Tuesday, January 29, 2019

Travel Journal#15.1: New York City and North Florida

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 15, No. 1 
By Krishna-kripa das 
(January 2019, part one) 
New York City, North Florida 
(Sent from Tallahassee on January 29, 2019)

Where I Went and What I Did

The first four days of the new year I remained at the Yuga Dharma Ashram and chanted with their harinama party six hours a day in different subway stations in New York City. On Saturday, January 5, I flew to Jacksonville, and attended the JAX Krishnas program at the Bhakti House. The next day I went to Tallahassee where I chanted Hare Krishna at Lake Ella and attended the Sunday feast program. For the next ten days I chanted Hare Krishna at Florida State University on the weekdays and Lake Ella on the weekends. I share some words in glorification of Kaliyaphani Prabhu, a disciple of Srila Prabhupada from England, who left his body recently in an accident.

I share notes on recorded lectures by Srila Prabhupada, Hridayananda Goswami, and Radhanath Swami which we played in Tallahassee and a lecture by Kadamba Kanana Swami we heard on Facebook Live, and I share notes on a class by Rama Raya Prabhu at the Yuga Dharma Ashram in New York City. I share an excerpt from the Free Write Journal of Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami.

Thanks to Navin Shyam Prabhu for his incredibly kind, spontaneous, and generous donation to cover the difference between my income and expenses last year. Thanks to Lila Kishor Prabhu of JAX Krishnas for his contribution to my travels.

Thanks to Divyangi Devi Dasi for her photos of NYC Harinam. Thanks to Breanna Bruner, Documentary Photographer, for her photo of me on Landis Green at FSU. Thanks to Taproot for the photos at Lake Ella, and Jorge for the photos of the Tallahassee Sunday Feast kirtan.

Itinerary

January 27–March 17: Tallahassee, Florida State University (weekdays), Lake Ella (weekends)
except:
February 7: Jacksonville, UNF Krishna Club? 
February 8: Gainesville Friday Night Program?
February 9: Ocala Regional Rainbow Gathering?
February 10: Krishna Lunch Sunday Program?
March 18–22: Krishna House
March 23: St. Augustine Ratha-yatra
March 24April 6: Tallahassee, Florida State University (weekdays), Lake Ella (weekends) [March 30: Ratha-yatra]
April 7: Jacksonville Bhakti House program?
April 8: Albany
April 9: Philadelphia
April 10–12: Washington, D.C., harinama with Sankarsana Prabhu by the museums
April 13–14: New York City
April 15–18: Dublin
April 19–24: Newcastle-upon-Tyne
April 27: Amsterdam King’s Day harinama
May 4–5: Birmingham 24-hour Kirtan 
mid May–late July: Paris 
July 30–August 3: Pol'and'Rock (formerly called Przystanek Woodstock) 
August 6–12: Vaishnava Summer Festival (Lithuania) 
August 14–18: Vaishnava Sanga Festival (Québec)
September 8: Great North Run harinama (Newcastle-upon-Tyne)

The Best of 2018

Looking back on 2018, I recall some special events that made an impression on my mind.

Ever wonder why Radha is called Hara? Satyaraja Prabhu, writing in Back to Godhead, quoted from Jiva Goswami’s Maha-mantrartha Dipika, “Krishna steals everyone’s mind. Yet, due to Sri Radha’s expert nature, She steals even His. She is thus known as Hara.”

I like this story by Laksminatha Prabhu of Montreal: “My mind freaked out when I joined the temple, being worried about my making the commitment. I pacified my mind by saying I have done other things for seventeen years. Now let’s try this for seventeen years, and we can compare. It worked.” Obviously he liked his experience of acting according to Krishna’s direction instead of following his own mental concoctions or he would not be around to tell his story. We always imagine that we will be happy doing our own thing, but in reality, we will be happier doing Krishna’s thing, because as souls, we are eternal servants of Krishna, the supreme soul. I find myself often using this story in my classes. 

A wonderful feature of the Vaishnava Sanga Festival in Canada this year was Srutakirti and Siddhanta Prabhus were both present to share memories of Srila Prabhupada, and that was incredibly inspiring.

