Diary
of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 20, No. 13
By
Krishna Kripa Das
(July 2024, part one)
Paris
and Amsterdam
(Sent
from Sarcelles, France, on July 20, 2024)
Where I Went and What I Did
With the exception of the second weekend, I stayed in Paris for the first half of July, living at ISKCON Paris in Sarcelles, and chanting Hare Krishna daily for three hours in Paris or the areas nearby. No one from the temple joins me on a daily basis, although fortunately one or two devotees living in the city usually meet me there. July 1 Harinama Ruci was visiting as well as other devotees who came for the Ratha-yatra the previous day, and thus we had an incredible harinama at Montmartre, which I took 30 video clips of.
The second weekend in July I went to Amsterdam, where I did harinama for over two hours with ten devotees the evening before the Ratha-yatra there. I stayed for the Ratha-yatra and its stage show, and took the bus back to Paris after the stage show ended. Although I spent 16 hours on the bus that weekend, the harinama and Ratha-yatra were well worth it. Devotees had never done harinama the evening before Ratha-yatra, but now they will do it every year, and if I am in Paris, I will come.
I share quotes from Srila Prabhupada’s Srimad-Bhagavatam, Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, lectures, and conversations. I also share a quote each from Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. I share notes on Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami’s latest book, A Writer of Pieces 2024, and I share notes on a recorded Gaura Purnima lecture by Niranjana Swami. I share notes on classes by Janananda Goswami, Bhavasindhu Prabhu and Vasumati Devi Dasi, given in Paris. I share notes on Back to Godhead articles by Giriraj Swami, Visakha Dasi, Caitanya Carana Prabhu, Gauranga Darsana Prabhu, Hari Bhakti Prabhu, Brajanatha Prabhu, and Tanay Shah.
Many, many thanks to Arthur Burton of Clearwater for his very generous donation. Many thanks to Parividha Prabhu for his accommodation and prasadam in Amsterdam and for reimbursing my two-day travel pass there.
Itinerary
June
17–August 16: Paris harinamas
–
July
26: Milan and Bratislava harinamas
–
July
27: first ever Bratislava Ratha-yatra
–
July
28: Bratislava or Vienna harinama
August
16–19: Balarama Festival (New Mayapur France)
August
20: Paris harinama
August
21: Prague harinama
August
22–25: Trutnov (Czech Woodstock)
August
26–27: Janmastami and Vyasa-puja in CZ
August
28: London harinama
August
29–30: Liverpool harinamas
August
31: Liverpool Ratha-yatra
September
1–8: The North of England harinamas
–
September
8: Great North Run harinama
(Newcastle, UK)
September
9–11: Dublin harinama
September
12: NYC Harinam
September
13–18: Albany
September
19–20: Philadelphia harinamas
September
21: Philadelphia Ratha-yatra
September
22–29: Albany
September
30–January 2025: NYC Harinam
Chanting Hare Krishna in Paris
Janananda Goswami chants Hare Krishna before Srimad-Bhagavatam class at ISKCON Paris (https://youtu.be/vLlGfxdZPik):
July 1, the day after the Ratha-yatra, Harinamananda Prabhu, Harinama Ruci, devotees visiting Paris for the festival, and local devotees engaged many groups of people in chanting Hare Krishna and dancing on the scenic Montmartre hill overlooking the city, with the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart on top.
We started at Anvers, the metro station at the bottom of the hill. Here Harinamananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna with Harinama Ruci at Anvers, and passersby dance (https://youtu.be/Nz2YoLDS9j4):
Harinamananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna with Harinama Ruci at Montmartre, and three kids chant and dance (https://youtu.be/-MxFOhn1b8I):
An hour and a half later those three kids participated again (https://youtu.be/Y-AqJXyHcl0):
A few minutes after that, the kids came back for a third time, and they joined others in chanting Hare Krishna and dancing as we descended Montmartre (https://youtu.be/r0tb5k6UmbU):
The last time the mother of the kids danced!
Harinamananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna with Harinama Ruci at Montmartre, and several kids chant and dance (https://youtu.be/NRedN1p2ruc):
Harinamananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna with Harinama Ruci at Montmartre, and a waiter dances with a tray (https://youtu.be/cTSfZQClaUs):
Harinamananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna with Harinama Ruci at Monmartre and a New York woman chants and dances (https://youtu.be/T2JTaPPrdFg):
I told her party about our Brooklyn temple and Govinda’s Restaurant and gave them an invitation for them.
Harinamananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Montmartre with Harinama Ruci, a man plays guitar, and women chant, play shakers, and dance (https://youtu.be/UtNxOdWNSj4):
Harinamananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna with Harinama Ruci at Montmartre, and many dance (https://youtu.be/_KfRw4sC5ak):
Harinamananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna with Harinama Ruci at Montmartre, and kids clap (https://youtu.be/uPx8cvLDSnY):
While
Harinama Ruci was at Montmartre, many more groups of people
participated by chanting Hare Krishna and dancing, and you can see
over eleven more in this fifteen-minute video
(https://youtu.be/aSG2EF8YILk):
On the way back to the temple, Harinamananda Prabhu chanted Hare Krishna with Harinama Ruci at Anvers, and a street performer performed (https://youtu.be/s9xVKF932k4):
Rasa Parayana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Sarcelles Saint Brice train station (https://youtu.be/fTrYTOCbQFw):
Sarcelles kid enjoys dancing to Hare Krishna chant (https://youtu.be/3Cu5s8s1Hsc):
Rasa Parayana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna as the Paris harinama party returns to the temple (https://youtu.be/ZvTti1kfpjA):
Patita Pavana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna on Rue de Caumartin, and an Italian man dances (https://youtu.be/G0ag3QtISwI):
Because
Patita Pavana often
works
near Rue de Caumartin, I chose to
chant there on days
when he could come after work. When
he or other devotees would join me after work, I would have to bring
a drum in addition to the harmonium, the books, the book table, and
my computer bag.
I found that it is physically possible for me to take a drum, a harmonium, a book table with books, and my computer bag on two trains and a bus to and from harinama. It is just a bit austere.
Chandrashekhara Acharya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna on Rue de Caumartin, and the Italian man continues dancing (https://youtu.be/_f17Pyy9AUQ):
That man from Italy danced an hour and a quarter with us altogether!
Patita Pavana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Les Halles (https://youtu.be/jVKRrAlN1ok):
Sudevi Manjari Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna at Les Halles (https://youtu.be/9L2AaoXoDg8):
Rohininandana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Les Halles (https://youtu.be/w3g_88lQbx0):
Rohininandana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at La Defense after work (https://youtu.be/724WxA3gPQg):
Marat chants Hare Krishna at La Defense (https://youtu.be/hFxYXaELtlc):
Patita Pavana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at La Republique, and young women dance (https://youtu.be/77TwQPDWkkI):
Sudevi Manjari chants Hare Krishna at La Republique (https://youtu.be/MyUKPR1KKo8):
Chandrashekhara Acharya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at La Republique, and a man dances (https://youtu.be/VdoV7cvxw64):
Rohininandana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna on Rue de Marseille, and kids chant the mantra and dance (https://youtu.be/qBCfvxU_v_g):
Patita Pavana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Hotel de Ville (https://youtu.be/bFWgxe2MV8E):
Rohininandana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Hotel de Ville (https://youtu.be/riLc1Jq-KQM):
While devotees were chanting at Hotel de Ville, a man donated a whole basket of flowers. I gave him the French “On Chanting Hare Krishna,” thanking him as he went on his way.
I also chanted at Vincennes, but I did not have enough people to take a video of it.
Chandramukhi Devi Dasi lives one stop from there, and she came a couple of times to distribute books for a couple of hours while we sang. Once she distributed six Bhagavad-gitas.
Once at Anvers an Indian family chanted Hare Krishna, played instruments, took videos and gave a donation.
Chanting Hare Krishna in Amsterdam
Rati Manjari Devi Dasi was a professional singer before meeting the devotees. She always participates in the King’s Day harinama on April 27. This year she and her friend, Citralekha Devi Dasi, came to New York City for Ratha-yatra and to participate in NYC Harinam for a few days. I suggested she organize a harinama the evening before Amsterdam Ratha-yatra to promote it.
She engaged Citralekha in that service, and as a result, eleven devotees chanted for over two hours, despite the rain. They had such a good time, they decided to do it every year. It was a rare success for me. Not often do people take my suggestions seriously, no matter how authorized they are.
They had copies of the Amsterdam Ratha-yatra flyer to distribute, and I found it was easier to distribute Ratha-yatra flyers in Amsterdam than either New York or Paris. Because there were not very many flyers, I offered them only to the people who seemed most attracted to the harinama. At least three times people I hadn’t offered them to came up to me asking for them.
Here Rati Manjari Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna in Amsterdam the evening before the Ratha-yatra (https://youtu.be/3oLZ52t-xQI):
Then Rati Manjari made this video as I chanted Hare Krishna in Amsterdam the evening before Ratha-yatra (https://youtu.be/gi4sBcQ2l-M):
Urugaya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Amsterdam, and tourists dance with devotees (https://youtu.be/uHhkhMRZbvI):
Urugaya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Amsterdam, and a guy dances with a devotee (https://youtu.be/ij_ZfWzUbmw):
Citralekha Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna in Amsterdam the evening before the Ratha-yatra on the harinama which she organized at my suggestion (https://youtu.be/fh3C587dUoY):
Citralekha mentioned that Srila Prabhupada had come to Dam Square in Amsterdam.
