From Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura

[Guest guest]

Lecture in Calcutta

 

Now, what course should we adopt, with regard to our propaganda work in

England? Mahäprabhu enjoins us to proclaim His Name, throughout the length

and breadth of this world-from small hamlets to big cities. Gross, worldly

names are being in vogue, everywhere at present; let the Transcendental Name

be henceforth proclaimed all over the world.

We do not belittle the importance of Pancharatrik process (system) of having

representatives (in theistic institutions), or establishing temples with

deities; but we are of the opinion that the duty of better or higher class,

is propaganda work. And Mahäprabhu's open desire was that the Transcendental

Name should be proclaimed everywhere. And to that end, we think sufficient

number of pamphlets should be published. The rich are the so-called big men

of the world, who are running after fame, females and money. They will not

listen to our words even if we cry hoarse in their ears, so what's the use

of wasting our time, in trying to make them hear? We say therefore, that the

line of our propaganda work should be to publish sufficient number of

pamphlets even at the cost of possible suspension of building temples. This

will show to them the insignificance of discoveries of truths or discussions

that have found expression in their philosophies or applied sciences, in

contrast to the enormity and magnitude of the subject matter of our

discussions.

So far about our propaganda work. Now, as to the manner in which that work

is to be carried out. A self-conceited or vain-glorious man can never

successfully carry on propaganda work. How will it be possible for him? For,

the Absolute Truth never manifests Itself to a vain-glorious man, who looks

upon himself as the only preacher of truths. Such a man can do no good to

the world. Of such persons some will be fond of prohibited food as available

at Kalighat. Some will be malicious patriots engrossed with considerations

of their own advantages, as opposed to others' interests; while others will

be in the clutches of self-enjoying propensities or its

opposite-renunciating tendencies with a view to have, respectively,

self-emolument or salvation; and the rest will make pretended show of

bhakti. But none of them will have the least idea of the Absolute Truth

divested of the slightest trace of insincerity and maliciousness.

Oh, how deplorable it is that the propaganda of the Bhakti-Rasamrita-Sindhu,

the glorious, unique, devotional teachings of India is stopped here, in the

very land of its origin. And it is not the less regrettable to see people

suffer under the mistaken idea that mere ringing of bells in places of

worship (i.e., mere formal observance of prescribed rites), or touring in

holy places, or ostentatiously reading of holy works like the Bhagavata with

no other purpose than earning livelihood, or playing the role of preceptors

by a right of heredity only, are sure signs of bhakti, they being quite

ignorant of the true significance of right worship, the true object of

pilgrimage, the right duty of the proper ways of preceptorship, the true

culture of theistic works like the Bhagavata and the real difference between

true and false bhakti. And it is painful to see people wasting their

valuable time in no better work than mischievous, ill-conceived criticisms

of others' conduct. They excel only in giving advice to others. (Their

damned mind is, no doubt, responsible for this.) So, every morning, on

rising from bed they should make their wicked mind hear the following

immortal song of Thakur Bhaktivinoda:

bhaja re bhaja re amara mana ati manda(bhaja) vraja-vane radha-krsna

caranaravinda

(bhaja) gaura-gadadharadvaita guru nityananda(smara) srinivasa, haridasa,

murari, mukunda

(smara) rupa-sanatana-jiva-raghunatha-dvandva(smara) raghava-gopala-bhatta

svarupa ramananda

(smara) gosthi saha karnapura, sena sivananda(smara) rupanuga sadhu-jana

bhajana-ananda

In this song, the mind is asked, first of all, to hold bhajan of Radha-Kåñëa

(in Their joyful activity) in the sacred woodland of Vraja. In comparative

view, the degrees of excellence of the five rasas, from madhurya

(consorthood) to shanta (the state in which active service is wanting), are

gradually lowering. A servitor in the last mentioned position (i.e., shanta

rasa) is neither actively engaged in bhajan, nor against it. He will neither

oppose bhajan nor actively hold it. Now bhajan or bhakti may be of different

kinds. There is such a thing as micha bhakti (false bhakti), as opposed to

shuddha bhakti (unalloyed bhakti); the former kind of bhakti being taken

recourse to by adherents of karma, who again are followers of Smriti. And

Thakur Narottama Das warns us against such false bhakti by saying:

karmi jnani, micha bhakta, na habe tate anurakta,suddha bhajanete kara mana

The cult of the so-called social reformers (or society makers) of the past

or present age is quite different from the ideas and principles of bhaktas.

And the followers of the former are engaged, at present, in various

movements relating to personal advantages and self-enjoyment.

Those agitators, who, leaving aside all considerations of bhakti, are busily

engaged in movements for temporal advantages only, are doing harm to

themselves. And their failure to serve Kåñëa, Who is the emporium or rather

effigy of all endless, immeasurable nectar of love, joys and pleasures,

bespeaks simply of their ignorance of the real state of affairs. And such

desistance of service to Kåñëa, gradually turns a man into an upholder of

nirvishesha-vada (i.e. the doctrine of the unspecifiedness of the Absolute

Truth.) And what can be more deplorable than such misfortune of the mankind.

So, to counteract the aforesaid tendencies in us, we should sing, every

morning, advising our wicked mind to hold bhajan, which is impossible if we

be unmindful of the dictum:

trnad api sunicena taror api sahisnunaamanina manadena kirtaniyah sada harih

-which means that Hari kirtana should be continued ceaselessly and with the

humility of low grass.

Now, what is the object of our bhajan? It is only the Holy Feet of

Radha-Kåñëa, roaming about freely in the woodland of Vraja. And what should

be our line of conduct in holding bhajan? Mahäprabhu's advice to Çréla Das

Goswami, in this connection, is as follows:

gramya katha na sunibe, gramya katha na kahibebhala na khaibe ara bhala na

paribeamani manada hanya sada krsna nama labevraje radha-krsna seva manase

karibe

Have no worldly talk, nor pay heed to it,Wear no good clothes, nor rich food

eat,Have Kåñëa-nama always, humbly, on your tongue,Serve Radha-Kåñëa in the

closet of the mind, all day long.

In the aforesaid verse, the first two advices are in the negative and the

remaining two are in the affirmative. By "Vraja-seva" Mahäprabhu meant

service to Kåñëa by one who has a transcendental body and whose

self-realisation is complete. People ignorant of this generally turn into

mental speculators, and cannot rightly understand the teachings of the

Gaudiya Math.

This wicked mind, which is never to be trusted, should be broom-sticked

every morning with such warning as, "Be not anxious to find fault with

others, or to proclaim thyself as a true, sincere, bonafide bhakta, which

certainly thou art not." In this connection, the advice of a Vaiñëava

Mahajana is this:

karmi-jnani micha-bhakta, na habe tate anurakta,suddha-bhajanete kara

manavraja-janera yei mata, tanhe habe anugata,ei se param tattva dhana

Be not attached to karmis, jnanis and bhaktas false.But pure, unalloyed

bhajan you should always endorse.Follow principles, which Vraja folk

adopt,These being valued truths to be kept aloft.

The mind is always working erroneously in looking upon this thing or that,

either as good or bad. The Charitamrita sings:

dvaite bhadrabhadra jnana-saba mano-dharmaei bhala ei manda-ei saba bhrama

People are usually too much busy with mental speculations. They should

relieve themselves of this and try to find out the real good of their own

selves or souls. There is an adage to the effect that para-carccakera gati

nahi kona kale, "a man who is habituated to criticise others' conduct will

never prosper." Let others do whatever they like, I have no concern with

them. I should rather find fault with my own damned mind, and think like the

Vaiñëava Mahajana who sings:

amara jivan, sada pape rata, nahi punyera lesa,para-sukhe duhkhi, sada

mithya-bhasi,para-duhkha sukha-kara

Ever engaged in vicious activity,And without the slightest trace of virtue

in me,A liar as I am, always sorry at others' pleasuresAnd merry at others'

sorrows, troubles and cares.

We should always remember this song and engage our mind ceaselessly in

Hari-bhajan. We should not run about attacking others with dissuading

policy; such conduct behooves only deceitful persons and not preachers.

The way of Karmis and Jnanis will lead us to immense troubles and

difficulties, by engaging our attention to consideration of the shadowy,

transient things, instead of the only cause or true origin; viz., the

Sac-chid-ananda vigraha (the ever-existing, joyful, conscious Entity-Kåñëa),

of Whom every thing visible is a mere shadow. The gross archaeologist is too

much busy with ascertaining of material ingredient of idols which may be

either of stone or wood or any other material. There are some who work as

iconographers or iconoclasts, while there are others who are busy in

ascertaining the amount of filth or impurities accumulated in a particular

soil. But none of them ever cares to find out or measure the impurities of

their own minds. There is no attempt on their part to weed out the

undesirable elements in their mind, though such an attempt is of paramount

importance in their own personal interest.

Now, whose bhajan are we to hold? Whom are we to worship? Usually we want to

worship Mammon, with a view to satisfy our own personal greed; or sometimes

we desire to secure the exalted position of presidentship of the American

Republic. But we never think of the necessity of worshipping the lotus feet

of Radha-Kåñëa moving merrily in the woodland of Vraja, without which there

is no other way of securing the permanent good.