Transcription – CC Adi 1.4 Parampara of Happiness

[Kindly transcribed by Swetha Ganeshan Mataji]

From: Sri Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir!
Date: March 14, 2014
Speaker: HH Prahladananda Swami Maharaja
Subject: C.C Adi Lila 1.4

HH Prahladananda Swami: I am going to read from Sri Caitanya Caritamrita, Adi Lila, Chapter 1, Text number 4. I am just going to read it, so you don’t have to respond, otherwise it will take too long.

anarpita-carim ciriat karunayavatirnah kalau samarpayitum unnata ujjvala-rasam sva-bhakti-sriyam harih purata-sundara-dyuti-kadamba-sandipitah sada hrdaya-kandare sphuratu vah saci-nandana

TRANSLATION: May the Supreme Lord who is known as the son of Srimati Saci-devi be transcendentally situated in the innermost chambers of your heart. Resplendent with the radiance of molten gold, He has appeared in the Age of Kali by His causeless mercy to bestow what no incarnation has ever offered before: the most sublime and radiant mellow of devotional service, the mellow of conjugal love.

HH Prahaladananda Swami: I am happy to have this opportunity to try to say something about Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His associates. As it says in the Bhagavatam, as the birds fly in the sky according to their ability so I can try to explain about Krishna conscious according to whatever mercy Srila Prabhupada has given to me and in that way I could try to become more, understand Krishna conscious myself.

We have in our societies in terms of our meditation, we have Srila Prabhupada, we have Srila Prabhupada’s movement, we have our previous Acaryas, going back to the Six Goswamis, we have the Panca Tattva and then we have Lord Krishna, Srimati Radharani and their associates in Goloka Vrindavan and somehow or another we have to fit this all together so that Srila Prabhupada becomes part of our daily lives. Not only when we have Guru puja, we have kirtan and chant his name.

I remember Srila Prabhupada once said that wherever I am, my spiritual master is also there. And because Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada is one our acaryas, wherever he was, our previous acaryas were also there. And our previous acaryas means, that because they were serving the instructions of the Six Goswamis, therefore within their hearts, the Six Goswamis were also there and all the mercy that the Six Goswamis were offering was also there. If one is a 100% surrendered with enthusiasm, Krishna says in Bhagavad-gita:

tesam satata-yuktanam bhajatam priti-purvakam dadami buddhi-yogam tam yena mam upayanti te

After hearing from these great devotees about one subject matter-how wonderful Krishna is, How He is the source of everything, how everything is flowing from Him. This is the subject matter for the advanced devotees or for the devotees and as they become advancement then they become satisfied as gradually the awareness of Krishna consciousness develops within one’s heart as gradually the detachment from the things that our agitating us, gradually we become aware not only that we are eternal, but all the things that we are in anxiety about they gradually disappear. And when they disappear as we become more receptive, as we can hear the Holy Name and the glories of Lord Krishna, not only with a peaceful mind but with a receptive mind that we want to feel like we are bathing in the happiness of Krishna’s pastimes when we hear the Holy Name. Then it is not only through sakti that we are making advancement:

adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sango ‘tha bhajana-kriya

We are actually going through the stages of development of faith. We are actually becoming more aware of Krishna, tattvatah, in Truth and that the process of bhakti is having an effect on our heart. Then as we become satisfied, ramanti. The understanding of Krishna’s activities and why he has come here become more clear to us, as Srila Prabhupada writes in the Krishna book.

In the beginning Krishna consciousness is attractive because it is nice: nice prasadam, nice devotees, nice Deities, nice lifestyles-but as we make advancement, that devotional service becomes more clear and more and more encouraging. And finally ramante: we can come to the platform where we are actually in transcendental happiness. The same happiness we can experience that Srimati Radharani and Krishna are experiencing, that Their associates are experiencing, that the residents of the spiritual world are experiencing. The same happiness the Panca Tattva are experiencing, the same happiness that Caitanya Mahaprabhu is experiencing, the same happiness that the Six Goswamis are experiencing, the same happiness that our acaryas are experiencing, the same happiness that Srila Prabhupada is still experiencing. And it’s because of Their happiness and because of Srila Prabhupada’s happiness that we are actually making advancement in Krishna consciousness.

We should not think that Srila Prabhupada has left. He is present here in his murti form. He is present here in his instructions. He is present here in the form of his devotees who are following his instructions. And if we follow those instructions also then that happiness of Srila Prabhupada will be revealed to us through the devotees, through his murti and through following his instructions. And we’ll be able to experience that happiness which is the happiness coming in the disciplic succession, the same happiness that our acharyas are experiencing, that the Six Goswamis and the Panca Tattva are experiencing-the happiness of feeling separation from the transcendental pastimes of Srimati Radharani, Krishna and Their associates in the spiritual world. This is what is raising us and advancing us in devotional service and indeed this is what advances our entire society for Krishna consciousness.

It is said that Lord Krishna had three confidential reasons for assuming the form of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. One of them is He wanted to feel the happiness of Lord Krishna the same way that Srimati Radharani was feeling that happiness. Lord Krishna is the reservoir of unlimited happiness. When we chant Hare Krishna, Lord Krishna is there with all His happiness. But the question is how much are we feeling Lord Krishna’s happiness? That will depend upon how much we are trying to make Krishna happy when we chant Hare Krishna.

If we are like Srimati Radharani when Krishna is there-Her heart is completely a 100% dedicated to Krishna’s happiness. She only wants that Krishna is happy. Then she feels Sri Krishna’s happiness a 100%. So what is Krishna’s happiness? What has Caitanya Mahaprabhu described as Krishna’s happiness for us? Of course Srila Prabhupada has made it very practical: serve Krishna’s instructions, that will make Krishna happy. It will make Srila Prabhupada happy if we serve those instructions.

So what are those instructions? Those instructions of course in the beginning is to chant Hare Krishna and follow the regulative principles of devotional service. That will make Srila Prabhupada happy, that will make Krishna happy. But is that enough? No. Actually Srila Prabhupada did not stop there. He wanted us to act on the second class platform. He wanted us to become liberated, to act on the liberated platform. So that we ourselves can become liberated. So what is that liberated platform? Try to dedicate everything to Krishna. But practically what does that mean? Dedicate everything to service of the Spiritual Master. But what did Prabhupada want us to do. He wanted us to cooperate with the devotees-in a maitri-at least in friendship. And what is that cooperation? That cooperation is:

krsneti yasya giri tam manasadriyeta

diksasti cet pranatibhis ca bhajantam isam

susrusaya bhajana-vijnam ananyam anya-

nindadi-sunya-hrdam ipsita-sanga-labdhya

There are six loving exchanges. This Hare Krishna movement is an opportunity to explore and experience those six loving exchanges between the devotees. By offering prasad, by learning how to actually accept prasadam, by chanting the Holy Name, learning how to actually receive the Holy Name. By offering the gift of pure love of Krishna to others and being willing to accept the gift of pure loving service to Krishna from others. These are the loving exchanges.

So for those who are not very advanced in Krishna consciousness, we can accept when they chant Hare Krishna, we accept that as an offering to Krishna and we respect them that they are giving us a merciful gift of helping us remember Krishna. But we may not associate with them very intimately because they may not follow very strictly. Those who are fortunate enough to understand the mission of Caitanya Mahaprabhu and his gift of pure love for Krishna then we cooperate with them to spread the Krishna conscious movement. And what is that Krishna conscious movement?

yare dekha, tare kaha ‘krsna’ upadesa

amara ajnaya guru hana tara’ ei desa.

Whoever we meet we try to remember that I am not meeting a man, I am not meeting a woman, I am not meeting my wife or my husband, I am not meeting my Godbrother or Godsister, I am not meeting an American or an Indian or whatever else, I am meeting an eternal servant of Krishna. And because I am meeting an eternal servant of Krishna, and because I am trying to become a servant of my spiritual master, therefore my duty is to pray to my spiritual master, to pray to Lord Krishna, to please give me the intelligence so that I can serve this servant of Krishna by helping them become a better servant of Krishna. I can help them revive their eternal loving relationship with Krishna. Somehow or another that Krishna will give me the intelligence to do this.

Then everyone we meet becomes an opportunity to serve our spiritual master, to serve the disciplic succession, to serve Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission, to give people the gift of their eternal service to Krishna. And if we do that then we have a mission and purpose of life at every moment. How to learn, how to fulfill that mission with not only humility but with greater and greater transcendental discrimination and expertise that these are the things necessary to expand the Krishna conscious movement? Therefore

susrusaya bhajana-vijnam ananyam anya- nindadi-sunya-hrdam ipsita-sanga-labdhya

We have to take shelter of all the devotees and especially Srila Prabhupada. Why? We take shelter of all the devotees in as much as understood the mission of Caitanya Mahaprabhu as revealed to us through the unalloyed service instruction and heart coming from Srila Prabhupada, who was actually advanced in undeviated devotional service, who spent every moment of his existence distributing Krishna conscious to others, giving them the gift of Krishna with unparalleled discrimination. So much so he was able to not only by his heart full of love and spiritual potency attract people, but by his expert discrimination and transcendental expertise invite people to take up the process of devotional service and actually make tangible advancement and experience the love for Krishna to some degree and the awakening of transcendental consciousness within their consciousness so that they can understand what the goal of life is and how to achieve it.

Srila Prabhupada had said in his last days that he was visible to us in this planet, when he was asked who would be the next acarya. Because after all that ultimately is the wish of every conditioned soul to become an acarya. Everyone wants everyone to follow them, to surrender to them. That is why we have all come to this material world. We want full surrender from every other soul. And we are disappointed somehow or another we have not been able to achieve it, although the conditioned souls within this universe, they are quite determined to do so-life after life after life. They think they get a hint from that when their wife seemingly surrenders to the husband and the husband surrenders to the wife and the children, but actually they are really surrendering to Krishna to some degree.

But Srila Prabhupada when He was asked who will be the next acarya, He said all my disciples, all my followers, as much as they follow my instruction to that extent they become the next leader. Not that I name anyone as leader. So the next leader will be as much as we have understood and follow Srila Prabhupada’s instruction, to that extent every one of us becomes qualified to be the next leader.

Of course Srila Prabhupada has also given us this society with its leadership of the GBCs, initiating spiritual masters, temple presidents, Godbrothers and Godsisters, so this is also following Prabhupada’s instructions-to follow that leadership also. So that leadership is meant to give us uninterrupted, unalloyed love for Krishna. To teach us how to come to that mood, whoever we meet, not only the GBC, not only the Temple President, not only our initiating Spiritual Master, not only our instructing Spiritual Master but every single devotee, how to become their servants by deeply understanding and accepting the instructions of Srila Prabhupada, the instructions coming from Caitanya Mahaprabhu, deeply understanding, developing this transcendental discrimination expertise, so that we can enter into other’s hearts and give them something about Krishna. Then if we are actually sincere servants of our disciplic succession, if we are actually able to follow our authority structure then we will able to awaken within the hearts of others something about Krishna. Then we will able to feel Krishna’s love. Actually if we try to give Krishna’s love for others then we’ll be able to experience that love for ourselves. We want others to understand how wonderful Krishna is, how wonderful His love is, then He will give us an opportunity to experience it. If we actually serious about experiencing it for ourselves in giving it to others. And to understand what is it like to love Krishna.

