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9 July 2020

Harinama is most valuable possession in the world.

Hare Krishna! All glories to the devotees who are chanting from 805 locations. Somebody said japa meditation ki jai!

golokera prema-dhana, hari-nama-sankirtana, rati na janmilo kene tay samsara-bishanale, diba-nisi hiya jwale, juraite na koinu upay

Translation “The only remedy is hari-nama-sankirtana, the chanting of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, which is imported from the spiritual world, Goloka Vrndavana. How unfortunate I am that I have no attraction for this.”

Hari’s holy names. Why did my attraction for that chanting never come about? Day and night my heart burns from the fire of the poison of worldliness, and I have not taken the means to relieve it.

The Hare Krishna maha-mantra is wealth and the most valuable thing. It is not just a thing but the Lord. There is a story regarding the most valuable thing or gift between Sanatana Goswami and a devotee of Lord Siva. The devotee heard that Sanatana Goswami has the most valuable thing with him. He asked Sanatana Goswami to show that thing to him. San-atana Goswami agreed and said,"That most valuable thing is in the dustbin." He went and found a touchstone in that bin. The importance of a touchstone is that it turns iron into gold. As he was returning to his house, he was dreaming that he would turn many things of iron into gold, just like all other material people think. While he was running home, others asked him,"Why are you running?" He told them about the touchstone, the most valuable thing and his plans. Then they asked, "Where was it kept?" He replied,"Santana Goswami has kept it in the dustbin." They called him a stupid person and said that if it was the most valuable thing then why did Sanatana Goswami keep it in the bin. They asked him to col-lect the most valuable thing from Sanatana Goswami which he has not given.

Then the person went back to Sanatana Goswami and asked for something more valuable than the touchstone. Sanatana Goswami, after hearing from that person, asked him to first throw that touchstone in the bin and give up all the worldly wealth. The person was in two minds. If I throw this and if Sanatan Goswami doesn't have any other valuable thing, then I will be the one who would have lost. Na ghar ka na ghata rahunga. Then that person eventually threw the touchstone after weighing the pros and cons. It led to the develop-ment of some renunciation in him. This was a lesson from this incident. Sanatana Gos-wami developed renunciation in him. Then Sanatana Goswami offered him Tulasi beads and asked him to chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Sanatana Goswami described the Hare Krishna maha-mantra as the most valuable thing in the world. The person was wondering that Sanatana Goswami is always blissful. Is it be-cause the Hare Krishna maha-mantra is the most valuable thing? The Hare Krishna maha-mantra is not just a thing or words, but the Lord. In this way that person got the most valu-able thing when he developed detachment for this world. Worldly wealth has no value. It cannot make us happy.

aisvaryayasa sama grasya veeryasya yasasah sriyah jnana vairagyos chaiva

The sextet of qualities that entitles a person to be called Bhagavan. (Ribhu Gita)

When we develop jñāna and vairagya (detachment) and vacate the space within our hearts of unnecessary things, then only can we place the most valuable thing there.

āśā-pāśa-śatair baddhāḥ kāma-krodha-parāyaṇāḥ īhante kāma-bhogārtham anyāyenārtha-sañcayān

Translation Held in bondage by hundreds of desires, and driven by lust and anger, they strive to accu-mulate wealth by unjust means, all for the gratification of their senses. (BG. 16.12)

We are bound by hundreds of ropes of desires. We have to give up lust, anger and greed. That devotee of Lord Siva was greedy. We have to reduce this greed. As we reduce our greed, we will get more taste for Harināma. On the contrary, when we chant Hare Krishna, we get liberated from the bondage of desires.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Jñāna vairagyena chaiva

As we chant Hare Krishna, we will become vairāgyavān (possessor of renunciation) We will become fixed in devotional service. We have 10 offences against the holy name. The 10th one is, 'To not have complete faith in the chanting of the holy names and to main-tain material attachments, even after understanding so many instructions on this mat-ter.' We also need to contemplate on this. We need to stay away from worldly attachment and people. Such social distancing is necessary.

Caturmas is the time of special sadhana. Many devotees have conveyed their sankalpas (oath). You can read these oaths on Loksanga and on the Facebook page. Take inspiration from that. There can be 2 types of sankalpas. - vidhi and nishedha.

smartavyaḥ satataṁ viṣṇur vismartavyo na jātucit sarve vidhi-niṣedhāḥ syur etayor eva kiṅkarāḥ

Translation Kṛṣṇa is the origin of Lord Viṣṇu. He should always be remembered and never forgotten at any time. All the rules and prohibitions mentioned in the śāstras should be the servants of these two principles. (CC Madhya 22.113)

“I will always think of Krsna” is vidhi and “I will never forget Krsna is nishedha”. Thus protecting ourselves from some bondage depends on how attentively we chant. The more we meditate on the Lord, the less we meditate on worldly affairs. Everybody in this world meditates. But unfortunately people meditate on the objects of the senses like that devotee of Lord Siva.

dhyāyato viṣayān puṁsaḥ saṅgas teṣūpajāyate saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ kāmāt krodho ’bhijāyate

Translation While contemplating the objects of the senses, a person develops attachment for them, and from such attachment lust develops, and from lust anger arises. (BG. 2.62)

We have to give up meditation on the objects of the senses and meditate on the Lord. Śrila Prabhupāda said,"Before you begin your meditation, you have to decide on the object of your meditation." We have to meditate on Krsna. This is mantra meditation and this mantra is the Lord. We want to meditate on the name, form, qualities and pastimes of the Lord. This is the objective of chanting. As we do this, we will realize that Harināma Sankirtana is the wealth from Goloka which Caitanya Mahāprabhu gave us.

namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya- nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ

Translation O most munificent incarnation! You are Kṛṣṇa Himself appearing as Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. You have assumed the golden color of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, and You are wide-ly distributing pure love of Kṛṣṇa. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You. (CC Madhya 19.53)

Caitanya Mahāprabhu gave us love of Krsna. At the time of initiation we get the most val-uable thing or personality. Actually it's not a 'thing' because a thing is lifeless, but Harināma is lively or sac-cid-ananda-vigrahaha.

ishvarah paramah krishnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahaha anadir adir govindaha sarva-karana-karanam

Translation Krsna who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spir-itual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.(Brahma Samhita, 5.1)

Before initiation we were also like that devotee of Lord Siva. But when we give up materi-al mentality, then we realise the wealth of Harināma. Contemplate on this. This is food for thought for you. Share this also.

yāre dekha, tāre kaha ‘kṛṣṇa’-upadeśa āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra’ ei deśa

Translation Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa as they are given in the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In this way become a spiritual master and try to liberate eve-ryone in this land. (CC Madhya 7.128)

Do śravana and kirtana. Listen and make others hear. I pray that you fulfil your oaths.

Hare Krishna!

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