Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 15, No. 17
By Krishna Kripa Das
(September 2019, part one)
The North of England, Dublin, New York City
(Sent from New York City on September 15, 2019)
Where I Went and What I Did
By Krishna Kripa Das
(September 2019, part one)
The North of England, Dublin, New York City
(Sent from New York City on September 15, 2019)
Where I Went and What I Did
The
last two days of August I did harinama
in
Liverpool with several devotees to promote the third annual Liverpool
Ratha-yatra on September 1. I returned to Newcastle the next day and
did harinama
there.
Then I did harinama
in
Durham with Bhakti Rasa Prabhu the day after, and in York with
Govardhana Devi Dasi and Ashis the day after that. The next day I
chanted alone in North Shields, which is the town in the Newcastle
area where I had gotten the biggest donations this year, and
someone who got a Bhagavad-gita
last
time took a Science
of Self-Realization.
The following day was Radhastami and several devotees joined me in
chanting in Newcastle on Northumberland Street to celebrate. The day
after
was
the first Saturday in September, and we did harinama
in
York before the monthly evening program, which one girl who met us on
that
harinama
attended.
On September 8, many Newcastle devotees chanted along the route of
the Great North Run, the largest half marathon in Europe, and 57,000
runners heard the holy name of Krishna, many very happy about the
experience as you can see in the videos. I did harinama
in
Dublin the next three days with Ananta Nitai Prabhu, who came from
England just to join me, since
chanting in the
streets of Dublin
is something we did many times in the past when he lived there on a
more permanent basis. On 9/11, I flew to New York to join the Yuga
Dharma Ashram
in chanting six hours of
harinama
each
day in New York City for the fall. The
first day we chanted in a Brooklyn subway station because of rain,
but the next two we were at Union Square Park as usual. They changed the
timing to 1:00 to 7:00 p.m. each day.
I
share
notes on a couple of lectures by Srila Prabhupada. I share notes on
classes by Srila Prabhupada disciples, Ramesvara Prabhu, Sadaputa
Prabhu, and Govardhana Devi Dasi. I also share notes on classes by
Bhakta Vijnana Swami, Rama Raya Prabhu, Praghosa Prabhu (the GBC of
the UK and Ireland), and Isa Prakasa Prabhu.
Thanks
to the Manchester, Newcastle, and Dublin temples, and the Liverpool
nama-hatta
for
their donations. Thanks to Karsna and Aharada Prabhus for their kind
donation of foreign currency.
Thanks
to Aharada Devi Dasi for the video of the street musician playing “My
Sweet Lord” for us at the Liverpool Ratha-yatra stage show. Thanks
to Kaliya Krishna Prabhu for the photo and video of me chanting in
Union Square.
Itinerary
September
12–20:
NYC
Yuga Dharma harinamas
September
21–22:
Boston
Hemp Fest
harinamas
September
23–25:
NYC Yuga Dharma harinamas
September
26–28: Philadelphia harinamas
and
Ratha-yatra
September
29–30: Martha’s
Vineyard (visiting relatives)
October
1 – December:
NYC Yuga Dharma harinamas
January–April
2020: North Florida colleges
Chanting
Hare Krishna in Liverpool
Alvyra,
originally from Lithuania, chants Hare Krishna in Liverpool, as we
promote the local Ratha-yatra (https://youtu.be/e1478P3m2L8):
The
next day Alvyra chanted Hare Krishna, and passersby played
instruments and danced, and one lady who danced gave a donation and
took a Science
of Self-Realization
(https://youtu.be/verR2QMXsBw):
While
promoting the next day’s Ratha-yatra, Karsna Prabhu chanted Hare
Krishna in Liverpool, accompanied by his wife, Aharada Devi Dasi on
harmonium, and many passersby danced (https://youtu.be/YT0pppGud3k):
Chanting Hare Krishna in the Liverpool Ratha-yatra
Here
Parasurama Prabhu chants Hare Krishna before Liverpool Ratha-yatra
(https://youtu.be/I5wTfuJvfh4):
Radhika
Nagara Prabhu chanted Hare Krishna as the Liverpool Ratha-yatra
procession began to move (https://youtu.be/ciL74W16rnA):
While
Radhika Nagara Prabhu was chanting Hare Krishna, two girls played
shakers and danced (https://youtu.be/b_zjQsqAyfU):
Here
Radha Mohan Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in the Liverpool Ratha-yatra,
and devotees dance (https://youtu.be/iHJg3QqABNw):
At
the end of the Liverpool Ratha-yatra, Ananda Rupa Prabhu chanted Hare
Krishna, and passersby and devotees danced. In the back, you can see
two passersby spontaneously performing a dance they recently learned
(https://youtu.be/-VeVewFFje8):
During
the Ratha-yatra, I noticed our procession curtailed the performance
of a one-man band guy. I thought he might be annoyed about that so I
offered to bring him a plate of the vegetarian food we were serving.
