Diary
of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 9, No. 12
By Krishna-kripa das
(June 2013, part two)
By Krishna-kripa das
(June 2013, part two)
More
English Adventures
(Sent from Erfurt, Germany, on August 6, 2013)
(Sent from Erfurt, Germany, on August 6, 2013)
Where
I Went and What I Did
After
two days in Brighton, Janananda Goswami and the world harinama
sankirtana party,
along with Mahavishnu Swami, came to Croydon for their third
Ratha-yatra. Then I returned to Newcastle, desiring to be there for
three days of Janananda Goswami’s visit, before I returned to the
London area to go with Parasurama Prabhu to the Stonehenge Solstice
festival, with its seven hours of kirtana,
for the fourth time. After the Stonehenge event was the Birmingham
Twenty-Four Hour Kirtan,
which
I also attended for the fourth time. Then back to Newcastle, my base
in the summer, to spend the last week of the month. Janananda Goswami
canceled some of his engagements to rest up and to catch up on his
work, and we were blessed that he decided to stay in Newcastle. Even
though resting up, one day he took us to three towns for harinama!
In
Newcastle we did not often have morning classes, and when we did I
gave a lot of them, so I do not have so many lecture notes, but my
daily reading program of fifteen minutes each from Bhagavad-gita,
Srimad-Bhagavatam, Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, and
The
Nectar of Devotion has
yielded many beautiful insights from Srila Prabhupada which I am very
happy to share. Beyond that there are excellent realizations by
Sacinandana Swami and Janananda Goswami. I include my notes on
Sacinandana Swami in the section where I describe the Birmingham
kirtan,
while
those of Janananda Goswami are in the insights section.
Thanks
to Vidyapati Prabhu for the videos of the Croydon Ratha-yatra and the
Stonehenge Solstice Festival and its Ratha-yatra. Thanks to
Vishnujana Prabhu for his pictures of the Stonehenge event, and to
Mickey Shah for his pictures of Sacinandana Swami and Madhava Prabhu at the Birmingham Twenty-Four Hour Kirtan.
Croydon
Ratha-yatra
Different
impressions stuck out in my mind regarding the Croydon Ratha-yatra. I
had a desire to go to it since last year when I advertised it by
chanting three hours and passing out invitations the day before. I
could not go because I previously committed to do a program in the
Leeds the same day, but the desire was there, and Krishna fulfilled
it this year. Lord Jagannatha did His usual pastime of starting the
parade with sprinkles of rain but ending it with a beautiful sunny
day. A city official, wearing a flower garland, gave a short speech,
and impressively swept the streets for Lord Jagannatha, following in
the footsteps of Maharaja Prataparuda of Lord Caitanya’s time.
Mahavishnu
Swami was there, with his unlimited energy and enthusiasm for
kirtana,
and
that made it all the more festive. Janananda Goswami was there to
encourage us to dance for the Lord with arms in the air. Many
devotees came from Soho St. temple for the festival. Yuka, who became
interested in Hare Krishna while studying near Newcastle, but who
moved to Bristol, surprised me by showing up at the Croydon
Ratha-yatra, in addition to the ones in Bath and London.
Both
devotee and local onlooker photographers stood on benches to get good
shots.
I
found some people of Indian backgrounds did not know we had Hare
Krishna programs in the Croydon area, so the Ratha-yatra served the
purpose of educating them about that.
One
common laborer type named Ralph who was slightly intoxicated, found
the kirtana
to
be more intoxicating, and enjoyed it very much. He participated
during the end of the parade and during the kirtana
in
the park where the festival was held. He had friendly talks with
devotees, and went on the harinama
from
the festival site to the van with the devotees who were returning to
Soho. It was wonderful to see a regular sort of local guy come
appreciate the happiness of the chanting of the holy names.
One
young happy and peaceful couple I talked to was attracted to the
Ratha-yatra, and they were happy to hear of the festival in the park
and the local Croydon programs.
I
was happy seeing that the Ratha-yatra reached out and touched people
in different ways, what to speak of all the benefit people got from
seeing the form of the Lord, hearing the name of the Lord,
associating with the devotees of the Lord, and imbibing the food
first offered to the Lord.
As
usual I could not just be absorbed in the kirtana
because
I wanted to give out invitations to people who looked interested and
to take a few pictures as well.
Vidyapati
Prabhu recorded a rather lengthy video of the whole event for those
of you who have time to watch
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3p3xJIg0CZ8&feature=share&list=UU14VMd3QqNZb10NSE2gVwGA):
Stonehenge
Solstice Festival
This
was my fourth and favorite visit to the Stonehenge Solstice festival.
Nearly thirty thousand people come to Stonehenge on the longest day
of the year, and Parasurama Prabhu serves out several thousand plates
of prasadam,
while
devotees chant Hare Krishna from midnight on June 21 until 7:00 a.m.
When there is good weather, like this year, he has Ratha-yatra at
midnight for two hours.
