Diary
of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 16, No. 7
By
Krishna Kripa Das
(April 2020, part one)
(April 2020, part one)
Tallahassee
(Sent
from Tallahassee
on April 17, 2020)
Where
I Went and What I Did
I
canceled my flight to New York on April 11 because of the coronavirus
lockdown and because British Airways canceled my flight from
there to
London on April 17. Thus I continued staying in Florida at ISKCON
Tallahassee, chanting Hare Krishna with the devotees on the porch of
our temple every day for three hours and posting a video of the
kirtan on Facebook Live. Once an Indian guy shared it, and we got
over 900 views! In addition to the temple devotees, devotees from the
congregation would come and chant and hear from the lawn, sometimes
bringing their own instruments. We celebrated Rama Navami with the
kirtan on the porch plus
another kirtan in the temple room, and
the showing of a Ramayana
movie
on the porch so both the local devotees and the congregation could
see it. On Monday, April 6, we started our Krishna Lunch program on a
pick up and delivery basis from the porch of the temple, and on April
15 we had our biggest day, with 24 plates of vegan food offered to
Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai being distributed. We
offered a few free plates to passersby as a promotion, and Daniel and
I put invitations for the Krishna Lunch on car windshields in our
neighborhood.
I
share quotes from the books and lectures of Srila Prabhupada, from
the Eleventh Canto of the Bhagavatam
by his humble servants,
from
several books of Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, and from Bhakti-bhava
by
Devamrita Swami. I share notes on a recorded lecture by Niranjana
Swami and on classes and morning announcements by Brajananda Prabhu,
our local temple president. I share more of the most amazing book
distribution stories I have ever heard from the soon-to-be-published
Treasures
of the Brhat Mrdanga, by
Vijaya Prabhu, along with powerful realizations from senior devotees
and book distributors and some useful tips on handling different
challenging situations on book distribution. I also include a review
I wrote of that book. In addition, I share a realization by
Chandrabhaga Devi Dasi on padayatra.
Thanks
to Tallahassee street photographer, Derek Drapeau, for the photo of
Daniel and me singing at Lake Ella back in February, which went
unnoticed in my inbox till recently.
Chanting
Hare Krishna in Tallahassee
We
continued chanting Hare Krishna three hours daily on the porch of our
temple.
We
put it on Facebook Live so more people would hear it, and we prayed
to Gaura-Nitai and the previous acaryas
to
chant the pure holy name so people would get the greatest benefit.
Different Indians occasionally shared it, and we would get hundreds
of
more views than usual. Once Rohit Seth, who graduated from Florida
State University
years ago, created a watch party and invited his friends, and
nineteen of them liked it.
Here
Arjuna
Abhimanyu Prabhu chants Hare Krishna on the Tallahassee temple
porch and I dance (https://youtu.be/F6Qe00tKZLM):
Mike,
who previously
came
around very irregularly and hardly ever led kirtan, amazingly chants
Hare Krishna on Rama Navami in front of the Tallahassee temple, as
nonresidents are not allowed on the porch or inside
(https://youtu.be/zTwivg689Gk):
Mike
led the chant for practically an hour! Now
he comes almost every day and listens for an hour or two. He bought
the book Dharma,
and
he has taken prasadam
more
often
recently.
Here
Arjuna
Abhimanyu Prabhu plays guitar and chants Hare Krishna on Rama Navami
on the temple
porch (https://youtu.be/GFu9aK6KFNc):
About an hour or so before sundown we began watching Ramayana outside the temple to accommodate our congregation since they could not come inside because of the lockdown. Our residents sat in front.
And
the nonresidents sat behind.
Then
Arjuna
Abhimanyu Prabhu chanted
Hare Krishna in our
temple room just before the Rama Navami feast
(https://youtu.be/YZPUmSf4Wz8):
Brajananda
Prabhu plays guitar and chants Hare Krishna on the Tallahassee temple
porch, Arjuna Abhimanyu Prabhu plays the drum and Daniel dances
(https://youtu.be/sGlCSEyPDzc):
Jorge
chants Hare Krishna on the ISKCON Tallahassee sidewalk, the venue for
nonresident singers during the coronavirus lockdown
(https://youtu.be/xq_VLRAjKos):
Arjuna
Abhimanyu Prabhu chants Hare Krishna on the Tallahassee temple porch,
and three guests participate (https://youtu.be/3jypEl8JkwI):
Brajananda
Prabhu plays guitar and chants Hare Krishna, and a guest enjoys
prasadam
and kirtan (https://youtu.be/hSdoTPYctx4):
The
visiting student later also chanted the Hare Krishna mantra and took
an “On Chanting Hare Krishna” pamphlet.
Brajananda
Prabhu plays guitar and chants Hare Krishna, and devotees dance
(https://youtu.be/x-IqRvPqAeU):
Brajananda
Prabhu chants Hare Krishna and plays guitar, and Arjuna Abhimanyu
Prabhu plays box drum (https://youtu.be/3ANLOcxvcZY):
A
Photo from the Past, Before the Lockdown
Insights
Srila
Prabhupada:
From
a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam
5.6.10 on December 28, 1976 in Bombay:
“To
understand this truth, the varnasrama
system required. Without this varnasrama
system nobody can understand that we are individual person, we
existed in the past, and we shall exist in the future, and we are
existing at present. Anyone can understand. There was no change in
the past, neither there will be change in the future. Simply we
change the dress – tatha
dehantara-praptir dhiras tatra na muhyati
[Bg. 2.13]. This is our self-realization. This is called
atma-tattva-jñana.
But people in the present day, they are not interested.”
“Here
the building is being constructed to satisfy Krishna. To satisfy
Krishna. And in other places the building is constructed to satisfy
senses. This is the difference, material and spiritual.”
“In
the sastra
it is recommended, yajñarthe
karma anyatra karma-bandhanah
[Bg. 3.9] Don’t act anything except for the satisfaction of
Krishna. That is Krishna consciousness movement. If you do anything
for your sense gratification, that means you are being bound up by
the laws of karma.”
“So
here it is stated that people who are lowest amongst men and
bewildered by the illusory energy. . . . What is that bewilderment?
They are trying to be happy by material adjustment.”
“Any
moment everything will be crushed. This is called maya-sukha.
And still they are wasting time that for maya-sukhaya,
illusion. They’ll not be happy. Any moment everything can be
crushed, and they are busy.”
From
Sri
Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya-lila
7.101, purport:
“In
order to become an empowered preacher, one must be favored by Lord
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu or His devotee, the spiritual master. One
must also request everyone to chant the maha-mantra.
