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Georgetown, Guyana

We continue our discussion of the conversation between Sri Ramananada Raya and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, ramananda-samvada, recorded in Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila, Chapter Eight: “Talks Between Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Ramananda Raya.”

TEXT 1

sancarya ramabhidha-bhakta-meghe
  sva-bhakti-siddhanta-cayamrtani
gaurabdhir etair amuna vitirnais
  taj-jnatva-ratnalayatam prayati

TRANSLATION

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is known as Gauranga, is the ocean of all conclusive knowledge in devotional service. He empowered Sri Ramananda Raya, who may be likened to a cloud of devotional service. This cloud was filled with the water of all the conclusive purports of devotional service and was empowered by the ocean to spread this water over the sea of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself. Thus the ocean of Caitanya Mahaprabhu became filled with the jewels of the knowledge of pure devotional service.

COMMENT by Giriraj Swami

According to revealed scriptures, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is Krishna Himself, the origin of all knowledge—perfect knowledge. Here, Sri Chaitanya, the ocean of knowledge of the conclusive purports of devotional service, is taking the part of a student and asking questions, and He has empowered Sri Ramananda Raya to give perfect answers. Thus, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is compared to an ocean and Ramananda Raya to a cloud that draws water from the ocean and then showers the water over the ocean as rain.

We resume our discussion of the conversation between Ramananda Raya and Lord Chaitanya.

 TEXT 243

anyonye mili’ dunhe nibhrte vasiya
prasnottara-gosthi kahe anandita hana

TRANSLATION

Thus they met time and time again, sitting in a secluded place and jubilantly discussing devotional service by the question-and-answer process.

TEXT 244

prabhu puche, ramananda karena uttara
ei mata sei ratre katha paraspara

TRANSLATION

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu asked the questions, and Sri Ramananda Raya gave the answers. In this way they were engaged in discussion throughout the night.

TEXT 245

prabhu kahe,—“kon vidya vidya-madhye sara?”
raya kahe,—“krsna-bhakti vina vidya nahi ara”

TRANSLATION

On one occasion the Lord inquired, “Of all types of education, which is the most important?”

Ramananda Raya replied, “No education is important other than the transcendental devotional service of Krsna.”

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Texts 245 to 257 are all questions and answers between Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Ramananda Raya. In these exchanges there is an attempt to show the difference between material and spiritual existence. Education in Krsna consciousness is always transcendental and is the best of all forms of education. Material education aims at increasing the activities of material sense gratification. Beyond material sense gratification is another negative form of knowledge called brahma-vidya, or impersonal transcendental knowledge. But beyond that brahma-vidya, or knowledge of the impersonal Brahman, is knowledge of devotional service to the Supreme Lord, Visnu. This knowledge is higher. And still higher is devotional service to Lord Krsna, which is the topmost form of education. According to Srimad-Bhagavatam (4.29.49), tat karma hari-tosam yat sa vidya tan-matir yaya: “Work meant for pleasing the Supreme Lord is the best, and education that enhances one’s Krsna consciousness is the best.”

Also, according to Srimad-Bhagavatam (7.5.23–24):

sravanam kirtanam visnoh
  smaranam pada-sevanam
arcanam vandanam dasyam
  sakhyam atma-nivedanam

iti pumsarpita visnau
  bhaktis cen nava-laksana
kriyeta bhagavaty addha
  tan manye ’dhitam uttamam

This is a statement given by Prahlada Maharaja in answer to a question raised by his father. Prahlada Maharaja said, “To hear or chant about Lord Visnu, to remember Him, to serve His lotus feet, to worship Him, to offer prayers to Him, to become His servant and His friend, to sacrifice everything for His service—all these are varieties of devotional service. One who is engaged in such activities is understood to be educated to the topmost perfection.”

COMMENT

This is the first in the series of questions and answers, and it seems appropriate in this environment of education, but as Srila Prabhupada says at the beginning of the purport, these questions and answers are meant to highlight the difference between the material and the spiritual. Material existence begins from the basic misconception that “I am the body and everything in relation to the body is mine.” More or less everyone is in this bodily concept of life. They strongly identify with the body and are deeply attached to things related to the body. And because they identify with the body, they think the goal of life is to give pleasure to the senses of the body. Whatever they do is more or less for the sake of the body.

Srila Prabhupada gives the example that if you are performing a mathematical calculation and you make a mistake in the first step, then even if you perform all the other steps perfectly, you will likely stray further and further from the actual answer or solution. If we begin from the mistaken premise that “I am the body,” then, because we have made the most fundamental error in the very first step, even if everything else we do is perfect in terms of the body, we will end up further and further away from the actual goal.

The body itself is full of miseries. As soon as we accept a material body, we accept the miseries of birth, death, old age, and disease (janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi), and so many others (tapa-traya). Everyone wants relief from these miseries, but although they may adopt some measures that may give some temporary relief, as long as they are in the body—in the bodily concept of life—ultimately they cannot escape the miseries of material existence, and often the remedies they accept are more troublesome than the troubles those remedies are meant to address.

That is the basic situation in material life, but because of maya, people are not aware of their actual position. Maya has two potencies: one throws us down, and the other covers us. Because we are covered, we think we are happy, even though any sane or sober person can see that we are not, that we are always subjected to various types of miseries. But because of the covering potency of maya, we think we are happy. Of course, things are getting so bad that it is becoming harder and harder to maintain the illusion of happiness, but even then, if you ask someone, “How are you doing?” most people will say, “Fine.”

Srila Prabhupada gives the example of a patient in a hospital. He has suffered a severe trauma and has tubes going into his body; his arm is in a cast, his leg is in traction, and he has so many contraptions about him meant to counteract the suffering. But if you ask him how he is, he will say, “I’m okay; I’m doing good.”

That is our position, and when someone becomes a little sober and actually realizes his or her position, he or she will try to make a solution, to get out of the material miseries, the bondage of material existence. He or she will inquire, as Sanatana Gosvami inquired of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, ke ami, kene amaya jare tapa-traya?—“Who am I? Why do the threefold miseries always give me trouble? How can I get relief?” That is the beginning of human intelligence. Until we come to make such inquiry, we are engaged just like animals—eating, sleeping, enjoying sense gratification, and arranging for shelter and defense.

When one actually inquires, as Sanatana Gosvami did of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, one is considered to be a human being. And in answer to the question “Who am I?” Sri Chaitanya replied, jivera ‘svarupa’ haya—krsnera ‘nitya-dasa’: “The constitutional position of the living entity is to be an eternal servant of Krishna.” Krsnera ‘nitya-dasa’ means that we are servants of Krishna even after liberation.

Between the karmis, who work to earn money and spend it for gross and subtle enjoyment, and the bhaktas, who understand that they are eternal servants of Krishna and engage in devotional service—are the jnanis. Because the jnanis recognize the miseries of material existence and want to escape them, they are more elevated than the karmis, but because they do not have knowledge of Krishna or of the living entity as the eternal servant of Krishna, their approach is negative. They think, “I am an individual and I’m suffering, so if I give up being an individual I won’t have to suffer. I have desires and by pursuing them I suffer, so I will give up desire. I have thoughts and my thoughts lead to misery, so I will give up thinking. I have feelings and my feeling leads to misery, so I will give up feeling.” They want to negate their individual existence—no more feeling, no more thinking, no more desiring, no more working—and to merge and become one with God.

Ultimately the principle is the same. The karmis want to become the chief, and the jnanis, the impersonalists, also want to become the chief—by merging and becoming one with the Supreme. But the real solution is to become the servant of the Supreme (jivera ‘svarupa’ haya—krsnera ‘nitya-dasa’). That is real knowledge. Therefore Sri Ramananda Raya says that other than knowledge of devotional service, which is the constitutional activity of the living entity, there is no real knowledge. The rest is illusion. And Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that material education makes one more and more foolish, because it is based on the body. To identify with the body is foolish, and mundane education, which reinforces the bodily concept of life and ultimately teaches one how to earn money and enjoy the body, makes one more foolish. The only real knowledge is knowledge of devotional service.

Before I met Srila Prabhupada and the devotees, I had been seeking. And when I met Prabhupada, I understood that he was the teacher for whom I was searching. And I surrendered to him. Without surrender, one cannot get knowledge. We see in the Bhagavad-gita that it was only after Arjuna surrendered that Krishna began to instruct him. Arjuna said,

karpanya-dosopahata-svabhavah
  prcchami tvam dharma-sammudha-cetah
yac chreyah syan niscitam bruhi tan me
  sisyas te ’ham sadhi mam tvam prapannam

“Now I am confused about my duty and have lost all composure because of miserly weakness. In this condition I am asking You to tell me for certain what is best for me. Now I am Your disciple, and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me.” (Gita 2.7)

Krishna immediately assumed the position of teacher and chastised his disciple:

asocyan anvasocas tvam
  prajna-vadams ca bhasase
gatasun agatasums ca
  nanusocanti panditah

“While speaking learned words, you are mourning for what is not worthy of grief. Those who are wise lament neither for the living nor for the dead.” (Gita 2.11)

First is surrender. Without surrendering to an authority, a spiritual master, one cannot get transcendental knowledge.

tad viddhi pranipatena
  pariprasnena sevaya
upadeksyanti te jnanam
  jnaninas tattva-darsinah

“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.” (Gita 4.34) Pranipatena means “by offering obeisances”—by surrendering.

So, I surrendered to Srila Prabhupada, and after serving in the Boston temple for some months, I got a letter from him: “I enclose a letter from your father, which will speak for itself. From this letter it appears that you are a good scholar with a good background in your education. So if you wish to make further progress in your educational career, that will be a nice asset for our Krishna consciousness movement.”

“You have a taste for psychology and divinity studies,” Prabhupada continued, “and this is very nice. Of course, our Krishna consciousness movement is on the line of divinity, and we have got so many books about the science of divinity.” He used the word “divinity.” Religious studies had not really begun or become very popular yet. But there were schools of divinity.

Finally, he concluded, “I like the idea that you should make a thorough study of all theological schools, and in the future if you can explain our Krishna consciousness movement as the postgraduate presentation of all theological theses, it will be a great accomplishment.”

When I received the letter, I wasn’t sure how to proceed. I did not want to go back to the university, but I knew that the order of the spiritual master was the first and highest consideration. Still, I wasn’t sure if Prabhupada was giving me an order or just offering an option. I consulted my temple president, and he also couldn’t say. We concluded that I should write and ask Prabhupada directly. I wrote, “If you are instructing me to pursue my studies, then I will gladly do whatever you say, but if you are giving me the choice, then I would rather stay in the temple with the devotees and worship the Deities and go out for sankirtana.”

A week later, I received another letter. “Yes, there is no need of any further education,” Prabhupada wrote. “When Lord Chaitanya was discussing with Ramananda Raya who is the best-educated man, the answer was that a person who is Krishna conscious is the topmost educated man. Similarly, Prahlada Maharaja stated before his father that one who has taken to Krishna consciousness is the best-educated man. I think therefore that in all circumstances you should steadfastly continue your Krishna conscious engagement, rather than joining any more universities.”

Now we shall proceed to the next question and answer.

TEXT 246

“kirti-gana-madhye jivera kon bada kirti?”
“krsna-bhakta baliya yanhara haya khyati”

TRANSLATION

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then asked Ramananda Raya, “Out of all glorious activities, which is the most glorious?”

