Diary
of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 8, No. 9
By Krishna-kripa das
(May
2012, part one)
Belgium,
Luxemburg, Germany,
Newcastle
(Sent from Bhaktivedanta Manor, England, on June 14,
2012)
Where
I Went and What I Did
After
Queen’s Day, I traveled to Simhachalam with some brahmacaris
from
Leipzig, having a wonderful time doing harinama
on
the way. We observed Nrsimha Caturdasi there with many senior
devotees like Bhaktivaibhava Swami, Kavicandra Swami, Sacinandana
Swami, Ravinda Svarupa Prabhu, Dina Sarana Devi, and Kadamba Kanana
Swami, who shared a lot of nice realizations. In particular,
Kavicandra Swami shared some inspiring memories of Srila Prabhupada’s
celebrated disciple, Jayananda Prabhu. Also several visiting devotees
with practical experience spoke about the importance of
self-sufficiency and how to develop self-sufficient communities.
After the festival, and after doing harinama
in
Munich and Memmingen, I flew to England with three friends to do
harinama with
Janananda Goswami in the Newcastle area.
Janananda Goswami gave many
classes sharing inspiring realizations. I also include a powerful
story about the great spiritual teacher in the line of Lord Caitanya,
known as Syamananda Pandit, who had great power to awaken love of God
in others.
I thank Markandeya Prabhu for his nice pictures of the Luxemburg harinama and Jivananda Prabhu for his nice pictures of Newcastle harinamas, and Vishnujana Prabhu for his nice pictures of both.
Harinamas
in Belgium, Luxemburg, and Germany
After
Queen’s Day, I traveled to Simhachalam, the Nrsimha farm in
Bavaria, with Sadbhuja Prabhu and two vans of devotees from Leipzig
and three guests. After half an hour on the road we got a phone call
saying that we left without one of the devote
guests who wanted to travel with us. While one van returned to
Radhadesh to pick up that devotee, the devotees in the other did a
spontaneous harinama
(street
chanting) in a small Belgian town for almost an hour. A number of
people were happy to see the devotees chanting. In the late
afternoon, our whole party
stopped in Luxembourg and did harinama
for
one and a half hours.
I was very excited because I always like to
chant in a new country. There were parks, pedestrian-only streets
with shops on both sides, and restaurants with outside seating, so
many people heard the harinama. Sometimes
we danced in a circle and had a circle of onlookers surrounding us.
Some people waved, some people clapped and some people danced.
Sometimes a devotee would link arms with an onlooker and swing him
around.
Even little children participated.
We
stayed that night in our vacant Heidelberg temple, and the next day
we chanted in Heidelberg for two hours on a street with a lot of
people. It was Ekadasi, and after the harinama
many
devotees were inspired to cook something wonderful for dinner. We
ended up having a feast with three desserts. Because we had only done
two hours of harinama
and I like to do three, I suggested we go out again, even though it
was after 7:00 p.m. when the feast was over. Seven people were
inspired to go out, and some of them found that second harinama
to
be even better than the first. I was enlivened to see their
enthusiasm. Just as we were about to end, a couple of policewomen
told us it was not permitted to use amplification for music on that
street. During our conversation with them, one of the devotees joking
asked them to come along and dance with us, and one said she would if
she was not on duty. Before leaving the Heidelberg temple the
devotees nicely cooperated to clean up the temple. One of my friends
was impressed to see the spontaneous cooperative spirit of the party
of Leipzig brahmacaris
headed
by Sadbhuja Prabhu.
The
next day on the way to Simhachalam we stopped in Heilbronn and did
harinama
for
an hour. Devotees have rarely chanted there but many people, young
and old, were happy to see the harinama
party.
The
day before Nrsimha Caturdasi some of us visiting Simhachalam for the
festival wanted to do harinama.
The
schedule was for a varnasrama
seminar
in the morning which organized by the German leaders, and I did not
think it wise to complete with it. Besides, I wanted to attend the
program myself. Thus I suggested we go in the afternoon, as some of
my friends also did not want to go in the morning. Thus we ended up
having two harinamas
in
Passau, the city nearest Simhachalam that day. About 6 or 7 devotees
went in the morning, and about 20 devotees went for an hour in the
evening. There were more people in Passau than I expected, and some
people were very happy to encounter our party. One dog even became
attracted and followed us some of the time. I offered the suggestion
that a mass harinama
in
Passau be added as an official part of the festival program for next
year, and I hope it comes to pass.
The
day after Nrsimha Caturdasi, we drove to Munich and did two hours of
harinama
there
from Sendlinger Tor all the way Odeonplatz and back. Several people
took videos of us, including one regular attender to the temple.
The
next day we did harinama
in
Munich before going to Memmingen to fly to Manchester, and because we
got to Memmingen over an hour early, Vishnujana Prabhu, Gaura Karuna
Prabhu, and I also did harinama
there.
