Prabhupada disappearance lecture transcription/nectar!

[Guest guest]

Lectures (Edited) on Srila Prabhupada's Disappearance Day

Kiev/ October 31, 2000

H.H. Romapada Swami/ H.H. Niranjana Swami

 

H.H. Romapada Swami

 

I was thinking this morning about the conversation that Niranjana Maharaja

and I had when we were making the plan for my being here with you in Kiev.

Initially we were just planning to spend some time together towards the end

of October. Then Niranjana Maharaja remembered that on October 31st, the

temple room opening was taking place. So we arranged my schedule so that I

could stay here with you for this event and then I would just leave tomorrow

morning. I had no idea what to expect. I certainly didn't expect all that

I've seen here since visiting. I envisioned something, but not something as

wonderful as this. The temple room is a very wonderful design. And there

must have been so many hours of devotees' work in putting this all together

and bringing the funds together. So it's a great credit to all of you to be

participants in this wonderful temple construction. It still has a few

things that need to be finished, but I'm sure that it will be a place where

many, many, many people will come and get a very good experience of Krsna

consciousness.

 

When we made the plan to come for this event, it wasn't in my mind that this

was also Prabhupada's Disappearance Day. I remember Prabhupada giving a

lecture on the Disappearance Day of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur,

and he began the lecture by explaining that not only the appearance day of a

great acarya but the disappearance day of a great acarya is a glorious

event. Of course at the time of a great personality's departure, everyone

feels great separation.

 

(Aside to Niranjana Swami) Where were you on that day? I was in New York. Or

maybe I should ask you later.

 

(Niranjana Swami) I was driving to Boston from Hartford with a vehicle full

of bhaktas. I stopped at a gas station just to call the temple and found out

about Srila Prabhupada's departure at that time.

 

(Romapada Swami) If I can remember correctly I was the Temple President at

the 55th St. temple in New York. The temple at that time had probably around

150 to 160 devotees. We got news that Prabhupada had left and we were

devastated. There was no instruction what to do but we all knew what to do.

We went to the temple room and began kirtan in front of Radha Govinda. We

tried to keep our tears back and our voices from choking and crying while we

were chanting Hare Krsna. I don't even know how to describe the experience.

It was just like our life had been taken but somehow we were still

breathing.

 

In this lecture on Srila Bhaktisiddanta's Disappearance Day, Prabhupada

described the other side of this event. It's a very glorious event in one

sense, because, as Prabhupada explained, one could understand that that

great soul has returned and entered into the eternal pastimes with Krsna

once again. So with that recollection in mind, I would like to read one

verse and purport from Srimad Bhagavatam. I'll read the Sanskrit and (to the

translator) you can just read the translation. This is from Tenth Canto,

Chapter 2, where the demigods are offering prayers to Lord Krsna while Krsna

was still within the womb of Mother Devaki.

 

svayam samuttirya sudustaram dyuman

bhavarnavam bhimam adabhra-sauhrdah

bhavat-padambhoruha-navam atra te

nidhaya yatah sad-anugraho bhavan

 

O Lord, who resemble the shining sun, You are always ready to fulfill the

desire of Your devotee, and therefore You are known as a desire tree

[vancha-kalpataru]. When acaryas completely take shelter under Your lotus

feet in order to cross the fierce ocean of nescience, they leave behind on

earth the method by which they cross, and because You are very merciful to

Your other devotees, You accept this method to help them. (SB 10.2.31)

 

(Translator) Translate the purport?

 

(Romapada Swami) I'll make some points from the purport.

 

I remember hearing Prabhupada discuss this verse without making specific

reference from where it was coming from. Prabhupada was paraphrasing this

verse to explain the merciful nature of saintly persons. Because of his

spiritual qualification, an acarya is one who is, for sure, returning to his

original spiritual position. There is no question of that fact. After his

departure from our vision, the destination of a pure devotee like Srila

Prabhupada is Goloka Vrndavana. This is the meaning of

nitya-lila-pravista-om-visnupada-paramahamsa. It means that,

nitya-lila-pravista, such a Vaisnava is factually situated in his natural

loving relationship with Krsna.