Ramananda Raya replied, “That person who is reputed to be a devotee of Lord Krsna enjoys the utmost fame and glory.”

PURPORT

The greatest reputation a living being can have is to be a devotee of Krsna and to act in Krsna consciousness. In the material world everyone is trying to be famous by accumulating a large bank balance or material opulence. There is a steady competition among karmis attempting to advance in a wealthy society. The whole world is turning in accordance with that competitive mood. But this kind of name and fame is temporary, for it lasts only as long as the temporary material body exists.

COMMENT

It may not even last that long. For years Bill Gates was reputed to be the richest person in the world, and then one year it was announced that the owner of Ikea was the richest. After a few days, though, the statement was retracted: “Actually, much of his wealth is in the names of trusts; it is not his.” So Bill Gates was back on top. Then there was a controversy over which is the tallest building in the world. For years it was the Sears Tower in Chicago. Then someone built one in Kuala Lumpur that, with its tower on top, was higher. In Chicago they continued to advertise the Sears Tower as the tallest building in the world, though, because they did not count the tower on the other building. And in Kuala Lumpur they advertised their building as the tallest in the world.

There is always competition for reputation; people want to be famous. Movies stars, sports heroes, rich people—all are famous. But their enjoyment of their fame attached to being rich or glamorous lasts only as long as the body.

One of the founders of industry in the United States was Henry Ford, and he became one of the richest men in the world. Later, his great grandson Alfred Ford came to meet Srila Prabhupada. And the first thing Prabhupada said was “So, you are the grandson of Henry Ford?”

“Yes.”

“And where is Henry Ford now?” Prabhupada’s statement immediately took the young man off the bodily platform. Yes, where is he now? That is a good question. Is he an ant or a worm in stool? We don’t know, but we are all under the stringent laws of material nature.

purusah prakrti-stho hi
  bhunkte prakrti-jan gunan
karanam guna-sango ’sya
  sad-asad-yoni-janmasu

“The living entity in material nature thus follows the ways of life, enjoying the three modes of nature. This is due to his association with that material nature. Thus he meets with good and evil among various species.” (Gita 13.22)

PURPORT (continued)

One may become famous as a brahma-jnani, an impersonalist scholar, or one may become a materially opulent person. In either case, such reputations are inferior to the reputation of Krsna’s devotee. In the Garuda Purana it is said:

kalau bhagavatam nama
  durlabham naiva labhyate
brahma-rudra-padotkrstam
  guruna kathitam mama

“In this Age of Kali, the fame of one who is known as a great devotee is very rare. However, such a position is superior to that of the great demigods like Brahma and Mahadeva. This is the opinion of all spiritual masters.” . . .

The Garuda Purana similarly states:

brahmananam sahasrebhyah
  satra-yaji visisyate
satra-yaji-sahasrebhyah
  sarva-vedanta-paragah

 sarva-vedanta-vit-kotya
   visnu-bhakto visisyate
vaisnavanam sahasrebhya
  ekanty eko visisyate

“It is said that out of thousands of brahmanas, one is qualified to perform sacrifices, and out of many thousands of such qualified brahmanas expert in sacrificial offerings, one learned brahmana may have passed beyond all Vedic knowledge. He is considered the best among all these brahmanas. And yet, out of thousands of such brahmanas who have surpassed Vedic knowledge, one person may be a visnu-bhakta, and he is most famous. Out of many thousands of such Vaisnavas, one who is completely fixed in the service of Lord Krsna is most famous. Indeed, a person who is completely devoted to the service of the Lord certainly returns home, back to Godhead.”

COMMENT

Because we identify with the body, we identify ourselves as residents of the planet Earth. Actually we are not the body. We are spirit souls, meant to get out of this material world and return to our real home with Krishna. But we identify with the body and consider the planet Earth—or the United States, or California, or Los Angeles, or this neighborhood or street—to be our home. And we worry what the people around us think of us. Sometimes we don’t want to be too open about being devotees because we don’t know what people will think of us, and what they think could affect our material advancement or the congeniality of our social interactions. So we are very careful how we present ourselves, so that people think we are okay, that we are like them—not different.

But the total population of living entities is much greater than the population in our neighborhood or city or state or country or even planet. There are living entities—people—everywhere. And most of them are in the spiritual world. The whole material creation is just one fourth (ekamsa) of the kingdom of God. This one fourth is the prison house. We are the prisoners, and we are desperately trying to impress the other prisoners so they will think we are like them. “We are as criminal as you are. We are as ignorant as you are. Don’t think we are any different from you.” We want to fit into that society. We are not thinking of the real population, the liberated souls who are outside the prison, that they are the people whom we should really be trying to impress—not the criminals, the fools and rascals.

The fame of a devotee goes beyond this planet. Narottama dasa Thakura glorifies the spiritual master that his fame is spread throughout the three worlds (ebe yasa ghusuk tri-bhuvana). That is real fame. It is not dependent on the body or on the recognition of ignorant fools. And it extends beyond the material world to the spiritual planets, to the Lord and the pure souls who live with Him. “But,” one may question, “what about the famous people here, the political leaders and intellectual giants? What about them? They are famous.” The Bhagavatam says that those people who are not God conscious are like bigger animals that are praised by smaller animals. Such a statement might sound harsh, but if you identify with the body, you are an animal.

yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke
  sva-dhih kalatradisu bhauma ijya-dhih
yat-tirtha-buddhih salile na karhicij
  janesv abhijnesu sa eva go-kharah

“One who identifies his self as the inert body composed of mucus, bile, and air, who assumes his wife and family are permanently his own, who thinks the land of his birth is worshipable, or who sees a place of pilgrimage as merely the water there but who never identifies himself with, feels kinship with, worships, or even visits those who are wise in spiritual truth—such a person is no better than a cow or an ass.” (SB 10.84.13)

Srila Prabhupada used to say that if a dog is thinking, “I am a bulldog” and a man is thinking, “I am a British man,” what is the difference? Both are on the bodily platform. So, the famous people of this world, who are praised in this world, if they have no spiritual consciousness, are nothing more than bigger animals being praised by smaller animals.

sva-vid-varahostra-kharaih
  samstutah purusah pasuh
na yat-karna-pathopeto
  jatu nama gadagrajah

“Men who are like dogs, hogs, camels, and asses praise those men who never listen to the transcendental pastimes of Lord Sri Krsna, the deliverer from evils.” (SB 2.3.19)

And after all, what is the significance of an animal? The lion is the king of the jungle, and the other animals are afraid of him. But what does it amount to? It has no significance, being king of the animals in the jungle.

We want to be famous in human society, and actual human society means God conscious. Without religion, without God consciousness, there is no difference between a man and an animal (dharmena hinah pasubhih samanah).

Now we come to the next question and answer.

TEXT 247

“sampattira madhye jivera kon sampatti gani?”
“radha-krsne prema yanra, sei bada dhani”

TRANSLATION

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu asked, “Of the many capitalists who possess great riches, who is the topmost?”

Ramananda Raya replied, “He who is richest in love for Radha and Krsna is the greatest capitalist.”

PURPORT

Everyone in this material world is attempting to acquire riches to satisfy the senses. Actually no one cares for anything other than acquiring material possessions and maintaining them. The wealthy are generally accepted as the most important personalities in this material world, but when we compare a material man of wealth to one wealthy in devotional service to Radha and Krsna, the latter is found to be the greatest capitalist. According to Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.39.2):

kim alabhyam bhagavati
  prasanne sri-niketane
tathapi tat-para rajan
  na hi vanchanti kincana

“What is difficult for the devotees of Lord Krsna, who is the shelter of the goddess of fortune? Although such devotees can obtain anything, O King, they do not desire anything.”

COMMENT

Sri Bilvamangala Thakura prays,

bhaktis tvayi sthiratara bhagavan yadi syad
  daivena nah phalati divya-kisora-murtih
muktih svayam mukulitanjali sevate ’sman
  dharmartha-kama-gatayah samaya-pratiksah

“If I am engaged in devotional service unto You, my dear Lord, then very easily can I perceive Your presence everywhere. And as far as liberation is concerned, I think that liberation stands at my door with folded hands, waiting to serve me, and all material conveniences of dharma [religiosity], artha [economic development], and kama [sense gratification] stand with her.”

By engaging in devotional service, devotees are offered every facility, including liberation. Yet they are so satisfied in devotional service that they do not desire anything else—only more service.

A devotee is satisfied in the service of the Lord, whereas materialists are never satisfied. They always want to increase their material acquisitions. Some decades ago, John Paul Getty was the richest man in the world. A newspaper reporter interviewed him: “You are the richest man in the world. You have everything you could possibly want. Can you give us your philosophy of life in one word?”

He said, “Yes—‘More.’ ” He never had enough; he was never satisfied—he always wanted more.

“You have everything money can buy,” the reporter continued. “When you are alone—when there is no one around—what do you think about?”

And he replied, “I think about how to pay the bills.”

It’s the same principle—the big animal and the small animals. The small man is thinking, “How to make the payment on the car? How to make the payment on the house?” and the big man is thinking, “How to make the payment on the multi-billion-dollar acquisition,” but the consciousness is the same.

A devotee is satisfied in the service of the Lord, so he is the richest. He has what he wants, whereas others, who always want more, are poor—always in want. The devotee has the treasure of love for Radha and Krishna within his heart, whereas others look for treasures outside of themselves, treasures meager and mundane in comparison.

There is a story about Emperor Akbar. Although a Muslim, he was open to Hindus, and among the Hindus in his court was the great singer Tansen. Akbar thought, “Tansen sings so beautifully, but what about his teacher? I wish I could hear him sing.”

Tansen’s teacher was Haridasa, a saintly person who lived in Vrindavan. But he wouldn’t sing for a king. He sang only for Krishna. So the king disguised himself as an ordinary person and accompanied Tansen to Haridasa’s hut. According to one version, when Akbar heard the beauty (both spiritual and material) of Haridasa’s voice, he was overwhelmed and removed a royal pendant that was concealed under his cloth and threw it on the floor in front of Haridasa. Then Haridasa knew he was the emperor.

The king wanted to reward Haridasa and said, “I can never repay you for this. Yet I want to give you something, whatever you want, whatever is in my power to give.”

Haridasa took him a short distance to the Yamuna River and asked him to repair the cracks in the steps of the ghat.

“I could give you anything you want, and you are asking me just to repair some cracks in the steps?” the emperor asked.

“Put your face in the water and see what is there,” Haridasa told him.

So, the emperor put his eyes in the water to look at the steps under the water, and by Haridasa’s mercy he was able to see the actual feature of the Yamuna River and the spiritual Vrindavan. He saw that the ghat was made of cintamani stones, spiritual gems more precious than anything the king had in his treasury.

When the king brought his head out of the water, he looked at Haridasa and said, “With all the wealth in my treasury, I cannot do what you have asked.”

Our standard of wealth and riches in the material world is so poor. Once, when Srila Prabhupada visited Hong Kong, the devotees arranged to receive him at the airport with a Rolls Royce. At the press conference that followed Prabhupada’s arrival, a reporter said, “You are supposed to be a spiritual person. Why are you riding in a Rolls Royce?” In response, Srila Prabhupada cited a verse from the Brahma-samhita (5.29):

cintamani-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vrksa-
  laksavrtesu surabhir abhipalayantam
laksmi-sahasra-sata-sambhrama-sevyamanam
  govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

“I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the first progenitor, who is tending cows, yielding all desires, in abodes built with spiritual gems, surrounded by millions of purpose trees, and always served with great reverence and affection by hundreds and thousands of goddesses of fortune.”

