Diary
of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 11, No. 20
By Krishna-kripa das
(October 2015, part two)
By Krishna-kripa das
(October 2015, part two)
New
York City Harinam
(Sent from Brooklyn, New York, on November 1, 2015)
(Sent from Brooklyn, New York, on November 1, 2015)
Where
I Went and What I Did
I
stayed with the New York City Harinam devotees for the rest of
October. Special features of this time were our inviting passersby to
offer lamps to our picture of Krishna as Damodara and also the
festival of Halloween, which engaged many costumed persons in
interacting with our chanting party and having some transcendental
experiences.
I
share insights from Srila Prabhupada's lectures and books, Prabhupada
memories from Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, notes on a lecture by
Jayadvaita Swami at the Bhakti Center and a lecture by Niranjana
Swami at the Russian festival. I share notes on lectures at the
Harinam Ashram by Abhiram Prabhu and Rama Raya Prabhu and by
visiting devotees, Bhakta Avatar and Vicaru Prabhus.
Thanks
to Kaliya Krishna Prabhu for kindly paying my subway fare to attend
New York City Harinam. Thanks to Atmanivedana Prabhu for his kind
donation.
Thanks
to Mathuraprana Krishna Dasa Prabhu for letting me use his camera to
take the picture of Clarissa and Sanya, and for enhancing the photo.
Itinerary
September
28–November 12: New York City Harinam
November
13: Philadelphia
November
14–17: Washington, D.C., Harinama
November
18: Jacksonville, FL
November
19: Tampa
November
20: Orlando Harinama with Trivikrama Swami
November
21–December 15: Krishna House (except 5 days in Tallahassee)
December
16–January 4, 2016: New York City Harinam
Union
Square Harinama
Once
at the book table in Union Square, a friendly lady, perhaps in her
thirties, came by, glanced at the books, and smiled at seeing the
Bhagavad-gita. “I
have that one,” she said. I think of the Srimad-Bhagavaam
as
the sequel to the Gita,
so
I told her that, and proceeded to open up the book and read her my
favorite verse: “The supreme occupation [dharma] for all humanity
is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the
transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and
uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self.” (1.2.6)
“This
is the essence of what religion is all about,” I said. “Practically
any monotheistic tradition could accept this idea.” She seemed a
little doubtful about getting it, so thinking it was too large a
book, I showed her Sri
Isopanisad. I
quoted verses 1 and 2: “Everything animate or inanimate that is
within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should
therefore accept only those things necessary for himself, which are
set aside as his quota, and one should not accept other things,
knowing well to whom they belong. One may aspire to live for hundreds
of years if he continuously goes on working in that way, for that
sort of work will not bind him to the law of karma. There is no
alternative to this way for man.” I told her if people acted
according to this verse we would have peace in the world. She agreed
but did not seem to be ready to buy the book. I thought that perhaps
all the Sanskrit was intimidating for her, so I showed her the table
of contents of Science
of Self-Realization, and
pointed out there are different categories, and in each, articles,
essays, and interviews that can easily be read in one sitting. After
a little consideration, she “OK, I will take all three.” She gave
$20, saying to keep the change, but as we only try to get $18 for the
three books, I gave her Bhakti-yoga,
as
well.
Several
days a week Clarissa of Brooklyn, dressed in an Indian sari, comes
after high school and Sanya of New Delhi, dressed in a Western suit,
comes after work to share with passersby jewels of transcendental
wisdom in the form of Srila Prabhupada's books during New York City
Harinam.
I
admire the bravery of these
youthful book distributors, and
also Nihal, who comes after college and sells many books.
Due to fear, I usually limit myself to selling books at the table.
One day, however, because there were no other book distributors,
because Babhru Prabhu had criticized me for distributing free
pamphlets and not books which he said were just as easy, and also
because I felt bad because the two ladies, a fraction of my age,
were brave enough to do it when I wasn't, I spent about 3 hours
distributing books to people who were stopped, listening to the
harinama party.
