Mystic Opulence (part2)

MYSTIC OPULENCE (part2)
( KKS FEB 06)
Whatever sounds come from Krishna’ flute is equally unlimited as He is …
so just by thinking about such things…Krishna playing his flute, and of course we know Krishna plays many flutes, not one flute, He has many flutes, one is a small flute with nine holes but then there are also other flutes, bigger, …sanskrit….. is another flute, it is generally made of silver and gold and bedecked with jewels also…sanskrit…., still bigger and finally…sanskrit...the flute which the cowherd boys like, it is very long and a very deep sound and that is the one the cowherd boys remembering. Krishna expresses Himself in His flute playing, adept in playing His flute, head bedecked with peacock feathers, Krishna is said that because He is such a flute player all the peacocks from Vrndavana would come and they would spontaneously dance, while Krishna was playing, then in gratitude the peacocks they ask Krishna to please accept a gift because He was playing such nice music and so they could dance so nicely, so then they offered Him the best they had..it was a peacock feather, they had nothing better so they gave, Krishna gracefully accepted it and put it on His head because it was the best thing that they had,that they had offered to Him. He was very pleased by this, so this is the spirit: the best is for Krishna… and we see that the eternal servants of Krishna, whether they be peacocks, whether they be parrots, whether they be trees, whether they be deers whether they be cowherd boys or parents or gopis they are giving their very best, the wind is blowing at it’s best for Krishna…Not like we were in Slovakia and there was this wind, it was this most intense wind, it was really one of those experiences… like icy wind.. like I had never experienced before, just to walk from the restaurant, to the programme to the car, it was not so far but it was deadly, deadly wind, I’m sure you all know this experience, this one ofcourse came from Sybria…but in the spiritual world, right, the wind is just most pleasant, the wind is pleasing Krishna and automatically His devotees, there is the most pleasant wind that just carries all the fragrances and just feels right, everything is just really nice…. Prabhupada of course in Mayapur, seated in Mayapur and even in the thunderstorms in Mayapur during the months of the end of March, beginning of April, begins the Bengali month…Vaisakh… and this Bengali month….Vaisakh is the storm season then we have Kalvaisakhi.. incredible storms and during this time, the wind just blows over trees and houses and all kind of things, there was such a storm and there were devotees running to close windows etc and someone thought “Prabhupada, Prabhupada sitting in his room and all the doors and windows are open” and they were and Prabhupada was sitting in his room and his cloth was flapping in the wind and his eyes were shinging bright and round, bright and round…and they came in and “ Prabhupada, the windows, the doors.”
And Prabhupada ….“ Yes very nice! Very nice, this Vaikuntha breeze, this Vaikunthata breeze is from the spiritual world”
so nice because the wind in Mayapur is purifying, it is carrying the Ganga, it is the breeze from the Ganga….in the Caitanya Bhagavata this breeze is glorified, it is said that anyone who is touched by the breeze naturally starts to chant Hare Krishna..what a breeze! We want that breeze that Hare Krishna breeze, that Vaikuntha breeze, if it makes you chant Hare Krishna that is the breeze… where we want to be …yes…so in this way..Krishna… ….the whole world like I said is intense, there is violence, we live in it, it’s normal, we step outside of the shop, BRMMMMM, the buses are there, we are used to it, we are not so foolish, that we would just step on the road, look a left, look a right..but meanwhile ..brghhhh..fumes in your face, it is violence, violent on your nose, violent on your eyes, violent on your lungs…violent. So the entire material world is violent and we think well that is modern society… no.. it is not just the modern society, if you read the Manu Samhita, the Vedic law book and there it is .. all the laws are in there, everything and the interesting part is the Vedic culture, the law is not blind… in the western world the law is blind, there is a statue of lady justice and she is holding scales in her hand and she is blindfolded… the law is blind, the law has no brain, the law has no brain… but in the Manu Samhita…the law is not blind, the law is different for different people, according to the particular nature of a person… here is a different standard of law, different standard of law for brahmanas then there are for sudras, as for vaiysas, as for ksatriyas…it’s very intelligent actually……..

Mystic Opulence (part1)

MYSTIC OPULENCE (part1)
KKS FEB 06
B.G 9.5
na ca mat-sthani bhutani
pasya me yogam aisvaram
bhuta-bhrn na ca bhuta-stho
mamatma bhuta-bhavanah
SYNONYMS
na--never; ca--also; mat-sthani--situated in Me; bhutani--all creation; pasya--just see; me--My; yogam aisvaram--inconceivable mystic power; bhuta-bhrt--maintainer of all living entities; na--never; ca--also; bhuta-sthah--in the cosmic manifestation; mama--My; atma--Self; bhuta-bhavanah--is the source of all manifestations.
TRANSLATION
And yet everything that is created does not rest in Me. Behold My mystic opulence! Although I am the maintainer of all living entities, and although I am everywhere, still My Self is the very source of creation.
PURPORT
The Lord says that everything is resting on Him. This should not be misunderstood. The Lord is not directly concerned with the maintenance and sustenance of this material manifestation. Sometimes we see a picture of Atlas holding the globe on his shoulders; he seems to be very tired, holding this great earthly planet. Such an image should not be entertained in connection with Krsna's upholding this created universe. He says that although everything is resting on Him, still He is aloof. The planetary systems are floating in space, and this space is the energy of the Supreme Lord. But He is different from space. He is differently situated. Therefore the Lord says, "Although they are situated on My inconceivable energy, still, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, I am aloof from them." This is the inconceivable opulence of the Lord.
In the Vedic dictionary it is said, "The Supreme Lord is performing inconceivably wonderful pastimes, displaying His energy. His person is full of different potent energies, and His determination is itself actual fact. In this way the Personality of Godhead is to be understood." We may think to doing something, but there are so many impediments, and sometimes it is not possible to do as we like. But when Krsna wants to do something, simply by His willing, everything is performed so perfectly that one cannot imagine how it is being done. The Lord explains this fact

Just like I was on the plane reading about Krishna kidnapping different queens. Sometimes kidnap them, marry them with their consent, Rukmini was kidnapped, she was just snatched away in front of so many kings. Other queens like Satya, Krishna had to first prove himself, He had to fight with seven bulls and in this way Krishna married so many queens, so somehow or other it is stated there that just as Krishna went to Bhaumasura. This demon Bhaumasura was outrageous. He had stolen the earrings of Aditi, the mother of Indra, the mother of the demigods, basically stole the earrings of Aditi subsequently he also stole the umbrella of Varuna and the demigods on a famous mountain they had a sporting ground and that demon occupied that territory as well. So Indra went to complain to Krishna. And then it is said that Krishna went to Bhaumasura and Bhaumasura lived in an incredible fort, he had an incredible fort with walls, and walls of gas, had electric walls, had automatic weapons which were not operated by any man. He had it all he was highly advanced, he had gas weopans and things, so highly advanced in modern warfare, Bhaumasura and Krishna went there smashed all the various walls with different weapons and finally fought with Bhaumasura. He just eventually finished Bhaumasura. Then he shipped out all these different princesses who all desired only Krishna as their husbands, He shipped them out to Dwaraka, and just when he arrived, it happened to be so that the auspicious time for marriage was there, the brahmananas were calculating, according to the scriptures, they are very expert, and they calculated that this will actually be the most auspicious time for marriage during this entire month, so it must be done right now, and soon as Krishna arrives in the palaces then it happened like that and He married each of these queens separately and in each palace, so there were sixteen thousand palaces at the same time and all the great pomp and so on…. So Krishna is very expert like that.. the most auspicious time just arrives!
With us it’s not always like that, we at so many times do things that are in in auspicious time, when there are all these inauspicious signs… the modes of material nature are not cooperating with the conditioned soul… because the conditioned soul is in a separatist mood, the conditioned soul is separate from the Supreme Lord and then there is darkness. Here we are in a world of darkness, beaten by this material energy..it is violent, the violence of darkness, the violence of winter, the violence of travel, the violence of phones, the violence of lights , electric lighting and so much violence actually if we look everywhere, there is violence.. violence to our senses, violent sounds.. not just that men create such things, nature also- also violence, here the nature it self is violent , there was this child crying at the end of this flight, it was violent, there was no other word for it, the whole plane was sort of aghhhh this one child was able to torture us to a point where it was, getting tough..shoo…ofcourse I preached to myself and Pradyumna and said I would have also cried if I was a baby after such a long flight..but it is violence ..the child cries and cause violence and that is the nature of the material world….sanskrit….. now we are separated from Krishna, we are here in this material world and ….sanskrit….here we are struggling here with the material energy. That material energy is very intense, it is not at all easy to deal with and especially in this age.. it is extra difficult.
Therefore Krishna, the shelter of Krishna, just this very verse begins to describe “yet everything that is created does not rest in Me”..Ahh! Krishna “ behold My mystic opulence” now behold Krishna’s mystic opulence….f or a moment see how the entire universe is resting upon him. We are reading a verse in Srimad Bhgavatam how the ocean of nescience is resting on the lotus feet of Krishna, how everything is resting on the lotus feet of Krishna and the lotus feet of Krishna are the shelter because everything is the energy of Krishna, everything is resting on the mercy of Krishna, the entire world is reasting on the mercy of Krishna, it is all the mercy of Krishna…. So in this way we see Krishna. It is very nice to just think of Krishna. Krishna directly..Govindam adi purusam….sanskrit….that Krishna that is adept in playing his flute. Adept means expert to a point that it’s just : there is no separation for Him and the flute….it’s like usually when you play a musical instrument, there is your limitations, there’s only a few tricks you can do and that’s it, and you got to do the tricks that you know on the instrument and no matter how good you are, everyone knows some tricks, they may say that is my style …but in reality it’s just my limitation and only limited to the things I can do.. like in Spain we have a very good mrdanga player, he’s really like something else but that also has it’s limitations, everything has it’s limitations….with Krishna there are no limitations, what he can express in his flute, whatever sounds come from Krishna ‘s flute is equally unlimited as He is …

