Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 15, No. 4
By Krishna-kripa das
(February 2019, part two)
North Florida
(Sent from Tallahassee on March 2, 2019)
Where
I Went and What I Did
I
began the second half of February by traveling from Tallahassee to
Jacksonville to chant on the campus of University of North Florida
and to promote their Krishna Club. The next day I went to Gainesville
for the Krishna House 12-Hour Kirtan, a very wonderful devotional
experience, and the day after
that I
returned to Tallahassee to assist in the celebration of Lord
Nityananda’s Appearance Day there. For the rest of the month, I
chanted at Florida State University during the week and at Lake Ella
on the weekends, having some wonderful encounters in both places.
I
share quotes from the lectures of Srila Prabhupada and a quote from
his
Sri
Caitanya-caritamrita.
I share quotes from Every
Day, Just Write and
the Free
Write Journal by
Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami. I share notes on a class by Gour Govinda
Swami and a quote from Bhurijana Prabhu’s
Surrender Unto Me.
Thanks
to Lila Kishor Prabhu of Jacksonville for his kind donation. Thanks
to Isa and her brother, Julian, for the ride from Jacksonville to
Gainesville.
Thanks
to Taproot for the video of Jorge and me
chanting Hare Krishna at Landis Green on the Florida State University
campus.
Itinerary
February
17–March 17: Tallahassee, Florida State University (weekdays), Lake
Ella (weekends) [March 15: Acola Rainbow Gathering]
March
18–22: Krishna House
March
23: St. Augustine Ratha-yatra
March
24: Krishna Lunch Sunday Program
March
24–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
15–18: Dublin
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: Radhadesh, Kadamba Kanana Swami Vyasa Puja ?
April
29 – May 1: Brussels harinama
?
May
2: London harinama
May
4–5: Birmingham 24-Hour Kirtan
May
12: Edinburgh program?
Mid
May to late July: 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
8: Great North Run harinama
(Newcastle-upon-Tyne)
September
9–10: Dublin
September
11: New York City
Chanting
Hare Krishna on the University of North Florida Green
I
booked a bus from Gainesville to Jacksonville to chant on the campus
of University of North Florida, although the whole trip took 6½
hours instead of the 1½ hours a car takes. Last time I wanted to go,
I wasted over two hours trying to convince people to drive me or lend
me their cars, and I did not want to go through that ordeal again. As
it turned out it was Ekadasi, and I wanted to chant 64 rounds anyway,
so I did not really waste any time.
Back
in January I had chanted two days on that campus, and three people
who
learned
of the Krishna Club programs there as a result, all became regular
attenders.
This
time, Ana, who had learned about the club and had chanted with me
before, was very happy to see me on the campus again, and she chanted
with me for twenty minutes. She told me that since she last saw me
she has come to the programs that Amrita Keli has both on the campus
and also at her Bhakti House downtown. She also mentioned that she
wants to check out the Hare Krishna temple in Quito when she visits
her homeland of Ecuador during the spring break.
During
the three hours I chanted at the campus I talked to other people who
expressed interest in the Krishna Club programs. One girl, when I
mentioned Krishna Club, said, “Oh, my friend Ana goes to that. Sure
I’ll take a flyer.” Some were happy to hear about the meditation,
and others, the vegan meal.
University
of North Florida is my favorite campus as we always meet so many open
minded and curious students there, and Amrita Keli, our Hare Krishna
chaplain, has a nice program of encouraging them in devotional
service to Krishna.
Chanting
Hare Krishna in the Krishna House Twelve-Hour Kirtan
Because
the congregrational chanting of the holy name of the Lord is the
dharma of this age, I always like to support events where that is
emphasized. Thus when I learned that Nama Kirtan Prabhu, our temple
president in Tallahassee, was driving to Gainesville the weekend of
the Krishna House 12-Hour Kirtan there, I was very happy to go with
him.
Unfortunately
I missed first 3½ hours of the kirtan because I was still in
Jacksonville from chanting at the university there
the
previous day, and it was hard to get a ride so early in the morning.
I could have spent $25 on two buses and spent over 3½ hours
traveling, leaving at 5:20 a.m., and made the whole event, but I hate
spending money unnecessarily. I also could have gotten a ride with a
lady who would have left earlier for my sake, but as I am a
brahmacari,
I
can’t really ride with a lady, so I had to accept another later
option.
Although
I had to eat a couple of meals and do a couple of errands during the
12-hour kirtan, I attended at
least a
part of every
singer’s kirtan, and I took a little video of each to share with
you. The
final ones by Madhava and Bada Haridas Prabhus, both of Alachua, were
especially lively and joyful.
