Travel Journal#6.17a: Janmastami/Vyasa Puja in London

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 6, No. 17a
By Krishna-kripa das
(September 2010, part one, section one)

London

(Sent from Tucson, Arizona, on October 30, 2010)

Highlights

Vyasa Puja Homages at Bhaktivedanta Manor

Vyasa Puja Homages at Soho Street

Insights from Bhakti Brhat Bhagavat Swami, Mother Urmila,
Yugala Kishor Prabhu, and Krishna-kripa Das

Where I Was and What I Did

My traveling partner, Dhruva Prabhu, a 59-year-old devotee from an Indian background, wanted to go to Janmastami at Bhaktivedanta Manor. Festivals with 70,000 devotees do not really appeal to me, and I would never have chosen to go to such an event on my own, but as we were traveling together, I came anyway. Janmastami turned out to be especially interesting for me because the Soho Street devotees do harinama on crowded Oxford Street, and at the Bhaktivedanta Manor, Parasurama and Govinda Prabhus do harinama through the crowd of tens of thousands who visit there, both on the Janmastami day itself and the following Sunday. I attended the Soho harinamas, but I got there late for the Manor harinamas. Still I was able to sing and dance in the Manor kirtana tent from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. on Sunday and help Parasurama Prabhu distribute halava prasadam to the people in the audience. The Vyasa Puja events are scheduled so you can hear the offerings at the Manor, and then go to Soho Street for the feast and the afternoon Vyasa Puja Day harinama, and then hear the offerings at Soho Street in the evening. The offerings are an opportunity to understand the vision of gratitude that motivates the individual devotees to serve Srila Prabhupada throughout the year, and can inspire us to increase our own devotional motivation. The net result of the London Janmastami/Vyasa Puja schedule at the Manor and Soho Street was I went on more harinamas and heard more offerings that at any Janmastami/Vyasa Puja festival I ever attended, so it was a pleasant surprise!

Before my flight to Ukraine the following Wednesday, I stayed at the Soho Street temple and gave classes and went on harinamas, relishing the opportunities afforded by crowded Oxford Street and the enthusiastic devotees at the Soho Street temple.

Vyasa Puja Offerings

[This is not a complete summary of all the offerings or even those mentioned. I just noted points that were unique or which resonated with me from a variety of the offerings I heard, both at the Manor and Soho Street.]

Vyasa Puja Homages at Bhaktivedanta Manor

Srila Prabhupada [quotes from a beautiful multimedia presentation by Rupa Vilasa Prabhu]:

“So when I was seventy years old I decided, ‘Now I must do and execute the order of my Guru Maharaja.’ I was not hopeful. I thought when I would say, ‘So my dear sir, you have to give up meat-eating and illicit sex and intoxication and gambling.’ They would say, ‘Please go home.’ That was my experience of my godbrother, who when he told one Englishman that he would have to follow these four principles to become a brahmana, received the reply, “Impossible.”

The argument that ‘we did not have a previous life because we cannot remember it’ is not strong, as we do not remember so many experiences in our childhood.

Death means when this body is useless, you do not come to this body, but to another body. A sober man thinks if I am eternal, then why should I take on a temporary body.

Our proposition is that, “If you do not know who is God, and if we present how Krishna is God, then why do you not accept Him?” If all the acaryas (great teachers) have accepted Krishna is God. I am not presenting something whimsically.

If you are not prepared to give up [your own ideas], you cannot accept God.

You pay the treasury, and it is distributed to each department. You can give to each department, but it will not be effective. It will be incomplete. Similarly if you love Krishna, then you will love everyone. You will love even the ant.

They [the scientists] cannot create even an ant, and they are trying create super beings. Just see the foolishness!

They say, “No one has seen God.” But how can they say that? Have they talked to every person? It means they have not seen God, and they have not seen a person who has seen God.

One Berkeley reporter remarked, “After hearing these Hare Krishnas chanting for a few minutes, I chanted it all the way home.”

Just as the majority of persons live outside the prison house, similarly the majority of persons live in the spiritual world, not the material world.

Just as the government knows a certain percentage will be criminal so they create the prison house. Similarly the Lord creates the material world for the rebellious souls.

Rancora Prabhu:

The 40^th anniversary of Radha-Londonisvara was significant. It shows how we have matured over the course of the years.

Jyestha dd:

Thank you teaching us how to live and how to die.

Kripamoya Prabhu:

It inspires me to see new devotees taking your instructions seriously in the lives.

It is you who have given me whatever qualifications I have.

Bless me I can continue to take your message to the many towns still left in England.

Sruti Dharma Prabhu:

The older I get, the more I realize whatever you said is true.

Guru Carana Padma dd:

When I read your Bhagavad-gita, I experienced clarity I never experienced before. Other teachings I had heard all fell into place.

Please protect me from feeling false pride considering I am your disciple. Let me feel rather great fortune that I have some connection with you.

Jagannathesvari dd:

At the end of your life, you still were concerned simply for your disciples. Your selfless love for your disciples is your greatest quality. You have never abandoned us and never will abandon us.

Smara Hari Prabhu:

This is the most wonderful day on the Vaisnava calendar. If it were not for Srila Prabhupada, none of us would be here.

Once there was a very successful collection program going on, but some of the devotees were burning out. Srila Prabhupada canceled the program saying, “I do not want to lose a single devotee.” Srila Prabhupada considered each individual person to be valuable.

Rupa Vilasa Prabhu:

My father said, “(1) Don’t bow down to anyone, and (2) I do not know if there is God and nobody knows if there is God.”

Srila Prabhupada defeated the first by saying that we had to bow down to birth, death, disease, and old age.

Later I told my father Prabhupada’s argument, “Just because you do not know if there is God, does not mean no one knows if there is God.” He said, “I never thought of that.”

Someone asked you what it was like to be a self-realized soul, and you answered in two words, “No fear.” We actually all experienced complete fearless just hearing these words from Srila Prabhupada.

“We were totally exposed by your laser look of love.”

I am floundering, but I will never forget you and I will never stop trying to serve you.

Asta-sakhi dd:

As Kishor had encouraged us, we would bow down to the people in Glasgow and beg them to take a Bhagavad-gita. I thought it was crazy, and the only way we could do it was think of your great humility in coming to the west on a cargo ship to enlighten us. We became the biggest book distribution party in the world.

In dream you appeared and told me to learn the siddhantic truth in the talks between Ramananda Raya and Lord Caitanya.

I pray that you will continue to instruct me and that I will be willing to share what you have given.

Urmila dd:

Srila Prabhupada told his lady disciples to offer dandavats, but I never do it because I am too much affected by prevailing social customs.

Bhaktisiddhanta Saravati Thakura was asked how many disciples he had, and he said, “Four. My arms and legs.” One godbrother said, “Four or five, maybe eight.”

I do not know how good a disciple I am. I pray to Srila Prabhupada that he might accept what I am able to offer.

There is a story of a master who gave coins to his disciples. The ones he gave the coins to, who by investment doubled them, he was most pleased with, but the one who buried his for safekeeping, he was the least satisfied with, and told him to give back what he had given him.

Sarva-mangala:

Sang Srila Prabhupada’s offering of a poem to Bhaktisiddhanta Saravati Thakura, saying that we used to sing this.

Moksa-laksmi dd:

Thank you for all you have given.

Thank you for sacrificing your ideal situation in Vrndavana to struggle on a boat to come to the West.

Thank you for showing by your life there may be struggles but we must continue with enthusiasm.

Thank you for your expert dealings, for letting me go on preaching programs with you to see you in action.

Thank you for introducing us to the dhama. I saw my initiation video, and I could see you handing me my beads.

Thank you for a life full of adventures, padayatra, Ratha-yatras, and festivals.

Without you, our life would be mere shell of a life.

Ksirodakasayi Prabhu:

I relish listening to my godbrothers and godsisters each year I come here.

Mahaksa Prabhu:

There are minor rules and regulations that can occasionally be broken, like showing the Deities to an important man who was briefly in Vrndavana, although the Deities were asleep.

One life member snuck into a darsana and invited Srila Prabhupada to his village and he immediately agreed, asking when we were going.

He could understand time, place, and circumstances, and make decisions on the spot.

One time although Srila Prabhupada had been lying in bed for days, when I was telling him about a life member who had left his body recently, he sat up to hear attentively.

Srila Prabhupada said you should bring the gurukula children to the forest for picnics.

With a leader like Srila Prabhupada, you can take over the world in eighteen days. I have no doubt it will happen when Krishna desires.

Ranchor Prabhu:

Krishna has made arrangements for me to take shelter of the association of devotees more, and I am grateful for that.

Krishna-vesa dd:

I was bobbing in a semiconscious state. I am now in a dance with my wonderful Vaishnava friends by your mercy.

You have taught me that I am an observer of my body, mind, and intelligence. Some disturbing things arise, so I am not disturbed, because of your protection. I hope to expand my dealings with each of the devotees before they leave this section of the dance floor.

Bhakta Vinaya, our lawyer, and the communication team:

You are there, reminding us to tend our creepers of devotion.

On behalf Sangiv Agarwal, patrons council:

Thank you for creating this wonderful house in which we can live in.

The commentary by Visvanatha Cakravati Thakura on Bhagavad-gita 2.41 fixed you in devotion to your guru’s mission and can fix us in our determination to execute your instructions.

Once you said, “If you just hold on to my lotus feet. I will take you back to Godhead. I have a key to the back door.”

The Krishna Avanti school received the award for the most “green” in the country.

Krishna Dharma Prabhu:

The pen cannot describe your glories but time will. Your qualities defeat our words.

Visvambara Prabhu [sankirtana leader]:

I am a lame, dumb, and blind man. We cannot repay the guru because he has given us everything. What can we give to him?

When we wake up and realize how fallen we are, then our spiritual life starts.

I hated book distribution in the beginning. Now after so many years, that same activity, which is his heart, is now entrusted to me.

We became devotees because of these books.

It was so inspiring to see the Janmastami guests taking books, Prabhupada’s heart, in their hands.

Vyasa Puja Homages at Soho Street

Sundara Nitai Prabhu (author of the Soho St. offering):

Preaching is the essence, cooperate and tolerate. By following you our destiny is assured. Only you could understand Lord Gaurasundara’s plan. You delivered those devoid of trust and full of lust making them bright faced. From Oxford St. you said we can reach the world. When McDonald’s becomes Govinda’s . . . When we have a goshala in Hyde Park . . .

Ranchor Prabhu:

Until three years ago, we all went to the Manor for this day. Except once fifteen years we did have Vyasa Puja offering in Soho. I was struck by the emotions expressed by those who had never met Srila Prabhupada. When Srila Prabhupada was present we had Vyasa Puja and made offerings. It was an opportunity to demonstrate how well you knew the philosophy. After Srila Prabhupada left, the offerings became so emotional. The first few years, it was so emotional people would have to be helped away afterward. Srila Prabhupada said that the disciple should speak his realizations on Vyasa Puja day and that is why the early devotees’ offerings were very philosophical. Srila Prabhupada got us to love him and that was basis of this movement. It is still based on love and that is something that cannot be taught in classes.

