Dear Prabhus,
Pamho! AGTSP! I would like to share some instructions from SP which have really helped me in my spiritual life. I pray they will also help you.
The first is that our primary goal is to purify ourselves: Our existence is now polluted, and it must be purified (sattvaà çuddhyet). The human life is meant for this purification… (SB. 9.19.20)
A very important method of purification is sadhu sanga, but we require training to do this properly: “unless and until one is trained in the culture of good association, one cannot become good.” (SB .3.3.6)
A key aspect of sadhu-sanga is discussing Vedic literature: “We are making the association to take lessons from these Vedic literatures.” Lecture 1976
SP wanted our sastric sessions (eg classes, istagosthis, sangas) to actually be effective in helping us assimilate sastra: “Be engaged always in reading Srimad-Bhagavatam, discussing amongst yourself. Then you'll make progress. Otherwise, if you take it as an official routine work... You should take as routine work, but with consciousness that "We have to learn something," not simply attending the class, but to learn something. In this way make your life successful.” (Lecture ‘75)
I understand that if we don’t properly assimilate sastra and conduct our devotional activities based on a correct understanding of sastra, then our devotional attempts may just cause a disturbance in society: çruti-småti-puräëädi-païcarätra-vidhià vinä / aikäntiké harer bhaktir utpätäyaiva kalpate
"Devotional service of the Lord that ignores the authorized Vedic literatures like the Upaniñads, Puräëas and Närada-païcarätra is simply an unnecessary disturbance in society." Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu (1.2.101)
But passive hearing is not going to be effective in helping us to properly understand sastra (See SB 1.3.44 purport from “Simple hearing is not all…” to end of purport). So how can we actually assimilate the subject matter? SP says we should discuss: “Generally, people cannot understand. But if one understands, he becomes liberated. If some way or other….It is not very difficult; simply we have to associate with devotees and discuss this literature. Then we’ll understand Krsna very easily.” (Lecture ‘76)
He gives many instructions regarding how to conduct such discussions. He says we should discuss his books systematically: The systematic hearing of the transcendental activities, qualities and names of Lord Çré Kåñëa pushes one towards eternal life. (SB 1.18.10 purport)
In the following lecture, he says we should first say what we understand, then ask our questions. He says not to blindly accept what we hear, and he says if we discuss using this format we will gradually make advancement: “Now we have received this news….now next duty? ….Now, if you little try to assimilate it. And what is that assimilation….Simply by thinking, ‘Oh, this has been spoken.’ Try to argue whether it is true or not. So you have to think over….Suppose you hear something of the Bg, and it appeals to you, or even does not appeal to you. Just try to think over: ‘What Bg says? How Swamiji has discussed this matter?’ Apply your arguments. Apply your logic. Don’t take it as a sentiment or as a blind faith. You have got reason; you have got arguments; you have got sense…Apply it and try to understand it. Neither it is bogus. It is scientific. Then you will feel….You will gradually develop you attachment for hearing it, and devotional service will be invoked in your heart, and then gradually, you will make progress.” Lecture 1974
He also says we should practice seeing the subject from different lights of vision: “And I am very much stressing nowadays that my students shall increase their reading of my books and try to understand them from different angles of vision. Each sloka can be seen from many, many angles of vision, so become practiced in seeng things like this.” “It should be understood by threadbare discussion, how Kåñëa consciousness movement can make the whole society happy.”
(Letter ‘72)
He says we should scrutinize each word, and that it’s good if it takes us a long time to get through each purport using such a thorough method of discussion: “So by studying Krsna, you become liberated. So these verses should be studied very carefully, understanding each word very carefully. Then you'll understand Krsna.” (Lecture 1976) “And each and every verse is so important that if a serious student studies each and every verse, each verse will take at least one month to understand. And there are eighteen thousand verses. So for serious study of Srimad-Bhagavatam, it will take eighteen thousand months. So eighteen thousand months meaning how many years? One thousand five hundred years. (laughter)” Lecture, 1974
He says we shouldn’t debate: “Actually Vedic scripture is krsna-katha, topics about Krsna, and krsna-katha is not a subject matter for a debate club.” TLK Vs 34
He says we should train our family members to do this, and do it with them (Bg 13.8-12 purport); and he also says we should discuss like this with our friends (SB 3.29.17 purport).