You
can access the videos
through this YouTube playlist
(https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGerEnGdI0xIXhZ2nDYYMgOtj_oxjtru2)
or scroll down and see them that way.
Bhakta
Gabriel plays guitar and chants Hare Krishna at the Krishna House 12-Hour Kirtan
(https://youtu.be/VfFpt6rmc0s):
As
is often the case, because devotees like to do kirtan in dim light,
my videos of the evening kirtans are very dark. If
you watch these
darker
videos
in a dark room, you will get the best results.
Prabhupada
disciple Rucira Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna, accompanied on
harmonium by her husband, Adikarta Prabhu, also initiated by Srila
Prabhupada, (https://youtu.be/kiWqtXlrMaQ):
Adikarta
Prabhu, who has done college outreach at the
University of Florida for years, encouraging several students to
become devotees, chants Hare Krishna (https://youtu.be/f-SJDvEETIw):
Hari
Priya, daughter of Prabhupada disciples, Yadubara and Visakha
Prabhus, chants Hare Krishna, and two ladies dance
(https://youtu.be/HwXZSoGNXZo):
Madhava
Prabhu of Alachua plays a sweet Hare Krishna tune on the harmonium,
and he and other devotees lead the chant
(https://youtu.be/7__Xo5zoEbA):
Madhava
Prabhu of Alachua chants Hare Krishna, and the youthful Krishna House
devotees dance with joy (https://youtu.be/H0FBYZeeSls):
Bada
Haridas Prabhu, Shyamala Kishori Devi Dasi, and Ramai and Animesh
Prabhus led the Hare Krishna chant at the end of Krishna House
12-Hour Kirtan, and the joyful sound inspired many to dance
(https://youtu.be/OJ4NiaNl0WA):
Thanks
to all the devotees who chanted and danced, and to all those who did
all the backup work, like arranging the sound system and the
prasadam,
which combined
to make the Krishna House 12-Hour Kirtan a great success.
The
Appearance Day of Lord Nityananda
I
felt really blessed that Lord Nityananda Prabhu gave me many
opportunities to serve Him on His appearance day. It started with
mangala-arati.
Many
enthusiastic Krishna House devotees went to Alachua to attend
mangala-arati
there.
I did not as I was worried about getting enough sleep before
traveling to Tallahassee where I wanted to both make a sweet for
feast and chant Hare Krishna at Lake Ella before our celebration.
Because we do not offer mangala-arati
on
the weekends at Krishna House but simply sing the song, I decided I
would offer a special mangala-arati
myself
to honor Lord Nityananda on His appearance day, as He graces our
altar there along with Lord Caitanya. As it turned out, no one else
showed up, so I got sing the kirtan as well perform the arati.
My
bus to Tallahassee was two hours late, so I had to make my sweet for
the feast during the Sunday feast kirtan because I did not have time
before chanting at the lake. While making the mango-almond coconut
burfi, I learned the person promising to make the rice didn’t do
it, so I got to make the rice as well, and it came out perfect,
although I never make rice and find it boring. I also got to save the
dal
that
the pujari
was
cooking from burning when
the water boiled out of it while he was doing the arati.
Yogi
Garuda Prabhu chanted a lively kirtan for Lord Nityananda’s
Appearance Day in Tallahassee, but I was so busy cooking, it did not
occur to me to take video of it until the very end
(https://youtu.be/FI0_Albreto):
I
shared the lecture part of the program with Yogi Garuda and Satyaraj
Govinda Prabhus to give them the chance to glorify Lord Nityananda
Prabhu. For my part, I engaged the congregation in chanting this
mantra responsively three times:
nityanandam
aham naumi
sarvananda-karam-param
harinama-pradam
devam
avadhuta-siromanim
“I
bow down to Supreme Lord Nityananda Prabhu, who is the awarder of the
highest joy to all, the bestower of the holy name, and the crest
jewel of all paramahamsa
mendicants.”
I
also explained that although God is one, to enjoy fraternal loving
affairs Lord Krishna expands as Lord Balarama, and when Krishna
appears as Lord Caitanya, Balarama appears as Lord Nityananda. They
are not in the same family but are spiritual brothers. And in case
the newcomers did not know, I explained that Lord Caitanya and Lord
Nityananda are the two principal deities on our altar. As the others
had spoken more elaborately, and the time alloted for the lecture had
more than elapsed, I left it at that.
I
served the cake that Bhavana made and my own coconut sweet. My sweet
was one of the best I ever made, and I considered that another mercy
of Lord Nityananda. Actually I always pray to Radharani to be able to
make a wonderful sweet for Her beloved Krishna, so I cannot
personally take credit for the success of my sweets.