He was happy about that, but he said what he would really like is a
copy of our book. I asked him if he meant Bhagavad-gita,
and
he said yes.
After the procession, I brought him both a plate of
prasadam
and
a Bhagavad-gita.
He
gave £5 from his collection for the book, and he was very satisfied with
the prasadam.
He
explained that David Lynch who started the famous American TV series,
Twin
Peaks, wrote
a book about his experiments with meditation, in
which he quotes Bhagavad-gita
on
practically every other page, and thus
he developed an interest in it and
was very happy to finally get one.
The
day before, while chanting Hare Krishna in Liverpool to advertise the
Ratha-yatra, we met a guitar player looking for a spot to play. We
asked him if he knew “My Sweet Lord,” and when he said he did, we
invited him to play at the Ratha-yatra stage show. Not only did he
play, but he got prasadam,
the garland of Lord Jagannatha from ISKCON London, japa
beads and about two hours of association with devotees
(https://youtu.be/sJ2Z02DkwrQ):
Thanks
to Aharada Devi Dasi for the above video.
Devotee
youths, mostly from Manchester, chant Hare Krishna at the Liverpool
Ratha-yatra stage show (https://youtu.be/_UEuDM_GH54):
Parasurama
Prabhu chants the final Hare Krishna kirtan at Liverpool Ratha-yatra
stage show, and many dance (https://youtu.be/8nYTFIovLoI):
One
dancer in that kirtan was Robert of Jersey, formerly known to the
devotees as curly for the curly hair he had in his youth. He lived at
Bhaktivedanta Manor and Caitanya College before getting separated
from the devotees. We met him two days before the Ratha-yatra, and
invited him to come, and he came for the final kirtan. At the request
of his friend, Adi-Guru Prabhu, who I had written to about meeting
him, he gave a donation which we used to go toward the cost of the
festival.
Chanting
Hare Krishna in the Newcastle Area
One
day I went to Durham on the train which cost £6.50 round trip. I
always wonder if it will be worth it because people do not give so
many donations. Turns out people gave £28.60 and took four books,
and several Indian students studying there learned about our local
programs. One guy gave £10 and did not want a book. He just said, “I
think the whole world would be better if they knew about sattva,
rajas,
and tamas.”
Later I saw him at the train station, and he took me out for tea, and
we discussed Bhagavad-gita
philosophy for two hours.
Shyama
Priya Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna on Radhastami in Newcastle
(https://youtu.be/xYNb-XNe_aY):
Prema
Sankirtana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna on Radhastami in Newcastle
(https://youtu.be/o9KyUjdsOtQ):
Vishnu
Priya Devi Dasi and family chant Hare Krishna on Radhastami in
Newcastle (https://youtu.be/9aIHI9Tjftw):
Caitanya
Vallabha Prabhu chants Hare Krishna on Radhastami in Newcastle
(https://youtu.be/g8eg-AEFgWk):
Vrajendra
Nandana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna on Radhastami in Newcastle
(https://youtu.be/cOXXBftSSuo):
Satya
Medha Gauranga and Ramai Prabhus chant on Radhastami in Newcastle
(https://youtu.be/v1TfPuSYBbI):
Chanting
Hare Krishna in York
Govardhana Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna in York as we advertise our monthly
evening program there (https://youtu.be/WK2XCMA_Jto):
In
York I decided to stay out another 15 minutes to make sure I chanted
my 3 hours that day, and Ashis
kindly joined me. While we were chanting, one
young lady from Rumania came by, took an invitation and actually came
to the monthly program that evening, staying to the end. Afterwards
I
asked her what part of the program she liked best, and she said she
liked the
effect it had on her.
Here
Govardhana Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna at
the beginning of the
York monthly program (https://youtu.be/8Vc8UMptAkI):
Haridas
Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at the
end of the York
monthly program (https://youtu.be/9vaZQqrRxLs):
Mansa Mataji from Mauritius chants Hare Krishna at the
very end of the York
monthly program (https://youtu.be/42NZY0v5Iw4):
Newcastle
devotees chanted Hare Krishna for the fourth time at the annual Great
North Run, giving the 57,000 participants in Europe’s biggest half
marathon a chance to hear the holy name in Heworth, just south of
Newcastle. In previous years, I had been in the USA at that time, but
I scheduled my flight for the next week so I could make it this year.
