Where I Went and What I Did
For the thirteenth week of 2026 I lived at ISKCON Tallahassee, nearby Florida State University. I chanted on the campus every day of the week for an average of three hours. I always meet a few students attracted by the chanting of Hare Krishna, the halava, and Srila Prabhupada’s books.
Saturday we had Ratha-yatra, with Lord Jagannatha and His devotees participating in the Springtime Tallahassee parade. Sunday I went to Alachua for a program in honor of Rama Navami, which was the previous Thursday.
I share quotes from Srila Prabhupada’s Srimad-Bhagavatam and Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, as well as two lectures and a conversation of his. I share quotes from The Hour-Long Writing Sessions (1993–94) by Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami. I share quotes from Back to Godhead articles by Visakha, Gauranga Darsana, Suvarna Radha, Vraja Vihari, Devasekhara Vishnu, and Nandamukhi Prabhus and Tanay Shah. I share notes on a class by Krishna Abhishek Prabhu in Alachua in honor of Rama Navami.
Many thanks to Srinivas and Sashi of Jacksonville, whose daughter was checking out FSU, for buying four books from me. Thanks also to the students who purchased books. Thanks to Ananga Mohan Prabhu for the ride to Alachua for the Sunday feast.
Itinerary
January 12–April 10: harinama and college outreach in Tallahassee and Tampa
– April 4: Tallahassee Monthly Sankirtana Festival
April 11: St. Augustine Ratha-yatra
April 18: Bhagavad-gita class at 26 Second Avenue
April 25: Fly to Amsterdam
April 26: Amsterdam harinama
April 27: King’s Day in Amsterdam
April 28–29: Harinama Ruci harinamas between Radhadesh and Simhachalam
April 29–May 3: Nrsimha Festival in Simhachalam, Germany
May 4–June 14: NYC Harinam
– June 13: New York Ratha-yatra
June 28: Paris Ratha-yatra
Chanting Hare Krishna in Tallahassee
I met a student who was interested in Ayurveda and primatology. I talked to her about the great treasure of Vedic knowledge. But because she was interested in primatology, I also mentioned Forbidden Archeology. This book tells that between the time Darwin came up with his theory of evolution in 1859 and the 1894 discovery of Java Man, thought to be a missing link between apes and men, scientists reported discoveries of dozens of artifacts of anatomically modern humans, Homo sapiens, in rock layers as old as 5, 10, 15, 30, and possibly even up to 50 million years ago. Thus the idea man evolved from apes over the last five to eight million years not actually supported by all the artifacts found. She made a note of the name of the book, and she was sufficiently interested in the Vedic knowledge to sign up to hear of our Bhakti Yoga Club events.
I met a student who was getting a Ph.D. in religion. One of her interests was mystical Christianity. I told her I had heard that St. Teresa of Avila had a mystical vision of God and His abode that had features very reminiscent of Krishna and His abode. She was unaware of that, so I said I would research it, and share it her. Here is what I found:
Every year we have a Ratha-yatra in the Springtime Tallahassee Parade, which is either the last Saturday in March or the first Saturday in April.
Here Mayur chants Hare Krishna as the Tallahassee Ratha-yatra was about to begin (https://youtu.be/CLS2I_T_3r4):
There were two devotees taking videos of the procession itself, so I decided to focus on chanting and dancing. Manorama Prabhu kindly gave me the videos he took, so I can share the parade experience with you.
Here Mayur chants Hare Krishna during the Ratha-yatra procession (https://youtu.be/nSztVEO1JOU):
Kishor Gopal Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Tallahassee Ratha-yatra (https://youtu.be/8hgf9D524t0):
As the devotees chanted Hare Krishna and danced in front of Lord’s Jagannatha’s cart, onlookers of all ages showed appreciation by smiling, waving, dancing, and taking videos (https://youtu.be/6LXJywaOz04):
One amazing thing about the Tallahassee Ratha-yatra is that some kids were laying down on the road as the Ratha-yatra cart passed. I took a break from dancing to take a couple of photos. I wonder if they get credit for offering obeisances to Lord Jagannatha.
Here Kishor Gopal chants Hare Krishna at end of Tallahassee Ratha-yatra (https://youtu.be/wW_8vZuFiWs):
I had an amazing Sunday chanting at the FSU campus. There is usually so little interest that day. I often do not bring halava because I give out so little. This Sunday, I decided to be more liberal, and the four cups of halava I brought out were all distributed. Let me tell you about two people.
