“mac-cittä mad-gata-präëä
bodhayantaù parasparam
kathayantaç ca mäà nityaà
tuñyanti ca ramanti ca”
Synonyms :
mat-cittäù—their minds fully engaged in Me; mat-gata-präëäù—their lives devoted to Me; bodhayantaù—preaching; parasparam—among themselves; kathayantaù—talking; ca—also; mäm—about Me; nityam—perpetually; tuñyanti—become pleased; ca—also; ramanti—enjoy transcendental bliss; ca—also.
Translation:
The thoughts of My pure devotees dwell in Me, their lives are fully devoted to My service, and they derive great satisfaction and bliss from always enlightening one another and conversing about Me.
Purport:
Pure devotees, whose characteristics are mentioned here, engage themselves fully in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. Their minds cannot be diverted from the lotus feet of Krsna. Their talks are solely on the transcendental subjects. The symptoms of the pure devotees are described in this verse specifically. Devotees of the Supreme Lord are twenty-four hours daily engaged in glorifying the qualities and pastimes of the Supreme Lord. Their hearts and souls are constantly submerged in Krsna, and they take pleasure in discussing Him with other devotees.
In the preliminary stage of devotional service they relish the transcendental pleasure from the service itself, and in the mature stage they are actually situated in love of God. Once situated in that transcendental position, they can relish the highest perfection which is exhibited by the Lord in His abode. Lord Caitanya lightens transcendental devotional service by the sowing a seed in the heart of the living entity. There are innumerable living entities traveling throughout the different planets of the universe, and out of them there are a few who are fortunate enough to meet a pure devotee and get the chance to understand devotional service. This devotional service is just like a seed, and if it is sown in the heart of a living entity, and if he goes on hearing and chanting Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare, that seed fructifies, just as the seed of a tree fructifies with regular watering. The spiritual plant of devotional service gradually grows and grows until it penetrates the covering of the material universe and enters into the brahmajyoti effulgence in the spiritual sky. In the spiritual sky also that plant grows more and more until it reaches the highest planet, which is called Goloka Vrindävana, the supreme planet of Krsna. Ultimately, the plant takes shelter under the lotus feet of Krsna and rests there. Gradually, as a plant grows fruits and flowers, that plant of devotional service also produces fruits, and the watering process in the form of chanting and hearing goes on. This plant of devotional service is fully described in the Caitanya-caritämåta (Madhya-lélä, Chapter Nineteen). It is explained there that when the complete plant takes shelter under the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, one becomes fully absorbed in love of God; then he cannot live even for a moment without being in contact with the Supreme Lord, just as a fish cannot live without water. In such a state, the devotee actually attains the transcendental qualities in contact with the Supreme Lord.
The Srimad-Bhägavatam is also full of such narrations about the relationship between the Supreme Lord and His devotees; therefore the Srimad-Bhägavatam is very dear to the devotees, as stated in the Bhägavatam itself (12.13.18). Srimad-bhägavataà puräëam amalaà yad vaiñëavänäà priyam. In this narration there is nothing about material activities, economic development, sense gratification or liberation. Srimad-Bhägavatam is the only narration in which the transcendental nature of the Supreme Lord and His devotees is fully described. Thus the realized souls in Krsna consciousness take continual pleasure in hearing such transcendental literatures, just as a young boy and girl take pleasure in association.
The sound vibration
We are reading today form the 10th chapter of Bhagavad-Gita. These four verses, Verse no. 8, 9, 10, and 11 are considered by the great acaryas to be the nutshell verses, which summarized the essence of Bhagavad-Gita. Here Bhagavana Sri Krishna is explaining what takes place when sincere devotees come together. Sound vibration is most powerful of all forces within the entire cosmic manifestation. It is through sound vibration alone. It is by sound vibration factually that this entire material creation is created. It is described in the bible in the beginning was the word. That word is God. And it is through the word the sound according to the bible that this creation is taking place and also in Srimad Bhagavatam described that when Lord Brahmaji was born in the lotus flower from the naval of Sri Vishnu. He was bewildered, he did not know, where he was or what to do? All around there was simply darkness, emptiness, and loneliness. At that time he heard a sound vibration of two syllables. Tapa. “tene brahma hådä ya ädi-kavaye” to the heart of Brahma God spoke these two syllables Tapa. And by that sound vibration of those two syllables Lord Brahmaji began to meditate to perform tapasya and through these processes he understood exactly how to create the fourteen planetary systems of this universe. So it is through sound alone that the universe is created and it is also described that is through sound that this universe is destroyed. So there is no greater healer and there is no greater destroyer than sound vibration. And the condition of the world very much dependents on what sound vibration are permeating the atmosphere.