I was able to distribute one hardbound Science
of Self-Realization and
one softbound one, a softbound Bhagavad-gita,
and
four Chant and Be
Happy books,
collecting $29. I had nice conversations with a few of the people.
One had regularly attended the Sunday Feast in New Orleans, so I told
him
about the one in Brooklyn. I
hope I can regularly sell books to those who stop and listen, at least
when we have no other book distributors.
Janananda
Goswami is my authority in England and the reason I promised to make
my base in Newcastle in the summer. His disciples, Janardana and
Priya Sundari Prabhus, are always ready to join me for harinama,
and
I have chanted with them in Leeds (their home), York, Newcastle, and
other places in England. Visiting relatives and Hare Krishna temples
in America, they stopped by Union Square for an hour or so before returning to
England. Priya Sundari's mother, who is a devotee, also came.
They
fully participated,
Priya
Sundari Devi Dasi distributing invitations, literature, and a CD,
and
her mom clapping and dancing,
and
they all sang the response as well. It was beautiful to see their
enthusiasm and have them visit our party. They were thinking they did
not have enough time to come, but words of encouragement from
Janananda Goswami adjusted their priorities, and they were very happy
they came. Janardana Prabhu liked New York City, saying he felt it was
less passionate than London.
I
took videos of different devotees singing different days:
Ananta
Gauranga Prabhu sings and gets people dancing
(https://youtu.be/5t55zxlaeZw):
Offering
Lamps to Damodara at Union Square
During the month of Karttika (October-November) Hare Krishna devotees offer lamps to Krishna in His childhood feature of Damodara. On New York City Harinam we took this to the streets and invited everyone to participate. The offering of lamps to Damodara is so auspicious the revealed literature states one can attain the spiritual world by that act alone. Many passersby who did this found it a joyous experience.
One
man on a skate board offered a lamp.
One
man with a cat on his back offered a lamp.
Offering
lamps to Damodara transcended race and gender.
Three
young ladies offered lamps.
Then
they sat down with us for most of the rest of the “Damodarastaka.” Then
two of them came by the next day and greeted us.
Commenting
on our inviting of the public to offer lamps to Damodara,
Tulasi-priya dasi wrote, “This is what is called 'a cultural
presentation for the re-spiritualization of society.' It's a
misconception to think that we have to become mainstream to reach
people by becoming more like the dominant society in which we live.
Rather, outreach is the natural fruit of the knowledge that what we
have is so beneficial and pleasurable, so right, that our joy in the
life we live exceeds our own immediate circle, and we cannot help but
share it with others, just as friends share their favorite places and
pastimes. A group does not become mainstream by transforming itself
to fit into the larger society in which it finds itself. That's more
like the group losing itself. A group becomes mainstream when the
dominant society is transformed as a result of the powerful,
positive, and persistent influence the minority has exerted on the
majority.”
Halloween
Harinama at Union Square
Halloween
is a day in the United States of America when many people dress up in
costumes. Many people are in a festive mood and being disguised,
they are less fearful of being seen interacting with the “Hare
Krishnas”!
Some
costumed persons sat with us.
Some
danced, like this young lady with Kalyani Devi Dasi.
Once
a group of kids danced with devotee ladies.
Mostly
the devotees wore their usual costumes,
except
Paul, who dressed as a grasshopper,
and Lee,
who colored his face, and played a giant conch shell.
Natabara
Gauranga Prabhu made 150 laddus and
many cookies to distribute. Sweet distribution is traditionally a
part of Halloween, and it is good to take advantage of the
opportunity.
Some
costumed people posed with our chanting party.
Nihal Prabhu distributed books to costumed characters.
Later
in the day, an attendee of Krishna Lunch in Gainesville also recalled
me, seeing me at the University of Florida there. I told him about Govindas in Brooklyn and the Bhakti Cafe so he can connect with more Krishna food now that he lives in New York City.
