English
Date: 7 February 2024
Speaker: HG Hari Kirtan Prabhu Ji
Topic: Essential Condition for Devotion, Five Veils of Ignorance and types of Devotees
HG Hari Kirtan Prabhu Ji:
Hare Krishna!
Today we will take forward the talk held on 16th January. All you devotees are welcome. Last time we discussed some references from HH Sacinandan Swami Maharaj's Govardhan Japa Retreat. Today we take this discussion forward. Let us recap what we discussed last time so that you can remember everything.
We had discussed the right way to go and the right way to take shelter. We had tried to know the status of Holy Name through Roop Goswami Namashtaka. All the Vedas and Upanishads worship the aura emanating from the nails of the Lord. After that we discussed whether we only know Holy name Prabhu or have we also made some changes in our lives through Him. Are we gradually moving from being objective to being situated in purpose? What is going on inside us while chanting? Are we experiencing God's presence while chanting? Do we get excited while chanting or do we simply have to end the chanting because we have given a resolution to the Guru? What is our feeling while chanting? We had discussed all these points last time. Does chanting make us feel interrupted or do we experience divine ecstasy? Am I exhausted or excited while chanting? Am I having a change of heart? Do I take shelter in Holy Name when any disorder arises? Is the Name working in such a way that our hearts are purified? Is our heart becoming capable for establishing Lord? What is my relationship with Holy Name and how far do I want to take this relationship? What helps us to chant the name steadfastly? To achieve our love for Krishna, to attract Krishna, to do everything for Krishna's
happiness, do we remember all these purposes? Krishna love is Krishna's property, how will Lord Krishna give us love? In this context we saw the example of a child. Just as a child sees that there is a woman here who serves me 24 hours a day, does we think that we are serving Holy Name? What is our real preparation to receive Krishna's love? We must ask ourselves what we really want from Lord? Whatever we want, Krishna gives us the same. God doesn't see what we give Him, He sees what is hidden within us. This is very important because Kapil Muni has said that devotion is of satvik, rajasik, tamasik and nirguna type of devotion. What kind of devotion is ours?
Today we will discuss these types of devotees. God reciprocates our desire, so we have to increase our desire to be with Krishna, to please Krishna, to always do things that please Krishna, only then will Krishna give us His love. There is a need to be a change of heart about who we are and our relationship with Lord. It is very important that we constantly think about our true nature. Keep contaminating it and knowing ourselves at the soul level, we should understand how to behave towards all other living beings. Our desire to attain Lord must increase in intensity. We find it very difficult to control our mind. Has our mind accepted Holy Name? It is very important whether we are entering the world of Holy Name while chanting or not. Guru Maharaj also says many times that the mind should enter the name, form, qualities, Pastimes and abode of God. We should continuously listen and think about the importance of Holy name and how it is a pure work for us.
Once a counselee from Noida was asking why so many specialties are mentioned about the name every time? How can one sit for two hours and chant the same mantra? When he came to know about the glory of the name, within a year and a half he chants sixteen rounds while sitting in the same posture. Therefore, it is necessary to listen to the topic of Holy name. The names are Vrajendranandan Krishna Himself and Radha Rani. Vrindavan is Dham in reality, the pastimes of Krishna are in reality.
CC, Madhya lila,17.133:
nāma cintāmaṇiḥ kṛṣṇaś
caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ
pūrṇaḥ śuddho nitya-mukto
’bhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ
Translation:
‘The holy name of Kṛṣṇa is transcendentally blissful. It bestows all spiritual benedictions, for it is Kṛṣṇa Himself, the reservoir of all pleasure. Kṛṣṇa’s name is complete, and it is the form of all transcendental mellows. It is not a material name under any condition, and it is no less powerful than Kṛṣṇa Himself. Since Kṛṣṇa’s name is not contaminated by the material qualities, there is no question of its being involved with māyā. Kṛṣṇa’s name is always liberated and spiritual; it is never conditioned by the laws of material nature. This is because the name of Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa Himself are identical.’
