Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 19, No. 16
(August 2023, part two)
Quebec, Albany, Syracuse
(Sent from Syracuse, New York, on September 2, 2023)
Where I Went and What I Did
On August 16, I flew from New York City to Montreal to attend the Canadian Vaishnava Sanga Festival August 16–20 and the Kirtan Festival Celebration August 26–27. I took lots of notes on the fascinating lectures at the sanga festival, so don’t miss those. I did harinama in Montreal before, between, and after the festivals. When I was in Montreal for just part of the day, I would chant Hare Krishna, usually for a hour, on Ontario Street, just a five-minute walk from the temple. I met some very nice people there, including one attender of our Toronto temple, who was visiting her sister who she hadn’t realized before lives a short walk from the Montreal temple. She visited twice, for the morning program and for lunch. On my full days in Montreal, I would also chant downtown for usually two hours with their regular harinama party.
On those harinamas we had between five and eleven devotees. On August 28, I took the bus to Albany, took care of my mother for half a day, and then took a train to Syracuse where I chanted at the Syracuse University campus during the day and attended a couple of evening programs, one at a rented house, and the other, a festival for Lord Balarama, at the temple.
Itinerary
August 30–September 7: Syracuse harinamas
September 9–13: NYC Harinam
September 14–20: take care of mother near Albany
September 21–22: Philadelphia harinamas
September 23: Philadelphia Ratha-yatra
September 24: Philadelphia harinama
September 25–November 16: NYC Harinama
November 17–19: BIHS Conference, Gainesville
November 20–23: Gainesvlle harinamas
November 24–25: Festival of the Holy Name, Alachua
November 26: Gainesville harinama
Chanting Hare Krishna in Montreal
After getting picked up at the airport and having a twenty-minute nap, I chanted on Ontario Street and had some interesting encounters.
I met Ricky, who went to the Sunday feast in Amsterdam in 1970, and was overjoyed to learn we have a Sunday feast in Montreal just ten minutes away. A lady who meditates liked to hear us singing, and a guy wanted me to play “My Sweet Lord.”
The Monday after the sanga festival, I met Johanna on harinama, 15 minutes from the Montreal temple. She lived in Mayapur for 2 weeks when her youngest girl was thinking of becoming Hare Krishna. Now her older daughter, Catalina, lives in NYC and enjoys attending classes at the Brooklyn temple and is friends with Govinda's cook Maria Jaya Radhe. Johanna came the next day to the second half of the morning program at the Montreal temple. She also brought her sister to lunch.
Here Sercy chants Hare Krishna at Christ Church Cathedral, the site of Monday’s afternoon harinama (https://youtu.be/hQh3NYuBQ_w):
During her kirtan, Gaura Dasa Prabhu, disciple of Srila Prabhupada, distributed literature.
This lady was very happy to receive the French “On Chanting Hare Krishna” from him!
Bader Soma chants Hare Krishna at Christ Church Cathedral (https://youtu.be/P-9CyO6zk64):
Bader also sang another Hare Krishna tune there (https://youtu.be/V4KgKo3NoC8):
The next day on my Ontario Street harinama, I saw a man walking two ferrets, a sight I had never seen before.
Later I saw some paramedics trying to resuscitate someone in the middle of an intersection. I stayed and chanted for benefit the person for a few minutes.
Here Sercy chants Hare Krishna at Phillips Square, just a block from where we chanted the previous day (https://youtu.be/dpqtaopoptI):
Bhakta Michael also chanted Hare Krishna there (https://youtu.be/gI7VGeSglD8):
Nathalie, a former resident of the Montreal temple who still practices Krishna consciousness and happened to walk by, chants the Nrsimha prayers, and her friend from Ottawa moves to the music (https://youtu.be/hBqHA2SK614):
Then Nathalie, who also led kirtan on harinama when I visited six years ago, ended our afternoon session with a Hare Krishna melody (https://youtu.be/Yv4_HfkQO3M):
Her friend, who seemed to be really into the music, later asked me for the videos I took, and I told her about our programs in the Ottawa area.
Dmitry took some video of that same kirtan in which you can see me taking the above video (https://youtu.be/Om0gGkWG9g0):
I also would distribute invitations and “On Chanting Hare Krishna” in French and English, when I wasn’t taking videos.
Vrishni, an attender of our Montreal temple, chants Hare Krishna by Concordia University (https://youtu.be/_wviWjvbQ4I):
Sercy also chants Hare Krishna there (https://youtu.be/ebIQLvp72D0):
Bhakta Michael chants Hare Krishna there too (https://youtu.be/wdXIU5sBHfo):
Dmitry chants Hare Krishna by Concordia University (https://youtu.be/D_JTmus6-fo):
Bhakta Émile chants Hare Krishna by Concordia University, and a Muslim man plays gong (https://youtu.be/LvZxKwNPoXc):
Thursday we chanted near the University of Quebec at Montreal. I chanted first and then Sundara Caitanya Swami for over an hour. Maharaja asked me to play the whompers, so I reluctantly agreed. Thus I had no opportunity to take any video of that harinama.
Inspired by our walking harinamas on Ontario Street on Friday we did a walking harinama lasting over two hours on a busier pedestrian street called Avenue du Mont-Royal (Mount Royal Avenue). I was fully engaged in playing instruments on this harinama also, and thus I have no videos of it. There were many people, and we distributed all of our invitations to the Montreal temple.
Sundara Caitanya Swami chants Sri Vraja Dhama Mahimamrita during Jhulan Yatra on the first day of that festival Sunday morning at our Montreal temple (https://youtu.be/AepE3gToweo):
On Monday we had a party of nine devotees on a one-hour harinama before my afternoon bus to Albany, as four Indian students visiting from Winnipeg joined the party.
