(Sent from Ocala, Florida, on January 31, 2026)
Where I Went and What I Did
For the fourth week of 2026 I lived at ISKCON Tallahassee, just a five-minute walk from Florida State University.
I chanted on the campus every day of the week for an average of three hours except on Saturday, when for two of the hours I chanted at a Monthly Sankirtana Festival in Cascades Park attended by fourteen devotees. I was happy to encounter some students interested in the chanting and in the literature and willing to sign up for our programs. One art professor, after glancing the books, said, “Thank you for coming out here.”
I share quotes from Srila Prabhupada’s Srimad-Bhagavatam, Sri Caitanya-caritamrita and The Nectar of Instruction. I share quotes from stories by Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami from a book called Stories in April and Gîte Stories. I share notes on classes by Jayapataka and Niranjana Swamis and Chaturatma and Hadai Prana Prabhus.
Many thanks to Dattatreya Prabhu for his very generous donation. Thanks to Vaninatha Vasu Prabhu for his kind donation. Thanks to Anang Prabhu for ingredients for cooking.
Itinerary
January 12–mid April: harinama and college outreach in Tallahassee and Tampa
– January 31: Gasparilla Ratha-yatra with youth in Tampa
– February 1: Sadaputa Prabhu’s birthday celebration in Gainesville
– March 14: Daytona Ratha-yatra
– March 15: Deland Holi Festival
– March 16–22: NYC Harinam
– March 21: Bhagavad-gita class at 26 Second Avenue
Chanting Hare Krishna in Florida
Thursday was special in that I had at least three nice interactions with students.
I met a guy from Miami who was into Indian thought. He had read Yogananda and books about chakras, and he bought Science of Self-Realization and Perfection of Yoga. He also signed up for club WhatsApp group.
Later I met Daniela, who studies cultural anthropology. She is taking a religion course and has to explore a tradition other than her own. She was interested in exploring ours, and she signed up for both WhatsApp groups and took “On Chanting Hare Krishna.”
For the last hour, I was playing near where a group of about eight students were sitting on a blanket on the green. When I finished one of the students came up to me saying how much she loved the music and what a good effect it had on her mind. She also took “On Chanting Hare Krishna.”
I decided to make some halava to distribute to students who stopped by my book table and talked with me. It was cinnamon flavored, and it tasted very good.
I led the first Hare Krishna kirtan at our first Monthly Sankirtana Festival, which we held in Cascades Park in Tallahassee on a Saturday (https://youtu.be/QC0hSMkyvzw):
After I led the kirtan, Kripamaya Tulsi Devi Dasi, the wife of Uddhava Krishna Prabhu, chanted Hare Krishna there (https://youtu.be/jEqLuvDdvF4):
I was amazed that fourteen devotees came out, six men, four women, and four children!
Then Anang Prabhu chanted Hare Krishna at our first Monthly Sankirtana Festival (https://youtu.be/1xdQRczqRhE):
Finally Deepali Kapoor chanted Hare Krishna there in Cascades Park (https://youtu.be/Ji3WB-llxMY):
We did not have any book distributors, so we did not do any books.
Only two people stopped by the table, including one who I met last year. He was happy to accept two cookies.
The other was from Jacksonville and said he attended devotional programs there. His friends from FSU both took cookies.
The devotees were happy about the program, and we plan to do it every month. I will have to import some book distributors for next month.
Later at the campus I met a guy named Juan Reza, who I had seen last year. He wore a peace-love shirt and told me about the protests downtown against ICE’s latest atrocities which he attended. He is Palestinian but half his family is Jewish, and he said as a consequence he has two broken hearts. That was striking – “two broken hearts”! What an age we live in! I said I’d share it. He said, “Mention my name.”
I said there are so many powerful demoniac leaders in power nowadays it makes sense to call on the name of the Lord, for He is the only one powerful enough to do anything about it.
