A lecture given by HH Kadamba Kanana Swami Maharaja- 16 January 2008, Amsterdam- �Remembering�
A spontaneous evening, but spontaneous evenings are the best in one sense because serving Krsna depends on spontaneity. It�s not just a matter of serving Krsna out of duty or because it�s Sunday and it�s sort of �the day�, but simply to serve Krsna just because we want to. Because we realize that Krsna is truly the higher reality because we realize that in this world people are so busy with so many things and we also get busy with many things. But we know that all these things- some of them we like, some of them we don�t- but at the end of the day we know that the only thing that really is important is Krsna and therefore we are happy to take the opportunity to speak a little bit from Bhagavad-Gita, which are after all the words of Krsna.
So we�re reading from the 4th chapter of the Bhagavad-Gita As It Is. At one point Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu ordered Advaita Acarya to preach from the Gita Satyara Patha. That term is found in the Caitanya Bhagavata and that became the basis of Srila Prabhupada�s term, Bhagavad-Gita As It Is- Satyara Patha, the true path of the Gita or as Prabhupada translated- the Gita As It Is- Bhagavad-Gita As It Is. So we�re reading from the Bhagavad-Gita As It Is, from the 4th chapter entitled �Transcendental Knowledge�, text no. 12:
kanksantah karmanam siddhim
yajanta iha devatah
ksipram hi manuse loke
siddhir bhavati karma-ja
TRANSLATION
Men in this world desire success in fruitive activities, and therefore they worship the demigods. Quickly, of course, men get results from fruitive work in this world.
(Purport)
Purport continues.
(Invocatory prayers)
Bhaktyamam abhijanati yavan yac chasmi tatvatah, one cannot just discover Krsna by co-incidence. One cannot just by accident encounter Krsna. One cannot by deep philosophical reasoning in thinking about the meaning of life. Just one day think �Yes, it�s Krsna�; Krsna one can only find by the mercy of His devotees. One can only get devotional service from the devotee of Krsna, somehow or other, either directly or indirectly. May be the devotee has made some arrangements. Just like now we see a nice painting behind the Deities and such paintings are in a particular tradition. This tradition is old and for generations people have copied the same style of painting. And one can find many such paintings, even hundreds of years old, depicting pastimes of Krsna. For example in Benares in India, in the BHU (the Benares Hindu University), on the campus they have a museum and they have many, many paintings of Krsna. So I myself, as a tourist, sort of was there and wandered onto that university campus and happened to wander into that museum and saw all these pictures of Krsna. I didn�t know, I had no idea about any philosophy of the Gita or anything but still I saw. So still there was a connection and still, by seeing Krsna, the sankalpha is there, the impression is there and somehow or other a samskara, a deep impression in our mind has been made in this way by the connection with Krsna. Knowingly or unknowingly one gets purified. Jnana ajnanad va, whether it is knowingly or unknowingly; when one touches fire it burns, in the same way when we get into contact with Krsna somehow or other we get purified.
The devotees, because they are glorifying Krsna, they bring the fame of Krsna into this world. The devotees worship Deities of Krsna, have paintings of Krsna, keep books with descriptions about Krsna and in this way we can come in contact with Krsna. And that is so potent that it�s not an intellectual process. One may come into contact with the Bhagavad-Gita, and the Bhagavad-Gita is certainly systematic, it is quite philosophical. Here it is said, �Man in this world desire success in fruitive activities.� Okay, heavy philosophical language- �fruitive activities,�- activities where they engage in activities for personal gain, they�re trying to gain. They desire success in their endeavor and then enjoy the fruits of �my hard labor. I worked so hard for it and now I will enjoy everything that I�ve worked for. This is the moment! Now my time has come�� No. But the fruits of ones labor are not meant for our enjoyment. What is the point? What is the point for that, when all enjoyment that we gain is simply temporary? Enjoyment through the body, enjoyment through the senses is always temporary enjoyment. So we cannot allow ourselves to become too enamored by it.
Just as ants on a burning log of wood cannot become too enamored by the experience of �we are on this wonderful, wooden log.� So the human form of life requires� Srila Prabhupada said, �Gravity�, it requires gravity. We have to not just laugh and not just joke and not just enjoy- or suffer- we have to think very deep, �What am I really trying to achieve?� and this is something we have to deeply meditate upon. After understanding the goal of life, we have to remember it. There is such a huge difference between understanding something and remembering it. We read a book, we think, �Yes, yes, yes, yes, I know all that�� and then, we don�t remember it! But in Krsna consciousness one has to remember. The aim is to constantly remember our position because we tend to forget, we tend to become swept up again and again what is happening in this material world- the good and bad of this world tends to take over our mind. It�s cold, it�s hot, it�s this, it�s that, it�s dark, it�s light, it�s dry, it�s wet�and so on. The mind, the mind suddenly gets absorbed and forgets Krsna again and again. And we forget the ultimate goal of life; we forget that really what is truly important is how much we invest in our relationship with Krsna. Those fruits will manifest at the end of this life. Those fruits will also manifest now, in this life, but at the end of our life they will translate into our next destination. And of course, we�re looking for an auspicious destination; we cannot just waste this life.
