Short Excerpts From Letters
by His Divine Grace
Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj
We must always guard our faith carefully. Faith is the foundation of our devotional life, and if it becomes injured or shaky, then the whole of our devotion is in a shaky position. Village talks can damage our faith, and Mahaprabhu instructed this to such an exalted person as Srila Raghunath Das Goswami. So we can understand the importance of this message for such as ourselves.
Not only our body, but our faith and devotional creeper must also be looked after. If our faith is once broken, it may not be possible to fully repair it again. Therefore if any black spot can be seen in another that may injure our own faith, then we must be careful to avoid that from afar. With great humility and respect for everyone we must try to always engage in topics and service connected with Krishna and Sri Guru.
The jnanis and yogis are going to much trouble, and with great austerities they are constantly rounding the universe searching for a hole in the cover in order to go out. But the devotees simply surrender to the Lord and His devotees and in that way accept His divine will and protection. They qualify to enter far beyond the plane of the material universes.
This mundane world is the very distrustful area of maya. The demoniac asura mentality has always given trouble to the devotees ever since the beginning of the conscious world, but the devotees are taking everything in the light of Krishna consciousness. They see that all is coming by the will of Krishna, and so their spiritual benefit is behind everything.
Bilvamangal was blind, but Krishna was playing with him by slapping his hand. When Bilvamangal tried to catch Him, Krishna hid Himself. Bilvamangal then told Krishna, «You can hide from me in this way, but You will have to be very powerful if You can leave from my heart.» So when we know that everything is within Krishna consciousness, then we have no problem.
Problems will always come, but the solving of those problems is activity for us. If there were no victory or defeat, then nobody would work, and everyone would stay like stone. We are always enthusiastic to get victory for our Srila Guru Maharaj’s satisfaction.
If we can understand what was so dear to Srila Guru Maharaj, especially his Deities, Math, devotees, and paraphernalia, then it is not possible to think that suddenly these things are no longer dear to him and so give them all up so easily. In this way we are trying to serve Srila Guru Maharaj’s desires here for his Mission.
What Srila Guru Maharaj gave, not everybody can understand, but still it is to be expressed. For example, many explanations have been given of the gayatri mantram by the Acharyas, but Srila Guru Maharaj broke the hard fort around that mantram and revealed the internal meaning. Already Srimad Bhagavatam has given the meaning of the gayatri, but that is in 18,000 slokas. I asked Srila Guru Maharaj, «The gayatri is a hidden treasure, but you are distributing that by including it in the English commentary of Srimad Bhagavad-gita. Even the big rsis did not do this.» However Srila Guru Maharaj said, «But somebody must give this meaning to the world, so who will give that if I do not? No one will believe them.»
In Kali-yuga sin committed in the mind is not counted, but Vaisnava-aparadha is different from sin. Vaisnava-aparadha penetrates to the atma and causes destruction of the devotional creeper. The essential point is that we will try to keep within the favourable association of the bhakta-sadhu and stay far away from the dangers of Vaisnava-aparadha.
We are not to be indifferent, but we are to be kind. Srila Sanatan Goswami asked Srila Rupa Goswami what, in a short way, is the essence of the instructions of Mahaprabhu. He replied, «jive doya, Name ruchi, Vaisnava-seva.» This is Vaisnava dharma: kindness to every jiva-soul, chanting Krishna’s names without offence, and service to the Vaisnavas.
Outer space is a foreign place for us, and it is only possible to survive there in a carefully protected space capsule. Similarly we are to lead spiritual life in this world in an environment carefully protected by devotion.
Yes, there is freedom with the jiva-soul. There is the freedom to spoil everything, but also with that freedom there is the opportunity to build our spiritual fortune.