28 February 2020

Realize ,You have come back home!

Hare Krishna !You are all welcome in this Dhama also. Although, there is nothing like this Dhama or that Dhama. There is only one Dhama. Especially for our upliftment, Lord manifests himself and his Dhama.

brahmānda bhramite kona
bhāgyavān jīva
guru-krsna-prasāde pāya
bhakti-latā-bīja

Translation:
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. (Caitanya-caritamrita Madhya 19.151)

Those who have become fortunate to go back to Godhead, for such ladies and gentlemen, the Lord has extended his Dhama. We had also heard this when there was the Adhivas ceremony of the Parikrama, “This Dhama has been created by Srimati Radharani”. H.H.Bhakti Purushottama Swami Maharaja was sharing this. There is Parikrama Khanda and other is Praman Khanda which gives reference about it. Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur has also written in Praman Khanda that Navadvipa Dhama has been created by Srimati Radharani.

karunam kuru mayi karuna-bharite
sanaka-sanatana-varnaita-carite

Translation:
O, You who are filled with compassion! O, You whose divine characteristics are described by the great sages Sanaka and Sanatana! O Radha, please be merciful to me! (Verse 3, Radhe jaya jaya, Vaisnava Song)

Radharani’s compassion has manifested in the form of this Dhama to give shelter to the bewildered souls of this world.

paras tasmāt tu bhāvo ‘nyo
‘vyakto ‘vyaktāt sanātanah
yah sa sarvesu bhūtesu
naśyatsu na vinaśyati

Translation:
Yet there is another unmanifest nature, which is eternal and is transcendental to this manifested and unmanifested matter. It is supreme and is never annihilated. When all in this world is annihilated, that part remains as it is. (Bhagavad-Gita 8.20)

Krsna has said in Bhagavad-Gita that there is creation, maintenance and destruction. Sometimes it is created and annihilated. But there is one more Dhama which is beyond these changes.

na tad bhāsayate sūryo
na śaśānko na pāvakah
yad gatvā na nivartante
tad dhāma paramam mama

Translation:
That supreme abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by fire or electricity. Those who reach it never return to this material world. (Bhagavad-Gita15.6)

Once we go there, we never come back. While drinking milk, if it burns our lips then when we drink milk the next time, we will be careful. Once bitten twice shy. When living, while always getting humiliated and troubled then one always remembers it and decides never to return to this world.

Radharani has created this Dhama. Navadvipa is known as Audarya Dhama and Vrndavana is Madhurya Dham. Audarya is because of Radharani. Now those who are chanting with us have reached over here in Navadvipa.
Yesterday, I joined the Russian party in Parikrama in Naimisaranya. In Navadvipa, all the tirthas or Dhamas are there. All the Dhamas are inside one Dhama. Hence, it is said that if you circumambulate this Dhama then you have done Parikrama of all the Dhamas. Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur has said that a person who rejects such a Parikrama is a rascal who thinks of going to another Dhama.

sa vai pumsām paro dharmo
yato bhaktir adhoksaje
ahaituky apratihatā
yayātmā suprasīdati

Translation:
The supreme occupation [dharma] for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self. (Srimad Bhagavatam 1.2.6)

This is the reason for all souls to take up Krishna Consciousness. I told the Russian party to wake up and understand that you are back in Bhagavat Dhama (back to Godhead). Realize this. We don’t realize that while we are in Dhama. There is some consciousness that we booked tickets from Mauritius, came by plane, train or boat then walked over here in Mayapur but we don’t fully realize that we have reached Dhama.

Srila Prabhupada would say that you cannot reach the Dhama by any airplane. You can take your body. But one needs a mood like when Akrura went to Vrindavan Dhama from Mathura. That is the way to go to the Dhama. His journey is famous for his mood. He didn’t only take his body, but also his mind there. Sometimes we take our body to the Dhama but our mind sticks to our family. Russian devotees were given a reminder to realize that you have come back home, back to Godhead. This is full fledged Bhagavat Dhama. This is Goloka itself.

Here is the original Naimisaranya. Lucknow has its manifestation. When Suta Goswami was narrating Bhagavad katha in Naimisaranya, 88 thousand sages were there headed by Saunak Muni. On behalf of all the sages, Saunak Muni was asking the questions to Suta Goswami. Naimisaranya is the land of sages. Naimisaranya is in Madhya dvipa of Navadvipa where sapta rushi (seven sages) came by the order of Brahma. Sapta rishis are the sons of Brahma. There’s a pastime on this. Madhya dvipa is known for smarana. Simanta dvipa is known for sravana, Godrume dvipa is known for kirtana . Sapta rishis meditated over there. As they followed all the things which Brahma asked them to do, Lord gave them darsana at noon time (Madhyanha). That’s why that dvipa is called Madhya Dvipa. Gauranga Mahaprabhu also performs kirtana at noon time. That’s why it is also called Madhya dwip.

I told the Russian devotees that Russia was a place of sages or rishis or rusyaha. The Russian party was the first to be sent to Naimisaranya where seven sages had assembled as ancestors of the Russian devotees. It was very appropriate for them to go over there. There were so called Russian devotees. Devotees cannot be termed Russian, Bengali, Canadian or French. Hence, we say so called. Body is not devotee, but the devotee is the soul. Body is sand only. Hair and skin do not make up devotees. It’s just a combination of 5 elements which we call the body. The soul is the real devotee. Devotees cannot be Russian, Australian or Negro. This is body business.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare

The number of participants have increased to 444. When we chant, then all our differences gets dissolved. We don’t care and remember which face from which country has come in front of us. In the Hare Krishna movement, all misconceptions are dissolved. Srila Prabhupada would say that Krsna consciousness is clear consciousness.

Go on chanting and dancing. Chant, dance and eat.

Nitai Gaur Premanande Hari Haribol!

27th February 2020

Zero difference between Nama and Nami

You all are welcome!
Some of the devotees have gone on parikrama. Not some, but 10000 devotees have set off today on parikrama. You all are on this conference which I can see. You are in your comfort zone. I can see that. You are enjoying Kirtana mela or zoom conference. Here from 440 places devotees are chanting. You have not left your comfort zone, but with the help of the internet you are getting the best of both worlds. Do parikrama sitting at home , or observe parikrama, attend kirtana mela and also zoom conference being at home.

khāite śuite yathā tathā nāma laya
kāla-deśa-niyama nāhi, sarva siddhi haya

Translation:
“Regardless of time or place, one who chants the holy name, even while eating or sleeping, attains all perfection. ( Caitanya-caritamrita Antya 20.18)

It is said this way that keep chanting while eating or while sleeping, but this doesn’t mean that we should sleep while chanting. This is the Tarak mantra , which is Yugadharma. Devotees are chatting on the conference that they liked the Kirtana Mela.

Yesterday we had gone to Yogapitha where devotees accepted the resolution. We went to Yogapitha and celebrated Adhivasa of parikrama over there. To prepare for the parikrama, get mentally ready for it and have the determination for it is termed Adhivasa. Yesterday a few devotees observed how the name of the Lord will take us to His abode. We can understand this much that name of the Lord will take us surely to His abode. Who brought all those devotees who have arrived here for Mayapur festival, for parikrama or for Kirtana Mela? Harinama brought them here. They received Harinama in their respective countries, then they started chanting. Then they started becoming determined, ‘We will go! We will go! We will go one day to Mayapur!’ I always keep saying, ‘ Nama se dhama tak.’ Bengali speaking devotees know this. From name to the abode of the Lord. The name of the Lord will transfer us to the abode of the Lord.

Name is the Lord himself. Don’t think it is just a name. Such thinking is not good it is insufficient and full of ignorance. The name which helps us reach the dhama is the Lord himself.

nāma cintāmaṇiḥ kṛṣṇaś
caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ
pūrṇaḥ śuddho nitya-mukto
‘bhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ

Translation:
The holy name of Kṛṣṇa is transcendentally blissful. It bestows all spiritual benedictions, for it is Kṛṣṇa Himself, the reservoir of all pleasure. Kṛṣṇa’s name is complete, and it is the form of all transcendental mellows. It is not a material name under any condition, and it is no less powerful than Kṛṣṇa Himself. Since Kṛṣṇa’s name is not contaminated by the material qualities, there is no question of its being involved with māyā. Kṛṣṇa’s name is always liberated and spiritual; it is never conditioned by the laws of material nature. This is because the name of Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa Himself are identical. (Caitanya-caritamrita Madhya 17.133)

This is siddhant. Nama itself is touchstone. Nama cintamani Caitanya. It is full of consciousness( chetana). It revives our consciousness. We are like dead matter in this universe. But chetan means full of life, full of consciousness. Harinama infuses life in us. Prananti punanti shubhanti as explained in the Bhagavatam. All this takes place when we chant. When we do kirtana thenwe get pran, or we achieve our prannath. Otherwise we are simply living without observing simple living. We are simply living, simply going on living without a trace of life in it. In our lives there is no life, no consciousness, no enthusiasm , no divinity, no greatness, just living.

