01 OCTOBER 2020

HARE KRSNA MEDICINE!

Hare Krsna!

We have participants from 745 locations.

om ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjana-salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri-gurave namah

TRANSLATION
I was born in the darkest ignorance, and my spiritual master opened my eyes with the torch of knowledge. I offer my respectful obeisances unto him.

You all are welcome. You all must be happy while chanting. I am also happy to see you all chanting. All the ācāryas in our disciplic succession and Krsna is pleased to see you all chanting.

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

This Hare Krishna is the supreme truth. This truth, which is true in all situations, at all times, in all the worlds, should be listened to again and again. There is a lot of false talk that we get to hear many times during the day. Repeatedly hearing false talk is accepted as truth.

matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā
mitho ’bhipadyeta gṛha-vratānām
adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisraṁ
punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām

TRANSLATION
Prahlāda Mahārāja replied: Because of their uncontrolled senses, persons too addicted to materialistic life make progress toward hellish conditions and repeatedly chew that which has already been chewed. Their inclinations toward Kṛṣṇa are never aroused, either by the instructions of others, by their own efforts, or by a combination of both. (ŚB 7.5.30)

People hear false talks and preach the same to others. That talk then is accepted as truth. If we will hear the real truth again and again, then we will become fortunate. When for so many lifetimes we have heard the untrue stories, now we must repeatedly listen to the truth. This is a practice to be done. Listen to the truth again and again. Then you will realize it. What is not that is, this thought is Maya (illusion). If we want to get relieved of this Maya, then we must listen to the truth. We must listen to the Lord and spiritual master. We must read the scriptures.

jīv jāgo, jīv jāgo, gauracānda bole
kota nidrā jāo māyā-piśācīra kole

TRANSLATION
Lord Gauranga is calling, “Wake up, sleeping souls! Wake up, sleeping souls! How long will you sleep in
the lap of the witch called Maya? (1st verse, Jiv Jago Jiv Jago, Arunodaya Kirtana Song 2, by Bhaktivinoda Thakura)

It’s not that I haven’t told you this earlier. But telling you again this time so that hearing again and again would make us believe in this truth.

uttiṣṭhata jāgrata prāpya varānnibodhata |
kṣurasya dhārā niśitā duratyayā durgaṁ pathastatkavayo vadanti ||

TRANSLATION
Arise, awake, find out the great ones and learn of them; for sharp as a razor’s edge, hard to traverse, difficult of going is that path, say the sages. (1.3.14, kathopanishad)

Lord is saying, “Wake up and understand your rare good fortune.”

bhajahū re mana śrī-nanda-nandana
abhaya-caraṇāravinda re
durlabha mānava-janama sat-sańge
taroho e bhava-sindhu re

TRANSLATION
O mind just worship the lotus feet of the son of Nanda, which makes one fearless. Having obtained this rare human birth, cross over this ocean of worldly existence through the association of saintly persons. (Bhaja Hu Re Mana, Govinda Dasa Kaviraja)

This rare human birth and in that, getting association of devotees, is a boon. Gauranga Mahāprabhu is calling out, “Wake up souls! How long will you sleep in
the lap of the witch called Maya?”

bhajibo boliyā ese saḿsāra-bhitare
bhuliyā rohile tumi avidyāra bhare

TRANSLATION
You have forgotten the way of devotional service and are lost in the world of birth and death. (2 verse, Jiv Jago Jiv Jago, Arunodaya Kirtana Song 2, Bhaktivinoda Thakura)

Bhaktivinoda Thakura says, “You promised the Lord that you will engage in devotional services unto Him. When you were in the womb of your mother and suffering floating in the blood and urine, you promised the Lord that you will remember Him and do Bhajan and engage in other devotional services in this life. But as soon as you were born, you forgot your promises and followed whatever was taught to you by family members, friends, teachers and others. They did your brainwashing.”

tomāre loite āmi hoinu avatāra
āmi binā bandhu āra ke āche tomāra

TRANSLATION
I have descended just to save you; other than Myself you have no friend in this world. (3rd verse, Jiv Jago Jiv Jago, Arunodaya Kirtana Song 2, Bhaktivinoda Thakura)

The Lord is saying further, “O soul! I have appeared for you, to uplift you.”

paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ
vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām
dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya
sambhavāmi yuge yuge

TRANSLATION
To deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I Myself appear, millennium after millennium. (B.G. 4.8)

Lord is saying, “I have come to protect you and to reestablish the religion. I don’t want you to live a life merely like that of an animal.”

āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṃ cha
samānam_etat_pashubhir_narāṇām |
dharmo hi teṣhāmadhiko visheṣho
dharmeṇa hīnāḥ pashubhiḥ samānāḥ ||

TRANSLATION
Food, sleep, fear and mating, these acts of humans are similar to animals. Of them (humans), dharma is the only special thing, without dharma humans are also animals.

Only devotional service makes a human different from an animal. Lord says, “Who is your friend, except me?”

dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣv
ātma-sainyeṣv asatsv api
teṣāṁ pramatto nidhanaṁ
paśyann api na paśyati

TRANSLATION
Persons devoid of ātma-tattva do not inquire into the problems of life, being too attached to the fallible soldiers like the body, children and wife. Although sufficiently experienced, they still do not see their inevitable destruction. (ŚB 2.1.4)

Śukadeva Goswami said, “This body, children and wife are useless. They cannot help. When Yamaraj comes, none of your friends, relatives, security, pets, doctor, insurance will be helpful.” Yamadoots don’t go empty handed. It was just one time, at the time when Ajāmil called, Narayan!!…. He was saved. There is no friend except the Lord. Lord says, “The Sādhus, Ācāryas and devotees are also your good friends. They are My representatives.” A friend in need is a friend indeed. The biggest test of real friendship is at the time of problem. This world is full of problems.

indriyārtheṣu vairāgyam
anahaṅkāra eva ca
janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-
duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam

TRANSLATION
renunciation of the objects of sense gratification; absence of false ego; the perception of the evil of birth, death, old age and disease- all these I declare to be knowledge, and besides this whatever there may be is ignorance. (B.G. 13.9)

There are four main problems of life- birth, death, old age and disease. It is only the Lord and His devotees who can help in these problems. They are the real friends.

titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ
suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām
ajāta-śatravaḥ śāntāḥ
sādhavaḥ sādhu-bhūṣaṇāḥ

TRANSLATION
The symptoms of a sādhu are that he is tolerant, merciful and friendly to all living entities. He has no enemies, he is peaceful, he abides by the scriptures, and all his characteristics are sublime. (ŚB 3.25.21)

The ornament of a sādhu is that he is a friend to all living entities. Only the Lord and His devotees are real friends, no one else. Everyone else is cheating us.

enechi auṣadhi māyā nāśibāro lāgi’
hari-nāma mahā-mantra lao tumi māgi’

TRANSLATION
I have brought the medicine that will wipe out the disease of illusion from which you are suffering. Take this (4th verse, Jiv Jago Jiv Jago, Arunodaya Kirtana Song 2, Bhaktivinoda Thakura)

Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna,
Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama
Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

Lord says, “I have come for you and I have brought along with me, the medicine. You are diseased (rogi). You are bhava-rogi, kāma-rogi, Hrit-rogi, etc. You were busy gratifying your senses, now you are suffering, but the medicine that I have brought will cure you of all the suffering. And that medicine is Hare Krishna Mahāmantra.”

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

The Lord says, “Please ask for this medicine from Me. I don’t wish to give this medicine forcefully. I want you to ask for it happily. I don’t want to impose this medicine. You ask for it and I will give it to you.”

kṛṣṇa se tomāra, kṛṣṇa dīte pāro,
tomāra śakati āche
āmi to’ kāńgāla, ‘kṛṣṇa’ ‘kṛṣṇa’ boli’,
dhāi tava pāche pāche

TRANSLATION
Krsna is yours. You have the power to give Him to me. I am simply your servant running behind you shouting, “Krsna! Krsna!” (4th verse, Ohe Vaisnava Thakura, Bhajana Lalasa Song 7, Bhaktivinoda Thakura)

The Lord says, “Please ask for this medicine from Me or from my representative devotees. I am ready to give this medicine to you. I know the solution to all of your problems.”

evaṁ paramparā-prāptam
imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ
sa kāleneha mahatā
yogo naṣṭaḥ paran-tapa

TRANSLATION
This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way. But in course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is appears to be lost. (B.G. 4.2)

Ask for this medicine from the Ācāryas in the Parampara (disciplic succession).

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

bhakativinoda prabhu-caraṇe pariyā
sei hari-nāma-mantra loilo māgiyā

TRANSLATION
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura says: “I fall at the Lord’s feet, having taken this mahā-mantra.” (5th verse, Jiv Jago Jiv Jago, Arunodaya Kirtana Song 2, byBhaktivinoda Thakura)

In the end, Bhaktivinoda Thakura says, “I am begging from you falling at your feet, please give me this Hare Krsna Medicine.” Although Bhaktivinoda Thakura is the poet himself, but he is believing that it is the Lord who has said all this and now Bhaktivinoda Thakura is asking from Him. The Sādhu is a doctor and he diagnosis the diseases of lust, anger, etc. This medicine cures it all.

