Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Real Artha Servant of the Servant of the Servants Radhanath Swami

Main Points:

  1. Whatever greatness we see in this world, is all a spark of his splendor.
    1. So what is the use of me meditating upon my greatness or abilities- all of these are coming from Krsna and who am I - a tiny infinitesimal part of Krsna.
    2. All greatness is because of my connection with Krsna as a loving humble servant.
    3. That humility is the only thing of value.
  2. Krsna and the His devotees in the center. My desire must be to serve Them. That is the greatest opulence
    1. Satyavrata Muni is not even praying for his own connection with Krsna . He is happy just seeing the lovingn connection of Krsna with Yashoda Mayi
    2. And yet it is the primary desire of everyone not to be personally enjoyed by Krishna but everyone's greatest happiness is to see the exchange of love between Sri Radha and Krishna. 
    3. Practical Application- Be happy seeing devotees flourish and grow.Serve them so they can do their services nicely and please Krsna. Whatever service I do, I do to please the devotees and my spiritual authorities. 
      1. I don't want to aspire to be anything. Just want to serve. To be a humble and menial servant eternally. To chant nicely, and hear Maharaj daily. 
      2. I do not wish to be known as the leader or owner of any service. I wish to think how best I can serve the devotees I am serving with. 
      3. I do not want to become Krsna, or the leader or owner of any service 
      4. Do not desire to be personally enjoyed by Krsna - Krsna is anyway reciprocating many times more than what I deserve. The question I need to constantly meditate upon is How best can I serve Him and His devotees.
  3. Real greatness is to have the power to appreciate the greatness of others and ultimately to appreciate Krishna's greatness and how it can manifest through me and how it can manifest through everyone else and appreciate Krishna (HG HVP - We need to become experts in glorifying Krishna), and to take blame.
    1. What is blocking me from appreciating others? It is my own envy and my own need for wanting appreciation and love. But Guru and Krsna loves me fully and completely. I do not have to worry about achieving something to earn their love. So I do not need to compete with others. I can sincerely serve them and appreciate them.
  4. Greatest position, achievement is to be Das Das Dasanu Das
    1. Vrindavan Dasa Thakura he describes in Chaitanya Bhagavat, that the greatest achievement, the highest position that we can achieve, greater than being a king, greater than being a demigod, greater than achieving liberation into the unlimited Brahman, is to be Dasa, to be a servant, a servant of God, and Sri CM extends that greater than a Dasa, our eternal nature, is Dasa Dasa Dasaundasa - to be the servant of the servant of the servant.
    2. Everything else is an illusion. Even in service I am after so many things. I pray to Mucukunda, To sri CM, VDT, sP that I do not get deviated by so many wants I may have - that I only serve to become servant of the servant of the servant
_________________________________________________________________________

At this instance Krsna has asked Mucukunda to ask for any benediction he likes.


2014 10 12 SB 10 51 45 Real Artha Servant of the Servant of Servants Radhanath Swami 
16:00
Krishna did not even look at him. Did not even acknowledge him.
He can singlehandedly defeat all armies in the world.
Krishna walked right up to him, and then kept walking.
Just walked by.

--------------------------------
Krishna knows how to humble everyone, and in due course He does.
Its just a question of whether we are willing to admit our humble position before God.
Sri CM gave us this verse "Trnad Api Sunicena" - one should feel oneself more humble than a blade of grass.
Actually that is our condition, because by the powers of time, we are hardly even a blade of grass.
We are going to be trampled on, in this life or beyond. So to be honest, is to be humble.
Whatever we know, whatever we can speak, whatever we can do is all by the grace of the higher power of Krishna's grace and  Ultimately It will be taken away on the material and emotional level.
So one who understands this is naturally humble. Ahankar, False ego, can only exist in ignorance, in darkness. Krishna Surya Sama, Maya Hoya Andhakar. KC means to bring the light of Krishna into our lives.

---------------------------------
Krishna did not even look at him. Did not even acknowledge him.
He can singlehandedly defeat all armies in the world.
Krishna walked right up to him, and then kept walking.
Just walked by.

--------------------------------
Krishna knows how to humble everyone, and in due course He does.
Its just a question of whether we are willing to admit our humble position before God.
Sri CM gave us this verse "Trnad Api Sunicena" - one should feel oneself more humble than a blade of grass.
Actually that is our condition, because by the powers of time, we are hardly even a blade of grass.
We are going to be trampled on, in this life or beyond. So to be honest, is to be humble.
Whatever we know, whatever we can speak, whatever we can do is all by the grace of the higher power of Krishna's grace and  Ultimately It will be taken away on the material and emotional level.
So one who understands this is naturally humble. Ahankar, False ego, can only exist in ignorance, in darkness. Krishna Surya Sama, Maya Hoya Andhakar. KC means to bring the light of Krishna into our lives.
And if we are actually KC, because Krishna is the source of Surya Narayan, the source of the light of sun which illuminates everything within this material existence. Source of Brahmajyoti, which illuminates everything within the material and spiritual worlds.
He is the Paramatma within our hearts. When he reveals Himself, then all ignorance is dispelled, and then Ahankara/false ego can no longer exist.
In the presence of the light, beauty/power/wealth
Whatever greatness we see in this world, is all a spark of his splendor.
To the degree we realize the greatness of Krishna, we love Krishna!
And in that love, the ego is "Jivera Svarupa Hoya Krishnera Nitya Dasa". Thats the real ego, thats our nature. To think I am the proprietor, controller, enjoyer is simply false ego, borne of ignorance.
Kalyavana is casting nasty words at Krishna. Krishna does not care for his nasty words. He is exhibiting His opulence of renunciation.
No one what he tries, he cannot touch Krishna!
--
Mucukunda sacrificed everything for the sake of service.
There are certain pushings of human nature that when neglected, become great necessities. If you dont get proper sleep nothing in your body can work properly.
34:00
Everything is taken away by time.
Whatever the demigods can give is all bound by the prowess of time.
Time goes so fast, its so relative. He had experience.
Difference b/w a demigod's life and ours is like that b/w ours and an insect. SP said some insects are born at sunset and die before sunrise. They go through their complete lifecycle of "100 years" in 12 hours.
For the demigods, a moment
So he saw that why should I ask for anything thats ultimately going to cause me misery? Dukhalayam Asasvatam A Brahma Bhuva Loka. From highest to lowest they are all places of suffering cos everything is bound by time. Sometimes the longer you live the more you get attached to things, and when the inevitable comes, you have to let go.
In one sense its really a powerful stmt Mucukunda is making.
Whatever you demigods, I served you, but whatever you can give me is of no relevance. All the things demigods could give, planets, mystic power, influence, fame etc. Anything within the material creation, the demigods were willing to give him. And he considered it all so irrelevant before the powers of time because it is temporary. He just said let me go to sleep, and whoever tries to make me they will burn to ashes. And he know Indra was listening. The Acharyas tell that he didnt want demigods to wake him next time.
-------------
39:30
Here is a most powerful warrior, and he could not catch Krishna.
Krishna walked, and Kalyavana was running.
Krishna with Yashoda He ran, He ran like anything and Yashoda Mai caught Him and not only did she catch Him, she tied Him up with the ropes of her love to show the world that Krishna cannot be caught by any other means but devotion/bhakti.
In the Damodarashtakam, Satyavrata Muni is describing this same concept of benediction because people have so many desires in this world. People live for desires. I do not want yogic powers, material pleasures etc. I only meditate on your pastimes as Damodara seeing how You are conquered by the love of Your devotee.
--------------
41:30
In the Damodarashtakam, Satyavrata Muni is describing this same concept of benediction because people have so many desires in this world. People live for desires. I do not want yogic powers, material pleasures etc. I only meditate on your pastimes as Damodara seeing how You are conquered by the love of Your devotee.
He is not even praying for his own connection to Krishna. He just wants to appreciate Yashoda's love for Krishna and Krishna's love for Yashoda. Such a Vaishnava. He is not putting himself in the center.
In the spiritual world, if we want to go there we have to have this consciousness. Everyone in Goloka Vrindavan, Krishna is reciprocating with each and every person, intimately, personally, uniquely. When Krishna is sitting on the banks of Yamuna and eating with cowherd boys, each of them is thinking He is looking only at me. When He is dancing with the Gopis in Rasa Lila, each of them is thinking He is dancing and looking only on me. So Krishna has this. Every flower is thinking Krishna is just smelling my fragrance. And He is so happy and that makes me so happy. And he is looking at my beauty and I just want to be more beautiful for Krishna. Every peacock, every being Krishna reciprocates directly, personally with everyone.
And yet it is the primary desire of everyone not to be personally enjoyed by Krishna but everyone's greatest happiness is to see the exchange of love between Sri Radha and Krishna. All the gopis they may have so many lilas and competitions with Krishna, but their primary desire is just to see Krishna enjoying Radha and Radha enjoying Krishna. Thats their ultimate benediction. Krishna enjoying Radha and Radha enjoying Krishna and I am here to serve. And for those in Vatsalya Rasa, they just want to see Krishna enjoying the love of Yashoda and Yashoda Mai enjoying Krishna.
So everyone is happy to see not themselves in the center, but Krishna and devotees in the center.
And that is the prayer of Satyavrata Muni. I dont want anything, I just want to see Krishna how your enjoying Yashoda's love. I want to meditate on that. Let that be my identity. Devotees dont want to be these great souls.

