English
17 March 2020
Dukh me sumiran saba kare
Hare Krishna. Today, there are 495 participants, almost 500.
Dukh me sumiran saba kare sukha me kare na koi
In this miserable condition, many devotees are inspired to join this conference out of the threat of Corona virus. They're chanting in the Japa conference under the influence of fear and not out of love.
yena kena prakarena
It's fine even though it might have been due to any reason. Ask everyone to chant. Nowadays, people have time. Padmaja reached Mayapur. Someone is going Sukhtal. Someone is going Mayapur. Someone is going for pilgrimage. Now devotees have time. Ganesh Godase Prabhu is saying that he is chanting 51 rounds and reading more. It’s a good idea.
Gradually few things are being shut down. Including the night life in the West like Italy, Germany. Night life is getting closed. It’s good news. Night life is dark business and dirty business like the illicit sex business which is getting closed. This is mercy of the corona virus on worldly people. Everything is closed. What else is getting closed? Eklavya Prabhu is saying that people are forced to follow principles of brahmacarya. Chief minister of Maharashtra shut down the theatres. Hare Krishna devotees are not bothered by this because we don't watch movies. Shopping malls are closed now. People were thinking that buying more things will make them happy, but it’s not happening like that. Maybe if you have learned, heard or realised that although people think buying more things or more shopping will make them happy, but it never happens. In a survey, it was concluded that more shopping and more facilities to enjoy never gives happiness. Actually this doesn't increase happiness on earth. On the contrary, people feel more unhappy.
Actually Straight forward thought is there. From bhoga( sense enjoyment) comes roga(diseases). If you go for bhoga, sense enjoyment then get ready to get roga or disease.People sow seeds for miseries and that seed is Bhoga (sense enjoyment). This roga is the result of bhoga. Happiness doesn't come free. You have to pay for it. Miseries come free.
ye hi saṁsparśa-jā bhogā
duḥkha-yonaya eva te
ādy-antavantaḥ kaunteya
na teṣu ramate budhaḥ
Translation:
An intelligent person does not take part in the sources of misery, which are due to contact with the material senses. O son of Kuntī, such pleasures have a beginning and an end, and so the wise man does not delight in them. [BG 5.22]
Out of compassion the Lord is teaching this to fools like us. Sitting at home we should learn and the Lord is our teacher.
Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum
And we're all students.
He is teaching us and one of the teachings is about our senses and sense objects of this world. Actually, this world is full of objects for senses and in the malls also. Those who are learned know this. Many people don't know what are senses.
Sound, touch, taste, smell, form are the names of the sense objects. This whole world , malls and western countries are completely filled with these sense objects. When one gets in touch with, in very close contact to these sense objects they try to enjoy that. Every word has a deep meaning. ye hi saṁsparśa-jā samsparsa means touch with material objects and jā means derived. We have to explain all the details. We don't understand in Kaliyuga. With a single hint, things should be clear, but we are so dumb that we've lost our intelligence. Samasparsaja.. Bhoga or happiness is derived and from that we get dukha. First we derive happiness from sense enjoyment and from happiness comes sorrow or unhappiness. Its not like if we're getting happiness then it will give happiness forever or there will be never ending happiness. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. It’s a law which our scientists also teach. Miseries are result of happiness. It's not that we will be happy all the time. It's a must that happiness will result into miseries. This is the rule. This is maya. This is nature. We must apply more intelligence on this verse BG 5.22. Yoni means source from where the child is born. Happiness becomes a womb for miseries. Happiness gives rise to miseries. They are very closely related. This is a very simple thing to understand.
We are so bound that we don't understand.
tesham pramat nishanam pasyanti yena pasyati
We are so attached and conditioned that even after seeing and explaining, we can't see and understand. We don't wake up. The Lord is saying in the same verse that such things have a beginning and an end. Those who take birth have to die, end of happiness is miseries. If there is adi or beginning of happiness and if we try to gratify our senses then we will get happiness then there will be an end to such happiness also. This happiness will surely end. This happiness will last for few minutes or hours or days. Sooner or later, it will end.
na teṣu ramate budhaḥ
Wise people don't take part in such worldly happiness which is going to end.
This is like aya rama gaya rama. Rama came and went back. Similarly, happiness in this material world comes and goes back. This is the definition of intelligence given by Lord. Who is intelligent? One who doesn't become involved in the cycle of happiness and miseries. He doesn't endeavour for getting material happiness because he knows this world is miserable and temporary.
duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam [BG 8.15]
Both happiness and miseries are temporary. Happiness comes and then miseries come and again happiness then miseries and so on. This world is like a fair of happiness and miseries.
One who is steadfast and has surpassed all dualities.
dvandvātīto vimatsaraḥ [BG 4.22]
What is dvandva? Duality
Happiness-distress, gain-loss, day-night, national-foreign, success-failure, dark-fair, rich-poor, Hindu -Muslim, BJP-Congress, Fame-Infamy, Earning-Bankrupt. This is duality. This world is full of duality.
sukhe dukhe same krttva labha labho jaya jayau [BG 2.38]
To surpass beyond this duality of happiness and distress, loss-gain, fame-infamy is Krishna consciousness. That is the aim of our life.
We were saying that the appearance of the Corona virus is a blessing in disguise. In distress, many people are chanting in the conference. As the Corona virus is increasing, a number of people joining the conference is also increasing. 400 devotees used to chant for the past few weeks. As the Corona virus is showing its face all are moving to their beads and joining the conference. It's like a boon. You will not go shopping. You will save your money. You won't get happiness and hence you will also save yourself from miseries. Hear this. We will save ourselves from the happiness of this world. Those who don't want to be miserable give up the thought of becoming happy. This is a straight forward thought. If you don't want to be miserable and want to be happy, still miseries will come for free. Although you want happiness, it will not come alone without distress. We endeavour for happiness and unknowingly without any endeavour we get miseries. Like Buy 2 get 1 free. Shopkeepers advertise that if you buy 2 things you will get 1 free. Buy happiness and get distress free. Shopping which is done for happiness gives miseries. The whole world is getting such miseries every American, Indian, Australian or Canadian. Everyone is shopping for happiness/sense gratification but they are also getting miseries free. So Sadhu beware.
I'm not saying anything new. This is one of the eternal truths. We just have to wake up, understand and realise this truth. Srila Prabhupada started this endeavour to explain to the whole world on behalf of Lord Krsna. You've received this message and you've understood and are also implementing it in your life. This is the time to get more serious.
This is the karuna of the Corona virus that we are getting more serious. We can preach this. In such situations, people are more receptive. People are ready to listen. Take advantage of this situation. You'll find more customers now. Remember your friends, business partners. People are free also since everything is closed. If they were not hearing earlier now they may hear. Ekalavya Prabhu was saying that you can preach through the internet, websites and reach out to more faithful people. Take benefit of this situation to read, chant and meditate more and inspire others to follow in same way. Then we can see this as blessing in disguise. We can see it as karuna instead of corona. So stay busy. We'll meet soon.
Hare Krishna!
