Tag: sankirtan

What do we call persons who don’t recognize their own suffering?

What do we call someone who does not recognize that they are suffering? What do you call someone who does not recognize the root cause of their suffering? What do you call someone who refuses to accept the cause of their suffering? We call them innocent, just like children, just like animals. And then we see them as spirit souls, and we try to serve them on their spiritual journey. Hare Krishna!

Have you ever seen an animal that is about to be slaughtered? In the modern world, that includes most chickens, goats, sheep, pigs, cows, fish, and buffaloes.

Sheep, to the slaughter

These sheep are being led to slaughter

Animals cannot see their impending doom

I have spent much time in the South Indian City of Hyderabad. This city has a large Muslim population. The Muslims celebrate a festival called Bakri-eid, when many Muslims sacrifice a goat to Allah. It is a common sight to see a Muslim man leading a goat somewhere just before Eid, or even on the day of.

Charminar, Old City, Hyderabad, India

As a child, I was tempted to innocently call out to the goat “run away goat, run away, you are about to be slaughtered”. But no, neither do I have the power to make a goat understand that his life is in danger, nor does the goat have the intelligence to understand his fate.

Even right before being slaughtered, the animal can be seen calmly gobbling up grass here and there, oblivious.

Goat chewing and chewing, oblivious

We can extrapolate… think about the animals being transferred in trains or trucks from one place to another. They are all going to be slaughtered, sooner or later.

Cows being transported for slaughter

What about us? Can we see our own sufferings?

As we go about the world, we see so many suffering souls. Some are hungry, some others are unclothed, hot, or cold… yet others are diseased. And everyone is striving, struggling, to solve these problems of life, food, shelter, and clothing, medical treatment, and so on.

Struggling human, sisyphean effort

It is of course, natural for a human being or an animal to mitigate an immediate danger. For example, once an animal senses that someone is causing it harm, for example the pain of a hook in it’s mouth, or a botched attempt at slaughter, it will flap about, bleat, moo, or make some other frantic sounds, maybe try to fight it’s attacker, and even try to run away, but alas, by then it is usually too late.

Goat, about to lose it's life

Similarly, we see human beings trying to mitigate their sufferings in so many ways.

But do they really recognize the actual cause of their suffering?

Man getting medical treatment

Does that woman who is being wooed ardently by that handsome, passionate, suave, smooth-talking man realize that once the man has had his fill of sensual gratification, she will be left behind after an “it’s not you, it’s me conversation.”?

Young man wooing a girl with sweet words and flowers

Does that hard-working employee staying late and working long hours realize that a business change means he is to be on the next list of employees to be laid off due to a “Reduction in Force” or “Headcount cut” or “Re-organization”?

Hardworking employee, doesn't know he is just one step away from being fired

Does that person suffering poverty, pestilence, or war realize that they have created their own situation with their own past actions?

तत्तेऽनुकम्पां सुसमीक्षमाणो
भुञ्जान एवात्मकृतं विपाकम् ।
हृद्वाग्वपुर्भिर्विदधन्नमस्ते
जीवेत यो मुक्तिपदे स दायभाक् ॥ ८ ॥

tat te ’nukampāṁ su-samīkṣamāṇo
bhuñjāna evātma-kṛtaṁ vipākam
hṛd-vāg-vapurbhir vidadhan namas te
jīveta yo mukti-pade sa dāya-bhāk

My dear Lord, one who earnestly waits for You to bestow Your causeless mercy upon him, all the while patiently suffering the reactions of his past misdeeds and offering You respectful obeisances with his heart, words and body, is surely eligible for liberation, for it has become his rightful claim.

https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/14/8

Suffering Child. Who creates our suffering for us?

How can we help everyone understand how to end this cycle of suffering?

Sometimes, not being satisfied with trying to please the senses, an intellectual may, instead, choose to live within the mind, for example in the realm of art, literature, poetry, scientific or mathematical endeavours, maybe even philosophy and speculation about God?

Intellectuals, lost in the world of trying to satisfy the mind

Does the frustrated intellectual, who has given up on gross materialistic gratification and is now involved in trying to satisfy the mind realize that he’s only headed towards insanity?

Mad Scientists. What will they not do?

Neither the mind, nor the senses can ever be satisfied, as much as a fire can never be extinguished by giving it more fuel.

lust cannot be satisfied by any amount of sense enjoyment, just as fire is never extinguished by a constant supply of fuel. In the material world, the center of all activities is sex, and thus this material world is called maithunya-āgāra, or the shackles of sex life. In the ordinary prison house, criminals are kept within bars; similarly, the criminals who are disobedient to the laws of the Lord are shackled by sex life.

https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/3/39, purport

Blazing fire, no amount of fuel will extinguish it!

We try and we try and we try to help everyone understand that they are not their mind, that they are not this body, not the senses… we try and try to help them understand that actually they are the spirit soul.

Hare Krishna Monk tries to distribute spiritual literature

But unfortunately, most of the souls we come in contact with are not interested. They are content to pursue that next gourmet meal, that next sensual experience, that holiday, that next acquisition, be it a house or a car or some other shiny object. They are content to chase job after job, climbing the ladder to nowhere (more on that another time).

What do we call such a soul, even if in a human body?

Are we cultivating the consciousness of animals. Then what is our destination?

We call such a person an animal in human form. You may be shocked at this. How dare I call a human being an animal? How arrogant and conceited of me! What sort of spiritualist am I, this Das?

यस्यात्मबुद्धि: कुणपे त्रिधातुके
स्वधी: कलत्रादिषु भौम इज्यधी: ।
यत्तीर्थबुद्धि: सलिले न कर्हिचि-
ज्जनेष्वभिज्ञेषु स एव गोखर: ॥ १३ ॥
yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke
sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ
yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij
janeṣv abhijñeṣu sa eva go-kharaḥ

One who identifies his self as the inert body composed of mucus, bile and air, who assumes his wife and family are permanently his own, who thinks an earthen image or the land of his birth is worshipable, or who sees a place of pilgrimage as merely the water there, but who never identifies himself with, feels kinship with, worships or even visits those who are wise in spiritual truth — such a person is no better than a cow or an ass.

https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/84/13

My dear reader, please understand that a spiritualist is just like an honest doctor. An honest doctor is not afraid to observe carefully and make the right diagnosis. From the doctor’s diagnosis comes a treatment plan, including diet, rest, exercise, and medicine. And from this comes a prognosis, some hope of hope, possibly.

But a doctor who sweeps the symptoms under a rug and pretends everything is just fine, is no doctor. Such a “doctor” is really an enemy in disguise.

A doctor must be honest!

And therefore, out of abundant compassion, we call such a human an animal. So that we may develop even more patience and compassion. After all, there is no point being too harsh with an animal or a child. We then try to coax and cajole and convince in this way or in that way.

Physician Heal Thyself

First things first. As a spiritualist, I seek to spot the times when I myself behave as if I were my mind or my body. And I strive to disassociate myself, my self interest from the urges of the body or the mind. If I can be honest with myself, then I will have a deep sense of humility and understanding as to why this is so difficult for me. My conditioning in the material world makes it extremely difficult, and I have been trying for decades!

So, what should I do? First and foremost, look in the mirror and be honest with myself at all times, places, and circumstances.

I cannot be like this kitten here!

Compassion and Equal Vision!

Just as we need to see ourselves and where we are, we need to see everyone with an equal vision, and understand that every spirit soul is precious!

Not all souls can be served in the same way… I cannot discuss philosophy with a dog, nor can I get a pig to appreciate delicious food.

विद्याविनयसम्पन्ने ब्राह्मणे गवि हस्तिनि ।
श‍ुनि चैव श्वपाके च पण्डिता: समदर्शिन: ॥ १८ ॥

vidyā-vinaya-sampanne
brāhmaṇe gavi hastini
śuni caiva śva-pāke ca
paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ

The humble sages, by virtue of true knowledge, see with equal vision a learned and gentle brāhmaṇa, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste].

https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/5/18

For 99% of the population, we just try to engage in the chanting of God’s names. We give them Krishna Prasada, sanctified food, which has been lovingly cooked for and offered to Krishna. We then drip in a little bit of the medicine of the philosophy, you are not this body, you are not this mind, you are a spirit soul.

Hare Krishnas out on Harinam Sankirtan, out to save us all!

And so the effort continues, many, many spiritual warriors trying to save one soul, lifetime after lifetime, in a concerted harmonious effort.

The merciful Srila Prabhupada distributes Krishna Prasada generously to one and all.

My dear soul, please help us with this greatest of all causes, please do your bit for yourself, and then turn to serve others and help them get on and stay on a spiritual journey. Hare Krishna!

Of Devotion & Devotional Service

What is the difference between devotion and devotional service? Is it possible to perform devotional service without devotion? Is it possible to have devotion without performing devotional service?

Brajanath Das, 26 April 2015
Hare Krishna Dear Devotees!        

Please accept my humble obeisances!

All glories to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu!

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Please help me to understand the invisible line of difference between devotion and devotional service. 

your servant,

Brajanath Das

Bhaktin Aruni, 26 Apr 2015

Hare Krishna!          

Pamho, 

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

I think maybe devotion is the attitude and devotional service is the act …

aruni

Bhakta Jayakrishna, 27 April 2015

Hare krishna! Thank you Prabhu! 

I too had this doubt when first heard and yet never thought that there may be some serious difference.but i felt that there indeed exist some difference as, if ones devotion is not supported by some service in its way, it is most likely he lose his devotion also, (here i must confess that we neophyte devotees more or less are with such a stage,)and hence, devotion when backed up by service or activities suiting it is the devotional service, but i have no sastric reference and i wish to hear from our senior brothers who can give a better explanation.

your servant

Jayakrishna

Premananda Das, 27 April 2015

Hare Krishna

Devotion means ardent and  selfless affection  and dedication to a person or principle. According to Padma Purana one should always remember Lord Vishnu and never forget Him.This is called dhyana or meditation always remembering Krishna.

Srila Rupa Goswami says bhakti means devotional service to Krishna.Every service has some attractive features which drives the servitor progressively on and on.

A family man works day and night for his wife and children.A philanthropist works for the greater love of family and a nationalist for the cause of country and countrymen.The force that drives them is called a rasa or mellow (relationship) that is very sweet.Bhakti -rasa however does not finish with the end of life.It continues perpetually and therefore is called amrta that which does not die but exists perpetually.

According to Bhagavad Gita a little advancement in the bhakti rasa can save the devotee from greatest danger that is missing the opportunity of human life.The rasas derived from social and  family life or greater family life like altruism,philanthropy,socialism,communism nationalism does not guarantee next birth to be human life.

your servant

Premananda Das

Amogha Lila Das, 27 April 2015

Hare Krishna Prabhu. Please accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Gurudeva! All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Devotion is cultivated through devotional service. There are nine processes by which one can cultivate devotion.

Sravanam, Kirtanam, Smaranam, Pada Sevanam, Arcanam, Vandanam, Dasyam, Sakhyam, Atma Nivedanam

Gurudeva often mentions these nine processes in his lectures and they are described by Prahlada Maharaja in the 7th Canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam (SB 7.5.23-24):       

To hear about Sri Visnu’s transcendental name, His form, His characteristics, His possessions and His pastimes and to hear and chant about His pastimes, to remember them, to serve the lotus feet of the Lord, to respectfully offer service to the Lord, to offer prayers to the Lord, to become His servant, to consider the Lord one’s best friend and to offer Him everything-these nine processes are recognized as pure devotional service.

Following the above nine processes one can gradually advance in devotional service and progress through the nine stages of Bhakti yoga as described in the Caitanya Caritamrta, Madhya-lila, by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu as follows:

“In the beginning there must be faith. Then one becomes interested in associating with pure devotees. Thereafter one is initiated by the spiritual master and executes the regulative principles under his orders. Thus one is freed from all unwanted habits and becomes finally fixed in devotional service. Thereafter, one develops taste and attachment. This is the way of sadhana-bhakti, the execution of devotional service according to the regulative principles. Gradually emotions intensify, and finally there is an awakening of love. This is the gradual development of love of Godhead for the devotee interested in Krsna consciousness.”

your humble servant,

Amogha Lila Das

Rantideva Das, 28 April 2015

My dear devotees,

Please accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

I trust that you are all well.

