krsna Posted May 23, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2005 Sri Guru - Heavier Than God 1 Hilo, Hawaii: January 11, 2003 1 Tridandisvami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja 1 I offer millions of obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master, nitya-lila pravista om visnupada Sri Srimad Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja, and same to my siksa-guru, nitya-lila pravista om visnupada Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja. Very quickly, in a couple of years, Srila Prabhupada Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja preached throughout the world – in the mountains, on ocean Islands, in the North, East, South and West. I see his glories everywhere. Although Srila Swami Maharaja actually came to this world as a representative of our guru-parampara, some people want him to be the only guru. They want that there be only one guru – for the past, present and future. They want to deny our guru-parampara. This is very bad; we should not try to do this. Rather, we should know what is guru-tattva. Guru means "heavy," more so than anyone else in this world – even more so than Krsna Himself. Sometimes Krsna may come to that guru and take his foot dust; it may be so. It is written in Sri Gita-Govinda by Srila Jayadeva Gosvami that Krsna said to Srimati Radhika, "Dehi .-pallavam udharam – Please be merciful and place Your lotus feet on My head. Be pleased with Me." Krsna sometimes also says this to the gopis who serve Srimati Radhika more so than they serve Him. He may pray to them, "Please place your footdust on My head," This is guru-tattva. In other words, all the pure gurus in the disciplic line of Srila Rupa Gosvami, in their spiritually perfected forms, are gopi maidservants of Srimati Radhika. The subject of guru-tattva is the essence of all of our bhakti literature. This subject is very heavy, and therefore you should hear it with the core of your hearts. We can only worship Krsna after we have worshipped guru. All of us in this world have turned away from Krsna. Whether you accept it or not, it is true. Although we are greatly suffering, we do not realize it. Why not? We have drunk such a large quantity of the alcohol of maya that we have become completely mad; and in this madness we think ourselves very happy. You should know that one day you will have to give up your bodies and all that you have collected in this world. One day you will surely have to be old. Old age is very eagerly waiting to embrace you, and none of you will be able to escape it. A devotee of the caliber of Sri Narada Muni can escape this maya and its presentation of old age, but you are not like Narada Muni. You will have to suffer if you are not careful. It is stated in the Vedas: yasya deve para bhaktir yatha deve tatha gurau tasyaite kathita hy arthah prakasante mahatmanah (Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.23) ["Only unto those great souls who have implicit faith in both the Lord and the spiritual master are all the imports of Vedic knowledge automatically revealed."] The instruction has been given since ancient times: "Be careful." Yasya deve para bhakti. Those who are suffering and who want to be happy in this world and in the next, especially those living in the present age of quarrel and hypocrisy called kali-yuga, should serve Krsna, the Supreme Lord. And, not less than Him, such persons must serve the bona fide gurudeva. Here in this verse the word para-bhakti has been used, and we should therefore know the meaning of bhakti: anyabhilasita sunyam jnana-karmady anavrtam anukulyena krsnanu silanam bhaktir uttama (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.1.11) ["The cultivation of activities which are meant exclusively for the pleasure of Sri Krsna, or in other words the uninterrupted flow of service to Sri Krsna, performed through all endeavors of the body, mind and speech, and through the expression of various spiritual sentiments (bhavas), which is not covered by jnana and karma, and which is devoid of all desires other than the aspiration to bring happiness to Sri Krsna is called uttama-bhakti, pure devotional service."] Para-bhakti is the continuous, uninterrupted flow of the activities performed by our body, mind, words and moods (bhavas), which are executed only for the benefit of Krsna. Such activities are not disturbed or covered by jnana (mental speculation or knowledge leading to impersonal liberation) and karma (the desire to enjoy the fruits of one's activities), and it is performed under the guidance of guru-tattva. If there is a lack of the above symptoms in a devotee's activities but bhakti is there to a small degree, we can still call it bhakti – but not para-bhakti. The Vedas tell us that para-bhakti is certainly to be applied to Krsna, but first it must be applied to guru. If one has no guru, all his devotional activities will be like zero; only worldly fruits will come. If one thinks, "I am already chanting, remembering, and performing arcana (regulative worship of the deity)", but he is not truly initiated by a bona fide guru, the fruit of his activities will only be worldly. Intoxicated by sense enjoyment such a person may think himself happy, but he will not actually be happy. It is therefore stated in sastra: brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva guru-krsna-prasade paya bhakti-lata-bija (Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya 19.151) ["According to their karma, all living entities are wandering throughout the entire universe. Some of them are being elevated to the upper planetary systems, and some are going down into the lower planetary systems. Out of many millions of wandering living entities, one who is very fortunate gets an opportunity to associate with a bona fide spiritual master by the grace of Krsna. By the mercy of both Krsna and the spiritual master, such a person receives the seed of the creeper of devotional service."] What is the meaning of guru-krsna-prasade? It generally means that one can attain the bhakti-lata-bija – the seed of para-bhakti – by the combined mercy of guru and Krsna. In this connection, however, there is another meaning. Here the meaning is that the bona fide guru is a manifestation of Krsna Himself. Krsna does not come to us, but the guru may come, as Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja came and traveled everywhere. You should realize that the mercy of Krsna first manifests as the mercy of guru. From the bona fide guru, who is Krsna Himself as His manifestation (asraya-vigraha), we can have the seed of bhakti, the bhakti-lata. What is the bhakti-lata? It is krsna-seva-vasana, the desire to serve Krsna. This desire will come only from gurudeva, the bona fide Vaisnava, and it does not matter whether a guru is acting as a siksa-guru or a diksa-guru. He may act as a siksa-guru in the case where a disciple is initiated by a bona fide guru but he cannot avail his siksa. The seed of the bhakti creeper comes from this high class of gurudeva, and that is why sastra states: yasya deve para bhaktir yatha deve tatha gurau tasyaite kathita hy arthah prakasante mahatmanah One can know who is Krsna only from gurudeva, and if a guru is not bona fide, Krsna cannot be known. Among the sixty-four limbs of bhakti described in Sri Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, the first four are in relation to sri gurudeva. The first is guru-padasraya. Padasraya means taking shelter of gurudeva's lotus feet, and that shelter is taken through hearing. That is harinama initiation in the real sense. Those who take shelter of such a guru can progress quickly in bhakti. After guru-padasraya, there is diksa and siksa. Diksa means initiation and siksa means instruction. The disciple will begin to understand his gurudeva's instructions, and then he will try to follow them. So we should take initiation from that guru. But be very careful. If a guru is bona fide and you have some doubt in his character or teachings, Krsna will never accept you. yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado yasyaprasadan na gath kuto 'pi dhyayam stuvams tasya yasas tri-sandhyam vande guroh sri caranaravindam (Sri Gurvastakam verse 8) ["Only by the mercy of sri gurudeva can one receive the mercy of Krsna; without his grace the living entities cannot make any advancement nor be delivered. I meditate three times a day on the glories of sri gurudeva and recite stava-stuti (prayers) unto his lotus feet." ajnas casraddadhanas ca samsayatma vinasyati nayam loko 'sti na paro na sukham samsayatmanah (Bhagavatd-Gita 4.40) ["Ignorant and faithless persons who doubt the revealed scriptures do not attain God consciousness; they fall down. For the doubting soul there is happiness neither in this world nor in the next."] Suppose a guru is bona fide and he is preaching and serving his gurudeva. If anyone doubts him and thinks, "My gurudeva is an ordinary man and he does not know this and that" or "I know better than him", even in ordinary matters, that person falls down from Krsna consciousness and no one will be able to save him. We should be very careful not to associate with such persons. Also, do not associate with anyone who associates with that type of wretched person. Try to behave as you would behave regarding the passing of stool. If we can pass stool easily, we are very happy. We feel great relief if there is a motion. If the stool remains inside the body, we will be restless. We will not be able to do bhakti or anything else. Similarly, you will surely have to give up bad association for your entire life. If you want bhakti, if you want to become Krsna conscious, then do not mix with those persons who doubt a bona fide guru who is serving his gurudeva and preaching throughout the world. Srila AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja had many thousands of disciples, but so many of them have completely given up their Krsna consciousness due to their doubts. You may have heard the names of Dronacarya and Ekalavya. They were both present in this world 5,000 years ago, at the time of Krsna's pastimes here. Ekalavya went to Dronacarya and told him, "I accept you as my guru." Dronacarya replied, "I knew you would be coming to me even before you came. I know your heart and pulse; you are very much against pure bhaktas and therefore I will not teach you the art of archery." Ekalavya then said, "I have accepted you as my guru, so I must learn something about archery from you. Dronacarya again refused and said, "I cannot give lessons to you because if you learn archery you will become a burden to the entire world." Still determined, Ekalavya went to the forest and made a clay statue of Dronacarya. He offered pranama to that statue and, repeatedly taking the foot dust of that statue he began to practice archery with great faith. Practicing archery while regularly performing arcana and offering flowers to Dronacarya, Ekalavya became a master of archery. Then, one day, Dronacarya went to the forest and saw Ekalavya, and he became astonished to see how he had learned such a high class of archery. When Ekalavya saw Dronacarya he fell at his lotus feet and told him, "What I have learned, I have learned from you." Dronacarya then told Ekalavya, "If you have really learned archery from me, then I want some guru-daksina. Ekalavya said, "Whatever you wish, I am prepared to give. I am also prepared to give me life if you want that." Dronacarya replied, "I want your right hand thumb." You would not be able to do this if you were asked to do so by your gurudeva, but Ekalavya did it immediately. Ekalavya was still able to shoot with his remaining four fingers, but what was the result? During the Mahabharata battle he wanted to fight with Krsna and kill Him. Therefore, Krsna took His sudarsana cakra and very easily cut off his head. In this connection, the sraddha of Ekalavya is compared to a clay pot. If one places a clay pot in fire, it will crack. The sraddha of Ekalavya was like that clay. He was selfish and wanted to ruin the devotees, and because of this ulterior motive, his sraddha in making and worshipping a statue of Dronacarya was really not sraddha at all. Our sraddha should not be like that of Ekalavya; it should be like that of Arjuna. Always remember this and do not associate with Ekalavya. Some ignorant devotees, who are not actually devotees, have named their sons or disciples "Ekalavya." We should always be careful not to have the misconception that he was a good disciple. Someone may ask, "If a guru is not an uttama-adhikari, how can he help his disciples? He may speak and behave incorrectly." The reply to such a doubt is that if a guru is in the final stage of madhyama-adhikari, if he is madhyama-uttama, if he is very sincere and continually serving his uttama-adhikari gurudeva, and if he has no worldly desires, he will very soon become an uttama-adhikari. Mahaprabhu confirmed this truth at the Ratha-yatra festival while speaking to the inhabitants of Kulina-gram. Do not doubt this. Krsna has said in the Bhagavad-gita (9.23): ye 'py anya-devata-bhakta yajante sraddhayanvitah te 'pi mam eva kaunteya yajanty avidhi-purvakam ["Those who are devotees of other gods and who worship them with faith actually worship only Me, O son of Kunti, but they do so in a wrong way."] Krsna told Arjuna that if a person worships a demigod with strong faith in order to fulfill his worldly desires, thinking, "Surely he will fulfill my desire," That person is actually worshiping Krsna Himself, but in the wrong way. Someone may directly touch his nose and someone else may touch it by making his hand and finger go all the way around his head before it reaches his nose. Similarly, that person's desires can be fulfilled by Krsna alone, whether they are fulfilled by directly asking Him or by getting them fulfilled in a roundabout way by going to the demigods. The devatas are not powerful; they are unable to give any benediction. It is actually Krsna who gives their benedictions. In a similar way, a guru may be a madhyama-adhikari in the final stage; he may not yet be siddha (a perfect, self-realized soul) like Sri Narada Muni, Sri Sukadeva Gosvami, and others. In that case, if he is a sincere devotee, and if a disciple follows him with deep faith, who will give the fruit of the disciple's worship? A madhyama-adhikari cannot give it. If one is an uttama-adhikari like Narada Rsi or Sri Sukadeva Gosvami or Srila Rupa Gosvami, he can give it at once, but a madhyama-adhikari cannot. The madhyama-adhikari guru will tell hari-katha and engage his disciples in such a way that they will advance in bhakti. What will be the result? If one has very deep faith in that guru, Krsna Himself will surely give the fruit, and that fruit will be the transcendental. Krsna will give that disciple the fruit of the association and shelter of and uttama-adhikari guru. To a devotee initiated by a madhyama-adhikari guru and who really desires to attain the highest goal, Krsna gives the association and mercy of an uttama guru who can bless the disciple with that goal. Try to understand this. It is not very easy to understand, but try. Do not have any doubt about this. Uttama-adhikari gurus are not easily available. They are very rare in this world. Moreover, even if they are available, most people will not be able to recognize them. For example, Sri Sukadeva Gosvami was naked, and Sri Vamsidasa babaji put fish bones and other abominable things outside his bhajana-sthali. You would not be able to know that Srila Gaura Kisora dasa babaji Maharaja is an uttama maha-bhagavata. If a madhyama-uttama guru who is under the guidance of an uttama-adhikari guru will tell you, or an uttama-adhikari playing the role of a devotee in the stage of madhyama-adhikari will tell you, then you will be able to know. We should be very, very careful about this. Do not have any doubt to that kind of guru. If one is madhyama-uttama, he can help so much by his direction. The advanced madhyama-adhikari will very soon come to the stage of rati (bhava), like Bharata Maharaja and Ambarisa Maharaja. If a person has doubts in him, do not associate with that person. His association should be given up as one gives up stool after passing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krsna Posted May 24, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 24, 2005 Srila Narottama dasa Thakura's Sri Prema-bhakti-candrika (The Moonlight of Loving Devotion) Introduction 1 om ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjana-salakaya caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri-gurava namah I was born in the darkest of ignorance, and my spiritual master opened my eyes with the torch of knowledge. I offer my respectful obeisances unto him.* 2 sri-caitanya-mano bhistam sthapitam yena bhutale svayam rupah kada mahyam dadati sva-padantikam When will Srila Rupa Gosvami Prabhupada, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfil the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet.* 3 akhila-rasamrta-murtih prasrmara-ruci-ruddha-taraka-palih kalita-syama-lalito radha-preyan vidhur jayati Let Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, be glorified! By virtue of His expanding attractive features, He subjugated the gopis named Taraka and Pali and absorbed Syama and Lalita. He is the most attractive lover of Srimati Radharani and is the reservoir of pleasure for all devotional mellows.* Song 1 sri-guru-carana-padma, kebala-bhakati-sadma bando mui sabadhana mate jahara prasade bhai, ei bhava toriy a jai krsna-prapti hoy jaha hate To the lotus feet of my spiritual master, which are the abode of pure devotional service, I who am very fallen bow down with great care and attention in my heart. O brother, crossing the realm of repeated birth and death by his mercy, we will attain Krsna. 2 guru-mukha-padma-bakya, cittete koriba aikya, ar na koriho mane asa sri-guru-carane rati, ei sei uttam-gati je prasade pure sarba asa I will make the words from my spiritual master's lotus mouth one with my heart. I do not want the desire for any other thing to stay in my heart. Love for the spiritual master's lotus feet is the highest goal. By his mercy all desires are fulfilled. 3 cakhu-dan dilo jei, janme janme prabhu sei dibya-jnan hrde prokasito prema-bhakti jaha hoite, abidya binasa jate bede gay jahara carito He who gave me eyes to see is my lord, birth after birth. He made divine knowledge shine in my heart. From him has come prema-bhakti, which destroys ignorance. The Vedic scriptures sing of his character. 4 sri-guru karuna-sindhu, adhama janara bandhu lokanath lokera jibana ha ha prabhu koro doya, deho mora .-chaya ebe jasa ghusuk tribhuvana O spiritual master, O ocean of mercy, O friend of the fallen, O Lokanatha, O life of the world, O master, be merciful to me. Give me the shade of your feet. May your glories be proclaimed in the three worlds. 5 baisnaba-carana-renu bhusana kariya tanu jaha haite anubhaba haya marjana haya bhajana sadhu-sange anuksana ajnana-abidya-parajaya By making the dust of the Vaisnavas' feet the ornament of my body, ecstatic love comes. Washing the Vaisnavas' lotus feet is my method of worship. By always associating with the Vaisnavas, I shall overcome the darkness of ignorance. 6 jaya sanatana rupa prema-bhakti-rasa-kupa jugala-ujjwala-rasa-tanu janhara prasade loka pasarila saba soka parakatala kalpa-taru janu O Srila Sanatana Gosvami and Srila Rupa Gosvami, who are two deep wells of the nectar of pure love, two personifications of the splendid nectar of the Divine Couple, and two desire trees by whose mercy the entire world is free from suffering, all glories to you! 7 prema-bhakti-riti jata nija-granthe su-byakata kariyachena dui mahasaya jahara srabana haite parananda haya cite jugala-madhura-rasasraya In your books you two great souls clearly described prema-bhakti. You are reservoirs of the sweet nectar of the Divine Couple. Hearing about you brings bliss to the heart. 