Pure Devotional Service. Lecture 2
Бхакти Вигьяна Госвами · 2022
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Opening prayers and seminar overview
O Magyanati Miranda Sanyanam Jana Salakaya, Chaksurun Militamyatas Mai Sri Gura Venaha, Sri Chaitanyamobisham Stapit buta le, Swaamrupaam, Dada, Swa Padtikam, Vandiah, Sri Guru, Sri-Padka Maam, Sri Guru Vaisnavamcha, Shri Rupam, Sgraja Tam, Sahagana Raguna, Vitam, Sadie Bam, Sadwai Tam, Savadu Tam Paridjana, Sahitam Satanya Devam Sri Krishna Padam Sahana Lita Sri Sapitam, Krishna Karuna Sindho, Dinabandhu Jagatpat, Gopesha, Gopikantha, Radakantana Mustute, Taptakanschana, Gurangi, Radhe Vrindavanesvari, Vishavhanu Sutevi Pranama Haripri, Vancha Kalpataru Bescha, Kripa Sindu Bevacha, Patiam Palne Bio Vaishnavay Byomamon Maha, Dj Sri Krishna, Chaitanya, Prabhunityananda, Sri Dvaita Gadathara, Sri Va Sadigura, Bhakta Vrinda, Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare Yanda Pradesh Mamava Suptam, Sanji Vaya, Kila Shakti Darah, Swadamna, Anjamatva Gadm, Prananda Maubhavate, Purchae Trubin, Swastu Vishwasia Calah, Prasidap, Deyantu Bhutani, Sivamithodiyamanaschabadramba Jatata Doksaja Adesatam Nau Matiratya Hai Pati Anjaabila Sitasunyamyana Karmadana Vritamanu Kulena Krishna Nasivan Bhakti Rut Hare Krishna.
So I'm very happy to see all of you for this second part of our seminar where we're trying to meditate uh on the pure devotional service, why it is so important for us to practice pure devotional service and what does it mean to practice pure devotional service?
Today we will have some practical tips what we should
do to make sure that our devotion remains Shastras they unanimously glorify pure bhakti as the most powerful process, the most quickest process, very efficient process.
But at the same time, we don't see these results in reality. Although we see some results, but we don't see the full manifestation of results which are described in the Shastras.
And therefore we really have to understand what is blocking the power of bhakti within our consciousness, within our heart. It's like if we take pure gold.
Pure gold is very brilliant, shining, and it also is the best metal because the uh its uh ability to conduct the electric power is very very high.
It's it's very uh highly, how to say this, conductive for the electric There is practically no resistance. Gold is the best uh you know conductor for the electricity. No resistance in it. But if we add some other metals into gold, first of all it becomes
not very shining, it becomes it may look like ordinary metal, nothing special, and uh also the conductive power becomes less. Uh there is a lot of resistance inside, even though the pure gold is still there.
So we want pure gold bhakti, not just mixed gold bhakti. Then the results will be väldigt kvick och väldigt impressiv för everan.
Så yder vi talked a little bit about this verse. Little bit from sam perspektiv anjabila sunyam and we talked about svarupa laksana of pure bhakti and little bit about tatastha laksana of pure bhakti.
We didn't touch one thing yesterday, uh jnana karmadi anavritam, jnana, karma, yoga, etc. should not cover our bhakti.
Directing secondary practices toward devotional service
What does it mean?
Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says that anyabhilāṣitā-śūnyam, other desires should be zero, but once uṇḍe naśuniyā, uṇḍe vārcā, that a jñāna-karma unvakta. If we dissipate our energy to other dis to achieve other desires, if we think that something else is equally as important as bhakti, or uh at
least uh also very important, then uh uh the power of and Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says why? Because we have gross body and subtle body, mind and śarīra. Because we have sthūla-śarīra, we have to do some karma.
Because we have uh sūkṣma-śarīra, we have to do some jñāna. But what does it mean that anavritam? It means that jnana and karma, which we should do, should be the servants of our bhakti.
I may do jnana, I may do karma, I may do yoga, but I have to really understand that I'm doing this because I I'm serving my bhakti. The bhakti is prominent.
This is some uh subsidiary things which I do uh to help my bhakti to flourish.
So if we perform bhakti like this, if our desire is to please the Lord, and that means that we are following his representative and trying to follow his ideas, his conception. We are doing this Anugatya Dharma. And then we are not really trying to achieve any other desire.
Our desire is to please the Lord. And if we also do some other things uh which are subservient to other cultivation of bhakti, like jñāna and karma, then our practice is pure.
Kṛṣṇa-prāsāda-garana-kalagi, ya kṛṣṇa-kṛpādrivī, guru-like kuśīpanāna-kalagi gardianso,
Material disillusionment as a spiritual catalyst
anu-onugamangarso. And Sila Bhaktivinottakur, please listen very carefully. He explains how this pure bhakti can start.
He says that for pure bhakti to start within the heart, it's like just the samj of pure bhakti should should be should be awakened within our heart. So for pure bhakti to start within the heart, we first have to be
disappointed or disillusioned with our pursuits of material happiness. The Yubhak Sudavati Amr Ridai Vitra Jagri Suru Vandapani Agari, Yubhaktikuki
Suratka Vashekta Pursa, the Surta Bhakti Suru Vunu Vanda Agari Amirku Ridai Bhata Amirubhti Icharubata Puna Ru play Bira Tunupardza. This state of complete disappointment with material happiness,
with material recipes of happiness, is very important for Bhakti to become to start within our heart and for bhakti to become pure. Śila Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says that at one point and everyone goes through it.
