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Bhakti Vriksha Lessons for

Members

Sri Guru Charana Ashraya

Bhakti Vriksha Lessons for Members – Sri Guru Charana Ashraya

1 | P a g e I S K C O N N e w R a j a p u r J a g a n n a t h a D h a m , B e n g a l u r u

Contents

The Transcendental Gardeners…………………………………………………………………………………..2

Preface……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….4

Lessons………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………5 46. Five angas of bhakti and importance of holy dham ....................................................................................... 6 47. Sadhu Sanga (continuation of five angas of bhakti) .................................................................................... 11 48. Discussion of sastras (continuation of five angas of bhakti) ....................................................................... 13 49. Deity Worship (continuation of five angas of bhakti) ................................................................................. 15 50. Chanting of the Holy names (continuation of five angas of bhakti) ............................................................ 21 51. Nama Aparadha (Chanting with offences) .................................................................................................. 23 52. Protection of bhakti lata ............................................................................................................................. 26 53. Vyuha 7 - Japa Workshop ........................................................................................................................... 31 54. Vaisnava aparadha – part 1 ......................................................................................................................... 32 55. Vaisnava aparadha – part 2 ......................................................................................................................... 34 56. Dealings amongst devotees ......................................................................................................................... 36 57. Vyuha 8 – Vaisnava etiquette ..................................................................................................................... 38 58. Varna .......................................................................................................................................................... 39 59. Asrama ....................................................................................................................................................... 41 60. Vyuha 9 – Seminar on Grhasta / Brahmacari ashrama ................................................................................ 44

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Bhakti VrikshaLessons for Members – Guru Charana Ashraya


The Transcendental Gardeners

Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu says to all the people of the world

ekalä mäläkära ämi kähäì kähäì yäba ekalä vä kata phala päòiyä viläba (CC Adi lila 9.34)

ataeva ämi äjïä diluì sabäkäre yähäì tähäì prema-phala deha’ yäre täre (CC Adi lila 9.36)

ataeva saba phala deha’ yäre täre khäiyä ha-uk loka ajara amare (CC Adi lila 9.39)

“I am the only gardener. How many places can I go? How many fruits can I pick and distribute? Therefore I order every man within this universe to accept this Kåñëa consciousness movement and distribute it everywhere. Distribute this Kåñëa consciousness movement all over the world. Let people eat these fruits and ultimately become free from old age and death.”

Suno suno Nityananda, suno haridasa, Sarvatra amara ajna koroha prakasa, Prati ghare ghare giya koro ei bhiksa,

Bolo Krsna, bhaja Krsna, koro Krsna siksa (Caitanya Bhagavata Madhya-lila 13.8-9)

“O hear Me, hear Me Nityananda! Hear Me Haridasa! Simply disseminate My order everywhere. Go from house to house and beg the residents as follows: Speak about Krsna, worship Krsna and teach others about Krsna.” In Sri Godruma-Kalpatavi, Bhakti Vinoda Thakura, one of the pioneering acaryas of our parampara, describes the structure of the Nama Hatta. The spirit of his endeavor exactly matched the mood of Lord Nityananda, who was personally ordered by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Thakura established over five-hundred Nama Hatta sangas (associations).

Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati instructed his disciples to broadcast the glories of Sridham Mayapur and Navadvip parikrama, to print books and establish Nama Hatta. Of these three activities, brhad mridanga, or the massive distribution of books has been considered the primary method of expansion. But nowadays with ninety-eight percent or more of our devotees being congregational members, Nama Hatta is more relevant to ISKCON today than it was at the beginning of our movement.

In a letter Srila Prabhupada appreciates home preaching, “Your home to home preaching is very good. The important thing is to make arrangements that they hear and chant. That will make your preaching successful. Once they begin chanting then automatically they will want to follow the rules and regulations, attend arati, take prasadam, etc.” (Letter to Tusta Krsna Maharaja, 9th January, 1976)

In the introduction to the translation of Sri Godruma Kalpatavi HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja says that, “In this modern age it is most practical to apply the Nama Hatta form of preaching - cultivating people through small groups formed of the congregation. Nama Hatta groups can begin anywhere, without restrictions, whereas in a temple there are so many restrictions, not only spiritual but also material, in the sense that so many expenses must be met.

Today we have different kinds of Nama Hatta programs, such as counsellor groups, Bhakti Vrikshas and various other groups, all of which are included in the broad category of the Nama Hatta.”



Implementation of Nama hatta for the present time in the form of Bhakti Vriksha was introduced by HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja. The Bhakti Vriksha program’s structure follows the same format as Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s Nama Hatta organization, adapted for the current times.

Inspired by Srila Prabhupada and HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja a team of devotees in ISKCON New Rajapur Jagannatha Dham (NRJD), Bengaluru have made an insignificant attempt in compiling these lessons for the benefit of the devotee community.

These lessons have been compiled to help the Bhakti Vriksha sevaks to help their members to systematically advance spiritually.

Devotees who have any queries, suggestions or would like to seek any clarification on this Bhakti Vriksha Lessons for Members or congregational preaching may reach out to us on [email protected].

Your servants,

Caitanya Avatari Das and Rasamayi Devi Dasi

(On behalf of the Editorial team, ISKCON - NRJD, Bengaluru)

P.S.: If you are interested in successfully implementing Bhakti Vriksha in your Yatra / area please contact the Congregational Development Ministry (phone: +91 (3472) 245619, email: [email protected])



Preface

In the introduction to the Bhagavad Gita As It Is, Srila Prabhupada writes

tasmat sarveshu kaleshu mam anusmara yudhya ca mayy arpita-mano-buddhir mam evaishyasy asamsayah

“Therefore, Arjuna, you should always think of Me in the form of Krsna and at the same time carry out your prescribed duty of fighting. With your activities dedicated to Me and your mind and intelligence fixed on Me, you will attain Me without doubt.” (BG 8.7)

“He (Krsna) does not advise Arjuna simply to remember Him and give up his occupation. No, the Lord never suggests anything impractical. In this material world, in order to maintain the body one has to work. Human society is divided, according to work, into four divisions of social order – brahmana, kshatriya, vaishya and sudra. The brahmana class or intelligent class is working in one way, the kshatriya or administrative class is working in another way, and the mercantile class and the laborers are all tending to their specific duties. In the human society, whether one is a laborer, merchant, administrator or farmer, or even if one belongs to the highest class and is a literary man, a scientist or a theologian, he has to work in order to maintain his existence. The Lord therefore tells Arjuna that he need not give up his occupation, but while he is engaged in his occupation he should remember Krsna (mam anusmara) (BG 8.7). If he doesn’t practice remembering Krsna while he is struggling for existence, then it will not be possible for him to remember Krsna at the time of death. Lord Caitanya also advises this. Therefore we have to practice remembering the Lord always, twenty four hours a day, by chanting His names and moulding our life’s activities in such a way that we can remember Him always.”

The commitment level to practice Krsna consciousness varies depending upon the involvement of the practioner and also the help/guidance given by the Bhakti Vriksha sevak /Bhakti Vriksha sector sevak. Whatever may be the level of commitment Krsna Himself promises in the Bhagavad Gita, “There is no loss or diminution in this endeavor and even a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most fearful type of danger.” (BG 2.40)

In order to encourage the members to systematically advance spiritually, different shiksha-levels of commitment and standards of devotional service are recognized by ISKCON. These standards are prescribed for the devotees who are practicing Krsna consciousness from home . The shiksha program helps the congregational devotees to consolidate and increase their spiritual practises.

The different shiksha-levels of commitment and standards prescribed are:

Shraddhavan Krsna / Gauranga Sevak Krsna / Gauranga Sadhak Srila Prabhupada Ashraya Sri Guru Charana Ashraya Diksha



Lessons

Introduction

This is the Part 2 of the Bhakti Vriksha User Guide for Sri Guru Charana Ashraya Level. The Lessons along with ‘Sri Namamrta’ and ‘Preaching is the essence’ for Bhakti Vriksha sessions 46 to 61 are provided. The relevant lessons along with the ‘Sri Namamrta’ and ‘Preaching is the essence’ should be printed every week and shared with the participants during the weekly session. It is suggested that all the participants read through the lesson during the weekly program. Subsequent discussions and questions will be centered on the lesson. The Bhakti Vriksha sevak should moderate the discussions based on his advanced preparation and the lesson for the week.



46. Five angas of bhakti and importance of holy dham Practice means employing our senses in some particular type of work. Therefore devotional service in practice means utilizing our different sensory organs in service to Kåñëa. Some of the senses are meant for acquiring knowledge, and some are meant for executing the conclusions of our thinking, feeling and willing. So practice means employing both the mind and the senses in practical devotional service. This practice is not for developing something artificial. For example, a child learns or practices to walk. This walking is not unnatural. The walking capacity is there originally in the child, and simply by a little practice he walks very nicely. Similarly, devotional service to the Supreme Lord is the natural instinct of every living entity. Even uncivilized men like the aborigines offer their respectful obeisances to something wonderful exhibited by nature's law, and they appreciate that behind some wonderful exhibition or action there is something supreme. So this consciousness, though lying dormant in those who are materially contaminated, is found in every living entity. And, when purified, this is called Krsna consciousness. There are certain prescribed methods for employing our senses and mind in such a way that our dormant consciousness for loving Krsna will be invoked, as much as the child, with a little practice, can begin to walk. One who has no basic walking capacity cannot walk by practice. Similarly, Krsna consciousness cannot be aroused simply by practice. Actually there is no such practice. When we wish to develop our innate capacity for devotional service, there are certain processes which, by our accepting and executing them, will cause that dormant capacity to be invoked. Such practice is called sädhana-bhakti.(Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 2 page # 20) Rüpa Gosvämé has stated that five kinds of devotional activities—namely residing in Mathurä, worshiping the Deity of the Lord, reciting Srimad-Bhägavatam, serving a devotee and chanting the Hare Krsna mantra—are so potent that a small attachment for any one of these five items can arouse devotional ecstasy even in a neophyte. (Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 13 page # 109) We will now get into the details of one of the angas. Importance of Holy Dham

It is stated in the Puräëas, "Persons who attempt to visit the holy places of pilgrimage, like Våndävana, Mathurä or Dvärakä, are actually glorified. By such traveling activities, they can pass over the desert of material existence." In the Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya there is a statement about the benefit of visiting the temples of Lord Kåñëa. As we have explained previously, in Våndävana, Mathurä and Dvärakä the system is that all the devotees take advantage of visiting various temples situated in those holy places. It is stated in the Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya, "Persons who are impelled by pure devotional service in Kåñëa consciousness and who therefore go to see the Deities of Viñëu in the temple will surely get relief from entering again into the prison house of a mother's womb." The conditioned soul forgets the trouble of living within the mother's womb during birth, but it is a very painful and terrible experience. In order to make an escape from this material condition, one is advised to visit a temple of Viñëu with devotional consciousness. Then one can very easily get out of the miserable condition of material birth.(Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 9 page # 76) In the Padma Puräëa there is a statement about the importance of living at holy places like Mathurä or Dvärakä. It is stated there, "To travel to different places of pilgrimage means to attain emancipation from material bondage. This emancipation, however, is not the highest perfectional stage. After attaining this liberated stage, one has to become engaged in devotional service to the Lord. After attainment of the brahma-bhüta [SB 4.30.20] [liberation] stage, one can further advance to engagement in devotional service. So this attainment of transcendental loving devotional service to the Lord is the goal of life, and it can be achieved very easily for one who lives in Mathurä-maëòala even for a few seconds." It is further said, "Who is that person who will not agree to worship the land of Mathurä? Mathurä can deliver all the desires and ambitions of the fruitive workers and of the salvationists, who desire to become one with the Supreme Brahman. Certainly Mathurä will deliver the desires of the devotees, who simply aspire to be engaged in the devotional service of the Lord." In the Vedic literature it is also stated, "How wonderful it is that simply by residing in Mathurä even for one day, one can achieve a transcendental loving attitude toward the Supreme Personality of Godhead! This land of Mathurä must be more glorious than Vaikuëöha-dhäma, the kingdom of God!"(Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 12 page # 108) "Most fortunate is that land," say all the rsis, or sages. O brother! One who resides in the land of Navadvépa is greatly fortunate, for he obtains pure love for Kåñëa. Whosoever goes at any time to visit Navadvépa becomes freed from all offenses. Whatever a pilgrim obtains by wandering to all the holy places is obtained simply by remembering Çré Navadvépa. This all the scriptures sing. A person who simply sees Navadvépa gets the great fortune of love for Krsnabirth after birth. Even one who practices karma- or buddhi-yoga never again takes birth if he goes to Navadvépa. If a person wanders in Navadvépa, at every step he obtains the result of ten million horse



sacrifices. That too is stated in all the scriptures. if anyone resides there and chants his given mantra, that mantra becomes Lord Caitanya, and so he is easily delivered. What yogis obtain in other holy places after ten years of practice is obtained in Navadvépa by practicing for only three nights. The liberation obtained in other holy places by knowledge of Brahman is obtained simply by bathing in the Bhägérathé in Çrédhäma Navadvépa. The five types of liberation—achieving the same planet as the Lord, getting a form similar to that of the Lord, obtaining opulence equal to that of the Lord, getting direct association with the Lord, and merging into the Brahman effulgence—can be obtained in Navadvépa, even without one's knowledge, by those who desire such liberation. Falling at the feet of the pure devotees in Çré Navadvépa, material enjoyment and liberation always remain their maidservants. The devotees, however, beat these two and try to drive them away. But still these maidservants do not give up the lotus feet of the devotees and run away. What one obtains, O brother, in the seven holy places after one hundred years is obtained in Çré Navadvépa by residing there a single night. That Navadvépa-dhäma is the essence of all holy abodes. In the Kali-yuga the living entity can cross over the ocean of material life by taking shelter of Çré Navadvépa. The two fields of knowledge called taraka (crossing over the ocean of material existence) and paraka (obtaining the other side of that ocean) continuously serve the residents of Çré Navadvépa as a matter of ordinary course. Taking great pleasure, thus sings Bhaktivinoda, whose desire is the shade of the lotus feet of Lord Nityänanda and His eternal consort, Jahnava-devi. Thus ends the First Chapter of Çré Navadvépa-dhäma-mähätyma, entitled "The General Glories of Çré Navadvépa." Discovery 1.What is practical devotional service? 2. How is our dormant consciousness for loving Krsna evoked? 3. According to Rupa Gosvami what are the most potent devotional activities? 4. Why is it necessary to go on a pilgrimage to holy places? How does it differ from visit to other places? 5. Is being liberated from the material world the ultimate? Why? Why not? 6. What are the five types of liberation? Understanding 1. What is the result of doing any one of the five items of devotional service? 2. What are the practical ways of engaging in devotional service? 3. What is the benefit of visiting a Vishnu temple? 4. What are the glories of Mathura? 5. What is the mahatyma of Navadvip Dham? Application 1. Share your experience while executing any of the devotional activities? 2. Share your experience and realization of visiting a holy place of pilgrimage? Have you visited as a group

with devotees or alone? Is there any difference in your experience? SRI NAMAMRITA

