Diary
of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 12, No. 8
By
Krishna-kripa das
(April 2016, part two)
(April 2016, part two)
Dublin,
Newcastle, Leeds, Belgium, Holland
(Sent from Newcastle-upon-Tyne on May 16, 2016)
(Sent from Newcastle-upon-Tyne on May 16, 2016)
Where I Went and What I Did
After Rama Navami, I stayed in Dublin for the devotees’
monthly six-hour kirtana and weekly Sunday
feast. Then Premarnava Prabhu and I went to Belfast to do harinama with Bhagavati Devi Dasi in the city center for two days,
returning to Dublin for the Tuesday night kirtana.
Wednesday we chanted in Dublin, and we were happy that Sundara Nitai
Prabhu, returning from his traveling with Harinama Ruci and preaching in Fiji
joined us. Then I went to Newcastle for three days of harinama and the monthly eight-hour kirtana. On Saturday Janananda Goswami joined us, bringing
everything up to a higher level. Sunday I did harinama in Leeds and spoke at their monthly Sunday program. Monday
I flew to Brussels from Newcastle via Dublin and chanted with Premarnava Prabhu
at the Dublin Airport and the nearby town of Swords and by myself at Charleroi,
the airport south of Brussels, on my way to Radhadesh. Tuesday I attended
Kadamba Kanana Swami’s Vyasa Puja, as he has inspired me and given me different
outreach opportunities and suggestions. Wednesday was Kings Day in Amsterdam and
the harinama with 200 devotees for
eight hours, during which many onlookers participated by chanting and dancing.
After Kings Day, I did two days of harinama
in Rotterdam with Sivananda Sena and Moksa Laksmi Prabhus, very
enthusiastic disciples of Janananda Goswami. On the last day of the month, I
flew to Birmingham to join the Birmingham 24-hour kirtana. The UK customs lady kindly removed my cautionary status
with UK immigration that I received when they denied me entrance two years ago,
so in the future it will be easier to enter the UK. Although the Birmingham kirtana began on April 30 and ended on
May 1. I will describe it all, and the harinama
before it, in my first May journal.
I share nectar from a Srila Prabhupada lecture. I include
two inspiring quotes from Sanatana Goswami’s Brhad-Bhagavatamrita and one from Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s Sri Gitavali. I began proofreading Sarasvati Sanlapa, a book of
Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s conversations and discourses, soon to be
published by Touchstone Media, and I share an awesome number of amazing
insights from him. As usual, I share excerpts from the books and journal of
Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami. I share some notes on a class by Janananda Goswami. Tattvavit
Prabhu, disciple of Srila Prabhupada, is based in Dublin for a few months, and
I include some nice points he made during his lectures there. Kadamba Kanana
Swami shared a lot of realizations during two lectures on his Vyasa Puja Day, which
I also include. I also include some prayers by the kings imprisoned by
Jarasandha from Srimad-Bhagavatam. I
share some realizations from Mallakaara Krishna Prabhu of Radhadesh about
outreach in Belgium. I also share notes on offerings made to Kadamba Kanana
Swami by his disciples and admirers.
I would like to thank Mayesvara Prabhu of Dublin for
offering to let me keep our harinama collection
there. This time I accepted only half of it. Thanks to Sivananda Sena Prabhu of
Rotterdam, who paid my registration fee for the Baltic Summer Festival and
drove me from Amsterdam to Rotterdam and back. I thank the Newcastle temple and
the Leeds nama-hatta for their kind
donations. Thanks to John (the tall one with the glasses) of Leeds for his kind
donation. Thanks to the Kadamba Kanana Swami blog devotees, Harinama Ruci, and
the Hare Krishna Festival UK devotees for their pictures of me on the Kings Day
harinama.
Itinerary
May
14–18: Newcastle
May
19: Sheffield
May
20: Sheffield harinama / Newcastle harinama and Nrsimha Festival
May
21: Sheffield
May
22: Sheffield Ratha-yatra
May
23–25: Manchester
May
26: Preston
May
27: Liverpool
May
28: Newcastle Eight-Hour Kirtana
May
29–30: North UK Retreat, Karuna Bhavan, Scotland
May
31: Edinburgh Harinama and Evening Program
June
1–8: Newcastle [June 4 York harinama and
nama-hatta]
June
9: Sheffield
June
10: Leicester
June
11: Northampton Ratha-yatra
June
12: Chester
June
13–20: London [June 17 trip to Northampton nama-hatta]
June
20–21: Stonehenge Solstice Festival
June
21–June 30: France with Janananda Goswami [June 26 – Paris Ratha-yatra]
July
1–July 6: Newcastle [July 2 York harinama
and nama-hatta]
July
7–9: Polish Padayatra
July
10: Prague Ratha-yatra
July
12–16: Polish Woodstock
July
17–26: Polish Summer Festival Tour
July
27–29: Berlin harinama?
July
30: Berlin Ratha-yatra
July
31–August 4: Czech Padayatra
August
5–11: Baltic Summer Festival
August
12–14: Ancient Trance Festival?
August
15–17: Bratislava?
August
17: Prague?
August
18–21: Trutnoff (Czech Woodstock)
August
22: Prague
August
23: London
August
24–29: Newcastle
August
30: Edinburgh
August
31–September 1: Newcastle
September
2: Sheffield
September
3: York
September
4: Newcastle
September
5–12: Ireland
September
13–: New York City Harinam
Dublin Six-Hour Kirtana
I am very happy to see that, since my visit last
September, one young devotee couple, John and Pushpa, have established a
monthly six-hour kirtana program in
Dublin on Saturdays. Both of them had come out on harinama during my past visits, and also chanted in the streets
again with us this time. The community is enthusiastic about the six-hour kirtana event, and as you can see in the
videos below, many devotees, new and old, take part.
Tim, who organizes yoga retreats on the Inis Rath island,
and who loves to chant, led a mellow kirtana
(https://youtu.be/CLfTJGhzc1E):
Later Manu Prabhu led a lively kirtana with his characteristic intensity, getting many devotees to
dance (https://youtu.be/EakMHCG7Fms):
I am happy that, by Krishna’s grace, I was there in
Dublin for the kirtana event.
Belfast Harinamas
I was amazed to see the enthusiasm of Bhagavati Dasi (left)
for harinama. She is in her sixties
and just recovered from breaking her back, but was ready to do three hours of harinama with us the two days we were in
Belfast. One young devotee lady (center), who was out shopping, joined us for
half an hour or so the first day, thus increasing the size of our party. Thanks
to Premarnava Prabhu (right) for driving me from Dublin to Belfast and back and
participating fully in harinama.
Bhagavati distributed several books, and we gave the over
£10 we collected to the Belfast temple.