Here Krishna Kishora Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at the ISKCON Alachua Sunday Feast (https://youtube.com/shorts/_yTp5t_5EaU):
His kirtan gradually built up (https://youtube.com/shorts/Obk74TtH4eI):
At the end, Krishna Kishora’s kirtan was especially lively (https://youtube.com/shorts/otlQL3leEQ0?feature=share):
Here is a landscape view of the kirtan (https://youtu.be/rXx3NPYVbaI):
Here Shyamananda chants Hare Krishna after the ISKCON Alachua Sunday Feast (https://youtu.be/VejPeBUkGZ4):
Later, devotees danced to his kirtan (https://youtu.be/JjnYzd73_v8):
Then another prabhu chanted Hare Krishna there (https://youtu.be/HWk9JO55AaE):
I met a young woman who was very much into philosophy and religion. I mentioned the Bhagavad-gita was studied by great thinkers, and I asked if she knew Thoreau and Emerson. Often in Florida the people haven’t as they are from Massachusetts, but she had written a paper in high school on Emerson’s essay, “Circles,” and knew of them both. I read two quotes by Emerson about the Bhagavad-gita to her:
1. “I owed—my friend and I—to the Bhagavad-Gita the first of books; it was as if an empire spoke to us, nothing small or unworthy, but large, serene, consistent, the voice of an old intelligence which in another age and climate had pondered and thus disposed of the same questions which exercise us.”
2. “I laid down the book and felt that I had been addressed by an intelligence of vast proportions.”
When I said that she said, “That is what I felt when I read Emerson.”
So I replied, “Then consider how much greater Bhagavad-gita is then, if Emerson himself felt that way about it!”
She did not have any money, but hopefully she will get the Gita the next time she sees me.
Photos
As a change from khichri and because it is great on cold days, I made upma one day. I remember that Yamaraja Prabhu of Back to Godhead taught me to put the basil and the turmeric in with the farina as it is roasting. As I was just using powered spices anyway, I threw them all into the roasting farina toward the end as it saves a step, and there is one less pot to wash. It came out pretty good. It reminded me of the “stuffing” they make for the mock turkey at Thanksgiving time.
Insights
Srila Prabhupada:
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.11.38:
“This is the opulence of the Lord: Although situated in the material nature, He is never affected by the modes of nature. Similarly, those who have surrendered to Him and fixed their intelligence upon Him are not influenced by the modes of nature.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.14.49, purport:
“The most obnoxious misery of a living entity is his forgetfulness of Krishna. A pure devotee, therefore, always tries to evoke everyone’s Krishna consciousness. This is the panacea for all miseries.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.14.50, purport:
“A pure devotee becomes attached to one of the eternal forms of the Lord, and the Lord is pleased to appear before him in the form desired.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.15.8, purport:
“Sense gratification is just like salt. One cannot take too much or too little, but one must take some salt in order to make one's foodstuff palatable.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.15.12, purport:
“When we speak of desire we refer to desire for material sense gratification. Saintly persons like Sanaka, Sanatana, Sanandana and Sanat-kumara have no material desire, but sometimes they travel all over the universe, out of their own accord, to preach devotional service.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.15.13, purport:
“The material world is full of cares and anxieties. In any one of the planets, beginning from the highest down to the lowest, Patala, every living creature must be full of cares and anxieties because in the material planets one cannot live eternally. The living entities, however, are actually eternal. They want an eternal home, an eternal residence, but because of accepting a temporal abode in the material world, they are naturally full of anxiety. In the spiritual sky the planets are called Vaikuntha because the residents of these planets are free from all anxieties. For them there is no question of birth, death, old age and diseases, and therefore they are not anxious. On the other hand, the residents of the material planets are always afraid of birth, death, disease and old age, and therefore they are full of anxieties.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.15.14, purport:
“In Vaikunthaloka there is no occupation but the service of the Lord, and this service is not rendered with a purpose. Although every service has a particular result, the devotees never aspire for the fulfillment of their own desires; their desires are fulfilled by rendering transcendental loving service to the Lord.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.15.15, purport:
“The kingdom of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the spiritual sky cannot be understood by any process other than hearing from the description of the Vedas. No one can go see it. In this material world also, one who is unable to pay to go to a far distant place by motorized conveyances can only understand about that place from authentic books.”
