HH Prabhavisnu Swami

[Guest guest]

Live from Sri Mayapur Candrodaya Mandir!

 

February 20, 2006

Verse: Srimad Bhagavatam 2.2.18

Speaker: HH Prabhavisnu Swami

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The title of this chapter is "The Lord in the Heart". In the first three

chapters of the second canto, you can see there is a sequence. The first

chapter is called "The First Step in God Realization" so it is aimed

primarily to educate persons who are very much on the sensual platform, the

material platform by drawing their attention to different aspects of the

universal creation and explaining that there is this spiritual potency

behind everything.

 

Materialists tend to be very tied up in their own bodily affairs, family,

social affairs, and thinking that is all-important, have no time for

spiritual understanding. Often they will completely deny the existence of

any spiritual reality or any supreme being. So they don't have the

inclination or the ability to understand high transcendental subject

matters. But nevertheless, they are surrounded by so many amazing aspects of

the Lord's creation even in this material world.

 

So Sukadeva Goswami, he explains, draws attention to many of the wonderful

aspects of the universe around us and depicts that as part of the universal

form of the Lord. Prabhupada said the universal form of the Lord is a

temporary form, it's an imaginary form, but still it's a form. It's a way of

entering into the understanding of the existence of the Lord and

appreciating His potencies. So like that, the sun and the moon, they are

compared to the eyes of the Lord, the rivers to the veins in his body, the

hairs on his body to the forests, the mountains to the stacks of his bones,

etc. There are many examples given like that. In this way, the materialist's

attention is drawn to the vast wonders of this material universe and he is

encouraged to understand that there is a deeper spiritual reality behind

everything, at least to come to the level of Brahman understanding.

 

As a school boy we had to study poetry in England, Ireland, actually, I was

educated in. There were five famous poets called romantic poets, of whom the

eldest was William Wordsworth. He used to draw inspiration for his poetry by

walking in Lake District, a very scenic part of Northern England. Cumbria, I

think the area is called nowadays. It's on the border of Scotland. Many

mountains, moors, lakes, and in those days of course, no cars. Up there even

today there are no big cities. He would wander alone in the natural

surroundings and draw inspiration for his poetry. In many places he seems to

connect with the spiritual power. He writes like that, "There is a power

which rose above the row above the. . . ." So he had some sort of

pantheistic understanding, some experience of Brahman, although he couldn't

explain it any further than that or understand it any further than that but

at least by observing the universe around, he could get some kind of

spiritual realization. So the first chapter of this canto teaches us in that

way.

 

Then, of course, Sukadeva Goswami takes the matter further and this chapter

is explaining paramatma realization, how to meditate on the Lord in the

heart. The next chapter is called "Pure Devotional Service: The Change in

Heart". That takes us to the level of Bhagavan realisation, engaging

practically in the devotional service of the Lord. That is of course, the

last word in spiritual realisation, to come to the platform of full

engagement in devotional service leading ultimately to Krsna prema, ecstatic

love of Krsna, which is the goal of life.

 

When Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu was in Udupi, He met with the tattvavadi

acarya and Lord Caitanya asked him that what is the goal of life and how to

attain it. He said that the goal of life is to attain liberation and the

means to attain it is varnasrama dharma. By liberation, he didn't just mean

merging into Brahman but he meant specifically one of the four kinds of

liberation. There are five kinds but one of them is merging into the bodily

effulgence of the Lord, but for Vaisnavas, of course, that is not at all

interesting. In fact, it is considered hellish, kaivalyam narakayate.

 

The other four kinds of liberation are in the Vaikuntha planets: going to

the same planet as the Lord, having the same bodily features as the Lord,

becoming an associate of the Lord, having the same opulence as the Lord. The

tattvavadis are Vaisnavas, they worship Krsna, so he considered that

attaining one of those kinds of liberation to the spiritual world, that is

the ultimate goal of life and by strictly following all the rules and

regulations of varnasrama, one can attain that, but Lord Caitanya did not

accept either of these proposals. He said that the actual goal of life is

Krsna prema, to attain ecstatic love for Krsna and the means for attaining

that is the process of bhakti yoga, of devotional service to the Lord. So

that is what is explained then in the third chapter of this canto.

 

Here in the second chapter the discussion is about mediation on the Lord in

the heart, similar to the sixth chapter of Bhagavad-gita where Krsna is

explaining how the transcendentalists should go to a secluded place, sit

down, control the senses, and meditate on the form of the Lord in the heart.

Here in this chapter, there is a very explicit description of the features

of that form.

 

Of course, that is also a kind of devotional service, to meditate on the

Lord. But we can say it is somewhat a passive kind of devotional service. It

is also very, very difficult to perform. Even Arjuna, in Bhagavad-gita, said

that he considered it too difficult for him to practice. Of course, Krsna

went on to encourage him to engage in devotional service with sincerity,

with bhakti, according to his propensity, which is of course what the

sankirtana movement of Lord Caitanya propagates.

