Though I came to prison, through my own fault
Here I discovered something precious, locked away like in a vault
There was no other way, this lesson to me to teach
Krishna directed me to come here, so me He could reach
Through many a test and travail
His grace and mercy did prevail
He introduced Vaishnavas into my life
To show me how to get out of the struggle and strife
Through IPM Upendra Dasa I did meet
Who told me I should surrender at Sri Krishna’s feet
Follow Prabhupada he instructed me
For he has the knowledge that will set you free
Chanting Maha Mantra as Swami said in his books
I gave it my all, until I trembled and shook
With goosebumps and hair standing on end, I cried out
From this ocean of birth and death, please pull me out
Now every day I fall at Sri Guru’s lotus feet
To drink the nectar so nourishing and so very sweet
Chanting 16 rounds and praying three times a day
Prabhupada told us that this is the way
Also this is the path that was meant for me
Don’t be blinded, don’t fail to see
Don’t let Maya, take you for a fool
In Martyaloka you are locked away too
Escape from the big prisonhouse, it’s not that hard a task
If we only follow Prabhupada and do what Krishna asks
Even though I wake up each morning
in a prison cell consisting of four walls and steel bars,
I have found peace in Krishna.
Even though I wake up each morning
in a prison cell staring through steel bars,
I have found peace in Krishna.
Even though I go through trials and tribulations,
I have found peace in Krishna.
Krishna’s peace is the true and everlasting peace.
This world is a prison house
Birth and death are real
But if there were not spirit souls
nobody would feel
Our consciousness has always been
the atma never dies
and smaller than a molecule
is the person’ size
Lord Vishnu is the Supersoul
the origin of thought
The universe is personal
It’s not some empty pot
Life is not a magazine
and time is not a clock
and Kṛṣṇa’s bird Garuda
is not some German haw
In response to the questions to myself
I ponder the depths of solitude.
Is there loneliness found in such an environment?
Is there closure to life’s enigmas?
Found in the quietude of self-imposed isolation,
Is there relief or madness, sadness or joy,
Is there silence or the tumult of a myriad of ?’s unanswered
Still raging in my puzzled mind,
Do I seek appeasement for a troubled heart.
Slumber for a restless mind,
Answers to questions no longer,
At the forefront of my life?
I sigh a great sigh of relief, of deliverance. The dawn of a new day is at hand,
Happy in my own personal space,
Peace and quiet,
Closure.
The Vraja maiden’s paramour, we all should try to know. That cowherd boy that they adore with hearts simpatico, He is the Lord of everything yet with His playful powers He captures all His milk Maid’s hearts with arrows made of flowers.
He makes the damsel’s pure hearts sore
With fears they’ll see Him nevermore
There at the threshold of death’s door
They cry for Him, their hearts implore
“Oh naught[y] boy please save our lives
“Restore our hopes, make us your wives
“We give our love most faithfully, we long for you relentlessly
“Each moments an eternity, as our minds near senility
“Perhaps we’ve acted foolishly, to bare our hearts so nakedly
“Please show that you are mannerly, return to our vicinity
“How can you act so guiltlessly, to us who know no love but thee?”
There’s no way to exaggerate, for more words cannot illustrate how deeply they did meditate, in that most forlorn, love torn state!
Yet their love also cast aspell
Although this may astound
The facts when realized will tell
This truth…to them He’s bound
This most attractive flute player
Surrenders to those who
Relinquish everything for him
Just like His gopis do
This transcendental cupid boy
Enthuses those who yearn
To serve him as His gopis do
To His home they’ll return
So if you’re wise you’ll follow them
And try to get to know
The one they meditate upon
The cowherd head honcho
To realize one is spirit
Not merely flesh and blood
Pure love for sweet Lord Krishna
That’s Lord Chaitanya’s flood.
That service and devotion
His Holiness and grace
Unbounded mercy flowing
To every land and race.
Identity means servant
The master He’s so kind
His followers are many
The lame and even blind.
This age of Kali-yuga
One perfect sacrifice
To congregate and sing
The Maha-mantra nice.
The Hare Krishna music folks
Their public demonstrations
That Bhakti-yoga happiness
Eliminates frustrations.
Ecstatic dancers many
Huge feasts without a fee
Great transcendental scriptures
Like gifts upon a tree.
A priceless treasure mantra great
No fee or charge or tax
And anyone can come take part
With bliss up to the max!
Hearing Hare Krishna
Chanting Haribol
Sing the names forever
Never let Them go.
The all-attractive Master
Lord Krishna friend and son
His mother and his father
They help Him have His fun.
Out to the fresh green pasture
His Brother and the boys
The cows and calves all happy
No industry or noise.
