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Another gopī said, “It is an unreasonable hope for us to expect Kṛṣṇa to come back to Vṛndāvana. We should try instead to be happy in disappointment. Even Piṅgalā, the great prostitute, said that disappointment is the greatest pleasure. We all know these things, but it is very difficult for us to give up the expectation of Kṛṣṇa’s coming back. Who can forget a solitary conversation with Kṛṣṇa, on whose chest the goddess of fortune always remains, in spite of Kṛṣṇa’s not desiring her? My dear Uddhava, Vṛndāvana is the land of rivers, forests and cows. Here the vibration of the flute was heard, and Kṛṣṇa, along with His elder brother, Śrī Balarāma, enjoyed the atmosphere in our company. Thus the environment of Vṛndāvana constantly reminds us of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma. On the land of Vṛndāvana are the impressions of His footprints, the residence of the goddess of fortune, and because of such signs we cannot forget Kṛṣṇa.”

Patricia Therese Wolff-Keaton 

Happiness is fleeting. I hate when people ask "are you happy" because it is ephemeral. Better to be content. Am I content? Not always, but I am working on it. I judge a religion by its followers. Srila Prabhupada's REAL disciples all work to make the world better in some way, to lift up the fallen, to spread that ephemeral happiness by sankirtana. Some of my fondest memories are sankirtana. Our religion is about IMPROVING ourselves. We will never be perfect in the material world. That is why we try to fix our mind on Krishna, to get to the spiritual world where we CAN be perfect, and happiness is NOT ephemeral. So, improve, be content, because God owns EVERYTHING. What you have is a gift. treasure it, and pass it along. I guess, I remember a lot of homeless in the temple on feast days. Who later became devotees. I honestly cannot see that happening today. And I am thinking of the middle "80s, even AFTER Srila Prabhupada's death. This outreach, however wa