Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 21, No. 30
(Week 30: July 23–29, 2025)
Paris
(Sent from Sarcelles, France, on August 2, 2025)
Where I Went and What I Did
The thirtieth week of 2025, I lived at ISKCON Paris in Sarcelles, eighteen minutes by train north of Paris itself. In Paris I chanted Hare Krishna for three hours each afternoon, usually from 3 to 6 p.m., except Thursday when I chanted with the book distributors from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at Boulevard Haussmann and then from 6:30 to 8 p.m. with a group of devotees who did harinama after work at Hôtel de Ville.
Monday we chanted at Bastille, an important site during the French Revolution.
I share quotes from Srila Prabhupada’s Srimad-Bhagavatam and The Nectar of Devotion. I share quotes from Bhaktivedanta Institute legacy talks by Hridayananda dasa Goswami and Akhandadhi Prabhu. I share notes on morning classes by Devarsi, Rama Vijaya, Aksayananda, Rasa Parayana, and Ramatanu Prabhus in Paris.
Thanks to Marat, a regular on harinama, for his photo of the rest of our harinama party at Bastille.
Itinerary
June 19–August 19: Paris
August 5–9: New Mayapur Balaram festival.
August 20: London harinama
August 21–22: Liverpool harinamas
August 23: Liverpool Ratha-yatra
August 24: Liverpool harinama
August 25: London harinama and flight to New York
Chanting Hare Krishna in Paris
Patita Pavana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Hôtel de Ville in Paris (https://youtu.be/kIYwlplyeFc):
Rohininandana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Hôtel de Ville in Paris, and passersby dance (https://youtube.com/shorts/NTPgq-nFWgU?feature=share):
A woman from Uruguay enjoys playing shakers and dancing as Premamoya Narottama Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Hôtel de Ville in Paris (https://youtube.com/shorts/K9Iu2n20lrE?feature=share):
The woman who danced asked for the video I took, and when I sent it, she replied, “Hello!! Thank you very much for the video and your message. Since we met and you gave me the booklet I’ve been reading a bit about the Hare Krishna mantra and listening to it with an open heart. I didn’t know anything about it before, imagine now I’m in Medjugorje as a follower of the Blessed Mother jajaja. But I could even feel a parallel with the rosary, the repetition, the devotion, the longing to connect to the most sacred. Thank you for sharing that light. I carry the joy of that moment in Paris. With gratitude and love, Tatiana”
Premamoya Narottama Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Hôtel de Ville, and a woman dances across the street (https://youtube.com/shorts/-3yy-fEo1Tw?feature=share):
Premamoya Narottama Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Hôtel de Ville in Paris, and passersby dance (https://youtube.com/shorts/yLVUb4RWfis?feature=share):
Premamoya Narottama Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at La République in Paris, and a devotee kid dances (https://youtu.be/sYon8ciLo4k):
Premamoya Narottama Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at La République in Paris, and devotees dance (https://youtu.be/G1-47J33rKQ):
Rohininandana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at La République in Paris, and a kid dances (https://youtube.com/shorts/9k-GKm7kQmk):
Rasa Parayana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at La République in Paris, and devotees dance (https://youtu.be/boCWX8C8CVg):
Vidjai Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at La République in Paris (https://youtu.be/mJMRBhOaL7M):
Amshumati Radhika Devi Dasi chants “Jaya Prabhupada” at La République in Paris (https://youtu.be/FB4jaRndi_8):
Rama Vijaya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Sarcelles Market on Sunday (https://youtube.com/shorts/IlRa3yNuEYw):
While Rama Vijaya Prabhu was leading, some vendors clapped (https://youtu.be/FWdiSABIStM):
Also during Rama Vijaya’s kirtan, a small girl did an amazing dance (https://youtube.com/shorts/Kho9ZYmfDNs):
She had a shirt saying Bowery Street Manhattan!
Vidjai Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Sarcelles Market on Sunday (https://youtu.be/HNUe1HVRRxU):
Yashomatinandana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna on the way to the temple after our Sarcelles Market harinama, and a man chants and dances (https://youtube.com/shorts/veMYUz978cc?feature=share):
Later as we past an apartment, Sarcelles kids danced to the harinama (https://youtube.com/shorts/69ZwgtAHV-k?feature=share):
As we approached the temple, more passersby participated (https://youtube.com/shorts/89VNZITQL8o):
On Monday we chanted Hare Krishna at Bastille, I for the first time this year and the others for the first time ever. Within 45 minutes, three groups of people played the shakers and danced, some even chanting the mantra! One couple did not want to appear on social media, but the others appear in the videos below.
