Anartha Nivritti. Lecture 9
Бхакти Вигьяна Госвами · Говардхан · 2025
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Practice of raganuga-sadhana
Hi. First question is related with North Khanik. Vishnatchak provided the poor about Praga with Mushandri and then he says that Ragaluga Devoti directly attains the The
specific contribution of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is rāgānuga-sādhana.
And even though, like Vallabhacharya who was also propagating Pushtimark and Pushtimark means the path of mercy which is analogy still in Vallabhācārya Sampradaya, this pushtimārga is restricted to a certain kind of jīvas, puṣṭi-jīvas.
But Caitanya Mahāprabhu made this puṣṭi-mārga or rāgānuga-mārga available to mlecchas and yavana, not to puṣṭi-jīvas, politicians and other nationalities.
So even though and followers of Caitanya Mahāprabhu by following rāga mārga. Because our ultimate goal is to achieve rāga, the attachment, the emotional attachment to Kṛṣṇa.
But in the beginning it's more like this rāga-mārga looks like vaidī-mārga. In the beginning stages because our rāga is not developed yet, and because we don't we cannot really follow those people who have rāga.
First we have to purify. But still, technically speaking, I mean again, technically speaking, we may be following vaidī-mārga. But because we are followers of Lord Caitanya, Lord Caitanya didn't come to bring vaidī-mārga.
Every follower of Lord Caitanya ultimately is striving to achieve this practice of rāgānuga sādhana. So don't worry, we are rāgānuga devotees struggling with our anarthas.
Another uh it's uh what you talking about Prabhu, he brought not which all the rest. Okay. And does that mean that everyone can develop this?
And because at the same time it's not a good question No, he didn't bring Unata Ujval rasa because technically speaking, Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi is only rasa which is available to Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. Sriyam.
He brought the effulgence of this Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi rasa. He explained through Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī what are the feelings of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and the effulgence of these feelings he gave to everyone, including us.
Not Unadujasa. Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi-sūrya-bhakti-śriyam. time it is said the Krishna Prima eternally established. So is it fixed or can we... We can. Otherwise, what is the meaning that he brought it?
It's a very tricky philosophical question and we definitely don't have time to get into details. Yes, we have our proclivities, our natural innate inclinations to serve Krishna in a certain way.
But also we should not underestimate the mercy which is coming to us. So by the mercy which is coming to us, there are different explanations of this statement. One explanation is that you continue
worshiping or relating with Krishna in a particular
way, but at the same time because of the mercy of Lord Chaitanya you appreciate the highest possible relationship which is Unataujva varasasva bhakti shri. That's one explanation.
Another explanation of this phenomenon is that yes, we do have our proclivities, but there is also mercy, and uh by following Lord Chaitanya, we can obtain something which would not be obtainable without His mercy.
So let's put it in a very sensitive way like this. Okay? Hare Krishna Guru Maharaj.
Developing spiritual ego
Yes. My question is from your previous lecture where you talked about the three types of ego. And I want to understand more about the spiritual ego. A, is it good to develop that?
B any practical examples to understand how it should look. Ego is our conception of who I am, and we definitely should have spiritual ego. We are not Mayavadis who want to eradicate ego. We have individuality.
Ego means my individual understanding of who I am. And ego is formed in relationship with other people. When I define myself, I always define myself in terms of relationship with others.
I am the mother of such and such children, I am the wife, I am the daughter, I'm this, I am that. This is all conception of I, which is always related to somebody else because we're not independent.
Even Krishna defines himself through relationship with devotees. He is Yashodanandana, Nandanandana, Devakinandana.
So uh what to speak about us so spiritual ego is is good it's our eternal spiritual nature and example of it is you know the vivid example of it in some groups of Gaudi Vaishnavas you go to Guru and Guru says you are such and such gopi, you we're such and such sari in the spiritual world you are of such and such age and this is your name and you live in Yawat or something like this. So that's spiritual ego.
We don't do this because we consider this sort of practice adulteration. It's not natural.
We are just chanting the holy name and hoping that the holy name by our sincere endeavors, due to our sincere endeavors, award us with very clear understanding of spiritual identity.
The classical process which is described by Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura in Jaiva Dharma is that you hear about Krishna, you associate with sadhus, you chant the holy name, you come to the holy place, and then you get certain kind of preliminary understanding of who you are in reality in spiritual relationship with Krishna.
Some sort of intuition is there. And then you go to your Guru and you ask Guru to confirm your intuition.
