Healthy Congregation Through Unity & Diversity
Бхакти Вигьяна Госвами · 2022
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Building healthy Vaishnava communities
Okay, so I'm very honored to speak to all of you this evening and I'm very grateful for being hosting and coaching by the Congregation of Wisconsin devotees. of Wiscon devotees.
And I was asked to speak today on the very important and very difficult topic: how to build the healthy community based on real Vaishnava relationship.
It's a very big topic and very difficult one, especially in Kali Yuga. In Kali Yuga, we know whenever there are two people, there is three political parties.
Kali Yuga is a very diversified age where everyone is quarreling with everyone. And it's very difficult to build healthy community in Kali Yuga, because of the influence of the time.
So I will speak on this topic, but before speaking on this topic, I would like to chant one verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam because I don't personally like to speak just on from the top of my head.
We should always quote scriptures and base our presentation on scriptures. Śrīla Prabhupāda was very strict about this. He was emphasizing the scriptures as the foundation of our spiritual life and even material life.
So I have chosen an important verse from the 11th canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as the introduction to this topic, which actually speaks what is supposed to happen in the society of devotees.
This is the verse number thirty-one from the third chapter of the eleventh canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The chapter, the Sadhyaya is entitled Liberation from the Illusory Energy.
It's very interesting because in this chapter the
yogendras they are talking how we can be free from the influence of māyā and our dealing in the community of devotees, in the society of devotees, is a very important tool to actually be free from this influence of external energy of the Lord, which is the root cause of many many problems, if not all of our problems.
This influence of the powerful Daivi Maya, the divine energy of the Supreme Lord. So this verse reads Smarantah Smarayantascha Mitho Gogha Haramharim Bhaktia Sanjaya Bakya Bibraty Utpulakam Tanum.
So the translation of this very important verse for this evening, today, is that the devotees of the Lord constantly discuss the glories of the personality of Godhead among themselves.
Thus they constantly remember the Lord and remind one another of his qualities and pastimes. Smarantaha smarayantaha. They remember themselves and they cause others to remember this. This is the main activity which should go on among the devotees.
We are coming together only for this purpose: to remember about the supreme personality of Godhead ourselves and to remind others. Here He is. He is so glorious, so nice.
So thus they constantly remember the Lord and remind one another of his qualities and pastimes.
In this way, by their devotion to the principles of bhakti-yoga, the devotees please the personality of Godhead, who takes away from them everything inauspicious, being purified of all impediments, the devotees awaken to pure love of Godhead, and thus even within this world their spiritualized bodies exhibit symptoms of transcendental ecstasy, such as standing of the bodily hairs on end.
Basically, Gajendra here he says that the purpose of Vaiṣṇava communities is to remind each other about the Lord, to inspire each other, to remember the Lord, to inspire each other to serve the Lord by chanting his holy name, chanting his pastimes, and by this we please the Lord.
And when the Lord is pleased, He takes away our sinful activities, He takes away our karma and when our hearts are purified by His involvement, by His gracious, gracious act of purifying our hearts from sinful activities, then we will experience real ecstasy, the real ananda, bliss of devotional service.
So there is a little purport which I will read and then we'll speak about the topic which I was asked to speak about.
Meaning of Agha-hara and purification
The word agha-hara is very significant in this verse. Agha refers to that which is inauspicious or sinful. Actually, it's very interesting. This word in Sanskrit is very significant.
Agha comes from the Sanskrit dhātu han, and han means kill. Or so agha means basically something which is not destructible. Han means to destruct. Agha means something which cannot be destroyed.
So it's very significant that this word is used here, agha, or sin, creates such deep impression within our mind that it's very difficult to get rid of this impression.
We enter into some illicit relationship, we do some, you know, some drugs or whatever, we do some sinful activities.
It leaves such a lasting and deep impression in our consciousness that it's very difficult to destroy this impression.
And therefore people are constantly rotating in this world of samsara, in this world of birth and death, punar janma, punar mrity, punar janma, punar mrityu.
Because they're driven by karma and karma is difficult to get rid of. That's what the word agha signifies. Agha means the sin which is difficult to destroy. So agha refers to that which is inauspicious or sinful.
The living entity is actually saccid-ānanda-vigraha, or eternal, full of bliss and knowledge.
But by neglecting his eternal relationship with Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he commits sinful activities and undergoes the inauspicious results in the form of material suffering.
The chain of sinful reaction is called agha or a relentless wave of suffering. Agha-hara, Kṛṣṇa is agha-hara.
He takes away the sinful reactions of his devotees who are thus entitled to experience the inconceivable bliss of the kingdom of God, even while remaining in this world.
The words bhakti-saṁjñayā bhaktyā indicate that there are two divisions of bhakti yoga, sadhana bhakti and raganuga bhakti.
Śrīla Prabhupāda has elaborately explained in his book, The Nectar of Devotion, the progress of the devotee from sādhana-bhakti, or the execution of regulative principles to rāgānuga-bhakti, or service executed in love of Godhead.
According to Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, a liberated soul is always enthusiastic due to the appearance of transcendental ecstasy within this body.