Vidyapati Prabhu shared some video of the midnight Ratha-yatra this year (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGgp5vfimrQ&feature=share&list=UU14VMd3QqNZb10NSE2gVwGA):
Vidyapati Prabhu shared some video of the midnight Ratha-yatra this year (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGgp5vfimrQ&feature=share&list=UU14VMd3QqNZb10NSE2gVwGA):
\
Turns
out this year the day leading up to the solstice was nirjala
Ekadasi,
a great day for staying up all night and chanting Hare Krishna, and I
think a few more devotees came because of that.
Because
Janananda Goswami, my spiritual authority for my summer base in
Newcastle, in the North of England, was visiting Newcastle, I decided
to stay there as long as possible before coming south to
Bhaktivedanta Manor to travel with Parasurama Prabhu to the festival.
Thus I booked a train to London which takes three hours to make the
journey instead of the six and a half for the bus although it costs
28.50 GBP instead of the 8.50 GBP. Because a train in front of mine
struck a person, my train was delayed by 52 minutes, and Parasurama
Prabhu had to leave without me to get to the Stonehenge by midnight.
Thus after spending an hour on the internet looking for cheap buses,
had to spend 36.20 GBP on a train to Salisbury and 6 GBP on a bus to
the Stonehenge site. I arrived at 2:30 a.m., missing the midnight
Ratha-yatra, but catching most of the chanting afterward. The East
Coast train company, to their great credit, gave me train vouchers
with 28.50 GBP value which are good for one year, since I said I was
delayed over an hour in reaching my final destination.
There
are many alternative people who come to Stonehenge on the solstice day,
and many people loved listening to our chanting, some in prayerful
meditation, like these girls below:
The
one on the right also took pleasure in spinning around in circles several times on a couple occasions.
Many
people enjoyed dancing with us, and many enjoyed playing their
instruments, like djembes
[African
drums].
The
devotees were kind to let me lead the kirtana
at
one point,
and
it was wonderful to see the enthusiasm of the devotees and the
onlookers. Several devotees made positive comments afterward, and I
considered, despite the difficulty because of the delayed train, that
Krishna had arranged that I come and sing. Recently I have been
praying to the previous spiritual masters in our line, like Rupa
Goswami and Bhaktivinoda Thakura, to chant purely, and I am sure that
helped. Janananda Goswami had previously advised that I go to the
Stonehenge festival, though it meant leaving his association in
Newcastle, and that very morning he gave me 50 GBP, which it turned
out I needed to take the train to Salisbury.
Mahavishnu
Swami (playing the accordion below)
Saksi Gopala Prabhu, and Vidyapati Prabhus were very lively kirtana leaders. Devotees said that more people followed our chanting party than in other years. I was so happy to see the many people smiling, dancing, and even chanting along with us.
Some stayed for hours. Some said they chanted with us at the Stonehenge every year. Once a lady held the mike of her personal amplifier to the mouth of Mahavishnu Swami so more people could hear.
One
young lady, playing the big karatalas in the above picture, danced with us as we were walking to the parking lot. She
later took prasadam,
and
told how she had seen the devotees chanting in London. I gave her the
temple invitation for London and told her of the Saturday harinama
which
leaves the temple at 7:45 p.m. as she liked to dance with us.
Vishnujana,
Gaura Karuna, Syama Rasa, and Harinamananda Prabhu, the devotees
comprising a world harinama
party,
shared their kirtana
enthusiasm
with the people, with Gaura Karuna selling a good number of books.
They were a great addition to the festival.
Vidyapati
Prabhu shared some video of the chanting after the Ratha-yatra,
including some of me leading
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cToOs-ArgGE&feature=share&list=UU14VMd3QqNZb10NSE2gVwGA):
Other
people posted videos too like this (http://youtu.be/kWRFi298Y8A):
And there was this clip by CBS with the devotees chanting in the background and me
holding Mahavishnu Swami’s danda
(http://youtu.be/7DQFdclc6Is):
I
also had some video of Stonehenge
(http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGerEnGdI0xLJ2lZr4LBCdUdTM3YoVnXT):
Birmingham
Twenty-Four-Hour Kirtan
Birmingham Twenty-Four-Hour
Kirtan is an annual event that has been going on for fourteen years and
is regularly attended by Sacinandana Swami
Different dignitaries spoke at the beginning of it, and I
noted some things they said. The only Hindu chaplin for UK prisons
begged us for Bhagavad-gitas
for
the prisons.
A
leader of Hindu youth said he came for thirteen times and he felt
Krishna was present. He said that the Hindu population of prisons is
the lowest of any group, and activities like our kirtana
program
are beneficial for the youth.
and Madhava Prabhu.
Sacinandana
Swami:
To
praise Krishna is to give attention to Krishna.
We
must pray, “For so many years I have forgotten you. Now I am your
sincere and serious
servant.”
Once
we understand that direct connection with the Krishna is the goal, we
must become inquisitive to know the means to attain this goal. The
holy name is that means.
What
is the use of going to churches, temples, and mosques if the heart is
filled with inauspicious qualities like envy, etc.
