19920403 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.10.6

(Disclaimer: The following is a machine-generated transcript and may contain errors or inaccuracies. It will be reviewed and verified against the original audio soon.)

The following is a lecture given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on April 3, 1992 – in Śrī Māyāpur, India. The lecture begins with a reading from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.10.6.

Sa. Sa. Long penance and transcendental knowledge of self realization had matured Brahma in practical knowledge and thus he drank the wind completely along with the water. Long penance and transcendental knowledge of self realization had matured Brahma in practical knowledge and thus he drank the wind completely along with the water. Report by His Divine Grace RLA Abhay Charan Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda Lord Brahma’s struggle for existence is a personal example of the continued fight between the living entities in the material world and the illusory energy called Māyā. Beginning from Brahma down to this age, the living entities are struggling with the forces of material energy. Of material nature. By advanced knowledge in science and transcendental realization, one can try to control the material energy which works against our endeavors.

And in the modern age advanced material scientific knowledge and penance have played very wonderful roles in controlling the powers of the material energy. Such control of the material energy, however, can be most successfully carried out if one is a surrendered soul or a soul surrendered unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead and carries out his order in the spirit of loving transcendental service. Thus ends the Bhaktivedanta Swami translation and purport to the RMAD Bhāgavatam Ganto 3, chapter 10, text 6 in the chapter entitled Divisions of the Creation, So Maitreya Rishi is explaining to Vidura about the creation of this material universe. Lord Brahma. Who was created from the lotus coming from the navel of Lord Garbhodakshaya. Vishnu. Had performed penances for a hundred celestial years and after performing penances and meditation he gained transcendental knowledge.

In our recent tour of South India, there’s a temple of Padmanaba where Lord Chaitanya visited in Thiruvaranthapuram, previously known as Chivandrum by the British. And there the deity of Garbhadaksha Yu is worshipped as Padmanava and from his navel is coming the lotus on which the Brahma Dev is worship. Nearby there’s Adikeshava deity where Lord Chaitanya found the Brahma Saṁhitā fifth chapter where Lord Brahma’s realizations are expressed by Lord Brahma himself in his prayers. So we see here that Lord Brahma by performing his devotional service, by performing the Tapasya meditation which had been recommended, not only did he gain transcendental realization, but he also gained practical knowledge as mentioned in this verse Vigana and also Bala power. So when the water was being disturbed by strong winds, the Water on which his lotus was seated.

You can imagine you’re seated at a lotus floating in the water. And also sudden there’s huge waves coming up and a violent wind which could be a very fearful situation. By the mercy of the Lord he could know what to do. He swallowed the wind and all the water and there was no more problem. This is something inconceivable for us. If we are on the ocean in a ship and there’s a big storm, you want to know where to go for shelter. There’s nowhere to go for shelter. The whole boat, the whole ship you’re in is being tossed about. Sometimes storms are so violent that ships are to is sunk. But we don’t have the knowledge or the power to swallow the wind and the air. We are in a very dangerous situation at that time. So Brahma apparently was in that dangerous situation.

But because of his unlimited power received from Lord Kṛṣṇa, this practically unlimited power, he was able to come up with this solution of simply swallowing the air, the wind and the water. So. Everyone has got some independence. And how we use that independence is the free will which Kṛṣṇa has given us. Brahma had his own free will. What he wanted to do, he could have remained sitting on the lotus as long as he wanted. He could remain being tossed about in the wind by the waves of the water as long as he wanted. It was his own free will that he decided to meditate and follow the Daivavani, the spiritual message that was spoken from the air by unseen person Kapa to do penance. And so he began to meditate. There’s a story by Śrīla Bhakti Siddhantra Sarasari Thakur.

How there was a child who was the only child in the family and he was pampered by his parents. In Bengali they say Alale or Ghore Dulal. He was given so much affection. They thought, the parents thought that whatever the child wants, we should give him. The way to express our love for our child is to give him whatever he wants. So as a result, the parents effectively spoil the child, ruined the child. Prabhupāda used to quote, spare the rod and spoil the child. We find in ISKCON today that lot of parents have this idea that we have to give the children whatever they want. They don’t realize that what they’re doing is ruining the children. Children have to know what is the limitation that they can’t get everything they want. Because life is not like that.