 

In an arrival address in Los Angeles, Srila Prabhupada once explained this

point. He said, "I know that my disciples are very eager to discuss about my

activities. Just like before coming to visit you here in Los Angeles, you

were likely discussing about my activities in India. And very soon I will be

leaving and visiting Tokyo, and then Australia, and then Hawaii, and soon I

will then be coming to visit you here in Los Angeles. So in this way, as

disciples, you have great interest in my activities as I travel here and

there. But the actual fact is that you should know that I am always with

Krsna."

 

He gave the example of seeing the moon in the sky between the branches of a

tree. "When you give a description of where the moon is, you say, 'See it's

is over there. See the tree and the branches of the tree. It's in between

this branch and that branch. Right over there.'"

 

So we may regard the activities of a pure devotee in terms of what they do

in this material world. But that just gives us some relative perspective or

point of view how to understand where they are. But we should always bear in

mind that a pure devotee is always with Krsna. And their external

activities are to assist Krsna in His service in this realm. At every moment

while they are assisting in this realm their consciousness is with Krsna.

And because their consciousness is with Krsna, they are with Krsna.

 

In the purport which Srila Prabhupada wrote to this verse, he explains that

there are three personalities involved in this dynamic of devotional

service. There is the Supreme Lord, there is His representative, the acarya,

and there is the follower of the acarya. So, on the disappearance day of our

founder-acarya, it is appropriate that we meditate on his actual position.

 

Prabhupada explains this and discusses it in the purport. One of the key

points of the purport is… as the acarya acts in such a way that carries him

back to the spiritual world, simultaneously he is leaving the means for us,

in this realm, to follow him to the spiritual world. The poetic image is as

follows:

 

Someone gets in a boat to go from this side of the ocean to the other side

of the ocean. But because of their very compassionate nature, they are

simultaneously making an arrangement for a boat to remain on this side of

the ocean so that we can also cross to the other side. When Srila

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur requested Srila Prabhupada to come to the

West, he told him that this would be simultaneously good for him and good

for others as well. So this is the idea that I am trying to express. When

Prabhupada came to give Krsna Consciousness to all of us, he did so at great

personal sacrifice.

 

Of course, we know some of the more obvious kinds of personal sacrifice that

he underwent (his heart attacks, etc.). He came to a foreign land. He didn't

know anyone at all. He had no place to stay, and had no money to live on.

All that he had with him, materially, were his little karatals and his trunk

full of books. But he had a mission. He had an instruction from his

spiritual master. I remember hearing Prabhupada say, "I never feel

separation from my Guru Maharaja, not even for a moment." Although he was in

the physical absence of his spiritual master, he did not feel his personal

absence. So there are these two ways that one can associate with a saintly

person-- through the physical presence and through the vibrational presence.

 

During one morning walk that I took part in with Srila Prabhupada in

Vrndavana, he explained this principle. For those of you who have been in

Vrndavana, you know how Krsna Balarama mandir is situated. Just outside the

gate you make a right-hand turn and you walk some distance, and there is,

now it's very well-developed, but then it was largely forests and

undeveloped land. Srila Prabhupada had been continuously conversing for

about 40-45 minutes during that morning walk. Then we were just about to

return into the front gate of Krsna Balarama mandir and Prabhupada stopped

and looked around and asked, "Where are all the devotees?", and someone

replied, "Well Prabhupada they are back at the temple waiting for you to

return to greet you with kirtan." Then Prabhupada said it again. "Where are

all the devotees? Why are they not here?" Then he started listing the names

of some devotees. Someone started offering an explanation of what each

devotee was doing. Then Prabhupada made the point that he wanted to make. He

said, "When there is some opportunity to associate with the spiritual master

in his personal presence, one should be very eager for such opportunities.

This is called vapu association or personal, physical presence association

with the spiritual master. But when one is in the physical presence of the

spiritual master", Prabhupada further explained, "actually more important

than being in his physical proximity is hearing from the spiritual master."

 

So when there is physical presence one has the opportunity for both kinds of

association, vapu and vani. Of the two, vani is more important. And if there

is opportunity for physical association with the spiritual master then one

can associate with him through his instructions or vani. Then he went back

and said, that when the spiritual master is present, one should take

whatever opportunity there is provided for that association.