Prabhupada said, “I come from the spiritual world, where everything is made of cintamani gems, which are more precious than gold and diamonds. Even if my disciples had received me in a solid gold car, it would not have been good enough, but because that was the best they could do, I had to accept it.”

After Prabhupada related the story to me, he looked at me and remarked, “What else can you say to such people?”

Although what Prabhupada had told the reporter was spoken in an ironic way, it actually illustrates the point that this world of death (martya-loka) is not opulent. Matter is all so gross—even gold, platinum, and diamonds. Diamonds are just coal, compressed coal. All matter is dead. It has no life, and it can never satisfy the soul. Therefore Prabhupada wrote, “One who has tasted the beauty of the Supreme Lord Krsna, in the course of his advancement in Krsna consciousness, no longer has a taste for dead, material things. . . . When one is actually Krsna conscious, he automatically loses his taste for pale things.” (Gita 2.59 purport)

Soon after I joined, I wrote Prabhupada about the great gift that he had given us, the gift of Krishna consciousness. And in the same letter about the topmost educated man, he wrote, “I am so pleased to learn that you have taken Krishna consciousness as the most valuable gift. One who can understand this is not an ordinary living entity but is the most fortunate.”

TEXT 248

“duhkha-madhye kona duhkha haya gurutara?”
“krsna-bhakta-viraha vina duhkha nahi dekhi para”

TRANSLATION

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu asked, “Of all kinds of distress, what is the most painful?”

Sri Ramananda Raya replied, “Apart from separation from the devotee of Krsna, I know of no unbearable unhappiness.”

PURPORT

Concerning this, the Lord states in the Vedic literature:

mam anaradhya duhkhartah
  kutumbasakta-manasah
sat-sanga-rahito martyo
  vrddha-seva-paricyutah

“A person who does not worship Me, who is unduly attached to family, and who does not stick to devotional service must be considered a most unhappy person. Similarly, one who does not associate with Vaisnavas, or who does not render service to his superior, is also a most unhappy person.”

There is also the following statement in the Brhad-bhagavatamrta (1.5.44):

sva-jivanadhikam prarthyam
  sri-visnu-jana-sangatah
vicchedena ksanam catra
  na sukhamsam labhamahe

“Out of all kinds of desirable things experienced in the life of a living entity, association with the devotees of the Lord is the greatest. When we are separated from a devotee even for a moment, we cannot enjoy happiness.”

COMMENT

The real life of the living entity is devotional service—jivera ‘svarupa’ haya—krsnera ‘nitya-dasa.’ And devotional service can be executed in the association of devotees. Without the association of devotees, there is no happiness, because there is no chance to hear and chant about Krishna. Such a so-called life is worse than death. Thus Sri Prabodhananda Sarasvati prays, kaivalyam narakayate. Kaivalya, merging into the impersonal Brahman, is worse than hell, because at least in hell you can preach—chant and hear the glories of the Lord—whereas in impersonal Brahman there is no devotional service and therefore no happiness. It is worse than hell.

That is the vision of a devotee. His life is devotional service, and devotional service is performed in the association of other devotees. He needs the association of devotees—he is addicted to the association of devotees—and if he doesn’t have it, he experiences great pain. As Srila Prabhupada said, “Instead of thinking, ‘Unless I have a drink, I will go mad,’ one should think, ‘Unless I associate with a sadhu, I will go mad.’ When we can think in this way, we will become liberated.” (TLK 24)

Unfortunately, in the bodily concept of life, as stated in the verse in the purport, one who is unduly attached to family is bound to suffer, because in the end family members are bound to be separated. Death will separate us from all our mundane attachments (mrtyuh sarva-haras caham), and even apart from death we may be separated by other circumstances. Therefore we should transfer our attachment to devotees, sadhus.

prasangam ajaram pasam
  atmanah kavayo viduh
sa eva sadhusu krto
  moksa-dvaram apavrtam

“Every learned man knows very well that attachment for the material is the greatest entanglement of the spirit soul. But that same attachment, when applied to the self-realized devotees, opens the door of liberation.” (SB 3.25.20)

The Lord said, “A person who does not worship Me, who is unduly attached to family, and who does not stick to devotional service must be considered a most unhappy person.” Without the association of devotees, one can neither take to devotional service nor continue in devotional service.

krsna-bhakti-janma-mula haya ‘sadhu-sanga’
krsna-prema janme, tenho punah mukhya anga

“The root cause of devotional service to Lord Krsna is association with advanced devotees. Even when one’s dormant love for Krsna awakens, association with devotees is still most essential.” (Cc Madhya 22.83)

Prahlada Maharaja was born into a family of demons, but because he had the association of Narada Muni while he was in the womb, he became a devotee. And he could not live without the association of devotees, so he preached to his demonic classmates and got them to chant and dance and become devotees. Sometimes Prabhupada’s followers go to a new place where there are no devotees, but they cannot stay there unless they make devotees. They just cannot live without devotees.

Today I received a phone call from a devotee in South Africa, Ajita Krishna dasi. She had been living in one of the South African townships, ghettos, but it became too oppressive for her. She wanted to move to a community of devotees, but somehow it didn’t work out. Then she met a very pious, good, wealthy lady who owned a large estate in the Knysna forest, which the lady had developed as a resort with chalets. The lady was originally from England, and as a youth, as she had made her way by land and sea to South Africa, she had been robbed in Kenya. In desperation, she had gone to a Catholic church for help, but she had been turned away. Then, by chance, she had happened upon the Hare Krishna temple in Nairobi and spent three months there. She had gotten the association of devotees, and although she had not become a proper devotee herself, she had come to harbor a dream that the chalet at the bottom of her property would one day be used as a Krishna temple. So when she met Ajita, she offered her a place to stay for free. And now Ajita has a perfect situation—all facilities, natural beauty, and no expenses. Wealthy people own and rent houses in Knysna to be near the beautiful beach and forest. But there is one problem: there are no devotees there. Ajita will have to make them—or meet them.

In Mauritius we had a patron, Mr. Gowtum Teelok, who was actually a friend of Srila Prabhupada’s. His family owned sugar plantations, and they held important positions in the government. Mr. Teelok had a second house on the seaside, and he was always inviting me to come and spend time there. So finally I went, with one other devotee. Although it was on the ocean, with a garden with plants and flowers and palm trees, to me it was like a desert. Because there were no devotees or Deities, it was dry, like being in a desert. So I stayed for a few hours and then shifted to the temple.

In general, we need the association of devotees, and in particular, we may have special relationships with specific advanced devotees—our spiritual masters and perhaps some dear friends. And when we feel separation from some particular devotee, we feel acute pain. Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami was a most advanced devotee, one of the Six Gosvamis, but after Rupa Gosvami left this world, Raghunatha dasa felt so much separation that he wrote in a poem that Govardhana Hill, which he loved so much, had become like a python, and that Radha-kunda, which he loved as Srimati Radharani, had become like the gaping jaws of a tiger. There was no happiness for him, even in his beloved Govardhana Hill and Sri Radha-kunda.

Narottama dasa Thakura also lamented in separation from Lord Chaitanya and His associates. He wrote that being unable to bear their separation, he would smash his head against the rock and enter into fire.

pasane kutibo matha anale pasibo
gauranga gunera nidhi kotha gele pabo

“I will smash my head against the rock and enter into the fire. Where will I find Lord Gauranga, the reservoir of all wonderful qualities?

se-saba sangira sange je koilo bilas
se-sanga na paiya kande narottama das

“Being unable to obtain the association of Lord Gauranga accompanied by all of these devotees in whose association He performed His pastimes, Narottama dasa simply weeps.” (Prarthana, Saparsada-bhagavad-viraha-janita-vilapa, “Lamentation Due to Separation from the Lord and His Associates,” 4–5)

Such separation cannot be compared to material separation. In time, material separation dulls and one gradually forgets. One may even drown oneself in other things—another person or some pursuit—to replace or forget a lost loved one. But in devotional service separation is not like that. In devotional service our relationships are based not on the body but on the eternal relation between the soul and the Supreme Soul. The relationships are eternal and continue even after death. Thus Narottama dasa Thakura sings, cakhu-dan dilo yei, janme janme prabhu sei: “He who has opened my eyes with transcendental knowledge is my lord birth after birth.” And in service, that separation becomes blissful.

When Srila Prabhupada first came to America, he was with the devotees all the time. First he had only one center, in New York City, and there he was always with them. Then some devotees went and opened the second center, in San Francisco, and when Prabhupada went there it was very hard for the New York devotees, because they were used to seeing Prabhupada every day. And when Prabhupada went to India, it was even more difficult—for all of them. But he wrote to one disciple, “Please be happy in separation. I am separated from my guru maharaja since 1936, but I am always with him so long I work according to his direction. So we should all work together for satisfying Lord Krishna and in that way the feelings of separation will transform into transcendental bliss.”

This is the mystery of separation in Krishna consciousness. Although externally there is separation and lamentation, internally there is association and bliss. The real thing is the soul, and association on the spiritual platform is based on the soul—and the Supreme Soul—and is not limited by the body or time and space. What Ramananda Raya said is certainly true—the most intense pain is separation from a pure devotee—but at the same time, the pain of separation can serve as an impetus in one’s devotional service, and when one becomes more absorbed in devotional service, the feelings of separation transform into transcendental bliss. One experiences meeting even in separation. Thus Srila Prabhupada often said that although he had been separated from his guru maharaja for so many years, he did not feel that they were apart, because he was connected to his guru maharaja by service, by following his instructions.

“I have written in the first publication of Srimad-Bhagavatam, ‘The spiritual master lives forever by his divine instruction and the disciple lives with him.’ Because I have always served my guru maharaja and followed his teachings, I am even now never separated from him. Sometimes maya may come and try to interfere, but we must not falter. We must always follow the chalked-out path laid down by the great acharyas, and in the end you will see.” (SP letter, November 25, 1973)

In general, we need the association of devotees to be happy. But among so many devotees, we may have a special relationship with one in particular, like Raghunatha dasa Gosvami had with Rupa Gosvami. Then even in the association of other devotees we may feel separation from that one particular devotee with whom we have that special relationship. But even that separation can be reconciled through service.

“There are two ways of association—by vani and by vapuh. Vani means words, and vapuh means physical presence. Physical presence is sometimes appreciable and sometimes not, but vani continues to exist eternally. Therefore we must take advantage of the vani.” (Cc Concluding Words) Further, by following the instructions of the spiritual master and previous acharyas, we become eligible to go back home, back to Godhead. And in the end, we all will meet in the spiritual world, in service to Krishna. As Srila Prabhupada said, “We will have another ISKCON in the spiritual sky.”

Sometimes, because we are still affected by the bodily concept of life, we don’t see each other from the purely spiritual point of view. We identify with the body and have material desires, and naturally we want our desires to be fulfilled by the people around us—who may be devotees. And when our desires are not fulfilled, we may find fault or complain about those devotees, or we may look outside the association of devotees for satisfaction. And our desires may be subtle. We may want affection, appreciation, friendship, fellowship. These are natural human wants. And when we expect these things from devotees and don’t get them, we feel frustrated and may find fault and complain, and we may even look for society, friendship, and love elsewhere.

