Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 18, No. 14
By Krishna Kripa Das
(July 2022, part two)
Paris
(Sent from Lyon, France, on August 6, 2022)
Where I Went and What I Did
I stayed put for the second half of July, living at ISKCON Paris in Sarcelles, doing a little deity worship and cooking, and going on harinama for three hours a day. I traveled through cyberspace to attend a Bhaktivedanta Institute Legacy conference via Zoom, where in addition to listening to amazing contributions by other devotees, I told a bit about Sadaputa Prabhu’s branch of Bhaktivedanta Institute in San Diego and Alachua. I took a video of the most rocking Paris métro kirtan that I ever participated in, which got over 500 likes and 362 shares on Facebook. The end of July in Paris was special because of all the visiting devotees. Janananda Goswami visited Paris twice, which always adds to the ecstasy. Jayadvaita Swami visited France for a week, giving lectures at Yoga Lyrique, New Mayapur, and ISKCON Paris. Svayam Jyoti Siromani Prabhu, who acted as an assistant for Jayadvaita Swami and who likes harinama, came from the UK, as did Adi-Guru Prabhu, who is dedicated to harinama and book distribution.
I share quotes from several of Srila Prabhupada’s Srimad-Bhagavatam purports and one from his Bhagavad-gita, and I include notes on his article in the latest Back to Godhead. I include a couple of quotes by Sri Krishna from His Uddhava-gita, a couple of quotes by Narottama Dasa Thakura from his Prema-bhakti-candrika, and one by Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura from his Amrita-vani. I share notes on the writings of Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami from his Free Write Journal, which I proofread each week, and I include many, many notes from two of his books that I am proofreading in preparation for reprinting, Here is Srila Prabhupada and Truthfulness: The Last Leg of Religion. I share notes on classes by Jayadvaita Swami and Janananda Goswami and Satyanarayana, Dhananjaya, Gaudamandala, Adi-Guru, Bhavasindhu, and Svayam Jyoti Prabhus, all speaking in Paris. I share notes on Back to Godhead magazine articles by Visakha Dasi, Caitanya Candra, and Nandamukhi Devi Dasi Prabhus, and a note from an answer to a letter.
Thanks to Gaura Nataraja Prabhu for his gift of harinama donations. Thanks to Sofia for her video of me chanting Hare Krishna at Les Halles.
Itinerary
August 4–7: Lyon harinamas
August 8–12: Balarama festival at New Mayapur
August 13: Tours harinama with New Mayapur devotees
August 14–15: Paris harinamas
August 16: Train to London and London harinama
August 17: Flight to New York and NYC Harinam
August 18: Travel to Orlando, Florida
August 19–20: Janmastami and Vyasa-puja in Alachua and Gainesville harinamas
August 21–September 14: Tallahassee, Gainesville, Tampa harinama and outreach
September 15: Baltimore harinama
September 16–20: Syracuse harinama
September 21: Albany, visit mother
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 4, 2023: NYC Harinam
Chanting Hare Krishna in Paris
Janananda Goswami chants Hare Krishna near the Porte Rambuteau exit of Les Halles (https://youtu.be/LEjAq6dUb4g):
While Janananda Maharaja was singing, a girl danced with the devotee ladies (https://youtu.be/RsLE9tQJw58):
Then several other ladies joined in the dancing (https://youtu.be/iQgKzUQCNzQ):
Gaura Bhakta Prabhu chants Hare Krishna that day at Les Halles, and passersby dance with devotee ladies (https://youtu.be/lVkdIe0Tmvs):
I also chanted Hare Krishna there at Les Halles, and passersby and devotees danced (https://youtu.be/yGau-zd39Fk):
Ramanaji Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at ISKCON Paris Sunday feast program in Sarcelles (https://youtu.be/OalJ_c-PVXA):
As his kirtan became more ecstatic, devotees began to dance (https://youtu.be/S8aC5wBr9qw):
After the Sunday feast arati, they continue chanting for another 45 minutes, which is one nice feature about the Sunday feast program in Paris.
I have chanted Hare Krishna on metros before, but it is rare to have every member of the party so fired up. It was also special to have Patita Pavana Prabhu, also en route to the Tuesday night program at Yoga Lyrique, get on the metro in the middle of the kirtan and join in. To the guy who took lots of video, I gave a card for our downtown Paris programs. Thanks to lead singer, Syama Kisora Prabhu, for his enthusiasm in chanting Hare Krishna on line 12 of the Paris metro after an afternoon of harinama and book distribution at Saint-Lazare (https://youtu.be/iPjX-kFuQ6s):
Syama Kisora Prabhu chants Hare Krishna with the visiting Adi-Guru Prabhu at Hôtel de Ville on a windy and rainy day, and people are attracted (https://youtu.be/6n2pCfAC7UY):
We chanted on the metros on the way to the Wednesday night kirtan program that night.
Syama Kisora Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Les Halles, and ladies dance (https://youtu.be/XYLiFGymm9U):
Syama Kisora Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Les Halles, and devotees dance (https://youtu.be/WGEDcf7Q4UQ):
Adi-Guru Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Les Halles, and devotees dance (https://youtu.be/aREeNY8G2Sk):
Rohininandana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Les Halles, and a guy has a photo taken with the dancing devotees (https://youtu.be/6UxBu63-q1s):
That day we chanted at a different place than usual at Les Halles, and I sent a devotee a photo of it with a church that is a popular landmark in the background so he could find it.
Svayam Jyoti Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at La Défense in Paris, and devotees sell books (https://youtu.be/-rEzU940AUs):
Svayam Jyoti Prabhu continued chanting Hare Krishna there, and a passerby danced (https://youtu.be/SGLW1P_pjxw):
Syama Kisora Prabhu chants Hare Krishna on a Paris suburban train (RER A) (https://youtu.be/RSce-KWBQGo):
Pranesvara Rama Das chants Hare Krishna outside Cour Saint Émilion métro station, and kids dance with devotees ladies (https://youtu.be/aXOGsmjf3Q8):
Svayam Jyoti Prabhu chants Hare Krishna there, and a girl dances with the devotee ladies (https://youtu.be/9lFGYEzIazE):
Jayadvaita Swami chants Hare Krishna at the Yoga Lyrique Sunday morning program in Paris (https://youtu.be/drkBEr0u1iM):
Gaura Nataraja Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at La République in Paris (https://youtu.be/qNag1ptHh7g):
Marat chants Hare Krishna at La Défense in Paris, and kids play shakers (https://youtu.be/0HNeR9-wA7M):
Rohininandana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at La Défense in Paris, and a guy poses for a photo (https://youtu.be/5UQUMY6HTg8):
Syama Kisora Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at a yoga studio on Wednesday night (https://youtu.be/zQW8TjXXrh0):
Spiderman and his associates dance with devotees as Syama Kisora Prabhu chants Hare Krishna outside the Porte Rambuteau exit of Les Halles in Paris (https://youtu.be/59miONNXpSc):
Later Spiderman danced with kids who were attracted to participate (https://youtu.be/XrmWS2adqTY):
Spiderman and his team posed for a group photo, and Gaura Nataraja Prabhu took down his contact information.
