotees who are always situated in that position become electrified by the inconceivable potencies of the Lord, and thus they themselves become the source of liberation for their followers and devotees. A Krishna conscious person is fully electrified spiritually, and therefore anyone who touches or takes shelter of such a pure devotee becomes similarly electrified with spiritual potencies.”
“It is therefore confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita that even slightly using the body and the material world for the service of the Lord can deliver a person from the gravest danger.”
“Because the currency notes, although paper, are issued by the government, they have full value. Similarly, this material world may be false or temporary, but because it is an emanation from the Supreme Lord, it has its full value. The Vaisnava philosophers acknowledge the full value of this material world and know how to utilize it properly, whereas the Mayavadi philosophers fail to do so, just as those who mistake a currency note for ordinary paper discard it and cannot utilize the money.”
“He never dies. Nor does He ever become an old man. Although Krishna was a great-grandfather when He appeared on the Battlefield of Kurukshetra, He did not appear like an old man. Krishna cannot be polluted by any sinful activity, Krishna never dies, Krishna never becomes old, Krishna is never subject to lamentation, Krishna is never hungry, and He is never thirsty. Whatever He desires is perfectly lawful, and whatever He decides cannot be changed by anyone. These are the eight transcendental qualities of Krishna. Besides that, Krishna is known as Yogesvara.”
“The pure devotee, however, is always callous to praise or condemnation by ordinary people. Actually, the devotee’s activities are on the transcendental plane. He is not interested in the praise or condemnation of people engaged in material activities. If the devotee can thus maintain his transcendental position, his liberation in this life and the next is guaranteed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”
“Actually, there are no unfavorable conditions for a devotee. Knowing that everything is coming by the will of the Lord, he sees every condition as favorable, and in any condition of life he is simply enthusiastic to discharge his devotional service.”
“A neophyte devotee should not consider himself to be on the same plane as the acarya. It should be accepted that the acaryas are on the same platform as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and as such neither Krishna nor His representative acarya should be subjected to any adverse criticism by the neophyte devotees.”
“Sages like Narada and the Kumaras travel throughout the universe to educate the conditioned souls that their business in the world is not that of sense gratification but of reinstating themselves in their original position of devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is stated in several places that the living entities are like sparks of the fire and the Supreme Personality of Godhead is like the fire itself. If the sparks somehow or other fall out of the fire, they lose their natural illumination; thus it is ascertained that the living entities come into this material world exactly as sparks fall from a great fire. The living entity wants to imitate Krishna and tries to lord it over material nature in order to enjoy sense gratification; thus he forgets his original position, and his illuminating power, his spiritual identity, is extinguished. However, if a living entity takes to Krishna consciousness, he is reinstated in his original position. To preach this process of devotional service, sages and saints like Narada and the Kumaras travel all over the universe educating people and increasing their disciples. Their aim is that all the conditioned souls may be educated to revive their original consciousness, or Krishna consciousness, and thus gain relief from the miserable conditions of material life.”
“Thus after understanding the prayers offered by the personified Vedas, one should surrender unto the lotus feet of Lord Krishna.”
From Krishna, Chapter 88:
“To become nirguna means to achieve eternal peace, fearlessness, religiousness, knowledge and renunciation. All these are symptoms of becoming free from the contamination of the material qualities.”
From Krishna, Chapter 89:
“In modern politics the post of monarch has been abolished, and the president is not held responsible for the comforts of the citizens. In this Age of Kali, the executive head of a state somehow or other gets votes and is elected to an exalted post, but the condition of the citizens continues to be full of anxiety, distress, unhappiness and dissatisfaction.”
“Any opulent position a person may have within this material world is due to Krishna’s mercy. One should therefore always be in Krishna consciousness, in complete gratefulness to Lord Krishna, because whatever one may possess is all bestowed by Him.”
