Who is a Vaishnava? - 7.4.33

SB 7.4 - Hiranyakaspiu terrorizes the universe. Text 33
WQualities of :Prahalada Maharaja are being summarized- we may read vols of philosophy memorize many teachings and veen have the powert o speak in such a way that people are mesmerized  In these few verses of SB it is clear, what is expected of us.- What are teh characteristics that we must sincerely strive to live by in our lives.As sri CM has spoken- one cannot really understand Krishna or how to love Krishna even by studying scriptures.

Lecture Link:

08-025 'Who Is A Vaisnava-1' Lecture by HH Radhanath Swami

Self worth and Self care- Modern
Giving the person the comfort that i am important valuable- sense of self sowrth. In kali yuga so many situations can be depressive to a persons mind. There is a whole movement for self -care- self value- but when that is only on the material plane it could make you feel better temporarily , inflate your false ego and give u an illusory sense of false value.

Giving people real self worth and self care- Real philanthropy
Bur Prahlada, PS are not just trying to pump our false ego- they are giving us the knowledge of who we really are-what we really are. What are real value is? and if we understand your value acc to their perspective you cannot think - I have real value and you dont. Moderm systems could bring that i am feeling self care an self value and I am better than you. But here we understand who we really are and that everybody is like that- we understand everybody;s essence is of immense value .

Krishna is like the sun and the jiva is compared to little sparks or rays oif the sun - from the perspective of the sun what is the significance of the spark- cannot illuminate very much. The farther the spark is away from the fire the less t grows and teh less value it has . When that spark comees closer to the feet of Radharani who is the source of all devotion then that spark grows brighter . When it is very close very close to Sri Sri Radha Gopinath then tit can generate light that can illuminate light o illuminate the entire world and universe- that little spark.

In actually trying to give a person their real sense of value we convince them that you are spirit soul and part and parcel of Krishna- there is love in your heart and there is unlimited joy in your heart. Theoretically that can make a person feel "That's nice" but real inner fulfillment has to go beyond the theoretical. bec situations in life can bewilder us from our theoretical understanding of things. But if we convince people of this concept of truth and bring them closer and closer to the feet of sri sri radha goipinath - then their real senses of the infinitesimal soul starts glowing brighter and brighter . Its divine qualities and virtues become more and more manifest. In the spiritual world we find that although there are unlimited jivatmas (rats alone in the city of mumbai are countless, what to speak of humans, microbes, bacteria, mosquitoes) Could human intelligence veer even create a number that could estimate the number of jivatmas in the cosmic manifestation. This is just a prison- small percentage of society. How many are there in the spiritual world- Goloka Vrindavan , svetadvipa, dwarka mathura, unlimited vaikunthas planets have more jivas than the cosmic manifestation.

Each living entity their heart is so close to Krishna due to love- Krishna can make everyone feel, that I love only you- my full love, affection , attraction is just for you. That doesn't give a you a superior complex over others- if you see Him loving others more you are not envious- Why? Because the soul is totally satisfied by Krishna's love for me. Therefore the more satisfied they are seeing Krishna loving someones else they are thrilled. The closer the soul comes to Krishna the real value of the soul is brought out. A real father who is trying to help the poor is not only giivng them some physical symptomatic relief- but is gving the knowledge of who they really are and brining them closer to Krishna. Therfoer Lord CM has given this instruction - bharat bhumi - we should all perfomr the highest welfare work for human society - and what is that highest welfare work - is to bring osuls closer to Krishna.

Our physical welfare work and emotional welfare work is connected to the needs of the soul.Give them food they will be hungry again give them prasad they will be hungry again- but by giving them orasad you have brought them closer to Krishna.

Heal a person's physical sickness but them in an environment where their souls are being awakened opractically burnt out soul spark is laying in the dark in the sand with no light in it- but if you can bring them closer to the Lotus feet of Radha Krishna then that type of philaphthropy is paroupkar.

Krishna has descended in His name in all of His fulness and all of His opulence - therefore the greatest charity we can oiffer to one another with real care and love is to bring peopl closer to Krishna by inducing them to take shelter of the HN. We cna be close to Krsihna in every sitaution and allow the soul in our heat to blaze with all the good qualities and the Holy Name is a method by which we can be close to Krishna in every situation at all times. Radha and Krishna are their names. This was Prahlad aMaharaja - even if he was a 5yr old boy he cared for the poor in heart and wealth like a father.

Bible Jesus said- Blessed our the poor in heart- what he is speaking is about those who have humble hearts - those who realize that nothing is mine everything is the property of God- the more we realize that the more we come closer to God.

Attachment and Relationships in Spiritual life
To His equals - attached like a sympathetic brother- not just a friend- we should have friendships in this spirit- attachment to them like a sympathetic brother- means deep down to the core of your heart you really care about them. His problems, is my problems, his suffering is my suffering, his joy is my joy.As a brotehr no matter what.Developing attachment on that level.