To see the others, try the slideshow above, and if that fails, click on this link:
https://picasaweb.google.com/103872792410945983719/CostumedPeopleOfferLamps?authuser=0&feat=directlink
I took three videos on Halloween, one during the day, one at dusk, and one at night:
Clarissa
chanted during the day at
Union Square (https://youtu.be/T7lP2qT6UUM):
Ananta
Gauranga Prabhu chanted at dusk (https://youtu.be/nSWDTKnhHmE):
Rama
Raya Prabhu led an extra long and extra lively Halloween night
harinama
(https://youtu.be/CJ_LbZPYLRU):
Times
Square Subway Station Harinama
When
it is rainy or cold, we chant in the subway stations. One time in the
Times Square subway station a group of friends took pleasure dancing
with the devotees. I caught the end of it on video
(https://youtu.be/U4DP5qQvleE):
Another day I was doing the book table and one young Afro-American man from Austin, Texas, came by. He showed me his well read Science of Self-Realization, which he said changed his life, and told me the interesting story of how he obtained that book. He signed up for time on the computer in the library and was waiting for his slot, when a voice from within told him not to go back into the library just yet but to walk down the sidewalk. While walking down the sidewalk, he found the Science of Self-Realization, wrapped nicely in a bag, sitting on the bench. Reading the book, he could understand it was meant to lead him on a spiritual path. After telling his story, he donated two dollars, and I gave him an Isopanisad. I had explained all the books were based on the Bhagavad-gita, and it was the main book. He asked the price of the Gita, and I told him five, so he returned the Isopanisad, gave three more dollars and took the Gita. He said he has moved to New York City, and we made sure he knew about the weekly Gita classes on Saturday at 26 2nd Ave.
Another
man shouted “Hare Krishna” jubilantly as he passed our party.
Approaching the book table, he asked the price of the books and told
how he had lived in our temple in Gainesville, where I stay in the
winter, for two weeks in 1996. He explained that he had been expelled
from the ashram when it was found he had a hamburger and a Playboy
magazine.
I smiled. I will ask my friends running the temple then if they
remember him.
To see pictures I took but did not include, click on this link:
https://picasaweb.google.com/103872792410945983719/TravelJournal1120?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCMPyxI-cjr2BEg&feat=directlink
To see pictures I took but did not include, click on this link:
https://picasaweb.google.com/103872792410945983719/TravelJournal1120?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCMPyxI-cjr2BEg&feat=directlink
Insights
Srila
Prabhupada:
From
a lecture on Nectar of
Devotion in
Vrindavan on October 20, 1972:
Everyone
is enjoying a particular type of rasa
[taste]
and nature is giving him a suitable body.
As
in a dream we are covered with a subtle covering, in our waking state
we are covered with a particular body.
One's
aim of life should be serve the acaryas
[the
spiritual masters who taught by example].
In
our Gaudiya sampradaya
[spiritual
lineage], the Six Goswamis are our acaryas.
By
reading Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu
[The
Nectar of Devotion]
we are directly associating with Rupa Goswami.
People
do not know the siddhanta
[the
conclusion] generally.
If
we neglect the words of the acaryas,
we
will misunderstand Krishna.
Srila
Rupa Goswami does not tell about Radha Krishna in the beginning but
trains his readers in pure devotional service.
We
must be very enthusiastic, “I shall engage in the activities of the
Hare Krishna movement. . . . I shall preach the glories of the Lord
to my full capacity.”
If
you are on bhaki-marga
[the
path of devotional service] your
success is assured provided you are enthusiastic and patient. . . .
Rest assured success is guaranteed. If we have enthusiasm and
patience, we will not fall down.
The
nondevotees accounts are kept by Yamaraja, and the devotees accounts
are kept personally by Krishna.
If
we surrender cent per cent immediately, Krishna will reciprocate
immediately.
We
see many sannyasis who
renounce the material world as temporary in search of Brahman but who
later come back to the material plane to open hospitals.
The
Goswamis were merged in the ocean of the loving affairs between
Krishna and the gopis,
thus
they did not have to engage in illicit sex and intoxication to keep
themselves fit for bhajana.