Srila
Prabhupada said that Krishna consciousness is meant to purify the
impure heart.
Of
all the qualities of God, mercy is the most powerful.
Love
of God is the highest gift because it is the most powerfully
transformational on the heart.
The
holy name is like the sun. We are joyful to greet the sun but when
the sun is covered by clouds and mist, that is not possible. The
offenses in chanting are the clouds and mist.
We
have turned away from Krishna since time immemorial and thus that bad
habit can attack us at any time. We must bring the mind back to the
holy name, and we will find the kirtana
to
be the most spiritual experience.
I
got a letter from a Bedouin in the desert in Arabia who wrote to say
he and his camels were listening to the Birmingham 24-hour kirtana
[on
the Internet] and singing along.
Haridasa
Thakura prays, “Be merciful and appear on my tongue in the holy
name.”
Today
break the habit of inattention.
Regarding
habits, I tell one story. In Hamburg, in the north of Germany, some
person drove his car into the harbor. Upon investigation, the reason
was found to be he was habituated to following his GPS and he was
encouraged by his wife to do so. Even though the GPS was sending him
straight for the water, he continued following it. Germans are
accustomed to obeying authorities, for better or for worse.
I
request you give up the world of your own mind and to sing from the
heart. You are in the association of devotees, and that will help
you.
One
devotee of Lord Rama heard that the Lord has appeared in Kali-yuga in
Jagannatha Puri on a bluish hill, Nilacala. Eager to see the Lord, he
traveled to Puri to see the Lord in the temple, but he was dejected
when he saw the blackish form of Jagannatha on the altar, and Lord
Rama was not to be seen. He walked some distance and took rest under
a tree in disappointment. Subhadra told Lord Jagannatha, “You
promise to maintain anyone who takes shelter of you, but this devotee
has left your temple hungry.” Lord Jagannatha thanked Subhadra for
reminding Him of his promise. In the form of a brahmana
boy,
He stole His own maha-prasadam
and
brought it to the devotee of Rama, saying that “Lord Rama has sent
me to you to bring His own maha-prasadam.”
The devotee was surprised because he had not see Lord Rama in the
temple, and the Lord in the form of the brahmana
boy
advised him to look more closely. The devotee returned to the
Jagannatha temple, and this time when he viewed the Deity, He saw the
form of Lord Rama, greenish in color and carrying a bow.
The
Goswamis taught the whole world to cry out for the Lord, “Where are
you?”
-----
The
kirtana
was
great. Some of my favorite singers were Sacinandana Swami, Madhava
Prabhu, Manu Prabhu, Radha Londonisvara Prabhu, Gopibhava dd, and the
Vaishnava youths, Amala, Nadiya, and Jahnavi.
The
kirtana
was at a new venue, and I was very happy because there was much more
room to dance. Many of my friends from Newcastle danced so hard their
bodies ached the day after, such as Lauris below.
I do not dance that hard any more. Some of my friends from Sheffield also danced with my Newcastle friends.
Parasurama Prabhu wanted me to get a bunch of people to dance during his singing slot, and I told my Newcastle friends, and he was pleased with their performance.
I do not dance that hard any more. Some of my friends from Sheffield also danced with my Newcastle friends.
Parasurama Prabhu wanted me to get a bunch of people to dance during his singing slot, and I told my Newcastle friends, and he was pleased with their performance.
I
did not know about any sleeping accommodation at the site. I saw a
tapestry of Jagannatha hanging from the balcony, and decided that if
I took a nap behind, I could be in the presence of the kirtana,
get
some sleep, and not be noticed by others. I took three naps of about
45 minutes each. I also dozed off for about ten minutes after lunch
while sitting cross legged on the floor and leaning against the wall.
There was a shower in the prasadam
hall,
but with only cold water, a minor austerity. Thus I tried to spend as
much time in the kirtana
as
possible, and I think it was an increase since last year. The next
night I slept just five hours at the Birmingham temple, and walked 50
minutes to the downtown and took a six and a half hour Megabus to
Newcastle and did harinama
for
three hours that afternoon, without noticeable exhaustion. Kirtana
gives
you energy. I recall that during the bus ride home I felt a void
without the constant kirtana,
and
that I felt the three hours I did on harinama
that
afternoon in Newcastle to be not so much at all because of chanting
the entire previous day.
I
took a little video of the Birmingham Twenty-Four Kirtan at
(http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGerEnGdI0xLwPb4RMQ2PjcyM-agpBr1u):
There
is a more complete thirty-minute video of the event at
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaHibJKpv20):
Harinamas
with Janananda Goswami in the Newcastle Area
Janananda
Goswami canceled his travels to catch up on his health and his
correspondence, but fortunately for us, he stayed in Newcastle, going
out on harinama
a
few days, once to three towns, Byker, Wallsend, and North Shields.
These towns see only one harinama
per
year, so it is an unusual experience for them. In Byker people at an
outside cafe looked at us,
and a couple ladies on the street tried
chanting the mantra.