So anyway, in this story these parents, they gave their child whatever he wanted. So as a Result, his children have limited vision. Their vision gradually widens. The child thought that actually everything is mine. Everyone is giving me what I want. That means that I am the controller. Anything I want to do, I can do. My parents are my servants. My teacher is my servant. All the employees of my parents, they’re all mine. This house, this garden, whatever is here, it’s all for me. And whatever I want to do, that’s the final word. Because after all, whatever I want, I get. So that must mean that I am the supreme. I can do whatever I want. So one day, the child locked all the doors and windows to his room. And of course, the parents would never wake up the child.

You want to expose the child to any kind of pressure. Let the child do whatever he wants. But normally the child would get up at 6 in the morning, at sunrise. But it was already 9 in the morning. He still hadn’t gotten up. So they wondered what happened. Maybe he must have been up late at night. So therefore he was tired. But they giving even later, 10, 11. What’s happening? He still got up. They start pounding on the door. You should come out. What’s wrong? Get up. It’s very late. The child said, no, I know it’s the middle of the night. You’re a bunch of thieves. Want me to open the door so you can steal everything? I know it’s midnight, so I am not going to open my door. I am here relaxing in my bed. It’s midnight. It’s almost midday. You should get out.

The sun is already shining. It’s light all around. The child said, well, I don’t see the sun. Everything’s dark in here. No, open the door. You will see the sun. There’s plenty of light. You people say the sun is the eye of Vishnu. If he’s so powerful, if God is so powerful, let his light come in my room without me opening the windows and doors. Let me see the power of the sun. I don’t have any faith in this power of the sun. It can’t even come in my room. When I keep the doors and windows shut. I will just lay here on my nice cool bed and enjoy. So then they yelled out, you know, open the door and you will see the light. So there are many people, we ask them, please come to Māyāpur. They say, well, the Lord pulls me.

Or you say, let me show me God. I won’t believe unless you show me God. That actually. The Lord is all merciful. The devotees are always glorifying the Lord as Being all merciful. But sometimes people, they say, well, how do we know the Lord was all merciful? Why are people suffering? Why is there crime in the world? Why are there so many difficulties? The Lord must not be all merciful. They don’t realize that the all merciful nature of the Lord is He’s given us free will. And we can misuse or use that free will properly. So this spoiled child, he had the free will. He was misusing it. He was become a spoiled brat. He wasn’t behaving properly. If he wanted to, he could open the door and see the sun.

But he wanted to know the sun should come and force its way into my darkened room. But that’s not the way that Kṛṣṇa works. The sun is for everyone. Whether rich or poor, young or old, man or woman. Anyone can open their door and the sunlight will come in. But if you don’t want to open your door, then it won’t come in. So Kṛṣṇa has given us the free will. That’s his mercy. If we want Kṛṣṇa, he will come into our life. He will illuminate our life. But if we don’t want Kṛṣṇa, why should he have to force his way in? We want Kṛṣṇa to be our servant. Just like this boy thought that everyone was a servant. My parents will serve me.

Recently I heard about one Christian priest who wrote a book about education saying how the modern educational system has produced worse citizens ruined their children. He’s a modern educationalist from England. Previously, when there was strictly disciplined, the result was better people. And he gave a practical example how parents were always trying to fondle their children or care for them. Give them everything they want. Spoil them. So two parents thought that whatever their child wanted, if they just gave that was the best thing. So there was a birthday party and they were giving everything to the child. The child, no. I want this. I want cake. I want cake. Pizza. I want this. Whatever the child want, okay? We have to give him whatever he wants. He’s our loved one, Our dear one. So they gave everything to the child.

Finally, right in the middle of the birthday party, when the child wanted something else and the mother couldn’t give it, just slap the mother on the side of the face. You nonsense. You rascal. You know, you stop giving me what I want. Everyone’s shocked, you know. Here the mother is giving so much love. Instead what is the child who slaps his own mother? We see in the pastime of Lord Caitanya. Even though mother Satshi and Jagannath Mistra gave so much love to Lord Caitanya Jagannath Mistra was scolding Lord Chaitanya because he was afraid that he would ruin his child. He had a dream where Brāhmaṇa came in the dream and said, how are you scolding your son, Nima? You don’t know he’s the Supreme Lord. How can you reprimand the Supreme Lord? And then there was a big argument in a dream.

