Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 16, No. 21
By Krishna Kripa Das
(November 2020, part one)
New York City
(Sent from Brooklyn on November 21, 2020)
Where I Went and What I Did
I continued residing at ISKCON NYC in Brooklyn and chanting Hare Krishna with Rama Raya Prabhu’s NYC Harinam. Party. I would also make sweets for Radha-Govinda’s 4:00 p.m. offering and extra sweets for festival days. On Sunday, November 15, we celebrated Govadhan Puja at the Radha Govinda temple.
I share quotes from Srila Prabhupada’s books, especially Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, The Nectar of Devotion, and Srimad-Bhagavatam. I share excerpts from the books and journal of Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami. I share notes on classes by local devotees, such as Candrasekhara Swami, Hansarupa Prabhu, Rama Raya Prabhu, Mother Shobha-mayi, Ter Kadamba Prabhu, Acarya-nistha Prabhu, Hari Vilasa Prabhu, Natabara Gauranga Prabhu, Ananda-bihari Prabhu, and Vraj Mohana Prabhu.
Thanks to Kaliya Krishna Prabhu for the different videos of our harinama-sankirtana in which I am a participant.
Itinerary
September 12–January: NYC Harinam
December 5: Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami Vyasa-puja
December 24: Albany, Christmas Eve with relatives
January–April: Tallahassee
Chanting Hare Krishna in New York City
Natabara Gauranga Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Radha Govinda Mandir on Election Day (https://youtu.be/gZ6GzEVuFio):
Kaliya Krishna Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Columbus Circle, and a couple, who said they knew about Krishna consciousness from The Bhakti Center, dances enthusiastically (https://youtu.be/zB2ENb6rEXM):
Krishna Kripa Das chants Hare Krishna at Columbus Circle. Video by Kaliya Krishna Prabhu and taken with the phone of Shaun Smith (https://youtu.be/s-Sz6FTdgJ0):
Acarya-nistha Prabhu, visiting from Chicago for the month of Karttika, chants Hare Krishna at Columbus Circle, and devotees dance (https://youtu.be/xZacg1oQsm4):
Jenya Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna in Washington Square Park (https://youtu.be/_GSpdnqdCCM):
While Jenya was singing, a kid played shakers (https://youtu.be/uqpmxXo3gYg):
Rama Raya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna on a Friday night at Washington Square Park, several passersby play shakers and a whole crowd dances wildly (https://youtu.be/dWFI3iMWSdM):
Earlier while Rama Raya Prabhu was chanting, a few passersby had played shakers and danced (https://youtu.be/TYkautZYpk0):
Kaliya Krishna Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at a Biden victory celebration at Washington Square Park to an increasing audience eager to hear, see, dance, and take photos and videos (https://youtu.be/c9khIlB2zr4):
Braja Sakhi Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna to that same Biden victory crowd (https://youtu.be/_mWdAgRHgNM):
Braja Sakhi Devi Dasi also chants Hare Krishna in this clip from a 3½-hour long video by the Washington Post of Biden victory celebrations in major U.S. cities (https://youtu.be/gHuY1lyx9kk):
Rama Raya Prabhu chants the final Hare Krishna kirtan at Washington Square Park to that favorable Biden victory crowd (https://youtu.be/rXezkQATTA8):
Nandanandana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at ISKCON NYC mangala-arati, and devotees dance (https://youtu.be/_TYDX5asD4U):
Sunday, November 8, was a beautiful day. The Bhakti Center devotees did harinama from 2 to 5 p.m. and the NYC Harinam devotees from 5 to 7 p.m. I invited people who appeared to like the chanting to give their phone numbers so we could tell them where we are singing each day, and four people were interested, more than ever before on a single day.
Braja Sakhi Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna at Washington Square Park and several people dance (https://youtu.be/WW104eXH1Bk):
Minna chants Hare Krishna at Washington Square Park, and several people dance (https://youtu.be/2-bNuTg06GY):
Prema Vilasini Devi Dasi, daughter of Prabhupada disciple, Ranjit Prabhu, chants Hare Krishna at Washington Square Park, and several people dance (https://youtu.be/4Sq-STQLozY):
Tulasirani Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna at Washington Square Park (https://youtu.be/uOipbUmlwfE):
Vasudeva Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Washington Square Park (https://youtu.be/Wc508cwaevU):
Toward the end of Vasudeva Prabhu’s kirtan several people danced, including two young ladies who are majoring in dance at college (https://youtu.be/bPvNiw4s054):
Acarya-nistha Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Washington Square Park, and several people dance (https://youtu.be/ay85pDqt1SE):
The young lady with the white top had danced with us for hours the previous day, and she was one of the four I added to our harinama text message informing of our location each day. As you can see in the following video, she actually joined us again the next day.
