May 25, 1996
Leicester, U.K.
Śrīla Gurudeva: Now I want to explain some teachings of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura. He had given these teachings in his last days. He gave these teachings one day before his departure; during the evening. And on the next morning, he left this planet.
He said, “I have given so many sufferings to many people. Now they are envious of me so much. But one day they will realize that what I have said is, “Satyaṁ śivaṁ, sundaram.” Do you know what satyam means? It means the Absolute truth. The Absolute truth is the only truth. Śivam is maṅgala-jana, auspicious. Sundaram is so beautiful.
So, Śrīla Prabhupāda said, “One day they will realize that what I have said is bona fide.” In our books it has been written that “Satyaṁ bruyāt priyaṁ bruyāt mā bruyāt satyam apriyam.” What is the meaning?
Devotee: In social circumstances, the palatable truth should be spoken. But in spiritual circles, one should speak the truth even if its unpalatable.
Śrīla Gurudeva: This Prabhu spoke on this subject in our morning class. Our svāmīs, jñānīs, and yogīs speak this way: Ma bruyāt satyam apriyam—don’t speak truth that is apriyam, not palatable. But our disciplic order from Caitanya Mahāprabhu always says, “If bona fide truth is there, whether it is palatable or not, it should be told.” What is that? In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (5.5.18) it has been written “Gurur na sa syāt svajano na sa syāt...” This verse states that a guru is not a guru, if he’s not helping anyone to advance in spiritual life—in the service of Kṛṣṇa and Śrīmatī Rādhikā. He should be rejected at once. Like Bali Mahārāja rejected his guru, Śukrācārya, and followed Vāmanadeva. A mother should not get pregnant if she cannot help the child grow in bhakti. A father is not a father if he is not helping his children be bona fide people. A wife is not a bona fide chaste lady, if she doesn’t help her husband advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. She may be chaste in the eyes of the world; but still, she is not a chaste lady. And she’s not to be a mother if she’s not encouraging her boys to chant, to develop their Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Who did so? Bharata, the brother of Rāma. He rejected his mother, because she was against the service of Rāma. She had Rāma exiled to the forest for fourteen years. He never called Kaikeyī mother; He rejected her as His mother. After fourteen years, when Rāma returned with Sītā and Lakṣmaṇa to Ayodhyā, as King of Ayodhyā; then Kaikeyī went to Rāma and began to weep.
Rāma said, “Mother, why are you weeping?”
“I’m weeping because You call Kauśalyā, ‘Mother, mother.’ Lakṣmaṇa and Śatrughna also call Sumitrā as their mother. Everyone addresses Kausalya as their mother, even Bharata. But Bharata has not said, ‘O mother,’ to me even a single time. So, I think that if You’ll order Him to call me as mother, then he will surely agree.”
Rāmacandra said, “Call Bharata alone.”
Rāmacandra told Bharata, “I know that You can fulfill all My orders. So, I want to give You one order that You should surely do.”
Bharata replied with folded hands, “Prabhu, I will follow all orders, except one. And that is — I cannot call Mahārāṇī Kaikeyī as My mother. I can call her Mahārāṇī, but I cannot call her, ‘My mother.’ ”
Rāma began to weep; everyone in the assembly wept. But, Bharata never called Kaikeyī as His mother.
Those who are against, they should be rejected. So, it is apriya, but a very bona fide truth. They have no relation with anyone who has no relation with Kṛṣṇa and who is not serving Him. Their only masters are the Vaiṣṇavas. They have no relation with those who are not respecting and honoring Vaiṣṇavas. And if you have a relation with those who criticize and disrespect Vaiṣṇavas, then your divine love and everything will go away.
Follow all these teachings. Those who are favorable for developing our Kṛṣṇa consciousness and who increase our attachment to Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Nityānanda Prabhu, Vṛndāvana-dhāma, Kṛṣṇa, and our holy master, should be remembered. We will always have a relation with them. So who is saying this? Śrīla Prabhupāda is. As I am reading, I’m explaining the teachings. So, he has firstly said, “Satyaṁ bruyāt.” The truth may not be so palatable, but yet it should be told.