8 jugala-kisora-prema jini' laksa bana hema hena dhana prakasila janra jaya rupa sanatana deha' more sei dhana sei ratana mora gela hara You are fabulously wealthy, possessing ecstatic love for the youthful Divine Couple, a love more precious than gold purified in ten thousand flames. O Rupa and Sanatana Gosvami, all glories to you! I beg you, please give me in charity some of these jewel necklaces. 9 bhagabata-sastra-marma naba-bidha bhakti-dharma sadai kariba su-sebana anya-devasraya nai tomare kahinu bhai ei bhakti parama-bhajana I shall eternally engage in the nine-fold process of devotional service, which is the essential message of Srimad-Bhagavatam, and I shall not worship the demigods. O brother, I say to you: Devotional service is the most exalted kind of worship. 10 sadhu-sastra-guru-bakya cittete kariya aikya satata bhasiba prema-majhe karmi jnani bhakti-hina ihare karibe bhina narottama ei tattwa gaje Making the words of the guru, sadhus and sastras one with my heart, I constantly float and swim in the ocean of pure love. I am different from the karmis and jnanis, who have no devotion for Krsna. Narottama speaks the truth. Song 2 Invocation srimad-rupa-gosvami-prabhupadenoktam anyabhilasita-sunyam jnana-karmady-anavrtam anukuleyna krsnanu- silanam bhaktir uttama Srila Rupa Gosvami Prabhupada has said (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.1.11) "Uttama bhakti, or unalloyed devotion unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna, involves the rendering of devotional service in a way that is favourable to the Lord. This devotional service should be free from any extraneous motive and devoid of fruitive karma, impersonal jnana and all other selfish desires."* 1 anya-abhilasa chadi jnana karma parihari kaya mane kariba bhajana sadhu-sange krsna-seba na pujiba devi-deva ei bhakti parama-karana Rejecting all other desires, and abandoning philosophical speculation and fruitive work, in the company of the devotees I will worship and serve Lord Krsna with my body and mind. I will not worship the demigods and demigoddesses. Devotional service is the reason for my life. 2 maha janera jei patha tate habe anurata purbapara kariya bicara sadhana-smarana-lila ihate na kara hela kaya mane kariya susara Devotedly follow the path of the great devotees in the past. Properly using your body and mind, don't neglect either the regulative devotional practices or the remembrance of the Lord's pastimes. 3 asat-sanga sada tyaga chada anya gita-raga karmi jnani parihari dure kebala bhakata-sanga prema-katha-rasa-ranga lila-katha braja-rasa-pure Always reject the company of the impious. Give up attraction to non-devotional songs. Leave the karmis and jnanis far away. Only associate with the devotees. Take pleasure in hearing the nectar descriptions of pure love for Krsna. Become flooded by the nectar of the narrations of the Lord's pastimes in Vraja. 4 jogi nyasi karmi jnani anya-debata-pu jaka dhyani iha-loke dure parihari karma dharma duhkha soka jeba thake anya joga chadi bhaja giribara-dhari Putting the yogis, svamis, karmis, jnanis, demigod-worshippers, and meditators far away, and rejecting the torments that are fruitive work, ordinary religion, and the other yogas, worship Lord Giridhari. 5 tirtha-jatra parisrama kebala manera bhrama sarba-siddhi gobinda-carana drdha-biswasa hrde dhari mada-matsar ja parihari sada kara ananya bhajana The struggle to travel to various holy pilgrimage places is simply the mind's mistake, because to make spiritual advancement all one actually needs is the lotus feet of Lord Govinda. Abandoning pride and envy, and with firm faith in your heart, always worship Lord Govinda without deviation. 6 krsna-bhakta sanga kari krsna-bhakta anga heri sraddhanbita srabana-kirtana arcana bandana dhyana naba-bhakti maha-jnana ei bhakti parama-karana See the devotees of Lord Krsna, associate with the devotees of Lord Krsna. Faithfully engage in the nine-fold process of devotional service, which includes hearing about the Lord, chanting His glories, worshipping Him, offering obeisances to Him, and remembering Him. Following these activities enlightens the devotees with spiritual knowledge. 7 hrsike gobinda-seba na pujiba devi-deva ei ta ananya-bhakti-katha ara jata upalambha bisesa sakali dambha dekhite lagaye mane byatha I shall use these senses to serve Lord Govinda, and I shall decline to worship the various demigods and demigoddesses. I shall only speak about pure devotional service. The numberless different philosophies and conceptions of life are all products of the conditioned soul's pride. Trying to understand them brings no real benefit but only a pain within the mind. 8 dehe baise ripu-gana jateka indriya-gana keha kara badhya nahi haya sunile na suna kana janile na jane prana drdhaite na pare niscaya The insubordinate senses are like enemies that live within the body. Tell the ear to hear and it may rebel, refusing to hear. Tell the mind to understand a particular point, or become firm in a certain way, and it may very well disobey. 9 kama krodha moha lobha mada matsar ja dambha-saha sthane sthane ni jukta kariba ananda kari hrdaya ripu kari parajaya anayase gobinda bhajiba I shall fight with lust, anger, bewilderment, greed, madness, envy and pride. Defeating them, I will become blissful at heart, and I will easily become able to worship Lord Govinda. 10 kama krsna-karmarpane krodha bhakta-dwesis-jane lobha sadhu-sange hari-katha moha ista-lablha-bine mada krsna-guna-gane nijukta kariba jatha tatha Lust I will engage in offering the fruits of my work to Lord Krsna. Anger I will direct towards the enemies of the devotees. Greed I will engage by being greedy to hear the topics of Lord Hari in the association of the saintly devotees. Bewilderment will be manifested because I cannot immediately attain my worshipable Lord. Madness will be there when I madly glorify the transcendental attributes of Lord Krsna. In this way I will engage each of these in the service of Lord Krsna. 11 anyatha swatanta kama anrthadi jara dhama bhakti-patha sada deya bhanga kiba ba karite pare kama-krodha sadhakere jadi haya sadhu-janara sanga If lust is not controlled, then it becomes the breeding ground for a host of vices and checks one's advancement on the path of devotional service. However, if one stays in the association of the saintly devotees, then that association will carry him beyond the influence of lust, anger, and their friends. 12 krodha ba na kare kiba krodha-tyaga sada diba lobha moha ei ta kathana chaya ripu sada hina kariba manera adhina krsnacandra kariya smarana I shall not become angry. I shall renounce anger. I shall become free from my six enemies, such as greed and bewilderment. I shall control my mind, and always remember Lord Krsnacandra. 13 apani palabe saba suniya gobinda raba simha-raba jena kari-gana sakala vipatti jabe mahananda sukha pabe jara haya ekanta bhajana When lust and his friends hear the word "Govinda" they immediately begin to flee, as a herd of elephants flees when it hears a lion's roar. If one engages in single-pointed devotional service to Lord Krsna, then the worshipper attains transcendental bliss, and all kinds of calamities flee from him. 14 na kariba asat-cesta labha puja pratistha sada cinta gobinda-carana sakala santapa jabe parananda sukha pabe prema-bhakti parama-karana Don't sin. Take no interest in profit, adoration, and distinction. Instead meditate on the lotus feet of Lord Govinda. In this way all sufferings will go far away and transcendental bliss and pure love for Lord Krsna will spontaneously come. 15 asat-sanga kutinati chada anya paripati anya debe na hariha rati apana apana sthane piriti sabai tane bhakti-pathe padaye bigati Give up the association of the impious non-devotees. Give up the tendency to find fault in others. Don't follow any spiritual path other than devotional service. Don't worship the demigods. If one takes to the worship of the demigods, he becomes deviated from the path of devotional service. 16 apana bhajana-pantha taha habe anurata ista-deva-sthane-lila-gane naisthika bhajana ei tomare kahila bhai hanuman tahate pramana O brother, please become attached to your worshipable Lord alone. Serve Him without deviation and sing the glories of His pastimes. I will now quote the words of Hanuman, who demonstrates this exclusive devotion to one's worshipable Deity. Hanuman said: 17 srinathe janaki-nathe abhedah paramatmani tathapi mama sarvasvam ramah kamala-locanah Although He is not different from Lord Narayana, lotus-eyed Lord Rama alone is the be-all and end-all of my life. 18 devaloka pitrloka paya tara maha-sukha sadhu sadhu bale anuksana jugala bhajaye jara premanande bhase tara tandera nichani tri-bhubana If one attains the planets of the demigods or Pitas and enjoys celestial happiness there, then I congratulate him, saying: well done, well done. However, I myself would never strive to attain such a thing. For myself I am content simply to worship the Divine Couple and swim and float in the bliss of pure love for Them. This pure love is the most valuable object in the three worlds. 19 prthak ayasa-joge duhkamaya-bisaya-bhoge braje basa gobinda-sebana krsna-katha krsna-nama satya-satya rasa-dhama braja-jane-sange anuksana Although I have taken great trouble to try to enjoy the miserable sense-gratification available in this world, I shall now give it up. I shall now reside in Vraja, serve Lord Govinda, hear and chant the topics of Lord Krsna, chant the holy names of Lord Krsna, and at every moment relish the transcendental mellows of devotional service in the association of the residents of Vraja. 20 sada seba-abhilasa manete kari biswasa sada-kala haiya nirbhaya narottama dasa bole padinu asat-bhole paritrana kara mahasaya I shall always aspire to serve the Lord, and great faith in the Lord will become manifested in my mind. In this way I shall remain always fearless in all situations. Narottama dasa says: Somehow or other I have accepted the role of a non-devotee. O my master, O great soul, please deliver me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krsna Posted May 24, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 24, 2005 The advent of Thakur Bhaktivinode by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura The Harmonist, December 1931, vol. XXIX No.6 We avail of the opportunity offered by the Anniversary Celebrations of the advent of Thakur Bhaktivinode to reflect on the right method of obtaining those benefits that have been made accessible to humanity by the grace of this great devotee of Krishna. Thakur Bhaktivinode has been specifically kind to those unfortunate persons who are engrossed in mental speculation of all kinds. This is the prevalent malady of the present Age. The other Acaryas who appeared before Thakur Bhaktivinode did not address their discourses so directly to the empiric thinkers. They had been more merciful to those who are naturally disposed to listen to discourses on the Absolute without being dissuaded by the specious arguments of avowed opponents of Godhead. Srila Thakur Bhaktivinode has taken the trouble of meeting the perverse arguments of mental speculationists by the superior transcendental logic of the Absolute Truth. It is thus possible for the average modern readers to profit by the perusal of his writings. That day is not far distant when the priceless volumes penned by Thakur Bhaktivinode will be reverently translated, by the recipients of his grace, into all the languages of the world. The writings of Thakur Bhaktivinode provide the golden bridge by which the mental speculationist can safely cross the raging waters of fruitless empiric controversies that trouble the peace of those who choose to trust in their guidance for finding the Truth. As soon as the sympathetic reader is in a position to appreciate the sterling quality of Thakur Bhaktivinode's philosophy the entire vista of the revealed literatures of the world will automatically open out to his reclaimed vision. Serious Misunderstandings There have, however, already arisen serious misunderstandings regarding the proper interpretation of the life and teachings of Srila Thakur Bhaktivinode. Those who suppose they understand the meaning of his message without securing the guiding grace of the Acarya are disposed to unduly favour the methods of empiric study of his writings. There are persons who have got by heart almost everything that he wrote without being able to catch the least particle of his meaning. Such study cannot benefit those who are not prepared to act up to the instructions lucidly conveyed by his words. There is no honest chance of missing the warnings of Thakur Bhaktivinode. Those, therefore, who are misled by the perusal of his writings are led astray by their own obstinate perversity in sticking to the empiric course which they prefer to cherish against his explicit warnings. Let these unfortunate persons look more carefully into their own hearts for the cause of their misfortunes. Service of the pure Devotee is Essential for Understanding The personal service of the pure devotee is essential for understanding the spiritual meaning of the words of Thakur Bhaktivinode. The Editor of this Journal, originally started by Thakur Bhaktivinode, has been trying to draw the attention of all followers of Thakur Bhaktivinode to this all-important point of his teachings. It is not necessary to try to place ourselves on a footing of equality with Thakur Bhaktivinode. We are not likely to benefit by any mechanical imitation of any practices of Thakur Bhaktivinode on the opportunist principle that they may be convenient for us to adopt. The Guru is not an erring mortal whose activities can be understood by the fallible reason of unreclaimed humanity. There is an eternally impassable line of demarcation between the Saviour and the saved. Those who are really saved can alone know this.Thakur Bhaktivinode belongs to the category of the spiritual world-teachers who eternally occupy the superior position. The present Editor has all along felt it his paramount duty to try to clear up the meaning of the life and teachings of Thakur Bhaktivinode by the method of submissive listening to the Transcendental Sound from the lips of the pure devotee. The Guru who realises the transcendental meaning of all sounds, is in a position to serve the Absolute by the direction of the Absolute conveyed through every sound. The Transcendental Sound is Godhead, the mundane sound is non-Godhead. All sound has got these opposite aptitudes. All sound reveals its Divine face to the devotee and only presents its deluding aspect to the empiric pedant. The devotee talks apparently the same language as the deluded empiric pedant who had got by heart the vocabulary of the Scriptures. But notwithstanding apparent identity of performance, the one has no access to the reality while the other is absolutely free from all delusion. Mechanical Repetition Condemned Those who repeat the teachings of Thakur Bhaktivinode from memory do not necessarily understand the meaning of the words they mechanically repeat. Those who can pass an empiric examination regarding the contents of his writings are not necessarily also self-realised souls. They may not at all know the real meaning of the words they have learnt by the method of empiric study.Take for example the Name "Krishna". Every reader of Thakur Bhaktivinode's works must be aware that the Name manifests Himself on the lips of His serving devotees although He is inaccessible to our mundane senses. It is one thing to pass the examination by reproducing this true conclusion from the writings of Thakur Bhaktivinode and quite another matter to realise the Nature of the Holy Name of Krishna by the process conveyed by the words. Thakur Bhaktivinode did not want us to go to the clever mechanical reciter of the mundane sound for obtaining access to the Transcendental Name of Krishna. Such a person may be fully equipped with all the written arguments in explanation of the nature of the Divine Name. But if we listen to all these arguments from the dead source the words will only increase our delusion. The very same words coming from the lips of the devotee will have the diametrically opposite effect. Our empiric judgment can never grasp the difference between the two performances. The devotee is always right. The non-devotee in the shape of the empiric pedant is always and necessarily wrong. In the one case there is always present the Substantive Truth and nothing but the Substantive Truth. In the other case there is present the apparent or misleading hypothesis and nothing but un-truth. The wording may have the same external appearance in both cases. The identical verses of the Scriptures may be recited by the devotee and the non-devotee, may be apparently misquoted by the non-devotee but the corresponding values of the two processes remain always categorically different. The devotee is right even when he apparently misquotes, the non-devotee is wrong even when he quotes correctly the very words, chapter and verse of the Scriptures. It is not empiric wisdom that is the object of quest of the devotee. Those who read the scriptures for gathering empiric wisdom will be pursuing the wild goose chase. There are not a few dupes of their empiric Scriptural erudition. These dupes have their admiring under-dupes. But the mutual admiration society of dupes does not escape, by the mere weight of their number, the misfortunes due to the deliberate pursuit of the wrong course in accordance with the suggestions of our lower selves. What is Shastra? What are the Scriptures? They are nothing but the record by the pure devotees of the Divine Message appearing on the lips of the pure devotees. The Message conveyed by the devotees is the same in all ages. The words of the devotees are ever identical with the Scriptures. Any meaning of the Scriptures that belittles the function of the devotee who is the original communicant of the Divine Message contradicts its own claim to be heard. Those who think that the Sanskrit language in its lexicographical sense is the language of the Divinity are as deluded as those who hold that the Divine Message is communicable through any other spoken dialects. All languages simultaneously express and hide the Absolute. The mundane face of all languages hides the Truth. The Transcendental face of all sound expresses nothing but the Absolute. The pure devotee is the speaker of the Transcendental language. The Transcendental Sound makes His appearance on the lips of His pure devotee. This is the direct, unambiguous appearance of Divinity. On the lips of non-devotees the Absolute always appears in His deluding aspect. To the pure devotee the Absolute reveals Himself under all circumstances. To the conditioned soul, if he is disposed to listen in a truly submissive spirit, the language of the pure devotee can alone impart the knowledge of the Absolute. The conditioned soul mistakes the deluding for the real aspect when he chooses to lend his ear to the non-devotee. This is the reason why the conditioned soul is warned to avoid all association with non-devotees. To understand one must hear from a pure devotee Thakur Bhaktivinode is acknowledged by all his sincere followers as possessing the above powers of the pure devotee of Godhead. His words have to be received from the lips of a pure devotee. If his words are listened from the lips of a non-devotee they will certainly deceive. If his works are studied in the light of one's own worldly experience