Travel Journal#20.2: Tallahassee, Gainesville, Tampa, Alachua

 Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 20, No. 2
By Krishna Kripa Das
(January 2024, part two)
Tallahassee, Gainesville, Tampa, Alachua
(Sent from Gainesville, Florida, on February 3, 2024)

Where I Went and What I Did

The second half of January, I mostly stayed in Tallahassee, chanting Hare Krishna for an average of three hours each day on the Florida State University campus. I would pass out free cups of halava to promote our Krishna Lunch program at the university, and I would also tell people about our campus and temple programs. I would have Srila Prabhupada’s books on my table for a donation, and I would give out “On Chanting Hare Krishna” for free. I had many nice experiences which I tell about.

On January 26, I went to Gainesville to sing at Krishna Lunch midday and with the Alachua devotees across from the University of Florida entrance in the afternoon. The following day, I went to Tampa to chant Hare Krishna for three hours with Alachua devotees before the Gasparilla parade, an event attended by over 300,000 people. During the Gasparilla parade I joined devotees from Alachua, Gainesville, and Tampa in chanting Hare Krishna and dancing for another three hours in front of a Ratha-yatra cart, which was our entry in the parade. The next day I chanted for three hours with a few devotees from Alachua in the Medieval Fair in Gainesville’s Depot Park, and I happily attended the Sunday feast in Alachua. I returned to Tallahassee for the final three days of the month.

I share notes on Srila Prabhupada’s Srimad-Bhagavatam and Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, as well as some of his lectures. I share quotes from the previous spiritual masters, Sanatana Goswami, Bhaktivinoda Thakura, and Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. I share notes on Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami’s My Dear Lord Krishna. I share notes on Back to Godhead articles by Nagaraja and Visakha Prabhus, Yadunandana Swami, Brajanatha Prabhu and Suvarna Radha Devi Dasi, and Caitanya Carana and Gauranga Darsana Prabhus, and Thomas Mallory. I share notes on a class by Satyaraja Govinda Prabhu of Tallahassee.

Thanks to Sruti Sagar and Kartikeya Prabhus for letting me stay at Krishna House in Gainesville for three days. Thanks to J.R. Maxwell and the other devotees who made the harinama before the Gasparilla parade a reality. Thanks to Bhadra Prabhu for organizing the Gasparilla Ratha-yatra and to the many who assisted him. Thanks to Jorge and Matt for volunteering to help wash pots, thus giving me more time for other services.

Itinerary

January 8 – April 11: harinama and college outreach in Tallahassee
– February 3: Gainesville Bhaktivedanta Institute meeting
– March 2: Bhaktivedanta Institute presentation on Parallels, Chapter 2 (online)
– March 6: Tampa, USF harinama and program'
– March 7–17: NYC Harinam during spring break (March 9 talk at 26 2nd Ave.)
– April 6: Tallahassee Ratha-yatra
April 12: Gainesville harinamas
April 13: St. Augustine Ratha-yatra
April 14–23: take care of mother in Albany
April 24: fly to Brussels
April 26: Kadamba Kanana Swami Vyasa-puja in Radhadesh
April 27: King’s Day harinama in Amsterdam
May 4–5: Birmingham 24-hour kirtan

Chanting Hare Krishna in Tallahassee

Andrew accepted the promotional halava and the invitation for Krishna Lunch. Seeing the books on the table, he mentioned he got the self-realization book during winter break in Miami. I asked if he got it from an older man, and he said he did. I showed him a video of Adikarta Prabhu chanting in the Miami Ratha-yatra, and Andrew said, “That’s him!”

All glories to Adikarta Prabhu’s enthusiasm for book distribution.

Govinda Kaviraja Prabhu, our temple president, chants Hare Krishna at the ISKCON Tallahassee Saturday program (https://youtu.be/msIPeXLgYPA):

I was amazed to see the crowd gathered around a famous evangelical campus preacher called Sister Cindy, who would sometimes answer questions from the crowd.

I did not want to leave my service of chanting Hare Krishna and advertising Krishna Lunch to ask her a question, so I told some students who had talked to me to ask her, “What is the goal of life, and how does one attain it?” And then to let me know the answer. Unfortunately no one did. This question appears in the Sri Caitanya-caritamrita at least a couple of times. Lord Caitanya asked a Tattvavadi leader that question, and when the acarya did not answer to Lord Caitanya’s liking, He accused him of playing duplicitously with Him. It is a good question to ask to find out how much a person is in touch with the truth.

