Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion

Volume Three

All Glories to the Divine Master and the Supreme Lord Sri Krsna
Chaitanya

From informal talks by

Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev Gosvami Maharaj

Foreword

srotavyadini rajendra nrnam santi sahasrasah

apasyatam atma-tattvam grhesu grha-medhinam
(Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.1.2)

If we seriously take note of when Srimad-Bhagavatam appeared in

this world, and through whom it appeared, immediately we can see
with our clear vision that were present the speaker, Sukadeva
Goswami, and the hearer, Pariksit Maharaj. The speaker is seen to be
steadfastly situtated in the transcendental plane of super-dedication,
whereas the hearer shows himself to be in this mundane plane, to be
very much confused, and in want.
King Pariksit had very little time left to live. He enquired as to what
process would give him the supreme benefit of life. Sri Sukadeva
Goswami happily received his question, furthermore he declared this
to be the only suitably sufficient question for the conditioned souls as
well as for the real searchers of truth.
Within the jurisdiction of this question many other questions came,
and the answers were revealed from above through our beloved
Divine Master, Om Visnupada Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-
Goswami Maharaj, and mostly those have been recorded by his
compassionate devotees. Now, by good fortune, these recordings are
manifesting in book-form as Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion.
By the mercy of the devotees we have previously received the first,
second, and fourth parts. As bhakti is decorated in Srimad Bhagavad-
gita, similarly we now receive this third part, decorated by the other
parts of the Sermons series.
Srila Guru Maharaj tirelessly and continuously delivered his merciful
lectures to the sincere searchers from all over the world even while he
showed old age and poor health. In this way he presented himself to
all countries, and in due course now we are very happy to see the
published form of these sermons.
It is true that we may not succeed in fully satisfying His Divine Grace
and his Divine Associates, but with our tiny capacity we are whole-
heartedly trying to give satisfaction to his servitos’ servitors’ servitors,
thereby expecting that one day we may receive his causeless mercy for
our transcendental life’s fulfilment. We are fortunate to have even a
small connection with his transcendental service.
Myself, I may be worthless and unqualified, but, seeing my tiny
service capacity, Srila Guru Maharaj has given assistance in the form
of Sripad Mahananda Bhakti Ranjan. I feel very fortunate to receive
this part of Sermons of the Guardian of Devition which has manifest
by his wholehearted energetic devotion and with the assistance of
several Godbrothers. I pay my respectful obeisances to all those who
helped with this publication.
You all know that Srila Guru Maharaj’s glories are infinite and
therefore nobody has the capacity of expression to fully describe
them; but his joyful, beneficial play of transcendental vibration will
not stopp. Furthermore, in an ever-increasingly beautiful form it will
manifest in future and bestow Srila Guru Maharaj’s divine grace
unlimitedly upon the conditioned souls like myself. This is my past,
present, and future, humble prayer to the devotees of Krsna as well as
to the lotus feet of the devotees of my Divine Master.

Humbly,

Swami B.S. Govinda

Sevaite President-Acharyya
Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, Nabadwip

Chapter 1

The Question

yac chrotavyam atho japyam yat karttavyam nrbhih prabho

smarttavyam bhajaniyam va bruhi yad va viparyyayam
(Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.19.38)

King Pariksit asked: "We are exercising our senses in this plane but
what will be most beneficial for us? We are receiving things from
outside to meet the demand of our internal self, but what will be the
best utility of our senses? Which things should we imbibe within
ourselves for our best interest? We are always accepting something
from the environment for the inner interest. Now how should we
utilize our senses, the channel of our knowledge, that they may best
help our inner interest?"

Pariksit Maharaj put his question to Sukadeva, and Sukadeva accepted

saying,

variyan esa te prasnah krto loka-hitam nrpa atmavit-samrnatah

pumsam srotavyadisu yah parah
(Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.1.1)

"Yes it is a real question because two inherent signs of enquiry are

here. Firstly, it is a general question: to find the solution is necessary
for every one of us, and the answer to it will help us all. Secondly,
one who already has proper knowledge of his own self will also accept
this question to be most relevant. So, one sanction comes from the
subjective realm, and another sanction is that it is good for the whole
public. Such questions are real questions of universal interest, the
solution of which will help every one of the enquirers, and not only
with any partial or provincial solution, but with the absolute solution
which will help solve the problem of the whole. It is the question that
should be asked by anyone and everyone in this world. So, yes your
question is bona fide. It will solve not only your problem but it will
give the general solution to the whole problem of the entire world.
This is the question to be solved, the only question. The general
population do not have any perfect knowledge and so do not know
what is what, therefore their enquiry may be faulty. One may
therefore conclude that the public are always wrong. Since the masses
are ignorant their questions may not be the proper ones. The demand
of the majority may be erroneous. It cannot be admitted that vox
populi is vox dei."

So it is necessary that there be intrinsic purity in the question.

Therefore Sukadeva said that those who really understand their own
position will also accept and give their sanction to this question as to
what is our best benefit and how we can utilize our senses to draw
knowledge from the environment so it will help us to the best
advantage. It is passed by the subject-committee of the higher section
who have faultless knowledge. They are infallible and they will give
their sanction that this is a relevant question.

Sukadeva Goswami continued, "So, from two sides, from the upper
and lower, they will accept your question as relevant. I am going to
answer. You try to listen with perfect attention."

srotavyadini rajendra nrnam santi sahasrasah apasyatam atma-

tattvam grhesu grha-medhinam
(Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.1.2)

"Oh King, there is no end of ways by which we can utilize our senses.
There are thousands of engagements by which all the senses are kept
so busy that they find no time for leisure. They are mostly all engaged
in serving those that do not know the true necessity of the real self.
Those who do not know their own want and home are travelling in a
foreign land endlessly working to try to satisfy their curiosity. There is
no proper diagnosis but they are very busy in treatment: that is the
situation to be found in the world. But self-realization, atma-tattvam,
is such an important thing."

One of proper, normal understanding will therefore accept the

necessity of revealed truth. Revealed truth does not rely on the
majority consideration of the abnormal thinkers. Srauta-pantha means
revealed truth, and that must come from the perfect realm: from God
Himself. So here is established the indispensable necessity of the
Srauta-pantha, the method of revelation. It must come from the
perfect realm, from sarvajna, from the quarter of omniscience. We
find that there are thousands of engagements in those that are
unconscious of their own real interest. They are very busy, but very
busy about nothing. What do we see if we look around?

nidraya hriyate naktam vyavayena ca va vayah diva

carthehaya rajan kutumba-bharanena va
(Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.1.3)

"At night we see two things; either sleep or playing with women. And
the the day-time is spent either in search of money or by serving the
relatives."

dehapatya-kalatradisv atma-sainyesv asatsv api tesam

pramatto nidhanam pasyann api na pasyati
(Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.1.4)

"In this world we tend to group with those we can exploit. We are
surrounded by those who supply our sense enjoyment, our sense
pleasure. We are fully engrossed in their interest and only use them
for our own sense pleasure. We are so much engrossed in that sort of
false duty that we have not the leisure to find out about our own death
that is drawing near towards us. Seeing, but not seeing. It is a plain
thing: everyone is going to the jaws of death with the mood, I see but
still I can't see. I don't care to see and so I don't see. And this is the
peculiar position I hold now. The danger, the final danger is
approaching and I am asleep to that. I don't care to take notice of that
greater duty.' What can be more strange than this?"

King Pariksit had only seven days more to live but Sukadeva
Goswami told him: "You say that you have no time, only seven days.
But that does not matter at all. Seven days is time enough, only the
necessity is your particular attention for the solution. Only a moment
is enough. There are so many trees, mountains and hills, they are
living years and years, ages after ages, but to no benefit. So what is
the necessity of such a long life? It is not a question of longevity or a
question of time but what is necessary is the attention to one's own
self: 'What am I and what is mine?' With that sort of attitude our
attention will be drawn to our own real interest. That is the factor, and
not the question of time. There is enough time."

So seven days is enough, but the peculiar necessity is to find out how
our attention can be drawn towards the reality. When that is
discovered, then and there our real interest will be satisfied. And only
by sadhu-sanga, the association of the higher, highly realized souls, is
that possible."

khatvango nama rajarsir jnatveyattam ihayusah muhurttat sarvvam

utsrjya gatavan abhayam harim
(Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.1.13)

In history we find a precedent in Maharaj Khatvanga. He had only one

moment left of his life but he so perfectly engaged himself that he
gave himself for ever to the Lord. Without any reservation he
surrendered to the feet of the Lord and he achieved the desired end.
He achieved Hari. And who is Hari? Abhayam: when we get Him,
then all apprehension, all fear and every undesirable thing will be
vanquished for ever. That is the meaning of 'Hari.' 'Hari' means
saccidananda eternal existence, perfect consciousness and also the
fulfillment of life in ecstatic joy. Maharaj Khatvanga achieved all that
within a moment!

sarvva-dharmman parityajya, mam ekam saranam vraja

(Bhagavad-gita 18.66)

So the problem is, how can we surrender, giving up our mundane

attraction and our ignorance about our own interest? How can we
jump into the Absolute Good - the ocean of our real interest? That is
the problem and our questions should be of such a general character.
Only there is this one question.

It is admitted by all that everyone wants the maximum happiness

whether he be a stone, a tree, or any species up to the demigods, the
rsis and munis: That is the only thing to be aspired for. Then how to
attain it? What and who is the Lord? That is to be discussed and
conceived. What is He? What am I? What is my end? How to reach
the goal? What is the destination and how to reach the destination?
Sambandha, prayojana and abhidheya. Under these three headings the
Vedic Scriptures have discussed the whole problem. Who am I?
Where am I? Then what is my best benefit—the goal—and how to
attain it?

Divine relationship, practice and objective— sambandha, abhidheya

and prayojana—it is all to be discussed under these three headings.

This is the general question. It is the question of everyone. It is not

any partial thing and it has nothing to do with any sectarian or
provincial interests, or anything of the kind. No such things can come
against this campaign of the Gaudiya Math. Mahaprabhu began His
campaign against Maya—misunderstanding—and, to the conscious,
saner section, that is the very thing of general demand in the world.

The standard is not with the insane but it is with the saner section;
they all will welcome the movement that was inaugurated by Swami
Maharaj over the whole globe. And our Guru Maharaj began that
attempt to attack Maya, the illusory energy, and to devastate and
smash it. This is kirttana, this is preaching.

This is Harinama. And Mahaprabhu came here with this: "Don't fly
away, don't run away for fear of Maya, misunderstanding. Ultimately
it is misunderstanding but you want reality, so why should you be
afraid? Your basis is a real on - you are standing on fundamental
reality so you should not be afraid and run to the jungle or to the cave.
Even there, you will also always be afraid that Maya will enter. That
is not being a bold soldier of the sankirttana party fearlessly
wandering through the length and breadth of the world and chanting
about Krsna, about truth. Truth! Take up that missionary work and
Maya won't venture to approach you, for Maya is misunderstanding.
By repeating your Krsna consciousness to others you will generate the
truthful consciousness. With the help of Krsna consciousness you will
be able to do away with everything infectious by spreading and
distributing the disinfecting substances. That will be your duty. Be an
agent of the disinfecting section who are throwing around the
medicine to disinfect the infectious area. Be such an agent and thereby
drive away infection from all around. If you go on in that way then
infection cannot approach you. Because you are distributing
disinfectant all around you, the infection cannot come to attack you,
and at the same time others will also be saved."

There is only one necessity: the necessity to spread Krsna

consciousness. And our object is Prema. Prema means to acquire
more energetic tendency to spread higher and higher levels of Krsna
consciousness. 'Dasa kari' vetana more deha prema-dhana:

Prema will help us more intensely to engage in service—to serve, and

to get the remuneration as Prema. The nature of Prema is that it will
excite us more and more for service. It will move in a circular way:
what we receive as remuneration will be the tendency to produce more
service to the object of our reverence. That is Prema. Prema is not a
separate thing from service, but it will help us more and more towards
service. So it is continuous, it is dynamic. It is not that, "I have
acquired Prema, now I am like a king and shall enjoy it—now there is
no longer any necessity of service." Such a stage will never come,
rather Prema will promote the speed and quality of the service. Love
will actuate us more and more towards the service of the object of our
love. So service will acquire Prema, and Prema will induce us to
serve. That is our object of life.
 Chapter 2

Finer than Matter

We find that certain Scriptures such as the Upanisads give mere

Statements with no rhyme or reason; with no explanation or
certification attached. This is because such knowledge is meant for the
higher level where there is no possibility of any deception. whatever is
said there is taken by the listeners as complete truth. There is no room
for doubt because in that higher civilized plane there is no possibility
of any deception. The Upanisads say: "This means so and so," and the
natural response comes, "Yes, it is so." There is no tarka (reasoning),
and no doubt or anything of the kind because the very plane itself is
such that deception is unknown. So, in the case of the Veda and
Upanisads we are cautioned: acintyah khalu ye bhava na tams tarkena
yojayet. "Don't take your reasoning and doubt into that higher stage. It
is unnecessary there where there is only plain speaking and fair
dealing with no trouble from anyone wanting to deceive another.
Deception and unfair dealings are unknown there." This is the level of
the Vedas and Upanisads where rhyme and reason are unnecessary.
But in a lower stage, the Smrti and Puranas come to give their advice
in another mood. The Puranas are like friends, advising, "Do this and
you will be benefitted." They give examples, "This person acted in
such a way and received a good result; but this other did bad things
and a bad result followed. So, my friend, please leam from this."
Then, the Sruti comes to our help by showing us how to apply these
trulths in our everyday life.

The kavya also approaches us and comes in a very sweet manner like
an affectionate wife to advise: "Do this, it will be very good for you.."
But the Vedas take another approach: acintyah khalu ye bhava nastam
tarkena yojayet. This subject matter does not come within the
jurisdiction of doubt, reasoning and so on. Don't drag all these worthy
things into such a sphere."

In a lecture I gave an example to illustrate this. A mother gives a

sweet to her son, she puts it in his hand but he says, "Oh, it may be
poisoned! I must go to the laboratory and examine it." It is a
deplorable thing and a very low type of civilization where such an
attitude prevails. But in such a plane where affectionate and fair
dealing is unknown, tarka, vicara and yukti (discrimination); doubt,
examination and inspection are all present. But that is really a filthy
life. There is Krsna-smrti and its opposite, deha-smrti.

deha-smrti nahi yara, samsara-kupa kahan tara, taha haite na cahe

uddhara
(Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya 13.142)

One who is unconscious of his material body has no worldly material

connection. We are conscious of our material body and therefore have
come in connection with the atmosphere of the material world. If we
are independent of this material body then we have no connection
with the mortal world. This is the medium between the material world
and the atma, the soul. The mental system makes the first connection,
then comes this body consciousness.

After Sukadeva Goswami finished giving his Bhagavata discourse, in

his conclusion he gave warning to the audience, especially Pariksit
Maharaj, tvam tu rajan marisyeti, pasu-buddhim imam jahi
(Bhagavatam, 12.5.2).

"Oh King, do not think you will die—give up this animal

consciousness. Eliminate it fully from your thought and do not allow
your attention to come down to any material conception.
Remain in your own soul conception. Take your stand firmly there.
Why do you allow yourself to come down to the conception of this
matter: the world, your body and all these things? It is
unnecessary. Don't allow your attention to come down to material
consciousness, you are independent of that. Think of your soul, its
higher achievement and prospect. Your transaction must be all
upwards; stick to that. You, the soul, are independent of these.
Free from matter you can live and move very happily. To think it not
possible to stay without a body is animal consciousness, pasu-buddhi.
What is this! Why do you allow yourself to come into this
consciousness of matter which is mortal? Don't allow yourself to come
down, to have experience of this material world. This is animal
consciousness. You must kill it, butcher it! Tvam turdjan marisyeti,
pasu-buddhim imam jahi. To think, T shall die is animal
consciousness. Just kill it once and for all. At the same time try to soar
up from soul to over-soul, and beyond to the Narayana conception and
onwards to the Krsna conception. Try to live in the connection of
Vraja and the Divine Damsels there who are all serving Krsna.
Consider how they are so recklessly engaged in serving the sweet will
of their Lord. Each one of them is always prepared and is the emblem
of sacrifice."

In Hitler's army there was a suicide squad who were always prepared
for anything and everything. Similarly the Vraja Gopis are ready to
give up everything for the slightest satisfaction of Krsna. They are
prepared to sacrifice at a second's notice not only their whole body but
their entire prospect of everything in their connection. Fully risking
everything, they have this highest standard of preparedness for the
service of Krsna - and that is the highest standard of life. In them we
find sacrifice to the extreme. Sacrifice for the good, sacrifice for the
Absolute Good, the Absolute Beauty, Bliss and Ecstacy. Your abode
will be very near to Him according to your degree and intensity of
sacrificing attitude. This is the close approach. By sacrifice we live.
By enjoying we lose. By serving we thrive and by enjoying we lose.
And the position of renunciation is zero: no loss, no gain - but in
comparison with the positive acquisition it is loss. When there is no
gain then that is a loss. Renunciation, mukti, salvation, mere liberation
- by whatever name it is called - is a loss in comparison with the
positive attainment of a servitor.

Reality is for itself. It is for nothing else than He. We are for Him -
our existence is meant only for Him. Our purpose is to serve Him. He
is the integer. He is existing. He is all in all, and we are all
subservient. So we are to dissolve our body consciousness, this animal
consciousness.

In a dream a man may see that his beheaded body is fallen before him;
but that does not affect his existence or his perception. The soul has a
similar connection with this world. It is not affected. In a dream he
may see that although his body may be pulverized and the earth vanish
from under his feet he remains unaffected. Similarly the soul's
position is independent. It is not dependent on material existence but it
thinks that material things are indispensably necessary to maintain its
existence. But this is wrong and a concoction. To stand on a material
conception is not necessary for the soul. Although that worldly
conception seems to be so very indispensable for our being, it is not
so. We are independent from matter. Even the mental existence is
independent of this gross material existence what to speak of that of
the soul. Soul has nothing to do with this matter which is a foreign,
concocted, dream-like substance. Rather, the material conception is
poison to the soul and is drawing him in the opposite direction from
his real interest.

The Mayavadis and the Buddhists consider that with the dissolution of
the material conception nothing remains. And Sankara says that only
some non-differentiated consciousness remains in which no individual
conception can stand. But the Vaisnavas say, "No, there is a world of
reality made of higher stuff than your soul. Your soul is made of
vulnerable consciousness, but there is a world of invulnerable
consciousness. If you can manage to enter there you will be happy,
and only with the interest of rendering service there can you gain such
entrance to that land. That sort of adaptability is within you. That is
your svarupa, your true nature. The adaptability to the positive life is
inherent within the soul. You are to blossom and bloom and when
full-blown you will reach the Goloka stage."

Wrongly, we have adapted to matter and this has drawn us into the
negative side, therefore we are wandering in different stages. This
fallen condition is not only unnecessary but is injurious to the soul.

Just as by taking water from in front and sending it behind him a

swimmer we can make progress, so also by hearing and chanting, we
can make progress. Sravana-kirttana-jale (Chaitanya charitamrita,
19.152). We are to hear, and what we acquire we are to distribute to
others. A swimmer makes quick progress by passing behind him the
water in his front, similarly, in spiritual terms we are to receive from
the capitalist and deliver that to the customers. Sravana kirttana,
sravana, kirttana... By imbibing and exporting we can make good
progress and the Absolute Capitalist will supply as much as the
customers can receive from Him. This is Mahaprabhu's advice. Yare
dekha, tare kaha 'krsna'-upadesa (Chaitanya charitamrita, Madhya
7.128): "Deliver these goods to anyone and everyone and new light
will come to you which in turn you are to distribute to others. In this
way you will have a dynamic and progressive life and there will be no
shortage of higher backing."

