After nama retreat. Q&A
Бхакти Вигьяна Госвами · Говардхан · 2024
Главы
Initial invocation and introductory prayers
Nam Vishnu Padaya Krishna Prastaya Bhutales Rati Bhaktivedanta Swami Namaste Saraswati Devi Gauravani Pracharine Nirvisha Sunyavadi, Paschatyadesha Tari.
Maha, Jay Sri Krishna Chaitanya Prabhunitananda Syadvaita Gadhara Srivasa Guru Bhakta Vrinda, Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare,
Yanda Pradeshya Mamavajamprasuubtamta S Sanji Vaya te kila Shakti Darah Swadam nanyam, Shahastachana, Shravanatva Gadim Pranandamo Bhagavate Purusha Tubam, Swasya stu vishia lah, prasidatam dyan to buthani, shiwammit Hare
Krishna Maharaj, please accept my Hare Krishna. Thank you. Thank you very much. Again, thanks very much Maharaj. Maharaj is a kind of a dream coming true.
Actually I was hearing you since this morning, different different lectures on Napoli Day. And just I must mention you previously also, like uh I
was I I just met Radha Pramap a few few days back here and I got to access to multiple your discussions
dialogues honorably name one thing which I want to ask you about uh you are talking about in one of the sessions on Bhajan Rahasya, how Bhaktiana Chakya mentions the eight stages and like this it's a development and realization on every stage and how you go, how you evolve yourself over there.
So in that section, maybe I was able to just get about the first verse, first verse about the shraddha. The first uh ch uh the Sist Sistrastukon verse spokes about the Shradha and some more things into that.
Uh my question is like maybe you can put put s some spotlight on few few of the verses like maybe at least first four or few verses you can would like to mention what exactly how we need to dwell ourselves into into these verses and what are the stages and what we can expect us like in the evolvement and the taste for the chanting the movie. Am I clear, Maharaj, in my question?
Yes, so you want me to elaborate on different I was talking about the first part of Bhajan Rahasi which is dedicated to Shraddha. You want me to tell something about next chapters of Bhajan Rajasi.
First of all, let me tell that a very important point about Shraddha on the face. Of course, face is not a very good translation of this Sanskrit word Shraddha.
Śrīla Prabhupada many times explains that Śraddhā means reverence, Śraddhā means respect, Śraddhā means you know the place where we put our heart in.
So one very important point which is indicated in Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura explanation of Śraddhā is that Śraddhā actually implies that you understand the dynamic of spiritual life, you understand the path of spiritual life how it goes from point A till the last point when we achieve desired result.
So śraddhā doesn't mean that I believe in Krishna and I believe in the chanting. Śraddhā also means very importantly the understanding how this chanting dynamic, the process of chanting works, and what are the stages which I encounter on the path of my chanting.
Therefore, why I'm saying this, then it will become clear how Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura presents further stages of spiritual development in Bhajan Rahasya.
So first śraddhā, and on this stage you have the initial impetus to chant the holy name because you believe in the wonderful results which this chanting will bring on every stage.
And therefore the you know the verse which summarizes śraddhā is the first verse of Śikṣāṣṭaka which tells about different stages and results on different stages, how the progression goes.
So and now, that's uh that's being said about śraddhā, and of course śraddhā we know uh means enthusiasm.
Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura many times says that uh the sign of real śraddhā is utsah, enthusiasm. He says there is no meaning in the word śraddhā face if there is no enthusiasm.
Anartha nivritti in Bhajan Rahasya
So this enthusiasm and understanding of the whole path of spiritual development and the subsequent results on each stage is all
implied in the first verse of Śikṣāṣṭaka. Then the next verse is of course bhajana-kriyā anaartha-nivṛtti nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktis tatrpitā नियमितah smaraṇe na kālaḥ. When after the initial enthusiasm and initial
you know, wow, and very nice honeymoon with the holy name, you encounter the reality on the on the grounds, and you say that you know, yeah, You are so merciful, you invested all your energies in these holy names, and you didn't give any strict rules and regulations.
But unfortunately, mādṛśaḥ. mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi. But my misfortune is greater than your mercy.
And therefore despite understanding of this fact, I still don't feel the results of the chanting.
So that's the reality on the ground, which is the next stage, and Bhaktivinoda, in the second chapter of Bhajan Rahasya explains the problems which we encounter, all the obstacles which are there, and in a way, he also explains the way
how to overcome these obstacles.
So he he quotes Manah-shiksha of Raghunatha Dasa Goswami, he quotes Upadeshamrita, not really quotes, he meditates on the verses which explain the problems with which we encounter on the path of bhakti.
So while chanting, he is also kind of meditating or preaching to his own mind, like in Manah-shiksha.
That yes, what do you expect? You still have all the problems invested in your mind, and therefore you don't feel any attachment to the holy names.
So that's uh that's more or less the gist of the uh second chapter of Bhajan Rahasya. It's a very long chapter of Bhajan Rahasya.
Uh in the beginning, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura quotes the verse from Namashtaka of Rupa Goswami, where he lists different names of Krishna, and this is Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's meditation on the first line of the second verse of Shrikshashtaka where Sri Caitanya Mahāprabhu says Namnam akari bahudha nija sarva-shaktis.
So basically it means that while meditating on the līlās which are indicated by different names like Aghadhana or Kalia-damana or Kesi-damana, or Gopi-chandra, and so on and so forth, you also get the energy invested in this name.
Līlā, particular līlā has certain uh spiritual energy, and when we chant these sort of names, we get the power, the Shakti, to overcome particular problems. Like we know all the demons which are killed by Krishna.
They signify certain obstacles on our path.