Seeing all the devoted followers of Srila Prabhupada, those initiated by him, those initiated by his disciples, those not even initiated, I see the distinction begins to blur. The commitment to Srila Prabhupada appears present in all, I feel honored to be in your association.

There are times I felt distance from you but not now as I write this offering, I do not feel that.

Thank you for giving my life shape and purpose.

Bhakti Brhat Bhagavat Swami:

You said that we can develop gopi-bhava through preaching.

Thank you for manifesting ISKCON as not different from yourself.

Prabhupada das Prabhu:

I used to see the devotees chant on Oxford St. I was a barrister, and based on what I heard from others, I thought they were all drug addicts, and so I did not want to have anything to do with them. Ranchor was a friend of mine and invited me to the temple. It was the day Radha-Londonisvara were installed. I gradually came to realize there was some good in the devotees. I put my name, address, and profession on their list as they invited the guests to do. In 1973, two devotees told me Srila Prabhupada said, “There is one Indian barrister, and I would like to speak to him.” The devotees were kicked out of Bury Place, and Prabhupada asked me to help. He said he heard the lawyers were expensive, and he wanted me to do the work for free. My father and grandfather told me to never charge the devotees of the Lord, and so I could understand. Through association, I realized Srila Prabhupada was not the guru of drug addicts but the guru of those who were to help benefit human society and the Indian community. I know I would not have become a devotee of Lord Krishna, despite my initiation and background in the Ramanuja sampradaya, were it not for Srila Prabhupada and his devotees.

Krishna-kripa das:

Dear Srila Prabhupada,

namo om vishnu-padaya krishna-presthaya bhu-tale

srimate bhaktivedanta swamin iti namine

namaste sarasvati deve gaura-vani pracine

nivesesa-sunyavadi pascatya-desa tarine

Thank you for making it clear through your writings and your lectures that human life is simply meant for self-realization. We have no other business.

Thank you for creating a worldwide spiritual movement so we can associate with those who are serious about self-realization wherever we may be.

Thank you for describing the soul so authoritatively that we can appreciate its reality.

Thank you for exposing the illusion of material happiness.

Thank you for revealing the forms, instructions, and pastimes of the Supreme Lord to humanity in general.

Thank you for revealing the variety of relationships we eternally have with Krishna, so we can become inspired to aspire for one.

Thank you for giving us this confidential knowledge that there is no difference between the Supreme Lord and His holy name, so we can always be with Him by chanting.

Thank you for revealing the Hare Krishna mantra as the recommended configuration of holy names to chant in this age.

Please bless me that I might become an ideal representative of your ISKCON movement and that I might attain Krishna at the end of life.

The servant of your servants,

Krishna-kripa das

Rajni dd wife of Prabhupada das:

Thank you for giving us beautiful temples and devotees to help us become Krishna conscious.

Candravali dd [servant of Radha-Londonisvara for 25 years]:

I want to thank Srila Prabhupada for bringing Krishna consciousness to the west, and creating this temple in which we are performing service.

Sukhi:

I became a life member in 1972. My wife said she thought I should do it, so I did. I got some land in Mauritius on a couple occasions and built a couple of temples and donated them ISKCON. My wife liked the Soho temple. She discouraged me from associating with drunkards, etc, and instead come to the temple, so I did.

Satyanarayana Prabhu:

Srila Prabhupada gave me my second birth. Srila Prabhupada can inspire us to work tirelessly for him, even though we never met him personally.

Murali Manohara Prabhu:

[He lived in Soho St. for 22 years. This is famous as a pressure cooker. Someone said the devotees were like coal. Srila Prabhupada said, “Yes, but I am applying pressure, and by pressure coal can become a diamond.” Murali Manohara is such a diamond.—Jai Nitai Prabhu]

Krishna handpicked you to appear in this world of darkness. Who could appreciate your appearance in the West, but some sages and demigods? By your example and your words, the movement of Lord Caitanya has become established. Reading your books, purified my heart. Through your appearance, hundreds of thousands have been given the gold of devotional service to Krishna.

Bhaktin Priya [South London]:

To say you have given me shelter is an understatement. I always feel at home at the ISKCON temples all around the world. I hope I can always serve your devotees and that you may one day become proud of me.

Gaura Kisora Prabhu:

Until I was much older I did not appreciate what Srila Prabhupada had given us. I did not notice until I went to a temple in another country. When I saw the Mayapur complex, I appreciated the genius of Srila Prabhupada even more.

Rama Sakti [Dedicated pujari]

Thank you for giving this highest transcendental knowledge by which we can transcend all material problems and attain the spiritual world and service of Radha Krishna. You are the embodiment for compassion. Thank you for the association of the devotees, the most intelligent people in the world. Thank you for these wonderful temples. Thank you for engaging us in the highest service, that of the Supreme Lord.

Ranchor [accountant]:

Srila Prabhupada gave a way that literally anyone can come to the level he himself was on.

Mother Bhava Bhakti:

I am grateful for the service without which I would be bored and for his giving me my guru. Sometimes we think the buck stops with our guru, but we forget Srila Prabhupada.

Insights from Lectures

Srila Prabhupada [lecture on Kapila’s verse on sound] :

Omkara and Hare Krishna are vibrations from the spiritual sky and so they are immediately effective. Narottama Dasa Thakura describes “goloka prema dhana harinama sankirtana [the congregational chanting of the holy name comes from the spiritual world].” A material sound you will get disgusted three or four times, but a spiritual sound you can chant 24 hours and not be disgusted. The Vedic injunction is to transfer ourselves from the temporary to eternal worlds. That is the only business in our human form of life.

Both Krishna are ourselves are sac-cid-ananda vigraha. The difference is that Krishna is the supreme controller.

By spiritual sound you can be immediately in touch with the spiritual world and gradually you can become directly in contact with the Supreme Lord.

The water substance is different from the word water so it cannot quench your thirst. In the spiritual world, the name and the named are the same. The name is pure, so by chanting and chanting, even though offensive in the beginning, we become pure.

“So ’ham” means we are spirit, like Krishna, but not that we are Krishna.

If we are not self-realized, we are not better than the cats and dogs. If you want to become happy, you must get this knowledge that you are not the body.

The Hare Krishna mantra should be chanted without attraction for sense gratification. That is perfection.

Some cinema song the artists get fifteen thousand rupees for—just see the attraction we have for these material sounds. So we have attraction to sound. Let our attraction be transferred from material sound to spiritual sound. The Hare Krishna movement is teaching people to do this.

Don’t become disturbed by the happiness or distress of this world. Chant Hare Krishna and be happy. That is propaganda of this Hare Krishna movement.

Bhakti Brhat Bhagavata Swami:

Brahmacari class:

When I was temple president in Vrindavana, many of the brahmacaris protested when I tried to engage them in cleaning the temple. “That is the work of the banji class. We are frombrahmana families.” I lead a group of them in the cleaning work, and then they saw I was serious.

Q: How do you remain brahmacari?

A: It is easy to get blessings from brahmacaris and sannyasis to be brahmacari, but if you offend even one chaste women, you will not be successful. The whole Kuru army was defeated because they offended one chaste woman.

Every woman and every child can be satisfied by care, affection, and protection.

We can see all women as chaste if we consider what appears to be unchaste behavior as caused by exploitation of unscrupulous men.

It may appear to be difficult to see all women as mother, but if we see ourselves as son it is easier. Even if the women do not possess the attitude of a mother, we can still try to see ourselves as sons, for that is possible, easier, and that will help us.

When I was a kid in apartheid South Africa, the Indian teachers would alternate the Indian boys and the Indian girls to maintain discipline because the culture was that the boys and girls would not talk to each other. I sat next to a girl who I did not talk with for three years. This is not Krishna conscious but Indian culture.

Our goal is not be brahmacari but to be in an asrama that helps us make spiritual advancement.

Agitation when associating with the opposite sex is normal, but to aggravate it is not normal. This is clear from Bhagavad-gita 5.23.

The Indians try to imitate the Western world, but all they can do is imitate because it is so foreign to their nature.

Everyone who claims to be in complete control of his mind and senses is a bluffer and cheater of the first order. As devotees, Krishna controls our senses.

I did thousands of high school and university programs when I was in my late twenties. I got no less than seventy proposals from high school girls. I took full advantage of it and would visit their homes and put full sets of Bhagavatams in them. Sometimes I would do university programs and meet the same girls again. Five even became devotees, but by then they understood I was not interested in marrying them, and they ultimately married other brahmacaris. In these situations, we have to consider what is the purpose of our preaching. If we are fixed in our purpose, we will not be disturbed.

One wealthy life member once said, “If you just agree to propose to my daughter, I will put two million dollars in your bank account.” I said, “Do you think I am so cheap?” He thought I wanted more money.

Q (by me): I appreciate Radha-Londonisvara dasa’s point about becoming agitated by his solo college preaching. Once I did college preaching in one location for four months, and I felt I was becoming too friendly with the ladies involved in the program and those attending the program, so I said I would stay one month the next year.

A: It is our responsibility to do what is required to maintain our asrama.

Q: In ISKCON sometimes brahmacaris in leadership roles have difficulties when they have to manage women. When we explain our situation to brahmacaris in India, they say, “You should not have to deal with women as a brahmacari.” But that appears not to be a practical solution.

A: You are right. You cannot have the brahmacaris never talk to the women in every circumstance. It is not practical.

Sometimes a sannyasi becomes weak and falls down and some grhastha may criticize, “Oh, he associated too much with money. Oh, he associated too much with women.” Thus we blame the sannyasi, but it could be said that because the brahmacaris, grhasthas, and vanaprastha were not doing their duties nicely, the sannyasi became weak.

If we have difficulty with a service in an asrama, we may change our asrama to maintain our service, or we may change our service to maintain our asrama, but some service must be maintained for service is more important than asrama.

Janmastami lecture:

Srila Prabhupada once said we celebrate Janmastami to attract the nondevotees. For the devotees, Krishna is appearing at every moment. When we are chanting Hare Krishna, Krishna is always present as His holy name, whether we are neophyte, middle, or advanced devotees, so for us there is no question of Krishna appearing.

If you tell Yasoda that Krishna takes birth from her, she will be quite opposed to the idea, as she sees herself as eternal Krishna’s mother.

Is Mother Yasoda both in Bhauma Vrndavana and Goloka Vrindavana?

From our perspective Yasoda gives birth, but from hers she does not.

In the Vedic culture, when a mother with a male child rests, she lies on her left side with the boy on her arm, and she caresses the boy with her right hand.

