19830109 The Man Who Wouldn't Stop Chanting

19830109 The Man Who Wouldn't Stop Chanting

https://archives.JayapatākāSwāmī.com/courses/306577/lectures/5016038

09/10/1983

Talk by

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swamy Guru Mahārāj

Jayapatākā Swāmī: Sometimes if a devotee is not careful for offending other devotee then even an advanced devotee can fall into difficulty. [Thai translation] The other dangers uh, are there: Unwanted creepers. [Thai translation] The devotee keeps away other desires from the heart, because those desires can grow up, and can take away strength from the spiritual tree. [Thai translation] Of course this is just a basic, very brief explanation. [Thai translation] So in this, material world we are very fortunate to be human beings. [Thai translation] This human body is a good birth because it gives us more intelligence to understand the purpose of life. [Thai translation]

Lord Caitanya, He was so dear, that when He was in the forest, all the animals would come and lick him. [Thai translation] When He would chant Hare Kṛṣṇa even the tigers and the deer would chant together without fear. [Thai translation] He is considered to be the most merciful form of Kṛṣṇa because He accepts anyone no matter what they did in their past life. [Thai translation] So therefore, we request everyone to take this seed of Kṛṣṇa Consciousness and plant in your heart and to water it by daily chanting and hearing the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. [Thai translation]

Are there any questions? [Thai translation]

Nishi.

[Devotee Nishi] Step by step of becoming devotee. [Thai translation]

Jayapatākā Swāmī: I was looking for that verse. [Thai translation] uh, but I remember I couldn’t find it.

The first point of course is to have a [Thai translation] adau sraddha, to come and then satsanga to come and to associate with the devotees. [Thai translation] Then one has faith [Thai translation] to come and hear from the devotees and listen to what they are saying, this is the first step. [Thai translation] and by associating with the devotees then one sees that this is a very nice way of life [Thai translation] and then one starts to chant and to practice oneself some of the aspects of devotional service. [Thai translation] then one accepts the spiritual master [Thai translation] and renders service under his guidance [Thai translation] and gets rid of unwanted things from the heart. [Thai translation] Sufferings and other kinds of illusions that are in the heart. [Thai translation]

Then, from there one becomes very fixed or nishta, fixed in the spiritual, in the devotional life, in the spiritual, in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness. [Thai translation] Then, from that stage one gets a taste for the devotional service [Thai translation] which is described to be more sweet than honey [Thai translation] it's completely satisfying to the self.

So, being attached to that, taste, then one grows and becomes to the stage known as attached. [Thai translation] of course, we like a family. Once, there is a story Prabhupāda used how a person becomes very attached to chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and serving Kṛṣṇa. [Thai translation] That there was once a boy one who had joined the temple in Montreal, Canada and he was chanting there for some time. [Thai translation] But his mother and father came and they wanted him that he could come back to home. [Thai translation] and to leave the temple. [Thai translation]

So, they were talking with him by the door, then suddenly they grabbed him and said, “Come on!” [Thai translation] Of course, we don’t like… we like it if whole family is practicing devotional service. That is very good. [Thai translation] then, the home is very good for spiritual life if everyone is devotee there. [Thai translation] but these parents were not devotees and they wanted their son to be in material life, and not to be in devotional service. [Thai translation] So one was pulling on the arm, and other… mother was pulling on arm and the father was pulling on the leg, and he was holding with one hand on the door. [Thai translation] So, finally they were pulling on two legs and he is hanging in the air holding on the door, and they’re saying, “You come !”

