Diary of a Traveling
Sadhaka, Vol. 12, No. 1
By Krishna-kripa das
(January 2016, part one)
By Krishna-kripa das
(January 2016, part one)
New York, Atlanta, North Florida
(Sent from University of South Florida, Tampa, on February 18, 2016)
(Sent from University of South Florida, Tampa, on February 18, 2016)
The
first four days of 2016, I continued chanting with the New York City Harinam
party in the subway stations. The next day I chanted in Atlanta for almost two
hours between my flight from LaGuardia and my Megabus to Gainesville. The next
day I chanted at Krishna Lunch and with my Krishna House friends at the Farmers
Market. The next two days I chanted at University of North Florida in
Jacksonville, and I attended their Friday Krishna Club meeting. Then I went to
Orlando at the request of Trivikrama Swami, who wanted me to keep the Hare
Krishna presence on the University of Central Florida campus alive while he was
in Eastern Europe for two weeks at the beginning of the spring semester. The
first day in Orlando, a Saturday, I chanted
in public for two hours with devotees in Winter Park. The following week I
took a day off my daily UCF campus chanting to attend a meeting of
Bhaktivedanta Institute devotees in Gainesville, and I chanted at Krishna Lunch
in Gainesville instead. The next Saturday, three other Orlando devotees joined
me chanting for two hours in front the Patel Brothers, a popular Indian store.
I
share many insights from Srila Prabhupada’s books and lectures. I include a
beautiful poem about the holy name by Bhaktivinoda Thakura called Sri Nama
Mahatmya. I
share an excerpt about the public chanting of the holy name from the daily
journal of Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami. I include notes on interesting lectures by
Amala Bhakti Swami. There are notes on a recorded lecture by Radhanath Swami.
Many nice realizations from Madhava Prabhu from New Raman Reti, speaking in
Gainesville and Deva Madhava Prabhu, who runs a Krishna House near Ann Arbor,
speaking at the Harinam Ashram in New York City. I also include realizations
from newer devotees in Gainesville and Jacksonville.
Itinerary
February
18–24: Gainesville area (and UNF and USF campuses)
February
25: New York City
February
26–28: Dublin, Ireland
March
1–3: Mumbai
March
5–10: Mayapur Kirtan Mela
March
12–21: Rishikesh Harinama
March
22–April 11: Vrindavan
April
13: Mumbai
April
14–: Dublin, Ireland
April
27: King’s Day, Amsterdam
April
28–29: Holland
April
30–May 1: Birmingham 24-hour kirtana
May
2–: The North of England and Scotland
July
12–16: Polish Woodstock
September
13–: New York City Harinam
New York
City Harinam
As
I mentioned in the previous journal we chanted in Bryant Park on New Years Eve.
I forgot to include the above pictures Stella took of us there.
The
Times Square subway station is one of the busiest in New York City, although
perhaps the coldest of the ones we regularly perform in.
Not only did we chant there on New Years Eve, but on New Years Day as well (https://youtu.be/SJspozyyDjQ):
Not only did we chant there on New Years Eve, but on New Years Day as well (https://youtu.be/SJspozyyDjQ):
Grand
Central subway station is one of the warmer ones but the weather was so cold
that even the subway station was too cold for me.
Still Deva Madhava Prabhu
chanted a very fired-up kirtana getting
the devotees dancing (https://youtu.be/7m91FGuzDik):
After
my direct flight from Laguardia in New York to Atlanta, I chanted for almost
two hours across the street from the Megabus stop in Atlanta, the Civic Center
stop on the MARTA train. It was sunny, but windy and in the 40s (between 5 and
10 degrees C). One guy who passed by, stopped and sat cross-legged in front of
me and listened for 5 or 10 minutes. That does not happen every day!
Krishna
House Evening Kirtana
Ever
since I moved into the temple on 55th Street in Manhattan back in
1979, I have loved the evening kirtana. After
serving Krishna all day, it is wonderful to come back to the temple, and sing
and dance for Him in the evening. Every time I return to Gainesville’s Krishna
House, the evening kirtana is more
ecstatic, and that makes me so happy. You can see some of the excitement in
this video (https://youtu.be/LMLo-TfIV78):
Thanks
to Vanna for her enthusiastic singing!
