By Krishna Kripa Das
(Week 44: October 29–November 4, 2026)
New York City, Stuyvesant Falls
(Sent from Stuyvesant Falls, New York, on November 7, 2026)
Where I Went and What I Did
For the first three days of week 44 of 2026 I was based at ISKCON NYC in Brooklyn, and I chanted Hare Krishna with Rama Raya Prabhu’s NYC Harinama party every day.
Saturday was Halloween, and many, many people enjoyed playing shakers and dancing with our party, both at Washington Square Park and on the sidewalks of Greenwich Village. On Sunday I took the train upstate to assist the caretakers of Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami. There I would wake the deities, put them to rest, make the breakfast and dinner, and help clean up the kitchen after lunch as well as do a little shopping. Wednesday I attended the evening program in Chatham, and I got to lead a Hare Krishna kirtan as well as “Damodarastakam.” My aspiration is to dramatically improve my attention in chanting Hare Krishna japa during my time upstate. I am slowly improving.
I share quotes from Srila Prabhupada’s Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead and The Teachings of Queen Kunti, and from three of his lectures on Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto 3, Chapter 26, given in Bombay in December of 1974 and a 1972 room conversation of his. I share quotes from Improvisations to Music, Book 3 and Dream Notebook by Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami and notes on classes by Arcita Prabhu, Caitanyananda Prabhu, and Rasananda Govinda Prabhu.
Thanks to Arcita Prabhu for the photos of me on the walking harinama in Greenwich Village on Halloween. Thanks to Baladeva Vidyabhusana Prabhu for picking me up at the train station. Thanks to Janardhan Prabhu for giving me a ride to the Chatham Wednesday program. Thanks to Shyamasindhu Prabhu for sending me all my Halloween harinama videos via the Interet. Thanks to Krishnendu Prabhu for doing the evening offering and the put to rest so I could go to the Chatham program.
Itinerary
September 23–December 31: NYC Harinam
– November 1–???: serve Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami at Stuyvesant Falls
Chanting Hare Krishna in New York City
One day I had an unusual conversation with a young Indian-looking couple watching our Hare Krishna chanting party from the distance. Early on the guy said, pointing to the woman, “She is a nastik. Do you know what a nastik is?”
I tried to think of a nice way of defining nastik, but nothing came to mind, so I said, “That means she is an atheist.
Then I said, “People have so many speculative philosophies, but if they chant Hare Krishna, they will experience the reality of Krishna.”
Neither of them supported nor contested that statement.
I offered them prasadam cookies. The guy accepted one, but the woman did not.
maha-prasade govinde nama-brahmani vaisnave
sv-alpa-punyavatam rajan visvaso naiva jayate
Hadai Prana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Manhattan, and passersby play shakers (https://youtube.com/shorts/6KYM4TLeWyI):
Rama Raya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Manhattan, and devotees dance (https://youtube.com/shorts/iXZ-DCWKrhk):
On Halloween as I walked from the West Fourth Street subway station to Washington Square Park, I was surprised to see how many policemen were on duty that night. I had never seen so many!
On Halloween, some of the devotees also wore costumes.
Some people had costumes with dark humor.