Very nice question and answers regarding devotion and devotional service. However, this subject brought to mind another question concerning the same subject matter. Is it possible to perform devotional service without devotion? And what about devotion without devotional service?

I remain your worthless servant,

Rantideva das

Hare Krishna Das, 28 April 2015

Dear Prabhu,

Please accept my humble and respectful obeisances!

All Glories to His Divine Grace Sriman Sankarshan Das Adhikari Gurumaharaj and Srimati Gurumata!

All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Devotion in itself includes service. Without service, there is no actual devotion. It is only lip service. But, to stress the importance of service and protect it from sahajiaism, Srila Prabhupada used the term devotional service. I admit, I also have no quotes (reference lines) from Senior Vaisnavas. This is my perspective. Willing to hear from others.

Thanking You,

your servant,

Hare Krishna Das

Mahabhagavat Das SDA, 30 April 2015

Dear Devotees,

Hare Krishna!

Please accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Gurudeva.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

This discussion was very enlivening for me. Thank you to all who have participated in this discussion. The question is already answered, from reading the emails together.

Since Srila Gurudeva stresses a careful reading of Srila Prabhupada’s books for all of us, I am adding quotes from Srila Prabhupada’s books to solidify our understanding. I have made a few sentences bold, as they jumped out at me, but of course, every word of Srila Prabhupada is of utmost significance…

(from purport to SB 1.2.19)

A living being in his normal constitutional position is fully satisfied in spiritual bliss. This state of existence is called brahma-bhūta (SB 4.30.20) or ātmā-nandī, or the state of self-satisfaction. This self-satisfaction is not like the satisfaction of the inactive fool. The inactive fool is in the state of foolish ignorance, whereas the self-satisfied ātmānandī is transcendental to the material state of existence. This stage of perfection is attained as soon as one is fixed in irrevocable devotional service. Devotional service is not inactivity, but the unalloyed activity of the soul.

The soul’s activity becomes adulterated in contact with matter, and as such the diseased activities are expressed in the form of lust, desire, hankering, inactivity, foolishness and sleep. The effect of devotional service becomes manifest by complete elimination of these effects of passion and ignorance. The devotee is fixed at once in the mode of goodness, and he makes further progress to rise to the position of Vāsudeva, or the state of unmixed sattva, or śuddha-sattva. Only in this śuddha-sattva state can one always see Kṛṣṇa eye to eye by dint of pure affection for the Lord

(from purport to SB 1.10.23)

Jitendriya means one who has full control over the senses. The senses are active parts of the body, and their activities cannot be stopped. The artificial means of the yogic processes to make the senses inactive has proved to be abject failure, even in the case of great yogīs like Viśvāmitra Muni. Viśvāmitra Muni controlled the senses by yogic trance, but when he happened to meet Menakā (a heavenly society woman), he became a victim of sex, and the artificial way of controlling the senses failed. But in the case of a pure devotee, the senses are not at all artificially stopped from doing anything, but they are given different good engagements. When the senses are engaged in more attractive activities, there is no chance of their being attracted by any inferior engagements. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that the senses can be controlled only by better engagements. Devotional service necessitates purifying the senses or engaging them in the activities of devotional service. Devotional service is not inaction. Anything done in the service of the Lord becomes at once purified of its material nature.

(From the Introduction to the Nectar of Devotion)

Pure devotional service should be free from the desire for any material benefit or for sense gratification, as these desires are cultivated through fruitive activities and philosophical speculation. Generally, people are engaged in different activities to get some material profit, while most philosophers are engaged in proposing transcendental realization through volumes of word jugglery and speculation. Pure devotional service must always be free from such fruitive activities and philosophical speculations. One has to learn Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or pure devotional service, from the authorities by spontaneous loving service.

This devotional service is a sort of cultivation. It is not simply inaction for people who like to be inactive or devote their time to silent meditation. There are many different methods for people who want this, but cultivation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is different. The particular word used by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī in this connection is anuśīlana, or cultivation by following the predecessor teachers (ācāryas). As soon as we say “cultivation,” we must refer to activity. Without activity, consciousness alone cannot help us.

I hope that these quotes help.

Sincerely,

Mahabhagavat Das

Rantideva das, 01 May 2015,

Reposting this question as no reply was received earlier…..

My dear devotees,

Please accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

I trust that you are all well.

Very nice question and answers regarding devotion and devotional service. However, this subject brought to mind another question concerning the same subject matter. Is it possible to perform devotional service without devotion? And what about devotion without devotional service?

I remain your worthless servant,

Rantideva das

Mahabhagavat Das SDA, 01 May 2015

Dear Rantideva Prabhu,

Please accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Gurudeva.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Please forgive us, we didn’t mean to ignore your question, but somehow missed it.

It is possible to perform devotional service without devotion, in other words, it is called “ajnata sukriti” (unknowingly performed devotional service), this is when, for example, devotees engage others in devotional service without giving them the full details about how, why… this includes for example when devotees serve out Krishna Prasada for the masses, when they put on festivals like Jagannatha Ratha Yatra, or when they go out on Harinam Sankirtan, or go in public wearing Tilaka and devotional attire, etc.

Or, it could be like someone plants a tree and some devotee uses the fruits and flowers from that tree to offer to the Lord, the person who planted the tree gets the benefit of assisting in devotional service.

This also includes the devotees who feel no devotion but go through the motions anyways, for example, chant mechanically, or dance enthusiastically either because of fear or respect for the spiritual master, or to keep up with their vows or commitments. While they don’t make as much advancement as if it were done attentively and devotedly and genuinely, but still, they make some progress, so for example Srila Gurudeva says “mechanical chanting is better than no chanting”, and “offensive chanting is still better than no chanting”, etc. He also says “dance enthusiastically anyway and the ecstasy will come”, when asked about dancing in Kirtan.

Often it is seen that even such service, performed apparently without devotion, fructifies into full-fledged devotional service, I am one such example who did so much devotional service without any devotion and now I feel some attraction to pleasing Guru and Krishna. All glories to the wonderful devotees who engaged me in service throughout my life, my mother, father, cousins, teachers, devotees all over the world, Bhaktimarga Swami, devotees in Toronto, the book distributor who gave a copy of the Bhagavad Gita even though I was undeserving, Srila Gurudeva for giving me his personal attention even though I am undeserving, the list goes on and on, and I don’t even know how to express my gratitude to them all!

Of course, such “service without devotion” devotional service does not count as “pure devotional service”. 🙂

It is however, not possible to have any devotion without performing devotional service, as was hopefully clear from the various answers and Srila Prabhupada’s writings.

I hope this helped, I beg all group members that if I have misunderstood something, or created some misunderstanding, please do kindly help and correct me.

your servant,

Mahabhagavat Das

Haldhar Prabhu, 01 May 2015

Hare Krsna Mahabhagavat Prabhuji and Rantideva Prabhuji for one more perfect question and perfect answer.

I understood the question only after the answer 🙂

Hare Krsna !

your servant,

Haldhar Das

Rantideva das, 04 May 2015

My dear Godbrother,

Please accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Gurudeva.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada

I was thinking about Jayananda prabhu. How he could engage anyone in Sri Krishna’s service. He could take anyone from the street, say a homeless man or drunkard, and engage him in helping to build  a ratha cart. So this homeless man is engaged in devotional service but has no devotion for the Lord. He’s just working in hopes of receiving a free meal afterwards. Sometimes we even see how a homeless person will come to the temple on Sunday for a free meal. In both cases they are reaping great benefit by performing service for the Lord, or hearing the pastimes of the Lord, or taking Krishna prasadam.

 Since today is Jayananda Prabhu’s disappearance day, May 1, 1977, this topic of devotional service is very appropriate. By the mercy of Srila Gurudeva and Lord Sri Krishna, may we all reach the platform of pure loving service that our dear Jayananda Thakur displayed while here in this material world.

I remain your worthless servant,

Rantideva das

(das is the important part)

Mahabhagavat Das SDA, 05 May 2015

Dear Rantideva Prabhu,

Please accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Gurudeva.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Actually I have met one hippie encouraged by Jayananda Prabhu… this was in Puerto Rico, I was visiting the Hare Krishna temple in Gurabo with my wife for a “retreat”, we once went to downtown San Juan. I had my Tilak on but was dressed in street clothes. An elderly man was doing something with some iron bars, some kind of welding work, and suddenly he saw me and called out “Hare Krishna, are you from the temple in Gurabo”, I was amazed and pleasantly surprised. Then he introduced himself as Lance, went on to describe how he “worked with” one taxi driver we consider a great saint, immediately I knew he was talking about Jayananda Prabhu.This man had met Srila Prabhupada even. I asked him what happened, and he sadly replied that with the drugs, he’d lost most of his intelligence, and even then, he heard only partially, and he does not remember much, but he appreciates everything.

It was the highlight of my day, practically the highlight of that trip, and a reaffirmation of the power of Sankirtan, tell everyone about Krishna, deliver Krishna’s mercy to them, and they will never forget Krishna, and this will help them, if not in this birth, then in the next. Clearly, Lance has performed some devotional service, with or without devotion, but I think the devotion had already started to manifest long ago…

your servant,

Mahabhagavat Das

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A gift of warm socks, from one beggar to another

Once, on the street, an old lady gifted me with warm socks. I am not a beggar, and but yet a beggar. Why was I begging? I don’t need anything from anyone. Or do I?

It was one cold December morning before Christmas. We were out with book tables in downtown Toronto, trying to get passing souls to consider a spiritual gift, either for themselves or others.

One elderly lady, dressed in shabby winter wear suddenly approached me, speaking a language I didn’t understand, but holding out a a pair of gray socks she had in her hand. She herself could have used those socks… some good Samaritan had given out the socks as a present, probably in the spirit of the season. But the lady insisted that I take them from her.

When I repeatedly refused, the look in her eyes turned from a kind eagerness to a kind of dejected sadness – why was I refusing her gift?

I tried to show her my own warm socks, the ones I wore – she pulled out another pair of the same kind of socks… in other words, we were even.

I then explained that I had other pairs of warm socks at home… she probably thought I was politely declining out of some kind of pride.

Each time I refused, she grew sadder.

Until finally, I decided to accept her gift. She couldn’t have been happier!

To the kind lady, out there in the cold, I appeared to be in more need than herself!

I tried to look at myself from her angle of vision. I was wearing an unbranded hat, coat, and boots. I was out there soliciting passersby to consider taking books. Some people handed me change or different amounts of money in exchange for the books.

So, it must have appeared to her that I was trying to earn some money by selling spiritual books to passersby. She saw that I had a child with me… and her motherly compassion was aroused.

She was quite happy when I accepted her kind gift, and she blessed me, this time, in English, saying “God bless you my child, you should keep doing this work for God. You are doing a good thing”.

Relieved and happy that she was conversant with English, I handed her a gift set of books and without being asked, she gave me some change with a smile.

She may or may not have realized this, but at that moment, the whole trajectory of her life changed. She had donated in exchange for spiritual knowledge, which means she had acquired the power to read and understand those books, and apply the knowledge to her own life.

The gift of spiritual knowledge has the power to end the endless sojourn of the soul in the material realm. Each soul has been here, taking birth, growing old, catching disease, and dying, over and over again.

But genuine spiritual knowledge, such as the Bhagavad Gita As It Is, has the power to change the trajectory of the soul and end all suffering.

So the gift of spiritual knowledge is the highest of all gifts, because it is the ultimate solution to all problems.

I came back home and offered those socks to Krishna. Those were valuable socks.

I treasure and value that gift. Because the lady gave a donation selflessly without expectation of a return, to a person who was out trying to serve God and His souls, her donation qualifies under this qualification spoken by Krishna:

दातव्यमिति यद्दानं दीयतेऽनुपकारिणे ।
देशे काले च पात्रे च तद्दानं सात्त्विकं स्मृतम् ॥ २० ॥

dātavyam iti yad dānaṁ
dīyate ’nupakāriṇe
deśe kāle ca pātre ca
tad dānaṁ sāttvikaṁ smṛtam

Charity given out of duty, without expectation of return, at the proper time and place, and to a worthy person is considered to be in the mode of goodness.

https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/17/20/

I am no beggar from an external perspective. God has given me enough and more, enough to be able to donate my time and money to worthy causes. He has given me a relatively easy way to earn a decent livelihood, given me good health, put me into a good family, given me a good education, and best of all, placed me in the care of advanced spiritualists. I’m really quite fortunate in all respects.

