Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 22, No. 30
(Week 30: July 23–29, 2026)
Paris
(Sent from Sarcelles, France, on August 1, 2026)
Where I Went and What I Did
During the thirtieth 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 and part of Sunday.
Revatinanadana Prabhu, who plays accordion and who likes daily harinama, returned from India to join us.
I share quotes from Srila Prabhupada’s Srimad-Bhagavatam and Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, as well as a lecture of his. I share a quote from Prabhupada Nectar, Volume 4, by Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami. I share notes on classes by Aksayananda, Bhagavata Dharma, Rasa Parayana, and Patita Pavana Prabhu.
Thanks to Jiva Prana Prabhu, temple president of Paris, for his donation to my August transit ticket. Thanks to Dayal Nitai for the video of me playing mrdanga on harinama at Haussmann. Thanks to Rasa Lila Devi Dasi for cooking food to assist me in following Aksayananda Prabhu’s recommended diet.
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–September 21: Mayapur
September 23: Return to New York
September 25: Philadelphia harinama to promote Ratha-yatra
September 26: Philadelphia Ratha-yatra
September 27–December 31: NYC Harinam
Chanting Hare Krishna in Paris
Patit Pavana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at La Défense, and passersby dance with devotees (https://youtube.com/shorts/zToc-TxKkCU?feature=share):
Marat chants “Jaya Prabhupada” at La Defense in Paris (https://youtube.com/shorts/jqShlamHNWU?feature=share):
Patit Pavana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Hotel de Ville in Paris (https://youtube.com/shorts/CY83A8e0SIs?feature=share):
Gus plays guitar and chants Hare Krishna at Hotel de Ville in Paris (https://youtube.com/shorts/8N0rTdzUNyg):
Jiva Prana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Hotel de Ville, and a passerby from New Zealand plays shakers and dances, and then someone else also dances (https://youtube.com/shorts/78Z6etdIpaI?feature=share):
Yadurani Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna at Hotel de Ville (https://youtube.com/shorts/l1Fq9GyPqlA?feature=share):
Bhakti Vardan Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Hotel de Ville (https://youtube.com/shorts/ObwDSXOQ-vc?feature=share):
Revatinandana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna with Ina of Chile at Stalingrad in Paris (https://youtube.com/shorts/27fyfcsNhRA?feature=share):
Revatinanadana Prabhu demonstrated there at Stalingrad how an accordion case can be used for book display.
Here I chant at Stalingrad in Paris, and Revatinandana Prabhu plays accordion (https://youtube.com/shorts/_doVShIFhoA?feature=share):
The guy on the scooter met us on harinama at Stalingrad the previous week. Maev recognized him and encouraged him to take part this time, and he joined our harinama for at least half an hour, sometimes playing the shakers.
Revatinanadana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Republique in Paris (https://youtube.com/shorts/-AbRJRqKQgk):
Christopher chants Hare Krishna at Republique (https://youtube.com/shorts/pxAovcixLR0):
Here Gus plays guitar and chants Hare Krishna at Haussmann in Paris, and I play the drum (https://youtu.be/XoaoK12DrNE):
Later Christopher took over on the drum (https://youtube.com/shorts/Ycnpv8kgpd4?feature=share):
Maev, of Mauritian descent, joins us after work almost every day and plays the karatalas or shakers, dances and distributes literature.
Revatinanadana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Haussmann in Paris (https://youtube.com/shorts/M-1E4Dp-e28):
Revatinanadana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Haussmann in Paris, and a passerby dances (https://youtube.com/shorts/6roR5Gqntak?feature=share):
Revatinanadana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna and Nitai Gauranga at Haussmann in Paris, and a woman dances (https://youtube.com/shorts/tkKxTcbOTqs?feature=share):
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.19.33, purport:
“If one wants to have transcendental pleasure, he must find a person with authority. It is also stated in the Bhagavatam that simply by hearing from an authoritative source, with the ear and the heart, one can relish the pastimes of the Lord, otherwise it is not possible.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.19.34:
“What to speak of hearing the pastimes of the Lord, whose chest is marked with Srivatsa, people may take transcendental pleasure even in hearing of the works and deeds of the devotees, whose fame is immortal.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.19.35, purport:
“The example of the elephant in danger who was saved by the Supreme Lord is especially cited here because even if one is an animal he can approach the Personality of Godhead in devotional service, whereas even a demigod cannot approach the Supreme Person unless he is a devotee.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.19.36:
“What grateful soul is there who would not render his loving service to such a great master as the Personality of Godhead? The Lord can be easily pleased by spotless devotees who resort exclusively to Him for protection, though the unrighteous man finds it difficult to propitiate Him.”