Prabhupada Made A Connection For Us

KKS:
That means we have to free them from karma, free from sinful reactions. This is the highest position of selflessness, greater than being a doctor! Greater that we sacrifice our life for the Absolute Truth than for the mundane truth of science…Greater than any such thing, we give everything for the benefit of all in the world. This is what we see in the great and pure devotees. Srila Prabhupada, for those who don’t know, is there on that picture also on the vyasasana in the form of a murti.
Srila Prabhupada, was such a person who totally selflessly, gave everything in his life for the benefit of others. And helped others to take up spiritual life-which is the greatest thing to do-and then supported them throughout. Prabhupada did not just travel around the world to preach, but Prabhupada also did also everything he could to support people in their spiritual life and to train people in their spiritual life and to make it possible, and therefore now it’s so easy.
Here we are, like you know, in our devotional attire, look at me, you know. I’m doing pretty good in the world. I’ve got like, a whole bouquet of roses around my neck and what else I do not get, so many things. And it’s an easy life in a way, everything is ready, and all I have to do is either look on the Internet at Krsna.com, or buy from any Hare Krsna temple a ‘Back To Godhead’ magazine, which gives a full address list. Krsna.com and boom, there it is! - ‘Your nearest Hare Krsna temple in the world.’
It’s pretty easy. You know, Krsna.com…and sure enough, there it is- prasadam! Or that nice vegetarian food, you know, that famous Hare Krsna kitchen, that kitchen- religion and all that sort of mmm…All that, so easily available from the Internet. Like, that you know…ADSL and right there- you got it, wherever you are! And you’re on holidays in Greece and sure enough there’s your address and you go to Spain and where would you want to go? London – healthy, wealthy wise…we were just there a few days ago and it’s going strong, we had spinach roles on the plane. We made it all the way to South Africa, until the next prasadam, we survived!
So, Prabupada, did not just preach a very high philosophy, did not just preach a very high goal of making…and did not just try to inspire us to make the greatest sacrifice, to just dedicate our lives to serving Krsna and to become the well-wisher of all living beings, but Prabhupada himself, showed it by his example and made it easy for us, gave us help, gave us support, gave us programmes by which we can actually do it and simply made it possible for us to be our natural self- at least the one we are for now!
The one we are now, where we start with, it’s got to start here. Yes, you were right! (to devotee). It’s got to start here, its got to start with us. And Prabupada made a connection for us, that we too, can live a natural life and yet, take advantage of the Bhagavad Gita As It Is and of all the spiritual knowledge.

Do It For Krishna

KKS- Amsterdam 2008:
For Krsna, we can do all kinds of things we would have never done and what can we say, everyone has to in this, overcome some things that one really hates. Like me for example- I hate making phone calls, God do I hate making phone calls!
I really hate it, it’s just…my whole life I just didn’t do it! I was temple president in Vrndavana even, I would never take the phone- I wouldn’t answer the phone! I had a vice president and he was the official phone man; I appointed him to be in charge of the phone so that I didn’t have to answer the phone! I wouldn’t deal with the phone! And the only one I would speak with sometimes on the phone was him! But not to anybody else because I hated phones!
Because people call you and they just give you something to do as if you…and you’re already busy like anything! And then someone comes in the middle and just comes up with, “Can you do…” and they need an answer, “We need this now…” and this is too much, I was already busy now I’m double busy. So I hate phones! And just today I have to make all kinds of calls ah, that I hate to make! But somehow or other they settled me up with it. And now I have a phone in my pocket, and I hate the thing! But I have it because it’s for Krsna’s service, otherwise I’ll throw it in the water! Gosh!
So like this we have to, for the sake of pleasing Krsna and doing Krsna’s work, we have to give up our own preferences and our own idea sometimes.

Austerity

KKS- AMSTERDAM 2008:
Austerity in the same way; there is no need to perform any separate austerity because austerity in itself is not a limb of bhakti. Bhakti has 64 limbs. That means that if there are 64 types of activities which give us bhakti and austerity is not amongst them. Austerity though, is glorified in the scripture: yajno danam tapas caiva pavanami manisinam, that by performing sacrifice, by giving in charity and by engaging in austerity, even saintly men are being purified. So in that sense, austerity is certainly held in high esteem in the scripture. It is also said, nayam deho deha-bhajam nrloke kastan kaman arhate vid-bhujam ye tapo divyam putraka yena sattvam suddhyed yasmad brahma-saukhyam tv anantam (5.5.1). This is from the 5th Canto, and Maharaja Rsabhadeva is speaking to his 100 sons and instructing them about spiritual life. And he says that this human form of life is not meant for sense gratification, which is available even to hogs and dogs that eat stool; this human form of life is meant for penances and austerities so that one may reach the state- the transcendental state- of happiness, which is beyond the three modes of material nature. So like that, austerity is glorified in the scripture. But austerity only creates the preliminarilies; it is the austerity that gives us the strength to practice bhakti. But in itself austerity is not spiritual. But a lack of austerity may make us weak and may hollow out our determination. So a certain amount of austerity is required as a preliminarily activity to get a certain amount of basic determination because, in the initial stages in devotional service we are acting in the mode of goodness. We are not yet transcendental; we are in a transcendental process but we ourselves are not transcendental. We are therefore trying to fix ourselves in the mode of goodness. This is the interim stage of devotional service. Then, as we get more and more advanced, eventually we’ll come to a transcendental stage.

Truth Doesn't Change

KKS SUMMER 07 :And we’re still chanting the same maha-mantra that we’ve always chanted and the amazing thing is that it’s still ever fresh and still giving us always, new experiences.
And that’s why here, we don’t need to have a free Hare Krsna temple where we invite Buddhists and a jazz piano players who sing gospel’s and Mr ‘emoto’ and Mr…I don know, from wherever in the world, to give us his view on spirituality because here, we have a simple thing- the maha-mantra, and we are satisfied. It’s amazing!
It’s not only satisfying, but it gives me a sense of security to know that things don’t change, to know that Krsna is still the Supreme Lord, to know that the same mantra is still being chanted and that it still works, that the truth doesn’t change- that is something that gives me faith,

Vyasa-puja offering to H.H. Jayadvaita Swami 2008 by KKS

om ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjana-salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri-gurave namah

namah om visnupadaya krsna-presthaya bhutale
gurudasa jayadvaita svamin iti namine

Dear Srila Jayadvaita Maharaja,

Please accept my most humble obeisances millions of times at your lotus feet.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

anyabhilasita-sunyam jnana-karmady-anavrtam
anukulyena krsnanu-silanam bhaktir uttama

“When first-class devotional service develops, one must be devoid of all material desires, knowledge obtained by monistic philosophy, and fruitive action. The devotee must constantly serve Krsna favorably, as Krsna desires." BRS 1.1.11

This is Srila Rupa Gosvami's definition of pure devotional service which must be devoid of any other desire. We are coming in a glorious sampradaya where there is no compromise. That uncompromising spirit of 'Nothing but the best will do' is intrinsic to your nature.

You once told me that prior to Krsna consciousness you checked out university for some months and that you quickly lost all faith in what was going on there. Another time you described that people were there mainly for four reasons:

To avoid the Vietnam draft
Others were very career oriented
Some left highschool, but were not ready for the job market and mom and dad paid for them to spend four years in some park with nice people, -boys and girls-, have a bit of leisure and sometimes turn in a testpaper
People in the fourth group were there for knowledge and it seemed to you at the time that that was the group the most cheated
Your analysis of those days showed that you had no faith in a material career, nor in sense gratification and that you were looking for real knowledge. No wonder that you felt attracted to Srila Prabhupada and his movement, you were as Kuntidevi describes 'akincana gocaram', materially exhausted.

janmaisvarya-sruta-sribhir edhamana-madah puman
naivarhaty abhidhatum vai tvam akincana-gocaram

"My Lord, Your Lordship can easily be approached, but only by those who are materially exhausted. One who is on the path of [material] progress, trying to improve himself with respectable parentage, great opulence, high education and bodily beauty, cannot approach You with sincere feeling." SB 1.8.26

That uncompromising spirit has never left you or never wore out with time, but rather became deeper and more and more full of meaning in service and realisation of transcendence. Your heart has become soft and rich with devotion to Srila Prabhupada and Krsna, Now it is in their service, that 'nothing but the best will do'.

You kindly accepted us as your disciples, although you had no personal desire to do so and become entangled in that way and be distracted from other service. Still you did so because of your very kind and compassionate nature. For us you made an exception, how to repay it? I am simply remembering over and over; 'Nothing but the best will do'! I have not fulfilled that as yet.

Nonetheless by your mercy a lame man is walking, a blind man sees the spiritual sky and can speak some words that inspire others in devotional service, by your mercy a stubborn man's heart is also gradually melting. By your example you save me again and again from being a fool and engage me as your servant.

sarva devo mayo guru -You embody all the good qualities of the demigods. Your complete loyalty to Srila Prabhupada makes me poor in devotion. Your strictness in following him makes me aware of my duty. Your vast learning in his books reminds me that I must study. Your kind and compassionate dealings with people, the faith you have placed in me, win me over again and again. upadeksyanti te jnanam jnaninas tattva-darsinah "The self-realized souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth." BG 4.34. All your qualities are simply purifying me.

