krsna

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada VAISNAVA KE? dusta mana! tumi kiser vaisnava? pratisthar tare, nirjaner ghare, tava `hari nama' kevala `kaitava' 1) O wicked mind! What kind of Vaisnava do you think you are? Your pretentious show of chanting Lord Hari's holy name in a solitary place is only for the sake of attaining the false prestige of a worldly reputation -- it is nothing but pure hypocrisy. jader pratistha, sukarer vistha, jano na ki taha `mayar vaibhava' kanaka kamini, divasa-yamini, bhaviya ki kaja, anitya se saba 2) Such materialistic prestige is as disgusting as the stool of a hog. Do you not know that it is only a mere illusion cast by the potency of Maya? What is the value of contemplating day and night your plans for enjoying wealth and women? All these things are only temporary. tomar kanaka, bhoger janaka, kanaker dvare sevaho `madhava' kaminir kama, nahe tava dhama, tahar -- malika kevala `yadava' 3) When you claim wealth as your own, it creates in you ever-increasing desires for material enjoyment. Your riches should be used for serving Madhava, the Lord of all wealth. Neither is it your proper place to indulge in lust for women, whose only true proprietor is Lord Yadava. pratisthasa-taru, jada-maya-maru, na pela `ravana' yujhiya `raghava' vaisnavi pratistha, tate koro nistha, taha na bhajile labhibe raurava 4) The demon Ravana (lust-incarnate) fought with Lord Ramachandra (love-incarnate) in order to gain the tree of worldly reputation -- but that oasis turned out to be but a mirage cast in the desert wasteland of the Lord's illusory material potency. Please cultivate fixed determination to attain only the steady and solid platform whereupon a Vaisnava ever stands. If you neglect worshiping the Lord from this position, then you will ultimately attain a hellish existence. harijana-dvesa, pratisthasa-klesa, koro keno tabe tahar gaurava vaisnaver pache, pratisthasa ache, ta'te kabhu nahe `anitya-vaibhava' 5) Why do you needlessly suffer the torment of blaspheming the devotees of Lord Hari, attempting to achieve their eminence, thereby only proving your own fruitless foolishness? The desire for spiritual eminence is easily fulfilled when one becomes a devotee of the Lord, for eternal fame automatically follows the heels of a Vaisnava. And that fame is never to be considered a temporary worldly opulence. se hari-sambandha, sunya-maya-gandha, taha kabhu noy `jader kaitava' pratistha-candali, nirjanata-jali, ubhaye janiho mayika raurava 6) The relationship between a devotee and Lord Hari is devoid of even a trace of worldly illusion; it has nothing to do with the materialistic cheating propensity. The prestige of so-called popularity in the material realm is compared to a treacherous dog-eating witch, and the attempt to live in solitude to supposedly engage in unalloyed bhajan is compared to an entangling network of distraction. Please know that anyone striving in either of these ways verily lives in the hell of Maya's illusion. kirtana chadibo, pratistha makhibo, ki kaja dhudiya tadrsa gaurava madhavendra puri, bhava-ghare curi, na korilo kabhu sadai janabo 7) "I shall give up chanting the Lord's name publicly in kirtan and retire to solitude, thus smearing myself with worldly honor." Dear mind, what is the good of seeking such so-called glory? I will always remind you that the great soul Madhavendra Puri never deceived himself in that regard by committing theft in his own storehouse of perception the way you do. tomar pratistha, -- `sukarer vistha', tar-saha sama kabhu na manava matsarata-vase, tumi jada-rase, majecho chadiya kirtana-saustava 8) Your cheap reputation is equal to the stool of a hog. An ordinary ambitious man like you can never be equated with a devotee of Madhavendra Puri's eminence. Under the sway of envy, you have drowned yourself in the filthy waters of material enjoyment after having abandoned the excellent perfection of congregational kirtan. tai dusta mana, `nirjana bhajan,' pracaricho chale `kuyogi-vaibhava' prabhu sanatane, parama jatane, siksa dilo yaha, cinto sei saba 9) Truly, O wicked mind, the glories of so-called solitary worship are propagated only by false yogis using unscrupulous means to deceive others. To save yourself from these pitfalls, please contemplate the instructions that the Supreme Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu kindly gave us while addressing Srila Sanatana Goswami with the utmost care. sei du'ti katha, bhulo' na sarvatha, uccaih-svare koro `hari-nama-rava' `phalgu' ar `yukta,' `baddha' ar `mukta,' kabhu na bhaviho, ekakar saba 10) Do not forget for a moment the two most valuable concepts that He taught: 1) the principle of dry, apparent renunciation as opposed to real, appropriate renunciation; and 2) the principle of a soul being trapped in the bondage of matter as opposed to a soul who is liberated. Don't ever make the mistake of thinking that these conflicting concepts are on the same level. Please remember this while engaging yourself in chanting the Lord's holy names as loud as you possibly can. `kanaka-kamini,' `pratistha-baghini,' chadiyache jare, sei to' vaisnava sei `anasakta,' sei `suddha-bhakta,' samsar tatha pay parabhava 11) One is truly a Vaisnava who has given up the habit of falling victim to the ferocious tigress of wealth, beauty, and fame. Such a soul is factually detached from material life, and is known as a pure devotee. Someone with this consciousness of detachment has thereby become victorious over the mundane world of birth and death. yatha-yogya bhoga, nahi tatha roga, `anasakta' sei, ki ar kahabo `asakti-rohita,' `sambandha-sahita,' visaya-samuha sakali `madhava' 12) One is indeed detached who moderately partakes of worldly things that are deemed necessary for living in devotional service; a devotee acting in that manner does not fall prey to the disease of material infatuation. Thus devoid of selfish attachment, and endowed with the ability to see things in relation to the Lord, all sense objects are then directly perceived as being Lord Madhava Himself. se `yukta-vairagya,' taha to' saubhagya, taha-i jadete harir vaibhava kirtane jahar, `pratistha-sambhar,' tahar sampatti kevala `kaitava' 13) This is the standard of befitting renunciation, and one who realizes this is most fortunate indeed. Everything involved in such a devotee's life represents Lord Hari's personal spiritual opulence as manifest in the world of matter. On the other hand, one who engages in chanting the Lord's name with hopes of enhancing his own material reputation finds that all his activities and paraphernalia represent only the riches of hypocrisy. `visaya-mumuksu,' `bhoger bubhuksu,' du'ye tyajo mana, dui `avaisnava' `krsner sambandha,' aprakrta-skandha, kabhu nahe taha jader sambhava 14) O mind, please reject the company of two types of persons -- those desiring impersonal liberation from the material world, and those who desire to enjoy the pleasure of material sense objects. Both of these are equally non-devotees. The things that are used in relation to Lord Krsna are objects belonging directly to the transcendental realm, and thus having nothing to do with matter they cannot be either owned or forsaken by persons interested in mundane enjoyment or renunciation. `mayavadi jana,' krsnetara mana, mukta abhimane se ninde vaisnava vaisnaver das, tava bhakti-as, keno va dakicho nirjana-ahava 15) An impersonal philospher is opposed to thinking of Krsna as an object of devotion, and thus being puffed up with the false pride of imaginary liberation he dares to criticize the true devotees of the Lord. O mind, you are the servant of the Vaisnavas, and you should always hope for attaining devotion. Why then do you make such a loud commotion by calling to me and trying to prove the supposed supremacy of your practice of solitary worship? je `phalgu-vairagi,' kohe nije `tyagi,' se na pare kabhu hoite `vaisnava' hari-pada chadi', `nirjanata badi,' labhiya ki phala, `phalgu' se vaibhava 16) One who falsely gives up things that could actually be used in the Lord's service proudly calls himself a `renunciate,' but unfortunately he can never become a Vaisnava by such an attitude. Abandoning his servitorship to the lotus feet of Lord Hari, and resigning himself to his solitary home -- whatever is gained by that exercise can only be the worthless treasure of deception. radha-dasye rohi', chadi `bhoga-ahi,' `pratisthasa' nahe `kirtana-gaurava' `radha-nitya-jana,' taha chadi' mana, keno va nirjana-bhajana-kaitava 17) Ever engage yourself in the service of Sri Radha, and keep aloof from the vicious snake of materialistic sense gratification. The glory of participating in the Lord's kirtan is not meant to bolster anyone's ambitions for personal recognition. O mind, why then have you abandoned the identity of being Radha's eternal servant in favor of retiring to a solitary place to practice the cheating process of so-called bhajan? vraja-vasi-gana, pracaraka-dhana, pratistha-bhiksuka ta'ra nahe `sava' prana ache ta'r, se-hetu pracar, pratisthasa-hina-'krsna-gatha' saba 18) The most valuable treasures amongst the Lord's preachers are the eternal personalities residing in Vraja-dham. They never occupy themselves with begging for worthless material reputation, which is cherished only by the living dead. The Vraja-vasis are truly infused with life, and therefore they preach in order to give life to the walking corpses of the mundane world. All the songs that the Vraja-vasis sing about the glories of Lord Krsna are devoid of any tinge of desire for fame. sri-dayita-das, kirtanete as, koro uccaih-svare `hari-nama-rava' kirtana-prabhave, smarana svabhave, se kale bhajana-nirjana sambhava 19) This humble servant of Radha and Her beloved Krsna always hopes for kirtan, and he begs all to loudly sing the names of Lord Hari. The transcendental power of congregational chanting automatically awakens remembrance of the Lord and His divine pastimes in relation to one's own eternal spiritual form. Only at that time does it become possible to go off to a solitary place and engage in the confidential worship of Their Lordships.

Instructive Story: A Lesson on Geometry There was once a poor widow who, through great hardship, was struggling to bring up her only son. As she realised that he was her only hope for the future, she appointed a tutor for him although she would sometimes have to borrow the money to pay for the tuition fees. Once, after being promoted to class VII, the boy was being taught Geometry by the teacher in English. As soon as the boy read out loud, Let ABC be a triangle, the boy's mother rushed into the classroom and screamed at the teacher thus : This boy is supposed to be advancing in his studies after being raised to class VII, but you are still teaching him ABC - he learned all this when he was an infant - and to think I am paying you 10 rupees a month! From today you are no longer required here. You are only fit for teaching a primary school if all you can teach is ABC! The widow's outburst was so violent that it left no scope for the teacher to argue and he was compelled to leave the place. PURPORT : The arguments put forward by persons desiring other than Krsna consciousness, along with the karmis, jnanis, yogis, ascetics and the like, including so-called religious communities, are similar to those expressed by the widow. They say, We have become totally worthless through serving all the time in this world. This sort of slave-like mentality is the root cause of all troubles. If we were to accept servitude even after entering into the domain of religion, and to serve Godhead in complete servitude even after liberation, then how will we advance? Only when we are ignorant, and conditioned under illusion, then our slave mentality is intensified. But upon liberation, the realisation aham brahmasi that I am Brahman should be developed. Upon listening to such an argument, pure devotees will argue that devotion or service to Godhead is the eternal position of all conscious living entities. Such devotion, when cultivated through different stages of performing devotional service (sadhana bhakti), ecstatic devotion (bhava bhakti), and loving devotion (prema bhakti) , confirms verily the eternal utility of devotion itself. Servitude to Lord Krsna while performing devotional activities is known as sadhana bhakti (performing devotion), whereas intimate servitude or service to Sri Krsna, after liberated realisation, is prema bhakti (loving devotion). Service to Godhead in the liberated stage is irresistible service (apratihata seva). A,B,C,D or ka-kha-ga-gha may be practised while learning the alphabet on the elementary level; then again even after becoming the topmost man of letters, one has to cultivate the variegatedness and artistic delicacy of that very alphabet. Those who are impersonalists, speculate just like the widow as narrated in this story, advocating that A,B,C,D should only be practised by children in the elementary level and that these letters are of no use to any learned person. It is not that servitude to Sri Krsna should be offered only during devotional performance, but it must be renewed even upon attaining perfection through liberation as service to Lord Krsna is our eternal profession. Servitude or service offered to Lord Krsna is our eternal profession. Servitude or service offered to Lord Krsna after attaining the stage of liberation is to be considered as real and the most perfect form of service. Servitude to illusion (Maya) and servitude to Lord Sri Krsna should never be considered equal.

k May Sri Krsna sing to you His Song on Gita Jayanti!!! /images/graemlins/smile.gif

Srila Prabhupada is my guilty conscience. I do not want to acknowledge my wrongs. He coerces me to change my ways.Yes?: <font color="red"> "When one is elevated to the platform of devotional service by the grace of the Lord and the spiritual master, one first regrets his past sinful activities. This helps one advance in spiritual life. The Visnudutas had given Ajamila the chance to become a pure devotee, and the duty of a pure devotee is to regret his past sinful activities in illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating and gambling. Not only should one give up his past bad habits, but he must always regret his past sinful acts. This is the standard of pure devotion." </font color> Quote from SB 6.2.27 /images/graemlins/blush.gif /images/graemlins/blush.gif /images/graemlins/blush.gif

'Gay Monogamy': Why I Posted It By Umapati Swami Posted Dec. 20, 2004 I have received some surprised responses to Hrdayananda Maharaja's article "Gay Monogamy." People are asking why dipika.org would print an article condoning homosexual behavior. But the article does not condone homosexual behavior or suggest that we initiate anyone who is breaking the regulative principles. Nor does the article sanction any kind of marriage ceremony for same-sex unions. In fact, the article recognizes that homosexual behavior is against the regulative principles of ISKCON but suggests that we be more encouraging to people who have this problem and are trying to control it. And that's all. I have lived in temples where there were admitted homosexuals in the congregation. These people never asked for initiation, and they rendered whatever services can be rendered by people who are unable to follow the regulative principles. Thanks and appreciation from dipika.org to our sponsor and host, A same-sex union, be it monogamous, is not acceptable in a brahminical society, but it is better than promiscuity. I agree with the author's contention that we should give these people the same chance to make some advancement in this lifetime that we give to those who break other regulative principles and that we should encourage them to control their senses to whatever degree they can. I will gladly print responses to Maharaja's article, but I request the people who have written in so far to consider these points and adjust their responses accordingly. Otherwise, they will be arguing with things that have not been said. —Umapati Swami © dipika.org Dec. 20, 2004