A bunch of teenagers were hanging out at the train station, and about
seven of them, mostly adventurous girls, joined our party for a block
and a half. Some danced, some chanted, and some took pictures of each
other with the devotees. Later, when we passed the train station,
some participated again.
Simhachalam
Nrsimha Festival
There
is always a lot of chanting, good prasadam,
an
awesome abhiseka
[bathing
ceremony of the Deity] and great association at the Nrsimha festival
at Simhachalam, the German farm. This year was different for me
because my friend Jayananda Prabhu, who plays a management role
there, encouraged me to cook one of the 108 special offerings for the
Lord on His appearance day. Because the speaker in the kitchen was
flaky I missed a lot of the pastimes but I did get to cook coconut
burfi
for
the Lord. Moreover I got to help Sacinandana Swami’s servant Gaura
Hari by making a lassi
for
the raja-bhoga
offering
on the Lord’s appearance day. When I was living in Alachua I would
always cook for the appearance days, but while traveling I got out of
the habit.
They
had a harinama
for
children around the temple, that was a nice engagement for them, and
something I do not remember from before. One young boy had an awesome
voice and great enthusiasm for the kirtana.
At
Simhachalam they are celebrating more festivals, and this year they
have a special thirtieth anniversary festival for Sri Sri Prahlada
Nrsimha on September 30.
Harinama
in Newcastle
My
instructing spiritual master, Niranjana Swami, said I proved I can
live simply and go to a variety of places, but I have not shown that
I can stay in a place and increase the devotional service going on
there. Thus he advised me to go fewer places and stay longer and help
the people come to a higher level of devotion. Because Janananda
Goswami invited me to make my base Newcastle and The North of
England, I decided to spend more time there, at least in the summer.
Thus I embarked on a month-long visit to Newcastle. Generally the
temple is vacant except for a few school programs, a Wednesday
chanting program, and the usual ISKCON Sunday Feast program.
Janananda Goswami invited several disciples and friends to live there
for some time so practically every day we had between three and seven
people chanting for three hours a day, along with distribution of
invitations and books.
In
early May there were daily harinamas
in
Newcastle with Janananda Goswami, Jivananda Prabhu, Gaura Karuna
Prabhu, Vishnujana Prabhu, Vamana Prabhu, Sri Gadadhara Prabhu, and
myself. We would usually chant about three hours a day. On one
Saturday, during a twelve-hour kirtana
at
the temple, we did a harinama
for
three hours with the devotees mentioned above plus another ten or so
devotees from the temple congregation, including some very lively
students from Durham University. At one point, we went to a square
with many, many young people and some of them took great pleasure in
dancing with the devotees.
Some would even swing around with Janananda Goswami.
Others were brave enough to sing along with the
devotees. In many cities, many young people congregate in certain regions of the city, especially on weekends, and that is a great opportunity to share Hare Krishna with them. Often the kids would dance with us.
Sometimes people would chant with us.
Sometimes they would also try to play the instruments.
Gaura Karuna Prabhu was enthusiastically distributing books and CDs
to anyone and everyone, while riding on his miniature bicycle, which
was decorated with flags and Krishna slogans and art.
Sri Gadadhara
Prabhu also distributed many books.
I got a Facebook friend request
from one high-school kid that Gaura Karuna Prabhu had sold a book or
CD to. I showed her links to some videos of devotees chanting Hare
Krishna, and she and a friend expressed some interested in visiting
our Wednesday chanting program. Later Sri Gadadhara and I met them on
harinama,
and they again participated in the kirtana.
Vamana Prabhu was so enthusiastic, he would leap into the air, even while leading the kirtana.
Or bounce on the toy of an onlooker.
The kirtana devotees were very exuberant.
It
was great to have Janananda Goswami there to personally inspire us.
Insights
from Books and Lectures
Srila
Prabhupada:
from
lecture in Nairobi, October 31, 1975, quoted in Back
to Godhead 46-4:
Here
is God on the
altar. Here is God, factually, but the kanistha-adhikari,
in the lower stage of devotional
service, has no realization that “Here is God.” But if he accepts
even theoretically that “Here is God,” then he becomes more
advanced than the Mayavadi who thinks of God without a head or legs.
quoted
in Back to Godhead 46-4, page 41:
“A
surrendered devotee sees that everything is part of Krishna’s plan
and that whatever is meant to be, I am doing that; so let me do it
with my full attention to every detail, let me become absorbed in
such service, never mind what it is; let all other considerations be
forgotten and my only desire be to do the best thing for Krishna’s
pleasure alone. That is the advanced stage of understanding
devotional service.”
Bhaktivaibhava
Swami:
Our
body is attractive because the soul is within. No one is attracted to
a dead body. The soul is attractive because it is part of Krishna. So
ultimately Krishna is the real attraction.
The
trees and creepers of Ayodhya lamented when Lord Rama left for the
forest.
It
is described that Lord Rama and Lord Nrsimha also possess the six
kinds of opulence that Krishna does, but Krishna is the original
Lord, svayam
bhagavan.
