Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka,
Vol. 11, No. 4
By Krishna-kripa das
(February 2015, part two)
By Krishna-kripa das
(February 2015, part two)
Ocala
Rainbow Gathering, Gainesville, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville
(Sent from Gainesville, Florida, on March 22, 2015)
(Sent from Gainesville, Florida, on March 22, 2015)
Where I Went and What I Did
The
second half of February started off with an adventure – sharing
spiritual food and song at the Ocala Rainbow Gathering. Then I spent
a couple of days chanting at Krishna Lunch in Gainesville, and then
on to Orlando and Tampa for three days of
chanting
on campuses and inviting
people to evening programs. Then the next weekend was another
harinama
at
a special venue – the Monster Truck Rally at Jacksonville's
Everbank Stadium. The final week I was back at Krishna Lunch, with
the exception of the final day of February, the first day of spring
break, when I went up to Tallahassee.
I
share insights from Srila Prabhupada's books, Satsvarupa Dasa
Goswami's journal, lectures from three Prabhupada disciples in the
Gainesville/Alachua area, namely, Brahmatirtha Prabhu (Bob Cohen of
Perfect
Questions, Perfect Answers),
Kalakantha Prabhu (temple president of Krishna House), and Ranjit
Prabhu, and a lecture by the manager of Krishna Lunch, Hanan Prabhu.
I also share comments and realizations by devotees at Krishna House.
I
want to thank Vishnu Priya Devi Dasi of Jacksonville for her very
generous donation.
Thanks to Autumn for her
pictures of the Ocala Rainbow Gathering, Raju for his pictures of the
program at the University of South Florida in Tampa, Dhira Prabhu for
his pictures of the chanting party at the Monster Truck Rally in
Jacksonville, and Govardhan Isvari Devi Dasi for her picture of
chanting at the Farmers Market.
Thanks to Jaya Sri Vrinda Devi Dasi for editing and proofreading.
Thanks to Jaya Sri Vrinda Devi Dasi for editing and proofreading.
Itinerary
March 22–25: Gainesville
March 26–27: Tampa
March 28–31: Tallahassee
April 1–3: Jacksonville
April 4–7: Gainesville
April 8–11: Washington, D.C.
April 12: Albany
April 13–15: New York City
April 16: Toronto
April 17–23: Ireland (Dublin
and Cork)
April 24–26: Rotterdam
April 27: Amsterdam (King’s
Day)
April 28: Radhadesh, Belgium
April 29: Germany
April 30–May 3: Simhachalam,
Bavaria, Germany (Nrisimha Festival)
May 4–July 16: United
Kingdom
Ocala Regional Rainbow Gathering
Devotees had saved up 27 buckets of Krishna food for me to distribute at the Ocala Regional Rainbow Gathering, although I asked them to save just 8 buckets. Devotees from Alachua County have been attending this event for many years. I originally had a party of four devotees, and I decided 16 buckets was all we could handle. Fortunately Vaishnava Prabhu of New Vrindaban, who had cooked much of the prasadam, and Tessa, who loves to distribute prasadam, decided to also come at the last minute, so we had six devotees altogether, the others being Dorian, Autumn, and Chelsea, who drove her car.
We
chanted over 5 hours as we walked through the Ocala National Forest
with a trolley of prasadam
(Krishna food), feeding people on the way.
We stopped as we met people, and some of us served them while the rest of us sang.
We stopped as we met people, and some of us served them while the rest of us sang.
Some
people played their instruments along with our music.
Some people danced.
One
lady said of the coconut raisin halava,
“This is the best food you guys have ever given me.”
This
guy said of it, “Everyone should have the opportunity to experience
this.”
Another guy said of the prasadam, “Truly excellent.” Another said, “It is amongst the best food I've had since coming to these woods.” The people were so grateful we came.
Another guy said of the prasadam, “Truly excellent.” Another said, “It is amongst the best food I've had since coming to these woods.” The people were so grateful we came.
Some had an odd assortment
of eating vessels.
Some used coconut bowls.
One used chopsticks made
from leaves to eat off a leaf plate.
Each day after we serve the
Krishna Lunch to the students in Gainesville, the extra prasadam
goes
to a student cooperative living facility and to homeless shelters.
What is left after all that, we sent to a pig farm for some time
because we did not want to just it throw away. One young lady who was
eating our food at the Rainbow Gathering told me she worked at that
pig farm, and her service was to feed the old Krishna Lunch to the
pigs. The pigs were so excited when she opened the buckets to pour
the old prasadam
down
the chute. About the pigs chasing after the prasadam, she said, “They really went to town!”
One guy followed our chanting
party for two hours, and Tessa really impressed me by giving him her
own beads and bead bag and teaching him how to chant the Hare Krishna
mantra using them.
We gave our extra prasadam
to
different kitchens at the gathering before we left.
At the end, we chanted and distributed prasadam near the path to the trading circle and one of the prominent kitchens.
We
ended by giving a box of halava
and
a cooler of spaghetti to those at the main gate.
We did not return home till 8:30
p.m. Although it was a long and tiring day, the devotees were all
glad they went and look forward to next year. The people we saw there were among the most grateful we have ever meet.
Chanting at the University
of Central Florida in Orlando
Within
fifteen minutes of my setting up my table and beginning chanting, one
young lady asked if she could listen to my singing while she ate her
lunch. She sat in a sunny patch of grass across the sidewalk from me,
and ate lunch and listened. Because it was market day and we did not
reserve space for our local Bhakti Yoga Club, I was relocated by a
student union official. I told my listener I was sorry, but I had to
move. She gave me a dollar donation, and I gave her a Bhakti
Yoga book
after verifying she did not already have it. She was happy to take
the book. I asked if she did some kind of meditation, and she said
she did and that if she had no other engagement she might come to our
program on Friday.
Ultimately we chanted by the
library, which had more traffic than the free speech area given us by
the student union representative. There one young lady said “Haribol”
to us as she passed. Turned out her mother was a Hare Krishna devotee
in Brazil. We invited her to our program and gave her a card for the
local temple, in case she wants to connect with Krishna again in
Orlando.
Chanting at the University of
South Florida in Tampa
I chanted with Raju Manthena
at the University of South Florida by the library and the student center
for 3½ hours, passing out invitations to our Bhakti Yoga Club
program that evening.
Seven people came to the Bhakti Yoga Club meeting after seeing
us earlier that day. Such a large number of newcomers coming from our chanting and
passing out invitations is exceedingly rare. One regular from last
semester came, saying she was too busy to come this semester. She
danced like anything, and said she would return the next week. Two
ladies who came for the first time when I visited several weeks ago
were still coming.
There
was a lot of participation in the chanting as you can see in this
video (https://youtu.be/iU99uUtjS2A):
Chanting at Valencia
College in Orlando
As two devotees and I were
chanting at Valencia College in Orlando, an older man with hair that
was mostly gray passed us twice, the second time asking if he could
record us in his studio. Kishor asked if he was a professor. And he
replied, “Yes.” “Of what?” Kishor asked. “Of sound,” he said. He explained he had
read our book and knew all about us. He got Kishor's phone number. Later
I looked up Valencia on the Internet and found they have a major
called “Sound and Music Technology.” After a couple of weeks, the
professor called Kishor to schedule a recording session.
One little girl loved dancing
with the devotee ladies, and her father loved to take pictures of it.
One blond lady enjoyed dancing
with the devotee ladies.
Guru Vagmi Prabhu always
distributes pamphlets.
So does Mother Nitai.
In
the beginning people were less receptive in general than usual, but
at the end we met many people happy to encounter the devotees
and their chanting.
Chanting at Krishna Lunch
Chanting at the Farmers
Market
Innovations in Outreach
Bada Hari Prabhu, the maintenance man at Krishna House, not to be confused with the musician, thought of a novel tool for education – a Bhagavad-gita video built into the lunch table.
Insights
Srila
Prabhupada:
From Beyond
Birth and Death:
“We
are all seeking enjoyment through these bodies, but bodily enjoyment
is not our actual enjoyment. It is artificial. We have to understand
that if we want to continue in this artificial enjoyment, we will not
be able to attain our position of eternal enjoyment.”
“Our
enjoyment can be perfected when we participate in the enjoyment of
God.”