“The Vaikuntha planets are very dear to the Vaishnavas, and for the progressive march of the Vaisnavas toward the kingdom of God, the Lord Himself helps His devotees.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.15.17, purport:
“Serving the Lord in transcendental love yields such transcendental pleasure that, in comparison, sense gratification is counted as insignificant.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.15.18, purport:
“Even the trees, the ground, the plants, the flowers, the birds and the beasts are all on the level of Krishna consciousness. The special feature of Vaikunthaloka is that there is no question of sense gratification. In the material world even an ass enjoys his sound vibration, but in the Vaikunthas such nice birds as the peacock, the cakravaka and the cuckoo prefer to hear the vibration of the glories of the Lord from the bees.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.15.20, purport:
“The wonderful feature of Vaikuntha is that although the women have large hips and beautiful faces and are decorated with ornaments of emeralds and jewels, the men are so absorbed in Krishna consciousness that the beautiful bodies of the women cannot attract them. In other words, there is enjoyment of the association of the opposite sex, but there is no sexual relationship. The residents of Vaikuntha have a better standard of pleasure, so there is no need of sex pleasure.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.15.23:
“It is very much regrettable that unfortunate people do not discuss the description of the Vaikuntha planets but engage in topics which are unworthy to hear and which bewilder one’s intelligence. Those who give up the topics of Vaikuntha and take to talk of the material world are thrown into the darkest region of ignorance.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.15.23, purport:
“Instead of trying to understand the spiritual abode and the spiritual activities of the Lord, people are more interested in politics and economic developments. They hold many conventions, meetings and discussions to solve the problems of this worldly situation, where they can remain for only a few years, but they are not interested in understanding the spiritual situation of the Vaikuntha world. If they are at all fortunate, they become interested in going back home, back to Godhead, but unless they understand the spiritual world, they rot in this material darkness continuously.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.15.24:
“Lord Brahma said: My dear demigods, the human form of life is of such importance that we also desire to have such life, for in the human form one can attain perfect religious truth and knowledge. If one in this human form of life does not understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His abode, it is to be understood that he is very much affected by the influence of external nature.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.15.25:
“Persons whose bodily features change in ecstasy and who breathe heavily and perspire due to hearing the glories of the Lord are promoted to the kingdom of God, even though they do not care for meditation and other austerities. The kingdom of God is above the material universes, and it is desired by Brahma and other demigods.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.15.25, purport:
“The highest realization of spiritual value is to chant the holy name of God, as prescribed for the age—Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.15.26, purport:
“In the Vaikuntha planets there is no scarcity of the things which are available in the material world; they are available, but they are more valuable because they are spiritual and therefore eternal and blissful.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.15.31, purport:
“The sannyasi’s duty is to enlighten people in Krishna consciousness. Those in the renounced order of life have no other business but preaching the glories and supremacy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore the Vedic sociological conception is that a sannyasi should not be restricted; he is allowed to go anywhere and everywhere he wants, and he is not refused any gift he might demand from a householder.”
“The difference between the anger of an ordinary person and that of a liberated person is that an ordinary person becomes angry because his sense desires are not being fulfilled, whereas a liberated person like the Kumaras becomes angry when restricted in the discharge of duties for serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.7.44:
“The Vidyadharas said: Dear Lord, this human form of body is meant for attaining the highest perfectional objective, but, impelled by Your external energy, the living entity misidentifies himself with his body and with the material energy, and therefore, influenced by maya, he wants to become happy by material enjoyment. He is misled and always attracted by temporary, illusory happiness. But Your transcendental activities are so powerful that if one engages in the hearing and chanting of such topics, he can be delivered from illusion.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.7.44, purport:
“Bhagavad-gita is the instruction given by Krishna, and Srimad-Bhagavatam is the book containing topics exclusively about Krishna and His devotees. These two books are the special nectar of the words of Krishna. For those who engage in the preaching of these two Vedic literatures it is very easy to get out of the illusory conditional life imposed upon us by maya.”