Although
it appeared that Sisupala and Dantavakra merged into the body of
Krishna, they actually attained their original positions in the
spiritual world.
In
order to blaspheme Krishna, Sisupala had to describe His form and
activity, thus he was always absorbed in the form of Krishna. After
Krishna killed him, according to Baladeva Vidyabhusana, he attained
prema,
and
embraced Krishna and resumed his spiritual form.
Janananda
Goswami:
Most
people think religion is just to make life in the material world more
enjoyable rather than to elevate ourselves to the spiritual world.
One
devotee who is in charge of a drug rehabilitation in Malaysia said
that 90% of the people who leave end up coming back.
We
hear of people praying to God to become free from the reactions to
their sinful activities, but we do not hear of anyone praying to God
to become free from the reactions to their pious activities. This is
because everyone wants to enjoy in this world.
If
we expect people in this material world to be 100% pure, then we will
be disappointed. Even people on the spiritual path have so much
baggage from their past material activities.
You
can chant the holy name in rain, on the train, on the plane, in
Ukraine, if you are insane or in pain.
Brahmanas
are
meant to understand total range of knowledge and what part of it to
give a particular person so that person will advance spiritually.
Lord
Caitanya rejected even sarva dharma parityajya [Krishna’s
final instruction in Bhagavad-gita to abandon all varieties of
religion] because it focuses on the material world and not directly
on our relationship with Him. It was not till Ramananda Raya
mentioned hearing talks of Krishna that Lord Caitanya accepted his
statements.
It
is said in the scriptures that any river where a thirsty cow drinks
the water is as good as the Ganges, so it could be the River Tyne [in
The North of England] is more holy than you think.
When
I joined the Hare Krishna movement we had five classes a day, and we
chanted on the streets seven hours a day. Now if we chant for two
hours we think we have done a lot.
My
favorite temple president these days is Ananda Vardhana Prabhu, in
Tallin, Estonia, who says that harinama
(street
chanting) begins at four hours. During the summer, devotees go out
every day there.
There
is a pizza chain in New Zealand called Hell. Its ads proclaim, “Hell
is open.” Sometimes the devotees chant in front of it.
The
reason people need so much variety is because their activities are
shallow, and so they are not satisfying. Reading the Bhagavatam
and
the other devotional activities
are
satisfying and ever fresh.
If
one aspires for devotional service, one will find happiness
automatically, just as when we sit near the fire, we will find
warmth.
Once
in Loches, France, the rain was harder than I had ever seen in
Europe. I was amazed to see because it was market day, there were
still many people shopping, dashing from one shop to another. We
decided that if the materialists could be out in the rain like that,
we should go out and chant for Lord Caitanya. We got completely
soaked in 10 seconds, but after you got completely soaked, it did not
matter anymore. People were so amazed to see us out there, they were
very favorable. We were going to go one time through the town, with
just a few of the men, but we got back to the van, the rest of men,
women, and children were eager to join us, so we ended up going three
times around the town!
There
are 100 towns with an hour of Newcastle, and on market days, they are
great places for harinama.
Sometimes
the society provides advantages that can be used in the service of
the Lord. English citizens over 60 years old can ride the local buses
anywhere in the country for free.
You
cannot depend on the weather, you cannot depend on your body, you
cannot depend on prasadam,
at
least as far as it being ready on time, you can only depend on
chanting Hare Krishna.
Just
by being absorbed in devotional service, one can be fixed on the
transcendental platform. We do not need to be too analytical about
it.
We
are always attached. Detachment is unnatural. Devotional service is
the process of become more attached to Krishna, the devotional
service of Krishna, and devotees of Krishna.
It
is alright to desire to be accepted in society, if you want to
accepted in society in order to better promote Krishna consciousness.
Pious
activities can be utilized in the service of Krishna, but we have to
remember the goal is to please Krishna, not to be famous as pious
men.
People
may see the chanting we do as something that is fun, but they do not
understand how it benefits society.
Absorbing
the body, mind, and words in the service of the Lord is devotional
service.
Srila
Prabhupada would often say, “If you want to please me, keep
24-hours a day engaged in devotional service.” He gave so much to
do we could not think of anything else.
If
you put a block of iron on a small fire, it will put out the fire.
But if you have a large fire, you can melt the block of iron. Our
problem is our fire of devotional service is not so large, so our
impurities tend to smother it, instead of being burned up by it.
Although
Krishna enjoys fighting with the demons, because they do not act to
please the Lord, their action cannot be considered devotional
service. On the other hand, Krishna is fearful of His mother’s
stick, but because Her chastisement is meant for His welfare, it
counts as devotional service.
The
suffering a devotee undergoes is especially designed by the Lord to
detach us from any remaining material attachments.
From
the absolute point of a view, a few lifetimes is insignificant. If
someone just says “Hare Krishna” their material existence is
finished.
Prabhupada
said to some life members in LA, “'This Ratha-yata is so important.