Even before we finished the introductory mantra and began chanting Hare Krishna, four youths asked if they could have their picture taken with us. We encouraged them to play the shakers, and they really got into it.
Here Yashomatinandana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Bastille, and four young people participate by playing the shakers, chanting, and dancing (https://youtube.com/shorts/8VgeYiUd3yQ):
Yashomatinandana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Bastille, and a family participates (https://youtube.com/shorts/DuZuDbcrSCM):
Marat chants Hare Krishna at Bastille (https://youtu.be/rvaaaHawdXQ):
Insights
Srila Prabhupada:
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.4.25, purport:
“The servants of the Lord are actually the servants of society. They have no interest in human society other than to enlighten it in transcendental knowledge; they are interested in imparting knowledge of the relationship of the living being with the Supreme Lord, the activities in that transcendental relationship, and the ultimate goal of human life. That is the real knowledge which can help society achieve the real aim of human welfare. Knowledge in the matter of the bodily necessities of eating, sleeping, mating and fearing, transformed into various branches of advancement of knowledge, is all temporary. A living being is not the material body but an eternal part and parcel of the Supreme Being, and thus revival of his self-knowledge is essential. Without this knowledge, the human life is baffled. The servants of the Lord, Vishnu, are entrusted with this responsible work, and so they wander over the earth and to all other planets in the universe.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.9.2, purport:
“From the Ksirodakasayi Vishnu, many Vishnu incarnations expand at different ages in the duration of the cosmic manifestation. They are expanded only for the transcendental happiness of the pure devotees.”
“In the Transcendence there is no chance of material contact by any means.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.9.3:
[Lord Brahma prays:] “O my Lord, I do not see a form superior to Your present form of eternal bliss and knowledge. In Your impersonal Brahman effulgence in the spiritual sky, there is no occasional change and no deterioration of internal potency. I surrender unto You because whereas I am proud of my material body and senses, Your Lordship is the cause of the cosmic manifestation and yet You are untouched by matter.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.9.5, purport:
“The relationship of the pure devotees with the Lord develops because of devotional service to the Lord on the authentic basis of Vedic authority. Such pure devotees are not mundane sentimentalists but are factually realists because their activities are supported by the Vedic authorities who have given aural reception to the facts mentioned in the Vedic literatures.”
“Para bhakti, or spontaneous love of God, is the basis of an intimate relationship with the Lord. This highest stage of relationship with the Lord can be attained simply by hearing about Him (His name, form, qualities, etc.) from authentic sources like the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam, recited by pure, unalloyed devotees of the Lord.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.9.9:
[Lord Brahma prays:] “O my Lord, the material miseries are without factual existence for the soul. Yet as long as the conditioned soul sees the body as meant for sense enjoyment, he cannot get out of the entanglement of material miseries, being influenced by Your external energy.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.9.9, purport:
“The whole trouble of the living entity in material existence is that he has an independent conception of life. He is always dependent on the rules of the Supreme Lord, in both the conditioned and liberated states, but by the influence of the external energy the conditioned soul thinks himself independent of the supremacy of the Personality of Godhead. His constitutional position is to dovetail himself with the desire of the supreme will, but as long as he does not do so, he is sure to drag on in the shackles of material bondage.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.9.10, purport:
“Actual religion is very confidential because as soon as one is conversant with the real principles of religion one is liberated and enters onto the path to the eternal life of bliss and knowledge.”
“A person in ignorance of the principles of religion who therefore does nothing in the matter of religion is far better than a person who misguides others in the name of religion without reference to the factual religious principles of devotional service. Such so-called leaders of religion are sure to be condemned by Brahma and other great authorities.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.9.11:
“O my Lord, Your devotees can see You through the ears by the process of bona fide hearing, and thus their hearts become cleansed and You take Your seat there. You are so merciful to Your devotees that You manifest Yourself in the particular eternal form of transcendence in which they always think of You.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.9.11, purport:
“Every living entity has a particular type of service relationship with the Lord, eternally. This particular attachment is invoked by practice of regulative devotional service to the Lord, and thus the devotee becomes attached to the eternal form of the Lord, exactly like one who is already eternally attached. This attachment for a particular form of the Lord is called svarupa-siddhi.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 9.9, Chapter Summary:
“He [King Amsuman] could understand that everything in this material world is insignificant, and thus he fully engaged in worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari.”
From The Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 48:
“It is to be understood that any person who is constantly engaged in chanting the holy names of the Lord—Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare—has attained a transcendental affection for Krishna, and as such, in any condition of life, he remains satisfied simply by remembering the Lord’s name in full affection and ecstatic love.”
