Reality and You（実在にあなたの関係）
→ The Enquirer

This is the first of three very important discussions. If you attend all three you will get a complete introduction to Indian philosophy, especially Śrī Caitanya’s school: Bhedābheda Vedānta.

There are three essential subjects in Śrī Caitanya’s teachings. The first is sambandha, your relationship to reality. The second is abhideya, how to realize that relationship. And the third is prayojana, the result of realizing it.

Your Relationship to Reality (Sambandha-jñāna)

Today we will discuss sambandha, your relationship to existence.

Existence has three main components. The first is ātman, consciousness. The second is prakṛti,  the objects we are conscious of. The third is īśvara, the origin and foundation of both.

We will explain each one.

Consciousness (Ātman)

It’s difficult to know what really exists. Sometimes we think things exist, but then we wake up and realize we were just dreaming. Who knows if we will “wake up” again and find out that even now we are just dreaming? Sometimes we think something is real, only to find that it disappears and becomes unreal. I once had a car parked in front of my house, and one day I woke up and it wasn’t there anymore. It was stolen and ceased to exist for me. I once had the body of a seven year old boy, but that also no longer exists.

One thing we know for sure is that we exist.

But what are we?

It’s hard to know for sure, everything we think we are keeps changing. First I thought I was a little boy. Then I thought I was a baseball player. Then I thought I was a teenage musician. Then I thought I was a monk in a temple. Now I think I am a husband and father. Which one am I? It is confusing. But if we look carefully into ourselves we can find one thing that is always there. “I.”

I am a boy. I am a baseball player. I am a musician. I am a father. “I” is in all these ideas. What is this “I”?

It is consciousness. One thing we can say for sure is that we are consciousness.

Consciousness is like light. If there is no light you cannot perceive any objects in the room, but when there is light you become aware of everything. Consciousness is the “light” that shines on things, enabling us to perceive ourselves and the world around us.

But consciousness is a very special kind of light. An ordinary light is not aware of what it shines on; it simply reveals objects to others. Consciousness is a light that is aware of what it shines on; it reveals objects to itself.

Many religions call consciousness the “soul.” In Sanskrit we call it ātman. It is your true self – who you really are.

Meditate carefully on your own consciousness and you’ll begin to realize that you are always conscious of things from a particular point of view. If you and I look at the same picture, we  both become aware of the picture, but from different angles. It’s more than a physical viewing angle, we have different emotional and intellectual angles as well.

What does this reveal about consciousness? It shows that consciousness is always subjective and individually distinct. Individuality is not a problem, it is part of the beauty naturally inherent in consciousness itself.[1]

Objects of Consciousness (Prakṛti)

We know that we exist and we know that other things exist, too. Look at a tree, for example, and you will realize, “I exist and the tree exists.” The “I” that really exists is not a temporary identity with a certain age, gender, nationality, and so on. It is the true “I” – consciousness. Similarly, the tree that really exists is not what it seems to be on the surface.

Think carefully about the tree. If you look at it long enough sometimes it will have green leaves, sometimes red, sometimes none at all, and sometimes it is covered in flowers! If we observe it long enough it will disappear, or change into dirt.

The tree exists, but not always in the same form. This is very different from consciousness. Consciousness always exists in the same form, but the objects we experience with our consciousness always change their form.[2]

We cannot have a permanent relationship with any object, because, like the main character in Hinotori, we are eternal and everything we encounter is temporary. We deeply desire a real and permanent relationship, however.  Where can we find it? Is there something real and permanent behind all the temporary things everywhere around us?

Behind all the changing forms are eight primordial elements. A tree is not really a tree. It is really a temporary permutation of these eight elements: solids, liquids, energies, gasses, space, emotion, intellect and self-centeredness.[3]

These elements are eternal, but they aren’t personal. We can’t have a satisfying relationship with them, and we also can’t interact with them in their eternal form. We can only interact with their temporary permutations. But where do these eight elements come from? This leads us to the third aspect of reality: īśvara - the origin of everything.

The Foundation (Īśvara)

We are confused about who we are. Since our consciousness can be put into confusion, it’s not logical to say that it is the ultimate source of itself. There must be things more powerful than our consciousness, and our consciousness must have a source.

The elements that form the objects we are conscious of also must have a source. We know they don’t come from us – because we can’t perfectly control or understand them.

What entity is the source of both consciousness and the objects of consciousness? Although we rationally know that such an entity must exist, it’s impossible to intellectually comprehend what that entity is – since it’s beyond perception and objects of perception.