That love for Krishna which is most intense in the heart of Srimati Radharani and she is offering that intensity of love for Krishna to everyone through Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission. When we feel how much Srimati Radharani is loving Krishna then we can understand our own natural feelings in loving Krishna too. And that is manifested loving Krishna by expanding this Krishna conscious movement. Because this is what Krishna wants.

He wants everyone to go back to the spiritual world so that they can become happy. Because no one can become happy unless they love Krishna. That is what love means. No one can be happy unless they feel Krishna’s happiness in reciprocation. No one can be happy unless they experience how wonderful Krishna’s qualities are and how wonderful Krishna’s qualities are manifested in innumerable living entities, unlimited living entities and especially they are manifested in the sankirtana movement.

So these are said to be the confidential reasons for Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission of coming here. But that mission is to spread these confidential feelings and understandings to everyone on this planet, to everyone in this universe. He did not want to keep them confidential, He wanted them to become a known secret to everyone who is willing to share that secret with others and engage in the sankirtan movement. So it is not that Srila Prabhupada did not give us everything. He gave us everything and more in one sense. He gave us an opportunity to take part in the mission of Caitanya Mahaprabhu and expand the Hare Krishna movement in everyone’s heart in this universe. Or at least since we are not going to go to Brahma loka right away, and Indra loka, since the demigods are not coming to this planet yet, still we are meeting so many devotees every day. We don’t have to become some powerful incarnation, we don’t have to become a temple president or a GBC, we don’t have to become anything other than who we are:

gopibhartur pada kamlayor dasadasanu dasa

That’s all we have to be: sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhir. Remaining in whatever circumstances we are under, in any situation but hear from Srila Prabhupada, hear from Srila Prabhupada’s representatives and at the same time try with our body, with our mind and with our words try to serve the mission of Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Srila Prabhupada especially wanted us to distribute books. Why? Because in the words of the acaryas, in the words of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, in the words of Krishna, they are especially imbued and saturated with this karunya, with this mercy of trying to freely give love to Krishna to everyone. These books are saturated in an unlimited way with pure love for Krishna in the mood of compassion. And at the same time anyone who goes out and tries to distribute books, this pure love of Krishna, by contact with this pure love, compassion, they also gradually become purified and some compassion and some love for Krishna will awaken within their hearts also, because it is such a wonderful opportunity to intensify one’s desire that whoever we meet, we try to give them Krishna. What a challenge. People who know nothing about Krishna to somehow or the other be able to present them something about Krishna in a way, by the mercy of Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Srila Prabhupada and His followers to be able to somehow or another be given the intelligence, the transcendental potency, the discrimination, the expertise to actually awaken within their heart the desire to take one of these books and to accept Krishna to some degree.

So this is really dadami buddhi-yogam tam that Krishna is giving us the intelligence by which we and others can come to Him. And what is everyone else’s business? Everyone else in this movement, our business is to reveal what is in these books. This movement is the manifestation of the books of Srila Prabhupada. It is meant to create a cultural revolution so that these transcendental vibrations that are in the books of Srila Prabhupada become manifested in this world. They are not simply words, they are the spiritual world, they are the path to the spiritual world and our basis is to manifest those words within this world so that this world becomes a spiritual world.

[Audience applauses]

So what does that mean? It means whatever talent we have, whatever abilities we have, utilize that in Krishna’s service yukta-vair?gyamucyate. If we are dancers then dance for Krishna, if we are singers then sing for Krishna if we are eager for prasadam then take prasadam for Krishna, if we know how to cook then cook for Krishna, if we know how to do art, theater, whatever we have. If we are managers then manage the sankirtan movement for Krishna, if we have money then utilize the money for the sankirtan movement and if we have knowledge then tell people about Krishna.

In this way just like the iron is put into the fire, we’ll become hotter and hotter and hotter and then one day we will just become like fire. Now we may be trying to walk and may be just like a child who tries to walk and he falls down so his parents they never criticize the small child, “Why is he falling down? When I was your age it took me three times to walk! You, what family are you from anyhow? That’s five times, get with it kid- you are an embarrassment!”

No, the beloved parents they are simply encouraging the child, please walk try one more time. And one day the child will walk-not only walk but dance in the sankirtan movement, dance in pure spiritual bliss.

[Audience applauses]

So acting on the second class platform means this sankirtana movement of Caitanya Mahaprabhu as given to us by Srila Prabhupada, this will reveal the innermost heart of Caitanya Mahaprabhu because it will actually be in our heart as we are performing this sankirtana movement with devotion that has been revealed to us by Srila Prabhupada, through this Hare Krishna movement and what will be the result? We will try to capture everyone’s talent and abilities, we will see everyone as a precious asset to be utilized in the service of Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission, to bring everyone back to Radha and Krishna’s pastimes in the spiritual world. Then everyone will be appreciated.

One time Ramesvara prabhu wrote to Srila Prabhupada because there was some controversy that Ramesvara Prabhu is saying that the book distribution devotees are in the mood of the gopis trying to bring other people to Krishna’s lotus feet and Prabhupada wrote back, he said, yes he’s understood. This is the mood of the gopis. We are, actually this movement is the mood of the gopis. Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s movement is imbued with madhurya rasa in the mood of the gopis trying to completely surrendered to do anything and everything to bring all of us back to the lotus feet of Radha and Krishna in the spiritual world.

So every part of this movement, even the varnasrama dharma, the transcendental cultural revolution, it is all part of the same movement to bring people back to the spiritual world, back to the lotus feet of Srimati Radharani, who can bring us to the lotus feet of Krishna. So as this movement becomes more and more imbued with that mission, then we’ll invite everyone; why just the members of the Hare Krishna movement, why should only we understand that our movement has convinced people that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and that we should bring people to the lotus feet of Krishna? So many other Vaisnava societies have also understood them. So why not engage them also to the mission of Caitanya Mahaprabhu as revealed to us through the lotus mouth and example of Srila Prabhupada?

Why only the Vaisnavas, why not all the religious movements, convince them that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and that everyone should utilize whatever assets they have in this cultural revolution. So this is the mission that Srila Prabhupada has indicated to us, we have to take a step at a time. But it is a big mission. It is a mission to save, Srila Prabhupada said, to save the human civilization. That this movement will actually go down in the history, as a movement that will save this entire material world.

[Audience applauses]

So let us take shelter of Srila Prabhupada, let us take shelter of His instructions, let us take shelter of the acaryas, and actually become Gopibhartur padakamlayor dasadasanudasa. Thank you very much.

[Audience applauses]

Srila Prabhupada ki jai. Any questions?

Question: Thank you for the encouraging class Maharaja. You mentioned that the books are actually alive and the activities themselves are living. So, could you please explain why Caitanya Mahaprabhu chose public chanting and dancing as a method of propagating this movement.

HH Prahladananda Swami: In every Kali-yuga there is chanting and dancing. There is sankirtan in every Kali-yuga. And this is a special Kali-yuga, because this is a Kali-yuga where the chanting and dancing is imbued with feelings of separation from Radha and Krishna in Vrindavan. And is imbued with the feelings of trying to bring everyone back to Vrindavan, not only to Vaikuntha, but to the spiritual world of Goloka Vrindavan, the same feeling of complete surrender to Radha and Krishna in Vrindavan.

So in every Kali-yuga. . . because in Satya-yuga everyone who had any desire for self-realization was meditating on the Radha and Krishna’s pastimes, or Krishna’s pastimes in the spiritual world. We say Radha and Krishna. We also mean Lakshmi Narayan and Krishna’s expansions, Their pastimes. In Treta-yuga, people became a little lusty and a little greedy because from lust comes greed.

I heard somewhere that they began to eat a little too much prasad. Nice prasad. You can imagine what prasad was like in Satya-yuga. So they ate a little too much so they had to make some offering, some sacrifice to get free from these material attachments. And therefore sacrifice was recommended in Treta-yuga. And when their hearts were purified from sacrifice then naturally their minds could meditate upon Krishna’s pastimes.

And in Dvapara-yuga people became even more attached and therefore some method of regulating their senses had to be there so their activities could be offered to Krishna, and when their activities were offered to Krishna their consciousness would get purified and then they offered their intelligence to Krishna and then they became qualified to meditate in trance upon Krishna’s pastimes.

In this age our minds are everywhere, we have no intelligence, we have no understanding of devotion or attraction to it and so therefore only by the loud chanting of Hare Krishna can we become purified. But in this age not only will the loud chanting of Hare Krishna purify us, but when it is heard by the followers of Caitanya Mahaprabhu through our disciplic succession, and when it actually is coming from our disciplic succession through the Six Goswamis, through the Panca-tattva, and when Radha and Krishna are actually being manifested through the spiritual world, then it is a portal to send so many souls back to Vaikuntha or especially Goloka Vrindavan and join Radha and Krishna’s pastimes there.

Question: You talked about how the mood of separation is happy. You were talking about happiness in Krishna conscious, you mentioned in the mood of separation. So I was wondering if you could speak about how we can understand the mood of separation being happy.

Maharaja: Yes, actually in the pastimes of Lord Krishna, especially as revealed by Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the pastimes of Krishna are Hladini Shakti. They are full of transcendental pleasure, unlimitedly. And when we feel separation from those pastimes then they are actually revealed more and more therefore we feel more and more pleasure the more we feel separation. Caitanya Mahaprabhu began his pastimes by showing us how to be a good householder, how to be a dutiful brahmana, how to cultivate knowledge.

And at some time He met Madhavendra Puri’s representative Isvara Puri and He developed some feeling towards the separation from Krishna and therefore He started the sankirtana movement and had others go with Him. They are all acting on the platform of liberated souls by performing the sankirtana movement. And in that sankirtana movement, Caitanya Mahaprabhu preached how Krishna was the Supreme Personality of Godhead and we should offer everything to Him. At the end of His pastimes He showed us love in separation.

Caitanya Mahaprabhu was walking on the beach of Jagannath Puri. And there he saw one hill, the Chataka Parvata and at once He remembered Krishna and His pastimes of Govardhan Hill. He recited the verse, how wonderful Govardhan is, He is greatest of the devotees because He provides the cows with grass and caves for Krishna’s pastimes.

He began to run towards this hill at the speed of the mind and His body erupted, He looked like a kadamaba flower. The pores of His body erupted like kadamba flower, because Caitanya Mahaprabhu was yellow therefore pores of His body looked like flowers erupting, kadamaba flowers which were also yellow. And then blood, perspiration were flowing simultaneously and he became stunned in ecstasy and He fell on the shore of Jagannath Ocean and His followers were running after Him, Brahmananda Bharathi, Paramananda Puri, and Bhagavan Acarya who was lame, they all began to run after Him because they are always in anxiety about Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s welfare.

Caitanya Mahaprabhu fell on the ground in ecstasy, they came they surrounded him and they were trying to awaken Him. He awakened in half consciousness and He said, “Why have you brought Me back here? I went to Vrindavan and I heard Krishna playing on His flute and then Srimati Radharani and her cowherd girlfriends all came and they were all very wonderfully dressed, beautifully dressed and they were entering into a cave. The gopis invited me to pick flowers for Srimati Radharani and Krishna. So I was in Vrindavan, I was with Radha and Krishna and you made this loud noise and brought me back here.”