Even with all my shortcomings I can never forget, that 'Nothing but the best will do'. I pray that I may find the strength to fulfill your desires in this lifetime.
Your servant,
Kadamba Kanana Swami

Humility is needed to develop Love of God

So these two qualities, they come together- this quality of humility and the quality of being able to develop love of God. It is not possible to develop love of God if there is no humility in our hearts. So we see that a person who is proud, how can he hear? His ears are blocked because he is overwhelmed by his own ideas that he cannot even hear what everyone else says and just only when people sort of confirm his own ideas, ‘Yes, yes’ and otherwise, ‘No I don’t agree. I totally don’t agree with this. How can you say this?’, because one’s own idea is so strong fixed in the mind, that one cannot even hear anything. But if one is humble, then one can think, ‘Yes, I need the mercy.’So a humble personality is eager to hear and by being eager to hear from superior personalities,this brings about also a special dynamics that…when people are eager to hear, then the mature vaisnava who will speak and opens his heart, he will automatically, by the eagerness of the audience become very enthusiastic and he will find that there are so many realizations in his heart that he didn’t even know he had! He may say things that he never thought and he himself will be amazed at what is coming out. Because in the relationship of the vaisnava’s, the mood is very intimate and close and one of deep friendship- a mood of acceptance. An envious person cannot accept.
Envious person will always find some reason not to accept others, he’ll always find some quality in someone that’s not allowed, something wrong: ‘you can’t sit like that, you can’t look like that, you can’t speak like that, people that speak like that- unacceptable, people that come from a certain place- unacceptable’ and so on and so on. Just on some external feature, an envious person will reject so many and basically ‘anyone who’s not supporting me, adoring me, recognising my greatness, such person is undesirable!’ So humility is the quality where one is ready to see good in others and not only see the good in others but therefore also recognises that everyone can make his contribution and one can appreciate. So amongst vaisnava’s, there is an atmosphere of appreciation.

The greatest jewel

This is an excerpt from a lecture given by Kadamba Kanana Maharaja this morning in Sridham Mayapur

Devotional service is very widespread. Krsna is really giving us so many opportunities. even ordinary work in this world can become transcendental if the fruits of that work are offered to Krsna. in this way one can become purified...but, the order of the spiritual master- that is something else! the order of the spiritual master- in the middle of all that general service that we got- that is our jewel, that is our treasure, that is our everything, that is the thing that we want to develop, that is the thing whenever we have some extra time and energy, that is where we want to invest as much as we can. And whatever that order is- that's it; we carry on our head as a jewel. and of course, one wants to be on the cutting edge and one wants to live with that instruction- there is some special mercy that can be earned by focusing on the desire of the spiritual master because in the whole range of devotional service, he undetstands more than anyone what is pleasing to Krsna and what is most needed for Krsna.

URGENCY

KKS -LENASIA 2005
....we should try and turn on the light of surrender and not tell ourselves, “Well, it’s a gradual process. I don’t have to…”. No we have to surrender as soon as possible. There’s an urgency!
We might die and the process maybe incompleted. What if we have not fully surrendered? Imagine we die? It can always happen. Some people die at young age. What if we die at young age and then we sit outside the body and think, “what a fool I am! I didn’t surrender!”
Actually there were many of Srila Prabhupada’s disciples who somehow or other were lamenting like this, “If only I had been a more serious disciple...” So we must me good disciples and must be serious now and not bad disciples. And not go like, “I’m the worst of the worst. What can I do? I’m the bottom of the bell.”
No, no one should stay the bottom of the bell but we have to come up and become… we can change.
So we must do something about that relationship. Not hesitate. We must go forward and give ourselves in the relationship with our spiritual master and the more we do so, the more we rise above the modes of material nature and the more we actually become close to Krsna. By surrendering to the spiritual master we become closer to Krsna.

More Acceptance, More Appreciation

KKS- Radhadesh 2007…by now, Hare Krsna is sort of accepted. You know, when I use to live in the 70’s in the temple, and I was in Amsterdam, people would…especially the Amsterdam construction workers would go, “Hey, *young Jourig! Hey, Young Jourig!” I can’t translate that very well! But if you missed out on it, it’s a typical Amsterdam way of saying, ‘a guy in a dress.’ I mean, the things I went through over the years, you know…I’ve had a man come up to me and said, “Hi, I love the colour of your dress!”
I mean, I have a staff also, so you can’t have a staff, so you can’t imagine what it’s like walking around in Holland with a staff on the 5th of December! Or I came to Australia and they say, “Hey, fishing, fishing! Did you catch something?”
So, sometimes I just say, yes! And they go, “Oh, ye, I love fishing, I caught this big…!” Oh my God!
But over the years, I must say, we got a little more acceptance and by now, a lot of people begin to appreciate that maybe we’re not just some strange guys but that possibly, we have something to offer, because they realise it’s not just some idiots who put on the ‘bed sheets’, or not just some extra-terrestrials who have just landed from another planet, or not some sought of absolute strange cult of religious fanatics, ‘Hare Krsna Hare Krsna…’- constantly repeat this mantra; but that actually they are people who have a way of life, who seem to have many good sides to it actually: we don’t drink and we don’t need it. I don’t drink and I don’t go nuts, I don’t smoke and I feel okay, I don’t need any drugs and I’m quite happy, I’m even not addicted to sex this way or that way, and it makes life pretty cheap and simple. And I’m still okay. I’m not ready for any mental hospital or anything like that, I’m totally peaceful. In other words, there must be something, some secret to life that can be found.

We Are Caretakers

KKS- Radhadesh 2007
Everyone is trying to be a proprietor, ‘My house, my garden, my fence, yes, my gate- mine, I and Mine!’ but no, here it’s said that actually, we are not actually the owner in this world. So we are caretakers, not owner in this world. Mankind doesn’t own this world. ‘God, that’s a shock! We always thought that we were in charge on this planet. Wasn’t it? Animals- we put them something in their mouth and some ropes and we pull them…yes, we are in charge here, you animal! Even elephants, we control them. No problem! Man is the ruler of planet Earth….. we always thought we were, and now, what did I read? It was quite an adjustment. Suddenly I was no longer a proprietor; suddenly I was only a caretaker.
I never thought of that, I never thought of that- as a caretaker. But if I’m the caretaker, then who’s the proprietor? It’s Bush! Come, didn’t you know…
No, no of course not. He’s just…he’s one of the best comics that the world ever had! So, no, beyond him, there is Krsna- the Supreme Lord!

Act for Krishna's Pleasure

KKS - Melbourne Australia 2004
We have to come to the point where we are simply dedicated servants of the desires of the Supreme Lord, hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam bhaktir ucyate, we have to come to the point where we are only serving Krsna, the master of the senses and put our senses in the service of Krsna’s senses- all for His pleasure. So this is practice. Therefore, devotional service involves a certain amount of austerity, especially in the beginning. There is no doubt about it. And we are feeling the pinch of austerity because austerity is not our strongest point and nobody likes it that much and this is not exactly the age where austerity is in the forefront. We didn’t come to the country of austerity either. Australia- whatever it is, it’s not the most austere country on the planet.
Here people, they like, a bit, you know, of comfort, nothing wrong with that, something is quite acceptable. It’s not the country where most people live under a tree. Some do- in the outback, if you can find trees over there.
But in India, we see that people are living a different way of life. It is sometimes known as tapa bauma, the land of austerities. Everyone is austere, life is austere. If you go on the Indian train, you get all experiences of austerity- everything all at once!
And some people are performing amazing austerities in the train, amazing! I saw one man sit for 17 hours non-stop on top of the door! I thought, this should go in the Guinness Book of records. I mean, 17 hours of door sitting- moving door sitting, not just door sitting on the train! And you know if you fall off, you’re out on the rail tracks, so quite exciting.
Austerity comes natural in India life in so many ways. I will not elaborate on that but I think many of you, hearing by the smiles and the responses are quite familiar with what’s going on over there.
The point is this, is that, even in India, people are not by far as austere as there ancestors. Oh no. The times are also changing there. Things have come and so many other good things in life. ‘Now, without AC, how can we live? Oh, no. Too austere.’ So times have changed. So, whatever may be. But the point of austerity really in spiritual life, is that we adjust our own desires, to the desires of the Lord;

All Success Will Be There

KKS in Australia 2004.
In 1999 I was doing a seminar which is called “From ’66 to ‘99”, you can look at my fingers- from ’66 to ’99! So in ’66 everything was, ‘ Yes, Yes we’re all going back to Godhead! No doubt about it.’ In ’99, the mood was, ‘If your guru is a Paramahamsa priyasakhi and somehow or other you get the right association and you surrender completely to the process, then maybe after many, many lifetimes, theoretically it is possible that someone may go back to Godhead!
We’ve never seen it happen; it doesn’t really happen. But there is a rumour that Prabhupada said, some people say that Prabhupada said (we’re not even sure) that you can go back to godhead in this very lifetime!’
That’s like…come on! Bizarre! So anyway, ‘From ’66 to ‘99’ was the seminar. It was really interesting. And then now we have the ISKCON of the new millennium- whatever that is, I’m trying to figure it out! But whatever may be, here we are. But the point is that actually, nothing has changed. Nothing has changed. The same potency is still here now. Srila Prabhupada brought the very same potency that was available to the associates of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; he brought the very same process. He brought everything that the associates of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu got from Lord Caitanya directly; Prabhupada brought it to the hippies on the lower east side. And now, it is still there! And if one simply takes up the process with great faith and just follow it and be sure that everything will be all right, if we take shelter of the process, of the simple process to chant Hare Krsna and to preach Krsna consciousness, to take shelter of these books, read Prabhupada’s books; then surely everything will happen.
It is said that Haridas Thakura was once with Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was asking. “What about all those living entities who are in very low bodies, who cannot chant? Such as the trees and all kind of species that cannot chant, what about them?”
Haridas said, “No problem my Lord! They are already delivered. Just the echo of the chanting that bounces off the trees will deliver the trees and those living beings that hear the chanting, they also will be delivered.” And Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was saying that how could have Haridas understood His purpose. So this is a very significant pastime because from that pastime we can understand that studying the books is not an intellectual, academic pursuit. It is not a matter of analysing the book this way and that way and trying to really philosophically understand the book. That is important- if we have that capacity. But, the essence is more to take the spirit at heart and if we simply take up the mood of faith- the same mood of faith that is displayed by the great devotees of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; who totally believed that if you take shelter of the Holy Name and simply glorify Krsna that all success will be there.