Everyone you know in pursuit of material happiness at one point starts crying and saying, you know why it is? Why I'm so suffering? And Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says this cry of jīva who is about to get bhakti.
He explains what Jiva says. Itchabila Sala Puragonekrama Ignace Nirasuno Persa, Runa Persa, and it is perceived U Balayu Bakti Margama, Lagnusaksa, you Nirasano Runu vanek Bakti Margama Pragati Garibatu.
Alas, how unfortunate I am having fallen into this unsurmountable ocean of material existence. I am being thrown here and there by the violent waves of my wicked desires.
At different times, I am being attacked by crocodiles of lust, anger and so forth. I cry helplessly at my miserable condition, but I don't see any hope for my survival. What should I do? Do I not have any well wisher?
Is there any possible way I can be rescued? Alas, what to do? How will I be delivered? I don't see any solution to my dilemma. Alasas, al, I am most unfortunate.
In such distressed state of helplessness, the living entity becomes exhausted and falls silent, writes Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. Yeah, bhaktivina takurly uh bottom unsa this. Alas, alas.
No no this uh yeah, alas button afile moti of hagi moy sansako maha sagar mafazera it
out each halard of file in to remera itcha rule it outamala Patsaran Lovart Lasaran Rabivina Samay Ramalaitani Kam Kro Dasta Gui early Akraman Kartsan Aram Kwe Sahara Napara Mudhuru you Ped it ouras stamabu, Ramero Bansnikune Asadekina, Makigana Saksu, Mero Kui Soyo Kisaina, Kunikali Mayamala Basasuda, Uho, Kigarniola, Makosari Miru Darola, Mata Kune Thank you.
When I read this, I remembered how I became a bhakta. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was present at that time. I remember very much this this moment when I started crying, saying that you know it's all useless.
Why what is the purpose of this and this and on the next day I got Bhagavad-gītā.
Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says that as soon as this uh mood is being established in the heart of the jiva, then Krishna arranges his meeting with the devotees and the bhakti starts. So this is the condition.
Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says, please listen very carefully. This is the condition when our heart is ready to receive the seed of bhakti, bhakti-latā-bīja. If we are just enjoying, then the uh soil of our heart
is too hard to get bhakti-latā-bīja. So some disappointments, some miseries have to be there, and these miseries they kind of applying the soil of our heart to make it more receptive
Protecting delicate faith in early stages
to the bīja. And he says that as soon as this śraddhā-bhakti-latā-bīja basically means that we get little śraddhā, the little faith in devotional, in pure devotional service. Not just faith in devotional service.
Faith in pure devotional service. Faith in pure devotional service means that only pure devotional service can save me. That's that's the faith which we should get. Nothing else.
Not not any other method, only pure devotional service. And he says that in the beginning this faith is like a little baby girl. Newborn baby girl, which is very delicate and very much susceptible to all kinds of diseases.
This atyanta-komalā bālikā is is very, very should be should be protected.
Because uh i it's it's very it's komal, it's very delicate. So uh and therefore uh it can easily get some diseases and uh develop into something else. There can be some bacteria, some worms or some you
know some cold and all kinds of diseases are there. It basically means that in the beginning when our faith is not so strong, and not so strong means till the level of niṣṭhā.
When we reach the level of niṣṭhā, faith, śraddhā, then sādhu-saṅga, then bhajana- kriyā, then anartha-nivṛtti, then niṣṭhā. Only at the level of Nista our face is But in the beginning we should be very protective.
Sādhu-saṅga, bhajana-kriyā, anartha-nivṛtti, niṣṭhā... about our association. We should not associate when we are on the level of Nisha, no problem, we can associate with anyone.
But on the level of before that, we have to be really, really careful with whom we listen, whom we are giving our heart to.
Because uh with this bhakti-latā-bīja, bhakti-latā-bīja can be pure bhakti- latā-bīja, but it can also, due to some unavoidable association, can become some genetically modified bhakti-latā-bīja, GMO, you still bhakti.
instead of the fruit of pure bhakti, you will get genetically modified fruit of this bhakti-latā-bīja. mis sit, vi is gåżing, falpano sagtung.
Three main categories of devotional practice
So anyway, so this is this was little introduction. Now I want to explain what it takes to practice pure bhakti. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī says that there are three kinds of practices which we call bhakti.
Are more than a hundred different kinds of bhakti, but three of them are very important. And we have to really understand what are these three types of bhakti
which still can be pure devotional service, but they are called differently. So we will talk about this. Tīrtha-koṭi-samāyāte, jñāna-abhāve 'tha sarvathā, āveśa-kāriṇī tat-koṭi-samālagna-namas-kāraḥ.
He says one is āropa-siddha-bhakti, another one is saṅga-siddha-bhakti, and third one is svarūpa-siddha-bhakti. And uh the word siddha here means that the activity which becomes bhakti because
of āropa, because of saṅga, or because of svarūpa, because of its own nature. So there are three kinds of activities. One is bhakti, but it becomes bhakti through the process of aropa, which is we will explain.
Another one becomes bhakti through the process of Sangha, and another one becomes bhakti because it is already bhakti.
So, matīti āropa-siddhā bhaktiḥ. Āropa-kāraṇato bhaktiḥ bhavati, or saṅga-kāraṇato bhaktiḥ bhavati, or svarūpa-sataiva bhaktiḥ bhavati. So it's very simple but it's important. First, let's take āropa-siddha-bhakti.
Āropa-siddha-bhakti means that I'm doing something, whatever I'm doing. And then in the end I say, Krishna, please take this; I have done this for you.
