Class for Brahmacari
Bhakti Vijnana Goswami · Kanpur · 2024
Chapters
Opening prayers and invocation
Oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā| cakṣun-unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ| śrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ stāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale| svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ dadāti sva-padāntikam| vande 'haṁ śrī-guroḥ śrī-yuta-pada-kamalaṁ śrī-gurūn vaiṣṇavāṁś ca| śrī-rūpaṁ sāgrajātaṁ saha-gaṇa-raghunāthānvitaṁ taṁ sájīvam| sādvaitaṁ sāvadhūtaṁ parijana-sahitaṁ kṛṣṇa-caitanya-devaṁ| śrī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pādān saha-gaṇa-lalitā-śrī-viśākhānvitāṁś ca| he kṛṣṇa karuṇā-sindho dīna-bandho jagat-pate| gopeśa gopikā-kānta rādhā-kānta namo 'stu te| tapta-kāñcana-gaurāṅgi rādhe vṛndāvaneśvari| vṛṣabhānu-sute devi praṇamāmi hari-priye| vāñchā-kalpatarubhyaḥ ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca| patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ| śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda| śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda| hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare| hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare| hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare| hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare| yad-agra-bhāgāḥ mayi karma-bandha-saṅgaḥ śravaṇād api| tad eva bhāgavataṁ paraṁ śaṁśaya-cchedakam| svasti prajābhyaḥ paripālayantāṁ nyāyeṇa mārgeṇa mahīṁ mahīśāḥ| go-brāhmaṇebhyaḥ śubham astu nityaṁ lokāḥ samastā sukhino bhavantu| ray.
hare kṛṣṇa.| dadim, prananda Bhagavata, Puru Shayatu Bam. Swasastavishwasya Kalah Prasidatam dya du Tani Shibam mit Odya Manascha Badrambaja Tata Doksha Jesamati Rapya Tukim. Hare Krishna. So I'm very happy to be with
all of you this evening and uh Prema Harinam Prabhu asked me to speak on the topic| of ashrams, yeah.| I will say a few words in this regard. Brahmachary life is easy and it's difficult.
Every ashram has its advantages and its disadvantages. Advantages of brahmacharya life are obvious. Brahmachary life is simple, it's not complicated. These advantages of Brahmachari life are also obvious because Brahmachari
life is very simple, it's not complicated. Depending on how you take this condition, it may become an advantage or it may become a disadvantage. It may become a big problem.
The simplicity of Brahmacharya life is that you know we're not too much encumbered with material problems. And we have all time to study, all time to preach, all time to do harinam, all time to do the spiritual practices.
But uh uh disadvantages of this simple life fully dedicated to spiritual practices is that it's sometimes too simple
and people need some uh little pinch like today we were buying some subjects and we bought subjects which we wanted and then the vendor put a few chili in it.
Because what kind of subject without chilies so so Sometimes brahmacārī life lacks spices of gṛhastha life. Gṛhastha life is very complicated but it's very spicy and
so So and the crux of the issue how to make brahmacārī life also spicy, uh, by keeping it at the same time simple or straightforward. Basically, if we speak about some real facts of life.
Externally, brahmacārī life is very simple. There's no doubt about it. You don't have to work. You you have to work hard but you know it's uh it's kind of it's different thing.
You're doing it not because y you will get the paycheck and uh, you have a lot of freedom in brahmacārī life. Brahmacārī life is very nice. But the problem of this life is that it becomes sometimes boring.
Why it becomes boring? Because it's the same thing, again and again and again.
Role of emotions in human life
And because sometimes the emotions are lacking. We are primarily emotional beings. Human beings proudly call themselves homo sapiens, which means intelligent man.
But the proper name for our species of life is Homo emoticus. We are not intelligent, we are emotional. And most of the time we suppress our intelligence for the sake of emotions.
When the anger comes or when some other strong emotion comes, we forget about intelligence.
And then by intelligence, we explain why this emotion was correct. So we usually utilize our, uh, intelligence to justify our emotions.
Emotions are a very important part of human life, and therefore bhakti is so important. Bhakti is about emotions.
