Don't take the inconceivable under the jurisdiction of reason
Srila GuruMaharaja
Don't take the inconceivable under the jurisdiction of reason. When it will be extended to you, you will be astounded to find only a peep int...o that. Na tams tarkena yojayet: don't try to drag that into the zone of reason. This is autocratic in its nature. It may come in one shape to you, it may go in another shape to another gentleman. It is so expansive and so free in its nature. It is infinite. Rather the Infinite is the base of those Pastimes. Always prepare yourself. Hanker. But don't make it an object of your experience. When Mahaprabhu talked about the higher Lilas it was as if He was in a trance. As if in a trance He gave a description of His wonderful experience of Krsna-lila. Several times we find that sort of deep Lila: the higher Lila of Krsna being related by Mahaprabhu Himself: the Govarddhan-lila and the Jalakeli-lila when He jumped unconscious into the ocean and for a few hours was carried by the waves of the sea to Chakra-tirtha from Swargadvar. The jalakeli of Krsna, He described how it is. A lso at Chatak Parvvat - there is no end to His Lila. When His body was transformed like a pumpkin, then also He described a Lila, but the nature of that description was not any book-produced thing. It cannot be taken into black and white. It is such a thing. So we receive caution often, that: "Don't try. It will come automatically. Go on with the program that is given by the Sastra and the Guru and it will be. If you have such possibility of fortune then it will come to you. It is not a natural experience that can be given to this and that. It is not to be tackled in such way."
yatha yatha gaura-padaravinde
Engage your full attention in Gaura-lila and that will come automatically within you. From the indirect way it will come to you from the higher domain. When it will be pleased it will come down for some time to give you experience, and you will simply be astonished, "What is this!" Then even when gone, withdrawn, you will have nothing to lament. It is a living thing. Try to come to get the whole. We cannot make it our object. Such higher thing! Such higher thing. Even it is very hard to see an ordinary man's conduct with his intimate friends, and so it is with the Lila of the Supreme Lord. How can we dare to enter into that, and especially publicly? It is not possible. Externally we can try to give some description of the outer possibilities, but not the actual thing. We won't venture to enter there.
Guru Vani
Srila Sridhara Maharaja
Devotee: Is there any spiritual difference when the disciple is in the physical presence of his Guru and when he is many miles apart?
Srila Sridhar Maharaj: We can get benefit only through sraddha (sublime faith). The position of Guru should not be considered as mundane, it should not be identified with his mundane appearance. Only through sraddha are we able to approach him, from any distance. Still of course, by physical vicinity we can get the chance of hearing from him, and of witnessing many practical dealings that may help us on our path with the knowledge of Vaisnava-sadhachar, what should be the conduct of a Vaisnava.
In this way we can have some sort of conception about these things, but sraddha must be there. Sraddha, or respectable faith must be there in either case – physical closeness or distance is not the question. In the lower stage, physical nearness has more efficacy. By his movements, his talks, and his instructions we are to learn the spiritual etiquette, and many spiritual ideals which may also become clear in his company. So physical vicinity will be useful in the lower stage, but sraddha must be there otherwise we may commit offence.
Physical nearness devoid of faith may be the cause of offences against Gurudev. Sometimes the senior Godbrothers may be very helpful in our dealings with Gurudev when we are beginners. Sri Gurudev’s conduct may not always be very clear or helpful for us, so in that case some senior Godbrother may come to help us and explain his movements and do away with any difference we may see in him.
isvaranam vachah satyam tathaivacharitam kvachit
tesam yat svavacho yuktam buddhimams tat samacharet
(Bhagavatam: 10.33.31) “The instructions of the great personages are always true, but their conduct and their practices may not always be useful to the beginners. So the sober person will accept those practices that are backed by his words, understanding that in his higher stage he may do something which may not be useful to those of a lower stage.
He has such spiritual power that what may be seen as a defect in the beginner, cannot harm him in any way. Therefore the fair minded beginners will accept those practices which are in consonance with his instructions, as being useful to their progress.” We should not imitate but rather we should. Not anukaran (imitation) but anusaran (to follow in the footsteps). We must understand the difference.
Connecting with the pure flow
(Revealed Truth) Srila Gurudev
Atah Sri-Krsna-Namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih: we cannot
see Krsna’s divine form or hear His Di...vine Name. If we try to
go to Krsna directly, overstepping the sadhu, we will never
see Krsna’s real form. We will only go down into the garbage
of illusion (sahajiyaism) again and again. It is necessary to understand
what the Holy Name of Krsna is, and what it is not,
if we actually want to chant the Holy Name. From our mundane
position we do not understand Krsna, but He can reveal
Himself in our heart if we try to connect with Him with love,
affection, chastity, and sincerity through the proper channel of
His devotee.
Internal Thing
Krishna consciousness is an internal thing, and
those who cannot see the internal truth will make
much of the external cover. We do not support that.
Rather we ...are interested in the real spirit. All the
opposing elements who are interested in externals cannot
touch us. Dogs may bark, but the barking of a dog
has no importance. Because they make so much of the
outer thing, they have no real purification of the heart
to accept the pure thing, to discriminate what is purity,
or what is love of Godhead, prema, after which
even Brahma and Mahadeva aspire.
(Sri Guru and His Grace) Srila Sridhara Maharaja
Love and affection
(Revealed truth) Srila Gurudev
If someone can properly follow the sadhu’s instructions and
proceed under the sadhu’s guidance, then they will... be engaged
in bhajana-kriya, real spiritual practising life. Through proper
bhajana-kriya we will come to the stage of anartha-nivrtti, the
removal of our unwanted habits. In the stage of anartha-nivrtti
our hankering for mundane things will leave us, our senses
will become controlled, and our conditioned nature will be
removed. Anartha-nivrtti will not happen, however, unless
we proceed in our bhajana-kriya with strong faith, love, and
affection.
Our Prayer
Dandavat Pranams eternally Dear Masters. We pray to offer ourselves as useful instruments in the hands of the Great Vaisnava Acharyas,there instructions are ou...r guiding light and eternal wealth. May there glories be spread throughout the three worlds,for the supreme benefit of all conditioned souls.We pray to try to please them in our humble attempt to follow there divine path revealed by mystical devotional mercy. If we are sincere and develop real hankering for the service of our great masters they will see our desire and help us in our attempt. We are ever attempting to attract there Divine Graces mercy, in the great campaign of totalitarian war on maya. As in the the words of Srila Sridhara Maharaja,(maya will only withdraw when she see s you have higher backing).Ohe Vaisnava Thakurs please save us who are aspiring on the path of Bhakti and guide us safely towards your lotus feet.
Your aspiring servitor Srila Swami B A Keshava Maharaja
Take your course towards Krsna consciousness.
So we try to make our progress in this line, and at the same time we
also ask our friends to try to embrace this life. The fulfilment of life
for every particle... of existence of this world can be found here.
March towards universal good. Wherever and whoever you are, it
does not matter. Take your course towards Krsna consciousness. This
is the highest fulfilment of the life for everyone. You are only to turn
your face towards Him and march, and the Sweet Absolute, Sri Krsna,
will welcome you. This is the campaign of the Gaudiya Vaisnavas.
