Q & A session
Bhakti Vijnana Goswami · 2021
Chapters
Mangalacharana prayers and introductory remarks
First I would like to chant Mangalacharana and then we can start start doing what we're supposed to do.
Namo Vishnu Padaya Krishna prestaya Butale, Srimate Bhtividanta Swamini, namaste Saraswati Deve, Guravani Pracharine, Mirvisa Sunyavadi, Paschatyadesarine, Vchakaupatarubescha, Kripasindhubiavacha, Vatitanam Pavanebyo, Vaishnavyo Namonamaha, Sri Krishna Chaitanya Prabunitananda, Sriadvaitagadhara Srivasadigura Bhakta Vrinda Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama, R Ramaama Hare Hare, Ajanu Lambita Bujokanaka Vadatu, Sankirtanaika Pitaroka Malay Taksa, Viswambarododvi, V Jijaavarro, Yuga Dharma Palo, Vande Jagat Priya Cara Karu Navatar.
Yon tah pravise Mahvach, Mampra Suktam, Sandji Vaya tak ki La Shakti Darah Swadamna, Anyam Shahastacharana Sravanatva Gadim, Prananamou Bhagavathe, Purushyatubiam. Swasyastu Vishwas ja Callah, Prasidatam, Dyandu Bhutani, Sivammit Hu Manaschabadramba Jatata Doksajay Avesya Tamatir Atyaituki O,
so let me say a few words of introduction. I am very happy to see all of you today. Really happy. Ah and yes. I am ready to answer your questions. And hopefully there will be something good at the end of it. Yes.
I will not speak too long because there are many questions and it's better if I uh speak something up to the point which you want to hear rather than speaking something which I want to say Yeah, it's better if it's better if you read the questions to me. Yeah, okay.
So we have there was a lot of questions, like really lots of questions and uh we we
Cultivating spiritual emotions and gratitude
have going through them trying to some you know uh sort of groups and uh also that anybody to put here in the answers to hear what he wants to hear.
So first we will begin with the questions concerning the emotional state of devotee.
So there is the first question is you often mention how important emotions are in our sadhana, especially if you chant. How can we go into the right mode before chanting or during chanting so that we can chant with spiritual emotions?
Emotions are difficult to pretend, especially for Krishna.
Yes, emotions are it's a difficult question, difficult subject matter, but at the same time, there are certain emotions which are accessible to us, and I explained that the emotion of gratitude is very important because it's kind of in between.
It's in one sense material emotion and it's familiar to us. We know very well what does it mean to be grateful. Sometimes we are so emotionally grateful that we start crying.
When we deeply feel what we received from a particular person, and when we express our gratitude. So gratitude is something which is familiar to us, but at the same time it is already something which is of higher nature.
We are more used or programmed or conditioned by negative emotions, and negative emotions they belong to tamas and rajas.
We all know these emotions: tamasic grief, depression, tamasic anxiety or rajasic anxiety, Rajasic desire, Rajasic eagerness to get something, or Rajasic joy.
These are emotions which are not very conducive for spiritual life. Gratitude is in the realm in between because it belongs to sattva-guṇa and being sattva-guṇa it serves as the springboard to spiritual emotions.
So first we have to develop this gratitude and developing gratitude basically means programming ourselves, trying to understand how much we received from Krishna, from devotees, from Śrīla Prabhupāda and so on.
And because this emotion is again simple emotion in one sense. We can do it. As far as spiritual emotions are concerned, it would be a big mistake to try to artificially hype or artificially induce these emotions.
Sometimes people do it, they cry or whatever, they train themselves how to cry. No, spiritual emotions will come to us as the reflection of the spiritual emotions which are there in the pure heart of pure devotee.
We see his emotions, and if we deeply connect with him, we can get some glimpse of his emotions and in this way reflect his emotions.
But before that, our heart should be purified by the sattvic emotions, by the emotion of gratitude, or at least the emotion of you know, I have to do it, this is something which is good, something which which is worthy, you know, all these sattvic emotions they gradually purify the heart so at least in the beginning we should try to chant with these emotions and then gradually gradually we will be able to understand what spiritual emotions mean.
We should not try to jump into this realm from the very beginning.
Overcoming disturbances from material emotions
Meanwhile, the devotees are asking about the material emotions.
Like they say, in our daily life as new five devotees were into so many material scenarios, they they they are sometimes whatever best we try we can get carried away in emotions. So how to overcome such situations when the material emotions can us carry away? How to overcome such situations?
Yeah. Very important question. Thank you very much.
Therefore, in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which is basically the book about spiritual emotions, to understand Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, we have to have access to spiritual emotions and Śrīla Vyāsadeva speaks about this in the third verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam where he uh calls upon readers of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and calls them bhavukas or emotional people.
Bhavukas basically means people who have bhāva and rasikas people who have rasa or spiritual emotions. So in the previous verse, in the second verse, he says Paramo nirmasaran nirmat saranam satam.
He says that the qualification to enter into this realm of spiritual emotions, to understand what it means to become bhavuka or rasika, one first has to become Satam.