 

During Prabhupada's physical presence with us, he had an unstoppable spirit

to bring Krsna consciousness into the lives of all the people of the world.

Prabhupada never thought on a small scale. Prabhupada always thought on

inconceivably large scales and wanted devotees to help him fulfill that

vision. He indicates that in the purport of this verse in one special way.

He explains that it is one of the duties of the acarya, in addition to

giving his association to people who are physically before him, to write

books so that persons who are not in his physical presence, even in space or

in time, can also have the opportunity of getting his association.

 

The mataji who is charge of your publication interviewed me this morning and

I explained a personal experience that I had with Prabhupada in this regard.

We used to have a temple in Brooklyn on Henry Street. Behind Prabhupada's

quarters in that temple there was a back yard. One year when Prabhupada was

visiting us in that temple, it was around the same time that someone had

broken into the pujari room, stealing whatever silver trays and silver

articles that they could get their hands on as we chased them out of the

building. So we didn't want to take any risks for Srila Prabhupada's

security. We, therefore, kept a twenty-four hour guard to guard Srila

Prabhupada's quarters on the back side of the building.

 

Now, do you have a temple commander here? Is there a temple commander for

this temple? Who is the temple commander? Not here. See! I was the temple

commander and no one wanted to take the night watch. So I volunteered myself

to do that. Just like the temple commander of this temple. We are all here

enjoying the festivities and he is running around somewhere doing some

needful service.

 

(Translator) Actually he's sleeping.

 

(Romapada Swami) He was up all night, right?

 

(Translator) Exactly.

 

(Romapada Swami) OK. But I liked that particular service very much, because

it was during those hours that Srila Prabhupada did his translation.

Prabhupada took rest somewhere around 9:30 at night. Actually it was a very

nice thing. Just before he took rest for 15 or 20 minutes he sat alone in a

very large room with his harmonium and just sang bhajans. That's what he

filled his mind with before he gave his body some rest. But by 12:30 or 1:00

Prabhupada was up. He went to his desk which was in a very nice, warm room.

I was at the window right outside his room watching every move that

Prabhupada made. He took all the very, very large books with the Sanskrit

commentaries, opened them up, one by one, on the desk. He very elegantly

turned on little switches for little lamps that were shining on his books.

He put on this very big glasses frames, and he leaned forward and began

making his commentaries and purports. And he did that with such an intensity

in concentration that even outside the room one could feel the intensity. He

did that nonstop for 3-4 hours every night.

 

Here, in the purport Prabhupada is explaining what his consciousness was. He

was giving his association to us beyond space and beyond immediate time. He

was extending his ecstatic realizations to us in the form of sound

vibrations which were recorded so that we would have a boat by which we

could cross the ocean of material existence-- even after Prabhupada reached

the other shore of material existence. I can tell you that this was a very,

very inspiring and enlightening experience, or way of associating with Srila

Prabhupada. He was giving us day and night, everything that we needed to

make our lives successful in spiritual life.

 

When Maharaja was speaking at the Govardhana Puja function in Kharkov, he

was speaking about sacrifice. This made me think about Prabhupada's personal

sacrifice. Prabhupada sacrificed his life for us. He did so under the

instruction of his spiritual master, but it was heart and soul, day and

night, 110%. Everything. It was for all of us. He was very carefully

preparing us and training us how to practice Krsna consciousness,

so that in his physical absence we could also learn to cross over the ocean

of material existence and join him in the spiritual world.

 

Giriraj Maharaja related a very nice personal experience in this connection.

During Srila Prabhupada's final days in Vrndavana, Prabhupada's physical

condition was such that his functioning was almost reduced to zero. Yet his

consciousness was perfectly crystal clear. His purports in the 10th Canto

illustrate that. Bodily, he was finished, spiritually he was perfect. So one

night, in the middle of the night, Giriraj Maharaja was woken up while he

was sleeping on the roof of the gurukula building. It was somewhere around

1:00 or 2:00 in the morning "Prabhupada wants to see you." he was told. He

was thinking, "Prabhupada wants to see me at 1:00 in the morning.", so he

immediately ran to Prabhupada's side to find out what Prabhupada wanted.