Marat chants Hare Krishna at Les Halles, and devotee ladies dance (https://youtu.be/ROGPFOzP_BM):
Rohininandana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Les Halles, and devotee ladies dance (https://youtu.be/kBtLbS2g80M):
This young lady from Kolkata, talking to Jiva Prana Prabhu here, had watched us for quite a while. She knew of Mayapur, having studied for seven years at a school not far from there. For two years she is studying in Paris, and she was happy to learn of our Radha-Krishna temple in Sarcelles, where she will encounter many Bengali-speaking devotees of Lord Krishna and feel very much at home.
Rohininandana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Les Halles, and devotees dance (https://youtu.be/SxAtgTNWGhc):
While Rohininandana Prabhu was chanting Hare Krishna there, a girl danced with devotee ladies (https://youtu.be/E-nP7Qhr5Pc):
Nitai Caran Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Les Halles in Paris (https://youtu.be/eZIq6K6W23k):
Nitai Caran Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Garges Sarcelles station, and Wilfried dances (https://youtu.be/3dK9TVugLXg):
Later an Asian man danced along with Wilfried (https://youtu.be/ExB5ziy92bI):
Seeing this piece of art at Saint-Lazare, I was reminded of Krishna, who says, “Time I am . . .” (Bhagavad-gita 11.32)
It never occurred to me that the word “metro” derived from the word “metropolitan” till this year in Paris when I kept noticing signs like this above the Paris métro stations.
Insights
Srila Prabhupada:
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.24.12, purport:
“If one carries out the order of the spiritual master in disciplic succession, or the parampara system, he overcomes the four defects. Therefore, knowledge received from the bona fide spiritual master is not cheating. Any other knowledge which is manufactured by the conditioned soul is cheating only.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.20.35, purport:
“If one wants to enjoy real sense enjoyment, then one must get free of the entanglement of material existence. In spiritual life we can enjoy sense enjoyment which has no end. The difference between material and spiritual enjoyment is that material enjoyment is limited. Even if a man engages in material sex enjoyment, he cannot enjoy it for long. But when the sex enjoyment is given up, then one can enter spiritual life, which is unending. In the Bhagavatam (5.5.1) it is stated that brahma-saukhya, spiritual happiness, is ananta, unending. Foolish creatures are enamored by the beauty of matter and think that the enjoyment it offers is real, but actually that is not real enjoyment.”
From “The Need to Become Detached” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 56, No. 6 (Nov/Dec 2022):
[Edited transcript of a lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.6.9 on December 11, 1975 in Vrindavan.]
“There are many processes, but nothing is powerful except the process enunciated by God Himself, Krishna.”
“Pure goodness is the Krishna consciousness platform, devotional service. If you keep yourself rigidly on the platform of devotional service, then you are in pure goodness. And as soon as you are slack, immediately the two base qualities will attack you.”
“Money should be engaged for Krishna’s comfort. This is bhakti. The meaning of Vrindavan is that everyone is engaged in how to keep Krishna in comfort. This is Vrindavan life. Not for personal comfort. The whole of Vrindavan is engaged, beginning from Mother Yasoda, Nanda Maharaja, the young gopis, and the young cowherd boys. That is Vrindavan: Krishna is the center.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.5.41, purport:
“It is not a fact that because material enjoyment involves so many painful conditions one will automatically become detached. One needs the blessings of a devotee like Narada Muni. Then one can renounce his attachment for the material world. The young boys and girls of the Krishna consciousness movement have given up the spirit of material enjoyment not because of practice but by the mercy of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His servants.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.14.14, purport:
“Every living entity has to eat something, and in fact the necessities for his life have already been provided by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Lord has provided food for both the elephant and the ant. All living beings are living at the cost of the Supreme Lord, and therefore one who is intelligent should not work very hard for material comforts. Rather, one should save his energy for advancing in Krishna consciousness. All created things in the sky, in the air, on land and in the sea belong to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and every living being is provided with food. Therefore one should not be very much anxious about economic development and unnecessarily waste time and energy with the risk of falling down in the cycle of birth and death.”
From Bhagavad-gita 4.11, purport:
“Everyone is searching for Krishna in the different aspects of His manifestations. Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is partially realized in His impersonal brahma-jyotir effulgence and as the all-pervading Supersoul dwelling within everything, including the particles of atoms. But Krishna is fully realized only by His pure devotees. Consequently, Krishna is the object of everyone’s realization, and thus anyone and everyone is satisfied according to one’s desire to have Him. In the transcendental world also, Krishna reciprocates with His pure devotees in the transcendental attitude, just as the devotee wants Him. One devotee may want Krishna as supreme master, another as his personal friend, another as his son and still another as his lover. Krishna rewards all the devotees equally, according to their different intensities of love for Him. In the material world, the same reciprocations of feelings are there, and they are equally exchanged by the Lord with the different types of worshipers. The pure devotees both here and in the transcendental abode associate with Him in person and are able to render personal service to the Lord and thus derive transcendental bliss in His loving service.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.5.26, purport:
“The living entities are foreign to matter, and thus they cannot be happy unless they are situated in the same spiritual life as the Lord. The mistaken living being, out of forgetfulness of this original condition of life, unnecessarily wastes time trying to become happy in the material world. The whole Vedic process is to remind one of this essential feature of life.”
Sri Krishna:
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.26.1:
“The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Having achieved this human form of life, which affords one the opportunity to realize Me, and being situated in My devotional service, one can achieve Me, the reservoir of all pleasure and the Supreme Soul of all existence, residing within the heart of every living being.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.29.26:
[Lord Krishna said to Uddhava:] “One who liberally disseminates this knowledge among My devotees is the bestower of the Absolute Truth, and to him I give My very own self.”
Narottama Dasa Thakura:
From Prema-bhakti-candrika, Chapter 3:
“O Lord, Narottama is very unhappy. Please make me happy by inspiring me to perform sankirtana [the congregational chanting of the holy names of the Supreme Lord].”
From Prema-bhakti-candrika 4.3:
“Sri Sri Radha-Krishna are the Lords of my life. They are my only goal in life or death. Those who worship the divine couple enjoy transcendental mellows and float always in the ocean of love of God. Let this fact ever remain in my heart.”
Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura:
From Amṛita-vani, “Association”:
“It is a Vaishnava’s business to induce all materialistic living entities to become inclined toward the Supreme Lord. This is real compassion. Our spiritual success is guaranteed if we are honest in our dealings with Vaishnavas, hear attentively from them, and lead our lives according to their instructions. Only then can we be said to be taking advantage of their association.”
Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:
From Here Is Srila Prabhupada:
“Thoreau said something like, ‘A friend should accept his friend not just as he is, but as he aspires to be.’ So the guru accepts the disciple as he aspires to be, although the guru also sees the actual nature and weaknesses of the disciple.”
“Srila Prabhupada, you used to say, ‘What is the difficulty?’ You said it a lot, as if you couldn’t understand why we had so much difficulty in being sincere, in doing substantial work, in dealing honestly with each other. You didn’t want us to use your movement to gain power over others. You wanted us all to be humble, to serve each other and to serve your mission. You wanted us to follow our initiation vows and to realize we would always be fools before you (but you didn’t want us to actually be fools). You wanted us to read your books and not to neglect your instructions. You wanted us to maintain the Deity worship as you had given it to us, not to be lazy or to waste money or to be whimsical or frivolous. You would look at us and say, ‘What is the difficulty?’”