Chanting
Hare Krishna at Florida State University in Tallahassee
One
girl named Florence apologized for not coming to the festival I
invited her to on Lord Nityananda’s appearance day. She said she
tried to come, but it did not work out. I had a couple of the sweets
I made for that occasion, and I gave one to her.
She
told me that I had mentioned that becoming vegetarian is a practical
step that anyone can to take to practice nonviolence. She said that
thought stuck in her mind, and she became vegetarian. She finds that
by choosing not to eat meat, she is consciously acting nonviolently
and she feels empowered by doing so. Once she ate chicken due to
circumstances, and she felt sick, and it increased her conviction to
be vegetarian. It is rare that my words enter people’s hearts. I
felt happy for her. She came by a few days later, still fixed in her
new found vegetarianism. She can’t afford to come to Krishna Lunch
because she is paying for the obligatory meal plan, but she said she would come next year. I
invited her to Bhagavad-gita
class
with the
free vegan dinner after.
She said she was busy this week but would come next week. She stops briefly whenever she
passes by.
Jorge
told me to bring the djembe
to
the campus in case some student may want to play with us. It was a
nice idea, but later I realized I would be the one carrying it along
with the mridanga,
harmonium,
mat, and books. I chanted for over two and a half hours, and no
student had played it. When one student came by, who was a little
interested, I told him, “I carried that djembe
all
the way out here for someone to play, but no one has. Please play it
and make my endeavor successful.” He played for ten or fifteen
minutes, and I asked Taproot to record it
(https://youtu.be/X7HiJcyDrtQ):
Four
days later I recognized him as he walked past on the sidewalk where I
was set up, and I thanked him for playing with us. I told him
unfortunately I did not have extra instruments that day, but I would
on Wednesday or Thursday. Before he left he mentioned that for the
next two days after his brief encounter with us his mind was really
stirred up, and he was reevaluating his priorities in life. I
explained that the mantra we sing is very powerful. People have
become vegetarian and have given up addictions to cigarettes and
alcohol simply by hearing and
chanting it.
Another day, Danny, who used to live in the apartment next to the temple years ago and who is a Facebook friend of mine, stopped by and surprised me by chanting with us for forty-five minutes! He went back to college to study nursing, and he said he would come by again when he is on the campus and has free time.
Another time three Prabhupada disciples chanted with me, Ramiya Prabhu, Ananta Devi Dasi (his wife), and Ramaniya Devi Dasi. Ramaniya wanted to see if the college outreach opportunities at Florida State University were suitable for her, and thus she came to visit.
Another day, Danny, who used to live in the apartment next to the temple years ago and who is a Facebook friend of mine, stopped by and surprised me by chanting with us for forty-five minutes! He went back to college to study nursing, and he said he would come by again when he is on the campus and has free time.
Another time three Prabhupada disciples chanted with me, Ramiya Prabhu, Ananta Devi Dasi (his wife), and Ramaniya Devi Dasi. Ramaniya wanted to see if the college outreach opportunities at Florida State University were suitable for her, and thus she came to visit.
Chanting
Hare Krishna at Lake Ella in Tallahassee
While
I was chanting Hare Krishna at Lake Ella in Tallahassee on
Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s Appearance Day, one man asked
if I could sing a more capitalistic tune. I said I did not know one.
He said, “You can’t become rich by serving a poor man!” I
replied, “Well, I serve God, and He is the richest man. I never
have to worry about how I am going to eat or where I am going to
stay.” The man did not have a comeback, and his wife expressed
appreciation hearing my words.
Thinking
about it later, I concluded that actually
Hare
Krishna is itself
the
most capitalistic tune. How is that?
“Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu asked, ‘Of the many capitalists who possess great riches, who is the topmost?’
Ramananda Raya replied, ‘He who is richest in love for Radha and Krishna is the greatest capitalist.’” (Cc. Madhya 8.247)
When Hare Krishna is chanted purely it delivers this love of Radha and Krishna, and so it can be considered the most capitalistic tune!
“Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu asked, ‘Of the many capitalists who possess great riches, who is the topmost?’
Ramananda Raya replied, ‘He who is richest in love for Radha and Krishna is the greatest capitalist.’” (Cc. Madhya 8.247)
When Hare Krishna is chanted purely it delivers this love of Radha and Krishna, and so it can be considered the most capitalistic tune!