Vrindavana Dasa Thakura:
From Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 19.48–50:
“On seeing Visvambhara’s most enchanting form, beautiful limbs, and smiling face, the sannyasi in great satisfaction, offered Him various benedictions, ‘May You achieve wealth, family, good wife, and learning.’
“The Lord said, ‘O Gosañi, this is not a benediction. Rather you should say, “May you attain the mercy of Krishna.” The benediction of devotional service to Vishnu is inexhaustible and indestructible. Whatever you have said, O Gosañi, does not befit you.’”
Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura:
From Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 19.50, purport:
“Wealth, children, beautiful wife, and material education are all temporary, whereas Lord Vishnu is eternal, the Vaisnavas are eternal, and the Vaisnavas’ devotional service to Vishnu is eternal.”
From Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 19.60, purport:
“Mahaprabhu said, ‘Living entities will get the opportunity of receiving unsolicited foodstuffs as a result of their respective karma. Food will certainly come automatically, just as a newborn baby automatically gets its mother’s milk as food without endeavor.’”
Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:
From Am I a Demon or a Vaishnava?:
“I will write on the basic principle that the Supreme Lord is concerned with this world (although He is aloof from its laws of karma). He does come to the world, as stated in Bhagavad-gita, whenever there is a decline in religion and a rise in irreligion. I want to encourage people, whether they are demigods or demons, with the reminder from scripture that the Lord will appear and is already here in His name and teachings, and in the form of His pure devotees. People are oppressed and looking for relief.”
Hridayananda dasa Goswami:
From a BI legacy talk entitled “Where Do We Go from Here?”:
“But even if you value science, the value placed on it is not science, it’s metaphysics. Values are not physical, values are metaphysical, and so even saying: I do science because I value science – that’s a metaphysical claim, and therefore it’s a philosophical claim, which can be challenged or problematized or explored in different ways.”
Akhandadhi Prabhu:
From a BI legacy talk entitled “Science and Philosophy Initiative”:
“It’s a common theme that I have come across regularly, that devotees who are scientists seem to have to switch off between their devotional world and their science world. As the quote said: he fears reading the Bhagavatam because that doesn’t fit with his science, and he fears his science because it doesn’t fit with the Bhagavatam. I feel that the mission of the BI is to bring these together: that actually the science of the Srimad-Bhagavatam is brilliant, and it addresses the issues of modern science, the big questions that are still out there.”
Devarsi Prabhu:
From the pastime of Chota Haridas we can understand that sannyasa is not a joke.
There are many countries with no devotees at all. So if you like adventure . . .
In the Congo there is a minor king who is favorable to the devotees and is willing to give them some land in his village and allow them to take over the educational system.
In the village in the Congo, they had never seen a white person before.
Dancing is no problem for them there.
There are many countries where people are waiting for us.
We do not know how the plan of the Lord will unfold.
One retired Indian family started a school in the Congo, and after a year, it had 250 students.
Srila Prabhupada said when a devotee leaves it is 50% his fault and 50% the fault of the devotees around him.
In the Vedic study it is explained how to become convinced.
In Africa in the temple there are no ladies, but in other countries like China, the women are prominent.
Preaching means to inject Krishna consciousness into the heart of the person, not just to speak some words.
It is important to internalize Krishna consciousness and to do that requires introspection.
Many devotees have some good qualities but they also have limitations, thus we need to take inspiration from a variety of devotees.
Conviction is related to realization.
Rama Vijaya Prabhu:
France is an international place. You can meet people of all colors. I met people from North Africa, East Africa, West Africa, and even South Africa.
Krishna left for the spiritual world, and before he left He gave us Srimad-Bhagavatam.
We need to attend Srimad-Bhagavatam class because we are in a diseased condition of life, and this is part of the treatment Srila Prabhupada, who is our doctor, has given us. Chanting Hare Krishna, attending mangala-arati, and taking Krishna prasadam are also integral parts of the treatment given by Srila Prabhupada.
Between birth and death, there are old age and disease.
In the material world, Srila Prabhupada said, the remedies people take are worse than the disease.
We have to represent the spiritual master and Krishna as His devotees.
We always have to make sure that we are following the six items of surrender, and that we are therefore surrendered.
The best way to deliver our family members and forefathers is to completely surrender to Krishna.
When people see the devotees fully engaged in devotional service, it increases their faith.
Srila Prabhupada explained our main business is distributing Krishna consciousness.
In Krishna consciousness we have three products, the books, the holy name, and the prasadam.
Even Muslims take books in Paris because they want to know what is there in our books.
If we just try to follow, we will be successful because we are taking the right medicine.
There are many challenges, and you have to tolerate. Whoever tolerates is a winner.
Comment by Ramatanu Prabhu: Unless the leader pushes people to a higher level, people will stagnate and not really develop.