From Krishna, Chapter 90:
“Some devotees of the Lord who want to love the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the mellow of conjugal love are elevated to the position of becoming wives of Krishna, and Krishna keeps them always attached to Him by His kind behavior. Krishna’s behavior with His wives—His movements, His talking with them, His smiling, His embracing and similar other activities, which are just like those of a loving husband—kept them always very much attached to Him. That is the highest perfection of life. If someone remains always attached to Krishna, it is to be understood that he is liberated, and his life is successful. With any devotee who loves Krishna with his heart and soul, Krishna reciprocates in such a way that the devotee cannot but remain attached to Him. The reciprocal dealings of Krishna and His devotees are so attractive that a devotee cannot think of any subject matter other than Krishna.”
“It is to be understood that all the queens of Krishna who lived with Him at Dvaraka were in their previous lives very greatly exalted devotees who wanted to establish a relationship with Krishna in conjugal love. Thus they were given the chance to become His wives and enjoy a constant loving relationship with Him. Ultimately, they were all transferred to the Vaikunṭha planets.”
“Renunciation is not as important as enhancing one’s attachment to Krishna. The Krishna consciousness movement is especially meant for this purpose.”
“Lord Krishna is especially glorified for giving pleasure to the gopis and the queens of Dvaraka. Sukadeva Gosvami glorifies Lord Krishna for His enchanting smile, by which He enchanted not only the gopis of Vrindavana but also the queens of Dvaraka. The exact words used in this connection are vardhayan kama-devam. In Vrindavana, as the boyfriend of many gopis, and in Dvaraka, as the husband of many queens, Krishna increased their lusty desires to enjoy with Him. For God realization or self-realization, one generally has to undergo severe austerities and penances for many, many thousands of years, and then it may be possible to realize God. But the gopis and the queens of Dvaraka, simply by enhancing their lusty desires to enjoy Krishna as their boyfriend or husband, received the highest type of salvation.”
“This behavior of Lord Krishna with the gopis and queens is unique in the history of self-realization. Usually people understand that for self-realization one has to go to the forest or mountains and undergo severe austerities and penances. But the gopis and the queens, simply by being attached to Krishna in conjugal love and enjoying His company in a so-called sensuous life full of luxury and opulence, achieved the highest salvation, which is impossible to achieve even for great sages and saintly persons.”
From Sri Caianya-caritamrita, Madhya 10.139:
“Lord Krishna’s mercy is dependent only on affection. Being obliged only by affection, Lord Krishna acts very independently.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Antya 20.52, purport:
“Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura says that a devotee does not care about his own happiness and distress; he is simply interested in seeing that Krishna is happy, and for that purpose he engages in various activities. A pure devotee has no way of sensing happiness except by seeing that Krishna is happy in every respect.”
From a class on Sri Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.125–136 on December 5, 1966 in New York:
“One is engaged in the service of Krishna not officially or to make a show; he feels enlivened in rendering such transcendental service. Some of you must be feeling like that, I am sure; otherwise you cannot take so much responsibility, working all day, unless you feel. You see? So that is the test. Krishna-madhurya. There is some transcendental ecstasy, feeling, in the service of the Lord. So in the beginning we may not relish that transcendental feeling, but as we go on, increasing, we’ll feel it. Krishna-seva kare, krishna-rasa-asvadana. This is called Krishna-rasa. Just like anything we do, there is some humor, there is some taste. Suppose a person writes poetry. In writing that poetry he feels some taste; therefore he writes. Somebody plays on a flute. Somebody drinks. So there is some particular taste. Similarly, transcendentally, you will have a taste for Krishna’s service. That is Krishna consciousness, a taste of mellow – mellow, or, what is called, a humor. You’ll like. You’ll like to serve more and more. The more you serve, you’ll like to serve more and more. That is transcendental service.”
From “Arisen Like the Sun and Moon” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 58, No. 2:
[An edited transcript of a class on Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 1.2 in Mayapur, India, on March 26, 1975.]