But it�s difficult and we�re seeing that; we see that many become attracted to Krsna, many have a liking for Krsna, many find the Bhagavad-Gita very deep and inspiring and sort of, �Yes, accepted,� and then�cannot follow, have their moments of weakness, have the moments that we drift away, our moments that we sort of deviate from what Krsna desires and have a distance between what we are aiming at and what we can realize. So of course, that means there is work to do, that means we have to somehow or other take more shelter- more shelter of Krsna. When our determination is not sufficiently strong for us to just wholeheartedly worship Krsna and when our determination is still wavering and still weak and still inclined towards the temporary, then basically it means that we are not sufficiently absorbed in remembering. Then we are not remembering, then we are still forgetting. Even although there may be moments of insight but we are forgetting. It is said in the Gita that the lower forms of life, like the lowest forms of life are the non-moving species, just like the embryo in the womb is powerless, cannot do anything about it�s destiny, it has to just take it as it comes. So those living beings that are captured in trees and plants, what can they do? Try and grow in another direction is the best they can do but that is a very slow process. Grow towards the light or the roots in the direction of the water- is very slow. So they cannot adapt.
Then there is the animal form of life, which is compared to a dusty mirror. So that means a very blurred type of vision- not clear, no focus as to what to do. The human form of life is compared to a fire, which is sometimes covered by smoke and then other times there�s moments of clarity- when there is smoke we don�t remember and other times when there is no smoke we have a moment of� clear insight. That basically means that remembrance and forgetfulness come and go and that again and again we are somehow or other distracted, we don�t remember whatever the reason may be. So when we don�t remember Krsna all the time, then naturally we become impressed by material things, and isn�t it happening to us? It is happening to us very much. So it is quite realistic what we are discussing now- of not remembering Krsna all the time. When we are not remembering Krsna all the time then it simply means that we are not deeply absorbed in cultivating that remembrance of Krsna. It is said that then we are lacking the cultivation; it is said that krsna anusilanam- one must cultivate Krsna consciousness. So Krsna consciousness is not just a matter of realizaation or of understanding, �Now I know that Krsna is the Supreme!� but rather we must cultivate the remembrance of Krsna. It is said, all regulative principles of devotional service are meant for remembering Krsna: smartavyam satatam visnur vismartavyo na jatusit, somehow or other we must remember Krsna.
So in this way by remembering Krsna, we are secure. Remembering Krsna means knowing who Krsna is, understanding who Krsna is, that Krsna is behind everything, that Krsna is not only the origin of everything that has been created and so on but that Krsna is also the goal of everything, that everything is also meant to be used by Krsna. Just like jewels: some people like jewels. But what is the use of jewels on a material body? When the jewels are used for Krsna they�ve come home one can say; it is described that when Krsna wears jewels, the jewels become more beautiful. This is when they�ve come home, this is where they belong. So simply, whatever it is, whatever is good in this world is best enjoyed by Krsna because Krsna is the most deserving; there�s no one who�s more deserving something valuable than Krsna. We all give gifts to others and it�s like, okay you get a gift, you open it up and well, you hope there�s something nice, something a little valuable- not some cheap old gift- but nice gift, something valuable. So people, they give each other things that are nice and valuable but who is more deserving than Krsna?
So of course, I remember that every year at Christmas time, my father, who was a business man, would receive all kinds of parcels, that would come in from around the world from different business associates, who were sending these parcels to keep the business relationships warm and the whole idea was of course- money money money! So that was fruitive work- gifts given with the idea to make big, big profit. But giving to Krsna means without any interest for personal gain but just because Krsna is the most wonderful, so therefore wonderful things naturally belong with Him. Just like we see, that there was a lady who was making everyday sandalwood paste for Kamsa. Her name was Kubja, she was hunch-backed somehow or other but she made this sandalwood paste. So she was on the way to the King to offer this sandalwood paste, but then met Krsna and Balarama. And Krsna and Balarama said, �Where are you going with this sandalwood paste?� She said, �Oh this is for the King.� They said, �No, no no; why are you offering this to the King? You should offer it to Us!� and then she said, �well, actually I must admit that actually you are very deserving, yes.� She saw Them and said, �Yes, you indeed look much more wonderful than the King. You are more deserving than the King! Yes, I�ll offer it to You.�
Krsna also met a tailor and the tailor refused; the tailor had a whole bundle of cloth for the King- new clothes made for the King- and when Krsna and Balarama said,� �Oh, give Us some of that cloth,� he said, �Who are You boys to desire the cloth of the King! You better watch out!� and subsequently that tailor spoke his last words at that moment. Then for his refusing to render service to the Supreme Lord They finished him off and took the clothes.