Vasudeva carried baby Vasudeva not baby Syamasundara in Vrindavana. Syamasundara from his unmanifested state enters into Vasudeva Krishna when he reaches Vrindavana.

When Kamsa picks up Subhadra, to dash her to the floor to kill her, she manifests as Durga, and as Subhadra she takes shelter of the Vindhya Hills. Until Kamsa was killed, Subhadra could not manifest, and so there is no history of Subhadra from her appearance until she was a young women in Dvaraka.

So Gaudiya Vaishnavas consider that Krishna appears in Mahavana in Vrndavana while others may consider He appeared in Mathura.

Devaki is Yasoda, but Yasoda is not Devaki. Yasoda is not Devaki for Syamasundara. Vasudeva is Nanda Maharaja. Nanda Maharaja can become Vasudeva, but Vasudeva cannot become Nanda Maharaja.

Krishna takes birth in aisvarya-bhava. As madhurya-bhava He is always sweet, he doesn’t have to become sweet. Yasoda who is in madhurya-bhava, expands as Devaki as aisvarya-bhava.Similarly Vasudeva who is in madhurya-bhava, expands as Vasudeva as aisvarya-bhava.

Srila Prabhupada once said about understanding the Lord’s appearance and activities, “If you understand that you do not fully understand, then you understand.” This is because the Lord and His devotional service are acintya, inconceivable. If you get a drop of this understanding of the inconceivability of Krishna, then you will understand that you cannot fully understand.

So many people come to Vraja in the month of Sravana, which includes Balarama Purnima and Janmastami. They do not come specifically to become Krishna consciousness, but they become Krishna conscious by coming there.

There is no question of age for Krishna in Goloka Vrndavana [the spiritual world]. There is no observance of Janmastami there.

Srila Prabhupada explained to his disciple Bhavananda, “Bhavananda means the bliss of the material world. What bliss is there in the material world that is not there in the spiritual world? The bliss of preaching. Therefore, you should preach.”

Q: When Krishna and His devotees come to this world, are they still in the spiritual world?

A: Just as Srila Prabhupada can be in different places as once, like in your temple, in Vrndavana, and in Mayapur, similarly Mother Yasoda can also be in more than one place at a time.

We always have to ask ourselves whether we have come to Krishna consciousness to enjoy or to serve. If we have come to enjoy then we cannot deepen our relationships in a spiritual way. If we come to enjoy we will not be satisfied but if we come to serve, you will enjoy. But we do not come to enjoy.

The more people between Krishna and ourselves the more devotion we have because we imbibe the devotion from all the people in the line before us.

Q: What is the best way I should meditate today?

A: Well, to answer that in a specific way can be a little impersonal in the sense that my meditation may be different from yours and yours may be different from someone else’s.

We should never break friendships with people. They may break them with us, but we do not have to break them.

Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but the Supreme Personality of Godhead is not Krishna. Therefore, Krishna is original.

Q: How do you know if you are ready for initiation?

A: If you are following nicely but you do not think you are ready for initiation, then you are ready for initiation. Actually it is not a question of initiation. Chant, follow the rules, serve the devotees, and do something to share Krishna consciousness. Initiation will come by higher arrangement.

Class on Bhagavad-gita 2.49:

We have basic need for food, clothing, and shelter. When we take more than our basic needs, then some people are deprived of these basic necessities.

Persons who give in charity are not actually detached if you analyze it. They have more than they need, and then they give in charity to those who have less than they need, but the reason those people receiving charity have less than they need is because those who give charity had taken more than they need in the first place.

In Krishna consciousness you do not have to give up anything because nothing was yours in the first place.

The devotee utilizes that which Krishna has temporarily given him custody of in Krishna’s service before the time of death when he would lose custody of it anyway.

People without knowledge of devotional service either engage in unrestricted sense enjoyment or artificial excessive renunciation.

Krishna consciousness is active renunciation and is the perfect balance.

Krishna declares in Bhagavad-gita 10.8 that both the spiritual and material emanate from him, and therefore both can be connected to Krishna through service.

Q: Bg. 6.3 says we have to give up the desires not the desired objects.

A: We can do what we like for Krishna or do what is Krishna’s desire for us. If we do what we like for Krishna, we are engaging our nature in Krishna’s service. Ultimately we will become purified and understand what is actually Krishna’s desire for us.

If your desire is identical with Krishna’s desire, then you are full empowered by the Panca-tattva.

Q: What is the danger of acting not according to your nature?

A: (1) You will be frustrated.

(2) You will not naturally be detached from your own nature by engaging it. The natural process will not be followed.

Spiritually you have to allow yourself to be monitored and very few can do that.

One devotee was initiated by Srila Prabhupada one day and left the next day. One leader inquired from Srila Prabhupada how that was. Srila Prabhupada replied, “I may have initiated him, but he was never my disciple.”

Mother Urmila:

People tend to form alliances based on superficial similarities and consider those who are somehow different to be “enemies.” These friends and enemies are based who fulfills our desires.

Whatever we have difficulty with in spiritual life, Krishna will create situations to help us get passed it. A materialistic person will be frustrated by such situations but an advancing devotee will see them as sent by Krishna for his spiritual development.

We imagine “our people” will take care of us, but in reality no enemy can hurt us without the sanction of Krishna, and no friend can help us without the sanction of Krishna. Thus there are no friends or enemies. No one can hurt me, unless Krishna thinks I need to be hurt for some reason.

We all have the same father and the same mother. We are all in the same family.

If we love someone, then we will love those who are dear to that person. Because everyone is dear to Krishna, one who loves Krishna loves everyone.

Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura explains in Madhurya Kadambini that Krishna is neutral, but the devotees go out and give people opportunities to get spiritual credits by harinama andprasadam. Therefore, the bhakti of the devotee creates bhakti in the heart of the people in general.

If two of our friends have a disagreement, we feel like helping them to work it out. Similarly the devotees help the people in general by helping them improve their relationship with Krishna.

Being equal to everybody does not mean to treat everyone the same.

There has to be death because we cannot fulfill all the desires we have in one kind of material body.

The Lord does not love us a pinch less than his eternal associates in the spiritual world.

Yugala Kisora Prabhu from the Manor:

Baladeva Vidyabhusana discussed three categories of devotees:

Sa-nistha cares more about social duties than devotional service.

Pari-nistha performs social duties only to set an example for others or to attract others.

Nirupesaka is a sannyasi who beyond all social duties.

“Unfortunately as long as we are in the material world, we have to follow our social duties so as to avoid criticism by others. That is Lord Caitanya’s desire.”

Lord Caitanya was hard like a thunderbolt as in the case of Junior Haridasa, but soft like a rose as in the case of the Orissan lady who climbed on Him to see Lord Jagannatha.

Bhaktisiddhanta Saravati Thakura introduced saffron cloth for the sannyasis and the brahmana’s thread.

It is rare that one goes from mode of passion to transcendence; gradual progress is the normal.

Krishna-kripa das:

Lord Caitanya chanted a fixed number of holy names. His followers also chanted a fixed number. Haridas Thakura chanted 300,000 names or 192 rounds. Raghunath Das Goswami chanted 100,000 names or 64 rounds. Lord Caitanya would only eat at the home of a master of 100,000 names or one who chanted 64 rounds. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura advised his followers to chant 64 rounds, but insisted his busy leaders must chant at least sixteen. Srila Prabhupada originally proposed that his devotees chant thirty-two rounds, but he then quickly reduced it to sixteen. On several occasions, Srila Prabhupada promised those who chanted sixteen rounds and who followed the four rules to abstain from sinful acts would attain the spiritual kingdom at the end of life. Srila Prabhupada advised if one could not chant his sixteen rounds on one day, he must make up the remaining rounds the next day.

Haridasa Thakura considered, “I am in diseased condition,” when in old age he had difficulty keeping his great vow.

Dhruva performed great austerities, which we cannot imitate, but Srila Prabhupada felt we could follow Dhruva’s spirit of great determination in our own practice of chanting the sixteen rounds and following the four rules, which we were given.

If the dharma is sankirtana, the congregational chanting of the holy name, one may ask why do we chant japa softly on our beads? The answer is because Lord Caitanya and His followers did it.

Many verses explain that in this age, chanting the holy name is the dharma.

This is regulated chanting of japa is our sadhana, or practice of devotion, which is needed to rise to the spontaneous devotion of bhava and prema [love of God].

Japa is the most essential of Srila Prabhupada’s instructions as he mentions in one Caitanya-caritamrita Madhya-lila purport.

How can we improve japa? Here are several ideas:

Bhaktivinoda Thakura explains in Harinama Cintamani that even if one does not commit any offense except inattention, that inattention alone will keep one from attaining love of God. Yet if one still commits other offenses, but can chant with attention, he will become free from all offenses and attain love for God by the power of his attentive chanting.

My experience is that if I try to chant with attention, I will look forward to chanting the next day.

We can increase our japa quota on special days, and that will increase our realization of the power of japa.

We can pray to advance spiritually.

We must attain love for God before we die, otherwise we will have to accept another material body, with all its miseries, and that fact alone can give us the impetus to chant nicely while we can.

You can hear this lecture on Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 7.37 at http://audio.iskcondesiretree.info/index.php?q=f&f=%2F03_-_ISKCON_Prabhujis%2FHis_Grace_Krishna_Kripa_Das

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paritrānāya sādhūnām
vināśāya ca duskritām
dharma-samsthāpanārthāya
sambhavāmi yuge yuge

“To deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I Myself appear, millennium after millennium.”—Sri Krishna (Bhagavad-gita 4.8)

World Holy Name Festival Harinamas

Unfortunately, I have not yet surrendered to organizing a full schedule of events for the World Holy Name Festival, but I do attend the existing harinamas in the places I reside during that time, and I was able, by the Lord’s grace, to organize three harinamas which would otherwise not have happened, one in Lvov, Ukraine, another in London, and the final one, at Tompkins Square Park in New York, where harinama began in the West.

Kharkov, Ukraine, Saturday night harinama, September 18:

About twenty devotees chant together in a park in downtown Kharkov, Ukraine’s second largest city, for three hours on Saturdays. Sahasra Jit Prabhu, the temple president, who has lots of devotion and a pleasant voice, led kirtana for much of the time.I am inspired when the temple leaders have a real commitment to harinama. Devotees tell me three to five new people come to their program each Sunday, most having learned about it either from the harinamas or from regular Sunday feast attendees.

Five ladies danced on one side of the singers, who sat on a piece of carpet, playing harmonium, mridanga, and karatalas. A slightly larger group of men danced on the other side, also in unison with each other, except one avadhuta, who is so spontaneous we cannot follow him.