In the spiritual atmosphere of Våndävana, one will automatically chant the holyname In India there are hundreds of sacred places of pilgrimage, of which Prayäga, Hardwar, Våndävana and Rämeçvaram are considered principal. After leaving his home, which was full of politics and diplomacy, Vidura wanted to purify himself by traveling to all the sacred places, which are so situated that anyone who goes there automatically becomes purified. This is especially true in Våndävana; any person may go there, and even if he is sinful he will at once contact an atmosphere of spiritual life and will automatically chant the names of Krishna and Rädhä. That we have actually seen and experienced. (SB 3.20.4)

PREACHING IS THE ESSENCE

One must constantly pray to the Lord for protection and the blessings to preach: Unless one is sufficiently protected by the Lord, he may fall down from his spiritual position; therefore one has to pray constantly to the Lord for protection and the blessing to carry out one's duty. Lord Caitanya also entrusted His missionary work to His devotees and assured them of His protection against the onslaught of material affection. The path of spiritual life is stated in the Vedas to be like the edge of a sharpened razor. A little inattentiveness may at once create havoc and bloodshed, but one who is a completely surrendered soul, always seeking protection from the Lord in the discharge of his entrusted duties, has no fear of falling into material contamination.(ÇB 3.9.24)



Handout 1 for Lesson 46 – Offences against the holy dham

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has listed ten offenses against the holy dhama that we must carefully avoid in order to derive the full benefit from our visit to or residence in the holy dhama.

1. To disrespect one’s spiritual master who reveals the dhama to the disciple. 2. To think that the holy dhama is temporary. 3. To commit violence towards any of the residents of the holy dhama or to any of the pilgrims who come

there, or to think that they are ordinary people (Srila Prabhupada writes, “All the inhabitants of Vrindavana are Vaisnavas. They are all auspicious because somehow or other they always chant the holy name of Krishna.” (CC Aadi 5.232, purport)

4. To perform mundane activities while living in the holy dhama. 5. To utilize the dhama for personal economic development by commercializing deity worship and

sankirtana in the holy dhama. 6. To think that the holy dhama belongs to a mundane country or province, such as Bengal; to think that the

Lord’s dhama is equal to a place connected with some demigod, or to attempt to measure the area of the holy dhama.

7. To commit sinful acts while residing in the holy dhama. 8. To consider Vrindavana-dhama as different from Navadvipa-dhama. 9. To blaspheme the sastras that assert the glorious position of the holy dhama 10. To be faithless and think that the glories of the dhama are imaginary.

Srila Prabhupada explained that the results of all devotional activities performed in the holy dhama are magnified a thousand times. Therefore, one can make rapid advancement if one lives offenselessy in the holy dhama. But if we commit offenses, the results of those offenses are also magnified one thousand times. Therefore, one is advised to carefully avoid committing any offenses in the holy dhama.



Handout 2 for Lesson 46 – Offences against the holy dham

Sri Navadvipa dhamamahatmya Chapter One General Glorification All glories to Lord Caitanya, the moon of Navadvipa and son of mother Saci! All glories to Nityananda Raya, the avadhuta! All glories to Sri Advaita Prabhu, the Supreme Lord! All glories to Sri Gadadhara and Srivasa Pandita! All glories to Navadvipa-dhama, the essence of all dhamas! And all glories to the residents of Navadvipa, the associates of Gauranga! Offering obeisances to the feet of all the devotees, I will now briefly describe Sri Navadvipa-dhama. Even the demigods headed by Lord Brahma do not know the unlimited glories of Navadvipa-mandala, so who can possibly describe that dhama fully? Since the thousand-mouthed Sesa cannot describe it completely, how can I, an insignificant living entity, do so? Even Lord Siva can find no end to the unlimited glories of Navadvipa-dhama. Nevertheless, the desire of Sri Caitanya is powerful, and according to His wish the devotees have given me an order. Therefore, by the mercy of the devotees, I hereby describe the glories of Nadia. There is one other topic I would like to mention. As it is a confidential matter, I hesitate to disclose it. But on the other hand, I cannot resist telling it, for Lord Caitanya instructed His devotees to publicize the glories of His pastimes and abode after His disappearance. Though Sri Caitanya is the most concealed of all avataras, I know well that He is all in all. But because His confidential activities are described ambiguously in scripture, the non-devotees are unable to realize them. For a long time Mayadevi kept hidden the confidential scriptures that describe Lord Caitanya’s pastimes. These topics are described in both the unmanifest scriptures, which are scattered here and there, as well as in the manifest scriptures. Maya kept all these scriptures hidden from view by covering the eyes of the scholars. After Gauranga completed His pastimes on earth, however, His obedient servant Mayadevi, understood the desire of the Lord, She lifted the veil of illusion from the eyes of the living entities and revealed the true nature of Sri Gauranga within this material universe. Thus the hidden meaning in the scriptures became easily revealed, and the arguments inhibiting understanding Lord Caitanya were dispelled. It was the all-merciful Nityananda Prabhu who revealed the truth about Gauranga in the hearts of the living entities. On His command, Maya pulled away the covering so that the pure devotee scholars could receive this precious treasure of the scriptures. If one remains doubtful in spite of the scriptural evidence, he is most unfortunate and useless. Why should he continue living? When Nityananda Prabhu distributed the mercy, the fortunate living entities accepted and reached the perfection of happiness. Everyone should know the symptoms of the unfortunate living entity as well; it is he who is overconfident of the power of his own intelligence. Such a person rejects the mercy of the Lord and by the force of false logic he falls repeatedly into the pit of illusion. “Come, spirit souls of Kali-yuga! Give up this hypocracy and just accept the pure ecstatic love of Sri Gauranga!” In this way Nityananda Prabhu would call out again and again. But still the unfortunate living entities did not accept. Now let us consider carefully why these people do not accept such wonderful love of God. In pursuit of happiness, living entities in the material world follow various processes, such as logic or mystic yoga. And, in quest of happiness, some give up the material world and go to the forest, while kings constantly wage wars amongst themselves. Desiring happiness, others rn after women and wealth, while others take to arts and sciences. In pursuit of happiness others reject happiness and learn to tolerate the miseries of life, and still others drown themselves in the ocean. Raising His lotus hands in the air, Lord Nityananda exclaims, “Come living entities! Give up the troubles of karma and jnana, since you are endeavoring for happiness, I will give you happiness without asking anything



in exchange. In this happiness there is no trouble, loss or pain, Just chant the name of Gauranga and dance without anxiety. There is nothing equal to the happiness that I am giving. That happiness is pure, eternal ecstasy – beyond all illusion!” In this way, Nityananda Prabhu begged everyone to take pure ecstatic love. Still, unfortunate persons, influenced by previous sinful activities, did not even want it. But if such persons chant even once the names of Gauranga and Nitai, the effects of unlimited, sinful activities are destroyed. Listen, everyone, to one more confidential topic. The most suitable thing for the souls of Kali yuga is this treasure of Gauranga-lila. Gaurahari is the combined form of Radha and Krsna, who eternally enjoy pastimes in Vrndavana along with the sakhis. The truth of Radha and Krsna’s eternal pastimes and the glories of Vraja-dhama are known by everyone through the scriptures. And the unlimited glories of Krsna’s name and abode are known through the scriptures by people all over the universe. But still, actually obtaining Krsna-prema is not at all common. Let us contemplate the reason why. Herein lies the secret of secrets which the living entities bound by Maya cannot discern. One who does not attain love of God after worshiping Krsna birth after birth has certainly committed heaps of offenses. For only by chanting Krsna’s name without offenses can one attain incessant Krsna-prema. Sri Caitanya’s incarnation, however, is most uncommon. By his mercy a serious person, though filled with offenses, can quickly obtain love of God. When someone calls out the names of Nitai and Caitanya, Krsna-prema comes looking for him. Offenses do not hinder his progress, and he soon sheds tears of ecstasy out of pure love of God. By the mercy of Lord Caitanya, all the offenses quickly flee away, the heart becomes pure, and love of God fully blossoms. Because people in Kali-yuga commit unlimited offenses, which are difficult to check, there can be no means of deliverance other than Gauranga’s name. Therefore, in Kali yuga, I see no alternative to Sri Guranga. This is also the proclamation of the scriptures. As Sri Gaurachandra appeared in Navadvipa, it is therefore the crest jewel of all holy places. Offenders are the object of punishment at other holy pilgrimage places, but in Navadvipa dhama they are purified. The example is the two brothers Jagai and Madhai, who committed great offenses, yet still received Nitai and Gaura. What to speak of other places, at Vrindavana the offenders are punished. But a person who has committed hundreds of offenses can easily receive the mercy of Nityananda Prabhu and overcome those offenses in Navadvipa-dhama. For this reason, sages endlessly praise Navadvipa of Gaura-mandala. He who lives in Navadvipa- dhama is very fortunate, for he achieves attraction for Krsna. He who happens to go there becomes freed from all offenses. What one attains by travelling to all the holy places is attained just by remembering Navadvipa. In this way the scriptures sing. He who sees Navadvipa-dhama gets ecstatic love of Krsna birth after birth. The sastras say that one who walks around Navadvipa attains the fruit of millions of asvamedha yajnas at every step. And one who lives in Navadvipa and chants mantras obtains the sound of Caitanya as his mantra and easily gets free from maya. What yogis obtain after ten years at that tirthas is obtained in three nights at Navadvipa. That liberation attained by Brahman realization at other holy places is obtained simply by bathing in the Ganges at Navadvipa. Thus, all types of liberation – salokya, sarupya, sarsti, samipya and nirvana – can be obtained in Navadvipa without speculative practice. Falling at the feet of the pure devotees in Navadvipa, Bhukti and Mukti (personified material enjoyment and liberation) remain there as obedient servants. Not caring for their blessings, the devotees kick them aay, but still they do not leave the devotee’s feet. The fruits obtained by staying one hundred years at the holy cities can be attained by staying one night in Navadvipa-dhama. In conclusion, Navadvipa is the topmost tirtha. Taking shelter of it, the living entities can cross over Kali-yuga. At this place, taraka, the name of Rama, which gives liberation, and paraka, the name of Krsna, which gives prema, always serve the residents of the dhama. Aspiring for the shade of the lotus feet of Nitai and Jahnava Bhaktivinod thus sings in bliss. (Extract from Chapter 1 – Navadvipa dhama Mahatmya by Srila Bhaktivinod Thakura)



47. Sadhu Sanga (continuation of five angas of bhakti)

In the Padma Puräëa, there is a nice statement praising the service of the vaiñëavas, or devotees. In that scripture Lord Çiva tells Pärvaté, "My dear Pärvaté, there are different methods of worship, and out of all such methods the worship of the Supreme Person is considered to be the highest. But even higher than the worship of the Lord is the worship of the Lord's devotees."

A similar statement is in the Third Canto, Seventh Chapter, verse 19, of Srimad-Bhägavatam: "Let me become a sincere servant of the devotees, because by serving them one can achieve unalloyed devotional service unto the lotus feet of the Lord. The service of devotees diminishes all miserable material conditions and develops within one a deep devotional love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead."

In the Skanda Puräëa there is a similar statement: "Persons whose bodies are marked with tilaka, symbolizing the conchshell, wheel, club and lotus—and who keep the leaves of tulasé on their heads, and whose bodies are always decorated with gopé-candana—even seen once, can help the seer be relieved from all sinful activities."

A similar statement is found in the First Canto, Nineteenth Chapter, verse 33, of Srimad-Bhägavatam: "There is no doubt about one's becoming freed from all reactions to sinful activities after visiting a devotee or touching his lotus feet or giving him a sitting place. Even by remembering the activities of such a vaiñëava, one becomes purified, along with one's whole family. And what, then, can be said of rendering direct service to him?"

In the Ädi Puräëa there is the following statement by Lord KrsnaHimself, addressed to Arjuna: "My dear Pärtha, one who claims to be My devotee is not so. Only a person who claims to be the devotee of My devotee is actually My devotee." No one can approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead directly [CC. Madhya 13.80]. One must approach Him through His pure devotees. Therefore, in the system of vaiñëava activities, the first duty is to accept a devotee as spiritual master and then to render service unto him. Sri Rupa Goswami affirms that all the quotations given in the Bhaktirasamrta Sindhu from different scriptures are accepted by the great acaryas and devotees of the Lord.

(Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 12, page # 102)

The importance of discussing Çrémad-Bhägavatam in the society of pure devotees was explained by Çaunaka Muni during the meeting at Naimiñäraëya, in the presence of Süta Gosvämé. Süta Gosvämé confirmed that if someone is fortunate enough to associate with a pure devotee of the Lord even for a moment, that particular moment is so valuable that even those pious activities which can promote one to the heavenly planets or give liberation from material miseries cannot compare to it. In other words, those who are attached to Çrémad-Bhägavatam do not care for any kind of benefit derived from elevation to the higher planetary kingdoms, or for the liberation which is conceived of by the impersonalists. As such, the association of pure devotees is so transcendentally valuable that no kind of material happiness can compare to it.