 

Those of you who have been to Vrndavana, you know, just imagine in your

mind, the scene where Prabhupada's bed is, and his body which was

practically finished was lying there on the bed. So with great difficulty,

Prabhupada asked Giriraj Maharaja the following question. "How will this

society go on after my physical departure?" One o'clock in the morning he's

asking this question. So Giriraj Maharaja replied, "Well Srila Prabhupada,

you've instructed us that if we chant the holy name faithfully and if we

continue to follow the rules and the instructions that you've given us, we

will be able to carry on the Society. Prabhupada was silent for some time

and then he spoke very clearly. "Organization. Intelligence and

organization." Giriraj Maharaja told us that when Prabhupada spoke like that

he was shocked. He was completely taken aback.

 

The point that Prabhupada was making was that certainly purity was required,

and purity will be insured if we follow the essential teachings and

guidelines that Prabhupada has given us. But there also has to be

intelligence directing our activity in some structure or organization- to

coordinate our social interactions and our services together. Prabhupada

also instructed in a very similar way in some of his parting words--- "The

devotees after my departure will show their love for me based on how much

they cooperate with one another." In one sense, this is our intelligence.

Prabhupada in his physical presence, gave us the intelligence necessary to

conduct ourselves in this world. He took the tradition of Gaudiya Vaisnavism

which had been based almost exclusively in India, and in a very broad,

visionary way, he gave us the means to practice those same traditions

outside the traditional India. He prepared us, in every possible way, to

fulfill those instructions. He created the International Society for Krsna

consciousness which we are all benefiting from. Where would any one of us be

without the association of devotees. Would anybody care to venture some

suggestion where we might be? It would be some awful dark place. That's for

sure. And with that association we have social interactions and we have

responsibilities towards one another. And Prabhupada gave us a system for

that. He gave us a structure for that. So the combination of this, as

Prabhupada put it, the intelligence and organization, side by side, with our

natural purity, these things were intended to carry us further.

 

There is one other example that I would like to point out. When Satsvarupa

Maharaja asked Prabhupada, basically, the same question that Prabhupada

asked Giriraj Maharaja. Satsvarupa Maharaja asked, "Prabhupada while you are

here, we can ask you whenever we have some question about our service, but

how will we carry on after your physical departure?" In this case,

Prabhupada's answer was on the side of personal purity. His answer was,

"Just chant Hare Krsna. Don't you know that Krsna and His holy name are

nondifferent than one another? If you have firm faith in this understanding,

then Krsna will help to guide you."

 

So Prabhupada wanted us to maintain this wonderful society of devotees that

he has provided us with. He wanted us to continue the mission of bringing

others to Krsna Consciousness just as he had brought us, and he wanted us to

help prepare one another to carry on the tradition of Krsna Consciousness in

a very pure and straightforward manner.

 

So on the disappearance day of Srila Prabhupada we can try to recall some of

the ways that he is still with us. He's with us by the arrangements that he

made during his physical presence to insure that we would have the means

after his physical departure to come and join him in the spiritual world

with Krsna. So this is a very special way to remember our founder-acarya on

his disappearance day. There is this very strong mix of feelings, feelings

of separation and feelings of connection as we appreciate how Prabhupada

made arrangements for us to continue to associate with him and to join him

in the spiritual world. Hare Krsna. Srila Prabhupada ki jaya! So we will ask

Niranjana Maharaja to speak some words of appreciation of Srila Prabhupada.

 

om ajnana-timirandhasya

jnananjana-salakaya

caksur unmilitam yena

tasmai sri-gurave namah

 

mukam karoti vacalam

pangum langhayate girim

yat krpa tam aham vande

sri gurum dina tarinam

 

nama om visnu-padaya krsna-presthaya bhu-tale

srimate bhaktivedanta-svamin iti namine

namas te sarasvate deve gaura-vani-pracarine

nirvisesa-sunyavadi-pascatya-desa-tarine

 

So before I begin speaking, first I would like to thank H.H. Romapada

Maharaja for speaking about Srila Prabhupada in such a nice and eloquent

way. His talk touched my heart, because as Maharaja said, sometimes when we

think about about Prabhupada on his disappearance day, a mixture of feelings

spring forth that are difficult to sift out-such as feelings of great

separation from Srila Prabhupada and remembrances from the day that

Prabhupada departed. Romapada Maharaja evoked those remembrances in me as he

was speaking. I could see that I have a tendency to block these thoughts out

because it's painful to remember that day. I personally cried more that day

than I probably cried in my whole life, including when I was a baby.

Prabhupada writes in the Srimad Bhagavatam that when the spiritual master

departs the disciple should cry. But that was one time I was doing what

Srila Prabhupada said I should do, but not so much on the basis of his

instructions. My tears just involuntarily sprang forth like torrents and did

not stop.

 

Somehow, in the midst of these feelings on Srila Prabhupada's Disappearance

Day, we should not only observe his disappearance, but we should celebrate

it. Romapada Maharaja also spoke about how Srila Prabhupada taught us to

celebrate the departure of a great Vaisnava-by understanding his position in

terms of his relationship with Krsna. With that understanding, we have a

reason to celebrate. Srila Prabhupada explained some of these reasons in his

lecture on Srila Bhaktisiddhanta's Disappearance Day.

 

Prabhupada gave the example of the sun's movement, comparing it to the

appearance and disappearance of a Vaisnava. Although the spiritual master

disappears from our vision, he is going back to his eternal relationship

with Krsna. He has an eternal relationship with Krsna when he's here, but

it's internal. So when he disappears, he is simply departing from our

vision. The Sanskrit words are prakata lila and aprakata lila. The prakata

lilas are those pastimes of the Lord or His pure devotees which are manifest

to our vision. The aprakata lilas are those pastimes which are going on

eternally in the spiritual world, but are not manifest to our vision. Of

course, they may be manifest to the vision of fully self-realized souls

still present on this planet, because they have the vision to see that which

is beyond this temporary, physical world. They are not simply seeing through

the eyes of scripture as we are. We try to see through the eyes of scripture

based upon what we have heard and have been instructed. But these great

souls actually have the power to see the Lord and His eternal associates by

their love.

 

Therefore, for those of us who are devoid of such vision, it is aprakata

lila-it is not manifest to our immediate vision. I'm therefore very grateful

to Romapada Maharaja for reminding us of this verse and for giving us the

explanation of how Srila Prabhupada gave himself to us even after his

disappearance-so that we can continue to see him and to continue to

experience his presence with us-even though he is in aprakata lila. Maharaja

gave us nice stories about his experiences with Prabhupada and the

instructions that Srila Prabhupada gave while he was here for us to remember

in his absence.

 

Those instructions are our life and soul. They sustain our life. They have

given us a reason for existing in this world. After all, we are still

connected to this world. We still have these bodies. But how to practically

engage these bodies while we are still here in this world? We cannot

artificially renounce the fact that we are still embodied. So Srila

Prabhupada's instructions are our life and they are sustaining our life

while we are still in these bodies. Of course, as we explained the other day

in that lecture in Kharkov about sacrifice, life goes on after this body.

Therefore life must be sustained even after giving up these bodies. Srila

Prabhupada's instructions sustain our lives both here in this world and also

beyond this world. Certainly Srila Prabhupada gave us instructions for both.

He gave us the instructions of how to live in this world and perform

sacrifice. And he gave us instructions on how we could continue to serve

Krsna after leaving this material body as well.

 

Srila Prabhupada wanted all of us to perfect our lives and to leave this

material world. So those instructions which he gave for us to execute while

in the material world are certainly relevant instructions for us now. But

Prabhupada wanted us to establish our eternal relationship with Krsna. He

wanted us to go back home, back to Godhead. That was the sum and substance

of his preaching. He started the Back to Godhead magazine for this purpose.

He always spoke about going back to Godhead in his lectures. Srila

Prabhupada gave us the means by which we could do this. Prabhupada gave us

everything-how to purify our lives in this material world and how to live

with Krsna.

 

Srila Prabhupada knew, just as Srila Bhaktisiddhanta knew, and Srila

Prabhupada taught, just as Srila Bhaktisiddhanta also taught, that the

method of purifying our existence, and the means by which we could establish

our eternal relationship with Krsna is through chanting the holy name of the

Lord. This was the main thrust of Srila Prabhupada's preaching. Prabhupada,

himself, was always engaged in kirtan. Whenever he would chant in kirtan or

whenever he would dance in kirtan, it made all of us chant and dance.

