Lessons from the Twenty-Four Gurus - Part 41

Lessons from the Twenty-four Gurus - Part 41

Date: 2011-03-31 Author: Kalacakra Krsna das

Dear Prabhujis and Matajis,

Hare Krishna. Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

We have been meditating on the lessons from various gurus of the avadhuta brahmana in the offerings titled, "Lessons from the Twenty-four Gurus" and today we will continue to hear from the prostitute Pingala, one of the gurus from whom the avadhuta brahmana learnt the important lesson of detachment. In verse 11.8.39 Pingala says tenopakrtam aadaaya / shirasaa graamya sangataah tyaktva duraashaah sharanam / vrajaami tam adhishvaram

"With devotion I accept the great benefit that the Lord has bestowed upon me. Having given up my sinful desires for ordinary sense gratification, I now take shelter of Him, the Supreme Personality of Godhead."

Pingala exhibits a very important quality of devotee in this verse - gratitude. If we don't have this quality, we cannot advance an inch in devotional service. The word upaakrtam meaning "great help", in the above verse is worth meditating. Lord is kindly helping us every moment of our life, right from the moment we are conceived in the womb of the mother. But unfortunately we are so fallen that most of the time, we don't even realise, recognise or acknowledge the great help which Lord is doing to us. We take Him for granted and think that we deserve to get whatever we are possessing now and even falsely think that we deserve more.

Our beloved spiritual master H H Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj used to say how great Krishna is - First of all it is very difficult for the child to reside inside the mother's womb for 9 months, without free movement. And more difficult it is for the child to come to the outer world. It appears that neither the mother, nor the child can survive in that process. But by the complete mercy of Krishna, child comes out. After birth also, Krishna takes care to provide the basic amenities to all of us. There is no scarcity of air to breathe. Whether we are good or bad, rich or poor, strong or weak, all of us are provided with air to breathe, water to drink, food to eat and some shelter to stay. Above all He patiently tolerates our misbehaviour and bad deeds life after life, yet never gives up on us and continues to be our true well- wisher all the time. Simply thinking how kind the Lord has been to us right from the beginning, will give us an impetus to refrain from sinful actions, and to engage in sincere devotional service. Thats why Pingala is saying -"tyaktvaa duraasashaah sharanam vrajaami tam adhishvaram" - "Having given up my sinful desires for ordinary sense gratification, I now take shelter of Him, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” We should not only be grateful to Lord, but with all the living entities who have helped us in this life, irrespective of whether the help was big or small, whether it is in our material life or spiritual life. Gratitude is noble quality to be practised in every step of our life. Maharaj says that we should not only be grateful to people who help us, but we should also be grateful to people who frown at us. So how much grateful we should be to Supreme Lord who is our well-wishing father ?

In verse 11.8.40 she prays very beautifully santushtaa shraddadhaty etad / yathaa laabhena jeevati viharaamy amunaivaaham / aatmanaa ramanena vai

“I am now completely satisfied, and I have full faith in the Lord's mercy. Therefore I will maintain myself with whatever comes of its own accord. I shall enjoy life with only the Lord, because He is the real source of love and happiness.” Santushta or satisfaction is the greatest wealth for any person. If we possess that, then there is no lack for us in any condition of life. Maharaj always used to advise us , "Never feel that you lack something in life. Never. Never. Krishna is Vishwambar. Why will He forsake you ? Always be cheerful and courageous and carry on with devotional service" This is the faith we should instill in us. Many a times we want things to happen in our way and when it works out differently, we drown ourselves in deep dark well of sorrow. Instead it would be better to maintain ourselves with, “yathaa laabhena jeevati" - "whatever comes of its own accord”, then life would be very peaceful both for us and the people around us. In this regard, we are reminded of one of Maharaj’s favourite story which our god-brother HG Devakinandan Prabhuji said in one of the Bhagavatam classes about a sweeper in Dwaraka. There was a sweeper in Dwaraka who used to clean the temple daily. One day the sweeper thought that Dwarakadish is standing all day in the altar and would be feeling very tired. So he wanted to give rest for the Lord. Seeing his internal desire, Lord appeared before him and said that He would take rest for a day and instead of Him, the sweeper should stand in the altar in His form. The sweeper gladly agreed to do this service. The Lord told that the sweeper,"When you stand in the altar instead of me, please make sure that you should never open your mouth, no matter whatever happens." The sweeper agreed.

Next day many people were coming to have darshan of Dwarakadish. Among them, there was a rich man who came for darshan. He donated few rupees and by mistake he left the wallet there. After a while a poor-man came. Though he earned very less, he offered whatever he could and prayed to the Lord sincerely. When he opened his eyes he saw the wallet. He took it as Lord's mercy and went home with it. Later a sailor came for darshan. At that time, the rich man realised that he had left the wallet near the altar. As soon as he saw the sailor there, he started blaming him and called the police to arrest him. The sweeper who was standing in the altar could not tolerate the injustice any more. He thought that even if Dwarakadish was personally present in the altar, He would also speak out the real truth. So he narrated the whole thing to the police and rich man. The people there were thrilled to hear the Deity speak and so they left the sailor and arrested the poor man. The rich man thanked the Lord and went home. The sailor was happy that police did not arrest him and left for his voyage. In the night, the sweeper happily narrated the whole incident to Dwarakadish and the Lord was very upset with the sweeper for his behaviour. Dwarakadish said - "The rich man was a miser and he had amassed so much wealth in unfair means. On the other hand, the poor man was a sincere devotee of Mine. So I wanted to help him by giving the money. Also the sailor was about to face an accident in the night if we had to travel. Had he been caught in the prison, he would have been saved from that danger as well!"

The lesson to be learnt from the above pastime is that Lord knows what is best for us. We, with our limited brains cannot even dare to interfere with His plans. So it is always best to accept whatever He gives us on His own accord and not to force our requests on Him.

We pray at the lotus feet of Srila Gurudeva, Srila Prabhupada and Sri Krishna that we remember these lessons and practise them in this life.

Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva, Kalacakra Krsna das and Sudarshana devi dasi Lessons from the Twenty-Four Gurus - Part 42

Date: 2011-04-05 Author: Kalacakra Krsna das

Dear Prabhujis and Matajis, Hare Krishna. Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

saṁsāra-kūpe patitaṁ viṣayair muṣitekṣaṇam grastaṁ kālāhinātmānaṁ ko ’nyas trātum adhīśvaraḥ

The intelligence of the living entity is stolen away by activities of sense gratification, and thus he falls into the dark well of material existence. Within that well he is then seized by the deadly serpent of time. Who else but the Supreme Personality of Godhead could save the poor living entity from such a hopeless condition?

In the above verse, Pingala is comparing this material existence to a blind, dark well (samsaara kupe) and how all of us have fallen into it as we want to enjoy sense-gratificatory activities. (vishayair mushitekshanam). We are reminded of the below Mahabharath story which our beloved spiritual master H H Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj used to tell us regarding how we fail to realise how much precarious our situation is even after falling into this well.

Once a man fell into the blind well and while falling down into the well he got stuck in the root of a tree that was growing on the wall of the well. When he looked down, there were so many snakes at the bottom of the well and he was completely perplexed as to what to do. At the bottom of the well, there were snakes and when he looked up, he is not able to see anything and he is just hanging in-between. He then looked at the root. One side of the root there was a black rat eating away the root and the other side was a white rat doing the same. So he knew, sooner or later the rats will finish the whole thing and he will not even have the root to hang on. In this condition, he didn't know what to do. But still, he was enjoying nicely thinking - "At least I am saved for few hours." On top of the tree, there was a bee- hive from which drops of honey were coming. So he was tasting - "very nice". He forgot his precarious position and was tasting the honey. Even in that miserable situation, he was saying "Oh misery is very nice. This honey is good". In the meantime, his friend came and saw that this man has gone down and so he brought a piece of rope and dropped it in and shouted - "Hold on to the rope and come out." But this person said - "No. No. I don't want the rope. I want honey. You please push the branch of the tree, so that I can get more honey from the bee-hive." This is our precarious position.

The phrase "grastam kaalahinaatmaanam" is worth meditating. We are all seized by eternal Time in this well. Attracted by material enjoyments, we want to continue enjoying and remain inside the well, even though there are so many problems. But Time seizes us. Time and tide wait for no man. Even after hearing the importance of bhakti to Supreme Lord, we falsely think - "Let me enjoy now and later take to bhakti tomorrow." But who knows what tomorrow has in store for us. Recently HG Vaijayanti Mataji had made a wonderful granthraj offering titled, "Pass your time in Lord's Pastimes", wherein Mataji was very nicely mentioning the below verse from Vishnu Smrti, on the importance of not postponing service to Krishna

svaḥ kāryaṁ adya kurvīta purvāhne caparāhnikam na hi pratīkṣate mṛtyuḥ kṛtam vāsya na vākrtam Tomorrow’s business should be done today and the afternoon’s business in the forenoon. For whether a person had done it or not death will not wait.

In Srimad Bhagavatam verse 4.24.66, Lord Shiva prays to Krishna as follows

pramattam uccair iti kṛtya-cintayā pravṛddha-lobhaṁ viṣayeṣu lālasam tvam apramattaḥ sahasābhipadyase kṣul-lelihāno ’hir ivākhum antakaḥ

My dear Lord, all living entities within this material world are mad after planning for things, and they are always busy with a desire to do this or that. This is due to uncontrollable greed. The greed for material enjoyment is always existing in the living entity, but Your Lordship is always alert, and in due course of time You strike him, just as a snake seizes a mouse and very easily swallows him.

The last line in the above Bhagavatam shloka, "ko 'nyas traatum adhishvarah" is also very worth meditating. Pingala has completely understood, that Krishna alone is the Adhishvarah, the original Supreme Controller, who can save living entities like us who are fallen into blind well. Other than Him, no-one else will be able to get us out of the blind well. Maharaj very lovingly sings the below prayer by Bilvamangala Thakur

saṁsāre-kūpe patito 'tyagādhe mohāndha-pūrṇe viṣayābhitapte karāvalambaṁ mama dehi viṣṇo govinda dāmodara mādhaveti

Due to my unlimited sins I have fallen into the dark well of the material world, blinded by illusion and burning out of material hankerings. I raise my hands unto You. Please save me my dear Lord Vishnu, who is also known as Govinda, Damodara and Madhava.

The moment we have a desire to get out of the well, and raise our hands and call out the Lord's names "Govinda, Damodara, Madhava", He mercifully extends His loving hands -"karaavalambam" and takes us back home, back to Godhead. So by studying and remembering these wonderful lessons from these great souls, we should at least wake- up now and surrender to Lord immediately without any reservation.

Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva, Kalacakra Krsna das and Sudarshana devi dasi. Lessons from the Twenty-four Gurus - Part 43

Date: 2011-04-06 Author: Kalacakra Krsna das

Dear Prabhujis and Matajis, Hare Krishna. Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

ātmaiva hy ātmano goptā nirvidyeta yadākhilāt apramatta idaṁ paśyed grastaṁ kālāhinā jagat

When the living entity sees that the entire universe has been seized by the serpent of time, he becomes sober and sane and at that time detaches himself from all material sense gratification. In that condition the living entity is qualified to be his own protector.

Whenever devotees asked our beloved spiritual master H H Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj as to how can we become sincere in chanting, how to become sober and serious in devotional service, Maharaj always told the following golden statement - "Remember your death". Maharaj also said about a devotee Mataji working in a prison cell, wherein she had to deal with prisoners who were sentenced to life. When Maharaj asked her will it not be very tough to handle such people as they would have committed great crimes like murder etc, that Mataji told Maharaj that those who are sentenced to death, know their final day and so they become very sober and sane. And for this reason, it was a bit easy for her to deal with them. So Maharaj always insists that if we also remember our final day, then we would also become sane and refrain from committing mistakes and becoming addicted to sense gratificatory activities.