Farmers
Market Harinama
Ecstatic
Krishna House devotees chanted at the Gainesville Farmers Market the first
Wednesday in January.
It was wonderful how many devotees came out.
It was wonderful how many devotees came out.
One
young couple donated some organic carrots, and accepted a Beyond Birth and Death book and my invitation to chant with us.
They ended up chanting until we left an hour later, and their faces were
smiling!
Audrey
took this video you can see if you are her Facebook friend, or perhaps, mine:
https://www.facebook.com/audrey.hunsicker.77/videos/vb.100006459198285/1948113685413919/?type=2&theater
https://www.facebook.com/audrey.hunsicker.77/videos/vb.100006459198285/1948113685413919/?type=2&theater
All
glories to the congregational chanting of the holy name!
University
of North Florida
One
day I chanted my last 12 rounds in a study carrel on the topmost of the quiet
floors in the University of North Florida library, looking at this picture of
Radha and Krishna, and meditating on how They are nondifferent from Their names
and that the mantra awakens love for Them. It was one of my better japa sessions recently. Certainly a lot
better than chanting on the New York City subway!
Youssef
Benbrahim led a great kirtana at
Krishna Club on Friday night, with Richie on the harmonium. Madison, playing
the karatalas, Tyrell, playing the
drum, and Marie, on Tyrell’s right all came for the first time, having met us
singing on the green in the afternoon. They all stayed to the end and had a
great time. Laura Jayne and Amrita Keli danced. I love University of North
Florida Krishna Club. Thanks to Amrita Keli and Lovelesh Chawla for maintaining
this ecstatic program! (https://youtu.be/AkhVwRHuYJE):
Winter
Park Harinama in Orlando
I
was happy to learn that the one day a month when the devotees do harinama, public congregational chanting
of the holy name of the Lord, in Orlando, was the day I arrived. Unfortunately,
most of the congregation lives away from the temple, so Dorian and I could not
get a ride, and we had to ride the bus for almost two hours to get to Winter
Park, the site of the harinama.
Although we arrived twenty minutes late, still we were the second and third persons to arrive. I started singing the lead, and then Dorian. Later on Rasikananda
Prabhu arrived, and also took a turn leading. He has lots of musical talent and
some natural devotion from being raised in a Hare Krishna family. You can see a
little of our joy in this video (https://youtu.be/TSk8nqJjuhI):
We
had a small book table between the sidewalk and the park behind us.
Chanting
at the University of Central Florida in Orlando
The
University of Central Florida has the largest undergraduate enrollment of all
the colleges in the United States (52,539 students). The Hare Krishna temple is just two miles
from the campus, and they say a fifteen-minute walk from the college’s free
shuttle bus.
When
I was in Orlando I chanted there for three hours every day classes were in
session. Often I had a book table in front of the student union. When I did not
have that, I would chant in the free speech area behind the library with the
books spread out on a cloth.
I was so pleased that two devotees who are students joined me for some time almost every day, and they also helped set up the table and carry the books and instruments.
They were Dorian (left), who I knew from when he attended the University of North Florida and later lived in Krishna House, and Naman (right), a Ph.D. in optics who is the president of our club on the UCF campus.
I was so pleased that two devotees who are students joined me for some time almost every day, and they also helped set up the table and carry the books and instruments.
They were Dorian (left), who I knew from when he attended the University of North Florida and later lived in Krishna House, and Naman (right), a Ph.D. in optics who is the president of our club on the UCF campus.
Harinama
at Patel Brothers in Orlando
I
hoped to convince the leaders of the Winter Park harinama to come out again the next Saturday, but I was
unsuccessful.
Sravan Ananda Prabhu saw my enthusiasm for more harinama, and he decided we could go to an Indian store named Patel Brothers and chant, collect donations and sell books.
He came out, along with his wife, and
Naman, and myself.
He
was very happy we distributed some books and collected $60.
During the evening, a
couple Indian girls delighted in playing the tambourine and even chanting while
the rest of their families shopped. The manager of the store donated ingredients
so I could make coconut burfi for the
Orlando temple’s Sunday Feast.