If one sees Jagannath on His cart, when at the end of life, all the
impressions of life pass before him, when that picture of Jagannath
comes up, all the other impressions are wiped out.”
After
a Ratha-yatra. Srila Prabhupada said, “All you boys and girls who
have seen Lord Jagannath today will go back to Godhead in the next
life.” Most of them were intoxicated, but still the effect was
there.
All
we can do is to give people the opportunity to contact Krishna. That
is why the sankirtana
[the
public congregational chanting of the holy name] is so important. It
is like being exposed to radiation—gradually the effects are felt.
Lord
Caitanya’s humility was the springboard for the conversion of the
Mayavadi sannysasis.
Lord
Caitanya would only speak philosophy to those who were
philosophically inclined.
Varanasi
is a great place for harinama.
If
you just start chanting anywhere in that city, many, many people will
come. Where they come from I do not know, but they just start showing
up.
When
Vishnujana Swami took sannyasa
Srila
Prabhupada told him, “Your duty as a sannyasi
is
to chant and dance and inspire other people to chant and dance.”
The
sankirtana
movement
is to bring everyone to together and unite them. We see a little of
this on harinama.
The
Muslims, especially the children, are very much attracted to the
chanting.
In
1976 twenty-five of us did harinama
in
the airport in Baghdad for eight hours between flights. Mostly it was
Muslim sheiks who were there. They did not know what it was, but they
liked it.
I’ll
bet at least fifty thousand people heard our three-hour harinama
in
Newcastle. The street has become the temple. The building is not the
temple. Where the harinama
sankirtana is
going on is the temple.
The
purpose of the movement is to perform nama-yajna
[chanting
of the holy name] in any time and place. There are plenty of people
everywhere.
When
we chant the holy name in public we must be thinking favorably about
the holy name ourselves if we want others to be attracted to Him.
The
idea in all our temples all over the world is that Krishna kirtana
and
talks on spiritual life should be going on twenty-four hours a day
and seven days a week.
Someday
the Muslim countries will open up, and who knows, perhaps they will
become the best devotees. We never thought the communist countries
would ever be favorable for Krishna consciousness. Imagine doing
harinama
and
Ratha-yatra in Mecca!
What
we see in this world is not reality, but it is based on reality.
As
souls our natural desire is for eternally, enlightenment, and
happiness but in ignorance we look for these things in this world.
But we do not belong in this material world, and we cannot find these
things here.
After
your two week Mediterranean vacation you have to work fifty years to
pay for it. But the spiritual world, you can go and you can stay
there eternally, without working in the factory.
We
need to purify our consciousness from its contamination by the
material nature. Due to this contamination different people see
things differently and the same person sees things differently at
different times.
Our
spiritual qualities become manifest when we are in the association of
Krishna who is the source of all qualities.
There
is no school in the the spiritual world and no exams.
Krishna
performs His pastimes to attract us to Him and the spiritual world.
Play
whatever instrument you have, but chant Hare Krishna.
There
is no problem with having opulence, but to forget it is God given and
should be used for God is the problem.
If
you come here, you will not get a Masters degree, but a Servants
degree.
In
1969, when the Hare Krishna mantra record was a popular single, it
was played regularly at the halftime of the football games, and that
is one of the first times I heard it.
One
can only be delivered by Krishna. It is not a mechanical process.
Srila
Prabhupada once said, “What is that mercy that the spiritual master
gives? It is his instructions.”
Srila
Prabhupada was urging one political leader in Malaysia to build a
temple for Krishna there. She kept saying, “By your mercy. By your
mercy.” Srila Prabhupada explained, “It is my mercy I am giving
you this opportunity. If someone is drowning and I throw him a rope,
and he says, ‘Help me to hold the rope,’ what can I do?”
There
was a devotee who periodically would go away for some time and then
later come back asking for forgiveness. After this happened a few
times and some devotees were disturbed by it, Tamal Krishna Goswami
asked Srila Prabhupada, “Is there a point where we cannot forgive
anymore?”
Srila Prabhupada replied, “No.”
Bharata
Maharaja’s defect is he did not consult his spiritual master when
he realized his attachment to a deer was ruining his spiritual
practice.
According
to Bhanu Swami, one Purana
describes
that Bharata
Maharaja had offended a Vaishnava in a previous life, and thus he had
to fall down for some time although attaining preliminary love of
God.
When
a pure devotee expresses anger, it is only a manifestation of his
mercy, but for us it may be mixed with frustration or even hatred.
A
devotee does not think he is protected by his past service or his
spiritual practice. He is humble and takes shelter of the Lord and
His devotees.
Lord
Caitanya personally gave the holy name to everyone but did not
personally give diksa
to
anyone. He had others do that.
The
people who heard the chanting on the streets or at the school
programs could very well become devotees in this life.
Comment
by Frances: I saw the devotees chanting on Oxford St. when I was
nine. In those days, our parents were suspicious, especially the
Catholic parents, and they would try to hurry us along. But I was
very attracted by it.
