Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 13, No. 14
By Krishna-kripa das
(July 2017, part two)
England and Berlin
(Sent from Boston on September 18, 2017)
By Krishna-kripa das
(July 2017, part two)
England and Berlin
(Sent from Boston on September 18, 2017)
Where
I Went and What I Did
The
second half of July I returned to England as I was approaching my
90-day limit in Europe, and I wanted to save some days for the Berlin
Ratha-yatra and the Polish Woodstock at the end of the month and
the beginning of the next.
I attended the Leicester Ratha-yatra and did harinama
in
Leicester the day before and for two days after. I also attended a
brahmacari
meeting
they had one day. Then I did harinama
and
attended a program in Sheffield with Dayananda Swami. Next I went to
Newcastle for harinama
and
their Wednesday night kirtana,
and
to Chester for harinama
and
their program the third Thursday of the month. Friday I chanted in
Liverpool with five devotees for three hours before going to Leeds to
do two more hours of harinama,
assisted by Ashish for the last hour, and then
the
Leeds Friday program. Saturday I took the Megabus to Oxford for the
first ever Oxford Ratha-yatra. I stayed with Pandava Prabhu, who
kindly drove me to Birmingham for their Ratha-yatra the following
day. The next day I took the Megabus back north to do harinama
with
Govardhan and Nitaichand Prabhus in York that day and in Scarborough
the next. Then the three of us drove to Preston and did harinama
in
Preston and Blackpool the next day and the following day in Preston,
in Blackburn, and in Barley, on the path to the Quaker pilgrimage
site called Pendle Hill. That night we attended the program the last
Thursday of the month in Accrington. The next day I took two trains
and a bus from Blackpool to London, where I did harinama
with
Gopinatha Prabhu of Mayapur and Gopal of Vrindavan, as well as my old
harinama
partner,
Ananta Nitai Prabhu. The next day I flew to Berlin for the Berlin
Ratha-yatra, and I did harinama
with
Harinama Ruci the following day at a park in Berlin and the day after
that at Alexanderplatz. That evening I ended a very busy month by
going to Kostrzyn, the site of the Polish Woodstock.
I
share quotes from one of Srila Prabhupada’s books and notes on two
of his lectures, one with comments by senior devotees. I share two
verses from Raghunatha Dasa Goswami’s Manah-siksa.
I
share excerpts from Japa
Transformations and
the soon-to-be-published Looking
Back, Volume
2, by Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, as well as several of his poems. I
share notes on the lecture by Sacinandana Swami at the Berlin
Ratha-yatra stage show and notes on the class by Haladhara Swami
before the Leicester Ratha-yatra. I share wisdom about brahmacari
life
from Bhakti Rasamrita Swami, Dayananda Swami, Bhakti Prabhava Swami,
Sutapa Prabhu, Baladeva Charan Prabhu, and myself. I share an excerpt
from an article by Nagaraja Prabhu in Back
to Godhead. I
also include a comment by Sundara Jagannatha Prabhu.
I
would like to thank Karsna Prabhu of Chester, Pandava Prabhu of
Oxford, Ashish of York, the Newcastle temple, Diane of Nottingham,
Locan Das Thakura Prabhu of Brighton, Vishnu Jana Prabhu of Harinama
Ruci, the Indian lady we met on harinama
in
Blackpool, Dennis
of York, and Dayananda Swami for their kind donations. Thanks to
Govardhan Dasi for giving me our harinama
collections
in York, Scarborough, Preston, Blackpool, and Blackburn. Thanks to
Aharada Devi Dasi for the photos of our Liverpool harinama. Thanks to Jude of Liverpool for her photos of Pendle Hill and Accrington. Thanks
to Harinama Ruci for the photos of the harinama
in
the park in Berlin.
Itinerary
September
5–January: New York City (except Sept. 20?–23: Philadelphia)
including
September 30: Lecture at 26 Second Ave
January–April,
2018: North Florida
April
13–18, 2018: Ireland
Leicester
Ratha-yatra
Devotees
say outside India, Leicester in England has the most elaborate
ceremony when the deities of Jagannatha, Baladeva, and Subhadra board
Their Ratha-yatra cart. Here are some clips from the ceremony and the
beginning of the Leicester Ratha-yatra
(https://youtu.be/VijFSCDLTbI):
As
with some Ratha-yatras, in Leicester they had a cart for the kids.
It
was nice to see the policemen on good terms with the devotees.
