Travel Journal#11.18: Boston, New York City, Albany
Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 11, No. 18
By Krishna-kripa das
(September 2015, part two)
By Krishna-kripa das
(September 2015, part two)
Boston, New York City, Albany
(Sent from Brooklyn, New York, on October 11, 2015)
(Sent from Brooklyn, New York, on October 11, 2015)
Where I Went and What I Did
I went with the Harinama Ruci world harinama sankirtana party to Boston to do harinama at the festival honoring the 50th anniversary of Srila Prabhupada’s arrival in Boston. We stayed through Radhastami, the day after the festival weekend. Then I returned and chanted, danced, and distributed literature and invitations with the New York City Harinama party of Rama Raya Prabhu, taking a trip to Albany the next weekend to celebrate my mother’s 91st birthday.
I share many realizations from the senior devotees attending the festival for the 50th anniversary of Srila Prabhupada’s arrival in Boston. These include Bhaktimarga Swami, Candramauli Swami, Giriraja Swami, Navayogena Swami, Niranjana Swami, Romapada Swami, and Malati Devi Dasi. I share wisdom from senior devotees at the Harinama Ashram in New York City, namely Abhirama and Rama Raya Prabhus and their guest sannyasi speakers, Jayadvaita Swami and Candrasekhara Swami. In particular I have notes on Radhastami lectures by Candramauli, Giriraja, Navayogendra, and Radhanath Swamis.
Many thanks to Kaliya Krishna Prabhu for paying for my subway expenses in New York City. Thanks to Kesihanta Prabhu of Alachua for his kind donation. Thanks to the Brazilian lady living in Boston who likes Hare Krishna and gave me a donation at Penn Station. Many, many thanks to Caitanya Mangala Prabhu of Boston for arranging our accommodation and travel for the Prabhupada festival there.
Thanks to Mahavishnu Swami for posting the pictures of us doing harinama on the Boston streets. Thanks to the Hare Krishna Festival devotees for their picture of me on harinama in Boston. Thanks to Dharmatma Prabhu and Mother Dvijapriya for their pictures of our Union Square harinama.
Itinerary
September 28–November 12: New York City Harinama
November 13: Philadelphia?
November 14–17: Washington, D.C., Harinama
November 18: Jacksonville, FL
November 19: Tampa
November 20: Orlando
November 21–December 15: Krishna House (except 5 days in Tallahassee)
December 16–January 3: New York City Harinama
Srila Prabhupada Festival in Boston
I found the festival for the 50th anniversary of Srila Prabhupada’s arrival in Boston to be deeply uplifting and inspiring. The many senior devotees and their realizations contributed a lot. I think that accepting our celebration, Srila Prabhupada must have blessed us with some special mercy.
I stayed with the Harinama Ruci traveling harinama sankirtana party in Boston. We traveled from our hotel to Boston Common via bus and train, and we did harinama on both, inspiring one or two travelers to join with us (https://youtu.be/CGyeOJ-tL-o):
Part of the festival was offerings to Srila Prabhupada on a boat which sailed around the Boston harbor for a couple hours.
Jayadvaita Swami:
Srila Prabhupada told Abhirama Prabhu it was very difficult for him to give up his family life. But he did that. Then he went to Vrindavan. Then he gave up Vrindavan. Why? Because he had a duty to his spiritual master.
Srila Prabhupada told one disciple, “If I did not preach, where would you be?”
There will be difficulties, but we have to think, “How can I do this duty despite the difficulties?” We must carry on the legacy given us by Srila Prabhupada and make our lives glorious.
Romapada Swami:
Complete humility, complete dependence on his guru, and complete confidence were the cause of Srila Prabhupada’s success.
Seeing Srila Prabhupada completely transformed my life.
Out of gratitude for his sacrifice, make sacrifice for him.
Trivikrama Swami:
I am convinced that within 50 years from now, Srila Prabhupada will be the most prominent spiritual teacher in this world.
Jagat-purusa Prabhu:
Srila Prabhupada embodies the understanding of being an instrument in the Lord’s service and shows that in that position nothing is impossible.
Bhaktimarga Swami:
Srila Prabhupada did not come to America to elevate himself financially but to elevate everyone spiritually. Srila Prabhupada was at the cutting edge of everything, animal rights, reincarnation, etc. He came to change the world.