I was surprised to see the number of runners who expressed pleasure
at seeing the devotees by saying “Hare Krishna,” “Gauranga,”
or “Thank you!” by cheering, by raising their arms in the air, or by slapping the outstretched arms of the devotees.
Here Shyama
Priya Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna at the Great North Run (https://youtu.be/TFU2_l7DpF8):
Jagannatheshvari
Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna at the Great North Run
(https://youtu.be/C6nM4vIsGFE):
Vishnu
Priya Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna at the Great North Run
(https://youtu.be/fjqGgZQik7A):
Satya
Medha Gauranga Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at the Great North Run
(https://youtu.be/w8kvbxkHndo):
Cammy
chants Hare Krishna at the Great North Run
(https://youtu.be/MwJUJbbzgbM):
After the runners passed by, one guy wearing white and bearing a cross had some interaction with the devotees.
Here the devotees
finish their
Hare Krishna kirtan at the Great North Run
(https://youtu.be/pXSy2mZEyiQ):
Chanting
Hare Krishna at
the Newcastle Sunday Feast
Keshavananda
Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at the ISKCON Newcastle temple Sunday
feast (https://youtu.be/y-1mn-M4_Hc):
Bhakti
Rasa Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at the ISKCON Newcastle temple Sunday
feast (https://youtu.be/vm_he77u7SU):
Chanting
Hare Krishna on the Streets of Dublin
My
flight to Dublin was delayed, the bus to downtown hit evening
traffic, I ended up talking to devotees and customers in the
restaurant, and someone showed up for the Gita
class that used to be on Mondays so I did not start harinama
till 7:48 p.m. I decided to chant two hours anyway and had wonderful
experiences. Ananta Nitai Prabhu got a group of youthful Italian
tourists to chant Hare Krishna one word at a time. They said they
liked that kind of music and gave a donation. Two girls seemed happy
to encounter Hare Krishna. I asked where they knew it from, and they
said the Polish Woodstock, which they had gone to five times. One was
Polish and the other Irish, and the Polish girl chanted a couple
mantras and was happy to learn of our Dublin Tuesday night kirtans
(https://youtu.be/k9fRUzxFuWY):
An
Indian lady who lives at 58 Middle Abbey was happy to learn there is
a Hare Krishna temple and restaurant at 83 Middle Abbey. A younger
Indian lady asked if I was from ISKCON, and she said she was proud to
see the Bhagavad-gita
on display. Pravina, an Indian lady who regularly attends the temple
and was passing by, played the shakers and chanted the response for
almost half an hour. So, although I rarely do harinama
so late, I was happy many people became more connected with Krishna
as a result.
Chanting
Hare Krishna in the Dublin Tuesday Evening Kirtan
Orla
chants Hare Krishna at the Dublin Tuesday evening kirtan
(https://youtu.be/J7mLWhwl1k8):
Manu
Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at the Dublin Tuesday evening kirtan
(https://youtu.be/v5JA3-M9OYU):
It is great to be back with the Yuga Dharma Ashram harinama party chanting six hours a day and six days a week in New York City!
Here Natabara Gauranga Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Atlantic Ave. / Barclays subway station in Brooklyn as it was a rainy day, and Savyasaci Prabhu dances (https://youtu.be/O-pTJHP2sTM):
Savyasaci
Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Atlantic Ave. / Barclays subway
station in Brooklyn
(https://youtu.be/BNWZEyM72Xc):
Rama
Raya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Atlantic Ave. / Barclays subway
station in Brooklyn (https://youtu.be/eeGCBnYwRQ0):
Krishna
Kripa Das chants Hare Krishna in Union Square Park
(https://youtu.be/7TqHo0-DTOU):
Kaliya
Krishna Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Union Square Park
(https://youtu.be/BwFq6nC7i5k):
Padmalaya Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna in Union Square Park (https://youtu.be/4YbPKLCwS_Q):
Padmalaya Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna in Union Square Park (https://youtu.be/4YbPKLCwS_Q):
Rama
Raya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Union Square Park
(https://youtu.be/Z_k1ulA22Lc):
Chanting
Hare Krishna at 26 Second Avenue
Bhakti
Vijnana Goswami chants Hare Krishna at 26 Second Avenue in New York
City (https://youtu.be/R6eKRv76JNE):
Insights
Srila
Prabhupada:
From
a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam
2.1.1 on April
6,
1973,
in New
York:
“We
may not understand what is meaning of Hare Krishna, but still,
because it is transcendental sound, it is auspicious. Wherever you
chant Hare Krishna, they may hear or they may not hear, it is
auspicious for them.
