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Monday, March 18, 2019

Travel Journal#15.5: Tallahassee

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 15, No. 5
By Krishna-kripa das
(March 2019, part one)
Tallahassee
(Sent from Gainesville on March 18, 2019)

Where I Went and What I Did

I stayed in the Hare Krishna temple in Tallahassee for the first half of March and chanted Hare Krishna at eight different venues, which I list and will describe in chronological order: First Friday, Lake Ella, the Tallahassee Hare Krishna temple itself, Florida State University (FSU), the VegFest, a home program at Umesh Prabhu’s home, Florida A & M University (FAMU), and the A-cola Rainbow Gathering. Several new people chanted Hare Krishna with us for the first time at the different venues, and several new people also played instruments. I became inspired by seeing people connecting with Krishna more and more, and I decided to spend time in Tallahassee during the fall semester in addition to the the spring semester, when I usually come. I recall Srila Prabhupada advised the devotees in Gainesville to do something wonderful there and indicated that would be possible by emphasizing just two things, prasadam distribution and loud chanting of the holy name. I notice the Gainesville center really expanded when they took daily public chanting seriously in addition to distributing prasadam, and I am hoping the same can happen in Tallahassee.

I share several quotes from Srila Prabhupada’s Sri Caitanya-caritamrita and notes on one of his lectures. I share a quote by Bhaktivinoda Thakura. I share many creatively expressed Krishna consciousness realizations from the poems and prose of Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami found in Every Day, Just Write and his Free Write Journal. I share notes on recorded lectures by Hridayananda Goswami and Radhanath Swami which we played for morning classes in Tallahassee, and notes on Sunday feast lectures by Yogi Garuda Prabhu and Jorge. I share advice on college outreach by Devamrita Swami.

Unlimited thanks to Caitanya Bhava Prabhu of Dallas who kindly paid for the purchase of new laptop for me that is half the weight of my present one, has a backlit keyboard, which is very handy, and has a battery with a much longer life. My present laptop also has a flaky keyboard and difficulty copying videos from my iPhone, so the new one will help me greatly. Thanks to Jaya Caitanya Prabhu, formerly known as Bhakta Jeff, who kindly copied all the data off my external hard drive, formatted the drive to its full capacity and restored the data. Thus I am reminded, as the Beatles say, “I get by with a little help from my friends.”

Thanks to Tess for the photo of Jorge and me at First Friday. Thanks to Sarah for the video of Skylar, Jorge, and me at FSU.

Itinerary

March 18–22, 24: Krishna House in Gainesville
March 23: St. Augustine Ratha-yatra
March 25: University of North Florida harinama in Jacksonville
March 26–April 5: Tallahassee, Florida State University (weekdays), Lake Ella (weekends) [March 30: Ratha-yatra]
April 6: Jacksonville Bhakti House program
April 7: Philadelphia harinama and Sunday Feast
April 8–9: New York City Yuga Dharma Harinama Party
April 10–12: Washington, D.C., harinama with Sankarsana Prabhu by the museums
April 13–14: Albany
April 15–17: Dublin
April 18: Belfast
April 19–24: Newcastle-upon-Tyne
April 25: Leeds harinama and Accrington program
April 26: Liverpool harinama and program
April 27: Amsterdam King’s Day harinama
April 28: Rotterdam and Antwerp Sunday Feast?
April 29–30: Brussels harinama
May 1–3: London harinama
May 4–5: Birmingham 24-Hour Kirtan
May 12: Edinburgh program?
May 14: Sheffield program
May 17–19: Simhachalam Festival?
May 20 – July 17: Paris ?
July 30 – August 3: Pol’and’Rock Festival (formerly Polish Woodstock Festival)
August 6–12: Vaishnava Summer Festival (Lithuania)
August 14–18: Vaishnava Sanga Festival (Canada)
September 1: Liverpool Ratha-yatra
September 8: Great North Run harinama (Newcastle-upon-Tyne)
September 9–10: Dublin
September 11: New York City
September 12 – mid October: Tallahassee
mid October – mid January 2020: NYC Yuga Dharma Harinama Party

Chanting Hare Krishna at First Friday in Tallahassee


We had an unexpected surprise at First Friday in Tallahassee this month. Tess (the photographer of the above picture), who I knew from when she lived in Krishna House, drove two hours from Alachua to Tallahassee just to distribute Srila Prabhupada’s books at First Friday. She helped out by playing the drum in our kirtan and inserting Tallahassee temple flyers in the books she was distributing. Also by talking with Tallahassee temple president, Nama Kirtan Prabhu, who used to distribute books at the Los Angeles airport, Tess gained the courage to ask people to give a donation for the books instead of just passing them out, and she found that it was not so difficult after all and got several donations.

Here Tess plays the drum as Jorge chants Hare Krishna at First Friday in the Railroad Square Art Park in Tallahassee (https://youtu.be/34Qrd6sRipg):


We were also blessed to have longtime Tallahassee resident and interfaith outreach specialist, Yogi Garuda Prabhu, join us and chant Hare Krishna at First Friday (https://youtu.be/jX7DgrPk4rQ):


Chanting Hare Krishna at Lake Ella in Tallahassee

At Lake Ella I offered the shakers to one young man who seemed attracted to our music, so he could play along, and his face lit up. He joined our band, playing sometimes the shakers and sometimes the djembe, for the next forty-five minutes. Most of that time Jorge led the chanting of Hare Krishna (https://youtu.be/0x4Ne5Rh_u4):


I praised the boy’s rhythm, and he explained that his father was a drummer. He said because of that he wanted to do something else, yet he found drumming to be so natural for him. His name is Isaac, and he came from a Jewish background. Hearing that I refrained from saying, A lot of the leaders in the Hare Krishna movement are Jewish,” although the thought occurred to me. He said, “I don’t know about Hare Krishna, but whenever you guys want to jam, I’ll be happy to play with you.” Jorge got his phone number so as to let him know.

The next week Isaac stopped by as I was singing by myself, and he amazed me by playing djembe for an hour and forty-five minutes straight!

When Isaac was playing with me and Jorge, some members of the congregation of Rev. Gonzales of Peru came by. The kids had signs in English and Spanish saying to find peace through Jesus. They looked so cute. It was like a Christian harinama party without music (https://youtu.be/zJRyA2TcAOs):


When Rev. Gonzales introduced himself to me, I told him that my favorite teaching of Lord Jesus Christ is that one should love the Lord with one’s body, mind, and soul, and one should love one’s neighbor as oneself. In our conversation the reverend briefly explained that Christ was going to come back again. After his speech I told him that our teacher, pointing to Srila Prabhupada’s photo on the back of the “On Chanting Hare Krishna” pamphlet, was asked about the prediction of Christ’s return.
Srila Prabhupada had replied, “I think it would be very good if he would come back.”
I always thought that was the perfect response.

