Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 13, No. 21
By Krishna-kripa das
(November 2017, part one)
New York City, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C.
(Sent from New York City on December 6, 2017)
By Krishna-kripa das
(November 2017, part one)
New York City, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C.
(Sent from New York City on December 6, 2017)
Where
I Went and What I Did
During
the first half of November, I continued chanting with the Yuga Dharma
New York City harinama
party
three hours a day as I recovered from my hernia operation, except for
three days when I chanted in Washington, D.C., with Sankarsana Prabhu
in front of the National History Museum. On the way to Washington, I
went to the Tuesday evening program at the Bhakti Garden, Haryasva
Prabhu's temple in downtown Philadelphia. I also attended a
Prabhupada Festival in Brooklyn, organized by the new Brooklyn ISKCON
temple management, where Bhakti Charu Swami, Arundhati Devi Dasi,
Bhusara Prabhu, and other Srila Prabhupada disciples spoke.
I
share excerpts from Srila Prabhupada's books and notes on one of his
classes. I share notes on classes by Bhakti Charu Swami, Jayadvaita Swami, and
Prahladananda Swami. I also share notes on classes by Haryasva,
Vasudeva, Jaya Jagannatha, Asin Govinda, and Bhakta Josh Prabhus, and
I share my sister Karen's realization of prasadam.
Thanks
to Sankarsana Prabhu and Haryasva Prabhu for their donations toward
my travel expenses to Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia. Thanks to
Bhaktin Diana for the picture of me chanting in Union Square Park.
Thanks to Karen for the photo of the Radha Muralidhara prasadam
I
delivered to her at Penn Station.
Chanting
Hare Krishna in New York City
I
chanted with the Yuga Dharma New York City party just three hours a
day instead of six as I was recovering my hernia operation.
While
sitting at our harinama
book
table in Atlantic Ave. / Barclays subway station in New York City,
before the police asked us to remove it [an occasional occurrence], I
had two nice encounters within fifteen minutes of each other. A
friendly Muslim lady, dressed in a black gown, with most of her head
covered, stopped by. She mentioned that she had been to our temple in
Brooklyn and that she liked it. She said her daughter was vegetarian,
and she gave a donation for a Higher
Taste. A
few minutes later, a jovial Jewish man, dressed in black and having a
kippah
over
the center of head, came to look at the books. He was attracted to
Journey
of Self-Discovery,
especially after I said it was a collection of essays. He said he
already had Science
of Self-Realization, and
he liked it.
He
was impressed when I told him the Bhagavad-gita
was
spoken 5,000 years ago. He was proud of his Jewish tradition which
has also been around for thousands of years and mentioned that there
must be truth in the traditions for them to last so long. He ended up
giving a donation and accepting the Journey
of Self-Discovery. It
was impressive to me that these two people, so much committed to
their own traditions that they wore their traditional dress, had
appreciation for Srila Prabhupada's temples and his literature. It
shows the universal nature of what Srila Prabhupada is offering.
I have never seen such a small kid holding such a big book [Bhagavad-gita]
as I did on harinama!
as I did on harinama!