Here Tulasi Tosani Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna on Ontario Street (https://youtu.be/W004rA92SXE):
Here Prana Gauranga chants Hare Krishna there too (https://youtu.be/WsbzTOv5na0):
Chanting Hare Krishna at Canadian Vaishnava Sanga Festival in Quebec
Krishnadasa Kaviraja Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Tulasi Puja at Canadian Vaishnava Sanga Festival (https://youtu.be/5vBUMfGjMew):
Bhaktimarga Swami chants Hare Krishna at the Canadian Vaishnava Sanga Festival and inspires devotees to dance (https://youtu.be/FKrINqw1J0A):
Mahatma Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at the Canadian Vaishnava Sanga Festival (https://youtu.be/d30VZiz-gEk):
Bhaktimarga Swami chants Hare Krishna at an “Evolution” festival in Saint-Élie, Quebec, Canada (https://youtu.be/1dFL5Mj6mJ8):
While Bhaktimarga Swami chanted Hare Krishna there, more and more people began to dance (https://youtu.be/wFC30cgulCA):
After most of the devotees left, Bader Soma and Rayanne chanted Hare Krishna for a few attendees at the “Evolution” festival (https://youtu.be/q8YzCEq4fWc):
Bader Soma chanted my favorite Hare Krishna tune there (https://youtu.be/9blXGJgxlj4):
Sundara Caitanya Swami chants Hare Krishna at the final kirtan of Canadian Vaishnava Sanga Festival, and devotees dance (https://youtu.be/9TqQ6F0Nj7Q):
Chanting Hare Krishna at Kirtan Festival Celebration in Mascouche, Quebec
Tulasi Tosani Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna at Kirtan Festival Celebration (https://youtu.be/XI8TaGilD_A):
While she sang, many danced (https://youtu.be/2XF7G-LsuBc):
I also danced during the devotee kirtans, when not taking videos:
While Sundara Caitanya Swami chanted Hare Krishna there, many danced (https://youtube.com/shorts/puLnxbALFSU?feature=share):
Here he chants that tune at a faster tempo (https://youtube.com/shorts/puLnxbALFSU):
Sundara Caitanya Swami chants another Hare Krishna tune there (https://youtu.be/8CI3fYcdXBg
Eric Mandala chants Hare Krishna at Kirtan Festival Celebration (https://youtu.be/_8kMP-haygs):
Pradyumna Prabhu, musician and disciple of Bhaktimarga Swami, chants Hare Krishna at Kirtan Festival Celebration in Mascouche, Quebec, and many dance (https://youtu.be/EeYi1dOqTiA):
Here is a portrait view of that kirtan (https://youtu.be/gA7vQxnYp6E):
Geneviève, who chanted and danced in that kirtan, belongs to a kirtan group where they chant mantras to other deities, but she loves it when the devotees chant. She explains, “Because of your complete devotion to Krishna, when you people sing I feel massive amounts of spiritual energy!”
Gaura Prabhu chants Hare Krishna on the second day of the Kirtan Festival Celebration, a Sunday morning (https://youtu.be/TlsE0WlUpTg):
Here’s another tune by Gaura Prabhu (https://youtu.be/PlS_pc2zqMI):
And yet another (https://youtu.be/Whx7kd8jhGs):
Ekanath Prabhu of Chile, who lives in Montreal, chants Hare Krishna at Kirtan Festival Celebration (https://youtu.be/KM0Mkg_vi78):
Ekanath Prabhu chants a third Hare Krishna tune there (https://youtu.be/X6yval4c7Y4):
I preferred to dance, hoping to inspire others.
Ekanath Prabhu dances while he chants (https://youtu.be/svN6SzPQuNw):
Ekanath Prabhu chants Hare Krishna and dances some more (https://youtu.be/d_DAyJuAbkU):
Ekanath Prabhu chants a fifth Hare Krishna tune and dances (https://youtu.be/AP9BzHYPxUI):
While the Montreal brahmacaris distributed books at the Kirtan Festival Celebration, I would invite people to the temple for Janmastami. Although the attendees were largely eclectic, the idea of celebrating Krishna’s birthday was appealing, and several said they would come.
Bader Soma plays guitar and chants a Hare Krishna tune at Kirtan Festival Celebration (https://youtu.be/v7bee8fwCKU):
Bader Soma chants a second Hare Krishna tune there (https://youtu.be/ScbZXBdYc_Y):
Bader Soma chants the final Hare Krishna tune at the Kirtan Festival Celebration he organized (https://youtu.be/-JFG4tGBjms):
Rama Dasa Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in a lakeside house near Syracuse, New York (https://youtu.be/Fh1kEJQpkgs):
Later he chanted another Hare Krishna tune there (https://youtu.be/NcQ2qB8Lqfs):
Rama Dasa Prabhu chants Hare Krishna during abhiseka for Lord Balarama on His appearance day at Mantra Central (https://youtu.be/eKqRH-Q431I):
All over the world we refer to Srila Prabhupada’s book called Krishna as Krishna Book. In the French language that its title, Le Livre de Krishna, literally, The Book of Krishna.
Manohara in Montreal, above with Radha, was featured on the cover of the amazing collection of deity photos called Darsana.
Seeing the magnitude of the sign at the USA - Canada border, I was reminded of the great national pride possessed by Americans!
Srila Prabhupada:
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 13.32, purport:
“Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Krishna Himself. The entire cosmic manifestation results from the Lord’s first setting it in motion. Similarly, since the sankirtana movement was first set in motion five hundred years ago by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s desire that it spread all over the universe, the Krishna consciousness movement, in continuity of that same motion, is now spreading all over the world, and in this way it will gradually spread all over the universe. With the spread of the Krishna consciousness movement, everyone will merge in an ocean of love of Krishna.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 8.87, verse and purport:
“By serving You constantly, one is freed from all material desires and is completely pacified. When shall I engage as Your permanent eternal servant and always feel joyful to have such a perfect master?”