Many people listened, some for quite a while. Some friends of the devotees also come just to listen. Many people took pictures. Krishna Dvaipayana Prabhu had a book table set up to one side of the party, while two other devotees distributed books to passersby, and another devotee, often Bhakta Andre, distributed prasadam and invitations.

Kharkov, Ukraine, Sunday night harinama, September 19:

Throughout the year, after the Kharkov Sunday feast program a party of devotees goes on harinama for two hours from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., even in their chilly winters. We had twenty devotees the week I was there, many fairly young, perhaps in their twenties and thirties. This is a walking harinama, except for when they stopped at a park near a Mc Donald’s, where they chanted to fifteen people, who happily watched. I was so very inspired to see the enthusiasm of the youthful devotees there. ISKCON is alive in Ukraine.

Lvov, Ukraine, an additional harinama on Wednesday, September 22:

I had a good experience doing harinama in Lvov (Lviv), Ukraine, last year, so I decided to try to organize another one this year. Usually they just do one on Saturday, but I appealed that because it was during the World Holy Name Festival and the week of both Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s appearance day and Haridasa Thakura’s disappearance day, that they should do an additional one on that Wednesday, the only day I could be there.

They set up a rug on the sidewalk leading up to the university, and played harmonium, mridanga, and karatalas. About twelve devotees came, mostly an older group than in Kharkov. One devotee lady distributed prasadam and invitations in front of the party. I was impressed to see the interest of the public. Usually there was always at least someone looking and listening, and sometimes as many as twenty, some lingering for quite a while! A few young people enjoyed imitating our dancing. I was pleased to see that so many devotees came out considering that it was midweek, and considering that we do not have a temple anymore in that town and thus the devotees are scattered.

London, England, additional harinama, Friday morning, September 24:

Monday through Friday afternoons, devotees chant for an hour and a half on Oxford Street, and Saturday night as many as fifty devotees will do harinama for two hours around Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus. On some mornings they also go out, but not Friday, so I begged Krishna Vidhi Prabhu, Soho’s most enthusiastic harinama person, that we could go out, as I was flying to New York and would miss the afternoon one, and he agreed. He and I chanted for an hour or an hour and a half on Oxford Street, and it was rewarding, even with just the two of us.

Philadelphia Ratha-yatra, Saturday, September 25:

I shall describe this Philadelphia Ratha-yatra in more detail elsewhere, but as it was a harinama event during the World Holy Name Festival I mention it here. They had a special treat this year—Haryasva Prabhu’s Panca-tattva deities from Govinda’s riding on a chariot before Lord Jagannatha. The sound system was great, and there were at least two amplified kirtanas during the parade, one with Vishnu Gada Prabhu leading, with the musicians on their own cart, between the Pancatattva and the Jagannatha deities, and one just before Lord Jagannatha’s cart as usual.

Manhattan 12-hour kirtana, Saturday, October 2:

Gauravani of Kindred Spirits and the devotees from the Bhakti Center have a monthly 12-hour kirtana program the first Saturday of each month, a great contribution to bhakti in NYC. A variety of people come, some devotees for many years like Dhanurdhara Swami, Laksmi Nrsimha Prabhu, Rama Raya, and Mother Arundhati, other devotees more youthful like Acyuta Gopi and Ananta, and yet others coming from yoga backgrounds. This month they had the kirtana at the Broome St. temple. This proved difficult for me, as I love to dance in the kirtana so much, but their landlord does not permit dancing there! I was, however, able to invite some of the people there to chant with me at Tompkins Square Park the following day.

Tompkins Square Park, Manhattan, additional harinama, Sunday, October 3:

I hoped that since Tompkins Square Park was where public chanting of Hare Krishna began in the West, I could round up more people for the event, but still twelve devotees came. Later I found it was the same day as the Queen’s Ratha-yatra.

We gathered at 26 2^nd Avenue, the location of our original temple in Manhattan and chanted down 2^nd Avenue till St. Marks and then eastward to Avenue A. We made our way to the Hare Krishna tree, where we sat and chanted for over two hours. One man, who happened to have a bag of flower petals, spontaneously offered handfuls of petals in front of the sitting kirtana party. We took turns chanting, with about five devotees getting a chance to lead. Ranga Devi, a kirtana singer from the UK was among the singers. Bhakta Dan, who is the harinama leader at the Bhakti Center, brought books for distribution. Ekayani Dasi collected emails to help organize future harinamas in New York. I talked to one man who loved watching the dancing of the devotees, staying for almost an hour and smiling the whole time. He had fond memories of attending the Hare Krishna Sunday feasts in the 1970s. A group of young ladies came by, some jokingly imitating our dance, and they eventually began dancing with the devotee ladies. Pawan Sandilya of Pune, India, who was visiting New York, took some photos personally and let other devotees take photos with his camera. He later commented, “It has been my pleasure to be with you all in the park. I don’t have words to express myself, how the Lord has been so merciful to me to give such opportunity.”

We read from Srila Prabhupada-lilamrita about Srila Prabhupada’s original kirtanas in that park. We were amazed by all the details Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami gives in his description of the park. The bicycling kids, sportive kids, and drum players are still prominent features. Gone, however, are the many hippies who were attracted by the early kirtanas.

Tompkins Square Park is a special place. It was first place where devotees would regularly chant in public, each Sunday for three hours, beginning in October 1966, forty-four years ago. Srila Prabhupada himself came and chanted there, and so it is a like a place of pilgrimage. Last year an old man sitting of a park bench reading a book said to me, “Thank you for cleaning the air by your singing.” This year a man offered flower petals to our party, and another praised our dancing. Although this place is far away from Sridham Mayapur, where Lord Caitanya started his sankirtana movement, the spiritual energy of the Lord is also manifest here, causing people to appreciate bhakti, devotion to the Lord. My great hope is that each year we can do harinama here during the World Holy Name Festival, and that it may increase each year, without limit. In addition, we could plan for something especially wonderful for the 50^th anniversary in October 2016. If you want to help make that happen, let me know. You can write me at Krsna-krpa.SDG at Pamho.net. Also if you have any pictures of the harinamas I describe above, let me know so I can include them. Thanks.

All glories to the Sri Krishna Nama Sankirtana!

Travel Journal#6.16: Trutnov, Wroclaw, Cologne

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 6, No. 16
By Krishna-kripa das
(August 2010, part two)
Czech Woodstock, Wroclaw Ratha-yatra, Cologne Harinama
(Sent from Stuyvesant, New York, on September 30, 2010)

Highlights

Trutnov Open Air Festival (Czech Woodstock) 2010
Wroclaw Ratha-yatra 2010
Harinama in Cologne
Insights from Navina Nirada Prabhu

Itinerary

Dhruva Prabhu suggested I include my itinerary for upcoming travel:

September 30-October 1: Stuyvesant, New York
October 2: 12-hour Kirtana, Manhattan
October 3: 1:30-4:30 p.m., harinama at Tompkins Square Park
October 4-5: Bhakti Center, Manhattan
October 5, evening: Sacinandana Swami program, Manhattan
October 6-8: Philadelphia
October 8, 7 p.m., Harinama, South Street, Philly
October 9-11: Albany, New York

October 12: Manhattan

October 13: 12:30- 3:30 p.m. Harinama, Univ. of North Florida, Jacksonville
October 13-20: Gainesville

October 15: Gainesville Ratha-yatra

October 16: chanting at the U.F. Homecoming game

October 20-November 17: Tucson
November 17-November 30: Gainesville

Where I Went and What I Did

We left Leipzig by train on August 19 to attend Trutnov, a Czech rock concert where the Hare Krishnas have a camp with lots of spiritual music and food, and the blessings of the Trutnov organizer, Martin, who puts Lord Jagannatha’s smiling face on the all the festival ads, wristbands, the main stage itself, and even the plastic beer mugs. After Trutnov we went to Mother Isvari’s place near Rybnik, Poland, to recover from Trutnov, and celebrate Lord Balarama’s appearance day with a nama-hatta program. On August 26, we attended the second annual Wroclaw Ratha-yatra, then spent one day in Wroclaw and one day on the Poland farm. Then we went to Warsaw, for their Balarama festival, during the Sunday feast. Tribhuvanesvara Prabhu led great kirtana, and the feast was very satisfying. On August 30, we started by train to London, stopping in Berlin for dinner, and Cologne, for a day, to do harinama. Then we ended up in Brussels for the evening of August 31.

Trutnov Open Air Festival (Czech Woodstock)
August 19-22, 2010

The first day, I saw three people from previous years. It seemed more people chanted this time than previously. People even stood on benches dancing with upraised arms, a new development. The first night, we tried to stop the kirtana twice, but people wanted us to keep going. We finally ended at 2:10 a.m. Once I counted seven people happily chanting along at 1:00 a.m.

Other days we stayed up even later, once ending at 5:00 a.m. There were always people ready to hear, sing, and dance, until the end. The picture above was taken at 3:20 a.m.

We did Ratha-yatra from the school we stay at, to the downtown area, and then back up the hill to the Trutnov site. Some people pulled the cart, and others sang and danced. Two girls who must have spent half their time in our tent joined our return Ratha-yatra, back to the school that was our base. On that return Ratha-yatra, some people even lay down flat on the street before Lord Jagannatha

When Prabhupada disciple, Jay Gurudeva Das, did Hare Krishna chanting with electric guitar and synthesizer, one very large, jovial, young man who obviously had a lot of beer, jumped up on the stage and tried to chant into the microphone. He attracted a lot of attention. He had a good voice, but because he had so much beer he messed up the mantra a lot, although we showed him a couple mantra cards. Jay Gurudeva was good at letting him do his thing but not steal the show. Although Jay Gurudeva had just sung many of the same tunes as last year which had gotten many people dancing, this year for the first hour, practically no one danced but me. Not even those who I had seen dancing and chanting the night before would dance, not even when I tried to encourage them. But when this man spontaneously came up on the stage, he attracted people’s attention, and then thirty people got up and danced with enthusiasm.
[Click here to see Facebook movie showing about the above.]

Prithu Prabhu gave one of the best lectures I heard him ever gave. He talked about the body, subtle body, and soul. He talked about experiences he had of astral travel as well as a near-death experience. So as to relate to the young crowd, he talked about how he was the first person in his town to have dredlocks when he was a kid, and how he distributed drugs in one area in Germany as a youth. After telling about the subtle body, he introduced the soul and transmigration. He used a large plate, small plate, bowl, cup, and spoon, to visually represent the body, mind, intelligence, false ego, and soul. At the end, he recommended the people buy one of Srila Prabhupada’s introductory books.

