JUMP IN THE BOAT CALLED ‘ISKCON’

Even children are taking part in the conference. Many are chanting with their kids. I even saw one cow today. The whole world is chanting. Nagaradi gram. I get to see that the whole world is chanting. Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s prediction has come true. It’s proof. Devotees from Australia, New Jersey, South Africa, Middle East etc –

nama nache jiva nache nache premadhan

Harinama Cintamani says that when there is chanting nama nache – the holy name dances. Who is the holy name? Radha and Krsna. jiva nache – all the living entities are chanting and dancing. prema nache – Krsna Prema is also dancing. This Krsna Prema is also the goal. Prabhupada said that the goal of life is to join the dancing party of Radha and Krsna. So this chanting is like a rehearsal so that one day we can join the chanting party of Radha and Krsna. While we are chanting we are with Radha and Krsna. When our chanting becomes better and better, more ecstatic, more joyful, more dancing will happen. One kind of dance of Caitanya Mahaprabhu was called uddanda nritya. He would fly in the air .

tathai tathai bajalo khol,
ghana ghana tahe jhajera rol,
preme dhala dhala sonara anga,
carane nupura baje

The mṛdangas (khol) resounded “tathai tathai” and the jhajas [large metal karatalas that look like small cymbals] in that kirtana played in time. Lord Gauranga’s golden form slightly trembled in ecstatic love of Godhead, and His foot-bells jingled. ( Arunodaya Kirtana 1, Bhaktivinoda Thakura)

That’s one kind. His ankle bells would tinkle. Dhala dhala – almost like a swami step. Then there is more dancing. Much uddanda nirtya took place in Santipur. Sacimata was there. After Caitanya Mahaprabhu took sannyasa He immediately wanted to go to Vrindavan. Why stay anywhere else in the world? Go to the final destination. Caitanya Mahaprabhu wanted to go to Vrindavan. He received initiation from Isvara Puri in Gaya and as soon as he started chanting …..

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

…. He became very ecstatic and was ready to go to Vrindavan. Just a few minutes after his initiation ceremony and as He began chanting, He attained perfection of chanting.

aparadha-sunya ho’ye loho krsna-nama ( Verse 3 – Nadiya Godrume Nityananda Mahajana – Bhaktivinoda Thakura)

He had to be pacified. Candrashekhar Acarya who was there at the time of the initiation literally stopped Him. Already love for the Lord was aroused in Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s personality and then He wanted to go to Vrindavan. If you don’t want to be in Ahmedabad or Moscow, then all other places are like that. Whichever place you take in the world, it’s not worth living there. Chanter leaves that place behind and he faces Vrindavan. Some devotees from Vrindavan are smiling. We are already in Vrindavan. But not sure really, how much we are in Vrindavan. We are also in Mayapur, but not sure how much we are in Mayapur. We may still have our legs in two boats. One leg in Mayapur, one leg in Ahmedabad. There is a ‘tug of war’. Mayapur is pulling and the world is pulling.

If you chant and chant, then you cut all the bonds. They say there are so many strings and all the strings are attached.

bhidyate hrdaya-granthis
chidyante sarva-samsayah
ksiyante casya karmani
drsta evatmanisvare

Thus the knot in the heart is pierced, and all misgivings are cut to pieces. The chain of fruitive actions is terminated when one sees the self as master. ( S.B. 1.2.21)

We chant and chant with attention and the results is bhidyate hrdaya-granthis. All the knots in heart, on top of the other knots are removed. Another bondage is

dhyayato visayan pumsah
sangas teṣupajayate
sangat sanjayate kamah
kamat krodho ’bhijayate

While contemplating the objects of the senses, a person develops attachment for them, and from such attachment lust develops, and from lust anger arises. ( BG. 2.62)

As we contemplate on the worldly objects, sangat sanjayate attachment develops. There are so many attachments, so many strings, so many knots. If you have a big rope with knots then untying of those knots can be done. But if there is fine silk thread with knots its removal of knots is very difficult. There are so many knots in the chanting of Hare Krishna. It does that untying or breaking those knots.

ajnas casraddadhanas ca
samsayatma vinasyati
nayam loko ’sti na paro
na sukham samsayatmanah

But ignorant and faithless persons who doubt the revealed scriptures do not attain God consciousness; they fall down. For the doubting soul there is happiness neither in this world nor in the next. (BG. 4.40)

If you have doubts you are doomed. We have to also become free from doubts. Chanting of Hare Krishna would free us from doubts and then …

bhidyate hridaya-grantih chhidyante sarva-samsayah
kshiyante sarva-karmani guroh karunaya sive (Verse 306)

O Parvati! All the knots of the heart are rent asunder, all doubts are cleared, all the karmas are destroyed by the grace of mercy of the Guru. [This Verse is mentioned by Bhagavan Ramana in Talks No. 500 dated 10.6.1938.]

