Association

Q: Maharaj, you explained about how one should aspire for the association of higher devotees. Sometimes we associate with devotees who are on same devotional level still we have a chance to fall down.

A: Sometimes one associates with devotees out of fraternity. If it not motivated by the aspiration to spiritually elevate oneself, it might provedetrimental.

Association is like a colored light through crystal. It projects the color of light that is incident on it.

Human consciousness is similar to that where with whomever one associates, he develops that consciousness. Anyone is really serious about his spiritual life must associate with advanced devotees as the association of advanced devotees who are endowed with Vaishnava qualities will enable us also to develop the same. Mahaprabhu gave a very clear instruction that one should give up the association of non devotees so as to advance in spiritual life.

Some might question that why do devotees go and associate with non devotees. The answer is that a devotee doesn’t go to the non devotees to associate witht hem but to preach to them. We go there not to take any thing but to give Krsna consciousness.

Therefore one should associate with non devotee close enough to just give Krsna consciousness.

Srila Prabhupada is ALWAYS with us...

...But Srila Prabhupada is always with us in his vani. He gave us the Bhaktivedanta purports and on the basis of his books he gave us ISKCON, which is the most wonderful protection in this dangerous age of Kali.

He gave us the chance.

Now it is up to us to take advantage of that or not.

Advice for devotees in the Grhasta Ashram

Devotee: Maharaj when you were speaking about dharma, so if I can ask you, a lot of us are grhastas are here, what should be the dharma of a man, and what should be the dharma of a woman, in a grhasta ashram?

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: To serve Krishna together. Stay at home, make your home into a Temple for Krishna. Consider that everything in that home belongs to Krishna, and you are staying in Krishna's house as Krishna's servant and maidservant, taking care of Krishna's offspring’s. Not your children, but Krishna's children. Right? That is the grihasta ashram.

"You can't be a goswami and a godasa at the same time."‏

Srimad Bhagvatgam 3.9.33

yadä rahitam ätmänaà
bhütendriya-guëäçayaiù
svarüpeëa mayopetaà
paçyan sväräjyam åcchati

TRANSLATION by His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada:

When you are free from the conception of gross and subtle bodies and whenyour senses are free from all influences of the modes of material nature,you will realize your pure form in My association. At that time you will besituated in pure consciousness.

PURPORT by His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

In the Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu it is said that a person whose only desire is to render transcendental loving service to the Lord is a free person in any condition of material existence. That service attitude is the svarüpa, or real form, of the living entity. Lord Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu, in the Caitanya-caritämåta, also confirms this statement by declaring that the real, spiritual form of the living entity is eternal servitorship to the Supreme Lord. The Mäyäväda school shudders at the thought of a service attitude in the living entity, not knowing that in the transcendental world the service of the Lord is based on transcendental love. Transcendental loving service is never to be compared to the forced service of the material world. In the material world, even if one is under the conception that he is no one's servant, he is still the servant of his senses, under the dictation of the material modes. Factually no one is master here in the material world, and therefore the servants of the senses have a very bad experience of servitude. They shudder at the thought of service because they have no knowledge of the transcendental position. In transcendental loving service, the servitor is as free as the Lord. The Lord is svaräö, or fully independent, and the servant is also fully independent, or svaräö, in the spiritual atmosphere because there is no forced service. There the transcendental loving service is due to spontaneous love. A reflected glimpse of such service is experienced in the service of the mother unto the son, the friend's service unto the friend, or the wife's service unto the husband. These reflections of service by friends, parents or wives are not forced, but are due only to love. Here in this material world, however, the loving service is only a reflection. The real service, or service in svarüpa, is present in the transcendental world, in association with the Lord. The very same service in transcendental love can be practiced in devotion here.This verse is also applicable to the jïäné school. The enlightened jïäné, when free from all material contaminations, namely the gross and subtle bodies together with the senses of the material modes of nature, is placed in the Supreme and is thus liberated from material bondage. The jïänés and the devotees are actually in agreement up to the point of liberation from material contamination. But whereas the jïänés remain pacified on the platform of simple understanding, the devotees develop further spiritual advancement in loving service. The devotees develop a spiritual individuality in their spontaneous service attitude, which is enhanced on and on, up to the point of mädhurya-rasa, or transcendental loving service reciprocated between the lover and the beloved.

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami Comments:

Krishna is instructing Lord Brahma. Brahma was worried, in anxiety and depressed considering the huge and very difficult responsibility he wasexpected to execute. The Lord is reassuring Brahma and that is what the past3 verses are dealing with. What is the pure form of a living entity? That isthe original spiritual form of a person called svarupa. We are presently situated in our virupa – the false form of the body. There are 2 bodies –the gross body and the subtle body. The gross body is made of the 5 gross elements and the subtle body is made of the 3 subtle elements. Sometimes wethink that we are the body and at others we think we are the mind and thushave lost our spiritual identity. We lost our right to stay in the spiritualsky due to having rejected Krishna. The conditioned state of the livingentity is exactly this. Being subject to material nature we developed a bodywith a network of senses. Due to our material conditioning, our consciousness is flowing in the body.The consciousness flows in the body through the nervous system.

We can physically see that the mind is the internal sense and the others are the external senses, being situated in the outer part of the body. Mind issituated in the brain center. From the brain center comes the spinal column. The nerves are ending in the senses. They are all ending in some sense orother. The eyes are seeing, ears are hearing etc. and these experiences aretransferred to the mind through the nervous system. Nerves are the cables that transfer the information to the mind and then the intelligence is deciding and accordingly we are either accepting orrejecting. Our mentality is, “I accept the things that give me pleasure andreject the others.” Above the intelligence is the “I”, which is a part andparcel and an eternal servant of the Lord. When one becomes a servant of theLord, then he is situated in his svarupa. *Jivera svarupa hoy krsnera nityadasa*. Lord Caitanya pointed this out. We should consider if we are situatedin Krishna’s service. If so, we are in our svarupa and are liberated andother wise we are not. One’s identity is misunderstood in other cases. Jivais always a servant and never a master. He is either a servant of the senses or a servant of Krishna. One may think, “Now I am 18 and I am independent.”We thought that if we throw away the British, we will become independent.Did we? No. both individually and collectively we can never becomeindependent. The more you try to become independent and enjoy through thesenses, the more you suffer. The more one accepts the servitorship of thesenses, the more he suffers. A conditioned soul then puts the blame for hissuffering on others. It is because he has become a Mr. Go-dasa that he issuffering.