Satam means sādhu, and sādhu means somebody who is not disturbed by material emotions. To the beginning of spiritual life is to train ourselves to be less and less distorted by the material surrounding.
And for that, we have to how to do this uh first and foremost uh what is the cause of our anxiety what is the cause of our material emotions uh in 99% cases it's our relationship with other people.
It's relationship with other people who make us, you know, put us in anxiety, relationship with other people who make us depressed, relationship with other people who make us hurt, we feel pain, and so on and so forth.
All these material emotions are there, and therefore, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam teaches us how to become sādhu, how to become peaceful, how to not become disturbed by all these events or all these occurrencies in our life, we have to establish proper relationship with people who are around us.
And proper relationship with people basically means we should respect those who are senior to us, train ourselves to be respectful. We should become friendly to those who are more or less equal to us, who are on the same level, and we should protect or feel compassion, become compassionate towards those who are junior to us and in this way, by training ourselves in this relationship, we will become more protected from the disturbances coming from all these relationships. Actually, if we very firmly establish ourselves in proper mood of relationship, then nobody will disturb us.
Seniors will not disturb us because they're seniors and we already program ourselves to respect them no matter what. In any situation, we will respect them even if they are not right. Even if they say something wrong to us, we will not be disturbed because we respect them.
Who are we to be disturbed. Even if they are apparently wrong. Junior will not disturb us because we feel compassion to them. You know, compassion will totally neutralize this possible disturbance.
You know, what can we say? They're junior, they are they are less maybe intelligent or less sensitive or whatever. So okay, no problem.
They're doing something to us, they're saying some stupid things to us no problem. We still protect them. We still care for them.
And our people who are around us who are more or less equal to us will not disturb us because we will be friendly.
Whereas if we are if we develop this competitive spirit, which is usually the case when we deal with equals, then we will be very easily disturbed by them, by their success or by their wards or whatever.
So, before to become peaceful and not disturbed by all these material emotions, we have to really work on proper relations how to establish what should be the ruling emotion in all these different kinds of people.
Managing anger and controlling mentality
That's the most important advice. And this advice is there in the second verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Nirmatsara, Nirmatsara that's actually another another hint. Paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satām.
Dharmaḥ kaiṭava-projjhitaḥ paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satām. This is qualification of the reader of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, he has to be nirmatsara and he has to be satām. Satam I'll explain. He is peaceful.
Peaceful means he is not disturbed by all this relationship. But nirmatsara means it's also very interesting. Nirmatsara really means that I'm not disturbed if something goes not the way I want.
Matsarya is the feeling which comes, this is the difference between matsarya and asuya. We usually translate matsary as envy or as jealousy, but it's not exactly the same
as asūyā: jealousy or envy is asūyā. Whereas matsarya is this irritation which we feel when somebody does something not the way we expect him to do.
If somebody is behaving not properly, or if somebody is saying something which we don't like, we feel mazzaria. Mazzaria means this irritation. How dare he say this? How dare he say and so on and so forth.
So when I am in a very strong controlling mood, I will always feel matsarya because always somebody will say something or will do something which I don't like. So nirmatsaranam means that uh well you know what can I do?
I'm not a controller. Nirmatsaranam means let them do what they want to do and I'm not going to be disturbed no matter what because you know they are free people and they're doing this.
So I'm not trying to establish my rule here. Basically, the main motivation behind this emotion of mazzary, envy, which we feel that something is wrong, is that you know I want to control. I want my way.
I want everything to happen according to my will.
Therefore, one has to train ourselves, we have to train ourselves in these qualities, śānta and matsarya. Then we will be able to become bhāvukas and rasikas from the third verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Understand spiritual emotions. First, we have to purify our material emotions by developing these qualities of nirmatsara. We have to become nirmatsaraḥ and śānta.
So basically, this is this is this also answers the questions about the anger. Yes, that's definitely answers the question of anger. Yes. Because anger is basically this emotion when you feel that something is wrong.
I don't want it to happen.
So if you if you in this, maybe not at this moment, but in any other moments of life, you ask yourself a question: who you think you are, to establish the rule here. If we relieve ourselves from this burden of controlling mentality which is a very heavy burden on our head and on our shoulders.
If we become free from this, anger will disappear. I'm not the controller. I am not establishing the final rule here in this world, luckily for the world.
Remembering Krishna during daily activities
So then we will go to the next group of questions regarding the everyday practice. There's a beautiful question from Vita, which is uh Krishna Maharaj and the Bhāvapraṇāma.
Everybody says we have to remember Krishna all the time. But when I'm playing, how can I remember Krishna? When you play, you can remember Krishna by playing because Krishna was also playing.
You can say to your friends that, or you can say to yourself, Krishna was playing, and I'm playing like Krishna was playing with my friends. And basically, uh see there are two rules.
One rule remember Krishna that we cannot do all the time. Sometimes we will be distracted and we will remember about something else.
When we play we have to remember how our cricket ball, you know how we I don't know whatever it is.
But we should not forget Krishna and not forgetting Krishna basically means that before you start doing something you say, Krishna, I'm doing it for you. I'm playing for you now and thank you very much for giving me this opportunity to play as you played.