I don’t consider myself “worthy” to receive charity… but the mission I was on is worthy. She may have given to me, but actually she gave to the mission.

From an internal perspective, I am indeed a beggar. I constantly beg God to engage me in His service, and the service of His servants. I also beg other souls to please turn their attention to God, and to make God the centre of their lives. In other words, I beg from people for their own benefit.

To anyone who is a beggar of any kind, of course, must be prepared for all sorts of rebuffs, insults, and the like.

नूनं स्वार्थपरो लोको न वेद परसङ्कटम् ।
यदि वेद न याचेत नेति नाह यदीश्वर: ॥ ६ ॥

nūnaṁ svārtha-paro loko
na veda para-saṅkaṭam
yadi veda na yāceta
neti nāha yad īśvaraḥ

Those who are too self-interested beg something from others, not knowing of others’ pain. But if the beggar knew the difficulty of the giver, he would not ask for anything. Similarly, he who is able to give charity does not know the beggar’s difficulty, for otherwise he would not refuse to give the beggar anything he might want as charity.

https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/6/10/6/

I often get told “Go get a real job” (as if this world were permanent and that any job in the material world had any relevance in the realm of eternity), or “stop living off of others” (as if anyone is living off of themselves, everyone depends on God for everything!). I get shooed, chased off, ridiculed, and made fun of. Sometimes, I get threatened with violence or worse. Sometimes, I get barely tolerated, sometimes, I get all sorts of rude comments.

Of course, I do get compliments and admiration and so many nice sentiments expressed.

The best is when someone actually takes the spiritual message I am trying to pass on.

I know the difficulty of the beggar, and I know the difficulty of the giver too. It is the hardest thing to contemplate and actually surrender. But the search for a soul who is ready to return to God is well worth all the trouble.

As for the kind lady with the gift of warm socks? She has a special place in Krishna’s world. Time separates her from her eventual destination. I pray that wherever she is, Krishna helps her to continue her journey, for she has served Lord Chaitanya’s mission with a kind heart.

Krishna is someone who is constantly looking to catch us doing something right, and He takes the highest and best from even the most insignificant thing we may do. Krishna never forgets something that someone has done for Him or the servant of His servant. That I am, fortunately.

As a spiritual beggar, my job is to keep approaching souls, looking for the ones who are ready to go back.

Coming back to the kind lady, a beggar herself, possibly homeless, who developed a motherly affection for me…

The trajectory of her life is irrevocably altered, she has begun her journey home.

(dis) United Nations

In 1945 when the United Nations was setup, there were 74 countries. Now there are 194. Since 1945, more than 285 wars have been fought. So clearly the nations are disunited! Did you know why we can never achieve unity through negotiations and resolutions?

In 1919, the League of Nations was established to maintain world peace. It went bust in 1946, after being unable to prevent the second world war.

In 1945, the United Nations was setup, another attempt at maintaining world peace.

Since 1945, the Nations have been anything but “United”… some nations became superpowers, some others teamed up with one or the other, and yet others formed their own little group of have-nots.

And what has the United Nations accomplished?

There were 74 sovereign countries in 1945.

There are now 194 countries in the world, as I write this, in 2022.

And within every country, there are groups of people who want to separate into their own country… think about India, now is Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh.

Think about Yugoslavia, it is now seven different countries… Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia, Serbia, Montenegro, and Kosovo… actually I had a hard time figuring that out, with the almost continuous change there.

And wars? How many wars have been fought since the “war to end all wars” – the second world war?

Since 1945 till 2001, 194, and from 1945 to 2020, there were more than 285! In other words, about 91 in less than 20 years! (source Uppsala Conflict Data Program)

And what about the wars going on today around the world?

Let’s face it, the United Nations is impotent and useless.

At this rate, every village will be a country. Why stop at that, every family, and every individual wants to declare independence!

So, actually, to anyone who has a little spiritual knowledge, that comes as no surprise.

After all, we came here to this material world to declare “independence” from God!

ममैवांशो जीवलोके जीवभूत: सनातन: ।
मन:षष्ठानीन्द्रियाणि प्रकृतिस्थानि कर्षति ॥ ७ ॥

mamaivāṁśo jīva-loke
jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ
manaḥ-ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi
prakṛti-sthāni karṣati

The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind.

We are all eternal fragmental parts of God. We are simultaneously one and different with Him, described as the philosophy that synthesizes all philosophy. In other words, we are different in identity, but one in quality and are meant to be one in purpose too.

https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/15/7/

Just like your hand is a part of you, but is not you, similarly you are a part of God but not God. And if the hand doesn’t serve you, then it is diseased.

Similarly, us, here in the material world are diseased, and continuously split into smaller and smaller groups, because, let’s face it, if we can’t get along with God, we can’t get along with anyone.

Why is that?

God is so tolerant, forbearing, forgiving, and magnanimous!

र्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज ।
अहं त्वां सर्वपापेभ्यो मोक्षयिष्यामि मा श‍ुच: ॥ ६६ ॥

sarva-dharmān parityajya
mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja
ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo
mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ

Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.

https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/18/66/

In fact, no matter how you approach God, you benefit!

Putana was a witch who specialized in killing little babies. She smeared poison on her breast and disguised herself as a wet nurse… she took baby Krishna on her lap to “feed” him. Krishna, He is God and cannot be killed. He took her milk and her poison, but also sucked out her very life. With that act of what appears to be “killing”, he killed the nastiness of Putana completely. So much so that she attained the service of serving as one of Krishna’s mothers in the spiritual world.

अहो बकी यं स्तनकालकूटं
जिघांसयापाययदप्यसाध्वी ।
लेभे गतिं धात्र्युचितां ततोऽन्यं
कं वा दयालुं शरणं व्रजेम ॥ २३ ॥

aho bakī yaṁ stana-kāla-kūṭaṁ
jighāṁsayāpāyayad apy asādhvī
lebhe gatiṁ dhātry-ucitāṁ tato ’nyaṁ
kaṁ vā dayāluṁ śaraṇaṁ vrajema

Alas, how shall I take shelter of one more merciful than He who granted the position of mother to a she-demon [Pūtanā] although she was unfaithful and she prepared deadly poison to be sucked from her breast?

https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/3/2/23/

So, coming back to our original topic… how can nations be united. No amount of negotiation and discussion and deal-making can help us be united.

There is only one thing that can help us be united.

तस्मादेकेन मनसा भगवान् सात्वतां पति: ।
श्रोतव्य: कीर्तितव्यश्च ध्येय: पूज्यश्च नित्यदा ॥ १४ ॥

tasmād ekena manasā
bhagavān sātvatāṁ patiḥ
śrotavyaḥ kīrtitavyaś ca
dhyeyaḥ pūjyaś ca nityadā

Therefore, with one-pointed attention, one should constantly hear about, glorify, remember and worship the Personality of Godhead, who is the protector of the devotees.

https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/1/2/14/

Let us admit that all these ways of trying to be united without God in the centre have not and will never work, and let us meet on the platform of glorification of God.

Sankirtan = Samyak Kirtan – Complete Glorification of God is the only solution to the problems of the world.

param vijayate sri krishna sankirtanam! Eternally victorious is Sri Krishna Sankirtana!

2020.31-43 Downtown Toronto Harinam, Street Distribution, Work Sankirtan, Temple Distribution, Work & Professional Outreach. Online

It is marathon month! Sharing Sankirtan stories from 2020 with you… it was another memorable time, and right now, its another memorable time. I feel fortunate to be able to go out, and to share with you. Thank you for your kind support!

Mahabhagavat Das SDA, 12 November 2020

Dear Devotees,

Hare Krishna!

Please kindly accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

I pray that you are all well and in good health and spirits.

By your blessings I am able to participate in this Hare Krishna movement, despite my disqualifications. Thank you!

Summary:

29 Sep 2020 – Old City Hall Harinam

6 Oct 2020 – Old City Hall Harinam

8 Oct 2020 – Old City Hall Harinam

10 Oct 2020 – Walk to Temple – Street Distribution + Summer Hill Harinam

20 Oct 2020 – Old City  Hall Harinam

22 Oct 2020 – Old City Hall Harinam

23 Oct 2020 – Niagara Falls Clifton Hill Harinam

24 Oct 2020 – Niagara-on-the-Lake distribution & downtown Harinam

29 Sep – 10 Oct – Sankirtan in the professional world

29 Sep – 27 Oct – Various Online Sankirtan

3 Nov 2020 – Old City Hall

6 Nov 2020 – (Summer in November) Old City Hall

Sep-Oct 2020 – Combined temple distribution & temple guest Sankirtan

————————————-

Total 13 Outings

The mini-summer in an otherwise chilly Toronto November was a great blessing though I couldn’t go as much as I would have liked to.

It has been fun, trying to figure out how to go out on Sankirtan. It has been quite challenging on the time front, but Krishna has been merciful. My spiritual master has always been encouraging, and somehow or other I have managed to focus on Sankirtan and book distribution, despite all my other commitments and duties. I am sure you are much busier than me, but surely you can figure out how to make time?

I am a gap-filler by nature. I was instructed “do the needful” at the beginning of my journey in Krishna consciousness. And this suits my personality just fine. I am drawn to wherever there is a gap, a need. There is surely a shortage of Krishna consciousness in the world today. But while there are many practicing devotees, there is certainly a BIG gap in the Harinam Sankirtan area, especially in Toronto. The devotees are practically invisible. Millions of souls are milling about, going to work, shopping, hanging out, going to restaurants, etc., but the mercy of the Holy Name is being denied to them. This is violence, no? 

Many devotees, such as Rupanuga Prabhu are busier than ever before, propagating the Krishna consciousness movement online. I know that Mother Aditi and Bhadra Krishan Prabhu are doing online programs. So many souls, like Madhava Govinda Prabhu, Sucaru Mataji, Manoj Prabhu, Paramahamsa Prabhu are distributing books by phone. These are all great. What about those who are not ready for those classes or are not in the mercy circle of a devotee yet? The journey in Krishna Consciousness has to start somewhere, no? I still remember the days when I was on the fence after reading the books, and the Harinam Sankirtan party of Bhaktimarga Swami, Krishnadasa Kaviraja Prabhu, Dharmaprana Prabhu and others rescued me from my fence-sitting! I am sure we can do a lot together even if we go out alone together in different parts of the city, and help the souls get enough Sukriti to participate further in the Krishna Consciousness movement!

Imagine if 10, 20, 500 devotees were chanting on different street corners in Toronto and surrounding areas? Everywhere you go, there is the sound of the Holy Name… do you think we could make a dent in the hard materialistic times we live in?

Agreed, I don’t think it makes sense for people to go in large numbers out in public, but wherever you are, go out in ones or in twos! Be seen, be  heard chanting the Hare Krishna Mahamantra. Srila Haridas Thakura will bless us!

If you live in a small place, then put on a mask, take your voice and GO! If you live in a big city, put on a mask and GO OUT! Don’t shake hands, don’t get too close to people, but let your voice vibrating the Harinam Mahamantra reach the ears of the poor suffering souls of this age. You will feel happy, Mahaprabhu will be pleased with you, and our lives will be worthwhile. Please go, and report your outing to encourage others. Harinam Sankirtan is the only medicine in the age of Kali, vaccine or no vaccine.

Here are 2 experiences that stood out… never a dull moment out on Sankirtan!