Sri Shiksha Ashtakam, Shloka 2:
namnam akari bahudha nija-sarva-shaktis
tatrarpita niyamitah smarane na kalah
etadrishi tava kripa bhagavan mamapi
durdaivam idrisham ihajani nanuragah
Translation:
O Bhagavan, Your holy name bestows all auspiciousness upon the living entities. Therefore, for the benefit of the jivas, You eternally manifest Your innumerable names, such as Rama, Narayana, Krishna, Mukunda, Madhava, Govinda, and Damodara. You have invested those names with all the potencies of their respective forms. Out of causeless mercy, You have not even imposed any restrictions on the chanting and remembrance of such names.
Nonetheless, I am so unfortunate due to committing offenses that I have no attachment for Your holy name, which is so easily accessible and bestows all good fortune.
All the powers are contained in Holy Name. To attain the name of the Lord, there should be a state of lamentation in the mind, there should be a state of despair that I have wasted one life after another. This lamentation brings humility within us. When we accept the name not just reflecting our true position before the Lord, then humility grows within us. I have not moved towards you for so many lives. I am so fallen. Now I will try to please you. Please help me. By praying humbly in this way, Krishna listens. If we do not have humility, we cannot please Lord.
Three conditions are essential for devotion:
• Humility,
• Mercy and,
• Forgiveness.
Without humility we cannot receive Krishna's mercy. Along with humility, we should not look at the shortcomings of our equals, superiors or inferior devotees. This makes Krishna very pleased when we appreciate each other. We should always see good qualities in all the devotees. Even if we have an argument with someone, we should see what he is doing for Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's movement? How he is serving Srila Prabhupada for his happiness.
Krishna always pays attention to the virtues of all living beings. He is a sensitive person. We should learn from our Guru that if the Guru had turned away from us after seeing the bad qualities within us, we all would not be sitting here today. Despite knowing all our bad qualities, the Guru ignites the fire by fanning the spark within us. In this way, we also have to give up our tendency to look at faults forever. One should not look at the faults not only of the devotees but of every living being. We have nurtured the tendency to look for faults since time immemorial. Due to our false ego, we show ourselves superior to others and degrade others.
We have come into this world to compete with the Lord with five veils of ignorance which have been given to us by Brahma. When knowledge came, we realized how much harm we have done to ourselves by remaining ignorant. Srila Prabhupada used to say firstly become conscious and then Krishna conscious. We have received such high praise without our qualification. If we had to give a test before coming to Krishna Consciousness, I would hardly have passed.
We have to develop in ourselves those qualities which God and His devotees have. If our devotion is not going towards pure devotion, it means that there is something lacking in our efforts. If I want to attain Krishna's love in this birth, I will have to do it consciously. We have to chant offense less and consciously. Just as when we lock a lock, we turn the key three times. In this way, the Holy name also looks simply, but he has locked himself in a lock. If we do not try to do it day and night with right consciousness, with love, with concentration and with respect, the lock of this secret will not open.
Holy Name is the substance and how to taste the sweetness?
The key is the right intention.
What is the key to develop the taste for Holy Name? What is the key to savouring Holy Name by which Haridas Thakura chants 3 lakh names and Srila Rupa Goswami says:
CC Antya 1.99:
tuṇḍe tāṇḍavinī ratiṁ vitanute tuṇḍāvalī-labdhaye
karṇa-kroḍa-kaḍambinī ghaṭayate karṇārbudebhyaḥ spṛhām
cetaḥ-prāṅgaṇa-saṅginī vijayate sarvendriyāṇāṁ kṛtiṁ
no jāne janitā kiyadbhir amṛtaiḥ kṛṣṇeti varṇa-dvayī
Translation:
I do not know how much nectar the two syllables ‘Kṛṣ-ṇa’ have produced. When the holy name of Kṛṣṇa is chanted, it appears to dance within the mouth. We then desire many, many mouths. When that name enters the holes of the ears, we desire many millions of ears. And when the holy name dances in the courtyard of the heart, it conquers the activities of the mind, and therefore all the senses become inert.
