Diary
of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 20, No. 15
By
Krishna Kripa Das
(August
2024, part one)
Paris,
Strasbourg,
Basel
(Sent
from New
Mayapur, France, on August 17,
2024)
Where I Went and What I Did
I stayed at ISKCON Paris in Sarcelles the first half of August, doing three hours of harinama each day, mostly in Paris itself, along with some deity service. I took one day off to attend the Basel Ratha-yatra in Switzerland, a first for me, and I chanted in Strasbourg on the way there.
I share notes on Srila Prabhupada’s Srimad-Bhagavatam and Second Chance, and also a class of his. I share notes on Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami’s latest journal, A Writer of Pieces 2024. I share notes on classes by Janananda Goswami, Bhakti Sundara Swami, Bhaki Raghava Swami, Carudeshna Swami, Bada Haridas Prabhu, Visvavasu Prabhu, Devarsi Prabhu, and Priyarani. I share notes on a presentation by Radhika Ramana Prabhu for Bhaktivedanta Institute for Higher Studies.
Many, many thanks to Poojarini Mataji of Basel for arranging my stay with Deepankar there and for her generous donation. Thanks to Jagattarini and Atmarama Rasa Prabhus of Paris for their kind donation. Thanks to Deepankar for letting me stay at his place in Basel, a fifteen-minute walk from the Ratha-yatra site, where I slept better than anywhere else this whole year!
Itinerary
June
17–August 15: Paris harinamas
August
16–19: Balarama Festival (New Mayapur France)
August
19–20:
Paris harinamas
August
21: Prague harinama
August
22–25: Trutnov harinamas
(Czech
Woodstock)
August
26–27: Janmastami and Vyasa-puja in CZ
August
28: London harinama
August
29–30: Liverpool harinamas
August
31: Liverpool Ratha-yatra
September
1: Manchester harinama
and
Sunday feast
September
2–6: Newcastle harinamas
September
7: Manchester harinama
and
Saturday program for Westerners
September
8: Great North Run harinama
(Newcastle)
September
9–11: Dublin harinama
September
12: NYC Harinam
September
13–18: Albany
September
19–20: Philadelphia harinamas
September
21: Philadelphia Ratha-yatra
September
22–29: Albany
September
30–January 2025: NYC Harinam
Chanting Hare Krishna in Paris
Rasikananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at La Republique (https://youtu.be/OebdLNzv1mA):
Janananda Goswami chants Hare Krishna in Gare du Nord in Paris, and two girls dance and an onlooker takes some video (https://youtu.be/v-BcrDEKGgY):
Janananda Goswami chants Hare Krishna at ISKCON Paris before Srimad-Bhagavatam class (https://youtu.be/ULkL1C5vNnE):
Janananda Goswami chants Hare Krishna at Bastille metro station in Paris (https://youtu.be/WvlcBf7ctZw):
Within half an hour, some municipal police came by, demanding to see our permit. When we did not have one, their leader said we had five minutes to pack up, or we would be arrested. We packed up and went three stops on the metro to Stalingrad, where they never stop us.
Krishna talks about tolerating honor and dishonor and happiness and distress, and in half an hour at Anvers, we encountered both!
Rasikananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Stalingrad, and a passing devotee joins in (https://youtu.be/iOGWc8vqTKw):
Rasa Parayana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at La Republique (https://youtu.be/CD_dLCFAq_8):
On Tuesday I chanted across the canal from Jivamukti yoga studio as usual, and Ian brought the drum from there in a surprising way.
The 49-euro promotional ticket from Paris to Basel left me with a wait of over an hour in Strasbourg instead of just a few minutes. I decided to chant outside the train station for 45 minutes before eating dinner and boarding my next train. Three people took “On Chanting Hare Krishna”, two in French and one in English, an Indian tourist donated two euros, and a middle-aged French woman listened for about fifteen minutes.
Chanting Hare Krishna at Basel Ratha-yatra in Switzerland
I did harinama by myself for almost an hour before the Ratha-yatra in Basel, following the route the procession would take as far as the river Rhine. The most enthusiastic people to hear of the Ratha-yatra were Indians, of course, but a few other people were also interested.
I also got to chant on the stage during the sound check and while a Vaishnava youth band was playing, when I got to sing the response.
The city gave the devotees a busy place for their festival, Barfüsserplatz, a stop for several trams and buses, unlike some cities, where they have to observe it in a less frequented place.