In this way, such a person can convert others to Vaishnavism, showing
them how to become pure devotees of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead.”
From
Sri
Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya-lila
7.129, purport:
“This
is an opportunity for everyone. If one simply follows the
instructions of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, under the guidance of His
representative, and chants the Hare Krishna mantra, teaching everyone
as far as possible the same principle, the contamination of the
materialistic way of life will not even touch him. It does not matter
whether one lives in a holy place like Vrindavan, Navadvipa or
Jagannatha Puri or in the midst of European cities, where the
materialistic way of life is very prominent. If a devotee follows the
instructions of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, he lives in the company of
the Lord. Wherever he lives, he converts that place into Vrindavan
and Navadvipa. This means that materialism cannot touch him. This is
the secret of success for one advancing in Krishna consciousness.”
From
Sri
Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya-lila
8.56, purport:
“For
the general public, sankirtana
is the most effective method to awaken Krishna consciousness. If
possible, one should discuss the principles enunciated in the
Bhagavad-gita.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu followed this principle very strictly and
discussed the philosophy of the Bhagavad-gita
with learned scholars like Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya and Prakasananda
Sarasvati. However, He taught the principles of the bhakti
cult to students like Sanatana Gosvami and Rupa Gosvami, and He
discussed with Sri Ramananda Raya the topmost devotional dealings
between Krishna and the
gopis.
For the general populace, He performed sankirtana
very vigorously. We must also follow these principles in preaching
Krishna consciousness all over the world.”
From
Sri
Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya-lila
8.60, purport:
“Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu belongs to the spiritual world, and His methods
for propagating the sankirtana
movement are also imported from the spiritual world. Srila Narottama
dasa Thakura has sung: golokera
prema-dhana, hari-nama-sankirtana, rati na janmila kene taya. This
states that the sankirtana
movement has nothing to do with this material world. It is imported
from the spiritual world, Goloka Vrindavana. Narottama dasa Thakura
laments that mundane people do not take this sankirtana
movement seriously. Considering the position of devotional service
and the sankirtana
movement, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu deemed the system of
varnasrama-dharma
to be material, although it aims at elevation to the spiritual
platform. However, the sankirtana
movement can raise one immediately to the spiritual platform.
Consequently it is said that varnasrama-dharma
is external, and Caitanya Mahaprabhu requested Ramananda Raya to
proceed deeper into the matter and uncover the spiritual platform.”
From
Sri
Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya-lila
8.83, purport:
“The
purport in presenting this verse necessitates explaining the
comparative positions of the transcendental mellows known as santa,
dasya, sakhya, vatsalya
and madhurya.
All these rasas,
or mellows, are situated on the transcendental platform. Pure
devotees take shelter of one of them and thus progress in spiritual
life. Actually one can take shelter of such spiritual mellows only
when one is completely uncontaminated by material attachment. When
one is completely free from material attachment, the feelings of the
transcendental mellows are awakened in the heart of the devotee. That
is svarupa-siddhi,
the perfection of one’s eternal relationship with the Supreme Lord.
Svarupa-siddhi,
the eternal relationship with the Supreme Lord, may be situated in
any one of the transcendental mellows. Each and every one of them is
as perfect as the others. But by comparative study an unbiased person
can realize that the mellow of servitorship is better than the mellow
of neutrality, that the mellow of fraternity is better than the
mellow of servitorship, that the parental mellow is better than that
of fraternity, and that above all other mellows is the mellow of
conjugal love. However, these are all spiritually situated on the
same platform because all these relationships of perfection in love
are based on a central point — Krishna.”
The
humble servants of Srila Prabhupada:
From
Srimad-Bhagavatam
11.6.15, purport:
“We
observe that by the laws of nature all material things, including our
own bodies, gradually disintegrate. Although we can perceive the
long-term results of this aging process, we cannot experience the
process itself. For example, no one can feel how his hair or
fingernails are growing. We perceive the cumulative result of their
growth, but from moment to moment we cannot experience it. Similarly,
a house gradually decays until it is demolished. From moment to
moment we cannot perceive exactly how this is happening, but in the
course of longer intervals of time we can actually see the
deterioration of the house. In other words, we can experience the
results or manifestations of aging and deterioration, but as it is
taking place the process itself is imperceptible. This is the
wonderful potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His form
of time.”
From
Srimad-Bhagavatam
11.7.9, purport:
“If
one engages the senses in the service of the Personality of Godhead,
then one enjoys unlimited pleasure upon seeing the transcendental
beauty of the Lord’s form. But unless one qualifies himself by pure
loving devotion to Krishna, the Lord does not award him this exalted
experience.”
From
Srimad-Bhagavatam
11.7.23, purport:
“As
indicated by the words anumanatah
and gunair
lingaih,
a devotee engaged in bhakti-yoga
intensely searches out the Personality of Godhead through all of the
rational faculties of the human brain. The word mrgayanti,
or “searching,” does not, however, indicate an unregulated or
unauthorized process. If we are searching for the telephone number of
a particular person, we look in the authorized telephone directory.
Similarly, if we are searching for a particular product, we go to a
specialized store where we are likely to find what we are looking
for. Srila Jiva Gosvami points out that the Supreme Personality of
Godhead is not a product of the imagination, and thus we cannot
whimsically imagine what the Lord might be. Therefore, to gain
information about Lord Krishna, one must conduct a regulated search
in the authorized Vedic scriptures.”
“The
nature of every living being is to make friends with others and to
offer his love to a suitable person. One who has realized the Supreme
Person is satisfied to always carry the Personality of Godhead within
his heart as his constant companion. Unless one has realized that
Krishna is one’s only true friend and that Krishna is within one’s
heart, one will remain attached to the temporary relationships of the
material world.”
From
Srimad-Bhagavatam
11.7.39, purport:
“It
is the duty of a devotee of the Lord to avoid seeing any object as
separate from Krishna, because that is illusion. A gentleman will
never try to enjoy the property of another gentleman. Similarly, if
one sees everything in relation to Krishna, there is no scope for
material sense gratification. But if one sees material objects as
separate from Krishna, then one’s material enjoying propensity is
immediately aroused.”
From
Srimad-Bhagavatam
11.7.48:
“The
various phases of one’s material life, beginning with birth and
culminating in death, are all properties of the body and do not
affect the soul, just as the apparent waxing and waning of the moon
does not affect the moon itself. Such changes are enforced by the
imperceptible movements of time.”
From
Srimad-Bhagavatam
11.8.10, purport:
“At
the present time people generally have a sectarian concept of
religion, and yet there is no scientific understanding of the
Absolute Truth.”
