Gaura Purnima lecture by HH Sacinandana Swami

[Guest guest]

>From Sri Mayapur Candrodaya Mandir

 

March 25, 2005, Gaura Purnima (lecture 3 of 3)

Speaker: HH Sacinandana Swami

__

 

[iMPORTANT NOTE: This is only a paraphrased summary compiled from our notes

from the Gaura Purnima lecture. Thus some sections may be incomplete or not

fully accurate.]

 

Sacinandana Swami: Hare Krsna. Some of you might think "Oh, this is a very

long Bhagavatam class, but actually on such a sacred day as Gaur Purnima we

are fasting to gain time to spiritually eat through eat our ears the lilas

of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, whose appearance day we are celebrating. Please

understand that this is necessary, this is the process which Vaisnavas since

time immemorial have observed, to listen for long long time about Lord Krsna

and Lord Caitanya . We will sing a little bit for the pleasure of the

Deities. Can I ask if there is a talented mrdanga player? Please come.

 

[begins maha-mantra kirtana]

 

For the glorification of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu we will read a prayer

which was written by one great devotee of Mahaprabhu, Sri Raghunandana, and

who glorified Lord Caitanya through the eight grammatical Sanskrit

literature:

 

I pray to Sriman Gauranga Mahaprabhu whose ecstatic transcendental pastimes

are like a river of nectar. Gaura has given the path of confidential

devotional service. I will completely surrender to Gaura. (Really? Have you

thought about this? You have another chance, be silent if you don't intend

to do this!) I will completely surrender to Gaura! [says this loudly and the

devotees repeat] Is there anyone more merciful than Gaura? I will become a

servant of Gaura. I shall preach the glory of Gaura. May my Lord Gaura

protect me.

 

Gauram sadaiva stu te

Gaura bhrtyo bhavam

Gaura prabho raksa mam ??

 

My dear devotees, let us today hear a little about Lord Caitanya's unique

position and some of His instructional pastimes. One activity are lilas for

His transcendental enjoyment and the other set is when Lord Caitanya acts as

an instructor to His devotees.

 

[namo om. . . . etc.]

 

Let us now hear about the unique position of Caitanya Mahaprabhu which will

actually teach us and in which we can meditate about Caitanya Mahaprabhu. We

hear in the Srimad Bhagavatam that Lord Krsna, who is the lila-purusottama,

is constantly satisfying His associates in the beautiful forest groves of

Sri Vrndavana Dham. If Krsna wishes to do something in relation to the other

souls who are not enjoying with Him in Goloka, Krsna expands Himself and as

an expansion He takes care of the business at hand. If this is Krsna then if

He makes one step to the right He becomes Balarama and from Lord Balarama

different expansions come. They want a more majestic setting and therefore

from Balarama the catur vyuha expands in the Vaikuntha world. There is the

expansion of the Lord who take care of this jagat, Mahavisnu. Through the

pores of His body this universe comes where we are presently situated out of

mistake. Finally the avataras come. In this way Krsna can remain active in

His own business, enjoying His transcendental lilas. First and foremost is

His first expansion Balarama from whom all the others come.

 

The moment Krsna wants to find out something that intrigues His mind, He has

to come Himself. Krsna, seeing the love of His devotees, particulary the

love of Srimati Radharani, becomes intrigued and wants to know how exactly

does She feel when She is experiencing loving devotional service and how

does Her pleasure increase as She sees My pleasure increases? He Himself

resolves to go and experiment: "I will come as a bhakta and I will

experience what it means to have the pleasure of devotion." Then He comes

into this world fully as Himself--not as an expansion, no--He comes as Krsna

Himself, but in a disguise. In this form he is called Sri Caitanya

Mahaprabhu.

 

Let us now chant His name in great love and in order to wake up from the

dream of the material world.

 

[Yells "GAURANGA!" Four times with the devotees responding]

 

Yes, so Lord Gauranga is really Krsna Himself (He's not an expansion) who

comes on a love expedition. This glowing effulgent love. He distributes

Krsna consciousness in this mood. Now we must understand one thing. When we

meditate on Lord Caitanya, we meditate ?. He fulfills this purpose of ? He

would sometimes meet other scholars: "My dear scholar, can you please

explain this point from the scripture to Me?" Then He would disprove that

scholar's point, "That is totally wrong!" And in perfect Sanskrit, He

established another point. The scholar would agree, and then the Lord would

say, "How could you believe my wrong explanation?" And then He again said

something totally different: "Again you are wrong!" In this way, He showed

jnana or knowledge is never the way. If you want to understand, you have to

love. He will actually only be understood by those who love.