Natabara Gauranga Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Washington Square Park, and a young lady who danced to our kirtans the last two days plays the shakers and learns the Hare Krishna mantra (https://youtu.be/ZhLlU_SlOzY):
Kaliya Krishna Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Washington Square Park inspiring locals to dance and clap, what to speak of Rama Raya Prabhu (https://youtu.be/vLyMBgs6s-c):
Vraj Mohana Prabhu, who came from the Krishna Balaram 24-hour kirtan in Vrindavan to join NYC Harinam, chants Hare Krishna at Washington Square Park (https://youtu.be/XB_QXRbQDsw):
Rama Raya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna intensely at Washington Square Park (https://youtu.be/DeFosP2Yrtg):
Braja Sakhi Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna in Washington Square Park (https://youtu.be/3aAoElQRL6E):
Kaliya Krishna Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Union Square, and a little girl dances as directed by Rama Raya Prabhu, until her mom drags her off (https://youtu.be/r6xoXf8MK5k):
Kaliya Krishna Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Union Square, and a man plays shakers and dances with devotees (https://youtu.be/rG3lS5FEpww):
While I was chanting Hare Krishna one day, a man gave a donation but did not accept a book, saying he had them all.
He asked if I knew Agnideva, and when I said I did, he said, “I am Agnideva’s brother.” He went on to share with me this video where he tells how Agnideva got to sing Hare Krishna on an album of Stevie Wonder, https://youtu.be/4hM6P27UvFg.
You can hear Agnideva Prabhu’s Hare Krishna chant in the background of that Stevie Wonder song from 2:41 to 3:16 minutes at this link: https://youtu.be/b0S4SiLxt1s
Larry Marsden, the brother of Agnideva, said that Agnideva had sung in three recent New York Ratha-yatras. I said last time I saw him, he was leading kirtan in the Birmingham Ratha-yatra (https://youtu.be/DjJ2E1S6cIE).
Many young people from the city were attracted and some of them danced. This video of that got 150,000 views! (https://youtu.be/g8Ygmx7BzJ4):
There was more local participation there than in any other city where I had attended Ratha-yatra!
Hansarupa Prabhu commented on this story, “It is a small world.”
Rama Raya Prabhu replied, “And in New York, it is even smaller.”
Braja Sakhi Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna on The Bhakti Center Thursday evening harinama, and Lower East Side restaurant goers and passersby dance with devotees from The Bhakti Center and Radha Govinda Mandir (https://youtu.be/esTOsb0OoYA):
Krishna Kripa Das chants Hare Krishna at Union Square Park [video by Kaliya Krishna Prabhu] (https://youtu.be/DouO7zfxmPs):
Devarsi Narada Prabhu, who joined us again from Rupanuga Vedic College, chants Hare Krishna at Union Square (https://youtu.be/zaqGD0ccRFQ):
Natabara Gauranga Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in New York City (https://youtu.be/I3sa9c3Qai4):
Here one man looks at the “On Chanting Hare Krishna” and the “Chant Now” bookmark.
Braja Sakhi Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna on the Thursday night Bhakti Center harinama, and passersby play shakers and dance, induced by Caranti Devi Dasi (https://youtu.be/BF-2_xkaN5E):
Acarya-nistha Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Washington Square Park (https://youtu.be/ynE-RKXwkKs):
Shyama Mohini Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna at Washington Square Park (https://youtu.be/4h_JMBzxwZg):
Ishan Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Washington Square Park, and passersby play shakers and dance (https://youtu.be/zB7u0FMZ0MA):
Natabara Gauranga Prabhu chants Hare Krishna for Rama Raya Prabhu's Govardhan Sila at ISKCON NYC in Brooklyn (https://youtu.be/6zMR80Ivb50):
Rama Raya Prabhu had some artwork of our guru, Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, with the caption, “The true sankirtana party chanted for benefit of all living beings, day and night.”
Devotees headed by Jaya Radhe Devi Dasi made an impressive Govardhan Hill.
Krishna was underneath, holding it up.
Devotees bathed the temple Govardhan Sila.