“We were after him because he loves Krishna. And he convinced us that Krishna loves us. We believed him because his heart shone through his eyes. We believed he could and would teach us his secrets of how to chant Krishna’s name and awaken our own loving propensities toward God.”
“When people asked us, ‘But why an Indian God?’ we would look to Prabhupada. When we were with Prabhupada, we never thought of an ‘Indian God,’ we only thought of Krishna.”
“I found this paragraph in one of Prabhupada’s early writings called Message of Godhead. It is from the Introduction:
At present, we are concerned primarily with two things: one, ourselves; and the other, the place where we live. In other words, we are concerned with two objects: namely, everything that is related to our gross and subtle bodies; and the world at large, with all its paraphernalia. But there are others above us, the transcendentalists, who are concerned not only with their bodies and minds and the world at large, but also with the transcendental subject, which is above the body and mind and the world at large. The transcendentalists are very much concerned with the Absolute Truth, and much less with relative truths.
“Prabhupada immediately transcended the limitations of the so-called leaders of the world. He sums up their concerns in one or two sentences and informs us that there are real transcendentalists who have spiritual concerns at heart. It impresses his readers to hear that the transcendentalists are not foolish or introverted or backward, but are “concerned” with a greater truth. He assures us they are willing to share it.”
At the present moment the word religion is being sacrificed on the altar of materialistic tendencies. The human race is more concerned now with subject matters related to eating, sleeping, defending and gratifying the senses, much like the lower animals. The general tendency is to avoid transcendental subjects as far as possible, or in any case, not to go into the details. Even the biggest political leaders have been heard to say that a hungry man or woman finds no meaning in God and religion. People in general, under the leadership of such materialistic men, are gradually descending to the status of lower animals, devoid of all transcendental realization, knowing nothing beyond their material bodies and the material world.
Thus the human race has descended to the status of the dogs, who are habituated to barking as soon as they come upon another set of dogs who happen to hail from another quarter. We cannot conceive of the greater degradation of the human being than when he raises a hue and cry as soon as he sees another human being who does not happen to belong to his quarter or his religious denomination. He raises this hue and cry as if he had been faced with a tiger or wolf. Without transcendental knowledge, the human race has actually become no more than the tigers and wolves.
. . . If we keep our doors and windows shut when the sun rises in the morning, surely the rays of the sun cannot enter our somber room. Similarly, when the Supreme Personality of Godhead or His confidential servants manifest themselves and preach the message of Godhead, we must not shut the doors and windows of our body and mind; otherwise, the light emanating from the Lord and His servants shall not enter into us. The light that emanates from such transcendental sources generally enters into us by aural reception. So only if we are ready to offer submissive aural reception to the message of Godhead can we know Godhead as He is and our relationship with Him as it is. In that transcendental spirit this Message of Godhead is presented herewith for the benefit of people in general and real seekers of truth in particular. We do not know how far we shall be successful in our tiny attempt, and we apologize for our defects in this respect.
“But the best example I can take from these anecdotes [about Srila Prabhupada’s relationship with his guru] is that Srila Prabhupada molded his whole life to serve his guru’s mission. Srila Prabhupada gave all he had. In return, he was empowered by his guru’s blessings and the mercy of Lord Caitanya. Prabhupada was given the shakti to convince the fallen Westerners to become devotees and chanters of the holy name. Although I can take examples from his life with his spiritual master, I can’t, of course, imitate it. The point is, how to give ourselves to his order just as he gave himself to Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s order?”
“If Prabhupada didn’t want us to think of Krishna then why did he prepare the Krishna book and Bhagavad-gita? Why did he order us from the very beginning to chant Krishna’s names repeatedly for two or more hours a day? He thought that the transcendental activities, instructions, qualities, and pastimes of Krishna will bring good fortune to the people in general.”
The people can remain constantly in Krishna consciousness by discussing the Lord’s transcendental form, qualities, pastimes, and paraphernalia. By doing so, the whole universe can actually live auspiciously and advance peacefully. But without Krishna consciousness, civilization is but a decoration for a dead body. —Krishna, Vol. 2, p. 11
“Time is precious, and it is quickly running out. Srila Prabhupada told me once that I should never think I was mature. He said I should always think that I am spiritually immature and that I might die at any moment. One who thinks like this will utilize his remaining days and hours to become more mature. Make some progress, make a contribution. Don’t be caught sleeping.”
“The chapter ends with a description of the photo of Abhay with shaved head, observing his father’s passing away: ‘There is a mysterious, spiritual air about him, as one might expect in a meditating saint . . . He looks as if he is and always was a sadhu and he has suddenly been revealed as such on this day.’”
If we practice Krishna consciousness in this present body while we are in a healthy condition and in good mind, simply by chanting the holy maha-mantra, Hare Krishna, we will have every possibility of fixing our mind upon Krishna at the time of death. . . . Therefore, to remain always absorbed in Krishna consciousness was the standard of the inhabitants of Vrindavan, as exhibited by Maharaja Nanda, Yasoda, and the gopis. If we can similarly follow in their footsteps, even to a minute proportion, our lives will surely become successful, and we will enter into the spiritual kingdom, Vaikunṭha—Krishna, Vol. 2, p. 61
“We could also plant colorful flowers in beds all around the house. (Srila Prabhupada used to call them ‘Krishna’s smile.’)”
“If we follow blindly what he says but doubt or are not satisfied in our minds, our following will be incomplete, and over the years, the unconscious, dissatisfied self will force us to stop serving his order.”
“But even Mother Theresa of Calcutta says that spiritual poverty is worse than material poverty. Devotees write for the spiritually impoverished.”
“The material energy continues to deceive us and delivers us cruel blows of Fate. In the end, we are discarded, just like a plastic cup thrown onto the garbage heap by the consumer. Material nature is merciless.”
“The Vedic directions inform us how the destruction works, why it so happens that we live and dream a brief while and then are chucked aside. Vedic directions also inform us how to become free of bitterness, cruelty, and greed so that we stop torturing each other during our brief life in these bodies. Although the Vedic social model was recognized successfully in history for thousands of years, modern historians deny its authenticity and relegate the Vedas to the world of mythology. Without knowledge of the Vedic instructions, how can anyone become free from the cycle of birth, death, disease, and old age?”
“I should do more—
but at least I can share with you
this tingling air of rural Eire
and positive visions of one
who is always protected by Lord Krishna.
He is beyond this world, inconceivable and always a person.
He is most pleased with us when we
spread His joyful teachings in the world.”
“Finally, there will be death for everyone here. Who will look at all the faces of all the people? Who can provide for them? That one is Krishna. If I can turn to Him, I’m accomplishing and making a solid contribution. Even a person in apparent obscurity can help in that way.”
“In the photo, Srila Prabhupada is surrounded by other devotees. All of them look amused, all small extensions of Prabhupada’s mood. It was easier to be extensions of Prabhupada’s mood. It was easier to be in that position, tagging along, than to be the devotee-worker who was under Prabhupada’s discerning gaze. But what mercy to be scrutinized by him, even if it meant he saw your faults.”