It is very true that many a time, we completely forget death, disease and old age and think that every one of us is going to lead the same healthy life forever. But anything can happen at any moment in this world to anyone. We are all completely at the mercy of the Lord in the form of Time. Today we came across a news article as to how a 65-year- old lady who went to a shop to collect some change, was unexpectedly murdered by the shop-owner as that guy suddenly decided to rob her jewels. For the past four years, that lady had been regularly buying groceries from the shop and that owner is very much known to her and her family. But she would not have even dreamt of such a horrible death. After going through that news we were wondering as to how shocking it would have been for her, how much she would have suffered during those final moments and how difficult it will be for her family members to face this bitter reality.

Well, we can never understand many such happenings in this world as to why Lord allows certain things in a certain way as we have very limited knowledge about these souls. But one very important lesson to remember for us is that " Death can come to us anytime and in any form." We don't even know how heavy is our bundle of sin that we have committed so far in all our births. At least let us not increase the bundle any more. Knowing and remembering the reality of the impermanent body, every day when we wake up we should pray to Lord that we use that day properly in His service and not misuse it by hurting others by our thoughts, words or deeds.

There is no guarantee that our final moment would be a peaceful one surrounded by caring kith and kin. In the case of elephant Gajendra we find that although his family members wanted to protect him, they were unable to relieve him from the clutches of the crocodile. In Srimad Bhagavatam verse 8.2.33 Gajendra prays yaḥ kaścaneśo balino ’ntakoragāt pracaṇḍa-vegād abhidhāvato bhṛśam bhītaṁ prapannaṁ paripāti yad-bhayān mṛtyuḥ pradhāvaty araṇaṁ tam īmahi

The Supreme Personality of Godhead is certainly not known to everyone, but He is very powerful and influential. Therefore, although the serpent of eternal time, which is fearful in force, endlessly chases everyone, ready to swallow him, if one who fears this serpent seeks shelter of the Lord, the Lord gives him protection, for even death runs away in fear of the Lord. I therefore surrender unto Him, the great and powerful supreme authority who is the actual shelter of everyone.

Let us remember these instructive prayers by such great devotees like Pingala and Gajendra and behave in a sane and sober manner.

Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva, Kalacakra Krsna das and Sudarshana devi dasi. Lessons from the Twenty-four Gurus - Part 44

Date: 2011-04-07 Author: Kalacakra Krsna das

Dear Prabhujis and Matajis, Hare Krishna. Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

We have been meditating on the lessons from various gurus of the avadhuta brahmana in the offerings titled, "Lessons from the Twenty-four Gurus" and today we will hear from the avadhuta brahmana about what he learnt from the prostitute Pingala. In Srimad Bhagavatam verses 11.8.43 and 44 the avadhuta brahmana say

śrī-brāhmaṇa uvāca evaṁ vyavasita-matir durāśāṁ kānta-tarṣa-jām chittvopaśamam āsthāya śayyām upaviveśa sā āśā hi paramaṁ duḥkhaṁ nairāśyaṁ paramaṁ sukham yathā sañchidya kāntāśāṁ sukhaṁ suṣvāpa piṅgalā

The avadhuta said: "Thus, her mind completely made up, Pingala cut off all her sinful desires to enjoy sex pleasure with lovers, and she became situated in perfect peace. Then she sat down on her bed. Material desire is undoubtedly the cause of the greatest unhappiness, and freedom from such desire is the cause of the greatest happiness. Therefore, completely cutting off her desire to enjoy so-called lovers, Pingala very happily went to sleep."

The lines "aashaa hi paramam duhkham / nairaashyam paramam sukham" is most beautiful in the above verse. All of us have some aashaa (material desire) or the other and so we are unhappy as those desires don't get fulfilled all the time. nairaashyam - freedom from desires is the cause of greatest happiness. This is the crux of the lesson that we need to learn from Pingala. When our mind is filled with desires, we will always be anxious about how to get them fulfilled. When they don't get fulfilled we lose our peace of mind. When there is no peace of mind, we suffer from insomnia or sleeplessness. Our body requires at least 6 hrs of sleep to lead a normal healthy life. So when we lose our sleep, it impacts our health and normal functioning of the body as well. When we don't sleep in the night, we tend to sleep during the day time. Our beloved spiritual master HH Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj insists that we should go to rest in the night at least by 9 pm and sleep by 10 pm and wake up in the morning at least by 4 am. Staying awake after 10 pm burns our blood and sleeping after 4 am increases the mucus/cough in our body. Also, sleeplessness in nights affects our life-style as well. We get up very late in the day, have late prasadam, go to work late. We feel sleepy at work and as a result, our performance will be affected and this just keeps adding on to our anxieties in life.

In the example of Pingala also we find that when she was anxious, she was not able to sleep. But as soon as she surrendered to the Lord and by His mercy became desireless to material sense gratification, she became completely peaceful and was able to sleep happily. So like Pingala, when we surrender to Lord and be satisfied with whatever He bestows us in life, then we will be able to sleep peacefully in the nights. But many a time, we get caught up with so many desires and spend a lot of our time and energy in fulfilling the same. Prahlad Maharaj while sharing with his friends, the lessons which he learnt from Narada Muni when he was in his mother's womb, very nicely clarifies in Srimad Bhagavatam verse 7.7.42

sukhāya duḥkha-mokṣāya saṅkalpa iha karmiṇaḥ sadāpnotīhayā duḥkham anīhāyāḥ sukhāvṛtaḥ "In this material world, every materialist desires to achieve happiness and diminish his distress, and therefore he acts accordingly. Actually, however, one is happy as long as one does not endeavour for happiness; as soon as one begins his activities for happiness, his conditions of distress begin."

In his wonderful purport to the above verse, Srila Prabhupada says - "One should not be ambitious to dissipate the unhappy conditions of life, for one cannot do anything about them. Although one is acting according to false ambitions, he thinks he can improve his material conditions by his activities. The Vedas enjoin that one should not try to increase happiness or decrease distress, for this is futile. Tasyaiva hetoh prayateta kovidah. One should work for self- realization, not for economic development, which is impossible to improve. Without endeavour, one can get the amount of happiness and distress for which he is destined, and one cannot change this. Therefore, it is better to use one's time for advancement in the spiritual life of Krishna consciousness. One should not waste his valuable life as a human being. It is better to utilize this life for developing Krishna consciousness, without ambitions for so-called happiness."

Since material desires are the source of misery, instead of endeavouring for the same we should engage our mind in devotional service which alone can give us complete bliss. Even while performing devotional service we should be careful that we don't do anything whimsically, but follow the instructions of acharyas and spiritual master. We should perform service as per the desires of the spiritual master and not as per our own wish. As Srila Vishvanath Cakravarthi Thakur sings in Guruvashtakam, yasya prasadaat bhagavat prasaado - when the spiritual master is pleased, Krishna is pleased and when Lord is pleased we will definitely experience peace and bliss.

Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva, Kalacakra Krsna das and Sudarshana devi dasi. Lessons from the Twenty-four Gurus - Part 45

Date: 2011-04-12 Author: Kalacakra Krsna das

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis, Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

śrī-brāhmaṇa uvāca parigraho hi duḥkhāya yad yat priyatamaṁ nṛṇām anantaṁ sukham āpnoti tad vidvān yas tv akiñcanaḥ sāmiṣaṁ kuraraṁ jaghnur balino ’nye nirāmiṣāḥ tadāmiṣaṁ parityajya sa sukhaṁ samavindata

The saintly brahmana said: Everyone considers certain things within the material world to be most dear to him, and because of attachment to such things one eventually becomes miserable. One who understands this gives up material possessiveness and attachment and thus achieves unlimited happiness. Once a group of large hawks who were unable to find any prey attacked another, weaker hawk who was holding some meat. At that time, being in danger of his life, the hawk gave up his meat and experienced actual happiness.

We saw that crux of lesson from his previous guru Pingala was - "aashaa hi paramam duhkham nairaashyam paramam sukham." This very same lesson of detachment is taught to us by the weak hawk as well. Our beloved spiritual master H H Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj says that when some things are repeatedly mentioned in scriptures, it means that it is very very important for us. So by hearing from these great souls, let us make a sincere endeavor to practise the same in our life.

In this example, we find that weak hawk instead of holding on to the meat just gave it up and thereby it could save itself from the attack of the stronger hawks. In this world, when we also become attached to some object, then the merciful Lord, to bring us back on to His path, arranges in His own way so that we get miseries due to the same objects for which we are attached. In such instances, if we give up the attachment gracefully and redirect our attachment on Supreme Lord, then we save a lot of time, energy, Lakshmi and more importantly we will not lose our peace of mind. On the contrary, when we hold on to objects of attachment tightly, we will be becoming more and more miserable. End of the day our mental peace is lost and how can we be happy without peace? Instead, if we give up such attachments we will be completely peaceful and experience actual happiness.

On this auspicious occasion of Sri Rama Navami, let us meditate how Lord Ram has taught us this important lesson of detachment when He appeared in this planet as the son of King Dasaratha in the Raghu dynasty. King Dasaratha declared that Lord Ram would be his successor and that the coronation ceremony would happen the following day. But due to the acts of Mandara and Kaikeyi, Lord Ram's coronation did not happen. Instead, he was told to go on an exile to the forest for 14 years. Initially when it was declared that He should be enthroned as king, and later when it was declared that He needs to go to the forest, in both instances Lord Ram's face was completely "aaraam". There was no sign of anger or agitation on His face. He had all the rights on Ayodhya. What to speak of Ayodhya, He is the proprietor of the whole cosmic manifestation. All the ministers and subjects were in favour of Him. He could have very well refused His father's orders and that too Dasaratha had unwillingly given that order just to keep up his vows to Kaikeyi. But as Maryadha Purushottam, to show the world how a son should behave, Lord Ram simply abided by His father's words and went to the forest. He is so merciful that later, when Lord Brahma gives Him boons, He requests Lord Brahma to arrange for Him to meet King Dasaratha and when He meets Dasaratha, He asks him to forgive Kaikeyi and Bharath. That is the greatness of Lord Ram! Krpa Sindhu Maryada Purushottam Sri Ramacandra Bhagavan ki Jai!

Maharaj is an ardent devotee of Lord Ram and following His footsteps, Maharaj has also exhibited this wonderful quality of detachment in many instances in his life. Maharaj has insisted that not only in material things, even in spiritual service, we should not become over-attached to any service. Our goal is to please Guru and Krishna and to serve Them in the way They want and not according to how we want. Even when Maharaj was giving his life and soul in building magnificent temples in Dwaraka and Rajkot with utmost care and attention, Maharaj lived in a very humble bhajan kutir, with minimum sets of clothes, minimum vessels etc. He used to tell that, "If tomorrow we are asked to leave this place, we will accept it as Krishna's plan and we will simply take our baggage and leave." Maharaj did not think that since he had put so much time, effort and energy to build the temples, he can stay there forever. Nor did he think that what will happen if he is not round. He always used to say that, "We are not the doers. It is Krishna's temple and He knows how to build it. Our duty is to simply abide by Krishna's plans. If we voluntarily don't give up our attachments, then in the end of life Krishna will anyway forcefully take them away from us. So better to give up voluntarily and be happy."

We pray that we remember this most important lesson taught to us by Lord Sri Ram and these great souls and practise the same in our life.

Sri Sri Sita Ram Lakshman Hanuman ki Jai ! Sri Sri Ram Navami Mahotsav ki Jai ! Srila Prabhupada ki Jai ! Srila Gurudev ki Jai.

Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva, Kalacakra Krsna das and Sudarshana devi dasi. Lessons from the Twenty-four Gurus - Part 46

Date: 2011-04-14 Author: Kalacakra Krsna das

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis, Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

na me mānāpamānau sto na cintā geha-putriṇām ātma-krīḍa ātma-ratir vicarāmīha bāla-vat

In family life, the parents are always in anxiety about their home, children and reputation. But I have nothing to do with these things. I do not worry at all about any family, and I do not care about honor and dishonor. I enjoy only the life of the soul, and I find love on the spiritual platform. Thus I wander the earth like a child.

When we came across this verse, we are reminded how our beloved spiritual master H H Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj used to tell us that we should be simple and innocent like a child for that will please the Lord so much. Srila Prabhupada says that one of the symptoms of a pure devotee is that they will be jolly. Children are jolly by nature and they smile at everyone without any reservation. Children have qualities very similar to Krishna. They easily forget the wrongdoings of others and that is why everyone is attracted to them. But it is elders like us who cannot tolerate others and are sensitive to honour and dishonour. As a result, we are caught up in a whirlpool of anxieties. A child does not worry about who will win the election, he does not care for the latest update on the share market, he does not care how beautiful he looks in front of a mirror, he does not make an elaborate plan in his mind to take revenge on someone, he is not worried about job, economy etc. He is completely free from all these anxieties because the child has complete faith in his parents who protects him from all dangers. But we lack this quality of innocent faith in the Supreme Lord like the child has for his parents, and the result is, our life is overflowing with worries. Our Maharaj always used to quote the Gujarati statement:

hun hari nu, hari mama rakshak, ye vishvas jaai nahi je hari kare te mama hith nu, ye barosaa visraai nahi

I am Krishna's and Krishna is my protector, let this faith not go away. Whatever Krishna does is for my well-being only, let this conviction also not go away.

We can see in many instances how acaryas like His Divine Grace and Maharaj had exhibited this quality like the child. Maharaj might chastise us heavily when we make some mistake, but the next moment he will talk with us so lovingly without any grudge, hatred, disregard or neglect. We are kind only to people who honour us or talk in favour of us. But these great souls are kind to all, even to souls who ill-treat them. Just like the hearts of innocent child, they also do not care for honour or dishonour and that's why they are very dear devotees of Lord.

The avadhuta brahamana says here that since by providential arrangement he did not have any family members, he was care-free and so he could wander the earth like a child. Now we should not start thinking that we should give up our family to be like a child. When we have family, we need to do our prescribed duties and leave the results to Krishna. For example, if we have parents, spouse, children etc, as a responsible son/daughter, spouse, parent we need to take care of them. Let us take the example of children - It is our duty to provide them with good food, clothing, shelter, education and also give them the valuable gift of bhakti right from childhood. But if for some reason if the child is not able to excel in studies etc, we should not become anxious for the same. Same is true when children are not serious about bhakti or when they are sick. In all those circumstances, it will definitely be very difficult for us to see our loved ones undergoing difficult situations, suffering or not taking the correct path, right in front of our eyes. But other than prayers for that soul we cannot do anything. We should not be too much caught up thinking,"What will others think if my child is like this if my spouse is like this etc?" and how it will affect our reputation etc. If we are becoming anxious in this manner, then we are drowning deep in the bodily concept of life. We should remember that each and every individual soul, irrespective of whether they belong to our family or not, have their own account of karma and spiritual bank balance and we cannot force anything upon anyone. If society is going to tease or condemn us for this reason, we should just neglect it. Whether we like it or not, others will always think something or the other. Our only focus needs to be to do our prescribed duties immaculately and do our sadhana sincerely. As a responsible parent, we can give the due care and guidance as trustees and then leave them in hands of Lord.

It is very easy to write this, but definitely very difficult to practise and definitely not possible by our own endeavour. But by sincere prayers to Guru and Krishna, we will be able to practise this by Their mercy. Maharaj always insists that detachment does not mean carelessness, it just means doing our duties with great care, so that we can finish the duties soon and spend more time for Krishna. In all circumstances, we should carry on with bhakti, for if we do so if Guru and Krishna are pleased, They will take care of not only the current generation but our ancestors and successors as well. Prahlad Maharaj's life is a very good example for us.

One other lesson to be learnt from avadhuta brahmana is that even if we don't have family, we should continue in bhakti with full vigour. For eg., if we are not able to find a life-partner, if we lose our dear ones or if we don't beget children etc, we should not become anxious or depressed. Krishna is Time and He perfectly knows at what time He should bring two souls together and how long should they be together. The Lord knows how much we can handle and how much we deserve. This is true in all relationships. So we should simply accept His plans. It is indeed a great blessing to have parents and elders with us who can guide us, good spouse and children who can share our love and affection. But if by Krishna's arrangement we don't have them still there is nothing to do with honour/dishonour/reputation. To help us understand that whatever Krishna is doing is for our good, our beloved Maharaj used to give us an example of a person boarding a train - "Consider a person with no baggage - when the train comes, he happily and easily gets into the train. Whereas a person who has a lot of baggage has to struggle a lot to board the train." So if by Krishna's arrangement we have no family, still we are not at loss. When we throw away the baggage of anxieties, worries, honour, dishonour, reputation etc from our minds and fill it with Krishna, then we can easily go around happily like a child, glorifying the Supreme Lord until our final train comes to pick us back home, back to Godhead.

Jai Srila Prabhupada ki Jai! Srila Gurudev ki Jai.

Krishna willing we will continue with the other lessons from the gurus of avadhuta brahmana in subsequent offerings.

Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva, Kalacakra Krsna das and Sudarshana devi dasi. Lessons from the Twenty-four Gurus - Part 47

Date: 2011-04-21 Author: Kalacakra Krsna das

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis, Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

While travelling across the world and learning about its nature, the avadhuta brahmana personally witnessed the below lesson. Once a marriageable young girl was alone in her house because her parents and relatives had gone that day to another place. At that time a few men arrived at the house, specifically desiring to marry her. She received them with all hospitality. The girl went to a private place and began to make preparations so that the unexpected male guests could eat. As she was beating the rice, the conch-shell bracelets on her arms were colliding and making a loud noise. The young girl feared that the men would consider her family to be poor because their daughter was busily engaged in the menial task of husking rice. Being very intelligent, the shy girl broke the shell bracelets from her arms, leaving just two on each wrist. Thereafter, as the young girl continued to husk the rice, the two bracelets on each wrist continued to collide and make noise. Therefore she took one bracelet off each arm, and with only one left on each wrist, there was no more noise. In verse 11.9.10, the avadhuta brahmana says

vāse bahūnāṁ kalaho bhaved vārtā dvayor api eka eva vaset tasmāt kumāryā iva kaṅkaṇaḥ

When many people live together in one place there will undoubtedly be quarrelling. And even if only two people live together there will be frivolous conversation and disagreement. Therefore, to avoid conflict, one should live alone, as we learn from the example of the bracelet of the young girl.

The below part of the purport to the above verse helps us to understand the verse better. "Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Ṭhakura has commented on this verse as follows: "The young girl in the story kept only one bracelet on each wrist so that there would be no noisy conflict among the bracelets. Similarly, one should give up the association of those who are not devoted to the Supreme Lord." This is the actual lesson to be learned. A real Vaiṣhṇava is always pure and faultless in character. However, in those places where non-devotees congregate, there will undoubtedly be envious criticism of the devotional service of the Lord, and those who falsely attempt to analyze reality without the Supreme Personality of Godhead will create much disturbing noise in the name of philosophy. Therefore, one should remain in those places where the Supreme Lord is properly worshiped according to the Vedic standard. If everyone is dedicated to glorifying the Personality of Godhead, Krishna, there will not be any impediment in mutual association. However, in a place where people have many different purposes besides the pleasure of the Supreme Lord, social dealings will certainly be disrupted."

The phrase, "eka eva vaset tasmaat", meaning "one should live alone" is worth meditating. We are living in Kali yuga – which is defined as, "Age of Quarrel". So whether we like it or not, vaase bahunaam kalaho – has become an unavoidable fact. Due to lack of co-operation, we keep fighting with each other, whether we live with 10 people or just one other soul, we simply cannot tolerate each other and we just fight. Especially these days it has become common thing to come across news articles like son killing father, husband killing wife, wife killing husband, brother killing brother etc So to avoid conflicts, the avadhuta brahmana is telling that it is better to live alone, than to trouble others by staying together and fighting with them. Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita verse 12.15, "yasmaan nodvijate loko / lokaan nodvijate ca yah". Krishna is pleased with people who are neither disturbed by others, nor are a source of disturbance to others. So in order that we don't disturb others and get into conflicts, should we leave everyone and isolate ourselves ? What does living alone mean ?

Living alone does not mean that we need to leave everyone and stay alone. "Alone" means staying alone with Krishna and Bhagavatam irrespective of whether we are living with 1 person or hundreds of people. Our beloved spiritual master H H Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj says how the real test of bhakti is determined by how long we are able to sit alone with Srimad Bhagavatam. So if we are trained to be with Krishna and Bhagavatam, then we can be "alone", even while living with thousands of people. Maharaj insists that we should be in the world, but not be of the world. To practise this, Maharaj with a tinge of transcendental humour says, that "we should throw our mind into the ocean ." Because even if we physically leave a place and go and reside miles apart and stay alone, still if our mind keeps meditating about the conflicts with people, then we are actually not living alone.

So we should not misuse this verse as a reason to leave our family and live alone. In fact joint families which were so common in Vedic life has become a dream now. At least when we were children we knew that such a system existed. But nowadays most of the current and future generation are only exposed to nuclear families. Even in nuclear families,it has become a challenge for husband and wife to stay together. This has resulted in increase in divorce rate and has left many children with single parent. So much so that children are deprived of the love and care of both the parents, grandparents and their priceless jewels of experiences and guidance. Association with elders and devotees mould us into better individuals. We will get a lot of inspiration and strength to do more and more service in their good association. But if we choose to leave them, we are prone to developing many habits which are detrimental to our character. When we stay alone we falsely think that we are the greatest soul on earth. We deprive ourselves from the opportunity to see good things in others. So it is important that we develop the habit of seeing good in people around us and give away the habit of finding faults. So staying alone also means to stay away from all these abominable activities of the mind.

We should remember the below golden statement of Srila Bhaktisiddanta Saraswathi Maharaj–“If everyone is dedicated to glorifying the Personality of Godhead, Krishna, there will not be any impediment in mutual association.” To bring this mood to everyone, first we should follow it ourselves. If glorification of Supreme Lord is ultimate goal of our life, then we are safe in any kind of association, whether Krishna places us really in a lone place or amidst hundreds or thousands of people. Because when we are clear and strict with our goal, even if others do not co- operate, still by mercy of Guru and Krishna we will be able to neglect such impediments and continue to relish bhakti instead of allowing our mind to get agitated. By doing so we will be able to stay alone anywhere and everywhere and transcend the modes just like the lotus flower that sprouts up from dirty water.

Krishna willing we will continue with the other lessons from the gurus of avadhuta brahmana in subsequent offerings.

Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva, Kalacakra Krsna das and Sudarshana devi dasi. Lessons from the Twenty-four Gurus - Part 48

Date: 2011-04-30 Author: Kalacakra Krsna das

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis,

Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

In verse 11.9.13, the avadhuta brahmana says how an arrow-maker was focused in mind and was completely absorbed in his target of making the arrow sharp and straight, so much so he didn’t even realize the king himself passing by him in a royal procession. The biggest problem we face is controlling the mind from wandering about. For success in any job, focus and one-pointed unwavering attention of the mind on the job is a must. In the verses SB 11.9.11 and 12, the avadhuta brahmana talks about how to control the mind, and in verse 13 he gives the example of the arrow-maker to explain the importance of an attentive mind.

tadaivam ātmany avaruddha-citto na veda kiñcid bahir antaraṁ vā yatheṣu-kāro nṛpatiṁ vrajantam iṣau gatātmā na dadarśa pārśve

Thus, when one's consciousness is completely fixed on the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one no longer sees duality, or internal and external reality. The example is given of the arrow maker who was so absorbed in making a straight arrow that he did not even see or notice the king himself, who was passing right next to him.

In the purport, the situation of this particular example of an arrow-maker is beautifully brought out to reveal to us how much the arrow-maker was focused on his job.

"It is understood that when a king moves on a public street he is heralded by kettledrums and other musical instruments and is accompanied by soldiers and other members of his retinue. Thus, despite this royal extravaganza passing right by his workshop, the arrow maker did not even notice because he was completely absorbed in his prescribed duty of making an arrow straight and sharp. One who is completely absorbed in loving devotional service to the Absolute Truth, Sri Krishna, no longer pays attention to material illusion. In this verse, the word bahis, "external" refers to the innumerable objects of material sense gratification, such as food, drink, sex, and so on, which drag the senses of the conditioned soul into material duality. The word antaram, or "internal" refers to memory of previous sense gratification or hopes and dreams for future materialistic situations."

We see a similar incident in Mahabharata that emphasizes the importance of a focussed mind. When Dronacarya was teaching archery to his students, he once asked them to shoot a bird on the tree by aiming its eye. He called them one by one and showing the bird, he asked them what they saw. Everyone except Arjuna said that they saw the tree, the branches, the bird, etc and so everyone missed the target. Lord Krishna, Himself declares in Bhagavad Gita verse 2.41:

vyavasāyātmikā buddhir ekeha kuru-nandana bahu-śākhā hy anantāś ca buddhayo ’vyavasāyinām

"Those who are on this path are resolute in purpose, and their aim is one. O beloved child of the Kurus, the intelligence of those who are irresolute is many-branched ."

Arjuna had been practicing archery day and night and was the best archer among the students of Dronacarya. So when Arjuna’s turn came Drona inquired him as follows.

Drona: “What do you see?” Arjuna: “I see the eye of the bird” Drona: “Do you see the tree?” Arjuna: “No” Drona: “Do you see the branch?” Arjuna: “No” Drona: “Do you see the bird?” Arjuna: “No” Drona: “Then what else do you see, Arjuna?” Arjuna: “Nothing. I see only the round black eye of the bird”

Saying so Arjuna released the arrow and it just hit the target straight. So we see that a skilled archer is completely absorbed in the target and does not see anything else other than it. In the above example also avadhuta brahamana says that the arrow maker was so absorbed in making the arrows straight and sharp, that he was not distracted even when the king passed by next to him in a royal procession. But we get distracted and disturbed even by silly events that are happening around us, or even in places far away from us. This is because of our uncontrolled mind.

In Bhagavad Gita, Krishna also says that mind is the best of our friends if we control it and the worst of our enemies when it controls us. Though it does not have any gross presence, it is capable of burning us down with anxieties and worries. It is invisible and subtle and still capable of mentally taking us to any corner of the world within seconds and like a time machine takes us to the past or future thereby makes us restless and anxious. Nature of mind is to wander here and there. In Gita Arjuna says to Krishna in verse 6.34:

cañcalaṁ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa pramāthi balavad dṛḍham tasyāhaṁ nigrahaṁ manye vāyor iva su-duṣkaram

For the mind is restless, turbulent, obstinate and very strong, O Krsna, and to subdue it is, it seems to me, more difficult than controlling the wind.

Arjuna honestly put forward the challenge we face from the wavering mind. Krishna being the loving spiritual master of the entire universe, gives the perfect answer for the benefit of all of us. Krishna willing, we will continue with the answer on how to control this restless mind, in the next offering.

Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva, Kalacakra Krsna das and Sudarshana devi dasi. Lessons from the Twenty-four Gurus - Part 49

Date: 2011-05-04 Author: Kalacakra Krsna das

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis, Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

When Arjuna sincerely inquires to Krishna about how to control the restless mind. In answer to this Lord Krishna says in verse 6.35 of Bhagavad Gita shri bhagavaan uvaaca asamshayam mahaa baaho / mano durnigraham calam abhyaasena tu kaunteya / vairaagyena ca grhyate

Lord Sri Krishna said: "O mighty-armed son of Kunti, it is undoubtedly very difficult to curb the restless mind, but it is possible by suitable practice and by detachment."

Lord assures here that it is possible to control the mind by suitable practice and detachment. In verse 11.9.11 the avadhutha brahamana also stresses on the importance of developing these two qualities to focus our mind. mana ekatra samyunjyaaj / jita-shvaaso jitaasanah vairaagyaabhyaasa-yogena / dhriyamaanam atandritah

"Having perfected the yoga sitting postures and conquered the breathing process, one should make the mind steady by detachment and the regulated practice of yoga. Thus one should carefully fix the mind on the single goal of yoga practice."

The word "vairaagya" in the above verse is worth meditating. Vairaagya means detachment. When we develop the quality of vairaagya, by understanding the temporary nature of this material existence, then mind will not keep hankering whimsically. Our beloved spiritual master H H Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj says that Krishna has guaranteed and given trade mark for His creation as "duhkalaayam ashaasvatam". This life is temporary and full of miseries. When the owner of the product Himself has guaranteed it, what else can we expect here ? Right from the day we are conceived in mother’s womb and until our last breath, we will keep on getting any one or all types of miseries. So accepting the reality of life, it is important that we train the mind properly to focus its attention on our actual goal - Krishna.

The words abhyaasa yogena meaning "regulated practice" and atandritah meaning "very carefully". We are constantly subjected to various material modes. So constant hammering to mind about the ultimate goal of life is required. Else it will get carried away by the modes. We find that even in the case of archery, Arjuna did his abhyaas with great care. He used to practise archery even in the nights and that’s why he was also called as "Gudakesha", one who has conquered his sleep. There is a famous quote in English which goes as follows, "The heights of great men reached and kept, were not attained by sudden flight, but they when their companions slept, went toiling up in the night." So irrespective of what others are doing, we should carefully follow the regulated principles of bhakti yoga. Maharaj always quotes the below verse 5.59 from Brahma samhita where in the Supreme Lord says how we could attain to stage of pure devotion. shri bhagavaan uvaaca pramaanais tat-sad-aacaarais / tad-abhyaasair nirantaram bodhayan aatmanaatmaanam / bhaktim apy uttamaam labhet

"The highest devotion is attained by slow degrees by the method of constant endeavor for self-realization with the help of scriptural evidence, theistic conduct and perseverance in practice."

As the saying goes, "Practice makes it perfect." We should not become satisfied simply by studying the scriptures just once. Our mind will simply freak out after some time. So it is important to do abhyaasair nirantaram and bodhayan aatmanaatmaanam. When we constantly endeavour to practise bhakti yoga by taking shelter of the scriptures, then by mercy of Guru and Krishna we will reach the perfection of life.

Krishna willing, we will continue to learn more lessons from the avadhuta brahmana about mind in the subsequent offering.

Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva, Kalacakra Krsna das and Sudarshana devi dasi. Lessons from the Twenty-four Gurus - Part 50

Date: 2011-05-06 Author: Kalacakra Krsna das

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis,

Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

We have been meditating on the lessons from various gurus of the avadhuta brahmana in the offerings titled, "Lessons from the Twenty-four Gurus" and today we will continue to learn the lessons avadhuta brahmana learnt from his guru, arrow-maker. In previous offerings we saw how the arrow-maker had one-pointed focus on his job of making sharp and straight arrows and did not notice even royal procession going near him. Similar manner it is important for us also to focus our attention towards the Lord by abhyaasa - constant endeavour and vairaagya – detachment. In verse 11.9.13 of Srimad Bhagavatam, the avadhuta brahmana says yasmin mano labdha-padam yad etac chanaih shanair muncati karma-renun sattvena vṛddhena rajas tamash ca vidhuya nirvaanam upaity anindhanam

"The mind can be controlled when it is fixed on the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Having achieved a stable situation, the mind becomes free from polluted desires to execute material activities; thus as the mode of goodness increases in strength, one can completely give up the modes of passion and ignorance, and gradually one transcends even the material mode of goodness. When the mind is freed from the fuel of the modes of nature, the fire of material existence is extinguished.Then one achieves the transcendental platform of direct relationship."

We are caught up by the modes whenever we start thinking or doing things which are different from what the Lord wants us to do. Before beginning any activity we should pray to Lord and seek His blessings and guidance for execution of the same. Lord always guides us through the instructions in scriptures, spiritual master or as caitya guru, as to what is right/wrong for us. But when we fail to hear the inner voice and freak out whimsically we get burnt by material modes and so become very agitated and unhappy. In Srimad Bhagavatam verse 1.5.14, Narada Muni instructs Srila Vyasadev as follows

tato ‘nyathaa kincana yad vivakshatah prthag drshas tat krta roopa naamabhih na karhicit kvaapi ca duhsthita matir labheta vaatahata naur ivaaspadam

"Whatever you desire to describe that is separate in vision from the Lord simply reacts, with different forms, names and results, to agitate the mind as the wind agitates a boat which has no resting place."

Just like how a boat on the shore floats hither and thither, if not properly anchored, similarly mind when not anchored to Krishna becomes very restless and burns us in fire of material existence with the help of fuel of material modes. The spiritual master who is transcendental to these modes is our only shelter who can take us out of these modes and so service unto the lotus feet of spiritual master is the only way to focus our mind to Krishna. The modes of material nature sattva, rajo and tamo gun (goodness, passion and ignorance) are compared to fuel which burns us in the fire of material existence. We are all burning every moment in this fire. Our beloved spiritual master H H Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj says that we are being cooked right from the time when we are in the womb of our mother. (Srimad Bhagavatam verse 3.31.17 mentions the condition of child in the womb as follows – "dehy anya-deha-vivare jaṭharaagninaasṛg", the child’s body is scorched by the mother’s gastric fire when he is in the mother’s womb.) Once we are out we are continuously cooked by circumstances around us . So what is the way out of fire of material existence ? samsaara-daavanala-leedha-lokaa tranaya kaarunya- ghanaaghanaatwam - The spiritual master is receiving benediction from the ocean of mercy. Just as a cloud pours water on a forest fire to extinguish it, so the spiritual master delivers the materially afflicted world by extinguishing the blazing fire of material existence.

That is why Jada Bharatha instructs King Rahugana in Srimad Bhagavatam 5.11.17 as follows

bhraatrvyam enam tad adabhra-viryam upeksayaadhyedhitam apramattah guror hares caranopaasanaastro jahi vyalikam svayam aatma-mosham

"This uncontrolled mind is the greatest enemy of the living entity. If one neglects it or gives it a chance, it will grow more and more powerful and will become victorious. Although it is not factual, it is very strong. It covers the constitutional position of the soul. O King, please try to conquer this mind by the weapon of service to the lotus feet of the spiritual master and of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Do this with great care."

So just like how the arrow-maker did not get distracted by the circumstances around him, but remained steadily focused on his goal, we should focus on our ultimate goal of life – Krishna. There might be so many distractions and distress in our way. But neglecting all such distractions and disturbances as futile waste of time and understanding the real purpose of our life is to simply glorify and serve the Lord and His devotees, we should march forward in the process of bhakti. This is not a one time process, but a life time process. Mind is kept under control, by the help of steady intelligence. Intelligence can be kept steady by taking shelter of saadhu and shastras. So we should sincerely endeavour to take association of saadhus whenever we get an opportunity and serve them consistenly, daily chant Holy Names, study and follow scriptures like Srimad Bhagavad Gita and Bhagavatam.