… will happen. Our karma is keeping us in this world . Karma beeja and then this and that happens. Karma beeja is kshiyante. All that is burnt to ashes. We become free from all the doubts. When we hear the glories of the holy name, then what happens but

yathaidhamsi samiddho ’gnir
bhasma-sat kurute ’rjuna
jnanagniḥ sarva-karmaṇi
bhasma-sat kurute tatha

As a blazing fire turns firewood to ashes, O Arjuna, so does the fire of knowledge burn to ashes all reactions to material activities.( BG. 4.37)

From fire comes light and heat. Krsna kindly lights the lamp in our hearts .

tesam evanukampartham
aham ajnana-jam tamah
nasayamy atma-bhava-stho
jnana-dipena bhasvata

To show them special mercy, I, dwelling in their hearts, destroy with the shining lamp of knowledge the darkness born of ignorance.( BG. 10.11)

That lamp of knowledge, fire of knowledge, sword of knowledge, cuts , burns all the beejas. All the stock that there is in our hearts which are like mountain is cut if you surrender to Krsna, He says

sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
moksayisyami ma sucah

Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear. ( BG. 18.66)

Karma beeja could be paap beeja or punya beeja , but both are not desirable. Caitanya Mahaprabhu said to Prakashanand Saraswat in Varanasi,” My Guru Maharaja thought I was a fool.” Is it the fault of a Guru that he thought of me as fool? We don’t like a Guru calling us a fool, but Caitanya Mahaprabhu was happy to share what His Guru told him and then he instructed, “Guru also said, ‘Come closer and whispered

harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha

In this Age of Kali there is no other means, no other means, no other means for self-realization than chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name of Lord Hari (CC Adi 7.21)

yathaidhamsi samiddho ‘gnir
bhasma-sat kurute ‘rjuna
jnanagnih sarva-karmani
bhasma-sat kurute tatha

As the blazing fire turns firewood to ashes, O Arjuna, so does the fire of knowledge burn to ashes all reactions to material activities. (4.37)

Then everything is out of our way. The path is clear, no strings attached. We are free from all the doubts and there are no more karmic reactions. You have become mukta. Then only thing that remains now is to become bhakta. Mukta becomes bhakta and then he continues to chant. Chanting is our sadhana and sadhya. It is the means and the goal. We chant here as sadhakas. When we chant, bhava develops and we chant with love. Loving emotions, feelings are aroused in us. As our padayatris say – we go back home while chanting and dancing. Haathi hai na ghoda hai , waha paidal hi jana hai. We have to go walking, chanting …..

HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA
KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE
HARE RAMA HARE RAMA
RAMA RAMA HARE HARE.

We return to where we had come down here. Caitanya Mahaprabhu kindly came down here and gave us the mahamantra. He had initiated the whole world. Krishnam vande Jagadgurum. He gave the mantra to the whole world. Then as one takes shelter of the holy name –

bahu-anga sadhane, bhai, nahi prayojana
krsna-namasraye suddha karaha jivana

If you want to advance on the path of suddha-bhakti, not many rules and spiritual practices are necessary. Simply beg for the complete shelter of krsna-nama and thus purify your heart and consciousness. (Jaiva Dharma – Bahktivinoda Thakura)

This name will bring us back home. So we are going back home, back to Godhead. ISKCON is a boat and Prabhupada is the captain. Join him. Jump in this boat. We are going back home. You are welcome. Take your seat and never leave this boat, even if you find some defects. The boat is in the ocean. It will be a foolish thing to do. If there is some difficulty in the boat and you jump out , where will you be then. There is no better situation or location in the world. This is the safest, amidst the devotees in the dham chanting the holy names, eating Krsna prasada, hearing about Krsna and what he had to say in the battle of Kurukshetra. Follow the instructions. Lord said:

patram pushpam phalam toyam ( BG. 9.26)

Give up matanam, chickenam. This is the life of Krishna consciousness. Otherwise it’s a deaf and dead matter. Be convinced. Don’t only remain sraddhavan. You have to become nisthavan. Prabhupad would ask from time to time, “Are you convinced?” So get convinced. Become free from all doubts. Doubts are enemies. Arjuna called Krsna Madhusudana. Make me free from doubts. Take advantage of devotee association. Prabhupada has given us everything, including this festival – Mayapur-Vrindavan festival. Here we come and get charged, become more enthusiastic.

From utsava comes utsaha.

Hare Krishna!