“We invite everyone to come with us and simply chant Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, because we know that if one simply chants and hears the topics of Krishna, one's life will change; he will see a new light, and his life will be successful.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 1.98–100:
“These two brothers [Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda] dissipate the darkness of the inner core of the heart, and thus They help one meet the two kinds of bhagavatas [persons or things in relationship with the Personality of Godhead]. One of the bhagavatas is the great scripture Srimad-Bhagavatam, and the other is the pure devotee absorbed in the mellows of loving devotion. Through the actions of these two bhagavatas the Lord instills the mellows of transcendental loving service into the heart of a living being, and thus the Lord, in the heart of His devotee, comes under the control of the devotee’s love.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 1.102, purport:
“They [the five kinds of ignorance] are (1) accepting the body to be the self, (2) making material sense gratification one’s standard of enjoyment, (3) being anxious due to material identification, (4) lamenting and (5) thinking that there is anything beyond the Absolute Truth. The teachings of Lord Caitanya eradicate these five kinds of ignorance.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 1.103:
“Let us therefore worship the holy feet of these two Lords [Caitanya and Nityananda]. Thus one can be rid of all difficulties on the path of self-realization.
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 1.106:
“Essential truth spoken concisely is true eloquence.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 1.107:
“Simply hearing submissively will free one’s heart from all the faults of ignorance, and thus one will achieve deep love for Krishna. This is the path of peace.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 1.108–109:
“If one patiently hears about the glories of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Nityananda Prabhu and Sri Advaita Prabhu — and Their devotees, devotional activities, names and fame, along with the mellows of Their transcendental loving exchanges — one will learn the essence of the Absolute Truth. Therefore I have described these [in the Caitanya-caritamṛta] with logic and discrimination.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi Chapter 2, Summary:
“This chapter stresses that a devotee who wishes to advance in Krishna consciousness must have knowledge of Krishna’s personal form, His three principal energies, His pastimes and the relationship of the living entities with Him.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 2.1:
“I offer my obeisances to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, by whose mercy even an ignorant child can swim across the ocean of conclusions about the ultimate truth, which is full of the crocodiles of various theories.
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 2.2:
“O my merciful Lord Caitanya, may the nectarean Ganges waters of Your transcendental activities flow on the surface of my desertlike tongue. Beautifying these waters are the lotus flowers of singing, dancing and loud chanting of Krishna’s holy name, which are the pleasure abodes of unalloyed devotees. These devotees are compared to swans, ducks and bees. The river’s flowing produces a melodious sound that gladdens their ears.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 2.2, purport:
“The author desires such sweetly flowing waves to cover his tongue. He humbly compares himself to materialistic persons who always engage in dry talk from which they derive no satisfaction. If they were to use their dry tongues to chant the holy name of the Lord — Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare — as exemplified by Lord Caitanya, they would taste sweet nectar and enjoy life.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 2.5, purport:
“In the feature of Lord Caitanya, the Lord is an ideal renouncer, just as Sri Rama was an ideal king.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 2.8:
“Krishna, the original form of the Personality of Godhead, is the summum bonum of the all-pervading Vishnu. He is all-perfect knowledge and all-perfect bliss. He is the Supreme Transcendence.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 2.11, purport:
“One who wants to separate the Lord’s absolute name, form and qualities from the Lord Himself must be understood to be lacking in absolute knowledge. A pure devotee knows that when he chants the transcendental name ‘Krishna,’ Sri Krishna is present as transcendental sound. He therefore chants with full respect and veneration. When he sees the forms of Sri Krishna, he does not see anything different from the Lord. If one sees otherwise, he must be considered untrained in absolute knowledge. This lack of absolute knowledge is called maya.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 2.12, purport:
“Three mantras of the Mundaka Upanisad (2.2.9–11) give information regarding the bodily effulgence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They state: . . .
‘In the spiritual realm, beyond the material covering, is the unlimited Brahman effulgence, which is free from material contamination. That effulgent white light is understood by transcendentalists to be the light of all lights. In that realm there is no need of sunshine, moonshine, fire or electricity for illumination. Indeed, whatever illumination appears in the material world is only a reflection of that supreme illumination. That Brahman is in front and in back, in the north, south, east and west, and also overhead and below. In other words, that supreme Brahman effulgence spreads throughout both the material and spiritual skies.’”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 2.19:
“As the one sun appears reflected in countless jewels, so Govinda manifests Himself [as Paramatma] in the hearts of all living beings.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 2.19, purport:
“As soon as the living being ceases to act in terms of fruitive work and takes to the service of the Lord (the Paramatma), coming to know of His supremacy, he is immediately freed from all designations, and in that pure state he enters the kingdom of God, known as Vaikuntha.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 2.22, purport:
“From the Caitanya Upanisad (5): gaurah sarvatma maha-puruso mahatma maha-yogi tri-gunatitah sattva-rupo bhaktim loke kasyati. ‘Lord Gaura, who is the all-pervading Supersoul, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, appears as a great saint and powerful mystic who is above the three modes of nature and is the emblem of transcendental activity. He disseminates the cult of devotion throughout the world.’”