In pure devotional service, we want only to serve and please Krishna—and His devotees. Although Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said, jivera ‘svarupa’ haya—krsnera ‘nitya-dasa’—we are the eternal servants of Krishna—He stated further, gopi-bhartuh pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanudasah: “I am the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of Krishna”—not directly the servant. That is our actual position. We are servants of the servants of Krishna. How, then, can we place demands on our masters? The other devotees are our prabhus, our masters. How can we place demands on them, even in subtle ways, for our own gratification? We are meant to be their servants, and in that mood our relationships become very congenial.

Once, when there was some dissension or disagreement among the devotees, a disciple asked Srila Prabhupada, “What can we do to improve our relationships?”

“If each devotee thinks, ‘I am the servant of the servants,’ ” Prabhupada replied, “there will be no problem.” Unfortunately, to some extent we still have that conditioning that we want to be the master, and we want the other devotees to serve us and give us what we want. But gopi-bhartuh pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanudasah; we are servants of the servants of the servants of Krishna. We place no demands on our masters. That is pure devotional service.

After Nrsimhadeva killed Hiranyakasipu, He offered Prahlada, “You take any benediction you want.”

“I don’t want anything from You,” Prahlada replied. “By constitution You are my master, and by constitution I am Your servant. We have no other relationship. If I wanted something from You in exchange for my service, I would not be a servant. I would be a businessman. I do not want to do business with You, to take some reward from You in return for my service.”

He said, “If a servant does service to get something in return, he is not a real servant, and if a master gives something in return in order to maintain his prestigious position as master, he is not a real master.” A real master doesn’t give anything except pure devotional service—more service. And a real servant doesn’t ask for anything except more service. That is the only exchange—nothing else.

Prahlada said to Nrsimhadeva, yas ta asisa asaste na sa bhrtyah sa vai vanik: “One who desires some material benefit in exchange for devotional service cannot be Your pure devotee. Indeed, he is no better than a merchant who wants profit in exchange for service.” (SB 7.10.4)

asasano na vai bhrtyah
  svaminy asisa atmanah
na svami bhrtyatah svamyam
  icchan yo rati casisah

“A servant who desires material profits from his master is certainly not a qualified servant or pure devotee. Similarly, a master who bestows benedictions upon his servant because of a desire to maintain a prestigious position as master is also not a pure master.

aham tv akamas tvad-bhaktas
  tvam ca svamy anapasrayah
nanyathehavayor artho
  raja-sevakayor iva

“O my Lord, I am Your unmotivated servant, and You are my eternal master. There is no need of our being anything other than master and servant. You are naturally my master, and I am naturally Your servant. We have no other relationship.” (SB 7.10.5–6)

In the mood of pure devotional service, our relationships are very congenial, with Krishna in the center. In the bodily concept, each one of us wants to be the center. I keep myself in the center—“I,” “me,” and “mine.” In the spiritual concept of pure devotional service, Krishna is the center and we all are His servants, but not direct servants—servants of the servants. When we serve in that mood of pure devotion, Krishna is pleased and His servants are pleased—everyone is pleased. And each of us automatically becomes happy and satisfied. We just have to keep Krishna in the center; then everything else will follow.

yatra yogesvarah krsno
  yatra partho dhanur-dharah
tatra srir vijayo bhutir
  dhruva nitir matir mama

“Wherever there is Krsna, the master of all mystics, and wherever there is Arjuna, the supreme archer, there will also certainly be opulence, victory, extraordinary power, and morality. That is my opinion.” (Bg 18.78)

Hare Krishna.

Are there any questions or comments?

Mahashakti dasa: Going back to the earlier part of your lecture, about Prabhupada in the early days, his mission was to destroy impersonalism and voidism (nirvisesa sunyavadi). Back then many of us were hippies and were into the idea of satiating our senses. And Prabhupada was talking about these impersonalists, who were trying to merge and refrain from desire. We were wondering, “Who is he talking about? Maybe they are in India, but in America we don’t have that experience.” In America back then everyone was into enjoying their senses and sense gratification, especially with free love. And that hasn’t changed much. In the New Age movement there is a big emphasis on not repressing your senses. “Engage your senses. Don’t restrain them, because that is artificial. Engage them, because that is the real path to understanding who you are and attaining happiness.”

I guess the question pertains to some degree to ourselves as devotees, because although there’s no ambiguity about the process, there may be a moment when we start to feel unhappy or unfulfilled—“Devotees are not giving me what I want.” So how do we live a healthy, happy spiritual life without feeling “I am not getting what I want; I am feeling repressed,” and anger and so many things coming up in the mind—lust, anger, and different things? How do we grow as a society and attract new people, show that this is the right way of life and one can be happy at the same time?

Giriraj Swami: Do you have any ideas? I am sure you must have thought of it.

Mahashakti dasa: I know that this is the right path. We may just need to learn how to relate to Vaishnavas more in the right way. In a sense, we are very new, and maybe we haven’t yet learned how to be a Vaishnava society. Rupa Gosvami talks about revealing one’s mind and that kind of thing, and I don’t think we are quite there yet, because if we were, maybe our mood would be a little more joyful. We would enjoy the service more than we actually do right now. So maybe it is a matter of time—and continuing the preaching spirit. I don’t know.

In reality, we are not repressing our senses at all. We are really engaging our senses. With constant festivals we are constantly glorifying devotees and different incarnations of Krishna, and we are always taking prasada. So there is no question of repression. But still there is the problem that lies within, as you mentioned. There is the residual karma that seems to bother us, and that is the question—how devotees can deal with that within the society and not feel that they have to go outside in order to take care of that issue.

Giriraj Swami: Somehow I think of late 1969 or early ’70 in the Boston temple. Tamal Krishna Goswami had come for the first time. He was a legend from the West Coast, and Brahmananda Prabhu from New York, who was a legend on the East Coast, drove up to meet him. In the evening, after we had a little prasada—perhaps hot milk and puffed rice with peanuts—we were all standing in line to wash our plates in the sink, and Brahmananda said to Tamal Krishna Goswami, “Everyone wants love, so if we just love each other everyone will get what he wants and everyone will be happy.” It sounded logical and sensible—and true.

The only catch is that to really love someone, you have to be pure. Otherwise, what passes as love, as Prabhupada said, is actually lust. For example, a boy tells a girl, “I love you” and the girl tells the boy, “I love you,” but actually it is not love; it is lust. And if either partner does not get from the other what he or she wants, the relationship breaks. When we become more advanced, more pure in heart, we can actually serve with love. Love isn’t just a sentiment. It is a process that manifests in service. And to cleanse the heart (ceto-darpana-marjanam), we have the chanting of the holy name, offenseless chanting of the holy name. That will cleanse the heart, and that will create the type of relationships that we want.

We want to create a culture of service, vaisnava-seva. Even before deep love develops, we can create a culture of service and follow Vaishnava etiquette. Proper etiquette guides our relationships and makes our interaction more congenial. In Vedic culture peoples’ roles are defined and the behavior appropriate to each role is defined—how to relate to others. It is mentioned in the quotation in the purport that one who does not serve a superior is a most unhappy person. In essence, there are three different relationships—a subordinate to a superior, an equal to an equal, and a superior to a subordinate. A subordinate should sincerely serve a superior, the superior should affectionately guide the subordinate, and equals should be friends. And we should carefully avoid the contaminated forms of those relationships, in which the subordinate is envious of the superior; the superior exploits the subordinate; or the equals, instead of having genuine, open friendship, feel proud of themselves.

So, we want to develop a culture of selfless service and proper etiquette. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that there are different levels of conversion. The first level is spiritual or religious, but the cultural level may take longer. Devotees may quickly grasp the fundamental spiritual principles—“I am the eternal servant of Krishna”—but it may take longer to understand and adopt the culture of service. And it has become even more difficult now, because the sublime culture that existed in India is rapidly deteriorating, with so much influence from the West. And the Indians who come to the West become further influenced by Western ways. So we do not see the Vedic or Vaishnava culture in practice as much as before.

We are in Kali-yuga, and it is getting worse. But we need that Vaishnava culture, and we need spiritual purity. The main thing is purity of heart, and that comes from the process of devotional service, especially from offenseless chanting and hearing about Krishna and serving Krishna’s devotees.

kaler dosa-nidhe rajann
  asti hy eko mahan gunah
kirtanad eva krsnasya
  mukta-sangah param vrajet

“My dear King, although Kali-yuga is an ocean of faults, there is still one good quality about this age: Simply by chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom.” (SB 12.3.51)

Mahashakti dasa: And reading, too, is important. We have been reading today.

Giriraj Swami: Indeed. Reading, which comes in the category of hearing, teaches us who we are, who Krishna is, what the material world is, what the spiritual world is, and what our relationships are. It teaches us what the goal of life is and how to attain it. Reading is most important, and Srila Prabhupada advised that we should read for one or two hours every day.

We are in the age of Kali. Kali means “quarrel.” In the age of Kali people quarrel over the smallest thing. They make such a big thing out of a small thing.

Practically, I always feel that there are two things that can help devotees appreciate other devotees. The first is preaching. When you go out and meet people, you see the difference between the people you meet and the devotees, and you appreciate devotees more. Unfortunately, devotees don’t preach so much anymore. Most are grihasthas who live outside of temples, and not many are actively preaching. But if you go out and meet people and speak to them—and see what kind of reactions you get, what kind of people you are dealing with—you come to appreciate devotees more. Otherwise, familiarity can breed contempt.

The other way is to be separated from devotees for some time. You may end up in the beautiful Knysna forest without devotees. Then you appreciate devotees.

It is very important that we have good relationships. If we have loving relationships and strong sadhana—hearing and chanting—we will grow and prosper. But if our relationships are poor and our sadhana is weak, we will tend to disintegrate.

Devotees are very nice. Sometimes we have to speak about devotees’ weaknesses in order to instruct, or to learn, to distinguish between the devotional creeper and the unwanted weeds, so we can grow and flourish. Otherwise, devotees are chanting, and they are serving. They are the best people in the world.

Hare Krishna.

[A talk by Giriraj Swami on Sri Ramananda Raya, June 1, 2008, Camarillo, California]

All yogis are careful about what they eat…or at least they should be. Food is not only connected to our physical well being but also our karmic footprint. In general, we tend to be rather neglectful of karma, nature’s law of action and reaction. As humans, we imagine ourselves above the law, different from nature, and somehow immune to its rules.
But indeed, every single thing we do, every move we make, is not without its impact on our lives - now and in the future. Eating is an obvious and easy way to track this. We eat irresponsibly, we get sick. We eat well, we are well.

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[Seminar at ISKCON, Scarborough, Toronto, Canada]

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[Seminar at ISKCON, Brampton, Toronto, Canada]

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The post Does God laugh at our plans? – part 2 appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

[Seminar at ISKCON, Brampton, Toronto, Canada]
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The post Does God laugh at our plans? – part 1 appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

HH Romapada Swami: Gratitude Rooted in the Gift of Srimad Bhagavatam & Nama Prabhu - ISKCON Dallas, Apr 19, 2018 (video)

1st Jagannath Rath Yatra - Hisar, Haryana (Album of photos)
Iskcon Kurukshetra: Lord Jagannath has reached Hisar, Haryana for...

The devotes from Kiev, Ukraine, made these very attractive preparations for the Vyasa Puja of HH Niranjana Swami. Hopefully they taste as good as they look!