So the particular names are there to remove these obstacles because while chanting these names and meditating on the Lila, we straighten our consciousness and uh uh remove resolve the knot which is in the heart, uh which is nothing else but the program, uh the program within our mind.
Nistha and the third chapter
So that's the second uh the second uh chapter and the third chapter almost entirely is the quotations from Yamunacharya from his what's his work?
Just I always want to say Siddhanta Ratna. It's not Siddhanta Ratna. It's anyway, so it's it's a poem or uh rather yeah the poetical composition uh by uh Yamuna Charya Stotaratna, yes. Stoutaratna. Not Siddhanta Yes.
Where he basically expresses his humility, the uh The third chapter of Bhajanarahasya is Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura meditation on the third verse of Śikṣāṣṭaka. And third verse of Śikṣāṣṭaka is the description of niṣṭhā stage.
And therefore, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, by quoting Stotra Ratna, explaining how emotionally how this emotion of humility manifests within our heart. Sometimes it may manifest as a determination.
Whatever problems I have, I have already encountered so many problems, I already had so many bodies, still I will be chanting the holy name. Or sometimes it is manifest like desperation or dejection.
And the bhakta says, what hope do I have? I don't have any hope. Still, my hope is for your mercy.
So that's the third chapter, which is again the description of niṣṭhā where uh our false ego is um nicely crushed uh and uh does not trouble us uh significantly at least any more.
And by nourishing this humble state of mind, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura gives so many verses by chanting this verses, we can practice these moods and in this way speed up the achievement of this stage of spiritual development.
And then the fourth chapter is uh about the fourth verse where uh mm nadaum najanam nasundarim kavitam vaja gadisha kamaya where uh Chaitanya Mahaprabhu speaks about uh yeah the purity of devotional service free from any material desires, including the desire of liberation.
But this whole understanding you should get from the very beginning when you understand the dynamic of your spiritual development during the chanting and what you can expect and how you can by meditating on the particular verses nourish the stage of uh development you're in.
And interestingly enough, in the third the last two verses despite the except for the verse from Mangala Stotri about the daily activities of Lord Krishna.
The last two verses in the third chapter are from Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura, from Krishna Karnamrita. They're very elevated.
And by giving these verses they also express the most mood of humility where Bilva Mangal Ṭhākura in his siddhārūpa he says
to Krishna, oh Krishna, if you give me your look, if you look at me, then you know what is the difference? What difference does it make for me if somebody will say something about me or think about me?
And if you don't look at me, what difference does it make if somebody says something about me or you know makes some a roap some yeah speaks badly about myself.
So in a way he also expresses humility, but it's a very, you know, elevated stage of humility where you already kind of have the experience of Krishna looking at you, and then you lose this experience of very intimate connection with Krishna and you realize what you have lost and you completely become completely indifferent to the opinions of people of this world, and you are even more immersed in this chanting.
So by giving different verses, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura explains the different aspects, and not even different aspects, but he explains the different stages within this stage indicated
by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu. So sometimes people have very narrow understanding of the stage,
but the stage has many substages within, and Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, he very carefully gives or indicates the progression uh within the particular stage of uh spiritual development. Okay. Thank you, Maharaj.
Um, we have questions that are from the discussions from the session sure. And here some devotees have raised hands, so you want to take the questions or we'll take the questions from the devotees. You please decide.
It doesn't matter. Yeah, I'm I'm here to serve you. Whatever way you want me to serve you, I will serve. No problem.
Saranagati and the nistha stage
That's not really the questions from the devotees married because they are attending and they would like to so we'll take up the approach and unmute.
Hare Krishna Maharaj, please accept my most humble obeisances at your lotus feet. Thank you so much, Maharaj, for giving this opportunity to hear from you.
Maharaj, I have been hearing your classes for the last three months on a regular basis. And I just I had asked this question in the seminar also, which you had given in April on the Japarit.
Maharaj, you mentioned about Sarnagati and the different stages of Sarnagati. Like I had asked, there is a one stage of Śaraṇāgati is at two point seven of Bhagavad-gītā where kārpaṇya doṣa-svabhāvaḥ is there.
But you also mentioned that at the just the next uh you know two verses later he says I I will not be able to do something.
I just wanted to know from you, Maharaj, there is a there's this highest stage which is sarvadharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. Is it possible to reach that stage before we reach Nishta stage, Maharaj?
Or is it or is it that only after Nishta it is No, actually the complete śaraṇāgati signifies that you reach niṣṭhā stage. It's basically the same.
Niṣṭhā means śaraṇāgati, śaraṇāgati means steadiness in your relationship with the Holy Name and with Krishna. So it's the same.
So niṣṭhā you cannot achieve you know if you achieve this level of śaraṇāgati, complete surrender to Krishna, it means you achieved niṣṭhā. So thank you. Thank you very much, Maharaj, for clarifying this.
Maharaj, just one more it's a more of a request uh rather than a question because I've been hearing your classes specially about the crisis in the at the different stages of our bhakti.
I've heard three seminars that you have given in different places, ILS, then one was in Muscat and one was in Bhakti Vṛkṣa. I think that was in Bhaktivedanta Manor.
But in all of them you explain very clearly about uh the faith part,
but the seminars are not completed it it till it goes till I think sādhu saṅga but the detailed explanation at the stages of bhajana-kriyā and anartha nivṛtti are not at least it was it seemed like it was not completed.
Is there a possibility to uh ever get those parts or in some future time yeah Radhaprema Prabhu can arrange his retreat on this topic yes, Maharaj, we'll be very much looking forward for it. Thank you.
Thank you so much, Maharaj, for answering the question, Hare Krishna Maharaj. Please accept my humble obeisances.