“If
we keep displeasing our supreme father, we shall never be happy
within this material world, in either the upper or lower planetary
systems.”
Satsvarupa
Dasa Goswami:
From
“Poem for February 15” in Viraha
Bhavan:
“The
Hare Krishna chanters in
the City have found
the secret source of joy –
the nectar for which
we are always anxious.
It is lamentable that
only a relatively few people chant
the holy names
and that people think of it as sectarian religion
or mythology or brainwashing.
The devotees are trying their best
to chant the Names
but they are a minimum
amount of people in the world.
When, O when, will the people of the world
take to the chanting of the Names
and taste the nectar of holy love?”
the City have found
the secret source of joy –
the nectar for which
we are always anxious.
It is lamentable that
only a relatively few people chant
the holy names
and that people think of it as sectarian religion
or mythology or brainwashing.
The devotees are trying their best
to chant the Names
but they are a minimum
amount of people in the world.
When, O when, will the people of the world
take to the chanting of the Names
and taste the nectar of holy love?”
Brahma-tirtha Prabhu:
How
is it that Srila Prabhupada gave us in the beginning of our spiritual
lives books like The
Nectar of Devotion and
Krishna
which
deal with such advanced topics?
Srila Prabhupada made the
highest knowledge of devotional service available and then taught the
process by which we can attain it.
Srila Prabhupada writes in a
letter about a disciple who rendered a lot of service to him but who
thought that Srila Prabhupada was existing only because of his
service. Because of thinking of Srila Prabhupada in this way, as if
he were a common man who was dependent on others, he lost the chance
to serve him.
Krishna
gives a taste of his association and then removes that opportunity.
He did that with the gopis.
Why
did He leave them? Because of their pride.
It
may look like the lamentation of the gopis
losing
Krishna is the same as that of a materialist, but they are completely
different.
Even
Srila Prabhupada said “I am going to need some help in figuring
this out” to Hridayananda Goswami, Jayapataka Goswami, and Harikesa
Prabhu, regarding the cosmology of the Fifth Canto.
The Fifth Canto is to create awe
about the Lord's creation.
Kalakantha
Prabhu:
The scientists admit that they
do not know it all, but because they know more than we do, they are
our authorities.
People have fanatic blind
faith in science.
Science
and the Bhagavatam
agree
that the universe is beyond our understanding, but science thinks
that someday they will understand it, while the Bhagavatam
states
it is so inconceivable we will never understand it.
The
members of the British Raj, observing an eclipse in India, noticed
that the Indian astronomers, just by moving a few stones, calculated
its timings very accurately.
Science
tries to explain how the universe works, but the Vedic knowledge can
explain why the universe exists and why we are existing in it.
Because
of the living entities' desire to enjoy matter, Krishna had to create
a material world to fulfill those desires.
The
extent and diversity of the universe is explained in the Vedic
knowledge to help us appreciate it, but why it exists is more
important.
A
couple reasons the planetarium is central to the temple in Mayapur
are: (1) Srila Prabhupada wanted to demonstrate our faith in the
cosmology of the Vedic literature. (2) The atheistic communist
government of Bengal at the time would be more supportive of a
planetarium than a temple.
Technology
can be used in Krishna's service, but it cannot help us find Krishna.
So find Krishna first through devotional service, and then use
technology in His service.
Comment
by Tulasirani Devi Dasi: My sister, who is a plant scientist, was
very depressed at how human beings can be so cruel to each other and
to the environment. She found no explanation for it. I presented that
this universe is created for those who are envious of God. She
replied, “That is the most logical explanation I have heard.” But she
could not accept it because she did not have proof.
Comments by me:
Sadaputa Prabhu said that
mathematicians in 1967 presented to biologists that according to
probability theory, evolution was highly unlikely. The biologists
replied that the mathematicians must have made some mistake, “because
we know evolution happened.” Then the mathematicians left them
alone, understanding the kind of people they were dealing with.
In
Forbidden
Archeology,
the authors show many examples of scientists discrediting evidence
simply because it does not fit in with the accepted theory. According
to the scientific method, if evidence is found that is incompatible
with the present theory, the theory should be modified so that it
accounts for all the evidence. The scientists are proud of having
objective knowledge by following their scientific method and they
criticize the blind faith of the religionists, but when they
discredit evidence to maintain their theory, they demonstrate blind
faith in a theory which has evidence against it, which is an inferior
position to the religionists they are criticizing.