In 2018 was the first Ratha-yatra in Leeds, the fifth largest city in England.

The last Ekadasi in Karttika I chanted 64 rounds in addition to doing 6 hours of harinama, and that was a record for me, and I hope to get special mercy because of it.

In September I spent a week chanting 64 or more rounds each day in Navadvipa Dhama, mostly on Godrumadvipa, and most of that in front of the samadhi of Bhaktivinoda Thakura. I found it very easy to chant on that especially sacred island which is a place very much recommended by Bhaktivinoda Thakura, who back in the late 1800s foretold the spreading of the chanting of Hare Krishna all over the world. It was a very inspiring experience, and I look forward to doing it again.

In addition to chanting a chapter of Bhagavad-gita every day, and trying to read from Srila Prabhupada’s books for an hour a day, I read the English translations of the nineteen verse “Gopi Gita” (Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto 10, Chapter 31) each day, and I find it really increases one’s attraction to Krishna and one’s appreciation of the unprecedented, spontaneous affection of the gopis for the Lord, and thus I will keep it as part of my sadhana.

For the Prabhupada Marathon this year I chanted 4.5 more extra hours of harinama and collected $45.47 more for the Yuga Dharma Ashram than in 2017, but I distributed 14 fewer books, so I have to increase that for next year.

In the coming year, I plan to chant from memory one chapter of the Bhagavad-gita each day. I will spend one week on chapter one, then go on to chapter two, for the next week, etc. I find it hard to keep all the verses in my mind at once, but if I spend a whole week on each chapter, I am hoping I will not forget them again.

Chanting Hare Krishna with the Yuga Dharma Ashram Party in New York City

The first four days of the year, I chanted with the Yuga Dharma Ashram harinama party six hours a day in different subway stations in New York City, including Union Square (above),

Atlantic Ave. / Barclays Center,

and

Jackson Heights / Roosevelt Ave.

On New Year’s Day, the final day of the marathon, Krishna Prasad Prabhu tried to interest more people in the saptarsi (seven-book set) at Times Square subway station. These two girls looked like they could have been in high school, but they were actually in college. They were not ambitious enough to get the set, but they did take a book or two.

On New Year’s Day, in Times Square subway station, a lady from Greece and a man from Morocco bought books from Gopal Campu Prabhu and their three children played shakers and danced with Bhagavata Purana Prabhu, while Devala Prabhu, son of Janmastami Prabhu, led the Hare Krishna chant (https://youtu.be/wEV1wbxV1cE):


Rama Raya Prabhu chanted Hare Krishna to the tune of “Auld Lang Syne” on New Year’s Day at Times Square subway station for the last time this season (https://youtu.be/ZDVBPWxoib8):


Natabara Gauranga Prabhu chanted Hare Krishna at Union Square subway station, and two kids played shakers, encouraged by Bhagavata Purana Prabhu (https://youtu.be/Rxlky09NYKc):


Tota Gopinath Prabhu, formerly a full time member of the Yuga Dharma Ashram, now occasionally chants Hare Krishna with their harinama party after work, as here in Union Square subway station, where ultimately the devotees were inspired to dance (https://youtu.be/rxKzCkiLxLk):


Bhagavata Purana Prabhu chanted Hare Krishna at Atlantic Ave. / Barclays Center subway station in Brooklyn, and a man danced (https://youtu.be/lUC6-P8Ty68):


Murli Krishna Prabhu, who used to chant Hare Krishna daily in public in New York City back in the late 1980s and early 1990s, chants at Jackson Heights / Roosevelt Ave. subway station in Queens (https://youtu.be/9OtG-T4UJco):


Liza, who first encountered Hare Krishnas chanting in Union Square, leads the Hare Krishna chant at Atlantic Ave. / Barclays Center subway station in Brooklyn, while home for her winter break from studying fine art at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh (https://youtu.be/0xyVq98wgx4):


Mangal Arati Prabhu, who often plays drum for Rama Raya Prabhu, here chants Hare Krishna at Atlantic Ave. / Barclays Center subway station in Brooklyn (https://youtu.be/quKFeujbH78):


I am indebted to the Yuga Dharma Ashram for allowing me to be part of their amazing program of six-hour daily harinama sankirtana and book distribution in New York City from October 1, 2018 through January 4, 2019. If you can appreciate the great spiritual value of their activities, please visit their web page (https://www.nycharinam.org/and support them in whatever way you can.