And Jagannath Mirza said, what do you mean? I don’t care who my son is. Even if he’s Narayan himself. He’s my son. I have to see he’s properly brought up. He’s not spoiled that he’s trained properly and what to do and what not to do. What do you mean if he’s Narayan, how can you tell Narayan what to do? There’s a big argument going on with this Brahmin in the dream of Jagannath Miśra. Then he woke up completely bewildered. What to do? My son is Nārāyaṇa. Then again he went back by Yoga Māyā and Śrīvatsalya Bhav. I don’t care who my son is. I have to see that he’s properly protected and cared and trained. And that he. He was back again to his normal sense. It was just a momentary bewilderment. One time Lord Chaitanya as a child, a little tot.

He was also acting very naughty. And he was demanding something from Mother Sachi. Mother Sachi wasn’t giving. And he slapped Mother Sachi with his only little child. Like three, maybe three years old or something. Mother Sachi immediately fell on the ground, unconscious. Wouldn’t talk, wouldn’t move. It looked like she was unconscious. And Nehemiah said, what have I done? Mother Sachi, please. She was crying. And all the other ladies started scolding him. What have you done? You have done a great offense. You can never strike your mother. What have you done? You have done this horrible thing. Oh, what a horrible, naughty boy you are. How you have done this. And they said, oh, what can I do? Oh, I am sorry. What can I do? Then one said, you have to bring two coconuts and bring here as fries. Chitya.

So where will little boy get two coconuts? Top of the tree. Immediately Nimāi ran outside the house. Then all the mothers, all the other ladies were smiling, seeing the plague going on. But within a few moments, Nimāi came back with two coconuts. What happened? Where did he get the coconuts? How could a little boy just find two coconuts? He came back and he put the coconuts. My Mother Shak said, please forgive me. I will never hit you again. I will never do this again. I will be a good boy. Please, Mother Sachi, please come back to consciousness. Then Mother Sachi came back, sat up again and picked up Nimāi. And Nimāi was crying. And then he was so happy that Mother Sachi was conscious again. And he said, please forgive me. I will never do this again. So we see even the parents of God.

They are very careful to see that their child does not get spoiled. That the child is properly disciplined and cared for. So this use of free will is given to us by Kṛṣṇa. We can use the free will properly, or we can misuse it. Brahma used his free will, did meditation, became qualified, became matured. When there was difficulty, then he simply remembered the Lord within himself. And he was immediately given an understanding what to do. And so he could overcome that difficulty. This is the process that we are taught in devotional service. We should utilize our free will to serve the Lord. And when there’s difficulties, the Lord helps his devotee. If you’re not trained properly by the guru, if we’re not trained properly by our parents, by our teachers, then we may misuse our free will and become offensive.

And then when we are put in difficulty by the material nature, we become angry. Why is this happening to me? Why me? Why not? We are not the Lord. We are very small pratibimbas. Small, minute atomic reflections of the Lord. Our duty is to serve the Lord. When we try to control the material nature, we get entangled in its complexities. There’s another example that there was one landlord. And he also had a spoiled son. He was very lazy and not very good at his studies. Because he didn’t really try hard. He was neglecting his studies. Children shouldn’t neglect their studies, should they? But he was very careless child. He thought, what is the need of all these studies and everything? My father is rich. He’s a landlord. But the father wanted to train the child.

So he hired a teacher, a private tutor to train the child. He gave a good salary. And those was a long time ago. In those days, he gave 15 rupees, which was like maybe 1500 rupees today. And he gave also full residence and food, everything. So it was like 3,000 rupees of today’s market, or maybe more. So the teacher, he was between classes, after school, he would train a child, this boy. So the boy was really bad in mathematics. So he had spent a lot of time coaching the boy how to do the math. So he would give the problem, here, you have to add this. You have to solve this mathematical arithmetical problem. The child said, why don’t you do it? You should solve it. Why should I do it? Why do you say I do it?