Kaliya Krishna Prabhu chanted Hare Krishna at Grand Central subway station, and a mother and daughter played the shakers and danced happily. Before leaving they bowed twice to the devotee chanting party. I gave them prasadam, and the girl demanded that her mom purchase the hardbound Bhagavad-gita. Certainly they are rare souls to have such attraction to the kirtan and the books! See the video (https://youtu.be/bMsAQiKh8rg):
Bhakta
Josh chants Hare Krishna at Times Square subway station, and a lady
dances (https://youtu.be/0RI0afWqnfU):
Krishna
Prasad Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Atlantic Ave. / Barclays subway
station in Brooklyn, and a mother and her two young and very active
boys play the shakers (https://youtu.be/E8z5GmAdmI0):
Kanai
Krishna Prabhu chants Hare Krishna, and a lady plays shakers and
dances in Grand Central subway station
(https://youtu.be/Gnns33d3y8M):
Natabara
Gauranga Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Union Square, and Jason, a guy who
frequents Union Square, dances (https://youtu.be/QmKwWtNawlA):
Pavana
Nitai Chandra Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Union Square, and a lady
dances inspiring a guy to try to follow her [this might be a bit
risqué for strict brahmacaris]
(https://youtu.be/bpM-rPI2k1s):
Chanting
Hare Krishna in Brooklyn
Srila
Prabhupada disciple Locanananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna on the
streets of New York City every Friday at different locations with a
few devotees. This time Prahladananda Swami and Hansarupa Prabhu
joined them. Here Prahladananda Swami leads the Hare Krishna chant on
Fulton Street in downtown Brooklyn (https://youtu.be/UedJVdyd39U):
Prabhupada
Festival in Brooklyn
On
November 4 there was Prabhupada Festival organized by the new
Brooklyn ISKCON management and held at PS 261 on Pacific Street.
Different
Srila Prabhupada disciples spoke. I did not catch all their names,
including the first one:
One
brahmacarini
wanted
to see Srila Prabhupada speak at the World Health Organization so bad
that when there was no room in the van she hitchhiked there, despite
having an infection on her leg. After the meeting, Srila Prabhupada
noticed her, and asked the other devotees how she had come there.
They did not know. Then he asked them how she would get back. Srila
Prabhupada was always concerned with all his disciples no matter how
seemingly insignificant.
Srila
Prabhupada could meet the greatest scholars or ordinary men and treat
them all in such a way that they would feel happy to have met
Krishna's representative.
Srila
Prabhupada had promised whoever bought the first building for ISKCON
that he would relocate the ISKCON Press there. Because the ISKCON
devotees in Boston first purchased a building, he moved his ISKCON
Press there.
Arundhati
Devi Dasi: I left the temple and got back into smoking again. Srila
Prabhupada asked my husband, Pradyumna, where I was. He told Srila
Prabhupada, “She is not doing so well. She is not living in the
temple. She is smoking cigarettes.”
Srila Prabhupada told him, “Tell her if she stops smoking, she can come to Vrindavan.”
He told me, and so I stopped smoking cigarettes and came to Vrindavan. Srila Prabhupada could have said so many things about my smoking, but he decided to give me a better engagement.
Srila Prabhupada told him, “Tell her if she stops smoking, she can come to Vrindavan.”
He told me, and so I stopped smoking cigarettes and came to Vrindavan. Srila Prabhupada could have said so many things about my smoking, but he decided to give me a better engagement.
Bhusara
Prabhu:
We
always fall far short in describing his qualities, Srila Prabhupada
is so great.
It
is our duty to keep alive Srila Prabhupada's
instructions, how he organized ISKCON, how he encouraged devotees,
etc., in his physical absence.
Moderator:
Bhakti
Charu Swami was looking for a guru. He went outside of India to find
one. Somehow he got a copy of The
Nectar of Devotion, and
after reading one page, he realized he had found his guru. At his
first meeting with Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada asked him to
translate all his books into Bengali, which he joyfully did.
Notes
on Bhakti Charu Swami's speech are below under Insights.
There
was a feast afterward. I was happy to see Pyari Mohan Prabhu, temple
president of Hartford, was present, and he invited me to come there
during Niranjana Swami's upcoming visit in December.
Chanting
Hare Krishna at the Bhakti Garden
Every
Tuesday, Haryasvya Prabhu has an evening program at his Bhakti Garden
at 1408 South Street in Philadelphia. There were about five devotees
when I visited on November 7, and devotees had a good time sharing
realizations and having kirtan. I try to go there at least once or
twice a year when I am based in New York City.
Chanting
Hare Krishna in Washington, D.C.
Sankarsana
Prabhu, also a disciple of Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, chants Hare
Krishna a few days a week during the busy seasons on the mall in
Washington, D.C., these days in front of the Natural History Museum.