I could see Rev. Gonzales would be happier if we wanted to accept Christ as our personal savior then and there, but he was not going to push it. He did have a brief conversation in Spanish with Jorge, who is from Columbia, and he insisted Jorge take a Spanish tract, although I had showed him that his followers had already given us an Engish one. On the whole, he was a friendly sort, not a hell, fire, and brimstone preacher.

Another week Jorge chanted Hare Krishna at Lake Ella, and Lauren of Tampa, who was visiting for the day, played djembe (https://youtu.be/sok77S8DQW0):


Lauren graduated from University of South Florida and practices Siddha Yoga, a practice which includes vegetarianism and the chanting of Vedic mantras including Hare Krishna.

Chanting Hare Krishna at Florida State University in Tallahassee

From early January to early April I am in Tallahassee, and during weekdays, I chant on Landis Green behind the main library at Florida State University. Most of the time (80%) I am alone, but twice a week Jorge, who often plays the drum, joins me for an hour and a half after serving Krishna Lunch. We advertise Krishna Lunch and temple programs and talk about Bhagavad-gita with students, and we offer them vegan peanut butter or coconut burfi. Sometimes students join us and sing and/or play instruments.

One day three students joined Jorge and me as we were chanting Hare Krishna on Landis Green. Whitney came first. She became vegetarian from a conversation with Adikarta Prabhu a year ago, and she visited the local temple with a friend during Adikarta’s last visit.

Here Jorge chants Hare Krishna on Landis Green at Florida State University, and Whitney plays shakers (https://youtu.be/AFNvUt8hjz8):


Then I chanted and encouraged by Jorge, Whitney also began to chant the response (https://youtu.be/2tqlYJ9Hk0I):


Next came Anthony, who had played the djembe with us two weeks ago and said the experience had opened up his mind. Then a completely new guy, seeing the growing band, came and played the shakers because he just loved music. By the end, everyone was chanting and being happy (https://youtu.be/aDahSn5lcts):


I asked the new guy what he was majoring in, and he replied, Marketing.”
I then suggested, “Maybe you can help us market our ideas.”
He mentioned, “Chalk signs are remarkably effective.”
Whitney exclaimed, “I have a big piece of chalk with me!”
Thus Whitney gave Jorge the chalk, and he wrote an ad for Krishna Lunch on the sidewalk:



Another day Skylar, who is interested in social justice and who likes music, played djembe as Jorge and I chanted Hare Krishna also on Landis Green. Video by Skylar’s friend Sarah (https://youtu.be/qVNXb2DWeUY):


Another day I talked to one nice young boy who wanted to study international relations and Chinese. He was really into linguistics, and I ended up showing him the Devanagari script in the Bhagavad-gita and telling how I learned it. I explained the prefix “a” meaning not” came from Sanskrit, and that “sura” means “theist” while “asura” means “atheist.” He told me he was a Catholic and showed me his rosary. He said that the cross on the bottom of it had been touched to the tomb for Jesus Christ. I mentioned that I had been to the tomb of Mother Teresa in Calcutta when my mom visited me in India, and I praised her dedication. I said I was in a high school in Poland, and there was a quote by Mother Teresa on the wall written in Polish. Amazingly enough I knew enough Polish to actually understand it, although the language was so difficult I gave up trying to learn it. Mother Teresa said, “The greatest joy is to give to others.” I told him I liked St. Francis the best of the Catholic saints because he had affection for the animals too, and I asked if he knew about the story of St. Francis and the wolf. He had not, and I described briefly how Francis had preached in the name of Lord Jesus Christ to a wolf who was terrorizing a village, and how the wolf became as unthreatening as a puppy as a result. I advised him to find the whole story on the internet as I had done the first time I heard of it.

He asked if he could pray for me, and I said yes. He asked what he should pray for, and I said, “Pray that my devotion for God might forever increase.” He liked that. We talked a bit more and as he was leaving, I offered to pray for him, asking for the same thing, or asking for something else if he would rather. He thought briefly and said that I should pray for the same thing for him.

Chanting Hare Krishna at the Tallahassee ISKCON Temple

Yogi Garuda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna, and everyone dances at the Tallahassee Sunday feast program. Several students came that night. Taproot painted tilaka on guests who were willing, so it is hard to tell them apart from the regulars (https://youtu.be/L_9V5Dtqysc):


Later Yogi Garuda led a more mellow Hare Krishna tune with attendees sitting (https://youtu.be/tepB2ep6VU8):


Once after the Tuesday Bhagavad-gita class at ISKCON Tallahassee, Gage and Kaitlyn, a youthful couple who have come to three programs, joined residents Michael, Jorge, and me, in playing instruments and chanting Hare Krishna (https://youtu.be/_nC8Dv7iYI8):


Kaitlyn wants to work at a midwife, and I suggested she could play spiritual music upon the birth of a child, giving the child a spiritual boost from the very beginning of life. She had studied music therapy, and that idea really appealed to her.

The next Sunday, Ayusha, whose parents are familiar with Krishna worship from India, chanted Hare Krishna after the ISKCON Tallahassee Sunday feast program (https://youtu.be/4Z_nIN0q4qc):


Chanting Hare Krishna at the VegFest at Tim Brown Park in Tallahassee

Nama Kirtan Prabhu decided to distribute Krishna prasadam at the VegFest in Tallahassee almost at the last minute. Both the price and food were great, and he had almost completely sold out by 2:00 p.m., although the event lasted till 4:00 p.m.

We decided to chant kirtan at that event instead of at Lake Ella. We also decided to mass distribute invitations to temple events, all of which include free vegetarian food.

Here Jorge chants Hare Krishna, Kevin plays trumpet, Brahma Haridas Prabhu plays mrdanga, Michael plays djembe, and two kids play shakers at the VegFest in Tim Brown Park in Tallahassee (https://youtu.be/vhuEBBK3lkA):


Another time I chanted Hare Krishna, Kevin played trumpet, Brahma Haridas Prabhu played mrdanga, and Michael played djembe (https://youtu.be/w0gwFBuaDjk):


Chanting Hare Krishna at a Home Program in Tallahassee

Yogi Garuda Prabhu plays guitar and chants Hare Krishna at program at Umesh Prabhu’s home in Tallahassee (https://youtu.be/MbHzUxgOrcs):


Chanting Hare Krishna at Florida A & M University in Tallahassee

On March 15, 2019, we chanted at FAMU, the largely black university in Tallahassee, for the first time. Although we encountered fewer students than at FSU, partly because it was the day before spring break, a higher percentage of them interacted with us.