“The whole world is full of sinful activities, and they have been summarized into four categories: illicit sex, meat-eating, gambling, and intoxication. This is the summary, but there are many, many branches of these activities. Still, if you cut the root of sinful activity – illicit sex, gambling, meat-eating, and intoxication – then automatically the other sinful activities will go.”
“Everyone in this material world is suffering, but there are different grades of suffering, just as in the prison house. There are different grades of prisoner – first class, second class, third class – but if the first-class prisoner thinks he is enjoying life, that is ignorance. In the prison house, where is the enjoyment? It is all suffering. It may be first-class suffering, but it is still suffering.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Antya 20.52, purport:
“Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura says that a devotee does not care about his own happiness and distress; he is simply interested in seeing that Krishna is happy, and for that purpose he engages in various activities. A pure devotee has no way of sensing happiness except by seeing that Krishna is happy in every respect.”
From “See Krishna in Everything” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 58, No. 2:
[Edited transcript of a conversation in Los Angeles on May 14, 1973.]
“Therefore, we do not like to see anything wasted, anything misused. Why are we preaching? Because we see that so many rascals are misusing their life. We think, ‘Let us give them some enlightenment.’ This is our mission. We could think, ‘Let them go to hell.’
“Mayavadi sannyasis engage in meditation or go to the Himalayas, but we have come to Los Angeles. Why? This is our mission. ‘Oh, these people are being misused under maya. Let them gain some enlightenment.’”
Sri Suta Gosvami:
From “Gita-mahatmya” of the Padma Purana, 23:
“The study of the Vedas and Puranas – verily, the study of all scriptures – is completed in all respects by one who studies the Bhagavad-gita with devotion.”
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura:
From Vaisnava-siddhanta-mala 9:
“When the devotee’s spiritual emotions are awakened, he sees his worldly duties in relationship to Krishna and not in relationship to the demands of the material senses, family, society, and so on. Thus he fulfills his responsibilities in a blissful mood of loving attachment to the Lord.”
Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:
From Given Time:
“Yes,
I stole a few minutes to
speak
to Him in an
indirect
poem.
It
was actually Him
I
wanted in a time eternal
that
no one could steal.”
“May
this poem go out and give someone solace,
amuse
them, caress with a gloved hand.”
“It’s
up to Krishna whether I sleep,
eat,
breathe, write—and it’s already
decided
I can’t
forever—I’ll have to leave.”
“I
didn’t love God and
still
don’t,
but
I’ve got a link,
like
a man with a credit card.”
“Sincerity
runs low, and we have to step back
while
it rises again.”
“I’m
not composed or empty of all else, but
intimate
with Krishna in me and in a
relaxed
(not false) humility, I ask Him
please
come home and
please
take over what is Yours—
my
heart and body and mind.”
“Am
I like the temple president who bought
a
Mercedes and fixed up a room regally
for
Srila Prabhupada’s two-day visit to his temple and
then
later claimed it as maha-prasadam?
Am
I like that guy?”
“I
decide I must be governed by a power
beyond
mine. God moves us
about
like pieces on a chess board.”
“Bedtime
for one. It’s enough.
Me
and Krishna, I’d like to say.
In
spirit, true. He’s in my body too, my
best
friend.”
“We
demand
as
if the guru is a welfare state,
and
we are on the dole.”
“Tomorrow
our last day
until
travel. I’m
okay
because I ascertain God’s
presence
in my heart.
How
else could I live and
breathe
or die?
All
of us, how else?”
“the
best teachers give the spiritual
medicine
that actually cures the
soul.”
“Don’t
complain—I hurt right here.
Don’t
point to it. We all hurt.”
Candrasekhara Swami:
If you just bring the mind back to Krishna, you will see so many mental dragons are slain.
John Milton in Paradise Lost says, “The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.”
Krishna consciousness is simply a matter of bringing the mind back again and again to Krishna.
Our life is like an 80- or 90-year dream, like our dreams at night but longer.
Improving our chanting can solve many of our problems.