One girl who liked Prithu Prabhu’s lectures bought the book he recommended. She, like many, came by at least three times a day to see and hear what was happening at our Krishna camp. Punya Palaka Prabhu found her blog where she described her experience: “I go to check the Krishna camp. I exactly knew that. There, in the Krishna camp, “it” all is and “it” is so strong. I’m still not sure what “it” is, but I’ve got the time to find out. I spent there less than an hour, but I got hit by the end of a lecture by one sympathetic, English speaking man. And it was a hit at the right spot. Then for some half an hour they were singing their Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna,

Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare . . . And it was magic.” She mentioned that she liked that I took the trouble to explain some of the Bengali bhajanas that one devotees band was singing, and she learned that Krishna is one although having many names. She also described how some of us came off the stage with our instruments and sang while they were setting the stage for the next band. In conclusion, the girl wrote, “Actually, all the time I was moving between booths and the Krishna camp. And I just realized that regardless the situation, I feel always fine down there. They have brought buckets of energy in all of their mantras. And you won’t find anyone uncongenial or displeasing there . . . simply a wonderful group of people with wonderful energy.” If you know Czech or want to translate the whole article with Google, the links are Day 2 and Day 3.

One girl, who had come last year with two friends, came this year with some other friends, stopping by at least a couple times.

Our presentation this year was better in that we had mantra cards to give to all that wanted them, and we set up a booth for questions and answers, instead of informally answering people’s questions, so many more people took advantage of that opportunity.

In the morning the day after, one man and woman came up to Punya Palaka Prabhu, our Krishna Camp organizer, saying, “Your Hare Krishna Camp is a refuge for many of the participants. When they feel down they come to regain their energy—instead of some energy drinks, Hare Krishna Camp is better!” The man had been coming for years, and he was also among the group of some thirty who kept chanting and dancing by themselves on Friday night while we were setting up the stage for the band performance to come. . . . Both he and the lady said they had been bringing their friends and all of them had agreed, it was refreshing to join the chanting and dancing . . .”

After Trutnov, as Dhruva Prabhu and I were riding the train to our next destination, I could see at the rate we were going, we would miss our connection, so I searched for the conductor. I found two conductors but neither spoke English. I asked the four young people standing around if any of them knew English and would translate. One young man agreed. During their interaction with me, one his friends chanted his recollection of the Hare Krishna mantra, with a few words out of order, recognizing me to be a devotee. Thus when I thanked the man for his translation service, I gave him a mantra card as a present. The young man said with a smile, “Hare Krishna—that was the best song at the whole Trutnov festival!” And then he asked if I could sing the mantra one time for them, and I did, and then I asked them to sing it one time for me, and we chanted a couple more times, engaging a few more young people in the next carriage in hearing. The man’s comment was impressive to me, although a hundred bands had played on four stages at Trutnov, he considered Hare Krishna to be the best song at the whole event, and he wanted to hear it again.

Later when we got off that train, I decided to play harmonium and chant on the platform, down the whole length of the train and back, and I got a lot of smiles of appreciation, and I recognized some of the people who had attended our Krishna camp. I passed a few remaining mantra cards to the smiling people through the train windows. The conductors did not complain.

It was nice as always to see people happily connecting with Krishna through kirtana, prasadam, and the association of the devotees. For more pictures with descriptive captions, click here.

Wroclaw Ratha-yatra 2010

There are six YouTube videos one devotee, with the user name Arkadiusz108, uploaded about the Wroclaw Ratha-yatra. The first is below:

Here are links to the others: Video 2, Video 3, Video 4, Video 5, and Video 6.

After their first Ratha-yatra last year, the Wroclaw devotees performed number two this year. The authorities delayed approving their application until all the weekends were taken, and so the Ratha-yatra was on Thursday. There were fewer devotees there than last year, but plenty of guests. The stage show had more variety this year, and a greater number and variety of people watched it. Many were eager to take the temple invitations I was passing out. The prasadam was better and lasted longer. Bravo! During the parade one girl who had danced in our kirtana tent at Woodstock recognized me. She was happy to encounter the devotees again. And I gave her the invitation to our local temple and invited her to the Ratha-yatra stage show.

Harinama in Cologne

Dhruva Prabhu is always up for visiting a new temple, so we stopped in Cologne as we traveled by train from Poland to London. At mangala-arati, there were only Dhruva and I, and MahaLaxmi, who we had met on the Netherlands padayatra. There are few temple devotees there, and even though it was one of their standard harinama days, we could not find local devotees to go. Fortunately MahaLaxmi, who was also traveling through Cologne and who has a nice voice, was eager to go out, so we chanted for almost three hours in a downtown market section. Once we came upon a very ornately decorated cathedral dating back hundreds of years ago, and we sat down on the steps nearby. One group of children from Spain enjoyed listening to us for a while. There were many people in the market section and near the cathedral, and we passed out invitations to the local temple. Now that I have seen what a nice venue they have for harinama, I will definitely go back. While returning to the temple, we chanted on the metro, but we saw some metro police, so we got off at the next stop and waited for the next train, so we were able to continue chanting the whole way back.

Insight from Lectures

Navina Nirada Prabhu:

Prayers are meant to worship the Lord not fulfilling our own desires.

One who asks the Lord for what he is already giving is less intelligent and even ungrateful.

Bhaktisiddhanta Saravati Thakura spoke for three months on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.1.1 at Radha-kunda.

Our words will lose meaning if we do not act as we say.

We repeat what we have heard and what we have realized. If we speak what we have heard but not yet realized, it will not be as effective

It is so noisy on the battlefield that the soldier touches his charioteer with his feet, either on the left or right to direct him. Thus the charioteer position that Lord Krishna accepted in relationship to Arjuna is a very menial one, but Krishna accepted it out of love for His friend.

Intelligence is measured by the extent one is willing to surrender to the Lord’s desire.

Many times you can go up to people and say, “This is a book about Krishna. You have heard of Krishna?”

Lord Nityananda has some kirtanas that went for months without disturbed by other things.

Lord Caitanya touched Prakasananda Sarasvati’s heart but humbly sitting where the people washed their feet. And so Prakasananda Sarasvati offered some service, thereby getting unknowing piety. Lord Caitanya furthermore explained out he was chanting the holy name because his guru found Him to fallen to study Vedanta.

Trnad api sunicena… is the access code which unlocks the holy names and other instructions for chanting.

Although we are only one of seven billion people on earth, still Krishna loves us.

To get people lower their defenses, we have to lower our defenses. But if we lower our defenses, we worry that someone may take advantage of us. But if Krishna is there to protect us, what do we need to worry about?

If Lord Caitanya gave sankirtana and prasadam for this masses but just spoke philosophy to the intelligent, why do we distribute these books? Because people are so unfortunate they are not willing to chant and take prasadam. They books are sankirtana in hard copy.

Unless you lead a virtuous life (the mode of goodness) you cannot taste real happiness.

Book distribution depends on four things:

1. Strong sadhana so you have some spiritual realization.
2. Having the books.
3. The more you show, the more you sell.
4. Organize.

We are not using holy name as a washing detergent to get free from sins but to serve the Lord.
Krishna protects his devotee’s vows. So let’s vow to take Krishna consciousness seriously.

If you care about others, you share with them. Srila Prabhupada came from the most exalted place, Vrndavana, to the most degraded place, the Bowery, to share the spiritual truth he had.

The Jews wear that little cap to remember that there is always something divine above them.

I ask the people, “Are you a rock star or a regular loser?”
Or else, I ask, “Which one of you is the smart one?”
Or else, I say, “This is for all the nice people. Are you nice?”

Krishna doesn’t need anything but our love.

One of the last people of the day was not so interested. Then she asked, “Does this book say anything about Kali-yuga?” I gave her a Teachings of Lord Caitanya, and said, “This is about the person who really saves the day in Kali-yuga.” She took the book.

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pātrāpātra-vicāra nāhi, nāhi sthānāsthāna

yei yāńhā pāya, tāńhā kare prema-dāna

"In distributing love of Godhead, Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His associates did not consider who was a fit candidate and who was not, nor where such distribution should or should not take place. They made no conditions. Wherever they got the opportunity, the members of the Pañca-tattva distributed love of Godhead. (Caitanya Caritāmrita, Ādi 7.23)

Travel Journal#6.15: Berlin, Hamburg, Polish Tour, Leipzig

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 6, No. 15

By Krishna-kripa das

(August 2010, part one)

Berlin, Hamburg, Polish Tour, Leipzig

(Sent from Kharkov, Ukraine, on September 20, 2010)

Highlights

Berlin Harinama and Ratha-yatra

Hamburg Harinama and Sunday Feast

Book Distribution Seminar in Berlin

Visit to the Polish Tour

Leipzig Ratha-yatra and Sunday Feast

Insights from Indradyumna Swami, Kavicandra Swami,

Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, Kadamba Kanana Swami,

Anuttama Prabhu, Prithu Prabhu, Mother Sitala, and Others

Berlin Harinama and Ratha-yatra

This year I went to Berlin the day after the Polish Woodstock to do harinama to promote their Ratha-yatra the next Saturday. The lull between harinamas in previous years made me feel empty, and I was glad Krishna gave me this solution. I was accustomed to passing out invitations to the Woodstock attendees, who mostly are eager to take them, and the Berlin crowd was tougher by comparison. Still I recall one girl from near Cologne who loved the devotees singing and listened for sometime with a bright smile. I gave her the contact information for the temple near her home in addition to a Ratha-yatra invitation.

It was my sixth Berlin Ratha-yatra in a row, and the day was predicted to have a 90% chance of rain, but by the grace of the Lord, the downpour did not happen till the next day. There was a little rain at the temple on the Ratha-yatra day, but it did not rain at the site.

Kadamba Kanana Swami was there with his lively kirtana, and Kavicandra Swami with his faith in the holy name. Prithu Prabhu was there with his strong words meant to motivate people spiritually. For me, that Sacinandana Swami was not present this year, made it less lively than it usually was.

I distributed invitations and met many favorable people, including a number of tourists. Some I told about our festivals and temples in their homeland.

I liked the stage show, which had a lot of kirtana, including some with more contemporary music, and a very funny drama as well. I found a variety of different types of people developed an interest to learn more by viewing the stage show, and they took invitations and the very attractive German mantra cards with the face of Jagannatha on them along with a description of the mantra.

One little girl asked me to put tilaka on her, and I found a devotee lady who understood her request, and I lent her some tilaka to do that service.

The prasadam was very nice and was served out sooner and longer than other years.

Click here for one very professional video on the Berlin Ratha-yatra.

Hamburg Harinama and Sunday Feast

Dhruva Prabhu increased my outreach this year by urging me to come to Hamburg where he knew a devotee named Vasudeva, also originally from India, who lived in the temple.

The devotees do harinama there each Sunday, the day the most devotees are free from work, before the feast program.

The site is at the harbor, along the boardwalk, which is crowded with tourists. They let me play the harmonium, and I sang this Bada Hari tune that Madhava sings, and everyone liked it. The harinama was almost two hours. The Sunday feast program was only attended by about 20 people, but sometimes it is more. During the kirtana, four or five of the ladies were so enthusiastic, their dancing took out them out of the temple room, and into the next room, and maybe even further. They allow me to speak and because they are promoting study of the scriptures there and my talk had many scriptural references, several leaders like it.