The Demons Represent Anarthas

Excerpt from KKS Diary of a spiritual journey 22
Bhaktivionode Thakura writes; "Krsna's activities are of two types: daily and occasional. In Goloka all the eightfold pastimes unfold daily. In the earthly pastimes, occasional pastimes are joined to the eightfold pastimes. Krsna's coming to and going from Vraja and his killing of the demons are occasional pastimes. They are unavoidable for the devotee still living in the material world. Those occasional pastimes are present in Goloka in an indirect way, but are actually present only in the material world. These occasional pastimes, which are unfavorable for the practice of meditating on the daily pastimes, are given a symbolic significance . By remembering those pastimes the devotee aspires to destroy his own sinful conduct.

Putana represents the fake guru who teaches bhukti and mukti, material enjoyment and liberation. Devotees attached to bhukti and mukti are like Putana. Being merciful to the pure devotees, Krsna as a baby, killed Putana to protect the devotees' newly appearing affection for him.

The cart represents the load produced by old and recently acquired bad habits, by laxity and by pride. The mood created by thinking of baby Krsna breaks the cart, or removes this evil.

The whirlwind demon represents pride in being learned, and the consequent use of faulty arguments and dry logic, the quest for liberation, and association with such people. This includes all types atheists believing in material causality. Being merciful on seeing the affection for the devotee to Him baby Krsna kills that whirlwind and removes the obstacles to worship.

Pride stemming from intoxication with wealth, which breeds violence, illicit sex and addiction to wine, and finally loose speaking and shameless brutality to other living beings, is represented by the Yamala Arjuna trees. Krsna, being merciful, removes this sin in breaking the Yamala Arjuna trees.

Being controlled by greed and the sinful activities caused by it are represented by Vatsasura. By Krsna's mercy this fault is vanquished.

False dealing due to deceit and cheating are represented by Bakasura. Without eliminating this, pure bhakti does not appear.

The sinful mentality to do violence to others is represented by Aghasura. This tendency must be removed. It is one of the offenses.

Skepticism due to practicing jnana and karma and disregard for the sweetness of Krsna from attachment to the Lord's majestic aspect are presented by Brahma when he was put into illusion by Krsna.

Complete ignorance of spiritual truth, originating from material intelligence, lack of spiritual intuition and foolishness, which is contrary to spiritual knowledge, is represented by Dhenuka.

Pride, deceit, harming others, cruelty, represented by Kaliya must be given up by the devotee.

Any type of conflict such as argument, disagreement with other sampradayas, malice to devatas, fighting are represented by the forest fire.

Pralambasura represents lust for women, greed, desire for worship and position. These must also be given up.

The forest fire which Krsna swallowed represents the obstacles that atheists create against dharma and preachers of dharma.

The brahmanas performing yajna represent indifference to Krsna caused by identity with varnasrama or absorption in karma khanda.

Worship of Indra signifies worship of many gods, or worship of self as God.

Varuna symbolizes intoxicants. Some people mistakenly think that liquor will increase spiritual bliss. Such thinking must be given up.

The snake which attempted to swallow Nanda Maharaja represents Mayavada and similar philosophies which try to swallow up the real nature of bhakti. Mayavada association must be avoided.

Sankhacuda symbolizes desire for fame and desire for women.

Aristasura the bull demon symbolizes disregard for bhakti and attraction for cheating religion.

The illusion of being a great devotee or acarya, is represented by Kesi. Lording it over others and material pride must be given up.

Vyomasura represents thieves and fake devotees.

In the Eighth Chapter of Sri Krsna Samhita from the thirteenth verse to the end of the chapter, the eighteen anarthas which are obstacles to Vraja bhajana have been mentioned. Adding to this the pride of wealth represented by the Yamala arjuna trees and the pride of performance of karma represented by the brahmanas, it becomes twenty obstacles. These twenty are unfavorable for Vraja bhajana. The serious chanter should first address the Lord and pray to him for the power to give up these unfavorable items. By doing this the heart becomes purified. If the devotee prays humbly to Krsna to remove all the obstacles in the heart which are represented by the demons He killed, He will certainly do so. All the obstacles represented by the demons whom Balarama killed can be removed by the efforts of the devotee himself

Stay in the Caravan ( part3 - last part)

....I guess some feedback now…

Question: In the description with Srimati Radharani you mentioned that Krsnadas Kaviraja Goswami says that the first shower is the compassion. I thought you might comment on that…(inaudible)

Maharaja: So, thus Lord Caitanya, when He was meditating on this amazing, amazing state of consciousness of Srimati Radharani and as He was getting more and more into this mood, He too developed this mood of compassion. It’s said that in His meditation on Srimati Radharani, Lord Caitanya took that golden color of Srimati Radharani. There also is a reference that Lord Caitanya, when Radharani heard that Krsna wanted to experience Her consciousness, then She said, “You will crash to the ground in ecstasy so many times and You will hurt Your body. So I will cover Your body with Mine so that You will not become injured.” That’s the only story how He got a golden body…but anyway, so Lord Caitanya took that same spirit of compassion and that is why in that particular incarnation of Krsna, He is the most magnanimous, because He took that compassionate nature combined with His all-pervading nature you see. And in this way He is a unique personality because He is Radha and Krsna combined. If we see how Radha kunda came about then we know that Krsna first made Syama kunda after Aristasura had been killed. Srimati Radharani complained and said that, “You are the killer of a bull! You are contaminated! You must take bath in all the holy rivers!” Krsna said, “No problem, I’ll arrange it.” Made a hole on the ground with His heel, called for all the holy waters and they all appeared, offered obeisances, entered into the kunda, Krsna jumped in the water- job done! And said, “So, and now that I’ve fulfilled all Your demands, now I must say that actually Aristasura was not a bull at all- he was a demon disguised as a bull and You are protecting a demon and thus You have become contaminated and now You will have to bath in all the holy waters otherwise I cannot associate with You anymore! Go ahead and have a dip in My kunda!” She said, “Oh no no; I could not do that. I think You are completely right; I am contaminated so I will make a kunda- I make My own kunda and I will bring My own water!” Okay, She broke the bangles and She told all Her gopi friends to break bangles and they started digging in the ground. So Krsna is standing there and saying, “This is taking a long time!” anyway, they made a hole and then they formed a human chain (we know human chains in Bengal!) and they were going to bring water from all holy places by buckets! So Krsna was thinking, “This is going to take forever! For how long again will I associate with Srimati Radharani?” so Krsna interfered; He inspired all the Deities of the waters to come before Srimati Radharani and to pray, “Please, allow us to enter into Your kunda,” which She then could not refuse. Then She took bath there.

So Radharani, She had that mood of compassion. But from the Radha kunda story we can see that when Radharani does it, She must do it with just surrender in service. She is not like Krsna- omnipotent- Krsna can do anything; He’s the Supreme Lord, so easily. And She has to do a lot of work and service in comparison to Krsna. Thus the compassion of Srimati Radharani combined with the omnipotence of Krsna is what we see in Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and thus we see now the magnanimity of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu- this mahavadanya avatara- we see this now! It’s just absolutely amazing! Nothing, no such compassion has ever been seen before! And thus this is just amazing! We call it Kali yuga but actually to tell you the truth…it’s Caitanya Yuga!!! It’s touched by Him! The whole yuga has been touched by Him and everything is just changed! He smiles upon us and suddenly we all feel like, ‘Uh yes, interested in spiritual life…’ and we thought that it was us, ‘ever since I was small, I was praying...’ but it’s because of Lord Caitanya’s smile! And we walk around like great bhakti yogis; ‘what will Maya do to me! Ha! Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna..’ and Lord Caitanya is around us and is knocking Maya out of the way- left and right- and protecting us every step, and we are walking, ‘Hare Krsna…great yogis!’ the mercy of Lord Caitanya is so great.

And there is a great caravan that went through the desert from the oasis of sense gratification on the way to the green land and in front of that caravan, the Panca-tattva is dancing! And yes, amazing enough, Advaita Acarya- one of the main dancers- Advaita Acarya is fifty years older than Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu! So at that time you can imagine! He must have been in His eighties or whatever, but that didn’t stop Him at all! Advaita Acarya- main dancer. Srivasa was senior as well! Srivasa also a main dancer- all the old guys were the main dancers! And they were just going on because they were dancing on their ecstasy! They were so deep in their ecstasy that they were just being pulled up by their ecstasy! In this way the kirtana party is going along the caravan, and They are dancing in front. And then behind come the great acarayas, who are all dancing! The six Gosvamis are dancing! Baladeva Vidyabhusana is dancing! Visvanatha Cakravati Thakura is dancing! Narottama das Thakura is dancing! Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura is dancing! Srila Prabhupada is dancing! And then behind…well then it’s us! And we’re sort of shuffling along in the back of the caravan and we got lots of backpacks, because it’s a long walk! Boy, how are we going to survive this? Oh, I don’t know if we can keep on walking. It’s too much; such a long walk! And in the front they’re dancing! They’re flying! But we are in the same caravan, same destination although we are so much less qualified. But the destination is exactly the same, that’s the amazing thing. If somehow or other we stay in the caravan, no problem- back to Godhead we’ll go! We’ll go there to the green land! And then love of God, if we don’t get it now then we’ll get it just before we enter the spiritual world. Somehow or other, Lord Caitanya will arrange that also- no problem. Prabhupada said, if you follow 16 rounds and 4 regulative principles you can go back to Godhead this lifetime! He said it on a few occasions. The proof that I’m presenting for that is that Prabhupada was giving a lecture on Hiranyakasipu and how he was killed, and he said that when Hiranyakasipu performed his austerities then Nrsimhadeva, the Lord, appeared in a special way because Lord Brahma had granted Hiranyakasipu his boon. And the boon was like, not to be killed by a man, not to be killed by an animal, not to be killed inside, not to be killed outside, not to be killed in the day, not to be killed in the night, not to be killed on earth, not to be killed in the air and so on. Not to be killed by any weapon, not by a demigod…so he had it all arranged! All the possible causes of death, Hiranyakasipu had eliminated and he got that benediction from Lord Brahma. So because Brahma had given his word, Krsna upheld that and He took the form- half man, half lion; he killed him at twilight- it was not the day it was not the night; he killed him on the door step- it wasn’t inside the house, it wasn’t outside the house; he killed him on His lap- it wasn’t on the ground, it wasn’t in the air; and He killed him with his nails- it wasn’t with any weapon! And like this He fulfilled all the conditions because Brahma said it. So Prabhupada is saying, yes, when a great personality says then the Lord will uphold. He said, therefore if I will say if you chant 16 rounds and follow four regulative principles then you will go back to Godhead, then you will go. So that’s my evidence that really, 16 rounds and 4 regulative principles is enough to be a part of the caravan! But you cannot walk out of the caravan; that’s another thing. And that is the difficulty- how do we stay in the caravan all the way in the back? It’s a loooooong, long walk! And boy, the path is narrow and slippery at the same time! And many a man has gone astray in a weak moment in the darkness of night, and thought that he was following his predecessor but then just took a little turn and…what to do! We hope for the best. It’s a razors edge! Sometimes there are dangerous bridges and deep gaps and what not! And sometimes we come to cemeteries and the old graves open up! All the skeletons from our closet are dancing around in our mind and we are just thinking about the old material desires!