“So
we are sending our men for street sankirtana. It
doesn't matter whether people are eager to hear it or not, but it is
auspicious. It will create an atmosphere which is very, very
congenial to the human society. That should be our principle. Not
that because we are chanting, nobody is taking care, we shall not be
disappointed. Our this sankirtana movement is so
nice that simply by chanting, the vibration will create an auspicious
atmosphere, variyan esa te prasnah [SB
2.1.1].
“Now
you can practically see, those who are old members. . . . So I began
in this New York in that storefront simply by chanting. So I did not
bribe you American boys and girls to come after me. This is the only
asset was chanting. That Tompkinson, this Brahmananda Swami, he first
came to dance with my chanting. [laughter] He and Acyutananda, that
was the first dancing of our Krishna conscious movement. [laughter] .
. . So I was chanting Hare Krishna from two to five, three hours, and
so many boys and girls were coming and joining, and there was first
photograph in the Times, New York Times, they appreciated, and
people also appreciated. So this chanting, the beginning was only
chanting. There was nothing more. At that time there was no program
of prasada distribution.
“So
we should always be confident that this chanting is not a vibration
of this material world. This is not vibration of material world.
Narottama dasa į¹¬hakura says, golokera prema-dhana
hari-nama-sankirtana. It
is imported from the spiritual world. It is completely spiritual.
Otherwise how it is possible? Sometimes the so-called yogis, they say
that chanting . . .
“In
Bombay there is a so-called rascal, he says, ‘The chanting of Hare
Krishna mantra and chanting of Coca-Cola is the same.’ He is such a
rascal. He does not know that this is not a vibration of this
material world. But one who has no knowledge, they think that ‘What
is the meaning of this chant, “Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna”?’
But they can practically see that we can go on chanting day and
night, still we shall not become tired, but any other material name
you take, after chanting three times you will feel tired. That is the
proof. You can go on chanting day and night, you will never feel
tired. So these people, poor people, they have [no] brain to
understand.
“Anyway,
the chanting is so auspicious, Caitanya Mahaprabhu has given His
benediction, ceto-darpana-marjanam
bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. We are suffering
in this material world because we are not cleansed of our
understanding or of our heart. The heart is not cleansed. So this
chanting will help us to cleanse the heart.
srnvataį¹
sva-kathah krishnah
punya-sravana
kirtanaįø„
hridy
antah stho abhadrani
vidhunoti
suhrt satam
[SB
1.2.17]
Chanting
is so nice that as soon as you take to chanting, or hear about
Krishna – the chanting is also hearing about Krishna – so
immediately the cleansing process begins, ceto-darpana-marjanam
[Cc. Antya 20.12]. And as soon as our heart is cleansed,
bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam, then we become freed from the
blazing fire of this material existence.
“So
chanting is so auspicious. . . . Suta Gosvami said, yat krtah
krishna-samprasno yayatma suprasidati [SB 1.2.5].
When the great saintly persons in the Naimisaranya inquired about
Krishna, he replied like that. Yat krtah
krishna-samprasnah: ‘Because you
have inquired about Krishna, it will cleanse your heart, yenatma
samprasidati. You will feel a very transcendental bliss, comfort,
within your heart.’”
From
a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam
2.1.1 on June 9, 1974, in Paris:
“You
are thinking enjoying. But is there any guarantee that you will
enjoy? Any moment, you'll be finished. Any moment. So there is no
guarantee. That is not enjoyment. Real enjoyment is permanent
enjoyment. Just like we construct some house, making the, what is
called, foundation very strong. In your country, they make very
strong foundation. But what is your foundation, sir? Is it very
strong? You can be taken away at any moment. So before making the
foundation strong, why don't you make your foundation strong that you
shall be able to live here permanently? But that intelligence they
haven't got. They'll waste time, making the house foundation very
strong, not for himself. His foundation tiltering at any moment, any
second.”
“Go
on reading every day. . . . Both Srimad-Bhagavatam,
Bhagavad-gita.
Every day, the more you'll become realized, atmavit,
you see new meaning, new light. Srimad-Bhagavatam
is so nice. Simply if you read Srimad-Bhagavatam.
. . .
One is learned . . . . What is the limit of learning? The limit,
learning, is when you understand Srimad-Bhagavatam.
That is the limit. Finished. There is no knowledge required any
more.”
“We,
we try to protect this body. We are very much fond of this body. Why?