So really, we see these examples- offering the best to Krsna. Sometimes I�m thinking that the world is like an altar and I�m a pujari! That�s my business in this world; I�m simply a pujari. So the pujari�s, they are taking something and they have to purify it- they throw drops of water and the different things they do, then they offer. So in this world if we take it that the world is an altar and we are a pujari and we make just offerings to the Supreme Lord, very simple.� Quite nice actually, I think. Personally I like that meditation because it keeps a devotional mood going because everything needs to be offered to the Lord: anasaktavisayan yatharham upayunjatah nirbandhah krsna-sambandhe yuktam vairagyam ucyate- everything, somehow or other must be connected with the Supreme Lord. It is also said, the hari sambandha vastunah, that one�hari-sambanda vastu- vastu means the form, the manifestation of a particular object. Hari sambanda means �in connection with the Lord.� So we must find the identity of something in connection with the Supreme Lord, we must see something- how does this relate to the Supreme Lord? How can it be used in the form of the Supreme Lord? And Prabhupada was expert- expert!
Just like, one Mayavadi was there in a particular public program and there were different speakers and Prabhupada was one of them. And then this Mayavadi, he came and he wanted to give Prabhupada some brochures and he gave an entire box with brochures, fill with Mayavada philosophy. Prabhupada told the devotees, �Yes, yes, please keep this. Accept it.� So they kept it then after some time, some weeks later, Prabhupada said, �Do we still have that box with those brochures?� they said, �Yes we do.� Prabhupada said, �Okay, please bring the box.� It was a Sunday programme and then Prabhupada told the devotees, �Okay, please give everyone one of the brochures. Then Prabhupada asked all the guests to open up the brochures and place them on the floor in front of them and next he told all the devotees to serve prasadam and use those brochures as plates. Just see how expertly Srila Prabhupada was even engaging mayavadis and their brochures in Krsna service.��
There are people who live in the temple and who relate to the world, there are people who live in the world and who relate the temple; these two ways are both possible. But in both conditions of life, one must come to cent per cent, cent per cent for Krsna. That is not a matter of determination; we cannot say, �And from this day on, I will be cent per cent Krsna conscious�� it doesn�t work, it�s not possible! It�s not a decision, it is a matter of cultivation, it is a matter of serious cultivation. One can decide, �from this day on I will get more serious about the cultivation,� that we can do, �from this day on I will somehow or other make more arrangement to remind myself of Krsna: I will hear more about descriptions of Krsna, I�ll play more tapes, I will sing more, chant more, I will buy a harmonium and learn how to play, I will do many things, I will do many things to remember Krsna, somehow or other, according to my taste and according to the prescribed rules given in Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu and related scriptures, such as the Panca ratra��
So we may in that way cultivate our Krsna consciousness. And the path, it has to narrow down. In the beginning, our Krsna consciousness, it sort of comes into our life and we spend some time with it. But it�s said, gradually it has to increase- it has to increase- and we have to preoccupy ourselves more and more with Krsna. Yesterday actually, we were reading about Dhruva Maharaja. And Dhruva Maharaja, at the later stage in his life, was the emperor of the world. It�s said his kingdom was covering all the landmass of the earth and was only bordered by the oceans! It is said that Dhruva Maharaja, he had inconceivable riches, filled treasuries, many, many palaces all over the world�it�s said that Dhruva Maharaja had many palaces also for his queens, which were like playing grounds for him to enjoy, he had many different conveyances, vehicles for travel and what not! So Dhruva, materially speaking, had like unlimited sense enjoyment. Then at one point Dhruva just renounced all that, he just gave it all up and he left for Bhadarika Asrama in the Himalayas- very austere place, cold, very high in the mountains and really a place�there just above Bhadarika Asrama you have Tapavan- the forest for performing austerity- shoo! It is austere out there- Tapavan!
So, Dhruva Maharaja went there to perform austerity. So, why? Was it that he was attached? And that he had decided, �I�m going to cut my material attachments!�? No, Dhruva Maharaja was already a pure devotee at that time, so that was not the problem; the problem was not that he was living with all these opulences and that he was so attached to it; he was worshiping Krsna while living in the palace and so on. Then why, if Dhruva Maharaja was Krsna conscious in the palace, then what was the need for renouncing? Well, in the sense of his being Krsna conscious there was not really a need but still he did it. Then why? Because, Dhruva Maharaja no longer wanted any distraction! He could not tolerate that he had to give his energy to anything else but Krsna. He just wanted to give all his time and all his energy to just Krsna directly. No more indirect things- no, just directly Krsna. Therefore he renounced, therefore he simplified his life, therefore he just gave it all up, therefore he went to Bhadirika asrama- not because he liked to be in a cold place or that he felt �I should become a little more tough, I�ve become soft in this palace where there�s so many soft �cushy� arrangements for me; let me rough it in the cold mountains, high in the Himalayas so that I become a little stronger�� No, that was not his mood. His mood was simply, �All I want, all I want now is Krsna and nothing but Krsna and just think about Krsna and just talk about Krsna and just hear about Krsna and just meditate on Krsna and only live with Krsna and do everything for Krsna and nothing but Krsna in my life and now all other things Out! Out! Out! No more�� that was his mood, that was his mood.