Srila Rupa Goswami described Krsna in a scientific way: akhilarasamrta-
murttih. Our hearts are hankering for satisfaction and
happiness of different types, but He is the emporium of all such rasas,
flavours of ecstasy. All types of rasas are in Krsna and He is the
personification of them all, so everyone can find his corresponding
place in Him alone, and nowhere else. He is Krsna - akhila-rasamrtamurtthi.
All our necessary satisfaction is personified in Him. So only
He can say, “Give up everything and come to Me, and you won’t have
to repent. You will find your highest satisfaction.” No one else has
ever said such a thing in any place. Only Krsna has said this and
Mahaprabhu pointed it out. “Go directly that side and don’t go any
other way, but march straight for the Krsna conception – that is your
home.”(Srila Sridhara Maharaja)
Vaishnavism
Vaisnavism is a very natural process to love and serve our lord and to see all others in relation to our lord,so naturally there is love for all. In this world ...the Vaisnava naturally wants to bring others to the lotus feet of the lord of Love, Sweet Krsna.When we were children we had some glimpse of this mood where we saw all others as friends and no enemies.We all have this in common, we are all Gods children and he wants to welcome us all back home.
Dayala Nitai! Dayala Nitai!
Srila Bhakti Asraya Keshava Maharaja
Truth Seeker
To search for the Truth is like searching for gold its not easily gotten but through humble endeavor and great patience it may be found. Dayala Nitai!
Srila Bhakti Asraya Keshava Maharaja
Srila Gurudeva
Srila Gurudev is the transcendental Medium and embodiment of pure service to Lord Krsna, by aspiring to please and serve him by our humble service offerings we are supremely blessed. He offers our ingredients and love upward to his Guru and on toward the lotus feet of Sri Sri Radha and Krsna. Dayala Nitai! Srila Bhakti Asraya Keshava Maharaja
Srila Gurudev is the transcendental Medium and embodiment of pure service to Lord Krsna, by aspiring to please and serve him by our humble service offerings we... are supremely blessed. He offers our ingredients and love upward to his Guru and on toward the lotus feet of Sri Sri Radha and Krsna...........Dayala Nitai
Asraya vigraha das
Srila Gurudev is the transcendental Medium and embodiment of pure service to Lord Krsna, by aspiring to please and serve him by our humble service offerings we... are supremely blessed. He offers our ingredients and love upward to his Guru and on toward the lotus feet of Sri Sri Radha and Krsna...........Dayala Nitai
Asraya vigraha das
One who sincerely wants real good can never be deceived
Centenary
Anthology (Srila GuruMaharaja, Srila Sridhara Maharaja)
One who sincerely wants real good can never be deceived. When
one is a real seeker of the tru...th, he can never be deceived. Krsna says:
“My dear boy, one who is sincerely hankering after the truth can
never come across misfortune. If apparently some misfortune comes
to visit him along the way, that is to enhance his position for his
improvement.”
Some sort of danger may come on our way but if we are sincere it
will be as a test to us and when we will overcome that, it will be an
addition to our glory. The temptations will be rejected and disarmed—
but they will plead for us again.
So sincerity—sincere hankering after the truth—is needed if we are
to go further. And that is made of sukrti—the grace of the divine
agents who, by their nature, are wandering through this cursed land
to help others who may not even know they are being helped.
Sri Guru and his Grace
(Srila GuruMaharaja) Sri Guru and His Grace
But how can we recognize our guru? Sometimes in the winter he
wears a particular dress, and in the summer he wears a...nother dress. If
we attach so much importance to the external dress, then what should
we do? Should we think that the dress is indispensable to the body?
The guru may come to us in a particular body. Suppose the guru
appears as a young man. When he has become an old man, and the
young form has grown into another form, how are we to recognize
him? How are we to differentiate? Again, in one birth, he may have
come in a particular body, and another time, he may appear in a
different body. The same guru may appear differently at different
times. How are we to recognize him? From the external consideration
we must go to the internal.
If I am devoid of flesh and blood, and I exist only in a subtle body,
then I shall also find my guru there, in a subtle body. The demigods,
gandharvas, and siddhas, the perfected beings in the heavenly planets,
also have their gurus, but they do not have a material body, nor does
their guru have a material body.
We are their Servants
All glories to all the servants of Sri Sri Guru and Gauranga both young and old, to the beginners and the advanced we are inspired by them all, we are their servants.
Srila Bhakti Asraya Keshava Maharaja
We are all suffering from separate interest
(The Loving search for the Lost servant Srila GuruMaharaja)
We are all suffering from separate interest, clash and reaction, good
and bad, pleasure and pain, ha...ppiness and distress, but there in the
spiritual domain, everything is conscious and filled with happiness. So
not only total self-forgetfulness is required, but the whole good will of
the Lord should be invited. We shall merge in the flow of the good
will of the Lord. That is Vrndavana.
Our guardians say: "Do this," and according to our capacity we shall
try to execute their order. And accepting that what they say is really
coming from Krsna, the more we are able to follow their instructions,
the more benefit we shall accrue. Srimad-Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita,
the Vedas and Upanisads, and so many agents who represent divinity
are all helping us go back to our real home. At present we are living in
different stages of the consciousness of separate interest, but our
guardians are all trying to take us into that higher plane of dynamic
movement, lila, to enter into the pastimes of Krsna.
Fruits of Energy
Srila GuruMaharaja (Search for Sri Krsna Reality the Beautiful)
We are only agents, and we are working because He has ordered us, so we must
re...member what is bhakti, what is devotion proper. Whatever I do, the wage I
earn must not come to me; I am only an agent. The benefit should go to the
proprietor, to my master, Krsna. We should move with this idea, and that will be
bhakti proper. Otherwise, we will be engaged in karma-kanda: fruit-hunting. I
want to enjoy the result of karma for myself, but the result should go to my
master. I am His servant, and I am working under His order. I am His slave; I
am not the proprietor. I am not the proper person to be the recipient of the fruits
of energy. The master of energy is the Supreme Lord, and all the products of
energy should go to Him. It must not be tampered with on the way. This should
be the attitude of every worker. Then it will be bhakti proper. We are not the
recipients; He is the recipient. We must always be conscious that the only
beneficiary is He. Only then are we devotees. We are not the beneficiaries, but
selfless workers. It is said in the Bhagavad-gita (2.47):
karmany eva-dhikaras te
ma-phalesu kadacana
ma karma-phala-hetur bhur
ma te sango 'stv akarmani
"You have a right to perform your duty, but you have no right to enjoy the fruits
of your work." This is a great warning. Krsna says, "Do not think that because
you are not the beneficiary of the fruits of your action, you have no reason to
take so much trouble to work - never." That is the most heinous curse, to think
that because I am not the beneficiary, I am not going to work. Even selfless
activity is also of a lower order. Rather we must perform godly activity for the
satisfaction of the Supreme Lord. That is bhakti, or devotion. And there is also a
gradation in bhakti: there is a big division between vidhi-bhakti and raga-bhakti,
calculative devotion and spontaneous devotion.
Die To Live
Life is unfolding, all is not as it seems, look deeper, we are being drawn by the unimaginable force of the Divine player......where,everywhere,who in the heart of all,how through the mood of devotion to the Divine agent, distributing mystical and all harmonising waves creating a dynamic forum for all to shift, let go, die to live and love in a higher atmosphere of everywhere well wishers.....Dayala Nitai!