Sometimes the suffering comes from body and mind, sometimes fromnature etc. Like we have a shortage of water here in Ujjain. But the rootcause of this suffering is that we forgot Krishna. Maya is always giving usa whack to make us realize that we cannot be happy by our independent endeavors to satisfy our senses. A prisoner isn’t punished for nothing. Mayasays, “Go ahead and enjoy, but when you get cancer, then I will ask youwhether you are enjoying.” Allow your senses to dictate you and you onlyinvite suffering. We may think we are independent, but let us wait and seewhat happens. *Iha yasya harer dasye karmana manasa gira,…*

Apparently one may be in a very difficult situation, but if one is engaged in serving the Lord withbody, mind and words, he is liberated. Prahlad Maharaja, Arjuna are verygood examples. Arjuna was deprived of the kingdom and was hiding in thepalace of Virat, but was liberated because he has engaged his body, mind andwords in the service of Krishna. In this way it doesn’t matter in what situation one is. Jagai and Madhai were so sinful that Lord Caitanya wasabout to kill them, but the moment they became devotees, they were *jivanmuktas*. One may be a prince or a pauper but what really matters is becoming a servant of Krishna. That is what matters. Liberation has beendescribed as being situated in one’s svarupa. *Muktir hitvanyatharupam….*It is simply changing the situation – “Shall I become theservant of Krishnaor that of maya?” Again, becoming the servant of Krishna means becoming a servant of Hisdevotees. Servant of Krishna alone means a third class devotee. “I am the only devotee. No Radharani, no Nanda Yasoda…. Only me.” On the other hand, asecond class devotee recognizes the devotees and takes advantage of the association and then preaches Krishna consciousness. Initially we don’t even know whom to preach to. Then we recognize how to avoid the offenders, unless you are like Nityananda prabhu. This is a simple process. To dig a tunnel out of the prison is very difficult but to surrender to the king is not difficult. Then the king releases you and takes you to his palace.

Klesaghniand subhada are the consequences. To those who still want to maintain their servitorship to their senses, it is very difficult, but for those who are surrendered, it is very easy. I am not the Lord and master. To think that Iam is the cause of our bondage. We have to give up our service to oursenses. You can’t be a godas and a goswami at the same time. We have tochoose and decide. When you become Krishna dasa, you become goswami. You try to become a mayeswara and you’ll be a godasa. Only Siva can be mayeswara –no one else can. The choice is yours – to enjoy in the real sense or tosuffer. Surrender to Krishna and then *anandambudhi *vardhanam – the bliss isconstantly increasing. When can we be from the conceptions of the gross andsubtle bodily identifications? Only when we surrender to Krishna. Even Yamaraja has no control over such a devotee. Even he is pleased to see adevotee, while the sinful people leave their bodies while passing stool.Devotees leave bodies through the upper seven holes while others generallyleave through the lower two holes.

This is a science. If we follow this path, we will realize our pure form in association with Krishna. At that time we will be situated in our pure consciousness – Krishna consciousness.Vyavasayatmika buddhir… Pure consciousness has only one object and so it is Krishna consciousness, whereas impure consciousness has many objects.


Q. The subtle mind is affecting the gross body. How?
A. Through the flow of consciousness, which flows through the nervoussystem.

Q. We need to make plans for preaching. Are our plans in Krishnaconsciousness or maya?
A. You have to get that verified by senior devotees and authorities.


Q. Can one who accepts the guru also be a 3rd class devotee?
A. Yes, if he feels that he and his guru are the only devotees.

Q. Digging a tunnel to escape may be possible in the government of thisworld. But is it possible in Krishna’s management?
A. No, it is not. Krishna will allow you to dig the tunnel, but as you comeout, the police will be waiting for you. Therefore it is said, *aruhyakrcchrena param padam tatah patantyadhah…..*Even one who has almost been liberated with tremendous endeavor, falls down due to lack of devotion toKrishna’s lotus feet. *Krcchrena* means with great endeavor.

Q. Is a devotee who leaves through the brahma randhra superior to anotherdevotee who leaves through the other holes of his body?
A. No. The brahma randhra is not a hole. It is an artificial hole and onlythe yogis leave through that. The devotees leave through the other upperholes of the body. Sometimes a siful man may not even leave through one ofthe bodily holes. The yamadutas drag his subtle body out of his gross body.

Q. How can one quickly get a higher taste?
A. By being engaged in devotional service in the association of devotees.

Q. Is serving more potent or service?
A. Chanting itself is service. However, it is very difficult to chant allthe time because our bodies have the tendency to be active and so we have tobe engaged in services. But our ultimate service is to chant all the time.Our acharya is Haridas Thakura.

Q. How can we not let arrogance touch our lives?
A. Always remain in the association of advanced devotees. We become arrogant because we are surrounded by inferior energy of matter. To give this up, wehave to be in the association of advanced devotees, and by that we feel humbled. We see the tranquility, joy in them.

Q. How is it that advanced devotees also suffer from disease etc.?
A. Two considerations are there. Generally we are not 100% surrendered.Since our surrender hasn’t become complete, the karmic reaction takes place. The second consideration is that this is the momentum going on. The moment uminertia is that things will keep moving but it will stop gradually. That movement will not have any power behind it. The sinful activities have stopped but the reactions are continuing for some time.