Surprisingly there were no enthusiastic kirtan devotees present when Lord Jagannatha appeared on the scene to board His chariot, and I got to chant for forty-five minutes until the kirtan devotees arrived and the sound system was set up.
Here Uddhava Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at the beginning of the Basel Ratha-yatra (https://youtu.be/Qs7Fe-M4TpE):
 |
Devotees chant Hare Krishna in Basel Ratha-yatra, returning from the smaller region of Basel across the river (https://youtu.be/L4Sf7TLuTlY):
Although the police could take up seats on this train, they stand and allow the public to sit.
Insights
Srila Prabhupada:
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 8.20.12, purport:
“To enjoy a little humor between Himself and His devotee, the Lord covered Himself as a brahmaṇa-brahmacari and thus came to Bali Maharaja to beg for only three feet of land.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.11.37, purport:
“Those who were not born in brahmaṇa families were not meant for academic education. The brahmaṇas were trained in a literary, academic education, the kṣatriyas were trained to take care of the state, and the vaiśyas 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.”
From A Second Chance:
“The potency of the chanting of Hare Krishna is confirmed by the spread of the Krishna consciousness movement. In countries where the Hare Krishna movement is spreading, learned scholars and other thoughtful men are realizing its effectiveness. For example, Dr. J. Stillson Judah, a learned scholar, has been very much attracted to this movement because he has actually seen that it is turning hippies addicted to drugs into pure Vaisnavas who voluntarily become servants of Krishna and humanity. Even a few years ago, such hippies did not know the Hare Krishna mantra, but now they are chanting it and becoming pure Vaishnavas. Thus they are becoming free from all sinful activities, such as illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating, and gambling. This is practical proof of the effectiveness of the Hare Krishna mantra. One may or may not know the value of chanting the Hare Krishna mantra, but if one somehow or other chants it, he will immediately be purified, just as one who takes a potent medicine will feel its effects, regardless of whether he takes it knowingly or unknowingly.”
From a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.16–20 on New York on August 2, 1971:
“You will find in Mahabharata so sublime literature. You will find sociology, history, religion, culture—everything. But this was meant for the less-intelligent class. Now how much we have been degraded that we cannot understand even Mahabharata. And in the Mahabharata is the Bhagavad-gita. Bhagavad-gita is the portion of Mahabharata. And such Bhagavad-gita is being studied by many great scholars and philosophers at the present moment—still they cannot understand. Try to understand: Which was made for the less-intelligent class of men, now it is very difficult to understand. So what class of men we are? That is my point.”
Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:
From A Writer of Pieces 2024:
“A person in the audience asked Prabhupada after his lecture, ‘What is the way that you can recognize a pure devotee?’ Prabhupada answered in three words: ‘He’d be fearless.’ He said it with a fearless tone. Imagine an old man like that, who is no longer strong in physique, who has no army powers behind him or big political cliques, and who has many people who don’t like what he stands for. Yet against all his ‘enemies,’ he remains fearless. When Prabhupada was asked the question, he gave such a clear and definite answer as to how one can tell who is a pure devotee. He said, ‘He’d be fearless.’”
“The writer of pieces woke up maybe 30 minutes ago, but he can’t fall back to sleep, and he’s getting a twinge in the eye. Better wait for a soft pardon from the only one who can do it. Ask! Ask the Lord, ‘Please forgive me for these sins and let me go back to the sleep.’”
“A writer’s Pieces can amount to great wealth. But he doesn’t want money for himself or his family. His actual wealth is the chance to glorify God. A Writer of Pieces is happiest when he’s serving the Lord of Goloka, even if he has to serve Him from a great distance away and even if his Pieces are very imperfect.”
“Just a little speck of devotion to You fills me with true rapture for God.”
“The Writer of Pieces was bullied by some tough men, and he wrote back to his spiritual master, ‘I’m going to retire.’ But Prabhupada wrote back to him, ‘You can never retire.’
“The Writer of Pieces went to the GBC meeting and pleaded with his Godbrothers that they allow him to retire. Somewhat begrudgingly, a majority of them allowed him to retire.”
“The Writer of Pieces wrote to his spiritual master and said he was retiring as GBC, because some of the GBC men were mocking him. The spiritual master wrote back, ‘You can never retire.’ The Writer of Pieces never ran out of bhakti-yoga.”