Srila Bhakti Asraya Keshava Maharaja
All Auspicious
All auspiciousness awakens when we understand that everything is for the service of the all loving Lord, Sri Krsna. When the false ego surrenders to reality and tries to please the absolute centre through service everything comes into harmony......dayala Nitai!
Srila Bhakti Asraya Keshava Maharaja
The Real Language Of Affection
Bhakti yoga is the path ruled by our hearts, not our mind or sastric intelligence...remember Srila Gurudev spoke the real language of affection for all the lords children,ever beckoning them on in empowerment to serve and shine in there real divine nature.
Srila Bhakti Asraya Keshava Maharaja
ACT In The Living Present
Forget the past the sleeps,nor the future dream at all,but act in times that are with thee and progress ye shall call.....Bhaktivinoda Thakur....ACT ACT in the living present heart within and God overhead......Today is all we have, so try to dive deep in practise of devotion,hear and Chant the Glories of our Lord Always, Divine sound will awaken us to reality,be humble, tolerant,and give honour to others, then practise of devotion will go on without major disturbance.Sincerit...y in Practise and following this mood will gradually attract the descending current of Bhakti shakti, emanating from the Higher world.The reward of devotion is more devotion,and eventually we will be lost in its sweet waves, and there we are always nourished in a natural state of Love, Service to our Beloved Masters.....by revolution in devotion,we find solution to our present problems....in time evolution awakens us to our constitution as servitors of the Divine Absolute....Dayala Nitai!
Srila Bhakti Asraya Keshava Maharaja
Die To Live
Life is unfolding ,all is not as it seems, look deeper, we are being drawn by the unimaginable force of the Divine player......where,everywhere,who in the heart of all,how through the mood of devotion to the Divine agent, distributing mystical and all harmonising waves creating a dynamic forum for all to shift,let go,die to live and love in a higher atmosphere of everywhere well wishers.....Dayala Nitai! Srila B A Keshava Maharaja
The Name
The name of Sri Krsna is so powerful it does not care for the capacity
of the soil. It may be sown anywhere, and it will sprout. Such a
powerful seed! Very easily it can drive away, brush away, sinful
tendency.
If anyone comes in connection with the name, he will get the benefit....
The nature of Krsna’s name is such; autocratic and boundless mercy.
The transaction may go on in any place, any time.
Where all have failed, Krsna’s
name has His glorious wave. No adverse circumstance can produce
any obstacle to this.
The Ocean of nectar (Srila GuruMaharaja)
Trust No Future However Pleasant
(Srila GuruMaharaja) Loving search for the lost servant
Sukadeva Goswami told Pariksit Maharaja that seven days of
longevity is enough to achieve perfection. He... said, "You have only
seven days left to live; do you think it is a short time? It is enough
time. What is all-important is the proper use of every second." What
time we have in our hands is uncertain, but we must try our best to
properly use every second. This must not be neglected. We should not
think, "The future is before me; any time I like, I can engage in the
profitable affair of spiritual life. "Not one second should be lost.
Longfellow wrote:
Trust no Future howe'er pleasant!
Let the dead Past bury its dead!
Act, - act, in the living Present!
Heart within, and God o'erhead!
The present is at our hand. We don't know about our future. We must
try to use the time at hand to its best advantage. And how will our
time be best used? In the association of saints and scriptures. Purity is
to be measured by the unit of sacrifice. And not sacrifice to any partial
interest, but sacrifice to the whole. The absolute whole has been
shown to us as the emporium of rasa (akhila rasamrta murtih) - the
absolute good, the autocrat, the designer and destiner of everything we
see. Our ideal of sacrifice should be so high that we can give up even
the corresponding results of sacrifice.
Self-abnegation, or selfsurrender,
is generally known as atma-nivedanam. However,
atmaniksepa is a stronger word for surrender. It means "to throw
oneself desperately towards the infinite." One must be desperate in
self-sacrifice. In self-sacrifice we must be very careful not to aspire
for any greater or extended selfishness, but to surrender only to the
center. Sacrifice is meant for the center - Krsna - the all-attractor.
In realizing that position, we are concerned about two things -
transcendental knowledge (sambandha), and the means for reaching
the goal (abhidheya). If we realize these correctly, then the fulfillment
of the ultimate goal (prayojana) will come automatically. We shall be
very conscious about the center to whom we are dedicating
everything. The object of our fulfillment (sambandha), and our
dedication or purity of purpose (abhidheya) these two things are most
important. This can be understood from the scriptures and the saints.
And if we concern ourselves with the purest end and highest sacrifice,
the end will come of itself. We are not to bother for any remuneration.
We have only to do our duty and the remuneration will come. To
whom we will dedicate ourselves and what we shall receive - these
things should be discussed, thought out, meditated upon, and put into
practice. In this way, we must try to live in the infinite. We must
always stay engaged in the cultivation of infinite love and infinite
beauty as recommended by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Lazy Devotion
Srila GuruMaharaja
The only medicine for lazy devotion is good association – to associate with those for whom you have regard.
To Love Means To Serve
We have to learn to love again ,to love means to serve.The supreme lord Krsna is the absolute truth ,and by service and love towards his divine agents we are set right again as eternal servants.,Service to Hari ,Guru and the Vaisnavas is the key to all success.
Srila Bhakti Asraya Keshava Maharaja
Devotion Is So Sweet
(Revealed Truth) Srila Gurudev
Devotion is so sweet, and gradually in the finest, most affectionate,
and lovely way it will reveal itself in our heart by the
grace of the Lord’s devotee. Through the service and grace of
the Lord’s devotees we will see the Lord’s divine play expressed...
everywhere. Through our tendency to serve, and our service
to Guru–Vaisnava, we will be cleanly and clearly qualifed.
Nowhere will we not see the sweet, affectionate, and lovely
movements of the Lord’s transcendental service world.
Devotion
Devotion is our constitutional nature,but it is in our hand who we serve,we pray to always serve Sri Sri Guru and Gauranga.
Srila B A Keshava Maharaja
The Revolution
The revolution is to look inward and align with the evolution of service consciousness revealed by the pure devotees, in time this will change the constitution of our ourselves both within and without. The Loving lord is awaiting on us all to surrender to reality and be reawakened to our real nature,we are fortunate that his agents walk among us here in this mortal plane....Hare Krsna! Srila B A Keshava Maharaja
Wake Up And Shine
How Long must a nation sleep,how long do the peoples of the world continue to pretend to believe in the veil of this so called reality of our spoon fed,exploitative, socially engineered, mindset,promoted by unqualified leaders.Wake up and shine as sons and daughters of the all Love, serve the Lord of love Sri Krsna and set your self right. Dont miss this chance, you were born to choose,choose freedom, choose the pathway of the wise ones, and be liberated.Serve the higher and stay high, serve the lower and be kept in the dungeon of provincial and limited consciousness.Your tendency is to search for pleasure,so surrender and serve the source of pleasure, he has manifest in this kaliyuga as the holy names of Krsna.......be not afraid the upper world is supporting you in this great endeavour. Om Tat Sat.