He has an incredible set up with a generator, mixer, amplifier, two
speakers, three microphones, a synthesizer, a drum, karatalas,
two tables, two banners, books, invitations to the Potomac temple,
and often prasadam.
Sankarsana
has a beautiful voice, and his tunes are sweet and easy to sing. He
usually sings from 12:00 to 3:00 p.m. or so. I chanted with him three
days, and our godbrother, Gurudas Prabhu, who does typing for our
Guru Maharaja, joined us the last two days. The last day it was 43°
F (6° C), and the wind blowing through the holes in my Chinese
imitation Crocs made it a bit austere but I survived.
Many
busloads of school children visit the musuem, most from places where
Hare Krishna is never chanted in the streets, so this venue is a
great opportunity for hundreds of new people to hear the holy name. A
few rare souls have some natural attraction which you can see in
their smiles, glances, and dances, and some of them come and accept
“On Chanting Hare Krishna.” I promised Sankarsana Prabhu I would
come and visit for three days in the autumn and also in the spring,
in the odd numbered years when I do not go to India. I take pleasure
in assisting his wonderful outreach program.
Insights
Srila
Prabhupada:
From
Srimad-Bhagavatam
10.1.17,
purport:
“When
the residents of this earth become atheistic and godless, they
descend to the status of animals like dogs and hogs, and thus their
only business is to bark among themselves. This is dharmasya glani, deviation from the goal of life. Human life is meant for attaining the highest perfection of Krishna consciousness, but when people are godless and the presidents or kings are unnecessarily puffed up with military power, their business is to fight and increase the military strength of their different states. Nowadays, therefore, it appears that every state is busy manufacturing atomic weapons to prepare for a third world war. Such preparations are certainly unnecessary; they reflect the false pride of the heads of state. The real business of a chief executive is to see to the happiness of the mass of people by training them in Krishna consciousness in different divisions of life.”
“The
various states of the world are preoccupied with arranging for
military strength. Sometimes they spend sixty-five percent of the
government’s revenue for this purpose. But why should people’s
hard-earned money be spent in this way? Because of the present world
situation, Krishna has descended in the form of the Krishna
consciousness movement. This is quite natural, for without the
Krishna consciousness movement the world cannot be peaceful and
happy.”
From
Sri
Caitanya-caritamrita,
Antya 5.84, purport:
“Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu is to be considered the most munificent
personality, for He distributes the real essence of the Vedic sastras [scriptures] to anyone who becomes qualified by becoming His sincere servant.”
From
a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam
1.10.14 in Mayapur on June 27, 1973:
“I
may be sent to hell, heaven; it doesn't matter. What qualification I
have got that I want to see back to home, back to Godhead? It is not
so easy thing. So why should I be sorry for that? I should be happy
even in the hell simply by thinking of Krishna. That is wanted. That
is wanted. That is Krishna consciousness.”
Bhakti
Charu Swami:
Srila
Prabhupada affected the hearts of thousands of people who he
personally met and those people are our greatest asset.
I
was planning to travel to different places of pilgrimage, but the
devotees in Mayapur who preached to me were so inspiring
and
their sincerity and their commitment was so great, I decided to shave
up the next morning. I bought a dhoti
and kurta
and threw away my old clothes.
Book
distribution at Kumbha Mela was going on like anything. People were
so pious we would tell them these books were about Krishna.
Because
I was translating his books into Bengali, I could have access to
Srila Prabhupada on the plea of wanting to show him my translations.
Seeing
me around, he engaged me in reading and answering his Bengali
letters, and then his Hindi letters.
He
once told me, “I am appointing you as my secretary for Indian
affairs.”
We
were with Srila Prabhupada in Rishikesh, where some well wishers had
rented a house by the Ganges for his recovery.
One
day Srila Prabhupada told me that the time had come for him to leave
his body, and he wanted to do so in Vrindavan. I told Tamal Krishna
Goswami, and we made all arrangements to bring him to Vrindavan.
All
the devotees in Vrindavan were ecstatic to see Srila Prabhupada, but
when Srila Prabhupada explained the reason he had become to
Vrindavan, the ecstasy turned to agony.