One young woman asked me to tell her about Hinduism, saying that it seemed very complicated to her. I mentioned two items of knowledge I got from the Bhagavad-gita:
(1) the soul is present in every living being, plant, animal, and human.
(2) we have had previous lives, and we will have future ones.
I also mentioned two misconceptions people often have about Hinduism, both of which are not supported by Bhagavad-gita.
(a) Birth determines one’s social class.
(b) The worship of a variety of gods is encouraged.
I mentioned that the Gita says that social class is determined by qualities and activities not by birth. The system became degraded as people born in the higher classes wanted the privileges without having the qualifications or doing the work. And I mentioned how Krishna, the Supreme Lord, said those who worship the many gods actually worship only Him, but they do so in the wrong way.
The woman exclaimed, “That is a very liberal idea compared to Christianity where there is only way, and otherwise you go to hell forever!”
At the end of our conversation she said her name was Sheryl, and she asked me my name.
When I said, “Krishna Kripa Das,” she repeated it with such a perfect accent it surprised me, so I asked her where she was from. She explained that she was from India: “I am a Christian from Kerala.”
Because she was majoring in psychology I offered to show her the verses in the Bhagavad-gita which deal with that subject, such as 2.62–63 and 6.5–7, as I often do with psych students. I said if she gave me her email, I could send them to her. She didn't give me her email, but because I had her first name, major and year, I looked her up in the student directory, and wrote her offering to share those verses, and after three days she replied, “Yes that was me — it was nice meeting you. Thank you for reaching out, I would definitely be interested in reading those verses.”
I sent her the verses and mentioned that my encountering her was a turning point that day. It was the first of many nice experiences.
She replied, “I am so glad that I was able to lift your day! I will definitely take a look at these wonderful verses, thank you for sending them by. 🙂”
When I shared the above story on Facebook, Why Dee Dee (Yugala Kishor Das) commented, “Wow, wonderful! Well done!
“In my experience, I have found it hardest to explain Krishna consciousness to Christians from India, actually, and much easier to explain it to non-Hindus from outside India.”
I agreed, and I shared this story, “One Indian Christian on a train in South India was pushing me to accept a free Bible from him. I finally said, ‘I am from a largely Christian country, and the Christians had twenty years to convince me to give up sinful activities and turn to God but they failed. The Hare Krishnas, however, were successful, so I am going to stick with them!’”
The South Indian Christian then realized I was seriously fixed in my tradition, and he stopped trying to push his free Bible on me. Thus the words Krishna gave me to say to him had the desired result!
A guy who came up to my book table asked me a question from the 1960s, “Can psychedelics help us attain spiritual perfection?”
I replied, “As long as we are attached to psychedelics we cannot attain spiritual perfection, but sometimes they do open people’s minds up to pursuing a spiritual path.”
He was majoring in marketing and musical production, so I told him I had a book about George Harrison’s spiritual journey. Turns out he was into the Beatles, so I explained that they got into Indian thought through Indian music, and George produced a 45 rpm single of the mantra I was just chanting on the Apple label back in 1969, and it made the top ten in several countries.
I asked him for $3 dollars for the Chant and Be Happy, but he gave $5. I offered him another book. He declined saying the $2 was for the conversation. I gave him “On Chanting Hare Krishna” and encouraged him to find George Harrison’s recording of the Hare Krishna mantra on the internet (https://youtu.be/VS-_nnJ-QD4?si=UzlmeDyjRjL-asHx):https://youtu.be/VS-_nnJ-QD4
There is one Christian preachers who uses an amplifier, some signs, and chalk writing to share his message.
Rather than being satisfied to glorify Lord Jesus Christ, he thinks he has to deprecate Krishna consciousness.
I used water to erase the chalk arrow pointing at my table. Because he cannot distinguish between deity worship and idol worship, he accuses me of promoting idol worship. Thus I had to erase that false identification.