That
same day while I was chanting Hare Krishna, one lady donated a
devotional game for children, with a beautiful picture of
Radha-Shyamasundara in Vrindavan on the box, as well as a calendar
with all the verses of Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad-gita
As It Is in
it. She said she was an ex-devotee, but she did not want to throw
those things out, and when she saw me, she decided to give them to
me. Apparently she attended the Tallahassee temple in 1985 when a
devotee name Jaya Das, who had classes on the Higher
Taste, was
running it. Later she become involved with a Gaudiya Math group in
Vienna. Because of her family, she found it easier to be a Christian.
I told her I liked Christ’s commandment about loving God and loving
your neighbor best and said that seemed to be the essence of his
teachings. I mentioned that unfortunately most Christians focus on
less important of his instructions, and she agreed with all I said. I
asked if she was vegetarian, as Srila Prabhupada always encouraged
Christians to be vegetarian. She said she was, and that
her
daughters, aged 16 and 18, were vegetarian since birth. I told her
about our Krishna Lunch program at Florida State University, and
asked if she were ever near the campus at lunchtime. She said not but
her older girl goes to FSU, and she took an invitation for her. As
she was walking to her car, because she had some relationship with
both ISKCON and the Gaudiya Math, I yelled after her, and getting her
attention, I said, “Today is the Appearance Day of Bhaktisiddhanta
Sarasvati Thakura.” Her face immediately lit up, and she said she
had been to his place in Vrindavan, and that he was really the one
who could bring all the groups together. I agreed. I said, “To me
the most amazing thing about him is that he took a vow to chant a
billion names of God. Such faith he had in the holy name!” She
replied, very much illuminated in countenance, “Yes, that is love
of God right there!”
It
was so awesome to encounter such spontaneous glorification of
Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura in a Tallahassee park, by someone
who identified herself as a Christian no less!
We
brought prasadam
to
distribute in the park in honor of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura
which consisted of khichri,
arepas
(a
dish from Columbia),
and
coconut sweets. It was harder to interest people in the khichri,
but
Jorge and I were able to interest some people in the arepas
and
the coconut sweets.
The
next day was not so eventful, but one man donated a bottle of water,
someone else gave a dollar, and someone took an “On Chanting Hare
Krishna.” A couple Florida State University girls who had eaten
Krishna Lunch before were happy to take my coconut sweet prasadam,
but
most people were reluctant.
Insights
Srila
Prabhupada:
From
a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam
1.13.11 in Geneva on June 2, 1974:
“Here
in the material world, although I may be your well-wisher, you may be
well-wisher, but there is some interest. Unless there is some
interest for my personal benefit, I cannot become your suhrda.
This is material suhrda.
But spiritual suhrda
is different. Spiritual suhrda
means everyone is suffering for want of spiritual consciousness,
Krishna consciousness. Therefore attempt should be made so that
everyone becomes Krishna conscious. That is spiritual suhrda.”
“Your
qualification is – I told in the beginning – that you have got a
renouncing spirit. That is a great qualification. Tyaga.
Renunciation is opulence also. Krishna, six opulences. One of the
opulence is renunciation. Aisvaryasya
samagrasya viryasya yasasah sriyah, jñana-vairagya
[Vishnu
Purana
6.5.47]. Vairagya
means renunciation. You have enough of this material enjoyment. You
have enjoyed. Or you have seen that there is no actually profit.
Therefore you are in a spirit... That is natural. That is natural. If
one has enjoyed very much, the next stage will be renunciation. This
is natural. So because you have got a renouncing spirit, you are
understanding or taking Krishna consciousness very nicely, at least,
very eagerly. Jñana-vairagya,
that is required. This vairagya
then... I therefore sometimes like these hippies, because they have a
spirit of renunciation. That is very good position. Simply they
require jñana,
or knowledge. Then their life will be successful. To bring one to the
platform of renunciation, that is a very difficult job. Especially
when one has got nice wife, nice home, nice bank balance, it is very,
very difficult.”
“Therefore
Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, niskiñcanasya
bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya
[Cc. Madhya 11.8]. Bhagavad-bhajana,
to become devotee, Krishna conscious, is meant for niskiñcanasya,
one who does not possess anything in the material world. That does
not mean he should be poverty-stricken. No. He should know it fully
that ‘Nothing belongs to me; everything belongs to Krishna. I am
simply His servant, that’s all.’ This is called akiñcana.
. . . Bhagavad-bhajana
means He Himself became niskiñcana.
He was Krishna Himself, most opulent. Tyaktva
surepsitah, sudustyaja-surepsita-rajya-laksmim
[SB 11.5.34]. Caitanya Mahaprabhu had the most beautiful wife,
goddess of fortune, Vishnu-priya, Laksmi-priya. But for the benefit
of the whole world, although He is Krishna, He showed us the example.
