19880211 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 9.4.27

Following is a class given by His Holiness Jayapataka Swami on February 11, 1988 in Talavan farm, Carrier, Mississippi. The class begins with the reading from the Srimad Bhagavatam Ninth Canto, Chapter Four, Text Twenty-seven.

Jayapatākā Swami:

gṛheṣu dāreṣu suteṣu bandhuṣu
dvipottama-syandana-vāji-vastuṣu
akṣayya-ratnābharaṇāmbarādiṣv
ananta-kośeṣv akarod asan-matim

(ŚB 9.4.27)

Translation: Mahārāja Ambarīṣa gave up all attachment to household affairs, wives, children, friends and relatives, to the best of powerful elephants, to beautiful chariots, carts, horses and inexhaustible jewels, and to ornaments, garments and an inexhaustible treasury. He gave up attachment to all of them, regarding them as temporary and material.

Purport: Anāsaktasya viṣayān yathārham upayuñjataḥ. Material possessions can be accepted as far as they can be used in devotional service. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam. Ānukūlyasya saṅkalpaḥ prātikūlyasya varjanam. In preaching, many things considered material are needed. A devotee should not have any attachment for such material involvements as house, wife, children, friends and cars. Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, for example, had all such things, but he was not attached to them. This is the effect of bhakti-yoga. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra ca (Bhāg. 11.2.42). One who is advanced in devotional service has no attachment for material things for sense enjoyment, but for preaching, to spread the glories of the Lord, he accepts such things without attachment. Anāsaktasya viṣayān yathārham upayuñjataḥ. Everything can be used to the extent that it can be engaged in Kṛṣṇa’s service.

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta Swami purport and translation to Canto Nine, Chapter Four, Text Twenty-seven of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata-Mahāpurāṇa in the matter of "Ambarisa Maharaja offended by Durvāsa Muni."

*Translation with Repetition*

Jayapatākā Swami: So, it’s interesting, we have heard many times about great devotees being detached from the household affairs, wives, children, friends, relatives. Not that they artificially renounce, but that they actually fixed their mind and their devotional service for Kṛṣṇa. They don’t engage in temporary activities, thinking that as the source of permanent happiness, whatever extend it is beneficial for the devotional service, they maintain. 

Of course, here it is little interesting, ascetic for the Americans that we can see that it mentions also beautiful chariots, carts, horses, powerful elephants. In those days, they didn’t use Ford, Chevron, Mercedes Benz or Rolls Royce, they used beautiful chariots, hand cars with silver, gold you know beautiful horses, elephants, and these were the practice of conveyance.

From this we can understand that may be some great King, he is very proud of his vehicle, very nicely decorated, newest design, good horses naturally feel attached, go around showing off to your buddy, (laughter) to everyone. But it mentions here, he was detached from all these things. Because in the West, you find it sometimes… I mean you can see in the material world; people are very proud of their vehicles, it is a very big status symbol to have a proper vehicle.  Actually, in the whole, some people like even they live in very big townhouse and but if they have nice vehicle, they feel very proud. 

The point is, here Ambarīṣa Mahārāja everything he did, whether vehicles, whether house, whether friends, family, whether whatever it might be, his own treasury, he simply took shelter of Kṛṣṇa. He didn’t remain attached to these things, therefore to whatever extent they were needed, he used them, but he was not attached to them. This is really being liberated while in the material world, to have or not to have these things, but not be attached.  It is actually more difficult not to have something and not be attached. We don’t have that, that is easy to be detached. They want that. Most people, they don’t have it, but they are still attached, they like to have.

But for someone who renounces like a sannyāsi, something he doesn’t have, alright he can be detached. But if he actually have all these things, inexhaustible treasury, fancy cars, beautiful wife, he had everything, still he is not attached. That is transcendental. He is actually a liberated soul.  A sannyāsī, he may renounce, he may be avoiding. That doesn’t necessarily, may be not fully detached in one sense. He is detached by force of just renouncing. Attached to be in association, naturally attachments are there, in fact even these attachments can be dovetailed to some extent.

Ambarīṣa Mahārāja was so attached to Kṛṣṇa, in spite of having all this material facilities, he didn’t consider them as something permanent. He wasn’t attached by those things, he was actually attached to Kṛṣṇa. That was his real focus. This is the perfection of devotional service. Actually, we focus on Krsna, to be transcendental. It is not difficult if we are Kṛṣṇa conscious. But being attached to Kṛṣṇa, one automatically transcendental.

You see there is two processes, one is negation and one is positive. Prabhupāda always chose the positive alternative. You can negate something, renounce it, but that doesn’t get to solve so. Is in relation to that particular renounce these things.  So, that means some relationship with that thing you renounced it. You still may be attached but you renouncing it to become detached.  Someone may renounce smoking, but they still like to smoke, but they renounced it, because they know it is bad for them.  So, one may be attached to some sense gratification, they renounce it because they know that it is good for them.

But actually, be attached to Kṛṣṇa so much that you do not attach anymore to other thing that is liberation. That is why Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, he was while living he was liberated. So because initially we have bad habits, we have bad attachments, we have material desires, we regulate ourselves and we keep ourselves away from the objects which are detrimental to our spiritual life. That does not mean that we fully don’t have any attachment yet.  Attachment is there, but that we are trying to transcend it.

That process of transcending is to actually become attached to Kṛṣṇa.  Whoever is fully attached to Kṛṣṇa, will automatically detach from life completely naturally. So, Mahārāja Ambarīṣa achieved this stage. He is good as one of the mahājanas, because by his great stature in devotional service. How he manifested, it is not that all he was detached.