You have to solve it so you learn. I will teach you how you solve the problem. If you get trouble, I will coach you how to do it. But you have to solve the problem. Otherwise how will you learn mathematics? I didn’t want to do this math. Anyway. You have to do it. Your father said, all right. Two plus two equals gradually he’s doing all the mathematics. He was very resentful. My teachers always forcing me to do the math. So one day he was talking with some of his friends. The teacher overheard. He said, yeah, so my father has hired one tutor to teach me mathematics and other things. Paying him so many rupees, getting paid so much. But. Although he’s getting paid so much, he’s making me do all the math work. I mean, what a useless teacher. He doesn’t even do the mathematics himself.

He has me do it after paying him so much. Why should I have to do all the math? He should do it for me. Sign. Doing so much, giving him so much. But he’s never satisfied. So he’s talking like this to his friends. So the idea is that this boy doesn’t understand that the teacher, he knows Math. He’s been hired by the father simply to train him how to do the mathematical calculations. Similarly, the disciples, sometimes when they do devotional service, they’re thinking, I am doing so much for my guru. I am washing his clothes, or I am distributing his books for him. Or I am doing so much service, running, managing the institution for him, doing this or that for the guru, for the temple, for iskcon. But they are always asking me to do more and more. Why don’t they do it? Why?

What is my topic? Why should I do so much? What am I getting out of all this? They don’t realize why we’re doing devotional service is for our purification. So we learn how to practically surrender. Brahma learned how practically to cross over all the difficulties of life by rendering selfless devotional service. Then he got to Vegana Balaam. He got the practical knowledge, he got the realizations. He received the realizations of what is the purpose of life, how to solve the problem, and so on. Similarly, we do devotional service in order to get trained. The Guru knows how to do devotional service. Prabhupāda was engaging us in devotional service for our benefit. We need to learn how to do devotional service by practically doing it. In this way we get purified, we get the highest understanding and realization.

But the neophytes, they think what is the Guru? Why is this society asking to do so much? I have already done so much, I have given up so many things now I shouldn’t have to do anymore. But devotional service doesn’t end goes on. We find that in ISKCON sometimes you get people leave the society. I worked so many years for the society. I never got a good car, I never got a tv, I never got an apartment, I never got this, I never got that. What I get out of so many years of work like this child never realized what is the purpose of devotional service. We approach the Guru, we approach as representative of the disciplic succession of Kṛṣṇa in order to learn the science of devotional service.

If the Guru says to clean the pots or to wash the floor or to distribute books or to do whatever service, we should do that and learn how to develop the proper attitude of devotional service. When we are in South India, we visited the temple of Janardana where Lord Caitanya visited. We know from the Vedas that the Lord Baba Gahi Ja Na Ardhana, he accepts not what the devotee is giving but so much. Rather he’s accepting the mood of the devotee, the devotional mood. Somebody is doing devotional service. They are giving so much to Kṛṣṇa. They haven’t understood, they haven’t achieved the proper mood. So this deity in South India there was one king and he was a great devotee of Janarna. So he was giving charity to everyone. But he became very proud and I am giving so much charity.

So the Lord, just to teach him a lesson, he came as a Brāhmaṇa and he the king also offered him, let me give you charity. What do you want? I just want some Mashalam, nothing else. No problem. So the custom is that when you give charity they would first give water in the hand. So the Brāhmaṇa extended his hand and the king was about to put water. Just like Bali Maharaj put water in the hand of Ramana Dev. But before he could give the water to Brāhmaṇa said, before you take this vow and give me this big shah, you first see if you can feed me. He said, I know I can feed you. I fed so many people. Anyway you first look to see if you were able to feed me.

Are you able to give me what you’re promising, of course I can give you any way. You just look. Then you put the water. And the king went and looked in his storeroom and he saw there was no food, There was nothing. Everything was completely bare. He was shocked. The servant said, there’s nothing here. We don’t know what happened. There’s nothing. Then he realized that this can only be the Lord himself. I was thinking that this is all mine and I am giving in charity. Now he’s showing me that it’s actually his. And he’s personally come here to teach me. Then he came and he surrendered to their Brāhmaṇa and said, I know you must be the Lord. And then the Lord revealed his form in Jenartana. And still that deity is standing there with the one hand out to get the water.