First, initially, it's granted upon us by our practice by the holy name, and then we go to Guru and then we refine this conception. This is the role of Guru ultimately.
He will confirm some intuitions and some intuitions he will reject. That's his role. If he feels that we are qualified, on a certain level of all spiritual development.
That's what Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura describes in Jaiva Dharma.
Experiencing taste for Krishna
Thank you, Marathan. You mentioned about tasting Krishna. So how to taste Krishna? Just come to him and he will kiss you at one point of your spiritual He's all attractive.
He attracts our spiritual senses and when he attracts our spiritual senses when we interact with this object of attraction, uh we feel completely bliss because he's so beautiful and he's so tasteful. Full of taste.
Thank you for that.
Uh it is said that imitative change is the root cause of all of How to overcome this habit of the mind to distract because it feels like it rests when it distracts, though in fact it's not like this but after this habit it goes into changing how to focus changing which habit goes to distract, distraction, distraction or going mine here and there.
The habitual distraction, okay. So what was the question? How to overcome this? Because it said that inattentive changing, it is the root cause of all. So you cannot overcome distraction. Distraction is called vikṣepa.
Actually, Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura describes this in the fourth chapter of Madhurya-kādambinī.
That when you reach the stage of niṣṭhā, then this tendency for vikṣepa, tendency to be distracted, will cease, it will be completely eradicated.
So the whole process of devotional service is for this; you cannot really jump on this level. And there is no secret technique which I will reveal to you, and boom, tomorrow you will become completely focused.
No, uh, because it's, uh, it's the condition which we are in now, and, uh, if we steadily perform our as steadily as possible, perform our sādhana, and gradually, gradually mind becomes more peaceful and less active, and less the tendency comes down.
So there is no secret techniques. I wish it was. At least I don't know. If you find out, let me know too.
No, but it's, uh, you cannot really because, as Prabhupāda explains, uh because our consciousness is in contact with these disturbing elements for so long.
So you cannot expect that all of a sudden these disturbing elements will not affect your consciousness. No, it takes some time. And therefore, we have to be humble and patient.
Because without humility and patience, we will never be able to overcome this tendency. So initially we are practicing humility and tolerance, and that's how sādhana— We are trying to be humble and tolerant.
But then when we develop these qualities of humility and tolerance, then the mind
Cleansing unintentional offenses
will naturally be focused. Yes.
Um, Arash, thank you very much for explaining about anarthas and everything, and, uh, so one thing I wanted to ask: in the solution of that, uh, in anarthas, when we were talking about aparādhas, and there came the point of unintentional aparādhas which we commit. So intentional aparādhas, very well you explained that we should go to that devotee and beg forgiveness limit for that. And this in intentional uh prathas which you're committing.
So you gave the solution is that constantly chanting. So but I feel for myself to chant more than 16 rounds is very difficult. Some days we can chant.
So then, how does this constantly chanting we can apply in our life practically so that we can overcome this uh unintentional proposition?
It's difficult to do it on a regular basis, but if you dedicate, let's say, one day completely to this practice, not constantly, but as much as possible, you free yourself from all other engagements.
And you try to sincerely serve the holy name. If you cannot chant more, then have some kirtana or take part in a kirtana. You know like sometimes we regularly do some cleaning in our room or in the temple.
But every now and then we have to do maha cleanup, right? Or in the kitchen. Because the regular cleaning is not enough. It just puts it in order, but still some mess is being accumulated.
So every now and then you have to do maha cleanup of your heart, too. Regular cleaning you are doing sixteen rounds okay, that's enough for regular cleaning.
But it's uh still uh it's not enough if you want to purify then you have to do maho cleanup. Okay. Okay. Thank you very much.
In the afternoon session you are uh mentioning about Sanātana Gosvāmī's contribution of Harivakividas. Yes.
Where he composed more than six thousand verses about uh different rules and regulations which may not be followed and necessary, which all need not be followed.
Again it out comes that uh Caitanya Mahāprabhu invested so much time uh in Sanātana Gosvāmī giving Sanātana-śikṣā, giving instruction to wrote literatures. And he um nana chastucharaven sattaramas.
So he uh gave his contribution of um six thousand verses as per the instruction.
Similarly we, also hear in case of Purupa Goswami, he wrote so many literatures which were esoteric and featured Jiu Goswami speaking that what all everything uh whatever is written by the Ropa Goswami is not relevant for the uh Kalibukachiva. Um to Suturi Krishna, that's what we we see in the Sanantana Goswami Samadhi behind the Rasa-samādhi. Okay.