In Wallsend, a couple guys danced with us.
North
Shields was best because it had a crowded central location in front
of a mall of shops near the train station. When we came down one
street, two girls siting on a bench began clapping in time to the
music as we approached them. Seeing they appreciated, we stayed there
chanting, and all at once, three respectably dressed men took
pictures of our party, with the clapping girls behind us. I could not
take pictures as I was leading and playing the harmonium, which was a little frustrating for me. Prema
Sankirtana Prabhu did well in North Shields, inducing many people to
dance and selling books. I hope to go back to North Shields again, my
favorite of the three places.
In
Newcastle, we have a two-hour kirtana
program
every Wednesday. Once the devotees surprised me by serving a feast
afterward with four desserts, an event that does not happen every
day.
Insights
Srila
Prabhupada:
from
The
Nectar of Devotion, Chapter
5:
“One
must be very vigilant to remember that he is the part and parcel of
the transcendental body of Krishna, and that it is his duty as part
and parcel to give service to the whole, or Krishna. If we do not
render service to Krishna then again we fall down.”
“In
this connection Srila Rupa Gosvami gives evidence from
Srimad-Bhagavatam,
Eleventh
Canto, Twenty-first Chapter, verse 2, in which Lord Krishna says to
Uddhava, ‘The distinction between qualification and
disqualification may be made in this way: persons who are already
elevated in discharging devotional service will never again
take
shelter of the processes of fruitive activity or philosophical
speculation. If one sticks to devotional service and is conducted by
regulative principles given by the authorities and acaryas,
that
is the best qualification.’”
“This
is confirmed also in the Eleventh Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam,
Eleventh
Chapter, verse 32, in which the Lord says to Uddhava, ‘My dear
Uddhava, any person who takes shelter of Me in complete surrender and
follows My instructions, giving up all occupational duties, is to be
considered the first-class man.’”
from
The
Nectar of Devotion, Chapter
7:
“In
the Eleventh Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam,
Third
Chapter, verse 21, Prabuddha tells Maharaja Nimi, ‘My dear King,
please know for certain that in the material world there is no
happiness. It is simply a mistake to think that there is happiness
here, because this place is full of nothing but miserable conditions.
Any person who is seriously desirous of achieving real happiness must
seek out a bona fide spiritual master and take shelter of him by
initiation. The qualification of a spiritual master is that he must
have realized the conclusion of the scriptures by deliberation and
arguments and thus be able to convince others of these conclusions.
Such great personalities who have taken shelter of the Supreme
Godhead, leaving aside all material considerations, are to be
understood as bona fide spiritual masters. Everyone should try to
find such a bona fide spiritual master in order to fulfill his
mission of life, which is to transfer himself to the plane of
spiritual bliss.’”
from
Sri
Caitanya-caritamrita,
Madhya 1.218, purport:
“The
spiritual master initiates the disciple to deliver him, and if the
disciple executes
the
order of the spiritual master and does not offend other Vaishnavas,
his path is clear.”
“One
who is envious of the success of a Vaishnava is certainly not a
Vaishnava himself but is an ordinary, mundane man. Envy and jealousy
are manifested by mundane people,
not
by Vaishnavas. Why should a Vaishnava be envious of another Vaishnava
who is successful in spreading the holy name of the Lord? An actual
Vaishnava is very pleased to accept another Vaishnava who is
bestowing the Lord’s mercy. A mundane person in the dress of a
Vaishnava should not be respected but rejected. This is enjoined in
the sastra
(upeksha).
The
word upeksha
means
neglect. One should neglect an envious person. A preacher’s duty is
to love the Supreme Personality of Godhead, make friendships with
Vaishnavas, show mercy to the innocent and reject or neglect those
who are envious or jealous. There are many jealous people in the
dress of Vaishnavas in this Krishna consciousness movement, and they
should be completely neglected. There is no need to serve a jealous
person who is in the dress of a Vaishnava.”
from
Srimad-Bhagavatam
4.29.46, purport:
“Because
the Supreme Personality of Godhead dictates to the pure devotee from
within, the devotee is saved from all material activities.”
“A
pure devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is always thinking
of how fallen, conditioned souls can be delivered. The Supreme
Personality of Godhead, influenced by the merciful devotees’
attempt to deliver fallen souls, enlightens the people in general
from within by His causeless mercy. If a devotee is blessed by
another devotee, he becomes free from karma-kanda
and jnana-kanda
activities.”
from
The
Nectar of Devotion, Chapter
9:
“Those
who are less intelligent want to worship different
demigods for some material gain rather than worship Krishna. But here
it is stated that a devotee who is always engaged in offering prayers
to the Lord is worshipable even by the demigods themselves. The pure
devotees have nothing to ask from any demigod; rather, the demigods
are anxious to offer prayers to the pure devotees.”
“The
devotees who come
to visit and offer respects to the Deity take three drops of
caranamrita
[the
water used to bathe the deities] very
submissively and feel themselves happy in transcendental bliss.”
from
The
Nectar of Devotion, Chapter
10:
“The
beginning of Krishna consciousness and devotional service
is hearing, in Sanskrit called sravanam.