Swami Maharaj invoked assistance from Krsna. He petitioned Him,

"Please come to my help. I have been ordered by Your favourite to do
this duty. Please help me. After finishing this duty I shall again join
Your play in Vrndavana. There we shall play; we shall run, we shall
jump and we shall do anything and everything in a boistrous way
together. But for now I have some duty which is necessary to
discharge and that duty has been ordered by Your most favourite
person. If You help me to carry this out then Your friend, that most
favourite friend, will be pleased with You and so You will get some
advantage thereby!" In this way he made his petition, krsna tava
punya habe bhai, "You will acquire good merit if You help me!"

Krsna supported Govarddhan Hill with the little finger of His left
hand, and afterwards His friends, the cowherd men and boys told Him,
"You did not hold it alone, we also helped You with our sticks! Be
reminded of it. You could not do it alone!" They share the pleasure,
and also they do not care to think about His extraordinary majesty,
power and so forth. They feel, "He is one of us but very beautiful, and
we cannot live without Him. We don't know why it is, but somehow if
He is not in our midst we are all lifeless, and when He comes we
become enlivened like anything." He is their very life and they
consider, "He possesses some peculiar power no doubt, but still He is
one of us."

If they should hear that He is God, then, "No, no, He can't be God, wo
don't admit that. Rather He is our friend. Who says He is God? We
don't care for such grand claims. He is our friend, our very charming
friend."

Mother Yasoda also thinks, "He is my son but some people don't like
that I live in peace, so they say He is God and He is this and He is
that. Why do they say such things? He is my child but they are so
jealous and envious that they do not like that I may stay living
peacefully with my son and husband. They are so envious that they
say He is God and He is so-and-so. No! Simply He is my child, only
they are unable to tolerate that I have such a beautiful child and
therefore they air so many different types of speculation. I don't like
these things and this is all a little ominous for my child. Why should
He go to be a god? Human beings are real!" krsnera yateka khela
sarvottama nara-lila nara-vapu tdhdra svarilpa. Mahaprabhu taught
that the human society is so valuable because Krsna is originally in
this form. This human society is created after His original social style
and therefore it is so important, sarvottama nara-lila, nara-vapu
tahara svarupa.

It is accepted in this world that the human creation is the highest. But
the materialists all think, "We are masters of the fossil world. We
don't have to give any explanation for our activity to anyone. We are
the masters." That is the materialists' scientific standpoint. But
sometimes they are afraid, "If higher cultured people are in sukra-
graha or any other star, should they come here, then we are nowhere.
If in a flying saucer they should come once to attack us with any new
types of weapons then we are nowhere."

But before this they may fight with one another with atom bombs and
destroy everything. Suicidal! This is, after all, the suicidal plane, the
discordant plane where one cannot live without devouring his
environment. That is the law of this land. If you want to live here then
you must devour your environment otherwise you can't survive. So it
is the suicidal plane. One is eating another and only then he can live,
that too is only for the time being. So is this a proper land to live in?

Prasada— that is the highest solution! The principle necessities of any

life here in this world are to preserve and to propagate. Our first
priority is to preserve, and for self-preservation we create havoc in the
environment by exploitation. The first principle of exploitation begins
from the urge for self-preservation, and that means eating. We are to
adjust our dealings with the environment in our most primitive
necessity which we can't avoid in order to keep body and soul
together. So if we can solve this one difficulty, we can almost solve
the whole problem.

Prasada-seva korite hoya, sakala prapanca jaya— Srila

Bhaktivinoda Thakur says that the key to the solution of the whole
problem of this mundane life is in Prasada. The first necessity of life
is eating, and if we can solve that problem, we have solved the whole
thing. Prasada-seva korite hoya, sakala prapanca jaya— the most
important thing is to learn how we should take Prasadam to maintain
ourselves. Our life depends mainly on that.

To live here we cannot but consume, and we cannot but create

devastation in the environment by our eating. If we go to
consume anything, even plants, grasses or seeds, then microscopic
creatures are being killed. So the question is how to get rid of
this reaction? It is said in Srimad Bhagavad-gita (3.9):
yajnarthat karmano 'nyatra, loko 'yam karmma-bandhanah— we shall
get relief from that reaction only if we can successfully connect
everything with the Supreme Satisfaction, with Him whose pleasure
all existence is meant to fulfil. So, in the taking of food, really
we are to be conscious that we are collecting the ingredients for
His satisfaction, and then cooking and offering to Him for His
satisfaction - that should be our real purpose. And then because our
whole life and energy is for serving Him, we need energy and must
take something out of that. But the main point, the real substance
of the transaction will be to collect, cook, and offer to Him
according to His will expressed in the Scriptures. That is the first
step, and only after the foodstuffs have been offered to Him shall
we take anything ourselves. This will help to make us always
conscious of why we are taking. We are taking because we want only
to serve Him. Furthermore, whatever has been accepted by the Lord,
the 'poison,' the bad reaction, will have been absorbed and digested
by Him just as in the case of Mahadeva who drank the poison
generated from the Ocean of Milk.

Krsna is absolute and can digest anything. Not only that, but those
things which have been consumed in His connection also receive
promotion, so actually there is no himsa, violence. What appears to be
himsa is not really so, because those whom are apparently violently
treated actually receive a high promotion through connection with the
Supreme. In addition whoever has been instrumental in fulfilling that
connection will also receive some reward. So the devotee must think,
"What shall I take? I won't take anything from the world, I shall take
only from my Master, as His grace. It is His grace. His free grace to
me— Prasada."

The word Prasada means 'kindness,' 'grace.' The devotee will feel,
"Whatever service I do, I am not expecting anything to be paid to me
in return. It is a free transaction. And whatever I receive is only His
grace. So I shall take Prasada, then I shall be free from all
entanglement of action and reaction even though I am in the midst of
it. Because it is a fact that with every action I must disturb the
environment, then if all my actions are meant for Him, the Supreme
Lord, there will be no bad reaction coming to me, but rather the
opposite reaction will occur and help not only me but those that were
offered also. Through me, through myself as a centre, such waves
will emanate that will help others to progress in their path of
purification."

So, through the godliness in his heart, everyone must be a purifying

agent. God is on the throne of the heart, and from there He will
emanate such. a fine ray which will purify not only that person's heart,
but also the environment. 'Vaisnava' means a purifying agent who
emanates goodness, absolute goodness, everywhere - through his
movements, his words, his actions, everything: deed, thought and
word, kaya, mana, vakya. A Vaisnava is an agent of auspiciousness; te
vaisnavah bhuvanamasu pavitrayanti. There are so many Vaisnavas,
and by their chanting the Holy Name, by all their practices and by
their whole lives, they are like so many purifying agents.

By proper knowledge, proper dealings and proper conduct they set

everything in ifs proper position and create adjustment in the domain
of maladjustment. This world is maladjusted, and the balancing
agents, the unifying factors, are the Vaisnavas. Just as there is a germ,
a virus which spreads a particular contagious disease, so there must be
the opposite of that, something which emanates only a pure and
healthy atmosphere, and that is the Vaisnava.

Chapter 3

Personal Glimpses

Devotee: Please can you tell us how you happened to meet your Srila
Guru Maharaj, Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur?

Srila Guru Maharaj: There is some background to our first meeting.

When I was at school I had some appreciation for the students from
East Bengal because I had heard from one of my cousins about their
sacrifice for their country and so forth. So during my college days I
would take my seat in that hostel where they generally lived. When I
came in the association of the students there I found there to be two
sections. Many were studying medicine. If any patient was admitted or
any other physical duty was required one section would immediately
run to meet those requirements. Another section was inclined to be
engaged in meditation, chanting the Holy Names, doing sandhya
(worship), and so forth but they would hate to attend to any patient or
other such duties.

My own nature was inclined to both kinds of duties, and when I was a
fourth year student I suddenly met a boy from the first year who was
similarly inclined. He would engage himself in meditation, sandhya,
etc. He would take the Name and sing the praises of the Lord, but also
if any patient should be admitted he would forget his class and studies
and attend to him. That attracted me towards him and I tried to gain
his association.
One morning we were going to the jungle to collect twigs in order to
cleanse our teeth when in the course of our talk he said suddenly
about his father. He referred to him as, "That gentleman." I protested
that it was disrespectful to use such a term for his respectable father.
Then he said, "Yes, I should not have mentioned in that way in your
presence, but ultimately it is really so. Where was I in my previous
lives? Only he is a 'gentleman' to me because it is only in this life that
I have come in his house."
Somehow that touched a fine chord in me and I began to think, "Yes it
is right. Nobody can stay here; not the father, the mother, the brothers
or even this house. Everything is temporarily connected and I am
wandering in eternity." That sort of impression came in me in a very,
very intense form, and the whole world became as if it was just
empty - fully empty. At that time that boy anyhow connected me with
the life of Mahaprabhu.

Presently I was given a publication about Sri Chaitanyadeva by the

gentleman who founded the Amrta Bazar Patrika newspaper. Into my
thirsty mind I drank fully the life of Mahaprabhu with much pleasure,
and my attraction was drawn to Him. I also think that from my
previous life there was some attraction. I found that my mother's
family had some connection with Mahaprabhu but my father's family
were anti-Gauranga. They were strictly smartta brahmanas,
worshippers of the Sakti, or Goddess, and logicians of the nyaya
school. But somehow, I had connection with Gaurariga and then I
came to want a good connection with the His devotees. I searched for
such a sadhu to accept as my Gurudeva, but I was not satisfied and in
due course I went to study law in Calcutta. Then, leaving college I
joined with the non-cooperation movement of Gandhi. I joined
temporarily because I considered that my fate was already tied with
Mahaprabhu and therefore could not give anyone my whole life's
energy. After six years the movement allowed me temporary leave.

I was in search of a Gurudeva. The founder of Bharat Seva Asram was

the same age as myself. His name was Paramananda. That boy whom
I had met in college was connected with him and so I also met him,
but he was a karmmi. He tried his best to take me within his fold. I
answered him, "No, my head is already sold to Gaurariga
Mahaprabhu."

He said, "Yes I also recognize Gaurariga Mahaprabhu to be the

highest, but first it is necessary to follow the vairagya, the
indifference and renunciation of Buddha, then the discussion of the
Vedanta of Sankara, and after that the highest is the Prema of Sri
Chaitanyadeva. Without following each step, that Prema would be
misunderstood by the ordinary section."
He explained in that way, and of course I was very much pleased to
hear him giving such position to Mahaprabhu. But I put to him this
question: "You say that first we must pass through the stages given by
Buddha and then Sankara and only then come to Chaitanyadeva, but
Chaitanyadeva did not say, 'If you want to come to Me, come through
Buddha and Sankara and then to Me.' Rather He said, 'Wherever you
are you can take the Name with the company of the sadhu and in that
way you will come to Me.' He did not say, 'First become Buddhist,
then become Sankarite and then you will come to Me.' He did not say
so." He became silent.

I asked him, "If you have some siddhi, you please say where is my
Gurudeva." Then he gave some idea: "Go to that particular
gentleman." By his request I went there but that man was not present.
Then one day I found that there was a placard advertising a one month
festival in the Gaudiya Math at No.l Ultadingi Junction Road near
Poresanath Temple. I went to visit that place thinking that having the
name 'Gaudiya' they must have some connection with Sri
Chaitanyadeva, and I found, "Yes, they are educated men. It is a
gentleman's association and they are well studied in Scripture as well
as being very good practitioners."

In our family of course there was no intoxication and they followed so

many other pure practices, and I found also such conduct there at the
Gaudiya Math. But what attracted me most was their deep knowledge
of the Scriptures. I had done some studying but still I felt myself to be
in a lower position concerning knowledge of the Bhagavad-gita,
Bhagavatam, Sriman Mahaprabhu, etc. Their high regard for the
Scriptures attracted me very much. I began to go there to hear, and
gradually became inspired.

I had some objections in the beginning but I found that what those
devotees gave was correct, and my conception was wrong. In this way
I gained understanding and inspiration by hearing more and more.
Whenever anything was said to them from the Scriptures they would
come to listen very carefully. But if something was said quoting
Aurobindo, Vivekananda, Ramakrsna, Gandhi, etc. it was summarily
rejected, "No, no, we have no time to lose. We have no time to waste
to hear all this." But whenever there was reference to any Scriptures
their reaction was, "Yes, what do you say? Please express it."

What attracted me most was that they had within them such devout
appreciation for the Scriptures and for the risis, as was also in me
perhaps to an overflowing degree. Thereby gradually I discovered the
real meaning of Srimad Bhagavad-gita for which already I had great
appreciation and reverence. I was pleased to find that they are very
much part of this Mission and I learnt amongst other things that Sri
Chaitanyadeva and Sri Caitanya-caritamrta are the highest authority.

I then entered into the Mission. Whatever misunderstandings I had,

gradually cleared. I was converted, so much so that even the senior
men used to ask me, "What Srila Prabhupada has said, please repeat it
for our clarification." And I would repeat, reproducing for them what I
had heard from Srila Prabhupada, and they were satisfied. In this way
I came to such a position that generally the educated section began to
say, "Sridhar Maharaj can represent the things very well."

One respectable gentleman similarly said, "In a very concise form he

can represent the very substance and without any excitement."
There are some who when they say something show signs of
excitement, but in a sober temperament I would try to deliver the
substance using only a few words. I was not very pushing, not
forward, but rather my nature was to hang behind. I would not try to
go ahead and be in the front, but it would be as though I was playing
from behind. That was my nature, keeping myself back, and more
busy for my own realizations as to the meanings of the different slokas
of Srimad-Bhagavatam, Sri Caitanya-caritamrtam, etc. Generally I
would meditate on the meanings of the various slokas. Sometimes also
I would perhaps receive some new illumination and understanding
concerning the meaning of the higher plane. In this way I passed my
days.

I first came across Swami Maharaj a little later in Allahabad when he

was the agent of Kartti Bose of Bengal Chemicals. Then in the
Bombay Math also I had his company for a long time. But the main
association I had with him was in Calcutta after the departure of our
Guru Maharaj. I opened a centre there in the house next to his, which
was also owned by him. Downstairs there was a laboratory and on the
first floor there were four rooms that I took on sublease from him. I
stayed there for some time. He used to come almost every day and we
had discussions about the inner meanings and teachings of Bhagavad-
gita. Briefly we discussed other things also, but mainly our
discussions were based on the Bhagavad-gita. Govinda Maharaj was
there all along. Hari Charan Prabhu was a newcomer then and he also
was there for some time. Govinda Maharaj was very much liked by
Swami Maharaj who often mentioned, "I saw him as my child."

That was how I became connected with the Gaudiya Math and joined
in the Mission.

Devotee: Srila Guru Maharaj, what inspired you to compose the

book Sri-Sri Prapanna-jivanamrtam?

Srila Guru Maharaj: Much later when I left the association of the
disciples of our Srila Prabhupada to live alone, I felt some sort of
helplessness within me. I knew that Sarandgati, surrender, is the
indispensable necessity in the life of a devotee, and felt, "I have left,
or somehow or other I am excluded from the company of
Prabhupada's association. I am helpless, but Sarandgati may come to
my relief." So I especially came to think, "Saranagati is the basis, but
what is Saranagati?"
On reading Bhaktivinoda Thakur's book Saranagati, this point
impressed me most. He wrote,
sad anga saranagati haibe yanhara tanhara prarthana sune sri
nanda-kumara
"If you want Nanda Kumar, you must have this six-fold Saranagati*,"
I wanted to culture that, so at that time after coming to live alone I
recollected all I had imbibed in my Math life, and also consulted about
Sarandgati in Hari-bhakti-vilasa, in Jiva Goswami's Bhakti-
sandarbha, and in the Ramanuja Sampradaya's writings. I then tried
to collect it all together and arrange it in a particular way as I thought
best. In this way I began to write the book Sri-Sri Prapanna-
jivanamrtam that it may also help others who might come in such a
position as mine. That was the real reason.
The six limbs of Saranagati are: i) acceptance of the favourable; ii)
rejection of the unfavourable; iii) full confidence in the Lord's
protection; iv) embracing the Lord's guardianship; v) full self-
surrender; and, vi) surrender in humility.

Devotee: What is the meaning of its title?

Srila Guru Maharaj: The title Sri-Sri Prapanna-jivanamrtam means,

prapannanam, jivane, amrta-svarupam, "The nectar in the life of the
surrendered souls." This was my conception from the beginning -
prapanna-jivanamrta - that those who have come to take this,
to feel it, this will be like nectar to them. To those who have
surrendered, it will be nectar to them, but others, the ordinary people,
may not appreciate it.

It will be the nectar in the life of those who have surrendered, those
who have the real adhikara, the proper qualified standard of faith to
receive it. Srila Jiva Goswami wrote, "Those who have faith in the
Veda, in Srimad-Bhagavatam and such things, they are to read this
book; otherwise, I put a curse, that those who do not have such faith
should not come to read my book." Jiva Goswami has written in such
a way: "You unbelievers won't come to touch my book. You who are
unbelievers, it is not meant for you! It is only for those who have faith
in such things. Others are discarded. You, the ordinary public are
discarded. You must not touch my book because you will
misunderstand it."

This is also a custom of proper behaviour. If one goes to venture to

read such things, at least he must approach with some caution, and not
with the mood of curiosity, "Oh, why does he say this?" for that will
be dangerous. So, adhikari nirnaya— that whoever will come to read
the Veda, if he has not attained the standard, he will misunderstand, or
mutilate it.
Paroksa-vado vedo 'yam, balanam anusasanam (Bhagavatam,
11.3.44). "The Vedic purport is presented in an indirect, veiled manner
in order to instruct undisciplined, childishly foolish persons."
In his Uttara-mimdmsd of the Vedanta-sutra, Vedavyasa has written
athato brahma-jijnasa. Sri Sankaracaryya says that in relation to this
aphorism athato— means anantaram— 'after this.' After what? "After
one has attained Sama, dama, titiksa; all these qualifications. One who
has qualities such as having controlled his senses and his mental
speculations (Sama, dama), having a very tolerant and persevering
spirit (titiksa), and so on, he will come to study this book. After he has
acquired a certain grade in such qualities, he will come to study this. It
is not for the ordinary people who will misunderstand, misinterpret
and mutilate it thus creating trouble in society." So for the benefit of
society Sankaracharyya says that only such persons will come, and
they will gain a clear and proper understanding. They will then preach
that to the public in particular instalments and all will be benefited
thereby.

Ramanuja says, "No, athato does mean that. Athato means, 'after
finishing the purvva-mimamsa of Jaimini.' There is purvva-mimamsa
(primary teaching) and uttara-mimamsa (higher teaching). So, after
one has finished the course of purvva-mimamsa, that is, niskama
varnasrama-dharmma, he will then come to understand the study of
this uttara-mimamsa. When he has finished successfully the
karmmadhikara he will come to enter into jnanadhikara and that will
be beneficial to him." This is Ramanuja's opinion.

And Baladeva Vidyabhusana says, "Whoever he may be, whether a

karmmi or jnani, atha means he must have sat-sanga, sadhu-sanga.
From any position, if he can get the association of a proper sadhu, he
is qualified to study this book and he will understand the real
meaning."

So everywhere there is consideration of adhikar— that is, yogyata, or

'fitness.' He must acquire the standard of qualification, then he will
come to tackle the particular plane, and he must have healthy
association.

Devotee: Our Guru Maharaj, Srila Swami Maharaj Prabhupada, used

to say, athatho means, "now that we have come to the human form of
life," "after coming to the human form of life."
Srila Guru Maharaj: But the human form of life alone is not
sufficient. Sat-sanga, sadhu-sanga, is necessary, sad-guru
caranasraya. Anyone who has received the grace of a sadhu can have
that nectar, whereas, ya'o pada bhagavata vaisnavera sthane, even a
brahmana may not be qualified to enter into the Bhagavatam. Sriman
Mahaprabhu said, "Go to a Vaisnava, from him you will get the real
stand-point of Bhagavatam and how to approach it."