In the Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya there is a conversation between Prahläda Mahäräja and his father, Hiraëyakaçipu, in which Hiraëyakaçipu addresses Prahläda in this way: "My dear son, association is very important. It acts just like a crystal stone, which will reflect anything which is put before it." Similarly, if we associate with the flowerlike devotees of the Lord, and if our hearts are crystal clear, then certainly the same action will be there. Another example given in this connection is that if a man is potent and if a woman is not diseased, then by their conjugation there will be conception. In the same way, if the recipient of spiritual knowledge and the deliverer of spiritual knowledge are sincere and bona fide, there will be good results.

(Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 12, page 106)

Discovery 1. Which is the highest kind of worship? 2. What is the result of rendering service to the devotees of the Lord?



Understanding

1. What is the effect of a moment’s association with a pure devotee? 2. How can one approach the Supreme Lord? 3. How is one influenced by association?

Application

How would you deal with a situation where a devotee is behaving in a manner not appropriate to Krsna consciousness?

SRI NAMAMRITA

By chanting the Hare Krsna mantra offenselessly in the association of devotees one becomes pure in heart and loses interest in everything external:

Simply by associating with a pure devotee, one becomes wonderfully advanced in Krsna Consciousness. Sädhu-saìga, or association with a devotee, means always engaging in Krsna Consciousness by chanting the Hare Krsna mantra and by acting for Kåñëa. Specifically, chanting the Hare Krsna mantra purifies one, and this chanting is therefore recommended by Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu. Ceto-darpaëa-märjanam: [Cc. Antya 20.12] by chanting the names of Kåñëa, the mirror of the heart is cleansed, and the devotee loses interest in everything external. When one is influenced by the external energy of the Lord, his heart is impure. When one's heart is not pure, he cannot see how things are related to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Idaà hi viçvaà bhagavän ivetaraù (S.B. 1.5.20). He whose heart is purified can see that the whole cosmic manifestation is but the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but he whose heart is contaminated sees things differently. Therefore by sat-saìga, or association with devotees, one becomes perfecly pure in heart.(SB 4.24.59)


For a preacher to have potency, he must be pure:

Our Krishna Consciousness movement is meant for this purpose. We want to create pure devotees so that other people will benefit by their association. In this way the number of pure devotees increases. Professional preachers cannot create pure devotees.... Only a pure devotee can convert others to pure devotional service. It is therefore important for all the preachers in our Krishna Consciousness movement to first become pure devotees and follow the regulative principles, refraining from illicit sex, meat-eating, gambling and intoxication. They should regularly chant the Hare Krishna mahä-mantra on their beads, follow the devotional process, rise early in the morning, attend maìgala-ärati and recite Srimad-Bhägavatam and Bhagavad-gita regularly. In this way, one can become purified and free from all material contamination.... To make a show of devotional service will not help one. One must be a pure devotee following the devotional process; then one can convert others to devotional service.... If a preacher behaves properly in devotional service, he will be able to convert others. Otherwise, his preaching will have no effect. (CC. Madhya 24.98)



48. Discussion of sastras (continuation of five angas of bhakti)

According to Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé, any book which gives enlightenment in the matter of advancing in devotional service is considered to be revealed scripture. Çréla Madhväcärya has also defined revealed scriptures as referring to books such as the Rämäyaëa, Mahäbhärata, Puräëas, Upaniñads, Vedänta—and any other literature written in pursuance of such revealed scriptures.

In the Skanda Puräëa there is this statement: "A person who is constantly engaged in reading literature enunciating the cultivation of Vaiñëava devotional service is always glorious in human society, and certainly Lord Kåñëa becomes pleased with him. A person who very carefully keeps such literature at home and offers respectful obeisances to it becomes freed from all sinful reactions and ultimately becomes worshipable by the demigods."

It is also said to Närada Muni, "My dear Närada, a person who writes Vaiñëava literature and keeps such literature at home has Lord Näräyaëa always residing in his house."

In Çrémad-Bhägavatam, Twelfth Canto, Thirteenth Chapter, verse 15, it is stated, "Çrémad-Bhägavatam is the essence of all Vedänta philosophy. Any person who has become attached in some way or other to the reading of Çrémad-Bhägavatam cannot have any taste for reading any other literature. In other words, a person who has relished the transcendental bliss of Çrémad-Bhägavatam cannot be satisfied with mundane writings."

Srimad-Bhägavatam is the desire tree of Vedic wisdom. Veda itself means "the aggregate of knowledge." And whatever knowledge is required for human society is perfectly presented in Srimad-Bhägavatam. There are different branches of knowledge in the Vedic writings, including sociology, politics, medicine and military art. All these and other branches of knowledge are perfectly described in the Vedas. So, as far as spiritual knowledge is concerned, that is also perfectly described there, and Srimad-Bhägavatam is considered to be the ripened fruit of this desire-fulfilling tree of the Vedas. A tree is honored by the production of its fruit. For example, a mango tree is considered very valuable because it produces the king of all fruits, the mango. When the mango fruit becomes ripened it is the greatest gift of that tree, and Srimad-Bhägavatam is similarly held to be the ripened fruit of the Vedic tree. And as ripened fruit becomes more relishable when first touched by the beak of a parrot, or çuka, Srimad-Bhägavatam has become more relishable by being delivered through the transcendental mouth of Çukadeva Gosvämé.

Srimad-Bhägavatam should be received in disciplic succession without any breakage. When a ripened fruit comes from the upper part of the tree onto the ground by the process of being handed down from a higher branch to a lower branch by persons in the tree, the fruit does not break. Srimad-Bhägavatam, when received in the paramparä system, or disciplic succession, will likewise remain unbroken. It is stated in Bhagavad-gita that the disciplic succession, or paramparä, is the way of receiving transcendental knowledge. Such knowledge must come down through the disciplic succession, through authorized persons who know the real purpose of the çästra.

Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu recommended that one learn Srimad-Bhägavatam from the mouth of the self-realized person called bhägavata. Bhägavata means "in relationship with the Personality of Godhead [Bhagavän]." So the devotee is sometimes called bhägavata, and the book which is in relationship with devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead is also called Bhägavatam. Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu recommended that, in order to relish the real taste of Srimad-Bhägavatam, one should take instruction from the person bhägavatam.

Çrémad-Bhägavatam is relishable even by a liberated person. Çukadeva Gosvämé admitted that although he was liberated from within the very womb of his mother, it was only after relishing Çrémad-Bhägavatam that he became a great devotee. Thus, one who is desirous of advancing in Kåñëa consciousness should relish the purport of Çrémad-Bhägavatam through the discussions of authorized devotees.

In Srimad-Bhägavatam, Second Canto, First Chapter, verse 9, Çukadeva Gosvämé admits that although he was very much attracted by the impersonal brahman, when he heard the transcendental pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead from the mouth of his father, Vyäsadeva, he became more attracted to Srimad-



Bhägavatam. The idea is that Vyäsadeva was also a self-realized soul, and his mature contribution of transcendental knowledge was delivered directly to Çukadeva Gosvämé in the manner indicated.

(Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 12 page # 104)

Discovery 1. What is a revealed scripture? 2. What is Veda? 3. Why is Srimad Bhagavatam said to be the ripened fruit of the desire fulfilling tree of the Vedas? 4. What does the word ‘bhagavatam’ mean?

Understanding 1. How can one please Lord Krsna 2. What happens if one is attached to reading Srimad Bhagavatam 3. Discuss the process of receiving transcendental knowledge. 4. Why should we hear from the person bhagavata? 5. How can one relish the Srimad Bhagavatam?

Application 1. Please share your experience on discussion of sastras. 2. What is your commitment to increase reading of the sastras?

SRI NAMAMRTA

In the Närada-païcarätra it is stated that all the Vedic rituals, mantras, and understanding are compressed into the eight words Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare. Similarly, in the Kali-santaraëa Upaniñad it is stated that these sixteen words, Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare/ Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare, are especially meant for counteracting the degrading and contaminating influence of this materialistic age of Kali.... The process of chanting is, therefore, not only the sublime method for practical perfection of life, but the authorized Vedic principle inaugurated by the greatest Vedic scholar and devotee, Lord Caitanya (whom we consider an incarnation of Kåñëa). We are simply following in His authorized footsteps.

- ¯The Science of Self−Realization chapter 3


The preacher should study and preach Bhagavad-gita:

Lord Caitanya has advised all His followers to go everywhere and preach the message of Lord Kåñëa. Since this message is essentially Bhagavad-gita, the preacher's duty is to study Bhagavad-gita as it is understood by disciplic succession and explained by great sages and learned devotees. One should speak to the general populace in accordance with one's predecessors—sädhu, guru and çästras. This simple process is the easiest method by which one can glorify the Lord.Srimad-Bhägavatam 4.16.3Preaching Caitanya Mahäprabhu's cult throughout the world is more important than staying in Våndävana or Jagannätha Puré for one's own personal satisfaction. Spreading Krishna Consciousness is Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu's mission; therefore His sincere devotees must carry out His desire.

(CC. Madhya 16.63-64)



49. Deity Worship (continuation of five angas of bhakti)

kleço 'dhikataras teñäm / avyaktäsakta-cetasäm avyaktä hi gatir duùkhaà / dehavadbhir aväpyate

TRANSLATION

For those whose minds are attached to the unmanifested, impersonal feature of the Supreme, advancement is very troublesome. To make progress in that discipline is always difficult for those who are embodied.

PURPORT

The bhakti-yogé accepts the deity of Krsna as worshipable because there is some bodily conception fixed in the mind, which can thus be applied. Of course, worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His form within the temple is not idol worship. There is evidence in the Vedic literature that worship may be saguëa or nirguëa—of the Supreme possessing or not possessing attributes. Worship of the deity in the temple is saguëa worship, for the Lord is represented by material qualities. But the form of the Lord, though represented by material qualities such as stone, wood or oil paint, is not actually material. That is the absolute nature of the Supreme Lord.

A crude example may be given here. We may find some mailboxes on the street, and if we post our letters in those boxes, they will naturally go to their destination without difficulty. But any old box, or an imitation which we may find somewhere but which is not authorized by the post office, will not do the work. Similarly, God has an authorized representation in the Deity form, which is called arcä-vigraha. This arcä-vigraha is an incarnation of the Supreme Lord. God will accept service through that form. The Lord is omnipotent, all-powerful; therefore, by His incarnation as arcä-vigraha He can accept the services of the devotee, just to make it convenient for the man in conditioned life.

(BG 12.5)

Arcanä means worship of the Deity in the temple. By executing this process one confirms himself to be not the body but spirit soul. In the Tenth Canto, Eighty-first Chapter, verse 19, of Srimad-Bhägavatam, it is told how Sudämä, an intimate friend of Kåñëa's, while going to the house of a brähmaëa, murmured to himself, "Simply by worshiping Krsna one can easily achieve all the results of heavenly opulence, liberation, supremacy over the planetary systems of the universe, all the opulences of this material world, and the mystic power of performing the yoga system.

The events leading to Sudämä's murmuring this statement are as follows. Çré Krsna had ordered His friend Sudämä to go to a brähmaëa's house and ask for some food. The brähmaëas were performing a great sacrifice, and Çré Krsna told Sudämä to plead with them that He and Balaräma were feeling hungry and needed some food. When Sudämä went there, the brähmaëas refused to offer anything, but the wives of the brähmaëas, upon hearing that Çré Krsna wanted some foodstuff, immediately took many palatable dishes and went to offer them to Çré Kåñëa. In the Viñëu-rahasya, also, it is stated, "Any person within this world who is engaged in the worship of Viñëu can very easily achieve the ever-blissful kingdom of God, known as Vaikuëöhaloka."


In the Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya there is a statement about the benefit of visiting the temples of Lord Kåñëa. As we have explained previously, in Våndävana, Mathurä and Dvärakä the system is that all the devotees take advantage of visiting various temples situated in those holy places. It is stated in the Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya, "Persons who are impelled by pure devotional service in Krsna consciousness and who therefore go to see the Deities of Viñëu in the temple will surely get relief from entering again into the prison house of a mother's womb." The conditioned soul forgets the trouble of living within the mother's womb during birth, but it is a very painful and terrible experience. In order to make an escape from this material condition, one is advised to visit a temple of Viñëu with devotional consciousness. Then one can very easily get out of the miserable condition of material birth




Discovery

1. Distinguish between the jnana yoga process and bhakti yoga process? 2. What is Krsna’s opinion on the advancement on the jnana path? 3. How does a bhakti yogi perceive the deity of Krsna? Why? 4. What are the two different kinds of worship?

Understanding

1. What is idol worship? 2. How do we understand that archa vigraha is an incarnation of the Supreme Lord? 3. In what way does deity worship help a person? 4. In what consciousness should one visit a temple of Visnu? Why?

Application

1. When you see the deity in the temple or your own home, how do you relate to the deity? 2. What services would you like to render to the deity?