“I was reading of the gopis. Their dedication to the Lord is topmost. They thought of him at every moment with great intensity. Their pain in missing Krishna led to the greatest happiness. They achieved the perfection of Krishna consciousness by missing Krishna. In His absence they had no choice but to think of Him. In this way, they reached a state even more Krishna conscious than when He was present with them. They ‘captured’ Krishna. He had no other way to repay them but to encourage them in their service to Him.”
“We are meant to follow the standard of the gopis. We are meant to think of guru and Krishna while serving their order, and we are meant to understand that everything depends on their mercy.”
“The disasters of Time cannot be averted.
But we can save ourselves and help others
by moving under Krishna’s umbrella.”
“Any authorized service we perform which leaves us feeling, ‘I could not do it nicely, I did not attain Krishna,’ has the potential to become vipralambha-seva.”
“Srila Prabhupada applies his intelligence, education, humor, and whatever he can to argue on Krishna’s behalf. He is always gentlemanly, but strongly convinced in a cool-headed way. This is Krishna conscious writing.”
“Kali is preaching too, with his malicious smile:
‘Forget the books and rest for awhile.’”
“By joining Srila Prabhupada’s movement and becoming his disciple, I acted according to my heart’s desire. I successfully transferred my parent’s work ethic to the practice of vaidhi-bhakti. I have to give my parents that much credit.”
“It is inspiring to look back and consider Prabhupada’s intense preaching practices through medium of correspondence. Devotees nowadays can preach in a similar way, based on Prabhupada’s example. Sometimes devotees think that because they are householders or not in association with the local temple administration, they are not able to preach, but Prabhupada has shown how a person can preach in any situation. You can buy a newspaper or magazine, pick up on any article or any person’s name, and write to them. Then you can keep copies of any replies you receive and develop a whole network of persons interested in corresponding about Krishna consciousness. Even if the responses are predominantly negative, you will be training yourself as a preacher and a writer, and you will have the satisfaction of following in Prabhupada’s footsteps.”
“We also spoke today about how to respond to physical beauty when we see it in this world. One thing is to always see a person as a potential servant of God, and to understand, at least theoretically, that Krishna dwells in everyone’s heart. No one has been placed on this earth as an object for our sense gratification.”
“Speaking of those who are trying to bring a Godly atmosphere into the world, Prabhupada mentions ‘the veteran leader, Mahatma Gandhi.’ Prabhupada says that Gandhi is preaching ‘restraint, toleration, and moral principles,’ but he is not teaching God consciousness by the method authorized by the Supreme. ‘Although he chants the name of Rama, he is not aware of the transcendental science of the name. He is a worshiper of the impersonal Godhead . . . When the Absolute Truth is not credited with having any transcendental senses or sensory activities, certainly He is thought to be powerless. And a powerless Godhead, of course, cannot hear the prayers of His devotees, nor can he ameliorate the distress of the universe.’ (Message of Godhead, p. 38)”
“We don’t have to do what Prabhupada did and start a worldwide society of devotees; we already have ISKCON. But it’s worth noting: We can do what we are doing in ISKCON because our founder-acarya left his family and business and went alone to Jhansi. Because he tried to spread Krishna consciousness, despite the discouragement of others, and because he persisted, we can now call ourselves devotees. We can now claim to be part of the sankirtana spirit that moved Srila Prabhupada to pick us up in the first place, that same spirit that was operating in him even in those early days in Jhansi. If Prabhupada had not come, probably I would have died or gone crazy. Or at least my life would have been totally useless.”
“Writing is not just something an author does to create entertainment for people. It’s not a matter of rhyming lines and making up verses or prose. It is used by an author like a machete to cut down the undergrowth that is making progress difficult in his consciousness. Writing helps you think in ways you couldn’t (or wouldn’t) think otherwise; the commitment to writing stimulates new thoughts. Writing engages more senses. For example, thinking about Krishna silently isn’t as easy as thinking of Him while hearing and chanting His names and pastimes. Writing is a little bit like that—it forces you to wake up and concentrate on who you are, where you’re going, why you’re going there, and what you want to achieve while you’re there.
“Sincerely writing down a line like, ‘Prabhupada, where are you?’ Or, ‘Prabhupada, I want to be with you. You know I want to realize myself under all the falseness and manipulations and forces acting upon me in this world. I want to do this as an offering to you’—when you address Prabhupada like that in writing, it becomes real for you. The idea might have been in your mind, but if it wasn’t expressed, it might not have been clear or felt. Feeling something deeply can help you make solid progress. We want to feel things.
“Writing in the service of Krishna can transform us into pure devotees. And if Krishna agrees, He can appear in the written words of His devotees and enlighten others in this way. Or, He can help a devotee find himself and his relationship with Prabhupada, if He desires.
“A writer prays not to write empty words or write out of pride or vanity. He prays that his writing can be accepted as service. That means, in a very practical sense, his writing has to be serviceable; it has to be in parampara.”
“In Vaikunṭha, everyone remembers Krishna and that’s what makes life free of all cares and blissful beyond anything you can know on earth. So train yourself for that.”
“Someone has written [in the 1987 Vyasa-puja book], ‘Srila Prabhupada, please keep me engaged in the service of your servants and allow me to achieve the benediction you offered a small group of conditioned souls on the day of our initiation at Bury Place temple in London in August 1971: “If you simply chant sixteen rounds a day and follow the four regulative principles, then there’s nothing that can keep you from going back to Godhead in this lifetime. And that is a fact.”’”
“The sannyasa initiation took place in the Sri Kesavaji Math in Mathura. ISKCON devotees still gather there on that date and hear how Prabhupada took sannyasa.”
“Srila Prabhupada, you appear as if you are sizing up the situation. You did this so many times, and you taught us to do it too, to see the good and bad in a situation and to decide what to do for Krishna. You compared this to Duryodhana’s attempt, at the beginning of the Bhagavad-gita, to see the strength and weakness of the enemy. We wait for your decision and then we go into action on your order. Now you ask us to make our own on-the-scene decisions, but we must act as your representatives. You encourage us that the Lord in the heart will guide us because we are sincere. Nevertheless, we are afraid. Please accept our small attempts at serving you.”
“You are smiling enthusiastically, eager to see the service done by your disciples and to take part by speaking Krishna’s message and guiding us in all ways. You never shirk your responsibility or take a day off; that attitude is unknown to you. Never lazy or cowardly in any way, never tired or depressed. No wonder we want to emulate you, although we cannot.”
“If you want to be with him, you will have to examine the things that keep you away from him. Prabhupada is not keeping away from us; we may be pushing him away due to lack of clarity in our desire. Once we get some of the direct power of Prabhupada’s association, then all our negative thought patterns fall into place. We understand that they are like scratches that will continue to bother us until we are liberated. They are not important; rather, they are bothersome. In no way do they stop us from our main activity of loving Prabhupada wholeheartedly.”
“Prabhupada really is available to us. We are never devoid of his association. All we need is a little faith. We don’t have to give up our regular duties in Prabhupada’s service to go off and look for Prabhupada. Prabhupada (and Krishna) reveal themselves through our service. Although we speak of patience, we don’t have to wait ten thousand years before we receive any revelation; all we have to do is look around us.”
