Material nonsense

One evening a camera crew from a local TV station attends class and films the devotees happily dancing in kirtan. The next day the crew returns for a darshan with Srila Prabhupada. He gives a brief interview and chants a bhajan on the harmonium. They are also interested in his books and his personal Radha-Krishna Deities installed on Their traveling altar. The segment is aired on the 5 o'clock news. A few days after the TV broadcast, a young woman comes from the University to do an interview for the student newspaper. The discussion goes well. Next, Prabhupada receives an invitation from a radio station. The program lasts two hours, so the kirtan party gets to chant many devotional songs. All this publicity, plus the sankirtana party going out every day, attracts a large audience for Prabhupada's classes. Occasionally Krishna sends a sincere seeker.

Jahnava devi dasi: In 1968 I bumped into the sankirtana party. Srimati was on the party, and she was my friend. I was looking for her on a brief stopover in Seattle on my way to join an impersonalist ashram. I fell asleep on the bus, and when I awoke and looked out the window, there she was with tilaka on. So she brought me back to the temple to hear her spiritual master speak that evening. The kirtans! The chanting party, the feast, everything was just overwhelming. So I stepped into that atmosphere and it was just incredible. I was just completely amazed by the ecstasy of the devotees. That evening they had me make a garland for Srila Prabhupada, and I garlanded him. I asked him a question and he gave a beautiful reply. I spent the night to check it out. I was looking for a guru very seriously, so I thought I'd just check out Srimati's guru first.

Prabhupada lectures three nights a week. He begins every class with the chanting of the "Govindam Prayers," and then reads from his unpublished manuscript Teachings of Lord Caitanya. This Friday evening he speaks about attaining the Supreme. (Lecture, Seattle, October 4, 1968) "If one reaches the top, then everything else is included. He explains that although everyone is searching after their own idea of pleasure, when one actually gets Krishna, who is the source of everything, then all desires will be satisfied. If one can understand Krishna, who is the source of all knowledge, then one's knowledge is perfect and one can understand everything. He goes on to explain that God is accepted in every culture and civilization. In every human society the conception of God is there, but one has to inquire from a bonafide spiritual master to learn how to serve God. Inquiry is natural. An inquiring child is considered intelligent. "So we should be intelligent and inquire. Athato brahma-jijnasa- this life is to inquire about God. Then our life is successful. And after understanding, what is the ultimate stage? Bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate. After many, many births of inquiry, when one actually becomes wise, 'He surrenders unto Me,' Krishna says. Why? Vasudevah sarvam iti-because he understands that vasudeva, Krishna, is the cause of all causes. Sa mahatma su-durlabhah-such a great soul is very rare. So we request everyone to accept this Krishna consciousness movement and you will feel fully satisfied. Thank you very much."

Vishnujana is inspired by the class. "How do we render perfect service to Krishna?" he asks Prabhupada. "By your anxiety," Prabhupada replies. "If you are anxious, to serve Krishna that is the real asset. Krishna is unlimited. What service we can offer to Him? He has unlimited servants. What service does He require from you and me? He is perfect in Himself. He doesn't require any service. But if you are anxious to serve Him, then He does not refuse. That is His mercy. That is His magnanimity. So the more you increase your anxiety to serve Krishna, the more it becomes perfect. The more you serve Krishna, the more He accepts you and the more He gives you intelligence. You see? So the spiritual world is unlimited. There is no end of service, and there is no end of accepting the service. So eagerness. Then Krishna will give you intelligence, tesham satata-yuktanam bhajatam priti-purvakam dadami buddhi-yogam tam, to anyone who is engaged with love and affection in My service without any hypocrisy. Krishna can understand everything, He is within me, within you, then He will give you intelligence. 'My dear boy, you do like this.' And by doing that, what he will achieve Yena mam upayanti te He will come back to Me.' So simply your eagerness is the perfection for serving Krishna. Increase that eagerness. And eagerness means if you love Krishna, that eagerness will increase with your increase of love. How I shall serve Krishna?' Because you are a voluntary servant, nobody is forcing. That means unless you love Krishna, how that eagerness will increase? So there are so many things to love Krishna. Beginning is this sravanam kirtanam. This sravanam, hearing, and chanting. Hearing, you are hearing Hare Krishna, you are hearing Bhagavad-gita , you are hearing Srimad-Bhagavatam about Krishna, and chanting. This is the beginning. Then, naturally, sravanam kirtanam vishnoh smaranam pada-sevanam arcanam vandanam dasyam sakhyam atma-nivedanam. These nine kinds of different varieties of service to Krishna will enlighten you, will advance you in Krishna consciousness, and your life will be successful."