 

I will never forget those days in kirtan with Prabhupada in Mayapura, when

he would circumambulate the temple room and stop on each corner to ring the

bell. Prabhupada had a way of driving us crazy- we behaved just like madmen.

A mad person is not concerned about what other people think about him. That

is one of the symptoms of a madman. Of course, sometimes, mad people do very

strange things, and it's not that we should imitate their behavior, either.

 

But we oftentimes read about great devotees in Lord Caitanya's pastimes who

would not behave according to social convention. They were not thinking,

"What are other people thinking of me?" No. Because they were so absorbed in

thoughts of Krsna, and so much absorbed in the holy name of Krsna. According

to social convention we generally behave according to the expectations of

others. But for one who loses external consciousness of this material world,

and who, internally, is absorbed in his eternal relationship with Krsna,

feeling separation from Krsna, he's not conscious of what he is doing

externally.

 

One time, in Ramakeli, Lord Caitanya was having kirtan with thousands of

devotees. One brahmana was sent there with a message for Lord Caitanya,

suggesting that He not remain in Ramakeli because it was too close to the

Muslim King Hussein, someone who could not be trusted. Since at that time

Lord Caitanya was not even speaking to His close associates, the brahmana

waited and waited for Lord Caitanya to come to external consciousness. The

Lord was tasting the nectar of kirtan. So the brahmana continued to wait,

but after finding no opportunity to speak to the Lord, the brahmana

approached the devotees, requesting them to deliver the message whenever the

Lord would come to external consciousness.

 

Of course, there is a lot more to this pastime, but the point is that when

the Lord or His devotees lose external consciousness they are not conscious

of what is going on around them. Prabhupada gives the example that a

liberated person is just like an intoxicated person. When he is so

intoxicated, he is not even conscious of his body. Of course that's only one

example that he gives of a liberated person. But being in the association of

a liberated person, and taking part in kirtan with him is liberated

activity. Prabhupada used to say that to engage in this Krsna Consciousness

movement is liberated activity.

 

Prabhupada taught that although we may not be liberated persons, if we

perfectly follow the instructions of liberated persons then our activities

are as good as liberated. He gave the example of an expert mechanic. He

knows exactly how to fix cars. We may not be so expert, but under the

guidance of the expert, he will say, "You do like this, you do like that."

If we do exactly as he shows, then everything that we do is as good as the

expert mechanic doing it. Similarly, if one perfectly follows the liberated

soul then his activities are as good as liberated. And we practically

experienced this in Srila Prabhupada's presence.

 

Therefore I am using this word "mad." In Prabhupada's presence, he drove us

mad. Not that we became literally crazy. But by being with Prabhupada,

chanting with Prabhupada, dancing with Prabhupada, we could actually

experience what is liberated activity. During kirtans Prabhupada used to

lead us in procession around the temple room in Mayapura. I'm sure that

you've seen these pictures in videos before. The temple room is different

now than it was back then. At that time the temple room was on the ground

floor where the exhibits of Lord Caitanya are now. A devotee would lead

kirtan, and we would circumambulate behind the Deities, then come up around

behind Prabhupada's vyasasana, with Prabhupada leading the procession. There

was this big bell on the ceiling (dong, dong) with a long rope. Every time

Prabhupada came to the bell, he would stop the procession and would start

pulling the rope (dong, dong). Then he would go faster (dong, dong, dong),

then faster and faster. With one hand he would pull the rope, and he would

lift the other hand like this indicating to the devotees to dance higher and

higher. As you can imagine, our heads would be practically cracking the

ceiling. The kirtan was uncontrollable.

 

Nobody was thinking, "Is anybody noticing the way that I look?." Everybody

was just dancing madly. And then Prabhupada would stop and circumambulate

again. He stopped at the bell the next time around, and then he would start

slowly (dong, dong, dong). He would lift the hand up and then the devotees

would dance.