So this is the mood of embracing renunciation, this is the mood where therefore renunciation is not terrible; sometimes it is said, �this very harsh path of renunciation, how can one renounce? Such a painful thing! Such a painful thing! How can one voluntarily give up, give up the good in this world? How can one?� But if we understand the mood of Dhruva Maharaja then we understand it was not at all that, you know- cutting the material attachment- it was just desiring� kecit� kevalaya vasudeva parayana�- nothing, nothing, nothing but being absorbed in Krsna. So that is where we must go, that is sort of what it must become. So that means our current situation, we must add more Krsna. Somehow or other there�s still a lot of Krsna missing in our life. That�s why we find that Krsna consciousness is not so easy. We are finding that Krsna consciousness is indeed�it�s a struggle to be Krsna conscious, it means that we have not filled our lives sufficient.
Sometimes the analogy is used that just as there is a pond, our consciousness is a pond. And in that pond we throw different stones and all these stones are impressions. Now if we fill up the pond with Krsna stones more and more, then gradually as it fills up there�s not much space for any other stones, for any other impressions. In fact when the stones are filling up all the way to the surface of the water, then even if you throw in another stone it will just bounce out! It won�t go in anymore, it will just go straight out. So it�s said, in this way we must fill our consciousness completely to the top with Krsna and then, it is said, but then there are still small, small spaces between the stones- those you must fill up with little stones, with smaller things, with refined things, with more refined ways of meditating on Krsna, remembering Krsna and appreciating Krsna. And then still finer, in between the big stones and small stones, there�s still a little space filled up with sand, or in this way till there is no space left.
So not only must our Krsna conscious increase it means, but the smaller stones are also meaning that we must now start paying more attention to the detail and do it right. Not just do it, but do it right! Not just chant Hare Krsna but really chant Hare Krsna, but meet Krsna; put a sign on the door, �Do not disturb! Important meeting with Krsna.� And then chant�Now go into the room with the japa beads to meet Krsna, to meet Him! I mean He�s there, He�s accessible. Not just chant the rounds but actually meet Krsna in person. It is possible in this chanting. So like that we are speaking of quality; the smaller stones are the quality. But first it�s all quantity because I mean, you have a big pond, you throw one Krsna conscious stone in there- what will it do? Even you throw ten Krsna conscious stones in there- what will it do? You have to fill it! You have to fill it till it�s full! Then your Krsna consciousness will work and therefore everything else gradually has to go- has to go! Of course that will come natural as the pond fills up. Then at one point, who wants anything else! Anything else! Then we want only Krsna.
It is said, smartavyam satatam visnur vismartavyam na jatucit | sarva-vidhi-nisedhah syur etayor eva kinkarah, all the rules and regulations of the scriptures are just meant for this one purpose- to always remember Krsna and never forget Him. So then what will we bother with? Because why put our faith in anything material? This is the first thing. Srila Prabhupada gave an explanation of renunciation and he explained that one should not place any faith in material things. One should not believe that material things offer happiness. Enjoyment-yes, Happiness- no! Because happiness has to do with fulfillment but material enjoyment doesn�t offer fulfillment; it offers the temporary peak experience but not fulfillment. It always leaves one unfulfilled ultimately. Therefore, no happiness! Happiness therefore, of course, in relationship with Krsna.
Remembering Krsna doesn�t just mean we remember Krsna and His lotus feet- of course remembering the lotus feet of Krsna is perfect- but remembering Krsna also means on a more practical level, to offer things to Krsna, because we cannot always just�at least in our present state we cannot just sit and meditate on the lotus feet of Krsna; sooner or later we must get practical, that is for sure. �The lecture is going on, 7:30- we still have to get back home, tomorrow�s another day�� so in the back of our mind there�s time. In the back of your mind, in the back of mine also�I had to leave this morning at 5:30, so I don�t like leaving at 5:30, I hate leaving at 5:30, going to a meeting. So I had to drive to the meeting, with the people going to the meeting and I knew that we�re going to have a pre-meeting in the car, for sure! A little meeting before the meeting! That�s how these things go! So I knew it would happen and therefore I decided that all right, I will just get up at two �o clock so that I can chant all my rounds before. But then last night so many people came, you know, the last evening and this and that�so it was a short night but anyway, at least I chanted the rounds before and some extra rounds in the car so that there was some basis for remembering Krsna throughout the day. Because when there�s no basis of rounds then there�s no question of remembering Krsna. The chanting of good rounds is really the basis for remembering Krsna; that�s where it begins. Then we can still do more.