He
told me not to cook because he had no appetite. I thought he was
going to fast to death like Pariksit Maharaja.
The
devotees appealed to Srila Prabhupada that as a pure devotee, Krishna
would fulfill his desire to stay. And they begged him to stay. He
agreed. I began cooking again without even asking.
He
asked for a 90-year-old kaviraja
to
treat him, and the treatments seemed to work.
When
he got stronger, he said that it was inglorious for a warrior die in
bed, but he wanted to die on the battlefield, and he planned to
travel to London, Gitanagari, and ultimately to Hawaii and continue
translations.
His
health worsed in London, and he returned to Vrindavan.
Srila
Prabhupada said, “Now this body is a set of bones in a bag of
skin.” And it was literally like that.
When
he returned from London the treatments of the kaviraja
were
no longer effective.
He
said, “I will feel like eating only when I die.” That was so
shocking I began crying.
He said, “It that what you have learned from me? I taught you the soul is beyond the changing body.”
He said, “It that what you have learned from me? I taught you the soul is beyond the changing body.”
His
disappearance is just disappearance from our visual perception.
Now
we have to perceive his presence in our hearts though following his
instructions.
It
is up to us how sincerely we are going to cultivate this opportunity.
Jayadvaita
Swami:
From a class on mantra meditation:
From a class on mantra meditation:
Hare
Krishna is transcendental sound.
There
are different levels, the body of gross matter, then the mind,
intelligence, the soul, and God. In one sense that summarizes
everything.
The
mind accepts and rejects. The intelligence analyzes. But we the soul,
possess and direct the intelligence. We the soul are consciousness,
and consciousness is eternal.
As
conscious beings we are individual. You are you, and I am me. Never
were you me nor was I you.
I
may have some knowledge, but you may have more knowledge. But when
you find someone who has more knowledge than everyone, that is God.
Similarly with other kinds of opulence, like beauty, strength, fame, wealth, and renunciation.
God
is all-attractive because He excels all in each kind of opulence.
He
is the source of everything that gives us pleasure.
Krishna
is always existing, and everything is always existing in Him.
The
secret of the chanting is that God is not different from the sound of
His name.
If
you chant water, water, water, you will just become more thirsty
because the sound water is different than the substance water.
All
the benefit you get from being in touch with God, you can get from
being in touch with His name.
You
may not be able to understand that intellectually, but it will act.
It
is effective because God is pure, God is all-powerful, God is
attractive, and God is the source of everything.
The
chanting revives our relationship with God.
The
chanting is on the spiritual platform and brings us directly to the
spiritual platform, and this can be experienced.
Any
place and any time is fine for chanting Hare Krishna. It is easy. It
is free. [It is not like you start here, and pay some more, and get
there, and you pay more and get to another level.]
It
is authentic.
God
is always existing, His name is always existing, and our relationship
with Him is always existing.
When
you study bhakti-yoga,
you
will learn that it covers every part of your life.
In
every tradition, those giving knowledge have some special symbol by
which you can identify them.
Q
(by Kaliya Krishna Prabhu): How to connect people with Krishna who are
resistance?
A
(by Hansarupa Prabhu): Burn incense offered to Krishna in their presence or
offer them water that is offered to Krishna.
The
false ego is the point which the soul touches the mind and body.
I
may be born in Germany this life, and think “I am German.” I
may be German for 60 or 80 years, but I am not German eternally. That
is why it is called false ego.
When
we identify with the body, we have so much anxiety associated with
the body.
God
is in your heart. If you want to connect with God, God sees.
If
a child mispronounces “mother” the mother will not hold it
against him. Similarly, God is not disturbed if we mispronounce His
name.
Considering
“I am not pure enough” can be a cop out if we use it as an excuse not to perform acts conducive to devotional service.
One
lady from a remote region heard the chanting must be heard from the
lips of the pure devotee to be effective. She expressed to Srila
Prabhupada worry that her chanting could not benefit others. He
replied, “You have heard the chanting from the devotees, and the
devotees have heard it from me, so it will be effective.”
