Flow with Krishna

Dear Prabhujis and Mathajis,

Hare Krishna! Please accept my humble obeisances! All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Gurudev!

Generally we feel that when a person is chanting the holy names of the Lord, studying Srimad Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam, worshipping the deities of the Supreme Lord, hearing the scriptures, wearing the Vaishnava dress, observing the vaishnava festivals and ceremonies, then that person is Krishna conscious. At least this is my conception of Krishna consciousness. When I heard a speech given by H.G.Devaki nandan prabhuji in Chennai, I really understood the depth of my own ignorance. Devakinandan prabhu shared a very beautiful teaching from the life of our beloved spiritual master and this makes us understand that all the above activities are successful if they can ultimately lead to the kind of consciousness as our beloved Maharaj exhibited.

Devaki prabhuji explained how when our beloved Guru maharaj, even when he was a small boy in Nasik, when he went to wash his clothes in the Godavari river, would make sure to wash his clothes not against the flow of the river, but with the flow of the river so as not to cause disturbance to the river. This shows the extent to which Maharaj was conscious of Krishna’s creation and how not to hurt a single living entity which is a part of Krishna’s creation. Just see the standard of Maharaj’s behaviour even as a small child. As a boy, already he was a pure devotee. Which one of us would actually think when we go to a river, that we should actually wash the clothes in a certain way. First of all we do not want to wash our clothes. If at all, we throw them in the washing machine. Do we really care that the river flows this way or that way ?

Even at the age of six or seven years, Maharaj was always thinking, ‘if I do this, is it alright? If I do that is it alright? If I say something, will I hurt someone? If I speak this, how will that person feel?’ Maharaj said, "I put myself in the shoes of Godavari and I thought that if she is flowing this way, there must be a reason why she flows this way. Why must I oppose the flow? We should go with the flow of things. You always go with the flow of things and you are flowing with Krishna. The moment you resist it and flow back, you are not with Krishna, but you are against Krishna and that moving back against Krishna won’t hurt Krishna, but you will be hurt. You will be agitated. You will be disturbed."

Devaki prabhu exclaimed that this is such a beautiful point to live our lives. Not just reading Bhagavatam and reciting shlokas, preparing for classes, but actually living it and this is what Maharaj has taught us. Ishopanishad Mantra six and seven wonderfully explains this consciousness.

yas tu sarvaani bhutaany / aatmany evaanupashyati
sarva-bhuteshu caatmaanam / tato na vijugupsate
yasmin sarvaani bhutaany / aatmaivabhud vijaanatah
tatra ko mohah kah shoka / ekatvam anupashyatah

"He who sees everything in relation to the Supreme Lord, who sees all living entities as His parts and parcels, and who sees the Supreme Lord within everything never hates anything or any being. One who always sees all living entities as spiritual sparks, in quality one with the Lord, becomes a true knower of things. What, then, can be illusion or anxiety for him ?"

Srila Prahupada mentions in the purport that - ‘It is clearly mentioned in this sixth mantra that one should “observe,” or systematically see. This means that one must follow the previous aacaaryas, the perfected teachers. Anupashyati is the exact Sanskrit word used in this connection. Anu means “to follow,” and pashyati means “to observe.” Thus the word anupashyati means that one should not see things as he does with the naked eye but should follow the previous aacaaryas.

The Supreme atma, or Paramatma, alone maintains all the individual minute beings, for the Supreme Lord wants to derive pleasure out of their affection. The father extends himself through his children and maintains them in order to derive pleasure. If the children obeyed the father’s will, family affairs will run smoothly, with one interest and a pleasing atmosphere. The same situation is transcendentally arranged in the absolute family of the Parabrahman, the Supreme Spirit.’

Thus Maharaj has taught us by his personal example on how to run the affairs smoothly and create a pleasing atmosphere by our obedience and by flowing with Krishna.

Thank you very much.
Yours in the service of Srila Prabhupada and Gurudev,
Vaijayanthimala devi dasi,
Abudhabi.

Chant,

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna

Krishna Krishna

Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama

Rama Rama

Hare Hare

and be happy.