Ahara-nidra-bhaya-maithunam cha
samanam_etat_pashubhir_naranam |
dharmo hi tesham adhiko vishesho
dharmena hInah pashubhih samanah||

Translation:
Food, sleep, fear and mating, these acts of humans are similar to animals’ |
of them (humans), dharma (right conduct) is the only special thing, without dharma humans are also animals. (Chanakya)

Life consisting of only eating, sleeping, fearing and mating is equal to animal life. There are no emotions or higher consciousness. People still live life like this without any Krsna consciousness. So prananti – when we chant and do kirtana of

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare

then we are infused with life. Jaan me Jaan aa jati hai. nāma cintāmaṇiḥ kṛṣṇaś caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ Harinam is a big reservoir of Rasa. There was a Muslim poet named Ras Khan. He is also a soul. caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ – glories of Harinama have been explained by this. nāma cintāmaṇiḥ kṛṣṇaś caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ I also explained that it is the reservoir of all the Rasas. raso vai sah Truly, the Lord is rasa (Taittiriya Upanishad 2.7.1)

The Lord is the origin of all the rasas. Akhil rasamrit Sindhu is Lord. Harinama is same as there is no difference of even a smallest unit of difference between the Lord and His name. There is zero difference between Lord and his name. Harinama is the Lord himself. Then further it is said about the mahamantra. It is pure.When we come in contact with pure , we also will become pure. It is said krsna suryasam maya hai andhakar.

The Sun is up in the sky, but wherever his rays reach all those places get purified. Even all the dirty places where stool and urine is dropped become purified by the rays of the Sun. If the Sun’s rays had not have reached there, then those places would have become horrible. But in the morning the sun rays reach such places and it gets purified. The Lord’s name also does a similar function. A as mind gives rise to the dirt and garbage in our mind and thoughts, or low thinking, sinful mentality all are purified by Harinama. Nama of Hari is eternal, pure, liberating ( mukta). Is the Sun is liberated? No one can put the Sun under any regulations, similarly Harinama is always mukta, independent. Nitya suddha mukta , purna. Harinama is complete. The way it is said about the Lord in Sri Isopanishad

oṁ pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇam idaṁ
pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate
pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya
pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate

Translation:
The Personality of Godhead is perfect and complete, and because He is completely perfect, all emanations from Him, such as this phenomenal world, are perfectly equipped as complete wholes. Whatever is produced of the Complete Whole is also complete in itself. Because He is the Complete Whole, even though so many complete units emanate from Him, He remains the complete balance. ( Sri Isopanishad text 0.2)

The Lord is complete. What is said at the end of previous sloka? bhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ At which all levels is there abhinatva? ‘bhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ there is no difference between Nama and Nami. What is proved by this which we are discussing for the last 15 minutes? What is the principle? bhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ, this is the principle. Nama and Nami are non different. Nama means Harinama and one to whom the name belongs is Nami. Nama and to whom the nama belongs are non different.

In the beginning I mention that the Nama of the Lord brings us to the Dhama or abode of the Lord. When we are sitting here in the dhama , then we have to agree with this. Who brought us over here? It is the name of the Lord that brought us to the dhama of the Lord.

At least once in their lives Hare Krsna devotees should come to Mayapur, and at least once they should do Navadvipa-Mandala Parikrama. And then we come again and again as we start getting addicted to it we don’t want to go back. Who will like to leave Mayapur Dhama and go back?

Like this keep chanting and preach. Bring others also to Mayapur. For this the International Society for Krishna consciousness is established. Gauranga Mahaprabhu has got it done by Srila Prabhupad. It’s the desire of the Lord that we all should return to Him. Lord also wants to get us back. The soul wants to go back to Krsna, but even Krsna wants to get the souls back. All those misdirected souls who have forgotten Him. The Lord wants to reestablish a relationship with them. For this reason He appears. 500 years back the Lord came from Goloka to Mayapur and He did a lot of effort which we call lila. The objective of such pastimes is to attract more and more souls back to Him. In all these pastimes which the Sankirtana pastimes are the supreme pastimes. Caitanya Mahaprabhu wanted that Sankirtana movement to be spread all over, for which this Krsna Consciousness movement has been started. We all have come in contact with this movement. Because of this all of you are here. Because of this all of you are chanting at your respective places. All this has become possible due to this movement. All of you are preachers, so go on preaching and then send more and more souls to Mayapur and you also come. Keep chanting.

I have to go on Parikrama. Today I will be joining the Russian devotees group in 30 to 45 minutes. There will be Katha in Naimisaranya. Russian devotees will be in Naimisaranya. All dhamas are over here. This place is all in one.

Gaur Premanande Hari Haribol!

25th February 2020

Acquiring Transcendental Knowledge

Hare Krishna.

Today there are 486 participants.Welcome you all. When there is kirtan mela then the number of participants increase.Yesterday there were more than 1000 participants. Don’t think that only those who were present in temple were part of kirtana mela. Narahari from Osmanabad is having his birthday today. You also will have your birthday someday. So happy birthday to you! What do we say in English? We say, “You may never take birth again”. Isn’t this good? Please share your thoughts or realisations, experience or comments regarding chanting? Are you having any special experience while chanting? I keep on speaking, you may also speak. We are not always distinct.

In Navadvipa Mayapur, there are 9 islands which are formed with rivers flowing in be-tween. Dvipa is island. Generally they are in the middle of the ocean. Like Dwaraka or Mauritius which is in middle of Indian Ocean. In Navadvipa, Ganga and Yamuna flow next to each other. We can only see the Ganga. There are 5 rivers that is why it is called pan-caveni. There is triveni in Allahabad. And pancaveni is in Mayapur dhama. Veni means braid. In Modern times, ladies don’t have braided hairs.In a veni the hairs are criss-cross. In the Same way, the rivers are criss-cross in Mayapur. Mandakini , Alakananda, Ganga ,Yamuna, Saraswati and they are the cause of the separation of the land here and there. There is Gaura bridge from where we can see all 5 rivers. It seems that there are only 2 riv-ers, but actually there are 5 rivers. Transcendental knowledge is never lost. It gets covered.

evam parampara-praptam
imam rajarsayo viduh
sa kaleneha mahata
yogo nastah parantapa

Translation:
This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way. But in course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is appears to be lost. [BG 4.2]

Sometimes rivers are covered and sometimes they are visible. Those who have Dhama re-alisation can see. Jalangi River should be Jalangri. Pankajangri Prabhu? Pankaja means lo-tus. Angri means feet. Jalangri means water which flows from the lotus feet of the Lord. Knowledge is not different from the Lord. In the same way the Lord has become water. So it is transcendental.

śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ sakhyam ātma-nivedanam

Parikrama means padasevanam. So navavidha bhakti is one of which is padasevanam. A humble attitude has to be there and then we do kirtana. Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur had spoken regarding bhavas. When will I chant and dance along banks of river Ganges? When will I eat prasad by begging alms? So this is an introduction. This is play of bhava.

Question.
How to become genuinely humble from the heart and not just from outside to show others?

Answer.
This is part of self realization. This is also knowledge. You don’t have to become humble as the soul is very, very humble. The living entity is very insignificant. vidya dadati vinayam. If you become knowledgeable then the first outcome of acquiring knowledge is that you will become humble. We are important because we are Krsna’s devotees. We should be proud of being Krsna’s devotees.

Yesterday we celebrated the disappearance day festival of HH Tamal Krishna Goswami Maharaja in Mayapur Dhama.He was very demanding as a manager and then complaints would go to Srila Prabhupada about his attitude.

Srila Prabhupada said to Tamal Krishna Prabhu who later became Maharaja that in this creation there is this one universe out of many universes. Then in that universe we have 14 planetary systems. Then we have the Earth in that. On Earth we have many countries. We have USA as one of them.In USA we have 50 states. In such one state we have Los Ange-les. In Los Angeles there are so many buildings and in that building you’re sitting in one corner. We’re like a mustard seed in the creation. Srila Prabhupada was explaining how in-significant we are. We are so tiny that we are almost nothing.

tṛṇād api sunīcena
taror api sahiṣṇunā
amāninā mānadena
kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ

Translation:
One can chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking himself lower than the straw in the street. One should be more tolerant than the tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige and ready to offer all respects to others. In such a state of mind one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly. (Śikṣāṣṭaka 3)

But we consider ourselves very big and great. This is an illusion. When there is knowledge and realisation of that knowledge then we will become humble. Humility is the result of that knowledge. In such a state of mind, a person can chant holy names constantly. This is state of mind. sunīcena means very low. Considering ourselves lower than a blade of grass, more tolerant than a tree. If there are a lack of facilities then our humility is gone.Then we can’t exhibit our humility. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has given an example of trees who toler-ate in all circumstances. Yesterday there was rain and we were looking for an umbrella everywhere. So to be humble is difficult, but we need to do difficult tasks.

In this verse there are 2 words amāninā and mānadena. Amani means one who doesn’t ex-pect to be honoured by others, but gives all respects to others. In such consciousness, one can chant. If this is not there, then we will think of the receptionist of a guest house as he didn’t give us the room first. This is the influence of modes of passion and ignorance. The Lord puts us in such situations that we should understand that we should practice what we have heard. Time is up. Wish you great success in chanting but we have to endeavour. Effort is necessary. When we endeavour results will come.

Gaur Premanande!
Hari Haribol!