Jorge and his sister, Alejandra, chanted “Gaura Arati” and ten minutes of Hare Krishna with me one night. Then Alejandra, who is not a practicing devotee, asked to chant more Hare Krishna. How rare! I wanted to proofread the BTG, but I chanted more Hare Krishna to encourage her. The next day they chanted on the campus and at the temple:

Here I chant Hare Krishna on Landis Green at FSU in Tallahassee with Jorge and Alejandra (https://youtu.be/uk--C4PmTDA):

Jorge chants Hare Krishna with Alejandra (https://youtu.be/7S66Nh6kw2M):

Govinda Kaviraja Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at ISKCON Tallahassee in the evening (https://youtu.be/ziu5ZOUR1zA):

In addition, Jorge and Alejandra helped out by washing the pots from Krishna Lunch, a two-hour job assigned to me.

On the last day of January, an older man who looked like he was a professor or member of the staff of the university stopped as he was passing by and said, “Thank you for being an anchor on the campus.” I took it that he found the chanting of Hare Krishna, promoting of Krishna Lunch and displaying of transcendental literature for three hours every day on the campus to be an asset having a stabilizing effect in a turbulent world.

Here is my harinma report for the month of January in Tallahassee:

Chanting Hare Krishna in Gainesville

Bhakta Adam chants Hare Krishna at Krishna Lunch in Gainesville (https://youtu.be/rRmvm_-KAPI):

After making that video of Adam, I recorded the rest of that day’s kirtan on Facebook Live.

Here is Adam chanting again, but with me dancing in the background, one of my favorite services to do on harinama (https://youtu.be/WH4v7mi_4R0):

Nistha chants Hare Krishna at Krishna Lunch (https://youtu.be/-lEl0xlBF78):

Purusartha Prabhu chants Hare Krishna there, too (https://youtu.be/_Wpd52tZtFk):

I also chanted Hare Krishna there (https://youtu.be/HEvRfzVNGhU):

Amrita chants Hare Krishna at Krishna Lunch (https://youtu.be/6Wubh8BZxLo):

Kartikeya Prabhu chanted the final Hare Krishna kirtan there that day (https://youtu.be/hZSD_wpI1KI):

Nagaraja Prabhu chants Hare Krishna with Alachua devotees across from the University of Florida entrance in Gainesville (https://youtu.be/YIPx3bhpUKc):

Other people chanted there as well, but I was fully engaged in distributing the prasadam, invitations, and free literature, so I did not get a chance to take more videos.

Stephen Spahn chants Hare Krishna at the beginning of the Krishna House Friday evening program (https://youtu.be/JAS0WnIBfXw):

Advaita Acharya Prabhu of Croatia chants Hare Krishna at the end of the Krishna House Friday evening program, and many attendees dance (https://youtu.be/-1JfCGqBTsc):

Chanting Hare Krishna in Tampa

Parijata Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna with Alachua devotees before the Gasparilla parade in Tampa (https://youtu.be/GTeENKCssD0):

While she was chanting, different passersby danced (https://youtu.be/P08CfQ7O2Cw):

Trivikrama Prabhu chants Hare Krishna there at Gasparilla, and several people dance (https://youtu.be/8uNOAYHQtfA):

Ananda Vrindavan Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna at Gasparilla in Tampa, and five women dance (https://youtu.be/O22q-Nir8Dg):

As Ananda Vrindavan Devi Dasi continued chanting Hare Krishna, several more people danced (https://youtu.be/tYZaPVh5O0Q):

During the final hour that I was chanting Hare Krishna on the Gasparilla harinama with Alachua devotees, several passersby danced (https://youtu.be/akUbDMDSZfk):

While devotees chanted Hare Krishna for one hour at the beginning of the Gasparilla Ratha-yatra in Tampa, several onlookers danced (https://youtu.be/wkGzb4H4uk0):

Even policemen were attracted to take photos of Lord Jagannatha and His devotees in the procession.

During the next two more hours, the crowd went wild as the devotees chanted, danced, waves, and passed out hundreds of piece of lollipop prasadam (https://youtu.be/yJDv7PSdKI4):

During the Gasparilla Ratha-yatra Bhadra Prabhu invited several onlookers to chant Hare Krishna (https://youtu.be/jLb9zvymxHQ):

At one point the procession stopped for twenty minutes or so because someone who was associated with one of the floats ahead of us had collapsed. During that time we were stationary, Ananta Vallabha Prabhu led the Hare Krishna chant (https://youtu.be/th5YCTWA4WA):

Here three young women chant “Gauranga Nityananda” and dance with devotees after the Gasparilla Parade in Tampa (https://youtu.be/YDIDiDAtb7w):

The most enthusiastic one was interested in yoga and meditation, and as she lived near the USF campus, I shared the USF Bhakti Yoga Club Instagram with her, so they could attend their programs.

