Nityananda! Gauranga! Hare Krishna! My pranams to you!
Nothing can cure us better than the holy names. In this sacred sangha I was able to get soothing balm and a love and affection which keeps me wanting for more and more of it. Otherwise my material life would have surely rotted me into tamas and worse. I know I am a cheat and an unqualified and insincere fellow. I do not know what to write or how to write. I have no good manners. Still after coming to the sangha I am totally taken over and inspite of all my doshas, I can't help but come back here because I feel that whatever happens, I simply must have your association.
Sometimes when we suffer from various problems of mind and body while chanting, Swamiji said in a video that it is because the Lord has special purification for us and if we stick to the straight path, we will emerge out victorious and much more advanced than before. I am very moved when I realize that whatever I may be, there are always souls who remember this insignificant fool in their kirtana and always pray that we are all dancing connected together eternally.
Dear Gurudeva,and devotees, please accept my humble obeisances.
Naama Sankirtana is the essence of Lord Gauranga’s instruction: freely distributing the Holy Names of the Lord to all spiritual sparks. Not only the people who walk by became imbued with the Holy Names but also the grass, the ants, the bees and even the inert objects benefitted. The expansion of Lord Nityananda is sitting in every atom and He becomes totally ecstatic by hearing the Holy Names from a devotee…which means when you do sankirtan everything in and around we are lifted into spiritual vibration. Eventually that is all we can see.
Nityananda! Gauranga! Hare Krishna! Please accept my humble obeisances!
I am feeling very regretful that I wasted such a huge portion of my time in various seeking process of sense gratifcation, impersonalism and doubt and that it has taken me since December 2007 to wake up to the fact of how I was not sincere in practice. If I had been smart, I should have been inspired by your examples to come to having so much sraddha in Nitaai Gaura naam despite all your limitations.
But I found out today that if we try, we can compose so many naama sankirtans for worshipping our Lordships, giving endless varieties of sankirtan. The best part is that if we just keep the sankirtan going in our head through daily life, it is so powerful that it keeps the mind engaged in Gauranga Krishna consciousness. It is very easy to just sing the names in kirtan rather than monotonically try to chant japa and face the problem of the mind losing track after 10 seconds.
I was trying to do kirtan in my head starting from Jaya Radha madhava and going to Jaya Nityananda Gauranga Nitaai Gaurahari while sitting in my college classroom and I found surprisingly that the kirtan was going on and on and on. At the same time I had no difficulty in listening to what the professor was lecturing or taking notes and as a matter of fact, I was more attentive than usual. But the ultimate experience was that the kirtan was going on and on and in the background all other routines were going on. There was so much manasika kirtan that I felt really that the whole 24 hours can be made into spiritual bliss if we just keep the sankirtana going. Today nothing was boring because all the happiness of doing kirtan mitigated the usual boredom of classes on a hot day.
Finally I realized that the Lord wants our sincerity and if we are sincere he will readily make all our material work very easy so that we can dispense with them quick and keep spirituality riding high. Our material life gives us many challenges that eat up our time and energy. When I have exams I find my chanting getting badly affected because of this. But today I realized that if I stick sincerely to sankirtana, it is possible to stay Gauranga Krishna consciousness. At that time the Supreme Lord really prompts us from within what to do and if we really follow his management plan, then suddenly we find ourselves having all time and energy for spiritual progress.
It is so simple and easy to be honest and place everything in the Lord's hands and just do our services. The other thing is being lazy. I am learning the hard way that being lazy is the mother of all spiritual illness. Dishonesty and laziness are the two qualities which are the #1 enemies of devotion and they must go if anything worthwhile has to be achieved.
Nityaananda Gauraanga naam combined with the Hare Krishna mahamantra is like Nitroglycerin added to fire. The potency works so swiftly and if only I let it work instead of bringing my overly inflated ego into the picture, everything will turn out fine. We have spent many many lifetimes in utter waste. Enough! This is one opportunity that we will never get again. Never after the next 9500 years will such a chance come till the next 8,640,000,000 years. The possibility that one is born as a human, and in this golden age, and having spiritual apitutde AND being able to chant the most merciful and sweet names of the Lord AND have all favourable circumstances is a combination so rare that it is virtually a once in eternity opportunity. We cannot take it lightly no matter how hard our material life becomes because if we miss this chance, then..............
Nityananda! Gauranga! Hare Krishna! Please accept my humble obeisances!
What I am about to write may be totally unpalatable like a tub of salt. I beg forgiveness for using forceful language. But what Swamiji said is absolutely true. There is no denying that.
Science is material. Devotion to Lord Gauranga Krishna is spiritual. How is it even possible to 'harmonize' them? It is better to call it 'compromise'. There is such a qualitative difference! Can rusted iron be compared to a touchstone? Of course Not. There is no possibility of this oneness philosophy. We have to be careful since such compromises may slowly lead us to cloaked impersonalism.