 

Still, meditation on the Lord is obviously a part of that, but just how we

meditate on the Lord, what is the most practical means to do that, that is

the question. Here the process described could have been practiced in the

past by great yogis and transcendentalist who were very self controlled,

living in a very pure environment, but in our situation, of course, the

environment is very impure, the population of the earth is always restless

and disturbed, engaged in all kinds of sinful activity. So the conditions

are not right for that kind of meditation on the Paramatma. Rather, active

devotional service, a variety of active devotional service is recommended,

engaging in different aspects of bhakti yoga, hearing, chanting, worshipping

the Deities, preaching, and all kinds of varieties of activities which are

offered by the sankirtana movement.

 

Prabhupada said that serve Krsna in Kali-yuga means to serve the sankirtana

movement and by his mercy he's created such a wonderful worldwide society

which is endeavouring to preach Krsna consciousness on all levels and

attract all kinds of persons. So there's unlimited engagement for devotees

with all different kinds of propensities.

 

Of course the central activities for all are chanting Krsna's holy names and

hearing from the scriptures, worshipping the deity, associating with the

devotees, this is common to all. But every devotee has their particular

propensity and ability and the sankirtana movement offers opportunities for

unlimited numbers of devotees.

 

So in this way it's a practical opportunity to follow the instructions of

this verse. By fully engaging in the activities of devotional service then

one can avoid mundane activities, mundane talk, everything godless, and one

can learn to perform every thought, word and deed in the service of the

Lord, in relation to the Lord and learn to lead a simple but sublime life

and not to create perplexities.

 

Materialists create many, many, many perplexities. Yesterday we were hearing

from Prahladananda Maharaja in a very humorous way about so many

perplexities that materialists create due to their false ego and desire to

be the centre of attention and propagate their own glories. But the devotees

are not interested in becoming puffed-up and advertising themselves, but

rather they are interested to advertise Krsna as the Supreme Personality of

Godhead and humble devotional service to Krsna as the best position to be

situated in. Due to creating so many perplexities the materialists have to

suffer from so many different kinds of karmic reactions but by engaging in

the humble service of the Lord the devotees can free themselves from the

perplexities of karma and swiftly progress on the path of spiritual life.

 

So one has to study the instructions of the Lord, study the instructions of

the great acaryas, and also hear from the senior Vaisnavas, associate with

one's peers and in this way understand how to be harmoniously engaged in

practical devotional service which will be for one's own benefit, and the

benefit of others as well.

 

So in this way a devoteee is like a touchstone-he is absorbed in Krsna-and

therefore those who come in touch with him also become infected with Krsna

consciousness. So in this way more and more persons learn about the process

of Krsna consciousness and become engaged in it practically. So this is the

focus of a devotee's life, to avoid anything which has no connection with

Krsna or distracts one, puts one into illusion, but rather to cleanse the

heart, cleanse the consciousness, and welcome the Lord into one's heart,

into one's life on every level, in every aspect, and thus be in the most

secure position.

 

This material world is a dangerous place, there is always danger at every

step, but if one takes full shelter in the Lord and the process of

devotional service then he is always protected from the dangers of material

existence, at least from the spiritual point of view. He might still be

subjected to some physical difficulties because this material body is

temporary and can be vanquished at any moment, but doesn't matter, the

devotee is firmly fixed at the lotus feet of the Lord and therefore whether

he has this body or not, whether he has another material body or not, or

whether he's simply situated in his eternal, spiritual position in any case,

he is always properly situated at the lotus feet of Lord Krsna. And thus,

within his heart, love for Krsna can go on developing more and

more-unlimitedly.

 

Krsna prema is unlimited and the loving exchanges between Krsna and His

devotees are unlimited. When Krsna sees that a devotee is serving Him with

enthusiasm and sincerity, Krsna reciprocates. And the devotee feels that

reciprocation and becomes even more inspired to serve Krsna and Krsna

reciprocates even further. Thus the loving exchanges between Krsna and His

devotees are going on unlimitedly and expanding unlimitedly in their

intensity and in their ever-freshness and in the depth of their purity and

love.

 

So in this way, Srila Prabhupada has opened to us the path of devotional

service leading to the perfectional stage of existence. We should remain

fixed on that path and help others also to become situated on that path.

That will be the perfection of our life if we can become fully Krsna

conscious and help others also to become situated on that path. That will be

the perfection of our life if we can become fully Krsna conscious and help

others to become fully Krsna conscious.

 

So thank you. Hare Krsna.

 

Devotees: Hare Krsna.

 

Maharaja: Any short question or comment? The microphone?

 

Ekalavya Das: Hare Krsna. Thank you for the nice class, Maharaja. I was

appreciating the points about how a devotee becomes charged in a spiritual

atmosphere and I'd like to thank you and all the other senior Vaisnavas who

have come to give their association and help us to charge the spiritual

atmosphere with spiritual sakti. Thank you very much.

 

Maharaja: I'd also like to thank you for your transcendental trumpet

playing, [laughter] which enlivens all the kirtanas.

 

Thank you very much. Hare Krsna!

 

Devotees: Hare Krsna!

 

Maharaja: Grantharaja Srimad-Bhagavatam ki jai! Srila Prabhupada ki jai!