Hrith chants Hare Krishna on Halloween in Manhattan (https://youtube.com/shorts/zSvX3lsEC6Q?feature=share):
Suhani chants Hare Krishna on Halloween in Manhattan (https://youtube.com/shorts/0xUnBgNdJnk?feature=share):
Keshava Madhava chants Hare Krishna on Halloween in Manhattan (https://youtube.com/shorts/Rpt8_baSgB0?feature=share):
As devotees chanted Hare Krishna in Washington Square Park in New York City on Halloween, many folks played shakers and danced (https://youtu.be/zEektPa-p50):
Here I share the many individual clips from which the previous video was generated:
Suhani chants Hare Krishna on Halloween in Manhattan, and people dance (https://youtube.com/shorts/j4adMnIeASQ?feature=share):
Suhani chants Hare Krishna on Halloween in Manhattan, and a group of friends dances (https://youtube.com/shorts/zCarBQDRXcU?feature=share):
Srikar chants Hare Krishna on Halloween in Manhattan, and a guy plays shakers and dances (https://youtube.com/shorts/7cEhBZ4Akdg?feature=share):7cEhBZ4Akdg
Hadai Prana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna on Halloween in Manhattan, and a man dances with a spatula (https://youtube.com/shorts/UjSF9jcfFLA?feature=share):
Hadai Prana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna on Halloween in Manhattan, and people dance side to side (https://youtube.com/shorts/L7OMlqgKK3E?feature=share):
Both devotees and passersby also danced in a circle (https://youtube.com/shorts/jgxWnWeLIrg?feature=share):
Later more people joined in (https://youtube.com/shorts/tRNCVaDQuwc?feature=share):
At one point, Krishna Rai, who is here wearing a banana costume, taught a dance, which he had learned from Tulsi Prabhu, to the devotees and the passersby (https://youtube.com/shorts/_HK47-tlvGA?feature=share):
Hadai sometimes invited people to chant the Hare Krishna mantra (https://youtube.com/shorts/l0PqQa1rs-I?feature=share):
When Hadai picked up the tempo, people danced wildly (https://youtube.com/shorts/waUpZAaHAZs?feature=share):
Rama Raya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna on Halloween in Manhattan, and people swing each other around and dance side to side (https://youtube.com/shorts/FrbF9miSIOI?feature=share):
After the police kicked everyone out of Washington Square Park, we spent about two and a half hours chanting all over Greenwich Village, first a couple of blocks to the southeast of the park, and then all the way up to Union Square.
Srila Prabhupada disciple, Locanananda Prabhu, was the first kirtan leader on that walking harinama (https://youtube.com/shorts/l0ecD5fH4hY?feature=share):
Some people were happy to see the devotees and took photos or videos of them.
When I was not taking videos myself, I would pass out temple invitations.
In this video I show how many people enjoyed participating in the kirtan during that Greenwich Village walking harinama (https://youtu.be/pKI50U8ee_4):
Here are the individual clips from which the above video is compiled:
Locanananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Greenwich Village on Halloween, and still more onlookers dance (https://youtube.com/shorts/CBUeGIZDt9g?feature=share):
While Locanananda Prabhu was chanting, the police relocated the devotees, who were chanting in a street on which vehicles occasionally traveled (https://youtube.com/shorts/RowHQPlgUIA):
Locanananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Greenwich Village on Halloween, and onlookers dance (https://youtube.com/shorts/WooVca7Gbcw?feature=share):
As Locanananda Prabhu more onlookers danced (https://youtube.com/shorts/4jpJ_tUrC7w):
Hadai Prana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Greenwich Village on Halloween, and onlookers dance, part 1 of 3 (https://youtu.be/xggSlOOzR3o):
Hadai Prana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Greenwich Village on Halloween, and onlookers dance, part 2 of 3 (https://youtube.com/shorts/8IuM8abJEYo):
Hadai Prana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Greenwich Village on Halloween, and onlookers dance, part 3 of 3 (https://youtube.com/shorts/7wp3mA4bwl0?feature=share):
Keshava Madhava chants Hare Krishna in Greenwich Village on Halloween, and onlookers dance, part 1 of 5 (https://youtube.com/shorts/XV4HS88tPjo?feature=share):
Keshava Madhava chants Hare Krishna in Greenwich Village on Halloween, and onlookers dance, part 2 of 5 (https://youtube.com/shorts/8IuM8abJEYo?feature=share):
Keshava Madhava chants Hare Krishna in Greenwich Village on Halloween, and onlookers dance, part 3 of 5 (https://youtube.com/shorts/NXyOhNlci7o?feature=share):
Keshava Madhava chants Hare Krishna in Greenwich Village on Halloween, and onlookers dance, part 4 of 5 (https://youtube.com/shorts/prhqFJ4QyqI?feature=share):
Keshava Madhava chants Hare Krishna in Greenwich Village on Halloween, and onlookers dance, part 5 of 5 (https://youtube.com/shorts/CaEgyzvpHUk?feature=share):
Sunday I played my harmonium and chanted Hare Krishna for ten minutes at the Hudson railway station, while waiting for my ride.
Sometimes I get it together to play my harmonium and chant Hare Krishna for an hour a day on the porch of the residence of my guru, but this time I have been too busy. I hope to resume that at some point.
I do chant Hare Krishna for the Gaura Nitai deities here. I sing “Gurvastakam” and ten minutes of Hare Krishna in the morning and the Gaura Arati song and ten minutes of Hare Krishna in the evening. Also between one and four of us gather in the evening and chant “Damodarastakam” and offer lamps.