Shri Vishwanath Chakraborty Thakur says that if I had millions of mouths and millions of ears, I would be able to taste the juice of Holy Name well. But why can't we experience the test? There is a sweet effect in this Holy Name but why don't I feel it? Because our feeling is not right that we want to have a very deep relationship with Lord.
HH Sachinandan Swami Maharaj was telling that Srila Prabhupada wrote the explanation of 11 verses with meaning in the Nectar of Devotion. He sent its copy to Germany for printing. Prabhupada said that this book is only for sannyasis. So, I read the book completely. Later, Prabhupada send a telegram to him asking him to print 1 lakh copies of this book. At this time, I understood that Prabhupada wanted all the common people to study and become sannyasis. As we see, in the very first verse of Nectar of Devotion, it has been told about the practice of devotion in which we can endure birth after birth, but in the 7th verse of this book, we have also been told about its method.
Today we will discuss the same and see which disease Srila Roop Goswami is talking about. This disease will be reduced by only two things. They are: With respect and daily practice. In earlier times, there used to be jaundice and our father used to bring sugarcane juice. When we drank it, it tasted bitter and caused us to vomit. Jaundice causes bile disease which causes loss of interest in food.
What is that thing that creates disinterest in devotion to Krishna?
That is ignorance.
NOI 7:
syāt kṛṣṇa-nāma-caritādi-sitāpy avidyāpittopatapta-rasanasya na rocikā nu
kintv ādarād anudinaṁ khalu saiva juṣṭā
svādvī kramād bhavati tad-gada-mūla-hantrī
Translation:
The holy name, character, pastimes and activities of Kṛṣṇa are all transcendentally sweet like sugar candy. Although the tongue of one afflicted by the jaundice of avidyā [ignorance] cannot taste anything sweet, it is wonderful that simply by carefully chanting these sweet names every day, a natural relish awakens within his tongue, and his disease is gradually destroyed at the root.
The disease of ignorance has afflicted us. It is because of ignorance that we are finding the taste of sugar candy in the form of Krishna's name, form, qualities etc. bitter. Ignorance creates a huge distance between Krishna's name and us.
SB 3.12.2:
sasarjāgre ’ndha-tāmisram
atha tāmisram ādi-kṛt
mahāmohaṁ ca mohaṁ ca
tamaś cājñāna-vṛttayaḥ
Translation:
Brahmā first created the nescient engagements like self-deception, the sense of death, anger after frustration, the sense of false ownership, and the illusory bodily conception, or forgetfulness of one’s real identity.
Five veils due to ignorance are:
1. Tama (Ignorance of the sense): Ignorance first made us forget our real identity. We are happy to see ourselves in the mirror, happy to see our body parts. But we forget that this body is made only of flushes, urine and skin. We have to practice our true identity every day. We should stand in front of the mirror and say, ‘I am not this body, I am not these eyes, I am not this ear. One day this body and all its parts will be destroyed.’ We have to practice it every day. We consider ourselves a woman, a man, a son, an engineer, all these are physical titles. This disease is the root of all our material problems.
2. Moha (Attachment): After that there is second Ignorance, attachment, considering the body with the self. We should meditate on how much time I consider myself a body and how much time I behave like a soul. Am I seeing others on a soul level? I am a mother-in-law so do I see my daughter-in-law as Krishna’s part and parcel? We are all parts of Krishna. We are all extensions of Krishna. Just like a finger is proud of being
a part of the body, sometimes we wear a ring on the finger and sometimes we polish its nails. Only when the finger is connected to the body, it is respected and has virtue. I belong to Krishna.
Prayers to Sri Sri Radha-Krishna:
tavasmi radhika-natha
karmana manasa gira
krishna-kante tavaivasmi
yuvam eva gatir mama
sharanam vam prapanno ‘smi
karuna-nikarakarau
prasadam kuru dasyam bho
mayi dushte ‘paradhini
Translation:
“O Lord of Shrimati Radharani, I am Yours; my actions, mind and words. O lover of Shri Krishna, Shrimate Radharani, I belong to You alone. You both are my only shelter. O Radha and Krishna, ocean of mercy, I am taking shelter of You. Please be pleased upon me and make me Your
servant, although I am such a fallen offender.”
