Srila B. R. Madhusudan Maharaj. 20 December 2017. Gupta Govardhan


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Srila Bhakti Ranjan Madhusudan Maharaj

(20 December 2017. Gupta Govardhan)

   

vandehaṁ śrī-guroḥ śrī-yuta-pada-kamalaṁ śrī-gurūn vaiṣṇavāś cha
ś
rī-rūpaṁ sāgrajātaṁ saha-gaṇa-raghunāthānvitaṁ taṁ sa-jīvam
sādvaitaṁ sāvadhūtaṁ parijana-sahitaṁ kṛṣṇa-chaitanya-devaṁ
ś
rī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pādān saha-gaṇa-lalitā-śrī-viśākhānvitāś cha

oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā
chakṣur unmilitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ

gurvvābhīṣṭa-supūrakaṁ guru-gaṇair āśīṣa-saṁbhūṣitaṁ
chintyāchintya-samasta-veda-nipuṇaṁ śrī-rūpa-panthānugam
govindābhidham ujjvalaṁ vara-tanuṁ bhakty anvitaṁ sundaraṁ
vande viśva-guruñ cha divya-bhagavat-premṇo hi bīja-pradam

devaṁ divya-tanuṁ suchanda-vadanaṁ-bālārka-chelāñchitaṁ
sāndrānanda-puraṁ sad-eka-varanaṁ vairāgya-vidyāmbudhim
śrī-siddhānta-nidhiṁ subhakti-lasitaṁ sārasvatānām varaṁ
vande taṁ śubhadaṁ mad-eka-śaraṇaṁ nyāsīśvaraṁ śrīdharam

śrī-siddhānta-sarasvatīti vidito gauḍīya-gurv-anvaye
bhāto bhānuriva prabhāta-gagane yo gaura-saṅkīrtanaiḥ
māyāvāda-timiṅgilodara-gatān uddhṛtya jīvanimān
kṛṣṇa-prema-sudhābdhi-gāhana-sukhaṁ prādāt prabhuṁ taṁ bhaje

vāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś cha kṛpā-sindhubhya eva cha
patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ

Jay Saparikara Sri Sri Guru-Gauranga Radha-Madhava-Sundarjiu ki jaya!

Jay Sri Giri Govardhan ki jaya!

Jay Saparikara Sri Guru-Gauranga Gandharva Rasa Bihari ki jaya!

So, we are in Thailand. Almost winter evening. Everyone has his hat on. And I have my hat too. Everybody has his hat, a coat and its winter has come. Winter has come. Kali-yuga has come. But we are in a Dham, in a place where there is the Lord and the devotees and this is a place where hari-katha is taken place every day, the congregation of chanting the holy names is taken place every day, food is offered to the Deities and distributed to the devotees and guests. Everyday seva is going on.

So, we must remember that the Holy Dham is not only the specific place that we here in India but the Holy Dham is wherever we have the genuine association of the devotees and the genuine programme where the Lord himself is present. And we must try to live our life in these places in the same way the people lived their life if we were in Navadwip or we were in Govardhan or Vrindavan and Puri which those are the main places in India for us, for the Gaudiya Vaishnavas and us in particular our family. But in the world, we have these beautiful ashrams, these beautiful places, beautiful opportunities all over the world. Maybe not densely in every street corner quiet but there are so many places around the world where you have the opportunity to meet with devotees to get some introduction what is the devotional service not only introduction jump in with two feet saying, “Yes, I want to serve.” I understand my life is for this for whole this world is crazy but the Vaishavas, the substance of Vaishnavism. Those Vaishnavism is not crazy because they are doing something very substantial in their life.

So Gurudev, Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj is given us this opportunity of the association and throughout the weeks in the months, in the years gradually becoming that we are seeing first hand so many communities, so many ashrams, actual temples, properties, retreats, yoga centres, they say it tea ceremony centres for introducing Vaishnavism and all kinds of varied ways.

And we are seeing that enthusiasm of the devotees, we see that the distribution of the glories of the Holy Name and the distribution of the unique glories of, sometimes we say, the holy trinity. Maybe not the right description in one sense but in another sense the trinity of Srila Guru Maharaj, Srila Shridhar Maharaj, and Srila Prabhupad (Srila Swami Maharaj). These three great personalities we have got the guidance of these three if some of us in scriptural way and some of us in the guardianship way maybe in one directed initiation and guardianship way maybe with one, maybe with two, maybe with three. And all of us have got the connection with him through one of these ways or through the next generation which means that everybody coming in next generation are fortunate. Because you have good guidance of this line you have got the connection in this line and to everyone who taking the shelter you all have got the very generous grandfather Gurus. And so, the grandfather Guru Gurudev used to say about his own disciple used to say, “Mm, I’m giving them connecting, but I know that really Guru Maharaj is there, this is his humility”, he said. Guru Maharaj is a grandfather and the grandfather is always more generous, more kind to grandchildren than the parents. So we are all within this sweet family connected substantially, substantially in the descending current of the Holy Name and substantially in the line of service where we are getting some service opportunity. And this service opportunity maybe is as simple as in our homes; we all are busy every day at work, etc. But in our homes before we eat, we’re cooking for Krishna and offering it to Krishna through Guru which immediately goes through them, Guru-parampara to Krishna.

So, this way our connection, our seva is continuing, our connection with the Holy Name which we have received it this continuing and the guidance of the what to do and what not to do, what conception to develop what could be the caution of this guidance is given Srila Bhakti Saraswati Thakur, Srila Sridhar Maharaj, Srila Prabhupad, Srila Govinda Maharaj to our present time. This guidance is coming to us.

And we actually have to be grateful for everything. If somehow, we had falling into other association, we see how dangerous the world is. The spiritual seekers world is. Those who are coming for some fulfillment thinking, “Oh, I want to practice spiritual life and I understand this world is a mess, yes. Even if I understand Mahaprabhu and Nityananda, maybe we are reading Chaitaniya-charitamrita, but the world is still very dangerous place where we can be easily misguided.” We can hear things which are going to shake our devotional life very substantially if we go to here from the wrong places. Gurudev gave us very clearly and good guidance and disregard and Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad, of course, he tried to keep everyone only to listen to him because how can he say only listen to him and to Guru Maharaj. That was another point. Guru Maharaj is the one who brought it to devotees too in order to be polished. Srila Prabhupad said, “I’m bringing royal jewels and I’m bringing them to you for polishing and making those rubies and sapphires and all these things which are polished and ready.”

So Srila Prabhud was also trying to keep everybody’s attention into one place so they could not have danger of hearing apa-siddhanta, wrong conceptions, wrong ideas and so many wrong teachings are happening in the world. And even in the department of right teaching where we are getting some introduction, we are getting some connection and etc, etc. Then we want to try to come where we see the most secularly presented and the development of the presentation of those teachings. So, we feel when we are very clearly with our family. Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad, he has brought the message of Mahaprabhu and Nityananda. He has brought the message of Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur, his Gurudev, all over the world. He has, as Srila Gurudev said, his blasted tunnel through the mountains into the western world and through that tunnel he is coming. Govinda Maharaj said that Srila Prabhupad said about that tunnel, “I’m coming through that tunnel.” And wherever I’m going getting such a great perception and this is all due to the preaching and presentation of the Krishna consciousness from Srila Prabhupad. Srila Prabhupad, he in a very short time brought the western devotees from no understanding one access to any understanding to this line of devotional service and to carry them from 1965 and essentially starting in 1966 through to 1977, eleven years. And if we read Prabhupada-lilamrita or the short version… Then if you read that biography of Srila Prabhupad you see the amazing things he did and how he tolerated so many things but always firing the devotional fire like a spark, firing this spark, making this spark coming to the fire and make that becoming substantial. And Srila Prabhupad did such amazing thing so that the whole world knew Hare Krishna.

But everybody knows that ten years, eleven years from the very oldest of the mission it is still considered as young if you like. Eleven-year-old child is still in need of some care and attention for the future. So, the devotees who are fortunate they understood, many devotees understood Srila Prabhupad said because Srila Prabhupad openly said how he considered Srila Shridhar Maharaj he is shiksha-guru. What to speak of the benefit that other can have through this association and he openly brought his senior devotees to Guru Maharaj for learning how to play the mridanga, how to sing the songs, the various practices of devotional practices and here through Guru Maharaj. This is how the devotees got to know the tune of the different songs which are made and composed and giving to us by Bhaktivinod Thakur, Narotam Das Thakur and etc.