Dublin Harinamas
Premarnava Prabhu (right) came out on almost all the harinamas. Prabhupada disciple, Tattvavit
Prabhu (left), who I knew from working with Back
to Godhead thirty years ago in Philadelphia, is spending a few months in
Dublin and I was thankful he came out on harinama
at least a couple times. John (center), who organizes the six-hour kirtana program with Pushpa (below, center), also
came out.
Mayesvara Prabhu (right), who does a lot to keep the
temple and its programs going in Dublin, also came out on harinama.
From time to time, locals passing by would participate in
our Dublin harinama by dancing, and
sometimes trying to chant the mantra. The girl who likes to say “Hare Krishna”
in the video below would say “Hare Krishna” and do a little dance every time
she passed our party that evening. Apologies for the blathering drunk, although
he does add some local color. Thanks to Mayesvara Prabhu for playing harmonium,
Premarnava Prabhu for playing the drum and singing, and Pushpa for playing the karatalas (https://youtu.be/UZY-d9Lbh2U):
The last day in Dublin I was chanting with Premarnava
Prabhu and John in Dublin on the busy O’Connell Street, just half a block from
our temple, when Sundar Nitai Prabhu returned to his native Ireland after
traveling with Harinama Ruci and preaching in Fiji. I gave him the drum, and he
got right into it (https://youtu.be/kWKRDXUkj-4):
In Dublin we collected almost 130 euros in five and a
half days and distributed twenty-two books, all simply by chanting Hare
Krishna.
Newcastle Harinamas
The day I arrived in Newcastle,
Prema-sankirtan Prabhu kindly joined me on harinama
for three hours. The next day four devotees chanted with me on
Northumberland Street. I can always count on Prema-sankirtan Prabhu (initially
playing the drum) to join me on harinama
in Newcastle. Radha Shyam Prabhu (initially playing harmonium) is also a
regular asset. Mother Kirtida proved herself a very enthusiastic dancer.
Priyanka, our final singer, joins when not too busy with school. Thanks to them
all for their enthusiasm, which you can see in this video (https://youtu.be/nASwU9KwLrg):
When Janananda Goswami came out the next day,
we had fourteen devotees altogether and many people danced with us, and a few
even chanted. One was an older lady with white hair who remembered the
connection between George Harrison and Hare Krishna. Both she and her blond
daughter chanted and danced with us twice, both as we passed by them going up
Northumberland Street and also when we came back down. A young lady in red, who
danced vigorously, also participated twice (https://youtu.be/LI4A60OS72M):
Harinamas are always extra special with Janananda
Goswami!
Newcastle Eight-Hour Kirtana
Every month Janananda Goswami’s disciples
Radhe Shyam Dasa (in the striped shirt) and Madhuri Dasi (in the yellow dress)
organize an amazing eight-hour kirtana
in Newcastle with joyful chanting, wild dancing, and feasts for lunch and
dinner. Many people attend from their Sankirtana Society at Newcastle
University. Often devotees come from as far as London and Scotland. Here
Dhananjaya Prabhu, Rima from Edinburgh, Vasheel, Madhuri, and finally,
Janananda Goswami, lead kirtana one
after another, and many devotees dance. Dhananjaya Prabhu plays the bass (https://youtu.be/DEL-cf4mkIE):
This wonderful monthly eight-hour kirtana has been going on for three
years.
Leeds Harinama
Although it would have been pleasant to stay
for the Sunday feast program in Newcastle with Janananda Goswami, I decided to
go to the Leeds program the final Sunday of the month and do a harinama before and give the lecture, as
I am only free to go to two or three of those Leeds Sunday programs a year. I
like to continue my relationships with people and places. I was very grateful
that Gauridas Pandit Prabhu and Ashish came down from York to join me and the
one elderly Hindi-speaking lady from Leeds with a walking stick, who showed up
for harinama. Gauridas had never
played the portable harmonium while standing before, and yet he played three
tunes nicely, adding a lot to the chanting party.
In York, the devotees had a special Hare
Krishna Festival a few weeks before, and that day in Leeds one Leeds resident,
who had attended that program and liked it, followed our harinama for awhile. I gave her the contact phone number for a Leeds
devotee so she could learn about the local programs. I told her about the
program that day and offered her a ride there with us, but she had another
commitment.
Chanting at the Dublin and Charleroi Airports and in
Swords
I flew Ryanair from Newcastle to Brussels to
go to Kadamba Kanana Swami’s Vyasa Puja in Radhadesh and the massive Kings Day harinama in Amsterdam the next day. I
had a four-hour stopover in Dublin, and I invited Premarnava Prabhu to chant
with me at the Dublin airport. We set up near the buses to the city because
there were lots of people there. We lasted an hour before the airport police
politely told us to stop. We then went to the nearby town of Swords and chanted
another half an hour in front of a shopping center.
At Charleroi, the Ryanair airport south of
Brussels, I had to wait over three hours to get a free ride to Radhadesh with
some other devotees arriving on a later flight. Otherwise I would have to pay
60 euros for some devotee with a taxi business to give me a ride to Radhadesh,
one hour away, or to pay 40 euros and take four hours of trains. As I like to
chant three hours a day, I considered chanting at the airport for an hour and a
half. It was so cold, windy, and rainy, I only lasted half an hour, my fingers
getting too cold playing the harmonium. While I was chanting, military police
with automatic rifles past by me, but they did not ask me to stop, and had the
weather cooperated, I may have been able to chant the whole hour and a half.
It was nice to be able to include sharing the
holy name with others on my travel day.
Kings Day Harinama
Kings Day, the birthday of the King of the
Netherlands, is celebrated on April 27 each year, unless it is on the weekend,
in which case it is earlier or later. The entire city of Amsterdam becomes like
a huge block party with one or two million people. Two busloads of devotees come
from Radhadesh the day after Kadamba Kanana Swami’s Vyasa Puja for the event,
and we probably had around 200 devotees altogether.
I participated by dancing.
I also took photos and videos.
We gave people mantra cards, and they chanted.
In addition to the usual kirtana instruments,
we had
and a bass guitar.
This year was coldest year I remember in the nine
years I have been attending the event. I think it made the people a bit more
sober and less completely crazy. As usual many people enjoyed singing and
dancing with the devotees. I talked to some of them.
One girl from Amsterdam, who delighted in
dancing with the devotee ladies, told me she also danced with the devotees last
year. I mentioned we get together each Sunday afternoon at three and we sing
and dance and have vegetarian food. She was interested, and I typed the temple
address into her phone, as we do not yet have invitations for the new temple.
In fact, in the course of the harinama, I
must have typed the temple address into the phones of three or four residents
of Amsterdam.
One lady, perhaps in her thirties also loved
to dance. She said she and her friends were from France. I told her of the
Paris temple in Sarcelles St. Brice. She said she now lived in Brussels, and
asked if we had a place there. I told her to email me because I knew we had a
place there but did not know the address, and I told her about our Belgian
castle, Radhadesh, and gave her an invitation for that.