24th February 2020

Be Bharatiya, Not Indian!

panca-tattvatmakam krishnam bhakta-rupa-svarupakam
bhaktavataram bhaktakhyam namami bhakta-saktikam

We all are fortunate. With great fortune it becomes possible even to hear the name Mayapur. And you all have actually reached here in this dhama so your fortune has crossed all the boundaries.

bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya janma yāra
janma sārthaka kari’ kara para-upakāra

Translation:
One who has taken his birth as a human being in the land of India [Bharata-varsa] should make his life successful and work for the benefit of all other people. ( Caitanya-caritamrita Adi 9.041)

Those who come in contact with the dhama get established with the dhama. They are fortunate. It is explained in the scriptures that every Dhama has a Dhami, as I also keep telling you from time to time. For sharir (body) there is shariri. If you are staying in a sharir then you are shariri. One who stays in a nivas ( house) is called a nivasi. We keep hearing this is Sant-nivas or some other nivas. Nivas – Nivasi, Sharir – Shariri, Deha – Dehi. For any dhama, a dhami can be termed as the first citizen. This Mayapur dhama is Gauranga Dhama.

Radha said in Goloka as the time for Their appearance was approaching, “I will not go to a place where Yamuna is not there. I will not go to a place where there is no Govardhana. I will not go to a place where there is no Vrndavana. I like to stay in Vrindavan only. Vrindavan is my Dhama. I am Dhami of Vrndavana.” Then Krsna said that everything had been made ready. “Vrindavan is there. Yamuna is there.”
First Krsna appeared and then later on Radharani also appeared. Radha and Krsna became anadi of Vrindavan. This thing we are talking about is Prakat-lila. It’s not that, once upon a time Vrindavan was not there and then suddenly it appeared. Vrindavan is eternal. All the Dhamas are eternal – Mayapur, Ayodhya, Jagannatha Puri. There was no time, when they didn’t exist. The way we were talking about the soul – that there was no time when the soul did not exist, nor God and so also there was no time that the dhamas didn’t exist. We have to make these connections.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare

We souls have an eternal relationship with the Lord and also with the Dhama. The way we belong to a particular country then we are from this particular country – vasi. We are Vrndavana vasi or Mayapur vasi where rivers like Ganga and Yamuna are flowing. If we are somewhere else in Delhi or Kanpur or Moscow then we are termed as pardesi. But which is our ‘matrabhumi’, motherland or fatherland? It is Vrndavana or Mayapur. Mayapur is non-different from Vrndavana. Returning here means coming back home. It’s returning to your own motherland. It’s termed as coming back home. In English there is a saying, “Your home is where your heart is.” Our heart is in Mayapur, so we have come here. It’s our motherland. In Uttar Pradesh they sometimes use the term, ‘ghar-vapasi’. When people had accepted other religions and become Christians or Muslims and when they are re-converted to Hinduism, it is termed as ghar-vapasi. You had gone astray and had become a Christian or Muslim, but now you have come back to your senses and come back home. This ghar-vapasi is correct to some extent. When we become Krsna conscious or Gauranga Mahaprabhu conscious, and then we physically reach Their Dhama. By becoming a Hindu we go to Tulajapur Bhavani, but heaven is not our home. Returning to heaven is not equal to returning home, because all the demigods and goddesses themselves are pardesis.

There are also some other so called dhamas. Durga-dhama, Chandi-dhama and Ganesh-dhama. Returning there cannot be termed as ghar-vapasi as the Hindus term it. There are various dhamas like Devi-dhama, Mahesh-dhama , Saket-dhama, Goloka-dhama or Vaikuntha-dhama. Some are Vaikuntha vasi , or someone may be Ayodhya vasi. Some may be devotees of Sri Rama like Murari Gupta. He was Hanuman. Hanuman incarnated 500 years back in Mayapur and became Murari Gupta. He was a worshipper of Sri Rama. Others tried to bring him back home. They advised him to become a devotee of Krsna. He accepted it prima faci, but that was not possible for him and he couldn’t sleep at night. The next day he met Gauranga Mahaprabhu and apologised, ‘I am sorry. I did give it a try, but I can’t leave Raghunatha. Please forgive me.’ Returning to Ayodhya is also ahar-vapasi.

bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya janma yāra
janma sārthaka kari’ kara para-upakāra

This is Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s order for the jīva. What he should do? If you are born in Bharat bhumi and if you want to reach complete perfection of the situation, then what should you do? kari’ kara para-upakāra. We should understand what is para-upakāra. How will you show favour on others? If we help them meet Krsna then we are doing them a favour. When these words of Caitanya Mahaprabhu are spoken, then those who are not born in India, they think Oh! We are born in Brazil. We are residents of Moscow. We belong to this place and that place. Does this mean that Caitanya Mahaprabhu expected only Indians to be preaching? The thing is that whoever starts becoming Krsna conscious, even though they may not have fully fledged become so, it may take their whole life to become Krsna Conscious.

bahūnāṁ janmanām ante
jñānavān māṁ prapadyate
vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti
sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ

Translation
After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare. ( Bhagavad-Gita 7.19)

As we attempt to become Krsna conscious with that itself we become Bharat-vasis. Bharatiyas. Every Indian is not a Bharatiya. In India there are too many Indians, but very few Bharatiyas. In ISKCON all the devotees wherever they may have taken birth, are all Bharatiyas.

cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ
guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ
tasya kartāram api māṁ
viddhy akartāram avyayam

Translation:
According to the three modes of material nature and the work associated with them, the four divisions of human society are created by Me. And although I am the creator of this system, you should know that I am yet the non doer, being unchangeable. ( ( Bhagavad-Gita 4.13)

Just because one has taken birth in a Brahmin family, does not mean he can claim to be a brahmin. It will not then be in line with the scriptural injunctions as explained by sadhus. They say their name as Caturvedi, but ask them the names of the four Vedas and it will be difficult for them. They are not even aware of the names of the four Vedas. Someone is Trivedi and Dvivedi but if we go to see, most of them are Nirvedis. No one can claim that he is a Brahman just because he has taken birth in a Brahmin family. Similarly just because someone is born in Bharat he cannot claim to be Bharatiya. One person was addressing a gathering. He introduced himself, ‘I am not Indian, I am Bharatiya.’ He had developed so much hatred to being called Indian. He did not like to be called Indian. Once Ekalavya Prabhu while we were discussing exclaimed, “I am Indian! I am Indian! My initiation took place in Vrindavan in Bharat, so wherever I was initiated that was my birth. This way my birth was in India. Second birth, I became dvija. First birth was in France, but as my initiation was in India so I am Bharatiya.” Be Indian. Buy Indian!That’s way they say.

In Bharat we have our own culture, dress codes , diet, musical instruments with different emotions. If tomorrow there is some Indian girl wearing jeans, can we call her Bharatiya? She is wearing jeans and even came to Mayapur like that. The diet is not like that , dress is not like that , thinking pattern is not like that, education is not like that . We have the Vrindavan Institute for Higher education, Mayapur Institute for Higher Education. But those who are Indians want to go to Canada, Australia to study going there. Study what? Just dead matter. Somethings are matter (jad) and some are live (chetan) . Whenever there is Kali-yuga , they study the gross in great detail. Those who are Brahmin or Vaisnavas study the subtle things. One studies matter, the other one studies living things about the soul and paramatma, about dhamas. They take training for that. Srila Prabhupad’s Hare Krishna movement is preaching Krsna conscious and Bharatiyata all over the world. Bha means prakash. One who gets light is called Bhaskar. One of the names of the Sun is Bhaskar, one who gives light. Bha-rat, rat means get engrossed. Those who are engrossed in light , whose lives are enlightened.

Tamaso ma jyotir gamay. ma means one which is not. Don’t remain in the darkness but move towards light. Prakash or light…..

kṛṣṇa — sūrya-sama; māyā haya andhakāra
yāhāṅ kṛṣṇa, tāhāṅ nāhi māyāra adhikāra

Translation:
“Krsna is compared to sunshine, and maya is compared to darkness. Wherever there is sunshine, there cannot be darkness. As soon as one takes to Krsna consciousness, the darkness of illusion (the influence of the external energy) will immediately vanish. ( Caitanya -caritamrita, Madhya 22.31)

The source of light is the Lord. Only those who move towards the Lord or get engrossed in the Lord can be termed as Bharatiya. With this understanding we will have to accept that all the members of the Hare Krishna movement all over the world are really by quality if not by birth but practically they are Bharatiyas. Most of the Indians have not crossed this stage.

Srila Prabhupada propagated this Krishna Consciousness movement everywhere. British Raj was also going on for 150 – 200 years. They had made Bharat their slave. But they didn’t recognize the real Bharat. When Srila Prabhupada went all over the world, he also went to London. Once in a press conference he was asked, why he had come there. That time Prabhupada answered, “You people had also come to our country, so I have also come. Isn’t it similar?” Then further Prabhupada said, “You came to our country and all of your viceroys robbed our country by taking all the valuables from our country to your country. But the real wealth of our country was not taken and not even recognised by you. Because you have asked , I am telling that I have come here to do a home delivery of the real wealth of Bharat.” When he was asked Which is that wealth he explained , the culture of Bharat , scriptures of Bharat like Vedas, Puranas, Bhagavad-gita, Bhagavatam, Ramayan. This is the wealth of our country.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare

I have come here to deliver this real wealth of Bharat. Then Prabhupad delivered and then they accepted this wealth in their lives all over the world. Thus they are becoming Bharatiyaa and Krsna conscious. With that their love is getting established with different Dhamas like Vrndavana, Mayapur, Jagannatha Puri . They are developing a relationship with the Dhamis over there. They are accepting the lifestyles of these places. No meat eating! No intoxication! No illicit sex! No gambling! They are observing these rules. Kali has tied up the entire world, but these devotees are becoming free from such ties. Our devotees don’t say we are from this nation or that nation, but they feel where do we belong to? We are Vrndavana vasi, Brajvasi, Mayapur vasi .