If
someone speaks in a lecture in such a way that we feel completely
discouraged, we can always pray to Lord Caitanya, “I am the most
fallen. You have come to deliver the fallen, so please deliver me.”
If
we do not think we are incomplete in some way, how will we progress?
If
we feel incomplete, we will be motivated to call out for help. The
chanting is our calling for help.
Prahladananda
Swami:
Everyone
wants the maximum happiness for the maximum time.
Krishna
does not recommend sense gratification: “An intelligent person does
not take part in the sources of misery, which are due to contact with
the material senses. O son of Kunti, such pleasures have a beginning
and an end, and so the wise man does not delight in them.” (Bg.
5.22)
Sex
life, which seems very significant to one unaware of spiritual
pleasure, is considered insignificant to realized souls like the Six
Goswamis and Prahlada Maharaja.
Although
one may know there is a higher pleasure, if he has no experience of
it because he has no spiritual practice, that knowledge alone will
not help him much.
In
the Vedic culture, an unmarried woman who had relationships with men
was considered a prostitute. Thus when it was said Bilvamangala
Thakura previously went to visit a prostitute, it would be as if now he
went to visit his girlfriend.
New
York City means people looking for happiness.
Lust
is free. It comes with the body. If we get involved with lust, we
will realize it is never satisfied and it is without mercy.
When
we follow lust, we act as if I am the hero or the heroine, and
everyone else is an assistant player in my drama.
If
we were enjoying spiritual bliss, why would we come to this material
world? Out of curiosity. What would it be like if I were in the
center?
Everyone
we meet we can engage in Krishna's service, and then we come under
the control of the spiritual nature.
Our
body, mind, and intelligence should be used elevating ourselves to
Krishna consciousness, and also helping others to attain that state.
We
should chant as the servant of Krishna's servants, and then we will
be associated with Krishna's blissful associates. If we want to
attract people, we have to become attracted to Krishna, and that will
attract people.
Srila
Prabhupada explained that the art of Krishna consciousness is to
focus our attention and to give our love to Krishna.
We
should be willing to serve those who more enthusiastic about
devotional service than we are.
Dinanatha
Prabhu:
Sometimes
the disciple thinks that the guru is simply meant to satisfy his
spiritual needs, but the guru also becomes enlivened spiritually to
see his disciple's activities of devotion.
The
spiritual master is the captain of the ship, but the captain is very
much dependent on the sailors.
The
dynamic cooperation in service enlivens both the guru and disciple
spiritually.
In
Bhagavad-gita,
Arjuna
wanted to do the right thing, but he was confused about what the
right thing was.
We
have a tendency to seek material shelters. The king appeared
externally to be one who was taking shelter of women and money, and
Lord Caitanya was looking to bring him beyond such attachments.
We
may think we are secure because we have saved up so much money, but
we could get cancer, and in one month deplete our resources trying to
cure it.
Although
in the beginning in New York, Srila Prabhupada experienced hardship
and lack of facilities, there is no record he went to McDonalds or
Taco Bell to get something to eat.
Prasadam
satisfies
one on all levels, body, mind, and soul.
Haryasva
Prabhu:
Q
(to Dhira Devi Dasi): Do you have any realizations from returning to
Philadelphia for several months from Mayapur?
A
(by Dhira Devi Dasi): I did not want to come back to Philly, but I had a
lot of nice experiences seeing old friends. I went to Govindas almost
every Tuesday. I see Krishna is always making arrangements for me. I
found some people I originally encouraged in Krishna consciousness
are being taken to another level by bhakti.
I
like Krishna consciousness because Krishna always shows up and gives
direction.
If
we are lacking so much and we need Him, Krishna will actually show
up.
Sacinandana
Swami says our guru (Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami) is his second favorite
Vaishnava writer.
Sacinandana
Swami wrote a book about a person who went to the holy dhama
to
restore his faith in Krishna and the process of bhakti.