Here are some who loved
to dance:
Near the museum, a devotee carrying a Hare Krishna flag climbed a pillar to make the holy names more visible.
At one point, some drummers really enjoyed playing with us.
I took some video of it so you can get a feel
for what it was like (https://youtu.be/JQAO3IeDyKE):
Chanting in Rotterdam
We chanted two days in Rotterdam, the first
in the southern part of the city, near Sivananda Sena Prabhu’s home and the
second in the city center. The first day two others joined him and me, and we
chanted for about two hours. Some kids were attracted by our party, and they spent
fifteen minutes or so with us.
I was happy to see there were regular
passersby so close by Sivananda Sena’s house, and as I like to do three hours of
harinama each day instead of just
two, I went out by myself the next day, sitting down at a crossroads no more
than 50 yards (meters) from his
apartment building with books and a donation bowl spread out before me. I chanted
for an hour, and people took two books and gave six euros. Some of the same
kids from yesterday listened for a while, and one man who gave a donation said
he already some books.
Later that day we did the usual Friday harinama in central Rotterdam. We had
nine devotees, including two enthusiastic drummers who were friends. Anandini
Devi Dasi, a enthusiastic young lady, joined us both days.
At the beginning of the harinama, just as we were departing Rotterdam Centraal, the main
train station, one young black lady started dancing to our music. She found it
more exciting than her church and wanted to know about our programs.
One young guy attracted by our party asked
Sivananda Sena Prabhu if we were from New York. Apparently he remembered me
from New York and wondered if our whole party came from there.
After our harinama
officially ended, some of us chanted on the way back to the car. We paused
along the way, and Anandini Devi Dasi took this video (https://youtu.be/zmSjEzkVB50):
If you are my Facebook friend or hers, or a friend of a friend, it will
look better at this link, https://www.facebook.com/devi.dasi.142/videos/243169992712389/,
than in the YouTube window below:
To see pictures I took but did not include, click on the link below:
Insights
Srila Prabhupada:
From a lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.23 in Mayapur on October 3:
Even Draupadi and Devaki met with
difficulties although they were so intimately connected with Krishna, therefore,
when we encounter difficulties we should not be disturbed but face them
courageously, depending on Krishna for protection as they did.
Sanatana Goswami:
From Brhad-Bhagavatamrita
1.1.9:
“All glories, all glories to the all-blissful
holy name of Sri Krishna, which causes the devotee to give up all conventional
religious duties, meditation, and worship. When somehow or other uttered even
once by a living entity, the holy name awards him liberation. The holy name of
Krishna is the highest nectar in my life and my only treasure.”
From Brhad-Bhagavatamrita
2.3.144:
“If you really care for Sri Krishna’s lotus
feet, then execute pure devotional service that is free from karma, jñana, and other mixtures, and is mainly
based on chanting the holy name of the Lord.”
Bhaktivinoda Thakura:
From Sri
Gitavali, Bhajana Gita (Songs for Worship), “Sri Radhastaka: Eight Prayers in Glorification of Srimati Radharani”,
Song 8, Verse 2:
Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati
Thakura:
The following are excerpts from Sarasvati Sanlapa, a book of
conversations and discourses of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, many
translated from the original Bengali, soon to be published by Touchstone Media:
From a conversation with the editor of the Gaudiya on March 23, 1926:
“The
pastimes Sri Gaurasundara displayed before going to Gaya mainly reveal His
pastimes as Narayana. That is, in His householder pastimes, Sriman Mahaprabhu
manifested only the form and characteristics of Narayana. Therefore, the
householder pastimes of Lakshmipriya and Gaurasundara should be understood to
be the pastimes of Lakshmi-Narayana in Vaikuntha. In text 43 of Sri Gaura Ganoddesa-dipika, Kavi Karnapura
writes that King Janaka of Mithila appeared as Vallabhacarya in Gaura’s
pastimes. Lakshmipriya was Vallabhacarya’s daughter, and she was the combined
form of Janaki and Rukmini.”
“Pandita
Sri Gadadhara Gosvami, however, appears in Gaura-lila as Srimati Radharani’s
sentiment, and Sri Dasa Gadadhara is manifest as Her complexion.”
“When sadhana-bhakti [devotional service to the Lord in practice] matures, it transforms gradually into bhava-bhakti [devotional service in ecstasy] and then prema-bhakti [devotional service in pure love of God], just as a mango has three stages of ripeness: green, half-ripe, and fully ripe. It is the fully ripe fruit that is useful in Krishna’s service.”
“When sadhana-bhakti [devotional service to the Lord in practice] matures, it transforms gradually into bhava-bhakti [devotional service in ecstasy] and then prema-bhakti [devotional service in pure love of God], just as a mango has three stages of ripeness: green, half-ripe, and fully ripe. It is the fully ripe fruit that is useful in Krishna’s service.”
“When one practices sadhana-bhakti from the platform of one’s spiritual propensity to serve Krishna,
the fortunate soul gradually becomes elevated to bhava-bhakti and then prema-bhakti.”
From a conversation with Ṭhakur Saheb Kusala
Singh on October 16, 1927:
“In Srimad-Bhagavatam the Supreme Lord instructs that until one becomes an uttama-adhikara (Vaishnava paramahamsa) one has no alternative but to accept tridanda sannyasa. Everyone must accept it.”
“Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.29.17, 19) states:
yavat sarveshu bhuteshu
mad-bhavo nopajayate
tavad evam upasita van-manah-kaya-vrittibhih
“‘Until
one has fully developed the ability to see Me within all living beings,
one must continue to worship Me by this process with the activities of his
speech, mind, and body.’
“ayam hi sarva-kalpanam
sadhricino mato mama
mad-bhavah sarva-bhuteshu
mano-vak-kaya-vrittibhih
“‘Indeed,
I consider this process – using one’s mind, words, and bodily functions
for realizing Me within all living beings – to be the best possible method
of spiritual enlightenment.’”
“The word danda
means ‘to subdue.’ To accept tridanda
means to subdue or control the the speech, mind, and body by
engaging them in the service of the Supreme Lord. This is widely described in sastra.”
“Sri Rupa-Sanatana,
Sri Raghunatha, and others worship in the mode of pure
goodness – the mode of worship of the maha-bhagavatas.
This mode is
not based on the kind of mundane faith expressed by kanishtha-adhikaris. Rather, it is an expression of service in the
mood of ecstatic love; it
is direct seva [divine service]. Srila
Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami does not worship the guñja-mala and Govardhan-sila Mahaprabhu gave him in a mood of awe
and reverence; he performs direct, intimate service to Gandharva-Giridhari on
the exalted path of raga [attachment].”