Therefore, we are so much against this māyāvāda because māyāvāda says you have to kill your emotions, you have to really eradicate, erase your emotions. But Bhakti Mark says, no, no, emotions are important. But still, even though Bhakti is all about emotions, sometimes
in Brahmacharya life we lack emotions. Because the natural emotional connection is the connection between two genders, between man and woman. You know, women are usually very emotional and
and uh men uh you know they are uh very Very obedient to the emotions of their wives. They're totally overwhelmed by this powerful energy of emotions.
Actually the Latin word emotion literally means it comes from the root emoveri, which means to move. Like to move, emovere. So emotions is the energy. It's a powerful energy.
And sometimes brahmacharya life lacks these spices of emotions. It becomes the same potato subject every day.
In the morning, starting with the morning program and ending with the sometimes you get some jokes in the lecture, but it it may not be enough to add uh spices in your life.
Distinguishing detachment from natural devotion
So the uh actually to make brahmacharya life stable and fulfilling, we need to understand how to invoke emotions by entering into deep relationship with each other. Relationship is actually the source of emotions.
And therefore, Kapiladev in his teachings to Madadevahuti, he says that men or human beings are attached and you cannot be detached. Sometimes we hear and we have too much emphasis on detachment.
Vairāgya, vairāgya, vairāgya. And sometimes even in this con there is inordinate emphasis on detachment. Actually, it's not our philosophy. This overemphasis on detachment is actually jñāna mārga.
Jñāna mārga depends on detachment. Bhakti mārga does not depend on detachment. Detachment is the by-product of bhakti. Detachment is the natural outcome of bhakti. We are not cultivating detachments willfully or consciously.
We're cultivating bhakti, and bhakti is not cultivating of detachment. Little detachment should be there, but uh it's it's little detachment. Uh The detachment will become the natural outcome of success in bhakti.
Like sometimes we glorify Raghunatha dasa Goswami and we say he was so austere, he was only taking one cup of buttermilk every two days, or every three days, or whatever.
And you know, by glorifying him in this way, we it seems like you know he was cultivating this detachment. But no, he was not cultivating detachment. He couldn't care less about detachment.
He was cultivating his feelings, his emotions towards Srimati Radharani. And as a result of these feelings, he became detached.
He was completely totally satisfied by this emotional feelings of bhakti, and the detachment came in a natural way. So detachment is not our process, and therefore Kapiladev says, because we are attached,
because every living entity needs to be attached, he says the attachment should be directed to a proper source, we We should develop attachment to a sadhu.
And this attachment to a sadho is a source of very powerful positive emotions. If we understand the need, the importance of relationship, and if we understand how to cultivate this
attachment among the devotees because relationship means attachments. What kind of relationship it is if there is no attachment, you know. Yeah, we have great relationship.
I couldn't care less about you and you can care care less about me. No.
Necessity of deep devotee relationships
Relationship implies attachment. It means attachment. But of course it's a different kind of attachment.
And the most important part of brahmacārī life is to cultivate the proper attachment, the proper relationship with other brahmacārīs.
I remember once two brahmacārīs from Chowpatty came to Moscow and one of the brahmacārīs, when he was alone, he put a picture of
uh not his Guru Maharaj, but uh a fellow brahmacārī from the ashram, uh Govinda Prabhu, and he was alone in the room and he was sitting and staring at this picture, and the tears were trickling from his eyes.
And I kind of caught him at this moment and I asked him, What are you doing? He said, I'm I'm missing Govinda Prabhu so much and he started crying. So of course it's an extreme uh example, but it's a very important example.
We need to develop a strong relationship, relationship based on attachment, and then our life as brahmacārīs will be very fulfilling. Otherwise, at one point we will feel uh emptiness in the heart.
We will feel that something is lacking and we need somebody to protect and somebody to take care of.
So therefore, it's very interesting in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam practically the same verse, uh it's with some slight variations, but the same idea is repeated at least four or five times.
And uh the idea which is repeated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam so often, which is not usually the case in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is a very elaborate piece of literature. Bhagavatam is a very elaborate piece of literature.
But this idea which is repeated is that we need to develop attachment to those who are senior.
We need to develop attachment to those who are equal to us, and we need to develop attachment to those who are junior to us, but it's three different kinds of attachments.