Thursday Night Kirtan at The Bhakti Center

I was very pleased to encounter Srila Prabhupada disciple and Grammy Award winning singer, Havi Prabhu, who led kirtan for an hour at The Bhakti Center in Manhattan. There is such joy in his voice it makes me happy.

Havi Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at the Bhakti Center Thursday Kirtan, and many dance (https://youtu.be/r1UhHU4FaHg):


Havi Prabhu told us that once while driving from Miami to Atlanta, he chanted Hare Krishna the entire way to a tune that appeared in his mind, later realizing it to be from a Jewish song he knew as a kid. Then he chanted Hare Krishna to that tune for us at the Bhakti Center, and many in the audience were dancing by the end (https://youtu.be/hPQod9lq6Io):


It was wonderful to encounter Michele, who lived in Krishna House for three months when studying at the University of Florida. She has recently moved to New York City and was happy to encounter at The Bhakti Center her old friends from Krishna House, Rukmini Priya, Hladini, and Sundari Gopi, as well as becoming reacquainted with Hare Krishna kirtan, which she always liked.

Visiting the JAX Krishnas Program at Their Bhakti House

As usual a group of enthusiastic young people gathered at the Jacksonville Bhakti House for their semimonthly Saturday program. We talked about spiritual New Year’s resolutions.

I had met Isa last February when she attended the Krishna Club at the University of North Florida (UNF) in Jacksonville for the first time with a friend who was writing about it for the college newpaper. Her friend wrote a mostly favorable article but never returned, but Isa became a regular, attending Krishna Club each week and the semimonthly programs downtown. She did a project on Krishna House for college and produced this appreciative and informative video about it (https://youtu.be/gnm1ItpEntg):


Chanting Hare Krishna in Tallahassee


It was nice to chant Hare Krishna in the sun and fresh air at Tallahassee’s Lake Ella on the weekends – a refreshing change from the NYC subway stations! 


Thanks to Taproot Das for the photos, for playing the shakers, for passing out invitations to the temple and “On Chanting Hare Krishna” pamphlets, and for driving Jorge and me to the lake.

During the week, I would chant on the campus of Florida State University (FSU), mostly at Landis Green, behind the main library. Once a young graduate asked if she could take a photo of me. I said yes. She told me she was Breanna Bruner, a documentary photographer, who did videos for the FSU College of Fine Arts. As a student, her classes conflicted with Krishna Lunch, but now as an employee of the university, she was free to come and she looked forward to it.

At the Sunday Feast program, Yogi Garuda Das Prabhu chanted the “Gaura Arati” song, and he let me chant the Hare Krishna mantra afterward. He played a drum set, and several new devotees he has been cultivating enjoyed playing instruments and danced, and thus it was a lively kirtan. Thanks to Jorge for the photo.

After the kirtan, we showed the Hare Krishna! film, and Krishna inspired four new people to come and see it, two who knew us from Krishna Lunch and two others.

Tribute to Kaliyaphani Prabhu


All glories to Kaliyaphani Prabhu for his faithful service to Srila Prabhupada and his mission. I worked on book and video production for Sadaputa Prabhu, but after his last book, when I was just doing accounting and shipping, I was not so inspired, and I decided to do harinama sankirtana instead as my service. Kaliyaphani Prabhu kindly agreed to take over my service for Sadaputa Prabhu so I could do that. Kaliyaphani Prabhu was always helpful, serving out and cleaning up after the Alachua Sunday feast. He almost always came on harinama, and he would sing lively upbeat tunes. He would also play harmonium to accompany others. His presence was always a positive addition. I hope that Lord Caitanya gives him His supreme benediction for his faithful service to His mission.

I recall that Kaliyaphani Prabhu told me that in a recent summer he traveled with his godbrother, Gaura Prabhu, in Canada, and as Gaura is a friend of mine, I asked him about that.