Many devotees come to Delhi or Kolkata and from there where do they go? They go to Vrndavana, Mayapur for darsana, Parikrama and then where do they go? Back to airports. Back to their temple. They don’t come as tourists to see Taj Mahal. Devotees of ISKCON must be spitting looking at Taj Mahal. Trump is also coming and they will take him with pride to show the Taj Mahal. What do they want to show the world leaders! Taj Mahal. They will not take him to Mathura to show Krsna Janmasthan but they will take him to kabrasthan to show a tomb which is a landmark of someone’s kama. Shahajahan who made tomb of his wife.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada who recognised the real Bharat. Then he introduced that identity of Bharat all over the world. His representatives , his followers all of you who are hearing from 440 places , all of us we should say , ‘garva see kaho hum Hindu hai? This Hindu business is all khichadi. ‘Garva se kaho hum Mayapur vasi hai’. ‘Garva se kaho hum Vrndavana vasi hai’.

23rd February 2020

The Soul’s Relationship with Krsna is Eternal

We have Ekanath Gaur Prabhu from Mongolia who is the only Brahmachari in Mongolia. He has been sent by HH Bhaktivaibhava Swami to acquire training in Noida. Many Russian faces are here. Faces keep on changing. Our real identity is not this face. The body may or may not be there at any moment of time.

dehino ‘smin yatha dehe
kaumaram yauvanam jara
tatha dehantara-praptir
dhiras tatra na muhyati

Translation:
As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change. (BG 2.13)

If you see your photo from childhood then you won’t identify yourself. When I found one of my photographs from the friends’ circle of my college days, I was searching for myself in it. After searching for a long time I concluded that I’m not there in it. But after that, it came to my knowledge that I am there in that photograph. Bodies keep on changing. We chant so that we can realize our true identity.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare

Sometimes we were not human as well, as we find in the case of Bharat Maharaja. Before being Jadabharat, he was a deer and King Bharat. Japa is for recognizing the soul and Krsna and to realize our relationship with Krsna. So keep on chanting. This is the right thing to do for human beings in Kaliyuga. If we were in another age, we would follow some other process. Meditation in Satya-yuga, yajna in Tretā-yuga, Deity worship in Dvāpara and kirtana in Kali.

kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇuṁ
tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ
dvāpare paricaryāyāṁ
kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt

Translation:
Whatever result was obtained in Satya-yuga by meditating on Viṣṇu, in Tretā-yuga by performing sacrifices, and in Dvāpara-yuga by serving the Lord’s lotus feet can be obtained in Kali-yuga simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.( SB 12.3.52)

Lord appears as Gauranarayan in the age of Kali. Time is eternal and it is never annihilated. Time keeps on annihilating us, but time itself is never destroyed.

mrtyuh sarva-haras caham
udbhavas ca bhavisyatam
kirtih srir vak ca narinam
smrtir medha dhrtih ksama

Translation:
I am all-devouring death, and I am the generator of all things yet to be. Among women, I am fame, fortune, speech, memory, intelligence, faithfulness and patience.(BG 10.34)

Lord told Arjuna in the 2nd chapter of Bhagavad-Gita that there was no time when we were not there. One Mataji here is 19 years. Was her body not there 19 years before? It was there. This is the philosophy behind chanting and we should understand it. We are souls and eternal. Lord, prakrti, soul, time are eternal, but karma is not eternal. Srila Baladev Vidyabhushan explains it. Souls are eternal. We eternally exist. There is pralaya for this body. Laya means destruction.

bhuta-gramah sa evayam
bhutva bhutva praliyate
ratry-agame ‘vasah partha
prabhavaty ahar-agame

Translation:
Again and again, the day comes, and this host of beings is active; and again the night falls, O Partha, and they are helplessly dissolved.(BG 8.19)

Bhutva means taking birth, again and again in different forms and gets destroyed. This is regarding the body. Soul can’t be subjected to this. We can’t tell when we came into existence.

mamaivāṁśo jīva-loke
jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ
manaḥ-ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi
prakṛti-sthāni karṣati

Translation:
The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind. (BG 15.7)

We are part and parcel of the Lord. We do not belong to our mothers and fathers of the body. They gave us the body, but we souls belong to Lord. We are eternal like the Lord. Creation and annihilation are not there in the case of the soul. This takes place in the case of the body. Our body keeps on changing every moment and not only at the time of death. Medical researchers have also said that atoms and molecules of this body are made of 5 material elements. They say that after 7 years, whatever is there in this body like earth, water, air, fire, ether, whole gets transformed. They get changed completely. Elements or ingredients get recycled, but the soul is the same. Srila Prabhupada also explained this.

The mother gives birth to a small baby of 2.5-3 kg. After 3 years he becomes 10-20 kgs. At the age of 40 years, one becomes too heavy to lift. Even as a child grows still the mother keeps on thinking about the same child even though the body has changed. But this affection is related to the soul. The same body is not there to which the mother had given birth, but the relationship with the soul is there. That’s the reason the mother always thinks about the child whether he is young or becomes old. Real affection has to be there for the soul. Basically we have a relationship with the Lord and we have relationships with each other also as we have a joint family of all living entities. Just like there’s a brother-in-law, sister-in-law, niece, etc. In the same way we are related to each other. Living entities try to love the soul, but due to illusion, he keeps his love limited only on a bodily level. One soul loves another soul. Hence when the soul is not there within the body, no one loves that body. The body was embraced earlier when the soul was there, but once the soul leaves no one loves that body. From this, it has been concluded that there is no love without a soul. There is no question of love without a soul. The body is made up of 5 elements. How can a soul love the earth. The soul is always attracted to another soul or super soul. In this way we are related to the Lord and each other.

In this universe, the body comes in between the souls and also in between the soul and the super soul. The soul remains bewildered in illusion. We think we are the body and short circuit happens. The connection between the Lord and us breaks. The relationship between both of us is eternal, but due to the illusion, we give more importance to our body. We become self-centred. When we see ourselves in the mirror we should think that we are not this body.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare

This is the essence or knowledge of the Gita. This knowledge and thought are essential for all of us. Then there is behaviour that shapes our thoughts and words and then we can preach. We are supposed to be well behaved. This is etiquette or culture. We should follow it. Our thoughts will correct our behaviour. This is food for thought, some nourishment for the brain. Chew it, digest and assimilate it. This is the wealth of knowledge.

dharma-sthapana-hetu sadhura vyavahara
puri-gosanira ye acarana, sei dharma sara

Translation:
“A devotee’s behavior establishes the true purpose of religious principles. The behavior of Madhavendra Puri Gosvami is the essence of such religious principles.”(CC Madhya 17.185)

So our all actions should be as per dharma so you can establish dharma in our life, family, and community with our behaviour.

yāre dekha, tāre kaha ‘kṛṣṇa’-upadeśa
āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra’ ei deśa

Translation:
“Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa as they are given in the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In this way become a spiritual master and try to liberate everyone in this land.” (CC Madhya 7.128)

So all of you rendered service by chanting. Those who served will get some sweets.

Hare Krishna

22nd February 2020

The compassion of Lord Shiva

Shivaratri is being celebrated today in Mayapur. Here Shiva and Parvati have an eternal abode. Advaita Ācārya is an expansion of Mahavisnu as well as Sada Shiva. There are three Visnus namely Karanodakashayi Visnu, Garbhodakashayi Visnu, and Kshirodakashayi Visnu. Maha-Visnu is an expansion of sankarsana. So Sada Shiva is an expansion of Maha-Visnu. So Sada Shiva appears in the form of Advaita Ācārya and has become a member of Pancatattva.

pancha-tattvatmakam krishnam
bhakta-rupa-svarupakam
bhaktavataram bhaktakhyam
namami bhakta-shaktikam

Translation:
Let me offer my obeisances unto Lord Sri Krsna, who has manifested Himself in five as a devotee, expansion of a devotee, incarnation of a devotee, pure devotee, and devotional energy. (CC Adi-Lila, 7.6)

Advaita Ācārya has been called a bhakta avatar. Advaita meaning that He is non-different from Gauranga. There is no question of impersonalism. Shivaji, as we were saying yesterday, he is the greatest amongst the Vaisnavas.

nimna-gānāṁ yathā gaṅgā
devānām acyuto yathā
vaiṣṇavānāṁ yathā śambhuḥ
purāṇānām idam tathā

Translation:
Just as the Gaṅgā is the greatest of all rivers, Lord Acyuta the supreme among deities and Lord Śambhu [Śiva] the greatest of Vaiṣṇavas, so Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the greatest of all Purāṇas. (SB 12.13.16)

He knows that Visnu is the greatest amongst all. Worshippers of Visnu are called as Vaisnavas.

bahunam janmanam ante
jnanavan mam prapadyate
vasudevah sarvam iti
sa mahatma su-durlabhah

Translation:
After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.( BG 7.19)

Shivaji himself is a maha Vaisnava.He worships Visnu and hence he is Vaishnava. Bhagavatam says this and he is a worshipper of Visnu. There are many tattvas out of which Shiva-tattva is there which is difficult to understand. Shiva is neither Visnu nor jiva- tattva. He is Shiva- tattva.

kṣīraṁ yathā dadhi vikāra-viśeṣa-yogāt
sañjāyate na hi tataḥ pṛthag asti hetoḥ
yaḥ śambhutām api tathā samupaiti kāryād
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

Translation:
Lord Śiva is considered to be like yogurt (dahi). Yogurt is nothing but transformed milk; nonetheless, yogurt cannot be accepted as milk. Similarly, Lord Śiva holds almost all the powers of Lord Viṣṇu, and he is also above the qualities of the living entity, but he is not exactly like Viṣṇu, just as yogurt, although transformed milk, is not exactly like milk.(Brahma-saṁhitā 5.45)

If Visnu is milk, then Shivaji is curd. Yogurt can be made from milk, but milk can’t be made from yogurt. Milk is a source of the yogurt. Lord Shiva’s many activities resemble the activities of Vaisnavas. He worships Lord Sankarsana. He chants the holy names on beads with his 5 heads.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare

Mahadeva Pancha mukhe Rama Rama Hare hare

Mahadeva (Shiva) sings with five mouths ‘Rama Rama Hare Hare’. He worships and meditates on Lord Sankarsana who is actually an expansion of Sankarsana known as Anantsesa. The 5 expansions of Balarama have been explained at the start of Caitanya-caritamrta. They are :
(1) Mahā-saṅkarṣaṇa,
(2) Kāraṇodakaśāyī,
(3) Garbhodakaśāyī,
(4) Kṣīrodakaśāyī, and
(5) Śeṣa. Lord Shiva worship Anantasesa.