So in this way, you may forget about Krishna when you play, but you still you may not remember Krishna when you play but you still don't forget him while you're playing.
So just say you know Krishna I very much like how you play and I will play the same way as you play in Vṛndāvana. Okay? Yes, are you satisfied? Thank you very much for this question. There's another question from his sister.
I have many non-devotee friends. When I hear them speak something, I end up looking down on them because of my crap, the trivia what they are saying. What should I do to remedy this?
See, it's not that we are looking down at them because they are doing something. We are more or less programmed looking down at people, no matter what they do.
It's more or less our attitude. Because we want to be the best. We have this ahaṅkāra or ego, I'm the best. And I always need to confirm to myself that I am the best.
And you know, there are many ways to confirm to ourselves that I am the best. You know, this is one way. Now they're doing nonsense, they're speaking such frivolous things.
You know, but you know, some other people they use completely opposite logic. They look down at other people because they don't say frivolous things.
You know, some of your friends look down at you at the same time because you're not speaking frivolous things. So, the cause for looking down is not important. What is important is the general attitude.
You know, we will always find some pretext why we will look down at somebody. It doesn't matter what is the pretext. You know we have to really understand that this tendency is there.
And this is the tendency of my false ego. I want to be the best. I'm the best. That's the problem which we have. So, how to overcome this program? How to get rid of this program or what to do with this program?
We have to change this program. This is the program of somebody who wants to enjoy, because the only way to enjoy in this world is to feel I'm the best. You know why people like so much to criticize others?
Because by criticizing others they're enjoying. I'm the best. They're less than me. Why people so much like to see faults in others? Because when we see the fault, we also feel better. You know, I'm better.
So this is a hard work, and everyone has to do this hard work. We have to change this attitude of being better than somebody else to change it to the opposite attitude. The opposite attitude is the attitude of service.
We have this tendency to enjoy, and there is completely opposite tendency, tendency to serve. You know, like mother very rarely becomes becomes you know looking down at her children. Why? Because she serves her children.
The spiritual master practically never looks down at his disciples. Why? Because he serves his disciples. He protects his disciples. He wants to give them something.
So if we instead of trying to enjoy, we'll try to serve, then gradually, gradually, this program will become slackened. It will become less and less prominent in our consciousness, in our heart.
You know, so we feel a lot of joy when we serve. Even if we do simple things, like mother when she gives some prasāda, some food to children, she feels very happy.
Even though she's not enjoying herself, but she's serving. So service gives a lot of emotional reward.
So if you try to kind of, you know, change this mood when you caught yourself that you have this mood of enjoying by looking down at somebody, try to change and try to, you know, glorify them.
One way to get rid of this tendency of fault-finding is to glorify somebody. You don't have to do it openly. You may in your heart say this. Oh, this girl, which says such a nonsense, She's such a nice girl, otherwise.
Just just find something. Like there is this story about Duryodhana and Yudhiṣṭhira. Once Vidura asked them, you know, what do you think about people who are in front of you in this sabha?
And he asked actually who is dharmika? Who is very righteous person here? And Duryodhana looked at everyone and he said, no, no, nobody is righteous here. They all have some faults.
This Yudhiṣṭhira, you know, how he can be dharmika, he basically lost his wife. He put his wife as a bet.
You know, it's such a mean thing, you know, and he, you know, this Bhīṣma, this and that, he always, he found faults.
And Vidura asked the same question to Yudhiṣṭhira. Yudhiṣṭhira looked around, and first one whom he saw was Duryodhana. And he looked at Duryodhana and he said, Duryodhana is such a dharmika person. Because if he wants to do something, he always does this.
He goes to the last, you know, drop of his blood, he's so determined. This is the real kṣatriya character. He's such a dharmika kṣatriya. He is dharmika. And he said, here's the dharmika person.
So this is what we should do, because both Duryodhana and Yudhishthir live in our heart. And we sometimes have to say to Duryodhana, shut down, my dear friend. And we have to say to Yudhishthira, please speak out. Speak.
Developing compassion through selfless service
Okay Okay, I think that also answers the question by about serving the non-devotees.
Because there was a question that okay we can serve the devotees, but when I see the people who are like eight eighty, ninety years old and all that they everything they have been doing throughout their life is just, you know, uh breaking regulating principles, etc.
And now they didn't come to this, you know this dangerous and uh growing situation, how can I actually experience positive emotions towards them? I want it to make a thing that's gonna be.
We always experience positive emotions towards those people whom we serve if we do it willingly. Mother usually loves the most difficult child the most.
If the child is very sick and she serves him the most, she spends a lot of sleepless nights by trying to help him. She developed such a deep attachment with this child.
I have some some disciple and she had a child who was who was born very sick. He was really sick. And she always she was just suffering because of his disease, but she was so attached to him.
Ultimately, the child died when he was only a couple of years old. But even though he was he was totally dysfunctional, she loved him so much.
That was such a blow for her because she invested so much of her heart and energy into this child. So when we see somebody, if we try to serve him we will first of all we will influence this person in a very amazing way.
Because this person he may be 80 years old, he may be breaking regulativs. But in the eyes of Krishna, he is still a very beautiful soul. And if we do something nice for him, he may actually he may transform right there on the spot.