At the age of twenty-four years, He took sannyasa.
He was not unhappy in His home. He had His very affectionate mother .
. . and most affectionate wife, beloved wife. But still, it is very
difficult to renounce the affection of mother and love of wife. But
Caitanya Mahaprabhu did it.”
From
a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam
1.13.15 in Geneva on June 4, 1974:
“Yamaraja
took his birth as Vidura and was born in the womb of a sudra
mother. . . . So in his absence, Aryama, one of the demigods, he
officiated Yamaraja. . . . The office must go on; the magistrate post
cannot be vacant. Somebody must come and act. So Aryama was acting.”
“Yamaraja
is one of the GBC of Krishna. Yes. As we have got twelve GBCs,
similarly Krishna has got twelve GBCs. Now, svayambhur
naradah sambhuh kapilo kumarah manuh prahlado janako bhismo balir
vaiyasakir vayam
[SB 6.3.20] That twelve men are authorized to preach Krishna
consciousness. So we have to follow. Mahajano
yena gatah sa panthah
[Cc. Madhya 17.186]. There we have created these GBCs. So they should
be very responsible men; otherwise, they will be punished. They will
be punished to become a sudra.
Although Yamaraja is a GBC, but he made a little mistake, he was
punished to become a sudra.
So those who are GBC, they should be very, very careful to administer
the business of ISKCON. Otherwise they will be punished. As the post
is very great, similarly, the punishment is also very great. That is
the difficulty. You can see from this example, Vidura.”
From
Sri
Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi
4.41, purport:
“Lord
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s transcendental mission is to distribute
love of Godhead to everyone. Anyone who accepts God as the Supreme
can take to the process of chanting Hare Krishna and become a lover
of God. Therefore Lord Caitanya is the most magnanimous.”
Satsvarupa
Dasa Goswami:
From
Every
Day, Just Write,
Volume 20, Part One:
“As
sun rises on a dirty town
as
in myself chest in
head
there is not only blood
confusion
and congestion
but
a spirit of yearning
to
go home to you
my
Lord.”
“There’s
no way Krishna can
be
attained but by
direct
attack
direct
action
military
assault
with
love
in
vaidhi
steps.”
“please
protect us even
in
death hour so
we
can remember
You.”
“Don’t
put down white men
black
yellow
this
dissonance
is
body
skin
disease.”
“Oh,
the language of Krishna consciousness is
so
nice
synch,
rise, be there
advocate
Swami in ’66
in
’96 and say he taught and
they
smile
Krishna
/ no Mayavadis
keep
going with your
rasslin’
with your mind
wear
your Nrsimhadeva medal
keep
on giving to
others
the benefit
of
harinama
and prasadam
with
faith it’ll do good.”
“See
it in ISKCON as
helping
all people
this
movement
I’m
yet another Swami
through
the airport
arriving
hey
mon, look it’s a white man
Haribol
on his way
to
Guyana on their
election
day.”
“Seek
the sign
Krishna’s
in the heart
keep
away from Maya
ramblin’
in the devotee’s
backyard
and
on harinama.”
“I
remember the old days
with
tension between us
Don’t
recall.
Recall
something nice
forget
the rest
we’re
going home…”
“just
zip the film ahead
to
1966 summer that’s
best.
I’ve seen it before but
love
it still
Swami
does save
me
I
become his disciple”
“It
goes both ways – you
learn
from him and you
serve
him back.
He
accepts you and gives
your
service to Krishna”
“Krishna
science is to
chant
holy names
go
up to folks and say
For
religious reasons you
should
let me
enter
your country
tell
the people
God
is one”
“and
they will see I say
Krishna
with my last breath”
From
Every
Day, Just Write,
Volume 20, Part Two:
“What
adventures will You put
me
through and please allow my
love
to grow.”
“If
you have faith
you
get supreme peace.”
“We
don’t
want
to pray for safe passage
but
for safety in devotional
service.”
“Pray
God I love this.
Please
give me an inch or
an
eighth of an inch or whatever.
Some
little toehold
of
hearing.
You’ll
say that?
I’ll
say Krishna says hear from
Me
and that includes you
say
His name.”
“Just
the experiment, the
scratching,
the knowing there is
better
than this, the
expression
of self as honest
as
can be,
is
this Love?
It’s
my offering…”
“The
man said even if I
was
not a Negro I’d
make
this music
I
tried hard to hate
the
white men but one
good
one would come along
and
ruin it.”