“We share the Pieces of God’s creation. He gives His love to all. He is the most generous and magnanimous Lord and gives us words. There is enough to go around for everyone.”
“A Writer of Pieces gathers together all Vaiṣṇavas in Prabhupada’s mission. Some of them have difficulties, but Prabhupada knows how to save them all.”
“The Writer of Pieces is the title of this collection. It is made up of all praises of my Lord. It is also composed of my love for Srila Prabhupada. He is the one who dragged me up from the gutter.”
“This Writer of Pieces is not a good poet or even an outstanding devotee. But his spiritual master protects him and remembers the service he did when the boy was young (twenty-five years old).”
“Prabhupada will protect me from crazy men and women.”
“Writing Srila Prabhupada-lilamṛta
I
felt empowered.
I
felt very happy.
I
thought that God was giving me His grace.
I
never felt so good about things
as
I did when writing the Lilamrita.
On
the particular day,
when
my comrades, and I completed
writing
Srila
Prabhupada-lilamrita
I
felt the happiest of all.”
“It would have taken someone expert, though, to see inside my fanatical ‘new convert veneer’ to see how I had been touched. The people in Great Kills Village just weren’t up to that. Not my parents, not my sister and her husband, not old Fiorelli, the barber.”
“Prabhupada: he is the most important person to me. He is the greatest personality that I have met and that has had the most significant influence over me. He changed me from an ordinary person to a person who seeks Krishna (God) consciousness as his main desire.”
More on Prabhupada: I have great faith in him. There may be some flaws in his movement due to some impure elements that have entered. But I believe in his pure intentions for this movement and his faith in Krishna and his presenting Krishna to us as the supreme reality. No one will ever replace Srila Prabhupada in my life as the number one guru, father, spiritual leader, best friend, tutor. I must never grow stale on Prabhupada or his writing.”
“All the followers of Srila Prabhupada are dear to me and dear to each other.”
“All
the followers are loved.
Krishna
loves us all.”
“The greatest soul I know is Srila Prabhupada. He picked me up from nescience and turned me into a devotee of the Lord. For this I owe him everything. When I leave this body, I pray he will take me.”
“I
am most fallen
but
he desires to pick me up.”
“Soon
you will be dead.
Don’t
mourn over that; be happy and laugh
like
the Maharaja does. He laughs with a bellow
and
isn’t afraid. He knows he’s spirit soul
so
he can laugh and laugh, and
the
other folks laugh with him because they know
we’re
all dying soon,
like
people in a small boat.”
“You want me to talk with You, surely You do. You will not leave me alone in the wilderness. Please come to me quickly, and rescue my loneliness. We will talk and play and dance again. I am sure of this. You will not leave me alone.”
“He
prayeth best, who loveth best
All
things both great and small;
For
the dear God who loveth us,
He
made and loveth all.” (The
Rime of the Ancient Mariner)
“The real thing to accomplish is to try your best and try to actually please the holy names.”
“Krishna
is the omnipotent sweet Lord;
He
must be found
in
the master’s bookshelf.
How
did He get over there?”
“We have to show more by example that we have matured and learned the lessons that Srila Prabhupada taught us on how to survive in a society that is too much caught up in materialistic pursuits.”
Janananda Goswami:
From a class on Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 9.40:
This section is a preachers’ paradise.
Once I hitchhiked from Newcastle to Caitanya College (Croome Court). I left at 6 a.m. and after several rides with people who all had some interest in Krishna Consciousness I was dropped on a small rural road about 20 miles from my destination at 11 p.m. At that hour, no one is on those road, but suddenly a Volvo came by, and an old lady rolled down her window, and asked where I was going. I explained I was going to a Hare Krishna property near Pershore, formerly known as Croome Court. She said, “I live near there. I have never given a hitchhiker a ride in my whole life, but I trust you because of how you are dressed.” She drove me not just to the property but to the first door.
I was inspired by my trip to write an article on this section of Sri Caitanya-caritamrita.
Lord Caitanya is inviting everyone to join His party.
This movement is a manifestation of Lord Caitanya’s heart.
We do not need to accommodate our material desires.
Keshava Bharati Maharaja was present at a Ratha-yatra with Srila Prabhupada, and he said it was amazing to see how when Srila Prabhupada raised his hands in the air, that every one in the crowd also raised their hands.
Everything else other than the congregational chanting of the holy name is secondary.
Keeping our environment clean is very helpful.
