Diary
of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 20, No. 7
By
Krishna Kripa Das
(April 2024, part one)
North
Florida, Upstate New York
(Sent
from Albany, New York, on April 20, 2024)
Where I Went and What I Did
The first eleven days of April, I stayed in Tallahassee, chanting Hare Krishna for an average of three hours each day on the Florida State University campus for six days a week. 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.
On Saturday, April 6, we had Ratha-yatra, with Lord Jagannatha and His associates joining the Springtime Tallahassee parade. On Sundays I would sing in a park. The last Sunday four devotees joined me. I also chanted at an event called First Friday. On April 11, I went to Gainesville to sing the next day 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 the St. Augustine Ratha-yatra and the even more ecstatic harinama afterward. That evening I flew to Albany to help take care of my mother for ten days. There I attended the Sunday feast program in nearby Schenectady and a kirtan for a departed devotee.
I share many quotes from Srila Prabhupada’s Teaching of Lord Caitanya, which I never read before and which I heard in audiobook form as I washed the pots in Tallahassee. I also have a quote each from Krishna, Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, and a Ratha-yatra lecture. I share quotes from a book I am proofreading for Touchstone Media on the 108 names of Radharani. I share notes on classes by Adikarta Prabhu in Tallahassee, and Rasika Siromani and Abhiram Gopal Prabhu in Gainesville. I share a quote from Sadaputa Prabhu. I share notes on conversations with Bhagyashree, Shyam and Diania. I share some humor I posted to the Hare Krishna Official Humor group on Facebook.
Thanks to Victor for getting me late at night at the airport in Albany, and for his kind donation. Thanks to Shreyakari Devi Dasi for her kind donation. Thanks to Mahaprakash Prabhu and ISKCON Schenectady for their kind donation. Thanks to Dhira Prabhu for taking me to the Jacksonville International Airport. Thanks to Govinda Kaviraja Prabhu for dropping me at the Redcoach. Thanks to Jonathon for picking me up from the Redcoach and taking me to St. Augustine Ratha-yatra. Thanks to Kartikeya Prabhu for arranging my stay at Krishna House. Thanks to the devotees who took the videos of the Tallahassee Ratha-yatra.
Itinerary
April
14–23: take care of mother in Albany
April
23–24: NYC Harinam
April
24: fly to Amsterdam
April
25: Brussels harinama
April
26: Kadamba Kanana Swami Vyasa-puja in Radhadesh
April
27: King’s Day harinama
in
Amsterdam
April 28: Radhadesh harinama
April 30: London harinama
May 1–2: Newcastle harinama
May
3: York, UK, harinama
and
Friday program
May
4–5: Birmingham 24-Hour Kirtan
August
6–7: Montreal harinama
August
7–11: Canadian Vaishnava Sanga Festival
August
12–13: Montreal harinama
August
22–25: Trutnov (Czech Woodstock)
Chanting Hare Krishna in Tallahassee
I
had one extra halava I was trying to distribute as I was packing up
my table one
day on the FSU campus.
One student passing by was telling her friend, “I can’t say ‘No’
to anything.”
I said to her with a smile, “You can’t say
‘No’ to anything? Take this free dessert!”
She
took it.
I chanted at First Friday again this month, and for the time this year I had someone join me. Shyam, an Indian student, who attended Krishna Lunch at University of Florida where he went to school, graduated and got a job as a researcher for Florida State University. He comes to our weekly Saturday program, and also occasionally in the evening. I taught him a tune on the harmonium once. He joined me at First Friday for half an hour, and he played his small one-headed drum. We had five people playing shakers and dancing at one point. He had a lot of positive experiences, and Shyam decided he would join me every month next year.
Adikarta Prabhu also came to First Friday, and he realized that it is a good venue to distribute books at. He is planning to come to Tallahassee to distribute books at the beginning of the month in the future so he can take advantage of First Friday.