The reason Krishna does not always speak to us directly is because of us. Because we are so attached to being in illusion the reality would be too much for us. Still we can notice things, like Radha and Govinda look different every day.
Pray to Krishna that we do the right thing and we have the right attitude.
The spiritual world is not a different place, but we cannot notice it right now because we are listening to our own narratives and writing our own captions.
The name, form, qualities, and the pastimes of the Lord become tangible, successively, one after the other.
Comment by the wife of Murari Gupta Prabhu: I write letters to the deities and Srila Prabhupada, and I always get some answer. When dressing the deities in New Talavan, I would always ask the deities which jewelry to bring out for them.
Visakha Dasi:
From “The Spiritual Value of Feelings” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 58, No. 2:
“Although we humans pride ourselves on being well-reasoned, in fact much of our lives is governed by largely ungovernable feelings. We all know that feelings like disappointment, discouragement, dissatisfaction, and depression can ruin an otherwise normal day – or week, or year, or even lifetime. And optimism can turn a bleak situation into a stimulating one.”
“As Srila Prabhupada explains, my hand is not conscious of itself, but I, as an atma, am conscious of it. I am similarly conscious of the state of my mind and feelings; my mind and feelings are not me – they are felt by me, the feeler, the atma.”
“I understand that a sincere devotee will make time for Krishna. In any relationship, we want to spend time with the person we value. When we value Krishna’s presence in our lives, we make time for activities like chanting His names and reading about and discussing His character, activities, and teachings. We may or may not understand and remember what we’ve read and discussed, but the simple act of trying to understand and remember, of using our time in that way, is noted and appreciated by Krishna.”
“Krishna in our heart takes note of our sincere efforts. Those efforts are more important than their results, for ultimately the results are up to Him, while the effort is up to us.”
“In the final analysis we will evoke our genuine feeling for Krishna by His mercy. And there’s no formula for mercy. We can simply pray for it and hope against hope that, undeserving as we may be, Krishna will kindly allow us to feel abiding affection and love for Him. Until then, we simply keep trying.”
Kalakantha Prabhu:
Pariksit Maharaja is easy for people to relate to as compared to Sukadeva Goswami because he has a job, he is married, and he makes a mistake.
I had a godbrother, who after he gave a class, would respond to questions beginning with “How,” even before hearing the whole question, by saying, “Chant Hare Krishna.”
The experts say that you have to change the visuals every three seconds or you lose people.
Q:
How to not criticize the devotees?
A
(by me): 1. meditate on their good qualities
A
(Christina): 2. become nonjudgmental
A
(Kalakantha): It is not good to compare ourselves to others as we
become proud or bitter. Better to compare ourselves to how we were
yesterday.
Vaisesika Prabhu would tell Christians upon hearing of their faith, “Wonderful. We need more God conscious people out here like you. Have a great day!”
Srila Prabhupada indicated we should be “impressive” and not “repressive.” If we have certain of his instructions that inspire us, that is wonderful, but if we say that others have to follow those same instructions or they are not following Prabhupada that is repressive.
If we say, “Did you know that devotee fell down 10 years ago?” that is an offense.
Pundrika Vidyanidhi Prabhu:
Here, as Lord Caitanya often does, He reminds us that hearing about Krishna cleanses our consciousness.
Because we have so many dirty things in our heart, we cannot understand what is what.
We are meant to be happy in Krishna consciousness. That is our natural life.
Advaita wanted to test Lord Caitanya so when he heard that Lord Caitanya had appeared from Ramai Pandita, He told Ramai to tell Lord Caitanya that Advaita is waiting for Him at Nandana Acarya’s place. When Ramai Pandita returned to Lord Caitanya, before he could say anything, Lord Caitanya said, “Advaita Prabhu wanted to test Me so He is staying at Nandana Acarya’s place.”