The entire material world is situated on the hoods of Anantasesa. When it is the time of annihilation, then only Shivaji doesn’t do the annihilation. Similarly creation is not done by Brahma only. Sarga or creation is started by the Lord and taken ahead by Brahma. In the same way, Shivaji is assisted by Anantasesa. Fires come out of the hoods of Anantasesa. There are 4 types of annihilation as stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam.

There are 11 different expansions of Shivaji. There are 11 Rudras and Rudranis. Here in Mayapur, there is Rudradvipa, where these 11 Rudras and Rudranis stay. Shivaji expands in this way.He is not Visnu tattva. Brahma is jiva tattva. You can become Brahma, but no one can become Shiva. Mahesh Dhama is the eternal abode of Shiva. Shivaji’s half abode is in Vaikuntha and it’s lower portion is in this material world. Sada Shiva lives in Vaikuntha, exactly similar to Vaikuntha. In the lower portion, Kalabhairava stays. When we say that Advaita Ācārya is Sadashiv it means he is a resident of Vaikuntha. But Shivaji who performs the tandava dance at the time of annihilation is different and stays in the lower portion in this material world. At the time of annihilation, there is a jungle in the mangal which is an act of ignorance. All the ghosts and hobgoblins accompany Shivaji in this lower portion.

Shivaji has become part of the mission of Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s movement in the form of Advaita Ācārya. He became Sankaracarya before 1100 or 1200 years ago. He just followed the instruction of the Lord to preach Mayavada. He didn’t commit any mistake. That mistake is forgiven. The same Sankaracarya becomes Advaita Ācārya. He is a Vaisnava and he is very merciful and by his mercy, we can get Caitanya Nitai.

doya koro sita-pati adwaita gosai
tava kripa-bale pai caitanya-nitai

Translation:
My dear Advaita Prabhu, husband of Sita, You are so kind. Please be merciful to me. If You are kind to me, naturally Lord Caitanya and Nityananda will also be kind to me.(Sri Krsna Caitanya Prabhu Doya Koro More” by Narottam Das Thakura )

Sita-pati means Advaita Acarya who is the husband of Sita Thakurani. He appeared 50 years before Caitanya Mahaprabhu and felt compassion for the fallen souls.

yada yada hi dharmasya
glanir bhavati bharata
abhyutthanam adharmasya
tadatmanam srjamy aham

Translation:
Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion—at that time I descend Myself. ( BG 4.7)

Seeing the condition of the world, Advaita Ācārya appeared. By seeing that there is a decline in religious practice he thought that now its time for the appearance of the Lord. In Santipur, on the banks of the Ganges, he worships Saligram by offering Ganga water and Tulasi. Haridas Thakur who was also there along with Him started to dance as Gauranga appeared. Such connections are there of Sada Shiva and Advaita Ācārya. We should thank Lord Sada Shiva who is in the form of Advaita Ācārya. If Advaita Ācārya wouldn’t have been, then Gaura Nitai wouldn’t have appeared. He brought Gaura Nitai to this world and hence we also came to Mayapur. Keep on doing kirtana and Japa.

Maha Shivaratri ki jay.

Srila Prabhupada ki Jay.
Gaur Premanande
Haribol

21 FEBRUARY 2020

Shiva also yerns for Darshan of Krsna!

Hare Krishna !!
Today we have 418 participants. We welcome you all and we are happy that you are all chanting. Seeing you chanting, my mind and heart gets pleased. Hari Hari!

This is the dharma (religion) of living beings. It is nama sankirtana.

harer nama harer nama
harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva
nasty eva gatir anyatha (Chaitanya Charitamrita, Adi-lila 7.76)

TRANSLATION

“For spiritual progress in this age of kali, there is no alternative, there is no alternative, there is no alternative to the holy name, the holy name, the holy name of the Lord.”

So, when we chant Hare Krishna Mahamantra, then by doing so and also by dancing, we become religious and we truly follow dharma.
When Lord sees this, then Lord and Guru get pleased. Gurus and Vaisnavas get pleased knowing that the Lord is getting pleased because of such chanting.

Is there Sivaratri today? Vallabhi Mataji from Mauritius is reporting this. There is Ganga talav or lake over there which was created by taking little water from original Ganga. Ganga talav has become a holy place over there. There is not much of population in Mauritius. It is 1.2 million or 12 lakh. They have as many number of people as we have in Solapur. Few of them are becoming Krsna Conscious. There are few Maharashtrians, Christians & Muslims people also. There is Vitthal Temple and Marathi schools over there where Marathi language is being taught. There is Dindi and also MBC, which is Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation which also includes Marathi channels. When I go there, I sing songs of Tukaram Maharaj and give lectures in Marathi on that channel. There is everything over there.

When Hare Krsna devotees reach over there in Shivaratri, they do kirtan, book distribution and prasad distribution ‘Food for Life’ for 3 days. When I went to Ganga talav, I was asked to plant a tree. Few Mauriticean devotees are also listening.

Lord Siva’s great festival, Maha Shivaratri, is being celebrated today and tomorrow. Bhagavatam asserts that Lord Siva is also an incarnation of the Lord, Gunavatar. Sambhutam gatah. Krishnatam gatah.

In the same way, Lord Brahma explained in Brahma-Samhita

ksiram yatha dadhi vikara-visesa-yogat
sanjayate na hi tatah prthag asti hetoh
yah sambhutam api tatha samupaiti karyād
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
(Brahmasamhita 5.45)

TRANSLATION

“Govinda, the supreme personality of Godhead, assumes the form of Lord Śiva for the special purpose of material transactions. Lord Śiva is considered to be like yogurt. Milk changes into yogurt when mixed with a yogurt culture.

So, milk is Krsna and yogurt is Śiva. Like yogurt does not have any separate existence. Yogurt comes from milk. In the same way, Śiva comes from Lord Krishna.

vasati dasana-sikhare dharani tava lagna
sasini kalanka-kaleva nimagna
kesava dhrita-sukara-rupa jaya jagadisa hare

Translation – 0 Kesava! O Lord of the universe! O Lord Hari, who have assumed the form of a boar! All glories to You!
The earth, which had become immersed in the Garbhodaka Ocean at the bottom of the universe, sits fixed
upon the tip of Your tusk like a spot upon the moon. ( Dashavatar stotra , verse 3 by Jaydev Goswami)

Krishna takes form of Varahadeva to take out earth when it falls in Garbhodaka Ocean.
When there is creation, maintenance and annihilation, then it is done by Gunavatars or 3 forms. We call them God. G stands for Generator or Lord Brahma, O stands for Operator or Lord Vishnu and D stands for Destroyer or Lord Śiva. So, the work of Lord Śiva is to destroy the whole universe. When mode of ignorance is active, then the whole universe is destroyed. In this way Śiva’s glories are unlimited. We Gaudiya Vaisnavas know him as Vaisnava as it is mentioned in S.B. in 12th canto.

nimna-ganam yatha ganga
devanam acyuto yatha
vaisnavanam yatha sambhuḥ
purananam idam tatha (Srimad Bhagavatam 12.13.16)

TRANSLATION
Ganga is the greatest among all rivers. Primeval Lord Krishna is the greatest among all Lords. Srimad Bhagavad is the greatest among all scriptures. In the same way, Lord Śiva is greatest among all the Vaisnavas.

Lord Siva and goddess Parvati are an ideal couple as they are always engaged in discussing the glories of the Lord.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare

There is Rudra dwip in Nabadwip of Lord Siva and there is Bel-vana over there. . There is Harihar Kshetrea also. Half is Hari and Half is Har. Harihar is one and also different. Hari only becomes Har. Then there is Seemanta Dwip where Siva and Parvati keep on hearing the glories of the Lord. They came over there from their abode and performed austerities. Mother Parvati took and applied dust of lotus feet of Gauranga Mahaprabhu in between parting of her hair.

That is why it is called Seemantadwip as parting of the hair is called Seemanta. Then Godruma dwip is there which is known for kirtana. Lord Śiva performs kirtana over here. This dwip is also called Mahavaranasi. There is Samadhi of Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur. There is Pancanana talava also. Pancanana, Panca means five and anana means face. One who has 5 mouths is Lord Siva.

brahma bole chatur mukhe krishna krishna hare hare
mahadeva pancha mukhe rama rama hare hare TRANSLATION

Brahma sings “krishna krishna hare hare” in ecstasy with four mouths and Siva ecstatically sings “rama rama hare hare” with five mouths.