Thus he always aspires to remain overwhelmed in chanting the glories of the personality of Godhead, Hari.
Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa, having taken shelter at His lotus feet. Namaste oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale, śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine. Namaste sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe, nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe. Jaya Śrī-Kṛṣṇa-Caitanya, Prabhu Nityānanda, Śrī-Advaita, Gadādhara, Śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Hare Hare Rama Hari Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.
Importance of proper Vaishnava association
Barhī-rūpaṁ naṭa-vapu-karṇayoḥ karṇikāraṁ bibhrad vāsaccessed anyamscha hasta charana shravanat vagadim Pranandama Bhagavatai Purushayatubim.
So this very important for our understanding verse, actually emphasize the need of Vaishnava association.
The Vaishnava association is extremely powerful, and if the Vaishnava Association is proper, then it pleases the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the purification process, which is very important for us to be happy even in this world, to be free from all the inauspicious results of our sinful activities, this purification process will become very quick and easy and smooth.
But if Vaishnavas associate with each other in an improper way, then this association has an opposite effect.
Unfortunately, instead of purifying the heart, the improper association among the Vaishnavas will bring the contamination within our heart.
It will induce us to commit offenses, and instead of pleasing the Supreme Lord, we will displease the Supreme Lord. And the displeasure of the Supreme Lord is very severe and has very severe consequences.
Therefore it is very very important for us to understand what does it mean to associate with each other, how we should deal with each other, how we should establish this loving relationship among the devotees, what are the important principles of this loving relationship, what we should do, and what we should not do.
As I already said, Kali Yuga is a difficult time. It's the age of quarrel and hypocrisy.
And because everyone is very much disturbed in the mind, always agitated in the mind, always wants to enjoy, the association between people becomes very very difficult.
In Kali Yuga, people tend to be very selfish, tend to be very self-centered and quarrelsome. There is a lot of politics and we know all this is unfortunately there in the society of devotees.
But it's within our power, and actually, this is our responsibility, to establish the proper culture among the devotees.
What happens, the main reason why the communities of devotees become ridden by all these problems, is that we bring, we import the culture of Kali Yuga within the society of devotees.
So the leaders of the society of devotees, the preachers, and whoever is there, senior devotees, and whoever has any influence, their prime duty is to establish the proper culture of dealings among the devotees.
If this proper culture is established, it's very easy for people to adjust to this culture. Śrīla Prabhupāda called us conditioned souls. Being a conditioned soul is a curse. It's not so good, but it can be a blessing.
Because the notion of conditioning means that if we are placed in a certain environment, in certain environment, in certain society, we adopt the principles of this environment. We more or less become like the environment. That's what conditioning means.
We are very in, we are very easily influenced by the external environment.
And that's usually is a very bad thing because especially in Kali Yuga the environment is not very good. We always encounter so many bad things in the internet, in the media, in the newspapers, you know, everyone is talking about politics, about problems, about scandals, fall downs and all this kind of stuff.
But at the same time, if the environment is healthy. If the environment is very pure, then it has a very powerful purifying effect upon ourselves and upon everyone who comes to this society.
Therefore, Śrīla Prabhupāda established ISKCON for one single purpose. Smaranta Smara Smarayantas Cha.
The purpose by which or for which Śrīla Prabhupāda established this con is to remember about God and to remind about God. Now, what is happening?
We are talking about Krishna, we are talking about this verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, we are talking about Śrīla Prabhupāda. I am talking and I'm reminding you about these things.
Most probably you have heard these things many times. But because you induced me to talk, it's also very purifying for me. In fact, it is better for me than for you.
Sūta Gosvāmī says that when Krishna-kathā is going on, the most benefit gets the speaker. Whoever speaks Krishna-kathā, he gets the highest benefit. Whoever listens Krishna-kathā gets the second benefit.
And even the passersbys, those who are casual people, they just accidentally happen to be in the place where Krishna-kathā is going on, they will also get some benefit of Krishna-kathā.
So this is the purpose of our community.
Whenever we come together, we should not speak about politics, we should not speak about gossip, we should not speak about fall-downs, we should only speak about Krishna. And we should remind ourselves and remind others and inspire others to do this.
And by this way we will purify our heart very quickly because Krishna will be very pleased and we very soon we will experience uh ecstasy.
You know, if by the end of this lecture uh everyone has Utpulu Kasharira, uh has uh Roma Harsa, all the bodily hair standing on end, then this lecture is real success.
Centering communities around Krishna katha
But even if it doesn't happen immediately, still we should do it because we know how nice it is.
So the first principle of Vaishnava society, of Vaishnava community, of healthy Vaishnava community is that it is centered around Harikatha, around Krishna Katha, around Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā. Gita. So that's the first principle.
We may put something else in the center, like sometimes when there is a temple, the temple deities are placed in the center. That's good, but this is not as powerful as Krishna Katha because
you know we are being conditioned souls sometimes we see the deities and we are very inspired.
We cry and we we are, you know, but sometimes we come and we're not inspired, we don't really relate to the Lord in a proper way.