He says we should use the language of humility, and always cite sastra to support our lights: (Bg 17.15 verse and purport)
He says if we do this, Krishna will be pleased and bless us with advancement, and that all the difficulties of our minds will disappear and we will see Krishna face to face: “Such pure devotees, always merged in knowledge of Kåñëa and absorbed in Kåñëa consciousness, exchange thoughts and realizations as great scientists exchange their views and discuss the results of their research in scientific academies. Such exchanges of thoughts in regard to Kåñëa give pleasure to the Lord, who therefore favors such devotees with all enlightenment.” (CC. Adi 1.49 purport) “Try to always study our books and see our philosophy from different lights of directions, become convinced yourself of this knowledge and without a doubt all of your difficulties of mind will disappear forever and you will see Krishna face-to-face.” Letter 1972
He says this process is meant for everyone, regardless of their varna-asrama or level of advancement, and that no matter what our occupation we will succeed if we do this: “This process of hearing about and glorifying the Lord is applicable for everyone, whoever he may be, and it will lead one to the ultimate success in everything in which one may be engaged by providence.” (SB 2.1.5 purport)
And he says that if we neglect discussing sastra, we will fail in all of our endeavours: “What is the value of this association? Sat-saìga. Sat-saìga means assembly, discussion. Bodhayantaù parasparam, tuñyanti ca ramanti ca. If you are not interested in association, discussion, then you are finished. So... karmés, they are fools and rascals. When you have got this center, it is not that you should be engaged from morning till you go to bed for sense gratification. That is not life. That is karmé's life. You have no time for sat-saìga, for association. You cannot make any progress by this sort of karmé's life. We have to work for organization, but not that whole day and night engaged and no sat-saìga. That is a misguided policy, and it will spoil the whole structure. In Los Angeles, they regularly assemble during ärati and class. If this regulative principle is lost, then you are karmés.” (Room conversation, ‘73)
SP tells us that if we are practicing KC correctly we should be becoming happier, and if we are not, we should review if we are practicing properly: If a person is actually executing devotional service, then he must be happy. If he's not happy, then he's not doing properly. So first thing is this. He might be doing something in the name of devotional service. If he's actually rendering devotional service, then he must be feeling. Just like if you are eating actually, then you must feel strength and satisfaction of your hunger. You cannot say, "I'm eating, but I'm not satisfied of my hunger." That is impossible. This is not possible. Then you are not eating. Or you are eating, but it is being devoured by the worms within your intestines. Sometimes it happens. If there are many worms within the intestines, you go on voraciously eating, but you don't get strength because the eating substance, the essence, is taken by the worms. Therefore the worm treatment is there to kill the worms. Otherwise they will eat everything. You'll feel hungry, but will not get any strength. This is the worm disease. So if I am actually rendering devotional service and I'm not getting any happiness, that means there is some mäyä's play. Otherwise there is no such reasoning. He must feel happy. Then he has to rectify the process of his service. Not to change but rectify the process. (aside) What is that? (laughs) It cannot be. If you are actually executing devotional service, you must feel happy. If you don't feel happy, then you are not executing. There is some flaw. Yes. Lecture on 1968
Hearing is the first and most important anga of bhakti: prescribed devotional service in nine different forms, of which çravaëam is the first and most important. (Bg 7.1 purport) Therefore, my humble suggestion is that if we are not feeling happier, we should seriously examine how effective our hearing is. I have found the simple protocols I am sharing with you to be very effective in improving our hearing. Another instruction of SP’s that I have found very illuminating and which I would like to end on is: Discussion of Kåñëa is very potent, and if a fortunate person has such association and tries to assimilate the knowledge, then he will surely make advancement toward spiritual realization. (Bg 9.1 purport) My light on this is we can make each other fortunate by agreeing to make time to do discussions of Bg and SB with each other. If we want to make our family members fortunate, if we want to make our friends fortunate, we should make time to do sastra discussions with them. Such an investment of our time will create a win-win for everyone involved.
Srila Prabhupada gives many more instructions on hearing and chanting. To read more quotes from SP on the value of hearing and chanting please visit http://krishnadharma.com/sadhu-sanga/new/ .
Hare Krishna OM TAT SAT
Your servant,
Cintamani dhama dasi
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