The
more you preach, the more you get strength. This is because Krishna
says in Bg. 18.68: “For one who explains this supreme secret to the
devotees, pure devotional service is guaranteed, and at the end he
will come back to Me.”
Krishna
is speaking to everyone through Arjuna.
The
message of the Goswamis is “Somehow or other get people to become
Krishna conscious.”
You
become convinced that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
and you preach it.
People
think the goal is liberation, but liberation is a very insignificant
thing in comparison to pure devotional service.
Lord
Caitanya has confirmed that prema
[love
of Krishna] is the supreme goal.
Every
is trying to satisfy his senses to his fullest extent, but maya
will
not let him.
Even
a seventy- or eighty-year-old man will go to the club seeking to
satisfy his senses.
Sex
life is so strong, if you remain in material existence, it will never
be sastified. You have to come to Krishna consciousness.
If
we are actually attached to seeing the beauty of Krishna then we
shall never be enamored by the arrows of Cupid.
“As
soon as you are engaged in the service, loving service of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, immediately you feel liberation. This is
practically. When you are fully engaged in Krishna consciousness, even
if you walk on the street, you'll feel that 'I am separate from these
persons. . . . I am walking on a different path.' This is the
feeling. Bhaktih
paresanubhavah. This
is bhakti.
Paresanubhava.
. . . You will experience yourself. That is the test. If you
experience yourself that 'I am different from these persons,' then
where is the attachment for material things? ”
The
Goswamis found something better in Krishna consciousness so they gave
up lucrative
service as ministers. . . . They are the best examples.
From
Srimad-Bhagavatam
1.12.24,
purport:
“To
follow the instructions of the Lord is to associate with the Lord.
The Lord is not a material object whose presence one has to feel for
such association. The Lord is present everywhere and at all times. It
is quite possible to have His association simply by following His
instruction because the Lord and His instruction and the Lord and His
name, fame, attributes and paraphernalia are all identical with Him,
being absolute knowledge.”
Satsvarupa
Dasa Goswami:
From
Prabhupada Remembrance video#46:
Srila
Prabhupada said on gurukula, “Tell
them Krishna stories and engage them in acting out Krishna pastimes.
That will keep them engaged so they do not cause much disturbance.”
“The
teachers should never hit the children. If they do, they should be
hit.”
Srila
Prabhupada considered a boarding school is better because the kids
would go through the temple program and that they would learn from
the good example from the teachers.
It
could have worked out if the teachers were properly trained and acted
properly.
It
was said of Ram Das' guru that he made you feel love for people, but
our Srila Prabhupada made us feel love for God.
Srila
Prabhupada's most meaningful quality was his love. He did not always
show it because he was a general on the battlefield. He had love for
the cow, and other living entities, and most of all, for his
disciples.
He
was an empowered agent to take people back to Godhead.
Prabhupada
was asked, “What do you feel when you chant?
He replied, “I feel no fear.”
He replied, “I feel no fear.”
I
need to be forgiven by his love, his charity, and his leniency. We
need his empowerment to release us from this material world.
Niranjana
Swami:
From
a class on September 13, 2015 on Sri
Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi
2.2, at the Russian Festival:
There
is some doubt that you can attain perfection by service to the
Supreme Lord but there is no doubt that you can attain perfection by
serving the pure devotee of the Lord.
Vakresvara
Pandit enlightened Devananda Pandit by telling him,
“Srimad-Bhagavatam,
wherever you open it, only glorifies pure devotional service. If you
understand this, then you can speak on Srimad-Bhagavatam.”
No
topic but pure devotional service to the Supreme Lord can satisfy the
hankering soul.
One
must be very careful never to contribute to the lack of pure
devotional service in human society.
Jayadvaita
Swami:
Yudhisthira
Maharaja was concerned that Pariksit be a great king and a great
devotee like those previously in his dynasty.
It
was important, especially for the brahmanas
(intellectuals),
ksatriyas
(administrators),
and vaishyas
(businessman
and farmers), that their children are qualified to carry on the family
tradition.