“The
saintly person must
suffer
just between him
and
God.
His
way isn’t yours
But
you’ve got to go
find
yours.
“This
work we do
for
God / we pray
to
Him.”
“your
soul’s in heart
They
say
and
body you know
is
here, your sweet
and
burdensome
flesh
and body
and
blood
given
by God
’cause
you wanted it.”
“We
can’t live in peace
in
this world. Peace
Param-santim
is with
the
soul and God and His
beloveds.”
“Love
Krishna, love devotees
they
have heard it, and yet
say
it my best again
twice
today.”
“I
don’t condemn or judge
but
as master said,
‘Encourage
them more and more.’”
From
Every
Day, Just Write,
Volume 21, Part One:
“just
me and the rules
and
my master distant
and
we’ll come home
but
the path has just
got
to reveal itself
like
an interstate
coming
up fast.”
“Please
Christ
(in
vain)
Please
let me
call
God Father’s name
Abba!
with
a drop of
your
sincerity.”
“Don’t
despair. It will
come
but not before
you…
cry
for
it.”
“Krishna,
I’m walking on icy
crust
You will help us
each
step even if
we
fall and break a
wrist
You
are never lazy or
neglectful
in our
care.”
“Keep
on guard don’t fall
and
if you start to slip
call
Krishna!”
“So,
you all, if you want to
help
me print and sell these books
okay
but I have to do it
for
Krishna
“or
I’ll feel wanting like
Vyasadeva
do
you think you’ll be
satisfied
thinking that the body and mind
is
the self
or
not dhira
or
not kind to the adhiras?”
“you
better read Srimad-Bhagavatam
and
talk
on those subjects
bubble
gum,
playing
marbles
won’t
get you
heaven,
spirit
soul.”
“You
are loved, cared for,
and
your group lives
under
shelter of Supreme.”
“I’m
the person who has to cry
out
in way he never did before.”
“Just
a little off from it is my campfire. The sound we make is a little
cacophonous and sweet you can’t raise that in the group.
Got
to be apart
yet
a part.”
From
Every
Day, Just Write,
Volume 21, Part Two:
“If
on parikrama
you get a
thorn,
sit down
at
once and remove it with pin,
or
it’ll drive in deeper
with
each step…”
“Krishna
said I started it all,
I
finish it as Shiva, I take
My
devotees to Me, devotees
are
My heart.
“He
gave the strict orders
through
guru to avoid nondevotees
and
sense gratifiers.”
“There’s
no way a guy like me can be young again, and the truth is head fogs
even on a sunny day.”
“Honor
them all
saints
stop
the aparadhas
to
leading
preachers.”
“Wise
one, dear to Krishna
you
are, lover of God
please
include me in
your
embrace of all
creatures.”
“Wandering
now, ready to
take
rest in your shelter
once
again
even
at death and
after
serene,
wise one let
me
be with you
as
serving.”
From
Every
Day, Just Write,
Volume 22, Part One:
“With
superior knowledge that
God
is with us a Friend I am
your
friend only in this sense –
I
can’t prevent suffering I
can
point to Krishna in your life”
“Lament
and sad and peaceful
too
we are all God’s
and
under His rule seeking
Him
we do in Srimad-
Bhag.
and I just myself
am
just
in
line to read the
sacred
book
sweating
and
unworthy but
not
so hopeless as to drop the entire enterprise, ‘Oh no!’ and head
for the pub. No my brother reminds me there’s hope in a day like
today.”
“if
it’s not connected to Krishna
(isn’t
everything?)
you’ll
not be happy it’s
Maya,
all those early books
of
Vyasa not directly
praising
Krishna
and
where can I claim
I’m
at
by
comparison?”
“Master
is saying it in
the
writing he left – death
comes
to all and if he the
wisest
of all also
succumbed
or demonstrated it
then
why do you think
you
won’t suffer it in
a
rough worse rash?”
“I
want to be
with
Swami telling
me
to go back to Godhead as soon as possible
as
his Guru Maharaja told”
“In
rainy season roads are overgrown
high
weeds even trees and travelers
can’t
see…just like a Brahma
forgets
he’s eternal servant of
the
Supreme Lord Krishna
“Read
these truths you’ll find
nowhere
else.”
“I
speak and preach so often I tell my
fellow
preachers unless we can
heal
(by words) we’re not truthful
to
the mission of Krishna.”
“I
want to be a devotee and take in all I
can
learn of the world and give it out
in
more pleasing Krishna conscious ways.”
“Srila
Prabhupada says
Jesus,
Buddha, Krishna never said
this
is the place you can stay
and
be happy.”