“From the Vayu Purana: kalau sankirtanarambhe bhavisyami saci-sutah. ‘In the Age of Kali when the sankirtana movement is inaugurated, I shall descend as the son of Saci-devi.’”
From the Brahma-yamala-tantra . . .
“‘Sometimes I personally appear on the surface of the world in the garb of a devotee. Specifically, I appear as the son of Saci in Kali-yuga to start the sankirtana movement.’”
“From the Ananta-samhita:
ya eva bhagavan krsno
radhika-prana-vallabhah
srsty adau sa jagan-natho
gaura asin mahesvari
‘The Supreme Person, Sri Krishna Himself, who is the life of Sri Radharani and is the Lord of the universe in creation, maintenance and annihilation, appears as Gaura, O Mahesvari.’”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 2.36, purport:
“The serving spirit of the residents of the transcendental world is displayed in five varieties of relationships with the Supreme Lord, who is the central enjoyer. In the material world everyone is a self-centered enjoyer of mundane happiness and distress. One considers himself the lord of everything and tries to enjoy the illusory energy, but he is not successful because he is not independent: he is but a minute particle of the energy of Lord Sankarsana.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi Chapter 6, Summary:
“Advaita, the superintendent of the cosmic manifestation, has descended in the form of Advaita Ācarya to associate with Lord Caitanya. When He is addressed as the servitor of Lord Caitanya, His glories are magnified because unless one is invigorated by this mentality of servitorship one cannot understand the mellows derived from devotional service to the Supreme Lord, Krishna.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 10.17, purport:
“Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya was a brahmana and a realized soul, whereas Prataparudra was a ksatriya. Ksatriya kings used to obey very faithfully the orders of learned brahmanas and saintly persons, and in this way they would rule their country. Similarly, vaisyas used to follow the king’s orders, and sudras used to serve the three higher castes. In this way the brahmanas, ksatriyas, vaisyas and sudras used to live cooperatively, performing their respective duties. Consequently society was peaceful, and people were able to discharge the duties of Krishna consciousness. Thus they were happy in this life and able to return home, back to Godhead.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 11.89, purport:
“One who is engaged in the Lord’s devotional service twenty-four hours daily and never forgets the Lord is called nitya-siddha.”
“One who is nitya-siddha has no business other than broadcasting the glories of the Lord all over the world according to his ability. Such people are already associates of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.”
“One should not think that because Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was personally present five hundred years ago, only His associates were liberated. Rather, Srila Narottama dasa Ṭhakura says that anyone is a nitya-siddha if he acts on behalf of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu by spreading the glories of the holy name of the Lord. We should respect those devotees preaching the glories of the Lord as nitya-siddhas and should not consider them conditioned.”
“Simply by accepting the associates of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu as nitya-siddhas, one can very easily go back home, back to Godhead.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 11.95, purport:
“All the pure devotees are as bright as sunshine, and their bodily luster is very effulgent. In addition, their performance of sankirtana is unparalleled. There are many professional chanters who can perform congregational chanting with various musical instruments in an artistic and musical way, but their chanting cannot be as attractive as the congregational chanting of pure devotees. If a devotee sticks strictly to the principles governing Vaishnava behavior, his bodily luster will naturally be attractive, and his singing and chanting of the holy names of the Lord will be effective. People will appreciate such kirtana without hesitation. Even dramas about the pastimes of Lord Caitanya or Sri Krishna should be played by devotees. Such dramas will immediately interest an audience and be full of potency. The students of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness should note these two points and try to apply these principles in their spreading of the Lord’s glories.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 11.96, purport:
“The associates of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu were unlimited during the Lord’s presence on this planet, but anyone who is pure in life and devoted to the mission of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is to be understood as a nitya-siddha associate of the Lord.”