Lord Siva performs kirtana with his 5 mouths and takes darshan of the Lord with his 15 eyes. That also remains less for him to take darshan of the Lord. Hari Hari!

In Vrindavana, we have Gopeshwar Mahadeva, where Lord Siva took the form of a Gopi and was allowed entry in the rasa dance with the Lord. In Mathura, there are 4 places of Lord Siva which is called Kshetrapals. We take darshan of them during Mathura Parikrama. Then in Govardhan, we have Chakreshwar Mahadeva, in Nand Gram, we have Aseswar Mahadeva and in Kamvana, we have Kameshwar Mahadeva. Lord Siva is dikpal in Mathura in all the 4 directions and Kshetrapal in Vrindavana or Braj Mandal. Hari Hari!

There is also Asheshwar Mahadeva who was looking forward to have darshan of Yashoda nandan. But Mother Yashoda got afraid of seeing Lord Siva’s appearance with garland of skulls, snakes in neck and scorpion in ears. She didn’t let him take the darshan of the Lord. Due to which Lord Siva started to lament that he didn’t get darshan of the Lord. When Lord Siva had gone from there then Kanhaiya also started to cry. He was not stopping. Then other Gopis started discussing and suggested Yashoda to let Lord Siva take darshan of Krsna and Krsna take darshan of Siva. When they took darshan of each other, Kanhiya stopped crying. In the same way, Nimai also used to stop crying when Hare Krishna kirtana was performed.

So, our Lord Siva is like this. We should not commit offences at his feet. We commit offences thinking him as demigod. So, Lord Brahma and Siva are not the same as Krishna but yet they are non different from Krishna also. Hari Hari!
So, we should offer obeisances to his feet that may we also get bhakti and similar taste in hearing and chanting as Lord Siva.

(Kiba) jaya jaya goracander aratiko sobha
jahnavi-tata-vane jaga-mana-lobhā ( Gaura arati, 1 verse)
arati koren brahma-adi deva-gane (3 verse)
siva-suka-narada preme gada-gada ( 7 verse)

Lord Siva and other Mahabhagvats like Lord Brahma, Śukadeva, Narada Muni come when there is Gaura arati. They dance and perform kirtana. Their voices get choked up when they sing arati.

Maha Sivaratri Mahotsav ki jai!
Harinama sankirtana ki jai!
Gauranga!
Nabadwip Mayapur Dhama ki jai!
Srila Prabhupada ki jai!
Nitai gaura prema nande hari hari bol!

20 February 2020

Sincere prayers never go unanswered!

Hari Hari!
Sri Krisna Chaitanya Prabhu Nityananda Sri Advait Gadadhar Srivasadi Gaur Bhakta Vrinda.
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Ram Hare Ram
Ram Ram Hare Hare

We have participants from 450 places chanting with us today. Those who are joining many of them if not all keep offering obeisances. They keep writing in the chat. This is a sign of humbleness. They also beg for alms when they offer obeisances. What is the alms ( bhiksha)?

vancha-kalpatarubhyash cha
kripa-sindhubhya eva cha
patitanam pavanebhyo
vaishnavebhyo namo namaha

Transalation- I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Vaishnava devotees of the Lord. They are just like desire trees and can fulfill the desires of everyone, and they are full of compassion for the fallen conditioned souls.

I am fallen . Ami murkh as Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has said, we heard when yesterday we were hearing the Katha.
Guru amar karil Shasan…….

This way he explained to Prakashanand Sarswati. I am fallen. Patitanam pavanebhyo

vaishnavebhyo namo namaha. You are the Vaishnav who uplift and purify those who is fallen, so please accept my humble obeisances. Everyone’s prayer could be little different. One can pray differently. There can be various prayers. There could be different prayers of each one. Each person prays according to the level at which he has reached in his devotion , as per own realisations and emotions and bhava.
I was also praying in a light mood. Yesterday we were listening to liberation (uddhar) of Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya. How Chaitanya Mahaprabhu modified the thinking process of Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya.

Sarvabhouma Bhattacharya explained vedanta sutra to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu for 7 days. But Chaitanya Mahaprabhu didn’t hear, or even if he had heard he had not changed. He didn’t become mayavadi. Sarvabhouma Bhattacharya was thinking the sampradaya in which you have accepted initiation is not that good. I will make you first class sanyasi. Whatever knowledge I have of Vedant, I will explain that to you and by that you will become a disciple of first class sampradaya. With this objective he was teaching Him for seven days. But then Chaitanya Mahaprabhu modified him, to Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya. There was a review of the seven days. Scriptures written by Shri Vyas Dev were reviewed by Shri Narad ji and after that he explained whatever were the shortcomings of those & faults in them.

yatha dharmadayas cartha
muni-varyanukirtitah
na tatha vasudevasya
mahima hy anuvarnitah

Translation-. Although, great sage, you have very broadly described the four principles beginning with religious performances, you have not described the glories of the Supreme Personality, Vasudeva. ( S.B. 1.5.9)

You have written so many things, you have talked about 4 purushartha, but where is the glorification of Lord Vasudev? It’s very less in these writings. You have written Puranas, Mahabharata, Vedant Sutra, but there was scarcity of glorification of Lord Vasudev. Narad Muni pointed this out after review. Shri Vyasdev understood the shortcomings and he revised his work and wrote another scripture which is Srimad Bhagavatam. All glories to Srimad Bhagavatam!! Similarly Sri Krisna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu liberated Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya. He not only liberated him but he made him devotee. Sri Krsna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu stayed for 2 months in Jagannath Puri. Immediately after accepting the renounced order of life he first went to Jagannath Puri and stayed there for 2 months. Main objective or homework for Him that time was to liberate Sarvabhouma Bhattacharya. Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami has said Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in his first visit to Jagannath Puri he only did liberation of Bhattacharya. For two months he taught, made him understand & uplifted him from his concepts. From myavad he lifted him to the level of ‘Achintya Bhedabhed tatva.’

Sarvabhouma Bhattacharya was not very attached to Prasad as they considered eating Prasad is also a Maya. I was also affected by such Maya. We all are affected by it at some stage. In 1972 when I had not completely turned as devotees and still I was attending college wearing pants and shirts, that time Hare Krishna devotees used to call me to take Prasad. Please come! Have Prasad. While taking the Prasad so much glorification of the Prasad used to occur, that, it is so nice! It’s sweet! I used to think these devotees are glorifying the food so much!! In their thoughts there is so much glorification of the food and they are also telling that to me, this is Maya. What is this? There is also Vairagya-vidya. Mayavadis are renunciates. Brahma sattya jagat mithya’ jagat mitthya means everything is mitthya. Even the food is mitthya. I was also impressed by such thoughts, that why these devotees are doing so much glorification of the Prasad. We should not do that.
When Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu reached the house of Bhattacharya, he was was there itself. Sarvabhouma Bhattacharya didn’t have any attachment for Prasad. Just that we have to eat it. Without it we can’t survive.
Annad bhavati bhutani…..

We have to eat , but there are no emotions, love, attachments for it. But when Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was honouring the Prasad, & this was the time when Sarvabhouma Bhattacharyas reformation is going on. One day Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had gone to Jagannath in the temple , may be for mangal Aarti. After attending the arati pujari over there offered garland of the lord and some Prasad to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu remembered Sarvabhouma Bhattacharya and then he just ran towards the house of sarvabhauma Bhattacharya. It was a early morning time. Sarvabhouma Bhattacharya was just getting up & Chaitanya Mahaprabhu also heard

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Ram Hare Ram
Ram Ram Hare Hare

Chanting of names of the Lord was also going on immediately after getting up. He saw that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has arrived to his house, he then came out. Then Chaitanya Mahaprabhu put the garland of Jagannath around his neck and gave him Jagannath Prasad. On receiving the Prasad Bhattacharya immediately honoured it. He had not even washed his mouth or cleaned his teeth. He didn’t do

maha-prasade govinde
nama-brahmani vaisnave
svalpa-punya-vatam rajan
visvaso naiva jayate
(Prasadam prayers by Krsna Dwipayan Vyas in Mahabharata)

Translation – O brothers! This material body is a network of ignorance, and the senses are one’s deadly enemies, for they throw the soul into the ocean of material sense enjoyment. Among the senses, the tongue is the most voracious and verily wicked; it is very difficult to conquer the tongue in this world.

Maha prasade means in Mahaprasad, Govinde means in the Govind , nama brahmani means in the name there is Brahma & vaishnave means in Vaishnavas, those people don’t have faith, who are they? Swalpa punyavatam – who’s pious credits are very less. They haven’t done much pious activities either in this birth or previous births. Their accumulation of pious credits are very less, and so they don’t have any faith in the Prasad. In the beginning Sarvabhouma Bhattacharya didn’t have any faith in Prasad. But when Chaitanya Mahaprabhu gave him his anaga-sanga ( physical association) , & he was getting sat-sang by that. Punta sravan kirtan was also going on, then

Hari mukhe mhana Hari mukhe mhana
Punyachi ganana kon Kari.

Saint Dnyaneswar used to say this, to hear

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Har
Hare Ram Hare Ram
Ram Ram Hare Hare

This in itself is a very pious activity. To hear Bhagavatam daily is also very pious activity. Sarvarvabhaum Bhattacharya was gaining such pious credits in association of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. This way Chaitanya Mahaprabhu reformed Sarvabhouma Bhattacharya. Lord himself became devotee-director, counselor and mentor. SarvabhaumbBhattacharya was mentee and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was mentor , are you getting this? Councilor & councilee. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu took charge of Bhattacharya. Hari Hari!!

