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His Divine Grace

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Prabhupada

Founder-Acarya of the

Hare Krishna Movement

 

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“The brahmana Kurma begged Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, “My dear Lord, kindly

show me favor and let me go with You. I can no longer tolerate the waves of

misery caused by materialistic life.” It appears that he was materially very

happy. Now, being glorious, he wanted to leave all these material opulences. He

wanted to travel with Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. According to the Vedic way of

civilization, one should leave his His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Prabhupada (03-14-06)

 

It is not advisable in this Age of Kali to leave one’s family suddenly, for

people are not trained as proper brahmacaris and grhasthas. Therefore Sri

Caitanya Mahaprabhu advised the brahmana not to be too eager to give up family

life. It would be better to remain with his family and try to become purified by

chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra regularly under the direction of a spiritual

master. This is the instruction of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. If this principle is

followed by everyone, there is no need to accept sannyasa.

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said: “Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord

Sri Krsna as they are given in the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. In this

way become a spiritual master and try to liberate everyone in this land.”

This is the sublime mission of the International Society for Krishna

Consciousness. Many people come and inquire whether they have to give up family

life to join the Society, but that is not our mission. One can remain

comfortably in his residence. We simply request everyone to chant the

maha-mantra: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare

Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. If one is a little literate and can read

Bhagavad-gita As It Is and Srimad-Bhagavatam, that is so much the better. These

works are now available in an English translation and are done very

authoritatively to appeal to all classes of men. Instead of living engrossed in

material activities, people throughout the world should take advantage of this

movement and chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra at home with their families.

One should also refrain from sinful activities—illicit sex, meat-eating,

gambling and intoxication. Out of these four items, illicit sex is very sinful.

Every person must get married. Every woman especially must get married. If the

women outnumber the men, some men can accept more than one wife. In that way

there will be no prostitution in society. If men can marry more than one wife,

illicit sex life will be stopped. One can also produce many nice preparations to

offer Krsna—grain, fruit, flowers and milk. Why should one indulge in

unnecessary meat-eating and maintain horrible slaughterhouses? What is the use

of smoking and drinking tea and coffee? People are already intoxicated by

material enjoyment, and if they indulge in further intoxication, what chance is

there for self-realization? Similarly, one should not partake in gambling and

unnecessarily agitate the mind. The real purpose of human life is to attain the

spiritual platform and return to Godhead. That is the

summum bonum of spiritual realization.

The Krsna consciousness movement is trying to elevate human society to the

perfection of life by pursuing the method described by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu

in His advice to the brahmana Kurma. That is, one should stay at home, chant the

Hare Krsna mantra and preach the instructions of Krsna as they are given in the

Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam.

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu further advised the brahmana Kurma, “If you follow this

instruction, your materialistic life at home will not obstruct your spiritual

advancement. Indeed, if you follow these regulative principles, we will again

meet here, or, rather, you will never lose My company.”

This is an opportunity for everyone. If one simply follows the instructions of

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, under the guidance of His representative, and chants

the Hare Krsna mantra, teaching everyone as far as possible the same principle,

the contamination of the materialistic way of life will not even touch him. It

does not matter whether one lives in a holy place like Vrndavana, Navadvipa or

Jagannätha Puri or in the midst of European cities, where the materialistic way

of life is very prominent. If a devotee follows the instructions of Sri Caitanya

Mahaprabhu, he lives in the company of the Lord. Wherever he lives, he converts

that place into Vrndavana and Navadvipa. This means that materialism cannot

touch him. This is the secret of success for one advancing in Krsna

consciousness.

At whosever house Sri Caitanya accepted His alms by taking prasadam, He would

convert the dwellers to His sankirtana movement and advise them just as He

advised the brahmaaa named Kurma.

The cult of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is explained here very nicely. One who

surrenders to Him and is ready to follow Him with heart and soul does not need

to change his location. Nor is it necessary for one to change his status. One

may remain a householder, a medical practitioner, an engineer or whatever. It

doesn’t matter. One only has to follow the instruction of Sri Caitanya

Mahaprabhu, chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra and instruct relatives and friends

in the teachings of the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. One has to learn

humility and meekness at home, following the instructions of Sri Caitanya

Mahaprabhu, and in that way one’s life will be spiritually successful.

One should not try to be an artificially advanced devotee, thinking, “I am a

first-class devotee.” Such thinking should be avoided. It is best not to accept

any disciples. One has to become purified at home by chanting the Hare Krsna

maha-mantra and preaching the principles enunciated by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Thus one can become a spiritual master and be freed from the contamination of

material life.

There are many sahajiyas who decry the activities of the six Gosvamis—Srila

Rupa, Sanatana, Raghunatha dasa, Bhatta Raghunatha, Jiva and Gopala Bhatta

Gosvamis—who are the personal associates of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and who

enlightened society by writing books on devotional service. Similarly, Narottama

dasa Thakura and other great acaryas like Madhvacarya, Ramanujacarya and others

accepted many thousands of disciples to induce them to render devotional

service. However, there is a class of sahajiyas who think that these activities

are opposed to the principles of devotional service. Indeed, they consider such

activities simply another phase of materialism. Thus opposing the principles of

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, they commit offenses at His lotus feet. They should

better consider His instructions and, instead of seeking to be considered humble

and meek, should refrain from criticizing the followers of Sri Caitanya

Mahaprabhu who engage in preaching. To protect His

preachers, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has given much clear advice in these verses

of Sri Caitanya-caritamata.

While on His tour, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu would spend the night at a temple or

on the roadside. Whenever He accepted food from a person, He would give him the

same advice He gave the brahmana named Kurma. He adopted this process until He

returned to Jagannatha Puri from His South Indian tour.

From Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya 7.126-132

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