(I'm posting this on behalf of Krishna Kripa Prabhu, who is traveling in eastern Europe and has limited web access.)
Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 3, No. 37a
By Krishna-kripa das
(9/10/07 - 9/13/07)
The Best Ukraine Festival Yet (Part 1)
(Sent from Katowice, Poland, on 9/20/07)
Highlights:
The Ukraine festival, previously based in Odessa and referred to as the Odessa festival, has been going on for about 10 years. The devotees removed the festival fee last year, and as a result 1,000 to 1,500 devotees more devotees came this year, bringing the total to 3,500. This year the festival was in Crimea, about an hour from Simferopol, near a city of Yevpatoria, on the Black Sea.
9/9/07 Soon after I arrived at the festival I met Mother Purnamasi, who is the organizer of the academically inclined devotees in Ukraine. She brought some of her friends to hear my lectures as she expected I would talk about science and Krishna consciousness as I did last year. I was planning to talk about Nectar of Instruction, but to accommodate her and her friends, I decided to do three days on each topic. Our main business is to serve the Vaishnavas, so if some Vaishnavas want to hear me speak about something, I feel obliged to do so. The main reason I decided not to talk about science and Krishna consciousness is that so few people are interested, but here I was encountering not only interest but enthusiasm.
I saw so many devotees I knew, one after the other, that I did not even have time to take a shower after my two days of travel from Warsaw. Nor did I have time to take a nap.
I met a devotee named Sarvatma Prabhu, who I had heard my friend, Savyasaci Prabhu speak highly of for many years. It was interesting to meet an American I had heard of for so long and never met when I arrived at the Ukraine festival.
Adam stayed with me, which proved very fortuitous for him as we had a nice accommodation. I introduced him to people, telling how grateful I was he helped me get there from Poland as he knows both Polish and Russian languages.
9/10/07 Notes on Prahladananda Swami's class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.16
We become Krishna consciousness by service to devotees, especially advanced devotees. Who are advanced devotees? Krishna explains in Bhagavatad-gita: "O son of Prtha, those who are not deluded, the great souls, are under the protection of the divine nature. They are fully engaged in devotional service because they know Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, original and inexhaustible. Always chanting My glories, endeavoring with great determination, bowing down before Me, these great souls perpetually worship Me with devotion" (Bg. 9.13-14).
If we find such people, we have to be inquisitive about the Absolute Truth. The trouble is "Those persons who are materially engrossed, being blind to the knowledge of ultimate truth, have many subject matters for hearing in human society, O Emperor" (SB 2.1.2).
When we look in the mirror in the morning, we see that form which we consider very fortunate to be seeing due to our pious activities. We perform abhiseka, a bathing ceremony. We offer all sixteen preparations to our Deity, the body. We accumulate wealth and decorate our body, our children, our wife, and our house. If we are confronted with the fact of death, we take shelter of insurance. We are confident our relatives will help us battle the agents of death.
If we instead think of Krishna, we are relieved of the burden of thinking of so many material things. If we are absorbed in material things, it will be hard at first to hear about Krishna. The more we become purified, the more we are aware that hearing about Krishna and associating with Krishna are not different. We will experience a taste for hearing about Krishna.
Ultimately we have to choose to associate devotees and serve them. We have to serve the devotees who like to serve devotees. We are actually none of these material designations. We are servants of Krishna's servants. We must respect anyone, within our mind, who is chanting Hare Krishna. There is no room for envy in Krishna consciousness. We show love to Krishna by service, especially preaching. The devotees we try to serve according their position. We avoid the envious. In Kali-yuga this means not to go to the movies, not to watch television, not to always read the newspapers, and not to surf the internet. For the most elevated devotees, who always remember they are Krishna's servants and humbly consider themselves instruments in the hands of the previous acaryas, we hear their realized worlds.
The whole world is full of Krishna's singing. The pure devotees can hear that. Krishna is dancing everywhere. The devotees dance in Krishna's rasa dance. The nondevotees dance according to the dictations of the Lord's illusory energy.
Sarasvati, as a little two-year old girl, would ask a stranger, "Do you know who is Krishna?" When the person would say, "No," she would say " Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Srila Prahbhupada said that was perfect preaching.
One time someone challenged her faith in Krishna and she slapped them across the face. Srila Prabhupada said, "This is nishta, firm faith."