Gaura replied, “He lived with me for three months, and I organized almost back to back outreach programs for him/us. We had a blast together! It is more than I can write about right now. Thanks very much for asking, Krishna-kripa Das Prabhu. Those three months were three of my best months in many years! We also made some recordings together and got on national Canadian television.”

Later Gaura elaborated, “In 2014, after the Toronto Ratha Yatra, hearing from Kaliyaphani Prabhu how the Florida summers could be unbearable for him, I invited him to stay with me. He stayed with me for three months. Three of the happiest months I have lived.

I immediately became enthused to organize programs for him/us. He told me that no one ever organized so many outreach programs for him as I had.

My consciousness shot up having his daily association. We did tons of walks on forest japa trails, something we both loved to do. I cooked for him every day since he was not fond of kitchen related things.

He was the closest person to an actual brother I experienced in many years. He always spoke of the great benefit he received from the Satvatove courses, and I would discuss that with him any chance we had, including after he returned to Florida.

What a loss to no longer have his presence. I regret not making the time to respond to his last messages to me I always wanted to hear what new realizations he was getting from Satvatove courses, since I have loved participating in that environment.

[The following paragraph is an excerpt Gaura Prabhu shared of one such message from Kaliyaphani Prabhu.]
I feel some progress with ignoring the mind’s constant limitations and beratings. I write them down in detail and then seriously question if they’re true. Then I envisage who I’d be without them. It’s amazingly effective. . . . Hope all is well! Tally Ho!
Kaliyaphani Das climbed trees like he was in his 20s, though he told me not to try it. He was very nimble. He thrived on adventure and had some of Steve McQueen in him. Hence the 1000 cc Triumph motorcycle. Did Srila Prabhupada call them ‘murdercycles’ or did devotees make up that term?

“When he first arrived at my home, which was a big house I was sharing with my landlord, I asked the landlord if KP could stay. Since the house had trees around it that needed tending, the landlord agreed to that as an exchange. 

“Next we went to do a program with a Russian devotee family where we led kirtan, he gave a class, and while I was arranging more programs for us, he was paid for doing more arborist work around the property. I did not ask him for a penny, but he voluntarily gave me half of what he received, which just went into the gas tank so we could get to our next program. He was a kind and generous godbrother. He was always working hard on himself to keep his word and to maintain greater integrity in his life and in his service to Srila Prabhupada. I feel a big void in my life to know that I will not see him again in this life. 

“Kaliyaphani Prabhu told me in the 70s while serving in the UK Yatra, he became a sankirtana leader of several parties, and then the right hand man of Sivarama Swami, who was encouraging him to take sannyasa. 

“He told me that the school he went to, Sherborne, was the same school that Oliver Cromwell and Henry VIII had gone to. He said he grew up with Sir Richard Branson as a childhood friend whom he used to jump off yachts in the Mediterranean with. When he was 10 years old and would come to visit Richard, Richard's mom would say, ‘Oh! My boyfriend has come to visit me!’ When I would call around to offer kirtan from us to various centers, I would tell them this little bit about his past schooling, even though we know the education he received from Srila Prabhupada and his followers was the highest. I would tell them that though he came from an aristocratic family, he had given it all up to become a Vaishnava monk. They liked to hear this.

I called up a yoga center south of Barrie which doubled as a vegan restaurant, Vidya’s Veggie Gourmet Restaurant and told Vidya about Kaliyaphani Prabhu. We were asked to reside at the restaurant / yoga studio for several days, where we would do kirtan as people completed their yoga asana routine.

A fund raiser was held their with a variety of artists performing. It was to raise funds for the Bear Creek Animal Sanctuary which was created to protect zoo animals from being euthanized We were given 20 minutes to lead a kirtan, and the CTV Television Network brought in big cameras to film us for nationwide TV coverage, as well as the other artists.

We met David Avocado Wolf there who I gave books to, and David expressed that Srila Prabhupada was the greatest author out of India that he knew of and gladly received some books from me.