“This is a statement made by the great saintly devotee Yamunacarya in his Stotra-ratna (43).”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 21.144, purport:
“A devotee who has heard the sound of Krishna’s flute forgets to talk or hear of any other subject. This vibration of Krishna’s flute is represented by the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. A serious devotee of the Lord who chants and hears this transcendental vibration becomes so accustomed to it that he cannot divert his attention to any subject matter not related to Krishna’s blissful characteristics and paraphernalia.”
From a Room Conversation with Allen Ginsberg on May 12, 1969, in Columbus:
“So if anyone loves Krishna, he must love Lord Jesus Christ also. And if one perfectly loves Jesus Christ, he must love Krishna. If he says, ‘Why shall I love Krishna? I shall love Jesus Christ,’ then he has no knowledge. And if one says, ‘Why shall I love Jesus Christ? I shall love...’, then he has also no knowledge. If one understands Krishna, then he will understand Jesus Christ. If one understands Jesus Christ, he'll understand Krishna.”
From a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.2.12–14 in Allahabad on January 17, 1971:
“If you sit down and write some article on Krishna, that means you have to concentrate on Krishna’s activities, devotees, and that very process will purify your heart. Therefore, we always recommend to our students that you write articles.”
From a class on Brahma-samhita 5.32 on August 14, 1972:
“Realization means you should write. Everyone of you. What is your realization? What for this Back to Godhead is? You write your realization, what you have realized about Krishna. That is required. It is not passive. Always you should be active. Whenever you find time, you write. Never mind two lines, four lines, but you write your realization.”
From a letter to Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami on August 28, 1973:
“Krishna is very kind upon you because he has given you so many responsible tasks. So always think of the Lotus Feet of Sri Krishna and you will find no difficulties in executing the tasks allotted to you by Krishna. Bhaktivinoda Thakura used to say all difficult tasks he had to execute for Krishna were considered as great pleasure for him.”
Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura:
From Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 1.355, purport:
“You should give up rasabhasa, the incompatible mixing of transcendental mellows, and give up useless talk that is opposed to the conclusions of the scriptures and not related to Krishna, and constantly chant the holy names of Krishna with your nonduplicitous service-inclined tongues. Rather than considering yourselves the enjoyers while enjoying external objects, you should consider yourselves the eternal ingredients for Krishna’s service and constantly remain favorably engaged in the chanting of Krishna’s pure holy names. You should give up desires for sense gratification, which are born from the propensity for hearing temporary material sound vibrations based on mundane enjoyment, and hear the spiritual sound vibration of topics related to Krishna’s names, which are nondifferent from Krishna, through your nonduplicitous service-inclined ears.”
Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:
From Wild Garden:
“Srila Prabhupada advised us to taste the rasa of preaching. He said the quickest way to attract Krishna is to bring other people to Krishna consciousness. Spread the word, ‘make’ devotees. Whoever does so is the dearest servant of the Lord, and there will never be one more dear.”
“Preaching can be intense. The preacher has to constantly qualify himself. His audience demands the real thing. If he preaches surrender, then the preacher must surrender. If he preaches love of Krishna, then he must love and serve and worship Krishna.
From Japa Transformations:
“Chanting is shelter, like
living in a house. You’re
with the Lord in private
meditation. It is cozy and
intimate, and warms the
heart. It is better than a
fireplace on a winter day.”
“On days when you are behind in your schedule, you may have to sacrifice other activities, and you should do that willingly. Quality chanting always comes first.”
“You’ll reach the goal before
the day is out, so what’s to
worry? You have to do it so
you might as well enjoy the
easiest practice of the day.”
From Obstacles on the Path of Devotional Service:
“Physical Illness
“My list of things to do
falls to the side.
All I do is rest.
But one cry to Krishna
is worth a hundred steps
of marching in pride.”
From From Imperfection Purity Will Come:
“I am easily disturbed. I don’t feel deep emotion. I can’t confess. I remember going to confession as a child. The nun told us to prepare ourselves to tell the priest our sins, but all I could think of was that I talked back to my mother and told a lie. We were looking for the cracks in the sidewalk instead of the chasms in our souls. Why? Because the main thing was to stay as calm as possible. It was the middle of the war.”
From From Copper to Touchstone:
“Empowerment to preach is therefore implicit in the spiritual master’s order to preach.”
“A devotee is empowered to the degree that he or she surrenders to and tries to carry out the spiritual master’s mission.”
“The more we read about the gopis’ dealings with Krishna, the more we understand that they have everything to teach us about devotion to the Lord.”
“Even after his disappearance, therefore, Prabhupada continues to preach through his disciples. ISKCON’s expansion is Srila Prabhupada’s glory.”
“Prabhupada did not work just so that by the time he left this world he would have established something for which he could become famous. He was not like the American presidents with their four-year term in office, hoping to do something revolutionary so that they can go down in history for their achievements. Prabhupada was genuinely concerned for the world’s people. That means that the movement he established must continue and be protected even after his disappearance.”
“I remember one incident where Prabhupada was giving a talk in Vṛndavana. He was speaking about death. One man said that he didn’t know if he was going to die. Prabhupada retorted, ‘Oh? You are something special? You will not die?’ The man did not back down: ‘I don’t know.’ Then Prabhupada said, ‘I don’t know. If you don’t know, then I don’t know if you are human.’”
“In our case, taking time to hear and chant is not an indulgence. Only by practicing attentive and dedicated sadhana will we have sufficient strength to preach. We cannot give others something that we ourselves do not possess.”