 

Just like Mahavisnu Swami was saying about Boris Yeltsin. . . when everyone

said, "Oh President," he wasn't interested, but when someone said his

nickname, he turned his face and embraced his friend. So jnana, karma, and

yoga is not the way. Bhakti is the way to turn Krsna to you.

 

Lord Caitanya acted as the most accomplished scholar, as the most arrogant

scholar. Scholars would run away in fear. . . He was so ferocious.

 

How did Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu ultimately teach the way of love? Krsna is

so beautiful. Also to look for the Lord. The mood of separation--not here is

Krsna, but "Where is Krsna? Where is Krsna, who is like the moon? Where is

Krsna whose hair decorated with a peacock feather, whose flute produces such

a deep sound? Where is Krsna whose bodily lustre is like the lustre of the

new blue indranila jewel? Who is so expert in rasa dancing? Who can save My

life?"

 

This is the mood in which Caitanya Mahaprabhu tasted bhakti. When He left

Navadvipa for Gaya He came back with this mood, "Where is Krsna?" And He

chanted the mantra in this mood? Hare Krsna.

 

It was a crying mood, feeling His absence. One moment is intolerable, it

appears like millions of years. This is the mood in which Krsna will quickly

reveal Himself. We are the Hare Krsna movement. We need to learn from

Caitanya Mahaprabhu how to address Lord Krsna.

 

Prabhupada was telling this. This vibration of the Hare Krsna mantra is

simply a cry, "Please accept me, please accept me!" And Prabhupada said Lord

Caitanya Mahaprabhu is a sannyasi. He doesn't need anything. Why is He

crying for Govinda? He has given up the whole world. Why is He crying for

Govinda? There is the real necessity. Govinda-virahena me. This is a new

word. We have money necessity, we have recognition necessity,

'I-want-to-be-a-sannyasi' necessity. Listen devotees, this is a new

necessity: "Govinda necessity." Prabhupada says, with Him there is life.

Again there is Vrndavana. Again dancing. Again eating. Again everything. ??

That is real necessity.

 

Now to teach the conditioned souls how they could learn the difficult

Govinda necessity, to teach them how they could begin the process by which

they can get Krsna, Lord Caitanya taught three spiritual principles. He

taught by His explanation, but more than anything else, He taught by His

example. The first of the three principles is. . . what is the first

principle of Caitanya Mahaprabhu? Do you know this or do you not know this?

 

"Chanting Hare Krsna?" How do you chant it, with boredom: "Oh, I must chant

my 16 rounds?"

 

"With love, says someone. Like crying of a child for the mother. I need to

stimulate you. It cannot be mechanical chanting. There must be some mood in

it. Crying of a child for a mother, feeling of necessity. When children play

around, they say, "Mummy, mummy." But when the child really starts to cry

out, "Mummy!", then she comes running. So with the chanting of the Hare

Krsna maha-mantra, it must be chanted with some taste. It is called

nama-ruci.

 

Just like Lord Caitanya, when He went to the bathroom, He bit on His tongue.

So there was a little 8 year old who asked "Why are You biting Your tongue?"

"Well, I was in the bathroom. I did not want to chant the holy name." Then

Gopala said, "You did not chant because You thought it was an improper

place. But the holy name can never become impure. It is not possible. Nama

cintamanih, purna suddho. So You can chant in the bathroom." Lord Caitanya

was very pleased and said "From today onwards, I will call you Gopala Guru

since You teach Me about chanting." Lord Caitanya inspired the 8 year old

boy, and in this way, Lord Caitanya could give the answer and teach all of

us.

 

Another princple of Lord Caitanya is Vaisnava-seva. If you wish to please

Krsna, you must go through His devotees. It is a very important principle.

Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself exemplified this principle. When He returned

from Gaya, He started serving the Vaisnavas at the Ganga. He took the

clothes which they had washed and folded them. Caitanya Mahaprabhu also

washed the clothes of His devotees. . . He also carried the tilaka and the

items. Vaisnava-seva or service of the devotees is an important principle of

how you can please Krsna.