So the same thing in but when we see in case of Srila Prabhupada, Everything what Śrīla Prabhupāda has given, everything is, we should have to follow.
So why, and, uh, is there, there, uh, this disparity, that, uh, this ācārya need to go through so much hardship and their, their contribution, their aiming towards for the Kali-yuga-jīva?
So how come, uh, they have, give something which is not relevant? Well time changes.
What was relevant 500 years ago when Caitanya Mahāprabhu was there, when the Vedic culture was still, or, you know, śāstra culture was still very much intact and people were brought up in this.
It was very natural for them to do all kinds of these little details, they were very careful in following the rules of purity of cleanliness. So then you know something which
was relevant to the brāhmaṇical followers of Caitanya Mahāprabhu 500 years back, may not be relevant for hippies in America in 20th or 21st century. So they will not be able to relate to it and that
So then, therefore, Prabhupāda, he simplified certain things. He, that's the prerogative of an ācārya. Ācārya has to say, this is relevant, this is not relevant for you. It doesn't mean that it's not relevant at all.
It's just not relevant for the particular audience he's preaching to. And that's exactly what Srila Prabhupada did. He made practice of bhakti doable without compromising with its efficacy.
He didn't complicate too much, but he gave something which we will be able to perform in a real way. But at the same time he stressed the need of chanting.
He always said, you know, even though he established this minimum rule of 16 rounds, he said that ultimately you have to come to the point where you are chanting 24 hours a day. So because it's so important.
That's the prerogative of ācārya. Ācārya says this is relevant for you, this is not relevant. Like somebody, one of the disciples, Śrīla Prabhupāda approached him, said, Śrīla Prabhupāda, in Manu-saṁhitā it is said something like this.
Śrīla Prabhupāda said, according to Manu-saṁhitā you are not supposed to study Manu-saṁhitā. Don't worry about this. we see, uh that there are so many courses conducted, like in Mayapur,
there are two months courses of Yakya And many things, references from Vari Bhagavarasa. So elaborately things goes on. Although that may not be the main emphasis given by Sh shirt how to see it.
Uh can we see that Deshvala Patra? Maybe it is relevant for this audience, it is not relevant for that audience. Śrīla Prabhupāda gave us what we need. Now as a society we develop and because
we are preaching society, new people are coming and they have their needs. People feel very secure when there are some rituals, some yagyas and everything else. So okay, it's fine.
We are doing some samskaras, we are doing some yagyas because we want to present the culture.
But at the same time, if this uh overshadows uh the necessity of changing the holy name or uh all of a sudden becomes more prominent than the main angas of bhakti, then it's not good.
When it's performed along to encourage people to do more chanting, then it's okay. So we have to see how it's practically applied.
It may be an unnecessary complication and even deviation, or it may be a good thing which is like a supplementing our main practices.
Resolving accidental devotee offenses
he says when we are working together with devotees or serving together with devotees, doing something, then even though we don't want to offend anyone, still uh sometimes devotees become offended or hurt uh by something.
Even though we didn't intend, we didn't do. Sometimes it happens because of some false expectations or some expectations which we don't fulfill.
So uh what to do with this uh in this situation and uh and what is it an offense about which we were talking uh and what to do?
So yes, it is an offense if somebody feels hurt by our actions or by our uh inactions if we don't do something.
It means that something is wrong and we know this story about Rupa Gaswani where he laughed and he just laughed because he saw something in his Lilas Marana.
But the devotee who was walking by thought that he is laughing at him. And Rūpa Gosvāmī did not intend to offend him. Nevertheless, he lost temporarily his ability to see Krishna's pastimes.
So this is to warn us that even though we may not be intentionally doing
this, so if if we feel that somebody is offended by us, even though we didn't mean we should just come to Him very openly and very humbly and say, please forgive me.
You know, not to explain yourself, Not try to justify your uh deficiencies, but humbly say yes, I'll try not to do it. Uh so that's important, that's important.
We are living among devotees, and therefore, our chances to commit aparādhas are very great. So we have to be very, very careful.
And we have to be very kind and loving and try to do everything within our powers to to please devotees. Like today, she was telling me about one temple president in Ukraine
and she was praising his name as Yaśodā-kumāra and she's she was saying, and it was so pleasing to my heart to hear how she was saying that he's just he just takes care of everyone and he wants to to uplift everyone and is trying his best.
