By H.H. Mahavishnu Goswami
(Compiled from notes on lectures of H. H. Mahavishnu Goswami)
“Ashram doesn’t matter really, whatever ashram we are, we have to remember Krishna’s words.”
caatur-varnyam mayaa srstam
guna-karma-vibhaagasah
tasya kartaaram api maam
viddhy akartaaram avyayam
“According to the three modes of material nature and the work associated with them, the four divisions of human society are created by Me. And although I am the creator of this system, you should know that I am yet the nondoer, being unchangeable. ”
There is nothing wrong in changing the ashramas. But whichever ashram we are in, we should follow Krishna’s words. Hari-toshanam should be in our sight always. Satisfaction of Krishna is possible only by three things – Please remember this verse from Srimad Bhagavatam verse 4.31.19
dayayaa sarva-bhutesu
santustyaa yena kena vaa
sarvendriyopasaantyaa ca
tusyaty aasu janaardanah
By showing mercy to all living entities, being satisfied somehow or other and controlling the senses from sense enjoyment, one can very quickly satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Janardana.
Krishna is completely satisfied if we follow these three things.
1. We have to be completely merciful to all living entities. It is very easy to realize. Reading scriptures or hearing alone will not do. First we have to hear – shrnvan and then study – supatan. We are all intelligent. Real intelligence is to go through the scriptures and try to find the practical point for the young ones. They don’t understand at the moment. But we should chew the scriptures for them nicely and guide them. Otherwise their life will be animal life. Our responsibility is there that our young ones must be raised in nice Vedic atmosphere.
Our house must be converted into a temple. We may not be able to go temple daily. But our house must be a temple. Otherwise as human being we are missing the point. We have regulated our food habits by Srila Prabhupada’s mercy. Never touch eggs, fish, meat. When the animal is dead – how can it give any strength or energy for you ? Dead body is dead body – rotten and full of poisons. How can it nourish us? Our grains are alive. Rice, wheat grains have millions of living cells squeezed in them by Krishna. It has nourishing effect. So children should be taught to be merciful to animals also, other living entities also. We should be merciful to everybody except ourselves. Else we will get up at 10 am. We should get up at 3:30 am. We should not eat anything that is not cooked in our house. This is the best way to save ourselves from violence and disease. As soon as you become non-violent you don’t trouble anybody, then your house becomes like Vaikuntha – otherwise you yell like anything at each other even for a little misunderstanding. Shouting and screaming is there – That is not the house. Please.. our whole life should stand on this principle if we really want to satisfy Krishna. Krishna is really satisfied if you are merciful to others, merciful to the cows.
Nowadays we are not able to protect the cows. The cow is such a holy animal. Everything is useful. Cow dung is the best antispetic material-No need of any chemical powder. When we were young, all our floors were covered by cow-dung. Cow-urine is the best medicine. One lady whom we know here, was suffering from cancer. Doctors advised her for chemo-therapy and said she would survive only for 3 months. But she didn’t go for that. She came to this hospital started by Manikchand Group near Valsad – where they treat all diseases using cow-urine and milk. She was treated with cow milk and urine and she is normal. Previously her digestion was stopped, body was not functioning at all – By the help of cow’s urine and milk she was brought back from death. I don’t know how much more to insist on the mercy shown by cows to us. Nowadays we are living in flats – no farm lands and so no ways to maintain the cows – This is real suicide. But we should have some cow protection centers. If Krishna gives excess money- please grhasthas – some percentage atleast you should spend for cows – the instructions of Srimad Bhagavatam should be translated into practical life. Please interpret the message and give the practical instructions to younger generation. Srimad Bhagavatam infiltrates through the younger generation. Please remember this.
1) Dayayaa Sarva Bhuteshu – Merciful To All Living Entities
“All those who hear Harinam sankirtan will definitely be liberated. Suppose you are unable to protect the cows or maintain the cows, suppose you don’t have lakshmi for these things, don’t worry. Just do Harinam. Thats the greatest mercy you can do for all living entities. I was in London and I had never heard Hare Krishna Mahamantra there – but when there was temple opening, Srila Prabhupada – had asked the devotees to do Harinam in the main streets of London in the morning and evening. I heard them and was really surprised and then I came to know about them and was attracted. Like this so many people had come. They are residents of foreign countries. If not for Harinam, we would have gone to something else and wasted our life in drinking and eating dead flesh. This Harinam is real daya.
