Where I Went and What I Did
For the fourteenth week of 2026 I lived at ISKCON Tallahassee, nearby Florida State University. I chanted every day of the week for an average of three hours. I would always meet a few students attracted by the chanting of Hare Krishna, the halava, and Srila Prabhupada’s books. On Friday, April 3, I attended the First Friday harinama, joined by the family of Surapran Govinda Prabhu, Govindasevini Devi Dasi, and Ahana. We met two former attenders at ISKCON Tallahassee, and many people were happy to play the shakers and dance with us as usual.
On Saturday, April 4, we had our third monthly sankirtana festival in Tallahassee, and more people interacted with us than before, some eating some of our picnic dinner at the end program and some accepting literature. On Sunday, April 5, I went to Alachua for the Sunday feast program.
I share quotes from Srila Prabhupada’s Srimad-Bhagavatam, as well as two letters of his. I also share quotes from Brahma-samhita by Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. I share quotes from ISKCON in the 1970s by Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami. I share notes from a Sunday feast lecture in Alachua on April 5, 2026.
Many thanks to Ananga Mohan Prabhu for the ride to Alachua. Thanks to Govindasevani for the cookies for both First Friday and the Monthly Sankirtana Festival. Thanks to Dayanidhi Prabhu and family for dinner and kirtan on Monday and to Suraprana Govinda Prabhu and family for dinner on Tuesday.
Itinerary
April 11: St. Augustine Ratha-yatra
April 12: Deland Sunday feast program
April 13–25: NYC Harinam
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 finally got around to offering the necklace a Christian girl gave me to Lord Caitanya. It has the words “Known” and “Loved” on it which the Christians use to remind people that Jesus knows them and loves them. I offered it to Lord Caitanya, who is famous for being known and loved by His devotees, hoping that the Christian girl gets some special mercy from Lord Caitanya as a result.
On Thursday, April 2, the president of FSU and his staff distributed free ice cream to the students. The ice cream had eggs in it, but the sherbet didn’t so I got some of that, and offered it to Krishna in my mind.
Harinama is always an adventure. You never know who you'll meet! At First Friday, I met Danny Rozofsky, who used to chop vegetables for Krishna Lunch at FSU when both Daru Walker and Nama Kirtan were in change, and Dar Wavemaker, a friend of Yogi Garuda Das, who came sometimes for the ISKCON Tallahassee Sunday feast. Both were happy to participate. Thanks to the daughter of Suraprana Govinda Prabhu and Govindasevani Devi Dasi for this video (https://youtu.be/Ykh_Pqt9_vk):
Later we met two FSU music majors who were asking people at First Friday where they came from to see how popular the event is with people outside Tallahassee. As they were students of music, I engaged them in playing the shakers with us for a while, which they were happy to do.
Altogether about nine people played the shakers with us that evening and about twenty two took the cookies that Govindasevani had kindly prepared.
That was the third First Friday I attended. Each month Krishna sent me different assistants, but I had no person who was so dedicated to that program that they came out more than once. Perhaps next year will be better.
Here I chant Hare Krishna at the Tallahassee Monthly Sankirtana Festival in Cascades Park, and a guy dances (https://youtu.be/sjKhJvs0hIE):
Ayusha also chanted, but I was playing the drum so I couldn’t make a video. Next time I’ll have to remember to bring my tripod.
At the end Kripamayi Tulsi Devi Dasi chanted Hare Krishna there in Cascades Park, and a mom and son listened (https://youtu.be/XoZ1ReGg81Y):
Not only did the mother and son listen, probably for at least fifteen minutes, but they played the shakers, accepted “On Chanting Hare Krishna” and had some dinner as did the father. I gave them Bhakti-yoga as a gift, and Jaya Nrsimha Prabhu gave them a Higher Taste. The mom being brought up as a srict Mormon decided it would be better for her son to have exposure to a variety of religions, and she asked us different questions about our practice and philosophy.
