If you become conscious of Me, you will pass over all the obstacles of conditioned life by My grace. If, however, you do not work in such consciousness but act through false ego, not hearing Me, you will be lost.
A person in full Krsna consciousness is not unduly anxious about executing the duties of his existence. The foolish cannot understand this great freedom from all anxiety. For one who acts in Krsna consciousness, Lord Krsna becomes the most intimate friend. He always looks after His friend’s comfort, and He gives Himself to His friend, who is so devotedly engaged working twenty-four hours a day to please the Lord. Therefore, no one should be carried away by the false ego of the bodily concept of life. One should not falsely think himself independent of the laws of material nature or free to act. He is already under strict material laws. But as soon as he acts in Krsna consciousness, he is liberated, free from the material perplexities. One should note very carefully that one who is not active in Krsna consciousness is losing himself in the material whirlpool, in the ocean of birth and death. No conditioned soul actually knows what is to be done and what is not to be done, but a person who acts in Krsna consciousness is free to act because everything is prompted by Krsna from within and confirmed by the spiritual master.
I would like to humbly thank all of you for sacrificing the very precious moment in your life to come to be with us this evening to hear and chant the glories of Bhagavan Sri Krsna and to pursue the ultimate goal of life. Many of you here are involved perhaps in business or trade or studies and you know that most essential consideration in managing your life successfully is how to utilize to the maximum benefit each and every moment of your life. The moments are passing you can’t stop them, tide and time. Time and tide wait for no man. Bhagavatam says- äyur harati vai puàsäm udyann astaà ca yann asau [SB 2.3.17]. That with every rising and setting of the sun, we are one day closer to death. But those who utilize the precious moments between the sunrise and the sunset are hearing the glories of the Lord, remembering the Lord and executing His divine will. They are one day closer to eternal life.
Krsna explains in Sri Bhagavad Gita that what is true. What is real is eternal. Whatever has beginning, middle and an end is temporary and therefore it is illusory, not reality. The temporary transformations of this world would always be taking place but we are that eternal soul part and parcel of Krsna i.e. witnessing the phenomena of material existence. And pure consciousness is to understand our eternal, pure, identity. Krsna explains in Gita-
That consciousness, which is the symptom of the presence of the soul within everyone’s heart remains always the same. It is simply covered by different combinations of three modes of material nature and therefore the soul manifests it’s consciousness through various species of life and through various mentalities.
Our mental condition and our physical condition are like various dresses that we put on. Sometimes we put a particular type of cloths on and then we take it up. Death to a self- realised soul is nothing more than this. Removing one gross body and taking another one. And we are endeavoring with so much determination and faith to try to give pleasure and satisfaction to this body and to this mind. But yet through out history we have never seen a single person satisfied through this endeavor. Because it is impossible. Why is it that everyone here tonight and everyone within this entire world they are all striving for pleasure, they are all laboring to avoid pain, suffering and ultimately death, but yet no one succeed?
It really makes little difference whether you are educated or uneducated or rich or poor or famous or unknown. People suffer- ädhyätmika, ädhidaivika, ädhibhautika. Miseries causes by one`s own body and mind, mental frustrations and physical inconveniences such as disease. Sufferings caused by other living beings and sufferings caused by material, natural disturbances such as too much heat or too much rain or earthquakes. All around we see dukhalayam asasvatam, so much unhappiness. And yet everyone in all species of life not only as human beings is simply endeavoring for happiness.
Prahlad Maharaj explained in Bhagavat Purana- you want find happiness it’s actually very easy, there is one formula. Stop trying to find happiness in this material world. If you simply stop looking for joy through this body and mind, you will never have to suffer. But as long as you are seeking the gratification of mind and senses you undoubtedly have to succumb to frustration and then suffer.
Therefore if we really want to find joy, we have to understand what is real detachment. But if the soul is by nature pleasure seeking-änandamaya abhyäsät, then how can we detach ourselves from everything? Everyone knows that simply detachment is not pleasurable. At the most detachment is just, not painful. Pleasure is not something negative. Pleasure is positive. The spirit soul which is the divine energy of the Lord part and parcel will never find real satisfaction simply by negating the sufferings of this world through detachment.
