15th August 2019

CAST OFF THE ASS LIKE MENTALITY

For you this is not Japa time, but you could also be chanting all the time. What did Mahaprabhu say? – namnamkari bahuda nija sarva shaktis tatra arpita niyamita smaranen kalaha. So there is no hard and fast rule about chanting. Here I am talking to you, sitting with several devotees. We are in Alachua. New Ramanreti, Krishna-Balaram temple, America. We did a little Japa with the devotees assembled here and while talking to you all on this conference, some are also around me here. So there is no hard and fast rule with regard to the time, but of course we have been emphasising and reminding all you chanters that the best time for chanting is Brahma muhurta.

The morning of the day is the time in the mode of goodness. Day time is passion. Rajo Guna becomes prominent and night time is supposed to be reserved for ignorance. Like this, the day is divided into three parts and the three modes are dominant in each one of those. So we should attempt with all effort to chant. Get up and the first thing you do is chanting. I know you all are busy people. My advice is that you should consider that the day has only 22 hours for you. You could stay busy for 22 hours in different things and devotional services or family obligations also, which
is part of your Varnasrama responsibilities. To take care of those you have 22 hours, but the other 2 hours they don't exist for doing anything else but chanting of maha-mantra. You could divide your day like that in two parts, two hours for chanting and 22 hours for more chanting and more serving, hearing and taking care of other different obligations. Here in Alachua we celebrated Balaram Purnima yesterday. I think in India , you are celebrating that today.

We spend the day remembering Balarama, chanting and hearing his glories. Also chanting

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

Lots of Hare Krishna and some more chanting also. Balaram also did many things. He is Adiguru, the first spiritual master. When we chant Hare Krishna the next part is Hare Rama. Prabhupada would say that this 'Hare Rama Hare Rama' also refers to Balarama. In India people are interested to know about this Hare Rama that we chant. Whether it is Jay Sri Rama or what? Prabhupada would say , “Yes, and 'Hare Rama Hare Rama' refers to Balarama. Technically we know this Hare Rama is Krsna, but then Krsna is Balarama and Balarama is Krsna. They are non-different.
Balarama is as good as Krsna. He is almost Krsna. Srila Prabhupada said that, and we also said yesterday, He is almost there. He is there. He is Krsna. So chanters of the maha-mantra of course remember Balarama while chanting 'Hare Rama Hare Rama' part. Balarama from the name itself is Bala and Rama. We get strength, spiritual strength from Balarama.

nayam-atma  bala-hinena  labhyo

na  =  not;ayam  =  this; atma  =  Paramatma; bala-hinena  =  by  the  weak  ( in  spirit );
labhyah  =  is  attained (MUNDAKOPANISHAD : CHAPTER-3. SECTION-2. MANTRAM-4)

It says na ayam atma – atma can be realized, but the soul can't be realized, become God realized, Krsna realized , without strength. na bala hinena – you are devoid of Bala – strength. na labhyo – you can't attain self realization, Krsna realization. So we need this Bala,strength to realize the lord.

That strength comes from Balarama. He is also Adiguru. It comes from Balarama and then through our spiritual master it reaches us. So we get spiritual strength from Balarama. Rama means pleasure,joy.

ramati ramayati ca iti ramah

Rama is that personality who is joyful in nature. He enjoys-: ramati ramayati ca, ca means. ' and' He becomes the cause of others’ pleasure.

ha ha prabhu nityananda, premananda sukhi
kripabalokana koro ami boro duhkhi

The famous prayer statement, says, ha ha prabhu nityananda, premananda sukhi. You seem to be sukhi, happy and full of premananda. So whether Nityananda or Balarama is premananda sukhi. is same. Balarama hai Nitai. Balarama has become joyful. But then the song says, look at me, poor me. I am miserable. – boro dukhi. That's not fair. You are sukhi and I am dukhi. So do something for me too Nityananda Prabhuji. We also say this to Balarama by addressing Him as You are premanande sukhi. When we sing this song,our mind says me too! I would like to be Happy. Some Prema for me also. That is what Balarama has ramati ramayati ca. He enjoys Himself and He becomes the cause of others enjoyment. So

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

We chant Hare Krishna mahamantra and in the prayer unto Krishna and Balarama so that we could be happy, and there is no other way to become Happy.