We do not need to put our faith in jeopardy to try to achieve what we already know cannot be possible?? It may create confusion and dilemma within us as the only result. What can be achieved by such compromise? Will it help us become a better devotee -- No. So this attempt to harmonize everything for the satisfaction of our own minds may be actually another symptom of our conditioning at work! We may be only trying to subtly satisfy our mind, intelligence and false ego. This is why --- the real reason why -- so many millions of spiritual seekers are bereft of the real truth -- because they may have wanted to hear what they liked or what they thought was correct and not what was actually correct!
When tons of gold are available in the cleanest place being thrown willingly for free, there may not be a necessity to search for gold in the mud? We are after the real gold and not trying to dig dirt? For getting the pure gold, why should we dig in the dirt? We may not know that there's a gold rush, but when I do come to know, why should we keep dirtying ourselves? We should say, "I don't want it my way but I want it the true way!"
What great spiritual realization do scientists have? They are only good at maths. When a scientist says, "I am inclined to think that there may be a reason to believe that this universe may not have come by chance but there could be a possibility of some unknown, inexplicable intelligence that may be the driving force behind it and which has perhaps played a significant, yet unknown role in creation of the universe by some process which we are trying to know and did so for reasons that we do not understand.....", immediately we say, "Oh! This is such a great realization. Wonderful insight! Bravo Bravo!" But is it?
Just look at it! -- how many unsure words of uncertainty (italics) have been used? This is a masterpiece of ignorance, vagueness and uncertainty that is posing as knowledge -- but it simply reveals the ignorance of these so tiny and hopeless speculations! What are these people trying to say? Layman's lanugage -- "There may be something. I don't know anything."
When a devotee says, "My Lord Gauranga Krishna is the source of all the material and spiritual worlds and he has created the material world to purify all souls from their foolishness that, "I am God" and to make them realize that, "I am the servant and God is the object of my eternal love." -- This is truth. This is concrete, 100% rock solid truth received from the perfect source and a clear message to impersonalism without mincing any words. This is a realization! If we praised the scientists, how much greater must our reaction be when we hear the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead! Logically we must explode -- we must blow all fuses and go through the roof and roll on the floor crying and laughing in uncontrollable waves of unlimited ecstasy when we see this. It deserves that much proportionate respect.
So how can mundane speculations harmonize real realization? On the contrary they compromise it.
In the next article I will elaborate further on this. I intend to split my answers for reading convenience.
Thank you so much for such an encouraging post Gurudev. I personally have full faith in the power of Lord Gaura Krishna and I have decided to give my entire life to Him. This reminds me of Shrila Prabhupada saying ' Give this one life to Lord Gaura Krishna '. In all my previous births I have been busy satisfying my sinful desires but this one life I want every moment to be spend for the pleasure of Lord Gaura Krishna because after all He is my ultimate well wisher. Well I would also like to thank you for giving the Nitaai Gaura Praana Kriya because even if I am not able to do quantity chanting but I can spend every moment of my waking hour by remembering the Lords via Nitaai Gaura Praana Kriya. I feel so satisfied this way. All glorires to the Holy Names of Nityaananda, Gauraanga and Hare Krishna Mahamantra.
Nityananda! Gauranga! Hare Krishna! My humble pranams!
For a realized devotee, everything is the Lord's property and meant to be used in his service. So in that sense there is nothing material. But we sometimes mistake the material world that we are in to be the original spiritual world. Mistaking the counterfeit note for the real currency. As was pointed about rocks, moon and sun being living, it has no basis. Only the rocks, sun and moon of Vaikunta are living.
The conception of the pure devotee involves a complete change of natures from material to spiritual. But the other conception says that the material world with its impermanent nature as it is, is infact the spiritual world itself! A very subtle difference, very. The truth is that the material nature is replaced by the spiritual nature and cannot be considered as spiritual nature itself. Some think this material world to be the spirit and they try to experience spiritual bliss with material senses. The mind cannot realize the Lord on its own! Mind is also material.
The modern day philosophers question all conceptions of God, even the real ones as purely fancy and being sceptic about everything, they sit in the void of ignorance, "We don't know which is God." and mislead their followers who mistake this for harmony while it actually reveals a huge lacuna of pure spiritual realizations. The professors of these philosophies claim all religions that concentrate on exclusive devotion to a Personality of Godhead are all limited, creating divisions in the world. These speculative philosophers blame the devotees for dividing the world and they attempt to compromise everything pure by accepting medicine with one hand and poison with the other. They wrongly claim that Vaishnavas have divided the world and created sectarian wars and in the garb of secularism they simply preach atheism and with a plan to turn the whole world into atheists.
We can only imagine what sort of hidden envy some of these revered philosophers may have towards the real devotees of Lord Gaurahari. These things may have to be given up, otherwise we may not make much spiritual progress and will not be healed on the level of the soul. We now can pinpoint the cause of the faith crises that have arisen all over the world.
We see that the modern philosophers always use words like higher plane, higher power, and other terms to describe the Lord, but who says Krishna, Narayana, Vasudeva, Nityananda, Gauranga, etc..? Srila Prabhupada refused to call his movement God Consciousness and instead said Krishna Consciousness. The Vaisnava religion is not a limited material conception. It does not create any divisions within the world, but it is the pristinely pure truth.