“‘All the people who lived near Akrura-tirtha came to see Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and due to the large crowds, the Lord could not peacefully chant the holy name. Therefore Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu would go to Vrindavana and sit in a solitary place. It was there that He chanted the holy name until noon. In the afternoon, people were able to speak to Him. The Lord told everyone of the importance of chanting the holy name.’ (Madhya 18.79–81)
“Therefore, He followed the schedule of chanting alone until noon, and then preaching the glories of the holy name. We should follow the spirit of this example.”
“The first time Lord Caitanya went to the Jagannatha temple, He went up to the altar to see the Deities. He fell into an ecstatic trance. Later He said that that incident caused Him great inconvenience, so He would now only view the Deities from the back of the temple, beside the Garuda-stambha.”
“Like the fisherman, we too may sometimes have a peak experience, but then it is followed by ridiculous materialistic considerations. We go from the sublime to the ridiculous. When this happens, it is proof that we are still actually on a lower level. If one actually ‘sees’ Krishna, then he is changed forever and no longer worries about the life he is leaving behind.”
“This fisherman’s behavior instructs us about the unsteady platform. If we are on such a platform where we sometimes taste nectar and sometimes fall into ridiculous thoughts, we have no alternative but to continue practicing Krishna consciousness and hoping to attain more steadiness.”
“Every year, the devotees from Bengal would come to see Lord Caitanya, led by Advaita Acarya and Lord Nityananda. Around this time [at the end of his antya-lila], Lord Caitanya asked them not to come anymore. Although the Lord told the devotees that they should not undertake so much austerity to visit Him, His deeper reason was that His ecstasies and internal mood were so dominant that He was unable to reciprocate with them.”
From Free Write Journal #260:
“I became initiating guru and suddenly had to accept disciples in big numbers—all these devotees who hadn’t been initiated and were waiting to be initiated. And it was a very heady time. I wrote a poem about it which I published in Journal and Poems, feeling myself to be a small person, but a guru. I called it ‘A Castor Tree Guru,’ based on an example Prabhupada gave. He said that when there are no trees, a castor tree (which is a small tree) will be considered a big tree. So my poem is called ‘A Castor Tree Guru.’
“When there are no trees,
a castor tree is a big tree.
‘I may be imperfect,’
Prabhupada would say,
‘but if I speak what Krishna says,
then that is also perfect.’
And a prabhupadanuga
is in touch with the shakti.
“The tree in the courtyard is also small,
but sturdy, even in winter.
And in springtime it will bud green.
“Let me grow as I am able,
even if I am small.
And let me also shelter sisya birds.
“I am his foot dust,
his boy, his saved, his son,
his typist, a bringer of a mango.
But I cannot rest on these credits.
Today also I am traveling
to his Mayapur.
“I pray to stay a small tree,
since that is what I am,
and to deliver these sisyas given to me.
By chanting and hearing
and always living with the Vaishnavas,
by preaching and urging myself and them,
I’ll help keep these ISKCON places sound
until the end of my life.”
“Everyone agrees the mode of goodness is perceptible around protected cows.”
Bhakti Raghava Swami:
Catur Vidya (Four traditional Vedic sciences essential for a Vedic community):
1. Anviksiki: Science of Philosophy (All Dvijas)
2. Trayi: Science of Education (Brahmanas)
3. Danda Niti: Science of Politics (Ksatriyas)
4. Varta: Science of Economic (Vaisyas)
Two sva-bhavas.
1. Material
2. Spiritual
Relationship of Vaishnava culture and varnasrama.
Srila Prabhupada wanted us to produce our own food and our own cloth and not be eager for artificial necessities.
Vrindavan is an example of a community.
We cannot completely do varnasrama in cities.
Varnasrama Dharma Activities
1. Serving with the four varnas (social divisions) and the four asramas (spiritual divisions)
2. The ideal lifestyle is agrarian in nature, close to cows, land, and the cultivation of knowledge
3. Education
Bhagavata Dharma Activities
1. Nava-vidhi bhakti
2. Reviving of relationship with Lord Krishna in one of five rasas.
The longer we depend on this flawed civilization, the worse it will be for us.
Three Gifts of Nature
1. Cows
2. Earth
3. Knowledge
Three Mothers
1. Mother Surabhi (Cow)
2. Mother Bhumi (Earth)
3. Mother Sarasvati (Knowledge)
In many temples we are offering food to the Lord that is not purely produced.
“Vrindaban conception is a transcendental village, without any botheration of the modern industrial atmosphere. My idea of developing New Vrindaban is to create an atmosphere of spiritual life where people in bona fide order of social division, namely, Brahmacaris, Grhasthas, Vanaprastha, Sannyasis, or specifically Brahmacaris and Sannyasis, and Vanaprasthas, will live there independently, completely depending on agricultural produce and milk from the cows.” (Letter to Hayagriva on 17 August 1968)
I recommend reading the 1956 essay Srila Prabhupada wrote on “Gitanagari.”
There is a 1949 letter that talks about these four features.
Varnasrama is already there. We seek to purify it.
By association with the cows we come more to the mode of goodness.
The more we follow Krishna’s social system, the easier it is to realize Krishna.
To be a real sudra it is important to have the qualities of truthfulness and cleanliness.
Protection, administration, and maintaining well being are duties of the ksatriyas.
There needs to be teaching for the different varnas and thus Varnasrama colleges are required.
Both sva-dharma for the body and sva-dharma for the body are part of sanatana-dharma.
Vedas (4)
Vedangas (6)
Mimanga (6)
- - -
Five Pillars of Education
Definition
Disposition
Delivery
Design
Direction
Teacher has to have nine qualities of a brahmana. (Bg. 18.42)
Student has to have three qualities of a disciple. (Bg. 4.34)
SB 10.11.37
“In this way, Krishna and Balarama, acting like small boys and talking in half-broken language, gave transcendental pleasure to all the inhabitants of Vraja. In due course of time, They became old enough to take care of the calves.”