We who have come to the Sri Chaitanya Math are all surrendered to Sri Chaitanya Deva, therefore we do not have any other goal besides devotional service to the Supreme Lord. If we lack in our service, then our mentality will become like that of a materialistic person and ultimately devour us. In order to protect the math, however, we have to abide by some rules. 1. It should be the duty of a sannyasi that they should never use shoes, rather they should go everywhere on foot. 2. They should never accept service from anyone. Neither should they never ask someone to massage their body or feet with oil. 3. Eating nice food and eating separately from other devotees is totally forbidden. 4. One should never go to a physician and should never take medicine according to their own wish. Note: (When a sannyasi needs something then it should be the duty of residents of the math to nicely take care of him. It is the duty of a sannyasi to serve the ones who are not sannyasis. The living entity invites difficulties by criticizing others, scandalizing others and unnecessarily talking about others. One should always desire auspiciousness. A devotee can easily control his mind and destroy his desires by steadfastly serving the Holy Name. 5. The Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krsna is residing in every spirit soul, therefore one should not consider himself worshipable and that others should serve him. When a sannyasi is free from false ego then the residents of the math should enthusiastically serve him, otherwise he should go back home. 6. Excessive foppery, excessive drinking of milk, eating luxuriously like a big man, should be totally given up. We don't want gymnasts (body builders) in our math. This is the place for the devotees of the Lord. 7. Strengthening the senses by taking excessive medicine and trying to spread one's domination in order to attract other's wives should be given up totally. 8. Sri Krsna is the only Lord and Enjoyer of everybody and everything. One should remember that all the time. One should serve according to the degree of their devotion. There cannot be any auspiciousness unless we become free from the evil desire to use the devotees in our service. The fire of lust that burns for material sense gratification should be given up. But that doesn't mean one should speak uncivilized language and dress in an uncivilized way in order to mix with dignified society. A bramachari should not desire to become a sannyasi simply in order to have greater sense gratification. The desire to dominate is detrimental to devotional service. To consider a sense enjoyer to be a sannyasi, and wanting to become a sannyasi with that ideal should be totally rejected. When one begins to enjoy his senses and becomes deceptive, he cannot serve the Lord nor His devotees. One should be very careful that no mood of foppery enters into Sri Chaitanya Math which will to ruin the sannyasis and bramacharis. The examples we are having about should not be tolerated, the householders also, like a sannyasi, should overcome the urges of lust, anger and greed. Everyone should consider himself to be very low and serve the residents of the math and the other Vaishnavas with all humility. Those who are not residents of the math, but are staying in the math for some business, or wanting some favor from the math should always be willing to serve the residents of the math and the math itself. The residents of the math should never behave indecently with a guest of the math. The residents should reject the mentality that the math is their personal property and that the guests are merely objects of their mercy. A guest should be treated with the highest honor - actually everybody in this world should be respected. Otherwise we may land up in the same extreme distress the materialists are suffering. A resident of the math should remember all these things very carefully. One should always serve Sri Krsna, there shouldn't be any mistake in that and more indispensable is the service to a Vaishnava. If a sannyasi must go to the shop or the dispensary for some reason other than service to the math, then he should go on foot. Let the car be sitting empty, but still they will not get into it. What everybody else gets, they should receive only that. Never should they use any conveyance, but with the excuse of going to the doctor, they take the car. They buy medicine and eat luxurious food. If they again behave properly for one year, then their eligibility can be considered. The math is not the place for foppery or staying in a hospital. One should not display his foppery. They can better behave that way by staying at home. Instead of saffron cloth they may be clad in white with a tail and send them back home. The ones who desire foppery, luxurious food and medicine they can go back to their homes and take care of their families, then they won't have to identify themselves with the math. Everybody should be reminded that cars, horses, launches and indeed men, are all meant for the use of the math, not any individual's display of foppery. Luxurious eating should be totally stopped. The sannyasis who do not indulge in foppery, should be recognized as Gaudiya Math sannyasis. The rest should be sent back to their respective homes. If our man power decreases due to that, that is still better. The ones who have taken shelter of the math, but are simply motivated by their bellies and genitals, if they are driven away, then the expenses of the math will be reduced. The pleasure-loving, sense gratifying managers should not be allowed to waste money rather everyone should earn for the math. It is important to make a list of how much one earns. It is not necessary to eat, buy medicine and display foppery more than one earns. The ones who come to render devotional service are bramacharis, grhasthas, vanaprasthas and sannyasis. To the ones who do not render any devotional service, the math will not give them shelter, because they do not deserve it. One should never think: "I have rendered a lot of service to the math so I will use their car." This is the mentality of a materialist. One who is serving the math should do that without any expectation of return because everyone has come to serve the math. If anyone takes anything in return of his service to the math or serves himself, he will become a sense gratifier. When one is a guest, then he cannot demand, he should eat according to the wishes of the host. One who is busy seeking sense gratification should be asked to leave. Your ever well wisher,

Published in a 1932 edition of The Harmonist (Sree Sajjanatoshani) [Editor: We have assumed that the Batasur demon referred to herein is Bakasura, the demon Krsna killed during his Pauganda Period.] Batasur is one of the demons slain by the Boy-Krishna. He represents evils that are peculiar to boyhood. The neophyte is extremely susceptible to such evils. They cannot be got rid of except by the Mercy of Krishna. If one engages in the service of Krishna the juvenile vices are completely eradicated at an early stage. There is an English proverb that sowing of wild oats is inevitable at a young age. The term 'Puritanism' was originally coined to express the protest of boys and young men against any undue curtailment of the scope of enjoyment that should be regarded as permissible to them. Boys and young men claim the right to be merry and frolicsome. There is nothing objectionable and much that is of positive value in the display of these juvenile qualities. If the attempt be made to stifle this innocent play of the boyish nature under the impression that is an exhibition of sensuousness and for that reason, as being as harmful as similar conduct on the part of grown up persons, the result is not assurance but discouragement, of juvenile innocence. There are, indeed, black sheep and these should not be allowed to taint the whole flock, for this purpose caretakers with full sense of their delicate responsibility are required to keep watch over them for ensuring the innocence of boyhood and youth without killing their joys. But with every precaution it has been found impossible to attain this double purpose. The Scripture say that it is not in the power of man to ensure the immunity of boys and girls from the blight of precocious sensuousness except by means of the service of Krishna. This is declared to be the only effective and natural method. Let the boys be exposed to the attraction of the CowBoy of Braja. They will soon learn to pick up His Company. They will easily realize that the Boy-Krishna can alone save them form every form of danger to which they are exposed by the 'right' of their juvenile nature. Why should this be so? There is a very simple reason. Krishna does not limit His service only to the middle-aged and old people. The Puritanic ideal of Godhead is a conception which owes its origin to persons who are elderly although honestly enough anxious to establish the 'Kingdom of God' on this earth. But if you scratch the think coating on the surface of their sage and sober scheme as befitting their age you only detect the rotten arrangement for securing the maximum of sensuous enjoyment even for those very children who are brought up in this 'virtuous' way. If the child is allowed to spoil his health in boyhood, think these righteous people, he will not be in a position later on to enjoy the legitimate pleasures of the grown up man. Unless the young man husbands his resources of sense-capacity he will also be a victim to premature old age. It is a policy of expediency of postponing a small present enjoyment for reaping much larger measure of it through the long tracts of the years to come. The spurious Brahmacharya ideal as misconceived by its worldly supporters embodies this Puritanic outlook. The Scriptures, indeed, enjoin that every one should serve Godhead from the womb. This is the real meaning of Brahmacharya. The ascetic practices that have come to attach themselves to the conception were interpolated into the Scriptures in order to ensure worldly values by this form of the empiric method. The scheme requires that the laws of the growth of the physical and mental bodies should be observed and followed. Nature is regarded as the kind mother who favors only those of her children who cultivate the filial habit of prying into her secrets. Nature is supposed to be unable to avoid divulging her secrets to her inquisitive children although she is well aware that her children will exploit this knowledge for troubling herself by harnessing her to their service. In other words it is also assumed to be the duty of the kind mother to consent to put herself in chains in order to minister to the sensuous appetites of her worthier children. Nature is assumed to be able to do good to her children only by submitting to be the victim of their lust. The practices of asceticism are really conceived in the epicurian spirit. The ascetic dreams of obtaining the mastery over Nature by the method of controlling his senses. If the senses grow callout to the temptations of the world the ascetic thinks that he will have less chance of falling into the power of Nature. He has an idea that when he will have perfected these defensive arrangements he will have become the real master of the situation. The brahmachari, according to the ascetic point of view, is to pass through a period of training in sever abstinence with his guru in order to be fitted to discharge the duties of citizenship, which will make a great demand on his nerves and muscles with greater thoroughness. There is no reference to the service of Godhead or to any spiritual issue. We have had many occasions to explain that the spiritual is transcendental. No mundane consideration can form any part of spiritual training or conduct. It is not a spiritual affair to be even able to control one's carnal desires. Such self-control itself is, indeed, automatically produced by the awakening of the soul. But self-control itself is not therefore a function of the soul. The souls has nothing to do with the senses. The soul desires neither sensual nor sexual purity. The soul is not a mere moral being. If Brahmacharya means a method of gaining moral power it is wholly a mundane affair and is as such not one of no concern to the soul but is positively obstructive of spiritual well being. This is bound to be so because the point of view of the soul is all embracing. The soul rejects nothing. He regards nothing as redundant or useless. The souls has a use for everything. But the souls sees everything as it is really related to himself and to other entities. There is, therefore, no room for the temporary type of morality in his relationships with the other entities. Everything is absolutely good on the plane of the soul. The scriptural Brahmacharya institution accordingly means service of the Brahman i.e. the Reality Who is always the Great and always the Help. The servant of the Absolute is free from all delusion. Morality is a valued commodity only on the plane of delusion. But it has no locus standi on the plane where the conditions of existence are perfect. Till the service of Godhead is realized it is impossible to be really moral in the sense of being needlessly and perfectly virtuous. If a person is causelessly virtuous in the worldly sense he or she will be a subject of easy exploitation for all the cunning rascals of this world. This is so because morality as conceived by the empiricist, has reference to the physical body and the changeable mind and is, therefore, liable to change so long as the conditions are not radically altered. The empiric contriver of juvenile welfare strives to produce conditions that will favor the growth and continuance of the empiric moral aptitude. These artificial conditions are confidently enough expected to be likely to prove of permanent benefit to those young persons who are brought up under those improvised conditions. But the brand of morality that has to be produced by the artificial manipulation of the natural environment is likely to prove of little value when the props are withdrawn. The analogy of needed protection for the growth of delicate plants does not apply, as such plants are always exoterics. Hot-house morality is thus a misnomer and a delusion in relation to the soul. Brahmacharya fully embodies the substantive ideal of spiritual purity distortedly reflected in the empiric ethical conception. Brahmacharya means service of the Absolute. Juvenile innocence is not he monopoly of young persons, any more than juvenile naughtiness. They are the animal entities corresponding to analogous spiritual qualities The spiritual activities are perfectly wholesome. They include all value and harmonize all disruptive conflict both of which are so utterly wanting in their mundane pervert reflections to be found in this world. It is not to be supposed that everything is done by Krishna and there is nothing to be done by ourselves in any matter. As a mater of fact there is a division of parts to be played in functions that relate even to ourselves, as between us and Krishna. Certain duties are allotted to us. Certain other functions are reserved to Krishna. Batasur cannot be killed by us. He is too strong for us. This is in keeping with the experience of most educationists. Juvenile innocence is a necessity for both young and old. One cannot acquire it by any artificial process. No person can also ordinarily retain it after boyhood and youth. This is a real tragedy of human life. Juvenile innocence is desired on account of its enjoyability. But it should properly be desired only for the service of Krishna. (The parent can have no higher duty that to employ his boy in the service of Krishna by putting him under the proper teacher viz., the pure devotee of Krishna. No parent is entitled to undertake the charge of the spiritual training of his own boy. He is unfitted for the task by his mundane relationship. Once such relationship is grasped to be an obstacle in the way of juvenile training the necessity of sending the boy at the earliest opportunity to the proper teacher becomes self-evident. If the parent continues to retain his paternal interest in the boy after he has been put to school for the above purpose he will be only standing in the way of his boy's progress. The training is not for the boy only but it is a training for his parents as well.) Boyish naughtiness is apt to be overlooked, nay encouraged, under the impression that it is his nature to be naughty. This opinion overlooks the all-important factor that the training is intended for the welfare of the soul of the boy and not for the juvenile body or mind. The soul does not require to be treated with indulgence. He is neither young nor old in the worldly sense. The body and mind of the boy have to be employed in the interest of the soul. Boyish naughtiness and boyish virtue are alike unnecessary for the soul. It is necessary for the soul to be freed from either from of worldliness. The mundane nature of the boy is not less a clog to the wheel of spiritual progress than the adult nature of the grown-up-worldling. The process of training is identical in the two cases as the soul is neither young nor old. Much irrational pity is wasted on boys who are employed form early infancy in the whole time service of Krishna, on exactly the same terms as grown-up-persons. Persons who affect much kindness of disposition towards juvenile frailties profess to be unable to understand why juvenile offenses are taken as seriously in spiritual training as those of adult persons. But the teacher in charge of the spiritual training of boys can perform his duty by them only as the special agent of Krishna. If such a teacher chooses to confide in his own devices he is bound to be undeceived at every step. What he has really to do is to use the boy constantly in the service of Krishna. For this purpose it is necessary for the teacher himself to be a whole time servant of Krishna. It is only by abstaining to do anything that is not distinctively commanded by Krishna or His real agent viz., the Sat-Guru that the spiritual teacher of boys can hope to be of any help to his pupils. The so-called science of pedagogies requires to be thoroughly overhauled in order to afford a free hand to the bonafide devotee of Krishna in managing young persons. The present arrangements based on the experience of this world and on the hypotheses of an absolute causal relationship connecting each phenomenon with the rest, by leaving out the reference to Krishna, can only realize the tragic part of a quack lightly administering all thew wrong drugs to a patient smitten with a mortal illness. The King of atheists Kansa is always setting the demon Batasura to corrupt and destroy the boys. The teacher of the young employed by the atheistical society is verily the agent of King Kansa. The atheist is afraid lest the boys are employed in the service of Krishna. He is naturally anxious to prevent any acquaintance of the boys with Krishna. But if a boy has really found Krishna the nefarious attempts of the empiric teacher are powerless to destroy his innocence. If such a teacher perseveres in the fruitless attempt he will thereby quickly bring about his own utter moral degradation and his sorry trick will also be fully exposed. Because in this case it is Krishna Himself Who opposes his wicked activities on behalf of His protégé. As a matter of fact the concern of empiric educationists for ensuring immunity of boys from the blighting effects of precocity is altogether hypocritical. The empiric pendant only ants the boy to grow a body and mind that will ensure greater and longer scope for their worldly use. He does not want that the worldly use of his body and mind should be curtailed in any way. In other words he is on principle opposed to the employment of the healthy body and sound mind for any spiritual purpose. But why does he want a healthy body for his nasty purpose? Is in only in order to be able to have the pleasure of a more prolonged wastage and the take's progress in downright earnest? A sickly boy is not really harmful to a person who has no higher object in view than undiluted self-gratification. (10) Kaliyadamana (Subduing Kaliya serpent)- Removal of vanity, maliciousness, doing wrong to others, crookedness and un-kindness. (Sri Caitanya Shikshamritam, p.243)

