Kks Lecture - Bhagavad Gita 12.18

KKS Lecture Bhagavad Gita 12.18 Melbourne Australia 2004 We’re reading from the Bhagavad Gita As It Is, from the 12th chapter entitled “Devotional service” text no. 18: samah satrau ca mitre ca tatha manapamanayoh sitoshna- sukha- duhklesu samah sanga-vivarjitah The translation is together with text 19, so I’ll read that also. tulya-ninda-stutir mauni santusto yena kenacit aniketah sthira-matir bhaktiman me priyo narah Translation: “One who is equal to friends and enemies, who is equipoised in honour and dishonour, heat and cold, happiness and distress, fame and infamy, who is always free from contaminating association, always silent and satisfied with anything, who doesn’t care for any residence, who is fixed in knowledge and who is engaged in devotional service- such a person is very dear to Me.” (Purport) (Invocatory prayers)

So Srila Prabhupada said that without the good qualities, one cannot actually become a pure devotee.

So to be a pure devotee is not so simple because to be a pure devotee of the Lord, means that one should be willing to give up his independence. Independence means to act according to the impulses of our own mind and senses. The functions of the mind are described as thinking, feeling and willing; and such thinking, feeling and willing comes on it’s own accord just as the weather pattern- you never know. Every morning we have to ask, ‘How are you today? How are you today?’ Just as the weather, because you never know, you have no idea what someone’s going to be like- anything is possible, because it can be cloudy, it can be anything: drought, rain, storm- anything. Like that, we are asking about the state of our thinking, feeling and willing. Such thinking, feeling and willing everybody has. Not only human beings, animals also are going through the same thing. They have their emotions, they have their experiences but it is said that one

who wants to be a pure devote of the Lord, has to be prepared to sacrifice his independence and to control his thinking, feeling and willing. Most people say, ‘well, you know, this is too much! This too much! We have our limits…’ but actually, for a pure devotee of the Lord, that statement ‘we have our limits’, does not apply. A pure devotee cannot say, ‘I have my limits’, there are no limits. In whatever sacrifice needs to be made for Krsna, must be made.

And it is a matter of fine-tuning more and more and there’s always a next step. For everyone there’s a step. For one, that step is to start accepting the regulative principles, then he accepts 4 regulative principles and then he finds out that there are many refined injunctions to accept; and the next step is to accept those and when those are accepted then more. In the beginning, it is all about doing the right thing. But then, when you’re doing the right things, then it’s all about who you are. Not only doing the right thing is sufficient, but the next quality is also… the next demand is who we are. We actually have to be saintly persons.

The qualities of the saintly persons are described in the Bhagavad Gita at length and furthermore in other scriptures. So it is very clear: “one who is equal to friends and enemies.” In fact, one who does not see any enemies, ajata samah, one who is not perceiving any enemy but who is simply seeing all living beings as equal, all living beings are in need of the mercy of the Supreme Lord and the role of the devotee is to be the via media somehow or other. Every one of us has been given some energy; not so much energy but some energy. Some people have more energy than others, but then again everyone has some and it’s amazing- everyone can do something better than somebody else, whatever that may be.

But everybody can do something better than somebody else. In that way everybody has some special blessings and also some special limitations to carry in this life. So we all have some energy, and whatever energy we have, that energy should be used to be the via media of the mercy of the Lord. So somehow or other we carry that mercy of the Lord and that is the main thing. Not our thinking, feeling and willing. Whatever we experience in terms of thinking, feeling and

willing, that is there and that is naturally becoming touched with Krsna: tesam evanukampartham aham ajnana-jam tamah nasayamy atma-bhava-stho. Krsna says that He is residing within the consciousness of every being and as soon as we take a step towards Krsna, then Krsna reveals Himself within our consciousness; and then our thinking, feeling and willing will automatically become influenced by thoughts of Krsna, by feelings towards Krsna, by desires in relation to Krsna.

But yet, we have to purify these desires instead of asking Krsna to improve our material conditions of life, we have to come to the point where we are simply dedicated servants of the desires of the Supreme Lord, hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam bhaktir ucyate, we have to come to the point where we are only serving Krsna, the master of the senses and put our senses in the service of Krsna’s senses- all for His pleasure. So this is practice. Therefore, devotional service involves a certain amount of austerity, especially in the beginning. There is no doubt about it. And we are feeling the pinch of austerity because austerity is not our strongest point and nobody likes it that much and this is not exactly the age where

austerity is in the forefront. We didn’t come to the country of austerity either. Australiawhatever it is, it’s not the most austere country on the planet.

