By Krishna-kripa das
(December 2018, part two)
New York City and Albany
(Sent from Tallahassee, Florida, on January 12, 2019)
Where
I Went and What I Did
I
continued staying in the Yuga Dharma Ashram and chanting in New York
City subway stations six hours a day throughout the second half of
December. We were very happy to have Niranjana Swami visit toward the
end of the month. He gave a class at our ashram one day and chanted
with us at Grand Central subway station another. He also chanted at
the Bhakti Center Thursday Kirtan again and chanted and spoke at the
Russian devotees’ program at 26 Second Avenue on Friday. For
Christmas Eve I visited my family in Albany, New York, and
distributed prasadam
as
usual. The last Saturday in December, I gave the Bhagavad-gita class at 26 Second Avenue, and on New Year’s Eve, we did an extra harinama to celebrate the coming New Year.
I
share notes on classes by Srila Prabhupada and excerpts from the Free
Write Journal of
Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami. I share notes on the classes of visiting
sannyasi,
Niranjana
Swami, at different New York City venues. I share notes on the Yuga
Dharma Ashram morning classes of Rama Raya, Vishnu-citta, Natabara
Gauranga, Kalki, and Mahotsaha Prabhus. I share points during a class
from Gopal Campu Prabhu, from an email by Gaurav, and from a
conversation with Victor Anderson, a Buddhist practitioner.
Thanks
to Kaliya Krishna Prabhu for his donation from the congregation
of the Saturday Bhagavad-gita
class
program at 26 Second Avenue and his personal donation. Thanks to
Victor Anderson of Albany for his kind donation. Many thanks to
Prabhupada disciple, Lalita Manjari Devi Dasi, who facilitated
Ishvari Jahnava Dasi’s visit to the Yuga Dharma
Ashram,
for her generous donation.
Thanks
to Divyangi Devi Dasi for her many harinama
photos.
Thanks to Kaliya Krishna Prabhu for his photo of Niranjana Swami on
harinama.
Thanks
to Adi Shyam Prabhu and Mangala Gita for the videos of Niranjana
Swami on harinama.
Thanks to Sasha Prabhu for his video of our extra New Year’s Eve
harinama
in
the Grand Central subway station and on the subway.
Itinerary
January
6–16: Tallahassee,
Florida State University (weekdays),
Lake Ella (weekends)
January
17: Tampa, Florida, University of South Florida program?
January
18–20: BI Gainesville Consciousness Conference
January
21: Gainesville Martin Luther King Day parade
January
22, 23, and 25: Krishna House in Gainesville
January
24: Tampa (USF) or
Jacksonville (UNF),
Florida
January
26: Tampa Gasparilla Pirate Parade Ratha-yatra and harinama
January
27–: Tallahassee, Florida State University (weekdays),
Lake Ella (weekends)
April
8: Albany
April
9: Philadelphia
April
10–12: Washington, D.C., harinama
with
Sankarsana Prabhu by the museums
April
14–18: Dublin
April
19–24: Newcastle-upon-Tyne
April
27: Amsterdam King’s Day harinama
September
8: Great North Run harinama
(Newcastle-upon-Tyne)
Chanting
Hare Krishna with the NYC Yuga Dharma Ashram
I
lived with the Yuga Dharma Ashram devotees, attending their six-hour
harinamas each
day, chanting Hare Krishna in different New York City subway
stations, such as Penn Station as you see here.
I
sometimes led the chanting,
sometimes
watched the book table,
sometimes distributed “On Chanting Hare Krishna,”
and
sometimes danced.
The
book distributors continued their marathon, ultimately distributing
over 10,000 books in forty-one days, ending on New Year’s Day in
2019.
They
continued selling several saptarsis
(sets
of seven books) each day.
Special
mention goes this time to Kalki Prabhu,
who en route to harinama, sold a saptarsi to a man on the subway!
who en route to harinama, sold a saptarsi to a man on the subway!
As
usual different devotee guests passed through New York City and
joined our harinama
for
some time.
We
were exceedingly happy to be visited by Niranjana Swami, who chanted
Hare Krishna with us in Grand Central subway station, while Murali
Gopal Prabhu danced. Devala Prabhu played the drum.
(https://youtu.be/3wjnI7PX5S4):
Mangala
Gita also posted a video of Niranjana Swami chanting on this harinama
(https://youtu.be/qvJmO0pQID0):
After Niranjana Swami’s kirtan, Rama Raya Prabhu chanted Hare Krishna and Murali Gopal Prabhu
danced (https://youtu.be/RwPotUX92Eg):
Besides
Niranjana Swami, we had other visiting devotees join our sankirtana
party
during the end of December. Here Devala Prabhu, son of Janmastami
Prabhu, visiting from Florida, chants Hare Krishna in Grand Central
subway station. Liza of Brooklyn, home from college for the the
winter break, who is playing the karatalas
next to him, first came in touch with Hare Krishna through this NYC
Harinama party. Kishor Gopal Prabhu plays the drum, and his mother,
Ekadasi Vrata Devi Dasi, visiting from Alachua, sits next to him. At
the end of this clip, Niranjana Swami enters and people bow down to
him (https://youtu.be/akqjQJNABm8):
Here
Rama Raya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna to the tune of the famous New
Year’s song, “Auld Lang Syne,” in Grand Central subway station.
Whenever I hear it, I always lament another year has passed, and I
have not attained Krishna! (https://youtu.be/KLjVdAxEbPs):
As
usual Rama Raya Prabhu’s lively devotional chanting inspired
devotees and passersby to participate in different ways.