Here Jorge chants Hare Krishna on the Florida A & M University quad, and two students take turns playing instruments and taking photos of each other (https://youtu.be/BHUJLObKlYw):


Later one jovial gentleman who liked the music asked where the hat was for donations.

I took off my hat, inverted it and set it down, and he put $6 in it.

We then gave him a Bhagavad-gita and some prasadam.

Later he returned and said that adminstration was upset that we were collecting donations. He explained to them that it was his idea and that he would tell us to stop. I know that the campus administrations do not like people collecting donations on campuses, so I had already planned to stop anyway. I also did not want to get sunburned because my hat was being used to collect donations, so it did not bother me. It was just so rare that someone would give a donation on a campus because the students generally are poor and want to spend whatever money they have in other ways.

One young lady majoring in theater told us that half of the entire theater department at FAMU is vegan. That prompted me to think that on the first Friday of next month, because we do not serve Krishna Lunch at FSU that day, we should chant at FAMU and give our invitations to our Krishna dinner at First Friday because the event is a short walk from the FAMU campus.

Chanting Hare Krishna at the A-cola Rainbow Gathering Near Tallahassee

Although the Ocala Rainbow Gathering in February is at least an hour and a half from our Gainesville center, the A-cola Rainbow Gathering in Apalachicola National Forest in March is just half an hour from our Tallahassee center. We decided to heat up and distribute the food leftover from the week’s Krishna Lunch at that gathering one Saturday.

We brought our instruments to chant. Some people knew the mantra and chanted along. Others played djembes and guitars.

We were greeted by a super friendly older gentleman who has set up a tent of medical supplies called “Calm” for the last five years. He said we could serve food at his tent, where several people were hanging out already.

One guy showed me the Hare Krishna invitation he got from my friends in Manhattan several years ago.

Another guy asked me if I knew Soaring Turkey, the Rainbow name of Yogi Garuda Prabhu. I said I sure did and mentioned he had farm half an hour to the east of Tallahassee. The guy said that Soaring Turkey was one of the coolest people he had ever met, which was a real compliment. He told me his name was Freestyle Mike, and I promised I would tell Garuda that I met him.

We stayed about three hours and distributed all the black beans, rice, and halava that we had brought and probably chanted about two hours altogether.

Here Jorge chants Hare Krishna at the A-cola Rainbow Gathering in Apalachicola National Forest near Tallahassee, and three Rainbows play djembes (https://youtu.be/qcmcYmxW64g):


Curious Photo

We live in an age where people are addicted to sensual enjoyment and tend to deal very impersonally with others. People say that nowadays we love things and use people instead of loving people and using things. Thus I saw this T-shirt message as a sign of these degraded times.

That slogan even implies that if we make enemies in the course of acquiring money, that is not a problem. The young lady wearing the shirt said I could take a photo of her shirt but not her face. I guess that means she is a little embarrassed to espouse such a materialistic philosophy, which, of course, is better than being proud of it!

Insights

Srila Prabhupada:

From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 5.51, purport:

To think of material nature as all in all, not knowing the original cause, is ignorance. Lord Caitanya appeared in order to dissipate this darkness of ignorance by igniting the spark of spiritual life that can, by His causeless mercy, enlighten the entire world.”

When a potter manufactures a pot from clay, the potter’s wheel, his tools and the clay are the immediate causes of the pot, but the potter is the chief cause. Similarly, Narayana is the chief cause of all material creations, and the material energy supplies the ingredients of matter. Therefore without Narayana, all other causes are useless, just as the potter’s wheel and tools are useless without the potter himself. Since materialistic scientists ignore the Personality of Godhead, it is as if they were concerned with the potter’s wheel and its rotation, the potter’s tools and the ingredients for the pots, but had no knowledge of the potter himself. Therefore modern science has created an imperfect, godless civilization that is in gross ignorance of the ultimate cause. Scientific advancement should have a great goal to attain, and that great goal should be the Personality of Godhead. In the Bhagavad-gita [7.19] it is said that after conducting research for many, many births, great men of knowledge who stress the importance of experimental thought can know the Personality of Godhead, who is the cause of all causes. When one knows Him perfectly, one surrenders unto Him and then becomes a mahatma.

From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 6.28, purport:

The real qualification of an acarya is that he presents himself as a servant of the Supreme. Such a bona fide acarya can never support the demoniac activities of atheistic men who present themselves as God. It is the main business of an acarya to defy such imposters posing as God before the innocent public.”

From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 6.43, purport:

The transcendental devotional service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is so ecstatic that even the Lord Himself plays the part of a devotee. Forgetting Himself to be the Supreme, He personally teaches the whole world how to render service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”

From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 6.44:

The conception of servitude to Sri Krishna generates such an ocean of joy in the soul that even the joy of oneness with the Absolute, if multiplied ten million times, could not compare to a drop of it.”

From a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.16.21 in Honolulu on January 17, 1974:

The higher classes in India did not generally eat meat, and even those in the lower classes who did eat meat, did so under regulation.

Instructions in the scriptures to regulate meat eating, drinking, and sex are not meant to encourage them but to restrict them.

When human life is unregulated it becomes like animal life.

The more you restrict your material sense gratification, the more you are advanced spiritually. That is the standard.

But remaining primitive, you are more happy than becoming so-called civilized, creating so many problems.”

The real problems are the repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. The whole Vedic civilization is meant for stopping these problems.

Professor Kotovsky, I asked him that ‘Where is the difference of philosophy between your Communist philosophy and our Krishna consciousness philosophy? You have to accept one chief man, that Lenin or Stalin, and we have also selected one chief man, or God, Krishna. So you are following the dictates of Lenin or Stalin or Molotov or this or that; we are following the philosophy or the instruction of Krishna. So on principle, where is the difference? There is no difference.’ So the professor could not answer that. You cannot conduct your daily affairs without being dictated by somebody else. That is to be accepted. So that is the law of nature. So nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam [Katha Upanisad 2.2.13]. Then why don’t you accept the supreme authority? . . . We have to accept somebody as our leader. It is not possible that we can live without leadership. That is not possible. Is there any party, is there any school, or is there any institution that they’re conducting without any chief leader or director? Can you show me any instance throughout the whole world? Is there any instance?”