Then Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to full external consciousness and Bhagavan Acarya was there and Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, “Why have you come here?”

Bhagavan Acarya said, “Just to see you dance, my Lord, just to see you dance.”

And then all of Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s associates went into the Jagannath Ocean to take their bath. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s movement, Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s instructions, everything about Caitanya Mahaprabhu is filled with His transcendental separation of love from Radha and Krishna and Their associates in Vrindavan which is the nature of pure transcendental love and bliss. So there can only be happiness in Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s movement.

Question: You mentioned in your lecture about book distribution specifically. Is there a difference between sankirtana, chanting of the Holy Name, and book distribution, or is there some advantage of one over the other?

HH Prahladananda Swami: Well, they are exactly the same. Prabhupada’s books are written kirtanas. They have the name, form, qualities of Krishna right there before us. And they are revealed to us as much as we are actually surrendered to the books. As much as we engage in this sankirtana movement of Caitanya Mahaprabhu to that degree the books become real to us to manifest the spiritual world. Then katha ruchi, then we get the taste of the books, then we get the taste of the Holy Names.

The advantage of book distribution is that it’s a challenge, the challenge is to become a servant of the servant of the servant of Krishna that whoever we meet we try to tell them about Krishna. So people who have no idea about Krishna, people who have no interest about Krishna, sometimes people who are adverse to Krishna, somehow or another we are praying to Krishna, we are hoping to Krishna, we are praying for the intelligence how to give people Krishna in the form of this transcendental literature.

Therefore, Krishna, when He sees our sincere desire, He reciprocates by giving us more and more transcendental potency, by giving us more and more transcendental intelligence how to accomplish that. But anyone in any service, if that is our mood, if that is our attitude, then Krishna will very happily give us more and more intelligence, more and more transcendental potency to perform those services also.

So therefore Prabhupada said that the best service is book distribution. He also said that the most fortunate people are those who are worshipping Deities, He also said the education of these children is the most important service in our movement. So everything is equally important as much as we take it seriously and apply it within our lives.

So there is one more question, [Maharaja’s reads the question] something about Srila Prabhupada said that 50% of His mission is accomplished by establishing ISKCON, the remaining 50% is to re-establish varnasrama dharma and cow protection from farming.

Varnasrama dharma is certainly mentioned through Srila Prabhupada’s books. But in order to establish Varnasrama dharma we have to first establish the sankirtana movement. Otherwise, even if we made a king among ourselves, who will the king rule? Even if we had sudras among ourselves what would they do? They’d do the same thing: go on book distribution, become the Temple President whatever else.

So we have to expand the sankirtan movement to a much greater degree so that we actually establish a class of people in this world who actually appreciate the devotees but cannot understand what is the purpose of this sankirtan movement completely. But they are willing to serve the devotees because they have that much appreciation that the devotees at least know how to eat. They know how to farm, they know how to cooperate with each other. They know they have something special, they know how to rule over others, they have this intelligence coming from Krishna. And although they themselves may not understand the value of chanting Hare Krishna and following all the regulative principles, they appreciate the devotee’s love to surrender to the Varnasrama system which will be conducted by the devotees.

But first we have to become more powerful devotees, we have to become a more powerful movement, we have to become so powerful and so pure, so conscious that people will actually surrender, accept us in that way. Srila Prabhupada said, first they’ll laugh at us, then they’ll attack us, then they’ll love us. So we may be in different stages in different parts of the world but we have to come to this stage when they’ll actually love us and then they’ll love to follow our instructions including varnasrama dharma.

Audience: Haribol!

Thank you very much. Srila Prabhupada ki jai. Samaveta bhakta vrinda ki jai. Sri Sri Radha Madhava ki jai. Gauranga!

Audience: Gauranga!

Transcription – CC Adi 1. 4 Parampara of Happiness 2014-03-14 Mayapur

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

SB 6.4.13-14 Help Everyone Remember Krishna – Full Transcription

SB 06.04.13-14 Help Everyone Remember Krishna

Kindly transcribed by Sarasvati Priya DD]

 

From Sri Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir

Date: February 21, 2015 Speaker: HH Prahladananda Swami
Subject: S.B.6.4.13-14

_________________

VERSE 13 antar dehesu bhutanam atmaste harir isvarah sarvam tad-dhisnyam iksadhvam evam vas tosito hy asau

TRANSLATION: The Supreme Personality of Godhead is situated as the super soul within the cores of the hearts of all living entities, whether moving or nonmoving, including men, birds, animals, trees and, indeed, all living entities. Therefore you should consider every body a residence or temple of the Lord. By such vision you will satisfy the Lord. You should not angrily kill these living entities in the forms of trees.

PURPORT: As stated in Bhagavad-gita and confirmed by all the Vedic scriptures, isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd dese ‘rjuna tisthati the Super soul is situated within everyone’s heart. Therefore, since everyone’s body is the residence of the Supreme Lord, one should not destroy the body because of unnecessary envy. That will dissatisfy the super soul. Soma told the Pracetas that because they had tried to satisfy the super soul, now they should not displease Him.

VERSE 14 yah samutpatitam deha akasan manyum ulbanam atma-jijnasaya yacchet sa gunan ativartate

TRANSLATION: One who inquires into self-realization and thus subdues his powerful anger-which awakens suddenly in the body as if falling from the sky-transcends the influence of the modes of material nature.

PURPORT: When one becomes angry, he forgets himself and his situation, but if one is able to consider his situation by knowledge, one transcends the influence of the modes of material nature. One is always a servant of lusty desires, anger, greed, illusion, envy and so forth, but if one obtains sufficient strength in spiritual advancement, one can control them. One who obtains such control will always be transcendentally situated, untouched by the modes of material nature. This is only possible when one fully engages in the service of the Lord. As the Lord says in Bhagavad-gita 14.26

mam ca yo ‘vyabhicarena bhakti yogena sevate sa gunan samatityaitan brahma bhuyayah kalpate

“One who engages in full devotional service, who does not fall down in any circumstance, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the spiritual platform.” By engaging one in devotional service, the Krsna consciousness movement keeps one always transcendental to anger, greed, lust, envy and so forth. One must perform devotional service because otherwise one will become victimized by the modes of material nature.

________________________

HH Prahladananda Swami:(Pranama Mantras)

I’m happy to have this opportunity to say something about Krishna Consciousness.

In these two verses it mentions that we should see everyone equally. Although externally we see so many different bodies, internally there is a soul. Along with the soul, there is the super soul. The whole world is manifested according to the desires of the soul through the agency of material nature, which is directed by the super soul.

Krishna knows our desires, just like one can understand the flavor of a flower by smelling it. He’s arranging everything accordingly. Specifically, in the human form of life, we have a choice. We have a choice to orientate our desires towards life, towards the spiritual conceptions of life. Or we can remain in the ignorant misconceptions of misidentifying ourselves and others with the gross material body. If one orientates himself towards the light, then gradually one will come to the light.

Krishna tries to convince Arjuna from the very beginning of Bhagavad Gita that we are not the body. Not only are we not our body, but no one is their body. Although we seemingly have a very intimate relationship with this body, it is all due to a kind of imagination. It is a virtual reality that we are observing and experiencing, but actually it has nothing to do with our spiritual personality.

The material world, as we have heard before, is just like a dream for the soul. Not a very pleasant dream, it’s more like a nightmare. We are dreaming that we are going through birth, old age, and disease, and then we are dreaming that we are dying. The dream repeats itself over and over again in 8,400,000 species of life. The soul, more or less, is trying to experience some kind of happiness in this material existence. pumsah striya mithuni-bhavam etam (SB 5.5.8) The whole material happiness is based upon “I am male, you are female. I am Tarzan. You are Jane. I am Mickey Mouse. You are Minnie Mouse. I am Romeo. You are Juliet. I am Krishna. You are Radha.” So everyone is dreaming like that and trying to squeeze some pleasure out of our so called lila in the material world.

One time, Srila Prabhupada was coming back from a doctors appointment in Los Angeles. On the way back, he saw the title of a movie called, “Is there sex after death.” When Srila Prabhupada came back to the Temple, he gave a lecture. In the lecture he mentioned that he had seen the title of the movie, “Is there sex after death.” Srila Prabhupada said to his disciples that they should go and tell everyone that there is sex after death, in 8,400,000 species of life. Srila Prabhupada said that if the materialists understand that, they won’t be afraid of death anymore.

We are trying to create this imaginary world where we are in the center and the rest of the world revolves around us. The sun comes up in the morning to shine on us, and the moon comes up in the evening to shine on us. Everyone else is more or less an actor in our grand play. This is known as illusion. Krishna says that actually:

anaditvan nirgunatvat paramatmayam avyayah sarira-stho ‘pi kaunteya na karoti na lipyate
(BG 13.32)

Those who can see with the eyes of eternality can see that the soul is eternal, transcendental, and beyond the modes of material nature, despite contact with the material body, oh Arjuna. The soul is neither entangled, nor is he doing anything.

Of course we are doing something. We are desiring. The only problem in this world is that we do not know what to desire. According to our circumstances, if we desire to serve Krishna, dadami buddhi-yogam tam (BG 10.10), then Krishna will supply the intelligence by which we will be able to serve Him. What is that service? There are nine processes of devotional service.

sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam pada-sevanam arcanam vandanam dasyam sakhyam atma-nivedanam

These are the nine methods or activities that we can perform in order to serve Krishna. Even more important than any of these particular types of service, is the mentality of being Krishna’s servant. It is not only externally doing some activity, but is doing it in the mood of service. Therefore Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu has said that:

naham vipro na ca nara-patir napi vaisyo na sudro naham varni na ca grha-patir no vanastho yatir va kintu prodyan-nikhila-paramananda-purnamrtabdher gopi-bhartuh pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanudasah
(CC Madhya 13.80)

This is Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He is God, Himself. His mood is that He is the servant of the servant of the servant of Krishna. Who are the servants of Krishna?

samam sarvesu bhutesu tisthantam paramesvaram vinasyatsv avinasyantam yah pasyati sa pasyati
(Bhagavad Gita 13.28)

One who can see the super soul accompanying all living entities in all bodies and knows that neither the soul nor the super soul in the destructible bodies is ever destroyed, actually sees.

We may see with the vision that, “I am this body. I am male. I am female. I am born in this country. I have these particular qualities.” It is all an imagination. The imagination is not that there doesn’t exist the body, rather the misidentification with the body is an illusion. If I want to utilize my body in order to play the pastime of trying to become Radha or Krishna, then the result is that I simply remain in illusion. If I want to enter into the pastimes of Radha and Krishna, then I, nimitta-matram bhava savya-sacin, (BG 11.33) become an instrument for Krishna’s service. What is that service?

yare dekha, tare kaha ‘krsna’-upadesa amara ajnaya guru hana tara’ ei desa
(CC Madhya 7.128)

Whoever we meet, we should try to help them become conscious of Krishna. As soon as we meet anyone, immediately our first thought is, “My dear Lord, please give me the intelligence to help this particular soul advance in their relationship with Krishna.”