Srila B A Keshava Maharaja
By His Mercy All Doubts Are Cleared
The Paramahamsa Vaisnava moves throughout the world,propagating divine knowledge for the benefit of we who fell asleep in the wrong decision to exploit in the m...ortal world. He reveals to us in our conditioned state the highest prospect buried under the prejudiced conception of our conditioned nature.By his divine consciousness and ever sweet eternal and continual service to the higher world he comes to show and reveal his eternal service mood to Sri Krsna reality the beautiful to the fortunate souls that take his darshana. He is in a natural state of full surrender and glorification to the divine Lord ,and sees everything with that vision, he asks us to offer ourselves, in body, words, and mind in loving service, he comes to remind us of our real position as servitors of the all blissful Divine Person. Ar na koriho mane asa ,make his instructions one with your heart........by his mercy all doubts are cleared ,all tears wiped from our saddened eyes...and he reveals our highest prospect inviting us back home back to godhead...... he instils within us, to try to utilise and see the world around us as ingredients for the service to our loving Lord.We are all foreigners here, but he shows us our real intrinsic nature as servitors of our beloved Lord...in that plane we are all in divine harmony.....well wishers of each other in service to the Divine play of there lordships.His mercy is to empower all to serve the Divine truth with love and affection, he plants the seed of faith and then invites us and all others to embrace and surrender to the greatest of all prospects......... as in the words of GuruMaharaja "we thank our lucky stars",oh this has come to be revealed in such a noble, and sweet way, in the midst of so much misconception,what fortune has come to bless us who wander the mortal plane..........the earth planet is blessed by all those great Vaisnavas who have appeared here...........dayala Nitai
Srila B A Keshava Maharaja
The Progressive Mood
On the path of Bhakti,the progressive mood of all practioner s is to empower others within the service world.Those who attempt to disempower,by monopoly,power play,and suppression will be met with disapproval from the higher world.The result being there own progress will be blocked within the service play.We are followers of the Everwellwishers ,the Acharyas have taught this foundational concept as the basis of Vaisnavism. Be sincere and happy for the service improvement of others, and as a result our own service must be more beautified by this conclusive understanding...Daso smi, an aspiring servitor reflects.
Srila B A Keshava Maharaja
Onward And Upward
Onward and upward toward the service of your Master,no matter what may come in our lives,this is our goal.
Srila B A Keshava Maharaja
The Aspiring Disciple
Dayal Nitai, Dayal Nitai.......the aspiring disciple will always look up toward the service conception in every aspect of his or her practicing life.They try to avoid looking down toward any mundane conception or reference of themselves and others.......oh beloved Master inspire us to always follow in your divine footsteps.....heart within god overhead.......we pray to be like the catak bird in our attempt to serve your divine instructions.....dayala Nitai!
Srila B A Keshava Maharaja
We want the SUBSTANCE, not the form.
(Srila Gurumaharja ,Sri Guru and his Grace)
We don't consider the body connection important in the acaryaship. It
is a spiri...tual current, and not a body current. The disciple of a true
devotee may even be a nondevotee. We admit that, because we see it,
and the Lord Himself says in Bhagavad-gita, sa kaleneha mahata,
yogo nastah parantapa: "The current is damaged by the influence of
this material world." In the line, some are affected, go astray, and may
even become nondevotees. So, the continuation through the physical
succession is not a safe criterion to be accepted. We must trace only
the current of spiritual knowledge.
Wherever we can get that, we must accept it, even if it comes from the
Ramanuja, Madhva, or Nimbarka sampradaya. As much as we get
from them substantially, we accept, and we reject the so-called
followers of our own tradition if they are mere imitationists. The son
of a political leader may not be a political leader. A political leader
may also have a political succession, and his own son, although
brought up in a favorable environment, may be rejected. A doctor's
son may not be a doctor. In the disciplic order also, we admit the
possibility that they may not all come up to the same standard. Those
who do not, should be rejected.
And if the truth is found in a substantial way somewhere else, that
should be accepted. Wherever there is devotion and the correct
consideration about Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, our guru is there. Who
is our guru? He is not to be found in the physical form; our guru is to
be traced wherever we find the embodiment of the pure thought and
understanding which Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu imparted to
save us.
Baladeva Vidyabhusana was very akin to the Madhva sampradaya.
But when he came in connection with Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura,
he showed great interest in Gaudiya Vaisnavism. He has also
commented on the Srimad-Bhagavatam and Jiva Goswami's Sat
Sandarbha. And that enlightened thought is a valuable contribution to
our sampradaya. We cannot dismiss him. He is our guru.
At the same time, if my own relatives do not give recognition to my
guru or to the service of Mahaprabhu, I must eliminate them. Srila
Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada has explained the siksa guru parampara
in this way. Wherever we find the extraordinary line of the flow of
love of God, and support for the same, we must bow down. That line
may appear in a zigzag way, but still, that is the line of my gurudeva.
In this way it is accepted. We want the substance, not the form.
Bhakti Is The Highest Function Of The Soul
The loving search for the lost servant (Srila GuruMaharaja)
sa vai pumsam paro dharmo
yato bhaktir adhoksaje
ahaituky apratihata
yayatma suprasidati...
Bhakti is the highest function of the soul (paro dharmo). Our duty
here must have its origin in the plane of bhakti; we must be able to
read and catch and utilize that flow. We must dance in the waves of
that flow. Everyone's highest duty will be full submission to the
unseen, undetectable causal power, which has no cause, no rhyme, no
reason. It is automatic, eternal, and can never be opposed by any
forces here.
And then only will we find our soul's greatest satisfaction. We will
feel real satisfaction only when we come in touch with that most
fundamental harmonious wave. Then we can feel the highest ecstasy.
That is bhakti.
So in coming to such a great idea of life, whatever obstacles we must
cross are only small losses and gains, victories and defeats. We should
not allow them to disturb our march towards the truth.
Faith Is Necessary
The benedictine tree of Divine aspiration (Srila Govinda maharaja)
You can notice that faith is necessary
everywhere. If you are a follower of
Mohammedanism, Christianity, Buddhism
or Confucious, the first property of the...
follower is faith. You must be faithful,
then you can enquire further.
The first necessity is to have faith. If
someone is faithful and a sincere seeker,
I shall try to give help to him, and that
will also come to give help to me.
A real Guru always feels, “My disciple
is not actually a disciple of myself. He is
my Guru appearing in the form of my
disciple in order to teach me.” If these
feelings will come to a Guru, he is a real
Guru. Further, he will feel, “If I shall do
anything wrong in front of my disciple
he will also do wrong and will not be
benefitted by my words; therefore I must
try to be perfect.”
Pure Devotion
The Loving search for the Lost servant (Srila Sridhara Maharaja)
"Pure devotion is service to the Supreme Lord which is free from all
relative conceptions of self-interest."
In his Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, Srila Rupa Goswami quotes this verse
from the ancient Puranas. Upadhi means "all relative conceptions of...
self-interest." We must be totally free of all upadhis.
And Rupa Goswami also gives us a parallel verse describing bhakti:
anyabhilasita-sunyam
jnana-karmady-anavrtam
anukulyena-krsnanu
silanam bhaktir uttama
"Pure devotional service is the favorable cultivation of Krsna
consciousness free from all traces of ulterior motives, such as karma,
self-promoting activities, jnana, mental achievement, and so on."