SRI NAMAMRTA

In the Kali-yuga, Lord Krsna is worshipped by Chanting of the Holy Name

This is a quotation from Srimad-Bhägavatam (11.5.36) spoken by the great sage Karabhäjana Åñi, one of the nine Yogendras. The sage was informing Mahäräja Nimi about the people's duty to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead according to different processes in different yugas.Çré Caitanya-caritämåta Madhya-lélä 20.347

In the Kali-yuga, one can satisfy and worship the Lord simply by chanting His holy name:

Çré Madhväcärya has brought our attention to this quotation from the Näräyaëa-saàhitä:

dväparéyair janair viñëuù / païcarätraiç tu kevalaiù kalau tu näma-mätreëa / püjyate bhagavän hariù

"In the Dväpara-yuga one could satisfy Krsnaor Viñëu only by worshiping opulently according to the päïcarätriké system, but in the age of Kali one can satisfy and worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead Hari simply by chanting His holy name."(CC Antya7.12)


Preaching is more important than Deity Worship:

Deity worship is especially meant for purifying the neophyte devotees. Actually, however, preaching is more important. In Bhagavad-gita (18.69) it is said, na ca tasmän manuñyeñu kaçcin me priya-kåttamaù: if one wants to be recognized by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he must preach the glories of the Lord. One who worships the deity must therefore be extremely respectful to preachers; otherwise simply worshiping the Deity will keep one in the lower stage of devotion.(Srimad-Bhägavatam 7.14.40)



Handout on deity worship-Lesson 49

Whose Worship is Idol Worship? by Jayadvaita Swami

(Source: Back to Godhead Magazine #10-07, 1975)

Are the Hare Krsna devotees idol worshipers? A senior member of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness resolves this question by explaining the authenticity of the Deity form of the Lord.

It's natural for us to want to know what God looks like, just as it's natural for a child who's never seen his father to want to know what his father looks like. And just as such a child may imagine, "Maybe my father looks like this" or "Maybe

he looks like that," so we, too, speculate about what God must be like. The artist Michelangelo, for example, knowing God to be the original person, speculated that He must actually look old, with white hair and the features of an aged man. In

this way, perhaps all of us have at one time or another formed at least some mental picture of God from whatever little we

knew of Him. Imagination, however, is not reality, and therefore the Supreme Lord, both in the Bible and in other scriptures, warns us not to engrave our imaginary conceptions in wood or stone and thus offer homage to our illusions,

But the soul hankers to see the beautiful form of God, and if he cannot do so, he is likely to try to satisfy himself with

the beautiful but temporary things to be seen in the material world. Or worse still, in frustration he may conclude that there is no such thing as God or that God really has no form at all. However, actually seeing the form of God in the Ratha-yatra

festival can rescue the soul from the perils of materialism and the hopelessness that comes from thinking that God is void or dead.

Sometimes people unfamiliar with the meaning of the Ratha-yatra festival think that the devotees singing and dancing

with their arms in the air are offering homage to a statue. Indeed, sometimes they condemn the entire celebration as

paganism. Or else they hesitate to join the Ratha-yatra parade, for they remember that God is "a jealous God" who commands, "Thou shalt have no other God before Me" and "Thou shalt not worship a graven image." What about this? Are

the Hare Krsna people really idol worshipers?

Golden Calf

To know for sure, first we must define what idolatry is. Concisely, idolatry is the worship of a material form of God

imagined by the human mind. The classic example occurs in the Bible. When Moses ascended Mt. Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments, in his absence the Israelites molded a golden calf and began to worship it as God. This, indeed, was

idolatry, for instead of worshiping God, they had worshiped their own whimsical creation.

But aren't the Hare Krsna people also worshiping statues made of metal and wood? To understand what is actually going on in the Hare Krsna temples and the Ratha-yatra parade, first we must think about Krsna, or God (Krsna is a name

of God), as a real person. We must overcome false notions that God is impersonal or void, for such ideas arise only from a poor fund of knowledge. A child who sees a satellite floating in space may think that it's traveling on its own, but the

enlightened father knows that great teams of scientists are applying their intelligence and energy to guide the satellite in its orbit. Similarly, a thoughtful human being must know that directing all the greater satellites we call the stars and planets is

a supreme intelligence, a supreme person. The cosmos, with its seemingly unlimited wonders, could not have just hatched

from some void or impersonal force. Such an idea is absurd. "Force" implies that ultimately a person must be applying the force. We may not know who that person is, but that is no excuse for denying that He exists.

Honest Ignorance

Granting, as we reasonably should, that such a person does exist, why should we deny Him a name, form and other

personal qualities? We may honestly admit that we don't know what they are, but to say that what we don't know about

cannot exist betrays a narrow, unreasonable mind. If God is the Supreme Person, the Supreme Father, He must have all the



qualities of a person. Otherwise, how could personal qualities appear in His sons? The emanations cannot have more than

their source; the parts cannot have more than the whole; the tiny drop cannot have more than the ocean. Just as an ocean

of water has the same chemical makeup as its individual drops, the Supreme Living Being must have all the personal qualities found in the innumerable living beings who are part and parcel of Him. Therefore, God must also have a name,

form and senses.

So if God has a personal form, what is it? Our limited, imperfect mind and senses cannot tell us, for He is beyond them. Indeed, God is beyond the entire universe. (How else could He be its creator?) Therefore if we want to know about the

personal qualities of God, we must receive this information from God Himself, through the revealed scriptures. We may also learn from a self-realized saint or spiritual teacher, but the qualification of such saintly teachers like Jesus Christ, for

example is that they always speak on the basis of the scriptures and refer to the scriptures to support their own words. They never invent anything new.

However, although the scriptures of the West consistently speak of God as a person, they give only scanty information about His personal form, qualities and kingdom. If we want more detailed information about God, we must turn to the

Vedic scriptures of the Krsna consciousness movement. These are books like Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam and other scientific scriptures, which were first compiled in writing in India some 5,000 years ago.

This is the call of the Krsna consciousness movement: if you indeed want to understand God in His full glory as the

Supreme Personality of Godhead, then you must turn to these scriptures, for nowhere else will you find the details of His spiritual name, form, qualities, pastimes and abode.

Consider this excerpt from the Bhaktivedanta purports of Bhagavad-gita As It Is: "The supreme abode of the

Personality of Godhead, Krsna, is described in the Brahma-samhita as cintamani-dhama, a place where all desires are

fulfilled. The supreme abode of Lord Krsna, known as Goloka Vrndavana, is full of palaces made of touchstone. There are also trees called 'desire trees,' which supply any type of eatable upon demand, and there are cows known as surabhi, which

supply a limitless supply of milk. In this abode, the Lord is served by hundreds of thousands of goddesses of fortune (laksmis) and He is called Govinda, the primal Lord and the cause of all causes. The Lord is accustomed to blow His

flute (venum kvanantam). His transcendental form is the most attractive in all the worlds His eyes are like lotus petals and His bodily color like clouds. He is so attractive that His beauty excels that of thousands of cupids. He wears saffron cloth, a

garland around His neck and a peacock feather in His hair."

Not Imagination

It is to be stressed that these are not imaginary conceptions, like those of a poet or an artist. These are the explicit

descriptions of the revealed Vedic scriptures. The Vedic scriptures tell us God's name Krsna and they describe in minute detail His qualities, pastimes, entourage and abode. And most important for resolving the question of idol worship, they

describe in detail His form.

The forms of Krsna on the Ratha-yatra car and in the Krsna consciousness temples are not imaginary creations. They are fashioned exactly according to the descriptions of the Vedic literature. The Deity is not a whimsical icon. When we see

the form of the Deity of Krsna, what we are seeing is the actual form of God.

But even if we accept that the Deities in the Krsna consciousness temples accurately represent what God looks like, this

still does not explain why the Hare Krsna people worship the form of the Deity as if it were actually God Himself. This is a matter that requires some philosophical astuteness.

The reason the Deity is accorded such reverence is that the form of God is God. There is no difference between the

form of the Lord and the Lord Himself. On the material platform, a person and his picture, for instance, are different. Seeing a picture of a friend may remind us of that friend, but the picture is only a representation, not the friend himself.

Furthermore, in the material world a person is different even from his very body, for the body is matter whereas the person is the spiritual spark within the body. But God, if we accept Him as being fully spiritual, must be free from all such dualities.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead and His transcendental form are the same spiritual identity. The Vedic literatures

describe that each part of His transcendental body can perform any of the functions of any other part. Thus although with our eyes we can only see, the Lord can not only see with His eyes, but also taste, smell or hear with them. Thus the

transcendental form of the Supreme Lord is unlimited and all-powerful.

Transcendental Appearance

The Lord's form is eternally transcendental wherever He appears, even in the material world. When an ordinary living

being comes to the material world, the material energy subjects him to many limitations. It covers him with a temporary material body that afflicts him with many miseries. Thus he has to get old and diseased and finally die and accept another body. But the Supreme Lord is not under the material laws of nature; He is beyond those laws, just as a king who visits a prison is beyond the laws that govern the prisoners. The transcendental form of the Supreme Lord has all opulence and

power. Therefore the Lord has the power to appear in the material world in His transcendental form as the Deity but always remain the same transcendental Lord.



We may object that God cannot have a form made of ordinary matter like wood or stone. But we should consider that

for the Lord there is no difference between matter and spirit, for the Lord can change spirit into matter and matter into

spirit. Everything is God's energy, and God is all-spiritual. Therefore all of God's energy is also spiritual. We call it "material" or "spiritual" according to how it acts upon us, but in reality it is one spiritual energy. To draw another comparison,

electricity is one single energy, although sometimes it works in a refrigerator to cool things and sometimes in a stove to make things hot. The expert electrician who can master electrical energy can use it to perform either function. Similarly, the

Lord, the master of all energies, can turn matter into spirit at His will. Who can stop Him? So even if we accept the Deity as being stone or wood, we must admit that the Supreme Lord has the power to change stone or wood into spirit at any

moment.

Eternal Omnipresence

In one sense, the Lord is already present in all stone and wood as well as everywhere else because everything is His

energy. Wherever God's energy is existing, God Himself is also existing, just as the sun is present wherever there is sunshine. A fully God conscious person can recognize God's presence in His energy, and therefore He can see God

everywhere. For the benefit of those who are not so advanced, however, the energy of God can be shaped into the transcendental form of God so that even in this material world we can see the transcendental form of the omnipresent

Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Those who are addicted to the idea of a formless, impersonal God object to the worship of the Deity in the temple.

"God is everywhere," they say. "Why should we worship Him in the temple?" But if God is everywhere, is He not in the temple also? God is certainly everywhere, but we cannot see Him everywhere. We are all eternal servants of the Lord, but

we have forgotten our relationship with Him. Therefore the Lord, by His causeless mercy, appears as the Deity in the temple so that even in this world of material forgetfulness we can see Him and revive our eternal relationship with Him.

How does the Lord change matter into spirit? He does so when He appears, by the grace of His devotee, as the

transcendental form of the Deity. When a pure devotee paints or carves the form of the Deity and calls upon the Lord to kindly agree to accept his humble service, the Lord agrees to do so, provided everything is done according to the scriptural

regulations. One's sincere attitude of service to the Lord and strict adherence to the rules of the scriptures are the essential ingredients that make Deity worship vastly different from worship of an ordinary idol. If the form one worships is merely

imaginary, then one's worship is whimsical idolatry. But if one worships the authorized transcendental form of the Lord with

a sincere desire to serve the Lord, and if one strictly adheres to the rules and regulations of the scriptures, his worship is transcendental, and the Lord will certainly accept it. The example is often given of a post office and an authorized mailbox.

Because the post office may be far from our homes, the postal officials install authorized boxes in various neighborhoods so that we can use them to send our mail. One can paint any box blue and red and call it a mailbox, but it will have no value.

However, when the postal officials install an authorized mailbox, that box is as good as the post office itself. Similarly, an imaginary form of God is nothing more than an idol; but the authorized form of the Lord is as good as the Lord Himself, and

the Lord, in His transcendental form as the Deity, will accept the service we render to Him and will also reveal Himself to us

more and more.

Now, we may see the Deity to be no more than wood or stone, but that is due only to our defective vision. The Lord cannot be seen with our blunt material senses. One has to purify his eyes by seeing through the vision of the scriptures and

by rendering devotional service to the Lord. This is the process for developing our spiritual vision so that we will be able to see the supreme Lord.

Process of Purification

Only by devotional service can the Lord be known. As confirmed in the Padma Purana,

atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih

sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adah

"No one can understand the transcendental nature of the name, form, qualities and pastimes of the Lord through his

materially contaminated senses. Only when one becomes spiritually saturated by transcendental service to the Lord are the transcendental name, form, qualities and pastimes of the Lord revealed to him."

The Padma Purana specifically mentions that we can best begin to purify our senses by purifying the tongue. Of all the

senses, the tongue is the most difficult to control. Nevertheless, one can control it very easily by eating food first offered to

Krsna and by chanting the holy name of Krsna, as found in the maha-mantra Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. This will certainly purify the tongue of even a most materialistic person. And when the tongue is thus engaged in the service of the Lord, all the other senses can also be engaged.

The worship of the Lord as the Deity and specifically the worship of Lord Jagannatha in the Ratha-yatra festival is an opportunity for us to purify our senses in this way. When the Lord appears before us as the Deity, we can purify our minds

simply by thinking about Him. Similarly, we can purify our eyes simply by seeing Him, our ears and tongues just by hearing



and chanting His holy names, our nostrils by smelling the incense and flowers offered to Him, and our bodies by standing

up to see Him, dancing before Him or bowing down to offer Him our obeisances.

Krsna says in Bhagavad-gita, ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham: "As one surrenders himself

unto Me, I reciprocate with him." Thus for one who refuses to accept the verdict of the Vedic scriptures and who therefore considers the Deity a wooden idol, Krsna will remain an idol forever. The scriptures say that such a person is cursed with a

hellish mentality. But for one who tries to appreciate the Lord's presence as the Deity and render service unto Him, the Lord will one day fully reveal Himself.



50. Chanting of the Holy names (continuation of five angas of bhakti) The importance of chanting Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare/ Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare is very strongly stressed in the Second Canto, First Chapter, verse 11, of Srimad-Bhägavatam in the following way.

Çukadeva Gosvämé tells Mahäräja Parékñit, "My dear King, if one is spontaneously attached to the chanting of the Hare Krishna mahä-mantra, it is to be understood that he has attained the highest perfectional stage." It is specifically mentioned that the karmés who are aspiring after the fruitive results of their activities, the salvationists who are aspiring to become one with the Supreme Person, and the yogés who are aspiring after mystic perfections can achieve the results of all perfectional stages simply by chanting the mahä-mantra. Çukadeva uses the word nirëétam, which means "it has already been decided." He was a liberated soul and therefore could not accept anything which was not conclusive. So Çukadeva Gosvämé especially stresses that it has already been concluded that one who has come to the stage of chanting the Hare Krishna mantra with determination and steadiness must be considered to have already passed the trials of fruitive activities, mental speculation and mystic yoga.