GREAT MOMENTS IN HYDERABAD
May 6, 2018 - By Visnuswami Dasa, leader of the Andhra Pradesh/Telangana Padayatra
In the Hyderabad area we feel very satisfied as many people are welcoming us and asking us to come again and again. We went on harinama in many places, including slums and some newly developed colonies where thousands of families from all over India have settled down. At the Sarasvati Sishu Mandir High School of Badangipet, we gave a small lecture after which we distributed Srila Prabhupada books to one hundred students and their teachers.
Right now we are in Vanasthalipuram near Hyderabad, facing the hot weather, which we try to escape by walking mostly in early mornings and evenings when it’s cooler.
More photos here: https://goo.gl/s4kuTj

By Garuda das

IT is important to explore and disclose how--perhaps even why--we are going to speak about Christian and Yogic theism before conducting an exploration on theism in comparative relation between the two traditions. In this kind of discussion, it is inevitable that working definitions of key terms be provided, particular terms that will be clarified and offered to facilitate the discussion. In this study, I examine and draw from the particular studies of three scholars in the field who address the relationship between Christianity and Yoga in order to illuminate the dialectical tension between a resistence toward and the persistence of the development of a yogic theism. I will argue that Yoga as explicated in the Yoga Sūtra possesses a strong and natural theological character, containing a distinct, open-ended raw theism that necessitates the expansion of the domain and definition of the term. Continue reading "Toward a Fusion of Theological Horizons: Constructivist Reflections and Responses to the Question of Theism in the Yoga Sutra
→ Dandavats"

By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Krishna is described as akhila-rasamrita-sindhu, "the ocean of rasas." There are five primary rasas. Rasa means the mellow or the taste we enjoy in every activity. Everything is done with some taste. Whatever you do, you must enjoy some taste out of it. There are twelve rasas, out of which five are primary and seven are secondary. They are described in this book. For example, we can consider Bhishma, the grandfather of the Pandavas. During the Battle of Kurukshetra, he fought on the side of Duryodhana, against the Pandavas. Continue reading "Somehow Fix Your Mind on Krishna
→ Dandavats"

St. Petersburg: It’s Charm and It’s Devotees (Album of photos)
Indradyumna Swami: St. Petersburg is without exception the most beautiful city in Russia. With a rich cultural heritage, it proudly represents the history of Russia going back hundreds of years. Our photographer, Ananta Vrindavan dasa, did an excellent job in catching the charm of the city, as well as the blissful programs we held with all the wonderful devotees in St. Petersburg. We have one last stop on our journey through Russia: Moscow!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/ND4XCj

On Sunday May 13, 2018 we will be celebrating our Sweet Rice Festival! This festival will focus on the glories of our Deities, Radha Ksira-cora Gopinatha and Their special connection to sweet rice. On this occasion, our Deities are offered several different flavours of sweet rice in hand painted pots, painted by members of our community!




If you would like the chance to offer a pot of sweet rice personally to our Deities, come see us at our Sunday Feast this weekend and purchase a clay pot that you can decorate and bring back on Sunday, May 13 during the Sweet Rice Festival to be offered to the Deities on your behalf.

If you have any questions, please email us at info@torontokrishna.com .

The Toronto Hare Krishna Temple welcomes Chaitanya Charan Dasa this weekend. Chaitanya Charan is a monk and spiritual author. He has done his Electronics & Telecommunications Engineering from the Government College of Engineering, Pune. He subsequently served as a software engineer in a prominent multinational software corporation.

Seeing the prevalent problems of stress, depression, addiction and overall misdirection – all caused by a lack of spirituality – he felt inspired to dedicate his life to the cause of sharing the spiritual wisdom of the Bhagavad-gita under the aegis of ISKCON (International Society for Krishna consciousness). He is a member of ISKCON’s leading intellectual body, the Shastric Advisory Council, and is the associate-editor of ISKCON’s global magazine, Back to Godhead. He is the author of the world’s only Gita-daily feature, wherein he writes daily a 300-word inspirational reflection on a verse from the Bhagavad- Gita. He has written over seventeen hundred Gita meditations that are posted on www.gitadaily.com and are read through daily feeds by thousands from all over the world.

He also answers questions by seekers on his site www.thespiritualscientist.com, where his over three thousand five hundred audio answers and several hundred articles are available.

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[Congregation program at ISKCON, Milton, Canada]

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S.M.A.R.T Parenting.
Romapada Swami: Parenting is an integral part of Krishna conscious householder life (gṛhastha āśrama). Genuinely Krishna conscious parents, together with their happy well-rounded children, provide a huge impetus within the broader society at large to develop an appreciation and a deeper interest in Krishna consciousness. Moreover, when the family unit is strong, the members of such a family naturally become effective preachers. The foundation of a strong family unit rests upon and derives strength from transcendental sound vibration – hearing Krishna-katha and chanting Hare Krishna.
Knowing the role and duties of a Krishna conscious parent and how to effectively accomplish the goals of parenting is an essential foundation for developing a Krishna conscious family, and in turn community. To this end, I will summarize some essential aspects of Krishna conscious parenting via a simple acronym called S.M.A.R.T, hopefully helping parents easily remember and apply these concepts in their day-to-day lives. The S.M.A.R.T approach may also help parents evaluate themselves on a periodical basis. From time to time, one could introspect or have a conversation with one’s mentor – “Am I a S.M.A.R.T parent? How can I improve in this important area of my service? What resources do I need?” and so on.

Vaisesika Dasa: Talk on “Beyond Birth and Death” @ San Jose State University.
The very pleasant professor you see in the front row is using Srila Prabhupada book, Beyond Birth and Death, as the textbook for this class.

About His Grace Caitanya Caran Das: He has done his Electronics & Telecommunications Engineering from the Govt College of Engg, Pune. He subsequently served as a software engineer in a multinational software company, Patni Computer Systems.Seeing the prevalent problems of stress, depression, addiction and overall misdirection – all caused by a lack of spirituality, he felt inspired to dedicate his life to the cause of jnana daan, offering systematic spiritual education, under the aegis of VOICE / ISKCON. Complete bio here. Chant: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare  Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare  And Be Happy!! ayur harati vai pumsam udyann astam ca yann asau tasyarte yat-ksano nita uttama-sloka-vartaya Both by rising and by setting, the sun decreases the duration of life of everyone, except one who utilizes the time by discussing topics of the all-good Personality of Godhead.  ~ Srimad Bhagavatam 2.3.17 11.00 - 11.15      Tulsi Puja 11.15  - 11.30     Guru Puja                             11:30 - 11:55     Aarti & Kirtan                           11.55  - 12.00    Sri Nrsingadeva Prayers 12.00 - 1:00     Vedic discourse   1.00 - 1.30      Closing Kirtan   1.30 - 2.00     Sanctified Free Vegetarian Feast COMING UP AHEAD Apara Ekadasi Fasting.....................on Fri May 11th,2018 Breakfast................  on Sat May 12th, 2018 b/w 5.55am – 10.48am Every fortnight, we observe Ekadasi, a day of prayer and meditation. On this day we fast (or simplify our meals and abstain from grains and beans), and spend extra time reading the scriptures and chanting the auspicious Hare Krishna mantra.By constantly ‘exercising’ our minds through regular japa we can train our senses to push the threshold of contentment. English audio glorification of all Ekadasis is available here  ONGOING PROGRAMS Adult Education At The Temple ISKCON Brampton offers various courses and Seminars for adults. The courses take a personal approach to learning. It encourages the student not only to study thoroughly the contents of Srila Prabhupada’s books but also to clearly understand the philosophy and practically apply it. The course focuses on behaviour and character, nurturing students in appropriate Vaishnava values. Professionally designed and presented, it draws on the principles of Krishna consciousness and the best of progressive education. In this way, it is true to ISKCON’s heritage and at the same time relevant to its mission in contemporary society. For further information, please contact HG Prema Gaurangi Devi Dasi @ premagaurangi.jps@hotmail.com Sunday School To register,contact us Email:sundayschool108@gmail.com Call:647.893.9363 The Sunday School provides fun filled strategies through the medium of music, drama, debates, quizzes and games that present Vedic Culture to children. However the syllabus is also designed to simultaneously teach them to always remember Krishna and never forget Him. The Sunday School follows the curriculum provided by the Bhaktivedanta College of Education and Culture (BCEC). Monthly sankirtan Festival(MSF) “One who has life can preach, and one who preaches gets life.”(Previous Acaryas) Every member of ISKCON should have the opportunity to make advancement in Krishna consciousness by preaching.We encourage everyone to come out and participate and make Srila Prabhupada happy. Please contact: Dharma Dasa- dharandev58@gmail.com-647.892.0739(Mississauga and Brampton regions) The Mentorship Program Please note that registration in the Mentorship System is now a mandatory requirement for all initiation requests at ISKCON Brampton.It 1.Facilitates  and nurtures devotees aspiring for first and second Initiation. 2.One-on-One personal follow up on a regular basis. 3.Systematic training to devotees in matters of Philosophy, Sadhna, Vaishnava behavior, etiquette, Lifestyle and attitudes. To find details please click here Gift Shop Are you looking for some amazing gift items which are less expensive and more beautiful for your loved ones for festivals or many other occasions?? Our boutique is stocked with an excellent range of products, perfect for gifts or as souvenirs of your visit. It offers textiles, jewelry, incense, devotional articles, musical instruments, books, and CDs inspired by Indian culture.We're open on all Sundays and celebrations marked in our annual calendar.

Preaching program with Bhakti Chaitanya Swami in Barnaul, Russia (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Love of God is not an ordinary commodity. Caitanya Mahaprabhu was worshiped by Rupa Gosvami because He distributed love of God, krsna-prema, to everyone. Rupa Gosvami praised Him as maha-vadanya, a greatly munificent personality because He was freely distributing to everyone love of Godhead, which is achieved by wise men only after many, many births. Krsna-prema, Krsna consciousness, is the highest gift which can be bestowed on anyone whom we presume to love.–From Srila Prabhupada’s purport to SB 3.23.8
Find them here: https://goo.gl/DjbmRq

“No Good Qualities” by HG Mahatma Prabhu - May 4, 2018 (4 min video)
Our scriptures say that a non-devotee does not have good qualities. This means that a non-devotee, even if he or she has so-called good qualities, lives a life dedicated to personal gratification, and thus their good qualities are employed in their sense gratification. A sadhaka, even if he doesn’t appear to have all good qualities, is good because all his activities are dedicated to Krsna.

A lecture of HH Indradyumna Swami about his first meetings with the Hare Krishna devotees and HDG Srila Prabhupada, given in ISKCON...

From 20th to 22nd April, 24th Annual Student Conference was organised by Spritual Academy for Formation and Education (SAFE) at Mayapur. It is overwhelming to see how the young generation has taken up seriously the matter of spiritual education. 1000 students from differnt parts of Bengal like Medinipur, Jhargrama & other districts enthusiastically took part […]

The post 24th Annual Student Conference -Uttishta Jagarata Chatra Sammelana appeared first on Mayapur.com.