Śrīla Prabhupāda said, “I have brought so many new devotees, from very aristocratic families, and the families are against me. They think, ‘He has taken my boy. Now our boys think, ‘Only Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī is our father, mother, and everything.’ But they don’t want to live in their homes and serve their father and mother.’ ” Kṛṣṇa is father, mother, and everything. So we should try to develop our Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
In another instruction, Śrīla Prabhupāda has said, “We should serve viṣaya-vigraha under the guidance of āśraya-vigraha.” We are the followers of āśraya-vigraha. Śrīmatī Rādhikā is the supreme āśraya-vigraha, or sevaka-bhagavān. This does not depend on Kṛṣṇa. Śrīmatī Rādhikā is energy and Kṛṣṇa is supreme, so both are one. Therefore, we should try to serve Kṛṣṇa under the guidance of Śrīmatī Rādhikā. Our Gurudeva is also like Baladeva Prabhu and Śrīmatī Rādhikā. As we see in Jaiva-dharma. In Jaiva-dharma, the realizations of Vrajanātha and Vijaya-kumāra are discussed. Vijaya kumāra saw his Gurudeva - Gopāla Guru, as Lalitā, Viśākhā, and Vrajanātha saw him as Subala, Śrīdāma. Their Gurudeva was one; but they realized him in these ways.
So here, we have said that āśraya-vigraha is Gurudeva. But, the Gurudeva must be a bona fide Gurudeva; he shouldn’t be involved in a party spirit or in politics. If he is involved in these activities, then he should be rejected at once. There should be no politics; Gurudeva is saral, very simple. So, we should not try to participate in all these undesirable activities.
Svāmījī was never interested in politics, I know. From the beginning, he went door to door; he even went to those who were drunkards. These people had no belief in Kṛṣṇa or in any devotees. But he went door to door like Nityānanda Prabhu. So we should be simple like this. We should have only one object; there should be no other object. Our only aim is to serve Kṛṣṇa and Śrīmatī Rādhikā, Vṛndāvana, Navadvīpa-dhāma, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and Nityānanda Prabhu. So, only desire this.
You may say, “You are telling us to worship Gauracandra and also Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, how can this be possible?” You should know that Caitanya Mahāprabhu is not different from Kṛṣṇa and Rādhā. He is the combined form of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.
So, Śrīla Prabhupāda tells us, “Don’t quarrel among yourselves. Under the guidance of the holy master, you should always try to serve Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu.” You should see that we have come to this world and we are lacking in so many things. There are so many problems; but we have not come to solve all these problems. We have not come to gather or collect all the things, which one wants. What is the mūla object, or the most desired goal; attaining which all the problems will be solved? By attaining this goal, every problem and suffering will go away. Moreover, ego, anger, and everything will be solved. So, what should be practiced, by which all your troubles will be solved? Only Kṛṣṇa consciousness should be practiced.
There are so many diseases. We want so much money; also, we have so many problems. We have to scratch the itch. While scratching, we think, “Oh, how tasteful.” But our Guru Mahārāja has given an example of this itching. Although it seems tasteful, it is a roga, a disease. So, if you are gathering, collecting all these things, and trying to solve all problems, while striving for sense gratification; then know that it will make more problems. We should not think that, “Oh, I’ve nothing to eat. I should first collect all these things, then chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Without this, we cannot chant.” No, this is not appropriate. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and you should always have a very strong faith that Kṛṣṇa will see. He will manage everything. He has written and promised that, “All those who will surrender unto Me, I will look after them.” So, we should have strong confidence in His statements.
Therefore, you cannot solve anything. But if you are surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, and serving Kṛṣṇa, then everything will be solved forever. But if you think, “I will solve all these problems and then chant harināma,” then you cannot solve these problems. You cannot be happy. You should have a very strong belief in Kṛṣṇa. This is the door to enter in the bhakti realm, and that is called śaraṇāgati, surrender. Kṛṣṇa must; He will surely give all the things we require. So we should take only things which are favorable for bhakti. Reject all the things which are not favorable for bhakti. Have a very strong desire for bhakti. You should know and understand that Kṛṣṇa is always supporting and nourishing us. He has given birth, He has given sādhu-saṅga, He has given a śuddha Gurudeva, He has given everything. He has given this body, we have not made this body. Any scientist in whole world cannot even make an ant, they cannot do anything. So, we should know that Kṛṣṇa is always supporting us, giving everything. He has given this very strong intelligence, and everything.
A person thinks, “I am so beautiful,” Kṛṣṇa has given this body. We are not lame, we are not blind. Kṛṣṇa has arranged everything. Kṛṣṇa has arranged a very bona fide guru, like Svāmījī for you all. He has arranged a bona fide guru for me also. My Gurudeva was the sannyāsa-guru of Svāmījī. This was not by mere luck. So, we are very fortunate; so fortunate. Anyone has not arranged, only Kṛṣṇa has arranged. So, He will arrange everything. Don’t forget this.