Purport:
“As soon as Krishna and Balarama were a little grown up, They were meant for taking care of the calves. Although born of a very well-to-do family, They still had to take care of the calves. This was the system of education. Those who were not born in brahmana families were not meant for academic education. The brahmanas were trained in a literary, academic education, the ksatriyas were trained to take care of the state, and the vaisyas learned how to cultivate the land and take care of the cows and calves. There was no need to waste time going to school to be falsely educated and later increase the numbers of the unemployed. Krishna and Balarama taught us by Their personal behavior. Krishna took care of the cows and played His flute, and Balarama took care of agricultural activities with a plow in His hand.”
The two purposes of temples were to
(1) train up frontline preachers
(2) train up devotees to live on farm communities
Courses need to be added to existing programs like VIHE, MI, etc., that are in relation to varnasrama.
In 2015 the GBC proposed a research group to study varnasrama but nothing happened.
I think that we have very few self-sustaining communities because we have not implemented varnasrama colleges and because we have not taken starting these communities as a priority.
The leaders of our society are not convinced of the importance of these communities, and thus they are not speaking about it, and therefore they are not creating interest in the devotees in general.
Life is education, and education is life.
Comment by Vedavyasa Prabhu: I think we should not think in terms of preaching to people but rather in terms of welcoming people and receiving people. We need to think of land, cows, and food. Then we can receive and engage people.
Comment by another devotee: We should welcome nondevotees with farming inclinations to communities, and they may be inclined to become devotees.
Bhaktimarga Swami:
As when people say our name, it hits our heart, so when we say the name of the Lord of the universe, it hits His heart.
I wrote poems when COVID restricted my meeting with people and doing dramas.
In rural Canada I was able to speak in several schools. Teachers wanted to encourage students to seek pleasure in nature and not electronic devices so they were open to letting me speak.
Getting from him his poem on trees.
In this age, if I don’t have a screen, I scream. Yet hearing the images in the poems is better.
Arjuna was depressed, but it was a precursor to something better.
Line from a poem: “When will hairs stand on end as we chant to transcend.”
Malati Devi Dasi:
I distributed the Hare Krishna cookbooks in slaughterhouses in Holland. I told the people, “Take them for your wife.” They were so bewildered, they would take them. I saw the people who worked there were missing parts of their fingers and were all unhappy.
As a kid Bhaktivinoda Thakura would talk to the chowkidar at his place who was a follower of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He heard of the Caitanya-caritamrita then, and the whole rest of his life, he was looking for that book. He did not find it until he was magistrate in Jagannatha Puri at age 34.
Lord Jagannatha was installed on Easter Day of 1967 in San Francisco.
When Srila Prabhupada saw The Diggers next door to our San Francisco temple had a flatbed truck, he suggested we could use it for the first Ratha-yatra.
In a mood of great gravity Srila Prabhupada told us in San Francisco that he was going back to India, and he said, “I want you to push on this movement. I am an old man. I can die at anytime.” We did not think he could die at any moment. He was so full of energy. We had never met anyone that age like that.
Mukunda suggested maybe one of his godbrothers could help us in his absence. Srila Prabhupada said, “My spiritual master is not an ordinary spiritual master. He saved me.” He explained that if anyone said anything even a little different it would ruin everything. He said, “Everything I have to teach you in these books.” What were “these books”? The first three volumes comprising the First Canto. He knew from the fact that no one assisted him in his attempts before his success, that after his success, that they would not come to help but to gain control of his movement, and we see that happened.
We were not shy. We went out on the street, and we would tell people, “Do you want to see God?” And we would bring them to the temple, and show them Lord Jagannatha.
Once Srila Prabhupada asked a devotee to mail a letter. The envelope had a little hole in it, and he mentioned it to Srila Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada dismissed it, but the devotee brought it up again. Srila Prabhupada explained that in India they would open letters from the west to see if there was money in it. If there was not money in it, they would throw the letter away, but if I put a slit in it, they will see there is no money in it and deliver the letter.
“In India all the acaryas and their descendants later on acted only from the man’s side. Their wives were at home because that is the system from old times that women are not required to go out. But in Bhagavad-gita we find that women are also equally competent like the men in the matter of Krishna Consciousness Movement. Please therefore carry on these missionary activities, and prove it by practical example that there is no bar for anyone in the matter of preaching work for Krishna Consciousness.” (Letter to Himavati on 20 December 1969)
“So far your question regarding women, I have always accepted the service of women without discrimination.” (Letter to Gurudasa on 26 May 1972)
“So far as girls or boys lecturing in the morning, that doesn’t make any difference. Either girl or boy devotees may deliver lecture if they choose to do. We have no such distinction of bodily designations, male or female. Krishna Consciousness is on the spiritual platform. As such, anyone who is a devotee of the Lord, following in this line of disciplic succession, can deliver lecture, on the teachings of Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, etc.” (Letter to Syama on 21 October 1968)
The mail came, and Janaki and I saw there was an aerogram for Srila Prabhupada, so we decided to personally deliver it to his apartment. Janaki told him he had a letter and gave it to him. She said, “Aren’t you going to open it?” He opened it. She said, “Good news, Swamiji?”
“Yes,” he said. “My sister died.Seeing our surprise, he added, “No. She was a devotee. She went back to Godhead.”
Madira was married to Tejiyas. She knew verses, played the mrdanga, and was a wonderful cook.
Tejiyas came with his wife to Srila Prabhupada, and he said, “I want to take sannyasa.”
Srila Prabhupada asked, “Why do you want to take sannyasa?”
Tejiyas replied, “Because my wife will not do what I say.”
Srila Prabhupada replied, “Your wife is a very intelligent girl. You can do what she says.”