I met an Indian girl named Lavanya who was happy to hear that ISKCON exists in Tallahassee. I had heard of the name but never met an Indian girl named that before. I told her that, adding, “Usually they are named Priyanka or Asha or something.” She was with a friend, and she said, “My friend’s name is Priyanka!”
Brian Wilcoxon, who now works in the Honors Program, has been enjoying Krishna Lunch at FSU, sometimes twice a week, since coming here in 2011 to get a Ph.D. in musicology. He was happy to get a menu and learn that his favorite meal, and mine too, the Thai coconut curry, is served on Tuesday.
Parividha Prabhu asked what he thought of our music, so when I saw him again, I asked. He said, “It is lovely. It brings peace to my mind. When I hear you singing it makes me smile because it reminds of what is good in life.”
I met an FSU student who said he was reading Bhagavad-gita. I asked him how he was inspired to read it, was it from a religion class? He said he saw the film Oppenheimer. There was that famous quote from Bhagavad-gita and Oppenheimer also said that Hindu philosophy was much more advanced than Greek philosophy, so the student decided to read it.
Anchal had been to our temple, but didn’t know about Krishna Lunch at FSU or Satyaraja Govinda Prabhu’s Sunday Gita class for Indian students at the Student Union. She’s getting a Ph.D. in musicology and says we can do Krishna kirtan in the world music class she teaches next year.
Passersby enjoy music and dance with Hare Krishna devotees after Tallahassee Ratha-yatra (https://youtu.be/QxnYmxfMQaE):
Govinda Kaviraja Prabhu chants Hare Krishna after Ratha-yatra at ISKCON Tallahassee (https://youtu.be/mhAEXDpU_pI):
I was amazed to see the number of FSU students on Landis Green, where I chant Hare Krishna from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., who had assembled to watch the solar eclipse, which attains its maximum at 3 p.m. local time.
I took some photos around that time with my phone. It does seem there is another body there besides the sun, but because the glaring, effulgent sun was just 70% covered it was not obviously eclipsed.
Generally, I am not a strict follower of Vedic protocol with eclipses, but when I noticed my lunchtime was at totality, I decided to try to eat lunch before it got underway and to delay my nap after lunch until after the eclipse was over. I also tried to stayed fully engaged in devotional service during the eclipse so as not to be materially affected by it.
Whenever I see a guy, a girl, and a dog, I always remember that a Bhagavatam speaker once said, “In the West, if a guy has a girl and a dog, he thinks his life is perfect.”
I wasn’t planning to invite this dog conscious couple to Krishna Lunch at FSU, but the wind blew an invitation 40 feet to where they were sitting, so I explained what it was about and suggested they keep it.
The young woman, whose mom went to Krishna Lunch at UF, loves Krishna Lunch at FSU. She was pleased to see Chant and Be Happy as her parents turned her on to The Beatles too. She came up to me because she is reading Bhagavad-gita and wanted to know how to approach all the new ideas. I told her about the Gita class Satyaraja Govinda Prabhu has Sundays at the Student Union. I also told her that she should at least theoretically accept that Krishna is God, as Srila Prabhupada suggests, for the book to make sense.
Krishna Caitanya chants Hare Krishna in park outside Eastside Branch Library in Tallahassee on Sunday, a short distance from the residences of the two devotee families who participated (https://youtu.be/PWlz2RcuGuc):
A neuroscience student who I’ve been inviting to programs for over a year finally came to my last one of the semester, chanted the response to the mantra the whole time and stayed for the Krishna dinner at the end. She loves Krishna Lunch and has turned on four friends to it. She did a study on meditation once, so I decided to send her a copy of the one Dhira Govinda Prabhu did on the Hare Krishna mantra.
I was happy that on my next to last day in Tallahassee this spring, two senior godbrothers, Trivikrama Prabhu, who I’ve done harinama with in Gainesville, and Haridas Prabhu, who I’ve done harinama with in Schenectady and Albany, chanted Hare Krishna with me on the campus and in the temple.