That one Krishna, although He’s similar in so many ways with you . . . , but one difference is there – He is maintaining every one of us, and we are being maintained. He’s the leader.”

If you analyze that everything is being maintained by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that is real understanding of Krishna consciousness, how Krishna is great, or God is great. So that is a real civilization of life, to understand, to appreciate, to appreciate the greatness of God. That is real civilization. So, there is a process how to appreciate, how to become qualified to appreciate, and that system is called varnasrama-dharma—to divide the whole human society into four classes of men: the brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya and sudra. And those who are not regulated, they are pañcamas, below the sudras.

You should tackle with the main problem, not the insignificant or temporary problem. That is the instruction of Bhagavad-gita. The main problem is janma-mrityu-jara-vyadhi [birth, death, old age and disease] [Bg. 13.9]. That is main problem. So our cultivation of knowledge, advancement of civilization, should be on the basis of solving the main problems, janma-mrityu-jara-vyadhi, not the temporary problem. . . . It is advised that the temporary problems, they come and go. . . . So don’t be bothered about them. If you feel botheration, just try to suffer or tolerate. That is not your real problem. Real problem is how to stop the birth, death, old age and disease, and that is Vedic civilization, and that is depending on the brahminical culture.”

Our program is not to become pious, not to become sinful: to become Krishna conscious. That will save us.”

The human life is meant for realizing God. So every religious system is meant for giving education about God. That is the system. Either you take Christian religion or Hindu religion or Muslim religion, the idea is to understand God. So therefore, any religion you take, it doesn’t matter. If you understand what is God and if you know what is your relationship with God, then you are perfect.”

As soon as you fail to keep your promise, then you’re fallen. You have to rectify yourself.”

Bhaktivinoda Thakura:

From A Superior Life with Mahaprasada” in Sri Krishna Kathamrita Bindu#444:

We must love God for God’s sake even if our actions appear unreasonable. Our love must be without any goal concerning ourselves. This love must be a natural emotion to the deity as our wellwisher, without inference or experience. Salvation, dear as it is, should not be the object of this love. What, then, about other forms of happiness? Love of God is its own reward.”

Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:

From Every Day, Just Write, Volume 23, Part One:

Everything was anticipated and they
thought they were improvising but were
wind-up toys of material modes”

happy Lord Nityananda’s appearance
day – He’s crazy in love
of God and is God Himself
creates all universes – blow
your tiny mind.”

Now, I’m going to pause in the wings and get this
together in a Krishna
conscious way, you and me can make a team for
sravanam kirtanam.

From Every Day, Just Write, Volume 23, Part Two:

O Vaishnavas,
O servants of Vraja,
Hare Krishna keeps me
awake, and I mean that in
deepest sense. Awake to
love of God;
don’t be fooled.”

If pain comes we can counter it but always we want to please the Lord, if not with full price, please take whatever we give You and give us more bhakti.

“When I face God – I cannot
but I think about Him, I resolve
never to leave this camp,
that much
and recovering from an ache I
go happily quiet to the woodshed
and sing, ‘The Creator has a master plan.’”

“wives of brahmanas took Krishna in
their hearts, He ‘couldn’t’ stop
them, you are free to do that socially,
take Him in your heart.”

“I’ll meet with my secretary. He’ll tell me he wants to go tomorrow in the van to work on our cottage in the South. There are so many good things, it’s only offset by the fact that we have to leave the whole thing and we shouldn’t be attached.
Lord gives and takes
it’s all Him.”

“While the man plays his
horn blues too before
God, it’s called kirtana
in the temple because he
likes it and has faith in his
Govinda and Radha.”

“See how they are suffering in illusion like
the books say. Oh,
do what you can
and don’t complain”

“A fellow is tired but writes anyway.
Song flute is Krishna / we are happy to do
the simple duties given us by our spiritual
master”

“so, I answered them it’s all Krishna conscious if
we connect the flowers in a garland
and give them to Krishna.”

“God is the most important one and most attractive tricky friend, Supreme ruler. Those who make various library arts get the direction and strength from Him. They are reaching for Him whether they know it or not.”

“Hare Krishna for the masses, philosophy
for scholars and talks of Radha and Krishna with
Ramananda Raya. You can tune into
all those or none.”

“And so dear friends, brothers
and sisters…Let us get out
there and not persecute the
demons
but let them know
Who is Boss.”

From Every Day, Just Write, Volume 24, Part One:

“some guys got charmed, and changed
their bad ways to become
servants of Krishna and humanity.”

“Be careful – ahimsa is
the para-dharma so don’t
kill me spiritual drive
that’s ahimsa.”

“Hare Krishna is on the skids
in many countries
such as France
but give it a chance
it will rise again.”

“I know I’ll be dead
before Hare Krishna fulfills its weight
temples in Kuwait”

“O, Hari!
You’re the one who lifted
Govardhana
and lifted the earth
on Your tusks and
sent Srila Prabhupada to lift me
and my generation.”

“Keep the ruffians contained. It’s a wild age!
Give them a kirtana that
cuts through and no compromise
Hare Krishna.”

“If I met a man, I’d say
‘Don’t take anything for granted
whatever we have is coming from
Krishna.’”

From Every Day, Just Write, Volume 24, Part Two:

Admit a quiet life is good
to mine gems can help
busy people in jam.”

Sketch, ruminate, keep on top
of the little bird called attention –
let him fly but lure him back
with nicest feed to your
bird stand.”

We really ought to hear from
sages who sort it out. They say the body
is given by wrong desires. God really
wants us to come back to a spiritual body as
the servant of God. And we better dance to
that. Don’t ask why does He make
it so when we don’t serve we ache?
I said whatever helps
we’ll accept. And that’s the
key”

“I want to be serious and God
conscious and be Krishna centered –
the one God imminent and
tell you so you get surprised I’m
so right on.”

“Krishna is the residence,
country we live in,
and He meets us at death –
sustains us until then.”

“no man come in and act as he
is boss, he can play like that, but
we know he’s another puppet
and God as Time really rules.”

“But buddy, we need to be Krishna conscious
this tune doesn’t suit us
yukta-vairagya doesn’t compromise
pure bhakti.

“Please release us from the bonds of
sleep if we don’t need it.
I want to sing in my own
God-given tone, Krishna is the
one and only.”

“I sing
Krishna is fun
Don’t run away from Him
Become a happy
fellow of chant and dance”

“God is brass and mind
and jewel and sand
No atheists need apply
Love required.”

“Krishna conscious melody kirtana
in shout or alone on
beads make clear
your intention
while alive.”