Rama
Raya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Penn Station subway station on New
Year’s Eve and several passersby enjoy dancing and playing
instruments (https://youtu.be/Is-sF4I9hOE):
Here
Rama Raya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Jackson Heights / Roosevelt
Avenue subway station, and a performer dances with the devotees,
including Murali Gopal Prabhu, who is somewhat of a performer himself
(https://youtu.be/jsLA4ZF0RXQ):
Rama
Raya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Atlantic Avenue / Barclays Center
subway station in Brooklyn, and several passersby dance
(https://youtu.be/Uo_rqcDMi3Y):
Rama
Raya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Grand Central subway station, and
Chanchal dances with an eccentric dresser
(https://youtu.be/_NClDSPpmiA):
Rama
Raya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Union Square subway station, and
passersby dance (https://youtu.be/ZCSuJVyh850):
Rama
Raya chants Hare Krishna in Times Square subway station and passersby
dance (https://youtu.be/y0mVTYBEbzA):
Rama
Raya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Times Square subway station, and a
lady dances and kids play shakers (https://youtu.be/RLph6UQjk-o):
Rama
Raya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Jackson Heights / Roosevelt Avenue
subway station, and Murali Gopal Prabhu dances enthusiastically
(https://youtu.be/dudj1WYASsw):
Rama
Raya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna to “Jingle Bells” tune at Penn
Station subway station (https://youtu.be/5n1tsa7V8-E):
Kaliya
Krishna Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Jackson Heights / Roosevelt
Avenue subway station, and some girls dance as well as three devotees
(https://youtu.be/3VeUOhmbO1E):
Bhagavata
Purana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Jackson Heights / Roosevelt
Avenue subway station, and an elderly Indian lady dances
enthusiastically while playing the shakers
(https://youtu.be/VUzUrsCKZS0):
Krishna
Prasad Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Penn Station subway station on
New Year’s Eve, and two bros enjoy dancing and playing instruments
(https://youtu.be/CTWSjVa8dwI):
Ishvari
Jahnava Dasi chants Hare Krishna as a passerby plays saxophone at
Union Square subway station (https://youtu.be/bEYS4qRVZ9o):
A
young lady, just about to board the New York City subway at Jackson
Heights / Roosevelt Avenue, shares her experience of being attracted
by the chanting of Hare Krishna with Mahotsaha Prabhu, who sold her a
CD of Hare Krishna chants and several of Srila Prabhupada’s books
(https://youtu.be/qc2aXxpqnTg):
Niranjana
Swami Chants Hare Krishna at 26 Second Avenue
Niranjana
Swami chants Hare Krishna at 26 Second Avenue during the Friday night
program organized by the Russian-speaking devotees
(https://youtu.be/wK9CRQ8Vxd4):
My
Mini Marathon
For
the Prabhupada Marathon in December during the week before Christmas
Eve I decided to go out for two more hours of chanting Hare Krishna
before joining our regular party and chanting another six hours with
them. I displayed books and had a donation bowl, and if people gave
me money I offered them books.
The
first day I chanted Hare Krishna at Columbus Circle on the downtown
platform of the 1 train. Our harinama
party
used to chant there several years back. One guy gave a dollar and
accepted the Spanish book called Karma.
An
Indian man gave a dollar but did not want a book. One young yoga
instructor gave me a dollar. I offered him a small book, and he
declined saying he had Bhagavad-gita.
He
returned a few moments later and gave me five dollars saying that the
devotees had given him the Bhagavad-gita
for
free, and he had said he would give them a donation later. One
middle-aged lady said she often bought books from us, saying she had
Bhagavad-gita,
Nectar of Instruction, and
Sri Isopanisad.
She
wanted Science of
Self-Realization but
did not have enough money for it. One young lady looked very happy to
hear me chanting. She had Bhagavad-gita
and
Bhakti already.
She also wanted Science
of Self-Realization but
did not have enough money for it. Altogether I collected $9.04 but
only distributed a single book. One thing I learned from the
experience is there are people out there who already have Srila
Prabhupada’s books, and they like them so much they want more, and
that was nice to see.
One
day a Hispanic guy bought a Spanish Bhagavad-gita.
Another
day a young Oriental lady who loved the sound of the kirtan gave a
donation and accepted a book. Once a devotee couple came by and
chanted a few mantra with us before continuing on their way. Once an
Indian man donated twenty dollars.
I
noticed I was a lot more tired at the end of our six-hour harinama
as
a result of going our earlier and chanting that additional two hours.
One day while sitting at the book table and leaning against the
pillar, I was so tired I dropped the “On Chanting Hare Krishna”
pamphlet I was holding ten times during a span of half an hour!
The
week after Christmas on two different days Ananda Sankirtana Prabhu
joined me for one hour extra of harinama
and
on a rainy New Year’s Eve six devotees joined me in a harinama
lasting
for an hour and a half in three subway stations and on four trains.