-----------------------
Practical Application

  1. Be completely happy and satisfied, seeing devotees getting mercy. As Maharaj says if one truly and genuinely appreciates another devotee who has done some good work, then the former may make more spiritual advancement than the latter. 
  2. I don't want to aspire to be anything. Just want to serve. To be a humble and menial servant eternally. To chant nicely, and hear Maharaj daily.
  3. I do not wish to be known as the leader or owner of any service. I wish to think how best I can serve the devotees I am serving with.
  4. I do not want to become Krsna, or the leader or owner of any service
  5. Do not desire to be personally enjoyed by Krsna - Krsna is anyway reciprocating many times more than what I deserve. The question I need to constantly meditate upon is How best can I serve Him and His devotees.
---------------------------
Aspire to be servant of servantDevotees don't want to be these great souls.
CM prayed - my ultimate aspiration is to be servant of servant because that consciousness pleases Krishna the most!
There are so many persons by their yogic powers, their knowledge, their strength, their charity - none of these things can catch Krishna - only devotion.
Krishna revealed Yashoda Mai - she was just a gopi, not a queen of Dvaraka - but she captured Krishna
The younger gopis - because they left everything just to please Krishna. Ultimately, all the gopis during that beautiful pastime appreciated with the greatest happiness Sri Radha's love for Krishna and Krishna's love for Sri Radha. There was no envy, no selfishness. There was so appreciation. They were all united in appreciation of Radha's love for Krishna and Krishna's love for Radha. In that mood, they started chanting Krishna's names. Krishna appeared in response to the congregational chanting of the Holy Names. Krishna told the gopis I cannot repay. Each and everyone of you, I have no power to repay you. Even if I offer everything I possess for an entire lifetime of Brahma, still I cannot pay my debt to you. That's the value that Krishna puts on the love of the devotee.
Kalyavana insignificant. Ravana, Hiranyakasipu all insignificant. Conquerors of the world.
But a gopi, someone who loves Me - that is Artha - greatest value.
Krishna does not give that love easily.


Lord Narayana to Durvasa Muni

     My devotee is always in the core of my heart - Core means the essence, the most intimate place - To be in the heart is something very special - because the heart is the center of love for the entire body.
My devotee is willing to do anything for Me. and I am willing to do anything for My devotee.

Practical application
If this is how Krsna, our Master feels about His devotees, then how must we serve the devotees and regard the devotees.
Any criticism of devotees, or if we hurt devotees Krsna will be very unhappy.
Krsna will be most pleased if we lovingly serve the devotees.


Struggle for freedom - Being a prisoner
Sri CM - was glorifying Haridasa Thakura. Haridasa Thakura had nothing material. By social standards, he was an outcaste.
But he loved to chant Krishna's names. Because he was so humble, tolerant and forgiving, he could constantly chant Krishna's Holy Names. Sri CM said about Haridasa Thakur -  I am forever a prisoner in his heart. Nobody in this world wants to be a prisoner - Its a terrible fate to be a prisoner. But Krishna wants to be a prisoner. A prisoner of love.
By His own sweet will, He is Abhigya and Svarat. He is totally independent, totally free. People are willing to fight and die for freedom. Krishna who is supremely free. He is the controller of all controllers, He wants to be controlled by His devotee's love. He wants to be a prisoner of His devotee's love, eternally....
No one can catch Krishna, by any amount of spiritual practices, by any amount of accumulation of knowledge, strength, wealth. But Krishna is conquered by His devotee. That is the month of Damodara. Celebrating how Krishna is bound by the rope of His devotee's love.
He is even willing to take the Virata Rupa, all greatest warriors of the universe are devoured by Him. But that Virata Rupa takes the form of a baby, crying and begging for the mercy of His mother. He is totally independent but He is depending on His mother's love.

Real Greatness
---------
52:00
Mucukunda does not even take credit for devouring Kalyavana.
He says that this person has been destroyed because of his karmic reactions of his own destiny now he has been burnt to ashes. This is the nature of a Vaishnava. He does not take credit himself, but always gives it to others.
But when he does something wrong, he is always ready to accept the blame. Thats how we grow. Thats the nature of a great soul.
As we understand what greatness is - spiritual greatness, we have a whole different view of life, because in the material world people want to give everyone else the  blame for their own faults. and want to take credit even for what is given to us, or what others have accomplished. When devotees see this, they feel very sorry for such a person. They dont say "Oh yes You are so great". You may say that, but in your heart very unfortunate. Very poverty stricken heart needs to do that.
Real greatness is to have the power to appreciate the greatness of others and ultimately to appreciate Krishna's greatness and how it can manifest through me and how it can manifest through everyone else and appreciate Krishna (HG HVP - We need to become experts in glorifying Krishna), and to take blame. 