Here Trivikrama Prabhu chants Hare Krishna on Landis Green at FSU in Tallahassee (https://youtu.be/EkS_t-OdjwY):
Haridas Prabhu chants Hare Krishna on Landis Green at FSU in Tallahassee (https://youtu.be/eRX-9nmjbnc):
Govinda Kaviraja Prabhu chants Hare Krishna one evening at ISKCON Tallahassee (https://youtu.be/McYb6OPdLsg):
My last day chanting Hare Krishna on the Florida State University campus this semester was special. I was the only person with a table set up on Landis Green. I guess Krishna wanted people to focus on His holy name rather than the offerings of the three or five other vendors usually set up there (https://youtu.be/BdC7gVbIHJk):
To get more people to take my promotional halava, I told some it was my last day. A friendly gray-haired faculty/staff person who did not take it the whole semester accepted the blueberry treat. Another FSU employee declined but said, “I enjoy your music. I will miss your presence.” I distributed 27 halavas, a semester record and the exact number of small cups I’d always bring.
Sometimes it was so windy I would have to place the spoons between two cups of halava so they would not blow off the table.
A vegetarian from Long Island was happy to hear about Govinda’s in Brooklyn, and said that her mom, who was into Ayurveda, would be interested in Divya’s Kitchen in Manhattan. A girl from Philly was happy to learn of our Sunday feast in Mount Airy and our Friday kirtan at 1408 South Street. I told the Belgian devotee kid I met that I was going to be at Radhadesh in a couple weeks, and I encouraged her to check out our Tallahassee temple at least once before returning home. Thus I felt I connected with a lot of people. I hope to find someone do this service for the fall semester, and I posted this note on Facebook: “During the spring semester I chant Hare Krishna on the campus of FSU in Tallahassee, promote our Krishna Lunch at FSU and our temple programs, make Srila Prabhupada's books available, have a weekly program for students, and do some temple services. We look for a reliable devotee do to similar service for the fall semester (August 26 to December 13). Let us know if you are interested.”
This spring semester in Tallahassee was better for me than last year. I did not have to do the morning program completely by myself this year. This year I would do the mangala-arati and sing the songs, and Govinda Kaviraja Prabhu would chant the response as he was cooking. Since I have been coming to Tallahassee for over 14 years, that is the first time the Krishna Lunch cook would chant the response at mangala-arati. Govinda also restarted a weekly temple program for the first time since the COVID, and sometimes we would have 25 people come to it. On Gaura Purnima, we had over 50 guests. Also Satyaraja Govinda Prabhu started a Bhagavad-gita class Sunday morning in the Student Union, and I am happy to have another program to invite people to. This year more than any other, people would come up to me and say, “I tried Krishna Lunch for the first time, and I really liked it.” It is also the first time we have had a computer graphics person being the temple president, so the quality of the signs, the posters, and the invitations is increasing. I am hoping Govinda Kaviraja Prabhu can remain in charge, although his wife is detained in Ukraine because of the unreasonability of U.S. Immigrations, and that he can continue making the project better.
Here are my April harinama scores for Tallahassee:
Chanting Hare Krishna in Gainesville
Raghava Priya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Krishna House during mangala-arati (https://youtu.be/8E3abyssAQI):
Mayur Prabhu, who is a student at UF, chants Hare Krishna at Krishna Lunch at UF in Gainesville (https://youtu.be/iLO4yC1MrI0):
Purusartha Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Krishna Lunch at University of Florida in Gainesville (https://youtu.be/GaqfJIlQL7k):
Pancha Tattva Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Krishna Lunch at UF in Gainesville (https://youtu.be/cZeI8ZUHaVo):
Arjuna Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Krishna Lunch at UF in Gainesville (https://youtu.be/LagXfx1utDM):
Later Purusartha Prabhu chanted another Hare Krishna tune there (https://youtu.be/W83N2WRXXBM):
Kartikeya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Krishna Lunch at UF in Gainesville (https://youtu.be/VaKJ0fqAoWg):
Man Mohini Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna across from the University of Florida entrance with Alachua devotees (https://youtu.be/IL75Efew7oU):
Raghava Priya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Krishna House Friday evening program (https://youtu.be/4Hdb2HYoOY8):
Chanting Hare Krishna in St. Augustine
Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at St Augustine Ratha-yatra (https://youtu.be/V--4l1ABqIA):
Bhadra Prabhu pulled one young man I lent my shakers to into the procession, and he had a great time playing the shakers and dancing with the devotees as you can see in this video (https://youtu.be/sw8ixvyQRxs):
A Krishna House devotee later danced with another onlooker who I had lent my shakers to on St. Augustine Ratha-yatra (https://youtube.com/shorts/9gAdGXA-W_g?feature=share):
Here an attracted woman plays shakers at the end of the St Augustine Ratha-yatra (https://youtu.be/jlys2EH4g6M):
Mahatma Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in front of Jagannatha cart after St. Augustine Ratha-yatra (https://youtu.be/X57uc8QS-oc):
Mahatma Prabhu chants Hare Krishna on stage after St. Augustine Ratha-yatra (https://youtu.be/Pr0BSCjrZFo):
Bhadra Prabhu chants Hare Krishna, and passersby dance with devotees on St. George St. during St. Augustine harinama (https://youtu.be/u1TemB0_kCs):
A Daytona photographer played shakers as Bhadra Prabhu led the Hare Krishna there (https://youtu.be/iZ6RitYS7oY):
Costumed folks danced with devotees on St. Augustine harinama (https://youtu.be/aeB8yac6iZU):
Here Russian devotee ladies dance as the St. Augustine harinama ends (https://youtu.be/pXPx4n2Rwno):
Photos
What to do if the laundry soap keeps disappearing . . .
You can always count on the Indian online chat operators to glorify Krishna!
Insights
Srila Prabhupada:
From Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 10:
“Krishna’s gentleness and magnanimity do not exist in Narayana. They are found only in Krishna.”
From Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 12:
“A devotee of the Lord is always kind to everyone, and he does not pick quarrels.”
“One should always think of himself as the most fallen among souls so that Krishna will take care of him.”
“One should avoid ordinary topics of novels and fiction, but there is no injunction that one should avoid hearing ordinary news.”
From Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 18:
“The Absolute Truth must descend from the absolute platform. He is not to be understood by the ascending process.”
“One who is situated on the platform of love of Godhead chants the holy name loudly for all concerned. As a result, everyone becomes initiated in the chanting of the holy names—Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. By chanting and hearing the holy names of Krishna, a person can remember the forms and qualities of Krishna.”
From Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 19:
“The transcendental ecstatic attachment for Krishna which results from perfectly understanding that Krishna’s person and name are identical is called bhava.”
“Love of Godhead is the eternal nature of the soul; it is unchangeable, beginningless and endless. Therefore temporary sense gratification or a desire for liberation cannot compare with the transcendental nature of love of God.”
From Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 20:
“There is no meaning to a king if there are no subjects, and there is no meaning to the Supreme God if there are no infinitesimal living entities. How can there be meaning to the word ‘lord’ if there is no one to overlord?”
“The Mayavadis cannot explain the cause of bondage of the living entities. They simply say, ‘It is due to ignorance,’ but they cannot explain why the living entities are covered by ignorance if they are supreme.”
From Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 21:
“When there is reciprocation of transcendental dealings with Krishna, Krishna gradually becomes a personal associate of the devotee. Then the devotee eternally enjoys blissful life.”
From Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 23:
“Unless there is realization of the transcendental form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there is no question of love of God. Unless one can realize the transcendental form of the Supreme Lord, he cannot actually attain love of God, and without love of God there is no perfection in human life.”
“Modern scientists like Jagadisha Chandra Bose, Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, etc., may be very boastful of their respective creative energies, but all were dependent on the Supreme Lord for so many things. After all, the highly intelligent brains of these gentlemen were certainly not products of any human being. The brain is created by another agent. If brains like those of Einstein or Newton could have been manufactured by a human being, then mankind would produce many such brains instead of eulogizing their passing. If such scientists cannot even manufacture such brains, what to speak of foolish atheists who defy the authority of the Lord?”
“God is a greater mechanic than the watchmaker because He simply creates one machine in male and female forms, and the male and female forms go on producing innumerable similar machines without the further attention of God. If a man could manufacture a set of machines capable of producing other machines without the man giving the matter any further attention, then a man could be said to equal the intelligence of God. Of course this is not possible.”
“Pious activities and religious functions are performed with an aim to acquire some material gain, and if such material gain is obtainable in another way, this so-called religion is neglected. This can be seen in modern human civilization. Since the economic desires of the people appear to be fulfilled in another way, no one is interested in religion now. The churches, mosques and temples are practically vacant, for people are more interested in factories, shops and cinemas. Thus they have deserted the religious places erected by their forefathers. This is evidence that religion is generally performed for the sake of economic development, and economic development is required for sense gratification.”
“The devotees of the Lord are not only free from all material envy, but they are also kind to everyone in an attempt to establish a competitionless society with God in the center.”
“The desire to hear with interest is the primary qualification for assimilating transcendental knowledge. Unfortunately many people are not interested in patiently hearing the message of Srimad-Bhagavatam. The process is simple but the application difficult.”
“One need not struggle through the different Vedic stages of realization, for one can be lifted to the position of paramahamsa simply by agreeing to hear the message of Srimad-Bhagavatam with patience.”
From Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 25:
“Because sometimes in the original Vedas the subject matter is too difficult for the common man to understand, the Puranas explain matters simply by the use of stories and historical incidents.”
“The conditioned soul is the marginal potency overpowered by the external potency. However, when the marginal potency comes under the jurisdiction of the spiritual potency, it becomes eligible for love of Godhead.”
From Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 26:
“Lord Caitanya exclaimed: ‘My mission in Jagannatha Puri is now fulfilled! I have converted a person like Sarvabhauma Bhaṭṭacarya. I shall now be able to attain Vaikunṭha without fail.’”
“The missionary goal of a devotee is to convert simply one person into a pure devotee. In this way his admission to the spiritual kingdom is guaranteed.”
From Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 27:
“Lord Caitanya was pointing out that if a man has a material conception of life, he cannot attain the highest perfection even if he follows all the ritualistic regulations.”
From Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 28:
“Lord Caitanya also rejected this third proposal [of Ramananada Raya], for He wanted to demonstrate that renunciation in itself is not sufficient. There must be positive engagement. Without positive engagement, the highest perfectional stage cannot be attained.”
From Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 31:
“In ancient days there was even a hunter named Dharma, who became a spiritual master for many people.”
“When the sound vibration of Krishna’s flute is expressed through the mouth of Brahma, it becomes gayatri. Thus by being influenced by the sound vibration of Krishna’s flute, Brahma, the supreme creature and first living entity of this material world, was initiated as a brahmana. That Brahma was initiated as a brahmana by the flute of Krishna is confirmed by Srila Jiva Gosvami. When Brahma was enlightened by the gayatri mantra through Krishna’s flute, he attained all Vedic knowledge. Acknowledging the benediction offered to him by Krishna, he became the original spiritual master of all living entities.”
“Actually lust and sex are there in spiritual life, but when the spirit soul is embodied in material elements, that spiritual urge is expressed through the material body and is therefore pervertedly reflected. When one actually becomes conversant in the science of Krishna consciousness, he can understand that his material desire for sex is abominable, whereas spiritual sex is desirable.”
“As Krishna is the highest emblem of spiritual perfection, so Radharani is the highest emblem of that spiritual pleasure potency by which Krishna is satisfied. Since Krishna is unlimited, in order to satisfy Him Radharani is also unlimited. Krishna is satisfied just by seeing Radharani, but Radharani expands Herself in such a way that Krishna desires to enjoy Her more. Because Krishna was unable to estimate the pleasure potency of Radharani, He decided to accept the role of Radharani, and that combination is Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.”
“She [Radharani] always offers Krishna a kind of intoxication by Her sweet talks, and She is always prepared to fulfill His desires. In other words, She supplies all the demands of Sri Krishna, and She possesses unique and uncommon qualities for Krishna’s satisfaction.”
“The mood of the gopis’ emotional pursuit is called siddha-deha. This word indicates the pure spiritual body which is beyond the senses, mind and intelligence. Siddha-deha is the purified soul who is just suitable to serve the Supreme Lord. No one can serve the Supreme Lord as His associate without being situated in his pure spiritual identity.”
From Krishna, Preface:
“In the Bhagavad-gita it is said that the individual person is the proprietor or master of his own body but that Krishna, who is the Supersoul present in everyone’s heart, is the supreme proprietor and supreme master of each and every individual body. As such, if we concentrate our loving propensities upon Krishna only, then immediately universal love, unity and tranquillity will be automatically realized. When one waters the root of a tree, he automatically waters the branches, twigs, leaves and flowers; when one supplies food to the stomach through the mouth, he satisfies all the various parts of the body. The art of focusing one’s attention on the Supreme and giving one’s love to Him is called Krishna consciousness.
“We have inaugurated the Krishna consciousness movement so that everyone can satisfy his propensity for loving others simply by directing his love toward Krishna. The whole world is very eager to satisfy the dormant propensity of love for others, but the various invented methods like socialism, communism, altruism, humanitarianism and nationalism, along with whatever else may be manufactured for the peace and prosperity of the world, are all useless and frustrating because of our gross ignorance of the art of loving Krishna. Generally people think that by advancing the cause of moral principles and religious rites they will be happy. Others may think that happiness can be achieved by economic development, and yet others think that simply by sense gratification they will be happy. But the real fact is that people can be happy only by loving Krishna. Krishna can perfectly reciprocate one’s loving propensities in different relationships called mellows, or rasas.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Antya 20.14:
“The result of chanting is that one awakens his love for Krishna and tastes transcendental bliss. Ultimately, one attains the association of Krishna and engages in His devotional service, as if immersing himself in a great ocean of love.”
From a lecture at Philadelphia Ratha-yatra on July 12, 1975:
“We don’t charge anything for selling Hare Krishna mantra. We are chanting everywhere. That you saw, this Ratha-yatra. Now, our only means is chanting Hare Krishna. And these thousands of men are following simply by chanting Hare Krishna mantra. So you can understand what is the potency of this Hare Krishna mantra. We do not pay anything, you ladies and gentlemen, to follow us. But we simply chant Hare Krishna.
So it is very potential. Narottama dasa Ṭhakura, a great acarya of Vaisnava sampradaya, he has sung, golokera prema-dhana, hari-nama-sankirtana. This Hare Krishna movement, or chanting of Hare Krishna, it is not anything material. Therefore you will never feel tired chanting Hare Krishna. You see practically. You go on chanting twenty-four hours, you will never feel tired. Therefore it is said, golokera prema-dhana. This chanting vibration is coming from the spiritual world. Just like you receive material sound vibration in the radios or television from distant place, there is another machine, which can receive the vibration in the spiritual world. So that vibration is Hare Krishna mantra.”
“So our only request is that you chant Hare Krishna mantra, and you will feel very much happy. There will be no anxiety. And then you can do your work. It doesn’t matter what you are doing, but chanting of this Hare Krishna mantra will make you more and more happy, free from material anxieties. And if we continue this process, then everything will be clearly understood about spiritual life, and very easily we shall be able to go back to home, back to Godhead.”
Adikarta Prabhu:
I was into art, and I did paintings. Then I got into photography because it’s more immediate. It takes so long to do a painting. Then I got into music.
If you can teach people through your painting, that is good.
It is hard to get a feel for Krishna consciousness just doing it by yourself without the association of lots of devotees. That’s why going to festivals and going to India are important. Since I became a devotee I have always lived in temples.
The Lord has innumerable incarnations, and one of them is omkara.
Devotional service is perpetual pleasure.
Sadaputa Prabhu:
From “Points Concerning the Vedic Conception of the Universe”:
“The description of Brahma’s assembly house in the Mahabharata strongly conveys the impression of multi-dimensionality, or trans-dimensionality. This is true, as well, of many other stories in the Mahabharata, which can be studied as a source of ideas in ‘higher physics.’”
Srimati Radharani 108 Names and Pastimes:
“One day, Radharani, who is renowned as a vama-nayaki gopi (left-wing heroine), was immersed in transcendental pastimes with Krishna in a kuñja (forest grove). Suddenly, she assumed the mood of a daksina-nayaki (right-wing heroine), solely to enhance Krishna’s divine pleasure. Unlike a vama-nayaki, a daksina-nayaki gopi is passive, disapproving of the prideful behavior of others, and never displays arrogance in the presence of her beloved. On the contrary, she speaks sweet and submissive words and is easily moved by her lover’s endearing expressions. Krishna, noticing this change in Radharani’s mood, became immensely delighted, intensifying His own transcendental ecstasy.”
“Sri Yamuna Devi states that [Skanda Purana, Section 2 (Vaisnava Khanda), Bhagavata Mahatmya, Chapter 2, Verse 11], “atmaramasya krishnasya dhruvmatmasti radhika, tasya dasya prabhaven virho sman na sansparsita.” (Sri Yamuna Devi says): The soul of Sri Krishna is Srimati Radharani, and I have become her maidservant. This is the glory of Srimati Radharani’s servitude that I never experience the agony in the separation of Sri Krishna because Sri Krishna always dwells with Sri Radha and roams eternally (Nitya Vihara) in Vraja.”
“Radha-Madhava gazed at each other’s enchanting beauty from afar, their unblinking eyes filled with tears of joy. Their minds reeled in intoxication from savouring the nectar of Their mutual love. Radha’s sakhis and mañjaris greatly relished seeing the sweet meeting of the Divine Couple.”
“The gentle tinkling of Radha’s ankle bells sprinkled nectar in Shyama’s ears.”
“Krishna then arrived, and at the exact stroke of midnight, He took a bath in Radha’s new kunda. He declared that henceforth it would be known as Radhakunda, stating that whoever bathed there with full faith and devotion would automatically develop a love for Radharani equal to His own love. Radharani then went to Krishna’s kunda and, while taking Her bath there, declared that the newly created kunda by Krishna would be known as Shyama-kunda. She said that anyone who bathed there with full faith and devotion would automatically develop love for Krishna equal to Her own love.”
“The same Lord Krishna is Radha’s Hari because Krishna takes away Radha’s shyness, unwillingness and any other obstacle to their meeting.”
Rasika Siromani Prabhu:
Jaya and Vijaya never forget the Supreme Lord as they come to the material world although they thought of Him inimically as demons.
Criticizing or judging devotees is the worst thing for our spiritual life.
Q:
What to do if you repeatedly criticize devotees and cannot shake it.
A:
Recognize the fault is within yourself. Take shelter of someone you
can reveal your mind to.
When you correct someone it is important that they come away from the experience more inspired to serve.
When we honor the devotees, we get Krishna’s attention.
Comment by Adi Shyam Prabhu: “We are advised to beat our minds with a stick by the acaryas, but if we do not identify with our minds, we will not feel that we are beating ourselves.”
Comment by Raghava Priya Prabhu: If we cannot find any good qualities in a devotee, we can ask a senior devotee who appreciates that devotee to help us.
Comments by me:
Srila Prabhupada used the analogy of the shower to describe the situation of a neophyte devotee. It is as foolish to criticize a neophyte devotee for his remnants of material contamination as it is to criticize a person in a shower for still having some dirt on his body. Devotional service is so powerfully purifying that very soon the devotee will be completely cleansed of all material tendencies as a man in a shower will soon have a completely clean body.
Krishna stresses in Bg. 9.30 that a devotee who is fixed in devotional service should be considered saintly even if he does the most abominable thing. Usually the things we criticize devotees for are not most abominable. As devotees we must understand the mood of the Lord and represent Him. Criticizing such devotees puts us at odds with the Lord we claim to be serving, and so we should not do it.