Q. How can one best control anger?
A. Use it in Krishna’s service. Anger due to frustration of sensegratification is one thing but anger in Krishna’s service is another. Thisreminds me of myself – when some of my subordinates act wrongly I have tocorrect them. It is my duty as a teacher.

Q. What is Meera Bai’s situation?
A. One of our previous acharyas commented on that. Her devotion wassentimental because she was not guided by a qualified guru. Later on shecame across Lord Caitanya. Her later songs were on Lord Caitanya and thenshe achieved perfection. Prior to that it was the supersoul aspect that wasprotecting and guiding her.

Q. If I have attachments, it is sometimes too difficult to surrender. Whatto do?
A. A child asks the father for a chocolate and the father refuses. She thinks, “If I surrender to father, I will not get a chocolate. So it isbetter not to surrender.” But the father will give a pot full of gulabjamuns if she surrenders. May be Krishna will not take away your attachments butwill give those attachments in a perfect way.

What is Love???

The following is a class given by His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami on Saturday 15th May 2010, at ISKCON Leicester Temple - UK

Pradyumna das: His Holiness Bhakti Charu Maharaj ki Jai!All: Jai!

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Srila Prabhupada Ki Jai!

All: Jai!

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Pradyumna Prabhu ki Jai!

All: Jai!

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: All glories to the assembled devotees!

All: Hare Krishna!

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Hare Krishna. So, do you all like Hare Krishna movement?

All: yes!

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: What’s so special about the Hare Krishna movement? Besides becoming a vegetarian?

(laughter)

And a (inaudible) What’s so special about Hare Krishna movement? Who will say?

Young Devotee 1: You get to serve the deities.

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Okay very good point. You get to serve the deities, and what else?

Young Devotee 2: Chanting?

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Chanting what?

Young Devotee 2: the holy name of Krishna.

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Very good. What’s the holy name like?

Young Devotee 2: The Hare Krishna maha mantra.

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: What’s the Hare Krishna maha mantra?

Young Devotee 2: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna …

(all devotees join)

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: So you like to chant Hare Krishna maha mantra?

Young Devotee 2: Yeh.

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Why do you like to chant it?

Young Devotee 2: Because it’s fun!

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Why?

Young Devotee 2: It’s fun!

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Yes? He raised his hand...

Young Devotee 3: (inaudible)...ecstatic love for Krishna!

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Wonderful!

(laughter)

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Ecstatic love for Krishna! Yes. That’s what the Hare Krishna maha mantra is, Hare Krishna movement is for. That’s what the Hare Krishna movement stands for. It teaches us how to love Krishna.

Everybody wants to love somebody, and everybody wants to be loved, by everybody. Now, what do we actually want? What does one want out of this loving exchange? Maybe we can get into, consider(ing) that. Pradyumna prabhu, why do people want to have this loving exchange?

Pradyumna das: They wanna be happy?

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Very good. Love, from love we want to be happy. Actually...now let us consider what is happiness?

Can you tell me what is happiness?

Devotee 1: Bliss, joy...

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Hmmm...bliss, joy. Actually bliss, joy is not really happiness. Bliss, joy, bliss or joy is more than happiness, something that is beyond happiness, something that is more than happiness. Happiness has been described as ‘cessation of pain’. When the painful, when the conditioned existence, the painful condition is reduced, then we call that happiness.

In the material nature, what is our condition like? What is our existence like?

Devotee 2: Miserable

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Huh? yes, I heard something?

Devotee 2: Miserable!

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Miserable! Very good! In this material nature...you realise that?

(laughter)

Thank you, this is very smart!

(laughter)

In this material nature, everyone is miserable. But not that everybody recognizes, not that everyone understands that he is miserable. He is miserable, but he doesn’t realise that. Like for example a person in a very painful condition, in a hospital suffering. You go and ask him “how are you?” what does he say? (laughter) “good, I’m fine!” (laughter). Although there is suffering, but they think that they are fine. Actually they know they are not fine, but they think tomorrow they will become fine. This hope and expectation that the ultimate objective will be achieved. That is what everyone is trying for.

So, our existence in this material nature is miserable, is very painful, is very difficult. Therefore, this material nature has been compared to a prison house. duùkhälayam açäçvatam (BG 8.15). In Bhagavad Gita, Krishna described this material nature as a place of misery duùkhälayam, and if anybody who’s enjoying, then that enjoyment is açäçvatam, is temporary.
Another way to look at it is, we are existing in this material nature with this material body. Now what is the condition of this material body? Material body has been described as an instrument to receive pain. It’s an instrument to receive pain. How do we understand that? Take any part of your body. Take any part of your body. Just consider any part of your body. I’m asking you to think of any part of your body. Which part you’ll think (of)?

Young devotee 2: My head.

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Head. Very good. Now you consider in how many ways you can give pain to your head.

(laughter)

Young devotee 2: Talking too much?

(laughter)

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: That’s a very subtle way of giving pain. (laughter) What is someone takes a stone and smashes your head?

Young devotee 2: It’ll get damaged.

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Ok. In this we can think of causing pain to our body, this part of the body. Can you think of some other part of the body?

Young devotee 1: Right hand?

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Which part of the hand?

Young devotee 1: Finger that you chant with.

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: The finger that you chant with.

(laughter)

Now you consider how many different ways you can giver pain to this finger. You can take a knife and you can cut it. How would you feel?

Young devotee 1: Start crying!

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: You can take some fire and burn it. You can take a hammer and smash it. Now in this way you can consider in so many ways you can inflict pain upon every single part of your body? Isn’t it?