There happened one time that celebrity in India, he was eating about, he was eating whole big piece of ice-cream, and then he filled his mouth with it and said I am not attached. While I am eating, I am just thinking I am not attached to this.  I just totally I am not eating I am just… he just made some mental speculation.

So, the situation is that we just make some mental adjustment. We need to actually become attached to Kṛṣṇa. We need to be so attached that if Kṛṣṇa is pleased, we are pleased, if Kṛṣṇa is displeased, we are unhappy. Devotees are completely connected with Kṛṣṇa. In material life, our mind is frustrated we are unhappy, if our senses are not gratified, we are unhappy or angry, while between meditating on the objects of the senses, attachment then lust, then anger, if we don’t get our way then illusion, then fall down. 

So, nature of the mind is to be very attached, when we are in attached state that means we suffer like anything. Because there is always this situation of hankering, fear, lamentation, when we have something. We don’t have it we are hankering for it, we get attached it, we have lust for it; we are greedy for it; we don’t get it we are angry, we get illusion, we fall down.  When we have something, we are very attached, we are always afraid, we think someone will take it away from us, that’s then we get angry on that person or thing, we get anger, comes illusion, fall down occurs. 

When we lose something then we again frustrated, because we are already attached, we have lot of desires for that, we become angry, illusion, we fall down. So, all the three-levels, hankering, fearing and lamentation are causing us this ultimately to fall down from the spiritual platform. As soon as we desire material satisfaction then we are in trouble because that syndrome we get, this is a natural progression.

As soon as we are attached to Kṛṣṇa, we are liberated, we are free from this. Therefore, the devotee tries to remain detached from material things by chanting, by hearing, by reading, by associating with devotees, try to allow the natural love of Kṛṣṇa to manifest, prays to Nitāi-Gaura when will I have pure love for You?  Like Lord Caitanya prayed in Śikṣāṣtakam, please fix me as a speck of dust at Your Lotus feet.  Lord Caitanya was feeling separation, one moment was more than twelve years. This is the process. When we are actually attached to Kṛṣṇa, we will be crying for Kṛṣṇa. If we are attached to some physical, mental, material thing and we don’t get it, we feel frustrated; we may cry like little children, we throw temper tantrums, because we get bad time.

When Lord Caitanya was a little baby, He was playing in the courtyard of His house and mother Śacī told Him, He was doing something mother Śacī told Him, "That’s alright. You just play there. I will give You whatever You want, just be quiet till I come. I am cooking Your food."  She said, "I will give whatever You want.” He is a little baby. So, then mother Śacī came and then He started crying saying, "Give Me the moon, I want the moon, pick the moon from the sky and give it to Me." She said, "How I can give You the moon? You are such a foolish boy how you expect that?"  "Ya… (in crying voice) you promised me you will give me the moon, I want the moon. yah...." (devotees laugh) Anybody take the moon and give it? “I am brāhmaṇa, you gave your word, why don’t you give the moon?  You give the moon. I want the moon (in crying voice)” (devotees laugh) So, then she picked Him up and said, "What you want that moon for? It has got spot on its face, Your face is more brilliant than millions and millions of moons." 

Devotees: Ah! Jay!

Jayapatākā Swami: She started kissing Lord Caitanya’s baby face, brilliant more brilliant than millions of moons. Sri Caitanya Mahāprabhū ki Jaya! Gaurāṇga ki Jay! 

So little children they may sometime want something that it is not possible for the father or mother to give, so then they keep crying.  So that the frustrations of life increases when we grow then we realize our limitations, so we start to re-adjust our goals, the things that we hope we could achieve. We don’t get it, the same syndromes can occur. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is actually that we realign our desires.

You know the story, Prabhupāda said about the boat man in the night and the marriage party, how he rowed the whole night, in the morning when the fog cleared he found him at the same place, because he never pulled out the anchor. How many don’t know about that story?

(Devotees discuss. Kids say no...)

So, then the point is what is the anchor? We are still desiring material things, we not really fixed our desires in Kṛṣṇa, therefore in spite of making external efforts, we don’t make the full progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.  So, therefore this is very important that we understand Anāsaktasya viṣayān yathārham upayuñjataḥ.  Anāsaktasya means we are not attached to what viṣayān - sense gratification, at the same time yathārham - arham means to eat, in other words also to enjoy; yathā means appropriate or in moderation;  upayuñjataḥ same as yukta-vairāgya, in the service of Kṛṣṇa we accept, without being attached to enjoying senses gratification, we accept whatever amount of material situation is needed which we can engage in Kṛṣṇa’s service.

We know how difficult it is if we have more facilities. Someone have to see; well I need to have the TV to watch the evening news. Well, tonight there is a special movie; I may watch it little bit.  I will use it in my service then... of course if you have it, you start turning on the TV, it is not the news, but it is some other stupid show. So, it’s actually yoga to be able to have something and only use it in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Just like Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura one time he happens to eat a mango which is meant to be offered to Bhakti Vinoda Ṭhākura’s Deity, but wasn’t offered though, that was bhoga. Bhakti Vinoda Ṭhākura’s chastised him very heavily strongly that, “You should never eat unoffered food, this is our system for eating, we don’t eat viṣayān, we don’t eat unoffered food.”  Especially, when we are in a temple, we eat every day Deities' prasāda. Sometimes, when we are travelling for emergency, we eat some vegetarian thing, although it is even better to take prasāda with you as far as possible.

We never eat something that is intended for the Deity for sure, and we try to avoid eating anything that’s not offered. Bhakti Vinoda Ṭhākura chastised Bhakti Siddhānta Ṭhākura when he was a small boy, only six years old.  He took it so seriously that, “I have offended the Deities, I have eaten Deities’ offering before it was offered.” Then he vowed never to eat mangoes his whole life. And even when he was fourteen-fifteen or forty years old he wouldn’t eat mango. He loved mango. But he was so strict in his vow, determination.