He said, “No! I won’t go!” [Thai translation]

“You come! You come”

“No, no, I want to serve Kṛṣṇa, I don’t want to go.” [Thai translation] and they were pulling, [Thai translation] so Prabhupāda said that this shows that he had a great attachment to Kṛṣṇa, [Devotees laughter] [Thai translation] there was one devotee called Haridās Ṭhākura [Thai translation] and he was told by one Muslim King that “You should stop chanting the name of Kṛṣṇa, you should chant the name of Allah.” [Thai translation] So, he said that “I cannot stop chanting the name of Kṛṣṇa”. [Thai translation]

So they said that “If you don’t stop chanting the name of Kṛṣṇa you will be punished.” [Thai translation]

He said that “You can cut my body into little little pieces, [Thai translation] but so long there is one piece left [Thai translation] that piece will go on chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa [Devotees : laughter] [Thai translation] so, then he was whipped in 22 market places, people there tried to kill him by whipping. [Thai translation] but he was protected by Kṛṣṇa [Thai translation] and although they whipped him there was no mark on his body. [Thai translation] so then the people who were assigned to whip him, they were very sad after the 22 market places were finished because… and they were just lamenting. [Thai translation] Lord... Haridās Ṭhākura said that “Why you are sad?” [Thai translation]

“We are sad because you are not dead.” [Thai translation]

“Why?” [Thai translation]

“Because the King will kill us because you are not died even though we have whipped you.” [Thai translation]

He said, “So if I die that will it make you happy?” [Thai translation]

“Yes, Yes, we will be very happy if you die.” [Thai translation]

So, then he said “Alright,” then he laid down and went into Samadhi, and then he appeared as if dead. [Thai translation] they couldn’t see any breath [Thai translation] couldn’t hear any heart beat [Thai translation]

“He’s dead! He’s dead! [Thai translation] Tell the King! [Thai translation] Now we will get a big reward. [Thai translation] We have been saved, he is dead!” [Thai translation]

They ran and told that Nawab, the Badshah that “He is dead. He is dead. We did our job” [Thai translation] So, then the King came down to see, and they tested if He is dead, “He is dead.” So then, the Kind said “So, let us then burn him.” [Thai translation] but his priest came and said, “No. He should not be burned, he should not be buried. His soul should not be allowed to rest in peace. [Thai translation] He should just be thrown in the river so that crows and dogs will eat his flesh and his soul will wander completely, horrible, just lack of peace. [Thai translation] because he has not followed the right path.”

So then uh, the King said, “Alright, through him in the river.” [Thai translation] So, the two people they tried to lift him up, but because Haridās Ṭhākur was meditating on Kṛṣṇa in the heart, he become very heavy, heavy as the universe. [Thai translation] The two, they couldn’t move him even an inch. [Thai translation] the King was bewildered, “bring more men, move him! Get him in the river. Move him!” [Thai translation]

“Ugh! Pull him! get him in the river.” [Thai translation] didn’t move. [Thai translation]

Sid, “Bring elephants!” [Thai translation] They tied elephant with ropes to his legs, and they are straining, “Urg!” Screaming, poking. They couldn’t move him [Thai translation] What to do? [Thai translation]

Then all of a sudden Haridās Ṭhākur became very light like a ball of cotton. [Thai translation] One man lifted him up like a cotton ball [Thai translation] they took him, threw him in the river. [Thai translation] He was floating on the top of the river. [Thai translation] Wind was blowing in from the other side. [Thai translation] then, he hit the other side, he came conscious. [Thai translation] he jumped out of the water [Thai translation]

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare

Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

he started dancing and going away [Thai translation] the King and the priest said, “Look!” they couldn’t believe it [Thai translation] that King, he immediately said, “Call.. give me a boat immediately!” [Thai translation] he had them take him across to the other side of the river. [Thai translation] he ran after Haridās Ṭhākur [Thai translation], he fell down and grabbed his feet. [Thai translation]

“You please forgive me for my offences.” I didn’t recognize you, you are a great peer… you are a great master” [Thai translation]

He said, “I can only forgive you only if you promise that no one will obstruct the people from chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa in your kingdom.” [Thai translation] Just then the priest he came also running, and he fell “Please forgive me, I made a big mistake.” [Thai translation] So, this way they promised that they won’t obstruct anymore, Haridās Ṭhākur forgave them.

Transcribed by Sadananda Kṛṣṇa Prema dasa

Revised by Jagannatha dasa Brahmacari

Proof read by : Chaitanya Pr, Reading UK Bhakti Vriksha on 17th Oct 2020