Krishna willing, we will continue to learn more lessons from the other gurus of avadhuta brahmana in the subsequent offerings.

Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva, Kalacakra Krsna das and Sudarshana devi dasi. Lessons from the Twenty-four Gurus - Part 51

Date: 2011-05-21 Author: Kalacakra Krsna das

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis,

Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

We have been meditating on the lessons from various gurus of the avadhuta brahmana in the offerings titled, "Lessons from the Twenty-four Gurus" and today we will see what lessons avadhuta brahmana learnt from his next guru – “snake”. In verse 11.9.14 avadhuta brahmana says: eka-caary aniketah syaad / apramatto guhaashayah alakshyamaana aacaarair / munir eko 'lpa-bhaashanah

"A saintly person should remain alone and constantly travel without any fixed residence. Being alert, he should remain secluded and should act in such a way that he is not recognized or noticed by others. Moving without companions, he should not speak more than required."

The avadhuta brahmana in verse 11.9.14 is explaining the following qualities of saint and let us try to meditate on the same one by one.

1. ekacaari - moving alone 2. guhaashayah - remaining secluded 3. aniketah - without fixed residence 4. apramattah - being very alert 5. alakshyamaana - without being recognized 6. alpa baashanah - speaking very little

1. ekacaari - moving alone: Acharyas like Srila Prabhupada and our beloved Guru Maharaj are embodiment of this verse. Srila Prabhupada travelled alone all the way to America from Vrindavan in Jaladuta, neglecting his bodily ailments and inconveniences of old age, inspite of suffering from heart attacks etc, just for the sake of giving Krishna to suffering souls across the world. He then did several world tours to preach the message of Lord Caitanya and brought the Holy names to every town and village in the world. Following the foot-steps of His Divine Grace, our Guru Maharaj also has travelled alone many times, all over the world to preach devotional service. When we go through diaries we find that how he has spent all night studying Srimad Bhagavatam in airports in African countries, when there was severe downpour of rains which cancelled his connecting flights. Even in his ripe old age with frailties, he would travel in the train in sleeper class and for long distances in buses without any assistants. This way our acaryas teach us how to develop complete dependence on Krishna by 'moving alone' depending only on Krishna's support. 2. guhaashayah - remaining secluded: The underlying meaning of the word guhaashayah is that we should love to be 'alone with Krishna in seclusion'. We should long for that lone moments with Krishna through chanting His holy names or learning His instructions and His pastimes from the shastras like Srimad Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita. Our Guru Maharaj used to advise us, "Take out some time everyday from your busy life and try to find a quiet corner in your place and chant or read Srila Prabhupada's books. This way try to be alone with Krishna." This quietitude with Krishna will clear our muddled mind of all confusions and bewilderment. When we study the shastras alone in a quiet place, Krishna and Prabhupada speak to us and give us nice realizations. Then we can go and share the message we got from them with everyone else. This private time with Krishna is very essential especially for those who take to preaching service and studying the shastras. This is the meaning of the quality - 'remaining secluded'.

3. aniketah - without fixed residence: Srila Prabhupada had single-handedly started this Krishna consciousness movement and had built around 108 magnificent temples all over the world. Devotees out of love wanted to express their gratitude to their dear spiritual master and built him palatial residence "Palace of Gold" in New Vrindavan. His Divine Grace accepted their loving offering, but never stayed there. He was always on the move, translating Srimad Bhagavatam and preaching. Maharaj also had a very humble bhajan kutir wherever he went, be it Dwaraka, Rajkot, Nasik. In Sydney Memorial service while glorifying Gurudev, H G Devakinandan Prabhuji had mentioned how during the initial days when the temples were not built in Rajkot/Dwaraka – Maharaj had slept even on barren lands, with his hand as pillow. The Goswamis of Vrindavan never used to rest even under the same tree. Narada muni and Sukadeva Goswami never stayed in a place for more than a few moments. So saintly persons never cared for a fixed residence.

By cultivating these transcendental qualities we can increase our faith in Krishna and detachment to the material world and this is the only way by which we can be peaceful in devotional service and inspire others also to be peaceful in devotional service.

Krishna willing, we will see the remaining qualities to learn from Snake in the next mail.

Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva, Kalacakra Krsna das and Sudarshana devi dasi. Lessons from the Twenty-four Gurus - Part 52

Date: 2011-05-23 Author: Kalacakra Krsna das

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis,

Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

We have been meditating on the lessons from various gurus of the avadhuta brahmana in the offerings titled, "Lessons from the Twenty-four Gurus" and today we will continue with the lessons the avadhuta brahmana learnt from his guru – “snake”. In verse 11.9.14 avadhuta brahmana says: eka-caary aniketah syaad / apramatto guhaashayah alakshyamaana aacaarair / munir eko 'lpa-bhaashanah

The avadhuta brahmana in verse 11.9.14 is explaining the following qualities of saint

We had meditated on the first three qualities in the previous offering. Now let us meditate on the remaining qualities.

4. Apramattah - Being very alert: Saintly persons are very alert. They are very conscious that everything is Krishna’s energy. So neither they do waste anything nor do they miss the opportunity of using everything judiciously in Krishna’s service. In Rajkot our beloved spiritual master H H Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj used to be very particular about the usage of water, electricity etc. He always insisted that we should use them to the minimum extent required and not waste them lavishly. Our natural tendency is that we are very alert in using the resources judiciously at our home, but when it comes to other’s property, office, temple and other place, we really don’t bother about how things are used. But saintly persons like Prabhupada and Gurudev, do not discriminate and see everything as Krishna’s property and so they are very alert and careful in using His energy. Krishna’s energy doesn’t stop with these physical and material resources alone. This valuable human life, our body, mind and senses, the relationships, friends and society we are blessed with – everything belongs to Krishna and so we should be alert and careful in using/dealing them nicely for the pleasure of Krishna.

5. Alakshyamaana - Without being Recognised: Our tendency is that we always like to be noticed and recognized by others. But here avadhuta brahmana mentions that saintly people prefer not to be recognized. Name, fame and recognition delude us from the truth that, “We are worthless and whatever so- called good has happened through us is only because of grace of Guru and Krishna.” Since these three things (Name, Fame and Recognition) take us far away from Krishna, it is always important for us to stay away from these things. In this regard Maharaj used to tell us a nice incident that took place in the life of Surdas, a great devotee of Lord. Surdas was famous for his bhajans and so Akbar once invited him to his court and asked him to sing bhajans. After hearing Krishna bhajans for some time, Akbar asked Surdas to sing bhajans on him. Surdas refused to do and told Akbar, "My mind is filled with Krishna and I cannot sing about anyone else." Then when Akbar requested him to accept some reward, Surdas refused and said, "Krishna supplies everything for me, I am not in need of anything." But Akbar insisted that he will not let him go until he accepts something from him. So Surdas said beautifully,"I request you to please not invite me anymore to the court so that there is no interruption in my bhajan." We find that saintly people shun away from fame and recognition as they know that these are obstacles in path of bhakti.

6. Alpa Bhaashanah - Very little Speaking: Vaaco vegam is one of the important quality to be taken care if we want to progress in bhakti. Maharaj says, "In a quarrel the person who is the loudest gains the upper hand. The loudest sound is actually silence. If ever there is any quarrel, learn to be silent and remember Krishna." In Srimad Bhagavatam verse 1.5.24, Narada Muni, the transcendental space man who travels all over the cosmic manifestation preaching Lord’s glories, while explaining his past life to Srila Vyasadev also he insists how this quality of being alpabhashini –“ not speaking more than what is required”, had helped him in receiving the mercy of sages. Maharaj always insists that we use the triple filter “TAP” (Truthful/Auspicious/Pleasing) to our mouth, before we utter anything to anyone. As Lord Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita verse 17.15 anudvega-karam vaakyam / satyam priya-hitam ca yat svaadhyaayaabhyasanam caiva / vaan-mayam tapa ucyate

“Austerity of speech consists in speaking words that are truthful, pleasing, beneficial, and not agitating to others, and also in regularly reciting Vedic literature.”

Krishna willing, we will continue with the lessons learnt by the avadhuta brahmana from the snake in the subsequent offering.

Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva, Kalacakra Krsna das and Sudarshana devi dasi. Lessons from the Twenty-four Gurus - Part 53

Date: 2011-05-24 Author: Kalacakra Krsna das

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis,

Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

We have been meditating on the lessons from various gurus of the avadhuta brahmana in the offerings titled, "Lessons from the Twenty-four Gurus" and today we will continue with the lessons avadhuta brahmana learnt from his guru – “snake”. In verse 11.9.14 the avadhuta brahmana mentioned some of the qualities of saintly persons namely:

Such saintly persons, who are decorated with the above wonderful ornamental qualities, very well know that endeavoring for fixed residence is an unwanted hassle. So like snakes they stay in house built by others and sanctify the residents with spiritual knowledge and keep moving on. In verse 11.9.15 the avadhuta brahmana says

grhaarambho hi duhkhaaya / viphalash caadhruvaatmanah sarpah para-krtam veshma / pravishya sukham edhate

“When a person living in a temporary material body tries to construct a happy home, the result is fruitless and miserable. The snake, however, enters a home that has been built by others and prospers happily.”

“grhaarambho hi duhkhaaya / viphalash caadhruvaatmanah” is a very beautiful line in the above verse. All of us can relate to this truth. Whether we stay in rented home or construct a own house, in both cases we face so many problems. In case of rented house, if the owner of the house is problematic, then our life becomes miserable. To overcome this problem and to avoid hassles of repeated shifting of houses, we work hard, toil and moil, take loan and buy/build a house, only to find piles of hassles waiting for us in the form of loan-interest, legal problems, builder problems, water-problems, maintenance problems etc. Recently we received a mail about one of the houses of a richest business man in Mumbai – The house is a 27 storeyed building and is built just for 5 souls and they need 600 people simply to maintain the house! The monthly electric bill has come to more than 70 lakhs of rupees! We don’t know whether it is the tallest residence in India or not, but it is height of madness to spend so much money in building a home for 5 souls. While Krishna will have His own ways to reveal the truth to such souls, the lesson we should learn is that over-endeavouring and over-spending Lakshmi like this is of no use. Our body itself is like a rented apartment and we cannot stay in this body also permanently. So what to speak of houses in this material world ? Whether it is own house or rented house, we cannot carry it with us when we leave the body. Our beloved spiritual master HH Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj always humorously says, “if the houses, lands, cars, garages and all other property to which we are all very attached, really belonged to us, then definitely it would be accompanying us in our final moment. But reality is that we are not the owners of the same. All these things existed before we were born, and will continue to be occupied by others once we leave. So it is foolishness to claim that we are the owners.”

Value of any place depends on how well we are using it in service of Lord. So we should be satisfied with whatever house Krishna blesses on His own accord and use it in His service. Saints like Srila Prabhupada and Gurudev mercifully sanctify our life and home, by their valuable presence and guide us in dedicating them in Lord’s service. Such saints have taken “shelter” of Lord in the true sense and they know that He alone is “Param dhaama” - Supreme abode and so they don’t get into hassles of building homes for themselves. But at the same time, they are very alert in building magnificient temples for the Lord. When winning big deals for buying property for temple, Srila Prabhupada used to mention this quality of ajaagar vrtti as to how mouse makes a lot of effort to make a hole and live. But the snake effortlessly comes and eats the mouse and stays in the hole. This example should not be taken in the negative sense of 'grabbing other's property." Actually we should not be attached to anything, whether it belongs to us or others. This way a saintly devotee does not unnecessarily struggle hard for material aggrandizement but perceives everything in this world as a property of Krishna and therefore engages them in His service without any attachment to those things.