Book Distribution Seminar in Berlin

By Navina Nirada Prabhu

Let new devotees watch and not start book distribution until the desire naturally arises. The people you approach can feel if you believe in what you are doing.

The first time I just carried the books for other devotees and took notes, and then I tried it myself. Some things in the presentation I changed. Everyone has his own style.

Krishna is interested in our love and affection, and sankirtana is a powerful process to cultivate this love.

When the demigods churned the ocean, first came the poison and then came the nectar, so it is often with sankirtana.

I was in Hungary where I distributed some books without knowing the language. If you are just enthusiastic it is possible.

“We are showing these books to all the nice people in XYZ. Are you one of the nice people? Thank you for taking your valuable time.”

If we give attention to the people, they will automatically reciprocate.

When you go door-to-door, when they open the door, you ask, “Do you live here?” (Make a small joke.) Great, then let me show you one of these...

“Are you more philosophical or more spiritual?” “Are you more a head person or a heart person?” “Oh, you are qualified.” Make it simple.

People like to be in treated in a personal way according to their nature but even beyond this, if they detect that we respect them, we will be successful. If the person sees we are making a great effort just for them, they will be inclined. If Krishna sees we really want the people to take the book, He will sanction it.

If you know a person is not interested, just tell him the price, and he will give the book back to you, and you can leave nicely and go on to the next person.

Ask the right questions. If a person says three times “yes,” he will buy the book. So ask questions that he will reply to in a positive way. If he says three times “no,” he won’t buy the book. Open ended questions are best, i.e. “How are you doing today? How is your karma?”

My goal is to give everyone something. Some can take only a smile or an invitation card. Some take a book the first time. Leave everyone with a good impression. Consider yourself an ambassador of goodwill.

Visit to the Polish Tour

It is always nice to visit the Polish festival hour, with their team of enthusiastic devotees, led by the incarnation of enthusiasm, Indradyumna Swami himself. I love the harinamas with sixty or more people, and I always find a people to give invitations to that the other distributors did not notice. I try to distribute the extra ones on the last day of the festival, and despite our previous two or three days of distributing thousands, still some new people take them and are very happy to hear of the festival.

Leipzig Ratha-yatra and Sunday Feast

Kavichandra Swami praised the route of the procession, which included the heart of the market district. During the parade, I went into a department store to use the bathroom on the fourth floor, and as I ascended the escalators, I noticed on each floor the kirtana was so well amplified everyone could hear it.

I felt happy because two girls I gave an invitation to during the parade came to the stage show and heard the kirtana for at least an hour, finally dancing happily with the devotee ladies. The prasadam was excellent, especially the srikhand and gaja. Later the following week, Navina Nirada Prabhu asked almost everyone he met what they were doing on Saturday, and he many were very happy about our Ratha-yatra festival.

Many people looking at the kirtana at the stage show took the temple invitations I gave them.

There were many flyers with descriptions of the Ratha-yatra and devotees eagerly distributed them.

Two devotees dressed up as Lord Caitanya, in yellow, and Lord Nityananda, in blue, and they swung each other around in circles as they danced before the cart, to the happiness of the devotees.

Click here to see more pictures.

Suggestions I made for next year were: The description of the Ratha-yatra we distributed to onlookers could include the route and the place of the stage show. We had to give a separate invitation with the place of the stage show, and we had no information about the route until I asked, and then I was able to pass that information on to two or three guests who asked. It is good to think about how to improve the festival each year, and it was progress the devotees had a meeting about that soon afterward.

Bhaktivinoda Thakura says Ratha-yatra is the essence of all the festivals and those who take part are preparing themselves to become residents of the spiritual world.

This includes even onlookers like these girls who, knowingly or unknowingly, swept the street for the pleasure of the Lord and His devotees.

Although usually the Leipzig devotees have a feast program every other Saturday, they have a special one on the Sunday, the day after the Ratha-yatra. After the feast, they had a spontaneous kirtana that burst out of the temple room into the adjoining room and which continued for two hours.

Insights from Lectures

Indradyumna Swami [from introductory lectures at the Polish festivals]:

[I love Indradyumna Swami’s lectures on Bhagavad-gita to the attendees of his Polish festivals. He presents the philosophy using simple analogies people can relate to, and he makes it sound very reasonable.]

The human being has higher intelligence for self-realization. Even the smartest animal is not as smart as the dumbest human being.

Unless your know who you are, you will not know what to do to make yourself happy.

Just was we accept food from other cultures, we should also accept bona fide spiritual knowledge from other cultures. Everyone in Poland likes pizza, but pizza was not invented in Katowice!

This wisdom appeared in India, but it not just meant for people of India. The sun also appears in the east, but it travels to the west to benefit us here. Similar this spiritual knowledge from India is meant to benefit the whole world.

If you are evicted from your apartment, you find another place before the date of eviction. Similar you must plan for where you go in the next life.

Bhagavad-gita can help all persons understand where they are going when they die.

If we have unfulfilled desires, even if we are old, the desires will cause us to take another birth.

As a book has many chapters, our soul has many lives. We have been a king, a poor person, an American, a Polish person, an Australian.

How do you explain one person is born into opulence and another is born into poverty? Is God kind to some and not others? No, everyone is getting the results of their actions in a previous life.

An intelligent person uses the frustration of a life of mixed happiness and distress to seek a higher realization where we are always happy.

A man accused me of being an escapist, but if you are in a burning building, escape is the best strategy.

We should be like a sailor, who does his duties at sea nicely, but knows he is ultimately going back to the land. We should sail through this world, knowing it is not our real home, and keep our sight on the spiritual world.

God is not an old man. Why should He be subjected to the laws of the material world? We learn from the Vedic literature that God, although the oldest person, is eternally youthful.

These devotees are happy because they are coming close to the happiest person God.

Kavicandra Swami:

To be attentive is most important. Even if the speaker is Lord Siva, if you are not attentive, you will not get the full benefit.

If the audience is really alive, the speaker finds he has more to say.

Srila Prabhupada was so attentive to recording his classes, if the tape jammed, he would wait until his disciples corrected it.

Srila Prabhupada said in a class, “You may say you have no love for Krishna, but I see you are coming every time. I am always saying the same thing, and yet you are still coming. Therefore you must have some attachment for Krishna.”

If we do sankirtana to become famous we will not take the bliss we experience doing it for Krishna.

Q: What makes the difference that makes one continue his whole life?

A: One must be tolerant and humble as Lord Caitanya recommends in Siksastaka 3. Enthusiasm is another key, and patience in the face of delayed success. Prayer is also powerful and essential. After the very successful opening of Krishna-Balarama in Vrndavana, Srila Prabhupada said, “Now Lord Balarama is here. You can pray to Him for strength.” Thus each year I go to Vrndavana, I thank Lord Balarama for giving me strength, and ask Him to continue for another year. Krishna will keep you around if you realize you have no place to go.

Q: Can people change their character?

A: Yes, people become from their bad qualities. We want to change. We want to be purified, to become gentlemen, to become good people.

Preaching involves confronting the unwanted things in one’s heart, and that is too much for some people, so they leave.

Singapore church weekly sayings, “Melt me, mold me, and use me.” “Let go, and let God.”

Prabhupada said controlling the mind means thinking of how to distribute the holy name.

Revealing your mind confidentially means, if you have some wonderful experience in Krishna consciousness, tell somebody.

Thank Krishna. Even if all you can do is chant the holy name, that is Krishna Himself. It is not an ordinary thing.

Some one told me he was praying that the Prabhupada disciples all live to 160 years old. That is a nice sentiment but unlikely. Better pray that you will be able to take up their preaching work.

On initiation:

Second initiation is for connecting more to Krishna, deepening the commitment.

We should not push people to get initiated artificially, but rather inspire them to surrender to Krishna. Initiation will come in due course.

Krishna Himself had a guru.

During the early days of this movement, there was one rascal who claimed to be Krishna. He said you do not need books. His idea was that books are required in Kali-yuga, but because he had advented, they were not necessary.

Lord Caitanya wanted everyone to become a guru. Every one should be come a instructing (siksa) guru or a vartmapradarsaka-guru.

It is an amazing thing that Srila Prabhupada installed so many Deities and arranged for their worship.

None of Srila Prabhupada godbrothers believed westerners could become brahmanas, but Srila Prabhupada understood the power of Lord Caitanya’s mercy.

The Ratha-yatra in Leipzig was so nice because it was in the crowded shopping area where all the people were and couldn’t get away.

Dhruva put tilaka on so many people, and I didn’t see anyone refuse him. Wearing the tilaka makes them feel more a part of the festival.

Envy comes from lust. If you want something I have, you become envious.

Srila Prabhupada said Krishna consciousness is simple.

Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, Vihara Bhavan, no. 28:

“Once a disciple lost his beads and wrote to Prabhupada to please chant on another set. Prabhupada wrote back that there was no need to chant on another physical set of beads. ‘Once the blessing is given it is eternal.’”

Kadamba Kanana Swami:

Why so much austerity? If we do not follow the austerities, we will act in ignorance and passion and suffer even more. In the animal kingdom, one animal eats another, and when we do not restrict ourselves, we live like an animal, with all the anxiety that comes with that kind of life.

In this world, Krishna, out of his kindness, is always with us in the heart.

Nitzshe said as humans we can achieve so little, and then with religion, we have to give that little bit up. God is watching this and enjoying it so much that recreates the universe to do it again and again.

In dasyam, there is general service, and personal service (kinkara), where one considers the actual desire of the master.

“I am limited, but let me do as much as I can for Krishna”, can be our meditation.

These austerities of the body like celibacy are practical. If you have sex with a variety people your life becomes complicated. If you practice not having sex outside marriage, then a certain faith and trust develops that makes existence more palatable.

In my family we did water skiing for some time and then we stopped doing it. In the beginning, there was some excitement, but that waned.

Bhakti liberates us and makes us free for Krishna.

Austerity is only austerity in the beginning. For example, no meat, fish, or eggs, is now not a difficulty. Similarly, giving up alcohol or smoking is not an austerity, if you consider all the unpalatable ramifications of these habits, the expense, the filth, the inconvenience. As far as the love in the material world, our beloveds are a very sad second to Krishna. The romance wears off, and even if it lasts to the end, we become like two skeletons. In reality we are together for a limited time only, and we cannot expect such relationships to provide all that we might hope.

In this world, people walk around in their bubbles, and sannyasis walk around with needles and pop them.

In this world as people trade in their cars or i-Phones for new ones, too often we similarly trade in our husbands or wives for new models.

In any otherwise comfortable household life, without higher aspirations there is an emptiness. Like monkeys in the zoo that stay because there are well fed, the householder may feel inclined to stay in family life.