“And when they began to walk out on his [Ratha-yatra] lecture, he said this is proof that the chanting is more attractive, because it held ten thousand people together walking, whereas lecturing is causing them to disperse.”
“Here is the photo of Prabhupada from the cover of the Scindia pamphlet, “India’s Message of Peace and Goodwill,” which he had printed up to accompany him on his trip to America. Prabhupada stares out from this pamphlet with an extremely grave look. We on the Lower East Side had never seen such a person. He seems to be beyond male and female, beyond happy and unhappy. He is staring right through the universe. He is staring right through me.”
“I should not think of Lord Krishna and Srila Prabhupada as distant. They are always with us, and if it were not so, we could not live a day or a moment in devotional service. One might say that even without Krishna we could live outside of devotional service and do what we want. But that kind of “life”—where one flaps around in a dead body for a few years, thinking that eating, mating, sleeping, and defending is all there is, is not the quality of human life. The meaning of human life is to engage the soul in service to Krishna, and it’s to Srila Prabhupada that we are grateful because he has taught us this. He has taught us that happiness comes only when we regain our original position as servants of the servants of the servants of Krishna. Prabhupada assures us, and we are experiencing it ourselves as truth, that there is no better work and satisfaction then that which is performed as favorable service to the all-attractive Lord Krishna. We pray to realize this more consciously and deeply, becoming free of all unwanted habits, so that eventually we can attain the goal—joining the eternal blissful pastimes of Radha-Krishna and Their entourage.”
From Truthfulness: The Last Leg of Religion:
“Gambling is an attempt to increase one’s wealth without honest labor.”
“If we do not regularly practice honesty we will lose the touch for it. When we become absorbed in living a lie, then we cannot even recognize the truth.”
“Perhaps you cannot distribute under the most ‘front-line’ conditions, as in selling books to passersby in an airport. But that does not mean that you can’t do any distribution of the Absolute Truth. There are many ways to preach, such as by letter or even by praying for the welfare of others. Mainly, we should desire to distribute the knowledge that we have received.”
“Hypocrisy takes many forms; sometimes it disappears and then reappears like the mystical airplane of the demon Salva. As Salva and his plane had to be personally killed by the Supreme Lord, so we have to call upon Lord Krishna in His holy names to be spared from the liars and hypocrites who abound in the nation, the city, the home, and within the conditioned self.”
From Srila Prabhupada Smaranam: Photographs 1966–1977:
“This looks like the early painting done by a first initiate, Hari dasa (Harvey Cohen), which was placed in the picture window of the Matchless Gifts storefront. Hari dasa gave Prabhupada permission to stay in his artist’s loft in the Bowery with a roommate, and then Harvey went to California. But he gave this painting which he had done to Prabhupada, who used it in a new storefront at 26 Second Avenue. Some passersby took the young persons with long hair as women or transvestites. But they were naturally critical and thought the long-haired young dancers were strange. (They didn’t stop to think that if Lord Jesus raised his arms and danced he would look much like the men in this sankirtana party.) Some passersby were intrigued, couldn’t figure it out, but liked the occult aura. After a few weeks of operation, Prabhupada had people inside the storefront up on their feet and dancing like the figures in the painting. Then the painting made more sense and became an invitation to come on in and join the sankirtana song and dance.
“The picture shows Lord Caitanya in a yellow dhoti, Lord Nityananda in a bluish dhoti, Advaita Acarya in a full white beard and white dhoti, Gadadhara, with arms upraised, in reddish dhoti, and Srivasa Acarya with shaved head and hands in pranams. Perhaps Haridasa Thakura is playing the mrdanga. There are other dancers and players in the background. While a little strange for the Lower East Side hippies, it is certainly perceivable as a group of mind-expanding, ecstatic nonconformists, Lord Caitanya’s sankirtana party, first appearing on Second Avenue in an otherwise bare window front under a big sign, ‘Matchless Gifts.’”
“Another man challenged Prabhupada to prove he had the realization of sama-darsanam (as stated in Bhagavad-gita), the ability to see Krishna in the heart of every living entity. Prabhupada told the man he had no such power. But then he told him the power that he did have. He said he had been able to make Vaishnavas of thousands of young people who had formerly been drunkards and drug addicts. He was able to see Krishna in their hearts and administer the medicine of chanting and hearing which converted them from meat-eating mlecchas to refined Vaishnavas and brahmanas. The man was very impressed and left the room repeating to himself, “He sees Krishna in everyone’s heart.” So this was the miraculous ability that Prabhupada readily admitted he possessed. He said he had it," however, only by his one hundred percent following of his spiritual master, and he strictly followed the path chalked out by Lord Caitanya.”
From Prabhupada Nectar, Chapter 5:
“LITTLE DROPS OF NECTAR
“#10 Prabhupada is Considerate
“Prabhupada once arrived in New York, and as usual hundreds of devotees had gathered at the temple to meet him. As Prabhupada stepped out of his car, the devotees exploded in a tumultuous kirtana. As he walked to the doorway of the 55th Street temple, hundreds of devotees followed close behind, chanting Hare Krishna and ‘Jaya Prabhupada.’
“A young mother carrying her baby followed immediately behind Prabhupada as he passed through the glass doors that led to the temple’s lobby. The lobby was also filled with ecstatic chanting devotees. Seeing the young mother behind him, Prabhupada stopped and held the glass door open for her. Even with hundreds of people worshiping him, Prabhupada took the time to show proper etiquette to someone else.”
From Prabhupada Nectar, Chapter 5:
“#26 PRABHUPADA SAID
“‘So there is no question that one activity is more important than another or that Deity worship is more important than sankirtana. But one individual may be able to perform one activity more satisfactorily than another, so to him that activity will be more important. But in general we cannot say that any of the nine processes is more important than the others, except that if hearing, chanting, and remembering are there, that is the most vital consideration for the general class of men in this age. Service to the Deities, as you are asking me, begins whenever you remember Them and offer all your services by remembering Them at the same time. All activities, words, everything should be offered as service to the Deities, and this offering with remembering will gradually increase as you practice it.’ (Letter of June 16, 1976)”
From Prabhupada Nectar, Chapter 3, Number 16:
“Under Krishna’s protection, Srila Prabhupada lived in the material world in a simple way and was never corrupted or tainted by it. He often appeared to be like an innocent young boy. He once asked his disciples Nandarani and Dayananda if they could adopt him as their son as a strategy to get permanent residency in the U.S.A. If we consider innocent to mean ‘not guilty,’ then Srila Prabhupada was certainly innocent of any material entanglement. Unlike most people, he lived in the world without implication by karmic reaction.
“Prabhupada also felt compassion for the innocent creatures of this world, like the cows, bulls, and calves, and also the women. He saw how women are victimized by others, although they themselves are innocent. Prabhupada felt that as they could easily be corrupted, they should rather be protected. He also referred to all his devotees as innocent boys and girls.