From a conversation with Pandita Syamasundara
Cakravarty on January 11, 1928:
“There is nothing in this world but opposition to Srimad-Bhagavatam. Every independent idea of every so-called independent living entity
averse to God from time immemorial is against the Bhagavatam’s principles.”
“In other schools, or philosophies, truth is
mixed with
illusion, but at the very beginning of the Naimisharanya School’s commentary on Vedanta
it is said, dhamna svena sada
nirasta-kuhakam satyam param dhimahi: “I meditate
on Sri Krishna, who is eternally existent in the
transcendental abode, which is forever free from the illusory representations of the
material world.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.1.2)
Adherents of the Naimisharanya School meditate on the Absolute Truth, free from any
kind of cheating.
“Form, taste, smell, sound, and touch are
called vishaya [sense objects]. That
mind that thinks itself the enjoyer of these is materially attached and impure. Such a mind never realizes the
Absolute Truth. The eternal reciprocation of service between the eternally worshipable complete Saccidananda and the
eternal worshiper, the minute sac-cid-ananda,
is what cleanses
the contamination from a restless mind and, as the heart fills with devotion, that same mood of service brings
about samadhi, or trance. The service-inclined
heart depends neither on sense objects nor the renunciation of them
[to perceive the Lord]. Rather, it perceives the Supreme Lord with the
transcendental vision born naturally of its eternal serving propensity.”
“Miyate anaya iti maya – maya is that which
can be measured. The Supreme Lord, who cannot be measured, controls that which
can be measured, maya. If something
can be measured, it is maya, not the
Supreme Lord.”
“Whatever action the
living entities perform, the Supreme Lord awards them accordingly. It is by the
Lord’s inspiration that the living entity’s propensity to act according to
their previous karma becomes active. The living entity is the doer and the
Supreme Lord the director. The Supreme Lord’s authority as director is
present in every act jivas perform;
that direction takes the form of the Lord
making the jivas enjoy the fruits of
their past and present activities, and
preparing them to perform future activities based on their continued conviction
that they are the prime actors. The Supreme Lord bestows results, and
the living entity enjoys those results.”
“The living entity is a minute particle of
the superconscious Supreme
Lord. The qualities present in ocean water are present
in each drop of that water, although in minute quantity. Since the supremely cognizant Lord is supremely
independent, the living entities also have
minute independence.”
“Had how the jivas [individual living beings in the material world] choose to use their independence been up to the Lord’s inspiration, the jivas would be serving God instead of
forgetting Him.”
“When we first hear
from the spiritual master, his ideas appear revolting. We may even dare to
correct the spiritual master and make up his inadequacy with our empiricism.
But the flow of thought of the external world cannot attack the object ‘guru.’
He is able to keep such things millions of yojanas
away. Because his position does not shift, he is ‘guru,’ or the heaviest
object.”
“Anartha is that which is blocking us, separating us from our artha, or the ultimate goal of our life,
Krishna. That thing that is blocking us is making us its slave.”
“Vaishnava dharma is
the only religion for all spiritual beings. It is the only dharma that is
natural to the living entities’ constitutional position. There is no need to
become a Christian or a Muslim or a Hindu. Simply become a Vaishnava. That’s
all. There is no need even to become a tree, a bird, an animal, a stone, a
demigod, a demon, or a human being. Simply become a Vaishnava and follow your
constitutional dharma. This is what Mahaprabhu did. When He traveled throughout
South India He chanted the holy name loudly, and all who saw Him became Vaishnavas.
When He traveled through the Jharikhanda jungle, the trees, creepers, grass,
animals, birds, and stones could no longer preserve their respective
conditioned states of being. Rather, they all became Vaishnavas. The Saivites,
the Durga worshipers, the atheistic Hindus, the Pathanas, the Buddhists, the Mayavadis,
and all the people He met who wanted liberation or material enjoyment, the
yogis, the ascetics, the learned, the foolish, the healthy, the sick – all
became Vaishnavas. Mahaprabhu’s only “weapon” was krishna-kirtana. And those who became Vaishnavas in turn, by Mahaprabhu’s
order, acted as gurus and converted everyone they met in all directions to Vaishnava
dharma.”
“There has never been, nor will there ever
be, any greater benefactor than
Mahaprabhu and His devotees. The pretention natural to all other welfare work is
gravely harmful. The welfare work rendered by Mahaprabhu and His devotees is eternal, supreme welfare. This is not welfare offered for a few days; it is no temporary
benefit. Nor is it a proposal of welfare that
will cause harm after some time – not some kind of welfare that will inconvenience others while it
benefits some. For example, anything good done for my
country will inevitably be bad for another country. I may be happy riding on a
horse-drawn cart, but inevitably the horse is inconvenienced. My temporary
happiness causes distress to another, and when others are happy, I may become
distressed. Mahaprabhu and His
devotees never cheated anyone by proposing such welfare. What they proposed and
then gave was beneficial for all time and in all circumstances. Mahaprabhu’s welfare
can be applied to all countries and to all people at all times. This
welfare is not confined to any particular country or harmful to any other country.
It is good for the whole universe. Therefore, Mahaprabhu and His devotees
never propose any narrow-minded, sectarian, temporary benefit. What Mahaprabhu
offers never produces any ill effect in anyone. Therefore Mahaprabhu’s mercy is called amandodaya, or ‘that compassion which does no harm.’ Mahaprabhu is maha-vadanya, and His devotees are maha-maha-vadanya.
These are not stories, not literary fictions; we are speaking about the highest truth,
reality.”
“To think that Lord Narayana
is a poor man is not service to Narayana or even service to Narayana’s
servants, the living entities; it is only service to Mayadevi.”
“We should serve Hari
and Hari’s devotees. We should also serve those who are unable to understand
Lord Hari by helping them understand Him. We serve such people intellectually
and physically.”
“Sri Kshanada-gita-cintamani states:
heloddhulita-khedaya visadaya pronmila-damodaya
samyac-chastra-vivadaya rasadaya cittarpitonmadaya
sasvad-bhakti-vinodaya samadaya madhurya-maryadaya
sri-caitanya daya-nidhe tava daya bhuyad
amandodaya
‘O ocean of mercy, Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu! Let there be an awakening of Your auspicious
mercy, which easily drives away all kinds of material lamentation. By Your
mercy, everything is made pure and blissful. It awakens
transcendental bliss and covers all gross material pleasures. By Your auspicious
mercy, quarrels and disagreements arising from different scriptures are
vanquished. Your auspicious mercy causes the heart to feel joy and pour forth
transcendental mellows. Your mercy always stimulates devotional service,
which is full of joy. You always glorify the conjugal love of God. May
transcendental bliss be awakened within my heart by Your causeless mercy.’”
“Buddhist is actually
another name for Vaishnava. Yet in the hearts of the Buddhists they lack
knowledge of the characteristic or constitutional position of the Vaishnava.