Asyārthaḥ — āropa-siddhā bhaktir nāma tatrāpi karma, yas mayāni sevā-rūpeṇa uh Kam Garso, Antimatik, Krishna, Mali Yogarim, Mohazila, Orphan Garzum and Dinzo. Aropa basically means that uh this activity has nothing to do with Krishna,
but because we offer the results of it to Krishna, it becomes some sort of bhakti. I know one married couple and uh devotees of some sort, some beginning devotees.
And there the wife is in the end contact with Krishna and husband is not. In the morning, the wife says, Today Krishna wants pizza. And the husband says yes, yes.
And wife always know what Krishna wants and husband very obediently accepts the desires of Krishna which is coming to him through his wife.
It basically means that his wife wants something, but she says that Krishna wants this. That's called Aropa Siddha Bhakti. It basically means I want to do something, I am doing something, but I'm saying Krishna
please take it, you know, by the way. It's uh uh basically it means that this is something which is not service, but uh because I try to connect it with Krishna in my And
Silva Jīva Gosvāmī says that this activity, which we call āropa-sidddha-bhakti, some sort of bhakti, can be three types.
He says it can be the activity which is prescribed in the śāstras for your varṇa and āśrama, your more or less something, your prescribed duties which have nothing to do with Krishna.
Like for example, Shastra says that you should do some sacrifice to some demigods, you should do some Shradha to your deceased ancestors. So and then at the end of this you say Krishna-arpanam astu too.
I'm giving the results of this to Krishna. This is yours.
Yo change afnu kormata uh bikti got uh varṇa or āśrama on sarli, zunkorta biorunza, justokki, uhune dividevata kupujan gorupa ryunsa, yeah afna pitri or like the gorupa riunsa uh So you just have to remember this mantra, Krishna Arpana Mastu, and that's more or less you are doing bhakti.
He says then, then we do some uh ordinary activities. We eating, uh we are sleeping. Bhakti on the given. Svarūpa-bhakti. We really have to somehow or other sleep in a very devotional way.
So and then uh Jīva Gosvāmī teaches us how to do this. So and then uh Jīva Gosvāmī says that uh our activity can be against the Shastras.
And he says even this can be bhakti, even something which is against the shastras, even this can be offered to Krishna. Yes, Shastra Virudha Karma. Even this can be offered to Krishna.
So this is very interesting subject matter. I think we should all know how to do this.
So he says that all these three types of activities we can offer to Krishna, but we should know how to offer this to Krishna, how to connect this with Krishna, how to turn it into bhakti.
So there is a very important verse in the 11th canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Kayena Vacha Manasandri Yairva Budyatmana Vanu Sritha Swabhavat Karoti Yat Yat Sakalam Parasmai
Nara Whatever the human being would do in his life according to his swabavic nature, acc uhording to his uh conditioned nature, with his uh body, with his uh speech and with his mind, uh and with his uh intelligence and with his senses he should uh do this saying I'm doing this for Lord Narayana.
Afnu Sarili, Munli, Batanli, Junkuni Kriakala Purigarsa, Yosapai Chip Hagan Naranlessom Gardechu, Banregarna Bursa. So Visanachi Kravata Kur explains uh what does it mean in the commentary to this verse?
He says that uh ordinary people, they do all these things, they get up in the morning they uh uh they uh brush their teeth they take shower sometimes they they eat something, they then they deal with the family members, they then go to work.
And the devotee does the same, I hope.
E a Sadar Manchilipani, Bianca Sabersa, that uh Tatpasat uh Stan Garzokaligani, Tispasi, Afnu Bozan, Grand Garsa, Afno Pariwarkers and Orsa Birza, or Afnut Dani Criaca Pulsa, or a Baktori He
says that the difference is that the devotee in the beginning and the in the end, uh he says, Krishna, this is I'm doing this for you. I'm I'm brushing my teeth for you, Krishna.
So tomorrow don't forget before brushing your teeth saying I am doing this for you, Krishna.
After all you're going to chant his name and if your teeth are not you know it's not good to put Krishna's name in the mouth which is not clean. That's the meditation which we should have. I'm doing this for you.
This is this is my activity for you.
But uh and uh uh he says that you know if if it is some uh Vidic karma, the karma which is prescribed by the Vedas again at the end you say, Krishna R Pan Mastu, I am doing this for Krishna. This is my uh service to him.
And Jiva Gaswami says very interesting thing says, if you do something which is against Shastra, which is prohibited by Shastra. You break some regulative principles.
Please don't misuse this information, but but still uh it's important for us to understand what does it mean. So he quotes a verse very interesting. Anena Durvasana Dukkha Darsanena Sakarunamayah, Karunam Karotu.
It says that while doing something which is against the Shastra, you have to have this prayer. Anana Durvasana Dukha Darsanena, I'm uh uh Sakurunamayah Karunam Karoto.
Please, my lord, give me some mercy seeing how I'm suffering because I'm going along with my Durvasana with my uh wrong desires with bad desires which I have.
Hikusha Mali you golat carriagu Ramira afna galat each algorigama kostu Duragati
Mordichu a Malatingus and if you feel like this, you know I'm doing this, I know this is wrong, but I I have this very strong desire, it goes somewhere, it it really drags me into this direction. Uh and I suffer, I don't want it.
Uh you know, then Krishna will accept this. This will also become bhakti.
And very soon, because of this sincere uh sincere how you say uh raskaya Repentance. Because of this sincere repentance, uh your heart will be purified. You know like uh and sometimes uh
you know there was a very interesting uh episode. One secretary was reading letters to Śrīla Prabhupāda, and he was reading a letter from one devotee, from one disciple of Śrīla Prabhupāda.