So like this, every day starts with a plan to remember Krsna. It�s not just happening�Everyday starts with a plan to glorify Krsna; every day starts with a plan to serve Krsna. It�s not just that there�s a day that just happens all on automatic pilot�No, every day is full with purpose. In that way we can get some quality in our remembrance. But if we just sort of think, �Well, okay I�ll try, I�ll try and chant Hare Krsna�� then, �Oh boy, it�s already late! Cheez! I wanted to wake up earlier but anyway it�s already a bit late, what to do!� Then already less rounds in the morning, then our chanting becomes splayed out in this way. The basis for remembering Krsna becomes weak. Then no time to go to the temple- the basis of our remembrance becomes weaker. The offering: not much time- Sri Visnu Sri Visnu Sri Visnu. All right, at least we offered it not but not so nicely- the basis for our remembrance becomes still a little weaker. So gradually we water down the cultivation to a point where our remembrance goes down.
Now a devotee in practice, in sadhana-bhakti, needs that cultivation and if the cultivation�s not there, he will be in Maya. A devotee in advanced Krsna consciousness, in Bhava, needs that cultivation because without it he�s starving, he�s completely starving. So he�s just got such an appetite for Krsna that he constantly wants to hear more about Krsna. And a devotee in prema, Lord Caitanya said, �My mind is Vrndavana,� He said, �My mind is Vrndavana.� Another time He also said, �My mind is like a horse and My senses are seated on that horse and just running towards Krsna!� but the mind is Vrndavana. Okay, that�s another state of consciousness. But even there, there is eagerness to increase the meditation on Krsna.
So let that be the theme for this evening; somehow or other that we think about- remembering Krsna. Any questions, any comments?
Question: I heard that one Goswami said that the land of Puri is the land of separation�
Maharaja: Ah ha. Well, the Caitanya Caritamrta identifies the gardens of Gundica as Vrndavana. It is said that when Lord Jagannatha with the chariot arrived at Balaldighi, at that time Lord Jagannatha looked left and looked right and then at the left side He saw a brahmana village, and at the right side He saw the gardens of Gundica, which were non-different from Vrndavana. So it is a fact that Jagannatha Puri is an extraordinary place. When we read Srila Rupa Goswami�s (our Rasacarya), when we read his writings, we can have a look at the Uddhava-sandesa. And in the Uddhava-sandesa there is a description how Lord Krsna is standing at the roof of His palace in Dvaraka and He is just looking out in the direction of Vrndavana and He is experiencing great separation. So, He is actually accompanied by Uddhava and He is instructing Uddhava what to say and how to go to Vrndavana. And He tells Uddhava by which path to go and which path not to go. He tells him to avoid the road where the elephant, Kuvalayapida, was killed. And then like that He says, �Don�t go the path of a demon, go the auspicious path!� and He gives him a whole path. And with each path, with each place, He remembers all the pastimes that took place there and how His devotees of Vrndavana acted with Him, and Krsna becomes more and more ecstatic as He is describing.
So in this way Krsna, is in separation from the residents of Vrndavana; in particularly the gopis, who are most dear to Him. At the same time, the gopis are also experiencing separation from Krsna. We know that when they came to Kuruksetra, that at that time Krsna had come from Dvaraka during the eclipse. Krsna came in royal dress and we know that the gopis wanted Krsna to return to Vrndavana, Krsna was hesitant and they just took it upon themselves to pull the chariot of Krsna back to Vrndavana. Ratha Yatra is of course representing this very point; that Lord Krsna in the form of Jagannatha is pulled back to the Gundica temple. And then the gardens of Gundica temple represent Vrndavana. So this Ratha Yatra is extraordinary; in the Madhya-Lila of the Caitanya Caritamrta, you can see that the descriptions of the Madhya-Lila are sort of finding their peak in this Ratha Yatra. We see that prior to that, Lord Caitanya is traveling in South India in ecstatic love of God and He is making many, many devotees. But when it comes to this Ratha Yatra, never before was there such a public display of ecstasy by Lord Caitanya!