From a class on Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 9.41:
Most people, even most of the religious leaders, do not know who they are, do not know the law of karma, and even do not know have much knowledge of God.
Bhaktivinoda Thakura describes as Kali-yuga degrades, atheism becomes the only acceptable belief system and others will be considered dangerous.
People talk of going to heaven or hell, but what is it that goes to heaven or hell? It cannot be the body, it must be the soul.
Although Kumbha-mela is attended by 12 million people, hardly any policemen are required to regulate the crowd, because it is so peaceful.
Rich Indians, following the west, are becoming interested in having very fancy dogs these days.
The number of abortions almost approaches the number of live births.
If as a rich person we exploit others, in our next life we will be born in poverty.
If we engage in abortion, in our next life we will be aborted.
We have to be careful not be become attracted to our austerities or our work instead of becoming attracted to the person we are trying to please by these.
Comments by me:
When people accuse us of being a cult sometimes I say, “Not a cult but a culture.”
From a class at Yoga Lyrique:
The only time we see some preachers in France is when they are on the sannyasa list as they are required to come here, but after they take sannyasa we never see them again.
The miseries remind us to take shelter of Krishna, and when we do take shelter of Krishna, we greatly advance spiritually.
We seek compassion for all, beyond those who appear to be victims, because the perpetrators themselves have great suffering awaiting them.
Horrible situations can bring out compassion in the devotees’ hearts.
From a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 8.20.13:
Krishna considers His devotees as more important than Himself and is unfailing in this regard.
We exist in a world where mundane morality is expected from religious people. There is no clue of a higher transcendental reality.
If you kill in civilian life it is a crime, but as a soldier, if you do not kill it is a crime.
You can love yourself in one sense, but there is no rasa (relationship). It is pretty boring.
The personalism of the devotee is to try get people to reestablish their eternal relationships with Krishna, thus people cannot always understand their behavior.
Austerities and other activities that are not aimed at pleasing Krishna are mundane.
In Mumbai they had a orphanage, and practically all the kids became devotees.
The preaching movement is to connect everything to Krishna not just to give philosophy.
Bhakti Sundara Swami:
In karma-yoga, you do want you like and offer the result to Krishna.
Bhaktivinoda Thakura said the first three processes of devotional service, hearing, chanting, and remembering the Lord, are most important.
Chanting includes hearing and remembering.
The miseries convince us there that the material world is a not a place to be happy.
People fully engage in sense gratification because they do not know of the existence spiritual pleasure.
The founders of religions promote service to God, but things become degraded and the followers use religion for material gain.
The Six Goswami acaryas say that you can go directly to Vaikuntha, but you do not go directly to Goloka. You go to Gokula, where Krishna’s pastimes are performed in this world and get trained.
Srila Prabhupada said that Arjuna and Kunti never go to the spiritual world, but they always serve the Lord in one universe or another.
Srila Prabhupada named me Jagat Caksus Dasa. Jagat means universe, caksus means eyes, and dasa means servant. He said, “Remember God’s eyes are on you. Then he looked at me directly and said, “You cannot hide from the eye’s of God.”
Bhaktivinoda Thakura said if you think you have a particular rasa before you attain rati (asakti) you will be confused because the beginning of the revelation of your svarupa doesn’t happen until that stage.
Srila Prabhupada explained that after anartha-nivrtti, at nistha, you can start thinking about raganuga-bhakti.
Bali Maharaja was under the protection of Supreme Lord because he offered everything to Him, even at the risk of disobeying his guru.
A rich man thinks, “What do I need God for? I have everything.”
Duryodhana offered a feast to Krishna, hoping to gain some points politically from Krishna, but Krishna declined the invitation because Duryodhana was a nondevotee with demoniac qualities. Instead he visited Vidura. Vidura was in vatsalya-bhava as he was older, and he would personally feed Krishna, accidentally giving him the peels instead of the bananas in his ecstasy.
An astrologer told Srila Prabhupada that he would become a very rich man. Because his guru told him if you get money print books, he decided as a grhastha to develop his business, make a lot of money, and print books. Krishna, however, had another idea.
Bali Maharaja was confident that by surrendering to Vamana he would be taken care of. Similarly if we surrender to Srila Prabhupada, we will find we will be taken care of.
Q
(by a brahmacari):
It is difficult to eat simply when we have all this opulent prasadam.
A:
That is for the grhasthas.