How the soul experiences emotions
Vimala-kelī Mātājī, you can unmute. Hare Krishna, thank you very much for possibility to ask a question. Guru Maharaj, can I ask in Russian? It will be more convenient, I think.
Okay, okay. I will I will translate it into English, no problem. emotion:
The question was about the slides which I showed and I in the beginning of one session I raised the question who is experiencing the emotions? Is it false ego or is it the soul? And from the explanation, it was apparent
that nobody experiences the emotions because false ego cannot experience emotions being unconscious, and the soul cannot experience emotions because it's not really connected with the whole thing.
So who who experienced but at the same time emotions are there and nobody experiences them. No, of course, it is the soul, um, whichich identifies with the matter, and because
of this principle of identification, the soul you know, gets some reflections of of these emotions. I mean in reality soul does not experience them, but you know, in reality it's just yes, it's like a dream.
But still, the dreams can be very unpleasant, and we experience these dreams. It's actually the soul who experiences all these miseries and problems of material life.
But we should understand that it doesn't disturb the nature of the soul, and therefore, that's
the first point which Krishna is trying to explain in Bhagavad-gītā: that you are grieving about something which is not worthy of grief.
You speak so you know high-sounding bombastic words, but actually you are full because you're grieving over something which is not worthy of grief. So that's more or less the general state of being.
We are always uh disturbed by different emotions uh without really understanding the reality, what what it is and uh uh yeah. So that's the very basic point of Krishna consciousness.
Emotions, material emotions, are just waves in our mind, and we should stop them to experience to get the real experience of spiritual emotions. Before stopping this the material emotions, which only disturb us and only you know only destroy our body and mind uh we will not be able to get any uh spiritual results.
Yes, uh I will take from uh Prabhupada-rupa dasa Prabhu. If if some other devotee then maybe I have questions too. I have many questions written, but you are there so you can ask the question.
False ego and internalizing devotion
So thank you uh thank you Maharaj. Uh Maharaj as uh just uh I was just thinking maybe you can reflect on that the concept of false ego, you mentioned in your lectures.
So I have I understood by practicing bhakti-yoga, like chanting what we do every day in the morning, it's an outcome of like it's the emotions which comes out, it's the it's a prayerful mood, it's it it comes out maybe because of the how your past day you spent, what were the things happened with whom we associated, what were the incidents happened, and then we when you sit next day, so it's just like a puzzle of many things in our head, and if we are a bit disturbed, so probably we will not be chanting nicely.
And yes, it's a kind of a science like unplugging from here and here and then fixing and bringing bringing one's uh one's like identification, like uh kind of the concept of false ego comes here, I believe now like adjusting
adjusting oneself again and again and one thing which I sense in my my practice like me try some new prayers, some new adjustment and after some days it becomes stale, like it's become constant, and then we need next to next to us. Is it am I doing right? Or is this only happened to everyone, or means some new Vaishnava so may will make more impact and maybe some pastime will make more impact and I became conscious.
Yes. Now I yes, need to check. So Maharaja, I I believe you understood my question, my situation. Yes, now you can ask. Of all it's uh it's the general uh problem. Everyone has the same problem.
Yeah we get new technique we, become very excited, it works during a special retreat, and then we come back home and nothing works. Or we need some new new technique or new pastime, and then it goes on endlessly.
Uh so uh yes, it's uh everyone's situation. Uh so what to do? We know very well that we can think endlessly about things which are very near and dear to us.
If it's closely related to our ego, you know, there is endless talk within our mind.
You know, sometimes we can experience it with talking with somebody whose ego is hurt and he's just or she's just repeating again and again and again the same thing.
And you try to, you know, make sense out of it, you say something, but then it always comes back to the same stuff. It's just rotating over the same point which is the weak point of our ego.
So, and uh, you actually don't need anything new to be totally absorbed uh in this emotion.
You will be chanting endlessly, you know how somebody hurt you and how he's bad, and how you know how dared he and so on so forth.
So you know this absorption becomes possible when the point of absorption is related to our ego. That's what I want to say by giving this example.
You know, and it will not become tedious, it will not become boring, it will always remain fresh because it uh it is connected with something which is very important for us.
So if we really I I am Kṛṣṇa Dāsa, I am the servant of Kṛṣṇa, and somehow or other I have to serve Kṛṣṇa, and if this has become our ego, then we won't need any new techniques. Techniques are for the mind.
On the level of mind, we need newer and newer techniques to make the you know our bored mind absorbed in something. And, but then after some time it becomes something which is old.
But when the change affects our ego, then the change is much deeper, and you don't need these techniques anymore. So that's that's the point. You know if if uh if you get up with this idea, oh yeah, I am Kṛṣṇa Dāsa.
And I have just a few days to realize it before the death comes. And it may come at any moment. It may come much sooner than I expect. If I come with this idea, yes, I I have to somehow or other please Kṛṣṇa.
Uh and it's coming from this very deep level of uh my conception of who I am, uh then you don't need all these techniques. Techniques are just uh more or less uh devices for the mind.
Hare Krishna Prabhupada, what's my name?
Practicing saranagati through emotional involvement
Now uh if I am seeing if I am trying to connect to Krishna, if am I not uh involving involving like some people approach him as a mother, someone is approaching him as a friend, somebody approaches him, it's the bhava which matters.
So I am a kanishtha, please guide us how it is best way to because everyone connects to Krishna in his own way. Correct? Bhava is a very important emotion plays a very important part. So please try to see.
was on this topic. Yes, emotions very important. Without emotional involvement, we cannot really uh practice in sadhana properly. But the sthayibhavas which you mentioned
like uh all this rati is vatsala-rati, sakhya-rati, dāsya-rati, or śānta, they are on a very high level, they become accessible on a high level.