So that's Vaiṣṇava, that's Vaiṣṇava community, that's Vaiṣṇava dealings. And every one of us can contribute into realization of this ideal when
Setting achievable spiritual goals
When I hear every day morning this is a prayer, especially the last one, āśleṣād vā pāda-ratāṁ pinaṣṭu mām (laughter) so there it is mentioned. Lord is completely to anything free to do anything to me. I am always what He is unconditionally, He is my Lord.
So I am struggling to chant sixteen rounds here, and if I see my own situation, it seems that it is very, very far. So how I keep my practice so that I can encourage myself also and attain that stage something.
That's the eighth verse of Śikṣāṣṭaka. All verse is Triṇād api su-nīcena... eighth verse is describing Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī's feelings. So it's not a big surprise that we feel little far away from this situation.
We have to have goal which is relevant and appropriate. So our goal, uh goal of our sadhana is to achieve stage which is which we feel that it's it's it's achievable and relevant.
You know when the goal is too high it's it's very difficult to relate to this goal because it's too high.
It's like you know if there is some star which is very far away and you're trying and you're cold and you're trying to get a little warm from the star, which is too far away.
There are not much chances that you get required warmth from the star. So the goal should be achievable and then the goal we will be able to relate to this goal.
So we have to know the art, how that's what Prabhupāda says that we have to keep the higher goal, but we also have to have intermediate goals which are relevant and achievable. Then we will be enthusiastic because our enthusiasm is directly connected with the goal.
That's why when they play football, you know they have a goal. Goal is to put the ball into this gate. And you can look at them, they're very enthusiastic. They're running here and there.
Because it's difficult goal, but it's still achievable goal. So in a similar way, if we see that the goal is achievable even though it's little difficult, we will be enthusiastic.
If we set up too high goal, we will ultimately lose enthusiasm.
Internalizing devotional desires
So tṛṇād api niçīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā you also read this one? But as you have mentioned in first citizenship that strengthening of spiritual desire is important in our devotional service.
Theoretically, mind is convinced we desire to serve Krishna, but unless heart is convinced, there will not be heartfelt prayers as Kuntī-mahārāṇī does.
How do I understand that my desire to serve Krishna is coming from mind or heart?
But But but when you associate with those people who have this desire in the heart, then gradually uh your heart will also develop this desire.
So So initially our desires to serve Krishna have more intellectual nature, but when we get some experience of the pleasure which we get while serving Krishna, then our desire to serve will become of a deeper level.
So it's just a question of developing some or obtaining some experience. And of course the association is very important. This is this is realisation.
So like uh we hear so much, repeat so much, but sometimes you feel that it's not internalized, the anarthas are still there, conditions are not changing, and many years are passing, still like remaining same in terms of anartas, not able to overcome.
Theoretically I know, I explain, I give classes. But somehow something is holding on. Where I should how we do it. It's a topic of another seminar. We'll talk about this.
I think we should kind of finish if somebody has very Yeah, okay, this to the most maharaj
yes it is uh Maharaj is related to one of the sessions and uh you had mentioned that uh association with neophys uh you should uh as far as possible keep it uh from a little distance.
Uh but when we have new devotees coming into our congregation, some of the readers are assigned to cultivate these uh devotees and those those times we are actually um uh looking after them and uh they come with their problems and we also get entangled with it. Uh how do we deal with those?
Association does not mean physical proximity, it does not even mean emotional proximity. It means dependence. We become infected by other people's problems and anartas when we become dependent on them.
If we are not dependent on them, in any way, if we're not dependent on them, we are not getting something from them, we are giving something to them.
We can associate with these people without being too much affected by their problems if we really care about them and not um and not get into uh some sort of emotional independence from them.
You know it's a very subtle uh difference uh but uh and I know it myself sometimes you um closely associate with somebody and you hear about the problems and you get affected by this.
And sometimes you're not affected because you are in the position you are dealing with them from this Krishna-consciousness platform. And it's as if you have the injection which protects you from the problems.
You are not infected by this because you are strictly dealing with them from this. You're trying to give them the philosophy of Krishna consciousness.
You are trying to explain to them how to look at their problem from the point of view of Krishna. So in this way you will not be affected.
You will become affected when you come down on their level and start hearing from the same level of consciousness. Then you will be affected.