At the Chatham Wednesday program, Malati, daughter of Krishna Kumari Devi Dasi, who runs the program, chanted the first Hare Krishna kirtan. Then I chanted Hare Krishna and “Damodarastakam.”
Insights
Srila Prabhupada:
From Krishna: The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Chapter 5:
“In this material world it is to be understood that we are always living in a contaminated state. We therefore have to purify the duration of our lives, our possession of wealth and our self. We can purify our duration of life by taking daily bath and cleansing the body inside and outside and accepting the ten kinds of purificatory processes. By austerities, by worship of the Lord, and by distribution of charity we can purify the possession of wealth. We can purify our self by studying the Vedas in order to understand the Absolute Truth and achieve self-realization.”
“Vasudeva continued: ‘My dear friend, it is very difficult for us to live together. Although we have our family and relatives, sons and daughters, by nature’s way we are generally separated from one another. The reason for this is that every living entity appears on this earth under different pressures of fruitive activities [karma]; although they assemble together, there is no certainty of their remaining together for a long time. According to one’s fruitive activities, one has to act differently and thereby be separated. For example, many plants and creepers are floating on the waves of the ocean. Sometimes they come together, and sometimes they separate forever: one plant goes one way, and another plant goes another. Similarly, our family assembly may be very nice while we are living together, but after some time, in the course of the waves of time, we are separated.’”
[Vasudeva continued:] “Therefore, it is everyone’s duty to see that his fellow citizens and the cows are not put into difficulty. One should see to the peace and comfort of his fellow man and the animals.”
From Krishna: The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Chapter 6:
“It is said that wherever the chanting of the holy name of Krishna is done, even negligently, all bad elements—witches, ghosts and dangerous calamities—immediately disappear. And this is certainly true of the place where the chanting of the holy name of Krishna is done seriously—especially in Vrindavan when the Supreme Lord was personally present.”
“Devotional service in Krishna consciousness is so sublime that even a little service rendered to Krishna, knowingly or unknowingly, gives one the greatest transcendental benefit. The system of worshiping Krishna by offering flowers from a tree is also beneficial for the living entity who is confined to the bodily existence of that tree. When flowers and fruits are offered to Krishna, the tree that bore them also receives much benefit, indirectly.”
“Devotees therefore pray that if simply by offering something as an enemy Putana got so much benefit, then who can measure the benefit of worshiping Krishna in love and affection? Therefore only Krishna should be worshiped, for so much benefit awaits the worshiper.”
From Krishna: The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Chapter 20:
“Actually, one should undergo severe austerities and penances only to achieve spiritual happiness. In Srimad-Bhagavatam it is recommended that tapasya, or austerity, should be accepted for realizing the Supreme Lord. By accepting austerity in devotional service, one regains his spiritual life, and as soon as one regains his spiritual life, he enjoys unlimited spiritual bliss.”
From Krishna: The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Chapter 21:
“Persons who are advanced in transcendental knowledge take pleasure in seeing their descendants engage in the service of the Lord.”
“Although the gopis were village cowherd women and girls, they had extensive Vedic knowledge. Such is the effect of Vedic civilization. People in general would learn the highest truths of the Vedas simply by hearing from authoritative sources.”
“Another gopi said to her friends, ‘My dear friends, the cows are also charmed as soon as they hear the transcendental sound of the flute of Krishna. It sounds to them like the pouring of nectar, and they immediately spread their long ears just to catch the liquid nectar of the flute. As for the calves, they are seen with the nipples of their mothers pressed in their mouths, but they cannot suck the milk. They remain struck with devotion, and tears glide down from their eyes, illustrating vividly how they are embracing Krishna heart to heart.’ These phenomena indicate that even the cows and calves in Vrindavan knew how to cry for Krishna and embrace Him heart to heart. Actually, the perfection of Krishna consciousness can be culminated in the shedding of tears from the eyes.”
“While Krishna was engaged in tending the cows in the forest of Vrindavan or on Govardhana Hill, the gopis in the village were always absorbed in thinking of Him and discussing His different pastimes. This is the perfect example of Krishna consciousness: to somehow or other remain always engrossed in thoughts of Krishna. The vivid example is always present in the behavior of the gopis; therefore Lord Caitanya declared that no one can worship the Supreme Lord by any method which is better than the method of the gopis. The gopis were not born in very high brahmana or ksatriya families; they were born in the families of vaisyas, and not in big mercantile communities but in the families of cowherd men. They were not very well educated, although they heard all sorts of knowledge from the brahmanas, the authorities of Vedic knowledge. The gopis’ only purpose was to remain always absorbed in thoughts of Krishna.”