And in this letter the disciple was writing that I had I I I was taking drugs before becoming a devotee and then I became a devotee and for some time was everything was fine, but then I again started taking drugs and I'm struggling and I'm trying to give up but it's so difficult and I'm but I'm still trying and uh he's writing a long letter like this.
Uh while it's a pailaman drugs or baktima Ira Ferimaty, that a fairy two drugs like Perimal Lina Tale, er a li uh till a churna kuchukti pras And all of a sudden the secretary saw that Śrīla Prabhupāda started crying.
And then there was some silence, some pause, and then and then Prabhupāda said, just see how he's how he is struggling for Krishna.
So Śrīla Prabhupāda accepted this as devotional service. He is do he is struggling for Krishna. He is fighting for Krishna. Krishna Karaya Sanghakarisan, Yudha Garden.
Yeah, even this can be bhakti, even this can be called Bhakti, even this is connecting us with the Lord.
And therefore, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, he says very interestingly, he says that the results of this, if you do your karma like this, it's your karmic activity.
But if you do this, there will be two very great results of this karma. He says that the results which this karma, this activity will bring to you, will be much greater than if you don't do it in as a devotion.
This is the first result and the second result, then uh if you do it like this, then the karma will not have negative re uh negative consequences, negative reactions to this.
There will be no uh normal karma when we do, it creates and makes stronger desire within the heart. This karma will not create more desires within our heart.
And you will gradually see that this results will become less and less uh the there is not results. The desires within our heart become less and less and less.
So basically uh what Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī says to us that in the beginning this is a good way to start practicing bhakti.
We're doing what we're doing, but we always connect it with the Lord and we say, my dear Lord, I'm doing it for you. Please take it. And gradually, gradually, this will purify our heart.
So this is the first Aropa Sida Bhakti. It's good for the beginning, but it's not very good if after fifteen years of chanting Hare Krishna you're still cooking pizza for Krishna. Only Chapatis.
So uh then Sāṅga-siddha-bhakti is very interesting. Thank you very much.
Explaining secondary devotion through sanga-siddha-bhakti
This is the next thing. No, first was ārōpa. Now we start with saṅga-siddha bhakti. Saṅga-siddha bhakti is the activity as I said, which becomes Bhakti due to the association with bhakti.
What it means, please listen very carefully. Sometimes we think that bhakti needs some help.
Keśava-niyama-anusāra, but we're just a bhakti-līkē-ko-sahēta, that we should do some extra austerity to uh to become better in bhakti. I should you know I should fast very often. Once a year.
You know sometimes people they they have this idea to speed up the progress of my bhakti. I have to do some severe austerities. You know, yeah, everyone is chanting 16 rounds and I will chant, you know, 17 rounds.
No, no, no. Everyone is chanting 16 rounds sitting in the temple room. And I will go to Vishnu Mati and I will stand till the you know till my neck. Do we reach in japa?
Basically, it means that uh you have the understanding, you have the conception that for bhakti to become successful you need to do something else.
And you're doing this something else, which is basically some vairāgya, some tapasya or some some activity of like this.
So you develop some certain qualities and you think that by doing this you will improve your devotional service. Uh uh Mulkay, Bhakti Kisko, Soyu
science at this kind of vairāgya, tapasya, is to kari dorachi bhakti like a ballonsum and the source not so Like some people,
uh they very much like all these little subtle Vedic rituals, you know, you have to do this, you have to really follow very carefully this and they have the uh idea that if we're doing this then uh the process of bhakti will become uh much faster.
Connecting this with bhakti, you think that this is helpful for bhakti and therefore this activity becomes bhakti. Bhakti masang Yujitunza. And this is called Sanga-siddhi-bhakti.
Some activity which is not really bhakti, but uh by its nature, but it becomes bhakti because we think that it's helpful for bhakti. Uh kunia junti sota rupli bhakti waina tarapani bhakti ma so gorsovana you bhakti banja.
It basically means that we don't believe in pure bhakti and we want to, you know, to mix a little bit of something else with with the pure bhakti and uh in this way improve bhakti.
You know, astrology, yoga, this and that, and you know and but you're doing it because you want to improve your bhakti. And there are many many examples of this.
Like for example, in uh seventh chapter of Bhagavad-gītā, it is explained amānitvam adambhitvam ahiṁsā kṣāntiḥ ārjavam ācāryopāsanam uh what is this? ācāryopāsanam śaucaṁ uh it uh and so on so forth.
And there uh it is also said that pure bhakti is in the list. There are so many other qualities, but pure bhakti is included.
So, and uh the idea is that you're doing this, you but You're very strictly following ahiṁsā. You're developing some qualities of uh amānitvam, you're very humble, adambhitvam, you're not really, you know, trying to get some prestige because of doing bhakti so on so forth.
And uh you doing it in the context of your bhakti.
Uh I mean so piguno could be cast and so egg the uh person asaractano like the binumra un So she was Jivugas family says it's okay, but it's not the highest form of bhakti. In the highest form of bhakti you have strong belief that what you don't need to do anything else.
The bhakti itself has the power to bring uh anything which you need. The difference is like this. You know, some devotees they practice austerity because they think it helps bhakti.
And some people they practice bhakti in a very powerful way and they become very austere in a natural way. That's the difference.
You know, you hear in the scriptures in the in the our Chaitanya-caritāmṛta or whatever, then Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī was only drinking one cup of buttermilk every other day.
And he was such a great devotee, and uh Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī came to him and put her anchal over him when he was meditating on the bank of Rādhā-kuṇḍa and you think, you know it's a good idea. Let me also drink one cup of buttermilk every other day.