From
Srimad-Bhagavatam
11.8.20, purport:
“Srila
Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura states that the business of the
tongue is to gratify itself with the varieties of flavor, but by
wandering in the twelve holy forests of Vraja-mandala (Vrindavan),
one can be freed from the twelve flavors of material sense
gratification. The five principal divisions of material relationships
are neutral admiration, servitude, friendship, parental affection and
conjugal love; the seven subordinate features of material
relationships are material humor, astonishment, chivalry, compassion,
anger, dread and ghastliness. Originally, these twelve rasas,
or flavors of relationships, are exchanged between the Supreme
Personality of Godhead and the living entity in the spiritual world;
and by wandering in the twelve forests of Vṛndavana one can
respiritualize the twelve flavors of personal existence. Thus one
will become a liberated soul, free from all material desires.”
From
Srimad-Bhagavatam
11.8.31,35, and 40:
“I
am such a fool that I have given up the service of that person who,
being eternally situated within my heart, is actually most dear to
me. That most dear one is the Lord of the universe, who is the
bestower of real love and happiness and the source of all prosperity.
Although He is in my own heart, I have completely neglected Him.
Instead I have ignorantly served insignificant men who can never
satisfy my real desires and who have simply brought me unhappiness,
fear, anxiety, lamentation and illusion.”
“The
Supreme Personality of Godhead is absolutely the most dear one for
all living beings because He is everyone’s well-wisher and Lord. He
is the Supreme Soul situated in everyone’s heart. Therefore I will
now pay the price of complete surrender, and thus purchasing the Lord
I will enjoy with Him just like Laksmidevi.”
“I
am now completely satisfied, and I have full faith in the Lord’s
mercy. Therefore I will maintain myself with whatever comes of its
own accord. I shall enjoy life with only the Lord, because He is the
real source of love and happiness.”
From
Srimad-Bhagavatam
11.9.1:
“The
saintly brahmana
said: Everyone considers certain things within the material world to
be most dear to him, and because of attachment to such things one
eventually becomes miserable. One who understands this gives up
material possessiveness and attachment and thus achieves unlimited
happiness.”
Satsvarupa
Dasa Goswami:
From
Free Write Journal #85:
“Devotees
who come here should not think it’s a vacation but a place for
practical service and association. I actually have many disciples who
have now raised their families and are free of that responsibility.
Many of them are out of touch with me. They could begin to come back
by writing to me, and then eventually scheduling a visit. We need
helpers in our ashram, and I very much want to re-establish my
relationship with them. Prabhupada always welcomed back his disciples
who had become out of touch, and I am in that mood also.”
“Actually,
the whole world is in a kind of quarantine. Those under the control
of the material modes of nature are confined to transmigrate
according to their karma into various species of life, including
animal forms and hellish conditions. Only those who are completely
detached from sense gratification and fully engaged in loving service
to Krsna, are free from the prison-like existence. They are also
above the fear and confinement of coronavirus.”
From
I Never Knew” in “Soul
Eyes:
“I
never knew You were a beautiful young
boy.
I never knew You had a girlfriend.
“I
never knew God was a Person with
six
opulences, in control of multi-
energies,
with black, curly hair
and
lotus feet worshiped by all
the
demigods. I never knew there were demigods.
“I
never knew You loved me,
although
I heard about it from Catholic priests.
Now
I know a little better.
I
know You have many Names, like
Krishna
and Govinda and Purusottama
and
You like me to say Your Names.
I
never knew the soul was in the heart
and
that after death it lives on and
transmigrates
to another body. That
is
an amazing fact if I believe it.
“I
believe in transmigration and Krishna
and
that the world is not eternal and
that
Christ is not the only
begotten
son of God the Father.
“I
believe there are many avatars and
sons
and prophets and they teach
according
to time, place and person.
“I
never knew You married 16,108 wives,
and
after I first heard it, I couldn’t
believe
it, but when Swamiji said
everyone
is Krishna’s wife—He’s in the
heart
of every being—so if He
comes
out of the heart of a mere 16,108
souls,
it’s no big deal—then
I
accepted it.
I
never knew You had two arms,
just
like a human, but You expand
into
four arms and eight, and a
thousand
arms.
“I
never knew You were very strict
about
madhurya-rasa
and don’t like
it
discussed by speculative scholars or
sinful
persons. Now I try being
cautious
in discussing it.
“I
never knew You were blackish, like a
monsoon
cloud, and yet more beautiful
than
millions of Cupids, and that Your chest was like a thunderbolt. I
never
knew, until I typed the
Krishna
book, that You killed many
demons
in Your childhood.”
From
Memory
in the Service of Krishna:
“I’m
tempted to pray,
‘Please
give me no inconvenience;
let
me pass smoothly
to
Your place.’
But
how can that be?
There
has to be a test,
a
discharge of my poisons,
a
break from my past.
“It
will come—
the
routine will be tossed aside,
the
soft pillow kicked out,
the
tender caress replaced
by
someone’s boot,
at
least for a while.
“Therefore
I pray,
please
preserve me, dear Lord
as
one who turns to You
with
humble obeisances,
my
faith confirmed,
Your
love assured,
and
a glimpse of Your lotus feet,
even
while the ego cries,
From
Free Write Journal #86:
“Vrindavan,
staying in Vrindavan, is a kind of spiritual quarantine to keep you
free from the infections of the material world. In the book
[Vrindavana
Mahimamrita]
there’s a lot about the mercy of Vrindavan and the elevation of the
residents of Vrindavan. They may appear to act in rough ways, but
they should always be regarded as highly elevated souls. They are the
most fortunate. If you can get their association in a spiritual way,
you will be highly benefited. He fully describes Radha and Krishna, the
King and Queen of Vrindavan. One should live in Vrindavan and search
out the Divine Couple, yearning for the day when you can personally
serve Them as the servant of the servant of the servant.
Prabodhananda Sarasvati searches for Them madly. In the dhama
you have to stay focused. Don’t be distracted by women or money or
hanker for situations from your past.”
From
Here
is Srila Prabhupada:
“Sometimes
devotees think that because they are householders or not in
association with the local temple administration, they are not able
to preach, but Prabhupada has shown how a person can preach in any
situation. You can buy a newspaper or magazine, pick up on any
article or any person’s name, and write to them. Then you can keep
copies of any replies you receive and develop a whole network of
persons interested in corresponding about Krishna consciousness. Even
if the responses are predominantly negative, you will be training
yourself as a preacher and writer, and you will have the satisfaction
of following in Prabhupada’s footsteps.”