He gave me a gift of some healing herbs. Next we headed up to Barrie to do kirtan and then visited a Buddhist retreat to see their layout.

Then we drove up to the home of Tulasi Hanna and his father / godbrother Garuda Vahan, in Owen Sound where we did kirtan at two restaurants and did some recording.”

I shared so much of Gaura Prabhu’s communication with me so the friends of Kaliyaphani Prabhu can know how his enthusiasm for sharing Krishna consciousness, a most wonderful saintly quality, manifested in recent years.

For an overview of Kaliyaphani Prabhu’s life, read this obituary on Dandavats (http://www.dandavats.com/?p=70286) and this article in ISKCON News (https://iskconnews.org/kaliyaphani-das-passes-away-after-a-life-of-service,6807/).

Insights

Srila Prabhupada:

From a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.28 in Los Angeles on April 20, 1973:

Everyone is God’s son. So how God can be partial to one son . . . ? That is not possible. That is our mistake. We write: ‘We trust in God,’ but we make discrimination. If you trust in God, then you must be equally kind and merciful to all living entities. That is God consciousness.”

We are envious of our enemy, and we are friendly to our friends. So Krishna is absolute. Even He appears to be inimical to some demon, actually He’s friend. When a demon is killed, that means his demonic activities are killed. He becomes a saint immediately. Otherwise how he’s promoted immediately to the brahmajyoti?”

Now He’s [God’s] equal to everyone. It is up to the devotees or persons who are trying to understand the Supreme Absolute Truth. According to their capacity of understanding, the Absolute Truth, God, is revealed, either as impersonal Brahman or localized Paramatma or Bhagavan. It is up to me.”

He is moving everywhere, outside, inside, simply we have to make our eyes clear to see Him. That is devotional service, to make our senses purified to perceive the presence of God. God is present everywhere.

Those who are too much in bodily concept of life, for them the yoga system is recommended, practicing the bodily exercise, and find out the Supreme Lord within the heart. But bhaktas, those who are devotees, who are still more advanced, they don’t require to control their senses separately, because to be engaged in devotional service means controlling the senses. Suppose you are engaged in worshiping the Deity, in cleansing the room, in decorating the Deity, in making foodstuff for Deity, everything nicely. . . . So your senses are already engaged. Where is the chance of your senses being diverted? The senses are already controlled.”

When one comes to the understanding that I am not this body, I am spirit soul, part and parcel of God, so my senses, spiritual senses, should be engaged in the service of the Supreme Spiritual Being. That is wanted. That is mukti [liberation].

They make distinction that this is lower class, this is higher class. So Krishna says, ‘Even lower class, so-called lower class, it doesn’t matter, if he takes to Me, then he’s also eligible to go, come back to home, back to Godhead.’”

Matter is one energy of Krishna, and spirit is another energy. The spirit is superior energy, and the matter is inferior energy. The matter develops when there is superior energy. Just like this country, America. The same America was two hundred years ago, three hundred years ago, the land, but it was not developed. But because some superior living entities from Europe came here, now America is so much developed. Therefore the cause of development is the superior energy.”

The matter cannot work independently unless the superior energy, living entity, touches it. This is common sense. So how these rascal scientists say that life develops from matter? No. How it can be concluded? There is no such instances. They falsely say that. . . . They do not have sufficient knowledge.”

Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:

From Free Write Journal#21:

A warrior may possess a good weapon, but unless he has the strength to pick it up and use it, he will be defeated. The strength for fighting maya is a spiritual strength (bala) which is given by the grace of Lord Balarama. The spiritual master is the representative of Lord Balarama, and so it’s to him we should pray for ongoing protection.”

Hridayananda Goswami:

From a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.12.25 in Gainesville, FL, on February 5, 2009:

Krishna consciousness is an art. We do endeavor, but we depend on Krishna at the same time. “Mam anusmara yudhya ca – remember Me and fight.” (Bg. 8.7)

Our protection is our sincerity, that we choose to hear from the right person, that we can distinguish Krishna’s voice in our heart.

The advantages of serving Srila Prabhupada’s mission so much outway the problems, and because Krishna is the supreme controller, we can see even these so-called problems as Krishna’s mercy.