The
brahmacaris
should
give it to them.
Srila Prabhupada said that appreciation of the devotees creates the Vaikuntha atmosphere.
Bhaki Raghava Swami:
Srila Prabhupada said if we can revive brahminical and ksatriya culture the world can be saved.
We need both qualified leaders and qualified followers, and thus we must train them.
Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.11.37 stresses the need for teaching the duties of the vaisyas and ksatriyas.
Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that with the assistance of varnasrama one should practice bhakti, and he indicates that those who follow the varnasrama will have an easier time of practicing bhakti.
Bhaktivinoda Thakura indicates that by following varnasrama we can reach our full potential. Those not part of varnasrama should be instructed to give up bad habits and be trained as sudras.
Srila Prabhupada indicated wherever we have a temple or a project we should have a varnasrama college.
The vast majority of devotees, who are not engaged in frontline preaching, should be living on the farms.
Comment by Janananda Goswami:
Srila Prabhupada, when he was visiting London in 1977, was talking about to going to Gitanagari and teaching about rural communities.
We have discussed varnasrama for decades, and papers have been accepted or rejected. Now is time to act. People now are looking for real lifestyles. Spend some quality time in New Mayapur, and let us start something.
Most of our farm communities in the west are high living and low thinking.
Srila Prabhupada said to create three curricula for brahmanas, ksatriyas, and vaisyas and to designate the people who can follow any complete curriculum according to that curriculum they can follow.
Carudeshna Swami:
Vamanadeva tricked Bali Maharaja, but he did it for a good purpose.
Whatever Krishna does is good.
Only action for the pleasure of the Lord is free from reaction.
This is the Interational Society for Krishna Consciousness. We should be conscious of Krishna in everything we do, and then there will be no reactions.
Goodness can keep you in your comfort zone, and you cannot progress.
By doing doing pious work, you can become a king in the next life, but where will you become king? In the material world. In a prison, you can get an A/C room, but it is better to get out of prison.
We have to come to the level of Bali Maharaja, where we see everything as good.
Krishna wants us to come to a very high level of consciousness where we see our enemy as a friend.
On the transcendental platform, everything is OK. When we come below the transcendental platform there are all these dualities.
Peace comes when we have nothing to aspire for and nothing to regret. In that peaceful state, we can be happy.
Goodness is also bad transcendentally speaking because it keeps us in the material world.
When we work on trnad api sunicena, we can really make progress.
There is a difference between a senior and an advanced devotee. A senior devotee has beeen around a long while while an advanced devotee is close to Krishna.
We may consider someone an enemy, but they may be revealing something that we need to be learning.
Our own false ego is standing before us, and we are calling it our enemy.
Our life is very austere. If there is no humor, then it becomes too austere. There is a book of humorous stories told by Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura called Upakhyane Upadesa.
Bada Haridas Prabhu:
One of Krishna’s arguments to Arjuna was that if he did not fight he would be dishonored. “You should fight the war. Otherwise, what will the neighbors think?”
We hear humility is essential for chanting the holy name, and we may conclude that we should wait to chant until we attain humility, but Bhaktivinoda Thakura says in a song that if we chant with attention then all the qualifications such as humility will come.
The desire for honor is very deeply rooted, and we should be aware of that.
We should cultivate the divine qualities like tolerance. In book distribution, there is so much opportunity to practice tolerance.
When we notice there is something in our consciousness that should not be there, we should pray to Krishna to help us.
Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura says if we do kirtana for our own pleasure or the pleasure of others, our material desires will increase.
If you’re lucky Krishna, will be beat the desire for fame out of you.
I really appreciate Sacinandana Swami doing seminars and getting devotees trying to go deeper because he is trying to go deeper in himself.
We should always consider whatever good we have done was done by Krishna.
If we cultivate awareness of Krishna, that He is always there in our heart, that He is not far away, then we can be remember He is the cause of the success.
Comments by Janananda Goswami:
By remembering what our guru or Krishna said, and applying it in our life, we progress.
I was having negativity in my life and difficulty in dealing with certain people, and I got into writing and performing dramas at different venues. I found people I did not care to be with would come up to me and say they liked the dramas and would invite me to come and perform them, and it improved my relationships with people.
Comment by Kosarupa Devi Dasi: The section of Brahma’s prayers for creative energy can help us cultivate humility.