I
went to the dhama
to
get a clue how I could improve our relationship with Nama Prabhu. I
was not completely satisfied, but I can see this is something I have
to work on each day.
In
our bewilderment we pray. Krishna creates that situation. Krishna
left the gopis
not to torture them but to bring them to a higher level.
One
swami in Vrindavan made the point that Krishna, although He has
everything else, does not have the experience of what it is to love
Him.
We
are in a movement in which, if we have been around for many years, we
are expected to be advanced. The fact is many of us who have been
around for a while still need help and need to seek it.
We
do not run to the front of the class to do something for Krishna. We
pass it up through all the servants between us and Krishna.
I
want to make this center to be a place where the holy name is
properly worshiped.
I
like Vrindavan because everyone there is more advanced than me. I
just have to hide and collect some mercy.
Comments
by Gurukaruna Prabhu, disciple of Srila Prabhupada and cook at
Govindas:
Rendering
intimate loving service to our guru infuses us with faith. If we do
not do that, we will not have that taste.
One's
love for one's guru is exhibited in his love for his guru's
disciples.
The
more advanced you are, the more fallen you appear. It is like peeling
an onion.
Bhaktisiddhanta
Sarasvati Thakura says that the second you think you are advanced you
are fallen.
Comments
by Esa:
I
read in book something that I recall from time to time and get
strength from: “The Lord feeds you, you serve the Lord, what is all
the crying about?”
We
call these things programs, morning and evening programs, because
what we are doing in them is reprogramming our previous programs.
Vasudeva
Prabhu:
Comment
by Adi Purusa: There are cases of disciples leaving, and Srila
Prabhupada having tears in his eyes out of compassion.
Compassion
is something that awakens.
Srila
Prabhupada never wanted us to be artificial.
Jayadvaita
Swami told me that people from an academic background who later
become devotees generally do better spiritually than those who are
devotees who later decide to get involved with academia.
Jaya
Jagannatha Prabhu:
The
Yamadutas made the case that as long as one is under the control of
the three modes of material nature, one is bound to sometimes engage
in vicious activities influenced passion and ignorance and is thus
libel for punishment. In this way, everyone under the control of the
three modes of material nature is punishable.
As
sea weed is moved by the ocean, we are moved by the three modes of
material nature.
PETA
has a good cause of animal rights, but some of its members become
overzealous and engage in bombing and kill people which is not nice.
In
frustration I once exclaimed, “People are crazy!” My brother,
Jaya Baladeva, said, “Yes, some in goodness, some in passion, and
some in ignorance.”
Whether
one is in ignorance, passion, or goodness, it is insignificant.
Whatever bhakti
is present is of value.
According
to Bhagavad-gita
9.29, Krishna is not attracted by goodness or repelled by ignorance,
but rather He is attracted by whatever devotion one has for Him.
We
tend to see the shadow, the external disqualification, but Krishna
focuses on the substance, whatever bhakti
is present.
Even
the Yamadutas appreciate that isa-sanga
(association
with the Lord) can free one from the association of material nature,
but they did not realize by chanting the holy name of Narayana in
order to call his son Ajamila had actually performed isa-sanga.
The
fence to protect us from the mad elephant of offending devotees is
sadhu-sanga,
the
association of devotees.
Unless
the spiritual master is affectionate, the disciple will not become
attached and will not make as much advancement.
Bhaktivinoda
Thakura says in Bhagavad-gita
9.31
the person who becomes quickly righteous is the one who criticizes
the sadhu with difficulty not the sadhu himself.
Comment
by Virabhadra Prabhu: When we see a devotee with a defect, we tend to
see the defect as part of the character of the devotee and not the
product of material nature whereas in ourselves our own defects we
think are not part of our character but rather the modes of material
nature.
Krishna
describes lust as being a great eater (maha-asanah).
No matter how much we give it, lust is never satisfied.
People
like freedom, but you cannot have freedom without responsibility, and
unfortunately some people do not realize this.