And so, the fortunate one sense they were able to take shelter in the heart they were able to come to take shelter, continual shelter of senior Vashnavas of the Guru-varga time, Vaishnavas. And after Srila Prabhupad passed away then the devotees who come now to Srila Prabhupad to ask questions and etc. They are coming to Srila Shridhar Maharaj to ask questions to continue the shelter of the Vaishnava, to continue to be under the shelter of the Vaishnava and to continue the progress of devotional life. It is not a static thing.

And of course, as we see from the publication book “Sri Guru and His Grace” so many questions naturally came up after the disappearance of Srila Prabhupad because Srila Prabhupad has always been there. Guru had always been there. Everyone was focused on Srila Prabhupad. And so, we see so many questions which are one sort of the evident until after Srila Prabhupad passed away then how to deal with the separation of Guru, how to see where we can safely get the guidance what will be our attitude and all these different things, how we will continue. And from those serious questions from the devotees to Srila Guru Maharaj to Srila Sridhar Maharaj, then the book “Sri Guru and His Grace” which is compiled by Srila Bhakti Sudhir Goswami Maharaj and Sripad Mahayogi then that book came out as a great necessity and spiritual life saver for the countless devotees all over the world.

Whether they came to like officially joined our mission or not, it is been a life saver for devotees to be able continue in the practices in the faith in the cultivation of the devotional service. And throughout that time when we were in the association, the direct association of Srila Sridhar Maharaj from the very early days not weeks even we were from the very early days being in Navadwip with Srila Guru Maharaj, Srila Sridhar Maharaj. It was very clearly that he was a right-hand man, and being a right-hand man is not enough to say that, but you can say his right-hand man was Srila Govinda Maharaj, Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Maharaj. And Govinda Maharaj, he was our access to Srila Guru Maharaj. He lets us know when we can come, he’s introducing us to Guru Maharaj he is making us all feel like at home and all these things and it is through Srila Govinda Maharaj that we’ve come to Guru Maharaj in a personal way, one to one. And Srila Guru Maharaj then he gave everything evidently spiritually we are talking about in this sense. He gave everything to Srila Govinda Maharaj and so much in during the last couples of years before Guru Maharaj disappeared from this world, then so much he emphasized, I gave “I’m giving everything to Govinda Maharaj. You follow Govinda Maharaj. Do you understand?” Like this.

And I was there when Gurudev received sannyas from Guru Maharaj and I was directly there when Guru Maharaj gave the Acharya chair to Govinda Maharaj. And I was there mostly from Srila Guru Maharaj’s Vyasa-puja of 1987 until he’s passing away almost in 1988. And during that time everybody who came to Guru Maharaj whether new for the first time they are coming some distant place or whether established devotees, and Srila Goswami Maharaj was conformed that he himself how Guru Maharaj was taking him, by the shoulders shaking, saying, “Do you understand? I gave everything to Govinda Maharaj, you follow Govinda Maharaj.” He’s shaking him by the shoulders, shaking him in affectionate way, holding and shaking. He can give a personal description of this.

And to everybody Guru Maharaj is emphasizing that Gurudev is taking the rather spiritually for the management of the Math for everything he is going to take rather but he would be there for us, and Govinda Maharaj was there for us. During Guru Maharaj’s time and there for us in the separation from Guru Maharaj all the way to the recent times directly we could be with him and were woth him and of course still with us in the invisible way. But I mentioned these three—Srila Prabhupad in brief how he’s brought this everything out of the confined India to the whole world. Srila Guru Maharaj has been there all the way through and has given support to Srila Prabhupad and has given support to devotees of Srila Prabhupad brought and he is always been there for those who want to come to hear from him, to take shelter than he’s always been there. And he has developed and continued what Srila Prabhupad himself had done if he had been here another eleven years if you like from 1977 to 1988 on the planet. Some of the things that Srila Prabhupad would develop and continue of course the specific and unique contribution Guru Maharaj is his own particular contribution.

And don’t forget Srila Prabhupad saying of Guru Maharaj, “I consider him as my shiksha-guru, my instructing Guru, what to speak of the benefit you all can get from his association.” And then Srila Govinda Maharaj continuing that and Srila Govinda Maharaj it presenting Srila Prabhupad and Srila Sridhar Maharaj. And Govinda Maharaj was very able to look at himself if you like to be in a third person and looking at himself, he said. And in some ways, I’m more like Swami Maharaj in his kind of a generous way. Guru Maharaj is extremely generous but Guru Maharaj was born in a Brahmin family and very high rated Brahmin family not just by name but by activity and etc. So more difficult for Guru Maharaj mixes with the western devotees.

But Srila Gurudev was very flexible and very flexible and also coming from similar standard Brahmin family. But everyone has a different nature. And Srila Govinda Maharaj, he was quite fluent and flexible with the western devotees and even trying to do some of the things the western devotees do just to make them feel comfortable. Before going to one of the world tours just the day before he’s having his breakfast, “Oh, I’m off to mlechchha-desh”. And he said, “Now I’m off to mlechchha-desh.” In India everybody eats with the right hand for sure there’s no question for eating and Gurudev picked up something on his plate with his left hand and put it into his mouth. “I am getting ready for going to the West.” Then everyone felt comfortable. Gurudev, he has Guru Maharaj, his everything, his siddhanta, his depth, he is the one who has clarified what Guru Maharaj gave. He has made access to what Guru Maharaj gave and he has given us service connection and the name connection to Guru Maharaj.

But he is also making more available all corners of the world. North, South, East, West. “North Pole to South Pole,” as Gurudev would say. “From North Pole to South Pole.” But maybe almost the Pole, maybe Arctic Circle and Antarctic Circle or somewhere nearby. So we were saying in the beginning how we’ve got temples, ashrams, centers representing the teaching, the representing these three personalities in particular.

This is the shelter of our family, our foundation shelter of our family. And it is a great fortune when we buy by chance by luck by whatever it is, you won the lottery whatever it is, how it is. It is a great fortune if we come to this kind of a treasure. A safe place to make our spiritual life strong, not only strong, but to make it so that we can make this life successful. It is very easy. Sometimes you can say, “Oh, I just want to do good,” and then will go back home or something like this.

But gradually we understand the need for Guru, gradually we understand the need for how to chant the Holy Name. We need some service, we need some conception so that we’re going the right direction and not the wrong direction and we need to be protected from hearing things which is completely going to disturb others. I mean going to come to disturb our mind caused by others. And that danger is always there in the general outside area where maybe many people who are very qualified in the sense of no hundreds or even thousands of Sanskrit verses make strong debate this side and the other. But the conception of service, the conception of Mahabraphu and Nityananda, the conception of Bhakti Saraswati Thakur is not present. Like we meet so many people in India, they are like: “Oh, I worship Krishna.” They have not heard about Nityananda, not heard of Gauranga. And in general, we have a family Guru but they are just more or less little bit of a formality. But if we’ve not heard about Mahaprabhu, if we’ve not heard about Nityananda, then where is our Krishna consciousness in his age of Kali, Kali-yuga.

That’s for those even who you can say oh they’re Vaishnavas and they’ve got some pictures in the house maybe Deities or any kind it would be but you see famous in India was Mirabai. So many people going to Mirabai, she was—if not a queen, she was a princess maybe, a queen, I’m not sure exactly her history—but she was like a wealthy lady and she renounced everything and became lady monk, lady renouncing something in Vrindavan, famous for singing the songs about Krishna. But she didn’t give any attention for the Vaishnavas. And as far as I know about Nitai and Gauranga whether she knew anything or not I do not know but Guru Maharaj uses her as an example that somebody may appear to have so much faith and devotion to Krishna. But the substantial part it has not yet taken a root within them some preliminary understanding that Krishna is very beautiful and sweet, so many things. But the proper conception, the proper seed of devotion to come within the heart, the process which is been told by Krishna himself and which is there being brought to us by Gauranga and Nityananda, the Pancha-Tattva and etc. That’s not come to them.

