You Can Test It

[suchandra]

Somehow there are persons who criticize the chanting of Hare Krishna mantra. Nāmnād artha-vāda. Because the glories of the holy name are described as, that one can become free from the sinful reaction of life simply by chanting the holy name of the Lord, so sometimes those who are not in the line, they think, It is too much. It is too much.

Below it says, we can test it.

 

"You can test it. What is that test? Patita. When you fall down from a high place… Suppose from the roof you may fall down, patitam. Skhalita: you may slip and fall down. Bhagnah: by falling down you may break your bones. Then sandastah: you may be bitten by some animal—cats, dogs, a snake. There are so many, domestic. Then tapta: you may be burned. And āhatah: you may be injured from others. Then during this time you can test, practical. What is that test? Harir ity avaśena aha.

 

 

Try to chant Hare Krishna. Pumān. If anyone does so, na arhati yātanāh. You’ll immediately feel that from the injuries you are not feeling pain. This is practical seen. Even a snake bite… You may be saved. The author says, never says, that you may be saved from death, but the suggestion is that you may not feel much pain. This is practical. Because this material world is full of dangers, these symptoms of dangerous position, patitaṁ skhalito bhagnaḥ… Especially in the modern age, in the Western countries, accident, motor accident and die, is very common thing nowadays. Here also it is becoming. On the whole, even there is no motor accident, there are so many accidents. In every step there is danger. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām. This material world means every step there is danger. There is no question of safety. At any moment. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja recommended, kaumāraṁ ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha. Why in the beginning of childhood one should learn bhāgavata- dharma? Durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma. Somehow or other, we have got this body, human form of body, durlabham, after many, many births. They do not know. The foolish persons, they do not know what is the value of this human form of life. Jalajā nava-lakṣāni sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati, kṛmayo rudra-saṅkhyatāḥ. In this way 8,400,000 different forms of life we have to pass through. Then we have got this. Especially a civilized human being. The human race, they are also 400,000…, 400,000 types. Out of them, those who are civilized, they are called Aryans. Aryan means civilized. Aryan means those who are making progress. They are called Aryans.

So amongst the Aryans there is the division—brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha. The Aryans, they do follow it, these Vedic principles, varṇāśrama-dharma. Varnāśramācāravatā puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān, viṣṇur ārādhyate. What is the purpose of varṇāśrama? Now, viṣṇu ārādhana. Why Vishnu ārādhana? There are so many other demigods. That is also answered by Lord Śiva. When he was asked by Pārvatī, “What is the best form of worship?” he recommended, ārādhanānāṁ sarveṣām: “There are many different types of worship.” Sarveṣam. Viṣṇur ārādhanaṁ param. He never said, Lord Śiva, that “My ārādhana is…” Krishna says, mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja, but no other demigod has ever said. No. You’ll never find. Here Lord Śiva says, viṣṇur ārādhanaṁ param. Then again he stresses, tasmāt parataram devī madīyānāṁ, tadīyānām ārādhanam: “Vishnu ārādhanam is the best, but better than this best there is another ārādhanam.” What is that? Tadīyānām ārādhananam: “To worship the Vaishnava.” Vishnu ārādhana is the topmost, but Vaiṣṇava ārādhana is still more. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura therefore says, chādiyā vaiṣṇava-sevā, nistara payeche kebā. The Vaiṣṇava ārādhana is so important."

 

 

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.2.15

by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

Vṛndāvana, September 18, 1975

[Murali_Mohan_das]

I love this part of the quote:

 

 

“To worship the Vaishnava.” Vishnu ārādhana is the topmost, but Vaiṣṇava ārādhana is still more. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura therefore says, chādiyā vaiṣṇava-sevā, nistara payeche kebā. The Vaiṣṇava ārādhana is so important."

That's a great picture. I think the tall lady is Sadarupa Dasi. She was a Danish (??) model before becoming a devotee. Even as a devotee, she modeled, but would not participate in advertising for meat, cigarettes, etc.

 

My Dad always had a big crush on her.