In Bengal, in India, mangoes are so sweet, so nice fruit, they like fruit, anyone. The point is that, just like when we take prasāda, we don’t eat bhoga, we don’t eat unoffered, we want to eat food offered to the Deity, that’s called prasāda. Similarly, everything we do, need to do it upayuñjataḥ, properly in the service of Kṛṣṇa. Yathārham in an appropriate quantity. In this way one remains Anāsaktasya viṣayān unattached to sense gratification.  Bhakti yoga is more difficult in the sense of one has to always be in control.

If you just give everything out to live in a forest, well, that’s very physically austerity.  But if someone is austere not to do it well, like they may be got so much sense gratification, then with the false ego they get entangled. Actually, the process of mystic yoga is the… is much more austere, much more difficult and is filled with difficulties in a gross sense, and is not so purifying to the mind, false ego and other things are more easily maintained while one is in a mystic yoga process. At the same time bhakti-yoga is easily performed, in terms of not great austerity, it’s not at all very difficult to perform in terms of the actual activity. They are quite pleasant, quite natural.

But it is difficult in the sense, that requires total sincerity, it requires you have to control the mind, you have to control the senses, and observe moderation, observe sense control. Without doing that then one will be in viṣaya. Viṣaya means simply hankering for the satisfaction of the senses.  Locana Dāsa Ṭhākura in his song, “viṣaya chāṛiyā se rase majiyā mukhe bolo hari hari” - Give up viṣaya. Other ... instruction here, “one who is advanced in devotional service has no attachment for material things for sense enjoyment. But for preaching, to spread the glories of Lord, he accepts such things without attachment.” For preaching, we can accept even wonderful material things.  Prabhupāda accepted The Bhaktivedanta Manor from George Harrison, even it’s a big expensive property, may be that time one million dollar or so, more or less, because he offered it to Kṛṣṇa as His temple.

Actually devotees’ life style doesn’t change. Even Prabhupāda was a multi-millionaire by material estimation.  Indians, sometime they come to see Prabhupāda and say, “can you show me a miracle?” He said, “you want to see a miracle? I went to America with forty dollars, now I have temples and properties all over the world which is 10 million dollars in few years, isn’t that a miracle? Look at these people in western countries they didn’t know about Kṛṣṇa, now they are chanting and dancing in ecstasy in Hare Kṛṣṇa! Isn’t that a miracle? Was it showing rasagulla is a miracle compared to that? This is a bigger miracle.” 

So, there people can be stuck. Even some people in India they supposed to… able to bring out Seiko watches and things!  One time one magician he wanted to see one of these magic yogis, and so the magic yogi pulled out an orange from his pocket and handed it. Then the magician he didn’t tell him that he is a magician. He went like this ish... he gave him a rasgulla. I have got him an apple, he had given him a tomato. (laughter) This time he is afraid you know and said, “Who are you?” “Who am I? I am God.” The magician said, (laughter) “but at least I said, who I am, that I am doing magic. And you are doing the same thing and you are saying you are an avatāra!?  Get out of here.”

So, Prabhupāda wasn’t into showing some cheap stunt, he wanted to actually use everything in Kṛṣṇa’s preaching. This is actually… not that a guru means that he has hundred, fifty Rolls-Royce something like that for showing off, attached to his cars, but he actually simply uses everything for Kṛṣṇa. Because of Prabhupāda’s pure devotion therefore the whole Kṛṣṇa conscious movement is based on the proper foundation. If we simply follow in Śrīla Prabhupāda’s footsteps, we will be following in the footsteps of great souls like Ambarīṣa Mahārāja and everyone. There are so many māyās that can capture. Even someone may be attached to followers, in such a way that the followers, to impress the followers with newer and newer things, he go on speculate it. And in the end, he is totally opposite to guru-paramparā, in the name of preaching but he is actually not preaching. In the name of preaching they become attached to just getting lot of followers.

Like Prabhupāda said, “What is the use of having many cheap followers, or even fanatic followers with that manner? If they are not pure devotees, better to have one moon than to have millions of stars. We want devotees who are situated in pure devotional service.” There are many great leaders in the world, they have many followers. Now the presidential candidates are going everywhere, wherever they go, their followers are chanting their names and jai, whatever you know victory. Blowing horns, blowing balloons in the air, you know. They have so many followers. Whoever loses forget about him for a while. Whoever wins, have the victory. This is not something like that. They were some kind of material followers. 

We are all following Kṛṣṇa, and we do it by the medium of the guru-paramparā. And the pure devotee, he wants people are connected with Kṛṣṇa, attached to preaching the glories of Kṛṣṇa, for that purpose he takes the responsibility of followers to guide them how to serve Kṛṣṇa. And if the followers, if they don’t want Kṛṣṇa, what is the use of such followers? They are burden, they are the manoramā of the material mind. So, Ambarīṣa, he wasn’t attached even to his followers, home, kingdom, friends, everything. He was attached to Kṛṣṇa. He would engage his friends, he would engage his family, engage the kingdom, he would engage everything he had in Kṛṣṇa’s service. To that extent he used that. Because the attachment was more to Kṛṣṇa than to these things therefore he was actually liberated.  