If we try to practice it on the beginning stages, it will be just imitations. We may, you know, for some time it will be an entertainment for our mind.
The mind will become happy, yes, yes, yes, Krishna, come to me, I will chastise you. uh You you naughty boy. You know, for some time you may entertain yourself with this, but it's not going to work on the long run.
Because first it has to become sthayi. Sthāyi-bhāva means stable sthira. It should not be wavering.
So the emotions, and that's what I explained during this seminar the emotions which we can experience in our desire to develop further in our relationship with Krishna with God is the emotions of Sharanagati.
These are the bhavas, the emotions which are accessible to everyone, because we know this sort of emotions we understand what they mean.
And we can relate to them and we can nourish them and they become natural, we can practice them.
Where the emotions of the higher realm we cannot practice. They should be given to us. They are coming as a result of Krishna's mercy, not as a result of our practice.
So on all stages, this emotions of śaraṇāgati, which is the emotion of being totally protected by God, emotion of being somebody who's maintained by God, the emotion of gratitude, emotion of determination, I will do something, you know, and I will not uh deviate from this path. All these emotions are achievable, accessible and practicable, which is the most important point.
Processing material emotions through scripture
Please accept my humble license. Thank you very much. Because it's the first time we are seeing that such a topic with respect to the Holy Name was brought out.
So I would like to ask uh one question, which is uh having three sub-questions, I can say. Uh you explained the importance of uh processing the material emotions by the process of śaraṇāgati.
My question is: how do we deal with these material emotions like say anger or guilt, the feeling, and how these emotions we need to recognize, process them, because as long as we don't process them, then we cannot enter into the uh self-realization.
So, how do we do this processing of these specific emotions as I just mentioned? And what uh literature in our Gaudya Sampradaya or in other sampradāyas is available to understand the mechanism of how uh this happens.
We only are seeing some examples maybe in the Mahābhārata or Bhāgavatam. Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja goes through a guilt and Bhīṣmadeva instructs.
But how to process what is the mechanism and how to process them and how to become free from that? How much we should study that?
No, Mahābhārata is a very good uh book uh where extensively Śrīla Vyāsadeva explains different emotions and different problems in different sections of Mahābhārata.
And basically, the advice which is given in the scriptures in regard to digesting of these emotions is to bring them to the conscious level, to the level of consciousness.
You know, that troubling us, totally completely disturbing us when they are coming from the subconscious level or unconscious level, and there's surfacing from it and overwhelming us, and we cannot do anything about it. So and therefore, the you know the advice of the scriptures is to bring all these impulses, all these very strong emotional impetuses which are there in the heart in our subconscious mind to the level of consciousness and process them by meditating what will be the results of these emotions.
This you very often see in Mahābhārata. You know Bhīṣmadeva instructs Mahārāja. During the battle, sometimes Krishna tells Arjuna about this.
During the exile, Mahārāja is talking with Bhīma or with Draupadī and he explains all these points to them. He says, "Anger. Take anger. What is the anger? Anger is, you know, this are the results of anger.
This is what's going to happen. Yudhiṣṭhira is explaining this looking at Bhīma. Oh, he says forgiveness. Contrary to anger, you know, how glorious is the forgiveness, what it gives.
So, the process which is recommended, which is very similar, actually, to the modern techniques, modern psychological techniques is to take this emotion and meditate on it, meditate on the results of expressing these emotions.
And the saṁskāra which generates this emotion will become weaker. It is the way of you know taking away the energy of from this saṁskāra.
These emotions are very strong and so overwhelming only because it is you nourished by some emotional energy stored there.
When we uh process it in a you know in a peaceful environment when we're not provoked when emotion is already there, you you cannot do anything about it. Uh it's too late.
It's already, you know, taken over your consciousness. But when you are peaceful, when you are when the emotional outburst is over, you're sitting down at the fireplace, and your near and dear people are around you.
You can philosophize about it, think about it, and ultimately it will become weaker, it will not trouble you that much.
completely, hundred percent, but uh at least you will uh you know uh you will solve it to a certain extent and then by your spiritual development uh you will you know solve the rest of this problem too much. That
was the first sub question. What was the second sub question?
Mahārāja, how far we should go uh in internally in this subject to understand the mechanism using the modern techniques which might be helpful and whether it recommended take up?
Modern psychology in spiritual life
Um see we are the product of our time. And because we are the product of our time, we should not neglect all these quote unquote achievements of the modern science as far as they are helpful in our spiritual path.
We're very much programmed from our childhood, from our upbringing, from the environment from you know the internet. That here are the mechanisms of the brain, here are the mechanisms of the psychological mechanisms which are there, this and that.
So there is no need to pretend that they're not there and that they're not actually attracting us in some way or intriguing us or giving us some aha moments like Like this. So we could use this.
It actually will strengthen our faith because ultimately we will see that all the techniques and ideas and principles which are discovered by the modern science, they already discovered long ago by the sages of the past, of Vedic past. They're all there.
All these things which are you know proud modern people present as the latest discoveries of the science, they are already there. So we can we can go into it.
And if we do it properly, it will only strengthen our conviction that we are on the right path and it will also help us to understand certain
principles which are there in our scriptures but may not be spelled out so clearly. We can understand what Krishna means by now adopting certain information or digesting certain information which is available.
I see no problem with this and uh we are uh you know we are wired uh up uh like this. We depend on this sort of presentation, scientific presentation. So why not use it to help our Krishna consciousness?