Comment
by Atul Krishna: I saw the devotees on the Top of the Pops when I was
nine, and I found that sound to be amazing. Later I found a Hare
Krishna mantra single, and I would play it all the time and dance to
it. I did not know what it was.
Renunciation
is not the goal, engagement of the senses in the Lord’s service is.
Renunciation can assist in that.
When
we do such pure activities as chanting Hare Krishna and distributing
Srila Prabhupada’s books there is less chance our false ego will
get in the way of our transmission of the spiritual message.
Once
a devotee was saying in Srila Prabhupada’s presence, “Sometimes a
devotee leaves ISKCON . . . ” Srila Prabhupada cut him off, saying,
“No one leaves ISKCON.”
Forty
years ago, on harinama
one
devotee would be on the look out for policeman. If we encountered
one, we would run for our lives. Otherwise, we would be arrested and
hauled off to the prison. Now in Newcastle if you smile at them, they
smile back.
It
is not a question of changing from one religion to another but to
change the heart.
Get
the people to somehow or other connect with Krishna.
Kavicandra
Swami:
No
hankering or lamenting refers to material things. We should be
hankering for the association of devotees.
Whatever
we have, Krishna is pleased if we offer it to Him.
Sri
Prahlada is praying that his enemies within be killed, not his
enemies outside.
Prahlada
prayed that Nrsimhadeva excuse his father although his father tried
to kill him in many ways.
Srila
Prabhupada said, “Our austerity is very simple—16 rounds 4 rules
and Srmad-Bhagavatam,
but you cannot even do that.” But those who can do that become
empowered.
Liberation
means love of Krishna, for in that state we do not care for other
things.
The
spiritual master is enlivened when his disciple makes advancement.
One
devotee decided he would cultivate relationships with the politicians
so that they might facilitate the devotees. He found the politicians
were very austere, hardly sleeping at all, but they were very selfish
and not interested in doing things to benefit to others.
One
former professor of Richard Dawkins said that Richard Dawkins is the
ultimate religious fanatic.
One
school teacher in England told the students that there was no Santa
Claus. That caused great controversy, and the teacher lost her job.
But you can teach there is no God and nobody protests. That is the
degradation of this age of Kali.
Srila
Prabhupada told us over and over again that the cause of his success
was his dedication to the order of his spiritual master.
George
Harrison was impressed that the devotees would go out and chant all
day, despite the often rainy and cold weather of London, and he
decided they must be serious and they must have something significant
to offer.
Prahlada
Maharaja agreed to take the post of king so that by his
administration his demoniac subjects might become divine.
Nanda
Kumara Prabhu told us that Prabhupada said, “You will see changes
in society take place in this life as a result of this movement.”
I
thank you for the blissful kirtanas
and
your eagerness to hear. It is quite amazing. Distribute it to others.
The
children’s harinama
was
wonderful, that one small boy was so enthusiastic and fearless,
knowing all the songs and chanting them.
In
the early days of ISKCON in Germany the government authorities made
life so difficult for the devotees they nicknamed Germany
“Daityastan,” the place of the demons. Now many people are
favorable, and it might well become “Devastan,” the place of
gods.
Q:
Sometimes I think that people take “chanting not caring for
outsiders” too seriously.
A
(by Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu): There are some people I would rather
not have go on harinama
because
they are so eccentric that people will think we are coming from a
mental hospital.
A
(by Kavicandra Swami): Indradyumna Swami has a nice program of making
sure everyone dressed nicely.
In
the old days, some devotees considered that if the police broke up a
harinama
then it was a very good harinama.
remembering
Jayananda Prabhu:
[Jayananda
Prabhu was such an exemplary disciple of Srila Prabhupada that
Prabhupada advised we have a festival on his disappearance day each
year. I have noticed that this is still observed in America, where
many devotees know Jayananda Prabhu, but often not in Europe and
India. Having been in Europe the previous four years and having
missed hearing about Jayananda, I was happy that Kavicandra Swami
spoke about him this year at Simhachalam in Germany.]
No
one ever criticized Jayananda. I mentioned that to Gargamuni, and
Gargamuni replied and said, “Jayananda never did anything wrong.”
There are few people Gargamuni would say that about.
Jayananda
Prabhu left me in front of a pile of wood and told me to build a
stage for the Ratha-yatra show. I was overwhelmed. It was one of the
first times I prayed to Krishna. I built it, and the devotees danced
on it the whole afternoon. I was worried it would break, but somehow,
by Janananda’s mercy it didn’t. When I gave him credit, he did
not accept, but said it was my doing.
If
two devotees disagreed, they put Jayananda Prabhu between them,
because he was not judgemental, and in ten minutes everything was
resolved by his angelic smile.
He
was always busy fixing something, cooking, taking out the trash, etc.
When
he had cancer and could not do so much active service, he was given
the service of calling people to invite them to the Sunday Feast. So
many people I talked to came simply because he invited them.