Caitanya Candra Prabhu:
From “Q&A” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 58, No. 2:
“As eminent authority John Searle of the University of California at Berkeley explains: ‘You can expand the power all you want, hooking up as many computers as you think you need, and they still won’t be conscious, because all they’ll ever do is shuffle symbols.’”
“Noble Laureate neurophysiologist John C. Eccles . . . after four decades of brain research dismissed as “extravagant and unfulfillable” the promise that consciousness can be mechanistically explained or produced and asserted that each person has a “divinely created psyche,” or, in other words, a soul.
From “Be Spiritual, Be Different” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 58, No. 2:
“Gita 2.69 highlights a key characteristic of spiritualists who are engaged in the world without being entangled in it: they are (ready to be) radically different from materialists.”
“First, the Gita recommends solitude, not loneliness. In loneliness, we crave for relating with people, but are unable to, whatever be the reason. But in solitude, we prefer, even prioritize, decreased socialization to focus on understanding and transforming ourselves.”
“The Gita doesn’t deny the reality that we are social creatures who need to connect with others. It addresses this need by encouraging, even endorsing, the association of fellow spiritualists who cherish similar values and purposes. Indeed, the Gita (10.9) declares such association to be a source of both enlightenment and enrichment. People who learn to cherish and relish spiritual association stand unitedly apart from the world.”
“Given that theists believe in God, they usually acknowledge the validity, even the glory, of being totally devoted to God. But they prefer that a saint emerge among someone else’s family or social circle, not theirs.”
“Transcendentalists don’t just respect God for what He does for them; they adore Him for who He is. Such a giving of one’s heart to divine love is rare indeed. Even within religious cultures, such saintly people have had to face opposition from the very people who would later, maybe years or decades or centuries later, revere them. If we are to persist in our pursuit of wholehearted devotion, we need to seek God’s pleasure even if it costs us the world’s approval, including even the religious world’s approval.”
“When directed constructively, the urge to be special can be synced with our deep-rooted human need to do something meaningful and be a part of something sublime that is bigger than ourselves. We all can channel this need to be special constructively by striving to do something valuable, something that really matters in the big-picture analysis – even if it is devalued, derided, or demonized by the world. We can strive to be different not just by trying to stand out amid a crowd, but by trying to stand up for something valuable, independent of the world’s evaluation.”
Prabhupada Priya Devi Dasi:
Krishna validates Arjuna’s statement about the mind being difficult to control, but He says that it is possible.
Krishna says the mind is just a material element although it may seem that it has a life of its own. That is good news for us.
The mind is the interface between the senses and the intelligence.
The mind is not what is really controlling us.
In the analogy of the chariot, the mind is the reins and we are the passenger. Thus we are meant to be in control. It is very empowering to realize that we do not have to act under the direction of the mind.
The mind does thinking, feeling, willing, accepting, and rejecting.
You can use your intelligence to retrain your mind, and you can spiritualize the mind and intelligence by chanting.
When we chant, we connect with Krishna who is a reservoir of pleasure.
We attain peace in Krishna consciousness because we are not following our whimsical minds but we are guided by the Supersoul in the heart.
Chanting Hare Krishna is both the end and the means.
The Hare Krishna mantra delivers us from the mistake of identifying ourselves with the mind. It also delivers our minds from their absorption in material things.
It is easier to focus the mind on chanting Hare Krishna than on silent meditation because more of our senses are engaged.
Hearing the glories of the holy name helps us to pay attention to our chanting because we realize how valuable the chanting is.
Hearing of Krishna’s pastimes and qualities helps us when we are chanting because we are reminded of how wonderful Krishna is.
Comment by Prana Govinda Prabhu: Our completeness is our depending on Krishna. The cause of the false ego is our idea of independence. When we admit subordination to Krishna, we become free from that false ego.
Radhika Ramana Prabhu:
When my mother home schooled us, each day we read a chapter of Srimad-Bhagavatam, just the translations, and then a few purports that she would select. Then we would talk about their relevance to our life.
Some stories, although coming from one culture, tell about key features of life so that they become universally appreciated.