Like that, so many positive experiences we have in our spiritual life! How to remain fixed on the path? Durgame pathi me ‘andhasya skhalat-pada-gater muhuh sva-krpa-yasti-danena santa santv avalambanam, Krsnadas Kaviraja Goswami says, “My path is very difficult; my feet are slipping again and again but by holding on closely to the association of the vaisnavas, in that way I can do it.” So how to do it with the association of the vaisnavas? Well there is a very nice story in the Caitanya Caritamrta, and that is when Sanatana Goswami escaped from jail and all that and finally he met Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Mahaprabhu instructed him. And after some time they separated; Mahaprabhu went to Puri and later Sanatana Goswami joins Mahaprabhu in Puri. It was there that he for the first time met all the devotees; before that he had only heard from Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu but he had not yet met all the devotees. So he was introduced by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself to all the devotees and he offered his obeisances to all the different devotees and all the devotees were offering him respect, friendship and mercy. And that’s very nice- respect, friendship and mercy. And that is sadhu sanga. If we have a community, which is based on respect, if we are very careful…respect is not just a matter of lip service; respect means that we are dealing with whatever is important to someone, we also give it importance. That is respect. And then everything is important to us and we treat people with care and that we are considerate. Respect means that we are not going to publicly advertise their faults; respect means that even if such things need to be discussed we do it privately and keep that respect. We will not publicly diminish their respect- no, we give respect. And respect also means that we will appreciate all the good things they’re doing; we give appreciation. Then we can friendship because then we can start to trust.

A nice French philosopher is called Pascal and he wrote the famous treatise called (French word)- “the thoughts” and there Pascal writes, he said, “If friends would know what friends say behind their back, there wouldn’t be friends in the world.” So when I read that then I was thinking, if our movement doesn’t prove that wrong then we have failed! Then we have failed; then we have really failed! Because that is what our movement is for, for true friendship. So see what it means- sadhu sanga! So if we invest in this things- respect, friendship and mercy…yes mercy; every Vaisnava has mercy sometimes- you do! You get some mercy from somewhere- pass it on, pass it on to the other vaisnavas, share it with the other vaisnavas; and in this way it happens. Even in the spiritual world it’s going on like that. It is said that Madhumangal and Krsna somehow or other met some brahmanas and they got lots of blessings and they got a lot of prasadam and then Madhumangal hid it in his chadar! But Balarama saw it! And Balarama said that, “You should share it; why don’t you share it with the vaisnavas?” but he didn’t do it, so then Balarama arranged that one devotee sneaked up from behind, snatched the prasadam and one was opening the knot of his dhoti and another was taking everything away. So Madhumangal couldn’t do anything because his dhoti was falling off and then the others quickly divided the prasadam! So even in the spiritual world, this is the point of the culture- to share the mercy. And if we do that then we get such nice…we should have such nice relationships as vaisnavas, that everyone can see that, “This is amazing, this people! Just in that we want to be here!” people will join automatically; they come for one program and they’re never want to leave.

I have one story – a Christian story- which illustrates a similar point. There’s a story that there was a monastery and as many Catholic monasteries nowadays, they are sort of…all the old people are there and every year one or two dies and gradually they’re getting less and less and less…and they have all these big buildings but they’re completely empty, just old people but they’re dying out and they know that just after then there will be no one. So one day there was a Jewish rabbai who visited the monastery and one of the elder monks was saying that, “yes it doesn’t look bright because in the future it looks that there won’t be anyone left. Would you offer a solution of what we could do to attract new people?” the rabbai said, “We have the same problem in our tradition! Our synagogues are emptying out; it’s getting more and more empty everyday. So I don’t know about that. But one thing I do know is that you are a group of very special people because I know that amongst you, that actually one of you is the messiah! The one of whom we are waiting to return, I know actually that one of you is the messiah!” that was the news of the day! You can imagine! It was like wow! That was something else! All the monks were talking about it, “One of us is the messiah!” and they went back to the quarters and were asking, “Who is it?” and all of them said, “Well, one thing is for sure- it’s not me! It’s not me so it’s got to be one of the other ones.” So from that day they started thinking, “well, I mistreated everyone and then when he reveals himself, he might hold a grudge against me, so I better be very careful!” so from that day on everybody started treating everybody with very special care and attention and suddenly the whole mood in the monastery changed. Then one day there was a bus with students that came and visited from schools just to see the monastery, and the young students were so impressed by the loving relationships between the old monks that some of them became monks and joined on their own!

Therefore this sadhu sanga is the one thing that can keep us on the track, in the back of the caravan. But then we have to stop being Mayavadi’s! Oh my God! Yes, we have to start getting personal; we have to just get personal with everyone. We can no longer live with our own privacy and lock ourselves up and think, ‘I don’t want anything to do anything with anybody! People- I don’t want to see people! People, no! No relationships- no talking!’ We have to invest in a relationship with everyone and all these principles of friendship, respect and mercy, these three in sadhu sanga, will save us, because that’s how it will work. Ecstasy like Advaita Acarya, who’s fifty years older than Lord Caitanya, for one day! Like yesterday we were jumping around and at the end of the kirtana my legs went (cracking noise) ah! And today it’s limping but it’s getting better. But still, I don’t know how Advaita Acarya did it! in his eighties- dancing like that- inconceivable! So we cannot imitate these personalities but somehow or other we get to stay in the caravan- that’s for sure. And sadhu sanga; if we do it together, in good relationships, we’ll make it, and that’s something that begins with Pascal’s principle that if friends would know what friends would say behind their back, there wouldn’t be any friends in the world. So let us try and go straightforward so that we get real trust.

I was reading something in a management book about love and trust and it was saying if there’s a group of people and there’s no trust amongst these people, then what they’ll will do is they will just spend their time with notebooks and policing each other. The notebooks means that they need to write down many rules and many policies etc to govern the activities and the rest, everyone is just looking at each other to see if somebody is breaking the law. And when I read that, it reminded me sometimes I’ve seen that, I’ve seen those dynamics; I’ve seen devotees watching each other to see if somebody’s not stepping over the line- policing each other- I’ve seen that. But we need love and trust. So if there’s trust, real trust, then real relationships. And if they don’t exist, well, dadati prati grhnanti bauntye…Once we were taking prasadam with Giriraja Maharaja and he said, “Well, it’s proven scientifically that when cows eat together that they give more milk!” in other words, okay, let’s learn to associate- it’s not easy; you have to put your claws back into your hands, take out those fangs and do not attack! Especially when someone turns his back to you, do not take a knife and put it in there- no! Don’t! No! Don’t attack! Leave those backs alone; put a friendly hand on the back and just sort of come next to the person and actually start an hones conversation, based on these principles: friendship and mercy.

Question: (inaudible)

Maharaja: Narada Muni himself had a problem when Daksa cursed him. He was himself an outcaste; Daksa cast him out when he was trying to preach to his sons and didn’t understand. So I guess some have to be very tolerant and have to be ready to go alone, to go ahead alone and then try from their experience along the path if they go alone, to turn back and bring others along as much as they can. As much as they don’t come along…what can we do? We cannot be surprised. Sometimes we think about our previous life and we think where have been? Were we with devotees in our past life? It could have been; it could have well have been! Who were we? Sometimes we think. Where were we? Well, okay if we were devotees in our last life then most likely in India somewhere because in the West, it after all came with Prabhupada. So then where were we? Who were we? Sometimes some go to India and get readings done from certain Brghu readers and what not! And usually you were some prince or princess! Very co-incidentally so! So I don’t know what to think about that. but in our last life, may be we were devotees- lets say we were- then what does it mean? Then if we were royalty and devotees, then what does it mean? It means we failed! It means we didn’t make it, it means we are the end of chapter 6 in Bhagavad Gita! That’s us, you know! That’s what it is, those verses: if you don’t make it in Krsna consciousness then you come back to such family and so on and you have to do it again! All right, we had to do it again and how many times did it already happen? How many times did we already blow it? And how many lifetimes have we already been connected and yet not enough to tip the balance so to speak, to bring us to the point to take it seriously? Bahunam janmanam ante. After so many lives, finally, vasudeva sarvam iti. And some people are working on their next life and everyday there are activities for the building stones for the next lives and they doing a good job! And they’re building a jail with some good bars for them! And you know, and then a gate and they put it all in, and then they put a good lock in it! And then they will take another birth and go in there and at the time of birth- throw the key out of the window and be locked up again! Good luck!