Rama Raya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna and “Jaya Radhe Jaya Krishna” at ISKCON NYC Govardhan Puja festival, and devotees circumambulate Govardhan Hill and dance (https://youtu.be/d-5KP6lK_Ao):
Srila Prabhupada:
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.5.2, purport:
“Transcendental knowledge regarding the soul and the Supersoul includes knowledge of the phenomenal world and the basis of its creation. In the phenomenal world three things are factually observed by any intelligent man: the living beings, the manifest world, and the ultimate control over them. The intelligent man can see that neither the living entity nor the phenomenal world are creations of chance. The symmetry of creation and its regulative actions and reactions suggests the plan of an intelligent brain behind them, and by genuine inquiry one may find out the ultimate cause with the help of one who knows them factually.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.5.4, purport:
“Discoveries of progressive scientific achievements are therefore not independent. The scientist has to attain the knowledge of a thing already existing by means of the wonderful brain made by someone else. A scientist can work with the help of such an awarded brain, but it is not possible for the scientist to create his own or a similar brain. Therefore no one is independent in the matter of any creation, nor is such creation automatic.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.5.9, purport:
“It is usual for the devotees to become very enthusiastic whenever they are questioned concerning the Almighty Personality of Godhead. That is the sign of a pure devotee of the Lord. Such discourses on the transcendental activities of the Lord purify the atmosphere in which such discussions are held, and the devotees thus become enlivened while answering such questions. It is purifying both for the questioners and for one who answers the questions. The pure devotees are not only satisfied by knowing everything about the Lord, but are also eager to broadcast the information to others, for they want to see that the glories of the Lord are known to everyone. Thus the devotee feels satisfied when such an opportunity is offered to him. This is the basic principle of missionary activities.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.5.11, purport:
“One should not expect the Lord to create like a blacksmith with a hammer and other instruments. The Lord creates by His potencies.”
From The Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 40:
“No one should claim his eternal relationship with Krishna unless he is liberated. In the conditioned state of life, the devotees have to execute the prescribed duties as recommended in the codes of devotional service. When one is mature in devotional service and is a realized soul, he can know his own eternal relationship with Krishna. One should not artificially try to establish some relationship. In the premature stage it is sometimes found that a lusty, conditioned person will artificially try to establish some relationship with Krishna in conjugal love. The result of this is that one becomes prakrta-sahajiya, or one who takes everything very cheaply. Although such persons may be very anxious to establish a relationship with Krishna in conjugal love, their conditioned life in the material world is still most abominable. A person who has actually established his relationship with Krishna can no longer act on the material plane, and his personal character cannot be criticized.”
From The Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 41:
“In Srimad-Bhagavatam, Tenth Canto, twelfth chapter, verse 11, Sukadeva Gosvami tells King Pariksit, ‘My dear King, Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead to the learned transcendentalist, He is the supreme happiness for the impersonalist, He is the supreme worshipable Deity for the devotee, and He is just like an ordinary boy to one who is under the spell of maya. And just imagine – these cowherd boys are now playing with the Supreme Person as though they were on an equal level! By this anyone can understand that these boys must have accumulated heaps of the results of pious activities to enable them to associate with the Supreme Personality of Godhead in such intimate friendship.’”
From The Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 44:
“The impetuses of conjugal love are Krishna and His very dear consorts, such as Radharani and Her immediate associates. Lord Krishna has no rival; no one is equal to Him, and no one is greater than Him. His beauty is also without any rival, and because He excels all others in the pastimes of conjugal love, He is the original object of all conjugal love.”
“A pure devotee follows in the footsteps of the gopis and worships the gopis as follows: ‘Let me offer my respectful obeisances to all the young cowherd girls, whose bodily features are so attractive. Simply by their beautiful attractive features they are worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna.’”
From The Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 46:
“The activities of a person, even if they are not very extraordinary, create an impression of wonder in the heart and mind of the person’s friends. But even very wonderful activities performed by a person who is not one’s friend will not create any impression. It is because of love that one’s wonderful activities create an impression in the mind.”
From The Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 48:
“It is to be understood that any person who is constantly engaged in chanting the holy names of the Lord—Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare—has attained a transcendental affection for Krishna, and as such, in any condition of life, he remains satisfied simply by remembering the Lord’s name in full affection and ecstatic love.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 9.29:
“Not considering who asked for it and who did not, nor who was fit and who unfit to receive it, Caitanya Mahaprabhu distributed the fruit of devotional service.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 10.17, purport:
“Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya was a brahmana and a realized soul, whereas Prataparudra was a ksatriya. Ksatriya kings used to obey very faithfully the orders of learned brahmanas and saintly persons, and in this way they would rule their country. Similarly, vaisyas used to follow the king’s orders, and sudras used to serve the three higher castes. In this way the brahmanas, ksatriyas, vaisyas and sudras used to live cooperatively, performing their respective duties. Consequently society was peaceful, and people were able to discharge the duties of Krishna consciousness. Thus they were happy in this life and able to return home, back to Godhead.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 20.120, purport:
“Although there is an immense treasure-house of knowledge, people are engaged in reading useless literature that will give them no information on how to get out of the clutches of maya.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 20.124–126:
“The Vedic literatures give information about the living entity’s eternal relationship with Krishna, which is called sambandha. The living entity’s understanding of this relationship and his acting accordingly is called abhidheya. Returning home, back to Godhead, is the ultimate goal of life and is called prayojana.
“Devotional service, or sense activity for the satisfaction of the Lord, is called abhidheya because it can develop one’s original love of Godhead, which is the goal of life. This goal is the living entity’s topmost interest and greatest wealth. Thus one attains the platform of transcendental loving service unto the Lord.