Here is a summary of my marathon:
New
Year’s Eve Harinama in the Subway Stations and on the Trains
Unfortunately,
despite the beautiful graphics by Rukmini and the Facebook event by
Sasha, because of rain and cold weather I got a group of just seven
devotees to chant on New Year’s Eve, after our daily six hours of
chanting was finished. We did not have enough drum players to bring
the harmonium, so I left that back at the Bhakti Center along with my
computer. Kishor Gopal Prabhu, because of his musical talent and his
devotion, was a great asset on our party, and so I decided to end the
harinama
at
his final destination, the Brooklyn Radha-Govinda temple where there
was kirtana
from
7:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. on New Year’s Eve. We planned to chant from
8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., but by the time we gathered devotees
together and decided where we would chant on that rainy evening it
was 8:30 p.m. We decided to chant at the Union Square subway station
because it was nearby and often crowded. To save time we decided to
also chant on the F train and the 6 train which bought us there. We
probably chanted at Union Square for fifteen or twenty minutes. While
we were there one man learned the mantra and sang a few mantras with
us. Gaurav distributed some prasadam
and
collected some donations. Some passersby danced to the music. Some
devotees thought 42nd
St. would be busier, so we chanted on the 4 train for one stop up to
Grand Central subway station, where there is a shuttle to Times
Square, the center of attention on New Year’s Eve. We chanted
through the passage to the shuttle, but we found that Grand Central
was really dead. Perhaps it was because there was no street access to
the subway at Times Square, a detail I forgot about. Kishor Gopal
Prabhu was tired of playing the drum, so I played the drum and sang
from Grand Central to Union Square on the 6 train, changing subways
cars after each stop so as not to disturb the subway riders too much
and to give a new set of people the chance to hear the holy names
(https://youtu.be/9a8WkV6aEFE):
At
Union Square, at about 9:30 p.m., different devotees in our party
went their separate ways. Kishor Gopal, Sasha, and I kept chanting
Hare Krishna together, taking the 5 train toward Brooklyn as far as
Bowling Green, its final destination that day. There we had to wait
eight minutes for the 4 train to get all the way to Brooklyn, and I
gave the drum and the lead back to Kishor Gopal for the rest of the
journey. When we got to the Nevins station one nice devotee lady held
her umbrella over our chanting party to protect us from the rain as
we walked the two and a half blocks toward the temple chanting.
Amazingly enough, we made it to the Brooklyn temple at 10:00 p.m.,
the time I planned to end the harinama.
It
turned out they were serving an elaborate feast, bigger than the
Sunday feast the day before, and we joined several regular attenders
on our NYC harinamas,
who
were
taking prasadam,
along
with Candrasekhara Swami.
Many,
many thanks to Kishor Gopal Prabhu, Yugala Piriti Devi Dasi, Natasha,
Dixon, Gaurav, and Sasha for coming on New Year’s Eve harinama.
We
hope for better weather and attendance this coming New Year’s Eve.
Visiting
Albany for Christmas Eve
For
Christmas I distributed prasadam
to
my family members and attenders at the Albany Friends Meeting
(Quakers) as usual. I made carrot-coconut rice and mint coconut burfi
for the Quakers and gave my family members Bhakta Ken’s cookies and
the YumEarth organic hard candies we distribute on harinama.
Both groups got doughnuts from the Doughnut Plant.
Victor
showed me a box he constructed outside the Quaker Meetinghouse. It
contained literature for those who stopped by when no one was home.
Sounds like an idea the Hare Krishnas could use!
For
Christmas my family gave me a hat and wool socks, figs, date coconut
sweets, YumEarth lollipops, and an organic candy bar.
This
year for the first time they spontaneously sang Christmas carols
which is very auspicious because the congregational glorification of
God is the best way to spend one’s time in this age from the
spiritual point of view.
After
we sang the Christmas carols I noticed on my sister’s piano a photo
of me and devotees from the UK. She saw it in my blog and had a print made of it. It
was a photo of a harinama
in
Liverpool after the devotees had watched the Hare
Krishna! film
at a theater there. We were descending from Liverpool One on an
escalator. Thanks to Jude for the original photo!
Christmas
morning before my bus back to New York City I borrowed a car and
drove to my mother’s place and installed her new printer, just to
make her life easier as a gift on Christmas.
Christmas
afternoon and evening I chanted with the Yuga Dharma Ashram in Times
Square subway station, the most crowded of the stations in the city,
especially on holidays.
Income and Expenses for 2018
Because I receive donations from people, I feel I should account for how the money is spent, thus I share the summary of my income and expenses for 2018.
It is all rather straightforward. Food expenses are so low as I eat in the temples and at the houses of devotees. This was a bad year for waste as two programs were canceled after I booked travel to them, I dropped a £10 note, and I booked a bus for the wrong date by accident. If anyone wants more details, I can supply, but for now I share this summary.
Insights
Srila
Prabhupada:
From
a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam
7.9.4:
Even
Prahlada Maharaja, who was a maha-bhagavata
in
the womb of his mother, had to accept a guru.
It
is not that a maha-bhagavata
does
not experience trials. That is the nature of the material world that
there is difficulty, but although in difficulty, neither Prahlada
Maharaja nor Lord Jesus Christ forgot Krishna [the Supreme Lord].
Everyone
has the potency to become a maha-bhagavata
if
he tries. How? By following a maha-bhagavata
seriously.
A
nitya siddha is
one who does not fall down but remains in the spiritual world,
Vaikunthaloka.
As
the prison house is an insignificant part of the state, the material
world is an insignificant part of God’s total creation.
The
nitya siddha
maha-bhagavata comes
from the spiritual world to teach by his example.
You
cannot become a maha-bhagavata
all
of a sudden.
The
second stage is becoming a preacher. When you become advanced, the
desire for preaching will manifest.
Comments
by Vishnu-citta Prabhu: The points I liked from this lecture by Srila
Prabhupada were:
(1)
Once you go back to the spiritual world there is no difference
between you and the nitya
siddhas already
there.
(2)
Even a kid can be a maha-bhagavata.
When
we distribute books, Srila Prabhupada is doing the preaching.
If
you want good government, become a bhagavata
[a
devotee] and elect a maha-bhagavata
[a pure devotee of the highest degree].
All
the leaders should be maha-bhagavatas.
Then
everyone will be happy because maha-bhagavatas’
only
business is to work for the benefit of others.
The
government should make arrangements that the opportunity of human
life, to go back to Godhead, should not be missed. That is the idea
of Vedic civilization.