Kalakantha Prabhu (continued):
from a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.19:
from a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.19:
There was a difficult legal
case in our Chicago temple in 1974. Devotees explained both sides to
Srila Prabhupada and asked for his advice. He replied, “My advice
is that you depend on Krishna.”
There is no greater emotional
attachment that I have experienced in this life than attachment to my
children.
Loss of a child is the worst
thing for a parent, either physically or to a lifestyle they do not
agree with.
Why
does Krishna neglect people? Because they neglect Him, like the
rebellious adolescent who wants to do his own thing without concern
for the parents.
When we rebel against Krishna
we always have that unsettled freedom, “How will I survive?”
Krishna is controlling
everything, and He is my friend, therefore there is no anxiety.
Recognizing our helpless
position is the beginning of our freedom.
We should be contrite that we
gave up our wonderful relationship with Krishna.
A pure devotee is a person who
depends on Krishna.
Pure devotion is expressed by
our actions more than merely our words.
A person who is thinking he is successful
but who has no connection with Krishna is not actually successful.
Our
sadhana
evokes
the mood of pure devotion in our hearts.
One
of my godbrothers was distributing books, and someone came up to him
and said he had a donation for him but it was in his car, and told
him to come with him and get it. He came to the man's car and the man
pulled a gun on him, and demanded all his money. He gave him the
money. The man said, “Because you have seen my face, I will have to
kill you.” The devotee started chanting “namaste
narasimhaya . . .”
The man's accomplice came up in a car, and urged his friend to get
in, and he did and they drove away.
Bhaktisiddhanta
Sarasvati Thakura said to work as if everything depends on you, and
to pray like everything depends on Krishna.
If we are trying to do
something, and it just does not work out, it may be that it is not
Krishna's desire, and that is not a bad thing. However, if we have an
order by the spiritual master, we should endeavor to carry it out no
matter how difficult it is.
Three reasons people believe
in impersonalism:
1. Fear of a personal
relationship with the Absolute.
2. Pride in or ambition for
the attainment of Godhead.
3. The teachings of
Sankaracharya [Advaita Vedanta].
What do Vaishnava texts say
about impersonalism?
1.
The impersonal, God in the heart, and the Supreme Person are three
nondual features of the Absolute Truth. (SB 1.2.11)
2.
The impersonal comes from the personal feature of the Absolute Truth.
(Bg. 14.27)
3.
The impersonal realization is more difficult to achieve and maintain.
(SB 10.2.32)
Krishna
many times uses the Sanskrit equivalents of "I", "me", and "mine" in
Bhagavad-gita
so
the impersonalists have to do a lot of word jugglery to explain the
Absolute to be impersonal.
There is a problem of the
conflicting interpretations of the Vaishnava and impersonalist:
aham
brahmasmi: I
am spirit [Vaishnava] or I am the Supreme Spirit [impersonalist].
tat
tvam asi: You
(Krishna) are that Supreme [Vaishnava] or You (the individual) are
that Supreme. [impersonalist]
There
are many examples of impersonalists becoming devotees but no examples
of devotees becoming impersonalists.
Comment
by Syamala Kishori Devi Dasi: The adolescent rebels against his
parents while at the same time being maintained by the parents. In
the same way, the conditioned souls rebel against God while they are
being maintained by Him.
Ranjit Prabhu:
In
Bhagavad-gita
7.10
Krishna explains that He is “the original seed of all existences.”
Later in Bhagavad-gita
14.4, Krishna stresses this point by mentioning that He is “the
seed-giving father.”
Animal life is characterized
by constant fear.
Material life ends in failure
because as they say, “You can't take it with you.”
Krishna
says that there is no other performer than the three modes of
material nature.
Bhagavad-gita
2.55 says one in the transcendental consciousness gives up all
desires for sense gratification, not that he gives up all sense
gratification. We should direct our desires to hearing and chanting
the holy name and service to the spiritual master with the
understanding that Krishna is nondifferent from His holy name.
