A Hopeless Situation through the Ego

[Guest guest]

A Hopeless Situation

through the Ego

 

The following is the basic transcription of Srila Gurudev's Internet Radio to

help you hear His Divine Grace's message.

Transcribed by Vrindavanesvari devi dasi

 

by His Divine Grace

Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj

 

March 5th, 2001

Sri Nabadwip Dham, India

 

 

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Jay Om Visnupad Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj ki

jaya!

Jay Bhagavan Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur ki jaya!

Sriman Mahaprabhu ki jaya!

Rupanuga Guru Varga ki jaya!

Harinam Sankirttan ki jaya!

Guara Premanande Haribol!

 

"We are always using this word "devotee" but that type of respect we

are not giving within our heart. That is a very bad thing....hope is coming

through humility, and hopeless situation is coming through ego."

 

Here the devotees are presently assembled for the Gaura-Purnima

festival. More and more are coming from abroad. All around the world

we have so many centres; everyone is very enthusiastic to do

something. The vital point is this: if we will not forget it, then we

shall happily proceed in the line of Krishna Consciousness. Srila

Guru Maharaj quoted so many slokas in Prapanna-jivanamrtam. One sloka

I remember: what is necessary for our activity, it is necessary to

communicate with some consciousness from the transcendental world.

Communication is coming through the mood of devotion and association

with the devotees.

 

We are always using this word "devotee" but that type of respect we

are not giving within our heart. That is a very bad thing. Today I do

not want to make anyone hopeless, but this is my expectation. They do

not make me hopeless because hope is coming through humility, and

hopeless situation is coming through ego. Mahaprabhu said: trnad api

sunichena. why are we not realising these three directives with our

heart, with our love, with our affection, with our mood of devotion?

If we are practitioners, if we will think we will do something for

our own spiritual life, leaving everything we join in Krishna

Consciousness, but why we will not try to leave our ego? I cannot

understand it.

 

Ego is a very bad thing. It is like a mountain between God and

myself. So why we will put that mountain [in our path]? Srila

Prabhupad, AC Bhaktivedanta Swami, when he entered into the western

world, he demolished the ego and made a channel for us. But again it

is attacking the devotees; this is a very hopeless situation. Why we

cannot avoid ego we do not know. If we are trying to practise Krishna

Consciousness, we must be qualified. At least we should try to get

that qualification; that ego is very much (blank) of the

practitioner's life. Then it is first necessary to leave the ego. If

we cannot do that, then we cannot do any service, we cannot engage

ourselves in service for the transcendental world.

 

We can do so many things in this material world, so many are experts

as we can see. But all becomes useless if it is not related with God

consciousness. When we are engaged ourselves for the service to Lord

Krishna, associating with so many Vaisnavas, why can't we leave our

ego? I do not know. If we want to make ourselves perfect, then first

it is necessary to avoid our ego. Senior Vaisnavas, Junior Vaisnavas,

middle Vaisnavas, it is not only necessary for them to demolish the

ego, but for everyone. Mahaprabhu said: you have no honourable

position. We must give honour to him also, and who has the

dishonourable position, why we are (blank) to give them that honour.

Everyone is our close relative who joined in Krishna Consciousness.

We will give good nourishment to each other.

 

I am seeing in many places a disturbance; it is my request to my

friends, to please be sincere and try to make yourselves perfect with

the advice of Sriman Mahaprabhu. This song, trnad api sunichena how

much are we following every day? It is necessary to account for that.

This type of ahankara we must leave, and try to harmonise with

everything. Harmony must come in the life of a devotee, because it is

very easy to make harmony if they can see: "The Lord is very near to

me." He is so great and so merciful to everyone. This way we can

extend our vision. Who is drowning, I shall try to help him, and who

is showing the path of my life, I shall try to follow him. Who is

living with us, we will try to help each other, not discourage

anyone. We should give encouragement to everyone because in this life

we have got some opportunity to practise Krishna Consciousness.

 

What kind of life is waiting for us in the next stage we do no know.