One evening, I was feeling dejected as I went in the dark that I was a madman to go out like this, and who was benefiting from my impure chanting anyway. But I forced myself to go and start. Glad I did! As I stood chanting, an elderly man, unsteadily approached and said “I know this, I know this deeply. Deeeeply”. And then he began crying. He raised his arms, he looked up to the heavens and crossed himself. He said “my man, you have saved me”, and then “do you know what you have just done, you have just saved a soul”. I don’t know what his previous experiences with devotees have been, but he was quite emotional. He said “but it is so hard, SO HARD, how do you do it”. I said “never stop chanting” after a mantra, and continued chanting. He then said “I will say something to you, but you don’t stop chanting”. He said how people think “Toronto” means “meeting place” and that is right, but the full meaning was “Meeting place where the different tribes meet but no one fights”. He said “thank you thank you thank you” so many times”, and tried his own version of chanting. He rambled on philosophically as I continued chanting. Then he said “I have something for you, for your temple”, and pulled out some money, counted out 5 dollars in change. I had to give him a book. I pulled out a Nectar of Instruction. He held the book to his head, he placed it on the wall and bowed to the book. He danced around with the book. He started reading, read a bit, nodded, and then say “my dear man, you have saved me. I have outlived my life, my father is gone, my daughter is gone but I am still here, thank you for giving me hope hope hope”. And then we exchanged some deep Japanese-style bows (I was chanting and playing Karatalas) and he left.

The very next time I went, another madman approached me. The man looked like he was of South Asian descent, told me his name was Raglan. But he was lost to the world, drugged, cigarette in one hand, a Coke in another. The Karatalas just drew him in, he came close, close, closer, until he was about 2 inches from my face, staring into my eyes with a mad look on his face. I had to stop, and say “not this close OK, you stand here” and he obeyed. But as soon as I started the Kirtan his feet moved to the beat, closer, closer, closer. This happened many times. I finally stopped and asked him if he would read, he said no, so I pulled out a Mantra card and he said “I want that, I want that”. So he chanted the Mahamantra with me almost unwillingly. It is as if there were 2 personalities, one was demoniac and one was a bewildered confused lost soul, so innocent. I felt like maybe he was possessed. His feet moved like a zombie’s, his eyes were bloodshot, it is practically as if he wanted to step into me. I felt unsafe. He  (the demoniac personality) had already told me to stop thrice, even thught he couldn’t stop dancing and he couldn’t leave, as if he was hypnotized somehow by the chanting… and the voice was getting more menacing. It was late, dark, and I was not sure anyone else passing would help if he did something stupid. So I stopped and asked him if I could go elsewhere, he agreed, like a child. I said “don’t lose this card, this card will bring great good fortune to you”. As he took the card, I moved across to the South West corner of the intersection and began to chant. He disappeared shortly thereafter.

Going out on Harinam is putting oneself out on a limb, depending only on Krishna’s mercy. This should be done carefully. Many cannot do it at all – for example, as Aruna Keshavi said later “what if the man was COVID-infected?”, I responded, “then the virus is chanting Hare Krishna by now”. That was a joke but it was a serious risk! But those who can do this, should do this, because it bestows the highest blessings on one. I am a madman, mostly in the material sense of the word. But I pray to be mad to spread the mission of Srila Prabhupada or at least die trying.

My 2020 goal is 108 outings, and I have 65 left to go, with just 49 days left this year. Please bless me that I may humbly perform this service. I am very greedy for your blessings. In fact, I am 100% convinced that I can only go out on Harinam Sankirtan because of your blessings, because otherwise I am just a useless fool.

Praying to be always out on Harinam Sankirtan, or at least be in Harinam Sankirtan consciousness 24X7, this is my humble desire, though I must admit that unfortunate as I am, I still maintain all sorts of material attachments. Please bless me.

your servant, 

Mahabhagavat Das

Please subscribe to daily inspirational emails from His Grace Sriman Sankarshan Das Adhikari (Writings and lectures archived at www.ecstaticmedia.com ), written fresh every day from his travels around the world sharing the highest spiritual knowledge with everyone. Sign up now at www.joincourse.com

2020.21-30 Sankirtan Adventures – Old City Hall, Online Sankirtan, and Chinese Old Age Home

December is celebrated as marathon month all over the world, where the followers of Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada go out to distribute spiritual literature profusely… this is from 2020. But I’m out again in 2022, and it feels like it all happened yesterday. Please help us by going out, or supporting those who are out, in harsh weather, to benefit the world by adding more spirituality to the collective consciousness of the world. Thank you!

Mahabhagavat Das SDA, 26 September 2020

Dear Devotees,

Hare Krishna!

Please kindly accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

I pray that you are all well and in good health and spirits.

By your blessings I am able to participate in this Hare Krishna movement, despite my disqualifications. Thank you!

Summary:

26 Aug 2020 – Old City Hall

1 Sep 2020 – Old City Hall

3 Sep 2020 – Old Ciy Hall (With Sagar Vankwani)

7 Sep 2020 – Book distribution at Chinese Old Age Home in Markham

8 Sep 2020 – Old City Hall

10 Sep 2020 – Old City Hall (with Shanti, Ciaran, Nick, Anastasia, Chris)

15 Sep 2020 – Old City Hall

17 Sep 2020 – Old City Hall (with Bhakta Nick, Aruna Keshavi, Vitthal Bhakta)

Aug 21 – 18 Sep 2020  Online – Bhagavatam set distributed (plus more books)

25 Sep 2020 – Old City Hall

————————————-

Total 10 Outings

This online Sankirtan really works! I just write as I have been hearing, and then, often while I am asleep, someone finds what I wrote and reads it. Over the last 2 years thousands have read… Sometimes they request more information, sometimes they request books, and they are often secretly practicing Bhakti at home! One person took an entire Bhagavatam set after a few months of reading the Bhagavad Gita As It Is with me. One person invited me into a Chinese Old Age home where I was able to distribute all the Chinese books I had with me!

I am glad at my great good fortune to be going downtown thrice a week. Am able to go out at the end of the day at least twice a week.

Now I have caught the Harinam fever, and can’t wait to go out. Sometimes, I get the privilege of associating with devotees (especially Nick, he has been very kind to me), sometimes it is just me, my spiritual master and the disciplic succession encouraging me on. Sometimes it is difficult to get going, sometimes unexpected barriers stop me from going. I always have books with me, and no matter what, there are always amazing interactions.

There are people who smile

There are people who begin slapping their bodies in rhythm

There are people who dance

There are people who sing

There are people who clap

There are people who staaaaare

There are people who look as long as you don’t look back at them

There are people who look with tremendous interest (mostly little children)

There are people who take a book

There are people who give a donation

There are people who say “Haribol”

There are people who say “Radhe Radhe”

There are the people who scowl

There are people who frown

Then there are the people who don’t even notice (the most unfortunate of all) – it is not me they don’t notice, but they don’t notice Sri Harinam, their ONLY saviour!

The longer someone stays within earshot of the Harinam, I notice a clear difference come over them… sometimes, people intentionally miss a streetcar so they can hear more. Sometimes, agitated people calm down. Sometimes noisy people quieten down. Sometimes sad people visibly become happy. Many are curious, I am sure they will check us out.

Even though I have begun wearing a mask when outside, I note that many who would have otherwise stopped, don’t stop…. they just continue on.

But times will change. One day they will stop.

They will take the Harinam home with them, and the Harinam will take them home with Him.

People are repeatedly dying, again and again they are taking birth, again and again they are dying. This Harinam Sankirtan will change that trajectory, no more birth, death, old age, and disease, no more misery of any kind. The more Harinam there is in the world, the more fortunate the souls in this world will be, until everyone is fortunate, and then this world will be Vaikuntha.

My 2020 goal is 108 outings, and I have 78 left to go, with just 97 days left this year. Please bless me that I may humbly perform this service. I am very greedy for your blessings. In fact, I am 100% convinced that I can only go out on Harinam Sankirtan because of your blessings, because otherwise I am just a useless fool.

Praying to be always out on Harinam Sankirtan, or at least be in Harinam Sankirtan consciousness 24X7, this is my humble desire, though I must admit that unfortunate as I am, I still maintain all sorts of material attachments.

your servant,

Mahabhagavat Das

dasadas.com

Please subscribe to daily inspirational emails from His Grace Sriman Sankarshan Das Adhikari (Writings and lectures archived at www.ecstaticmedia.com ), written fresh every day from his travels around the world sharing the highest spiritual knowledge with everyone. Sign up now at www.joincourse.com

Sankirtan Adventures – Old City Hall, Guelph, Online, Janmashtami

Sankirtan during the Pandemic, a look back at 2020…

Mahabhagavat Das SDA, 21 August 2020

Dear Devotees,

Hare Krishna!

Please kindly accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

I pray that you are all well and in good health and spirits.

By your blessings I am able to participate in this Hare Krishna movement, despite my disqualifications. Thank you!

Summary:

14 Jul 2020 Old City Hall

16 Jul 2020 Old City Hall

19 Jul 2020 Downtown Guelph Harinam

23 Jul 2020 Old City Hall

23 Jul 2020 Walking Harinam Old City Hall to ISKCON Toronto

28 Jul 2020 Email/WhatsApp Sankirtan

11 Aug 2020 Janmashtami Sankirtan

21 Aug 2020 Old City Harinaam

————————————-

Total 8 Outings

It has been a very nice summer generally. The Pandemic is a pity, because it is really hard to meet Canadians at close quarters when it gets cold. Yes, there is the phone, email, WhatApp, zoom, etc., Sankirtan, but a majority of “laying the groundwork” happens out there, on the street, in summer festivals, knocking on doors… The devotees have been largely absent from public consciousness.

As the Pandemic wears on, the attention to social media has waned, and many are not as receptive to online platforms as they were before. So, at least based on the reception we’re getting outside, the devotees should cautiously resume outdoor Harinaam Sankirtan, even though it will probably not immediately result in a lot of books distributed. Right now, we are circling amongst ourselves, preaching to ourselves, which, no doubt,needs to be done, but we also need to distribute the mercy outside of those we know presently.

I had some really nice experiences, in Guelph with Paramahamsa Prabhu, on Janmashtami, with Yogesh who had never been out on Harinam Sankirtan before. He took many books home with him, especially the smaller ones we don’t seem to be distributing a lot of these days. What is more, he is a customer for books that we could not distribute because they were “old looking”! 🙂 And Yogesh is reading those books intently – Mahaprabhu has already brought Yogesh into His tidal wave.

Especially now, the people are very needy for Harinam Sankirtan, while a lot of Harinam may be going on behind closed doors and behind virtual closed doors like Facebook and Zoom, we do need to get out there.

Especially in Toronto – the restaurants are open, the bars are open, the cinemas are open, the liquor shops are open and liquor is now being sold in the grocery stores. The brothels are open, the casinos are open, the malls are open, the offices are open. But the devotees are indoors. Harinam Sankirtan is a closed club. It is indeed a cause for concern that those who know we are not the body but spirit souls are sitting indoors even when the risk has gotten so low. We are supposed to be the fearless Hare Krishnas. Where is our “abhayam”? We are supposed to be surrendered to the Lotus Feet of Sri Abhaya Charanaravinda, where is our Abhaya?

Where possible, I’m urging devotees to get out there and not be lazy/afraid/overly cautious. Please, the world needs us and what we have.

Writing about one experience from yesterday, though there were many more…

I was on Harinam yesterday… Many were responding, many were not, but one man, unsteady on his feet due to being inebriated, cigarette in hand, came close. He asked “Indian song?” I said “yes I am from India but this is the song of the heart”. He listened really intently, thankfully he kept his distance. But I felt somewhat uncomfortable… I  mean, it is easier to be ignored than to be scrutinized like that. He then started singing, suddenly asked me, “Do you need some change”, I asked him “Do you need a book”, so he took 2 books, one by Srila Prabhupada and one by my spiritual master Sankarshan Prabhu. He gave me a donation and immediately started reading the book. He did say “Always Christ” and I said “All the way my brother”. I was intensely praying to Lord Chaitanya “please give this man your mercy and the Lord did shower His mercy upon that soul! So we can see how one can get instant feedback while out on Sankirtan.

Go out where you can. Go out when you can. Go out in ones or twos. Go out with a mask if you have to. Stay outdoors. Wash your hands, stay far away from others, but let the sound of your voice become the humble vehicle for the Holy Name to go out there and do His magic. There is no other way, no other way, no other way, except Harinam Sankirtan Harinam Sankirtan Harinam Sankirtan.