Because the soul is there. Everyone knows it. As soon as this body
there is no soul, it is kicked out, throw it away in the street.
Nobody cares for it. Suppose a beautiful man and beautiful girl, dead
bodies lying on the street – who cares for it? But as so long the
soul is there, ‘Oh, such a nice, beautiful . . . , such a nice,
beautiful boy, girl.’ The soul is important. So actually, we do not
love this body, because the same beautiful body’s there. Why do you
not care? Because soul is not . . . Therefore I love the soul. This
is the fact. This is atmavit,
atma-tattva-vit.
And why I love soul? Because I love Krishna. Soul is part and parcel
of Krishna. So why I am so much fond of soul? Because it is part and
parcel of Krishna. Therefore, ultimately, I love Krishna. This is the
conclusion. And if I do not love Krishna, that is my abnormal stage.
And the normal stage is I love Krishna. Therefore we are trying to
awaken Krishna consciousness.”
Ramesvara
Prabhu:
From
a morning class at the Yuga Dharma Ashram in New York City:
Here
Lord Caitanya begins to educate an assembly of the greatest Mayavadis.
Sankaracarya
rejected the idea that God’s energy could transform and form the
limited living entities.
The
scientists cannot explain the cause of the original singularity or
its explosion. Similarly the Mayavadis cannot explain the cause of
the soul’s original separation from the supreme soul.
The
Vaishnavas say we exist to be in a loving relationship to the supreme
in which we feel unlimited pleasure by giving Krishna pleasure. It is
oneness with Krishna through love.
For
there to be a relationship of love, there has to be desire and choice
in ourselves, the jivas,
the
parts of God.
The
second we want to divert from Krishna being in the center to
ourselves being in the center, we do not fit in the spiritual world,
and Krishna has to create a place for people in that condition. That
is the material world.
Sanatana
Goswami asks, “Now that I am liberated, what is my duty?” For the
Mayavadi, there is nothing to do after liberation. One just merges
into Brahman, and that is that.
Vaishnavas
have to pray for Krishna to remove His effulgence to see Him. We
cannot do that on our own.
It
took Lord Caitanya to appear 500 years ago to revive the true
teaching of the Vedas and remove the Mayavadi understanding.
It
is an insult to God to limit Him by saying He cannot do this or that.
Even
comparing ourselves to God is an insult to Him.
Chapter
Seven is our favorite chapter of Sri
Caitanya-caritamrita.
If we can be free from nirvesesa
and
sunyavadi,
then
we can have something to offer others. Our mission is to free people
from this conception of impersonalism.
Lord
Caitanya starts His presentation to the Mayavadis by showing them how
the Brahman they seek emanates from Him.
We
accept initially based on knowledge and faith and later by
realization.
The
more we use everything, which is Krishna’s property, for Krishna,
at every moment, the more realization Krishna will give us. Vigilant
prayer and practice is needed to remain in this consciousness. We are
practicing the state of consciousness that everyone in the spiritual
world has naturally.
Whether
I am
having
a great day on sankirtana
or
not, if I
am
in the consciousness of seeing everything is Krishna’s and is meant
for Krishna, I
will progress.
Tests
help us to become unconditional servants and uninterruptible
servants.
The
last sentence of the first letter I ever received from Srila
Prabhupada says that more important than saving others is to save
yourself. In this letter, after saying that by distributing books
they were guaranteeing they would go back to Godhead, he ends, “But
even more important is to save yourself.” My understanding of
that is
that to the degree I am saved, then I can save others. Thus I would
chant japa
every
morning with
great attention, desiring to please Srila Prabhupada by distributing
his books.
Srila
Prabhupada never thought of retirement but to keep translating.
I
convinced Prabhupada to leave the
Maha Kumbha
Mela where he was getting sick from the cold to go
to a
warmer place to continue his translation which was his most important
gift.
I
was frustrated being pressured to sign checks for things I did not
think were proper BBT expenses. I decided in that
situation the best thing to
do was resign, and so I submitted my resignation to Srila Prabhupada,
who wrote back, saying things like “I
hope you come back to a sane condition of mind. There is no such
thing as resignation in spiritual life. Once one surrenders there is
no going back.”
Such
nectar I experienced when Srila Prabhupada would chastise me, lifting
me out of the mode of ignorance!
Unfortunately
chanting in secluded places
does not work as the history of the Gaudiya Math shows.
We
told Srila Prabhupada we would use lines like “this will free you
from birth and death” to sell his Beyond
Birth and Death.
“Yes,”
Srila Prabhupada said, “The title sells itself.”