“When one attains the transcendental bliss of an intimate relationship with Krishna, he renders service to Him and tastes the mellows of Krishna consciousness.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 20.137–138 [Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.14.20–21]:
“[The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, said:] ‘My dear Uddhava, neither through astanga-yoga [the mystic yoga system to control the senses], nor through impersonal monism or an analytical study of the Absolute Truth, nor through study of the Vedas, nor through austerities, charity or acceptance of sannyasa can one satisfy Me as much as by developing unalloyed devotional service unto Me.
“‘Being very dear to the devotees and sadhus, I am attained through unflinching faith and devotional service. This bhakti-yoga system, which gradually increases attachment for Me, purifies even a human being born among dog-eaters. That is to say, everyone can be elevated to the spiritual platform by the process of bhakti-yoga.’”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 20.143:
“In the Vedic literatures, Krishna is the central point of attraction, and His service is our activity. To attain the platform of love of Krishna is life’s ultimate goal. Therefore Krishna, Krishna’s service and love of Krishna are the three great riches of life.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 20.147–148 [Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.21.42–43]:
“[Lord Krishna said:] ‘What is the purpose of all Vedic literatures? On whom do they focus? Who is the object of all speculation? Outside of Me no one knows these things. Now you should know that all these activities are aimed at ordaining and setting forth Me. The purpose of the Vedic literatures is to know Me by different speculations, either by indirect understanding or by dictionary understanding. Everyone is speculating about Me. The essence of all Vedic literatures is to distinguish Me from maya. By considering the illusory energy, one comes to the platform of understanding Me. In this way one becomes free from speculation about the Vedas and comes to Me as the conclusion. Thus one is satisfied.’”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 20.180:
“[Vasudeva Krishna in Dvaraka says:] ‘My dear friend, this dramatic actor appears like a second form of My own self. Like a picture, He displays My pastimes as a cowherd boy overflowing with wonderfully attractive sweetness and fragrance, which are so dear to the damsels of Vraja. When I see such a display, My heart becomes greatly excited. I long for such pastimes and desire a form exactly like that of the damsels of Vraja.’” [Quoted from Lalita-madhava 4.19.]
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 20.182:
“[Vasudeva Krishna in Dvaraka says:] ‘Who manifests an abundance of sweetness greater than Mine, which has never been experienced before and which causes wonder to all? Alas, I Myself, My mind bewildered upon seeing this beauty, impetuously desire to enjoy it like Srimati Radharani.’” [Quoted from Lalita-madhava 8.34.]
The humble servants of Srila Prabhupada:
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 12.3.18, purport:
“Any material ‘charitable’ arrangement will inevitably be crushed by the onward march of time. Thus only realization of one’s eternal existence beyond the reach of time can make one fearless, and only freedom from material desire constitutes real freedom, for it enables one to escape the bondage of the laws of nature. Therefore real charity is to help people revive their eternal, spiritual consciousness.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 12.3.43, purport:
“In his dialogue Philebus, the Greek philosopher Plato argued that just as the material elements in our body are derived from a vast reservoir of material elements existing within the universe, our rational intelligence is also derived from a great cosmic intelligence existing within the universe, and this supreme intelligence is God, the creator.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 12.3.45–50:
“In the Kali-yuga, objects, places and even individual personalities are all polluted. The almighty Personality of Godhead, however, can remove all such contamination from the life of one who fixes the Lord within his mind.
“If a person hears about, glorifies, meditates upon, worships or simply offers great respect to the Supreme Lord, who is situated within the heart, the Lord will remove from his mind the contamination accumulated during many thousands of lifetimes.
“Just as fire applied to gold removes any discoloration caused by traces of other metals, Lord Vishnu within the heart purifies the minds of the yogis.
“By one’s engaging in the processes of demigod worship, austerities, breath control, compassion, bathing in holy places, strict vows, charity and chanting of various mantras, one’s mind cannot attain the same absolute purification as that achieved when the unlimited Personality of Godhead appears within one’s heart.
“Therefore, O King, endeavor with all your might to fix the Supreme Lord Kesava within your heart. Maintain this concentration upon the Lord, and at the time of death you will certainly attain the supreme destination.