Published in a May 1932 edition of The Harmonist (Sree Sajjanatoshani) The first act of New-born Infant Krishna recorded by the Bhagabatam is the slaying of the demoness Putana. The demoness Putana was deputed by King Kansa to kill all the newborn babies of the realm of Brag where the Divine sage Nard that his would-be slayer had been recently born informed him. Meanwhile Sherrie Krishna had been born in Kansa's prison and had been conveyed by His father Versed to the house of His foster parents Nana and Yasoda in Braja during the night of His advent. The guards of the prison had failed to detect the movements of Vasudeb who had returned to his prison with the new-born daughter of Yosoda with whom he had exchanged His own Boy without the knowledge of Yadosa herself. Vasudeb had carried Krishna in his arms across the flooded Yamaha lashed into fury by the tempestuous water of that moon-less night. He had waded on foot the deep waters which had been turned into yawning whirlpools by the fury of the tempest. The iron chains, bolts and locks of the barred gates of the prison had opened of their own accord on the approach of Vasudeb carrying Krishna to the home of His foster parents. The daughter of Yasoda was thereupon duly reported to King Kansa as the new-born-dreaded eighth issue of Devaki. The King rushed into the prison-cell on receipt of the tidings for which he had been waiting through long years of sleepless nights. He was at first willing to spare the life of the baby as the prophecy was to the effect that he would be killed by a male child, eighth issue of Vasudev and Devaki But he thought of being relieved of all possible doubts on the point by putting to death the new-born girl. As, however, King Kansa was on the point of dashing the baby on the block she escaped from the grip of the King and disclosing herself as the Deluding Energy of Godhead as she remained visible for a short time in mid-sky, assured the King of the certainty of the birth of his future slayer but dissuading him form the fruitless attempt of avoiding his fate by the cruel murder of innocent infants. Saying this Mahamaya disappeared from the view of the astounded King. Kansa was subsequently informed by the sage Narada that his future slayer must have been born among the denizens of Brag and that he was mindful of his safety he should lose no time in taking drastic measures for nipping the danger in the bud. This advice was relished by the blood-thirsty coward and he has accordingly deputed the demoness Putana to kill by an unsuspected process all the new-born infants of the surrounding country. The demoness Putana accordingly made her appearance in Braja and presented herself in the home of Yasoda during the absence of Nanda who was then in Mathura to pay the tribute due from him to King Kansa. The demoness has assumed the form of a most beautiful matron with a most benignant aspect as she approached the couch where Infant Krishna had been put to sleep by Yasoda. Yasoda noticed the unknown female as she entered the house, but did not suspect any foul play. She accordingly watched the new-comer without any anxiety as she made her way to the couch of the Baby, took Him up in her arms and offered her breast to the Infant to give Him to suck. But the nipples of Putana's breast has been tipped with the deadliest poison. The infant Krishna was aware of the intention of the demoness and took hold of the breast of the monster with His supple Arms. The grip of the Infant was so terribly severe that it was enough to drive the demoness to despair of her life as she was convulsed by the mortal agony of the pressure of Krishna's little Hands. The Infant then applied His lips to the breast of Putana and sucked away her life in an instant. The terrible monster bellowing with pain was compelled to disclose her own huge, loathsome demoniac form as she fell lifeless on the ground covering with her hideous carcass a long distance with Infant Krishna still clinging to her poisoned nipples. Accordingly the first act of the milkmaids, who with Yasoda rushed to the spot, was to snatch the Infant Krishna from the breast of the terrible demoness. Then they all marveled how the Baby could escape unhurt from the clutches of the demoness. They attributed the safety of the Infant to the mercy of the gods who are especially kind to the helpless. The affrighted milkmaids invoked the help of all the gods and goddesses for their continued protection of the Infant. Meanwhile, Putana was saved by her service to Krishna for having offered Him the suck of her poisoned breast. The author of the Bhagabatam is careful to mention that the good fortune of the demoness equaled that of Yasoda in as much as her breast had been sucked by Krishna. Putana, therefore, attained to the eternal status of the foster-mothers of the Supreme Lord in the Realm of the Absolute. The above narrative of the Bhagabatam embodies a most important moral for the seekers of the Absolute. Butbefore offering the interpretations of the texts favored by the former Acharyas I would like to draw the attention of the reader to certain possible misconceptions regarding the nature of the interpretations about to be offered. The transcendental meaning of the words cannot be conveyed to the senses of the conditioned soul so long as he does not agree to follow the method of submissive listening to the transcendental sound appearing on the lips of the pure devotee. There is a definite line of succession of the bonafide teachers of the truth. The bonafide teacher should be available sooner or later to the real seeker of the Truth. The bonafide Acarya is not recognizable by the hypocrites and atheists who do not really want to serve Godhead. So long therefore, as the bonafide teacher does not manifest his appearance to the pure cognitive essence of the seeker of the Absolute Truth it is necessary for the candidate for spiritual enlightenment to concentrate on self-examination to be able to avoid harboring any lurking traces of insincerity. The words of the sadhu are also available, by his causeless mercy, for bearing the efforts of such candidates, for finding out their own insincerity. It is by overlooking or deliberately neglecting to undergo this preliminary training for obtaining access to the transcendental meaning of all words that the literal interpretationists who follow the ordinary lexicographical meaning of the words of the scriptures fail to understand the necessity of never deviating from the interpretations offered by the self-realized souls to whom the transcendental meaning of the words is available. Those empiricists who, while following the lexicographical and syntactical method of the literal interpretationists, do not scruple to read their own meanings into the texts under the impression that the scriptures and the products of the human brain liable to every form of error and, therefore, fit to be corrected by the equally erring caprices of other hypothetical thinkers on the ground of allegations of error that cannot be proved, are disposed to think that the interpretations offered by the Acharyas are not scrupulously faithful to the texts and offer allegorical explanations for supporting their own sectarian views. These possible misunderstandings are stated to invite the attention of the reader to their bearing on the following interpretation of the narrative of Putana based on the exposition of the former Acaryas heard from the lips of the bonafide teacher of the Absolute. The interpretation is not offered as a literal lexicographical explanation nor as an allegory concocted in the light of empiric knowledge of the past history of the race and may accordingly be accepted as such. Shree Krishna manifests His Eternal birth in the pure cognitive essence of the serving soul who is located above all mundane limitations. King Kansa is the typical aggressive empiricist. He is ever on the look-out for the Appearance of the Truth for the purpose of suppressing Him before He has time to grow up. This is no exaggeration of the real connotation of the consistent empiric position. The materialist has a natural repugnance for the transcendental. He is disposed to think that faith in the incomprehensible is the parent of dogmatism and hypocrisy under the guise of religion. He is also equally under the delusion that there is and can be no really dividing line between the material and the spiritual. He is strengthened in his delusion by the interpretation of the scriptures by persons whoa re like-minded with himself. This included all the lexicographical interpreters. The lexicographical interpretation is upheld by Kansa as the real scientific explanation of the Scriptures and one that is perfectly in keeping with his dread of an aversion of the transcendental. These lexicographical interpreters are employed by Kansa in purring down the first suspected appearance of any genuine faith in the transcendental. King Kansa knows very well that if the faith in the transcendental is once allowed to grow it is sure to upset all his empiric prospects. There is historical ground for such misgivings. Accordingly if the empiric domination is to be preserved intact it would be necessary not to lose a moment to put down the transcendental heresy the instant it threatens to make its appearance in right earnest. King Kansa acting on this transitional fear is never slow to take the scientific precaution of debuting empiric teachers of the scriptures backed by the resources of Dictionary and Grammar and all empiric subtleties to put down, by the show of spacious arguments based on hypothetical principles, the true interpretation of the eternal religion revealed by the scriptures. Kansa is strongly persuaded that the faith in the transcendental can be effectively put down by empiricism if prompt and decisive measures are adopted at the very outset. He attributes the failures of atheism in the past to the neglect of the adoption of such measures before the theistic fallacy has time to spread among the fanatical masses. But Kansa is found to count without his host. When Krishna is born He is found to be able to upset all sinister designs against those who are apprised by Himself of His Advent. The apparently causeless faith displayed by persons irrespective of age, sex and condition may confound all rabid empiricists who are on principle averse to the Absolute Truth Whose Appearance is utterly incompatible with the domination of empiricism. But no adverse efforts of the empiricists, whose rule seems till then to be perfectly well-established over the minds of the deluded souls of this world, can dissuade any person from exclusively following the Truth when He actually manifests His birth in the pure cognitive essence of His soul. Putana is the layer of all infants. The baby, when he or she comes out of the mother's womb, falls at once into the clutches of the pseudo-teachers of religion. These teacher are successful in forestalling the attempts of the good preceptor whose help is never sought by the atheists of this world at the baptisms of their children. This is ensured by the arrangements of all the established churches of the world. They have been successful only in supplying watchful Putanas for effecting the spiritual destruction of persons from the moment of their birth with the co-operation of their worldly parents. No human contrivance can prevent these Putanas from obtaining possession of the pulpits. This is due to the general prevalence of atheistic disposition in the people of this world. The church that has the best chance of survival in this damned world is that of atheism under the convenient guise of theism. The churches have always proved the staunchest upholders of the grossest forms of worldliness from which even the worst of non-ecclesiastical criminals are bound to recoil. It is not from any deliberate opposition to the ordained clergy that these observations are made. The original purpose of the established churches of the world may not be always objectionable. But no stable religious arrangement for instructing the masses has yet been successful. The supreme Lord Shree Krishna Chaitanya in pursuance of the teaching of the scriptures enjoins all absence of conventionalism for the teachers of the eternal religion. It does not follow that the mechanical adoption of the unconventional life by any person will make him a fit teacher of religion. Regulation is necessary for controlling the inherent worldliness of conditioned souls. But no mechanical regulation has any value even for such a purpose. The bonafide teacher of the religion is neither any product nor the favorer of any mechanical system. In his hands no system has likewise the chance of degenerating is not a lifeless arrangement. The mere pursuit of fixed doctrines and fixed liturgies cannot hold a person to the true spirit of doctrine or liturgy. The idea of an organized church in an intelligible form, indeed, marks the close of the living spiritual movement. The great ecclesiastical establishments are the dykes and the dams to retain the current that cannot be held by any such contrivances. They, indeed, indicate a desire on the part of the masses to exploit a spiritual movement for their own purpose. They also unmistakably indicate the end of the absolute and unconventional guidance of the bonafide spiritual teacher. The people of this world understand preventive systems, they can have no idea of the unprevented positive eternal life. Neither can there be any earthly contrivance for the permanent preservation of the life eternal on this mundane plane on the popular scale. Those are, therefore, greatly mistaken who are disposed to look forward to the amelioration of the worldly state in any worldly sense from the worldly success of any really spiritual movement. It is these worldly expectants who become the patrons of the mischievous race of the pseudo-teachers of religion. the Putanas, whose congenial function is to stifle the theistic disposition at the very moment of its suspected appearance. But the real theistic disposition can never be stifled even by the efforts of those Putanas. The Putanas have power only over the atheists. It is a thankless but salutary task which they perform for the benefit of their willing victims. But as soon as the theistic disposition proper makes its appearance in the pure cognitive essence of the awakened soul the Putanas are decisively silences at the very earliest stage of their encounter with new-born Krishna. The would-be slayer is herself slain. This is the reward of the negative services that the Putanas unwittingly render to the cause of theism by strangling all hypocritical demonstrations against their own hypocrisy But Putana does not at all like to receive her reward in the only form which involves the total destruction of her wrong personality. King Kansa also does not like to lose the service of the most trusted of his agents. The effective silencing of the whole race of the pseudo-teachers of religion is the very first clear indication of the Appearance of the Absolute on the mundane plane. The bonafide teacher of the Absolute heralds the Advent of Krishna by his uncompromising campaign against the pseudo-teachers of religion.