Hearing
of the book distribution results, Srila Prabhupada said, “Surely my
guru maharaja will bestow his mercy thousands of times more than me
and that will be to
my great satisfaction.”
The
more you work for their spiritual benefit, the more you will see the
people
as spiritual souls, not
according to race, gender, external appearance, etc.
Srila
Prabhupada said because of the great sincerity of the book
distributors people are inspired to take books from them.
Krishna
never gets tired of all the abominable conditions He
witnesses souls suffering through,
but
He
still
always give them
spiritual opportunities.
Unlimited
realizations are awaiting for those who go on sankirtana.
Chanting
japa,
reading
the books, and taking prasadam
are
the fuel for book distribution.
Harinama
made
all the original devotees into devotees. I came from harinama.
When
I saw the devotees on harinama
in Portland,
I
thought, “These are the greatest monks in the world giving a
maha-mantra
to
benefit
everyone.”
Harinama
made
Hare Krishna a household word.
That
you can do both harinama
and
book distribution together is inconceivable perfection.
There
are certain pictures that Srila Prabhupada wanted in all his temples
Panca-tattva, Lord Caitanya on harinama,
Radha
Krishna and the gopis,
Lord
Vishnu, etc. Originally there were no books to paint illustrations
for, and the artists made paintings for the different temples to
practice their skills.
Sadaputa
Prabhu:
From
a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam
3.31.41
in San Diego in 1993:
“You
see, according to the theory of evolution, sex is basic to the
process of the origin of species. Because basically what you have is
sexual reproduction in which successive offspring that are produced
have slight variations in form. They inherit their form from their
ancestors but there will be very small variations that come up and
these are called the mutations. And the Darwinian idea is that these
are random. That is, they just occurred by chance. And then the
concept is that by selection, certain variations will be favored in
the struggle for survival. And as a result, the form of the species
will gradually change over time. And in this way, all the different
species that we know to come to being, that’s the theory. So it’s
based on the idea of reproduction.
“Of
course, one immediate impediment to that is that reproduction is not
a simple thing. You need quite a bit of apparatus for that. Until you
have that apparatus, how then can you have the process of evolution?
And the Darwinists have never really answered this. It’s a bit of a
problem.”
“Shiva
makes his entrance on the stage as it were, of the material world by
appearing from Brahma. For example, in the case where a Brahma was
offended by the four Kumaras who refuse to create progeny. Then Rudra
came forth from his forehead when he manifested anger. But that’s
similar to an actor appearing on the stage at a certain point.”
Vedanta Prabhu:
I first saw Srila Prabhupada walking down Second Street. He asked me to walk him to the Chinese market so he could purchase some items. While walking with him, he invited me to his programs at 26 Second Avenue.
I went to Los Angeles and later to Honolulu.
In Los Angeles, Srila Prabhupada asked me to become the temple president there, but I had to return to work in New York on Monday to support my two children, so I had to decline.
Govardhana Devi Dasi:
I first saw Srila Prabhupada walking down Second Street. He asked me to walk him to the Chinese market so he could purchase some items. While walking with him, he invited me to his programs at 26 Second Avenue.
I went to Los Angeles and later to Honolulu.
In Los Angeles, Srila Prabhupada asked me to become the temple president there, but I had to return to work in New York on Monday to support my two children, so I had to decline.
Govardhana Devi Dasi:
The
chanting has whatever you hope to find in it.
The
chanting has accompanied me throughout all the ups and downs of life.
The
chanting gets sweeter with time.
Being
old, you do not have to worry about anyone fancying you, which is
very liberating.
Sometimes
old people become bitter because they have not found the ultimate
fulfillment they have been looking for their whole lives. I found the
that fulfillment in the these names.
The
names are more sweet when chanted in the street.
No
one can explain what a sweet tastes like it. You have to try it
yourself. The mantra is like that.
Sometimes
old people, when they feel they will not live much longer, say things
like “I won’t be here next Christmas.”
This
knowledge and the mantra are a steadying factor in my life.
I
like Bhagavad-gita
2.70
and 2.22, both the sound of the Sanskrit as well as the meaning:
apuryamanam
acala-pratistham
samudram
apah pravisanti yadvat
tadvat
kama yam pravisanti sarve
sa
santim apnoti na kama-kami
“A
person who is not disturbed by the incessant flow of desires—that
enter like rivers into the ocean, which is ever being filled but is
always still—can alone achieve peace, and not the man who strives
to satisfy such desires.” (Bg. 2.70)
vasamsi
jirnani yatha vihaya
navani
grhnati naro 'parani
tatha
sarirani vihaya jirnany
anyani
samyati navani dehi
“As
a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the soul similarly
accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.”