All
people should be given the chance to come and join devotional parties
so that they may hear. This hearing is very important for progressing
in Krishna
consciousness.
When one links his ears to give aural reception to the transcendental
vibrations, he can quickly become purified and cleansed in the heart.
Lord Caitanya has affirmed that this hearing is very important. It
cleanses the heart of the contaminated soul so that he becomes
quickly qualified to enter into devotional service and
understand
Krishna consciousness.”
“In
the Fourth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam,
Twenty-ninth Chapter,
verse 40, the importance of hearing of the pastimes of the Lord is
stated by Sukadeva Gosvami to Maharaja Pariksit: ‘My dear King, one
should stay at a place where the great acaryas
[holy
teachers] speak about the transcendental activities of the Lord, and
one should give aural reception to the nectarean river flowing from
the moonlike faces of such great personalities. If someone eagerly
continues to hear such transcendental sounds, then certainly he will
become freed from all material hunger, thirst, fear and lamentation,
as well as all illusions of material existence.’”
“Some
way or other, if someone establishes in his mind
his continuous relationship with Krishna, this relationship is called
remembrance.”
from
The
Nectar of Devotion, Chapter
11:
“Srila
Rupa Gosvami describes one who is fit for becoming engaged in
devotional service. He says that persons who are neophytes and who
have developed a little love of Godhead are not interested in the
activities of sense gratification, in proportion to their devotion.
But if there is still some attraction for sense gratifying
activities, then the result of such activities should be offered to
Krishna. This is also called engagement in the service of the Lord,
with the Lord as the master and the worker as the servant.”
“Srila
Bhaktivinoda Thakura has sung a nice song in this connection. While
offering himself as a fully surrendered soul, he said, ‘My mind, my
household affairs, my body, whatever is in my possession, my dear
Lord, I offer to You for Your service. Now You can do with them as
You like.’”
“In
the Narada-pancaratra
there
is a statement of how one can act in all spheres of life for the
satisfaction of the Lord. It is stated there that a person who is
actually in devotional service must be engaged in all kinds of
activities—those prescribed in the revealed scriptures and also
those which are accepted for livelihood. In other words, not only
should a devotee engage himself in the prescribed duties of
devotional service which are mentioned in the revealed scriptures,
but he should also perform the duties of his practical life in
Krishna consciousness.”
“In
the Hari-bhakti-vilasa
there
is the following statement about self-surrender: ‘My dear Lord, a
person who has surrendered himself unto You, who is in firm
conviction that he is Yours, and who actually acts in that way by his
body, mind and words, can actually relish transcendental bliss.’”
“In
the Skanda
Purana there
is another statement about tulasi,
as
follows: ‘Tulasi
is
auspicious in all respects. Simply by seeing, simply by touching,
simply by remembering, simply by praying to, simply by bowing before,
simply by hearing about or simply by sowing this tree, there is
always auspiciousness. Anyone who comes in touch with the tulasi
tree
in the above-mentioned ways lives eternally in the Vaikuntha world.’”
from
Srimad-Bhagavatam
4.29.51:
“One
who is engaged in devotional service has not the least fear in
material existence. This is because the Supreme Personality of
Godhead is the Supersoul and friend of everyone. One who knows this
secret is actually educated, and one thus educated can become the
spiritual master of the world. One who is an actually bona fide
spiritual master, representative of Krishna, is not different from
Krishna.”
from
a lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam
1.1.2
given on Feb. 23, 1975 in Caracas, Venezuela:
Just
as one must accept the law of the state whether or not he has faith
in it, so it is with the law of God.
If
you want to have real peace, try to understand what is God and what
is your relationship with God, and act accordingly.
You
cannot see your mind or intelligence although you have mind and
intelligence. They are very subtle.
If
we think of dog at the time of death, we attain a dog’s body. If we
think of God at the time of death, we attain a spiritual body like
God.
We
have scattered our love between so many things in this world. We have
to correct this and transfer our love to God.
from
a lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam
1.1.3
given on Feb. 24, 1975 in Caracas, Venezuela:
We
can change our religious faith, but we cannot change our dharma of
rendering service. In material life we have so many objects of
service, but in spiritual life we serve the Supreme Lord.
If
the husband does not please even one of the family members, so much
disruption in family life is there, so in reality the husband is the
servant of his family members, although he is thinking he is the
master.
If
we do not have sufficient engagement in the service of God, we will
keep a dog and serve that.
The
India, the Mayavadis recommend to worship any demigod and the result
is the same. This is false religion.
from
The
Nectar of Devotion, Chapter
12:
“A
similar statement is in the Third Canto, Seventh Chapter,
verse 19, of Srimad-Bhagavatam:
‘Let
me become a sincere servant of the devotees, because by serving them
one can achieve unalloyed devotional service unto the lotus feet of
the Lord. The service of devotees diminishes all miserable material
conditions and develops within one a deep devotional love for the
Supreme Personality of Godhead.’”