“Krishna name private and personal
as well as shared by brave
soldiers sing Them
on the street.”

“It’s the solitary lover of
Lord Krishna I aspire to know
from Him my own strength
and comfort – so I can
give the same to others.”

“Krishna, You sure spin us around
but an earnest devotee gives his
very best for Your service.”

“But sweet Lord Krishna guaranteed
as His word in Gita
and guru backs Him up
you can’t lose.”

“On Gaura-purnima do your thing
for Lord Krishna don’t mind how
crazy the world sounds.”

“Well, at least I’m with devotees
on this day [Gaura Purnima] and walking into an
ISKCON temple to give an authorized
initiation
Name: ‘You are now
Gauri-Hari dasa.’”

“Looking ahead today I ask
not for extreme originality or
genius. We are meant to act
to please and that’s by sincere
and simple chanting and serving.”

From Every Day, Just Write, Volume 25, Part One:

“Give ’em hell and Goloka.”

“The body has its own endorphins, but they don’t work on call.”

“Krishna, I remember You in the
temple beside Radha, I
remember my days and night
and fears. Krishna, please let
me remember You as I go
down, You wearing Your
outfit of the day and me
serving You – new
and next.”

“I…bought a preacher’s kit
and lived with them
learned a lot and now
I say one preacher is worth
a birth, he’ll save the world
and I’m just saying he ought to
be the best and full of love
to which our master replied
Miss Lynn Ludwig, they’re trying
their best and what about you?”

“‘You were hypnotized by Krishna’
Srila Prabhupada chuckled and thought it over and
chuckled again, ‘Yes.’ Hypnotized
by Krishna so instead of earning bucks
they worked for Krishna in New
Vrindavan or Boston.”

“Krishna consciousness lyrics we need if
all songs on radio were like that, if
everyone carried bead bags like people
wear shoes and carry wallets and
purses, it would be a different world.”

“So, was He pleased?
I never know, but at least
I kept His name on my lips,
and the devotees I live with
are stalwarts.”

“Krishna said I never forget but you do and
know why I come to this world
and you’ll come to Me.
I’m topmost, your soul
is My eternal part and parcel.
The bhakta is the best of all,
have a ball.”

“Yeah, I was hoarse and happy
from singing Hare Krishna in the
parade, just a happy day
to tell you Lord
Krishna loves His best devotees
and gives love even to the neophyte tigers.
We do wish them the best,
tell people, cows, camels, dogs, and asses
to take to Krishna consciousness a.s.a.p. and
be relieved of gallbladders
and stones in next life
or think of Krishna when it happens
and say, Lord Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
you do this
I don’t know why.”

“Oh, I’m dovetailing it.
Tailgating it, hitching my
writer’s thumb onto the back
of Swamiji’s speeding truck.
But how is my bicycle?
Where is my wild patience and
fearlessness
compassion
love of fellows and so on?”

“Preaching is reaching
for the man’s heart and mind
if you find it hard I
say don’t quit keep it up
in good company of
fellows
preachers, reachers, teachers
rockers and sockers.”

“Listen, I’ll be
glad enough if we get one from
all this to be a devotee. That’s all he asked.
Just one person.”

“Sometimes, you have to speak
when someone else
is speaking his heavy thing
telling of how ‘we’ were murdered.
And he’s gonna get revenge.”

“The Lord is the master. Krishna
You are promise
You promise You’ll take us
to You
and that is the promise I live
for in the back of my mind
the bet is staked
the ground is sure
Krishna will take to Him
the best devotees.”

“sing freedom and love of God, which is
waiting for us to reach.
Yeah, the Lord won’t renege
neither will His servant
pure sky, rainy sky, doesn’t matter
the chant will break the bones of
death / the Lord won’t fail
singing it for those who take it…”

“O Krishna, lover of my soul
bring me to Your chest.
While the tempest rages of
mad modes. Please bring me close,
I’ll be fearless in the storm.
You can do it, and not just me
receive my soul at last
let me give relief to all
let Your healing stream of love
enter all with purity and strength.”

“When I die it will be likely
I’ll have some kind of Krishna conscious
thought and can
go on to be with Him, I don’t
say back to Goloka right away (I
realize it takes tremendous laulyam [spiritual greed])
but next a life where I can
yearn intimately for it.

“At least serve again in Krishna consciousness in
some capacity and be open to Mahabharata,
Ramayana, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita
maybe born into that culture, but
Kali-yuga is getting so bad. Lord, what
will You do to protect Your
servant of servants? I’m
sure You know and will do it all right.”

“Ah, you have to take responsibility, it’s your
show human being.
He said to Arjuna, “Now do as you
like.” Go to hell or Goloka,
it’s up to you.
I choose Swami Bhaktivedanta’s way.”

“God gives ability. If you are interested
there’s a process to reach Him. If not, sad
shmoo, you’ll die and not know
how you may fall and waste.”

From Every Day, Just Write, Volume 25, Part Two:

A conscious man seeks to advance
by constant ardent efforts
which he hopes will attract
Krishna’s mercy.”

hello God is love you
ought to pray to Him and give your money
you can give it to me and
I’ll give it to Him.”

I live on
friends’ donations. And, that’s another
reason you got to sweat it out
and be careful how you spend
money and time – you belong to
others.”

I’m worn out and hurt.
Be true to your Swami sing a
song to hear later I’m giving
up to preaching…take a rest and come back
strong enough later.”

Swami, you rush so thoughtlessly
when you pray gayatris you’ll
be asked about that at death.”

My eyeglasses falling down the front of
the nose herald old age shrinking.”

“‘Golden Nuggets’ the
top band in Ghana (with congas) allowed
Hare Krishna to share the stage with them and this is
what we do, jam ‘Hare Krishna’
whenever we can.”

But to do that you have to be very
strict and rigid and stalwart.
You need to be so centered on
Krishna that you can’t think of
something else
you need a Krishna guide
to inspire you to kick out all else.”

We have to die, and life is a tiny moment in
eternity. Please help yourself to a better
next life. Please.”

Go dive for the eternal
Bhaktivedanta accepted you
and gave you your name
that means you will be saved at
death. At least good next life
for pursuing Krishna”

Swami, control senses
women keep afar
and don’t read nondevotee books
make your life striving
in earnest for service
to Krishna, and your master
will be pleased.”

Krishna devotees are real
people too happy saints who pray
absolute science sounds to God Krishna
cowherd boy of great beauty
gopis know
be careful
hoist up the flag.”

So, to the Hall inmates, I say adieu now
in case there’s no time later. May you
each discover happiness in God, serve
Him and know the soul’s eternal dharma.”