He
would wake up devotees with laddus
[a
tasty Indian sweet].
Srila
Prabhupada wrote to Ramesvara, “Everyone should follow the example
of Jayananda.”
Tamal
Krishna Goswami said that Jayananda Prabhu was the most advanced
devotee in the movement.
He
was very humble, and humility is necessary.
Prabhupada
said in a letter to Jayananda, “We must avoid becoming overly
organized like the materialistic businessmen.”
He
liked peanut butter and pineapple halavas,
in particular. Samosas,
also he liked, and going on harinama.
Prabhupada
told him, “Anyone who follows the Ratha-yatra cart can get the
benediction of going back to Godhead.” So he became very
enthusiastic about Ratha-yatra.
Satsvarupa
Dasa Goswami:
from
From
Imperfection Purity Will Come About:
Every
moment is special, and when you pass the fifty-year mark, every
moment becomes more precious. I still haven’t been able to write a
profound epic, but at least I am able to stop and breathe prayers and
to remind myself that I am writing as one who is about to die for
those who are also about to die. Don’t waste time.
We
want to surrender to beautiful, playful Kṛṣṇa. Surrender means
to want to please Him even before we know Him.
from
his May 3, 2012, poem, reprinting a biography of a guru in the
Gaudiya Vaishnava line named Syamananda Pandita:
One
interesting episode in the course of Syamananda’s preaching in
Orissa happened one day when Syamananda and his disciples were
performing harinama
sankirtana in
the street. One officer of the Muslim government, a militant Pathan
of the name of Sher Khan, became furious when he saw the blissful
devotees chanting the holy names of the Lord in public. He
immediately barged into the middle of the sankirtana
party
and threatened all the devotees with dire consequences if he ever saw
them chanting in public again. Unperturbed by such threats, the very
next day Syamananda and his disciples were again out in the street
chanting when Sher Khan, in a violent mood, arrived on the spot with
his soldiers. They then broke the drums and threw away the karatalas.
Suddenly Syamananda began singing in a high-pitched mystical way,
calling the names of Radha and Krishna. Suddenly the beards and
mustaches of Sher Khan and his men burst into flames. Utterly
flabbergasted and shocked by the sudden turn of affairs, all the
Pathans ran way. That night Sher Khan had a bad dream, Allah came to
him and gave him a slap saying the name and form of Krishna is the
same as His. Allah also told Sher Khan that in His most confidential
feature He has appeared on earth as Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. The
very next day Sher Khan came before the sankirtana
party
and bowed down to Syamananda, pleading for forgiveness and requesting
Syamananda to initiate him into the chanting of the holy name. Sher
Khan became an important disciple of Syamananda, receiving the
spiritual name Caitanya dasa. This episode illustrates the great
spiritual potency of Syamananda.
from
his May 13, 2012, journal:
Once
when a big festival celebrating Gaura-purnima was being held nearby,
these same Gaura-Nitai Deities [which Lord Caitanya and Lord
Nityananda had personally manifested and given to Gauridasa Pandita]
jumped down from the altar, dancing wildly in ecstasy. Gauridasa had
to chase after Them, and when Gaura-Nitai saw him coming in an angry
mood carrying a big stick, They suddenly disappeared into the heart
of Gauridasa’s disciple Caitanya dasa. On seeing this, Gauridasa
immediately embraced his disciple, and from that time on his disciple
became known as Hridaya-Caitanya dasa, because Caitanya and
Nityananda hid inside his heart (hridaya).
Hridaya Caitanya later became the guru of Syamananda Pandita.
Dina
Sharana Devi [co-GBC of Germany]:
God
is so attractive that the atheists spend so much time trying to
disprove the existence of this nonexistent being.
We
must see how we are being attracted and adjust our course toward
Krishna.
We
should introspect and ascertain where we are at. Then we should
admit, “This is where I am at, but I am going to continue the
process of Krishna consciousness and make progress, and attain
spiritual success.”
If
we recall our life before meeting the devotees, we can see how much
has already changed, even now.
If
in this year we can work on just one thing, we can make advancement.
If
we are seeing “this is mine” and “that is yours,” or “this
is my friend” and “this is my enemy,” we can understand we
still have work to do.
Gopiparanadhana
Prabhu from Tattva-sardarbha,
quoted in Back
to Godhead 46-4, page 15:
Because
the practice of Krishna consciousness pleases the Supreme Lord, He
gradually frees His devotees from material entanglement and awakens
within their hearts their dormant love for Him.
Krishna
Ksetra Prabhu:
Jada
Bharata is telling it like it is, and fortunately King Rahugana is
ready to hear him.
Srila
Prabhupada said one meaning of sadhu
is
one who cuts. He cuts away the false ego.
Dasa
can mean either servant or slaves. We are trying to be slaves of God.
Often,
when we think of cheating, we think of taking goods, but to exploit
others is also cheating and a more serious kind of cheating.