Now what does is signify? That this body is actually meant for receiving pain. Now when you consider in how many different ways we can give pleasure to the body...Say the finger, of your right hand. You can inflict pain upon this finger in so many ways, but in how many ways you can give pleasure to your finger? Can you think of any way?

Young devotee 1: By chanting?

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: By chanting, what does the finger feel?

Young devotee 1: errrr…

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Anyway, the point is we can’t really give any pleasure to any part of your body, where as you can inflict pain upon your body in so many ways. What does this signify? That this body is meant for revving pain. So this body is made for receiving pain in a place which is meant for getting pain.

Now when that painful condition is reduced to some extent, then we call it, then we call it pleasure. But as you say, bliss, joy…bliss and happiness is not really the same. Joy and happiness is not the same. Actually nobody knows what joy really is, or bliss actually is. Nobody knows in this material nature. This bliss or joy, actually the Sanskrit word for bliss and joy is anandam. This ananda is experienced by the exchange of love with Krishna. Now let us consider what is love. Anybody? Can anybody define love? What is the definition of love? Yes?

Devotee 3: Love is to serve.

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Love is to serve. Okay. Who?

Devotee 3: The person you are having the loving relationship with. Whether is a mother serving their child…

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Yeh.

Devotee 3: Father serving…

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Love, Serve…Serve is not love. Service is an expression of love. But not love itself. Will anyone venture to define love? Come, it’s such a common word!

(laughter)

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Actually, in English language, love is considered the most used word, most popular word. But when it comes to defining it, why is it so difficult? Love actually, this is the thing, nobody knows what love is. What goes on in the name of love is lust. Lust is an arrangement to exploit others for ones sense gratification. Therefore love and lust is diametrically opposed. Love and lust is not the same thing.

Now let us look for the definition in Caitanya Caritamrta. There are two expressions. Love has been described as prem. The Sanskrit word for love is prem, and the Sanskrit word for lust is kama. So Caitanya Caritamrta is describing that ätmendriya-préti-väïchä—täre bali ‘käma’, kåñëendriya-préti-icchä dhare ‘prema’ näma (CC Adi 4.165). The desire for our own sense gratification is called lust. But the desire to give pleasure to Krishna’s senses is called prem. So what is prem? Prem means or love means what? To give pleasure to Krishna's senses, and what is lust? Lust is the arrangement for our own sense gratification. So is it the same thing? No. Its completely opposed, opposite. Therefore it says ataeva käma-preme bahuta antara, käma—andha-tamaù, prema—nirmala bhäskara (CC Adi 4.171). Therefore, there is a great difference between love and lust. Lust is the deepest region of darkness, whereas love is brilliant as the sun.

Now again we go deeper in that expression. What is love? Love is actually an energy. An energy that is manifest in performing some act. Through energy we get something done. What does this energy love do? This energy love unites the soul with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This energy is there, through this energy, the living entity is connected to Krishna, or is meant to be connection to Krishna. Now again we go back. What is the relationship between Krishna and the living entities? Whets the relationship? What is a living entity in relationship with Krishna? A living entity is a part and parcel of Krishna. Now a part is meant to be connected to a whole. If the part isolated, if the part is separated from the whole, does that part have any significance? Does the part bear any significance? Like if my finger is cut off from my body, and lying on the floor, will that finger have any value? The value of the finger is in its connection with the body. The moment the finger is separated from the body it loses its value.

So similarly, the living entity is parts and parcel of Krishna. The utility, of the existence of the living entity is in its connection with Krishna. If a living entity is not connected to Krishna then (the) living entity existence doesn’t bare any meaning. Its meaningless. Why? Because it has become separated from Krishna, separated from the whole. What is happening to us in this material nature? In this material nature everyone is standing on his own, isolated from Krishna, trying to find some meaning or purpose to his existence. But does it actually have any meaning of his existence? Everybody thinks he is very important, but do the rest of the world think that they are important? Most cases not. Even if someone is, even if someone becomes important, for how long does importance last? The moment he leaves this body, leaves this planet, the moment he dies, all his utility is lost.

So the utility of ones existence lies in his connection to Krishna. We all are spirit souls. Do you all accept that? Who are you? How many of you think that you are spirit souls? Please raise your hands. How many of you think that you are this body? Please raise your hands. (laughter) Very bold declaration!

So we are in reality, at least we have found out from Prabhupada’s books, that we are spirit souls in our actual identity. What is the body? The body is only the external covering of the soul. Anyway, that has been elaborately explained in Bhagavad Gita, I don’t want to get into that. But the general understanding I can see most of you accept that you are a spatial soul, and that spirit soul is a part and parcel of Krishna. How many of you accept that you are a spirit soul, and the spirit soul is a part and parcel of Krishna? Ok.

Now if the spirit soul is a part and parcel of Krishna, then shouldn’t the spirit soul become connected to Krishna? How many of you think that the spirit soul must be connected to Krishna? Now what is the means to be connected to Krishna? How can a soul become connected with Krishna? Here comes the word love. Where is love situated? Did you ever consider? I’m sure you know that?! Where is love situated?

Devotees: Heart.

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: In the heart. Very good. Why in the heart? Because (the) heart is the seat of the soul, and love is with the soul. Therefore love is generate from the heart, the region of the heart. Don’t we say “I love you with all my heart?”

(laughter).

Devotee 5: And soul!

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Yes, and soul! How many of you, how many ever say, did you ever hear anyone saying “I love you with all my head!”?

(laughter)

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: We never come out with such expressions. We love with our hearts. Why? Love is with the soul, and soul is with, situated in the region of the heart.