Sometimes They play on bugle horns
At other times a flute
And all the milkmaid Gopis
Think no one is as cute.
Surrender and Devotion
Sweet Radha’s shelter strong
She captivates Govinda
Her loving heart a song.
Eternal life no sadness
Each moment higher still
To realize the greatest
Unbounded love fulfill.
Iron bars do not a prison make
Mind is stricter still
Enemy of the soul or
Best friend as well
Surrender to Kṛṣṇa, the Lord of the heart
Escape that burning hell
Put out the fire
Give up all material desire
Lay aside the phony drama
Chant
Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa
Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare
The world is full of lost souls; some are searching for the truth
The answers to the questions they’ve been asking since their youth
And thanks in part to one great soul who journeyed to this earth
The answers are now here for us, let’s dance and chant in mirth
On albums and in literature he sang of KRSNA’s fame
This humble servant of the Lord, Prabhupada was his name
He spread the chanting of God’s names where no one had before
He was so humble, wise and strong, his soul I will adore
From vagrants in Tompkins Squire Park, to people of great fame
He preached to everyone he met, he spread the holy name
He met with professors and ministers, the Beatles too
He answered all their questions; he showed them what to do
As the servant, of the servant, of the servant he did preach
With great faith in parampara the whole world he did reach
So as I try my best to pen some words about his love
I hope he reads along with me from Goloka above
At KRSNA’s feet he’s seated, that’s his eternal place
I pray someday to join him and see his smiling face
Prabhupada was the greatest soul to live in modern times
Forever I will worship him with my pen and my rhymes
Just open up and
hear it.
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna
ancient
here and now
the source of
sage and demigod
Unto His feet
they bow.
Countless servants
each unique
devoted to his
pleasure
to see their
Lordships
herding cows
can be the greatest
treasure.
Baladeva and Govinda
light and dark
complexions
in all the
Vedic texts there
are
the harmony directions
of the Supreme Lord Sri Kṛṣṇa,
I think about the time when you arrived
In this country
The modes of passion and ignorance
How they thrived
By steamship
After suffering two heart attacks
Come Your Divine Grace
To this Western paradise of illusion
One of affluence
But
Such an abominable place
Alone struggling against the elements
With Lord Sri Kṛṣṇa guiding and protecting
Your desire only to preach
The sublime message of Kṛṣṇa-bhakti
Vedic knowledge
kindly beckoning all to hear
Your sweet voice
As you set forth
To compassionately teach
Your causeless mercies
Upon us so terribly lost
Some unable to surrender
Entrapped
In material energy
Still Your Divine Grace
Earnestly endeavored
To give
Kṛṣṇa-prema
No matter the cost
Sacrificing your body
Your life
Thinking not of personal health
Of fame
Power of prestige
No
Caring not at all
For any type of material wealth
All for Kṛṣṇa’s glory
Establishing all around the world
Spiritual centers
An International Society
A family
For the good of all humanity
To uplift the fallen
And
Strengthen the strong
You are Kṛṣṇa’s very pure devotee
Eternally liberated
Doing no wrong
The transcendental order
Of
Your Guru Maharaja
Faithfully caring it out
Weathering many difficulties
Never did you despair
Or
Waver in any doubt
So it is today
Forty-four years later
That someone
Insignificant and unworthy as I
Thinks of Your Divine Grace
Physically alone
In a prison cell
Reading your books
Submissively hearing
Meditating with purpose
On what you say
Sometimes I fall on my knees
Crying out from the depths of my heart
Tearing flowing from my eyes
Forever thankful
And
Indebted to Your Divine Grace
Srila Prabhupada
Here I am humbly begging for some service
For you
O grandfather Gurudeva
I deeply desire to please
He’s off to the pastures, He’s gone out of sight
Her girlfriends console Her yet She’s still not right
Her blossom is wilting, now nothing is all
She’s shadowed from His light, in darkness She falls
Her sight has no target, without Him She’s blind
He’s not there to unlock the chains on Her mind
She and He are parted, two points but no line
Her Dark Cloud is gone now, She’s lost Her sunshine
The emptiness fills Her, a hole in Her heart
Each moment an eon now that They’re apart
An ocean of sadness in anguish She swims
Her hope sinks, She’s drowning, She’ll die without Him
No notes that can save Her, She longs for His flute
No music, no dancing, Her life’s song is mute
The feeling of RADHE, the apex of love
The essence of rasa in Vraj up above
So few understand Her, for this boon I pay
To be a Manjari, to know Sri RADHE
Who made the jungle mountains?
Who built the river banks?