Lord Caitanya, who was trying to taste the mood of Srimati Radharani, was very, very eager to see Lord Jagannatha. Now in the Caitanya Candradoya Nataka, another bona fide biography, we find a description how as Ratha Yatra was approaching, Lord Jagannatha could no longer contain Himself! He was beyond Himself! Lord Jagannatha had such extraordinary eagerness to see Lord Caitanya, who is representing Srimati Radharani. So we�re seeing that the viraha-bhava, or the mood of separation, is very, very strong within the two of Them. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura commented; he said that �some are desiring to make their place of bhajana in Vrndavana, considering it the highest abode.�� He said, �But, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura said that he wanted to make his abode in Kuruksetra. He said, �I will make my bhajana kutir in Kuruksetra because Kuruksetra, that is the place where the separation is most intense- most intense.�
So in that mood of separation, the attraction is most intense because just there, they almost had Krsna and still they didn�t have Him! So that increased the sense of separation even more; Krsna was right in front of the residents of Vrndavana and yet, they didn�t have Him because He was a different Krsna in a royal dress! So the same thing is there in Puri; He�s worshipped there in His royal feature in the Jagannatha mandira. But then, in that mood of separation, no longer tolerating that separation, just taking it in their own hands- the gopis or Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu representing Srimati Radharani- just pushed with His own head, pushed it, pushed it in the direction of the Gundica temple and He danced all the way! Seeing that, �now there is light at the end of the tunnel, now very soon, very soon, Krsna will return to Vrndavana after all!� Of course complications do arise�! The goddess of fortune does come after a few days to make a big scene and beats all the servants of Lord Jagannatha, forcefully tries to bring Jagannatha back.
So therefore this mood of separation in Puri, this viraha-bhava, is very much the predominant mood- very much. Of course there�s separation in all the three dhama�s because when Krsna was eleven, Akrura came and took away out of Vrndavana to Mathura, and then Lord Caitanya, ohh�after He took sanyassa, then His mother sent Him away to Puri. After that Navadvipa just�finished, finished! Life stopped in Navadvipa! So separation is found in all the three dhama�s but especially this Ratha Yatra is separation fed by hope, therefore it is very intense- very intense. Yes?
Question: But Arjuna had no time to remember Krsna, he was absorbed in fighting on the battle field.
Maharaja: Okay. Well he was remembering�he wasn�t in detail thinking about �Krsna, Krsna, Krsna,� but he was doing it for Krsna, he was doing it for Krsna. He would have never done it; he�s doing it for Krsna. And that feeling was still the predominant feeling in his heart. So in that way he was remembering Krsna. He was struggling it out and he was just really having a hard time but deep in his heart he was just doing it for Krsna. That didn�t disappear although his attention was on defending himself and shooting arrows at targets but in his heart he knew that he was doing it for Krsna. That feeling he never lost. So he remembered Krsna.
Question:� You mentioned that the rules and regulation purposes is actually to remember Krsna all the time. But what would happen, if the rules and regulations for example are coming in contradiction with the personality himself? For example if a person cannot concentrate for more than five minutes and then they�re expected to do chanting, which generally takes one and a half hours, and actually brings the opposite results�because it�s becoming more a burden on the brain to do it more than actually the enjoyment of the chanting that�s supposed to come,
Maharaja: Okay. It is said there is three stages of Krsna consciousness: sadhana bhakti (devotional service in practice), bhava bhakti (devotional service in ecstasy) and prema bhakti (devotional service in pure love.) Sadhana bhakti is further sub-divided into two sections- one is vaidhi and the other is raganuga. Vaidhi means according to rules and regulations, prescribed duty; raganuga is where we begin to chant spontaneously, riding on inspiration coming from the heart. So vaidhi bhakti is a stage where one should just somehow or other fix his mind on the prescribed duty and just do it! Even if the feeling is sort of going in an opposite direction just do it! And just sort of sometimes grid the teeth or whatever it takes you know. Fight that restless mind somehow or other. It�s a period of fighting.
I compare that to people that grew up in a dessert and wanted to go in a green land in order tolive there�when you live in a dessert you live in an oasis naturally. So in order to go the green land they had to leave the oasis and go through the dry stretch of dessert before they came to that green land. So in the same way in vaidhi, we have to sometimes go through the dry patch. We give up our material enjoyment, which did give us some mental satisfaction although not complete. We get nothing in exchange for now. Only sometimes a moment of extraordinary Krsna consciousness and for the rest we get a lot of dry duty in the dry dessert and the hot summer lust is burning on our head and this is a very difficult stage. But we must go through this and if we do so, we�ll certainly on the other side reach the oasis of the mode of goodness where we will find more satisfaction in these practices. Then if we go further, gradually we will start to experience some spontaneous taste in these Krsna conscious things.