I reported my Sankirtan outing this morning and my spiritual master was pleased. So, dear devotees, please let us please our spiritual masters.

quote

So we have to be very careful. The age is very bad, the Kali-yuga. You are experiencing. We have to simply take shelter of krsna and always cry,

krsna, krsna, krsna, krsna, krsna, krsna, krsna, he!

krsna, krsna, krsna, krsna, krsna, krsna, krsna, he!

krsna, krsna, krsna, krsna, krsna, krsna, raksa mām!

krsna, krsna, krsna, krsna, krsna, krsna, pāhi mām!

krsna, keśava, krsna, keśava, krsna, keśava, raksa mām!

rāma rāghava, rāma rāghava, rāma rāghava, pāhi mām!

Like that, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught us. The time is very dangerous. And still, in this dangerous time… Just like in epidemic condition where every people is being contaminated and dying, still, the doctors appointed by the government, they have to go into the epidemic area and try to treat the person and save them. Our duty is like that. The whole atmosphere is epidemic, whole atmosphere, this Kali-yuga. And still, by the superior orders we have to preach this krsna consciousness movement. Therefore our only shelter is krsna. krsna, krsna, krsna, krsna, krsna, krsna, raksa mām. Very dangerous position. The foolish people, they are thinking that “We are very happy and we are very safe.” But nobody is safe. Nobody is safe. So we have to deal with persons very carefully, and at the same time, we have to push our missionary activities. Aho kastam dharma drsam.

– from SB 6.2.1-5 in Calcutta, India

unquote

My 2020 goal is 108 outings, and I have 88 left to go, with just over 130 days left. Please bless me that I may humbly perform this service. I am very greedy for your blessings. In fact, I am 100% convinced that I can only go out on Harinam Sankirtan because of your blessings, because otherwise I am just a useless fool.

Praying to be always out on Harinam Sankirtan, or at least be in Harinam Sankirtan consciousness 24X7, this is my humble desire, though I must admit that unfortunate as I am, I still maintain all sorts of material attachments.

your servant,

Mahabhagavat Das

dasadas.com

dasadas.com

Please subscribe to daily inspirational emails from His Grace Sriman Sankarshan Das Adhikari (Writings and lectures archived at www.ecstaticmedia.com ), written fresh every day from his travels around the world sharing the highest spiritual knowledge with everyone. Sign up now at www.joincourse.com

Sankirtan Adventures 2019.77-78 MARATHON! Old City Hall, New Ocean Supermarket

What is it that makes Srila Prabhupada book marathon so enlivening, so energizing, so inspiring and empowering? Here are some Sankirtan stories!

Mahabhagavat Das, 03 December 2019

Dear Devotees,

Hare Krishna!

Please kindly accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

By your mercy, Sankirtan continues. By your mercy may this marathon season be successful! Please bless! PRABHUPADA MARATHON!

My prayer to Sri Sri Gaura Nitai almost every day, in Marathi, with some variants sometimes.

Mee naalaayak aahe (I am unsuitable)

Mee murkha aahe (I am a fool)

Pan tumhi malaa sveekaarla (But You have accepted me)

Tar aata tyaa saglyaanvar krupa karaaa (so now please have mercy on all those others too)

Tumchi krupa aso, kaahitari karu dya (Please have mercy, please let me do something)

Das’ regular prayer

Summary:

27 Nov 2019 – Old City Hall

30 Nov 2019 – New Ocean Supermarket

———-

Total 2 Outings

Marathon magic!

What is it about the Prabhupada Marathon that inspires, empowers, and energizes? How is it that during the Prabhupada Marathon, impossible miracles occur? I don’t know. I am diving in. Please dive in too. You can only taste the nectar by diving in, not, as my spiritual master said to me before I started practicing “by licking the outside of the jar”. I pray that I can fully surrender to that instruction! 🙂

My son asks for a report – Baba, how many books, who took them, and so on. And he just LOVES to pack books for me, and accompany me too, whenever his 6-year-old busy schedule allows him to!

Ongoing conversation with Max… he’s asking questions, hopefully he reads a book! 🙂

I’m writing this “fresh”, in other words, as soon after the outing. There may be more of these writings with more detail, because I remember more, so please bear with me.

At City Hall one afternoon after a rainy day, collected a lot of no’s, some curiosity, but mostly no’s…

3 young men, walking by and I said “meditation”, and they said something I didn’t hear clearly and walked by. One of them turned around, the other two also turned around. I placed books in their hands and asked the first one “ever tried meditation”, he said no, and opened the Gita and started reading “…Personality… Godhead… Spoke… Sun God…” – flipped some more pages. I said this was spoken 5,000 years ago and that Einstein, Thoreau, Gandhi, they all read it, and we’re looking for people who want to read it, that we don’t sell them but accept donations. The others were busy flipping through their own books in the meantime. Turns out they had no money, high school kids, or maybe didn’t want to give, but high school kids! Pressman gave me his email, Euan gave me his Instagram, and the other one who said his name was Lucas said he had bad experiences with giving people his emails – so just for kicks, I let them read a crazy email I got (some of them, they’re really out there!). After a good chuckle, they all chanted, once, twice, and thrice, so the deal was sealed. Pressman handed me the Gita back because he felt he couldn’t accept it without giving me something. So they took small books and left with a good impression. Will one of them be a Vaisesika Prabhu? Will one of them be a friend of Vaisesika Prabhu? Will one of them be a Krsnadasa Kaviraja Prabhu? Will one of them teach their friend the Mahamantra and that person would be a Sankarshan Prabhu? They were all artistic and musical, so they played with the idea of making the Mahamantra as their “producer tag”. And we parted ways.

M sidled up to me, like literally rubbing against me before I jumped out of the way. She was unusually and uncomfortably close. With her high heels, cigarette blowing horrible smoke too close to me, dark skin, eyelashes, and makeup and heavy perfume, I could tell she was intoxicated, I asked her, “what do you do M” and she almost purred “I’m a working girl”. I could see her expression changing gradually as I spoke to her about meditation and a higher non-material inner pleasure. She took a book “yeah I will take one” and sobered up really quickly, stubbed out her cigarrette on the ground, crushing it with precision with her stiletto, and unfortunately didn’t chant the Mantra – didn’t want to push her, I was a bit nervous to be honest – who knows how it could go! I hope she will read the book “Conquer Your Mind, Conquer the World” by Sankarshan Prabhu, my spiritual master.

Teddy looked at me as I said “meditation” but passed me by. Then he slowly turned around and said “what did you say”. For a moment, I was fearful that I had met another interesting character and might possibly be in trouble. But as I handed him the Chant and Be Happy, I said “I said, are you interested in meditation, sir”. Teddy is into stoicism, and said he “got that orange book” (Bhagavad Gita), but cannot understand it. I said “see, stoicism is fine, but if you don’t feel anything how will you ever connect? You need to feel, but you can’t get carried away by every feeling”. That resonated with him. So he took Chant and Be Happy saying it “looked simpler”, chanted the mantra, and as I dropped him an email – he said he would be in touch. In parting he said “namas to you”, so I said “namaste” with joined palms, and he did the one-handed pranaam in the Oriental way and left, and I was happy to note he was not stoic but had a wiiiide smile!

Karan was my most memorable candidate that day. He approached me with “Sir, do you like Kids”, and I said of course and asked him if he was with Sick Kids Hospital. He said no, I think he is with Amnesty or some other welfare organization trying to save the children. I said, look I do a lot of this, I just spent a whole bunch of time standing over there trying to see if anyone is interested in their own spiritual welfare, it’s the month the Gita was spoken. He said “I’m Sikh, and I always wanted to read the Gita”. I said, today is your lucky day. So he got a Gita, and we exchanged emails. He was so moved. Who knows what prayers Karan has made to Krishna and what his relationship is with Krishna? But he couldn’t believe it, he was clearly very emotional about this turn of events. I pray he will serve all souls with Sankirtan.

I was meant to go out for at least 2-3 more Sankirtan outings, but somehow or the other I could not go. This is how life can pass me by, one day at a time, no Sankirtan, no Sankirtan, no Sankirtan!

New Ocean Supermarket

Murlidhar Seva Prabhu, in tandem with the Sankirtan Organization Team carefully planned and organized for the Sankirtan warriors to go out to 6 different stores last Saturday. Not one, not two, but 6! Many many books were distributed, mostly Bhagavad Gitas! It was a masterstroke, on a cold day!

I went to one of them, and joined Sriman Peran, Rameshwar Prabhu, Mother Geetha. Vitthal Bhakta and I were then also joined by the power team of Radha Mohan Prabhu, Govinda, and Ananya Bhakti.

Conversations were simple, either super-easy, or impossible 🙂

All I had to say was, to place the Gita in someone’s hands and say something like “sir, look at this Gita... sir Gita Jayanti coming up, as a service to Krishna we want to distribute 24,000 of these in the GTA. Please sir, take at least one. We are from the temple sir. No business sir. Just cost price sir, 10 dollar, if you give more, give more, goes to Krishna”. Most said “I already have”, to which I’d respond “yes sir yes sir, of course, surely you have, sir, this is not for you, this is for you to bless someone else sir, as a service to Krishna sir”. I replaced the “sir” with a “ma”/”ma’am”/”amma” depending on who I was speaking to.

There was the man who took one Gita and spontaneously gave us $50 (we gave him a couple more to distribute). There was the lady who didn’t know were accepting donations and left with the Gita (lucky winner). There were the souls who didn’t have any cash so they went to the cash register, with Peran and Rameshwar Prabhu tagging with them because you know, some “escaped”! To get cash back… There was the store owner’s wife Shobana who promised to come to the temple on Gita Jayanti with her kids.

We ran out of all the Tamil Gitas very quickly, and almost all the English ones too. I didn’t collect contact details here, though Peran Prabhu did collect a few.

There were the difficult ones of course, like the parents who discouraged their children “you don’t have time, too much studies”, I was thinking “what are they afraid of, that their child is going to become the emperor of the world by reading the Gita?”.

Anyways, after some delicious Prasada packed lovingly by Mother Shyama Mohini, we headed home. Vitthal Bhakta was very happy with the “really nice people taking so many Bhagavad Gitas”.

My Sankirtan outings goal for 2019 is 108, and write about them all, and I now have 30 to go, in 29 days. Please bless me that I may humbly perform this service. I am very greedy for your blessings. In fact, I am 100% convinced that I can only go out on Harinam Sankirtan because of your blessings, because otherwise I am just a useless fool.

Praying to be always out on Harinam Sankirtan, or at least be in Harinam Sankirtan consciousness 24X7, this is my humble desire, though I must admit that unfortunate as I am, I still maintain all sorts of material attachments.

your servant,

Mahabhagavat Das

dasadas.com

Preeti, 03 December 2019

Hare Krishna Prabhuji 

I love to read your report on sankirtan!

It is soooooo inspiring. Please keep sending more.

Hopefully one day I will have the opportunity and courage to go on sankirtan myself. 

Hari Bol

Preeti 

Tapas Chakraborty, 03 December 2019

Hare Krishna

All glories to Gurudeva

All glories to Srila Prabhupada

Thank you so much for sharing the inspiring stories of reaching out to help millions of souls in directing them to the world of Krishna consciousness for realising truth transcendental peace and ecstasy. In its truth you are serving the lord residing in dormant consciousness within each soul to awaken and enjoy the heavenly peace and joy. No more service is better than this.

Going through the passages I felt nostalgic as if missing the divine consciousness of all your holy company in this mission to make the whole world Krishna conscious.

I am enjoying a lot and visualising my presence in this holy mission.

Thanks a lot to you again.

Tapas

Rasika Krishna Das, 03 December 2019

Jaya !! Hare Krishna !!

Rasika Krishna Das

Haladhar Das, 04 December 2019

Hare Krsna prabhu Dandvat Pranam 

All glories to Srila Prabhupada 

All glories to Srila Gurudeva and Srimati Gurumata 

Thank you very much for sharing the nectar. It’s really inspiring that not only you are distributing Srila Prabhupada mercy but also then share your experiences with us. 

By your blessings and regular motivation I am too trying this year to contribute in Gita marathon. Have started once a week, will increase to twice thrice a week and have already made up mind to do whole year.  Will share some realizations soon. 

