English
6 April 2020
Social Distancing from worldly attitudes
Hare Krsna
Devotees are chanting from 740 locations. This is a lesser number. Some have become re-laxed or some have not yet received the new password, even after 2 days. See to it that you kindly inform those around you who have not got the information about the new password.
Are you all situated in bliss and happiness? Stay safe. Be in your homes. You are all get-ting information from various people, from the Prime Minister up to local administrative heads and from doctors from WHO. All are informing you about what is good for you, what are the do's and don'ts. How to save ourselves from the fast spreading Coronavirus and how we should not get entangled in its bad effects. Be aware! All these notices which you are getting through various mediums like print media , electronic media , social media all are spreading awareness about it. Our happiness lies in knowing, understanding and following all this information. This is for your own benefit as well as for others' benefit. There are some Hare Krishna devotees who profess that they don't care about all these no-tices. Not only for yourself, but also for others and to take care of others you must follow these guidelines. Don't be careless, be careful. Follow all the rules and regulations.
Along with these, there is one more thing. Since you have a lot of time now, it's loot sako tor loot lor ….
asat-saṅga-tyāga, — ei vaiṣṇava-ācāra
'strī-saṅgī' — eka asādhu, 'kṛṣṇābhakta' āra
Translation:
“A Vaisnava should always avoid the association of ordinary people. Common people are very much materially attached, especially to women. Vaisnavas should also avoid the company of those who are not devotees of Lord Krsna. ( Caitanya-caritamrita , Madhya, 22.87)
How is the behaviour of a Vaisnava? He stays away from asat-sang, mayavi or illusory association of worldly people, from people desiring material satisfaction , liberation, mystic achievements etc. Those who stay away from such asat-sang are called Vaisnavas. This curse of the Coronavirus is also proving to be a 'boon', as we are automatically stay-ing away from such asat-sang. We should leave asat-sang, but satsang is a must.
'sādhu-saṅga', 'sādhu-saṅga' — sarva-śāstre kaya
lava-mātra sādhu-saṅge sarva-siddhi haya
Translation:
The verdict of all revealed scriptures is that by even a moment’s association with a pure devotee, one can attain all success. ( Caitanya-caritamrita , Madhya, 22.54)
Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu was conversing with Raya Ramanand. He enquired from him, 'Which is the situation of real pain?'. Whatever Mahaprabhu wanted to explain he is getting it explained by Raya Ramanand. Raya Ramanand explained, “Not to get the associ-ation of devotees is the real painful situation.” We are not able to meet devotees. If we are not able to meet devotees, not get their association then it's a painful situation. Stay at home. Like Krsna who never goes out of Vrndavana.
Vrndavana parityajj ekam padam na gachhati
Lord Krsna never a lifts a foot out of Vrindavan. He always likes to stay in Vrndavana.
You also don't step out of the house at all. We will be unhappy not getting the association of devotees. But we are getting association in this way, like on this Zoom conference right now. We are getting association. "Utility is the principle!" All these electronic media, in-ternet social media, we are spiritualising the social media. Sitting at home we are getting association. Also apart from the japa and Japa-talk, all day long so many leaders are doing Katha, istagosti and even meetings are unstoppable. Some days back on Rama Navami, we had small meeting of our Bureau members. There is some planning being done for katha, kirtana and meetings. This all is possible I think all day long. If you search, you will get association. You can also take darsana on YouTube, Facebook etc. Audio and videos are available. I am also doing Katha in English in the evening. 5 parts are completed. Even though they are completed, they are not over as they are still available on YouTube. The katha is 'Karunavatar Gaur Bhagwan' in English. Besides me so many Kathakars and kir-taneers are narrating the glories of the Lord on the internet.
We all should take full advantage of this golden opportunity, as it's a rare opportunity available to all of us. So exploit it fully.
avatirne gaura-candre vistirne prema-sagare, yena majyanti majyanti te maha anartha sagare (Caitanya-candramrita by Prabhodanand Sarswati)
Prabhodanand Saraswati has explained that Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared and vistirne prema-sagare, expanded the ocean of love. Due to Coronavirus everything is jammed. Traffic is at a halt. Everything is at a halt. People can't move around at all. But in this situa-tion also this prema sagar is expanding even more and more. Waves and ripples of this prema sagar are spreading far and wide, through the medium of media. So many vibrations are being created through this media. Very easily we souls , hearers, and seers are benefit-ing. Yesterday we took such beautiful darsana of Lord Vitthala from Pandharpur on the internet even though the temple is closed. Tirupati Balaji darsana is also closed, but we are getting darsana through the internet. We are also getting darsana of devotees. We are doing sravana and kirtana. By this sarvatma snapanam is happening. We can immersed ourselves in this vistirne prema-sagare, Get immersed in this prema sagar. Get drowned in it. You won't die, but you will be enlivened. Prananti. You will get a new life. Prab-hodanand Saraswati Thakur said,
avatirne gaura-candre vistirne prema-sagare, yena majyanti majyanti te maha anartha sagare
Currently ISKCON is making good association available to the whole world. Others are participating and fulfilling their roles, but then it also becomes your duty. You also have to put your share in it as per your capacity and facilities available. Everyone has to spread this prema sagar, spread these Kathas, kirtanas by way of preaching for ones own purifica-tion as well as.