End of Lamentation
------------------------
1:2:00
Krishna is offering Mucukunda any benediction he desires
Krishna says - One who has satisfied Me, need never lament.
We dont lament because of external situations. That may be the apparent cause, the actual lamentation comes when there is something lacking within ourselves.
But Krishna says one who satisfies Me never ever laments, because they become so full, so rich with Krishna, with love!
---------------------
Practical application
Cure to lamentation (the background violin) is to satisfy Krishna, which means to satisfy Guru Maharaj, which means to satisfy my spiritual guides, which means to be a humble, menial servant of servant of everyone including my husband, being cognizant of his needs. Then I can have access to Guru Maharaj's grace, else I am alone. I want to do my part genuinely, think of others and serve.
-------------------------------------------
Its interesting because after Krishna left Vrindavan, it seems like the Vrajvasis all they ever did was lament. But that lamentation was the highest ecstasy.
Uddhava was constantly with Krishna in Mathura. He was his dearest, closest associate. They would walk together, eat together, talk together, sit together.
But when he saw the lamentation of the Vrajvasis, he prayed thats what I want. They are so filled with Krishna so absorbed with loving Krishna, and Krishna is reciprocating so deeply with their love. Its not lamentation in a material sense. Its viraha, ecstatic love in separation, which is the deepest connection. So Krishna is explaining when you satisfy Me, I give you Prema, I give you love, and that fills the soul unlimitedly (HH SNSM - God shaped vacuum in the heart which is like a black hole if you try to fill it with anything else) so that there can be no other cause of selfish material lamentation. Even death has no effect on the love of the eternal soul.
----------------------------------------------------------
Practical application
Finally I will be completely satisfied only with Krishna, Krishna's unlimited love, which is coming through Maharaj. Following your instructions Maharaj, and there will be no cause of lamentation with anything including death.

Real Value
Real Artha - ONLY THAT IS BEYOND TIME
     - To be the servant of the servant of the Lord, because it is beyond time. It is the eternal nature of the true self.
1:06:00
Mucukunda - The people of this world both men and women are bewildered by your illusory energy unaware of their real benefit. They do not worship You but instead seek happiness by entangling themselves in family affairs which are actually sources of misery.
He has realization. He is being tested by Krishna. You see we could learn philosophy so much nicely, understanding the difference between matter and spirit, truth and illusion, but unless we really have that higher taste, Param Drstva Nivartate, which only comes through realization, our intellectual adjustments cannot really protect us when the tests come. They give us the right direction. Gyan Vijnana Trptatma. When we practice the knowledge that we receive, it gradually becomes, by grace of God, realization.
Mucukunda had such realization. He does not want anything of this world.
He is using the word "Anartha". Artha means that which has value.
Definition of Anartha
Everything which is going to be consumed by time to Mucukunda is Anartha, doesnt have much value. He gives the example that time is that snake with sharp fangs, and all the things of this world that we identify with on the bodily concept are like little mice and the snake of time is soon to devour it. Hare Krishna, quite graphic example he is using. But it is the reality.
In the universal form, Krishna says Time I am, devouring everything, everyone on the bodily and mental states. Krishna says in the Gita "Raga Dvesa Vimuktasya Visaya Yendriya" - that by following the regulative principles of freedom, by following the path of Bhakti one goes beyond the happiness and distress of this world. One is actually established in the true eternal self, the Atma, which is beyond time, Na Hanyate Hanyamane Sarire, beyond death. That which will give us happiness beyond birth and death, that is Artha, that is of real value. And the things of this world, or the people of this world, and even our own bodies, that have Artha, they have value, when we see it in relationship to the eternal soul and seva - devotional service. Its the relationship of love between the Atma and the Paramatma, the soul and God, that is really of true eternal spiritual value. And Rupa Goswami tells us that whatever is in this world that is seen in that context and used accordingly it has great spiritual value. Not the thing but the connection to Krishna. The only benediction Mucukunda wants "My Lord only I want to serve you. I want to take shelter of You and serve You. Nothing else has value". Vrindavan Dasa Thakura he describes in Chaitanya Bhagavat, that the greatest achievement, the highest position that we can achieve, greater than being a king, greater than being a demigod, greater than achieving liberation into the unlimited Brahman, is to be Dasa, to be a servant, a servant of God, and Sri CM extends that greater than a Dasa, our eternal nature, is Dasa Dasa Dasaundasa - to be the servant of the servant of the servant. And Krishna is revealing this today through the great king Mucukunda who is so powerful he protected the devas. But the only thing he wants is to be a servant of hte servant of the Lord.
King Pratap Rudra in Jagannath Puri. He was also a great king unrivaled. Lord CM would not meet him because genrally kings are very much attached to prestige power etc. So Sannyasis generally dont affiliate themselves with that. Understand Sri CM does not see the thing you do, he sees the intent. Isvara Sarva Bhutanam Hrdyesu Arjuna Tishthati.
Everyone else is seeing us from the outside in when they look at us, but Krishna looks at us from the inside out. He is looking what is your motive, what is your purpose, why you are doing what you are doing, and he is going to reciprocate with us according to that vision. King Pratap Rudra even though he was a king, with such power etc. With such power, youth, beauty, fame etc, he was sweeping the street, not just to show that he was humble, but because he was honestly, earnestly, genuinely feeling himself, "Jagannath You are the king, I am just Your servant. Whatever I have is yours, these are all Your children, I am their servant. Let me sweep for You." Lord Chaitanya decided I am going to give my complete mercy to Him, because of his attitude to serve. And later on, King Pratap Rudra was given the service of disguising himself and going into the garden where Lord Chaitanya was resting, where he was massaging Lord Chaitanya's lotus feet and legs and by the mercy of the devotees - Mucukunda in his prayer to Krishna he explains the same principle - he is a great king, but he is saying when one actually comes to the state where one can - of the greatest blessing - one is given the association of sadhus - the association of devotees - because at that point one's material sufferings and conditionings are finished. Because in the association of devotees, we get blessings of Krishna, we get that connection, and we get the ways and means by which we can transcend.  So the devotees told King sing the Gopi Gita to Sri CM.
Lord CM was bathing the king with his tears.
Then Lord CM asked who are you? You have brought so much nectar to Me. You are the most munificent of all welfare workers because you are awakening Krishna within My heart and you are bestowing it upon the world. Tell Me who you are.
King Pratap Rudra spoke from his heart - I am the servant of the servant of your servant, and my only aspiration forever is to just the servant of the servant of your servant. Srila Prabhupada explains there this was the realization of Dhruva, this was the realization of Prahalad. Even when offered anything, they only wanted to be servant of servant of servant. This is true Artha, true value, because it is beyond time. It is the eternal nature of the true self. Thank you very much.
 


Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Hesitation in our relationship with Krsna