To see pictures I took
but did not include click on the link below:
Notes on a
Bhaktivedanta Institute Meeting in Gainesville
Prishni Devi Dasi:
Janaki
Ram Prabhu’s Hindu Theology and Biology elevates
the Srimad-Bhagavatam to the level of
the best literature that deals with the question of biology and religion.
Brahma Tirtha Prabhu:
A
serious problem in our movement is that a lot of people know the philosophy but
they do not know philosophy.
Janaki Ram Prabhu:
Pradyumna
Prabhu is a real untapped resource in our movement having knowledge about
practically everything.
Murli Gopala Prabhu:
In
Quantum Mechanics the math works perfectly, but the interpretation runs into
difficulties such as Schrödinger’s cat paradox.
When
the system is observed and measurement is taken, only the one of the many
possibilities happens, and the equations cannot tell you which one. Wigner and
Von Neumann argue that the consciousness of observer is the cause of the
collapse of the wave function and the selection of a single possibility. Multiple
observers are hard to deal with in this interpretation.
Rasaraja
Prabhu interprets it in different way. He made the point that we are not here
so matter can become actualized. Matter is a conduit is for one to exchange
information with others. He argues that there is a universal observer and
multiple observers.
Comment
by Sthita-muni Prabhu: Rasaraja got published in Philosophy of Science and that means that among those people his
ideas were worth considering.
Insights
Prabhupada:
From
a lecture on The Nectar of Devotion,
in Vrindavan, on November 4, 1972:
“Krodha, anger, is not good, but anger
also can be utilized for Krishna’s service. Just like Hanuman, he became angry
upon Ravana for the sake of Lord Ramacandra, and he set fire in the golden city
of Ravana, Lanka. So that anger was utilized for Lord Ramacandra’s service. He
never utilized anger for his personal sense gratification. In this way,
everything can be dovetailed in the service of the Lord.”
“We
can know also from the direction of the spiritual master how Krishna will be
pleased.”
“You
cannot avoid the miserable condition of this body. That is not possible. So we
have to tolerate. There is no other excuse. But do not create another body.
That is devotional service. . . . That is the aim of human life. . . . As soon
as you get a material body, you are put into the miserable condition of
material nature. So we should not create another body so that we shall be put
into, under tribulation again. That is intelligence. So if we put ourself in
the activities of devotional service, we save that risk. Not to create another
body.”
From
a lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.26.47, January 22, 1975, in Bombay:
There
is spiritual sound, and therefore, there is spiritual sky. There cannot be
sound without sky.
This
sky is temporary, but the spiritual sky is eternal.
Omkara and Hare Krishna are
sound vibrations from the spiritual sky.
If
you chant material sound more and more, you will feel is disgusted, but if you
chant spiritual sound you will feel transcendental bliss.
How
to transfer to the spiritual world, the eternal world, is our only business in
our human life.
You
can be immediately in touch with Krishna by vibrating Hare Krishna.
“If
you want water, if you chant only ‘water, water, water, water,’ you will not
get water, because it is material sound. The water substance is different from
the word ‘water.’ Therefore, simply by chanting ‘water, water,’ you cannot quench
your thirst.”
“But
in the spiritual world, the name and the person or the substance is the same.
There is no difference. Krishna and Krishna’s name is the same. There is no
difference. Therefore, those who are chanting ‘Krishna, Krishna, Krishna,’ they
are becoming more and more engladdened, enthusiastic to chant.”
“By
chanting Hare Krishna vibration, the sound, you gradually become cleansed.”
“As
soon as you begin chanting Hare Krishna maha-mantra,
you gradually become self-realized, aham
brahmasmi, simply by chanting. Aham
brahmasmi [I am spirit], you can understand.”
“So
ceto-darpaṇa-marjanam (Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Antya 20.12)
means you’ll be freed from this ignorance that ‘I am something of this material
world.’ This is wanted. So long we are not realized, self-realized, then we are
no better than these cats and dogs, because they do not know that they are not
the body.”
“If
you are embarrassed with these four things, ahara-nidra-bhaya-maithunam
ca [eating, sleeping, fearing and mating], then you are not making progress
in spiritual life.”