Now this love as I mentioned earlier, is the energy that unites us with Krishna. So this energy is meant for uniting us with Krishna. But when you are oblivious to Krishna, when you are forgetful of Krishna, then what happens? We have our love in our hearts, but we forgot Krishna. Then what happens? Did you ever consider? You all know. Because we forgot Krishna, we try to offer our love to somebody else. And thorough that offering of love, we want to experience joy, This is how love and joy are interrelated. Through love we want to experience joy. But that joy will only be experienced when love is offered to Krishna. But instead of offering the love to Krishna, when we offer our love to somebody else, no matter whoever it may be, through that love we want to experience joy and bliss, but do we get that? No.

The point is, only when the love is offered to Krishna, the heart will experience the joy that it is hankering for. Now do you want to be joyful? How many of you want to be joyful? (All raise hands) Okay, very good. Now if you want to be joyful, what are you going to do? Aren’t you going to function, or aren’t you going to act in a way that will give you the joy? The way to do that is offer the love of your heart to Krishna.

(more devotees enter the Temple room late)

Today I thought I was late!

(laughter)

So Krishna consciousness movement, ISKCON is teaching everyone how to love Krishna. So ISKCON is actually establishing the real meaning of our existence, and showing us the way to fulfill our existence. It may sound like a very big claim, but it is true. If you want to be not only happy, if you want to become even more than happy, if you want to become joyful, then please come to ISKCON, and act according to the instructions that Srila Prabhupada has given in his books. ISKCON is the institution that has been designed by Srila Prabhupada to distribute the love of Godhead. Love for Krishna, to teach us how to love Krishna.

Is Prabhupada concocting some ideas or developing some new way or..? No. Srila Prabhupada and actually presenting the process that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna has given. Prabhupada did not create anything new. Krishna has given us all these information’s. One of the main books is Bhagavad Gita that Krishna Himself spoke. Krishna gave this knowledge in various ways. Basically at the time of creation, Krishna gave this knowledge in the form of the Vedas to Lord Brahma. But then He personally came, about 5,000 years ago and gave the essence of the Vedas in the form of Bhagavad Gita.

Bhagavad Gita is actually the summary study of the Vedas. What are the essential teachings of the Vedas have been presented in Bhagavad Gita in a very simple way. Bahagavd Gita begins with…what is the name of the first chapter of Bhagavad Gita?
Devotee 6: Observing the armies.

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Yes, but the Sanskrit name for the chapter?

Devotee 6: Arjuna vishäda yoga.

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: What is the meaning of the word vishäda? Vishäda is lamentation. Why does one lament? Does one lament when he is happy? One laments when he is in distress, when one is miserable, when one is suffering.

So Arjuna was suffering, and that is the beginning of Bhagavad Gita. Actually Bhagavad Gita Krishna gave through Arjuna, to us. For our sake Krishna gave Bhagavad Gita through Arjuna. Arjuna is the object, Arjuna is the nimita, the means. Like the Gita mahatmaya describes that the upanishadsa are like a cow. All the Vedic wisdom is like a cow. Krishna is the cowherd boy. Arjuna is the calf. So the cow gives milk for the sake of the calf, but what does the milkman do? The milk man milks the cow, the cowherd boy Krishna milks the cow making Arjuna the means, the medium. But who drinks the milk that the milkman collects? Intelligent class of people.

(laughter)

So Krishna milked the Upanishads, or the Vedic wisdom, and the milk that He got was Bhagavad Gita, and who drinks this milk of Bhagavad Gita? The intelligent class of people. The intelligent people drink. Leicester has so many people but how many have come here? Only a few of you. So that means that you all are intelligent and they are…(laughter) only Krishna knows what they are (laughter).

So it takes an intelligent person to appreciate this milk and drink it. So this Bhagavad Gita has been given by Krishna which is the essence of Vedas, for the sake of intelligent people who want to make their life successful.

So what is Krishna teaching in Bahagavd Gita? Let us go chapter by chapter. As I said the first chapter is Arjuna's lamentation. Now we all are suffering, and when we approach Bhagavad Gita then what do we find out? How to get out of suffering condition, and become joyful. That is the ultimate purpose of Bahagavd Gita. At the beginning of Bhagavad Gita what Krishna is reminding Arjuna? Arjuna’s lamentation was due to what? Arjuna’s lamentation was due to his bodily concept of life. Arjuna was thinking that his actual identity was his body. But Krishna pointed out that he’s not really his body, he’s a spirit soul.

So our lamentation is due to our bodily concept of life. Did you ever consider what is the cause of our lamentation? What is the cause of our suffering? The cause of your suffering is the bodily concept of life. Identify, as long as we identify ourselves with our body, we remain n suffering condition. So Krishna is pointing out that your body is not your actual identity Your real identity is spiritual, and then Krishna identified the quality of the soul. What is the soul like? What’s the difference between body and soul?

The first consideration was that the soul is the proprietor of the body. The body is there we do not deny the body, but the soul is owner of the body, the proprietor of the body, and there is a difference between the body and the owner of the body. The body is alive only as long as the owner of the body is in the body. Only as long as the soul is in the body, the body is alive. When the soul leaves the body, the body becomes dead. The body dies, when the soul leaves, but the does the soul ever die? The soul never dies. The soul is eternal, the soul is immortal, The soul cannot be cut by any weapon, the soul cannot be burnt by fire, the soul cannot be drowned in water, and the soul cannot by dried by air.

In this way Krishna established the identity of all of us, our real identity. Then Krishna briefly why we came to this material nature, and what are we meant to do in this material nature. In very simple words, Krishna said that we musts act according to the instructions of the Vedas. Krishna explains, in this material nature the divine arrangement has been made like different departments are controlled by different demigods, and developing a harmonious relationship with the demigods, the living entities should live peacefully, happily in this material nature. After describing that, Krishna mentioned that this knowledge He gave first to Vivasvan, the sun god. Vivasvan then gave this knowledge to his son Manu. Then Manu gave it to his son Iskvaku, and in this way through the dislipic succession of the saintly kings, this knowledge had been coming down, this knowledge had been flowing.