Our disease as a neophyte devotee is that we want God to catch us before we are willing to let go. A madhyama adhikari has faith that Krishna will reciprocate, and so he can act as Krishna desires.

By false ego we are absorbed in the distinctions based on that body, instead of seeing all beings as spiritual souls.

Yudhisthira was fighting but not seeing anyone has his enemy.

The main meditation for the Vaisnava is to see everyone as a devotee of the Lord. In truth, even demons are devotees of Lord Krishna because the eternal identity of all souls is that of servants of Krishna.

Actually the false ego is weak as it is comprised of the illusory energy. As long as we are serving the devotees, we are progressing.

If we see the Lord as always judging people will not be attracted.

On harinama, we can see the variety of reactions of the people.

Some people say they do not believe in hell, but hell is around us.

If we see the various diseased conditions of the living beings are all curable by Krishna consciousness, our vision will be very optimistic.

We may not think we are so successful in our preaching, but actually many souls are becoming purified.

People needed to accumulate a lot of ajnata-sukrti so they can come to the point of desiring Krishna.

The Vedic culture is to treat your enemies in such a way that they forget their enmity.

In the west, we people tend to be inimical to people in general and have a few friends. Our task is to become friends of everyone.

In the west, even if people get together, they still maintain a sense of their space around them, but in India it is not like that.

The demonic people like to be in ignorance, and they cannot hear about the Lord and His philosophy so they protest again it.

Our faith must develop into conviction.

Spiritual life may not be easy, but material life does not work out.

We do not think of devotees as our enemies, but sometimes we do not think devotees are our friends. Some devotees have different ideas about serving Krishna. Those who have similar ideas can cooperate and serve together.

Once we had more aspiring devotees than we had rooms in Mayapur. I suggested we use some of the guesthouse rooms for bhaktas, and so there was some disagreement.

When the Ganges comes to the heavenly planets, the demigods become eager to carry her in different pots instead of letting her run her course, because they want to get her mercy.

It is said the speaker of the Bhagavatam benefits the most, then the inquirer, and the next those who listen passively, for they are less involved.

When Srila Prabhupada was taking rest, he would not mind hearing kirtana.

By hearing about Krishna we are associating with Him. Our worship of Krishna is not just some quick thing like an arati. This is nice but as time goes on we learn how to worship in the way that those who know how to please Krishna worship Him.

Srila Prabhupada said, “People always had to do what I said. Even my parents had to do what I said. My classmates had to do what I say.” And even now so many people are doing what Srila Prabhupada said. He was always a leader.

Our nature may also stay the same and that is alright. If we are stubborn, we can be stubborn for Krishna. When I was sent to Vrndavana, I had so many plans for what I wanted to do. But I found Krishna wanted me to use my stubbornness in His service. He wanted someone who would stay there no matter what and deal with all the problems. I did not want to the quality of stubbornness in Krishna’s service, but it was His will. Our program is to use what is favorable for Krishna’s service and to reject that which cannot be used to serve Krishna. In Bg. 18.66 says in the first half of the verse that we must surrender to him, and in the second half Krishna says that he will remove the sinful reactions—the negative things that do not help us.

Prithu Prabhu suggested in the Prabhupada Samadhi that we have an artistic panel which on the outside that says “Tell everyone you meet about Krishna” and on the inside “Krishna is the original Supreme Lord.—krishnas tu bhagavan svayam.”

Initiation lecture:

The holy name being Krishna Himself is sufficient to grant all perfection, what then is the need of initiation?

The difficulty is that we are very lazy and not determined, and therefore, accepting initiation is useful. We need to take shelter of the Vaishnava to progress.

If we give lust something it wants, it will still not be satisfied.

“Unless one is properly initiated, he can descend again into the animal species.”

In previous ages, they did not take vows—they were so responsible they did not need to.

The second initiation is not just a formality. We are expected to acquire the qualities of the brahmana.

Srila Prabhupada said in the material world one needs the qualification to attain a post, but in Krishna consciousness we attain the post and then acquire the qualifications.

Jananivasa Prabhu in Mayapur said, “It is very difficult to be a brahmana. I do not know whether I can do it this life.” If he cannot do it, what to speak of me.

After initiation one is never the same because he has a new responsibility. He may not take it seriously but the responsibility is there, nonetheless.

Anuttama Prabhu:

In Philly in ’75 when we gathered for Ratha-yatra, Srila Prabhupada gave a morning class on Ajamila. The temple was so full of East Coast devotees it was hard to find a good place to hear. Listening through the window, I remember Srila Prabhupada said, “Just like the police are everywhere and you can call an emergency number and they quickly come, similarly the Yamadutas are everywhere and come when needed.”

Illicit sex has been around since the beginning. By the grace of Lord Caitanya, the holy name, and the instructions of the guru, we are not affected as we chant on the beach.

We all have the potential to fall. It is our minute indepenence. Each day, we can do Krishna consciousness or something else. We do Krishna consciousness because material pleasure is limited and unsatisfying.

That Krishna expands for his ever-increasing bliss according to Prabhupada’s Bhagavad-gita 3.37 purport means Krishna wants someone to play with.

Even if we do not experience the higher taste, at least we know it is out there.

It is foolish to think maya has no effect on us. Maya is always testing us.

Bilvamangala Thakura also had a relationship with a prostitute like Ajamila, but because she was a devotee, she advised him to give his love to Krishna, thus in the middle of his life, he surrendered to Krishna and attained perfection. Ajamila, on the other hand, remained sinful throughout his life, until by chanting the name of his child, who was named after Lord Narayana, he was freed from sin and given the chance to engage in devotional service.

We need good association because we have a tendency for maya. With good friends and a good spouse, we can be woken up if we fall into the slumber of maya.

Srila Prabhupada never condemned any devotee who fell into maya. He always wished they would come back.

Ayana means wandering, and ayana means resting place, so Narayana guides the wandering of all entities or is the resting place of all entities.

Srila Prabhupada said, “It takes a gallon of my blood to make one devotee.”

Q: Lord Caitanya prayed, “Na dhanam . . . na sundarim… Some devotees have these and not distracted…”

A: We do not need these for ourselves but for preaching.

Prithu Prabhu:

Q: Should the householders come to the temple or make their home a temple?

A (by Prithu Prabhu): No temple is well managed unless all the orders of spiritual life are present. Householders can participate in temple activities, support such activities, preach to new householders about how to do it, etc.

It is not enough just to have Deities in your home. Every Hindu family has Deities in their home. Govardhan, a big gunda (thief), would have deities of Radha-Krishna in his home. I got a property from him so I became friends with him. He invited me to come for breakfast. He offered the food to his Radha Krishna Deities. He would pray to Them for people to rob. I asked him about the inconsistency in this. He replied, “I am a thief. It is my occupation. My father was a thief.”

A (by Kavicandra Swami): Making the home a temple means you invite people and engage them in Krishna activities. The people who do not feel comfortable coming to the temple can come to the householders houses.

Ignorance means you hurt yourself and others. A ’60s band member told a journalist his bad health was due to “the sins of his youth.” In passion, you succeed at the expense of others. Goodness means you know you are God’s son, and therefore, we have an obligation to Him.

In Russia it is so hot this August that people take shelter of the rivers to cool off, but because they are drunk on vodka and do not know how to swim, they are drowning by the hundreds. This is ignorance.

People with spirituality do not try to unnecessarily exploit the resources of nature. To make more such people is the solution to the environmental crisis.

Nothing else matters but that we cut the chain of material existence. Anything that does not cut it is maya.

When we chant Hare Krishna, even the pigs laugh at us, but it does not matter.

Sanatana Goswami had a touchstone in his rubbish because it had no value for him.

People my age, who led a material life, look like they just came out of the grave. They do not know what they are doing or where they are going. But we know where they are going.

They sing, “I can’t get no satisfaction.” That they try for their own satisfaction means they are demons.

The real question is how to get out of the prison of the material world. We must know “aham brahmasmi” [I am spirit]. There are 4 million people in Berlin. If you ask them, “Who are you?” How many will answer “Aham brahmasmi.” That is the best answer, but how many know?

In this world, we strive for money and reputation. I want to be a big kirtana leader. I want to be a big rock star. It is all stupid. It is all maya. But it is very difficult to overcome. Krishna says only by surrender to Him can it be overcome. Maya keeps the insincere people away from Krishna. We all have some insincerity, which drives us to activities that have nothing to do with cutting the cycle of birth and death. Attachment to matter is very strong. The question is how to get out. Srila Prabhupada was very kind. He was not attached to matter. He came and he started this society of Krishna consciousness. He is one in a million people. We have not seen anyone on the level of Srila Prabhupada who kindly came to set us free from material existence. Of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s disciples, our Srila Prabhupada was a diamond among a bunch of jewels.

In Mayapur once Prabhupada said in a lecture, “Because we have a temple, so many people are coming to hear. Without a temple that would not be.”

This is the anniversary of the incorporation of ISKCON. Prabhupada understood that unless there is a society the people will drift more and more into the material energy. They will go to the football matches, the universities, so much “asat-sanga [association with the impermanent].”

Hearing the holy name and chanting the holy name will protect us from being polluted by the material existence. But more is required. Temples are needed to help people to hear and chant the holy name.

I was temple president of Amsterdam. One man lived in a boat on the temple property. He just came for the Sunday feast, just for prasadam. I tried to convince him to do some service. He would not do anything. I finally kicked him out. He complained to Srila Prabhupada. Prabhupada asked him what his service was. He said he had no service now. Prabhupada asked him what his service was in the past. Prabhupada asked, “How many books did you distribute? How many temples did you open?” When he said, “None,” Prabhupada agreed, “Prithu was right in kicking him out.”

Facility to live on the temple grounds helps us to participate in the temple programs. Like an ivy bush needs a tree to climb up, we need a structure, an institution, to support our spiritual practice.

Prabhupada went around the world and established one temple after another. That is what he did. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati wanted temples everywhere. That is Lord Caitanya’s desire that the chanting go everywhere. So there must be temples everywhere. Of course, we cannot miss the individual’s needs while supporting the institution. Both the development of the individual and the institution are important.

Some people leave temples and focus on their own spiritual development but that is not the desire of Srila Prabhupada. Every idea outside the idea of the acarya is useless.

Both a well-organized society and competent devotees are required. To focus on one or the other is immature and incorrect.

There must be brahmacaris and grhasthas both in a temple community. Both are required. Grhamedis should be criticized but not grhasthas.

Some temples in America have not seen brahmacaris for three decades. Because brahmacaris keep getting married, you have to keep making new brahmacaris. When there are no new brahmacaris, the temple dies. We see this in places like Heidelberg.

We have to go out distribute books, chant Hare Krishna, and create new devotees and build new temples. This is Prabhupada’s program.