“Some
actress, some cinema artist, singing, and people are so fond of hearing that
singing that the artist is paid fifteen thousand rupees for one song. There are
many here in Bombay. So just see how much attraction we have got for the
material sound vibration. Similarly, the same attachment, if we turn to hear
about Hare Krishna maha-mantra, then
we become liberated. The same sound. One is material; one is spiritual. So you
practice to be attached by this spiritual sound vibration, then your life will
be successful.”
“So
this Krishna consciousness movement is meant for this purpose, that you have
already attachment for sound. Now just transfer this attachment for spiritual
sound. Then your life will be successful.”
“Don’t
be very much happy when you are in [a] happy condition of life; neither you
become mad in [a] miserable condition of life. Chant Hare Krishna and make your
life [a] success. That is required. This is the propaganda of this Hare Krishna
movement, or Krishna consciousness.”
From
a lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.28.17
in Nairobi, Kenya, on Oct. 26, 1975:
“Just
like the father wants to favor the son always. Father wants that ‘My son may
become very fit, competent, to take all my favors.’ This is father’s wish.
Every father, even in this material world, if father is very big man, great
man, he wants that ‘My son also, let him become bigger than me.’ Is it not,
practical?”
“[Krishna
says:] ‘I am the seed-giving father of all living entities.’ It doesn't matter
in different forms. He does not say that ‘I am the father only of the white,
not of the black.’ He never says. He has no such distinction: white, black,
European, American, or poor, rich, bird, beast, human being. No. He does not
make any discrimination. He is always ready to bestow favor as the original
father. That is God.”
“You
have to give up this designation that ‘I am Hindu,’ ‘I am Muslim,’ ‘I am
Christian,’ ‘I am African.’ No. No designation. Simply become pure Brahman.
Then aham brahmasmi. That is called aham
brahmasmi, not that ‘I remain a
Christian,’ ‘I remain a Hindu,’ ‘I remain black,’ ‘I am white,’ and ‘I am
Brahman.’ No, not that. You have to give up your designation. That requires
practice. And that practice means this param
vijayate sri-krishna-sankirtanam [the supremely victorious congregational
chanting of the holy name of Krishna].
Simply by chanting, you’ll be purified.”
“When
you think like that, that ‘I am eternal servant of Krishna,’ then all these
dirty things will automatically vanish.”
“Why
you are trying to preach Krishna consciousness all over the world? Because we
have accepted this principle, that ‘I am Krishna’s servant. Krishna wants to
deliver these rascals from this misconception of life, so let me do something
for Krishna.’ This is Krishna consciousness.”
“Whole
world is servant of somebody, but he declines to become servant of Krishna.
This is the disease, material disease. He will remain servant of thousands and
millions of establishment and person, but he will disagree. As soon as Krishna
says that ‘You give up. You become My servant,’ ‘No, no. Why can I? Why shall I
do it?’ This is materialist.”
From
a lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.31
in Honolulu on May 30, 1976:
We
learn from the Vedic literature, the soul resides in the heart of the body.
The
Vedas say we have to see through the revealed literature as our senses are
imperfect.
We
cannot see the closest thing, the eyelid, nor can we see what is most far away.
Neither can we see at night. Our vision is subjected to so many conditions.
We
cannot create earth, water, fire, air, and ether, only Krishna can. Thus our
body composed of these elements is Krishna’s creation.
The
yogis think “God is sitting with me, let me see.” Thus they engage in
meditation to see God.
The
devotee knows that everything belongs to Krishna and thus it must be used for
Krishna. That is Krishna consciousness.
Everything
is a fact, not mithya, false, as the
Mayavadis say.
The
princesses imprisoned by Bhaumasura could not find husbands because they had
been taken by another man and had lost their respectability, thus they
feelingly appealed to Krishna, who kindly agreed to marry all of them. We can
learn from this if we take shelter of Krishna, whatever our position in
society, He will take care of us. Therefore, we should be eager to take shelter
of Him.
From
a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.32
in San Francisco on July 17, 1975:
“Here
you can understand that in the Vaikuntha planets, as the Lord Vishnu is
four-handed, similarly, all the inhabitants there, they are also four-handed
and equally dressed. Just like here, if your President Ford comes, he also
dressed like a nice gentleman. And there are many others also, equally nicely
dressed. You cannot distinguish who is president and who is ordinary man.”