Devamrita
Swami:
From
Bhakti-bhava:
“Once
we understand the emotional expression of a devotee, we’ll be
attracted to stay in Krishna consciousness. Feelings of relief of
material suffering are tiny compared to bhakti-bhava.”
“Caitanya
Mahaprabhu’s associates did not come to this world to experience
relief from material suffering. They came to taste the joy of being a
servant.”
“Whenever
you have endeavored heartily for Krishna’s pleasure, spiritual
emotions develop.”
Niranjana
Swami:
Srila
Prabhupada gives a simple, wonderful, sublime prayer in just two
sentences, “Whatever is possible for me, I have tried to execute.
Now this is the last stage [day?], You do whatever You like”
(Lecture on Sri
Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila
1.14 in Mayapur on April 7, 1975).
Srila
Prabhupada then makes the point that if we remember Krishna at the
end of life, because He is kind He will take us back to Godhead, and
that this remembrance comes from practicing the chanting of Hare
Krishna.
When
Srila Prabhupada chants the Hare Krishna mantra, the devotees chant
with him with great enthusiasm. Srila Prabhupada, appreciating that,
says, “Thank you very much!”
Vijaya
Prabhu:
“During
a morning walk with book distributors, Srila Prabhupada asked them
whether they read his books. They didn’t answer. He offered a
little criticism: ‘When people ask you about a book’s contents,
what do you say? “Oh, I don’t know what the book is about. I just
distribute them.” No, you also have to read the books.’
“Then
again, there is the statement by Prabhupada: ‘What good is your
three-minute lecture? If he gets a book it may change his life.’
Sometimes devotees use this statement to argue that we shouldn’t
preach to people, just distribute the books. But the first statement
indicates that Prabhupada wants us to read, so that we’ll know how
to preach when people ask us about the books.
“In
my early years of book distribution, I leaned towards the second
statement: ‘What good is your three-minute lecture?’ Even when
someone asked me about the books, I would answer as briefly as
possible and concentrate on more distribution. But taking both
statements by Prabhupada, I saw that he wanted us to focus on
distribution, but simultaneously be ready to speak to people when
asked. A balance is needed.
“Now,
when I distribute and find someone who sincerely asks about the
books, I spend ten to twenty minutes or more talking to the person.
They practically always take a book and walk away saying, ‘It’s
been an interesting conversation.’ Some of these people come to the
temple. This method of preaching is good for both them and us. It
gives us an opportunity to speak about Krishna to people who have
never heard anything about Him. Generally, when we preach, we preach
to the devotees, or preach to the choir. Speaking to nondevotees
about Krishna can be interesting, as they are often amazed at what
devotees have to say. They have never heard many aspects of our
philosophy.”
“Srila
Prabhupada said in a Bhagavatam
class in Melbourne on April 5, 1972: ‘The GBC members should see
that in every temple these books are very thoroughly being read and
discussed and understood and applied in practical life. That is
wanted, not to see the vouchers only: “How many books you have
sold, and how many books are in stock?” That is secondary. . . .
[See that] the books are being thoroughly discussed, being read,
understood practically. These things are required. Now, suppose you
go to sell some book, and somebody says, “You have read this book?
Can you explain this verse?” then what you will say? You will say,
“No. It is for you. It is not for me. I have to take money from
you. That’s all.” Is that a very nice answer?’”
“Another
nice thing to say is, ‘This book teaches you about divine qualities
that you never knew existed. By applying this knowledge, these hidden
divine features in you come out, and you’ll find it to be a
pleasant surprising experience.’”
“Another
day, distributing at a university, I motioned for a student to come
to my table. He came, and I explained some of Krishna’s teachings
in the Gita.
He didn’t show much interest. From his bulging muscles, I could
tell that he lifts weights. I said, ‘It’s good you’re building
your body, but are you aware that while we’re talking, your body is
dying? Every second, you’re closer to death, and in a relatively
short time your body will be dead. But you, the soul, never die. You
can become self-realized if you read this book. It will help you
become spiritually fit.’
“He
gave a nice donation, and I hope that by the mercy of Krishna and
Srila Prabhupada, he becomes spiritually fit.”
“At
Pomona University in California, I met a student at my table who
asked what the books were about. I asked him, ‘Do you believe in
God?’
“‘No,
not at all.’
“I
asked him, ‘Have you ever made a mistake?’
“‘Sure.’
“‘Do
you think you could be making another one in this case?’
“‘Yes,
I suppose.’
“I
said, ‘One reason people don’t believe in God is that they don’t
see Him. But have you ever seen a thought?’
“‘No.’
“‘But
thoughts exist.’
“‘Yes,
certainly.’
“‘Thoughts
exist, but they’re subtle, and we can’t see them. God is the most
subtle, because He’s not even material. He’s completely
spiritual.”
“‘But
you can’t prove that God exists?”
“‘I
can prove to you that God exists, but you may not be qualified to
understand the proof. Let’s say that you are a professor of
advanced math, and my knowledge of math is that of a first-grader. If
you ask me to solve an equation in advanced math, it would be
impossible, because I’m not qualified. Similarly, you are on the
lowest level of spiritual understanding. Practically speaking, you
are on no level, because you don’t even believe in God.”
“‘So
what is the qualification? Faith?’ he cynically asked.
“‘Yes,
faith is a big part of it. But we all have faith. You have faith that
if you go to the university and get a degree, you’ll go out and get
a good job. You have faith in this university, and I have faith in
God. But it is not just faith. The real qualification is that you
have to have a sincere desire to understand God.’
“At
that point, by the mercy of Srila Prabhupada and Krishna, he decided
to take a Gita
and give a generous donation.”
“I
approached a young man who immediately said, ‘I have no time.’
“I
asked, ‘How about thirty seconds?’
“As
I showed a Gita,
he
said, ‘This is great. I’ve been on a search for the meaning of
life, and this looks like it may have some answers.’
“I
responded, ‘You see how fate works? You’re searching, and of all
the people here, I approached you. This is no accident.’
“He
replied, ‘You know what? In my mother’s living room in Texas is a
big picture of Krishna, but I never asked her about it.’
“I
said, ‘Now you can learn about Him to your heart’s content and
tell your mom all about Him.’
“He
thanked me for doing what I’m doing and for stopping him. He turned
out to be the most receptive soul I met that day.
“Sometimes
all you need to do is change a person’s mood, like I did by saying,
‘Got thirty seconds?’”
“Paramesvara
Dasa
“In
Texas, I approached a group of young people, and as soon
as
I showed the SSR, a guy said excitedly, ‘Get that book! O my God!’