Here people, they like, a bit, you know, of comfort, nothing wrong with that, something is quite acceptable. It’s not the country where most people live under a tree. Some do- in the outback, if you can find trees over there. But in India, we see that people are living a different way of life. It is sometimes known as tapa bauma, the land of austerities. Everyone is austere, life is austere. If you go on the Indian train, you get all experiences of austerity- everything all at once!

And some people are performing amazing austerities in the train, amazing! I saw one man sit for 17 hours non-stop on top of the door! I thought, this should go in the Guinness Book of records. I mean, 17 hours of door sitting- moving door sitting, not just

door sitting on the train! And you know if you fall off, you’re out on the rail tracks, so quite exciting.

Austerity comes natural in India life in so many ways. I will not elaborate on that but I think many of you, hearing by the smiles and the responses are quite familiar with what’s going on over there. The point is this, is that, even in India, people are not by far as austere as there ancestors. Oh no. The times are also changing there. Things have come and so many other good things in life. ‘Now, without AC, how can we live? Oh, no. Too austere.’ So times have changed. So, whatever may be. But the point of austerity really in spiritual life, is that we adjust our own desires, to the desires of the Lord;

our own thinking, feeling and willing to absorb the scriptures. It is the scriptures that ultimately will save us. Spiritual life is all about the scriptures. We know that there is a lot of individuality within the scope of the scriptures- no problem at all, but the scriptures must be accepted and must be the basis of our life if we really want to make spiritual advancement. Otherwise it may seem that we are advancing nicely for some time, but then again after some time, it will not really be fruitful, utpadayaiva kalpate.

did not tell people on day one to follow every single injunction of scriptures. Like at one point in San Francisco, Srila Prabhupada installed the first Deities of Lord Jagganatha.

And he invited his disciple, Hayagriva, on the installation ceremony and during the ceremony, Prabhupada arranged that a candle was put on a plate and then that they would wave that plate in circles in front of the Deity. And Hayagriva was doing it and he said, “This is fun! This is fun! Is there more?” And Prabhupada said, “If I would tell you, you would faint!” So, he did not tell, he did not tell immediately, but later he did.

In fact Rupa Goswami says that any devotion expressed without following the scriptures is simply considered to be a disturbance. It is considered to be a disturbance. So we must somehow or other follow that; and Srila Prabhupada was very strict and he would not in any way change the scriptures- never! For nothing. Although, he was patient and he came to people who lived lives that were very remote from the scriptures- like us; very remote from the scriptures. So, Prabhupada

And in a letter to Hayagriva, later, he writes, “you should do some Deity worship because this will help you in controlling the senses” because Hayagriva sometimes found it difficult to deal with his thinking, feeling and willing; and sometimes the thinking, feeling and willing of mind and senses were stronger than him and then well, what to do! Prabhupada said, “So, worship the Deity and through this you will become purified.”

So, purification is what is required. Krsna is the Supreme pure and one must always associate with Krsna.

all the time; so therefore let them chant only in the morning, in the afternoon and in the evening! It’s right there in the purport of the Caitanya Caritamrta. And this is for the madhyama adhikari, for the devotee in the intermediate stage. It is said the devotee in the intermediate stage, he chants all the time and then for the grhastha’s in the intermediate stage, all right then, only in the morning, the afternoon and in the evening! So what about the topmost devotees? What about them?

So in devotional service, this is our aimpurification- so that we become more able to serve Krsna properly. So we must look for that, always more and more purification. So, it is stated for that purification one must chant the Holy Name of the Lord, preferably all the time! That is the best- 24 hours a day, day and night, preferably non-stop!

If you could do that then you would so the best. If you can’t do that because of circumstances, then you can chant a little less. Prabhupada said that, especially for the householders, it is those who work in the world and have responsibility, it is understood that it may be difficult to chant

What more can you do than chant all the time? Is there any thing more? It’s said the pure devotee’s of the Lord- the topmost pure devotees of the Lord- wherever they appear people automatically start chanting the Holy Name, just by their presence. What can we

say! So, we see in the Caitanya Caritamrta, a description of a devotee like Raghava Pandita. Raghava Pandita wanted to make an offering of coconuts to the Lord. So, living in Bengal you learn about coconuts or living in many parts of India; in South Indiacoconut, coconut, coconut, you know everything about coconut!