The
dynamics of exploitation is to think of other people as less than
human or to make them see themselves as less than human, so it is
easy to exploit them.
There
are 3,000 jatis (social divisions) in India, many of whom have
lost their occupations in the course of time and are thus struggling
to exist.
People
who think there is no relationship between politics and religion have
not read Srimad-Bhagavatam.
Politics
and religion have everything to do with each other as the king is
meant to be the representative of God.
I
took many menial jobs to maintain my existence. I would only last a
week as I did not see the point of the job and so I would not do it
very quickly. I did last five months as a copy boy for a secretary at
a German company. I learned the goal of the workers was to go on
vacation, and that vacation consisted of going here and there and
eating this and that, and I wondered if this was all there was to
life. At that point, I met the Hare Krishnas.
We
were are struggling to understand that we are servants, but in the
spiritual world, that is not a problem for them. This is because they
have the ideal master.
We
want to take shelter of someone who is completely powerful and
completely compassionate, and that person is Krishna.
Ravindra
Svarupa Prabhu [co-GBC of Germany]:
Since
almost the beginning of the universe, there has been an
interplanetary war between the devas
(the
followers of the Supreme Lord) and the asuras
(those
who oppose the plan of the Lord). People no longer believe in these
stories so they have to make up their own stories such as Star Wars.
I
asked Srila Prabhupada, “Krishna is all-powerful. Why does he need
so many demigods to run the universe?”
Prabhupada
replied, “You do not know how to run a universe.”
I
thought, “That is true. I do not know how to run a universe.”
Sukracarya,
using Vedic knowledge, could bring the killed demoniac soldiers back
to life, if their bodies were not dismembered. That is a impressive
ability. And he was a demon!
Hiranyakasipu
did not want the position of Indra but the position of Brahma so he
could reverse the results of pious and impious action.
Although
we in ISKCON consider the hamsa
to
be a swan, the hamsa
is
actually a bar-headed goose with two bars on the head, and it has the
amazing ability to fly over the Himalayas at a height of 10,000
meters. Scientists have been studying this bird for its ability to
tolerate the cold and lack of oxygen.
One
scholar said, “The study of mantras presents a problem for scholars
since we believe in the enlightenment conception in which magical
things do not exist.”
Prayaksa
means right in front of your eyes—direct perception.
Hiranyakasipu
knew about Vishnu, but he thought He was just another big guy who
could he could take on without difficulty.
The
austerities of the devotees is actually very minimal compared to
those who follow other processes such as astanga-yoga
and
the practice given by Sankaracarya.
Srila
Prabhupada was able to do so much because he satisfied Krishna by
taking on so many obstacles to spread his message. He had no
institutional support, no money, no youthful energy, and no good
health, but Krishna appreciated his austerity. The people who came
Prabhupada were not qualified but Prabhupada wanted them to be
devotees. When Krishna told Prabhupada, “They are not qualified,”
Srila Prabhupada said, “Still I want them to become your devotees,”
so Krishna said, “OK.”
Although
we think we may not have any abilities, if we execute order of the
spiritual master with complete seriousness, we can also do a lot to
spread Krishna consciousness and benefit a lot of people.
In
the Vedic context, drama is to intensify rasa
[spiritual
relationships and spiritual emotions].
The
Lord’s pastimes are very dramatic.
Mother
Urmila [from a BTG
article]:
For
example, people pay for movies and books that frighten,
anger, or even horrify them, finding some pleasure in these
sensations. However misguided and unfortunate the search for
happiness that drives one to see a ghastly horror movie, the point is
that even materialistic people seek happiness in a great diversity of
ways. Why should spiritual happiness be devoid of such variety?
Kadambda
Kanana Swami:
Bhaktisiddhanta
Sarasvati Thakura wrote in a letter that “Prahlada Maharaja saw
Krishna everywhere and Hiranyakasipu saw Krishna nowhere, and we are
in between.”
We
have two sides in us, but by hearing and chanting about Krishna we
strengthen our spiritual side. It is not difficult to understand how
to become Krishna conscious.
In
the beginning of our spiritual life, it is like we are pushing an old
car up a hill.
Our
faith is where we think pleasure is to be found. As we advance in
Krishna consciousness we understand pleasure is to be found in
relationship to Krishna.
Because
at least partially we are chanting for Krishna’s pleasure, we will
become free of the other motives.
Visvanatha
Cakravarti Thakura says in the beginning bhakti is localized and the
material energy is surrounding it. Later the material energy is like
a ship passing by us at close range. At nishta
[steadiness],
the material energy is like a ship half way to the horizon. At asakti
[attachment], the material energy is like a ship on the horizon, and
at bhava
[the
stage of preliminary love of God] there is just a shadow of the
material energy.
Rupa
Goswami says at bhava,
because
a hint of offenses to Vaishnavas remains, there is a trace of misery
still present. Prema
is
completely pure and has no traces of offenses or unhappiness.