Published in a 1932 edition of The Harmonist (Sree Sajjanatoshani) There is a beautiful lake of very sweet water in the Yamuna, which bears the name of Kaliya. This lake happened to be infested by a most venomous Serpent from whom the lake derives its name. On a certain day while the cowboys of Braja were out pasturing their calves on the wooded banks of the Yamuna they happened to feel thirsty and not knowing that the water of the lake had been poisoned by Kaliya drank of its water which resulted in their instantaneous death. On being apprised of their plight Krishna came to the spot and restored them to life. Thereafter Krishna goes down into the lake with the intention of sporting in its water. This enraged the hideous monster who forthwith came out of the depths of the lake in the company of his adherents and fell upon Krishna coiling Him up in their great hoods for Kaliya was a thousand-hooded Serpent and his brood were equally formidable. Thus attacked by Kaliya with his whole brood Krishna appeared to faint away under their murderous onslaught. On seeing Him apparently slain by His enemies the cowboys and all the assembled milkmen filled the air with their loud lamentations. But Krishna soon showed that He was quite safe and He forthwith climbed up the hoods of Kaliya and began to dance o his thousand heads. He danced in an infinite variety of the most marvelous of figures. The pressure of Krishna's Feet crushed the towering pride of the myriad-hooded monster. Kaliya lowered his hoods and vomited blood. But the Dance of Krishna did not cease. Kaliya was found tottering towards death when his wives came out of the lake and with palms joined in prayer begged Krishna to spare the life of their husband. The prayers of the wives of Kaliya who had faith in Krishna moved the Son of Nanda to have mercy on Kaliya. Krishna now desisted from His terrific Dance on condition that Kaliya was to quit the lake at once and to betake himself to ho original home in the island of Ramanaka. Krishna gave him His assurance that Garuda would now do him no harm, as he would respect the print of His Feet on hoods of Kaliya. The water of the Kaliya Lake was now rendered immune from all poison and became as sweet as it was before the advent of Kaliya. The taming of Kaliya is one of the Brindaban Pastimes of Boy-Krishna. Kaliya is the type of cunning and malice. He is the embodiment of unrelenting cruelty. There is no place for Kaliya in the happy realm of Braja. Deceit and cruelty are as poison to the artless loving nature of the denizens of Braja. It is quite conceivable for the confiding chums of Krishna not to entertain any suspicion regarding the malicious intention of cruel and deceitful persons whose purpose is to poison them against Krishna. They may even unwittingly fall into the counsel of such evil persons. But Krishna is sure to rescue His Own from the whiles of His enemy. Nay Krishna has also a plan for curing the evil propensity of Kaliya himself. The process consists in making him feel the touches of His Dancing Feet. But Kaliya attempts to bear up against all curative chastisement. Instead of feeling the joy of supporting the Feet of Krishna o his nasty hoods the monster finds it impossible to bear his good fortune without undergoing the pangs of actual death. Even the loyal wives of Kaliya who desire the reformation of the monster and whose god wishes are at least forced to intercede by a prayer for his banishment from the realm of Braja. But the pride of Kaliya has received a mortal check. The banishment of Kaliya from the lake of the Yamuna has a most important spiritual significance. Those who have a purpose to create trouble among the pure devotees of Krishna by infecting their nature with their own malicious dispositions meet with a certain degree of initial success in their nefarious undertaking. This emboldens them to make a direct attack on Krishna Himself when He appears on the scene of their depraved activities in order to restore the living faith of His Own bonafide associates. Those who are not exceedingly clever can never be servants of Krishna. But the service of Krishna is also never available to those whose cunning is employed for depriving Krishna of the fullness of His enjoyment. Kaliya and those whoa re actuated by a naturally malicious disposition are also styled clever in the ordinary phraseology of the damned world. Such rascals may also have the impudence of taking their stand upon the texts of the Scriptures by using their cunning in the graceless attempt of depriving Krishna of the service of His Own. This kind of conduct may also pass undetected and may even be regarded as possessing the perfect skill of confidential service. But Krishna is sure to expose the real nature of the villainy just at the moment when it has been successful in misleading His best-beloved ones. It is indeed, very difficult to understand the Ways of Krishna. Krishna apparently permits almost every form of offense to be perpetrated with impunity against His most beloved ones. This has the effect of providing an opportunity for His Own for proving their incomparable love for Himself and by means of this unique exhibition of their love for Himself and by means of this unique exhibition of their love to defeat in the most fruitful manner the machinations of His worst enemies. The friends and chums of Krishna are offered to the malice of cunning and relentless brutes in order to bring out the difference between the two and thereby enable the latter to desist form troubling the devotees of their own accord. But these brutes are never allowed to associate with the servants of Krishna even after they forego their malice towards them. They are eternally debarred from the service of Krishna in Braja. But the touch of Krishna's Feet makes a real difference between the recipient of His mercy and the other brutes. Kaliya is no longer regarded by Garuda as the enemy of Krishna. Kaliya is, therefore, allowed a place among the protected of Krishna. It does not follow that is a paying business to poison the hearts of His servants against Krishna, which is sure to be rewarded by the grant of His protection. Yes, this is so after the pride of the miscreant is thoroughly broken by being trod upon by Krishna Himself. His is thereby inspired with a most wholesome dread which effectively prevents him from trying to breed mischief among the bonafide devotees by owning an unwilling allegiance to Krishna and assuming the badge of His servitude by wearing on his head the print of His lotus Feet. The mercy shown to Kaliya is so obviously and disproportionately great in its magnitude in face of the extreme gravity of his offense that no rationalistic explanation can do justice to its full beneficent significance. "In the eighth chapter of "Shri Krishna Samhita', eighteen evils have been cited from 13th sloka to the end as obstacles to Vraja-bhajana. If breaking up of Yamalarjuna and vanity of Brahmin performing sacrifices are added, these will make up to 20 obstacles. These are all adverse tattvas to Vraja bhajana. The aspirant devoted to Nama bhajana, in the very beginning should loudly address All-Powerful Hari, praying always to drive out these evils. If he does, his heart will be purified. If the devotees cry out most humbly and piteously to Hari to drive out the trouble of those Asuras whom Krishna has destroyed from the domain of their heart, Hari Himself will remove those evils. But they will have to drive out themselves, with their own efforts the troubles of those Asuras whom Baladeva has killed. This is the mystery of Vraja-bhajana. Dhenukasura is the evil of licentiousness, gain, honor and aspiration for selfish end. The aspirant will remove these evils with his own care and effort and obtaining mercy of Krishna. Loss of knowledge of swarupa of self, swarupa of Nama and relationship with swarupa of adorable Deity, ignorance and Avidya constitute Dhenukasura. With the greatest care and endeavor the aspirant will have to remove this evil and restore his self-knowledge. Lewdness for male or female, greed for wealth, effort for acquiring material prosperity, increasing one's honor, fame and reputation etc., are very pernicious evils and knowing these as strong impediments to Nama-bhajana, the aspirant, with his best acre and effort will remove them. If humility becomes very deep and intense, Krishna will be merciful. In that case, feeling of Baladeva will arise in his mind and then these will be destroyed in no time. Then favorable and smooth cultivation of Bhajana will gradually improve. This process is naturally very secret and should be learnt from a good preceptor with clear mind.

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The sadhu helps the fallen jiva to regain his natural state of freedom from sin, by the constant service of bringing about the descent of transcendental sound in the form of words uttered by his lips and the mahaprasada in the shape of food that is offered by him to the Lord. The sound uttered by the sadhu and the mahaprasada are not things of this world. They are not identical with ordinary sound or ordi-nary food which are only means for the grati-fication of our sensuous appetites. The word of God and mahaprasada cannot be enjoyed, or in other words cannot be used for the grati-fication of the senses, because they are spiritual. Those who enjoy the kirtana, or any spiri-tual discourse, or eat the mahaprasada for ap-peasing hunger or for gratification of the pal-ate are guilty of sacrilegious acts which serve only to prolong the state of sin and ignorance. This is the greatest possible calamity that can befall the human soul. The kirtana of Hari is the constant and natural function of all the faculties of the jiva soul in the state of it’s freedom from all affinities with this changeable world. Because the absolute truth is identical with Hari, Hari has to be served exclusively, constantly, and by all the faculties of the soul. The only function of the voice is to chant the kirtana of Hari, which is identical with and inseparable from the simultaneous service of Hari by all the other senses. One who does not employ his voice constantly and exclusively in chanting the kirtana of Hari has no access to the service of Hari by any other faculty. The kirtana of Hari has therefore to be chanted by being humbler than a blade of grass. There can be no trace of worldly vanity. There can be no seeking after any worldly advantage. The only object should be to please Lord Hari. The absolute truth is a living person and not an abstract principle. He has the power of communicating His commands to us and ex-pressing His approval and disapproval of our activities. No one can understand His com-mand who does not fully submit to Him. The absolute truth is not anything limited or partial; neither can it be divided. It is not dependent on any condition except itself. It is always one and the same. Listening to or chanting of it is always and necessarily beneficial, being the natural function of the soul. Any other view of its nature will stand in the way of that perfect humility, the outcome of absolute submission which is the indispens-able condition of its realization. A chanter of the kirtana of Hari is necessar-ily the uncompromising enemy of worldliness and hypocrisy. As a chanter of the kirtana of Hari, it is his constant function to dispel all misconceptions by the preaching of the truth in a most unambiguous form, without any influence of person, place or time. That form has to be adopted which is least likely to be misunderstood. It is his bounden duty to op-pose any person who tries to deceive and harm himself or other people by misrepresent-ing the truth either due to malice or genuine misunderstanding. This will be possible if the chanter of kirtana is always prepared to sub-mit to be trodden on by thoughtless people if any discomfort to himself will enable him to do good to his persecutors by chanting the truth in the most unambiguous manner. If he is unwilling to chant the kirtana under all cir-cumstances due to consideration of self-re-spect or personal discomfort, then he is unfit to be a preacher of the absolute truth. Humil-ity implies perfect submission to the truth and no sympathy for untruth. A person who en-tertains any partiality for untruth is unfit to chant the kirtana of Hari. Any clinging to un-truth is opposed to the principle of humility born of absolute submission to the truth. Those who serve the truth at all times, by means of all their faculties, and have no han-kering for the trivialities of this world, are al-ways necessarily free from malice born of com-peting worldliness; and are therefore fit to admonish those who are actively engaged in harming themselves and others by the method of opposing or misrepresenting the truth in order to attain the rewards of such a policy in the shape of a perpetuation of the state of mis-ery and ignorance. The method which is em-ployed by the servant of the good preceptor for preventing such misrepresentation of the truth is a part and parcel of the truth itself. It may not always be pleasing to the diseased susceptibilities of deluded minds, and may even be denounced by them as a malicious act with which they are only too familiar, but the words of truth from the lips of a loyal and humble servant of Hari possess such benefi-cent power that all effort to suppress or ob-struct them only serves to vindicate to impar-tial minds the necessity of complete submis-sion to the absolute truth as the only cure of the disease of worldliness. Humility that is em-ployed in the unambiguous service of the truth is necessarily and qualitatively different from its perverted prototype, which is practiced by the cunning people of this world for gaining their worldly ends. The professors of pseudo- humility have reason to be afraid of the preachings of the servants of Hari (those whose duty it is to expose the enormous possibility of mischief possessed by the many forms of so-called spirituality), when they are taken to task for serving the untruth.