The attachment to the seniors is the attachment of respect.
It's the attachment of great joy when we see them because we know that they are more developed than us in their knowledge and they can share their knowledge with us.
And we are dependent on them and attached to them in this relationship of receiving from them.
Respect is actually the means to invoke reciprocation in the heart of the senior so that he would generously share his realizations, his spiritual experience with you. Respect is not just an etiquette.
It's a very important element in relationship because it's the key to open the heart of somebody who is senior. Senior devotees sometimes very reserved. Actually, as a devotee, we have to become gambir.
One of the qualities of a devotee, he is gambhīra. Gambhīra means he is reserved. He's very deep inside and he's not showing the depths of his realizations externally.
But uh if we reci if we uh relate to them in a proper way uh then they will become uh little more inclined to share what they have within their hearts with us. So, and this is attachment.
Fostering friendship and cooperation among equals
If we serve those who are senior to us and respect them, genuinely respect them, then they will reciprocate with this, they will give their protection to us, they will give their love to us and then naturally the relationship will develop.
The relationship with the equals is the relationship of friendship. And it's a great source of inspiration because relationship of friendship, how you can recognize whether you have friendship with somebody or not.
You can recognize if you have friendship with somebody by a mere fact that by being with somebody together, you will feel a lot of creative energy. Friendship is actually a source of creative energy.
When we have a close relationship, we immediately start thinking what we can do together. Because of this relationship, we feel that we can do together more than I am alone.
And because there is this closeness and feeling, immediately the ideas come.
With this person I can do more, I can you know I can create new ways of preaching, I can go uh somewhere and uh I will feel more um free to do something new.
So this is a very important element of our life when we are meeting with it's actually a very basic characteristic of a human being.
Human being, by their nature, they need somebody else and when they are together with somebody else, their intelligence, uh, God-given intelligence starts working differently and creates new ways of doing something.
I heard about one experiment which uh scientists did. They got a chimpanze, chimp,
this monkey, very intelligent monkey, and they put some rice or some sweets in a yeah, it was something light whatever it was in a long but very narrow kind of glass where he could not uh get his hand.
And uh he naturally wanted to get the sweet which is there inside but uh and somehow rather he couldn't just turn it all because it was I think it was fixed or whatever. I don't remember the details.
And after some time trying this way and that way and uh being unsuccessful, actually he got an idea. And uh he he brought some water in his mouth uh and uh put it there and the thing which was there kind of floated upwards and he ate.
And then they gave the same task to children. And most of the children couldn't make it. They were less intelligence than chimpanzee. Most majority of them up to 10, 11, they couldn't solve the problem.
But then they put a few kids together and gave them the same problem. And very quickly they solved the problem. When they were together.
And the idea of this experiment or the result of this experiment is very interesting. The human beings are not the most intelligent beings on the earth.
There are some other very intelligent beings, but the advantage of human beings is that they can get together and by putting their intelligence together they can do amazing things.
And therefore, Śrīla Prabhupāda said that cooperation is the most important element. He said that your love for me will be tested of how you can cooperate.
Because by cooperating, Śrīla Prabhupāda was a superman. He was a very powerful person. He alone did many things. But even he said, I need my disciples. If I had completely dedicated disciples, I would do much more.
So that's the very important point.
That the friendship usually i i it actually means that uh our uh brains are working together and uh stimulating each other and we're helping uh each other to uh achieve something which we would not be able to achieve if we were alone.
And because this is the most important kind of relationship which we have to have in the ashram, the relationship with the peers, relationship with the equals.
We have also to know the secret or the tricks how to develop this relationship. It's not enough to live close together. It may not work. Sometimes people, I've seen it again and again and again.
They live very closely but there is no relationship and they feel lonely. They feel very lonely. Uh there is very superficial interactions between them. There is no depth into interactions.
And for that, of course, there is this famous verse by Ruku Gaswami, Dadati Prakri Pratigrichnati Gukhyamakyati Prichhati, Bunkte Bonjayati Chaivas, Shadvidha Priti Lakshanam.