Draupadī was very soft-hearted, natural mother. When her children were killed by that deviant sinful activity of Aśvatthāmā, naturally she was horrified, she was shocked, she was in grief to see her sleeping children like that decapitated, who wouldn’t be? At the same time after everything was over, after performing all the final rites and everything, after initial emotional trauma, she went and surrendered to Kṛṣṇa and said, “Whatever happened but I still simply completely surrender to you, whatever please you that’s all I want.” I mean sometimes a devotee had little bit difficulty in their devotional service, some one looks that in a wrong way, or criticized them a little bit, or maybe they... without telling them, and they feel frustrated. Any little thing, and then that is enough to put them on so called you know frustrated or abominable, whatever you to call it for a period of time into a depression. Just over some little thing, things won’t exactly work out the way it was planned and then they get into the modes, they don’t remain attached to Kṛṣṇa, they don’t actually keep surrender to Kṛṣṇa.

Look at Draupadī, what a horrible situation, what a cause for total depression, what a cause for total frustration?! But still in spite of real difficulty, not just some superficial little push on the ego, but some real horrible loss to the whole family, still she was completely determined to go on with the devotional service.  So, devotees they are very compassionate, sensitive people. It is not that even while we say, they are not attached, doesn’t mean that, they are impersonal, and they don’t deal with their friends and family in a friendly and in a compassionate way, in a sensitive way. But their attachment to Kṛṣṇa is so great that for Kṛṣṇa natural when comes to that ultimate point, they are not attached. They remain more attached to Kṛṣṇa, they can transcend.

The attachment to Kṛṣṇa carries them over all the other attachments even in the great trial. We have to practice that even with the little thing, if we were attached then we become frustrated, forget about Kṛṣṇa even over small things, how are we going to survive big trials? How are we going to be ultimately when we have to leave this body which is, we become so attached to this body, we identify with it so strongly we have to give it up, and leave this material world that we know at the time of death, how we are going to fixed our mind on Kṛṣṇa?

If we have tuned our life, I have to get this one, that one, he or she did to me, or wife, still thinking oh I have to have this thing to be happy, or still attached how we are going to fix our mind on Kṛṣṇa?  We know that we are not done hard work, any hope that this happiness in the material world. We want to become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious. We have to come to the realization that ultimately there is no happiness; there is no real happiness in this material world.

Real happiness is in serving Kṛṣṇa. If we still think, well may be this didn’t work for me in last time because I didn’t have enough money, if I won a lottery fifty million then I will really be happy, or else if I had this thing happened then I’ll be happy. You know, by this change, this way. Whatever material adjustment we make is never going to be perfect.

When we come to that realization nāma binā kichu nāhiko āro, caudda-bhuvana-mājhe – There is nothing but the holy name in the fourteen world, Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra is the only source of happiness, the only reality in the whole world; everything else is like a mirage, is temporary. There is not going to stay, if you are not satisfied, this of the different inferior energy with apareyam itas tv anyam prakṛtim viddhi me parām. We are the higher energy. How can inferior material energy satisfy the higher spiritual energy? It’s impossible. But by illusion we still think that somehow, I can be happy due to some material adjustment.

If I lived in a more goodness situation then I will be happy. If I live in mood of passion or someone may think mostly in mode of ignorance, I will be happy. Ignorance is bliss. Whatever material situation, there is really no happiness. That is the conclusion we have to come. So that whichever is more favorable for our devotional service, good association and proper situation, we remain attached to Kṛṣṇa and utilize whatever Kṛṣṇa provides us for serving Him, that is being liberated while in this body.

But if we actually think in the back of our mind, I can be happy materially, there won’t be any difficulty, any situation I really be happy, then we are in illusion. For someone devotional service it may be more appropriate to be marrying, but for another person it may be appropriate to remain as a sannyāsī or brahmacārī or whatever. That is a different thing, what is for our particular nature, for our mental, sensual situation, what is more appropriate for us to serve Kṛṣṇa, in which ashram, in which situation, would ultimately have to give up, or realize in the material world there is no complete satisfaction. In the material world (laughter) it doesn’t exist.

If we surrender to the idea that materially I can be satisfy either openly or submissively we get wound up in this syndrome like a mouse running on a wheel, there is no end to it.  As soon as we fixed our consciousness to be satisfied in serving Kṛṣṇa, we can be in the material world, we can be like a, like you see in the lotus leaf, the water doesn’t get stuck on it. We can be like Ambarīṣa Mahārāja. Or in the material we can be detached.  Whether we start to think, maybe I can enjoy, this is my chance, let’s go for it, is simply frustration. Little bit of happiness, lot of frustration, putting our self into lamentation, fear, hankering, syndrome. This puts us again in an attachment syndrome, which ultimately cause us to fall out of the spiritual platform.  

So, maybe some people just to have a better car, I can’t get enough for working for the temple, I have to get out and get a job and get a better car, costly car. Who knows little natural may be the cause of devotee to give up the direct devotional service in the end. 99% of energy is going just for their maintenance, hardly anything goes to Kṛṣṇa where they can, (claps) consciousness of full devotional service.

Kolavecha Śrīdhara, his neighbors try to get him toxic, “stop serving the Ganges, look at  your coats, clothes. Your clothes are ripped. Just stop giving to the Ganges for a while, buy new clothes, tune your business possibilities.  Reinvest.”

He said, “No!! Very cooling, hot weather, more breeze comes (in sense of humor).”

“Look at your house, it’s got hole in the roof.”

“Oh!! That’s a little lightening.”

 “You are totally impractical. You are crazy.” They went on criticizing.

Of course Kholavecha Śrīdhara every night he was chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, he was quite happy. He said, “Kṛṣṇa has given me, whatever He is giving by my honest and hard labor, I accept it as His mercy, but I am going to continue to give to Krsna. If Kṛṣṇa wants me to be rich, I can be rich; if He wants me to remain poor, I will. I am an honest laborer, I am working. If I am going to get bread, I will get bread. I am not going to stop giving to Kṛṣṇa.”