Radhanath Swami:
As far as we know, the first American Srila Prabhupada met in his life was the immigration agent.
Srila Prabhupada boarded the boat with his son and three employees of the cargo ship company. Now 50 years later, 15,000 people gathered in Kolkata to celebrate it.
Guru Gouranga Prabhu:
I was aimless before meeting Srila Prabhupada, but now I have a direction.
Srila Prabhupada came for me. We can each say that because he come for everyone. We all know what to do to pay our debt to him. Everyday we should wake up remembering that.
Niranjana Swami:
Fortunate is the person who is blessed with responsible work, and if one is conscious of his subordinate position, he will be able to act nicely.
“Markine Bhagavata Dharma” shows Srila Prabhupada’s conscious dependence on Krishna. Srila Prabhupada taught that from when he appeared in the West until he left this world.
If I forget that I am Srila Prabhupada’s servant, whatever I do is not done very nicely.
Anuttama Prabhu:
Srila Prabhupada explained, “Because of my enthusiasm, this movement is going on and you have had a chance take part.”
Our goal is simply to assist Srila Prabhupada in his mission.
Visakha Devi Dasi:
While researching Srila Prabhupada’s statements for a documentary, Srila Prabhupada’s Legacy and Life,we found that he only rarely mentioned his heart attacks on his journey, but many times he spoke of his meeting with his guru. He was not interested in telling us how much he sacrificed for us. Rather he wanted to share the divine knowledge of his guru.
He was here to give, and he gave all the time.
Malati Devi Dasi:
In his letters to India soon after he arrived in America, he explained how the Americans were getting new knowledge from him. Although their English was different from his, they were understanding.
The captain got Srila Prabhupada a hot plate so he could cook for himself. He thought that if the captain had not done that he might not have survived.
He said he spoke in a church for the first time and the people liked it.
He described the place to people in India: “You cannot imagine. Here people impregnate women and take them to a doctor and abort the child.”
He told how some of the people began to follow him and gave up intoxication and illicit sex, and that he was surprised by their great reverence for him.
He predicted, “In the future, there will be preaching all over the world by these young people.”
Shubha Vilas Prabhu:
Srila Prabhupada would say to me, “You do not know how much I went through to go to the West.”
You have brought us to the doorway to the spiritual world. We just have to walk through it.
Ashalata Devi Dasi:
Because of your austerity, humility, and determination Krishna gave you the force to spread Krishna.
I had the desire to touch the feet of the saint who had given Krishna consciousness to hundreds of Westerners. I came from Toronto to Chicago. My husband mentioned my desire in conversation to Srila Prabhupada, and he pulled up the end of his dhoti covering his feet and let me touch them.
Navayogendra Swami:
When I met Srila Prabhupada, he asked my name, and I repled, “Yogendra Kumara Sharma.” He replied, “Your name is Navayogendra Dasa.”
What is the gift of Srila Prabhupada to the whole world? Bhakti, unmotivated and uninterrupted.
What is the gift of Srila Prabhupada to the whole world? Bhakti, unmotivated and uninterrupted.
Srila Prabhupada told some Britishers, “You have taken everything from India, but you have forgotten one thing, her culture, and I have come to give you that.”
Srila Prabhupada said about the Westerners, “I did not come to follow them, I came to make them follow me.”
Cintamani Devi Dasi:
Srila Prabhupada told me, “Cintamani is the place Krishna stays. Make in your heart a place for Krishna to stay.”
I was praying to Jesus for a year to find God, to find the truth. I became vegetarian. A devotee suggested I write Srila Prabhupada. I did and he replied, “We are followers of Jesus, just add the chanting of Hare Krishna.” I did. Within a month I got initiated.
How has my life changed? I really had no life. Without the holy name, there is no life.
My request is: “Just keep this Krishna consciousness going.”
Mahavishnu Swami:
Seeing that Piccadilly in London is just like a village compared to Time Square and seeing all of the tall buildings, I realized that New York City is center of Kali-yuga.
Everyone is suffering because we have no relationship with Krishna. Prabhupada taught this simple and joyful practice whereby we can awaken our love for Him.
Everyone is suffering because we have no relationship with Krishna. Prabhupada taught this simple and joyful practice whereby we can awaken our love for Him.