“My dear King, the Personality of Godhead is the ultimate controller. He is the Supreme Soul and the supreme shelter of all beings. When meditated upon by those about to die, He reveals to them their own eternal spiritual identity.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 12.4.6, purport:
“It is significant that Sukadeva Gosvami, the spiritual master of King Pariksit, is broadly discussing cosmic annihilation just before the death of his disciple. By attentively hearing the story of universal destruction, one can easily understand one’s personal departure from this temporary world to be an insignificant incident within the gigantic scope of the total material manifestation.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 12.4.25:
“The three states of intelligence are called waking consciousness, sleep and deep sleep. But, my dear King, the variegated experiences created for the pure living entity by these different states are nothing more than illusion.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 12.4.28:
“Anything experienced in terms of general cause and specific effect must be an illusion, because such causes and effects exist only relative to each other. Indeed, whatever has a beginning and an end is unreal.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 12.4.32:
“Although a cloud is a product of the sun and is also made visible by the sun, it nevertheless creates darkness for the viewing eye, which is another partial expansion of the sun. Similarly, material false ego, a particular product of the Absolute Truth made visible by the Absolute Truth, obstructs the individual soul, another partial expansion of the Absolute Truth, from realizing the Absolute Truth.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 12.4.33:
“When the cloud originally produced from the sun is torn apart, the eye can see the actual form of the sun. Similarly, when the spirit soul destroys his material covering of false ego by inquiring into the transcendental science, he regains his original spiritual awareness.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 12.4.34:
“My dear Parikṣit, when the illusory false ego that binds the soul has been cut off with the sword of discriminating knowledge and one has developed realization of Lord Acyuta, the Supreme Soul, this is called the atyantika, or ultimate, annihilation of material existence.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 12.4.40:
“For a person who is suffering in the fire of countless miseries and who desires to cross the insurmountable ocean of material existence, there is no suitable boat except that of cultivating devotion to the transcendental taste for the narrations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead’s pastimes.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 12.6.30–31:
“But there exists a supreme reality, in which the illusory energy cannot fearlessly dominate, thinking, ‘I can control this person because he is deceitful.’ In that highest reality there are no illusory argumentative philosophies. Rather, there the true students of spiritual science constantly engage in authorized spiritual investigation. In that supreme reality there is no manifestation of the material mind, which functions in terms of alternating decision and doubt. Created material products, their subtle causes and the goals of enjoyment attained by their utilization do not exist there. Furthermore, in that supreme reality there is no conditioned spirit, covered by false ego and the three modes of nature. That reality excludes everything limited or limiting. One who is wise should therefore stop the waves of material life and enjoy within that Supreme Truth.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 12.6.39–41:
“From that transcendental subtle vibration arose the omkara composed of three sounds. The omkara has unseen potencies and manifests automatically within a purified heart. It is the representation of the Absolute Truth in all three of His phases — the Supreme Personality, the Supreme Soul and the supreme impersonal truth. This omkara, ultimately nonmaterial and imperceptible, is heard by the Supersoul without His possessing material ears or any other material senses. The entire expanse of Vedic sound is elaborated from omkara, which appears from the soul, within the sky of the heart. It is the direct designation of the self-originating Absolute Truth, the Supersoul, and is the secret essence and eternal seed of all Vedic hymns.
“Purport: The senses of a sleeping person do not function until he has awakened. Therefore, when a sleeping person is awakened by a noise, one may ask, ‘Who heard the noise?’ The words supta-srotre in this verse indicate that the Supreme Lord within the heart hears the sound and awakens the sleeping living entities.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 12.6.42:
“Omkara exhibited the three original sounds of the alphabet — A, U and M. These three, O most eminent descendant of Bhrgu, sustain all the different threefold aspects of material existence, including the three modes of nature, the names of the Rg, Yajur and Sama Vedas, the goals known as the Bhur, Bhuvar and Svar planetary systems, and the three functional platforms called waking consciousness, sleep and deep sleep.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 12.6.63, purport:
“Sri Vaisampayana was angry because one of his disciples, Yajñavalkya, was insulting the other disciples, who were, after all, qualified brahmanas. Just as a father is disturbed when one son mistreats the father’s other children, the spiritual master is very displeased if a proud disciple insults or mistreats the guru’s other disciples.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 12.7.9–10, purport:
“Srila Jiva Gosvami has explained that the ten principal topics of Srimad-Bhagavatam are found within each of the twelve cantos. One should not try to assign each of the ten topics to a particular canto. Nor should the Srimad-Bhagavatam be artificially interpreted to show that it deals with the topics successively. The simple fact is that all aspects of knowledge important to human beings, summarized in the ten categories mentioned above, are described with various degrees of emphasis and analysis throughout the Srimad-Bhagavatam.”
Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:
From Prabhupada Meditations, Volume 3:
“A writer in Krishna consciousness
serves you [Srila Prabhupada] and repeats in his own words
what you have told.”
“A Krishna conscious lecturer
faithfully serves your movement
and repeats what you have told us.”
“Srila Prabhupada, while reading your First Canto, Chapters 18 and 19,
I sensed you writing them in India in the early 1960s—
I have visited your Chippiwada room
and your Radha-Damodara room.
“You loved the Srimad-Bhagavatam.
You prepared the three volumes
so that you could travel West with something substantial.
Now this handsome First Canto volume
is enduring for thousands of years.”
“Sometimes you dream up something; it comes out of your life, and you feel deeply about it. It may even be an anartha that you face; you deal with it and convert it into Krishna consciousness. Srila Prabhupada said that someone once found an old gourd and a metal string, and from these rejected pieces he made a beautiful vina. When we pick up the bits and scraps of our lives and make them into something useful in Krishna consciousness, we feel a lift of happiness. ‘Let me show this to Prabhupada.’”
“. . . If we do not offer Krishna our selfhood, then there is the danger of making offerings only in an official way. Our offering may appear impeccable; we may do everything according to the rules, with proper standards of cleanliness, and on time. But what if we somehow avoid giving ourselves? Do we think we are too unworthy to be an offering? If we do not give ourselves wholeheartedly, we will reserve some energy for other things. The energy will be bottled up and lead to frustration, or we will expend the energy for something separate from our service to guru and Krishna. If we want to offer our full selves, we have to be enthusiastic. We should not hold back.”
“When I hear people make mistakes when speaking about God, I try not to be puffed up. Just because I have received the best education does not mean I should look down on others. Students of Harvard University or Oxford University may be better educated, but they spoil their treasure if they look down upon common people. Similarly, I do not want to be a snob in God consciousness, but I appreciate what Srila Prabhupada has taught us.”
“I feel humbled sometimes when I see someone else’s faith in God. I also meet people who have much more love for God than I do even though they have not received such a thorough education. I will never stop being grateful to Srila Prabhupada, however, for giving me this education. In that sense I am proud.”
From Imperfection, Purity Will Come About: Writing Sessions While Reading Bhaktivinoda Thakura's Saranagati:
“What is it that when I feel despondent and think, ‘How can I go on writing? Why? When? I’m so far away in approaching Them [Radha and Krishna]. But it seems so slow.’ Inch by inch, I study the scriptures and try to concentrate on Them for as many hours a day as possible. I pray to be overwhelmed. But I keep up the discipline in the meantime, wait and beg for love to descend from visuddha-sattva.”
From Prabhupada Appreciation:
“Although the Lord made special arrangements for Prabhupada, it was also Prabhupada’s real devotion that allowed him to mold himself to the Lord’s plans. He was the ideal devotee, malleable in the hands of the Lord and unbreakable by the world of matter.”
From Begging for the Nectar of the Holy Name:
“There is no way to get at the truths of Krishna consciousness. They descend from the Lord and the ragatmika devotees as blessings. Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura has appeared in this world to tell us the intimate pastimes of Radha and Krishna which were not disclosed in Srimad-Bhagavatam, although whatever he said was based on Srimad-Bhagavatam. Visvanatha Cakravarti is both a receiver of mercy and a giver of mercy. Each of us can be like that, at least to a small degree. We have already received the Hare Krishna [mantra] from His Divine Grace, and we have already received transcendental knowledge from the Bhaktivedanta purports. We are already recipients of mercy; we are now bound to give mercy to others.”
Candrasekhara Swami:
Both quantam physics and Srimad-Bhagavatam indicate the universe is mostly not there.
The science can explain so many things but what the universe actually is and how it got here is not actually known.
No one can be forced to take knowledge. They must actually want knowledge.
Bhaktivinoda Thakura writes a powerful English poem in which he says all his knowledge is useless if he cannot deliver a single person from the path of materialism.
If you have the wrong view of the world, everything will appear to be what it is not.
There is a Catholic priest who stayed in New Vrindavan and became enraptured with Varsana Maharaja classes.
Chemistry works in a very specific way, and in general, in this world, Krishna’s energies work in a very specific way, and thus scientists can study them, but in the spiritual world they are not so constrained.
Brahma takes the energies the Lord has created and makes planetary systems, etc.
There is nothing in the creation that suggests where it came from. Srila Prabhupada would make the point that to understand that you have to accept some authority, either a scientific authority or a Vedic authority.
It is interesting that in the Bible you have water preceding the development of the world like in the Vedic description, and also in the Mayan description.
Janananda Goswami:
The varieties of conceptions and opinions is not just a production of the three modes of material nature. In the spiritual nature, there is great variety.
Hansarupa Prabhu:
Not in any yoga society will you hear “you are not this body.” You may hear “aham brahmasmi,” but they will not explain how you are transmigrating from one body to another.
Srila Prabhupada’s maintenance was just $15 per temple. Half the money collected would be used for book production and the other half for temple construction, and just $15 per month for Srila Prabhupada.
If you listen to all the lectures Srila Prabhupada gave in a certain place and at a certain time you can understand the context.
If you read books on advanced spiritual topics without good association you end up reveling in your own misconceptions.
If we are only concerned about ourself and not concerned about our guru’s mission, we will gradually fade away.
The essence of piety is to be faithful to our guru’s mission.
We demonstrate our gratitude toward the spiritual master by action.
All the conditioned souls have to start their journey somewhere, and it is our duty to give them their first introduction.