Krsna explains in Gita-
That those who are really intelligent, they must restrain their senses and mind from external pleasures of this world and simultaneously, completely absorb one`s consciousness, attach one`s mind to Krsna, to Me. The name Krsna means the source of all pleasure, the all attractive lover of the heart of every living being.
Real pleasure is simply in remembering Krsna. How do we remembering Krsna? By hearing His glories, by chanting His Holy Name, by utilizing mind and senses that we have now in His loving service. Through this process we can always remember Krsna and in remembering Krsna, our consciousness dives into the ocean of pleasure. Everyone is seeking that only. But human society has misguided. Everywhere we go, whatever we see, whoever we hear they are trying to convince us to look for pleasure through some arrangement of this world. Either having more money or nice house or better car or better cloths or having a higher position or more power and prestige. This is the false propaganda of Maya, the illusory energy. You can’t find happiness through any of these resources. You can find a sense of temporary pleasure which undoubtedly must end in frustration in due course of time. Because the more you enjoy something the more you become attached to that thing and the more you become attached to that thing you suffer when it’s taken away and it will be taken away. Either in this life through natural phenomena or ultimately by old age and death. And old age and death come so soon for those who are very young you think that I will be young for so long, death and old age is so far away. But as you grow old when you think back of your youth it seems like not even yesterday time goes so fast. Life goes so fast.
Vishnu Purana explains-
sä hänis tan mahac chidraà sa mohaù sa ca vibhramaù
yan-muhürtaà kñaëaà väpi väsudevo na cintyate
That the greatest tragedy in all of the creation is a of person who attains this rare and valuable human form of life wastes even a single moment without remembering Vasudeva, the Lord of our heart and the eternal source of all joy. So we must very carefully utilize our precious movements –
That those who really understand what is to be done in this world they make their only goal in the loving service of the lotus feet of the Lord. They never make any goal in this world because it is a place where there is danger at every step and it is a fact.
Just last year not far from here an earthquake struck. Those ten thousands of people who we pray for their blessed souls, when they took rest that night it was just like any other night of their life. They had all their preparations and plans for the next day’s activities. Students performed their home work to turn into their teachers the next day, the mothers may be they had their rice and dal soaking for breakfast the next morning and the man they had all their arrangements made for their next day, their work, their schedules what they had to do, their cloths were ready starting for starting new day. Just like so many hundreds, so many thousands of night that they had spent they took rest. No one knew that they would never wake up again. They had no more suspicion that you had last night or you will have tonight. This is the nature of material existence and you can’t change the nature of material existence. You can understand the real goal of life is to make arrangements for the soul to be reunited with God. And we perform all our duties with this as the goal in mind. This is the heritage of India. This is the greatness and glory of this land of India. It is the land of Tapasya.
Lord Rishabadev explained to us that you have this rare, valuable form of human life the soul generally transmigrate through 8,400,000 species before attaining this human form. Athäto brahma jijïäsä. And this form is only meant for one purpose – to realize Krsna, to be liberated from the cycle of illusion and birth and death and reestablish our eternal position. Then why you have attained this human life and you are seeking the objects of the senses which are valuable to the dogs and the hogs? What is the difference?
Our Guru maharaj, Srila Prabhupada I remember once he was visiting us, giving us his blessed darshan and he was explaining the condition of human society. He said the dogs are running on four legs because they want some food and man is running on four wheels because he want some money. For what? For eating, for sleeping, for mating and defending what is the difference in mentality? The hog is eating the rubbish on the road and enjoying it wonderfully and we are going to nice restaurants or hotels and spending our hard earned money for some food. What is the difference? Simply eating. And the pigeon they are enjoying their love life and we are enjoying our love life. And all the animal species are taking wonderful care of their families according to their capacity. If you look at a bird a mother bird when she lays her eggs, she would sacrifice her life to protect those eggs. Even an insect would do the same to protect their young. Simply raising family, simply developing a technology to supply the fulfillment of our animal propensities is not human existence.