Krishna is the supreme personal trainer.

Krishna says to be equal in fame and infamy. So how do we practice that if we do not get both fame and infamy?All these statements in the Bhagavad-gita we have to practice.

Krishna, to train us, gives us different situations. If we become bitter, then Krishna will have to give us the test again until we can tolerate.

We have to see every event in our life as an opportunity to advance.

Although we may not be so advanced that we pray for calamities like Kunti, we can see the troubles that we do have as opportunities for advancement. 

We have to train ourselves to see Krishna in every event in our life.

If we do not think of doing good for others we will never get past the kanistha (neophyte) platform. If we understand we are souls and others are souls, we must also be concerned for them.

Q: My grandfather is dying. What is the best I can do for him?
A: Pray sincerely to Krishna. I place more faith in that than other external things, which are OK when done with devotion. It is Krishna’s arrangement he has a Vaishnavi granddaughter who will pray for Him. Every living being has the same mission to ultimately go back to Godhead. Pray that he may someday chant Hare Krishna and be a devotee.

[I heard the above class live in Gainesville when originally spoken, but I took different notes on it. Additional things I noted the first time I heard it were:]

King Pariksit is glorified by how he treated those above him and those subordinate to him, and by his character. 

From our perspective, Pariksit was bitten by a snake bird and passed away, but for him it was a promotion.

To maintain material attachments means to ignore the fact that they are our enemies (Bg. 3.39). 

We should think of our mission as dialog and not monologue.

[Find the above notes interesting? Hear the class at

Radhanath Swami:

Srila Prabhupada once said, “Philosophy without character has little or no meaning.”

From a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.42 in Mumbai on February 23, 1992:

Seeing Kunti faint when Karna came into the assembly, Bhisma and Vidura were so expert they realized that he must have been her first son.

Karna vowed not to kill any of the Pandavas except Arjuna.

Can you imagine how much Kunti suffered when her beloved son, Arjuna, killed her beloved son, Karna?

There was no celebration of victory, only broken hearts, when the Pandavas learned that Karna was their brother when Kunti explained to Yudhisthira why she wanted him to offer the last rites for Karna as one of their relatives.

This is the path of bhakti – to put no one ahead of Krishna in our lives.

If we put anyone ahead of Krishna in our lives, Krishna will never reveal himself to us.

Although Kunti had so many emotions for her family members she did not let that impede her service to Krishna.

A devotee loves his family and society only in relationship with Krishna.

Krishna spoke this most profound philosophy through the words of a mother to show that is the way to attain Him.

As long as we are attached to these external designations we cannot love Krishna.


From a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.16.60–64:

In accepting the prayers of the Nagapatnis to save their husband, Krishna demonstated His promise in Bhagavad-gita 18.66.

All offenses to the Vaishnavas are born of pride. If you are humble, you cannot offend the Vaishnavas.

Every insect, every plant, every bird, in Vrindavan is a nitya-siddha, thus by poisoning the river Yamuna, Kaliya created so many offenses against Vaishnavas.

The prayers of the Vaishnavas never go in vain. If a Vaishnava prays for someone, Krishna will show that person special mercy.

Balarama was amused by the Kaliya pastime, considering Krishna was supreme, but the other residents of Vrindavan were in complete anxiety.

The demigods played instruments to accompany Krishna’s dance on the hoods of Kaliya.

After being defeated, Kaliya offered prayers to Krishna. He did not personally know how to pray to Krishna, but he repeated the prayers he heard from his wives. That is the process – to sincerely offer the prayers we have heard from the devotees.

Lord Caitanya, to convince His devotees that Jagai and Madhai were now pure, announced that He had personally taken on their sins, and His beautiful golden body turned black like coal. Then he said the only way to become purified of sins in this age of Kali is the congregational chanting of the holy name, and as His devotees chanted in congregation He gradually resumed His beautiful golden complexion.

The aspiration of the devotee is to attain the dust of the lotus feet of the Vaishnavas.

All the scriptures teach that pride must be destroyed. How can we hear these things and maintain our arrogance?