There has to be an institution. We should not minimize it. We also must take care of the needs of the individual. To do one at the expense of the other is a materialistic idea.

If you preach something different from Srila Prabhupada, your swami hat will not save you. Renunciation means you give up your desire and follow the acarya.

The principle is not difficult. The application is difficult. This is a young society. We had these new gurus. One stressed the needs of the society but not the personal development of the individual. I talked to this guru. I said I understand we need gurus, but I do not understand how one can become a self-realized soul overnight by decree. He accused me of wanting to swallow him. I said, “I do not want to swallow you. I just want to discuss with you.” He replied, “Well, I want to swallow you, but because I cannot swallow you, I will spit you out. You have ten minutes to leave.” So my wife, kid, and I were on the street with no money for a meal the next day.

Hitler was a minority. How did he attain power? He offered to give the church whatever they wanted if they supported him. If the church opposed him from the beginning, there would be no concentration camps.

Krishna writes the script for Kali-yuga where people are bad.

I could beat you and say, “It is your karma, otherwise, I could not beat you.”

The fall of communism in Russia is directly a result of the Hare Krishna movement. They murdered and tortured so many devotees, Krishna had enough.

If there are enough devotees, we can change the whole history of the world.

Initiation comments:

I was sitting right next to Srila Prabhupada when he was talking about 1^st class, 2^nd class, and 3^rd class men, etc. Someone in the audience accused him of claiming to be a 1^st class man, but I could see that because of Srila Prabhupada’s natural humility, he was shocked. “No”, he said with complete sincerely and tears in his eyes, “I am actually a 5^th class man because I am serving the 4^th class men.”

The whole thing is about being connected and presenting what we have heard from the acaryas [previous teachers].

If we do not recruit new people, we will perish.

Srila Prabhupada said after the Mayapur temple opening, that without temple, if I speak a thousand people may come and then go away, but now that we have this temple, then will come again and again, and become devotees.

Devamrita Swami said that the people who come from yoga, come and remain interested only in yoga, but those who come from Srila Prabhupada’s books, become interested in the philosophy and become devotees.

Mother Sitala dd:

What we think about is important. First there is contemplation in the mind before some falling down. We must watch our mind and speech as they are an indication of where our consciousness is at.

Srila Prabhupada wrote me that we must be consciously engaged in devotional service 24-hours a day.

Srila Prabhupada repeatedly said, “Chant 16 rounds a day.”

It is not because of our practice we reach the goal, but because Krishna sees we are sincerely trying.

Srila Prabhupada explains Ajamila forgot Krishna, but Krishna did not forget Ajamila. Krishna thought, “Ajamila is attached to his child, so I will tell him to name him Narayana.” Krishna is so kind. Krishna thought, “He is a rascal. He made a big mistake. Let me help him.”

Srila Prabhupada was so grave it was frightening when he spoke on Ajamila in Vrindavana.

I have a friend whose mother, who was inimical to Krishna consciousness, was dying. She described being tormented by these creatures whenever she closed her eyes. She describes them just as they are in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Her daughter chanted Hare Krishna, and they went away. She wanted her daughter to stay by her side and chant.

I was in a car crash with a few devotees. As the car was turning over out of control, the devotee next to me yelled “Oh, sh__! I’m gonna die.” I thought “yikes, that’s not the right thing to say if this is it, and if she’s gonna

die, I probably am to,” and I started yelling, “Hare Krishna!” Now, this devotee next to me, was a very, very nice devotee, and she was certainly happy that it was just a trial run and not the actual moment of death. But, the point is that any moment we can be confronted with death, so we need to practice and practice chanting the holy name so we can do the right thing at the right time.

Raghunandananda Thakura gave invocation at Kheturi festival. Cupid, Pradyumna, is his identity. Mukunda, who was previously Vrinda Devi, was his father.

Raghunandananda Thakura was so insistent the deity eat his offering, the deity actually consumed it. His father had some doubt, as this never happened before, and so he secretly watched. Deity Gopal looked at Mukunda after eating half a laddu and stopped.

Prahlada Nrsimha Prabhu:

Because our kids are named in relation to Krishna we are always chanting Krishna’s names. This is very good. In South India they are always chanting om namo narayanaya. Vaikuntha reverberates with this mantra. Prahlad chants this and Narada also.

Ramanujacarya’s guru gave him a mantra that could grant liberation, but he was told to keep it a secret. Instead, he went to a prominent public place and announced to the people they could get liberation simply by chanting this mantra, om namo narayanaya. When his guru asked him why he did that, he explained he did not mind going to hell for disobeying his guru if so many others could be liberated. The guru realized that Ramanujacarya’s realization surpassed his own and blessed him.

The Krishna Deity, now installed in Udupi, which Madhva found in a block of gopi-candana a ship captain gave him, originally belonged to Queen Rukmini.

In Udupi, brahmanas bathe in a pond in front of the temple with their clothes on and do puja in that wet condition to remove contamination encountered enroute to the temple.

Only brahmanas and ksatriyas could see deity who faced north. One sudra sang sons of Vraja on the western side. The brahmanas wanted to stop him, but the wall crumbed, and the deity turned to face west.

Ratha-yatra is there each night in Udupi.

The Lord never forgot Ajamila’s service, and so He inspired him to name his son Narayana.

We have to follow the Vedic culture, like naming children after Krishna, because it is all good for us.

The red dot on ladies takes away lust in men. If the ladies do not cut their hair, their husbands have a long life.

We do not study as much as we hear the pastimes of the Lord. How do you study a sweet ball? No, you taste it.

We each feel a personal relationship with Krishna, and each of His forms and each of his devotees have relationship with each of us.

Vaishnava pranamas include all Vaishnavas in the universe, Hanuman, etc., because one day we will be in their midst.

Q: Only chanting Hare Krishna is said to be necessary, why Vedic culture?

A: It is the Lord’s culture. By chanting we develop this consciousness, and we learn how to act. Chanting bring us to this culture automatically.

Krishna-kripa Das:

Seeing Krishna is not easy.

a. Out of thousands among men one may endeavor for the perfection of understanding he is spirit not matter, but hardly one who has that perfection knows Krishna in truth. (Bg. 7.3)

b. Muktanam api siddhanam narayana parayana/ sudurbhatma prasantaya kotisvapi maha-mune. Out of millions of liberated and perfect beings, a peaceful devotee of Lord Narayana is very rare. (SB 6).

1. Kumaras—many births. Dhruva—six months. How long will it take us?

a. Srila Prabhupada said one life, if you follow the four rules and chant Hare Krishna.

b. Determination is very important.

c. Srila Prabhupada says although our austerities are nothing compared to what Dhruva Maharaja performed, we should emulate his enthusiasm.

2. Dhruva regretted his desire for material prosperity.

a. It delayed his return to the spiritual world.

b. It does not satisfy the soul. (SB 1.2.6)

3. Dhruva regretted his revengeful attitude.

a. He attained the Vaishnava quality of compassion.

b. He understood that others are acting as instruments of our karma.

4. What can we learn from this?

a. We should not desire materially or we will be detained in the material world.

b. We must be very pure in our intentions.

1. Demigods try to obstruct devotees.

a. Indra stole the horse from Prithu Maharaja’s sacrifice.

b. Siva was tempted by Cupid.

c. demigods send dancing girls to distract ascetics: Indra sent Menaka to allure Visvamitra.

2. If you approach Krishna for material things, he is kind and gives you His lotus feet.

a. Whatever you desire if you worship Krishna with one-pointed attention, you’ll attain the perfection of devotional service (SB 2.3.10).

b. Lord Caitanya expained, “Krishna says, ‘If one engages in My transcendental loving service but at the same time wants the opulence of material enjoyment, he is very, very foolish. Indeed, he is just like a person who gives up ambrosia to drink poison. Since I am very intelligent, why should I give this fool material prosperity? Instead I shall induce him to take the nectar of the shelter of My lotus feet and make him forget illusory material enjoyment.’

“Whenever Krishna is requested to fulfill one’s desire, He undoubtedly does so, but He does not award anything which, after being enjoyed, will cause one to petition Him again and again to fulfill further desires. When one has other desires but engages in the Lord's service, Krishna forcibly gives one shelter at His lotus feet, where one will forget all other desires.

“When someone engages in Lord Krishna’s devotional service for the satisfaction of the senses and instead acquires a taste for serving Krishna, he gives up his material desires and willingly offers himself as an eternal servant of Krishna.” (Cc. Madhya-lila 22.38-41)

Dhruva Prabhu:

That Ajamila was saying Narayana, “Narayana come eat. Narayana come drink. Narayana go to sleep,” means that Ajamila was remembering the Lord in all of his activities. To remember Krishna somehow or other in all our activities is the perfection.

In our neophyte stage we take more pleasure in finishing our sixteen rounds than in chanting our sixteen rounds.

We are fortunate that we are struggling together to chant rather than struggling alone for it is more difficult to struggle alone.

In the beginning chanting is a difficulty and later stopping chanting becomes a difficulty.

Our practice pays off in that we can remember Krishna at the time of death.

Ajamila saw one incident of an improperly dressed woman and man embracing, but at Woodstock we see thousands.

It is Srila Prabhupada’s mercy that wherever we go there is devotee association.

Q: If we have a job to do and do not do it, our authorities bring it to our attention, but if we do not chant our 16 rounds before taking rest, no one will say anything.

A: Just like no authority has to tell you to brush your teeth, because it is your own responsibility, similarly it is your own responsibility to chant your sixteen rounds.

Sad-bhuja Das KKS [temple president of Leipzig]:

Living in the country to try to make a spiritual life, one can see that he brings his city mentality with him, so that alone does not work. From attending Rainbow Gatherings, I see that the people there understand this and call it “Bringing Babylon to the Rainbow.”

People who know a lot of things do not inspire one much as those who have realization.

Q: So by doing service we become purified?

A: By absorbing our minds in service, we have no time to think of sense gratification.

Srila Prabhupada says if we think of ‘illicit sex’ we should see that Krishna reminding us not to engage in it.

We should try to find our own level of absorption in devotional service rather than being fully absorbed for one week and then abandoning devotional service altogether.

My comments:

My nirjala realization.—I found I could get absorbed in my computer services that six hours went by on nirjala Ekadasi, and I forgot completely about eating and drinking.

Both hearing and chanting are practical service.

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hare krishna hare krishna

krishna krishna hare hare

hare rama hare rama

rama rama hare hare

iti sodasakam namnam

kali-kalmasa-nasanam

natah parataropayah

sarva-vedesu drsyate

“The sixteen names of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra—hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare, hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare—destroy all the inauspiciousness of the age of Kali. This is the conclusion of all the Vedas.” (Lord Brahma in the Kalisantarana Upanisad 5,6 of the Krishna Yajur Veda)