So somehow or another we’ve landed on our feet we won lottery we’ve come to the association of the family of Srila Prabhupad, Srila Guru Maharaj, Srila Gurudev. I mean we’ve got three grand pillars holding up the house, our house, holding up our conception and they are really are pillars for the generation if you like after Srila Saraswati Thakur, Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur. They are the pillars and now in India you see the Deities, the results of A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad bringing the Krishna consciousness to the world. That India has become much more people become chanting Hare Krishna and the Gaudiya Vaishnavas tilak is true the others were preaching in India but the big consciousness of “Krishna consciousness” came when Srila Prabhupad came back to India and he had these big programs with thousands and thousands of people every day. How is that happened because in India they hear how Srila Prabhupad is going to the West. Now in the west our culture is going away of Krishna it came back to India and you see today probably Srila Prabhupad’s family temple ISKCON. Temple is the biggest growing in the biggest temples in Bombay and Bangalore, so many, so many places almost everywhere you see. And this is coming back.

Then all is very good and then those who are fortunate then they come to understand the shelter of Srila Shridhar Maharaj, Srila Prabhupad wanted that the devotees will take shelter of Srila Shridhar Maharaj and those who come to Srila Shridhar Maharaj and those who are fortunate have remained that shelter of Govinda Maharaj. And in this way continuing safely with these three pillars so that we are continuing our Krishna consciousness in a sober and safe and step-by-step direction with these three separate personalities presenting us our Krishna consciousness coming if you like to its present stage of maturity may.

So, we are here with sweet devotees and in so many places then as we are here each morning and each evening some arati, some bhajan, some reading from Chaitanya-charitamrita, reading here Chaitanya-charitamrita and Brahma-samhita. And we are taken prasadam, doing seva, and all over the world also devotees are doing that. So those who had got this faith, this connection, the association of the devotees, the devotees of our family, it is a great fortune. And we encourage everybody to make that fortune into, that fortune to invest that fortune property and get the proper result if you like. It’s not being selfish that all I’m doing something to for myself, myself, myself. But when we understand that we are for Krishna and that we’ve got this great opportunity to serve him in the most valuable area. As there are servitors are everywhere but those who may be accepted by Guru Maharaj, Gurudev and Srila Prabhupad, it is a great opportunity. So we should try to follow that guidance to take the rest of the iron of our heart so that we can be drawn by the magnet without the rust covering our heart.

cheto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava…

Mārjanaṁ. We’re going to clean, clean off this case and dust from our heart we clean off iron from our heart and so many of you know that I repeat a dimension how Gurudev used to say, “We must utilize our fortune.” And as he said how he independent he can step out from him, from himself and see the overall perspective of everything. He said, “We cannot deny, we have good fortune, we have got some fortune, it’s in our hands, how are we going to use?” So, this he’s always stressing.

So, we try to utilize our fortune, utilize it so we can make our life successful. Why jumping to all the terrible things again and again and again? Why we are volunteers for that? We were just saw yesterday some part of the video—baby inside the womb. You know we were there. And in the description is giving there and the descriptions of how much suffering is there where we were inside the womb this type and the other. Nine months, then so much pain of being born, all these things. That’s just waiting for us around the corner, for everyone. It going into the seed coming trying to come out from that position the baby bird, okay, looks beautiful when is growing up. Look at the baby bird when he’s born no fur and just wa wa wa, putting his mouth, like this. Cows are quiet, beautiful, when it is born, they are cute because how you see it Krishna does amazing things cause cows are born. And I’ve seen like the cow is immediately born and gets his eyes open looking all around for the first time seeing the outside world. So presumably he was pretty conscious inside. Few seconds go and he’s out and he’s trying to stand up within 2–3 minutes trying to stand up and go straight to drink milk then within usually a couple of hours he’s actually on his legs and doing okay. Anyway, but he’s still being born from with womb and all we can see but this is what is waiting for us all. And all this dying and rebirthing, dying, rebirth, and as Guru Maharaj says, “If we don’t get ourselves going the properly where we should be going in a direction we should be going.” So, Guru Maharaj said, “We cannot be sure where we are going to be thrown in our next life.”

If we are not sincere then if we are only partly sincere or something, something, something. Then what can we say what is waiting around the corner? But let us not be. I cannot fearful thing we have so much beautiful description of the beauty of the Lord, the beauty of where He lives, the beauty of service to Krishna. We have so much description of the beauty of the Holy Name, the beauty of the Vaishnavas, the beauty of the mercy of Gauranga and Nityananda, the beauty of the lila and so many things. All the beautiful things, wonderful things, all these things we are reading day by day in Chaitaniya-charitamrita and different scriptures. And these things we want to make us our tasting matter or keep this running so we say, “Yes.” We do service, we follow the practice and we are on our way.

However, ten fifteen this morning we went through the saying of Srila Gurudev, “hari-nāma mahāmantra sarva-mantra-sāra”, the song of ten offenses of the Holy Name. The translation is given, I don’t have it the exactly in front of me, but: one who doesn’t have tears rolling from the from his eyes, hair standing on, and something like this, one whose heart doesn’t melt in love, then they are rascals over real fame. And that ten offenses mentioning essentially not to have is mundane excessive attachment holding us back from, the Name wants to take us to that plane of love and sweetness and ecstasy.

But if he holds on to wrong material world what will be? But we are all thinking, “Well, maybe I’m rascal over the real fame also because I’m thinking do, I have these empties which are…” But Mahaprabhu came to give us a shelter. “Oh, I’m so unfortunate, I don’t feel, I don’t have any drop of love for You [Krishna].” So, we can be discouraged in Prapanna-jivanamritam most verses I can be by reading the scripture we can be and get be discouraged what hope is for me as I’m so far away and others who did so many things still didn’t quite make it so what about me? But then other places in the scriptures give us so much hope. So, we are trying to go for the hopeful part. We want to be attracted not pushed by our fear. We want to be attracted by our love and the devotees are going to be our friends from beginning to end. It doesn’t mean: “Oh, I don’t have a paramahamsa-devotee on my way so I can’t go with mixed devotees.” It’s not any devotee, it’s our family of devotees, it’s our family who got it. Why have we come to get it? It means we’ve got the faith, the shade, the common interest of the nourishment from the teachings of Srila Govinda Maharaj, and Srila Guru Maharaj, and Srila Prabhupad. We are in the line of Nitai-Gauranga, and we’ve got like our common student class. We are students in the same class. And we are all students in the same class. We need each other association. And to use one of the Srila Prabhupad’s example “One stick can be easily broken.” You put a cluster of sticks together and they are going to be strong. So we are like that. We know when we are with devotees and doing something devotional, and at least it always comes back to the devotion and faith. We can happily talk about Govinda Maharaj, Gurudev, and etc. We can happily talk and share so many things but irregular people when you talk about Guru or something can say, “Who is Guru? Come down, be real.” I’ve been real actually and you know people don’t have any faith way it is there’s no substantial conversation in the kind of regular world if you like.

If we can be with devotees who have faith in our guidance section then we are always in good company this way. So, we are living in the Dham, when we are in the temples. Giriraj is here. In the different temples around the world, and actually Giriraj has spread himself or he’s travelling to all parts of the world. And Mahaprabhu, and Nityananda are in some places. Nitai-Gauranga and also of course Radha and Krishna. So, the Lord is all over the world in different our centers but the devotees are there the residents of those places, the people who come to do service. So, you have to go, you have the devotees, you have the place, you have the prasad, you have the seva, you have all these things, which are so necessary for our healthy journey.

And actually, I often feel Krishna, Gurudev, Guru Maharaj may be kind to me, to keep me in the association of devotees. Because it seems that the devotees are not letting me escape, they are keeping me on the road close to the devotees. So, we’re always one stop, one stop, and be always with devotees. And this is of course the fortune, it’s a good fortune, it’s not the one way. Those of us here knows everywhere we are sitting together or the same way we are trying to play the mridanga, karatals and singing. And we are sharing everything back without rewards. Association! Association, it is very sweet, very happy. And as far as possible we want to share this with others, we’ve come across these wonderful things.