The same thing is confirmed in the Ädi Puräëa by Kåñëa. While addressing Arjuna He says, "Anyone who is engaged in chanting My transcendental name must be considered to be always associating with Me. And I may tell you frankly that for such a devotee I become easily purchased."

In the Padma Puräëa also it is stated, "The chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra is present only on the lips of a person who has for many births worshiped Väsudeva." It is further said in the Padma Puräëa, "There is no difference between the holy name of the Lord and the Lord Himself. As such, the holy name is as perfect as the Lord Himself in fullness, purity and eternity. The holy name is not a material sound vibration, nor has it any material contamination." The holy name cannot, therefore, be chanted offenselessly by one who has failed to purify his senses. In other words, materialistic senses cannot properly chant the holy names of the Hare Krishna mahä-mantra. But by adopting this chanting process, one is given a chance to actually purify himself, so that he may very soon chant offenselessly.

Caitanya Mahäprabhu has recommended that everyone chant the Hare Krishna mantra just to cleanse the dust from the heart. If the dust of the heart is cleansed away, then one can actually understand the importance of the holy name. For persons who are not inclined to clean the dust from their hearts and who want to keep things as they are, it is not possible to derive the transcendental result of chanting the Hare Krishna mantra. One should, therefore, be encouraged to develop his service attitude toward the Lord, because this will help him to chant without any offense. And so, under the guidance of a spiritual master, the disciple is trained to render service and at the same time chant the Hare Krishna mantra. As soon as one develops his spontaneous service attitude, he can immediately understand the transcendental nature of the holy names of the mahä-mantra.


When a person loudly chants the glories of the Lord's activities, qualities, form, etc., his chanting is called saìkértana. Saìkértana also refers to the congregational chanting of the holy name of the Lord.

In the Viñëu-dharma there is a statement glorifying this process of congregational chanting: "My dear King, this word Kåñëa is so auspicious that anyone who chants this holy name immediately gets rid of the resultant actions of sinful activities from many, many births." That is a fact. There is the following statement in Caitanya-caritämåta: "A person who chants the holy name of Kåñëa once can counteract the resultant actions of more sinful activities than he is able to perform." A sinful man can perform many, many sinful activities, but he is unable to perform so many that they cannot be wiped out by one single uttering of Kåñëa.


Chanting a mantra or hymn softly and slowly is called japa, and chanting the same mantra loudly is called kértana. For example, uttering the mahä-mantra (Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare/ Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare) very softly, only for one's own hearing, is called japa. Chanting the same



mantra loudly for being heard by all others is called kértana. The mahä-mantra can be used for japa and kértana also. When japa is practiced it is for the personal benefit of the chanter, but when kértana is performed it is for the benefit of all others who may hear.


Discovery 1. How is the highest perfectional stage attained? 2. How can we always be in the association of Krsna? 3. Why is it important to chant the Lord’s holy names? 4. What is the difference between japa and kirtana?

Understanding 1. Why should we develop a service attitude towards the Lord? 2. How is congregational chanting glorified? 3. How can Krsna be purchased? 4. How can we chant the Hare Krsna mahamantra offenselessly?

Application

Please share your experiences of chanting since the time you started chanting. What difference has it made in your life?

SRI NAMAMRTA

Chanting the holy name before the Tulasi plant has immense spiritual potency

Haridäsa Öhäkura constructed a cottage in a solitary forest. There he planted a tulasé plant, and in front of the tulasé he would chant the holy name of the Lord 300,000 times daily. He chanted throughout the entire day and night.

Without difficulty one can sit down anywhere, especially on the bank of the Ganges, Yamunä or any other sacred river, devise a sitting place or cottage, plant a tulasé tree, and before the tulasé chant the Hare Kåñëa mahä-mantra undisturbed… the process of chanting the Hare Kåñëa mahä-mantra with a vow before the tulasé plant has such great spiritual potency that simply by doing this one can become spiritually strong. Therefore we request the members of the Hare Kåñëa movement to follow Haridäsa Öhäkura’s example rigidly. Chanting sixteen rounds does not take much time, nor is offering respects to the tulasé plant difficult. The process has immense spiritual potency. One should not miss this opportunity. (CC Antya 3.100)


How the ordinary citizen can engage in preaching

... The citizens of the state must give in charity up to fifty percent of their income for the purpose of creating a spiritual atmosphere in the state or in human society, both individually and collectively. They should preach the principles of Bhägavatam by (a) karma-yoga, or doing everything for the satisfaction of the Lord, (b) regular hearing of the Srimad-Bhägavatam from authorized persons or realized souls, (c) chanting of the glories of the Lord congregationally at home or at places of worship, (d) rendering all kinds of service to bhägavatas engaged in preaching Srimad-Bhägavatam and (e) residing in a place where the atmosphere is saturated with God consciousness. If the state is regulated by the above process, naturally there will be God consciousness everywhere. (Srimad-Bhägavatam 1.17.38)



51. Nama Aparadha (Chanting with offences)

Three stages of chanting

By considering the different stages of chanting and their relationship to the progressive degrees of Krsna consciousness, we will study the path through these stages, leading to the perfected platform of pure love of Krsna. Three stages are distinguished:

1. Suddha-nama: This is the pure stage of chanting where Krsna fully reveals Himself, together with the entirety of His innumerable potencies. A devotee who chants suddha-nama observes Krsna appearing personally on his tongue. As an effect of this chanting he is bestowed pure love of God. 2. Nama-abhasa: This is chanting on the clearing stage, with the deliberate endeavor to avoid offenses and to hear the holy name with full attention. On this stage pure love of God will not manifest immediately – it is only attained by suddha-nama. Nevertheless namabhasa is considered very auspicious because it leads to pure chanting and destroys all sins. By serving the spiritual master with full attention while chanting namabhasa, one gradually rises to the platform of suddha-nama and thus attains the final goal, pure love. 3. Nama-aparadha: Chanting with offenses. On this stage, pure love is even further away than on the clearing stage. As long as the chanting is performed with offenses, it is absolutely impossible to attain love of God. Nothing else should be aspired than to progress to the next stage as quickly as possible. Offenses have to be given up.

(Extract from The stages of chanting, Nectarean Ocean of the Holy Name – page 38)

By committing offenses against the holy name, we lose our taste for spiritual activities; we just do not feel any pleasure in hearing, chanting and performing devotional service. We are like a person affected with high fever who finds it impossible to eat delicious food. Such a person, however, can be cured in due course of time, by proper medicine and a suitable diet. Then the body will be able to eat the usual food again. Similarly through continuous, long-lasting spiritual practice the devotee can nullify the consequences of nama-aparadhas and regain his taste for the holy name. Through repeated hearing and chanting, and through other processes, pure love of Godhead is revealed step by step. (Extract from The effects of nama-aparadha, Nectarean Ocean of the Holy Name – page 43) The Root of all offenses To be inattentive while chanting the holy name (pramada) Bhaktivinoda Thakura states that inattention or distraction while chanting is the root of all offenses: Distraction in chanting produces a type of illusion, causing serious offenses against the holy name that are very difficult to overcome. This illusion leads to craving for wealth, women, position, success and even cheating. When these attractions cover the heart, the neophyte gradually loses interest in chanting the holy name. One must take a constant effort to drive these thoughts away from the mind and diligently follow the rules of Vaisnava etiquette.| This offence is said to be the root of all other offenses and anarthas. It is called pramada in Sanskrit; literally, it means “madness”, for it is schizopherenic to ask Krsna to appear, on one hand, and then to ignore Him when He comes. This is why pramada means “inattention” and “indifference” as well. (Extract from The Nectarean Ocean of the Holy Name by Sacinandana Swami – Root of all Offenses Page 85)



Discovery 1. What are the three stages of chanting? 2. What is the root of all offenses?

Understanding 1. What happens if we commit offences against the holy name? 2. How can the devotee nullify the consequences of nama-aparadha?

Application What do you think is the quality of your chanting? How do you plan to improve it?

SRI NAMAMRTA

A disciple who lacks faith in his spiritual master or who acts independently from him cannot attain success in chanting Hare Krsna

It appears from the talks of Lord Caitanya that a person who cannot keep his faith in the words of the spiritual master and who acts independently cannot attain the desired success in chanting Hare Kåñëa. In the Vedic literatures it is stated that the import of all transcendental literature is revealed to one who has unflinching faith in the Supreme Lord and his spiritual master. Lord Caitanya firmly believed in the statements of His spiritual master, and He never neglected the instructions of His spiritual master by stopping His saìkértana movement. Thus the transcendental potency of the holy name encouraged Him more and more in chanting Hare Kåñëa, the mahä-mantra.

(Teachings of Lord Caitanya Chapter 19)


Qualifications for effective preaching:

If a devotee is qualified, sincere and serious about Kåñëa consciousness and if he follows the instructions of a bona fide spiritual master, as Prahläda Mahäräja did when preaching the instructions he had received from Närada Muni, his preaching is effective.

(Çrémad-Bhägavatam 7.8.1)



Handoutfor Lesson 51 - Ten Offenses to be avoided(from Nectar of Devotion)

The offenses against chanting the holy name are as follows:

1) To blaspheme the devotees who have dedicated their lives for propagating the holy name of the Lord.

2) To consider the names of the demigods like Lord Siva or Lord Brahma to be equal to, or independent of, the name Lord Visnu.

3) To disobey the orders of the spiritual master.

4) To blaspheme the Vedic literature or literature in pursuance of the Vedic version.

5) To consider the glories of chanting Hare Krsna to be imagination.

6) To give some interpretation on the holy name of the Lord.

7) To commit sinful activities on the strength of chanting the holy name of the Lord.

8) To consider chanting of Hare Krsna one of the auspicious ritualistic activities offered in the Vedas as fruitive activities (karma-kanda).

9) To instruct a faithless person about the glories of the holy name.

10) To not have complete faith in the chanting of the holy names and to maintain material attachments, even after understanding so many instructions on this matter. It is also an offence to chant inattentively.

Every devotee who claims to be a Vaisnava must guard against these offenses in order to quickly achieve the desired success – Krsna prema.

Conclusion

Regarded from a positive angle, the injuction to avoid the ten offences instructs us to strive for the sublime qualities and realizations which protect us from committing those offenses. Then, in such a positive frame of mind, we can guard against all the offenses. This means that the ten offenses to the chanting of the holy name can easily be given up if we:

1. Serve the holy Vaisnavas, and not criticize them; 2. Worship Lord Krsna as the Absolute Supreme Personality of Godhead; 3. Respect the spiritual master who initiates one into the holy name; 4. Glorify the scripture which reveal the glories of the holy name; 5. Be convinced that the holy name is eternally established in pure transcendence; 6. Accept the explanations of the holy name, which is given by Srila Prabhupada and the scriptures; 7. Root out the desire for sinful activities; 8. Give up ritualistic fruitive activities; 9. Reveal the glories of the hoy name only to serious devotees; and 10. Chant very diligently and fully surrender unto the holy name

(Extract from the Nectarean Ocean of the Holy Name - Root of all offenses – to be inattentive, page 90)



52. Protection of bhakti lata

Lord Caitanya pointed out to Rüpa Gosvämé that there was a certain danger to be encountered while watering the root of the devotional plant. After a plant has grown somewhat, an animal may come and either eat it or destroy it. When the green leaves of a plant are eaten by some animal, the plant generally dies. Thus one has to take precautions so that the plant of devotional service is not disturbed by animals, which represent offenses. The most dangerous animal is a mad elephant, for if a mad elephant enters a garden, it causes tremendous damage to plants and trees. An offense to a pure devotee of the Lord is called vaiñëava-aparädha, the mad elephant offense. In the discharge of devotional service, an offense to the feet of a pure devotee creates havoc and stops one’s advancement. Thus one has to defend the plant of bhakti by fencing it off properly and taking care not to offend pure devotees. Then the plant of devotional service will be properly protected.

There are still other factors which can disturb the plant of devotional service. As this plant grows, the weeds of material desires may also grow. When a person advances in devotional service, it is natural that many persons will come to him requesting to become disciples and will offer him some material gains. If one is attracted by a large number of disciples offering material conveniences and forgets his duty as a bona fide spiritual master, the growth of the plant will be impeded. Simply by taking advantage of material conveniences one may become addicted to enjoying material comforts.

Other impediments are to desire liberation or material name and fame by discharging devotional service, or to neglect the prohibitions. These prohibitions are mentioned in the authorized scriptures: One should not indulge in illicit sex, intoxication, gambling or eating meat—indeed, one should not eat anything other than kåñëa-prasädam, food offered to Kåñëa. These are the restrictions for one who is attempting to advance in devotional service. If one does not follow these principles strictly, there will be a severe disturbance in the discharge of devotional service.

If one is not particularly careful, by watering the plant of devotional service one will instead nourish the weeds described above, which will then grow very luxuriantly and hamper one’s progress. The idea is that when one waters a garden, not only does the desired plant grow rapidly but the unwanted plants grow also. If the gardener does not see these weeds and cut them down, they will overcome and choke the plant of devotion. It is thus the duty of the neophyte devotee to cut down all the weeds that may grow by the watering process of devotional service. If one is careful to guard against the growth of these weeds, the plant of devotion will grow luxuriantly and reach the ultimate goal, Goloka Våndävana.