It
is the qualities of a person that determine a person's social
position, but when the families were very pure in their behavior most
often the children would be qualified, though not in every case.
Not
“all power to the people.” Some power to the animals. Some power to the
plants.
We
have the environmentalists today. That was also formerly the
responsibility of the king, to protect the environment.
Keeping
one's word is valuable for the brahmanas
and
the ksatriyas.
With
leaders of the modern day, their word is good for nothing, and
therefore they are good for nothing.
The
ksatriyas protect
the brahmanas and
uphold the brahminical culture.
The
brahmanas are
like the eyes and the ksatriyas
are
like the arms. When the eyes and arms cooperate, great good can be
done.
Just
as now one might speak of a fighter as being like Muhammad Ali,
Pariksit is compared to many high qualified persons of the past.
Q
(by Ghanashyam Prabhu): Sibi was willing to give his life for the pigeon, but
then he could not longer protect human society as a king. So was that
really the best thing?
A:
No one is indispensible. Not even me. No one should think “without
me nothing will go on.” If the leader does not honor his word, then
it will inspire the same in others, and society will become more and
more degraded.
Better
men of principle not men of convenience and creative pragmatism. If
you go back on your word, your respectability is trashed.
Q:
I scared a cat who had pounced on a bird so the bird could get away,
but then I wondered if I did right?
A:
It is a good question. Generally, we do not interfere in these
things.
Comment
by other devotees: In the case of cats and birds, the cats do not
actually eat the birds, thus you are not depriving them of food by
scaring them so they drop the bird.
These
days everyone is overintelligent. Intelligence is meant to be used to
execute our duty.
In
rare cases one may abandon his superior, such the case where he goes
against the supreme superior, Krishna. Bali did this with his guru,
Prahlada did this with his father, and Arjuna did this with Bhisma, his grandfather, and Drona, his teacher.
Abhiram
Prabhu:
Gajendra
and the elephants on the celestial planets are more aware than we are.
No
one can be defeated on the path of bhakti
except
by bad association. When we become uninterested in the path charted
out by the great acaryas
[spiritual
teachers] and become interested in other things, then we can know we
are bitten by the crocodile of bad association.
Sridhara
Swami says that one should not read devotional books other than what
one's guru has prescribed.
Srila
Prabhupada has made the shortcut back to Godhead. If we try to make
another shortcut, we will fall off the path.
Krishna
is right before our eyes but we are not seeing because we are not
surrendering.
Comment
by Rama Raya Prabhu:
Yamuna Devi said that just before Srila Prabhupada left London after installing the Deities and spending three months with the devotees, he told the devotees: “If you just follow the instructions I have given, and you read the books that have already been translated, you will go back to Godhead at the end of life.”
When
a devotee asked Srila Prabhupada, “What is meant spiritual
technology?” even before he completed saying the word “technology”
Srila Prabhupada replied by saying, “The guru-parampara
[the
spiritual lineage].”
Sivarama
Swami wrote his book on the intimate details of Krishna's pastimes in
Vrindavana only with the consultation of many godbrothers.
Narottama Dasa Thakura's life is very tragic in that several associates of Lord Caitanya, who Narottama had hoped to meet, left this world while Narottama was traveling to see them.
By
the time Narottama Dasa Thakura had appeared, kirtana had
greatly reduced. Jahnava Mata, the consort of Sri Nityananda Prabhu,
complained that now the mrdangas have become silent. Narottama
revived the kirtana.
Rama
Raya Prabhu:
Srila
Prabhupada says that chanting the holy name under the direction of
the spiritual master is pure chanting.
Following
the regulative principles drys the wood so the fire of bhakti
can
ignite.
Srutakirti
Prabhu says that Srila Prabhupada considered the successful
Ratha-yatra in London with its festival in Trafalgar Square was as
significant as the opening of the Krishna-Balaram Mandir in Vrindavan
or Mayapur temple because it showed that in Great Britain, which had
tried to subjugate India for decades, Britishers were now
appreciating and following India's Vedic culture.
Personally
serving the physical form of the spiritual master one gets longevity.