Devananda Pandit, a real brahmana of noted scholarship, was a

'professor' of Bhagavatam. Many people used to come to hear from
him. But although a scholar, his stand-point was that of the Sankara
school. Srivasa Pandit also lived locally but he was an expert in the
real explanations of Bhagavatam.
Mahaprabhu suddenly one day said, "Oh, that Devananda Pandit, he
teaches Bhagavatam to so many students, but he himself does not
know its real purport. He is spreading poison in the name of
Bhagavatam. I shall go and tear up his books!" Inspired one day with
such a spirit Mahaprabhu suddenly ran towards that place, but Srivasa
Pandit, and others perhaps, stopped Him, saying, "No, no, this won't
look good for you."

Anyhow, on another day Mahaprabhu met Devananda Pandit and told

him, "You are teaching Srimad-Bhagavatam to the students, but do
you know what is there in Bhagavatam? You yourself do not know
what nectar is there."
In a very ridiculing way, Mahaprabhu told him:

paripurna kariya ye saba jane khaya tabe bahirddese giya se santosa

paya
(Sri Caitanya bhagavat, Madhya 21.73)

"When one who has eaten and has a full belly goes to the latrine,
while passing stool he feels some relief, but you do not even get that
sort of meagre pleasure! But in Srimad-Bhagavatam there is such high
nectar, such high taste, but you, such a mean fellow with your mean
mind, approach the Bhagavatam and teach it in such a filthy way.
What do you know about Bhagavatam?"
On another occasion, Srivasa Pandit came to hear Bhagavatam from
Devananda's tol, Sanskrit school. While Devananda was pronouncing
the slokas, Srivasa was understanding them in his own way thus
causing many feelings to come in him: sometimes he shed tears and
sometimes he shivered. Devananda Pandit told his students, "Oh, that
man has come to disturb us with ail these lower sentiments. Take him
out!" So, his students took Srivasa Pandit from there and left him
outside; but that enraged Mahaprabhu.

Later on Mahaprabhu's intimate devotee, Vakresvara Pandit, came to

Devananda's house. He came and had a private talk with Devananda,
and Devananda was converted: "Yes, I did not know that such
meanings may be found in Srimad-Bhagavatam. I was influenced by
Sankaracharyya's teaching that Brahman is all-in-all, therefore I
considered these topics of Bhagavatam to be all saguna, all under
Maya." So, when Mahaprabhu after five years of sannyasa came again
to visit this area, Kuliya here in Nabadwip Dham, Devananda fell at
His feet, crying, "I have made such great offences!"
Mahaprabhu said, "Yes, but you have committed offences not so much
against Me as against Srivasa Pandit. Go and beg forgiveness from
him and you will be absolved from your offences."

kuliya-gramete asi' sri-krsna-caitanya hena nahi, ya 're prabhu na

karila dhanya
(Caitanya bhagavat, Antya 3.541)

In this way Capala Gopal and many others who had made so many
bad remarks about 6ri Chaitanyadev's conduct all came there to Him
saying: "We could not understand Your outstanding personality and
superiority, therefore we have unknowingly done much wrong against
You. Please forgive us."
Mahaprabhu forgave them saying, "Oh, no, no, there is nooffence,
everything is alright. Go away peacefully now."
So also, in the case of reading Srimad-Bhagavatam there is this
question of adhikara and sat-sanga. Even a brahmana may not have
the proper position to understand, what to speak of teach, the
Scriptures. Only sadhu-sanga— the association of a good teacher—is
necessary to understand the Sastra.

Ragunatha Bhatta was the son of Tapana Misra and he lived in

Benares. Tapana Misra was a devotee and scholar. When Ragunatha
Bhatta went to visit Mahaprabhu in Puri, Mahaprabhu told him, "Don't
marry but serve your parents, they are Vaisnavas. When they pass
away, go to Vrndavana and live with Rupa and Sanatana. In the
meantime, read Srimad-Bhagavatam under the guidance of a Vaisnava
teacher. From him you will get the real stand-point from which to
approach the subject in order to see what is its theme, what is its end
and so forth. Such a teacher will be able to give you real direction in
your study of all these matters;

ya'o pada bhagavata vaisnavera sthane.

Similarly Baladeva Vidyabhusana comes to say that a person may be

from any position, but if he approaches a proper guide, a Guru, he can
receive the capacity to enter into the meaning of the Scripture.

Devotee: What is the meaning of bhakti-rasa-patra in the following

verse?

eka bhagavata bada - bhagavata-sastra ara

bhagavata - bhakta bhakti-rasa-patra
(Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Adi 1.99)

Srila Guru Maharaj: This verse explains that there are two types of
Bhagavatas: the book Bhagavata and the person Bhagavata. Bhakti-
rasa-patra means the sadhu, one who is living the life of a Bhagavata.
Bhagavata-rasa-patra— means 'one containing divine rasam
pertaining to Bhagavan.' Living Scripture is Bhagavata and the
Vaisnava is Bhagavata. The Srimad Bhagavata is the Scripture, and
the person Bhagavata is also the Scripture.

Devotee: What is the specific meaning of bhakti-rasa-patra?

Srila Guru Maharaj: Bhakti-rasa-patra means a person who is 'filled

up,' or a pot which is filled up with rasa—raso vai sah. He is full of
anandam. Patra means 'person' as well as 'pot'. There are two
meanings of the word patra: it means both a 'pot, glass, container,' and
'the person who is also a 'container'.'

So, in the title of my book, amrtam means— prapanna-jivanamrtam,

or prapannanam jivane amrta-svarupam: for those who are
surrendered, it is the nectar in their lives. It is the nectar in the soul's
surrender. It will sustain the surrendered souls like amrtam, nectar,
and they will live by taking that; it is their food and will give them
sustenance.

Devotee: We would like to hear from you, Srila Guru Maharaj, how
Nityananda Prabhu asked you to come here to Nabadwip and start
giving initiations.

Srila Guru Maharaj: Sometime after the departure of Srila Bhakti

Siddhanta Saraswati Prabhupada I was asked by some leading
members to take the position of Acaryya; but from the beginning I had
within me no impression or inspiration to do so. However when I
came to stay alone there was always some sort of hesitation in me that
my Guru Maharaj did not like nirjjana-bhajana, the separate
practising life. He liked that devotees would associate together and
engage in kirttana. But if I live in an association it would mean there
must be preaching and many newcomers will join, but who will give
them initiation? They asked me to take the charge of initiating but I
did not feel any inner inspiration to do so. I did not feel any urge for
that, but I was anyway passing my time in the cultivation of Krsna
consciousness.

Before I went to Vrndavana I had in mind that I would not stay there. I
felt that Vrndavana is for the higher devotees but I am of lower order.
The fallen should take shelter under Mahaprabhu at aparadha-
bhanjan-pat (the place where all offences are forgiven) in Nabadwip,
so it was a foregone conclusion to me that I would take my shelter in
Nabadwip, and not Vrndavana.

By the grace of Nityananda Prabhu we can receive the grace of

Mahaprabhu. There is no other alternative for us, the fallen souls,
especially the beginners. Heno nitai bine bhai, radhd-krsna paite
nai— by the grace of Nityananda we shall receive the grace of
Gauranga and by the grace of Gauranga we shall receive the grace of
Radha-Govinda. That is the general way—the grand trunk road that
was even foretold by Lord Brahma: krsna bhakta haya yadi balavana,
bidhira kalama kathi kore khan khan— "If a devotee of Sri Krsna is
very powerful, he can easily cut into pieces that which is written down
as his destiny."

Then when I came from Vrndavana to take my permanent residence

here at this aparadha-bhanjan-path, Koladwip, I thought, "I am going
to take my shelter in Nabadwip Dham permanently. But Dhamesvara,
the Master of the Dham, is Nityananda Prabhu, therefore before going
to Mahaprabhu's birthplace I must visit Nityananda Prabhu's
birthplace at Ekachakra and beg His permission. If He is propitiated
then I may live in Nabadwip Dham safely, otherwise it will be
impossible." So before I came here I went straight to Nityananda
Prabhu's birthplace and made my prostrate obeisances with the prayer,
"You are patita-pavann, saviour of the fallen, and I crave Your mercy.
Please grant me permission to stay permanently at Koladwip in
Nabadwip Dham, that I may have my shelter there." At that time I had
already chosen this place at Gupta Govarddhana.

Whenever I fell flat with that prayer, at once some urge came in my
mind, "You are praying for the grace of Nityananda Prabhu as patita-
pavana but you are apathetic to patita, the fallen, so how can you
hope to have His sympathy?" This suddenly came in my mind.
"Nityananda Prabhu is patita-pavana but I do not like to extend my
helping hand to others, so how can I expect His grace and mercy?"
That sort of strong reflection came in me and anyhow I put forward
my position to Him and came here. Also our Srila Prabhupada's nature
was always pressing on my mind: he was always against nirjjana-
bhajana but I was going to do that very thing.

Anyhow, I came here and for two rupees per month I rented a room
nearby and stayed there. During the day-time I read the Sastra and
from evening I used to take the Holy Name, and after finishing the
chanting of one lakh (100,000) Names I would go to bed.
I took Giridhari with me from Vrndavana and kept Him on a small
throne in the room. I would cook something just once in a day, offer to
Giridhari and then take some Prasadam. In the evening I would also
take a little Prasadam, and in this way I passed my days. Unknown to
anyone I came to this place but gradually my Godbrothers searched
for me, and finding me, they began to come now and then. Some
began to stay and did not want to leave.

At that time when going through the books of Jiva Goswami I found
he had written that those who have money but do not spend it for the
Lord, they commit vitta-sathya. Similarly those who have some
knowledge and experience about bhakti, about Krsna and the
devotees, but do not like to help others, they commit jnana-sathya. At
the same time I had in my memory from my early days a story from
the Puranas where it is mentioned that a particular brahmana was a
big scholar but he gave no education or help to anyone. As a result, in
his next life he received the body of a mango tree which bore many
beautiful fruits, but not even a single bird would touch them. Then one
day Anantadeva noticed the tree while on his way to see God. When
he enquired about it, the Lord replied, "He was a great pandit but he
did not instruct or give his share of learning to anybody. He was so
miserly in his scholarship that in his next birth he was put in such a
position as this tree."

Another thing also came to my mind, that a doctor is not omniscient,

but should he not try his best to cure a patient? As much as he has
capacity he must try to help, otherwise the world will be at a stand-
still. It is not that everyone will say, "Only if I have complete and full
knowledge will I approach to help another," for that is not possible in
this world. Everyone has some relative position. With this also coming
to my mind I began in a mild way to help. I decided not to engage on a
broader scale to would try to educate him in this spiritual line in the
minimum way, or to initiate. With this spirit I took my position here
remembering the inspiration from patita-pavana Nityananda Prabhu
that came to me: "You must try your best to help those that in your
consideration are fallen."
I was not fully reluctant, but I was not making any big attempt
because it is mentioned also in the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu that it is
prohibited to make so many temples and so many programmes on a
big scale:

bahu-grantha kalabhyasa vyakhyavada-vivarjanam vyava

hareha pyakarpanyam sokadyavasavartita
(Sri Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhuh Madhya, 2.79.76)

When our Guru Maharaj was delivering lectures from Bhakti-

rasamrta-sindhu on the 64 kinds of devotion, I noted, "Establishing
temples and programmes on a large scale is prohibited there, but our
Srila Guru Maharaj is doing that very thing. On a big scale he is
making propaganda and money, and he is spending also in great
quantities to construct the temples and other things. In Bhakti-
rasamrta-sindhu Rupa Goswami has prohibited this but yet our Guru
Maharaj has undertaken all these things. What will he say when this
point comes up for discussion?"

Then I found that in one or two words he explained the whole thing.
He said, "It is a question of personal capacity. One man may manage
an empire and may still find time for leisure whereas another man is
barely able to manage his family and cannot find any leisure-time." So
it depends on the capacity of the individual whether something will be
considered great or small. It is a question of personal capacity, and
according to our capacity we must try our best.

Chapter 4

Affectionate Krsna

Some poets can describe very beautifully anything they touch; that is
called kavi. Someone may be a renowned kavi, but that does not mean
he is an Acharyya. His life may be a filthy one, and what we receive
from him is not acceptable. Professor Nisikanta Sanyal, the author of
Sri Krsna Chaitanya, was a very strong and almost 'blind' follower of
our Srila Guru Maharaj. After coming to this line of Gaudiya Math he
noted in his diary, "One who does not sincerely believe in a particular
creed, but goes to write about and eulogize that line of thought, is a
hypocrite. We must be very careful about this: to see if a man does not
actually believe what he himself says. If the man and his word are
different we must not believe him, rather we should be very careful in
his association. He does not believe in what he is saying. He himself
does not believe it, so he is just a hypocrite who is double-dealing!"
This was found in Nisikanta Sanyal's diary.

Once a doctor came to give me treatment when I was ill. He said,

"You have come this far in your life and have passed so many days
wearing your red cloth, what have you achieved?" He wanted to
know: "You are passing so many days as a red-clad man, but have you
got anything?"
I said, "Yes; and I think I have enough as to say with boldness that
what is written by so many big poets who don't have the conviction
given in their own writings is all false! They may hold the highest
position in the 'culture' of the present day, but what they are giving is
all wrong and filthy. This much I have understood!"

One of my friends from my previous life also came to see me and put
to me a straight question. He asked, "What have you got, have you
seen God?" I answered, "No, I have not yet seen Him as you may
think He is to be 'seen'."
Then he asked, "What have you got, that for so long you have lived
such a life?" Then I told him, "The great famous kavis of our land,
they had nothing, and what they said is all false, this much I have
understood!" He was very much depressed and went away. This kind
of 'sight,' when they said that "this is God," and "I have seen God," is
all false and empty. It is all saguna: it is within Maya.

There is another important example that comes to mind. I had been in

the Mission perhaps only a year or so. At that time the Calcutta Math
was in a hired house at Ultadingi, and on the Day of Appearance of
Bhaktivinoda Thakur there was a festival. A pandal had been erected
in the street, and meetings were going on there. One respectable
zamindar was invited by our Godbrother, Goswami Maharaj, and he
asked Prabhupada, "I want to have a very private talk with you."
It was on a dark night, and a meeting was arranged. Two chairs were
placed together. Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Prabhupada came
there and that gentleman sat close to him. I was thinking that
Prabhupada should not be left alone, and so managed to take a
position a little distance away in the darkness. I was also very curious:
"What does he have to say?" Then that man, very close to our Guru
Maharaj's ear, whispered, "Have you seen God?"
Srila Prabhupada's answer was, "What is the good of saying that, 'I
have seen,' or, 'I have not seen'? As long as you don't know how to see
or know what is necessary to see God, you cannot get any benefit by
my mere statement that, 'I have seen,' or, 1have not seen.' You are
blind to both things. The first thing is that you should learn how to see
God. You must get that sort of 'eye' to see God. Without that, any man
may say, 'I have seen'—but what is that to you? You may be
deceived! If I say, 'No, I have not seen your 'God'—what you have
concocted within you as God—that will also just misguide you."

As Prabhupada tried to say this the zamindar repeatedly asked, "Have

you seen, have you seen?" But Prabhupada firmly stuck to his own
point: "That will be of no good to you. You should know what is God,
how to see Him, and what is His nature; all of this you must study
yourself, otherwise you will be deceived by anyone and everyone. A
mere statement has no value." Such was the meeting I witnessed there.

On another occasion our Madhav Maharaj, who was first named

Hayagriva Brahmachari, went with his cousin-brother, Narayana
Mukharji, to visit Katwa in order to see Mahaprabhu's Sri-Murtti.
From there they came to see Mayapur and then to Srila Prabhupada.
Prabhupada saw the two young men of fair complexion approaching
him, and asked, "Where have you been?" Hayagriva answered, "We
went to Katwa to have darsana of Mahaprabhu's Sri Vigraha there."
I heard from Madhav Maharaj himself that Prabhupada pressed him:
"Did you see? Could you see Mahaprabhu?" They said, "Yes,
ordinarily we have seen." But the way he put his question and
pressed, "Have you had darsana?" raised some question within their
minds, "Oh, he means something else. Real sight" They then reflected,
"Yes, we have seen what ordinary men see. But that is not proper
seeing. If we want to see Him, then we have to get such an eye by
going to Guru."

om ajnana timirandhasya jnananjana-salakaya caksur

unmilitam yena tasmai sri gurave namah

"I was blind in the darkness of ignorance but my Spiritual Master

applied the ointment of proper spiritual knowledge and thus opened
my eyes. Unto him I offer my respectful obeisances." All these things
came in Prabhupada's teaching.

Hayagriva Prabhu, who was previously Herambo Banarjee, related

that he had been working in a private European company when
suddenly by reading a book of Sankaracharyya he felt some intense
indifference to worldly life. He then ran away to Hardvara and went
far up into the hills where he stayed for three days and three nights
under a tree, only eating some bael fruit. Then, as he told me, "I heard
a sound: 'Leave here now, you will find a real Guru, a sad-Guru. You
will find him, so now you leave.'" He came back down, and
consequently to the Gaudiya Mission. That was Herambo Banerjee,
who was later called Ganesa, then Hayagriva Brahmachari, and finally
Madhav Maharaj.

So the question is, "How to see?" The proper eye is necessary and that
is called divya-darsana. In Srimad Bhagavad-gita, Krsna says to
Arjjuna:

na tu mam sakyase drastum, anenaiva sva-caksusa divyam dadami te

caksuh, pasya me yogam aisvaram
(Srimad Bhagavad-gita 11.8)

"By these present eyes of yours you will not be able to see Me.
Therefore I give you supernatural eyes by which you can see My
almighty, mystic power." But here we find another extraordinary
consideration: Arjjuna already had the capacity of higher vision (to
see the Lord in His two-handed human-like original form), so here the
divya-darsana that was given to Arjjuna in order to see that Universal
Form of the Lord meant he was to come down to a lower level. He had
to actually come down to have that kind of darsana of the Lord, which
was not the highest. Then, when Arjjuna could not tolerate that divya-
darsana, he said, "I cannot bear it. You please come to my level, as I
had experience of You before." Then the Lord became first catur-
bhuja (four-armed form of Narayana) and then dvi-bhuja (two-armed
human-like form of Krsna), and Arjjuna said,

drstvedam manusam rupam, tava saumyam janarddana

(Srimad Bhagavad-gita 11.51)

"O Sri Krsna, seeing this charming two-armed, human-featured form

of Yours, now my heart has become fulfilled and pacified. Now I have
come to my normal position."

Then the Lord said:

sudurdarsam idam rupam, drstavan asi yan mama deva apy asya
rupasya, nityam darsana-kanksinah
(Srimad Bhagavad-gita 11.52)

"Oh Arjjuna, the chance to see Me as you are now seeing Me before
you is very, very rarely attained. Even the gods constantly aspire for a
glimpse of this human-like form of truth, consciousness and beauty."

Generally it may be thought that the divya-darsana, the vision of the

Universal Form, is what is very rarely to be found. But by the specific
use of the words drstavan asi, in the present tense, and not drstavan
which is past tense, our interpreters say that here what is being
referred to is the human-like form. The Lord is saying, deva apy asya
rupasya, nityam darsana-kanksinah, "At present, how you are seeing
Me, that is in My two-handed figure. But the public can't understand,
they generally look to My catur-bhuja-rupa, four handed form. Or
they look to My divya-rupa, which contains the whole cosmic
manifestation within, as the highest; but that is a troublesome form of
Myself. It is not natural, but it is like My playing the part of a
magician: 'Everything is in Me! See this, and this and now this!' That
is not aprakrta but it is full of majesty of different types mixed
together."
But the aprakrta-rupa is dvi-bhuja, the two-handed form. Krsna told
Arjjuna:

sudurdarsam idam rupam, drstavan asi yan mama deva apy asya
rupasya, nityam darsana-kanksinah
(Srimad Bhagavad-gita 11.52)

"This saccidananda two-armed human-like form of mine which you

are seeing is very, very rarely seen. Even the demigods constantly
aspire for a glimpse of this form."

Of all the Lord's Pastimes, the highest is very near to that of human
type— aprakrta. It is like human life. Rather, human life has been
fashioned after His highest form of Playful Life. The model is there in
the original, highest form of life, and human society has been
fashioned after that.