Twenty devotees came to my seminar. I told them I would talk three days about science and Krishna consciousness and show Sadaputa Prabhu's videos on human evolution, consciousness, and cosmology, and after that I would talk about Nectar of Instruction, my original topic, unless the majority wanted me to continue to talk about science. I showed the human evolution video, and talked about how in that field the scientists would reject evidence not consistent with their theory and thus violate their own scientific method, by which they presume to get objective knowledge. At the same time, they deride the "blind faith" of the religionists in their scriptures.
In the evening's opening ceremony, all the presenters were introduced. The one getting the most applause was a Russian devotee who was teaching Nectar of Instruction, so I decided at that point, to talk about science topics the whole time, as the competition would be too great. Acyuta Priya Prabhu explain that we would have kirtana from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. each night, and he requested that everyone, especially the presents come for the first two hours at least. Some of the presenters made brief remarks and when I found myself with the wireless mike in my hands, I spoke words of approval and enthusiasm about the evening kirtana program. I recalled how the days before Tamal Krishna Goswami left his body, there were very dynamic evening kirtanas for two or three hours every night among the GBC men there in Mayapur. He was so enlivened about them, he mentioned that he felt that that was what our society needed, for us to get together each evening and have kirtana for two or three hours. I said I was glad that the organizers of this festival were making it a reality here. Other devotees also praised that idea.
9/11/07 Notes on Bhakti Visramba Madhava Swami's class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.17
Fortunately Krishna is present to some extent even in the offensive chanting of his holy name. "There are offenses to be considered while chanting the Hare Krishna mantra. Therefore simply by chanting Hare Krishna one does not become ecstatic" (CC Adi 8.24).
A 95 year old Vaishnava, Daruni Dhara Das, was chanting the holy name in Godrumadvipa. Maharaja inquired from him, "How do attain nama-ruci, a taste for the holy name, if it is not yet manifest in one's heart." He said simply, "Chant the name of your friend, and He will come." He was enthusiastic about this truth, he was confident about it, and he was willing to wait for Krishna to appear. What was his sadhana? He would rise at 3:30 a.m. and bathe at a hand pump, and he would chant all day.
If one is chanting the syllables of the holy name that does not mean the Lord is manifest. The person may not be qualified yet.
When we hear from a pure devotee, it will have an effect whether we can perceive it or not. "The Supreme Personality of Godhead is so kind to the conditioned souls that if they call upon Him by speaking His holy name, even unintentionally or unwillingly, the Lord is inclined to destroy innumerable sinful reactions in their hearts. Therefore, when a devotee who has taken shelter of the Lord's lotus feet chants the holy name of Krishna with genuine love, the Supreme Personality of Godhead can never give up the heart of such a devotee. One who has thus captured the Supreme Lord within his heart is to be known as bhagavata-pradhana, the most exalted devotee of the Lord" (SB 11.2.55).
We are enthusiastic about devotional service when it is to our liking. We are thus unsteady in our practice. We have to beg Lord Caitanya for His mercy to get past this.
We make plans for improving our spiritual life, but we cannot always carry them out. We consider why not and conclude, "I am a lazy rascal. I was distracted by my toys."
Srila Prabhupada told Hari Sauri to call Guru Kripa at 1:00 a.m. If anyone but Srila Prabhupada, woke up Guru Kripa at 1:00 a.m., he would punch them out. Srila Prabhupada asked him was he was doing. He said he was sleeping. Srila Prabhupada asked, "Why?" "Because I am tired", said Guru Kripa, "I did a lot of service yesterday." "If you did a lot of devotional service, then you should be enlivened, not tired." By now, Guru Kripa was wide awake. Guru Kripa replied, "I am conditioned." SP asked, "Why are you conditioned?" Guru Kripa thought and realized he was conditioned because he wanted to be. Srila Prabhupada said, "We should not want to be conditioned." In praise of Padayali, Rupa Goswami's book of favorite verses Maharaja said, "If a poet keeps a verse book, it has got to be really good."Breakfast Discussion:
One acarya says Krishna is blackish because black is the sum total of all colors. The Deities often have facial features like those of the people in the location where they live. The Radharani in Paris Srila Prabhupada said looks like a beautiful French girl. Similarly Radha-Londonisvara look like Britishers, etc. We suggested that perhaps someone like Nitya Tripta Mataji, who photographed all the Deities for the Darshan book, could write an article about that interesting idea.
I showed the consciousness video to about ten people. I am not sure why there were fewer than yesterday. Perhaps it was because Indradyumna Swami came and had the same slot. It is an austerity that I have to miss his class to give mine. That, however, is the situation of being a presenter at the festival. Like everything else it has its pros and cons.