I was walking on the beach with Srila Prabhupada. The devotees would leave footprints in the sand which would fill with water, but Srila Prabhupada did not leave any footprints. I pointed out that to Brahmananda, who also was noticing it.
I have five documented cases of Srila Prabhupada saying that Narada Muni had appeared.
One in San Francisco, one in Los Angeles, one in London, another place was Berkeley as reported by Dhanista devi dasi . . .
Yamuna asked Srila Prabhupada his favorite bhajana, and he said, “Bhajahu Re Mana.”
I met a lady in Mayapur who remembered me from London in the early days. She worked for the BBC, and she arranged programs for us then. Now she is wearing a sari and visiting Mayapur.
Srila Prabhupada liked having children sit in the lectures, but when they made so much noise others could not hear, he had the parents take them out, until they became quiet again.
Saradiya was sixteen when she joined, and Srila Prabhupada told her to finish high school. She didn’t like to go, so she thought of a plan to get Prabhupada to change his mind. She told Prabhupada that the boys were disturbing her, saying they wanted to meet her after school. Srila Prabhupada told her to give the boys the address of the temple, so that they would come and see her and see Krishna too.
Women doing dandavats was a common practice, and Srila Prabhupada never stopped it.
Kasyapa instructed his wife, Diti, in Srimad-Bhagavatam 8.16.42, “Then one should circumambulate the Lord and finally, with great delight and satisfaction, offer obeisances, falling straight like a rod [dandavat].”
“We are Vaisnavas. We are not concerned with male or female position in life. That is simply bodily concept of life. It is not spiritual. Whether one is male or female, it doesn't matter, simply chant Hare Krishna and follow the four regulative principles and your life will be perfect.” (Letter to Jennifer on 15 February 1975)
Srila Prabhupada explained that in Vrindavan we do not see Krishna, but we can feel Krishna’s presence.
Laksminatha Prabhu:
A disciple said he read the scripture but could not retain anything. His guru said because he inquired, he also should render service, and he asked him to go to the Yamuna River and fill a straw basket with water. He filled it up several times, but the water kept leaking out. He returned to his guru, and reported his failure to bring the water. The guru asked him to look at the basket, and asked him what had happened to it. The disciple said that the basket became clean. The guru said, “That is the answer to your question. Although the basket did not retain the water, it was cleansed, and although your mind did not retain the knowledge of the scripture, it was cleansed by reading it.”
Srila Prabhupada explained that the Vedas are like a pharmacy. A pharmacy has a variety of medicines for different illnesses, but you cannot just go into a pharmacy and take whatever medicine you like and expect to get cured. Just as you need a doctor to tell you the best medicine for your disease, you need a guru to tell you which Vedic instructions are meant for you.
We can give people Krishna consciousness, but they may not appreciate it. It is just like if you give a baby a thousand dollars, he will not know what to do with it.
If we have a rebellious attitude toward Krishna, He will not reveal much to us.
We see the leaves and branches of the tree, but we do not see the root. Yet without watering the root, we cannot nourish the tree. Similarly we see this material manifestation with all its living entities, but we cannot see the Supreme Lord, who is the root of the manifestation and the source of the living entities. Yet if we do not serve the Supreme Lord, we cannot truly benefit this world with its different living beings.
Nanda-nandana Krishna does not leave Vrindavan to kill Kamsa. Vasudeva Krishna takes charge of killing Kamsa.
To increase the attachment of His devotees, Krishna does not always manifest Himself.
Krishna does not like being God as much as He likes to serve His devotees.
When we understand what Krishna has done and is doing for us, we become inspired to love Him.
Even Brahma was doubtful that the cowherd boy Krishna was really Vishnu, the Lord of the universe and His master.
As drops of water gradually wear away a rock imperceptibly, devotional service gradually purifies our heart although we may not be able to see this.
Mahatma Prabhu:
When I have a problem, I create a workshop to solve it.
Sometimes devotees would say, “Why didn’t we learn this before?” The answer is we did but we did not know we did because we didn’t focus on it.
More than any other workshop, the self-care workshop got the most people saying, “Everyone should take this workshop.”
I realized a lot of bad japa was because people did not care, so I integrated the japa and self-care workshop.
Apathy is one of the three kinds of inattentive japa according to Bhaktivinoda Thakura.
“I don’t care about this” means “I do not care enough about myself to care about my this.”
I asked people to list all the things that would improve in their lives if they had more self-care, and I was amazed by all the things that people came up with.
Self-care includes:
Self-compassion.
Self-acceptance.
Self-love.
Prabhupada statements:
“First of all save yourself; then try to save others. Or both things can go on simultaneously. The same example: if you want to save somebody who's drowning, you must know that ‘I may not be washed away. I have to remain strong; then I can save him.’” (Conversation, Mayapur, February 14, 1977)
“But as devotees of Krishna, being engaged in the practical work of spreading Krishna consciousness, that is already the highest realization. That's all right, that is our real mission, to deliver the world by preaching Krishna's message to others, but even higher realization, the highest realization, is to save oneself.” (Letter to Ramesvara, January 9, 1973)
If you build up your self-care, so many things are solved.
Self-care is so powerful it can protect people from their addictions.
If you come to Krishna consciousness you are most fortunate, and if you leave Krishna consciousness you are most unfortunate.
The little voice that says “I don’t care” is our greatest enemy. We want to change that voice to “I care.”
Most people are sometimes “I don’t care” and sometimes “I care”.
“I love myself too much to allow myself to suffer.”
The ultimate answer to why we do things that we are know are not good for us is that we don’t care.
If I do whatever I can do to make a good relationship, that is self-care because I benefit from a positive relationship.