But when we speak Krishna Katha, and when the Krishna Katha goes on, and if Krishna Katha is good, it inevitably inspires everyone. You know, I remember it was a very funny story in my life.
In the very beginning, when I started giving lectures, I became very interested in Ayurveda and I'm still interested in Ayurveda. And I gave many years back in the beginning of the 90s, seminar on Ayurveda.
And devotees like this seminar on Ayurveda on the principles of Ayurveda. You know, where in Kerala, and Kerala is the capital of Ayurveda. But I noticed myself that I'm not inspired to speak on this topic.
And I never spoke on this topic again. Because I noticed that the feeling is different. When you speak about Krishna, some powerful energy possesses you.
You become very inspired inevitably whenever you speak about something which is related to Krishna. So Krishna Katha is very powerful.
In the second chapter of the first canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Sūta Gosvāmī says, śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. In fact, this Punyasravana Kirtana is one of the thousand names of Lord Vishnu.
In Vishnu Sahasranam, this name is there. Puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtana. Speaking about the Lord, hearing about the Lord, glorifying the Lord is Punya itself.
It's purifying, it gives you a lot of pious credits, it's completely overwhelming experience. So, this is the first and the most important principle.
And the counterpart of this principle, the negative, because always there is vidhi and there is niseda. This is the rule.
You know, if you establish some vidhi, something which you should do, you should also establish Nishadha, something which is prohibited.
So the vidhi is that we should always speak about Krishna and enliven each other and speak Krishna Katha and study and talk with each other.
The Nisheda is: we should not speak about mundane topics and we should not speak gossip about each other. You know, there is nothing beneficial while discussing the faults of each other.
You know, somehow or other people they have taste for it. You know, they may not have taste for Krishna Katha, but they always have taste to discuss the faults of other people. That taste is very strong, you know.
If somebody speaks about the faults, everyone is listening with rapt attention. So, but this is not good because this is not purifying, and Krishna doesn't like it.
You know, by meditating on the faults of other people, by speaking about the faults and meditating on the faults of other people, we actually invite these faults within our heart.
We actually contaminate our heart by the meditation process because we are prone to all these faults. You know, we're only reinforcing our nature which is prone to all these faults. So that should be strictly prohibited.
Once I heard the lecture and the lecturer, actually it was His Holiness Radhanath Swami. He said, if somebody speaks gossip to you, if somebody is trying, if somebody is inviting you and saying, you know what?
He did this and she did that, and you know they fell down, and this and that and that.
You should say to such a person, Prabhu, you're very advanced and you're very elevated and I am not so elevated I cannot hear this please excuse me please forgive me you are in the position to do this, I am not.
So please don't speak with me about these topics. Let's talk about Krishna. Let's talk. If you want to speak about politics, you can speak about Mahabharata. There is plenty of politics in Mahabharata.
There is so much politics there. You can speak your whole life about the political dealings of Duryodhana, and it will be purifying because it is connected directly with Krishna.
Trust as the foundation of relationships
So that's the first and most important principle in building the healthy community.
And then I wanted to speak about something else, which is actually connected with this topic, but it's a somewhat different approach to this topic. What does it mean to have healthy community?
Healthy community means to have a close, loving, healthy relationship with each other.
You know, when there is no relationship, even if there is no bad relationship, but the relationship are very distant, then it's not healthy community. Community means relationship.
And relationship based on one very important foundation. If you want to have relationship, there is a strong foundation to every relationship, and this foundational cornerstone of every relationship is called trust.
So if we want to build healthy community, healthy community means close relationship between the devotees. And if we want to have a close relationship between the devotees, we have to build trust.
We have to really be trustworthy. You know we all want close relationships.
Sometimes we become angry with people that they're not they don't want to enter into some close relationship with us, we're wondering why people don't want to have a close relationship with us. The answer is very simple.
They don't, somehow rather they don't trust you. If you see somebody who is trustworthy, who has such integrity, you know you want to have relationship with him, you immediately develop some relationship with him.
And if we have this close relationship with people, the Krishna Katha or Hari Katha becomes very powerful.
If there is no relationship, like I'm talking with you and I'm trying my best, but because I don't know you, because I don't have so much relationship, I have little relationship with Prasop Prabhu and I'm very grateful to him.
And actually, because I have little relationship with him, I'm speaking to you. Because I'm very grateful to him and for his help and for his service.
And because in this dealings which I have with him, I develop some trust with him, the relationship is possible.
Two main components of trust
So what I want to say is that if we want to have a healthy community and strong community, powerful community, which actually will attract many more people within its folds. We need to work on this subject matter of trust.
Trust is something very important, and basically, trust has two components in it. There are two main ingredients which build trust. First ingredient: why I trust somebody and don't trust somebody else.
You know, and as every one of you probably has uh some people whom you trust and some people whom you don't trust, uh whom you mistrust.
You know, even within the society of devotees, you know, our society may be not so big yet, although it's growing, it's growing very quickly because so many books are being distributed.
And why we trust somebody, why we don't trust somebody else? And why we trust Śrīla Prabhupāda?