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

Does anybody want this medicine? Well, you all are already taking this medicine. You are chanting and singing. But it should be done attentively so that this medicine could reach our soul. Hare Krsna Mahāmantra is the medicine and the Lord Himself. This mantra unites the soul with the Lord. Lord Caitanya would go out on the streets distributing this medicine early in the morning. He addresses this kīrtana as jīva jāgo kīrtana.

jīv jāgo, jīv jāgo, gauracānda bole
kota nidrā jāo māyā-piśācīra kole

TRANSLATION
Lord Gauranga is calling, “Wake up, sleeping souls! Wake up, sleeping souls! How long will you sleep in the lap of the witch called Maya? (1st verse, Jiv Jago Jiv Jago, Arunodaya Kirtana Song 2, by Bhaktivinoda Thakura)

Early morning, dawn time is called Brahma Muhurt, time which should be reserved for the Lord. But people used to sleep at this time, they think this sleep is very peaceful and sweet. But this sleep is ignorance. We must get up early in the morning.

Let us have some questions and answers now.

Q1) Why is Maya so rude? Why doesn’t she show mercy especially on devotees?

A) Some are those who don’t understand the language of instructions of the Lord as the Lord said jīva jāgo jīva jāgo. Maya is the agent of the Lord. Then she has to kick us. dandena shuddhate, Punishment makes a person pure. The more Maya creates problems, the more we remember the Lord.

Q2) How to overcome lust which we experience in day to day life?

A) Lust is an opposite for love. Love means prema. When we will develop love for the Lord, we can easily overcome lust.

viṣayā vinivartante
nirāhārasya dehinaḥ
rasa-varjaṁ raso ’py asya
paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate

TRANSLATION
Though the embodied soul may be restricted from sense enjoyment, the taste for sense objects remains. But, ceasing such engagements by experiencing a higher taste, he is fixed in consciousness. (B.G. 2.59)

When we will experience a higher taste of prema, we can overcome the lower taste of lust. We misunderstand love with lust. Love is divine and natural whereas lust is mundane and artificial. We need to acquire love and prohibit lust. Chant Hare Krsna Mahāmantra, worship Krsna, honour Krsna Prasāda to develop love for Krsna and overcome lust which is our enemy.

nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-prema ‘sādhya’ kabhu naya
śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya

TRANSLATION
Pure love for Kṛṣṇa is eternally established in the hearts of the living entities. It is not something to be gained from another source. When the heart is purified by hearing and chanting, this love naturally awakens. (CC Madhya 22.107)

Q3) How can we dovetail our daily activities with Krsna?

Ans – Treat your patients in such a way that they afterwards engage themselves in the service of the Lord. Like if someone is blind, for them eye-camps are there, treat them in such a way that they, after getting well, desire to have darshan of the Lord or study Bhagavad gītā or Śrīmad Bhāgavatam with their eyes and not to see the television. You can have a contract with them, “Are you going to see Krsna after I will give you eye sight? Only then I will operate you, otherwise, Tukaram maharaj says,

Tyahuni andhala baravh me
(Better if I remain blind only)

In Bhaktivedānta Hospital, Mira road, all the doctors are devotees. There, counseling goes on. Those who are indoor patients, for them we take mobile temples in their rooms so that they could have darshan of the Lord. We play music in their bedrooms and tell them how to change their lifestyle, diet, etc. The doctors and nurses there encourage the patients to chant and when the patients go back home, doctors maintain the relationship with them and do counseling from time to time.

One time I was there in that hospital, the doctors asked me to address the audience. When I inquired about the audience, they said, they are the old patients of this hospital. Now they have a get together or reunion once a month. The doctors there have made more than 1000 initiated devotees with the medicine of Hare Krsna Mahāmantra, Krsna prasāda and Bhagavad gītā instructions. Now they chant a minimum of 16 rounds and follow 4 regulative principles. They have become Prabhupādanugas. Hence, as a doctor, you can diagnose the patient’s soul along with their body. This will dovetail your propensity with the service to Krsna. It is possible in every field. This is an instruction of Prabhupāda.

There is an appreciation and recognition celebration of International WHNF on 3rd of October from 7:30 to 9 pm. We are also going to have a festival on 10th of October for only ISKCON temples within India at the same time. We are going to announce top 10 temples and top 10 video makers and give them certificates for their work in WHNF. Spread this news around.

Hare Krsna!