However the Lord and His devotees are eternally merciful. They are always inviting us to come to them inspite of all our offenses and we must never get discouraged and quit. Now one more opportunity is being given to us and let us take full shelter of that with the purest spiritual motive.
I'll continue next time when I get more insights on this matter.
"We will love our brothers and sisters in this world to the extent we love to chant the Holy Names of Lord Gaura Krishna. His Names awaken our soul's dormant love." - Swami Gaurangapada.
Nityaananda!! Gauraanga!! Hare Krishna!! As a Guru, it is my duty to explain the truth even though it may be impalatable or may not sound harmonius with the widely popular mundane theory of taking good from everywhere. It is only for the sake of caring for other devotees spiritual life that I am speaking these words, not with a feeling of disdain or superiority over any one. A devotee's determination to fully avoid and stay far away from the speculations of the scientists, impersonalists and materialists is not based on false ego or puffed-up immaturity or disharmony. It is actually to avoid disharmony with God Himself. In fact, proper discrimination and avoidance is a sign of true humility and sincerity to protect one's owns soul first. The highest humility is to save oneself first and one of the most important restrictions given by Shrila Rupa Goswami is Shri Upadeshamrita in this regard is to totally avoid speculative and so-called rational philosophies which very subtly lead us away from the Lord.
The Supreme Lord Gauranga did not endorse His most advanced and intimate devotee Shrila Mukunda's going and hearing the impersonalist or atheistic philosophies. So much so that He refused to see Him again for 10 million lives. So actually our beloved Lord Gauranga Mahaprabhu does not want us to try to become a "swam" by trying to understand so many speculative philosophies or to "take gold from filth" as some say. He just wants to remain chaste to Him by staying away from them if we actually want to please Him and enter the spiritual world. Why can't we just try to fully follow one pure path for one life and see the results? We have tried unsuccessfully and miserably failed in many lives by trying to follow these speculative philosophies by non-devotees and imperfect atheists.
Our path is also a simple and straight path. Actually it is this attempt to find a so-called harmony between truth and untruth makes our path complicated and not vice versa. I have personally seen that people and sometimes even devotees who are interested in these speculative philosophies, do not make any tangible spiritual progress for years and years. Even after decades, they remain spiritually stagnant as they were previously, because they are displeasing Lord Gaura Krishna by not remaining chaste to His instructions.
I know that this trend of being open-minded to everything under the sun is most popular nowadays in Kali Yuga but it is actually a symptom of Kali. People even respect and accept those "Gurus" more who have diluted and mixed up philosophy, quote speculators and speak ambiguous words of so-called harmony and balance in the world. And those Gurus who strictly remain faithful to the teachings of our liberated Acharyas are considered as fanatics. This is not fanaticism, this is chastity and faith in the words of our Acharyas and the Lord Himself. No one cares about the actual instructions of Lord Gaura Krishna Himself. If we are not fanatic to follow the instructions of the Lord, then there is no hope for us. The whole purpose of pleasing the Lord is defeated in such a case and then all is lost.
The Lord tells us that there is nothing worth knowing in these speculative philosophies which is not there in our pristinely pure Gaudiya philosophy. There is no need whatsoever to know the untruth to understand what is the real truth if we have faith that our perfectly liberated Acharyas have spoken the ultmate truth. As seen in the case of Shrila Bhagavan Acharya, however advanced one may be, this attempt for trying to find a so-called harmony between the pure truth and speculative untruth, will adversely affect our pure spiritual quest and we will cause the Supreme Lord pain by these actions which in turn will take us deeper and further away from the Lord. Thus, real humility would be to just accept this advice of the Supreme Lord Himself and only read the books of our Acharyas who are free from the four material imperfections and defects, for the sake of our own spiritual life. Lord Gaura Krishna is powerful enough to cure us in any situation (even psychic) we are in if we are determined to please Him by strictly following His instructions. We do not need to approach the speculative theories of imperfect people and create inauspicious in our present lives and next in the name of so-called balance, harmony or open-mindedness. Proper discrimination and avoidance or viveka is repeatedly described in all the Vedas as a very important limb of spiritual progress. Thus, let us fully stick to one pure path in this life by not displeasing the Lord in any way and we will be amazed at the results. Thank you.