Satsvarupa
Dasa Goswami:
From
Free Writing
Journal#20:
“All-out
nuclear war would be horrendous for all people. But how to stop it?
During the Cold War between Russia and the U.S.A., Prabhupada said we
could not take political or military action. He quoted the verse from
the Puranas: harer
nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam
. . . ‘Chant the holy names, chant the holy names, chant the holy
names. In the age of Kali, there is no other way to peace and God
consciousness but the chanting of the holy names.’ The harinama
party is stopping the missiles from falling by congregational
sankirtana.”
“Krishna
is the light in the sun,
the taste in water,
the ability in man.
‘The impersonalist perceives the presence
of the Lord in water by its taste, and the
personalist also glorifies the Lord for
His kindly supplying tasty water to
quench man’s thirst.’ I want to
be active in thanking Krishna for
His graces and not begrudge
or blame Him for obstacles
in my life. I want to see Him everywhere
and see everything in Him. Thus
He will never be lost to me.”
the taste in water,
the ability in man.
‘The impersonalist perceives the presence
of the Lord in water by its taste, and the
personalist also glorifies the Lord for
His kindly supplying tasty water to
quench man’s thirst.’ I want to
be active in thanking Krishna for
His graces and not begrudge
or blame Him for obstacles
in my life. I want to see Him everywhere
and see everything in Him. Thus
He will never be lost to me.”
Niranjana
Swami:
From
a class at a Russian program at 26 Second Avenue:
I
have observed in my travels both in America and Germany that usually
the Russian speaking devotees have their own programs. Sometimes I
speak in such a way to break down such barriers, but as we have a
mixed group here, that will not be necessary.
Inspiration is the best way for communities to develop. You cannot legislate.
Srila Prabhupada says fire is in wood but in association with another fire it comes out. Similarly, our spiritual tendencies are awakened in the association of devotees.
The symptom of nonenviousness is that a devotee is liberal in his social dealings with others.
Devotees from the early days will all say they came because Srila Prabhupada walked his talk. He was so genuine they were inspired.
Prabhupada would emphasize “somehow or other remember Krishna” so people would not put rules and regulations first.
Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura argues that satatam in smartavyah satatam vishnur means not ‘always’ but ‘every day’ and stresses that the sadhaka must do something every day to remember Krishna.
“One should learn how to associate with the devotees of the Lord by gathering with them to chant the glories of the Lord. This process is most purifying. As devotees thus develop their loving friendship, they feel mutual happiness and satisfaction. And by thus encouraging one another they are able to give up material sense gratification, which is the cause of all suffering.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.3.30)
Devotees sometimes fall into a “all or nothing” mentality which causes them to give up devotional service. Maya gives us so many excuses to accept an "all or nothing" mentality.
Ultimately we want to love everyone, but in the beginning we cannot even love the devotees.
Bhaktivinoda Thakura says unless there is priti [love] there is no association.
When people love us without desiring anything in return we are inspired to love them in the same way, without desiring anything in return.
Krishna gives His heart and mind to His devotees. This comes out in the pastime of Durvasa Muni asking the Lord to call off His sudarsana chakra. The Lord advises Durvasa to approach Maharaja Ambarisa, His devotee, for He had given Himself to His devotee.
If you relish each other’s association you will get unlimited inspiration for community development.
As soon as we fall into the mentality of thinking we do not need association we are in trouble.
If we really want good association and we pray for it, Krishna will make the arrangement.
Sometimes we think friends means being equal, but do not be afraid to serve. A real friend you can take a subordinate role with and not be exploited.
You are thinking that the American devotees are in a bubble, but I know many American devotees think the Russian devotees are in a bubble.
I try to get the American leaders to understand the mentality of the Russian devotees. That is my contribution.
By appreciating and serving devotees we can develop relationships with them.
If we associate by hearing and speaking about Krishna it will be universally relishable, and new people will be attracted.
Out of compassion and out of duty, we can hear people who have problems and try to help them, but we must avoid becoming too absorbed in their problems ourselves.
Inspiration is the best way for communities to develop. You cannot legislate.
Srila Prabhupada says fire is in wood but in association with another fire it comes out. Similarly, our spiritual tendencies are awakened in the association of devotees.
The symptom of nonenviousness is that a devotee is liberal in his social dealings with others.
Devotees from the early days will all say they came because Srila Prabhupada walked his talk. He was so genuine they were inspired.
Prabhupada would emphasize “somehow or other remember Krishna” so people would not put rules and regulations first.
Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura argues that satatam in smartavyah satatam vishnur means not ‘always’ but ‘every day’ and stresses that the sadhaka must do something every day to remember Krishna.
“One should learn how to associate with the devotees of the Lord by gathering with them to chant the glories of the Lord. This process is most purifying. As devotees thus develop their loving friendship, they feel mutual happiness and satisfaction. And by thus encouraging one another they are able to give up material sense gratification, which is the cause of all suffering.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.3.30)
Devotees sometimes fall into a “all or nothing” mentality which causes them to give up devotional service. Maya gives us so many excuses to accept an "all or nothing" mentality.
Ultimately we want to love everyone, but in the beginning we cannot even love the devotees.
Bhaktivinoda Thakura says unless there is priti [love] there is no association.
When people love us without desiring anything in return we are inspired to love them in the same way, without desiring anything in return.
Krishna gives His heart and mind to His devotees. This comes out in the pastime of Durvasa Muni asking the Lord to call off His sudarsana chakra. The Lord advises Durvasa to approach Maharaja Ambarisa, His devotee, for He had given Himself to His devotee.
If you relish each other’s association you will get unlimited inspiration for community development.
As soon as we fall into the mentality of thinking we do not need association we are in trouble.