“But
the Vishnudutas [servants of the Supreme Lord] have come there because although
he was sinful, although he was most impious, although he was a
prostitute-hunter and cheater and so many good qualities, still, he has chanted
the holy name of Narayana at the end of his life. . . . Whole life sinful—ante narayana-smritih [Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.1.6], but he has
remembered Narayana at the end of his life.”
Bhaktivinoda Thakura:
From
Sri Nama Mahatmya [The Glories of the Holy Name]:
Verse 1
What power does the Name
of Krishna possess?
My heart constantly burns
in the fire of worldly desires
just like a desert scorched
by the rays of the sun.
The holy name, entering the core
of my heart through
the holes of my ears
showers unparalleled nectar upon my soul
Verse 2
The holy name speaks from
within my heart,
moves onto the tip of my tongue
and constantly dances
on it in the form of transcendental sound.
My throat becomes choked up
my body shivers again
and again and my feet cannot remain still.
Verse 3
Rivers of tears flow through my eyes;
perspiration completely soaks
my body. All my skin thrills with rapture,
my hairs stand on end
and my complexion turns pale
and discolored. My mind grows faint.
I begin to experience devastation
and my entire body is shattered in
a flood of ecstatic emotions.
Verse 4
While causing such an ecstatic disturbance,
the holy name showers
nectar on my heart
and drowns me in the ocean
of divine love of Godhead.
He does not allow me to understand anything
for He has made me truly mad
by having stolen away my mind and all my resources.
Verse 5:
Such is the behavior of Him
in whom I have taken shelter.
I am not capable of describing all of this
the Holy Name is independent
and thus acts on its own sweet will.
In whatever way He becomes
happy that is also my
way of happiness.
Verse 6:
The Holy Name is the bud
of the flower of Divine Love
and is the very abode of the
astonishing mellows.
Such is the power He manifests
that when the Holy Name starts
to blossom a little further
that reveals its own divine form
and qualities. Thus my heart is abducted
and taken directly to Krishna.
Verse 7:
Blossoming fully the flower
of the Holy Name takes
me to Braja and reveals to me His own love-dalliance.
This Name gives to me my
own eternal spiritual body, keeps me right by Krishna’s side,
and completely destroys
everything related to this mortal frame of mine.
Verse 8:
The name of Krishna
is a transcendental touchstone, a mine of all devotional mellows
is eternally liberated
and the embodiment of pure rasa.
When all impediments in pure chanting
of the Holy Name are taken away
and destroyed then my happiness will know its true
awakening.
Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:
From
“Poem for January 16” in Vihara Bhavan:
“Harinama devotees
bring relief to people
with disturbed minds.
They have appeared at
scenes of recent disasters
or riots and spread
a calming influence.
The positive-mindedness
of the chanters offsets
the gloom and depression
present in intense situations.
God’s holy names have
the power to calm
agitated minds. Even in intense scenes
of material enjoyment,
at gatherings before
rock concerts or
sporting events, it
is good to share
harinama to bring
a level of sanity
and spiritual presence.”
Amala Bhakta Swami:
If
we really desire something from the heart, Krishna will reciprocate by sending
whatever is required.
Bhagavad-gita 2.66 is a very important
verse because it talks about peace of mind, something universally sought, but
rarely found.
Everything
is connected with Krishna but not everyone is in consciousness of this
connection.
Lord
Krishna’s maya makes us think we are
making things happen when in reality Krishna is behind the scenes making
everything happen.
If
we do not think of Krishna, we will not fall in love with Him.
Srila
Prabhupada wrote the Krishna book
because he wanted to make sure that we had the Tenth Canto of the Srimad-Bhagavatam in an authorized way,
in a sober way, according to the line of spiritual teachers.
When
you are ready for Lord Krishna’s rasa dance,
you will be invited. You do not have to invite yourself. It is like in this
world, if you crash a party you are not invited to, you will not be
appreciated.
In
Ratha-yatra, we are pulling Krishna back to Vrindavan.
We
must desire to go back to Godhead, while at the same time being aware that we
may not be yet qualified to go there.
By
reading about Krishna’s pastimes, you will become attached to Him.
The
spiritual sex of the Tenth Canto takes place in the heart region not the
genital region. It is a completely different experience from the material
experience.
I
try to listen to Krishna book and Sri Caitanya-caritamrita every day to increase my
attachment for Krishna.