One guy kept coming back for cookies and had three altogether. We invited him for dinner, and he was happy to accept that. The meal consisted of khichri, halava, and sweet rice, all of which I made.
My last week at FSU I made a big batch of banana halava with organic bananas, and I advertised it on Facebook and Instagram to our former Krishna Lunch at FSU attendees, hoping to inspire them to come by. I donated the extra to the Buddhist Student Association to serve after there Thursday meeting, as many of them were regulars at Krishna Lunch and knew how good it was. I distributed 24 halavas at their previous week’s meeting.
On my last day chanting Hare Krishna on the FSU campus, one of the people riding in a electric cart and doing security for First Friday, who worked for the owner of the Railroad Square Art Park, came by my table and was happy to accept the halava. He said our presence at First Friday was appreciated, which I was grateful for, because we were never officially given permission to be at the event, and I always worried that we would someday be told to leave.
Here is my harinama report for April in Tallahassee:
Chanting Hare Krishna in Alachua
Avinash Prabhu and friends chant Hare Krishna at ISKCON Alachua Gaura Arati on Sunday (https://youtu.be/bBcE43_Mt2w):
Upendra Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at ISKCON Alachua after Sunday Feast (https://youtu.be/y4x6JkyMHlg):
Photos
My sister is celebrating her 65th birthday by doing a fund raiser for Capital District Border Watch, which helps the families of immigrants who are detained by ICE. She invited me, but as it was the day of the St. Augustine Ratha-yatra, I sent 81 piece of coconut barfi to share at the event instead of going.
Insights
Srila Prabhupada:
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.4.31, purport:
“Undoubtedly Srila Vyasadeva was complete in all the details of Vedic achievements. Purification of the living being submerged in matter is made possible by the prescribed activities in the Vedas, but the ultimate achievement is different. Unless it is attained, the living being, even though fully equipped, cannot be situated in the transcendentally normal stage. Srila Vyasadeva appeared to have lost the clue and therefore felt dissatisfaction.”
“Unless one is fixed in the normal condition of service, neither the Lord nor the living being can become fully satisfied.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.5.2, purport:
“Being a great son of a great father, he [Vyasadeva] should not have identified the self with the body or the mind. Ordinary men with a poor fund of knowledge identify the body or the mind as the self, but Vyasadeva should not have done so.”
“One cannot be cheerful by nature unless one is factually seated in self-realization, which is transcendental to the material body and mind.”
From a letter to Satsvarupa on June 16, 1972:
“You mention you like to speak now very often, but the first business should be to preach to the devotees. It is better to maintain a devotee than to try to convince others to become devotees. It is the duty of the GBC to maintain the devotees, keep them in the highest standard of Krishna Consciousness, and give them all good instruction, and let them go out and preach for making more devotees. Your first job should be to make sure that every one of the devotees in your zone of management is reading regularly our literatures and discussing the subject matter seriously from different angles of seeing, and that they are somehow or other absorbing the knowledge of Krishna Consciousness philosophy. If they are fully educated in our philosophy and if they can get all of the knowledge and study it from every viewpoint, then very easily they will perform tapasya or renunciation and that will be their advancement in Krishna Consciousness. So first thing is to instruct all of your temple presidents and the other devotees to read daily, just as we have done in our morning class in Los Angeles. You may remember that we were reading one sloka each morning in Sanskrit and reciting it altogether and then discussing it thoroughly by seeing different new things. So you introduce this system and train the devotees first. Don't be too much concerned for the time being with nondevotees, now we must fix-up what devotees we have got in the knowledge of Krishna Consciousness, then we will succeed. What good are many, many devotees if none of them are knowledgeable?”