Bhakti, devotion, must be free from any fleeting desires (anyabhilasa),
such as karma - the organized attempt for self-elevation - and jnana,
the attempt to depend on our own ability, knowledge, and
consciousness to reach the ultimate goal. To attempt to put one's own
self as the subject, to become the judge of one's own fate - that is
jnana. Here adi means yoga and other external things. These are all
overcoatings (avrtam). In the soul proper, however, these elements are
not found. The soul is an eternal slave of Krsna (krsna-nitya-dasa).
Sons Of Nectar
Benedictine Tree Srila Govinda Maharaja
“We are all sons of nectar, sons of the
nectarean ocean.” Therefore it is necessary
for everyone to discover that wealth...,
and to find out that it is within, it is in
our own heart. And it will be very helpful
for us if anyone can show in which way
we can easily discover it. This is Krsna
consciousness.
When you give knowledge of one’s
wealth to someone, he will adjust his
own activities in order to try to discover
it—he will develop the proper devotional
mood.
First is Sravanam, hearing, and if
you can listen very attentively, then you
can chant—kirttanam. Then comes
smaranam, påda-sevanam, arccanam,
vandanam, dåsyam, sakhyam and åtmanivedanam.
These are the nine principal
kinds of practising processes, and you
will try to do them. They give nourishment
to the bhakti-latå, the creeper of
bhakti, the creeper of devotion. You
must try to grow that creeper within
your heart.
Submit And Serve
(Holy Engagement Srila Sridhara Maharaja)
You are to submit and serve, then the necessary
direction will be revealed within you. Begin your service. Wherever
yo...u are, it is a great blessing if you get the chance to begin your
service. Through some agents that chance may come even in the tree
and beast species.
Service is all-in-all. It is the concrete whole; anything else is just
a partial representation. Without submission, no enquiry is possible.
But enquiry is not the fulfilment. Fulfilment is to serve. That is the
reality and that will fetch something in return for you.
Lord Nityananda
Today is the divine appearance of Lord Nityananda,so we are all hopeful for his mercy and in this age of Kali we aspire to please the lotus feet of Nitai ,by sincerly following and serving his servants. We who are drowning in the ocean of misconception pray oh Nitai please deliver us ,unto a service position in the service of your great Generals who appear on earth to serve you and Mahaprabhu.You came to deliver the fallen souls,we are more than qualified.....please help us to serve sincerely your divine servants in our aspiration to serve the lotus feet of Sri Rupa Raghunatha....This divine chance is more than a miracle for the conditioned souls......forever hopeful an aspiring servant prays ....
Srila B A Keshava Maharaja
Love Is The Highest Goal
To search for the truth,is a natural process,Love is the highest goal and we know that Love is a "doing word "a verb so to love God and to Love the truth we must act,serve and then our loving Lord will be revealed to us from within.This divine truth and progressive search is revealed by the Divine Agent Sri Guru.Let us all wholeheartedly surrender exclusively to the divine instructions of our Beloved Master with firm resolve.Surrender ,enquire and serve and the truth will be revealed.Be sincere,patient,and serve with affection,Srila Gurudev will see our intentions and he will help us and rescue us from this Maya.His mercy will establish us gradually on the sweet path of Bhakti...this divine opportunity is a great priveledge for conditioned souls....Chant and be happy....an aspiring servant on the path.....Srila B A Keshava Maharaja
If We Simply Make The Attempt
When joy comes, it is followed by
sorrow. After the sun rises, it later sets;
again it rises, again it sets. So happiness
comes, then sadness; after sadness again
comes happiness. There is no shortage...
of happiness in this world. It will come
automatically. But when we have attained
this human form of life, and when we
have heard about the Supreme Lord
Krsna and come to know a little about
His Holy Abode through the Scriptures
and the association of devotees, we
shall get the aspiration to find our own
home, the soil of the soul. If we simply
make the attempt to proceed to that
Transcendental World we will come to
our natural position.
(Benedictine Tree of Divine Aspiration) Srila Govinda Maharaja
Pray To Gurudeva
Revealed truth (Srila Gurudev)
We are conditioned souls, and when we think about our conditioned
position we may think we are hopeless. But we can
pray to Gurudev, “You have full power and you are kind to the
fallen souls. Please give your merciful attention to me and make...
me a good servitor of yourself, Lord Sri Krsna, and Srimati
Radharani.”
Lords Holy Name
Revealed truth (Srila Gurudev)
nama-sankirtanam yasya sarva-papa-pranasanam
pranamo duhkha-samanas tam namami harim param
(Srimad Bhagavatam’s final verse 12.13.23.)
“Chant the Lord’s Holy Name, trying to satisfy Him and His...
associates. Try to avoid all connection with material existence
as you practise Hari-nam-sankirtan. By doing so you will be
freed from all sin and you will reach the supreme goal of your
spiritual life: service to your Lord, Sri Krsna, in the transcendental
world.” In this way Vedavyas ended Srimad Bhagavatam
with his final prescription and conclusion: Hari-nam-sankirtan
is best for everyone.
Words Of Wisdom
Letter to Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura (1910) By Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur
Saraswati!
"People of this world who are proud of their own aristocratic birth cannot attain real aristocracy. Therefore they attack the pure Vaishnavas, saying, 'They have taken birth in low-class families because of their sins.' Thus they commit offenses. The solution to the problem is to establish the order of daiva-varnasrama-dharma - something you have started doing; you should know that to ...be the real service to the Vaishnavas. Because pure devotional conclusions are not being preached, all kinds of superstitions and bad concepts are being called devotion by such pseudo-sampradayas as sahajiya and atibari. Please always crush these anti-devotional concepts by preaching pure devotional conclusions and by setting an example through your personal conduct.
"Please make great effort so you can start parikram of Sridham Navadwip as soon as possible. It is by those actions that everyone in this world will receive Krishna-bhakti. Please try very hard to make sure that the service to Sri Mayapur will become a permanent thing and will become brighter and brighter every day. The real service to Sri Mayapur can be done by acquiring printing presses, distributing devotional books, and sankirtan - preaching. Please do not neglect to serve Sri Mayapur or to preach for the sake of your own reclusive bhajan.
Everything is to be enjoyed by the Lord
Srila Sridhara Maharaja
Everything is to be enjoyed by the Lord. If we can understand this principle of life then it is our duty to taste only what He has already enjoyed. We are to approach divinity, reality, in this spirit of dedication. If we can practice this habit we can be free from the whole of the illusory potency. All our duties should be done in a spirit subservient toward the Centre according to His direction or at even a higher level of understanding according to His own whims.
The autocrat has chalked out a path and I am exclusively following that path. If we do not follow or if we stand still, that is an offence. And if I go in another direction, that is also an offence. We must follow in the footsteps of that Autocrat. The principal way of upper life is to follow in the footsteps of the Autocrat in a serving mood. This is the real path. All our illusions will be conquered if we can only try to accept this principle of life. If we do not try for this, it is an offence even to our own selves. And if we do otherwise, that is also an offence. This is law above all law. And for our own best interests, we must mark this.
Following His footsteps faithfully, as no other law is possible here, because He is actually the Autocrat. We shall not be the losers because He is a sweet and loving Autocrat. He is the Autocrat but He is sweet. And you will also get sweetness, fulfilment and love by following in the footsteps of that Autocrat. Beauty is the Autocrat; Sweetness is the Autocrat; Love is the Autocrat – and that is beyond all law. We are required by that dynamic character to follow in those footsteps everywhere to the nearest millimetre.