Developing attachment on that level. Mayawadis' are
against any kind of attachment and sometimes devotees also- bec we read about vairagya we get this idea we should detached from everything and everyone. From Vaishnava societies we get this idea we get that he is attached to his equals but not attached to exploiting the, . for his sense gratification- he is attached because he knows them as his brothers and sisters Krishna's children and he is attached to serving them with love- that is how we should try to cultivate attachments with all of our peers- attachment - serving out of love. RG 6 loving exchanges.

Natural PRide and Unnatural pride
To be attached to those exchanges with everyone is very good- symptom of a Mahajana and he considered his teachers, siksa gurus, SM's - Prabhupada said he treated his older godbrothers ans good as the SPG.How was he able to do this? completely free from unnatural pride- why unnatural- bec in spiritual life there is pride but it is natural pride- based on the truth. To be proud of Krishna is natural pride, proud of vaishnavas of the good things they do because they know they are being empowered by Krishna is natural pride. If you are proud of Krishna-will you not spontaaneously proud of something Krishna does through someone else- When we glorify Krishna we are shoing our pride oin Krishna- this is my God- our God. When we read about SP our hearts should swell with pride - not in oursleevs byut in Ps- When we see someone serving nicely we should be filled with pride- how they are empowered by Krishna < SP and the paramapara is natural pride. But false pride is when we put ourselves in the center- Natural pride in Krishna, Giuru and vaiushnavas beautifies us, trasncened all envy and disputes. Unnatural pride creates disunity, envy, destroys our humility- natural pride increases our humility- pride is with Krishna and others in teh center it makes us beautiful but when pride is with us in the center it makes us egotisitical.

Be Fixed in your Aim BG 8-27

BG 8.27: Although the devotees know these two paths, O Arjuna, they are never bewildered. Therefore be always fixed in devotion.

Lecture:

1990-087 Be Fixed In Your Aim BG 08-27 - Radhanath Swami Mumbai 1990-10-06 IDesireTree

During the time the pandavas were training under teh great Dronacarya - they were being taught in very very tremendous discipline how to properly perform their duties as ksatriyas.

Some people ask when I am going to school- it appears that I am not doing any service for the Lord- I am just studying studying and these books do not say anything about Krishna- only engineering, business, commerce or human anatomy , diseases. Recelntly one of our devotees was studying some medical book and I happened to look intot he medical booth- could not understand more than three words on that page- very technical medical terms, pictures of horrible diseases. She asked me how am I supposed to think about Krishna when I am supposed to study 8-10 hrs a day. Sometimes we may think "I am wasting my time" But if it is the desire of Guru and Krishna then you must know that in the end whatever you learn will be used in service to the Lord. This is the preparation- which itself is devotional service- it is service to the Lord if your consciousness is  that in the end is whatsver I learn in the end it will be offered to Krishna.

Therefore if you are in this consciousness while you are engaging in your studies you are engaging in DS. It is not so much what you do but your consiouness the spirit in whic you do it.

The pandavas were learning how to organize armies, combat, ride on the chariot- but because it was their service to be Ksatriyas their traning was an activity f bhakti.

In any training there is test- nobody likes to be tested but it is nbecessary- but the purpose of the test is you are forced to digest, assimilate what you have been learning. You can sit in class all day long and pretend that you are learning.At the time of the test you are forced to show how much you have absorbed the subject matter.

In Kc Krsna tests us first through the sadhus, gurus they give us so much theroretical knowledge what will inspire us to absorb this knowledge. Many persons can quote so many slokas but they do not have any realization of Krishna. You cannot attAIN kc by scholarship, by any amount of memorzation of the sastra. you can only attain KC in the spirit of utter humility by applying these teachings to your life and assimilating them.

Thefore Krishna puts us in testing conditions from time to time just so that we are forced to understand the urgency.

It is an emergency situation that I must poracicae KC from the bottom of my heart now.

One devotee, back in early 70's very sincere. Ktug of war- Krsna is all attractive and pulling your mind this way- but Maya is very strong presenting herself very attractively and pulling you this side.Krsna is pulling you away from the illusory energy and The illusory energy is pulling you away from Krishna.You are the marginal eneregy in between forced all the time to make one choice or another- every moment you have that choice and you must make that surrendered choice at every moment that Will I surrender to the illusion of the senses and their objects or will I surrender to the SPG . So this devotee- we should not criticize someone if they are weak- we should sympathize with them.So this devotee had ocome to Maya- he would never criticzie devotees he was always respectful in that sense- he always accepted that this was the highest philosophy and the highest path. This is really what he wants to do- but he was too weak- could not get up to perform his morning sadhana could not chant acc to vow to SM and not following the 4 regulative principles and he gradually drifted away- His heart was always thinking that what I really wanted is Krishna Consicousness. Once he was talking to one devotee- who asked him "when are you going to become serious?" He began to cry said I cannot do it, I think the only think that will make me serious is if I get cancer As you know Krsna is in your heart seeing everything you do-, tasting everything you eat, hearing everything you say, witnessing every thought through our senses Krsna is fully cognizant. So he gave Krsna the info what would make him serious- not that He needed it.