Lord Caitanya explained to Rupa Goswami that in pure devotional service there can be no desire other than the desire to advance in Kåñëa consciousness. In Kåñëa consciousness there is no scope for worshiping any demigod or even any other form of Kåñëa, nor is there room for indulgence in speculative empiric philosophy or fruitive activities. One should be free from all these contaminations. A devotee should accept only those things that are favorable for keeping his body and soul together and should reject those things that increase the demands of the body. Only the bare necessities for bodily maintenance should be accepted. By making one’s bodily necessities secondary, one can primarily devote his time to the cultivation of Kåñëa consciousness through the chanting of the holy names of God. Pure devotional service means engaging all one’s senses in the service of the Lord. At the present moment our senses are all designated because the body is designated. So we think that our body belongs to a particular society or a particular country or a particular family. In this way the body is bound by so many designations. Similarly, the senses belong to the body, and when the body is subject to such designations, the senses are also. Thus one engages the senses on behalf of family, society, nation and so on. When the senses are so engaged, one cannot cultivate Kåñëa consciousness. The senses must be purified, and this is possible when one purely understands that he belongs to Kåñëa and that his life belongs to Kåñëa—in other words, that his identity is to be an eternal servant of Kåñëa. In this way one can engage his senses in the service of the Lord, and such engagement is called pure devotional service.

(Extract from Teachings of Lord Caitanya Chapter 1)



Discovery 1. What were the dangers Caitanya Mahaprabhu that is encountered while watering the root of the devotional

plant? 2. What are the other impediments in the discharge of devotional service? 3. Along with the creeper of bhakti what else grows? 4. Is the body bound by any designations? If so, what? 5. Why should one be careful while watering the devotional plant? 6. What are the restrictions for one who is attempting to advance in devotional service?

Understanding 1. What is the mad elephant offense? 2. How does one defend the plant of bhakti? 3. How do the weeds of material desires disturb the plant of devotional service? 4. What is pure devotional service? 5. What is the duty of a neophyte devotee? 6. How can the senses be purified?

Application Please list down the impediments that you have identified while you engage in devotional service. How do you plan to overcome them?

SRI NAMAMRTA

Guru-aparädha is the most grievous offense against the holy name:

While describing the system of protection for the creeper of devotional service, Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu has especially stressed protection from offenses unto the lotus feet of Vaiñëavas. Such offenses are called vaiñëava-aparädha. Aparädha means "offense." If one commits vaiñëava-aparädhas, all of his progress in devotional service will be checked. Even though one is very much advanced in devotional service, if he commits offenses at the feet of a Vaiñëava, his advancement is all spoiled.... Therefore one should be very careful about committing offenses at the feet of a Vaiñëava. The most grievous type of vaiñëava-aparädha is called guru-aparädha, which refers to offenses at the lotus feet of the spiritual master. In the chanting of the holy name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, this guru-aparädha is considered the most grievous offense.

(ÇB 4.21.37)


The devotee is fully protected by following Lord Caitanya's orders:

If one simply follows the instructions of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu, under the guidance of His representative, and chants the Hare Kåñëa mantra, teaching everyone as far as possible the same principle, the contamination of the materialistic way of life will not even touch him. It does not matter whether one lives in a holy place like Våndävana, Navadvépa or Jagannätha Puré or in the midst of European cities where the materialistic way of life is very prominent. If a devotee follows the instructions of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu, he lives in the company of the Lord. Wherever he lives, he converts that place into Våndävana and Navadvépa. This means that materialism cannot touch him. This is the secret of success for one advancing in Kåñëa consciousness.

(CC. Madhya 7.129)



Handout 1 for Lesson 52-Protection of bhakti lata

Weeding in the garden of chanting

While the neophyte chants the holy name of the Lord to cultivate the creeper of devotional service (bhakti-lata), weeds might also start to grow. They are classified as follows:

1. Nisiddhacara: Actions that are prohibited in the sastras (scriptures) and which must be strictly avoided by a person who wants to attain perfection.

2. Kutinati: Diplomacy and duplicity, like the propensity to find faults or to pretend to be an important devotee. This behavior satisfies neither the body nor the mind or the soul.

3. Jiva himsa: Not only killing animals but also envying other living entities. Srila Prabhupada renders an additional meaning: The word jiva-himsa actually means stopping the preaching of Krsna consciousness. Preaching work is described as para-upakara, welfare activity for others. Those who are ignorant of the benefits of devotional service must be educated by preaching. If one stops preaching and simply sits down in a solitary place, he is engaging in material activity.

4. Labha: The desire for material gain. 5. Puja: Striving for populariy and admiration. 6. Pratishta: The desire to become an important person in the material world, and other material desires as

well, as Srila Prabhupada explains: A neophyte devotee is certain to be attacked by other material desires as well – women and money. In this way the heart is again filled with dirty things and becomes harder and harder, like that of a materialist. Gradually one desires to become a reputed devotee or an avatara (incarnation).

By summarizing the six weeds in the garden of life, Srila Prabhupada explains how to distinguish those weeds from the bhakti-lata:

These unwanted creeprs simply present obstacles for the real creeper, the bhakti-lata. One should be very careful to avoid all these unwanted things. Sometimes these unwanted creepers look exactly like the bhakti-lata creeper. They appear to be of the same size and the same species when they are packed together with the bhaktilata creeper, but in spite of this, the creepers are called upasakha (weed).

A pure devotee can distinguish between the bhakti lata creeper and a mundane creeper and he is very alert to distinguish them and keep them stay separate.

(Extract from the Nectarean Ocean of the Holy name Section VI Chapter 2 – page 134)



Hand out 2 for Lesson 52 -Protection of bhakti lata

By emphasizing positive spiritual practices, the negative ones will automatically disappear. Srila Prabhupada used to say that a devotee should be so busy in Krsna’s service that he has no time for maya. A devotee who is busy crying out to Krsna, and sincerely trying to improve his japa will have no time to commit offenses.

On the other hand, a devotee, who is always afraid of making offenses and constantly dwells on them, surrounds himself with negative aura. His mentality fills with the “mistake syndrome”, and prevents him from clearly thinking of the holy name. One acarya advises his followers not to worry so much about offenses, He says one needs only to chant attentively with a humble heart, contemplate the meanings of the holy name, and remember Krsna’s vraja lilas.

When discussing the correct method of chanting japa, Srila Prabhupada generally advised his disciples to “just to hear the name.” In Bhagavad-gita, Sri Krsna orders Arjuna to do the same, tat srnu. “Just hear Me.” Once a disciple told Srila Prabhupada that it is very difficult to control the wandering mind during japa. In reply Prabhupada said, “What is the use of controlling the mind? You have to chant and hear, that’s all. You have to chant with your tongue and the sound you hear, that’s all. What is the question of mind?” (Srila Prabhupada’s Morning Walks 3/2/1975)

Although Srila Prabhupada makes it sound easy, themind is a formidable enemy to control. The ability to “just hear” with concentration and attention depends on the purity of one’s mind. In the following purport Srila Prabhupada admits that attentive hearing depends on purity in thought and action:

“No one can give rapt attention who is not pure in mind. No one can be pure in mind who is not pure in action. No one can be pure in action who is not pure in eating, sleeping, fearing and mating.” (SB 1.3.44 p.)

If the mind is full of passionate desires, however, one cannot concentrate on anything for more than a second. The mind is often compared to a monkey because it jumps from one thought to another. In the Bhagavad-gita, the mind is compared to a raging wind because it is flickering and always moving (cancala). It is also compared to a mad elephant in rut because of its lusty impetuosity.

By developing the power of concentration, one can make rapid spiritual advancement. Besides concentration, the word dharana also means to hold, grasp or support. Concentration is impossible without something for the mind to grasp or hold on to.

In deep concentration the senses become still; one loses awareness of the body and his surroundings. For example, when one is engrossed in reading a favourite book, he will not hear if someone calls his name or even stands before him. Such one-pointedness of the mind is called ekagrata in yoga.

Because of samskaras (mental impressions from previous experiences), it is easy to concentrate the mind on material objets. The mind has a natural tendency to go outwards through the senses to embrace the external world. For example, due to habit, the mind of a man will spontaneously and with great attention concentrate on the form of a beautiful woman. Instant samadhi!

Whenever useless or sinful thought waves arise while chanting japa, they should be immediately replaced with positive thoughts. Such action will create new mental habits conducive to spiritual advancement.

In other words, one should replace thoughts of enjoyment with thoughts of service. For example, if while chanting japa you think about exploiting someone for sense pleasure, you can reverse that thought by thinking how to serve and help that person become Krsna conscious.

When one begins to concentrate, he has to coax the mind just as one coaxes an ignorant child. Speak to the mind: “Oh mind, you stupid monkey! Why are you always jumping here and there to foolish ideas and



suggestions? Pursuing these material thoughts will only bring you and me endless suffering. Look at Radha Syamasundara – the ultimate beauty, the perfect Divine Couple – radiating joy, compassion and love.”

Cherishing memories of sensual pleasures while chanting revives the false ego and fills one with the “I am the enjoyer” spirit. At times like this, one must reinforce his seva vritti(thoughts for service) by repeatedly telling himself: aham brahmasmi, krsnera nitya dasa, “I am not this body! I am pure spirit soul, part and parcel of Krsna! I am not the enjoyer, I am nothing but Krsna’s eternal servant!”

Be indifferent when nonsense ideas or sinful thoughts arise. Do not welcome them with open arms. Bad thoughts will disappear by not identifying with them, and by telling yourself with conviction: “I do not want these thoughts. I have nothing to do with these thoughts.” Gradually the mind will give up its nasty habits, and happily honor Krsna’s name and hold on to His lotus feet. This is dharana or concentration in japa.

As soon as one sits for japa meditation, all sorts of nonsensical thoughts will manifest to disturb the mind. An astonishing parade of old memories, past enjoyments, future schemes and tasty scenarios will bubble up from the subconscious to spin the mind in a whirlwind of distraction. Thoughts of people, desires and things will gush out in a continuous steram from the sub-conscious reservoir. One should throw out these material thoughts just as one uproots weeds from the ground. One should fill the garden of the mind with divine thoughts of Krsna’s eternal service and memories of His splendid pastimes.

The determined and continuous chanting of Krsna’s holy names will eventually purify the mind, intelligence and ego. It is only after such purification that further chanting and meditation on the Hare Krsna maha-mantra will yield the fruit of spiritual realization and love of God.

(Extract from Art of Chanting Hare Krsna, Japa meditation techniques, by Mahanidhi Swami, Chapter Ten – Yoga Techniques of Concentration)



53. Vyuha 7 - Japa Workshop

Make small groups of members and request each group to present on chanting japa and one or two of the ten offences to the holy name

Action item for Bhakti Vriksha sevak:

Explain the importance of chanting during Brahma muhurta and inspire the members to do Mangala arati atleast four times a week



54. Vaisnava aparadha – part 1

Causes for vaisnava aparadhas

The question is how vaisnava aparadhas (offences against devotees) can originate. There are several causes, for example judging devotees by material standards, feeling envious of them or finding faults with them. But the main cause is asat-sanga, undesired association with other persons, because in the association of materialists we lose bhakti.

Asat sanga can be subdivided into two classes:

1. Portentous association with women that is contrary to the vedic tradition. This means to associate with women other than one’s wife, outside of a Vedic marriage, just to satisfy one’s senses, or simply to desire sensual association. (The same principle applies, of course, to women who have association with lusty men.) Another undesirable habit is to keep company with husbands who are dominated by the strong sensual desires of their wives. 2. With four kinds of non-devotees: a. Mayavadis who believe that the Lord and the living entity are temporary and that the Lord’s transcendental Deity form is material, and who think that in the end all is one; b. Hypocrites who pretend to be devotees in order to make a living; c. People who just hanker after sense enjoyment and have an envious, quarrelsome character; and d. Atheists who do not believe in any form of God.

These two types of asat sanga are the cause for criticizing devotees. One should even avoid the association of those who criticize devotees for not wanting to keep company of non-devotees!

But what about devotees living outside of a temple community? Don’t they keep almost exclusively the company of non-devotees. The scriptures are practical, not fanatical. They discuss three ways of association.

1. To give association, 2. To take association, and 3. To have social dealings.

If one happens to be in a situation where he cannot give association – that is, talk about Krsna conscious subjects – he can externally behave normally according to social customs and inwardly keeps one’s spiritual vision. However, one should avoid to “take” association, that is, to allow to become influenced by non-devotee values, etc.

Our appreciation for the devotees will decrease by undesirable association (asat sanga) so that sometime or other we may commit offences. And these offenses can completely destroy our bhakti. Let us therefore seriously endeavor to avoid criticizing others. To do so, we have to learn to become tolerant and also to grant everybody what we claim for ourselves: namely to be accepted as we are.

(Extract from the Nectarean Ocean of the Holy name…)

Discovery: 1. How does vaisnava aparadha originate? 2. What are the different kinds of asat sanga 3. Are scriptures fanatical while discussing about association?

Understanding: 1. Discuss the main cause of vaisnava aparadha. 2. Whick kind of association should devotees avoid?



3. Why asat sanga is not desirable? 4. How can we avoid criticizing others?

Application 1. Now that you have understood about asat sanga, share some instances where asat sanga has affected your

relationship with the devotees. 2. How did your association with non-devotees affect your performance of devotional service? How did you get

over the situation?

SRI NAMAMRITA

One should neither engage in, nor hear, blasphemy of devotees: Çréla Jéva Gosvämé Prabhu has quoted many passages from authentic scriptures and has ably supported the statements in the matter of offenses at the feet of the holy name.... Quoting from the Märkaëòeya Puräëa, Çré Gosväméjé says that one should neither blaspheme the devotee of the Lord nor indulge in hearing others who are engaged in belittling a devotee of the Lord. (SB 2.1.11)


A preacher must distinguish between devotees and nondevotees:

Unless one is a first-class devotee, he cannot be a preacher. A preacher is generally a topmost devotee, but in order to meet the general populace, he has to come to distinguish between devotees and nondevotees. Otherwise, an advanced devotee makes no such distinctions. Indeed, he always sees everyone engaged in the service of the Lord. When one engages in preaching work, he must distinguish between people and understand that some people are not engaged in devotional service of the Lord. The preacher then has to take compassion upon such innocent people who do not know how to worship the Lord.

