Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 18, No. 12
By Krishna Kripa Das
(June 2022, part two)
(Sent from Paris, France, on July 5, 2022)
Where I Went and What I Did
On June 15 I took the train from London to Paris, where I stayed in the Hare Krishna temple in Sarcelles, half an hour north of Paris. I did harinama every day for three hours with Gaura Nataraja Prabhu, a disciple of Janananda Goswami, and usually with a few others as well. I passed out invitations to the Paris Ratha-yatra to anyone who seemed a little interested in our chanting party. On Thursdays and Saturdays we had a larger group. Wednesday nights we participated in a kirtan program at yoga center. I also woke up the deities four days a week as well as cooking breakfast once and doing the noon arati once each week. As Ratha-yatra approached, devotees such as Parividha Prabhu, Mahavishnu Swami and the Harinama Ruci sankirtana group appeared, making the harinamas extra lively.
Mahavishnu Swami and Harinama Ruci stayed for two days after Ratha-yatra, and we sang at famous landmarks, the Eiffel Tower and Montmartre.
I share quotes from Srila Prabhupada’s Krishna book and from his Bhagavad-gita As It Is, and one each from a lecture and a letter. I share excerpts from the writings of Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami. I include quotes from Caitanya-Bhagavat by Vrindavan Das Thakura and its commentary by Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. I share notes on classes by Janananda Goswami, Mahavishnu Swami, Sacinandana Swami, Parividha Prabhu, Kadamba Kanana Swami, Atmanaivedena Swami, Gaudamandala Prabhu, Devarsi Prabhu, Bhavasindhu Prabhu, and interesting points made in conversations with Gaura Hari Prabhu of Scandinavia, Kalakantha Prabhu, the cow protection minister, and a UK book distributor.
I thank Janananda Goswami for his kind donations toward my expenses in Paris.
Itinerary
July 4–8: Paris harinamas
July 8: evening flight to Manchester
July 9–10: Birmingham 24-hour Kirtan
July 11: possible harinama in Manchester, afternoon flight to Beauvais
July 12–August 3: Paris harinamas
August 4–6: Lyon harinamas
August 7: travel to New Mayapur
August 8–12: Balaram festival in New Mayapur
August 13–16: Paris harinama
August 17: Flight to USA
August 18–21: travel to Florida and observe Janmastami and Vyasa-puja
August 22–September ?: Tallahassee, Gainesville, Tampa harinama and outreach
September ?–21: Syracuse Harinam
September 22?–September 25: Philadelphia harinamas and Ratha-yatra
September 26–November 22: NYC Harinam
November 23–December 14: three weeks of service to Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami
December 14–January ?, 2023: NYC Harinam
Chanting Hare Krishna in London
On June 14, I chanted Hare Krishna with Mahavishnu Swami and Harinama Ruci in London. Here are a couple of videos I meant to include in my last journal when I described my visit to London:
Here Mahavishnu Swami and Harinama Ruci chant Hare Krishna in Leicester Square in London and induce ladies to chant and dance (https://youtu.be/0GHCaSA0lwo):
Here Mahavishnu Swami and Harinama Ruci chant Hare Krishna in a Kingdom of Sweets shop in London (https://youtu.be/wJYr3LtFqa8):
I am very happy to return to Paris to do harinama for a couple of months in the summer as I have done in since 2017 except for 2020. This year Gaura Nataraja, a disciple of Janananda Goswami, is present to assist me.
Due to complaints by neighbors the Wednesday night kirtan was shifted from Yoga Lyrique to a yoga studio.
Here Janananda Goswami chants Hare Krishna at that yoga studio kirtan program in Paris (https://youtu.be/8AJfvd0aAhI):
Here Gaura Nataraja Prabhu chants Hare Krishna, and attendees dance (https://youtu.be/K-_M42uwEXM):
I also chanted at that yoga studio (https://youtu.be/Ef4A14OKUFM):
We had several devotees on our Thursday evening harinama as usual. Since last year, the devotees have found a superior place to chant at Les Halles, called Porte Rambuteau. They find they distribute more books there. According to Wikipedia, “The largest and most complex metro station is the Paris Métro-RER station Châtelet-Les Halles in France, with 20 platforms serving eight (three RER commuter rail and five Métro) lines.”
Here Patita Pavana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna near the Porte Rambueau exit of Châtelet-Les Halles metro station in Paris (https://youtu.be/9f6HZVwCHOQ):
While he was chanting, a passerby danced, as well as many devotees (https://youtu.be/cctd87bnOMQ):
Later Jagattarini Devi Dasi, our clarinetist, led the Hare Krishna chant (https://youtu.be/UIsXMp1cvxk):
Finally Janananda Goswami, who is an inspiration for us all, led the Hare Krishna chant (https://youtu.be/4IvjXd84OaA):
I offered this lady who was enjoying the Hare Krishna chanting an invitation to Paris Ratha-yatra. Watching the chanting party, she observed, “Everyone who is listening is becoming happy!” I explained we are trying to make a spiritual revolution, and she replied, “Paris needs this!” She likes meditation, so I invited her to the book table.
The Paris Ratha-yatra begins in the city’s India quarter at La Chapelle, so on the Saturday of the weekend before it, we did harinama in front of a popular Indian shop there.
Patita Pavana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at La Chapelle in Paris, and devotees dance (https://youtu.be/oYYNaE-IboY):
Sudevi Manjari Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna (https://youtu.be/41IjNjSsbFg):
Gaura Nataraja Prabhu chants Hare Krishna (https://youtu.be/fLNA4jaqK-s):
Rohininanadana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna (https://youtu.be/aouapbSy4HU):
On Sunday we chanted on a busy sidewalk in the Indian quarter for three hours before going to the temple for the snana-yatra, the bathing ceremony of Lord Jagannath.
In the beginning I was feeling we were not encountering much interest, but then Krishna sent an Indian man and also an Indian lady who were happy to see us, and they played the instruments for at least half an hour. The man even tried to sell a Bhagavad-gita, and he also encouraged others to play the instruments.