Ravīndra Svarūpa Dāsa
nama oà viñëu-pädäya kåñëa-preñöhäya bhü-tale
çrémate bhaktivedänta-sväminn iti nämine
namas te särasvate deve gaura-väëé-pracäriëe
nirviçeña-çünyavädi-päçcätya-deça-täriëe
Dear Çréla Prabhupäda,
Please accept my most fallen obeisances at your lotus feet, which tirelessly traversed this world,
shedding the mercy of Lord Gauräìga at your every step among the condemned internees of this prison
camp.
A number of years ago I undertook an especially sustained effort to x my attention on the holy
name during japa. Whenever my mind wandered, I brought it back, again, and again, and again . . . This
wrestling match with the mind kept on for many, many rounds, day after day. It seemed not to become
easier. At last I noticed that my mind was veering away from the mahä-mantra not out of an attraction to
some object of interest but rather from an avoidance of a strange, entirely mental sensation of discomfort
or distress, which would disperse upon a slacking of concentration.
Why would the mahä-mantra cause distress? I puzzled over this for some days. I’d never heard of
such a thing. I feared something was profoundly wrong with me. I feared I might be a demon. In any
case, what should I do?
I decided that I would simply put up with it; I would keep my attention focused on the holy name
and just endure the distress. And see what would happen.
The distress did not go away, and I persisted in the face of it. Finally, after a week or two, something
happened. Without warning, the pressure of the distress abruptly soared, and an overpowering grief
poured unceasingly from some newly unstopped valve in my heart, as water gushes from an opened
re hydrant.
It was as if this grief had been always somehow contained, under pressure, inside me, and now it
was stunningly released to my consciousness. And while I had been unable to discover the source of my
mental discomfort, I knew at once the cause of my grief: I had turned away from Kåñëa; I had broken away from Him, abandoned Him, and had departed for this material world.
Of course, I had believed this teaching for a long time. But that was theoretical. Now I underwent
the reality. As the grief of the heart owed on and on, there came along with it a revelation in all fullness
of the enormity of my crime.
It was unforgivable. For now I understood completely that Kåñëa was perfect and awless and gracious 42
Śrī Vyāsa-pūjā 2011
in every respect. He was utterly wonderful, through and through. Here, in this world, if a pair of friends,
relatives, or colleagues experience a ruptured relationship, a mediator or counselor enlisted to aid in
repairing the breach will inevitably announce that there are faults on both sides. In this case, however,
in the case of my alienation from Kåñëa, it was starkly evident that the fault was all on my side. Kåñëa
was full of goodness, grace, and charm. There was no fault in Him. The break was all my doing, and I
had to gaze on it without any relieving blurring, acknowledge the full hideousness, the nastiness—the
sheer spitefulness—of my deed.
For the rst time I understood the impulse toward suicide. I was wretched beyond all measure. I saw
no relief, and I was completely isolated in my suffering. Our movement’s vaunted slogan was “Chant and
be happy!” No one ever said, “Chant and be miserable.” I thought, therefore, I was an anomalous case;
if I shared what I was going through with another devotee, he would surely tell me what I already knew:
I was different. I was a demon.
Yet quickly relief came. Grief remained and engendered joy.
It occurred to me that I felt such grief only because I was chanting Kåñëa’s name. Light dawned: if
so, then although I had turned away from Kåñëa, he had not turned away from me. I had already been
granted a sense of the wonderfulness of Kåñëa, and that sense also disclosed my own contrasting vileness
to me, and now I saw even more of Kåñëa’s perfection: however monstrous I had been in rejecting him,
he did not reject me. I saw nothing worthy in myself. Kåñëa cared for me nevertheless. I couldn’t see
why, but He did. That is simply the way He is.
I felt gratitude as great as my grief. And then the full range of Kåñëa’s care became clear to me. For
how was I able to chant the mahä-mantra? Kåñëa had sent you, Çréla Prabhupäda, to bring it to me. I recollected all the difculties and trouble you underwent to come to America. I recalled your preparations
in starting the English-language Back to Godhead in India (in 1944—the year of my birth!), in the long
and solitary undertaking of translating and printing Çrémad-Bhägavatam, in your arriving in America in
your seventh decade, without money, without good health, without institutional support: your one asset
your commitment to the mission of causeless mercy, to the order of your Guru Mahäräja. I thought of all
the ceaseless effort, your gifts to the unworthy. And I saw you as the embodiment of Kåñëa’s care. You
are proof. And so my gratitude grew and grew.
I should note that I received, years later, an explanation of my rst great emotional experience of the
holy name. I was studying the nal chapter of your Caitanya-caritämåta, in which Lord Caitanya recites
the Çikñäñöaka verses to Rämänanda Räya and Svarüpa Dämodara. He recites each one in Sanskrit and
then explicates them in Bengali; Kåñëadäsa Kaviräja also names the various emotions Mahäprabhu
underwent as He recited each verse. The second verse—which describes anartha-nivåtti, or the stage of
chanting while clearing up offenses—presents a stark juxtaposition between acknowledgement of the
Lord’s mercy (tava kåpä) and the speaker’s sense of his own misfortune (mama durdaiva). Kåñëadäsa
Kaviräja writes that when Lord Caitanya recited this verse, He felt two emotions: lamentation (viñäda)
and humility (dainya). When I saw the word “lamentation” my heart jumped. I thought, “It’s bona de!”
And so I understood that my own grief was not anomalous after all.
It is clear that you have given us everything, Çréla Prabhupäda, and spared no effort. Once you told
a reporter in Hong Kong:
They have forgotten Kåñëa, they have forgotten God, and I am trying to make them Kåñëa conscious.
It is a very difcult job. I have to shed my blood three tons before I make one convinced in Kåñëa
consciousness. That is my experience. I have to talk with them, especially these Europeans and
Americans.
Please bless us that we may do for others what you have done for us.
Aspiring to be your most unworthy servant,
Ravéndra Svarüpa Däsa

Friday, October 10, 2014

Become the greatest well wisher of all creatures- HH Radhanath Swami

Main points:
  1. If we are serious about self realization it is expressed through our eagerness to hear, to learn , to serve, to put our spiritual practice in the center of lives. 
  2. Real tapasya is not that you do something whether you like it or not. Real Tapasya is that you are excited about doing it because it is connected to Krsna. We are eager to do everything we do to facilitate ourselves and others to love Krsna.
  3. When one associates with devotees- devotion to Krsna awakens in the heart.
  4. While we are on this earth, we can be the greatest well wisher of all creatures. That means to inspire all others to love for Krsna. To see every living being in all species of life in relationship to our own service to Lord Krsna.
  5. Any little thing we do, we sweep the floor, we cook an offering, we distribute a book, we speak hari katha, offer a prayer, chant the name, if its done with sincerity and devotion Krsna is personally reciprocating and its an investment Krsna will never forget because Krsna is Supremely grateful.
2014-10-05 SB 10-51-30 Become the Greatest Well Wisher of all Creatures Radhanath Swami
begins with this proclamation, before even understanding what is about to be spoken in the sutras- this is the invocation to wake us up- unless we wake up to this point we will not take our spiritual life very seriousl- having taken this human form of life which is so rare , it is time to inquire into the Brahman, the Absolute Truth.
We chase after things to devote so much of our time for that which has no value to the soul. Human form of life is so valuable but in Kali yuga - we think what is the value- we become depressed, suicidal- bec we do not understand this gift. The human life is actually meant only for one purpose self realization.
Then we crave for those things that were provided to us through all the other species of life- physical comfort, sensual satisfaction, comfortable residence, to prove our strength. Sex life- wealth or power - all these mental and physical pleasures are available for the animals. Some big birds- eat little birds. whats so great about that- big nations conquer little nations, only diff birds are supposed to do that- we are in total ignorance and do that - then we think we are so great. Actually what people are chasing after has very little value- they are available for dogs and hogs and other species- they cannot pursue with full hearts- self realization- how serious really are we ?
If we are serious its expressed through our eagerness to hear, to learn , to serve, to put our spiritual practice in the center of lives. We do have these bodies, we do have these minds and we have to tend to them- we cannot neglect them because if a human being unless one is extremely liberated anyone else if they neglect their body and mind too much their spiritual life becomes unsustainable because the atma is still so connected and still so identifying with the body and mind.
Unless we are really experiencing the higher taste of ecstatic love- then we have to take care but with out purpose in the center- everything in our life is oriented in such a way to facilitate our journey home to the real self to self realization.
That is actual intelligence- it is isn't simply about making deals in which you could make a lot of money or convincing people in whatever you want to convince them of - interesting architectural designs that will not fall down. Real intelligence is how to keep the real value of life in the center and orient everything to that purpose. This is what BG is teaching us.
You have family, home, occupation - man mana bhava mad bhakta - everything you do must be an expression of your devotion and you should be willing to do it. Real tapasya austerity- just because it is difficult you get it sone- Real tapasya is you are excited about doing it because it is connected to Krsna. WE are eager to do everythign we do to facilitate ourselves and others to love Krsna.Mucukunda- he is expressing to Lord Krsna- I am very eager to understand who you are, I am very eager to speak so that everyone understand who you are. The backjground to his eagerness is very instructive. He was a king, not just a king- today most of the kinsgs are symbolic. They get to preside over formal events. Its mostly the political govt that makes all the decision and tells them what to do. Mucukunda was king of Iksvaku dynasty