It’s not that we don’t see externally what particular body or mentality that someone has. Obviously there are different bodies. There are different mentalities. That does not mean that we are not their servant, the servant of the soul and the super soul. How we serve will depend upon time, place, and audience. That service has to be directed by guru, sadhu, and sastra. Our aim, whatever we do, is to try to help them invoke their awareness of and love for Krishna.

It is not only certain persons within our society who have the role of guru. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu has asked every human being in this universe to become guru. He did not say that guru means sitting on a big chair handing out beads to people. He said that guru means that whoever we meet, we try to help them become conscious of their relationship with Krishna. That is actual guru. We may take different positions or identities, but they are simply to help us help others become conscious of Krishna.

gurur na sa syat sva-jano na sa syat pita na sa syaj janani na sa syat daivam na tat syan na patis ca sa syan na mocayed yah samupeta-mrtyum SB 5.5.18

That anyone, if we are a guru, teacher, if we have some relatives, if we’re a father or a mother, if we’re an important person, we should tell them about Krishna. Somehow or another we should help them make some advancement, give them some prasadam. Give them the holy name. Give them one of Srila Prabhupada’s books. Smile at them and think of Krishna.

Somehow or another, when we meet our wife, we should not think “I am husband. I am controller. Just see my prowess.” When we meet our husband, we should not think, “What can I get from him? How can I trick him? I love you.” We should immediately think, “I am your servant. How can I serve you? How can I help you become Krishna Conscious?”

Then Krishna says dadami buddhi-yogam tam (Bg 10.10). I’ll give you intelligence so that twenty-four hours a day you cannot help but think about me. Then the whole world turns into Krishna’s pastimes because we are actively engaged in Krishna’s pastimes. This is the lila of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. It is not some small little lila where there are some unusual people called the Hare Krishnas, or the hairless Krishnas. It is not some unusual group of people with some unusual dress and lifestyle that keep on chanting Hare Krishna Hare Krishna. They can’t stop because they have no brains.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

“Excuse me, sir?” “No, I can’t. I have to keep on chanting. Hare Krishna Hare Krishna.as soon as I stop chanting I start thinking. If I start thinking, who knows what’s going to happen!” No, it is not some unusual group of people murmuring some words because they have no brains. We are actually giving people Krishna directly.

nama cintamanih krsnas caitanya-rasa-vigrahah
(CC Madhya 17.133)

Krishna and His name are non different. We are not simply chanting Hare Krishna. We are asking Krishna to engage us in His loving service. But that’s what it is. It’s loving service. That service is all pervading. We cannot love Krishna without loving all living entities. We cannot love all living entities unless we are actually trying to give them Krishna. If we meet a devotee, especially, if we’re not enlivened and happy then that means that we are in maya.

In other words, especially when we meet the devotees, we immediately have to remember Krishna and Krishna’s service. As we become absorbed in that meditation and that service attitude, then Krishna will be there. As soon as we forget that actually, I own nothing, I’m not this body, this body belongs to Krishna, all the things that I have belong to Krishna, I belong to Krishna. Therefore whenever I meet someone, I offer them my service to help them become Krishna Conscious. Then naturally, I’ll remember Krishna.

If it’s in the mood of devotion, in the mood of service, guided by guru, sadhu, and sastra, then the result is that we will remember the ecstatic acharyas in our disciplic succession. We will remember the ecstatic six goswamis. We will remember the ecstatic Pancha Tattva. We will remember the ecstatic residents of the spiritual world. And in every moment, in that way, we will actually be making progress in going back to the spiritual world. The more consistent and enthusiastic that mediation becomes, then the more Krishna will give us the intelligence of how to perform that service with more enthusiasm and determination. Then all of the anarthas and aparadhas will simply vanish in the ecstasy of devotional service.

When we chant Hare Krishna we will actually mean it. We’ll actually believe that there is a Krishna. There is a Srimati Radharani. And there is something called Their loving service. Gradually, we will develop that desire to obtain their loving service. That’s the whole purpose of what we are doing, to increase our desire to enter into the loving service of Krishna and His associates. That opportunity is at every moment. We don’t have to wait until tomorrow, or for better circumstances. At every moment we have that opportunity. It’s simply a question of taking advantage of the great opportunity that we have in each moment, especially in the sankirtan movement, as given to us by Srila Prabhupada by the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Although we may not be very much enlightened or enlivened, but if we chant Hare Krishna and actually ask Krishna pleadingly, “Please engage me in Your loving service.” We may not have any idea what that means. But because we heard that it’s very nice then we can ask Krishna, “My dear Krishna, I don’t know what Your loving service is or who You are, or Srimati Radharani. I don’t know how to serve Your associates. Please reveal all of this to me. Without Your mercy, I have no opportunity to learn how to understand any of these things. By the mercy of Your representative, I have learned something, at least theoretically. Please make all of this realized so that I can actually do something for my spiritual master and the disciplic succession. So that I actually become enlivened and enlightened in devotional service, and neither pretend that I’m Radha and Krishna, or Tarzan or Jane, or pretend that I’m some great devotee, some realized soul handing out benedictions to the audience.”

Actually, one should think, “I have no devotion. What do I know about Krishna or His loving service? But I’m begging my spiritual master and Krishna to reveal these things to me.” When Krishna sees that we are actually taking the mission of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu seriously, and introducing the chanting of Hare Krishna to others with devotion and determination, then gradually Krishna will reveal Himself through His holy name.

As soon as we forget that, then at once we will say, “Oh, here’s my friend, here’s my enemy. Here’s a good person, here’s a bad person. Here is someone I like, someone I do not like.” At once we are in a whole different world of imagination.

sanaih sanair uparamed buddhya dhrti-grhitaya atma-samstham manah krtva na kincid api cintayet
(BG 6.25)

Gradually, step by step with determination and full conviction, we have to withdraw our minds from these misconceptions and practice this art of devotional service. It is not that when we try, Maya says automatically, “Oh, you are such a nice devotee. Now you can think of Krishna forever.” Wherever the mind wonders to due to its flickering and unsteady nature, bring it back to Krishna’s service and into the service of helping others become Krishna Conscious. It’s guaranteed that Krishna will give us all of His mercy. It will gradually become easier and easier to remember the mission of Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

mat-karma-krn mat-paramo mad-bhaktah sanga-varjitah nirvairah sarva-bhutesu yah sa mam eti pandava
(Bg 11.55)

“My dear Arjuna, one who is absorbed in my pure devotional service with devotion, without any material misconceptions, becomes a real friend to every living entity and becomes everyone’s servant by giving them the best service.” They give them the source of all knowledge, all beauty, all fame, all renunciation in the form of the holy name, Srila Prabhupada’s books, prasadam, and by simply being kind to people and helping them make advancement in Krishna Consciousness. This will transform the world.

We can organize the sankirtan movement but the basis of it has to be that service to Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s movement. Srila Prabhupada once wrote to me. He said, “I don’t want buildings, I don’t want money, I don’t want any of these things. I simply want to see that my books are being distributed. Because you are doing this, I am pleased.”

So we should live in Srila Prabhupada’s books. We should distribute them in many different ways. That will please Srila Prabhupada and the previous acharyas. It will please Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His followers. That will please Radha and Krishna and Their associates. That will please everyone. Above everything, it will help us return to our eternal relationship with Krishna.

Srila Prabhupada once wrote to me. He said, “The boys and girls in your country are generally good souls. That’s why they have taken birth in such a nice country. So now let them utilize everything in Krishna’s service. That will make their life perfect. As Krishna sees that you are working seriously to help bring His other children back to the spiritual kingdom, then He will bestow all of His blessings upon you. Krishna is never ungrateful for our efforts to serve Him. Rest assured.”

Let us take that opportunity with whoever we meet today. Let’s have that meditation of how we can help. “Please, Krishna, please Srila Prabhupada, please devotees, please spiritual master and others, give me the intelligence by which I can serve this soul and help them to become Krishna Conscious.” That will transform our society and eventually the whole world.

Hare Krishna. Thank you.

Devotee question:

The devotees, do they want to stay in this world or do they want to go back to Godhead? What is their actual desire?

Prahladananda Maharaj: If one is engaged in preaching the mission of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, then one is already in the Spiritual World. Tripurari Maharaj once asked Srila Prabhupada, “If we distribute your books, will we develop love of God?” Srila Prabhupada’s answer was, “Because you love Krishna, therefore you are distributing my books.”

The more we do these activities, one day we will realize that we are already in the Spiritual World. It’s simply a question of unalloyed, uninterrupted service to Krishna. Whether in Goloka Vrindavan, here in Mayapur, or in Brooklyn, NY

narayana-parah sarve na kutascana bibhyati svargapavarga-narakesv api tulyartha-darsinah
(SB 6.17.28)

As Lord Siva told Parvati, “Whether the devotee is in heaven or in hell, it makes no difference to him because he has taken shelter of the lotus feet of Krishna.” For us, it means that we are spreading the sankirtan movement all over the world. If not all over the world, then at least with our family, friends, and whoever we meet. Then we will become perfect.

Devotee question: Maharaj, you mentioned misidentification with the material and subtle bodies. Can you explain how we misidentify with the subtle body? I can understand with the material body.

Prahladananda Maharaj:

We simply like what the mind is telling us. As soon as the super soul sees that we are attached to what the mind is telling us, then He puts us in illusion. Srila Prabhupada writes that, “As soon as the soul decides he wants to enjoy the material energy, then he is supplied with lusty intelligence to make plans of how to enjoy and avoid suffering. Then the lusty intelligence acquires a false ego. Therefore one misidentifies himself with the mind and senses. He thus becomes entangled in the activities of sense gratification.”

Thank you very much. Srimad Bhagavatam ki jaya. Srila Prabhupada ki jaya. Gaura Premanande Haribol.

