Although Seeing Jarasandha could not fathom Krsna - HH Radhanath Swami

2014 10 02 SB 10 51 20 21 Although Seeing Jarasandha Could Not Fathom Krishna Radhanath Swami Maharaj

Around 22:20

17 times consecutively Jarasandha got massive armies and Krsna delivered them all. Now one may ask why didn't  he have the intelligence- he has been defeated 17 times and every time he has been insulted- OK  you go now- we do not need you here. Because that is the nature of envy- when you have envy you loose your intelligence- logic, rational and philosophical conceptions, they vanish. WE learn to justify anything. These 6  anarthas- lust, anger, arrogance, envy, greed. They put us in such an illusion that we lose our intelligence. dhyayato visaya pumsam- When we fall prey to these anarthas our intelligence is lost. We lose the memory of what really is for my well being and what isn't. Sometimes we see when people are intoxicated , they do things they do that they never do when they are intoxicated. They lose their sense of judgement. Things like anger, lust, envy, they are like an intoxication. , like a cloud. So he wasn't seeing that Krsna is better than me. He an Balarama singlehandedly have annihilated my army 17 times. He was convinced that he was going to defeat Krsna. It was just his karma- some technicality why he was losing and he was thinking he was right and Krsna was bad- Kamsa was a nice person and Krsna unfairly defeated him. He was rationalizing Kamsa being good and Krsna being evil. These anarthas like envy they cloud, so that you cannot see anything rationally, and so often people in world history we find that when they get this power and this arrogance and they are infatuated by it and when they fall prey to things like anger and envy then they think they can get away with anything and can cause massive damage to the entire planet. The worst evil that has been done ti this world by dictator jarasandha are always rationalized and justified for the good. Hitler - he  was convinced he was cleansing the earth. How could he not see it, the screams, the torture, the death- his heart was so hardened by that arrogance and envy.

After 17 times Jarasandha gathered the 18th army, to attack the enemy. Meanwhile Kalyavana was born for the purpose of fighting the yadus, had supernatural abilities to fight.......

Around 37:56
Mucukunda- nice king, no problems in his kingdom. Demigods attacked by asuras could not withstand their strength. They approached Mucukunda for help- he was sucha selfless person- knowing them to be Krsna's devotees- he fought to protect the devas for a long long time- asuras could not defeat the devas as long as he was protecting them. Eventually Kartikeya was born of Parvati and Siva . Thus the devas had their own general and they told him we do not require your service anymore and we want to offer any benediction you like. The devas were extremeley grateful
Mucukunda understood what he was doing- the sacrifice he made. The devas told him because you have been fighting in our abodes, you have been in our time zone and you have been fighting so long and in our time zone you could live so long- but you should know that in the time that you have fought all your queens, all your children, all your ministers and everything you had its all gone, by the power of our time- everything that was dear to you have all died- generations after generations have died. Now he has done his service and it was not that he could go home to his family, nothig existed that he had and no one. So that was his willingness to protect Krsna's devotees the devas- they said bec you have made such a sacrifice we would like to give you a benediction. wE can give you anything in this world the only thing we cannot give you is liberation- bcause only Vishnu can give liberation.

So Mucukunda - he had good realization of the nature of this material world- everything that was dear to him was lost- but he did not sleep for years and years and years- that was his devotion and sacrifice- he put his heart into it- defending the devas without sleeping - guarding defending- if he went to sleep something could go wrong.This is how meticulous he was in his service- now that he did not have to do it anymore , it was all catching up to him.. When you are really in the passion of getting something done- you do not realize what is happening to your body- now that his service was finished he was really feeling tired in his body- he had not slept in ages.

He told the demigods that if you want to give me any benediction just give me the benediction that I can go to asleep and if anyone tries to wake me up they will burn to ashes.

 Why will anyone want a benediction like that?
For a couple reasons. One, he really wanted to sleep - in this world there is always someone who wants to wake you up. He wanted to make sure that of anyting happened with Kartikeya Indra would come to him and say Mucukunda we need you again- but now there is now way Indra would bother him again- they would be burned to ashes- he was assuring himself of good sleep.

But ultimately, he was truly a devotee of the Lord , Krsna in his heart had a purpose to serve through him. This is Krsna's lila- he hasked for this incredible benediction because Krsna wanted him in the SB teaching us great lessons. So Krsna knew His beloved devotee Mucukunda was sleeping and He wanted to wake Him up. He wanted to honor the demigods benediction. Wanted to wake him up because he was His dear devotee.