But you want to rather go through uh after sadanagaruntio, some bajan karakari rather than after answer, gam chick nuntio, or am lipansoho, it's a number, mopany of uh uh egg din bikana.
The difference is that uh he was practicing bhakti and that's why he started in a natural way drinking only once every second day some buttermilk.
But you're thinking that you know by drinking once every second day cup of buttermilk you will achieve mercy of Shima Tirat Harani. It doesn't work like this.
The forakyu and the kids, eh? Walichi Bhakti Gurasma Tubaki Tiska Karlakeri, while I eggdin pira matri e egg egg gilas muikana, egg dinar mwik high psi, amethaka When
When in uh Śrīvāsāṅgana Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu found this uh brahmacārī who was uh who was hiding there trying to become a member of saṅkīrtana of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and this brahmacārī was drinking only milk. Caitanya Mahāprabhu became very angry at him.
Uh Sriva Sanganma Jabakirtanunti Vitra, the Sama exana Brahmachari, it's a lookera uh to sanko bhagidar saw baghi panapujira katia, the job chatama proli a top on bio You
You know the story that this brahmacārī, he hid himself, Śrīv Ācārya actually helped him to hide himself and Caitanya Mahāprabhu started his kirtan and Caitanya Mahāprabhu said no I don't feel the ecstasy which I usually feel. While he didn't have this because there was some foreign element, because there was somebody with the wrong idea, wrong conception. Somebody who didn't believe in pure bhakti.
And then you know he said there's this who is there and Śrīvās Ṭhākura he started trembling, and he took out this brahmacārī and he said, but this brahmacārī is very pure. He's only drinking milk. He's not eating anything else. Uh Chitana Mahaprabhu Kurudit and Ba Ku is Bayernikala.
When you put Siva Shakurva, Tavra Bayany Kala, egg the Mishudda, will be dud by Kurkahana Banatalama. And Citanya Mahaprabhu became even more crowded. This fool get out of here.
He thinks that by drinking milk he can go to God. He can achieve love of God. So let us not become such fools. It basically means that we have to believe in Swarup Siddha Bhakti.
Only Swarup Siddha Bhakti is powerful enough to bring everything else. We don't need any help. Our bhakti doesn't need any help.
Like your source in the bhaktima Puna Bishop, you sorrow sid the bhakti Sobekuradinas or okay it is to have a sectapardino.
Cultivating direct devotion through svarupa-siddha-bhakti
So and uh uh then uh the the third kind of bhakti is the best activity which we should do. It's called Swarupasidha Bhakti because by very nature it is already bhakti. It's the activity itself is already service.
These uh nine kinds of activities by nature it already has uh i it's the service Maranam Bandanam Artanam Dasam Sakam Abilini Yoshiba Ma Ratunsa
Yukun and because it's Swarupsi Dia, because it's uh by nature it is already bhakti. It has inherent vastu shakti. Every vastu has a special shakti.
So the vastushakti of Svarupsakti of Saru of Svarupa bhakti, vastushakti is bhakti poshaka.
It basically means that uh whatever you do which belongs to this category Svarupa Svarupa mm siddha Bha bhakti uh it nourishes your bhakti your bhakti will become stronger uh bhannukarta idi yo sarupsida bhakti ka kune puni onga la hamilichi after even opnoza
So uh it's bhakti itself and therefore uh it increases your bhakti if you're doing this.
So bhakti bhardij Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.
So obviously the result is obvious. You know, this itself will will nourish your bhakti. You don't need anything else. And uh you know the pure face means uh we believe that this itself is enough.
But uh for this Svarup Siddhavhakti to be powerful it has to be practiced with very pure motives. That's that's we have to say. Only then uh the process will be very uh fast.
Uh tisposimatra you uh uh uh bid and it basically means what does it mean Silakapiladev uh describes this in the twenty-ninth chapter of the third canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, this bhakti in the modes of material nature.
You practice svarūpa-siddha-bhakti, uh the pure form of bhakti, but because your consciousness is in the modes of material nature, you mix the motives which belong to the modes of material nature which don't belong to bhakti itself.
And because of this, you become separatist, you become bhinnadṛk. You become your your vision becomes separate. Yes, karate.
In a pure bhakti, if your motivation is pure, you know, if Kṛṣṇa is happy, I will become happy. Suddha Bhakti Ma Amnatan, Jedi Krishna, Kusion Wari, Ami Kusjunzo.
You know, if I'm watering the root of the tree, uh I'm little leaf on the tree, I I will also get my happiness. I don't need to m my consciousness in pure bhakti is that I don't need to worry about myself.
Let me worry that Krishna will be happy. If he is happy, if the devotees of Krishna are happy, if my spiritual master is happy, I will become happy.
Actually, this is a very important test. Is our performance of bhakti pure or not? If uh we're performing bhakti and we're becoming happy, it means that our bhakti uh performance of bhakti i is proper, is pure.
If I take my beads and before starting chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, I think I'm doing this because I want Kṛṣṇa to become happy. Then I'll become happy automatically.
And if I take my beads and before chanting, I'm thinking, Prabhupāda said, chant and be happy. Let me become happy. Then I will chant and chant and chant and I will not become happy and I will say Prabhupada cheated me.
If from the very beginning my idea I'm doing this because I want Kṛṣṇa to become I'm not thinking about myself. I don't have this separate idea that I'm separate from him.
other words, if I am doing the practice of bhakti with the understanding that my interest is not separate from Kṛṣṇa's interest. And I'm doing it for his interest and it means that also I'm included in this interest. I will also get benefit.
I don't have to worry about myself. I also have to serve other devotees and Krishna. And if they're happy, I'll become happy automatically. Then my bhakti will become pure.