 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Lecture & Transcription – SB 4.23.26 “Prison of Desires”

Live From Sri Mayapur Candrodaya Mandir!
Date: February 9th, 2012 Topic: Maharaj Prthu’s Going Back Home Verse: SB 4.23.26 Speaker: HH Prahladananda Swami

SB 04.23.26 Prison Of Desires 2012-02-08
________________________________________

saisa nunam vrajaty urdhvam anu vainyam patim sati

pasyatasman atityarcir durvibhavyena karmana

TRANSLATION: The wives of the demigods continued: Just see how this chaste lady, Arci, by dint of her inconceivable pious activities, is still following her husband upward, as far as we can see.
PURPORT: Both Prthu Maharaja’s airplane and the airplane carrying Queen Arci were passing out of the vision of the ladies of the higher planetary systems. These ladies were simply astonished to see how Prthu Maharaja and his wife achieved such an exalted position. Although they were the wives of the denizens of the higher planetary system and Prthu Maharaja was an inhabitant of an inferior planetary system (the earth), the King, along with his wife, passed beyond the realms of the demigods and went upward to Vaikunthaloka. The word urdhvam (”upward”) is significant here, for the ladies speaking were from the higher planetary systems, which include the moon, sun and Venus, up to Brahmaloka, or the highest planet. Beyond Brahmaloka is the spiritual sky, and in that spiritual sky there are innumerable Vaikunthalokas. Thus the word urdhvam indicates that the Vaikuntha planets are beyond or above these material planets, and it was to these Vaikuntha planets that Prthu Maharaja and his wife were going. This also indicates that when Prthu Maharaja and his wife, Arci, abandoned their material bodies in the material fire, they immediately developed their spiritual bodies and entered into spiritual airplanes, which could penetrate the material elements and reach the spiritual sky. Since they were carried by two separate airplanes, it may be concluded that even after being burned in the funeral pyre they remained separate, individual persons. In other words, they never lost their identity or became void, as imagined by the impersonalists. The ladies in the higher planetary systems were capable of seeing both downward and upward. When they looked down they could see that the body of Prthu Maharaja was being burned and that his wife, Arci, was entering into the fire, and when they looked upward they could see how they were being carried in two airplanes to the Vaikunthalokas. All of this is possible simply by durvibhavyena karmana, inconceivable activity. Prthu Maharaja was a pure devotee, and his wife, Queen Arci, simply followed her husband. Thus they can both be considered pure devotees, and thus they are capable of performing inconceivable activities. Such activities are not possible for ordinary men. Indeed, ordinary men cannot even take to the devotional service of the Lord, nor can ordinary women maintain such vows of chastity and follow their husbands in all respects. A woman does not need to attain high qualifications, but if she simply follows in the footsteps of her husband, who must be a devotee, then both husband and wife attain liberation and are promoted to the Vaikunthalokas. This is evinced by the inconceivable activities of Maharaja Prthu and his wife. [End of Srila Prabhupada’s purport to SB 4.23.27]

HH Prahladananda Swami: Here we find that Maharaja Prthu and Queen Arci are going back to the spiritual world which is the perfection of all existence. How they obtained that desired goal? Of course it is by becoming fixed in pure devotional service of Krishna. Actually everyone has the same goal namely everyone wants to know how to become as happy as possible for as long as possible. And everyone has a different idea how that is going to be achieved. Prahlad Maharaja says, matir na krsne paratah svato va mitho ‘bhipadyeta grha-vratanam adanta-gobhir visatam tamisram punah punas carvita-carvananam [SB 7.5.30]

People don’t know that actually they should put their consciousness in Krishna. And because they don’t know that, because they haven’t understood what is the actual methodology in becoming permanently happy therefore they are trying so many different ways to reach that same happiness – whether it is by an individual study of books or philosophy or by joint endeavour to do something in this material world or by a combination of both. But the problem is the grha-vrata. The problem is the material conception of life that – grha means house. So the first house everyone lives in is the material body. In the material conception of life if I have a strong healthy, attractive body then I can become happy. If that is the key then I need a nice family, I need a nice society, I need a nice country, I need that everyone is happy – all the human beings are happy. And we can keep on expanding that conception but because it is all based on the bodily concept of life therefore there is no end to the attempt to become happy because it will never be achieved – durasraya

na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum durasaya ye bahir-artha-maninah [SB 7.5.31]

Because there are so many false shelters that we think will make us happy. And happiness means I will be given some comfortable position in the material world that will protect us from the different miseries. But in spite of all these attempt nothing is actually achieved. Adanta-gobhir visatam tamisram [SB 7.5.30] because the senses and the mind are impelling us, “You need this. You need that. You need this material asset. You need this position. You need this fame.”So many different things you need and then when you get them all together you will be happy but there is no end – adanta-gobhir visatam tamisram, punah punas carvita-carvananam. They will do the same thing over and over again – whether one becomes Lord Brahma of whether one becomes the queen of the ants the same desire will be there. “I need this shelter and then I will become actually happy. And on the basis of trying to achieve that shelter we acquire so many things that we want and we are opposed to so many things – na socati na kanksati [Bg 18.54] On the basis of so many relationships that we form, so called friendship, so called enemies – all fighting to get some material shelter.

When someone if offering me some shelter that I think will help me then they become my friend. If someone takes my shelter away they become my enemy. My whole life revolves around simply to grab one shelter after another and lamenting of all the shelters I am loosing. Then there is no possibility of finding the real shelter.

nasti buddhir ayuktasya na cayuktasya bhavana na cabhavayatah santir asantasya kutah sukham [Bg 2.66]

For one who is not in spiritual consciousness or Krishna consciousness they can have neither a controlled mind nor steady intelligence without which there is no possibility of peace. And how can there be happiness without peace?

Therefore we have to reach the conclusion ultimately as Prahlad Maharaja says: balasya neha saranam pitarau nrsimha [SB 7.9.19] We may have very nice parents, a child may have very nice parents. They may try to protect the child. That is certainly a fortunate child. But in spite of all the parents attempts to protect the child he may die anyhow. And even if he grows up and he lives into a very old age still eventually he is going to die even if his mother is wishing him to live forever. And nartasya cagadam[SB 7.9.19], one may have very nice medicine and very nice doctor and they may try in so many different ways to help the patient and they may succeed or they may not succeed but even if they succeed in protecting the patient still he will die anyhow.

This is really not meant to be a depressing class. [Laughter] It is reality. Udanvati majjato nauh[SB 7.9.19] and even when they have the perfect boat and they may even proclaim it to be unsinkable like the Titanic but still it may sink anyhow. Even if it doesn’t sink then eventually they will drown in the ocean of material existence and die.

Therefore taptasya tat-pratividhir ya ihanjasestas [SB 7.9.19] Unless Krishna protects us there is no protection. And even if Krishna wills that for some time we will be materially protected ultimately we have to leave this body either to go to the spiritual world or to some other place in this material world. Therefore Krishna is offering real protection and Krishna’s devotees are offering real protection.

Here we find the example of Arci and Maharaja Prthu. Note this is a real example. Krishna says in Bhagavad-gita:

yada sattve pravrddhe tu pralayam yati deha-bhrt tadottama-vidam lokan amalan pratipadyate [Bg 14.14]

Even if we become very sattvic – it is part of our process to become very sattvic – but even if we become very sattvic – yada sattve pravrddhe tu – even if we achiev that we strive for becoming clean and truthful and austere and rigid etc. yada sattve pravrddhe tu pralayam – at the time of death yati deha-bhrt – the embodied soul will go somewhere. Tadottama-vidam lokan – he may go to the planet where many pious people are living. Amalan – pure personalities – relatively pure in the material world but still one has to come back to the material world.

rajasi pralayam gatva karma-sangisu jayate tatha pralinas tamasi mudha-yonisu jayate [Bg 14.15]

What to speak working hard just to maintain our house whether it is our physical body or our material health or our material families and this and that and everything and we want to get our fame and prestige of being a good maintainer of our family. We continue the dynasty on.

Now I am over sixty years old. So I went home and my mother said, “When are you going to get married?” [Laughter] My mother is ninety-three years or something and still worrying. She still thinks she is like twenty-five or something. [Laughter] So even when one works very hard and get satisfies all the relatives. Yes the dynasty goes on. Everyone should be happy. There are lawyers in the family and doctors. You know when they put the tombstone on the ground, “Here is a lawyer.” And everyone can, “He died in a good way.” [Laughter]

What to speak of mudha-yonisu jayate! When works in the mode of ignorance then he goes down to the animal species of life. In any case,

urdhvam gacchanti sattva-stha madhye tisthanti rajasah jaghanya-guna-vrtti-stha adho gacchanti tamasah [Bg 14.18]

As long as we are in the material concept of life either we get free from these attachments. One may gain some knowledge that I am looking around in the material world and so much fraction, so much hatred, so many friends are trying to help me achieve what I want to achieve in the material world, so many enemies preventing me from getting what I want. He is my enemy and I will kill him. The other is we all will be killed sooner or later. So much is mine and I will get more and more and more and that goes on and on.

So one may be absorbed in the mentality so much that one is not aware of that mentality. He thinks that it is completely normal. “This is me. It is my personality. It is the way I feel. It is the way I do things and if you don’t like it you know where you can go!!! You don’t love me. You don’t appreciate me therefore what do I have to do with you? Goodbye. Get lost!” This is what is binding us in the material world. This is our prison. All these ideas that, “I need this and I need that and then I will get my goal and achieve what I want. I will go to the heavenly planets. I will perform some sacrifice.”

yaksye dasyami modisya ity ajnana-vimohitah [Bg 16.15]

In the Nandana-kanana forest I will kiss the apsaras there. I will find real love. So as long as we have so many different goals then along with that we will have so many different attachments, so many different diversions and the real goal of life will be completely missed.

brahma-bhutah prasannatma na socati na kanksati samah sarvesu bhutesu mad-bhaktim labhate param [Bg 18.54]

Prahalad Maharaj said really we have no enemy in this world – even these people who are taking away our money, taking away our prestige or threatening our material body (of course that is not very nice) – all these different personalities who are seemingly inimical towards us, they are not our ultimate enemy. Our ultimate enemy is our uncontrolled mind. When Ambarisa Maharaja was threatened by Dhurvasa Muni physically by the fiery weapon that he had created in order to kill him, to chastise him Ambarisa Maharaja took it as an opportunity to focus his mind completely on Krishna and the result was he was so much absorbed in ecstasy. Tears of ecstasy were flowing from his eyes and the fiery demon was coming to kill him. Because he took shelter of Krishna therefore he became a great asset.

vipadah santu tah sasvat tatra tatra jagad-guro bhavato darsanam yat syad apunar bhava-darsanam [SB 1.8.25]

Queen Kunti is praying for problems because when there are problems our false shelter is taken away. They had a kingdom. It was taken away. They had prestige – it was taken away. Their wife was insulted, everything was taken from them and the only shelter they had was Krishna. And because they had Krishna they were in ecstasy.

So what was she afraid of? Visan mahagneh purusada-darsanad [SB 1.8.24] She prayed to be fed poison again or be thrown into a house made of lak and the house put on fire. Was she afraid of being sent into a forest where there was man-eaters? No what she was really fearful of:

janmaisvarya-sruta-sribhir edhamana-madah puman naivarhaty abhidhatum vai tvam akincana-gocaram [SB 1.8.26]

She was afraid of developing this mentality that I need so many things. I don’t have enough prestige. I don’t have the right position as … would be happy. I do not have enough wealth. I don’t have enough influence. I don’t have enough bodily beauty. I don’t have enough material education. I don’t have enough in order to get my goal of happiness in the material world. I need more and more and more.

So she says that actually we are intoxicated. We are intoxicated by this false conception of material existence, by this false identification of this body which we love so much which is just a virtual reality. It is just an idea. It is just a five star movie that we are watching where we are the hero and the heroine in some kind of drama created by material nature in which we are rooting for the hero, namely our heroine, namely our body.

When there is success we feel good, “Oh! We are loving our body and everything is great.” And when there is failure, “Oh what a lamentable scene in the movie! Let me cry. Poor hero! Don’t worry. I love you anyhow.” In good times or in bad times this body is always the hero and there are some demons who don’t believe that. There are certain devotees who do. We are for the devotees and are against the demons. Eventually the demons will be annihilated and the devotees will be protected. But it is just an imagination and we are intoxicated by it. We are so absorbed in the drama we have forgotten who we are. And then if we want more of the drama, we want to increase the drama, we want a more better position, more material education, more bodily beauty, more wealth, more, more! Then we become crazy, completely mad or insane. No one can talk to such an insane person. They are convinced that they know what the goal of life is and they are going to achieve it. They are like the flies. You can talk to the fly. He sees the fire, he is going for it. No matter how much we chant hare Krishna to the fly, preach to it, quote Bhagavad-gita, he is going into the fire..