In the Bible also it is said, "God made man after His own image." And
the Vrndavana-lila appears most human-like and ordinary, even to the
extent where the Lord acts like a rogue and a debauchee by stealing,
lying and doing anything and everything— all in the sweetest way.
Without it being so arranged, those who serve the Lord in particular
rasas cannot maintain their positions. Perhaps if He did not steal and
make such boisterousness. Mother Yasoda would die! So such roguery
and impertinence is there. Though externally Yasoda is angry, still her
very constitution is such that if that impertinence were absent she
could not live! An important part of vatsalya-rasa is the essential
pleasure in tolerating the impertinence of the child.

Krsna is always aprakrta. Prakrta means 'mundane' and aprakrta

means similar in appearance to the mundane plane but in fact just the
opposite. He appears to be similar to the patient but it is not so.

krsnera yateka khela sarvottama nara-lila nara-vapu tahara svarupa

gopa-vesa venukara nava-kisora natavara nara-lila haya anurupa
krsnera madhura-rupa suna sanatana
ye rupera eka kana dubaya saba tribhuvana sarvva-prani kare
akarsana
(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrta, Madhya 21.101,102)

"The most supreme form of Godhead is Krsna, who plays in His

eternal Divine Pastimes just like a human being. An ever-youthful
cowherd boy of Vrndavana, He enacts His Pastimes, always playing
His flute. His beauty is so charming and sweet that the whole universe
is flooded by an atom of it, and all beings are drawn irresistibly to
Him."

It has been mentioned in the Scripture that amongst all the Lord's
Pastimes the human-like Pastimes are the best. His human-like
behaviour has been considered to be the highest and most tasteful
conception. The highest type is not the godly, grave and majestic,
rather the simplicity of His apparently ordinary human-like behaviour
has been considered to be the best of all and the most original.
Grandeur, majesty, and awe and reverence are not liked by the
devotees of higher type. These qualities imply a very distant
relationship whereas the human-like relationship is very intensely
intimate and close, as if equal with us; and that has been said to be the
highest mercy. When He shows such merciful Pastimes, that really is
His highest position. There He appears as though of the same rank as
His servitors and He is so merciful, so loving, and so affectionate.
Sometimes Mother Yasoda whips Him and He weeps, and sometimes
He carries His father's shoes upon His head, and sometimes His
friends climb on His shoulders. Through this affection He in many
ways shows Himself to be very homely; so very homely. His
magnanimity, love and affection is of such a high degree that He
becomes so homely.

The 'aprakrta realm' must be the origin of everything. It cannot but be

so. Here in India we have our Vedic culture and tradition, but the
present-day pandits— the European scholars—say, "No, the first
origin of civilization was from Asia Minor, or Babylon, or some other
quarter." The empirical scholars are of a particular opinion, but we do
not accede to that. If we can accept that the aprakrta realm is the
origin of everything, then whatever is there, although appearing
simple and plain, contains within it all the grandeur of Vaikuntha. In
Sri Caitanya-caritamrtam there is a description of the discussion
between Svarupa Damodara Goswami and Srivasa Pandit on Hera-
pancami day. Srivasa Thakur was an incarnation of Narada Muni. In
order that the truth be known to the public so others may understand,
he pleaded on behalf of the opposition party. He spoke in favour of the
supremacy Vaikuntha, with all its grandeur and splendour. In response
Svarupa Damodara said, "It is not actually so, but, Srivasa, you, being
in the mood and temperament of Narada Muni, can appreciate more
about the majesty and grandeur of Vaikuntha. Don't you know, can't
you remember that although the ratnam, the jewels etc., are all in
Vrndavana in a suppressed way, the residents there do not like such
things."

Those who are poor adore gold and jewels whereas those who have
enough of such riches prefer flowers, trees, and all such natural,
simple things. Similarly, the grandeur of Vaikuntha is suppressed in
the aprakrta world where there are kalpa-vrksas— desire-fulfilling
trees—and where everything is made of cintamani, touchstone.
Anything can produce anything there in that original place! So. once
we admit that to be the original position, by deduction we will see that
everything, however gorgeous and dignified must all come from there.
And that is the acme. By analysis and logic we must regulate our
thoughts in that direction.

Chapter 5

Priority Service

Generally every movement coming from Krsna's plane originates from

the central will to satisfy Him. The whole Svarupa-sakti cannot be
taken under any law; it is sweet will. Yogamaya, or Svarupa-sakti,
gives the inspiration for one to be captured by the higher inner
potency of Goloka and Vaikuntha, and in that way to become utilized
for the purpose of the Centre. In this mundane plane inspiration draws
us towards different stages of enjoying spirit. That vibration comes
from innumerable local centres of local interest. Also in the attraction
to the Centre there are many stages, but that vibration is from the
Narayana Centre, the Rama Centre, the Krsna Centre—all in
consonance with the main Centre. In Vaikuntha there are different
types of rasa and inspiration than in Goloka, and the residents act
accordingly. There are also different specific centres of interest,
dasya, sakhya, vatsalya, and madhura, but all are for the satisfaction
of the Absolute.

In this mundane plane we also find different centres but almost all are
meant for local interest. All the different vibrations come to clash for
different interests which are, on the whole, all of separate enjoyment.
This is found in the material plane all the way up to Satyaloka,
heaven. Above that are Viraja and Brahmaloka from where no
traceable vibration originates. Then again from Sivaloka onwards
some vibration originates, but that is of service. That vibration is of
different stages, but all are of Centre-carrying interest.

Here in this mundane universe those who come from the higher region
always try to connect with the Centre. Some are able to escape from
local interest and realize such a position. Although they may not be
cent-per-cent converted, they may sometimes be used as agents of that
world according to the wish of that higher plane. As much as they are
inclined towards that central interest, they are utilized by the higher
office.

Devotee: So one might be inspired from the higher plane to describe

Krsna consciousness according to time and place?

Srila Guru Maharaj: It may be so. If he is so qualified, reliable and

pure that he can catch and transmit the will from above, he may be
selected as an agent to reveal the truth of that land.

Devotee: But it is a rare thing?

Srila Guru Maharaj: Rare, of course. When Mahaprabhu was in

Puri, He utilized one of His devotees, Nrsimhananda, as the mediator.
It is mentioned in Sri Caitanya-caritamrta that Nrsimhananda while
here in Nabadwip would lose his senses and, being inspired by
Mahaprabhu, would talk here about Him. Nrsimhananda would
receive inspiration as though hypnotized from afar. A hypnotist can
normally only hypnotize within the range of his senses, but it may
sometimes be possible also that from afar one can inspire, hypnotize
and engage another as a medium. It is mentioned that Mahaprabhu did
just that to Nrsimhananda Brahmachari who was able to tell what
Mahaprabhu was doing. He also foretold Mahaprabhu's imminent
arrival in Nabadwip as well as many other things. It was all true and
verified in due course of time. Such things are possible.

In this modern age it is possible to communicate over long distances

physically by means of radios, telephones, etc., but in earlier days this
was done mentally. Mental and psychic powers previously were more
developed by the yogis and devotees. Now physically such
transmission is being achieved by scientific knowledge and it is
generally easy for people at large to believe. But in previous days such
communication was psychic, so ordinary people could not know how
it was being done. We also tend to think it is impossible even though
now it is physically possible by telephone to talk with others in
America and London. Such modern communication is also a miracle.
Previously the development was such that the yogis who may not even
be devotees or connected in their practice with God, were able to
develop such psychic powers that they were able to communicate on
the mental plane.

It has also been recognized in the writings of the Western

philosophers that it is quite possible and believable that Indian yogis
can cure diseases from a distant place. In those writings the opinion
has been given that by creating a magnetic force a disease may be
cured, and also it has been considered that previously some Indian
yogis may have had the mental power to do so. And all the big Indian
yogis themselves say, and stand as proof, that so many wonderful
things can be achieved only by improving psychic powers. They used
to communicate with even the demigods. They were also able to go to
the demigods, but only mentally, and similarly the demigods would
come here. That transaction was not imaginary but was reliable and
scientific.

Devotee: There is a great interest in the West in this subtle science of

parapsychology.
Srila Guru Maharaj: Yes. Several years ago some Russians came
here to enquire amongst the Indian yogis: "How can we understand or
read things that are far away such as on the moon, sun, mars, jupiter
etc.?" They had heard that the ancient yogis of India could do such
things.

The speed of the mind is considered to be most rapid, faster even than
electricity or light. This appealed to the Russians who wanted to know
whether any yogis were available who could help fulfil their material
purpose: "We have sent a rocket towards Jupiter and wish to know
whether by mental energy it is possible to receive information from
there very quickly."

In India there is recognition that only the mind, and no other material
thing, can be quicker than the velocity of light or the electron.
Manogati, mind can hear. Despite the great distance, a far off place
can be remembered within a second. The mind is the quickest
conveyance, the quickest medium. So those Russian gentlemen came
here with the enquiry: "We have come with some material object, to
see if we can utilize the speed of mind in the case of scientific
research." But finally they said, "No, we could not do it. We failed. It
appears that we are unable now to meet a man with such capacity here
in India."

Once I was delivering a lecture to an assembly of advocates. They put

a question to me, "How is it that a few years ago we had higher
connection with the demigods and Satyaloka but now we seem to have
become disconnected? No god comes here although only a few years
ago such things took place. Devarsi Narada and so many gods no
longer come here, and we cannot go to them. Even in the time of the
Mahabharata, gods used to freely come here, and Arjjuna and others
used to go there to heaven. How has this come about?"

In reply I explained: "The psychic powers were very much improved

at that time. The power to communicate subtlely was very developed
scientifically, but now we have lost that capacity."
I gave an example. Consider the present situation: the scientific
civilization has created so many wonders such as aeroplanes, buses
and rockets, but the whole world is afraid of atomic war, and if that
should happen then everything may be ruined. The whole present
civilization would be destroyed, but some books may be scattered here
and there. In those books there is much mentioned about the present-
day scientific advancement, so the later generations will read that
there used to be aeroplanes, buses and so many things. But after the
nuclear war those future generations of crippled persons will not be
able to understand that such things really existed. They will consider,
"What is written in these books is all false, all imagination." They will
say that the scientific improvements were all imagination. Without
any aeroplanes, rockets, etc. having remained, they will think, "All is
bogus!"

Our present situation is similar: the extensive development of the

mental powers that was cultured in earlier days is now no more. We
have deviated from that previous position, so even if Devarsi Narada
would come, we would not be able to see him. If Devarsi Narada
comes here he will not come with a physical body but with his astral
body. Our minds are not sufficiently developed to be able to detect
that, but if they were, we would be able to see:

"Oh! Devarsi Narada has come." The impression in the mind's eye
would be able to detect when such as Devarsi, Vyasadeva,
Mahaprabhu or Nityananda Prabhu would come here. But that
capacity has been blocked in the present age, rather this is the age
where with a microscope we can scrutinize an insect or see a virus.
This is the age now!

Devotee: Many years ago when Srila Swami Maharaj was in the
West, a lecture programme was arranged but hardly anyone attended.
The devotees apologized but Srila Swami Maharaj said, "Well, Narada
Muni, Lord Brahma and many others came—I could detect that, but
you were unable to see."

Srila Guru Maharaj: Just as when Sukadeva delivered Srimad-

Bhagavatam, his Gurus—Narada, Vyasadeva, Atri, Vasistha and
others—all came there, similarly Srila Swami Maharaj went to the
West with so much earnestness to preach the doctrine of Love Divine,
so his Gurus went there to see how He was getting on. It is not
impossible.

naham vasami vaikunthe, yoginam hrdayesu va mad baktah yatra

gayanti, tatra tisthami narada

The Lord Himself says, "O, Narada, wherever My devotees sing my

praises I cannot but be present there."

"Naham vasami vaikunthe— I do not live in the transcendental plane;

yoginam hrdayesu va— nor in the heart of a yogi; mad bhaktah yatra
gayanti— but wherever My devotees sing with most earnest heart;
tatra tisthami— I present Myself there. I take My seat and hear their
hearty song. Their singing and chanting carries Me from the heart of
the yogi and even from the throne of My Vaikuntha. I run towards the
place where the devotees chant with hearty devotion about Me: that is
what really attracts Me most." Narayana Himself says this, therefore it
is so that Narayana and His higher devotees come to attend such
assemblies.

Devotee: Can mental powers still be developed or is it no longer

possible due to the influence of kali-yuga, the age of quarrel?

Srila Guru Maharaj: It may be possible but devotees do not like to

waste their time in such affairs—they have no time to lose. They do
not care to cultivate any form of mystic yoga, rather their
concentration is on service.

There is a story about a devotee who was very busily engaged and
absorbed in the service of his Gurudeva. By his service he satisfied the
Lord who came in disguise and said, "Dear devotee, I am satisfied
with your services. Come, I shall take you to Vaikuntha."

The devotee replied, "No, no. I have no time. My Guru Maharaj has
entrusted me with this service, so I must attend to it. I have no time to
go to Vaikuntha with You." He had such attention towards his service
that he could not find time even to attend to the call to go to
Vaikuntha.

We are to concentrate on our duty given by Gurudeva, and shall have

no time to spare to go to Vaikuntha to fulfil our curiosity. Such sort of
exclusive attention is laudable and necessary for the devotee. If the
master says to his servant, "You have laboured a long time, now you
are tired. Come and take your food." The dutiful servant may reply,
"No, no, my Master, I have no time. I must finish this and then I shall
go to take food." Such dealings are not impossible. Similarly a faithful
worker on being called by his master to stop work and take rest may
reply, "No, no I have no time to take rest now." I shall finish this, then
I shall take rest." This is responsibility in service.

Another example is found in the service of Mother Yasoda. She was

boiling milk for young Krsna, Gopal. He was engaged in sucking
Mother Yasoda's breast while nearby some milk was being heated in a
pot. Suddenly the milk came to the boil and overflowed into the fire.
Immediately Yasoda forcibly took Gopal from her lap and went to
take care of the milk.

Naturally, Krsna became dissatisfied to be snatched away from His

Mother's breast. So it may apparently seem that Mother Yasoda
committing an error: that she interrupted Krsna's immediate
satisfaction of sucking her breast by forcibly putting him to one side to
go to save the overflowing milk, which may or may not be going to be
directly utilized for Him. But this is an extreme example to show how
much care and attention must be paid to save and protect the materials
to be used in the service of Krsna—even if that should make Him
dissatisfied for the time being.

Everything is meant for Krsna, so we must preserve and take care of

everything. "For the time being Krsna may be a little dissatisfied, but
what does it matter? I need to look after His service materials." That
should be our tendency and it is a very fine, very subtle thing to detect
and understand. What is the underlying tendency? We must have the
mood that everything belongs to Krsna, and at the cost of the present,
the future must be kept up: "At present we may suffer, but we must
still store for our future." When this sort of tendency is in the interest
of Krsna, it is to be appreciated. So we are to engage in jnana-sunya-
bhakti— service with no mood of curiosity. It is not that we shall want
to be a big word-juggler, yogi, jnani. or any type of 'big' person. But
we shall feel satisfied if we have the chance to lead even a half-
educated forest life, but as humble servants of the Gopis. Such
humility, and not grandeur, satisfies Krsna most. Grandeur may be
adored in Vaikuntha, but it is ignored in Vrndavana Dham. The
Vrndavana Pastimes are simple, plain and ordinary: neither high nor
low—but a golden average. The degree of meanness can be infinite.
The degree of nobleness and grandness can also be infinite. But the
middle point, we may say, is the golden mean. Love is there. Love
does not want to see into the future, but only the present—the
concentrated present. Love. For love we may risk the whole future and
may not care at all about the past. "Act. Act in the living present."
Grandness and reverence are not very suitable for love. We are to
think that a plain life is the highest position for the transaction of love
whereas grandeur disturbs us in our transaction of true love.

Chapter 6

Humility in Service

Devotee: Does Lord Balarama expand Himself into the form of the
Dham? Is Vaikuntha-Dham an expansion of Lord Balarama?

Srila Guru Maharaj: It is Lord Balarama's representation in the form

of Sankarsana. Lord Balarama Himself is in Goloka, and his
Vaibhava, extended or delegated Self, is in Vaikuntha.

Devotee: And He Himself expands into Goloka Dham?

Srila Guru Maharaj: Yes, Goloka Vrndavana is all His expansion,

but there He is alwavs active through His expansion as the
'underground' sandhini, unifying, potency; whereas His madhura-rasa
is passive. In Goloka, Radharani's Vaibhava is having full play, and
Balarama's potency is there passively as Yogamaya. Balarama and
Yogamaya are of a similar function: both of them combined are
conducting the arrangements of the stage for Krsna's Pastimes.

Devotee: Maharaj, what is the position of Subhadra?

Srila Guru Maharaj: Her position is not in Vrndavana, but in

Dvaraka. The Subhadra in Jagannatha-Dham is Arjjuna-patni, the wife
of Arjjuna, and sister of Krsna. She is within Dvaraka-lila and has
nothing to do with Vrndavana. Besides this there is another Subhadra
who is one among the many sakhis of Radharani in Vrndavana. She is
called Bhadra or Subhadra.

Devotee: Is it Dvaraka-Subhadra who is also sometimes referred to as

Yogamaya?

Srila Guru Maharaj: No. At the time when I was composing Sri-Sri
Prapanna-jivanamrtam I was faced with the position of having to
think very deeply on this point: "What is the relation between
Baladeva and Yogamaya?" Then, although I did not find it anywhere
in the Scriptures, I discovered within myself that Baladeva must be the
Master of Yogamaya. That is, after analysing the spiritual
environment of Their Pastimes, I came to the conclusion that They
must have some connection. They are both making arrangements for
Krsna-lila, so Their relationship must be very intimate: Yogamaya
must be in the position of the wife of Balarama. This conclusion came
to me, and then later on I found that Jiva Goswami had also expressed
such opinion that Yogamaya and Baladeva are very close and similar,
and also Vrndadevi's nature and conduct is of very similar nature to
Them in this respect. Yogamaya is in the inner circle—the sakti
position—and Balarama is in the outer or 'male' circle—the second
layer. But in the centre is only Krsna feeling His own ecstasy: sukha-
rupa krsna kare sukha asvadana (Chaitanya charitamrita, Madhya
8.158).

When extension begins, we find that Balarama and Yogamaya make

arrangements for that transaction of Krsna where rasamrta-murtti,
Krsna the embodiment of all rasas, tastes Himself. Rasa is tasting
Himself. It is different in the case of the mundane rasa, where the soul
is the subject and the 'rasa' is an object to be 'enjoyed' by him; but
here, rasa is Himself the Highest Subject, and He is tasting Himself—
sukha-rupa krsna kare sukha asvadana.

He then gradually extends Himself and so we find Baladeva who is a

facsimile of Krsna. But because in the science of rasa, Baladev's
direct approach to madhura-rasa is not admissible. He extends
Himself as a special potency, Yogamaya, and goes to perform in that
madhura-rasa.

Another representation or delegation of Baladeva is Ananga Manjari,

the younger sister of Srimati Radharani. It is found that Baladeva as
Ananga Manjari participates there in the service of Radharani,
whereas the external management is in the hands of Yogamaya.
Ananga Manjari is the manifestation of Baladeva through whom He is
represented in madhura-rasa. The science of rasa does not allow
Baladeva to enter there with His own abhimana— mood—, therefore,
we are told. He has to go there as Ananga Manjari. The laws of rasa
are of such fine importance.
The extensive management is the department of the Yogamaya
potency, but that is in a second-hand position. The first position is that
of Krsna, and in a secondary position, helping Krsna-lila from outside,
is Yogamaya.

Devotee: Didn't Balarama return to Vrndavana and perform the Rasa-

liIa with the Gopis?