Looking forward to your next visit to India soon. Everyone in Pinjore remembers you.

Thank you very much for being part of SDA family 

your servant 

Haladhar Das, Pinjore, India 

Mahabhagavat Das, 05 December 2019

Dear Sriman Tapas,

Thank you!

I am saved by this Krishna Consciousness movement, by Srila Prabhupada, by Srila Gurudeva, by all these devotees. So I am trying to spread my good fortune around.

Please do your best too, knowing that your best will surely get better by Krishna’s mercy.

Sincerely,

Mahabhagavat Das

dasadas.com

Mahabhagavat Das, 05 December 2019

Dear Mother Preeti,

Hare Krishna!

Anyone and everyone can distribute books. In fact, the books are so potent that they distribute themselves!

Please take some books and go out – try to tell people what you know about the books, tell them you’re not selling but asking for any donation from their heart. Do this in a reasonable way taking into account, place, time of day, type of people around, your own personal safety etc., into account, and I guarantee that you will distribute many books.

Please try it out and write about your experiences.

If you have any difficulties, please let me know.

your servant,

Mahabhagavat Das

dasadas.com

Mahabhagavat Das, 05 December 2019

Dear Haladhar Prabhu,

Please accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Gurudeva.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Thank you for your kind encouragement Prabhu. Yes, I can do so very little, but if we can together amplify our efforts by encouraging and motivating each other, then that will be a great thing.

Any kind of “sankalpa” – determination to serve is all-auspicious. I do remember all the devotees in and around Chandigarh very fondly and am deeply grateful to them for giving me an opportunity to serve, and tolerate my mistakes and imperfections.

I look forward to returning. Right now, I have made a sankalpa to attend Srila Gurudeva’s next Vyasa Puja in Vrindavan. If by Krishna’s grace, I can come, then I will feel most fortunate to have your association.

We should thank Srila Gurudeva and Srila Prabhupada for bringing us together, this is indeed one amazing transcendental family!

bhadram te!

your servant,

Mahabhagavat Das

dasadas.com

Gautam pal, 05 December 2019

Hare Krishna

All glories to Gurudeva 

All glories to Srila Prabhupada 

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Prabhu,

Please give me the guidelines so that I can get Krishna’s mercy.

Sincerely,

Gautam Pal

Mahabhagavat Das, 06 December 2019

Dear Sriman Gautam,

Hare Krishna!

Distributing to persons of different cultures is slightly different… you need to tailor your approach. For examples, Indians get offended if you ask them to read the Gita – they feel they already know it, their mother read it to them, and their grandmother had it all memorized, their great-grandfather was a Guru equal to Srila Prabhupada and so on…

To Indians we say “Sir, you are a gentleman, know so much about the Gita, this knowledge flows in your veins. But so many others don’t know. We want to spread this knowledge all over the world. We want to distribute x Gitas this December to those who don’t yet understand. We are from the temple, we are not doing this for money. Please help us by taking one or more and spread this pure knowledge. Our cost is x, if you give more donation, it will go to the temple”.

These are the basics:

1. Get books and keep them with you  – you cannot distribute books if you don’t have them with you always.

2. We are ambassadors of goodwill – no arguments, no fights, give everyone what they can accept. A smile, a Maha Mantra, an invite to the temple, a little bit of Krishna Prasada, a book, and the service of giving a donation

3. Don’t worry about money. Don’t be shy about accepting a donation on Krishna’s behalf, but if someone is interested but cannot give the full amount, as long as you are not at a temple book stall, give the book to them – that is your service to them. For example, 20+ years ago, I got my Gita free of charge – someone had sponsored! Now every Gita I distribute, that original sponsor is also getting benefit for helping me connect to Krishna!

4. The more you show, the more you distribute – show to everyone as far as possible, put the book in their hands as soon as possible, and “give to the hand”, at hand level, the hand takes

5. Start with a personal connection – wave at people, smile at them. Don’t approach them if they are hostile or do not reciprocate. Save your energy for those who reciprocate. Krishna Himself says “manushyaanaam sahasreshu” – among thousands, one is interested.

6. Ask them questions about themselves and be genuinely interested in them, also tell a little about yourself as appropriate and build trust. Build trust before you ask them for anything.

7. There is no hard-and-fast rule, except don’t pursue people who are not ready, let them go. Especially fanatics, avoid them!

8. Above all, MOST IMPORTANT – leave everyone with a good impression, we are doing a service to Krishna, we don’t want to do any disservice to Guru and Krishna!

9. Stay humble, we are doing this more for our own purification than for others’ benefit, if someone else benefits, that is a bonus, but Sankirtan, especially rejection builds our spiritual blood for our spiritual body

10. Sankirtan and book distribution is the highest sadhana, the more you go our on Sankirtan the better your chanting will be, and the better you chant, the more effective you will be on Sankirtan… actually this is the mood of the Gopis, especially Srimati Radharani, how to engage everyone in the service of Krishna

11. We are all one big global/Universal team – if I miss someone, you will get them, if you miss someone, I will get them, but important to approach everyone to increase their good fortune that one day they will say yes

Remember that we can be soft like the water, but the water has carved continents and mountains! We are on a project to redeem a soul that has been in the material realm for millions, billions, trillions of lifetimes, so we should have patience, we (at least I) cannot take them to Goloka in one conversation 🙂

Anyone with more interest, look for the BBT book “Our Family Business” by His Grace Vaisesika Dasa Adhikari, a Godbrother of Srila Gurudeva.

Spiritual books by Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva are very powerful. They will attract the right candidates, you just be their instrument.

I can speak or write about this for ever (and I hope to), but you will only taste the nectar if you try yourselves!

Please everyone, try, and report back here. We are eagerly waiting to hear your adventures on book distribution!

your servant,

Mahabhagavat Das

dasadas.com

Rupa Manjari Devi Dasi, 07 December 2019

Hare Krishna! Jai, 30 more things to do, you can do it!

Rupa Manjari Devi Dasi

Haladhar Das, 12 December 2019

Hare Krishna dear devotees,

All glories to Srila Gurudeva and Srimati Gurumata

All glories to Srila Prabhupada

Encouraged by HG Mahabhagavat Prabhu, have again re-participated in this year Gita Marathon, once a week as of now, trying to convince myself to increase to at least twice or thrice a week. Except 1 or 2 atheists a very small number to discourage, mostly there were many nice experiences during book distribution on the streets during last 3 Sunday’s, sharing some of them :

1. A seeker – a Sikh gentleman carrying his small baby on his shoulder was very pleased to receive Bhagavad Gita. He said I have been searching for Bhagvad Gita for the last 2 years and have even gone to the other city for the same but could not find. I don’t know how fortunate I am that I have come across you. People don’t value the price of Bhagavad Gita. It’s a priceless jewel. I somehow never saw you people distributing Bhagavad Gita earlier. Hearing this I felt embarrassed and replied yes we do only during the Gita Marathon only and that too only on Sunday’s. Though he lived little far, yet I shared with him our Centre address and program details and invited him to attend the programs. 

2. School girl fan of Krishna – A young girl came across and when I showed her the Bhagavad Gita, she was so blissful to see Krishna’s picture and hearing Krishna’s name. She was not much aware about Bhagavad Gita. When I tried to tell her something, she kept interrupting and asking is this book of Kanha ji (Lord Krishna) and I said yes, she was very pleased and very happily asked to kindly give her. She had INR 30 less but the attraction and love which she had for Krishna was worth it. She gladly took Bhagavad Gita and moved ahead.

3. A seemed to be stubborn old man – He returned back on his two wheeler, took the book and said, I don’t need Bhagavad Gita, but I am very inspired to see you in this young age making so much effort to distribute Bhagavad Gita on roads. Ofcourse it was like nectar pouring in my ears as after so long I have heard someone calling me young 🙂  I thanked him for being part of Vedic literature distribution and told him that Bhagavad Gita won’t stop, if you won’t be reading, someone else will definitely. 

This confirmed my thoughts that I share with younger devotees that if you preach, go out on Harinam, do book distribution, more people will feel inspired to connect with the movement.

4. Are you a Salesman – One gentleman who was observing since long finally came near and told you should go to a nearby place and sell there in the weekly vegetable market. I replied, we are not selling Bhagavad Gita, we are giving them on donation, so more can be printed and distributed and more and more people can get Lord Krishna mercy.

5. Appreciative but non-receptive: Many people though did not take the books, but they showed appreciation for distributing Bhagavad Gita. If time permits we are taking their contacts to keep them updated of ISKCON programs. Many ladies as usual replies we already have at home. When told to take for gifting to some near & dear ones or to donate, they show reluctance. Some who seemed to be non-receptive outwardly turned out to be appreciative and took books while those who seemed appreciative outwardly were reluctant to take the books as well as cited their unwillingness to come to Sunday programs due to various reasons like distance from the Centre, working etc but promised to read the books. It was a sweet reminder that I should approach everyone, as Krishna has His own ways to inspire people.

6. I’m not always right: Like some, one person came but when he was shown the Bhagavad Gita, he said this one I have. I thought may be lying like others, but anyhow to give a try I reluctantly invited him to our books table and showed him Krishna book and other small books, he happily took them and also took details of the ISKCON center of his city. Realized that day that we cannot just judge a book by its cover, we have to open it and try to go through.

These are some experiences which I could remember. What really amazes me and motivates me to keep going are those devotees who are distributing Srila Prabhupada books in foreign land, where people are of different backgrounds, different religions, different mindsets, different cultures…… whereas in India its not so difficult as almost everyone at least have heard about Lord Krishna and Bhagavad Gita, still the wicked mind finds reasons to avoid participating in distributing Srila Prabhupada mercy to one and all. I have a deep desire to do door to door book distribution, but not the courage to do so. Hope someday by Vaishnavas mercy would be somehow able to do it.

Kindly keep blessing, else I see no hope for carrying forward my spiritual life especially book distribution which at times if not done for long, seems too tense, fearful and stressful in the beginning like having an injection from some Doctor’s inexperienced looking young assistant after a long time but once the needle goes in and comes out generally it is more or less unnoticed. Similarly to me, distribution of Srila Prabhupada books 

Kindly forgive if you find any mistakes in above dealings and do correct for my betterment so as to properly help the society as much as possible.

Hare Krishna.

trying to be servant of the servant of Sri Guru and Gauranga

Haladhar Das, Punjab, India

Sacinandana Das, 12 December 2019

Hare Krishna Dear Devotees, 

Please accept my humble obeisances. 

All glories to Srila Gurudev and Srimati Gurumata ji. 

All glories to Srila Prabhupada. 

I along with three other devotees went for book distribution last Sunday but we could distribute only 1 Bhagavad Gita and only one responded to me by saying Hare Krishna. 

 Please bless me this weekend so I can distribute more books. 

your servant, 

Sacinandana das. 

Rasika Krishna Das, 12 December 2019

Jaya !! All glories to your services Prabhuji 🙂

your servant,

Rasika Krishna Das

Rasika Krishna Das, 15 December 2019

Jaya !! All glories to your services Prabhuji 🙂

your servant,

Rasika Krishna Das

Please subscribe to daily inspirational emails from His Grace Sriman Sankarshan Das Adhikari (Writings and lectures archived at www.ecstaticmedia.com ), written fresh every day from his travels around the world sharing the highest spiritual knowledge with everyone. Sign up now at www.joincourse.com

2019.61-71 Old City Hall, Vaishnava Sanga, Janmashtami, Trinity Bellwoods, Cabbagetown, Travel

2019 Summer Sankirtan Adventures. Krishna is Adventure. When you go out on Sankirtan, your life becomes an adventure too! Sankirtan is life. Live it!

Mahabhagavat Das SDA, 05 October 2019

Dear Devotees,

Hare Krishna!

Please kindly accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Even though it appears that summer may be coming to a close, at least as far as my Sankirtan Life is concerned, the summer of Sankirtan continues on, thanks to blessings from the spiritual master and the devotees!

