English
25th May 2019
All those who are chanting with us can tell your friends and family to join. We need steady chanters. It’s not just for my disciples, it’s not sectarian anyone can join. Chanting is a meditation. And we have example of Akrura while he was on the way to Vrindavan expecting meeting. On the way, he was doing his manorath. He was contemplating on how he would meet the Lord at the end of the day, end of his travel. He was meditating. So,it is not that we do not meditate, every person in the world meditates. Every person in the world is always constantly meditating, contemplating, aspiring to meet this person, that person. And once I meet him, we will die together and we live together and people will have this kind of fun that kind of experience. Whole world is meditating contemplating.
We Hare Krishna devotees, Hare Krishna chanters they just have to change the meditation topic or object of meditation has to be changed. They don’t have to stop meditation. Again, the topic of meditation is Krishna that we have to include during chanting. As we chant,
HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA
KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE
HARE RAMA HARE RAMA
RAMA RAMA HARE HARE
We begin meditation or we could aspire for meeting or reunion with the Lord. As we chant Hare Krishna and then we could and we do say that we meditate upon name of Krishna, fame of Krishna, qualities of Krishna, pastimes of Krishna and abode, the dhama of the Lord, this is topic of our meditation.
I mean Krishna is object, these are the topic of details, these names, form, qualities, pastimes. So Akrura, while riding on the chariot on the way to Vrindavan was considering himself fortunate that he had such a rare opportunity now to meet Krishna. So, that is also meditation that is also appreciation in relationship with Krishna. So we could also be thinking like that ‘how fortunate I am able to chant Hare Krishna instead of singing or chanting some worldly songs. I am very fortunate for spiritual superiors and spiritual master. Krishna has arranged that through or from my spiritual master from other way and I am in such a fortunate position or situation’. Thar also could be there, as we chant Hare Krishna.
Also at some point prior to his journey, he had arranged his travels so that he could meet Krishna returning from the forest, cow herding pastimes. He had made this plan, strategic planning to meet Krishna at appropriate time and circumstances so we could also make such a plan or such a lifestyle reorganize, reshuffle things and try to meet Krishna early morning. I will perform arati to the Lord, and I will dance and chant in association of devotees so that kind of planning and organization this is also the part of meditation or preparation for meditation on Krishna.
This way Srila Sukadeva Goswami has described Akrura’s manorath or his meditation or his contemplation. “When I see Krishna I will stop this chariot. I will jump down as soon as I see Krishna and Balarama”, he is thinking like that. I will touch Their feet, he is thinking like that and I will eventually look at Their kind and beautiful lotus faces. He is thinking like that I will touch Them or They may embrace me also he is thinking like that and they will address me uncle so he is on the way, he is thinking this is his meditation and gradually he is going to the whole body and touching and more things to happen. He is contemplating, fully absorbed like that. And then he is also thinking that Krishna will hold one of my hands and Balarama will hold the other hand and they will both bring me inside Their home and on the way they will keep saying and greeting me and kissing me ‘uncle’. They will be very jubilant as They receive me. He is contemplating like that. So he will also address them oh! Krishna Oh !Balarama Oh! Krishna Oh! Balarama, so as we say Hare Krishna Hare Krishna so he will also say he will also address them, but at the same time he is saying Krishna Balarama Krishna Balarama Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, while saying Hare Krishna the name he is also seeing Their form. He is also experiencing Their magnanimous, Their kindness, Their quality or the whole pastime or They may be just returning from milking the cows or They are on the way to milk the cows, so he is also thinking of that pastime of the Lord, meeting Nanda Maharaj or Krishna Balarama or parents of Krishna Balarama and of course the whole thing is happening in the context of dhama Nandgram so he is also thinking.
The name is being uttered and qualities of Krishna are being experienced and beautiful form is being visualized and the pastimes are visible and the associates of course, without associates, pastimes is not possible so everything is happening the name, the form, the qualities, the pastimes and abode of all these features and aspects of Sri Krishna revealed as he is meditating.
So sometimes devotees wonder no I am only going to chant Hare Krishna, nothing else only focus on hearing and I am not going to think of anythjng else. Yes, this is misunderstanding how could you chant and not think of or contemplate upon form and how could you only chant without thinking. How could you keep the pastimes away or separate the qualities of Krishna and associates of Krishna so this what non-difference ‘abhinatvat nama namino’,
Name and the person name, we chant and the person that Krishna’s form is non-different from His qualities non different from His pastimes and His pastimes are non-different from His dhama. His associates are not some extra additional entities they are part of Him they are parcels of Him. We cannot get rid of them when we think of Krishna, I mean think of Krishna then associates are also there you are chanting and of course chanting is bringing into the form, the qualities, the whole contemplation. That is expected to happen as we chant.
So, of course this we call as mantra siddhi, the perfection in chanting of the holy name of the Lord.
So, when our chanting is perfect & pure with full attention then all these revelations are going to take place. So, this is perfection of chanting Hare Krishna, this is mantra siddhi, Krishna has revealed ,the holy name has revealed Himself. So then addressing Hare Krishna and these are My pastimes and these are My qualities and these are my associates, look and this is my Dhama. So, this is of course ultimate perfection that we talked, this is holy name as one chants and he will utter Krishna, the form, the qualities and pastimes.
So this is of course, perfection stage we are talking about perfection of chanting mantra siddhi. So those sadhakas who have not become sadhana siddha so we are only sadhakas so this is sadhana stage. Everyone does meditate, every single person in the world, the dog, even animal they are all meditating they are all doing dhyana
’dhyayate vishayan punsa sangasteshupjayate’
So they are meditating on the objects of senses. The tiger, king of forest, he is thinking of some animal as object of his senses, he is looking for some food. Like that every single entity does meditation- contemplating. Is planning to achieve that object of their so-called meditation. So in perfection, I mean in sadhana stage as we are, so we should try to get free from that kind of meditation that we have mentioned. Practicing that mundane meditation, so we have to say not this and instead ok this one, you can think of Krishna.
Krishna’s form not mundane form, Krishna’s pastimes, not activities of the politicians or worldly people, Shimla or Dehradun or kind of abroad that kind of destination no he would like Vrindavan.
yato yato nischalati manaha chanchalam asthiram
(BG 6.26)
Wherever mind goes or mind has been going so we have to drag our mind back, replace substitute mundane thoughts are to be substituted by Krishna, Krishna as object, Krishna’s form like that.
And then we have to do our manorath or planning or meditation. As we are following on the footsteps of he did. He is one of the example, as Prabhupada said, “Akrura is our hero those who wish to go to Vrindavan and see Krishna, do the way Akrura did it.”
So we could read the pastimes of Akrura’s manorath or journey to Vrindavan. How at every step he is thinking like this way, that way how will I meet and once I meet, I will do this or Krishna will do that to me so we are given this example to follow his footsteps.
This is homework for rest of our life, this is something we want to achieve in and be perfect. And attain perfection in this homework overnight, you have to practice it or do this homework day in and day out with enthusiasm and determination.
So, this will keep you busy for long time or till last breath of my life or your life so this is homework, something to contemplate upon and then implement and practice it.
Stop our talk here.
Hare Krishna!!