From The Nectar of Instruction, Text 5:
“When one is interested in the transcendental subject matter of the Absolute Truth, he should be initiated.”
“Generally people are very interested in inquiring about mundane subject matters, but when one has lost such interest and is simply interested in transcendental subject matters, he is quite fit for being initiated.”
“The chanting of the holy names of Krishna is so sublime that if one chants the Hare Krishna maha-mantra offenselessly, carefully avoiding the ten offenses, he can certainly be gradually elevated to the point of understanding that there is no difference between the holy name of the Lord and the Lord Himself. One who has reached such an understanding should be very much respected by neophyte devotees. One should know for certain that without chanting the holy name of the Lord offenselessly, one cannot be a proper candidate for advancement in Krishna consciousness.”
“Everyone begins his devotional life from the neophyte stage, but if one properly finishes chanting the prescribed number of rounds of hari-nama, he is elevated step by step to the highest platform, uttama-adhikari.”
Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:
From “Stories I Can’t Tell” in Stories in April and Gîte Stories:
“Even God doesn’t touch a soul’s little free will. He lets her walk away; the modes of nature will have their sway.”
From “Fifty-four Volumes” in Stories in April and Gîte Stories:
“Even Srila Prabhupada didn’t like the ‘starvation committee’ of disciples who tried to restrict him to boiled vegetables, no ghee or sweets. He said, ‘To hell with the starvation committee,’ a memorable remark.”
“The words of Jesus Christ may occur to me at this point, ‘Heaven and earth shall pass away but my words will not.’ One is always impressed with the weight and beauty of that line.”
“I am unworthy to tell these stories of feats I cannot do, and I suppose none of us can do. But we love to hear of humble saints rather than boors and worldly manipulators and doomsday speakers.”
From “Writing Alone in a Big World” in Stories in April and Gîte Stories:
“Don’t put someone down because of their body and its defects. Even if it’s something they could apparently control like better shaving habits or they are obese, still for some reason that’s the way they are. Try to see the soul.”
“If you get a flat tire, you could crash and die and people will say, ‘If he was such a pure devotee how come he died like that?’ You’re supposed to die in a cot in Vrndavana saying holy things. That gives you more credibility.”
Jayapataka Swami:
We are surrendering to guru and Krishna.
We want to go back to Goloka Vrindavan in this life.
It is important we chant our rounds and follow the four regulative principles, engage in service to Krishna, study the books and understand the philosophy.
It is a gradual process, and it will take many years so we have to be determined.
We are no match for the material energy, but we have taken shelter of Krishna.
It is important to practice come what may.
Beyond giving you the holy name I am connecting you with the guru paramapara.
We having many offerings, such as of flowers and of food, but today you are offering yourselves (atma-nivedana).
Niranjana Swami:
From a lecture in Budapest on January 23, 2026:
Srila Prabhupada had a global vision. He wanted to make the world Krishna conscious.
We are responsible to maintain that global vision.
He saw Krishna in our hearts, and he was inspired to introduce us to Krishna’s teachings.
Srila Prabhupada did not discriminate in giving out Krishna consciousness because he was Lord Caitanya’s representative.
Lord Caitanya told Lord Nityananda and Haridasa Thakura to distribute Krishna consciousness without discrimination, and they did so to the point of approaching Jagai and Madhai, despite warnings from the people. Srila Prabhupada was in this same mood.
By service to Lord Caitanya we spontaneously develop an attachment for Radha’s and Krishna’s pastimes in Vrindavan.
Srila Prabhupada’s vision of giving the world Krishna consciousness attracted us to want to do something to help.
We can become useful simply by adding Krishna to our lives.
It is so safe to be held tight by Caitanya Mahaprabhu. That is what Srila Prabhupada wanted to give the world.
Lord Caitanya wanted us to become useful by instructing everyone in the teachings of Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam and thus liberate the world.