So they know which coconut is pakha, which coconut is kacha, which coconut is sweet, which one is salty, they know which one is ripe, which one is not…like that; which one has malaya, the cream inside, and which one has not- they know. So Raghava Pandita was expert and he had some special coconuts arranged- very big, sweet, rich with malaya- and he had them clipped for the Supreme Lord. And like that the coconut was ready to be offered. And it was carried in the room by a servant but then the servant in the process leaned against the door frame with his hand and then again touched the coconut. Immediately Raghava Pandita thought to himself, “That door frame is very dirty. All kinds of people walk through there. No

place in the room is dirtier than the door frame because all the dust from walking in and out is thrown up and goes into that door frame and with his hand he’s touched that dirty door frame and then touch the coconut. Throw it away! It cannot be offered to the Lord!” - Now what do you think about Raghava Pandita? Do you think he had some sort of fetish about cleanliness, you know- obsessed with cleanliness? Some people are like that you know: ‘oh, dust! Dirt! No no, intolerable!’ No. Raghava Pandita had the highest standard because it was for Krsna! It had to be the best of the best- nothing but the best was good enough for the Supreme Lord!

So this is the spirit of pure devotion. Nothing but the best is good for Krsna! And we should do everything we can to offer Him the best. We see Madhavendra Puri. Madhavendra Puri, he was in Vrndavana, he was sitting next to Govardhana Hill, he was fasting. Why was he fasting? He was a sanyassi and he had decided to follow one vow and the vow was that ‘I will not eat unless somebody brings me something to eat.’ But what if nobody brings anything something to eat? Well, who would know

that you would need something to eat?, one might ask. ‘That would go on by some arrangement.’ Like that, he was living quite an austere life, fasting at the sight of Govardhana Hill but peacefully chanting the Holy Name of the Lord.

Then, one young boy came and this young boy brought a pot of milk. He said, “ I’ve come to bring a pot of milk because you are fasting and we would like you to take some milk. In our village, nobody fasts, nobody goes hungry. Then Madhavendra Puri said, “How did you know I was fasting?” he said, “Oh, some ladies came by and they told me.” Then the boy said, “Keep the pot, after you’ve finished I will come back later to collect it.” So Madhavendra Puri drank the milk and it was really sweet and rich and creamy and delicious. Then afterwards he dosed for a moment. Hare Krsna Hare Krsna…in the midst of his chanting he was gone for a moment and as he was gone he started dreaming and in his dream, that same boy appeared and then began to speak. He said, “I have been lying in the bushes here

for such a long time. You please call all the villagers to take Me out from here.” And when Madhavendra Puri woke up, first of all he had the realisation that the boy who brought me the pot was Krsna; because in his dream he recognised that boy as Krsna. So for a while he was little overwhelmed, “I saw Krsna and I didn’t recognise Him! Oh, fool I am!” but then he remembered part 2 of the dream, about the Deity that was in the bushes; and he went there in those bushes with a whole group of villagers and he said, “Dig here!” and they did and they found this Deity, the famous Deity of Gopala. It’s said that, that Deity was later installed by the arrangement of Madhavendra Puri and he had arranged for the worship of the Deity. Then again, one time in a dream, the Deity let him know that He felt very hot. He said, “so long I have been lying in the hot sun. I’m still very very hot. So you must bring Me sandalwood for cooling My body.” So sandalwood had to come from very far and Madhavendra Puri was old and somehow or other, he went all the way to Puri to arrange for sandalwood and he had to get papers and documents to pass the different tax barriers that were on the way. It was a very trouble some thing and he was carrying a huge block of sandalwood to cool Gopala. So as he was walking, the Lord was pleased; to see that Madhavendra Puri did the impossible- being old, bringing a huge block of sandalwood across different borders with trouble etc; then the Lord appeared in a dream in Ramuna, where there’s a Deity of Krsna also named, Kiracora Gopinatha. And then the Lord said, “Okay”, in a dream, “ you can offer this sandalwood here and put it on My body and it will count as if you would put it on the body of Gopala in Vrndavana. Same result.” So then they did that, they put that sandalwood on the body. So then he didn’t have to carry it across all the different borders and all the way to Vrndavana, which is a long, long distance, and stayed in Orissa, which is not so far from Puri but still, quite a distance.