 

Next to her seems to be Manmohini Dasi, sister of Svarupa Das (not sure if it's the same Svarupa who frequents this forum), who is a wonderful Vaishnava (like her brother).

 

The location looks like Westwood in front the bank where we often went for Hari Nama.

 

To actually address the topic, surely we must *try* chanting the Mahamantra before we can dismiss the practice as not useful. However, from my own experience, it can take quite a while to acquire any taste for the Name whatsoever (more time than it took me to acquire a taste for beer in college ), and even now, my attraction is so very weak. So, for anybody considering taking up the practice of chanting Mahamantra, give it a good 30-40 years to take root in your heart!! Of course, if you are less impure than I am and more sincere, you may find you get immediate results!

 

Just kidding, of course (about me having any taste for the Name). We get inconceivable benefit from even nama-abhasa (the hazy chanting of the Name that is the best that most of us beginners can manage), though.

 

It's also good to remember the jaundice/sugarcane analogy. Sugar is a treatment for jaundice (so I'm told). However, when one is jaundiced, sugar tastes bitter. So, let us remember to take our medicine regardless of our taste for it. In time, as we become purified, the sweetness will increase (so I'm told).

[Beggar]

 

That's a great picture. I think the tall lady is Sadarupa Dasi. She was a Danish (??) model before becoming a devotee. Even as a devotee, she modeled, but would not participate in advertising for meat, cigarettes, etc.

 

My Dad always had a big crush on her.

 

Next to her seems to be Manmohini Dasi, sister of Svarupa Das (not sure if it's the same Svarupa who frequents this forum), who is a wonderful Vaishnava (like her brother).

 

The location looks like Westwood in front the bank where we often went for Hari Nama.

 

I'm sure it's not the same Swaupa Prabhu. The lady on the right is Nirguna D.D.

[suchandra]

 

I love this part of the quote:

 

 

That's a great picture. I think the tall lady is Sadarupa Dasi. She was a Danish (??) model before becoming a devotee. Even as a devotee, she modeled, but would not participate in advertising for meat, cigarettes, etc.

 

My Dad always had a big crush on her.

 

Next to her seems to be Manmohini Dasi, sister of Svarupa Das (not sure if it's the same Svarupa who frequents this forum), who is a wonderful Vaishnava (like her brother).

 

The location looks like Westwood in front the bank where we often went for Hari Nama.

 

To actually address the topic, surely we must *try* chanting the Mahamantra before we can dismiss the practice as not useful. However, from my own experience, it can take quite a while to acquire any taste for the Name whatsoever (more time than it took me to acquire a taste for beer in college ), and even now, my attraction is so very weak. So, for anybody considering taking up the practice of chanting Mahamantra, give it a good 30-40 years to take root in your heart!! Of course, if you are less impure than I am and more sincere, you may find you get immediate results!

 

Just kidding, of course (about me having any taste for the Name). We get inconceivable benefit from even nama-abhasa (the hazy chanting of the Name that is the best that most of us beginners can manage), though.

 

It's also good to remember the jaundice/sugarcane analogy. Sugar is a treatment for jaundice (so I'm told). However, when one is jaundiced, sugar tastes bitter. So, let us remember to take our medicine regardless of our taste for it. In time, as we become purified, the sweetness will increase (so I'm told).

Fortunately bhakti-yoga is made like that that you can have some immediate experience.

 

 

 

 

 

[Murali_Mohan_das]

 

I'm sure it's not the same Swaupa Prabhu. The lady on the right is Nirguna D.D.

 

I *thought* she looked familiar too, but I'm so bad with names.

[Murali_Mohan_das]

Ha ha ha ha!!!! So true.

 

My taste for maha bharfi came *immediately*.

 

 

 

Fortunately bhakti-yoga is made like that that you can have some immediate experience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Beggar]

Or you can develop a taste for Maha Barky:

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[Beggar]

 

Ha ha ha ha!!!! So true.

 

My taste for maha bharfi came *immediately*.

 

Don't make me bharf (is that Hindi) for barf?

I like burfi better and ladus even more!