A food product, though classed in the mode of goodness, fresh, and uncomtanimated,may be of inferior quality, having bad taste, texture or color. The same food product of superior taste and quality is preferable is possible. A food product may be in the mode of goodness, may be fresh, uncontaminated and of superior quality, but if it is prepared by a person who is impure and sinful, that food should not be taken. Prepared or cooked foods, particularly grains, take on the qualities of the person who has prepared them. If one eats such foods one will take on those sinful qualities as well. Thus a Furthermore, a food product though in the mode of goodness, fresh, uncontaminated, of superior quality, and prepared by a sinless person, is filled with sin if it is not first offered to the Lord. yajna sistasinah santo mucyante sarva kilbisaih bhunjate te tv agham papa ye pacanty atma karanat The devotees of the Lord are released from all kinds of sins becasue they eat food which is offered first for sacrifice. Others, who prepare food for personal sense enjoyment, verily eat only sin. BG Ch.3, V.13 When suitable foods are offered to the Lord they surpass sattva guna and become transcendental to material nature. Such food is called prasadam, the mercy of the Lord. Therefore the Vaisnava takes only those cooked foods which are prepared by another Vaisnava, who has thorough knowledge of what is acceptable for offering and consumption and what is not, who is sinless in conduct, and who offers everything to the Lord before serving it. The considerations of quality, impurity etc do not apply however to food which has been offered by bona fide devotees to the Lord without offense (who offer it to the Lord considering the proper standards mentioned above). That food or bhoga is called mahaprasadam and is absolute like the Lord: One should eat the mahaprasada of the Lord immediately upon receiving it, even though it is dried up, stale or brought from a distant country. One should consider neither time nor place. CC Madhya v.2.p.324 In the Brhad Visnu Purana it is stated that one who considers mahaprasada to be equal to ordinary rice and dahl certainly commits a great offense. Ordinary edibles are touchable and untouchable, but there are no such dualistic considerations where prasada is concerned. Prasada is transcendental and there are no transformations or contaminations, just as there are no contaminations or transformations in the body of Lord Visnu Himself. CC Madhya V.1, p.293 Source of Food: The brahmana is forbidden to take food from a sudra, since the sudra by his inherent character is a person addicted to sinful activity. Since all of a man's sins reside in his cooked grains, if one eats the grains cooked by a sudra, one must suffer for all his sins. Thererfore to avoid undue difficulties, this food is avoided. Exceptions are made however. One can take food from sudra after giving suitable payment. After paying one can take rice cooked in sugar and milk, items cooked in ghee or oil (not boiled items); cow milk, sweet cakes and oil cakes. One can take honey, water, fruits, and roots from a sudra if they are offered without ones asking. One can accept food from a sudra who works someone elses land and takes half the crop. One may take food from a sudra if one is well acquainted with the his family and habits. One can also accept food from a sudra who tends cows or is the family barber. The word "sudra" must refer to a person of sudra quality, rather than of sudra anscestory, for one must always take food grains cooked by a Vaisnava , who offers the grains to the Lord, regardless of his caste. The Skanda Purana says that there are four pure things: ekadasi vrata, the heart of a devotee, Ganga water, and the grains cooked by Vaisnava. As you will pay for the dinner, for the foods, you can offer them to Krsna within your mind, then eat them as Krsna prasadam. Any foods stuff when it is paid for it becomes purified...The source of receipt of the things may be not very good, but if one pays for it, it becomes purified. So vegetable diet, when it is paid for, you can offer it in your mind to Krsna and take it. Meat is not considered an eatable...It is not to be done ordinarily--w We should prepare our own foodstuff and offer-- as much as possible of course. letter from Srila Prabhupada Brahmananda, Oct. 6, 1968 COOKING Cooking should be understood to be a devotional activity, for the product must be offered to the Supreme Lord with devotion. The rules which apply to deity worship, cleanliness and devotion, also apply to cooking. Cleanliness: Ones body should be clean. One who cooks must have performed his morning nitya kriyas of sauca, brushing teeth, bathing, dressing properly and applying tilaka. The hands should be always clean, never touching impure objects or the holes of the body. Utensils and ingredients must be clean. Just artilces for deity worship must be cleaned before performing deity worship, before cooking one must be sure that his utensils and kitcehn are pure. One must know what is considered pure and impure, and how contamination spreads. One must also know how to rectify impurity if that is possible ie the proper method of purifying different articles. The ingredients are for offering to the Lord, and therefore one should not enjoy them first, by smelling or tasting or looking upon with lust. As well non devotees or those not familiar with the rules of cleanliness and worship, should not be allowed to cook, nor should any animals be allowed entrance in the kitchen. Nor can the unoffered preparations and ingredients be mixed with, touched to or placed in proximity to items already offered. The place should be clean. The kitchen should be thoroughly washed before starting and garbage should not be allowed to accumulate in the kitchen. Shoes should not be worn into the kitchen. The mind should be purified by strict sadhana and constant chanting of the Holy Name. While engaged in cooking one should not discuss mundane matters, but as in deity worship maintain silence on these matters. Instead one should meditate on pleasing the Supreme Lord by ones activity, and constantly chant the Holy Name. As far as possible non-initiated devotees may not enter the kitchen or deity area. They can help from outside. letter from Srila Prabhupada April 4, 1971
Thank you Gurudeva. This morning I realized these things too (where my bliss is evident), and your confirmation is gratefully accepted and will be implemented. It is has confirmed the truth of the matter. Thank you for your paitence, and kindness.
Thank you Mihir for understanding that the daily chanting of the Nityaananda and Gauraanga Mantrarajas along iwth the Hare Krishna Mahamantra is the highest spiritual practice which can be performed in Kali Yuga, in fact in all ages in the past, present and future. This simple faith will ensure your advancement in leaps and bounds.