When he saw the Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky, he suggested that it be renamed Grand Hotel Krishnapolsky!
Harinama Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna in front of the Amsterdam temple as devotees wait excitedly for Lord Jagannath to appear for His Ratha-yatra (https://youtu.be/vxDqKg-6aWA):
Harinama Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna at the beginning of the Amsterdam Ratha-yatra procession (https://youtu.be/09O2X4AuUAM):
Indian devotee praises Lord Jagannath in Amsterdam Ratha-yatra (https://youtu.be/sTCFQNOnRCs
Rati Manjari Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna in the Amsterdam Ratha-yatra procession (https://youtu.be/FyS35RRBA3I):
Devotees chant Hare Krishna as the Amsterdam Ratha-yatra procession ends at Dam Square (https://youtu.be/UEVTyRf0osU):
Lord Jagannath remained there to watch most of the stage show.
Marina and Syama Govinda Prabhu of Italy chant Hare Krishna at the Amsterdam Ratha-yatra stage show (https://youtu.be/89Zzx3-RlbU):
Shishtakrit Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at the Amsterdam Ratha-yatra stage show (https://youtu.be/4wnL2B4RTP8):
Parividha Prabhu sings “Let’s Go On Harinama” at the Amsterdam Ratha-yatra stage show (https://youtu.be/ocoL-xZtj44):
Parividha Prabhu sings “My Sweet Lord” at the Amsterdam Ratha-yatra stage show (https://youtu.be/0XYTxniEuYk):
Rati Manjari Devi Dasi chants “Jagannathastakam” verses 3 to 5 at the Amsterdam Ratha-yatra stage show (https://youtu.be/h1GspKvJ2gc):
Another band, Bhakti Holland, consisting of Madhur Krishna dasa, Ashok Krishna dasa and Mamata devi dasi, sings Hare Krishna during Amsterdam Ratha-yatra stage show (https://youtu.be/IRO8UxW6M14):
A young woman taking prasadam at the end of the Amsterdam Ratha-yatra stage show said she never encountered the festival in Australia although she knew of our restaurants. Online I discovered Sydney Ratha-yatra was that very day. I asked her if she was returning home, but she said she was going to the UK. I asked if she would be there on Sunday, and she said yes, so I told her about London Ratha-yatra, showing her the web page on it. Now she can get the whole Ratha-yatra experience!
Rati Manjari Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna as the Amsterdam Ratha-yatra stage is dismantled (https://youtu.be/6eONCBkIFDU):
She continued chanting with a few enthusiastic devotees even after the Amsterdam Ratha-yatra stage amplifier was disconnected (https://youtu.be/pw6BLGQzMHc):
As I danced in the final kirtan at the Amsterdam Ratha-yatra stage show, a Western youth accompanied by his girlfriend smiled upon seeing my ISKCON Mayapur bag. He told me he went there two years ago. He was attending a friend's marriage near Kolkata and took a bus from Krishnanagar for about an hour to Mayapur, where he stayed three days. He was happy to get an invitation to the ISKCON Amsterdam Sunday program from me.
Photos
I take train line RER D to Paris at different times of day, but I never saw the local station, Garges-Sarcelles, as crowded as it was at 6 a.m., when I was going downtown to catch a bus to Amsterdam.
While in Amsterdam I noticed it was a very vegetarian friendly city with many venues like this.
Whenever I encounter it, I am amazed to see this Paris train station named after an American civil rights activist, Rosa Parks.
Insights
Srila Prabhupada:
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.8.4:
“Persons who hear Srimad-Bhagavatam regularly and are always taking the matter very seriously will have the Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna manifested in their hearts within a short time.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.24.34, purport:
“The Supreme Lord is also known as Hrisikesa, master of the senses, which indicates that our senses and sense objects are formed by the Supreme Lord. As such, He can control our senses and out of His mercy engage them in the service of the master of the senses. In the conditioned state, the living entity struggles in this material world and engages his senses for material satisfaction. However, if the living entity is graced by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he can engage these very senses in the service of the Lord.”
“By the grace and help of Lord Vasudeva, who is all-pervading, one can engage his senses in devotional service without deviation, just as the Lord acts without deviation.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.24.39, purport:
“Even though one may desire to engage in the service of the Lord, without sanction one cannot do so.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.27.24, purport:
“Transcendental pleasure derived from loving service to the Lord is actual independence.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya-lila 15.106:
[Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said:] “Whoever chants the holy name of Krishna just once is worshipable and is the topmost human being.”
