CONTENTS:
- Q&A with Guru Maharaja,
- Srila Prabhupada Appreciation; and
- Guru Maharaja’s instructions.
Q&A WITH GURU MAHARAJA
Question: Can you please explain about Indra being a devotee yet committing so many offenses and mistakes again and again and being pardoned by the Lord?
Answer: Very good question. Indra in spite of being a devotee why does he commit so many mistakes and wrong doings. See Indra is not a pure devotee. Indra is a karma misra bhakta that means he is a devotee but he wants to enjoy and that is why he is not promoted to Vaikunta and he is in the heavenly planet. Oh you want material enjoyment have material enjoyment. In this respect an example can be given the demi-gods are like the employees and the pure devotees are like children of the father. Father is a big man and he has employees, they are having a wonderful life like high salary, lots of perks, and lots of facilities but after all they are employees but the son of the same person he enjoys in a different way. That is the difference between the devotees and the demi-gods.
Questions: When we are not averse to Krishna we feel Maya is still attacking us repeatedly. We are attached to Krishna but Maya’s attacks come again and again so what should we do?
Answer: Surrender even more. If Maya is attacking it is due to our own lacking in devotion. We have to recognize if we are becoming subjected to Maya’s onslaught it is our fault because we didn’t submit to the Lord enough. We are not fully surrendered so the Lord’s illusory energy is bewildering us but when we become fully surrendered then Maya comes to test our devotion and a devotee by the mercy of the Lord always passes those tests and move forward. When Maya comes we have to say Krishna is testing us Maya is testing how strict or serious we have become in our devotion.
Question: Can a devotee desire for liberation?
Answer: Initially a devotee may desire for liberation, but at an advanced stage he does not care for liberation. Because by becoming a devotee he already passed stages of liberation. For example: release from the prison house and staying in the palace with the King. Those who are in the prison they need to become free from the prison, right? But those who are already staying with the King in the palace, do they care for being free from the imprisonment? Therefore a devotee does not have to separately aspire for liberation.
Question: Srimad Bhagavatam is the knowledge revealed in the heart. When we read how do we actually acquire knowledge when we are trying to understand with our materially contaminated intelligence?
Answer: The first acceptance when we read is through the mind, right? But the ultimate realization will be of value realization in the heart. So we go through the process yes knowledge cultivation is important, we have to know the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His pastimes and His abode and His associates and His qualities. These are the things that we acquire, that we assimilate by hearing. But the ultimate recognition is to see the Lord, you see the difference? Understanding about Him is one thing but seeing Him face to face is another thing.
Question: Lord Brahma, he is the leader of the Brahma Madhava Gaudiya sampradaya. So, it is not clear to me why so many demons are getting benedictions from him. As the creator of the future, does he understand the future, that these demons will use their powers?
Answer: There are two ways of looking at it. One way of looking at is, that, in the material nature everything happens according to guna and karma. Karma means action and resultant reaction. These resultant reactions are of two kinds of actions. Pious activity and sinful activity. So, pious activity automatically leads to certain reactions. So, these austerities that the demons perform is pious activity. And as a result of that they become entitled to certain reaction, which means their fulfillment of their desire. So Brahma, the demigods, even up to Brahma, what they do, they actually neutrally make arrangements of things. They remain neutral. They are not at all affected or partial in that sense. So that is the reason, that’s the first consideration. And the second consideration is that, yes, Brahma knows past, present and future. And as a result of that, Brahma knows about the Lord’s pastimes also. So, if these arrangements were not made. Like the other day, I was discussing about a drama. A drama means conflict. Without conflict there cannot be a drama. Or rather, the bigger the conflict the better the drama. So, the Lord’s pastimes are like drama. Therefore there has to be conflict. Conflict between whom? Between the Lord and His antagonists. So, this is how the antagonists are set up. To create the conflict when the Lord comes to perform His pastimes.
SRILA PRABHUPADA APPRECIATION
The more we recognize and appreciate the glory of Srila Prabhupada the more we will be able to appreciate of the activities of Supreme Personality of Godhead, because Srila Prabhupada came to give the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The mercy of the Lord flows through Srila Prabhupada, the most bona fide representative of the Lord.
(Prabhupada realizations)
GURU MAHARAJA’S INSTRUCTIONS
All the pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the scriptures make one point time and time again. The same point that is made time and time again is surrender to the Lord and you will be successful. Surrender to the Lord no matter how difficult it is, the Lord will come to your rescue, don't worry about it, no matter how difficult the situation is.