‘People power’: Hare Krishna faithful pull four-tonne chariot through Brisbane streets.
A four-tonne rainbow wooden chariot was pulled through the heart of Brisbane on Saturday, as a celebration of joy and peace organized by the Hare Krishna community.
Thousands flocked to King George Square following the loud and lively parade through the city streets to celebrate the Festival of Chariots, which began in India 5000 years ago.
The day is a spiritual event that involves pulling giant statues of deities through the city and is symbolic of Krishna coming out of his temple to see his people.
Festival co-ordinator Chintan Gandhi said the “people powered” event had been running in Brisbane for the past five years and was also held in major cities across the world.
“The significance of it is bringing peace and joy to our hearts. It’s practiced in ancient India and now happens in all major cities in the world,” he said.
Read more: https://goo.gl/iMSRVH

Bhakti Charu Swami presents his plans for the Deland, Florida project. These include organic farming, cow protection, an Ayurvedic clinic, eco-friendly homes, and a Vedic temple, as well as regular retreats.
Over the past few years, the ISKCON Ministry for Cow Protection and Agriculture (IMCPA) has been bringing ISKCON farms together for biannual continental conferences. Now, the Ministry is beginning strategic planning meetings every other year, to foster team building. The first will see delegates from farm communities all over North America come together to connect face to face, determine a collective direction to head in, and strategize how to get there. The meeting will take place on June 25th and 26th in Deland, Florida, a new 116-acre project run by Bhakti Charu Swami’s Veda Foundation, two hours’ drive from Alachua.
To read the entire article click here: https://goo.gl/JyFXQJ

By TOVP staff

Lord Nityananda poured His blessings on all the devotees incessantly. After greeting the Padukas and Sitari with kirtan and abhisheka, and speeches by His Holiness Chandramauli Swami, Jananivas and Braja Vilas prabhus, once again the ecstasy began to flow. Devotees from Croatia were also present and a total of eighty devotees started making their pledges. Eleven pledges were made for Silver Srivas Coins (9,000 Euros/11,000 USD) along with many other large and small pledges. The astounding fact is that before coming to the program many devotees did not expect to give anything significant, and some nothing at all. Yet, due to Lord Nityananda Prabhu’s influence their hearts were changed. The sacrifice of these devotees, like at all the other European temples, is very exemplary and significant, and a sign that our Lord Nitai is anxious to complete the temple. Continue reading "TOVP Euro Tour Day 10: New Yoga Pitha Dhama, Ljubljana, Slovenia
→ Dandavats"

Video:

Transcription

Question: When souls should be losing human bodies because of bad karma, why is the population increasing?

Answer: First of all, if we look at the vastness of the time scales, we may talk about population increasing, but for how long do we really have a serious population count? Serious census started just a few hundred years ago. Before that we can have estimates, how much was the population, but even if we look from that perspective, even if we stick to only the empirical measurable data, we can’t say for sure how much was the population, say, several hundred years ago. There was no hard data at that time. But even if we go with the assumption right now that okay, the population has been increasing, what it essentially means is that souls are eternal and the souls are present in many different bodies. We understand that the soul is not present only in human body. There is transmigration which happens forward and backward also. Forward means from the lower species to human species and from human species down also to the lower species. It goes both ways.

We may say that the human population is increasing, but the souls which are there in many, many different bodies, they can go from one body to another body. We have done a census of human beings, but has anyone done a census of say the number of trees in the world, the number of grass in the world, the number of mosquitoes in the world? There are so many different species. So, if we look at the history of the world in recent times, there is so much loss of biodiversity, so much trees have been cut down, so many animals have become extinct.

If we consider total number of souls, souls may go from one species to another species. So, all that we are seeing is the souls in human species are increasing or rather human population is increasing, but conversely, there can be many other species whose count has gone down.

Also, another point is that in the Vedic understanding from the soul’s perspective, life is not limited to this planet. There are many levels and the soul can go from one body to another body also. If we look from the perspective of cosmic time, the few hundred years that we have counted population, it’s like a very small time.

If, say, an alien came from an outer planet to Columbus, Ohio, and came to this room and took a sample of this room’s population from say 9 o’clock in the morning till 1 o’clock. You would say, 9 o’clock the population was very low, 10 o’clock it has increased more, 11 o’clock more, 12 o’clock there is an explosion of the population, but, 2 o’clock, 3 o’clock, hey, what happened? The population has gone down. (Laughter)

So, basically that alien is taking a very limited sample, both limited in space and limited in time. And in that limited sample, there may be variation, but that variation doesn’t mean extinction or creation. It simply means relocation. People are coming here, people are going. So, at a particular time there may be more, another time there may be less.

So, similarly, with respect to just a small few hundred years and human species, yes, the human population may be increasing, but the other souls may be going down. So, we see, as I said, souls in other species may be going down. Other species have also become extinct.

Another way to understand this is that when the soul wants to enjoy material nature, to some extent, the soul is given the facility for that. In the last few hundred years, we have put all our intelligence, which is meant for spiritual growth, we have used it all to try to improve things at the material level. Try to combat disease, combat infant mortality. With this exercise of the intelligence, we can improve things and we have improved things to some extent. There is the free will of the soul by which the soul can act and improve things, but there is also the principle of karma. There is also the principle of whatever actions we do, we will get the reactions. This is Kali Yuga. This is the age of spiritual darkness.

So, what happens is that the people have created more and more comforts, trying to make this world a better place, but the karma and the karmic reactions are going to come. Whatever we do, the reactions are going to come. One way the karmic reactions which we have avoided by avoiding diseases, by creating more comforts through technology, one way those karmic reactions can come is through the increased population. Earlier, we didn’t have resources, people didn’t have food to enjoy. They had to struggle and scavenge to get food, even if we go simply by the narrative of history as we get from modern science.

But now, because there is so much population, there is competition again for that. So, the increased population, even the relative framework of few years, could be a way in which reactions are coming. The increased population is not necessarily a good thing for places where there is a population explosion. It may be a good thing where the lifespan is increasing and where the facilities are available for people, but it’s not true everywhere. So, within the limited framework which we look at, we understand simply the variation from one species to another species. Souls in a particular species have gone up and souls in another species have gone down. What could be the reason for that? As I said, one reason could be that we are just… the increased population is a way through which karmic reactions are coming to us. The increased competition that happens because of that.

Another could also be that the souls are not evolving upwards. Krishna says, ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ, jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ: Those who live in Rajoguna, in the mode of passion, they stay here. So, by the natural process of evolution, souls from the animal species are coming here to the human form, but most of the world today is in the mode of passion. There are few people in goodness, there are good number in ignorance also, but largely, we are in the mode of passion. Those who live in the mode of passion, they stay, Krishna says, at the same level of reality. Souls from the lower species are evolving to human species.

Majority of the human souls are not evolving upwards because they are not spiritually inclined nor are they in the mode of goodness. They are in the mode of passion, so they are staying over here. That could also be a reason why the population is increasing. But the population increase is simply a variation within space and time that we observe right now. That doesn’t necessarily in any way contradict any aspect of the spiritual philosophy. It’s fully explainable within the broad parameters of the spiritual philosophy that is given in the Bhagavad Gita.

End of transcription.

Answer Podcast

Video:

The post How do we present bhakti wisdom to moral relativists? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Today is the disappearance day of one of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s most confidential associates, Sri Ramananda Raya. Lord Chaitanya is Krishna Himself in the mood of Srimati Radharani, with Her bodily luster. Thus Lord Chaitanya is the combined form of Radha and Krishna (sri-krsna-caitanya radha-krsna nahe anya). And in krsna-lila Ramananda Raya is the gopi Visakha, one of the most confidential associates of both Srimati Radharani and Krishna. Spiritually, Visakha enjoyed a very intimate relationship with both Sri Krishna and Sri Radha.

In His later years, after He toured South India, Sri Chaitanya retired to Jagannatha Puri, and there He experienced intense separation from Krishna, like Srimati Radharani did after Krishna left Vrindavan. In that ecstatic mood of separation, He would confide in two close associates—Sri Svarupa Damodara Gosvami, who in krsna-lila is the gopi Lalita, and Sri Ramananda Raya.

Today we shall read about the first meeting between Lord Chaitanya and Ramananda Raya. Lord Chaitanya was just beginning His tour of South India. When He arrived in Jagannatha Puri from Navadvipa after taking sannyasa, He went straight to the Jagannatha temple, and as soon as He saw Lord Jagannatha He fainted in ecstasy. He had been in the mood of searching for Krishna, and when He saw Jagannatha He felt that He had found His Lord and fell into a deep ecstatic trance. Eventually, Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya, the chief appointed pandit in the court of the king, Maharaja Prataparudra, removed Sri Chaitanya to his home, and there they had some discussions. When Mahaprabhu was about to depart on His tour of South India, Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya suggested that He meet and speak with Ramananda Raya, a most learned scholar and expert in the transcendental mellows of devotional service (bhakti-rasa).

Eventually Lord Chaitanya and Ramananda Raya met on the banks of the Godavari. Their meeting is vividly described in Sri Caitanya-caritamrta. After their initial meeting, they decided to meet again in the evening to discuss confidential topics of Krishna. Their discussions, called ramananda-samvada, contain all the truths of Gaudiya Vaisnava philosophy (siddhanta) and, with Lord Chaitanya’s instructions to Rupa Gosvami (rupa-siksa) and His instructions to Sanatana Gosvami (sanatana-siksa), are most important for understanding Vaishnava siddhanta, both rasa and tattva.

We read from Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila, Chapter Eight: “Talks Between the Lord and Ramananda Raya.”

 TEXT 1

sancarya ramabhidha-bhakta-meghe
  sva-bhakti-siddhanta-cayamrtani
gaurabdhir etair amuna vitirnais
  taj-jnatva-ratnalayatam prayati

TRANSLATION

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is known as Gauranga, is the reservoir of all conclusive knowledge in devotional service. He empowered Sri Ramananda Raya, who may be likened to a cloud of devotional service. This cloud was filled with all the conclusive purports of devotional service and was empowered by the ocean to spread this water over the sea. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself was the ocean of knowledge of pure devotional service.

COMMENT by Giriraj Swami

In this discussion between Ramananda Raya and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Chaitanya took the position of the student, or questioner, and Ramananda Raya was obliged to take the position of the teacher, or respondent. Ramananda Raya was hesitant, because apart from Chaitanya Mahaprabhu being the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in terms of the Vedic social system He was a brahman and a sannyasi, whereas Ramananda Raya, although a most learned scholar and exalted devotee, was a grihastha and considered a sudra. So it was awkward for him to instruct Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, but Mahaprabhu told him, kiba vipra, kiba nyasi, sudra kene naya: it doesn’t matter whether one is a brahman, a sudra, a sannyasi, or whatever; yei krsna-tattva-vetta, sei ‘guru’ haya: anyone who knows the science of Krishna is a guru.

We shall read from the beginning of their discussion.

TEXT 56

namaskara kaila raya, prabhu kaila alingane
dui jane krsna-katha kaya rahah-sthane

TRANSLATION

Ramananda Raya approached Lord Sri Caitanya and offered his respectful obeisances, and the Lord embraced him. Then they began to discuss Krsna in a secluded place.

TEXT 57

prabhu kahe,—“pada sloka sadhyera nirnaya”
raya kahe,—“sva-dharmacarane visnu-bhakti haya”

TRANSLATION

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu ordered Ramananda Raya to recite a verse from the revealed scriptures concerning the ultimate goal of life.

Ramananda replied, “If one executes the prescribed duties of his social position, he awakens his original Krsna consciousness.

COMMENT

The original word in the text is sadhya—“the goal of life,” “that which is to be achieved.” Sadhana is the means by which we achieve the goal. Lord Chaitanya asked Ramananda Raya to say something about sadhya, the ultimate goal of life, and Ramananda Raya replied by citing different verses.