My prayer which I was mentioning in the beginning was , O Lord ! The way You reformed Sarvabhouma Bhattacharya, you reformed his sadhana or spiritual practises. Sadhana bhakti also has two parts. Vaidhi sadhana & Raganuga sadhana. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu made Sarvabhouma Bhattacharya follow both ways, initially of the Vaidhi sadhana & then of the Raganuga sadhana. Me too ! Me too!! Lord you have reformed Sarvabhouma Bhattacharya. He was liberated. He became blessed. He gained so much of the spiritual wealth & ecame the pious soul. He earned Harinam dhan & Prem-dhan. With the help of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, in which Nityananda Prabhu and Gopinath aacharya were also instrumental.

Our prayers are also, O Mahaprabhu! Please uplift and liberate us also. We also go on having individualistic views, jata mat Tata path! This isam that isam without any proper dialogue. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has bestowed lot of mercy on all of us, but receiving of lot of mercy is yet to be done. We do chanting , but still we don’t do it like crying of a baby. In the morning our Nimai (son of devotee) was crying & I was thinking ‘I wish I could cry like Nimai!’. He was crying for the mother. We also should cry for mother.

aparadha-sunya ho’ye loha krishna-nama
krishna mata krishna pita krishna dhana prana

Translation – Chant Krishna’s name without offense. Accept Krishna as your mother. Accept Krishna as your father. Accept
Krishna as your wealth and your life.
(Verse 3 ,Song – Nadiya Goddrume by BVT)

You also will be liberated if you can cry like a baby.
Commentry on Hare Krishna Mahamantra says in one of the prayer is

Bhajan jnana danen mam mochay….

Mam means to me, mochay means liberate , purify O! Mahamantra. To whom we are praying, to Hare Krishna mahamantra, because Harinam is Harinam Prabhu. While chanting we should pray this way. This is explained by Gopal Guru Goswami, who was associate of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in Jagannathpuri. He has written commentary on Hare Krishna Mahamantra. Please liberate me. How?? Bhajan jnana danen. Bhajan Dan , how one should do bhajan? What are the do’s of Bhajan & what are the don’ts in Bhajan? Please give me charity of this Knowledge. Let the opening of this Bhajan-rahasya ( Mistry of bhajans) be done. Then with such wealth of knowledge I can chant perfectly. Give me knowledge. Give me guidance, so that I also can get liberated. Sarvabhouma Bhattacharya was liberated by lord Chaitanya personally. I am also chanting

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Ram Hare Ram
Ram Ram Hare Hare.

To utter this much is very easy. But how to chant? For this is whole manual. Like manual comes with every instrument, about how to start or stop it, like that there is manual for japa also. So may we become eligible to get that manual. Such prayer we should be doing.
In this zoom conference we try to make some such efforts. How to pray to the Lord, bhajan jnana danen… he liberated Bhattacharya personally, but it’s not necessary that for everyone lord will do it personally. He can get it done through someone. He will make someone as medium for it. Lord sometimes does on his own and sometimes he gets it done through someone. He has said

brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva
guru-krsna-prasade paya bhakti-lata-bija

Translation – “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. ( Chaitanya Charitamrita , madhya 19.151)

Lord has made those souls fortunate,how? By sending Guru to them. Then where Guru sends them? He sends them to Krsna. This way Guru keeps making efforts to reform us. This attempt is actually of the Lord himself. Srila Prabhupad ki Jay! Shri Prabhupad did these efforts and all the previous aacharyas also did that. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu himself became an acharya.

Sri Krisna sarir dhari shikshartham….

Shikshartham to give knowledge, he himself the adipurusha,- govindam adi purusham he appeared in the form of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu as Kripambudhi. He is ocean of Kripa, I surrender unto him. In International Krishna Consciousness Society whatever knowledge we get
Bhajan jnanen mam mochay…

We should understand that such arrangements have been done by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu & Nityananda Prabhu. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu who is all attractive makes somebody as (Nimitta) immediate cause. He wanted to make Arjun as Nimitta , but who is the one who destroyed all the enemies? He is Lord himself. He himself has explained it in eleventh chapter of Bhagvadgeeta. In Marathi we say , karta-karavita. Karta means the doer & karavita means the one who gets it done. One who does & one who gets it done is who? Lord only!! He did For someone like Sarvabhouma Bhattacharya himself liberated for someone he got it done through somebody. Shad-goswami Vrinda & aacharyas of the parampara uplift others. But in actuality this is done by Lord himself. He wants to uplift more & more souls to get uplifted. He gives them nama, instructs them to chant.

Harer naam Eva kevalam…
Then there is
“tad viddhi praṇipatena
pariprasnena sevaya
upadeksyanti te jnanam
jnaninas tattva-darsinah

Translation – Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth. ( Bhagvadgeeta 4.34)

Then there is
yare dekha, tare kaha ‘krsna’-upadesa
amara ājnaya guru hana tara’ ei desa

Translation- “Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Sri Krsna as they are given in the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. In this way become a spiritual master and try to liberate everyone in this land.” (Chaitanya Charitamrita madhya, 7.128)
He wants everyone of you to become Guru. All of you become Gurus.
He also says

bharata-bhumite haila manusya janma yara
janma sarthaka kari’ kara para-upakara

Translation – bharata-bhumite haila manusya janma yara
janma sarthaka kari’ kara para-upakara
( Chaitanya Charitamrita adi 9.41)

In educating a child , whatever one family can do is not considered as enough. For all round growth or wholesome growth of the child only one family can’t do it . Whole village is required for that. Then it is possible to have complete growth physically mentally and in all ways. Gaon Kari the Rav Kay Kari. ( What one person can do , which whole village is required for. ) Similarly , our reform , change,& japa-reform Lord does. But other are also required. We need friends, we need sadhu-sang . We need that atmosphere, so many parameters are required. Either we are gruhasthas or renunciates or Brahmachari.

Samsiddhir Hari toshanam

Achieving success of Varnashram is in pleasing the Lord Hari. Hari toshanam.
When Hari helps. We need spiritual master as well as god-brothers & god-sisters. We need whole society of vaishnavas. International society, if we have whole society of devotees then it is comparatively easy. Such arrangements Srila Prabhupad has done in this ISKCON. Gauranga and Nityananda followers are gathering. Our prayers Lord has listened & is listening. If something’s are remaining then uttering of mahamantra is a prayer in itself. We should be thinking this way. If we have some shortfalls, how can we rectify it? Bhajan jnana danen mam mochay…. O lord! O Harinaam Prabhu, Bhajan jnana danen mam mochay….

Mam – to me. There are 5 words. There sequence should be proper & there should be such feelings in the heart. This is prayer. Lord makes such arrangements & we should take advantage of it. In Lords arrangements there is indirectness. We don’t observe directly that Lord is distributing bhajan, jnana but indirectly Lord does accepts your prayers if they are offered sincerely. Lord doesn’t have any option then . If child is crying, while mother is busy she listens, but then child stops in between, then she remains busy in her household chores. But then child cries she thinks of breastfeeding the child, but then he stops crying again, & then mother has tons of things to do so she keeps doing her household work.

This way if child cries & stops in between then she doesn’t feel the need to attend to him in hurry. But if child starts crying & doesn’t stop only, goes on crying non-stop then mother is not left with any option but to attend to him immediately. Similarly when we pray , if we do it ,& then we stop praying or forget about it immediately , then Lord is not sitting ideal without doing anything. He attends to it. But if someone keeps praying without break then Lord also is not left with any option & he does listen to it. There can be little delay in Lord s response but the prayers will definitely not go unanswered. Lord calculates everything, when to bestow the fruit’s of our previous karma’s ,

Hari Hari!
Nitai Gaur Premanande Hari Hari bol!

19th February 2020

Mayapur Festival – Real United Nation

Today is Vijaya Ekadashi that is why 500 devotees are chanting with us. From Delhi Noida we have Krsna Kanaiha who is my youngest disciple. From Mauritius we have Vishakha Mataji. We say we are from Mauritius or Delhi, but we are from Mayapur. We are living in foreign now. Our motherland and fatherland is Mayapur and Vrndavana Dhama.

krsna mata krsna pita, krsna pran dhan

Krsna is our mother and father. Ganga and Yamuna also flow in the spiritual world and belong to that place. We are conditioned to think that I’m from this country, I am a man or a woman. I’m here today and might not be in the evening also.

mām upetya punar janma duḥkhālayam aśhāśhvatam
nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ sansiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ

Translation
Having attained Me, the great souls are no more subject to rebirth in this world, which is transient and full of misery, because they have attained the highest perfection. [BG 8.15 ]

We need to realise this truth while chanting. We need to transform this knowledge into wisdom as we chant. This is the purpose of chanting. It’s not only the Krsna realisation, but it is also self-realisation and then Krsna realisation. Along with that we have to realise our relationship with the Lord. God realisation, self-realisation and our relationship are to be understood. Those who realise themselves as servants of Krsna are free from miseries.

jiver svarupa hoya krsneir nitya das

Our relationship is not only with Krsna, but also with other living entities. We are relatives and then we become a family. It’s been said that vasudhaiva kutumbakam – meaning the whole world is our family. Jivas are not only on earth. They are all over the universe. We are part of the family. Father and mother are so big. Their family is so huge and it should be. High thinking versus low thinking which is ‘we two and our two or one’. We just think on this only and we don’t care about others. Therefore become Krishna conscious and then we start to remember and realise the real size of the whole family. We can experience this as we come to Mayapur as a global worldwide family.