Amita
Krishna Prabhu:
If
you have enough land, you can maintain cows at no expense, as the
cows are simply satisfied with grass. There is a movement to
reeducate the farmers in South India about this original idea called
Zero Budget Farming.
Srila
Prabhupada’s ideas are based on the fatherhood of the Supreme Lord,
the motherhood of mother nature, and the brotherhood of all living
entities. The idea of fatherhood of the Supreme Lord can appeal to
those who are followers of different religions, Christians, Moslems,
etc. The idea of the motherhood of material nature can appeal to the
ecologists, environmentalists, etc.. The idea of brotherhood of all
living entities can appeal to the animal rights and civil rights
activists.
The
three years I spent on padayatra
was
the best time of my life. The simplicity of the village people melted
my heart. In the villages where they kept their self-sufficient
lifestyle, the people were so hospitable that as soon as we arrived
there, they started cooking for us. The invited us to stay in their
homes, but their homes were so small there was not room. They would
say, “Don’t worry. You sleep in our homes, and we will sleep
outside.”
Srila
Prabhupada says that economics means food.
Although
the earth can provide for many times the present population, the
demoniac have invented the worry about overpopulation. In China the
government is so worried that they tax you heavily if you have two
children and if you have three, they put you in jail.
We
are scared to live with the cows, but we are not scared to live with
our laptops.
Krishna
through His pastimes not only taught religious values but also taught
economics in terms of agriculture and cow protection.
Radha
Krishna Prabhu in Hungary describes their self-sufficient farm to
guests, and when the people ask about the inspiration behind the
project he introduces Krishna consciousness.
The
weakness that demoniac economic leaders have is they are few, while
those they exploit are many.
We
should have a magazine and seminars to promote the value of the
self-sufficient economy over the present system.
Shyamasundara
Prabhu (from Bhaktivedanta Manor on cow protection):
The
GBCs are supposed to spend 10% of the time talking about
self-sufficiency.
We
have had a problem with leaders changing and everyone leaving.
We
do not talk about self-sufficiency, probably because we do not have a
clear program to implement it, and so it is easier not to talk about
it.
If
you do not protect the cow protectors, you will not have cow
protection.
You
need three people for a goshalla.
One
person to take care of the cows. One person to do it on the weekend.
One person to do if it the others are sick. Four hours a day of
service are needed for milking and care.
To
get people to do take care of cows, you have to provide the workers
with a steady situation. To do that you need to have regular donors
for a goshalla.
Radha
Krishna Prabhu
(from
the Hungary farm on varnasrama):
In
Hungary we were very divided territorially, wishing others would not
even set foot in our area, but after much work we have become more
united. Now, we, as Sivarama Swami said, will sink or swim, but
together.
Here
today at Simhacalam, we should decide what we are going to do as a
group here in Germany and all stick by it. Whatever our service we
should see how it relates to the goal we have decided upon.
We
could have thesis retreats at Simhacalam. We could advertise: “Come
here for a month. Write your thesis. We will wash your clothes. We
will feed you. It is peaceful.”
How
much land do you need to produce vegetables for 100 devotees for a
year? 1.5 hectares (3.7 acres).
How
much land do you need to produce for the grains? 1.5 hectares (3.7
acres)
Sivarama
Swami says there are even people in India who have been chanting 64
rounds of Hare Krishna daily and worshiping the deity for generations
in their families, but they will not go back to Godhead because they
just do it out of custom, not with the desire to attain love for
Krishna.
Just
as you can travel fast if you can get in the vacuum behind a moving
vehicle, if you can get close enough a saintly person, you can get a
boost in your spiritual life.
One
devotee who lived near the New Vraja farm in Hungary was diagnosed
with cancer. Sivarama Swami talked with her, and she expressed her
desire to spend the rest of her life on our Krishna farm. We had a
meeting at the farm and decided to arrange everyone’s schedule so
we could have chanting and reading about Krishna going on around her
24-hours a day for the last two and a half weeks of her life.
My
challenge to you is: Are you willing to make an arrangement so the
Prabhupada disciples who have begun this movement for you in Germany
have a suitable situation to leave this world at the end of life and
attain the spiritual world?
Sri
Gadadhara Prabhu [from a conversation]:
My
spiritual master, Lokanath Swami, says the austerity in this age is
to cooperate with the other devotees and to share Krishna
consciousness with others.
-----
My
friend, Jagannath Misra Prabhu was telling me in Mayapur how he spoke
to the Russian devotees about the beauty of Krishna in
Srimad-Bhagavatam class one
day. It reminded me of this beautiful verse from Sri
Caitanya-caritamrita which I
shared with him, and we both memorized it on the spot.
krishna-madhuryera
eka svabhavika bala
krishna-adi
nara-nari karaye cañcala
“The
beauty of Krishna
has one natural strength: it
thrills the hearts of all men and women, beginning with Lord Krishna
Himself.” (Sri Caitanya-caritamrita Adi
4.147)