You know, when when people see that somebody is doing something very selflessly, it touches their heart and they become transformed by this interaction.
So it's possible, it's difficult. I don't say it's easy, but it's possible to do it and it will bring you some joy.
This is basically the next question we should have touched on or should provide function That clean music is not so happy that we care so much about our spirit our spiritual problems.
But how how much can we really care about others if we still have another s there should be balance definitely? There should be definitely very healthy balance. It's not so black and white.
Bhakti is caring about Kṛṣṇa, pleasing Kṛṣṇa. And we try to care about others as the means to please Kṛṣṇa, but also we have to take care of ourselves, of our spiritual life, our spiritual progress.
And that's also something which is pleasing to Kṛṣṇa. So it's not that we have to forget about ourselves and only care about others. You're completely right because if we do this, we will ultimately be dysfunctional.
We will not be able, you know, if we don't eat ourselves, you know, I'm so so devotional, I will not eat myself, you know, I will only feed others. You know, for how long you will you will do this? Not so long.
So there should be healthy balance in the service of spirit. Bhakti is the service of spirit, Spirit of service. Sorry. Spirit of service. So, yeah, and it's also service of Spirit, we serve Kṛṣṇa, He is Spirit.
But we also have this spirit of service. So we have to take care of ourselves in this spirit of service to Kṛṣṇa and spirit of service to others as well. I answered your question? I hope so.
Healing emotional trauma through devotional service
But there's another beautiful question about the analphas and overcome the narcissist. If one uh got not enough love from his parents and has now a lack of self confidence, so to speak, a lack of loving emotions.
Is it just enough to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa? Or is it sometimes more needed or more specific methods to help to heal this? If yes, then can this devotion do or how can we help such a devotion?
So, what should such a demo to do? How we can help such a thank you very much for this question.
It's a very important question indeed, because we are living in this Kali Yuga and in Kali Yuga always people are dysfunctional because they have a very dysfunctional family environment.
They didn't really experience care from their from their parents and therefore they become traumatized. It's definitely a case. There is an answer to this.
I wouldn't say that just chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa will help in this regard because it will be very difficult for such a person to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa with proper attitude and with proper emotions.
He's chanting, you know, because this kind of people they have hole in their heart. There is some vacuum in their heart.
And this vacuum in their heart deprives them of proper feelings, proper emotions, proper relationship primarily with the Holy Name and with Kṛṣṇa.
So, this alone I wouldn't say will be a solution to this problem because chanting will not bring enough satisfaction to heal.
To be healed, one has to get a lot of you know positive emotions which will drive away negative emotions from the heart. And one has to feel the protection.
Theoretically, one can get of this feeling of protection by his relationship with the holy name. But practically it's difficult. But there is another thing which one can do besides this?
Definitely, we have to chant, we have to read Prabhupāda's books, definitely we have to associate with devotees and try to get some positive emotions in our exchanges with devotees, in our loving exchanges.
But there is another thing which one can do that is start uh giving uh to somebody uh love which you didn't get yourself. That one can do. It's may not be easy, but if nevertheless,
if one tries to really help others, Even though he is handicapped himself, even though he is not very well established within his heart himself, and so on and so forth,
if he's nevertheless tries to help others, he or she and try to care about others, and then this process of caring about others, helping others will be a healing process.
It will bring about the desired wholeness of our heart. We will become more wholesome by this process. Because Krishna will be pleased, we will get positive emotions, we will get very positive response from such people.
Not always, but sometimes. Sometimes we will get some kicks. That's also possible.
But still, we will feel some happiness within our heart and this happiness will play an important role ultimately in healing ourselves from inside.
So besides chanting, I would recommend to really you know find somebody whom you will care about and whom you will try to help.
Addressing mental health in spiritual life
There was a similar question from uh someone I know about the psychiatry. Is it actually possible that a person just practices devotional service and chance before him and then he gets cured of his psychiatric diseases?
Because somebody who asked the question he gives also the population instruction of bottom where it says that even an insane person can become sane person. It's definitely possible. We should not rule out this possibility.
It's possible, and I've seen that people become even somewhat insane people gradually gradually would become much more sane. And in one sense we all, you know, crazy to a certain extent.
But I wouldn't recommend this as the only means to get rid of psychiatric disorder. I think one should get professional help and that will help also.
You know, we need association of devotees but we also need professional help and sometimes you know we need even to take uh heavy drugs, heavy medicines to become a little more balanced.
Because in this condition, very, very imbalanced condition of psychiatric disorder, it's difficult. It's difficult to relate properly and so on and so forth.
So we should not reject the help or assistance of professional people in this regard.
But the healing process will also go on by our practices, chanting, following regulative principles associating with devotees serving that will also take place, but both things should be there.
That maybe now we go to the wide questions. There was a very important question from Bhagadatta Prabhu, he can ask this question himself or I can repeat it if you want. Yes.