Human existence begins when we inquire into who we are. What is the purpose of life? Who is God? And what is my relationship with God? tapo divyaà putrakä yena sattvaà. Human life is meant for tapasya. And what is the greatest tapasya that which about with that which brings about your wakening of our ever blissful divine consciousness. It is so wonderful the opportunity that is at hand but we must utilize our moments for that purpose.
It is explained here in the eighteenth chapter text 58 of Bhagavad Gita that if we become conscious of Krsna by his grace we pass over all the obstacles of conditional life. And we all know what type of obstacles we have to face each day. But Krsna has revealed through the scriptures not only in His own words but so many examples in the lives of His devotees. Bhagavad Gita is Krsna Katha in which Krsna is speaking. It is the word of God. In Srimad Bhagvatam, it is most glorious scriptures which explain activities of the God in relationship to His devotees. And Srimad Bhagvatam is a continuous narration of how devotees in the most exemplary and wonderful way, endure and overcome the greatest obstacles in life by remembering Krsna and remaining faithful in His loving service.
We read of Dhruva Maharaj when he was a lad, a child of only five years old, a kshatriya. He was terribly offended by the sharp words of his step mother Suruchi. You all know how painful it is when you are insulted, especially when it is not even true. Dhruva was insulted to such terrible and intense degree that he couldn’t even live in his father’s kingdom any more. He was trembling, he was outraged, he was suffering. But his mother, she realized that she was helpless to help him in any way. So she explained to him that only Krsna can save you, the eternal words of the highest wisdom. ‘If only Krsna can save me, where is Krsna?’ She said ‘I have heard that great saints and sages they go to the forest to find Krsna.’ ‘Then I will go.’ Such determination. He gave up his mother`s loving care, his father’s kingdom, he gave up living in a beautiful, wonderful palace with so many servants and guardians to go into the jungles, where there are wild animals, so many inconveniences where even to find food. But he understood that without Krsna nothing could save me and I will expect no substitute. Krsna is in the heart of every living being.
And Krsna directs the wonderings of all every living being in such a way that he fulfills his desires or he will reap the results of his destiny. So it is said by the mercy of Krsna one gets Guru and by the mercy of Guru one gets Krsna. You don’t come in genuine spiritual association by chance or by accident. It is not something that can be attained it is something that is given by the grace of God.
So Narada Muni approached Dhruva Maharaj and told him that if you want to know Krsna if you want the fulfillment of all your desires you must constantly chant His Holy Names and he gave him that blessed mantra which was the Mahamantra of the Satya-yuga-Oà namo bhagavate väsudeväya. In order to completely immerse his mind in that sound vibration alone, gradually he stopped eating, he stopped drinking, he even stopped breathing. He was willing to give up everything for self realization. How much are we determinant to that highest goal of life? That is the most important question we must ask ourselves. We should not come to katha – Bhagvat katha, Gita katha, Ramayan kath simply to enjoy a pious form of entertainment. If that’s how you approach that’s all you get, a pious form of entertainment.
As you approach Krsna He rewards Himself accordingly and Krsna’s omnipotent what does that mean? That means His potency is one in all of His expansions. Krsna is non different than the teaching of Gita, the sound vibration of the Bhagavad Gita is Krsna. All of His potency and glory is within each sound vibration of the Gita. Similarly Krsna is non different than His name. näma cintämaëiù kåñëaç caitanya-rasa-vigrahaù. All the power and potency of the Lord is within His name. Krsna’s fully manifested in our hearts when we simply remember Him. This is the power of God. In this material world if you are thirsty and you chant the name ‘water’, ‘water’, ‘water’ doesn’t work you have to find some water. But if you are thirsty for Krsna and you chant-
You can directly experience all the beauty and all the glory of Krsna because Krsna is non different than His name.