Srila Guru Maharaj: Yes, but that was with a separate group of
Gopis. The interpretation and inner understanding of the Goswamis is
that Balaram performed the Rasa-lila externally, but within His heart
He was making Rasa-lila of Krsna. His position and personality is
such: He is faithfully dedicated wholesale to the cent-per-cent
satisfaction of the Centre. His very constitutional position is such that
He cannot do otherwise. That is His intrinsic nature: to put everything
towards the satisfaction of Krsna. So the key for service to the Master,
Krsna Himself, is in His hand. And that Master is an autocrat! But He
says, "Don't be jealous of Me. I am your friend. You are all My own,
so don't be afraid.
bhoktaram yajna-tapasam, sarvva-loka-mahesvaram
suhrdam sarvva-bhutanam, jnatva mam santim rcchati
(Srimad Bhagavad-gita 5.29)

"Your anxiety will subside when you come to understand that

everything is in My hands and that I am not your enemy, rather I am
your friend. I have a friendly relationship with you all. I am all-in-all,
but I am your well-wisher and friend. When you come to realize this
you will be in real peace, otherwise you will always have worry
without end."

Our anxiety will end only when we shall see, "My own interest is fully
represented in the Cause, in He who controls the whole. He must give
me favourable consideration as He is my friend, and so there can be
no fear of any misdeed or injustice." Only then can we find peace
within our heart.

Bhoktaram yajna-tapasam, sarvva-loka-mahesvaram— the great

Master .of all that we can conceive is the recipient of everything.
Bhoktaram yajna-tapasam— everything, to the farthing, goes only to
Him. Siihrdam sarvva-bhutanam— and He is friendly to me. He is
friendly not only to me, but-the real interest of everyone is represented
in His consideration. And, jnatva mam santim rcchati— only the
person who realizes, "My interest is assured in the highest quarter of
management," can attain real peace of heart. He will feel, "Yes, I have
no worry, no anxiety."

In the Lila, however, we find so many kinds of anxiety and worry, but
that is something else. It should not be equated with the life of this
plane, rather it comes under another category:

bahye visa-jvala haya, bhitare ananda-maya

krsna-premara adbhuta carita
(Sri Caitanya-caritdmrta, Madhya 2.50)

This means that union-in-separation is the highest form of union. It

cannot be attacked or challenged by any circumstances. It appears to
be very painful, but internally the position is one of greater intensity
of ecstasy. The real gist of the whole meaning of the study of this
higher subject is this, and we are to understand and follow it with
particular attention and intelligence.

The real fact is that this is only intelligible by faith, sraddha. Buddhi-
grahyam atindriyam— no precedents will come to 'prove' such things;
it has no other verification. Faith alone can enter that domain. It is an
infinite thing but we are tiny people, so what capacity does our faith
have? Even in this universe there is so much which seems far beyond
the stretch of our faith. Our faith is in such tiny measure when
compared with the Infinite, so how much can we boast to have in
relation to Him? Therefore why should we be so miserly in our faith?
To be miserly will be suicidal. Faith will come first, then research will
follow. In this world also, it is the same: the intuition, the theory or
idea of a thing comes first and research follows. So unbridled faith
must be allowed to have ifs free movement there.

Devotee: There is a verse by Srila Prabodhananda Saraswati:

vancito 'smi vancito 'smi, vancito 'smi na samsayah visvam gaura-

rase magnam, sparso 'pi mama nabhavat

"Deceived, deceived, no doubt, deceived am I! The whole universe

became flooded with love of Sri Gauranga, but alas, my fate was not
to get even the slightest touch of it."

Srila Guru Maharaj: That is a clear thing and it expresses the very
nature of the devotee. That is, as much conception of the infinite as
one has, he must feel within himself that he is insignificant to the
same degree. It is the infinite conception from the view of relativity. It
is a question of relativity. When you can see a bigger thing then
relatively you cannot but think that you are very infinitesimal. When
you look at a great thing, in comparison with that you are the smallest.
Do you concede this? When you see the ocean you can perceive how
tiny you are in relation to that great magnitude of water. In
comparison you are very insignificant, is it not? So apply that
principle in this instance also. One who looks at a great thing, whether
in size, or knowledge or love, when standing at the verge of a great
thing, from the consideration of relativity he shall think, "I am very
poor and very low."

Purisera kita haite muni se laghistha: Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja

Goswami says of himself, "I am so mean, lower even than the worm
in stool." When one has seen such pure and higher things, in
comparison with that he must have such feelings. Mahaprabhu
Himself says, "I am as insignificant as an insect but still I continue my
life. My life is like an insect's."

na prema-gandho 'sti darapi me harau

krandami saubhagya-bharam prakasitum
vamsi-vilasy-anana-lokanam vina
vibharmmi yat prana-patangakan vrtha
(Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya 2.45)

"Such a pure and merciful ocean of love I see spread before Me but I
am so unqualified that I do not receive even a drop of it. Why?
Because I am a hypocrite. I really do not want it, so I don't deserve it.
I don't want it, and so My life is unfulfilled. I have come near such a
vast and beautiful thing but I am not allowed to even touch or receive
a drop of it. I am so low, so unqualified. Why? Because I am a
hypocrite. But still I think I am great, that I have importance,
pratistha. Despite all of this I cannot leave my vanity, my false vanity.
I want to display that I have some great achievement of Krsna-prema
and therefore I shed tears. But these tears are not real, for still I am
addicted to My lower self, I am self-centred. My self-centredness has
not been dissolved. I am a seeker of My own fame, so I am not being
allowed to partake of that ocean of nectar."

So, seeing such ocean of nectar one must gradually come to see
himself as the meanest of the mean. As much as one comes in
connection and consciousness of the higher reality then relatively he is
compelled to think himself to be the meanest of the mean. That is the
truth. That is the law of nature.
Therefore devotees of the higher order are seen always to say,
"Everyone has the chance but not I. I cannot avail myself of this
ocean."
Narottama dasa Thakur said, "Jagai and Madhai were such great
culprits but they were released and received the nectar, but it seems
that only I, Narottama, am barred and cannot touch it."

It is the nature of one who appreciates the highest that he will think
himself to be in the lower position. We find this in the practices and
sayings of the great men. It is a question of trnad api sumcena, taror
api sahisnuna, and this is a necessary qualification of a devotee. We
must have that sort of qualification, that sort of heart. That must not be
an artificial thing but if we are not ready to think ourselves lower,, we
cannot come in connection with the higher.

trnad api sunicena, taror api sahisnuna

amanina manadena, kirttaniyah sada harih

Your attitude towards the search will be such that you are almost unfit
to search for such a goal, yet you sincerely want to begin your new
life. To feel you are so unqualified is the qualification for the finite to
approach the Infinite. If you think that you are something, that is a
disqualification in your search for the Infinite.

With humility you are to take the Name of the Lord, that Divine
Sound. But the process is that you must be mindful of this necessity of
humility otherwise the search will be in vain and your attempt will be
lost. So what will be the proper attitude? Trnad api sunicena— you
are to think yourself to be the meanest of the mean and the humblest
of the humble. Sincerely you must feel that way. Taror api sahisnu—
your forbearance must not have any limit. You must not feel, "So
many days, so many ages I have passed in this search but I haven't
reached there yet—I shall give up." Be sure that you have come to
search for the Infinite. So there is no time limit and no room for any
vanity that you shall think yourself to be master of that higher realm,
for that is a disqualification and must be given up from the beginning.
Amanina manadena—your highest enemy is your self-seeking nature:
to think that you have some standing, some greatness in you. That sort
of vanity must be abandoned. Amanina— you must never seek any
honour for yourself: no reward. Manadena— at the same time you
must be modest in your dealings with all others, then your amanina
will be genuine. If you do not like to give the honour to others then
your own self-seeking will be present and traceable. But when you can
give honour to others without wanting any for yourself, you will be
qualified to search for Govindam, for the Centre, the Infinite, the
Absolute. You are a qualified student if you can give up all these bad
and unfavourable prejudices. If you come to search after the Absolute
then you must have such qualifications otherwise you will fail. So we
find that the great devotees always condemn themselves to the
extreme, beyond what we can conceive even for ordinary persons.

Kaviraj Goswami, who is the giver of the highest conception of the

truth says,

jagai madhai haite muni se papistha purisera kita

haite muni se laghistha mora nama sune yei
tara punya ksaya mora nama laya yei tara papa haya
(Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi 5.205,206)

"I am worse than a worm in stool. When Jagai and Madhai came in
the relativity of Mahaprabhu they were considered to be the worst
sinners, but I am worse than them. My sins are so dirty no one can
even dream such things. I am such a great sinner that whoever will
hear about me, dirt and sin will enter him through his coming in
contact with my name. Sin will enter one who once hears my name,
and his good qualities will vanish." Kaviraj Goswami continues, "I am
a person of the worst type, but the grace of Nityananda Prabhu
possesses such a high degree of disinfection that He has given me so
many things: He has taken me to Vrndavana and has given the
relationship of Rupa, Raghunath and Govinda. There is no
qualification in me but all is the grace of Nityananda Prabhu."

By this he wants to express his highest gratitude to Nityananda

Prabhu: "It is shameful to speak about one's own life but still I do this.
Why? If I do not do so then I shall be ungrateful to the grace and
magnanimity of Nityananda Prabhu. So fallen am I but Nityananda
Prabhu has given me all these things:Vrndavana, Rupa, Sanatan,
Govinda, Mahaprabhu, Raghunath Dasa and so much else. It is all the
gift of Nityananda Prabhu. It is His unconditional gift to this one with
no qualification, and therefore I have mentioned: 'Yes I have such
things.' If I do not say so then I shall be an offender to Nityananda
Prabhu's grace, so I am compelled to confess that I am so sinful and
fallen but by His grace I have received these things."

The conception and feelings of all the great devotees are of such type.
Srila Prabhodananda Saraswati similarly expressed, "It is there. I can
see and feel that it is there but I am deprived— sparso 'pi mama
nabhavat."
Radharani Herself says, "Krsna is qualified in every way. I can't blame
Him in any way at all, but still He is so cruel to us all. He left
Vrndavana and so we are all feeling extreme pain, but I cannot accuse
Him in any way. This is my durddaiva-vilasa ('Pastime of
separation')"

This is union in separation and is a peculiar type of achievement.

Externally there is suffering but internally there is transcendental
ecstasy: bahye visa-jvala haya, bhitare ananda-maya (Chaitanya
charitamrita, Madhya 2.50). When one actually has the thing, he says,
"No, I don't have it." This is the special characteristic of the Infinite.
One who has it in his possession says, "No, I have nothing." This is
because it is a statement from the negative to the Positive. And when
he says, "I have it," then he has not! The negative cannot assert at all
but can only attract. Assertion is only with the Positive.

So the negative can hanker, he can express his own reality in the
negative characteristic. He can express his degree of want. The
measurement of his position is according to his negative tendency:
his necessity, his depth of attraction—not of gain. It is just the
opposite to the general measurement of one's standing in this mundane
world. The real measurement rs in the negative side: the depth of
necessity and the depth of attraction, but not of gain. Only the Positive
can assert His existence.

Devotee: This is beautiful!

Srila Guru Maharaj: Yes. And it is because of your beautiful

attraction to all these things that they are being drawn out.

Devotee: It is one thing for such great personalities as Kaviraj

Goswami to make these statements. But for men like ourselves, we
actually are like that!

Srila Guru Maharaj: That will be the standard to keep in front of us,
the ideal as given by our Guru Maharaj. But we must not assume
ourselves to be of the standing of Kaviraj Goswami—that is another
type of wrong thinking also.
In his book Caitanya Bhagavat, Vrndavana Dasa Thakur tries his
utmost to describe the greatness and magnanimity of Mahaprabhu and
Nityananda Prabhu. Then he says, "In such a modest and broad way I
am appealing to the people at large, I am touching and holding their
feet and putting to them: 'Please turn and appreciate the magnanimity
and great gift of Gaura-Nitai, it is for your benefit. Please accept this.
No matter what class of sinner you are or what filthy position you are
in, you please try to come and connect with Gaura-Nityananda. You
will be blessed and all your hankering will be fulfilled. Do it, it will be
for your benefit.' But, after so much fervent appeal to earnestly request
you all to appreciate Gaura and Nityananda, if anyone still wants to
criticize and blame Nityananda and Gaurariga then I want to kick his
head!" This is also a peculiar sentiment that may come in the heart of
a devotee. And how to explain it?

So many superficial critics have said "Kaviraj Goswami has appealed

in such a modest way but this Vrndavana Dasa has such vanity! His
vanity is so great. He is so proud that he wants to kick those who do
not have faith in Gaura-Nityananda. His attitude is most impertinent."
Before joining the Mission I had read such comments, but when I
came to the Gaudiya Math I heard a particular interpretation from our
Srila Prabhupada. He explained that by this statement Nityananda
Prabhu has come to the relief of the most sinful and heinous. They
have no other method to come to divinity, but Nityananda Prabhu has
opened a way for them: they are being punished by His devotee and so
Krsna's special attraction will be drawn towards them. Krsna's
attraction will be there because apparently His child—His
devotee—has done something wrong, so He will come to compensate
for that. If punishment is given by His devotee to a member of the
public, Krsna's special attention will be drawn to that man to
compensate. He has tolerated and by way of compensation he will be
benefited. Vrndavana Dasa has given them some punishment and
dishonour; they are mortified so they must be taken in and some
special grace will come to them. So by this statement Vrndavana Dasa
has, even to the worst accusers, opened the door to enter into Krsna-
loka. We received that sort of interpretation from our Srila
Prabhupada.

From the stand-point that there cannot be any filthy thing in the
devotee, then by whatever they do, some connection will be
established with Krsna. Ultimately a mother has no feeling of revenge
to her child. When she chastises her child then he may cry, but the
mother will again come and take him on her lap. So there is no
permanent apathy, jealousy or any spirit of revenge, but rather any
connection that comes in any way is only of compassionate
temperament to draw him forwards. Of course that does not mean that
willfully we should offend the devotee and try to get benefit thereby!
That will be aparadha. It will be in the category of offence to think, "I
will take the Name and the reaction for sinning will not affect me."

Chapter 7

Intelligently Aware

Devotee: What is the real meaning of the word anartha?

Srila Guru Maharaj: Anartha means 'separate interest.' Krsna

consciousness is causeless, nirguna, it has no end. Nirguna means that
the central flow and vibration of Krsna consciousness is eternal. That
wave has no end. Any interest which is separate from Krsna
consciousness is anartha. 'Artha' means 'necessity' and 'anartha' is
that which is not my necessity—that which is opposed to my
necessity, being based on separate consciousness and interest.
So to get out of the trap of separate interest which is misleading us,
and to learn how to read the Infinite, we are to identify with the
universal flow, the universal wave. At present we are being carried
away by different waves of separate-interest consciousness— anartha,
it is not necessary for us. Our only necessity is to merge in the wave of
the universal interest, which is for Itself, for Himself.

The Lord says:

aham hi sarvva-yajnanam, bhakta ca prabhur eva ca

(Bhagavad-gita, 9.24)

"I am the only enjoyer of all sacrifices, of all movement in this world.
I am the only enjoyer, and everything belongs to Me unconditionally."

God's position is such. He is paramount. He is the highest

harmonizing centre, and we must all submit cent-per-cent to Him. Any
deviation from that is anartha. Anartha means 'meaningless,' it has no
meaning. The only real meaning or purpose worthy to be served is the
connection with the universal wave, the universal movement.
Anything besides that is anartha— undesirable and unnecessary. The
anarthas will serve no purpose. We are in connection with anarthas,
undesirable things which won't serve any real purpose towards our
cause. But the real cause of our life, and the whole satisfaction of our
very existence will be found only in connection with the universal
wave of the whole Absolute. That is Krsna consciousness. It is the
most universal, fundamental wave, and we have to catch that. Our
goal, our satisfaction and the very fulfillment of our life is only to be
found there, in that layer, that plane, and not in the superficial plane of
nationality interest, family interest, social service, etc.—for that is
provincialism.

One section is busy with many local interests, and another section
wishes to stop all activity. To stop one's own movement, to do away
with one's own existence, is renunciation, samadhi, and is also
suicidal. So we have to give up renunciation as well as enjoyment.
The tendency to do evil and also the tendency to go on strike, both are
to be given up. In a nation, we may find so many workers doing some
wrong, going against the principle of the law; but that is hooliganism
and is bad. At the same time, to go on strike, refusing to work, is also
bad. The good path is only to work for the interest of the country.

This we have to learn: from local interest we must go to the universal,

the Absolute. We are not to have any local interest however extensive
it may be. Whether self-centred, family-centred, village-centred or
society-centred as in humanitarianism, it is all only a part of the
Infinite. Tins is the fact, and generally we are to try to understand
things in such a way. The technical words like anartha nivrtti, bhava,
asakti, all these are covered by this understanding.
Lord Krsna has recommended in Srimad Bhagavad-gita how one can
conquer kama, lust, by regulating the senses. He advises us to become
acquainted with the nature of the soul, then all the problems caused by
kaina will be turned into ashes:

indriyani parany ahur

indriyebhyah param manah
manasas tu para buddhir
buddher yah paratas tu sah

evarm buddheh param buddhva

samstabhyatmanam atmana
jahi satrum maha-baho
kama-rupam durasadam
(Srimad Bhagavad-gita 3.42,43)

Lust is not easily accessible, but is hidden. We cannot easily trace

where he lives, but he comes suddenly and, after looting, disappears.
But we are told here that really he lives in the intelligence, the mind
and the senses. To conquer that lust we are to regulate the senses, but
in order to do so we first have to analyse what the senses are and what
is their position, and then, what is the position of the internal king of
the senses, the mind. After that we are to analyse what is the intrinsic
position of the buddhi, the faculty of reason, judgement and
intelligence. Then, with the help of reason, we are to try to find out
what is in the background of that faculty of reason, of judgement and
of decision making.
In the background is a pencil-thin ray whose nature is diametrically
opposite to the world of experience. In Srimad-Bhagavatam an
example is given that in the niglit a cloud may cover the moon.
Though the cloud obscures the moon, still the cloud can only be seen
by the light of the moon.

na rarajodupaschana, svajyotsna bhasitairghanaih aham matya

bhasitaya svabhusa puruso jyatha

In this example the soul is likened to the moon and the ahankara is
likened to cloud cover. The sense-consciousness, the mind and the
intelligence have all combined to form a system, ahankara, which has
covered the soul. But they are seen, and it is possible for them to act,
only because there is light—the light of the soul, the moon. So by the
help of our reason we must try to perceive what is above reason, and
we shall come to see that it is the atma, the soul. In this way we may
have some direct connection with the atma, or at least some
conception, however vague, of its existence and nature. At that time
our whole material aspiration will turn into trash and within ourselves
we will be able to conquer all the charms of this world. The Lord's
advice in Srimad Bhagavad-gita is to somehow or other try to obtain
understanding of the true nature of our own atma.. We are really of
such a superior nature and hold a noble, dignified position in the
higher plane; but lust and so many base things have come to entrap us.

Raso 'py asya, param drstva nivarttate (Bg. 2.59). By even slightly
coming in contact with the dignified position of our own soul, all
worldly charm will vanish; and even that will seem to be a negligible
thing compared to the awakening of higher levels of realization, up to
the Super-soul—Paramatma—then to Narayana and Krsna! There is
so much ecstatic enjoyment on that side and it will be realized only
when it will be revealed within us. Though to our present conception
it is far away, still, that experiencer, that taster, is within us: it is the
jivatma. And if we try to concentrate even for a second there, we will
find what a dignified position the soul holds. We shall think, "Who are
these thieves? The intellect, mind and senses are all thieves and
plunderers. They are taking me into the land of misery as if through
some intricate conspiracy." It will seem like that to us.

indriyani parany ahur, indriyebhyah param manah

(Bhagavad-gita, 2.42)

Our senses are superior in comparison to all the things we experience

around us. Suppose we were devoid of all our senses of touch, sight,
hearing and so on, then we would have no conception of anything
external. The world would mean nothing to us.
Then again, the central figure of all the senses is the mind. Someone
may call but we may find: "He was calling me? Oh, I was
unconscious: I was unmindful and did not hear. I have my senses but
because I was unmindful I did not hear or see him." So the mind is in
the centre. And the mind has two functions, sankalpa-vikalpa—"I
want this, I don't want that—I don't want that, I want this." This is
mainly the function of the mind.