Mira afnu, so suka afnu like himala cagarina, remali Krishna Kusimanus again bakta kusiman sake on it, so thus putuma after the same. So pure bhakti is very simple. Dasatasudabhakti Dham saraldza. Ek Dham saralja.
Ek Dham. It's not difficult. Just don't think about your own happiness. Just chant and be happy. think that uh uh you chant and uh then become happy. No, you chant and be happy.
I it's different, not you chant and you will become happy. No, you chant and be happy at the same time. I'm doing it for Krishna. Krishna is happy already, and I'm doing to make him even more happy.
And Krishna when he sees this motivation he becomes so pleased and so happy that I become happy. Yeah, this is this is the most important. Uh and uh uh i it's actually it's actually not so difficult at all.
You know, in the beginning of course, as I said yesterday, so many desires may be there.
But if we still practice bhakti in the association of devotees and if we see the happiness of other devotees, then ultimately we will understand that uh we don't need anything for our own happiness. We are already happy.
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Rama, Rama, Rama, Rama, Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Rama, Rama So
Cultivating pure motives for spiritual happiness
I you know we should finish now because it's already 730. I I I want you to remain happy. Very soon you will be sleeping by doing devotional service to Krishna.
But it basically means bhakti means that you have to really always uh tune up your consciousness.
I'm doing it for Krishna and I want Krishna to become happy and then the results of our practice will come very quickly. Very quickly. So I think we should finish on this very optimistic note.
And you know if if we become uh not happy if something is wrong, it it basically means that there is some problem within our heart, and we should go to our senior devotee and to ask him what is wrong with me, why I'm not happy by by doing this or
a And uh just by asking him uh we'll get his mercy. Yeah. Kripa Bhanasa Kincha. Okay, thank you. Hare Krishna. Sila Prabhupada Kinja. Okay, so maybe one or two questions. Yes, yes maybe. Yes.
Um we also hope we could continue tomorrow as well. Let us see. We should negotiate. I I I may ask for some pizza. Well is this Arupa City I mean we said three inside Arupa City also three times.
I got to like prescribe in Shastra boarding ordinary activity and sinful activity. This all three. All three can. Second one just uh one is prescribed in the shastra which is ritualistic activity.
I have to do this yagya or that yagya or this shradha or this ritual or that ritual. Uh according to shadik shastra, vaidik activity. Then another one, Yat Karoshi Yadashnasi Yadjuhoshi Dadasi Yad The ordinary activity,
daily activity which you do. You still have to connect this with Krishna. Yat karosi yadas nasiyat jehoshi dadasyat madarpanam. Tatkurushva madharpanam. You should do it as offering to me.
And the third one is where when we're doing something which is against Shastra.
This can also be connected with bhakti by the means of our repentance and by the you know asking Krishna please uh give us some mercy and free me from this durvasanas which pushed me to do this.
And very quickly you will see that by doing this, the desires from the heart will become less and less and less. You know, sometimes we think that this is very high ideal, Anya Bilashata Sunya, but it's not.
It's not very high. Because you know, we can see that over the time when we practice devotional service, our desires, you know, other things become less and less interesting. They they, you know, you know I
I had so many desires before. I wanted to go that place, this place. Now I'm in Nepal, I'm fine, no problem. I don't need to go to Maldivas or Hawaiias. You know, it's fine. The desires become less and less and less.
You really feel that it's not interesting.
Even if you achieve it, so what? You know, okay, you know, so what? But Krishna is something very special. And you you the more you practice bhakti, the more clear you become about this.
I only want to be there in Vrindavan and I want to uh herd the cows of Krishna together. That's my only desire.
Like Srila Prabhupada said once, you know, somebody wants to know what's going on in this planet, somebody wants to know what is going on this planet. I I have only one desire.
I want to know what Mother Yeshoda cooked for Krishna today. That's my only desire. What she gave him. Do you want to know what Mother Yashoda cooked for Krishna?
Preserving unalloyed devotion amidst external influences
So it means your pure devotee. Thank you Maharaj so for wonderful presentation. I have one one question, practical. One memory and one question.
One Srila Prabhupada said that Krishna consciousness is so simple. That you miss it. That for sure you will miss it. So it's so simple that you you may miss it. Then it will come.
So you just and sometimes devotees they thinking that it's something super pooper duper we have to do something very extraordinary.
We have to learn Sanskrit to go around and impress everyone and so something like śāstra-cakṣus. Not for the sake of purpose of bhakti but for the sake of self development and then we have to learn so many ślokas and aṣṭakālīya-līlā and to impress people in the lectures and we have to know so much about the Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa-līlā and just anyway, too much in My question is I'm just trying to bring and my experience in my Krishna consciousness.
When we joined Krishna consciousness in our nineteen, nineties, eighties, nineties, and we had no any books of Prabhupada this time. Only Bhagavad-gītā translated by you and just not by me. By but we practice that later.
But uh we had only a few books. But the spirit of Maharaj I can never forget the spirit of devo-sevā. Self-surrender, yeah. I mean I'm sure you can remember that.
Such a spirit all this nirjala point, all this we were I mean somehow other spirit of preaching of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was so much surrender, full surrender was there.
But as time was going by and I sharing my experience, we had so many bhakti-shastri, bhakti-vaibhava shastri, tantra, so many books of many, many gurus, and now in the books of go it's your eyes cannot even catch so many books we have. You know, our gurus of ISKCON. But we found that the spirit of selfless surrender for preaching and going somewhere kind of deluded and the devotees getting more oriented for
health consciousness, Ayurveda consciousness, so many astrologers—it's not bad, but we found that to get that selfless full surrendered spirit is getting a little bit more difficult and difficult and difficult.