Also when Srimad Bhagvatam, we find the story of Prahlad such obstacles he had to go through in his life. He was thrown into a pit of venomous serpents, he was thrown into blazing fire, thrown off mountains, fed deadly poison, harassed and stabbed by knifes and tridents. But the whole while with humility and faith, he always remembered Krsna by chanting His Holy Name-
Ambarish Maharaj he was just humbly fasting, trying to purify himself, trying to charitable to others. He didn’t do anything wrong. But Durvasa Muni became so angry with him for not properly respecting him and he created the demon made out of fire fit to destroy the whole universe. And how did Ambarish Maharaj face this great obstacle in life? You have all faced obstacles in your business and in your family and in your society. But how many have ever faced an obstacle like Ambarish or Prahlad? But with great faith and confidence he simply remembered Krsna.
And when Krsna personally appeared in this world and was living in Vrindavan, He put His devotees through so many obstacles. One time they were all just sleeping nicely on the bank of the Jamuna. You know how on a nice moonlet nice the stars are shining and it’s just so pleasant to lay in the forest with the sweet aroma of the breeze carrying the fragrance of the flowers. So it was just the wonderful pleasurable evening for the Vrajavasis that night, to just sleep here on the bank of the Jamuna. We have our plans to enjoy but we don’t know what will take place. In the middle of the night a terrible raising forest fire was surrounding them in all directions what did they do? They didn’t have time to call the fire brigade. They just turned to Krsna and with hearts full of helpless love and surrender, they remembered Him by chanting His Holy Name –
And on another occasion after Krsna taught the Brajavasis how to perform the Govardhan puja, Indra sent the Saàvartaka clouds, those clouds are exclusively sent by Indra for the destructions of the world at the time of Pralaya. These clouds have such potency that within moments, the whole face of the earth becomes one huge ocean. And they were throwing all of their thunderbolts and all of their rain upon Vrindavan How did the Vrajavasis face this insurmountable obstacle? They all came before Krsna in helpless devotion, Krsna only You can save us. Let us always remember You and chant Your Holy Names-
Krsna effortlessly took His wonderful form of Giridhari and lifted the Goverdhan Hill with the little finger of His left hand and it serve just like a perfect umbrella. Not even a drop of water touch any of Vrajavasis.
So through all the scriptures we find how the Lord’s devotees are facing obstacles, great obstacles in life. And how they some how or other always remember Krsna in that obstacle and by His grace they pass over every condition of life.
Krsna explains if how ever you don’t work in such consciousness but act through false ego not hearing, you will be lost. What is the meaning of Ahankar or false ego? Its simply means to forget our true identity. Our true identity is – nityo nityänäà cetanaç cetanänäm, eko yo bahünäà vidadhäti kämän (Kaöha Upaniñad 2.2.13). That we are all part of Krsna-mamaiväàço jéva-loke jéva-bhütaù sanätanaù. And we are all eternally subordinate to Krsna.
We are helplessly depending on Krsna at every movement. If Krsna didn’t give us the air everyone of us would die within moments right here. And man can’t create air. Man has become expert at polluting air. In fact man has become expert at polluting all the gifts that God has given us for a happy blissful existence in this world. He gives us water which is an absolute necessity of life and we are polluting it, polluting the air, polluting everything. Why? Because of false ego, we are not willing to accept that our eternal constitutional position is to serve Krsna, to love Krsna, to always endeavor to please Krsna and to always remember Krsna. And as soon as we think we are these bodies, we are these senses, we are this mind and I am the enjoyer and I am the controller then all the miseries of material existence follow. And Krsna says- ‘By not hearing Me and perceiving life not through My words but through your own conceptions and your own ego, you would be lost.’ What does it mean that we will be lost? It means we lose consciousness of our eternal identity and the ultimate ecstasy that is waiting for us within our own hearts.