“A
similar statement is found in the First Canto, Nineteenth Chapter,
verse 33, of Srimad-Bhagavatam:
‘There
is no doubt about one’s becoming freed from all reactions to sinful
activities after visiting a devotee or touching his lotus feet or
giving him a sitting place. Even by remembering the activities of
such a Vaishnava, one becomes purified, along with one’s whole
family. And what, then, can be said of rendering direct service to
him?’”
“The
same thing is confirmed in the Adi
Purana by
Krishna. While addressing Arjuna He says, ‘Anyone who is engaged in
chanting My transcendental name must be considered to be always
associating with Me. And I may tell you frankly that for such a
devotee I become easily purchased.’”
“Rupa
Gosvami has stated that five kinds of devotional activities—namely
residing in Mathura, worshiping the Deity of the Lord, reciting
Srimad-Bhagavatam,
serving
a devotee and chanting the Hare Krishna mantra—are
so potent that a small attachment for any one of these five items can
arouse devotional ecstasy even in a neophyte.”
from
The
Nectar of Devotion, Chapter
13:
“In
the Eleventh Canto, Twentieth Chapter, verse 9, of Srimad-Bhagavatam,
the
Lord Himself says, ‘One should execute the prescribed duties of
varna
and
asrama
as
long as he has not developed spontaneous attachment for hearing about
My pastimes and activities.’”
from
The
Nectar of Devotion, Chapter
14:
“Actually,
the cultivation of knowledge or renunciation, which are favorable for
achieving a footing in Krishna consciousness, may be accepted in the
beginning, but ultimately they may also come to be rejected, for
devotional service is dependent on nothing other than the sentiment
or desire for such service. It requires nothing more than sincerity.”
from
The
Nectar of Devotion, Chapter
16:
Spontaneous
love of Krishna as exhibited by the Vrishnis
and the denizens of Vrindavana is eternally existing in them. In the
stage of devotional service where regulative principles are followed,
there is no necessity of discussing this love, for
it
must develop of itself at a more advanced stage. . . . We must always
remember, however, that such eagerness to follow in the footsteps of
the denizens of Vraja (Vrindavana) is not possible unless one is
freed from material contamination. . . . Sometimes someone is found
imitating such devotional love, but factually he is not freed from
anarthas,
or
unwanted habits. It has been seen that a so-called devotee proclaims
himself a follower of Nanda, Yasoda or the gopis,
while
at the same time his abominable attraction for mundane sex life is
visible. Such a manifestation of divine love is mere imitation and
has no value. When one is actually spontaneously attracted to the
loving principles of the gopis,
there
will be found no trace of any mundane contamination in his
character.”
“According
to the regulative principles, there are nine departmental activities,
as described above, and one should specifically engage himself in the
type of devotional service for which he has a natural aptitude. For
example, one person may have a particular interest in hearing,
another may have a particular interest in chanting, and another may
have a particular interest in serving in the temple. So these, or any
of the other six different types of devotional service (remembering,
serving, praying, engaging in some particular service, being in a
friendly relationship or offering everything in one’s possession),
should be executed in full earnestness. In this way, everyone should
act according to his particular taste.”
from
The
Nectar of Devotion, Chapter
18:
“Emperor
Bharata provides a typical example of detachment. He had everything
enjoyable in the material world, but he left it. This means that
detachment does not mean artificially keeping oneself aloof and apart
from the allurements of attachment. Even in the presence of such
allurements, if one can remain unattracted by material attachments,
he is called detached. In the beginning, of course, a neophyte
devotee must try to keep himself apart from all kinds of alluring
attachments, but the real position of a mature devotee is that even
in the presence of all allurements, he is not at all attracted.”
“Asabandha
means
to continue to think, ‘Because I’m trying my best to follow the
routine principles of devotional service, I am sure that I will go
back to Godhead, back to home.’”
from
The
Nectar of Devotion, Chapter
19:
“In
the Narada-pancaratra
it
is clearly stated that
when lust is completely transferred to the Supreme Godhead and the
concept of kinship is completely reposed in Him, such is accepted as
pure love of God by great authorities like Bhisma, Prahlada, Uddhava
and Narada. Great
authorities like Bhisma have explained that love
of Godhead means completely giving up all so-called love for any
other person. According to Bhisma, love means reposing one’s
affection completely upon one person, withdrawing all affinities for
any other person. This pure love can be transferred to the Supreme
Personality of Godhead under two conditions—out of ecstasy and out
of the causeless mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
Himself.”