“You mentioned that you are not yet a very bold preacher, but you will become bold, if you have got sincerity. In the beginning also I could not speak. But Krishna is within you, and when you are serving Him sincerely He will give you courage, boldness, everything. We are not going to bluff anyone or cheat others, and we are delivering the message on behalf of the Supreme Lord, so we haven't got anything to fear and we should be always mindful of our topmost position of occupation of life. To be the messenger of the king is practically as good as to be the king, so the king is the most exalted position. I act like a king because no one can defeat me, and similarly, you should take your responsibility very, very seriously as being the representative of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Who is God Himself, and always remember that you are one of the few men I have appointed to carry on my work throughout the world and your mission before you is huge. Therefore, always pray to Krishna to give you strength for accomplishing this mission by doing what I am doing. My first business is to give the devotees the proper knowledge and engage them in devotional service, so that is not very difficult task for you, I have given you everything, so read and speak from the books and so many new lights will come out.”
From letter to Prahladananda on July 25, 1972:
“As long as the classes are going on well, the rules and regulations are being observed sincerely, the sankirtan party is going out with enthusiastic mood – if these things are going on, then everything is first-class.”
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura:
From Brahma-samhita 5.21:
“The same jiva is eternal and is for eternity and without a beginning joined to the Supreme Lord by the tie of an eternal kinship. He is transcendental spiritual potency.”
From Brahma-samhita 5.24, purport:
“The mantra, consisting of the eighteen divine letters prefixed by the kama-bija, is alone superexcellent. It has a twofold aspect. One aspect is that it tends to make the pure soul run after all-attractive Sri Krishna, the Lord of Gokula and the divine milkmaids. This is the acme of the spiritual tendency of jivas. When the devotee is free from all sorts of mundane desires and willing to serve the Lord he attains the fruition of his heart's desire, viz., the love of Krishna.”
Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:
From ISKCON in the 1970s:
“Any emotion can be purified if it is felt in relation to the Supreme Person. For instance, hankering. Hankering in material life, in forgetfulness of Krishna, is the cause for bondage, misery, but if I can hanker after my sweet, eternal relationship with Krishna, and if in that mood I chant the holy names, Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare / Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare—then that is the perfection of existence and I will feel ecstatic bliss of love of God, just as the gopis did. Any emotion, when dove tailed in transcendental loving service to Krishna, the – Supreme Person, is pure, righteous, and eternal.”
“Sannyasa means to travel. He [Srila Prabhupada] told about a class of sannyasa who never stand still. Even if they stand to talk with you, they move back and forth.”
“War with maya? No, we are not disturbed by maya, so where is the fight? Those who are being kicked are at war. Criminals have fights with the police, but we do not have to fight.”
“They try for unity, but this simply means our Ratha-yatra festival.”
“You have to have a brain, always alert. One who has a brain has strength.”
“Revatinandana Swami said he was speaking to an Oxford professor who said the Bhagavatam was written only 1,500 years ago and can be told by the modern literary style. Prabhupada said, ‘Ask him what he thinks of the acaryas. His opinion is not the all-in-all. Just as he has an opinion, so the great acaryas, Sankara, Ramanuja, Madhva, Lord Caitanya, they all accept that the Gita and Bhagavatam are 5,000 years old. This is Indian culture and they are the great authorities. You [tell the professor like this], you are nothing in India. You are not accepted.”
“In his room to Bhagavan dasa and me: ‘It is not that everyone will immediately accept your Krishna consciousness.’ We have to meet opposing elements. The more we successfully meet them, that is the success of preaching. We have to always win. Yes, we always win if we have complete faith in Krishna. Then as we preach and answer, we will always win. Krishna is God. If we are on His side, we will win always.”
“Later, Prabhupada said the Christian religion does not support animal-killing. Jesus first became disgusted with Judaism when he saw they were killing animals in the synagogue. He thought, ‘What is this?’ and went to India to study. He was a great personality; undoubtedly he wanted to give them something sublime. Now the followers are killing. How abominable. And they say, ‘What have we done wrong?’ when no one comes to church. They are trying by flattery to get people to come, but there has to be something substantial. Not that you can make a friend by flattery. You cannot simply cry, ‘I love you, I love you.’ That will not create a loving atmosphere. There has to be a sincere understanding for friendship to develop.
“Later, he said it is very difficult to accept Krishna consciousness on principle because then you are immediately out of this world, in Vaikuntha orbit. They are afraid to try it, but if they do, everything will be all right, they will leave that orbit and go into Vaikuntha orbit.”
“Srila Prabhupada said that people don’t know how they are suffering in the material world. If we can save even one person, it is a great service.”
“Dance. Even if there is no ecstasy, dance and it will come. Dancing is so nice.”
“Also in this chapter there are two references to a devotee named Mohanananda, which gives us just a glimpse of how Srila Prabhupada was always taking a personal interest in his disciples and trying to fix them in a service which would enliven them. Mohanananda had been headmaster in the Dallas gurukula, but somehow it did not work out. Now he was seeking service in Bombay. So far he had not found anything that he could really get into with deep satisfaction. Prabhupada, on thinking of a wonderful project for book distribution in Bombay, thought of how Mohanananda was a likely person to take it up, and several times he spoke to him about it. Later in this chapter, we see Prabhupada still thinking of Mohanananda in terms of yet another project which might interest him. This shows us that all the disciples were on Prabhupada’s mind, and if they were not doing well, it disturbed him, just as a father becomes disturbed when his son is in trouble. The father, of course, carries on with his own activities. He may appear aloof from his child’s troubles, but he is always thinking of that son or daughter. This also indicates to me that even if we were given some direct service by Prabhupada but were unable to carry it out, it is not the end of our relationship with Prabhupada. We can take another service, even though it may appear only second best in terms of pleasing him. If we can develop that project, it can turn out to be the best way to serve Prabhupada and to be happy ourselves. I had personal experience of this in my restlessness as Prabhupada’s personal servant in 1974. As a result, I was given the service of the library party, which turned out to be most satisfying to Prabhupada and myself. As Srila Prabhupada has stated, ‘It does not matter in what kind of work one engages, but that work should be done only for Krishna.’ (Bhagavad-gita 12.6–7, purport)”
“‘You say life is a dream.’
‘Yes,’ he said, ‘at night what you have dreamt is gone in the day.’
And at night, your day’s activities (I am married, in my house) are forgotten while you dream. They are both dreams—you are just a visitor to both. The day dream seems more real because it is of longer duration.”
“Srila Prabhupada praised Bali Mardan because one boy said he was brought to Krishna consciousness by him. He said, ‘If you can convert one person to Krishna consciousness, that is the quickest way to gain Krishna’s recognition.’”
“A boy questioned whether in ISKCON devotees become too concerned with position and prestige. Srila Prabhupada said those who criticize leave and try to gain the prestige for themselves rather than give prestige to the spiritual master. Everyone wants to be the chief person.”
“Regarding organization, it cannot be material. Not by by-laws, meetings, vouchers, but by following the instructions of the spiritual master with sincerity. He said that whatever success he has had is due to his own following of his spiritual master. To one with faith in the spiritual master and Krishna comes knowledge of scripture. Without faith and sincerity, by-laws will be useless.
“They promise at initiation to follow the rules and then break—they are not even honest. The Gita verse on brahminical qualities states ‘honesty.’”
“In Kali-yuga one disagrees even with his spiritual master.”
“I asked about splits in the movement. He said there was no such thing—only insincerity. I chant sixteen rounds, follow the principles and preach, and you do also— there is no split, only if one is insincere and doesn’t follow.”
“He said he wanted to visit Dvaraka as he had never been there, and never been to Hardwar or other holy places all over India. ‘I was much more serious about hearing from my spiritual master than in visiting holy places. He noted this and he liked me for it.’”
“The process of chanting is to hear. Thoughts may come, but the process is simply to hear and chant with the tongue. Nothing is very hard in Krishna consciousness. Just do it sincerely as the spiritual master orders. Not hard at all. Understand Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Simply admit this. Why wait for many births? ‘My Lord Krishna, You are supreme. For so long I have forgotten You. Now I accept You.’ Accept Krishna as the Supreme Absolute Truth and your business is finished—if you stay in that position.”