Then comes the buddhi, intelligence. From the mind we are to go up

to the buddhi, the reason. What is it? Discrimination. "Oh, my mind
wants that, but it will bring such a reaction, so don't go to do it." The
buddhi, the intelligence or faculty of judgement will give the warning,
"Don't go! Don't listen to what the mind says; don't obey him." That is
the intelligence.
Then if going up from there, surpassing the intelligence, we search for
what is next, what is above the intelligence, backing it and making the
function of intelligence possible, we will be able to see, "Oh, this is
my real self and everything else is an outside extension in the material
world, it is all a material overcoating. I can leave it, and with only
myself, my own atma, alone I can go up to somewhere higher. This
present atmosphere is not at all necessary for me, rather it is harmful,
a coating, a garment which has been thrust onto me in order that I
come in connection with this bad environment." With this realization,
with our soul proper we can go in a higher direction, towards
Paramatma, Narayana and Krsna.

Chapter 8

Beyond the Yogi

Devotee: Maharaj, I read that in the dream state the living entity also
sees. So, what is that medium by which one sees in a dream? What
kind of 'eye' is that?

Srila Guru Maharaj: The mental system, that is the subtle-body

within, called suksma-deha, cannot only see; he has eyes, ears, the
sense of touch as well as all the other senses. Everything that exists in
the form of flesh and blood is also there in our subtle body; it is closer
to our real self and is more perfect than this external body. Everyone
has that mental system. There is a mental world with its own
government where Yamaraj is the judge. Independent of the physical
body, the mental body can live and move in different levels in that
subtle region. Good and bad are there in degrees, but all within the
jurisdiction of the three modes of nature within this brahmanda, this
material universe.

Sri Ramanujacaryya says that dreams are not false; just as we have
experiences in our waking life, we also live through many experiences
in dreams. In our dreams we feel pain and pleasure, thereby many of
our reactions are finished. By suffering in the physical life, the result
of bad karmma finishes. By feeling pleasure, our puny am, merit, is
exhausted. Similarly in a bad dream we feel some pain and as a result
some of our previous bad karmma finishes; and in a good dream when
we feel happiness and pleasure, some punyam resulting from our
piety is finished. That kind of life is also 'real' in the mundane sense.

The higher planetary systems Bhuh, Bhuvah, Svar, Mahah, Jana,

Tapah, Satya, are various stages within material existence, but where
are they? They are not in the physical plane but in the mental plane,
the world of mental experience. Devotee: So are the living entities
there already living in their subtle bodies, not in gross bodies of flesh
and blood? Srila Guru Maharaj: Yes. Even the trees and stones have
their subtle bodies, but they are not awakened sufficiently. The
degrees of awakenment are all different. Misconception under the
modes of mundane nature (guna-mayi) extends, according to its
degree, up to Satyaloka, the plane of Lord Brahma; and finally the
negative side merges into Viraja and is finished. Then the spiritual
plane begins with Brahmaloka, the spiritual effulgence, and ascends
though the levels of spiritual variegatedness from Sivaloka to
Vaikuntha. Above that is Ayodhya, then Dvaraka, and finally
Vrndavana in Goloka. So gradation extends everywhere up to Svayam
Bhagavan in Radha-Kunda. There are the Rasa-lila, the Govarddhana-
lila and the Pastimes at Radha-Kunda, and in all these the standard of
measurement is according to the rasa, the anandam: the degree of
ecstatic joy. Each individual country has its own currency such as
dollars, pounds, rupees, roubles, yen, etc.; but the international
standard is gold. Similarly rasa or anandam is the universal standard
by which we are to measure what is high and what is low.

Devotee: Why don't the Gaudiya Vaisnavas use any yoga practices
such as yoga-asanas, pranayama, etc. in their service to Krsna?

Srila Guru Maharaj: The Gaudiya Vaisnavas discard any artificial

things. God is with the heart and that is the important part. We are to
appeal to the heart and have transaction with the heart, and not that by
manipulation of the natural forces we shall gain some mystic power
and try to exert that on God. Is that a form of worship? For one who
has a heart, the hearty transaction is the most natural. And that is
service. Satisfaction is for the Lord so what is the value of trying to
gain some power from elsewhere and by dint of that, to try to
encroach upon Him? What is the result of doing yoga? It will give
some power but what effect can that power have on Him? None. We
are not to try to exert our energy upon Him, but the opposite is
necessary. We are to consider that we are the most fallen of the fallen
and the meanest of the mean. "I want Your grace. Please accept me as
a slave, as Your meanest servant." This is the way to approach the
higher and not that we are to gather some power and by dint of that
power jump on that Superior Entity, for that is not the process of
getting Him, of receiving His favour. Favour is favour!

The Lord is all-complete and all-perfect. If we want His favour we

must approach keeping ourselves in the meanest position. We have no
position. We are nowhere. We are wholesale dependent upon Him.
This is our natural position, our constitutional position. We are wholly
dependent upon Him. So any petition to Him must be with this
temperament: "I want Your favour. Your grace. Please accept me. I
am so heinous, so sinful, and the meanest of the mean. You are my
best friend, but neglecting You I left and went somewhere else to
search for my prospect, I was so mean. I am not only a sinner but I am
a traitor, a treacherous man." In this way we are to go back to our
highest and most affectionate friend.

What help will this yoga power do for me? He is above all seduction.
Shall I think that with the power of yoga I shall influence Him to
favour me? It is not possible for Him to be controlled in any way by
yogic power; so yoga can give me no benefit. What will yoga do for
me? He is all-independent, absolute. He is perfect in Himself. To try
to exert other influences upon Him will have no effect rather that will
anger Him. Instead we are to approach Him with some
recommendation or with a guardian.

The Guru and Vaisnavas are our guardians. We are not to go to any
external power of nature but to His agents, and ask them to plead for
us. By yoga we can acquire some subtle power, but no power can
work on Him against His sweet will. We must approach Him in the
line of His sweet will and with those who have faith in His sweet will.
Those who have faith in His sweet will are His devotees. Through
them we must approach Him and not by any attempt through any other
power, for that will give just the opposite result. If we want to know
Him, it is futile! We cannot know Him by our attempts. Still, if we
find such necessity, we shall pray, "Please make Yourself known to
me," otherwise it is not necessary to waste our energy asking that He
will reveal Himself. If we can leave the idea that we must know Him
then that request becomes redundant. Rather our mood should be, "I
want to satisfy You. I want to contribute something for Your
satisfaction. Please accept me. You are full. You are perfect. You have
no needs, but for my necessity please give me some sort of service."
Service means in the line of satisfaction to Him, and that should be
our attitude to approach Him. To approach a friend, an affectionate
friend, so many mystic persons should not be called to help in our
attempt.

yamadibhir yoga-pathaih, kama-lobha-hato muhuh mukunda-sevaya

yadvat, tathatmaddha nil samyati
(Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.6.35)
It may be possible for us to control our senses to a certain extent and
for some time by the practice of yoga, but yoga cannot give the
Absolute. That He is Absolute means He is above all. Absolute means
that He is self-sufficient; He is not dependent on any other thing. Yoga
can only help us to control our mental and physical anomalies or
eccentricities, that too only for the time being, not for eternity. For the
time being, lust, anger, greed, illusion, etc. (kama, krodha, lobha,
moha, etc.) all may be brought under control but only for some
temporary period. Mukunda-sevaya— but if we can engage ourselves
in the service of Mukunda, then all disturbances will leave us once
and for all. By finding the sweet taste in His service and company, all
these so-called charming proposals will retire eternally. The charm for
lust, the charm for anger or for greed, all these things will vanish
altogether and won't come back again if only we can get the taste of
serving the Lord, Mukunda.

naham vedair na tapasa, na danena na cejyaya sakya evam-vidho

drastum, drstavan asi yan mama bhaktya tv ananyaya sakya,
aham evam-vidho 'rjjuna jnatum drastum ca tattvena, pravestum ca
parantapa
(Srimad Bhagavad-gita 11.53,54)

"All other means fail. Only exclusive devotion can draw Me as you
see Me here, Arjjuna, but other things cannot lead to such a position.
Temporary devotion also will not be sufficient, but what is necessary
is permanent, exclusive devotion."

sarvva-dharmman parityajya, mam ekam saranam vraja

(Bhagavad-gita 18.66)

"Reject all else and only concentrate on My own Self for that is the
only sort of devotion that can draw Me to the devotee. All else is futile
and shameful. It is not that someone will come with hired persons to
canvas Me. No! My agents are the best benefactors to you. They are
searching to canvas persons in my favour. My agents are there and not
for any business purpose. Their business is to do good to others, and
with this idea so many agents are out to canvas for Me. Come through
them and do not seek any recommendation from outside to use various
means to try to force Me to favour you. That is not the proper path,
but come to Me through My own agents. They have no aspiration to
fulfil for themselves. They are all-given to My service and they are
wandering trying to recruit persons, to benefit them. So come through
My agents, never otherwise. What is yoga? There is air and there are
so many things but by controlling those do you think you will force
JMe to come to you? I am the Absolute Autocrat. I don't care for
anything else. I have no necessity to care for anything else. Not any
force, any tactics, any cunning methods, any canvassing— nothing
can influence Me. I am the Autocrat. And admitting the line of
autocracy, try to come to Me. There are many demigods. They are
making trade, but I am not amongst the commodities of their trading.
None can make trade with Me. I am Absolute. I look only for
devotion, exclusive devotion which is not formal, but natural, hearty
and sincere. I look for that. I look for the heart and not for anything
else— bhava-grahi-janarddanah."

patram puspam phalam toyam, yo me bhaktya prayacchati tad aham

bhakty-upahrtdm, asnami prayatatmanah
(Srimad Bhagavad-gita 9.26)

"Whatever My devotee offers to Me with sincere devotion, with

sincere affection, I accept that. It does not matter whether it is a leaf, a
flower, water, or anything else. Rich food or rich presentations are not
necessary for Me, but what I want is the heart. I want sincerity and
good faith. That is the highest requirement within Me."
There is a carefully written poem: "Oh Krsna, You have everything
but only You do not have Your heart. Your heart has been stolen by
the Gopis. You have everything except for Your heart and mind, they
are not present in You for they have already been stolen by the Gopis.
So You take my heart. You accept my mind. That is what is wanting
in You, so please accept my heart and mind for Yourself. Your heart
is missing, and that lias attracted my heart towards You, so please take
it."
 Chapter 9

The Foundation of Fortune

Devotee: What advice do you have for a devotee who is struggling

along in his spiritual life, with no taste for Krsna consciousness?

Srila Guru Maharaj: The first question is, struggling for what?
'Struggling' means struggling for something. A struggle presupposes
something—its aim and object, its purpose. So, what is the aim of that
struggle?
The German philosopher, Hegel, has given his philosophy called
'Ideal Realism.' He says that the ideal is not unreal or abstract
imagination, but is real and all-important whereas the material body is
nothing, rather it is only a servant to obey the dictation of the ideal.
First there is the idea, then the body follows after it. So the ideal is
real. This philosophy was put forward by Hegel.

So, 'struggle,' but struggle for what? A struggle may be of two types.
First is the case where there is no taste for mundane enjoyment or
renunciation but there is the desire for something unknown but at least
above these two aims of life. If the person feels, "I can't tolerate the
world of enjoyment, but also I dislike renunciation," then it is
presupposed that he has some previously acquired sukrti, devotional
credit, in the background. From his subconscious region will come the
desire, the struggle for the company of a sadhu, a good agent, a good
Master who can help Him. He will feel, "I am in a vacant position. I
want some shelter. Who is there who can give me shelter? Who can
save Me?" He may feel this sort of uneasiness—both dissatisfaction
with the present, and also no sight of any positive engagement in
the future. Yet he is unconsciously wanting something. To have this
hankering for something positive presupposes some sukrti. This is one
type of struggle.

Another is where there is no positive aim but only the aim to get out
of the undesirable negative side. This desire for renunciation, to enter
samadhi and be reduced to zero, to be finished, is like committing
suicide. Just as when a person who cannot tolerate an unfavourable
situation feels, "I cannot maintain my life any more," and so commits
physical suicide, similarly renunciation is spiritual suicide. He feels, "I
have no taste for this mundane world where there is always struggling
amongst so many transient things. I have no prospect here." Feeling in
this way he desires to enter into samadhi. This is like putting a living
man into a tomb and then sealing it up. But if one is neither satisfied
here in the temporary mundane world, nor wants to commit suicide
and so efface his existence, then if he is even subconsciously
hankering for some bright life, it means that sukrti is underground
within the foundation of his subconsciousness. After that, some sadhu
may come to visit him and give him some good news and instructions,
"Do this, do that." He will have some tendency to follow that advice,
and from that stage gradually his positive life begins.

There is an example in one Godbrother. When he was a boy of

perhaps eighteen or so, he was dissatisfied with his existing life within
his family household, so he went to Jagannatha Puri. Within his mind
and from the bottom of his heart he wanted to find the association of a
sadhu and join with him. At that time our Guru Maharaj was in Puri
and one of his followers who was a very learned and clever man, met
him and asked, "You are a very simple boy. Why have you come
here?" "I have come in search of a sadhu."

"Oh, then come with me!" He took him to the camp of our Srila
Prabhupada, and he joined. The acquisition from his former life was
such that when he went to search for the positive spiritual path he
easily found it; and so he joined, and joined for ever. He joined at the
age of eighteen years and received sannyasa at twenty-eight. But
before accepting sannyasa, someone had discouraged him saying,
"You are so young and it is not sure how long you will live, so to take
so much risk is not very wise!" He was also hesitating, and said,
"Prabhupada has proposed this but I am hesitating and some of my
friends are also misleading me."

I put it to Srila Prabhupada that he was hesitating. Prabhupada's

response to him was, "You are frightened? Fear is in this world but
you are going to take shelter in the abhaya pada, the fearless Holy
Feet. Where is the fear? Don't have any apprehension. All fear is
confined here in this plane, but you are going to take shelter above this
area of fear.You want to enter into the fearless area, you are going to
connect with the fearless world. Rather this world is the fearful place!"
This came from his mouth. At last he accepted, and his sannyasa was
given by Prabhupada in Puri. Every day in the morning for about a
month he used to sing Srila Prabhpada's favourite bhajana: Sri Rupa
Manjari pada. Practically, Prabhupada took him from Gaya to Puri
only to hear it sung by his sweet voice. He sang:

radhapadankita dhama vrndavana yara nama taha yena

asraya karila

Bhaktivinoda Thakur says, "What is Vrndavana? It is where there are

the footprints of Sri Radhika. The criterion of Vrndavana is this: that it
has on ifs head the footprints of Srimati Radharani." This is
Bhaktivinoda Thakur's finding. So, if we want to see what is
Vrndavana, and who is Radharani and who is Krsna, then we must
take some note, some clue, and some impression from this.
Bhaktivinoda Thakur says that Radharani is all-in-all:

radhapadankita dhama vrndavana yara nama taha yena asaya karila

"Where does the name 'Vrndavana' belong? Upon whose head the
footprints of Radharani are borne, that is Vrndavana!" It is all-sweet!
And there everything is sweet because the paraphernalia has all
emanated from Her. Just as the entire screenplay for a film evolves
from the brain of the director, who then himself may come to act his
own part within it, similarly the entire paraphernalia of Vrndavana has
come from Sri Radhika.
And from Sri Gaurahga we receive the combined gift of the grace of
all these things. His gift is full of so much transcendental sweetness
and is eternal in its play.

There is a bird called a cataka which always faces towards the sky
praying for water. His nature is such that he can only swallow from
above and cannot collect from the ground. We should be converted
into that type of bird in our hankering temperament.for a divine drop
of the divine sweetness, of the divine nectar which Mahaprabhu is
distributing. Nectar, not honey, is the sweetest liquid of which we can
ever conceive. Honey is mundane but nectar is something from above
the mundane world. Honey is found here in this lower plane but nectar
is only of our imagination. We have no experience of nectar in the
mundane world, its character is transcendental. It is called amrtam or
'God's food.' There is nectar for the devotees, the godly, and poison for
the demons.

Mahadeva, who gave indulgence to the demons, had to take poison

generated from churning the Ocean of Milk. This appears to be a
peculiar thing, but he took that poison on the order of Visnu, therefore
through the connection of being engaged in Visnu's service he did not
die, rather that poison became ornamental to him by making his throat
blue. So sometimes Mahadeva puts a petition to Narayana, "You have
given me this undesirable service only to deal with the culprits. What
to do? It is Your will that I should be given charge of dealing with the
demons, so sometimes I have to become friendly with them. But Your
will is supreme." This is the position of Mahadeva who has the touch
of the world above but who is the master of the whole of the
misconceived area.

Devotee: What is the most direct and effective means to attain a taste
of Krsna consciousness?

Srila Guru Maharaj:

satam prasangan mama virya-samvido bhavanti hrt-kama-rasayanah

kathah taj-josaniid asv apavarga-vartmani sraddha ratir bhaktir
anukramisyati
(Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.25.25)

"One will rapidly progress on the path of liberation, and naturally will
develop firm faith, attraction and devotion, when he cultivates the
activity of engaging in discussions about My glorious Pastimes in the
association of pure devotees. Such activities are very nourishing to the
ear and heart." And,
krsna-bhakti-janma-mula haya 'sadhu-sanga' krsna-prema janme,
tenho punar mukhya anga
(Sri Caitanya-caritamrta. Madhya 22.83)

"By associating with the sadhus and gaining their mercy one can get
Krsna-bhakti right up to the stage of Krsna-prema. Furthermore the
practitioners very life depends on the association of the sadhus.
Without sadhu-sanga it is not possible to receive the real seeds of
bhakti."

krsna-bhakti-rasa-bhavita matih kriyatam yadi kuto 'pi labhyate tatra

laulyam api mulyam ekalam janma-koti-sukrtair na labhyate
(Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya 8.70)

"Pure devotional service to Krsna cannot be obtained by performing

pious activities even for millions of births. It can be purchased only by
paying one price: intense eagerness. Wherever it is available, one must
purchase it immediately." And,

sadhu-sastra-krpaya yadi krsnonmukha haya sei jiva nistare, maya

tahare chadaya
(Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya 20.120)

"If, by the blessings of a pure devotee and the Scripture, a jiva- soul
becomes devoted to Krsna he naturally becomes liberated and Maya
withdraws."

Do you have your answer?

Devotee: Yes. The most effective means of attaining Krsna

consciousness is to associate with the exalted devotees of Lord
Krsna— sadhu-sanga.

Srila Guru Maharaj: What does it mean to keep company and to

have association with the sadhus? What have you understood to be
sanga?
Devotee: Pariprasnena sevaya. (By relevant enquiry from a real Guru
and by serving him.)

Srila Guru Maharaj: Yes, but that is not up to the mark. Sadhu-
sanga means it must be of this nature:

dadati pratigrhnati guhyam akhyati prccliati bhunkte bhojayate caiva

sad-vidham priti laksanam
(Sri Upadesamrta 4)

This is sanga, and in this way we can get the benefit of the association
of a sadhu. Firstly, to give something to sadhu for his pleasure, and to
take something from him as his Prasadam— dadati pratigrhnati Then,
guhyam akhyati prcchati, whatever is concealed within our own heart,
we are to divulge the whole of that to him; and we are to receive "his
instruction. Bhunkte bhojayate caiva— we are to give the raw
materials to him for his taking of Prasadam, and then we are to
receive his remnants; sadhu-sanga means this.

Devotee: What is the process for one to test whether or not a sadhu or
a Guru is genuine? Isn't it that one should first of all try to be sincere
himself, then he will get a sincere Guru, and sadhu-sanga?