So the obstacles that come before us in this world, they have been created by the supreme Lord to help us, to more intensely purify our lives. So we should welcome them and whether you welcome them or not. You will be forced by the laws of nature to face so many obstacles in life. What is the difference between a devotee and a materialistic person? Not necessarily that one faces obstacles and one doesn’t but that one suffers and one doesn’t. The difference is in bearing the sufferings and obstacles of this world, a materialist is simply implicating himself and incriminating himself in more future sufferings. A devotee in every situation of life happiness, distress, honor, dishonor, pleasure, pain, success or failure, he turns to Krsna. In turning to Krsna and in remembering Krsna queen Kunti said- we never have to see the face of death again, become closer to the eternal truth and the pleasure that every living being is seeking. So whatever we do, Krsna explains in Gita, we should do it in this divine consciousness. yat karoñi yad açnäsi yaj juhoñi dadäsi yat[Bg. 9.27]. And how to do every thing in this divine consciousness? It is actually very simple. We have to associate with people who are striving for that consciousness and as far as possible in our own social life, we have to avoid the association of those people who are living contrary to this consciousness. Which means we must regularly come to the Satsang where sincere honest people are coming together to hear the glories of the Lord and to chant His Holy Name-
Krsna explains in Gita- Evaà paramparä-präptam imaà räjarñayo viduù [Bg. 4.2] If you want to really receive Krsna’s mercy we must hear from those who are humbly serving the previous Acharyas and delivering the message. Sanatan dharma real religion can’t be created within our minds or interpreted with our own intelligence. When we come in the association of such people who are receiving and living by the simple message of devotion to God it makes our spiritual life easy. But it must be done regularly. Because what you associate with, you become like that. Srila Prabhupada used to say if you put iron rod in fire it becomes hot like fire. If you put an iron rod in ice it becomes cold as ice. So many wonderful arrangements they have made tonight. She just takes them all away. [Mike Falls] Hari Bol… The material existence any moment things fall down. It is confirmation of what are saying. We work so hard, this is a falling and breaking nobody plans these things. But it’s the nature of this world. Of course with some intelligent management it can be avoided to some extent, but not for very long.
And by living a pure life according to the Gita, according to the Bhagvatam. If we want to cultivate our spiritual sentiments we have to avoid those activities which further pollute our consciousness and the most severe of all activities that are contrary to any spiritual development is intoxication, illicit sex, gambling and cruelty to others which includes eating of meat. If we just live a pious and pure life by following these four principles- associate with wonderful devotees, come together with them, hear the glories of the Lord, sharing the lives with pure people and chant the Holy Names of the Lord.
Spiritual life becomes easy not only easy but joyful. Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krsna who according to the Srimad Bhagvat, the Mahabharat and various others scriptures they prophesise –
That the Yugavatara Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu will establish the Yugadharma, the simple sublime process of how anyone and every one can perfect their lives in a blissful spiritual consciousness in this age of Kaliyuga. It is said that Kaliyuga is an ocean of false.
People are so spiritually lazy. They are so inclined toward material life, there are so much pollution in the minds. And there is so much rampant materialism and sense gratification all around us. But in Kaliyuga there is one benediction, that simply by chanting the Holy Name of Krsna, we can attain the supreme perfection of libration. So Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu taught us this process how we can all perfect our lives and we can be blissful and joyful in any situation by just keeping the association of pious and pure hearted devotees by coming to together with them regularly and enjoying the beautiful Sankirtan of the Holy Name –
And one who humbly chants the Holy Name of the Lord and who offers his life under any condition with humble devotion that person achieves the ultimate perfection of life.
When Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu was living in Navadvip so many devotees and to everybody He was just giving love of Krsna to freely if they just reciprocated a little with him by humbly serving the devotees and chanting the Holy Names-
There was one native of Navadvip who was so extremely pure poor. He was pure and poor. Those words are very similar pure and poor. He was actually poverty stricken he has nothing. In fact he was a beggar. Here in Bombay you know whether you walk or whether you drive so many beggars come. And you know how most people treat beggars. They treat them like useless they don’t even treat them like human beings that is the part of life of a beggar. This particular devotee was a beggar, his name was Shuklambar Brahmachari. And he had torn tattered cloths. He really had nothing but he had a little cloth bag, an old tattered cloth bag and he would wear around his shoulder and every morning he would go out door to door to beg. He would go to every single house didn’t matter who it was. He would go to the rich people, he would go to the middle class, he would even go to the places where people were in great poverty and to go each of their torn up huts. And he would beg for something, for some food. But as he was going door to door begging he was constantly chanting the Holy Name of Krsna-
And tears of love would be flowing from his beautiful eyes and at the end of the day whatever little he collected in which he had to bear so many insults. He would take that and he would offer it to Krsna with great love and devotion and then He would take that Prasad to maintain his life.