I think Kholavecha Śrīdhara at any moment he was ready to go, went back to Godhead, never took the slightest risk.  Some devotees may be like Ambarīṣa got inexhaustible treasury, but even they goes to sweep the temple floor, listens to the Bhāgavatam class, performs different Ekādaśī fast, performs his devotional service, remains attached to Kṛṣṇa so much that Kṛṣṇa is always with him.

Here one side, someone with an inexhaustible treasury, and another person practically, he just barely got enough to live, but both are completely attached to Kṛṣṇa.  Where Ambarīṣa he was born as a king. Obviously he was born as a son of the king, he was a prince. He inherited and having further enhanced it after being a king because of his great piety, but it came all very naturally. He didn’t throw away them and said, I am a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, dunged all into ocean and lived in a caupin. He remained as a king and he engaged whole kingdom in Kṛṣṇa conscious activities, performed big fast, festivals, used his treasury to engage the people in different kinds of rituals so that they will gradually be purified. He wasn’t attached to this.

We have different, various kinds of devotees. The point is that Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura is...  Ṭhākura also known as kazi - you better stay in your work and do your devotional service and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, don’t neglect your spiritual life. What comes devotees accept that; they are not envious that person has something better, have attachment for preaching, whatever here for. Because the people in America they don’t know about Kṛṣṇa, they don’t know the purpose of life.

Lord Caitanya wants to deliver them, they are in the andhakūpa, they are in dark well of material life. Unless somebody informs them how would they know? Unless Prabhupāda came and informed us, how we know about the purpose of life, how we know about Kṛṣṇa?  Prabhupāda said that, ”if you feel indebted to what I have given you, then you be should pay me by telling it to others.” Although the American people know that there is something other than material life, I am sure mostly they scary to follow this. Even their concept of heaven is something material, everything is in relation of bodily concept.

I went to one Christian exhibit and they show that, prove me after death all the family members go together back to the heaven, and there they all wear white sheets, and all together their grandfather, mother all in same material body, same just like a happy reunion. Except there for some miraculous reason everyone is happy. They have no idea at all about the eternal soul, there is no idea, may be that particular sect, may be different sect. The devotees they actually trying to give real knowledge about Kṛṣṇa, let people be attached to Kṛṣṇa that is actually what even Lord Jesus taught. He said the first commandment, Love thy God with all their heart and soul by mind. Islam, Islam means full surrender to God.

Lord Caitanya was preaching to the Pathans, outside of Vrṇdāvan, the Muslim gurus. He was preaching to them, “if you really want to follow the Quran you should engage in the pure devotional service. This is the highest point.” And He convinced them so effectively, they became His disciples, they accepted, “Yes, you are actually giving the absolute truth.” If someone is really sincere about knowing the Absolute Truth, about knowing God they will accept the teachings of Lord Caitanya.

In Kolkata, there was a newspaper said, they wanted to do a book review of the Caitanya-caritāmṛta when it was published.  So, I gave them, they said, they going to have a Christian priest to do the review. So I gave the Ādi-līlā first part and Antya-līlā fifth part, beginning and the end. The person read those two books, he declined to give the review. He can’t give it, and give explanation why.

Later we heard that, it had such a heavy impact on him, he was so amazed by the philosophy, that if he would give a review that will be completely you know go against their own. He could give a honest review. He was a sincere person without saying, but without saying the things they could same.  The philosophy of Lord Caitanya is so complete, it did not contradict anyone. It is actually fulfilling the objective of everyone. Of all philosophies, of all sciences, pure sciences that seeking for the truth, of all religions, this is the perfectional religion.

We have to be attached to preaching, become expert how to express this to people in a way they can understand. If there are any honest people out there, then they will accept. It’s the only thing we can hope for that people are honest, that they want the truth. We know that in Kali yuga austerity, cleanliness, mercy is practically not existent. Truthfulness is somewhat there. At least in America, they always you know they just can do anything, but they also wanted to tell them the truth. This is what we always see in the papers. There must be some attachment for truth. We need to give that people the Absolute Truth, so that they can actually achieve the real happiness in their life. We are doing greatest welfare work.

Prabhupāda wanted that, not only to give theory but to show practically through farm project, big community to build on to show in the west alternative life style, and alternative spiritual way of life based upon serving Kṛṣṇa, based on the simple living, high thinking, or practical living (or something) based upon varṇāśrama, based upon the teachings of Rūpa Gosvāmī, this is Prabhupāda’s intention.

So, if we can fulfill Prabhupāda’s desire, he will be very, very pleased, certainly give us unlimited mercy. He is very concerned what he started should be completed properly. If someone becomes attached to serving the guru, to fulfilling the spiritual master’s mission, fulfilling desires of Śrīla Prabhupāda, that is what pleasing to Kṛṣṇa. Whether irrespective all do this for Kṛṣṇa, we want to do what will fulfill Prabhupāda’s intention. Kṛṣṇa is more pleased when we serve His devotee.  So, we can still serve Śrīla Prabhupāda, even his grand disciples, even their followers, they can still directly serve Prabhupāda by carrying out his vāṇī, by serving his instructions. Through the guru-paramparā, everyone has direct link with Prabhupāda, with Lord Caitanya. Not only his direct disciples, for even others like an electrical current goes directly to them by trying to fulfill his desires.