Chanting Hare Krishna in Alachua

Srila Prabhupada disciple, Godruma Prabhu from Jacksonville, who helped facilitate many harinamas there over the years, chants Hare Krishna at Alachua Sunday Feast (https://youtu.be/NiaOG0293XM):

Photos

Do you have any friends or relatives attending FSU? Tell them about our Krishna Lunch.

When I saw this promotion on the campus I thought, “I am already winning big by chanting Hare Krishna!”

Krishna Lunch salad dressing makes anything taste better, especially the Ekadasi potatoes from the previous day.

Every once and a while, I encounter a new flavor of halava, like mango cranberry for instance.

This couple from Alachua expresses individual tastes as far as dressing for a pirate festival Ratha-yatra is concerned.

Some temple issues are universal, and in some places, signs are used to improve standards like cleanliness.

Insights

Srila Prabhupada:

From Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.1.48, purport:

“It is natural for a person facing untimely death to try his best to save himself. This is one’s duty. Although death is sure, everyone should try to avoid it and not meet death without opposition because every living soul is by nature eternal. Because death is a punishment imposed in the condemned life of material existence, the Vedic culture is based on avoiding death (tyaktva deham punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]). Everyone should try to avoid death and rebirth by cultivating spiritual life and should not submit to death without struggling to survive. One who is not trying to stop death is not an intelligent human being.”

From Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.6.3, purport:

“Everyone is thus advised to seek shelter in the chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra and remain engaged in his own occupational duty. There is no loss in this, and the gain is tremendous. Even from a material point of view, everyone should take to chanting the Hare Krishna mantra to be saved from all kinds of danger. This world is full of danger (padam padam yad vipadam [Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.14.58]). Therefore we should be encouraged to chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra so that in our family, society, neighborhood and nation everything will be smooth and free from danger.”

From Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.9.21, purport:

“A devotee can understand how powerful is unalloyed devotional service to Krishna; it is so powerful that Krishna can be controlled by an unalloyed devotee. This bhrtya-vasyata does not mean that He is under the control of the servant; rather, He is under the control of the servant’s pure love.”

From Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.9.21, purport:

“Everyone is seeking Krishna, for He is the Supersoul of all individual souls. Everyone loves his body and wants to protect it because he is within the body as the soul, and everyone loves the soul because the soul is part and parcel of the Supersoul. Therefore, everyone is actually seeking to achieve happiness by reviving his relationship with the Supersoul.”

From Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.10.8, purport:

“Conducted by the mode of passion, one becomes more and more involved in material existence. Therefore human life is meant for subduing the modes of passion and ignorance and advancing in the mode of goodness. . . . This is culture: one must subdue the modes of passion and ignorance. In the mode of passion, when one is falsely proud of wealth, one engages his wealth only for three things, namely wine, women and gambling. We can actually see, especially in this age, that those who have unnecessary riches simply try to enjoy these three things. In Western civilization, these three things are very prominent because of an unnecessary increase of wealth.”

From “Prahlada Maharaja: The Greatest of the Great” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 58, No. 3 (May/June 2024):

[An edited transcript of a lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.8 in Seattle on October 21, 1968.]

“There is anger in God also. Somebody says, ‘Why should God be angry?’ No, there is anger in God. Everything is there in God. Otherwise, where does anger come from? He is the source of everything. But He is absolute; His anger is as good as His mercy. That is the difference. When we become angry, there is no mercy. Mercy is far away from our anger. But God, Krishna, because He is absolute, whether He is angry or He is merciful, He’s the same.”

“It is said ‘God is good.’ He’s good when He’s angry and He’s good when He’s merciful. That is the difference between Him and us. Not only God, but even God’s devotees acquire the same quality. Sometimes we see that saintly persons like Narada and Shiva become angry and curse somebody, but that curse becomes a benediction. That is the absolute stage.”

“So siddhah means that the persons who reside on that planet have got these siddhis automatically by taking birth there. Just by taking birth in the Western countries – America or Europe – you are more opulent than other countries materially. Similarly, in Krishnaloka also, those who are there are automatically all lovers of Krishna. There are many different planets with different kinds of residents. What knowledge have we got of these things?”

From Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi 4.39–40:

“Thus with two intentions the Lord appeared with His devotees and tasted the nectar of prema with the congregational chanting of the holy name. Thus He spread kirtana even among the untouchables. He wove a wreath of the holy name and prema, with which He garlanded the entire material world.”

From Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi 4.41, purport:

“Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s transcendental mission is to distribute love of Godhead to everyone. Anyone who accepts God as the Supreme can take to the process of chanting Hare Krishna and become a lover of God.”

From Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya 19.177:

[Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu:] “By regularly rendering devotional service, one gradually becomes attached to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When that attachment is intensified, it becomes love of Godhead.”

From a lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.9.40 in New York on May 22, 1973:

“So the gopis’ activities, they are the supreme platform of pure devotion. There is no other business, there is no other business. Gopis, they are not interested to know philosophically whether Krishna is God. Although they are seeing every step, Krishna is God. Mother Yasoda is seeing that Krishna is God. Gopis also gopi-jana-vallabha giri-vara-dhari. Krishna is lifting the Govardhana Hill, who can do it except God? They are seeing it, still they do not know that Krishna is God. Krishna is wonderful, that's all. They do not like to know whether Krishna is God or not. They want to love Krishna. Krishna may be God or not God, it doesn’t matter. Just like if you love somebody, what he is, is he rich man, poor man, educated or non-educated? There is no consideration. Love has no such thing, consideration. Similarly, gopis’ love for Krishna was pure. There was no consideration that Krishna was God, therefore they wanted to dance with Him. No, Krishna wanted to dance with them, therefore they came to Krishna.

“So only this Krishna Consciousness movement can save the human civilization and get him raised to the platform of the gopis. We have got such nice thing, these gopis’ unalloyed Krishna love. That is wanted.”

Sanatana Gosvami:

From Sri Brhad-bhagavatamrta 2.3.158:

[Vaikuntha-dutas:] “Of the many ways to chant Krishna’s glories, foremost is His nama-sankirtana. It is deemed the best because it can evoke at once the treasure of pure love for Krishna.”

Bhaktivinoda Thakura:

From “Nadiya Godrume Nityananda Mahajana”:

“The showing of compassion to other souls by loudly chanting the holy name of Krsna is the essence of all forms of religion.”

From Notes on the Bhagavata 27:

“The sole object of all spiritual activity is gratification of the senses of Sri Krishna. When Sri Krishna is pleased, His servitors experience unmixed joy.”

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Ṭhakura:

From Srila Prabhupadera Patravali, Vol. 1:

“You should especially pray to the personified Name to make you worthy of serving Him. Through the Lord’s name, the Lord of the Name (Nama-prabhu) will take up residence in your heart.”

Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:

From My Dear Lord Krishna:

“Despite our material condition, whether it be of poverty or disease or political oppression in this world, we can continue to be happy if we think of You. This may seem impossible, since so many conditioned souls remain unhappy, but it’s a fact. Happiness is open to all of us if we just turn to You. We will realize our eternal nature, and we will realize that the unhappiness we are experiencing is like a dream. It is like the dream a man has that he’s being eaten by a tiger. In that dream, it seems very real to him, but actually, there is no tiger, and he is not being eaten. Our material unhappiness is like that.”

“We are victims of so many evil persons in this material world, and they make us suffer. But a pure devotee know that they cannot touch him in his essence, and he does not suffer, even in the grips of evil people. When we are in the intermediate stage, we may become very sober thinking these things over. When we transcend, we become happy. Our unhappiness is due to our breaking our connection to You. Prabhupada has described that we are like little infants, and we feel fully protected under the shelter of our father and mother. As long as we retain this position of taking shelter, we will not feel distressed, even in the storm that may come in the material world. The solution is unhappiness, there is to always take shelter of You and know that nothing can harm us. I therefore pray for this real happiness.”

“Unfortunately, very few people believe that Your instructions about eternal spiritual life are true, and they rot here in this material world, trying to make temporary improvements. By the grace of my spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, I am one of the relatively few people who understand what is what. I am very grateful for the gift I have been given. I am trying to reciprocate by helping to tell others of the truth of our message.”

“Unless people come to know the basic facts of life in the material world and the promise of the spiritual world, no one can be happy, despite all endeavors and welfare work.”

“Prabhupada used to say that if you can’t get up and dance, you can dance from your chair.”

“When he was in Europe in 1974, Prabhupada said he simply wanted to convince the Christians to stop eating meat and to chant the names of their God, Christ or Jehovah. He wanted to make them better Christians and was not intent on converting them to Krishnites. And in Tehran, he tried to convince a group of Muslims that the name of Allah was Allah Himself – but they did not accept it. So Prabhupada was very broadminded and ecumenical in his preaching.”

“Please teach me as Providence. Shape my life so that I have no alternative but to do what You want me to do. Give me the taste to do it.”

“I pray to You for the discretion to know what is best for me to do, and I pray to You for the fortitude to carry out the hard tasks when You indicate to me that that is what You want.”

“I write to You with faith and conviction. I pray that I may join with You and Srimati Radharani and Your followers and taste the bliss of Krishna consciousness in devotional service. Please let me act to my full capacity in my remaining days, and let me love You always and please You.”