Once Srila Prabhupada told Giriraj Swami, “The order of the spiritual master can be suspended, but it cannot be neglected.”
Comment by me: Srila Prabhupada demonstrated that in his own life. He did not execute his guru’s order to preach in the English-speaking countries immediately, but he never forgot the instruction, and he ultimately carried it out.
Aksayananda Prabhu:
Sva-bhava manifests under certain conditions.
A devotee who is influenced by the three modes of nature, invites those modes into the temple. If other devotees resonate with them, this influence can expand.
The presence of Krishna is the best place for our sva-bhava to manifest.
Consciously executing the instructions of the guru promotes the manifestation of our sva-bhava.
Avidya is actually knowledge, but it is false knowledge.
The four Kumaras are in santa-rasa, and Narada Muni is in dasa-rasa.
Mother Yasoda’s sattvika-bhava was so intense the tears from her eyes completely soaked her sari.
Lord Caitanya repeatly asked Gadadhara Pandit to tell the pastime of Prahlada because he greatly relished it personally.
Before Lord Caitanya philosophers accepted either bheda or abheda, but Lord Caitanya accepted the truth in both.
We can only think of something that we have knowledge of us.
Every day we should engage our intellect in the name, form, and pastimes of Krishna.
It is the presence of Krishna that makes the devotee feel and express exalted devotional sentiments.
Comment by Rasa Lila Devi Dasi: When we hear the expressions of a humility of a devotee, we think of the devotee as humble but he does not think of himself as humble.
Krishna reveals Himself and conceals Himself as He pleases.
We should strongly desire that Krishna reveal Himself to us, because Krishna doesn’t reveal Himself to people who are not interested in Him, but when He does so is up to Him.
Once Srila Prabhupada asked a disciple if he was understanding the lecture, and he admitted that he was not. Srila Prabhupada asked him if he wanted to understand, and the disciple said he did. Srila Prabhupada was pleased to continue the lecture.
Rasa Parayana Prabhu:
I am insignificant, but this subject matter is the most significant and profound.
Krishna killed the witch, Putana, at age six.
In Goloka Vrindavan, Krishna is a sixteen-year-old boy. So these childhood pastimes cannot go on there.
Everything in this world can give us only limited pleasure.
Krishna was so beautiful even on the battlefield that soldiers shooting arrows at Arjuna would be mesmerized by Krishna’s beauty, and while in that stunned condition, they would be struck by Arjuna’s arrows and attain the spiritual world.
Ramatanu Prabhu:
Some people think that God cannot be seen and that it is blasphemous to speak of seeing him.
Everything is a manisfestation of God, but there are different levels of divinity. We are divine, but not as divine as God.
We will feel the presence of the Lord in the deity if we are practicing promptly.
Sometimes we are pushing people to do more and more service, saying that by this they will attain everything, but they end up getting burned out. Why? Because they do not inquire from their gurus about what they are doing wrong.
The Mayavada philosophy puts everything on the same level as matter.
If you do not feel gratitude about the service you are given, you will not be able to feel the Lord’s presence in it.
Serving the Vaishnavas is harder than serving the Lord.
If we are on the platform of the mind, we have to execute varnasrama.
You cannot perform austerity unless you are in sattva-guna.
Always occupy the mind with what to do.
Always check your attitude.
Siksa gurus can save your Krishna consciousness.
Comment by Jiva Prana Prabhu: We are so conditioned that to change a habit is difficult, and therefore it is important we have people who can help us.
Comment by Premamoya Narottama: Making changes in small steps helps.
Comments by me:
Krishna mentions in the Gita in many places engaging the mind and intelligence in His service, in addition to engaging the senses.
I know what you mean about developing negative attitudes to the devotees. I have a negative attitude toward the devotees who contributed to my being late for my trains to harinama last week. Yesterday I went out alone so I was on time!
The psychologists say it takes just 30 days to change a habit.
I asked Radhanath Swami how to get a taste for serving the Vaishnavas.
He said, “By serving the Vaishnavas.”
There are some Vaishnavas who genuinely do not want to be served.
-----
This verse reveals the importance of Srimad-Bhagavatam. That book is Krishna’s arrangement to enlighten the people of this age. If you take the Bhaktivaibhava course, it is a required verse to memorize.
krishne sva-dhamopagate
kalau nasta-drisam esa
puranarko ’dhunoditah
“This Bhagavata Purana is as brilliant as the sun, and it has arisen just after the departure of Lord Krishna to His own abode, accompanied by religion, knowledge, etc. Persons who have lost their vision due to the dense darkness of ignorance in the Age of Kali shall get light from this Purana.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.3.43)