The story of the cursing of Maharaja Pariksit is such a story.
The amazing thing is that he did not resist death, even for a moment.
If I cannot change something, I must find a way to embrace it.
Maharaja Pariksit decides to spend his last seven days in the best way possible.
He initially knew he could not go on with his usual life.
He knew he had to find good advice, and he knew where to find it.
No one likes to think of death. If they do think about it, they think about how to avoid it.
This whole book, Srimad-Bhagavatam, is about how to die the good death.
Everyone will tell you how to lead a good life, but no one tells you how to die a good death.
We tend to see death as a threat.
If you are a yogi, death is a vehicle to carry you to your next destination. For people like that, the death is going to the airport and finding a flight.
For the average person, death is like being evicted from an apartment, but for a yogi it is an opportunity.
Socrates said that death is only a problem for those who do not know what is on the other side.
For some like Pariskit, death is traveling home.
I have known people who have gone through the stages of seeing death of seeing as a threat, an opportunity, and traveling home. I have also seen people who fought it to the end and suffered greatly.
Krishna knows how much time we need to prepare for death.
Q
(Shymala Kishori
Devi Dasi):
What about the
idea that “Krishna
knows how much time we need to prepare for death?”
A:
I would say He
knows
how
much we can do in this situation before
we
go to the next.
Comments by me, some made to him and some made to others after class:
It is interesting to contrast Pariskit with Kamsa. When Kamsa learned he would be killed by the eighth son of his sister, he was so terrified he was willing to kill his sister on her wedding day.
You mentioned that being caught up in the rat race people have no time for self-realization. There is a joke that even if you win the rat race, you are still a rat!
Yogamaya Yajna Prabhu asked Kadamba Kanana Swami during his last few weeks of life his feelings about his upcoming transition. He said that he felt he had given it his all.
Rtadhvaja Swami said that we all have an expiration date, just like the food in the shop, yet we cannot see it, but Krishna can.
Khatvanga Maharaja was someone intelligent enough to ask how much time he had to prepare for death.
Gauranga Darsana Prabhu:
From “The Art of Giving and Receiving Feedback” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 58, No. 2:
“One has to be honest enough to admit a mistake, humble enough to receive feedback, and sincere enough to work on the correction. Thus one can improve oneself. One who corrects others’ mistakes must do so with a well-wishing heart, and not with pride or a superiority complex.”
“Good feedback givers help people to be right rather than prove them wrong.”
Brajanath Prabhu:
From “The Magnanimity of Lord Krishna” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 58, No. 2:
“Though Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is magnanimous and loves all of us despite our insignificance. Some of us are connected to His magnanimity, and some of us are disconnected from it. The practices of Krishna consciousness connect us to Him.”
“Unlike us, Krishna is unlimited, and His enjoyment is also unlimited. He has manifest from Himself an infinite number of unique living beings so that He can constantly enjoy an infinite variety of sweet loving relationships with each of them.”
“As much as possible, our intention to please and satisfy the Supreme Lord must direct our actions.”
“Every living entity is free to choose how to serve the Lord. Some may want to serve Krishna as a mother or father, and others may want to serve Him as a servant or friend. Krishna awards the opportunity to serve Him in whatever way the pure devotee desires.
“Sabari chose to serve the Lord as a mother serves her son. Because she wanted to serve the Lord in that mood, the Supreme Lord fulfilled her desire by accepting the berries she offered to Him. Out of love for Him, she wanted to protect Him from eating something bitter. And Lord Ramacandra responded to her pure affection.”
“We develop our attraction to Lord Krishna and love for Him through the practice of bhakti, which involves sincerely striving with both favorable intention and favorable action to our best ability. Lord Krishna will see our eagerness, sincerity, and endeavor and bless us with His mercy to progress in our relationship with Him.”