One year later he came down with a terrible case of cancer. It was a sudden, abrupt, intense attack on his body that as soon as it mainfested the doctors, specialists said- if you 6 weeks you will be lucky to live, but we can try these chemotherapy and all these methods- tried natual methods but nothing was working.

He realized this was hopeless and he was about to die. He moved to new vrindavan and was chanting and crying out to Krsna all day long. He was praying to Krsna "thank you very much, this is just what I need. Who knows if I would have gone on for 100 years living a nice life the way I have die of old age  I do not where I would have gone, if I would have diesd all of sudden in an auto accident I dont where I would have gone. You have given this little time to me, I must make this my life's goial and take this very urgently, whatever I have heard years ago- I must apply sincerely and realize it" He was practically an instant paramhamsa and was inspiring all the devotees.

Thanking God with such gratiutude" Now I am serious., thank you for giving me this gift, now I don not care for anythign but you Lotus feet. He eneded up living up 6 months- but he lived those 6 months in such way that there was this whole assembly was that when he was eaving his body there were many devotees chanting .,
His only regert was "That I could have done so much more for my SM in my life. No otehr regrets"

And one devotee he was trying to make him comfortable physically. He said why are you making me comfortablke with all these things. if you want to make me comfortable then have kirtan with me. That is the only thing that will comfort mys oul.

This is a test, final exam. Before the final exam of death- a good teacher will give you many pre- exams to inspire you to become serious to make LKrsn athe object of your life.

Drona decided to test the pandavas- how much they were learning.
---------story of seeing only the eye ball of the world.---------

In spiritual life if we actually want to achieve the goal- we have to one pointed focus on Krsna- dovetail all of our activities in His loving service. This is what BG teaches- yat karosi- All that you do, eat, offer and give away should be done as a n offering to Me.

padam padam yat vipadam... the great souls do not make any goal around the temporary - Their only goal is the Lotuss feet of Mukunda- bec they know in this material world there is danger at every step and we are investing our valuable energy and we do not know whether there will ne any return- infact in the end we will lose everything.

If you were to counsel someone- this stock you have to put huge amount of money then at the end you will get nothing- will you put your money into it- when 99% f the world is buying that stock.., Canakya pandit said- that if a man loses a crore still has a chance of getting it back but if he loses one moment then he cannot get it- every moment of life is more valuable that the entire creation- that which has the costly value our time in human life- we are investing in the stocks of the world where you are convinced you are losing everything- everything you invest in this world is gone forever.

If you try to consider this matter realistically this world is crazy bec we are so much blinded by illusion- we are guaranteed our investments will all be,losyt.

Therefore Krsna says nehabhrikamana sosti- that in spiritual life there is no loss- whatever you invest will be in the process of appreciation it is growing even if you die . Therefore this is the one pointed vision of one who is seriuous about solving the problems of thes world- fixed purpose- vyasayatmika. Those who are on this path Krsna said they are resolute in this purpose others are many branched..........


Maya is presenting an alternatve to Krsna 24 hours a day.
aham sarva prabhava- the wise worship me with all their hearts- but Maya is alywas trying to take our hearts somewhere at every moment. Those who are not on the path o yoga are simply imprisoned by the illusion that I am the enjoyed- slaves of Maya- their mind senses are being dragged from one goal of life to the next- from one aspiration to another.

Those who are too much attached to material anjoyment and opulence of this world the resolute determination to DS does not take place.

tani sarvani samyam ya...Krsna says that one who restrains your senses- means to be willing to say no when Maya presents an alternative- but how long can you say no to everything- saying no to everything has no pleaure- is just avoiding pain it does not have pleasure.But we are anandamayo bhyasat- pleasure seeking by nature we cannot go on saying all day and all night we have to say Yes to something and find pleasure in that- say Yes to Krsna therefore Krishna says one who restrains his senses and  fixes hois mind on Me he is a man of steady intelligence.

Yama and niyama- accept things favorable to KC and reject things unfavorable. SO Kc is two things no to Maya and Yes to Krishna.The only way we can constantly say no to Maya is when our minds and senses are saying Yes to Krishna That must be our goal and priorty in life.

In Bible Jesus Christ was also saying like this. All acaryas talk about this one pointed fixed goal in life w/o that you cannot attain KC>

Bible- road to kingdom of GOd is very narro- road to ulliusuon os very wide- He also saiud "Be ye hot or cold, but if you are lukewarm I will spit you out" Guru speaking on behalf of God.

Hearing this someone maybe thinking Oh God this is very difficult, I have a wife and a family.I have to fix my mind on Krsna and negelect them That is not what Krsna is saying. Krnsa is explaing to Arjuna

Karamany evya - Right to and must do your duty- it is sinful to give up your duty but the goal of your duty must be to offer teh fruits to Me. that means your duty must be seva for Me. Bhakti- whatvser we do is an act of devotion to the Lotus feet of Radha Govinda- that is our goal- hope to attain in what we say- , do or think. Enrich our Kc and life with deeper realizations of love of God.

The propaganda of this world is tearing is away from the goal we need counter propaganda- the temple of the world which is meant for this against the influence of Kali.