So one day Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu was having wonderful kirtan in the house of Srivas and He was fulfilling the devotees desires. So Shuklambar Brahmachari was there and as everyone was very joyfully dancing and chanting the Holy Name –
Shuklambar Brahmachari also began to dance so blissfully. He was just dancing so care free. He was just so joyful and everyone was just watching him with great wonder. Here was a man who was living in such poverty, but he never experienced the chills or pains of poverty, never, not even once in his mind or his body. Why? Because he wasn’t looking for pleasure through his mind or his body, he was looking for pleasure of Krsna. So he was always finding the ultimate ecstasy of life in chanting Krsna’s Holy Name.
So on this particular day he was so happy. We find big big chairman’s of massive corporations, kings, prime ministers, congress man, MP’s big powerful people, rich people, gangsters there are so many things like this. Are they blissful? Are they dancing in ecstasy mostly of the time they are miserably trying to figure out all the complications that they have created in there own lives. Hari Bol… But it doesn’t mean you can’t be a chairman of a corporation or industrialist or politician, we can be any of these things. Arjuna was a warrior the most unlikely a profession to be a saintly person and he was thinking I should give up my duty and live a peaceful life and Krsna told him, ‘No you must perform your duty but you don’t just perform it, you do it in divine consciousness.’ There is a misconception all pervading in this great land of India where people think that Bhagavad Gita’s conclusion is you just do your work without attachments. You just do your duties honestly and i.e. Sanatan dharma. Nowhere do we find such a philosophy.
In fact Krsna says-
Work done should be a sacrifice to the Lord. If it’s done for any other reason however honest and well it is only a cause of bondage. Because there is something called honor amongst thieves. Everything belongs to Krsna. sarva-loka-maheçvaram [Bg. 5.29]. “Unless you are doing everything in respect to Krsna’s service you are a thief.” Thieves could comes together and be honest each other but they still have money that they robbed from the bank. And when the police man come in and say, ‘you are arrested.’ They say, ‘no, no we are dividing it honestly amongst ourselves.’ They would say, ‘It is not yours to honestly divide. It is the banks.’ Everything is the property of Krsna. We could make all of our moral, laws in this world and live by them and certainly that’s good from the point of view of you will not have too much material suffering as if you are dishonest. But in the ultimate truth unless we are offering everything through our consciousness in harmony and devotion to God it’s all stealing everything we do. Even if we have high and big position if we have divine consciousness that is taught to us in the Bhagavad Gita we can live in this world like a lotus flower in a muddy pond of water. We are not touched by the dirt. We can be ever blissful whether we are beggar in the street or whether we are king in a place, it makes no difference. It is a question of our consciousness. Real wealth is in remembrance of God and pure devotion, Bhakti. The wealth of this world is illusion. If you have Bhakti you use your wealth for good purpose for God service and you will be blissful if you have nothing if you have that Bhakti, you will be blissful, you have everything.
So Shuklambar Brahmachari had nothing. Nobody in Navadvip even recognized him as being a saintly person except a few rare souls. They just thought he was the beggar. But yet he was dancing so blissfully while everyone was chanting the Holy Name.