Chaturatma Prabhu:
From a class on Advaita Acarya’s appearance day in Alachua (January 25, 2026):
Whoever glorifies Advaita Acarya as the best of Vaishnavas becomes a Vaishnava himself and has the shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord birth after birth.
The Lord shows mercy to those suffering in this temporary miserable world by His incarnations, His instructions, and His holy name.
Advaita Acarya said, “Sinful rascals who take the side of one Vaishnava for the purpose of criticizing another Vaishnava will burn in the fire of their offenses.”
The father of Advaita Acarya when he first saw his son found that his face shown from the reflection of the effulgence of his son.
There is a pastime when Advaita Acarya was a child that his teacher asked his students to get a flower that was across a lake that was made inaccessible by thorn bushes on this banks. No one offered. Finally Advaita Acarya offered. The teacher did not believe he could do it. So Advaita Acarya walked across the surface of the water, obtained the flower, and brought it to the teacher. His teacher realized that he had no business instructing Advaita Acarya.
Advaita Acarya could explain krishna-bhakti in such a way that anyone could understand it.
The sila that Advaita Acarya worshiped when calling for Lord Krishna to appear was a Nrsimha sila because His father was a Nrsimha bhakta.
Lord Caitanya instructed Advaita Acarya that Bg. 13.14 is speaking about how the Supreme Lord as the Supersoul is situated everywhere.
The Lord is free to do whatever He wants, but what He does is governed by His loving relationships with His devotees.
Once a worthless brahmana criticized Vaishnavas in the presence of Advaita Acarya, and Advaita Acarya became unlimitedly angry and manifested His four-armed form of Vishnu, and threatened to sever his head with his chakra.
The brahmana became fearful and repentant.
Advaita Acarya became merciful and advised him:
Admit your guilt and give up speaking ill of Vaishnavas.
Absorb yourself in nama-sankirtana.
Engage in worship of the Lord in pure devotion.
My people, please consider and act accordingly. These are the essential truths of the ideal householder.
1) Regularly perform morning and evening prayers.
2) Perform the japa and sankirtana daily.
3) Don’t covet others wives or wealth otherwise you will suffer in this life and the next.
4) Don’t commit violence but show mercy to all.
5) Don’t blasphemy others but instead glorify all sadhus.
6) Plant tulasi in your home.
7) By performing sankirtana all sinful reactions will flee and perfection will be achieved.
8) Always engage in devotional service to Krsna without any doubt.
9) Don’t act for your own pleasure.
10) If you lead your family members in the service of the Lord than all pious and impious results will be removed.
Advaita Acarya was an ideal householder because all His assets were used in the service of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya composed eight prayers glorifying Advaita Acarya and their phala-sruti is that one who recites these will become very dear to Advaita Acarya.
Q (by Anang Prabhu): Give examples of the Mayavadi tendencies that Srila Prabhupada said we have.
A: We all think we are God in that we think that everything exists for our enjoyment.
Hadai Prana Prabhu:
The story of the Udupi deity is that once Devaki was lamenting that she did not experience Krishna’s childhood pastimes. To please her, Krishna assumed his child form and played on her lap. Rukmini was attracted to the sweetness of that form of Krishna and wanted to remember Him in that way, so Krishna gave her a deity of Himself. That is the deity that was later found by Madhvacarya in a lump of gopicandana from a ship.
Comment by Tulasi Prabhu:
There was a second lump of gopicandana, and in that was a Balarama deity, who remained by the shore of the sea.
Comment by Gopala Prana Prabhu:
Madhvacarya disappeared from this world while giving a lecture on one of the Upanisads. In the midst of a description about how to disappear from this world, he vanished, and only his cadara remained.
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This verse from Sri Caitanya-caritamrita by Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami explains in brief the holy name of Advaita Acarya Prabhu. I gave a class on Advaita Acarya’s appearance day in Jackonsville twelve years ago, and I liked the verse so much I encouraged everyone to memorize it.
advaitam harinadvaitad
bhaktavataram isam tam
advaitacaryam asraye
“Because He is nondifferent from Hari, the Supreme Lord, He is called Advaita, and because He propagates the cult of devotion, He is called Acarya. He is the Lord and the incarnation of the Lord’s devotee. Therefore I take shelter of Him.” (Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 1.13)