So in this way, Madhavendra Puri was prepared to do the impossible. Krsnadas Kaviraja Goswami. It is described that he was in his 90’s, he was in Bengal living in a small village and at one point he had a dream, and in that dream Lord Nityananda appeared.

He had a blackish complexion. It is said Lord Nityananda’s complexion is described as raktakaleveram, so it is blackish with a reddish hue and He was wearing a blue turban and He was wearing very opulent jewellery and He was wearing blue silken cloth and He had a red iron stick. And Lord Nityananda was chewing betel and laughing and looking so extraordinarily beautiful that Krsnadas Kaviraja became totally overwhelmed. It was not just an ordinary dream. Some of us may have dreamt of Krsna. Some of us may have had a vision of Krsna but we did not roll on the ground in ecstatic love like Krsnadas Kaviraja Goswami. So our dream was of a different quality. Maybe we saw a picture but it was not Krsna because if would have seen Krsna, we would be like Krsnadas Kaviraja Goswami. So Lord Nityananda told Krsnadas Kaviraja Goswami to go to Vrndavana. And he went, immediately after waking up he went. He walked all the 1200km being way in his 90’s- don’t ask us how he did it- but he did it! He reached Vrndavana, after a 1200km walking in his 90’s! That would hit the news paperswouldn’t it! ‘95 year old man walks all the way across India, pictures, etc and the TV would be out there- ‘how did you do it!?’

And he would be a celebrity over…well not over night but over a walk! So when he came to Vrndavana, he was asked by the vaisnava’s to write the Caitanya Caritamrta and then he did so and he says, “I don’t know how I’m writing” he says, “ My hand is shaking, it is shaking. My eyes, I’m totally blind! In my 90’s, I’m totally blind.”

No glasses in those days. “ How am I reading? I don’t know!” he says, “my memory? Shot. Totally shot. Nothing left.” Come on- 90’s, 95. What memory we have left? ‘Uh…what’s my name?” most people at 95- ‘yes, yes. You told that 5 minutes ago!’ tell the same story over and over! But Krsnadas Kaviraja Goswami began writing the Caitanya Caritamrta and how sharp is it! It’s amazing! So sharp, I mean the sharpest brain could only write such a thing. So how could he do that? So we seeing here that these devotees, all theses devotees that I described, they just surrendered to Krsna, and did something extraordinary. They were ready to give up all material calculation. He did not say like, ‘well I’m in my 90’s and how will I go to Vrndavana? I had the dream but it seems time is difficult. Maybe I should go in my mind and…’ No, he did not ask any questions. Immediately, without delay, he went, not considering the material impediments. Prabhupada in the same way: age 70, went to the Western world without considering the material obstacles;

Simply pushed forward and this is Krsna consciousness. This is what Krsna wants to see from His pure devotee. Pure devotion is that. When Krsna is at the riverbanks of the Yamuna, He is playing His flute. At vamsi vata He’s playing His flute; and that, the sound of that flute is penetrating Vrndavana and reaches the ears of all and especially of the gopi’s who cannot, who cannot resist.

So it is said that when the gopis hear the sound of Krsna’s flute calling them, they leave everything- they drop everything and go to the forest although, they were in the midst of their family. So the family is not tolerating this, ‘where you’re going? What’s happening here? You’re not going! No way.’ They didn’t listen, they just went! Although it made them socially impossible, they gave up their honour to meet Krsna in the forest. They didn’t care about their babies, they didn’t care about anything! Just forgot all material considerations. It is said this is the qualification of the gopis. This is the qualification of the gopi’s, that they did not consider any material calculations or whatever, any material advantage or disadvantage; simply went for Krsna! So in

this way, they were tested and in this way we will be tested. So it is certain, that in the course of our devotional service, there will be obstacles, which seem to be impossible. Certain. And that is why Srila Prabhupada was demanding the impossible.