For example, Rama’s worshipers are called the Ramayets, Nrisimha’s worshipers
the Narasimhis, Varaha’s worshipers the Varahis, and Krishna’s worshipers the Karishnas.
Similarly, the worshipers of Vishnu’s incarnation Buddha are called Buddhas or
Buddhists. For example, although the Aula, Baula, Karta-bhaja, Neda, Daravesa,
Sain, Sahajiya, Sakhibheki, Smarta, Jata-gosaiñ atibadi, Gauranga-nagari, and
other such sects accept Gauranga in name only and have fallen away from Gauranga’s
actual teachings, so the Buddhists call themselves “worshipers of Buddha” but
have fallen from Lord Buddha’s actual teachings. Instead, they are bewildered
by Vishnu’s illusory energy, maya. When
the Buddhists realize themselves as Vaishnavas and submit to the feet of pure
Vaishnavas, they will understand their original constitutional position. The
Buddhists who met Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu understood their constitutional
position because they received Mahaprabhu’s mercy. We see evidence of this in
Kaviraja Gosvami’s writings.”
“Those who worship
the personal form of Vishnu are called Vaishnavas, and those who worship the
impersonal form are called brahmanas.
The three manifestations of the nondual knowledge (or substance) are called
Brahman, Paramatma, and Vishnu. One who knows Brahman is called a brahmana, and one who worships the
Supreme Lord, and who therefore already knows Brahman, is called a Vaishnava.
Bhagavan is the fully manifest Absolute Truth, and Brahman is the Absolute Truth
in an incomplete manifestation. Therefore only brahmanas who are endowed with knowledge of their relationship with
God and who therefore worship God can become Vaishnavas.”
“Mahaprabhu’s
teachings can benefit the whole world because they are not ordinary teachings.
Mahaprabhu’s teachings contain no narrow sectarianism. His teachings can award
the highest benefit to all living entities and bestow the supreme goal of life on
all.”
From a conversation
with Professor Dr. P. Johanns, the most senior professor at St. Xaviers
College, Calcutta, and a religious instructor for the Roman Catholic Jesuit
sect, on April 20, 1928:
“What to speak of not being able to
understand everything, by not hearing from a living source one may understand
the purport of the text upside down or backward.”
“Even the distress in Goloka dances on the
heads of all other happiness, and the lamentation there, too, repeatedly dances
on the heads of all other forms of happiness. Happiness, distress, lamentation,
and other feelings in Goloka simply nourish one’s supreme bliss.”
“Absorption in so-called, mundane morality is a stumbling block for those who wish to
attain Krishna’s lotus feet. Krishna is fully
independent, self-willed, and self-manifest. There can be no indecency in Him.
Everything about Him is decent and supremely beautiful. The determination of
what is decent and what is indecent can only be applied to the living entities under His control.
But Krishna is the all-powerful, absolute, transcendental Personality of
Godhead.”
“However, an honest tendency to inquire with
an unhypocritical spirit is not evil the way
the ego-driven challenging spirit is. Proper inquiry reveals a thirst for hearing. That is why it is written in our
scripture that the spiritual master should be given at least one year to assess
whether or not an aspiring disciple has approached with a challenging attitude
or is genuinely wanting to
take shelter of him. One has to approach a spiritual master and hear from him submissively, not debate with or challenge
him. We should be careful about our intentions when asking questions. Honest inquiry
with a desire to hear from an experienced acarya is called the descending path; the path
adopted by empiricists is called the ascending path.”
“Those who adhere to the ascending path of
empiricism approach teachers highly experienced in material science, and if
needed, they invite those teachers to debate with them. This is a dangerous approach
in which people with thirty
years of experience try to defeat people with fifty years of experience, and long experience is completely useless in the face of
new scientific discoveries. Likewise,
20,000-year-old civilizations prove backward in the face of 10,000-year-old
civilizations. But the empirical process, which
is based on the experience gathered with the material senses, can never actually provide one with complete
knowledge.”
“While preaching the
truth, Sri Caitanyadeva debated with many so-called philosophers and used
His weapon of spotless authorized philosophy to smash into pieces all the
unauthorized philosophies they presented based on their empirical knowledge.
Hearing with attention and patience from the fully devoted followers of Caitanya,
we will be supremely benefited and astonished to see in the character of Sri
Caitanya a complete spiritual synthesis and a wonderful solution to all
problems.”
“Once, I met Reverend
Ridley De. After he quietly listened to my lecture for two or three hours, he
said, “Since you are saying things that are so similar to Christianity, why
don’t you declare yourself a Christian?” To this I said, “Christianity is only
a partial representation of – or a step on the ladder of – Vaishnava dharma.
Apart from that, we have more, which supplements what Christianity teaches.
Things that have not been said in Christianity because
qualification is there to a fuller extent in Vaishnavism. Vaishnava dharma is the only supreme
religion for all living entities. The other religious systems are either stages
of Vaishnavism or perversions of it. To the degree that they are stages, they can
be accepted for particular classes of people; if they are perversions, they
should be rejected.”
“Christ is an
empowered incarnation (saktyavesa-avatara)
of a portion of Krishnacandra’s
plenary portion, Lord Vishnu. Considering the capability and qualification of
particular countries or societies, and in order to benefit them, Lord Vishnu,
invested a portion of His energy in an exalted living being and sent him to
them as the Son of God. Christ, therefore, did not have the qualification to
reveal the highest transcendental mellows of ecstatic love – the complete
sweetness of the supreme Absolute Truth Krishnacandra’s transcendental pastimes,
which only Krishnacandra Himself, who is the ocean of all transcendental
mellows, can distribute in the world. Even those who live in the first of the
two-storied Vaikuntha cannot understand Krishnacandra’s sweetness.”
“Vaikuntha is the
place where there is no anxiety, no room for measuring things with our senses.
Vaikuntha is two-storied. In the first story, the Supreme Lord is present as
the supremely opulent personality. Above that, in the second story, despite the
Lord being fully opulent, He covers His opulence with the power of His
sweetness by His inconceivable potency and eternally manifests as the most
nectarean personality, the ocean of all transcendental mellows.”
“Professor: You have spoken some highly philosophical truths. I will need a lot of time to realize all that you
have said.
Srila
[Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati] Prabhupada: You will not only require a lot of
time, but you will have to hear these discussions again and
again from the mouth of genuine, realized
persons. Some days ago, Mr. Chapman (the librarian of the Imperial Library of
Calcutta) came to the Gaudiya Matha and listened to Sri Caitanyadeva’s
philosophical conclusions for two or three hours. As he was leaving he said, “This philosophical truth is so incomprehensible that even a
learned, experienced, wise person like me is unable to enter into it.” Therefore, unless one hears it
repeatedly with a heart inclined to service, it is impossible to understand
this subject matter, because it is not an ordinary topic. That is why Sri Caitanyadeva
instructed us to hear and chant the topics of the Supreme Lord with “humility
like that of a blade of grass” and “tolerance like that of a tree.” We have a
desire to preach about Sri Caitanyadeva’s compassion in the Western countries,
but we don’t know how much it will be appreciated there.