And one act for Krishna is worth
a million not.”

Don’t imitate
or pollute
be who you are, follow your
guru and your own way and serve Krishna
purify what you’ve got. I love
Krishna and ask His help.”

Wherever you go,
may God’s name come to you at the end.”

From Every Day, Just Write, Volume 26, Part One:

I become
restless any place where there are not
devotees of Krishna and even with them I
become restless and want to be alone
in a room with devotees nearby.”

I offer this to
Krishna, not Hitler, Roosevelt, Clinton,
be wise, the year 2000, the club for
the rich, or poor, America, enslavement,
poetic art”

Please the Lord by your work
praise His greatness. Krishna teaches
what is not in other scriptures –
transmigration science did you
know a human who misbehaves becomes
an animal in next life?
No? Better learn it.”

Swami. You don’t deserve that title.
Worship God, surrender, brave –
a Swami is like that.
My, oh my, you gonna disown
the supertitle? No?
Then you are what, a little Swami, a Swami-ette?”

now tell me Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, the
drummer in the kirtana doesn’t do a solo but
accompanies always the holy names –
they are predominant and the concentration
on loving service, God is in
His names.”

I want you to flow
to God your Maker – Lord of all
religions. He’s the one,
two, and all.”

Reading poets you blink and realize they let
you go and you are on your own like you
hitchhiked, enjoyed the ride and talk
but now you get you dropped out of town”

O Lord, you are never lazy on my
account trying to save me and
take me back to You.
I have refused You, but nonetheless
You do not become angry.
You are always incessantly trying
to get me back.”

The atheist Wren
doesn’t believe, I grieve for that says
Prahlada and even the Supreme Lord
constantly desires
them to end their suffering but won’t
take away their free will.”

Gajendra’s prayers coming
to climax – he asks simultaneously for
liberation from body pain and from materialistic
life. He got both because the Lord is
kind – you simply have to ask.”

Yeah, well I like it, but I don’t
want to miss out on eternal paradise for
something the pure devotee deems as
rubbish.”

We can’t promise you your way. Just
chant Hare Krishna and remember Lord Caitanya
and be absorbed
in preaching and then whatever happens
you’ll get through in the right
consciousness.
Easier said than done. You quote
the perfect scripture, and I’ve seen it in you,
but how do I?”

We are suffering in these bodies and
seek release in joke or food and rest,
but when we learn to turn always to
Lord Krishna in times of distress
we will be well off, and be sure
there will be such times
as car accidents
death of dear ones
wrenching of world order we
can’t even imagine. Now, while we
feel some ease let’s use it
to impress layers onto the psyche
that Hare Krishna Hare Krishna is the way I
live, the prayer I make…
then when it’s too difficult
to even think straight I’ll turn by
habit to the chant”

but we know better. Keep our
nose in Srimad-Bhagavatam and hand in bead
bag and obey the rules and sing
hymns to the Lord
let me be happy in His service
that I’d like to do.”

Be on guard. For Krishna may
enter your door as
death at any moment.
Keep showing the pictures of His lila
with words of sastra,
and stray thoughts we want
you all to be Krishna conscious in
ease, and don’t forget
sorrow too but lighten
your burden and bring you to
His lotus feet
at His house for
His pleasure,
the Lord of all play,
Hara and Hari.”

7 days in
a row without a headache – it was Holy
Week. Krishna sends and takes away
pain and painless and pain
remember Him, His mercy and bow down.”

People don’t get along even
in their own family, but
revere a guru as long as he
minds
his own
business, which I intend to.”

From Every Day, Just Write, Volume 26, Part Two:

And so, I agreed to write educational notes
and author’s intro: Dear reader, in the
section called ‘Active Imagination’ you’ll find some
free expressions. Take them as you like
and also, just be permissive and read them not
so much for sense. And please chant
sixteen rounds if you have been initiated, after
which you can read these for
fun and profit.”

we go out
and tell people there is a soul
we are not a cult
take a book / look at me,
I’m normal, but we have transcendental knowledge
you can use it
in your own religion.”

“Now, don’t you mind me. They
are sawing with electric power I have
to become worthy to use this shelf
he makes and the bed they assemble
I have to lie there with intent
to know and serve and love God.”

But some devotees come and
help you, give you pieces of
bread so you can live and
prove api cet su-duracaro
is true in your case
you don’t give up”

It seems I have gained something over
all these years or why am
I so different than one just
considering whether to begin
bhakti…

They played but couldn’t get it
much together. Trying new things
didn’t necessarily bring him closer
to God who simply wants
devotion old or modern –
a work for Him guided
by guru.”

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna just
playing away at a piano isn’t
going to do it. You must be
linked to the Lord in a
bona fide practice, His name, His fame
guided by the book He wrote,
guided by those He trusts

“yeah, I got it and will do
as Petty Officer
asking his orders and obey.”

You a spirit and me a spirit,
all spirit souls, and Krishna
is Supreme”

Your master said give this one life
to Krishna. Are you doing that?”

what are you carrying? In my pockets, black
gloves. In my silence, empty waiting,
in the dogma, routine, polite
sober. He says, ‘I just need ten minutes to
hammer on the legs.’ Sober as drinking water.”

From Every Day, Just Write, Volume 27, Part One:

We will straighten out the
confusion and bring Krishna consciousness
to the new cousins we
never met, in festivals in Galway
we will give them prasadam
a song a skit a book
oh, someone will be
serious and a devotee, haribol.

My Krishna is Syama, in India
well known but mistakenly.
They think He’s material or impersonal
or Hindu.”

You are ignorant, you are secular,
your Christian religion can’t teach you this.
And so, we go on crying in the wilderness
catch the stray citizen into our
nama-hattas and congregations and
restaurants, and even rarer stray
young boy and girl who joins for a
few years or twenty, for life.”

O tree, you are out there
stronger and longer lasting than
me but we’re both vrksa,
easily cut down.”

Be glad for anything
be glad you’re alive and that
you will die in His arms.”

Thanks for Krishna’s Gita and Prabhu-
pada’s coming and conquering
us in America
Don’t resent what it’s
come down to – a life-
long struggle.”

I was being saved by God. Not to be so utterly destroyed and corrupted so I would miss the call of the Swami. Or if I had been madly in love, intoxicated by a beautiful girl thinking I’d won her! So that I didn’t have eyes for my need to take an eternal guru.”

It was like that and we want to be with them again, the master and eternal parampara. We have to forget all this relative stuff –
it will wash away
but I’d better help it
go away
as I enter Vrindavan dhama
meditation in spiritual body
washed
of my servitude and taking with
me whoever I can.”