Is it the one I just think about? About association with the pure devotees about the spiritual master, right? Yeah. Yeah, basically the question is uh I often hear from various speakers
and uh bread also, uh, but different Vaishnavas say that we must have the shelter uh of a pure liberated Vaishnava and specifically emphasis is given on personal association in the sense if even so far as physical association one should directly associate uh with a pure Vaishnava in order to be able to progress in
spiritual life and uh I I I know for sure that this is one thing, Bhakti Vinod Maharaj, this one as Bhakti Vinod Maharaj preached, and his followers as well are associated with Madhavanam Padu.
And he he very strongly feels that that that's important.
Whereas there's a group of developers who um think that it's enough to read Śrīla Prabhupāda's books and discuss them and there's no need to really have a uh a personal physical association with a pure Vaishnava.
So the question is pretty much is it enough just to for example someone joins the temple and he never had a chance to speak to sort of spiritual master, his spiritual master, but he was listening to his classes and he was very inspired, so
he was rendering services And we know many examples in the uh in the lives of Srila Prabhupada disciples. Some of them never even met Srila Prabhupada, they got initiated through a letter.
So it's always been on my mind because I hear different opinions and these of my people clarify very great.
Yeah, it's it's an important question, but to answer it, we have to understand the idea behind this or mechanism behind this. Why the person association is so much stressed in our literature and in our tradition.
Obviously, because of obvious reasons, personal association leaves a very deep saṁskāra in our heart.
To practice spiritual life, to progress spiritually, one has to counteract endless material saṁskāras which are there in the mind, in the heart of a person, with very strong spiritual saṁskāras.
If the spiritual saṁskāras are weak, then they will not be able to counteract the you know huge amount of material saṁskārs and ultimately material saṁskārs will overwhelm us.
We act in this life according to our saṁskāras. So personal association in comparison with some impersonal association is much stronger, it leaves much stronger impression.
When we feel, you know, personal touch of devotees' heart, when we feel personal care of a devotee.
You know these devotees who serve Śrīla Prabhupāda in separation from him they nevertheless they they were touched, their heart was touched by Śrīla Prabhupāda's presence.
And of course, Śrīla Prabhupāda is such a powerful personality, so one can feel very strong presence of his or influence of Prabhupāda, even through the distance. So the answer to this question: it's not black and white.
The answer to this question is that if we don't have personal association, which
is oftentimes the case, or if we don't have opportunities to have a lot of personal association, nevertheless we, have to have association and the regular association will also make the spiritual saṁskāras stronger.
You know, it's a question of making the impressions within our heart very strong. So, whatever is necessary for these listening classes is definitely a good way of leaving some impressions.
If we do it again and again and again, if we read books, if we associate with devotees, if we do something, then even though it may not be the highest, the quickest, the most efficient way. Nevertheless, we will progress spiritually because the spiritual saṁskāras will become stronger and stronger and stronger, and ultimately they will overweight the material saṁskāras, which is what is required at the end of the day.
So we have to get any opportunity.
Yes, we are living in this environment, yes, we are not living 500 years back when there was a lot of pure devotees and you could just you know go and serve them and there was no internet.
Luckily for them, there was no e-mail, there was no telephone, and therefore people had personal association. And definitely that was the saving grace because the impression was so strong.
But in our case, in our thing, we have to really you know make sure that whatever we do still this spiritual impression is there and it's becoming stronger and stronger and stronger. It's becoming more profound and has more profound influence.
And that there are different means we have to, you know, it's one thing when we personally present during the lecture. We are very attentive, and therefore the impression is stronger.
But we can be very attentive when we hear somebody speaking from a distance, by zoom. Nothing precludes us.
It's just generally we will be less attentive. We will be more negligent because we will not feel such a presence.
But nevertheless, we can somehow rather tune up our mind and our heart and get not the same but almost the same result from these other substitutes of personal association.
These substitutes then not the best way, but nevertheless, they are important. So thank you, Maharaj. I'd like to ask further on this topic, on this subject.
So in general we see that the situation in ISKCON is such that uh there's only very few initiated spiritual masters compared to the large number of devotees that are there.
And the the spiritual masters cannot really uh let's say put it the other way, the disciples cannot really have uh sufficient uh personal association with their guru and uh especially
for someone like Radhanath Swami when he comes to England which is not often made by so not now because of the lockdown but when things was alright.
Um then I I but especially the last few years he was coming, uh he was giving only one public class and all the other
engagements were uh with rearranged for people who were more like professionals and uh more important people or so we we actually had no much of a opportunity to associate with Maharaj here from him and um so
I was wondering if this is something that will gradually change because as you said in the past people used to uh live together like I'm reading now but um bhaktunatak was jaivadharma and the devotees used to go to different sadhus and uh you know get their questions answered and have regular association besides used to know them very well and know their particular situation which is lacking nowadays and I wonder if this should be our goal
to actually come to a state where devotees are more mature in their understanding of the world, the spiritual master and the guru because we can have a guru in in uh in our proximity and we can have one thing shape.
In in one sense uh yes definitely the the answer is yes in one sense but in another sense is that I would say that we sometimes tend to not really notice or neglect or underestimate the opportunities which we already have.
Because spiritual master is a principle, it's Guru Tattva. He can manifest in different people if we relate with them in a proper mood, we can learn a lot from some other people.
