He started by singing and playing harmonium. Anyone who has experienced hearing and following as Gopal Hari sings Jaya Radha Madhava knows that there are not words enough to explain the feeling.
He first read from the Caitanya Caritamrta, verse 108. After which he explained that everyone is concerned mostly for their own happiness. There is no getting around it. It is apart of who we are, we are eternity, knowledge and bliss, This is the composition of the soul, so how can we help but want to be happy. Someone who is unaware of how to be happy, is always searching and never satisfied. A devotee is happy engaged in service to Krishna. I wish I could remember just exactly how he explained this, But I have full faith in the message so I'll go with that. Serving Krishna is the same as serving ourselves and that is why we are perfectly satisfied when engaging in service to Krishna. When we try to serve our own senses we aren't satisfied because we aren't really serving ourselves unless we are serving the senses of Krishna
( Please ask Gopal to explain this to you if you missed the class. I'm going to ask Him about it again tomorrow during Bhagavatam class.)
One example he gave was of an associate of Sri Caitany Maha Prabhu. A pure devotee of the Lord, requested that all living entities be liberated and return to the spiritual world. He was so full of compassion that he begged that he be allowed to suffer even for eternity in hell if only everyone else could go to be with the Lord in His eternal abode. Gopal asked the class how suffering in hell could bring happiness to the devotee. The answer is that for this devotee knowing that everyone else is enjoying with and serving Krishna would bring so much happiness that he would not mind his own suffering.
He spoke that a pure devotee does not care if he is respected or if anyone mistreats him. He is only concerned that everyone is seeing Krishna, hearing about and worshiping Krishna. I felt embarrassed for my silliness and concern over what really doesn't matter. I could feel Krishna was talking to me. And the knowledge was the destroyer of many anartas.
Next Gopal explained that when we enjoy our service, it is pure devotional service. If we preform our service without enjoying it then it is good, but it not pure. So naturally I thought of the immense joy I experience while bathing and serving the Deities on the alter. Even when there are so many pujaris on the alter that I am there only to hand what is needed to the devotee who is directly serving the lord, it is the top most nectar. It is not 100% pure because sometimes my mind wanders. But not far, and not at all often. It is very meditative.
I recalled having the privilege of moping the prasadam room floor, sweeping the parking lot and sidewalk, and taking out the garbage cans on garbage day.. I was attached to all of these services. On many occasions I have been almost drunk from the pleasure of serving devotees, this is a whole nother topic though...
I recalled having the privilege of moping the prasadam room floor, sweeping the parking lot and sidewalk, and taking out the garbage cans on garbage day.. I was attached to all of these services. On many occasions I have been almost drunk from the pleasure of serving devotees, this is a whole nother topic though...
As he spoke on Bhagavad Gita 9.2 This is the king of education, the most secret of secrets. It is the purest knowledge, and because it gives direct perception of the self by realization it is the perfection of religion. It is everlasting and it is joyfully preformed.
I was reminded of 10.25 in the Bhagavad Gita:
Of the great sages I am Bhrigu, of vibrations I am the transcendental om. Of sacrifices I am the chanting of the holy names(japa) and of immovable things I am the Himalayas.
Gopal was speaking that if we really love someone we not only serve them but we enjoy their company. If we do our duty and serve our family that is good no doubt, we should of course do our duty. But it is lacking love unless we actually enjoy being with the person we are serving. WOW I hadn't thought of that. Gopal went on to explain how when we are doing something boring our minds go all over the place but if we are with someone we want to be with or if we a hearing something very interesting then we are completely focused. If we are chanting Krishna names and our minds are going to different places or if we are focused but not enjoying the association with the Lord. We are saying with our actions that we are not enjoying Krishna company, there are other things we would rather be doing. But it is our duty to chant so we do it. This is so much better than not chanting at all. But the goal is sweeter, it is enjoying japa.!
I thought of this over and over, and when I returned home and began to chant I wanted to enjoy chanting. Then I had an even more awesome realization. Enjoying japa is as simple as wanting to enjoy. I just thought" I am chanting now and I want to relish every syllable, I want to hear every name and enjoy my time with the Lord. I have never thought "Now I am going to enjoy chanting my rounds" I have thought, I am going to try to fucus, or I am going to somehow manage to chant my rounds today. But enjoy, take pleasure in? Though I find some pleasure in chanting, especially in association with other devotees :) I haven't thought of my japa mediation as something pleasurable. I chant because I am a conditioned, fool who has somehow stumbled upon devotee association and become the most fortunate rascal. If I don't take my medicine( japa, prasadam, seva and devotee association) I will be completely insane.
I was reminded of 10.25 in the Bhagavad Gita:
Of the great sages I am Bhrigu, of vibrations I am the transcendental om. Of sacrifices I am the chanting of the holy names(japa) and of immovable things I am the Himalayas.
Gopal was speaking that if we really love someone we not only serve them but we enjoy their company. If we do our duty and serve our family that is good no doubt, we should of course do our duty. But it is lacking love unless we actually enjoy being with the person we are serving. WOW I hadn't thought of that. Gopal went on to explain how when we are doing something boring our minds go all over the place but if we are with someone we want to be with or if we a hearing something very interesting then we are completely focused. If we are chanting Krishna names and our minds are going to different places or if we are focused but not enjoying the association with the Lord. We are saying with our actions that we are not enjoying Krishna company, there are other things we would rather be doing. But it is our duty to chant so we do it. This is so much better than not chanting at all. But the goal is sweeter, it is enjoying japa.!
I thought of this over and over, and when I returned home and began to chant I wanted to enjoy chanting. Then I had an even more awesome realization. Enjoying japa is as simple as wanting to enjoy. I just thought" I am chanting now and I want to relish every syllable, I want to hear every name and enjoy my time with the Lord. I have never thought "Now I am going to enjoy chanting my rounds" I have thought, I am going to try to fucus, or I am going to somehow manage to chant my rounds today. But enjoy, take pleasure in? Though I find some pleasure in chanting, especially in association with other devotees :) I haven't thought of my japa mediation as something pleasurable. I chant because I am a conditioned, fool who has somehow stumbled upon devotee association and become the most fortunate rascal. If I don't take my medicine( japa, prasadam, seva and devotee association) I will be completely insane.
It is so simple and true, we only need to want to enjoy being with Krishna. About a month ago I relished chanting like never before. And I wondered what was special about that japa session, why it was so nice. Rereading that statement I understand that it is sad that we ever chant without enjoying the process. It is sometimes a struggle to fit in an hour and a half to two hours of chanting. ( Especially If I have wasted time)
As Gopal was saying recently in morning Bhagavatam class, we are so fortunate! Only in the middle planet does anyone have the inclination for spiritual advancement. And though there are many hellish planets and many heavenly planets, there is only one middle planet in this universe. And on this planet there are only 6 billion people, of those how many have the golden opportunity to take to the chanting of the Holy names. HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA HARE HARE.
Look forward to with great anticipation, taste, relish, be most grateful for your personal association with the Lord. It is what he is asking from us, he only wants our love, JAPA <3
Look forward to with great anticipation, taste, relish, be most grateful for your personal association with the Lord. It is what he is asking from us, he only wants our love, JAPA <3
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