CONTENTS:
- Krishna Consciousness spreads from the heart,
- Srila Prabhupada Appreciation; and
- Guru Maharaja’s instructions.
1. KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS SPREADS FROM THE HEART
What goes on in the name of love is actually lust. There is no love and that is why on the material platform there is no love so therefore everyone is so frustrated. Everyone is dying for love. Devotees are the only ones who know what love actually is and what is not. Love means Krishna Consciousness, Krishna prema. And that love for Krishna when living entities offers to others, that is preaching. That is the ultimate preaching. How does Krishna Consciousness translate? Does it translate through our intellect? No Krishna Consciousness does not spread through our intellect. Somebody may give a very erudite lecture; it won’t have any effect but somebody will say just a few words and it will move somebody else. Why? Because it comes from the heart. Actually Krishna Consciousness spreads from the heart. It’s a communication from soul to soul. Where is the soul situated? In the heart and that is why the common expression is heart’s feelings. Krishna appeared in the heart of Vasudeva, from Vasudeva’s heart, Krishna was transferred to Mother Devaki. This is how Krishna Consciousness spreads. In plain and simple words, when these people come, let us really feel for them. Here is somebody who needs Krishna. If we don’t understand what Krishna is, we should feel at least that here’s a person that needs love and let’s give it to him. If we do that I tell you he will be prepared to do anything for us. Our mistake is instead of giving them that love we started to get their money, we are not interested in their welfare at all, we started to think how are we going to get their money by hook or by crook so as a result of that everything is destroyed. We must remember that as devotees we all are here to give Krishna Consciousness and let’s try to do it in the best possible way. The other details will automatically fall into place, if we care for them then we will make sure that the Prasadam that is served is very nice. Like when some guests come to our house, what do we do? We try to please them in the best possible way. We offer nice Prasadam, we make nice arrangements for them. So we must remember that these are our guests, these are the people who Krishna sent to be preached to so let us try to give them the best we possibly can. They won’t care whether we are poor or rich, even if we feel that we are very poor they would not mind. Actually if they see that we are very poor and facing a lot of difficulties then they will become even more concerned and more sympathetic towards us. Oh these people need my help so let me help them.
Question by devotee: When we are in the association of such a pure devotee like yourself we feel inspired but then go back to our routine we forget all these things, can you give some advice how we can remember all this?
The best way to remember all this is to read Prabhupada’s books. If you read Prabhupada’s books you will be reminded of all this again and again because Prabhupada repeatedly reminds us that this is what our mission is. So let’s take Prabhupada’s teachings to our heart, read Prabhupada’s books, listen to Prabhupada’s tapes and also remember the instructions that we receive. Have I told you about Harinaamanada Prabhu? One day I went out to watch him distribute books and it was a very wonderful experience actually to see that people are actually impressed because he cares about them. He is not giving them the books just to get a few franks out of them but he is giving out the books to them because he is convinced that by giving them the books these people will benefit. That is why he is so ecstatic when distributing books. Ecstasy is something that influences other people. If you are ecstatic the person next to you will become ecstatic. If you are morose the person next to you will also become morose and even try to run away. It is very important that we become very very sincere about our spiritual goal. As sincere we become about accomplishing our goal to that degree we will become ecstatic.
Question unclear
I will read from a book. This book is called Navadwip Mahatmya, this is a description of Jiva Goswami’s parikrama of Navadwip. Nityananda Prabhu at the end of the parikrama in the eighteenth chapter is instructing Srila Jiva Goswami. I will just read from here and then come to that part. “This topic of sambanda is a deep thing”, Nityananda Prabhu is telling Jive Goswami. What is the meaning of sambanda? Relationship. Sambanda then abideya. Sambanda means relationship. Relationship between? Krishna and His devotee and also relationship between Krishna, living entity and material nature. We can’t neglect material nature because we have to understand what material nature is. This material nature is Krishna’s external energy. “This topic of sambanda is a deep thing O son of Vallabha, a treasure that the conditioned soul cannot easily understand. Even if one calls out the name of Sri Krishna Caitanya with seeming affection, if that relationship is not established in the heart he simply remains in the material world. Such a person resides on top of the dhama’s illusory covering never attains pure love of Krishna” So one may be in the dhama, do the parikrama or reside in the dhama but if he does not develop his relationship with Caitanya Mahaprabhu in the heart then he won’t see the dhama, he will remain in the outer covering of the dhama which is just a material facade but the real dhama is underneath that, beyond that. What we are seeing with our mundane eyes is not the dhama. Just as in order to see Krishna we need spiritual vision and in order to see Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s dhama we also need spiritual vision. That spiritual vision is developed only when one develops one’s relationship to Krishna.
2. SRILA PRABHUPADA APPRECIATION
The best way to remember all this is to read Prabhupada’s books. If you read Prabhupada’s books you will be reminded of all this again and again because Prabhupada repeatedly reminds us that this is what our mission is.
3. GURU MAHARAJA’S INSTRUCTIONS
We must remember that as devotees we all are here to give Krishna Consciousness and let’s try to do it in the best possible way;
So let’s take Prabhupada’s teachings to our heart, read Prabhupada’s books, listen to Prabhupada’s tapes and also remember the instructions that we receive.
(The content of this E-Magazine was based on a Lecture given by HH Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaja on given at New Mayapur on 6 May 1994.)
(Compiled and edited by Hemavati Radhika dasi)