Like Śrīla Prabhupāda, he himself says that he has seen his spiritual master five times during his life. And that is not for a long time. He didn't spend a lot of time with him.
But he was relating to his God brothers and to even other people by trying to understand what his spiritual master would like him to do and you know by relating to them in a proper way. So in this way, he was always in association with the spiritual master.
If we take Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he met his spiritual master only twice. We can say that he was God Himself, but nevertheless He was playing the role of Acharya. So it's not.
He probably knew that there will be Kali Yuga progress and people will see their gurus once or twice during their lifetime. So he only saw Īśvara Purī twice, not more than this.
And that only for a couple of days, for a few days, once in Naavadvip and another time in Gaya. He hasn't seen him after that at all.
But it's not that he was deprived, he was always, you know, he was speaking with Rāmānanda Rāya whom he considered his śikṣā guru, he was, you know, associating with Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī and so many other things, you know so if we understand that uh we have people who are um you know who represent uh our the this principle of guru then maybe the situation will not be so bad because we always associate guru with Diksha Guru but it's not only Diksha Guru it's also Shiksha Guru. So it's not so bad.
So ultimately our our understanding of Guru Tattva has to mature and we have to take advantage of the opportunity so to read so many times. Yeah. Yes, thank you very much Maharaj. And so finally um if I could ask I
I mentioned it earlier but again someone can become a pure pure transcendental personality
just by associating with the past (ācāryas through their recorded instructions), then and uh I suppose that's then theoretically it's possible. Theoretically it's possible yeah.
Still we have to we definitely have to use opportunity to meet with devotees and to serve the devotees whenever it's possible. Thank you very much. Pray Jan Prabhu, you wanted to ask your question. You're welcome.
But you should unmute your microphone first. Okay. Can you hear me?
Seeking forgiveness and resolving offenses
Yes. Um English with respect uh to uh making amends for um the uh previous offenses um uh to to people that we may have offended and to seek their uh somehow association again
and um and also um uh if the um uh forgiveness is not there um because we're we're looking at, we're not only looking at devotee, we're looking at Krishna you know, and he doesn't take kindly to offenses against his devotee, and even if the devotee also uh uh may forgive, maybe Krishna, uh uh this I'm unsure of.
doesn't forgive that. Um so uh this is but also there are times where you can approach a person that actually it could make the relationship worse. In other words, it it could cause more uh offenses book that
uh there may be some uh thought within us that that somehow um we're not uh understanding what they they they're trying to tell us um so So the relationship could actually worsen.
So I'd like uh uh uh uh comment on that because uh I know in fact there are some people um but from my own point of view, you know, uh didn't accept uh um uh my approach uh to to to somehow build the relationship uh and the and the events that are committed.
So I'd like your um uh comments on on what I'm saying I don't know what kind of offenses you can commit. You're such a harmless person and saintly. So it's very difficult for me to imagine.
But yeah, definitely if you feel that you did something wrong, you should apologize. As far as that relationship can be worsened that's possible that's possible in in the real world it's uh it could be the case.
And the reasons may be different. One reason is that people whom you are begging forgiveness from don't feel that you're sincere enough, or they still have some grudge at you, and they still are very angry at you.
So if you feel that they are not really inclined to forgive you by some reason, then you should still beg forgiveness from them, but maybe you know from a distance in the heart because it's a fact sometimes people are so angry that they just you know they they're not ready to forgive you.
But you still beg forgiveness from them within your heart in your prayers, and Krishna will definitely forgive you if you are sincere. Krishna knows.
People they may have misunderstandings, they will have misunderstandings of your intentions, of your motivations, your actions. But Krishna knows your real heart.
So try to do it within your heart as sincerely as possible. And Krishna will grant you forgiveness ultimately.
You know, yes, and sometimes you know our offenses are purely a matter of our imagination. We just imagine something.
And uh and then we become morose and then and then we ask somebody, please forgive me, and he says, You fool, why are you asking forgiveness? I'm not angry with you so it happens.
And that reminds me of uh I just uh asked some requests to Janani Blas when he was here he's a one time visit or a second time visit uh since but he he said um he didn't answer me straight away, he thought about it.
And I thought anyway, then he said, what you should do is let time look after it. And um of course Christmas time, isn't it?
Um so you know what you said they may not be ready to put it yet. You know that that I think is is it's very relevant point. It tallies with uh the Janani Blas actually.
That's what we're liking the Janani Blas is probably actually. Um so uh thank you. Yeah. Anybody else wants to ask more questions?
Overcoming material desires and passion
Yes, are you okay?
Um my question is when we do like certain types of action or activity will not be helpful in spiritual or even material progress and still be committed, does it mean that we have tendency to invite the reason or desire to experience the dreams and if it is yes then how to mitigate that kind of the uh
does it mean so please repeat uh you you do some action which is not spiritual but material and what which is not very conducive to for any kind of progress.
Okay still for a spiritual progress, even sometimes for material progress, and we commit that activity. And then later on we realize that, oh, I made a mistake. Okay.