He told his BBT managers who were in charge of printing the books that, he was not enthused. Because he had been translating, and they had been far behind in publishing. They were too slow. So Prabhupada said, “ I am not encouraged.” He had completed the translation of the Caitanya Caritamrta and wanted it printed. But they needed time. They knew that Prabhupada was going to put pressure to increase the production so they had a meeting and they decided. They came to Prabhupada with a proposal and they said, “ Prabhupada, we are now going to increase the production. We get new machines and this that and we have figured a way that we can print one book, we can publish one book a month.” And Prabhupada said, “I give you two months for the entire Caitanya Caritamrta, 17 volumes!”

“17 volumes? Too much. Impossible!”, the manager said, Radha Vallabha, of the BBT. And Prabhupada simply looked at him and

said, “Impossible, is a word in a fools dictionary!” and he (Radha Vallabha) realised that, “Oh my God! My whole spiritual life, is now hanging on a thread! And if I don’t have faith in my spiritual master now, I am finished!” so he did it. And somehow or other they made a plan to finish the entire Caitanya Caritamrta, all 17 volumes in two months and devotees worked 24 hours around the clock: artists were making paintings and fall asleep behind their painting and someone else would take the painting and finish it. And in this way, some how or other, the work was done; and in two months, 17 volumes were printed! This is the way that Prabhupada proved, impossible is a word in a fools dictionary and now it has become almost a proverb in Krsna consciousness to remind us that we must go forward with great faith.

Prabhupada demanded that from his disciples. Syamasundara was friends with George Harrison and Prabhupada asked him to go get a donation for printing the Krsna book$19000! Syamasundara said, “Oh I cannot

do this. I’m good friends with George but his very sensitive you know about this point because so many people ask if for money. So you know, if I ask him it will spoil our relationship. There’s no such thing between us. I never ask him for money.”

Prabhupada said, “Don’t worry. Krsna will help.” What to do! Prabhupada was insisting. And that night, Syamasundara was actually supposed to meet with George in some kind of dinner.

So he was there, he was thinking, sitting there and he arranged to sit next to George during the dinner party and they had a good time but Syamasundara was thinking, “How am I ever gonna ask him? I cant do it, but if I don’t do it, I will lose the blessings of my spiritual master. I must do it, but I cant do it, I will do it, but I cannot do it…” and like this he had a great dilemma and then he said well, “ George?” George: yes? Syamasundara: you know, Prabhupada is publishing a new book. George: oh, very nice. Syamasundara: yes, it’s called the KRSNA book- all about Krsna. It’s very nice.

And George’s face went white. And just then, there was a loud thunderclap and lightning and all the lights went out! 30 seconds later, the lights went back on and George said, “How can I refuse after that?” and he signed the cheque and said, “Take!”

and Prabhupada later said, “See, I told you that Krsna would help!” So nothing logical, nothing logical. By logical calculation, it was impossible. But then somehow or other Prabhupada said, “Krsna will help” and Krsna did help.

George: oh, nice. Interesting. Syamasundara: yeh. But he is $19000 short for the printing… And George’s face is getting tight. He felt what was coming. And then Syamasundara continued and said… Syamasundara: (gulp) would you able to help?

And in this way, the pure devotee is not basing his action just on logic; he is simply doing what he can for Krsna. Not that he doesn’t use any logic at all. No no, he uses all the logic he can. Like one time, Prabhupada asked his senior disciples including Brahmananda, “What does it take for this movement to go on?” These kind

of questions in front of Prabhupada, nobody really liked. So everybody was sitting looking up looking down, trying to not make eye contact. So Prabhupada said, “So? Anybody?” so Brahmananda then ventured out. He said, “Sincerity, Srila Prabhupada!” and Prabhupada said, “That’s not enough!” If sincerity is not enough, what more will it take for this movement to go on? Prabhupada said, “ Intelligence!”

So it’s not that Krsna consciousness or pure devotional service means that one must have full faith and just here, near the boulevard, close one’s eyes and cross the road while chanting ‘ Hare Krsna Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, Krsna will save me, Hare Krsna Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare…boof!’ All right, that’s one devotee less! What can you do! That’s not so advisable. That’s not our process. We look left, we look right.