“Since the Personality of Godhead is in the absolute position, there is no difference between His pastimes and His personality. Anyone who hears about the pastimes of the Lord associates with the Lord directly, and one who associates directly with the Lord is certainly freed from the results of all sinful activities, even to the extent of the killing of a brahmana, which is considered the most sinful activity in the material world.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.20.1, purport:
“Manu creates scriptural regulations for the salvation of the conditioned souls, who come to the material world for material enjoyment. The Lord is so kind that any soul who wants to enjoy in this material world is given full facility for enjoyment, and at the same time he is shown the path of salvation.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.20.4, purport:
“Vidura wanted to purify himself by traveling to all the sacred places, which are so situated that anyone who goes there automatically becomes purified. This is especially true in Vrindavan; any person may go there, and even if he is sinful he will at once contact an atmosphere of spiritual life and will automatically chant the names of Krishna and Radha. That we have actually seen and experienced.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.20.6, purport:
“If any self-realized soul reads from Bhagavad-gita, he will never feel satiated. The narrations of Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam may be read thousands and thousands of times, and still, without fail, new aspects of the subject matter will be relished by the devotee.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.20.17, purport:
“Brahma was the first living entity, and he was empowered by the Supreme Lord to act in charge of the mode of passion; therefore, he was given the required intelligence, which is so powerful and extensive that he is almost independent of the control of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Just as a highly posted manager is almost as independent as the owner of a firm, Brahma is described here as independent because, as the Lord's representative to control the universe, he is almost as powerful and independent as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.20.18, purport:
“Their theory is: ‘As long as you live, you should live prosperously. Never mind whether you commit all kinds of so-called sins. You must eat sumptuously. Beg, borrow and steal, and if you think that by stealing and borrowing you are being entangled in sinful activities for which you will have to pay, then just forget that misconception because after death everything is finished. No one is responsible for anything he does during his life.’ This atheistic conception of life is killing human civilization, for it is without knowledge of the continuation of eternal life.”
“This material world is also generally called tamas because ninety-nine percent of its living entities are ignorant of their identity as soul. Almost everyone is thinking that he is this body; he has no information of the spirit soul. Guided by this misconception, one always thinks, ‘This is my body, and anything in relationship with this body is mine.’”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 4.23:
“‘Devotional service rendered to Me by the living beings revives their eternal life. O My dear damsels of Vraja, your affection for Me is your good fortune, for it is the only means by which you have obtained My favor.’” [SB 10.82.44]
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 4.30, purport:
“By executing devotional service under the regulative principles, one can become very highly elevated and then begin to appreciate the dealings of pure love under the management of yogamaya.”
“The reason the Lord displays the rasa-lila is essentially to induce all the fallen souls to give up their diseased morality and religiosity, and to attract them to the kingdom of God to enjoy the reality. A person who actually understands what the rasa-lila is will certainly hate to indulge in mundane sex life. For the realized soul, hearing the Lord’s rasa-lila through the proper channel will result in complete abstinence from material sexual pleasure.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 4.31, purport:
“The spontaneous attraction of Sri Krishna for His dearest parts and parcels generates an enthusiasm that obliges Sri Krishna and the gopis to meet together. To celebrate this transcendental enthusiasm, there is need of a sentiment of separation between the lover and beloved. In the condition of material tribulation, no one wants the pangs of separation. But in the transcendental form, the very same separation, being absolute in its nature, strengthens the ties of love and enhances the desire of the lover and beloved to meet. The period of separation, evaluated transcendentally, is more relishable than the actual meeting, which lacks the feelings of increasing anticipation because the lover and beloved are both present.”