A
variety of devotees led the chanting of Hare Krishna at the Leicester
Ratha-yatra, the most popular in England in terms of devotee
attendance, other than the one in London
(https://youtu.be/3qzGSI9KEYg):
Chanting
Hare Krishna in Leicester
Leicester
harinama leader, Bali Mardan Prabhu, playing the drum, with his
partner, playing the karatalas,
are often joined by a violin playing street musician, when they pass
him during their Saturday late night harinama
in Leicester (https://youtu.be/DXSpdJHp118):
Attendees
at a one-day brahmacari
gathering in Leicester, along with local devotees, chanted Hare
Krishna through the streets and through one market in Leicester
(https://youtu.be/V5MuuYYfQfY):
Dayananda
Swami chanted Hare Krishna in such a lively manner he got almost
everyone dancing during a brahmacari
gathering in the Leceister temple room
(https://youtu.be/O2pfWzqL6no):
Chanting
Hare Krishna in Sheffield
Dayananda
Swami chanted with local devotees, Joe Kenny and Madhavi Rani Devi
Dasi, in Sheffield. A busker friend of Joe’s played karatalas
at one point. Many people appreciated, including one guy with a beer
can, who listened for quite awhile and found it difficult to leave.
Many took invitations for the upcoming Hare Krishna festival on
August 3 there (https://youtu.be/jlboV7TSXCk):
Afterwards
we had a program at the downtown flat of an Indian girl who studies
at the university and two of her friends also joined us. Dayananda
Swami spoke and chanted Hare Krishna (https://youtu.be/KZJoE9tMi4E):
Chanting
Hare Krishna in Newcastle
Prema
Sankirtana and Radhe Shyam Prabhus along with Julian, a university
student from Bulgaria, joined me in chanting Hare Krishna on
Northumberland Street in Newcastle. People took photos, moved to the
music, gave donations and accepted Srila Prabhupada’s books
(https://youtu.be/OGVc_IRfEEE):
After
chanting on Northumberland Street, we returned to the Newcastle
temple for the Wednesday night kirtan. Caitanya Vallabha Prabhu,
visiting the Newcastle temple in the course of his book distribution
service, ended up leading the first Hare Krishna chant at our
Wednesday Kirtan Night, singing a lively tune that his guru,
Indradyumna Swami, often sings (https://youtu.be/Zv1Ofs7os7I):
Prema
Sankirtana Prabhu took this video of me leading my Newcastle friends
in the chanting of my favorite Hare Krishna tune at the Wednesday
Kirtan Night in Newcastle (https://youtu.be/bXat8sG8kRU):
Students
at Newcastle University attending the Sankirtana Society develop a
taste for chanting Hare Krishna, and
they attend
the Newcastle temple Wednesday night kirtan, and ultimately
participate by leading the kirtans
(https://www.youtube.com/embed/rUOiKUZhwe4):
Madhuri
Dasi of Malaysia, perhaps so-named because of her sweet voice, chants
Hare Krishna at the Newcastle Wednesday Kirtan Night, getting the
devotees dancing (https://youtu.be/vcXqkug08Is):
Liverpool
Harinama
Although
I did harinama
in
Chester, Liverpool, and Leeds, I only had enough devotees to take
photos in Liverpool.
There
someone had painted portraits of the Beatles on the wall of a
building, and we decided to chant there.
The devotee in the center brought his bass guitar, so it was extra special.
It
was great to have a good-sized group of devotees to chant with that
day! Thanks to Karsna and Aharada Prabhus for arranging that!
Oxford
Ratha-yatra
Govinda
Prabhu of Scotland, who I know from the Polish festival tour, led the
chanting of Hare Krishna before the First Annual Oxford Ratha-yatra,
and a few passersby danced (https://youtu.be/a1KeVGYM4Ck):
Hare
Krishna devotees chanted at the Oxford Ratha-yatra on a rainy July
day, and onlookers delighted
in dancing with them (https://youtu.be/dTRg8RZZVWQ):
Hanuman
participated and snacked on a banana midway.
Govinda
Prabhu led the chanting of Hare Krishna after the Oxford Ratha-yatra,
and Erzebet danced with a couple young ladies
(https://youtu.be/xKbw5my8U-w):
Gopinatha
Prabhu led the chanting of Hare Krishna after the Oxford Ratha-yatra,
and Erzebet danced with a group of young ladies
(https://youtu.be/al23Pj49FOQ):
Gopinatha
Prabhu led the chanting of Hare Krishna after the Oxford Ratha-yatra,
and Erzebet danced with a group of kids
(https://youtu.be/zVGYBMTLaJ8):
Birmingham
Ratha-yatra
It
was my first time at the Birmingham Ratha-yatra as I was usually in
Eastern Europe when it was held. It is near a central location, New
Street Station, but it is very short.
I
remember three striking thing about the Birmingham Ratha-yatra.
I
saw one young lady with a beautiful smile, transfixed in meditation
on the Lord on His chariot and the devotees chanting. She had never
encountered Ratha-yatra or Hare Krishna before. I invited her to the
festival, but she had a train very soon to her home in Plymouth. I
told her we had the festival also in Plymouth, and she could learn of
it at www.rathayatra.co.uk.