First, Ramananda Raya quoted a verse from the Visnu Purana:

TEXT 58

varnasramacara-vata
  purusena parah puman
visnur aradhyate pantha
  nanyat tat-tosa-karanam

TRANSLATION

“‘The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Visnu, is worshiped by the proper execution of prescribed duties in the system of varna and asrama. There is no other way to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One must be situated in the institution of the four varnas and asramas.’”

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

This is a quotation from the Visnu Purana (3.8.9). As stated by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura in his Amrta-pravaha-bhasya, “The purport is that one can realize life’s perfection simply by satisfying the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” This is also confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.13):

atah pumbhir dvija-srestha
  varnasrama-vibhagasah
sv-anusthitasya dharmasya
  samsiddhir hari-tosanam

“O best among the twice-born, it is therefore concluded that the highest perfection one can achieve by discharging the duties prescribed for one’s own occupation according to caste divisions and orders of life is to please the Personality of Godhead.”

COMMENT

The goal of all of our activities should be to please Krishna, and in the verse quoted by Ramananda Raya, executing one’s duties according to one’s varna and ashrama is recommended. Prabhupada often said that varnashrama-dharma is the beginning of human life. Dharmena hinah pasubhih samanah: without dharma, men are on the level of animals. Why? Because dharma, religious principles, or varnashrama-dharma, occupational duties, regulate the activities of the living being. Without being regulated a person is just like an animal. An animal eats whatever he wants, sleeps whenever he wants for as long as he can, has sex with whomever he wants whenever he can, and defends himself, arranges some shelter for himself, however he can. And if a man engages his superior, human intelligence in these same activities, he is no better than an animal.

The human being may eat on a nice plate on a nice table and the animal may eat on the floor of the jungle, but the animal enjoys his eating as much as the human being. The human may sleep on a nice mattress in a nice house and the animal may sleep on the ground, but when asleep the animal doesn’t know he is sleeping on the ground or the human that he is sleeping on a mattress. Sleeping is the same, and in fact the human’s sleep might be more disturbed than the animal’s, because he has so many worries and anxieties and causes of depression. And the animal might defend himself with his teeth and claws, the human with sophisticated weapons of mass destruction, but it is the same principle—defending.

Eating, sleeping, mating, and defending are common to both human beings and animals. What distinguishes a human from an animal is dharma, following religious principles to become God conscious. Otherwise, there is no difference.

ahara-nidra-bhaya-maithunam ca
  samanyam etat pasubhir naranam
dharmo hi tesam adhiko viseso
  dharmena hinah pasubhih samanah

“Both animals and men share the activities of eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. But the special property of the humans is that they are able to engage in spiritual life. Therefore, without spiritual life, humans are on the level of animals.” (Hitopadesa)

Now, one might question, “You mean to say that all the big leaders of the world—the presidents and prime ministers and scientists and Nobel Prize laureates—if they are not Krishna conscious, God conscious, they are no better than animals?” Srimad-Bhagavatam says that they are just bigger animals. In the jungle the small animals all fear the big animals—respect the big animals—and the Bhagavatam says that those who never engage in krsna-katha, who never hear the glories of the Lord, are just small animals who praise the bigger ones. That’s all.

sva-vid-varahostra-kharaih
  samstutah purusah pasuh
na yat-karna-pathopeto
  jatu nama gadagrajah

“Men who are like dogs, hogs, camels, and asses praise those men who never listen to the transcendental pastimes of Lord Sri Krsna, the deliverer from evils.” (SB 2.3.19)

So, dharma is the beginning of human life, and one should execute one’s duties in varnashrama-dharma for the pleasure of the Supreme Lord, Vishnu. By that process one advances to the goal of life.

Here, Ramananda Raya and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu are discussing krsna-katha. And after hearing this verse, what does Mahaprabhu say?

TEXT 59

prabhu kahe,—“eho bahya, age kaha ara”
raya kahe, “krsne karmarpana—sarva-sadhya-sara”

TRANSLATION

The Lord replied, “This is external. You had better tell Me of some other means.”

Ramananda replied, “To offer the results of one’s activities to Krsna is the essence of all perfection.”

COMMENT

Varnashrama-dharma is required, but following the regulations of varnashrama-dharma does not necessarily mean that one will be Krishna conscious. One can follow the rules and regulations, but if one is not in the mood of offering the results of one’s work to Krishna, he will not be Krishna conscious—directly Krishna conscious.

Ramananda Raya next quoted a verse from the Bhagavad-gita (9.27):

TEXT 60

yat karosi yad asnasi
  yaj juhosi dadasi yat
yat tapasyasi kaunteya
  tat kurusva mad-arpanam

TRANSLATION

“‘O son of Kunti, all that you do, all that you eat, all that you offer and give away, as well as all austerities that you may perform, should be done as an offering to Me.’”

COMMENT

Here we are going a step further. One still works according to one’s position in the varnashrama system, but one offers the results of one’s work to Krishna, as Krishna advises in the Bhagavad-gita. That is definitely a further development. And what does Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu say?

TEXT 61

prabhu kahe,—“eho bahya, age kaha ara”
raya kahe,—“svadharma-tyaga, ei sadhya-sara”

TRANSLATION

“This is also external,” Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said. “Please proceed and speak further on this matter.”

Ramananda Raya replied, “To give up one’s occupational duties in the varnasrama system is the essence of perfection.”

TEXT 62

ajnayaivam gunan dosan
  mayadistan api svakan
dharman santyajya yah sarvan
  mam bhajet sa ca sattamah

TRANSLATION

Ramananda Raya continued, “ ‘Occupational duties are described in the religious scriptures. If one analyzes them, he can fully understand their qualities and faults and then give them up completely to render service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such a person is considered a first-class man.’

TEXT 63

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

TRANSLATION

“As stated in scripture [Gita 18.66], ‘After giving up all kinds of religious and occupational duties, if you come to Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and take shelter, I will give you protection from all of life’s sinful reactions. Do not worry.’ ”

COMMENT

Ramananda Raya cited two verses in support of this proposal, and Sri Chaitanya responded:

TEXT 64

prabhu kahe,—“eho bahya, age kaha ara”
raya kahe, “jnana-misra bhakti—sadhya-sara”

TRANSLATION

After hearing Ramananda Raya speak in this way, Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, “Go ahead and say something more.”

Ramananda Raya then replied, “Devotional service mixed with empiric knowledge is the essence of perfection.”

TEXT 65

brahma-bhutah prasannatma
  na socati na kanksati
samah sarvesu bhutesu
  mad-bhaktim labhate param

TRANSLATION

Ramananda Raya continued, “According to the Bhagavad-gita, ‘One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments or desires to have anything. He is equally disposed toward every living entity. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto Me.’ ”

COMMENT

To offer the fruits of one’s work to Krishna is good, but even then one might be attached to one’s work. To give up one’s position in varnashrama-dharma is better because it shows more detachment. But even if one has detachment, one may not have knowledge. So Ramananda Raya went further, including knowledge as part of the means, with reference to the Bhagavad-gita (18.54).

And what did Lord Chaitanya say? “Eho bahya, age kaha ara.” He wanted Ramananda Raya to go further. And Ramananda Raya responded.

TEXT 66

prabhu kahe, “eho bahya, age kaha ara”
raya kahe,—“jnana-sunya bhakti—sadhya-sara”

TRANSLATION

After hearing this, the Lord, as usual, rejected it, . . .

COMMENT

He rejected devotional service mixed with empiric knowledge (jnana-misra bhakti).

TRANSLATION (continued)

. . . considering it to be external devotional service mixed with knowledge. He again asked Ramananda Raya to speak further, and Ramananda Raya replied, “Pure devotional service without any touch of speculative knowledge is the essence of perfection.”

COMMENT

Ramananda Raya then quoted an important verse from the Tenth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.14.3):

TEXT 67

jnane prayasam udapasya namanta eva
  jivanti san-mukharitam bhavadiya-vartam
sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhir
  ye prayaso ’jita jito ’py asi tais tri-lokyam

TRANSLATION

Ramananda Raya continued, “[Lord Brahma said:] ‘My dear Lord, those devotees who have thrown away the impersonal conception of the Absolute Truth and have therefore abandoned discussing empiric philosophical truths should hear from self-realized devotees about Your holy name, form, pastimes, and qualities. They should follow the principles of devotional service and remain free from illicit sex, gambling, intoxication, and animal slaughter. Surrendering themselves fully with body, words, and mind, they can live in any asrama or social status. Indeed, You are conquered by such persons, although You are always unconquerable.’”

COMMENT

Then Lord Caitanya said, eho haya, “This is it!”—not eho bahya, “This is external.” But even then He added, age kaha ara: “Please speak further.”

TEXT 68

prabhu kahe, “eho haya, age kaha ara”
raya kahe, “prema-bhakti—sarva-sadhya-sara”

TRANSLATION

At this point, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu replied, “This is all right, but still you can speak more on the subject.”

Ramananda Raya then replied, “Ecstatic love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the essence of all perfection.”

COMMENT

In the purport Srila Prabhupada says, “In his Amrta-pravaha-bhasya, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura summarizes the conversation up to this point, where Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu says to Ramananda Raya, eho haya, age kaha ara: ‘This is the process accepted in devotional service, but there is something more than this. Therefore please explain what is beyond.’”

The point is that although the verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam describes the process of pure devotional service, in the neophyte stage devotional activities may sometimes appear impure; there may appear to be some material taint in one’s devotional activities. Therefore, although Lord Chaitanya said, “You have come to this point of pure devotional service, which I accept as the goal of life and simultaneously the means to achieve the goal,” He also said, “Go further,” because He wanted to make sure that we reach the goal, which is prema-bhakti.

Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.3.31) says, bhaktya sanjataya bhaktya: bhakti comes from bhakti. We have come to the point of bhakti, pure bhakti, but bhaktya sanjataya bhaktya—prema-bhakti, or sadhya-bhakti, comes from sadhana-bhakti. Sadhana-bhakti will lead to the goal, but one must stick to the process. If one does stick to the process, he will reach the goal, prema-bhakti.

Now we shall discuss the process of pure devotional service described in the verse cited by Sri Ramananda Raya, because that is a process that each and every one of us can and should follow. It is feasible for every one of us. We shall discuss each word, because each word is important.

Jnane here means “for speculative knowledge.” Speculative knowledge almost always leads to an imperfect, impersonal conclusion. Prayasam means “unnecessary endeavor”—it is unnecessary. And udapasya means “giving up completely.” The endeavor for speculative knowledge has absolutely no value for a devotee and should be given up completely. Namantah. In his synonyms, Srila Prabhupada writes, “completely surrendering.” More literally, namanta is translated as “offering obeisances.” Obeisances are an indication of submission and surrender. Once, Prabhupada paraphrased these words: “You should give up the bad habit of speculation and just become submissive.”

San-mukharitam bhavadiya-vartam. Bhavadiya-vartam means “discussions related to You [Krishna],” and san-mukharitam means “from the mouths of pure devotees [sat].” We should hear the messages of Godhead from the mouths of truthful devotees, not from professional reciters.

In India there are many professional reciters, and some tour. But although they may be very popular, hearing from them will not help. People go to them to be entertained, or they may feel that they are performing some pious activity. But what result do they want from such piety? Often they just want to be happy in the material world.