Published in The Harmonist (Sree Sajjanatoshani) Herr Schulze was a great German scholar and a famous writer, who became a disciple of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati, living in India as a mendicant. We require the fullness of things. The plenary transcendence is to be approached. The difficult problem to be solved is how we can do so. First of all we find that the mind is meant for dealing with the external finite things of this world. Our senses are gratified by available objects but these objects are found to be inadequate for our purpose. When we are in search of more than is available here, or when we require a continuity of those very things, we are simply denied this full satisfaction. We cannot have our desirable objects in full, so we try to devise some means that continuity may be preserved. Here we find three different trends, I mean qualities. One quality tends to operate for creative purposes, the next for sustenance and the third for destruction. Thus we have three situations. When there is nothing, something comes up for our sensuous inspection, something which was not in existence before or whose existence we could not trace before, just like an entry on the stage. It exists for some time. And then it takes its exit from the stage. These are the three stages we mark in this world, whereas in the Absolute, these are not the current conditions, though they have got their existence in order to foster the ecstasy of the Absolute. We have to eliminate all sorts of undesirable impediments. We have to get rid of the alloyed portions, the defective portions, which we have incorporated with us. All sorts of imperfections should be avoided. In the region of the Absolute we know there are three different energies working, one of which is His ecstatic energy by which bliss is conferred on us, and He is found to be inebriated with the ecstatic explorations. The very Absolute indulges Himself in the ecstatic mood and He is delighted; and when we find that He is delighted, we, being more or less part and parcel of the transaction, get a share as well, we being not the mind but the soul proper. When He is delighted, we necessarily get the advantage of that delightful temper of the Absolute. When He is surcharged with all beatific phases, we are also endowed with a part as per our own eligibility; as per our affinity for serving Him, we enjoy a part. Here where we are passing through a non-absolute region, our enjoyment is nothing but depriving Him of His enjoyment. We should take proper care not to carry our defective ideas there. The passionate desires of this mundane world should not be carried to the Absolute region. The second is the true energy, the energy of diffusing true knowledge; and the third is existence. In the mundane region, we find three things: existence, sustenance and destruction. Destruction is a thing which is quite undesirable here. But in the Absolute region, we find the very dissociation or separation has got a factor in inebriating us. Here when we are deprived of something, we are rather helpless; there we get more opportunities of serving Him in case of separation. The procedure of approaching Him is to realise the condition of separation. Here we do not find Him. The Absolute cannot be had here though we may have ample inclination for having Him. The very formation of our equipments, the mind and the senses, is quite inadequate to have an approach to the transcendence, neither can we expect Him to be confined here as one of the objects of phenomena. We need not think that He comes under our sensuous jurisdiction. If He can come as an object, we should accuse Him of His finiteness. He is not to be dealt with as one of the material objects which can be reciprocated by our senses. He keeps Himself quite out of our vision and out of the touch of our senses. Unless we have devotional aptitude, we cannot invoke Him here. He does not condescend to come to this region and become an object of the activities of our senses. So we should find out a means to approach Him and this is known as Sadhan-Bhakti, i.e., the procedure to be adopted in our case. The Supreme Lord has not given us any privilege of exposing Himself to our senses. Phenomenal objects are presented to us, for duping us, for deluding us. So we have to be in touch with Him, but He has denied us this privilege. This is the case of separation. When He, the Lover, the Centre of all love, has denied the beloved His presence, our inclinations and activities should double, or treble to have His association. So this sort of separation is an essential point, is indeed the cardinal point, that will help us to have the inclinations of approaching Him. All our attempts should tend towards association with Him, because the association is denied for the purpose of studying our hearts. He has given us this facility to have an easy track to reach Him. The very condition of separation is a very good thing for His servitor as he can culture his affinity or inclination for the Absolute more than when he is allowed to appear before Him. He has intentionally deprived us of His presence. He was found to be for a loving temper, but the Lover has deserted us, and we are to follow Him. When we are disappointed in not having His presence, we should actually thank our stars that our Lover has gained much by dissociating Himself from us. I mean the Autocrat has got the right of making Himself quite happy by deserting us, and we are to submit to His pleasure and wish, we are to submit to His whims. We must abide by His decision. That I consider to be service. That is, I need not satisfy my senses by approaching Him. But when he has managed to shut Himself from my senses, I know He wants that I should acquire more affinity for Him, and He has given me that opportunity. If He came within our perception, we would simply gratify our senses, which would be a detriment to our cause and would prove an obstacle to our service. An illustration is quoted: One infinitestimal absolute was fanning the Absolute Infinity. The moment he thought that the Lord was delighted by his services, that the Master had accepted his services, he became overpowered and could fan no more. Thus he was found to be negligent in offering his services. The fanner should have known that he ought not to satisfy his senses by stopping his services by considering that the Master had accepted his services. He should not have become inebriated, because it proved rather a bar to his offering further service. Instead of being carried away by our emotional sentiments, we should always be alert in offering our service, and service is best offered by chanting the Name. The Supreme Lord is keeping Himself at a distance and we are to seek Him assiduously; this is the proper way of chanting the Name. The Name of the Absolute should be chanted continually so that we may be mindful and not diffident to offer our services. As soon as we show our diffidence to serve Him, and stop chanting His Name, we are necessarily led to lord it over the worldly phenomena, and we get a quite different occupation. The occupation or the sole function of the soul is nothing but to associate himself with the Supreme Lord. As soon as we are negligent of our services, we miss the opportunity of associating with Him. We are His eternal servitors (Bhaktas) and as such we have no other occupation but to serve Him. If we neglect this injunctions, [sic] we will have to become engaged with temporal things; but these engagements will not be continued for a long time. There will be a cessation of such engagements, and we miss what is eternal. The transcendental Name is quite different from the ordinary sounds. The ordinary sounds carry the impression of things of this world for our purpose. All things of this phenomena are meant to serve us; but we are to serve Him. Service is to be rendered to the Absolute, and we need not hanker after receiving service from non-absolutes. Anything done for the purpose of our own self, is not service. Whatever is offered to the Absolute, is known as service or Bhakti. When the service is done property [sic], when it is not dominated by some regulation, the service is pure. All gnostic transactions or associations with the mundane things are quite opposed to service because they are meant for our purpose and not for the purpose of the Absolute. When we know we are absolute infinitesimals, our vision is fully restricted to the Absolute Infinity and not to any non-absolute thing. Devotion or Bhakti is the policy of approaching Him. Unconditional surrender should be performed at all cost. When we surrender, we will have an opportunity of depending on Him fully, otherwise we will be thinking of other things whether the Absolute is at all prepared to rescue us from this troublous region or not. The unconditional surrendering will give us the assurance that we will be rescued from the worldly affinity. If we chant the Name continuously, we will be able to get rid of our inclination of accepting worldly things, we will be simply relieved from the invasion of phenomenal finite objects. So chanting should be the process. We need not trouble ourselves in the beginning to enter into the details of the Absolute; the very chanting of His Name will take us to Him. This world is a place of trial. We are to educate ourselves in the transcendental Science. We should not fail to do so now that we have got a human frame. We must avail our present opportunity, leaving aside everything else for our next life. This life should be engaged solely in the pursuit of the Absolute and that sort of pursuit will be effected if we adopt the process of devotion. We have very little to do with the worldly people; but we have everything to do with those who are engaged in the service of the Supreme Lord. Association with people who are busy with their measuring temperament, will not be congenial for our purpose. We should not culture our enjoying temperament as most people are inclined to do. If we have at all to meet an undesirable person, we should always make it a point to proselytise him through education about the Transcendental. The only aim of our life should be to make progress towards the veiled region. People may accuse us that we are talking in a vein of mysticism which cannot be examined by the senses. But we do not talk of mysticism, we talk of certainties. As seekers of positive knowledge, we should try to peep into the veiled region. People are busy in examining things by their seeming aspects. The seeming positions are not to be confused with the actual positions, as a wrapper should not be considered to be the letter. We should penetrate into things. The outer case, the bahiranga maya-shakti, has produced these things to be measured by our senses. This sort of measuring is not at all congenial to our purpose. We should have a peep into the Absolute. We should not take our physical and astral bodies to be our real self. At present we know nothing due to ignorance, and this ignorance, is to be dispelled. We cannot deny the fact that we will have to die and get rid of this fleshy tabernacle. We cannot retain it. So the real owner of the body should be aimed at first. This is swarupajnana. We should not be identified with our bodies. When we are found to be eligible to see Him, we will be attracted by His sublime beautiful face. His beauty should not be enjoyed by us, but our beautiful transcendental frame should be shown to Him for His pleasure. As soon as we show Him our spiritual beauty, He will disclose Himself to us.

k /images/graemlins/grin.gif Moooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo !!!

If this 'milk' is so polluted, why offer it to Krsna? If you can't live the philosophy of cow protection, why should you preach the philosophy of cow protection minus ? We can become soft-Vegans or conditional Vegans after all, but then arn't the grains,vegetables and fruits also full of unmentionable nasty chemicals,pesticides,etc... Tis Kali-yuga after-all. But the case for Vegan devotees is strong,especially if there are no devotee cow protection farms where the cow is treated like our mother.

Written in December, 1928, and published in The Harmonist (Sree Sajjanatoshani) The ceremony of diksha or initiation is that by which the spiritual Preceptor admits one to the status of a neophyte on the path of spiritual endeavour. The ceremony tends to confer spiritual enlightenment by abrogating sinfulness. Its actual effect depends on the degree of willing co-operation on the part of the disciple and is, therefore, not the same in all cases. It does not preclude the possibility of reversion on the novice to the non-spiritual state, if he slackens in his effort or misbehaves. Initiation puts a person on the true track and also imparts an initial impulse to go ahead. It cannot, however, keep one going for good unless one chooses to put forth his own voluntary effort. The nature of the initial impulse also varies in accordance with the condition of the recipient. But although the mercy of the good preceptor enables us to have a glimpse of the Absolute and of the path of His attainment, the seed that is thus sown requires very careful tending under the direction of the preceptor, if it is to germinate and grow into the fruit-and-shade-giving tree. Unless our soul of his own accord chooses to serve Krishna after obtaining a working idea of his real nature, he cannot long retain the Spiritual Vision. The soul is never compelled by Krishna to serve Him. But initiation is never altogether futile. It changes the outlook of the disciple on life. If he sins after initiation, he may fall into greater depths of degradation than the uninitiated. But although even after initiation temporary set-backs may occur, they do not ordinarily prevent the final deliverance. The faintest glimmering of the real knowledge of the Absolute has sufficient power to change radically and for good the whole of our mental and physical constitution and this glimmering is incapable of being totally extinguished except in extraordinarily unfortunate cases. It is undoubtedly practicable for the initiated, if only he is willing, to follow the directions of the preceptor that lead by slow degrees to the Absolute. The good preceptor is verily the savior of fallen souls. It is, however, very rarely that a person with modern culture feels inclined to submit to the guidance of another specially in spiritual matters. But the very person submits readily enough to the direction of a physician for being cured of his bodily ailments. Because these latter cannot be ignored without consequences that are patent to everybody. The evil that results from our neglect of the ailments of the soul is of a nature that paralyses and deludes our understanding and prevents the recognitions of itself. Its gravity is not recognized as it does not apparently stand in the way of our worldly activities with the same directness as the other. The average cultured man is, therefore, at liberty to ask questions without realizing any pressing necessity of submitting to the treatment of spiritual maladies at the hands of a really competent physician. The questions that are frequently asked are as these: ‘Why should it be at all necessary to submit to any particular person or to to any particular ceremony for the purpose of realizing the Absolute Who by His nature in unconditioned? Why should Krishna require our formal declaration of submission to Himself? Would it not be more generous and logical to permit us to live a life of freedom in accordance with the principles of our perverted nature which is also His creation. Admitting that it is our duty to serve Krishna, why should we have to be introduced to Him by a third party? Why is it impossible for one to serve Sri Krishna directly?’ It would no doubt be highly convenient and helpful to be instructed by a good preceptor who is well-versed in the Scriptures in understanding the same. But one should never submit to another to an extent that may furnish a rascal with an opportunity of really doing harm. The bad preceptor is a familiar character. It is inexplicable how those gurus who live in open sin contrive nevertheless to retain the unquestioning allegiance of the cultured portion of their disciples. Such being the case, can we blame any person who hesitates to submit unconditionally to a preceptor, whether he is good or bad? It is of course necessary to be quite sure of the bonafide of a person before we accept him even tentatively as our spiritual guide. A preceptor should be a person who appears likely to possess those qualities that will enable him it improve our spiritual condition. Those and similar thoughts are likely to occur to most persons who have received an English education, when they are asked to accept the help of any particular person as his spiritual preceptor. The literature, science and art of the West, body forth the principle of the liberty of the individual and denounce the mentality that leads one to surrender to however superior a person his right of choosing his own course. They inculcate the necessity and high value of having faith in oneself. But the good preceptor claims our sincere and complete allegiance. The good disciple makes a complete surrender of himself at the feet of the preceptor. But the submission of the disciple is neither irrational or blind. It is complete on condition that the preceptor himself continues to be altogether good. The disciple retains the right of renouncing his allegiance to the preceptor the moment he is satisfied that the preceptor is a fallible creature like himself. Nor does a good preceptor accept any one as his disciple unless the latter is prepared to submit to him freely. A good preceptor is in duty bound to renounce a disciple who is not sincerely willing to follow his instructions fully. If a preceptor accepts as his disciple one who refuses to be wholly guided by him, or if a disciple submits to a preceptor who is not wholly good, such preceptor and such disciple are, both of them, doomed to fall from their spiritual state. No one is a good preceptor who has not realised the Absolute. One who has realised the Absolute is saved from the necessity of walking on the worldly path. The good preceptor who lives the spiritual life is, therefore, bound to be wholly good. He should be wholly free from any desire for anything of this world whether good or bad. The categories of good and bad do not exist in the Absolute. In the Absolute everything is good. We can have no idea in our present state of this absolute goodness. Submission to the Absolute is not real unless it is also itself absolute. It is on the plane of the Absolute that the disciple is required to submit completely to the good preceptor. On the material plane there can be no such thing as complete submission. The pretence of complete submission to the bad preceptor is responsible for the corruptions that are found in the relationship of the ordinary worldly guru and his equally worldly-minded disciples. All honest thinkers will realise the logical propriety of the position set forth above. But most persons will be disposed to believe that a good preceptor in the above sense may not be found in this world. This is really so. Both the good preceptor and his disciple belong to the spiritual realm. But spiritual discipleship is nevertheless capable of being realised by persons who belong to this world. Otherwise there wold be no religion at all in the world. But because the spiritual life happens to be realizable in this world it does not follow that it is the worldly existence which is capable of being improved into the spiritual. As a matter of fact the one is perfectly incompatible with the other. They are categorically different from one another. The good preceptor although he appears to belong to this world is not really of this world. No one who belongs to this world can deliver us from worldliness. The good preceptor is a denizen of the spiritual world who has been enabled by the will of God to appear in this world in order to enable us to realise the spiritual existence. The much vaunted individual liberty is a figment of the diseased imagination. We are bound willingly or unwillingly to submit to the laws of God in the material as well as in the spiritual world. The hankering for freedom in defiance of His laws is the cause of all our miseries. The total abjuration of all hankering for such freedom is the condition of admission to the spiritual realm. In this world we desire this freedom but are compelled against our will to submit to the inexorable laws of physical nature. This is the unnatural state. Such unwilling for forced submission does not admit us into the spiritual realm. In this world the moral principle, indeed claims our willing submission. But even morality also is a curtailment of freedom necessitated by the peculiar circumstances of this world. The soul who does not belong to this world is in a state of open or court rebellion against submission to an alien domination. It is by his very constitution capable of submitting willingly only to the Absolute. The good preceptor asks the struggling soul to submit not to the laws of this world which will only rivet its chains but to the higher law of the spiritual realm. The pretence of submission to the laws of the spiritual realm without the intention of really carrying them out into practice is often mistaken for genuine submission by reason of the absence of fullness of conviction. In this world the fully convinced state is non-existent. We are, therefore, compelled in all cases to act on make-believes viz. the so-called working hypotheses. The good preceptor tells us to change this method of activity which we have learnt from our experience of this world. He invites us first of all to be really and fully informed of the nature and laws of the other world which happens to be eternally and categorically different from this phenomenal world. If we do not sincerely submit to be instructed in the alphabets of the life eternal but go on perversely asserting however unconsciously our present processes and so-called convictions against the instructions of the preceptor in the period of novitiate we are bound to remain where we are. This also will amount to the practical rejection of all advice because the two worlds have nothing in common though at the same time we naturally fail to understand this believing all the time in accordance with our accustomed methods that we are at any rate partially following the preceptor. But as a matter of fact when we reserve the right of choice we really follow ourselves, because even when we seem to agree to follow the preceptor it is because he appears to be in agreement with ourselves. But as the two worlds have absolutely nothing in common we are only under a delusion when we suppose that we really understand the method or the object of the preceptor or in other words reserve the right of assertion of the apparent self. Faith in the scriptures can alone help us in this otherwise unpracticable endeavour. We believe in the preceptor with the help of the shastras when we understand neither. As soon as we are fully convinced of the necessity of submitting unambiguously to the good preceptor it is then and only then that he is enabled to show us the way into the spiritual world in accordance with the method laid down in the shastras of that purpose which he can apply properly and without perpetrating a fatal blunder in as much as he himself happens to belong to the realm of the spirit. The crux of the matter lies not in the external nature of the ceremony of initiation as it appears to us because that is bound to be unintelligible to us being an affair of the other world, but in the conviction of the necessity and the successful choice of a really good preceptor. We can attain to the conviction of the necessity of the help of a good preceptor by the exercise of our unbiased reason in the light of our ordinary experience. When once this conviction has been truly formed Sri Krishna Himself helps us in finding the really good preceptor in two ways. In the first place he instructs us as regards the character and functions of a good preceptor through the revealed Shastras. In the second place He Himself sends to us the good preceptor himself at the moment when we are at all likely to benefit by his instructions. The good preceptor also comes to us when we reject him. In such cases also it is certainly Krishna Who sends him to us for no reason what-so-ever. Krishna has revealed from eternity the tidings of the spiritual realm in the form of transcendental sounds that have been handed down in the records of the spiritual Scriptures all over the world. The spiritual Scriptures help all those who are prepared to exercise this reason for the purpose of finding not the relative but the Absolute Truth to find out the proper instructor in accordance with their directions. The only good preceptor is he who can make us really understand the spiritual scriptures and they enable us realise the necessity and the nature of submission to the processes laid down in them. But there is still every chance of foul play. A very clever man or a magician may pass himself off as a person who can properly explain the Scriptures by means of his greater knowledge or deceptive arts. It is very important, therefore, that we should be on our guard against such tricks. The Scholar as well as the magician pretend to explain the Scriptures only in terms of the object or happenings of this world. But the Scriptures themselves declare that they do not tell us at all of the thing of this world. Those who are liable to be deluded by the arts of pervert yogis who persuade themselves into believing that the spiritual is identical with the perversion, distortion or defiance of the laws of physical nature. The laws of physical nature are not unreal. They govern the relation of all relative existences(.) In our present state it is therefore, always possible for another who possesses the power or the knowledge to demonstrate the merely tentative character of what we choose to regard as our deepest convictions by exposing their insufficiency or inapplicability. But such surprises as they belong to the realm of the phenomenal, have nothing to do with the Absolute. Those who have an unspiritual partiality for scholarship or for magic fall into the clutches of the pseudo-religionists. The serious plight of these victims of their own perversity will be realised from the fact that no one can be delivered from the state of ignorance by the method of compulsion. It is not possible to save the man who refuses on principle to listen to the voice of reason. The empiric pedants are no exception to this rule. The plain meaning of the Shastras should, therefore, be our only guide in the search of the good preceptor when we actually feel the need of his guidance. The Scriptures have defined the good preceptor as one who himself leads the spiritual life. It is not any worldly qualifications that make the good preceptor. It is by unreserved submission to such a preceptor that we can be helped to reenter into the realm that is our real home but which unfortunately is veritable terra incognita to almost all of us at present and also impossible of access to one body and mind alike which is the result of the disease of abuse of our faculty of free reason and the consequent accumulation of a killing load of worldly experiences which we have learnt to regard as the very stuff of our existence.

In the following discussion, Srila Saraswati Thakur answers a question by referring to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s instruction to Srila Raghunath Das Goswami (Cc. antya 6.236): Don’t listen to mundane talks and don’t speak on mundane topics. Don’t eat opulently and don’t dress luxuriantly. Question: Why are trivial talks and gossip, gramya-katha, unfavorable for devotion and harmful for us? Srila Saraswati Thakur Prabhupada: Sriman Mahaprabhu has said, “Do not hear gramya-katha and do not speak gramya-katha, Do not eat sumptuous food and do not wear fancy clothes.” He said these words for those who are very attached to devotional service. If one eats sumptuous food one only harms oneself. This does not create any problem for others; it does not cause any disturbance in anyone else’s devotional life. But it is much more harmful to wear fancy clothes. People wear fancy clothes only for the sake of others. How for the sake of others? The only purpose behind wearing fancy clothes is to distract others’ eyes and mind from devotional service to the Supreme Lord. It is also not beneficial to indulge the tongue. Mahaprabhu also said, “If one runs here and there to satisfy his tongue, then such a tongue-indulgent person does not attain Krishna.” (Cc. antya 6.227) If one hears gramya-katha, one hurts oneself more than by eating sumptuous food, and if one speaks gramya-katha, one hurts others more than by wearing fancy clothes. Srila Raghunath Das Goswami said that to hear or speak harmful things (things which are untrue, gossip, things which are distasteful or things which are very trivial) is the same as associating with a prostitute. Such talk distracts the mind and contaminates the consciousness, and thus creates a great obstacle to devotional service. You should know that those who are attached to such talk will automatically be uninterested in hari-katha. If five ordinary people get together, then invariably they will talk about trivial things. This is why devotees constantly talk about the Supreme Lord. Where there is hari-katha, no one gets a chance to gossip or talk about trivial things.

December 26, 1935 Published in The Harmonist (Sree Sajjanatoshani) Q: -- Your Holiness, kindly enlighten me about the different aspects of human pursuits. A: -- In India as in Europe we find people holding different views, but here we have attempted to classify them into three divisions. One class of people are seekers of fruits of their action. Another class wish to annihilate their individuality. And the third class want, in their true selves as absolute infintesimals, to be in touch with the Absolute Infinity, rejecting all non-absolute features. We belong to the third party. The seekers of fruits by means of their actions are called Karmakandins in the Sanskrit language. The Christian way of thinking about life is included in Karmakanda. In India we have also that sort of idea, that a person is to be judged by his action. He gets something in return as a reward for his pious deeds. Virtue and piety are the main principles that are wanted by such doers. Most people understand this common view, which holds that what I do will be either rewarded or reprimanded. We think that we should live a pious life in order that we may be rewarded in our next life with all sorts of enjoyments. We have got subtle bodies in which we are rewarded or punished. That body is not exactly similar to the ordinary gross body, the mortal coil which we see here. Egyptians thought that they have but one life and that they should have no occasions to bear future lives. But persons who to the theory of metempsychosis think that they will have future lives when they can make up for the nefarious acts done both in their present lives and in their past lives, and receive grace from the great dispenser of justice. They are fruit-seekers. They want to gratify their senses. There are persons who hanker after knowledge. They went [sic] to secure knowledge by the empiric method. To them annihilation is the final goal. They think they should merge in the Integer, the Absolute, and that all the undesirable situations of this world will end with this merging. In that case observer, observation and observed, these three situations are eliminated. When all the activities of the senses such as hearing, tasting, smelling, seeing and touching will cease, the observer, observation and the observed will mix up together and there will be no occasion for knowing, willing or feeling. All volitional, cogitational and emotional activities should cease, because they have given us a bitter experience; and so, according to the empiricists, in order to make an end of them, it would be better for us not to think of anything which will respond to our senses. This idea is formulated by theorists like pantheists, agnostics, and sceptics. These people think that they will be able to secure happiness by destroying their identify. The third view is the theistic view. We believe that there is a Personality of God-head and that we are persons. We want our troublous situations to be eliminated and wish to reach a peaceful position where we can freely move and have everything, whatever we are in need of; and this has resulted in directing us to the Absolute Who is represented as a Personality. In the Absolute Personality we find three features: He is Ever-existent, He is ever full of knowledge and He is the Fountain-head of unceasing bliss. In Him there is no factor of time, no factor of ignorance. In Him there is no discrepancy, no defect, no inadequacy, nothing of the kind. In our conception of God, we hold He is the Emporium of all bliss, all knowledge, and no acts of nescience or ignorance are to be associated with Him, and we should not seek after any fruit for our worldly purpose, leaving Him aside. He need not give us anything. We are to serve Him as servitors, He being the only Lord. In this world we find that hundreds of absolute infinitesimals trouble themselves with the undesirable elements of these phenomena. If the undesirable elements are simply driven out, eliminated, then a desirable position can be had. But in the ordinary conception of heaven, we find that it is meant for our purpose, to get our wishes for enjoyment fulfilled, for our enjoyment apart from the enjoyment of the Absolute. The enjoyment of the Absolute is full, whereas our enjoyment is liable to be involved in some troubles. All these miserable situations should be avoided for the purpose of safety, for our peace. The eternal peace can only come if we are at all eager to engage ourselves in the service of the Lord, I mean, the Personality of God-head. God has got spiritual eyes, spiritual ears, spiritual nose, spiritual tongue, spiritual skin and spiritual mind; not material things like us. Our senses are made up of material things and there is no such element in God. God is the Emporium of all desirable elements. He is found to be eternally Existing, He is full of knowledge, He is Omniscient and He is All-blissful. He delegates His power to certain absolute infinitesimals, or, in other words, the absolute infinitesimals are endowed with such potencies which enable them to transact affairs with the Eternal Authority. Ordinarily we are placed in a region where all sorts of imperfections and undesirable situations are prominent, and we require that our bitter experience should devise some means to get rid of these unpleasant situations; the painful propensities must be kicked out from our activities. We should be prepared for the stage where we can realise our own real selves. We should not trouble ourselves here engaging ourselves in amusements and other things. It is necessary that some prudent, preparatory measures should be adopted during this life, that we should acquire the discretion to judge what is really desirable and making a thorough study of the revealed scriptures which have come to us, find out how we could ameliorate our conditions and give up the passionate desires that are engrossing such people as are busy with annihilating themselves or with fruit-seeking endeavours. The third party is known as Bhaktas or devotees who possess Bhakti which is the vehicular agent to carry us to the Absolute. It will act as the tie uniting the Personality of the Lord and our personalities. Our persons should be united with the Personality of God, and that Personality of God-head is purely spiritual and has no mundane reference. If we wish to know Him by any mundane reference that would be like trying to send rays from the retina to the sun. Just as we receive rays emanating from the self-luminous disc of the sun, so by the mercy of the Supreme Lord we will be able to know what He is, and after learning this, we will engage ourselves for His purpose. We will have nothing else to do in this world. We have got the only purpose of associating ourselves with the Spirit, with the Over-soul. When we leave this mortal coil, we will be engaged in some occupation or other, but we should not think that in the subtle bodies we will continue these conditions and have our enjoyment. This enjoyment is temporary and in the long run becomes the cause of binding us to grosser coils. But if we have any mind to engage ourselves with the Eternity, with All-knowledge, and One Who is devoid of ignorance and full of incessant Bliss, we must respond to His call, we should be participating with the Absolute and not with the non-absolute environment here. Our phenomenal existence is not at all sympathetic to our highest aspiration. Our so-called relatives show that they are very kind to us, but in the end we find that they too wish to draw something from us and at best have only some wordly motive. They are not kind to us in the best sense. We should not be dissuaded by their influence. We should have a stern will to give up all our passionate enjoying habits, as well as the inclination for self-annihilation which the empricists {sic] seek. The desire for annihilation as well as the tendency for enjoyment are to be sacrificed at the altar of devotion. They do wrong things. They enjoy instead of serving, and we want that we should be set free from all these wrong ideas of the speculative people of the world. We are aware of the history of civilisation for the last ten thousand years and we expect that when the world shall have run for some ten thousand years more some new troubles will arise and the human race will be destroyed by some influence which we cannot foretell now. So, the Absolute is to be enquired into, what He is, whether He is a human being, or whether He belongs to the lower creation, or whether He is of a stony character; whether the Absolute is neuter, masculine or feminine. Let us strive to acquaint ourselves with all these ideas and thoughts about the next world and the Absolute: whether the region of the Absolute has all sorts of manifestive phases, whether these phases are agreeable and free from invasion of wrong thoughts. So, if we want to wash off all our wrong conceptions we will have to surrender to the Absolute Infinity and then we shall be in touch with Him. We will have the opportunity of dove-tailing ourselves with Him and no other ideas and thoughts should dissuade us from having touch with the Absolute. If we can secure the tendency of love for the Absolute, we will be attracted by Him. He Himself is Love. We have no loving tendency, whereas He is full of love. We should try to meet the merciful strain by which He wants to attract us to Him, to His region where there is no defect, no disagreeable feature, no ignorance and no undesirable situation. We should go back there. We do not carry our bones and flesh there. The proprietor of these bones and flesh is to go there, leaving here all these dirty appurtenances for the enjoyment of jackals and dogs and those creatures of the lower creation who have no devotional motive at all, who do not want to come in touch with the Absolute Infinity. Most of the people of the globe are very busy with getting fruits, gratifying their senses by attending cinemas, driving motorcars and they are quite indifferent about serving those who can guide them to the Absolute region. All the undesirable situations which impeded our course are to be eliminated. The enjoying and empirical activities are obstructing our ways and we should try to drive them off. We should want that we should be in touch only with the Absolute. As devotees, we are always in touch with Him and never dissociated from Him. We want to serve Him. We want to regain our position. We need not pass our time just as ordinary people do. We should submit to the heaven-sent messenger and follow his dictations. Our philosophies and empirical knowledge will be of no use to us. Our devotion should not be directed towards dogs, horses, men and women and other object of worldly phenomena. We need not serve such things. We should be determined to come in touch with the Absolute Who is very different from the non-absolute phenomena. Any person or thing that serves the Personality of God, should be treated in a friendly manner. And if any persons or thing proves hostile in the cause of His service, we should leave that off. We should not try to understand the spiritual plane from the material standpoint.