If we look in what Śrīla Prabhupāda did, we can see that the key of success of Śrīla Prabhupāda was because people trusted him. And because people trusted him, people wanted to enter into relationship with him,
and people you know joined his society, people believed his words, people started following him. He was so powerful, he was speaking so powerfully. Why his speech had such an effect?
Because he instilled trust, he commanded trust in the people, and people felt that he is trustworthy and therefore they followed him. So let's examine what was the key of success for Śrīla Prabhupāda. Why he was successful?
Because every one of us wants to be successful. We want to be successful in our little oh no Sorry. I'm sorry there was a break, uh some internet break. Um so uh uh uh why Prabhupāda was so successful? Yes. Yes.
Ma excuse me Maharaj, uh we lost in between my little bit. between polymares. Okay, okay, okay. So uh but it's just uh repeat from the two components of Rosh Maharaj. Okay, I will repeat. I will repeat.
So why Prabhupada was so successful and we also want to be successful in our family. Okay. I'm trying some other network, maybe it will become better. Okay, so two ingredients, two components of trust: one
is character, and another one is another one is m uh the skills or the the how shall you say this? Your professional qualification? You know, if you want to do an operation, surgery with a doctor.
So the first thing which you will ask, you will ask whether he is whether he has a character, whether he is kind, loving person, what is his motivations? And then you also need to know about his professional credentials.
What is his experience? How skillful he is, what are his results. So, this is two components of trust, and Śrīla Prabhupāda exhibited this very powerfully. He was integrity personified.
It is said in Subhashitas, that sādhu is somebody who speaks, sings, and does, and this is all ekam. Whatever he speaks, what he thinks, same. He doesn't think one thing and speaks another thing and does something else.
Cultivating character integrity and pure motives
Integrity means that you're one in your thought process, in your speech process and in your actions.
And it is said that Asadhu, those people who are crooked, who are not really worthy of trust, they think about something else, speak about something else, and act differently.
So, first thing which we should actually do if we want to establish trust in our community, we should become trustworthy ourselves. And it basically means that we should speak and think and act very consistently.
Like we are speaking about Krishna consciousness. And Krishna consciousness means that we are, you know, we are practicing, we have some sādhana.
You know, if you want to be trustworthy, you have to follow strictly your sadhana. And then you will trust yourself. The trust starts from trusting yourself.
If we uh always break our promise, if we don't chant properly, if you somehow rather break regulative principles. You cannot respect yourself even.
You don't feel that you are trustworthy yourself, and therefore people will also feel it. And if the community is consisting of such people. It can never be a good community.
Good community is the community where the leaders establish this principle. The principle of integrity. We should speak, act and think in congruent way, in the way which is harmonious with each other.
You know we, should try to think in a very beneficial way according to principles of Krishna consciousness. Not only speak good things.
Because if we think something bad, sooner or later it will come out from our mouth and it will manifest as an offense.
So the first thing which we should do is to work on our own character, our own character and motivations. The first, the most important ingredient of trust is that you have the proper character, it basically means you're
a kind person, you're a very honest person, you're a very open person, you're not trying to cheat others. And the second part of it is motivation.
Motivation is very important, you know, if you deal with other people, especially with the devotees, we should be very careful, we should not deal with other devotees in a selfish manner.
We should try to help them sincerely, whatever it means, and we should not speak bad about them and everything else. So that's the first ingredient of trust, which is character. Character includes motivation.
Our motivation should be pure when we enter into relationship. I see the devotees and I become happy because there are so few devotees. You know, so many people are around us, but devotees are very few.
Like yesterday, one devotee came and you know he wanted to see me. I was happy to see him because devotees are rare. So this is the first thing. And Prabhupāda, as I said, was very trustworthy.
Developing expertise and professional qualifications
But not only this, if he was only... tr... uh... if he was only, if somebody only has good character and good motivations, it's not enough to trust him.
You know, sometimes the person may be good, but still he is not very skillful, he is not very professional, he is not very knowledgeable. You know, that's another part of the trust. We have to have knowledge.
You know, if we are devotees, we have to have knowledge about Krishna, we have to have knowledge about scriptures, about Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā. And Śrīla Prabhupāda was expert.
The other component of trust is this expertise. And Prabhupada said actually that this is one of the qualities of a devotee. Among 26 qualities of a devotees, one is Daksha. Daksha means expert.
Expert in everything which he is doing. And basically it means that we have to be very expert in in our professional life because when people are expert in professional life, it also creates trust.
You know, if somebody is very successful, naturally other people will trust him because they know he's, you know, he's a substantial person. He knows what he is doing.
Like before me speaking to you, one devotee introduced me and he spoke about me. Why did he do this? He didn't have to do it. I could just start speaking to you.
But he introduced myself and spoke about my credentials or whatever to build some trust. Because when you have some trust to the speaker, you will be more inclined to hear him.
You will hear him more attentively with more more uh uh you know uh care and ultimately it will be more beneficial. Therefore the introduction was there.
I I may not be you know up to the mark of this introduction, but still, introduction is necessary because it's a part of relationship. You know, you want to know who is in front of you.
If somebody is very professional, you will hear him very carefully and very attentively, because you know he proved that he is a substantial person, that he is he knows what he is doing.
