Our Real Duty

(Compiled from notes on lectures of H. H. Mahavishnu Goswami)

On the auspicious occasion of Sri Jagannath Rath Yatra at Dwarakapuri Dham on 26th January 2009, our beloved Guru Maharaja gave a nectarean class in Hindi. This posting is a humble attempt of transcribing the lecture as an offering unto our Guru Maharaj.

We should not waste our time. There is a good verse in this connection:

kaalakshepo na kartavyah / ksheenam aayuh kshane kshane
yamasya karunaa naasti / kartavyam hari kirtanam
The precious time should not be wasted, because our lifespan is reducing every moment. Yamaraja has no mercy. Hence our duty is to do Hari kirtana.

We should never waste our time doing unnecessary things. The first reason for that is – ksheenam aayuh kshane kshane, our lifetime is reducing every moment. This journey is a one-way ticket as there is no return. The age or time which goes away never comes back. Therefore, don’t waste time.

The second reason is – yamasya karunaa naasti, Yamaraja has no mercy. When he comes, we cannot say, “Please wait, I have to first go and withdraw money from the bank”. He will not listen and we have to go with him. Therefore, what should be our duty? kartavyam hari kirtanam - to do Hari kirtana.
While offering prayers to Supreme Lord Krishna, Sukadev Goswami says in Srimad Bhagavatam verse 2.4.15,

yat-kirtanam yat-smaranam yad-iksanam
yad-vandanam yac-chravanam yad-arhanam
lokasya sadyo vidhunoti kalmasam
tasmai subhadra-sravase namo namah
Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto the all-auspicious Lord Sri Krsna, about whom glorification, remembrances, audience, prayers, hearing and worship can at once cleanse the effects of all sins of the performer.

There are 6 activities mentioned in this verse of which the first is “kirtana”. Kirtanam includes bhajans, chanting of Hare Krishna Mahamantra, discourses on the glories of the Lord or any activity connected with glorifying the Lord. This kirtanam must go on always and we need a proper position to execute this activity. By the mercy of the Lord, our economic position is quite comfortable. Why has God given us two legs, two eyes, two hands, all in working condition; we should ponder over this very carefully. What have we done to deserve a comfortable economic zone? The reason is, there must be a higher responsibility. God has directed His mercy towards us thinking that this living entity wants to come towards Me, so let Me at least provide for his basic necessities like food, clothing and shelter. Therefore it is our responsibility to use this life in His service (hari kirtanam). If we fail in this duty (kartavya), then the facilities can be taken away in a moment (yamasya karunaa naasti).
We should understand this very clearly and somehow or the other, divert our minds to the scriptures like Srimad Bhagavad gita and Srimad Bhagavatam. A pure devotee like Srila Prabhupada has taken so much pain to give us everything in his books – verses, transliteration, translation and purports. We simply have to find a little time and open the pages. Out of 24 hours, at least we must find 1 hour to do this. This is our duty (kartavya). If we conduct our activities (kirtanam) in this way, then the result will be – lokasya sadhyo vidhunoti kalmasham, the miseries will be entirely eradicated from our life.
When we start taking Krishna’s names, the first effect is that all anxieties go away because we know that – ishavasyam idam sarvam, the Supreme Lord controls the entire universe. We cannot do anything on our own. If we realize this, there is complete peace (shanti) and in this peaceful situation only can we practice devotional service. At the most what can we do, just hold on to His lotus feet. And where there is anxiety or agitation (ashanti), we cannot practice bhakti. Therefore, leave everything to Him as He does everything.

When we honour prasadam, we don’t know what happens inside our stomach but the food gets digested. We eat white rice, green vegetables or brown puris but the blood is red. Does anyone drink or eat red colour foodstuff? No. Then why is blood red? Who does this? This is a big question mark before us. Apart from Krishna, who else can do this. When we see a living entity who looks bright, we should understand that he is somehow connected to Krishna because this is His monopoly. Though we are not attracted to our bodies, we still need to maintain the body in a condition favorable to practice devotional service as this is an instrument to serve God. Therefore regulative principles are there. First, we must try to sleep early, by 9 or 9:30 pm. Those who sleep after this time develop blood clots. Secondly, we should wake up by 5 am. Those who wake up after this time develop cough. We should have only minimum needs and should not increase them artificially which in-turn leads to diseases.

When we were small (Guru Maharaja talking of his childhood times), no one had heard about heart problems. Out of fashion, rich persons in the village used to proclaim that, “I have heart problem”. The most serious disease during our times was tuberculosis (TB). And nowadays it has become so common to have heart diseases. As we have progressed materially with electricity and other things, so our diseases have also increased. We have become more polluted and as a result we are bound up tightly in the mesh of material activities.