From No ‘Special Path’” in “Back to Godhead, Vol. 58, Vol. 6 (Nov./Dec. 2024):
[An edited conversation with two Christian scholars in Paris on June 15, 1974.]
Madame
Siaude:
“Your Divine Grace, one who is not inclined toward study – can he
or she attain God by directly surrendering unto Him?”
Srila
Prabhupada: “Yes.
Certainly. It does not require education, scholarly knowledge, or
anything. If one agrees to surrender to the lotus feet of God, then
his life is perfect. That is stated in the Vedic literature. Aradhito
yadi haris tapasa tatah kim:
‘If one has surrendered himself to the lotus feet of God and is
worshiping Him, there is no more need of austerity and penances.’
And by the same token, naradhito
yadi haris tapasa tatah kim:
‘If one has not learned how to surrender to God and worship Him,
then all his austerities and study are useless.’
“Further,
antar
bahir yadi haris tapasa tatah kim:
‘If one can see God within and without, then where is the necessity
of austerity?’ And by the same token, nantar
bahir yadi haris tapasa tatah kim:
‘If one has not learned to see God within and without, then where
is the value of his austerity and penances?’ Therefore, God
realization is the only business of the human being.”
Prabhupada: “If you are actually a devotee, then God will reveal Himself. That is stated in the Vedic literature. Atah sri-krishna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih: you cannot understand the form, name, attributes, and pastimes of God by these blunt senses. These present material senses cannot realize God. Then how can you realize God? Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau: when you serve Him with your tongue, then gradually God reveals Himself. Now, you can do two businesses with the tongue. One is talking, and the other is eating. So if you engage your tongue in glorifying God, and if you eat only food offered to God, then you realize God. Therefore, these young boys and girls from Europe and America are being taught, ‘Use the tongue for Krishna. Chant Hare Krishna, and eat krishna-prasada, food offered to Krishna.’ And as a practical result, although they are very young, still they have realized God, Krishna. They are far more advanced than anyone else. They have forgotten all material things - illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication, gambling. They are simply devoted to the service of Krishna. So, because they have engaged their tongue in chanting the Hare Krishna mantra, they have forgotten all kinds of nonsense, including meat-eating and intoxication.”
From “Undisturbed by the Material Condition” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 58, Vol. 6 (Nov./Dec. 2024):
“Without
vidhi-bhakti
you cannot reach the platform of raga-bhakti,
which is our aim. Raganuga-bhakti,
or
raga-bhakti,
is executed following the footprints of the devotees in Vrindavana,
Krishna’s personal associates. Not by immediately becoming directly
Krishna’s personal associate, but by following the footprints of
Krishna’s eternal associates can we come to the stage of
raga-bhakti. That is called para-bhakti, transcendental bhakti.
“That
para-bhakti
is required. This Krishna consciousness movement is for gradually
developing ourselves up to the stage of raga-bhakti,
or para-bhakti.
Then life is successful.”
“This Hare Krishna mantra – Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare – is especially prescribed for this age. If we strictly chant this mantra, then we become mukta-sanga. Mukta-sanga means that although we are in this material world, we are not in touch with it. We remain untouched by the material contamination and gradually become perfect. Then we can be transferred to the spiritual world.”
“Everyone can become an exalted devotee. Narada Muni, in his previous birth, was a maidservant’s son, not born in a brahmana family. But by the good association of devotees, in his next birth he became Narada Muni, the spiritual master of so many exalted devotees. We hear Narada Muni’s name in connection with Prahlada Maharaja, Dhruva Maharaja, and many other devotees. And so everyone has the potential to become just like Narada Muni. It doesn’t matter where you were born. Narada Muni was born as a maidservant’s son, but by good association, in his next life he became Narada.”
“This Kali-yuga is an ocean of faults. So many faults are there, one after another, one after another. But there is one benefit, one very great quality. What is that? If someone simply chants the Hare Krishna mantra, then he becomes free from this material bondage and goes back home, back to Godhead. So our only request to everyone present here is to chant this maha-mantra: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.”
From a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.26.43 in Bombay on January 12, 1975:
“Of course, the soul is not affected by any favorable or unfavorable condition. Asango ’yam purusah. Actually, it has no connection with the favorable, unfavorable condition. It is simply abhinivesa. The mind being affected by the material contamination, we are suffering so-called miserable condition of life. It is due to the mind. Otherwise, as it is said, one man is satisfied in a very poor condition of life, and another man is not satisfied even in the best opulent condition of life. Why? It is due to the mind. It is due to the mind.”
