Patience is needed to do the internal work

2013-02-04 Seminar Day 01-Patiently pursuing the goal controlling the urge to speak - Niranjana Swami ISKCON Chowpatty I am going to speak this evening from essays written by Srila BVT on vereses from Upadesamrita and these are 12 essays given in sri bhaktyaloka on the two verses which describe the 6 activites that are favorable and 6 activitires that are unfavorable for DS. Today we will to talk about daya or patience- we are going to put together based on this essay and another essay BVT has written in the same book - and speak about the topic of patience which is very relevant for practitioners of Bhakti Yoga, especially since these essays are especially to those who are engaged in sadhana and who are aspiring to achieve the goal of their sadhana which BVt also explains in the essay - what that goal is? In order to achieve that goal one has to be very patient.Patience is a virtue and Rupa Goswami gives it as something that is essential if one wants to advance on Bhakti. Modern times we want things very quickly , often times devotees in execution of their sadhana being impatient - BVt explains that sometimes they abandon their sadhana because they are not patient. He presents it in a very profound way ................................ As we said the chapter is called daya or patience.. One confusing word here is "those who are patient cannot do any work" - We should remember who he is addressing. Regular people might be impatient but they will do what they need to do to get to work- he is speaking about internal work- those who are impatient it is very difficult to do the internal work that is required to achieve the goal which he delineates- ahead-He summaraizes at the end what this goal is

When there are pressing situations around us, how can we take shelter of the Lord's Name and become peaceful and happy?

Just like when a little child wants to walk, first the child has to learn to crawl.Do you remember when you had to learn to crawl? Very difficult, you were just laying there and then you start crawling. Then you see everyone around you walking, you want to be like them and you try to walk. Your father and mother you are holding there finger. You fall down. Every time you try to walk you keep falling down. But through the process of practice you develop the strength and the wisdom to walk. And now, how many of you think about walking when you are walking. Its absolutely natural. But to come to that spontaneous natural state of walking it actually took a lot of failed attempts but you didn't give up. So similarly we chant the Holy Names, we try to live a spiritual devotional life and it maybe difficult at times. But if we just keep trying sincerely and try to associate with people, read books that give us strength and wisdom, then gradually we develop realization and wisdom. Then spiritual life is just like walking, it becomes natural to us.

The reason a child is able to learn to walk is because the ability is inherent within the child. If the ability was not inherent in the child to be able to walk it would have never been able to walk.But through practice we develop our inherent abilities and that is the spiritual life is too. To become peaceful and happy and to take shelter of the Holy Name is inherent within the soul, but it takes practice. Along with that Rupa Goswami said two qualities are very important -perseverance and patience. We must be enthused to persevere but at the same time it may take some time. We must persevere with patience.

Lecture: Chetana-Power of Sound Vibration