harer namaiva kevalam

Yesterday as we were celebrating Appearance Day of Balarama, we gave initiation to some souls. They heard, Jiva Jago Jiva jago Gauracand bole. We gave him the name Gauracand. Please wake up. Gauranga Mahaprabhu is calling. He has been calling. He is calling all the time. We don't listen, or we listen and not listen. Even if we listen we don’t pay attention really and think of something else. Yesterday we woke up two souls They really heard the wake up call. Gauranga is calling Jiva Jago Jiva jago. They were initiated. One became Gauracand – Sakshi Gopal Prabhu's elder son is not very old. He is only thirteen years old. He broke all the records. He broke or I broke the record by initiating such a young man – only thirteen years old. He has become my youngest disciple and then he was appreciated by devotees assembled here. Temple president , Mukhya mataji was appreciating them. That of course is about whether we also woke up . Other one is twenty-two, took some extra time and she became Rasanandi Radha, from Guyana. She is
not born here. Her parents are from Guyana. She is Dharmaraj Prabhu's daughter. She also took initiation. Initiation means initiated . So the other mataji was appreciating that these two souls have taken this commitment of chanting the prescribed number of rounds. They are exemplary. The whole Gurukul was also here. Friends also from their age groups. They were associating. Hardik Patel who chants regularly on this conference has travelled a long distance driving for eight hours. to catch up with us. Vidya is from Mauritius. She also is here. She didn't drive, but she flew long distance to join us. She was also a witness of yesterday's initiation. Two of them took initiation,
which is an example for others. So think about it and take to the chanting seriously. Quality wise seriously and quantity wise sixteen rounds minimum of all rounds. Not that I chanted four rounds seriously , I have taken it seriously. I have chanted four rounds seriously or eight rounds seriously.

No! No! Minimum sixteen rounds at that time of the day.
Chanting seriously means you are taking care of yourself. You have understood yourself. The spirit soul is being yourself which you had been neglecting for a long, long time. So this Jiva Jago is wake up soul. We don't say wake up body. Time to go to work. Even after telling them , as Bhaktivinoda Thakura has given the wake up call. He says Jiva Jago Jiva jago Gauracand bole. This wake up call is for Gauracanda. If we are serious in taking care of ourselves – self is not the body, but the soul. We feed the soul by chanting Hare Krishna Hare Krishna. We are connecting the soul. Make sure that we feed it properly. Make sure we trying to feed the soul, but are we feeding it properly. The soul is consuming, or swallowing it.

We are chanting, but we are not listening. We are chanting, but our mind is really not into chanting. Mind is off. We are doing our rounds. Round after round, one round done, second round and in between the mind makes so many rounds around the world. We have to do this thing, fixing our mind on chanting Bringing the mind back from the senses and
making sure you are hearing and then thinking and remembering the Lord. Remembering Lord's form, qualities abode and like that. When the mother has to feed the child , some children don’t even open their mouth. He is pretending to open, but the jaws are still tight. We have seen this. Then the mother somehow feeds the child, distracts the child from the task of opening the mouth and somehow with the spoon holding in between the lips tries to make the space. Then she has to make sure that food reaches the mouth. There are many mothers here who will agree. So many babies you have seen. Even if the food is in the mouth the child doesn't swallow it. She still keeps working on the child. The baby
has to swallow it. And when it is in stomach, it also has to be assimilated. Once it is digested then it becomes part of your system and that is what gives you strength, energy. Then you could function in your lively way. So for this process of chanting and hearing, our mind is always a stumbling block. The mind comes in the way like that child's body comes in the way. Child's lips, teeth come in the way. Child's mouth also may come in a way. Child's food in the mouth and he is holding it and it is not going down to the stomach. Likewise Mind is 'anti', Your enemy.

atmaiva hy atmano bandhur
atmaiva ripur atmanah

The Lord has explained this in the sixth chapter of Bhagavad-Gita where he is talking about astanga yoga. It applies to us. Krsna says your mind can act like your enemy, it can also act like your friend, so make your mind friend.

uddhared atmanatmanam
natmanam avasadayet
atmaiva hy atmano bandhur
atmaiva ripur atmanah (BG 6.5)