So when Krishna told Arjuna that He gave this knowledge first to the Sun god Vivasvan, then Arjuna questioned that “Krishna you were born just the other day, but Vivasvan was born so many millions of years ago. So how can I understand that you gave this knowledge to Vivasvan?” then Krishna replied “Arjuna, many a time you have taken birth, I also have taken birth, but you have forgotten about your previous births, whereas I remember them all. ”

Then Krishna says “I actually don’t need to take birth, and although I am unborn, still, I appear in this material world, time and time again. Why I come here? I come here to establish dharma. I come here to establish the law and order that has been given by the Supreme Personality, given, by me...” What is dharma? What is actual religion? Religion is the law given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. “…and when there is a decline, when people do not abide by the law, when people do not respect the law, when people do not act according to the instructions of the law book, then there comes a need to establish the law and order, and I come in order to do that. How do I do that? I annihilate those who do not accept the law, and I protect those who abide by the law.”

So in this way, in the fourth chapter, Krishna established His identify as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and in this way chapter by chapter Krishna gives more and more information’s how to develop our relationship with Him. In the sixth chapter He told about the ashatanga-yoga. The science of yoga, the science of becoming united with Krishna, untied with Him. After that he mentioned this process of yoga is the most important of all spiritual activities. Then he pointed out after saying that, He mentioned that of all the yogis, one who loves Him he’s them most intimately connected with Him.

Now can we relate to what we discussed before? What is love? How many of you remember what is love? You want to say?

Devotee 7: Serving Krishna.

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: What is the definition according to our discussion?

Devotee 8: Doing activities that will please Krishna.

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Okay but before that, what did I say?

Devotee 9: Satisfying Krishna's senses?

Devotee 10: Love is an energy.

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Right. Love is an energy. Where is it?

Devotees: In the heart.

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: In the heart, with the? Soul. What is the purpose of this love? What is this energy meant for?

Young devotee 2: To reunite us with Krishna.

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: To reunite us with Krishna. You all forgot already?

(laughter)

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: I took half an hour to discuss that!

(laughter)

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: So in the sixth chapter Krishna makes that point, that those who develop their loving relationship with Him, they are most intimately related to Him. Now can you relate now that love is the means that we can become connected to Krishna. Not by any other means. Yoga…yoga ultimately means that love for Krishna. Yoga is not just some exercise or breathing for healthy living. Yoga is meant for developing our relationship with Krishna, and yoga is the offering of our love for Krishna who is the ultimate yogi, and that is called…So in the sixth chapter at the end Krishna describes the verse before last Krishna actually mentioned tapasvibhyo 'dhiko yogé, jïänibhyo 'pi mato 'dhikaù, karmibhyaç cädhiko yogé, tasmäd yogé bhavärjuna (BG 6.46). That “tapasvi, those who perform austerity and penance in order to achieve the spiritual perfection, a yogi is greater than them. Yogi is better than also a jnyani, yogi is also superior to a karmi. Therefore Arjuna you become a yogi”.

Then Krishna says yoginäm api sarveñäà, mad-gatenäntar-ätmanä, çraddhävän bhajate yo mäà, sa me yuktatamo mataù (BG 6.47). “That one who is, who has developed a loving relationship with Me, one who is serving Me with all his love, he is most intimately connected to Me”. Then Krishna begins to describe Himself, who He is. From the seventh chapter to twelfth chapter Krishna described His Bhakti yoga. So first six chapters are describing karma yoga, the middle six chapters of the eighteen chapters of Bhagavad Gita described about Bhakti, the last six chapters from thirteen to eighteen describe about jnana yoga.

So in this way Krishna revealed the transcendental knowledge to Arjuna. Now you see Arjuna and Krishna were actually related (cousins). Krishna was Arjuna’s cousin, also about the same age, and they were very closely related, they were very intimately connected, they were very close friends. So Arjuna was treating all along Krishna as a friend, but then when Krishna started to speak Bhagavad Gita, and when Krishna told that He gave this knowledge to Vivasvan the Sun god, Arjuna raised the question “how can I understand that you gave this knowledge to Sun god?”. Aparaà bhavato janma, paraà janma vivasvataù, “you were born the other day aparam bhavato janma and paraà janma vivasvataù. Vivasvata was born so many years ago. Katham etad vijänéyäà, tvam ädau proktavän iti (BG 4.4). How can I understand that you gave this knowledge to Vivasvan?”.

Then Krishna started to answer that question. Krishna started to explain “ajo 'pi sann avyayätmä, bhütänäm éçvaro 'pi san, prakåtià sväm adhiñöhäya, sambhavämy ätma-mäyayä (BG 4.6). I am unborn, aja. Although I am unborn, ajo 'pi sann avyayätmä, bhütänäm éçvaro 'pi san, I am the controller of all the living entities still prakåtià sväm adhiñöhäya, taking advantage of my internal potency I appear. I manifest Myself”. So this is how Krishna established difference between jiva-atma and Himself. Arjuna is the jiva-atma, where as Krishna is the Supreme Personality.

So in this way Krishna established His supreme identity, Krishna established His identity as the Supreme Personality of Godhead and in the fourth chapter he started to reveal that identity very systematically. Then He explained how one can be related to Him. How can a living entity who is a part and parcel can become related to Him. Once again let us go back and try to consider this point, because this is a very, very important point. How can one develop his loving…we just said it!

(laughter)

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: How can one develop his relationship with Krishna?

Devotee 10: Through love.

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Through love. What is love?

Devotee 10: Surrendering unto Krishna.

Other devotees: (inaudible)

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Love is the energy that is there with every living entity. It is there with every living entity. Every soul, irrespective of its condition has love, and that love is meant to be offered to Krishna. When that love is offered to Krishna, then the relationship develops with Krishna. We become connected to Krishna, we become related to Krishna, and that love…Now let us consider what happens when we love? What happens when there is love? What happens? Is love a one way traffic?

(laughter)

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Love is a two way traffic, means both the parties have to respond. If one party loves and the other party doesn’t is the love complete?

Now here, you see Krishna loves us. Now let us consider this point also.

Does Krishna love us? How many of you agree that Krishna loves you?

(Devotees raise hands)

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Now if I ask you “how do you know?”

Devotees: (laughter)

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: What will be your answer? The answer is going to be simple. We just have to consider it a little thoughtfully, carefully. In order to be alive, what do we need? What’s the most important thing that we need is? Food..

Devotees: Air

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Okay, air. Very good

Devotee 11: Water..

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Air, water…okay let’s start with air. We need air to be alive right? Now air means? What you are breathing? What you take when we breath?

Devotee 12: Oxygen.

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: But when you breathe out what do we give out?

Devotees: Carbon dioxide.

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Carbon dioxide. So we are taking oxygen and giving out carbon dioxide , and if this process continued then what would have happened? The whole atmosphere would have filled with carbon dioxide right? (Would) there be any oxygen left? No oxygen left. If there was no oxygen left could we breathe? No. Now has there been any shortage of oxygen?

Devotees: No.

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Why not? We are taking oxygen and giving out carbon dioxide why there is no shortage of oxygen?

Devotees: Trees…

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Because the trees and plants are taking oxygen, taking carbon dioxide and giving out?

Devotees: Oxygen

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Oxygen. Now who made this arrangement?

Devotees: Krishna

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: why?

Devotees: Because He loves us!

(laughter)

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Silence?! Why?

Devotees: Because He loves us!

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Because He loves us! Because He loves us. Now all the food that we are eating, who’s supplying that?

Devotees: Krishna.

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: How do you know?

Devotees: Because He loves us.

(laughter)

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: How do you know that Krishna supplies the food? Somebody may say that I brought the food from the supermarket. (laughter) or grocery store.

Devotee 11: Because of rain and sun…

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Very good rain and sun. Let’s go deeper into it. First of all what do we eat?

Devotees: Grains, fruits..

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Grains and vegetables and fruits. Now how do they grow? How do the grains grow?

Devotee 11: Seeds..

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: The seeds falls on the ground, they plant, the farmer plants the seeds on the field right? Then he waters the seeds and from the seeds comes out the plant. Then gradually, eventually the plant, the grains come. Then the grains are harvested and we eat them. Those grains that came there, in those grains there are plants. In those plants there are grains. Or let us consider we are eating a fruit. Where did the fruit come from?

Devotees: From the tree.

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: From the tree. How did the tree come from?

Devotees: From the seed

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Right, and then we eat the fruit, and what’s inside the fruit?

Devotees: Seeds

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Seeds. Those seeds fall on the ground and again some tree comes out. Some trees come out, and in those trees there are fruits, in those fruits there are seeds, in those seeds there are trees. In those trees there are fruits…Who made those arrangements?

Devotees: Krishna!

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Who but Krishna can make such an arrangement? Can anybody else such arrangements?

Why did Krishna make this arrangement?

Devotees: Because He loves us!

All: (laughter)

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Because He loves us!

Now let us consider water. Where is water usually? Water is…

Devotees: In the sea.

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: In the ocean. That water is not drinkable.

Young Devotee 3: No.. Salt

(laughter)

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Yeh full of Salt! That water we cannot drink but what actually happens? That water is far away. In the island of Britain the water may not be that far!

(laughter)

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: In most places the ocean is far, far away. That ocean water is evaporated by the rays of the sun. Then it goes up and forms the cloud. Then those clouds are carried by the wind, distributed to different parts. Then those clouds condenses and out in the form of water. Isn’t is an amazing distribution system?! And in this way in all the places in all the continents are getting supply of water. The original cause of water is this: evaporation of water from the ocean and going to different places in the form of cloud and then coming down in the form of rain.

Now who made this arrangement?

Devotees: Krishna

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: And why did He make these arrangements?

Devotees: Because He loves us!

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Now is only the food and drink and breathing the only means of our existence, our survival? Now let us consider how precarious our condition is. Did you ever consider how precarious you condition is on this planet?

What is the shape of this planet? Round, and where are you situated? Inside the planet, or on the surface of the plane?

Devotees: Surface.

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: On the surface, and this planet is…is is static or is it moving?

Devotees: Its moving.

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Its moving. Do you know the speed with which this planet is moving? It’s about 1,000 km per hour. Its practically the speed with which an aeroplane moves…almost. Now the earth planet is moving with such a speed, and we all are situated on the surface, what would have naturally happened?

Devotee 12: …Fell off.

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: We should have all been thrown into space.

(laughter)

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: But did it ever happen? Anyone every got thrown into space? No. Why not?

Devotee 13: Gravitational pull.

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Okay gravitational pull, now who created this gravitational pull?

Devotees: Krishna!

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Why?

Devotees: Because He loves us!

(laughter)

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Now this is one condition. Another condition is the earth is moving at a tremendous speed, we all are situated on the surface of the earth, we are kept in out places with the gravitational pull. Now if the planet stops to move for a moment what would have happened? If for a fraction of a second the earth stops to move, then what will happen? Did you ever consider that?

A car is moving at a tremendous speed and something is kept on the top of the car, that’s also moving. But if the car stops all of a sudden then what will happen? Right, it will get thrown into space. Did it ever happen? Why not?
Who made this arrangement?

Devotees: Krishna!

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: So time and time again it is being established how much Krishna loves us. Another consideration is Krishna loves us, but do we love Him? Do you love Him?

Devotees: Yes.

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Very good!

Devotees: (laughter)

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: But in many cases, they don’t love Krishna. Many people don’t love Krishna. Krishna loves you and you don’t love Krishna, will the love be complete?

Devotees: No.