From The Teachings of Queen Kunti, Chapter 4:
“This is not civilization. Civilization means calmness, prosperity, and shanti, peace. In peace and prosperity one should be Krishna conscious always.
“People work so hard, day and night, simply for a little food, not knowing that their food has already been provided. Avidya-karma-samjñanya trtiya saktir isyate (Vishnu Purana 6.7.61). This material world is full of ignorance (avidya). Therefore our endeavor should be to become free from this ignorance. It is only for this reason that we should work—to come out of ignorance.”
“Kuntidevi, therefore, is pointing our attention toward Krishna, the Supreme Person, who is alaksya, invisible to all. Who is that invisible person? Here—Krishna. ‘Oh, Krishna,’ one may say. ‘There are so many Krishnas.’ Therefore Kuntidevi says, ‘I am offering my prayers to Vasudeva, the son of Vasudeva.’ ‘There are many Vasudevas.’ ‘No. Nanda-gopa-kumaraya: [SB 1.8.21] I am praying to the foster son of Maharaja Nanda.’ In this way, three times she points out, ‘Here is Krishna.’”
“We are looking for sense gratification, and if we associate with Krishna we shall enjoy our senses abundantly, just like the gopis who are dancing with Krishna. Thus there is no scarcity of sense gratification, but this sense gratification in association with Krishna is not gross sense gratification; rather, it is the spiritual sense gratification enjoyed in the spiritual world.”
From a lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.26.1 in Bombay on December 13, 1974:
“If Krishna sees that ‘one is presenting My message as I have given,’ then He is pleased.”
“Spiritual world means there is full consciousness of the existence of God, and material world means to full forgetfulness of God. This is the difference between material world and the spiritual world. So if you bring, in the material world also, Krishna consciousness, then it is spiritual world. How it is possible? Yes, it is possible. Just like you put one iron rod in the fire, it will become gradually warm, warmer, warmer, then the iron rod will be red hot, and if that redness you will touch anywhere, it will burn you. It is no more iron rod; it is fire. So you keep yourself always in Krishna consciousness, then even if you possess this material body, you will be in the spiritual world.”
From a lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.26.2 in Bombay on December 14, 1974:
“Suppose a foreigner is in America, an Indian is in America, or an American is in India, so he is conscious that ‘I am American,’ or ‘I do not belong to this country.’ Or Indian, when he goes to America, he knows, ‘I am Indian. I do not belong to this country.’ Similarly, when you realize, when you understand that you do not belong to this material world, you belong to the spiritual world, that is self-realization. Atma-darsanam.”
“In the spiritual world, the purusa, the living entity, enjoys with Krishna, not alone. Therefore you will find Krishna is always accompanied by someone else—either Radharani or cowherds boy, or the gopis, or Mother Yasoda, or Nanda Maharaja, or the cows and the calves, like that. Or even with the monkeys.”
From a lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.26.3 in Bombay on December 15, 1974:
“We are rendering service. Either you are rendering service in office, or to your family, or to your cat, or to your dog, or to your government, or to your society—you must be giving some service. There is no escape. But that is saguna service, under these material laws. So you have to give nirguna service. If you give nirguna, then you become nirguna. Then what is that nirguna? When you render service to Krishna.”
“So far individual living entity, soul, is concerned, he is also all-pervading. All-pervading means within this limited body. So long I am present within this body, anywhere of the body I feel, I am present here. You pinch; you feel, ‘Yes, there is pain.’ That means I am present here. I am present there. This is called consciousness.
“But there is another consciousness—so don’t mix it up—that Krishna consciousness. That consciousness, sarva-ksetresu bharata: that Krishna is present everywhere. Sarva-ksetresu. That is the difference between Krishna… Krishna says, ksetra-jñam ca, ksetra-jñam ca aham: ‘I am also ksetra-jña. I am also soul, but I am Supersoul.’ How? Now, sarva-ksetresu bharata: ‘I am present in everyone’s body.’ I am not present in your body. You are not present in my body. I am present in my body. Dehino ’smin yatha dehe [Bg 2.13].
“But Krishna is present, everyone’s body. That is the distinction between Krishna and me.”