Background to Mucukunda's eagerness to serve the demigods

Not taking things for granted, its not taking things in an impersonal ungrateful way- its actually trying to reciprocate with all the different gifts on every level we are receiving. 33 mn demigods- in one little tiny universe- they are all just trying to manage what Krsna has created Who is defeated in wrestling by his friends.Takes this many dept heads to keep it going. When we honor the devas we show we are not taking things for granted- things are personally given to us and we are personally reciprocating with us. Those benefits are even required in our devotional service, so we should be grateful. But when we give honor just because we wish to receive some material benedictions then we miss the real purpose of the whole created universes. Devarsi purtra... Krsna tells in the SM just like the root of the tress supplies noursihment to everyu part of the tree. W/o the root no part of the tree can survive.
Place near Washington DC- very beautiful waterfalls. On our way back - large tree- totally holow- just bark- outer shell- you could walk into it. With the two otehr we were just sitting there chanting Japa.We serve Krsna, please Krsna all demigods , all ancestors and all those we are indebted to- all are satsfied. For whatever we recieve we are indebt- but when we surrender and serve Krsna all our debts are fulfilled.
The demigods even in their abode so many difficulties and anxieties.Devas turning to a human king to help them

36:00
If Krsna immediately does not reciprocate with us, often times out of His sincere love this is really for our benefit and for the =benefit of those around us. To have faith in this is very important for our spiritual development. Any little thing we do, we sweep the floor, we cook an offering, we distribute a book, we speak hari katha, offer a prayer, chant the name, if its done with sincerity and devotion Krsna is personally reciprocating and its an investment Krsna will never forget because Krsna is Supremely grateful. He doesn't reveal in a very personal way that reciprocation on a physical level, that we may sensually experience or even mentally experience immediately because He wants us to understand the value- He wants us to take shelter in a deeper and deeper way in this apparent separation.
So How did Krsna give this ultimate experience of Himself to Mucukunda.In His lila He wanetd to orchestrate so many different pastimes to harmonize for a particular purpose.
Mucukunda, Jarasandha, Kalyavana

Mucukunda Asks for a benediction

59:36
Krsna asks Mucukunda to ask for any benediction. Now Mucukunda is about to speak:
He tells, first Krsna tells about Himself. This is so beautiful -Krsna says "SB 10.51.36 — The Supreme Lord said: My dear friend, I have taken thousands of births, lived thousands of lives and accepted thousands of names. In fact My births, activities and names are limitless, and thus even I cannot count them.SB 10.51.37 — After many lifetimes someone might count the dust particles on the earth, but no one can ever finish counting My qualities, activities, names and births.SB 10.51.38 — O King, the greatest sages enumerate My births and activities, which take place throughout the three phases of time, but never do they reach the end of them."This is special feature about our SB in particular and are vedic literartures in general. The concept of Sanatana Dharma. Its so deep profound, although infinitely concise, so universal. We find such an incredible understanding specific of the personality of Godhead. Shyamsundar , His beautiful form, what His eyes, nose, ears look like, what He is wearing, what His voice sounds like, where He lives, great details about the nature His abode, what He does, what He likes, the Vedic Literatures give such details about that Supreme God and how that one Supreme God who we understand so specifically and so personally with such incredible detail, and its revealed in this way because Krsna is all attractive and by hearing about this our love awakens. We find little Dhruva Maharaja - 5 years old- Narada Muni described in great details the form of the Paramatma. Little Dhruva began meditating on that form and through that meditation he began chanting Krsna's Holy Names.He became completely pure and saw the Lord face to face .And while we are getting such a specific incredible expln and understanding of the POG His abode, His activities, Body and Qualities we also learn He manifests incredible forms, Narasimha, Varahan Kurma, Rama, Narayana and Vamana- these are just the prominent forms that we understand. Krsna is explaining here that the amount of names that He has and the forms He manifests when He descends into this material creation are limitless. How many particles of dust are on the earth. Even if you could calculate specifically how many there are , infinitely more is Krsna's names, Forms and activities. SP is explaining that this is a great opulence and it is so unifying. If you do not understand the essence, but you try to have a very universal concept then it becomes nothing. Just being universal without specific essence, but if you are specific and you understand the universal nature of that specific then you become very arrogant and sectarian. But in the principle of Sanataana Dharama wherever we find the essence of the Truth - we understand that that is true dharma and the Lord can appear in so many ways to manifest that true Dharma.
In Sanatana Dharma all the true religions of the world can be identified by the quality of by what is actually being taught and what the realization is based on the Vedas ,and its inclusive.BVT he understands that the Lord of Christianity, Judaism, even Lord Buddha Himself are all manifestign from Krsna. These are just a few of the religions around today. What to speak about the whole creation. Acc to time, place and circumstance, - the Lord appears- we can love Krsna in all of these forms because we understand what the essence is . BVT says -0 when I go to another religious place where the Lord is being worshiped, even if I may not understand what is going on, I feel my beloved Krsna being loved and worshiped in another way and another form. This is very much being confirmed here and this is why the Vedic Culture is so necessary to be understood around the world. Even people of other faiths can understand the universality by understanding the essence of who Krsna or who God is , and rise above arrogance and hatred. 
Krsna reveals Himself to Mucukunda in this way and asks ask for any benediction you like. I have come in this form as the son of Vasudeva and my name is Vaasudeva, motehr bhumi along with Brahma called me to cleanse the world of the demons and to perform my pastimes, so this is how I have appeared today. And when he asked for a bebediction, Mucukunda's reply- he says
Krsna tells in the past you have prayed to me therefore I have appeared to you. Mucukunda tells SB 10.51.45 — Śrī Mucukunda said: O Lord, the people of this world, both men and women, are bewildered by Your illusory energy. Unaware of their real benefit, they do not worship You This is the only thing of real value, everything else will come and go . I have wasted all this time, becoming more and more intoxicated in my domain and opulence as an earthly king. Each and every one of us is our own king in our own domain- little house or strawmaton the street, whatever we have , we have this conception that I am the king of my domain- we have to catch ourselves. I remember at one time- I was sleeping when I wanted to renounce everything of this world- seek God. Sometimes I was in the jungle sleep under cave/tree.Sometimes I would see another sadhu sleeping in the same cave and I would catch myself thinking "What is this?"- my cave! It was a really nice flat , spot under a tree , which is pretty rare and you would see another sadhu sleeping on that spot- "He is under my tree" . In whatever situation we are the king of our own little domains. Mucukunda is actually a king who had a massive kingdom- we are intoxicated - He says "SB 10.51.48 — With deep arrogance I took myself to be the body, "He explains his realization - not much difference between His body and a pot or a wall- just so happens that the soul is present in this . ""Thinking myself a god among men, I traveled the earth surrounded by my charioteers, elephants, cavalry, foot soldiers and generals, disregarding You in my deluding pride."SB 10.51.49 — A man obsessed with thoughts of what he thinks needs to be done, intensely greedy, and delighting in sense enjoyment is suddenly confronted by You, who are ever alert. Like a hungry snake licking its fangs before a mouse, You appear before him as death."Body of the greatest beauty queen or king ultimately becomes ashes, nourishes worms or becomes the excrement of those wormsConquered all directions, free of all conflict, still even the greatest conquerors are all conquered by their senses and the mind.Then he comes to the conclusion:SB 10.51.53 — When the material life of a wandering soul has ceased, O Acyuta, he may attain the association of Your devotees. And when he associates with them, there awakens in him devotion unto You, who are the goal of the devotees and the Lord of all causes and their effects.