So when rules and regulations are followed in the spontaneous stage, it is said at that stage when we spontaneously become attracted to Krsna, then when the rules and regulations start to interfere with that spontaneous expression towards Krsna, at that stage, then one may relax a bit on the rules and regulations. Sometimes even break them! Example given in the Nectar of Devotion is like how there was someone in the mood of serving Krsna as a cowherd boy and therefore he was in the temple and in front of the Deities he sort of just�was lying down in a really sort of relaxed manner, which is disrespectful, inappropriate in a temple. But he did it because he was relating to the Deity like a cowherd boy. So this comes in a very advanced stage of being attracted to Krsna. Then one can relax on the rules and regulations. One is not concerned so much when one is just concerned with Krsna�s pleasure. And in prema it�s like�Lord Caitanya just forgot the external world many times. Many times He�s just like absorbed- so absorbed in Krsna. So it depends where we are really how to deal with rules and regulations. But in the vaidhi stage, just somehow or other take shelter of the rules and regulations whether the mind likes it or not. It�s just we have to just go through the dry dessert.
Question continued: There are situations really which are becoming almost impossible to remember Krsna � for example, if a person needs to take medication, he will obviously have to break the rule in order to take that�
Maharaja: Well, you know, so there are people with a handicap. That�s true; there are people with a handicap- a mental handicap, a physical handicap- which makes it a little more difficult to practice Krsna consciousness. So that�s bad karma. So if somebody has particularly bad karma, it will be a little more difficult to take to Krsna conscious. But if he�s very determined, he�ll do it anyway! Somehow or other he�ll manage to do it. Maybe in a slightly adjusted way; may be that person who cant concentrate has to change all the time and has to may be walk- maybe just go on a walk and chant while walking- but somehow or other, it is also said, yena tena prakarena manah krsne nivesayat, somehow or other whatever your condition may be- prakara- whatever your condition may be, fix the mind on Krsna and do it! Fix the mind on the holy name.
Question: Maharaja, my question is very simple: you mentioned in your lecture that the devotee is wearing jewels for Krsna. How can a man in the street see that the devotee is wearing jewels for Krsna? Is it etiquette? Or a joyful face?
Maharaja: No, I wanted to say that a devotee takes more pleasure in offering the jewels to Krsna than wearing them herself (I will speak about a women in this case because women by nature are may be more inclined to jewels than men). So I said like, instead of putting it on your own finger, put it in the finger of Krsna. And then if you do, then�that doesn�t mean that from this day on no women can wear jewels again and that that would be the end of the story- no. Even Krsna conscious ladies can use jewellery and all that. That�s natural. But still, this element of decorating Krsna instead of oneself is very purifying. I think that was the point- to offer things to Krsna, to offer what is valuable to Krsna and not to ourselves. And we�ll find greater pleasure.
Question: How can the man in the street see that�
Maharaja: A man in the street may not see. Like Prabhupada is saying, externally it seems a devotee is almost the same like anybody else because a devotee can do the same thing; a devotee can also work in the post and deliver the mail, just like any other man. And everyone sees, �oh here goes the postman!� but we see neck beads and we think, �this is not an ordinary postman, this is Krsna�s postman!� We know, we know the secret. But how can we see the difference? He�s dressed like a postman, he acts like a postman but internally he is a devotee. He does the work of the postman but at the end when he gets his pay cheque, he will use a portion of that for family maintenance and a portion for worship of Krsna. So in this way he�s working for Krsna. Prabhupada said just like when a boy is working for a girl or a man for his wife to buy her a nice gift for the birthday, at that time he works all week and he spends his salary on buying that gift. So actually, the whole week he was meditating on buying that gift. So all the time he was actually working for her. In the same way for all the time we think, �Yes, and then I will do this for Krsna, yes then I�ll do that for Krsna,� then we�re actually working for Krsna although we work in a mundane job. Prabhupada describes that.
Comment: It�s the same way that you see the world as an altar.
Maharaja: Yes, yes- the world as an altar. Yes, then we�re always thinking, how can I offer something to Krsna?�
Question: I was reading in a book, I think �Nectar of self-realization��
Maharaja: Science of self-realisation
Question continued: Yes, and it was truly touching to me; it�s said a person doesn�t have to quit his own religion to become Krsna conscious. I�ve been reading and reading and reading, and at this very moment it�s happening right now; I�ve got two friends and both of them they talk to me, they say, �Well, actually I�m preaching every Sunday morning but I�m losing appetite. And you believe God exists?� Yes I do believe God exists. Of course God exists because see around here all the nice things. Yes, but I miss the feeling. You know these guys, they ask me�I mean I�m Krsna conscious and getting steady and those people talk to me but there�s nothing�and still become Krsna conscious. How could I bring them so far that they become happy with Krsna and continue the way they do their jobs?
Maharaja: Hmmm. Well in the beginning a person can become attracted to Krsna and not change his life and add Krsna in his life. Then when one begins to see himself as the servant of Krsna, one naturally begins to adjust his life more and more for the pleasure of Krsna.