This is the summary of the all-serving principle coming from the lotus mouth of Sri Uddhava, considered the greatest devotee according to the consideration of Sri Krsna Himself. Of course, Uddhava admires the gopis’ love for the Lord, but more risk is there in that kind of Divine Love. Their opposition to the sweetness also becomes service in such positions where the servants are crossing the realm of their master. Service, the all-serving principle, has got such a position! Service reaches such a stage of nearness that even the Autocrat comes down to His devotees. Such risky service is possible.
ajnayaivam gunan dosan, mayadistan api svakan
dharman santyajya yah sarvan, mam bhajeta sa ca sattamah
(Srimad Bhagavatam, 11.11.32)
“In society, one must obey the law. But there is also the possibility of crossing the law to show faithfulness to the king. If one risks his life and reputation in crossing the general law, and thereby enters into the royal chambers to fight with an assassin, then he will be considered the best and most loyal servitor. Similarly, the Lord is saying, I have already ordered in the scriptures, “Do this and you shall be promoted. If, by crossing My previous orders on a particular level, one follows My footsteps, then he is sure to be promoted.”
We shall then find no charm for the temptations that are around us. Our intuition – our far-sightedness – will say to us, “do not follow these travelling phenomenal proposals. They are not reliable, but treacherous. They are like black market dealings with some self-interest for profit and gain, trying to get more than the real market price for a commodity. These proposals will be detrimental for your progressive march towards Divinity. Do not allow yourself to be captivated by these external charms – they are treacherous exhibitions. Only take the prasadam which is enjoyed by the Lord.” Everything should be done with this idea in mind, and this will fully relieve us.
Whatever you do, whether in dress or in food, you are to act according to what is sanctioned by Him – following in His footsteps. We shall always perform everything in that consciousness – in God consciousness or Krsna consciousness. God is Beauty and He is the Autocrat. Whatever our engagement, we shall perform with the help of Krsna consciousness in our heart and divine help will come to us beyond our wildest expectations. Doing nothing or acting without the proper attitude, the proper consciousness, is considered detrimental.
Whatever you do, you should do in the proper consciousness at every step. You should do everything in a legal way in the highest sense of the term. “Legal” which in this instance means He who propounds the law. We shall do according to His will, the will of the autocrat, Sri Krsna. This is the sum and substance. We are to go on with Krsna Consciousness following at every step in this way.
We are to go on eating, sleeping and doing all our duties, but always in the association of Krsna. Whatever we do must be done in Krsna consciousness, otherwise all activities are futile.
Cry For The Shelter
To be optimistic that if i cry for the shelter of the mercy of the Lords pure devotee by service connection,relief from the local currents will come and increased service to the higher will descend as a result.Confidence in the mercy is the key ,and the key is service toward the higher....Dayala Nitai.
Srila B A Keshava Maharaja
The acarya faces two dangers
Srila GuruMaharaja (Sri Guru and his Grace)
The acarya faces two dangers. The first is partiality. Partiality means
full freedom with his disciples. This relationship is also more
attractive to him. The second danger is deviation. So, deviation and
partiality - these two things can take down the acarya. These are the...
two enemies of an acarya. And one who takes that position must be
particularly careful about these things. The position of an acarya is
dangerous. It is full of temptations. Therefore, a strong, sincere
indomitable desire for the upper aspirations of Krsna consciousness is
the indispensable necessity in an acarya. Otherwise, he can't maintain
his position. He will go down. He has become master and will think,
"I am the master of all I survey." In a particular circle, he is monarch.
And monarchy can bring madness. That is a great temptation. If one is
not sufficiently conscious of this fact, he will not be able to maintain
his position.
The secret to success is humility
Bhaktivinoda Thakur
The devotee should make it a regular practice to spend a little time alone in a quiet place and concentrate deeply on the holy name. He should utter and hear the name distinctly. It is impossible for the jiva to singlehandedly avoid and overcome the illusion of distraction. By the mercy of the Lord, however, this is accomplished with ease. Therefore it is essential to prayerfully beg for the Lord's grace with gr...eat humility, for this is the only means to salvation from this offense.
The necessity of developing enthusiasm
"O Lord Caitanya!" cried Thakur Haridasa. "You are an ocean of compassion! I wholeheartedly beg for Your mercy. Indeed, if I was unable to pray to You in this way, then no one would be more unfortunate than I.
"Those who attempt to take up devotional service on the merits of their individual intelligence and mental expertise will find that all their endeavors are fruitless. Lord Krsna's mercy is the prime cause of all successful work. One who does not aspire to obtain the Lord's mercy is indeed a very unfortunate soul."
Gods Will
Srila Sridhara Maharaja
God’s will through His agent to be engaged in His service is very, very valuable. Conversely, to select in my level what is good and bad and to go to a holy place is some sort of religious luxury, freedom. Divine service is above freedom of an ordinary soul. “It is a holy place and I am doing right visiting holy places.” The origin of this is from my ego and a far higher ego is giving instruction, “Do this! God wants this from you!” This is another wor...ld. It came to me gradually. To obey the orders of a Vaisnava that means to serve Divinity, the higher Divinity and this will give us the supreme destination. This is the order from the higher plane. We have to follow it.
I am in search after the infinite! Until the infinite comes to me graciously to reveal Himself I must go on searching. It is His pleasure not my pleasure and I do not have anything to force Him. It is absolute and I have come to get a drop of grace from the absolute, not any limited thing. Krsna says, “I am everywhere everything is in Me. Try to understand this peculiar, mystic position of Mine.”
Gaura Hari Bol!
Srila Gurudev
For one who has monarchy over men and money, it is
very difficult to maintain a position as a servitor. The ego of
mastership which is generally found within all of us comes to attack
the guru. After all, we are wandering in the land of exploitation.
Therefore, we should be very wakeful and scrutinizing in our selfanalysis.
The general symptom of health is that the more one will go
up, the more he will think, "I am going down." This indirect method
of measurement may be applied to measure our internal advancement.
Externally one may maintain a superior position, but internally he
should always be thinking, "O my Lord! I am in want. Give more
grace to me! I can't maintain my position."
Krsna is Dancing
Srila GuruMaharaja (Sri Guru and his Grace)
Krsna is at the root of everything, and whatever he wills is successful.
Krsna wants to dance in a particular way with a particular servitor,
and he successfully dances according to His own sweet will. Krsna is...
the wire-puller, the controller. The key is in His hand. He controls
both universal and specific dealings. By understanding this, we can
save ourselves from pratistha, or false prestige, the thirst after name
and fame. If we are fully conscious of the fact that everything is in the
Lord's hands, then we cannot feel any pride. So to teach us that it is
not very easy to recognize a real Vaisnava by his external dress or
manners alone, Gadadhara Pandita apparently misunderstood the
position of Pundarika Vidyanidhi, an exalted associate of the Lord.
Gadadhara Pandita was taken by Mukunda Datta to see Pundarika
Vidyanidhi. Mukunda Datta came from the same village as Pundarika.
Mukunda knew him, and so he asked Gadadhara Pandita, "Would you
like to see a real Vaisnava?" Gadadhara Pandita told him, "Yes, I am
always eager to have the darsan of a real Vaisnava. Then Gadadhara
Pandita followed Mukunda Datta to the quarters of Pundarika
Vidyanidhi, and he was dumbfounded by what he saw. "What is this?"