If we are striving for manjari-bhava, thinking by meditating on it we will attain it, we are in complete illusion. Better to aspire to attain the dust of the lotus feet of the Vaishnavas, for if you attain that, all higher realizations will be open to you.

If you want to be humble you have to seek the association of devotees who are aspiring for humility. In the association of those who are always glorifying others, you will feel embarrassed to glorify yourself.

Q: How deal with praise so it does not pollute us?
A: Always remember that we are only successful by the instruction, direction, and strength of our guru. You can think, “If they knew all the disqualifications in my heart, they would be vomiting in my face instead of praising me.” Or “Although I am a rascal, the devotees are praising me to encourage me in devotional service out of their kindness.”


Kadamba Kanana Swami:

From a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.31 at the Yuga Dharma Ashram on January 7, 2019: 

The punishing God looking down from cloud, who wants Him? The sankirtana movement is not like that. It is a movement of love. 

The dhama [the abode of the Lord in this world] itself is filled with love, what to speak of the residents. 

Krishna appears as the Supersoul out of love. He does not have to come into this world. He is getting personally involved with every living being. 

Yamaraja fell off his chariot in ecstasy, hearing of the deliverance of Jagai and Madhai. 

How deep is our compassion? Do I really want to reach out to people who are really out there? Our compassion is nothing compared to Krishna’s love. 

Kirtiraj Prabhu organized a worldwide press campaign against the Soviet torturing of devotees that was ultimately successful, and the Russian devotees were allowed out. 

The pope told a drug addict you can find the Lord in your addiction. 

In the hell of Amsterdam I had a girlfriend with a dog named Krishna. When I was walking the dog he would run off, and I would call out, “Krishna, Krishna!” Thus even in that hell I encountered Krishna! 

Krishna is the unlimited reservoir of love. All you have to do is reach out to Him even in the midst of the greatest distress by calling His holy name. 

Q: Hearing of Krishna’s compassion, we might think we do not have to endeavor. 
A: If you do not endeavor it will take longer, and you will have suffer more. 

Regarding the dark times of ISKCON, the leaders then got strength from being leaders, but it was not enough. You have to get strength from Krishna. That they found out. 

I developed a three-tiered model. The most advanced devotees connect with Krishna on the deepest level and are not affected by surface upheavals. 

We have three balls we have to juggle, our health, our bhajana [spiritual practice], and our mission. Sometimes we have to take care of one and sometimes another. 

Sometimes Krishna makes us a mouse again, so we can see the world from that perspective. It is going to happen to all of us. Krishna will pull the rug out from under us. Then we can again serve. 

We need to have short term goals as well as long term goals to achieve the supreme destination. 

[Like the notes? See the class on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/nycharinam/videos/1214053055414459/]

Rama Raya Prabhu:

Traces of the bodily concept of life exist through bhava, the preliminary stage of love of God.

Being attracted by Krishna, Maharaja Bharata gave up his wealth and kingdom, but because he was not free of material desires, he became distracted.

Narottama Dasa Thakura says he will not culture any knowledge that does not help him attain love for Krishna.

Kali-yuga is such that no one will ever have peace of mind.

Knowledge of Krishna is not forgotten by the residents of Vrindavan. It is included in their ecstatic relationship with Him.

The descriptions of the miseries of Kali-yuga and the different types of annihilation in the beginning of the Twelfth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam are meant to completely detach Maharaja Pariksit from this material world before the end of his life.


It is described that Maharaja Pariksit, in samadhi, had departed back to Godhead before Tarsaka bit his body.

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Krishna, through His instructions to Arjuna, tells us how to perform our prescribed duties in life. The secret is to act for Krishna with mind and intelligence fixed on Him. This instruction is very universal, and I share it with many people as an important teaching of the Gita:

tasmat sarvesu kalesu
mam anusmara yudhya ca
mayy arpita-mano-buddhir
mam evaisyasy asamsayah

Therefore, Arjuna, you should always think of Me in the form of Krishna and at the same time carry out your prescribed duty of fighting. With your activities dedicated to Me and your mind and intelligence fixed on Me, you will attain Me without doubt.” (Bhagavad-gita 8.7)