Krishna advises in Bg. 6.26, “Wherever the mind wanders, one must certainly bring it back under the control of the self.” Thus whenever we see the mind moving in the direction of criticism, we should bring it back, no matter how often that happens.
Dr. Abhiram Gopal Das
From a Friday evening lecture at Krishna House:
Sabha pramana is also there in science, when we quote experienced scientists as authorities.
The scriptures have referrd to the earth as bhu-gola for thousands of years, but science has known the earth is a sphere for a few hundred years.
The stages of the embryo given in the Third Canto of the Srimad-Bhagavatam are confirmed by modern embryology, a relatively recent science.
Faith is there in all aspects of life. We have faith that if we order something online it will be delivered.
Comment by Raghava Priya Prabhu: We have faith there will be prasadam at the end of the program.
Ramanujacarya had two disciples, one rich and one poor, and he sent other disciples to the rich one with the message that their guru would be coming. The man immediately began making plans to receive his guru. When the other disciples returned to their guru, they said that the rich disciple was eager to hear he was coming and began making arrangements. Ramanujacarya asked the messengers how they themselves were treated. They replied that they were not offered water or a seat or anything. Ramanujacarya said that was not good. He sent them to the poor disciple, who received them very well, and they reported that to Ramanujacarya, and he decided that he and his disciples would visit the poor disciple.
If we realize we need to change our lives, we need to associate with people that are not attached to that which we want to give up.
Comment by Krishna Abhiseka Prabhu: “Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura wrote, ‘Our pravrttis or tendencies and affections are described as the mainspring of all our actions, and it is our object to train up those affections and tendencies to the standard of sattva-guna, as decided by the moral principle. This is not easily done. All the springs or our actions should be carefully protected from tamo-guna, the evil principle, by adopting the rajo-guna at first, and when that is effected, man should subdue his rajo-guna by means of the natural sattva-guna which is the most powerful of them cultivated. Lust, idleness, wicked deeds and degradation of human nature by intoxicating principles are described as exclusively belonging to tamo-guna, the evil phase of nature. These are to be checked by marriage, useful work and abstinence from intoxication and trouble to our neighbors and inferior animals. Thus when rajo-guna has obtained supremacy in the heart, it is our duty to convert that rajo-guna into sattva-guna which is pre-eminently good. That married love, which is first cultivated, must now be sublimated into holy, good and spiritual love, i.e., love between soul and soul.’” (Bhagavata, p. 25)
Krishna Kripa Das:
From “Official Hare Krishna Humor” Facebook posts:
“Some people say you only live once. Of course, because the soul is eternal, you only do live once, forever!”
“Some people say they are not interested in meditation, but that is not a fact. They may not be interested in meditation on the Absolute Truth, but they are definitely interested in meditation on the objects of the senses!”
Bhagyashree, Odhishan lady attending Tallahassee Saturday program:
There is a bhajana called “Aahe Nila Saila” that is always sung at Ratha-yatra in Puri. It was written by a Muslim poet, Salabega, who was at first denied entrance into the Jagannatha temple because of his birth, but who was later realized to be a great devotee of the Lord. You can read his amazing biography here, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salabega.
Shyam, an Indian graduate of UF, who works as a researcher at FSU:
My friends at UF would refer to the chips at Krishna Lunch as mind control chips.
Diania, the nurse of my mother:
When I see an old person, I see the old person, but I also see a book of a lifetime of experiences.
Once you are a nurse or a caregiver you are a caregiver for life. You never really retire.
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Krishna reminds Arjuna, and thus humanity in general, that it is the individual’s choice whether to follow His advice or not, although by attentively hearing Krishna’s presentation, we can understand that to follow is the best choice.
iti
te jñanam akhyatam
guhyad
guhya-taram maya
vimrishyaitad
asesena
yathecchasi
tatha kuru
“Thus I have explained to you knowledge still more confidential. Deliberate on this fully, and then do what you wish to do.” (Bhagavad-gita 18.63)