 

 

[Despite a lot of effort, we couldn't make proper sense out of this

following paragraph. Our apologies. . . . ]

 

 

The last principle is jiva-daya. Once there was a washerman who was very

unhappy. He washed the clothes of the whole village. I can understand him.

When you give something to the washerman ?? at least in Germany, he was very

frustrated. One day he saw the shadow of this person and said "I don't want

to give you any money! I can see from the shadow that you are a sannyasi!"

This is a rule. "At this moment, I do not wish your money. I only wish you

chant Hare Krsna. I know you know the mantra". The washerman looked up and

looked at the most beautiful place. Which seemed to go back to the ears.

Without any spots. He looked into this place. He became elevated ???

immediately to this place. At the bank of the river in which he was washing.

Where is my dhobi husband? At the river, there was only one dancing madman.

She came back to the village. He is missing. Can you all come and help and

go? They looked at everyone. Finally they also approached the crazy. Lord

Caitanya Mahaprabhu had made this soul fortunate. ??

 

Have you ever been really happy? Have you ever been really happy? I think if

you multiply many millions of times, this is such a wonderful transcendental

happiness that all your sleeping senses become awake.?? Which only wants to

sing and chant. Jiva-daya. Mahaprabhu also expected all those who followed

Caitanya-bhakti. To become Krsna consciousness and to somehow help others

become Krsna consciousness.

 

 

May be you are liking to sing. Sing for Krsna, then preach for Krsna. Help

others to get some prasadam. Like me, just try to be encouraging for others.

If you can't speak, give some good example for others.

 

I will make now a very painful point. But I won't leave you with the pain.

Don't run away. We have the medicine for the pain. I have made an

observation over the years. Many devotees over the years are happy by the

mercy of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. But then when they reach a little two, three

years, five years in the movement they reach the "I-know-it-all" phase,

"I've experienced everything which the Hare Krsna movement seems to offer."

The vast majority, 90%, become less involved, less ecstatic and go on a

downward slope. . . . So unfortunately you find this development in anything

in this world. The first person who buys a car. . . then the car becomes

uninteresting. This is human psychology.

 

But Krsna consciousness is not a thing of this world. A good way to ensure

this does not happen is 3 other points of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. . . ?

 

You are little bit like a tree, a tree which grows. On the crown of a tree

where the leaves and branches and heavy fruits are, such a tree has the

danger of falling. There is such a centrifugal force which can pull down

tress. Many of my old tree friends under which I have chanted have fallen

down. When you advance in Krsna consciousness your growth must go in two

directions, the visible position--sannyasa-initiated, some of you might be a

temple president and leader of different departments--but you must also grow

in a direction which is usually not so visible. Just like a good tree which

will stand the time, will develop deep roots. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu gave

these deep roots which a devotee must develop in order to become strong, the

internal growth, the first is which all of us westerners at least do not

like to hear. Once Prabhupada was asked how do you measure your advancement

and he replied to see how much free you have become from sexual desires. All

of you can do this, you can look into your own hearts and see how much

advancement you have. I could open my shirt but you wouldn't see anything,

but I can see it.

 

Vairagya means always, in Caitanya Mahaprabhu's tradition, a higher form of

attachment. When you develop a higher taste, detachment becomes very easy.

For example we all like pizzas and to become detached may be the greatest

torture, but if there is something better--misti-dahi; we all have our

private tastes--it's very easy to give up lower taste. Vairagya is

necessary. Prabhupada used to say to his disciples, "I've only one

complaint, you don't read my books." This is important to grow deep roots,

this is a feeling of sambandha with the Lord, this helps us to grow our

roots deep and weather the storm of time.

 

Let me summarise in case you have not understood due to the funny German

acccent.

 

We wanted to say the Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Krsna Himself who came on a

love expedition, and at the same time He was so mercifully inclined that he

distributed nama-ruci, vaisnava-seva, and jiva-daya. And we ended our little

presenation by saying as you mature you also have to take care that your

roots will go deeper in spiritual life, and you must feel what is love and

devotion for Krsna and you can test it by your detachment and knowledge.

 

I want to do something forbidden. We have tried to compile a book on

Prabhupada on gayatri-mantra. . . they are very expensive. We have finally

softened our hard heart and decided that they are available for only 300

rupees. I'm saying this because we brought so many. GAURANGA! NITYANANDA!

 

[Devotees respond, and Maharaja ends with an enthusiastic kirtana in the

Panca-tattva temple which goes on for at least an hour]