On the following Monday, the temple is filled with hippies who have heard that a wise man from India is in town. Prabhupada gives an interesting discourse on the authority of the Vedas. (Lecture, Seattle, October 9, 1968) He explains how Krishna is the supreme power, authority, and witness. "Nothing can be accomplished without the sanction of the Lord. Therefore, we are all dependent. So how is it that some do meritorious work while others do evil deeds?" The answer, Prabhupada explains, "is our individual free will or independence. The Lord sanctions our activities. Even when we do nonsense for sense gratification, it is also sanctioned but unwillingly, against the will of the Lord. When we cooperate with the Lord, that is called bhakti. Bhakti-yoga means acting to please Krishna. When Krishna is satisfied our lives become successful. So whatever vocation we have that should be utilized to satisfy the Lord. The perfection of one's life is considered in direct relationship with the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord." Vishnujana has been listening carefully. After many questions from the audience, he wants to clear up a point. "Then all our faculties of perception will be purified by adopting this Krishna consciousness, and we can understand?" "Yes," Prabhupada confirms. "Krishna consciousness means purification of all faculties, because the faculties work on the basis of consciousness. Just like if my mind is pure, then my seeing is pure. Similarly, if my consciousness is pure, my mind is pure. So of all the senses the central sense is mind. And behind mind, there is intelligence. And behind intelligence, there is consciousness. This consciousness, if purified, then the whole thing is purified. If this consciousness is polluted, then the whole thing is polluted. So we have to purify the consciousness. That is Krishna consciousness." Vishnujana pursues the point. "So then a man who does not have purified consciousness has no way of knowing what is good or bad." "He is in illusion," Prabhupada agrees. "That is called maya. He is accepting something bad as good. Just like one is accepting this body as self. The whole world is moving, accepting this body as the self, dehatma-buddhih. But I am not this body. That is a fact. So it is illusion."

As the days pass, the family spirit in the temple deepens. The relationship between the men and women on sankirtana is special. It is not a matter of association, devotees are always careful about that, but it's the feeling of brother and sister protectiveness that the men have. The women feel really cared for. If a godsister stays behind to preach in a dubious section of town, where something might happen, one man will also stay as a safeguard. This attitude of protectiveness is much appreciated by the women. But sometimes there are disagreements among godbrothers, and someone may say things that are avaishnava. One day, Upendra feels he has been offended by remarks made by some of his godbrothers. Disturbed by the incident, he approaches Srila Prabhupada to reveal his heart. "Swamiji, I don't think I should offer obeisances to some of my godbrothers. Since I'm angry at them, it won't be sincere. If I wait until I feel differently, then I won't be a hypocrite." "Offering obeisances," Prabhupada replies, "and recognizing that your godbrother is part and parcel of Krishna even when you are angry and do not feel like it, is real obeisances and real humility." Prabhupada's words enter deep into Upendra's heart. Therafter, he makes sure to always offer obeisances to all his godbrothers.