But if you hear from the level of Krishna consciousness which you are supposed to do being senior to them and uh trying to take care of them, then you will not be affected.
Focus in offensive environments
You will have a good uh injection of Krishna consciousness which will protect you. Krishna is very, very grateful to you for your presentation so so deep and so practical.
So my question is several questions, answers you did mention that this current ethos is very offensive. Very now the culture and you know it's passionate, competitive. And that's what actually is around all of us. And yes.
Many of the answers you mentioned that it is not just our own practice, but the environment where we live also is a very important aspect of our progress.
So my question is about the this ethos of you know even Prabhupada wanted you know the numbers of books, number of devotees and number of temples. So and I did hear your seminar on secularization of Iskan and all that.
So it's very clear what you are presenting. So how do I exist where am I?
In the same whatever environment is and remain focused and as you said, you know, close eyes and run with the goal, without having to have a respectful vision towards whatever is happening around me. So how do I do that?
Because it seems not so easy in the sense of I can't just change the environment and I's who told you that it's going to be easy But that's the that's the art.
Yes, we always have to to deal with this uh difficult situations but um we hear and we develop certain intelligence to be able to deal with them properly. That's it.
There's no you know reddymade universal recipes which will you know solve all the problems.
We get certain understanding, and by this understanding, we develop Buddhi or intelligence and uh with this developed intelligence we're trying to deal with particular problem in a Krishna conscious way to be able to to Tesham Satata Yuktanam.
And Krishna says those who are sincerely trying to be engaged in Bajatam Prethi Purvakam and serving me, Dadami Buddhi Yokam, I will give them the intelligence. Yana Mampayantity by which they will be able to come to me.
So it's just, yeah, just Well yes, th there are many problems. And uh this is another topic for another seminar to speak about our problems. But we we have the intelligence to overcome this. I think that's it. Thank you.
Thank you very, very much.
Retreat reflections and gratitude
And then uh uh the Pramot wanted to have maybe somebody wants to have some realizations or reflections or uh some yeah to share, I would be happy if you want to. Thank you Guru Maharaj for the wonderful retreat.
It was for us the first time and hopefully we will do more and more of this. number of these things to do.
So uh for me um I've written quite a lot but I thought to s you know put my reflections in a way that uh I saw it in the devotees here. So you spoke about uh the effects of bhakti which is you know simplicity strengthening the faith awakening the taste inspiration enthusiasm humbleness and uh what I'm saying is that I could see it in the devotees here a lot.
So for example, you know, when um we saw it in Satyavati Mataji, she was so straightforward in you know speaking about something that you know most of us and we ourselves miss out. And this is something that you know I could fully feel somebody who is a bhakta can can do it.
Even in uh Nandunal Tasprahu, he was playing here and and you spoke about you stop posting about uh your achievements and your devotional achievements and everything.
He was playing uh Kirf and Hair and uh me and uh sorry was Sri David. So he was doing Kirtan when just we entered and he was doing kirtan when this they were just walls and nobody else uh watching him.
Uh I spoke to Brunh Kesha Das. He said that I'm going back to Vrindavan because I'm missing Vrindavan.
So and you know, I saw devotees here who are doing Mala Sevam and uh you know Chabrahaven, nobody is there. Except them, there is nobody doing that time and that is when they are doing this seva and what to talk about Radha Pramotha Prabhu who is summarizing and selflessly just continuing to you know, do service.
When you spoke about Pradhas, I sometimes felt that you are speaking only to me personally. A lot of that I learned. And uh I I learned a lot from uh from devotees who asked questions.
So I think that I'm very very thankful to to everyone who asked questions because uh that that clarified a lot of doubts that you know I could not probably ask it. That was amazing experience for me.
And yeah, even Bhattaji was translating. I spoke to her and I said that there are now AI generated options available, and she's like, no, no, no, I'm good with this my service, and I want to do this service.
So uh so I learned a lot from from the devotees uh apart from you know everything that you spoke about and from what you spoke about I I'll not take more time but uh just you know a few things I will say.
One is that you know in the first day, first lecture, probably in the first hour you said that's the whole book the
essence of Lord is uh mādhurya and you spoke about it you know throughout uh the five days as well and I think and you also said that you know in a lecture it uh if if the lecturer is not able to you know uh develop the devotion in the in the disciples, then that lecture is just you know technical and nothing else.
So um so yeah, a lot of great learnings. Uh I'll not take too much time, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Thank you. Maharaji, please accept my humble obeisances to your lotus feet. I am from ISKCON Dwaraka and Delhi.