So we want to serve the Lord. We have to serve him with a proper attitude of devotion. Because Brahma had finally achieved the proper attitude of selfless devotion by doing devotional service guided by the anta jami in the heart, the Chaitriya guru. Therefore he was able to solve these various problems that came up. So this is a science of devotional service. We have to learn a proper attitude. That’s why we’re rendering devotional service. And if we think that the guru needs us or that what we are doing is like they are given so much to the Guru, now what materially will I get out of it then? We are becoming distracted by desires for love, pūjā, pratishta. We are not getting the proper attitude. We are not appreciating what is our relationship between guru and disciple.

Sometimes the disciples shamelessly say, well, I surrender to you. But now my attitude has changed. Now I don’t feel the same way. Now I want more comfort, more sense gratification. Such a person is not disciple. That such person is what they call Adam. There are four qualities, four standards. Three standards of this hyper, Utta madhyam and Kanishta. One who follows spontaneously without even needing to be instructed. They automatically know the mind of the guru is Uttam. One who very faithfully follows that one cannot be imitated. It’s a very elevated level. Actually, I saw in Vrindavan and Prabhupāda’s last pastimes that my God brothers were so attuned as Rla Prabhupāda’s every desire. Bhakti Chudu Maharaj, Tamakishna Maharaj. I was amazed to see Prabhupāda would just wave his finger, say, brian, open the window, close the window, adjust the fan, he didn’t even say anything.

But occasionally they don’t do white thing and he would go wiggle the finger a little bit. That’s not it. Sometime I trial here one time. Well, sometime they wouldn’t get it right. But I was amazed how without even saying anything they would understand what Prabhupāda wanted. So I thought, oh, this is an example of Uttamshisha. They could understand the mind of the guru. Of course I understood also I could not imitate that to just follow whatever Prabhupāda ordered me. Śrīla Prabhupāda, he gave orders. Whoever follows strictly, whatever you order or any guru, they strictly follow. The disciple follows the order that Prabhupāda said. Madhyam very good, disciple faithful. Then if some disciple, they do what the guru asks, but begrudgingly, not very expertly, maybe lethargically or something that the Kanisha, they do it but not so well.

Somehow or another they do it not with a very good, not in a very good manner. Then there’s another. They don’t follow the order of the guru. So that’s called Adham, fallen disciple. It’s a really thankless task to be a guru in Kali Yuga. Because sometimes you find disciples shamelessly. They say, well, I don’t want to follow anymore. I don’t have the same attitude. I promise. Alright, I promise. But now I don’t feel it anymore. Now I want to enjoy. What can we do. That is the free will of everyone to do devotional service or not. But the guru can ask, all right, you do sense gratification. Do whatever you like. They have to say, if you do that, you have to take the karmas. You will be tied up in material entanglements. You should simply render pure devotional service to the Lord.

That is our constitutional position. Jeevair Salupoi Nipta Kishto Das. And if these fallen disciples can’t appreciate that guru, why is he telling me to do devotional service? I have already done so much devotional service. Now it’s my time to enjoy. They call it a market. When people buy shops in the stock exchange, then the stock price comes up. Then they want to sell all the stocks and they call profit taking. Take the profit. It was like somebody’s been doing so much devotional service. I have been a Brahmachari for so many years. I have done strictly hasta for so many years. Now let me take the profit. Let me cash in on my austerities. Now I can relax for a while. I can just enjoy for a while without following very strictly. After all, I have been a devotee for so many years. Nothing will happen. But that’s foolishness.

We will fall down in a second. Māyā is not waiting far away. Chagannada Pandit, he said Māyā is just like a shadow. When we’re looking to Kṛṣṇa, then there’s a sun. As soon as you look away from Kṛṣṇa, Māyā is there. You don’t have to wait even a second. The moment you look away instantaneously, Māyā is there. Kṛṣṇa Buli said no. What’s that, Bhaiyamokar? No, not that one. Kṛṣṇa Bahuma khai. Where instead of being Kṛṣṇa conscious, we turn away from Kṛṣṇa consciousness volume. It.