He is Here (Part1) by Sangita devi dasi I first met Srila Prabhupada's devotees in 1969 in San Francisco. By Srila Prabhupada's grace I was taken to the temple. I was fourteen years old, and I did not take to it at the time. I was too involved in enjoying my teenage years. But Srila Prabhupada never gave up on me. We may think that we find our spiritual master, but actually the spiritual master comes and finds us. Srila Prabhupada made so many arrangements. A year later I met the devotees again in Philadelphia, and then in 1972, when I was sixteen, I moved away from my family. I wrote to Srila Prabhupada and asked him what I could do to serve him. When I look back at it now, I had no idea what I was really asking. He gave me some nice instruction, and I moved into the Los Angeles temple. I was initiated the following year, in 1973, at the age of seventeen. In those days they gave second initiation very quickly because they needed pujaris. So a few months later I became a pujari in Los Angeles. Eventually I was asked by Jayatirtha Prabhu to go to Hawaii to take care of Panca-tattva there. I could say that in Los Angeles as well as in Hawaii I was always in the right place at the right time, because I saw Srila Prabhupada many, many times. He spent so much time in Los Angeles, and when I moved to Hawaii he spent a month there, and later he visited Hawaii many times. There was no telling when you would walk around the temple grounds when he would suddenly appear, or come into the kitchen, for example, and ask what I was cooking for him. There were so many nice exchanges. I did not come early enough in the beginning of the movement to have the mercy that some of my Godsisters had when they traveled with him. But still, with Srila Prabhupada, it is like finding out what the taste of the ocean is. All you need to do is taste one drop and you know what the entire ocean tastes like. It is the same with Srila Prabhupada. You needed just one glance, one smile -- he did not have to say anything -- and you knew his mercy, his unlimited mercy. I can tell some stories. One time in Hawaii he was giving class. At that time he was taking his morning walks at the beach park, Ala Moana Beach Park, and that is when he made his famous statement about surfers, because there were surfboards on so many of the devotees' cars in the temple parking lot. And after he gave class all the devotees would hit the waves. So when Srila Prabhupada saw the surfers in the water at Ala Moana Beach Park, surfing in the waves, he made that famous statement: "You call them surfers. I call them sufferers." And then he added, "They will all take birth as fish." So when everyone came back from this morning walk and told the other devotees, the next day there were quite a few empty cars without surfboards! One thing that happened during that visit was that Srila Prabhupada called a big GBC meeting. Ambarisa Prabhu, still Bhakta Alfred Ford, had just donated the new temple in Hawaii, and as many of you know, it is quite a large mansion. It is a beautiful property with two acres of gardens. So Srila Prabhupada called all the GBCs to come, and he was taking his first walk around the grounds. The GBC men surrounded him wherever he went. I was just this young nineteen-year-old pujari girl, feeling very, very insignificant. That was my proper position. I remember sitting in class and praying to Srila Prabhupada, "If you just give me one look, just look at me one time, then my life will be fulfilled." I felt very unnoticed. I was very immature and needed some attention from Srila Prabhupada, so I prayed like this during class. "If you just look at me one time, my whole life will be complete." Then class ended and Srila Prabhupada got up from the vyasasana and all the GBCs and sannyasis were following him, singing "Jaya Prabhupada" walking out of the temple room. I had already gotten up and was near the doorway of the pujari room, so Srila Prabhupada had to pass by me as he was leaving, but I was several feet back in the pujari room. Srila Prabhupada stopped at the entrance, turned, and looked at me. He folded his hands, his eyes lit up, his face broke into a big smile, and he looked me right in the eyes and nodded as if he was pleased. That was the first time that I realized that Srila Prabhupada hears our prayers. The guru does hear us when we pray. Even though it was a few years after I had joined the movement, I would say that that was the moment that my spiritual life began -- when I realized that Srila Prabhupada is in the heart and that he does hear us. There is a special relationship. Over the years there were other incidents. I went back to Los Angeles, and we always just tried to get the mercy. We cleaned his room. We arranged the flowers for his vases. This was all while he was on his morning walk. The women were very encouraged because we had heard this one story that on a morning walk in India some of the sannyasis had been saying something about what the women's position in ISKCON should be. Srila Prabhupada just listened. While he was on his walk, his lady disciples had stayed behind and cleaned his entire room, made the vases, dressed the Deities, and cleaned the altar. When he returned from his walk and saw his lady disciples, he said to the sannyasis, "Yes, but if you associate with these women you will go back to Godhead." So we were very encouraged. He was always very sweet, but he especially gave his gentle, supportive mercy to his Goddaughters. He knew that we could not handle the other type of mercy. Anyway, I do not want to dwell so much on past stories, because after all Srila Prabhupada is still with us. That sounds almost cliché, but it is true that he is still here and that he is still guiding us and smiling when we accomplish something for him and make some advancement. And he chastises us in his own way when we fall. But he still always picks us up. We can stumble and fall, but he never lets us stay down too long.

by Sangita devi dasi __________________ I wanted to share one story, if I may, about something that happened just recently. Some of you know that I do hospice nursing. I take care of terminally ill devotees. In June I received a phone call from my Godbrother Gopavrindapala, whom I had not seen in twenty-five years. We had served together in the Los Angeles temple in the early '70s. We just lost touch. He was married to Mula Prakrti dasi, my Godsister, who was very famous for a lot of things. One of her great legacies was teaching the devotees how to distribute Srila Prabhupada's books. She opened up the Los Angeles airport, and she was one of the first to do big books in the airport. She pleased Srila Prabhupada very much with her service. So, in June I received a call from her husband, Gopa, and he told me that she was dying of cancer. He said that the doctor had given her one month to live and would I please come to Vrndavana and help her and care for her while she was dying. When something like this happens you just know that it is Srila Prabhupada wanting you to do this service. There is no other way to take it. Within a week I left and met them in Amsterdam, and I helped Gopa to get his wife to the dhama. It was not easy for him. It was emotional for him, but it was also very difficult physically to get her there. She was very, very sick. So, we got her to the dhama, and we were staying at MVT. You all know MVT. For two weeks we had nothing but hearing and chanting twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. So many devotees quickly rallied around her, and it was just so wonderful to see all the devotees cooperating and helping this one mataji leave her body. Immediately the women who lived there, my wonderful Godsisters, came and decorated her bedroom with so many nice posters of Deities. Radha Kunda dasi put a nicely framed painting of Srila Prabhupada over the head of the bed, and that became the focal point of the room and for the devotees when they entered the room. And for twenty-four hours there was nothing but hearing and chanting. Devotees took shifts. They would bring in a harp and other instruments and chant, and others would take shifts and read to her, and in between we had Srila Prabhupada's bhajanas playing constantly. I am telling the story because of this part. Right before she left her body she looked at me. She had not opened her eyes in two weeks, but she opened her eyes, and it was very clear communication. She could not speak. Her breathing was very, very difficult. For two days, forty-two hours, her lungs had been filling up with fluid, and she had that death rattle, as it is called. It is like a gargling. It was amazing that she could even open her eyes. She opened her eyes, and she was communicating something to me. She was air-hungry, and she was in anxiety because it was just so difficult for her to breathe. I turned to my Godsister Vrindavana Vilasini and said, "She is in so much anxiety. Please say something," because they had been close, dear friends for years. They used to do book distribution together. I knew that she would find a way to calm her down. So, Vrindavana Vilasini felt so inspired by Srila Prabhupada at that moment that she went close to Mula's ear and said, "Mula, just surrender and Srila Prabhupada will breathe for you." And immediately Mula Prakrti just calmed down, and she was focused again on Srila Prabhupada, because she had said just a week before . . . Everyone had been reading to her different pastimes of Krsna and Radharani, which were wonderful pastimes, but she said to me, "That is not my mood, Sangita." I asked, "What is your mood, Mula? Do you want to hear about Srila Prabhupada?" She replied, "Yes." And I asked, "Would it be okay if we read Srila Prabhupada-lilamrta to you?" And she agreed, "Nice," with this big smile, the famous Mula smile. Vrindavana Vilasini, our Godsister, knew exactly what to say at that moment: "Just surrender and Srila Prabhupada will breathe for you." Then we bathed her with Radha-kunda water. I just had this feeling that she was going leave within a few minutes, and I wanted her nicely prepared to greet Srila Prabhupada. For the last two weeks we had kept telling her, "When Srila Prabhupada is ready, he will come for you. You may think that you are ready, but he knows when you are ready. And when he is ready, he will come for you." So I just had this feeling that it was going to be that morning, because of her symptoms. Actually, the night before, I had prayed to the painting of Srila Prabhupada over her bed. The devotees were chanting in her room, and I prayed, "Srila Prabhupada, please come for her." And I just had this feeling; I knew that Srila Prabhupada was communicating to me, "You cannot summon me. You cannot summon me. When I am ready to come, I will come." So it taught me a lesson in patience as well. That morning I bathed her in Radha-kunda water and got her dressed, and we decided to sit her up so she could breathe more easily. We propped her up with pillows around her. I was listening with my stethoscope to hear her heartbeat, and her eyes started to roll back. I immediately said to her daughter, "Go get your father and your brothers. Go get them right now," because it looked like that time. There were maybe five women in the room. It was amazing how Krsna arranged that some of the devotees who were closest to her, who most wanted to be there at that time, were unable to be present. But this handful of women were able to be there and witness this great event. So, we do not know how we can plan for these things; in the end Krsna makes the arrangement who is there and who is not there to witness such a thing. Anyway, I was holding her up, and her daughter ran and got her father and one brother. I was chanting in her left ear the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, and Vrindavana Vilasini was chanting in her right ear. Her husband walked in, and when he saw her condition he immediately rose to the occasion to perform his last duties as her husband. He was amazing. At that moment he detached himself materially and knew just what to do for her spiritually. He had a silver tray already prepared with auspicious items. He placed tulasi and caranamrta in her mouth. I said, "Gopa, we need Vrndavana dust." He handed it to me, and I sprinkled some in her mouth. Her mouth opened and quivered, which is an auspicious sign that she was going back to Godhead, and you could just feel the presence of Srila Prabhupada in that room. We had said to her, "Srila Prabhupada will come for you when he is ready." Those words will always stay with me; I do not think I really understood what I had been saying until that moment. Srila Prabhupada came for her. You could feel his presence in the room. In fact, I felt that the room was very crowded. There was so much going on at the same time -- holding her up and trying to hear her heartbeat and feel her pulse and at the same time chanting in her ear -- it just seemed like the room was very, very crowded with many great personalities hovering above. It was very crowded. It is hard to explain. I looked up for a moment from all the things that I was doing and saw only a handful of women at the foot of her bed, but there were great personalities there to help her on her journey. And Srila Prabhupada was definitely there. There was no doubt that he came for her. It was a glorious moment. It felt as if the room had opened up, as if the whole sky, the material sky, had opened up for this one jiva to leave this material world and go back to Godhead. We were all crying because of course we would miss her personally, but we understood that there was this great kirtana going on, on the other side -- in Krsnaloka there was this amazing party happening -- and that Srila Prabhupada was there in his true form. She was so fortunate that she was getting to see Srila Prabhupada in his spiritual form and that he was reintroducing her to Radha and Krsna. So it gave us some solace at that moment. We were crying and laughing and crying and laughing. The emotions were just running. It was such a transcendental event. It was Srila Prabhupada's lila, and I felt extremely grateful to Srila Prabhupada for allowing me to take part in it. Anyway, I mainly wanted to share that story, not to dwell so much on other stories from the '70s, because it is so clear that Srila Prabhupada is still with us. Srila Prabhupada once told Indradyumna Swami that when we go back to Godhead, "I stand in the middle, and Krsna is on one side of me, and you are on the other side of me, and I take Krsna's hand, and I take your hand, and I join them together." So this is going home, back to Godhead. And I just want to encourage everyone that if we just continue with this process, continue to follow Srila Prabhupada's instructions, continue to just hang in there through the trials and tribulations, Srila Prabhupada will give us strength to get through it. He will give us the words when we need them. He is everything. His mercy is all that we are. So, when we relate to each other we can understand, "You are also Vaisnava. Please accept my obeisances. You are representing Srila Prabhupada as well. Everyone is a representative of Srila Prabhupada if they are following his instructions." I do not want to speak of Srila Prabhupada as being only in the past, and I get very disturbed when I hear devotees speaking of "when he was here." He is here. He is here. Of course, we miss his personal association. That is what makes this a very bittersweet day. We miss his personal association tremendously, and that will always be there. I cannot believe that it has been all these years, because I remember the moment that I heard he left the planet. I immediately thought, "What is going to happen to me?" Because I was so selfish, I thought, "What is going to happen to me?" Then I thought, "What is going to happen to ISKCON now that he is not here?" Now after all these years I am asking different questions. I am asking, "Srila Prabhupada, please tell me what I can do for you for the last part of my life." This is like the sprint at the end of the race, and I just pray to him all the time. He has given me a mission in Vrndavana, and for that I am extremely grateful. I do not know what else to say. Srila Prabhupada is here, he is with us, and he gives us guidance. Please have faith and pray to him, because he did not go anywhere. He is still with us spiritually. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. Sangita devi dasi (Author and President, Vaisnavas Care)