Types Of Sound Vibrations
Of course when the atmosphere is filled with sound vibrations in the modes of ignorance and passion, then the consciousness of the people will be very-very intensely infected, by the modes of ignorance and passion. When the atmosphere is filled with sound vibration and mode of goodness then everyone’s conscious will naturally be affected and uplifted. When transcendental sound filled the atmosphere then the purification of the consciousness of the entire planet takes place. Sound traveled so fast that when you speak a word, it factually that word you may not be able to hear with your ears but that sound vibration of that word instantly fills the entire planet. It travels across the entire planet. Many people are told by their spiritual master to a vow of Maun, which means silence, why? It is science, it is golden. Because generally people are speaking so much nonsense sound that they are simply polluting their consciousness and polluting the whole atmosphere. That polluting the entire creation therefore does not say anything. This is a great contribution to society. If you listen to the radios or you listen to the televisions or you read the news the newspapers or the novels of the today or hear the politicians or just the common man we can understand how polluted the atmosphere is with gross mundane sound vibration. But it is said, “golokera prema-dhana, hari-näma-saìkértana” that the name of God is not a material sound. The name of God descends from the spiritual world, from the planet of God and the name of God being non different than God, can completely purify one’s heart. It can destroy all material bondage. “näma cintämaëiù kåñëaç caitanya-rasa-vigrahaù”. The words of God, the name of God, the pastimes of the Lord, any sound vibration which is connected to Krishna is pure divine spiritual sound. Therefore Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has taught us that there is no greater compassionate welfare work for the world than loudly chanting the Holy Name of the God. Because that sound vibration neutralizes the sins the millions and billions of sinful vibrations that are everywhere.
The Radar Of The Human Body(boat).
It is described in the sashtra that each living being emanates sound from the tongue, correct? All the sound vibration you speak come from one little organ of your body call the tongue. It is described that this material existence is like an ocean, it is the ocean of birth and death. It is an ocean that is so deep and so wide and so long. And practically everyone is simply drowning in this ocean. But the human form of life is considered a boat. It is a perfectly suitable boat to cross over this ocean. But an order for the boat to across the ocean, it has to go in the right direction, correct? If we want to go across to the kingdom of God we must keep the boat always directed toward the kingdom of the God. Now in a boat we know that what steers the boat, is the radar. The radar is the very small. The boat is very large. But the entire magnitude of the boat is all directed by one little piece of wood or steel, which is called the radar. When it goes this way the whole boat goes that way. When it goes that way the whole boat goes on that way. So it is described by Srila Jiva Gosvami that the tongue is the radar of this human boat. According to, how you vibrate your tongue that will determine your direction in life and there is nothing more to be said than that. If your tongue is glorifying God and glorifying His devotees then you can understand for sure that the boat of your human life is sailing smoothly, may be not that smoothly! There is always be storms in the ocean. But it is sailing in a constant direction towards the lotus feet of Krishna. But as soon as the tongue engaged in any other subject matter, you can understand you are no longer directed toward the kingdom of the God. Therefore here it is described that the devotees of the Lord, Krishna says my pure devotees their lives are surrendered to me and they derive great satisfaction and bliss and enlightening one another and conversing about me. The process of hearing and chanting is the very basis of our spiritual life. Therefore we should know how important it is to keep the topics of Krishna in our mind. Because sound vibration determine the condition of your mind. Of course in this material world because it is a place where essentially everyone is envious of God and everyone is essentially potentially envious of every other living being who is part of God. People take very great pleasure in hearing and speaking sound vibration which is idle gossip.
“GOSSIP = PROSTITUTE”!!!
The great acarya Raghunath dasa Gosvami warns us that idle gossip is a prostitute. And if you are associated with prostitute, she will steal away all your good qualities. Not only will she steal away all your good qualities but she will steal your entire propensity away from serving Krishna and His devotees. But then he goes on, he is praying to his mind that glorification of Krishna is so sweet and so pure that it nourishes our inclination for devotion to God. And therefore if you want to know who is in advanced devotee and who is not, it is very simple. See what they take pleasure in hearing and what they take pleasure in speaking. That is what is spoken here. It is explained that Raghunath Bhatta Gosvami, one of the six Gosvamies of Vrindavana that he was living in Vrindavana, he loved to hear the glories of Krishna and his devotees. He could not tolerate hearing anything but that. Of course when we are talking about Krishna and devotees that sound vibration being discussed on the subject matter of service to Krishna and it is also Krishna katha. If devotees come together to positively discuss their particular service and how it will be beneficial to society that is also transcendental sound vibration. But Raghunath Dasa Bhatta Gosvami, it is described that, he could not tolerate hearing anything against another devotee. If anyone is speaking anything negative about another devotee. Any rumors or any gossips, he would block his ears and say Krishna save me and he would run out from the place. Why because he knew that there is nothing that spoils your spiritual life more than speaking or hearing against God or his devotees. Silence means if you cannot say something constructive and beneficial then do not say anything because you are only polluting the whole universe with garbage. You are responsible as a human being. If you do not speak constructively beneficially then what you are doing is you are polluting everyone’s mind. Not only the people right around you but all living creatures because that sound is traveling every where. Therefore Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu explained
“grämya-kathä nä çunibe, grämya-värtä nä kahibe
bhäla nä khäibe ära bhäla nä paribe”
Caitanya-caritamrita Antya 6.236
Where is Krishna?