their meaning will refuse to disclose itself to such readers. His works belong to the class of the eternal revealed literature of the world and must be approached for their right understanding through their exposition by the pure devotee. If no help from the pure devotee is sought the works of Thakur Bhaktivinode will be grossly misunderstood by their readers. The attentive reader of those works will find that he is always directed to throw himself upon the mercy of the pure devotee if he is not to remain unwarrantably self-satisfied by the deluding results of his wrong method of study. The writings of Thakur Bhaktivinode are valuable because they demolish all empiric objections against accepting the only method of approaching the Absolute in the right way. They cannot and were never intended to give access to the Absolute without help from the pure devotee of Krishna. They direct the sincere enquirer of the Truth, as all the revealed scriptures do, to the pure devotee of Krishna to learn about Him by submitting to listen with an open mind to the Transcendental Sound appearing on His lips. Before we open any of the books penned by Thakur Bhaktivinode we should do well to reflect a little on the attitude, with which as the indispensable pre-requisite, to approach its study. It is by neglecting to remember this fundamental principle that the empiric pedants find themselves so hopelessly puzzled in their vain endeavour to reconcile the statements of the different texts of the Scriptures. The same difficulty is already in process of overtaking many of the so-called followers of Thakur Bhaktivinode and for the same reason. The person to whom the Acarya is pleased to transmit his power is alone in a position to convey the Divine Message. This constitutes the underlying principle of the line of succession of the spiritual teachers. The Acarya thus authorised has no other duty than that of delivering intact the message received from all his predecessors. There is no difference between the pronouncements of one Acarya and another. All of them are perfect mediums for the appearance of the Divinity in the Form of the Transcendental Name Who is identical with His Form, Quality, Activity and Paraphernalia. The Absolute appears on the lips of a pure sadhu The Divinity is Absolute Knowledge. Absolute Knowledge has the character of indivisible Unity. One particle of the Absolute Knowledge is capable of revealing all the potency of the Divinity. Those who want to understand the contents of the volumes penned by the piece-meal acquisitive method applicable to deluding knowledge available to the mind on the mundane plane, are bound to be self-deceived. Those who are sincere seekers of the Truth are alone eligible to find Him, in and through the proper method of His quest. In order to be put on the track of the Absolute, listening to the words of the pure devotee is absolutely necessary. The spoken word of the Absolute is the Absolute. It is only the Absolute Who can give Himself away to the constituents of His power. The Absolute appears to the listening ear of the conditioned soul in the form of the Name on the lips of the sadhu. This is the key to the whole position. The words of Thakur Bhaktivinode direct the empiric pedant to discard his wrong method and inclination on the threshold of the real quest of the Absolute. If the pedant still chooses to carry his errors into the Realm of the Absolute Truth he only marches by a deceptive bye-path into the regions of darker ignorance by his arrogant study of the scriptures. The method offered by Thakur Bhaktivinode is identical with the object of the quest. The method is not really grasped except by the grace of the pure devotee. The arguments, indeed, are these. But they can only corroborate, but can never be a substitute for, the word from the living source of the Truth who is no other than the pure devotee of Krishna, the concrete Personal Absolute. Bhaktivinoda's greatest gift Thakur Bhaktivinode's greatest gift to the world consists in this; that he has brought about the appearance of those pure devotees who are, at present, carrying on the movement of unalloyed devotion to the Feet of Shree Krishna by their own wholetime spiritual service of the Divinity. The purity of the soul is only analogously describable by the resources of the mundane language. The highest ideal of empiric morality is no better than the grossest wickedness to the Transcendental perfect purity of the bonafide devotee of the Absolute. The word 'morality' itself is a mischievous misnomer when it is applied to any quality of the conditioned soul. The hypocritical contentment with a negative attitude is part and parcel of the principle of undiluted immorality. Those who pretend to recognise the Divine Mission of Thakur Bhaktivinode without aspiring to the unconditional service of those pure souls who really follow the teachings of the Thakur by the method enjoined by the scriptures and explained by Thakur Bhaktivinode in a way that is so eminently suited to the requirements of the sophisticated mentality of the present Age, only deceive themselves and their willing victims by their hypocritical professions and performances. These persons must not be confounded with the bonafide members of the flock. Hypocritical followers are deceived Thakur Bhaktivinode has predicted the consummation of religious unity of the world by the appearance of the only universal church which bears the eternal designation of the Brahma Sampradaya. He has given mankind the blessed assurance that all Theistic churches will shortly merge in the one eternal spiritual community by the grace of the Supreme Lord Shree Krishna Chaitanya. The spiritual community is not circumscribed by the conditions of time and space, race and nationality. Mankind had been looking forward to this far-off Divine Event through the Long Ages. Thakur Bhaktivinode has made the conception available in its practicable spiritual form to the open minded empiricist who is prepared to undergo the process of enlightenment. The key stone of the Arch has been laid which will afford the needed shelter to all awakened animation under its ample encircling arms. Those who would thoughtlessly allow their hollow pride of race, pseudo-knowledge or pseudo-virtue to stand in the way of this long hoped for consummation, would have to thank only themselves for not being incorporated in the spiritual society of all pure souls. These plain words need not be misrepresented, by arrogant persons who are full of the vanity of empiric ignorance, as the pronouncements of aggressive sectarianism. The aggressive pronouncement of the concrete Truth is the crying necessity of the moment for silencing the aggressive propaganda of specific untruths that is being carried on all over the world by the preachers of empiric contrivances for the amelioration of the hard lot of conditioned souls. The empiric propaganda clothes itself in the language of negative abstraction for deluding those who are engrossed in the selfish pursuit of worldly enjoyment. But there is a positive and concrete function of the pure soul which should not be perversely confounded with any utilitarian form of worldly activity. Mankind stands in need of that positive spiritual function of which the hypocritical impersonalists are in absolute ignorance. The positive function of the soul harmonises the claims of extreme selfishness with those of extreme self-abnegation in the society of pure souls even in this mundane world. In its concrete realisable form the function is perfectly inaccessible to the empiric understanding. Its imperfect and misleading conception alone is available by the study of the Scriptures to the conditioned soul that is not helped by the causeless grace of the pure devotees of Godhead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krsna Posted May 24, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 24, 2005 Sheep Logic BY SRILA GOUR GOVINDA SWAMI — Excerpts from Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja's book 'Pariprasna.' Devotee: What if someone tries to serve his guru in this way and then later on the guru falls down? Gaura Govinda Swami: That's a bogus guru, nor a bona fide guru. Devotee: In that case one's surrender and service count for nothing? Gaura Govinda Swami: Nothing, zero! They are of no value, because that guru was not bona fide, he was a hypocrite, a follower of Kali, only outwardly posing as a Vaisnava guru. You should be careful before accepting a guru. That's your responsibility. Don't be superfluous. You should be very serious and don't follow gaddalika-srota-nyaya. "Gaddalika" means a flock of sheep. Sheep move in a flock and one is at the head, leading. If that sheep jumps into a ditch the whole flock will jump into a ditch. They never think, "Why should we jump into a ditch?" If the leader jumps, they think, "That is a nice path. We should also go that way." You should use your intelligence. Don't follow this sheep logic. That is your responsibility. You should desire to get Krsna. That is the perfection of human life. This morning I talked about how consciousness should be fully blossomed, cent percent purna-vikacita-cetana. That is the perfection of human life. If someone can get Krsna then he'll have obtained supreme perfection. That means cent percent Krsna. Not twenty-five percent, thirty percent or fifty percent Krsna. No! Cent percent Krsna. Who can give cent percent Krsna? Only the person who has it can give. If someone has only twenty -five percent Krsna, how can he give you cent percent Krsna? He doesn't have the balance in his account. This is your responsibility. You should find such a person and don't follow this gaddalika-srota-nyaya." Oh, everyone is accepting so and so as a paramahamsa, maha-bhagavata. Everyone says so." Alright, don't think anything, fall into the ditch. Don't Find Fault Devotee: It's very easy to understand this point after the fact. But there were many supposedly quite advanced devotees... Gaura Govinda Swami: Don't find fault with others. Find fault with yourself. See good in others. See bad in yourself. You have committed a mistake; therefore such a thing has happened. The caitya-guru, Paramatma, Krsna, He knows your heart. He knows what you are whispering in your heart. You cannot cheat Him. Outwardly you may be speaking very sweet from the lips. Your external dealings may be very nice. But inside, don't be hypocrite. Be a simple, natural vaisnava. You have no simplicity in your heart. Duplicity, pretentiousness, crookedness, politics- so many nasty things are there in you heart. You follow this gaddilika-srota-nyaya logic. Krsna as caitya-guru, Paramatma, knows you are not serious. You should be thinking, "How can I get a bona fide guru? The aim of my life is to get Krsna, cent percent Krsna." You should be crying in your heart. Krsna will know, "Yes, this soul is crying for Me." This crying is most important. In the Adi Purana Krsna had said, "rudanti mama samvidhau.Rudanti" means crying. Aham parikartah- One who cries for Me from the core of his heart purchases Me. Have you ever cried for this? Therefore I say you are not serious. You are superfluous. You are just following this gaddalika-srota-nyaya. That is your mistake. Why do you find fault with others? Krsna knows, "Oh this fellow wants a cheater, not a teacher." Therefore Krsna provides a cheater. You should admit that it is your bad karma, your mistake. Then repent and cry. Cry before Krsna, before Mahaprabhu. Cry form the core of your heart so They'll shower Their mercy on you. Then you'll never be cheated. This is the process. It is a most important and serious thing. This is a personal relationship and a personal responsibility. It is not the responsibility of anyone else. You alone are responsible for your activity. Why should someone else be responsible? It is up to you to accept a bona fide guru, not a bogus guru; to get cent percent Krsna; to make your life successful, not his life, or that life, or anybody else's life. This is a very deep confidential philosophy, try to understand it. Guru Darsana Gaura Govinda Swami: One thing is important: We don't' know who is a real, bona fide guru. Can you know? Can you measure? Can you see with your material vision? You can't see. You can't measure him. Krsna is adhoksaja. He cannot be measured by the defective material senses. Similarly, His true representative the bona fide guru, the dear devotee who is very intimate and very confidential, cannot be measured by your defective senses. You cannot see him with your material vision. You can only see the outward body of flesh, bones, marrow, blood, and urine. In the 11th Canto Krsna says that the guru acarya is as good as He Himself. acarya-mam vijaniyan navamanyeta karhicit na martya-buddhyasuyeta sarva-deva-mayo guruh One should know the acarya as Myself and never disrespect him in any way. One should not envy him, thinking him to be an ordinary man, for he is the representative of all the demigods. (Bhag. 11.17.27) In addition, in Guruvastaka (Verse 7) we chant: saksad-dharitvena samastra-sastrair uktas tatha bhavyata eva sadbhih kintu prabhor yah priya eva tasya vande guroh sri-caranaravindam Every day you sing saksad-dhari, and Krsna says the same thing: acaryam mam vijnaniyan-"He is as good as Myself." Na martya-buddhyasuyeta-"Don't think of him as an ordinary mortal human being." Sarva-deva mayo guruh- "No, all the demigods are there in him." This is guru tattva. How can you see such a guru with your material vision? As you cannot see Krsna with material vision, you cannot see the guru with material vision. You will only see the outward thing, which is not guru. Only if the guru showers his mercy on you can you be endowed with the vision to see his true form. By the mercy of guru you can see guru, otherwise you cannot see. This vision is only obtained by crying and crying and crying before Krsna: "Oh Krsna, I don't know who is your real representative who can deliver You to me cent percent. I want you cent percent, O Krsna." If you cry before Krsna then Krsna will make an arrangement. He is there in the heart as Paramatma. He will understand, "Now he's crying for Me, so I must help him." He will make an arrangement that you meet a bona fide guru, a genuine representative of Krsna. Otherwise it is not possible. This is the only process. But in our case we try to measure everything. We measure the Lord. We measure the guru. We try to see the Lord with our vision, with our defective senses. Therefore our acaryas and sastras say that the guru is the seer, drasta, and you should put yourself in the position as the object to be seen, drsta. It is very difficult to understand this point because almost everyone thinks just in the reverse. You think you are the seer and the Lord or guru are drsta, the objects to be seen. No! It is the complete opposite. The Lord is the seer and the guru is the seer. You are not the seer. You are the object to be seen by guru or seen by the Lord. Do you understand? This is a very deep philosophy. Cry For Guru What I am saying is from the previous acaryas. Nothing is mine, not a single letter. I follow the path the acaryas have shown. I have done that in my life and therefore I got my guru. That is my experience. Following what our acaryas say, what sastra says, sadhu-sastra-guru-this is the process. But you have never followed it. I think you cannot understand it clearly. Try! It is a simple thing. You cry before Krsna, cry before Mahaprabhu, "Please help me, please help me, please help me!" Krsna is the heart and can understand, "Oh, now he is crying." He will help you. He will make arrangements that you can get a bona fide guru who is Krsna's true representative, a confidential, intimate associate if the Lord-and then your life will be successful. Don't be desperate. There is no question of despondency on this path. There is no pessimism here. It is all optimism. Mahaprabhu is so merciful-maha-vadanyaya avatara. Srila Kaviraja Goswami in Caitanya Caritamrta has used the word adbhuta, wonderful three times; adbhuta-karunya, adbhuta-vadanya, adbhuta-audara, wonderfully munificent, wonderfully merciful, wonderfully magnanimous. This is Sriman Mahaprabhu. Cry before Him. Cry before Krsna to shower His mercy on you. It is the only thing required. Don't try to measure Krsna or His representative the guru with your defective senses. You will only be cheated. You should have complete, unflinching faith in Mahaprabhu, Krsna and sadhu. There is no other way. Confirmation Needed Devotee: How do we discern between the prompting of Paramatma and the ramblings of our mind? Gaura Govinda Swami: Krsna is there in your heart as Paramatma, caitya guru. He is your friend. The Upanisadas say, dva suparna sayuja sakhayah- Your friend the Supersoul prompts, but you cannot hear Him. A liberated soul can hear, but a conditioned soul cannot. A conditioned soul only hears the promptings of maya. If, within and without, that prompting in confirmed by sadhu and sastra, then it is all right. Confirmation is needed. Then you can understand, "Yes, that prompting was inside me. Now the same thing has come out from the lips of sadhu." If sastra says the same thing then it is confirmed, otherwise not. A conditioned soul cannot hear what the Paramatma prompts. Only a liberated soul can hear. Though He prompts, you cannot hear because you heart is filled with dirt. Clear the contamination. Cleansed of the dirt, you heart will be purified. Then you can hear, otherwise not. How will you hear with a filthy heart? Devotee: Sometimes we cry for something and we get some help. But then we become again satisfied in life. Gaura Govinda Swami: There should always be crying. Then we will always get help. Not that you should say, "Oh, now I have gotten, finished." There should always be crying, "I cannot get, I cannot get, I cannot get anything!" Mahaprabhu was always crying. He has taught us to cry: "Hari Hari bolite nayane ba'be nira"- uttering the name of Hari and shedding tears. Devotee: You explained that to please you we have to become simple and not duplicitous. I was wondering what practical service is pleasing to you? Gaura Govinda Swami: That's individual, not general. There are specific and general instructions. For individual instruction, you come to me and I will speak. Those instructions differ form person to person. It's not the same for one and all. Don't be so foolish as to ask such a question. Devotee: All this talk of crying for Krsna: I was just reading in the Nectar of Devotion that we should not cry before the Deity. Gaura Govinda Swami: Don't cry before the Deities- cry in your room! This crying should be in the heart. Krsna is everywhere. If you cry, Krsna knows, Krsna sees. Genuine Sadhu-sanga Devotee: Paramatma is comparable to guru in some ways? Gaura Govinda Swami: Paramatma is the manifestation of guru and guru is the manifestation of Paramatma. Katha Upanisad says: nayam atma pravacena labhyo na medhaya na bahuna srutena yam evaisa vrnute tena labhyas tasyaisa atma vivrnute tanum svam The Supreme Self can never be known by any amount of argument, reasoning, intelligence, or by much hearing. To those whom He chooses, however, He may reveal His personal form. If someone is crying for Krsna, Paramatma knows. Then Paramatma assumes a body and appears. When He appears externally he is guru. "Tanu" means body. Vivrnute tanum svam- He assumes a body and is known as caitya-guru. Therefore I say, cry,cry,cry! Paramatma will know, "Now he is crying for Me." In this regard, sadhu-sanga in most important. And that means a real sadhu in the true sense, not a hypocrite sadhu, not a bogus sadhu- a real sadhu. "Guru" means heavy, not laghu. These words