In the same way, Śrīla Prabhupāda. It's very interesting. Prabhupada started very small, but he always thought big,
even when he started his ISKCON International Society for Krishna Consciousness devotees, they were wondering what does what does he mean by saying International Society for Krishna Consciousness?
At that time there was only one little storefront in the second avenue. There was no question of international society. You know, there were maybe 20-30 people coming to this storefront, totally non-committed.
But you know, what happened, what I want to say is that, International Society for Krishna Consciousness. But you know, what happened, what I want to say is that from this small beginning,
Prabhupada very quickly became very big. Why did he become big? Because you know, because of his followers. Followers, first followers joined. They developed a very trustful and close relationship with Śrīla Prabhupāda.
They were convinced. And they were able to convince other people about the glories of Śrīla Prabhupāda. This is how it works. You know, if you have some trust in somebody, you will talk about this person.
You will try to introduce him to other people.
Building trust in early ISKCON history
You will say, look, this person is very amazing because you can trust him, you can believe him, he speaks something very powerful.
You know, Bhakti Charu Swami, one of Prabhupāda's disciples, recently I heard him speaking about the atmosphere in ISKCON at that time. He said that devotees would go out doing some service, saṅkīrtana,
or whatever Harinam, and then they would come back to the temple, and in the temple there was only one topic. It was Prabhupadkatha.
They would speak about Prabhupāda, what they heard from the lecture, or what they heard some stories from other devotees, and how Prabhupāda is wonderful. So what I want to say is that you know, Prabhupāda started very small from the very small circle, but it became very big very quickly because Prabhupada instilled trust.
Why he instilled trust? Because of these two important ingredients: the character and his expertise, his professionalism, his knowledge, his skills, you know, how he was speaking, how he was dealing with other people.
You know, I recently read a book of Mukunda, one of the very first devotees who was very instrumental actually in incorporating his ISKCON and helping Śrīla Prabhupāda and establishing his ISKCON. So he tells a little story which is funny and very interesting.
At that time there was no money. Prabhupada maybe had a handful of people who kind of you know were related with him and they were all hippies, they didn't have any extra money, there was no.
there was very little money, very little. And then there was this monumental move, actually historical move, when they found this
storefront on the 2nd Avenue, which has become the first Hare Krishna temple before Śrīla Prabhupāda was living in some loft, in some apartment. And it was quite disastrous.
He was giving lectures there, but actually there was a there was a need to rent some place but the problem they found a place and they only needed hundred eighty dollars to pay in advance but they didn't have $180.
Now every brahmacārī has more than $180. So but at that time the whole society didn't have that much money.
And then on top of this, this storefront and the little apartment for Śrīla Prabhupāda, which they wanted to rent, didn't have electricity connection because they were vacant for some time.
And to connect it to the electricity you needed to pay some money extra in advance.
Actually, exactly the same amount of money which you have to pay for monthly rent, you have to pay to the company, electricity company as whatever there was a rule. So it was a very difficult problem.
They had to pay the rent that they somehow rather found. But on the top of it they, have to pay $180 to the electricity company to be connected with the electricity.
So Prabhupada found out about it and he said to Mukunda to one of his first disciples.
He said, you go to electricity company and you tell that we are a non-profit organization and let them give us electricity for free without any deposit.
And Mukunda goes to the electricity company, it's America, and he just, you know, he speaks with the person and the person says, there's no way. There's absolutely no way.
You have to pay deposit only in this way we will connect you with the electricity. It's a strict rule you go back. And Mukunda goes back to Srila Prabhupada and he says, Prabhupada, I cannot do anything.
You know, we have to somehow rather find $180 for this deposit. And Prabhupada says, okay, I will go myself.
And Mukunda Maharaja writes in this book: he said: next day Prabhupada went to this electricity company himself and in a few minutes he made a deal. No payment whatsoever.
Mukunda Maharaja said, I was amazed, you know, here is some foreigner who even doesn't really properly speak English. You know, he goes and he somehow rather convinces people. This is what it means to be expert.
Prabhupada was such an expert person, and that was also part of his persona, his personality, which was very trustworthy.
So basically, what I want to say here is that if we want to build a strong and healthy community, we have to build trust. And everyone has to first look at himself.
He shouldn't look at somebody else and say, no, I don't trust him, and I don't trust him and I don't trust her. Everyone should look at himself and say, Am I trustworthy?
Am I really manifesting at least in the society of devotees, among the devotees, these qualities? Am I honest? Am I very selfless in my dealings with other devotees? And am I skillful in whatever I'm doing?
If I'm giving lecture, I have to be knowledgeable to do it. If I'm even you know distributing prasāda, of course now it's locked down and uh we are only you know dealing with each other through zoom.
It's a constant zoom there. Like Radhanath Maharaja once joked, he said, I am consumed. We are totally in this zoom.
But you know, whatever we are doing, the point is that we should do something very nicely, very diligently. Like if somebody is doing garlands for the deities, he has to become or she has to become very expert in this.
And that will build the trust. You know, and if everyone in the society, if this notion of character and trust is very firmly established in the society of devotees, the atmosphere will become very beautiful.