 

So participating in kirtan with Srila Prabhupada gave us the experience of

what it would be like to be liberated. When we engage in kirtan with

liberated souls we actually get a taste of what is liberated activity. In

fact, Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur explains in Harinama Cintamani, that for

those who do not have a taste for chanting the holy name of the Lord, then

they must chant the holy name of the Lord in the association of devotees who

have some taste. This is also explained in the Nectar of Devotion. Sometimes

in the association of a liberated soul, one may appear to automatically come

to a very advanced stage by either a reflection or shadow attachment. In the

presence of an elevated soul one could manifest the symptoms of bhava.

Although it's not the real thing. It's not that one is automatically in that

stage of elevated consciousness. But sometimes it is found that in the

association of very elevated devotees one may show the likeness of deep

attachment. If one continues to associate and serve such devotees, the

attachment can become real and much more intense.

 

The point is that Srila Prabhupada was giving us the practical means by

which we could become purified in this world and experience the taste of

what liberated activity is beyond this world. And therefore Srila Prabhupada

and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur both taught by their example, and

they emphasized by their instructions the need to engage in kirtan. Srila

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati taught that by chanting the holy name of the Lord,

one could purify his existence, and through the chanting of the holy name of

the Lord one's eternal relationship with Krsna could become automatically

revealed. Everything is there in chanting.

 

Bhaktivinode Thakur explains how holy name of the Lord contains the form of

the Lord, the qualities of the Lord, and the pastimes of the Lord. One's

eternal relationship is also revealed by the holy name of the Lord. It is

therefore understood that the holy name is nondifferent than the Lord.

 

Prabhupada would oftentimes quote the verse in the Caitanya Caritamrta (Adi

17.22), kali-kale nama-rupe krsna-avatara/ nama haite haya

sarva-jagat-nistara, that in the age of Kali the holy name of the Lord is

the incarnation of the Lord, and anyone who associates with the holy name of

the Lord, is as good as associating with the Lord directly. As good as

associating with the Lord directly means that one's relationship with the

Lord is there in chanting the holy name of the Lord. Could it mean anything

else?

 

In this age of Kali, Lord Caitanya came to emphasize that kirtan is the

means of deliverance. All other angas of devotional service should be

performed in relationship with kirtan. We may try to engage in smaranam, or

remembrance of the Lord or the pastimes of the Lord. But smaranam is

restrictive. It requires a very elevated level of purity to engage in

smaranam. Not everyone can engage in smaranam. Prabhupada used to say that

one should not try to imitate Haridas Thakura by going to some secluded

place for bhajan. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur also speaks about

imitative smaranam in Vaisnava Ke. He says that smaranam arises from kirtan.

When one comes to this stage of smaranam through the purification of

chanting, then one can engage in solitary bhajan. Again he is giving

emphasis of the necessity in taking part in kirtan for purification.

 

So smaranam is not open to everybody because one should be very purified to

effectively engage in this method. But kirtan is the method of purification,

and kirtan is open to everyone. Nobody is restricted from participating in

kirtan. Smaranam is not a mental practice. This is what Srila

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati describes as imitative smaranam. Smaranam is the

result of a completely controlled mind. When the mind is completely

controlled then Krsna's pastimes can manifest in one's mind. How does one

bring the mind under control? Kirtan. This is the best method for purifying

of our existence. This is the method that Srila Prabhupada taught us and

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur taught this also-to take part in the

sankirtan movement of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

 

Prabhupada gave all of his instructions both how to live in this world and

to engage in liberated activity in relationship to kirtan. In the verse of

Bhagavad-gita (8.5), ante kale ca mam eva, Krsna says "Whoever at the time

of death remembers me alone at once attains my nature. Of this there is no

doubt." What does Prabhupada say in the purport for remembering Krsna? What

are the words that he uses? One must "incessantly" chant Hare Krsna. This is

how he explains the meaning of smaran muktva kalevaram, remembering Krsna at

the time of giving up this body. Prabhupada taught that by his own example.

 

Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur explains in Sri Caitanya Siksamrtam that just

below the paramahamsa, those on the topmost platform, are the gosthyanandis

and bhajananandis. Both of them can rise to the stage of paramahamsa. But

the gosthyanandis engage in preaching and kirtan for the benefit of others.

They don't engage in exclusive bhajan. Romapada Maharaja was also explaining

this point, how Prabhupada was engaging in activity which was beneficial for

him and for everyone else. The great Vaisnava acaryas they go to the other

side of the ocean but they arrange for the boat to stay to carry others

across as well.