Firstly, I express my sincere heartfelt gratitude to H. Gauranga Prabhuji, Vice President ISKCON, for guiding me and nominating me to this retreat. This is my first retreat. I consider myself a neophyte.
He is my spiritual guidance mentor. Maharaji, I am blessed to have the association of very senior and exalted devotees.
Considering my negligible śāstric knowledge, the subject of the retreat is very high. But your explanation in simple common man's language with touch of śāstric content may be easy to understand to a large extent.
I admit that to retain and to put to practice is difficult. I will be hearing the recordings again and again.
Maharaji, your way of explanation linking the practical aspects of life and clear emphasis on do's and don'ts on checks and balances are very helpful for my spiritual groups.
I have requested Radha Pramodji to add me to your group where I can I will have the access to your lectures and other study materials.
Your simple and easy to understand explanation can also be seen in the wonderful book Healing Prayers, which I had it here and I have read first few pages.
Once again my humble obeisances and sincere thanks for easy to grasp sessions and I had given the last one.
Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Rāma, Keśava Vānamālā dāsa and uh say this one Hazaribagh where Mahaprabhu danced with the animals. So Puruṣottama-kṣetra can deliver at that time. Well you are most welcome to come sometime there and have the Lord Mahaprabhu and animal's footprints there, tiger's footprint I will definitely come.
And then anyone can come, those who want please to come they can contact other phone code.
Yeah, he actually wanted darśana. Maharaj, for the seminar, Maharaj, last year I came for this sādhanā-bhakti seminar and it was so overloaded that uh um practicing whole but I I said that uh when he said that this year of the seminar first thing I said I have uh what I heard in that seminar only I'm not able to practice. I made him trying, trying try another load of we talk. He said no, no,, come.
So I came and then I realized that uh when you say Maharai it seems very easy. It feels very difficult. Why we were telling like it's like uh very smoothly you were telling things.
Because uh when I say like uh after hearing this uh seminar Christmas situation when case was going around, I was with Radhapurho and we discussed it.
And uh we could see that how when somebody was offensive, case anathas come up.
So then I was thinking that means it it is same with me also. I'm able to see in somebody that must be there in me that I have also often seen and then my nature also will come up like that.
So it is very difficult at times when we are going through this that same situation to see through our own ananthas. It's very easy to for others like if we have to see somebody else's anatha it was so easy Maharaj.
So Maharaj we are very grateful that uh you are giving such uh uh insight and uh such easily or can do all these things and I uh hope that uh to get more and more of your massive in terms of uh such simple explanation of all these astras.
So we somehow we are from Avarada Vari Bhakti we come to some higher bhakti ragam something special category of uh very much uh uh particularly I am in. So maladie is Maharaj, my name is Ram Septhas, I'm from Pune.
Maharaj last year also Radha Pramat Prabhupada had requested me I should come. Actually he's my trainer in my Krishna contest. He has requested me to come. Somehow I couldn't come this year, I managed to be there.
So I felt this is one of the best decisions I took in my life coming here and attending these seminars. So then the whole description of this uh anathana, how this bhaktilata vija has to be nurtured.
So I remember the small creeper when I was a small child my mother put in her garden how carefully she used to put water, remove the weeds and put the fencing around it. And it eventually it used it gave very beautiful, it became very beautiful paper and went on the whole terrace and was occupied. So I was remembering that.
So it is so important to learn all these finer aspects of like Aparada and what is Shraddha, the definition of Shraddha, how it is to be taken care of.
So I'm very very grateful to you and I humbly seek your blessings so that I can practice in my life. So thank you to Radha Notman. Special. Thank you.
So Maharaj, three things I wanted to tell first thing is that your presentation like this, I can say many of my friends whom I know, it is sheltering many of them in their Krishna consciousness because somehow or other initially when we come as we were hearing also from you that Shraddha is blocking Shraddha, but then eventually it gets turned to Shastri Shraddha. So similarly, your lectures are actually turning our Shraddha from Loki to Shastriya, which I can see.
And there is a great need of such kind of devotees, it's gone, which I feel. Especially I tell you a practical uh thing which happened with me.
So we were we were hearing his only Radhanaswamaraj's classes and he used to give all these things very simply and all.
So later on after some time some devotees they started questioning me that Maharaj is telling this very difficult.
Why is asking about Trinadabi Sunishan only so much and ah and why is telling always tolerant and Naprads are very dangerous.