If we really want good association and we pray for it, Krishna will make the arrangement.
Sometimes we think friends means being equal, but do not be afraid to serve. A real friend you can take a subordinate role with and not be exploited.
You are thinking that the American devotees are in a bubble, but I know many American devotees think the Russian devotees are in a bubble.
I try to get the American leaders to understand the mentality of the Russian devotees. That is my contribution.
By appreciating and serving devotees we can develop relationships with them.
If we associate by hearing and speaking about Krishna it will be universally relishable, and new people will be attracted.
Out of compassion and out of duty, we can hear people who have problems and try to help them, but we must avoid becoming too absorbed in their problems ourselves.
Comment
by me which I just thought of but did not say:
Another relevant verse is:
“The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear sons of the King, I am very much pleased by the friendly relationships among you. All of you are engaged in one occupation — devotional service. I am so pleased with your mutual friendship that I wish you all good fortune. Now you may ask a benediction of Me.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.30.8)
Another relevant verse is:
“The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear sons of the King, I am very much pleased by the friendly relationships among you. All of you are engaged in one occupation — devotional service. I am so pleased with your mutual friendship that I wish you all good fortune. Now you may ask a benediction of Me.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.30.8)
From
a class at the Yuga Dharma Ashram:
I
have seen a lot of people flourish outside the ashram. It is austere
living in the ashram. It is not for everybody.
Krishna
is always manifest in His holy name. Wherever you go, you will have
His association. He will make the arrangements. He will pull the
strings.
You have to have prasadam on harinama. In
55th
Street we switched from lugloos
to popcorn at a certain point.
In
Boston we would distribute prasadam
to
people, and they would become favorable. Once when some guy was
giving us trouble, one supporter, a really big guy who received
prasadam regularly
from us, came up to him and said, “If you mess with these people
you’re messing with me.”
I
feel guilty I left New York City. It is the most amazing place for
preaching. Everything is there. All species. You never know who you
will meet.
When
I got Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad-gita,
I
would read it after work. The first time I came to visit the temple,
I found the wrong Beacon Street. The second time I found the
building, but I was afraid to go in thinking I might never come out,
and I was not ready for that, so I returned home. Finally toward the
end of 1972 I came to the temple in Boston.
After
Srila Prabhupada departed I had to deal with all these bhaktas.
In
1977 we did the biggest marathon ever. Srila Prabhupada had left, and
we all thought, “What can we do to please him?”
Praghosa
Prabhu would do hundreds of books a day during the marathon. I was
amazed to watch him. He was like poetry in motion. People would say,
“I do not know why I am getting this book, but I feel I have to get
it.”
Praghosa
and Bhakta Jake [later Jada Bharata] were the only people who could
win the competition. Praghosa came in late, and seeing he beat Bhakta
Jake, he thought he had won and took rest. I called Adi Kesava and
asked when the marathon ended, and he said, “Mangala-arati.”
I woke Bhakta Jake and explained the situation. He immediately jumped
up, and said repeatedly, “I hear you.” He jumped in the van as he
was dressing. We stopped at anyone who moved. And before
mangala-arati he
beat Praghosa Prabhu.
From
my brief time in New York City, I experienced that the modes are so
thick, you can feel it constantly on your head.
Since
55th
Street we have not had a presence in New York City, except for awhile
with Aindra Prabhu and his harinama
truck
to 1986. So I have to thank you Rama Raya Prabhu, for once again
giving Krishna consciousness a presence in New York City.
[Note:
Murli Krishna Prabhu, who heard this class online, mentioned to me
later that he, Subal Prabhu, and Vishnurata Prabhu used Aindra
Prabhu’s truck and kept harinama
going
in New York City from the late 1980s to the early 1990s. Murli
Krishna explained, “I had learned the harinama
locations around the city directly from Aindra Prabhu, after he asked
me to join him in the truck before he went to India when I was a new
bhakta.
So, basically he was training me, how to get the permits from the
city, fees and forms and to make sure those permits were renewed
every year. He also, asked me to learn harmonium and the raga
scales. We had deities and made fruit and nut offerings and arati
to the truck deities. At the time devotees were using stickers for
sankirtana
and would go out in street clothes and wigs and even Santa Claus
outfits. I did not agree with that and wanted to do what Aindra
Prabhu was doing, so eventually the temple authorities decided to
start the Harinam Truck with me, Subal and Vishnu. It was a small
group but we were able to maintain it especially because it was in
line with Srila Prabhupada’s instructions. Traveling devotees,
sannyasis, new
bhaktas
would join us but the core was always the three of us. We also went
in the subways, mainly Times Square by the Shuttle train.”]
My
connection with the Yuga Dharma Ashram has been through Rama Raya,
but I wanted to meet the rest of you.
This
ashram should be preserved, and its spirit should also be preserved.
But do not become proud. We should be proud of those who have
inspired us to make the sacrifice. I am not here to boost your pride
but remind you of how much Srila Prabhupada appreciated harinama
sankirtana and
book distribution.
On
Saturdays, after the malls closed, we would go to the restaurants and
approach people at the tables.
I
never regret the austerities. It is bitter, but it is sweet. There is
nothing more convincing in the heart, when Srila Prabhupada is
pleased by one’s sacrifice in service.
If
you keep yourself free from profit, recognition, and prestige, you
can make the long haul to go back to Godhead.
The
bhaktas [devotees]
just want Krishna’s pleasure. I will get Krishna’s pleasure, if I
serve for ten years, twenty years, ten lifetimes, twenty lifetimes.
That is the determination of the devotee.