When we see others who may appreciate it, so you can give some introduction. We were just in one place and Ananta Krishna Prabhu’s hearing some programs in Beijing, and he was very much appreciated it and he said very seriously, he and his wife are in Beijing, and he arranged very nice people and very good program and I ask him for some guideline what to say. How do you want me to say, how do you want me to present? Because we’re in China and we’re with a group of people. He knows the people, and actually people from all… I mean, not from all countries, but from different countries were there. Anyway, Ananta Krishna Prabhu, he said to me and he said this honestly, “I want you to make them devotees. I need some association.” And I said, “I’m not sure I’ll make them all the devotees.” But really his mood was: “I need some association.” And I said, “I hope somebody will become a devotee because I need somebody to talk with and to share with.” And when you see somebody can be absolutely new and walk in the door but you can share what you know with that person and that person is coming and making inquiry.

So we’ve got automatically these backwards and forwards flow. We just wait for some class somewhere to go to the lecture hall and sitting in the class and have a class. We want always have some interaction with the Vaishnavas.

So utilize our fortune, we have great fortune and try to share that fortune with others. And the sharing part is very much part of the nama-sankirtanam, chanting the glories of the Lord, chanting the glories of the Name, chanting the glories of Sri Guru, the Vaishnavas, etc. And of course, the Name is at the centre. And Guru is at the centre. The Vaishnavas are at the centers. Prasadam is in the centre. We need to keep all these things flowing. Prasadam, mercy.

If we recently be read of Gopinath Pattanaik relieved from his rather precarious position in Chaitanya-charitamrita. The word ‘prasad’ was used means the mercy of the Lord. Not only we think, “Oh, the prasad—rice, dal, sabji or whatever it maybe, or borsch and noodles or something like this.” But anyhow rice, dal, sabji—we are thinking this is prasadam but you see: prasad is mercy. The mercy of the Lord and what is this is one kind of prasad where the food is offered and we are taking this. All these things we need to appreciate and to be grateful for the opportunity, grateful for everything and grateful for the association. Don’t look at anybody’s fault except one person’s fault. You can look at one person’s fault, it’s your own. Don’t look at anybody else’s, everybody is faulty. You will find fault. We’re in the faulty world. We’re here because we’re faulty. Don’t look at this fault. This is from Guru Maharaj and this is from Gurudev so much.

Guru Maharaj said, “If you go to point out the faults in others and especially you say anything in your mind.” He said, “It is chewing, you are chewing the fault of this person and that fault will come to you.” Especially this is the case with Vaishnavas. And Guru Maharaj said, “This is one secret of Vaishnavism.” If you chew the faults of another’s then these faults will come to you. But we look at the faults in ourselves.

In this way we will be helped very much on the how to chant the Holy Name. Gurudev pointed out that the Holy Name has been given to us by Mahaprabhu. With the advent of Mahaprabhu the Holy Name advented. In the sense of here Krishna himself has brought His Holy Name and has come to distribute that. And Mahaprabhu told us about the glories of the Holy Name and He told us how to chant, how to chant, humility, tolerance and giving honor to others without expecting honor for ourselves.

…kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ

In this way we are always chanting the Lord’s Holy Name. So, one very helpful thing for this is—we don’t see the faults of another’s especially the devotees. Every devotee has got some devotional quality, we will that quality in others. We will ignore anything else. It’s not excuses to everyone cause everyone should be looking at itself and saying, “Oh, what’s wrong with me?” And cure that we are looking at that to get rid of anarthas and habits, and this, and this, and this.

We want to be sincere when somebody has a short time to live, they stop to take things seriously but, in most cases, not only the devotees but also irregular people it’s too late. All that they could do to the shelter of the family thinking the old are you feeling like that just giving some general you know we all love you something like this. They got the family and have no idea where he’s going to go. They have maybe some sort of no help along the way but we have some idea. Even the example we have Maharaj Parikshit and seven days to live. By his example then we all have gotten a good not really good but the best understanding of what is what. From that came the Shrimad-Bhagavatam. Vedavyasa’s own final conclusion.

All of this information in the Vedas is not so you can become rich not so you can go to the heavenly planets live for hundreds and thousands of millions and ten million and many millions of years. That’s not the purpose of the Vedas. The purpose of the Vedas ultimately is given by Vedavyasa himself. And what is that? That we are for Krishna and in loving devotional service and this is what is Shrimad-Bhagavatam shows. Not only for Krishna but for Radha-Krishna. For that department which we are worshipping and very cautiously hearing about. We are worshipping and hearing from the right source not just anywhere and everywhere. But we know it’s there. But from our where we are, we are engaging with worshipping and what our duty is which is Harinam-sankirtanam, association of devotees, taking prasadam, following the practices.

This opportunity is to be able to meet the devotees not only once a week and if you can do every day then that is very good around the world. But so many centers in places and now by their email and Skype, VK, and in some countries and we chat in another countries and maybe moon, Chat on the moon, I don’t know, but by possibility of communication then everybody try to keep in touch with somebody, somebodies. If possible, try to be physically, I know spiritual persons are on the spiritual search and journey but try also not to chat but try to meet with the devotees together as much as possible and that’s something when we go place to place which I’m very happy to see. I think well at least by traveling to different centers and different places invited by devoted. At least by that the devotees generally come together and I’m thinking, “Oh, meeting every week or something that dignifying actually even some years you can see they met together.” That’s wonderful. The devotees come together and this is a kind of reawaking the joy but like the family joy being with other devotees.

And otherwise it’s a very kind of a lonely place devotionally speaking like Ananta Krishna said, “I need association! Please make them devotees.” I tried but I don’t know really whether they become devotee or not. Hare Krishna.

So here we are at the beginning of the winter in Thailand. In some places it’s a beginning or not, I don’t know. Bhakti Lalita maybe today is 20th is going very soon to Australia to summer. There they are going to have some big programs. Last year they had for the first time I believe it was but they had an experiment as the open day for the only villages. It’s a village community. There is at the countryside, that’s a village maybe 15–20 min walk away, and the whole area I hope everybody knows it.

So they have the open day for the invite local people to come and etc. Very successful they are doing it that again this year and Bhakti Lalita will be there in July, Sripad Tyagi Maharaj will be there and he’s already there. And on the 1st of January they will have not only just New Year’s Day they will have new Gauranga day because he was installed by Gurudev himself. So, they annually will have a big festival there on the 1st of January. In Brazil with Sripad Trivikram Maharaj it must be somehow. And all the devotees in Brazil must be in summer. Everyone here is wearing warm clothing and I should actually put on a hat too.

All right, wherever you are please kept association with the family of devotees they are all very special. You are all very special. Please continue happily. Don’t think what we don’t have think what we do have. We have a wonderful family and so much opportunity from these scriptures, which are available, audios, which are available. We can’t even hear and read everything which is within our own family. We can’t hear or read it all and remember it for sure with books of Srila Guru Maharaj and Srila Prabhupad. We are reading again and again. Hearing again and again. There is no aim to our food or nourishment. But with devotees be as much as possible. If you don’t have devotees around you, make some devotee so you to have some association. Everybody together can do some programs and you don’t have to wait for some older devotees to come just think how Srila Prabhupad with devotees who are one year, two years in the mission they’re going out, spread in the world. And from very young devotees, not only young in age, but young in how long they’ve been practicing and what they know but going out telling the truth to people, telling them about Krishna. You will see how the whole world came to know Krishna.

So, for those people you meet if you feel you can recognize this like specialty, we are not trying to be… It’s somehow everybody will catch it. The penny doesn’t drop immediately. If you think that there are people who can understand this special opportunity which is afforded by our family mentioning it to them. In general, tell them about Krishna we don’t have to think are they going to be paramahamsa, we don’t have to. We want to do the general relief work and gradually draw the devotee to understand not only getting the relief Krishna is wonderful but you have this opportunity to come alone upstairs and through the door wake up very beautiful and the guardianship is the highest quota of this plane.

Jay Srila Bhakti Rakshak Shridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj ki jaya!

Jay Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada ki jaya!

Jay Srila Gurudev, Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj ki jaya!

Jay Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Acharya-vrinda ki jaya!

Sri Harinam-sankirtan ki jaya!

Nitai-Gaura-premanande! Hari, Haribol!

[Madhusudan Maharaj sings “hari haraye”; sankirtana.]

[Jaya Dhvani]

Captured by Nanda Priya Devi Dasi
Edited by Tradish Das

 



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Srila Bhakti Ranjan Madhusudan Maharaj

(20 December 2017. Gupta Govardhan)

   

vandehaṁ śrī-guroḥ śrī-yuta-pada-kamalaṁ śrī-gurūn vaiṣṇavāś cha
ś
rī-rūpaṁ sāgrajātaṁ saha-gaṇa-raghunāthānvitaṁ taṁ sa-jīvam
sādvaitaṁ sāvadhūtaṁ parijana-sahitaṁ kṛṣṇa-chaitanya-devaṁ
ś
rī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pādān saha-gaṇa-lalitā-śrī-viśākhānvitāś cha

oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā
chakṣur unmilitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ

gurvvābhīṣṭa-supūrakaṁ guru-gaṇair āśīṣa-saṁbhūṣitaṁ
chintyāchintya-samasta-veda-nipuṇaṁ śrī-rūpa-panthānugam
govindābhidham ujjvalaṁ vara-tanuṁ bhakty anvitaṁ sundaraṁ
vande viśva-guruñ cha divya-bhagavat-premṇo hi bīja-pradam

devaṁ divya-tanuṁ suchanda-vadanaṁ-bālārka-chelāñchitaṁ
sāndrānanda-puraṁ sad-eka-varanaṁ vairāgya-vidyāmbudhim
śrī-siddhānta-nidhiṁ subhakti-lasitaṁ sārasvatānām varaṁ
vande taṁ śubhadaṁ mad-eka-śaraṇaṁ nyāsīśvaraṁ śrīdharam

śrī-siddhānta-sarasvatīti vidito gauḍīya-gurv-anvaye
bhāto bhānuriva prabhāta-gagane yo gaura-saṅkīrtanaiḥ
māyāvāda-timiṅgilodara-gatān uddhṛtya jīvanimān
kṛṣṇa-prema-sudhābdhi-gāhana-sukhaṁ prādāt prabhuṁ taṁ bhaje

vāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś cha kṛpā-sindhubhya eva cha
patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ

Jay Saparikara Sri Sri Guru-Gauranga Radha-Madhava-Sundarjiu ki jaya!

Jay Sri Giri Govardhan ki jaya!

Jay Saparikara Sri Guru-Gauranga Gandharva Rasa Bihari ki jaya!

So, we are in Thailand. Almost winter evening. Everyone has his hat on. And I have my hat too. Everybody has his hat, a coat and its winter has come. Winter has come. Kali-yuga has come. But we are in a Dham, in a place where there is the Lord and the devotees and this is a place where hari-katha is taken place every day, the congregation of chanting the holy names is taken place every day, food is offered to the Deities and distributed to the devotees and guests. Everyday seva is going on.

So, we must remember that the Holy Dham is not only the specific place that we here in India but the Holy Dham is wherever we have the genuine association of the devotees and the genuine programme where the Lord himself is present. And we must try to live our life in these places in the same way the people lived their life if we were in Navadwip or we were in Govardhan or Vrindavan and Puri which those are the main places in India for us, for the Gaudiya Vaishnavas and us in particular our family. But in the world, we have these beautiful ashrams, these beautiful places, beautiful opportunities all over the world. Maybe not densely in every street corner quiet but there are so many places around the world where you have the opportunity to meet with devotees to get some introduction what is the devotional service not only introduction jump in with two feet saying, “Yes, I want to serve.” I understand my life is for this for whole this world is crazy but the Vaishavas, the substance of Vaishnavism. Those Vaishnavism is not crazy because they are doing something very substantial in their life.

So Gurudev, Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj is given us this opportunity of the association and throughout the weeks in the months, in the years gradually becoming that we are seeing first hand so many communities, so many ashrams, actual temples, properties, retreats, yoga centres, they say it tea ceremony centres for introducing Vaishnavism and all kinds of varied ways.

And we are seeing that enthusiasm of the devotees, we see that the distribution of the glories of the Holy Name and the distribution of the unique glories of, sometimes we say, the holy trinity. Maybe not the right description in one sense but in another sense the trinity of Srila Guru Maharaj, Srila Shridhar Maharaj, and Srila Prabhupad (Srila Swami Maharaj). These three great personalities we have got the guidance of these three if some of us in scriptural way and some of us in the guardianship way maybe in one directed initiation and guardianship way maybe with one, maybe with two, maybe with three. And all of us have got the connection with him through one of these ways or through the next generation which means that everybody coming in next generation are fortunate. Because you have good guidance of this line you have got the connection in this line and to everyone who taking the shelter you all have got the very generous grandfather Gurus. And so, the grandfather Guru Gurudev used to say about his own disciple used to say, “Mm, I’m giving them connecting, but I know that really Guru Maharaj is there, this is his humility”, he said. Guru Maharaj is a grandfather and the grandfather is always more generous, more kind to grandchildren than the parents. So we are all within this sweet family connected substantially, substantially in the descending current of the Holy Name and substantially in the line of service where we are getting some service opportunity. And this service opportunity maybe is as simple as in our homes; we all are busy every day at work, etc. But in our homes before we eat, we’re cooking for Krishna and offering it to Krishna through Guru which immediately goes through them, Guru-parampara to Krishna.

So, this way our connection, our seva is continuing, our connection with the Holy Name which we have received it this continuing and the guidance of the what to do and what not to do, what conception to develop what could be the caution of this guidance is given Srila Bhakti Saraswati Thakur, Srila Sridhar Maharaj, Srila Prabhupad, Srila Govinda Maharaj to our present time. This guidance is coming to us.

And we actually have to be grateful for everything. If somehow, we had falling into other association, we see how dangerous the world is. The spiritual seekers world is. Those who are coming for some fulfillment thinking, “Oh, I want to practice spiritual life and I understand this world is a mess, yes. Even if I understand Mahaprabhu and Nityananda, maybe we are reading Chaitaniya-charitamrita, but the world is still very dangerous place where we can be easily misguided.” We can hear things which are going to shake our devotional life very substantially if we go to here from the wrong places. Gurudev gave us very clearly and good guidance and disregard and Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad, of course, he tried to keep everyone only to listen to him because how can he say only listen to him and to Guru Maharaj. That was another point. Guru Maharaj is the one who brought it to devotees too in order to be polished. Srila Prabhupad said, “I’m bringing royal jewels and I’m bringing them to you for polishing and making those rubies and sapphires and all these things which are polished and ready.”

So Srila Prabhud was also trying to keep everybody’s attention into one place so they could not have danger of hearing apa-siddhanta, wrong conceptions, wrong ideas and so many wrong teachings are happening in the world. And even in the department of right teaching where we are getting some introduction, we are getting some connection and etc, etc. Then we want to try to come where we see the most secularly presented and the development of the presentation of those teachings. So, we feel when we are very clearly with our family. Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad, he has brought the message of Mahaprabhu and Nityananda. He has brought the message of Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur, his Gurudev, all over the world. He has, as Srila Gurudev said, his blasted tunnel through the mountains into the western world and through that tunnel he is coming. Govinda Maharaj said that Srila Prabhupad said about that tunnel, “I’m coming through that tunnel.” And wherever I’m going getting such a great perception and this is all due to the preaching and presentation of the Krishna consciousness from Srila Prabhupad. Srila Prabhupad, he in a very short time brought the western devotees from no understanding one access to any understanding to this line of devotional service and to carry them from 1965 and essentially starting in 1966 through to 1977, eleven years. And if we read Prabhupada-lilamrita or the short version… Then if you read that biography of Srila Prabhupad you see the amazing things he did and how he tolerated so many things but always firing the devotional fire like a spark, firing this spark, making this spark coming to the fire and make that becoming substantial. And Srila Prabhupad did such amazing thing so that the whole world knew Hare Krishna.

But everybody knows that ten years, eleven years from the very oldest of the mission it is still considered as young if you like. Eleven-year-old child is still in need of some care and attention for the future. So, the devotees who are fortunate they understood, many devotees understood Srila Prabhupad said because Srila Prabhupad openly said how he considered Srila Shridhar Maharaj he is shiksha-guru. What to speak of the benefit that other can have through this association and he openly brought his senior devotees to Guru Maharaj for learning how to play the mridanga, how to sing the songs, the various practices of devotional practices and here through Guru Maharaj. This is how the devotees got to know the tune of the different songs which are made and composed and giving to us by Bhaktivinod Thakur, Narotam Das Thakur and etc.