“There are no sexual activities in the spiritual world. The transactions between lover and beloved in the spiritual world are pure transcendental love and unadulterated bliss.”
“By understanding the conjugal love of Radha and Krishna one is freed from the grip of attraction to material so-called love between man and woman.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 4.40:
“Thus He [Lord Caitanya] spread kirtana even among the untouchables. He wove a wreath of the holy name and prema, with which He garlanded the entire material world.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 4.41, purport:
“Anyone who accepts God as the Supreme can take to the process of chanting Hare Krishna and become a lover of God.”
“In the Bhagavad-gita Krishna has taught the philosophy of surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One who has surrendered to the Supreme can make further progress by learning to love Him.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 4.43:
“Each kind of devotee feels that his sentiment is the most excellent, and thus in that mood he tastes great happiness with Lord Krishna.”
From a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.4.2 in Los Angeles on June 25, 1972:
“Just try to understand. He was cursed to death, and because he was preparing for next life, so he had to leave everything. And so..., what people will think? ‘Oh, by Krishna consciousness one has to lose all, everything? His kingdom, his everything?’ Therefore people are afraid to take to Krishna consciousness. ‘Oh, we shall be lost of everything. Even up to life.’ This is the example of Parikṣit Maharaja.”
“It is not that animals are meant for killing. They are also treated like children.”
“Sarva-kama means karmi. Karmis, they are simply wanting, ‘Give me this, give me that, give me this, give me that.’ So many things. There is no end of their demands. That is called karmis.’”
“So our this Krishna consciousness movement is negation of the materialistic way of life and regain the blissful, eternal life of spiritual understanding.”
“Just like Dhruva Maharaja . . . . I don’t want any this, any kind of benediction. I have got You. I have no more necessity of any benediction.”
“But intelligent person, they will not ask anything from Krishna. Just like a dependent child, he’s fully dependent on the father. So father knows how to raise him to be perfect man. He knows what is his necessities. Similarly, we have to give up to the care of Krishna, without any condition. That is perfection of life. That is perfection of life.”
“You cannot give up your wife, children, kingdom, artificially. Artificially if you give up, then you will again fall down. Artificially I give up my wife, and then I seek another’s wife – this is nonsense. This is nonsense. This is falldown. When you are actually mature, then you give up.”
Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:
From Prabhupada Nectar, Volume 4, Number 23:
“Prabhupada stressed that only a Krishna conscious person knew the science of the soul and of changing bodies, whereas other religionists had little or no idea of this. Yet they criticize from their position of blind faith.”
Aksayananda Prabhu:
From a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 9.24.63–64 in Paris on July 23, 2026:
The verse says Krishna was helped by several dynasties, but in reality we are very small and cannot even lift a pencil without Krishna’s assistance.
Krishna creates pastimes to enjoy a certain mood, and when they do not do that any more He ends the pastime.
Krishna manifests His form as Parisisvara here just to suit His mood in Paris.
If Krishna changes His form, His devotee changes his form to suit the pastime. For example, the gopis took on male forms to associate with Lord Caitanya in His pastimes.
The qualified devotee makes sure that everything is suitable for Krishna’s pastimes.
When Krishna appears as Parasurama, Radharani appears as the edge of His ax.
When Krishna appears as Varaha, Radharani appears as the earth.
These appearances of Radharani are spoken by Uddhava in Garga-samhita.
King Prataparudra thought of abandoning his position to become a mendicant because then he would have more chance to associate with Lord Caitanya.
When the demons see Krishna, their hatred for Him increases. That is their pleasure as that is their rasa with Him.
Krishna helps us to manifest our true nature. The more we associate with Krishna, the more our true nature comes out.
Bhagavata Dharma Prabhu:
Even if have opportunities for all kinds of enjoyment if I love no one or no one loves me I will not be satisfied.
We can lovingly try to correct someone subordinate to us, but if the person does not accept us as an authority we can encourage someone they do consider an authority to do that service. Our motive should always be to serve.