Professor: I hope all the gentlemen of the
Western world will respectfully accept your words. I am particularly happy to
hear these discussions about Caitanya’s
philosophy from you.”
“Professor: You should preach this highly philosophical spiritual
truth in London.
Srila [Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati] Prabhupada: If
God wishes, it will be done for sure. Caitanyadeva and
His living devotees desire to wake up the entire world. In His religion, there is no function of matter
in the form of material enjoyment based on sense gratification. Taking
advantage of His religion, those functions of matter that have come into existence – Sri
Caitanyadeva has no connection with them. Let the people of the whole world worship Caitanyadeva with their spiritual propensity. This alone will bring them supreme benefit.”
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami:
“Radha-Govinda, when I worship You
and gaze at You,
or chant Your Holy Names,
please allow me to pray
for one thing only –
Radha-Krishna prema.
Give me the intelligence
not to pray for relief
from headaches
or footaches
or dental repair
or even longevity
or freedom from birth and death.
Only one thing is worthy:
Radha-Krishna prema,
and prema and seva
to the servants of Radha-Krishna.
I have been taught this
by Lord Caitanya and Srila Prabhupada,
and they know best.”
and gaze at You,
or chant Your Holy Names,
please allow me to pray
for one thing only –
Radha-Krishna prema.
Give me the intelligence
not to pray for relief
from headaches
or footaches
or dental repair
or even longevity
or freedom from birth and death.
Only one thing is worthy:
Radha-Krishna prema,
and prema and seva
to the servants of Radha-Krishna.
I have been taught this
by Lord Caitanya and Srila Prabhupada,
and they know best.”
From “Poem
for April 24” in Viraha Bhavan:
“The dancers are full of colors,
and they are moving gracefully
to the beat of mrdanga and karatalas.
The passersby wonder what
makes the Krishnas so happy
that they are singing for hours.
The answer is the holy names
are full of bliss and give
energy to the chanters.
and they are moving gracefully
to the beat of mrdanga and karatalas.
The passersby wonder what
makes the Krishnas so happy
that they are singing for hours.
The answer is the holy names
are full of bliss and give
energy to the chanters.
Janananda Goswami:
As Srila Prabhupada did in the early days
with the new people, we can graciously accept offerings of food we are given
but not actually eat them.
In the time period around the founding of
ISKCON in July 1966 different things were happening in the world. The Vietnam
War was really escalating. The Beatles went to India for the first time. And
for the only time in history, the English beat the Germans for the World Cup.
Originally, according Srila Prabhupada’s
diary in New York City, he was going to call his society “The International
Society for God Consciousness,” but by the time of the actual incorporation he
changed it.
Tattvavit Prabhu:
Tala refers to the beat or rhythm and kara refers to the hands, so karatalas are instruments held in the
hands that keep the beat.
Bhava or emotions are another component of singing.
Bhagavad-gita is the song of God, and
we learn of God’s emotions for us within it.
Who can be a better person than Arjuna, who
was a personal friend of Krishna?
Krishna is giving us a formula for becoming
immortal. First of all, we should not be disturbed by happiness and distress,
and secondly, we should link ourselves with Krishna by working for Him in yoga.
Spiritual life does not mean to produce some
gold by mystic power but to become immortal.
Our material life is compared to a fever, an
unnatural condition.
The sage Visvamitra, when he met King Dasaratha, asked him how his program to conquer over birth and death was going.
We cannot become eternal, full of bliss, and
full of knowledge independently of Krishna.
The soul does not give up the body, but the
body gives up the soul.
Kadamba Kanana Swami:
From a class on the Seventh Canto:
There are demoniac ways of thinking and desires
that we have to overcome.
No demon, no matter our proud, can stand up
to the Supreme Lord.
We are gifted by Krishna by different
abilities.
The mahajanas,
including Prahlada Maharaja, are perfect role models.
Our spiritual life is not a matter of
conquering lust and anger but being fully absorbed in Krishna’s service.
When we are feeling a lacking in our life,
that is Krishna we are lacking.
We must make a conscious effort to build up
our spiritual life by adding more spiritual elements to our lives. It starts as
duty, but very soon it becomes attachment.
Srila Prabhupada was the only one awake when
the old lady would bring the Yamuna water for the bathing of Radha-Damodara,
and he would let her into the temple each morning. Thus he appreciated her
steady service and said she would attain the spiritual world because of it.
One of the austerities of the mind is to be
satisfied when we have all that we require spiritually.
If we cannot learn through hearing, we have
to learn through suffering, and that is not fun, not fun at all.
Some people have never had any real
suffering, just perhaps feeling some lacking, but it will happen at the time of
death, and then they will be unprepared.
The beauty of the material world is hard to
ignore, but if we focus on the deity, and we chant Hare Krishna, worship
Krishna, and study and execute Krishna’s instructions, it is possible.
Invest. Invest. Invest now. Invest now in
your spiritual practice. The service will accumulate, and it will pay off.
In Parividha Prabhu’s slideshow he expressed
regret that although present during Srila Prabhupada’s time, he did not take
full advantage of Srila Prabhupada’s presence.
Embrace Prahlada Maharaja’s positive attitude
of being completely absorbed.
When we have trouble, it is only that we have
not done enough devotional service.
We think erroneously “if I was inspired I would
be more Krishna conscious,” but actually if we are more Krishna conscious, we
will be more inspired. We have to give ourselves in service, and Krishna will
give inspiration.
A kanistha
[neophyte] thinks if Krishna gives me ecstasy, I will surrender to Krishna,
but a madhyama [one in the middle
position] thinks if I surrender to Krishna, Krishna will give me the ecstasy.
I had shingles and could only sleep an hour a
night for a month. I tried to preach to myself, “You are Goswami. You should be
more renounced. This is good.” But I could see I am not yet on that level.
Our main focus is not to deal with the
Hiranyakasipu within us but to develop the absorption in Krishna of Prahlada.
If we do this, the result will beyond what we can imagine.
Wherever Krishna is present, there can be no maya.
We have a taste for demoniac activities, but
the result is suffering.
Material happiness is like this: I am having
a party. At my party, all your hidden desires will be fulfilled, everything you
always dreamed of will be there, but at the end, you will be shot. Will you be
coming? If you are a fool, you will be coming.
Devotional service is wonderful. Whatever you
do in devotional service brings you benediction after benediction.
We are all friends. Let us do wonderful
things with our friendship in devotional service.