Srila Guru Maharaj: But from where will that sincerity come?

bhaktis tu bhagavad-bhaktasangena parijayate sat-sangah prapyate

pumbhih sukrtaih purwa-sancitaih
(Brhan-ndradiya Purana)

Actually we can recognize a sadhu by sukrti. Apparently we can know

him from the s astra, the Scriptures, because the sastra helps us to
know who is a sadhu, and the sadhu gives us the interpretation of the
sastra. So sadhu and s astra are interdependent, but the sadhu holds
the more important position and the sastra has the secondary position.
The living sastra is the sadhu, but to know who is Guru, who is
sadhu, we are to consult the descriptions given about them in the
Scriptures. The symptoms of the sadhu, both of the Guru as well as
the disciple, have been written in the Bhagavatam, in the Gita and in
the Upanisads. In the Bhagavatam we find:

tasmad gurum prapadyeta, jijnasuh sreyah uttamam Sabde pare ca

nisnatam, brahmany upasamasrayam
(Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.3.21)

"A person in search of the ultimate good should surrender to the Guru
who knows well the Vedic Scriptures (sabda-brahman) and the
Supreme Absolute Lord (Parabrahman), and for whom the mundane
world holds no charm whatsoever." And the Gita says:

tad viddhi pranipatena, pariprasnena sevaya upadeksyanti te jnanam,

jnaninas tattva-darsinah
(Srimad Bhagavad-gita 4.34)

"You will be able to attain all this transcendental knowledge by

satisfying the enlightened Spiritual Master with prostrate obeisances,
relevant enquiry and sincere service. Great souls who are most expert
in scriptural knowledge and endowed with direct realization of the
Supreme Absolute Truth will teach you that divine knowledge."

So in the Upanisads, in Bhagavatam and in Bhagavad-gita it is clearly

mentioned what should be the symptom of a Guru and also what
should be that of a disciple. If such a qualified disciple comes to a
qualified Guru then the real transaction begins. Otherwise there may
be so many bogus transactions; such black-marketing is going on in
this world in the name of religion. But from the association of the real
devotee comes devotion, bhaktis tu bhagavad-bhakta-sangena
parijayate. And, sat-sanga prapyate pumbhih, sukrtaih purwa-
sancitaih— one can come to a proper guide, a sddhu, as a result of his
previous activity. Sukrti is of two kinds, jnata and ajnata.

Ajnata-sukrti is in the beginning when, unknown to him, he is utilized

in trie service of the Lord through the sadhu. Suppose a man has built
a dharmmasala. So many persons of different types come to stay
there, but because they take advantage of the energy of the builder, the
results of their actions will go to him. A dacoit may come and stay. A
pilgrim may also come, and a sadhu also. If a dacoit will stay, then
because he utilizes the energy of the owner of the darmmasala, the
owner will have to take some bad reaction (papa), and will suffer for
that. But if an honest man will stay there then the owner will get some
punya, pious credit. In this way papa and punya will come to him, but
after duly suffering or enjoying those fruits, they will be finished.
However if a real sadhu, a devotee, will stay there and utilize the
owner's energy, then that owner will acquire something permanent.

nehabhikrama-naso 'sti, pratyavayo na vidyate svalpam apy asya

dharmasya, trayate mahato bhayat
(Srimad Bhagavad-gita 2.40)

"In this bhakti-yoga there is no loss of initial endeavour and there is

no diminution of results. Even the slightest performance of this
bhakti-yoga saves one from the great fear of birth and death in this
material world."

Some permanent acquisition is deposited in his 'account,' and

everything else, both the happiness resulting from accommodating a
good, honest man in the worldly sense, as well as the suffering
resulting from his accommodating a dacoit, will be finished. This sort
of acquisition is permanent, and when it accumulates to a sufficient
degree it will attract the man to do some sort of vague service to the
sadhus, though not very consciously. That is also accumulated and
when it reaches a certain stage the search for the truth will awaken
within him. He will think, "For what are those sadhus living?" Then
he will approach them, and if he goes in the proper mood as described
in the Scriptures, the transaction will begin. The association, or
connection with a real sadhu occurs by some underground activity
known as sukrti. Sukrti is of two types:

ajnata and jnata— unconsciously acquired, and consciously

acquired— sat-sanga prapyate pumbhih, sukrtaih purvva-sancitaih.
Of this sukrti stage, Mahaprabhu says:

brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva guru-krsna-prasade paya

bhakti-lata-bija
(Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya 19.151)
"Wandering throughout the material universe, the very fortunate living
entity who receives the grace of Guru and Krsna receives the seed of
the creeper of devotional service."

Sukrti is described by the word bhagyavan, good fortune. There are so

many different types of sadhus. Among the tyagis there are so many
different classes: the naked nanga babas and others. And among the
theistic group also there are so many different sections like the
Ramanujas, the Ramanandis, the Nimbarkas, the Vallabhis and the
Gaudiya Vaisnavas. The Gaudiya Vaisnavas are the followers of
Mahaprabhu. So even in the theistic section there is a graded
classification, but it is through our sukrti that we shall be guided from
the subconscious area to have connection with a sadhu of a particular
section.

Chapter 10

Dictation of Sri Guru

Devotee: I know that at present I am a conditioned soul and am in

Maya, but it is said that I have an eternal relationship with Krsna. So
is it that I will only know that relationship when I become purified?

Srila Guru Maharaj: Yes, when the mist will be cleared the sun will
shine in its full pristine glory. The mist of misunderstanding, in the
form of anyabhilasa, karmma, jnana, etc. is a covering. As that
covering is gradually dissolved, the internal relationship will appear.

Devotee: Is this eternal relationship always the same or can it be

changed, such as from vatsalya, parental loving affection, to madhura,
conjugal love, or from madhura to dasya, servitude?

Srila Guru Maharaj: That will be known gradually. When the

barrier, the cover, will be cleared, it will become revealed. That
separating wall will gradually fade and as it becomes thinner and
thinner the relationship will be conceived. It is a gradual process and
at first will be vague. When we will come to the stage of bhava-
bhakti— heart's Devotion—then it will come within our understanding
somewhat, and gradually will become clearer.

There are various stages leading to bhava: anartha-nivrtti, nistha,

ruci, asakti, then bhava. When devotion will reach the stage of bhava,
then of course that eternal relationship will appear to a certain extent
in a vague way. Then by a gradual process the definite identification,
the particular quality of attraction one will feel for Krsna, will become
clear. The attraction, the connection between the two, is intervened by
the foreign propensities of anyabhilasa, karmma, jfiana, etc. As that
barrier becomes thinner the nature of rasa as well as its depth and
intensity will gradually be disclosed. It is not vague or a product of the
imagination but it is more clear than the sun.

Devotee: When the Guru is here he engages us for something that

Krsna wants. But in the absence of our Guru we may do some
devotional service according to our own initiative. How do we
know whether Krsna actually wants that particular activity from
us?

Srila Guru Maharaj: Preferably we shall enquire from a Siksa-Guru

but if none is available then we shall try to ask our internal Guru:

"In such a case what may be required of me? My Master, please reveal
this." We shall have to make this appeal to our internal Caitttya-Guru
and proceed accordingly. Nahi kalyana-krt kascid durgatim tata
gacchati (Bg. 6.40): The sincere will have nothing about which to
repent. He who is sincere to his own self will have such dictation as
will help him to progress in his spiritual life. He will ask his Master
within, "In such a case what should please my Gurudeva? I shall do
that. As much as I can understand and feel I shall do." This sincere
internal approach will be the last resort, but if any outside Siksa-Gurus
are available we must consult with them.

Devotee: Sometimes Siksa-Gurus have differences of opinions.

Srila Guru Maharaj: In that case also we are to appeal to our own
inner Guru, "Please suggest to me which advice I should follow?
Please give me some internal suggestion otherwise what can I do?" If
any difference of opinion should come from the outside guides, then
in every case we are to make this appeal to our own conscience and
follow that dictation from within. If possible we shall go to another
recognized Siksa-Guru whom we can consult regarding these
differences of opinion. But if there also we fail, then we must appeal
to our internal Guru. There is no other alternative.

Devotee: I may ask the Caittya-Guru, the Guru within my heart, but
how shall I know whether the response is coming from the Guru or
only from my mind?

Srila Guru Maharaj: That will be according to our own realized

position. It may not be clear always, but we have no other alternative.
Ultimately it is up to our inner judge to decide: "I came to my
Gurudeva but my inner selection took me there. How did I leave my
previous environment and come to my Gurudeva? My internal guide
helped me to accept this person as Guru, so I cannot neglect that guide
within me."
If my dictator within has taken me to a true Guru then he is not a
traitor, so we can consult with him as a reliable friend.

Devotee: We are just neophyte devotees and so do not feel so pure as

to be able to communicate with the Caittya-Guru.

Srila Guru Maharaj: It is so and therefore it will be better, safer,

more helpful and easier if it is possible for us to secure a Siksa-Guru.
But in an extreme case when that is not possible, then we are to appeal
fervently to our own Guru within, the Caittya-Guru.
Also my own Divine Master may be living but if I am posted for duty
in a far away place and some urgent decision is required then what
shall I do? If an immediate decision is required and there is no time to
receive my Master's order I may appeal to my inner Guru and I shall
do that which I consider my Guru will be pleased to accept. I shall
take up my duty and work with the assertion, "This will please my
Gurudeva."
It is mentioned that one who has surrendered may not commit any
offence. If you are surrendered and then appeal, "What am I to do, my
Master? Please dictate to me," and do accordingly with sincerity, then
if it is wrong also, you are not to be a party to that wrong because you
did not consciously want to disobey the Guru—you tried your utmost
to obey him cent-per-cent. But you are not a perfect person, still, from
your position, as much as possible you have done and he will be
satisfied with that. He is all-knowing. He is omniscient and will see,
"He has tried his best."

So from our position we shall try our best and we will be rewarded
accordingly. But we must be cautious that within us there may not be
any insincerity, duplicity, or hypocrisy, for such things are self-
suicidal. Nahi kalyana-krt kascid durgatim tata gacchati (Bg. 6.40):
One who is sincerely trying for the good is never to be deceived. In
whatever plane we may live we must be true to our own self, to our
own conscience. To our own capacity we must be true to that plane,
and when we rise higher we must consider and follow the faith of our
new plane. We must not be insincere.
The dictation of Sri Guru is also similar in that he gives us some order
according to our stage of spiritual development. To one who is in a
lower stage he will give a particular order, to one in a higher stage he
will give another order, and one higher still will be given yet another.
He will give us orders according to our capacity, stage and nature;
otherwise it will be impossible for us to progress. So according to our
stage our duty should be attached and the results expected
accordingly: a man who has the capacity to lift a weight of ten
kilograms will not be instructed to lift a hundred.

Devotee: Sometimes we feel we have sincerity but later we realize

that the sincerity we had was only superficial.

Srila Guru Maharaj: Of course it may be possible in all cases to feel

in this way. We are to be dealt with according to our stage. A boy
should be given the standard of examination of a boy, not of a grown-
up man. The questions in a boys' examination will be of a different
standard than those for the adults. Gradually we will be taken to the
higher standard. Paroksa-vado vedo 'yam, balanam anusasanam
(Bhagavatam, 11.3.44). Just as a child is guided with some modified
policy, similarly that sort of process has been adopted in dealing with
ourselves.

Devotee: What should we do if sometimes the Guru should engage us

in service above our capacity or ability to perform?

Srila Guru Maharaj: If you think that the particular duty is beyond
your capacity you will simply inform Gurudeva, "It is very difficult
for me to do, and I do not think myself to be fit to efficiently
discharge this sort of duty. If I tell you this doubt in my mind then you
may wish to appoint some other service." But if he still says, "No, you
are to do this," then you will do as best you can. If you have faith,
considering him to be a real Guru then you can attempt to do that duty
the best you can. You must consider that he has some super-motive,
that some higher purpose will be served by engaging you in such
activity.

Devotee: This Krsna consciousness is very, very beautiful. The cult of

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is very sweet. Many people become attracted
by Krsna and by Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu but why after some
time do we find that some devotees lose their faith and go away?

Srila Guru Maharaj: The first thing it depends on is the intensity of

the sukrti of the devotee. And secondly is of course his free-will, his
independence. The circumstances will also have their effect. Every
action is the combined result of several factors. In Srimad Bhagavad-
gita we find:

pancaitani maha-baho, karanani nibodha me sankhye krtante

proktani, siddhaye sarvva-karmmanam
(Srimad Bhagavad-gita 18.13)

If we analyse any one event we will find that it is the combination of

different forces from different quarters. So generally we can consider
that the devotee's situation will depend on his previous initial merit,
his present free-will, the environment and the mercy of the Lord. His
free-will may cause him to commit Vaisnava-aparadha. And his
previous merit, sukrti, will tend to keep him floating at the standard he
previously acquired. By his free-will he may commit offences. Also
there is the free-will of the environment: the surrounding
paraphernalia may grant him their mercy. There are many contributory
factors.

Devotee: One of your Godbrothers told me that we are chanting Hare

Rama in the Mahamantra but we are not supposed to pronounce
'Rama.' He said this is not suddha, pure, but we should say 'Ram.' Is
this correct?

Srila Guru Maharaj: 'Rama' is the true pronunciation, but if one

says 'Ram' that does not mean it has no value—it will have some
effect. The internal feeling underlying the sound is more important
than the pronunciation. One may say Krsna, Kanai, or so many Names
but it depends mainly on the bhava, the internal realization and feeling
of the meaning of the word.
A child has a particular registered name. His mother may call him by a
sound not fully according to that word's pronunciation, but that does
not detract anything. Her affection is all in all. If a mother calls her
child by a name, the name may not be pronounced in the perfectly
correct way but the affection behind her calling his name is more
valuable. So whether we say 'Rama' or 'Ram' may not be considered to
be very important. The internal feeling with which the Name is taken
is of much greater relevance.

Devotee: Sometimes we introduce the Mahamantra to new persons

who have no idea or feeling about what or who is Rama and who is
Krsna. How should they pronounce the name Rama?

Srila Guru Maharaj: Naturally they should chant 'Rama,' not 'Ram,'
for that is the real pronunciation. If one pronounces it as 'Ram' that
does not mean that the whole thing is spoiled, but 'Rama' is the
grammatically correct pronunciation. Everything depends on the heart,
the feeling and the sincere dedication. The highest importance is your
earnestness of surrender. The child may call his father by the name
'Papa' or by any disfigured sound, but that is overlooked. The inner
earnestness is always to be reckoned.
Devotee: While introducing the chanting process to many new
persons we find that, because of some previous idea, some do not like
the Hare Krsna Mahamantra. Can we tell them something else such as
Govinda jaya jaya...?

Srila Guru Maharaj: That depends upon their stage of devotion, and
that is why you find a particular section will chant Govinda jaya jaya,
Govinda jaya jaya— but when asked to pronounce Hare Krsna they
show no enthusiasm.

Devotee: Our Guru Maharaj has instructed us to chant a minimum of

sixteen rounds daily. We are neophyte devotees and sometimes don't
have so much attraction for chanting sixteen rounds. What can we do
to become more attracted to chanting?

Srila Guru Maharaj: The most important thing is to engage in

service. Service of the Name and 'service of the Guru-Vaisnava are
almost equal but still to a certain extent the basis must be the service
of the Holy Name. Your Guru Maharaj introduced a daily minimum of
sixteen rounds, and our Guru Maharaj instructed that we must chant at
least four rounds per day on the main, the rosary. But this is a minor
difference because our Guru Maharaj wanted that we be very busily
engaged in the various services, but we must see that the mala does
not fast. Some sort of service must be done to her by way of chanting
at least four rounds daily. That was his instruction but he also
instructed that when one had the opportunity he could chant more and
more.

The general standard set by Mahaprabhu was not only sixteen rounds,
but four times sixteen which equals one lakh (100,000) Names. This is
particularly so for one who is not within the body of an organized
society and especially if he is living individually. When one is in an
organized body he always has orders from the superiors to do this and
that and thereby he engages in service; so the minimum quantity of
chanting becomes a little relaxed from the sixty four rounds. But in
the case of grhasthas, householders living separately from the main
body of devotees, they especially should chant one lakh of Names
daily. That is the general standard recommended by Mahaprabhu and
by our Guru Maharaj. But when one is in an organized body and is
required to do service running here and there, sometimes he is so busy
that he can't even find any opportunity to sleep in the night; in that
case he will try to chant at least four rounds. He is so busily engaged
that within twenty-four hours he is not taking any rest but still he is
required to chant a minimum of four rounds, whereas the general
recommendation is that one who lives individually as a grhastha
should chant at least one lakh of Names.

Mahaprabhu asked and advised us to purify ourselves with the help of

Divine Sound. But. the sound should be proper transcendental Krsna
consciousness; and in this kali yuga, the age of controversy, there will
be only the minimum demand from us for our purification. The word
kali comes from kalah meaning 'quarrel, controversy.' We are cautious
about everything: everyone thinks, "No, I won't accept anything
without some proof."

The mind is very suspicious, so we should take advantage of Divine

Sound. Only the very minimum demand is necessary from us, yet the
transformation which will occur in us will be very great. To have
some Sraddha, faith, is the minimum demand, the minimum
admission fee required of us: "If I do this, if I attend to this
sankirttana, the congregational chanting of the Holy Names of God,
then everything will be done." That underground faith must be there,
and it will help us. That sincere cooperation from the heart is
necessary for Krsna consciousness, and that can purify very quickly.
To have faith that this process of Krsna consciousness will purify us,
is the minimum demand. One must think, "If I attain this, everything
will be done." If such a sort of generous, wide conviction is there
within us along with a sincere mood of cooperation, then that can help
us very quickly. That 'cooperation' means cooperation with the Divine
Sound, the sound aspect of the Supreme. It is easily approachable for
the beginners, and from that many other aspects of the Infinite will
come to help us.

Beginning with the universal sound aspect, which is easily

approachable, other aspects will follow in its retinue, gradually. But
our faith must be heartfelt and sincere. "I am in difficulty, and this will
give real relief to all my troubles. It will put an end to all the troubles I
am experiencing now as well as any I am to experience in future. I am
a bona fide student of searching my own real inner interest. I must be
faithful to my own self. I feel that I am uneasy here in this world and I
must search for some home comfort. If I am sincere I know that the
way forward will be open to me, and that it is not difficult: it is there
in the sound aspect of the Supreme. That Greatest Reality is Himself
present also within the Divine Sound. This Divine Sound is not an
imaginary thing Even though to my present conception it is coming
and going appearing and disappearing, it is not a trifling, transient
thine. It is the Reality."
And for a beginner, that ear experience is a great thing. Sound carries
things from far away, and the ear can catch them. The eye-experience
is not able to see so far.

Chapter 11

Distributing Divinity

Mahaprabhu has issued a general order, "Whomever you meet, talk

with him only about Krsna."

yare dekha, tare kaha 'krsna'-upadesa amara ajnaya 'guru' hana tara
ei desa

"Whomever you find, talk with him only about Krsna. In that case, I
am your Guru." Mahaprabhu has given this most broad and wide
advice. The underlying feeling is, "Do relief work. All are in danger,
acute danger. So don't consider so many minor things but go on with
relief work and connect all fully with Krsna. The jaw of death is
devouring them—save them! Now they are in the human species, but
after death they may be lost in some other species. So, while their
heads are on the surface, try to hold them, otherwise they may dive
deep into the inner current and you won't be able to see them. From
the human species they may go down to another species and be lost
waiting there. There are so many different layers, but when they are
floating, their heads are seen above the water, catch them, save them,
otherwise at the next moment they may go down under the water and
they will be lost without trace. So wherever you find them, somehow
connect them with Krsna. Try to give them that connection. It is so
urgent: 'Take the Name Krsna - always! You can have no plea of, I am
taking food, or, 'I am going to sleep.'"

Our Guru Maharaj wanted the continuous attempt. He said, "While

taking food, or going to bed, doing anything or going anywhere, keep
connection with Krsna. Only try to keep His connection." Our
connection with Krsna is so urgent. What a valuable life that is, and
where are we?—in the jaws of mortality! So, everyone needs to be
saved. Save them. Do relief work. In this general activity no specific
order is necessary. It is a general thing; it is common sense in the
devotional school and by this process you will be helped yourself.
You will be able to keep yourself from sinking just as by the
movement of one's hands and feet one can keep himself floating on
water—it is something like that. Kirttana will help you in that way. So
try to practise Krsna consciousness, any time and every time, to
anyone and everyone.