Comment by Aristanasana Prabhu: Although Lord Caitanya could have protested that some of his exalted followers were not allowed in the Jagannatha temple, he chose to act to glorify the humility of his followers instead.
Rasa Parayana Prabhu:
Once Srila Prabhupada said the demigods do not even come to the earth to pass urine here.
The idea that we can be happy in this world is a great hoax.
Krishna engaged Brahma in creating a world in which all one’s attempts for happiness fail.
Srila Prabhupada wanted everyone to join the Hare Krishna movement.
In the fifteen years I have been a devotee I have seen that you cannot really say which of the people who come around will end up becoming devotees.
If you do not have something, you lament that you do not have it. When you do get it, you worry about losing it. When you actually lose it, you lament that you lost it.
Even if you spend your life preaching and no one becomes a devotee, you successfully saved at least one person, yourself.
Happy devotees are the best preaching.
A famous life expectancy program champion at Caltech died because while he jogging across a street, he glanced at girls playing volleyball, and was hit by a car. [This story was told many times by Badrinarayana Swami.]
Comments by me:
Regarding the material world not bringing satisfaction, I recall this from Srila Prabhupada-lilamrita, Volume 3, Chapter 22: “Swami Invites the Hippies”:
“Govinda Dasi: I told him I had traveled all over Europe, and he said, ‘Oh, you have traveled so much.’ And I said to him, ‘Yes, I have traveled so much, I have done so many things, but none of it ever made me happy.’ He was pleased with that statement. He said, ‘Yes, that is the problem.’”
Regarding no being able to understand who will become a devotee, I recall Kevin, a math major at San Diego State University. He would just come to the programs take prasadam and argue with the devotees, presenting his own speculations. We never thought he would become a devotee. Perhaps a year or two later, I was serving the devotees the Sunday feast, and there was Bhakta Kevin, now a brahmacari. He was traveling around the world, and he met the devotees in Australia. He joined the ashram, and they sent him to Mayapur to get trained up. When he returned to San Diego and joined the temple for many years he did a Krishna Lunch several days a week at University of California at San Diego.
We were talking about who is the best preacher. I say Priyarani is the best preacher. Priyarani distributed a Bhagavad-gita on harinama to someone who now attends the temple, takes prasadam, and goes on harinama and distributes the free literature.
Patita Pavana Prabhu:
From a class on Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 13.69, in Paris on July 26, 2026:
The appearance place of Advaita Acharya is in Bangladesh. ISKCON is trying to build a temple in that place but it is difficult because it is submerged in water a lot of the time.
We do not know what the Lord wants so we need a guru.
Apparently Kuvera incarnated as the father of Advaita Acharya. Advaita Acharya is an incarnation of Maha-Vishnu and Sadashiva, and Kuvera is intimately related to Shiva.
It is described that Ganga comes from feet of Lord Vamana and when Advaita Acharya offers the Ganges water to Krishna, the Ganga returns to the Lord.
Lord Rama had a deity of Sita that He would worship after Sita had returned to the spiritual world. Similarly Vishnupriya had a deity of Lord Caitanya she would worship after Lord Caitanya took sannyasa.
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This important verse was quoted by the guru of Lord Caitanya, when he instructed Him to chant the holy name.
harer nama harer nama
kalau nasty eva nasty eva
nasty eva gatir anyatha
“In this Age of Kali, there is no other way, no other way, no other way for spiritual perfection than the holy name, the holy name, the holy name of the Lord.” (Brhan-naradiya Purana 38.126)
That statement may sound fanatical, but it actually makes sense if you think about it. This age is so degraded that nothing is powerful enough to counteract it besides the holy name of the Supreme Lord, in which He has invested all of His power. Thus the chanting of the holy name of the Supreme Lord is the only practical solution to all the problems of this age, both individually and collectively. The more we take shelter of this chanting, the more we will realize this truth. Srila Prabhupada, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, and Bhaktivinoda Thakura all had great faith in the holy name and thus they all made great progress sharing Krishna consciousness with the world by the blessings of the holy name.