Thank you very much for that wonderful aspect, Maharaj. Last aspect, Maharaj, um uh take the example of guilt. Uh Parikshit Maharaj, after placing that dead snake on Śamīka Ṛṣi, he went through a repentance, a feeling.
So are there in the Gaudiya tradition—I don't know, only Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu—feel where we could understand how these emotions feel where we could understand how these emotions work, especially the southern, eastern, and the northern divisions, western and the northern divisions, where there is specific uh mention which by which we can understand the subject. How the emotions work.
Yes. Yeah, Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu is a brilliant presentation of the mechanisms of invoking emotions and basically,
when Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī explains the Bharata Muni theory. Originally, you know, this is the genius of Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Rūpa Gosvāmī, who was following him, he married the aesthetic theory of Bharata Muni with the Vedānta philosophy. So this is our school. Our school is the happy marriage of the Rasa theory of Bharatamuni and Vedanta philosophy.
Nobody else did it before. You know, the scholars of Rasa they were developing Rasa point, and the scholars of Vedanta they were engaged in debates with Mayavadis and with everyone else.
How the Vedanta is the highest presentation of the spiritual reality of the reality in general.
But Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, he united these two completely different, seemingly completely unrelated lines of thought totally completely not coinciding with each other.
He brought them together and as a result, this beautiful theory of Rasa Vedanta of Rasa Darshan appeared. You know, before Rasa was not elevated to the level of darshan.
Only when Rūpa Gosvāmī explained the rasa in terms of principles of Vedanta, the rasa theory has become the Rasa Darshan in reality, part of Vedanta, the you know completely separate school of Vedanta.
So Rūpa Gosvāmī explains how emotions are triggered, how emotions are invoked, and you know he gives this very detailed analysis of emotions.
And basically, it means that first you first and foremost, and that's that was not even there, in the other scholars which developed Russet theory.
They didn't talk about sthāyi-bhāva. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī explains that especially when it comes to the spiritual realm, we need first to develop a stable emotional relationship on the level of ego.
So emotions which I explained during the retreat are coming from ego.
Ego is the switchboard of emotions, uh you know, if there is ego, ego will emotionally react, it will uh create emotional reactions on different circumstances and environments.
And the first thing which is needed is the stimuli for ego to switch on emotion. You need something or somebody to see somebody or something which reminds you somebody to for your emotion to be triggered.
And when the emotion is triggered, that is, of course, vibhāva. First you need sthāyi-bhāva. First, you need deep impressions on the level of ego.
What is stay bhāva? Stay bhāva is the very deep impressions on this deep level of consciousness, of the level of ego. Certain form of ego. Then you need some external stimulus which can be uddipans or
you know viśeṣālambana or you know, all this which Rūpa Gosvāmī explains as vibhāva. Vibhava is the triggers. We see somebody who is very, you know, great bhakta, or
we hear, like we hear about the life of Śrīla Prabhupāda. How he you know experienced so much hardship to manifest his devotion, his loyalty and faithfulness to the desire
of his guru mahārāja. And it invokes emotional response within us. Because we know how it is.
If we have particular saṁskāras which could be invoked, you know, so the vibhāvas they invoke particular saṁskāras and awaken particular saṁskāras and nourish this saṁskāras in term when we repeat this.
And then you know anubhāva we will start doing something, laugh or dance, or sing or whatever, and then sāttvika-bhāva, some involuntary things will be turned on and
it's all you know discovered by neuroscience, how it all works on the levels of the brain, how the brain, uh, being triggered by external stimulus starts producing certain neural
mediators and these neuromediators switch on different parts
of our brain and you know and and then you know vyabhicārī bhāvas, uh the whole range of different emotions start uh uh you know start uh changing one another and it's basically, you know, all this uh scientists they say that it's some hormonal, you know, imbalances which are created.
But again, it's very clear, you know, first the ego should be formed. On the level of ego, you will get very deep emotions which have to be triggered. And then this triggers on the level of ego.
If you're closely related, if you understand that I'm related with this particular form of Krishna, then it will uh switch on the emotional response uh with different manifestations of it.
And when it's all completely centered around Krishna, then the taste of this emotion will be completely heavenly. So that's yeah. Thank you, Panik. Whereas there is a question in the chat box, Mrs. Subhopimataji.
She's asking how can we identify ourselves as part and parcel of Harinam Prabhu? First of all, you have to understand that Harinam is not different from Krishna.
Before you understand this, you will not be able to understand that you are part and parcel of Harinam. Yeah.
Unless you want to become some syllable in the holy name but uh you know to realize that you are that you belong to Harinam and not vice versa, not Harinam belongs to you and you chant the Harinam. You have to realize the non-difference between the holy name and God,
which is not an easy thing, then when you understand that Holy Name is God, then it will be very easy for you to understand. Yes, I I belong to him, I am part of him. So yeah, like this.
Intrinsic soul relationships and divine mercy
Pitambara das. Yes, Radhakrishna das and Tupana. Thank you so much Maharaj for giving a lecture and arranging this.
My question is, as you mentioned, that bhāva is given and uh we can practice the emotions so we as we Gauḍīyas and we are Rūpānugas and Rūpānuga means Rūpa Gosvāmī and especially Rūpa Mañjarī and we are aspiring for that and our sādhana is that and just like we pursue
nikuñja-yūnō rati-kēli-siddhyai... although we don't know while practicing mechanically, but if you consciously practice, so we are aspiring for that only.
So how to understand, okay, this our bhāva will be given and uh there may be possibility dāsya-rati, sākhya-rati, vātsalya-rati, but it is already clearly the aspiration is that, how to understand two things, as well as uh another question that is much related to this: whatever aspiration Krishna is going to give, because Krishna is like a desire tree, like kalpa-taru, and whatever soul aspires, Krishna will be ready to give.