Here I chant Hare Krishna by the Indian shops in Paris, and those passersby play instruments (https://youtu.be/Pf0LeAJJZV4):
Jiva Prana Prabhu chanted Hare Krishna there, and passersby continued to play shakers (https://youtu.be/pSnq1wJzgpc):
We had to move up the street a bit, after an hour and a half or so, as some residents unfortunately did not want to spend their Sunday afternoon listening to the Hare Krishna chant.
Gaura Nataraja Prabhu also chanted Hare Krishna there (https://youtu.be/9kUgC35EKXs):
Here we see the ISKCON Paris Snana-yatra with Patita Pavana Prabhu leading the Hare Krishna chant (https://youtu.be/x9uYtz4e2S4):
Next Ramanaji Prabhu led the Hare Krishna chant (https://youtu.be/AFtFBxpMLGg):
At the end of his kirtan, devotees were enthused to dance in a lively way (https://youtu.be/DhahZsR4XyU):
Monday we chanted near a large cathedral at Saint-Germain-des-Prés, said to be in a posh region of the city.
Here Gaura Nataraja Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Saint-Germain-des-Prés, and Winifred dances (https://youtu.be/I03NWc_JV9E):
Later, while Gaura Nataraja Prabhu was chanting Hare Krishna, two girls danced with Harini (https://youtu.be/wAUi-adrlpQ):
Harini chants Hare Krishna, and Winifred dances (https://youtu.be/faVgrImhRcg):
A new guy, who comes to the Wednesday evening kirtan programs, chants Hare Krishna (https://youtu.be/1K6x-hIu170):
Saint-Germain-des-Prés was unique in that in three hours no one put any money in our donation box. It is rare that no one gives anything. We went there because the book distributors liked it.
We had to move after an hour and a half or so, because residents complained. Then in the new place the staff of a restaurant complained about the karatalas. I personally played them very softly after that, and there were no more complaints.
Here Sudevi Manjari Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna the next Wednesday kirtan night at the yoga studio, and attendees dance (https://youtu.be/8v2fbANdjW4):
Pranesvara Rama Das Prabhu, who drove Srila Prabhupada around Paris in a limousine during his visits, chants Hare Krishna at Porte Rambuteau, and a young lady, who later purchased a book, dances with the devotees (https://youtu.be/Xg6vmIS-82A):
Rama Das continued chanting Hare Krishna, and at one point many people danced with the devotees (https://youtu.be/JIgqwmH8OiE):
Parividha Prabhu, a Prabhupada disciple and performer from Amsterdam, chants Hare Krishna in Hôtel de Ville in Paris, our rainy day venue there, on the day before Ratha-yatra (https://youtu.be/V8W3Kg9TYso):
Gaura Nataraja Prabhu chants Hare Krishna, and devotees dance (https://youtu.be/VVjS9xC9Uls):
Rohininandana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna, and devotees dance (https://youtu.be/IBC3sIWpod8):
Janananda Goswami Swami chants Hare Krishna (https://youtu.be/k_7BigzQ7rU):
Janananda Goswami chants Hare Krishna and swings a passerby (https://youtu.be/rE4OvEVCKY4):
Janananda Goswami Swami chants Hare Krishna, and a passerby induced by Parividha Prabhu dances with the devotee ladies (https://youtu.be/ASgEwsbs0pU):
Devotees chant Hare Krishna in Paris, and a lady with bunny ears dances with the devotee ladies (https://youtu.be/v_4_tzEvKRQ):
Mahavishnu Swami, who arrived in the morning from Vienna where he sang in the Ratha-yatra the day before, chants Hare Krishna in the Paris Ratha-yatra (https://youtu.be/fXiOv3KdAfU):
While Mahavishnu Swami chanted Hare Krishna, a viewer on a balcony danced (https://youtu.be/55iwjmNAsD0):
I talked to a few people along the Ratha-yatra route who seemed especially attracted to the procession. I asked if they had seen it before and offered to tell them about it. I would say that it is a traditional festival which has been observed in India for thousands of years. I would say that in this festival the Lord and his devotees take the nice spiritual atmosphere of the place of worship out into the streets to benefit those who are not inclined to visit a place of worship of their own accord. People generally feel that it is a good thing. I tell them about our program at the end of the parade and invite them to come.
Two young ladies seemed attracted. In talking with them I learned they were from America, and that was their first day in France. They were studying French for a month. One was interested in yoga and was vegetarian, and the other had a grandfather from Punjab who was a Sikh. I suggested they take an Isopanisad in French to practice the language, and I shared with them the English translation of the first two verses. They said they had no money with them, and I told them they could send me two or three dollars on PayPal, and they took the book.
Here are more kirtan clips from Paris Ratha-yatra:
Parividha Prabhu chants Hare Krishna (https://youtu.be/p1gxnTxWYW0):
Chandrashekhara Acharya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna (https://youtu.be/S05r-YRgx6k):
Adi-Guru Prabhu chants Hare Krishna (https://youtu.be/hy9bhyLaLKc):
Harini Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna (https://youtu.be/5CLsVhfsMwQ):
While that Harini was chanting, another Harini danced as she distributed books (https://youtu.be/3-c3WcQL6co):
Ramanaji chants Hare Krishna (https://youtu.be/0TAiv06ZFnM):
Janananda Goswami chants Hare Krishna in Paris Ratha-yatra (https://youtu.be/Doos2pIAUYw):
Nitai Sacisuta Prabhu chants Hare Krishna (https://youtu.be/5dDpEoudAjY):
Mahavishnu Swami chants Hare Krishna at Place de la République after Paris Ratha-yatra, and people enjoy interacting with our party (https://youtu.be/PjZogKRzirM):
Mahavishnu Swami chants Hare Krishna as Lord Jagannath and Srila Prabhupada leave La République after Paris Ratha-yatra to return to the temple is Sarcelles (https://youtu.be/MRWmKPJPmBI):
The guy who was playing the green shakers and who returned them to me at the end of the video is from Iran and became interested in kirtan from the yoga studio programs. He played the shakers and chanted Hare Krishna at the end of the Ratha-yatra and the above kirtan afterward.