“He
was totally lit up. He said, ‘I got that book yesterday and started
reading it in class. Then I was up all night long, talking to my
friend about it. Dude, I was an atheist before I read that book; I
hated people. Now I know there’s a God, and I love people. And now
I know there is a way to fix the world.’
“He
was glowing. His hair was even standing on end. All his friends took
books. He pulled out his wallet and gave me fifty dollars and didn’t
ask for anything in return. Of course, I gave him more books. I
started crying right on the spot, because he inspired me so much and
it was almost unbelievable to see the power of Srila Prabhupada’s
books.”
“Tattvavada
Dasa
“I
approached a lady and gave her the SSR. I then gave a little
introduction to the teachings, saying, ‘This book will teach you
things about reincarnation, yoga, karma, and many other aspects of
the truth.’
“She
said, ‘When I was a teenager, I was a nurse in World War II. I saw
hundreds of people die right before my eyes. When they died, I would
see that something was leaving. I guessed it was the soul, but I
didn’t know where it was going. And for years I wondered where they
all went. Will this book give me some idea of where the soul goes
when someone dies?’
“‘Oh,
yes, it will tell you that and much more. What was your realization
from seeing so many people die?’
“‘That
the body is just dust.’”
“Badrinarayan
Swami
“I
was in another country going door to door, selling paintings to
support my family. I came to a large house, and in Spanish I asked to
see the owner. The maid said, ‘No! No one can see him now. This is
a time when no one is allowed to see him!’
“After
much sweet talk, I persuaded her to let me in, and she took me to his
office. To my great surprise, I saw the man in a chair, reading the
Bhagavatam.
I introduced myself as a follower of the teachings that he was
reading about. The man was happy to hear this. He explained that the
only time he gets to read Srimad-Bhagavatam
is when his family goes to church. He did not buy a painting, but he
bought a set of Bhagavatams,
because he had only the First Canto.”
“Indradyumna
Swami
“I
saw a man sitting down, leaning against a trash can. From his torn
clothes, unshaved face, and sad appearance, I could tell he was
homeless. I was surprised to see him drawing a beautiful picture of
the festival with colored pencils.
“‘You’re
very talented,’ I said to him.
“He
looked up. ‘Thank you,’ he said. ‘I draw only the beautiful
things of the world. That way I maintain some hope in my miserable
life.’
“‘Where
did you learn to draw like that?’ I asked.
“‘It’s
always been a hobby,’ he said. ‘I’m an accountant by
profession. I was once wealthy with a prestigious job. I had a
beautiful wife, children, and house, but I lost everything.’
“‘But
surely a gifted and intelligent man like you can pick himself up
again,’ I said.
“‘Not
if it’s my destiny to remain like this,’ he said. ‘I hope to
have better luck in my next life.’
“‘Do
you believe in reincarnation?’ I asked.
“‘Yes,
I do,’ he said. ‘Every day I read the Bhagavad-gita.
It’s
my only possession. Many years ago, I bought it from someone
distributing books on the street. It had the original Sanskrit,
translations, and purports by Swami Prabhupada. I wasn’t really
that interested, but I kept it at home. It’s the only thing I took
with me when everything fell apart. It’s in my backpack in the
forest now, under a tree.’
“‘That’s
amazing,’ I said. ‘This festival is based on the teachings of
Bhagavad-gita.’
“‘I
can see that. That’s why your festival is so beautiful.’”
“Tapasa
Dasa
“In
Norway, I approached a woman in a parked car. She rolled down the
window, and I handed her a book. Her face lit up and tears came to
her eyes. She was so emotional she couldn’t speak for a few
moments, but just swayed back and forth.
“She
then got out of the car and told me that twenty years ago she and her
son had seen a group of devotees chanting in San Francisco. She was
captured by the rhythms and the atmosphere of the chanting party, and
without wanting to, she started to dance to the beat and couldn’t
stop. As she was relating the story, she demonstrated the dancing.
“Her
son had tried to stop her. He taunted her: ‘Mom, what are you
doing?’
“After
a while a devotee went over to her and gave her a book. Now, on
meeting me and seeing the same type of book she’d received twenty
years before, she felt the same ecstasy again. She bought two more
books, and I went away thinking, ‘When will the day come when I
will appreciate Srila Prabhupada’s books as much as she has—with
tears of joy coming to my eyes upon receiving such a treasure?’”
“Govinda
Dasa
“In
the CIS, an old woman answered the door.
“‘Please
look at the nice books I have.’
“‘They
may be nice, but I won’t read them.’
“‘Please
just hold one and look at it.’
“‘No.
Since I read a small book by—I don’t remember the author’s
name—I realized that no other books are on the same level. I
decided not to read any books except by this author.’
“‘What
if these books are better?’
“‘No,
they are not better. Please leave me alone. I don’t want any more
books.’
I
asked her to show me the book that she was talking about. I entered
the room and saw several empty bookshelves. It looked as though she
once had many books. Now she had one book, sitting alone, as if on an
altar: Easy
Journey to Other Planets.
“When
she saw that I had other books by Srila Prabhupada, she bought them
all.”
“Another
time, I was distributing books in Bern, the capital city of
Switzerland, and a junkie, or drug addict, walked by. He looked very
down and out, so I tried to avoid him. But as he walked by me, he
turned his head and smiled brightly.
“I
asked, ‘Why are you smiling? Do you know about these books?’
“He
said, ‘I once read these books for years in a psychiatric hospital.
My parents bought them for me. I have AIDS, and I’m going to die in
a couple of months. I simply read Srila Prabhupada’s books, and
therefore I’m actually very happy. I know I have nothing else
to do in my life but read his books. That’s all I have to do.’
“We
had an interesting talk, and he left with three new books.”
“Devamrita
Swami
“If
someone wants a God experience, through book distribution you’ll
get the most intense experiences of God. You’ll become
God-realized. Why? Because you are distributing Krishna’s glories.
Srila Prabhupada once explained that it’s not that the book
distributors give out Krishna’s mercy just so people can be
delivered—and the distributors do not get delivered. No. Krishna
makes arrangements so that you become more God-realized and also more
effective at distribution. And when you are better at your book
distribution, more people get Krishna’s mercy. So everything
increases all the way around. Don’t think, ‘I’m distributing
all these books, working so hard, and what will become of me?’ You
want to understand that you have the chance to experience the
divinity of Krishna beyond theory, beyond belief, by assisting Lord
Caitanya in distributing love of God.”