Comments by me not voiced:
“One who desires tangible fame should worship the Personality of Godhead.” (SB 2.3.2–7)
This concern over what people will think is a stumbling block for many people in devotional service because they do not buy a book, chant the mantra, or take prasadam, because they worry about what the friends they are with will think.
One of the benefits of sadhu-sanga is that we behave nicely in the association of the sadhus because we want to please them.
Visvavasu Prabhu:
Radhanath Swami describes three levels of bhakti. (1) When we engage our body in physically peeling potatoes and cleaning the yard but our mind may be elsewhere, (2) When we engage our body and mind, but we do not cry. (3) When we engage body and mind and also engage the heart.
B. B. Govinda says we have to turn to Krishna in the heart.
B. B. Govinda Swami said at the recent Lithuanian festival that if you spread love you will get love back. If you spread impersonal relationships you will get that back. Then every evening he would lead kirtana in a Vrindavan mood that involved everyone.
Gopal Krishna Goswami explains that happiness in Krishna consciousness is like a full pot and our anarthas are like holes in that pot.
Harinama is difficult for me, as I am always praying that each of the people who walk by may have some attraction for the holy name. In Paris today on harinama I noticed some of the people I prayed for had some feeling for the kirtana, and so it was a wonderful experience for me.
Bhakti Caitanya Swami said Bhaktisiddhana Sarasvati Thakura told his disciples to chant 64 rounds a day, but one disciple said he was the only one in his matha who could do it.
Bhaktisiddhana Sarasvati Thakura told one temple president to advertise in the newspaper that you can get free prasadam and accommodation if you just chant Hare Krishna 64 rounds a day. Then the temple president could see how rare it was.
Niranjana Swami told that there is one Prabhupada disciple who lives near New York City who had an office in NYC where he worked 8 hours and commuted 2 or 3 hours, and still chanted 64 rounds attentively every day.
Comment by Janananda Goswami: The name is Krishna. It not something we chant to get something else. Bhaktisiddhana Sarasvati Thakura said he gave them 64 rounds to chant so they would have no time to gossip. Whether it is on beads or not, chant as much as possible. Although Lord Caitanya did not chant on beads but on string, he still kept to a numerical count. The chanting is the only way. Other things are just to support it. Chanting 16 rounds is like holding on to the rope.
From class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 8.20.9:
Some places the devotees could not collect donations as it was restricted by the government.
In Hamburg in the early days the police stopped the devotees for chanting with instruments, saying it was disturbing the neighbors. They were told to chant without instruments. After some time, the police stopped them again, and said they could not sing. Then they chanted japa. Then the police stopped them again, and arrested them. In jail they preached to the police, and they police realized they were good people and told them so. They said, “In the future, if people give you trouble, we will help resolve it.”
Ambarisa Prabhu told Srila Prabhupada, “All my accounts are yours.”
Srila Prabhupada replied, “There is no need. Keep it for yourself. If I need something I will ask you.”
Later Prabhupada encouraged him to use his money for the TOVP.
One disciple of Bhaktisiddhana Sarasvati Thakura donated all his money for that marble temple in Calcutta. Bhaktisiddhana Sarasvati Thakura said, “You have wife and kids. You need to keep some for them.” The man insisted that he gave everything. Bhaktisiddhana Sarasvati Thakura arranged to secretly give money to his wife. That devotee soon left his body. It was fortuate because he was very soft-hearted, and the controversies when Bhaktisiddhana Sarasvati Thakura this world would have too much pained him.
We should encourage people to give donations, but less than what will produce disturbance in their minds.
It was the idea of Srila Prabhupada that no one spend money or act independently. There must be at least two people to approve spending.
It is a science to be a counselor and not allow your mind to be polluted by hearing of the problems of the people all day.
From Jivamukti Yoga Program:
For the bhakti-yogis our yamas and niyamas are the four regulative and chanting Hare Krishna.
Asanas for us is to sit with back straight as Krishna mention in Bhagavad-gita.
We need to use our creative energy and to be accepted by others to satisfy our mind.
Our spiritual soul can be happy be chanting transcendental sound.
Devarsi Prabhu:
From a seminar on varnasrama:
When we get a clue what our varna is, and we begin to act in that way, we will be satisfied, and people also will appreciate.
Because people move more in the present day, it is often that the children have a different varna than their parents, and that makes it more difficult to understand what your varna is.
It is good to distribute the books, but it is good to read the books.