Practitioners from the whole world come over here and experience the international society. It is difficult to experience this in Mauritius, Ahmedabad, Vallabh Vidyanagar etc. This is the place of all the living entities. The jivas return to their place. We can experience this. There are so many devotees all over the world honouring prasada together; dancing in kirtana. We have prakrta and aprakrta relationships. This is the United Nations of the spiritual world. United Nations was formed in 1940. The number of flags are increasing. United Nations means there should be one flag. They wanted to unite the world, but they are failing in this. In Mayapur we have 1 flag – Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s Jayapataka. This is the real United Nation. We give preference to our self aham mamati. This is a narrow mind or low thinking. We have to raise ourselves and develop our Krishna consciousness. This is high thinking. This we experience in Mayapur. We have one flag in the flag hosting ceremony. The flag is Param Vijayate Sri Krsna Sankirtanam. The right resolution can only be found in ISKCON. All governments can’t come together. In Krishna consciousness all differences are dissolved. This is the real United Nations.

In 1971 Srila Prabhupada conducted an initiation ceremony and there was a marriage ceremony also. The bride was from Australia and the bridegroom from Sweden. Srila Prabhupada said this is the United Nations. Srila Prabhupada gave us this Mayapur Festival. The founder of this Mayapur Festival is Srila Prabhupada. It started 48 years ago. There were only a few devotees like we have in this room. Those days only 40-50 devotees were there and we were so many devotees. Gradually the number is increasing and will keep on increasing. As one receives the holy name, he gets connected to Mayapur.

When we preach then everyone will come to know about Gaurang, Nityananda, who are the fathers of Sankirtana. Then they will think that one day I will go to Mayapur. Then such Hare Krishna devotees will think that I will go to Mayapur just like the Muslims go to Mecca and Christians go to Jerusalem.

In 1972 we had only 40 devotees. I have written the book ‘The Mayapur Vrindavan Festivals’. Please read this book. In that book all the descriptions are given, what devotees experienced. I have explained there was just a kutir, then came the lotus building. There was the long building which is known as the Cakra building.

This book tells how the festival started and how initially we had only the hut then the Lotus Building was built then the long building was constructed. Do you know the long building is the same building which is known as the Cakra building. It is the longest building in Bengal. First walking Parikrama started in 1990. This year we have the 30th Anniversary. In the first Parikrama we had 100 devotees. This year we are expecting 10,000 devotees. Only after two years there will be 50th Anniversary of this festival. In 2022 there will be the TOVP opening so book your flights. Radha Govind will come to take you.

Nitai Gaur Premanande
Hari Haribol!

18th February 2020

The Art of Chanting

Hare Krishna. How many rounds have you completed today? Any comments about that? How many rounds should have been completed?We should not be too fast or too slow during chanting. If too fast then there might be a possibility that we might not be listening. Speed might be there, but attention might not be there. If too slow then it takes 15 mins to chant and there are too many thoughts in our head. We take the beads out again and again.Too fast and too slow chanting are the effects of inattentive chanting. Anyone else have any realisation or comments?

When we are chanting in the dhama. it is like a local call. Lord can come in a local call. By going to a nearby temple we can meet the Lord. I was thinking that if the Lord is locally there as this is His place, where would He be now? Gauranga Mahaprabhu has His astakaliya lila like Krsna. If we have to meet Him now then where should we meet Him? How much time will He take to come to us? This is Gauranga Mahaprabhu consciousness. When we are remembering our beloved person then we think where would he be now?Is he in the courtyard, shopping,…Where? We anticipate when will we meet him. When the door bell is ringing then we imagine our husband or children have arrived. When we open the door then someone else is there. It might be Maharaja also. This is meditation.We think whether God Is alone or whoever else is accompanying Him? This is worth remembering in the morning. Thus we are talking about a local call.

Question: Where would He be during the afternoon?
Answer: Gauranga Mahaprabhu goes to Radha-kunda in Rudra dvipa. There is also a place known as Madhya Dvipa where He goes to in the afternoon. He spent a lot of time near the Ganga.

Question: How to avoid offences while chanting?
Answer: If we take care to avoid offences while not chanting then we can avoid offences during chanting.We are more cautious while we are chanting about avoiding offences. We should prepare for chanting one day before. What we ate, drank, whom we met a day before? What should I think or eat now, so that I’ll be able to chant attentively at the time of japa? We should prepare for chanting before the actual chanting. If we are not careful about chanting and we eat too much the previous night and sleep late then the next morning, we will face the consequences. We should prepare one day earlier . Prevention is better than cure. If we could prevent them there is less need to cure.

Question: Just hear the chanting and don’t even think. Is this good?
Answer: Many people think like this. When we hear, then we should think also. The Name what we have heard will inspire us to think. Sravan kirtana should lead to smaran. The Name only can take us to the Lord. We have come to His abode. This we said a few days ago in Srimad-Bhagavatam class.

Question: We souls are arrows and the string of the bow is holy name.
Answer: Lord sends the arrow and where should that arrow be targeted – at the lotus feet of the Lord. Lord’s names takes us to the Lord.

Question: In the 9th offence, we hear that we shouldn’t instruct faithless people. How can we instruct someone who is faithless?
Answer: We have been instructed to preach Krsna’s instructions to each and every living entity. We preach in a positive manner that a person can take a positive impression and he would like to hear more. If his faith is less and if we hammer down, then he will think that he does not want to have anything to do with Hare Krishna. Faith is a degree. When we say he is faithless, still he has 5% faith. In China the government is preaching to them that they are atheist. When we preach, we don’t tell them everything in one go. When Srila Prabhupada was instructing in the West, he didn’t speak of the 4 regulative principles. He spoke to them after the first initiation ceremony. First things come first and not the last thing first. Preachers have to be experienced. When you meet them, you will understand their level and then you can speak. Initially, give them prasada. When they visit they may just appreciate the cleanliness in the temple. This is enough in the first meeting. Jesus said, “I’ve many things to tell you, but not now. I’ll come back.” So don’t say everything in one meeting. This is the art of preaching.

Question: How to focus on chanting after you are so tired after the end of an office day?
Answer: Sometimes devotees say I’ve 500 rounds to chant. This is not the way. Best is to get up early and chant Hare Krishna. There are 24 hours. For practical devotional service, you can consider that there are just 22 hours. 2 hours should be untouched and reserved. First thing I was thinking this morning is that I have chanted all my rounds every day. This is my first business of the day. Because it’s a busy day, I’ll do the business first and then chant in the afternoon. This is not good. We should give priority to chanting.
Pujaris also work with Deities. They should decide when they should chant. If you’re not chanting then you’re spaced out. If we are not able to do it in the morning then plan your chanting time and let the world know that you are busy chanting. Tell the person, “I’m busy.” I’ve shared this earlier. In the earlier days, a big business man wanted to meet the temple president when I was in Bombay. I told the president that such and such person wanted to meet him. I saw he was chanting. President told me to tell him, “I’m busy.” I thought how is he busy? He is just chanting Hare Krishna. Then later, I realized that chanting of Hare Krishna is serious business. We need to have that kind of business. We should honour this business. We should chant in such a way that if someone wants to interrupt then one should offer obeisances and beg forgiveness to interrupt his chanting. We shouldn’t interrupt the chanter abruptly to ask him to do some service. This is not correct behaviour. It is also an offence to the holy name.

Question: Sravan kirtana smaran happens together or does it intermingle?
Answer: Do you remember Mahatma Gandhi in his old age? What do you remember? His form. So through his name, we remember his form. When you read and study then it comes to your mind. When you remember then assimilation happens. You make that part of your consciousness. Then you become a person with character. When we take the name of any person, that person’s face immediately comes to mind. But this doesn’t happen in the case of the Lord.

Question: How we can see the Lord?
Answer: We have to go to Mangal Arati and see the Lord. After that when we chant we see the form of the Lord very easily. In English it is said, “easy to cry easy to dry”. We see many people are crying while chanting. Such tears are sentimental. But philosophy should also be there. If tears come after hearing philosophy, then they are natural. We have heard that as we progress we will witness tears in our eyes. It may happen that they may come and go. To make them steady, we need religion and philosophy. Religion without philosophy is sentimentalism. Philosophy without religion is mental speculation.

Question: I face the problem of sleeping while chanting.
Answer: This might be some kind of disorder or you didn’t take proper rest. May be the atmosphere is not proper like the temperature, air. There are two types of sleeping. One is a disorder and it is occasional. This can be cured by chanting along with some friend. You should have someone who has a water spray with him. You can get up. There is one book “Rising Sun with the Holy Name”. In this book, it is mentioned that the mind is affected by different waves in different modes. When we are in sattvic the waves are different. When in rajsic, the waves are different and when in tamsic, the waves are different. Sleep is the effect of ignorance. To get awake we need passion. If someone is sitting then we end up sleeping. If someone is feeling sleepy then we need passion by standing up and circumambulating around Tulasi . We should sit properly. If we sit like a yogi then there is the right flow of energy. If we sit properly then it is also a solution. Prabhupada would always say, ‘Sit properly.’ So these are some solutions for attentive chanting.

Gaur Premanande!
Hari Haribol!