Being out on Sankirtan is the most adventurous thing one can do. When we are out on Sankirtan, we literally put our lives in the hands of Sri Krishna. We beg for His mercy, we remember Him intensely, we make ourselves vulnerable as beggars, and we just go out on a limb to serve the disciplic succession. It is truly a privilege and pleasure to serve in this way.

Sankirtan is also the surest way – second only to marriage 🙂 to remind oneself about one’s false pride in action, and to see what a sad and sorry state the present world in, and just how much everyone just suffering.

Like all genuine pleasures, it takes time to begin to appreciate, and it takes time to practice and hone, it takes time to appreciate every single experience, but once one is in that circle of mercy, truly in that circle of mercy, then one hankers to be back in that flow, that zone of intense Krishna consciousness.

Nowhere does one witness the magic of Krishna consciousness more than being out on Sankirtan. Miracles happen at every moment, and the most unlikely experiences occur, and each experience is hand-picked by Krishna for one’s own betterment.

If you want to see Krishna’s hand in your life, then go out on Sankirtan! If you want to lose attachment to material pleasure, then go out on Sankirtan,. If you want to be humbled, then go out on Sankirtan. If you want to feel pride for Krishna, then go out on Sankirtan. Little or a Lot, PLEASE, do go out on Sankirtan!

Summary:

10 Aug 2019 – Old City Hall

14-17 Aug – Vaishnava Sanga  (3 outings in Shawinigan, Quebec)

23 Aug – Sri Krishna Janmastami (2 outings in the temple)

31 Aug – Trinity Bellwoods Park

31 Aug – Sri Radha Shyamsunder Janmashtami

4 Sep – Downtown Individual Outing (after a LONG time!)

8 Sep – Cabbagetown festival

17-30 Sep – Business Trip Sankirtan in Toronto, New York, San Luis Obispo, San Francisco, Los Angeles, etc.

———-

Total 11 Outings

Vaisesika Prabhu and His wave of Sankirtan mercy

Vaisesika Prabhu distributes books on the street

Whenever great Sankirtan warriors descend, in their presence and in their footsteps we experience tremendous empowerment. Old City Hall was another magical experience, with the devotees performing Harinam right in front of Old City Hall, and so many devotees greeting the souls milling about. We also got an opportunity to bathe in the nectar shower that was his Vyasa Puja in ISV.

Michael, Dennis, and Wes all gave me their contact information, in fact that’s the only reason I still remember them – they gave me their contact information! Especially Dennis was coming “home” to Canada via Russia, China, and London, England. He felt at home with Krishna too, saying “Hey you’re a Krishna guy, I’ve seen your guys all around”. Wes was back to Toronto after a long stretch in Australia.

Right after that outing, in the temple, I met Karishma and Raghav who were visiting the temple for the first time. They both also took books, gave donations, chanted Hare Krishna and heard all about Radha Kshir Chor Gopinath! And yes, they did share their contact info.

If I can only follow up effectively with everyone I meet (remember these are the cream of the crop, they stopped, gave their time, attention, money, took a book, and left a contact!), ISKCON Toronto will surely be forced to expand into the church across the street! 🙂

Vaishnava Sanga magic

On Harinam in Shawinigan during Vaishnava Sanga

Right after Vaisesika Prabhu left, we got a solid dose of inspiration from the great souls gathered in St. Mathieu Du Parc in Quebec. I got to serve in the kitchen on 2 days, it was blissful service, cooking for all these delightful Vaishnavas! But what’s more, I got to go out on the famous Shawinigan Harinams, not once, not twice, but thrice!

These Shawinigan Harinamas are directly from the spiritual world (like every other Harinama, but I experienced the magic most here. First of all, its not a bunch of shy newbies, but veterans of the art of Harinam, senior devotees, disciples of Srila Prabhupada, advanced souls like Bhaktimarga Swami, Mahatma Prabhu, Krishnadas Kaviraj Prabhu, Lakshminath Prabhu, Guru Prasad Prabhu, and many more elevated souls! And accompanied by such young veterans of the art of Harinam as Krishna Dulal Prabhu and Prana Gauranga Prabhu! It was a pleasure to take the little town of Shawinigan by the storm of Sri Harinam Sankirtan.

Right before, we had stopped at ISKCON Montreal and stocked up on those elusive French books on Krishna consciousness. With a nice box full of books, we set out, only to almost run out on day 1! 🙂

ISKCON Montreal

Here we witness the power of the Holy Name. One can’t speak French or Quebecois to save one’s life, except for a hearty Bonjour (surely said with the wrong accent)! So how these books get distributed, and how donations come in is just a complete mystery to me. Well, not only me, but many many devotees took books, our own Vrajalalana Mataji, and Mathieu Prabhu from Ottawa, and many others, they just congregated on the books and within a very short time almost all the books were gone!

Quebec, Canada

A few years ago, I had met the wife of the owner of a restaurant, she was from Mauritius. Now this time I met her husband and his employees, who all took books and made donations! Now the circle is complete, the whole family has Srila Prabhupada’s books. I am convinced that Krishna has a GRAND plan for this family – I mean he sent a whole Harinam Party after them, not once, not twice, but SO MANY times! 🙂 And His pure devotee’s books! He has accepted donations from them, and allowed them to serve the devotees with drinking water (in that hot weather, it is the most precious thing)… I can’t wait to see what Krishna unfolds in due course of time!

Also followed up with another contact I met a couple of years ago – her family attended one of the events at the Vaishnava Sanga!

I met a couple visiting Quebec from Brazil!

Many many souls took books, not only French, but also English. Very successful in reaffirming the magic of Sri Harinam to me!

A lady who accepted books 3 years ago in Shawinigan texted me excitedly “Hi Krishna das do you have Mahabharat in French?”. So I’m asking around.

Here are a few I remember from the other Sankirtan outings…

On Sri Krishna Janmashtami, I was almost exclusively at the book table, eagerly approaching visiting guests with our books, some took, some didn’t but so what, “next”! Our two little Sankirtan warriors, Govinda and Vitthal Bhakta wanted to distribute books too. And they did. Not only did they distribute books, but also collected handsome donations for Krishna. I was distressed to see these little children treated badly by a couple of guests who treated them as if they were some sort of street urchins begging for themselves! But they are small enough not to notice the insults, and happily and enthusiastically carried on. However, this drives home to me how careful we need to be to protect these little innocent devotees from nastiness (unlike some other Sankirtan warriors who did not get that kind of protection as children or vulnerable adults), so their Sankirtan outings need to be carefully planned and arranged so that they have happy childhood experiences of Sankirtan.

Get Spiritual Books

At the Janmashtami celebration of Sri Radha Shyamsunder close to Toronto, there was this one lady who wanted to begin the Bhagavatam but couldn’t commit to the full set. So she took the personal copy of teh first Canto copy Mother Sucaru! Mother Sucaru was in the midst of reading that particular copy, but she graciously allowed the distribution of her own copy… I had thought that the devotees could replenish, but apparently that big First Canto is not being printed at the moment! She reminded me of Srila Prabhupada who gave his personal copy away for distribution!

Devotees at a Book Table

Two sisters from Wales visited our booth, and said “cool, our Mum is a yoga teacher” and “she probably has tha’one and tha’one”, until suddenly one of them said “tha’one, tha’one I’d like to read”, and took a couple of books, made a donation. They also chanted Hare Krishna “no problem, we’ve chanted before”.

Abhishek was a gas station attendant, a bright young man from Nepal. This was at a gas station close to ISKCON Berkeley – New Jagannath Puri Dham. He didn’t know about this amazing temple! He told me he was reading Paramahamsa Yogananda’s “Autobiography of a yogi”. He said he’d read the Bhagavad Gita As It Is before, promised to read again, accepted a couple of books, and said “sometimes we follow this path, sometimes that path”. And then he acknowledged “without guru we cannot make spiritual advancement, so a group of us are looking for a genuine guru”. He gave me all the contact information and responded with a “Hare Krishna. Thank you very much”

David chanced upon us – on a bike with his toddler son, in Trinity Bellwoods, and was gracious enough to ask very intelligent questions, get a Bhagavad Gita and make a generous donation. He didn’t want to go further in terms of giving me contact details etc., but at least he has the Gita!

Krishna the gas station attendant at a Shell said “Hare Krishna” and pointed to his name badge. He didn’t know about the ISKCON of Silicon Valley, so I wrote down the address for him. He passed the book back to me saying “and your contact information also, in case I have questions”.

Syed, from Lahore, Pakistan had been chased out of a cushy job in Dubai after it was discovered that he was the wrong kind of Muslim – a Shia instead of a Sunni. He’s arrived just 5 months ago, and we could tell he was feeling the cold – with his car warmed up like an oven and togged up with a hoodie with the hood on inside that baking hot car today with 18C weather outside. We had a good philosophical conversation about how God is fair to all and no one sect has a monopoly on God. He had said he liked to cook, found it amazing that I liked to cook too, and accepted a Higher Taste, saying “I like vegetarian food”.

J, a colleague in California, has steadily accepted (and read) Srila Prabhupada’s books over the last couple of years. I started with Prasadam, and cookbooks, and now she has Devamrita Swami’s Hiding in Unnatural Happiness and the Bhagavad Gita As It is.

Bhagavad Gita As It Is

Wonderful Serendipitous meeeting with Book Distribution General Vijaya Prabhu – on our way to Los Angeles we stopped at Ahimsa Cafe for some Prasada. This is a restaurant run by Tukaram Prabhu and his wife, in Long Beach California. I was reluctant, but the family was eager… and as I parked the car and walked over, what do I see but Vijaya Prabhu relishing Prasada! I got some undeserved mercy from a very humble Vaishnava who was out distributing the Bhagavad Gita at the Long Beach College. I pray that I may be able to follow in his footsteps, and 10, 20, 30, more years from now always continue to distribute Srila Prabhupada’s books, Srila Gurudeva’s books, my spiritual mentors’ books.

Vijaya Dasa Master Book Distributor & Inspirational Speaker

In Los Angeles lives a saint, His Holiness Amala Bhakta Swami. About 87 years of age, he doesn’t travel anymore, but is the prime example of “tirtham kurvanti tirthani”, for him, a picture of Sri Krishna is not just a picture, but directly Krishna. He took us around a tour of his Ashram, asking us “why would I need to go anyplace else”? He said his focus was on chanting and praying and purifying himself, and that he would preach in New Dvaraka but not leave those auspicious premises. He was extremely encouraging with my book distribution efforts. He told us about some of his early experiences, how he transitioned from a Hollywood actor to a Sadhu gradually, but with firm determination. Meeting him was a great highlight of my life, and when I distribute books, I do so in the hope of pleasing great souls such as him. He is one of the few, in addition to my spiritual master, who have taken the effort to actually correct me, caution me, warn me and guide me in the right direction. To these souls I remain grateful.

Amala Bhakta Swami, a modern-day saint

I’ve been writing this in bits and pieces for many days, actually over 3 weeks, but I fear that it is already too long and may tax you, dear devotee more, so even though I have a lot of amazing stories, they will have to wait for some other day.

My Sankirtan outings goal for 2019 is 108, and write about them all, and I now have 37 to go. Please bless me that I may humbly perform this service. I am very greedy for your blessings. In fact, I am 100% convinced that I can only go out on Harinam Sankirtan because of your blessings, because otherwise I am just a useless fool.

Praying to be always out on Harinam Sankirtan, or at least be in Harinam Sankirtan consciousness 24X7, this is my humble desire, though I must admit that unfortunate as I am, I still maintain all sorts of material attachments.

your servant,

Mahabhagavat Das

dasadas.com

Chaitanya Das, 05 October 2019,

Hare Krishna Prabhuji. Dandavat Pranam. Please accept my humble obeisances.

Thank you so much for sharing, hope one day i should also be able to do it, seeking your blessings Prabhuji.

your servant,

Chaitanya Das.

Rasika Krishna Das, 6 October 2019

Hare Krishna Prabhuji,

Jaya!! All glories to your Sankirtan outings.

your servant,

Rasika Krishna Das

Mahabhagavat Das SDA, 08 October 2019

Dear Chaitanya Prabhu,

Hare Krishna!

Thank you for your kind encouragement.