Anyone who is intoxicated by this idea that he is this body and then on top of that the second goal which is not Krishna consciousness or you can expect they are going to become mad. Therefore Queen Arci had the right goal because she had the right person to follow.

naisam matis tavad urukramanghrim sprsaty anarthapagamo yad-arthah mahiyasam pada-rajo-’bhisekam niskincananam na vrnita yavat [SB 7.5.32]

So we have to be warned how to get success in this life to get out of our miseries. We have to choose the real shelter. We have to chose the shelter that Krishna is giving us, whether the holy names or the deities or the Srimad-Bhagavatam or the Bhagavd-gita and above that those devotees who are exemplifying and taking shelter of those shelters. We have to see those shelters and we have to see those who are taking shelter of those shelters and we have to take shelter of them.

We need real shelter. Niskincananam – who doesn’t believe that these other things are not really shelters? My body is my shelter. My family is my shelter. My society is a shelter; my bank balance is a shelter. Only Srimad-Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita, the holy name, the service to the devotees, worship of the deities and preaching – making the world spiritual, making our home spiritual. These are the real shelters in life. Mahajano yena gatah sa panthah [CC. Madhya 17.186] And if we follow those shelters, those mahajanas then we will actually get the goal of life.

tarko ‘pratisthah srutayo vibhinna nasav rsir yasya matam na bhinnam dharmasya tattvam nihitam guhayam mahajano yena gatah sa panthah [CC Madhya 17.186]

Yes we may argue in so many different way what is the shelter, how to achieve it. We may study the scriptures, we may follow the rsis, we may do so many different things but who is really taking shelter of the real shelter? That we have to look for and when we find such a person then we have to take shelter at least of their example and appreciate it. Therefore it is said,

krsneti yasya giri tam manasadriyeta diksasti cet pranatibhis ca bhajantam isam susrusaya bhajana-vijnam ananyam anya- nindadi-sunya-hrdam ipsita-sanga-labdhya [ NoI: verse 5]

That if one is chanting the holy name, they are taking shelter of the real shelter and we should appreciate that and we should respect that. That is how we take shelter of them. Even if they are not following very strictly still in our heart we have to appreciate that here is Krishna’s servant, somehow or the other by good fortune they are taking that much shelter of Krishna and I should appreciate them for doing it. In that way I will take shelter of Krishna in the same way.

If someone is initiated, worshipping the deities, worshipping the holy names, following the principles strictly then I must co-operate with them to give other people the shelter of Krishna’s holy name, of the process given to us by our previous acaryas.

If one is seen to be very strictly following all the regulative principles, chanting the prescribed number of rounds every day and always thinking how to expand the Krishna consciousness movement, then I should take their example and their instructions and try to follow in their footsteps and do the same thing. Then what is the result. What will be our shelter? The shelter will be that we will realise that there is no difference between Krishna and His name. That of course cannot come all at once. Therefore it is said, adau sraddha – at first there is something – that there is something in the Hare Krishna Movement. I can’t put my finger on it but it is good.

It may not be the devotees, at least it is the prasadam! There is something good here. So let me associate with the devotees to at least find a recipe or something. [Laughter] Then we hear about Krishna – how in Goloka Vrindavana there are sweet balls that taste good forever, “Oh I have to go there.” Prabhupada even said that I want to go to Goloka Vrindavan and see what Krishna has in his lunch pack. [Laughter] So that is not bad. Good idea. Just like that thief who heard that there is this little boy in Vrindavan and His body is covered with ornaments.

So he said, “I must go there and steal these ornaments.” So he was so anxious, “Where are those jewels. Let me go there and find this boy and steal whatever I can from Him.” Krishna say, “Oh he wants to find Me, okay.” So Krishna appeared, “Yes. What can I do for you?” “Ah! Ornaments! Little boy come here.” He started stealing all the ornaments. After some time this boy is so beautiful, He is so kind, He is so sweet. He said, “Oh I don’t need these ornaments.” Krishna said, “What are you doing?” He said, “Here are Your ornaments. I don’t need them.” “No, no, no. You take the ornaments.”

So associated with the devotees we hear the glories of Krishna. That is the most significant thing in this world. Everyone is glorifying something – some other shelter but the devotees would glorify Krishna as the only shelter. Mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg 18.66] Krishna says that. Ma sucah [Bg 18.66] Don’t worry. Take shelter of Me and all the other shelters. Actually you will see that all these other false shelters become real because they are also Me. If you remember Me, if you see everything in relation to Me, if you see everyone in relation to Me, then they become a shelter in that sense.

sarva-bhuta-stham atmanam sarva-bhutani catmani iksate yoga-yuktatma sarvatra sama-darsanah [Bg 6.29]

A true yogi observes Me in all beings and sees everything in Me. Indeed the self realised soul sees Me, the same Supreme Person everywhere.

So everything everywhere reminds you of Krishna then they become nice shelter. But Krishna says, “Don’t worry. If you take shelter of Me all shelters will be automatically achieved.” If you water the root of the tree then automatically all the water goes to all the leaves and branches, so don’t worry – Ma sucah. Put up your hands and chant Hare Krishna and don’t worry and the result is you will be able to feel My presence because you won’t be worried about all the other presences. All the other things that you are thinking about, that you are worried about, that you are hankering for and lamenting about, you will only have Me in your mind and then you will have the real shelter and bliss of the holy name.

Therefore we have to practice in the association of devotees, hearing the philosophy and becoming gradually convinced that there is a Krishna and he is supremely nice. Everything about Him is nice and especially His holy name has come to this world in this way to give us the supreme shelter. It may not give us wealth or prestige, it may not change our position, it may not do anything or it may do exactly the opposite. We take shelter of the holy name and suddenly here we are with nothing but the holy name. [Laughter] And all we can do is go to Krishna and complain, “I thought You were my friend. You keep on smiling but what is that smile about? [Laughter] What is really in Your mind anyhow?” But by that time we will be so blissful we won’t really care.

So we take shelter of the process that Prabhupada has given us – hear about Krishna’s glories and then gradually become convinced that all this other glorification going on that, “I have achieved this and I have achieved that.” It is just a dream. It is a nightmare and the only way of waking up from this nightmare is to take shelter of the holy name and take shelter of the process by which we can take shelter of the holy name.

nasaktasya visayan yatharham upayunjatah nirbandhah krsna-sambandhe yuktam vairagyam ucyate [Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.255]

So it is not that we have to give up anything. Prabhupada will always emphasise we gave up the most important thing, Krishna. So when we gave up Krishna, the only thing we ever had. Actually we gave everything we ever had! Now we are just falsely thinking that we have so many different things. Now we have to simply desire to give back the stolen goods. Utilise whatever we have. Prabhupada said that if you are a brahmana then try to prove Krishna’s existence. Don’t be proud if you are a scientist or a brahmana and you have some knowledge, don’t decry Krishna trying to put Him in the background as being less important.

If you are a ksatriya like Arjuna then try to fight for Krishna’s cause. And if you are a vaisya then try to utilize whatever assets you have in the sankirtan movement to spread the holy name. But after all Prabhupada said most important thing is to hear and chant about Krishna – develop that taste to hear and chant about Krishna. In the absence of pure taste simply dovetail whatever you have. Try to use that for Krishna and the result is that taste will be gradually developed and one day there will only be taste, tato rucih. Everything will be seen as being part of Krishna, everything will be tasteful, our lives will become blissful and we will be able to affectively give that happiness, bliss and knowledge to others. Thank you very much! [Applause] Any questions or comments?

Prabhu: What are the reasons that someone tries to always and fully or at least… take shelter in the right way successfully doing so and even sometimes have setbacks?

HH Prahladananda Swami: What was that?

Prabhu repeats: A devotee may always or fully take shelter in the right way but if he is not successful in this or even if he has serious setbacks what could be the reasons for this?

HH Prahladananda Swami: The reason is that we are not serious enough. We don’t have enough practice and we are attached to so many material objects. Therefore Krishna says – (because Arjuna asked the same question) – “My mind is so flickering even if I try to fix it on You or on devotional service still it goes away just like the wind.” So Krishna was sympathetic. He said, “Yes.”

asamsayam maha-baho mano durnigraham calam abhyasena tu kaunteya vairagyena ca grhyate [Bg 6.35]

It is undoubtedly very difficult to curb this restless mind but it is possible Arjuna by suitable practice and by detachment.

So we have to practice. Not that we must become disturbed, “Oh, my mind went away.” What to speak of our minds! Our souls have gone away, our body has gone away. We have gone away for so long. So it goes away for a few moments or whatever it goes away for then bring it back.

sanaih sanair uparamed buddhya dhrti-grhitaya atma-samstham manah krtva na kincid api cintayet [Bg 6.25]

Wherever the mind wanders gradually step by step with full conviction one should become situated in trance by means of intelligence sustained by full conviction, and thus the mind should be fixed on the self alone and should think of nothing else.

yato yato niscalati manas cancalam asthiram tatas tato niyamyaitad atmany eva vasam nayet

From wherever the mind wanders due to its flickering and unsteady nature, one must certainly withdraw it and bring it back under the control of the self. [Bg 6.26]

So we should not lament if the mind goes away and we did something wrong. We should bring it back to Krishna again. This lamentation is not good especially if it is too long. We should lament like Pariksit Maharaja lamented putting the snake around Samika Muni. We should lament a little while so we don’t do it again but we should then bring it back to Krishna again and find out what we did wrong. If we did something wrong there is a reason for it. So we should investigate what I did wrong and how I should not do it again.

Instead of wasting energy on lamenting we should use that energy to find out the root cause of the problem and then eliminate it and then if we can’t do that, then just chant the holy name and fix the mind upon Krishna and Krishna will reveal everything. Dadami buddhi-yogam tam [Bg 10.10] He will give us the intelligence by which all progress will be made and all our problems will be solved. But this hankering for some happiness in the material world produces so many different unwanted activities and desires. There is always this lamentation.

So if I am in a state of hankering that is not good and if I am in a state of lamentation that is not good either. So forget about both of them. Simply try to figure out what I should be doing to please Krishna, do that, come to the platform of Krishna consciousness and then all the hankering and lamentation will vanish. Just like in the case of Dhruva Maharaja when there were so many Yaksas throwing an ocean to inundate him, they were sending raksasis and raksas with spears and tridents to kill him. They were throwing from the sky lances and boulders and different kinds of weapons to destroy him. Then when he chanted the holy names all these things went away and he was established again in his original position.

So it is good to find out what we did wrong so that we don’t do it again and it is even better to take shelter of the holy name. Then Krishna will help us to understand everything more clearly so that we become perfectly fixed in Krishna consciousness and undisturbed by attraction and aversion.

Prabhu: Hare Krishna Maharaja. I was thinking when you were making the point that indulgence in sense enjoyment only leads to misery which is one of our standard lines for preaching, but it is easy for those who have enough and more to enjoy than others to preach this to those who don’t have, because we also know by our own experience that unless we take the opportunity that we have and so to speak get some lust or greed out of our system. The process is not that we always become more and more greedy but we become more and more disillusioned with enjoying. So isn’t it fair or isn’t it unfair to expect that of others who haven’t had that opportunity – like for example in India a lot of people join Iskcon because it is a better life. There is more enjoyment. Whereas in the west if one joins Iskcon there’s a stepping down in terms of enjoyment. So could you please elaborate on that?