So who decides? Krishna decides, or living entities' aspirations decide, how it happens? Can you please guide us, enlighten us? Thank you so much. Lord Chaitanya decides. Yes.
Lord Caitanya's already decided and came to us... Oh yeah. So and how to understand like a practicing. Let me try to explain. Let me try to explain. It's not a very it's uh thank you very much.
It's a very difficult question and controversial too because
some people they are of the opinion that our svarūpa is already determined and we can only get something which is already recorded within our svarūpa or the predilection is there within our svarūpa. And we cannot really do anything about it.
We just have to purify our soul and lo and behold, some beautiful peacock in the spiritual world will appear from our heart.
And there is a different school of thought which says, you know, if this was the fact and you know so many different uh statements of the Shastra would be obsolete and would not be relevant.
And specifically, you know, then what would be the special gift of Lord Chaitanya? Anarpita-carī, what does it mean that he gave something which has not been given before him for a long time. Um, you know, and uh
as Gaudiya Vaishnavas, we should try to reconcile these opposing statements.
Usually people they take sides, but at least we should try, because both concepts they are very credible. Behind them, there is very, you know, high authorities which are there.
My understanding is like this: by the mercy of Lord Chaitanya, everything is possible. Especially then somebody will say, how about Murari Gupta?
Lord Chaitanya himself was trying to convince Murari Gupta that he is Kṛṣṇa-bhakta, but Murari Gupta didn't budge.
How about Anupam, the father of Jīva Gosvāmī, who was also you know not really converted into Krishna cult. So the answer is actually simple.
When you're already on the level of premā, when the premā is already developed, then it's not possible to change just because you're completely happy and satisfied on this level. You're completely absorbed.
Before you achieve this level, the change is possible by the mercy of Krishna or your spiritual master. That's a possibility.
We can see that, of course, you can differently interpret the story about Shyamananda, Dukhi Krishnadas, but still there is some kind of change under the association of Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī.
So we may have certain predilection, we may have certain inclination to particular rasa and that will manifest in our you know in our desire to associate with certain people to nourish this particular rasa, we will strive to have their consciousness.
Yes, it is it is possible we may have certain uh certain tendencies uh and these tendencies will define our practice.
But uh as a general rule, Lord Chaitanya gave this highest understanding, and you know it's possible to achieve by his mercy and we should try to achieve this and if it doesn't work there's no loss.
We will achieve something which is so thank you so much. How to understand when offering prayers to Nṛsiṁha in the Vṛndā Devī and uh we say any vedān-darù karu dāsya sevādikā? Yeah, that's exactly that's it.
That's exactly what uh Śrīla Prabhupāda gave us, this very elevated uh kirtan for Tulasī Devī. Yes, bring me to this Vrindavan where I can become the Dasi.
Yeah, so that's that's just a reminder of the uh general mission of Caitanya Mahāprabhu which is you know uh which is going on.
So it's also dependent on persons practice and as well as how consciously practice and how what is inspiration that also matters matters.
Recently uh somebody told me a story uh when Gopī Parānandana Prabhu was conducting his classes in the school in Govardhan. There was one disciple of him from South Indian background, who was studying under him nicely,
He got initiation in ISKCON and then and that. But then he couldn't maintain his Gaudiya Vaishnava identity and he went over to his more like sampradaya which is kind of more close to his original position.
And he, you know, he became quite a leader in this some. Still, he retains some sentiment towards Towards Gopī Parānandana Prabhu, he's very grateful to him for his training.
But internally uh he has a big conflict uh within himself. Uh uh since it's a personal thing and it's easily detectable, who is the person, I will not quote him what he said. But basically, you know, he said something.
He came to Vrindavan with a group of his followers, and he said something which from one side revealed uh revealed his internal battle.
He kind of gave up Gauriya Vaishnavism because it just didn't sit right within his heart, he just couldn't adjust to it. Still he has some sentiments, some gratitude, some this and that.
And it's it's the battle is going on because you know he cannot he cannot really absorb himself into Gaudiya Vaishnavism and the concept of Godism. And he cannot completely get rid of this concept as well.
So here is one example of a person who you know the chance was given to him to develop uh some let's say more subtle, more um how to say this? More yeah, more elevated, more uh yeah, relationship with Krishna.
And it was difficult for him to relate to it because you know because it's a difficult concept. It is a very difficult concept. It is a very difficult thing. It's not easy. Sometimes people take it very easy.
They they're called sahajas, you know. But it's a very elevated thing to relate to Krishna in his parakīya relationship. The whole concept of parakīya relationship is very difficult to understand in proper sense.
You know how is that God is you know violating the rules of dharma and this and that so you know if you're lucky then and especially
if you have some previous saṁskāras, it will sit right within your heart and you will invest your heart by making these prayers to Tulsi Maharani and it will be easy for you and this kīrtana and elements of our sādhana will nourish your internal mood.
But it's not always possible. It's sometimes it's very difficult. Thank you so much, manas. I could understand by the blessing. I couldn't understand. But one more thing question. Maharaj, I have the Rupa Novga.
So this core I Lakshaitana says Charo Bhavhti Dyachay Bhutvan. While thinking spiritual world, I'll come and give four kinds of bhakti. So somebody comes to Rukupa Nuga as a Gaudiya.
Prominent moods in Gaudiya Vaishnavism
So this means char chari bhabhakti is available Gaurya or uh there's a a possibility one can go to up to highest Madhula or only Gauria means Madhurya.