Prabhupada speaks about birds; a bird that has lived in a cage for a long time, you take it to a field, you open the gate, you let him out, you let him fly out and then he flies back into the cage! He flies back into the cage! Prabhupada said, “What can I do? He flies back into the cage! We let him out and he flies back! What can you do?” So we cannot be surprised when many birds fly back in the cage; it’s inevitable. So it can be a lonely path and we may even be condemned as Narada was condemned; Narada was condemned- “too fanatic!” Okay, too fanatic about going back to Godhead, too fanatic about getting Krsna prema- can you be? I think it should be our own desire; that’s what I desire, that one day it would be my own desire. But if we don’t get that prema, which will melt our heart now, if at least we’re faithful to Srila Prabhupada and his teachings, then at the end of our life…see, I’m seeing it like that; that it’s something like a school, and you’ve done your exam and it’s being judged by the authorities and they look at your case and they go, ‘Shoo! This one is a real problem case! Oh no…look at this! It’s really not…’ some are saying, ‘Maybe it will be really better if he does it another time- just another life.’ And then there’s someone who suddenly says, ‘But wait a minute, this is one of Prabhupada’s!’
‘All right; Prabhupada’s? Let him go.’ That’s on our side, that’s on our side. And then Lord Caitanya says, “Oh, one of Prabhupada’s devotees? Then I have to give him love of Godhead! What can I do; how can I not give it to him? So if they’re absolutely not qualified but they’re approaching the spiritual world.” He’ll give us something- just slip it to us at the gates of Vaikuntha!

Comment: Srila Prabhupada quotes a nice example that if you study medicine in India, the one who qualifies becomes a doctor and one who fails becomes a licensee of medicine. And Prabhupada makes the point that both benefit but on a certain level.

Maharaja: Yes, but Lord Caitanya’s mercy is just amazing! Thank God! Because otherwise we will be licensees forever! Okay, thank you very much. Srila Prabhupada ki, Jaya!

Stay in the Caravan (part2)

.....So my point is, yes, when we come to the mode of goodness and we gradually become free from lower contamination then we can come to nistha, we can come to nistha in spiritual life. And that is something…but it’s not enough! It’s an in between stage, even in nistha when we are more purified than contaminated. It’s an in between stage. Prabhupada describes in the introduction of the Nectar of Devotion, that everything is resting on taste and thus the connection between taste and faith is undeniable. It’s very hard to maintain faith if there’s no taste. How long are we going to last? ‘I’m chanting Hare Krsna for 999 years and it’s been like one big austerity- every moment of it! I think I’m going to bloop!’ something like that, ‘I think I’m going to leave!’
There’s a story about a yogi who had withdrawn from the world and moved into a cave and for years was trying to just remember Krsna. Lets us say he was a yogi who was dedicated to Krsna. So this yogi for years was just trying to just meditate on Krsna in his cave. Anyway, but one day he wasn’t fulfilled and he was tolerating this lack of fulfillment for years. So one day, he just thought, ‘Who am I really?’ And then he left his cave and said, ‘I cannot stay here anymore.’ He came down the mountain and when he was sort of getting half way down the mountain, he saw a man who was putting a thread- a liken thread- over a bar of copper up and down. He said to this man, ‘What are you doing?’ the man said, ‘I’m cutting this copper.’ He said, ‘with this silk thread? That’s going to take a long time!’ he said, ‘that may be but eventually I’ll cut.’ The yogi thought to himself, ‘, this man, this ordinary man, this mundane man, this low class materialist has more determination than I have! I’ll go back to my cave and I will once again and dedicate myself to spiritual life!’

Ten years later, the yogi had another crisis. “and this time it’s too much! I’m going down the mountain and I’m going to stay down the mountain!’ He came and he saw a hole and it had a stone in front of it and he saw a rat. And this rat was trying to chew things off the stone so that he could get in his hole. He said, ‘even this animal, even this low creature is higher than me. I must continue.’ Ten more years, he did it for the rat and that was it! “ten years for a man with the thread, ten years for a rat…enough is enough! Thirty years! I’m old, I’ve given my life and it just didn’t work! I’m quitting- that’s it!” He came down the mountain and this time he went further down than he ever went! And he came to a village and just at the edge of the village there was a dog and this dog was in a bad shape; it was lying there, tongue hanging out of his mouth on the ground, flies all over…this dog looked like really bad. So he felt some compassion and he went and he got a little water and brought that dog some water. And just that, that gave him some sort of feeling that he had never had. All this time he had actually been thinking of himself. All these years he had been thinking of himself and still not satisfied in spiritual life, still not fulfilled in spiritual life. Even if he came to some higher levels but still no ecstasy. But when he gave something to that dog he got some taste because he acted out of compassion and that was a break through. From that day on, he began to give out mercy and it was there where his spiritual life actually changed when he truly…not just ‘Well, Prabhus, we have to go on sankirtana’ it’s our duty. We’re supposed to do it because Srila Prabhupada wanted it so we have to do it.’ ‘O now I must torture myself and do book distribution because Srila Prabhupada wanted it! Oh my God! Oh do I hate it! oh no! I have to go on the street and speak to strangers! Oh I dread every step of it but I must do it because Srila Prabhupada wanted it! And he made it really clear and you cant get around it! My health…even that excuse at the moment…I’m not such in bad health! I cannot fool myself; I cannot call myself surrendered if I don’t do it. So therefore once a month I go out for an hour. The sankirtana scores for yesterday: bhakta Bonzo did 2 books! Jaya! All glories! Thanks! We are flooding the world! Yes, the sankirtana is taking over! I did two books! Yes! Every town and village! Yes, my realization is on book distribution! A real seminar on book distribution!’

So like this, no we must really, really develop this spirit of compassion, this spirit of dedicating our life completely to it. That’s where the ruci begins to come, that’s where the taste kicks in, that’s when taste takes over. Taste is there from day one; the moment you come to the temple there is taste. You want a simply wonderful? ‘Uh, ya I’ll taste one…good!’ Pakora? ‘Ya!’ another one? ‘Yes!’ another, another, another…yes, yes, yes…Taste is there from day one; kirtana- everything- taste is there. But we speak of when taste becomes the guiding principle in our life; when we live on taste, when just that is it, when every moment in Krsna consciousness becomes relishable- that’s the stage of ruci. That goes hand in hand with compassion otherwise no ruci, it doesn’t come. Ruci is when we’re relishing every step of the service. Anusakti- we begin to develop such attachment to Krsna and we begin to more and more develop a particular desire to serve Krsna in a particular mood, in a particular way. And then when we become fixed in that mood then we become fixed in a sthaibhava; sthaibhava means a particular type of desire to serve Krsna in a particular way- the sthaibhava of a cowherd boy, or the sthaibhava of parental or whatever. Those are like the high levels of devotional service where you become fixed in a mood of bhava. It’s said when bhava becomes really fixed, then no more fall down so it is stated.

So in this way, it is said that (let me just see if I can remember this verse now)…so it is said that according to one’s level of being either a kanistha adhikari- a neophyte devotee with kamala sraddha, weak faith- or being a madhyama adhikari- firm faith (nistha)- or being uttama- of actually being absorbed beyond the material nature- absorbed in transcendence; so no longer focused on the material reality but focused on the spiritual reality, focused therefore on the relationship with Krsna. Uttama means focused on the relationship with Krsna. So living in that relationship with Krsna. One is classified as one of those, according to the faith that one has developed. So that is how it is stated, that verse, according to the faith that one has developed. So we were speaking that the faith is growing, the faith is developing and mature faith means the faith of the uttama, who completely knows that all happiness is there in my relationship with the Lord. He constantly lives in that relationship with the Lord and every moment he is investing in that. Thus he is always in an exchange with Krsna in everything that he does- wherever he is- it doesn’t matter. If he is alone on top of a mountain, he will chant, if he’s in the middle of Tokyo he will maybe preach or whatever. I said Tokyo because I have a movie clip which shows a Zen monk, and this Zen monk is in the middle of Tokyo and he has one of those hats that Zen monks have- sort of a basket hat that covers his total face up to the chin- and then in some sort of dress and then like white socks and sort of ballet shoes with strings that are criss-crossed around is calves and all the way up. So he’s really decked out! And then he’s got a bell in his hand and he’s in the middle of the shopping street and it’s just packed with people moving up and down and traffic and neon lights and it’s a big city- Tokyo. And he’s in the middle of the city and he’s walking very slow in meditation and he’s moving a foot and he’s putting it down and the foot is something like very slowly coming down. And then he rings the bell once every twenty seconds! Ting ting ting…20 seconds later…ting ting ting…and he just walks like that through the street…. ting ting ting…and (motor bike sound) and people walking by and he’s completely in that, under his ‘lamp shade’ and walking there in the street! It’s quite something. And if you look at that; I mean what these monks are doing, we could never do, we could never do. We are just…we don’t have such determination.