“There are so many varieties of desires in material life; therefore one cannot be peaceful. That is not possible.”
“Spiritual life means to revive our spiritual consciousness, or Krishna consciousness. Then we can become happy. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita.”
“If the servant knows that ‘In this house my master is the proprietor. He is the enjoyer. I am simply servant,’ then he is peaceful. But if he artificially tries to become the master, although he is servant there, then there is all disturbance.”
“So here our miserable conditions are caused by our thinking that ‘I am the proprietor. I am the owner. I am the enjoyer.’ One becomes to owner, proprietor, because he wants to enjoy. So this is our disease. Actually, we are servant of Krishna – jivera svarÅ«pa haya nitya-krishna-dasa [Cc. Madhya 20.108–109]. This is our original position.”
“The mind is very restless. The whole yogic process is meant for controlling the mind, because unless you control the mind, the mind will volumes and volumes of desires, hundreds, thousands, millions. And you have to satisfy them. Then where is shanti (peace)? You have to satisfy the master. Who has become your master? Mind. Then you are disturbed. There cannot be any peace. And mind has got many millions of desires. Therefore when you can control over the mind, that mind desires something and you have to control, ‘No, you cannot do it,’ then you become a svami. . . . These sannyasis, they are given the title svami or gosvami because the sannyasis are supposed to control over the mind, over the senses. Therefore they are called svami. Otherwise, not svami but servant. If you are controlled by the mind, then you are servant, and if you are controller of the mind, then you are svami, the same person.”
“Instead of becoming servant of God we have become the servant of senses. That is the cause of our suffering.”
“You cannot become free from anxiety by taking shelter of anything material. That is not possible.”
“So we are eternal. Na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. We are not annihilated after the annihilation or destruction of this body. Therefore we have to take shelter of the eternal. Then we'll be happy. And so long we shall take shelter of the temporary thing, asat, this material world, material society, friendship, love, state, community, nation – anything you take, they are not permanent – so you cannot be happy. But if you take shelter for security at the lotus feet of the Supreme, then you are actually secure.”
“Krishna-bhakta, one who is fully Krishna conscious, he is shanta [peaceful]. He is fully confident. Krishna consciousness, or God consciousness, he is fully confident that Krishna..., ‘I have surrendered to Krishna. I have taken shelter of Krishna, and He has promised, aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami [Bg. 18.66]. Then where is the cause of my anxiety?’ Therefore he can become... He has understood Krishna, the Supreme Personality, almighty, all-powerful, full of all opulences. ‘So if He has taken my charge, then where is my anxiety?’ That is shanti [peace]. That is shanti.”
“Everyone drinks water, so everyone can remember Krishna, or God, if you simply learn this art, that ‘While drinking water, while I feel satisfaction, I must know, “Here is God.”’ Your devotional life immediately begins – without any education, without any enlightenment. Even a child can... If you teach the child that ‘When you drink water, you think of God...’”
“So if you simply come here, take the impression of Krishna and think of Krishna while drinking water, you become a devotee.”
“If Krishna accepts something from you, then your life becomes successful.”
“He is the proprietor of the all universes. So why He is asking this patram puspam phalam toyam [leaf, flower, fruit, or water]? He is so poor? He is not poor. He is the most opulent. But if you begin to give something to Krishna, you become opulent. That is wanted. Therefore He is canvassing that ‘Give Me something.’ Yat karosi yaj juhosi yad asnasi yat tapasyasi, kurusva tad mad-arpanam [Bg. 9.27]. Because you have forgotten to give to Krishna, therefore Krishna comes down. Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata [Bg. 4.7]. He canvasses, ‘Please give Me something,’ as if He is in great need of it. He is not need of it. But if you hear Krishna and if you give something to Krishna, then it is for your benefit. You will understand gradually what is your relationship with Krishna and gradually develop your Krishna consciousness. Then your life is successful. Then your life becomes peaceful.”
The humble servants of Srila Prabhupada:
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.3.30:
“One should learn how to associate with the devotees of the Lord by gathering with them to chant the glories of the Lord. This process is most purifying. As devotees thus develop their loving friendship, they feel mutual happiness and satisfaction. And by thus encouraging one another they are able to give up material sense gratification, which is the cause of all suffering.”
Bhaktivinoda Thakura:
From Jaiva Dharma, Chapter 6:
“Karma-yoga, jñana-yoga, astanga-yoga, etc., are all in the category of naimittika-sukriti (pious acts yielding temporary results), whereas bhakta-sanga (associating with saintly persons) and bhakti-kriya-sanga (contact with devotional acts) are nitya-sukriti (pious acts yielding eternal results. Only one who has accrued nitya-sukriti over many lifetimes will attain sraddha (faith in bhakti). Naimittika-sukriti offers many temporary results, but cannot evoke sraddha, which leads to eternal unalloyed bhakti.”
Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura:
From Amrita Vani, “108 Essential Instructions”:
“As soon as we learn about the truth, we should become fixed in it. We should not waste even a moment of the time we have left in our lives on sense gratification. Rather, we should use all our time to worship Hari [Krishna].”
Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:
From A Writer of Pieces 2024:
“You have done everything for me. You have saved my life, and you continue to do so by keeping me out of the material way of life and giving me the chance to have full faith in Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Prabhupada, please let me remember you, especially from the early days. You were so kind and close to me.”
“It is good to feel you have no spiritual qualities when you compare yourself to saints or your own good qualities in comparison to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”
“There are a number of truly advanced persons, such as described in Caitanya-caritamrita, who lived thinking themselves very lowly, but they were always ready to give charity of a spiritual sort to materialistic persons. Those persons who generally want to help ‘poor’ persons into spiritual status are truly generous and charitable. They are the ones who are eager to help those who are materialistic. The materialistic persons are those men and women genuinely in need of help. It is they who are the poverty-stricken but who benefit when they take help from generous lovers of God.
“I am a lowly servant of my spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada. I never want to ‘jump over’ His Divine Grace. He saves me from temptations and vices. He continues to do this every day.”
Giriraj Swami:
From “Surat’s Superb Reception” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 58, Vol. 6 (Nov./Dec. 2024):
[Reprinted from Dancing White Elephants by Giriraj Swami.]
“On the absolute platform, the spiritual master’s appearance and disappearance are the same, he [Srila Prabhupada] told us [in Surat on the occasion of his Guru Maharaja’s disappearance anniversary in 1970] – both are beautiful, just like the sunrise and the sunset.”
“Srila Prabhupada said that the Gujaratis were naturally Krishna conscious and gave the example that if a spark falls on dry grass, the grass will immediately burst into flame. The people of Surat were like dry grass, he said, and as soon as he arrived, they burst into flames of appreciation. We did sankirtana practically every day on the streets, and wherever we went, everyone came out. There were no pandal or formal programming, but Mr. Jariwalla placed advertisements in the newspaper and had handbills distributed to announce our routes, and one day the mayor of Surat, Mr. Vaikuntha Shastri, proclaimed a public holiday and all the schools and factories were closed so that everyone could come out and see the procession, at which the mayor himself greeted us and welcomed Srila Prabhupada, garlanding him.”
“In all, as Kausalya said, ‘Surat was very special. The whole town was surcharged with Krishna consciousness . . . Everybody welcomed us wherever we went, but they welcomed us more in Surat than any place we ever went.’”
“[Yamuna recalled:] ‘it wasn’t until we actually came to India and walked and danced in the streets with Srila Prabhupada on nagara-sankirtana that I realized something of what it meant. To walk in the footsteps of great Vaishnavas who chanted and danced in the streets before us, and to be able to touch the hearts of people along the way with hari-nama-sankirtana, were simply the most wonderful and nectarean things. Srila Prabhupada assured me that he would take me to the highest place, and for me, nagara-sankirtana with Srila Prabhupada was that place.’”
Janananda Goswami:
We are so attached to our property that people go to court to fight for a few square feet.
People think it is God’s role to protect our material assets.
As long as our devotional service is tinged with desires for material achievement, we will not get the true result of devotional service.
The real asset is voluntary service.
For a ksatriya dishonor is worse than death.
Krishna may or may take one’s possessions, but He takes one’s attachments.
Most people are famous for what they possess, but Bali Maharaja is famous for what he gave up.
The demigods were happy that Bali Maharaja was pushed out of heaven and down to the lower planets.
Although both Bali Maharaja and Vrtrasura were situated as demons they were actually devotees. Vrtrasura was favored more, as he immediately returned to the spiritual world, while Bali Maharaja had to play the role of a future king of heaven for thousands of years.
We cannot measure the Lord’s plan, but we can learn from it.
We do not have much to give up anyway.
Krishna acts to reform everyone so each ultimately returns to the spiritual world.
Comment by me:
Your reminding us not to have devotion tinged with material desires reminds me that Candrasekhara Swami once said in class that God is God and Santa Claus is Santa Claus, and that we should not get them mixed up.
Niranjana Swami:
From a lecture in Hartford on Gaura Purnima 2024:
Lord Krishna asked people to surrender to Him, but Lord Caitanya said, ‘Chant the holy name with just a little faith.’”
Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami advised that one continue to hear these topics of Lord Caitanya’s pastimes, even if he cannot understand them, because in that way he eventually will come to understand them. Why would one continue to go on hearing them? Because he has developed faith.
