Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 22, No. 27
(Week 27: July 2–8, 2026)
Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Paris
(Sent from Lyon, France, on July 11, 2026)
Where I Went and What I Did
During the twenty-seventh week of 2026, I traveled to the UK to do harinama to promote the Liverpool Ratha-yatra for two days. On the way from Manchester Airport to Liverpool I did harinama on Market Street in Manchester with Janananda and Dayananda Swamis, among others, for almost an hour. On Friday I made a day trip to Nottingham to have lunch with my niece, Fern, and her mother and stepmother.
On Saturday I attended the Liverpool Ratha-yatra, and on Sunday I attended the Birmingham, before flying back to Paris in the evening. The last three days of the week, I lived at ISKCON Paris in Sarcelles, and I did harinama for three hours each day, mostly in the city of Paris but in Sarcelles market on Tuesday.
I share quotes from Srila Prabhupada’s Srimad-Bhagavatam and Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, as well as a lecture of his. I share quotes from Looking Back, Volume 1, and Prabhupada Nectar, Volume 1, by Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami.
Thanks to Barbara of Liverpool for her very generous donation. Thanks to Janananda Goswami for his donation of American currency. Thanks to Dale of Liverpool for his donation. Many thanks to Antaranga Prabhu and the Liverpool brahmacaris for their accommodation, prasadam, and transportation. Thanks to Acyuta Rupa and Yajna Prasad Prabhus of Nottingham for getting a prasadam lunch together for my relatives and me in their city. Thanks to Mayapur Madhava Prabhu of Birmingham for his hospitality and assistance there. Thanks to Jude of Liverpool for her photos of the Liverpool Ratha-yatra with me in them. Thanks to Prema Bhakti Prabhu of Manchester for transferring my British cash to my online
Itinerary
June 16–August 13: Paris harinama
– July 11–14: Lyon harinamas and Sunday park program
‒ August 13–16: Trutnov (Czech Woodstock) harinamas and kirtanas
‒ August 17: Prague harinama
August 22–27: Balarama Festival at New Mayapur
August 29–September 21: India
September 23: Return to New York
September 26: Philadelphia Ratha-yatra
Chanting Hare Krishna in England
En route to the UK, as I saw the sun rise over the French countryside, I thought of the jolly Beatles song, “Here Comes the Sun.” I don’t usually. Perhaps it’s because I’m on my way to Liverpool, where they started, to promote Saturday’s Ratha-yatra by doing harinama for two days.
When I learned that Janananda Goswami was doing harinama in Manchester on the day I was flying to the UK to do harinamas and promote Liverpool Ratha-yatra, I decided to stop there for an hour on my way to Liverpool.
Here Dayananda Swami chants Hare Krishna on Market Street in Manchester, and Janananda Goswami dances and sells books (https://youtube.com/shorts/fJi2bsNhGLI?feature=share):
At the Manchester train station, a devotee gave me vegan donuts and hot milk from a shop she works at for my journey.
I was happy that five devotees joined me for at least part of my Thursday harinama in Liverpool:
Here Dale plays guitar and chants Hare Krishna in Liverpool (https://youtube.com/shorts/cWVr3mfeFv8):
As Dale chanted Hare Krishna, Kazz enthusiastically danced (https://youtube.com/shorts/R3IqCF9VENs):
Later Pancha Tattva Prabhu chanted Hare Krishna there (https://youtube.com/shorts/n2mYGUv19zs):
Jignesh chants Hare Krishna in Liverpool (https://youtube.com/shorts/22jFfDQm998?feature=share):
While I was chanting Hare Krishna in Liverpool and Barbara was passing out invitations to the Ratha-yatra, a passerby impressed me by chanting the mantra, playing the shakers, and dancing. When I see people attracted to the beat of the kirtan, sometimes I offer them the shakers to play. This girl decided she wanted to try the dance in addition to playing shakers. She did such a good job playing the shakers and dancing, I invited her to chant the mantra. Sometimes people averse to be filmed interacting with the Hare Krishnas, but she did not mind, and Barbara took this video (https://youtube.com/shorts/P3BLDdNR_7Y?feature=share):
A friendly owner of a tattoo place is happy to have that venue used for a Thursday evening kirtan in Liverpool. Here Pancha Tattva Prabhu chants Hare Krishna there (landscape) (https://youtu.be/zMSapi38uSI):
Here is more video of that kirtan from a vantage point with better lighting (https://youtube.com/shorts/YE_Jx9tJIuE?feature=share):
Here Teddy chants the final Hare Krishna kirtan of the evening there in Liverpool (https://youtube.com/shorts/09h3vS3LeHM):
On Friday midday I made a day trip to have lunch prasadam with my niece Fern and other relatives, in Nottingham, where she was playing an ultimate frisbee tournament, although she is based in Denver. Yajna Prasad Prabhu and his wife got together two sabis, including palak paneer, rice, and a mango lassi, all of which was very good. I thought that devotee had an ideal name for assistance with prasadam seva. He has an optician shop a twelve-minute walk from the train station.
On Friday afternoon before the brahmacaris and their congregation started chopping vegetables for the Ratha-yatra feast, they joined me on harinama for forty minutes. Here Pancha Tattva Prabhu chants Hare Krishna on a walking harinama in Liverpool (https://youtube.com/shorts/wAzMNmicYko):
Harinamananda Prabhu chanted Hare Krishna before Liverpool Ratha-yatra procession started (https://youtube.com/shorts/odZzspiSA9I?feature=share):
Janananda Goswami chants Hare Krishna at the beginning of Liverpool Ratha-yatra, and devotees dance (https://youtu.be/bqglXBHtwOw):
Harinamananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Liverpool Ratha-yatra (https://youtube.com/shorts/odZzspiSA9I?feature=share):
A female street performer enjoys dancing and playing shakers to Hare Krishna kirtan at Liverpool Ratha-yatra (https://youtube.com/shorts/4-bwQ4d8pRU):
Tribhangananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Liverpool Ratha-yatra (https://youtube.com/shorts/H5eKRjhYrWc?feature=share):
Dayananda Swami chants Hare Krishna at Liverpool Ratha-yatra stage show (https://youtube.com/shorts/ABcTxLgB4kI?feature=share):
Pancha Tattva Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Liverpool Ratha-yatra stage show and many dance (https://youtu.be/oYjETfEddew):
The Liverpool Echo did a story on the Ratha-yatra. I was one they interviewed, and they included a photo of me and their summary of what I told them:
“Among those in attendance was Krishna Kripa Das. The American flew over from Paris, where he currently lives, to attend the festival. He told the ECHO: ‘We just want everyone here to feel happy. We are all children of God, there are no borders and we are all equal.’”
You can see the whole article here: https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/more-hundred-celebrate-love-liverpool-34237687?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Jude took many photos of the Ratha-yatra in Liverpool this year as she does every year.
Here is one she took of the deities, the swamis, and me at the first Liverpool Ratha-yatra that Parasurama Prabhu did back in 2017.
The next day I traveled with Janananda Goswami and Dayananda Swami to Birmingham for the Ratha-yatra there.
Janananda Goswami chants Hare Krishna in Birmingham Ratha-yatra (https://youtube.com/shorts/1elRJI85hVI?feature=share):
Dayananda Swami chants Hare Krishna in Birmingham Ratha-yatra (https://youtube.com/shorts/UwF7DCpFIq4?feature=share):
Nitai Kirtan Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Birmingham Ratha-yatra (https://youtube.com/shorts/1FKCjpWM8Mo
Tribhangananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at the end of the Birmingham Ratha-yatra (https://youtube.com/shorts/QtcyqlmlXhM?feature=share):
I had lunch with Bhimakarma, the famous mrdanga teacher, who sent his greetings through me to Rama Raya Prabhu and his kirtan team in New York.
After the free feast I looked for Westerners among the crowd at the free feast, booths, and stage show, and I gave them invitations to the programs the devotees have in the Birmingham area. I talked to one couple, and the woman had an interest in kirtan. I gave them shakers to play during the stage show kirtan and then a devotee lady from London engaged them in dancing, as you can see in the next two videos:
Jagannatha Kirtanananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Birmingham Ratha-yatra stage show (https://youtube.com/shorts/IT81t1E3yGg):
Here is more video of that kirtan in landscape orientation (https://youtu.be/MK2bE3V9fL4):
I was happy to be doing devotional service in Birmingham again, having come there to attend Ratha-yatra and 24-hour kirtan programs in past years.
Chanting Hare Krishna in Paris
Gus chants Hare Krishna at Rue de Caumartin in Paris (https://youtube.com/shorts/hoispa_4zgA?feature=share):
Gus chants Hare Krishna at Haussmann in Paris, and passersby dance with devotees (https://youtube.com/shorts/dequO9I1RHk?feature=share):
Marat chants Hare Krishna at Haussmann in Paris (https://youtube.com/shorts/ml3rJYrvnQA?feature=share):
Yasomatinandana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Stalingrad in Paris (https://youtube.com/shorts/1iQ8RekIwUE?feature=share):
As my plane headed toward Paris, the glaring setting sun shone through a plane window. Krishna says, “Of lights I am the radiant sun.”
In Florida I encountered Rosa Parks, who is described as “the mother of the American civil rights movement,” noticing transit stations in Jackonville and Gainesville bearing her name.
I am always surprised to see that even in Paris, France, there is a metro stop named after her.
There is a French word “lilas” which translates into in English as “lilacs” but which always reminds me of Krishna’s lilas (pastimes) whenever I see it, as on this bus. I have seen at least a couple of places with lilas in their names such as “Porte des Lilas” in Paris and this bus stop called “Lilas” between the Beauvais train station and the airport.
I saved some prasadam from the previous day for breakfast on my way to the UK. I did not have so much chance to heat it up before leaving, but I was able to warm it up on the bus heater.
Insights
Srila Prabhupada:
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.3.24, purport:
“We must always remember that hearing and chanting are the basic principles of discharging devotional duties, and if they are properly performed there will follow the reactional ecstasy with signs of tears in the eyes and standing of the hairs on the body. These are natural consequences and are the preliminary symptoms of the bhava stage, which occurs before one reaches the perfectional stage of prema, love of Godhead.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 3.91, purport:
“The Krishna consciousness movement is meant for devas, or devotees. Demons cannot take part in Krishna conscious activities, nor can devotees in Krishna consciousness take part in demoniac activities or work like cats and dogs simply for sense gratification. Such activity does not appeal to those in Krishna consciousness. Devotees accept only the bare necessities of life to keep themselves fit to act in Krishna consciousness. The balance of their energy is used for developing Krishna consciousness, through which one can be transferred to the abode of Krishna by always thinking of Him, even at the point of death.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 3.97, purport:
“The fact is that in this material world there is no scarcity of anything except Krishna consciousness. Material necessities are supplied by the mercy of the Supreme Lord. We sometimes feel scarcity because of our mismanagement, but the real problem is that people are out of touch with Krishna consciousness. Everyone is engaged in material sense gratification, but people have no plan for making an ultimate solution to their real problems, namely birth, disease, old age and death. These four material miseries are called bhava-roga, or material diseases. They can be cured only by Krishna consciousness. Therefore Krishna consciousness is the greatest benediction for human society.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 3.98, purport:
“This sort of serious interest in the welfare of the public makes one a bona fide acarya. An acarya does not exploit his followers. Since the acarya is a confidential servitor of the Lord, his heart is always full of compassion for humanity in its suffering. He knows that all suffering is due to the absence of devotional service to the Lord, and therefore he always tries to find ways to change people’s activities, making them favorable for the attainment of devotion. That is the qualification of an acarya.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 4.1:
“By the mercy of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, even a foolish child can fully describe the real nature of Lord Krishna, the enjoyer of the pastimes of Vraja, according to the vision of the revealed scriptures.”
From a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.3.24 in Los Angeles on June 22, 1972:
“All misconception is within our heart, beginning from the wrong identification, that ‘I am this body.’ That is the beginning of all misconception. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, ceto-darpana-marjanam [Cc Antya 20.12].
So as you go on chanting, gradually the heart will be cleansed, and you’ll be able to understand that you are not this body. . . .
That is called jñana-vairagya. Jñana. Jñana means to know thoroughly that ‘I am not this body.’ This is jñana. And as soon as you know that you are not this body, naturally you become disinterested with anything which has got bodily relation.”
“If we can cleanse our heart, then this blazing fire of repetition of birth and death can be extinguished.”
“The more you are advancing in age, that means you’re dying. You are advancing in death.”
“Any spiritual process, is meant for cleansing the heart. Either you take karma-yoga or jñana-yoga or dhyana-yoga or bhakti-yoga, the ultimate goal is that cleansing the heart.”
“This is our real business. Ceto-darpana-marjanam.”
“There are so many big, big scientist, philosopher; they don’t talk of this important subject matter, how to get out of birth and death. They have no solution, neither they can think of. But our Krishna consciousness movement is giving us the knowledge that ‘You can get out of these clutches of birth and death, old age and disease.’”
“By chanting, when you will—not always—sometimes, out of ecstasy, when tears will come down and there will be shivering on the body, that means you are coming to perfection.”
“Vedic knowledge is so perfect that you can accept it as it is and you’ll be profited.”
“Brahmana cannot accept any salary. Just like you have accepted me as your acarya, but you do not pay me any salary. This is forbidden. The teacher will not accept salary. Then he comes down to the sudra platform. The sudra accepts salary: ‘I serve you, you pay me.’”
Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:
From Looking Back, Volume 1:
“Having just decided not to write of the years before meeting the Swami, or about people I dislike in this movement, I eliminate a lot of possible material for autobiographical notes. I hope it will not leave me short.”
“Admitting our wrongs with a straw in our mouth, in the mood of dainya (humility), we should appear again on the battlefield, or kirtana hall, and prosecute our duties.”
“I seek to improve in my own school of self-improvement through self-expression and a life of prayer.”
“Whoever looked carefully into Prabhupada’s eyes saw that he was not of this world but was absorbed in Krishna. His eyes were like a barrier that prevented an intruder from looking further into his soul, but they simultaneously revealed the inconceivable depth of his being, his intimacy with Krishna. Prabhupada’s deliberate and gentle movements showed him in samadhi, guided from within. He didn’t move under the influence of the three modes of nature, but gracefully, under the Divine Energy.”
“When challenged as to his miraculous powers, he said he had none. He said his only power was the chanting of Hare Krishna and speaking Bhagavad-gīta As It Is by which he was converting mlecchas (uncivilized men) into Vaiṣnavas.”
“I read almost all the books published by ISKCON devotees and stay linked with them in that way. I read the Internet blogs of various devotees and keep in touch with them in virtual cyberspace.”
““And I was there among the first. I feel he will always remember me as ‘Satsvarūpa’ from my typing and donations and giving him a daily mango. He picked me up as a sad lonely hippie and made me a happy and responsible son. I will never forget those days or fail to treasure them.”
“At the welfare office I chanted Hare Krishna mantras silently in my mind. The Swami had approved the practice. I had told him my co-workers engaged in talking nonsense. He said, ‘Even the greatest philosophers are talking nonsense. Go on chanting Hare Krishna in your mind.’”
“I wrote an essay called “Karma Yoga” in which I explained my welfare office work as a form of yoga and my movements as asanas or sitting postures offered to the Lord. Because I gave my paycheck to the Swami I understood that whatever I did at the office was an offering to Krishna. I was liberated through my work and didn’t find it burdensome.”
“The Swami didn’t change when he met me. He remained the immovable touchstone of Krishna consciousness. But I changed completely.”
“St. Augustine said that animals have no souls and killing them is permissible.”
“Krishna-kṛpa quoted Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvatī as saying harinama saṅkīrtana was the emperor of all sadhanas. Every form of sadhana must have its connection with harinama saṅkīrtana in order to have its meaning. He said this was the best quote he had ever found, and Agnideva said, “Wow!” I hope I connected to harinama saṅkīrtana while describing the spring, otherwise it’s useless. We chant while we work, singing the Lord’s Names.”
“As dependable as the Big Ben clock in London, the Swami would enter the storefront and step out of his shoes and sit and lead us in the morning tune chant for twenty minutes. Then he set up his reel-to-reel tape recorder and started lecturing about Sanatana Goswami’s getting out of jail and going to meet Lord Caitanya in Benares. A cliff- hanger lecture every morning. I can keep going back and remembering, and it’s always there. I don’t have to make it up. It all actually happened, and it was wonderful as he took me up and molded me into a devotee of Krishna consciousness. He is my Swami, and I hope to remember him now and at the hour of my death and to somehow go to him in that same mood as when I first joined him.”
From Prabhupada Nectar, Volume 1, Number 16:
“Prabhupada was intent on his preaching points, although he had made the same points millions of times. Thus he was not just a scholar, but a pure devotee attempting to convince everyone that they had to change—the whole world had to change—or else.”
From Prabhupada Nectar, Volume 1, Number 37:
“Prabhupada approved of his disciples making ambitious plans for spreading Krishna consciousness. ‘But Prabhupada,’ one devotee asked, ‘how are we going to get the money to do all this?’ Prabhupada said, ‘You make the plans, Krishna will provide the money.’”
Aksayananda Prabhu:
There is nothing besides Krishna.
Nothing can force the Lord to appear.
Each time we want to gratify our senses, we have to pay for it.
Krishna is the supermarket. He is the items bought. He is the cashier. He is the enjoyment derived from the objects.
Paramatma is so kind He facilitates our lifting a spoon.
Krishna delivers beings in the course of performing His pastimes, not that he has to make a special endeavor to deliver beings.
Rasa Parayana Prabhu:
During the time of Srila Prabhupada there was a lot of talk about traveling in space. Prabhupada then introduced his followers to Narada Muni, the transcendental space man.
There are two kinds of preachers: class preachers and mass preachers.
If it wasn’t for Narada Muni, we would not have Srimad-Bhagavatam.
One reason they focus on preaching to people in engineering, especially IT, in India is that they can easily get a job after graduation so they do not have to worry about their income and they can dedicate time to spiritual life.
We need to choose where we can get the maximum result with the least effort.
A lesson we can learn from Narada is the value of association with great devotees.
Srila Prabhupada struggled for 43 years before achieving dramatic success, but he always had full belief in the plan of Krishna.
The preacher learns twice, when he reads and when he speaks. Paramatma inspires you when you preach.
Consistency in effort and purity in intent will ultimately attract Krishna’s mercy, and He will provide whatever is required.
If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.
It is easier to bring people to Krishna consciousness than to raise people in Krishna consciousness.
Dayal Nitai Prabhu:
It is significant that Srila Prabhupada says that the Lord appears only by his sweet will. No one can force the Lord to appear.
Two verses from Srimad-Bhagavatam spoken by Uddhava to Vidura brought Sukadeva Goswami to worship the personal feature of the Lord.
The Lord is so compassionate that even if someone tries to kill Him, the Lord still tries to save him.
The Lord accepts the service we offer to Him, ignoring our demoniac tendencies.
The internal reason for the Lord’s appearance as Lord Caitanya is the principal reason for his appearance, to taste the prema of Radharani.
Although the devotees are described as desire trees, if we are too attached to fulfilling our material desires, we will not be able to appreciate them as desire trees.
One person who received a Bhagavad-gita from some Russian or Ukraine devotee at Chatelet was praising our work as saying that it is the only thing that will keep the society from becoming more and more degraded.
If you consider that Krishna is in every person’s heart, then you can consider, “What does Krishna want to teach me from this person?” If you have this attitude, they appreciate and want to take a book. The sankirtana becomes tasty if we do in this way. If we think we have the truth and want to push it on them, it will a be fight and it will not be tasty.
I am always willing to talk to people, sometimes for a long time, as long as I feel the peole are not envious.
Some Christians were saying that they were worshiping the true God. I explained that actually we worship the same God, but they would not accept it. I then accused them of being polytheists because they speak in terms of “my God” and “your God.” We, however, are monotheists because we say that there is only one God.
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This verse from Bhagavad-gita is not quoted very much, but it is important because it tells the result of knowing the opulence and mystic power of the Supreme Lord. It also is important because immediately precedes to the catuh-sloki, the four verses said to summarizes the Gita’s message.
etam vibhutim yogam ca
so ’vikalpena yogena
yujyate natra samsayah
“One who is factually convinced of this opulence and mystic power of Mine engages in unalloyed devotional service; of this there is no doubt.” (Bhagavad-gita 10.7)