We don’t function on determination; we function on taste. Our process doesn’t rest on determination; in Zen it’s all in determination, they have to sit and the Zen master is walking behind and if they sleep- bang! - with a stick on the back! “Sit in meditation!” If for a moment…baf!!! That is Zen…we don’t have that program! That is Zen from Japan. But Lord Caitanya’s movement is completely different- completely different; it’s all based on taste but the key to it all is compassion. That’s really the key. Then that’s where we’ll finally get through the taste barrier. As a plane goes through a sound barrier (dramatic), Krsna consciousness we’ll go through the taste barrier, which is the most difficult barrier to go through. And every devotee struggles with that- that taste barrier. ‘No it didn’t work! Still I cant get through that taste barrier after all these years I cant make it through.’ But as soon as we go for a really compassionate spirit to give it out and to think about others to become absorbed and to see that we don’t have time to lose, that’s when it starts to happen. The whole world is on fire; there’s no time to lose! Then we stop playing around, then we get serious because it is serious. And we can do something about it- there’s no time to lose!.....contd tomo (last part)

Stay in the Caravan (part 1)

A lecture given by HH Kadamba Kanana Swami Maharaja - 8 September 2008, Cape Town, South Africa
We are reading from the Bhagavad Gita As It Is, from the 4th chapter, entitled “Transcendental Knowledge”, text 39:
sraddhava labhate jnanam
tat-parau samyatendriyau
jnanam labdhva param santim
acirenädhigacchati

Translation:
A faithful man who is dedicated to transcendental knowledge and who subdues his senses is eligible to achieve such knowledge, and having achieved it he quickly attains the supreme spiritual peace.
(Purport)
(Invocatory prayers)

Of course, we remember that it is stated adau sraddha, first faith- first sraddha. The word sraddha; to translate it with faith is a little poor. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, sraddha sabdhe- visvasa kahe sudhrhda niscaya, krsne bhakti kaile sarva-karma krta haya, which means that the firm conviction, that by following the process of devotional service to Krsna, that all auspiciousness or all good will be attained. That is the definition that is given in the Caitanya Caritamrta. Looking a little further, then the word ‘srad’ is referring to the truth; it also has the dart relating to hearing- sravanam. The truth that has been heard- srad. And ‘dha’ means to fix. So to fix the truth in the heart is known as sraddha; is a more epistemological meaning of the word ‘sraddha’.

So like this we can see how generally...it is stated ‘adau sraddha’, but here Srila Prabhupada is saying that “one is called a faithful man who thinks that simply by acting in Krsna consciousness, he can attain the highest perfection. This faith is attained by the discharge of devotional service and by chanting Hare Krsna Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare.” So in other words, he puts faith after; faith only comes after we’ve chanted, after we purify our heart, then real faith comes. Then sudhrhda niscaya - firm faith comes, because, firm faith is actually described to be nistha. And nistha, when we have gone through many stages of devotional service- ‘adau sraddha’- first the initial faith; then sadhu sanga- the association with devotees; then the process of devotional service- bhajana kriya; then anarta navrrti, and then nistha. In nistha...bhagavat bhakti naisthaki, in a lecture on the Bhagavatam verse, bhagavat bhakti naisthaki, Srila Prabhupada says, nistha is the stage where one is sixty or seventy percent purified, Prabhupada said. In other words, if we look at it, at that stage of nistha one is more attracted to Krsna than to Maya. Although the influence of Maya may be there, one may feel the attraction, but because one is more attracted to Krsna, one will discard it. And thus one is firmly fixed in his faith. But when our heart is so full of sinful seeds that are stored there, then the sinful inclination is very strong and thus our determination in Krsna consciousness is very weak. Although we are thinking, ‘Yes, this is the right thing but still somehow or other we have our moments of doubts and we look for an excuse, even at times. When the sinful inclination is so strong we look for an excuse to lose faith.

For example, one good one is, ‘I really believe in Krsna consciousness, I mean absolutely, I think definitely it is the greatest thing there is but I’m just not sure if I can follow it.’ This is really good, because you have no doubt in Krsna consciousness at all- no doubt- ‘but just in myself, I’m so fallen Prabhu, what can I do?’ But then you have no faith in the process of Krsna consciousness that it can uplift you, then we think that we so fallen that even Krsna consciousness cannot save me. So that is actually not having faith in the process of Krsna consciousness because the holy name is so fallen, it doesn’t matter who we are. Even if we are the most sinful person in the entire universe, still the holy name can purify that in a moment. Even if astrologically we have all the bad planets- rahu, the dark planets- ‘I’ve been in the rahu period- so many years still to come- misfortune will come my way, what can be done! It is too strong; thus I cant be fixed up in my spiritual life. It’s not possible in my rahu period!’ It’s true; karmic calculation, there can be no success in pious activity when rahu is predominant but it’s not pious activity! Prabhupada said Krsna can kick out a million rahus just like that! So that argument doesn’t stand either. Thus astrology doesn’t work- nothing works really. There is no excuse, there is really no valid excuse that Krsna consciousness wouldn’t work for us. It will work for us- it will work for anyone and everyone, irregardless of his condition of life.

So, all right, that excuse didn’t fly. So gradually by hearing we get more knowledge but we cannot realize that knowledge. Realized knowledge comes by engaging in devotional service, by taking the instructions of the scriptures and engaging the senses in the service of Krsna. Because basically the process of vaidhi bhakti, the process of following devotional service according to rules and regulations, is the process of engaging the senses in the service of Krsna. It is based on the principle of sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam tat paratvena nirmalam hrsikena hrsikesa- sevanam bhaktir ucyate, that one should give up all desire for any personal position, any personal reputation, any fame or any upadhi. Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam, we have to renounce all designations and simply see ourselves as one who is trying to please the senses of hrsikesa, the Lord and master of the senses- Krsna. So in this way we are dedicating our life to Krsna but this is in practice; this is just due to some intellectual understanding, and behind it- some suffering in the material world. Memories of suffering in the spiritual world are the foundation. On top of it there is some knowledge that ‘if I engage the senses in the service of Krsna, I’ll become purified. Thus I must do it as my duty.’ And it’s fueled by the fire of the previous suffering. But with time the memory of the previous suffering disappears and the memory of the current suffering in Krsna consciousness becomes more prominent, and thus with time we are becoming less convinced. We think that with time we become more convinced, you think that as the days go by that you become stronger in your Krsna consciousness but you’re finding that as time goes by, you’re becoming weaker. This is interesting.
Yes, it means that we cannot continue to be motivated by a negative motivation, that we are serving Krsna because material life didn’t work. We have to actually serve Krsna because we are convinced that Krsna is more wonderful. That is the real reason. So somewhere along the line our motivation has to change from one who comes…because of a certain amount of material distress, and who didn’t have material distress? Who can say he did not come with material distress? We’d like to think of ourselves, that we were seekers for wisdom, but what made us seekers for wisdom! In my life it was sheer distress! If I would have enjoyed from day one, I would have gone as far as this…it’s hard to say. But anyway, I didn’t enjoy it- not at all! I’m not going to give the full description but all I can say is that so much suffering in the material world- intense! So, by the time I came to Krsna consciousness I said , “Enough! I had enough! I don’t want anymore! I want to get out of here- out of this material world!” but that motivation may be very strong at first and on the strength of that we can do amazing things, and then it wears out. Fine, but anyway, if we continue in spite of that- in spite of the fact that the initial impetus disappears- and we go through the process with patience and determination, we become purified. And then, yes, gradually the lower modes of material nature disappears. Tada raja tamo bhava kama…so the influence of tama-guna and raja-guna disappear and we become fixed in the mode of goodness it is said.

Now I offer a little story just to make a little break with all this philosophy and slokas. So, once some people, they were born in a dessert- not exactly a dessert- but they lived in an open oasis. Something like in India; you have jisoniers- jisoniers in the middle of the dessert- huge desserts- and there’s sand and sun and nothing else. And there are such places. So generally people live in dessert, in an oasis, and yes, life in the dessert is a little more simple because they don’t have that much- they don’t have all the vegetables, all the fruits that you have in an ordinary place. It’s kind of limited- limited fruits- lots of dates and so on, and it’s a bit dry in the dessert. So people were living there in an oasis, in the dessert. One day, a stranger came and spoke of a green land; a beautiful green land, very fertile, full of great natural opulence and he brought some mysterious fruits as well from that land to sort of prove that he was definitely not an ordinary person from the dessert. So a lot of people developed some faith in him-partially because of the fruits, which were really good and also because of his descriptions and his impressive personality and so on. So a caravan was organized that was supposed to go through the dessert. That caravan traveled along but once you go into the dessert then hot sun is burning on your head day and night. And no matter how big the water bottle is that you carry, it’s always too small! I have had experience in desserts in Rajasthan and no matter how much water we took it was always coming to a point where we had to start rationing the water! It’s like sooner than you think; we said, “This time we got enough…” and again we come to the point, “It’s running out!” and you can drink every ten minutes- so hot, so dry. So what to say; it’s a long journey and a lot of people naturally started to think, “It’s too much! This is too much! I mean, why are we doing this? Some promises of some place, but it’s too much, we’re going back…” well, since we’re in a Bhagavad Gita class it’s not hard to see the parallel in the story! The oasis is the oasis of sense gratification. When we grew up, it was okay but still a little bit dry. There was some enjoyment but it wasn’t enough to fulfill us, it was limited. Finally we met some preacher in Krsna consciousness who promised us the spiritual world and it sounded so good, and gave us some prasadam to taste- that helped! And we decided to enter the caravan of bhakti yoga!

Now, this caravan is going through the dessert and the thing is, if you want to go from an oasis in the dessert to a green land what you have to do? You have to first go through the dry dessert and that is the difficulty in spiritual life, that we have to go through the dry dessert. That means we have to stop all our sense gratification and we don’t get the higher taste yet, and meanwhile the hot sun of lust is burning on your head- day by day. And it’s not a Sunday feast everyday, if you know what I mean! So even that is kind of austere. So a lot of people just turn back; they say, “This is too much! I cannot keep this up! This is too difficult, I’ll go back…” but if you persevere, if you’re determined- your family members will say, “You’re crazy! What are you doing? No, no, no; this is too much, you’re too fanatic! Forget this!” but we say, if you persevere and say no, then one day- yes you cant believe it- on the horizon palm tress, beautiful white houses, water and everything- “Yes, let’s go! Another oasis! This time it’s really good.” No wonder it’s really good because it’s the oasis of the mode of goodness! It should be good! Beautiful oasis! Now, you’ve come to the place where you begin to enjoy spiritual life! Yes, now spiritual principles become your second nature. The idea of not taking a bath- the idea is inconceivable, which previously you would step into the clothes of the day before (or the whole week!) and no problem…but suddenly it becomes an issue. So the principles of the mode of goodness now become our second nature. This is the point where you begin to enjoy spiritual life. “My spiritual life is a very, very nice spiritual life! Yes, I’m very, very happy in my little spiritual asrama and I’m chanting my rounds and it is all very nice and we have nice association, and it’s all a nice comfy little spiritual life- very nice. Even the cat is vegetarian! My dog pays obeisances! The parrot chants Hare Krsna and everything is really great! It’s what I’ve always wanted! I’m so happy! I’m so happy!”