He thought. "Here is an aristocrat with curled, scented hairs, and a
stylish, princely dress, smoking a pipe decorated with a golden thread
and the whole room is filled with a sweet scent. He is a Vaisnava?"
Mukunda Datta could understand Gadadhara's heart, and began to sing
a verse from the Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.2.23):
aho baki yam stana-kala-kutam
jighamsayapayayad apy asadhvi
lebhe gatim dhatry-ucitam tato 'nyam
kam va dayalum garanam vrajema
"Oh, how amazing it is! The sister of Bakasura (Putana), desiring to
kill Sri Krsna, smeared poison on her breasts and forced Krsna to
drink their milk. Even so, Lord Krsna accepted her as His mother, and
so she reached the destination suitable for Krsna's mother. Of whom
should I take shelter but the most merciful Krsna?"
Judging Vaisnavas
Srila GuruMaharaja (Sri Guru and his Grace)
Naturally, we will have preference for the preachers who have brought
Krsna consciousness here amongst us. Krsna has chosen certain
devotees as his agents to preach about him to the fallen souls. And that
is more desirable for us, in our present position. So, if we develop our...
perspective in that line, of course we can say that fallen souls like us
will give more stress to those who are the cause for our delivery. To
think that some agents are preferable to others because the symptom
of magnanimity is more easily traceable in them is a relative view, in
the ultimate context of reality.
Although sometimes we may judge Vaisnavas according to their
different activities, we are not always correct, because a devotee is
chosen for a particular service by the Lord, and whatever the Lord
wants to do through him is done, by His will. This is the underlying
principle: it is His selection. Sometimes the selection comes to A,
sometimes to B, and sometimes to C. We are all at the disposal of the
Lord's infinite will, and according to His sweet will, according to how
Krsna wants to utilize us, our activities will be successful. That is the
absolute consideration. We cannot fail to connect success with the
medium; there is also some value in that, but we must consider that
Krsna is there in the background. We must always understand that the
divine will, the highest will, is working through us. So, we should not
be extreme in judging a devotee according to external considerations.
Our First Connection
(Srila GuruMaharaja) Sri Guru and his Grace
Our first connection with the truth comes from here and there in small
quantities. First there is ajnata sukrti, unknown pious activities, then
jnata-sukrti, pious activities performed in knowledge, then sraddha,
faith, then sadhu sanga, the company with saints. In this way, we...
search for Sri Krsna. We inquire here and there. Many saints help us
to a certain extent. Ultimately we go to that spiritual master in whom
we find the greatest possibility of learning the truth, and we surrender
there.
Having accepted a spiritual master, one will find that his guru has so
many disciples, and he will take from them also. His spiritual master
will recommend some books for him. He will say, "Read Bhagavadgita
and Srimad-Bhagavatam." That will also help us to get so many
gurus - through the books, where we will find many references and
quotations from many gurus.
Transcendental Slavery
Inner fulfilment (Srila GuruMaharaja)
We are to understand that slavery to Krsna is a most dignified
position. And everything against that ideal is meanness. The only
standard of life for a gentleman is to understand and accept the
position of subordination to the Absolute Truth. To admit what is...
proper and real, and on that basis make one’s life advanced, is not
meanness. To understand one’s proper position and to understand
one’s proper duty and discharge it - that is a gentleman’s life; to
accept what is truth. What is considered to be meanness will be
removed very soon. And what is really for our welfare and beneficial
to us, that will increase.
You are at present in an adulterated conception of your own life. The
mind, intelligence and exploiting energies of different kinds are all
adulteration. So from your existence will be eliminated all kinds of
adulteration. It will be purified and your real self within will come out
in its pristine glory, and you will find you have a happy devotional
connection with the Supersoul, the Superknowledge. You will come
across knowledge proper – a clear, personal type of knowledge – with
its paraphernalia and systematic existence.
Whatever you are attracted to at present in this mundane plane will be
transferred. Affection proper will be discovered. At present your
affection, attraction, and love are misdirected, but they will find their
proper place and position. The special characteristic is that you will
have a real place and position where these faculties of affection and
attraction will find a special support, a proper place to which they will
be directed. This is devotion.
In any position try to serve
In any position try to serve, Srila Gurudev invoked and taught this eternal spiritual conception, by revealing to us that our real position is as servitors to Sri Krsna s lotus feet. It appears that we are now disconnected by the local currents of Mayic provincialism, but we are, what we are ,we are but tiny ' parts and parcels' of the Lord divine. The process for our awakening to this divine revelation of relationship as an aspiring servant of Krsna, has been given to us in the form of Sri Harinama Prabhu. Let us all brush aside all the relative concepts of conditioned thinking, and glorify the holy name. In this endeavour with the mood of service to Hari, Guru, and the Vaisnavas we will achieve all success......this is promised by both the Lord and his divine representative...............Dayala Nitai!
By Srila Bhakti Asraya Keshava Maharaja
COURAGE TO JUMP
Srila GuruMaharaja sermons 1
Is such a life desirable? We have to think it out: there is so much risk -
'Die to live.' Must we first die in order to live in the future? Are we
prepared to take such a risk? Are we sufficiently disgusted with the...
present environment that we can risk so much for some bright future?
"I shall jump!" Are we disgusted enough to take such a step?
If I am sincere to myself, and if I have a glimpse of the bright future,
then only can I take such a risk. Otherwise no one would be so foolish
to take such a risk and jump, giving up the present for the uncertain
future. To feel the courage to jump, one must have caught a glimpse
of even the tiniest ray of such a bright existence.
Try to keep company with the successful candidates
(Srila GuruMaharaja sermons 1)
Try to keep company with the successful candidates
In an examination hall, many of us may sit for the examination, yet
many are unsuccessful and fall back. But we are not to dwell on them.
Rather, we shall try to keep company with the successful candidates....
They should be the focus of our attention, and with their help we shall
progress. Progress means selection and elimination, and there is no
end of making progress. We must take courage to that extent.
Everywhere and in whatever direction we may go, we shall find both
successful and unsuccessful candi-dates. We shall try to avoid the
unsuccessful. Some may be brilliant in the primary classes, but in progressing
further, we find that they are proving dull and cannot pass the
test. And there may be many who were not very successful in the
primary classes but flourish in higher education. Thus, we should not
be discouraged and disappointed on hearing that so many once
respected stalwarts are falling away. We should try to feel the actual
soil. We need a sincere acquaintance with the soil on which we are
moving. It is unintelligible to the fullest extent, but we must spare
some energy to cultivate a deeper feeling for where we are, what we
want, and where we are going. We must have a deeper feeling for the
plane of our objective and achievement. We must not allow ourselves
to be captured by the outer charm of things, but we should try to feel
and trace the reality as our friend.
Krsna is a Thief
Srila GuruMaharaja..
We may have erected high walls on all sides to protect ourselves so that Krsna
consciousness may not enter, but Krsna is a thief, and a thief requires no
invitation. No preparation is necessary for His welcome. He will enter for His...
own interest, and that is our consolation. Our solace is that Krsna is a thief.
Maya has erected her high walls on all sides, but nothing is sufficient to stop Krsna consciousness.Krsna is a thief, and stealthily He will enter one day.