Syama Kishore Prabhu and Harinama Ruci chant Hare Krishna in front of a school for boys at Montmartre, and some adults and some boys dance (https://youtu.be/czHiKwiiz-I):
Acarya Prabhu of Harinama Ruci chants Hare Krishna at Montmartre, and Indian tourists dance (https://youtu.be/MyL4Q7eI3BE):
Acarya Prabhu of Harinama Ruci chants Hare Krishna at Montmartre, and Mickey Mouse holds the mantra sign (https://youtu.be/mW_Lzof_TdE):
Later Mickey Mouse danced with the devotees while holding the mantra sign (https://youtu.be/4roSTOxsosk).
Before ending our harinama in Montmartre, we chanted and danced in one shop there (https://youtu.be/DieUOX-RFXw):
In this video you can see several other groups of people who chanted and danced with us at Montmartre that day (https://youtu.be/VMi4K4fEdRs):
At one point, Harini put a Bhagavad-gita on the tray of a waiter at a cafe there, and he danced with it.
Here Chandrashekhara Acharya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna around the block after Mahavishnu Swami speaks at Yoga Lyrique, at the request of the swami (https://youtu.be/OA4OiJqC3Jk):
Gaura Nataraja Prabhu chants Hare Krishna by the canal in Paris (https://youtu.be/IBXukOHq6aQ):
Harini also chants Hare Krishna there (https://youtu.be/FDD0H7a8ReU):
Ramanaji Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at the yoga studio kirtan (https://youtu.be/2ldHLnDrajI):
Chandrashekhara Acharya Prabhu, playing a guitar, also chants Hare Krishna there (https://youtu.be/BDaUs8aFlO8):
After listening for a while several attendees danced, and Gaura Nataraja Prabhu did so with great enthusiasm (https://youtu.be/8aslNS4kXWk):
Navina Kishor Prabhu of Ukraine chants Hare Krishna in the final kirtan that night (https://youtu.be/b6ghrwUGZWc):
Gaura Nataraja Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Porte Rambuteau in Paris (https://youtu.be/DBkET_gJEfE):
Sofia offered prasadam and a Bhagavata-gita to a security man there.
Special Photos
All the deities in Paris are beautiful to see.
I think Radha Parisisvara are famous for their beauty, but the Gaura-Nitai deities, Nitai-Sacisuta are also very beautiful.
Lord Jagannath is famous for his Ratha-yatra festival, and I was happy to serve Him by promoting it here in Paris, as I did in Baltimore and New York, in the small way that I can.
The devotees always need help taking care of the deities there. If you are inspired, inquire. I will give you the details if you write to me, kkd999, via gmail.com.
Devotees have cake for their birthdays sometimes, but I never saw one with a tilaka symbol like we had for Bhavasindhu Prabhu’s birthday in Sarcelles.
Insights
Srila Prabhupada:
From Krishna: The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Introduction:
“Before death takes place, we must be fully Krishna conscious.”
“Sukadeva Gosvami thanked the king for his eagerness to hear about Krishna, and he encouraged him by saying, ‘My dear king, your intelligence is very keen because you are so eager to hear about the pastimes of Krishna.’ He informed Maharaja Pariksit that hearing and chanting the pastimes of Krishna are so auspicious that the processes purify the three varieties of men involved: he who recites the transcendental topics of Krishna, he who hears such topics, and he who inquires about Him.”
“It is understood that one must be very fortunate to hear krishna-katha as seriously as Maharaja Pariksit did. He was especially intent on the subject matter because he was expecting death at any moment. Every one of us should be conscious of death at every moment. This life is not at all assured; at any time one can die. It does not matter whether one is a young man or an old man. So before death takes place, we must be fully Krishna conscious.”
From Krishna: The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Chapter 1:
“Those who are demoniac or atheistic by nature can hardly assimilate any good instruction, however authorized it may be. That is the difference between demigods and demons. Those who can accept good instruction and try to live their lives in that way are called demigods, and those who are unable to take such good instruction are called demons.”
From Bhagavad-gita 4.9, purport:
“As stated in the Vedas (Purusa-bodhini Upanisad): eko devo nitya-lilanuraktobhakta-vyapi hrdy antar-atma—‘The one Supreme Personality of Godhead is eternally engaged in many, many transcendental forms in relationships with His unalloyed devotees.’”
From a lecture on Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 20.108–9 in New York on July 15, 1976:
“There is a verse spoken by Narada Muni, that even by sentiment, not understanding properly the philosophy of Krishna consciousness, even by sentiment—‘All right, let me also dance and chant like these people, the saffron-colored, shaved-head people are doing. Let me do that’—so once dancing with them will never go in vain. It will (be) immediately accounted, ‘Ah, he has danced.’ It is so nice. It will never go in vain.”
From a letter to Prabhavishnu from Bombay on January 3, 1973:
“Distribute books and hold Sankirtana procession, answer their questions, give some leaflets or small information freely, distribute prasadam wherever possible, at least some small thing.”
Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:
From Free Write Journal #201:
Radhanath Swami Remembers Prabhupada’s First Visit to New Vrindaban in 1968
“Radhanath Swami visited me today for four hours. First we talked upstairs in my room, just the two of us. I read him from Prabhupada Nectar, from an interview he gave about Prabhupada’s visit to the old temple at New Vrindaban where Prabhupada had visited in 1968 and stayed for a month. After I read it he was very pleased, but then he told me an extended story about the occasion I read. He said there were many devotees there because Prabhupada was visiting, and he gave a class and guru puja. As in other temples, Radhanath wanted Prabhupada to give out cookies during his guru puja. He had asked a devotee at the main temple far away to make the cookies and bring them down to the old temple. But the devotee forgot to bring them, and they were there with no cookies. Radhanath panicked. Then he decided to give Prabhupada the silver plate with the maha-prasadam on it that had been offered to the Radha-Krishna Deities the day before. He asked the temple president if he could do so, but he was told no, Prabhupada gives away cookies. Then Radhanath went to the other side of the temple and asked another devotee for permission to give the plate to Prabhupada for giving out. But again he was refused permission. Next, without permission he went himself up to Prabhupada, and, with effort, held the silver plate up to Prabhupada and offered that he give out the prasadam to the crowded-in devotees, who were chanting and dancing. Prabhupada at first looked quizzically at the plate full of varieties of prasadam, but then he decided to accept it. He took a bowl of sweet rice with a little spoon, took a spoonful for himself and then gave out the remaining sweet rice to the devotees who were gathered in close. He then proceeded to give out two big gulab jamuns. The first gulab jamun he chewed into exploded, and sugar water sprayed outward, hitting all the devotees nearby. Prabhupada bit into it and then gave the rest to a devotee. He seemed to be enjoying himself very much. He took the second gulab jamun, bit into it, and again it exploded, drenching the nearby devotees with sugar water. Preparation by preparation, he gave out sabjis, puris, etc. As he gave out each preparation and the bowl was empty, he then gave the bowl itself to one of the ecstatic devotees. Radhanath was aghast at this because the only valuable things at the old temple were the paraphernalia of the Deities on these silver trays. Prabhupada proceeded to give them all away! He was smiling and enjoying himself, and all the devotees were tasting great bliss. When it was over Radhanath was happy, but he was also sad that he had lost all the Deity paraphernalia. He went up to the temple president and asked him if he would make an announcement to the devotees to please return the Radha-Krishna Deity paraphernalia. While the devotees were sitting under a tree eating prasadam after Prabhupada had left, the TP made the announcement. Obediently, all the devotees returned the Deities’ cups and tray, and Radhanath was happy to get them back and give them to Radha-Krishna.”
“Ultadanga Road
“Radhanath Swami told us the story of Bhaktisiddhanta at Ultadanga Road. This year is the one hundredth anniversary of the time that our Srila Prabhupada first met his spiritual master on the roof at Ultadanga Road, where his guru immediately told him, ‘You’re an educated young man. You should turn yourself into an English preacher and go to the Western countries.’ Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati lived at Ultadanga as a sannyasi for ten years after his prolonged chanting of japa in Mayapur. The devotees built a beautiful marble mandir in Calcutta. When the building of the palace was completed they marched in procession, carrying the Deities from Ultadanga to the new temple. The devotees left the Ultadanga place behind, and it became occupied by new tenants. ISKCON was interested in buying the place at Ultadanga, and this year was the 100th anniversary of our Prabhupada’s first meeting with Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati there. But it took ISKCON eight years before they could buy the place.
“ISKCON bought the Ultadanga premises some ten years ago, but they were not able to occupy it because of the stringent rights of occupancy of the tenants living there. When they finally were able to remove all the previous tenants, they found the building to be in complete disrepair. There was twenty truckloads of trash which the devotees had to clear away before they could begin restoration of the building. The devotees did exhaustive research to find out what the building was like in the time when Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati and his devotees lived there. They hired a heritage construction business to find out exactly what it was like when it was used by the Gaudiya Math, including what materials were used, etc. After all the research, it took a year and a half of working twenty-four hours a day to restore the building to what it was when it functioned as the Gaudiya Math. It was actually a beautiful building, and after a year and a half of continuing work, it appeared just like it used to appear in Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s time of living there. But it was only a ground-floor building with a roof. On the roof Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati lived in a bhajana kutir and held classes on the roof. Many of his leading sannyasi disciples came to see and join him there. When the restoration was completed, it revealed a beautiful building in the exact spot where Abhay Charan De was addressed by his future guru, who was ascertained. It is a great place of pilgrimage where the two met for the first time, and devotees can now visit it as they would visit any other holy place in India. Radhanath Maharaja said that for the Gaudiya Math, Ultadanga Road was like their 26 Second Avenue, the first place where their movement began, with little money or men, but where it grew to sixty-four centers throughout India.”
From One Hundred Prabhupada Poems, #79:
“I read your books and underline sections
that strike me,
lines that assure me or challenge me
and then I share them with your devotees.”
From The Story of My Life, Volume 3:
“Doctor Subudhi decided not to do anything about my enlarged prostate gland, so I’ll have to struggle with my old age problem and just tolerate it. I’m relieved there is no surgery. I spoke a half hour on the phone going over proofreading changes with Krishna-kripa. In the Journal I ask myself where I am going. I want to go back to Godhead. The nurse practitioner suggested the urologist take a biopsy (for cancer), but he said he didn’t want to do anything, and he wanted to see me again in six months. I am painting, but it is so primitive, nañve art. A man’s paintings were abstract, thrown in a dumpster, but now they are selling for $500,000. I’m pleased that Krishna-kripa is proofreading. Baladeva mowed the lawn. My heart is basically okay for my age. I take meds for pain prevention of headache. My soul is pure but covered up. So many trips to the doctors. Waiting rooms. We didn’t have to wait so long today. Stopped in the car, driving through the beautiful scenery of the green, leafy trees. God’s picture. A nine-story building collapsed in Bangladesh, a garment-making factory like Nitai’s. Hundreds of people died. It’s a backlash on his industry. And the fundamentalists are making strikes. When there’s a strike he drives to work in an ambulance. Shadow is barking loudly. So much turmoil and suffering in the world. Prabhupada writes that people shouldn’t deprecate God for the suffering. Just as the state makes a prison house . . . the world is for the rebellious creatures. It’s hard to reconcile. I don’t want to go back to this material world. I want to go to Krishna. But do I have the love, the qualification? Krishna-kripa goes on harinama, now in England, then Ireland.”
From Prabhupada Meditations, Volume 3:
“The dictionary defines an idiom as ‘a style or form of expression that is characteristic of an individual.’ One has to know how Prabhupada used idioms by listening to his lectures or by being present for his talks. Each of these phrases can open up a whole world of Prabhupada realization.
“‘Everything is there’
“Prabhupada said this to indicate that everything we need to know is present in the Vedic literature. He said it to convey urgency. By the chanting of Hare Krishna, you can directly contact Krishna. By reading Bhagavad-gita, you can know your relationship with Krishna. Prabhupada enumerated points such as these, and then, as if realizing that there was no end to the favorable items, he would interject, ‘Everything is there.’ He said it with pride as a follower of Krishna consciousness, and with confidence that there was nothing lacking in Bhagavad-gita. Everything is there, so you should turn to it.