Lunch Discussion:
Krishna appears before each cowherd boy and the boy offers him some food his mother prepared just for Krishna's pleasure. Each boy is so absorbed in Krishna's dealings, he doesn't see Krishna appearing also before the others, doing the same thing.—Bhakti Virambha Madhava Maharaja
Srutakirti Prabhu:
In Mexico, Hridayananda Goswami translated Srila Prabhupada's words into Spanish when Srila Prabhupada visited. They have beautiful Gaura Nitai devotees, and Srila Prabhupada spoke about how merciful Lord Nityananda is. Srila Prabhupada was so happy to see in just ten years, people were chanting Hare Krishna all over the world. Srila Prabhupada was so special to make this happen as service to the previous acaryas.
At the end of one the classes, an elderly devotee lady asked Srila Prabhupada a question. Srila Prabhupada had been speaking about how we just have to take shelter of Krishna and to remember Him at the end of death. The lady wanted to know if she could remember Srila Prabhupada instead of Krishna at the time of death. Srila Prabhupada smiled and said, "Yes." Actually it is impossible to think of Srila Prabhupada without thinking of Krishna, because all he did was to give us Krishna.
So many times Srila Prabhupada would speak with reporters. At that time, women's liberation was very popular. One female reporter dressed in a miniskirt asked Srila Prabhupada, "Why do you shave your head?" Srila Prabhupada glanced at her and replied, "Why do you shave your legs? Better to have a cool head and warm legs. With a cool head, you can understand Krishna consciousness." The reporter had no more questions.
One reporter said, "Your Grace, I understand you say the earth is flat." Srila Prabhupada replied, "Everywhere I walk it is."
Srila Prabhupada would honor prasadam very nicely. In one video, Yadubara shows Srila Prabhupada eating prasadam. By watching it, we can learn how to take prasadam.
Once on Venezuelian Airlines, soon after taking off, Srila Prabhupada wanted to honor prasadam. A devotee had made some first class puffed rice with spices, a preparation that Srila Prabhupada really liked. After Srila Prabhupada finished half, he gave the rest to Srutakirti Prabhu and Paramahamsa Swami, who gladly accepted the rest and began to eat it. The female flight attendant stopped in front of them, and watched them. Then she took a handful of the remnants of Srila Prabhupada from Srutakirti's plate, although he was sitting in the middle seat, and ate it, saying, "This is very good. What is it? Why are you eating it?" Srutakirti explained about offering food to Krishna. The stewardess asked if they wanted anything else. Srila Prabhupada asked for hot milk. The stewardess replied, "No problem. I can also get you some fruit and cheese from first class if you want." Srutakirti Prabhu asked Srila Prabhupada if he wanted it and, he did. Ten minutes later the stewardess come back with hot milk, fruit, and cheese for all of them. Srutakirti remarked to Srila Prabhupada that that was amazing, but Prabhupada replied that women have an natural inclination to serve. Srutakirti thought, "No one just takes food from someone elses's plate and Srila Prabhupada's remnants at that." For him, the experience increased his faith in Krishna as Supersoul, who gives wise advice from within the heart. To take food eaten by a pure devotee is a great spiritual boon, yet that stewardess spontaneous did just that, although from the social point of view, for a uniformed agent of a company to do such a thing while on duty is especially rare.
One time after Srutakirti Prabhu told that story, a devotee came up to him and offered to tell him an amazing happening on book distribution. Srutakirti agreed, and the devotee said, "I used to do sankirtana in South America in villages that you would have to use four-wheel drive to get to. We would do harinama in the center of town and go door-to-door and distribute books. Once I was deep in the rain forest, and we did our harinama and then went out to go door-to-door. One time, a woman opened the door and invited me into the house, greeting me with "Hare Krishna". He looked and he saw pictures of Krishna on the wall, and saw that lady was worshipping Deities of Krishna. She was so pleased to get any visitors, what to speak of devotees. He asked how she knew about Krishna consciousness and devotees. She replied that formerly she was an airline stewardess and she saw Srila Prabhupada and his disciples on a plane and tasted their food and served them." By Srila Prabhupada's grace, she became a devotee, and so it is true with each and every one of us. By Srila Prabhupada's grace, we are becoming devotees. He has made it very easy for us. Chant sixteen rounds and follow the four regulative principles, and you can go back to Godhead. Because the stewardess took Srila Prabhupada's remnants, when the devotees met her, she was already a devotee.