As sure as sexy ladies
it wasn’t northern yanks.
Lord Vishnu is a person:
omnipotent and great.
He controls the cosmos:
crooked bent and straight.
Across the blue-green waters.
Between the Voidists’ tricks
and chanting hare Krishna
the pinnacle of kicks.
Yamuna, Yamuna, the water of love
Flowing in Vrndavana, both here and above
Your liquefied mercy, it washes away
Illusion, confusion, for one drop I pray
You’re purified purity, clarified clear
It’s really no wonder why you are so dear
To gopas and gopis who bathe in your flow
Or do they create you, I’m not sure I know
For there in Vrndavana, where prema’s complete
You drink up the mercy of Their lotus feet
And then you distribute that mercy to those
Who come down to your shores and thus your fame grows
Oh most holy river, please rinse out my heart
Please cleanse me of maya, please help me to start
To make some advancement, then perhaps some day
Like those Vrajavasis, near your shores I’ll stay.
Green grasses for his cows
the lord
Yamuna river’s water.
Clay- hand molded into shapes
each bhakti yoga potter.
To cook and carry yogurt
churned butter thief
those neighbors’ complaints
lodged to his mother’s
ears: celestial
sages savor.
Down by the meadow
chirping birds
talking parrots answer.
And in the rasa lila group: with Krishna
blissful dancers.
Tis it is to be self realized is to be ever jolly,
Focusing completely upon Krishna, avoiding all folly.
In all ways acknowledging Him, we will be blessed,
Of this it is truth, I see it, so do not jest.
Submissively seek Sri Krishna and He may be found,
Humbly chant His holy names, hear transcendental sound.
It will vibrate unto the soul, freeing from material life,
Clearing the heart, calming the mind of all strife.
Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare
Chant, Chant Sri Hari-nama…in this age of Kali,
This sublime devotion is the only way.
Jaya Lord Sri Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahaprabhu!
May you grant me service in all I think, say and do.
In one of the darkest places of this nation
Comes the brightest of lights
Changing hearts in a diseased condition
Shining so transcendently bright
Comes the ISKCON Prison Ministries
Changing the lives of the materially addicted
Goodness is so very fascinating
Even to the very most wicked
By your affection to Srila Prabhupada
And by your awesome association
Reawakening our dormant Krishna Consciousness
Prison jivas will know Krishna’s reciprocation
By sending books, your love and your grace
And by your endless prayers
The jagad guru, His Divine Grace
In our hearts, he wonderfully appears
By your blood, sweat and tears
ISKCON Prison Ministries has so sweetly gave
You can see Srila Prabhupada’s appreciation
In the smiles of the jivas, your seva has saved.
Lord, who will abide in Your tabernacle?
Who will dwell in Your holy hill?
The meek and the lowly need Your love,
And with it, their hearts You will fill.
Oh, Krishna, create in us a clean heart,
Teach us to be meek and humble.
Before our souls begin to part.
So in the cycle of time we will not stumble.
Purge us from life to life,
That we may one day behold You.
Sifting from us all the unwanted strife,
And realize with You we’ll never lose.
Lift your cups of nectar Prasad
And let’s have a toast.
To our pride in our wonderful guru
And Kṛṣṇa let us boast.
Kṛṣṇa hears every maha-mantra
And he sees every devotional act.
He will never forget them, my Prabus
And that’s an honest fact.
He is always calling us
But it might take a million years.
Our hearts push us playfully
To Him we hold so dear.
Don’t wonder why we find ourselves in prison
It’s all part of Kṛṣṇa’s plan.
By guru’s mercy we’ll come to Him
It’s by Prabhupada’s grace we can.
We’ve roamed the many universes
So many lives we have spun.
But the distance we’ve come to find guru
Is much greater than from here to the end.
But let’s not tip our cups in our victory
It’s by nothing that we’ve done.
Because it’s all by his causeless mercy
It’s by guru’s grace that we’ve won!
Just one of Srila Prabhupada’s little books
That got life ton a table in the yard
Like a precious jewel, someone found it
Page now dog eared; its life has been hard
But ho0wmany seeds of bhakti did it plant
Being passed from inmate to inmate
I would hear their reports
As a new man began to partake
“I found this book on a table in the yard
inside it said it belonged to you
after I had read it and reread it
my celly wanted to read it too!”
Through this book Srila Prabhupada
Has come to this prison
He came only to push forward
Our Lord Caitanya’s mission
Srila Prabhupada is teaching why
Our Lord Caitanya came
And he’s begging us all to please
Chant the holy names.
“Yes chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Maha Mantra
The whole day through
And the transcendental cupid, Govinda,
Will be with you”