We get different bodies based on our desires and then there is birth. Nobody falls from the sky, everyone takes birth from a mother’s womb. Where there is birth, death is certain. And Yamaraja is not like a corrupt government officer whom we can bribe and buy more time to live. No, we have no choice but to go. We have completely forgotten this. In between birth and death, there is old age and disease. These three – birth, old age and death – come only once in a lifetime but disease comes always, almost daily. First, our mind is spoiled and then, the body is diseased. In such a condition, how to remember God and glorify Him (kirtanam)? And on top of all this, with this body we have to perform so many material duties like our education, marriage, work and then children’s education, their marriage and so on and so forth. So in the middle of all this, how to maintain the body and still find time for kirtanam. This is a big question mark in front of us. Every living entity has to find a solution to this problem.

In order to keep the body in a proper working condition, if possible, please sleep by 9 or 9:30 pm and get up by 4 or 5 am. There are two advantages of following this lifestyle – a) health is improved and b) less electricity is consumed and hence lower utility bills. Even after following this, if we are not able to maintain our health, it is because of our contaminated food. Nowadays, it is very difficult to find fresh cow’s milk. Even the ghee, oil, flour and vegetables are all contaminated. So the solution is, as far as possible only have prasadam. Otherwise to keep the body disease-free is very difficult in this age. In Ayurveda, ginger is considered as a universal medicine. Please take ginger juice or ginger powder, mix with jaggery or honey and have little of this mixture before honouring prasadam. Our health will certainly be good if we follow this everyday. Then we won't need any other medicines. Even if we are forced to take medicines, still we should continue to take this mixture without fail.

The air in our body controls our activities and we should think about this. It is due to the proper flow of air in our body that we are able to sit, get up and walk etc. There are two main types of air in our body – prana vayu and apana vayu. Prana vayu acts upward from our navel and is the life giving air (oxygen). The more oxygen we get, the better. Our life should be led in such a way that we get more and more oxygen. Even the doctors use oxygen as the last resort to save the patient. Yet we spend so much money to go to ICU to breathe oxygen. In ICU (I See You), apart from Yamaraj, no one else can come and see you.

Pranayama exercise is very helpful in regulating the prana vayu in the body. For devotees, bhajans and kirtans are the pranayama. When we go on a harinam or to temples, we go into the open space where there is plenty of supply of oxygen. Don’t always sit inside a 10x10 room, definitely go to a temple or to an open place. Preferably stay close to a temple or even if you are staying far away still we should take whatever trouble is required to come to temple to do harinam, bhajan, kirtan etc. In our temple, there is enough oxygen to breathe, even if you don’t want. We have a riverbank (Dwaraka) and the Lord lives here. In spite of all this, if we still have difficulties, it is because we are not leading a natural lifestyle.

The result of an unnatural lifestyle is that, the apana vayu (second type of air in the body) is not allowed to function properly. Apana vayu’s responsibility is to drive away all the impurities from the body. The difficulties we face due to our bodies are because of irregularities in prana and apana vayu. To regulate the flow of apana vayu, black salt is very good. Have a pinch of black salt, not only will it clear the apana vayu but it will also clear any cough. Even after this, if nothing works, just chant the holy name of the Lord.

Please don’t roam around here and there without purpose, because wherever you go, cheating tendency is there. If you happen to see a doctor, please come home and take bath. There is a nice book by an American doctor titled, “How to save yourself from your doctor killing you?”. When we go to doctors, we don’t know what is in the medicine they give, even the doctors keep trying different medicines to see what works and what doesn’t. Whereas if we go to an Ayurvedic physician (vaidya), he knows what he is prescribing as the ingredients are all natural like ginger, herbs etc and we also know what he is giving. Unless our mind is occupied in glorifying the Lord through kirtan, we cannot be saved. And unless we are in peace, we cannot focus our minds in kirtan. Therefore as far as possible we should rely on natural remedies like black salt and ginger. Another advantage of this is that just by spending a little amount (10 Rs), these will last for a long time (3 years) whereas if we go behind other medicines, they cost a lot (Rs 30 for 3 tablets) and won't even last. Even after trying natural remedies, if we don’t get results, then stop over-stretching your body and stay peaceful. Simply keep chanting God’s holy names. Chanting the Mahamantra is the best pranayama exercise. When we chant – Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare – there is a natural process of breathing in and out. Chanting this Mahamantra with love is therefore the best medicine.