HH Prahladananda Swami: Therefore there is a gradual process. There are different orders – there is the brahmacari, grhasta, varnaprasta and sannyasa. It is systematic process by which we can gradually become detached in sense gratification.

Therefore we see in Caitanya-caritamrta that there was one thief who tried to steal everything from Lord Nityananda. He was planning to do so. Eventually all his attempts were a failure and he fell into the house of Lord Nityananda with his associates asking for forgiveness for his very sinful life. Lord Nityananda gave him full mercy and embraced him. He became ecstatic and he became a pure devotee of Lord Krishna and the Panca-tattva. And then for the rest of his life he went and preached to all of the thieves that they should also chant Hare Krishna. Because he was a recognised thief, reknown thief therefore they took him seriously. If this thief could become a pure devotee even though he was a top thief then we should become pure devotees too. That is what normal thieves do.

So that is the point. Just like we have Pundarik Vidyaniddhi, a wealthy personality in Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s lila. It is not that everyone was a poverty stricken beggar. He also showed the example of how to utilise things in Krishna’s service and at the same time becoming Krishna conscious. Sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhir [SB 10.14.3] remain in whatever position but at the same time hear and chant about Krishna and utilise whatever assets you have in Krishna’s service. Ye prayaso ‘jita jito ‘py asi tais tri-lokyam [SB 10.14.3] In this way you will conquer Krishna. Krishna will reveal Himself to you and you will be a blissful billionare. Try to become a trillionare. In that way you will set the proper example for all other billionaires. Or if you are a poverty stricken beggar in the street you will also become a blissful beggar and all the beggars will become pure devotees like you. So remain in our position but utilise whatever we have and glorify Krishna with one’s body mind and words. Thank you very much! Grantharaj Srimad-Bhagavatam Ki! Jai! Srila Prabhupada Ki! Jai! Gaura-premanande Hari-haribol. [Applause]

found here.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Lecture – SB 4.30.11 Unite Everyone For Krishna 3/6/2013 Video & Transcription

SB 04.30.11 Unite Everyone For Krishna 2013-03-06

Watch full video here. (click on Prahladananda Swami)

[Kindly transcribed by Sheela Mataji, Singapore]

From Sri Mayapur Candrodaya Mandir!

Date: March 6 2013, Verse: ?r?mad Bh?gavatam 4.30.11 Speaker: HH Prahladananda Swami

—————————————————————————-

yad yuyam pitur adesam agrahishta mudanvitah

atho va usati kirtir lokan anu bhavishyati

Because you have with pleasure accepted within your hearts the orders of your father and have executed those orders very faithfully, your attractive qualities will be celebrated all over the world.

PURPORT: Since every living entity is part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he has small independence. Sometimes unintelligent men ask why one is put into a miserable condition, even though everyone is under the control of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Because of his minute independence, the living entity can obey or disobey the orders of the Supreme Lord. If he obeys the Supreme Lord’s orders, he becomes happy. If he does not, he becomes unhappy. Therefore the living entity creates his own happiness or unhappiness. The Supreme Lord does not enforce these on anyone. The Supreme Lord praised the Pracetas because they all faithfully obeyed the orders of their father. The Lord therefore blessed the sons of King Pracinabarhisat because they obeyed their father’s orders. (end)

HH Prahladananda Swami: I am very happy to be here and have the opportunity to say something as an aspiring servant of Srila Prabhupada so that perhaps I myself and others may more deeply appreciate Srila Prabhupada, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission, and the goal of life to become fully Krishna conscious.

We hear such things such as orders of the father. Lord Rshabhdeva has also talked about orders of the father and many other orders. He has said,

gurur na sa syat sva-jano na sa syat

pita na sa syaj janani na sa syat

daivam na tat syan na patis ca sa syan

na mocayed yah samupeta-mrityum (SB 5.5.18)

That one should not become a father, one should not become a mother, one should not become a guru, one should not become a husband, one should not become a worshipable demigod and one should not become a father and mother unless one is prepared to deliver one’s disciples or followers from the path of repeated birth and death.

The whole goal of everything we are doing or the whole goal of whatever responsibilities we have is to help our dependents understand that they are dasa dasa anudasa, that all of us should be the servants of the servants of the servants of the servant of Krishna. That mood has been fully manifested in this world in this dark age of Kali by His Divine Grace A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada. And for that reason he has tried to inspire by his example by his instructions that same desire within all of us to simply convince people that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Those who have not followed that path although they may be mother, for instance Bharat Maharaj his mother tried to dissuade him or tried to encourage him to take over the position of Lord Ramachandra. But he rejected his mother because of that. Sukracarya he was acting as the spiritual master but he was not encouraging Bali Maharaj to surrender to Krishna to Lord Vamanadeva and therefore Lord Vamanadeva did not obey him. Similarly we have those who have been fathers, mothers, demigods, worshipable spiritual masters, husbands, but unless they try to instruct their followers, their disciples, their dependents, on how to surrender to Krishna then it is not very fruitful to follow their instructions. And what are those instructions ultimately meant for?

tesam satata-yuktanam bhajatam priti-purvakam dadami buddhi-yogam tam yena mam upayanti te (BG 10.10)

As it says here this very verse priti purvakam not only to follow the instructions but to follow them with great pleasure and enthusiasm. What is the definition of enthusiasm? Endeavors executed with intelligence in Krishna consciousness is called enthusiasm. And what is that endeavor? That actually everything in this material world is meant for the service of Krishna, everything is meant for Krishna’s pleasure. That is actually the sankirtana movement. And what is that pleasure? Krishna says

aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate iti matva bhajante mam budha bhava-samanvitah (BG 10.8)

How can you possibly conceive of who is actually Krishna? How can you imagine someone with unlimited beauty, unlimited strength, unlimited fame, unlimited wealth, unlimited renunciation? But we can hear about Him. We can hear about the pastimes of Caitanya Mahaprabhu and understand something about the Supreme Lord’s unlimited renunciation. You can hear Krishna’s pastimes in Vrindavana how the lakes, the trees, the cows the deer the Gopis everyone and everything was attracted to Krishna. We can hear Bhagavad-gita and learn about Krishna’s unlimited knowledge.

mac-citta mad-gata-prana bodhayantah parasparam kathayantas ca mam nityam tushyanti ca ramanti ca (BG 10.9)

So from the very beginning to the very perfectional level it is the same process. What is that process? Simply try understand about Krishna. Try to accept that He actually is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the goal of life is to hear from Krishna and from His representatives.

Srila Prabhupada has given us a big, big mission, that’s called the sankirtana movement. Krishna is not present here but He came five hundred years ago as Caitanya Mahaprabhu. So five hundred years ago Caitanya Mahaprabhu showed us how to manifest the rasa dance in this world, how to manifest, practically speaking, Krishna’s pastimes in this world of Kaliyuga.

There is absolutely no difference between the rasa dance and the sankirtana movement. When the devotees who are chanting and dancing in ecstasy they are actually engaged in the rasa dance with Krishna. When they are distributing books to the conditioned souls they are actually acting in the same mood as the Gopis trying to bring other Krishna’s servants to please Krishna. When the devotees are taking prasadam it is equally good as if we were in Vrindavana, as if our consciousness it there with Caitanya Mahaprabhu in Vrindavana.

It is equally as good depending upon our consciousness so therefore in the beginning although we may be engaged in these activities still there is tusyanti there is satisfaction, we are doing the right thing. We are actually engaged in Krishna’s pastimes we are actually with Krishna and His devotees and then as we actually gradually accept this process, as we gradually accept that we are not only Krishna’s servant but we are actually the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of Krishna.

yare dekha, tare kaha ‘krishna-upadesa amara ajnaya guru hana tara’ei desa (CC Madhya 7.128)

That Krishna He wants every one of us to go back to the spiritual world to be with Him. And He wants each one of us to become an instrument in that service in that mission. We may have a book distributor who goes out not very much sure exactly what they are doing, people are telling them to get a job, go home. Like Narada Muni told Dhruva Maharaj ‘Go home.’ Dhruva Maharaj did not listen. If the book distributor goes out stays there with determination, suffers

tat te ‘nukampam su-samiksamano bhunjana evatma-krtam vipakam (BG 10.14.8)

Why do we suffer? We are only suffering because we don’t know understand that everyone is Krishna’s eternal servant. Not a blade of grass is moving in this world without Krishna’s desire. So here is a question. We are there on book distribution, we are there preaching, we are there doing service; why do we find ourselves in so much difficulties at times? What is the ultimate difficulty?

Prahlada Maharaja says that there is no actually enemy in this world except for the uncontrolled mind. “For those who can see Me everywhere and can see everything in Me I am never lost to him nor is he ever lost to Me.” So why don’t we see Krishna everywhere? Why do we not see everything in Krishna? Why are we forgetful? So Krishna says is it My fault? Many people blame Krishna.

One devotee approached Prabhupada and said “Prabhupada, everyone is criticizing me.” Prabhupada said, “Well they criticized Caitanya Mahaprabhu also.” The devotee said, “You don’t understand they are criticizing me.” Prabhupada said, “No they also criticized Caitanya Mahaprabu.” He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and still they are criticizing Him. God comes and many people all they do is criticize Him calling Him a thief, calling Him a debauchee, calling Him a killer, murderer.

As I said last year He was born in a jail, His parents were criminals, He fled, He grew up and because of that criminal tendency His nurse (Putana) came and He killed her. (laughter) A long list of the problems He caused to the other living entities. He became a thief at an early age and collected a mafia in Vrindavana. (laughter) Finally the king called Him trying to bring justice to the kingdom but He continued His line of killing. An elephant was sent to greet Him, killing wrestlers and then killing the king himself and then whole list of things. One can criticize Krsna book if you have that attitude. But Krishna says

nadatte kasyacit papam na caiva sukrtam vibhuh (BG 5.15)

I am actually not responsible. I am simply fulfilling whatever desires the conditioned soul has. I am sitting there, yes, I am watching it but I am sitting there in the heart watching everything that’s going on but I am sitting as a neutral.

Now what is actually our problem. Due to the fact that since time immemorial we have tried to imitate Krishna therefore so many desires have been accumulated and they are passing through our minds and along with those desires as they cover our consciousness, they cover our intelligence also. Therefore we don’t see things properly, we don’t understand things properly, we don’t feel things properly and therefore we don’t do things properly.

And on top of that we think we are perfect, powerful, happy. “I have so many assets, I have so many things going for me and anyone who criticizes me that’s because they are envious. And I never reveal my glories to the envious. (laughter) They are covered by my enviousness (?) or Krishna covers them because it is a partnership between me and Him.”

No, in the beginning we have to understand what are the desires. What are the desires in Krishna consciousness and what are the other desires, spiritual desires, the desires coming from Krishna, the desires coming from Krishna through His line of disciplic succession. If we can understand those desires and if we can understand the other desires then we can actually orient ourselves properly.