One
young guy looked at me and said, “I remember you from Union
Square.” Amazingly enough, he then proceeded to show me on his
phone a photo of me and another devotee at Union Square.
One
Muslim lady was so enchanted by the devotees and their chanting and
dancing she must have taken ten minutes of video of the Ratha-yatra
procession. You can see her in the video below:
Hare
Krishna devotees chant Hare Krishna at the Birmingham Ratha-yatra
(https://youtu.be/sXMZ67FfpAY):
After Ratha-yatra there was a stage show.
Tribhangananda Prabhu leads the chanting of Hare Krishna after the Birmingham Ratha-yatra procession and before and during the stage show (https://youtu.be/x5fAEhUi_rw):
Parasurama
Prabhu leads the chanting of Hare Krishna after Birmingham
Ratha-yatra procession and during the stage show
(https://youtu.be/yVK1AQT-I10):
Chanting
Hare Krishna in Lancashire
Once
again I chanted with Govardhan Dasi and her husband, Nitaicand
Prabhu, in several places in Lancashire County in the northwest of
England for a couple of days. We
chanted in Preston twice, and in Blackpool, Blackburn, and Barley,
which is at the foot of Pendle Hill. We had too few people for me to
take video in Preston, but I have some video of the other places.
Here
Govardhan Dasi chants Hare Krishna in Blackpool, joined by her
husband, Nitaichand Prabhu, along with Gaura Shakti Prabhu of
Lancaster, Gadai Prabhu and his wife and son, and Damodara Nimai
Prabhu and Barbara of Blackpool, (https://youtu.be/1LOfhTAX_UU):
Last
year during our monthly program in Accrington, after I mentioned my
Quaker background in the course of my lecture, Tony told me he and
another devotee had visited Pendle Hill, a Quaker pilgrimage place,
in the last couple of weeks, and that it was very nearby. Thus I
developed a desire to go.
Here
Jude
of Liverpool leads the chanting of Hare Krishna, and Govardhan Dasi
plays the drum at Pendle Hill in rural Lancashire, where Quaker
founder George Fox once had a spiritual vision
(https://youtu.be/nhBe9sxY-nQ):
After the three harinamas in Lancashire County that day we all attended Rasesvari Dasi’s program at her home in Accrington.
Chanting Hare Krishna in London
Gopinatha
Prabhu leads the chanting Hare Krishna in London, playing accordion,
and accompanied on mrdanga
by Gopal Prabhu, who previously played for Aindra Prabhu. Adi-Guru
Prabhu
plays
the
karatalas
(https://youtu.be/lDRlJlPYTEs):
Berlin
Ratha-yatra and Harinamas
At
the bus stop on the way to London’s Stansted Airport, I met a girl
who was flying to Dublin. I told her I was flying to Berlin, and that
one thing that Dublin and Berlin have in common is they both have a
Hare Krishna festival that very day. She studies in Dublin and was returning
for a weekend during her summer break. She had heard of Govinda’s
restaurant there, and I told her its address, and also where and when
the Ratha-yatra festival was to begin. She was open to going to both,
and I gave her my card and asked her to tell me how she liked them.
The
tourist office lady at Berlin’s
Schönefeld
airport
recognized
I was a Hare Krishna from my dress and told me a friend from her
native Italy is a Hare Krishna devotee and had a Hare Krishna
marriage ceremony. I told her of our Ratha-yatra festival in
Brandenberger Tor that
day,
and she said she would come after work.
Dharmaraja
Prabhu of Mexico, traveling with Harinama Ruci, was the first chanter
of Hare Krishna at the Berlin Ratha-yatra
(https://youtu.be/_9vyYLBVntA):
Then
Indradyumna
Swami chanted Hare Krishna at the Berlin Ratha-yatra
(https://youtu.be/de-Ya36Td-Q):
For
the second consecutive year, Vaiyasaki Prabhu attended and led the
chanting of Hare Krishna at the Berlin Ratha-yatra
(https://youtu.be/wWeXYriMZ7o):
Sacinandana
Swami was the final chanter of Hare Krishna at the Berlin Ratha-yatra
(https://youtu.be/OLzAthFM_gU):
We
had a stage show after the Ratha-yatra.
Here
Vaiyasaki
Prabhu chants Hare Krishna during the Berlin Ratha-yatra stage show
(https://youtu.be/xQqX5Tk79ew):
After
the Berlin Ratha-yatra procession and during the stage show, Harinama
Ruci chanted Hare Krishna through the streets of Berlin, and many
people appreciated (https://youtu.be/03YW8iDLNdg):
Sacinandana
Swami chanted several lively Hare Krishna tunes at the end of the
Berlin Ratha-yatra stage show and both devotees and newcomers danced
with joy (https://youtu.be/pBtTBixyYHg):
I
chanted Hare
Krishna with Harinama Ruci in Mauerpark in Berlin the day after the
Ratha-yatra.
Different
musicians played along with us.