We can avail ourselves of statements made by those who have realized this entity.[4] If we meditate carefully on such things with all our hearts and minds, we can realize that this entity must be completely outside our limitations, self-causing, and perfectly able to satisfy our need for a real, permanent loving relationship – the entity must be All-Attractive. That is what the word “Krishna” means.

But to fully comprehend and realize our permanent relationship to Krishna requires a trans-intellectual process. That process is the topic of the entire next discussion.

 これは三つ重要な話合いの最初のものです。すべての三つに出席し、あなたはインド哲学への完全な導入を取得します, 特にŚrī Caitanyaの分科: Bhedābheda Vedānta。

Śrī Caitanyaの教えにある三つ本質的な話題があります。最初はSambhandha, 「実在にあなたの関係」。第二はAbhideya, 「その関係をどのように実現するか」。第三はPrayojana、「それを実現したの結果」。

実在にあなたの関係
(Sambandha-jñāna)

今日はSambandhaについて説明します、実在にあなたの関係」。

実在は三つの成分があります。最初はātman、「意識」まったは「人心地」。第二はprakṛti、「知覚の対象」。第三はīśvara、「両方の本元」。

それぞれを説明します。

意識 (Ātman)

本当の存在をしることは難しいことです。時々私たちはここに存在しているとおもっているけど、目がさめると夢だったんだと悟ります。もしまためざめて今でさえわたしたちは夢を見てるんだということをだれがしってるんでしょう？　時々私たちはこれは本当だと思っています。それをみつけるのは唯一、それがなくなってしまったら本当じゃなくなります。わたしは一度自分の家の前に車を止めていました。ある日目が覚めると

なくなってたんです。盗まれたんです。私にとって存在しない物になりました。わたしは７歳の男の子の体だったときがありましたが、それも、もう存在していません。

一つたしかなことは私たちは存在しているということです

でも私たちは何なんでしょう？

正確なことをしるのは難しいです。すべてが変わり続けていると考えてる。最初、私は子供だと思っていた。そして私は野球の選手だと思ってた。私は若いミュージシャン、私はお寺のお坊さん、そして今は私はお父さんで旦那さんだとおもってる。どれが私なんでしょうか？困惑します。でももし注意深くみつめれば　いつもそこに’私’ということが見つけられます。

私は少年。私は野球の選手。私はミュージシャン。私はお父さん。’私’というのがすべてのアイデアです。この’私’とは何ですか？

それは意識です。１つ確かに言えるのは。私たちは意識だということです。

意識というのは明かりのようです。もし明かりがないと部屋の中の物がなにもみえないです。でも明かりがついたらすべてが明確になります。意識は、私たちの世界や自分で明確にすることを可能にし、物事をかがやかせる明かりです。

でも意識はとても特殊な明かりです。普通の明かりは何が照らされてるか気づかない。ただ物をほかに現すだけです。意識は何が照らされているか知って明かりです。自分で物を現せるものです。

いろんな宗教が意識は魂(“soul”)だと言ってます。Sanskritでこれはātmaとよんでます。真実のあなたー本当のあなたです。

自分の意識を注意深く瞑想してみてください。自分の意識を注意深く瞑想してみてください。あなたはいつも物事の見方の意識だということを悟り始めるでしょう。もしあなたと私が同じ写真をみて２人とも写真に気づきました。でも違った見解で！！外見的な見解よりも違った感情や理知的な観点から見て！！

なにが意識を明らかにするんでしょうか？意識はいつも主観的で個人的に全く別の物だとみせてます。個人性は問題ないです。自然に生まれつき意識にある美しさの一つです・[1]

意識の対象(Prakṛti)

わたしたちも存在してるし他の人も存在してるということをしってます。木を見てください。例をとって言うとわたしも木も存在してるということを悟るでしょう。本当に存在している私は一時的な個性でわなく、年齢、性、何人などにとらわれない私です。本当の私ー意識です。同様に本当に存在している木は表面に現れている物ではありません。

注意深く木のことを思ってみてください。もし長い期間みていたら　時々青い葉っぱがあります、時々赤い葉っぱ、はっぱが何もないときもあります。花で満開になってるときもあります。観察し続けたらなくなってたり、土に変わってるかもしれません。

木は存在してるけどいつもおなじすがたではありません。これは意識と全く違う点です。意識はいつも同じ姿で存在しています。でも私たちの意識で体験する対象(この体）はいつもそれらの姿に変化します。[2]