Kalyavana- Mucukunda. How to get rid of someone like Kalyavana?
....
Mucukunda is asking beautiful prayers to Krsna telling Krsna who he is and what his past is- beautiful prayers- because in these prayers- Mucukunda is describing the nature of the world because now Krsna is offering him any benediction and Krsna can offer him every type of liberation. Mucukunda is already seeing the power of time- everything that was near and dear to him was washed away by the waves of time. The greatest kings, sitting on enormous elephants best of weapons, mystic powers, - just a matter of time, the power of kala that the person will be eaten by worms- great body will be a pile of ashes. Nothings lasts . The illusion is that things are going to last for a long time- in the estimation of eternal time this little flash of a lifetime is insignificant- even in satya yuga where lifetimes was a 100k years last for a long time , even that is such a small life, Lord Brahma 311 trillion years - life is a little flash- what to speak of us in kali tyuga at most we can live a 100 years. SP wanted us to be healthy so that we can utlize this body for DS and he wanted us to be happy doing it. But the balance
of finding and giving that happiness of living in this world for Krsna's service must always be balanced with the focus on what is beyond this tiny little lifetime. Bec the human birth is especially meant to invest in our eternal future. Mucukunda is expressing the value of this human life- its the time we can awaken the eternal soul- a time where we can reconnect with the true self, beyond birth and death, But unfortunately the world of maya is so powerful and complicated that even while having this human form of life we become so entangled. Even people fall in the illuison that they are very learned and powerful they are constantly being conquered by their mind and senses. Janasya Moho aham mameti - this body , those people in reln to this body are my family and those things in relation to this body are mine. and living in this conception moment after moment human life will lose opportunity after opportunity and inevitable death will come. what have we gained. Human life really begins when we seriously make the commitment tot he path of self realization. Sp a poem he wrote in VRidnavan- he is looking at the great personalities of history who made a mark in this world- what to sepak of everybody else. In his history how many people have  a made a mark in this world. In some of the books, most prominent people and after a while they are forgotten. The most there is a , is a list of names , Nothing is left of the greatest conquerors, philosophers and prophets of this world, whether you become a multi billionaire or whether you become world famous still all that is left is a name- there is not even connection with your soul to all the things you left behind anymore. So mucukunda , Krsna's offering Him any benediction - this is his meditation - whats the use and we find that the only blessing He asks Krsna is to serve Him, let me completely take shelter of you and let me engage in your loving service.

Don't solve problems, transcend them

From the lecture:
1994-126 Don't Solve Problems - Transcend Them Lecture Mumbai - Radhanath Swami 1994-09-02 IDesireTree

When are efforts appear to be successful then we become attached and dependent on those material endeavors and facilities- and that attachment to that facility is a greeater bondage than what that facility was meant to relieve you from. 
This is the law of nature- dukhalayam ashasvatam.

Therefore Prahalada Maharaj has said - if you want to be happy in this world you have to stop trying to be happy in this world. In other words- if you want toa void suffering in this world you have to stop making material arrangements in this world to stop suffering, because those arrangements are really the cause of your suffering. 

The ahankar is the cause of endless suffering. Bec we think we are the doer of our acivities but they are carried out by nature. We are trying to solve problems of our life- but if we solve the problems on the basis of thinking that I am the doer. e.g Medicine is trying to get cures for diseases - but the diseases are getting worse........
It is not that the technology is bad- it is the ahankar that is bad. Science has made how much leaps and bounds. Through computers what man can do is unbelievable. Yet there is more durg addiction, alcoholism,crime, wars, water pollution, air pollution, heart pollution. Despite so much advancement in civilization and all our efforts are meant to solve these very problems and we have very excellent trained politicians in the united nations and every capital building. Yet every country is suffering wars, sectarianism, hatred. Why? Without understanding what Krishna is teaching in the BG- all of our efforts to solve the problems only increase the problems of the world.

There is nothing worn with science- technology, higher education- but as long as these endeavors to solve the miseries of material life-through these processes are under the misconception that I am the doer- as long as we are trying to solve the problems on the level of material attachment and material misconception that I am this body and everything in reln to this body is mine- we only make things worse. 