If you have a good marriage:
1. your immune system will be stronger than someone with a bad marriage
2. you will live 7 to 14 years longer than someone with a bad marriage
One marriage counselor said working twenty minutes a day on your marital relationship can benefit your health more than twenty minutes in the gym.
Many advanced devotees do not say anything when people falsely criticize them because they realize that to get entangled in that way is not good for their devotional service.
When we do not do what we promise, we lose self-esteem.
Every time we do not do what we say it gets harder to do what we say.
Every time we do what we say, it gets easier to do what we say.
Thus it is a double win when we do what we say and a double loss when we do not do what we say.
I trust and respect myself, by living in integrity with my values, and thus I act as my best friend.
To live in integrity with my values is the highest perfection psychologically from the material point of view.
Joke: “At my forgiveness workshop, I asked the people, ‘Who believes in the law of karma?’ Everyone raised their hand, and I said, “‘Then what are you doing at a forgiveness workshop?’”
We have to distance ourselves from things that are negative influences that we cannot change.
Persons who are fully self caring would never do something that would cause them to suffer.
One devotee said, “I love myself too much to not love myself.”
In the Mahabharata Krishna says if you think of doing something but you do not do it, you get the merit of controlling yourself.
They say we have 50,000 thoughts a day. Some of those are probably not beneficial.
Rather than thinking of giving up something that is harmful think of giving up the need to do something.
That is where Maya lives – at the beach. She has a beach house there.
I see this a lot: “It is OK so we do not need to make it better.”
A trauma is caused not by what happened to us but by our perception of what happened to us.
Q: Why do you think that devotees not care about themselves?
A: Different reasons:
1. Many were kids who did not receive a lot of care.
2. Some had loving parents who were pushing them to be better.
3. Perfectionism.
4. We tell people that you should be aware of your faults.
Krishna does not know how to hate. He just knows how to love. He even gives His enemies liberation when He kills them.
We do not have to do anything for Krishna to love us. Our only job is to love Him.
I am taking care of myself so I can accept Krishna’s love.
If you actually care about yourself, you will serve Krishna.
We are selfish so we can be selfless. In other worlds we take of ourselves so we can take care of others.
You are Krishna’s son or daughter. He does not care what you did. He just wants you back.
Krishna liberates people who try to kill Him. We are serving Him and thinking He does not love us. It does not make sense.
All we have to do is to reciprocate with Krishna’s love. That is what bhakti is.
Imagine you give someone a present, and he gives it back to you, saying I do not deserve it. That is what some people do with Krishna.
We do not have to qualify to be loved by Krishna, but we do have to qualify to love Krishna.
Prabhupada is the only disciple of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura that knew what the mission of his spiritual master was and was prepared to execute it. He was already a success just getting on that boat.
Buddhist monk: If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete.
Bhagavad-gita is an invitation to back to Godhead to sing and dance with Krishna.
Krishna missing us.
We think “If I don’t go back to Godhead, it is not going to ruin Krishna’s day.”
Krishna is thinking, “You absorbing yourself in enjoying in the material world is causing Me anxiety.”
Krishna is actually begging us, “Come back to Me. Stop all that. I miss you. I want you to come back to Me.” Why make Him wait any longer? He has a place for you in His lila. He has a house for you.
Comments by me:
Actually to not be happy to see a devotee is a Vaishnava aparadha.
What is the reference to the Prabhupada quote about being one’s own enemy?
Comment by Guy: Better than harshest truth than the sweetest lie.
Gokulananda Prabhu:
Once Srila Prabhupada was looking at a picture of Krishna in a temple, and after observing it for a while, he declared, “That is not Krishna.”
The devotees were surprised. The bluish form, bending attractively in three places, and
playing the flute looked like Krishna.
Srila Prabhupada then explained, “Krishna is never alone.” There is always a cow or a gopi, some devotee there with Krishna.
Although Srila Prabhupada considered any goodness in him was simply the mercy of his guru, it was those good qualities that inspired all of us to serve him.
If you just want to take, your heart remains very small. But if you want to give, your heart expands.
Pyari Mohan Prabhu:
Maya gets us to deviate just a little bit at a time until we finally abandon our practice.
If we are weak in our practice, associating with devotees strengthens us.
A person asked Srila Prabhupada, “Why do big devotees fall down?”
Srila Prabhupada replied, “Big devotees do not fall down.”
Tolerating happiness means not neglecting our devotional service in our happiness.
Sometimes Krishna gives us some suffering so we finally stop trying to enjoy the material world.
As souls there is nothing that can really make us happy in the material world. We have to become convinced of this.
Happiness is only with Krishna, and that is not static but ever increasing.
A devotee of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura asked him why Bhagavad-gita 18.66 was not accepted by Lord Caitanya as the highest principle. The Thakura replied by saying in that verse Krishna is offering to do something if we surrender while “Siksastaka” verse 8 is service with no demand.
If we have spiritual goals, and we pray to Krishna, he will certainly help us.
As Boston temple president I organized the 50-year anniversary festival of Srila Prabhupada’s arrival there. I was in anxiety, and I thought, “Krishna let me experience all kinds of suffering, but let the festival be successful.” After that I did not suffer so much, and the festival was successful.
By associating with devotees, we are reminded about what we should be doing and we become inspired to do it.
We should be willing to do anything for Krishna.
One sannyasi would not ask devotees to do things that he wouldn’t do or hadn’t done.
Comments by me:
One study of devotees who abandoned their practice indicated the reason was inability to apply SB 10.14.8, the tat te ’nukampam verse.
At Vyasa-puja in Alachua last year, Ameyatma Prabhu said that soon after his wife departed from this world, she appeared in a dream saying, “We do not have to be some extrodinary devotee to go back to Godhead, even an ordinary devotee can go.”