So does it mean that we have a tendency to invite miseries or there is a kind of desire to do some nonsense and experience it and then say okay, I shouldn't have that Yeah this is this is the
same the same question which Arjuna asked Krishna in the third chapter of Bhagavad-gītā. What is this force which forcing me to do something which I don't want to do, but still I'm doing it even unwillingly.
So, yes, this is some desire, a very strong force, kāma eṣa krodha eṣa which is within us. And we will regret later that we did it, but nevertheless we we did this.
So yes this is this is the desire which sometimes turns into anger. Kāma eṣa krodha eṣa right rajo-guṇa-samudbhava. The source of this is rajo-guṇa or the mode of passion.
So that's that's it. Panchama Veda Prabhu had many questions, maybe he can answer uh ask Alaikrisha Maharaj yes I was looking by my list uh I was thinking maybe the question will be read but I look now. Okay.
Um I one question which came recently in my mind is um I mean we know that sadhana is not the cause for sadhu, our goal.
So you spoke about samskara that we have to look that we make our samskara as strong as possible to meet uh therefore it's important to have personal association with the spiritual master and the devotees.
But how much is this in our control is ever now basically what I want to ask is everything mercy in our spiritual life or what is in our control to come closer to the goal?
Or even to get bhakti is is um very questionable and if if we it it's our it's not our um um wrestle that we get bhakti, it's just causal. I think it's described by Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura. Yes.
Yeah the it's a difficult question to answer. My answer to this is like this. It's not within our control to get mercy, definitely, otherwise, it wouldn't be called mercy.
But what is within our control is to prepare ourselves to appreciate the mercy which will come to us and to make a good use of this mercy.
Because we are so dull and so sometimes neglectful and so dirty within our heart, then when the mercy comes, we cannot take advantage of this mercy. We don't even understand that this is the mercy.
So sadhana prepares our heart to become more receptive to the mercy, to become more appreciative of the mercy which we get. And in this way, the mercy which we will get will become more stable within our heart.
What will happen? We may get some mercy, but because we are so neglectful, because we don't care about this, this mercy will not really stay within our heart. So Sadhana prepares our heart.
It's like you know this famous example of Jesus Christ when He said that you cannot really put the new wine into old, you know, bottle or old whatever you call it, old receptacle, so to speak. Because it cannot really hold it. new. So receptacle has to be appropriate. The new wine of the mercy, the wine of mercy, the wine of bhakti has to be given to us.
But we have to prepare our heart to be able to hold this mercy, otherwise we will lose it. So this is within our control to prepare our heart to make our heart more receptive to the mercy. I answered your question.
Yes, thank you. But then a question which arises from this is, so we have to do sadhana to prepare us to achieve the mercy and also to be aware that we get, and God actually already gives mercy.
So to make sadhana, a question which I wrote was about saṁskāra because it's a topic which is quite relevant for me. I understand this very much.
We have to make a deep saṁskāra in our mind to overshadow our material saṁskāra, as you always speak or often so.
But to make sadhana now, I'm filled with anarthas, and I really try, and I have a desire to chant many rounds, to read, to meet devotees, but it's very difficult to meet devotees, advanced devotees, to chant many rounds.
Sometimes on the weekend I have time to chant rounds, but the mind is out of control or some things are blocking me, so it's quite difficult.
So it's also just mercy if we have even the strength to do the sadhana to prepare ourselves. Yeah, in the first place, the desire which you have is a mercy. even this desire is a mercy.
Most of the people don't have this desire. Most of the devotees don't have this desire. You know, to be honest.
So if you, please, please appreciate that the very fact that you have the desire that's already something important. Because from this desire many things, many other things will grow ultimately.
Yes, and then, yeah, if you feel that you don't have enough strength to overcome, yeah, then pray, pray for this strength. Ultimately, yes, we need strength.
And it is said in the 15th chapter of the 7th canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that you first have to get the strength, this beautiful verse is there which says that you have to take the jñānāsina, the sword of mercy, sword of Krishna's instruction. But it's a weapon. And by this sword of Krishna's instruction you have to cut all the anarthas. But the problem is that this sword of Krishna's instructions is so heavy you cannot even lift it. It's difficult to lift it, and it's difficult to use this weapon against this. Therefore, we need strength first to be able to follow Krishna's instruction.
And this strength is coming from our relationship with spiritual master, from our prayers, from our You know, our relationship, our prayers. Then we will get the strength to overcome the anarthas and to do proper sadhana.
But desire is already something, it's not so bad. You are in a good place. Anybody else wants to ask questions? I mean, I will have another question, but someone else... Well, I have a question.
So, Gaurañga, how much time do you think we could talk? Uh, well, you have had just another meeting and don't have to be. Yeah, maybe 10-15 minutes, isn't I think would be enough. Yeah?
Um, I put it in the list of questions I have. I said, but uh it's it's regarding Tulasi Devi. We have to be at home and and we often wonder if uh
every single plant is a jīva, or how does it work, or or it's a manifestation of a process, you know, like a an expansion of process or jīva that enters. Yeah, it's expansion.
If it's expansion of uh of the spiritual energy of Tulasi Devi, which are also attached to some particular jīvas. It's an expansion. Okay, so then maybe, Panchamrita Prabhu actually had six pages of questions.