And so, the fortunate one sense they were able to take shelter in the heart they were able to come to take shelter, continual shelter of senior Vashnavas of the Guru-varga time, Vaishnavas. And after Srila Prabhupad passed away then the devotees who come now to Srila Prabhupad to ask questions and etc. They are coming to Srila Shridhar Maharaj to ask questions to continue the shelter of the Vaishnava, to continue to be under the shelter of the Vaishnava and to continue the progress of devotional life. It is not a static thing.

And of course, as we see from the publication book “Sri Guru and His Grace” so many questions naturally came up after the disappearance of Srila Prabhupad because Srila Prabhupad has always been there. Guru had always been there. Everyone was focused on Srila Prabhupad. And so, we see so many questions which are one sort of the evident until after Srila Prabhupad passed away then how to deal with the separation of Guru, how to see where we can safely get the guidance what will be our attitude and all these different things, how we will continue. And from those serious questions from the devotees to Srila Guru Maharaj to Srila Sridhar Maharaj, then the book “Sri Guru and His Grace” which is compiled by Srila Bhakti Sudhir Goswami Maharaj and Sripad Mahayogi then that book came out as a great necessity and spiritual life saver for the countless devotees all over the world.

Whether they came to like officially joined our mission or not, it is been a life saver for devotees to be able continue in the practices in the faith in the cultivation of the devotional service. And throughout that time when we were in the association, the direct association of Srila Sridhar Maharaj from the very early days not weeks even we were from the very early days being in Navadwip with Srila Guru Maharaj, Srila Sridhar Maharaj. It was very clearly that he was a right-hand man, and being a right-hand man is not enough to say that, but you can say his right-hand man was Srila Govinda Maharaj, Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Maharaj. And Govinda Maharaj, he was our access to Srila Guru Maharaj. He lets us know when we can come, he’s introducing us to Guru Maharaj he is making us all feel like at home and all these things and it is through Srila Govinda Maharaj that we’ve come to Guru Maharaj in a personal way, one to one. And Srila Guru Maharaj then he gave everything evidently spiritually we are talking about in this sense. He gave everything to Srila Govinda Maharaj and so much in during the last couples of years before Guru Maharaj disappeared from this world, then so much he emphasized, I gave “I’m giving everything to Govinda Maharaj. You follow Govinda Maharaj. Do you understand?” Like this.

And I was there when Gurudev received sannyas from Guru Maharaj and I was directly there when Guru Maharaj gave the Acharya chair to Govinda Maharaj. And I was there mostly from Srila Guru Maharaj’s Vyasa-puja of 1987 until he’s passing away almost in 1988. And during that time everybody who came to Guru Maharaj whether new for the first time they are coming some distant place or whether established devotees, and Srila Goswami Maharaj was conformed that he himself how Guru Maharaj was taking him, by the shoulders shaking, saying, “Do you understand? I gave everything to Govinda Maharaj, you follow Govinda Maharaj.” He’s shaking him by the shoulders, shaking him in affectionate way, holding and shaking. He can give a personal description of this.

And to everybody Guru Maharaj is emphasizing that Gurudev is taking the rather spiritually for the management of the Math for everything he is going to take rather but he would be there for us, and Govinda Maharaj was there for us. During Guru Maharaj’s time and there for us in the separation from Guru Maharaj all the way to the recent times directly we could be with him and were woth him and of course still with us in the invisible way. But I mentioned these three—Srila Prabhupad in brief how he’s brought this everything out of the confined India to the whole world. Srila Guru Maharaj has been there all the way through and has given support to Srila Prabhupad and has given support to devotees of Srila Prabhupad brought and he is always been there for those who want to come to hear from him, to take shelter than he’s always been there. And he has developed and continued what Srila Prabhupad himself had done if he had been here another eleven years if you like from 1977 to 1988 on the planet. Some of the things that Srila Prabhupad would develop and continue of course the specific and unique contribution Guru Maharaj is his own particular contribution.

And don’t forget Srila Prabhupad saying of Guru Maharaj, “I consider him as my shiksha-guru, my instructing Guru, what to speak of the benefit you all can get from his association.” And then Srila Govinda Maharaj continuing that and Srila Govinda Maharaj it presenting Srila Prabhupad and Srila Sridhar Maharaj. And Govinda Maharaj was very able to look at himself if you like to be in a third person and looking at himself, he said. And in some ways, I’m more like Swami Maharaj in his kind of a generous way. Guru Maharaj is extremely generous but Guru Maharaj was born in a Brahmin family and very high rated Brahmin family not just by name but by activity and etc. So more difficult for Guru Maharaj mixes with the western devotees.

But Srila Gurudev was very flexible and very flexible and also coming from similar standard Brahmin family. But everyone has a different nature. And Srila Govinda Maharaj, he was quite fluent and flexible with the western devotees and even trying to do some of the things the western devotees do just to make them feel comfortable. Before going to one of the world tours just the day before he’s having his breakfast, “Oh, I’m off to mlechchha-desh”. And he said, “Now I’m off to mlechchha-desh.” In India everybody eats with the right hand for sure there’s no question for eating and Gurudev picked up something on his plate with his left hand and put it into his mouth. “I am getting ready for going to the West.” Then everyone felt comfortable. Gurudev, he has Guru Maharaj, his everything, his siddhanta, his depth, he is the one who has clarified what Guru Maharaj gave. He has made access to what Guru Maharaj gave and he has given us service connection and the name connection to Guru Maharaj.

But he is also making more available all corners of the world. North, South, East, West. “North Pole to South Pole,” as Gurudev would say. “From North Pole to South Pole.” But maybe almost the Pole, maybe Arctic Circle and Antarctic Circle or somewhere nearby. So we were saying in the beginning how we’ve got temples, ashrams, centers representing the teaching, the representing these three personalities in particular.

This is the shelter of our family, our foundation shelter of our family. And it is a great fortune when we buy by chance by luck by whatever it is, you won the lottery whatever it is, how it is. It is a great fortune if we come to this kind of a treasure. A safe place to make our spiritual life strong, not only strong, but to make it so that we can make this life successful. It is very easy. Sometimes you can say, “Oh, I just want to do good,” and then will go back home or something like this.

But gradually we understand the need for Guru, gradually we understand the need for how to chant the Holy Name. We need some service, we need some conception so that we’re going the right direction and not the wrong direction and we need to be protected from hearing things which is completely going to disturb others. I mean going to come to disturb our mind caused by others. And that danger is always there in the general outside area where maybe many people who are very qualified in the sense of no hundreds or even thousands of Sanskrit verses make strong debate this side and the other. But the conception of service, the conception of Mahabraphu and Nityananda, the conception of Bhakti Saraswati Thakur is not present. Like we meet so many people in India, they are like: “Oh, I worship Krishna.” They have not heard about Nityananda, not heard of Gauranga. And in general, we have a family Guru but they are just more or less little bit of a formality. But if we’ve not heard about Mahaprabhu, if we’ve not heard about Nityananda, then where is our Krishna consciousness in his age of Kali, Kali-yuga.

That’s for those even who you can say oh they’re Vaishnavas and they’ve got some pictures in the house maybe Deities or any kind it would be but you see famous in India was Mirabai. So many people going to Mirabai, she was—if not a queen, she was a princess maybe, a queen, I’m not sure exactly her history—but she was like a wealthy lady and she renounced everything and became lady monk, lady renouncing something in Vrindavan, famous for singing the songs about Krishna. But she didn’t give any attention for the Vaishnavas. And as far as I know about Nitai and Gauranga whether she knew anything or not I do not know but Guru Maharaj uses her as an example that somebody may appear to have so much faith and devotion to Krishna. But the substantial part it has not yet taken a root within them some preliminary understanding that Krishna is very beautiful and sweet, so many things. But the proper conception, the proper seed of devotion to come within the heart, the process which is been told by Krishna himself and which is there being brought to us by Gauranga and Nityananda, the Pancha-Tattva and etc. That’s not come to them.