“One sannyasi was told that if he doesn’t like to take direction from his Godbrothers, he can work independently, but within the jurisdiction of ISKCON. Even Lord Caitanya gave assignments. He told Nityananda to preach in Bengal and Rupa and Sanatana to go to Vrindavan.”
“The way a doctor applies medicine to a horse with four men holding down the horse while medicine is forced down his throat—this is how we apply Krishna consciousness to nondevotees.
“Example: a man is flying a kite, standing on a roof, and is just about to fall off. We are like that, coming to give the man Krishna consciousness to save him from falling into so much suffering in transmigration. But the man objects, ‘Leave me alone. What are you interrupting me for?’”
“He wrote a letter to government men speaking of the necessity of divisions of society by quality and work. The proposition was made for a practical varnasrama college, but before we can teach others of varnasrama, our ISKCON has to be divided. Not everyone can study; not all are actually brahmanas, but each should understand that they can attain the same perfection by doing their duty. Not that only the brahmanas achieve perfection. See Gita verses 18.45–47.”
“If someone is taking these beggar’s notes as views of a sectarian monk, we refer to Krishnadasa’s verse: ‘If you are indeed interested in logic and argument, kindly apply it to the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. If you do so, you will find it to be strikingly wonderful.’ We do not put forward dry, mundane logic. That is not what he means. Not logic of science or philosophy based on the imperfect senses of this material body. If we study impartially, everyone will agree that there is no one who can surpass Lord Caitanya in humanitarian activities, because He is awarding love of God. It requires study. You may think it is sectarian, although quickly, if you listen, you will agree that it is scientific and not bogus.”
“I am moved about like a chess piece on a board—Krishna is the player through His various energies.”
“Asked how he can write so many books, professors think many persons must write them. ‘I have an editorial staff,’ he said, ‘but I am also surprised how much I write, what to speak of them [being surprised].’
He said he is in disciplic succession from Krishna and that is how he can write so many books.”
“A three-man committee was assigned to investigate Miami’s mismanagement, and I should also go there as GBC and ‘plead and flatter’ the president so that he rectifies his way. Also, I should see that the grounds are cleaned up. Our principle, he said, is not to reject someone, but to work with them.”
“Then JDB [Jayadvaita dasa Brahmacari] asked, ‘Sometimes the acarya seems to make mistakes.’ He said that is our imperfect understanding. ‘You do not know what perfection is.’ The acarya’s perfection is his preaching. See how he is preaching (you have a misunderstanding of his perfection).”
“I asked how his thousands of disciples can reciprocate with him. He said, ‘The spiritual master has representatives,’ GBC and presidents. He was asked, ‘But what about a personal relationship?’ He said, ‘Their obedience. If they follow the spiritual master’s order.’”
“A devotee should not feel, ‘I desire credit,’ but, ‘I deserve to be beaten.’”
“A man mentioned to Srila Prabhupada that big events seem to happen to His Divine Grace every eleven years:
1922—met his Guru Maharaja
1933—was initiated
1944—started BTG
1955—left home
1966—started ISKCON
The man asked what would happen in 1977. Srila Prabhupada told his servant that maybe that would be the end. He said he has finished his mission. We were talking of retirement. He said he was thinking of it. He described he would see no one’s face. Otherwise, how will he ever complete translating the Srimad-Bhagavatam?”
“April 20
Vrindavan walk
Srila Prabhupada was saying that the twenty-four-hour kirtana here is nice. Otherwise, there is devil’s workshop. Devils can’t preach. You have to become divine, otherwise you’ll influence everyone to become devil. Yes, he said, when asked if some of our larger temples could conduct twenty-four-hour kirtana. “In batches” (shifts of men).”