In the purport to the above verse 11.9.15 it is very nicely mentioned, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Ṭhakura points out that although materialistic persons take unlimited pains to invent and mass-produce electricity, automobiles, airplanes, etc., ultimately these things are meant for the convenience of the Vaiṣhṇavas who are preaching Krishna consciousness. The karmis will always go to such trouble, and the devotees will always offer such laborious productions to the Supreme Personality of Godhead by engaging them in His loving service. The devotees, being concerned with the ultimate perfection of life, do not personally struggle for material advancement. On the other hand, there is no need for the devotees to artificially imitate the austere life-style of ancient times. A devotee's goal is simply to serve Krishna as nicely as possible; therefore the devotees willingly accept beautiful mansions and all types of material opulences, not with any personal attachment, but only so that these things can be engaged in the loving service of the Lord."

Let us remember the above wonderful lessons and always be satisfied with the house provided by Lord and use it nicely in His service. Krishna willing we will continue with the lessons learnt by the avadhuta brahmana from his other gurus in the subsequent offerings.

Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva, Kalacakra Krsna das and Sudarshana devi dasi. Lessons from the Twenty-four Gurus - Part 54

Date: 2011-05-25 Author: Kalacakra Krsna das

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis,

Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

In verse 11.9.21, the avadhuta brahmana says: yathornanaabhir hrdayaad / urnaam santatya vaktratah tayaa vihrtya bhuyas taam / grasaty evam maheshvarah

“Just as from within himself the spider expands thread through his mouth, plays with it for some time and eventually swallows it, similarly, the Supreme Personality of Godhead expands His personal potency from within Himself. Thus, the Lord displays the network of cosmic manifestation, utilizes it according to His purpose and eventually withdraws it completely within Himself."

Spider builds its web by using thread from his mouth and later withdraws it. It is not dependent on any other living entity for the creation of its web, in contrast to the snake we saw in the previous offering. But the lesson which the avadhuta brahmana is learning from these two living entities is worth noting. From snake we learnt that we should not be affected by hassles of owning a residence and use whatever home the Lord provides in service of Lord. From spider, the lesson avadhuta brahmana learns is that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the Supreme controller and He manifests, maintains and unmanifests this cosmic universe as per His will. Only foolish people claim that the whole cosmic universe has come out of nothing or was created by chance and they don’t give any credit to the original creator. But reality is Lord is the creator of everything in this universe. In one of the seed verse of Srimad Bhagavatam verse 2.9.33, Lord says to Brahma aham evaasam evaagre / naanyad yat sad-asat param pashcaad aham yad etac ca / yo 'vashisyeta so 'smy aham

“Brahma, it is I, the Personality of Godhead, who was existing before the creation, when there was nothing but Myself. Nor was there the material nature, the cause of this creation. That which you see now is also I, the Personality of Godhead, and after annihilation what remains will also be I, the Personality of Godhead.”

In Bhagavad Gita verse 10.8, Lord Krishna Himself declares aham sarvasya prabhavo / mattah sarvam pravartate iti matvaa buddhimaan / budhaa bhaava samanvitaah

“I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from me. The wise who perfectly know this engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their heart.”

We are just a tiny spark of this wonderful creation and we are existing only because of the will of the Supreme creator. Lord is Vibu and we are anu. He is the owner of everything. We are mere “trustees” of whatever so called possessions we are blessed with in this world. Understanding our insignificant position, and realizing the greatness and magnanimity of our Supreme creator Lord Sri Krishna, all we have to do is to abide by His instructions and be thankful and grateful to Him in all circumstances.

Krishna willing we will continue to learn other lessons that avadhuta brahmana learnt from his other gurus in the subsequent offerings.

Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva, Kalacakra Krsna das and Sudarshana devi dasi Lessons from the Twenty-four Gurus - Part 55

Date: 2011-05-26 Author: Kalacakra Krsna das

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis,

Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

We have been meditating on the lessons from various gurus of the avadhuta brahmana in the offerings titled, "Lessons from the Twenty-four Gurus" and today we will see what lessons avadhuta brahmana learnt from his next guru – “Wasp”. In verses 11.9.22 and 23, the avadhuta brahmana says yatra yatra mano dehi /dhaarayet sakalam dhiyaa snehaad dveshaad bhayaad vaapi / yaati tat-tat-svaroopataam keeṭah peshaskṛtam dhyaayan / kuḍyaam tena praveshitah yaati tat-saatmataam raajan / purva-roopam asantyajan

“If out of love, hate or fear an embodied soul fixes his mind with intelligence and complete concentration upon a particular bodily form, he will certainly attain the form that he is meditating upon. O King, once a wasp forced a weaker insect to enter his hive and kept him trapped there. In great fear the weak insect constantly meditated upon his captor, and without giving up his body, he gradually achieved the same state of existence as the wasp. Thus one achieves a state of existence according to one's constant concentration.”

This is one of the most important lesson which all of us need to remember and practise both during our life and at the final moment of departure. We have already understood that our mind, although subtle is very very powerful. The thoughts originating in our mind reflect in our face, words and actions. So it is very important that for our own well- being and well-being of people around us, we think good. The example of wasp and the weaker-insect is worth meditating. Here the avadhuta brahmana says that, “In great fear the weak insect constantly meditated upon his captor, and without giving up his body, he gradually achieved the same state of existence as the wasp . Thus one achieves a state of existence according to one's constant concentration”

In this regard our beloved spiritual master H H Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj used to narrate an instance from Ramayan. When Ravana abucted Mother Sita and placed her in the Ashoka van, he wanted to marry her. But Sitadevi refused his proposal. Ravana became very angry and went to seek help from his younger brother Kumbhakarna. Kumbhakarna was in deep sleep and did not want to be disturbed, but since Ravana kept pestering him, he woke up and asked him what the matter was.

Ravana told him, “I want to marry Sita.”

Kumbhakarna replied, “OK. Go and marry her. Why do you disturb my sleep?”

Ravana replied : “But she is not ready to marry me.”

Kumbhakarna : “OK. Then leave her alone and let me sleep.” Ravana insisted : “But I somehow or other want to marry her. You are my brother and you need to help me in this regard.”

Irritated by constant pleas from Ravana, Kumbhakarna replied –“You are a great mystic and I am surprised why you are coming to me for these things. You are capable of taking any form you want. Why don’t you take the form of Lord Rama and go in front of her. I am sure she will come to you if she sees you in Lord Ram’s form.”

Ravana replied : “Yes I know and I tried that as well. But the problem is when I need to take the form of some person, I need to meditate on him and his qualities. So unfortunately as soon as I meditate on Lord Ram, Sita appears like my mother!”

Maharaj said that this is the beautiful lesson we need to learn from the above incident. When we meditate on good things, we become good and when we meditate on bad things, we become bad. By meditating on Lord Ram’s qualities for few minutes, even person like Ravana is able to see Sita as his mother, then what to speak if we meditate on good qualities of Lord and devotees ? This is also a warning to us that we don’t meditate or brood over the bad qualities of others. The more we brood over the bad qualities, the more such qualities would stick to us. So for our own well-being, we should ignore the bad qualities and look only good things. When we are put in testing situations, we should just try to list down the good qualities in the other person. Every living entity is part and parcel of Krishna and so definitely there will be some good thing in each person, which we can learn from them.

One senior devotee had told us that the reason why we are able to find faults/bad things in others is because that quality is already present in us. That is why we are able to easily identify it in others. So whenever such instance props in our mind, we should honestly introspect ourselves to clear out that anartha from ourselves first and sincerely pray to Guru and Krishna to help us forget that quality. Lord Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita verse 15.15 – “sarvasya caaham hrdi sannivishto / mattah smrtir jnaanam apohanam ca” - I am seated in everyone's heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. So when we sincerely pray to Krishna to help us forget the bad qualities and remember only good quality, we would be able to focus our attention more towards service to Guru and Krishna. Lord has firmly declared in Bhagavad Gita verses 8.5 and 6 anta-kaale ca maam eva / smaran muktvaa kalevaram yah prayaati sa mad-bhaavam /yaati naasty atra samshayah yam yam vaapi smaran bhaavam / tyajaty ante kalevaram tam tam evaiti kaunteya / sadaa tad-bhaava-bhaavitah

"And whoever, at the end of his life, quits his body, remembering Me alone, at once attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt. Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, O son of Kuntī, that state he will attain without fail."

Instead if we meditate on bad qualities of others, we will simply waste our time in gossips and anxieties and end up possessing those bad qualities ourselves. The end result will be more worse. We are trying to practise bhakti, chant Lord’s Names, do some insignificant service to Guru and Krishna. But if we keep meditating on bad qualities of others more, then in the final moment it will be difficult or impossible for us to remember the Lord. We will simply remember the bad moments and would be voluntarily accepting another body based on the bad quality which we are meditating throughout our life. Will this action of ours do any justice to all the sincere efforts and wishes of our spiritual master?

We earnestly pray at the lotus feet of Lord Sri Krishna, avadhuta brahmana, Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudev that we always remember the good qualities of Lord and His devotees, be grateful to all, clear our own anarthas and never look at the bad qualities in others.

Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva, Kalacakra Krsna das and Sudarshana devi dasi.

Lessons from the Twenty-four Gurus - Part 56

Date: 2011-05-27 Author: Kalacakra Krsna das

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis, Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

We have been meditating on the lessons from various gurus of the avadhuta brahmana in the offerings titled, "Lessons from the Twenty-four Gurus". In this offering let us hear from the avadhuta brahmana about one more spiritual master – his own material body. In verse 11.9.25 the avadhuta brahmana says:

deho gurur mama virakti-viveka-hetur bibhrat sma sattva-nidhanam satataarty-udarkam tattvaany anena vimrshaami yathaa tathaapi paarakyam ity avasito vicaraamy asangah

"The material body is also my spiritual master because it teaches me detachment. Being subject to creation and destruction, it always comes to a painful end. Thus, although usingbody my to acquire knowledge, I always remember that it will ultimately be consumed by others, and remaining detached, I move about this world."

Right from the moment the material body is being formed in the womb of the mother, we find that body is exposed to so much pain. In 3rd Canto, 31st Chapter of Srimad Bhagavatam Kapila Muni mentions that the body is bitten by hungry worms in the abdomen of the mother. It lies in the pool of mother’s blood, stool and urine and is scorched by the mother’s gastric fire. Then after birth also the body is exposed to various kind of bites by insects and mosquitoes. As the child grows, the body is subjected to various kinds of injuires or diseases. Even by some fortune, if the body escapes injuries and accidents, still at the end of life, it is definitely subjected to dwindling and decay.

In the purport to verse 11.9.25 it is very nicely mentioned, "The words yathaa tathaapi are significant in this verse. Although the body bestows great benefit by enabling one to learn about this world, one should always remember its unhappy, inevitable future. If cremated, the body is burned to ashes by fire; if lost in a lonely place, it is consumed by jackals and vultures; and if buried in a luxurious coffin, it decomposes and is consumed by insignificant insects and worms. Thus it is described as paarakyam, 'ultimately to be consumed by others.' One should, however, carefully maintain bodily health to execute Krishna consciousness, but without undue affection or attachment. By studying the body's birth and death, one can acquire virakti-viveka, the intelligence to detach oneself from useless things."