Visakha Dasi:
From “A Cow and God’s Goodness” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 58, Vol. 6 (Nov./Dec. 2024):
“Bimala [Yamuna Devi’s pet cow] was peaceful, satisfied, and tolerant, and being around her somehow increased my sense of peacefulness, satisfaction, and tolerance.”
“These attributes of the mode of goodness aren’t academic. That is, it’s not by excelling in math, English, history, and science that we’ll become peaceful, self-controlled, austere, and so on. Rather, to acquire the qualities of the mode of goodness we need an environment conducive to that mode, and we need to have the company of those with good qualities.”
“Before he heard the Gita from Krishna, Arjuna was confused and dissatisfied. As he heard verse after verse, his confusion and dissatisfaction gradually dissipated, replaced by a previously unknown clarity of purpose as well as a process for attaining that purpose – bhakti, devotional service to Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”
“Sadly, before I came to the ashram, Bimala’s calf had died at birth, yet for years afterwards, as the ashram residents gave her profuse care and love, Bimala continued giving profuse milk. The reciprocal relationship, the loving exchange, between the beautiful devotees and this beautiful animal was impossible to overlook.”
Bhavasindhu Prabhu:
The verse for today seemed mysterious, but reading the purport by the acarya, Srila Prabhupada, its meaning becomes clear.
It may seem odd that the devotee Bali Maharaja had a guru who was not a Vaishnava, but at Scottish Churches College the devotee Srila Prabhupada had so many non-Vaishnava teachers.
This world is not an illusion because it actually exists, but we are in illusion if we think it is eternal.
We have to use everything for the service of Krishna.
The more important shower is the shower of the mind. The mind is cleansed by chanting Hare Krishna.
There are so many stories of very degraded people becoming devotees within ISKCON.
If we have a doubt about what to do, we can always consider what Srila Prabhupada would do in that situation.
At one point I was living in Egypt, surrounded by Muslims who are not very favorable to Vaishnava philosophy. Although I did not have a regular habit of reading Bhagavad-gita at that time, because of being in that unfavorable atmosphere, I decided to take shelter of Bhagavad-gita. I studied and learned many slokas, and I was very blissful.
Caitanya Carana Prabhu:
From “Poison, Empowerment and Dark Humiliation” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 58, Vol. 6 (Nov./Dec. 2024):
“Duryodhana was just a teenager when he plotted to kill Bhima. The plot didn’t emerge from a feeble fleeting feeling; it emerged from a deliberate diabolical design. The sheer amount of malice his heart must have had is alarming and appalling.”
“As indicated by the many inauspicious omens at the time of his birth, Duryodhana was born with predominantly demonic impressions. And by his nefarious actions throughout his life, he fanned and fueled those impressions.”
“By divine coincidence, Bhima was saved. While he was sinking in the river, some snakes bit him, and their poison neutralized the poison in his food. Then he was taken to Varuna, the god of water, who gifted him a celestial drink that increased his strength many times over. Thus Bhima returned stronger, and Duryodhana’s plan didn’t just bust; it boomeranged.”
“Why did Duryodhana embark on the mission to humiliate the Pandavas? Because of envy. He wasn’t satisfied with his own prosperity; he wanted to see the Pandavas’ poverty. More importantly, he wanted them to feel misery by seeing the contrast between his prosperity and their poverty. And seeing them in misery would give him joy. Or so he believed.”
“Envy transforms our dreams so that they center not on what joy we can attain, but on what misery we can inflict on the object of our envy. And in that frenzied effort to hurt others, we throw away our moral compass and act reprehensibly. Eventually, those actions come back to us as grievous reactions.”
Gauranga Darsana Prabhu:
From “The Gopis Glorify the Nectar of Krishna-katha” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 58, Vol. 6 (Nov./Dec. 2024):
“Amrita means ‘nectar,’ or that which makes one immortal – one who drinks amrita transcends mrityu, or death. Krishna-katha is that nectar which enables one to transcend samsara, the cycle of repeated birth and death.”
“Srimad-Bhagavatam, which presents the nectar of krishna-katha, relieves us of the miseries of life by causing indifference toward all material temptations and tribulations.”
“Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti writes that hearing krishna-katha causes auspiciousness in two ways: by making krishna-prema, the ultimate goal of life, attractive, and by making it attainable. The more we hear about Krishna, the more the goal of krishna-prema becomes attractive to us. Many people don’t have a goal for their life; they have only temporary goals, such as getting a good career or a grand home or an expensive car or a high score on exams. But one should have a life goal, and that goal should be the attainment of krishna-prema – love of God, Krishna.”