No Gaurya Gaurya what first of all there are two moods which are prominent in Gaurya Sampradayyas, Sakaras and Madurias so Shingaras. So at least these two mods are prominent
and Nitjananda Prabhu, you you can say that if you're not Madhury, uh then you're not Gauriya. It means that Nityananda Prabhu is not in Goryeya Sampradaya or whatever.
So uh uh So it's definitely all this form mood samaduria, oh sorry uh Agoria. But uh you know the specialty of Goria, then we can ask what is the difference between Gauriya Sampradaya and Ada Sampradaya?
And the answer is that whatever mood you are in, whatever mood you're cultivating while chanting the holy name or whatever association you're in you still understand that the highest is Madhuya and in the Parakiemud in this Manjari bhav and this and that. And you worship this.
For you, the worshipable deity is Radha and Krishna in this mood.
You know, you may serve in a different mood, but you still serve this sort of relationship. Your service is towards this relationship, even though you serve in a different mood.
Your mood is maybe different, but for you the object of worship, the worshipable deity is this Madhya mood connecting Radha and Krishna. Thank you so much, Maraj. Sare Krishna.
Madhaj, you still have some time, Madhaj, or um yeah, maybe uh one two questions. Is it possible to get rid of material emotions during one lifetime?
It's entirely possible uh if if we are not attached to them, if we really understand, you know, material emotions may still be there during one lifetime, but they will not disturb us.
You know, it's not a question of not having emotions. We will have emotions, but emotions will not change our attitude or will not affect our practice.
The example is given of Arjuna who was grieving so much about the death of his Abimanio of his son. He was very much affected by the death of Abimanio, but uh affected emotionally but uh it didn't disturb his mood, his relationship with Krishna and everything else. So the emotions will be there but they will not be the hindrance.
Emotions which we experience now, they are, you know, they're completely disturbing our mind and eclipsing our relationship with Krishna.
But we can get rid of the emotions in the sense that they will not disturb our relationship.
Quantity versus quality in chanting
As simple as this.
Maharaj, there's one question regarding quantity versus quality in chanting like somebody is asking this question like how uh whether sixteen good rounds uh sorry uh four good rounds are sixteen just chanting number of sixteen rounds or just focusing on four good rounds for quality.
The problem is that if you say I will chant you know I will chant four good rounds, and for some time you will chant four good rounds and, then it will become the same 4 rounds which were there before.
But before you were chanting 16 rounds. So nobody uh is a hindrance for you to chant uh four good rounds and uh another twelve uh normal rounds. Any systematic way to come to sixteen rounds, they're asking this.
You know, when there is a pressure, you know, to have a fixed number of rounds, it basically means that there is a certain pressure upon our consciousness. We have to make it, we have to do it by all means.
And this pressure is good. You know, if it's not too much. Some people are very sensitive and they are, you know. I wouldn't what I will say now, I wouldn't say that this is a universal advice in all cases.
I can well imagine that in certain cases by looking at the person, I will say, please don't chant 16 rounds now. It will not be good for you.
But like in more normal cases and more general cases, I would say chant 16 rounds, try to chant. It will give you more space and more room and more time to work on your chanting.
You know, you can do it, it's entirely possible. And it will become very easy for you if you do it regularly, and it will become very pleasant, and your progress will be quicker rather than you try to concentrate on the four rounds.
And then stuck with it and then become again dissatisfied with it. So in most cases, I would give the second advice. Chant 16 rounds and try your best to do it.
But in certain circumstances, in certain not circumstances, but in certain people I would, I would say, yes, four rounds is good for you, don't, don't go higher than this. Thank you, Maharaj.
Maharaj we have just a few and uh you can uh I request devotees to make their just one question and little shots and uh so we just have one question in the chat box.
Um you know if you if we have we have how many forty-five people here, it's pretty good number. We can meet again, you know after some time.
I was singing Maharajes with short notice many devotees came just within less than twenty-four hours.
I just made in the nationalight n I send message uh more than fifty joined actually so I was thinking if uh we can have once in a month sessions if we can just
answer it will be we will yeah, I I I was not session you can take some topic and speak for a few minutes and we'll have question marks. Yeah. We can do it, yeah, we can do it.
Mm I would not promise that every month religiously I will do it, but we can try we can try for it. Yeah why not so we'll take one last question Maharaj for this today.
Guidance and qualification for raganuga
Is it possible to practice raganuga bhakti safely before nistha stage and whenever it can be done, can it be done only by help of scriptures or a personal guide? Is essential in this prayer. Raganuga bhakti. Yes.
No, see Jiva Goswami says that before reaching the stage of Ruchi, you can practice what he calls the elements of Raganuga Bhakti.
So every now and then you can you know you can make a move sound and you know remember that you are a member of this culture community whatever you know systematically practice
Raganuga Sadhana is only possible when uh the qualification for Raganuga Sadhana is this lobha? But the Lobha itself to get this Lobha, you first of all you need very close association with raganuga bhakta.
And it already basically means that you achieve the stage of ruchi. So preliminary purification is necessary, and then Krishna will arrange you will, yes. Yes, you need personal association.
Yes, you need somebody who is practicing something.
On the lower stages, some elements, some spices of raganuga sadhana can be there, you can read some books or sometimes you know Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura gives some verses from very elevated literature.
Even you know in in the beginning in Shraddha, you know, he gives uh this first uh shloka about the uh mangularity.
So yeah you can But uh it's not going to be the systematic practice of Raganuga Sadhana. Systematic practice is completely different and it needs uh you know proper guidance or uh it can be also you know delegated or relegated to the holy name to guide us.
But for that, you need to chant not 4 rounds, not 16 rounds, not 32 rounds, not 64 rounds, but more. And that's. Yeah. But just one question, Maharaj, please.