“An
example of such extraordinary mercy is given
in the Eleventh Canto, Twelfth Chapter, verse 7, of
Srimad-Bhagavatam,
wherein
Lord Krishna tells Uddhava, ‘The gopis
in
Vrindavana did not study the Vedas
to
achieve Me. Nor had they ever been in holy places of pilgrimage. Nor
did they devoutly execute any regulative principle. Nor did they
undergo any kind of austerity. It is simply by My association that
they have attained the highest perfection of devotional service.’”
from
Sri
Caitanya-caritamrita,
Madhya 2.32:
“The
nectar from the lips of Lord Krishna and His transcendental qualities
and characteristics surpass the taste of the essence of all nectar,
and there is no fault in tasting such nectar. If one does not taste
it, he should die immediately after birth, and his tongue is to be
considered no better than the tongue of a frog.”
from
Sri
Caitanya-caritamrita,
Madhya
2.38:
“If
by chance such a moment comes when I can once again see Krishna, then
I shall worship those seconds, moments and hours with flower garlands
and pulp of sandalwood and decorate them with all kinds of jewels and
ornaments.”
from
Sri
Caitanya-caritamrita,
Madhya
2.48:
“Even
though I do not see the moonlike face of Krishna as He plays on His
flute, and although there is no possibility of My meeting Him, still
I take care of My own body. That is the way of lust. In this way, I
maintain My flylike life.”
from
Sri
Caitanya-caritamrita,
Madhya
2.49:
“Unalloyed
love of Krishna is like an ocean of happiness. If someone gets one
drop of it, the whole world can drown in that drop. It is not
befitting to express such love of Godhead, yet a madman must speak.
But even though he speaks, no one believes him.”
from
Srimad-Bhagavtam
4.29.68, purport:
“Narottama
dasa Thakura advises everyone to stick to the principle of carrying
out the orders of the spiritual master. One should not desire
anything else. If the regulative principles ordered by the spiritual
master are followed rigidly, the mind will gradually be trained to
desire nothing but the service of Krishna. Such training is the
perfection of life.”
“‘As
the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to
youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at
death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change.’
(Bg. 2.13) Unless all human society understands this important verse
in Bhagavad-gita,
civilization
will advance in ignorance, not in knowledge.”
from
a lecture on Srmad-Bhagavatam
1.2.6
given on April 18, 1974, in Hyderabad, India:
Why
are people not interested in God? Because they are sinful.
It
does not matter if you do this business or that business, you are
successful if you have some money. Similarly it does not matter if
you follow this religion or that religion, you are successful if you
develop your love for God.
Janananda
Goswami:
notes
from a Bhagavatam
class
in London:
On
the spiritual plane, the past and future enhance the enjoyment of the
present.
The
gopis
wish
that Krishna would return to Vrindavana not because they want to
enjoy with Him, but because they know that He cannot enjoy anywhere
but Vrindavana.
Srila
Prabhupada says that Krishna performs so many pastimes so His
devotees can enjoy recounting them.
Our
sadhana
[spiritual
practice] is the order of our guru [spiritual master].
Somehow
we must bring some of the conditioned souls to Krishna for His
pleasure.
Sankirtana
is
meant to bring us from the platform of “what I want” to the
platform of “what gives pleasure to Krishna.”
The
djembe
[the
African drum] should serve the mrdanga
[the
traditional drum used in Gaudiya Vaishnava kirtana].
If it dominates the mrdanga
it should be taken and thrown in the bin.
notes
on classes in Newcastle:
Krishna
is our best friend, and He has appeared in Bhagavad-gita.
You
should always carry Bhagavad-gita
with you. Just as serious Christians carry their Bibles and serious
Muslims carry their Korans, you should be serious and always carry
Bhagavad-gita.
The
surrender Arjuna speaks of in Bhagavad-gita
2.7
is not a forced thing.
It
is not that Krishna is saying surrender or go to hell.
In
Brighton there is a shop near the railway station selling meat and
beer called “Hell’s Kitchen.” At least they recognize it.
If
you have a very good relationship with someone, you could say that
you are surrendered to that person. When we want to live for
Krishna’s pleasure, that is real surrender.
Real
spiritual life begins with surrender. Not blind surrender but
surrendering in knowledge.
As
Kali-yuga has progressed, the impetus to surrender is even greater
than in Arjuna’s time.
Bhaktisiddhanta
Saravati Thakura said that the material world is characterized by
turmoil and annoyance.
If
you are miserly, you will be miserable.
Accepting
Krishna as an authority is the beginning of accepting transcendental
knowledge.
We
cannot expect people to be on the level of Arjuna. They are just a
little inquisitive at best.
In
Brisbane, Australia, we had a program in a suburb 18 kilometers (11
miles) outside the city in a working class neighborhood, with a
little park and a band stand. The devotees were passing out
invitations in the city center. I was thinking, “who is going to
come to such a program?” but 500 people came out of curiosity, with
their kids and their dogs, etc.
By
associating with the devotees of the Lord, hearing and rendering
service, our natural spiritual qualities will awaken.
In
London in 1973, Srila Prabhupada explained how you can become a
spiritual master, “You simply have to follow.”
Q:
What are the qualities I should be looking for in a spiritual master?
A:
The guru in ISKCON must follow Srila Prabhupada and inspire others to
follow Srila Prabhupada. By his association, there must be a change
in your heart. You should become disinterested in material life and
attracted to Krishna and His qualities, attracted to chant and to
serve. You must become enthusiastic about spiritual life.