“Absorption in hearing about Krishna is both the goal and the means to attain it.”
Hari Bhakti Prabhu:
From “A Child Prodigy of a Special Kind” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 58, Vol. 6 (Nov./Dec. 2024):
“One way to compare Prahlada and Hiranyakasipu is in terms of their ability to do good for others. Being selfish, what good could Hiranyakasipu do?”
“Hiranyakasipu’s thoughts of other people were limited to enjoying them or making them suffer.”
“Prahlada showed that he knew how to truly benefit others, and therefore he always tried to engage everyone in devotional service.”
“The absolute dependence of the child on Krishna resulted in his protection from unimaginable attacks. Prahlada’s dependence made him independent to the extent of defying the laws of nature. His own Lord, the lawmaker, amended all laws to care for His dear devotee.”
“We generally don’t expect any words of compassion from a five-year-old. Usually children are attached to their toys and play. But in Prahlada’s prayers in the Fifth Canto, he prays for auspiciousness for the entire world and for the engagement of everyone in the Lord’s service. When Nrisimhadeva appeared, Prahlada asked for the deliverance of everyone from material existence. He didn’t wish to be liberated alone. He even desired the deliverance of his father, who had tormented him the most.”
“Prahlada is the greatest child prodigy the world has ever seen. Even adults cannot come to his standard. His story remains a beacon for all devotees who yearn to grow up in their Krishna conscious lives.”
Brajanatha Prabhu:
From “Krishna’s Devotee ̇Never Perishes” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 58, Vol. 6 (Nov./Dec. 2024):
“For us practicing devotees, how we react in times of danger – Do we call out to Krishna? – is an indication of our ability to pass the test of remembering Krishna at the time of death.”
Vasumati Devi Dasi:
There is a case where a disciple of Niranjana Swami sold some property and gave the whole profit to Niranjana Swami. Niranjana Swami could understand that it was because of the enthusiasm of the new devotee that she gave everything but that it was not practical, so instead of spending it, he kept it. Then when the disciple realized she needed some of it back, he was able to give it to her.
My guru was always in the household ashram. He lost his job because he couldn’t be a Hare Krishna during Soviet times. He preached Krishna consciousness full time, and he found that Krishna maintained him. Once he was sent to Armenia to do Food For Life after an earthquake. His wife, who had a one-year-old daughter, asked him for some money, and he said he had none and that Krishna would take care of her. At that time, in the Soviet Union, the devotees stuck together like a family, and the other devotees took care of her, so she was not at all in difficulty.
If one can give everything and not regret it, that is good.
Tanay Shah:
From “Guidance from the Prayers of a Prince” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 58, Vol. 6 (Nov./Dec. 2024):
“Despite our fervent yearning, material desires never bring lasting contentment. Instead, they bind us more tightly to the material world, creating more distance between us and Krishna’s loving embrace.”
“In a verse from the Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya (7.28), Dhruva Maharaja tells Lord Vishnu, “I was searching after a piece of glass, but instead I have found a most valuable jewel.” Extending the analogy, we can compare our material desires to pieces of broken glass. As sharp glass can hurt us physically, clinging to endless material desires can harm us internally and prolong our stay in the material world. Material ‘rewards,’ being fleeting and insubstantial, fail to satisfy our deeper yearnings. Therefore, instead of asking the desire-fulfilling Lord for metaphorical pieces of broken glass, we should aspire for the enduring and priceless diamond – the jewel of devotion to the Lord.”
“Dhruva Maharaja’s declaration emphasizes a fundamental truth: the richness and sweetness of transcendental devotional service is fully realized only in the company of pure devotees. Attempting to embark on the path of devotion in isolation is a profound mistake, as such a solitary journey makes the destination unattainable because it lacks the transformative power found in communal devotion and the guidance of spiritual superiors.”
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In the beginning of the Eighth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita, entitled “Attaining the Supreme”, in two verses Arjuna asks Krishna eight questions. Krishna answers all but one of the questions in the next two verses, but the final question, “how to remember Him at death,” Krishna spends the remaining twenty-four verses of the chapter answering. This verse is the beginning of His answer:
anta-kale
ca mam eva
smaran
muktva kalevaram
yah
prayati sa mad-bhavam
yati
nasty atra samsayah
“And whoever, at the end of his life, quits his body remembering Me alone at once attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt.” (Bhagavad-gita 8.5)
In chapter 8, wherever Krishna mentions to think of Him, Srila Prabhupada reminds us in his purport that the best way to think of Him in this age is to chant the Hare Krishna mantra, and he often includes the entire mantra in his purport, and in the purport to this verse, he includes the entire Hare Krishna maha-mantra twice.