There is one story in this regards about a man who was sitting in a flood on the roof of his house. And he was praying, “Oh my Lord, please save me.” Then a boat came and the man said, “come aboard!” He said, “No, my Lord will save me.” Then, a helicopter came and they threw out the rope ladder and said, “Climb! Grab it, grab it, grab it!” He said, “No, my Lord will save me.” So then in the end, he sat on the roof and in due course of time he just couldn’t handle it any more in the cold and he slipped down and- bloop! - drowned in the water! It’s said then when afterwards, he had a personal darsana with the Lord and he said, “ Lord, why didn’t you save me?” and the Lord said, “What do you mean? I sent you a boat, I sent you a helicopter. Wasn’t that good enough?”

So like that, we are meant to use our intelligence in pure devotional service. But then, when we try everything and everything, then we go even beyond! We must do the impossible for Krsna and in this way we push on. It’s impossible to make this whole city of Melbourne Krsna conscious but it can be done! Prabhupada was so bold. Prabhupada said, “We can invite the entire world and feed them! It would be easy. Invite half the world, make them donate, and then you feed the other half! And they have to serve as well. And it’s easy!” Prabhupada was ready; he was ready to head up the world.

Would the world have been ready to listen to Prabhupada, he would have been ready to guide the world without any problem. So this is the purpose of this movement: it is a programme for the entire world. And pure devotional service means to give the mercy of Krsna, the teachings of Krsna, the Holy Name of Krsna, Krsna prasadam, to as many people as possible- all over the world! This is our duty. So at least Melbourne, at least. If not the world, at least the city of

Melbourne. We should do everything we can to knock on every door or to invite everyone to our door; there are different ways. Like, we use to distribute books in the street and there are different tricks. One way was to stand on the street and you approach everyone on the street, ‘excuse me, excuse me!’ joof! People would just keep on walking. ‘Excuse me’ joof! Finally, somebody stops.

So that was one way. We had another way where we would sit in the car and we’d just wind the windscreen down and just call out, ‘excuse me,’ people would come over immediately. Quite effective! So there are different approaches. We can either go to the people or make the people come to uswhatever we like, whatever we feel most

comfortable with. Whatever we like- we can stand on the street or we can sit on somebody’s sofa- that’s all right. But some how or other we must make sure that we become an instrument of the mercy of the Lord. That’s pure devotee. Any thing lessnot good enough. One time Prabhupada came down the staircase and when he was at the bottom of the staircase, (I heard this from Trivikrama Maharaja, personally), he made a little pirouette and he said, “My spiritual master made me into a diamond!”

the more we give away Krsna consciousness, the more Krsna will empower us, the more powers we will find and the more ability we will have to conquer the material energy.

And without a doubt, we will be successful. Prabhupada was so bold. He told Mukunda in Chicago, where the airport is named “O’Hare airport” ,Prabhupada said, “Go to the director of this airport and tell him to call it ‘o Hare Krsna airport’!”

and he was beaming! Beaming with effulgence! A transparent via media of simply, the mercy of the Lord. So, when oh when, will that come, when we will stop being misers and thinking, ‘oh my comfort, oh my mind, oh my feelings, oh my desires, oh I cant do like this, I need something badly for myself…’ when oh when, will that day come, that we will give and use everything we have, all the talents Krsna gave us, to give Krsna consciousness? And

Mukunda said, “ha, ha, ha. Good joke.” But it was not a joke. Mukunda didn’t do it. I don’t think any of us would either. But what if he would have managed? Prabhupada was that bold.

devotee means to be the instrument of the Supreme Lord somehow or other; of His teachings. And such a devotee is priyo narah; he is most dear to the Lord, most dear. So we must become such devotes. Pure devotee means that devotee who is most dear to the Lord. Okay, I’ll stop now. Any comments, any questions? Devotee: you said that we have to give our independence back to Krsna…(inaudible) Maharaja: So should we somehow or other become independent from the material energy so that we can actually give ourselves to Krsna?

So we also must become more bold. This is what is required although our thinking, feeling and willing is not like that. The first time I had a bead bag, ‘Oh God, I’ve got a bead bag now! Oh no! I mean I have to walk with this in the street? Put it under my coat! Nobody watching. Okay. Hare Krsna Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare…I mean you wouldn’t wanna show people if you got one of these, would you?’ but we have to be bold, to stand up for Krsna. ‘ But you know, what would people say?’ We don’t care. We care what we’re going to say. So many times Prabhupada was interviewed and he didn’t care what they said. So many times they asked a question and he gave a totally different answer, even ignoring the question but saying what he wanted to say! So what does it matter, let them think, let them think that we are crazy. Prabhupada’s response to that was, “who is crazy?”, in the very early 60’s in one of the first brochures: “Who is crazy?” So pure

Yes, we must become independent from the grip of the material energy that the material energy is on us. In the 11th Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam it says that; the amazing thing is once the sages met there and they had a question to Lord Brahma and even Lord Brahma could not answer that question, and therefore an incarnation of the Lord appeared to answer that question; and the question basically was: why does the mind go into the things and why do the things go into the mind? That’s a good question right.

