He focused, as he has in many of his talks since coming here, on the importance of Deity worship and coming to the temple. Elaborating on the meaning of the word bhagavan, he explained that Bhagavan can only be understood by the mercy of Bhagavan. He looked across at the resplendent forms of Sri Sri Radha-Madana-Mohana, Gaura-Nitai, Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra and asked that we be mindful of who it is we see. "If you come to the temple daily and you see the transcendental form, sac-cid-ananda-vigraha of Bhagavan ... This Bhagavan which you see, it is nondifferent from the original Bhagavan. Don't differentiate, that 'This is a stone statue of Bhagavan.' No. He is Bhagavan."
He expressed his pleasure at the steady attendance at the programs since the temple has opened. "I am very glad that the inhabitants of Hyderabad, they are so nice devotees, from the very beginning they are coming. It is very good. So continue this habit. Daily come, see Bhagavan. Offer little obeisances. Bhagavan does not want anything from you; He is self-sufficient. Aisvaryasya samagrasya. But if you give something to Bhagavan, it is love. Dadati pratigrhnati. You are taking so many things from Bhagavan. And if you give something, what is the wrong? It is exchange of love.
"Bhagavan does not want your whole estate. Bhagavan says patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati. Little leaf, little flower, a little fruit, a little water. Bhagavan wants your bhakti. If you bring little leaf, little flower, little fruit and little water ... 'Bhagavan, I am very poor man. I have nothing to give You. But I have secured from others' gardens a little leaf, little flower and little fruit, and water is available. So kindly accept it.' Bhagavan says asnami bhakty-upahrtam. Because one is giving out of devotion, love -- asnami, 'I eat.' If Bhagavan eats from your hand, then you become perfect. That is wanted, bhakti. That attachment should be increased. Mayy asakta-manah partha yogam yunjan. This is real yoga, how to become attached to the service of the Lord. That is first-class yogi."
"Naturally," he said, "if you practice to come here and see daily, at least once, you'll be able to think of Krsna. Mad-gatenantar-atmana. If you continue that thinking, Krsna, how He's standing, how He is playing on flute, how Radharani is here -- man-manah -- in this way, if you think, then you become the greatest yogi. That is wanted. So the temple is the facility how to become the first-class yogi and how to become the first-class devotee simply by increasing your attachment.
"This attachment, there is one example that one brahmana, he was daily seeing Lord Ramacandra and then he was breaking his fast. So Ramacandra was out of His station for some royal business. So this brahmana did not take even water seven days. So when Ramacandra returned, Laksmana informed Lord Ramacandra, 'Here is Your devotee, My Lord. Because You were absent for seven days and he could not see You, therefore he did not take even water.' Ramacandra appreciated his devotion. So before Lord Ramacandra there was Sita-Rama Deity worshiped in the family of Dasaratha Maharaja's family. So that Deity was kept in the room of Lord Ramacandra because Lord Ramacandra was personally present. So He advised Laksmana that 'Give this brahmana this Deity.' And He advised him, 'Brahmana, you worship this Deity, and when I am not in the station, your worshiping the Deity is as good as worshiping Me.' So the Deity worship is so long going on. That Ramacandra Deity is still here in South India. So there is no difference between the Deity and the Lord. They're the same. Even this chanting of the name of the Lord is the same."
He said the progress of devotional service means to come gradually to the position of asakti, attachment, and gradually Krsna will reveal Himself. "You cannot understand God without revelation. So on account of your attachment He reveals Himself."
Then he described how all the stages of devotion can develop simply by coming to the temple on a regular basis. "Adau sraddha. Sraddha, beginning, 'Oh, here is a temple, let us go and see.' This is sraddha. Little faith. And we have to increase this faith. Adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sangah. If you have got little faith, then you'll come. And here are sadhus. They are simply engaged in Krsna's service. So if you associate with them, if you come and see the arati, how they are chanting, dancing, offering prayers ... And that is association. If you come daily, there will be association. Then bhajana-kriya. This hearing, that is bhajana. And if you join the chanting, that is also bhajana. Then anartha-nivrttih syat; then all kinds of anarthas, unwanted things, nivrtti -- that will be finished, then you'll be purified. Tato nistha rucis tatah, athasaktih. Then there will be nistha, firm faith. Then there will be taste, you cannot remain at home without coming at least once in the temple. That is called ruci. Then asakti. That asakti required."
- From "A Transcendental Diary Vol 4" by HG Hari Sauri Prabhu
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