“Radharani
Dasi
“I
was distributing in the state of Nevada in the USA. We stopped at a
gas station to get gas. When I got out of the van, I saw a man who
looked like he would be receptive to the mercy of Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu. So I approached him and explained the book to him. Sure
enough, he was interested, gave a donation, and took a book.
“Then
I went into the store for some water. While inside, I heard shooting
and then the screeching of car tires in the parking lot. When the
shooting ended, I went outside with other people. The man who got the
book was lying dead on the seat of his car, his hand still clutching
the book.”
“I
and another devotee were shocked, and we thought, ‘This person
received the mercy just in time. Another minute or two— and he
wouldn’t have been as fortunate.’ Srila Prabhupada wrote that if
someone touches a book, some benefit is there, what to speak of
appreciating it or donating for it.”
“Bhaktavatsala
Dasa
“I
met a woman in Dingolfing, Germany, who at first wasn’t interested
in the books. Then she revealed how very disturbed she felt, because
her husband had recently died. I showed her a copy of A
Second Chance.
After looking at the cover illustration, she became thoughtful and
looked at me, pondering whether or not she should tell me her
problem. She told me that her husband had been very cruel, but she
was so faithful that even when he became terminally ill, she cared
for him until death.
“After
his death, she started having terrible dreams and visions and was
regularly terrorized by his ghost. She had never believed in ghosts,
but now she knew they exist. I gave her three big books, and a copy
of Reincarnation,
a German book by Raja-vidya Dasa.
“About
a year later, I met her again at the same shopping center. She told
me she had developed philosophical conviction by reading our books.
When she started reading them in her room, her husband’s ghost
stopped visiting. She was grateful. She only lamented that since
reading the books, she could no longer relate to her mundane friends
and their trivial talks at work.”
“Avadhutacandra
Dasa
“The
day was going as usual, but became a bit heavier when a rain started.
At the end of the day I met a boy (about twenty years old) and was
showing him The
Science of Self-Realization.
“He
showed interest, but he did not have the money. Then along came a
girl with dreadlocks. She happily greeted me and joined our
discussion. I did not know her, but she said that she had bought the
same book earlier this year and read it.
“‘It
is a very dangerous book,’ she said, ‘because by reading it you
will notice how empty your life is.’
“The
boy looked frightened. I, too, was surprised on hearing her
realization.
“Then
I said, ‘That’s not bad, because first you must see how empty
your life is, and then you can fill it again with sensible things.’
“They
both accepted this. Still, the boy had no money. I said to the girl,
‘Why don’t you pay for the book?’
“She
seemed ready to, but the boy was hesitating and saying, ‘No. It’s
all right. You don’t have to.’
“I
was praying to the Lord in the heart to give this boy a chance to
read Srila Prabhupada’s teachings. Everything was uncertain, but
then the girl opened her wallet and gave me a ten-euro note. Suddenly
the boy brightened up considerably. Thanking the girl and me, he was
shaking her hand and mine. And off he went with the book. I also gave
the girl a Sri
Isopanisad
to thank her.”
“Giridhari
Dasa
“We
went to downtown San Diego, and just as we were getting ready to go
back to the temple, a dirty homeless man walked up, carrying a bag
full of empty cans and bottles. He looked in our box. “What is
Bhagavad-gita?” he asked.
“I
explained it to him, and then he looked up at the sky.
“He
said, ‘I am waiting for an answer.’ Then he asked a few more
questions and said, ‘Well, God usually tells me whether I should
get something. I don’t think I should.’
“He
then walked away, and as I started toward the car, he ran back to me
and pulled out his wallet. He had several twenty-dollar bills in it.
He found a ten-dollar bill, gave it to me, and said, ‘I got an
answer.’ He took a hardbound Gita.”
“Dhanesvara
Dasa
“There
was a Russian nuclear submarine stationed way off the coast of
America during the sixties. The crew was waiting for the command to
launch missiles to start WW III. One day they got a notice to return
home. The war was canceled. The commander of the sub later read Srila
Prabhupada’s biography. He got it from his grandson, who had become
a devotee. While reading, he learned that the day he received the
order to come home was the very day that Srila Prabhupada had set
foot on American soil—September 17, 1965. I heard this myself from
that grandson while I traveled in Russia.”
“Ananga
Manjari Dasi
“Three
other ladies and I were distributing books at a fair. A man was
bothering two of the ladies by telling people not to give them a
donation. They came to me and asked what to do. I told them to go to
another area and that I’d try to deal with the problem.
“Sure
enough, as soon as I would approach people, he would tell them not to
give a donation. At one point I had an idea: While talking to people,
I would tell them, ‘We’re doing a test of reverse psychology. So
whenever my Uncle Kamsa over there says, “Don’t give a donation,”
you should give a donation. And if he says, “Stop giving,” you
should give more.’
“As
I was telling people this, they would smile and think that the two of
us were together, and give donations. Eventually the man became
impressed with my ability to turn a difficulty caused by him into a
positive situation. He was so impressed that he became friendly and
bought a book.”
“Sakhya-rasa
Prema Dasa
“I
was distributing books in Croydon, South London. Another devotee was
on the other side of the street. It was quite tough, because the
pavement was narrow and people could easily see us distributing
books. So they were avoiding us. Suddenly a woman’s voice bellowed
out to me, ‘Hey, boy, have you been saved?’
“An
over-weight black-bodied lady was looking me in the face with an
intent look. I have been saved by Patita-pavana, Caitanya Mahaprabhu,
so I didn’t think that I was deceiving her by quickly replying,
‘Yes, I’ve been saved.’
“She
responded in a satisfied tone, ‘Praise the Lord!’
“She
then asked whether I read the good book (the Bible).
“‘Oh,
yes, I’ve read the very good book, and guess what?’ She looked at
me with anticipation.
“‘The
good Lord has chosen you to do something special today.’
“She
said, ‘No!’
“I
said, ‘Yes! I’ve got these good books, and I’m giving out the
Lord’s message.’
“She
looked at two small books.
“I
said, ‘These are the words of the Lord, and He chose you to help me
deliver the fallen souls today. Glory hallelujah, sister!’
“I
handed her a few books and said, ‘Give these to everyone and ask
for a small donation. The good Lord will bless you.’
“She
took the books from my hand and enthusiastically proceeded to
distribute Lord Caitanya’s message. After a short time, she came
back and said, ‘These books are very special. I can feel the Lord’s
presence when I’m giving them out.’
“I
was very happy to see this sincere soul accept Lord Gauranga’s
mercy in such a nice way. She asked for more books, and I gave her
five more. I was amazed to see the Lord engage this soul in the
highest welfare work. Finally, when she said she had to go, she gave
me the donated money and a few remaining books.