Nityaananda!! Gauraanga!! Hare Krishna!! One can certainly grow by proper internet association. Vani of our Guru and the Acharyas is our primary source of devotional association with the Lord and that is available in it's complete and pure form on the internet. Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada recommended association with the Vani when a devotee asked him about association in the case that one is staying away froma temple. Actually even if one goes to a temple for association with the devotees but if our Acharyas' Vani is not properly understood and practiced then that is not proper association. If one steadily performs the daily chanting, sankirtana, viewing videos, reading, worshiping Yulasi etc. at home while associating with the Vani via the internet then that association will certainly make the soul advance in spiirtual realization and we will create our own associaton. For best results, Nava, I would recommend that you steadily fix yourself to the pure path of our Gaudiya Philosophy and Bhakti because it includes all philosophies, understandings and solutions to all our problems. Other intellectual theories or words may seem very flowery and enchanting but those will not help us in actual spiritual advancement which comes by pleasing Lord Nitaai and Lord Gaura Krishna.
Nityananada! Gauranga! Hare Krsna! dear Gurudeva, please accept my obiesances.
Rose this morning for mangala arati and tulsi arati...kirtan with new mahdal (its pleasing to the heart for sweet kirtan). Lately I have been perplexed with various doctrines and religions and scriptures, trying to find harmony and understanding.
I was reflecting on Jagannatha Gauranga dasa's wisdom in regards to kirtan. And the spirit of transcendental devotion (free of the mind stuff).
Chapter 2 bg text 52-53 was class this morning:
'When your intellect emerges from the thicket of delusion, you shall become disgusted with all that has been heard and all that is to be heard. Thereafter, when your intellect is fixed and not perplexed by scriptural injunctions, you shall attain yoga-samadhi.'
I realized by Jagannatha Gauranga prabhu's grace, that the bliss internally of bhakti is freedom from...'the anxieties and complexities of religious vision'. I am very happy to have a mahdal drum, it is like small mrdanga...and is much sweeter and musical to play than just karatals which are a bit noisy on their own...thank you for your patience Gurudeva with me latey.
I still long for tangible association (and have opportunity five minute bike ride away, in small church that is broad and mystical) but unfortunately not many extract the essence and wisdom of bhakti/buddhi. So I dont know what to do? what would you suggest?
Salvation and the duality involved is not my way and peace of heart. I find my peace in bhakti and singing and internal bliss.
Can i grow on my own with just internet association? And simple life at home (I like simple)?
What do you think is best for my development Maharaja?
aspiring your Lotus Feet...Nava Gauranga dasa. haribol!
Dear Lowerthanarat, thank you so much for these 'spiritual' realizations that you have shared. Very helpful to read these things, as a reminder of the truth of our place in the universe and scheme of things. Thank you!
trnad api sunichena taror api sahisnuna amanina manadena kirtaniyah sada harih
This is the vaisnava anthem.
Who are we just a tiny sparks? What can we say for ourself. We are nothing.
Some think with their university degree they are more qualified, but the Gita says it’s by good fortune that we have a human birth born in this country or that. And it’s by you good fortune that you will continue your Nitai Krsna Chaitanya seva at 5%, 25%, or 60%.
Don't be envious of others in a higher percentage than you; help them all you can.
Reading the Gita 7.4 we can understand Krsna is the taste of water, the light of the Sun and Moon, the smell of the earth. Krsna is the letter A.
But what excites me the most. I am not this body, and I have no material family., and our duty is to surrender to Guru lock stock and barrel. My masters own me. No questions other wise. Reading Gita 4.34. By pleasing the Guru; Krsna Gauranga is pleased.
We have duty not be envious of no one. Not to disturb any one. Not to judge others be tolerant be humble give respects to others don't allow anyone to disrespect our guru or others who have given their life for Nitai Gauranga. don't listen to those who disrespect the holy scriptures or the demigods. don't fight with no one walk away. defeating them in debate can be false ego.
You need to be a good listener and then we can adjust the way we deal with people. Don’t judge a person by their looks, or even think what money you can get from them. Devotees came from all walks of life.
I am really feeling very fortunate to have taken shelter under Lord Nityaananda. I am feeling so happy today to have chosen to chant Nityaananda and Gauraanga Naam along with Hare Krishna Mahamantra. There was a time when I was chanting only Hare Krishna Mahamantra but I always had a question in my mind that if Shrila Prabhupada said that surrendering to Lord Nityaananda and Lord Gauraanga is very important then why am I not being able to surrender to them to my full satisfaction. 2-3 years back I chatted live on a website (I don't want to mention the name). I told the devotee that I am in a distress then will Lord Krishna help. He replied yes. I was very happy but then I told the devotee that Lord Krishna helped Draupati only after she surrendered 100%, till then she did not recieve help. I told the devotee that I am not a pure devotee like Draupati to surrender 100% then how will I recieve help. The devotee told me that Lord Chaitanya does not ask for surrender so he told me to worship Him. To this I got very confused and I told the devotee that I am only chanting Hare Krishna then how do I surrender to Lord Chaitanya. To this he had no answer and he told me not to worry about all that and he said that by chanting Hare Krishna Lord Chaitanya will be pleased. However the truth is that to please Lord Chaitanya we must get the mercy of Lord Nityaananda. Similarly I have faced so many experiences in life. Then when I chatted with Swami Gaurangapada all the questions in my life got answered. I am now so satisfied with my spiritual practice. Thank you so much Gurudev, without your mercy I am sure I would have ended up either in a ghost body or in Yamraj's abode.