Lord's advice is uddhared atmanatmanam. Throughout this particular statement the Lord is only saying atma, atma, atma, that each of these atma refers to the soul, refers to intelligence also as atma, refers to the mind also as atma.

atmaiva hy atmano bandhur- atma is friend of atma. Here first atma is atma, spirit soul. atmaiva hy atmano bandhur. This atma – mind could be the friend of the soul, or atmaiva ripur atmanah – the mind which is atma could be the enemy of atma – soul. So one Atma is atma and other atma which Krsna talks about is the mind . Intelligence is also atma. One atma should lift the other atma. So this atma – soul should be lifted. Uddhared – uddhar karo, lift! uddhared atmanatmanam- You lift the soul(atma) with the other atma, that is the mind and intelligence. With the help of the mind
which is governed by divine intelligence, you lift the soul. The soul has to be lifted and the soul has to be liberated. The soul could be lifted by the controlled, purified mind with intelligence. What governs or controls the mind is intelligence. So the three atmas are:

soul -atma
mind – atma
intelligence – atma

Above all, there is Paramatma. Lord says,” I give atma, I give intelligence. dadami buddhi-yogam tam (BG 10.10). I give intelligence. Lord gives intelligence. With the help of that divine intelligence we can control our otherwise uncontrollable mind. Mind is soul.

Mana eva manushyanam karanam bandha mokshayoho

When the mind acts like your enemy then bandhan, bondage, you are conditioned. And when the mind acts as our friend then our soul becomes free from bondage. Mind is the cause of bondage and liberation.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare.

So while we say that to chant successfully is a job of an intelligent person. Buddhiman person could chant attentively, properly, purely and fiercly . So ye buddhu ka kama nahi hai. Ek hota hai buddhu. and the other is buddhiman. That's why Balarama killed the ass demon. Dhenukasur. Otherwise the ass is known to be dull headed and that is why he works so very hard. Although the grass is everywhere and it doesn't require much labor to get the grass, he feels he must work very hard, carry a big load of my boss, government or company for which I am working, to get the grass. This is one mentality of the ass. Working hard mentality. Balarama killed the ass demon. He is Adi-guru. This is the Guru's business on behalf of Balarama, the ass that is hiding within us because of which we have developed ass like mentality has to be killed. The ass works very hard that's one thing, but the ass is also attached to sex life. He always runs after the she ass or the he donkey runs after the she donkey. Our Deenabandhu Prabhu , ISKCON panda from Krishna Balaram temple Vrindavan describes this Dhenukasur past time. He describes it in a very interesting way. How the ass is running after the she ass and she ass may give the he ass a kick on his face, but he ass doesn't go away. He persists and tries again. Another attempt to enjoy and another kick. Kick after kick just to enjoy the sex pleasure. Ass is also known for working hard and sex life. So Krsna could have killed that ass, but he let Balarama kill him to set an example for all the guru's, that you have to also get rid of the ass like mentality.

We were talking of chanting as being the job of buddhiman and not buddhu. As long as we stay or maintain the ass like mentality, then we can't progress. We will be going the wrong way and that leads to bondage. We have to become intelligent. To whom does Lord gives intelligence? He doesn't distribute it like free cookies. He says I give such intelligence :

esam satata-yuktanam
bhajatam priti-purvakam
dadami buddhi-yogam tam
yena mam upayanti te

To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I give the understanding by
which they can come to Me. (BG 10.10)

Those who are endeavouring to serve the Lord, they want to serve Lord, satata-yuktanam and priti- purvakam. They want to develop love for the Lord. You want to serve, with love and devotion . The Bible says, ' Love thy Lord with all thy strength'. Krsna also said, 'Love thy Lord with all thy strength.' in sadhana bhakti, devotional service, chanting is the primary principal. This is devotional service. Those who are serving the Lord like that, to them the Lord gives intelligence. We did some service and the Lord gave some intelligence. Then he served more. By seeing that service , the Lord gave more intelligence and like that. So part of that service is the chanting service specially in this age of Kali. There is no other way . The goal is – yena mam upayanti te. They will come back to Me. Come back to Godhead where Krsna and Balarama are performing the pastimes eternally. Here we do sadhana bhakti in this world and then when we become perfect, eligible, then we return to the place from where we have come.