だから、私たちはどんな対象とも永久な関係をもつことはできません。なぜならちょうど主な特徴のある火の鳥のように私たちは永遠です。そしてわたしたちにすべて。おこってくることは一時期です。どんなに深く真実や永遠の関係を望んだとしても、どこでみつけることができるんでしょう？私たちにおこってくるすべての一時的なことの背後に真実や永遠なことがあるんでしょうか？

すべて変化していく体には８つの基本的な要素があります。木は本当は木ではありません。本当は一時的にこれら８つの要素（地、水、火、風、空白、心、知性、偽の自我）で成り立っています。[3]

これらの要素は永遠です。でもそれらは人格をもっていません。私たちは物質と関係をもつことで満足を得られません。そして物質の永遠な様相とも交流することができません。ただそれらの一時的変化したものとふれあうことができます。でもこの８つの要素はどこから来たんでしょう？このことは３つめの真実の本義īśvara（すべての根源）に導いてくれます。

両方の本元 (Īśvara)

私たちは一体誰なんだと困惑しています。意識が困惑状況にあるのにその意識が究極的な根源だというのは理屈にあってません。私たちの意識よりもっと強力なものがあるはずです。そして私たちの意識の源があるはずです。

意識も源があるはずです。体の対象の要素は私たちからできてないことは知ってます。なぜなら私たちが要素を完全に支配したり、理解することができないからです。

どんな生命が物質と精神の両方の源なんでしょう？合理的にこのような生命体が存在していることを知っています。その生命が何か？認識の対象と認識を超えているので、知的に理解することは不可能です。

ですから悟った生命によってつくられた言葉が　役に立つのです。[4] もしこのような書物を注意深く心から瞑想したなら、この生命は完全に自分たちの限界を超えていて自分たちの源だということを悟ることができるでしょう。そして私たち自身に必要なことを完全に満足させることができ、永遠な愛の関係をあたえることができるということも悟ることができます。その生命体はすべてを魅了するお方に違いありません。それがクリシュナという言葉の意味なんです。

でもそのことを完全に理解し、クリシュナとの永遠の愛の関係を悟ることは超越した知的な方法が必要です。その方法のトピックについてはつぎの討論になります。
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[2] Krishna explains this in the Gītā, 13.20: prakṛtiḿ puruṣaḿ caiva viddhy anādī ubhāv api. vikārāḿś ca guṇāḿś caiva viddhi prakṛti-sambhavān

[3] 7.4: bhūmir āpo ‘nalo vāyuḥ khaḿ mano buddhir eva ca. ahańkāra itīyaḿ me bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā

[4] For example in Gītā 7.6 Krishna says: etad-yonīni bhūtāni sarvāṇīty upadhāraya ahaḿ kṛtsnasya jagataḥ prabhavaḥ pralayas tathā - “I am the entity who is the foundation of both consciousness and the objects of consciousness.”


With Krsna, anything is possible
→ KKSBlog

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, September 2013, Cape Town, South Africa, Srimad Bhagavatam 8.20.12)

little-krishna-under-tree-fluteWe can come up with a hundred excuses to justify why we do not have to surrender. Part of surrender is that we place our faith in Krsna and that he will make adjustments.

‘Yes but I put my faith in Krsna and he is not making the adjustments!’

No, empowerment is not that you say, ‘Okay Krsna, I am waiting. Can you please empower me and make me fly? Just make me fly?’ We have to try by ourselves to go up. When we try then Krsna lends us energy but we have to make the endeavour.

It is just like initiation. At the time of initiation, we are taking vows and these vows are about our behaviour – no meat, fish or eggs; no gambling and no intoxication - it is about our behaviour. It gives us a level of behaviour which is higher than what we would do naturally. If you would leave it up to us then we would not act on that level. The vows put us on the level higher then where we are!

There was an advertisement  in Calcutta, in the Second World War. On big billboards, at the side of the road, it that showed an army uniform and it said, “When you wear the uniform, you will know what to do.” So what does that mean? It means that when you are in the position, Krsna supplies the knowledge of what to do. Krsna supplies the strength. He supplies the intelligence, dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ (Bhagavad-gita 10.10).

He supplies the intelligence. It is not that we are left alone and it is not that things are impossible! That is why Prabhupada would say that impossible is a word in a fool’s dictionary. Why a fool?  Because the fool is not accepting that, ‘Krsna will supply me with intelligence. Krsna will supply me with strength. Krsna is there to help me and therefore I will be able to do things that I was never able to do and therefore it can be done!’