“I
said, ‘Today you’ve done a great thing, and the Lord will bless
you and your family. Jesus will be so pleased with your work today!’
“She
said goodbye and thanked me for letting her give out those books.
Then she disappeared into the crowd.”
“Kadamba
Kanana Swami
“One
distributor in Holland was in the offices of a business, and the
authorities called the police. So he ran with his books into the
street. A policeman actually chased him. He turned a corner, but saw
that it was a dead end. Then he saw an alley and ran into it. In one
wall was a door, so he tried the knob. It was unlocked. So he escaped
the chase.
“He
began walking along a corridor, and soon he saw a light at the end.
When he came to the light, he kept walking and found himself on a
stage! There was applause! The man at the microphone said, ‘Here is
the man with the prizes that we were waiting for. Welcome.’ And he
took the box of books and had them distributed. Everyone got one.
Then the man said, ‘All right, what is the bill?’ The devotee
quoted a big price, and the man paid it. It was a meeting of
butchers, as it turned out.
“With
Lord Caitanya in control of this movement, anything can happen. The
books themselves find people. It’s amazing when a devotee is in
that mood: ‘Let the book find someone.’ But what kind of people
the books will find, you never know.”
“Krishna-seva
Dasi
“When
I meet Christians, and they aren’t interested, I tell them, ‘This
book has many good arguments against atheism.’
“Quite
often they take a book.”
“Caru
Dasa
“I
stopped a man who was interested, but there was some blockage. He
finally came out with it and said, ‘I don’t like organized
religion.’
“I
normally respond by telling such people that we’re a disorganized
religion. But this time I said, ‘That’s great. You don’t have
to join us! Keep the book with you and practice at home.’ This
inspired him. He gave a donation for a book.”
“Bhrgupati
Dasa
“When
distributing books, I might say, ‘Excuse me. I just want to
compliment you on your professional appearance. I’m from New York
City. Where are you from?’
“I
then respond favorably to wherever it is they’re from, and next I
ask, ‘Have you heard the expression, What goes ’round comes
around?’ Asking questions helps get them involved.
“‘Here’s
a picture of that,’ I continue, showing them the man with a cow’s
head and vice versa. ‘This shows how roles get reversed.’
“Turning
to a picture of reincarnation, I say, ‘Here’s another good one.
It shows how the soul continues to live when the body dies.’
“Turning
to the picture of a yogi meditating on the Supersoul, I point to the
yogi and ask, ‘Can you sit like this?’
“Generally
they say no. And I respond, ‘Neither can I. Don’t worry, it’s
not important nowadays.’ Or if they say they can, I joke and say,
‘Congratulations. You’re fifty percent enlightened.’
“Then
I say, ‘This book is mostly about how to progress toward
enlightenment.’ We’re trying to share the books with people, so
we’re asking everyone to give a donation for one. You’re welcome
to keep this copy. If they ask how much, I suggest an amount that’s
two
to four times the temple’s cost price.
“If
I sense they’re apprehensive, I always say, ‘It’s from the
heart,’ or ‘There’s no minimum.’ Sometimes I’ll really
spell it out and say, ‘You can give anything that works for you,
and your welcome to have the book. We’re just trying to share this
with
other
people.’
“Whatever
they offer I accept, even if it’s not much, because Krishna always
sends someone else along to make up for it. Then to wrap it up, I’ll
say, ‘Thank you for taking the time to talk with me. It’s been
really nice meeting you. I hope you enjoy reading
the
book. Please visit our web site.’ I hand them an invitation and
show them where the temple is or tell them where the nearest temple
is in their area.”
“Madhumangala
Dasa
“Sometimes
they say, ‘I’m not into religion.’ One way I respond is: ‘These
books aren’t about religion—religion tells you what to do. These
books tell you who you are and how to find out for yourself what to
do.’”
“Vaisesika
Dasa
“They
ask, ‘Is this religion?’
“Srila
Prabhupada said, ‘This is not religion, but a cultural
presentation.’
“When
they ask—‘What do you want?’—with a smile, I ask them, ‘Are
you from here?’
“‘Yes.’
“‘Oh, you are! Well then, here, check this out.’
“Many times this throws them off, and they take the book.
“So when they ask a challenging question, smile and respond with a question.”
“‘Oh, you are! Well then, here, check this out.’
“Many times this throws them off, and they take the book.
“So when they ask a challenging question, smile and respond with a question.”
“Visvambhara
Dasa
“When
I distribute books, one thing I may say is, ‘It’s about the
nature of this world and our inner nature, which is the soul and our
karma (what goes ’round, comes around). We are on a generous
mission of distributing lots of these books, to give people relief
from four major problems: birth, death, disease, and old age.’
“Bhakta
Saurabh
“I
joined the brahmacari training program at Sri Sri
Radha-Gopinatha Mandir. On my first day of book distribution, I had a
nice experience in a local train. Between 2:15 and 3:45, I
distributed only four small books. Then I remembered the words of
Balaji Prabhu, a top book distributor from the previous batch of
brahmacari trainees.
“‘Book
distribution is all about prayers,’ he told me. ‘Srila Prabhupada
is the one who distributes through us. Just pray to him.’
So
I casually prayed, and when I went to the next compartment, even
before I made my announcement, a man called to me. I asked him to
wait a minute and announced why I was there. Then I went to him. I
was carrying a set of eight books. He asked to take a look,
and I gave the set to him. He looked at each one and asked how much
it costs.
“‘What
does the whole set cost?’ he then asked.
“My
jaw dropped. I mumbled the price. He gave the money and took the set.
In the next ten minutes I distributed two dozen books. I realized
that book distribution is not so much what you say, but how you
pray.”
“Aisvarya
Dasa
“An
older couple stopped, and when I showed them some books, they said in unison, ‘We’re atheists.’
“All
I had to say was, ‘Thank God for that. I thought you were
Christians.’
“They
walked off with big smiles and books.”
“Anakadundubhi Dasa
“Anakadundubhi Dasa
“When
I distribute, I first say, ‘I’m a monk. We’re showing these
books to all the nice people. We don’t sell them, but you may like
to give a donation for the printing. I will accept it. And if you
don’t want to give something, you can still take a small book.’
With
this style of distribution, I distributed and collected more than I
ever have in a year. “Once I was distributing with a bhakta
door to door. The people were not giving much for the books, but I
was letting them go. At one point I had distributed five big books
and collected only four euros. The bhakta looked at me with a
question mark on his face, as if to ask, ‘How can you let all these
expensive books go out so cheaply?’ I could understand his
questioning mind, so I said, ‘Krishna will make up for it, maybe
today, tomorrow, or the next day, but He takes care of it.’