(CC. Madhya 8.44)



55. Vaisnava aparadha – part 2

Three kinds of vaisnava aparadhas

What about criticism and blasphemy in the mind? Srila Prabhupada explains in the Srimad Bhagavatam that in kaliyuga sinful activities performed only in the mind are not counted as offences. Nonetheless, three kinds of offences have to be mentioned: (1) offences in the mind, (2) offences with words, and (3) offences through activities.

Generally, offences develop in the mind and are expressed later on the gross level. First one thinks, “You fool!”; then one says, “You fool!”; and finally, after having waited before the shower for ten minutes, one pushes someone else out of the shower. In this way offenses arise successively: First in thinking, then in feeling, and finally in acting.

The Skanda Purana warns us to beware of the following offenses against Vaisnavas, which include offenses committed with body, mind and words:

My dear King, if one derides an exalted devotee, he loses the results of his pious activities, his opulence, his reputation and his sons. Vaisnavas are all great souls. Whoever blasphemes them falls down to the hell known as Maharaurava. He is also accompanied by his forefathers. Whoever kills or blasphemes a Vaisnava and whoever is envious of a Vaisnava or angry with him, or whoever does not offer him obeisances or feel joy upon seeing a Vaisnava, certainly falls into a hellish condition.

In the Caitanya-bhagavata, it is stated:

Lord Caitanya said, “All living entities in the countless universes are My eternal servants. Therefore every living being that hurts or abuses another living being, will be destroyed. Even a sannyasi who blasphemes an innocent person will fall down and lose all his piety.

Then Lord Caitanya raised His golden arms and declared to the whole world, “Just give up the tendency to criticize others, and chant Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare / Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare! I will personally liberate every one who chants the name of Krsna without criticizing others.”When the ssembled devotees heard Caitanya Mahaprabhu speaking like this, they exclaimed with full joy, “Jaya! Jaya! Jaya!”

However, by the mercy of Lord Caitanya the first kind of offense – namely offenses commited in the mind – have been extinguished. Only offenses committed by word or action are taken into consideration. On the other hand, simply thinking positively in reference to devotees or to devotional service is already taken into account. That is Lord Caitanya’s special mercy.

How can vaisnava aparadhas be rectified?

If anyone offends a devotee in a moment of delusion or madness, he should honestly repent, go to the offended devotee and seriously beg for forgiveness. Because the devotee is merciful by nature, he will forgive the offender. Srila Prabhupada explains in the Srimad Bhagavatam, “By offering sincere obeisances to someone, one obliges the heart of that person.” Such is the beauty and important power of a serious obeisance.

If one realizes that he has not appreciated a Vaisnava properly and has offended him for various reasons, it is best not to wait too long, but to approach him immediately and offer obeisances unto him.

But one should also consider the reason for this advice: The vaisnavas are very dear to Krsna, and only through them it is possible to advance spiritually. Therefore, one should not delay to repent. Else, one will remain in a contaminated state of mind for long time. In this attitude one commits further offenses and thus enters into a vicious circle.(Extract from the Nectarean Ocean of the Holy name…)



Discovery: 1. What are the three types of offences? 2. How does vaisnava aparadh affect the person committing such vaisnava aparadh? 3. Whom will Lord Caitanya personally liberate?

Understanding: 1. How are offences from the mind expressed in action / at the gross level? 2. Why does Lord Catanya say that vaisnava aparadha is not tolerated by the Lord? 3. Which offence is extinguished by the mercy of Lord Caitanya? 4. What is Lord Caitanya’s special mercy? 5. How can vaisnava aparadha be rectified? 6. Why should we immediately repent if vaisnava aparadha is committed and beg for forgiveness?

Application: Every time we commit vaisnava aparadh all we need to do is chant ‘vanca kalpa tarubyas ca..’ and we can be rid of the offence. What is your opinion? Discuss.

SRI NAMAMRTA One must not sin with the intention of chanting Hare Krsna to neutralize the reactions:

Along with the devotees from Bengal came a gentleman named Kälédäsa. He never uttered anything but the holy name of Kåñëa. Kälédäsa was a very advanced devotee, yet he was simple and liberal. He would chant the holy name of Kåñëa while performing all his ordinary dealings. When he used to throw dice in jest, he would throw the dice while chanting Hare Kåñëa.

In this connection Çréla Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté Öhäkura warns the men of this age not to imitate the jesting of a mahä-bhägavata like Kälédäsa. If someone imitates him by playing with dice or gambling while chanting the Hare Kåñëa mahä-mantra, he will certainly become a victim of offenses unto the holy name. As it is said, hari-näma-bale päpe pravåtti: one must not commit sinful activities on the strength of chanting the Hare Kåñëa mantra. Playing with dice is certainly gambling, but it is clearly said here that Kälédäsa did this only in jest. A mahä-bhägavata can do anything, but he never forgets the basic principles. Therefore it is said, vaiñëavera kriyä-mudrä vijïeha nä bujhaya: [Cc. Madhya 23.39] "No one can understand the activities of a pure devotee." We should not imitate Kälédäsa.

(CC Antya 16.5-7)

PREACHING IS THE ESSENCE One who does not take advantage of the Kåñëa consciousness movement is doomed:

There is now a flood of the eternal nectar of love of Godhead due to the incarnation of Lord Caitanya. All living entities are floating in that flood. The entire world is now thankful to the Lord. Anyone who does not float in this inundation is most condemned. Such a person cannot be delivered for millions of kalpas. One day of Brahmä is called a kalpa. A yuga, or mahä-yuga, consists of 4,320,000 years, and one thousand such mahä-yugas constitute one kalpa. The author of Çré Caitanya-caritämåta says that if one does not take advantage of the Kåñëa consciousness movement of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu, he cannot be delivered for millions of such kalpas. (CC. Antya 3.254-255)



56. Dealings amongst devotees dadäti pratigåhëäti guhyam äkhyäti påcchati bhuìkte bhojayate caiva ñaò-vidhaà préti-lakñaëam

TRANSLATION

Offering gifts in charity, accepting charitable gifts, revealing one's mind in confidence, inquiring confidentially, accepting prasäda and offering prasäda are the six symptoms of love shared by one devotee and another.

PURPORT

In this verse Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé explains how to perform devotional activities in the association of other devotees. There are six kinds of activities: (1) giving charity to the devotees, (2) accepting from the devotees whatever they may offer in return, (3) opening one's mind to the devotees, (4) inquiring from them about the confidential service of the Lord, (5) honoring prasäda, or spiritual food, given by the devotees, and (6) feeding the devotees with prasäda. An experienced devotee explains, and an inexperienced devotee learns from him. This is guhyam äkhyäti påcchati. When a devotee distributes prasäda, remnants of food offered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in order to maintain our spirit of devotional service we must accept this prasäda as the Lord's grace received through the pure devotees. We should also invite pure devotees to our home, offer them prasäda and be prepared to please them in all respects. This is called bhuìkte bhojayate caiva.

Even in ordinary social activities, these six types of dealings between two loving friends are absolutely necessary. For instance, when one businessman wishes to contact another businessman he arranges a feast in a hotel, and over the feast he openly expresses what he wishes to do. He then inquires from his business friend how he should act, and sometimes presents are exchanged. Thus whenever there is a dealing of préti, or love in intimate dealings, these six activities are executed. In the previous verse, Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé advised that one should renounce worldly association and keep company with the devotees (saìga-tyägät sato våtteù). The International Society for Krishna Consciousness has been established to facilitate these six kinds of loving exchanges between devotees. This Society was started single-handedly, but because people are coming forward and dealing with the give—and—take policy, the Society is now expanding all over the world. We are glad that people are donating very liberally to the development of the Society's activities, and people are also eagerly accepting whatever humble contribution we are giving them in the shape of books and magazines dealing strictly with the subject matter of Kåñëa consciousness. We sometimes hold Hare Kåñëa festivals and invite life members and friends to participate in the feasting by accepting prasäda. Although most of our members come from the higher rungs of society, they nonetheless come and take whatever little prasäda we are able to offer them. Sometimes the members and supporters inquire very confidentially about the methods of performing devotional service, and we try to explain this. In this way our Society is successfully spreading all over the world, and the intelligentsia of all countries is gradually appreciating our Kåñëa conscious activities. The life of the Kåñëa conscious society is nourished by these six types of loving exchange among the members; therefore people must be given the chance to associate with the devotees of ISKCON because simply by reciprocating in the six ways mentioned above an ordinary man can fully revive his dormant Kåñëa consciousness. In the Bhagavad-gétä (2.62) it is stated, saìgät saïjäyate kämaù: one's desires and ambitions develop according to the company one keeps. It is often said that a man is known by his company, and if an ordinary man associates with devotees, he will certainly develop his dormant Kåñëa consciousness.

(Translation and Purport from Nectar of Instruction, Text 4)

Discovery. 1. What do we understand by association with devotees? 2. What are the different types of exchanges between devotees?

Understanding.



1. In what way do the six exchanges help devotees in their spiritual advancement? 2. Why is association of devotees required?

Application. Has ISKCON played a role in your spiritual advancement? Please share.

SRI NAMAMRTA

By associating with pure devotees engaged in chanting the Hare Krishna mantra, one's heart is purified and one develops pure love for Kåñëa:

An example of rising to the stage of ecstatic love by executing the regulative principles of devotional service is given in the life story of Närada, which is described to Vyäsadeva in Srimad-Bhägavatam. Närada tells there of his previous life and how he developed to the stage of ecstatic love. He was engaged in the service of great devotees and used to hear their talks and songs. Because he had the opportunity to hear these pastimes and songs of Krishna from the mouths of pure devotees, he became very attracted within his heart. Because he had become so eager to hear these topics, he gradually developed within himself an ecstatic love for Kåñëa. This ecstatic love is prior to the pure love of Kåñëa, because in the next verse Närada confirms that by the gradual process of hearing from the great sages he developed love of Godhead. In that connection, Närada continues to say in the First Canto, Fifth Chapter, verse 28, of the Bhägavatam, "First I passed my days in the association of the great sages during the rainy autumn season. Every morning and evening I heard them while they were singing and chanting the Hare Krishna mantra, and thus my heart gradually became purified. As soon as I heard them with great attention, the influence of the modes of material ignorance and passion disappeared, and I became firmly fixed in devotional service to the Lord."

These are practical examples of how one can develop to the stage of ecstatic love simply by the association of pure devotees. It is essential, therefore, that one constantly associate with pure devotees who are engaged morning and evening in chanting the Hare Krishna mantra. In this way one will get the chance to purify his heart and develop this ecstatic pure love for Kåñëa.(The Nectar of Devotion Chapter 17)


Giving contributions to authorized persons gives the donor unlimited benefit:

Money given in charity to a suitable person is guaranteed bank balance in the next life. Such charity is recommended to be given to a brähmaëa. If the money is given in charity to a non-brähmaëa (without brahminical qualification) the money is returned in the next life in the same proportion. If it is given in charity to a half-educated brähmaëa, even then the money is returned double. If the money is given in charity to a learned and fully qualified brähmaëa, the money is returned a hundred and a thousand times, and if the money is given to a veda-päraga (one who has factually realized the path of the Vedas), it is returned by unlimited multiplication.

Srimad-Bhägavatam 2.3.17



57. Vyuha 8 – Vaisnava etiquette



58. Varna

The Bhagavad-gita (4.13) declares that this social division, known as varna-asrama, was based on qualities and activities (guna-karma). The Rg Veda (10.90.12) compares society to the human body. The brahmanas (thinkers and teachers) are compared to the head, the ksatriyas (governors and protectors) to the arms, vaisyas (producers and traders) to the belly and sudras (workers and general assistants) to the feet. In our body, one part may be positioned higher than the other, but that is just to facilitate its optimum contribution to the body. Ultimately all parts need nourishment and are necessary for proper bodily functioning. If any part is neglected or malfunctions, the whole body suffers. Similarly, in the social body, brahmanas (determined by qualities, not birth) are higher in the social hierarchy, but that is just to ensure optimum social utilization of their intellectual abilities. Ultimately, every class is valued for its contribution to society. If any class is exploited or is lethargic, the entire society is adversely affected. Importantly these four social classes, known as varnas, are not discriminatory man-made divisions. Essentially they are four human types found in every human society.

Occupational duties are known as varnasrama-dharma and apply to the four divisions of material and spiritual life namely brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya and sudra, and brahmacarya, grhastha, vanaprastha and sannyasa. If one works according to the varnasrama-dharma system and does not desire fruitive results, he gets satisfaction gradually. Discharging one’s occupational duty as a means of rendering devotional service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the ultimate goal of life. – (SB 4.20.9, purport)

Brahmanas, the intellectual or priestly class: samo damas tapaù saucaà ksantir arjavam eva ca/ jnanaà vijnanam astikyaà brahma-karma svabhava-jam: “Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, knowledge, wisdom and religiousness these are the natural qualities by which the brahmanas work.” – Bhagavad-gita 18.42

Ksatriyas, the administrative class: sauryaà tejo dhrtir daksyaà yuddhe capy apalayanam/ danam isvara-bhavas ca ksatraà karma svabhava-jam:”Heroism, power, determination, resourcefulness, courage in battle, generosity and leadership are the natural qualities of work for the ksatriyas.”(Bhagavad-gita 18.43)

Vaisyas, the mercantile class: Krsi-go-raksya-vanijyah vaisya-karma svabhava-jam: “Farming, cow protection and business are the natural work for the vaisyas.” (Bhagavad-gita 18.44)

Sudras, the labor class: Paricaryatmakaà karma sudrasyapi svabhava-jam: “For the sudras there is labor and service to others.” (Bhagavad-gita 18.44)

The brahmanas, as the intelligent class of men in society, must vow to steadily respect this regulative principle. The tendency in this age of Kali to make a classless society and not observe the principles of varna and asrama is a manifestation of an impossible dream. Destruction of the social and spiritual orders will not bring fulfillment of the idea of a classless society. One should strictly observe the principles of varna and asrama for the satisfaction of the creator, for it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita (4.13) by Lord Krsna that the four orders of the social system brahmanas, ksatriyas, vaisyas and sudras are His creation. They should act according to the regulative principles of this institution and satisfy the Lord, just as different parts of the body all engage in the service of the whole. – (SB 4.6.44, purport)

There is no question of harassment. Different kinds of men engaged in different kinds of activities. Maybe a florist, maybe a potter, maybe a cobbler, maybe anything, grain producer . . . Society requires so many things. According to Vedic system, there is a class, and Bhagavata says, “You are engaged in your occupational duty; so whether you are getting success by such occupational duty?”