We
had a nice group of devotee ladies dancing with us.
Once we chanted in front of the German Language School, where some students joined in the singing and dancing (https://youtu.be/Ed9XEAGTLfk):
After
harinama
we
chanted
Hare Krishna with Madhava Prabhu, who
was leading, and Sacinandana Swami, who was among the responders, in
the ISKCON Berlin Jagannatha temple, thus
ending a very ecstatic day
(https://youtu.be/Kn1xg283cMA):
The
next day we chanted
Hare Krishna with Harinama Ruci at Alexanderplatz in Berlin
(https://youtu.be/Z7iE10LopWw):
To see photos taken but not included in this journal, click on the link below:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ssQtGjHeZzmdBKjr2
Insights
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ssQtGjHeZzmdBKjr2
Insights
Srila
Prabhupada:
From
Sri
Isopanisad 14,
purport:
“Material
scientists and politicians are trying to make this place deathless
because they have no information of the deathless spiritual nature.
This is due to their ignorance of the Vedic literature, which
contains full knowledge confirmed by mature transcendental
experience. Unfortunately, modern man is averse to receiving
knowledge from the Vedas, Puranas and other scriptures.”
“Many men are advertised as great scholars of the Bhagavad-gita, but they overlook the Gita’s message, by which material nature can be pacified. Powerful nature can be pacified only by the awakening of God consciousness, as clearly pointed out in the Bhagavad-gita (7.14).”
From
a lecture in New Vrindaban on June 25, 1976:
“But if we take krishna-prasadam, although apparently we are greedy for eating, by taking krishna-prasadam our greediness is neutralized.”
From
a lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam
we
played for the morning class in Leicester:
Even
the great consort of Rama, Sita Devi, the goddess of fortune, was
kidnapped by Ravana when left unprotected briefly by Rama and
Laksman. Thus she demonstrates the Vedic principle that women should
be always protected by a competent man or they may be exploited at
any time by some aggressor.
Another
lesson to be learned from Lord Ramacandra’s pastimes is that if a
man becomes attracted to a woman it makes his life very complicated.
Still
another
lesson to be learned is that Sita Devi, although a princess and not
accustomed to a simple life in the forest, went with Lord Rama when
he was banished to the forest in order to stay with her husband as
a chaste wife.
Because
women are not taken care of properly, I have practically seen that
there is no home and no peace in the western countries.
Peacefulness
is necessary to make spiritual progress.
Comments
by Bhakti Prabhava Swami:
I
did a study for my masters on the role of women in ISKCON.
In
India, the lady is the boss within the family, and the man is the
boss in relation to the outside world.
I
found that in Leicester some of the devotee ladies were coming to
realize that if they were more protected their lives would be better
while women in Mayapur were more inclined to aspire for freedom and
equality.
Gaurakisora
dasa Babaji Maharaja told one follower who was happy to attain a
Vaishnavi wife to remember that his wife is Krishna dasi, Krishna’s
servant, and not his servant.
Varnasrama
brings one to goodness.
Even
in Vedic times, not everyone would fit into the varnasrama
system.
There would always be those lower than sudras.
Comment
by Dayananda Swami:
Often
women are very expert in expanding facility for material enjoyment,
but they are not always aware of the ramifications of doing that.
Srila
Raghunatha das Gosvami:
From
Sri
Stavavali,
Volume One, “Shri Manah-shiksha – Instructions to the Mind”
Text
1:
“O
mind, I grasp your feet and beg you with sweet words: Please throw
away all your pride and develop intense, extraordinary love for my
spiritual master, Vrajabhumi, the people of Vraja, the Vaishnavas,
the brahmanas, the Gayatri mantra, the holy name, and the transcendental shelter that is the youthful couple of Vraja.”
Text
11:
“Mind,
in order to attain the direct service of the lovers Sri Sri
Radha-Giridhari, who are
surrounded by Their friends, every day you must drink, with Sri Rupa
Gosvami, the five nectars of worshiping Them, chanting Their names,
meditating on Them, hearing about Them, and bowing down before Them,
and every day you must worship Govardhana Hill.”
Satsvarupa
Dasa Goswami:
From
Japa
Transformations:
“I like chanting the maha-mantra. I’m familiar enough with the words ‘Hare,’ ‘Krishna,’ and ‘Rama.’ They please me as they pass through my mind and lips. I’ve been doing it so long it’s become a love and a deep attachment. I could never switch to another kind of prayer of another religion, or even another mantra in the Vedic religion. This is it for me. I began in 1966, and I’ll continue it until the end. Prabhupada was so expert as to cement it to my being, and the mantra itself has the potency that once you chant it, you never want to stop. I’m like Gopa-kumara, who, no matter where he went, chanted his Gopal mantra because it brought him more satisfaction than anything else, even when he was in the heavenly planets or Vaikuntha. He was always restless unless he was chanting his diksa mantra. The Hare Krishna mantra stays with you so that you chant it even in the dentist’s office or in the car after you’ve chanted your minimum prescribed rounds.”