“The
next house we went to was kind of strange, with a weird fence
surrounding it. When a lady came to the door, I said hello and handed
her a little introductory book.
“She
said, ‘Oh, this is nice. I have to give you some donation for
this.’ Seeing how enthusiastic she was, I gave her two big books,
which made her even more excited.
“She
gave two hundred euros for the books. We thanked her very much, and
she thanked us. The bhakta was shocked. I said to him, ‘See?
I told you.’”
Krishna
Kripa Das:
From “Review of Treasures of the Brhat Mrdanga”:
“I
found I learned lots from reading Vijaya Prabhu’s Treasures of
the Brhat Mrdanga. There are many quotes by Srila Prabhupada from
his letters about the importance of book distribution and from his
books about the importance of sharing Krishna consciousness in
general. The book also contains many realizations by book
distributors and senior devotees. From the many accounts of
experiences of book distributors we see that the distributors and
Srila Prabhupada’s books have worked miracles, transforming
atheists into theists, and inspiring people who had decided to commit
suicide that very day to change their minds, and in some cases to
ultimately become devotees. We hear stories of how people who had
stolen Srila Prabhupada’s books ended up become devotees, and
sometimes even book distributors. I learned that there are people out
there in society who are looking for these books of Srila Prabhupada
and who deeply appreciate them, and you cannot always identify these
people just by looking at them. One man wanted Srila Prabhupada’s
Bhagavad-gita As It Is because Srila Prabhupada had appeared
in his dreams several times telling him to buy it. The book
distributors also explain how that service greatly helped them in
developing essential Vaishnava qualities such as tolerance, humility,
and compassion. They also give examples of how Krishna has assisted
them in their service in various amazing ways, and this increases the
faith of the reader in Krishna and His mission. Besides this they
give very practical tips for convincing people to take books and for
handling challenging situations on book distribution. The importance
of follow up, encouraging those who receive books to read them, apply
the teachings, get more books, and ultimately become devotees is also
discussed. I think Treasures of the Brhat Mrdanga will
encourage devotees to increase their commitment to book distribution,
both to go out themselves and to appreciate and assist those who are
doing this important service, and it will also help book distributors
improve their service in important ways.”
Chandrabhaga
Devi Dasi:
From
a conversation on padayatra:
“My
experience is always: padayatra
is magical, no matter where you do it. For ISKCON 50 I organized a
small padayatra
in Sweden for one week and a hike around Iceland with BBT books in
the Icelandic language. Ecstaaaaatic.”
Brajananda
Prabhu:
From
the morning announcements:
See
taking care of your health as a service to the devotees.
From
classes:
The
existence of the sastra
gives
us the opportunity to learn by hearing.
When
I was a new devotee I was going to same music concerts to distribute
books at that I used to go for sense gratification. At the first one
I went to, people offered me practically every drug that the people
were taking there, but I was not interested because I had a higher
taste from Krishna consciousness. Never since was I offered such a
variety of drugs, and I think that Krishna was just testing me.
Sometimes
we are Lord Brahma and sometimes we are an insignificant ant in our
many, many lives, but in this life, we have the chance to give it up
and go back to Godhead.
If we keep adding devotional service to our life, everything else will just wash out.
If we keep adding devotional service to our life, everything else will just wash out.
As
a child I was taught that people of other faiths are going to hell
simply because they do not have faith in Lord Jesus Christ, but when
I went to school I saw that people of the other faiths were as good
as, if not better than, many Christians.
That
this amazing spiritual oasis (the Mayapur temple complex) is
manifesting in what was just rice fields decades before, exactly
according to the prediction of Bhaktivinoda Thakura, gives me great
faith.
I
was at a concert on the Warped Tour distributing books, and some
people who had bought a book from me were lamenting that they got
separated from their friends. I suggested they put the book to their
head while maintaining the intention of finding their friends. They
did that, and their friends, who had been wandering around, came
right by. Later I met some other people who were separated from their
friends. I suggested they hold the book to their heads just as the
others did. They did and nothing happened. I said, “Well the other
people bought the book first. Would be willing to give a donation for
the book?” They gave a donation, and right then their friends came
by. So many experiences like that on book distribution increased my
faith.
Comment
by Kumari Sakhi Devi Dasi: Darkness only exists for us because we
choose to go away from the light. If we choose to move toward
Krishna, we will always see illumination.
Comment
by Arjuna Abhimanyu Prabhu: Kish, the Vaishnava youth singer with the
Mayapuris, used an analogy of parents allowing their sixteen-year-old
kid to use their car. If the son uses the car responsibly, the
parents are happy to lend it, but if he is reckless and whimsical,
they will not be inclined. The analogy explains how Krishna behaves
when it comes to facilitating the living entities’s desires,
offering the more responsible ones the better facilities.
-----
In
honor of Rama Navami, the anniversary of the appearance of Lord
Ramacandra, which we cerebrated here in Florida on April 2, I share a
verse and purport from the Bhagavatam
description
of Lord Ramacandra and His pastimes. There it is explained how by the
mercy of the Lord, even in this degraded age, we can achieve the
ideal society we want, which the
Bhagavatam says
formerly existed during the rule of Lord Ramacandra:
nadhi-vyadhi-jara-glani-
duhkha-soka-bhaya-klamah
mrityus
canicchatam nasid
rame
rajany adhoksaje
“When
Lord Ramacandra, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, was the King of
this world, all bodily and mental suffering, disease, old age,
bereavement, lamentation, distress, fear and fatigue were completely
absent. There was even no death for those who did not want it.”
“Purport:
All these facilities existed because of Lord Ramacandra’s presence
as the king of the entire world. A similar situation could be
introduced immediately, even in this age called Kali, the worst of
all ages. It is said, kali-kale
nama-rupe krishna-avatara:
Krishna descends in this Kali-yuga in the form of His holy name —
Hare Krishna, Hare Rama. If we chant offenselessly, Rama and Krishna
are still present in this age. The kingdom of Rama was immensely
popular and beneficial, and the spreading of this Hare Krishna
movement can immediately introduce a similar situation, even in this
Kali-yuga.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam
9.10.53,
verse and purport)
This
purport reveals Srila Prabhupada’s absolute faith that there is no
difference between the Supreme Lord and His name, and that we can
attain all benedictions by simply by chanting the holy name of the
Lord. Our challenge is to increase our faith to that level so that we
will come to experience the promised result.