Srila Prabhupada once said, "This process is simply wonderful, you are simply wonderful, the chanting is simply wonderful, it is all simply wonderful." When Srila Prabhupada arrived in Caracas, he saw many, many devotees chanting Hare Krishna. He glanced at the altar and saw Sri Sri Gaura Nitai. Gaura Nitai with arms raised are simply giving love of Godhead. Srila Prabhupada chose to talk about the mercy of Lord Caitanya.
Srutakirti describes, "I helped Srila Prabhupada onto the vyasasana. Then I was looking around the room at all my Godbrothers and Godsisters who I knew because I had lived in Caracas for eight months. I was proud that they could see I was with Srila Prabhupada as his servant. Then I felt something strike my head. I turned and looked. Seeing me spaced out, forgetting my service, Srila Prabhupada took off his socks rolled them into a ball and threw them at me."
9/12/07 Notes on Dhanesvara Prabhu's class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.18
Srimad-Bhagavatam picks up where Bhagavad-gita leaves off. Gita describes how we are souls beyond the body, and we have a devotional relationship with God. Krishna does not have time to explain devotional service in detail in the Gita. This is done in Srimad-Bhagavatam. Suta Goswami starts out by talking economics. He mentions we should do our duties for liberation and not sense gratification.
This modern civilization is diametrically opposed to Krishna consciousness. Modern civilization creates many illusions which people accept as reality. Nations and corporations are such illusions. Some modern authors blame corporations for causing the problems in the world, but they ignore the fact that the corporations themselves are illusory. The modern civilization promotes a path to happiness that does not lead to that goal. They promote the idea at we are the body, happiness is the goal of life, and sense enjoyment is the cause of happiness. Bhagavad-gita is meant to destroy these illusions. Money is another a illusion. It is just paper. It the same as this paper which the Bhagavatam is made of. Actually the Bhagavatam is more valuable. The most real thing, God, they say does not actually exist.
Krishna teaches that those who want to enjoy the fruits of their work are misers (Bg. 2.49). They do not know the value of work. Suta Goswami similarly explains that our work should not be performed for sense gratification but for liberation (SB 1.2.9-10).
In today's verse regularly hearing the Bhagavatam is recommended. By hearing the Bhagavatam our consciousness is cleansed, and as we continue to hear we can understand the Bhagavatam more and more. That same is true with serving the pure devotees of God. By serving the pure devotee one makes progress on the path to the spiritual world. Who are the bhagavatas? They are the persons who live their lives according the book Bhagavatam. We are all meant to become these bhagavatas by voluntary taking the instructions of Srimad-Bhagavatam to heart and making that the purpose of our lives.
Purnamasi Mataji introduced me to some of the members of her group of people of academically inclined devotees. One named Dolayatra Devi Dasi, who is trained in history, has an interest in Vedic history and archeology. She wants to engage this in Krishna consciousness and wonders how to proceed. I will try to find likeminded devotees for her to correspond with. Another found just doing devotional service and ignoring her academic abilities did not satisfy her, and she returned to school to study medicine. Still another is studying psychology in college. For her thesis, she wants to show how religious practice improves one's psychology.
I purchased What is the Difficulty, Srutakirti Prabhu's book about Srila Prabhupada's pastimes he witnessed as his servant. It is half price here in Ukraine. Usually $30, I got it for 11 euros. My Guru Maharaja praised the book in his Vyasa Puja offering to Srila Prabhupada and so I could not refuse Srutakirti's invitation to buy it.
9/13/07 Notes on Bhakti Caitanya Swami's class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.19
In this sequence of verses, there is gradual a development. By hearing about Krishna and serving the devotee and the book Bhagavatam one advances. Of the book Bhagavata and the person bhagavata, the person is more important according to Srila Prabhupada because "he can pull your ear." If you are not inclined, the person bhagavata may induce you to engage in devotional service, while the book Bhagavata just sits there on the shelf.
Generally to attain transcendence, one must go through the mode of goodness. To go from full passion or full ignorance to transcendence, is a great leap and is quite unlikely. Just to follow the regulative principles by themselves is following the mode of goodness, and is not so much an act of devotion. When our minds are pulled by sense gratification, it is difficult to fix our minds on Krishna. The mode of goodness is a friend of Krishna consciousness because it makes our practice easier, but ultimately we have to transcend the goodness to attain perfection.
