Free Writes Baladeva He calls himself a sudra with no qualities. I say, “No, you are a brahmana-Vaisnava.” He says, “Then I am a sudra-Vaisnava.” I reply, “You are transcendental.” He works hard all day as my medical caretaker, my medical proxy, in dealings with doctors and nurses. He says he is “sleep-deprived by the […]

Free Writes Chant Hare Krsna Everyone knows about the coronavirus epidemic, and almost everyone is adversely affected. As of today, March 20, we are on official quarantine. This doesn’t mean as radical a change for us as it does for the karmis. We four inmates in our ashram are somewhat aloof from it. We receive […]

Free Writes In the Mail One devotee wrote me from Italy. He says he is in “prison-like” self-isolation because of the virus epidemic. He works in a tourist hotel, and the business is suffering. “Lucky if I can preserve my job.” A female disciple writes me from California: “I am curious about your thoughts regarding […]

Free Writes Gaura Purnima Meeting On Saturday we entered Keli-lalita’s yoga studio, and she was leading kirtana with the harmonium. Saci Suta was accompanying her with a short Indian drum. It was very nice. Gathered were about twenty adults and eight children. The kirtana lasted about half an hour, then I was asked to speak. […]

Free Writes Gaura Purnima I’ve been invited to speak at a Gaura Purnima event at Keli Lalita’s house on Saturday. I will say Lord Caitanya had an external and a confidential reason for His appearance. First Lord Krsna, in His original blackish form, appeared in Dvarapa-yuga and sported in Vrndavana with His eternally liberated associates. […]

Free Writes Krsna dasi in India Krsna dasi has returned from four weeks in India: mission accomplished. She did many things, mainly bonding with Tapan, the master mukut-walla in Vrindavan. She sat with him while he drew patterns on a stitching board, and she guided him in exactly what we want for Radha-Govinda. Krsna dasi […]

Free Writes Valentine’s Day Today, February 14th by the calendar, is Valentine’s Day. Our Godbrother Muktavandya has been going outside on this day for 30 years, selling flowers and collecting donations for the temple. On Valentine’s Day, his line of customers will go halfway around the block. (Muktavandya has recently contracted glaucoma, and when they […]

Free Writes Health Report Three out of four of the inmates in the ashram have been affected by health issues. Bala has a constant dry cough which won’t go away until he leaves the frigid North at the end of the month and goes to organize the Trinidad Ratha-yatra. (He has felt obliged to take […]