Building bonds through shared spiritual practice
So if these elements are there then the relationship grow. If the constant exchange between uh two people are there, then the relationship will form and another way of developing relationship is actually to do the intense spiritual practice together.
If we get a goal to do something together like now we uh have among Russian-speaking devotees we have a program which is called Namanishta.
And Namanishta is a program where everyone uh surrenders submits his funds and everything else. And for one day, actually two days, two days, three days, four days, five days, only chant the holy name. Keeping mauna.
Chanting two lakhs, three lakhs. So we call it Namanishta. And you know people are actually very eager to come together and to sit together and to chant.
And they're keeping mauna, they only eat, they have very little lecture. Most of the time they have chanting, individual chanting, and then some kīrtanas at the end.
And everyone who went through this program told me a very amazing result. I said that by the end of this two-day program or three-day program, I feel so much love to everyone who was doing the same with me.
I feel such a deep relationship with them and so much gratitude to them that they also together and we are chanting and we know it's sometimes difficult, you know, to chant two lakhs is, it's not easy. Three lakhs.
But uh it actually develops relationship because we are together. The relationship, especially between equals, they are formed when we together overcome some difficulties.
When there is some difficulties or some problems which we are trying to overcome together, then of course the relationship naturally forms. Because you know, we feel the dependence on other people.
We understand that I need uh those who are close to me uh to uh go through this uh test uh which is there. And that's the way to develop relationship between equals.
And Śrīla Prabhupāda was very emphatic about this and he was actually, he, he, he was uh great manager in the sense that he was uh really putting people in a very difficult situation.
Like he sent uh three couples, three, three married couples to London with no money, you know. Completely, totally with no friends, nobody there, and they did so much.
And still they have such a close relationship between each other. Because they underwent this great, great difficulties in London and achieved a lot.
And because they were dependent on each other, dependent on uh fulfilling the task or achieving the goal which was uh placed in front of them by uh Śrīla Prabhupāda. And Śrīla Prabhupāda was like this.
If everything is just, you know, same every day and there is no difficulties, it's become boring.
Subjee on time and you know why there is no sabjee and then paneer sabje on sundays and when there's no paneer then we complain about this. No, that's not the way to live.
The way to live is to put a very difficult task and overcome this task. Actually, this is another very important characteristic of a human being. Human being, even if there is no difficulties, he will create difficulties.
And he will overcome the difficulties and he will feel very good. You know, like this you know, stupid people who are playing football, you know. There is absolutely no need to put this ball into the goal.
There's there's no need. But they created this and they overcome this and and they feel very good. Yes, yes. See how great I am. If there is no difficulties, it becomes very boring.
We have to have very ambitious goals and try to achieve these ambitious goals. And that's the way to feel good about yourself. That's actually the only way to feel good about yourself.
It's funny, people try to make their life comfortable, but as soon as they achieve the goal of making the life comfortable, they become totally uncomfortable because they're unsatisfied in the heart.
So that's another second kind of relationship. I told a little bit about relationship with the seniors, where respect is the most important key factor.
Offering protection to junior devotees
The relationship with the uh equals uh the key factor is uh definitely uh ambitious goals and difficult problems which we will have to overcome, then it will become very deep and fulfilling.
And then, of course, there is relationship with those who are junior to us when we see somebody who is less experienced than us and he undergoes some difficulties and the natural desire to help him is being awoken within our heart.
So that's the relationship with those who are junior to us is the relationship of help, the relationship of protection.
Especially male people, they psychologically need to have somebody to protect. If a male person does not protect anyone, he will sooner or later feel unfulfilled.
Of course, there are some maybe not so developed people, they may somehow or other do it without it.
But in the normal situation, why Krishna created these two genders, male and female, and in this relationship, in this natural relationship, male protects female and feels good about it.
And female is being protected, and she feels good about it. So in this way, they both feel good about it.
But in our brahmacārī life we also need to have somebody like this, and this is usually those people who became devotee because of our preaching. Those people to whom we preached, those people who were inspired by us, who developed some trust in us and
naturally we feel their dependence on us and because we feel their dependence we want to fulfil their expectations and help them in their spiritual life.
So if these three kinds of relationship will be there, you will be totally fulfilled in your brahmacārī life. And your brahmacārī life will be very happy, joyful, and successful.