If you want to understand how to be Krishna Consciousness, follow these simply principles. Number one, do not gossip. Gramya Katha, speak like ordinary people.For eg.. This report do you hear? This person did this, that person did this, Keep your mouth shut. Only open it, when there is something constructive, beneficial, enlightening and enlivening to the others. Otherwise do not talk. This is the secret of success in spiritual life. But the highest silence is the positive glorification of God. By speaking His instructions, by speaking His lila you are the best friend of all living beings. Bhakativinoda has prayed “jéve phele viñaya-sägore” that means the tongue is the most difficult of all the senses the control. If one can control the tongue, one can easily control all other senses. But if one cannot control the tongue it is impossible the control the other senses. We already explained because it like the radar of the boat. Whichever the way the tongue goes you whole human consciousness goes that way. If your tongue like the radar of the boat is steering your human consciousness in the wrong way then how you are supposed to utilize any of your other senses in the right way. It is not possible. It is a very simple scientific understanding. This is what makes a place holy. When the topics of Lord, when the enlivening discussions of the Lord’s glories are being discussed that place becomes the holiest of all places. In fact Krishna says “tatra tisthami narada, yatra gayanti mad bhakta”. He tells Narada Muni that I do not care to be in the Himalayas with the yogis, I do not care to be in the academic institutions with the janies, I do not care to be at the sacrifices, where the karmies are performing very great pujas, he said if you want to know, where I always am and pleased to be. Wherever my devotees are chanting my glories, I am always there. Because the devotees know Krishna takes pleasure to be there the devotees take pleasure in giving Krishna pleasure.
Of course when we are gossiping, when we are speaking half truth about other, when we are discussing mundane subject matters, we should understand that Krishna is completely unpleased to be there. But do not think He is not their listening. He is in your heart listening. It is not that when you speak nonsense things, well Krishna is not here, so I can speak. He is always wherever His devotees were glorifying Him, when I glorifying Him here, when I do not glorifying Him, it does not matter anyway. Because He is not here to hear. Krishna says “sarvasya cähaà hådi sanniviñöo” “éçvaraù sarva-bhütänäà håd-deçe ‘rjuna tiñöhati” He is always in your heart listening. When you speak something else he is listening to you very carefully. But he will not reveal himself to you. He will not manifest to himself to you. So this is why our spiritual master His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada used to tell us just chant Hare Krishna. What does that mean? Just vibrate Krishna. So simple, but it is so hard. Why is it so hard?
“yatato hy api kaunteya
puruñasya vipaçcitaù
indriyäëi pramäthéni
haranti prasabhaà manaù”
Bhagavad-Gita 2.60
Krishna tells Arjuna in the second chapter of Bhagavad-Gita that the senses are so strong and impetuous that they forcibly carry away our mind even a man of discrimination, who is trying to control them. But then Krishna gives the solution to that.