It is good to understand what Srila Prabhupada said about varnasrama, and how to choose your ashram.
When we are young, we are a little bit passionate, and we want to change the world. When we are old, we just want to change ourselves.
When Krishna appears or Lord Caitanya appears, everyone is following varnasrama.
I had a friend who took sannyasa in his sixties, but all his friends were grhasthas. As a sannyasa he was always traveling, and thus it was difficult to develop to friendships. Thus he ended up getting married again, just to experience friendship.
If Srila Prabhupada said varnasrama was 5%, we may feel justified in ignoring it, but 50%? Suppose someone invites us to a feast, and they only give us 50% of a feast. How would we feel?
It is good to discuss with advanced devotees who care about us when choose our guru, our place of residence, our service, and our varna.
For the anniversary of the incorporation of ISKCON, I organized different speakers to talk about the seven purposes of Krishna. Then at the end, the all the different speakers discussed together.
We cannot measure consciousness with a machine.
Srila Prabhupada started the ministry of education, discussions leading up to VIHE, and talking about varnasrama, all about 1974.
Brahminical culture means openness.
I asked one couple, who had been married for years, their secret: The man said, “I am the guru, and my wife is the GBC.” It is practical. The husband gives spiritual direction, and the wife organizes practical activities.
When men understand that women are an auspicious source of energy for them, they will provide for and protect them.
If the husband is a pure devotee and the wife is chaste and faithful, that is the ideal combination.
It is more important for the men to understand the philosophy in order to be convinced to chant Hare Krishna.
It is important for married people to have guests to increase their spirit of service.
Most of us are mixed in terms of varna, but it is good to know the percentage of the mixing.
Comment by me not made:
Bhaktisiddhana Sarasvati Thakura said, “Please perceive everything of this world as ingredients for serving Krishna, for all is actually meant for Krishna’s service. View the whole race of women as beloved consorts of Krishna and help them to engage constantly in His service. Do not consider them objects of your sense enjoyment. They are to be enjoyed by Krishna, never by the minute jiva.”
From a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 8.20.10:
Since Bali Maharaja is not the first in the list of mahajanas; he is following the instructions of the others.
Srila Prabhupada reminds us that our duty is always to follow the mahajanas.
If we want pure bhakti we have to have a pure bhakta.
There was a proposal that each GBC give classes 10% on farm projects and spend 10% on farm projects.
Comment by Janananda Goswami:
In the constitution of ISKCON, which the corporation papers of ISKCON and the list of seven purposes are derived from, implementing varnasrama is mentioned.
Vamsi dasa Babaji lived in Navadvipa and did not follow any standards of social interaction.
Srila Prabhupada tells that when Vamsi dasa Babaji’s disciples would tell him some of his property was stolen, he would reply, “One thief gives and another thief takes. He who gives donations is also a thief.”
At our school in Aukland, they have activities that help the children learn what their varna is.
It used to be our husband or wife was our best friend. Then it was our dog or cat. Now it is our mobile.
Radhika Ramana Prabhu:
From “Can Empirical Observation Influence Scriptural Testimony? An Exploration through Jiva Gosvami’s Sarva-samvadini”:
“Implicit in all of Jiva’s interpretations is that when sabda [the revealed literaure] and pratyaksa [sense perception] conflict, we ought to preserve the authority of both and reject neither.”
Priyarani:
How did Dadhici get such strong bones that Lord Vishnu recommended the demigods make a weapon from them to defeat the demoniac Vrtrasura? The demigods entrusted him to guard their weapons, but they never returned. Dadhici decided he had to do something with them so he dissolved them in a liquid and he drank the liquid.
On book distribution, someone told me that life is like ice cream. If you don’t enjoy it, it will melt.
If we put ourself in the center, we will not be able to put our guru and Krishna in the center.
If we meditate on all the pain and hardship that Srila Prabhupada underwent to bring Krishna consciousness to the west, that can inspire us.
The Lord is greater than our qualification or disqualification.
It may be hard to act to please Krishna, but is it easier to act to please the devotees around us.
We just have to remind ourselves who we are doing this for. It is a matter of practice.
-----
ato
vai kavayo nityam
bhaktim
paramaya muda
vasudeve
bhagavati
kurvanty
atma-prasadanim
“Certainly, therefore, since time immemorial, all transcendentalists have been rendering devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, with great delight, because such devotional service is enlivening to the self.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.22)