 

Two Scientific Dogmas
→ Servant of the Servant

Two very dogmatic assumptions of science: (1) life comes from matter, (2) there is no life after death (everything is matter)

These two dogmatic theories are the fundamental assumptions to modern day science. The two theories can be summed up in one word "materialism". Modern science reduces all matter to materialism that consciousness is but a by-product of chemical reactions in the brain and as Richard Dawkins puts it humans are "lumbering robots".

Leaders in science and general scientific community is avidly pushing this singular agenda that life is but a combination of chemicals and the ultimate goal is to push on our species. Because there is no separation between science and state, the Government is enacting universal policies based on scientific materialism. Therefore on a subtle subconscious level, our lifestyle is designed on principles of materialism. People lack any moral compass and behave in ways that has nothing to do with genuine spiritual values. This materialism has also impacted world religions and hence global terrorism/wars.

So if we can rationally and logically prove the above two scientific assumptions as dogmatic, then we can grab the attention of people to other genuine spiritual concepts. Till then, impacting the bigger population of spiritual values is not going to be easy.

Hare Krishna

10 Reasons religion or God is impotent
→ Servant of the Servant

  1. Corrupted leaders as heads of religious society
  2. Dogmatic/sentimental presentation of religion
  3. Dominance of science and technology
  4. Lack of genuine leaders to guide spiritual growth includes parents, guardians, mentors, religious leaders & political leaders
  5. Lack of practical relevance of God to 21st century lifestyle
  6. Lack of systematic educational system to educate people from young age
  7. Laziness/mental dullness/lack of spiritual aptitude of people
  8. Mentality that this world and life is only meant for one’s enjoyment
  9. People too busy with making money
  10. Sectarian presentation of religion

Hare Krishna



Stop Arguing!
→ The Enquirer

Recently I posted a quote by my Gurudeva, Śrīmad Dhanurdhara Swāmī, to a Facebook Page I maintain on his behalf. The quote is: “Argumentative logic is part of the ego of trying to establish oneself to be superior. Once you get into that mood you can never understand God. There is no way you can realize the Absolute Truth without becoming the humble servant of the Absolute Truth.”

The post generated a lot of attention and a few comments displaying a dissenting opinion and an enduring appreciation for the apparent value of argumentative logic. It was my honor that Gurudev asked me to reply to the comments, suggesting I base my reply on the 74th and 75th sūtras of Śrī Nārada Bhakti Sūtra.

Here is the reply I made:

वादो नावलम्ब्यः ॥७४॥ बाहुल्यावकाशत्वादनियतत्वाच्च ॥७५॥
vādo nāvalambyaḥ (74) bahulyāvakāśatvād aniyatatvāc ca (75)

“Do not depend upon logic and argument. They lead to endless debate, and no clear conclusion.” 

What should we do with our intellect, if not argue and debate? Sūtra 76 explains:

भक्तिशास्त्राणि मननीयानि तद्बोधककर्माणि करणीयानि ॥७६॥
bhakti-śāstrāṇi mananīyāni tad-bodhaka-karmaṇi karaṇīyāni (76)

“Respectfully apply your mind to the Bhakti Śāstras, and perform acts which empower you to comprehend them.”

We can justify our argumentativeness by saying that it is “for Krishna.” But in fact we are not supposed to be argumentative, period. We are supposed to apply our minds (manas) in a respectful, receptive spirit (mananīyāni) to the bhakti-śāstras, presided over by Śrīmad Bhāgavatam.

“Preaching” does not involve argument, either. It involves respectfully and affectionately explaining the bhakti-śāstra to others. “Tad-bodhaka” (intellectual comprehension of bhakti) arises not from argumentative “preaching” but by affectionate and respectful mutual engagement in “tad-bodhaka-karmani” (the deeds and conduct which facilitates comprehension of bhakti).

Here is the statement of Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja, from Mahābhārata, Vana-Parva 313.117, quoted by the great logician Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī after he was impressed deeply by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu:

तर्को ऽप्रतिष्ठः श्रुतयो विभिन्ना नासाव् ऋषिर् यस्य मतं न भिन्नम्।
धर्मस्य तत्त्वं निहितं गुहायां महाजनो येन गतः स पन्थाः॥

tarko ‘pratiṣṭhaḥ śrutayo vibhinnā
nāsāv ṛṣir yasya mataḿ na bhinnam
dharmasya tattvaḿ nihitaḿ guhāyāḿ
mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ

“The many, many contradictory statements in Śruti (scripture) cannot be rectified by argument, nor is one even thought of as a scholar unless he exaggerates his own differences of opinion. The essential truth exists only with the hearts of great souls, and we should walk upon the path they have chalked out.”