I was wondering uh um the difference if if I know the difference between uh Chāyā-nāma-bhāsa and Pratibimba-nāma-bhāsa.
If I know them by definition, then is it enough that I already chant chāyā-bhāsa or does it require a certain purity to come together?
Difference is, of course, in the goal, in the prayojana which you have, in the intention, in the motivation which drives you. So you know, pratibimba-nāma-bhāsa means that you have the wrong goal.
And knowing the difference between the two is a good first investment to avoid pratibimba-nāma-bhāsa, but still subconsciously you may cherish the same wrong goal.
You know, it may not be very conscious desire of yours that I want to achieve liberation by this, but still it may be a substantial part of your motivation. You may or may not understand it.
So just theoretical understanding of the difference may not be enough, but for sure what would be enough is the good association.
If you are in a good association, then all this subconscious motivations will be ultimately erased from your consciousness.
If this association is really elevating you, and it gives you a lot of enthusiasm and so on and so forth. But knowing it theoretically is good. Thank you very much, Marat.
Importance and method of memorizing verses
Yeah, let's let's take Shobbit and then we will finish. That's the last question. Hare Krishna Maharaj and that pranam please accept my humble obedience. Yes, Shovijay. Hare Krishna.
Always a pleasure to see you, Prabhupada Maharaj. Maharaj, my question is a little bit unrelated and bit embarrassing also. So it is because I'm uh I feel that I'm really bad at um learning shlokas.
So uh whenever that I hear it, like for example in your last lecture, there was a lot of discussion core on the Shastashtakam, the third shloka, triradabisunichanataramabi, uh Saisnuram Manina Mani Deva uh Kirtanya Sadahari.
So for me to just learn this took so much time. Uh I went home, I was like uh very excited, I told this to my younger and Madhadas.
He took a deep breath and he started from the first, and then he took first breath when he finished the eighth.
So we uh you know when we are uh uh weekly Bhagavad-gītā class. Whenever that you know our Shiksha Guru is uh talking about it, my wife is
the same: 9.2, 8.3, 7.9, 8.6, 1.8.6, even before I can flip the page the shloka is finished. So my question uh Maharaj is uh that how important it is to uh to learn shlokas.
I'm sorry that I just moved out of topic a little bit, but for some time. I asked this once to our Shiksha Guru and he said that Krishna will not ask you shlokas, but Krishna will not ask you slokas.
But slokas is our way to remember about Krishna, and that's why uh, you know all this Vedic literature is written in the verse form. You know, verse uh is an easy uh, you know, way to remember uh something.
You know, it's very difficult to remember prose. You know who remembers pros? Who can remember big, big, big things of pros? But you know, if it's in a verse form, it's specifically for us to remember.
And the very fact that all the Vedic literature, practically all the Vedic literature, including Ayurved or astrology, duties, they're all written in verse form, is the indication that this is for us to memorize.
And the idea is I will explain why it is, uh why and how it is important and then and then I will say Krishna will not ask you slokas. But first let's understand why it is important.
You know, you learn the shloka like your little Madhav. He can give you, you know, he can remember so many shlokas and you know chant this shlokas non-stop.
But he will not understand if you ask him to explain the meaning of the shloka, he will have very hard time to explain meaning or to speak about the deep meaning.
But it's good because he learns and then the shloka comes and he thinks about shloka and he understands it deeper and deeper and deeper.
You know, when you know the shloka and it comes back to your mind, then you can meditate on the meaning of the shloka and you can understand the subtleties of the meanings.
And that's exactly what Śrīla Prabhupāda is doing while he is writing purports, he is explaining different aspects of the particular shloka, and he is engaging our mind.
So the shloka is the short formula which is specifically coined in such a way that it's easier to remember. You know, please think.
Before saying that to remember ślokas is difficult, you first have to say that to remember prose is much more difficult.
And then you will say, remember ślokas is very easy, relatively speaking, in comparison with uh for this. So it's a very short formula, relatively easy, memorable.
You know, you can uh invest it into your mind uh for you to think about it. Because ultimate success in spiritual life is our ability to think about Krishna.
And you know, because we don't know Krishna, we need certain guidance in thinking about him. How to think about him.
And Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam ślokas are the guidance, they are guidebooks of how to think about Krishna, what to think about Him. And therefore, Śrīla Prabhupāda says: Bhagavad-gītā is Krishna-kathā.
How is it Krishna-kathā? Because Krishna spoke Bhagavad-gītā.
And we when we think about the ślokas from Bhagavad-gītā, we think along the lines how the Krishna wants us to think and it actually changes vires differently our consciousness, our brain, and helps us to direct the mental energy into the proper proper channel while chanting or while singing, while you know preaching, while remembering about Krishna.
So that's good. And it's actually not so difficult. It's just a question of habit. You know, if you hear one śloka again and again and again, naturally it comes in.
You know, just record few ślokas, hear them many, many times, whenever you can, uh, on your phone, and then they will come in.
You know, you will you will remember just first word of the line and the whole śloka will come in. Initially, you will need to remember the four words.
The first word of the first line, the first word of the second line, the first word of the third and fourth line. And then the line will come itself. Because there is written and there is, you know, it's poetry.
So just one word instead of and then you will need only one word to remember the whole sloka.
You know, the word comes, "Mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ āgamāpāyino," somebody says, "mātrā-sparśās," the rest will come automatically because it's already recorded there.
But it needs some time and some you know some patience to do it. And then after explaining this, I can say ultimately Kṛṣṇa will not ask you about ślokas, don't worry about this. But still it's actually fun.
Especially if you do it with somebody else. You can compete with your little mother. Of course, he will he will feel good by outdoing you. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Hare Krishna.