HumIlity – Ornament of Vaisnava! 22nd Feb

HUMILITY – ORNAMENT OF VAISNAVA!

I am hearing lots of praises for this microphone today . Devotees are saying wonderful microphone. “Wonderful holy name is being chanted with wonderful microphone, and wonderful devotees are listening to it.” I get lots of requests for blessings. Devotees are seeking blessings all the time and offering pranams. I am being bombarded with dandavats every few minutes, not to me alone, but all the participants of the conference. That’s the right mood. All the humility at your command, when you enter the association of devotees or devotee family which is busy with chanting. Offering dandavat means you are bowing down. That is how one becomes the recipient of the holy name, when you bow down. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has already declared in his verse –
trinadapi sunichen tarorapi sahishnuna amanina manden kirtaniya sada Hari. (Siksastakam -verse 3).

If you have to light even a candle or incense, if you hold it straight, and light it, it will take longer or may not even burn. But when you hold it slanting or ‘stick bows down’ then it lights quickly. So like that , when we bow down , we become more eligible candidate to receive the mercy.

Vidya dadati vinayam vinyat yati patrata. ( Hitopadesh – verse 6)

When you acquire knowledge, you go to VIHE in Vrindavan and you become vidvan ( learned) or vidushi. That Vidya makes you humble. Only ignorant people are falsely proud. As soon as you become knowledgeable, you become humble , because vidya dadati vinayam. They are the qualities of a Brahmin. Krsna said the qualities of Brahmin are vidya vinaya sammpane brahmane( BG. 5.18). A brahmin is that person who is vidyasampanna (knowledgeable) and vinaysampanna ( humble). He is equipped with vidya or knowledge. That knowledge makes him vinayi or humble. So we should be knowledgeable. We should be acquiring knowledge. Studying Bhagvad-Gita, Bhagavatam will make us humble. Because we will be realizing that God is Great and we are insignificant, just tiny parts and parcels, very tiny. That should make us humble.

During our Padayatra to Badrikasrama we were seeing the tall peaks of the Himalayan Mountains all around us. We were walking midst of those mountains like a speck of dust , towards Badrikashram. It was quite a humbling experience. In the midst of the Himalayan Mountains, the tallest mountain on earth and you are walking at the foothill of the mountain peak, like a tiny ants crawling. That was a humbling experience. As we read, Gita, Bhagavatam, Caitanya Caritamrita we become more and more Krsna realized. We understand the greatness of Krsna and at the same time we become self realized. God is great , and I am such insignificant, tiny part and parcel. So that is what makes us humble. This humility makes us eligible to receive the mercy of the Lord. So vidya dadati vinayam, vinayat yati patrata. You become the retainer or beholder of the mercy of the Lord. That’s where Dharana , Dhyana and samadhi begins. We hold because we are humble, eligible and you will hold, retain and maintain that. Then you become happy and joyful, since you have already received the mercy of the Lord. This is one part, which is good enough, Have you understood what we said? Importance of being humble.

Someone wanted me to speak on one of the Siksastakam , so this can be also considered as commentary on one of the Siksastakam – trinad api sunichen tarorapi sahishnuna amanina manden kirtaniya sada Hari.

One of the mataji is raising her arms in the air. This is also humility. Surrendering. We are surrendered. It’s big body language, raising arms. So vinayat yati patrata, patratvat dhanam aapnoti. Then when you are patra, you could acquire wealth. Patra is a container so you will receive and hold it.

This mantra is wonderful. patratvat dhanam aapnoti. This chanting that we are doing is dhan. Golokera prem dhan . Dhan or wealth is coming your way and your soul is the patra, the holder. So all morning long we are making you richer as we chant –

HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA
KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE
HARE RAMA HARE RAMA
RAMA RAMA HARE HARE

We start acquiring dhanam early morning. Everyone starts making money at 10.00 am. But devotees start earning at 5.00 am . They are ahead of the world. Devotees wake up early, and start collecting wealth.

Further it says dhanat dharmaha tataha sukham. So dhanat dharmam – like dharma, artha kama moksha. This should be employed for Dharma. for becoming Krishna conscious, . Dhan or wealth is wisely invested then the end result is tataha sukham i.e. you become happy. This is also what we understand, Early to bed, early to rise makes one healthy wealthy and wise. You become wealthy, because we inhale fresh air enriched with lots of oxygen. We should inhale lots of oxygen in the morning. We don’t have to stop chanting. We have talked a few times about the technique of chanting, that while chanting you take a deep breath and you chant, then release the breath slowly while chanting the maha mantra. Chant 3, 4 or 5 mantras, in one breath during which the air is released. Then take a deep breath again and repeat it the same way.

There are lots of benefits of this. I don’t have time to explain all those now, but don’t think this is just a yogi business or astanga yogi business or hatha yoga. It may be or it is but we can also use this in our service of bhakti yoga for chanting. You will also become healthy and wealthy if you chant the way I was just explaining. In order to fill up your lungs, as soon as you begin filling up your lungs, what happens? You come to a position that is favourable for remembering Krsna meditation.

We are also meditators. Dhyan-yogis. Bajarangi Prabhuji does this and Madhav-kirti Prabhu also keeps talking about it. There are several other devotees, japa-yogis who follow this. The blood is oxygenated and reaching your brain. Then you will not fall asleep as someone was sleeping this morning in the middle of the chanting. You try this technique, then you will overcome the sleepy state. You will remain awake. Healthy, Wealthy and Wise. If you sleep early, and get up early in the morning, that will make you healthy, wealthy and wise.

Memorise this mantra vidya dadati vinayam, vinayat yati patrata, patratvat dhanam aapnoti and dhanat dharmaha tataha sukham

It is Krsna connection or Hare Krishna -mahamantra connection. It is a guideline for the chanters of the holy name. This has elements like humility and how to become eligible. ‘How could I the receive mercy of the holy name?’ someone asked. This is the answer to that question. Be humble.

Today we will stop here. It’s time to greet Radha-Govind Dev. See you tomorrow again.

Hare Krishna!