“‘Thank you very much’
“This was Prabhupada’s trademark at the end of every lecture. One might say that this is nothing more than a formality: the speaker thanks the audience for their attentive hearing. Because Srila Prabhupada did it, however, it is a trademark to remind us of him. We wonder about it. Sometimes we even imagine that Prabhupada was being a touch sarcastic when he said, ‘Thank you very much.’ With some audiences, it sounded like he was amused. Perhaps I am reading the mind of the acarya by these interpretations. Each person will hear it in his own way. At least let us keep his ‘Thank you very much’ in our collection of remembrances.
“‘This is going on’
“Prabhupada used this to express the opposite mood of ‘everything is there.’ By saying ‘this is going on,’ he pointed to the rascaldom and nonsense that goes on in the material world, especially in Kali-yuga. He stated it at the end of a string of anomalies. The politicians are cheating the people by taxing and not giving anything in return; people in general are in ignorance about the goal of life; gurus claim they are God but are interested in illicit sex . . . After stating a list of malpractices, Prabhupada added, ‘This is going on.’ They are getting away with murder. The cheating continues.”
From My Dear Lord Krishna: A Book of Prayers:
“Just today in Brhad-bhagavatamrta, we read the definition of tapa not as austerity but as concentration. Concentration on the beloved. That makes more sense than austerity, because when Lord Brahma meditated on You after hearing the syllables ta-pa, he concentrated on You in deep meditation. The important thing was not physical inconvenience but concentration.”
From The Twenty-Six Qualities of a Devotee:
“The political and intellectual leaders of this age are badly lacking in all twenty-six qualities of a Vaishnava, and their lack of cleanliness is easily seen. The country’s political leaders claim they want to lead the people and help them, but they actually have other motives in mind. Even at best, the nation’s leaders want to engage the people in the cause of nationalism and the pursuit of illusory happiness. The very goals they want the people to strive for and attain are anarthas, stumbling blocks on the path of self-realization.”
From Looking Back, Volume 2:
“I mourn for the passing away and even the falling down of devotees. I lose my fault-finding tendencies. I mourn for the slips and falls of devotees who have tried so hard to fight for Prabhupada. I pray for their reformation, and I pray for the continued strength of devotees, and I overlook their faults, which are like spots on the moon.”
From Karttika Moon:
“Running out of time, no
it seems all right still.
They’ll give us a warning –
‘and may you die
in – Vrindavan.’
“Time to improve your chanting.
Your face is well-preserved.
Time for it to rot some
more. For my birthdays
and parties and slideshows.
“It is in Krishna’s control.
Whatever you have, you
offer to Him.
“It doesn’t seem to
improve. Hare Krishna
chanting in time,
rhyme
“finally, he puts you
down. Another sincere
jiva, but didn’t make
it this time. Come
again. In time.”
From Free Write Journal #202:
“Steve Kowit said, ‘Can’t you ever do
a single thing that Prabhupada doesn’t approve?’
I say to myself, ‘Yes, I could do it,’
and I do it all the time.
But I don’t want to die a rascal.”
From Here Is Srila Prabhupada:
“Prabhupada would continue to speak in his room after giving the evening lecture. As the evening got later, fewer guests would stay and sit with him. As each person left, the talk became more personal. Finally, we would be alone with him. We could ask him our most personal questions, the ones we would never dare ask in public. ‘Swamiji, is there a spiritual progress one can make from which one doesn’t fall down?’ Or, ‘Srila Prabhupada, should I take sannyasa? Should I travel and preach or do you want me to stay here and manage?’ Important issues that require thought and attention.
“Sometimes Srila Prabhupada wouldn’t give a definite answer. One of his methods of instructing us was to teach us how to figure things out for ourselves.”
From Karttika Moon:
“They go on chanting His
holy names, see Him
in their lives, even
die in spiritual light
and the awareness, ‘Krishna is
my Lord. May everyone
serve Him.’
“Even if they can’t do it
but just wish they could,”
I heard him say,
they are liberated.”
Vrindavan Das Thakura:
From Caitanya-Bhagavat, Adi 15.211:
“As the Lord’s marriage party passed through the streets, they danced, sang, played musical instruments, and showered flowers in great ecstasy.”
From Caitanya-Bhagavat, Adi 15.218:
“Thereafter the Lord satisfied everyone—the dancers, the professional blessers, and the beggars—with cloth, money, and sweet words.
From Caitanya-Bhagavat, Adi 15.220:
“Then the Lord mercifully embraced Buddhimanta Khan, who felt such ecstasy that it is beyond all description.”
Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura:
From Caitanya-Bhagavat, Adi 15.216, commentary:
“If a materialist sees the marriage pastimes of Sri Gaura-Narayana, the Lord of Vaikuntha, with goddess Srimati Vishnupriya-Lakshmi, then his desire for material enjoyment is vanquished, and as a result of the awakening of transcendental knowledge he will be freed from material existence and attain Vaikuntha.”
From Caitanya-Bhagavat, Adi 15.218 commentary:
“When Sriman Mahaprabhu enacted His pastimes as a householder and a teacher, the entire country was devoid of spiritual practices. Everyone was simply inclined for insignificant ordinary enjoyment. Even those who studied or taught literatures like Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam had no respect for krishna-sankirtana, which is the purport of all scriptures and the life and soul of all education. Since only a few pure devotees chanted the holy names of Krishna together in a solitary place, they became the target of everyone. One should take note of how the Lord, as an ideal householder and teacher of people, duly respected and awarded gifts to the proper candidates.