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Then how does a lover feel when his beloved doesn’t respond?

(laughter)

Devotee 14: Hurt.

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Hurt. Now can you imagine how Krishna is feeling? He loves us but we don’t respond to His love. Krishna feels so bad. Now if someday, we write a letter to Krishna…

(laughter)

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: A simple three words. “Krishna I Love You”, then how would Krishna feel?

(laughter)

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: This is how our life actually becomes successful. Just by developing our love for Krishna. All we have to tell Krishna is “Krishna I Love You”. He loves us; He’s only waiting for us to respond to His love. The love is there in our heart, it’s only a matter of time of offering to Him. We are trying to offer it to so many people, so many different objects. So why not offer it to Him?

So that is what Krishna is appealing to us, and Krishna is telling us that “just love Me”. He’s not directing “love Me”. Krishna is feeling a little embarrassed. So He’s simply saying “Surrender unto Me”. That’s the first stage of love, surrender. When you surrender unto Krishna then the relationship begins. Then Krishna makes all the arrangement. Like this initial loving exchange is like that of a father and son.

A very rich man has a son, and that son if he goes away from the father what will be his condition? Sometimes some people become mad and they leave, they run away from home and because they have become mad they don’t remember who their father is, and how rich his father is because he has become mad. Then that mad son…how does a mad man…how is a mad man treated in this world? He under goes so many different types of difficulties. He doesn’t get any food to eat, people laugh at him, mock him, beat him. He’s treated in such a terrible way, but he’s the son of a very rich man. Although the son has forgotten the father, although the son has gone away from the father, the father remembers the son. The father never forgets the son, and the father waits for the son to come back, and that is how Krishna is actually waiting for us to go back to Him, like the father waits for the son to come back.

When the son wants to go back to the father when the father gets to know the son is there he wants to come back to him, then doesn’t the father make all the arrangements to bring the son back? Similarly when we express our desire to go back to Krishna, Krishna will make all arrangements to take us back. That is how simple this loving exchange with Krishna is. This is how most wonderfully we can become rewarded simply by offering our love to Krishna, and that is what Bhagavad Gita is reminding us. That is what Srila Prabhupada is reminding us. That’s why it’s so important to read Srila Prabhupada's books.

How many of you became interested in Krishna consciousness by reading Prabhupada’s books? Please raise your hands.

(devotees raise their hands)

So this is it. Just by reading Srila Prabhupada’s books we become attracted to Krishna, we understand that how much He loves us, and we understand how simple it is to reciprocate our love for Him, to re-establish our loving relationship with Him, and that is how we can make our life successful. We have to remember this point very, very seriously that the goal of our existence is to develop our loving relationship with Krishna. So let’s try to do that. It’s not difficult at all, and Prabhupada has shown us how simple, how easy (it is).
Now I told that about writing a love letter to Krishna.

(laugher)

Now yes we can also write a love letter to Krishna saying how much we love Him, but there is another way of expressing, saying that love to Krishna that “Krishna I love you”. That’s even simpler. Even an illiterate person who cannot write. To write you have to become literate. So even if one is illiterate, still he can develop his loving relationship with Krishna, simply by telling Krishna, “Krishna I love you”. He doesn’t have to write it. He simply has to go to Him, or tell Him, “Krishna I love you”, and how do we say that in Sanskrit? We say that in Sanskrit, the Sanskrit way of saying “Krishna I love you” is:

Devotees: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare!

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: So you want to love Krishna?

Devotees: Yes!

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Yes? Are you going to say that to Krishna? How will you say that? Say…

Devotees: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare!

************
His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami then leads kirtan…

Full Audio: http://www.iskconleicester.org/audio/files/4e4eaa0dedd36572f952a33210670bea-29.php


Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/iskconleicester/sets/72157624111999190/



Hare Krishna.

On the Bhagavad Gita...

"...Such a wonderful presentation just in one book. Once someone asked Srila Prabhupada that “how can we accept that Bhagavad Gita was spoken by Krishna Himself?” Prabhupada’s answer was “doesn’t matter whether Krishna spoke or not. Show me one book that has this kind of information and wisdom. Show me one book in this world that contains such profound spiritual wisdom. Everything has been spoken in one book.”

Whether Krishna spoke or not is not important. If you don’t want to accept it, doesn’t matter. If you don’t want to accept that Krishna spoke 5,000 years ago doesn’t matter. The question is ‘does this book contain all the information that are going to change our life for a better one?’ This is going to lead us to the best possible way that one can lead his life, with the perfect understanding".

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami - Class - Sydney Australia, March 2010

ISKCON's mission...

"So this Krishna consciousness movement, ISKCON is teaching everyone how to love Krishna. So ISKCON is actually establishing the real meaning of our existence, and showing us the way to fulfill our existence. It may sound like a very big claim, but it is true. If you want to be not only happy, if you want to become even more than happy, if you want to become joyful, then please come to ISKCON, and act according to the instructions that Srila Prabhupada has given in his books. ISKCON is the institution that has been designed by Srila Prabhupada to distribute the love of Godhead. Love for Krishna. To teach us how to love Krishna."

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami - Lecutre - ISKCON Leicester UK - May 2010

What's it all about?

Hare Krishna.

Welcome to this blog. This is a personal blog of a devotee who is inspired by the teachings of His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami. It will contain nectar from the lectures and talks delivered by His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami, a spiritual master, leader and disciple of His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.


His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami is a great inspiration for countless souls all over the world. Through his wonderful talks, he inspires, encourages, guides, cares for, appreciates, and enlightens all and furthers them in their path of self-relisation and devotional service to Srila Prabhupada and Lord Sri Krishna.

This blog aims to gather quotes from His Holiness to inspire all who read them.

Maharajs official website is: http://www.bhakticharuswami.com/

Hare Krishna..

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!