Chanting Hare Krishna in Alachua
Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at ISKCON Alachua Rama Navami festival (https://youtube.com/shorts/COVjuC81jr0?feature=share):
Insights
Srila Prabhupada:
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.15.78, purport:
“When the senses are utilized for one’s own sense gratification, they entangle one in karma, but when they are used for the satisfaction of the Lord, they establish one in bhakti.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.15.79, purport:
“If we persistently engage in devotional service, certainly all our desires will be fulfilled in due course of time.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 15.163, purport:
“One who executes Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission must be considered eternally liberated. He is a transcendental person and does not belong to this material world. Such a devotee, engaging in the deliverance of the total population, is as magnanimous as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 15.166:
[Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said:] “Whatever a pure devotee wants from his master, Lord Krishna doubtlessly grants because He has no duty other than to fulfill the desire of His devotee.”
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 oneself in a great ocean of love.”
From a lecture on Bhagavad-gita 9.2–4 in New York City on November 16, 1966:
“Love means you must give something. You are taking something from Krishna; why not give something? Is it love, simply going on taking, taking, taking, and no offering? We are taking from Krishna so much light. We are taking from Krishna so much air, so much water. So many things Krishna is supplying for our subsistence—fruits, grains. Without supplied by Krishna, you cannot have. You cannot manufacture all these things. So you must admit that God is supplying us so many things. And why not offer something? Is it love?
“Therefore offering is required. Love means you take and you give also. Suppose if you love somebody—you simply take from him, but you don't give—oh, do you think it is very good? No. It is not good. That is not love. That is exploitation. If I go on simply taking from you, and if I don't offer you anything, that is simply exploitation. So love means you must take, you must give.”
From a class on Sri Brahma-samhita 5.32 in Los Angeles on August 14, 1972:
“Realization means you should write, every one of you, what is your realization. What for this Back to Godhead is? You write your realization, what you have realized about Krishna. That is required. It is not passive. Always you should be active. Whenever you find time, you write. Never mind, two lines, four lines, but you write your realization.”
From a room conversation in Vrindavan on November 1, 1972:
“There is no question of exploiting, as soon as there is question of exploiting that is sense gratification. In the spiritual world there is no such thing as exploitation, simply cooperation and appreciation. That is spiritual world. Instead of exploitation there should be exaltation.”
The humble servants of Srila Prabhupada:
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.10.20:
[Lord Krishna said to Uddhava:] “Death is not at all pleasing, and since everyone is exactly like a condemned man being led to the place of execution, what possible happiness can people derive from material objects or the gratification they provide?”
Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:
From The Hour-Long Writing Sessions (1993–94):
“Give deliberate misinformation to keep them off your trail so your inner life can prosper.”
“O Lord who is above the petty squabbles of ISKCON members and the bloody fights of nations and tribes; O Lord who is involved in all these disputes in an inconceivable way by karma, yet who remains aloof. O Lord, let us come to You in Your spiritual abode. Let us hear the Å›astras and chant Your names. Not just because we are supposed to do it. Give us greed to hear. Give me greed. Let me give something to others from something You give me.”
“God is good. He gives us free choice. He’s not lazy in the matter of our liberation. But we have to show some interest in going to Him and giving up our false lordship.”
“I said, ‘What’s the use of no electricity if you don’t make your life more Krishna conscious? It’s just living in the mode of goodness.’”
“The Bhagavatam is not merely for neophytes or mixed devotees. No, cheating religion is kicked out at the very beginning of the First Canto.”
“The thing is falling apart. The body. You can hold it together for a certain number of years. It’s a material machine and can’t endure forever. Life or the soul lives within, but when the body is too decrepit or gets diseased, then there comes a point where the soul can’t stay, so it moves on. It’s really good if you can realize this duality between body and soul. They are not one. The body is a machine and will be disentangled, but the self will move on. There is nothing to lament.
“Your teeth. Your smile. Your hair. Your inner organs, blood and breath. The capability of Ayur Vedic medicines to help this process of sustaining life—all these will fail. The relaxation techniques will all fail. Or, they can do only a temporary job, staving off the inevitable for a little while.”
“I have the assignment to repeat the parampara, now it’s a matter of how I do it. Don’t forget that your specific writing tasks are those of a servant of the Vaishnavas, the notes of a struggling sadhaka.”
“Tell the stories with the idea that there’s plenty more in process and later you can select what is best for you.
“Write ’em for yourself. The glow of that satisfaction can be appreciated by other readers.”
