English
Japa talk by HG Sachidananda prabhu
Date: 4-4-2024
HG Sachidanada prabhu speaks – prayers
Main Theme: Steps to improve the Chanting
Sub Theme: Ego blocks ones chanting
Today we shall speak on Nawadwipamahatmya 18th chapter. Srila jiva Goswami did Nawadwipa parikrama with Nityananda Prabhu. After completing parikrama , he asked Nityananda Prabhu that Nawadwipa is audaryadhama and offences are not counted here.
I see that many people chant the holy names but do not have the signs of pure love. Why is it so?
So, Nityananda Prabhu replied that even if they are chanting but have not yet establish heart to heart relationship, he stays here in the material world only.
He never enters the holy dhama. It remains on the superficial level only. That person is an egoistic person and thinks very high of himself as a devotee but actually lacks humility.
He thinks he is the mind, intelligence and controller - this is aham, ego. Mameti- means he thinks that he is doing everything.
puṁsaḥstriyāmithunī-bhāvametaṁ
tayormithohṛdaya-granthimāhuḥ
atogṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittair
janasyamoho ’yam ahaṁmameti
Translation
The attraction between male and female is the basic principle of material existence. On the basis of this misconception, which ties together the hearts of the male and female, one becomes attracted to his body, home, property, children, relatives and wealth. In this way one increases life’s illusions and thinks in terms of “I and mine.” [SB 5.5.8]
But when one is in Krsna consciousness then this doership mentality does not come. He simply thinks of himself as a servant of Krsna and sucha a person is situated in real ego.
Sub Theme: Be humble like grass and associate with Devotees
But a person who thinks himself the doer of everything is a dharma dwiji - A pretender. If such a person also can do Bhakti in the association of devotees. He has to renounce his false ego. Then his thought process will become Trinad apisunicena
tṛṇādapisunīcena
tarorapisahiṣṇunā
amānināmānadena
kīrtanīyaḥsadāhariḥ
Translation
One should chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking oneself lower than the straw in the street; one should be more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige and should be ready to offer all respect to others. In such a state of mind one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly. [Shikshashtakam 3]
He will feelsthat he has no devotion at all. He will be more tolerant than a tree. Amani na- not expecting respect for anything but always giving respect to others
Then one can actually pray
ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha--davagni-nirvapanam
shreyah-kairava-chandrika-vitaranam vidya-vadhu-jivanam
anandambudhi-vardhanamprati-padampurnamritaswadanam
sarvatma-snapanam param vijayatesri-krishna-sankirtanam
Translation
One should chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking oneself lower than the straw in the street; one should be more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige and should be ready to offer all respect to others. In such a state of mind one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly. [Shikshashtakam 1]
namnamakaribahudhanija-sarva-shaktis
tatrarpitaniyamitahsmaranenakalah
etadrishitavakripabhagavanmamapi
durdaivamidrishamihajaninanuragaha
Translation
O my Lord, Your holy name alone can render all benediction to living beings, and thus You have hundreds and millions of names like Krishna and Govinda. In these transcendental names You have invested all Your transcendental energies. There are not even hard and fast rules for chanting these names. O my Lord, out of kindness You enable us to easily approach You by Your holy names, but I am so unfortunate that I have no attraction for them. [Shikshashtakam 2]
Srila Krsna Das Kaviraj Goswami also says that one must completely follow this shloka
1 st shloka of shikshastaakam is for faith
2 nd is to chant with devotee association
3 rd is for madhyamadhikari - sadhna process
One is situated in mode of goodness here. 75% vices have been modified. From here one has to strive to become a pure devotee. One can have a working relationship with Mahaprabhu but heart to heart relationship does not happen
A lot of time is wasted. One commits offences when one is full of false ego. One points out only at others mistakes. So one has to let go off false ego for humility to come. With doeship and controllership mentality one cannot progress. One cannot control one’s own mind also
So for This one must do devotee association. So that’s why Nityananda Prabhu says that in audarya dharma one has reached and is chanting also, but cultivating humility is a must.
Then one can progress in Bhakti. The 8 shlokas of shikshashtakam are important. The third shloka has to be practiced nicely.
tṛṇādapisunīcena
tarorapisahiṣṇunā
amānināmānadena
kīrtanīyaḥsadāhariḥ
Translation
One should chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking oneself lower than the straw in the street; one should be more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige and should be ready to offer all respect to others. In such a state of mind one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly. [Shikshashtakam 3]
So one must chant properly. Then one can be situated in pure devotional service. Awareness, acceptance and change - these are the 3 stages of aquiring knowledge. So one must contemplate - where one is situated. Are we doing mere show off. Srila Prabhupad would also say - a little bit of pure things is better than doing volumes of impure things.
Never think of oneself as a big devotee. Simple living and high thinking. One must feel that others are better than me. Then one can respect others
Everyday we recite the shikshashtakam in the morning. This false ego comes with bodilyconsciousness. Why?
It’s not so easy to get rid of this. Unless one has material desires one will remain in bodily conscious. Our prime minister also did diving in Dwarka fanning with mora phanka, and visited ancient Dwarka
So when one removes one’s material diving suit then one can become a devotee. In HH Bhakti vigyan swami maharaj lecture once it was mentioned that the way we see the material world is for self-enjoyment. So one never progresses. So from this 3rd shloka our real Bhakti starts. If not then one is not situated pure devotional service.
Our dear Gurudev has this quality - Maharaj always respects others. Then one can actually take darshan of the holy dhama. And one will take many many lifetimes to achieve Krsna Prema
So one has to develop a relationship with Mahaprabhu
Hare Krishna
Questions & Answers
Q- even if one is acting to chant , benefit is there - as said in scriptures but then again it is mentioned that chanting with offences is not right
Ans: Ajamil was given a second chance. So he got purified in Haridwar and started pure life. So one must keep chanting and purify oneself. That will slash our offences
Q- it’s difficult to practically apply trinadapisunicena
Ans: One has to take shiksha properly, From your counsellor
Q- how do we know which mode of material nature we are placed in ?
Ans: Read 14 chapter of Baghvad Gita and 11th chapter of SrimadBaghvatam or ask your councellor
Q- how does one know his progress in Bhakti
Ans: Chanting and reading more and more helps
Q- how can one maintain this mood of trinadapi
A- you may message your counsellor and accountability partner. Make a system to write down
Q- trinadapisunicena - many senior devotees also suffer from cancer , etcWhy so
Ans: They are not in bodily consciousness. God makes them as example
Krsna sometimes gives us these examples through senior devotees how one should remain tolerant in adverse situations
dehino ’sminyathādehe
kaumāraṁyauvanaṁjarā
tathādehāntara-prāptir
dhīrastatranamuhyati
Translation
As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. A sober person is not bewildered by such a change. [BG 2.13]
Q- After hearing so it’s h also one cannot control anger at times
Ans: Practice patience, Read more, With spiritual knowledge one must try to control intelligence
Then one can control mind. Then practically it will be applied by the mercy of Krsna