Just like Prabhupāda had so many so-called senior God brothers who were initiated before him, took sannyasa before him, but ultimately, they didn’t fulfill the desires of Bhaktisiddhānta to preach in western countries. Then he took it upon himself to carry out the order of Bhaktisiddhānta to bring the movement all over the world. Sorry to say, but even if Prabhupāda's disciples can’t fulfill Prabhupāda’s instructions, it will come on the grand disciples to do, but especially while the Prabhupāda’s disciples are there, you see, we should all try our little best to fulfill Prabhupāda’s desires. We put Prabhupāda’s desire above māyā’s desire, māyā gives us one idea Prabhupāda has given us many ideas.  What we put māyā or Prabhupāda first in our life that is the big test that māyā will always give us the alternative.

In America, they are very proud, they have freedom to have a choice. Kṛṣṇa has given us that freedom. We always have that choice, we want Prabhupāda or we want māyā? We want Kṛṣṇa and Caitanya or we want māyā?  Māyā is always there to give us that freedom of choice, and if we are Kṛṣṇa conscious, and we are intelligent we accept Kṛṣṇa every time. We only accept māyā, and then we are going to be kicked by māyā also. Then we are going to be deprived from the wonderful ecstasy, the wonderful love of Kṛṣṇa. 

We have to become so expert, so determined that whenever māyā comes with her idea it just we like no thanks, no thanks. She may keep coming but doesn’t matter. We are going to accept Kṛṣṇa. How we know what is Prabhupāda’s Idea, if we don’t read his books? There are devotees in the movement for five years, they even never read Prabhupāda’s books. May be read two or three books. How we will be able to carry on or serve Prabhupāda’s vani, if people don’t know his vāṇī? 

So we are hearing the book this class, we need to also study and understand Prabhupāda’s teachings thoroughly. So when māyā gives her idea, we can know that whether this is Kṛṣṇa conscious or whether this is Prabhupāda idea. Anyone, who is a devotee chanting sincerely, carrying out Prabhupāda’s instructions, reading his books, they will be able to understand what is Prabhupāda’s mood, what is his desire, what are his instructions? When māyā offers some other instruction which is off the wall, which is contradictory, we can recognize this is not Prabhupāda, this is māyā.  If we were in confusion, we consult with the guru, or with the senior Vaiṣṇavas, or with older God brothers, God sisters, someone to clarify what is actually Prabhupāda wants. 

We read yesterday, how it is so important to… yesterday we read a very important verse that how by satisfying the Supreme Personality of Godhead by His constitutional activities, we choose Kṛṣṇa rather than māyā. We take that austerity to choose Kṛṣṇa.  So, yesterday describes so many practical activities preaching, Deity worship, how to keep us engaged, remain engage in Kṛṣṇa’s service, then we naturally become attached to Kṛṣṇa like Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, then only we can really be detached.

We have to remain active in our devotional activities, to develop our attachment. Attachment to Kṛṣṇa doesn’t just come like that unless we get some special mercy from the guru or Kṛṣṇa, some rare mercy might just give us some special mercy. Normally it doesn’t come just like that. That is special kṛpā-siddhi. How many will get kṛpā-siddhi? We hope for that, but we are supposed to do, achieve the sadhana siddhi or try to achieve perfection by practicing devotional service.

It is not going to come normally, we can’t just expect that for sure we just get by an accident. We have to try for it; we can hope for a special dispensation, we have to try for that mercy.  If we are not willing to try, we think that this somehow this is going to come to me, Kṛṣṇa conscious activities. I don’t have to engage in Deity’s service, I don’t have to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa regularly, I don’t have to read Prabhupāda’s books, I don’t have to engage in saṅkīrtana, I don’t have to distribute books, I don’t have to attend daily program, I don’t have to get up in the morning, and I am just going to become Kṛṣṇa conscious.

How? Person dreaming? One in the trillions and billions like get some kind of mercy just by accident. Some pure devotee like Nārada Muni will come and Mṛgāri the hunter get. After getting the mercy, what they’ll do? He cause him engage in all these activities. So, we already got the mercy, everybody is attending class, we already have that mercy, we already got the mercy of the guru-paramparā coming down.

Now as are doing like Mṛgāri once he got the mercy to engage in the activities. Mṛgāri was a big hunter. Right after when he realized animal slaughtered will come and eat him and everything, he was going to get this karma, then he surrendered to Nārada Muni. Nārada Muni initiated him, gave him the mala, gave him the tulasī plant, told him and his wife to chant, people will bring food don’t worry. He didn’t say, “Now I have Nārada Muni as the guru, I don’t need to chant, I don’t need to worship tulasī, I don’t need to offer my prasādam, I already got a guru, now I can just space out now, or I can go on hunting.” No, He has to follow the orders of the guru. He stopped hunting and he did what exactly Nārada Muni said. Devotees take neophyte devotees take devotional service for granted. We should never take it for granted. We have to carry out the devotional activities. 

Like someone has the AIDS and there is no cure. Someone had finds the cure, here is the cure you have to eat this, you have do this, you have to take this medicine, the person takes the cure puts in his box you know goes to sleep on. Even if you work, you have to take it, you have to follow the system then you can get cured.  We got the incurable disease being in this material world, but Kṛṣṇa, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Prabhupāda gave us the cure. We have to take the medicine.  We have to read his books, we have to chant the holy name, we have to attend the temple programs, follow the regulative principles, engage in devotional service twenty-four hours a day and then we will get cured.

It’s not differ as yoga. We have to preach to other people to help them. If we do that then it will be succesful. Like Prabhupāda said that, the birds are flying in the sky. The head lead bird can lead the way, but he can’t fly for the other birds, every bird has to fly himself.  The guru can show, this is how you have to do it, he has to show by his own example, but every devotee has to fly the course. As soon as we compromised with māyā, that means we are just taking a rain check in achieving pure devotional service. Who knows when I will be able to get, achieve it? 