“I won’t cry,
I’ll sigh, but not too much,
will pursue the simple way of
the monk, the student, the writer . . . who wishes to contact Lord Krishna dancing on his tongue. He comes soon and takes His devotee out to the ocean of birth and death. But which devotee, you mean the pure devotee, you mean the one who is actually materially exhausted . . . I come for him who is worshiping Me, who has sacrificed his life for Me and excludes all else. I rescue him so he doesn’t have to attempt salvation by his own endeavors. Krishna comes for him. Such the Lord states in Bhagavad-gita.”
“I am not this body. The body belongs to God. He’s not attached to it. He gave it to you to use, and He will take it back. It doesn’t belong to you. You, as soul, are eternal. You belong to Him. Why don’t you recognize that fully?”
“No one has time for anyone else, but Bhagavan Sri Krishna has infinite care for each.”
“We won the game because we didn’t abandon our spiritual master.”
“Anyway, I needn’t worry about how ISKCON can actually become more accepted, but do my own work and improve myself as an ISKCON member. I’m willing to be known as a member and give all I have to it, and be one of the cultural weapons.”
“Don’t mess with God, He’s all powerful. Don’t joke with Him unless He invites you.”
“This is also a diary, but written some thirteen years after Srila Prabhupada’s disappearance. We are feeling his absence as well as his presence. We are molding our lives to serve him and his mission. We are practicing Krishna consciousness and giving it. Offering it to others. This year I am reading his books exclusively. It’s my little attempt to return the focus of my inner life to his personal teachings of the scriptures and not hear from others their versions. “
Visakha Dasi:
From “Exploited by Our Exploitation” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 60, No. 3 (May/June 2026):
“Krishna has created the universe to gradually rectify our contaminated attempt to exploit material nature. By His divine arrangement, it’s not possible to advance in self-realization and at the same time exploit His property. Ultimately it’s by awakening our dormant spiritual senses that we’ll check our tendency to exploit, not by any artificial means. And as we spiritually advance, we’ll find it impossible to exploit Krishna’s property.”
Gauranga Darsana Prabhu:
From “Was Krishna a Peace Lover or a Violence Lover?” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 60, No. 3 (May/June 2026):
“Sometimes we may be swayed by the surface-level actions of scriptural personalities without delving into their deeper motivations. Arjuna’s reluctance to fight wasn’t a reflection of his love for peace – it stemmed from his confusion about his duty. On the other hand, Lord Krishna’s encouragement to fight wasn’t rooted in a love for violence – it was driven by a commitment to uphold dharma. It was a triumph of virtue over vice.”
“When He [Krishna] detects even the faintest trace of goodness, He orchestrates opportunities for us to grow spiritually, bringing us into contact with devotees and inspiring us toward bhakti (devotion).”
“Krishna’s heart aches when He sees a soul suffer. Just as a mother reluctantly disciplines her child for the child’s own welfare, Krishna sometimes allows punishment to serve as a tool for correction. His intention is never to reject or condemn a soul but to gently guide it back to the right path. His love is unwavering, and His compassion endless, for His goal is to restore peace and spiritual well-being to every living being.”
“By inspiring Arjuna to fight, Krishna demonstrated that true peace is not a mere absence of conflict but the presence of spiritual harmony, attained by recognizing Him as our ultimate wellwisher and acting according to His divine will. When we align our lives with these truths, fear and insecurity dissipate, even in the face of life’s greatest challenges. Serving Krishna not only pleases Him but also brings us the highest joy and satisfaction.”
Suvarna Radha Devi Dasi:
From “The Glorious Purity of Krishna Bhakti” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 60, No. 3 (May/June 2026):
“Real success lies not in worldly achievements, but in how often and how deeply one turns to Krishna, our eternal friend and protector.”
Vraja Vihari Prabhu:
“What helps tremendously in this journey of self-improvement is shifting from ‘I-referencing’ to ‘Krishna-referencing.’ Normally, when we see someone do something amazing, our reflex is to compare: ‘Is this person better than me?’ That’s ‘I-referencing.’ But if instead we see that person’s talent as a gift from Krishna and feel happy that the Lord is glorified through him or her, then we’re practicing ‘Krishna-referencing.’ We’re seeing the person not in relation to ourselves but in relation to Krishna. This shift helps us move from self-obsession to Krishna consciousness. It allows us to taste a higher rasa – a spiritual flavor that empowers us to tolerate the painful transition from material life to spiritual life.”