“Prabhupada once used this phrase, ‘innocent boys,’ during a public lecture in Tompkins Square Park. Allen Ginsberg was present with some of his friends, and he laughed sarcastically at Prabhupada’s remark. Ginsberg was so decadent that the concept of ‘innocent boys’ was something beyond him. For a person like Ginsberg, ‘innocent boy’ often implies victims for one’s sense gratification. Prabhupada’s disciples, however, were innocent of sinful life by chanting Hare Krishna under Prabhupada’s protection. Therefore, it is not impossible that innocence can prevail in this world. When one becomes a devotee, he can remain innocent of further guilt and sinfulness, and he will not be corrupted.
“Srila Prabhupada trained his devotees to be shrewd so that they would not become corrupted by the material world. They could retain their innocence and still be well aware of the dangers of maya. They could then be prepared to deal with those dangers. As Prabhupada traveled and preached in cities all over the world, he saw and heard more and more of the horrors of Kali-yuga, yet he always remained innocent of the atrocities. He worked to save mankind and to convert the viciously guilty into saintly human beings.”
From Obstacles on the Path of Devotional Service:
“Krishna consciousness is not merely an intellectual position, or a political party. It is a state of grace and enlightenment which drives away all ignorance. It is stated in the Krishna book that ‘the appearance of Krishna in the world vanquishes all speculative iconography.’ People may wonder and doubt about the identity of God, but when He actually appears, then all the doubts go away. Similarly, when Krishna appears in your heart and in your life, when you are overflowing with transcendental realization and happiness, then there is no room for doubts. At this stage, you do not have to be a good debater or logician (although such may be used in Krishna’s service).
“Krishna appears in the heart by His own grace, but He can be attracted by practices of Krishna consciousness and by contact with a pure devotee.”
Jayadavaita Swami:
Generally people do not know what the spiritual platform is or understand what is spirit. Thus they identify the body as the self, and they think I am male, I am female, I am American, I am French.
When the consciousness leaves the body, no one thinks the body is beautiful.
One may be a beautiful actress, but when the consciousness leaves the body, no one will want to embrace it.
When we identify ourselves with the body, we suffer in so many ways. One may say, “But we experience so much pleasure with the body!” But that is like sweet rice mixed with sand. The result is misery. Thus we are always unhappy about something. We desire so many things, thinking we will be happy. Either we don’t get them, and we lament, or we get them and lose them, and we lament. But the soul is by nature joyful.
People feel a need for equality but on the material platform there is no quality. There are rich and poor, strong and weak, etc. But there is equality on the spiritual platform.
The saint sees all beings are equal in that they are conscious although the bodies are different.
We have had the French revolution and our American revolution, but these revolutions do not change anything. What is needed is a revolution in consciousness.
If you are let out of jail, how happy will you be! When one realizes his spiritual identity, he does not have to look for happiness here and there.
How long can I think “I am consciousness. I am consciousness.”? There must be activities.
In Bg. 18.54, Krishna says after we understand we are spirit, the next step is to engage in spiritual activities, bhakti.
We are all parts of Krishna, and when we give service to Krishna, we become happy. Not just service but service with love.
We have our friends and our partners, but they do not last forever, and they do not really understand our hearts.
Our relationships here are just reflections of our loving relationships with Krishna.
Bhakti-yoga is the science of reawakening our relationship with Krishna.
Even if we know someone from the past life, that is just two of our millions of lives!
When Krishna is in the center, our relationships have meaning.
They are suffering because they have forgotten Krishna, so you can become their best friend by reminding them of their real best friend, Krishna.
Devotees become deep friends of each other by reminding each other of Krishna.
Q (by Pranesvara Rama Das): If you are living in perfect Krishna consciousness at home, why do you have to take vanaprastha and sannyasa?
A: One reason is that it is going to be finished anyway. Also there are certain subtle illusions that are there in family life. The husband thinks, “How will my wife survive without me?” Another reason is that our focus is only on two or four people, but there is a whole world out there who are in need of Krishna consciousness.
When Srila Prabhupada recovered from his 1967 heart attack, Madhusudana suggested he rest and not preach.
Srila Prabhupada replied, “My dear boy, if I did not preach, where would you be?”
Every situation sent by karma is an opportunity for serving Krishna.
Krishna is always there, but without the eyes we will not see Him.
If you desire to become Krishna consciousness, Krishna will help you, and if you desire to forget Krishna, Krishna will help you.
Bhakti-yoga frees us from our false individuality and engages our individuality in relationship with Krishna. This is the perfection of individuality. The opposite of diseased individuality is not no individuality but healthy individuality.
We change bodies like we change houses.
The dog does not hear that there is going to be a Bhagavad-gita class and decide, “Let’s go.”
I served a plate of food to Srila Prabhupada, and then I noticed there were some ants on it, and I went to brush them away. Srila Prabhupada stopped me, saying, “They are also living entities with a desire to eat.”
We want the mind to be a friend. Who wants to live with an enemy? Thus we try to control the mind.
One devotee was cheated in business and was upset. Srila Prabhupada said, “Why blame the instrument of your own karma?”
Krishna assures Arjuna that one who once accepts Krishna consciousness never loses out, even if he gets distracted from the path. Those who fall from the path attain heaven for thousands of years and then take birth in a learned or wealthy family or else take birth in a family of transcendentalists. Then they get to continue from where they left off.
Why are some people automatically attracted? That is from their previous practice.
A family passes the harinama party and the little kid is attracted to watch the party, and parents have to drag him away.
If you have capital, if you invest it nicely, you can do very well. Otherwise you can lose it. Similarly we should utilize our human life to develop our Krishna consciousness.
If we just use our human life to improve our eating, sleeping, mating, and defending, then we are not using the real opportunity of our human life.
We are eternal and here everything is temporary. So it is incompatible. Material enjoyment cannot satisfy the self.
Even the richest people and even the most beautiful people are unhappy.
We should follow up on our attraction to Krishna consciousness by taking the practice seriously as it is our permanent asset.
Those who invest in the body will be disappointed.
If we think chanting is for my heart, but I need something for my mind, then we have so many books.
This life those who are chanting Hare Krishna are feeling happy, and next life they go back to Godhead.
Q (Sofia): We are supposed to be motivated by love of God, but I see I am mostly motivated by fear.
A: In the Bible it is said fear of God is the beginning of knowledge. Srila Prabhupada said that the problem with my students is that they are not afraid enough of maya.
To be afraid of maya is very good. Maya has been beating us bloody life after life, so fear of maya is a good beginning. You cannot expect to be doing calculus in primary school. You have taken shelter of Krishna, so do not worry. In the beginning it may seem a little mechanical, but it turns into love. You just have to stay with it.
Originally our desires are spiritual, but in contact with material energy, they become material. And by spiritual contact, they can again become spiritual. We have to bring our desires to their pure form. Spiritual contact means the association of devotees.
Q: I am happy practicing Krishna consciousness but my family members are not so happy, and I feel guilty about that.
A: Do not feel guilty. Try to be compassionate and help them. If your family members become interested in Krishna because you are interested in Krishna, then that is good. But if they are not interested, do not beat your head against the wall to interest those five or seven people. There are millions of people in France who may be interested.
Q: I live with my mother and she is not interested in Krishna so I cannot talk about Krishna.
A: You may live with your mother for some time, and you can just talk about Krishna with everybody else.