“If you can understand everyone’s pains and pleasure, then you are God. If you cannot say what is my pains and pleasure and you come as God, then I am not going to accept. What kind of God you are? God must be present everywhere.”
“So this human life is meant for self-realization, not simply wasting time like cats and dogs, eating, sleeping, mating and… No. That is not human life. Athato brahma-jijñasa. Everyone should be interested to understand himself, God and his relationship. Then the life will be successful.”
From a lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.26.4 in Bombay on December 16, 1974:
“If one surrenders to Krishna, then he becomes free from the clutches of maya. So how Krishna can be caught by maya? This is contradictory. If anyone surrenders to Krishna, he becomes free from the influence of maya, simply by surrendering. Then how Krishna can be influenced by maya? It is common sense.”
“So this is called tattva, to know about Krishna perfectly. And the informations are there in the sastras. And simply to understand it, we require a little qualification. We require little qualification. Otherwise, everything is there. That qualification is to increase the, I mean to say, temper of your devotion, or increase the quality of your love for Krishna. Premañjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilo… [Bs 5.38]. And that love can be increased by the process:
adau sraddha tatah sadhu-
saṅgo ’tha bhajana-kriya
tato ’nartha-nivrttih syat
tato nistha rucis tatha
athasaktis tato bhavas
tatah premabhyudañcati
sadhakanam ayam premnah
pradurbhave bhavet kramah
[Cc. Madhya 23.14–15]
“This is step by step.”
“So our this Krishna consciousness movement is giving, educating people how to become Krishna conscious, how to know the science of Krishna.”
From a Room Conversation in Dallas on September 13, 1972:
“So our bhakta philosophy is we are all individuals. God is individual and we are all individuals we live together and along with the supreme person we also enjoy. Just like the gopis are dancing with Krishna, that is the highest perfection. To keep your individuality and dance with the supreme individual person.”
Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:
From Improvisations to Music, Book 3:
“Some want it to be only between themselves and Jesus.
Is this true of Jesus?”
“We were human, we wasted time, we lasted a little longer.”
“The ‘argument’ with God and self means I do love Him. I try but I fail. Lord, let me see You, be with You.”
“Now ISKCON is the solid river
and anything branching from it is suspect
although we’ll always be kind to brothers
who claim allegiance to our master.”
“Krishna consciousness makes sense you go
to eternal glory of service and
even if you have to come back
you’ll know what to do—
chant God’s names
and seek shelter for quiet work
and give out good advice for
people who ask for it.”
“Let’s just write I say it’s my
bhajana I say it’s my way to pray
as others do through music or mantra
direct service or cooking
I do in words that play
like cooking blues—it’s the same thing.”
“Don’t say ‘chant and read
and follow guru’ if you’re
not doing it with your whole heart
until it hurts.”
“Just that if we can find it—if we were to look in all the right places—we could see Krishna everywhere.”
“The extra daring, the best thing I could have done was to have seen through the whole system and not taken disciples in 1978. But Krishna wanted it this way.”
“I want the
goodness transcendental which is
fixed on Krishna
holy service specific to Krishna in His two-hand form. I’ll place him there in any context I’m forced into.”
“It’s nice to hear people say
‘Krishna’ in their speech naturally
when they visit you in prison even
if they are kanistha or whatever
because you too are …”
“We are normal
folks following impossible ideals.”
“You can be free for
serving the Lord that’s possible
and the best thing there is.”
“Krishna is the way and whey
He’s the song and day
He’s the night and play
and as for work and hell
they’re from your misuse
of free will—from
you.”
“That Japanese monk said his peace
and quiet might cheat him of salvation,
so he shouldn’t have praised his tiny
hut his renunciation and all …
But he said he would chant the
name of Buddha instead of talking
and poor as his chanting was
he knew he’d win something.”
“On my knees before Him it’s
almost His breakfast time
and I know He never suffers from
indigestion
or depression, unhappiness even
when You put down Your flute
maybe lift off Your turban
ornamented
and receive Your devotee’s bhakti
even from this earnest but pig-like fool
who comes before You twice or
thrice a day and never strays so
far away.”
“Freedom. Peace and Love. Fight for those. Peace and
Love?
Who said that?
But it’s true. They just don’t know how to go about it.
Do I? Krishnaize the universe. run out and do it.
How? Oh, just sing in the streets—a great sacrifice
of your so-called respectable anonymity.”