The
root cause of avidya
(ignorance)
is turning away from Krishna, and thus the solution is to turn toward
Krishna. Therefore one who is turning toward Krishna, although still
externally in a degraded position, is more exalted than someone in an
exalted position who is neglecting his relationship with Krishna.
There
is a man who did psychadelics for 45 years before becoming a devotee.
He even saw Srila Prabhupada. Many times in his life when he got in
dangerous situations he chanted Hare Krishna. He did not do so to
become free from sinful reactions, but just out of fear, so his
chanting was purifying him.
Asin
Govinda Prabhu:
Seeing
what a wonderful cook Radha was, Mother Yashoda wanted to secure Her
for her beloved Krishna, so she anointed Her hands with turmeric to
indicate She was engaged to Krishna. Radha and Her friends were
doubtful about the wisdom of getting Radha engaged at such an early
age, She washed it off in a lake which turned yellow and also became
surcharged with Her prema.
Later Krishna, who was looking for His cows, bathed in the lake, and
temporarily assumed a golden form with Radha's prema,
Gaurasundara.
If
we are attracted by Madana-mohana (Krishna) we will not be attracted
Madana (Cupid), and if we are attracted by Madana we will not be
attracted by Madana-mohana.
Srila
Prabhupada, speaking on these verses, said that if you hear from
realized souls you can conquer over lusty desires.
What
is the effect of proper execution of bhakti? One feels a distaste for
material activities, one feels satisfied by execution of devotional
service, and one feels inclined to share Krishna consciousness with
others. [From a class by Radhe Shyam Prabhu on atmanivedana
(self-surrender).]
Comment
by Mahotsaha Prabhu: Bhaktivinoda Thakura indicates that without
jiva-daya
(giving
mercy to others)
there
is no question of nama-ruci
(relishing
the holy name).
Bhakta
Josh:
From
a class on mantra meditation:
We
look for something beyond the ups and downs of life. Mantra
meditation can help in this.
We
call Bhagavad-gita
the
ABCs of spirituality because it teaches fundamental principles upon
which other things are based.
You
cannot truly love a thing, for a thing cannot reciprocate your love.
You cannot give yourself to a thing.
If
you take up this spiritual practice you will be able to see how God
is all good.
There
is so much craziness in this world that we are enthusiastic about
peace, but beyond peace there is positive spiritual experience.
Lord
Caitanya is the form of God who is eternally giving mercy.
God
can be a person and can be everywhere at the same time.
In
heaven, there is not a line to meet God.
Comment
by me: In the Bible it said we are created in the image of God. This
implies that God has a form because you cannot make an image of
something without form.
Karen
(my sister):
[We
planned to have lunch at Divya's Kitchen before Karen's train to Albany,
but she was delayed, so I offered to bring lunch from the Bhakti
Center to the train station for her.]
From
a SMS text message:
“I was so grateful for your food and how yummy and healthy it was!!!!”
-----
There
is a series of five Srimad-Bhagavatam
verses
(1.2.17–21) which Srila Prabhupada considered very important and
which he quoted in his poem “Markine Bhagavata-dharma” and in his
purport to Bhagavad-gita
7.1.
They begin “srnvatam
sva-kathah krishnah”
and end “drsta
evatmanisvare,”
and they tell how by hearing and chanting about Krishna one becomes
from free from material contamination beginning with the modes of
passion and ignorance, how he comes to the platform of goodness,
realizes the Personality of Godhead, and becomes free from all karmic
bondage and attains liberation. The verse following these five is
more rarely quoted, but it is important because it explains the
result of understanding these five, and I have liked it ever since I
learned it about thirty years ago:
ato
vai kavayo nityam
bhaktim
paramaya muda
vasudeve
bhagavati
kurvanty
atma-prasadanim
“Certainly,
therefore, since time immemorial, all transcendentalists have been
rendering devotional service to Lord Krishna, the Personality of
Godhead, with great delight, because such devotional service is
enlivening to the self.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.22)