Kks Bhagavad Gita 12th May 1997 Part2

Bhagavad Gita 12th May 1997 (Part 2) Continuation of blog on the 05/10/08

It is explained that this is what we have to do now, we receive some temporary conditionings and whatever that may be we purify that. The conditioning is not in accordance with our original nature and therefore we can transcend it because it is not really us, our body is not actually us but because we are still influenced by the body influenced by the modes of natures therefore we find an engagement that is accordance with our cycle varna ashram. Varna Ashram is very helpful and is meant so we can accumulate punya, it is meant to bring us to piety or to the point where we are being put closer to our original nature and where we give up the false contaminations of this material world. Therefore varna ashram is there to check us from sinful activitites but of cousre one who is transcendental is not bound by the rules of the varna shram, because it is said that such a person because he is always trying to please Krishana will automatically avoid sinful activities because he is looking very much what is pleasing to Krishna and he is not doing anything that is not pleasing Krishna therefore he doesn’t have to be so careful to follow all kinds of rules for varna ashram. Although some devotee may take some help of varna ashram we are not perfectly following the dharma of varnashram, only in general principles we are accepting but we do find varna

shram is helpful… when we read in the 16th chapter of Bhagavad Gita we can read about how the demoniac persons in this world are engaging in ugra karma, ugra Karama means angry work, that is there to destroy this world, horrible work so when we see this going on that the whole world has been influenced by this. Therefore it is difficult for us in our devotional life to purify all these thing in the service of Krishna, it is not very easy, the contaminating influence of the so many contaminating results of ugra karma is there therefore if we have to cultivate the mode of transcendental consciousness while we are driving in a passionate atmosphere,

and spend much time in a passionate atmosphere it effects one and in this way although we are living in a modern world and our transcending the modern

world there is a value to the Vedic model of the varna shram and if we therefore take more shelter of the original Vedic divisions then we immediately find our selves more peaceful, we become more peaceful and that will help us so in that way we can go step by step towards our original system and this will make our original nature uncover….so this is called the system of the goldsmith, the goldsmith is taking his little hammer and is tapping very careful and very intricate work ,

he has his little pincers and moving it around like that and squeezing it about because gold is soft and sensitive, so very artistic so three fingers he sometimes uses only two with his hand very careful work so Prabhupada

explains this system original Vedic system,

is

the

goldsmith system where one is gradually following so many rules and regulations, systems for purification like this morning we discussed a bit about samskaras and different types of purification but it is said that in this age it is very difficult to follow that goldsmith system…very hard who can do it admidst of the restlessness. Who still has the mind, the patience and all these things for it, who has the sense control therefore it says in this age we just use the blacksmith hammer, we just bring in a Sledge hammer and with one stroke we just bang finish of everything!

So this blacksmith hammer is the process of sankirtana, the process of sankirtana is very simple and very effective, one can chant all the time that is the idea…the descriptions in Chaitanya Caritamrita it says once the devotees were asking Chaitanya Mahaprabhu: what is our duty?

He said our duty is to chant Hare Krishna and serve the Vaishnavas…but they said how do we know who is a vaishnava then Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said you will know who is a vaishnava by anyone who chants Hare Krishna just once…He is a vaishnava…..devotees were like ok thanks very much and off they went and they returned for every year for Ratha Yatra and devotees came to Puri and asked the same question so the second year they asked again the same question exactly the same and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said exactly the same chant Hare Krishna and serve the vaishnavas…but they said who is a vaishnava…Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said one who is always chanting Hare Krishna, he is a vaishnava always so again the devotees thought wow always next year they came and asked the same question. They said Mahaprabhu who is a

vaishnava,… one who if you merely see him makes everyone chant Hare Krishna by his presence he is a vaishnava…so here Chaitanya Mahaprabhu gave three level of Vaishnava, one the neophyte who chants Hare Krisha once and who should be accepted as a vaishnava then the intermediate or the madhyam adhikari who always chants Hare Krishna and I thought that was striking and the top most is one who is simply by his presence makes one chant Hare Krishna, that is the Uttama adhikari, but the Madhyam adhikari the intermediate devotee is classified as one who is always chanting Hare Krishna…yes imagine that’s quite a level. So Prabhupada recommended that is the level we have to come to so it is not easy, I was also reading how this Raghunatha Das Goswami, then after he took to the renounced order was chanting 22hrs a day and the rest he was spending on a little time bathing eating and something , he didn’t forget about those things, a little rest and it says of course the vaishnava householder can not do the same thing as one who is in the renounced order he can not chant all the time so therefore the householders they may chant early in the morning at midday and in the evening. It says in the Hari Bhakta Vilasa, so if we read the standards that are given for the associates of the Supreme Lord that are being followed by

the vaishnavas , then we say, It is amazing, it is amazing…so it’s very very difficult but even if it seems difficult to take shelter of the Sankirtan movement because who can chant all the time, who can do that but we must not worry because besides chanting the holy name of the Lord we can also serve the holy name of the Lord and in this way also be part of Sankirtana and this is our saving grace and therefore we can do so many works according to our nature and engage them directly in the service of sankirtana of the congregational chanting of the holy name and if we do so we will develop more and more taste for sankirtana and by serving the holy name and one automatically comes to chanting more and more and developing a taste for chanting the holy name and by serving the holy name one comes up to the desire of increasing one’s chanting.

………….contd tomo