We have to stand before Lord and talk again and again. I am not this body, I am a part of Krishna. I will take care of the body. Because this body has been given to me by Krishna as an instrument and with the help of this instrument, I will reach my destination by serving the Guru and following his orders. So, I will take good care of the body. Because it is Krishna's property. I am also a part of Krishna and this body also belongs to Krishna. I have been given this body so that I can adopt my true identity from this body and be free from this physical bondage.
3. MahaMoha: The third disease is great attachment, Maha Moha. When we start sharing it with ourselves, we become interested in enjoying everything related to it. We develop an attachment towards enjoying our material things. Most of our time starts being spent in food, sleep and sexual activities.
4. Tamishra (anger that arises from the lack of sense gratification): The fourth disease is Tamishra, anger that arises from the lack of sense gratification. As explained in Nectar of Devotion, when we do not like any conflict between ourselves and our sense gratifications and we want to continue to have full sense gratifications, then it is called Avaroddha Preeti. But Lord's arrangement is such that there are always some obstacles in it. Sometimes our body suffers from disease or we are not able to enjoy anything, due to which anger arises.
5. Andha Tamishra: The fifth covering is: Andha Tamishra, Total absorption in material energy. Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur says that we should devote eight hours to sadhana, eight hours to work and eight hours to the body. We should think about how much time we are spending in the service of Lord. We should think whether we are spending eight hours in listening to the pastimes of Lord or in doing service. How does our entire day turn out after doing sadhana for two-three hours? total absorption in material energy.
We have to consciously work on how much time I spend in serving Krishna. The most amazing thing is that if we wish, Holy Name can be with us anytime, anywhere.
CC Antya 20.18:
khāite śuite yathā tathā nāma laya
kāla-deśa-niyama nāhi, sarva siddhi haya
Translation:
Regardless of time or place, one who chants the holy name, even while eating or sleeping, attains all perfection.
We can chant Holy Nameeven while toothbrushing. Holy Name can be recited while taking bath. If we are climbing stairs, we can chant Hare Krishna Mahamantra while climbing each step. We have to make Holy Name enter our consciousness.
Further, Maharaj was telling that it is mentioned in Arhit Samhita that the way sugar candy cures many diseases of our body, fulfils the deficiency of all kinds of nutrients and improves semen in men. So many diseases can be cured by one sugar candy and the sugar candy starts
tasting delicious. In this way, if we chant the Holy Name with love and respect, it gradually destroys all our material desires. There should be no doubt in us that we are chanting the Holy Name, and all our desires will not go away. Earlier we were living a demonic life and now we have started trying to live a virtuous life like the devotees, then will not Holy Name make us fulfil our purpose in future. We should have strong faith in this. We have to practice chanting with love and respect every day. We can sit and chant with our Guru every day, we can have darshan of our Guru while chanting. We have to chant without guilt every day. If we stop speaking wrong then it is not a qualification. We also have to try to speak sweetly. We have to chant without ten offences and chant with love and respect.
Maharaj then talked about three types of devotees:
• Conventional devotees
• Committed devotees and,
• Confidential devotees.
Conventional devotees: How can Lord help us in this world? We pray like, Krishna!something is going to happen in my life, you take care of it.
Committed devotees: The aim of their life is to please Krishna.
Confidential devotees: Whose aim is to enter the abode of God. They are passionate devotees. They are free from all types of lust, anger, greed, attachment, pride and jealousy. They see the Lord in His pastimes every day.
Gopal Guru Goswami explains about the Hare Krishna Mahamantra that free my mind from the bondage of every being and become happy with me by engaging me in your service. Holy Name can save our way to reach this stage. It is very important that we should have a sense of purpose every day, we should resolve to make our mind enter the abode of Krishna every day.
We will discuss in the next session that how to chant lovingly and respectfully. When we take the name with intense yearning and our tears start flowing and we are completely convinced that my only requirement is to attain Krishna's love, then we will be able to chant with love.
We will discuss about that in the next session.
Hare Krishna!