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So we have to understand how to utilize our free will. If we use the free will to turn away from Kṛṣṇa, then Māyā will be there to take us under her control. If we use our free will to serve Kṛṣṇa, develop our Kṛṣṇa consciousness, purify. If we have a different attitude, we should purify it. Why do we allow those weeds to grow in our heart? Weeds come in our heart because of carelessness. There’s a bad association. So many other reasons. They had to pull out the weeds, not surrender to the Māyā. There’s another example that sometimes this Māyā comes in gross ways. For sense gratification, in a gross material way, or for some kind of. We have so many rationalizations. You have to be very careful.

But there’s also another danger that someone may be also attracted to taking devotional service as an object of enjoyment. There’s a story about one man. He had an orchard, he had a big tree. And on the tree there were so many ripened fruits. And on the base of the tree, so many fruits had fallen. So he said, I want all the fruit on the tree. And I want all the fruit that’s fallen on the ground. I am gonna eat everything. The fruit that I am gonna pick it off the ground that’s fallen and have rotten at the same time. I want all the ripe fruit on the tree. It’s kind of an example. Like we say, you can have your cake and eat it too, type of example. So the idea is a ripened fruit on the tree is Kṛṣṇa prema.

And the fallen fruit that’s sitting, rotting in the ground are these other things like love, pūjā, purista, and so on. So someone, by rendering the proper devotional service, developing the proper devotional attitude, they can actually get the mercy of the fruit of love of Kṛṣṇa. But instead they think, I want to enjoy this. I want to experience what is this bhava bhakti. But not in the proper way of devotional service, devotional attitude, but directly by some kind of speculative process or enjoying mood. Then actually, instead of getting the real prema pho, we get the fallen fruit. Laa, pūjā, patishtadi, etc. We get all the Upasakas. We fall down into Kanchan, Kamini and so many other things. Desire for money, wealth, sex, and so on. So it’s very important that we take the proper attitude. Prabhupāda repeatedly gave examples how Lord Caitanya is Kṛṣṇa himself.

So he came to personally experience what is bhav bhakti. What is love for Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa? We cannot imitate Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya is Kṛṣṇa himself. He is the Parampurus. He is the supreme enjoyer. He is coming to also enjoy his own devotional service. That’s quite in keeping with his position. But in the Ādi Leela of the Caitanya Charatam Rita, Lord Caitanya said, I am a Mālā Malikar. I am a gardener and I am taking the fruits from this tree and I want to give it out to everyone. How many will I be able to give out if I do it alone? So I order everyone come and help me give out this fruit of love of Godhead Jaretare to everyone and everywhere.

So by coming in the service mood of assisting Lord Caitanya and rather than trying to just do Bhajana Ali, trying to enjoy this fruit but rather trying to in the mood of serving Lord Chaitani giving out the fruit to everyone then we can actually get the real mercy. A love of Kṛṣṇa. That is our procedure. How to get love of Ka? How to realize what is Bhava Bhakti? We cannot imitate the procedure followed by Lord Caitanya where he sat and discussed with Ramananda Rai continuously. That’s why Prabhupāda said, you work now Samadhi. Later we have to fulfill the order of Lord Caitanya to give out the mercy. And by his mercy then we can automatically realize the Gopīs are not interested that Kṛṣṇa should be with me. They’re interested how Rādhā will be with Kṛṣṇa.

And Rādhā Rani, she’s interested how the Gopīs will be with Kṛṣṇa. That is the truth. They all want that Kṛṣṇa will be pleased. But the whole defect or whole contamination of Sahajism is that we want to experience the bliss ourselves. Through some perverted enjoying attitude. We will get the unlimited happiness by pleasing Lord Chaitanya. Lord Caitanya is the predominated servitor. Gadahar is the predominated servitor saying Gorangalila Gadahar is trying to please Lord Caitanya. That is our attitude. That is our we want to do whatever Lord Chaitanyamya wants. Since he wanted let this mercy be given out. That is the mood of the Gopīs to follow to do whatever will please Kṛṣṇa. When Narad Muni came and asked for the dust, everyone gave so many excuses. But the Gopīs to take the dust, whatever will please Kṛṣṇa. Whatever will cure his headache.