But each soul is alone
to turn in eternal true moment
to his worshipable God
a few are very fortunate to
meet the sad-guru.

We are solid about what has to be
done in our remaining days.”

We just want to do
something real nice for Krishna
to wow the world
by genuine
something come by shakti of the Lord
not us. Srila Prabhupada: It’s not my
movement, my movement is to teach that
Krishna is God.”

I am a link train man taking
karmis to Vaikuntha if they
agree to listen”

“Do people really change from
attending a seminar? I don’t think they
do, but if they hear of Krishna that could
save them at the time of death.”

I want the Church to be nonviolent and
Jesus a son of Krishna, but they don’t
want it that way.”

From Free Write Journal #30:

For many years now the condensed version of the Lilamrita, in one 300-page book, has been a main weapon in the arsenal of ISKCON book distribution. It is good that the condensed version has brought many people to appreciation of Prabhupada and ultimately to practice Krishna consciousness. But the condensed book is very incomplete. It has 300 pages, whereas the unabridged edition has over 2,000 pages! And what is missing in the abridged edition? What’s missing is the sweetness of Prabhupada. Mere details are given in the abridged edition. It is not at all fluffed out to give a full portrait of Srila Prabhupada and what he went through in his lifetime.”

Now that the full seven-volume set [of Srila Prabhupada-lilamrita] from Mumbai is available again, it should be required reading by devotees before they receive initiation. They should get to know as much as possible about the Founder-Acarya of the Movement. As Caitanya-caritamrita was based on the notebooks and diaries of Svarupa Damodara and Raghunatha dasa Gosvami and others, we had the memoirs of Prabhupada’s long-term servant Srutakirti and interviews with Tamal Krishna Goswami. (The valuable diaries of Hari Sauri and others were written after the publishing of Prabhupada-lilamrita and were not available when we were writing it, but we interviewed those people and got much good material.) The Srila Prabhupada-lilamrita is read daily in many temples of ISKCON. An outstanding example is Radhanath Swami’s temple in Chowpatty, Mumbai. For many years he has had a devotee read out loud from the Lilamrita while everyone else is quiet, during lunchtime. They have read through the entire Lilamrita many times and have no intentions of stopping.”

Hridayananda Goswami:

From Mahabharata Katha #1 at Sivananda Yoga Retreat Center on April 25, 2010:

Practically all spiritual paths agree that the world that an ordinary person perceives in ordinary consciousness is not the highest truth.

Tirtha comes from the same root as tara in avatara, and thus where an avatara appears is called a tirtha.

The events during Krishna’s appearance in this world were considered so important that the Lord descended as Vyasadeva to record them. Not only did he record them, he participated in them.

Itihasa, which we usually translate as history, comes from three Sanskrit words iti ha asa meaning “thus it so happened in the past.”

In all works of scholarship in India, it is assumed that the readers know Mahabharata and the characters in it.

Of the Mahabharata the editor of its critical edition said the reason for that edition was that “the preeminent importance of the epic is universally acknowledged.”

Scholars date the text at the earliest at 3,000 years ago.

Aryabhata, an astronomer and inventor of trigonometry, looked at the Mahabharata in terms of astronomy, and based on the many astrological statements within it, said the events took place about 5,100 years old.

Originally improved astronomy was used to get better data to do astrology. The Western astronomers do not tell you that as it is an embarrassment.

Western scholars did not want Vedic culture to be so old. Originally this was because the first Indologists were Christians, and they did not want it to interfere with their dating of the Garden of Eden. The next group of Indologists were agnostics who did not like the idea that India was origin of human civilization.

The Vedic culture has the most sophisticated view of the universe.

Aristotle also considered, as this ancient Indian civilization did, that time is cyclical.

Homer talks about the same cosmic seasons or yugas.

The very moment Krishna left is considered to be the day Dvarapa-yuga ended and Kali-yuga began.

The soul is not considered to exist merely in endless material time but beyond material time.

Samsara and karma are key principles in the Vedic culture as is dharma.

Dharana, the sixth step of astanga-yoga, means holding on, and it comes from the same root as dharma.

You can have an unjust law but not unjust dharma as justice is a manifestation of dharma. Thus dharma is sacred law.

Indra, when advising one Vasu to remain in his position, explained that when dharma is protected, dharma protects, but if you injure dharma, then dharma will injure you.

When you observe dharma you contribute to the peace of the universe and of course, to your own well being.

You have to understand the importance which people gave to dharma to understand Mahabharata.

[If you want to hear the whole lecture, click here: https://www.hdgoswami.com/lecture/mahabharata-katha-2010-01]/

From Mahabharata Katha #13, at Sivananda Yoga Retreat Center on May 1, 2010:

One writer, Ananda Vardhana, wrote a book describing qualities of great literature, and he cited Mahabharata as an ideal example. Interestingly enough, he says the principal rasa experienced in the Mahabharata is shanti (peace), despite all the politics and war.

There are three levels of viewing Mahabharata:
It is a story of the history of the world.
It is a cosmic story, because it involves higher beings.
It is a spiritual narrative because it contains Bhagavad-gita within it.

The real purpose of life is to discover or uncover our spiritual nature.

The material is always transforming and changing, while you never really lose your self.

There is a conscious attempt in Mahabharata to draw us in by telling a good story, and to then engage us spiritually, to bring us up and out, to our real position in the spiritual world.

Even if you get to participate in the Lord’s pastimes in this world, the ultimate lesson is that no one can really be happy here in this world.

The more enlightened personalities in the Mahabharata realized that after their mission here, they had to return home.

Bhisma wanted to break Krishna’s promise not to fight in the battle to show that Krishna’s great concern to protect to His devotee, Arjuna, was more important to Him.

There are different relationships with God. Bhisma’s was chivilry. You can have a relationship of conjugal love with God, which is also there in Christianity in bridal mysticism and in mystic Judiasm one thousand years ago in Spain.

Bhisma must have known when killed by Shikandhi that “because I destroyed this person’s life in his previous birth as Amba, this is justice being done.”

Formerly Bhisma was interested in keeping his vow regardless of the consequences, but by the end of his life he realized there is a higher truth.

Although in Bhagavad-gita Krishna is encouraging Arjuna to fight, beforehand Krishna tried everything possible to stop the war without violating the free will of the living entities.

After the battle, the government was bankrupt, and the Pandavas used the gold in the Himalayas left by a great king in a previous age to rebuild and maintain the kingdom.

