Appointment with Krishna 2/12
(Compiled from notes on lectures of H. H. Mahavishnu Goswami)
The following are some of the nectarean instructions given by our beloved Guru Maharaja in Abu Dhabi during his recent yatra here.
Means of Conquest:
All of us want to conquer everything. But we do not know the means of conquest. Srimad Bhagavatam is the very means of conquest. In Srimad Bhagavatam 1.2.4, it is said,
naaraayanam namaskrtya
naram caiva narottamam
devim sarasvatim vyaasam
tato jayam udirayet
"Before reciting the Srimad Bhagavatam, which is the very means of conquest, one should offer respectful obeisances unto the Personality of Godhead, Narayana, unto Nara-Narayana Rsi, the super most human being, unto mother Sarasvati, the goddess of learning, and unto Srila Vyasadeva, the author."
In particular, we want to conquer the six enemies within our hearts- lust, anger, greed, illusion, pride and envy. In order to have the capacity to conquer these six enemies, we have to come to Srimad Bhagavatam which is the means of conquest. Then, we can immediately conquer these six enemies.
We are not Durjana, but we are Doorijana:
Having taken up the religious process and chanting the holy names of the Lord, we have stopped being durjana - bad people, but we are still far away from the truth and we have ignored the truth, hence we are doorijana. The truth is spoken by Srimad Bhagavatam when it says in 11.10.20,
ko 'nv arthah sukhayaty enam
kaamo vaa mrtyur antike
aaghaatam niyamaanasya
vadhyasyeva na tusti-dah
"Death is not at all pleasing, and since everyone is exactly like a condemned man being led to the place of execution, what possible happiness can people derive from material objects or the gratification they provide?"
When a person is ordained the punishment of execution, can one million Dirhams (UAE currency) give him happiness? Can a marriage or a house give him pleasure? We are all condemned to death and we do not know when. In Kali yuga, age doesn’t matter. Anybody can pass away at any moment. During the lifetime also, we have to face any type of extremely dangerous situation. We have to be prepared for this. This truth we have forgotten and hence instead of reducing our desires for sense gratification, we have kept it ablaze like a forest fire.
Our great fault is that we are always thinking as to how to grab another’s property. Dhrtarashtra wanted the kingdom and forcefully he wanted to capture the same. We are all Dhrta dhiram- catching hold of Dirhams just like Dhrtarashtra was catching hold of raashtra or kingdom. Till the time the desires are not fulfilled, we are not peaceful. We are crazily pursuing our desires and this tendency has to be stopped. We cannot even go near Krishna, till the time our eyes are on another’s pocket. We do not know when these faults will go. As it is the atma or the self is completely pure. Thus we are not faulty, but we have captured the faults. We have captured kaama, krodha, lobha, moha, mada and matsarya. Our natural constitutional position is to be the servant of Lord Krishna. A servant has no desires. A servant does not want to sit on the master’s sofa set or to wear his master’s clothes. Why are we not seeing this? We are getting more money than required. Why are we running after another’s property? There is no end to this dosha or fault. Krishna is atma rama - satisfied with Himself. That is why He is Shaantah - Peaceful. As Srila Prabhupada always insisted, we have to teach only one thing to our children and that is the following verse from Chanakya sloka.
maatrvat para-daaresu
para-dravyesu lostravat
aatmavat sarva-bhutesu
yah pasyati sa panditah
"One who considers another’s wife as his mother, another’s possession as a lump of dirt, and treats all other living beings as he would himself is considered to be learned."
There is an end to everything, but we do not consider about the end and grab another’s property and keep it. We should only use what is needed by us and the rest we should use for Krishna. We have to first stop the grabbing tendency somehow or the other. Ravana lost everything including the golden lanka and his family members because of his grabbing tendency.
To conquer these enemies within us, we have to keep our life on the right track. This can be given only by Srimad Bhagavad gita and Srimad Bhagavatam. For those who do not believe in Srimad Bhagavatam and Srimad Bhagavad gita, the ease is completely lost and they become diseased. Hence we have to study Srimad Bhagavatam and Srimad Bhagavad gita and we have to do this more than our breathing. There is no choice. WE HAVE TO DO. Our wealth will kill our children if we do not give them Srimad Bhagavatam and Bhagavad gita. For this, we have to study the scriptures and this is our first duty. If Bhakti is there, everything is available.
Let us all remember the following slogan repeated again and again by Maharaja during his stay in Abudhabi.
"Chanting of the holy names is the Appointment with Krishna.
Reading Bhagavad gita is definite attraction towards Him by seeing Krishna face to face.
Discussing Srimad Bhagavatam is a personal meeting with Krishna.
Please do not miss this appointment and meeting with Krishna."
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