From Caitanya-Bhagavat, Adi 16, Chapter Summary:
“When Sriman Mahaprabhu enacted His pastimes as a householder and a teacher, the entire country was devoid of spiritual practices. Everyone was simply inclined for insignificant ordinary enjoyment. Even those who studied or taught literatures like Bhagavad-gita and Srimad Bhagavatam had no respect for krishna-sankirtana, which is the purport of all scriptures and the life and soul of all education. Since only a few pure devotees chanted the holy names of Krishna together in a solitary place, they became the target of everyone’s harassment, teasing, and mischief. The devotees could not find a single sympathetic person to whom they could reveal their mental distress. At such a time Thakura Haridasa arrived at Navadvipa.”
“When the Mohammedan king asked Haridasa why he took to Hindu religion, he replied that the Supreme Lord is one nondual substance and He belongs to everyone. He is situated in everyone’s heart as the director, and the living entity acts in whatever way the Lord inspires him.”
“Although by the order of the Kazi, the miscreants mercilessly beat Haridasa in twenty-two marketplaces, no sign of death or any misery was found in the body of Haridasa. Seeing this, the sinful followers of the king became very astonished. Haridasa was constantly engaged in the ecstasy of chanting the holy names of the Lord; therefore, like Prahlada, he did not feel any misery in spite of such beating. On the contrary, he felt sorry for the unfortunate miscreants who were committing grave offences by torturing a Vaishnava. Haridasa thus prayed to the Lord to forgive their offences.
“Hearing that the sinful followers of the king would be severely punished due to being unable to kill him, Haridasa entered into ecstatic meditation and appeared to be dead. The Kazi considered that if Haridasa was buried he would attain a higher destination, therefore he ordered his followers to throw Haridasa into the Ganges for his degradation. Since Visvambhara was present in the body of Haridasa at that time, in spite of everyone’s endeavor they could not move him even an inch. After being thrown in the Ganges, Haridasa floated to the bank. He regained his consciousness and came to the village of Phuliya while loudly chanting the holy names of Krishna. Seeing this opulence of Haridasa, the Mohammedans considered him a great prophet and began to offer him obeisances. Even the Mohammedan king glorified Haridasa and begged him for forgiveness with folded hands and then gave Haridasa permission to chant the holy names of Krishna and freely wander anywhere within his kingdom.”
From Caitanya-Bhagavat, Adi 16.11, purport:
“The word nirañjana refers to one who is without añjana (material designations born of the illusory energy or nescience), one who is devoid of false identification, one who is faultless, one who is spotless, or one who is pure. In Mundaka Upanisad it is stated: tada vidvan punya-pape vidhuyanirañjanah paramam samyam upaiti—‘Then that intelligent person transcends both pious and impious activities, becomes free from worldly bondage, and enters the divine abode of the Lord.’”
From Caitanya-Bhagavat, Adi 16.22, commentary:
“In the Srimad Bhagavatam (11.2.40), Kavi, one of the nine Yogendras, says to Nimi, the King of Videha, as follows: evam-vratah sva-priya-nama-kirtyajatanurago druta-citta uccaihhasaty atho roditi rauti gayatyunmada-van nrtyati loka-bahyah “By chanting the holy name of the Supreme Lord, one comes to the stage of love of Godhead. Then the devotee is fixed in his vow as an eternal servant of the Lord, and he gradually becomes very much attached to a particular name and form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As his heart melts with ecstatic love, he laughs very loudly or cries or shouts. Sometimes he sings and dances like a madman, for he is indifferent to public opinion.”
From Caitanya-Bhagavat, 16.111, commentary:
“What to speak of Haridasa feeling distress due to the severe torture, all the distress of even a person who remembers this incomparable tolerance of Haridasa will also be completely destroyed.”
From Caitanya-Bhagavat, 16.115, commentary:
“Being bewildered by waves of thoughts about the external world, the ordinary conditioned souls accept their own flickering mind as the director of all their activities. But since the devotees of the Lord are constantly engaged in the service of Hari, they do not engage their mind in enjoying external material objects. Rather, they do not retain any memory of any material incident or object. In other words, they have completely forgotten all false bodily identification. It is stated: krishna-name prita, jade udasina, nirdosa ananda-maya—“They are attached to the holy names of Krishna, indifferent to material objects, faultless, and always joyful.”
From Caitanya-Bhagavat, 16.122, commentary:
“Haridasa replied, ‘Though I have been severely beaten by you, if my remaining alive causes any harm for you, I can immediately give up my body to check this inauspiciousness.’ After speaking in this way, Haridasa entered into samadhi by meditating on the Supreme Lord within his heart, saturated with pure goodness, and thus enacted the pastime of dying. Due to being in deep samadhi on the Supreme Lord, his inhaling and exhaling could not be openly perceived.
Janananda Goswami:
Without actual spiritual knowledge attempts at attaining unity are not so effective.
In a vase, there are different flowers, but the result is beautiful.
Particularly the chanting of the authorized mantra can help us attain the spiritual platform of unity.
We have an eternal relationship with the supreme eternal.
Sacinandana Swami:
From a recorded lecture on the disappearance day of Bhaktivinoda Thakura (https://audio.iskcondesiretree.com/02_-_ISKCON_Swamis/ISKCON_Swamis_-_R_to_Y/His_Holiness_Sacinandana_Swami/English_Lectures/Festivals/SNS_Festivals_-_Bhaktivinod_Thakuras_disappearance_day_-_2008-07-03_Fruska_Gora.mp3):
Bhaktivinoda Thakura teaches us that we should hanker for perfection.
Bhaktivinoda Thakura teaches that by being fixed on the goal one attains the goal.
Radharani practiced walking blindfolded so she could walk through forests at night to meet Krishna.
Arjuna desired to be a good ksatriya because he knew he would have to fight for Krishna.
Bhaktivinoda Thakura teaches us to be one-pointed in our focus on Krishna.
Bhaktivinoda Thakura begs for a simple life because the more complicated our lives are, the more we are diverted.
Bhaktivinoda Thakura prays to forget his material life and to begin a new life in service to Krishna.
If we read of Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s hankering for spiritual perfection in his songs, we will also come to hanker for that perfection.
Mahavishnu Swami:
I was trying to find out why I was so bad at learning languages. Jayadeva did a regression to find out. I was determined not to go into a state where I was not in control, but somehow or other I went to sleep. I had a dream in which I was three years old and went to visit some relatives in France as my mother was half French. All of the kids spoke to me in French and did not know what to do, and I ran back to my parents.