“I’ll
never leave the Swami,
and
he’ll never desert.”
“thank
the Creator – He has
a
plan that we should serve Him –
in
this world the mission
to
rescue the many downtrodden.”
“The
people of the world
have
to come together
and
he says the only way –
not
a compact for sense grat
but
teach them service to Lord Krishna
get
it?
some
day…”
“The
Creator has a plan.
His
plan in this age is to
sing
His holy names again and again,
but
the art is to do it
with
grace and surrender if you
can
you’re doing fine . . . ”
“The
Creator has a
master
plan
called
bhakti
and we are
called
to give it
His
one command
surrender
to Me and
do
it for pleasing Krishna…”
“The
truth is beyond any mere nice
guy
vibrations. Please play direct
kirtana
always with voice on top
Hare
Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna
Krishna Hare Hare
We
want that sort of
romance
with absolute”
“This
here is spiritualized
energy
if pure devotee is
in
charge and delivers it
now.”
“Krishna
is raining and reigning
and
reining me to go on the
path,
up the hill I’m
complaining
‘I can’t see!’
I
can’t taste nectar.”
From
Every
Day, Just Write,
Volume 22, Part Two:
“I
must have Krishna consciousness as the main course, and our ethos is
we can see the Lord everywhere. But for the special original form and
lila
we have to go to Krishna conscious persons in the Gaudiya tradition
of Lord Caitanya.”
“How
to be a sweet devotee of the Lord
how
to be a fighter for Him
stay
close to Prabhupada,
speak
to your own people
and
yet beyond that
–
but
who will listen?”
“the
path is narrow but
when
Lord Caitanya walked He
didn’t
go from point A to B
He
walked in ecstasy
going
nowhere except
zig-zag
to
find the truth
“In
my own case we left
and
right not out of ecstasy
but
confusion and there’s
no
other way
no
way but the Krishna conscious
winding
path.”
“Krishna
actually carries us, but we have to do something on our own with what
He gives.”
“You’ve
got to work. Caught you pausing as if you’d quit for good. Well,
that won’t do.”
“Ah
yes, we used to chant loudly
and
lecture to the friends and
blast
’em and smash ’em
and
laugh at all the fools of
the
world, never think we
had
such a long way to go.”
“Okay
boss, I think I know what
you
mean – you’d like to be a saint
but
not if it means too much
tapasya
and
not doing what you like
pay
the price
make
your bed and lie in
it
– with a headache.”
“What?
What’s the Krishna conscious
recreation,
the thing is to serve
Krishna
with whatever you have
Don’t
pay attention so much
how
to make it relevant to
the
tricky, sophisticated mind.”
“Don’t
you cry
little
baby
you’re
in Krishna consciousness
the
‘summertime’ of
love.”
“Prabhupada
said to me in effect give
up
all you are doing and concentrate only on Srimad-Bhagavatam,
Bhagavad-gita, etc.,
and ISKCON work if you want to escape birth and death – work to
preach.
So
I did for twenty-five, thirty years, and I’m still doing it…”
“I
don’t want to depart from
Him
anymore
then
come back
Krishna
is saying
come
back, it’s not
too
late ever.”
“You
have mastery
of
some little thing you hold onto –
loading
or serving it – but then
you
lose your grip…
whereas
Krishna is master of
all.
Idam
hi pumsas,
use matter
to
praise Him, and if He’s
pleased
you can enter His
internal
energy.”
From
Free
Write Journal #27:
“We
decided to read Sri Vrindavan dasa Thakura’s Sri
Caitanya-bhagavata,
with the commentaries by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. We
read a few verses, but Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s commentaries
seemed too technical and did not follow the momentum of the verses.
So we have decided to read only the verses of Caitanya-bhagavata.
I have read it before and enjoyed it very much. There’s a
difference between not reading someone else’s purports and not
reading Prabhupada’s purports. We have an obligation to read the
Bhaktivedanta purports, but it is not quite the same with reading
Hridayananda Maharaja’s purports, or even Bhaktisiddhanta
Sarasvati’s purports. Prabhupada wrote specifically for us, and he
ordered us to read his books. He has given us enough in his own
Bhaktivedanta purports that we don’t have to read anyone else. It
is good to read translations done by ISKCON devotees who translate in
Prabhupada’s spirit, and use his words. For example, Prabhupada
uses the Sanskrit phrase sri
bhagavan uvaca
as “The Supreme Personality of Godhead said.” Others may use the
word bhagavan
for other personalities, but Prabhupada uses it for Krishna, the
Supreme Godhead. So we like to read translators who follow his mood
and methods of expressions. It’s one thing to skip the purports and
commentaries of other writers, but we must not skip reading of the
Bhaktivedanta purports, which were Prabhupada’s ‘personal
ecstasies.’”