Bhakti
Pramod Puri Maharaja would not even eat maha-prasadam
if
it was cooked by someone not born in a brahmana
family.
Srila Prabhupada told him he wanted to give him a gift and asked if
he would accept it. He said yes. Srila Prabhupada then gave him some
maha-prasadam from
Krishna Balaram that was cooked by his Western disciples. He accepted
it because Srila Prabhupada, his godbrother, had personally given it
to him. The next time the devotees saw him he had become completely
transformed. He said by giving me that maha-prasadam
your
Srila Prabhupada taught me that all people, regardless of their
birth, are eligible for Krishna consciousness, and that was a far
greater gift than just the maha-prasadam.
One
snappy British reporter was criticizing the devotees for not working.
Srila
Prabhupada said, “We have the richest father. Why should we work?
This mansion. How much did it cost? Do you think that by working your
whole life you could make that much money?”
“No sir,” replied the reporter.
“No sir,” replied the reporter.
“Well
this mansion was just given to us. Why then should we work?” said
Srila Prabhupada.
The
transformations of a devotee's emotions in ecstatic love can be
understood if we contribute to the transformation of this planet from
its current Kali-yuga situation to Lord Caitanya's age of
prema-nama-sankirtana.
We
are like Johnny Appleseed, sowing seeds of Krishna-prema,
by doing harinama
sankirtana.
Srila
Prabhupada would make the point, “If you say you are good and we
are good, we must disagree and say only we are good. That is not our
arrogance or pride but the vision of the sastra [the
revealed literature].”
Srila
Prabhupada told Hari Vilas that true humility is to know that our
money, reputation, etc., cannot protect us, and only Krishna can
(Following Prabhupada,
#5, DVD).
Krishna
and Balarama are expert in killing many demons, so we can call the
names of Krishna and Balarama, appealing to Them to throw our
ass-like material desires into the trees.
We
can glorify the great teachers in our line by serving them by helping
to fulfill their mission of Lord Caitanya.
Srila
Prabhupada said to disciples, “All of you have had previous
connection with devotional service, so Krishna as arranged for you to
take birth in the West, so you can help spread Lord Caitanya's
mission.”
Srila
Prabhupada considered the Christians, Jews, and Moslems more advanced
than the Mayavadis, who twist the Vedas literatures to support their
impersonal philosophy and deviate people away from worshiping the
Supreme Lord in His original personal form.
Our
focus on harinama is giving
out the mercy of Lord Caitanya. We should experience that we are
giving mercy, and in this way, we will always be enthused.
We
are conscious of the pains and pleasures of this body, but the
Supersoul is conscious of the pains and pleasures of all bodies.
If
you live in an apartment, you have to make sure you do not anything
that will upset the landlord. In the same way, we must not do
anything against the will of the Lord.
In this world, the
living entities have varieties of forgetfulness of Krishna.
For
a devotee, living without Krishna, even in heaven, is hellish, while
living with Krishna, even in hell, is heavenly. We can apply the
second part to living in New York City.
There
is ten million times the benefit of offering a lamp to Damodara if
the lamp is lit with a tulasi twig.
The
Karttika month is so glorious that even if minimally observed great
benefit is achieved.
By
singing and dancing before Lord Hari during the month of Karttika one
attains the eternal abode.
Be
all you can be – for Krishna!
Once
a devotee left the milk on the stove to boil over. Srila Prabhupada
discovered it and asked, “Who is going to hell?” He considered it
such an offense to waste the milk.
We
see on harinama there
is one Indian man who reads the entire New York Times at
a distance and then throws a dollar in our donation box.
Being
bound by our material desires and mental speculations we are blocked
from getting to Krishna, like the gopis who
were locked in their houses by their relatives and kept from running
to Krishna.
By
offering a lamp to Damodara in Karttika one can become freed from all
sins and attain the spiritual kingdom.
Krishna
consciousness is not artificially produced. It is in the heart and
just needs to be resurrected.