Since we are in this material body right from the beginning of this life time, we always think that the body belongs to us. Although body keeps changing every minute, we don’t realize it and keep thinking that this body is our constant companion. Our beloved spiritual master H H Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj always used to quote the below verse from shastras (Garuda Purana) to understand the temporary nature of the body

dhanāni bhūmau paśavo hi goṣṭe nāri gṛhadvāri sakhā śmaśāne dehaścitāyām paraloka mārge dharmānugo gacchati jīva ekaḥ

"Wealth, lands, farms, cattle, spouse will not accompany us in our final journey. Friends and relatives will accompany us till the grave. Body will be with us only till funeral pyre. Whatever you have heard or remembered about Krishna will accompany you. Otherwise nothing accompanies us." So Maharaj always insists that realizing this truth we have to utilize our body properly in service of Lord.

Krishna willing we will study about the ill-effects of becoming attached to the body in the subsequent offerings.

Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva, Kalacakra Krsna das and Sudarshana devi dasi. Lessons from the Twenty-four Gurus - Part 57

Date: 2011-05-29 Author: Kalacakra Krsna das

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis, Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

We have been meditating on the lessons from various gurus of the avadhuta brahmana in the offerings titled, "Lessons from the Twenty-four Gurus". In the previous offering, we learnt from the avadhuta brahmana about the lesson of detachment to be learnt from his guru, the material body. Now let us see what are the ill-effects of being over- attached to the material body. In verse 11.9.26 the avadhuta brahmana says

jāyātmajārtha-paśu-bhṛtya-gṛhāpta-vargān puṣṇāti yat-priya-cikīrṣayā vitanvan svānte sa-kṛcchram avaruddha-dhanaḥ sa dehaḥ sṛṣṭvāsya bījam avasīdati vṛkṣa-dharmaḥ

A man attached to the body accumulates money with great struggle to expand and protect the position of his wife, children, property, domestic animals, servants, homes, relatives, friends, and so on. He does all this for the gratification of his own body. As a tree before dying produces the seed of a future tree, the dying body manifests the seed of one's next material body in the form of one's accumulated karma. Thus assuring the continuation of material existence, the material body sinks down and dies.

In the previous offering, we saw that avadhuta brahmana is telling that he learnt the valuable lesson of detachment from his guru – the material body. And in the above verse, he is telling us the ill effects of being over-attached to the body. This body is temporary and the soul is eternal. But unfortunately in the material world, we spend 99% of our time and energy in taking care of our bodily needs and hardly pay very little or no attention to the eternal soul. Activities related to the soul, (bhakti yoga) will not accumulate karma. As Lord Brahma confirms in Brahma samhita verse 5.54 (karmaani nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhaajaam). But we perpetually engage ourselves in activities related to the body as a result of which our consciousness at the final moment is also influenced by these actions. So based on all the accumulated karma and the materialistic consciousness, we keep on entering one body after another after death.

All of us work hard and slog to earn more and money and save it for ourselves and our family members, thinking that this will save us from all problems. But the reality is neither money nor our family members can save us from the repeated cycle of birth and death. Day in and day out we see so many people dying in this world, but still foolishly think that we will live forever and we completely ignore the need for self-realisation. Except for the human birth, there is no other species of birth wherein we can have God-realisation. So if we don't make use of this valuable human birth for bhakti then we are non-different from animals who are simply engaged in eating, sleeping, mating and defending throughout their life. In the purport to verse 2.1.4 of Srimad Bhagavatam Srila Prabhupada says - "The great ocean of material nature is tossing with the waves of time, and the so-called living conditions are something like foaming bubbles, which appear before us as bodily self, wife, children, society, countrymen, etc. Due to a lack of knowledge of self, we become victimized by the force of ignorance and thus spoil the valuable energy of human life in a vain search after permanent living conditions, which are impossible in this material world. Our friends, relatives and so-called wives and children are not only fallible but also bewildered by the outward glamour of material existence. As such, they cannot save us. Still, we think that we are safe within the orbit of family, society or country."

In Srimad Bhagavatam verse 5.5.1, Lord Rshabadev while instructing his son also insists on the futility of over- endeavouring ourselves in sense-gratificatory activities. ṛṣabha uvāca nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena sattvaṁ śuddhyed yasmād brahma-saukhyaṁ tv anantam

Lord Rshabhadeva told His sons: My dear boys, of all the living entities who have accepted material bodies in this world, one who has been awarded this human form should not work hard day and night simply for sense gratification, which is available even for dogs and hogs that eat stool. One should engage in penance and austerity to attain the divine position of devotional service. By such activity, one's heart is purified, and when one attains this position, he attains eternal, blissful life, which is transcendental to material happiness and which continues forever.

In his wonderful purport to the above verse, Srila Prabhupada says, "Devoid of Krishna consciousness, every living being suffers in this cycle of birth and death perpetually. To relieve them from this bondage and enable them to become blissful and happy, bhakti-yoga should be taught. A foolish civilization neglects to teach people how to rise to the platform of bhakti-yoga. Without Krishna consciousness, a person is no better than a hog or dog."

Even after obtaining the human body, if we keep using it for same kind of activities, which are possible in the body of pigs and hogs, then our next life we will be guaranteed with the body of hog or dog.

Krishna willing we will continue to learn more lessons from the avadhuta brahmana about the material body in subsequent offerings.

Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva, Kalacakra Krsna das and Sudarshana devi dasi. Lessons from the Twenty-four Gurus - Part 58

Date: 2011-05-30 Author: Kalacakra Krsna das

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis, Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

We have been meditating on the lessons from various gurus of the avadhuta brahmana in the offerings titled, "Lessons from the Twenty-four Gurus". Let us continue to hear from the avadhuta brahman about the lessons to be learnt from his guru, "material body". In Srimad Bhagavatam verse 11.9.27 the avadhuta brahmana says

jihvaikato ’mum apakarṣati karhi tarṣā śiśno ’nyatas tvag udaraṁ śravaṇaṁ kutaścit ghrāṇo ’nyataś capala-dṛk kva ca karma-śaktir bahvyaḥ sapatnya iva geha-patiṁ lunanti

A man who has many wives is constantly harassed by them. He is responsible for their maintenance, and thus all the ladies constantly pull him in different directions, each struggling for her self-interest. Similarly, the material senses harass the conditioned soul, pulling him in many different directions at once. On one side the tongue is pulling him to arrange tasty food; then thirst drags him to get a suitable drink. Simultaneously the sex organs clamor for satisfaction, and the sense of touch demands soft, sensuous objects. The belly harasses him until it is filled, the ears demand to hear pleasing sounds, the sense of smell hankers for pleasant aromas, and the fickle eyes clamor for pleasing sights. Thus the senses, organs and limbs, all desiring satisfaction, pull the living entity in many directions.

In the previous offerings, we saw that avadhuta brahmana is telling that he learnt the valuable lesson of detachment from his guru – the material body. But in verses 11.9.26 and 27 we see that if we are over-attached to our body, then there is no distinction between us and animals. Also, senses of the material body drags the conditioned soul in different directions. We might wonder that if the body is also a spiritual master, then what is wrong in serving or fulfilling the demands of the senses of the body? The purport to the above verse clarifies our question. "Srila Vishvanatha Cakravarti Ṭhakura mentions that after understanding this verse one should merely offer, without attachment, the bare necessities to the guru of one's body. One should keep one's body fit and working in the simplest possible way, and that is the sum and substance of service to this so-called guru. If one desires to faithfully serve the body, one should consider that the body pulls the consciousness of the conditioned soul in many ways at once, and thus for the servant of the body there is no possibility of understanding God or even of becoming peaceful."

The body consists of senses as well and so they need to be engaged in the service of the Lord. Just like how a man with many wives will be harassed by all of them, the senses will drag us hither and thither and make our life miserable if they are not properly engaged in service of the Lord. It is important that we do the basic things to take care of the body and not pamper it as per the whimsical demands of mind and senses. Prahlad Maharaj while offering his prayers to Lord Narasimhadev, in verse 7.9.40 of Srimad Bhagavatam explains in a similar manner as to how he is embarrassed by the demands of different senses which pull him in different directions just like a man being harassed by multiple wives. In his wonderful purport to Bhagavatam verse 7.9.40, Srila Prabhupada says -"The human form of life is meant for God-realization, but this process, which begins with shravanam keertanam vishnoh [SB 7.5.23] — hearing and chanting of the holy name of the Lord — is disturbed as long as our senses are materially attracted. Therefore devotional service means purifying the senses. In the conditioned state, our senses are covered by material sense gratification, and as long as one is not trained in purifying the senses, one cannot become a devotee." Insisting on the importance of following the four regulative principles - (No Meat eating, No Gambling, No Intoxication, and No Illicit Sex) Srila Prabhupada further says that, "The only method of controlling the senses is to chant and hear the holy name of the Lord; otherwise, one will always be disturbed, as a householder with more than one wife would be disturbed by them for sense gratification ."

Krishna willing, we will continue to learn more lessons from the avadhuta brahamana about the material body in subsequent offering.

Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva, Kalacakra Krsna das and Sudarshana devi dasi. Lessons from the Twenty-four Gurus - Part 59

Date: 2011-05-31 Author: Kalacakra Krsna das

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis, Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

We have been meditating on the lessons from various gurus of the avadhuta brahmana in the offerings titled, "Lessons from the Twenty-four Gurus". In the previous offerings we learnt from the avadhuta brahmana, the lesson of detachment from his guru, "material body" and also about the ill-effects of being over-attached to the material body. In verse 11.9.29 the avadhuta brahmana says

labdhvā su-durlabham idaṁ bahu-sambhavānte mānuṣyam artha-dam anityam apīha dhīraḥ tūrṇaṁ yateta na pated anu-mṛtyu yāvan niḥśreyasāya viṣayaḥ khalu sarvataḥ syāt

After many, many births and deaths one achieves the rare human form of life, which, although temporary, affords one the opportunity to attain the highest perfection. Thus a sober human being should quickly endeavor for the ultimate perfection of life as long as his body, which is always subject to death, has not fallen down and died. After all, sense gratification is available even in the most abominable species of life, whereas Krishna consciousness is possible only for a human being.

This is one of the most favourite verses of our beloved spiritual master H H Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj and Srila Prabhupada. Some of the important words describing the human birth in the above verse are as follows.

1) sudurlabham - that which is very difficult to obtain: This human species of life is a rare opportunity as it is one among the eight million four hundred thousand species of life, which we can obtain. We keep hearing this number many a time, but it never strikes us how rare a chance is to get this human body. Every one of us will accept the truth that life is not a bed of roses. Even to live the same human birth again is such a painful experience. Maharaj says, " When we are within the womb, we are cooked by the mother’s gastric fire and once we are out, circumstances continue to cook us." So after getting this rare opportunity that helps us to stop the cycle of repeated birth and death, we should not misuse or lose it carelessly.

2) anityam – Temporary: Although we have got this rare human body, there is no guarantee on the number of years we will be alive in this body. We have to accept the bitter truth that this is temporary and can dwindle down at any time. Last Saturday one of our neighbours met with a tragic bike accident. After he died in the hospital, they took his body directly to the funeral ground. When he left the house that morning no one imagined that even his body will not return home after that. Maharaja always quotes this verse from Sri Kevalashtakam very emphatically:

niḥśvāse nāhi viśvāsaḥ kadā ruddho bhaviṣyati kīrtanīya mato bālyād harer nāmaiva kevalam

There is no certainty when the last breath will come and put an abrupt halt to all one's material plans; therefore it is wise to always practice chanting from very childhood. The holy name of Sri Hari is surely all that be. We are all living in Kaliyuga where our lives are all short-lived. In other yugas like Sat-yuga and Treta yuga etc, at least there was some hope that elders will leave their bodies first and then only younger ones will die in any family. But now we find many children die before their parents depart and death just comes to anyone, any time, in any form.