(Bg. 2.22)
[Govardhana
invited those present to tell their experience of the chanting and
of the transcendental knowledge of Bhagavad-gita,
and the following through “***” are
notes on their responses.]
New
girl from Rumania, who came to the program, after hearing us on
harinama:
[For
her, we adjusted the question to be, “What was your experience of
the chanting that attracted you to come here?”]
I
felt they believed in it. I felt their devotion, that they gave a
sense of connection that was missing from the other people on the
street.
I
could see they did not mind doing something outside what the society
generally accepts.
Jaya
Krishna Prabhu:
In
the beginning I could see these people were attracted to something
worthwhile.
When
the chanting is present, everything improves.
I
connect to it.
Nitaicand
Prabhu:
Some
devotees reported chanting in their dreams.
Kathryn:
As
far as meditation is concerned, I had previously tried thinking of
nothing, which was difficult because everything would come into your
mind. I find that by having the mantra to focus the mind on,
sometimes I find the mind attains a deeply peaceful state.
Haridas
Prabhu:
I
think you notice the chanting has an effect more when you don’t do
it.
That
it never fails to give you some peace is evidence that God exists.
Oriental
guy:
I
feel free from stress and depression. I like that liberated spirit.
Ashis:
I
feel that chanting Hare Krishna on beads gives a happiness that
cannot be beat and that it will continue to be that way.
It
has given me a lot of confidence, motivation, inspiration, and
freedom from anxiety. Beyond that it has give me a vision and purpose
in life. It has given me conviction I am beyond my body and mind.
Kathyn:
I
like Bhagavad-gita
2.48,
“Perform your duty equipoised, O Arjuna, abandoning all attachment
to success or failure. Such equanimity is called yoga.” If you are
not worried about success or failure, it is so liberating.
***
Bhakti Vijnana Goswami:
Bhakti Vijnana Goswami:
From
a class at 26 Second Avenue:
Krishna is saying in Bhagavad-gita 18.56, “This is how you get My mercy.”
You
think of Him always, while doing your usual activities. But you do
not do anything that you know He does not like.
The
main thing is that you constantly feel that you are under the
umbrella of the Lord’s protection.
Why do we do something? Because we like it. Why do we like it? That is because of our conditioning. The deciding factor in choosing an action is because I like it. When we become a devotee, the deciding factor is what is pleasing to God. What we do is not so important as the consideration of whether or not it is pleasing to God. When we act in this consciousness, we become happy automatically.
Our
endeavor to bring our will in harmony with His will is pleasing to
Him.
To
create that internal harmony when our will is in harmony with His
will gives great pleasure to our soul even in this life.
It
is like when the orchestra plays without regard for the conductor the
result is simply cacophony but when the conductor appears and
directs the musicians the result is pleasing harmony.
Everyone
secretly wishes that everyone would act in harmony with his will. For
us to desire that or expect that is not reasonable, but for God it is
natural.
Bhakti-yoga
is
technically the most simple process. The difficulty is to surrender
the ego. Therefore, it is a gradual process.
In
the beginning we say we surrender but within us there still exists a
list of things we are not willing to do.
Saint
Augustine in his confessions telling how he ultimately became a
Christian, said that at one point he would pray, “O Lord, please
free me from lust, but not right now.”
Once
Tamal Krishna Goswami was reading a letter to Srila Prabhupada from a
devotee who was describing his struggle to give up drugs, having some
temporary success followed by repeated failures. Srila Prabhupada,
hearing of his struggle, began to cry, appreciating what he was going
through to try to please Krishna.
Q:
How do we know how much to try when we encounter obstacles in our
service to Krishna?
A:
Krishna speaks of buddhi-yoga. In
the course of our practice, we get more and more insight what is the
will of God.
Yudhisthira
accepted the idea of Draupadi being married to himself and his four
brothers because it agreed with his heart. He had trained his heart
so that it was tuned in to the will of the Lord. In addition, he
offered examples from the revealed literature and consulted with
Vyasadeva.
Comment
by Vedanta Prabhu: Srila Prabhupada would always remind me that in
this endeavor there is no loss or diminution.
Srila
Prabhupada agreed that spiritual life is difficult but said that
material life is impossible.
Q:
When does meditation enter our process?