“I remember in 1966 I once walked out of a kirtana engagement we devotees held at a public hall. I wasn’t yet committed to being a devotee, to restricting my association solely to devotees. I walked out of the building and wandered into the streets of the Lower East Side, observing the lights and the people. But then I felt a strong sense of estrangement from everything in the streets and a pull to go back and join my new devotee friends. I walked back to the hall and met them just as they were leaving. They joked with me about my walking out, but welcomed me back to their group. That was maybe the last time I did anything like that. From then on, I always stayed exclusively within the ISKCON group.
“You want to be on the side of good and free of maya. Some taints remain until you are perfectly pure. By hearing and chanting, which are pious acts, Krishna in the heart works to cleanse out the remaining dirt. Prabhupada once said, ‘When you are seventy-five percent pure, you can go back to Godhead.’ He said that immediately after saying you had to be a hundred percent pure. Krishna decides.”
“Today
my mind has not been wandering but has been staying fixed on the
utterance of the Names, so I’ve come to expect this. It’s a gain
from my previous years’ chanting. My chanting of eight rounds was
below seven minutes a round. Aside from hearing the sounds of the
syllables, my mind did not sink into a Radha-Krishna meditation. But
I am calling out just by basic faith in the japa operation. As when I speak to Krishna in my afternoon free write, I have confidence in Krishna’s being open to me when I chant japa. My fixation on accumulating mantras is not the highest stage, but it is important work. For now, it is the heart of my practice. I pay attention and quickly add one mantra to the next. I try to do something besides counting. This morning I thought of the vintage Lough Derg diary I’m reading, and I was eager to read some more. I also anticipated my journal writing and prayed to be able to do some today. Aside from this, I could not think of Krishna aside from the counting. After all, Prabhupada did advise, ‘Just hear.’ The Names are absolute. You benefit just by touching Them with your tongue. When you put your hand in fire, you’ll be burnt. When you say the Hare Krishna mantras, you become Krishna-ized.”
“I
chanted my rounds with enunciation, calmly turning them over and
over. A feeling of warmth grew within my heart, and I felt neither
guilty nor rushed.
“It
was a day to dedicate to the maha-mantra, a special treat, not a day of punishment or regret. I took my time as the hours went by, absorbed in the holy names just like a dedicated chanter from the times of Lord Caitanya. They had nothing to do but chant, and they felt they were totally engaged. “They gave their minds and hearts to the mantras and spent the day in trance. Why can’t you do that?”
“Chanting japa is my solemn duty. Even if you get up late, you have to chant your japa, gradually catching up with the quota. Don’t be sloppy because it’s late. Slow down and be patient and execute the yajña with a sane mind. Repeat the syllables patiently. Try to think of Radha and Krishna. Don’t worry, they will get done, they will get done. It’s a simple thing. Anyone can do it. We should not push it to a corner of the mind and dwell on other things because of its simplicity. Give the mind’s full attention to this simplicity. It’s a prayer to which you can give your whole heart. Call out to Krishna, the Supreme Lord, by saying His name. Call out to Radha, our eternal benefactor, by calling Her name. They can help you. Be sure of that. Use your time for this, and other things can get done at another time. Let it be a day of catching up. But I can chant with leisure and steadfastness. It is not a day to rush. Neither is it a day to be remorseful, but just take it in stride that you have to give your time to the chanting and not to other things. The mantras are a gift and should be handled gratefully. It is no different from another day, except you have more time to dedicate, more time to build the quota, more time to do it nicely. Less time for other things, but that’s all right, because you’re doing the primary thing, and so your day is not wasted, not in the least.”
“Writing
to Krishna. Running to You with my eyes closed. Praying to You with
the maha-mantra. Not knowing what to do for You. The best thing is to give people Krishna consciousness. That is better than food or medicine or weapons or ‘education.’ Give them direct Krishna consciousness. There are tactics for that. They used to do it largely by dressing as civilians and approaching people to sell them Prabhupada’s books. Dressing as devotees and going in the streets to sing the Hare Krishna mantra. Lectures in the colleges. Giving out prasadam to materially needy people. Festivals on Sunday at the temple, or Ratha-yatras in the streets and parks. Setting the example by running a self-sufficient farm, growing crops and protecting cows (never really done self-sufficiently). Bringing people to the holy dhamas of India. Holding lectures, kirtanas and feasts in your home and inviting neighbors and friends. Publishing books and Back to Godhead magazine. Selling CDs, videos on the Internet; running a webpage on the Internet. Building temples. And many more tactics performed by enthusiastic preachers.”
From
“Japa
Poem”:
“I
say the best thing is to give people Krishna consciousness.