Vraja Vihari Prabhu:
From “Small But Positive” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 58, No. 2:
“As Hare Krishna devotees chant and pray collectively in kirtanas, they feel a sense of belonging; they know that although each of them is a minuscule part of Krishna’s plan, they are embraced by Krishna and nourished in their relationship with Him.”
“We are often so engrossed in our daily worries that our vision of the big picture that is life is blocked. Yet our larger vision of life is a far more significant reality than a colleague’s harsh comment or the shrieking expletives of a haughty passerby.”
“Unprecedented devastation hit the coastal regions of Sri Lanka during the tsunami in December 2005. His Holiness Indradyumna Swami and his sankirtana team traveled to the remote villages to offer relief and help. The local authorities frankly told him that a lot of economic aid had poured in from all over the world. There was no dearth of material facilities. Yet, the team learned, people were emotionally wrecked. The tsunami had left them shaken and feeling helpless, and it all happened in a few minutes. Could Indradyumna Swami address this challenge? He led the villagers in the congregational chanting of the holy names of Krishna. The program was an instant hit. People smiled and danced. After a few days, as the team prepared to leave the first village for the next, the villagers surrounded the devotees and insisted they stay for some more days. Finally, there was a tearful farewell. The sankirtana had captured the hearts of the suffering people; it gave them hope and happiness.”
Rukmini Vallabha Prabhu:
From “Artificial Intelligence and Krishna Consciousness” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 58, No. 2:
“According to Forbes magazine, 86% of consumers prefer humans to bots for getting support.”
“The training data for AI systems are derived from general sources, which in Kali-yuga are predominated by the modes of passion and ignorance. Therefore AI systems are either partly confused or partly perverted in discriminating between what is to be done and what is not to be done. When AI systems provide intelligence, they cannot properly employ ethics, and they cannot provide ethical intelligence.”
“By making objects of sense gratification more attractive, AI can lead to deeper entanglement of the conditioned soul.”
Suvarna Radha Devi Dasi:
From “Seeking a Spiritual Master for Success” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 58, No. 2:
“Knowledge of our true self cannot be gained through psychological self-analysis; rather it must be obtained from a spiritual master aware of the Absolute Truth.”
“The knowledge seeker must approach a bona fide guru, but sometimes a guru approaches a disciple. This happens by the causeless mercy of the Lord, who sends His representative. For example, Narada Muni approached Dhruva Maharaja when Dhruva went to the forest to seek God, and Narada approached Prahlada Maharaja while Prahlada was in the womb of his mother, Kayadhu.”
“Even if we don’t have any inclination for Krishna consciousness, the glance of a bona fide spiritual master or pure devotee is so powerful that it immediately plants the seed of bhakti in our heart.”
“It should be noted, however, that the bona fide disciple is never a fool, although he may regard himself as one. To submit oneself in all humility to the lotus feet of the spiritual master means that the student is obedient to the order of the Lord and therefore has perfect intelligence.”
“We surrender with intelligence; we don’t surrender our intelligence. You can present yourself as a fool before your spiritual master, but that doesn’t mean you should be a fool.”
Nandimukhi Devi Dasi:
From “Infinity and the Pursuit of Knowledge” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 58, No. 2:
“May seekers of infinity from all walks of life, matured by their unceasing pursuit of knowledge, eventually come to know the infinite, who is ever calling them and waiting for them to come to Him and associate with Him in loving devotional service.”
Kameshi Devi Dasi:
It is interesting to me that although at age sixteen when most people are at the height of their interest in sensual enjoyment, Sukadeva Goswami was completely spiritually focused.
We need a teacher so we do not make mistakes on the spiritual path.
When we have the association of a pure soul our hearts are transformed more quickly.
The connection between the guru and the disciple is always based on honesty and sincerity.
I have many siksa-gurus who have the same qualities as my diksa-guru and who give me guidance on a regular basis.
Comment by Rasika Siromani Prabhu: We need to have a guru who can see how we really are and can present that to ourselves. Otherwise we can kid ourselves.