When one associates with devotees- devotion to Krsna awakens in the heart. bhaj hure ... durlabha manava janama sat sange- my dear mind please worship sri nanda nandana- the most valuable thing in all of human life is the association of devotees.Even attainment of 8 mystic powers, liberation from all suffering, elevation to heavenly worlds- cannot compare to a monet's association of devotees- because none of these things awaken devotion to Krsna in our hearts. We should not take for granted the association of devotees.Artha and anartha- comes from an ungrateful heart- we take human life for granted because there are so many humans- don't understand the incredible value of human life, take association of devotees for granted because often times its so easy to have the association of devotees or they maybe a lot of devotees around- so what- we deal with each other in very wasteful ways- each moment is more precious than everything in creation. To hear about Krsna from devotees, to speak about Krsna to devotees, to serve devotees, more precious than anything in all of creation- to the degree we actually appreciate that association - to that degree Krsna will reciprocate and our love for Him will awaken, our devotion will manifest.Mucukunda is appreciating that after wandering through this world in so many ways nothing is of value- palaces, elephants,power, chariots ,e ct but the association of devotees since that awakens my devotion . This is the only benediction I want from you - is to serve You. you are beyond the 3 modes of material nature, you are beyond the powers of time in this world, I only want to take shelter of You. Krsna was so placed. Na dhana na janam .... Sri CM in his SS prayers- He prays- I do not want wealth or beautiful opp sec, fame or great knowledge, I don't even want liberation I only want to serve you birth after birth - it is the same prayer Mucukunda is asking for I only want to serve You. Krsna is pleased" I only offered material benediction to show how great you are"Krsna gives him such a benediction "SB 10.51.60 — The minds of non devotees who engage in such practices as prāṇāyama are not fully cleansed of material desires. Thus, O King, material desires are again seen to arise in their minds."Other words, if we do those same practices with the desire for PDS under the guidance of pure devotees of the Lord - we do not want anything bu to take shelter and serve with love.SB 10.51.61 — Wander this earth at will, with your mind fixed on Me. May you always possess such unfailing devotion for Me.Then He tells Mucukunda through your life you will always be fixed in loving rememberance of me. In your next life you will become an excellent brahmana and the greatest well wisher of all creature and certainly come to Me alone. This is the greatest benediction Krnsa gives. While we are on this earth, we can be the greatest well wisher of all creatures. That means to inspire all others to love for Krsna. To see every living being in all species of life in reln to our own service to Lord Krsna.And this was the principle that Sri CM put great emphasis on and sP took as his lfie and soul.To be instruments of SP and CM compassion , the greatest well wishers of all creatures and naturally we come to Krsna alone and of course it begins among ourselves to be the greatest well wishers of each other. That is what the society of devotees is , the greatest well wisher of each other and as a family we expand that well wishing affection, toward all creatures.Thank you very much.

Monday, October 6, 2014

Although Seeing Jarasandha could not fathom Krsna - HH Radhanath Swami

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.



Friday, September 26, 2014

Seeing potential in everyone - HH Radhanath Swami



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39dlVUSaUSw

Krsna sees the beauty in every living entity
10.44.04

Chapter entitled the killing of Kamsa.
In the bg Krna teaches u ye yatha mama... according to how we approach Him Krsna reveals Himself accordingly. For one who see Me everywhere and everything in Me ... never lost....
Krsna expands through His energies in everything that exists.

One who is forgetful of Krsna , naturally thinks in term of janasya moham aham mameti... I am this body and all things related to the body are mine. the nature of the soul is ananda- looking for that bliss- existence means connecting with that happiness which is our nature.#

Spiritual love
Spiritual realm ever increasing never ending happiness in Krsna- who is all attractive whose love i infinite and who reveals His love according to our willingness to receive it. When we forget that, we try to find it through material energy because we are identifying with it. when we identify ourselves as eternal servants of krsna- which is our eternal constitutional position then we seek giving Krsna happiness bec that the nature of love.  ahaituki apratihata- spiritual love is not motivated by any type of selfishness or egoism and it cannot be interrupted by any situation- love is to give ourselves totally for the pleasure of the beloved- samsiddhir hari tosanam. Perfection of all of our duties is to whatever extent it pleases Krsna - that is the psychology of  bhakti-there are many psychologies within this world- the psychology of bhakti is  deep profound scientific at the same time its basis is very -- atah pumbhir dvija sresthas varnasrama vibhagasaha- actual goal purpose success of whatever we do and whoever we are in whatever species or position we may be in is krsna is pleased. This consciousness is love. And as the sb explains when you water the root of the tree- janamady asya yatah then naturally that water goes to every part of the tree. When our loving propensity is directed toward Krsna then naturally we will actually perceive that loving propensity is directed towards to Krsna then naturally we will actually perceive the opportunity to please krsna  in everything everywhere and in everyone.

What does "One who sees my everywhere and everything in Me, that person is never lost to Me" mean?
When Krsna tells one who see me in everywhere and everything that person is never lost to Me. In bhakti what is it that we are seeing - if we try to see Krsna's three fold bending form playing His flute in a piece of plastic we may not see it, we may imagine but what are we really seeing, we see Krsna
by seeing the opportunity to please Him through our opportunity to serve and love in everything and in every situation.
Mamaivamso ... every living being is a part of Krsna. aham bija pratapita. Everyone is Krsna's children. Sri Radha is the mother of everyone and Sri Krsna is the father.And everyone is a little part of Krsna.And even material energy inanimate objects it is all Krsna's energy- I am the source of all material and spiritual worlds. Prakriti is the nergy of Krsna.Therefore we see anything- car or a piece of wood- it is Krns'as property and it must be utilized for Krsna's pleasure.

No situation can prevent us from thinking "How can I please Krsna?"
Practical and Doable to see Krsna everywhere- by seeing how can I please Krsna in everything and in every situation .There maybe Tragedies- celebrations- they will come like the winter and summer seasons inevitably- Bhakti is not waiting for the perfect Material situation to come before us- sometimes Maya traps us that way- the perfect material situation when things are going the way I perceive it to be favorable then I can really do something wonderful for Krsna- then I can really flourish in my bhakti.

When people are acting in ways that don't break my heart and cause me anxiety, when situations around me are favorable to actually get something done, accomplishing, when my body and mind are cooperating with what I want to do. That type of devotional service is conditional- and as we recited from SB Bhakti is unconditional. Whether our mind is what it is , whether our body is tired or distressed,whether people are praising us or causing us so much anxiety- whether its a nice AC hall or burning hot in the heat of the indian summer, whatever we make progress by whatever the situation may be how can I please Krsna. There is no situation that can prevent us to think like that- "How Can I please Krsna?" That is the path of perfection. how favorable circumstances are have nothing to do with our spiritual life- how we see the favorable opportunity and potential in every situation is the path toward prema bhakti or love for Krsna. We may have shortcomings- we may be old thinking why did not I learn music when I was young learn to study to read scriptures with deep analysis..... Take another birth and you have to do it all over again. The problem is when you are young you do not think that way, then old say same thing....