“If we repeat a prayer mechanically without thinking, then that is not a real prayer. But calling again and again, like a man trapped in a well calling for help, is not monotonous.”

“I can try to enumerate the many things that I am thankful for, but it might be better to first make one big expression of gratitude for everything You have done for me. Despite the many sinful and offensive acts I have committed in innumerable lifetimes, You have now placed me in a human form of life, where I have the great advantage of comprehending God consciousness and acting to please You. This facility is not available in animal forms of life, so I thank You for placing me as a civilized human being. Moreover, I am a human being who is connected to a great spiritual master, His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Provided I do not commit the mad elephant offense of disobeying my spiritual master, I am well situated in Your eyes for advancement on the path back to Godhead.”

“I praise You for capturing me and keeping me as one of Your devotees, despite my many discrepancies. Thank You for Your compassion and Your forgiveness. You have been very kind to me over the years, letting me serve Srila Prabhupada, which is a great boon.”

“You are so tolerant that You have to put up with the disrespect of countless living beings who deny You and blaspheme You. I praise You for Your tolerance.”

“But I already love. Just as Rukmini-devi fell in love with You before She even met You, just by hearing about You from Narada, I already love You. She heard descriptions of Your qualities from Narada Muni, and was so aroused in love for You that she boldly asked You to come and kidnap her from marriage with Sisupala. I want to ask You in the same bold way to please shower knowledge of Your love for me upon me and for me to declare my love for You. I would like You to come and kidnap me from my connection to Maya-devi, Your illusory energy, to come and take me to Your abode. I already know enough about You to have this love and to ask You to take me.”

“I ask You to open the floodgates of love of God, which are contained in the Hare Krishna mantra, so that by chanting Your names, I can feel Your love for me.”

“Oh Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Krishna, and Srimati Radharani, Your eternal consort, I pray to You both today to grant me constant contemplation of Your glories.”

“I accept the fact that You cannot be understood by my tiny brain. I love this fact and would not have it any other way. What worshiper would want a God who is entirely understandable? How could He be God if we could know Him fully?”

“I think of You as a lover thinks of the beloved. I want this, and I can do it, with Your help. This is my prayer for today, and every day.”

“My hope is that my books will continue to be read in the future, and that they will influence new people to become favorable to Krishna consciousness. That would be my greatest happiness.”

“A sincere attempt to paint Your picture results in an image of supreme attraction because You kindly appear in a semblance of Your actual form. I thank You for allowing me to do those paintings years ago, and I hope I may get attempts to do so again in the future. Your form in the Deity or painting gives us a chance to behold Your charming nature. You appear as a cowherd boy with flute and peacock feather in yellow dress, with beautiful Radharani standing beside You. You Two are the most attractive forms in all the worlds. Even when a child draws Your picture, You appear pleasingly.”

“One way You test us, Lord, is to restrict us and see if we still take on some service according to our capability.”

“You are my worshipable Lord, and my strongest emotion toward You is gratitude. Thank You for allowing me to worship You and serve You. Thank You for being who You are, the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the friend and well-wisher of all living entities, especially Your devotees.”

“You have also given me the duties of a spiritual master, and I have tried to help disciples to come to You. I have made mistakes, and I feel remorse for them. I beg Your forgiveness. I beg forgiveness through my spiritual master and unto Your Lordship. As I understand the philosophy, there is no need for separate atonement or prayascitta for my wrongs. I have picked myself up from my wrongs and have gone on with my devotional service, and this is sufficient for removing the sinful activities. I hope it has worked this way. I will end this prayer here, thanking You for my very life.”

“Your works are not to be understood, but accepted; You are the supreme great, the supreme mystic, and my position is to worship You and serve You.”

“I want to say, ‘Krishna, You are my best friend. You have done more for me than anyone. I love You more than any other person.’ I want to say those things and mean them.”

“You state in Bhagavad-gita (5.29) that anyone who knows You to be ‘the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities attains peace from the pangs of material miseries.’ That’s a statement of friendship. You say You are everyone’s friend and that whoever knows that attains peace from material miseries.”

“Sometimes I pray to You out of my loneliness and ask for Your company. You are the only one who can assuage my empty heart.”

“I write to You as my dear friend, my well-wisher. I want to acknowledge that You are my maintainer, the giver of my life, and I’m aware that You will end my life and take me to my next life. So You are the most important person in my life, and therefore I should stay in touch with You, as befitting my lowly position.”