Argument only leads to exaggeration of our differences, it does not lead to clear, unified conclusions. It does not grant vision of the essence of truth. The real path to truth is not traversed by debate, argument and logic – it is traversed by love.

Here is the statement of Śrī Rūpa Goswāmī . In Bhakti-Rasāmṛta Sindhu 1.2.113 he enumerates the 12th – 14th principle practices of sādhana-bhakti:

शिष्याननुबन्दधित्वादि त्रयं यथा सप्तमे
न शिष्याननुबाध्नीत ग्रन्थान्नैवभ्यसेद्बहुन्।
न वाख्यामुपयुज्ञित नारम्भानारभेत क्वचित्॥

śiṣyān anubanddhitvādi trayam yathā saptame:
na śiṣyan anubādhnīta granthān naivabhyased bahūn.
na vākhyām upayuñjita nārambhān ārabhet kvacit.

“About the three principles beginning with not being attached to having disciples, the seventh canto says: ’Never, ever make a big effort to attract disciples, explain many books, or get involved in debates.’”

As the 76th śloka of Nārada Bhakti Sūtra pointed out, it is not that we should be dumb, silly, or voluntarily stupid. We should apply our intellects fully to the bhakti-śāstra in a receptive and respectful mood. It is the absence of the receptive and respectful mood that makes a debate a “debate” and an argument an “argument.” It is what separates “argument” from kīrtan, and “debate” from kathā.

Our valuable time should be engaged in something that will actually make us happy: Krishna-kīrtan and Krishna-kathā. That is why the next sutra in Nārada Bhakti Sūtra says:

(77) सुखदुःखेच्छालाभादित्यक्ते काले प्रतीक्षमाणे क्षणार्धमपि व्यर्थं न नेयम्।
sukha-duḥkhecchā-lābhādi-tyakte kāle pratīkṣamāṇe kṣaṇārdham api vyarthaṁ na neyam

“Thus, give up the desires regarding loss and gain, and at each and every moment, never waste half an instant in something useless.”

Nārada-bhakti-sūtra is telling us that argument and debate (and their accouterments) only lead to material gain and loss. We should give them all up and focus all our energy on spending each and every moment engaged in truly profitable pursuits – the pursuit of genuine spiritual love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Krishna.

The only subject to be considered carefully is contained within the three words of this mantra:

हरे कृष्ण हरे कृष्ण कृष्ण कृष्ण हरे हरे। हरे राम हरे राम राम राम हरे हरे॥


Tremendous Positive Effect
→ Japa Group

"You can't minimize the importance you give your Japa (the essence of our philosophy, your link to Krsna, the most essential instruction of the spiritual master) without it having a negative effect on your spiritual life. And you can’t maximize the importance you give your Japa without it having a tremendously positive effect on your Krsna consciousness."

From Your Japa Blueprint
by Mahatma dasa

Moving toward neutrality
→ KKSBlog

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 02 July 2013, Vrndavana, India, Bhagavad-gita 14.22-25)

So when we are looking at the first of these four verses (BG 14.22-25), prakāśaḿ ca pravṛttiḿ ca moham eva ca pāṇḍava, we can see, “O son of Pāṇḍu, he who does not hate illumination, attachment and delusion when they are present or long for them when they disappear; who is always unwavering, undisturbed.” So if we’re looking at these three words, illumination, attachment and delusion as translations for the words prakāśaḿ, pravṛttiḿ and moham, then we may not get it straight away just by reading through Prabhupada’s verse and purport. But if we look at the commentary of the acaryas, which I did because I was looking – illumination, attachment, delusion – why these words translated like this? Why? And the reason is because Srila Viswanath Chakravarti Thakur, in his commentary, explains these words in a particular way and Prabhupada followed that commentary.