 

Prabhupada gave the example that the Vaisnavas can cross the ocean easily,

because the Lord shrinks the whole ocean for them down to the amount of

water in the hoof print of a calf. Therefore the boat is still on this side

for everyone else. So Prabhupada engaged in liberated activities and he left

behind for us those instructions how to engage in those same liberated

activities.

 

This morning I was reading a transcribed lecture of Prabhupada. In this

lecture, he said that after the disappearance of the spiritual master there

can be great chaos. For instance, after the disappearance of Lord Krsna,

many inauspicious signs began to manifest. Not long after the disappearance

of Lord Caitanya many apasampradayas appeared. Prabhupada was explaining

that generally after the disappearance of great personalities things

degenerate. He was saying that this is the nature of the material world.

Even Krsna Himself comes again and again in order to reestablish the

principles of religion. Whenever there is a predominant rise of irreligion

and a decline of religious practice, Krsna says, I come. So the potential is

there for things to degrade after the departure of great personalities.

 

But Srila Prabhupada left us a means to protect ourselves from degradation.

He left behind his instructions on how to continue to engage in kirtan. I

have some quotes, but unfortunately now I don't have time to read all of

them. I spoke longer than I expected. I was researching some of the things

that Prabhupada said about the future of the Krsna Consciousness movement

this morning. Many times Prabhupada spoke about the future of this movement.

He said that our movement would be bright if the devotees continued to

follow strictly. There is this famous purport in the Caitanya Caritamrta,

Madhya 4.79:

 

"The Krsna consciousness movement has spread all over the world within a

very short time (within five years), and mundane people are very astonished

at this. However, by the grace of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, we

understand that everything is possible by the grace of Krsna. Why does Krsna

have to take five years? In five days He can spread His name and fame all

over the world like wildfire. Those who have faith and devotion to Krsna can

understand that these things happen so wonderfully by the grace of Sri

Caitanya Mahaprabhu. We are simply the instruments. . .

…If the preachers in our Krsna consciousness movement are sincere devotees

of Krsna, Krsna will always be with them because He is very kind and

favorable to all His devotees. Just as Arjuna and Krsna were victorious in

the Battle of Kuruksetra, this Krsna consciousness movement will surely

emerge victorious if we but remain sincere devotees of the Lord and serve

the Lord according to the advice of predecessors (the six Gosvamis and other

devotees of the Lord).... Within the Society we must try to serve the

predecessors by preaching Caitanya Mahaprabhu's cult and spreading His name

and fame all over the world. If we attempt this seriously within the

Society, it will be successfully done. There is no question of estimating

how this will happen in the mundane sense. But without a doubt, it happens

by the grace of Krsna."

 

So Prabhupada here is speaking about the future of the Krsna Consciousness

movement. He says that we must try to serve the predecessors by preaching

Lord Caitanya's cult, by spreading his name and fame all over the world. One

more small quote. This is in a letter:

 

"…I am very glad to note that you are seeing that the devotees are

maintaining the devotional practices. This is the secret to success.

Therefore I am stressing it. And, if you also stress it and show yourself as

an ideal Vaisnava, then you are my representative in fullness. We are not

after titles and designations. Lord Caitanya made it a principle that we

must teach by personal example. This is what I have tried to do. So if all

of you my disciples do this, then the future of our movement will be

glorious." (Letter to Hrdayananda: -- Bombay, 31 October, 1974)

 

So these are simply a couple of small short references of Srila Prabhupada's

statements on the future of the Krsna Consciousness movement. Srila

Prabhupada left these instructions behind for us to follow. If we want to

associate with Srila Prabhupada, then certainly we can associate with him by

associating with instructions such as these.

 

I took note of that last point that Romapada Maharaja made, when Satsvarupa

Maharaja asked Srila Prabhupada, "What would we do after you are gone? How

would things go on?" It's relevant to what we have talked about here. What

did he say Maharaja?

 

(Rompada Swami) He said that Krsna and His holy name are nondifferent. Do

you not have faith in that? So just chant Hare Krsna and Krsna will guide

you to make the correct decisions.

 

Thank you very much, Romapada Maharaja. Hare Krsna.