So somehow or another we’ve landed on our feet we won lottery we’ve come to the association of the family of Srila Prabhupad, Srila Guru Maharaj, Srila Gurudev. I mean we’ve got three grand pillars holding up the house, our house, holding up our conception and they are really are pillars for the generation if you like after Srila Saraswati Thakur, Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur. They are the pillars and now in India you see the Deities, the results of A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad bringing the Krishna consciousness to the world. That India has become much more people become chanting Hare Krishna and the Gaudiya Vaishnavas tilak is true the others were preaching in India but the big consciousness of “Krishna consciousness” came when Srila Prabhupad came back to India and he had these big programs with thousands and thousands of people every day. How is that happened because in India they hear how Srila Prabhupad is going to the West. Now in the west our culture is going away of Krishna it came back to India and you see today probably Srila Prabhupad’s family temple ISKCON. Temple is the biggest growing in the biggest temples in Bombay and Bangalore, so many, so many places almost everywhere you see. And this is coming back.

Then all is very good and then those who are fortunate then they come to understand the shelter of Srila Shridhar Maharaj, Srila Prabhupad wanted that the devotees will take shelter of Srila Shridhar Maharaj and those who come to Srila Shridhar Maharaj and those who are fortunate have remained that shelter of Govinda Maharaj. And in this way continuing safely with these three pillars so that we are continuing our Krishna consciousness in a sober and safe and step-by-step direction with these three separate personalities presenting us our Krishna consciousness coming if you like to its present stage of maturity may.

So, we are here with sweet devotees and in so many places then as we are here each morning and each evening some arati, some bhajan, some reading from Chaitanya-charitamrita, reading here Chaitanya-charitamrita and Brahma-samhita. And we are taken prasadam, doing seva, and all over the world also devotees are doing that. So those who had got this faith, this connection, the association of the devotees, the devotees of our family, it is a great fortune. And we encourage everybody to make that fortune into, that fortune to invest that fortune property and get the proper result if you like. It’s not being selfish that all I’m doing something to for myself, myself, myself. But when we understand that we are for Krishna and that we’ve got this great opportunity to serve him in the most valuable area. As there are servitors are everywhere but those who may be accepted by Guru Maharaj, Gurudev and Srila Prabhupad, it is a great opportunity. So we should try to follow that guidance to take the rest of the iron of our heart so that we can be drawn by the magnet without the rust covering our heart.

cheto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava…

Mārjanaṁ. We’re going to clean, clean off this case and dust from our heart we clean off iron from our heart and so many of you know that I repeat a dimension how Gurudev used to say, “We must utilize our fortune.” And as he said how he independent he can step out from him, from himself and see the overall perspective of everything. He said, “We cannot deny, we have good fortune, we have got some fortune, it’s in our hands, how are we going to use?” So, this he’s always stressing.

So, we try to utilize our fortune, utilize it so we can make our life successful. Why jumping to all the terrible things again and again and again? Why we are volunteers for that? We were just saw yesterday some part of the video—baby inside the womb. You know we were there. And in the description is giving there and the descriptions of how much suffering is there where we were inside the womb this type and the other. Nine months, then so much pain of being born, all these things. That’s just waiting for us around the corner, for everyone. It going into the seed coming trying to come out from that position the baby bird, okay, looks beautiful when is growing up. Look at the baby bird when he’s born no fur and just wa wa wa, putting his mouth, like this. Cows are quiet, beautiful, when it is born, they are cute because how you see it Krishna does amazing things cause cows are born. And I’ve seen like the cow is immediately born and gets his eyes open looking all around for the first time seeing the outside world. So presumably he was pretty conscious inside. Few seconds go and he’s out and he’s trying to stand up within 2–3 minutes trying to stand up and go straight to drink milk then within usually a couple of hours he’s actually on his legs and doing okay. Anyway, but he’s still being born from with womb and all we can see but this is what is waiting for us all. And all this dying and rebirthing, dying, rebirth, and as Guru Maharaj says, “If we don’t get ourselves going the properly where we should be going in a direction we should be going.” So, Guru Maharaj said, “We cannot be sure where we are going to be thrown in our next life.”

If we are not sincere then if we are only partly sincere or something, something, something. Then what can we say what is waiting around the corner? But let us not be. I cannot fearful thing we have so much beautiful description of the beauty of the Lord, the beauty of where He lives, the beauty of service to Krishna. We have so much description of the beauty of the Holy Name, the beauty of the Vaishnavas, the beauty of the mercy of Gauranga and Nityananda, the beauty of the lila and so many things. All the beautiful things, wonderful things, all these things we are reading day by day in Chaitaniya-charitamrita and different scriptures. And these things we want to make us our tasting matter or keep this running so we say, “Yes.” We do service, we follow the practice and we are on our way.

However, ten fifteen this morning we went through the saying of Srila Gurudev, “hari-nāma mahāmantra sarva-mantra-sāra”, the song of ten offenses of the Holy Name. The translation is given, I don’t have it the exactly in front of me, but: one who doesn’t have tears rolling from the from his eyes, hair standing on, and something like this, one whose heart doesn’t melt in love, then they are rascals over real fame. And that ten offenses mentioning essentially not to have is mundane excessive attachment holding us back from, the Name wants to take us to that plane of love and sweetness and ecstasy.

But if he holds on to wrong material world what will be? But we are all thinking, “Well, maybe I’m rascal over the real fame also because I’m thinking do, I have these empties which are…” But Mahaprabhu came to give us a shelter. “Oh, I’m so unfortunate, I don’t feel, I don’t have any drop of love for You [Krishna].” So, we can be discouraged in Prapanna-jivanamritam most verses I can be by reading the scripture we can be and get be discouraged what hope is for me as I’m so far away and others who did so many things still didn’t quite make it so what about me? But then other places in the scriptures give us so much hope. So, we are trying to go for the hopeful part. We want to be attracted not pushed by our fear. We want to be attracted by our love and the devotees are going to be our friends from beginning to end. It doesn’t mean: “Oh, I don’t have a paramahamsa-devotee on my way so I can’t go with mixed devotees.” It’s not any devotee, it’s our family of devotees, it’s our family who got it. Why have we come to get it? It means we’ve got the faith, the shade, the common interest of the nourishment from the teachings of Srila Govinda Maharaj, and Srila Guru Maharaj, and Srila Prabhupad. We are in the line of Nitai-Gauranga, and we’ve got like our common student class. We are students in the same class. And we are all students in the same class. We need each other association. And to use one of the Srila Prabhupad’s example “One stick can be easily broken.” You put a cluster of sticks together and they are going to be strong. So we are like that. We know when we are with devotees and doing something devotional, and at least it always comes back to the devotion and faith. We can happily talk about Govinda Maharaj, Gurudev, and etc. We can happily talk and share so many things but irregular people when you talk about Guru or something can say, “Who is Guru? Come down, be real.” I’ve been real actually and you know people don’t have any faith way it is there’s no substantial conversation in the kind of regular world if you like.

If we can be with devotees who have faith in our guidance section then we are always in good company this way. So, we are living in the Dham, when we are in the temples. Giriraj is here. In the different temples around the world, and actually Giriraj has spread himself or he’s travelling to all parts of the world. And Mahaprabhu, and Nityananda are in some places. Nitai-Gauranga and also of course Radha and Krishna. So, the Lord is all over the world in different our centers but the devotees are there the residents of those places, the people who come to do service. So, you have to go, you have the devotees, you have the place, you have the prasad, you have the seva, you have all these things, which are so necessary for our healthy journey.

And actually, I often feel Krishna, Gurudev, Guru Maharaj may be kind to me, to keep me in the association of devotees. Because it seems that the devotees are not letting me escape, they are keeping me on the road close to the devotees. So, we’re always one stop, one stop, and be always with devotees. And this is of course the fortune, it’s a good fortune, it’s not the one way. Those of us here knows everywhere we are sitting together or the same way we are trying to play the mridanga, karatals and singing. And we are sharing everything back without rewards. Association! Association, it is very sweet, very happy. And as far as possible we want to share this with others, we’ve come across these wonderful things.