Why not let today be the day? Today you can give a book by Srila Prabhupada or Srila Gurudeva to one of your family members, friends, or colleagues. And if no one is around, then give to yourself, meaning, read to yourself 🙂 The power emanated by vibrating the contents of a pure devotee’s writings changes the world for the better. Please try it.

your servant,

Mahabhagavat Das

dasadas.com

Chaitanya Das, 08 October 2019

Hare Krishna Prabhu. Please accept my humble obeisances. Thank you so much Prabhu, will do. Will read Srila Prabhupada’s books everyday and distribute whenever i can. Hare Krishna. 

your servant,

Chaitanya Das

Tapas Chakraborty, 09 October 2019

Hare Krishna

Thanks for sharing the enormity of your involvement in spreading the Krishna conscious movement and experience which will benefit us immensely in our determination to progress with higher enthusiasm. We firmly believe setting targets will enable the resolve to reach greater heights of spiritual and transcendental knowledge.

With warm Regards

Tapas

Please subscribe to daily inspirational emails from His Grace Sriman Sankarshan Das Adhikari (Writings and lectures archived), written fresh every day from his travels around the world sharing the highest spiritual knowledge with everyone. Sign up now at www.joincourse.com

Muslim Brahmin in Hyderabad

Can a Muslim be a Brahmin? Can a Vaishnava be as good as a Mullah or Rabbi or Christian priest? Here are some great insights from a Maulvi in Hyderabad!

Not long ago, I was out on the street distributing the Bhagavad Gita in the South Central Indian City of Hyderabad. Hyderabad, like most cities in India, is a beautiful confluence of many cultures. Specifically, in Hyderabad, there is a significant mix of Hindu, Muslim, and Christian populations, and the history of the city has a strong Muslim flavour. For the most part, people have lived in harmony for hundreds of years. There have been flash-points and incidents of hatred, but relatively rare.

One day, as I stood on the street, I saw an elderly gentlemen, clearly Muslim from his long white beard with moustache shaved off, a baggy light-coloured Salwar Kameez, and a distinctive skull cap. He walked slowly, with a walker, that he gently placed in front of him, and then moved his legs closer to the walker, shuffling by slowly. I respectfully made way for this gentleman and greeted him with a little bow.

He passed back-and-forth a few times, and seeing his friendly countenance, I asked him if he would read the Bhagavad Gita. He said he most certainly would, if I had a Hindi version available. He then told me that he had been to the ISKCON Radha Madan Mohan temple in Abids, Hyderabad several times for the Sunday feast program, and had participated in Harinam Sankirtan, and taken Prasad many times at the temple. The surprise must have been clear on my face, because he then said “Do you know that I am a Brahmin?”.

He then explained “I am the Maulvi of this mosque around this corner. I have dedicated my life to Allah. I don’t eat meat and I don’t drink alcohol. I teach the scripture. So how am I not a Brahmin?”. He then added “The Gita was spoken by Allah and the Q’uran was spoken by Allah, so why would I read one but not the other?“. I was very much gladdened by his mature understanding. This is exactly our Vaishnava understanding too.

In the Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krishna describes the qualities of a Brahmin…

शमो दमस्तप: शौचं क्षान्तिरार्जवमेव च ।
ज्ञानं विज्ञानमास्तिक्यं ब्रह्मकर्म स्वभावजम् ॥ ४२ ॥

śamo damas tapaḥ śaucaṁ
kṣāntir ārjavam eva ca
jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ
brahma-karma svabhāva-jam

Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, knowledge, wisdom and religiousness – these are the natural qualities by which the brāhmaṇas work.

https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/18/42/

So, if we see any living entity from any cultural background or any religious orientation who has these qualities, we must accept them as good as Brahmins. Of course, Krishna also says that Brahmin is not only by quality, but also by the work they do…

चातुर्वर्ण्यं मया सृष्टं गुणकर्मविभागशः ।
तस्य कर्तारमपि मां विद्ध्यकर्तारमव्ययम् ॥ १३ ॥

cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ
guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ
tasya kartāram api māṁ
viddhy akartāram avyayam

According to the three modes of material nature and the work associated with them, the four divisions of human society are created by Me. And although I am the creator of this system, you should know that I am yet the nondoer, being unchangeable.

https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/4/13/

Srila Prabhupada describes the 6 duties of a Brahmin…

Brāhmaṇas are supposed to acquire six kinds of auspicious qualifications: they become very learned scholars (paṭhana) and very qualified teachers (pāṭhana); they become expert in worshiping the Lord or the demigods (yajana), and they teach others how to execute this worship (yājana); they qualify themselves as bona fide persons to receive alms from others (pratigraha), and they distribute the wealth in charity (dāna).

https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/5/17/11/

Based on instructions from the Vaishnava Acharyas, the great saintly teachers, we accept that Prophet Muhammad is an empowered messenger sent directly by God, practically, speaking a “shaktyavesha avataar” or a living entity but with the power to act in a way empowered by God. We accept that Jesus Christ is the son of God, a pure devotee fully dovetailed with the desire of God. We accept that there is only one God, known by different names and different degrees of understanding, as an impersonal spirit (Brahman), as a localized supersoul (Paramatma), and as the Personality of Godhead (Bhagavan).

When our constitutional position, or dharma, is deteriorated due to the contaminations of matter, the Lord Himself comes as an incarnation or sends some of His confidential servitors. Lord Jesus Christ called himself the “son of God,” and so is a representative of the Supreme. Similarly, Mohammed identified himself as a servant of the Supreme Lord. Thus whenever there is a discrepancy in our constitutional position, the Supreme Lord either comes Himself or sends His representative to inform us of the real position of the living entity.

On the Way to Krishna, Chapter 2

I offered my deepest respects to that great Maulvi, that Muslim priest, who has realized the essence of Allah Consciousness in principle. Surely, he is very very close to Allah. By speaking his sweet realized words, he gave me hope that this world can be rectified from its current sectarian path.

In the same way, all the Muslims should accept the advanced Vaishnavas as good as their own Maulvis and Hazrats.

The Christians should accept the advanced Vaishnavas as good as their own nuns, monks, and priests.

The Jews should accept the advanced Vaishnavas as good as their own Rabbis.

This is the principle. One God. Many scriptures according to time, place, and circumstance.

So, what was our conclusion as we parted ways? We concluded that the genuine mature follower of any genuine faith tradition is very similar, they love God, and they love all of God’s creation. They see God everywhere, and see everyone as God’s children, to be loved and served. But the follower-in-name, a materialist or religion-politician of any faith is equally sectarian or in many cases, inhuman, and unfortunately, also evil.

Spiritualists, speak up and be heard

When going about your spiritual practices, hearing and chanting about God, don’t do it quietly, do it loudly. Why? Can spiritual sound vibration benefit others?

Many spiritualists are very quiet. Certain spiritual practices are quiet in nature. However, for maximum benefit to ourselves and others, it is important to vibrate the spiritual sound vibrations openly, and not keep them quiet. Why is this, you may ask.

As I write this, my father lives in India and is 80 years of age and my son lives with us in Toronto and is 7 years of age. They have a beautiful practice where each reads out aloud to the other. My father first reads from the Krishna Book, and then his grandson reads from the Children’s version of the same book. Sometimes they read several chapters to each other.

Several days ago, I was in the kitchen, cooking, and also thinking about an upcoming talk I was giving to young men, all smart and well-educated, but also interested in spiritual life. The goal of any such talk is to inspire. But in order to inspire, I need to be inspired myself, correct? There were many topics suggested, and I had run through many myself, but none seemed to resonate with the mood of the present times, which is filled with uncertainty and difficulty.

Many of these young men have lost their jobs due to the Pandemic-related economic fallout. Some have lost relatives to COVID-19. Some are stuck in some online version of their educational program, a poor substitute for the real thing. Some are in financial hardships. Some have challenges resulting from isolation and loneliness. But all these young men were interested in spiritual life, and were looking for spiritual answers to their problems. I had to give them something worthy, not just words but genuine spiritual inspiration.

Suddenly, I heard my father’s voice on the speakerphone, as he recited from the 56th Chapter of the book, in which Krishna is falsely accused by Satrajit of stealing a precious jewel and killing the bearer, Prasena. In order to clear up His good name, Krishna went looking, with some citizens accompanying him. Krishna soon found out that a lion had killed Prasena, and a great bear named Jambavan had killed the lion. Jambavan had then taken away the jewel and given it to his young son as a toy.

Krishna followed the trail to a deep dark cave, decided to go in. The citizens were too afraid to accompany Krishna into the cave. He then found the little child, cared for by a nurse, playing with the jewel. The nurse raised an alarm when she saw this stranger entering, and Jambavan came out in a very angry mood to find the intruder in his home.

Jambavan is in the form of a bear but a great great devotee of Krishna, in His incarnation as Lord Rama. Still, due to his anger, Jambavan didn’t recognize His Lord. Krishna and Jambavan fought for 28 days and 28 nights, first with weapons, stones, trees, and finally with their fists. Even though he was practically the strongest living entity on the planet at that time, Jambavan felt very very tired, his body hurt greatly. Note that this is the same Krishna who pounded the tyrant Kamsa (who had the strength of 10,000 elephants) to death in a short time – this was 28 days and 28 nights of pounding Jambavan had endured! Krishna was very pleased with the fighting pastime, it is hard for Krishna to find someone who can fight at His level! Jambavan finally recognized that his opponent was none other than his own very dear Lord. He surrendered and offered beautiful prayers. Jambavan said:

[Jāmbavān said:] I know now that You are the life air and the sensory, mental and bodily strength of all living beings. You are Lord Viṣṇu, the original person, the supreme, all-powerful controller. You are the ultimate creator of all creators of the universe, and of everything created You are the underlying substance. You are the subduer of all subduers, the Supreme Lord and Supreme Soul of all souls. You are He who impelled the ocean to give way when His sidelong glances, slightly manifesting His anger, disturbed the crocodiles and timiṅgila fish within the watery depths. You are He who built a great bridge to establish His fame, who burned down the city of Laṅkā, and whose arrows severed the heads of Rāvaṇa, which then fell to the ground.

https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/56/26/, https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/56/27/, https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/56/28/

All this greatly inspired me, because I realized something important – that when the difficulty is insurmountable, this is Krishna, appearing in the form of the difficulty! This realization had a profound impact on me. The hairs on my body stood up as I stood in the kitchen listening to my father read out Srila Prabhupada’s words on speakerphone, all the way from India! It was as if an electric current flowed through my body. This was it! This was Krishna’s answer to my prayers for inspiration!

I was then able to prepare a talk going from the attitude of the overconfident materialist who always is defeated by the material nature or the plans of God, all the way through to a consummate spiritualist who does their best while depending on God. I will write about that another time.

Here, I want to bring out how the spiritual sound vibration, when given manifest form by someone’s sincere voice, touches souls. The Sankirtan was going on between by son and my father, but the collateral benefit was to me, standing in the kitchen.

The greatest example of this was a great soul, Haridas Thakur, born in a Muslim family, rejected both by the Muslims and the Hindus, but the highest calibre of saint, elevated to the status of “Namacharya” the great preceptor of the Holy Name, by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He quoted “Anyone who chants Your name purifies all who hear His chanting, as well as Himself.” – SB 10.34.17

Because I was inspired by hearing, I could inspire over 25 young men in their spiritual life with a talk called”When the going gets tough”. And all this started from Srila Prabhupada’s Kirtan, which was inspired by his spiritual master’s Kirtan, which was inspired by his own spiritual master’s Kirtan.

None of this would have happened if any of the great saints in our line had remained silent, and had not inspired others with their spiritual sound vibrations.

When we loudly recite spiritual knowledge, the Lord’s names, and activities, we benefit other living entities even unknowingly. We benefit the trees, the insects, and the animals around us, we benefit the germs living in our body, and we purify the atmosphere all around. Just like that little living entity standing in the kitchen who was fortunate to hear the sound vibration that was originating from India and coming across the Internet all the way to Canada for the benefit of my little boy.

Next time you are remembering God, and following in the footsteps of great souls, don’t do it quietly, even if there is apparently no one around you.

Someone, somewhere will be inspired, and you will surely be counted as one of the saviours of this world.

Please let me know if I may serve you on your spiritual journey.