How to convince people? Well present Krsna as He is, Krsna�s attractive so Krsna can attract people. The more we describe Him, the more people can become attracted- as simple as that- because Krsna is indeed wonderful, the Supreme Lord is wonderful. Just like the western tradition is full of personalism; there are many, many personalist philosophers. Like for example, Hegel was a famous philosopher, was counted amongst a personalist philosopher. So personalism is found in western thinking and obviously the Bible speaks of a personal God and that man was created in the image of God- as a person.� The Bible is stating� �Man is created in the image of God� , well that makes you think that God has two eyes, a nose, a mouth and hands and just see- there�s Krsna! And He has two eyes, a nose, a mouth, hands and He is perfect in that form- the eyes are not too close, the nose is not too big and so on. It�s perfect and so on. So the form of Krsna makes sense, makes a lot of sense. So in this way we can bring them closer and once they get closer to Krsna, in the beginning they don�t have to change their own tradition, but as they get more involved with Krsna, they�ll come to that point where they�ll say, �No, I want only Krsna! Forget this other tradition�� and even the priests will take off that suffocating white collar!
Question: It seems to me that Visvanatha Cakravati is�
Maharaja: Well, vaidhi-bhakti is devotional service according to rules and regulations. So merely meditation on rules and regulations does not translate into spontaneous service. But what happens is, as one is engaging in serving Krsna according to the rules and regulations, sometimes one actually begins to like it because it�s nice. So there are spontaneous moments and these are the seeds of spontaneity.
Question continued: (Inaudible)
Maharaja: In that way it can, but it�s said, by following the rules and regulations of vaidhi in itself, one doesn�t come to raganuga. But because there are spontaneous moments where one actually serves Krsna out of taste, that taste will carry one to devotees who have taste. That taste will make one eager to associate with devotees who are driven by this taste. Then by the association with such devotees who are full of taste, one�s taste will increase. And then, by their association it will increase to a level that one can yes, come to the point where one wants to practice raganuga, which ultimately means one follows in the footsteps of one of the eternal associates of Krsna in Vrndavana- the ragatmika bhakta�s, who are always absorbed in ecstasy such as, Nanda Maharaja, Yasoda or the gopis, or cowherd boys and so on. But the taste comes in vaidhi sometimes. See, many times vaidhi is just duty but there are moments where the sun comes through the clouds and moments of getting some ruci. That little bit of ruci carries us to the raganuga bhakta�s and then we can do it.
Question: (Inaudible)
Maharaja: I don�t remember that myself; I have to look at what he means by vaidhi mixed with raganuga. Obviously it�s possible. It�s definitely that this movement is very much mixed, in the sense in our movement we follow rules and regulations but we put a lot of stress on pleasing Krsna and nothing so much in doing everything right according to the rules but the pleasure of Krsna is very much in the foreground. Whereas in the strict vaidhi approach, rules and regulations are very much in the foreground of the mind, �Do it exactly right according to the proper prescribed�� our mood is more like, let�s please Krsna! So that�s where the raganuga element comes in mix- the pleasure of Krsna. Yes?
Question: You used the term of serving Krsna with �gravity.� What is gravity?
Maharaja: Seriousness. Grave- very serious, very deep and serious; just one time, no laughing, no giggle, no sign, just sort of stone-like deep thinking about actually, �What is really valuable?�
Question: This is about Durga�
Maharaja: Durga? I don�t know anything about Durga�
Question continued:� (inaudible)
Maharaja: Dur- difficult; ga- to go � �difficult to go�
Question: We have heard that Durga makes it difficult for the living being to come in to the material world.
Maharaja: Because Krsna�s attached to His devotees, so when His devotees want to come in, Krsna cannot bear the separation from them. Therefore, He doesn�t want to let them go. Therefore it�s difficult to come in. Otherwise it wouldn�t be difficult.
Question continued: (inaudible)
Maharaja: No, that�s because of Krsna that it�s difficult to come in. I don�t think because of Durga because ultimately because of Krsna. Durga plays a role in that. I don�t see that; I see Durga is described as acting as Maya devi who�s testing us again and again with two potencies: covering potency and throwing potency. So she throws opportunities to those who are beyond the three modes of material nature trying to pull them down like bait. And like bait, trying to pull them into the modes. So I don�t see how Durga makes it hard for us to get in; she�s throwing bait at us! prapsepatmika sakti, she�s throwing bait. No, it�s Krsna who makes it difficult for us- out of His attachment; He can�t let us go even when we want to! It�s Krsna.
Okay, what shall we do? shall I do class tomorrow morning or will there be no devotees here tomorrow? Some will come. Maybe Gauranga will even come, or he doesn�t like me anymore! Okay, well I�ll come tomorrow morning. So those who have time we can meet again. Thank you very much for coming this evening, and have a safe trip home. I�m also soon going because I got up at two �o clock, driving, meeting, now I want to sleep! Thank you very much.