Srila Prabhupada spoke of one Bhagavata reciter who would tell his audience, “Srimad-Bhagavatam teaches that you should be happy in family life.” Now, the Bhagavatam is filled with stories of devotees who left their families to realize God, beginning with the speaker of the Bhagavatam, Sukadeva Gosvami. He did not remain at home long enough even to have his sacred-thread or other ceremonies. He just walked out of the house, and his father, Srila Vyasadeva, the literary incarnation of Godhead, went running after him into the forest, calling for him, but all he heard was the echoing of his voice in the trees.

yam pravrajantam anupetam apeta-krtyam
  dvaipayano viraha-katara ajuhava
putreti tan-mayataya taravo ’bhinedus
  tam sarva-bhuta-hrdayam munim anato ’smi

“Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto that great sage [Sukadeva Gosvami] who can enter the hearts of all. When he went away to take up the renounced order of life [sannyasa], leaving home without undergoing reformation by the sacred thread or the ceremonies observed by the higher castes, his father, Vyasadeva, fearing separation from him, cried out, ‘O my son!’ Indeed, only the trees, which were absorbed in the same feelings of separation, echoed in response to the begrieved father.” (SB 1.2.2)

Sukadeva Gosvami was gone. So, from the very beginning of Srimad-Bhagavatam we hear the histories of great devotees who left hearth and home to realize God. All five Pandavas left for the Himalayas. And Maharaja Pariksit gave up his family and kingdom to sit on the bank of the Ganges and hear Srimad-Bhagavatam.

Why did the professional reciter claim that the Bhagavatam teaches that you should remain happy in family life? Prabhupada said that the man wanted to get donations from the householders, so he wanted to say something that would please them. Sadhu means “to cut.” We have to hear from the mouths of sadhus (san-mukharitam). Then it will be effective. Srila Prabhupada said—and I saw it myself when I visited a large Bhagavata-saptaha—that immediately after the recitation, everything is as it was. People do not change. After the recitation, people light up their cigarettes and talk about what a nice katha they heard. This kind of katha—Bhagavata-saptaha or whatever—will not help. Sanatana Gosvami says, avaisnava-mukhodgirnam putam hari-kathamrtam sravanam naiva kartavyam: one should not hear talks about Krishna from a non-Vaishnava. San-mukharitam—one should hear from pure devotees, self-realized souls.

Sthane sthitah means “remaining in their position.” It doesn’t matter if one is a grihastha. One can remain a grihastha—he need not become a sannyasi. That is not the point. One can remain in his position in the varnashrama system (although in natural course one may change his position), because pure devotional service is transcendental. Anyabhilasita-sunyam jnana-karmady-anavrtam. It is not limited by any material condition; it cannot be covered by karma or jnana or anything else. It is transcendental. So you can stay in your position, but you must follow the process described here.

In his translation Srila Prabhupada writes, “You should completely follow the principles of devotional service and remain free from illicit sex, gambling, intoxication, and animal slaughter.” Now, we don’t find these words in the Sanskrit. There are different types of translation, which have different names in Sanskrit. In one kind of translation one puts a bit of the purport into the translation, and that is what Prabhupada did here. And I really appreciate it, because one can take this phrase sthane sthitah, “you remain in your position,” to mean, “Oh, I am fine as I am. I was getting worried for a while, but I can stay in my position and do everything the same.” Perhaps anticipating such a response from some readers, Prabhupada qualified the phrase right in the translation. He did not take a chance that a reader would harbor any misconceptions going into the purport, but in the translation itself he says, “Yes, you can remain in your position, but you must follow the process of devotional service and refrain from illicit sex; gambling (and speculating); intoxicants, including tea, coffee, and cigarettes; and eating meat, fish, or eggs.”

If you do that, you can stay in your position and become Krishna conscious. That is the beauty of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s movement, the beauty of the bhakti cult, that one can remain in one’s position and execute devotional service in Krishna consciousness. A grihastha can become a pure devotee, and a sannyasi can become a pure devotee. Anyone can become a pure devotee if he or she follows the process. And anyone can follow. So it is very easy. One can remain in his or her position and simply follow. Jivanti means that a devotee who always hears about Krishna will go back home, back to Godhead. He or she must simply follow the regulative principles and remain alive in Krishna consciousness by hearing and chanting about Krishna.

Tanu-van-manobhih. Tanu means “body,” vak means “words,” and mana means “mind.” Our acharyas have explained how these words can relate to other words in the text. The basic meaning is that one should surrender fully, with body, words, and mind, to the topics of Krishna spoken by self-realized souls. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti says that one should offer all respects and obeisances (namantah) with one’s body, words, and mind. With one’s body one can offer obeisances to the Bhagavatam, to the speaker of the Bhagavatam, and to the holy place in which the Bhagavatam is recited. With one’s words one can glorify the Bhagavatam and the speakers of the Bhagavatam, and one can repeat the message and narrations of Krishna. And with one’s mind one can feel reverence for and take pleasure in the topics of Krishna, and one can remember the instructions and pastimes of Krishna. Thus one can be fully engaged with one’s body, words, and mind—not that with our body we sit in the krsna-katha but with our mind we are somewhere else, calculating how much money we have in the bank and if we have enough to make the next payments. It is possible that one’s body could be in the krsna-katha but one’s words or mind could be somewhere else. But if we always engage everything (tanu-van-manobhih), our whole being, in krsna-katha, in Krishna consciousness, that is pure devotional service.

And what is the result? Ye prayaso ’jita jito ’py asi tais tri-lokyam. One of Krishna’s names is Ajita, “unconquerable.” Even though Krishna cannot be conquered by any means, He can be conquered by pure devotees who follow this process. That is the conclusion. In other words, they will come to the stage of prema-bhakti, because Krishna is conquered only by prema, the pure love of His devotees.

Srila Sanatana Gosvami explains tanu-van-manobhih (“by body, words, and mind”) in relation to conquering Krishna, who is unconquerable, in three ways. He says that nondevotees can never conquer Krishna. They cannot conquer Him by their physical strength (like Hiranyakasipu), by their verbal expertise, or by their mental power. Despite all their endeavors, the Absolute Truth remains beyond their grasp. But devotees, by engaging fully in devotional service, become perfect in Krishna consciousness, and thus they can conquer Him. Then they can touch His lotus feet with their hands, they can call Him to come with their words, and simply by thinking of Him they can gain His direct audience within their minds.

His Holiness Rtadhvaja Swami told me about a dream he had last night. We have been participating in a japa workshop, and tomorrow will be the last day. In his dream he was chanting Hare Krishna, and Krishna appeared. This is what we say, what our philosophy tells us: nama cintamanih krsnas caitanya-rasa-vigrahah

purnah suddho nitya-mukto ’bhinnatvan nama-naminoh—the name of Krishna and Krishna Himself are the same. So, in his dream he was chanting Hare Krishna and Krishna appeared. And in his dream he thought, “Oh, it’s true!” This is an example of how Krishna can be conquered by one’s words. If we chant Hare Krishna purely, Krishna becomes manifest. He appears. And the pure devotee, the self-realized soul, if he just thinks of Krishna, Krishna appears in his mind—or in person. He remains by the side of His devotee.

Sanatana Gosvami further explains these words in relation to Krishna, that Krishna’s body is conquered because He always remains by the side of His pure devotee, His words are conquered because He always sings the praises of His devotees, and His mind is conquered because He always thinks of His pure devotees. One can completely conquer Krishna by pure devotional service.

In the discussion between Lord Chaitanya and Ramananda Raya, this verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam marks the beginning of pure devotional service. But the discussion goes further. Lord Chaitanya keeps saying, age kaha ara: “Speak more; go further.” Then we come to vaidhi-bhakti and raganuga-bhakti, and then to santa-rasa, dasya-rasa, sakhya-rasa, vatsalya-rasa, and madhurya-rasa. In madhurya-rasa there are many gopis, of whom Srimati Radharani is the foremost. And Srimati Radharani Herself has various developments of ecstatic feelings, culminating in prema-vilasa-vivarta, the height of ecstatic love in separation. When Ramananda Raya came to that point, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu covered his mouth with His hand. He said, “This is the limit of the goal of life. Only by your mercy have I come to understand it.”

At the end of their discussions, Ramananda Raya said to Lord Chaitanya, “At first I saw You as a sannyasi, but now I see You as Syamasundara, the cowherd boy, and now I see You with a golden luster. Please explain the reason.” Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was playing the part of a devotee, and for a devotee to be addressed as Krishna or even considered on the same level as Krishna is anathema. So Chaitanya Mahaprabhu replied, “You are an advanced devotee, and an advanced devotee—a maha-bhagavata—sees Krishna everywhere.”

sthavara-jangama dekhe, na dekhe tara murti
sarvatra haya nija ista-deva-sphurti

“The maha-bhagavata, the advanced devotee, certainly sees everything mobile and immobile, but he does not exactly see their forms. Rather, everywhere he immediately sees manifest the form of the Supreme Lord.” (Cc Madhya 8.274)

Then Mahaprabhu quoted a verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam that describes the maha-bhagavata, that he doesn’t exactly see the forms of the material world but sees Krishna manifest everywhere.

sarva-bhutesu yah pasyed
  bhagavad-bhavam atmanah
bhutani bhagavaty atmany
  esa bhagavatottamah

“A person advanced in devotional service sees within everything the soul of souls, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna. Consequently he always sees the form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead as the cause of all causes and understands that all things are situated in Him.” (SB 11.2.45, quoted as Cc Madhya 8.275)

Ramananda Raya replied, “Please give up these serious talks. Do not try to conceal Your real form. I know who You are.” Then Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, out of His causeless mercy, revealed His combined form of Radha and Krishna (rasaraja and mahabhava). We have a relief on the wall of the temple here that shows Ramananda Raya witnessing Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu manifesting His form as Radha and Krishna. And Ramananda Raya became overwhelmed with transcendental bliss. There are some esoteric explanations of this pastime, in which Chaitanya Mahaprabhu revealed the confidential truth of His identity—sri-krsna-caitanya radha-krsna nahe anya. On occasion He would manifest Himself, but He would always say, “Do not disclose this fact to anyone,” because He was playing the part of a devotee and wanted to maintain His role as a devotee, to fulfill His purpose to show by example how to be a devotee and practice pure devotional service.

Especially in Kali-yuga, people are so fallen and prone to becoming imitation gods or accepting imitation gods that the Lord as Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu hid His identity. As mentioned in Srimad-Bhagavatam, He was a channa-avatara, a “concealed incarnation.”

Srila Prabhupada told the story of a man in Calcutta who could imitate the barking of different types of dogs. He would hold programs in halls and sell tickets, and people would come to hear his demonstrations. Prabhupada remarked that people would pay money to hear the imitation dog but that real dogs were barking in the street yet no one paid them heed. Similarly, the real God—Krishna—is there, but nobody cares. Yet if some imitation God comes, they flock. Get on a plane and go. Jump in a car and go. That is Kali-yuga.

That is why Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s identity as Radha and Krishna was revealed only to certain select devotees such as Ramananda Raya, and it is by their mercy and by the mercy of Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami, who wrote Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, and by the mercy of Srila Prabhupada, who translated and presented it to us in a most appropriate way, through parampara, that we are able to enter into these transcendental mysteries and have the opportunity to realize the most confidential service of Radha and Krishna—by their mercy, following in their footsteps.

[A talk by Giriraj Swami on Sri Ramananda Raya’s disappearance day, May 25, 2008, in Houston]

[God-family meeting at Toronto, Canada]

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