Comment by Nitai Prasad Prabhu: We may be passionate to do some service, but it may not work out. If we are humble instead of being frustrated, we can just try another service.
Comment by Kala Svarupa Prabhu: Someone was saying that extroverts are better book distributors than introverts, but in my experience that is not true. I know many naturally introverted devotees who became very good book distributors because of their sincerity.
Comment by Kartakeya Prabhu: If we reveal our difficulties to our spiritual master then he can help us.
Comment by Rasika Siromani Prabhu: Although Krishna does not need a guru, He relishes relationships, and thus He enjoyed playing the role of a disciple in His relationship with Sandipani Muni.
Comment by Sruti Sagar Prabhu: We can see the deep relationships of the acaryas with their gurus and how they were inspired by them.
Lila Kishora Prabhu:
I am thankful that Krishna Kripa chanted Hare Krishna on the campus of University of North Florida when I was a student, and thus I was able to learn about our club there, and to have the association of devotees.
We tend to not focus on all the wonderful things that Krishna has done for us when something really bad happens to us.
Caitanya Carana Prabhu told me there could be many reasons that I was going through difficulties in life but whatever the reason we can use the situation to increase our love for Krishna.
No matter how wealthy we are, we cannot buy back a moment of time.
Some people ask you to forgive them for their offenses ahead of time instead taking the trouble to act in such a way they do not offend anyone.
Q:
If we ask for forgiveness and a devotee does not forgive us could we
say that he is not a real devotee because a devotee is supposed be
forgiving?
A:
If we are thinking like that maybe our asking of forgiveness is not
so sincere.
We should plan our day so that japa is the focus. That is a manifestation of taking shelter of the holy name.
I see that quota of sixteen rounds that Srila Prabhupada gave us as the minimum to counteract the force of maya and to progress.
We can take shelter of the holy name in kirtan by remembering that Krishna is only accessible through His devotees, by praying to be attentive, by trying to chant every mantra and by not letting our minds wander.
Comment by Jon: One of my favorite sayings is, “You cannot be grateful and hateful at the same time.”
Comments by me not made to facilitate others making theirs:
If you offend the devotees, Krishna removes you from their association, to protect them and to protect you from degrading yourself further.
It is hard for me to forgive people who aren’t sorry about what they did.
Vraja Mohan Prabhu:
The Purusa-sukta is an ancient hymn describing the universal form of the Lord. Thus the universal form of the Lord is not just described in the Puranas but also the Vedas.
In the purports Srila Prabhupada always reminds us that the transformations taking place in the formation of the universe cannot happen without the influence of the Supreme Lord at every step.
There
is a relationship between one’s constitution according to Ayurveda
and the gross material elements:
Vatta
– air
and ether
Pitta
– fire and water
Kapha
– earth and water
You need space for things to exist. Ether provides that space.
We don’t think of ether very much, but it is just there.
In
a class Indradyumna Swami said there are three causes of disease:
1.
undigested food
2.
undigested thoughts
3.
undigested emotions
Narada Muni Prabhu:
We are here in the maximum security prison of the material world. We cannot break out of here without the proper qualification.
Srila Prabhupada’s books are amazing because even within one book he teaches topics from the most elementary to the most advanced levels.
Both the beginning and advanced students can be blown away by the content of Srila Prabhupada’s books.
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When I go on public Hare Krishnas chanting parties, sometimes we have cookies or some other kinds of prasadam to distribute. Not everyone, however, is willing to take them, although it is an easily relishable form of Krishna’s mercy. Why not? This verse comes to mind, which I just learned today is found in the Mahabharata and the Skanda Purana:
maha-prasade
govinde nama-brahmani
vaishnave
sv-alpa-punyavatam
rajan
visvaso
naiva jayate
“Persons who are not very highly elevated in pious activities cannot believe in the remnants of food [prasadam] of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, nor in Govinda, the holy name of the Lord, nor in the Vaishnavas.”
In other words, one has to be fortunate to accept prasadam.