“An Indian life member said that Hindi should be required of ISKCON devotees in India. Srila Prabhupada said they can’t learn anything, neither doll-making nor khole-making or Hindi: ‘Therefore I have advocated you don’t have to learn something new, just whatever you have give to Krishna.’ Mr. Mahadevia said that fear was needed to make devotees learn. He said their teacher should not feed them for three days and then if they want to eat, they will have to talk Hindi. ‘Then you come and be their Hindi teacher,’ offered Srila Prabhupada. Mr. Mahadevia said he couldn’t and was thus exposed, and the devotees laughed. Then Srila Prabhupada said, ‘I will not feed you until you become the teacher.’ In this way he taught we must show by example, not simply precept.”
“Devotee: We had an English class and Indian students were coming and reading Krishna book, but we stopped because none became devotees.
Prabhupada: No, that is a miscalculation. If they are reading Krishna book, they are devotees, maybe in a lower class. We cannot expect a big seed to at once sprout to a big tree. Have enthusiasm and patience. Fan the spark into a big flame. Don’t reject the beginners. If we can’t train up new men, we are not good preachers. I fanned, I didn’t demand. Later, if they shave their heads that is different. In the beginning, if they read, they are devotees.”
“They are chanting Hare Krishna on my instruction. If they don’t feel transcendental pleasure, how could they do it?”
“The only prayer to make to Krishna is, ‘Dear Lord, please give me the strength to serve You.’ Any other prayer, you’ll never be happy.”
“Those who keep dogs will become dogs. You cannot avoid nature’s law and say it won’t happen.”
Hansarupa Prabhu:
People are not convinced by your words. They are convinced by your realization. If you do not have realization, then find something you do have realization of.
If you do not act on your realization, you will lose that realization.
If you are sincere, Krishna will empower you. You will be amazed.
Make sure anyone who comes to the temple gets some prasadam and some book. That was Srila Prabhupada’s program. Do that, and you have represented Srila Prabhupada.
ISKCON Alachua Sunday feast lecture:
The eggs at Easter symbolize rebirth.
The rabbits at Easter signify spring.
The religion and government of the time of Jesus were threatened by his preaching, and thus they crucified him.
Paul says that our false self dies along with Christ on Good Friday.
The Saturday between Good Friday and Easter is called Holy Saturday in the Christian tradition. In churches it is a very solemn day.
The succession of death, grief or transformation, and rebirth shows up in every tradition of the world.
In the second birth, the guru is the father and the sacred knowledge is the mother.
Diksa involves freeing oneself from material conceptions and acquiring transcendental knowledge.
Arjuna has to fight for justice, but he has to overcome his previous conception of himself and his relationships with others to do this.
Arjuna’s body reveals the depth of his material attachments before his mind is aware of them: “I feel the limbs of my body quivering and my mouth drying up. My whole body is trembling, my hair is standing on end, my bow Gandiva is slipping from my hand, and my skin is burning.” (Bhagavad-gita 1.28–29)
Einstein famously said, “You cannot solve a problem with the same consciousness that created it.”
Another theme in Easter that is also in Bhagavad-gita is that something is there that survives even death.
We cannot avoid going through crises in life, but we can prepare to take spiritual shelter as we go through them.
In the course of the intense austerity Dhruva performed, he lost his vengeful self and became transformed to a self-satisfied devotee of the the Lord.
Q (by Ananga Mohan Prabhu): Sometimes we realize our program is not working out, but we are not completely faithful to Krishna. What to do?
A: Srila Prabhupada has said we can turn to Krishna in a moment. He has given us so much ammunition. Chanting the holy name. Hearing the sastra. We have to acknowledge our challenges, and then apply the remedy.
Q (by Ananga Mohan Prabhu): Suppose we know what we should do, but we cannot do it. Does that mean we have not acknowledged the challenge enough.
A: It is not enough just to acknowledge the challenge intellectually, we actually have to feel it. Then we have to get past it.
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This verse, which is quoted over 300 times in the Vedabase, reveals the secret to attaining enlightenment, specifically faith in both your guru and in the Supreme Lord:
yasya deve para bhaktir
tasyaite kathita hy arthah
prakasante mahatmanah
“Only unto those great souls who have implicit faith in both the Lord and the spiritual master are all the imports of Vedic knowledge automatically revealed.” (Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.23)