And Lord Caitanya he called him over and when Shuklambar Brahmachari came before Lord Caitanya He said, ‘You are My servant birth after birth. You have come before Me as a beggar. Previously you took the form of Sudama and you visited Me in Dwaraka at that time you were emaciated to the starvation. You had nothing but I forcibly stole from you that little packet of chipped rice. And I ate it with great pleasure. My great pleasure is to simply take whatever offering that you have for Me.’ Then Lord Caitanya forcibly reached in Shuklambar Brahmachari’s torn up cloth bag and he took hand full’s of husk rice. Dirty rice with all chips and husks on it, what a beggar would get. Usually people don’t give beggars the best they have. They give him what they don’t want. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu began to eat those chips of husk rice and as he was chewing on it he was feeling great ecstasy. And Shuklambar Brahmachari said, ‘My dear Lord! Please don’t eat this. This is not fit for you. This rice still has his shell and all little chips all over.’ Caitanya Mahaprabhu replied as He was smiling chewing the rice he said- “Taking the husked chipped rice of my devotee taste like the sweetest nectar to Me, but I will never accept even nectar from someone who has no devotion.” In His previous incarnation He accepted simple bananas from the house of Vidura but He rejected the wonderful feast of Duryodhana because he had no devotion. Patraà puñpaà phalaà toyaà yo me bhaktyä prayacchati [Bg. 9.26]. Whatever we offer with Krsna even it would be a leaf of flower, a little water if it is offer with devotion He will accept it with great pleasure. And if you water the root of the tree the whole tree is satisfied. Krsna says in Gita-
That I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds everything emanate from Me. The wise who know this perfectly they would worship Me with all their hearts. If you water the root of the tree every part is satisfied. If we please Krsna our life is perfect That is all that is required. Lord Caitanya was pleased because Shuklambar Brahmachari he gave Him he was giving Him ever day in his offering that broken pieces of rice which is all he had. And when the devotees saw this and heard the words of Lord Caitanya they all began to weep and cry and roll in the ground with great pleasure never have we seen the Lord shown such intimate and sweet mercy to anyone.
You know according to the Shastras if you want to offer something to God you have to chant all sorts of mantras and mudras otherwise the Lord doesn’t accept. But all these rituals are really meant for those who have little or no devotion. But Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu through this wonderful incidence showed that for those who have pure devotion they transcend all rules and regulations as far as the rituals of the Vedas. They have understood the essence to offer with love. And Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu in exchange for these broken pieces of poor man`s rice, He offered Shuklambar Brahmachari a benediction He said- ‘Today I grant you eternal loving service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.’ Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu Ki Jay! This is divine consciousness. To always remember Krsna and whether were a one occupation as a house wife or a husband doesn’t matter perform your work in this divine consciousness, associate with devotees live a pure life and chant the Holy Names.
After Lord Caitanya gave this benediction to Shuklambar Brahmachari all the devotees became so happy they began to jump joyfully raising their arms and very loudly having nice kirtan chanting the Holy Names-
The Holy Name is the most powerful and wonderful of all medicines. If we take it regularly then all of the anarthas, all of the unwanted desires of the heart are removed.
All the desires of our heart are completely fulfilled through the process of developing love of God by the chanting of the Holy Names of the Lord.
In this age of Kali there is no other ritual, there is no other sacrifice, there is no other religions process necessary. Simply humble service to the Lord and His devotees and the chanting of the Holy Name. So let us take this wonderful opportunity. Chanting of the name in Sankirtan is so unifying. Most families how often do they really enjoy doing something together. This is something of past ages. Now ever body so engrossed with their televisions they don’t even interact. They all have their own ideas. They all have their own friends. But if you look around tonight you see the husband, you see the wife, you see sometimes the grand parents, you see the children of all age’s teenagers, little boys and little girls and they are all smiling waiting for the beautiful kirtan what they could chant and dance together. People of all caste, people of all nationalities, people of all income categories, people of all ages, of all educational qualifications, all these egoistic designations dissolved when we raise our arms and loudly chant the Holy Names.
By the chanting of Krsna’s name our own heart and soul is unified with Krsna and our family as we chant together our whole family is ecstatically, blissfully united. In the whole society and the whole world, the only true hope of unity is when we all come together to chant the Holy Names.
Thank you very much.
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