Prakāśaḿ translated as illumination here is representing the mode of goodness, sattva-gun. Then we see pravṛttiḿ or pravṛtta, attachment, is a quality that arises from rajo-guṇa. Delusion, moham, the quality that arises from ignorance, from tamo-guṇa. In that way, it is relating to the three modes of material nature and of course, when one is suffering under the influence of the modes of material nature or hankering to enjoy the modes of material nature, this is material consciousness.

p77So we see that throughout the verse, a neutral attitude is emphasized because it is pointed out that as long as we are embodied, we cannot be free from the influence of the body – like we feel the heat. It’s not that a maha-bhagavat doesn’t feel the heat. He feels it but he is neutral, he is not getting agitated. He is not allowing his mind get absorbed, “Ah, it’s so hot. Ah, it’s so hot. Ah, it’s so hot. Ah, garam, garam, garam, garam.”

This is a normal conversation topic in India at this time of the year. The word garam is very common, which means hot. So, one gets hot if one says hot, hot, so hot. Naturally. So it is a very practical thing. We can experience it, that if we remain neutral we are not so much affected by the heat or by the cold.

As said earlier in the Bhagavad-gita:

mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya
śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ
āgamāpāyino ‘nityās
tāḿs titikṣasva bhārata (Bhagavad-gita 2.14)

One has to tolerate. So being neutral or to tolerate is the same. The mind is not dwelling on the material
circumstances that are created by the three modes of material nature dhyāyato viṣayān puḿsah sańgas teṣūpajāyate (Bhagavad-gita 2.62). When we start to dwell on material objects, then attachment arises. Either positive or negative attachment so either we start to hate, “I hate, hate, hate or I love, love, love”.

In 1944, in his Back to Godhead which Srila Prabhupada published with so much difficulty, the one for which he had to convince an army officer to release paper because paper was reserved for the war. Prabhupada said, “Yes, therefore my magazine must be published because it is for the war. It is for the war because my magazine will bring peace.” And he got it and then he brought it out. Then he wrote an article and he explained that the other side of love in the material world, is frenzy. He used the word frenzy which is like a state of intense anger or intense aggression which was representing the World War that was going on 1944 – the frenzy of the war. Prabhupada pointed out that the love for one’s country or the love for the homeland creates the frenzy for the others who are not part of that.


love/hateSo love and hate come together! One can say, I love heat and I love cold or the other way around, like this, the dualities. Generally, loving one means hating the opposite and that is material existence. Neutrality is the position that we take but this is tapas. This is something which is different from the senses because the senses are sending information signals to the mind, like the dashboard. The senses are sending signals like red lights that are flashing on a dashboard.

“Too hot! Too hot! Too hot! Alarm! Alarm!” Or it can be another signal, “Very attractive! Very attractive! You cannot let this opportunity go by, it may never come again. You’ll never forgive yourself if you let it go.” So the senses are sending these kind of signals and they are received in the mind. It is there where the signals come in and it is there where we have to be neutral.

doshasWe cannot be neutral in the senses, that is not possible. The senses will not be neutral. Hungry is hungry. You can’t stop being hungry. It doesn’t work. But when we fast, just don’t think about it. Try not to think about it.

“Oh, we’re fasting! Oooooh fasting. Oh I’m so weak. Oh I’m so sick. Oh, I always get sick. Oh, whenever we’re fasting. Actually it’s not good for my constitution to fast. Oh really, it’s like kapha people can fast but vata people can’t fast at all. No, no. And pitta people also, they need to eat otherwise their own fire burns their bodies. Even dangerous. Serious. Yes. Alright,  then I’ll fast half a day then.”

So, the more one allows the mind to become pre-occupied, naturally it becomes more difficult. So, one learns to withdraw the mind, withdraw the mind from these sense objects and just as we’re doing in chanting, in chanting japa, we withdraw the mind and bring it back to the holy name, from everywhere just withdraw the mind. So therefore it automatically brings that state of neutrality, we become focused on Krsna.

 

Govardhana Retreat, Concluding Words, December 5, Govardhana Hill
Giriraj Swami

12.05.13_concl—————-
“Do all your activities, and put the word ‘servant’ before the activity: servant-cook, servant-preacher, servant-speaker, servant-listener—whatever. Then Hari-dasa, or Giriraja Govardhana, and all your memories from here will stay with you. But if you take ‘servant’ away, you are only a preacher, only a cook, only a guru, only a disciple, and it won’t work. You should always have the word ‘servant’ before, or ‘dasa’ after.” —Sacinandana Swami

Adi Purusha dasa
 Madhavananda dasa
 Giriraj Swami
 Sacinandana Swami
 Jagattarini devi dasi
 Bhurijana dasa