ye tv aksaram anirdesyam
avyaktam paryupasate
sarvatra-gam acintyam ca
kuta-stham acalam dhruvam
sanniyamyendriya-gramam
sarvatra sama-buddhayah
te prapnuvanti mam eva
sarva-bhuta-hite ratah
Translation:
But those who fully worship the unmanifested, that which lies beyond the perception of the senses, the all-pervading, inconceivable, fixed, and immovable-the impersonal con-ception of the Absolute Truth-by controlling the various senses and being equally dis-posed to everyone, such persons, engaged in the welfare of all, at last achieve Me. ( BG 12. 3 and 4)
For the benefit of all the souls as all the souls are our family members.They are our broth-ers and sisters. Devotees have such expanded vision. They are not low thinkers and low minded, but they have a broad vision, a vision for the future. A Krsna conscious person can have such broad vision because he carries the Lord in his heart. The Lord is situated in everyone's heart, but those who perceive the Lord's presence in their hearts, their heart becomes big and magnanimous as the Lord is residing in it. Then low mindedness is not possible at all. Persons become high thinkers. Have a vision for the future. Keeps the whole world in his heart.
Again back to what Prabhodanand Sarswati Thakur said , yena majyanti majyanti te maha anartha sagare
One is prema sagar and other is maha anartha sagar. This whole world is a maha anartha sagar. This is the experience now that we have come to the banks of this anartha sagar. We have made our home into a temple or Vaikuntha. Devotees have installed Deities or pic-tures of the Lord in the house. We have so many scriptures in our house. We have Tulasi Maharani. On the walls of our house we have pictures of the Lord and devotees of the Lord, and possibly some may even have a cow at home. We have a kitchen in the house which is dedicated to preparing bhoga for the Lord. Such is our home where after offering bhoga to the Lord, that is honoured as prasada. Although we are in this anartha sagar, we have reached the banks of this ocean. We have converted our home into a temple. The at-mosphere in the house, and our actions are Lord centred where lots of sravanam and kirta-nam is happening. If someone rings up, then we don't say Hi!Hello! But we say Hare Krsna! Haribol! Our whole lifestyle is surcharged with Krsna consciousness. We dress ourselves in the way that the residents of Goloka or Vaikuntha do, not like Meri pataloon englisthan ki and juta Japan ka' . We have thrown pataloon in the gutter. We are wearing dhoti now. We have thrown Jeans out. Women devotees drape themselves in sarees or like the attire of Gopis. Then even if we are in the house we have reached the bank of this anar-tha sagar, reached the beach. We were moving with the flow of this material world, but now have reached the shore. We don't belong to this world, but being in the world so we are out of this world. We have become transcendental to this world, have surpassed the three modes of nature. We are different. We don't belong to this world.
Sitting at home, this prema sagar of sravana kirtana is available to us. The whole world is in our hands if you have smart phones in your hands. Both are there. Prem sagar as well as maha anartha sagar is available through this medium of media. Be aware! It's not that this social distancing that we have follow is just refraining from going out in society, to work etc, we have to distance ourselves from the peoples’ worldly attitude of watching movies and so many such unwanted things. All these things are also available on media. We have to also do distancing from such Maya - physically, mentally, vocally , kayen manasa vacha. Srila Prabhupada would say , 'Society friendship ,love’. People of this world are busy in worldly friendships, worldly love, which is only lust. We have to stay away from this during lockdown and always. Our principal is…
anukulyasya sankalpah pratikulyasya varjanam
raksisyatiti visvaso goptrtve varanam tatha
atma-niksepa-karpanye sad-vidha saranagatih
Translation:
”The six divisions of surrender are: accepting those things favorable to
devotional service, rejecting unfavorable things, the conviction that Krsna will
give protection, accepting the Lord as one's guardian or master, full self-
surrender, and humility."( Hari bhakti Vilas , verse 11.417 by Srila Sanatan Goswami)
Whatever is favourable should be accepted and unfavourable should be discarded, Such determinations and options (sankalpa and vikalpa.) we have to opt for. In scriptures it is also said, 'Heya and Upadheya'. Heya refers to things to be discarded and Upadheya things to be accepted.
Pray to the Lord that He bestows us with the right kind of intelligence . It's the job of intel-ligence to distinguish between sat and asat , Krsna and Maya, favourable and unfavoura-ble. We cannot understand this with the help of the mind. It's the work of intelligence. That is why the Lord said,
teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ
bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam
dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ
yena mām upayānti te
Translation:
To those who are constantly devoted to serving Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me. (BG 10.10)
To whom does the Lord bestow intelligence?
teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ
bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam
Those who worship Him constantly. Now there is an opportunity these days that you can worship the Lord constantly . Then the Lord will bestow you with intelligence and we will reach closer to the Lord. We will reach more and more closer to the Lord. We have to go close, closer and closest to the Lord. Take full advantage of the situation and try to achieve personal spiritual advancement.
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare
