By Krishna Kripa Das
(Week 31: July 30– August 5, 2026)
Where I Went and What I Did
During the thirty-first week of 2026, I lived at ISKCON Paris in Sarcelles, and I did harinama for three hours each day, mostly in the city of Paris but at the local Garges Sarcelles RER station on Friday.
Occasionally I would chant by myself, if no one joined me or if the others left before I completed my three hours.
I share quotes from Srila Prabhupada’s Srimad-Bhagavatam and Sri Caitanya-caritamrita. I share quotes from Japa Reform Notebook by Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami. I share notes from lectures by Srutakirti, Pancharatna, Bhagavata Dharma, Aksayananda, Samba, and Nitai Sevini Prabhus.
Thanks to Janananda Goswami for his donation of American currency.
Itinerary
June 16–August 20: Paris harinama
‒ August 13–16: Trutnov (Czech Woodstock) harinamas and kirtanas
‒ August 17: Prague harinama
August 22–27: Balarama Festival at New Mayapur
August 29: Fly to India
August 30–September 21: Mayapur harinama
September 23: Return to New York
September 26: Philadelphia Ratha-yatra
Chanting Hare Krishna in Paris
Yasomatinandana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Stalingrad in Paris (https://youtube.com/shorts/GW4gKNWs1_M?feature=share):
Jiva Prana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Stalingrad in Paris (https://youtube.com/shorts/uAw7rs4MSNc?feature=share):
Rasa Paranaya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Stalingrad in Paris (https://youtube.com/shorts/mbfG8qIkRyQ):
Gus chants Hare Krishna at Stalingrad in Paris (https://youtube.com/shorts/qFXWwHNjXkA?feature=share):
Rohininandana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Stalingrad in Paris (https://youtube.com/shorts/JxPLEQrL4BI):
Revatinandana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Stalingrad in Paris (https://youtube.com/shorts/ksbfGLZ20io):
While he was chanting many people danced, including a passerby (https://youtube.com/shorts/GI-FF6O9Hww?feature=share):
On the days I go out with a smaller party, I put a few books on a cadara and have a little bowl for donations. If people give money, I offer them books. I have books in French, English, Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, and Arabic. Some days people give absolutely nothing and on others the collection is over twenty-five euros.
Photos
Recently I have been inviting Indians and people who interacted favorably with our chanting to come to the temple midday. I tell them we have some chanting at 12:30 p.m. and a free vegetarian meal at 1:30 p.m.
To one woman who enjoyed chanting with us, I sent a photo of the variety of items we have for the lunch to inspire her to come. She said she is not in Paris now, but she would tell her friends who live in Paris.
One devotee gave me a diet where one day I had to eat three meals of a single vegetable. I choose sweet potatoes because I really like them. I boiled 6 cups of sweet potatoes and had a third of them at each meal.
At dinner I decided to drink the water the sweet potatoes were boiled in rather than throw it out, and it was like a heavenly nectar drink which was good enough to offer to the deities. I was amazed. This photo definitely does not do it justice.
Insights
Srila Prabhupada:
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.20.25:
“He [Lord Brahma] approached the Personality of Godhead, who bestows all boons and who dispels the agony of His devotees and of those who take shelter of His lotus feet. He manifests His innumerable transcendental forms for the satisfaction of His devotees.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.20.25, purport:
“In a verse in the Ramayana, Hanuman, the great devotee of Rama, said, ‘I know that there is no difference between the Sita-Rama and Laksmi-Narayana forms of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but nevertheless, the form of Rama and Sita has absorbed my affection and love. Therefore I want to see the Lord in the forms of Rama and Sita.’”
“The words bhaktanam anurupatma-darsanam mean that the Lord is always pleased to favor the devotee in the particular form in which the devotee wants to worship and render service unto Him.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.20.31, purport:
“The real beauty is Krishna and Radha. One who is attracted by the beauty of Radha and Krishna cannot be attracted by the false beauty of this material world.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.20.35, purport:
“In the Bhagavatam (5.5.1) it is stated that brahma-saukhya, spiritual happiness, is ananta, unending. Foolish creatures are enamored with the beauty of matter and think that the enjoyment it offers is real, but actually that is not real enjoyment.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.20.43, purport:
“The devotee of the Lord, or one who is in Krishna consciousness, however, does not need to perform such ritualistic ceremonies as sraddha because he is always pleasing the Supreme Lord; therefore his fathers and ancestors who might have been in difficulty are automatically relieved. The vivid example is Prahlada Maharaja. Prahlada Maharaja requested Lord Nrsimhadeva to deliver his sinful father, who had so many times offended the lotus feet of the Lord. The Lord replied that in a family where a Vaishnava like Prahlada is born, not only his father but his father’s father and their fathers—up to the fourteenth father back—are all automatically delivered. The conclusion, therefore, is that Krishna consciousness is the sum total of all good work for the family, for society and for all living entities. In the Caitanya-caritamrta the author says that a person fully conversant with Krishna consciousness does not perform any rituals because he knows that simply by serving Krishna in full Krishna consciousness, all rituals are automatically performed.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.21.7, purport:
“Devotional service, or engagement in Krishna consciousness, is the direct method, and all other methods, although recommended, are indirect. In this Age of Kali the direct method is especially more feasible than the indirect because people are short-living, their intelligence is poor, and they are poverty-stricken and embarrassed by so many miserable disturbances. Lord Caitanya, therefore, has given the greatest boon: in this age one simply has to chant the holy name of God to attain perfection in spiritual life.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.21.14, purport:
“Actually, the intelligent practitioner of yoga should aspire for nothing else but to cross over the ocean of nescience by worshiping the Personality of Godhead and to see the lotus feet of the Lord.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.21.15, purport:
“The advantage of worshiping the Supreme Person is that even if one has desires for material enjoyment, if he worships Krishna he will gradually become a pure devotee and have no more material hankering.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.21.17:
“However, persons who have given up stereotyped worldly affairs and the beastly followers of these affairs, and who have taken shelter of the umbrella of Your lotus feet by drinking the intoxicating nectar of Your qualities and activities in discussions with one another, can be freed from the primary necessities of the material body.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.21.20, purport:
“This material world is not created for those who do not want to enjoy sense gratification, who constantly remain in transcendental loving service and who are eternally Krishna conscious. For them, the spiritual world is eternally existing, and they enjoy there.”
“Krishna is so kind that He allows the sense-enjoying living entities a separate world created by Him to enjoy as they like, yet at the same time He appears in His personal form. The Lord unwillingly creates this material world, but He descends in His personal form or sends one of His reliable sons or a servant or a reliable author like Vyasadeva to give instruction. He Himself also instructs in His speeches of Bhagavad-gita. This propaganda work goes on side by side with the creation to convince the misguided living entities who are rotting in this material world to come back to Him and surrender unto Him. Therefore the last instruction of Bhagavad-gita is this: ‘Give up all your manufactured engagements in the material world and just surrender unto Me. I shall protect you from all sinful reactions.’”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.21.21, purport:
“Unless one is disgusted with the enjoyment of this material world, he cannot aspire for liberation. Liberation is for one who is disgusted with material enjoyment. Vedanta-sutra says, therefore, athato brahma jijñasa: those who have given up the attempt to be happy in this material world can inquire about the Absolute Truth. For those who want to know the Absolute Truth, the Vedanta-sutra is available, as is Srimad-Bhagavatam, the actual explanation of Vedanta-sutra. Since Bhagavad-gita is also Vedanta-sutra, by understanding Srimad-Bhagavatam, Vedanta-sutra or Bhagavad-gita one can obtain real knowledge.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.21.22, purport:
“Whenever the Lord speaks, He speaks from the transcendental world. He does not speak from the material world. Since He is transcendental, His speech is also transcendental, as is His activity; everything in relation to Him is transcendental. The word amrita refers to one who does not meet with death. The words and activities of the Lord are deathless; therefore they are not manufactured of this material world. The sound of this material world and that of the spiritual world are completely different. The sound of the spiritual world is nectarean and eternal, whereas the sound of the material world is hackneyed and subject to end. The sound of the holy name—Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare—everlastingly increases the enthusiasm of the chanter. If one repeats monotonous material words, he will feel exhausted, but if he chants Hare Krishna twenty-four hours a day, he will never feel exhausted; rather, he will feel encouraged to continue chanting more and more.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.21.24:
“The Lord continued: My dear rsi [Kardama Muni], O leader of the living entities, for those who serve Me in devotion by worshiping Me, especially persons like you who have given up everything unto Me, there is never any question of frustration.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.21.28, purport:
“If we depend on the choice of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, we will receive benedictions in greater opulence than we desire.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.21.31:
“Showing compassion to all living entities, you will attain self-realization. Giving assurance of safety to all, you will perceive your own self as well as all the universes in Me, and Myself in you.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.21.31, purport:
“There is a nice example regarding the sun and the sunshine. The sun, by its sunshine, is spread all over the universe, and all the planets rest on the sunshine. But all the planets are different from the sun planet; one cannot say that because the planets are resting on the sunshine, these planets are also the sun. Similarly, the impersonal or pantheistic view that everything is God is not a very intelligent proposal.”
“As long as one is not compassionate to people in general in his devotional service to the Lord, he is a third-class devotee. The first-class devotee gives assurance to every living being that there is no fear of this material existence: ‘Let us live in Krishna consciousness and conquer the nescience of material existence.’”
“To award fearlessness to the common man is the greatest act of charity.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.1.1, purport:
“When the Supreme Personality of Godhead appears, He generally appears in a ksatriya family because He comes to establish religious principles and the life of righteousness. According to the Vedic system, the ksatriya family is the protector of the human race. When the Supreme Personality of Godhead appeared as Lord Ramacandra, He appeared in the surya-vamsa, the family descending from the sun-god, and when He appeared as Lord Krishna, He did so in the Yadu dynasty, or yadu-vamsa, whose descent was from the moon-god.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 4.56, purport:
“The very name ‘Radha’ suggests that Srimati Radharani is eternally the topmost mistress of the comforts of Sri Krishna. As such, She is the medium transmitting the living entities’ service to Sri Krishna. Devotees in Vrindavan therefore seek the mercy of Srimati Radharani in order to be recognized as loving servitors of Sri Krishna.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 4.60, purport:
“The hladini potency gives the Lord all transcendental pleasure, and the Lord bestows such a potency upon His pure devotee.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 4.62, purport:
“The transcendental potency by which He possesses transcendental bliss and causes His devotees to have bliss is called hladini.”
“The Lord and His devotees simultaneously perceive the hladini potency directly by the power of the samvit potency.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 4.63, purport:
“O Lord, You are the support of everything. The three attributes hladini, sandhini and samvit exist in You as one spiritual energy. But the material modes, which cause happiness, misery and mixtures of the two, do not exist in You, for You have no material qualities.” [Vishnu Purana (1.12.69)]
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 4.65, purport:
“When the living entity is situated in visuddha-sattva, transcendental to the three material modes of nature, he can perceive the form, qualities and other features of the Supreme Personality of Godhead through his service attitude.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 4.66:
“‘The condition of pure goodness [suddha-sattva], in which the Supreme Personality of Godhead is revealed without any covering, is called vasudeva. In that pure state the Supreme Godhead, who is beyond the material senses and who is known as Vasudeva, is perceived by my mind.’” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.3.23)
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 4.69, purport:
“Radharani is the personified embodiment of these three aspects of transcendental consciousness. She is therefore the highest principle in love of Godhead and is the supreme lovable object of Sri Krishna.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 4.87:
“The name ‘Radha’ is derived from the root word aradhana, which means ‘worship.’ The personality who excels all in worshiping Krishna may therefore be called Radhika, the greatest servitor.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 4.137–139:
“Seeing His own beauty, Lord Krishna began to consider. My sweetness is wonderful, infinite and full. No one in the three worlds can find its limit. Only Radhika, by the strength of Her love, tastes all the nectar of My sweetness.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 4.143:
“My sweetness is always newer and newer. Devotees taste it according to their own respective love.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 4.146:
“Who manifests an abundance of sweetness greater than Mine, which has never been experienced before and which causes wonder to all? Alas, I Myself, My mind bewildered upon seeing this beauty, impetuously desire to enjoy it like Srimati Radharani.” [Lalita-madhava (8.34) of Srila Rupa Gosvami]
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 4.147:
“The beauty of Krishna has one natural strength: it thrills the hearts of all men and women, beginning with Lord Krishna Himself.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 4.148:
“All minds are attracted by hearing His sweet voice and flute, or by seeing His beauty. Even Lord Krishna Himself makes efforts to taste that sweetness.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 4.153:
“The gopis saw their beloved Krishna at Kuruksetra after a long separation. They secured and embraced Him in their hearts through their eyes, and they attained a joy so intense that not even perfect yogis can attain it. The gopis cursed the creator for creating eyelids that interfered with their vision.” [Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.82.39]
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 4.156:
[The women of Mathura said:] “What austerities must the gopis have performed? With their eyes they always drink the nectar of the form of Lord Krishna, which is the essence of loveliness and is not to be equaled or surpassed. That form is the only abode of beauty, fame and opulence. It is self-perfect, ever fresh and extremely rare.” [Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.44.14]
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 4.157:
“The sweetness of Lord Krishna is unprecedented, and its strength is also unprecedented. Simply by one’s hearing of such beauty, the mind becomes unsteady.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 4.165:
“The desire to gratify one’s own senses is kama [lust], but the desire to please the senses of Lord Krishna is prema [love].”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 4.172:
“Thus there is not the slightest taint of lust in the gopis’ love. Their relationship with Krishna is only for the sake of His enjoyment.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 4.213:
“O Partha, the gopis know My greatness, My loving service, respect for Me, and My mentality. Others cannot really know these.” [Ādi Purana]”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 5.1:
“Let me offer my obeisances to Lord Sri Nityananda, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose opulence is wonderful and unlimited. By His will, even a fool can understand His identity.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 5.22:
“The bestial civilization of eating, sleeping, fearing and sense-gratifying has misled modern man into forgetting how powerful a soul he has. As we have already described, the soul is a spiritual spark many, many times more illuminating, dazzling and powerful than the sun, moon or electricity. Human life is spoiled when man does not realize his real identity with his soul. Lord Caitanya appeared with Lord Nityananda to save man from this type of misleading civilization.”
“For the perfect yogi who has attained success in the method of leaving his body in perfect consciousness, transferring from one planet to another is as easy as an ordinary man’s walking to the grocery store.”
“Because the Lord is kind to us, we can live anywhere—either in the spiritual sky or in the material sky, upon whichever planet we desire. However, misuse of this freedom causes one to fall down into the material world and suffer the threefold miseries of conditioned life. The living of a miserable life in the material world by dint of the soul’s choice is nicely illustrated by Milton in Paradise Lost. Similarly, by choice the soul can regain paradise and return home, back to Godhead.”
“Systematic training of the mind and intelligence is therefore needed so that at the time of death one may consciously desire a suitable body, either on this planet or another material planet or even a transcendental planet. A civilization that does not consider the progressive advancement of the immortal soul merely fosters a bestial life of ignorance.”
Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:
From Japa Reform Notebook, Chapter 1:
“Bhismadeva also drove out all other thought at the time of his passing away. Scheming over this and that, letting the mind wander—at the time of death you will be forced to give up all these thoughts. But do it now and save yourself for chanting. Such pure chanting can save the whole world. ‘O Radha, O Krishna, please engage me!’”
From Japa Reform Notebook, Chapter 2:
“Chant heart and soul early in the morning and you will be prepared to take on all obstacles in the day.”
“The main thing is to fix your mind on the sound of the chanting. As you strain and yearn to keep your attention fixed, this naturally brings a mood of devotion. This is the way you serve the holy name.”
Srutikirti Prabhu:
From a class on the 60th anniversary of ISKCON at New York City on July 31, 2026:
Once Srila Prabhupada said, “I am the dictaphone machine. Krishna dictates, and I write.”
Once in Calcutta one devotee didn’t go to mangala-arati. Prabhupada asked him where he was. He said, “I was visiting the site where you took birth and the Mulliks temple you attended.”
Prabhupada responded by saying, “This temple is your home.”
One day I said I was really struggling. “I just stay in my room all day.”He replied, “I just stay in my room all day too.”
His solution was not to change my situation of being in the room, but to give me some more service to do there.
Srila Prabhupada just wanted to see that everyone was in the protective shell that he gave us.
Srila Prabhupada had the option of going to Ratha-yatra in London in 1973 or resting in Perth to recuperate his health. He told his leaders in India to discuss it and make a decision as to which. During his massage, he asked me, and I told him that he was going to London to preach. He was pleased with my understanding. When the leaders returned, he asked their decision. They said he should rest, and he expressed disappointment. Of course, he did go to that famous London Ratha-yatra and danced through the whole procession. Two years later a similar choice came up. I said I knew he would choose the preaching opportunity over the resting opportunity. Again the leaders recommended he rest, and again he was disappointed with them. They had not better understood his mind although two years had passed.
Pancharatna Prabhu:
From a comment during a class by Sunanda Prabhu in New York City on August 4, 2026:
The 17th-century German Lutheran theologian Rupertus Meldenius (also known as Peter Meiderlin) has a saying from the time of The Thirty Year’s War that might be of value for our Vaishnava community, “In essentials unity, in nonessentials liberty, and in all things charity.”
Aksayananda Prabhu:
As the devotees advance they can perceive the desires of the Lord and try assist Him in the fulfillment of these.
When Krishna comes to the material world, He brings His abode with Him.
Some pastimes of Krishna include death, but death is not found in the spiritual world.
When Krishna was getting ready to leave this world, he left a material body so that people who wanted to could consider He had died. After that he went to Vrindavan to show His friends that He did not die. He explained that Kali-yuga had come, and thus their pastimes could not continue. Then He arranged a horse and chariot, manifested His form as Laksmi Narayana, and mounted the.chariot. Then He arranged similar facilities for the residents of Vrindavan, and they all returned to the spiritual world.
If someone came in the temple and starting throwing things at the deity we would be upset because we have developed some attachment to Krishna.
Cooperation to please the Lord is the temple. Not just the walls constitute the temple.
It is important to have an advanced spiritual leader in the community situated in the temple every day.
Bhagavata Dharma of Slovenia:
From a class on Vaishnava etiquette:
All regulations and prohibitions, including Vaishnava etiquette, are servants of the rule to always remember Lord Krishna and to never forget Him.
We are, as well as any living entity is, a servant of Krishna. Thus if I think someone should serve me, then I am affected by ignorance.
No community can function if people do not understand their positions. Everything upside down in Kali-yuga because no one accepts their positions.
I allow you to exploit me as long as I can exploit you a little more.
One of the ways to please Krishna is to follow the etiquette.
It is important in temple management that we do not engage people of differing sexes in the same service at the same time.
Admitting our weakness at sense control in the face of the opposite sex, we should pray to Krishna.
Why is Krishna consciousness a science? By following a process we can achieve a certain goal, and that can be verified, then it is a science.
Two masters tend to fight, but not two servants.
In male/female relationships the women need protection, and they know it. No woman wants a weak husband. If a man is respected by his wife, he feels inspired to take care of the family nicely, and everyone thrives.
The acaryas advise us to associate with devotees who have a similar mentality.
By gossiping we acquire the bad qualities of the people we talk about, but by glorifying the qualities of the devotees of the Lord and the Lord Himself we acquire those transcendental qualities.
We should share realizations with devotee friends.
We should serve junior people by encouraging them in their service.
We should think, “I am put in this position to be able to serve.”
Comments by me:
“My dear Sanatana, although you are the deliverer of the entire universe and although even the demigods and great saints are purified by touching you, it is the characteristic of a devotee to observe and protect the Vaishnava etiquette. Maintenance of the Vaishnava etiquette is the ornament of a devotee.” (Cc. Antya 4.129–130)
“In all spiritual affairs, one's first duty is to control his mind and senses. Unless one controls his mind and senses, one cannot make any advancement in spiritual life. Everyone within this material world is engrossed in the modes of passion and ignorance. One must promote himself to the platform of goodness, sattva-guna, by following the instructions of Rupa Gosvami, and then everything concerning how to make further progress will be revealed.” (The Nectar of Instruction, Preface)
[Not voiced:] “The infatuation and bondage which accrue to a man from attachment to any other object is not as complete as that resulting from attachment to a woman or to the fellowship of men who are fond of women.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.31.35)
The third purpose of ISKCON is to understand we are all eternal servants of Krishna within the society and beyond.
Bhaktimarga Swami has “no gossiping” as a fifth rule to follow at initiation.
Lord Caitanya said that one who chants the holy name and does not blaspheme anyone easily attains Krishna prema. (Caitanya-bhagavata)
[Not voiced:] Like staying up late, getting up early can reduce the sleep of others if we play tapes or sing loudly as we bathe and dress.
Question by Tamal: What if advanced devotees we respect get in positions of power and they end up abusing devotees in different ways?
Question by devotee lady: We were instructed that we shouldn’t cook in the kitchen with brahmacaris, but what about married man?
Answer: It is OK, but only if they are with their wives.
From a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.1.1, purport in Paris on July 31, 2026:
In the early cantos, we can learn how Krishna is not an ordinary living being, and thus we will not misunderstand His pastimes in the Tenth Canto.
Krishna tells about how trees live for the benefit of others. He makes the point that brahmanas who don’t live to benefit others are less than trees.
Jesus said if you lose your life, you will gain it. and if you try to maintain your life you will lose it. I could never could understand that until I became a devotee. If we give our lives completely to Krishna we will gain everything.
Our ambition is just to render a little service.
If we give ourselves completely to Krishna, Krishna is unable to repay us.
Krishna is only enjoying by serving other living entities.
It is explained that each gopi has two services, (1) her particular service, and (2) whatever service needs to be done at the moment.
If we are very enthusiastic that will inspire others. Enthusiasm is contagious, and so is lethargy.
We should be concerned about the needs of others as we are a personal movement.
Unpoken comment by me:
Prabhupada said that his brothers wanted to live long lives while he and his sister just wanted to do something for Krishna. As it turned out the brothers died comparatively early, and he and his sister lived long lives.
From a class on Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 13.70 in Paris on August 1, 2026:
Bhaktivinoda Thakura says nama-ruci (having a taste for the holy name} and jiva-daya (compassion for others) are the essence. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati and Srila Prabhupada is also emphasized compassion.
The process of connecting with the Lord is to give our heart. Don’t be half hearted.
The marathon runners say there is only one level of commitment: total.
The holy name is the most important for Kali-yuga, both for ourselves and others.
We should chant with the prayerful mood, “please engage me in Your devotional service.”
We should see ourselves as servants of the deities and servants of the devotees.
Because people proud of their material education and position in society are not attracted, we should expect those who are not advanced materially to come.
Srila Prabhupada was preaching to people who were into sex, drugs, and rock’n’roll, and he told them, “No sex, no drugs, and no rock’n’roll.”
The expression of compassion for ourselves is to take this process of Krishna very seriously. Also Lord Krishna’s instructions in Bhagavad-gita 6.16–17 on moderation should be followed.
Comments by me:
Bhagavad-gita 18.54 mentions that unless we see all living beings equally we will not attain bhakti: “One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments or desires to have anything. He is equally disposed toward every living entity. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto Me.”
Also Krishna stresses compassion in Bhagavad-gita 12.13: “One who is not envious but who is a kind friend to all living entities . . . is very dear to Me.”
From a class on Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 13.74 in Paris on August 2, 2026:
Although Jagannatha Misra and Saci Devi were the eternal parents of Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, they were not exempt from suffering, in that they had nine daughters who all died soon after birth. Thus we can see even the most advanced personalities suffer.
After the daughters, they had one son who took sannyasi, which is death from the social point of view.
Bhakti has the power to change curses into blessings.
It is said that when Uddhava visited Vrindavan he was only welcomed by Nanda Maharaja as Yasoda did not want to see anyone but Krishna.
If you call someone’s name, and they come and you ignore them that is an offense. Don’t do that with Krishna.
Krishna should be our only shelter. Do not seek shelter outside of Krishna consciousness.
Although Krishna is everywhere, He can remain hidden.
The servant is always commanded. If we do not like to be commanded, that is a sign that we have not accepted that we are servants.
Comments by me:
Hridayananda Goswami says he always worried about being more tolerant that a tree because people carve their initials in trees.
Dayananda Swami in the UK points out in the Gita the first thing that Krishna tells Arjuna to actually do is to practice tolerance, matra sparsas tu kaunteya. Before that He just spoke philosophy.
Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.10 says it is alright to desire survival because life is meant for self-realization: “Life's desires should never be directed toward sense gratification. One should desire only a healthy life, or self-preservation, since a human being is meant for inquiry about the Absolute Truth. Nothing else should be the goal of one’s works.”
When we go out in public, we give people the opportunity to direct their free will to Krishna.
Especially in Kali-yuga training is required because people are conditioned by the mode of ignorance which is exactly opposite from the mode of ignorance.
From a question and answer session in Paris on August 4, 2026:
Prahladananda Swami previously was a brahmacari assistant of Tamal Krishna Goswami. Maharaja kept him engaged in going here and there, and he had no time to chant his rounds. He solved the problem by not returning from his first service till two hours later, after he had chanted his rounds.
Q (by Ekanatha Prabhu): How to raise children in Krishna consciousness?
A: If the children see the parents have no other happiness outside Krishna consciousness, they will naturally become Krishna consciousness.
If the mother chants when she breastfeeds the baby, the baby will connect the chanting with nourishment and comfort.
When the mother chants, she can encourage the child to listen and try to chant. At 5 years, the child could to be encouraged to try to chant a round.
The family should have programs together, such as mangala arati and Gaura arati.
The children should have some service for the deities.
Nitya Sevini Devi Dasi:
From a Sunday feast lecture in Paris on August 2, 2026:
A devotee does give up material things. He outgrows them. Just like the things we did as kids.
The devotee does not hate the world. He recogizes it is for Krishna’s devotional service.
The devotee does not want to be the hero of the story, he just wants to part of Krishna’s story.
A devotee is happy serving Krishna so he does not feel the need to credit for things he did.
When you become a devotee, it is not that all your problems go away, but you understand that Krishna is behind everything and that Krishna wants good for us.
Krishna can plan our present because He sees the future.
For the devotee, Krishna is the reference point. Everything the devotee sees is in relationship with Krishna.
Once Srila Prabhupada told the devotees in Mayapur that Radha Madhava come to a certain place on the temple grounds at night to perform their pastimes so they should keep it clean.
When we focus on the important things in life then we will not be disturbed by the less important things.
From a class Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.1.2 in Paris on August 3, 2026:
What keeps us in Krishna consciousness is hearing about Krishna.
Even Krishna wants to hear about Krishna. Jagannatha manifested when Krishna wanted to hear about Krishna.
It is said Ananta was worried about the assignment the Lord gave him to hold the planets. The Lord said, “Just do it while you chant My names. Then continue while you chant My pastimes.” In this way the Lord tricked Ananta to continue because the pastimes of the Lord never end.
You have so many breaths to live, but the breaths we take while hearing Krishna-katha are not counted, so our duration of life increases.
There is a pastime in Udupi where the deity’s plate was sometimes missing. It was always found where a certain swami was speaking Bhagavatam. The story was the deity was enjoying listening to the Bhagavatam while eating, and He left His plate there.
Samba Prabhu:
We have two ears and one mouth. That is designed by the Lord. We should hear at least twice as much as we speak.
Prabhupada pushed a devotee couple to go to Sweden. They asked what should they do. He told the husband to read the Bhagavatam and whatever he was inspired to say he should speak. “Have kirtan at your place,” he said, “and invite those around to come.” After a few years, the devotee had established four centers there.
Srila Prabhupada wrote one bhajana in which he says he wants all living beings to go back to Godhead.
If a devotee takes birth in a brahmana or aristocratic family, what is the guarantee he will progress in the next life? Thus we should take advantage of the favorable situation we have now and attain perfection.
Krishna Kripa Das:
From a Facebook post:
“After offering mangala-arati to Radha-Giridhari, Badrinarayana Prabhu (later Swami), seeing all the commotion with pujaris rushing here and there getting ready to dress their respective deities, smiled and said, ‘Grand Central Station.’”
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Are you looking for happiness? For perfection? For the best possible destination? Krishna gives the secret in Bhagavad-gita. Don’t act according to your whims! Follow the advice given by the omniscient and benevolent Supreme Being in the literature which He has kindly revealed. Do not miss out!
yah sastra-vidhim utsrjya
na sa siddhim avapnoti
na sukham na param gatim
“He who discards scriptural injunctions and acts according to his own whims attains neither perfection, nor happiness, nor the supreme destination.” (Bhagavad-gita 16.23)
