Feeling Lowly In The Sight Of The Lord

Gauracandra · October 15, 2002

This week’s Srila Siddhasvarupananda television program deals with how we should approach God.

For many years I’ve been receiving letters from a person in Australia asking to become my disciple. I have never accepted him as a disciple despite him constantly asking me. The reason being because he is always telling me how qualified he is to be my disciple. That is how he originally would present his stance. Lately he has changed to saying “I don’t know why you won’t accept me since my desire is pure. I have no impurity in my motive. I’m not proud in any way etc…” Disciple means discipline. A bonafide spiritual master is not interested in those who seek to promote themselves.

Anyways, in this connection there is a story of two people going to pray to God. Jesus tells of this story in the Bible. There were two men – a Pharisee and a tax collector. The Pharisee prayed within himself “God I thank thee that I am not like other men. I fast twice per week. I give tithes. I’m not like that lowly tax collector who simply takes money from others.” So he is saying he is not like others. He is holy, spiritual. After all he fasts twice per week. You know the type. Not like us though [laughter]. So this guy is puffed up. The tax collector on the other hand would not even raise his eyes to Heaven when he prayed “God be merciful to me, I am a sinner.” He would stand back away from the temple feeling very low. He feels unclean to even be there. So Jesus says concerning these two people “I tell you this man went and became purified. Those who exalt themselves will be humbled. And those who are humble will be exalted.” So this tax collector was actually linked up with God and was purified. Such a person is in good standing with God.

Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared in India around 500 years ago. He is the Supreme Lord Himself playing the role of a devotee. He prays: "One can chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking himself lower than the straw in the street. One should be more tolerant than the tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige and ready to offer all respects to others. In such a state of mind one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly." (Siksastaka 3)

In such a state of mind one can chant the Holy Name of the Lord constantly. One should be so humble as to feel lower than the straw in the street. You can imagine how 500 years ago what straw was lying in the street. There is dirt, animal stool, people walking on it. One should feel lower than this straw in the street.

One of the Goswamis prayed “My dear Lord, I am more vile than the maggot in stool.” I know, and you know, that this teaching goes completely against what we are taught in modern society whether from psychologists or New Age gurus. Thus we hesitate to say this less we be thought of as backward, low on the level of spiritual realization.

These days we don’t talk of sin anymore. Previously if a person engaged in a bad act it was called sin. Now people are encouraged to give up their “hang ups” and engage in sin.

Modern society does not accept the word sin. It considers it a weird word. There is no acceptance that we are, or could be, or shouldn’t be sinful. So when they hear this teaching from the real saints, they really cringe with the feeling of uneasiness. There is one pseudo-guru, pop-psychologist called “Dr. Hugs”. He is a positive thinking proponent. His teaching is that every day you should look yourself in the mirror and say “Mirror, mirror on the wall who’s the greatest person in the world… You are, you are.”

So as you can see what we are teaching is not commercial. It would be commercial if we told you “Just love yourself and love your neighbor.” So now everyone goes to Dr. Smiles with his Crystal Cathedral saying to love yourself. Love yourself, you are the center not God. In fact you are God. This is the whole point – to convince yourself that you are God, the center of the world.

The fact is that you, a spark of God, is covered by ignorance. People engage in all kinds of sinful activities. This attempt to run away from this fact of pollution is based on the pessimistic notion that we can’t be purified. A person covered by karmic reaction must understand that he is full of sin – that’s why he is in this position.

In the past we’ve done so many weird things. The closer a person gets to God, who is all pure and all purifying, the purer his heart becomes. And with his increased vision, even a little speck seems so big. This is why those who are closest to God feel so sinful. This is not a technique or a method. It is a true feeling. The closer one gets to the all beautiful Supreme Lord the more lowly one feels. He sees how God loves all unconditionally. He sees God face to face and realizes “I’m not worthy of this.” This is a natural effect as a person gets closer to God. God will chase him to embrace him, and he will run away. This is spiritual life. Not this nonsense that “I am qualified to know you God.” This is not attractive to the Lord.

So hearing and chanting God’s names cleanses a person’s mind and heart so that a person actually experiences this humble position. This will give one real strength. Caitanya says that a person in such a position can chant the names of the Lord constantly.

theist · October 15, 2002

Thank you Gauracandra ji.

Gauracandra · October 16, 2002

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Gauracandra · November 8, 2003

This week's episode is a repeat of this program.

bhakti_lata · November 8, 2003

Gaurachandra Prabhu, Hare Krishna! All Glories to you for presenting a very true analysis of our conditioning.

My spiritual master (All Glories to Shri SadGuru!!!!) always reminds us that the rules forspiritual advancement are just the opposite of the rules for material advancement.

In order to be spiritually advanced one must be eager to be serve and be a servant (not of a karmii but of The Lord or even better of the servant of the servant of the servant of The Lord). Whereas for material advancement people as you rightly said are ever eager to make oneself the centre of the Universe.

Govinda!!! Hari!!! Hari!!!

bhakti~lata