Therefore Krishna gives this simple solution- daivi hyeshi.... This material nature is difficult and impossible to overcome, but one who surenders s to Me can easily cross beyond it. And what does it mean to surrender to Krishna.- man mana bhava mad bhakto... that always think of me, become my devotee, worship me and offer homage unto me and in this was you will come to me without fail- it is said in SB- fear personified is fearful of Krishna. CC says that Krishna is like the sun and all the darkness of illusion that is the cause of so much suffering, strife and disharmony - in the presece of son darkness cannot exist. When we remember Krishna with love, with devotion, with sincere attention then all the miseries of material existnce cease to exist. Bec the miseries of material existence are illusory. Because Krishna says that the soul cannot be killed, cannot be cut by any weapon or made wet by rain. It is transcendental, when we realize our eternal identity as jivatma then all the material miseries cease to exist. Then para dukha dukhi- we see the misery in others and want to help them- give them reliefTo give a straving man food it gives him reliefe but to give him the food of Xcendental knowedlge and harinaam you can mitigate his hunger for bliss for knoweldge and joy for etrnity. We approve giving temporary relief but CM has the medicine that will cue the very source of all disease and end all suffering and that is the Holy Name of Krishna and if we take this medicine regularly acc to th prescription of the doctor who comes in the form og Gurudev, Sashtra and sadhus-they are giving us the proper prescription of how to take the chanting og the Holy Name it must be taken regularly everyday. Within our movement we chant 16 malas- but it must also be done with great attention, concentration and feeling- what is the feeling- Krishna your HN is my only shelter. BVT has prayed- I have seen and considered everything in all the 14 worlds and my conclusion is only the name of God can save me. Due to the false ego we are under the ullusion that we can save ourselves- through our money, influence, high education. But so many people have everything but their lives are a mess - time is consuming their lives and they are doing nothing about it. And their near and dear ones- go against them, are diesseased , they die- but we cannot do anything to control it. The more we think we can control in this world- the more we are controlled by Maya. whoever we are rish, poor, educated or poor- we understand that I simply live in harmonyby Gods will, purify my heart and become a Good servant of God then by Gods grace all the problems of existence are solver- that doesnt mean you will not grow old, disease and die- you cannot solve the pblm on the level of the pblm but you Xcend that. If you associate with lotus feet of Krishna then are consciousness becomes lotus like- it becomes pure- Om apvaitra pavitra va. Even if He walks on this world where everyone is suffering material existence - He is aloof , Xcendental and above it- if we fix our consciousness and focus on it we can be of this world but not of this world.

Chant the Holy Name iwith feeling- Krishna Your Holy Name is truly my shelter in life- we must chant th eHN in the mood of seeking shelter if teh HN.

Cure of Souls in Vaishnava Communities - HG Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu

Part - 01 a

The course is "Cure of Souls ......"
The phrase Cure of souls is an old English expression when a preist would take a parish it was said he was given the cure of souls in that area. Curate- refers to the old use of the word cure.

the word means care- care of souls but I also like the modern sense of cure- making well.
In one sens theis course is what iskcon is supposed to be about- curing souls of the comtanination of material existence and returning them o the association of Krishna.
I am going to use the work of a Chirsitian preacher -
Boisen is 1876-1965 an American lived a long life is actually because he was a strict brahmacari all his life.

Why I am going to use Boisen I will explain in the course of discussion.

First book- "Exploration of the inner world- a study of mental disorder and religious experience" reprinted a couple times.This is regarded as a classic in the psychology of religion. Second book- Religion in crisis and custom". this is his autobiographjical study of mental disorder and religion. Then I found " a manual for pastors"

Boisen is regarded as the founder of Clinical Pastoral Education that is to do with the pastoral care of mentally ill people and there is an association that carries this.

this course is not about the pastoral care of mentally ill people. What happened to Boisen he had a schizophrenic episode put in mental hospital  When he came out of the hospital could not convince anyone he was doing good. He was put again for a year. He came to the conclusion that what he was diagnosed as schizophrenia was actually a spiritual crisis  St Paul,maybe even Jesus, George Fox went through similar crisis- breaking up of the inner world and putting it back together on a new foundation that's what was happening to him. When the crisis is resolved successfully then you have a siant or religious leader. When it is unsuccesful you have someone who is maybe crazy and spends the rest of life in the mental hospital or he can be stabilized in an unsatisfactory way.

Anton Boisen was discharged from the mental hospital- he was already an ordained minister of the Presbyterian church.- very strict Presbyterian upbringing. He went back to study the psychology of religion and was able to work as a chaplain in a mental hospital to verify what he had thought he had discivered. Certain insights into what he calls the laws of spiritual life. Then he went and applied the same ideas to a normal parish- he had students who had the Cure of Souls and they decide to look at what was going on with all the people in their congregation to apply it normal life and discovered the same things apply there- this is in the first book Exploration of the inner world. In the second book he tried to apply the same ideas a religious groups as  wholes.

Boisen uses a lot of insights form social psychology- the book has an appendix of terms. It is the notion that the internal structure of the individual mirrors his social structure- that we are fundamentally social beings and we have internalized things that are happening in the society at large.

e.g - for Boisen salvation means to be accepted in the company of those you esteem most highly -pure devotees. Sin from a psychological point of view is isolation from the association of those people from whom you want to be accepted.

It turns out social psychology is very important for ISKCON bec our personalistic phil . As far as I am concerned the idea that God is a person is tied to the idea