Reading
Krishna’s pastimes to the devotees in New Dvaraka for 23 years during meals
helped me to develop whatever attachment I do have for Him.
When
I die, I lose everything, so why should I envy those who have more than I do.
Freedom
from sin is not the end, but it is just the beginning [love of God is the goal].
If
we give the best to Krishna, He will give the best to us.
Q:
How do deal with the gopis?
A:
We try to understand they are the perfection of devotion. We aspire for such
devotion. We pray for their mercy.
Rather
than cause to distress to others, a humble devotee desires to tolerate distress
himself. This is the example of Sanatana Goswami who tolerated the pain of the
hot sand to avoid paining the brahmanas by
possibly contaminating them.
Radhanath Swami:
From
a recorded lecture:
It
appears that the intimate talks between Krishna and the gopis are imitations of the romantic talks between boys and girls
of this world, but actually just the opposite is true. The romantic
relationships of this world are perverted intimations of the pristine pastimes
of Lord Krishna and His pure devotees.
People
say we assign human qualities to God to make Him appear more human, when in
reality it is the opposite. We have different emotions because God Himself has
emotions.
The
impersonalist philosophers want us to annihilate our desires, but the devotees
want to infinitely increase their desires to serve Krishna.
Madhava Prabhu [from New
Raman Reti]:
The
Ninth Canto has a lot of bewildering stories of how different people are
allured by material distractions. The purpose of this to keep materially
motivated people from reaching the Tenth Canto, the essence of Srimad-Bhagavatam.
Also
in the Ninth Canto you see lists of names spanning millennia.
“To
show causeless mercy to the devotees who would take birth in the future in this
Age of Kali, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, acted in such a way
that simply by remembering Him one will be freed from all the lamentation and
unhappiness of material existence.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam
9.24.61)
This
especially appropriate because there is a lot of suffering in the Ninth Canto.
“Simply
by receiving the glories of the Lord through purified transcendental ears, the
devotees of the Lord are immediately freed from strong material desires and
engagement in fruitive activities.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam
9.24.62)
At
the end of the Ninth Canto, it is as if Sukadeva is asking King Pariksit, “What
do you really want to hear about Urvasi or Krishna?”
The
sands of Vrindavan are special because Krishna goes barefoot there.
It
is described the different notes that Krishna plays have special effects:
1st note: Bewilders the demigods and Ananta-sesa
sways to the melody.
2nd note: Yamuna flows backwards.
2nd note: Yamuna flows backwards.
3rd
note: Makes the moon stop in orbit.
4th
note: Makes the cows run to Krishna. Krishna calls the cows on the 4th note.
5th
note: Attracts the gopis and makes
them come running to Him.
6th
note: Melts stones and manifests the autumn season.
7th
note: Manifests all seasons.
8th
note: Exclusively for Srimati Radharani. The flute takes Her name and calls for
Her directly.
Seeing
Krishna steals our sight away from all other attractions.
“Supreme
Personality of Godhead, Krishna, is the reservoir of all beauty. All beautiful
things emanate from Him, and His personal form is so attractive that it steals
the eyes away from all other objects, which then seem devoid of beauty in
comparison to Him. When Lord Krishna was on the earth, He attracted the eyes of
all people. When Krishna spoke, His words attracted the minds of all who
remembered them. By seeing the footsteps of Lord Krishna, people became
attracted to Him, and thus they wanted to offer their bodily activities to the
Lord as His followers. In this way Krishna very easily spread His glories,
which are sung throughout the world by the most sublime and essential Vedic
verses. Lord Krishna considered that simply by hearing and chanting those
glories, conditioned souls born in the future would cross beyond the darkness
of ignorance. Being satisfied with this arrangement, He left for His desired
destination.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam
11.1.6–7)
Bhagavat Purana Prabhu:
If
you sing from the diaphragm then you can sing louder and longer and not destroy
your voice.
Deva Madhava Prabhu:
If
you can take one soul back to Godhead, you are actually the best doctor.
Otherwise the poor soul will take many births and suffer AIDS, cancer, heart
disease, etc., in many lives.
Advaita
Acarya is the incarnation of Maha-Vishnu and Sadashiva. He is a combination of
multiple personalities like many persons in Lord Caitanya’s pastimes, including
Lord Caitanya Himself.