Because you will always have abundance of different relationships and different emotions, emotional exchanges in this relationship.
Otherwise you will feel lonely, you will feel useless, you will feel not fulfilled sooner or later, and you will want to do something else. So that's basically a little bit as an introduction.
I can go on, but I think it's enough for for now, maybe there are some questions. Yes.
Questions on passion and spiritual independence
Yes please. Thank you Maharaj for telling us this very wonderful knowledge of every relationship. Maharaj, like you were telling me we come in friendship
But in general, in my scenario I find that when we come in friendship together we become more passionate. And this causes disturbance in spiritual life. And how to deal with that? for me to comment on this.
But normally if two devotees come together they're not becoming more passionate. It it really depends what you mean by passionate.
If the passion by passionate you mean the desire to do something and you want to do something more, then it's a good passion because this is how we utilize the raja-guṇa in a proper way.
This is how we channelize the energy of rajas gun. Rajas gun is there. We cannot escape rajas gun. Rajas gun is within our body. And we need to utilize the energy of rajas gun and the best way to utilize the energy
of rajas gun is to do something great for Śrīla Prabhupāda. So if by passionate you mean uh that uh uh rajas gun starts working and you want to do something more, then it's okay.
If by passionate you mean you become more lusty, then I think something is wrong in this relationship. You know, friendship does not create lust.
Friendship may create passion in the sense uh that desire to do something together. But that's good. That's there's no problem.
But passion uh will turn into lust if you start discussing the inappropriate subject matters or do something which is not very good, then it may turn into lust. But it doesn't have to turn into lust um
they really went to the explanation of the emotion uh In this verse when we are talking about friendship with equals so uh sometimes we hear that we have to fly our own aeroplane in spiritual life.
So sometimes again what sometimes we hear sometimes we hear that one has to fly his own aeroplane in spiritual life. So when we see other devotees are equals and some is not going so well.
Sometimes the thought comes it is his spiritual life, it is between him and Krishna and Kṛṣṇa. Why should I interfere? So then we become little closed to close from our side for approaching him.
So in that way uh is that correct approach or means uh we have to approach and come go to him for friendship. Spiritual airplane you have to have parachutes too otherwise you will fly too high and then crash. It's
the best way to please Krishna if we help somebody. And when we help somebody, especially if somebody is in need, we're actually helping ourselves.
To really fly high doesn't mean that you become careless or indifferent towards other people? When we really take off in our spiritual life, we always feel the empathy towards other people.
We are never alone. And of course, definitely if our spiritual life is good and we feel that it's flying, we normally want to invite other people into the same space ship to fly together. And it is very important.
Uh and I see uh those people those devotees who have uh friends and close friendship, they are actually very happy and very fulfilled. Those who don't, uh ultimately they will have some difficulties.
So we should always feel that I am dependent on others in my spiritual endeavors. I'm never alone in my little spaceship. Otherwise I will only be spaced out in this spaceship.
Pleasing Krishna through devotee connections
Yes.
Maharaja, I want to ask that if we have come here to our eternal existence with Krishna, but after so many years also, if we need fulfillment, if he is not if he is experiencing the relationship with Krishna, then how there is need of—I am telling that there is made-up relationship with devotees, but that relationship with Krishna should also be supposed to come to nourish us.
There is this beautiful story of Prachetas in the fourth canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, where Krishna comes to them and says, because you are so close to each other, you're ten brothers, but you're like ten brothers and you have only one heart.
And I'm so pleased with you because of your friendship. To develop relationship with each other is the best way to please Krishna. If we only try to develop relationship with Krishna without
caring for other people then something is wrong with us. We don't understand the basics of the spiritual life.
Yesterday I was telling we were in a place where Bharata Maharaja, brother of Ramachandra, in Ayodhya, I was doing in Nandigram, where he was doing his austerities.
And I was explaining how in Sri Sampradaya they consider the relationship between these four brothers: Ramachandra, Lakshman, Bharata, and Shatrughna. And they say, of course, Ramachandra is the Supreme Lord Himself. And Laksman is his ideal servant, his ideal devotee. He is inseparable with the Lord, he is ready to serve him in any capacity, he is ready to do anything for him.
