2004 Jan 1 New Year class - Radhanath Swami, Sri Dham Mayapur

[Guest guest]

Today is the first day of 2004 according to the western calendar.

 

Krishna explains in Bhagavad-gita that He is time, ultimate proprietor of everything. Krishna is insurmountable destroyer of everything that exists. Powerful athletes and warriors become old, great scholars lose intelligence.

 

Everyone's life culminates in ashes or stool of insects. The difference between thousands years and a second is not much. One of the five principle topics of Bhagavad-gita is Time. Important to understand how Krishna manifests as Time.

 

Due to power of time, everything is temporary. Beyond the authority of time is spirit soul and beyond that is Super soul. Thus the most important thing is self realization. Our relationship with God is beyond all realization of time. Due to time there is always fear - fear of losing loved ones, injury, etc.

 

We are constantly humiliated by time. For eternal soul to have a temporary body is an embarrassing Situation. Srila Prabhupada said it is degrading for the soul to be attached to temporary body. For those who utilize time to hear and chant glories of Lord, they are closer to God.

 

When I was small my kindergarten teacher, Mrs Puzzle, would put a calendar in the classroom and show us the date and months. That year was 1956 and I didn't know or think at that time that I would be alive in 2004.

 

With every moment we have chance to come closer to Krishna. We should look back how did I utilize my time - how much did I waste in egoistic pursuits, shamelessly waste in sense gratification - when Krishna is waiting for us in his Holy Name. Devotees should do evaluation everyday what to speak of every year.

 

Procrastination is trick of Maya to keep us in material world. One of Maya'sgreatest weapon is procrastination. "Tomorrow I will become really serious". Even materialistic people say tomorrow never comes! Now is the time to try to sincerely try to utilize every moment for higher cause.

 

There was one person Kailash who was a good disciple of Narada Muni. Narada Muni told him to surrender to Krishna since he was getting older. However, Kailash said "Let my children grow up, then I shall surrender". After the children grew up Narada Muni came to him and asked him to surrender but Kailash said "Let them get married". After they got married Narada Muni came again and Kailash said "Let them get situated in business and then I shall come". Thereafter when Narada Muni came to remind him to surrender he said "The children have children and they don't know how to take care of them so I will have to take care of the grandchildren". Thereafter he said "I have to take care of great grandchildren since the grandchildren don't know how to take care of them". Then Kailash died. Narada Muni came to his house and heard a sound "Wow Wow" and Narada Muni realized he had become and dog and asked him to surrender but the dog said "I cannot come now since the children are not taking care of the house properly". Soon the dog died. Narada Muni came to the house again and he heard the sound 'Hiiisssss'. He saw that the dog has become a snake. Narada Muni thereafter went into the house and told the grandchildren that there is a poisonous snake outside their house and soon the grandchildren came out and killed the snake.

 

This is the case of people's lives - devotee's lives. Prahlad said 'Now is the time to surrender". The more we delay the more we become conditioned and entangled in material attachment. Then it is difficult to disentangle and get detached. We create our own bondage. We should take seriously the great gift Lord Caitanya has given us.

 

Srila Prabhupada told Bhakti Charu Swami "Don't get entangled in materialistic life. Just give this one life to Krishna". All Maya's promises have proven false.

 

Life is a collection of moments. Give each moment to Krishna. Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda descended here in Navadwipa dham to give us opportunity to perfect our life in this one lifetime. Srila Prabhupada said the same thing. Follow my Teachings and you will go Back to godhead in this one lifetime. If we give this one life, Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda prabhu will take us back to Godhead. What better place - Caitanya Mahaprabhu's dham and Prabhupada's place of worship to utilize every moment to please Krishna. To preach this message Lord Caitanya left Navadwipa and took sannyas.

 

Maharaj then told the story of Lord Caitanya taking sannyas. (How he left his beautiful wife, loving mother, devotees in Navadwipe in middle of night,swam across the Ganges and ran to Katwa to the ashram to Keshav Bharati to take sannyas. How everyone's hearts broke when they saw Lord Caitanya's beautiful hair being shaven).

 

In this story we understand the extend of Lord's compassion for all of us. A brahmana who was not allowed in Srivas Angam kirtan cursed Lord Caitanya that since you didn't allow me in your house, you will have to leave your house and shall never be able to enjoy again.

 

The last instructions Lord Caitanya gave before he left to take sannyas was if you want to show your love for me - you will chant in all circumstances. Always remember Krishna, never forget Krishna.

 

What is most important to us is how Srila Prabhupada explained Caitanya Mahaprabhu's sannyas to us. It was an expression of love and compassion for people who hated his because the Lord sees every living being as his child.

 

Lord sees the essence in everyone's heart - thus he was ready to give us his wife and loving mother. It is ultimate renunciation to show compassion. The mission of Lord Caitanya is about compassion, forgiveness and love for even

those who hate you. He accepted sannyas to reach to those people who are most antagonists towards him.

 

That is the reason Srila Prabhupada took sannyas. Prabhupada was thinking 'How horrible - to give up everything, your family, children'. He was willing to do it for the same reason - to show compassion.

 

Preaching doesn't mean defeating people - preaching means showing compassion of Lord Caitanya. If we take any credit we cannot be compassionate. To be compassionate means to have no ego. Mercy of the previous acharya can flow through our life - that is compassion. To access mercy and share it with others. How to access the mercy - to be servant of the servant of the servant of Vaishanav and not want any trapping of Maya.

 

Just wanting to serve. Take advantage of the mercy descended upon us.

 

Let us take shelter of Holy Name by chanting regularly attentively. Through this process we can become clean. Srila Prabhupada personified what is the essence of being sannyasi. The purpose of ISKCON is to follow the line of Lord Caitanya and Srila Prabhupada. Real sannyas is about spirit. Sannyas is sacrificing life for others. Renounce I and Mine - flow of compassion can come through our life.

 

Today is 1st January 2004, we are one year closer to death. Contemplate on the principle about Lord Caitanya taking sannyas. Capture the spirit about taking sannyas. Srila Prabhupada summed up high spiritual topic by - just preach Krishna Consciousness to others.

 

On this holy night, in this holy place, let us pray that we can resolve our life in such a way as to not be disturbed by internal trappings of Maya and be the servant of the servant of the servant of those compassionate souls who are giving love of Godhead to the world.