Unless
we hear the holy name, we cannot expect much. If we do not take the
medicine, what can be done?
Srila
Prabhupada is so kind he has come to the surface [from the depths of
his Krishna realization] to benefit those who live on the surface.
In
London in July 1972, the devotees got the time of Srila Prabhupada’s
arrival wrong, thinking he was to arrive three hours later. Devotees
were setting up the room for his reception when he arrived. He sat on
the vyasasana
asked
where the devotees were, and the leading devotees explained the
situation. He noticed the prasadam
we
had brought and took some. He liked the fried chickpea flour and
nuts, etc.
In
1977, at the time of Srila Prabhupada’s last visit, London was
first in book distribution and in making new devotees, four or five
devotees a month. In the car, as I drove him to the temple, I thought
that Srila Prabhupada would talk about that. But he just talked about
the cows [at Bhaktivedanta Manor] and how they were being looked
after. He mentioned how he was going to America to teach varnasrama.
On
the last Vyasa Puja in 1977, there were not homages, but Tamal
Krishna Goswami spoke about Srila Prabhupada’s life. I do not know
if it is recorded, but it was one of the best lectures I have ever
heard. [Ekanath Prabhu of Bhaktivedanta Archives says they do not
have a recording of it. If anyone has such a recording, let us all
know.]
Sometimes
Srila Prabhupada would say things just to break our false egos.
Sometimes
we engage everything nicely except our false ego.
If
we are going to do something, we should do it well.
If
our austerity will make us proud, better not to do it.
Baladeva
Vidyabhusana protected the Gaudiya Vaishnava line of succession from
attacks of those in other lines of succession and played a key role.
As
the satellites are controlled remotely by scientists from earth, the
material world is controlled by the Lord who is situated in His
abode.
That
the Lord is unseen is not a reason for denying His existence. So many
things we accept without seeing.
We
have about 100,000 regular practicing devotees in Russia.
Other
processes are there, but they are not so effective as the chanting of
the holy name in this age.
We
chanted in Byker, Wallsend, and North Shields yesterday. One man came
up to me in one of those towns and said, “It is a relief to see
some happy people in this troubled world.”
In
Sydney, someone came up to us on the harinama
and
said, “What are you doing?” We answered, “We are chanting Hare
Krishna.” The person replied, “But why aren’t you chanting Hare
Krishna every day! There are so many problems that need to be
rectified!”
We
are interested in changing our consciousness not our lifestyle.
from
a car conversation:
When
Prabhupada was present, there was not all this talk of “you have to
put Prabhupada in the center.” We put Prabhupada in the center by
following his instructions to put Krishna in the center.
Some
gurus have several Vyasa Pujas in different places on different days,
but we never did that for Srila Prabhupada. I doubt whether it is
right.
Bhakti
Rasa Prabhu:
The
impersonalist philosophers say that the supreme is unlimited and
therefore cannot have form because to have form would limit Him. The
Vaishnava philosophers agree that the supreme is unlimited, but they
say that to deny the ability of the supreme to have form would limit
Him.
comment
by Indira: When I grew up in India, tribal people were considered
anarya,
non-Aryan.
But I would disagree with that because many such people worshiped
Lord Jagannatha, and so were actually advanced.
The
Goswamis who lived under a different tree each night taught by this
example that the human form is not meant to secure a comfortable
residence.
If
we are miserly we will be miserable because we will have to remain in
the cycle of repeated birth and death.
The
spiritual master manages the transition from from our miserly
conditioned state of existence to our liberated state of existence.
If
people do not understand the eternal existence of the soul, then
karma seems like a very heavy explanation for terrible events like
mass shootings. It is a help to understand that the soul is not
harmed. It continues to exist but just changes bodies.
In
Kali-yuga our knowledge is limited, and our capacity to learn more is
also very limited.
reflection
by Krishna-kripa das: When we speak of the miseries of birth, death,
old age, and disease, we tend to think of birth and death as most
severe, but because birth and death are brief events, disease and old
age, because of their longer duration could actually
cause us more suffering in the long run.
cause us more suffering in the long run.
Krishna-kripa das:
from a conversation:
One attender staying for the weekend in our temple told her husband to wake up because his nephew had come to visit. Actually the nephew had not come, but it was time for the evening kirtana, and she knew if she told him it was time for kirtana, he would just return to sleep. The trick worked, and her husband came down looking for the nephew and stayed for the whole kirtana, playing the mrdanga.
-----
param
padam vaishnavam amananti tad
yan
neti netity atad utsisrikshavah
visrijya
dauratmyam ananya-sauhrida
hridopaguhyarha-padam
pade pade
“The
transcendentalists desire to avoid everything godless, for they
know that supreme situation in which everything is related with the
Supreme Lord Vishnu. Therefore a pure devotee who is in absolute
harmony with the Lord does not create perplexities, but worships the
lotus feet of the Lord at every moment, taking them into his heart.”
(Srimad-Bhagavatam
2.2.18)