I
mention
some
of the
tactics
and methods for doing it.
‘Whoever
you
meet,
tell them
about
Krishna.’
Selling
books
distributing
prasadam
Krishna
conscious festivals
‘and
many more tactics performed
by
enthusiastic preachers.’
All
are pleasing to guru and Krishna.
Pick
one.”
From
“Backatcha Allen Ginsberg” in Gentle
Power:
“They
say Krishna consciousness is
a
tacked-on canon I use to
resolve
a poem that really should stay in the
sensual,
compassionate poet’s realm.
No,
it’s the center of all people and poets
and
government control. It’s the difference between
untruth
and reality, love and oppression. It’s
understanding,
both sides of the dual
wrongs
and partial rights of this world –
seeing
everything in Krishna. Do you think
He’s
a Hindu god, you
fine
poets? As if you,
Yevtuschenko,
are yourself the forger
of
the human soul.”
From
“When you chant . . .” in
Cc.
Asraya:
“When
you chant, pay attention
and
hear the holy name. Be
stricter,
but also easier
on
yourself. By that I mean,
don’t be rigid in your conceptions
of
how to surrender.
‘The
bird doesn’t sing
because
he has the answer
but
because he has the song.’
(Chinese
proverb)
Sing
the song of God.
Sing
your realization.
Sing
your ecstatic tune in kirtana.
Hare
Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna
Krishna, Hare Hare.
Hare
Rama Hare Rama
Rama
Rama, Hare Hare –
it’s
singing, isn’t it?
Sing
when you write.
Sing
the song you are meant to sing.”
From
“Poem to Radha-Govinda”:
“Radha-Govinda,
I love Your presence
in
my bhajana-kutir.
You and
Prabhupada,
Lord Caitanya and
Laksmi-Nrsimhadeva
transform
an
ordinary room into a mandira.
The
plants and flowers enhance
Your
beauty.
Sometimes
I complain that
I
cannot clearly see You
for
long enough, but
a
pure paramahamsa
is
satisfied with a slight glance
at
Your lotus feet in darsana.
‘Don’t
strive to see Radha-Krishna,
but
act in a way
that
They can see you.’
I
am grateful Radha-Govinda
reside
with me in Viraha Bhavan.”
From
Looking
Back, Volume
Two:
“Extroverts
charge their batteries by mixing with other people, and introverts
get charged up by solitary time.”
“Junior
Haridas was punished by the Lord to never see Him again. He took
this news so heavily that he drowned himself, but he continued in an
invisible form, and he used to sing to Lord Caitanya when the Lord
went to the ocean to bathe. Eventually he was liberated and joined
the Lord in the eternal spiritual world. It is never wrong to read,
even if you are crippled and wounded and half asleep. This was Lord
Caitanya’s mercy upon Junior Haridas, to free him of his last
attachments in the material world. It was their lila.”
“He
said, ‘I get no taste from chanting.’ Joe said back, ‘Maybe
Krishna is getting a taste from your chanting. You are supposed to
be chanting for Him.’”
“There
are many similarities to the Twelve Step Program for Alcoholics
Anonymous and Krishna consciousness. In the Twelve Step Program the
person has to first admit that he is helpless to change himself, and
he surrenders to his Higher Power. When one realizes that Power is
Krishna, then he begins to practice Krishna consciousness. We have
to follow Him and His representatives, and we can become free from
the shackles of our bad habits. The Twelve Step Program has been
applied to alcoholics, those who are too addicted to sex, those who
are overweight, and many other undesirable addictions and habits.”
Sacinandana
Swami:
The
Berlin Jagannatha is special because He is made from the same wood as
the Puri Jagannatha.
Spiritual
knowledge makes the soul rise.
Devotional
qualities, like forgiveness, are the guardians of the soul.
Dharma
is the guide of the soul.
At
the beginning of the Ratha-yatra day, Lord Jagannatha is practically
drunken with love for the residents of Vrindavana, and so the
dayitas,
despite
their great strength, find it very difficult to move Him in a steady
way, and He moves from side to side in an irregular way.
Although
Ratha-yatra has the public dimension of sharing the holy name, we
should always remember it also has a personal, internal dimension of
pulling Lord Jagannatha with our love.
Haladhara
Swami:
Srila
Prabhupada used say that Jagannatha is very merciful to the fallen
souls. There is outside the temple near the simha-dvara,
the
Lion Gate, a deity of Jagannatha called Patita-pavana, who gives
audience to everyone. Also if one sees the flag on top of the
Jagannatha temple, it is the same as personally seeing Lord
Jagannatha.
Before
the Ratha-yatra, Lord Caitanya would prepare. He would invite many
associates.
Lord
Caitanya would look at Jagannatha as the gopis
would
see Krishna,
desiring
many unblinking eyes to fully appreciate His beauty.
People
did not understand why Lord Jagannatha stopped His cart, but He
wanted to see the dancing Lord Caitanya in the mood of the gopis.