Haridas
Thakura exemplified having determination, never giving up chanting
the holy name, and always having compassion for others. If we never
forget these three qualities in our own lives, we will get Srila
Prabhupada’s mercy.
An
advanced Vaishnava inspires others by being strict with himself but
liberal in dealing with others.
When
you learn the hard way, you feel compassion for others and share with
others so they will not have to learn the hard way.
When
Adi-kesava made me temple president in Boston, he gave me a copy of
the December 22, 1972, letter from Srila Prabhupada to Karandhara,
saying “Everything you need to know is in that letter.”
Here
is part of that letter:
“Krishna
Consciousness Movement is for training men to be independently
thoughtful and competent in all types of departments of knowledge and
action, not for making bureaucracy. Once there is bureaucracy the
whole thing will be spoiled. There must be always individual striving
and work and responsibility, competitive spirit, not that one shall
dominate and distribute benefits to the others and they do nothing
but beg from you and you provide. No. Never mind there may be
botheration to register each centre, take tax certificate each,
become separate corporations in each state. That will train men how
to do these things, and they shall develop reliability and
responsibility, that is the point. I am little observing now,
especially in your country, that our men are losing their enthusiasm
for spreading on our programmes of Krishna Consciousness movement.
Otherwise, why so many letters of problems are coming, dissatisfied?
That is not a very good sign. The whole problem is they are not
following the regulative principles, that I can detect. Without this,
enthusiasm will be lacking. Even mechanically following, and if he
gets gradually understanding from the class, he will come to the
point of spontaneous enthusiasm. This spontaneous loving devotional
service is not so easy matter, but if one simply sticks strictly to
the rules and regulations, like rising early, chanting 16 rounds,
chanting gayatri,
keeping always clean—then his enthusiasm will grow more and more,
and if there is also patience and determination, one day he will come
to the platform of spontaneous devotion, then his life will be
perfect. All of this I have told you in Nectar
of Devotion.
So I do not think the leaders are themselves following, nor they are
seeing the others are following strictly. That must be rectified at
once. Each centre remain independent, that’s all right, but the
president and other officers must themselves follow and see the
others are following the regulative principles carefully, and giving
them good instruction so they may understand nicely why this tapasya
is necessary. And GBC and Sannyasis will travel and see the officers
are doing this, and if they observe anything lowering of the
standard, they must reform and advise, or if there is some
discrepancy I shall remove it. Of course, if new men are coming, they
may not be expected immediately to take to our regulative principles
cent per cent. Therefore we should not be so anxious to induce them
to live in the temple. Anyone who lives in the temple must agree to
follow the rules and regulations without fail. So if some new man
moves in with us he may become discouraged if he is forced in this
way. Therefore let them live outside and become gradually convinced
in the class why they should accept some austerity, then they will
live with us out of their own accord and follow nicely everything. It
is very difficult to give up very quickly so many bad habits as you
have got in your country, so educate them gradually, first with
chanting, and do not be so much anxious to count up so many numbers
of new devotees, if such devotees go away later being too early
forced. I want to see a few sincere devotees, not many false devotees
or pretenders.
So
my point is that the regulative principles must be followed by
everyone. Otherwise their enthusiasm dwindles and they again think of
sex and become restless, and so many problems are there. There is
some symptom of missing the point. The point is to be engaged in
doing something for Krishna, never mind what is that job, but being
so engaged in doing something very much satisfying to the devotee
that he remains always enthusiastic. He will automatically follow the
regulative principles because they are part of his occupational
duty—by applying them practically as his occupational duty, he
realizes the happy result of regulative principles. So the future of
this Krishna Consciousness movement is very bright, so long the
managers remain vigilant that 16 rounds are being chanted by everyone
without fail, that they are all rising before four morning, attending
mangal
arotik—our
leaders shall be careful not to kill the spirit of enthusiastic
service, which is individual and spontaneous and voluntary. They
should try always to generate some atmosphere of fresh challenge to
the devotees, so that they will agree enthusiastically to rise and
meet it. That is the art of management: to draw out spontaneous
loving spirit of sacrificing some energy for Krishna. But where are
so many expert managers? All of us should become expert managers and
preachers. We should not be very much after comforts and become
complacent or self-contented. There must be always some tapasya,
strictly observing the regulative principles—Krishna Consciousness
movement must be always a challenge, a great achievement to be gained
by voluntary desire to do it, and that will keep it healthy. So you
big managers now try to train up more and more some competent
preachers and managers like yourselves.”
Rama
Raya is a great source of inspiration to me.
Rama
Raya Prabhu:
It
is absolutely necessary to understand that Krishna is the friend of
everyone if we want to ultimately benefit others.
This
is especially true in this degraded age of Kali when we need a really
good friend to benefit us.
No
one can liberate people from the ocean of birth and death other than
Krishna.
This
verse states: “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)
“With great delight” means no one has to force you do it, no one
has to drag you to do it.
Here
Prabhupada (Srimad-Bhagavatam
1.2.22,
purport) in refers to the residents of Vrindavan as “higher
transcendentalists” because of their intimate relationships with
Krishna.
Prabodhananda
Sarasvati in his Vrindavan-mahimamrita
says
he would rather be an insect in Vrindavan than a Lord Brahma or a
queen in Dvaraka.
Bhakti
must
be kevala,
not
mixed with karma, jnana,
or
yoga,
to guarantee freedom from repeated birth and death.
Comment
by Bhagavata Purana Prabhu: Lord Narayana also plays the flute but
only occasionally.
Srila
Prabhupada says the purpose of this Krishna consciousness is to
enable people to enter the dancing party of Radha and Krishna.
King
Ambarisa effortlessly defeated Durvasa Muni, although he was a great
yogi, simply by depending on Krishna.