But they say that his bhakti is a very good bhakti, is a pure bhakti, but not the highest grade of the bhakti. Why? Because he has one condition. I am ready to serve my Lord in any capacity, but only if he's
close to me. They say that Bharata Maharaja is a greater bhakta than Lakshman because he was serving Lord Ram in separation with him for fourteen years and every day he was shedding tears and thinking about Lord Rama.
His meditation was actually much more deep than the meditation of Lakshman who was next to Lord Rama. But then they say that Shatrugna's devotion is even higher than the devotion of Bharat. Why?
Because he is not serving the Lord Himself, he is serving the servant of the Lord, he is the servant of Bharat Maharaj.
And he is completely fulfilled and completely happy serving Bharata, his elder brother, and in this way he is serving the Supreme Lord.
And that's of course the philosophy of Lord Chaitanya, Gopī-bhartuḥ-pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ. Pada Kamalaar Dasa Dasa, Nudasaha. So we develop relationship.
There is no other way, we cannot develop the relationship with the Lord directly. We have to go through the devotees.
We have to go, we can only feel the real relationship with the Lord when we have real relationship with other devotees.
So there is no and if we have relationship with devotees, we naturally feel the reciprocation of the Lord. And if we only try to establish a relationship with the Lord we may be frustrated. There is a good chance.
Just what the class this class is relevant and also we can experience these three relationships needs.
So the question is that if uh depending on a particular service, one is having either a senior, equal, or a junior. So is it that three of things are required in one side or if it's just with junior or that's All all three things are required in our life.
Only be and the family life gives the natural natural fulfillment of these needs. In the family life you have somebody who is senior, somebody who is equal, and you have your children whom you protect.
So you need all three kinds of relationships because they all have different emotional flavors. And different emotional flavors will give you more satisfaction.
Friendship as culmination of all relationships
If you only try to develop one kind of relationship, you may be successful, but ultimately you will need some other relationship as well. So all three should be there in our life, not only one type.
Thank you Maharaj for nice exchange, constant. Uh I wanted to ask Maharaj about you have talked you have spoken about equals.
So in our spiritual life like uh who make a call as of an equal is your defining who we can call as an equal? Sometimes uh too much hang up of who is you know who is little senior uh and you know when when they take this lamp after Rati they you know they very carefully going by the seniority level.
I I don't think it's a correct attitude. Uh once I was speaking with one devotee and he gave uh he he said a wonderful thing, which I was thinking a lot after that.
He said that in reality, the culmination of all relationships. Whatever relationship we may have is friendship. And friendship is the only stable sort of relationship. Like the relationship between father and the son.
Naturally, father is most senior, son is junior. But at the end, if relationships become close and the son is grown up, they become like friends.
There is no so much relationship as a father and son, they are more like friends.
If the family life is very good, if the husband and wife uh have very good close relationship, in the beginning it's very romantic, this and that, but ultimately they become friends.
They become more like friends and they do something together. They do some creative sort of enterprises together and they help each other on a more or less equal basis.
So we can see and uh even the relationship between uh the guru and disciple.
I I have seen how when disciple becomes very senior and uh enter into a very close relationship with the Guru, there is a still it's guru disciple relationship, but the flavor is a little different.
They are more like friends. Not exactly friends, not hundred percent friends, but uh it's there.
Or if even if a servant, uh very trusted servant who serves his master for long time and becomes very, very trusted by the master, they also become more or less equal, on an equal level.
The difference are there, but still, the equality prevails. It becomes more dominant feature of their relationship.
So, in a similar way, we should not be too picky or too, you know, he joined two weeks later than me, therefore, he's junior, and I have to give him my protection. No.
We are more or less on the same level, and of course, uh, somebody is little uh in real life in our real relationship somebody is more senior to us in one area and junior to us in another area.
Sometimes people are more knowledgeable. They have more knowledge of the shastras. And in this way they are more senior. But we may be better in some other areas of our expertise. This is how it works.
And we should mostly when we live in Brahmacharyasam, of course there is levels of seni seniority but uh not too many stages of uh mostly we live with people who are like equal.
And the relationship with peers, with equal people they're the most fulfilling relationship.