If you come to a society and you trust everyone, you can be very open.
You don't have to hide anything. You know that these people will support you, then you know that these people will always help you, then you become very relaxed and you become very enthusiastic, and you will do a lot of things to
Pleasing Krishna through proper interaction
To benefit this society because you will be devoted to this society, you will be devoted to this cause. You know, to this day, you know how many years later,
50, 60, 70 years after Śrīla Prabhupāda established his society, 60 years, so many of his disciples are totally completely sold out to Śrīla Prabhupāda. Why? Because they trust him.
Śrīla Prabhupāda said, I will take you back home, back to Godhead. I will take you to Krishna. Just chant 16 rounds, follow four regulative principles and preach this Krishna consciousness.
And his disciples trust him, his disciples believe him, and they want to and beautiful by making his society very strong and beautiful.
As it is said here, very important point: when the devotees get together and when they're dealing with each other properly, when they speak Krishna Katha with each other, and when they enter into this loving relationship with each other, this is very pleasing to Krishna.
And because it is very pleasing to Krishna, Krishna being pleased with us will purify our hearts from all the sinful tendencies, all these sins which we committed, and we will very soon experience the wonderful results of devotional service.
That's basically what I wanted to say. Little bit, this is a little introduction as I said. It's a very big topic. But you know I I thought I will speak about some basics, some fundamental principles.
So we spoke with you about these two main rules, Vidya and Nisheda, that the foundation of our dealings with each other should be Krishna Katha. And we should not degrade ourselves by discussing the faults of other people, especially other devotees.
And we should also try to establish trusting relationship and to establish trusting relationship you should start from yourself. Examining how trustworthy you are, how selfless you are in dealing with other devotees.
Then it will be very easy. And the ISKCON coaching will be the best community in the whole of ISKCON. And so many people will join, and so many preachers will want to come and to preach to all of you.
So I sincerely from the bottom of my heart thank you and uh wish you all success and your uh devotional service. It's very important especially in this day and age when you
know Kali Yuga is so strong and people are so divided and so quickly forgetting, of course, now with the government of Narendra Modi, the very culture is being revived again, which is beautiful, which is very good.
But still there is a very urgent need to establish this principles of proper Vedic culture all over the world. And I wish you all success. You can do it at least in coaching.
You know, as we all know, coaching is a historical place because it It is from Cochin, Śrīla Prabhupāda got his two trunks of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam sets on Jaladutta Karga ship before going to America.
So Cochin was instrumental in Prabhupāda's mission and I hope it will continue to be so by building this community. So that's That's the end of my lecture.
Questions on spiritual progress and guru
If there is any questions, I will try to answer. Otherwise, you can just go to sleep Are Hare Krishna, Guru Maharaj? Yes. Hare Krishna, please accept mine. Yes, yes, please speak.
My only question is that whatever the what will growth graph of spiritual progress depends only on Sikha and
concentration following four regulative rules and trying to pro uh uh for By accepting his disciples and everything and and follow the whatever the rule uh whatever uh his God has read that we have to follow. That's it.
Then our spiritual growth will be on the positive track, or it will be That the our spiritual progress uh entirely depends on following what Śrīla Prabhupāda said. Was this your question? Yes, yes, Guru Maharaj, yes.
And for chanting 16 rounds with full attention. Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda said that I gave you everything which is necessary and sometimes people become little mental or doubtful about it.
But Śrīla Prabhupāda also said that the most important verse in the whole Vedic literature is the verse from Svetashvatara Upanishad, famous verse, Yasyadeve Parabhtiria Tadeveta Thaguru, Tasyay Kathitahyarta Prakashantemahatmana.
And Śrīla Prabhupāda said that this is the verse which is the key for success in understanding Vedas, the all meaning of the scriptures of the Vedas will be revealed to those great souls who develop complete trust in God and Yasyadeve Tathaguro in the Guru, in the spiritual master.
And Prabhupada being the Guru, if we uh establish this uh bhakti to him, if we establish trust to him and follow him without deviations, uh then definitely the meaning of scriptures will be revealed to us, and the success will be guaranteed, that's for sure.
So this devotion to the lines of spiritual preceptors, especially such powerful spiritual preceptors as Prabhupada, is very important. It's an important spiritual principle. And we have to have trust.
You know, if we don't trust Prabhupada, whom we will trust? We will be in a very difficult position if we don't trust Prabhupada and his words. So at least him we should trust. Thank you Guru Maharaj, I got the answer.
Hare Krishna Dandovana. Okay Okay. Any other questions? Any questions in the chat?
Practical steps for developing character
No, there's no questions in the chat. No. Hare Krishna Maharaj. Yes. Yes, Hare Krishna. Please accept my respectful obeisances. Hare Krishna Prabhu. Maharaj.
It was a wonderful session Maharaj, very informative for all devotees and very essential at our present stage because we are in a struggling stage so that we can build our conditioning into a healthy world.
So we took a lot of inspiration from your messages, your instructions Maharaj.
