20181021 Evening Talk

Nama Om…

Mukham karoti…

Welcome to all the devotees listening. We were observing Vijaya Dashami two days ago. The conquering of good over evil. Yesterday was Ekadasi for which Krishna gives one hundred times the blessings. Today we are observing Dvadasi. We get prepared for the Damodar puja. The Damodar puja is a great opportunity to engage many new people in serving Krishna. They learn how to offer an arati to Krishna. Especially the offering of lamps. I was in … Ecuador and there was a simple man who engaged in civil contracts. That means construction. So there was a program in the town hall. The hall was full and this devotee he stood up and started to chastise his wife in the presence of the whole assembly. He said that he had misused his valuable human life by not serving Krishna. He encouraged everyone to offer a candle to the picture of Lord Gopal. Everybody stood up and offered a lamp to Gopal. This was an amazing program. Somehow this Damodar puja brings out the devotion in everyone. I told so many examples yesterday so I won’t repeat. But we want to engage the people in Krishna’s service. Today, Sunday, I was taking rest. After I did my physiotherapy in the morning. For three months I have to be very careful. And especially for the first year somewhat careful so that I don’t get any infection which would cause complications. And Ajita Gopinath das has given me his flat for me to recuperate. And there are a number of devotees on different shifts engaging in different duties in taking care of me. One thing I realized is that how in this material world we are covered by the material energies, therefore we don’t realize our eternal nature. I was telling one BBC newscaster how people they are just engaged in sense gratification. He said, that well is that not good? Well that sounds good. Because most people identify themselves with the material body.  But we are not actually the body. This body covers our real self up. The Vedas describe how in the beginning there is the sound OMmmm. And then ahankara or false ego covers the soul and then material intelligence is the next layer of covering. The mind covers that. Those three elements form the subtle body and then there is the gross body which is comprised of the ether, the air, fire, water and earth. So like this the person is completely covered and identifies with the subtle and gross bodies. And he sees himself as being separate and doesn’t see his connection with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So like this he goes from one body to the next. The soul is eternal but the bodies are changing. Especially the gross body. We may be one life in a man’s body, one life in a female’s body, in animal’s body, in human body, without the soul there is no activity. We are the soul and the bodies are like the machinelike covering. We are the eternal living force, so the process of Krishna consciousness is bhakti yoga and it systematically allows us identify with the Supreme Lord. Actually we are small particle sparks from the Supreme Lord. How amazing is that there are hundreds of millions of universes. There is no limit and Krishna is aware of what is going on in each universe. He is able to speak all different languages including languages of the animals and trees. And he can expand Himself unlimitedly so that He can have a personal relationship with everyone.  The princess Satya was to be given away in marriage but her father said in order to be able to qualify you have to control the seven bulls. So one person controlling seven bulls, they get their bones broken. No one could do it. Then Krishna came and expanded Himself into seven Krishnas. He put a rope in the nose of all the bulls and easily He controlled them. He showed she will get special attention even thought He had so many queens because He could expand Himself unlimitedly. It says that Krishna would come from the Vrshni royal court, He would come by chariot, there would be one Krishna. But when He would step out of the chariot He would come out as 16,108 Krishnas. Like this Krishna has a personal relationship with everyone. He says that He will reciprocate with the mood of each devotee. So if the devotee is fully absorbed in serving Krishna, then Krishna will also reciprocate with that. This is gradually realized by the devotee. In the beginning there are some practices which we are prescribed to do like getting up early in the morning, taking a bath, chanting japa. So this way one does sadhana bhakti and after some time that becomes one’s second nature. Then the devotee wants to chant, dance and serve the Lord. That is called as raaganuga. and by that process one becomes more and more fixed up in the process of devotional service and develops a taste for serving Krishna. And they become very attached to that nectar of serving Krishna. That fructifies as I said into love of Krishna. And in the ecstasy of love one cries and chokes up. One day Lord Caitanya approached Srivas Thakur and He said, can I ask you a question? Srivas said, why not? I want to know if I have a disease or not. What are your symptoms? Whenever I chant the holy name of Krishna, tears come to My eyes, and there is quivering in My body, my voice gets choked up, sometimes I faint, so like this so many extreme ecstasies happen to Me. Is this a disease? Srivas Thakur said, yes, that is a disease and I also want this disease. That disease is love of Krishna and it is very rarely achieved. Some people don’t understand these ecstasies, only advanced devotees can understand. So I invite You to come and chant in my garden, with some select devotees, who will appreciate Your chanting. Like this we want devotees to achieve pure Krishna Prema. First we go through a stage of ecstatic love for Krishna. Sometimes you are in the ecstasy of serving Krishna but still a little attraction is there for the material world. So then pure Prema means 100% Krishna conscious. Initially they won’t be experiencing these ecstasies of love for Krishna, at least not consistently. But gradually one becomes purified and the chanting becomes more powerful. So what is necessary to achieve this? You have to do your sadhana bhakti very sincerely, read Srila Prabhupad books and engage in devotional service, chant Hare Krishna, hear Srimad Bhagavatam. So I hope that in all these days like Vijaya Dashami and Damodar month you can become more and more fixed up in your devotional service. Thank you very much.