Words From Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura 1. We are put to test and trial in this world. Only those who attend the kirtana of the devotees can succeed. 2. Every spot on earth where discourses on God are held is a place of pilgrimage. 3. Possession of objects not related to Krsna is our main malady. 4. Let me not desire anything but the highest good for my worst enemies. 5. As dalliance with the body in luxury increases, so wanes the spirit of service of the Lord. 6. Those favored by God find their paths set by thorns. 7. There is no peace or happiness in our worldly life. Circumstances create turmoil and annoyance. 8. Chant the mahamantra loudly and with attachment. This will drive away inertia, worldly evils and pests. 9. Be indifferent to bazaar gossip, stick firmly to your cherished goals, no lack or impediments of the world will ever stand in your way. 10. Pay due respects to the extroverts of the world, but do not be appreciative of their manners and conduct. They are to be shaken off from your mind. 11. A devotee feels the presence of God everywhere, but one averse to the Lord denies His existence anywhere. 12. You cannot appreciate transcendental matters with the reasoning of the world. It is sheer nonsense to decry them with the measuring stick of your intellect. 13. To recite the name of Sri Krsna is bhakti. 14. Life is for the glorification of topics on Hari. If that is stopped, then what need is there to carry on life. 15. Physical illness with Hari-bhajana is preferred to physical fitness without Hari-bhajana. 16. Our span of life on earth is short. Our life will be crowned with success if the body wears out with constant discourses on Hari. 17. We are here on earth not to work as artisans for making big buildings with wood and stone but to work only as messengers for the teachings of Sri Caitanya Deva. 18. A sycophant is neither a guru or a preacher. 19. To transform the adverse desires of the jivas is the supreme duty of the most merciful. To rescue one person from the stronghold of Mahamaya is an act of superb benevolence, far superior to opening innumerable hospitals. 20. Unless we are devoted to God, secularism shall not leave us. 21. Look within. Amend yourself, rather than pry into the frailities of others. 22. In this world of Maya, averse to the Lord, full of trials and tribulations, only patience, humility and respect for others are our friends for Hari-bhajana. 23. The Lord, Gaurasundara, puts His devotees in various difficulties and associations to test their patience and strength of mind. Success depends on their good fortune. 24. When faults in others misguide and delude you - have patience, introspect, find faults in yourself. Know that others cannot harm you unless you harm yourself. 25. I wish that every selfless, tender-hearted person of Gaudiya Math will be prepared to shed two hundred gallons of blood for the nourishmentof the spiritual corpus of every individual of this world.

I wish that every selfless, tender-hearted person of Gaudiya Math will be prepared to shed two hundred gallons of blood for the nourishment of the spiritual corpus of every individual of this world. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Thakura

Q: -- I have truly been astonished to hear from your Holiness these mysteries of the Vaishnava Philosophy and their scientific analysis with the most reasonable arguments. I could not even think before that there are in the Vaishnava Philosophy such excellent solution, corroboration and elucidation of the problems of Indian Philosophy. A: -- The Vaishnava Philosophy has spoken about true wisdom. True wisdom is not subject to an attack from any rival camp like the changeable and fluctuating knowledge of the empiricists; this is the special feature of the Vaishnava Philosophy. The philosophies that have been, are being and will be built on the foundation of empiricism will be abandoned, enlarged and altered along with the increase and decrease of experience. Before the civilization five-thousand years old, the three-thousand year old civilisation is imperfect; and the seven-thousand year old one is more enlarged; and in ten thousand years it will be still further changed and enlarged. The Vaishnava Philosophy built, as it is, upon the strong unalterable foundation, of true and perfect wisdom is not fit for change and reformation through scuffling and disputes even like the foot-ball being kicked to and fro. The Shrimad Bhagavatam which is the essence of the Vedas and Vedantas speaks of the real Truth. This scripture describes something which is beyond the regions of human civilisation and all the rules and regulations of society, and speaks about the attainment of another or spiritual body by the soul. Some empiricists of the inductive school do not recognize this change of body for the soul. There are others who try to prove such a change by various mundane reasonings. Some of them cite the example of the tendency of a newly born monkey to grasp the branch of a tree, or that of a new-born rhinoceros to fly away from the mother, considering which, they say, every one must have to admit the previous life of creatures and cannot disbelieve the transmigration of souls. As a baby-rhinoceros is born, it runs away from the mother lest the mother should lick its skin. Her tongue is so sharp that the bark of a tree licked by her is removed. The baby comes to the mother only when its hide gets hardened in the course of a few days. Seeing these, the empiricists realise that this habit of the baby rhinoceros is indicative of its previous birth. The Vedic scriptures, however, have given a scrutinising analysis of the mutual difference of the soul, the mind and the body as the atomic sentience, pseudo-sentience and matter. The soul (atma) is the owner of the body and the mind. These two are the properties of the soul which again is the property of the Supra-soul (paramatma). The Supra-soul is the casual sentience and the soul (jivatma) is the effectual sentience. The soul has two bodies or distinguishing properties; one is the subtle one or mind and the other the crude one i.e., material body. The outer body is the aggregate of atoms of the five elements of matter; the inner or mental body is the conductor of the outer body. The soul in its conditioned or bound state is connected with foreign properties through the mind. The soul is now asleep and inattentive to the service of the Supra-soul. Seeing the owner asleep, the subordinate workers, mind and body, are busy about their mean self-interest, instead of looking after the interest of their owner. All the universe, animate and inanimate, is included within the Supra-Soul; in reality every creation is animate. Our scriptures have proved this since time immemorial. Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose has proved, even by the inductive process, before the empiric school, that there exists animation even within grass shrubs, creepers, etc.

A HUMBLE REQUEST Devotee: Sometimes when we go to the temples they ask us to give sankirtana class on book distribution techniques. We tell them that before you can take any techniques, first you must follow the principles and study the books. Prabhupäda: Yes. That is real technique. Our only technique is to be very devout followers of the rules and regulations. Devotee: Sometimes we defeat someone by our preaching, and we show them they should take the book, but still they don’t take. But if we call them a fool and point out to them how they are foolish, they become offended. So rather than that, we just very humbly ask... Prabhupäda: Yes, yes. We know that he is a fool, but we have to present in a different way. We shall say that “There is nobody as learned as you are.” Then you say humbly, “My only humble request is that whatever you have learned, please forget. Now you try to understand Caitanya Mahäprabhu. That’s all.” This is the different way of saying, “Whatever you have learned is all rubbish.” We simply say, “Kindly forget all this. Now you turn your attention to Caitanya Mahäprabhu.” This is the way Prabhodänanda Sarasvati taught us. Flatter him like anything, falling down at his feet and become humble. “Sir, I have got one request.” “What is that?” “You are very learned scholar. But kindly forget that, and try to turn your attention to Caitanya Mahäprabhu.” He will not be angry. Then if he turns his attention to Caitanya Mahäprabhu, naturally he will forget all rubbish things. Devotee: We’ve been trying more and more to make our techniques of distribution more honest and straightforward, not to cheat as much as some of the methods in the past. Prabhupäda: Sometimes we have to say things that are very pleasing to him, but our business is that let him take this medicine. That is tactics, not cheating. The instruction of Rüpa Gosvami is, “Somehow or other, let everyone be Krsna conscious.” That is the main business. We are not meant for cheating, but to lead one to Krsna consciousness we may say something flattering sometimes. That is not cheating. Devotee: Sometimes the devotees question, if they were pure, then they could get everyone to take a big book. It’s simply our fault that we’re not pure enough that we can’t get everyone to take a big book... Prabhupäda: Well, that is also a devotional attitude. Just like Caitanya Mahäprabhu said, “I do not love Krsna. If I would have loved Him, then I would have died without His presence. But I am living now. Therefore I have no love for Krsna.” This is another thing. One who is too much addicted to the service of Krsna is very good sign... (Conversation with Srila Prabhupada 3/2/1975)

Eulogy of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura (The Harmonist, Dec. 1931, vol. XXIX No. 6) It is not empiric wisdom that is the object of quest of the devotee. Those who read the scriptures for gathering empiric wisdom will be pursuing the wild goose chase... The mutual admiration society of dupes does not escape, by the mere weight of their number, the misfortunes due to the deliberate pursuit of the wrong course in accordance with the suggestions of our lower selves... Thakura Bhaktivinoda is acknowledged by all his sincere followers as possessing the powers of the pure devotee of Godhead. His words have to be received from the lips of a pure devotee. If his words are listened from the lips of a non-devotee they will certainly deceive. If his works are studied in the light of one's own worldly experience their meaning will refuse to disclose itself to such readers. His works belong to the class of the eternal revealed literature of the world and must be approached for their right understanding through their exposition by the pure devotee. If no help from the pure devotee is sought, the works of Thakura Bhaktivinoda will be grossly misunderstood by their readers. The attentive reader of those works will find that he is always directed to throw himself upon the mercy of the pure devotee if he is not to remain unwarrantably self-satisfied by the deluding results of his wrong method of study. The writings of Thakura Bhaktivinoda are valuable because they demolish all empiric objections against accepting the only method of approaching the Absolute in the right way. They cannot and were never intended to give access to the Absolute without help from the pure devotee of Krishna. They direct the sincere enquirer of the truth, as all the revealed scriptures do, to the pure devotee of Krishna to learn about Him by submitting to listen with an open mind to the transcendental sound appearing on his lips. Before we open any of the books penned by Thakura Bhaktivinoda, we should do well to reflect a little on the attitude which serves as the indispensable prerequisite to approach its study. It is by neglecting to remember this fundamental principle that the empiric pedants find themselves so hopelessly puzzled in their vain endeavor to reconcile the statements of the different texts of the scriptures. The same difficulty is already in process of overtaking many of the so-called followers of Thakura Bhaktivinoda and for the same reason...

A: -- One-sided and biased critics may understand absolute monism by the term Indian Vedantism, but those who are impartial and who judge things from all angles of vision, find the transcendental personality of God-head as the settled conclusion of the Vedantic doctrine. The theory of non-distinction has been wrongly preached as propounded in the Vedanta, before a world which is averse to God, being disguised with the imperfect, partial and distorted conception of the Vedanta Philosophy of India which is the universal reality. In reality the doctrine of personality of God-head is the proper conclusion of the Vedanta and that is the true interpretation of the Vedanta by the unbiased learned scholars. The unique and genuine interpretation of the Vedanta, as contained in the Shrimad Bhagavatam, points at the true Vedantic doctrine. Shri Vyasadeva, the compiler of the Vedanta-sutras, has himself as commentator elucidated the true meaning of the Sutras or aphorisms compiled by him, in the Shrimad Bhagavatam which reveals their intrinsic import which equalises all sides, reconciles all diversities and is beyond all sectarian conflicts created by various professors of empiric knowledge, who give different shapes to the Vedanta in their laboratories of mental researches. It is only they that secure the true Vedantic principles from the Shrimad Bhagavatam who can save themselves from the danger of falling into the ditches of various imaginary principles and wrong sectarianism. To be brief, the difference between the followers of Mayavada, or absolute-monism and the Vaishnava Vedantics is that the former have a bias for the idea of Nirvisesha or non-distinction, whereas the latter accept the eternality of Personal God-head. The monists are atheists in disguise; on the other hand the Vaishnavas are sincere theists; the former are followers of the method of induction i.e. the process of reasoning from particular data to a general one, and the latter are followers of the deductive method of reasoning by which we arrive at the necessary consequences of admitted or established premises; i.e. a monist is inimical towards self-surrender to God, while a Vaishnava is inclined towards it. Most of the intelligentsia of the present day India are empiricists and as such, more or less, supporters of the Mayavada of the monists. Acharya Shankara has extensively propagated this Mayavada by dint of his exceeding intelligence and thus been able to captivate men's minds. The supporters of Savisesha-vada, the doctrine of eternity of personal Godhead, are known as Vaishnavas or theists. We shall call any persons of any country and any era as Vaishnavas or theists to the same extent that this Saviseshavada is found in them. We think that the noble Jesus propagated Saviseshavada, as Acharyas Shri Visnuswami, Shri Ramanuja, Shri Madhva, Shri Nimbarka, etc., did in India. The Saviseshavada as propagated by all the teachers of the world, more or less, found perfection in the preachings of the different Indian Acharyas, which have attained the climax of mutual reconciliation of all souls of pure knowledge distinct from matter. This Savisesha is the conclusion of Mahaprabhu Shri Krishna Chaitanya Dev, Who, though God Himself, played the part of a Supra-human Professor of the University of Nadia.