Mahaprabhu
appeared dancing in seven groups, but each devotee thought, ‘the Lord
is dancing in our group.’
The
gopis
dislike
Krishna’s appearance as a king with soldiers, horses, and
elephants. They question Krishna, “How is it that you forgot
Vrindavana, Govardhan Hill, and the Yamuna River?” Krishna replies,
“The residents of Vrindavana are My life, and you gopis
are
the life of My life.”
Even
in India we were mlecchas
because the although born surrounded by the Vedic culture, we were
not following it. Srila Prabhupada inspired us. Still we are not
following, but we are trying to follow.
Lord
Jagannatha is the savior of the fallen, but our problem is that we do
not think we are fallen.
Gaura
Govinda Swami said, “Mercy is hanging over your head. You are not
ready to carry it.”
One
Hindu widow, a devotee of Lord Jagannatha, because of being touched
by a Muslim man, ended up marrying him because she was rejected by
her Hindu community. They had a son, Salavada, who she taught to
always pray to Lord Jagannatha. She died not long after. His father
tried force his son to follow Muslim principles, but he became sick. When he
prayed to Lord Jagannatha, he became healthy. Then again his father
would force him to follow the Muslim principles, but he again became
sick. The doctors could not find anything wrong with him. His father
gave him independence to do as he liked, and he worshiped Lord
Jagannatha and became cured as before. The Puri pandas
wanted to beat him, considering him a Muslim, so he asked
Jagannatha if he could take shelter of Vrindavan, and which he did. The day before the
Puri Ratha-yatra, the Lord requested him to come there for the
festival, but he said there was no time. The Lord continued
appealing, saying the festival would not be complete without him, and
he said, “OK, I will come. But you must wait there on your cart for
me.” For many days, the cart could not be moved, until Salavada
appeared. He said to the Lord, “Now I am here.
You
can start your procession.” Immediately the cart moved, and the
pandas
came
to realize how dear the pure devotee, Salavada, was to the Lord.
Salavada wrote much poetry, ending each poem declaring himself fallen
and asking Jagannatha for mercy. One poem is still recited every
morning in Puri.
If
we think ourselves fallen, we will get Jagannatha’s mercy. We are
suffering so much, but we do not pray for mercy.
Bhakti
Rasamrita Swami:
Literally
brahmacari
means
one who lives in relationship with spiritual truth. Brahma
means
spiritual truth. Acara
means
behavior, and acari
means
one who behaves.
Krishna,
when discussing knowledge in chapter 13, does not mention university
degrees but spiritual qualities.
Tolerance
is very important to brahmacari
life,
especially for living in an ashram. It is a necessity for survival as
a brahmacari.
A
brahmacari
should
not get angry, “Why did he say that to me?” That is not living
in relationship with spiritual truth.
A
brahmacari
should
regularly study Srila Prabhupada’s books.
Some
of the divine qualities are cultivated in specific ashrams, but
simplicity is important for all ashrams.
Avoid
accumulating possessions.
We
do not talk unnecessarily.
A
brahmacari
has
no private life.
Wearing
saffron helps us to act properly. One will think twice about doing
something not appropriate for a spiritual aspirant.
Dayananda
Swami:
Lord
Caitanya said that renunciation is sustaining principle in the life
of His devotees.
In
brahmacari
life
we learn this renunciation.
The
brahmacari
is
the servant of the other ashrams, and the brahmacari
is
dependent on the other ashrams.
We
are only renunciates because of the support of the other ashrams, and
remembering this can keep us from becoming proud.
If
we do not tolerate,
we are in material consciousness. If we consider that Krishna is
giving us what we need for our advancement then we can be tolerant in
any situation.
We
can consider which is better, to tolerate in the association of the
materialists or to tolerate in the association of the devotees.
If
we can understand the great opportunity we have as brahmacaris,
we can be grateful, and that will help us remain steady.
When
we get involved with material fear, we do things that are destructive
to ourselves and to others.
By
devotional service our hearts soften, and we can think broadmindedly
even in extreme situations. Such is the case of Draupadi, who thought
of Asvattama’s benefit, although he had heinously killed her sons
in their sleep.
A
person is in an elevated position due to Krishna’s grace, and he
can stay in such a position
only by Krishna’s grace, therefore, it is best to show proper
respect to such people, even if we do not agree with everything they
say or do.
If
everyone takes the law into his
own hands, then even if he
is
right, it would make for a chaotic society.
Even
in giving class we are dependent on the devotees. If there is no one
there to listen, there is no scope for giving class.
Christianity
did not spread in a big way until there was an institution. It was
just isolated
groups of practitioners here and there.
Q
(by Guru Das): What are the evils of institutions?
A:
Sometimes leaders do not act always according to the spirit of the
institution. Sometimes people within the institution are not heard.