You all know that it’s a very old famous story. That is the mood when we take Tridamvay Sannyas. We’re told to come in the mood of the Gopīs in following. What is that mood to do with Mon Khai Bhakto? With mind, words, deeds, whatever will be pleasing to Guru and Bauranga. Not that we want to eat the sin and eat the fruit. Lord, she doesn’t give out the fruit. We’re saying no, I want to eat the fruit. I don’t want to give it out. I want to eat it. We’re not. Where is the question of Bhava this Bhoga by giving out the fruit. It’s a transcendental tree. When you give out the fruit, that’s how you eat it. That’s how you get the real fruit. Material fruit. You have to eat it to enjoy it. But in the transcendental fruit, you give it out.

You also eat it at the same time. Spontaneous, automatic. You don’t have to worry how you get the nourishment. That is a transcendental wonderful thing that Lord Chaitanya’s love of God had. Fruits. When you give it out, you get that fruit. And if you think I won’t follow what Lord Chaitanya said, but give it out instead. I want to sit here and eat it. You don’t get it. Instead you get the rotten fruit from the tree. You get the Kanchan, Kamini, Lao Pūjā, Pratisthara, Pratistha and all the other fallen rotten fruits. You get cheated because you’re not following the Malakar. You’re not following the gardener’s own instructions. You’re trying to rob the tree. Instead give out the fruit. You want to sit there and eat it. So he won’t give you the good fruit. You take the rod in one.

If we use our free will properly and do what is pleasing the Kṛṣṇa, we can get highest level of devotional service. We can experience what is a pure Kṛṣṇa Prema. But if we don’t follow the footsteps of these great Acharyas and the instruction of our own spiritual master and previous Acharyas then there are many dangers awaiting for us and we can easily be misled. Śrīla Prabhupāda said, spiritual life is like a razor’s edge. Little bit of carelessness, little mistake. You can cut yourself. You can get off the path. So Brahma was facing so many difficulties. But when he followed and satisfied the Lord then everything became easy. So this is advice to us. We have to maturely understand Śrīla Prabhupāda’s instructions. The instructions of the previous Acharyas. Not challenge them, not question them, but understand them and apply them. In our life.

And then we can taste the real fruit of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare. Any comment for us? Any question? You spoke a lot about discipline. And you have seen that sometimes the application of discipline becomes abusive or exploitative. How can we prevent discipline from becoming. It’s a fair question. Of course we discussed about the discipline. We saw that in the parents, a Loy Chaitanya. Their motive was the welfare of their child. They use the word abusive or exploitive. If discipline is meant for some other purpose. If it’s expression of somebody’s cruelty or somebody’s false ego or sword. Then of course there will be the child who may know that I was a naughty boy when I was a child. I don’t know. We always remember ourselves.

I was a very naughty boy at certain period in my life. And I knew that sometime I was very strictly dealt with by an uncle. And although he was very strict, I knew because of the way he was doing, the way he explained it. I was a rascal and he was right. And I surrendered to that. And I always appreciated that. One time I was in a school and a teacher was a drunk, rascal guy. I was naughty. But when he took me in the back and with a ping pong paddle he used to beat me like anything. Pound me in the head, the back, just go. He’d go berserk, beating. And I mean, I knew this guy was a complete nut. And his discipline had no effect on me. I was worse. Finally the parents took me out of that school.

When I complained that the teachers were so crazy, they put me with the uncle. I was already spoiled. But he was heavy. But he was loving and heavy. So I didn’t understand. Prabhupāda said it’s very important that parents, teachers, guru, whoever it may be, they have to give Love has to be the sincere desire to help the person, the ward, the disciple, the student. To actually train them in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If there’s some other motive, then actually it won’t have the same effect. We had to know the technique. And we had to also have the proper motive. So if that technique and motive is properly trained, even if there may be some mistake. But if the child knows that the person had every good intention. Actually it’s out of love, whatever anger, whatever discipline is being given. Then for my own.

I don’t know, I can only have. What do you think? Everyone think. But we have heard also from authorities that they appreciate them. I personally realized that. Yeah, I also could Appreciate that. So the motive has to be proper. So we have to see that the teachers, they also should be properly trained. Teacher is not God, parent is not God. They are purpose. They are in charge of the child. They are responsible to see that the child or the person under them, or maybe not even a child, maybe an ashram, they are all Kṛṣṇa’s property. They are Kṛṣṇa’s children, Kṛṣṇa’s devotees. And they are under our charge for some time. We have to properly train them, but not to exploit them. So that check and balance has to be there.