You should surrender yourself. What is your real self? Is your body, mind, or soul, your real self? Sometimes, we say, “O Gurudeva, I’ve surrendered to you.” But actually, we see that he is not surrendered. How? If you’ve surrendered to Gurudeva, then why are you bothering yourself with all these problems? Why are you not surrendering yourself entirely to Him? You do not because you have no faith. You have no faith. Rather than surrendering yourself, you think, “Oh, I’m doing this thing. I will make a pond, I will have so many cows, and then, when everything will be so favorable, I will sit and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa.” But if you are doing so and so many cows are dead, then what to do? What to do if every cow is dead? So, we should not concern ourselves with what will happen tomorrow. Come what may tomorrow; but always be in the present. Like all the associates of Kṛṣṇa. Who supported Rūpa-Sanātana in the very dense forests? Who supported? Who saved Prahlāda Mahārāja? So always think, “Prabhupāda is with me, or our Gurujī is here with me. Kṛṣṇa is always here.”
You should not think, “Kṛṣṇa is not here, our Gurujī is not here. He (guru) is dead, and Kṛṣṇa is in the past.” We should not think like this. Kṛṣṇa is everywhere, in every atom. He is creating everything. He is God. Do you know what God means? G – generator, O – operator, D – destroyer. Why are you trying to assume the role of God? You should not think, “I will create something. I will operate. Oh, we are controlling all.” I saw in the way, while coming from here, Leicester?
Devotees: Birmingham.
Śrīla Gurudeva: Birmingham. I saw a control room there. We are controlling energy. Kṛṣṇa is actually the controller, and we are the controlled. We are bound to be controlled either by māyā or by Kṛṣṇa. If you are not controlled by Kṛṣṇa, then you will have to be controlled by māyā. Now māyā is controlling us. Māyā makes us feel that we are the controllers. Don’t try to make all these things, by which you think you will make everything favorable in your life. A person thinks, “We will arrange everything. We have no money, we have no beautiful girls to marry.” A woman thinks, “I don’t have a good husband. I don’t have big rooms, houses, telephones, and cars.”
Rather, you should think, “What is the aim and object of our life, of our sādhana?” Our whole energy should be spent on this, and not a single moment should be spent on these secondary things. This is called surrender to Kṛṣṇa, śaraṇāgati. If there is no śaraṇāgati, then there is no bhakti. The door to bhakti is closed. And if you have surrendered, and are actually following the six principles, then the door is opened and we will enter in the bhakti realm. You should note all these instructions down very carefully. These are the words of Śrīla Prabhupāda Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura.
We should see, also understand, that this body will go tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow; or it will go after ten years, or a hundred years; but it will go certainly. Cancer and tuberculosis make the body rotten. These days, AIDS is on the rise. And if you suffer from these ailments, you will not survive. If cancer comes, or if AIDS comes, you will never recover. Then what to do? When leprosy and other ailments affect the body, then much smell will come and bees and flies will come near the person. The person may even pass stool and urine. If even in that condition, the person says, “O Kṛṣṇa, I’ve surrendered my body, my soul, and my everything to You.” Then Kṛṣṇa will accept his prayers. No one can accept you, whether that person is your wife, husband, father, mother, or anyone else. They cannot accept you, but He will accept all these things.
Why should you not be giving your whole energy in trying to surrender and engage in devotion? What you are doing at present – you have been doing since lakhs and lakhs of births. You are spending your whole energy in this. We have been here in this world, roaming here and there in the ocean of birth and death, since the time the world was created and Brahmā came into existence. But we are making no solution at all. Problems are there, problems are coming like waves in the sea. Despite us trying to solve these problems and make our lives easier; it is not to be. The solution will only come if we give our whole energy and whole life in the service of Kṛṣṇa. So we should try. It has been told that one who says, “Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa,” only once, will be liberated. By this nāmābhāsa, he will attain liberation at once. But, although he will have liberation, he will have no happiness. He will be like a stone. Whether it is happiness, or sorrow, you will have no realization by such stone like-liberation. Salvation is like a curse. Any Vaiṣṇava or any intelligent person doesn’t want this salvation. There is no happiness in this salvation; there is nothing there.
