20230219 Addressing Bhakti-śāstrī and Bhakti-vaibhava Students of the Māyāpur Institute

We are addressing Māyāpur Institute Bhakti-śāstrī and Bhakti-vaibhava graduates. This is Śrīla Prabhupāda’s program that he wanted people to study his books and get these degrees. These degrees show that you have studied the books and understood the books. I saw how Śrīla Prabhupāda, he was translating and writing his purports every night – 12 midnight on 3 in the morning – may be longer. He would only go for a walk after 5 in the morning. So, we want to associate with Śrīla Prabhupāda and we can do so by studying his books. I am very fortunate… I wanted to inspire my… other ISKCON devotees to study Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books, so I studied Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and got the Bhakti-vaibhava degree. I am now studying the Bhāgavatam to get my Bhakti-vedānta degree. And just like that… although I read many times Prabhupāda’s books, but always I find something new. Like in the 8^th canto, he said, we should have “SUPER SENSES” the ordinary senses are covered by Māyā, and therefore, we only get some material sensations either pleasant or bad. But actually, the bliss we are hankering for is by the purified spiritual senses, so Prabhupāda called them “SUPER SENSES”. And that was something that I cannot remember hearing before. Although, I must have read it, but now it came out very much alive. So like that if we read the books again and again and again, and there is always something new. And I use this “SUPER SENSES” in my preaching. It is very interesting. I would like to thank all of you, students, who are studying Prabhupāda’s books, getting your Bhakti-śāstrī, Bhakti-vaibhava degrees, keep going on studying rest of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Hare Kṛṣṇa!