So, this is the problem: the mind goes into the things and then they go into the mind. Like when we lock our money in the box, we do not just lock our money in the box, we lock our mind in the box as well! So in this way, we are always absorbed in matter and yes, one has to focus on Krsna. But we do not have the power to become independent from matter. Renunciation practiced without Krsna, does not last. It’s artificial, it’s like holding one’s breathholding our breath? Then we’re not breathing. ‘Can anybody stop breathing? Yes I can! Hmmm…’ For how long?

Permanently? No. So in the same way, the only way we can actually overcome the grip of the material nature, is by using that material nature, that material energy in the service of Krsna. One cannot go into the cave and give up the world, ‘ I give up the world!’- not possible. But if we use the world in the service of Krsna, then we can give up, then we can lose that dependence on matter.

or if you have a nice house, that after this lecture, everyone should move into the garden shed.

You move your garden tools into the house and now you move into the shed! Krsna consciousness! No, not like that. Although it would be nice if you could move a Deity of Krsna in the house and yourself live in the shed. Not a bad idea at all! But, it’s not a must. This is optional. But if you feel inspired that way, I can advise you how to do it! Yes Aniruddha? Aniruddha Prabhu: You were speaking about the impossible… Maharaja: Ya, the impossible. It seems pretty impossible to sit here! What are you saying? Sometimes? Aniruddha Prabhu: Sometimes it feels as if we can do the impossible…

And then we just begin to just depend on Krsna, that’s all it is. So this is the trick. We must live in the world and use the things of the world for Krsna. That is our duty. It’s not that everyone should move into a cave

Maharaja: As if we can do the impossible: ‘I am super man- super bhakta or super bhaktin! Tada, tada tadada!’ Aniruddha Prabhu: We feel empowered by the Lord…

Maharaja: ‘I’m empowered! Krsna has empowered his devotee. Hundreds of people are surrendering unto me. Whenever I speak they are making spiritual advancement like any thing. I am…SUPER BHAKTA! Tada tada tadada…’ Yes, sometimes it appears like that and other times we can’t get out of bed!

that! Ha ha ha! I knew I could do it in a snap and I did it!’ just wait a while, wait a while. Krsna is simply taking the pride you already had, puffing it up a little more and just getting ready to pop it!

It’s going to come down on you soon, don’t worry! In this way we should understand that Krsna is using the modes of material nature to teach us a lesson and sometimes gives us a little success and sometimes gives us failure- as He likes! One book distributor was out on the street everyday and he was struggling very hard and then he met someone, and this person said, “Oh, you are so wonderful! You’re doing such wonderful work. It is so rare to find someone like you who gives his whole life for the benefit of others. I mean, I’m so impressed that you’re doing this work…”

I had that experience; I literally couldn’t move today. Even now. How do I get off this seat? I don’t know. So it is like that. Krsna is in control and He’s teaching us through the modes of material nature. The modes of material nature are such that sometimes the most difficult thing becomes very easy and other times easy things are very difficult- this is the nature of the material energy. It’s very unpredictable. You’re sure that this going to be really difficult and then, it’s done like that! Other times you sure it’s going to be really easyvery difficult! Sometimes you think it’s going to be really easy and it is really easy, ‘ let me take all the credit. Just see, I knew it, I’m so expert. Just look at me. I just did

and he was thinking, “…Finally somebody who recognises! Yes, it is not easy.” “No, no I appreciate so much. You’re taking so much difficulty.” Devotee: “Yes I’m taking, many difficulties.” “ It’s good work.” Devotee: yes, yes! And like this, he was very happy to meet such a person, such a nice man. And he kept on distributing and at around 20 minutes later another person came up and this person said, “ there are people in this world, they sacrifice everything for others.” “Here we go again!”, the devotee thinks. And he (the man) says, “Yes. Some people they selflessly dedicate their whole lives for the benefit of others…BUT NOT LIKE YOU!!! Who is simply doing it for your own glory!” And then this person just cut into him like one after another. He could just see how Krsna was first blowing up his ego a little bit and then just CRUSH! There are many ways that the lord is doing that from time to time. But when we become too proud, will be reduced! - a mouse again!