Prabhupada keeps his ISKCON going by constantly inspiring his young followers. They reciprocate his love with their own feelings of appreciation, but he never accepts their praise on his own account. By his genuine humility they are guided into selfless loving service. "I am so much grateful to you for your kind sentiments for me. It is all Krishna's Grace that He has sent such nice assistants to me, for executing the mission of my Spiritual Master. Personally, I am non-entity; I have come here on the order of my Spiritual Master, and he has kindly sent you all boys to assist me. So whatever is being done, there is no credit for me, but all the credit goes to my Spiritual Master, because he has arranged everything, and I am simply to abide by his order." (Letter to Brahmananda, October 16,1968)

Many students have been coming to the classes and begin taking an interest. They invite Prabhupada to give a talk at the University campus one Sunday afternoon, and about forty students attend. After the talk everybody is invited to return to the temple for the Love Feast, where three newcomers will receive initiation as part of the program. The temple room is packed to capacity. Prabhupada begins the initiation by explaining that the material world is a place where there is no shelter. He gives the example that President Kennedy was assassinated in his own country. Even he couldn't find protection. He stresses the great need for Krishna consciousness in today's world. Whatever qualifications or dis-qualifications we may have, chanting Hare Krishna will make our lives successful. When our love for Krishna becomes prominent, we will love everyone else automatically, and our lives will become perfect. "As many of our students are initiated, so some of our students are going to be initiated this evening. Initiation means the third stage of joining this movement. The first stage is sraddha, a little faith. Then, if he becomes a little more interested, he comes to the classes. The first stage is automatic sympathy for this movement. The second stage is joining or associating with our activities. And the third stage is the initiation, which means the beginning of activities, how one can develop Krishna consciousness to the perfectional state. That is called initiation. Then the fourth stage will be, one who is initiated, he follows the rules and regulations and chants Hare Krishna and gives up all misgivings. "What are the misgivings? We ask our students to refrain from illicit sex life, non-vegetarian diet, intoxication, and gambling?these four things. So ordinarily these four things are very prominent, but these students who take initiation and follow the chanting, they very easily give up these four things. That is the fourth stage. The fifth stage is then he becomes fixed up. Then gradually increasing, always thinking of Krishna, to the perfectional stage where he loves Krishna cent percent. This is the process. So this initiation means the third stage of Krishna consciousness."

The new initiates are Srimati, Vilas Vigraha, and Vishnujana's cousin, Revatinandana, who joined in San Francisco and came up to Seattle with the sankirtana party. Madhudvisha reads the ten offenses to be avoided while chanting the Holy Name, and Srila Prabhupada gives final clarification and instruction to the novitiates. "From this day," he explains, "your account, past life, all sinful activities is now adjusted. Closed. It is finished. Now because by chanting Hare Krishna you can finish your sinful activities' reaction, that does not mean that you will repeat. Oh, I shall commit sinful activities and I shall chant. It will be adjusted. The balance will be nil.' No, not like that. Don't commit that. Whatever is done is done. No more. Now there should be pure life, no illicit sex life, no intoxication, no gambling, and no meat-eating. Finished now. It is not that, Oh, I am chanting Hare Krishna, let me go to the hotel and take some meat.' No. Then it will be a great sin. Don't do that. Then the chanting of Hare Krishna will not fructify if you commit offense. "You should always remember that nama cintamanih krishnas caitanya-rasa-vigrahah. Krishna and Krishna's name are nondifferent. As soon as you chant Hare Krishna, that means Krishna is dancing on your tongue. You should be careful in that way. Just like you offer so much respect to your spiritual master as soon as he is present, so if Krishna is present on your tongue how much careful you should be? "While you are chanting we should hear also. That is meditation. Hare Krishna 'these two words' Hare Krishna, you will hear also. If you hear, then your mind and your tongue both captivated. That is perfect. Therefore meditation. The first-class yoga. Hearing and chanting. "The whole process is that we are going to transfer our love from matter to God, bhakti-paresanubhava-viraktir anyatra syat. If you actually develop love of Godhead, then naturally you forget all this material nonsense. With the progress of Krishna consciousness you forget the so-called 'material nonsense' enjoyment. This is the test. Progress means that you will minimize your material attachment for sense gratification. Chant Hare Krishna." The three novitiates gratefully accept their beads from Prabhupada's hand and offer their obeisances one by one to the cheers of the assembled devotees and guests.