Living by what is pleasing to Krsna
It doesn't matter- whatever we are- right now is a perfect situation to surrender- Krsna I am Yours. When Lord Rama spoke to Sugriva, Hanuman, Angada about Vibhisana- anyone who wants surrenders his heart- Krsna or Rama from this day I am yours with sincerity- for that person , I vow before all of you-I become the property of that person, I will always protect that person- even if Ravana who made so many crazy mistakes - even if he came and said "My Lord ,I am yours" I would accept Him. This is our hope. Dina hina ... jagai madhai- if we chant the Holy Name with this sincerity and this spirit- even if we have done all the things Jagai and Madhai have done, if we are willing to just give it up and take it up- "from this day , Krsna I am yours"- that doesn't mean just saying it- it means living it.

When Rama is saying "My devotees or When anyone says My Lord I am yours?" it means that I am living according to what pleases You .. sarva dharama parityaja.... Krsna tells that if one surrenders in this spirit- I shall deliver from all reactions of all sins from the past and deliver you.

When Krsna really wants to bless us - He gives us the opportunity to serve.The washerman missed the chance
 Krsna gives Himself to the devotee who gives Himself this is the universal principle - it was especially demonstrated in Krsna's entering Mathura. Everyone was seeing Krsna according to their nature and everyone was surrendering to Krsna according to their nature. We have discussed last week the washerman- he had done 1000s of 1000s lifetimes of austerity , tapasya for the purpose of seeing God.
And in reciprocation now the supreme original God of all Gods came right to his shop. Can you imagine? People go on pilgrimage so many places here- the SPG is coming right to your shop. He is a washerman he as all this cloth- Krsna says give to Me some cloth. this is what love means- when Krsna wants to show His mercy  He gives us service. BSST would say do not try to see Krsna but try to serve Krsna in such a way that Krsna wants to see you.

When Krsna really wants to bless us , He gives us the opportunity to serve- because in that service we actually learn how to love Krsna. We learn thru so many histories, People see Krsna but they do not have love. Hiranyaksha saw Varaha deva, hiranyakasipu saw Narsimhadeva , Ravana saw Rama, Ravana had Sita- pleasure potency of the Lord living with him- but he was making no progress whatsoever, he was making apradha- because he had no desire to serve , to please. He was seeing the Lord as an object for him- when we come before the Deity we see the Deity as an object for me- the Holy Name is an object for meto relish. Vaishnavas are objects for me to somehow or other to get something from. Then we miss the real opportunity . Seva is the spirit behind everything in Bhakti. trnad api sunicena taror iva sahishnuna amanina maan dena kirtaniya sada harih.This spirit of service and humility when we come before Krsna- Krsna I have come to offer you my love my service ,what can I do for you? When we have this service spirit and we chant the Holy Name Krsna really responds in His Name - because we want to love Him and please Him whether we taste or not taste- the only reason why we want to taste the sweetness of the Holy Name because Krsna is pleased. It is not for our taste - the more we taste Krsna the more there is love and the more Krsna is pleased. The Gopis dressed nicely not so that they could look nice for themselves , but they dressed because it pleased Krsna- they only wanted to be happy bec they knew their happiness made Krsna happy- otherwise they did not care for their happiness. This is Bhakti. samsiddhir hari tosanam- when we please Krsna , Krsna steals the hearts- when we give to Krsna - Krsna gives Himself to us. mat cita mat gata pranah- when we take shelter of Krsna together, and share Krsna by discussing Him with one another and making plans to serve Him together united this gives maximum pleasure to Krsna . This is sankirtana. When we sit and chant it is very nice- Haridas Thakur used to chant 300k names of Krsna everyday, 192 rounds. But during the Rath Yatra in Puri and during Kirtans in Srivas Angan and other places- what a great joy when he was together with all the devotees- together with one heart , with one mind - so many different types of people- kings,clay cup makers, all castes all divisions of society were there in Puri- but one heart when they came together, because their purpose was what will give pleasure to Krishna, Jagannatha and they chanted Hare Krsna....

Difference between a neophyte devotee and a devotee making progress
So the washer-man the ultimate blessing - the opportunity to serve and real service is not what I want- it is what Krsna wants. This is the difference between a neophyte devotee and a devotee who is making progress. A devotee making progress says Krsna a what pleases You, its not about me , its about what pleases You- of course we dovetail our propensities but ultimately how does it make you happy Krsna . That is a question at every moment of life we can be reciprocating with Krsna through asking.

The washerman, Krsna came right to his door- this is what you do,you have cloth, give Me this cloth- it is the same beautiful Krsna that everybody else the greatest lovers of the Lord are seeing. He was angry bec of his association with Kamsa, but instead of pleasing Krsna he started saying terrible things to Krsna.So he missed the chance. Sudama gave everything and Krsna gave everything.

Krsna and Kubja
27:00 As Krsna walked He came across a hunchbacked woman, her name was Kubja and Krsna saw her , she was bent down, libs were deformed due to her hunchback- she was quite unsightly. she had a nice face, but the rest of her body was in a diseased condition from an orthopedic perspective.
She was carrying the most fine fragrances and oils. It was so nice that Krsna actually smelt it and was attracted and He came up to Her and Krsna revealed His own love to her, through His smile , through His charm, His glance , His form. And while everybody in Mathura considered her very ugly, Krsna said "Oh beautiful lady what is this you are carrying". She explained that she was a servant of Kamsa and she introduced herself by the name Trivakraa- bent in 3 places not like tribhanga- Krsna's bends are very beautiful but Trivakra means hunchback bends.
Kamsa liked nothing about Trivakra except that she made the best oils and he faciliated her by giving her the opportunity./ Understand that there was a big ceremony coming up. Krsna , Balarama were invited to the wrestling arena. Kamsa had a big stadium created for this purpose. His ministers, queens , generals and the most distinguished people as well as the common people of Mathura were all going to be present there. Highlight festival he was conducting, Obviously he wanted to be his best. She made very very special mixtures of fragrant oils and cups for Kamsa on that day and he was expecting them from her. He weas a violent cruel dictator, if you did not do wnhat you want- he ends your life immediately. everyone knows if I do not please Kamsa my life will be ended. So Kubja knew the sociology of Kamsa's mathura. So here she was on her to Kamsa's palace to give him these oils and pulps for his pleasure. And Krsna said give the best of these oils to me and my brother. Kubja was so happy, she said that these oils are only meant for you and your friends. The two of you are so beautiful, you have captured my hearts that these oils are your property, for your pleasure I will give you everything that you want. this is the nature of her love. Very similar to the Gopis. When Krsna played his flute on the Vamsi Vata tree on the bank of the yamuna He was calling hem for His pleasure. They did not consider the consequences to themselves they only thought what would be please Krsna. They knew that they could be rejected by society, by family, by everyone, but it pleases Krsna so those things were not even something to consider in their minds.

Sri CM , the greatest of all renunciates, explained the personified ultimate essence of all renunciation is the Gopis. Many of them had husbands, inlaws, babies and everything else. linving in Home. But their spirit of selfless love is the highest aspiration even for the greatest of Yogis and the Brahmanas wives, they also , they were simple gopis- they were the wives of very powerful austere Brahmanas Gurus of society, when Krsna send His friends- give me some food- they went to the forest to offer their bhoga to Krsna.