So uh my question is that is there no is there any um hidden reason because as you said we have to come in contact with proper source first in the beginning and it's called it can be karma misra bhakti, jana misra bhakti and whatever we'll get from very beginning.
Yeah that will grow in the same mood. But because you're presenting so many deluded processes to psychology, astrology, Ayurveda, yoga which is super. And we try can we can connect it to Bhakti also.
But I unfortunately found many devotees they going to different events and pradayas
and organizations from Srila Prabhupada by saying Srila Prabhupada actually didn't give everything. And they said today somebody very very so-called sincere said, you know Prabhupada is just for the beginnings, just for the first level.
And if you really want to know something more then you have to look somewhere outside
and uh that sincere bhakti in the words of Śrīla Prabhupāda, I gave you everything to go back to Godhead, and as Mukunda Mahārāja told once to me and to my friend who asked him, "Can I read books of previous ācāryas?" And Mukunda Mahārāja told me in the beginning that unless you read Śrīla Prabhupāda's books five times thoroughly, completely, Don't go outside.
So what could be there? Maybe you can elaborate few visions on how to protect our sincere, komala, komala bhakti balika— balika, from that. Atyanta komala balika. Especially in India.
Especially in Nepal because it's penetrated by Hindu mentality in people so much want some kind of um complicated uh structures to support bhakti
Satharam rooflip katamudaicha. Just to do pani pakhat of pani lee, is that mister Sietu degrees pani degrees? Krishna Bhana Namrit. Krishna Bhana Amrit. Krishna Bhana Brits. Yes, to say that. So Bhakta Arupani is to Anubilan Basrika Yugayu Mishra, Sampuna Mishra Bhaira, is to Samartiva Ara, Bhakta Haruvan Santu Shila Prabhu Pajikoshiksayu, Survat Kulagimat, Kd level Kulagi Our Hindustan maypal melgam atimahatapuna, eh?
Yeah. I remember when we started practicing it was very actually it was very blissful. You you'll translate? Every day when we there was approximately two hundred devotees
in uh in Bhagawaya temple, and every day all 200 devotees were chanting Hare Krishna together. And when they were all chanting together, you know. All the people in the neighboring houses they woke up from their sleep.
And the vibration was so powerful, you know, two hundred people. Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare. Then you know there was an impression We
say an ek safety, Areikash, Are Krishna Japkar the Harish? And uh you know that everyone was doing it so sincerely that you know even if somebody wanted to sleep during japa time it was not possible. So why?
Because in the beginning there was this very pure motivation. We want to Krishna. And because of this the the uh the results were very powerful.
Śrīla Prabhupāda also was capable to give people this very pure motivation from the very beginning.
There was one uh disciple of Śrīla Prabhupāda, his name is Guru and Gaurāṅga. Uh Srila Prabhupada Gana Sisha, Guru Gauranga oh. He was studying in uh Harvard Law School.
Harvard University is the highest the best university in the whole United States and law school in Harvard University is the best law school ever. So he went for vacation to France. And he met with the devotees there.
Occasionally just met with the devotees. And then and then Prabhupada came. And Prabhupada spoke with him for maybe fifteen minutes or something like this. In two weeks, he was in Austria opening a new temple in Vienna.
He forgot everything about Garvard, Harvard Law School, and everything. It was opening the new temple. And he was the only one, there was nobody else in Vienna.
He he came there and he started Krishna consciousness movement there. And sometimes doubts he he expressed himself, sometimes he said, you know, what am I doing?
I went to vacation and now I'm in Vienna. What happened to me? But then he says, but I am happy. So what else do I need? You know, when when this experience is there, you will never be able to forget this.
And everything else is just, you know, everything else you can do this, but I I I actually it has nothing to do with bhakti. It it doesn't make you h happy. But because we all like kichiri.
Therefore we are always do some misread kind of bhakti.
You know you take sweet rice, you take kir. And you think kir is very nice. Let me put little sand in this kir. So bhakti has this power, inherent power in the activities of bhakti.
Just you you know it's it's a simple experiment, just you know, raise your hands and say, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rāma, Hare That's it. Ram, Hare That's it. Kussicha.
So it's because of Asad Sangha. Śrīla Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, asat-saṅga-tyāga—ei vaiṣṇava-ācāra. Who is Vaishnava? Vaiṣṇava is somebody who is very careful not to have any asatsaṅga.
And asat-saṅga means the saṅga, the association with something which is Asad, which is not real.
The understanding that, you know, there is anything, you know, we are, we are transcendental, Krishna is transcendental, and bhakti is the only transcendental process. We are spiritual by nature, jīva soul.
Krishna is spiritual by nature, and bhakti is the process which connects spiritual uh jīva with uh with God. You know, if uh if there is any other understanding, it's asat, it's unreal, it's against the reality.
Kinakya Hamipanni, the Bitcoin Krishna Pani Tibonanza, Ray Bhakti Margabani Tippisa Hamis uh Deathmik uh Death Mik Totonsa Rayobhaktika Margali Hamla Krishasanaza. You bike or case So the only reason is
asatsaṅga and devotee by the definition of uh Caitanya Mahāprabhu is somebody who avoids asatsaṅga. That's it.
Uh Tasata uh you bhakti basta bikato or subit asato Rajatana Mahaprabhu ansat Bhaktatyuhu, just Asat Sangalatiagarsa.
This is what uh Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says the living entity is transcendental, Krishna is transcendental, and bhāva-vṛtti, the inclination or the tendency for pure devotion through which the living entity establishes eternal relationship with Krishna is also transcendental.
