Spiritual Progress

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Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Mathajis,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

Today I was listening to a class given by our beloved spiritual master HDG Srila Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj on Srimad Bhagavatam verse 8.3.1 and I shall make a humble effort to transcribe the same.

shri-baadaraayanir uvaaca

evam vyavasito buddhyaa / samaadhaaya mano hrdi
jajaapa paramam jaapyam / praag-janmany anushikshitam

"Sri Sukadeva Goswami continued: Thereafter, the King of the elephants, Gajendra, fixed his mind in his heart with perfect intelligence and chanted a mantra which he had learned in his previous birth as Indradyumna and which he remembered by the grace of Krishna."

'Chanting Mahamantra and study of scriptures etc - He says, 'evam vyavasitho budhyaa' - As soon as you are nicely situated by your intelligence in your prescribed duties - you know we all have prescribed duties according to our ashramas. In the beginning we were students. In brahmacarya ashrama, we studied. Then we entered grhastha ashram and we have plenty of things to do, earn money, look after children, etc. Grahastha ashram is very strong. It maintains all three ashrams. They do look after children and so brahmacharis are taken care. They take care of Vanaprasthas also - those who have left their house. Vanaprasthas are not supposed to earn anything and definitely sannyasis should be maintained by grhasthas. So grhastha ashram is the nucleus. We should nicely do our duties in that ashram and not escape from any responsibilities. Many a times in Kaliyuga - there is no need of any ashram at all - if the grahasthas are detached in the house. They should stay like a guest in the house.

So this is how 'evam vyavasitho'. 'vyavasitho' means fixed. Unless you are situated nicely in your ashram and duties, Lakshmi will not flow. This is Kaliyuga, every step we require Lakshmi. There is no need to hide anything. If there is continuous flow of Lakshmi atleast to the minimum extent then only we are in mode of goodness. Otherwise we are passionate or in mode of ignorance. 'evam vayavasito buddhyaa' - So intelligently, every living entity should sort out his ashram and as soon as your ashram is sorted out, then prescribed duties are done very nicely. Then 'evam vayavasito buddhyaa samaadhaaya mano hrdi' - then you are samaadhaaya - You should be completely satisfied. Whatever - little or more, it is best for us. We always hanker after more. There should not be a tinge of worry about it. Hard labour should be there. In Bhagavatam it is very nicely said that you should try to work so hard that you should think that by your hard labour you are creating Lakshmi. But once you complete the labour, you should give the result to Krishna. Result will be according to His desires.

You people should have done so much pious activities and thats why you are situated in nice part of the planet. The conditions are favourable for living here. But the thing is always we have to be satisfied in your heart- "mano hrdi" - mind should be completely peaceful. No agitation of any sort. Devotee means no agitation. Those who are agitated, they cannot be devotees. You should be magnanimous like ocean - you know. So much water is there. Ocean may be slightly agitated at surface - But as we go deep, its very calm. This is how life without agitation will give satisfied mind and heart and then very nicely we can chant the names of Lord - 'jajaapyam paramam jaapyam' We can then chant -

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

- praag-janmany anushikshitam - You have already practised already in last life - so we just have to renew it. Nothing else has to be done.

But most important point is our material existence - we are not attached. But it has to be sorted. Vaishnavas don't neglect anything. Intelligently we have to sort it out. Many times we try, but nothing is working. Then you please leave it and depend upon Krishna. When one thing is not working, then Krishna has something else for us. Srila Prabhupada, in the beginning started the "League of Devotees" in Jhansi and he was very successful. Somebody donated the building and it was going nicely. One day the owner of building freaked out. He said "I want the building back". Next day Prabhupada had to leave. He did not get disgusted. He thought that, "Alright - I did my best. But if not this something good will come". It is good that he failed there. Else he would not have left India and we would have never known about ISKCON. So whatever happens is for good. At that moment we might feel bad. But please don't be discouraged. Living entites try their hard. But disgust and frustration should not be there in our lives when our efforts fail. Frustration is killing. You are 'living dead', when you are frustrated.

So chanting of Krishna 's names keeps you away from frustration. Chant lovingly. You should spend atleast 2 hours chanting His names for increasing spiritual awareness. And one more thing you should not think whether I am progressing spiritually or not. To be engaged in devotional service is itself a spiritual progress. As soon as you start thinking about it, you are obstructing the progress. By thinking you cannot assimilate the progress in spirituality. But by doing you are actually making the progress. If you are very busy in these things, then where is the time to look at whether we are progressing or not. So you please just continue - That is spiritual progress. So in this way please sort out material things to best of ability and engross in names very nicely. Hare Krishna ! '

So by sorting out our material duties intelligently and being satisfied with whatever the Lord has blessed us, we would be free from agitation and frustration and in that peaceful state of mind, we would be able to chant the names of Lord lovingly. I pray at the lotus feet of Gurudev so that I remember and practise his instructions.

Thank you very much.
Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva,
Sudarshana devi das

Blog

----- Spiritual Progress -----

Chant,

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna

Krishna Krishna

Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama

Rama Rama

Hare Hare

and be happy.

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