When we see others who may appreciate it, so you can give some introduction. We were just in one place and Ananta Krishna Prabhu’s hearing some programs in Beijing, and he was very much appreciated it and he said very seriously, he and his wife are in Beijing, and he arranged very nice people and very good program and I ask him for some guideline what to say. How do you want me to say, how do you want me to present? Because we’re in China and we’re with a group of people. He knows the people, and actually people from all… I mean, not from all countries, but from different countries were there. Anyway, Ananta Krishna Prabhu, he said to me and he said this honestly, “I want you to make them devotees. I need some association.” And I said, “I’m not sure I’ll make them all the devotees.” But really his mood was: “I need some association.” And I said, “I hope somebody will become a devotee because I need somebody to talk with and to share with.” And when you see somebody can be absolutely new and walk in the door but you can share what you know with that person and that person is coming and making inquiry.

So we’ve got automatically these backwards and forwards flow. We just wait for some class somewhere to go to the lecture hall and sitting in the class and have a class. We want always have some interaction with the Vaishnavas.

So utilize our fortune, we have great fortune and try to share that fortune with others. And the sharing part is very much part of the nama-sankirtanam, chanting the glories of the Lord, chanting the glories of the Name, chanting the glories of Sri Guru, the Vaishnavas, etc. And of course, the Name is at the centre. And Guru is at the centre. The Vaishnavas are at the centers. Prasadam is in the centre. We need to keep all these things flowing. Prasadam, mercy.

If we recently be read of Gopinath Pattanaik relieved from his rather precarious position in Chaitanya-charitamrita. The word ‘prasad’ was used means the mercy of the Lord. Not only we think, “Oh, the prasad—rice, dal, sabji or whatever it maybe, or borsch and noodles or something like this.” But anyhow rice, dal, sabji—we are thinking this is prasadam but you see: prasad is mercy. The mercy of the Lord and what is this is one kind of prasad where the food is offered and we are taking this. All these things we need to appreciate and to be grateful for the opportunity, grateful for everything and grateful for the association. Don’t look at anybody’s fault except one person’s fault. You can look at one person’s fault, it’s your own. Don’t look at anybody else’s, everybody is faulty. You will find fault. We’re in the faulty world. We’re here because we’re faulty. Don’t look at this fault. This is from Guru Maharaj and this is from Gurudev so much.

Guru Maharaj said, “If you go to point out the faults in others and especially you say anything in your mind.” He said, “It is chewing, you are chewing the fault of this person and that fault will come to you.” Especially this is the case with Vaishnavas. And Guru Maharaj said, “This is one secret of Vaishnavism.” If you chew the faults of another’s then these faults will come to you. But we look at the faults in ourselves.

In this way we will be helped very much on the how to chant the Holy Name. Gurudev pointed out that the Holy Name has been given to us by Mahaprabhu. With the advent of Mahaprabhu the Holy Name advented. In the sense of here Krishna himself has brought His Holy Name and has come to distribute that. And Mahaprabhu told us about the glories of the Holy Name and He told us how to chant, how to chant, humility, tolerance and giving honor to others without expecting honor for ourselves.

…kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ

In this way we are always chanting the Lord’s Holy Name. So, one very helpful thing for this is—we don’t see the faults of another’s especially the devotees. Every devotee has got some devotional quality, we will that quality in others. We will ignore anything else. It’s not excuses to everyone cause everyone should be looking at itself and saying, “Oh, what’s wrong with me?” And cure that we are looking at that to get rid of anarthas and habits, and this, and this, and this.

We want to be sincere when somebody has a short time to live, they stop to take things seriously but, in most cases, not only the devotees but also irregular people it’s too late. All that they could do to the shelter of the family thinking the old are you feeling like that just giving some general you know we all love you something like this. They got the family and have no idea where he’s going to go. They have maybe some sort of no help along the way but we have some idea. Even the example we have Maharaj Parikshit and seven days to live. By his example then we all have gotten a good not really good but the best understanding of what is what. From that came the Shrimad-Bhagavatam. Vedavyasa’s own final conclusion.

All of this information in the Vedas is not so you can become rich not so you can go to the heavenly planets live for hundreds and thousands of millions and ten million and many millions of years. That’s not the purpose of the Vedas. The purpose of the Vedas ultimately is given by Vedavyasa himself. And what is that? That we are for Krishna and in loving devotional service and this is what is Shrimad-Bhagavatam shows. Not only for Krishna but for Radha-Krishna. For that department which we are worshipping and very cautiously hearing about. We are worshipping and hearing from the right source not just anywhere and everywhere. But we know it’s there. But from our where we are, we are engaging with worshipping and what our duty is which is Harinam-sankirtanam, association of devotees, taking prasadam, following the practices.

This opportunity is to be able to meet the devotees not only once a week and if you can do every day then that is very good around the world. But so many centers in places and now by their email and Skype, VK, and in some countries and we chat in another countries and maybe moon, Chat on the moon, I don’t know, but by possibility of communication then everybody try to keep in touch with somebody, somebodies. If possible, try to be physically, I know spiritual persons are on the spiritual search and journey but try also not to chat but try to meet with the devotees together as much as possible and that’s something when we go place to place which I’m very happy to see. I think well at least by traveling to different centers and different places invited by devoted. At least by that the devotees generally come together and I’m thinking, “Oh, meeting every week or something that dignifying actually even some years you can see they met together.” That’s wonderful. The devotees come together and this is a kind of reawaking the joy but like the family joy being with other devotees.

And otherwise it’s a very kind of a lonely place devotionally speaking like Ananta Krishna said, “I need association! Please make them devotees.” I tried but I don’t know really whether they become devotee or not. Hare Krishna.

So here we are at the beginning of the winter in Thailand. In some places it’s a beginning or not, I don’t know. Bhakti Lalita maybe today is 20th is going very soon to Australia to summer. There they are going to have some big programs. Last year they had for the first time I believe it was but they had an experiment as the open day for the only villages. It’s a village community. There is at the countryside, that’s a village maybe 15–20 min walk away, and the whole area I hope everybody knows it.

So they have the open day for the invite local people to come and etc. Very successful they are doing it that again this year and Bhakti Lalita will be there in July, Sripad Tyagi Maharaj will be there and he’s already there. And on the 1st of January they will have not only just New Year’s Day they will have new Gauranga day because he was installed by Gurudev himself. So, they annually will have a big festival there on the 1st of January. In Brazil with Sripad Trivikram Maharaj it must be somehow. And all the devotees in Brazil must be in summer. Everyone here is wearing warm clothing and I should actually put on a hat too.

All right, wherever you are please kept association with the family of devotees they are all very special. You are all very special. Please continue happily. Don’t think what we don’t have think what we do have. We have a wonderful family and so much opportunity from these scriptures, which are available, audios, which are available. We can’t even hear and read everything which is within our own family. We can’t hear or read it all and remember it for sure with books of Srila Guru Maharaj and Srila Prabhupad. We are reading again and again. Hearing again and again. There is no aim to our food or nourishment. But with devotees be as much as possible. If you don’t have devotees around you, make some devotee so you to have some association. Everybody together can do some programs and you don’t have to wait for some older devotees to come just think how Srila Prabhupad with devotees who are one year, two years in the mission they’re going out, spread in the world. And from very young devotees, not only young in age, but young in how long they’ve been practicing and what they know but going out telling the truth to people, telling them about Krishna. You will see how the whole world came to know Krishna.

So, for those people you meet if you feel you can recognize this like specialty, we are not trying to be… It’s somehow everybody will catch it. The penny doesn’t drop immediately. If you think that there are people who can understand this special opportunity which is afforded by our family mentioning it to them. In general, tell them about Krishna we don’t have to think are they going to be paramahamsa, we don’t have to. We want to do the general relief work and gradually draw the devotee to understand not only getting the relief Krishna is wonderful but you have this opportunity to come alone upstairs and through the door wake up very beautiful and the guardianship is the highest quota of this plane.

Jay Srila Bhakti Rakshak Shridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj ki jaya!

Jay Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada ki jaya!

Jay Srila Gurudev, Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj ki jaya!

Jay Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Acharya-vrinda ki jaya!

Sri Harinam-sankirtan ki jaya!

Nitai-Gaura-premanande! Hari, Haribol!

[Madhusudan Maharaj sings “hari haraye”; sankirtana.]

[Jaya Dhvani]

Captured by Nanda Priya Devi Dasi
Edited by Tradish Das

 

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