Raghunatha
Dasa Goswami is the perfect example of someone who has attained an
intimate relationship with Radha and Krishna by the mercy of Lord
Nityananda.
Srila
Prabhupada’s only desire was to spread Krishna consciousness, and
thus Krishna fulfilled that desire, in a very unprecedented way that
had never before been seen.
When
Balavanta Prabhu was starting his “In God We Trust” political
party, he asked Srila Prabhupada what they should tell the people.
Srila Prabhupada answered by saying, “Whatever you say or do, if
you get them to chant Hare Krishna, then what you did was perfect.”
Srila
Prabhupada recommended that serious spiritual aspirants should live
in the temple because regular association with devotees is very
important.
More
importantly than the temple providing a facility for people to come
and hear about Krishna, it provides regular association with
devotees.
Srila
Prabhupada created farm communities so people would not become
implicated in the present demoniac society.
Although
Krishna says one who is not dependent on the ordinary course of
activities and is not disturbed by the material dualities is very
dear to Him, we should provide a nice situation for devotees to come
to that level of realization.
Not
only do we have to get the books into people’s hands, we have to
inspire them to read them.
Jayadvaita
Swami, instructing people how to give a Srimad-Bhagavatam
class,
told
them to practice the Sanskrit beforehand.
The
books of Narottama Dasa Thakura, like Prema-bhakti-candrika,
make
it unnecessary to study psychology.
If
one cries out the name of Lord Gauranga, there is no more fear of
this age of Kali.
Jiva
Goswami says the Lord is ten million times more dear to the devotee
than life itself.
Lord
Krishna says to Uddhava in the “Bhakti Yoga” chapter of Canto
Eleven of Srimad-Bhagavatam:
SB
11.29.26
— One who liberally disseminates this knowledge among My devotees
is the bestower of the Absolute Truth, and to him I give My very own
self.
SB
11.29.27
— He who loudly recites this supreme knowledge, which is the most
lucid and purifying, becomes purified day by day, for he reveals Me
to others with the lamp of transcendental knowledge.
SB
11.29.28
— Anyone who regularly listens to this knowledge with faith and
attention, all the while engaging in My pure devotional service, will
never become bound by the reactions of material work.
SB
11.29.29
— My dear friend Uddhava, have you now completely understood this
transcendental knowledge? Are the confusion and lamentation that
arose in your mind now dispelled?
SB
11.29.30
— You should not share this instruction with anyone who is
hypocritical, atheistic or dishonest, or with anyone who will not
listen faithfully, who is not a devotee, or who is simply not humble.
SB
11.29.31
— This knowledge should be taught to one who is free from these bad
qualities, who is dedicated to the welfare of the brahmanas,
and who is kindly disposed, saintly and pure. And if common workers
and women are found to have devotion for the Supreme Lord, they are
also to be accepted as qualified hearers.
SB
11.29.32
— When an inquisitive person comes to understand this knowledge, he
has nothing further to know. After all, one who has drunk the most
palatable nectar cannot remain thirsty.
SB
11.29.33
— Through analytic knowledge, ritualistic work, mystic yoga,
mundane business and political rule, people seek to advance in
religiosity, economic development, sense gratification and
liberation. But because you are My devotee, whatever men can
accomplish in these multifarious ways you will very easily find
within Me.
SB
11.29.34
— A person who gives up all fruitive activities and offers himself
entirely unto Me, eagerly desiring to render service unto Me,
achieves liberation from birth and death and is promoted to the
status of sharing My own opulences.
Vishnu-citta
Prabhu was sent here by his guru, Bhakti Vikasa Swami, in response to
my request for capable help.
Isvari
Jahnava Devi Dasi outfitted our kitchen with a lot of good equipment.
Krishna-kripa Das:
From a class on Bhagavad-gita 17.24 at 26 2nd Ave. in New York on December 29, 2018:
Vishnu-citta
Prabhu:
Srila
Prabhupada wrote this purport promoting book distribution after he
had established a hundred temples and different farm projects. Book
distribution was not something useful in the beginning just to get
the movement off the ground.
Without
reading the books, one’s understanding will not be pure, and thus
one’s motivations will not be pure, and one will not be successful.
Srila
Prabhupada never retired from preaching.
The
entire materialistic civilization is based on the hope one will
attain happiness. It is not based on actually attaining happiness.
They
invent holidays like New Year’s Day, Santa Claus Day, and No Pants
Day in hopes of achieving greater happiness.
The
gates of the body being illuminated with knowledge means we perceive
things as they are.
A
brahmana has
to go beyond his brahminical knowledge by surrendering to a bona fide
spiritual master to be self-realized.
If
you feel you have no determination to carry out your spiritual
master’s instructions, you can always inquire from him what to do
to gain that determination.
Sankaracarya
does not accept all the Vedas as being equally authoritative. He does
not accept the smriti
but
only the sruti,
yet
he makes an exception with Bhagavad-gita,
which
is part of the Mahabharata,
because
Bhagavad-gita,
though
smriti,
is
spoken by Krishna Himself.
The
Vedas
say
that you cannot read all the Vedas
in
one life. Srila
Prabhupada says, “Bhagavad-gita
is the summary of Vedic literature. You cannot read all the Vedas
at the present moment, neither you have time, nor you have got the
capacity. In this Kali-yuga, mandah
sumanda-matayo
[SB 1.1.10], everyone is fallen, manda-bhagya.”
(Initiation Lecture, June 18, 1976, Toronto)
Sankaracarya
gave special importance to eleven Upanisads.
Why
these eleven? Because it is easiest to prove impersonalism using
these eleven Upanisads.
If
you say something has no qualities that is also a quality so you are
contradicting yourself.