When one feels shelter, protection, and guidance from the spiritual master, one will naturally feel like pleasing him by assisting him in his mission.
Srila Prabhupada made a strict rule that you can go on pilgrimage to a holy place like Mayapur or Vrindavan for three days, and then you have to report to the temple commander and ask for service.
The transcendental rewards are greater than the temporary inconvenience.
We cannot be so affected by situations like the pandemic that we stop our mission.
If we simply surrender to the spiritual master, inquire from him submissively, and render service, we will become enlightened.
Everyone is juggling words and has a different answer.
One of my godbrothers would deal with challenging questioners by saying, “If you have a question that means you do not have an answer. Do you want to know the answer?” Often they would reveal they were just not serious.
On harinama last night one man who was out with a model, had the model stand in front of the harinama, and he took photos. We are typical New York. The Hare Krishnas are synonymous with New York.
By giving them a book, we are awakening a little interest.
In the past, New York City has always been in the forefront in making devotees. We have to return to that state.
By bringing Radha-Govinda to New York, Srila Prabhupada brought Vrindavan to New York.
Unless one wants to go to a new place and open a temple, it is best to perfect your service in your present situation rather than to go temple hopping because of dissatisfaction.
It was not like Srila Prabhupada was just some nondescript Indian chemist who took sannyasa out of frustration because his business was failing. Rather Krishna was preparing him for something better.
Krishna will have some tests for us, and we have to be ready for them.
Many devotees have left their bodies, but they do not die like the materialists. In many cases, they are are absorbed in the glorification of the Lord when they leave their bodies.
By taking shelter of the holy name, the devotee is peaceful, knowing all calamities will pass.
You can see, if you watch devotees for years, those who have enthusiasm, determination, and patience remain strong.
We have to practice controlling our senses every day. Anyone who gets good at anything practices it every day.
If your aim is to find a comfortable situation in the material world, you will be frustrated because there is no comfortable situation in the material world.
A lot of people who became devotees when they read in the Bhagavad-gita “you are not that body” would say, “I always thought I had an existence beyond my body.”
Formerly people used to study philosophy, and the main philosophical question was “Who I am?” Who studies philosophy now? They do not want people to study philosophy and start asking “Who I am?”
Srila Prabhupada spoke against the communists because of their atheism. The communists were diverting the natural tendency of people to worship God to worship the state.
People get medals for saving people who are drowning. Consider how many people have been saved from drowning in material existence by the devotees distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books!
The first year we had the 55th Street temple, the Radha Damodara bus parties did not go south for the winter but huddled in New York City. They stayed on the third floor which later became the store. We had two mangala-aratis in the temple, one for Radha Govinda and one for Radha Damodara. Everyone wanted to go and hear Vishnujana Swami chant for Radha Damodara.
In the present society the people’s spirit of inquisitiveness is being diverted into achieving material perfections.
Srila Prabhupada gave us the essence, and that essence has kept us safe for the last 55 years.
Srila Prabhupada focused on sankirtana, the distribution of his books, and if we do that we will not have any problems.
Rama Raya Prabhu:
We cooperate to please Krishna, and He will cooperate with our desire to attain Him.
By working together to please Krishna, almost to the point of exhaustion, all the insincerity is beaten out of us.
The scriptures say no gift matches a lamp offered during Karttika.
Sanatana Goswami comments at the beginning of his Damodarastakam commentary that it is appropriate to offer obeisances to the Lord before glorifying Him – namani isvaram.
Stories like the frog in the well Srila Prabhupada got from his guru who told many such stories for instruction.
The moral of the story is: It is better to be a good man than a big one.
Shobha-mayi Devi Dasi:
If you have a sincere desire, Krishna will provide you with a spiritual master.
If you knew you were going to die in seven days, you would be in anxiety thinking about all the things you wanted to do before you die, but King Pariksit left his kingdom and his family, and just heard spiritual knowledge from the sage Sukadeva Goswami with one-pointed attention.
The moment you surrender to Krishna, you become free from anxiety.
Who leaves Vrindavan at the age of 70? But Srila Prabhupada came to the West to follow the order of his spiritual master.
Srila Prabhupada said that spiritual life is difficult but material life is impossible.
Karttika month is our Vrindavan.
Radharani is glorified in the scriptures as urjesvari, empress of the Karttika month.
Observing Karttika is called Urja-vrata. Urja means strength, energy, or vigor. It is understood that as the internal potency, Radharani, has these qualities.
The benefits derived from the Karttika month are bestowed by Srimati Radharani.
Ter Kadamba Prabhu:
Something is of value if we can connect it to Krishna. Nothing has intrinsic value without being connected to Krishna.
If you ask intellectuals or professionals, “What is your duty?” They will be confused because they do not think in terms of duty.
The difference between the devotee and the demon is that when the devotee is reminded of his relationship with Krishna, he surrenders to Krishna.