“This very satisfying verse appeared today at lunchtime in Srila Sanatana Gosvami’s Brhad-bhagavatamrta: ‘Whatever the devotional method by which a man with true spiritual taste feels satisfaction and complete joy, that is the method saintly authorities deem most excellent and effective for him. It is not only the best of methods but the very aim of his endeavor’ (Brhad-bhagavatamrta, vol. 2, ch. 3, verse 152). In the commentary to this verse, Sanatana Gosvami writes, ‘When a devotee feels eager attraction to any of the nine kinds of service, that devotional method becomes the means for him to quickly fulfill all his desires. Moreover, his practice will gradually evolve into prema, the final goal of devotional life.’ I was very pleased to hear these broadminded, nonsectarian statements. You, oh infallible Lord, are pleased to accept the form of devotional service that I am attracted to. This emphasized the personhood of the devotee and the freedom of devotional service.”

“I thank You for accepting our favorite service, and I pray that every devotee can find the things he loves to do for You and execute them with extreme devotion.”

Nagaraja Prabhu:

From “Seven Effects of Chanting” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 58, No. 3 (May/June 2024):

“Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura writes, ‘The holy name of the Lord endlessly expands the spiritual bliss inherent in the soul by leaps and bounds.’”

From a Sunday Feast lecture in Alachua:

Our understanding of Srimad-Bhagavatam helps in our understanding of Bhagavad-gita.

Seers of the truth understand that people are acting in ignorance of their true self-interest, and they consider how to help them.

The word purana has a root that means ‘bringing to completion’ and also ‘old.’ That indicates the Puranas are there to complete our understanding of the Vedas.

The first question of the sages is, “What do people need to do to become free from suffering?” Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.6 is an answer to this question.

There is no doubt that the Srimad-Bhagavatam promotes bhakti.

The next question is, “What is the essence of all scripture?” That is answered in Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.7.

If we study the Vedas on our own, we will not conclude that there is some goal but rather we will see that there are competing ideas.

In our scriptures we learn what God thinks. This is very confidential.

The next question is, “Why did the Lord come?” That is answered in Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.34.

The next is, “Tell us about what He does in His incarnations.”

There is a lot about creation in the Bhagavatam. It is described in at least five places. Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.30 is an example.

The last is, “Where have religious principles gone since Krishna has gone?” That is answered in Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.3.43.

We are seeing transcendence when we see Tulasi Devi.

Gadadhara Pandit is Radharani playing the role of assisting Lord Caitanya in his mood of Radharani by reading to Him Srimad-Bhagavatam.

Srila Prabhupada’s power was his determination to serve his guru.

Unless someone has a guru, his life has not begun.

Srila Prabhupada said that Krishna sends the guru, but you have to realize when He has sent him.

Visakha Devi Dasi:

From “The Morphing of Faith” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 58, No. 3 (May/June 2024):

“Each one of us has this faith [in God], but for a multitude of reasons – such as widespread disillusionment with organized religion, the promotion of science, secular education and a secular society, as well as the effects of our own previous acts (karma) on our present consciousness – our innate faith has been channeled away from God to an array of other subjects. Our firm and inherent faith, which in former years was centered on God, has become diverted.”

“The fortunate people who come in contact with this movement and follow the simple process Srila Prabhupada has given – hearing from the scriptures, chanting the names of God, keeping the company of devotees, serving Krishna and His devotees – will uncover their innate faith in Krishna and continue to progress spiritually.

“This does take effort, but there is no effort more worthwhile than struggling against the current tide of partisanship and mistaken positions, of materialistic calculations and concoctions, of gross and subtle deceptions and untruths.”

“We follow the immense wisdom of spiritual guides through the ages to the degree that we succeed in extricating our faith from ungodly people and objects and reinstating it fully where it naturally reposes, in Krishna. We commit ourselves to truth and allow ourselves to be molded according to our actual identity, and in so doing we will find ourselves feeling complete and enthused, like a person who’s been wandering in the night, lost and alone, who finally arrives in the bright, warm company of long-lost loving friends and family. It’s a feeling of embracement and enchantment – I’m finally where I belong; I’m home. Here I can express myself and grow.”

Yadunandana Swami:

From “Narottama Dasa Thakura ̇on Service to the Spiritual Master and the Devotees” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 58, No. 3 (May/June 2024):

“To be in the association of devotees is like being carried by the waves of an ocean of nectar. Devotional service becomes natural.”

“According to Sanskrit literature, rivers are feminine personalities. Sacred rivers are especially referred to as mothers because they give both material and spiritual shelter to the people who live nearby and to the pilgrims who bathe in their waters.”