“Although
we are in the midst of frigid, snowy winter, we still have the
opulence of gathering fruits, flowers and incense to offer to the
Deity. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati used to say, ‘There is no scarcity
in the world. The only scarcity is of Krishna consciousness.’ So this
responsibility and challenge falls upon us. Do we have the utsaha,
the devotion to make the offerings? Yes, we do.”
From
Free
Write Journal #28:
“There
had been a doubt in my mind whether it was all right for a disciple
of Prabhupada to write books since he had written so many books. Was
it unnecessary to write after him? I put this question before him in
a letter, and he wrote back that all of his disciples could write in
Krishna consciousness following the parampara.
Just as the Gosvamis had written many books, and yet Srila Prabhupada
also wrote voluminously, so his disciples should continue the
tradition and write books in Krishna consciousness. Prabhupada
ordered that his disciples should publish Back
to Godhead
magazine, just as he had published it in India before coming to
America. He specifically wanted his disciples to write articles in
the American edition of Back
to Godhead.
Hayagriva, a university instructor in literature, wrote essays on
Emily Dickenson, Walt Whitman, Thoreau, etc., and by the process of
‘swanning,’ he brought out how these authors expressed
transcendental literature.”
“Once
in the cabin at Gita-nagari with my disciples gathered, Baladeva
Vidyabhusana asked me what books I would like to write. I immediately
came out with about 40 different projects and specific books that I
wanted to write. I rattled them off with confidence. It was like the
time Prabhupada told a man that he was going to open many temples but
only time separated him from doing it. I actually did write those 40
books (and even more than I had announced in the cabin).”
“I
personally began Tulasi worship in Boston. The devotees there were
very devoted to Tulasi, and we arranged for grow lights and read
booklets about how to take care of her. We would have a daily Tulasi
puja
and sing Tulasi songs while the pujari
rang a bell and we circumambulated around the plant. In the Tulasi
arati,
each devotee in the temple would come forward and water Tulasi with a
spoonful. We heard that some members of the Gaudiya Math criticized
ISKCON for singing such an intimate song to Tulasi in which we prayed
to become her maidservant in the groves of Vrindavan. But we didn’t
care for that criticism. Prabhupada knew what we were singing, and he
permitted it.”
Gour
Govinda Swami:
The
Lord wants to sit in your heart, but your heart is filled with so
many other things. You have to make room in your heart if you want
the Lord to sit there.
Krishna-prema
is your real asset. Why are you running after unreal assets?
The
sankirtana
of
Lord Caitanya is the real sankirtana.
If
you do not pursue that sankirtana,
what
sankirtana
will
you pursue?
I
am speaking some few words just to increase your greed for Krishna
because Krishna is attained only by such greed.
Bhurijana
Prabhu:
From
Surrender
Unto Me:
“6.26
From wherever the mind wanders due to its flickering and unsteady
nature, one must certainly withdraw it and bring it back under the
control of the self.
Here
Krishna uses three adjectives to describe the mind. Niscalati
(wandering), cancalam
(flickering) and asthiram
(unsteady). By steady intelligence the yogi
must overcome all those mental tendencies. He cannot indulge his mind
and gratify his senses. He
must know for certain that yielding to the mind will destroy his
tranquility. [italics
are mine – kkd] Rather, he should be fixed in the Self, not in his
thoughts, which may be influenced by his previous passionate
conditioning.”
-----
Here
Lord Krishna reveals why He descended as Sri Krishna Caitanya
Mahaprabhu:
yuga-dharma
pravartaimu nama-sankirtana
cari
bhava-bhakti diya nacamu bhuvana
“I
shall personally inaugurate the religion of the age —
nama-sankirtana,
the congregational chanting of the holy name. I shall make the world
dance in ecstasy, realizing the four mellows of loving devotional
service.” (Sri
Caitanya-caritamrita,
Adi-lila 3.19)
How valuable is this congregational chanting of the holy name and the dancing it inspires! Though them we can enter into an intimate relationship of love with Krishna [God]. How fortunate we are to have this opportunity! How fortunate we are to have this gift to share with others! How unfortunate that so few people are interested!
How valuable is this congregational chanting of the holy name and the dancing it inspires! Though them we can enter into an intimate relationship of love with Krishna [God]. How fortunate we are to have this opportunity! How fortunate we are to have this gift to share with others! How unfortunate that so few people are interested!