“Work it out for Krishna consciousness. This is the life so
short so cagey—cat and mouse with pain—but get your licks in before you get kicked out—and make
as much progress as you can.
Heretofore.
You are blue
true
to master
in own way
I want to say I never quit.
And neither do so many brothers. I admire them each
from across the Grand Canyon of our lives
although we all have suffered
blues in the night.”
“O Krishna You
are the source of all good times and
bad, and I pray to stick with his books.
A man tells me he’s crying and I do too
sometimes
but I know You will rescue us all.”
“It’s a crazy place. O Kesava, how strange are we
creatures
who inhabit this space.”
“And when it rains or headaches come
or real worse, I pray Lord preserve some inner turning to You.
They say you should make hay while the sun shines,
and I interpret that in my life to mean
read and chant against the end
because even now
all we have is the hope
that He will come to us.”
“What’s happening? What’s all that noise?
I just want a little peace so I
can concentrate on God in my
heart
but the neighbors and my roommate
have different ideas makes
it seem like the
earth is quaking
and I’m telling you this
because I
can’t seem to drown it out with
the sound of my own
concentration.”
“You can just imagine.
Krishna is the Lord of sixes
and sevens and twenty-fours and
Christians and Muslims and politicians
of no particular religion.
He’s Death—can you beat
that?”
“I don’t own anything
but my singing and dance
O Lord, let me dance
for You.”
“I walk alone
creek bubbling—I call
my soul to be present and hear me
chant the Lord’s names.”
“Up in clouds in sky on earth
a tiny person walking thinks
he’d like to love his Lord.”
“Who Am I?
Am I an Irishman? No!
A transvestite? No
A club card holder of
British Airways Business Class? No
nor a Russian nyet, a new disciple
of Muni Maharaja. A friend of
Satsvarupa
(now you’re getting close).
A one ten-thousandth the upper portion
of a hair a soul
who can blast through solid
stone
not any of the twenty-four elements
or a herring sad and blessed
by some Jewish-American deli owner
or a student turned
professor even
a wanna-be best-
selling author.”
“Krishna is the one who gives
Rain and sun—you can’t figure Him out
so don’t try
take info from sastras
and guru
and just execute it.”
“‘reading your book I forgot
it was by a Hare Krishna author.’
Good—disarm them and then
give them Krishna”
“Each moment of the day is blissful
if you attend it.”
“I’m happy know why
’cause I’m a loyal son
not much but
not kicked out.”
“Or better yet go straight to Goloka
and serve Srila Prabhupada back at the beginning
whatever he wants me to do
I am willing and he says you’re my
eternal son, here take a
sandesa and go work with
this devotee. I’m happy
to do it.
Would you?”
“You read and accept
Resolutions no
solution schisms and
invasions all
superficial
and turn back
to your own work”
“We’ll keep on trying
win first prize
sometimes in a Hawaii parade
or when a mayor shows up to cut
a ribbon
or better yet
when a serious person
takes to the process
and we feel satisfied to know
that Prabhupada
would smile
on us
insisting we
continue.”
“Don’t let that old maya
beleaguer me
give me the KC blues
any day
and not maya’s joy.”
“Rain beating hard I
opened the window and saw the Pope
fly by he said, ‘We’ll do
all we can to help ISKCON.’”
“I’ll find my Krishna and dust Him
off, I mean, my forgotten Krishna
consciousness. I’ll
clean it from the modes
the dross
but nihil obstat
there are no real obstacles.”
“I have God’s names
as a gift
to say and finger beads and
be aware
or not.”
“Don’t you see? It had to go will
have to go
sooner or later
but God’s names
are eternal.
Do you know what
that means?”
“Strength of sadhana
protects me from
indulging in art world,
world love,
because that’s how it has to be
for us sadhu soldiers,
us recruits.”
“God gave me the ability to ride this pen
the words come out from
Him so direct them to Him
in praise
but how
if you don’t love?”
“This is the toad’s sonnet
and I try to shape the
words away from their possible
worst but nothing can come out
in praise of Krishna
until you love
and serve
and there’s
the truth.”
“I am not going to learn
from doctor or shrink
or priest or new guru
on my own …
stay with the one
who taught me in youth
and sustains me
still.”
“I like to walk
and think that He
is with me everywhere
will teach me
and love me and
protect me
that He is doing that
for everyone.