The Vedic system does not condemn anyone. “You are a potter. Oh, you are lower.” No. You are as good as a priest because you are doing your duty. That’s all right. Never condemns.

This is a development of later age when the so-called brahmanas became treacherous. They began to condemn so-called lower class. There was disruption, the whole social system. But in the beginning it was not… (Room conversation – Montreal July 16th, 1968)

The caste-by-birth idea – the bane of Hindu casteism – is decidedly nonVedic. The Vedic texts abound with examples of qualified people, even if lowborn, being elevated to respectable places in society.

The Chandogya Upanisad narrates how Gautama Rsi declared a maidservant's son, Satyakama Jabali, to be a brahmana as the boy was unhesitatingly truthful – the hallmark of a true brahmana. Furthermore, Suta Gosvami,



Kanaka, Kancipurna, Tukarama, Thiruvalluvar, Sura dasa and Haridasa Thakura were all revered as saints, though they were low-born.

The ultimate purpose of the original varnasrama, known as daivi varnasrama, the divinely-ordained system, was not just material social organization, but systematic spiritual elevation. As eternal souls, beloved sons and servants of God, Krsna, we can attain eternal happiness only in His devotional service. This selfless divine love enables us to live as happily as is ever possible in this world and finally transports us to our original home, the spiritual world, where we live in eternal ecstasy, reciprocating love with Krsna. Varnasrama offers the best springboard to catapult us to our spiritual birthright. Hence cultivating genuine spirituality – Krsna consciousness – and returning back to the spiritual world is the only real solution to all problems including birth, old age, disease, death – and discrimination.

Discovery: 1. What is varnasrama-dharma? 2. What does the Rg veda compare the society with? 3. What are the qualities of a brahmana, kshatriya, vaisya and sudra 4. On what basis did Lord Krsna create the four orders of social system?

Understanding: 1. Presently do you think the entire society is adversely affected? Substantiate. 2. Why is a classless society an impossible dream in the current scenario? 3. Does the Vedic system discriminate between / condemn the different classes in society? 4. What is the ultimate purpose of daivi varnashrama

Application: Is it possible to practice daivivarna-asrama dharma in this age? How?

NAMAMRITA

For attaining the topmost goal, hearing and chanting about Lord Viñëu is more important than varëäçrama-dharma:

The chief äcärya of the Tattvaväda community was very learned in the revealed scriptures. Out of humility, Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu questioned him. Caitanya Mahäprabhu said, "I do not know very well the aim of life and how to achieve it. Please tell me of the best ideal for humanity and how to attain it." The äcärya replied, "When the activities of the four castes and the four äçramas are dedicated to Kåñëa, they constitute the best means whereby one can attain the highest goal of life. When one dedicates the duties of varëäçrama-dharma to Kåñëa, he is eligible for five kinds of liberation. Thus he is transferred to the spiritual world in Vaikuëöha. This is the highest goal of life and the verdict of all revealed scriptures." Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu said, "According to the verdict of the çästras, the process of hearing and chanting is the best means to attain loving service to Kåñëa."

(Çré Caitanya-caritämåta Madhya-lélä 9.254-258)


Preaching Kåñëa consciousness is the only remedy which can bring world peace:

In this material world, everyone is trying to counteract the onslaught of material nature, but everyone is ultimately fully controlled by material nature.... So-called scientists, philosophers, religionists and politicians should therefore conclude that they cannot offer facilities to the people in general. They should make vigorous propaganda to awaken the populace and raise them to the platform of Kåñëa consciousness. Our humble attempt to propagate the Kåñëa consciousness movement all over the world is the only remedy that can bring about a peaceful and happy life. We can never be happy without the mercy of the Supreme Lord....

(ÇB 7.9.19)



59. Asrama

The Asrama system is arranged in four stages of life in order for one to reach spiritual perfection. The first stage is brahmacarya. Brahmacarya means student life or education with the spiritual master. According to the Asrama system, at five years of age a boy goes to live at the guru-kula, or the place of the guru. There, in order to understand spiritual life, all students serve as menial servants of the guru. This way is advised by Kåñëa in the Bhagavad-gétä (4.34): By performing this service unto a pure devotee, the brahmacäré is making direct service contact with God. The brahmacäré is trained to be celibate and temperate and to follow the scriptural injunctions for purification of consciousness. Moreover, one must enter brahmacäré training, even if he is to be later married, so that he can learn the principles of restraint. This practice of brahmacarya inculcates in one the desire for Kåñëa because it restrains the sensual propensities which are the cause of our bondage to the material world.

ESSENTIAL TRAINING

Among other things, the brahmacäré is required to restrict his sleep. He is expected to rise one and a half hours before sunrise in order to take advantage of the early hours which are said to be the most auspicious for spiritual development. In Çrémad-Bhägavatam, the habits of a brahmacäré are described: “The brahmacäré must rise early in the morning, and after placing himself, he should chant the holy name” (Bhaktivedanta Purports, Bhäg. 3.21.45). It is further described that the brahmacäré’s body and face should give off a luster:

When the spiritual master understands the qualities of a student, then he decides how he should work, whether as brähmaëa, kñatriya, vaiçya or çüdra. Thus the student goes into any occupation or spiritual order implanted with the seed of devotional service and the ability to control his senses over the four animal propensities.

MARRIED LIFE

The second Asrama order is called gåhastha, the married family man. Gåhastha does not mean married life for indulgence in sex and family affairs. Gåhastha is a bona fide spiritual order. There is another word in Sanskrit, gåhamedhé, which is a description of married life without spiritual goals. Such marriage, in which one uses contraceptive methods in order to enjoy sex life, raises children who become like cats and dogs, and devotes one’s occupational income and energy for elevating the material standard of his family, is a waste of human life. Sex is there, like eating, and there is no bar to Kåñëa consciousness for a married man. If one feels some disturbance in living single, he can get married. Many of the great authorities in the science of God, like Lord Brahmä, Prahläda Mahäräja, Bhaktivinode Öhäkura and His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupäda, were family men. Marriage in the spiritual order is for the purpose of living peacefully and having children in Kåñëa consciousness. Like the varëa, the Asrama orders are natural and based on principles of human life in terms of the whole span of life; the goal of Asrama is not sense gratification, but liberation from the material condition and attainment of the highest goal. The first part of life, brahmacarya, is utilized for development of character and spiritual qualities. Then around age twenty-five, if he has the desire to be married, he may, as the next natural part of life, accept a wife and beget children. But one should not beget children like cats and dogs. A child should be begotten who can perform duties for God, otherwise there is no need to marry and no need of children. The parents should see to it that the child born of them must not enter the womb of a mother again. The child should be trained for being liberated in that life.

Asrama teaches that human life is especially meant for being completely devoted to the Lord. Among the duties and responsibilities of the householder is that he takes care of the other spiritual orders. By occupation, the vaiçyas produce food for everyone; by spiritual order, the householders feed the others, as far as possible. Also, according to the example of the great devotee Rüpa Gosvämé, a householder should give at least fifty per cent of his income for propagation of Kåñëa consciousness, twenty-five percent for his household upkeep, and twenty-five percent set aside for emergencies. The gåhastha lives as a householder, prosecuting Kåñëa consciousness with every endeavor.

RETIRED LIFE



Let us say that a man lives one hundred years. The first twenty-five years he is student. The years from twenty-five to fifty are good for producing children and so may be spent in householder life. Then after fifty years of age the man is expected to retire and leave his household affairs in the hands of his oldest son. This stage is called vänaprastha. He retires and with his wife travels to holy places. Then gradually he leaves his wife in the care of the older children. It is not that the wife is left deserted on the road. According to Vedic civilization the woman is never independent. She is in the hands of her father until she is handed over in marriage, and then she becomes the charge of her husband. When the sons are grownup and it is time for the husband to take sannyäsa, he leaves his wife in the charge of his elder sons.

The Çrémad-Bhägavatam narrates the history of Kardama Muni, a great yogé householder who lived at the dawn of creation and who strictly followed the scriptural injunction by leaving his home to take the renounced life of a wandering sannyäsé. His case was most exceptional because after long austerities and practice of yoga, Kardama Muni and his wife Devahüti had been blessed to have born unto them the incarnation of God known as Kapila Deva, who taught the famous Säìkhya philosophy to the world. Kardama Muni’s exalted position was that God Himself was in his home, as his son. And still, Kardama Muni left his home in strict observance of the injunction that one must spend his last days away from home and without family connection in pursuit of spiritual life. Kapila Deva encouraged His father not to deviate from the scriptures, and He assured him that as Supreme Lord He would always be with His father, residing in his heart. Thus Kardama Muni left his wife in the charge of his son Kapila and became a wandering sannyäsé totally dependent on Kåñëa for his food and lodging.

THE RENOUNCED ORDER

Sannyäsa is required so that the materially engrossed householder can get out of his mundane occupations before the time of death. The bona fide sannyäsé who has received information from authorized scriptural sources and from a spiritual master in disciplic succession must not be merely self-satisfied in that knowledge because he is needed by society at large to go and preach to the people and inject them with the immediacy of (immediate need for) eternal spiritual values. If the sannyäsé does not teach the common men of their spiritual nature, then they will have wasted the human form of life. It is possible, by direct surrender to God, to be factually sannyäsa or renounced, even while living at home with wife and children. But the existence of the sannyäsé in the renounced order, either as a missionary with a large following, or as a wandering hermit, will culminate in the highest form of human being, the paramahaàsa, or intimate pure devotee of Kåñëa, who is without envy and always fixed in ecstatic absorption of love of God.

The four orders and castes of varëasrama -dharma are meant to perfect human society. The four orders become distinct where there is enlightenment. Such spiritual life is actually the most democratic because God accepts as wonderful whoever surrenders to Him. By the material standard the rich are great. But in spiritual life the most advanced person serves all others and brings them to Kåñëa consciousness. In Kåñëa consciousness the most advanced person gives up everything, whereas in material life the most advanced is greedy, vicious and dangerous to mankind at large. The real democracy we need is democracy of spiritual consciousness—the understanding that all belongs to God and every living being is Kåñëa’s beloved creature. Any man who takes up devotional service is to be respected regardless of his position; and at the same time, whatever qualities he displays in terms of work he can use for Kåñëa.

(From Back to Godhead Magazine 1966 – 2008: Back to Godhead Magazine # 40 197?)

Discovery 1. Why is the ashrama system arranged in four stages of life? What are they? 2. Why should students serve as menial servants of the guru? 3. What does Srimad Bhagavatam say about the habits of a brahmacari? 4. Who is a grhasta and a grhamedhi? 5. What is the vänaprastha stage?

Understanding 1. Is it necessary for one to enter into brahmacari training even if he wants to get married? Why? 2. Explain how the great devotee Rupa Goswami allocated his income.



3. Can a woman be independent? Why? Why not? 4. Does a sannyäsé do social service? How? 5. What is real democracy?

Application What is your commitment to the society, in your current status (varna and ashrama)?

NAMAMRITA

One who feels he cannot live in the temple can practice Kåñëa consciousness at home by chanting the mahä-mantra, etc.:

Lord Caitanya Mahäprabhu requested them all to return home and begin chanting the holy name congregationally. He also requested them to worship Kåñëa, chant His holy name and discuss His holy pastimes. The cult of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu, the Hare Kåñëa movement, is very nicely explained by Lord Caitanya Mahäprabhu authoritatively. It is not that everyone has to take sannyäsa like Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu. Everyone can execute the cult of Kåñëa consciousness at home, as ordered by the Lord. Everyone can congregationally chant the holy name of Kåñëa, the Hare Kåñëa mahä-mantra. One can also discuss the subject matter of Bhagavad-gétä and Çrémad-Bhägavatam and install Deities of Radha-Kåñëa or Gaura-Nitäi or both and worship Them very carefully in one's own home. It is not that we have to open different centers all over the world. Whoever cares for the Kåñëa consciousness movement can install Deities at home, and, under superior guidance, worship the Deity regularly, chanting the mahä-mantra and discussing Bhagavad-gétä and Çrémad-Bhägavatam. We are teaching in our classes how to go about this. One who feels that he is not yet ready to live in a temple or undergo strict regulative principles in the temple—especially householders who live with wife and children—can start a center at home by installing the Deity, worshiping the Lord morning and evening, chanting Hare Kåñëa and discussing Bhagavad-gétä and Çrémad-Bhägavatam. Anyone can do this at home without difficulty, and Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu requested all the devotees present there to do so.

(Cc Madhya-lélä 3.190)


Lord Caitanya advised His followers to preach:

Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu advised His followers to increase the numbers of Vaiñëavas.... It is Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu's wish that everyone should become a Vaiñëava and guru. Following the instructions of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu and His disciplic succession, one can become a spiritual master, for the process is very easy. One can go everywhere and anywhere to preach the instructions of Kåñëa. Bhagavad-gétä is Kåñëa's instructions; therefore the duty of every Vaiñëava is to travel and preach Bhagavad-gétä, either in his country or a foreign country.

(CC-lila 24.277)



60. Vyuha 9 – Seminar on Grhasta / Brahmacari ashrama

bhakti vriksha lessons for members - iskcon …...bhakti vriksha lessons for members – sri guru...

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