Anuttama Prabhu [ISKCON Communications]:
Srila Prabhupada had a vision, and he fulfilled that mission.
His vision was that Krishna’s holy name and His instructions could purify the world.
After the Vrindavan temple opening, Srila Prabhupada was thinking about what next.
The flag of India was flown over City Hall in Boston on Thursday [September 17, 2015] to commemorate Srila Prabhupada’s arrival 50th years ago. The mayor declared that day His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Day in Boston.
What about all those people who think intoxication, meat-eating, illicit sex, and gambling will really make them happy? We have more to do.
Ambarisa Prabhu [Alfred Ford]:
Fifty years ago they were grooming me for a corporate career, then there was the hippie scene. I do not think I would be alive today without Srila Prabhupada. I was without direction.
I wondered about how the Mayapur temple would happen, but I kept Srila Prabhupada’s order to me in the center, and it is progressing.
I wondered about how the Mayapur temple would happen, but I kept Srila Prabhupada’s order to me in the center, and it is progressing.
I would like to thank the ISKCON management for keeping things together the almost 40 years since Srila Prabhupada left this world. After being attacked in so many ways, from so many different directions, ISKCON is still going forward with the main teachings still intact.
Gopal Swami Prabhu [from France]:
Who does not feel alone sometimes? We can take heart seeing Srila Prabhupada’s courage in the face of his lonely journey.
From him we can learn nama-ruci, taste for the holy name of Krishna.
He showed the example of Vaishnava-seva (service of the Vaishnava).
Sumati Devi Dasi:
Krishna arranged that Srila Prabhupada do it alone.
He sailed into the Boston harbor and into so many of our hearts.
He turned hippies into happies.
I heard the chant from the musical, Hair, and sang it for two years, thinking it was just a cinema song.
In Boston we would do a radio show of the Krishna book. Satsvarupa would write the script. He played Krishna. I played Mother Yasoda. Satsvarupa played tapes of the shows for Prabhupada, and when Prabhupada heard Mother Yasoda screaming “Krishna!” in the Kaliya pastime, Prabhupada had them stop the tape. He asked who that was playing Yasoda. “Sumati,” Satsvarupa said. Prabhupada replied, “She should always cry to Krishna like that.”
In Boston we would do a radio show of the Krishna book. Satsvarupa would write the script. He played Krishna. I played Mother Yasoda. Satsvarupa played tapes of the shows for Prabhupada, and when Prabhupada heard Mother Yasoda screaming “Krishna!” in the Kaliya pastime, Prabhupada had them stop the tape. He asked who that was playing Yasoda. “Sumati,” Satsvarupa said. Prabhupada replied, “She should always cry to Krishna like that.”
Rukmini Devi Dasi:
Bhakti follows the prayers of the pure devotee, and so it did from Prabhupada’s Boston prayers.
Srila Prabhupada said, “We hear ‘Preach, preach, preach,’ but they do not know you have to be empowered to preach.”
Rangavati Devi Dasi:
Rangavati Devi Dasi:
I was going through difficulties. I found my father could not help me.
I prayed for the truth without any conditions, in a field of flowers. Two days later I was in the Detroit temple.
Sarva Siddhi Prabhu:
I am convinced everything in my life has been due to Srila Prabhupada since I met the devotees.
We were at the furthest table from Srila Prabhupada. He was tossing prasadam. I had my head down, and when I looked up there was one almond in front of me, and two in front of my wife, who was pregnant.
Giriraja Swami:
Fifty years ago I was in Brandeis University in Boston. I was looking for a guru. I looked in different places. Each time I was disappointed. I had given up thinking I would find one. I heard of Srila Prabhupada’s lecture. I was doubtful but something within pulled me to go. I think it was Srila Prabhupada’s prayers. I went, and then I would go every evening.
I felt that the disciple should go to the guru, but Prabhupada was coming to us. Actually he was always coming to us.
We were really struggling in Boston. Prabhupada met with the devotees and patiently heard everyone out and suggested we meet collectively and discuss things and make solutions. My policy was always everything for Krishna, nothing for myself, and therefore I never complained. I learned from this that we have to take care of devotees because Srila Prabhupada was so concerned for devotees.
Srila Prabhupada was like Krishna in that he was there for everyone.
I could not exist without the association of Srila Prabhupada’s followers.
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