have their meanings and you should understand them. If you really meet guru then you association with laghus will be bitter. That's a most important thing. That's the test who is guru. "Laghu" means material things. You are associating with material poets, material politicians, materially wealthy persons, and materially learned persons. They are laghus. When you associate with a sadhu and get his krpa then automatically the taste will be bitter and you will no longer like to associate with laghus. You should associate with a real sadhu. Sadhu-krpa, then mercy of sadhu, is powerful. It is a most important thing. It is said, vaisnava- krpaye tare sarva siddhi- If you can get the mercy of a sadhu then you will achieve all perfection. Moreover, it must be with a real sadhu, a sadhu is the true sense of the term. Not a hypocrite or bogus sadhu or kali-cela! They are only posing like sadhu. If a genuine sadhu casts his merciful glance on you then you have it! Sadhu-sanga is most important, most important. One should develop greed for such a type of sadhu-sanga. Don't resist such greed. You are greedy for material accumulations. That is you enemy. That will lead you to hell. Now become greedy for this, to have such sadhu-sanga. "How can I get it, how can I get it?" Develop this greed. It should not be resisted. It is the only thing needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kulapavana Posted May 24, 2005 Report Share Posted May 24, 2005 "Devotee: What if someone tries to serve his guru in this way and then later on the guru falls down? Gaura Govinda Swami: That's a bogus guru, nor a bona fide guru. Devotee: In that case one's surrender and service count for nothing? Gaura Govinda Swami: Nothing, zero! They are of no value, because that guru was not bona fide, he was a hypocrite, a follower of Kali, only outwardly posing as a Vaisnava guru." Bhagavad Gita 2.40 nehabhikrama-naso 'sti pratyavayo na vidyate svalpam apy asya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat SYNONYMS na--there is not; iha--in this world; abhikrama--endeavoring; nasah--loss; asti--there is; pratyavayah--diminution; na--never; vidyate--there is; svalpam--little; api--although; asya--of this; dharmasya--of this occupation; trayate--releases; mahatah--of very great; bhayat--danger. TRANSLATION In this endeavor there is no loss or diminution, and a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kulapavana Posted May 24, 2005 Report Share Posted May 24, 2005 btw: I have seen SO MANY big, big devotees (some of them still holding most prominent positions in our movement) praising these "bogus gurus" well past the time of their supposed "fall down"... where were these "seers of truth" when all the guru nonsense was going on full swing? did they speak out against these transgressions? no, they were singing the praises of these guru pretenders, or at best remained silent. all of a sudden, when the knowledge of these transgressions becomes public - these "seers of truth" issue their condemnations... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krsna Posted May 24, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 24, 2005 Srila B R Sridhara Swami Chapter One Surrender to Sri Guru Even great scholars are perplexed in understanding what is good and what is bad, what to accept, and what to dismiss (kim karma kim akarmeti kavayo'py atra mohitah). Even great scholars fail to understand their real necessity. This material world is a jungle of perplexities, where the soul has accepted so many different kinds of bodies in different types of consciousness. In the Laws of Manu, it is written: jalaja nava laksani sthavara laksa vimsati krmayo rudra-sankhyakah paksinam dasa laksanam trimsal laksani pasavah catur laksani manusah There are 900,000 kinds of aquatics, 2,000,000 kinds of trees and plants, 1,100,000 kinds of insects and reptiles, 1,000,000 kinds of birds, 3,000,000 kinds of four-legged beasts, and 400,000 kinds of human species. Manu says that the trees are in such a hopeless position as a result of their own karma. Their feelings of pain and pleasure are similar to ours; their souls are not of a lower standard. Still, they are in such a deplorable position as a result of their own karma. They have no one to blame but themselves. This is the state of affairs in this external world. We are living in an environment which is afflicted with serious misconception, misunderstanding, misguidance, and misbehavior. How are we to ascertain what is good and what is bad, what we should aspire after and what we should reject? Innumerable alternatives have thronged in a crowd, coming to influence us. And when this area, covered by illusion and influenced by misunderstanding, is filled with such diversity, how can we hope to know the infinite spiritual world of Vaikuntha? With what attitude should we approach that realm which is transcendental, beyond the realm of the senses and mind (adhoksaja). The Genuine Guru We must accept any way and any alliance that will help us gain entrance into that realm. We shall try to have even the slightest connection with that perfect goal of our innate aspiration. We are helpless; we are hopeless in the midst of disappointment. We are in extreme danger. We rely on our free will, our capacity of selection for our own good, but it is too minute and helpless to guide us. What danger we are in! All around us are witnesses to this danger. How important is a real guru who can guide us to our real welfare. We are in the midst of different forces that are drawing us, attracting us towards different directions, so proper guidance is the most valuable and the most important thing for all of us. If we accept direction from anywhere and everywhere, we will be misguided. Therefore, we must be careful to get proper direction. That direction has been given by Krsna in the Bhagavad-gita: tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya upadeksyanti te jnanam jnaninas tattva-darsinah "To understand transcendental knowledge, you must approach a self-realized soul, accept him as your spiritual master, and take initiation from him. Inquire submissively and render service unto him. Self-realized souls can impart knowledge unto you, for they have seen the truth." Qualifications of a Disciple Here, Krsna has given us the standard by which we can understand what is what, from a bona fide source. The standard to measure truth or untruth must come not from a vitiated, vulnerable plane, but from a real plane. And to realize that, we must have these three qualifications: pranipat, pariprasna, and seva. Pranipat means we must surrender to this knowledge, for it is not an ordinary class of knowledge, which as a subject we can make our object; it is supersubjective. We may be the subjects in this mundane world, but we will have to become objects to be handled by the superknowledge of that plane. Pranipat means that one approaches a spiritual master, saying, "I am finished with the experience of this external world; I have no charrn for anything in this plane, where I have already traveled. Now I am offering myself exclusively at your altar. I want to have your grace." In this mood we should approach that higher knowledge. Pariprasna means honest, sincere inquiry. We must inquire not with the tendency of discussion or in the mood of argument, but all our efforts should be concentrated in a positive line to understand the truth, without the spirit of doubt and suspicion. With full attention we should try to understand that truth, because it is coming from a higher plane of reality that we have never known. Finally, there is sevaya, or service. This is the most important thing. We are trying to gain this knowledge not so we can get the help of that plane, not so we can utilize that experience for living here; rather we must give our pledge to serve that plane. Only with this attitude may we approach that plane of knowledge. We shall serve that higher knowledge; we won't try to make it serve us. Otherwise, we won't be allowed to enter into that domain. Absolute knowledge won't come to serve this lower plane. We must offer ourselves to be used by Him, not that we shall try to use Him in our own selfish way, to satisfy our lower purpose. With the mood of service we shall dedicate ourselves to Him; not that He will dedicate Himself to satisfy our lower animal purpose. So, with this attitude we shall seek the plane of real knowledge and receive the standard understanding. And then we can know what is what, and have a proper estimation of our environment. This is Vedic culture. Absolute knowledge has always been imparted by this process alone, and never by the intellectual approach. Srlla Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta used to give the analogy of the bee: honey is in a bottle, the cork is in place, and the bee has taken his seat on the glass. He tries to taste the honey by licking the bottle. But, just as the bee cannot taste the honey by licking the outside of the glass bottle, the intellect cannot approach the world of spirit. We may think that we have attained it, but that is not possible: a barrier is there, like the glass. Intellectual achievement is not real achievement of higher knowledge. Only through faith, sincerity, and dedication can we approach that higher realm, and become a member. We can enter that higher plane only if they grant us a visa and admit us. Then we can enter that land of divine living. So, a candidate must have these three qualifications before he can approach the truth which is on the higher plane of Absolute Reality. He can approach the Absolute Truth only with an attitude of humility, sincerity, and dedication. There are similar statements in the Srimad Bhagavatam and the Vedas. In the Upanisads it is said, tad vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet samit panih srotriyam brahma nistham: "Approach a spiritual master. Do not go to him hesitatingly or haphazardly, but with a clear and earnest heart." Spintual Life-a One Way Ticket One should not approach the spiritual master "cutting a return ticket." Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada used to always say, "You have come here cutting a return ticket." We must not approach the spiritual master with that attitude. Rather, we should think that we have seen everything, that we have full experience of this mortal world, and that we have nothing to aspire after here. With this clear consciousness, we should approach the guru. That is the only way for us to live. This world is mortal. There is no means, no possibility of living here, and yet the will to live is an innate tendency everywhere. "I only want to live and to save myself. I am running to the real shelter." With this earnestness, the disciple will bring his spiritual master the necessary materials for sacrifice. He won't go to his spiritual master only to trouble the guru, but will approach him with his own necessities already supplied. He will go there with his own bed and baggage. Not that he will show some kindness to the spiritual master and give him name and fame by becoming his disciple. And what will be the spiritual master's position? He will be well versed in the revealed truth, not in ordinary information. Revelation in many shades has been spread in the world from the upper realm, but the guru must have some spacious, graphic knowledge. He must have extensive knowledge about the revealed truth. And he must always be practicing real spiritual life. His activities are all connected with spirit, not with the mundane world. He is concerned with Brahman, the plane which can accomodate everything, the fundamental basis of everything (brahma-nistham). Not that he is leading his life with any mortal, mundane reference. He always lives in the transcendental plane and keeps himself in connection with that plane his whole life. Whatever he does, he will do only with that consciousness. This is the version of the Upanisads. And in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.3.21) it is said: tasmad gurum prapadyeta jijnasuh sreya uttamam sabde pare ca nisnatam brahmany upasamasrayam Maya means misconception. We are living in the midst of misconception. Our understanding of the environment is based on a completely misconceived set of ideas and thoughts. We have no proper conception of anything in the absolute sense. Our ideas are all relative. Provincial selfishness has been imposed on the environment, and we are living under that misconception. When one comes to the conclusion that everything will vanish, then, with that mood, he will feel the necessity of approaching the guru, the divine guide and preceptor, with the purpose of inquiry. "What is the highest good for me?" With this inquiry, he will approach the spiritual master. And who will he approach? One who is not only well-versed in the precepts of the revealed scriptures, but who has also come in contact with the revealed truth. One who is conversant with the very object of the scriptures, and who has practical experience, who is established in pure consciousness, is a genuine guru. One should approach such a guide for his own relief, to understand what is the highest benefit in the world and how to attain it. This is necessary. It is real. It is not imaginary. At the same time, it is difficult. The Absolute Truth must be sought out through a real process, otherwise we shall go the wrong way and then say, "Oh, there is nothing here; it is not real." So, only if we follow this real process of understanding the truth will we experience the real nature of divinity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kulapavana Posted May 24, 2005 Report Share Posted May 24, 2005 "It's truly amazing how much bile, bitterness and outright poison are in your comments" you forgot to add "mucous" to this list... /images/graemlins/wink.gif but seriously: you keep quoting long passages but you never directly address the points I'm raising... PLEASE! show me where is the poison in my comments. and if you just intend just to do more "copy and paste" instead of "listen and think" this is going to be my last post on this thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krsna Posted May 24, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 24, 2005 Paramartha-gurasrayo vyavaharika-gurvadiparityagenapi kartavyah "One should not accept a spiritual master based on hereditary, social or ecclesiastical conventions. Such a professional guru should be rejected. One must accept a qualified spiritual master, who can help one advance toward the ultimate goal of life, krsna prema (Bhakti-sandharba, annucheda 210) Religious Institutions do not necessarily generate real spiritual leadership. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura : The church that has the best chance of survival in this damned world is that of atheism under the convenient guise of theism. The churches have always proved the staunchest upholders of the grossest form of worldliness from which even the worst of non-ecclesiastical criminals are found to recoil. It is not from any deliberate opposition to the ordained clergy that these observations are made. The original purpose of the established churches of the world may not always be objectionable. But no stable religious arrangement for instructing the masses has yet been successful. The Supreme Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, in pursuance of the teachings of the scriptures enjoins all absence of conventionalism for the teachers of the eternal religion. It does not follow that the mechanical adoption of the unconventional life by any person will make him a fit teacher of religion. Regulation is necessary for controlling the inherent worldliness of conditional souls. But no mechanical regulation has any value, even for such a purpose. The bona-fide teacher of religion is neither any product of nor the favourer of, any mechanical system. In his hands no system has likewise, the chance of degenerating into a lifeless arrangement. The mere pursuit of fixed doctrines and fixed liturgies cannot hold a person to the true spirit of doctrine or liturgy. Organised Religion SBSST . . . "The Supreme Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, in pursuance of the teachings of the scriptures enjoins all absence of conventionalism for the teachers of the eternal religion. It does not follow that the mechanical adoption of the unconventional life by any person will make him a fit teacher of religion. Regulation is necessary for controlling the inherent worldliness of conditional souls. But no mechanical regulation has any value, even for such a purpose. The bona-fide teacher of religion is neither any product of nor the favorer of, any mechanical system. In his hands no system has likewise, the chance of degenerating into a lifeless arrangement. The mere pursuit of fixed doctrines and fixed liturgies cannot hold a person to the true spirit of doctrine or liturgy. The idea of an organised church in an intelligible form, indeed, marks the close of the living spiritual movement. The great ecclesiastical establishments are the dikes and the dams to retain the current that cannot be held by any such contrivances. They, indeed, indicate a desire on the part of the masses to exploit a spiritual movement for their own purpose. They also unmistakably indicate the end of the absolute and unconventional guidance of the bona-fide spiritual teacher." SBSST purport to Cc. Adi lila Ch.12, Txt 73 : "In this connection, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, in his Amrta-pravaha-bhasya, gives this short note: "Sri Advaita Acarya is one of the important trunks of the bhakti-kalpataru, or desire tree of devotional service. Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, as a gardener, poured water on the root of the bhakti tree and thus nourished all its trunks and branches. But nevertheless, under the spell of maya, the most unfortunate condition of a living entity, some of the branches, not accepting the gardener who poured water on them, considered the trunk the only cause of the great bhakti-kalpataru. In other words, the branches or descendants of Advaita Acarya who considered Advaita Acarya the original cause of the devotional creeper, and who thus neglected or disobeyed the instructions of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, deprived themselves of the effect of being watered and thus dried up and died. It is further to be understood that not only the misguided descendants of Advaita Acarya but anyone who has no connection with Caitanya Mahaprabhu--even if he is independently a great sannyasi, learned scholar or ascetic--is like a dead branch of a tree." Cc. Adi 12.73 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 25, 2005 Report Share Posted May 25, 2005 Krsna Prabhu, Is not Surrender to Sri Guru above by Srila Sridhara Maharaj? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krsna Posted May 25, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 25, 2005 Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krsna Posted May 25, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 25, 2005 A Sadhu is Always Present by Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja Devotee: Srila Prabhupada always emphasized that he was eternally present in his books, instructions, tapes and letters. So when you say we should take association of a sadhu, can we do that through Srila Prabhupada’s books? Gour Govinda Swami: If Prabhupada says he is there, then you try to see him, to associate with him and listen from him. Do you see Prabhupada? Do you hear from Prabhupada? Is he speaking to you? Devotee: Through his books. Gour Govind Swami: Through his books, yes. All sadhus speak through their books. Jiva Goswami, Rupa Goswami, Sanatana Goswami, Bhaktivinode Thakura, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarswati and Srila Prabhupada all say that they speak through their books. This is not a new thing. This is our vaisnava procedure. But you should see him. Can you see Bhaktivinoda Thakura? Can you see Jiva Goswami? You may say, “Oh I have read their books; I have their asociation.” That won’t help you. You cannot understand what they have said merely by reading their books. Your consciousness is very low, so you cannot understand their words. They are very, very merciful, but you should follow the proper path. If you are intelligent you will understand how they are still here, not only in the form of their books but also they are here. You should see them. Why are you thinking so foolishly? So many books were already there, so why has Srila Prabhupada said this? You are thinking, “We need only to read books. There is no need of associating with a sadhu who is physically present. Is there any sadhu? No, there is no sadhu at all.” Your motto is, “Seeing is believing.” You cannot see, so you cannot believe. Because you are a conditioned soul, your vision is defective. You cannot see a sadhu. Krishna is there, can you see Him? No, you cannot, because you are not endowed with proper vision. First develop the proper vision, and then you can see Krishna. Then you can see how a sadhu is there. It is not a fact that sadhus are not present. How is everything going on? How does the sun rise, the wind blow, and Indra give rain? All these things are going on. No sadhu? No Krishna? It’s nonsense, foolishness. We are so proud and puffed up. We are identifying ourself as the body, mind and false ego. We think we are very great. So we say, “Oh, there is no sadhu.” We are in the category of identification with the body and mind.We have not come to the beginning of the stage of purity. No! Devotee: So we have to associate with a living sadhu? 1 Gour Govinda Swami: Definately. 2 There is always one there. But he is not a cheap person. Such a person is very rare. If you can get his mercy then you can see him. Otherwise, by your own effort and perceptoin, you cannot see him. No, no, no. You always think that you are drasta, the seer, and that the sadhu is drsta, the one to be seen. Everyone is like this. They think they are the seers. But it is just the reverse. You are to be seen and they are the seer! Think this over very deeply. I think you cannot completely understand what I say. We always think that we are the seer and that they are to be seen, but this is not a fact. It is just the reverse. They are the seers and we are to be seen. Devotee: How are we seen by sadhu? By our service? Gour Govinda Swami: Yes, the sadhu is the seer. If he showers his mercy upon you, he sees you. If you receive that merciful glance then you are very fortuntae. However, you are in the category of bodily consciousness. How can you have it? Guru is the manifestation of the Supersoul, caitya-guru in the heart. He manifests a body and appears. He knows your heart. Devotee: I don’t quite understand. Gour Govinda Swami: Yes, try to understand. As I told you, just hear patiently. A new bhakta cannot understand it because it is a topic of the highest class. You are in pre-primary class, how can you understand? You are not even in the primary class. How can you understand this topic of the highest class? Just accept the bona fide authorities. That will help you. The teacher says, “Two plus two is four.” The primary student accepts it. If the teacher asks the child, “What is two plus two?” The child will reply, “Two plus two is four.” “ Why is two plus two four?” “My teacher says.” He will answer like this. That means he has accepted authority. This is the only principle in the beginning. How is two plus two four? Why not three or five? That will be explained in a higher mathematics class, not in the beginning. You have to have patience and get a promotion. My guru maharaja says in his purport that the beginning is purity of consciousness. First come to this beginning stage, then gradually other things will come up. You are not in the beginning stage, so how will the higher topics come up? This is a very, very subtle and very deep philosophy. Putting full faith in the sadhu, you need only submissively hear --- sravanam, sravanam, sravanam. In that way you can get the mercy of that sadhu. That will help you. Only one thing is required, nothing else --- sravanam, sravana, sravanam. Just hear. Serve that sadhu, please him, hear submissively, surrender yourself at his lotus feet and submissively ask questions. Out of mercy the sadhu will impart this tattva jnana to you. This is the only process. Unless you get association with a living sadhu, what can you do? Will you put some question to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Prabhupada will answer you? This process is a living thing. It is always there, and it is always current. It is not that inquiry was done a certain way in the past and now things are done differently. No! It is an eternal process, pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya. ---The Process of Inquiry, Chapter Six. 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krsna Posted May 25, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 25, 2005 Questions about Sannyasa By Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja In this article, we pose certain commonly asked questions about sannyasa, with answers from the teachings of Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja. Do Gaudiya Vaishnavas worship Mahaprabhu as a sannyasi? We worship Mahaprabhu after He came back from Gaya. When Mahaprabhu went to Gaya, He met His guru Iswara Puri, and became initiated. When He came back, He cried for Krishna and started His mission of sankirtana. We worship Mahaprabhu in that mood. Very soon after that, He took sannyasa and left His newly wedded wife, Vishnupriya, and His old mother, Sachi Devi. (Questions after a Bhagavatam lecture, Atlanta, Georgia, 19 June 1994.) When Srila Prabhupada gave sannyasa to devotees, why didn’t He give them one of the 108 traditional sannyasa names? In the Gaudiya Math you will find that there are 108 sannyasi names. But our names are not among them. Our names are brahmacari names. Some Gaudiya Math sannyasis criticize us: “Why didn’t your Guru Maharaja give you sannyasa names?” I give this answer: “Why didn’t Mahaprabhu accept a sannyasa name? Why did He keep His brahmacari name?” My Guru Maharaja did like that. (Darsana, Bhubaneswar, 17 December 1989.) Why did Srila Prabhupada give sannyasa to persons who later fell down? You should understand this thing. The society gives opportunity. If one has been given a position in the society and he is really intelligent, he will understand, “I don’t deserve it; I have no qualification. But still this opportunity has come to me. So I must make myself qualified. Then I can stay in the position. Otherwise I will lose it.” For the sake of maintaining the institution, opportunity is given. Unity must be there. We should not allow it to be split up. This is an organizational matter. Why should a member feel discouraged that he cannot get an opportunity? Srila Prabhupada did the same thing. Prabhupada knew these people were not qualified. But he gave them sannyasa. Prabhupada said, “Take this opportunity! Do it now!” Otherwise, how could he manage the society? He would give someone sannyasa, and then put that sannyasi in one area to manage. In this way, the brahmacaris and devotees will obey him, because he is a sannyasi. Mahaprabhu took sannyasa for this same reason. He was Mahaprabhu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But because He was a grhastha, many were not accepting him and were criticizing. Mahaprabhu thought, “I have to take sannyasa, because a sannyasi has prestige.” The general people have the notion that a Mayavadi sannyasi is Narayan. Mahaprabhu thought, “I must take sannyasa, otherwise these people won’t listen to Me.” So He took up sannyasa from Keshava Bharati, who was a sannyasi in the Mayavadi sampradaya. However, Mahaprabhu preached vaisnava philosophy. That was His purpose. Similarly, Srila Prabhupada gave sannyasa. Otherwise, how can you manage such a worldwide organization? All of the brahmacaris and devotees will accept if a sannyasi is the leader. They will offer him obeisances and accept what he says. But if he is a grhastha, if he is a brahmacari, nobody will accept. Prabhupada gave an opportunity. If you are intelligent, you will understand this. You should think, “I don’t deserve it. I am not qualified. But he gave me an opportunity so I must make myself qualified and keep up the position.” But instead of being intelligent, you are a fool. You are thinking, “Now I am a sannyasi! Now I am great! Now I am guru, now I am acarya!” You have developed pride. You commit aparadha and fall down. This is the reason for these fall downs. So, when we think of organizational matters we should consider all of these things. Otherwise how we will maintain the worldwide organization? These two aspects are there, the spiritual aspect and the organizational aspect. This is the organizational aspect. (Evening darsana, Bhubaneswar, 31 March 1992.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krsna Posted May 25, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 25, 2005 Devotee: The disciple is eternally hearing. Gour Govinda Swami: Yes, this process is eternal. I am eternally the disciple of my Guru. I am constantly hearing from him. What I am hearing that I am speaking, I am not concocting anything. What my Guru says, I say. Devotee: For a disciple who is still conditioned and whose spiritual master has left the planet, although he has books, he still has to hear sabda-brahma? Gour Govinda Maharaja: Yes, hearing is more effective. Books will help you. Nevertheless, you have to hear. It is not that only by reading books you can have it. Devotee: So he cannot achieve this position of tattva-jnana just by reading. Even if he has had physical contact with guru, still he must hear from the tattva-acarya who is physically there, who is acting as a pipe. Gour Govinda Maharaja: Yes, guru is always there and Krsna is always there, manifested and unmanifested. Guru may have become unmanifest, but still he is there. However, you should understand how he is there, in what form. Devotee: When you say that the guru is always present, and that we have to recognize the form he is present in, isn't that the meaning of disciplic succession? Gour Govinda Maharaja: Yes, guru is always present. I see my guru always. He is not gone. He has not disappeared. If you say that he has disappeared, it is very painful to me. No. He is there! I see him every day, every moment. Every day I am hearing from him. Therefore I am speaking. How can I speak unless I hear? I am not hearing any tapes. I am hearing directly from him, but you cannot understand it. - Process of Enquiry, 'Always Present.' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krsna Posted May 25, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 25, 2005 "When Gurudeva does kirtana, speaking about the name, form, qualities, associates, or lila of Krsna, these things appear in the form of sound, sabda-brahma. Then one can understand the sastra- avatara, the scriptures, specifically the bhagavata grantha-avatara, Srimad Bhagavatam, as well as isa-avatara, the Supreme Lord, and one's svarupa, one's spiritual form." - The Process of Inquiry, 'The Process of Inquiry.' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krsna Posted May 26, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 26, 2005 Guru is Always There S.B.Class at New Talavan, Miss., USA on 17-05-1994 If guru passes away...but he has eye on his dear disciple. What he does? He takes care. He appears in the form of sadhu, sastra. In the form of sadhu and sastra he appears. where the disciple is staying, nearby if some qualified sadhu vaisnava is there, he empowers him and he teaches through him. That guru is there. Yes. Eternal. "I am eternally his disciple, he is eternally my master." Fools cannot understand, "Oh no more, my guru is gone, gone. I can act anything. I can do anything." Then you hear your stupid mind. Now you become hippy, long hair, big mustache and drinking liquor, "O my guru has passed away. No more. Prabhupada is no more." What happened, such condition?! Fools, isn't it? So many Prabhupada's diciples; seeing them my heart cracks...Fools.Fools. Guru is always there, always there. He takes care. He takes care, yes. He has...if you are serious, if you are really crying for the help of guru he is always there, "O my guru has gone, I am independent now. I can act anything." Then you have become servant of your stupid mind, godas, go das. You are not using the weapon given to you by Guru. You have lost it. Understood? ...Guru is there. He slaps me. Do you understand? If you have vision(then) you can see. And if you are really crying in your heart for the help of guru he is always there. But fools cannot understand it. They cannot understand it. "Guru is gone, no more, nobody to inflict discipline on me. I am independent. I can do whatever I like." Then you become dasa of your stupid mind. Hearing the prompting of the stupid mind, he then falls down. Now he is hippy, again hippy... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krsna Posted May 26, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 26, 2005 Devotee #1: The gopis didn’t have the slightest concern for their own pleasure. They were thinking only of the pleasure of Krsna. That could be called brainwashing. Gour Govinda Swami: Complete brainwashing, completely replacing with a new brain. In this modern scientific age they have heart replacements, kidney replacements, replacement of the eye etc. Now we are replacing the brain. We have opened a hospital here and we are removing nasty brains and replacing them with completely new ones filled with krsna-prema. Can you find such a hospital anywhere? Devotee #1: What would happen to the sense of individuality if everyone is only thinking of Krsna’s enjoyment, then wouldn’t their own individuality be lost? Gour Govinda Swami: Through his own senses the devotee engages in loving service to Krsna. For this reason you have been given this body and senses, hriskesa håñékeça-sevanaà bhaktir ucyate. That is däsa. How can you serve with your body, mind and senses only? These are the means of service. How have you lost your identity, you nonsense? How do you say loss? If you lose your individuality then there is no question of service at all. Devotee #2: If you are serving Krsna and you have love for Krsna, but some tinge of lust is there in your heart, can you go back and enter Krsna's pastimes? Mixed Bhakti Gour Govinda Swami: If some tinge of lust is there, you cannot serve Krsna, you cannot surrender at all. Devotee #1: But many people are doing so much service for Krsna! Gour Govinda Swami: That is all mixed—karma-miçra-bhakti, jïäna-miçra-bhakti. It is not pure bhakti. It is bhakti mixed with karma or mixed with jïäna. There is no prema. They cannot get prema. It is completely, totally absent there. Devotee #3: If someone is just starting on the path of bhakti he may have mätsarya, envy. How does he become free from that? Gour Govinda Swami: A real Vaiñëava, a Vaisnava in the true sense is not envious at all. Why is there envy in the society of Vaiñëavas? Prabhupäda said that he formed this ISKCON society to be an exemplary society where there is no envy at all. A true Vaiñëava becomes happy and pleased if he sees someone making advancement. One who is envious is not a Vaiñëava. He is only a hypocrite. He has put on the garb of a Vaiñëava, but he is a great demon. Postdated Check Devotee #4: In order to surrender we have to first surrender to someone who can give us krsna-prema. Gour Govinda Swami: Yes, first surrender to a guru who is completely cent percent Krsna conscious, not partial. Devotee #4: So he is completely free from lust. Gour Govinda Swami: Yes, he is free from lust, free from envy. He is day and night, twenty-four hours only engaged in the loving service of Kåñëa. He is completely forgetful of his own bodily pleasures, and sensual happiness. Devotee #5: So if they have envy they cannot give us krsna-prema? Gour Govinda Swami: How can they? If someone has not gotten how can they give you? If you do not have a single dollar, how can you give me one dollar? One who is not in the possession of kåñëa-prema, how can he give you krsna-prema? Devotee #5: He has some krsna-prema. Gour Govinda Swami: Some?! Partial?! Devotee #5: Partial Krsna. Gour Govinda Swami: Partial, mixed, mixed devotion karma-miçra or jïäna-miçra—mixed with karma or jïäna. Not pure devotion. Devotee #5: So what he has, that's all he can give you? Gour Govinda Swami: He can only give you that thing. I only have fifty cents, how can I give you one dollar? Devotee #3: Sometimes it is said that a sisya may take diksaä from a guru who does not have krsna-prema. Then as that guru is following the principles of sädhana-bhakti, the guru will get krsna-prema in the future and he can then give it to the sisya. Gour Govinda Swami: What check? Blank check? This is called a post-dated check. Take this check. In the future there will be some deposit in my account, then at that time you may cash the check. Devotee #6: We were surprised that you quoted from the newspaper today. Gour Govinda Swami: Yes, I have given a practical example of day to day affairs. You may transcribe and publish it. These are practical examples of lust and its horrible consequences. One should take this lesson, we are teaching this for everyone’s welfare. --taken from the Lust: Formidable Foe Lecture Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krsna Posted May 26, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 26, 2005 Bhubaneshwar, 4 April 1995 Çrémad-Bhägavatam 9:18:33-36 Translation: Devayäné gave birth to Yadu and Turvasu and Çarmiñöhä gave birth to Druhyu, Anu and Püru. When the proud Devayäné understood from outside sources that Çarmiñöhä was pregnant by her husband, she was frenzied with anger. Thus she departed for her father's house. King Yayäti, who was very lusty, followed his wife, caught her and tried to appease her by speaking pleasing words and massaging her feet, but he could not satisfy her by any means. Çukräcärya was extremely angry. "You untruthful fool, lusting after women! You have done a great wrong" he said, "I therefore curse you to be attacked and disfigured by old age and invalidity." King Yayäti said, "O learned, worshipable brähmaëa, I have not yet satisfied my lusty desires with your daughter." Çukräcärya then replied, "You may exchange your old age with someone who will agree to transfer his youth to you." Purport by Çréla Prabhupäda: When King Yayäti said that he had not yet satisfied his lusty desires with Çukräcärya's daughter, Çukräcärya saw that it was against the interests of his own daughter for Yayäti to continue in old age and invalidity, for certainly his lusty daughter would not be satisfied. Therefore Çukräcärya blessed his son-in-law by saying that he could exchange his old age for someone else's youth. He indicated that if Yayäti's son would exchange his youth for Yayäti's old age, Yayäti could continue to enjoy sex with Devayäné. Disease of the Heart This chapter is very, very instructive. Everyone should take note of the very important lessons which are found in this Bhägavatam section on what is the consequence of lust and how to control it. The desire for sexual enjoyment is very strong, insatiable, and intolerable. Will you agree to take someone else's