And therefore I spoke about them longer because in this relationship we really feel very enthusiastic by doing something together and by creating something new and very wonderful.
Like these ten prachetas, they were you know they probably were little a different, but they still were friends. And Panda was also another example of them. They all were different, and they respected their differences, but at the same time, they were close friends with each other.
That brahmachari's life is simple, but it becomes monotonous, so by that, uh, it becomes difficult. But in general, it's easy. So, and then you are telling that the there should be some spices.
But we last year concluded that we should take some challenges together for the preaching Krishna consciousness or the service of Guru and Krishna.
So how we can, like, more add the flavor of the spices in the so that we can have a Srila Prabhupada? He said that we need independently intelligent people.
And he said it's the duty of the managers to create the fresh feeling of fresh atmosphere, of feeling — I don't remember exactly — of challenge in our temples.
Those who are in charge of the ashrams, they have to always think how to create difficulties for everyone else. So that's their duty, sacred duty. How to create challenges and, uh, do something, and then only you can feel good that this is the spice of life.
Balancing personal sadhana with social engagement
Otherwise your wife will create some difficulties for you. Somebody will have to create some difficulties for you. So there is these two options. Bhakti Charu Swami.
Maharaj, how do we become very strict sadhaka at the same time good in relation to others? Why I'm asking this?
Because I have seen when I read myself alone, then I can read with more focus, but when I read with some other devotee, let's say my equal friend or someone, then I cannot read that much length, and I find it not so much focused, and I cannot think so much on that. Well, in our life there should be room for our individual practices while uh stressing the relationship I didn't mean that they should totally overshadow our individual practices.
We need time to be alone, to be introspective, to read deeply. It's a very essential need of any brahmacārī. But there should be healthy mixture of the two kind of engagements.
And of course, everyone is different and everyone uh has different needs.
Somebody needs to have more time for himself and less time for social activities, somebody needs more time in social activities and less time for himself. But both things should be there in everyone's life.
There is nobody who will be completely happy if he's alone and there is nobody who will be completely happy if he's always socializing and associating with others. So these two elements should be there.
There has to be time which is totally dedicated to all spiritual practice, to introspection, to going deep inside.
Maharaj like uh what you mentioned about this uh aspect of emotional social media uh Is it like a is it a like of a material is it a is it a need of a material state of exercise? Is it an existence?
It's it's it's ultimately it's the need of the soul.
Yes, uh on in the beginning level it's the need of our mind, the mind to be satisfied, to be to feel happy in its close relationship, no doubt about it. Otherwise we will feel lonely.
But on a deeper level it's the re it's the need of the soul. Because the soul is tiny,
and being very tiny it requires uh Like even in any society we can see how people everywhere there's no exception to this rule, people need to feel that they belong to something greater than themselves.
And this sense of belonging, like they may feel I belong to ISKCON. And this is such a great institution all over the world. I belong to Vedic culture. They may feel I belong to this particular country.
And sometimes this feeling are okay, sometimes this feeling are completely wrong, completely misplaced. But this is the deep psychological need of every human being.
He feels totally insignificant when he is alone and when he doesn't have this feeling that I belong to something much greater than myself. And that's why there are so many different political parties, this organization, that organization, they actually fulfill the deepest psychological need of every soul.
They give the feeling that I belong to something great, to something good.
It may not necessarily be good, but uh like sometimes patriotism is not a very good feeling because they become you know patriots, they become enemies of some other country and uh they propagate this and uh they will go to war in other countries.
But they always explain to themselves that yes, we belong to this great nation, great country, and everyone else is inferior and we have to prove our superiority.
But whatever way it manifests, the need is there to belong to something because it's the need of the soul and relationship is the way to fulfill this need of the soul as well. Thank you. So we would like to end here.
Like to thank Maharaj. I am sure that now spices are ready to our lives in this sense.
Now we can Maharaj so then all this message of completely and all things a great relationship, respect and how to be uh actually sustained and uh by being uh group and contributing something also.
Let us thank Anadi from the core of our hearts Ram Ram. Also for the T Association. So you all can invite your friends, nearby, whosoever can come. We brought us online ash. Thank you so much.