The more we will take the rain check, the more we will get out of practice, the harder it is to describe it. So, Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, he had a very simple policy, no compromise. He just engaged regularly in his activities and he became so attached to Kṛṣṇa that he became detached from the material things.  We have to follow in the footsteps of these great souls, and just be very determined to follow our devotional practices. Come what may? Come what may?

And anything may come in this material world, we cannot say what is going to happen. Just by a little progress in this life we can be saved from the greatest danger. Just by the little progress we can achieve that steadiness that we are hankering for. We can get that more mercy of Kṛṣṇa. But initially we have to take the steps forward. We can hope and pray to get that special mercy to be able to just immediately become attached to Kṛṣṇa. Lord Caitanya if He wants He can give that. Nityānanda Prabhu can give that mercy. We hope for that. To demonstrate our sincere desire we continue doing the sadhana process. Even if we achieve attachment for Kṛṣṇa, we still practice sadhana to show others and to protect ourselves. So not to engage in other kind of activity which would deprive us from the jewel of attachment to Kṛṣṇa.

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama Rama Rama, Hare Hare

Any questions?

Prahlāda Narasimha Dāsa?!

Devotee: You said that outside some few sincere souls they may be, they want to take Kṛṣṇa conscious movement, but actually millions of people outside waiting...

Jayapatākā Swami: I never said. Where I say few sincere souls?

Devotee: May be I don’t state in good English.

Jayapatākā Swami: Anybody can translate into Spanish and explain? I said that, the people outside in the kali yuga, this age supposed to be a broad attachment for truth, so representing the Absolute Truth or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we can save them.  Why a few? Millions.

Devotee:  It looks like, so day before devotee we are going only for distributing some books in the street, only few people can take the books.  How we can develop faith and we can spread worldwide more advancingly and more people can take the choice like a, in Television screen the option is there....           

Jayapatākā Swami: World was not build in a day, it is built in by ribs, right? Yes you are alright. Orthodox now you went to this. Multilevel marketing. It has to start somewhere. Someone has to take first step up. They make two people, and then they take two more into four and goes to eight and sixteen like that. We have to make few devotees, who go and make a few more devotees. They should make then few more and more. Eventually everyone in the world is a devotee.  

Hari Bol! Jai!

In fact, last night in the town meeting, someone expressed that how many people they meet, they are talking about end of burger, in street or whatever, about bad karma, so many people heard of the reincarnation, before never heard of these things. I know what I was interacted with, only when I went to college, the first time the rarity of karma or reincarnation. Not everyone is... then we know what it means exactly. This is how Śrīla Prabhupāda is preaching real austerities in devotional service, here proving that good karma of the United States or the whole world, we are approving those possibilities for standardization. We have to prepare the inquisitive.

What we do right now thousands people walking and try who wants to surrender. We are ready to engage, just we have to become expert, to be able to engage so many people. So, Kṛṣṇa is giving us time to become expert, and training us infrastructure facility to give many people service. Whether everybody lives in the temple, you can engage so many people in their homes also. Mainly we go out to preach many people become attracted Kṛṣṇa consciousness in the world. It is a wide opportunity. We   have to become expert in all these different aspects, giving people the books, when they have it they get convinced, we may work how to engage in devotional service and engage in different services.

Devotee: How to develop strong faith in the words of these scriptures? Like in Bhaktirasāmṛta-sindhū says that someone who hears one time name of Kṛṣṇa became liberated, someone take piece of prasāda can became liberated, sincere devotee chanting prayers with tulasī beads became liberated. How we can develop this strong faith on this topic, go outside and cultivate this?

Jayapatākā Swami: Why you have the doubt? Why you are doubting the results they are getting? By seeing a devotee, reminds him of Kṛṣṇa, just reminds of Kṛṣṇa once, Kṛṣṇa is so powerful, He said, “sure, that can be enough to first liberate that, bring the person back to Kṛṣṇa.” You don’t have to understand all of these instructions. You can understand how this can be the catalyst for someone’s liberation.

I personally experienced. When I was walking in the Golden gate park in San Francisco 1968, there was some kind of a weird or loving or whatever festival or something cultural event, forgot whatever it was.  In the park, while I was whistling and walking in the park and there was a group of people wearing some kind of robes, chanting in the circle, singing some songs and I can hear the music from a distance, I became attracted and I walked over. And then one of the people just looked to me and I can see that tilak on their forehead. I didn’t know what it was, I just saw the shaved head, I saw the white mark in the forehead, all of a sudden I got a electrical shock on my back (Hari Bol) as if I saw something so frightening, something I had seen before but I did not know what it was. I became so frightened, I became so afraid, uncontrolled I just turned and ran full at speed, ran and ran and ran, when I got mile and half away, what I am doing, who are those people? Why you are doing this? You know. (laughter) It was like someone just shocked me down in the pool of blue cards, just by seeing the tilak. So I know the tilak is so powerful. I went back and they were gone.

Who are those people? Hare Kṛṣṇa. Who are the Hare Kṛṣṇa I never heard of Hare Kṛṣṇa. I don’t know they come and sing in the park, do some kind of yoga or something. After that looking everywhere the word Hare Kṛṣṇa.  Couldn’t find them for a while.  Just by seeing that tilaka, such a reaction within! So in my personal experience, tilaka is very powerful. We may not realize it. Many things you need not realized. But the soul can recognize these signs. We all were there with Kṛṣṇa one time or another rather millions of years ago or in some higher planetary system where they wear tilak, somewhere we had association.