Breathing fresh air is the best medicine. Even if we have to travel far from the city to breathe fresh air, it is still better than spending money on medicines. This way, we must try to lead a natural lifestyle and if at all required, take only Ayurvedic medicines. If we go behind other medicines, we get addicted to them and then we cannot live without them. Those who are using medicines for a long time, by following a natural lifestyle, slowly they will be able to reduce their dependency on medicines. In any circumstance, never lose hope and have faith otherwise there won't be any peace of mind. Because what is the worst that will happen as a result of disease? Death. Anyway we all have to die one day, so why worry?

Once a person was very happy that the doctors extended his life span by 5 years. I asked him, “If you didn’t die, then how was your life extended?” The doctors may claim anything, but we must examine the facts. If you had died and the doctors intervened to increase your life span, then it is understandable. But this is not possible. Our life is a gift of God and by His will only, we can give up our body. Everything here is controlled by time and it is time only which acts. We should remember this with firm faith. Time is the divine weapon of God and using time God controls us. By His will, we are able to maintain our bodies now, but there will come a time when we wont be able to maintain it anymore. Even the last resort used by doctors is to give oxygen. When we have so much free oxygen available, why spend so much money on doctors to breathe oxygen and that too with all the pipes fitted.

Our clothing style also needs to change. Don’t wear tight clothing and dark or black clothes. This will prevent us from breathing properly. That is why, dhoti-kurta is the best. Not only will this allow proper breathing but also this is the best wear in hot weather conditions. Another important thing is to make sure there is fresh drinking water. If the tap water is not good, then filter the water. Even after this, if the water is not pure, then just chant – Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare – before drinking the water. This is the best purifying agent. In Japan, one engineer conducted an experiment to prove this. He kept two glasses of water on the table, on one he wrote prayers and on the other abusive words. The water in the glass on which prayers were written had clear crystals whereas the water crystals in the other class had impurities. He repeated this experiment by keeping the two glasses in two different rooms and then in two different countries and the result was exactly the same. We can see that inside water also, God has created such wonderful qualities.

Our body contains innumerable living cells and each cell contains, 3 portions water, 1 portion earth and 1 portion fire. Therefore, water being the major ingredient in our body, if we expose it to classical music, chanting of holy names, kirtan etc, then it will be nourished. This is the case of devotees who always chant Krishna’s names. The texture of their face changes, facial expressions change, their bodily condition improves and there is happiness and peace of mind. These are all signs of improvement in our health and none of these are false. And why we should follow all this, so that our mind is fixed on Krishna. If we follow all these things, be in association of devotees and hear the Lord’s glories and always see the wonderful form of the Lord in the temple, then our mind will always be fixed on the Lord. In Srimad Bhagavatam, this is called shruta-ikshita i.e. seeing by hearing.

It is only by His grace that we all have come together here to hear about Him, otherwise our body is so complicated that we really don’t know how we survive. Without His mercy, nothing will work. Our body doesn’t have any nuts, bolts, pipes or taps, but still blood flows through every part of the body without any of our effort. When we eat anything spicy, immediately our eyes start to water. Without any tap inside, how is the water coming out and when we eat anything with water, immediately the tap turns off. There is no such tap in the whole universe. Even the modern touch-sensitive taps require us to go close and keep our hands, but this tap doesn’t require any extraneous effort. And this water, which is the gift of God, is the best of all antiseptics.

He gives everything and despite all this, we are so proud of ourselves that we have such nice bodies. He is so merciful and yet we are so foolish that we don’t take His name at all. He says, “You simply chant my name and I will take care of you”, but still we don’t follow this simple instruction. We should stop this non-sense and start taking His names; nothing else is more important than this. Let’s recite this sloka (Srimad Bhagavatam 1.8.42):

tvayi me 'nanya-visayaa
matir madhu-pate 'sakrt
ratim udvahataad addhaa
gangevaugham udanvati
"O Lord of Madhu, as the Ganges forever flows to the sea without hindrance, let my attraction be constantly drawn unto You without being diverted to anyone else."

In this verse, the example of Ganges is given. Just as the Ganges flows towards the ocean and none can stop her, in the same way our thoughts should always (non-stop) go towards Krishna. Two things trouble us here in this world:

a) Our economic status, therefore we work and
b) Other distractions, to which we should not get attracted.

Keep your life simple and don’t get attracted to anything else other than Krishna. As our mind is very fickle, we must train the mind to be always with Srimad Bhagavad gita and Srimad Bhagavatam.

Chant,

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna

Krishna Krishna

Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama

Rama Rama

Hare Hare

and be happy.