Brajanatha Dasa and Suvarna Radha Devi Dasi:

From “With Resolute Determination” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 58, No. 3 (May/June 2024):

“The bhakti-yoga system is simultaneously the most difficult and the easiest of all yogic paths. It is very difficult for those who try to make it on their own without the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master, and it is very easy for those who humbly submit themselves as disciples of a bona fide spiritual master.”

“The Lord fulfills the devotee’s residual material desires in such a way as to eliminate the core of the material tendency. This is contrary to other forms of desire fulfillment, such as worship of demigods, where the core of material desire remains, as exemplified by Hiranyakasipu, Ravana, and others of like mind who received boons from demigods.”

Advaita Acarya Prabhu:

From a Friday evening talk at Krishna House:

There is a saying that hurt people hurt people.

There are two kinds of people:
(1) those who are expressing love and
(2) those who are crying for love in different ways because of unmet needs.

They say that the serial killers cannot stop because they become intoxicated with the pleasure of dominating others.

The mind-set “I am better than you” is historically the cause of so much trouble in this world.

The response of Lord Vishnu when kicked by Bhrgu Muni – apologizing that His chest was so hard and concern that Bhrgu Muni’s foot was hurt – is a response that is not from this world. We need to learn such responses.

It is endless the ways we have divided ourselves into so many isms which potentially can oppose each other.

Krishna says to give up sectarian religion and seek the essence, surrender to God.

We live in a world where kindness, compassion, and humility are considered weaknesses when they are the greatest strengths.

If you want to transform your life. Don’t try to dominate. Try to be of service.

Comment by Indian female: I got a black belt in taekwondo. I learned so much about nonviolence through taekwondo.

Some people come through our lives very briefly. While others, those who reciprocate with us, stay around for much of our lives.

Comment by me: Devotees in ISKCON Tirupati feed 1,200 school children a Krishna prasadam lunch each day. Before they started that program the principal of the school would daily get several reports of injuries cause by one student to another, but after the Krishna lunch was introduced, that violence stopped.

Caitanya Candra Prabhu:

From “Q&A” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 58, No. 3 (May/June 2024):

Just as one’s health cannot be restored merely by logically analyzing the diagnosis, our spiritual health cannot be restored merely by logically analyzing the Vedic philosophy.

Just as logic cannot substitute for medical treatment, mere expertise in logical gymnastics cannot substitute for the actual experience of chanting.

“Chanting brings us in contact with the higher reality of God, who is supremely, eternally peaceful and joyful. That divine contact makes us peaceful and joyful. Is belief necessary for experiencing these feelings? Belief is helpful, but not necessary. But open-mindedness is necessary. That’s why even nonbelievers, if they open themselves to the presence of God during chanting, can experience these sublime feelings.”

From “Is the Gita a Book of Violence” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 58, No. 3 (May/June 2024):

“The Pandavas were left in no doubt about Duryodhana’s mentality. Let alone reforming, he showed no sign of even repenting – he was bent on continuing his devious ways to satisfy his hunger for power. If the Pandavas had allowed such a person to remain the king, they would have failed in their duty as ksatriyas, martial guardians of society. When they finally resolved to fight, it was out of duty, not out of greed or revenge.”

“Seeing Duryodhana still recalcitrant, Krishna made an incredibly accommodating offer: instead of half of the kingdom, just give the Pandavas five villages so that they could do their duty as ksatriyas, at least symbolically. Derisively dismissing Krishna’s proposal, Duryodhana retorted that he wouldn't give them enough land to even put the tip of a needle in. On top of that, he tried to arrest Krishna, thus egregiously violating the most basic martial codes about how to treat peace messengers.

“By his actions, Duryodhana unwittingly demonstrated for everyone to see that he was the real warmonger. The world wouldn’t have known peace as long as he was in power, driven by his greed for kingdom and his envy of the Pandavas. It was to free the world from such a vicious power-grabber that Krishna wanted Arjuna to do his duty of fighting. To illuminate Arjuna about his duty, Krishna spoke the Gita.”

“The Gita’s essential message is neither about violence nor about silence in the face of violence; it is about transcendence – about facing life’s challenges empowered with a higher spiritual vision and purpose.”

Gauranga Darsana Prabhu:

From “Being an Instrument in Krishna’s Plan” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 58, No. 3 (May/June 2024):

“Krishna’s sanction was there, His instruction was there, His personal presence and guidance were there, and all Arjuna had to do was execute the mission in the mood of being an instrument of Krishna’s plan. In fact, the entire conversation between Krishna and Arjuna in the Bhagavad-gita serves as a guide for all who strive to embrace their role as instruments in Krishna’s divine plans.”

“Despite Arjuna’s talents, power, and fame, his true reputation and glory lay in acting humbly as an instrument in Krishna’s hands.”