I love these small books you can slip them in your pocket or bag and read them every where: on a bus, train, or waiting in queueing.
Every one is more or less crazy, that means you and me if we listen to our senses and mind, and act on the on these impulses.
From Matchless Gift
The aim of this Krishna consciousness movement is to bring all living entities back to their original consciousness. All living entities within the material world are, to varying degrees, afflicted with a type of madness. This Krishna consciousness movement aims at curing man of his material disease and reestablishing his original consciousness. In a Bengali poem a great Vaishnava poet has written, "When a man is haunted by ghosts, he can only speak nonsense. Similarly, anyone who is under the influence of material nature should be considered haunted, and whatever he speaks should be considered nonsense." One may be considered a great philosopher or great scientist, but if he is haunted by the ghost of maya, illusion, whatever he theorizes and whatever he speaks is more or less nonsensical. Today we are given the example of a psychiatrist who, when requested to examine a murderer, proclaimed that since all the patients with whom he had come in contact were more or less crazy, the court could excuse the murderer on those grounds if it so desired. The point is that in the material world it is very difficult to find a sane living entity. The prevailing atmosphere of insanity in this world is all caused by the infection of material consciousness. The purpose of this Hare Krishna movement is to bring man back to his original consciousness, which is Krishna consciousness, clear consciousness. When water falls from the clouds, it is uncontaminated like distilled water, but as soon as it touches the ground it becomes muddy and discolored. Similarly, we are originally pure spirit soul, part and parcel of Krishna, and therefore our original constitutional position is as pure as God's. In Bhagavad-gita Sri Krishna says: mamaivamso jiva-loke jiva-bhutah sanatanah manah shashthanindriyani prakriti-sthani karshati "The living entities in this conditional world are My fragmental parts, and they are eternal. But due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind." (Bg. 15.7) Thus all living entities are part and parcel of Krishna. By Krishna it should always be remembered that we are speaking of God, Krishna denoting the all-attractive Supreme Personality of Godhead. As a fragment of gold is qualitatively the same as a gold reservoir, so the minute particles of Krishna's body are therefore qualitatively as good as Krishna. The chemical composition of God's body and the eternal spiritual body of the living entity is the same-spiritual. Thus originally, in our uncontaminated condition, we possessed a form as good as God's, but just as rain falls to the ground, so we come in contact with this material world, which is manipulated by the external material energy of Krishna. When we speak of external energy or material nature, the question may be raised, "Whose energy? Whose nature?" Material energy or nature is not active independently. Such a concept is foolish. In Bhagavad-gita it is clearly stated that material nature does not work independently. When a foolish man sees a machine he may think that it is working automatically, but actually it is not—there is a driver, someone in control, although we sometimes cannot see the controller behind the machine due to our defective vision. There are many electronic mechanisms which work very wonderfully, but behind these intricate systems there is a scientist who pushes the button. This is very simple to understand: since a machine is matter, it cannot work on its own accord but must work under spiritual direction. A tape recorder works, but it works according to the plans and under the direction of a living entity, a human being. The machine is complete, but unless it is manipulated by a spirit soul, it cannot work. Similarly, we should understand that this cosmic manifestation which we call nature is a great machine and that behind this machine there is God, Krishna. This is also affirmed in Bhagavad-gita where Krishna says: mayadhyakshena prakritih suyate sa-caracaram hetunanena kaunteya jagad viparivartate "This material nature is working under My direction, O son of Kunti, producing all the moving and unmoving beings, and by its rule this manifestation is created and annihilated again and again." (Bg. 9.10) There are two kinds of entities—the moving (such as human beings, animals and insects) and nonmoving (such as trees and mountains). Krishna says that material nature, which controls both kinds of entities, is acting under His direction. Thus behind everything there is a supreme controller. Modern civilization does not understand this due to lack of knowledge; it is the purpose of this Society for Krishna consciousness therefore to enlighten all people who have been maddened by the influence of the three modes of material nature. In other words, our aim is to awaken mankind to its normal condition. There are many universities, especially in the United States, and many departments of knowledge, but they are not discussing these points. Where is the department for this knowledge that we find given by Sri Krishna in Bhagavad-gita? When I spoke before students and some faculty members at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the first question raised was: "Where is the technological department which is investigating the difference between a dead man and a living man?" When a man dies, something is lost. Where is the technology to replace it? Why don't scientists try to solve this problem? Because this is a very difficult subject matter, they set it aside and busily engage in the technology of eating, sleeping, mating and defending. However, Vedic literatures inform us that this is animal technology. Animals are also trying their best to eat well, to have an enjoyable sex life, to sleep peacefully, and to defend themselves. What then is the difference between man's knowledge and animal's knowledge? The fact is that man's knowledge should be developed to explore that difference between a living man and a dead man, a living body and a dead body. That spiritual knowledge