Our previous karma is pushing us. But by the grace of Sri Guru

Gauranga we have got some opportunity. The connection with the Holy

Name in this life; we will try to realise that we should chant the

Holy Name with these three qualities and qualifications. Everyone is

enthusiastic to do some Sankirttan; here I have no doubt. But it is

necessary to get some quality and qualification; then they can

practise. Without quality and qualification they are very

enthusiastic to preach, but what will they preach? They cannot

reflect from their own selves these three qualities, trnad api

sunichena. How many times will we tell it?

 

No doubt it is necessary to give remembrance every day, at every

moment. Prabhupad Saraswati Thakur said that, when getting up from

the bed, we will 'broom' ourselves with this song. (Srila Gurudev

sings the song). Bhaktivinoda Thakur composed this song and Prabhupad

Saraswati said to his disciples that every morning you must clean

your mind through this song. Meaning that a devotee can read a book;

it will take a long time, but my point is this: to think, "I am

qualified," this kind of ego is always an obstacle for me. I am

servant of servant of servant of servant of Guru Vaisnava, of

Bhagavan Sri Krishna. This is very (blank) feeling. That feeling we

always try to keep with our whole attention.

 

Then we can avoid ego and we can serve Bhagavan Sri Krishna. Direct

service is not possible; then we will try to serve the servant's

servant's servant. Why we are not giving attention to this? Who is

coming to me, I am giving them this advice, for myself also. I am

feeling it is necessary for myself and necessary for everyone. So

what can I say more? We do not want to be the worst enemy of our own

selves, we want to be our best friend. Bhagavan Sri Krishna said: I

can make the best for myself, or the worst for myself, so why do I

want to make worst? How long I shall live I do not know, but what is

in my hands that day -- I am looking in front of me, I shall use it

wisely. Then we must be benefited.

 

Here in this material world there is (blank), lust, they have no

value, but in spiritual life benefit will come. Through this process

Mahaprabhu said. Every young person wants to make a book, every young

person wants to preach to others, but it is my request to them: why

they are not preaching to themselves? In front of you there are so

many qualified older devotees. My English is difficult to understand

but you are qualified in English. You will understand that. The

quality and qualification exists within the devotees, then we will

try to honour them. If they are not honoured, then that is also from

my side; my (blank) will not be anything. I must give honour to

everyone. This way if they will try to proceed, they will preach so

much. I have seen the Western devotees' attitude is very enthusiastic

for preaching. But they have some ego; they cannot avoid that.

 

Here is my request to everyone: please leave the ego and proceed in

the proper line of Krishna consciousness. Mahaprabhu has given the

very easiest practising procedure: Harinama Harinama Harinama eva

kevalam. The Bhagavan Nama, the Divine Name of the Lord will give

divine connection with that transcendental world. Only communication

is possible through chanting the Holy Name of the Lord, because (His)

Name, fame, quality, qualification, association, everything is

transcendental. It will be in our heart when it will get a proper

clean position; I also feel it.

 

It is told in the Scriptures that Bhakti means Seva, Bhakti means

service to the Lord. Yet, direct is not possible anyway. Guru Maharaj

told a telescopic system is applicable here, when we will offer it to

Guru Vaisnava that will go very easily for the service to Lord

Krishna. But it is necessary to connect with the transcendental wave,

otherwise it will be karma. Karma is reactionary. With devotion there

is no bad reaction; devotion is giving more devotional spirit.

 

All facility is in front of us. So many things we have seen in this

material world, but why we will not try with humility, tolerance and

giving honour to others? Why not we will try to practise it? This is

a very suitable and sweet process. First it is necessary to make

everyone our friend, not our enemy. This I can do best. Then make

yourself as your friend, not to make yourself as your worst enemy.

This is my prayer to all the devotees.

 

Today they are coming from so far, but with clean hearts they will do

Navadwip Dham Parikrama and follow this clean procedure that Sri

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has given. This is my prayer.

 

 

 

Jay Om Visnupad Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj ki

jaya!

All the devotees ki jaya!

 

Sri Nabadwip Dham

March 5, 2001

 

 

 

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Transcribed by Vrindavanesvari devi dasi