old age, giving up your youth? Nobody will agree. Lusty desires are the disease of the heart, hådaya-roga. One should understand this chapter of Çrémad-Bhägavatam. A blind man or a madman cannot understand. Take lessons from this chapter if you are serious to tread this path of devotional service and make advancement. “King Yayäti said, ‘O learned, worshipable brähmaëa, I have not yet satisfied my lusty desires with your daughter.’” “Çukräcärya replied, ‘You may exchange your old age with someone who will agree to transfer his youth to you.’” Who will agree, who will take old age and invalidity and give his youth? “When King Yayäti said he had not yet satisfied his lusty desires with Çukräcärya's daughter, Çukräcärya saw that it was against the interests of his own daughter for Yayäti to continue in old age and invalidity, for certainly his lusty daughter would not be satisfied.” Çukräcärya thought, “Oh, I've cursed my son-in-law. Now he will become old, invalid, disfigured. But this is a curse to my daughter also.” So he blessed his son-in-law by saying that he could exchange his old age and invalidity for someone else's youth. If a young man would be merciful to him and give his youth to him, accepting his old age, then he may again enjoy sex. Çukräcärya indicated that if Yayäti's son would exchange his youth for Yayäti's old age Yayäti would again be able to enjoy sex with Devayäné. At that time Yayäti's son was young. Yayäti had begotten two sons from Devayäné's womb and three sons from Çarmiñöha's womb. His sons were already young men. Still, Yayäti was dissatisfied. Çukräcärya thought, “So is the case with my lusty daughter also. If the son-in-law is not yet satisfied, how the daughter will be satisfied? This is indirectly a curse for my daughter.” So he blessed him, “All right, you may exchange. Your sons are very young men, so ask them. If some son is willing to take your old age and invalidity and give his youth to you, then you may again enjoy my daughter.” If you give more and more enjoyment to your material senses they'll never be satisfied: na jätu kämaù kämänäm upabhogena çämyati haviñä kåñëa-vartmeva bhüya eväbhivardhate (Bhäg. 9.19.14) Later in this chapter, Yayäti will say this. If you pour ghee on a blazing fire, the fire will never be extinguished. Rather, it will burn more and more, and say, “Give me more ghee, more ghee, more ghee.” Similarly, if you give enjoyment to your material senses, they will never be satisfied. A very important lesson is given here. The senses will demand more, more, more. So what should a wise man do? He should voluntarily desist from it. This is wisdom, intelligence. Insatiable In the Bhagavad-gita, Kåñëa, who is our well-wishing friend, suhådaà sarva-bhütänäm, imparted knowledge, gétä-jïana, through Arjuna to us. What does He say in the last verse of the third chapter? jahi çatruà mahä-bäho käma-rüpaà duräsadam (Bg. 3.43) “O mighty-armed Arjuna, one should steady the mind by deliberate spiritual intelligence, Kåñëa consciousness, and thus by spiritual strength conquer this insatiable enemy known as lust.” Duräsadam, a formidable enemy, a very strong enemy. How can you conquer it? By developing complete Kåñëa consciousness. If you become spiritually strong then you can conquer this most formidable enemy named lust. In this material world, all are affected with this disease. This is heart disease, hådaya-käma. The Tenth Canto of Çrémad-Bhägavatam says that this käma, lust, is the heart disease. Not only you, all are affected with this lust. All want to enjoy, to lord it over this material nature and enjoy. But you should understand that this desire for material enjoyment is your great enemy. ye hi saàsparça-jä bhogä duùkha-yonaya eva te ädy-antavantaù kaunteya na teñu ramate budhaù "An intelligent person does not take part in the sources of misery, which are due to contact with material senses. O Son of Kunté, such pleasures have a beginning and an end, and so the wise man does not delight in them." (Bg. 5.22) Contact with the material senses produces misery. This indriya-sukha—sense pleasure, is the cause of your suffering. Give up this sense pleasure immediately if you want real änanda—real happiness. Of all sorts of material enjoyment and happiness, the best type is sex enjoyment. Everyone will agree that sex enjoyment is the topmost enjoyment. Mäyä is enchanting. It is so strong. Everyone is attracted to the ugly witch mäyä, the material Cupid. Because of this attraction, everyone is working in this material world. If such attraction was not there, they would not work here. One who is completely Kåñëa conscious, how is he working? He is working with much enthusiasm, day and night, twenty-four hours. A materialistic person cannot work twenty-four hours. He becomes tired. However, a completely Kåñëa conscious person, a pure devotee can work twenty-four hours without tiring. He has such spiritual strength. Without the attraction of material Cupid, the ugly witch mäyä, he works. Self-realization and sexual enjoyment are two contradictory things. If you are affected with this lust and are running after the fulfillment of your lusty desires for sexual enjoyment, you cannot have self-realization. No question at all. One who is intelligent and wise, he should understand these things. So what should he do? He knows what is his goal—how to achieve self-realization. He knows, so he will never run after this material sense enjoyment, especially sexual enjoyment. So you should tolerate and conquer this sexual urge. väco vegaà manasaù krodha-vegaà jihvä-vegam, udaropastha-vegam etän vegän yo viñaheta dhéraù sarväm apémäà påthivéà sa séñyät In Upadeçämåta, The Nectar of Instruction, Rüpa Gosvämi has said, “One who can conquer these six types of urges, väco vegaà manasaù krodha-vegaà, jihvä-vegam, udaropastha-vegam, the urge of speech, the urge of the mind, the urge of anger, the urge of the tongue, the urge of the belly, the urge of the genitals—these six types of urges are dragging you—he's a mahätmä, he's a mahäpuruña, a great personality. One who has conquered these six types of urges is a real spiritual master and can accept disciples all over the world. Only he can, no one else. This is Rüpa Gosvämi's instruction, sarväm apémäà påthivéà sa séñyät, only he can rule the whole world. Rule means he can accept disciples, inflict discipline on them—that is ruling. Gopénätha These six types of urges are intolerable. How can one tolerate them? He should offer prayers to the Supreme Lord. In the “Gopénätha” song Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura mahäjana has taught us: gopénätha, ämi to' kämera däsa viñaya-bäsanä, jägiche hådoye phäìdiche karama phäìsa, “O Gopénätha, I am actually the most faithful servant of lust. So many desires for mundane sense enjoyment are dawning within my heart, and I am being choked by the noose of fruitive actions and reactions. They are all dragging me, putting a noose around my neck, ‘Come here!’ Such a rascal I am.” gopénätha, kabe vä jägibo ämi, käma-rüpa ari, düre teyägibo hådaye sphuribe tumi “O Gopénätha, tell me when I'll finally wake up and abandon afar my most formidable enemy in the form of lust? I will only be able to do so if You would kindly manifest Yourself in my heart. Otherwise it will be impossible. This is my prayer.” gopénätha, ämi to' tomära jana tomäre chäriyä saàsära bhajinu bhuliyä äpana-dhana “O Gopénätha, I am actually Your eternal devotee, but somehow or other I have abandoned You to worship this useless material world. Instead of becoming your däsa, your servant, I have become kämera däsa, a servant of my lusty desires. Thus I have completely forgotten about the supreme treasure that is my birthright—kåñëa-prema.” gopénätha ämi to' mürakha ati kise bhäla haya, kabhu nä bujhinu täi heno mama gati “O Gopénätha, I am without a doubt the greatest fool. I can never understand what is good for me. Such is my fate.” gopénätha, tumi to' paëòita-bara, müòhera maìgala, tumi anveñibe, e däse nä bhävo' para “I am the greatest fool, I don't know what is for my good, but You are no fool, O Gopinatha. You are paëòita-bara, the most wise. You are indeed the wisest person of all, therefore I am now requesting You to find some way to bring about auspiciousness for this great fool.” This is the only prayer we have to make. Without this prayer, without the mercy of Gopénätha, without the mercy of His dear devotee, we cannot conquer the most formidable enemy in the form of lust. This is the only means. No other means is there. Pray to Sädhu Vaiñëava We should pray to Gopénätha, the Supreme Lord, and we should also pray to His dear devotee—sädhu-vaiñëava who has conquered lust. We should pray to a naiñöhika-brahmacäré, a first class brahmacäré who has conquered it. His blessings, his mercy, are required. In Çrémad-Bhägavatam 6.8.17 there are prayers to Sanat-Kumära. The four Kumäras were always brahmacärés, five-year-old naked boys, their whole life. They have conquered lust, so pray to them: sanat-kumäro 'vatu kämadeväd dhayaçérñä mäà pathi deva-helanät devarñi-varyaù puruñärcanäntarät kürmo harir mäà nirayäd açesät “May Sanat-Kumära protect me from lusty desires. As I begin some auspicious activity, O Sanat Kumära, topmost brahmacäré, most famous brahmacäré, please protect me from these lusty desires. You have conquered lust, therefore please shower your mercy and blessings upon me, then I'll be able to conquer this most formidable enemy in the form of lust and remain brahmacäré.” This is one prayer. Every one here is very much affected by this lust. It is a great obstacle, a great stumbling block on the path of devotion. Those who are affected with lusty desires cannot make any advancement. They should therefore take shelter of that great brahmacäré Sanat Kumära. Beg for his mercy, then they will be able to conquer this most formidable enemy in the form of lust. This is the instruction given by sädhu, çästra, and guru. Sädhu, çästra, and guru all give these instructions. A human being who is very wise and intelligent, who knows the goal of life, understands these instructions and practices them in his life, thus he conquers this most formidable enemy in the form of lust. Then definitely he will make advancement on the path of devotional service. Otherwise it is not possible. You should understand, you should know. Everyday you see what is its consequence. It is all taking place every day. One who becomes too much affected with this lust, he becomes mad, he becomes blind. What horrible, horrible activities he does, and what are the consequences. In the day-to-day world it is taking place. If you look at the pages of the newspaper, so many examples are there. Horrible activities because of this madness, because of this blindness of lusty people. They have become mad, blind, and they don't know the horrible consequences for what they are doing. I will quote two or three instances that are published in the Oriya newspaper: Newspaper Incidents One man went to his father-in-law's house. For a few days his wife had gone to stay at her fathers house, but he could not keep himself away. He ran there to the father-in-law's house. The daughter is there in her father's house. How is it that he will meet his wife and have sex with her there? The father-in-law would not allow him to do it. He was forbidden, “No! You cannot sleep with your wife here. You cannot have sex with her here. No. You sleep in some other room.” This man was completely mad because of his very strong sexual urge; completely blind. So he broke open the door where his wife was sleeping and entered into the house. His two brothers-in-law, the two brothers of his wife, killed him. They killed him mercilessly with an axe, cutting his neck. Such is the consequence, you see. Mercilessly killed. Another man, was married just one year before, and also his wife was staying in his father-in-law's house, so the son-in-law went there. Very often he went there. One night he arrived and wanted to have sex with his wife, but the family members would not allow him, so a horrible incident took place. When they did not allow him, he became mad. He took up an axe and chopped off the heads of his two brothers-in-law who were forbidding him. When the two brothers-in-law were killed, then the father came with a plowshare and hit his son-in-law in the head. He died instantly on the spot. What horrible consequences, you see? Such madness and blindness because of sex desire. It's taking place every day, day-to-day. There is another incident from the newspaper. It was concerned the murder of a maiden, a young girl, in the bed of the Citraptola river. There was one fifty-five-year-old man. He raped a young sixteen-year-old maiden in a river bed. Not a young man, but fifty-five years old. He raped her and at last strangled and killed her. When he was caught, he admitted what he did to the police. He said that the young girl was staying in his village close to his house. That fifty-five-year-old man had accepted that young girl, who was sixteen years old, as his daughter. So there was sexual intercourse between father and daughter! He had adopted that girl as his daughter. A marriage proposal came, that daughter will be married. So as the religious step-father, he took his daughter, the young girl, to the bridegroom's house for marriage, but due to ill luck that marriage could not take place. Some problem was there. The marriage could not take place, so he was returning with the girl and at eleven o'clock at night on the river bed, he raped her and at last killed her. This is the horrible consequence. If you open the pages of the newspaper, you will find that such horrible events are taking place, only because of this lust. Madness Lusty persons are mad, they are blind. Lust is insatiable; it is definitely your formidable enemy. Therefore, Kåñëa says, jahi çatruà, käma-rüpaà duräsadam, “Conquer this formidable enemy!” In Çrémad-Bhägavatam 5.5.7, Lord Åñabhadeva instructs his sons: yadä na paçyaty ayathä guëehäà svärthe pramattaù sahasä vipaçcit gata-småtir vindati tatra täpän äsädya maithunyam agäram ajïaù “Even though one may be very learned and wise, he is mad if he does not understand that the endeavor for sense gratification is a useless waste of time. Being forgetful of his own interest, he tries to be happy in this material world, centering his interest around his home, which is based on sexual intercourse.” Again, Åñabhadeva says in Çrémad-Bhägavatam 5.5.4: nünaà pramattaù kurute vikarma yad indriya-prétaya äpåëoti “When a person considers sense gratification the aim of life, he certainly becomes mad after materialistic living." One who has taken up sense gratification as the goal of his life, he engages in all kinds of sinful activity.” In the eleventh canto of Çrémad-Bhägavatam we also hear about Purüravä. He was king, the emperor of the whole world. He was a very famous emperor, but he became affected with this duranta-käma, this lusty desire, this formidable enemy. As a result he was trapped by the beauty of Urvaçé, a heavenly prostitute. Urvaçé heard about the glory and fame of Purüravä, so Urvaçé came down and trapped him. In the Ninth Canto some description is also there, and the details you'll find in the eleventh canto. The famous emperor Purüravä was trapped by Urvaçé and enjoyed Urvaçé for many years—hundreds of years. Still he was not satisfied. Yayäti will also become dissatisfied. Now Yayäti will exchange his invalidity and old age with his youngest son, Püru, who will be willing to make the exchange. Yayäti will accept Puru’s youth and enjoy Devayäné for hundreds and hundreds of years. Still he will not be satisfied. Similarly, Purüravä was a famous emperor of the world, but he became completely mad, completely blind, enjoying Urvaçé for hundreds and hundreds of years. Even after so many years he was still not satisfied. He completely forgot that he was a great emperor, a famous person. When Urvaçé was leaving him, Purüravä was crying like a madman. Completely naked, he was crying and running after Urvaçé. He was not even conscious that he was naked, such a mad, blind fellow. He was completely naked, running behind Urvaçé crying and crying, saying, “O my dear Urvaçé, please don't leave me, please don't leave me. I am in a very, very distressful condition, please stay with me.” Can you imagine this picture? Take lesson from it, it is mentioned in the eleventh canto, twenty-sixth chapter of Çrémad-Bhägavatam. This is the consequence of becoming caught up with this duranta-käma, this most formidable enemy in the form of lust. Such is the consequence. He completely forgot his own position. Pururava himself expressed it when he became conscious: (11.26.7-9) aho me moha-vistäraù käma-kaçmala-cetasaù devyä grhéta-kaëöhasya näyuù-khaëòa ime småtäù nähaà vedäbhinirmuktaù süryo väbhyudito'muyä müñito varña-pügänaà batähäni gatäny uta aho me ätma-sammoho yenätmä yoñitäà kåtaù kréòä-mågaç cakravarté naradeva-çikhämaëiù “Aho! I cannot say how many days and nights I was embracing Urvaçé, being blind, mad after this formidable enemy in the name of lust. I was so much deluded that I cannot say how many days and nights I was in a tight embrace with Urvaçé. I cannot say how many times the sun has risen and set. I have no account at all.” Slave of Lust These are the teachings in Çrémad-Bhägavatam. Çrémad-Bhägavatam is such a scripture, it gives so many instructions to us. It is an incarnation of our most well-wishing friend the Supreme Lord. Purüravä says, “I cannot say how many times the sun has risen and how many times it has set. I have completely forgotten. I am the emperor of the whole world, but what happened to me? I used this body like a doll in the hands of a woman. I forgot everything. This forgetfulness of mine is very, very amazing and wonderful.” So you see, this is the consequence. Again, in Çrémad-Bhägavatam 11.26.12: kià vidyayä kià tapasä kià tyägena çrutena vä kià viviktena maunena strébhir yasya mano håtam These are Purüravä’s words. Instead of being stolen by Kåñëa, one’s mind is stolen by a woman. “One whose mind is stolen by a woman, what is the value of his education, his tapasyä, his sannyäsa, his hearing of çästra, and his staying in a solitary place and keeping silence?” Persons who are mad after this material enjoyment, sense enjoyment, may think themselves very wise and learned, but what is their fate? Do they have real wisdom, learning or intelligence? No, they are no better than bulls and asses. They are animals bereft of all knowledge and intelligence. Unless one gets the kåpä—mercy, of sädhu-guru he cannot understand this fact. By the mercy of a sädhu one can understand. It will be revealed to him: “I am a human being. My consciousness is a superior type. I can raise it to the highest level—complete Kåñëa consciousness, and get Kåñëa. What am I doing, being afflicted with strong, lusty desires? I am losing anything good I possess. I am really mad and blind. I have become a slave of lust. Instead of becoming kåñëa-däsa I have become käma-kiìkara, a slave of my lusty desires.” Those who have become slaves to lusty desires should take lessons from these incidents. What is their fate? What have they gotten? Nasty Bodies Again Çrémad-Bhägavatam, 11.26.21-22: tvaì-mäàsa-rudhira-snäyua- medo-majjästhi-saàhatau viì-mütra-püye ramatäà kåméëäà kiyad antaram athäpi nopasajjeta stréçu straiëeñu cärtha-vit viñayendriya-saàyogän manaù kñubhyati nänyathä What is this body? It is constituted of skin, flesh, blood, marrow, bones, urine, stool; and kapha, väta, pitta—mucus, bile and air. This body is a bag filled with all these nasty things. Put all these nasty things in a bag and give it to someone to enjoy, “Now you enjoy it!” Will he enjoy? “Enjoy, enjoy, you