By serving the master, we develop the
qualities of the master, and thus the qualities of Krishna manifest in His
devotees, and from His devotees to other devotees.
It is the devotee who can light the fire of
inspiration in our hearts.
The message of Bhagavad-gita is hard to understand, but when it is explained by a
devotee, it is understandable.
When I first read Bhagavad-gita As It Is, the message I got from reading purport
after purport was that these arguments are reasonable and we should accept them
if we are sincere, and if we accept them, we should surrender our life, and if
we are unwilling to surrender our life, then we are not sincere.
It takes the whole Bhagavad-gita to convince Arjuna to do his duty for Krishna.
In the Ramayana,
we find endless dharma impressed upon us.
Every Rama Navami I read the entire Ramayana.
In Ramayana
there is a pastime when some bees that are completely drunk are led home by
one bee, who did not get so intoxicated. Rama pointed it out, and Sita thought
it was a funny story. It shows how only one who is not intoxicated, the guru,
can actually lead others.
I joined the Hare Krishna movement in
Vrindavan and got the mercy of being in a place where Krishna is in the center.
To us who were serving in the dhama, it was clear that we should not
obscure the nature of the dhama by giving
into the false ego.
It is like we are stepping from the material
world to the spiritual world, but in the beginning all our weight is on the
material leg.
It is not a mystical thing. Being more
absorbed in spiritual activities, we find we have no time for material
activities.
It is not a long journey, rather we are
already there. It is just an adjustment of consciousness.
Everyone is meant to contribute in his own
individual way, to bring in spiritual elements.
Let us give to the community of the devotees.
The community of the devotees is our wealth.
Early on, I had a sense that Krishna liked
things done in a certain way and I burned out a few devotees, steamrolled them.
Now I understand that this is the community of devotees in which I have to
please Krishna. Disposable relationships are not part of Vaishnavism.
When we give something to the community of
devotees, we give so much life.
Haven’t we all sometime received some maha-prasadam and taken it to our room
and locked the door, and eaten it all?
In Jaipur, there is a little old woman who
gives little binoculars to the pilgrims so they can see the deities. What a
nice contribution! When I saw the deity close up, I saw He had a watch, because
in India, if you do not have a watch, you are nobody.
For eighty years there was a war between
Holland and Spain, William of Orange won the war for Holland, thus orange
symbolizes freedom for the Dutch.
I am a bit of a rebel, and I think that you
are somehow or other rebels, because rebels attracts rebels, and that you like
your own personal space. I am here to provide that personal space for you in
Lord Caitanya’s movement.
It is not my mission in life to be counted
among the sheep.
If we are individualistic, then we have to
take responsibility as individuals. Ultimately we want people to take
individual responsibility.
We can be carried our whole life, but at the
time of death, we have to face the final test alone. At the end, the ball is in
your court only and nowhere else, and it is what you do with it that counts.
Although we wish the best for everyone, we
win a few and we lose a few. Let us not become distracted by the petty little
things of this world, like sex desire. Will sex fulfill us? We are here because
we have some doubt. The world is oversexed. The world makes too much of it.
Whatever place it has in your life, do not give it too much energy. There are
more important things in life. Keep it in the boundaries. Being married to this
one or being married to that one is not so different. The personalities are
different, but the same scripts are there. The actors are different, but the
script is the same. The sex desire will not satisfy us, only developing our
relationship with Krishna will, so let us add Krishna to our other relationships.
My astrology is not good for a long life. But
the many prayers of so many Vaishnavas I think are a lot stronger.
After the disappearance of the spiritual
master, it is what we offer to him that is most important. Carry on in this
mission. Create space for people to preserve their individuality and at the
same time follow spiritual principles.
At Kings Day I am not just thinking about my own
enjoyment. I think of all these intoxicated people, who are trying to have fun
and not having fun, while we are having fun, and when they run into our kirtana and enjoy dancing in it, that is
my happiness.
The kings
imprisoned by Jarasandha:
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.70.26:
“Let us offer our obeisances unto the all-powerful Lord who
appears as time and suddenly cuts down one’s stubborn hope for a long life in
this world.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.70.28:
“O Lord, with this corpselike body, always full of fear, we bear
the burden of the relative happiness of kings, which is just like a dream. Thus
we have rejected the real happiness of the soul, which comes by rendering
selfless service to You. Being so very wretched, we simply suffer in this life
under the spell of Your illusory energy.”
Mallikaara Krishna Prabhu:
Hinduism is not recognized as an official
religion in Belgium although Buddhism is.
It is just a few years since Hare Krishna has
been removed from the list of dangerous sects.
In Belgium people speak both French and
Dutch, but of the thousands of people paying for the tour of Radhadesh each
year, 97% of the people take it in Dutch. The French speakers are still so
inclined to think of Hare Krishna as a sect.
Kadamba Kanana Swami’s Vyasa Puja
Guru Das Prabhu (the master of ceremonies):
Kadamba Kanana Swami once told me that we
should not try to squeeze the orange, to take as much as we can from the
spiritual master.
He is here to encourage us to engage our
talents in Krishna’s service. Whatever state we are in, there is hope.
While doing a three-day marathon in Scotland,
we met a policeman who was part of church that did healings. We explained to
him about Kadamba Kanana Swami’s condition, and a congregation of hundreds did
an evening mass for his healing.
Sacinandana Swami (by letter to Kadamba
Kanana Swami):
Of all the qualities, I admire in you, I want
to focus on your faith – that “you never give up.” Your faith in devotional
service conquers over all obstacles. It was as if you consider it is the body’s
duty was to give misery, and your duty is to serve Krishna despite it.
By your service attitude you have proved to
Srila Prabhupada, the devotees and the people in general your attachment to
Krishna’s service.
Devotee who I did not know and who went before
Sadbhuja Prabhu:
Just as every moment is a good time to chant
the holy name so every moment is a good time to glorify the guru.
Sadbhuja Prabhu:
You are a very special to have a relationship
with as a person. Your patience and your insights and your allowing me to be
close to you are inspiring.
Revati Devi Dasi:
How you are empowered proves that Krishna is
pleased with you.
Thank you for being my best friend in this
world.
You health crisis made me consider I should
take my spiritual life more seriously so you do not have to come back to this
material world.
Bahulasva Prabhu:
I saw because of your kindness you saw some
small interest in Krishna in me and thus I am still hanging around. It takes
time to realize that service to guru and Krishna is more relishable than any
material situation.
You are our true friend by praying that we
remain always engaged in devotional service.
Gopali Devi Dasi:
I like the story of Thakura Haridas and the
Laksmi-hira, the prostitute, who he delivered. It is amazing you are able to
deal with such a variety of disciples and to give them ways to advance
spiritually.
You told me I could pray to Lord Caitanya,
for He can do miracles.
May my heart beat only to satisfy my guru’s
desires.