“täni sarväëi saàyamya
yukta äséta mat-paraù
vaçe hi yasyendriyäëi
tasya prajïä pratiñöhitä”
Bhagavad-Gita 2.61
From a Seed To a Healthy Tree
But one who restrain his senses and fixes his consciousness upon me, he is known of a man of steady intelligence. It is described in Bhagavad-Gita that to control the tongue we only speak truth. We only speak truth and that is the mood of goodness to only speak truth. That is pious life. To speak anything that we are not certainly a truth is impious. It is incriminating therefore if we do not know we should not talk. If we do not know we have a right only to enquire submissively to find out. We should not talk. Because if we speak untruth we are incriminating our self in the laws of karma. But we are meant to arise above the mode of goodness. If we glorify God that sound vibration is not truth. But it is the absolute truth. That sound vibration will carry us back home back to Godhead. You see sound vibration is like water and our devotional life it is described, it is compared to a seed within our heart. The spiritual master by his causeless mercy “brahmäëòa bhramite kona bhägyavän jéva guru-Krsna-prasäde päya bhakti-latä-béja” that after wandering in this material universe for many-many births through so many species of life, when we finally our most fortunate, we come in contact with bona fide spiritual master. It is only a pure devotee of God. It is only a true sadhu that can plant the seed of devotion within our hearts and that seed is the most precious rare to be attained within the entire existence. After millions and millions of births, when we finally attain this seed of bhakti, how much we must take care of it. A seed requires protection and require watering. If you protect it nicely and water it nicely it will grow very good. If you do not, then you are the most foolish and unfortunate of all human beings. If a poor man remains poor, he is considered unfortunate. But if a poor man is given a fortune of millions of rupees and due to negligence he looses it, he is considered the most unfortunate, correct? Because he had a chance and then he lost it. Once you obtain the seed of Bhakti of devotion you are the most fortunate man on earth. If you neglect it if you mistreat it, if you loose it you are the most foolish and unfortunate of all man in creation or woman on creation. Now you have the seed, you must very carefully take care of it. It is like a flower. You must water it. The watering processes it the sound vibration. Through hearing the transcendental sound of the glories of the Lord and through speaking the transcendental sound of the glories of the Lord. As we water that it grows. And as it grows our faith grows. Faith is very delicate. It takes years and years perhaps life times and life times depending on how attentive you are for that plant for that flower of devotion to begin to grow. Now you know how long it takes to grow a tree. It may take 50 years for a tree to grow. You know how long takes to cut down a tree. That same tree you can cut it down within five minutes. To grow is very-very laborious and it takes a long time and patience in great endeavor. But it takes nothing to destroy. Just like during World War II, the city of Hiroshima took generation and generation to build that city to what it was and when the proud American came with their Jet bombers, within five minutes they destroyed the entire city. Easy to destroy. It does not take great person to destroy. But it takes a great person to build.
Kill The Wills Not The Plant
We have to understand how carefully we must protect this spiritual plant that is within our heart by the mercy of Guru. If you put the water of Krishna Katha, if you put the water of truth on to that plant then that plant grows. But if you speak untruth, if speak gossip, rumor, nonsense, mundane subject matter, what you do, is you water the wills. They are also within our heart. And as those wills get bigger and bigger, they gradually have the strength to choke the plant and kill it. That we must give no nourishment to our wills. That we must constantly nourish the plant of our devotion. And by simply following the principle of learning how to take pleasure in the glories of the Lord. Then there will be no impediments in our spiritual development. In Kali Yuga it is explained by Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
“harer näma harer näma
harer nämaiva kevalam
kalau nästy eva nästy eva
nästy eva gatir anyathä”
Caitanya-caritamrita Adi 7.76
Prasad, Holy Name & Krishna They Are Non-Different
Be very careful what you hear, be very careful what you speak. There is no other way but glorifying God. By chanting His Holy Names. Therefore let us understand if we just chant the Holy Names and hear the glories of the Lord as the goal of our life and gradually as described in this purport, the plant of devotion will grow and grow in sphere throughout the layers of this material existence and enter into the brahma jyoti and growing and growing until it even so passes the Vaikuntha planet and enters into the supreme planet of Goloka Vrindavana and there our spiritual keeper take shelter under the lotus feet of Sri Sri Radhagopinath and then the fruit fructifies as an offering to the Supreme lord. And the Lord is so kind that He breaks open that fruit and He allows just to share this sweet nectar of love of God that is within it. And that is the supreme happiness. That is the supreme peace. That is the supreme goal of life. So under any circumstances we should not lose prospective that this is the goal of life and let us not let any mental conceptions come between us in the supreme goal of life. It is very simple. Some of you may be thinking, what I have to work. I have to hear so many crazy vibrations while I am working. What am I supposed to do? It is not that is the disqualification. You should not take pleasure in those vibrations. At the matter of duty if you are in the spirit that you are working for Krishna and you are speaking truth, even in your own work in the service of Krishna. That is transcendental sound vibration because as soon as it is connected to devotional service it becomes transcendental. Anything connected to Krishna become transcendental. So whether you are a Doctor, whether you are an engineer, or whether you are a housewife, or whether you are a student. We should try to always keep our consciousness pure by controlling our tongue.”______”. It is said that Krishna cannot be seen or experienced by mundane senses. But by using our tongue to vibrate transcendental sound all of our senses become totally spiritualized and then we can perceive God in this very life. So that is why we say to just chant Hare Krishna. “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”. And the other is tasting, so what we taste also is most influential destination of our life. If we always confine our tongue to tasting the sweetness of Krishna’s Prasad that very association with Prasad again connect us to Krishna. Just as the holy name is none different than Krishna. Prasad is also absolutely and in every respect none different than Krishna. So when we have to speak, only speak Krishna katha. When we have to eat, only eat Krishna Prasad. In this way we are on the royal road back home back to Godhead. So now let us take Krishna Prasad.
Thank you very much.
Hare Krishna.
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