Don’t fall victimised to the 6 enemies – kaama, krodha, lobha, moha, madha, maatsarya (lust, anger, greed, illusion, pride, envy). Be merciful to yourself and everybody and never fall victimised to excessive kaam. Kaam will lead to krodh. Kaamis will be krodhis also. Anger destroys us more than anyone else. Suppose I am angry with you, you are not affected. But my chemical composition goes wrong. My heart has to cope up with the wrong combination. As soon as you disobey Bhagavatam, that is disease for you. We don’t know and then we go to the doctor and they play with our heart. They don’t know that anti-Vedic life is the reason for the heart problem. They are completely ignorant and fool number one and if they can’t find anything, they simply say by-pass operation and open the heart. There is nothing wrong with my heart. Actually it is a problem with my behaviour. This is knowledge.
Unnecessarily don’t run. To keep the body in working condition is first responsibility. For this digestion is required. There is one medicine for all ages – known in Ayurveda shastra as Vishwabeshajad – means universal medicine – that is ginger. We use it in our food. Our food should be medicine and medicine must be our food. Ayurvedic doctors atleast know the ingredients of the medicines. These allopathy doctors don’t know anything. They just prescribe according to the medical companies. If one medicine doesn’t work – they try another and then another. Please learn to tolerate this illness. Its is actually Krishna’s mercy. Please come to Bhagavad gita and Srimad Bhagavatam. There is very nice verse for sickness.
maatraa-sparsaas tu kaunteya
sitosna-sukha-duhkha-daah
aagamaapaayino ‘nityaas
taams titiksasva bhaarata
“O son of Kunti, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.”
Matraa sparshaas tu kaunteya – all diseases are sensuous – like happiness and distress. Aagamaa paayino – it comes and goes. So please tolerate. There are two types of sickness we have to face – according to the time scale of the body. Few of which could be cured and few that have come to take us away. It cannot be cured however hard you try to cure that. You will be failure. So have full faith in Krishna’s curing. Krishna has created the body as a whole. Everything created by Krishna has full curative ability inside. Especially nature’s cure is powerful. So please keep quiet or just have ginger. If you don’t have fresh ginger, take dry ginger powder and honey – it is very good for the stomach. If you are suffering from cold, please take cinnamon and honey, Tulsi etc. Don’t run after allopathy medicines. In extreme case of emergency – like accident or something you may have to undergo allopathy – but that too only for few days. Please take shelter of ayurvedic medicines and this is how Krishna could be satisfied otherwise Krishna is upset. Don’t do that. Be patient. When we go to hospital they call us patient (laughter). If Krishna is merciful, He will select you. Now you people are selected by Him to be here. You have not come here just by your endeavor- Its His mercy”
2) santushta yena kena vaa – satisfied under all conditions
“In any condition you should be satisfied – santushta ena kena vaa. You people are intelligent. Whatever work you are doing please do it immaculately. Because you are having continuous flow of money, you are able to sit and peacefully hear now. By working very nicely you get out of the work and not by stopping it. So do your work and be happy. There is a nice shloka in shastras
santushta trishu kartavyah / svadhaare bhojane dhane
santushta trishu na kartavyah / svaadhyaah japa dhaanayoh
“One should be always satisfied with these three things – their spouse, the food, and the amount of wealth they obtained. One should never be satisfied with these three things – the amount of scriptural study, the amount of chanting and the amount of charity they performed.”
Whatever wife or husband you get, be completely satisfied. Then there is no disturbance. By changing partners you can never be happy. Every week, they change the partner in the west. They are the most miserable ones. Please remember the scriptures.. ..santushta yena kena vaa. ..this pleases Krishna. If you have full meal also fine, no meal also fine. So many days you have eaten – what will happen if you don’t eat for one day or two? Satisfaction is the best medicine for good living. Satisfied people, if you see their face, you will understand; they don’t need to have a building or money for satisfaction. Whatever Krishna gives, be happy. No hankering. You have some nice parsadam and children are being maintained fine. That is enough. According to your previous karma we get wealth. So don’t worry too much.You are going to get as per destiny. We try hard to acquire qualification, do some business etc. But in the end look to Krishna. This is the end of it. We are satisfied in any condition of life..
In the following three things never be satisfied: svaadhyaah japa dhaanayoh – scriptural study, japa and charity. Those who give, get. By keeping the money in bank etc. money is going to reduce. Sannimite varam tyaago – Chanakya Pandit very nicely says, “Whatever you have, you give it for a good cause.”
3) sarvendriyopashaant yaa ca – sense control
There is so much to be discussed on this, but here I shall insist on the most important sense to be controlled – our eyes. Try to habituate your eyes to be in control. It is the main window through which the sin enters us. Open it only half, such that you can just see the way. Do not open more than that.
Always remember that those who are associating with Krishna through His names, through books of Prabhupadaji are all having their appointment with Krishna. Never miss Krishna’s appointment. Japa, darshan are all Krishna’s appointments. This is the way to satisfy Krishna. If our mind is focussed on Krishna, then controlling the senses happens automatically. ”
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