You know the story with the mouse who was tired of being chased by the cat, who wanted to be a cat; and then the cat was tired of being chased by the dog; who wanted to be a dog; and the dog had problems with the tiger; and then he wanted to become a tiger…so each time each time he went to a yogi and got a benediction and he actually became a tiger, then when the yogi had made him a tiger, he stood in front of the yogi and he looked at him and the yogi said, “why are you looking at me like that?” he said, “I’m going to eat you up!”

then the yogi said, “Be a mouse again!” Sanskrit So all of us, when we go too far, we think we become super bhakta, then we can become a mouse again. Aniruddha Prabhu: How did you come to Krsna Consciousness?

Maharaja: How did I come to Krsna consciousness…the shortest story is that I didn’t want anything to do with Krsna consciousness although I saw the devotees regularly, I avoided them like anything and the result was that I became involved with a girl. And this girl had a dog named Krsna! And by calling that dog, everything came! That’s how it actually happened. True story, what can I say! Krsna sends everyone a guru on his level. And my guru was a dog! True.

Aniruddha Prabhu: How are we going to do the impossible? Maharaja: How are we going to do the impossible…the impossible is too, in spite of sometimes…sometimes there’s success, sometimes there’s failure but the impossible is to continue dutifully and to try and do our utmost best for Krsna, for guru and Krsna;

and to give up our own independent ideas and to just do what guru and Krsna desires.

we are told to become more humble than a blade of grass and more tolerant than a tree. By nature, we’re totally intolerant. And we would just like to take care of anybody who dares to get in our way and just look in a wrong manner. But because we’re tolerant than a tree, we try, we tell ourselves, ‘ Yes, I’m tolerating, I’m tolerating.’

And we act very humble. We are not tolerant, we are not humble but we act like that. So in this way we control our pride and our arrogance and so on. And then we depend on Krsna to develop real humility in course of time.

And that’s tough enough! That’s almost impossible. And if you bring that to completion, then we will say at the end, “He did the impossible! we never thought it could be done, but he did it. All glories!” and the demigods will shower flowers because they will also think, “He did the impossible!” like that. Okay. yes? Devotee: (inaudible) Maharaja: Ya, it like this; is that we are by nature proud and arrogant- to give an example of a bad quality. That’s our natural tendency. But when we become devotees

But we must co-operate by acting in a humble way. And in this way, we must try and check our bad qualities. It’s not that we just give them free reign saying like, ‘Well, Krsna didn’t take them away yet! What can I do you know! It’s not my fault. I’m

following the process and it says there in the Bhagavad Gita, verse 12.18-19 purport…’ we can’t do that you know; use the Bhagavad Gita as an alibi. No.

We have to try and check the bad quality. We still have it but we will not express it, if we can help it. Sometimes, it slips out. When I was a kid, there was a fairy tale my mother use to read to me about two sisters. And one, whenever she opened her mouth, roses would come out. And the other one, a frog jumped out! So in our case, we try roses but inadvertently sometimes there is a frog that bounces out of our mouth.

Once it’s out; you try and catch it, it would be very difficult. You can’t really put it back. It’s difficult to put a frog back in to your mouth isn’t it? You wouldn’t want to! So sometimes we say something, we think, ‘I shouldn’t have said that.’ And bounces throughout the entire room like an ugly frog and everyone’s looking at it: ‘Oh, my God! Look what an ugly frog! Did that jump from your mouth?’ Yes, it did. What can we do! Sometimes we say something we know we shouldn’t have said. So we do not always have all the good qualities. But by trying to control our tongue, even if we make such a mistake, Krsna doesn’t take it so seriously. But if you don’t try, then, you’re getting in to trouble. So we’re still responsible for the bad qualities actually. We can get reactions. Blaspheming the devotees you know – first offence against the Holy Name. No taste: ‘Hare Krsna Hare Krsna, I have no taste for chanting the Holy Name, Hare Krsna Hare Krsna’ Keep your frogs inside. Swallow those frogs!

Okay. Thank you very much!