This is not some secret in the forest- its on the public streets of Mathuyra- people are watching- they are seeing Kubja the ugly hunchback maid servant of Kamsa, when he is in the palace expecting the fragrant oils she is going to give them not just to anybody but to Kamsa's worst enemy. Kamsa sent Akrura to bring Krsna and Balarama for the specific exclusive purpose of killing them- Kamsa hated Krsna - he was thinkign day and night with so much negativity- from a logical perspective it is a serious insult. Very valuable property , king is waiting for it but you give it all away to his worst enemy.
Trivakra understood all this , she knew what was going on, but like the Gopis and like the Brahmanas wives, it wasn't about her- it was Samsidhhir hari Tosanam- you are Hari, you stole my heart, yout stole everything about my life, everything is yours. Thus the only pleasure of her life , was that Krsna just accepts it. So Kubja gave Krsna and Balarama a qty of Kamsa's fragrances- she gave it all away and Krsna was so jhappy- putting on their bodies. and how it smelt so nice- Krsna wanted everyone to see that Kubja gave the pils that belonged to Kamsa- He did it in a way because they were different colors, natural, organic and even Kamsa would not stoop so low to chemicals.

Krsna 's complexion is dark like a monsoon cloud. He took the different ointments that were yellow in clor- so it really could be seen  the contrast of yellow and blue so that everyone could see, Kubja gave Kamsa's oils and it is on Krsna.

Just to make things even more exciting Balarama whose complexion is white like the full moon - he took dark blue pulps and fragrances. The contrast was really extraordinary. He looked like a full moon with many many spots.
41:11

49:42
People like kamsa and jarasandha- the earth was being ex.ploited. As Kamsa was doing that to the earth planet- personifying the earth planet she was a hunchback being exploited by Kamsa and the quality of the earth which is its special significance I am the fragrance, of fragrances I am the earth.
Quality of earth is fragrance. So here is mother earth in a very very exploited condition bent down and disfigured - giving the very essence of the best of what she has - her fragrances.

So Krsna being the Supreme Environmentalist- who doesnt like to see motehr earth being exploited and also bhoktarama ... exploited on so many life- by calling the resources of motehr earth- everything that she provides is an offering to Krsna and an opp for all her children to take and offer her offering to Krsna. but when  exploit, hurt each other, hate, envy, compete in egoistic wayswe have wars with each other, we fight, - that cripples the heart of mothEr earth- its painful. So Krsna was so pleased because she gave the best she had fearlessly- He looked at Balarama and His friends, made them laugh and smiled and looked at Kubja and did something wonderful. He placed His toes on her toes. With His feet covering her toes, then He took one finger from each of His hands and placed them under her chin and with a lovely smile, He very gracefulLy just pulled up and miraculously her back became completely straight. All her limbs were exquisite and she became absolutely, indescribably, incredibly beautiful.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orDL2WlL8cI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQieUqAK8wE
From Krsna TV servial)

 By Krsna's will He awakened within her heart- Madhurya Rasa- conjugal love similar to that of the Gopids. she wanted to give her heart,her life, body, mind , words and everything to Krsna. She was totally in love with Krsna and He was totally in love with her.........
53:57
Now from another perspective, even though Kubja was very crooked and was in a very very unfortunate pitiful condition physically, Krsna saw the potential in her. Krsna did not see her as a hunchback- he saw the potential in her- he actually gave her the realization of her potential.
She was very humble. Obviously people did not liek to look her, ridiculed her, looked at her with disdain- even Kamsa did not like anything about her except the oils- he would compliment the opils but never say anythign good about her. She was in a very lamentable situation. Krsna saw her potential and because He saw her potential he manfiested it before her- actually KRsna sees the potential and beauty in every living being, that is our hope.

Emotionally, mentally, physically we all have our crookedness
Nityananda Pr saw the potential in Jagai and Madhai. Hanuman saw the potential in Ravana. Ofcourse Ravana was not very cooperative. This is Krsna vision. He descends in this world where there is so much crookedness , but He sees the spiritual potential in everyone. When Srila Prabhupada came to New York, we read in some of the Lilamrita and some of his lectures- these people that were coming were like kubjas very crooked. Taking all sorts of intoxication, illicit relationships, they were not seekers of the truth. Many of them were in a pitiful condition very crooked, SP said and they never took baths.

They were not kubja with nice fragrances.....
He was seeing the potential in everyone and SP on behalf of Krsna - He did not say I will do this- I am your representative, through me I will make these people happy.
Through satsang, through hari katha seva, japa, hari kirtan- Krsna through SP was straightening this up making us beautiful- SP would say now they are bright faced. State of heart- so this is what a vaishnava is that we see the potential in each other , anybody could look at Kubja and say look at that UGLY hunchback with deformed limbs- but the false ego makes it seem that we are really heroic, really learned, advanced because I have the power to condemn other people's faults, to criticize. That's how material energy works, she gives us a certain satisfaction and a certain prestige - prajalpa at its worst- unnecessary talkin - talk whimsically frivolously, the worst is when we talk about the faults of others because it gives me some morbid sense of value- that I can judge another's faults- that gives me an esteemed position- that gives me some superior role. this tendency is very strong-

Rupa Goswami says that the nature of a true devotee is the propensity to find faults with others no longer exists in the heart.So a Vaishnava , a true bhakta is one who sees the potential even when there is the hunchback and the deformation. Unless great souls see the potential in us- we have no capacity and hope to actually be straightened up and restored.
What was our qfn to get such a treasure house. SP said- you had no qfn, I made the qfn.

what was kubja's qfn - Krsna saw her potential and Krsna approached her and gave her the opportunity to serve. SDP saw the potential in us and gave us the op to serve- whatever our hunchbacks- he saw we were perfect devotees in our core and he straightened us up.
This is how we are supposed to deal with each other
In a community of devotees  is yes, there are people with faults, with shortcomings and people that step on each other's heads sometimes, so what- at the time of death its not going to mean anything to us.

When we are on our death bed- 20 years ago we will think you did something, I am going to get you. What is that? nothing.- We make things so significant , when they are so insignificant compared to what the real opportunity is. So this is what a community of devotees- our values- we are all trying to straighten each other up-its not that we sentimentally let people go on with their unfavorable activities.But we see the potential in each other, we are all trying help each other to let Krsna through our Gurus lift us up and make us natural again. So we can see everyone is like kubja with such a potential - to be a beautiful lover of Krsna - this has to brought out and restored. Krsna with His two lotus hands and Lotus feet the way he pulled her up - He is giving us the same opportunity- param vijayate- to become restored to our beautiful natural perfect loving condition- through the chanting of the Hoyl Name...... Hare Krsna ....as soon as she was straightened ecstatic conjugal love came in her hearts. When we are straightened- ecstatic intimate love- prema bhakti awakens in our hearts.


Realizations:

  1. Every opportunity in life think about how to please Krsna- that is seeing Krsna everywhere
  2. Serve Krsna - wherever you are, whoever you are- its not about service/advancement is possible only in certain types of favorable situations
  3. Krsna I am Yours - what does it mean for me to be able to say that. What is blocking me from that?
    1. Kubja gave to Krsna fearlessly
    2. Kubja was in a very exploited condition- but she still gave the very essence of herself (as mother earth it was her fragrance), the best she had
      1. When I feel exploited by anybody- am I able to serve Krsna , give Him my best or is my mind preoccupied with all the disturbances and the anger I have towards people.
  4. See potential in everyone- I am crooked mentally, emotionally and physically.But some devotees have encouraged me and helped me to gradually overcome my crookedness. This way I must be encouraging to others also.