A:
Even from the beginning there is meditation but it changes as we
progress. In “Siksastaka” Lord Caitanya gives us ideas of the
thoughts and emotions of the advancing devotee: “O my Lord, out of
kindness You enable us to easily approach You by chanting Your holy
names, but I am so unfortunate that I have no attraction for them.”
(Text 2)
Krishna
says in effect, “Do whatever you like, but first think about it
very thoroughly.”
Once
Srila Prabhupada responded to the question of “what does surrender
mean” by saying “use your intelligence.”
Rama
Raya Prabhu:
The
purport of the scholar and boatman story is that if you do not know how
to get out of the clutches of maya,
then
100% of your life is wasted.
The
devotee knows that the Lord is always
beyond the speculative power of human beings. Only when the Lord is
pleased by one’s devotional service does He reveal Himself.
Prashant,
son of our godbrothers, does a sit down harinama
daily
at Baltimore harbor.
Comment
by me: In Montreal the devotees are chanting three or four hours
every day. I was just there one day in August, and on that day we had
sixteen people.
The
Garga
Samhita reveals
that the resident of Ayodhya who criticized Lord Ramacandra as being
henpecked in accepting back Sita after she was kidnapped by Ravana
took his birth as the washerman of Mathura who refused to give
Krishna and Balarama in
charity the
clothes of the king but instead instructed them on the importance of
properly honoring the king and
who was killed for his insulting behavior.
Not
only should we serve the compassionate devotees of the Lord, but we
should feel within ourselves compassion for the people in general.
Srila
Prabhupada says that the Bhagavad-gita
will
give you definitive answers to solve any problem of the world.
If
you really want to be in transcendental ecstasy read Prabodhananda
Sarasvati’s literature like Caitanya
Candramrita.
What
to speak of all women, it is the business of all living entities to
become shamelessly attracted to Krishna like the queens of Dvaraka
and the
gopis
of
Vrindavan.
Lord Caitanya has authorized this sentiment: “O son of Maharaja Nanda [Krishna], I am Your eternal servitor, yet somehow or other I have fallen into the ocean of birth and death. Please pick me up from this ocean of death and place me as one of the atoms of Your lotus feet.” (“Siksastaka,” Verse 5)
Praghosa
Prabhu (GBC of the UK and Ireland):
From
a Radhastami lecture:
We
should consider how fortunate it is that we even know who Srimati
Radharani is.
Because
we are willing to chant Hare Krishna in harinama
sankirtana, we
are allowed to hear about the pastimes of Radha and Krishna, and we
should never forget that. We need mercy to understand these pastimes,
and by engaging in harinama
sankirtana, we
can get that mercy. Anyone can read the pastimes, but without such
mercy, one cannot understand them.
Maya’s
job
is to keep the spiritual world pure.
Srila
Prabhupada is not an ordinary spiritual master. No one has ever done
what he did. The predictions of what he did are amazing. In the Padma
Purana, Bhaktidevi
says to Narada Muni, I will leave Vrindavan and travel to far away
lands, and preach the glories of the Bhagavatam.
No
one did that before Srila Prabhupada.
Lord
Caitanya says I have come with the sharp sword of harinama
sankirtana to
cut out all the anarthas
from
all living entities, however, if some escape I will send my senapati
bhakta to
rescue them.
Although
at Vyasa-puja we have heard the same pastimes of Srila Prabhupada
each year, we still appreciate them anew.
As
long as you know about Krishna and you want to give other people
Krishna that is your qualification. Nothing else is required.
The
reason scientists present humans coming into being just one hundred
thousand years ago is because they have an agenda of denying the
existence of the sentient being who is the source of human beings.
The reason they want to deny the existence of the supreme sentient
being is that want to pursue an agenda of unrestricted sense
gratification.
We
also struggle with our minds, but we are armed with the weapon of
knowledge.
Isa
Prakasa Prabhu:
Jagannatha
Ratha-yatra is when the Lord is feeling most magnanimous, and thus it
is the best time to make an offering to him. Even if you do not know
what to pray for, Lord Jagannatha knows what we need.
There
are no rules. Anyone can offer.
Ratha-yatra
is my favorite festival.
-----
Krishna
advises practicing austerity of the body, speech, and mind. What
austerity of speech is He explains in this verse. Wouldn’t it be
wonderful if everyone spoke in such a nice way?
anudvega-karam
vakyam
satyam
priya-hitam
ca yat
svadhyayabhyasanam
caiva
van-mayam
tapa ucyate
“Austerity
of speech consists in speaking words that are truthful, pleasing,
beneļ¬cial, and not agitating to others, and also in regularly
reciting Vedic literature” (Bhagavad-gita
17.15).