Devotional
service automatically gives all knowledge and enlightenment. One
stumbling block is to think one has to acquire knowledge separately.
My
godbrother, Jada Bharat told me 37 years ago. “Don't think. Just
do.” I still regularly recall this and am inspired by it.
Doing
our harinama
service
increases our love of God, and whatever love of God we have attained
increases our harinama
service.
We
are not supposed to be attracted to material things because they are
manifestation of envy or hatred of God.
If
we can come to the platform of prema-nama
or
suddha-nama-sankirtana,
then
people will be completely captivated. We will not have to endeavor to
get people to stop and
listen to the kirtana.
Narottama
Dasa Thakura appeared in 1531, just three years before the
disappearance of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Ganga
Narayana Cakravarti was the chief disciple of Narottama Dasa Thakura.
In
Narottama Dasa Thakura's Prathana, the prayers or songs are
divided into different categoies like “Longing for Direct Service
to the Lord,” “Prayers for Awakening Attachment to the Lord,”
“Feeling Oneself Unworthy,” “Intense Hankering,” “Repeated
Intense Hankering,” “Feeling Separation from the Lord and His
Associates,” etc.
Narottama
Dasa Thakura glorifies Rupa and Sanatana Goswamis for having many
jewels of love for the Divine Couple, Radha and Krishna, and begs for
a few such jewels of ecstatic love in charity.
Points
from songs of Narottama Dasa Thakura:
Bewilderment will be there when I cannot immediately attain my beautiful Lord.When lust and his friends hear the sound Govinda, they flee.This love of Radha and Krishna is the most valuable object in the three worlds.O Lord, this Narottama is very unhappy, please engage me in Your sankirtana and make me happy.Sadhana and prema bhakti are the same. Sadhana bhakti is just prema bhakti in the unripened stage.The holy name and pastimes of Radha and Krishna are both the goal and the means to attain the goal.
Madhavendra
Puri Prabhu:
From
a room conversation:
It
is the percentage of your powers you use that Krishna is looking for
not the amount of your power.
Bhakta
Avatar Prabhu:
Although
there are signs of degradation, like an increase in pornography, there
are signs of progressive consciousness. People are more aware that
animals have feelings than they used to be.
It
should be the goal of every devotee do to what he can to make the
world Krishna consciousness.
We
are at the root of everything, so we have to set a good example by
chanting and dancing and spreading the love to others.
The
demonic who are killed by the Lord attain liberation, but those who
serve him with devotion, attain the supreme liberation.
Imagine
chanting and dancing with the whole Panca-tattva? How ecstatic that
would be! That is possible when we return to the spiritual world.
Vicara
Prabhu:
Srila
Prabhupada says that human life is only meant for austerity, to find
out what we are, and for taxing the brain, considering how to fully
engage in devotional service.
Comments
by Rama Raya Prabhu:
Srila Prabhupada's books contains wisdom to benefit everyone, from the rank materialist to the topmost devotee.The best talking we can do is to chant the holy name. No one can argue with that. [If you present some philosophy, people may argue, but not if you chant.]During Srila Prabhupada's time, the focus was compassion for the people suffering due to lack of devotional service. This should not be minimized, or worse, forgotten.We are benefiting greatly from the devotees' sacrifices in the 1970s. Things are so much easier now than they used to be. Similarly in the future, the devotees will benefit from the sacrifices we make now.What Lord Caitanya is going to arrange in future decades is going to be super extraordinary.
I
talked to two different people yesterday who both had been listening
to our chanting party in Union Square for years. Both talked about
starting to practice what we were doing.
-----
One
day Abhiram Prabhu sang Bhaktivinoda Thakura's song popularly known
as “Udilo Aruna” before the morning class. This verse echoed in
my mind for days afterward:
jivana
anitya janaha sar,
tahe
nana-vidha vipada-bhar,
namasraya
kori' jatane tumi,
thakaha
apana kaje
“This
temporary life is full of various miseries. Take shelter of the holy
name as your only business.” (“Arunodaya Kirtana Song 1,” Verse
6)