Srila
Prabhupada went to Shantipur to call out for Advaita Acarya’s mercy to
distribute Krishna consciousness in the West, even as Advaita Acarya called out
for Krishna to descend.
Lord
Vishnu said he could not protect Durvasa from the Sudarsana cakra because that cakra was meant to protect His devotees.
In
our college days, when we heard there was a party, our first question would be
“Who is going to be there?” If our friends were not going to be there, it would
not be worth going to. Krishna has a similar psychology. Krishna sends His
associates to the material world before coming.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrita
is the
living manual for Vaishnava etiquette.
The
practice that we are following is the process that Lord Caitanya taught to
realize the highest truths about Himself.
Jayapataka
Swami tells how Srila Prabhupada was paralyzed from the neck down from a stroke
and yet was still preaching to the nurses and doctors in the hospital.
Jayapataka
Swami says that amanina manadena, expecting
not respect for oneself but willing to respect others, is the essence of all
advice for self-improvement.
If
we remember that all our abilities were given to us by others, then we can
remain humble.
Lord
Caitanya send His associates first so He would have others to serve with.
Bhaktisiddhanta
Sarasvati Thakura says that sacrificing one life in the fire of the sacrifice
of the congregational chanting of the holy name yields one two spiritual bodies, one in the Goloka Vrindavan and
one in the Navadvipa section of the same.
On
harinama we are not trying to sing
beautifully or collect money, but we are trying to engage the people we
encounter in a loving exchange. If we treat people as their external
designations, we may sell some literature, as professional salesmen do, but
that exchange will not change their hearts.
To
think that Krishna does not want us to be with those devotees who are presently
around us is to doubt His love for us.
It
is not what they can do for you but what you can do for them that will help you
advance.
Comment
by me: In Bhagavad-gita 2.44, the word
prasaktanam means “too much attached.”
It is natural that we may have some attachment for sense enjoyment and material
opulence, but when we are too much attached then we cannot attain samadhi, the perfection of yoga.
Natabara Gauranga
Prabhu:
Chanting
six hours a day increases vata, and
if you do not have a program for balancing that, in the course of time, it will
adversely affect your health.
Amrita Keli Devi Dasi:
From
a University of North Florida Krishna Club meeting:
Along
with chanting, we are advised to associate with devotees. We are not meant to
practice spiritual life alone.
Laura:
From
a University of North Florida Krishna Club meeting:
I
find my spiritual practice has really helped me in relationships with people. I
analyze how I react and try to understand it.
I do not know how I could do marriage if I was not Krishna conscious.
Abhimanyu Prabhu:
Aham brahmasmi [I am spirit] is just
half it. The rest of it is jivera svarupa
haya krishnera dasa [I am by constitution a servant of Krishna].
Seeing
the happiness of the people engaged in devotional service inspired me to take
it seriously.
It
is a science of self-realization, so if you practice it you will get some
experience of it.
My
father [Dhira Govinda Prabhu] said regarding his mantra study, “I am sure I am
going to be punished terribly for creating a bogus mantra, but it was for
science.”
-----
What is the value of all
this public chanting of Hare Krishna?
People advance spiritually, even without their knowledge!
People advance spiritually, even without their knowledge!
ajnanad
athava jnanad
uttamasloka-nama
yat
sankirtitam
agham pumso
dahed edho
yathanalah
yathagadam
viryatamam
upayuktam
yadricchaya
ajanato
’py atma-gunam
kuryan
mantro ’py udahrtah
“Fire
will act, regardless of whether handled by an innocent child or by someone well
aware of its power. For example, if a field of straw or dry grass is set afire,
either by an elderly man who knows the power of fire or by a child who does
not, the grass will be burned to ashes. Similarly, one may or may not know the
power of chanting the Hare Krishna mantra, but if one chants the holy name he
will become free from all sinful reactions.
“If
a person unaware of the effective potency of a certain medicine takes that
medicine or is forced to take it, it will act even without his knowledge
because its potency does not depend on the patient’s understanding. Similarly,
even though one does not know the value of chanting the holy name of the Lord,
if one chants knowingly or unknowingly, the chanting will be very effective.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.2.18–19)