CONTENTS:
- We Have To Learn How To Hear;
- Srila Prabhupada Appreciation;
- Guru Maharaja's Instructions
WE HAVE TO LEARN HOW TO HEAR
Nasta-prayesu abhadresu
Nityam bhagavata-sevaya
Bhagavaty uttama sloke
Bhaktir bhavati naisthiki
(SB 1.2.18)
TRANSLATION
By regular attendance in classes on the Bhagavatam and by rendering of service to the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is almost completely destroyed, and loving service unto the Personality of Godhead, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an irrevocable fact.
THE MORE ATTENTIVELY WE HEAR THE BETTER WE REMEMBER
We have to learn how to actually hear. We know that we have a memory and we can receive the information in our memory, but if don’t listen carefully then we cannot really register them or keep them in our memory.When we hear, then we are supposed to remember, because our memory has the ability to store the information. But if we do not listen carefully we cannot keep the information in our memories. The more attentively we hear, the better we can remember.
WE SKIP IN OUR MEMORY
One thing I was just considering is a tape recorder; although it is a machine it registers every single word. We never see that a tape recorder is skipping some sentences, but we skip in our memory, we skip the sentences and words. This actually shows that the tape recorder has a better memory than we have, although the tape recorder is a projection of our ability. The scientists are simply projecting the ability that they have. They are projecting that ability into a machine. They have created a machine with better ability than they have. We can say that instead of perfecting our ability, we are trying to perfect those abilities in matter.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE MATERIAL SIDE AND SPIRITUAL SIDE
That is the difference between material side and spiritual side. On material side, people are taking great trouble to perfect the machines with the ability that they are endowed with; whereas on spiritual side, a man tries to perfect the abilities that he has already in him. When one practices spiritual life then his memory becomes sharp. A perfect spiritualist can remember everything like a tape recorder. He can keep all the information like a computer without forgetting anything. Then, at any moment without any difficulty, he can call them back to his memory. He can store all the information and he can call them from his memory. The yogis are endowed with that ability. We have to practice also. Especially, want to fill our memory with transcendental information. It is important that we listen to the Bhagavatam class carefully, because that is what we are here for. We do not have any other business but to listen to Srimad Bhagavatam.
SRILA PRABHUPADA APPRECIATION
Actually Prabhupada is repeating what Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura said, what Bhaktivinoda Thakura said, what Visvanatha Cakravati said. Prabhupada is simply repeating the parampara. Prabhupada often said, “That is my qualification. I am simply presenting what I learnt from my Guru Maharaja without any deviation”. He said, “That is my only qualification, I am simply repeating my spiritual master”.
GURU MAHARAJA’S INSTRUCTIONS
We have to learn how to actually hear;
The more attentively we hear, the better we can remember;
When one practices spiritual life then his memory becomes sharp; and
It is important that we listen to the Bhagavatam class carefully, because that is what we are here for. We do not have any other business but to listen to Srimad Bhagavatam.
(The content of this E-magazine was based on a Lecture given by His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami on 6 May 1988 at ISKCON Radhadesh)
(Compilation & editing by Hemavati Radhika dasi)