You see, someone is missing that point and they need to be trained before they can train others. Material. And he may see if his guru has some opulences, nice car, video airplane tickets, where he’s going. And he may think that if he has to go someplace, he should also have that facility. Otherwise he doesn’t necessarily feel enthused to do it. So how to adjust that mentality? How do you adjust that mentality? For example, if we’re going to go down to see Gennardi, we can fly and it will be there in a matter of two hours. Or it can be a long swing and a spring ride. You might think, well, then I won’t go. Well, This is more a practical situation.

You have the situation one hand where the disciples, they respect the spiritual master, like the supreme personality of Godhead, as his having his quality. They wanted to serve him. They want to give so many facilities. So even though the guru, he may have gone many years by train or walked or whatever it might be, but then the disciples, they’re offering, no, we don’t want you to go by public bus. We want to give you a car. So the guru accepts this offering from the disciple. Alright, we want to give a car. This will facilitate your service. Guru day. Instead of spending all that time traveling, you can spend that time counseling us or doing some devotional service. But then substantial other disciples will look at the guru’s got a big car. Why don’t I have a big car?

Of course the guru has given this facility. The guru takes it and given it by Kṛṣṇa through the disciple. Just like we gave Prabhupāda at so many facilities. But he never took it to be his own. So what the guru does, if he gets some facility, he has to use it for Kṛṣṇa. We are not against anyone getting some facility. If somebody, for instance, it’s not only the guru, say sometimes some light member texts, a devotee, I want to go and visit the holy places. Or sometime in America you find Some light member, some rich devotee. He says, I want to see the temples india. And they may ask them Brahmachari or Grihasta, will you come with me? I will pay your ticket. Does that mean no? No, I can’t take your ticket. Nobody will refuse, right?

Anything that can be used in Kṛṣṇa’s service shouldn’t be rejected. So the Guru has been offered facilities because of Kṛṣṇa’s mercy. Or some disciple considers it valuable. So they have given that offering to the Guru. Why should someone else envy them? The Guru, whether he gets the facility or not, he does his service. Prabhupāda was going to America whether by ship or by plane. When he couldn’t get a plane ride, he went by ship. We will do our service whether walking or riding. But if somebody offers some facility, then we don’t refuse it. If somebody wants to offer plane tickets for everybody, we will reject it. If Indian Airlines said all devotees can travel free, you know, all go by airplane. So sometimes we have to see the practicalities. Actually the way the tickets cost nowadays. Personally I prefer to go by train.

So expensive now india to fly. But sometimes the realities are that there’s so many different things we had to do. So in order to fulfill all the different responsibilities, sometimes you have to get. Instead of spending that time in the train, you have to spend it in some meeting or some other service. Someone provides you a ticket so you can use that time in a more valuable way. So I think that people had to adjust in this way. Seeing that it’s not that the Guru or any spirit devotee is spending on himself for some luxury. Maybe some devotee is offering some facility. The Guru is accepting. Lord Chaitanya was offered very nice prasad. When somebody criticized him, he cut down his eating. When Ramachandrapuri was criticized, he cut it down.

So of course, if people become they discuss enough about something, then a preacher may also change. But then the other devotees, they were very upset. Why Lord Caitani has cut down his eating just because this one person was complaining. So they all got upset. So if something is used in KA’s service, really we shouldn’t be disturbed. If somebody has got more facility through Kṛṣṇa’s service, we should be happy. We want everyone to have that facility. Why should. But at least if somebody has it, we’re happy. If somebody is given a ticket to fly for preaching. If the people are so happy that he’s preaching that they’re willing to pay his ticket to go there, if they feel it’s worth the money to get his association then that’s very good. Maybe one day I will be able to also preach in such a way.

People pay my ticket to go there. Devotee can think like that. Let me become expert and Kṛṣṇa may give me. Maybe give me that facility. It’s really. I don’t know. Put a. You said a handle on the situation.