was imparted by Krishna to Arjuna in the beginning of Bhagavad-gita. Being a friend of Krishna's, Arjuna was a very intelligent man, but his knowledge, as all men's, was limited. Krishna spoke, however, of subject matters which were beyond Arjuna's finite knowledge. These subjects are called adhokshaja because our direct perception by which we acquire material knowledge fails to approach them. For example, we have many powerful microscopes to see what we cannot see with our limited vision, but there is no microscope that can show us the soul within the body. Nevertheless, the soul is there. Bhagavad-gita informs us that in this body there is a proprietor. I am the proprietor, and others are the proprietors of their bodies. I say, "My hand," but not "I hand." Since it is "my hand," I am different from the hand, being its owner. Similarly, we speak of "My eye," "My leg," "My this," "My that." In the midst of all of these objects which belong to me, where am I? The search for the answer to this question is the process of meditation. In real meditation, we ask, "Where am I? What am I?" We cannot find the answers to these questions by any material effort, and because of this all the universities are setting these questions aside. They say, "It is too difficult a subject." Or they brush it aside: "It is irrelevant." Thus engineers direct their attention to creating and attempting to perfect the horseless carriage and wingless bird. Formerly, horses were drawing carriages and there was no air pollution, but now there are cars and rockets, and the scientists are very proud. "We have invented horseless carriages and wingless birds," they boast. Although they invent imitation wings for the airplane or rocket, they cannot invent a soulless body. When they are able to actually do this, they will deserve credit. But such an attempt would necessarily be frustrated, for we know that there is no machine that can work without a spirit soul behind it. Even the most complicated computers need trained men to handle them. Similarly, we should know that this great machine, which is known as the cosmic manifestation, is manipulated by a supreme spirit. That is Krishna. Scientists are searching for the ultimate cause or the ultimate controller of this material universe and are postulating different theories and proposals, but the real means for knowledge is very easy and perfect: we need only hear from the perfect person, Krishna. By accepting the knowledge imparted in Bhagavad-gita, anyone can immediately know that this great cosmic machine, of which the earth is a part, is working so wonderfully because there is a driver behind it—Krishna. Our process of knowledge is very easy. Krishna's instruction, Bhagavad-gita, is the principal book of knowledge given by the adi-purusha Himself, the Supreme primeval person, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is indeed the perfect person. It may be argued that although we have accepted Him as a perfect person, there are many others who do not. Rut one should not think that this acceptance is whimsical; He is accepted as the perfect person on the evidence of many authorities. We do not accept Krishna as perfect simply on the basis of our whims or sentiments. No—Krishna is accepted as God by many Vedic authorities like Vyasadeva, the author of all Vedic literatures. The treasure house of knowledge is contained in the Vedas, and their author, Vyasadeva, accepts Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and Vyasadeva's spiritual master, Narada, also accepts Krishna as such. Narada's spiritual master, Brahma, accepts Krishna not only as the Supreme person but the supreme controller as well—isvarah paramah krishnah: [Bs. 5.1] "The supreme controller is Krishna." There is no one in the creation who can claim that he is not controlled. Everyone, regardless of how important or powerful, has a controller over his head. Krishna, however, has no controller; therefore He is God. He is the controller of everyone, but there is no one superior to Him, no one to control Him; nor is there anyone equal to Him, no one to share His platform of absolute control. This may sound very strange, for there are many so-called gods nowadays. Indeed, gods have become very cheap, being especially imported from India. people in other countries are fortunate that gods are not manufactured there, but in India gods are manufactured practically every day. We often hear that God is coming to Los Angeles or New York and that people are gathering to receive Him, etc. But Krishna is not the type of God manufactured in a mystic factory. No. He was not made God, but He is God. We should know then on the basis of authority that behind this gigantic material nature, the cosmic manifestation, there is God—Krishna—and that He is accepted by all Vedic authorities. Acceptance of authority is not new for us; everyone accepts authority in some form or another. For education we go to a teacher or to a school or simply learn from our father and mother. They are all authorities, and our nature is to learn from them. In our childhood we asked, "Father, what is this?" and father would say, "This is a pen," "These are spectacles," or "This is a table." In this way from the very beginnings of life a child learns from his father and mother. He learns the names of things and the basic relations of one thing to another by questioning his parents. A good father and mother never cheat when their son inquires from them; they give exact and correct information. Similarly, if we get spiritual information from an authority and if the authority is not a cheater, then our knowledge is perfect. If we attempt to reach conclusions by dint of our own speculative powers, however, we are subject to fall into error. The process of induction, by which, reasoning from particular facts or individual cases, one can arrive at a general conclusion, is never a perfect process. Because we are limited and our experience is limited, it will always remain imperfect. If we receive information from the perfect source, Krishna, and if we repeat that information, then what we are speaking can also be accepted as perfect and authoritative. The process of parampara or disciplic succession is this very process of hearing from Krishna or from