nonsense!” You should understand what is this body filled with all nasty things: “I am such a fool, bereft of real knowledge and intelligence. I am enjoying such a nasty body, so what is the difference between myself and a worm in the stool?” A worm in the stool also enjoys. If you enjoy sex, enjoy this nasty body, then what is the difference between yourself and a worm in the stool? No difference. These are all teachings given in Çrémad-Bhägavatam. One who is really intelligent, wise, he should understand it very well. He should consider it so he will not at any cost associate with women and lusty persons. The mind becomes very fickle and restless, because of this sense enjoyment. Çrémad-Bhägavatam 9.19.17 says: mäträ svasrä duhiträ vä näviviktäsano bhavet balavän indriya-grämo vidväàsam api karñati “One should not allow oneself to sit on the same seat even with one's own mother, sister or daughter. For the senses are so strong that even though one is very advanced in knowledge, he may be still attracted by sex.” This is the instruction of Çrémad-Bhägavatam. Again Çrémad-Bhägavatam 11.8.7-8: drñövä striyaà deva-mäyäà tad-bhävair ajitendriyaù pralobhitaù pataty andhe tamasy agnau pataìga-vat A person who has not controlled his senses and mind, ajitendriyaù, as soon as he sees a woman, what happens to him? This desire for enjoyment immediately rises in his heart. He thinks, “This is the object of my enjoyment,” and runs after her, just as so many hundreds of insects, seeing a blazing fire, run there, thinking, “This is the object of our enjoyment.” As soon as they come in contact with the fire, what happens to them? They are burned, finished, because they have no knowledge. They are insects, bereft of knowledge, so this thing happens. You are human beings, you have knowledge. If you become devoid of knowledge, dragged by lusty desire, you cannot conquer this formidable enemy in the form of lust. You cannot conquer your stupid mind and senses. As soon as such a person sees a woman, immediately this desire crops up in his heart that it is the object of his enjoyment, and he runs behind her to enjoy her. He will have the same fate as the insects being exposed to the fire. Conquer this Enemy Take lessons from what the Bhägavatam teaches. You were married, you were kicked. Now you are thinking, “Again I will marry.” Such a shameless person! Afflicted by this formidable foe lust, he forgets everything. He is completely mad, completely blind. He has completely forgotten who he is. Purüravä was such a great emperor, what to speak of you! He forgot everything, and then he expressed, “I am such a fool.” You should take a lesson from it. We impart these lessons—we discuss Çrémad-Bhägavatam. This is a boon for human society. Bhägavatam has come to us, it has arisen here. It is the incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavän, who is our real well wishing friend. So a fool, bereft of knowledge, only he will be a däsa, a slave of lust. Otherwise, one who is intelligent should understand, “I am kåñëa-däsa. I should be a servant of Kåñëa, not a slave to my lusty desires. I should not become a puppet in the hands of a woman.” You should seriously understand this. Think of how to conquer this formidable foe named lust! Çastra gives instructions how we can conquer this lust. In Çrémad-Bhägavatam 11.26.15 Purüravä came to his senses and spoke like this: puàçcalyäpahåtam cittaà ko nv anyo mocituà prabhuù ätmärämeçvaram åte bhagaväntam adhokñajam “Who is there to help me. I am such a fool, a worm in stool. Because I have become a slave to my lusty desires I have become a doll in the hands of a woman, a heavenly prostitute, and I have completely forgotten my svarüpa. So who is there to help me now, to release me from this trap of the prostitute. My mind is completely trapped by Urvaçé.” Purüravä says, “Who is there in this world that can release me from this trap, who can release my mind from this prostitute. Only bhagavän, adhokñaja, ätmäräma-éçvara—the éçvara (master) of the ätmäräma-puruñas, the devotees—the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Hari, can release my mind from this trap of lusty desires. I cannot see anyone else in this world. Therefore, from this moment on I will engage myself in the bhajana of Lord Hari and give up everything.” Hari Bhajana This is a lesson for all conditioned souls in this world who have become slaves to their senses, especially lust. They should take this lesson. They should give up all these things and engage themselves in hari-bhajana hare kåñëa hare kåñëa kåñëa kåñëa hare hare hare räma hare räma räma räma hare hare If by the mercy of sädhu, çästra, guru, they can understand, they will engage their minds in hari-bhajana. Then mäyä cannot attract them. They will never be slaves to their lusty desires. They will get so much spiritual strength that they will be able to conquer this formidable foe in the form of lust. No other means is there. Those who are materialistic persons, who have not conquered their mind and senses, go-däsas—those who are slaves to their senses, should understand this thing. They are very weak, they have no strength. They are always keeping themselves in the lap of the witch mäyä, mäyä's bed. Other than service and hari-bhajana, no other means is there to conquer this enemy. One should develop a strong desire, greed—how to associate with sädhus, who are twenty-four hours, day and night, completely Kåñëa conscious, engaged in hari-bhajana. Hear more and more hari-kathä, kåñëa-kathä, from such sädhus. By this you will develop your Kåñëa consciousness and make advancement on this path, you will get spiritual strength. Then you will be able to conquer this formidable foe—lust. This is the only thing required. Otherwise no one is there to release you from this trap of mäyä. In Çrémad-Bhägavatam 5.5.1, Lord Åñabhadeva teaches: näyaà deho deha-bhäjäà nåloke kañöän kämän arhate viò-bhujäà ye tapo divyaà putrakä yena sattvaà çuddhyed yasmäd brahma-saukhyaà tv anantam Lord Åñabhadeva told his sons, “My dear boys, of all the living entities who have accepted material bodies in this world, one who has been awarded this human form, should not work hard day and night simply for sense gratification, which is available for dogs and hogs that eat stool. One should engage in penance and austerities to attain the divine position of devotional service. By such activity one's heart is purified and when one attains this position, he attains an eternal blissful life which is transcendental to material happiness and which continues forever.” The great devotee Yämunäcärya says: yad-avadhi mama cetah kåñëa-padäravinde nava-nava-rasa-dhämany udyataà rantum äsét tad-avadhi bata näré-sangame smaryamäne bhavati mukha-vikäraù suñöhu niñöhivanaà ca “Since I have been engaged in the transcendental loving service of Kåñëa, realizing ever-new pleasure in Him, whenever I think of sex pleasure I spit at the thought and my lips curl with distaste.” Yes. Spit at that desire. Spit at that thought. He says, “I am always engaged in the loving service of Bhagavän, all-beautiful Çyämasundara, Kåñëa, always engaged in His bhajana, chanting His holy name, hare kåñëa hare kåñëa kåñëa kåñëa hare hare hare räma hare räma räma räma hare hare. My whole body, mind, and speech—all my senses are engaged in the loving service of the ever fresh, new Cupid, transcendental Cupid, Madana-Mohana, Gopénätha, Çyämasundara. At every moment I get newer and newer transcendental pleasure and happiness. If by chance this nasty thought of sexual enjoyment enters into my mind, immediately my lips curl and I spit at the thought.” You should do like that. These are the instructions of Yämunäcärya, of the devotees, bhaktas, mahäjanas. This is akiïcana-bhakti, only such an akiïcana-bhakta, a completely surrendered devotee at the lotus feet of Madana-Mohana, can conquer this formidable foe in the form of lust. Otherwise, no one can conquer it. Transform Lust Into Kåñëa-prema Çrémad-Bhägavatam 4.22.39 says: yat-päda-paëkaja-paläça-viläsa-bhaktyä karmäçayaà grathitam udgrathayanti santaù tadvan na rikta-matayo yatayo 'pi ruddha- sroto-gaëäs tam araëam bhaja väsudevam “The devotees, who are always engaged in the service of the toes of the lotus feet of the Lord, can very easily overcome hard-knotted desires for fruitive activities. Because this is very difficult, the non-devotees—the jëänés and yogés—although trying to stop the waves of sense gratification, cannot do so. Therefore you are advised to engage in the devotional service of Kåñëa, the son of Väsudeva.” Serve the son of Väsudeva day and night, twenty-four hours, by body, mind, and speech. Engage all your senses in loving service to Kåñëa. This is the only means by which you can conquer this formidable foe in the name of lust. The same instruction was given by Mahäprabhu: ki çayane, ki bhojane kivä jägaraëe ahar-niça cinta kåñëä balaha vadane (CB. Madhya 28.28) Aho means day, niça means night. Day and night, twenty-four hours, think of Kåñëa. Cinta kåñëa balaha vadane. Utter His name day and night, twenty-four hours. In all conditions, waking, sleeping, even while taking food. Do not forget Krsna even for a moment. He is the transcendental Cupid, Madana-Mohana. If you are constantly attached to Him then you will be able to conquer this formidable foe in the form of lust. Otherwise there is no possibility at all. Mahäprabhu is prema-puruñottama, He came to give kåñëa-prema to us. Unless one develops kåñëa-prema he cannot be free from this trap and the attack of this formidable foe—lust. This is the only means. Transform this lust into love of Kåñëa. It is the only thing required. Transfer käma—lust into prema by chanting His holy name. Nämera ye mukhya-phala kåñëa-prema-dhana, niraparädhe näma laile päya prema-dhana—if your chanting is offenseless then definitely you will get kåñëa-prema. That is the chief result of chanting hare kåñëa hare kåñëa kåñëa kåñëa hare hare hare räma hare räma räma räma hare hare. As long as you have not developed kåñëa-prema you cannot free yourself from the attack of this formidable foe, lust. Therefore Mahäprabhu came and gave kåñëa-prema through chanting, and the gopés are the example. They have no tinge of lust. Prema. There is a difference between käma and prema—lust and love. Every jéva in this material world has the desire to enjoy. They are greatly selfish. They run after sense enjoyment. But those who are mahätmäs, great personalities, mahä-bhägavatas, great devotees, they run after giving pleasure and happiness to the senses of Kåñëa. They are not selfish, they are selfless. If someone forgets his own happiness, forgets giving pleasure to his own senses and body, then he can make rapid advancement on the path of devotional service. One who is completely forgetful of his own bodily enjoyment and comforts, he is a mahätmä. Day and night, twenty-four hours, he is engaged in giving all pleasure and enjoyment to the senses of Kåñëa. He is a mahä-bhägavata. He never thinks of his own pleasure. He always thinks of how to give pleasure and enjoyment to Kåñëa. Only such personalities are respected and worshiped by one and all. If you can make Kåñëa sit in your heart—then this thought will always be there, “How can I give more and more enjoyment and happiness to the senses of Kåñëa.” Then this desire for your own happiness and sensual enjoyment will leave you. This is the only means. Complete Surrender The gopés have no tinge of desire for their own sensual enjoyment. Day and night, twenty-four hours they are engaged in giving all pleasure and enjoyment to the senses of Kåñëa. Therefore they are worshipable by all. Therefore, Uddhava begged the dust from their lotus feet. It is mentioned in Caitanya-caritämåta, (Ädi 4.169-70,72 74-75). This is the special characteristic of the gopés: sarva-tyägä kari’ kare kåñëera bhajana kåñëa-sukha-hetu kare prema-sevana ihäke kahiye kåñëe dåòha anuräga svaccha dhauta-vastre yaiche nähi kona däga “The gopés have forsaken everything for the sake of rendering loving service to Kåñëa, for the sake of giving all pleasure and enjoyment to the senses of Kåñëa. They render loving service to Him only for His enjoyment. That is called firm attachment to Lord Kåñëa, anuräga. It is spotlessly pure, like a clean cloth that has no stain.” Like a very clean, snow-white piece of cloth without a tinge of stain, the gopés have no tinge of material desire. ataeva gopé-gaëera nähi käma-gandha kåñëa-sukha lägi mätra, kåñëa se sambandha “Thus there is not the slightest tinge of lust in the gopés love. Their relationship with Kåñëa is only for the sake of His enjoyment.” ätma-sukha-duùkhe gopéra nähika vicära kåñëa-sukha-hetu ceñöa mano-vyavahära kåñëa lägi’ ära saba kare parityäga kåñëa-sukha-hetu kare çuddha anuräga “The gopés do not care for their own pleasures or pains. All their physical and mental activities are directed toward offering enjoyment to Lord Kåñëa. They renounced everything for Kåñëa. They have pure attachment to giving Kåñëa pleasure.” Options Email Replies: emails sent to you whenever someone replies. Preview or Attach a File *If HTML and/or UBB Code are enabled, this means you can use HTML and/or UBB Code in your message. In response to Poster: krsnaRe: Guru's discipline is required, what should the disciple do when Guru passes away? Guru is Always ThereS.B.Class at New Talavan, Miss., USA on 17-05-1994IIf there had been a tinge of lust in them then such a great devotee as Uddhava would not have prayed for the dust of their lotus feet. No one can give up his bodily pleasure, enjoyment. The gopés had no tinge of lust, therefore they gave up everything. That is the special characteristic of the gopés. They gave up veda-dharma. They gave up deha-dharma—the necessities of the body; loka-dharma—the customs of the people; lajjä-dharma—shame and patience; deha-sukha— bodily pleasure; atma-sukha—?the happiness of the self; and even dustyaja-ärya-patha—the very difficult to give up path of varëäçrama. Their families, sons, daughters, husbands, father-in-laws, mother-in-laws—they gave up everything. This is sarva-dharmän parityajya mäm ekaà çaraëaà vraja, the last thing the Gétä says—“Abandoning all varieties of dharma, just surrender unto Me!” Who can surrender? Unless one develops pure kåñëa-prema he cannot surrender. The gopés are the example of complete surrender because they have no tinge of lust in their activities, in their heart. All their activities, their body, mind and speech, everything physical or mental, all are directed only toward giving pleasure to Kåñëa. Therefore they have abandoned all dharma, given up everything—veda-dharma, dharma of the body, dharma of the society—they have given up shame and become shameless. They are criticized in the society and they don't care. “Whatever they say, let them say. I don't care. They were criticized. “Oh! These are all prostitutes, shameless persons, women running at the dead of night to that boy Kåñëa.” They didn’t care, they didn't hear. “Let them speak. We don't care for it. Kåñëa is everything to us.” They have given up their shame, patience, bodily pleasure and enjoyment. It is very difficult to give up this family shackle. A housewife cannot cross the threshold. This is, how you say, social dharma, dharma of a housewife. Nevertheless, they gave up this dharma, which is very difficult to give up. They gave it up because of kåñëa-prema. Unless one develops kåñëa-prema he cannot be completely surrendered. Therefore, we say, without kåñëa-prema your so-called surrender is either artificial, partial or conditional. That means you are not surrendered at all. No one is surrendered as long as he has a tinge of lust in him. He is a pretender, only posing. Everyone here is prepared to give up everything for his own name, fame and prestige. Even he will risk his own life! “My name will be printed in history if I conquer this highest peak, if I climb up Mt. Everest.” He risks his life because of this, isn't it? He takes part in the swimming competition of the English Channel. “Yes, my name will be printed in bold letters in the pages of the newspaper. ‘He is a great swimmer.’” Though ferocious animals are there such as sharks, crocodiles, and whales who can devour him, still he takes part in the swimming competition of the English channel because of this name, fame and prestige. One should give up all these things. But who can give up all these things for the sake of Kåñëa? There is no such instances in the history of the world of persons who were able to give up all these dharmas: deha-dharma (dharma of the body), loka-dharma or samaja-dharma (dharma of the society), dharma of the mind (their shame, patience), and the family bondage to son and daughter. The gopés gave up everything for Kåñëa. They are really surrendered souls. This is a completely new affair in the history of the world, those who have developed pure love for Kåñëa, strong attachment to Kåñëa. Only they can give up everything, otherwise no one can give it up. There is no tinge of lust in them. It is pure love only. The example is given of a snow-white, clean piece of cloth. There is no tinge of stain at all. They are like that, and only such persons can conquer this formidable foe lust. This is the lesson. Lust is such a formidable foe these are its horrible consequences. The examples are there in the day to day world. Kåñëa says in Gétä: jahi çatruà mahä-bäho käma-rüpam duräsadam (Bg.3.43) Conquer this formidable foe of lust! If one can conquer lust, then he becomes a great personality, a mahätmä, a mahapuruña. He will be respected, and worshiped by one and all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krsna Posted May 26, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 26, 2005 Devotee: One who has laukika-sraddha has to act under the guidance of one who has sastriya-sraddha? Gour Govinda Swami: Yes. He should have a guru, a bonafide Vaisnava guru. He should do bhajana under such expert guidance. He should not act whimsically. Unless you have guru, how can you preach? Sravana kirtana, preaching means kirtana. Unless one has heard from a bonafide guru, what will he preach? What he has heard, he will say that thing. "I have heard this from authorities, from my guru." Preaching is another name for sravana, another name for hearing. What I've heard I'm repeating. Therefore, only one who has heard, he can preach and do kirtana. Otherwise who can do kirtana? One who has not heard, what will he say, and who will hear all those nasty things? - 'A Society Without Envy' (Q&A Session). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 28, 2005 Report Share Posted May 28, 2005 PURE DEVOTEE'S KICK In his commentary on Caitanya-bhagavata (adi 17.154-158) Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Prabhupada says that even the mere desire for niskapata-krpa is rarely found in conditioned souls. He says that the only hope for most is to get the merciful kick of a pure devotee: "The community of arrogant persons will take millions and millions of births to understand Vrindavan Das Thakur's causeless mercy, so until their offenses are exhausted they will never have the opportunity to receive a kick on the head from the sanctified all-auspicious feet of a pure vaisnava. Even the genuine desire for receiving the niskapata-daya, non-duplicitous mercy of a pure vaisnava, is a rare commodity for ignorant mundane sinful people, pious fruitive workers, or mental speculators. Living entities who are averse to Hari, Guru, and vaisnava have not accumulated sufficient piety in their previous lifetimes, nor have thousands of their forefathers accumulated sufficient piety, that they are qualified to receive the all-auspicious kick from the lotus feet of the pure, transcendental, ultimate-benefit-awarding lotus feet of Thakur Vrindavan. The moment that dust from the lotus feet of a pure vaisnava will fall on the heads of sinful persons, that very moment they will become free from all material contamination and deceit and thus become proprietors of the wealth of devotional service." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krsna Posted May 28, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 28, 2005 Krsna das post above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krsna Posted June 21, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2005 "This is guru-tattva. The guru is a premi-bhakta, who has attained krsna-prema, and who is a very dear intimate associate of Krsna. He is a radha-priya-sakhi, a dear girl companion of Srimati Radharani, who is very expert in this business of uniting Radha and Krsna in the kunjas of Vraja." - The Last Limit of Bhakti, p.39-40. "Narottama dasa Thakura sings, 'The conjugal loving lilas between Radha and Krsna are very deep and confidential. How can I understand such deep and confidential tattva unless I get the mercy of Rupa and Raghunatha?' "They know it because they are premi-bhaktas. And without the mercy of such dearmost, intimate devotees of Krsna, nobody can understand this. Thus Krsna keeps all this tattva with His dear devotees, that is guru. And unless one meets such a guru, approaches such a guru, he cannot receive that tattva-jnana, and thus he will not be able to understand the confidential lila-tattva of Radha and Krsna." - The Last Limit of Bhakti, p.46-47 "By the mercy of dear devotees of Lord Hari like Brahma, Narada, Vyasa and Suka this krsna-katha, bhagavata-katha has come to us. Then there are the dear devotees of Gauranga Mahaprabhu such as Rupa Goswami, Sanatana Goswami, Svarupa Damodara Goswami, they have all brought us this krsna-katha, bhagavata-katha, the topics related to the loving kingdom of Krsna, prema-rajera-katha, they have brought it. "They are very merciful, otherwise without the mercy of such dear devotees, maha-bhagavatas, premi-bhaktas, how would all this transcendental krsna-katha, bhagavata-katha be available in this material world?" The Last Limit of Bhakti, p.48 "Krsna is completely under Radha, He does not belong to anyone else but Radharani. So without Radharani's mercy, how can you get the opportunity to serve Krsna?" - The Last Limit of Bhakti, p.52 "That Gurudeva is radha-priya-sakhi, a very dear girl companion of Radharani. And so guru-seva is srimatir-seva. To serve guru means to serve Radharani, because he is very dear to Radharani, radha-priya-sakhi. Service to Radharani means service to guru and service to guru means service to Radharani, this is the tattva. To become the servitor of guru means to become the servitor of Radharani and thus to become the servitor of Krsna. This is the tattva." - The Last Limit of Bhakti, p.55 "If one can become free from duplicity and develops simplicity in one's heart and soul and one's body also, and takes shelter at the lotus feet of guru and serves him without duplicity, then one will get the mercy of that guru and one will find a place at the lotus feet of Krsna, otherwise one cannot. Serve gurupada-padma without duplicity, niskapata-seva, with your heart and soul, then you will get the mercy of the guru as a result of which you will have a place at the lotus feet of Krsna. He will take you to the lotus feet of Krsna." - The Last Limit of Bhakti, p.59-60 "In radha-prema there is visa-amrtar-milana. When there is milana, union, it is very sweet, milanananda madhu. But when there is separation it is very acute; very painful burning like poison. Two opposites are there. Poison is there and nectar is there. Outside there is the burning of poison, such acute pangs of separation, burning like poison. That is outside, but inside there is immense pleasure. Outside burning, inside immense pleasure. Two opposites. This is adbhuta, the wonderful characteristic of krsna-prema. "To relish this krsna-prema is like chewing very hot sugarcane. The mouth is burning but there is such sweetness that you cannot leave it. Two opposites; the mouth is burning, chewing hot hot sugarcane but you do not want to leave it, although it is burning. It is such and one who has relished such prema, he knows how it is." - The Last Limit of Bhakti, p.77-78 "What to speak of others, this prema is not with any other gopi. It is only with Radharani, because Radharani is madanakhya mahabhava-mayi. No one is madanakhya mahabhava-mayi because this mahabhava is only Her asset. Not the asset of any gopi. Krsna has no right to it. This asset, mahabhava, is only Radharani's. Krsna is the visaya, so how can He have that right to Radharnai's asset, mahabhava? Krsna is visaya so Krsna has no right to it. "Therefore Krsna developed greed how to get it. So Krsna assumed radhabhava and came as Gauranga to have it. And Krsna is the Supreme Thief. He is very expert in theft, stealing, so He stole it. He stole it from Radharani and became Gaura. This is prema." - The Last Limit of Bhakti, p.80-81 "And Gaurasundara is radha-bhava-dyuti-suvalitam. Radha-bhava is predominating in Gaurasundara. gaura anga nahe mora - radhanga sparsana vrajendra suta vina tenho na sparse anya-jana - CC Madhya 8.287 "What does He say, this is His own statement. 'This is not the body of Gaura, this is the body of Radha,' Gaura says this thing. 'Only Vrajendra-suta, the son of Nanda Maharaja can touch this body. Nobody else can touch this body.' "So radhabhava is predominating in Gaura. In our guru-parampara, when Gaura comes then Radha comes. That guru-parampara in which Gaura comes is Radha's parampara. This is guru-tattva, because in Gaurasundara radhabhava is predominating. So those who are gauranugas, followers of Gaura, they are radhanugas, because radhabhava is predominating in Gaura, this is gaudiya-guru-dhara." - The Last Limit of Bhakti, p.57 "Krsna is the Absolute Truth, advaya-jnana-tattva, the Supreme Truth, parama-tattva. And so is Caitanya, also advaya-tattva but one addition is there, that is bhakti-naipunya, 'the last limit of bhakti,' prema-bhakti. If prema-bhakti is added to Krsna, that is Caitanya. Therefore Sacinandana Gauranga is the Supreme Absolute Truth, parama-tattva, Bhagavan but with bhakti-naipunya added to it. That is Gauranga, and in the Gauranga form you find two things combined together. What are those? Sambhoga and vipralambha. These two things combined together, that is Gauranga. And that is bhakti-naipunya, 'the last limit of bhakti.'" - The Last Limit of Bhakti, p.87 "Such wonderful lilas, very mysterious and inconceivable. This Gaura-tattva is a very deep and confidential tattva. It is the highest and very, very confidential. Therefore it is said to be the postgraduate study and only students of the postgraduate class can understand, otherwise nobody can understand it. So this course is there, and two lectures are there every week. Anyone can come and hear, just hear but if he is not a student of the postgraduate class he cannot understand it. Anyway, sit and let it touch your ear, then that is beneficial. The time will come that you can understand it, and in your heart you should cry for that, kabe ha'be bolo se-dina amar. "'When will that auspicious day come in my life that I can understand this thing, so that I can relish it? I can become ecstatic, dance and roll and shed tears and be overwhelmed with that bhava, drowned and intoxicated.' "You should feel like that, cry cry! Therefore we speak such things, just to put you in such a condition of crying." - The Last Limit of Bhakti, p.93 "Unless we get the mercy of the Vaisnavas we cannot understand Mahaprabhu's lila, krsna-tattva. So first we do guru-vandana and then vaishnava-gana. Vande gurun isa-bhaktan: 'I offer my respectful obeisances unto the spiritual masters and the devotees of the Lord.' This is the process. "First I pay my obeisances at the lotus feet of the Vaisnavas, the dear devotees of Mahaprabhu residing in Vrndavana. I worship their lotus feet. Falling flat on the ground, I worship the feet of the associates of Mahaprabhu, the Vaisnavas residing in Nilacala, Jagannatha Puri Dhama. I worship the feet of one and all the devotees of Mahaprabhu in Navadvipa. "This is humility, invoking the mercy of all Vaisnavas. I worship the lotus feet of one and all of Mahaprabhu's devotees residing in Gauda-desa, Gaura-mandala Bhumi, the Gaura-bhaktas. They may be residing in any corner of the world, Western country or Eastern country, wherever they are, raising my hands I pay dandavats at their lotus feet. The devotees in the present, past and future - those who will become devotees of Gauranga Mahaprabhu in the future - I worship the feet of one and all of them, catching a straw between my teeth." - Sadhu-sanga, The Birthplace of Bhakti, p.10 "Prior to the darsana of Sri Guru we are ill-fated. We had only bad fortune. The day we met Sri Guru, sad-guru, good fortune arose. If someone gets an opportunity to meet such a guru his material bondage starts to be destroyed. When his material bondage is destroyed then he gets the opportunity to have the darsana of Sri Guru, mahatma, maha-bhagavata. "Such a jiva is bhagyavan, fortunate. Having already wandered through lakhs and lakhs of brahmandas, the ill-fated jiva experiences only misfortune. Now he has become fortunate, he has gotten the darsana of a maha-bhagavata, krsna-prestha, a dear devotee of Krsna." - Sadhu-sanga, The Birthplace of Bhakti, p.18 "Gurudeva speaks krsna-katha, so you see the guru through your ears, not through your eyes. Through the ear, through vani he makes Krsna enter into you." - Sadhu-sanga, The Birthplace of Bhakti, p.20 "One should understand what is the meaning of sri-guru-carana-padma. These words 'sri-guru' are very significant. What is the meaning of sri? Sri means sobha, sampada, srestha. Sri means beauty, it means transcendental wealth and it also means the topmost. These are the meanings of sri. "Then what is the meaning of sri-guru? Sri-guru refers to that guru who is endowed with sri; that is prema-bhakti. And this word 'sri' is only applicable to a guru who is always manifest. It is not that guru is ever unmanifest. There is no question of his disappearance. He is eternally manifest and thus he is called Sri Guru. Therefore this word 'sri' is used; otherwise this word cannot be used." Sadhu-sanga, The Birthplace of Bhakti, p.29 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krsna Posted June 27, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2005 How to Find a Sadhu? Questions and Answers with Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja Devotee: How does one recognize a sadhu? Gour Govinda Swami: Cry before Krishna. Only He can help you to find a sadhu. You can’t recognize a sadhu. You have no vision to see the sadhu. If you try by yourself to recognize sadhu, then you will be cheated. If you are serious, then cry before Him. “O Krishna! I am your servant!” ayi nanda-tanuja kinkaram patitam mam visame bhavambudhau krpaya tava .-pankaja- stita-dhuli-sadrsam vicintaya Mahaprabhu has taught us this. This is crying before Krishna. “O nanda-tanuja, son of Nanda Maharaja, I am your kinkara, your sevant. Somehow or other I am fallen here in this dreadful ocen of material existence and I have been drowning from time immemorial. But I want to serve you. How can I serve you? How can I become a speck of dust at Your lotus feet? Please help me.” Just cry. Without the help of sadhu you cannot approach Krishna. You can’t utter Krishna’s name. When you cry like that, Krishna is there in your heart as paramatma. He will say, “Oh now he is crying for Me.” Then he makes an arrangement. This is the proper way. If by your own effort you try to recognize a sadhu, you will be cheated. You can’t see a sadhu. You have no vision at all. You see only all outward, external things. You can’t see the real thing. There are many persons who are only outwardly sadhus. You will be enchanted by their external activities: “Oh, he is a great sadhu! Yes, he is producing gold!” You will be cheated. You can’t get a real sadhu [in this way]. A real sadhu is one who is competely absorbed in Krishna, day and night, twenty-four hours. He has gotten Krishna. He is with Krishna. He can give you Krishna. You can’t see him. You have no vision. Only you can cry for Krishna from the core of your heart. This is not an external cry. It is internal. Then Krishna, who is in your heart, will see that you are crying and he will help you. He will make arrangement for you to meet such a sadhu. That is the arrangement of Krishna. When you meet such a person you will feel some spontaneous attraction from the core of your heart. That attraction is the proof. Devotee: To meet a sadhu is so rare. How can one get the opportunity? Gour Govinda Swami: It’s a fact that it is rare, but if you are really crying for it then Krishna can make an arrangement. It is impossible for you, but nothing is impossible for Krishna. --Home program in Vancouver, Canada: May 1993 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krsna Posted June 28, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2005 Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, First Chapter, describing the spiritual masters , 46 "One should know the acarya as Myself and never disrespect him in any way. One should not envy him, thinking him an ordinary man, for he is the representative of all the demigods." Srila Prabhupada teaches us : This is a verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.17.27) spoken by Lord Krsna when He was questioned by Uddhava regarding the four social and spiritual orders of society. He was specifically instructing how a brahmacari should behave under the care of a spiritual master. A spiritual master is not an enjoyer of facilities offered by his disciples. He is like a parent. Without the attentive service of his parents, a child cannot grow to manhood; similarly, without the care of the spiritual master one cannot rise to the plane of transcendental service. The spiritual master is also called acarya, or a transcendental professor of spiritual science. The Manu-samhita (2.140) explains the duties of an acarya, describing that a bona fide spiritual master accepts charge of disciples, teaches them the Vedic knowledge with all its intricacies, and gives them their second birth. The ceremony performed to initiate a disciple into the study of spiritual science is called upaniti, or the function that brings one nearer to the spiritual master. One who cannot be brought nearer to a spiritual master cannot have a sacred thread, and thus he is indicated to be a sudra. The sacred thread on the body of a brahmana, ksatriya or vaisya is a symbol of initiation by the spiritual master; it is worth nothing if worn merely to boast of high parentage. The duty of the spiritual master is to initiate a disciple with the sacred thread ceremony, and after this samskara, or purificatory process, the spiritual master actually begins to teach the disciple about the Vedas. A person born a sudra is not barred from such spiritual initiation, provided he is approved by the spiritual master, who is duly authorized to award a disciple the right to be a brahmana if he finds him perfectly qualified. In the Vayu Purana an acarya is defined as one who knows the import of all Vedic literature, explains the purpose of the Vedas, abides by their rules and regulations, and teaches his disciples to act in the same way. Only out of His immense compassion does the Personality of Godhead reveal Himself as the spiritual master. Therefore in the dealings of an acarya there are no activities but those of transcendental loving service to the Lord. He is the Supreme Personality of Servitor Godhead. It is worthwhile to take shelter of such a steady devotee, who is called asraya-vigraha, or the manifestation or form of the Lord of whom one must take shelter. If one poses himself as an acarya but does not have an attitude of servitorship to the Lord, he must be considered an offender, and this offensive attitude disqualifies him from being an acarya. The bona fide spiritual master always engages in unalloyed devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. By this test he is known to be a direct manifestation of the Lord and a genuine representative of Sri Nityananda Prabhu. Such a spiritual master is known as acaryadeva. Influenced by an envious temperament and dissatisfied because of an attitude of sense gratification, mundaners criticize a real acarya. In fact, however, a bona fide acarya is nondifferent from the Personality of Godhead, and therefore to envy such an acarya is to envy the Personality of Godhead Himself. This will produce an effect subversive of transcendental realization. As mentioned previously, a disciple should always respect the spiritual master as a manifestation of Sri Krsna, but at the same time one should always remember that a spiritual master is never authorized to imitate the transcendental pastimes of the Lord. False spiritual masters pose themselves as identical with Sri Krsna in every respect to exploit the sentiments of their disciples, but such impersonalists can only mislead their disciples, for their ultimate aim is to become one with the Lord. This is against the principles of the devotional cult. The real Vedic philosophy is acintya-bhedabheda-tattva, which establishes everything to be simultaneously one with and different from the Personality of Godhead. Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami confirms that this is the real position of a bona fide spiritual master and says that one should always think of the spiritual master in terms of his intimate relationship with Mukunda (Sri Krsna). Srila Jiva Gosvami, in his Bhakti-sandarbha (213), has clearly defined that a pure devotee's observation of the spiritual master and Lord Siva as one with the Personality of Godhead exists in terms of their being very dear to the Lord, not identical with Him in all respects. Following in the footsteps of Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami and Srila Jiva Gosvami, later acaryas like Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura have confirmed the same truths. In his prayers to the spiritual master, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura confirms that all the revealed scriptures accept the spiritual master to be identical with the Personality of Godhead because he is a very dear and confidential servant of the Lord. Gaudiya Vaisnavas therefore worship Srila Gurudeva (the spiritual master) in the light of his being the servitor of the Personality of Godhead. In all the ancient scriptures of devotional service and in the more recent songs of Srila Narottama dasa Thakura, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and other unalloyed Vaisnavas, the spiritual master is always considered either one of the confidential associates of Srimati Radharani or a manifested representation of Srila Nityananda Prabhu. ******************************************* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krsna Posted July 2, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2005 Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja Part two It is said in aditya Purana: harau ru e gurus trata gurau ru ... If Lord Hari is displeased, gurudeva can deliver you, But ...— if gurudeva is displeased, then Lord Hari cannot deliver you. Therefore one who is intelligent should serve guru at any cost and please him. Then he will get all pleasure, mercy of the Supreme Lord. .— Srimad Bhagavatam lecture, Bhubaneswar, 21 April 1992. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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