Śrīla Prabhupāda says, “We should realize what is the aim and object of our life.” If it is done, then our life will be successful. And if we have not determined the aim of our life, then our acceptance of Gurudeva is in vain. We have accepted him for fun or as a joke. Like how we keep a dog in our house. Dog is necessary to watch the house, so Gurudeva is also needed for a similar purpose. In India it is like so. If a person hasn’t accepted a Gurudeva, then one cannot take the water he has touched. So he must be initiated.
Did all of you understand what I just said? In India, if you are not initiated by anyone, then no one will take the water you have given for cooking, drinking, or other purposes. So you must be initiated. So many kula-gurus are coming. Do you know who a kula-guru is? He is a family guru. They will not do. Śrīla Prabhupāda Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura has said that a family guru will not do anything. They cannot help us. Only a bona fide guru, and bona fide devotees can help. Hence, it has been said, “Sādhu-saṅga, sādhu-saṅga, sādhu-saṅga.” In the first śloka of Śikṣāṣṭaka, Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said, “Param vijayate śrī kṛṣṇa saṅkīrtanam.” This is our upāsya. What does upāsya mean? It means worshipable Deities. Only this Kṛṣṇa saṅkīrtanam is worshipable. His saṅkīrtana is sādhya and sādhana both—saṅkīrtana is the goal and means. When you are so lower, then it is like sādhana, and when the name is realized, then this name becomes Kṛṣṇa Himself.
Do you know the history of how Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu rescued Kāśī, Vārāṇasī? The master of the sixty-thousand māyāvādī-sannyāsīs in Kāśī was so learned; he was one of the most learned personalities of his time in all of India. His name was Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī. Caitanya Mahāprabhu was brought to that council, and and where did He sit? He sat where everyone washed their feet while Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī and his disciples sat on a very high platform. Caitanya Mahāprabhu sat very humbly there, where people used to wash their feet.
Prakāśānanda found Him and said, “Why You are sitting there? You are a sannyāsī in our line. So You should come. Come on, come on.” And he went there and caught hold of Mahāprabhu’s hands. He then brought Him in the midst of the assembly.
Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “I’m not qualified to come and sit in your assembly. I am very a foolish person.”
Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī replied, “No, no. I will give You a very renounced title. You present upādhi, title is so inferior. You should now read the Vedānta to elevate Yourself to a higher title.”
Mahāprabhu said, “I’m not qualified to read. I’m a very foolish minded person. I don’t know the A, B, C, D of Sanskrit.”
Having heard of Mahāprabhu’s ecstatic symptoms, Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī said, “You should not weep nor should You dance. You should not roll down on the earth. These are the symptoms of ladies, or sentimentalists. You should not do like this. There are three activities, which are prohibited for a sannyāsī or a brahmacārī. You should not dance, sing, and cry.
But I’m seeing that You are doing all these things. So, You should try to give up this behavior, which is not ideal for a sannyāsī and come in our line.”
Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, “I’m so foolish. I went to My Gurudeva and asked for shelter. Guru Mahārāja kindly accepted Me as his disciple and said:
harer nāma harer nāma
harer nāmaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva
nasty eva gatir anyatha
Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 17.21
You should always chant harināma. And he gave a mantra to Me.” That was the Gopāla-mantra.
Who was the Gurudeva of Mahāprabhu? He was Īśvara Purīpāda.
Mahāprabhu further said, “I returned and in a very lonely place I began to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, and after that I began to remember My mantra, the Gopāla-mantra. In a few days I saw that this mantra has become a very beautiful, blackish boy, who is fourteen years of age. His beauty cannot be compared to any example of this world. His beauty is unparalleled. He played so sweetly on His flute and saw Me from the corner of His eyes. He charmed Me. I at once stood up and began to run after Him, and He slowly came towards Me. His smile was sweet and He walked towards Me in a crooked manner. But as I was about to touch Him, He at once turned away and hid behind a tree, and vanished. I fell flat and began to cry, cry, and cry. After some time, I saw that the boy has come again.
He began to laugh and I again ran towards Him, to catch hold of Him and to embrace Him. As I laughed and ran towards Him, He went here and there and again vanished. I again began to weep. So when I do kīrtana, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, I always see that boy. He’s in His eternally youthful form. I began to laugh and again I see that He’s disappeared. Then I began to cry and sometimes I begin to dance like this.”
An argument took place between Mahāprabhu and Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī. Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī said, “God is formless, and You say that He is fourteen years of age. He has a form, but actually, He has no form at all.”
At last, Caitanya Mahāprabhu defeated him by quoting many examples from the Vedas, Upaniṣads, and other scriptures.
[The class ends with “gaurāṅga bolite habe” being sung.]