So I couldn't give them some answer from Shastras because they were asking, tell where it is written the Shastras. But your classes are so crystal clear that now I can tell them to see where it is in the Shastras.
And literally I feel felt that and when I told them about all the sins so they were also in this in fact many of them who lost their faith upon teachings and all, they again regained that faith through you.
So that is for one thing, thank you. Second thing for my personal life, uh I was uh very much inspired from your lectures uh right from when you gave in IBS stages of development in spiritual life.
So that lecture was so wonderful that I could see in what stages I am going through and what is required for me.
Since then I have started airing your classes and somehow the Krishna arranged that last year I came for it, and this year also. And I am seeing that it is exactly fitting for my need what I need
at this point of time and for that very thank you Maharaj even the teachings what is
there and third thing which I would like to really grateful to all the devotees, so much austerities and so much pain they have taken to come for this retreat.
Although it may look that number is less, because as per in India, now we have been habitually to see numbers in thousands in every program people know.
But uh in this whatever number of devotees are there they're very serious committed people because to hear from such a long such a deep subject matter. It's very difficult.
In fact, I was discussing with some of my friends that we have been habituated to hearing kata for four hours, five hours, like that in the four three, four hours in the morning, three, four hours in the evening.
Then somebody would say, why Maharaj finishes in one hour only? One hour only.
But then actually I reflected when the subject matter is so deep that to assimilate it, to turn it, to discuss with devotees, it's one hour is actually too much. We should have again and again hearing.
So thank you very much, Maharaj, and looking forward to more such a piece.
I like very much when you was speaking that uh when you was listening to some lecture is maybe not one time or one time uh and someone was chanting shlokas mechanically and you said you have desire to take him and shake like that. Then I chant sometimes some shlokas or you know bhajans and I catch myself that I do it mechanically and imagine that Guru Maharaj comes and corrects you.
Thank you, Hare Krishna Maharaj. Please accept my humble obeisances, Maharaj. So last year also we attended your session. So this year I was looking forward, but I missed uh two days because of our meetings there.
So I'm myself uh Sada Yogidas. Uh basically I'm from Pune, currently serving in ISKCON, Karnataka, under the shelter of His Grace Bhakti Rasamrita Swami Maharaj.
So uh um during training I was again and again realizing that how uh your teachings are becoming more and more sweeter. Nigama-kalpataror galitam phalam.
What we hear from His Holiness Radhanath Swami Maharaj, those teachings uh like naturally you give the answer that śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam.
And when you're speaking this thing, Maharaj, or you're speaking how to avoid offenses, how to deal with the toughest people to whom we are not able to gel with.
That means, Maharaj, you have gone through those situations uh and you're speaking your realizations. Uh so uh so this is very uh makes very relevant and it impacts very deeply.
Just like a question when was asked how to deal with people to whom we cannot gel with, you repeated the answer of this one is Radhanath Swami Maharaj that we have to look into the integrity of that person and his dedication for Śrīla Prabhupāda.
And so that we will not become too offensive with that person. Look into his contribution. We are not able to take his close association, but we should not lose respect for that person. So this is very practical.
And I was talking with this and I got answered exactly. So I will take this one teaching. And uh you'll be benefited a lot uh in my spiritual life. Thank you. Thank you very much.
Nivritti uh he's speaking about an artist, not about Nibriti. So I guess oh okay, Nari. Thank you so much, Guru Maharaj, for the topic.
First, I would like to thank all the organizers of this retreat because it was such an affordable price. Thank you so much, Lindy. And I hope that next year in Shirupa Savanch it will be safe for two months.
I would love I would like to thank you for the topic. I personally love uh when you uh speak on Maduriya Katanovini since twenty fourteen when in Jagannath Kurri is Majvananda Prabhu going deeper into the topic.
And for me, it was very important to hear about the service is attentiveness because uh in time, when time passes in devotional service, you meet many devotees, you interact, and sometimes you can be unattentive. And uh it was very important also to hear answer about it.
Even if someone uh feels offended with us and we are not uh we didn't want it and but it plays a role. Krishna doesn't is not happy. So now I understand why we with time some taste is blurred.
We should be so attentive because in time I can think that or I can study s very deep topics. But no, I should first I mean uh be very attentive to Vaishnavas and thank you so much.
This is so important to clarify the possible part. Okay. Thank you very much. Shiva Prabhupada keeps.