And what is the symptoms of proper orientation? That automatically causes knowledge, and detachment will develop. And what is that knowledge? In the beginning it is the realization “why do I have to force my will on this world? Yes I see things in a certain way, yes I have a certain conviction, yes I have certain feelings but am I really the Absolute who actually knows everything perfectly? Should I actually take the Supersoul’s place because He is asleep? I see exactly what should go on, I know within my heart I am good person and I really have the best interest of everyone but the problem is they don’t listen to me. They don’t recognize me, if they’d only follow my instructions everything would be perfect.”

Are we really on that platform that our will should become supreme, that we should impose our will on other people or even other devotees? Or are we also subjected to the modes of material nature and although we may understand something about Krishna consciousness, although we may have some realizations that we want to share with others, although we may have some desire to help the the conditioned souls can come back to the spiritual world, but can we do that independently? Can we do that with full conviction, that I am better than everyone else? Or do we have to work cooperatively in the sankirtana movement?

So therefore Krishna came, He displayed His pastimes in this world, He wants His pastimes to be all over the world not only in Vrindavana. He wants Vrindavana everywhere. And therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu came five hundred years ago to show how to bring Vrindavana everywhere. Although He did not travel outside of India but Sri Advaita Acarya said, “My dear Caitanya Mahaprabhu wherever You are that’s Vrindavana.” So our business is to bring Caitanya Mahaprabhu everywhere.

But who actually brought Caitanya Mahabrabhu everwhere? That’s Srila Prabhupada! Our Srila Prabhupada! He went all over the world and he brought Caitanya Mahaprabhu everywhere. So if we want to follow Krishna’s orders and if we want to follow Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s orders, then we have to follow Prabhupada’s example through Prabhupada’s orders how to spread Krishna consciousness everywhere.

And what is that method he gave us and what is he trying to achieve? He is trying to simply convince people that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that Krishna is the owner of everything. Krishna, whether you say Krishna or God or Jehovah or Allah, Krishna is the owner of everything in this world and everything is meant for His pleasure. And He is actually the well-wisher and friend of everyone.

So what are the weapons that Prabhupada gave us? First of all Prabhupada formed a society- The International Society of Krishna Consciousness. And he promised that he will be in the society for at least as long as there are as followers. Prabhupada said ‘I will live in my books and my followers will live with me.’

He will live in his instructions and those who follow his instructions will live with Prabhupada. But Prabhupada is not alone just like a king is not alone. He is with all his confidential servants and associates. So Prabhupada is not living alone, he is also living with his confidential servants ands associates. If we want to serve Srila Prabhupada then we will also have to please them. Even we may think they are not elevated, as elevated as Srila Prabhupada, but Prabhupada used to say “you love me you love my dog”. Not that his servants arei anyhow we’d love to become Prabhupada’s dog. Even Krishna has a dog in Goloka Vrindavana.

So we have to become servant and what is the mission? How to convince people that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. What did Prabhupada stress above everything else? Not only chanting Hare Krishna as part of our sadhana. That he wanted us to do as a basic principle and then become qualified to participate in the mission of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. And what is that mission? Prabhupada said it is a cultural revolution. It’s a cultural revolution, a crusade. What kind of crusade? Of dioramas, drama or music or concerts, everything and everyone utilizing their talents in the service of Krishna. See every opportunity to utilize all his energy to dovetail it in the sankirtana movement, in the chanting the Holy names.

So when we are chanting Hare Krishna it is not an ordinary chanting of Hare Krishna. We are not only eventually going to remember Krishna and Srimati Radharani when we are chanting Hare Krishna, but we are also going to remember Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His pastimes. And not only are we going to remember Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His pastimes but eventually we are also going to remember Srila Prabhupada and his pastimes.

We are calling out to Lord Krishna to engage us in His loving service, we are calling out to Srimati Radharani to engage us in Her loving service, but that loving service is the sankirtana movement as brought to us by Srila Prabhupada. That is the ISKCON movement, that we are calling out to Krishna and Srimati Radharani to not only engage in the society but engage in a loving way, in a loving reciprocation with our Godbrothers, Godsisters, Godnephews, with everyone in this movement, to engage in our loving service to Srila Prabhupada and engage in a loving way with all the devotees who are in different levels of spiritual attainment.

To learn that knowledge as to how to follow Srila Prabhupada’s instructions so that we learn how to cooperate in a unified way, appreciate the qualities of the devotees. Develop love for them and appreciation, cooperation so we get the strength, the determination, the conviction, and the vision how to convince the others who are innocent that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Utilize everyone’s talent whoever they may be to join people together within the society first with love and devotion and then the innocent.

In that way not only unite our society with love and affection all the members, to learn the art of loving exchanges within our society but then to extend it to all the Gaudiyas to unite them together all with this focus that Krishna is God. We can put aside our differences but we must conquer the world for Krishna. That’s the vision that Srila Prabhuapda had. Forget about all these other things but conquer the world for Krishna then you can fight afterwards if you want to.

Now why just unite the Gaudiyas, unite all the Hindus together, unite anyone who believes in Krishna. Let them join the revolution, the cultural conquest. And why just the Hindus, anyone who is religious, let them be convinced that there is a God and we should utilize our energies to please Him to glorify Him. So we can unite together in that principle then it is much easier to put aside our differences. Then Srila Prabhupada will be pleased. He will reveal to us all our great acaryas and their mission. Our great acaryas will introduce us to the six Goswamis. The six Goswamis will introduce us to the Panca tattva. The Panca tattva will introduce us specifically to Caitanya Mahaprabhu who is feeling separation from Radha and Krishna in Vrindavana.

And if we fully engage our energies with as it says here with great pleasure and with great faith, with great determination, with great steadiness, the more we do that then the more we can enter Vrindavana with the ecstatic feelings of separation as given to us by Caitanya Mahaprabhu His exalted followers such as Srila Prabhupada and His faithful followers too.

Thank you very much! Srila Prabhupada ki jai! Are there any questions?

Devotee: . . . good qualities of the Practeas how exalted they were, gentle and they followed the order of their father. But coming out of the water the first thing they did was they destroyed all the trees growing out there. They seemed to be very angry, their frustration, their mystic power of some kind. So much so that.. stop. So I am always confused about the praising of their good qualities and this destruction of the trees. Is that a manifestation of some kind of good quality, I don’t understand why the anger and burning of trees.

Maharaj: As far as I can remember the trees were interfering with the ability of the residents to get proper nourishment. So it became a question of priority – to protect the citizens or to protect the trees. The Pracetas as far as I remember they decided to protect the citizens. So sometimes someone has to make priority. It’s not that the Pracetas came out of the water and thought well now we have got we wanted after so many years. .. it was there duty. And they performed it. We don’t know, it is not explained their consciousness but we understand they are pure devotees and therefore their consciousness was not out of envy or . . . but was their duty if not out of service.

Devotee: You mentioned the example of Dhruva Maharaja who rejected the order of the spiritual master to go home? Yet even he did and even though his motivation was wrong to be bigger than Brahma he attained ultimate spiritual perfection. Can you comment please?

Maharaj: I didn’t mention Dhruva Maharaj. I mentioned only Bharat Maharaj and Bali Maharaj. Dhruva Maharaj is a little different. Narada Muni appeared there and Dhruva Maharaj said you know I want a kingdom greater than my great grandfather.

And Narada Muni to test him said why don’t you go home? You are too young. When you get older you can come back and then you can actually take up self realization, but Dhruva Maharaj said no I am going to stay here, if anyone wants to go home you go home, I’ll stay here. But that was just testing his disciple.

Devotee: Hare Krishna Maharaj: if you can reconcile. I just came from Kenya from interfaith conferences and lead marches for chanting Hare Krishnaiwe were telling people they should get along and we asked them to forgive each other. Why do we sometimes have a hard time forgiving factions of devoteesinothing even close to that.

Maharaj: Devotional service is a gradual process. I remember when I first joined we had two brothers in the movement they used to fight quite a bit. And I used to go, at that time they were living in 61 Second Avenue. I was wondering about that till Prabhupada said one day that they are just like two pups in the same litter fighting with each other. So our fighting is a little different. Even in fourth canto, I think Bhaktivaibhava Maharaj read that verse in his class, it says that our fighting is not ordinary fighting sometimes if the basis is to please Krishna. There may be disagreements at times. We may disagree how to please Krishna but because Krishna is the basis, the center, therefore it is not ordinary fighting, it is actually spiritual. If we are fighting out of envy then Krishna will help us or maya will help us. But these are not ordinary, devotees activities.

Devotee: Hare Krishna Maharaj: what should be our attitude when we are the object of criticism?

Maharaj: Who are ‘we’? Well if you know who you are and the person is so elevated that he can actually criticize you, who you really are, then it will be quite blissful. Now if you take off your shirt and everyone who walks by says Bad shirt! Bad shirt! Will you fell offended?

So when people criticize us who are they actually criticizing? Do they actually know who we are? Do we know who we are? So then if they actually, they are criticizing our shirt or our dress whatever we have on why should we take it seriously? And if we take it seriously that’s what is serious, that’s the problem. Otherwise there is no problem, so then we should understand we have a problem. ?? And they are very kind to us because they are pointing out so if we can tolerate that, we can understand that properly, then they are helping us overcome birth and death. Because at the time of death when maya comes and drags this body, drag us out of the body, we are going to have to have a lot of tolerance to remember Krishna at that time.

So these people are being merciful to me they are showing me what I have to work on and if I work on that sincerely they become my guru. They have taught me how to overcome birth and death. Who is going to say oh! Such a good body I have, look at my blood and skin and whatever else I have, how can I possibly not love it? If I peel the skin that one inch then you will appreciate it.

What we are disturbed about is not that they are attacking our body not that they are attacking our appearance, not that they are attacking our feelings, but they are attacking our false ego, they are attacking my idea that I am something special that everyone should love me.

Once we feel that then it becomes intolerable. We want to be loved and appreciated Maybe we should learn from them, maybe because after all we dasa dasa anudasa. Especially if it is a devotee maybe it is something we can correct so that they will actually develop some love and appreciation from us. And we will be able to serve them better.

So it’s an opportunity to hear from them to learn from them how we can act in a way that we can serve them better. And if we can serve them better and they love and appreciate us more then we’ll actually be doing our duty to them. Not us, Nimitta matra bhava sabhysachin, that we can act as instruments, surrender more that they will love and appreciate Krishna more. Because if we become an instrument of Krishna what they will actually see, what they will actually love, what they will actually appreciate, is not ourselves, its actually Krishna.

Thank you very much! Grantharaj Srimad Bhagavatam ki jai! Srila Prabhupada ki jai! Gaura Premanande Hari Hari Bol!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

pic

#spirituality #conscious #wisdom #quote #knowledge #know #swami#yoga#philosophy#hindu #eastern#religeon#kinda#devamrita #guru#peace #yes#sogood#real#dope#ecstatic#bliss#kijay#krsna#om#visnu#pad#nectar#spirituality #conscious #wisdom #quote #knowledge #know #swami#yoga#philosophy#hindu #eastern#religeon#kinda#devamrita #guru#peace #yes#sogood#real#dope#ecstatic#bliss#kijay#krsna#om#visnu#pad#nectar