In the Sind province, Duhsala, the sister of Duryodhana and wife of Jayadratha, entered the battlefield where her sons and grandsons were fighting with Arjuna, and in effect, told them to stop. Seeing her, who was his cousin, Arjuna put down his weapons and offered her respect. Duhsala then advised her descendents to cooperate with the Pandavas without a fight, thus showing herself to be a great personality.

Had Krishna not come, the world would be a different place, and a much worse place.

In the pastimes of Lord Caitanya, no one was killed or seriously injured, although of course, many were killed in Krishna’s pastimes.

Radharani came with Krishna as Lord Caitanya because only with Their combined compassion could the residents of this age be benefited.

[If you want to hear the whole lecture, click here: https://www.hdgoswami.com/lecture/mahabharata-katha-2010-13/]

Radhanath Swami:

From a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.8.2 in Mumbai on Februrary 23, 1997:

Maharaja Pariksit considered, “If the Lord has no use for this body, then I have no use for this body.” Thus he was happy to prepare for death, considering it was Krishna’s will.

There is only one purpose in life and that is self-realization, and there is only one way of attaining that, hearing and chanting about the Lord in the association of devotees.

Everything else we do, including our social and occupational duties, is to create a situation whereby we can hear and chant about Krishna in the association of devotees.

In Bhagavatam class, understanding the great value in hearing and chanting this literature, we should be eager to hear like Maharaja Pariksit, and the speaker should be eager to speak like Sukadeva Goswami.

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu heard a brahmana very enthusiastically reading Srimad-Bhagavatam. He encouraged the brahmana more and more, and Lord Caitanya became more and more filled with ecstasy hearing him and began to dance. This went on for 9 hours. Then Lord Caitanya came back to external consciousness and embraced him. Saying, “I have never heard anyone recite Srimad-Bhagavatam as beautifully as you,” He gave him the name Bhagavata Acarya and told him to recite the Bhagavatam the rest of his life and do nothing else.


From a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.19.24 in Mumbai on October 29, 1991:

The prime duty of a parent is to be a good example so the children will follow and become devotees of the Lord.

Better a moment of truth than a long life dreaming in illusion.

A wise person will understand the relevance of Srimad-Bhagavatam to the life of everyone including himself.

A materialist will always see one who shuns material pleasure to attain an eternal situation as mad.

When people accused the devotees of being crazy, Srila Prabhupada explained that everyone is crazy. We see a man is crazy after a woman, a woman is crazy about a man, people are crazy after money, etc. Similarly some people are crazy to taste the sweetness of love of God.

Sense gratification reinforces the illusion of identification with the body, and thus it is what divides us.

Understanding our essential nature beyond the dualities based on bodily identification is true dharma.

Narottama Dasa Thakura was born in a kayastha family. The kayasthas although rich were considered sudras. He was so advanced in love of God, all kinds people accepted him as a guru, even those in higher classes. Some caste brahmanas would blasphemy and even attempt to kill him, but they failed in their attempts to stop him. They finally decided to convince the king to imprison him for destroying their religion by initiating high class people. The king questioned Narottama Dasa Thakura, and he simply explained he was executing the dharma, “Sarva dharma parityaja.” The king decided a debate should be arranged between the caste brahmanas and Narottama Dasa Thakura. On the way to debate, the king and the caste brahmanas went came to a village where two of Narottama Dasa Thakura’s disciples were who had come from brahmana families. They disguised themselves as food vendors, and impressed the guests by speaking fluent Sanskrit with them and speaking conclusive truths from the scriptures. They then informed the amazed guests that they were just disciples of Narottama Dasa Thakura’s. The king and the caste brahmanas considered, “these disciples know so much we do not stand a chance against Narottama Dasa Thakura himself,” and thus they voluntarily surrendered to Narottama Dasa Thakura without a debate.


Devamrita Swami:

From a letter giving advice about college outreach:

Getting students to visit an actual temple can be very difficult. Better, often, to have another ‘nonreligious’ location for them to gather at, or make your current place more suitably accommodating in the way it positions and presents itself, according to the mindset of the intended clientele.”

And what brings them back again and again is the prasada—the more devastating the prasada, and the more lively the camaraderie, the more often they come.”

Don’t give up.”

Yogi Garuda Prabhu:

People are blown away by all the new knowledge in even one purport of Srila Prabhupada.

Sacrifice means what we can do to please the Supreme Spirit, Krishna.

When you cut a branch off a tree, for a while it looks good, but then it dries up. That is what is happening to our civilization now because of being cut off from God.

Many swamis came to the USA in the 1960s and 1970s, but the movements of none of them took off and expanded like Srila Prabhupada’s Hare Krishna movement.

Time magazine did a story on people who accomplished a lot in their old age, and they listed Srila Prabhupada ahead of Gandhi.

When people ask me, “What is your sign?” I tell them, “Scorpio transcending.”

By sticking with this path, we will get a clear vision of the body.

On the scale of eternity, this life is like a flash.

If we spiritualize our home by putting an altar in the center and chanting our favorite holy names, we will not have to renounce our home.

I find this Vedic path provides so many spiritual engagements.

Perhaps 70 to 90% of my punk rock friends gave up their association with me when I started to take spiritual life seriously. I did not let it disturb me. I considered that now I knew who my real friends were.

Jorge:

In Sweden they found teaching about Sanskrit helped students advance in math and science.

We are searching for eternal happiness, and deep within us we will not settle anything less.

We seek wisdom from scriptures and saints to attain that eternal happiness.

God wants to bless everyone, but how much are we willing to accept?

I had a near death experience, and it really taught me I should always keep myself in a pure state of mind.

When you purify yourself more, God is able to give you more knowledge.

Through understanding Bhagavad-gita I find I can better appreciate the other scriptures of the world.

A Tallahassee Baptist Church:

From the sign outside the church:

Prayer reminds you that you are not in control and keeps you close to God.”

-----

The following verse enlightens us to the fact that love of God is already existing deep in the heart of every living being and also tells us how we can access it by engaging in devotional service beginning with hearing. It is spoken by Lord Caitanya to Sanatana Gosvami as He is explaining devotional service in practice, which is required to purify the heart so one’s spontaneous love for God will manifest. I find it very encouraging to know that love of God already exists within everyone, and also to know how to access it, and thus I share this important verse with you.

nitya-siddha krishna-prema ‘sadhya’ kabhu naya
sravanadi-suddha-citte karaye udaya

“Pure love for Krishna is eternally established in the hearts of the living entities. It is not something to be gained from another source. When the heart is purified by hearing and chanting, this love naturally awakens.” (Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 22.107)