Krishna’s will is that everyone becomes Krishna consciousness. But what is your will?
Q: Sometimes we do not judge or criticize, but there are things that should be judged or criticized, and without that, things will get worse. How to correct without insulting?
A: With humility. If it is not your duty, do not criticize. If it is your duty, learn to do it nicely.
Some people think being judgmental is the worst sin. Of course, that is a judgment.
There may be wonderful kirtan singers, but by hearing them one does not become a devotee. Then there may be a very mediocre kirtan singer, and one may become a devotee from hearing from him.
Q: What is the spiritual world?
A: That is Krishna’s residence. You have a place you are living, and Krishna has a place where He is living, and His place is better than your place.
Krishna says, “Surrender to Me,” and Caitanya Mahaprabhu shows how to surrender to Krishna in the simplest way by chanting Hare Krishna.
Janananda Goswami:
The Siksastaka is the inspiration of the Hare Krishna movement.
Srila Prabhupada brought a pamphlet he wrote called “India’s Message of Peace and Goodwill” which has in it Siksastaka.
Without the mercy of Lord Caitanya one cannot enter in the depth of Srimad-Bhagavatam.
The Siksastaka deals with sambandha, abhidheya, and prayojana.
The third verse deals with the procedure of chanting the holy name.
The fourth, how to rid oneself of deception and detrimental mundane desires.
The fifth, the jiva’s original spiritual identity.
The sixth, how one experiences his good fortune of coming closer to Krishna.
The seventh, the mood of separation of one who obtains the required spiritual elevation.
The eighth, how to obtain the perfection.
All eight describe abhidheya, but the first five also describe sambandha, the first five also describe sadhana, verses six and seven describe bhava-bhakti, and verses six to eight describe prema-bhakti.
Bhaktivinoda Thakura quotes:
Pure devotional love of Godhead is unattainable without great faith and intense eagerness to relish the nectarean pastimes of the Supreme Lord, and without a deep understanding of the esoteric truths of the scriptures. And even when profound faith is present, it is impossible to discuss the transcendental topics of the Supreme Lord, without the association of saintly persons because this activity is integral to the hearing and chanting process of devotional service.
Through all the different stages of spiritual progress beginning with ‘sraddha’ or faith, ‘sadhu-sanga’ (saintly association), ‘bhajana-kriya’ (practical devotional service), etc., chanting maintains its preeminence.
The jiva exists to support and participate in the Supreme Lord's transcendental pastimes, but his marginal nature makes him vulnerable.
The pure association of saintly persons acts miraculously on the jiva. He develops taste and interest for scriptural knowledge as well as attraction for the all-attractive Supreme Lord Himself.
Nobody says “that beautiful skeleton,” but some day that beautiful body will be just a skeleton.
Sometimes we are not attentive in chanting the holy name and sometimes we are inattentive in hearing what the offenses are.
Cultivating the pure chanting of the holy name will reveal everything.
We are in a marginal position. Just like on a beach, you can be above the water, or you can be submerged. Similarly, we can be above the material energy or covered over by the material energy.
In 1975 some UK sankirtana devotees parked their van on the beach, and the tide came in. After their morning kirtana, they opened the door and found the van had become surrounded by water. Wearing their gamchas, they took everything valuable out of it, putting the items on the land. Ultimately the sea smashed the van against the rocks, and all the devotees had left of it was its license plate.
The devotees do not want to know all the details of the wars and the crimes because they want to have time to hear and chant about Krishna.
You can read the Bhagavatam and not see Radharani there because She is revealed by the pure devotees.
Our view of the world as kids is quite different from our view as adults, and what we can understand now, is different than what the liberated souls understand.
When I was young, I asked where I came from, and my parents said they bought me at Woolworth’s.
Comment by Rohininandana Prabhu: In France they say boys come from cabbages and girls from roses.
Satyanarayana Prabhu:
Describing Srila Prabhupada’s arrival in Detroit:
He was smiling and lighting up the whole universe. That was just after I had seen him floating.
Describing a boat program on the Ganges:
I was pujari for the deities on the boat. One day I noticed a black cloud and a sudden temperature drop so I knew there was a hurricane coming, but I had to dress the deities. The boat was almost skimming across the surface of the water due to the wind. I turned to get another necklace for Lord Caitanya, and then when I returned I saw Lord Nityananda Prabhu was not there. I was shocked. I opened the curtains to the altar, and I saw him laying on the lap of a brahmacari.
We were worried about the implications of that and later mentioned to Srila Prabhupada what had happened to one of the deities. He became very grave. Then he inquired, “Which deity?”
We told him that it was Lord Nityananda.
Srila Prabhupada was relieved, and said, “Oh, Lord Nityananda Prabhu is a very controversial character. If he wants to fly out, you cannot stop Him.”
Distribution of Arabic books is the last frontier. For decades books have been distributed in Russia and China.
About anyone who distributes books in the Muslim world, Srila Prabhupada said he takes the dust from their feet and puts it on his head.
Brajajana Prabhu was on a traveling book distribution party. The party rented a house in Tennessee, and they had their vehicle parked in front. One night someone threw a Molotov cocktail through a window he was sleeping in front of it, and he left his body. Srila Prabhupada said that without a doubt he went back to Godhead.
Comment by Gopika: I go to Spain and Italy, and they believe in God, and distributing books is so easy. But in France every day is an adventure. So many people do not believe in God and think we are a sect.
As a hippie in 1971 I got the purple edition of Bhagavad-gita with the introduction by Alan Ginsberg. It was my constant companion, and it brought me to consciousness.
Visakha Dasi:
From “The Supreme Wonderful Behind All Wonders” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 56, No. 6 (Nov/Dec 2022):
“If we feel far from appreciating Krishna’s and His devotees’ transcendental activities, we can still wonder at Krishna’s marvelous creation all around us. Consider, for example, Nobel Prize winner Linus Pauling’s famous statement ‘Just one living cell in the human body is more complex than New York City.’As a former resident of that teeming city, I can say that thought is overwhelmingly wondrous.”
Adi-Guru Prabhu:
Understanding the living entity is eternal is the beginning of spiritual life.
Krishna explains in Bhagavad-gita 4.10 that people have to get past material attachment, fear, and anger to progress spiritually.
Our body imperceptibly is aging at every moment. It is like a flame. A flame looks continuous but actually at every moment it is a product of different molecules of fuel burning.
This bhakti-yoga is best yoga, and it is the honest yoga.
It is said that Krishna does not stay in this world very long because He does not want to give too much importance to it.
In the purport to Bg. 5.22, Srila Prabhupada says by knowing Krishna we become free from attachment to false material enjoyment.
We have to push ourselves to come to the point of full surrender in little steps.
Q: What was the hardest thing to give up in surrendering to Krishna?
A: Sleep. I used to caress my sleeping bag when I had to leave it at 4 a.m.!
A (me): I also had issues with sleep. Originally I planned to stay in the temple for the year I took off from college, but I liked it and had no plan to leave. However, I could never get enough sleep, and at a certain point I just had to leave because I could not live in a place where I could not get enough sleep.
A (by Harini dd): Garlic.
A (by Gaura Nataraja Prabhu): The freedom to travel whenever I want.