Jaya Bhadra Devi Dasi (disciple of Srila
Prabhupada):
I like to come to Vyasa-puja because people
show where they really are.
You are unique, kind, funny, principled, and
dedicated to preaching Krishna consciousness.
You told us, “You have to leave people
satisfied.” It sounds just like a managerial tactic, but actually it is a great
challenge to do.
I feel grateful to you for your
encouragement.
Bhakta Nimai, his servant for eight months:
On the Kings Day bus last year, you invited
me to travel with you. You engaged me in serving Giriraja, and I am forever
grateful to you for that.
You saw me struggling with a mosquito net in
Calcutta. You helped me out, and joked, “Every German is not an engineer.”
In Madrid you led a fired-up harinama without a mike. You said that
therefore at the program later you could not chant more than 45 minutes, but
you went on for two hours.
Traveling with you has been the best
experience of my life.
Ananda Vrindavana Devi Dasi, disciple of Bhakti
Tirtha Swami:
I was feeling difficulty and you gave me
shelter, reaching out, like my Guru Maharaja.
I wish to live to please you as you live to
please your masters.
Thank you for you for giving me a life I can
share meaningfully with others.
Sudevi Dasi:
I had a dream of a Vyasa Puja with unlimited
time, unlimited space, and unlimited exchanges. It gave me hope that I can
overcome my limits by your grace. Thanks.
Tattvavati Devi Dasi:
My husband and I have become Vyasa Puja junkies.
I think we have been to fifteen.
Even when we thought you could not come, I
thought we could do it without you. Then I thought we could do two: one without
you, and later one with you.
Krishna-kripa das:
In glorification of Kadamba Kanana Swami’s
guru, I want to mention that Jayadvaita Swami received a Benjamin Franklin gold
medal award for his book, Vanity Karma, in
the religion category.
[I was surprised there was not much response when I said this, and Kadamba Kanana Swami explained he mentioned it in
his blog, and thus they all knew about it.]
There are many great souls in the Hare
Krishna movement who know the philosophy and can express it, but not all of
them have a practical effect on your life. Kadamba Kanana Swami is one who has.
I met him in Mayapur in 2008, where he taught
Bhakti Sastri and Bhaktivaihava. He invited me to Queens Day (now Kings Day),
and I came that year. Then he told me to come every year, and so I did.
He has invited me to do outreach in
Switzerland and in England, outside London, as all the swamis go to London. He
bought me a ticket to South Africa to witness the programs going on there. In
fact, on my fiftieth birthday, by his grace, I went on harinama in Pretoria, a new city, in a new country, and on a new
continent – a wonderful birthday present from him.
I wrote about both Queens Day and South
Africa for Back to Godhead.
He has wonderful qualities for a guru to
have. He is dedicated to the parampara,
our lineage of spiritual masters. He is fixed in his sadhana [spiritual practice].
When he chants the holy name in kirtana he fully absorbs himself and
inspires everyone by his intensity. I encounter friends in America, Europe, and
India, who love listening to his recorded kirtanas.
He is friendly, practical, and compassionate.
Some devotees did not have many practical living
skills, and because he is so expert, he is able help them practically engage
their lives in Krishna’s service in many ways.
One year he told disciples who cannot follow
their initiation vows, “Keep in touch, and let me know where you are honestly
at. I am committed to helping you come to a higher level.” Such beautiful
compassion!
[The applause of the disciples after I spoke
showed they liked my words of appreciation, and it made me happy. I was hoping
to inspire them in their relationship with their guru, an exalted soul.]
Sutapa Prabhu:
The guru hits the ball into your court, and
you have watch the ball very carefully, and then hit it back into his court.
The greatest gift is to have a relationship
with someone in your life who has more faith in you than you have in yourself.
Guru das is like my best friend, but I think
if I was his guru, I would kill him. I am amazed to see how you are
compassionate to take care of him.
I said, “I cannot relate to Gaura-lila.”
You gave me a dirty look and said, “You do
not know Gaura-tattva, and so you do not appreciate Gaura-lila. Stick with me
and I will give a taste for Gaura-lila and Sri
Caitanya-caritamrita.” Now I do feel more appreciation for Gaura-lila. I
have seen by our being with you we get so much spiritual wealth from our
relationship.
Parama Karuna Prabhu:
Smita Krishna Swami once said we come to
Krishna asking him to solve our problems, but we should be asking Krishna how
we can help Him to solve His problems.
In the course of your sickness, we all did
our services desiring your welfare, and we forgot our own self-interests. I am now
understanding this is how we should always do our services.
As a child has little to give but gratitude
and love, I feel the same, although I have so little of either.
Yudhisthira Prabhu:
You said you wanted your disciples to be
known as very nice people, and I am trying to take that to heart. I see many
people in Norway are attracted by the humble down-to-earth mood I learned from
you.
Manidhara Prabhu said of you that it is
wonderful how you brought back many devotees who were on their way out, thus
confirming to me your friendly approach.
Advaita Simha Prabhu:
It your mercy I am inspired to go on in my
spiritual life. You always give 108% in complete surrender.
You came to Germany to inspire us in our book
distribution, and we did much better than in the previous weeks.
Gauravani Devi Dasi:
I want to thank you for all you are doing for
us. I am still a big rascal, and you care for me so much.
I cannot do so much. I dress Radha-Gopinath
for you.
You are sometimes like a lion with me because
I am also rascal, but I see this is very good for me. I am happy you are kind
to me, and you are also heavy with me. It is Krishna’s kindness that you
correct me when I do something wrong.
When you came to Radhadesh, we got to serve
you so much. So many good times. So much screaming too, as I was not a very
competent servant.
Once you said, “When someone tells you three times,
Gauravani, that you have to be humble, that means you have to be
humble.”
Purusatraya Prabhu:
I feel I am at home in your presence. I know
Krishna exists.
Having a long life means to hear your hours
of lectures.
Your disciples are your decorations.
Prabhupada’s books can change one’s life 180
degrees.
You give your hand, and all I have to do is
to hold it.
Nama Rupa Devi Dasi:
You explained that we would remain outsiders
in Vrindavan except by the mercy of Sri Sri Gaura Nitai.
You have said there is a procession with Lord
Caitanya and Nityananda and their followers, chanting and dancing, with the
line of spiritual masters, and ourselves following along.
-----
Although hearing of Krishna ultimately
awakens love for God, even in the beginning stages of our practice, so much
relief from life’s miseries is there:
yasyam
vai sruyamanayam
krishne
parama-puruse
bhaktir
utpadyate pumsah
soka-moha-bhayapaha
“Simply by giving aural reception to
this Vedic literature [Srimad-Bhagavatam],
the feeling for loving devotional service to Lord Krishna, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, sprouts up at once to extinguish the fire of
lamentation, illusion and fearfulness.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam
1.7.7)