The guide says this is not it! This is not it! This is not it at all! This is not important; this is not something to relish- no. We must sacrifice- “Sacrifice? This is lies!” No, we must sacrifice our blood- “Sacrifice our blood? That sounds painful!” We must sacrifice! We must do whatever we can to save the condition souls- “Well, you know, they’re very sinful, very fallen I don’t know if I can associate too much with these people because I might fall down. No, it is better to stay here- safe.” Yes, sit there safe in your nice little spiritual life, sit there safe in your sweet little Krsna bubble, and just be there nice and comfy with a soft, little cushion in your back with Hare Krsna embroided on it! Yes, it feels good, isn’t it? Lets take that position of comfort…but know one thing for sure, STILL-NOT-FULFILLED! STILL-SOMETHING-LACKING! In spite of everything- in spite of having all the KC videos that you can imagine and watching a different one every night- the full collection, oh yes, all of them!- in spite of having 3000 CD’s, in spite of having 12000 lectures and 78 443 pictures of Krsna on your screen saver…in spite of all of that, still- still- somehow or other a sense of just emptiness hits you every once in a while. Just when you’re chanting your rounds, in between the holy name…(dramatic)… what is it? What is it?

Yes, if we don’t make that sacrifice, if we don’t make that trouble to save the condition souls, it will not happen- it will not happen. We will be in the second oasis- no more enjoying sense gratification, now we will no longer be enjoying material life- now we will enjoy spiritual life! But we stop to be the enjoyer of spiritual life also; we must simply be the servant and do the needful. There is a whole world- samsara-davanala-lidha-loka- the world is one fire, it is a blazing forest fire and the people are affected by suffering and we must become rain clouds. Rain clouds; we must absorb all this transcendental knowledge and shower it, shower it, over the planet again and again! Well, it reminds me of a movie I saw ages ago, because I don’t watch movies these days. So whenever I remember a movie it’s usually a really old one! This one was called “The Omen” and the omen is sort of about six, six, six…if you know what I mean. So there is a scene in the movie about a priest who was warding off the influence and he’s in his room and he’s nailing all these crosses on the wall- he’s got hundreds of crosses all along the wall- and then he’s saying, “The influence is getting too strong! It’s getting too strong!” and he nails another cross on the wall… “I don’t know how long I can hold it back! The influence of evil is coming in!” well, it maybe true if we stay in our little mode of goodness, our Krsna bubble; we have our nice, little Krsna world, yes, but outside there is a raging forest fire! So even for self-preservation we have to do something; we have to knock on doors. That is what Lord Caitanya told Lord Nityananda, to knock on every door in Bengal. He told Lord Nityananda to go back from Puri to Bengal and to knock on every door of every house and ask the people to chant the name of Krsna. Of course Lord Nityananda went and instead asked them to chant the name of Gauranga- bhajagauranga nama. That He did; He went everywhere- all over- and people chanted, and also the name of Krsna.

Yes, so that is the only way that we can really be fulfilled. If we go out of our oasis then we come to the dessert and gradually of course, as we try, as we leave our oasis of goodness, we begin to see the landscape starts to change! There are more cactuses now than before! Yes! And some even have fruits; if you pull out the thorn there’s fruits- not bad. They’re not yet the nectar fruits from the Greenland, they’re yet the complete realizations but there are some realizations and they’re satisfying. It may not be krsna-prema but a little nistha also helps, a little ruci sometimes- a little taste- so the little bit of nectar, that also helps and keeps you going. It is said in the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu that bhava is the stage of ecstasy. It is said it is like the sun ray- the first ray in the early morning of prema- begins to come. That is bhava; so it is ecstasy. So now some love comes. And it also says that there is shadow bhava, the shadow of this ecstasy and that is very interesting because it says that if you are in the company of a great vaisnava, that you can, o to speak, ‘borrow, some of his ecstasy. Or if you go to a holy dhama, then the holy dhama is also full of ecstasy and you get some of that. So just being there, you get it.

Last year we were going by boat to Mangochi; Mangochi is a very nice place because many, many wonderful things are there. I’ll tell that in a moment but first we were going into that place in a boat on the Ganga, so it started good- a boat in the Ganga is always good. And we had a good kirtana going and at one point it was really rocking- it was rocking and we had a good sound system so it was blasting over the whole Ganga and our whole boat was just rocking and devotees were just rocking! Then as we came by then all the people on the shores started rocking! Wherever we were, everyone started! And then there was a fisherman on a little boat in the water and he started dancing on his boat and the boat was going up and down like that, and whenever we went it was like a wave that hit. And then from Mangochi you have to go to another branch of the Ganga and there’s a canal you have to sort of go through. So we went through this canal and it was in between the fields really, and then there was a tree and in this tree there was a crow, and when we came the crow became so ecstatic about the kirtana that he also got into it. And he was calling out, “Rama! Rama! Rama!” (dramatic) as we were coming and he really enjoyed the kirtana, there was no doubt about it. He was completely into it. He also got caught up in the ecstasy. So, it was really ecstatic and everyone was tasting it and we were like just riding on the ecstasy of the dhama. The dhama was just generously lending us this ecstasy because Mayapur dhama is like that- so generous, so abundant, it’s over flowing, it’s everywhere! Have you seen the flowers in Mayapur? They pop out of the ground and they’re big! It’s big- serious, of course! Lord Caitanya, He doesn’t do it small- big! Everything is big! And it gets bigger all the time: more Deities, more worship- more and more and more- it doesn’t stop! Mayapur is just bursting at the seams; it’s Lord Caitanya. Everyone says, “the Mayapur temple, it has no temple president!” The devotees says, “Here Lord Caitanya is the president!” I think they are right! Maybe in Cape Town as well…who knows…! That’s another story…that’s not this class!

So the bhava we can borrow, the bhava of the dhama. We can borrow a little bit of the bhava of the great personalities but because we’re only borrowing, ah, it runs out of after a little while, and then we go back to our normal drab state of consciousness- “Haribol…” (dramatic). And look at all the vaisnavas and think, “the lot of you, the problem is you are not vaisnavas at all! That is the difficulty.” We come down to our ordinary mundane consciousness and we see faults everywhere. But when we are in this stage of ecstasy then we are adaursa darsi. Then you cannot see fault; it is said a vaisnava is adaursa darsi- he doesn’t see fault. That’s not a philosophical thing; ‘A vaisnava doesn’t see faults. Okay. I’m trying…but I think I see something.’ It’s not so easy; not no a vaisnava doesn’t see fault. No, but when we are in ecstasy we don’t see any fault, we don’t even think of faults. We just think everybody is so nice, everybody is just wonderful and everybody is just chanting- how nice! When we are in ecstasy- somebody does a little service and we really feel, ‘Ah, this is wonderful! How nice! This service is so nice! Soon too, you will be dancing in ecstasy- just wait!’ like this. So in this way, this ecstasy is truly full of love because one naturally loves to see the vaisnavas.

Mukunda Maharaja tells the story how when he was a newly initiated devotee he was Mukunda. And at one point…well, Prabhupada use to always play bongos in the kirtana because that’s all he had but then somehow or other at one point Sri Mrdanga- Sri Mrdanga- arrived in America! The first mrdanga in America! So anyway, Prabhupada immediately ripped his piece of his cloth and he put it around the mrdanga to protect it and everything, and the Prabhupada was very happy and he started to play it! and everyone could see that he was very, very expert! Because, Prabhupada was a very good mrdanga player; he had been educated as a child. His father, from young age, had him take mrdanga lessons. So he was quite expert. And even in India, before coming to the West, they always had him play mrdanga. So it was an old friend, and Prabhupada was playing away. So Mukunda was a musician, so Mukunda was like (shocked!) looking at the drum…So Prabhupada could see that he was interested. So Prabhupada said, “Would you like to learn?” Mukunda, “Yes!!!” so Prabhupada taught him some basic mantras and Mukunda immediately wanted to play very fast…Prabhupada said, “Slow down, slow down” but then gradually he allowed him to speed up. And then at one point Mukunda started to sort of get it, started to really get the proper beat and then he saw Prabhupada smiling and like that, and Mukunda said, “That was amazing! That was amazing! I had many music teachers but I never had one who enjoyed my playing!” he said, “And I realized that this was so perfect, that this was so perfect and that Prabhupada was teaching something perfect and therefore that he was appreciating then I was also picking it up.” So Mukunda understood the real reason why Mukunda was enjoying. So in this way Prabhupada was so happy to see that they were taking a little bit- a little bit- and immediately…Prabhupada did not just enjoy that but that touched his heart also! That brought love right out of his heart;
Prabhupada then immediately felt so much of affection for his devotees who then felt that they would do anything for Prabhupada- anything! And thus everybody was tolerating everyone and everyone was like in the mood of loving each other and everyone was ready to do any service; it didn’t matter. Later, people became specialized- ‘I’m a book distributor Prabhu! Sorry…’ book distributors don’t do anything but that. but in the very beginning- no, everything- everything! And everyone was enthusiastic to just do anything. ‘Can I serve?’ ‘Yes!’ So that was Prabhupada; that was Prabhupada’s bhava. Prabhupada lent that bhava to the devotees; his loving mood- he lent that and that reflected in everyone. So this is the way that we will carry on......