In my youth, although my girlfriend had left me, I thought I was God.
I was an artist, and one day I decided to draw a picture of God. I was brought up as a Christian, and I had a conception that God was an old man. I saw a friend I hadn’t seen for six months. I told him I was drawing a picture of God. He had lived in the Radha-Krishna temple in London for a week. He saw my drawing, and said, “God is not an old man, He is a beautiful youth.” He also showed me a photo of Srila Prabhupada, and said, “He is your guru.”
I was still in a rebellious mood, and I replied, “He is not my guru.
I saw the devotees once in London during one of the more ignorant phases of my life. I heard the karatalas. Then suddenly I saw the devotees. I felt like I was going to vomit, and I ran away.
Later, however, I got a Back to Godhead magazine from a friend, and I found reading it fascinating I did not put it down.
Parividha Prabhu:
Often when I meet a devotee I ask for his latest realization. The Lord is always directing His devotee, and so the devotees always have something valuable to share.
The Lord in everyone’s heart can inspire anyone with something wise to share.
If you think that you are perfect now, you will never become better than you are today.
Rather than get angry when we are advised, if we learn from the advice, we can improve.
Comment by Raja Dharma Prabhu: Part of tolerance is moving away from intolerable situations.
When I was head pujari at the Manor, I asked what the Indian guests did, and then I asked them if they could help out according to their ability.
The British devotees went shop to shop and invited people to donate £5 a month, so when Bhagavan left and the sankirtana stopped they still had some funds. They also took down the name, occupation, and address of people who visited the Manor, and they encouraged them to help according to their ability. Thus ISKCON in England did not suffer financially to the extent it did in other countries in Europe.
Do not advise people unless they appreciate that you are concerned for their spiritual welfare. Otherwise they will interpret it as criticism and become angry.
You can see by the attention people give to their services and by how they look at the deities if they have devotion. If you have devotion, you can see devotion in others.
One time someone was needed to do cooking. One devotee declined the opportunity, saying he wanted to go to Srila Prabhupada’s class. That day Srila Prabhupada spoke very briefly, and then went to the kitchen and had a long conversation with Jayananda Prabhu, who had surrendered to doing the cooking. The other devotee, seeing that, felt bad he missed the opportunity.
At home I get up according to my convenience, but when I am in the temple I always go to mangala-arati. If I am tired, I just go back to sleep afterward.
If you want to go back to Godhead, you have to put Krishna’s sense gratification before yours.
By the time I joined in 1973, we were restricted by the sannyasis from having Srila Prabhupada’s personal association. Because of that I wished I hadn’t joined because then I could go to Srila Prabhupada’s darsanas as a guest.
Once in a dream, Srila Prabhupada said to me, “If you could be as clean on the inside as you are on the outside.”
One devotee prayed to Srila Prabhupada to be able to distribute many books. Srila Prabhupada said to him in a dream, “I have not been dressed in 21 days. If you take care of me, I will take care of you.” The devotee spoke to the head pujari, who admitted he had been too busy to dress Srila Prabhupada for 21 days. The devotee volunteered to dress him, and that day he distributed fifty books.
Kadamba Kanana Swami:
From a lecture during the sannyasa ceremony for Sutapa Prabhu, now Svayam Bhagavan Keshava Swami:
I learned from Jayadvaita Swami about giving, giving your heart, giving what you have, and then giving a little more.
Indradyumna Swami did very impressive research on sannyasa, and I think Sutapa should ask him for all those quotes, and I’ll get them from him.
Lord Caitanya’s movement is based on Vedic culture, and yet it is also at times transcendental to Vedic culture.
Ladies, I request you keep a respectful distance. Give him a chance to grow.
In Kali-yuga no one is strong.
I thought I was a Prabhupada man until I met Jayadvaita Swami.
Taking sannyasa amplifies one’s activities.
Lord Caitanya asked His mother, “Is it true that a son should go out and get riches and bring them back to the family?” She said yes. He said He wanted to get love of God and bring it back, and then He passed by her and out the door.
Nistha not good enough for a sannyasi.
Let Sutapa be a conduit for the powerful UK yatra to benefit the world.
Atmanivedana Swami:
The word sevaka means one who renders service to please the object of service.
When we serve the Lord, sometimes we wait for Krishna to give us something in exchange, but that is not devotion.
Although all kinds of vegetation is around, a tiger will not eat it. Similarly if there is a drought and no vegetation is growing, the cows will not start eating flesh. Human beings, however, eat anything, whether or not it is beneficial for their bodies.
Alcohol kills brain cells that cannot be generated so to take pleasure in drinking is not very intelligent.
Smoking tobacco destroys the lungs which God has given us to make the body function properly.
As you start pleasing the Lord, He will give you an experience of transcendental happiness.
When our mind acts as the controller, it engages the intelligence and senses to fulfill its ambitions. In actually we should use our intelligence to engage the mind and senses to act for the benefit of our soul.
Using the intelligence to act according to the direction of our spiritual master solves our problem.
We think we are walking the dog, but the dog on the leash is pulling us here and there.
When dogs are trained, they are quite obedient. If we can control the minds of our dogs, why can we not control our own minds?
If we connect with the Supreme Lord nicely, we experience His reciprocation. Then it becomes possible to give up material sense gratification.
If you pray when you go to sleep, “My body is tired. Let me rest nicely so I can serve you enthusiastically in the morning,” then your sleeping can be a service.
Krishna will stay here [as the deity] as long as we are enthusiastic to serve Him.
When we are awake spiritually, we can see the Lord is right beside us.
Q: Sometimes we hear that we can control our minds, but at other times we hear everything is depending on Krishna.
A: Everything is depending on Krishna, but we still have to endeavor to control our minds.
Srila Prabhupada was asked what the spiritual world was like, and he said that it was like this world except you do not need electricity, heating, cooling, etc.