There is an article in which our Guru Maharaj addressed his disciples:

vipada uddharana bandhu-gana: "You are my saviours. You are all
saviours to me in my danger; in the real danger of my life." He
addressed his disciples in such a way: "You are all my saviours. You
have given me support. You have come to hear me, and so I have the
chance of kirttana, Krsna-kirttana. So you have come to save me. You
are supplying food to me, otherwise I would have died without
engagement. In this eternal atmosphere we are helpless without the
cultivation of Krsna consciousness. You have all come to give me
engagement in Krsna-kirttana and so you have come to save me from
my dangerous position."
He addressed his disciples in such a way. It is so deep, "You are all
my friends, you have come to release me from my danger; to save me
from my danger."

He saw his disciples in such a great way—and this is reality. So

Krsna-kirttana is the only life-giving, life-saving thing in this world.
Without Krsna consciousness the souls are going down deeper into the
unknown quarter.

Srila Guru Maharij (to a devotee): You have returned here to the
Math after taking the Name of Krsna throughout the world! Krsna-
kirttana was so dear to our Guru Maharaj, and especially to carry
Krsna consciousness to the West. His incarnation at this time was
mainly meant for that—to take it to the Western civilization.

Devotee: In the countries where I preach, the law says that everybody
has to have a job, therefore the devotees are all working. In addition to
their regular work they also do puja and so on. Sometimes they say it
is becoming 'mechanical'—their puja, sadhana, lectures, etc. are
becoming mechanical. So their question is, how to keep everything in
such a way that it is fresh?

Srila Guru Maharaj: How can it be mechanical? 'Mechanical' will

be that which is ordered by the government. Physically we are to
observe that, but our inner tendency will be towards the worship. Then
how can that be mechanical? That is real, and the mechanical thing
will be the outer show which the government requires of us.
When Mahaprabhu began His sankirttana preaching mission, at that
time the two brothers Rupa and Sanatana were engaged in the service
of the king in Gauda-desa. They were very high scholars and studied
the Scriptures. Sanatana found that the time for the Yuga-avatara, the
Lord's incarnation for kali-yuga to preach Nama-sankirttana was
drawing near. So he was alert: "Has that incarnation appeared? And
where?" Then when he heard that in Nabadwip Nama-sankirttana, the
preaching of the Holy Name, was already begun by Sri Chaitanyadeva
as Gauranga, he could trace that the Avatara, the incarnation of the
Lord, must have come there, and that Gauranga was that Avatara.
Then he wrote a letter to Mahaprabhu: "We are fallen souls and are
engaged in the management of this government which is anti-Hindu.
We are engaged in such a position, and outwardly we are affected by
this influence. So what will be our future?"

Mahaprabhu replied to them with a letter, in which he wrote:

para-vyasanim nan vyagrapi grha'karmmasu tad evasvadayaty antar

nava-sanga-rasayanam
(Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya 1.211)

"A married lady who has love and affection for another gentleman
may be seen to be always engaged in her household activities but her
heart always realizes, or tastes, the company of that person whom she
loves. Though outwardly she is seen to be very busy with household
work, at heart she's always enjoying the company of her beloved.
(Similarly, outwardly you may be captured and may be seen to be
busy in the association of the government's activities, but your heart is
not there. It is searching something, and it is receiving the benefit of
the association of that inner substance.)"

So others cannot capture our heart; they can control our physical
activity, but whenever we shall do something in the form of worship,
of Harinama, our heart will go there. So how can that be mechanical?
The mechanical side will be the outer side; and the sincere side will be
the inner. The man is inside. The man proper is not found in his forced
activity. Generally also ordinary men do like that: they outwardly
show their cooperation and show that they are not interfering with
politics, but internally the heart cannot be captured by anyone. The
devotee's heart will go towards the Lord.
Of course when great personages like Christ, Mohammed, or Sri
Chaitanyadeva Himself come for the good of the public, they preach
openly, thus causing disturbance to the existing order and there is
some clash; they cross over that and are victorious. But as far as
ordinary people are concerned, the government does not generally
challenge them or interfere in their private affairs. But when preaching
from a centre where there is the sort of inspiration, "You fight with the
external circumstances and establish this particular creed and thereby
save the people," in this case there will be some difficulty. There it
will be necessary to fight with any anti-party. But for the private
individual's practising life that is not necessary.

Devotee: In some countries the devotees are not allowed to preach.

They are allowed to worship in their houses, but outside they are not
allowed to preach, so what do you recommend for them so that they
may advance in spiritual life?
Srila Guru Maharaj: To do whatever is possible—to make the best
of a bad bargain—that should be the policy. Whatever is possible to
do, you should take that advantage inside the house. Later, if the Lord
wishes, favourable circumstances will come and then you will push
out. At present, you alone cannot fight with them in this respect, so as
much as possible, you will do it inside. But if the Lord wishes for
preaching there outside. He will give you favourable circumstances
and then you can go out. Otherwise save yourself first, and do as
much as possible within the circumstances with the policy of 'making
the best of a bad bargain.' When the special will of the Lord will come
to devour the whole and change the people's hearts wholesale, then the
circumstances will be otherwise; but at present first save yourself, and
then do as much as is possible to make progress, and be satisfied with
that. Just fighting is not necessary, but to keep up the very life, that is
necessary. The fire, the spark is there; when it will be in a favourable
environment it will be transformed into a conflagration. The spark
must be maintained.

Devotee: So, how can we maintain the fire?

Srila Guru Maharaj: In your heart; and whomever you find to be

favourable, you can spread it to them, but in a restricted way, not very
boldly asserting or pushing onwards. Keeping within that limited
boundary do as much as possible without inviting the outward clear
fight. And don't enter into politics.

As much as possible, you must try. But that means to be prepared to

risk everything, and to die, to be a martyr. But to actually fight is not
necessary. As much as possible you will follow yukta-vairagya, the
middle path. Yukta-vairagya means not a clear, external fight, but to
go on, to maintain everything in a consonance, in harmony with the
external circumstances. And whenever you get any chance to advance,
capture it—in this way you should go on.
So, 'wait and see,' and do your duty. Don't rush ahead forcefully or
hastily otherwise your energy will be wasted: the higher quality
energy will be wasted in a lower class of fight. The higher quality
substance will be wasted. Though actually it is not really wasted, but
for the time being it will be checked. No energy used in service is
wasted.

nehabhikrama-naso 'sti, pratyavayo na vidyate svalpam apy asya

dharmasya, trayate mahato bhayat
(Srimad Bhagavad-gita 2.40)

"Even a small beginning in this devotional service cannot go in vain,

nor can any loss be suffered. The most insignificant practice of such
devotional service saves one from the all-devouring fear of repeated
birth and death in this world."

Still, the best policy is not to invite any fight, but to approach in a
mild way, ready to make the best of a bad bargain. Otherwise, if you
go directly to attack, you will be killed or imprisoned. But that is also
one type of policy! One may be imprisoned, but also because of one's
incarceration the atmosphere may change. Or, if one is murdered like
Christ, then some influence may also come out of such a life-
sacrificing position. That also we find, but that is an extreme step.
We want the middle course. We will wait and see, and take any good
chance to advance, but not waste our energy in the first fight. This is
the policy. One who wants victory won't be very rash but he will be
very diplomatic—sometimes coming back, sometimes making
progress, and sometimes taking a firm stand. So, military force is not
all, but the strategy and tactics have their position.

One kind of policy also is that the military may attack the enemy from
another side. Similarly in your preaching duties you may try to make
some progress where there is not so much restriction from the
authorities. Then if those people should accept your preaching
propositions they will become strong, and the opposition will be
influenced from that direction. We won't go to attack from this side,
but if it is more suitable to attack from the other side, or from the rear,
then we can prepare our army there. So, instead of going immediately
to capture a particular section, you may preach somewhere else within
that region. The influence will gradually spread until it reaches the
neighbours of that section and ultimately they themselves will be
influenced a little later.
It is also not necessary that our attention for preaching be drawn
specifically to a certain section. There are so many people to be
helped. When I was in Madras some people came and said, "Oh, you
do not help the diseased people and the poor. You do not attend any
hospital or any death-bed, but if they die, to whom will you preach?
What is your answer?"
I answered, "Suppose there is a famine and some food is given by the
government. If I am distributing that to so many people all around
who are begging food but one man runs away, should I stop my
distribution and run after him? or, because there are so many people
here, shall I continue distributing? There is no want of people to
receive the distribution—there is a whole throng, so should I stop
distributing?"

Similarly everywhere there are so many souls to receive our

preaching. They are needy, and leaving them we shall not go to
dogmatically seek a particular section and only run after them, for that
has no value. Needy persons are everywhere—there is no dearth of
people to receive what we have, even if it is only a little. You have the
duty to distribute devotion to the public, but thereis no dearth of
recipients. Everywhere on every side of you there is demand, so you
can go on distributing where it is necessary and favourable—not that
leaving a particular group who are demanding, you will select one
particular place only and go there. Only if your energy is overflowing,
then you can go. Otherwise there are so many places where you can
distribute Krsna consciousness, so utilize yourself there—that is to
make the best of a bad bargain. And if you find some evil influence,
some anti-party coming to cause disturbance to your preaching of
nectar, then you will oppose them but only as much as is possible
within your power.

We are to follow the middle path, just as in the case of vairagya,

renunciation, we follow yukta-vairagya. Too much renunciation will
waste our energy, and too much indulgence is also a waste of energy,
therefore we are advised to follow the middle path, and that is called
yukta-vairagya.
naty asnatas tu yogo 'sti, na caikantam-anasnatah na cati-svapna-
silasya, jagrato naiva carjjuna
(Srimad Bhagavad-gita 6.16)

"Oh Arjjuna, yoga practice is impossible for anyone who overeats,

undereats, oversleeps, or undersleeps."

The middle path has been recommended: too much of anything is to

be left aside. If one attempts to live without sleep or without food, that
is bad; and too much food, or too much sleep is also bad. We are
advised to accept the middle path, and that will be more progressive
and fruitful. So to 'make the best of a bad bargain' should be the
policy. We are not to specifically invite a fight, and also we are not to
only avoid it. The middle course will always be helpful for us. We are
not to lose our energy, to waste it only for fighting, but it is necessary
for us to give the positive thing and engage our energy there. If we can
give a thing to the left side, why should we be determined to go to the
right side and thereby waste our energy? Our business will be to give,
to distribute the nectar, and we shall have no stubbornness to
distribute nectar on the right side only. If any opposition comes, we
can go to the left side and distribute there.

Distribution of nectar and saving people is our object of life and not to
concentrate on, or be biased towards, a particular group. Wherever and
however we get the facility, by that way we shall go. If a particular
route is considered to be dangerous, than we shall go by another,
neither wasting our energy nor the opportunity.
So yukta-vairagya, the middle course, is to make the best of a bad
bargain. It means neither inviting a fight nor avoiding it, but taking the
middle course. According to our capacity we will be able to face the
opposition. But merely love of opposing is not necessary. We should
have no prejudice for anything. Unprejudiced we shall only engage in
the positive line—in that way we shall move. We should live for the
positive interest, and not for the love of any negative things such as,
"1 love to fight with the enemies." To fight with the enemies, that is
one thing, and to distribute nectar to the public at large is another. In
order to do that, you must first know the proper conception and all the
circumstances yourself, and only then try to give that to others. No
false representation will be helpful, so first be sure of your knowledge,
then distribute it. 'Half-truth is more dangerous than a falsehood.'

In only twelve years Swami Maharaj did such a miracle. It is

inconceivable. What he has done is more than a miracle. So, I say it is
was not his power, but inspired by some higher agency he did it. That
is also his credit, that he could invite the higher help. He had such
great hankering for preaching—any time and every time. What
Mahaprabhu came here for, that is the best necessity of everyone. So
any engagement for any purpose other than to preach the doctrine of
Mahaprabhu is not only a waste of energy, but it is a loss for the
whole population.-The fittest thing necessary for all time to come and
for everyone is Krsna consciousness; Krsna's connection. To try to
connect whoever you come across with Krsna is the highest benefit of
everyone. And without that, whatever engagement we shall do will not
only be a loss of energy but disservice to the people by drawing their
attention to some bogus enterprise—it is bad and injurious. So only
give connection with Krsna, the Infinite Lover, the beloved Absolute.
Try to give everyone connection with Him.

Chapter 12

Our Greatest Wealth

If I show myself to be a soldier but always try to remain within the

fort then 1 am not a soldier. But still, to be a soldier for Mahaprabhu,
to preach His mission we must be careful. "Before going to attend a
seriously diseased patient, if we are not strong but are feeling some
weakness, then we are to intimate, to our Master: "This is my situation
and if you think it appropriate, for the time being you may change my
field of service." But we also shall have to keep in mind that we will
need to become sufficiently strong in order to be able to attend to that
type of serious patient. If we are preachers, the patients may be
prostitutes, dacoits or wealthy men but still we shall have to approach
them for the service of Krsna, and we must be bold enough and
healthy enough for that duty. At the same time we must not be
trespassers and on the way take tilings that are meant for Krsna, for
that will make us traitors—unfaithful servants.

kiba va karite pare, kama krodhe sadhakere

yadi haya sadhu-janara sanga

Narottama Dasa Thakur said, "If we have the favour of the great
personages then what can such types of temptation do to us? They
can't do anything. If we work under our guardian and he is very
careful, very strong and very judicious then no temptation can do any
harm to us." This attitude is the key to the success of life. Generally,
according to our capacity we shall try to move in this way, and at the
same time we shall keep in our mind that to attain to our highest
position it is necessary to be able to deal with all the serious things,
even the most serious, otherwise there will be some defect in us.
Wholesale conversion must come within us that we are servitors and
not masters. This is the case with fame also. Name and fame,
pratistha, is the most subtle, most dangerous enemy. It is the highest
enemy and at the same time it is the most subtle. Pratistha, to take
name, fame and credit for one's own self without giving it to
Gurudeva, is the greatest enemy there is and it is very difficult to
detect.
Three things in particular are very dangerous for the devotees: kanak,
kamini and pratistha —money, women and fame.

Devotee: How can we detect pratistha within ourselves?

Srila Guru Maharaj: That comes with the development of internal

perfection and our continuous thankfulness to Gurudeva. It is
necessary to understand and feel that everything comes from above: "I
have nothing. I have no position and therefore my present situation
always depends on the mercy of my Gurudeva. It may be withdrawn
from me at any moment. Whatever I may have is not a fixed thing in
me. It is not as a matter of right but is only extended grace in me. The
moment it is withdrawn I am nowhere. It is all Krsna's svarupa-sakti. I
am tatastha-sakti and have no capital. I am working on the capital of
my Master. I have no capital of my own." We must be able to remain
on such a plane of thinking and realize that, "Without His help,
without His grace, I am in darkness. My fate is dark. As long as He
extends His grace in me I can see. If the light is withdrawn, the eye is
helpless." We are to realize the position that it is not our birth-right.
By our birth we are tatastha-sakti, marginal potency, and whatever we
have found, it is the gracious extension of svarupa-sakti in us. Our
Guru and the Vaisnavas are the proprietors. It is their wealth and
property; it all belongs to them.

At the same time it never occurs that the Guru and Vaisnavas
withdraw their grace from the faithful. Such cruel activity can never
be seen, rather they are busy to extend their circle and they never
withdraw; that is our solace, our consolation. But it is not a matter of
right that we can make some demand. There must be no demand and
no challenge. The challenging spirit towards the Vaisnavas must be
eliminated for ever. We are living on their grace, their Prasada.
Uddhava said to the Lord:

tvayopabhukta-srag-gandha-vaso' lankara-carccitah
ucchista-bhojino dasas, tava mayam jayema hi

"Adorned with the articles that have been offered to You, such as
garlands, fragrant clothing, and ornaments, we. Your personal
servitors who partake of Your holy remnants alone, will certainly be
able to conquer Your illusory energy (Maya)." And Lord Krsna in
Gita. said,

yajna-sistasinah santo, mucyante sarvva-kilbisaih

bhunjate te tv agham papa, ye pacanty atma-karanat
(Srimad Bhagavad-gita 3.13)

"Saintly persons who partake of the remnants of sacrifice become

liberated from all the sins arising from the five kinds of violence to
living beings. But those who cook for their own consumption, those
sinners eat only sin."
We are entitled only to taste the remnants left by the Vaisnavas. We
are to accept those remnants and continue our lives in that way
without any rights or demands. This is similar to Aryyan sanskrti,
Indian custom. Hindu law gives no rights or position to the females.
The whole right is with the men and nothing with the women, but by
their affection and serving spirit the women hold the whole
respect—the key to all respect. They have the respect of the son and
the affection of the husband, and they enjoy like anything.

By the law of the society, externally no rights have been given to the
mother, wife or daughter, yet the ladies hold a peculiar and very
venerable position in the eyes of society.
Pita raksati kaumare, bhartta raksati yauvane. Here Manu explains
that during early age the father will protect the females, during youth
the husband will protect them, and in old age the son will protect
them. Though externally having no rights, they draw respect from
society more than a goddess does.

In a similar way the potency of Krsna, His servitors, hold such a

position in relation to Him. They have no external right and do not
care for any. They are His, but only through the power of affection
and loving service they command the whole. The potency aspect of
Krsna does not want any right, force or power, yet they have the
subdemost power: the power of affection, the power of love, the
power of service, and that is considered to be the highest power ever
known to the world. Give up your legal power or any physical power;
the Sakti (potency) is such that it does not care for that.
The respected Asutosh Mukherji was several times wanted by the
government to go to England but his mother did not give permission.
He therefore told them, "My mother does not allow me to go to any
foreign country therefore I cannot go."

There are many examples of a mother controlling her son. Taking the
feet dust of the mother, the son feels he can do anything and
everything. Affection and love have such power, such value!
Therefore Mahaprabhu says, "To give this and that to God is self-
deception. Give love. Love of Krsna, Prema, is everything; it is all in
all. You are spending money and giving your physical energy in so
many ways, but love is the real essence of any existence, so offer that
to the Lord and through that come to the plane of love that surrounds
Him."
God takes the form of Krsna in the plane of love and that is the most
fundamental and the most subtle plane behind all this variegated
creation. So come to that plane, try to penetrate into that plane where
God is Krsna, and where the paraphernalia is Vrndavana. Anyhow try
to have admission in that plane and you will find there the happiest
form of life.

Mercy is more beautiful than justice. We cannot think of blaming the

spirit of justice, but at the same time we cannot deny that there is
mercy over justice. But one who can extend mercy over justice must
have such power that he is able to give due compensation. The Lord
has such power of compensation. Krsna is such an aspect of the Lord.
He can give mercy through love and affection, and by any means we
want to live in that environment. Mahaprabhu came to show that to be
the plane for which we should strive. And Bhaktivinoda Thakur said,
"In no time the intelligentsia of the world will come to understand that
this is the highest conception of attainment of all humans as well as of
everything else in the whole of creation. The intelligentsia cannot be
misguided for long by so many other proposals of the highest
attainment which are only giving partial achievement. Many things are
going on in religion in the name of the highest solution of our life, but
what Mahaprabhu has given very soon .will be detected by the
intelligentsia of the world, and all will flock to the banner of Sri
Chaitanyadeva and will sing the glory of Mahaprabhu and Krsna."
What do you think? Do you think that it is very laudable and tastful?
Our Srila Prabhupad began that Mission and Sripad Bhaktivedanta
Swami Maharaj has actually firmly established and propagated it
widely. I am growing old and our generation is almost finished. Now
you are all to participate and fully develop what they have begun.

Sri Chaitanya Saraswath Math

Kolerganj,P.O. Nebadwip, District Nadia
West Bengal, Pin 741302, India