Maybe they’re not wrong
when they ask to be accepted
as they accept Him.”
“Our only asset our guru’s
service even offered in this
broken and whimsical condition
self-righteous each one
of us.”
“I don’t want to live
in a cage of my own making
like I did before July ’66.”
“Truth descends like a mango handed
from guru’s venerable hands
finally to you.
Receive it with
faith and reverence.”
“O Krishna, You in all times.
I missed our midnight rendezvous
but You will offer yet another.
Will it be the same—no, late
morning and midnight are different,
but You are kind and
everything is absolute in
the Bhagavatam at least.”
“I want to be a devotee, in there with my brothers, defending the movement. This is a big concert, and Srila Prabhupada (the maestro) points in my direction for a solo sound. I let it rip and depend
on the rhythm section. Then he turns to the main group
who roar into action and harmonize
I’m expected to join in
with no more solo parts
until the end.
Do you so much want the solo that
you’d leave the orchestra to play on
a corner under a street lamp?
No, I won’t leave this family reunion. I’ll be a part.”
“I know how people are weak and I
dispense compassion.”
“You have to withdraw your heart where
you placed it in a woman’s care,
because she touched you with
her earnest devotion to guru and
God that sure commends her
but there’s no scope for
bodily affection in these
Ranks.”
“I am yours to say Krishna
Krishna, Krishna You let me sing but
please let me sing with
pure devotion
but I know
the answer to that—You
want to know whether I can pay
the saint’s price
or am I just out here
for a walk
a funny man-boy who
can’t go deeper
where it hurts to
give up self and see
God
as my guru does.”
“But Death has me marked as he
marked J. S. Bach centuries ago
and caught him despite his lovely
songs and violin and harpsichord notes
and that people still play
his sonatas hundreds of years later.”
“Please please pardon
enlighten
and may I
get going growing
kinder working
without complaint.”
“grace has given him
this sacred space and still
he wants more because
a person’s never satisfied
until he knows God as his
protector. The poor affected
fellow will do better if
he recites scripture but
which holy book
to choose?”
“We old men gather in this precious group
and quibble instead of celebrate
that Krishna is revealed and we
should desire Him only.”
“We are scared of hell
so we praise God
not devotees really because
Real devotees don’t fear anything
they sing in heaven or
hell—wherever they go.”
“carrying rocks of burdens
still praying to Him
to resolve
and absolve
and to set me straight.”
“At any rate it is now Kali’s age and
we can simply chant the Lord’s name
to avoid the pain of arthritic knees—
not the pain
as if we think Hari’s name
is an analgesic
it’s not
but to lose the pain
of an arthritic knee
by becoming absorbed
in soul-solacing sound
and waiting with that
instead of Nyquil or Prozac.”
“wise ones turn to God and seek
eternal life but not only for the sake
of safety. They seek God’s pleasure
know His plans for them or not
but trust and love Him.”
“I can only thank Krishna
for my present bounty
of a bhakti-directed life. I
could not take advantage
of Mathura, the Lord of,
but let it be said that He kept
me, my connection with the Swami
until all fool ladies and gents
and cattle and houses
and cold misty mornings passed.”
“I’m on my own with a few
faithful Hare Krishna friends—we
are writing our way to death
our comic tragedy. No, no
tragedy but progress
to the point
of no return—to Goloka.”
“He said
Krishna liked it when Bhisma pierced
Him with arrows that flew like kisses.
There are so many ways to
express bhakti.”
“I said
I don’t want the worst thrust
on me just yet. It will come, I
know, so I pray to remember
Krishna at all times and on
all occasions.”
“O Krishna, I hold up my hands
and You reassure me. I am no
voidist but I am still crazy with
false ego. Still, I want never
to leave my Swami’s shelter.
Some words from a person in retrospect.”
“O master, it’s July 4, and today
I don’t want to be independent
of your rule.
I declare myself eager for
the simple things you gave.”
“‘Why is there anything?’
For ananda, the Swami said in
Mexico.”
“And who knows my
joy except He who reigns
in my heart and the hearts
of all moving and nonmoving entities?”
“‘They make this
world seem real,’ those
Newsweek guys, but
Krishna is with us and will protect
His devotees from such illusions.”
“O Govinda,
I stretch and strain but
better I transfer my
energy to bhakti’s
principle
limbs.”
“But if I simply turn to Krishna
I’ll find rest there eternal
the Vedas say it and I believe.