So this understanding we should have. This is, you know, the nature of the living entity is spiritual, Krishna is spiritual, and the only spirely spiritual process is service of the part to the whole. And that's it.
If this understanding is there, then bhakti becomes very simple. So um you said like three types of uh bhakti are svarūpa-siddhi. see. So are we supposed to know about this?
This know about this or uh we are supposed to practice this? And among these three which one is more powerful, more recommended?
See, the most powerful is svarūpa-siddha-bhakti, because it's bhakti by svarūpa because the very nature of this activity is service. You know, we said that bhakti means service, right?
Bhaj Dhatu means sevayam parikirtitaha. Bhaj Dhatu means service. So any activity which is direct service to the Lord is most powerful because it has Swarupash Vastu Shakti, you know, Bhakti Poshaka Shakti.
It nourishes our Shakti. But we also have to do some other activities. So, how to do some other activities so that our bhakti remains pure? This is what I was trying to explain.
That we should do our ordinary activity but with the consciousness that I'm doing it for Krishna and uh we should also you know uh yeah we may do something else but uh ultimately uh everything else which we do should be subservient to this uh to this service which we do.
If it's helpful for my service then we should do it.
Can I just say somebody in terms of uh what come to me to my mind at the moment will it be applicable to the making community accordingly the the um level of uh engagement in devotional
Service in terms of daiva-varṇāśrama-dharma, in terms of respect. Because some devotees they dedicated fully as a missionaries, completely directly serving Krishna.
Some people though they are old devotees, but still they're not able to surrender fully and doing some secondary job. But they're demanding as much respect as missionaries.
And there's some people, those who come in once in a year suppose and sometimes practicing certain level of practic spiritual life, but they still also demanding the same respect as a missionaries who dedicated all the time.
And Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura explained about, I believe, eight levels of respect. So um will it be applicable in making community because
some devotees they come in and practicing Krishna consciousness for ten years, but they're doing this in let's say in vanaprastha or even gṛhastha and full dedication and some people practicing maybe thirty years and they're very wonderful devotees but still they're not able to make it to full direct service.
So how to relate in terms of making practical application? Because somebody practicing... One thing, cait, see,
The devotees are very generous at heart and they are uh you know they are ready to respect anyone, especially if somebody is practicing bhakti. We respect them very much.
So we should be, you know, we should not demand respect, but we should command respect. And demanding respect is not a devotional attitude.
But in general, the society of devotees should be very generous, that you know, we we respect everyone, you know, this new bhakta we respect him very much. And all devotees we respect him very much. We respect everyone.
It is, you know, definitely the culture of respect should be very the culture of respect is the glue which uh keeps the community together. Because when the disrespect is there, it will disintegrate.
The respect is very, very important. But of course, there are different grades of respect and gradations of respect.
But everyone should get respect, and you know, if somebody needs more respect, no problem, we can give him more respect. No problem.
And it is said, uh, in uh Manu-samhita that, uh, you know, this deserves this respect, this deserves that respect, and then it's said that if somebody is hundred years old, he should be respected, no problem. So you know no problem. Everyone has to be respected.
Particularly this is a caste system. It's still very strong.
And we don't know what to say this topic, but still that topic and sometimes people coming from karma-kanda background, very, very strong background, and some devotees they happen to be from the families not as respectful in social environment, right? the families not as respectful in social s environment, right? So I don't know what you call them sarki or whatever, right? And uh they're very very low caste you can say, materially speaking.
But they happen to be even pujaris in ISKCON. And they are so dedicated devotees we know. But because mentality, caste mentality is still prevalent in Nepal. Some people they even didn't want to come close to that level.
I mean, oh, you people like this. And so this is an essence among among the Vaishnava consciousness.
So how to react on that in terms of this three kind of bhakti? Siddha and then, uh, Sangha and then, uh, rupa Sangha Siddha and Swarupa Siddha.
So to make it as a basis, not to mix them, Siddha, we should respect the social customs of the place. If this custom is there, then accordingly we should you know behave in social interactions.
But internally we should also understand that the greatest cause for respect is the level of his bhakti advancement. And, uh, you know, like, uh, Srila Radhanath Maharaj, he gave an examp— he gave an example.
There was this, you know, this Krishna Chandra Prabhu who is very respectable and very rich, and his uh driver, you know, who is much lower in the uh and in their interaction they remain he is the master and he is the driver.
But when they're in the temple they dance together and they, you know, eat together and you know and everyone is very happy to see how they're dancing together. He's the servant and he is the master. But when they become in you know in the society of devotees, there's no masters here. Everyone is a servant.
So because he is the servant, he is more respectable than the master. So and they're dancing together, so that's the that's the thing. You know, we come here and uh for us there is no there is no difference, you know.
Somebody is from high caste. I'm from Russia. This is a very low background. But I'm sitting here somehow or other.
So, from bhakti point of view we don't discriminate, but for social etiquette we should respect the custom of the land.
Yes. You said in the stage of niṣṭhā we can do some of the and in that nine stages how can we know in this stage we are niṣṭhā basically means that your mind is not, you don't have many doubts.
You know, before the stage of niṣṭhā, you may be doubtful whether I want to do it or not.
But when you don't have any doubts, I want to do bhakti, I don't want to do anything else, then it means that you're already on the race stage of niṣṭhā and you can go to your school and associate with everyone there.
No problem. So it it basically depends. If you don't have any doubts, then you are already on the stage of niṣṭhā.
And I'm sure everyone is on the stage of niṣṭhā just I'm not, but anyway it's late, thank you very much Śrīla Prabhupāda.