“This is the life of a devotee – to be enlightened and empowered by Krishna and willingly act as an instrument in His plans by appropriately using one’s minute independence. Instead of being proud of one’s capabilities or discouraged with one’s disabilities, one should sincerely try to use all one’s God-given abilities in His service and realize that all accomplishments are due to His sanction. This consciousness instills hope and humility in devotees and empowers them to serve Krishna in meaningful ways, even beyond their imagination.

“To become an empowered instrument of the Lord, a devotee must consciously and voluntarily be willing to serve Krishna to the best of one’s God-given abilities. There lies the perfection of life.”

“Because all of us are amsas of Krishna, and our bodies, senses, powers, talents, and skills are generated from Him, it is appropriate that we use all of them in His service. That is bhakti. And we shouldn’t be attached to our bodies, powers, skills, and so on, because they may be taken away once the service is completed.”

“We should not become attached to our positions, possessions, or powers; instead, we should develop attachment to the principle of rendering service to Krishna, with whatever we possess.”

Satyaraja Govinda Prabhu:

Although Balarama was in an angry mood when He encountered criticism against Krishna, when He came as Lord Nityananda, he was completely different. Reflecting the mood of Lord Caitanya, He was very merciful.

How many hours are we absorbed in devotional service? If we were in the army, and we spent that number of hours on duty would it be enough?

Everyone is suffering. It is just a matter of degree.

We have to know our enemies in order to conquer them.

We may not be earning money, but at least if we reduce our spending we are moving in a positive direction. Similarly even if we are not doing any positive acts of devotional service, if we avoid the six impediments to devotional service, we will progress.

If we stop eating when our hunger is satisfied, that is ideal for health.

There is a statistic that 80% of our possessions we use 20% of the time.

Thomas Mallory:

From “Moving with Grace” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 58, No. 3 (May/June 2024):

“The reality of our bodily impermanence is a fact kept hidden within our busy lives. It is only when that busyness is interrupted by the timeless miseries of old age, sickness, and death that we might finally acknowledge our body’s temporary nature. But by that point, one is ill-prepared to manage the bewildering effects those conditions can have on the untrained mind.”

“When we accept that we will no longer possess our body or our home, we may begin the subtle process of detachment. By recognizing that our home ownership will expire, we begin to naturally let go of our attachments to it within the mind. The dysfunctional aspects of the home may come into clearer view as we look to leave it behind: ‘Well, I sure won’t miss this leaky spigot.’ Similarly, detachment from the body may be initiated by contemplating its myriad defects and insufficiencies.”

“There is nothing in all this material manifestation that we can depend on at the moment of death. By the Lord’s mercy we will only have our mind. Its ability to hamper or smooth our bodily transition will rest on the work we’ve done to prepare for that moment.”

“When we are preparing to move from this body, the guru knows precisely who is going to move us. The supreme mover, Lord Sri Krishna, is the greatest mover in the entire cosmic creation. When we are well packed and ready for our move, we don’t fall victim to anxiety, fear, doubt, or bewilderment; we are instead joyous, equanimous, confident, fearless, and peaceful because we know our mystical mover has finally arrived to carry us back to our forever home.”

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The philosophy of Krishna consciousness is so vast it is hard for me to be aware of all of it at any one time. An important point, mentioned in the verse below, is that we can be but an instrument in God’s plan. Recently, as I have been chanting Hare Krishna on the campus of Florida State University and promoting our Krishna Lunch and temple programs, I have been remembering that I am just an instrument and that the final outcome of my endeavors is completely up to Krishna and is completely beyond me. All I can do is try. When I read the Back to Godhead article by Gauranga Darsana Prabhu, I noticed he was reflecting on the same point, and thus I want to share the Bhagavad-gita verse in which Krishna reveals it.

tasmat tvam uttistha yaso labhasva
jitva satrun bhunksva rajyaṁ samrddham
mayaivaite nihatah purvam eva
nimitta-matram bhava savya-sacin

[Lord Krishna told Arjuna:] “Therefore get up. Prepare to fight and win glory. Conquer your enemies and enjoy a flourishing kingdom. They are already put to death by My arrangement, and you, O Savyasaci, can be but an instrument in the fight.” (Bhagavad-gita 11.33)

In the case of Arjuna, Krishna showed Him that the battle was won and his side was victorious. He just had to do his part by fighting. With us, the chanting of Hare Krishna has already spread to every town and village as foretold by Lord Caitanya. We just have to play some part in making it happen. How exactly Arjuna would win the war, he did not know, and we do not know exactly how Krishna consciousness will spread to every town and village, but we should be willing to act as an instrument of the Lord in making it happen. That will be our glory.