I used to think like that: “I will stay to the next Sunday feast.”
Srila Prabhupada said if we want to advance quickly, we should do all the little things in addition to all the big things.
Srila Prabhupada said surrender to Krishna is suicide for the false ego.
All knowledge is sound. Books are just encoded sound. If you can accept this Hare Krishna sound, you do not have to do other processes.
Gaudamandala Prabhu:
We cannot see what is in the heart of each person, but Krishna can see.
In this movement, sometimes people have revealed something of their heart to others, and then they spread that, and so people are cautious about revealing their heart.
It is important that we worship the deities that Srila Prabhupada installed rather than installing new deities.
Krishna has provided facility for people to live peacefully and achieve the spiritual world.
Materialistic people do not want to share their wealth but prefer to die with it.
One fabulously rich man said he did not want to give one penny to his children, what to speak of to Krishna.
To treat all living beings the same without discrimination is impersonalism. There are those who know more than us we should learn from, and there are those who know less than us we should teach. Therefore we have to make some discrimination.
The guru is worshiped first to approach Krishna. Srila Prabhupada put it in our sadhana right in the morning. Samsara davanala lidha loka . . . We are reminded that we are in samsara, and we need the guru to get out.
We distribute the mercy to everyone because the Lord is in everyone’s heart.
In Vrindavan, everyone brings so many things to the deities the system is that the deity gives back immediately.
The round salagrama-silas can manifest any form you desire to worship.
Comment by Rajadharma Prabhu: I was asked by some devotees in Kathmandu to pick up a salagrama-sila on my trip to Muktinatha. I looked in the Godavari but could not find one. The priests of the Nepali army had several and told me to take one. I took a small one, but the son of the priest pushed me to take a larger one. As I was carrying it back in a bag on my chest, I felt I was carrying Parisisvara. When I returned to Kathmandu, the devotees said they did not need it and told me to keep it. Now it is the salagrama-sila we worship on the altar in Paris.
Dhananjaya Prabhu of New Mayapur:
Srila Prabhupada reminds us that auspicious activities for the next life are not the goal, but rather the goal is service to the Lord which promotes us to the kingdom of God.
If we lose our focus on devotional service, in one second we can be carried away.
If we follow the descriptions in the scriptures we can come up to the point of goodness, and then we have to be worried about becoming conditioned to that happiness and not endeavoring to achieve the perfection of devotional service.
Great souls like Bhaktivinoda Thakura, although they are so highly realized, always lament their failings in their attempts to attain Krishna, thus teaching us not to be complacent.
Even if we just ask devotees what they realized this week, we can great benefit from their association.
Krishna is there as our best friend, ready to help us, with our next prayer.
What is the use improving this life which is just like a drop of a water on a lotus petal?
Paying attention to the holy name is the way we can come to appreciate the name and form of the Lord.
Bhavasindhu Prabhu:
From a class and a lunchtime conversation:
I got a piece of halava from a lady elegantly dressed in a sari, Satarupa dd. Its amazing taste began my spiritual journey. I also got a Back to Godhead which also had a fragrance perhaps from the incense in the temple and from the halava, and I got an invitation to the temple. When I came to the Sunday feast for the first time, I could not understand much about what the devotees were doing, but I felt that I belonged with these people, and I became a regular. One time the devotees were closing the temple and canceling the Sunday feast. They said that Srila Prabhupada was coming to New Mayapur, so they were all going there. They had a free seat, and they invited me to come, but I was a teenager and too worried what my parents would say, so to my great misfortune I declined.
Bhuvaneswar Prabhu, who cooked for the deities in Vrindavan, would say that he was not cooking but just arranging the ingredients. Radharani is the cook.
Svayam Jyoti Siromani, the assistant of Jayadvaita Swami:
This verse said that it is auspicious when people come and do religious ceremonies at our temples (SB 7.14.27–28). And we practically see that many people from India accept our temples as auspicious places and perform ceremonies at them.
Krishna is merciful, and Lord Caitanya is very merciful.
The acaryas in our line are willing to give their hearts to new devotees to inspire them.
Radha-Krishna are merciful. It is just that Jagannatha and Gaura Nitai are more merciful. And therefore for home worship, it is recommended to worship Jagannatha and Gaura Nitai rather than Radha-Krishna because few can worship Radha-Krishna at the proper standard at home.
As soon as people enter the grounds of the temple, they can feel the auspiciousness.
Comment by me: One Kolkata man told me he forgot everything while visiting our temple in Mayapur, even his family.
Caitanya Candra Prabhu:
From “The Wise on Gita Wisdom” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 56, No. 6 (Nov/Dec 2022):
“People futilely look for help from self-help without looking for the self.”
“The Gita’s religion is far removed from conventional religions that ask followers to pray, pay, and obey. It invites devotee-seekers to analyze, utilize, and actualize its wisdom through personal practice that Krishna rewards with proportional divine revelation, as indicated in Gita 4.11. Thus the philosophy of love blossoms into a religion of love, wherein all our daily activities, whether spiritual or secular, become integrated into a magnificent program for our purification and our restoration in the eternal world of love to which we actually belong and for which we subconsciously long.”
The Back to Godhead staff:
From “Letters” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 56, No. 6 (Nov/Dec 2022):
“We see nowadays that people get overwhelmed by the routine ups and downs of life. For example, students get depressed and sometimes commit suicide because they do not perform well in one exam. A business collapse or stock-market crash causes people to get heart attacks or commit suicide. All this is because people do not see life from a long-term perspective, and so they take the short-term upheavals too seriously. When we see life from a long-term perspective, the short-term ups and downs in life do not affect us as much, and we can be more purposefully focused and resilient in using our talents for our own good, for the service of humanity, and for the glorification of God. In this way, in addition to creating a better future for us in the next life, preparing for a next life helps us better live this one.”
“Pessimism in Vedic philosophy is only initial, never final. In its conclusion, Vedic philosophy is supremely optimistic.”
Nandamukhi Devi Dasi of China:
From “Six Gita Values and Chinese Culture” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 56, No. 6 (Nov/Dec 2022):
“In Lun Yu, a collection of the teachings of Confucius (551–479 BCE), it is said, ‘If you have good conduct, even if you do not command orders people will implement them. If you do not have good conduct, even if you command orders people will not obey. . . . If you rectify your own behavior, what difficulty is there in managing others and the state’s affairs? If you cannot rectify your own behavior, how can you rectify others’ behavior?’”
“Wang Yangming (1472–1529 CE), an important thinker and military general in the Ming Dynasty, wrote in his book Chuan Xi Lu, ‘Modesty is the foundation of all virtues. Pride is the chief of all evils.’”
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The goal of life is said to be pure devotional service to Krishna, who is described to be the origin of all souls and the Supreme Soul. That state is described by Lord Kapila in these two verses from Srimad-Bhagavatam:
“The manifestation of unadulterated devotional service is exhibited when one’s mind is at once attracted to hearing the transcendental name and qualities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is residing in everyone’s heart. Just as the water of the Ganges flows naturally down towards the ocean, such devotional ecstasy, uninterrupted by any material condition, flows towards the Supreme Lord.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.29.11–12)