Soon after we got the skyscraper in New York City, Srila Prabhupada was taking his morning walk. The cars were already bustling on the street. A devotee said, “You must be missing Vrindavan.”
Srila Prabhupada replied, “This is Vrindavan.”
Thus we can understand that being in Vrindavan is a state of consciousness, not just a physical location.
Gaudamandala Prabhu:
The main thing is to see that the heart is becoming purified.
Krishna is looking for a little bit of sincerity in the beginning. That is what is meant by “the truthful devotee” who Krishna cleanses of heart of when he hears and chants His glories.
If you choose to spend your life as a brahmacari you should make it a point to associate with renounced people. Otherwise you will always be wondering if you should get married.
Whether we are sannyasi or not, the ultimate goal is to become detached.
Comment by Raja Dharma Prabhu: Although we talk about our family relationships being ultimately illusory, they are not insignificant for a devotee whose many generations are liberated because of his devotional service.
Devarsi Prabhu:
I asked a friend what the situation was in Ukraine. He said everyone is helping each other more. People are not taking time off but working everyday.
I find that being old is the best time in life. Less passion and less ignorance, and time to prepare to die.
In France, if we do not have money we go to the government and beg, and we get something. Other people are not so fortunate.
The Peace Pilgrim said the secret of happiness is to want what we need.
Comments by me:
Once I said to a homeless person, from your lifestyle, you must have a sense that God is taking care of you. He agreed saying, “I find that He always gives me what I need but not always what I want.”
How to achieve tolerance? Accept that Krishna will carry what we lack and preserve what we have as He promises in Bhagavad-gita 9.22.
That realization of the Peace Pilgrim reminds me of this verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam, “[Lord Vamana said to Bali Maharaja:] Therefore, O King, from you, the best of those who give charity, I ask only three paces of land. By such a gift I shall be very pleased, for the way of happiness is to be fully satisfied to receive that which is absolutely needed.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 8.19.27)
Bhavasindhu Prabhu:
We learn here that a perfect person should try to get rid of false ego.
Krishna explains in Bhagavad-gita 14.20 that by transcending the three modes of material nature we can enjoy happiness even in this life.
Srila Prabhupada explains that in this material world we are like lunatics in an asylum, thinking that we are something we are not.
When you appreciate the nectar of spiritual life you are on the liberated platform.
Devotional service not only destroys the false ego, but it is an end in itself.
Living in the temple helps us become free from false ego because the devotees will always point out where we are lacking.
We have to surrender to Lord Krishna by serving His devotees.
In Bhagavad-gita, 92 of the 700 verses deal with the three modes of material nature.
I was talking with my guru ten minutes after my first child left her body. He was telling me to remember one important point, “You can do your duty, but you cannot control.” Everything is under the control of Krishna.
We are in illusion in that we hope to find ultimate satisfaction in things that have never given us ultimate satisfaction in the past.
Because we make mistakes we are prone to be in illusion.
Although there are many organizations that teach bhakti-yoga, ISKCON is especially prestigious. Just like there are many universities and colleges that award degrees, but places like Harvard and Cambridge are considered special.
The difference between the other yogas and bhakti-yoga is the bhakti. If we do hatha-yoga to keep our body in shape so we can do our devotional service better, then it becomes bhakti-yoga.
Comments by me:
Krishna talks about devotional service destroying karma in Bhagavad-gita 2.50: “A man engaged in devotional service rids himself of both good and bad reactions even in this life. Therefore strive for yoga, which is the art of all work.”
Srila Prabhupada quotes “ceto darpana” 553 times in the Folio database. That indicates how important the cleansing of the heart by the holy name is to Srila Prabhupada.
Krishna begins talking about transcending the three modes of material nature in chapter 2: traiguna visaya veda . . . “The Vedas deal mainly with the subject of the three modes of material nature. O Arjuna, become transcendental to these three modes. Be free from all dualities and from all anxieties for gain and safety, and be established in the self.” (Bhagavad-gita 2.45) He makes it sound like something Arjuna could do simply by desiring to, and he gives some hints how. In the verse you quoted (Bhagavad-gita 14.26), He tells the real secret, “One who engages in full devotional service, unfailing in all circumstances, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman.”
Another relevant verse is “Bhakti, devotional service, dissolves the subtle body of the living entity without separate effort, just as fire in the stomach digests all that we eat.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.25.33)
There is a verse by Jagadananda Pandit explaining that we become subjected to maya when we turn our face away from Krishna.
The reason given that we cannot stay in the Brahman forever is that as souls we are active, and if we do not act in the spiritual energy we will have to act in the material energy.
Gaura Hari Prabhu of Scandinavia but living near New Mayapur:
From a conversation during Ratha-yatra:
“Be yourself and contribute.” That was the motto of Sridhara Swami.
Kalakantha Prabhu, the cow protection minister:
From a conversation on the train:
“If you have an agricultural abundance, your heart becomes big. You can give and give.”
A book distributor from the UK:
From a conversation at breakfast the day after Paris Ratha-yatra:
The most common reaction among those I talked to as they viewed the Paris Ratha-yatra was, “I really love the energy!”
-----
This is an important verse spoken by the Supreme Lord in His most recent incarnation as Lord Caitanya. Here He describes the nature of the individual soul. Each soul is by constitution the eternal servant of the Supreme Lord, here referred to as Krishna. He is Krishna’s marginal energy, and he is simultaneously one and different from the Lord. We are called marginal because we can exist under the control of the spiritual energy of the Lord or we can exist under the influence of the material energy of the Lord. By default, in this world we are dominated by the material energy, but when we become tired of being subject to the material influence, we can surrender unto the Supreme Lord and serve His spiritual energy, which is characterized by eternity, knowledge, and transcendental happiness, and we can achieve the eternal happiness we are looking for, even during this life. We thank Srila Prabhupada and his representatives for making this opportunity available to us in the Western world.
jivera ‘svarupa’ haya — krishnera ‘nitya-dasa’
“It is the living entity’s constitutional position to be an eternal servant of Krishna because he is the marginal energy of Krishna and a manifestation simultaneously one with and different from the Lord.” (Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya-lila 20.108).