3) arthadam – which awards great value: Although the body is rare and temporary, it is arthadam, very valuable. When we don’t know the value of something, we fail to use it carefully. So it is important that we understand the value of this human birth. In any other species of life, we will not be able to perform devotional service. It is only in this species of life, we are getting the chance to perform bhakti and release ourselves from the cycle of birth and death and go back to our real home, back to Godhead.

Apart from sudden deaths, we also don’t have any guarantee on the health of the living body. Only as long as our body is hale and healthy we will be able to use it nicely in service of the Supreme Lord. So now when the body and mind are in good condition, let us use our

1) eyes in taking darshan of Lord and His devotees 2) ears in hearing about glories of Lord and His devotees 3) nose in smelling the flowers and Tulasi offered to Lord 4) tongue in tasting the prasadam offered to Lord, chant His Holy Names, and to speak about His glories 5) hands in cleaning the paraphernalia related to Lord 6) legs in walking to the temple

Depending on our past karma and mercy of the Lord, we might have been blessed with some or all of the above senses. But we don’t know how long these will be in good condition. It takes hardly a second for the Lord to withdraw the ability from our senses. So as far as they are in working condition, we should immediately take to process of bhakti and serve the Lord. When we do so, the Lord takes care of keeping the senses in good condition when we grow old as well. Even if the senses and body don’t co-operate when we become old, if we had properly used our senses when they were in good condition, then the merciful Lord gives us the strength and courage to tolerate and continue service even during old age. Acaryas like Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva are embodiments of this verse. Otherwise, old age will be more miserable. That is why Prahlad Maharaj insists in SB 7.6.1 :

śrī-prahrāda uvāca kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma tad apy adhruvam arthadam

Prahlada Maharaja said: One who is sufficiently intelligent should use the human form of body from the very beginning of life — in other words, from the tender age of childhood — to practice the activities of devotional service, giving up all other engagements. The human body is most rarely achieved, and although temporary like other bodies, it is meaningful because in human life one can perform devotional service. Even a slight amount of sincere devotional service can give one complete perfection.

To conclude let us remember the below golden words of our beloved spiritual master H H Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj about the lessons we should learn from the material body.

"At the fag end of our lives, the real test is not how much Bhagavatam we have studied, or how much we have written or spoken or preached on Bhagavatam, or studied slokas, but by how much we practice all of the above when the body gives up on us and deteriorates. In our prime, away from pain, it is easy to preach, but real purity is tested at the point when disease attacks us. So be very careful in your behaviour."

In January 2010 few days before Maharaj left our mundane vision, when the organs of his body were slowly stopping to co-operate, Maharaj said, "We should learn from these organs that the Lord created in our body, how to be consistent in our prescribed duties given to us by the Lord - the heart never misses a beat every day for 90 years, the liver, the kidney, all perform their prescribed duties so expertly, without motivation and therefore they are uninterrupted, except by disease and death - we must learn how to be consistent in our bhakti like our bodily organs! Can you imagine what would happen to us if the heart decided to apply for leave or take a holiday for a minute?!"

Indeed only an exalted Vaishnava like Srila Gurudev can see the hand of the Lord in such a situation! Let us remember the wonderful lessons taught to us by these great souls and use our senses in Lord’s service without any further delay.

Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva, Kalacakra Krsna das and Sudarshana devi dasi.

Lessons from the Twenty-four Gurus - Part 60

Date: 2011-06-02 Author: Kalacakra Krsna das

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis, Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

This is the concluding part of the offering titled "Lessons from the Twenty-four Gurus" in which the avadhuta brahmana had taught us various important lessons which are very vital for our peaceful living in this miserable world f miseries.

In verse 11.9.30, the avadhuta brahmana says to Kind Yadu:

evaṁ sañjāta-vairāgyo vijñānāloka ātmani vicarāmi mahīm etāṁ mukta-saṅgo ’nahaṅkṛtaḥ

Having learned from my spiritual masters, I remain situated in realization of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and, fully renounced and enlightened by realized spiritual knowledge, wander the earth without attachment or false ego.

The avadhuta brahmana thus explained in detail to King Yadu about the various gurus who taught him how to be peaceful, happy and above all fearless in spite of travelling alone all over the world. Indeed this whole conversation between King Yadu and the avadhuta brahmana was narrated by Lord Sri Krishna to His eternal friend Uddhava. Before returning to His abode of Goloka Vrindavan Lord instructed Uddhava that he has to stay back in the material world for some more time, give up all attachment to his personal friends and relatives and fix his mind on Him, be always conscious of Him, observe all things with equal vision and travel all over the world and preach. The Lord assured him that such persons who follow these instructions will be able to reach Him at the end of his life. When Uddhava inquired how it is possible to be detached, the Lord enlightens him by quoting the above conversation between King Yadu and avadhuta brahmana.

The lessons taught by the Lord are not just for Uddhava alone. Indeed the Lord and His devotees enact all these pastimes for the benefit and well-being of conditioned souls like us. Just like how the Lord departs to Goloka Vrindavan, our beloved spiritual masters also return back to Goloka Vrindavana and we would have to face lone moments, drowning in the ocean of material miseries. In that instance, these instructions are like a light-house of knowledge that will help us to lead a life of sanity. These lessons help us to remember and follow the instructions of our spiritual master, spread the message to everyone, and ultimately reach him at the end of our life. Personally, these lessons have continually been a source of guidance for us in many ways, in testing times of trouble. Our heartfelt thanks and deepest gratitude to our beloved spiritual master H H Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj, His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada, the Vaishnavas who translated and wrote wonderful purports for these verses, King Yadu, the avadhuta brahmana, Uddhava, and magnanimous Lord Sri Krishna for gifting us with this treasure of knowledge at the right time.

With the blessings of Maharaj, we had started this offering on September 10, 2009, when he was physically present with us. At that time Maharaj told us, "What to speak of 24 Gurus? We can have millions of Gurus. In fact, we can learn something from everyone, and hence, in that sense, everything and everybody in this world is our Guru. If we are humble and sincere, Krishna will reveal all the transcendental knowledge through all the different entities in this world." Maharaj himself is an embodiment of these statements. He always saw the good in everyone, irrespective of whether the person is rich/poor, old/young, educated/uneducated, devotee, or not. He made it a point to note down the good things he learned from all in his diaries and practiced the same in his life. Indeed his humility and sincerity are the secrets that always please Krishna to reveal all the transcendental knowledge to him.

Before we conclude, let us have a glimpse of the key lessons which we had learned so far from the various gurus of the avadhuta brahmana.

1) Mother Earth, Mountain, and Trees: Tolerate; Do good even to people who do bad to you. Never counteract; Just proceed on the path of bhakti without distraction. (SB 11.7.37-38)

2) Wind: Wind blows everywhere but does not get mixed with anything. Similarly don’t get entangled when we come in contact with material objects. (SB 11.7.40-41)

3) Sky: Sky extends everywhere and everything rests within the sky but does not mix with anything, nor can it be divided by anything. (SB 11.7.42-43)

4) Water: Our behavior with others should be sweet, soft, pleasing. We should be on the move always like flowing water. (SB 11.7.44)

5) Fire: a) Fire burns away the contaminated substances that are offered to it. Similarly, saintly persons by their fiery devotional service accept food-stuff that are offered to them by destiny. b) They also burn to ashes the past and future sinful actions of their worshippers. They remain unnoticed and reveal themselves when there is a need, just like how fire is sometimes concealed in ash and sometimes it reveals itself. c) Remember the impermanent nature of everything in this material world and cultivate renunciation every time we see the flickering flames of the fire. (SB 11.7.45-47,49)

6) Moon: Just as waxing and waning of the moon, does not affect the moon, the imperceptible movements of time impact only the material body and not the soul. (SB 11.7.48)

7) Sun:

a) Just like how the sun although takes a large amount of water from the earth by evaporation, still gives back the water to earth in the form of rains, we should also realise that everything we are bestowed in this life - has come to us as a gift from Krishna and so we should return them back to Krishna by using them nicely in His service.

b) Just like the sun is one, we should also understand that Krishna as Supersoul is living in all living entities and so we should not discriminate against anyone. SB (11.7.50-51)

8) Pigeon: We should never indulge in excessive affection or concern for anyone or anything; otherwise we will have to experience great suffering, just like the foolish pigeon. (SB 11.7.52)

9) Python: Do not endeavor too much for food or discriminate between tasty and tasteless food. Be materially inactive and spiritually active. Be peaceful and patient. (SB 11.8.2-4)

10) Ocean: Be pleasing, grave, and never be disturbed in any circumstance. Realise the unfathomable, unlimited, unsurpassable qualities of saintly devotees and abide by them. (SB 11.8.5-6)

11) Moth: Take shelter of Holy Names and Krishna and They alone would help us in our struggle against Maya. Else we will be burnt in the fire of sense gratification like the moth. ( SB 11.8.7 and 8)

12) Honey-Bee: Do madhukari; Travel only for exchanging the nectarean glories of the Lord. Leave the place as soon as Krishna katha is over. Learn good from all. Do not hoard. (SB 11.8.9-12)

13) Elephant: Be satisfied with the spouse blessed by Lord. If we hanker for other women we are bound to suffer. (SB 11.8.13-14)

14) Hunter: As a hunter takes away the honey laboriously produced by the honeybees, saints are entitled to use the property painstakingly accumulated by householders in Lord’s service. We should not hoard our wealth but rather utilise it in serving Lord Krishna and other living entities. (SB 11.8.16)

15) Deer: Do not hear mundane music. Else like the deer we would also be misled by material music and be caught by the hunter of death. (SB 11.8.17-18) 16) Fish: Avoid over-eating. Fast as per scriptural regulations to control the tongue and use it properly in glorifying Lord. (SB 11.8.19-21)

17) Pingala: Material desires are a source of misery, instead of endeavoring for the same we should engage our mind in bhakti which alone can give us complete bliss. Purchase the Supreme Lord by paying the price of complete surrender unto Him. (SB 11.8.22-44)

18) Hawk: When we hold on to objects of attachment tightly, we will suffer greatly. Give up the attachments and be completely peaceful and blissful (SB 11.9.1-2)

19) Child: Children are innocent, jolly by nature, and do not care for honour or dishonour. So completely dependent on Guru and Krishna, imbibe these qualities from children and do sincere bhakti. (SB 11.9.3)

20) Young girl: To avoid conflicts, live alone. "Alone" means staying alone with Krishna and Bhagavatam irrespective of whether we are living with one person or hundreds of people. (SB 11.9.4-10)

21) Arrow maker: Perform your duty uninterrupted without distraction, with one-pointed attention. By practicing bhakti-yoga, serving the spiritual master, we can also control our mind. (SB 11.9.11-13)

22) Snake: Do not over-endeavor for fixed residence, but be satisfied with whatever home Lord blesses us with and use it in service of Lord. Saintly people who are alone, remain secluded, without a fixed residence, very alert, unnoticed, and speak very little will not over endeavor for a fixed residence. (SB 11.9.14-15)

23) Spider: Spider creates and destroys its web on its own, likewise Lord Krishna manifests the creation and unmanifests it as per His will. Realising His supremacy, surrender to Him. (SB 11.9.16-21)

24) Wasp: If we meditate on the good qualities of others we become good, else we become bad. (SB 11.9.22-23). And finally, apart from these 24 gurus, the avadhuta brahmana gives an additional lesson to be learned from our own material body.

25) Material body: It is temporary, rare, and valuable. So use it before you lose it. (SB 11.9.24-29)

Our earnest prayers unto the lotus feet of Lord Sri Krishna, Srila Prabhupada, Srila Gurudeva, and all the Vaishnavas to bless us that we not only remember these wonderful instructions but also practice them in our lives.

Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva, Kalacakra Krsna das and Sudarshana devi dasi.