I
accidentally heard a Mayavadi on television. He was saying, “I am
brahman.
This
microphone is brahman.
There
is no difference between me and this microphone.”
In
our temple in Salem in India, there was a man who was arguing that
everything was God and thus there was no need to worship the deity.
The devotees said, “You mean to say there is no difference between
the Deity and the toilet?” The man agreed, so they invited him to
come into the bathroom and bow down to the toilet. The man became
very angry, and spoke all kinds of nonsense, and the devotees had to
throw him out of the temple.
Natabara
Gauranga Prabhu:
We
should not worship the demigods thinking them to be separate from or
independent of Lord Vishnu.
People
worship Sani (Saturn) to gain a long life.
Srila
Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura says, “Those who conceive of the
other four deities worshiped in panca
upasana
as different names of Vishnu rather than servitors of Vishnu will
never attain liberation.”
Ganesa
is worshiped to surpass obstacles, but he gets the power to do that
from Vishnu.
How
much pleasure can your finger give you, but if you cut even a little
piece of it off, it can give you pain for days.
You
can be a Rudra if you do one hundred lifetimes as Brahma.
The
Gandharvas enjoy a hundred times more than humans, Pitrs enjoy a
hundred times more than the Gandharvas, and demigods who attain their
posts by perfectly executing varnasrama
duties
enjoy hundred times more than the Pitrs. Pleasure a hundred times
more than that is enjoyed by demigods who achieve their positions by
fire sacrifices. Indra enjoys a hundred times more than that. His
priest Brhaspati enjoys a hundred times more than he does. The
Prajapatis enjoy a hundred times more than that. Brahmananda, the
spiritual bliss of brahman,
is
a hundred times greater than that. This pleasure is compared to a
puddle created by a calf’s hoof print compared to the ocean of
pleasure derived from devotional service to Lord Krishna.
It
has been shown that homeless people who win the lottery become
homeless after a few years because that is their karma.
Kalki
Prabhu:
We
see the manifestation of ignorance in people who destroy anything
they touch.
Smoking
cigarettes is a good example of the mode of ignorance. On the package
of the cigarettes it says smoking is hazardous to one’s health, but
people go on smoking anyway.
In
the mode of ignorance, there is not much thought about anything but
eating, sleeping, mating, and defending.
Comment
by me: Gauridas Pandit Prabhu of Nepal who lives in the UK said that
in the UK there is more facility for enjoyment, but there is no time
to enjoy.
Srila
Prabhupada once made the point that if you eat too little, that is
not much of a problem, because you can always eat more, but if you
eat too much then you are in trouble.
It
is not that we have to go outside the realm of Krishna consciousness
to solve our problems.
Krishna
gives the devotee some suffering to encourage him to become detached.
Mahotsaha
Prabhu:
Because
people identify with the body rather than the soul, so much nonsense
is going on in the name of philanthropy.
Investing
in your body is like investing in a company which is going bankrupt
very soon.
Krishna
is like God at home whereas Vishnu is like God in the office.
Hiranyakasipu
became the greatest materialist by worshiping Brahma, and he made
everyone in the universe except Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva bow down to
him.
Worshiping
demigods for material benefits is like a prisoner developing
friendships with the prison administrators to attain a more
comfortable situation in the prison.
On
book distribution we can tell people we have tickets to the spiritual
world, and even for a single dollar, they can get one.
We
distribute Srila Prabhupada’s fame all over the three worlds one
book at a time.
Acaryas
like
Srila Prabhupada and his guru Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati
performed so many austerities to preach pure devotional service.
If
we do not cut off the weeds of unwanted activities they will choke
our creeper of devotional service.
Srila
Prabhupada was there in Dr. Mishra’s yoga ashram in beginning, and
if he thought yoga would be a good way of introducing devotional
service to Krishna then he would have pursued it. Instead he pursued
harinama and
book distribution.
We
should admit we are Kali-yuga rejects and engage in the yuga-dharma
of
harinama-sankirtana.
In
serving the previous acaryas,
we
have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
When
we preach with the desire to please Gopinatha we will be successful.
Gopala
Campu Prabhu:
After
coming to the harinama
one day a week for nine months I moved into the ashram. For Karttika
I heard Aindra Prabhu’s kirtan for two hours a day, to and from
work, and that is when I was inspired to quit my job and move in the
ashram.
Gaurav
Prabhu [a young Indian man who distributes Srila Prabhupada’s books
after work for an hour or so each day at our NYC harinamas]:
From
a comment after a Bhagavad-gita
class
at 26 Second Avenue:
If you rotate the Sanskrit om by 90 degrees you get the Arabic Allah. A Muslim man told me that.
From
an email:
“Satsvarupa
Maharaj’s Srila
Prabhupada-lilamrita
is transparent access to Srila Prabhupada. Of all the methods of
acquiring any knowledge, shabda
is the best. So reading Lilamrita
is as good as Srila Prabhupada’s personal association. My sincere
thanks to Maharaj for giving us that access to Srila Prabhupada and
his sacrifices for us.”
Victor
Anderson (Buddhist practitioner):
“A
person who is not disturbed by the incessant flow of desires –
that enter like rivers into the ocean, which is ever being filled
but is always still – can alone achieve peace, and not the man who
strives to satisfy such desires.” (Bhagavad-gita
2.70)
This is a perfect description of the awakened soul in the Buddhist
tradition.
-----
Everyone
is looking for happiness. Most people imagine they will achieve it by
satisfying the senses of their bodies or titillating their minds or
intellects. The Bhagavatam
teaches
another path. This is a favorite verse of mine for over thirty years.
May we always remain situated in such transcendental happiness!
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)