No, but uh, Ashvini, Ashvini had some question.
Restoring enthusiasm during emotional slumps
Oh yes, please. Unmute your mic please. Some days I feel very low because I know everything in this material world is temporary. So I don't feel very motivated.
Earlier there was a passion in life to learn new things, you know, to meet people, to talk to people, to get my daughter married, to become better in my career, to focus on my son's studies, to be healthy and fit.
And now I feel, oh, everything is in Krishna's hands, everything is so temporary. Recently we even had uh some spiritualness also like that, even the Deities were about to go. So there is nothing like, there's no uh uh you know, everything you have to be detached. So sometimes I just get very tired and I feel like we have lived enough here now.
Let's go back to Goloka Vṛndāvana. I know I'm not a pure devotee to go there, but okay, they keep saying we have to go to Goloka Vṛndāvana.
So let me just go back because now is the best time we're chanting. We are at home, we're reading, we're listening to lectures and uh so it's just too exhausting to continue this life here.
Not every day I don't feel like that, but there are days when I feel like this. And when you're in the company of devotees and you're engaged in services, you're happy, but when I'm
not feeling too well, then all these negative thoughts deepen. So how do I get rid of these feelings? So just be more in a company of devotees. Actually, devotional life is very positive.
There is a negative side in our philosophy. You know, we we have to have healthy detachment.
But when the detachment becomes unhealthy, when it becomes artificial detachment and sometimes it's it's just, you know, the way the tamas or the mode of ignorance manifests in our heart.
We have to have this enthusiastic spirit. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura used to say that enthusiasm is the main sign of śraddhā of faith. He says, What is the meaning of faith if you don't have enthusiasm?
And faith means that you know I know I'm here, I know Krishna is there, but I'm very enthusiastic to improve myself, I'm very enthusiastic to do so much. There is so much I can do, so much service I can do.
So that means faith. And when we become depressed, it basically means that our faith becomes a little slackened due to the ignorance. So how to get rid of ignorance?
Just read, hear more, and you will get enthusiasm, you will get desire to do something, you will get desire to associate and associate of course with nice people who will give you a lot of strength and enthusiasm. Okay?
Thank you very much.
Universal efficacy of the mahamantra
Yes, Krishna Mr. Thank you very much, Varum Harash. It's such a nice present to see you. We are glad. So my question is about the third uh lecture that you gave in this seminar, the structural review.
And uh you said that there are some types of people uh for whom even very good mantras can be harmful and you also said that
you met some someone for whom even Hare Krishna mantra was not good because of their collective unconsciousness and cover cultural roots and so on. And I thought that I know several people uh and for years
they tried to chant Hare Krishna Mahā-mantra and still for them it's the the most terrible passion. passion. So it's so difficult for them.
It's like touching. And the question is, is it possible to determine beforehand which mantra or even Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra? So it sounds strange, harmful or good.
Oh, there is this consideration in Vedic culture that there is, you know, that the there is some mantras good for you, some mantras are not good for you.
But Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is beyond these considerations. These are completely material considerations, and there are techniques how to determine this. But Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra is universal.
It's not that it's uh that that the effect of it will not be beneficial for some people.
It's just some people are very offensive and because they are so offensive by nature, maybe for them it's better to you know purify a little bit.
But if they determined and if they properly associate with people, even for them, Hare Krishna mantra will work. There is no doubt about it. Hare Krishna mantra is not in this category.
This category is this mitra and you know I don't remember different categories of friendly mantras and not so friendly to you, to your particular case. But that's that's a different mantras. Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is nāma.
And it's it's very generous and magnanimous and it's beyond all this considerations.
For those people, I I would say, you know, if if they associate properly with people, uh with devotees, uh it will help properly with people, uh with devotees, uh it will help uh to overcome all these problems.
If they're determined, no doubt about it.
Um the it's not a a question actually, it's something I forgot to thank uh with respect to um his instruction for me to get a mobile phone and um and uh the technology associated with it.
Actually this was so painful and so difficult for me, especially uh with an elderly brain and especially um through uh through rapid sleep at that time I I was losing uh short-term I had short-term memory.
It's improving now, thank God. You know Krishna. But I just wanted to thank him for that instruction. Though it was the most painful instruction, actually it's enabled us to speak today.
And so and gradually, gradually, um somehow or rather, by the grace of uh guru's instruction, the grace of Krishna, śrī guru, and the devotees who helped me with this technology on you know and uh were assisting me with in spite of my um um limited intelligence. Um they persevered to help me this uh follow this instruction.
So I I'm thankful for number one the instruction which has caused me so much pain.
At the same time I thank you to all those devotees who um assisted me in um trying to um as we are now communicating and and um to find out more um and uh and um progress hopefully uh so that's one uh gift uh I just wanted to thank you.
Help in this so difficult instruction for me. Thank you. Okay. Yeah. So we have like four more pages from Panchamana we have the problem button that you can do it next time if you don't mind. Okay.
So thank you very much for watching. It was a very nice beginning. We hope that maybe we could have such sessions from time to time. Sure. Sure. Okay. Thank you very much.