So Maharaj, though we know, uh, we can, uh, understand what you have said, but when practically how can we build what are the steps which we can take uh one, two, three like that, what steps we can take to uh develop the trust, how can ourselves we can become more trustworthy? Could you please sum up the one to five points something like that?
Like just like you, for example, you mentioned like discussing Kṛṣṇa-kathā. the f you know the first point of trust to become trustworthy is character and the most important trait of the character of a devotee is tṛṇād api su-nīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā amāninā mānadena kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ.
So we should work first on our character and the character means humility, tolerance, respect to other people, and we should not depend on the respect of other people, but we should always be ready to respect.
So the first thing which we should always be reminded, remind ourselves, you know, on the stage of Nishta, this character will become our nature.
But before we reach this stage of Nishta, and Nishta is a very elevated stage of spiritual life, we should practice this.
I may not be humble, I may be a little proud, but I should practice humility, I should practice tolerance. It means basically that you know I should humbly ask devotees what can I do for you?
And if somebody says something unkind to me, I should tolerate it and I should again humbly ask him and approach him and ask him, you know, why did you say this? You know, what did I do wrong?
So if we work on this humility and tolerance, tolerating some maybe not very healthy dealings with others. That will be very important foundation for us being trusted. You know why people still trust Mahatma Gandhi.
You know, of course, not everyone trusts Mahatma Gandhi. He's sometimes as any powerful leader he may become controversial in the minds of some people.
But still, you know, if the trust is there, they trust him because of his humility, because he tolerated the you know the difficulties in his life.
So basically, if we do this, if we always remind ourselves: this is this is important, this is important for my spiritual life, and this is important in my dealings with others.
And if we are always respectful, you know, devotees then naturally respectful to senior people. Like I've seen here, you know, I am a sannyāsī. People naturally respect him because I am a sannyāsī.
But but you know, if we are respectful not only to sannyasis, whoever is there, if we respect them, especially if we respect devotees, that's very big contribution in our character and it will create trust in the minds of other people.
If they see this behavior. Especially the leaders. The leaders they have a special role in building trust because people are naturally distrustful to the leaders.
You know you don't have to do anything for people to distrust you. You just have to be a leader and people will distrust you just because you're a leader. It's an ungrateful part of being a leader.
People tend to kind of mistrust you because you're a leader, you know, maybe you're taking advantage of this. So if you're a leader, you have to be double careful.
You have to be very respectful, very humble, and always check your own motivations in whatever you're doing. And then you know ultimately people will trust you.
And if the community has trustworthy people People in charge, people as the heads of this community, It's very easy to build healthy community.
So whatever I spoke is related to everyone, but it to the greater extent it's related to the leaders. And they have to work on their character first and foremost and their motivations.
So, and that's basically humility, tolerance, respect, very much respect others, and not depending on whether others manifest respect to you or not. You know, sometimes people don't respect you, so what can we do?
And then, you know, if another part of it, the next point is to become expert, expert in dealing with other people,
expert in being preacher, expert in knowing the śāstras. And of course, working, taking responsibility as you suggested another topic. And this topic which I have chosen is kind of combining these two topics together,
accepting responsibilities for our own spiritual progress means practicing very vigorously and very honestly. Sixteen rounds every morning before working, not chanting while driving or doing some other things.
You can chant while you drive, but extra rounds, not the minimum 16 rounds which is supposed to be very attentive.
So and uh and basically you know there are some other rules which you can also do establish very strong rules of mutual dealings that in our community we don't criticize others.
We don't listen to all this rubbish, to all these gossips and this and that. In our community, we respect seniors. Whenever somebody who is a senior comes, we respect him very much.
You know, if these rules are very firmly established in the community, people will trust you even outside people will trust you and inside people will also trust uh you when when you know when the
Vedic in the Vedic times uh Maharshis were ruling or you know rājarṣis were ruling, the kings which were like Kṛṣṇa, how they established healthy society by being such a powerful character and by establishing very strict rules for everyone to follow.
You know, this is the rules which we follow here and deviations from the rules will not be tolerated.
We are respecting seniors, we are protecting women and old people, we are protecting brāhmaṇical, you know, brāhmaṇical culture and we are practicing here humility, tolerance and respect for everyone.
We're respecting other religions also, we are not fighting with them, we're respecting them, we are not following them, but we are respectful in our dealings with them.
And we know that ultimately God is one and he happened to be Krishna. Did I answer? Thank you, Maharaj. Yes, Maharaj, thank you very much. That's very nice.
Uh would like to hear from other devotees if anybody has having some questions. Hare Krishna. Maharaj I hope you have some more time for us. Maybe five three minutes for personal. Yeah sure sure.
Yeah please please please I'm yours please if you if there is questions I don't Ray -> Hare
Krishna, do any devotees have some doubts either relating to the today's session or today's topic or even outside the today's topic can also be asked to Maharaj timely or can utilize this opportunity?
I don't even see anyone. Everyone is muted and no picture.
Developing detachment in family life
Thank you for your wonderful session, Maharaj.