I live according to guru’s
code hoping always to remember
Krishna in Goloka.”
“As I grow older I
see in a different way
that nothing in my life will last
and that I have achieved so little.”
“Down the scale He calls
and I say I am coming Krishna
just let me hear You and
I will not tarry.”
“I’m not cheerful? I run
this way in rain gear
singing for the life of me
knowing my master
will at least claim me as his own
slow son the one
he picked up
and shaved and dressed
who stays that way still
in recognition of that day.”
From Dream Notebook:
“Take to the external reality of Krishna consciousness, which is all you can get. You can only scratch the surface of it, but be true to it and do the regular duties and hope to develop love of Krishna and believe in Krishna.”
Arcita Prabhu:
Jimmi Hendrix became famous in 1966, the year Srila Prabhupada started. Unfortunately he was addicted to drugs, and he died in 1970.
Comments by me:
Regarding the purifying association of Srila Prabhupada, Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami said after hearing Srila Prabhupada give just one lecture at 26 Second Avenue he gave up illicit sex and intoxication.
Regarding materialists doing the same things because they have no alternative, when I was 27 I spent Thanksgiving with my relatives. My mother asked me about getting married. It occurred to me that my mother was married, but now she was widowed, my aunt was married, but now she was widowed, and my cousin was married, but now she was divorced. So I said, “You were all married, but now you are single. Which one do you like better?”
They all said they liked being single better, so I said, “Then why are asking me to get married?”
They had no answer, and they did not ask again.
Thank you for all the verses stressing the importances of nama-sankirtana. Here is one more:
“Then the Bhattacarya asked Caitanya Mahaprabhu, ‘Which item is most important in the execution of devotional service?’ The Lord replied that the most important item was the chanting of the holy name of the Lord [nama-sankirtana].” (Cc. Madhya 6.241)
Caitanyananda Prabhu:
We are drowning in the material ocean. We see the life raft, yet we make no endeavor to reach it. How foolish is that!
Krishna is the only one who is always with us.
Narottama Dasa Thakura teaches that we must learn to cry for Krishna.
Unless we take this crying mood, Krishna will not take us seriously.
Even if we are chastised by senior devotees there is some sweetness in that because we are becoming free from our anarthas [qualities not favorable for spiritual realization].
If we practice devotional service seriously, senior devotees will want to spend time with us.
It is said that Narottama Dasa Thakura left his body after writing “Je Anilo Prema Dhana,” because the separation was unbearable for him.
We may think we are doing something alone, but actually the whole parampara is watching and appreciating.
Rasananda Govinda Prabhu:
Why does the Lord remain in the heart? One swami explains that He is waiting there for that moment when we decide to surrender to Him so He can give us the full protection which He promises.
If there is some apparent inconsistency in the scripture, then just say that it happened in another kalpa.
Lord Krishna’s first expansion to actually touch maya is Lord Shiva.
Bhakti gives auspiciousness in the form of divine qualities, good character, and spiritual happiness.
Just like we do not give our phone number to just anyone, Krishna does not give bhakti to just anyone.
We gossip because we are not going deep in our spiritual practice, and our minds need some engagement.
If we talk about a devotee with a malicious intent, that is offensive.
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In the Hare Krishna movement it is common for people to chant this verse before meals, although previously only the prasadam song by Bhaktivinoda Thakura was chanted. Although we often chant this Sanskrit verse, we practically never say its English translation, and thus many people may not know the meaning or significance of this verse.
maha-prasade govinde
nama-brahmani vaisnave
visvaso naiva jayate
“Persons who are not very highly elevated in pious activities cannot believe in the remnants of food [prasadam] of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, nor in Govinda, the holy name of the Lord, nor in the Vaishnavas.” (Mahabharata and Skanda Purana, quoted in Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Antya 16.96)
In addition to chanting Hare Krishna in public and distributing the transcendental literature of Srila Prabhupada to the people in general, we also often offer people some kind of prasadam, spiritual food. We see practically that although we all value prasadam and consider it a great blessing of God, not everyone is able to appreciate it, and this verse tells why. The chanting of Hare Krishna, however, is so powerfully purifying that those who hear it repeatedly will develop faith in the transcendental nature of prasadam, the Lord Himself, His holy name, and His devotees, the Vaishnavas. They are all sources of transcendental pleasure for the pure soul.