authorities who have accepted Krishna and repeating exactly what they have said. In Bhagavad-gita Krishna recommends this process of knowledge: evam parampara-praptam imam rajarshayo viduh "This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way." (Bg. 4.2) Formerly knowledge was passed down by great saintly kings who were the authorities. In previous ages, however, these kings were rishis—great learned scholars and devotees—and because they were not ordinary men the government which they headed worked very nicely. There are many instances in Vedic civilization of kings who attained perfection as devotees of God. For example, Dhruva Maharaja went to the forest to search out God and by practice of severe penance and austerity found God within six months. Although he was only a five-year-old prince with a very delicate body, he was successful because he followed the directions of his spiritual master, Narada. The first month Dhruva Maharaja was in the forest, he simply ate some fruits and vegetables once every three days and drank a little water every six days. He finally restricted his inhalation of air and stood for six months on one leg only. After he executed these severe austerities for half a year, God became manifest before him, eye to eye. It is not necessary for us to practice such severe austerities, but simply by following in the footsteps of Vedic authorities we also can see God eye to eye. This vision of God is the perfection of life. The Krishna consciousness process is based on austerity, but it is not very difficult. There are restrictions governing eating and sex life (only prasadam, food first offered to Krishna, is taken, and sex is restricted to married life), and there are other regulations which facilitate and foster spiritual realization. It is not possible in these days to imitate Dhruva Maharaja, but by following certain basic Vedic principles, we can make advancement in spiritual consciousness, Krishna consciousness. As we advance, we become perfect in knowledge. What is the use in becoming a scientist or a philosopher if we cannot say what our next life will be? A realized student of Krishna consciousness can very easily say what his next life is, what God is, what the living entity is and what his relationship with God is. His knowledge is perfect because it is coming from perfect books of knowledge such as Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. This then is the process of Krishna consciousness. It is very easy, and anyone can adopt it and make his life perfect. If someone says, "I'm not educated at all, and I cannot read books," he is still not disqualified. He can still perfect his life by simply chanting the maha-mantra: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Krishna has given us a tongue and two ears, and we may be surprised to know that Krishna is realized through the ears and tongue, not through the eyes. By hearing His message, we learn to control the tongue, and after the tongue is controlled, the other senses follow. Of all the senses, the tongue is the most voracious and difficult to control, but it can be controlled simply by chanting Hare Krishna and tasting Krishna prasadam, food offered to Krishna. We cannot understand Krishna by sensual perception or by speculation. It is not possible, for Krishna is so great that He is beyond our sensual range. But He can be understood by surrender. Krishna therefore recommends this process: sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja aham tvam sarva-papebhyo mokshayishyami ma sucah "Give up all varieties of religiousness, and just surrender unto Me; and in return I shall protect you from all sinful reactions. Therefore, you have nothing to fear." (Bg. 18.66) Unfortunately, our disease is that we are rebellious—we automatically resist authority. Yet although we say that we don't want authority, nature is so strong that it forces authority upon us. We are forced to accept the authority of nature. What can be more pathetic than a man who claims to answer to no authority but who follows his senses blindly wherever they lead him? Our false claim to independence is simply foolishness. We are all under authority, yet we say that we don't want authority. This is called maya, illusion. We do, however, have a certain independence—we can choose to be under the authority of our senses or the authority of Krishna. The best and ultimate authority is Krishna, for He is our eternal well-wisher, and He always speaks for our benefit. Since we have to accept some authority, why not accept His? Simply by hearing of His glories from Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam and by chanting His names—Hare Krishna—we can swiftly perfect our lives. MG 2: Getting Out the Material Mire
Dear Swami Gaurangapada Maharaja, Dear Devotees Nityananda! Gauranga! Hare Krishna! Please accept my respectful obeisances.
Since some time i am pondering on the aspect of Sadguru. As far as i got to learn, we need the mercy and connection to a Sadguru, in order to revive our lost relationship with Lord Gaura Krishna and enter into His Eternal Pastimes.
So, my mind and heart is being occupied by this simple question: Who is a Sadguru?
Please by Your kind mercy , enlighten me on this subject matter.
Really the complete healing and sancitifaction of all levels of the psyche is wholesome, gentle, and heart felt meditation...and in this age of kali the meditation recommended is chanting the Holy Names with feeling. This Holy Name will enter all levels of the self, and with the seed of faith, bring great peace.
Any wholeseome activity, spiritual cinema, spiritual food, jaap walks in the beauty of nature etc...all these things compliment good Naam-yoga, rapid realization of bliss and beauty and a deep healing (freedom of offences).
Dear Lord, a fragment of love for you has appeared within. Why? Because I have glimpsed of your great love, and caring hand - doing a great work in the life of 'the other'. Thank you!
Swami Gaurangapada has posted sweet realizations in the last few days...we should always consider the 'other' and speak kind words. When we see the 'others joy' our life is complete (day by day). Jaya Sri Sri Radha-Krsna!
Our God is an awesome (beautiful) God. The field is the cultivation of the heart.