When we engage in devotional service, we realize that is sustainable whereas acting on the platform of false ego is not.
It is easier to offer physical items and acts to Krishna than to offer our mental speculation to Krishna because the mind is subtle.
Comment by Candrasekhara Swami: There is a video from India showing the result of putting fifteen girls between 5 and 15 together without adult supervision. It reminded me of what is going on here in the material world. What happens is you have sense gratification, chaos, and crying.
Acarya-nistha Prabhu:
The false ego causes a sense of superiority when none actually exists.
By bowing down to the Lord we defeat the false ego.
I asked a friend how to not get distracted from the holy name on harinama. He said he closes his eyes. Simple but effective.
Throughout the day we have to make a conscious effort to not put other things ahead of our relationship with Krishna.
Vague descriptions of God make it difficult to develop love for Him.
Remembering descriptions of the Lord can help us keep the chanting of the holy name from becoming monotonous.
Hari Vilasa Prabhu:
In different religions the practitioners sometimes make a distinction between parts of their life in which their religion is relevant and parts of their life where it is not relevant, but this is due to a lack of realization that God is actually present everywhere.
When you become a devotee at some point you realize you just can’t think whatever you want to think because Krishna is there in your mind.
The Vedic conception of knowledge is not just a bunch of facts but more a way of looking at the world. Srila Prabhupada speaks of a platform of knowledge.
In each level of existence Krishna is present as the supreme enjoyer, supereme controller, and the supreme friend.
The levels refer to adhyatmic, adhibautic, and adhidaivic levels.
Krishna is the enjoyer of even your thoughts and emotions.
The first step in improving relationships with other beings is not to eat them.
If you push against destiny, you will lose because destiny is more powerful.
No matter who wins the election, many people will be upset.
Democracy gives you the feel that you are electing your leader, but actually the leader is selected by destiny according to his karma.
If we are too fearful it means we are not confident of Krishna’s control. Anger or resentment also come from a lack of being able to see Krishna’s hand.
Natabara Gauranga Prabhu:
I have a godbrother, Siddha Hari, who wrote a book that shows the relationship between the Puranic time scale and modern science.
The scientists are always giving their best guess, with the hope that their guesses will get better and better.
The word “hydrogen” indicates that hydrogen generates water.
Who can sleep and at the same time maintain the universe? That is Lord Vishnu.
Narottama Dasa Thakura was the favorite poet of Srila Prabhupada in that he wrote a bhajana which Srila Prabhupada told Yamuna Devi was his favorite, “Hari Hari Biphale.”
Krishna stole butter from the houses of people in the village of Vrindavan not because He needed the butter but He wanted enjoy exchanges with His different devotees.
Ananda-bihari Prabhu:
If we do not see God is in charge of this world, we may conclude we are in charge of this world.
We do not have to worry about establishing justice everywhere as there is already someone in charge who is doing that.
No one feels good after hearing the news, but still we take the trouble to continue to listen to it.
Comment by Divyangi Devi Dasi: My guru talks about “breaking news” being called “breaking news” because it breaks your heart.
Vraj Mohana Prabhu:
Bhaktivinoda Thakura in his Saranagati reveals the proper spiritual vision when he describes the house he lives in as actually belonging to Krishna.
It is said there is a guru who tells you what to do and a guru who tells you what not to do.
A lot of people are starving for personal care, and they really appreciate it when we give it to them.
It is helpful if people correct us. Otherwise we maintain the same mistaken ideas.
Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura says that those who maintain a partiality toward untruth are unfit for chanting hari-kirtana.
Comment by Rama Raya Prabhu: The holy name is the best way to present the truth because you cannot argue with it.
Comment by Candrasekhara Swami: Srila Prabhupada would joke that India is like a God factory producing so many so-called Gods. There was one so-called God who was promoted as God by his mother. They even tried to get him the keys to the city of Detroit as a spiritual emissary. While he was waiting for the council to decide about that, people came to give him presentations. Someone made a pie with shaving cream and put it in a pizza box decorated with flowers. When the guy got the chance, he slapped the pie in the pseudo-God’s face, and a photo of that made national news.
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The following very astounding verse reveals why mental speculation
never arrives at the truth but results only in confusion.
yac-chaktayo vadatam vadinam vai
tasmai namo ’nanta-gunaya bhumne
“Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto the all-pervading Supreme Personality of Godhead, who possesses unlimited transcendental qualities. Acting from within the cores of the hearts of all philosophers, who propagate various views, He causes them to forget their own souls while sometimes agreeing and sometimes disagreeing among themselves. Thus He creates within this material world a situation in which they are unable to come to a conclusion. I offer my obeisances unto Him.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.4.31)
One therefore has to accept the truth that is revealed through revealed literature from the spiritual authorities who have realized it. Otherwise there is endless argument and no conclusion.