Ultimately, the soul can recognize these things. Depending on one’s previous birth, and different things. We may even never wore. Whatever, we don’t know what the cause is.  On me it had a very big effect. I don’t know why? All I could see was just the tilak practically. 

I saw a poster advertising Ratha Yātrā.  In the bottom it said, you can go to Hare Kṛṣṇa Temple, we have prasādam, you get vegetarian meal for 25 cents. Then I said "Oh! These are the people I am looking for. Then I went to the temple in Stuart Street, took prasādam and they gave me “Easy journey to other planets” to read. And I bought a set of Bhāgavatam. Looking for someone to take the 25 cents donation, I met one Gargamuni, he took *grabbing sound*. (Laughter) He sold me a set of Bhāgavatam. I didn’t need any of the ideal model. Then I kept coming by, reading the books, chanting. I was engaged to build Ratha cart which I explained couple of days ago.

Then on the Ratha day I decided to try, I already read two three books, chanted twenty-two rounds in a day, the first day. Then I decided to try it out for two months. I don’t try at all... And then I told Jayananda, he can shave me up. On Ratha day, he shaved me up. Hari Bol.

There was Madhudviṣa know me like a visitor to the temple, he was coming like for years and he saw me couple of weeks. Then he saw me in the Ratha day shaved up, pulling the Ratha, he got so amazed and said that, after that next day after Ratha he came and shaved up. (laughter) Got inspired, ah he did in two weeks, I am here for a year. He was inspired by the śikhā (laughter).

(One mataji comments – not audible)

First or second day, Upendra gave me, Prabhupāda gave me his beads to chant on and give back to me. You can use this. And he gave me the mantra. I was already practicing yoga, you know sitting and doing yoga like that. (Noisy) So he gave me a mantra card and gave me beads, turned out to be the beads Prabhupāda chanted on. Those days they were kind of liberal. So I went out in the park and Golden gate park where is just no people. I just sat there and chanted japa six hours non-stop. (laughter) I was like wow, (laughter) certainly more intense than yoga meditation. (laughter)

Devotee: Śrīla Acāryapāda when did you face, meet Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Jayapatākā Swami: Week after that I flew to Canada for Montreal to see Prabhupāda.  When I showed up in the temple you know shaved up, that time there was not so many devotees, may be only thirty forty devotees in ISKCON. Fifty, I don’t know many? 

Only three temples San Francisco, New York and Montreal. I first flew to New York and saw the 52^nd second avenue and then flew out to Montreal. Prabhupāda didn’t have a visa for America. So he was there in Canada waiting for devotees to send him petition to get him green card, so he can come back to America. Prabhupāda also had green card. (laughter)

And then I came in to temple and sat down, listening Prabhupāda’s class. In the end of class, Prabhupāda said, who is that? And it turned out that Gargamuni had visiting from  San Francisco and he said, “Oh! He is bhakta so and so, he came from San Francisco.” Prabhupāda said, "Oh! Tell him to come and to have lunch with me today. You can also come." (Haribol)  Later Brahmānanda appeared from New York, so he was also invited. I was sitting in between Brahmānanda and ... Who is this skinny guy? (laughter)

They gave tremendous quantity of prasādam. Prabhupāda kept saying, give him more, give him more. (laughter) Then I asked, because that time I have decided, I need to go to India to find the guru, then I met, came to the Kṛṣṇa conscious movement. Because I remember I asked Prabhupāda, whether I should go to India? And then Prabhupāda looked and said, “No, you can stay here. Later you can go.” I just stayed there in Montreal with Prabhupāda.

Last question.

Devotee: ... stayed in Montreal?

Jayapatākā Swami: Prabhupāda was there for three, four months. He had ... to his house every day there we do services. Then he left and Hansadūta was the temple president. And then no, Prabhupāda was there right till, what happened was … I took initiation there, Prabhupāda give me initiation there in Montreal. He was still there. He was there for whole first six months. He was like the real temple president in the sense. Temple president, temple commander... Prabhupāda. ... Then right after that Prabhupāda left, and then right after Prabhupāda left, then Hansadūta decided leave, and he went to Vancouver to open the temple there, and from there went to Brooklyn or somewhere. So, then he made me the president, then I went to Prabhupāda told, I am not qualified being a just new devotee and very young in age.

Prabhupāda wrote me back, “Don’t be in the bodily concept of life. Age is not a question, by the mercy of Guru, you can do it.” One month after initiation, I was the temple president. (laughter) Only five devotees in the temple. Took everyone and all the money while they left. Left with two hundred dollars and five devotees. By Prabhupāda’s mercy everything has been... We didn’t have books in those days. So we have… I served a big Sunday feast, twenty-five course feast cooked by Himavati. She is a very expert cook and I learned few preps. ... She cooked five types of chutney, purīs, multiple flavored halavās, curry sauce, simply wonderful, lots of sabjīs, rice and everything. So anyone who came once in a feast, they would never resist, they have to come again.

Every week we get two hundred guests for the feast. They each give one-dollar donation, we got two hundred dollars for eight hundred dollars a month. That was ... how we managed.  Cooking for Kṛṣṇa. Then we got books. That was nice. Even we didn’t have books, we sell Back to Godhead. You know I was a new bhakta, only book we had was Back to Godhead. Go out in university and stand. There was one old issue of Back to Godhead had a picture of desert with a cactus and a skull. You all must have seen it. Really very old issue 1968. It had a big skull on it. While we distribute we stand and say Back to Godhead, Back to Godhead. In the particular issue had a skull on it, people look and they see Back to Godhead and see the skull on it, Oh! They get frightened!  Back to Godhead?!!! (laughter) People change their mind for that particular issue. (laughter)

Hare Kṛṣṇa!

Jai Ācāryapāda!