We
can pray for the holy name to enlighten us with this understanding of His
nature.
Krishna
explains to Arjuna that his idea was very limited.
Ted
Turner was going to give a billion dollars in charity, and he did so
to UNICEF. He also bought up a lot of prairie to protect buffalo
which were becoming extinct. Now if he was Krishna consciousness, he
would have protected cows.
Seeing
the ability of the Vedic literature to give a consistent explanation
for what we see in this world, we can have faith that its description
of the spiritual world could also be accurate.
Hanan
Prabhu:
Prayer is more than just what
you generally think of. It is opening your mind and filling up your
heart.
Prayers
can make miracles in your life.
I
have experienced this. Prayer is a primary devotional act in my life
these days.
My
elder brother in Israel said, “During the two-week war in 1973 I
prayed like I never prayed in my life and I felt so protected.”
A
Sufi poet said, “Every heart will get what it prays for the most.”
Prayer is not easy because our
ego gets in the way.
Bhagavad-gita
is
in one sense a book about transformation.
Arjuna had what psychologists
would call a breakdown.
Bhagavad-gita
is
set on a battlefield because Krishna wanted to show even in the most
difficult situation if we have knowledge of yoga we will be
victorious.
As
the three primary colors produce all varieties of colors, from the
three modes of material nature all material varieties are produced.
Prayer
in the mode of ignorance is to harm others. Prayer in the mode of
passion is for our own benefit. Prayer in the mode of goodness is to
benefit others, to transform ourselves, or to just glorify God.
Prayers to do the will of God are transcendental.
Prayer is not mere recitation
of words although that is part of it. Srila Prabhupada gave the
example of the parrot, who can be trained to chant "Hare Krishna" but does not do so when attacked by a cat.
I
saw someone running with fear on his face who disappeared into the
bushes, and the policemen who followed him and then arrested him. I was a
little disturbed, so I decided to pray for him, the policemen, and
myself. Several months later, someone I recognized came to do hours
for Krishna Lunch as community service. I asked what was his offense,
and he said, “running from the police.” Then I remembered how I
knew him.
Love without service is not
real love. It is still about me.
The
taste a devotee gets in the beginning is like a free trial given by a
company hoping you get attached to their product.
One
businessman told Prithu Prabhu he took Krishna consciousness
seriously when he read Bhagavad-gita
2.40 and learned there was no loss in devotional service.
Q: Do you have example of your
plans being frustrated by Krishna and it turned out for the better?
Comment by Kalakantha Prabhu: I was on the town council of LaCrosse. A redneck guy ran against me in the next election. I lost by one vote. If my wife voted for me, I would have won. Rtadhvaja Swami then said we need someone in Gainesville, and I was free to go, so I did.
Additional comments on
classes:
Comment by Naomi: So God does
not do anything in the spiritual world. He just enjoys?
Comment
by Nicholas: One devotee explained that everything is easy in the
beginning in devotional service because we are coming up to the level
we were at in our previous life. Then there is sort of a plateau.
Comment
by Mikey: I find when I go on harinama
sankirtana I
am forced to participate and I get so inspired it fuels me for
another week. Therefore, I always go out on Friday and chant on the
corner with the devotees from Alachua.
Comment
by Nicholas: I decided I would just talk about spiritual things. It
annoyed some of my friends. Some of them it still annoys so I do not
associate with them. Others, however, who developed a taste for
talking about spiritual things, now search me out for such talks.
From an evening discussion including sharing inspiring moments:
Varangi
Radha Devi Dasi: I have been noticing that my life is really empty
without the devotees.
Michael
from New Vrindavan: Krishna has been taking care of us since time
immemorial. Why won't He take care of us now?
Haripriya: I have been just
trying to hear the holy name, and it has made me very inspired.
-----
ye yatha mam
prapadyante
tams tathaiva bhajamy aham
mama vartmanuvartante
manusyah partha sarvasah
tams tathaiva bhajamy aham
mama vartmanuvartante
manusyah partha sarvasah
[Lord
Sri Krishna said:] “As all surrender unto Me, I reward them
accordingly. Everyone follows My path in all respects, O son of
Pritha.” (Bhagavad-gita
4.11)