Uh actually I have one question Maharaj uh not not directly related to this session, Maharaj. Uh it was about like uh uh uh you even uh uh in considering the uh uh like I am I am I'm married for last uh uh before two years Maharaj so uh like uh how to how to like I have heard that uh we have to be detached Maharaj
like uh then the husband has to be detached. So how to develop that aspect Maharaj like internally even though it is internally because uh in my case I am very much attached to my family members and uh uh uh like that, Maharaj.
So how to become detached internally Maharaj or attached to Krishna, more attached to Krishna. Yes, see this is thank you for this question. It's a difficult question, definitely.
We are naturally attached to near and dear ones. But the detachment should not be developed separately from our attachment to Krishna.
So the detachment is a by-product of our attachment to Krishna, the detachment to everyone else. And it will be healthy detachment not unpleasant and rough detachment. Sometimes people manifest this fanatical detachment.
No, but the healthy detachment will come as a natural outcome of developing attachment to Krishna Katha and attachment to the devotees. Actually our real family is the devotees because we can enter very deep relationship with the devotees. So try to work on being attached to hearing Krishna Katha, to dealing with devotees.
You know, we all know if we invest our heart into something, we become attached to this person.
If we serve somebody, like it is a known fact that mother is usually more attached to the son who is to a child who is sick, who is not very healthy, because she serves him more. And the more she serves, the more she becomes attached. That's the universal principle.
If you serve somebody, you become attached to this person. So and therefore we serve Krishna. Therefore we serve Srila Prabhupada, and the more we serve Srila Prabhupada the more we become attached to him.
And the more we hear about Krishna and serve Krishna and hear his name, the more we become attached to him.
And in a similar way, if we serve some devotees, help some devotees, help them develop spiritually, preach to them, support them in their spiritual practices and journey, help them to solve their problems, we become attached to them.
So the key is to become attached to Krishna and Krishna's devotees, and how to become attached is to serve them.
You only become attached to your family members because you served them so much, because you invested so much of your heart into this relationship and you serve them.
So serve the devotees, serve Krishna while investing your heart and you will become attached to Krishna and to Krishna's devotees.
And you will still remain very, you know, nice relationship with your family members, but maybe less emotionally attached. Did I answer your question, Arik Krishnan Prabhu?
Yes, yes, yes, Maharaj, thank you, Maharaj. I am satisfied with the answer that you see. Thank you, Maharaj.
Handling food in social situations
Okay. Uh, Maharaj, I have one more question, Maharaj. Um may I uh ask the question, Maharaj? Sure, nobody else asked, so please ask.
Maharaj, like uh I I face like uh and this is a practical question Maharaj, like I fa whenever uh we are at home, we cook bhoga and we offer to the Lord and we honor it, Maharaj.
But when we come to a relative's home, though we eat the vegetarian food and without onion, garlic, but we are not able to, we for the time being, like, we are not able to offer it to the Lord because they prepare it, and sometimes they might have taken it eaten it also. So in such cases, like how should and I might not be able to say no to them as well, Maharaj. So in such cases, what should I do, Maharaj?
Uh Śrīla Prabhupāda he often uh would take his uh devotees to some house for some house programs and they were fed and it's not always was prasāda once he was even fed with some onion.
And devotees found out and started making a sin. And Prabhupada said, there's no onion here, I don't see any onion. And started eating it.
So if you are in your relative's house or your friend's house, you know, just do whatever you can, just mentally offer it to Krishna or thank Krishna for taking it and you know take prasād- take take whatever is there.
It's not important because relationship perhaps is most important and people will respect you ultimately. Sometimes it's possible, you know what can we do? We should not be too fanatical.
Prabhupāda showed his own example and you know we have to do it. What what what else can we do? Thank you, Maharaj. Thank you Maharaj. Hare Krishna Prabhu Maharaj? Yes. Can we continue to that? Hare Krishna Prabhu itself. Can I?
Yes, please. I personally have the experience regarding it, right?
Regarding that I whenever I go office also, relatives also who so I prefer to tell them that I'm not going to consume anything and lead prasāda or it's it can maximum give me the fruit something that I can consume.
So is this right way or the Yeah it it really depends on your relationship. You know, sometimes you are in a position to do it. If you are in a position to do it, I will only eat fruits. Fine, it's it's good, it's the best.
You know, but sometimes you're not in the position to do it, you know. If you are a boss in the office you can say I will only eat fruits, but if you're not a boss and uh you know sometimes you may eat something else.
So it it really depends. You know, if you if you're in a position to do it, it's the best. Absolutely.
Uh because in my office they there are separate functions and everything they give treat to everyone in the office. So I bluntly tell them that I'm not interested because I'm just not consuming any onion gathering. And you cook also no onion also seem like I'm not following and following this one. Yeah. So that okay I will respect you. Okay, fine.
Just close. Again, if yeah, I it it really depends on your relationship. If relationship allows this, of course you should do it.
Sometimes relationship don't allow this, you know, and you know then you have to make an exception, but it's an exception. But if you can do it, that's the best. Absolutely, if if relationship allows this.
Hare Kṛṣṇa all devotees, so it is already uh eight fifteen three, so it's getting late for Maharaj. So if there is no more question then we can just express our gratitude to Maharaj.