“Our misery often comes not from what we lack, but from comparing what we have with what others have.”
Devaśekhara Vishnu Prabhu:
From “Vice to Virtue: Turning Foes into Friends” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 60, No. 3 (May/June 2026):
“Mada, or pride, stems from a false sense of self-importance, leading one to believe oneself superior to others and even independent of God. This arrogance blinds people to their own imperfections, closes them off to advice, and ultimately sets them on a path toward downfall.”
Nandamukhi Devi Dasi:
in Back to Godhead, Vol. 60, No. 3 (May/June 2026):
“Rather than trying to rationalize or imitate the extraordinary phenomena in Krishna’s pastimes, we should maintain a disposition of humility and thoughtful reflection. Acknowledging the limits of human cognition and abilities, we may start to appreciate that the wonders of Krishna described in the revealed scriptures invariably surpass our comprehension, inviting us to approach them with attraction and delight.”
Tanay Shah:
in Back to Godhead, Vol. 60, No. 3 (May/June 2026):
“Yet the promise of abhaya remains. The scriptures say that even unknowingly chanting the Lord’s name can scatter fear, the way sunlight chases away darkness.”
“The Bhagavatam tells us that even those who fought against Krishna were liberated by seeing His face at the time of death. Such is the power of His presence.”
Krishna Abhiseka Prabhu:
From a class at ISKCON Alachua on Rama Navami:
There is a verse that says “in Rama all yogis delight.” Ask him.
The land of Bharata has the knowledge of dharma that can save human life from degrading to animal life.
Where is the Mesopotamian civilization? In museums only. But the ancient civilization of India is still present.
There were five great ladies of dharma in Ramayana.
Ayana is the movement of the sun from north to south and back. So Rama went from north to sound and back, thus his life is called Ramayana.
Rama heard that there were two children who were wandering around the kingdom reciting Rama stories. He asked to hear these stories. When He heard them, he was surprised that they include parts about his relationship with Sita that no one else knew. How did they know these? Sita told Valmiki and Valmiki told the children, who were the sons of Sita and Rama. Hearing these pastimes, Rama wanted to get Sita back, but she had already entered the earth.
Dasaratha means one who can command ten chariots together.
Manthara is one who gives bad advice.
Before Sita went to the forest, Kausalya advised her to never abandon dharma and in this way she would always be protected.
The Sri Vaishnava acaryas see the Ramayana an analogy to the liberation of the jiva. In that analogy Sita corresponds to the jiva. Rama corresponds to the Lord. Hanuman corresponds to the guru.
Tara, the wife of Vali, advised him not to fight Rama. After Vali was killed by Rama, Tara negotiated with Rama, and was helpful to Him.
Mandodari, the wife of Ravana, along with many others advised him to leave Sita alone.
Sita’s greatest power was that she had no one else but Rama in her heart.
The ten arms of Durga represent the ten directions.
Although Laksmi and Sita are also hladini-sakti, they do not have the maha-bhava of Sri Radha, so they cannot compare to Her.
Lord Krishna is the only one who does not take his divinity seriously.
Lord Krishna has amazing detachment that you do not see in anyone else.
Lord Rama takes his role as a human very seriously, more so than Lord Krishna.
Mataji: In 1975 we went Prabhupada to Hyderabad to the home of a famous Bengali sweet maker. When I went to wash my hands, I saw Srila Prabhupada talking with the senior ladies of the house. He was joking with them, telling how complicated Lord Rama’s life had become with the introduction of Mother Sita into it. Soon all the other devotees came to listen to Prabhupada’s conversation.
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I never tire of hearing this Padma Purana quote glorifying the holy name of Lord Rama, which Srila Prabhupada included in his purport to Bhagavad-gita 5.22. Everyone is looking for happiness. Here we learn where to get it.
ramante yogino ’nantesatyanande cid-atmaniiti rama-padenasauparam brahmabhidhiyate
“The mystics derive unlimited transcendental pleasures from the Absolute Truth, and therefore the Supreme Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead, is also known as Rama.” (Padma Purana, quoted in Bhagavad-gita 5.22, purport)