Krishna asked Yudhisthira to announce that Asvatthama, Dronacarya's son was dead, so that Dronacarya would lose enthusiasm in the battle. Yudhisthira had never told a lie and refused to do so. Krishna arranged that an elephant named Asvatthama was killed, so Yudhisthira could make the statement. Yudhisthira did not like this tricky behavior, and so he said, "Asvatthama, the elephant, is dead." Krishna blew His conchshell when Yudhisthira said "the elephant", so the Dronacarya heard "Asvatthama . . . is dead." Disheartened Dronacarya was easily defeated. Prior to that incident Yudhisthira's chariot never touched the ground, but afterwards it remained always on the ground. Some says this was because Yudhisthira was implicated in Krishna's tricky behavior. The acaryas, however, explain that the cause was Yudhisthira original disobedience to Krishna's request.
At bhava the suddha-sattva potency enters the heart of the devotees and actual love for Krishna begins to manifest. When suddha-sattva contacts the different elements in the body, a reaction occurs. When it contacts the water in the body, one cries tears. When it contacts the air, the devotee shivers. This, however, is not like the shivering we experience when we are cold. When it contacts the ether, the devotee experiences devastation. In this way, the eight symptoms of bhava are manifested. These are all manifestation of the suddha-sattva energy and are beyond the mode of goodness.
Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura described that once Krishna explained the suddha-sattva nature in a similar way. Madhu-mangala, his brahmana friend, accepted that Krishna's explanation was alright for a vaisya but as a brahmana he could explain further. Madhu-mangala said, "When I smell the prasadam my body shivers, when I see the prasadam tears fall from my eyes, and when I taste the prasadam the hairs on my body stand on end. And when at the end of the meal, I take the sweet rice, so much so, that it drips down my neck and forms a pool in my navel, I become stunned in ecstasy and I faint." After completing his superior explanation, Madhu-mangala then requested Krishna to give him a laddu, and said as a benediction he would talk with Radharani and encourage Her to behave favorably to Him.
If we get bad association, we will commit offenses. Offenses are not part of the mode of goodness; they are products of passion and ignorance. If a mad elephant enters a garden, even if you have a big creeper that has been growing for years, you are in trouble. Very easily he can uproot it, and you are finished.
Elephants are very smart. They are also temperamental. If you are their friend, they will remember you. If you are their enemy, they will also remember you.
We had an elephant on padayatra. She liked to be in front. If you got in front, she would flick you with her trunk. One enthusiastic village devotee walked ahead of the elephant, and the elephant flicked him with her trunk and he retreated. Then he tried to pass the elephant again, and again the elephant flicked him with her trunk. When he tried a third time, the elephant picked him up in her trunk, smashed him to the ground and trod on him. That was the end of him.
If you have a mad elephant, the situation is even more serious. You have to get out of there fast. There is no other recourse.
Therefore we must be careful to not offend devotees, to cultivate the mode of goodness, and ultimately, to attain transcendence, as we will hear about tomorrow.
Notes on Bhaktivaibhava Swami's seminar on Jaiva Dharma
Maharaja asks the devotees if they like the festival and what about it they like. The devotees all like the festival, the prasadam, the kirtanas, the seminars. Maharaja asks if there is anything they don't like. They answer, "the rain!" Maharaja explains that the rain is also auspicious. If it was not for the rain, you would all be lying down sunning yourself on the beach and missing the spiritual opportunities. He stresses out his arms and assumes a dull expression like a sunbather and the devotees laugh. Therefore the rain is also playing a role. A devotee learns to see everything as auspicious. Srila Prabhupada once said, "Without being optimist one cannot be a devotee."
Q: We are encouraged to worship the congregational Deities rather than our own, but I do not have attraction to these Deities.
A: We are on the platform of following the pancaratriki regulations. We serve the Lord because it is our duty. We do not consider the size of the Deity, substances of which the Deity is made, or the relative beauty of the Deity.
Q: Could you explain what it means to be a servant of the holy name?
A: You should not squeeze the holy name like a lemon so artificial tears of ecstasy flow down. You should give others the holy name. The most important service to the holy name is to hear the holy name. Then everything will become manifest. We do not have to practice thinking about Krishna in different ways.
Q: The chanting of the holy name brings happiness. How to we understand this as neophyte and a madhyama?
A: We are not interested in happiness. We are interested in service. Just chant the holy name not considering your happiness. As a new devotee, I asked, "What are these beads?" A devotee said the beads are like a spiritual umbilical cord that connects us to Krishna as the baby is connected to the mother.
We showed the second half of "Mysteries of the Sacred Universe" video and promised to show the first part, in the early evening, to those who missed seeing it yesterday. One young devotee lady from Moldovia, who studied pharmacology and knew English very well, helped translate occasionally when Purnamasi Mataji was busy. She found the topics of discussion interesting as did her father, a professor of physics.
(to be continued)