We pray to be allowed to serve them always
Oh what fortune in the bounty, the chance to practise in the line of service to the Great Vaisnavas. Their legacy will go on in the mortal world by their sincere followers.The chance to serve the holy path is open for us who are embodied in human form, we pray to have even the slightest connection to such a great and noble prospect. Service to Sri Sri Guru and Gauranga is the life and breath of all aspiring practitioners.The higher world is always attempting to rescue us and that is manifested through the mercy of the Vaisnavas, we pray to be allowed to serve them always. Praying to one day please his Divine Grace in separation, this is my humble prayer.......Dayal Nitai .....an aspiring servant of the servant.
Srila B A Keshava Maharaja
Nectar of the grace of Krsna
"I am empty, I don't get anything," that should be our mood. "I feel
emptiness within me. I can't get it, my life is frustrated. My life is
going to be frustrated. I don't get a drop of the grace of the Lord, and I
have left the world; everything is gone. If you don't accept me, I am
undone. Please make me a servant of the servant of the servant of the...
servant. Give me the remotest connection. Graciously give me some
remotest connection to Yourself. I can't tolerate it otherwise." This
heartfelt, heart-rending prayer must come from the devotees of the
Lord, then we will find our fortune. The charm for the world outside
must be fully eliminated from the heart, fully emptied. And the near
future will be filled with the nectar of the grace of Krsna.
Bhukti and mukti, the desires for enjoyment and renunciation are
compared with ghosts. These two types of ghosts reside in the heart.
So how do we dare to express that bhakti lives in our heart? The noble
lady of devotion, will she come there, lying on the same bench with
these ghosts? How can we expect that? Have we freed ourselves from
all these nasty things that we dare to invite the lady of Krsna-bhakti to
come here? (Srila GuruMaharaja)
We should note the difference between a servant and a trader.
Sermons of the Guardian of devotion Vol 1 ,Srila Gurumaharaja
We should note the difference between a servant and a trader. Many approach with some trading purpose, but the character of the real devotee should be that of a servant. Sri Prahlada Maharaja has mentioned that one who associates with the sadhus, wanting something in return for his personal interest, is making 'trade' with the sadhus. He thinks, "How much can I gain, and how much shall I have to give?" But a pure d...evotee should not have any such separate interest. Rather, he should try to merge within the interest of the Lord. In whatever position he is, it does not matter - whether he is a brahmacari, a sannyasi, a grhastha, a vanaprastha or any other position - he must be willing to merge (visate tad anantaram).
He will not like to keep any separate account. His sole objective will be to enter into the family of the Godhead. This is the very basis of pure devotion. Tato mam tattvato jnatva, visate tad anantaram (Bg. 18.55). We want to surrender, to be one of common interest with the Lord, and not to approach, ask some questions, pocket the answers, and then make trade with them elsewhere in any way. Once, when I was being asked many questions, I replied, "This is not an inquiry office. The inquisitive want to satisfy their idle curiosity; or, they want to be masters of many keys - that they will be able to give solutions to everyone's problems, and attain some status. They have many motives but they cannot understand the real necessity.
Krsna gives us life
(Sri Guru And his Grace, Srila Sridhara Maharaja)
Whatever type of sorrow or affliction there may be, all different layers
of painfulness will be removed. This nectar of the words and pastimes
of Krsna gives us life. It gives us hope that we can live a higher life,
that we were not created only to suffer in this mortal world, but to live...
a life which can soar up and transcend this painful life of mortality.
We have that sort of life of vitality in our own intrinsic form. The
speculationists say that Krsna consciousness only does away with all
sinfulness, but theirs is only an external acquaintance with Krsna
consciousness. Sin is nothing in comparison with His purifying
capacity. As soon as we come in contact with Krsna, even in the form
of mere sound through the ear, our real welfare begins to awaken.
(sreyah kairava candrika vitaranam). Krsna consciousness is infinitely
surcharged with all the resources of our welfare. And those who can
distribute Krsna consciousness to the world are really benevolent and
kindhearted. They give the most who give Krsna to those who are
helpless and disappointed. Only this sort of transaction should be
continued in the world, to save these souls suffering from the disease
of mortal connection.
How to get out of this nasty colony
(Sermons 4 ,Srila Sridhara Maharaja)
Practically we must take into our program and in our daily schedule,
wholesale, how to get out of this nasty colony and go back to our
home, sweet home. And why is it sweet? We are to discuss that with
all our intellect. Although intellect is not qualified to know about that,...
but still in the negative way also we can calculate that the positive is
there. In that plane they are eager to take us in. They are honest. So we
want to live in that plane as our country because they are honest.
There it is infinite and no population will be suppressed there.
This plane here is not worth living in, so we must search for a place
worth living in, and in the quest for that land we may pass lives after
lives. In this search there is no loss because where we are at present is
undesirable, and if we are sincere in this feeling then to search for
what is desirable is not madness. We may pass lives after lives in
search of a sweet home and there will be no waste of energy in that
endeavor. This is not unreasonable, rather we find that this is finely
reasonable.
Disturbances
Srila Govinda Maharaja Divine Guidance
Many of our friends always feel disturbances from their
mundane activities. But they can control them very easily; the
method is to try very intensely and exclusively to engage...
themselves in service to Guru and the Vaisnavas. Such service
goes directly to Krsna. If they try in that way they will get relief
from the illusory environment.
We are always between hopefulness and hopelessness!
Hope comes when we are correcting ourselves in line with the
transcendental world, but when we are disconnected from
that level, then a hopeless position comes to us. It is, therefore,
always necessary to keep connection with that transcendental
level, and if we try in the way of service we will gain relief
very easily.
He Is Doing Good For Us
Revealed truth (Srila Gurudev)
We will be able to harmonise everything when we truly take
shelter at Krsna’s lotus feet. Krsna is Reality the Beautiful, and
with His connection we have the chance to feel the full form
of His qualities and beauty. When we have the opportunity to
get everything through our connection with the Lord, then we
do not need to be envious of anyone else.
Srila Guru Maharaj trained me from my childhood: “Serve
the Vaisnavas without enviousness.” If we see a devotee doing
our job better than we are, then we must consider that he
is doing good for us. We should not be envious of him. When
a devotee is doing so much that I cannot do, I praise him for
that. I do not criticise him.
Rise up and serve
Rise up and serve, we are all serving, but it is necessary to serve exclusively the lords Divine agent by his instructions . By this Divine transaction you will be paid with the spiritual currency of being allowed to dive deeper into the service world with greater inspiration and reward. But if we allow ourselves to be swayed by service to the agents of maya we will be cheated with the counterfeit currency of temporal and reactionary pleasures. Your resolute determination to serve Sri Guru is made stronger and safer in the company of others who are deeply engaged in his divine service. Dayala Nitai! Srila B A Keshava Maharaja
The foundation, the source, and the life breath of Bhakti
The foundation, the source, and the life breath of Bhakti, is found by serving the lotus feet of the lords pure devotee. This divine chance is arranged by the upper world to connect souls in the conditioned state and to awaken there intrinsic serving nature. The Lords divine agent Sri Gurudev connects and guides souls from here to there. By service and sincere following of the Acharya, we are promised the opportunity to go back to home back to Godhead. We who suffer under the influence of maya must try to take full advantage of this divine Gift of service connection to Sri Guru and His Grace. Dayala Nitai! Srila B A Keshava Maharaja