Comment
by Bhakti Prabhava Swami:
I
went to visit Hamsagati Krishna Das in the hospital the day of the
50th
anniversary of the incorporation of ISKCON last year. We were
thinking he would leave his body in a few hours. The next day I
brought him the garland Srila Prabhupada wore on that special day. He
was feeling better, and they put him on a seat, and I offered him the
garland. He could barely speak, and he indicated I should come close
to hear him. He said, “I had a dream last night of Srila Prabhupada
offering me his garland.”
Bhakti
Prabhava Swami:
Adopting
saffron cloth means accepting the mentality of the brahmacari.
The
brahmacari
lives only to serve the spiritual master.
As
a brahmacari,
one
does not have to become something, but to act as we actually are, eternal servants of Krishna.
You
go to the morning program, you do your service, and where you are
does not really matter.
Whatever
it takes, the brahmacari
acts
for the pleasure of the spiritual master.
Faith
in the scripture is very important, and through study that faith can
be attained.
The
relationship between the brahmacari
and
the spiritual master is one of love.
Nagaraja
Prabhu:
From
“Relish the Bhagavatam”
in Back
to Godhead, Vol.
51, No. 6:
“And just as some fruits ripen better when a bird breaks the skin with its beak, causing oxidation, the Bhagavatam became even sweeter when spoken through the lips of the aptly named Sukadeva (suka meaning ‘parrot’).”
“And just as some fruits ripen better when a bird breaks the skin with its beak, causing oxidation, the Bhagavatam became even sweeter when spoken through the lips of the aptly named Sukadeva (suka meaning ‘parrot’).”
Krishna-kripa
Das:
Srila
Prabhupada wanted to establish varnasrama.
One
way we can help is to choose an ashram and act according its rules
the best we can.
A
brahmacari
is
very attached to his guru.
Working
under direction of authority is important in brahmacari
life.
Although it looks like I am an independent guy, just going to all the
festivals, in
every place, I am working under the direction of a senior devotee.
Making
friendship with brahmacaris
is
important. Some people feel an emptiness and search out male-female
relationships unnecessarily because of a lack of brahmacari
friendships.
Full
engagement is important for a brahmacari.
No
time for maya.
“The
brahmacaris,
or students under the care of a bona fide spiritual master, control
the mind by abstaining from sense gratification. A brahmacari
hears only words concerning Krishna consciousness; hearing is the
basic principle for understanding, and therefore the pure brahmacari
engages fully in harer namanukirtanam
– chanting and hearing the glories of the Lord. He restrains
himself from the vibrations of material sounds, and his hearing is
engaged in the transcendental sound vibration of Hare Krishna, Hare
Krishna.” (Bhagavad-gita
4.26, purport).
Don’t
associate with women. No one mentioned that. You may have to
associate with them in the course of service, but do not be alone
with a woman in a secluded place. If you find yourself in that
situation, pray to Krishna for protection.
Bhakti
Rasamrita Swami said how the brahmacari
has
no possessions. That reminds me of how Lord Caitanya had one servant,
Govinda, who stashed food for Lord Caitanya’s meal the next day.
When Lord Caitanya saw how quickly he prepared the meal, He
inquired about it. When He learned His servant had stashed food for
the next day, Lord Caitanya said that that behavior was not befitting
a brahmacari,
and
He told him to get married.
Someone
spoke of how the brahmacari
has
no problems. Just today, I heard a brahmacari
lamenting
that he could not find his kaupins
[underwear].
Most
people in Leicester have serious challenges, but this young
brahmacari’s
only
problem is he could not find his kaupins.
Sutapa
Prabhu:
Pray
that the new brahmacari,
Baladeva
Charan, may fully engage in Srila Prabhupada’s service, become
inspired, and share his inspiration with others.
Baladeva
Charan Prabhu:
Kadamba
Kanana Swami said that formerly brahmacaris
wore
white, but Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura started them wearing
saffron for preaching.
Someone
asked Guru Das Prabhu, “Why are you going to Leicester? There is
nothing happening there.”
Guru
Das
replied,
“That is why we are going to Leicester, because there is nothing
happening there.”
-----
ratharudho
gacchan pathi milita-bhudeva-patalaih
stuti-pradurbhavam
prati-padam upakarnya sadayah
daya-sindhur
bandhuh sakala jagatam sindhu-sutaya
jagannathah
svami nayana-patha-gami bhavatu me
“When Lord Jagannatha moves along the road on His Ratha-yatra car, at every step large assemblies of brahmanas loudly chant prayers and sing songs for His pleasure. Hearing their hymns, Lord Jagannatha becomes very favorably disposed toward them. He is the ocean of mercy and the true friend of all the worlds. May that Jagannatha Svami, along with His consort Laksmi, who was born from the ocean of nectar, be the object of my vision.” (“Jagannathastakam,” verse 5)