Sundara Caitanya Swami:
I was trained by Mahatma Prabhu, and I have learned so much from him.
The proof that the Deity is spiritual is that those who eat the food offered to Him become purified.
Sometimes we pray, and we do not know when the Lord is responding.
We have so many facilities, but people do not have time for themselves, for their families, and for God.
Technology is like a pain killer that kills the pain but does not cure the disease.
Uncertainty is inevitable, but suffering is optional.
Experience is a hard teacher. Material nature gives us a test first and the lessons afterward.
In tough times:
Think about how far you come rather than how far you have to go.
Always count your blessings, not what you are missing.
When people suffer, they ask, “Why me? But when people prosper they never ask, “Why me?”
The Avanti brahmana said, “I will cross over the material ocean.” But he was not proud. He was saying he would do so by following the previous authorities.
We are asking the Lord for a few coins while the Lord can give you Himself.
Different people claim to be incarnations of God, and in this way, are competing to be God, but Balarama is not competing with Krishna but serving Krishna.
Balarama is sevaka-bhagavan, the servitor Personality of Godhead, and Krishna is called sevya-bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is to be served.
Balarama served Krishna in madhurya-bhava by expanding as Ananga-manjari.
Balarama wanted Subhadra to marry Duryodhana and neither his parents nor Krishna could say anything about it.
Of the demons killed by Balarama, Pralambhasura represents the mode of passion and Dhenukasura represents the mode of ignorance.
Baladeva is Adi-guru, the original guru.
Balarama is plowing the heart, removing the weeds, so Krishna can play His flute there.
People worship Shakti (Durga) but they do not know who is Shaktiman, the possessor of Shakti.
We are bound by the ropes of the three modes of material nature but we are freed when bound by the ropes of bhakti.
Krishna is compared to a powerhouse, Shiva is compared to the wire that connects to the powerhouse, and Durga is compared to the light bulb.
Although Yasoda appears to be the adopted mother of Krishna, she is the real mother of Krishna.
Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura explains that the tiger Durga rides symbolizes victory, and her ten arms are ten kinds of fruitive activities. Durga is trampling a demon who symbolizes vices. The snake she carries represents the beauty of destructive time. Her sons Ganesa and Kartikeya represent success and beauty. Laksmi and Sarasavti represent wealth and learning.
We were confined by COVID, but we were already confined in the jail of the material world.
In Bhagavad-gita verse 7.5 Krishna is being sarcastic saying that the living entities are exploiting material nature, when they are actually being exploited by material nature.
The brother of Ramacandra Kaviraja was a worshiper of Durga. He was very sick and asked Durga for liberation. Durga said she could not give liberation. Srinivasa Acarya was worshiped by Ramacandra Kaviraja and the maha-prasadam from his worship was given to the brother, who became free from his disease, became a Vaishnava and wrote “Bhajahu Re Mana.”
The wealth that one gets from worshiping Laksmi is actually given by Durga.
The material world is like a shop, and Durga is like a shop keeper.
Material benedictions destroy oneself.
If you try to satisfy your lust, it will increase rather than decrease. By controlling the senses and satisfying the senses of the Lord Govinda, our senses will actually be satisfied.
Durga traumatizes the living entities so they decide to surrender to Krishna.
Sadhus only give spiritual benediction because they know that material benedictions will entangle people in this world.
Vasudeva was in jail but he was peaceful, being in Krishna consciousness, however, Kamsa was out of jail, but he was in complete anxiety, worried that Krishna would kill him.
When the devotees returned to Bengali, Lord Caitanya told them to serve the Vaishnavas. Each year Lord Caitanya defined the Vaishnavas differently when asked. First He said anyone who has chanted Hare Krishna once. Secondly, He said anyone who always chants Hare Krishna. And finally He said, anyone who when seen inspires others to chant Hare Krishna. These correspond to the kanistha (neophyte), madhyama (one in the middle stage), and uttama (the most advanced) devotee.
If we have three meals a day, that is over a thousand meals a month. Who is supplying all that? Krishna.
Comment by me: It is interesting that Yasoda means one who gives fame because Kirtida also means one who gives fame.
Srivasa Thakura told his wife not to cry when their son died during the kirtan performed by Caitanya Mahaprabhu, because such a death is glorious, and that if she ignored his request and the kirtan of Caitanya Mahaprabhu was disturbed, Srivasa said he would jump in the Ganga.
When the son of Srivasa Thakura was revived by Caitanya Mahaprabhu, he prayed that he did not know his future destination but he wanted the benediction in whatever birth he took that he would serve the Lord’s lotus feet.
Lord Caitanya would argue for three hours with Kolaveca Sridhara for a better price on his banana goods.
Lord Caitanya asked Kolaveca Sridhara about his poverty. He explained that by the Lord’s grace he had food, clothes, and a house, and so he was not in want, and that people richer than him were not happier than him. Lord Caitanya was pleased with his answer.
Lord Shiva is a contradictory personality. He is Mahadeva, the greatest of the demigods, and the controller of the material world, yet he doesn’t have a house. He is auspicious yet he lives in a crematorium.
Nityananda Prabhu reminded Lord Caitanya that His mission is to kill the sin and not the sinner.
There is no mention of a samadhi of Visvarupa, the elder brother of Lord Caitanya, who left this world in Pandharpura.
Comment by me [not voiced]: It is not so surprising Srivasa Thakura has such faith as he is Narada.
-----
I share a beautiful metaphor by Krishna telling how the soul, though seated in the region of the heart, pervades the entire body by consciousness:
yatha prakasayaty ekah
ksetram ksetri tatha krtsnam
prakasayati bharata
“O son of Bharata, as the sun alone illuminates all this universe, so does the living entity, one within the body, illuminate the entire body by consciousness.” (Bhagavad-gita 13.34)
