Our consciousness is a very important factor. The most important factor in anything we do is our consciousness. And if we have material consciousness we will suffer, for sure. And if we have vaisnava consciousness we will be able to assimilate and digest different situations.
It may be one of those situations like walking through fire; and when you come out the other side you’ll be a new person. Many times with think if we walk through fire we will just get burned to ashes. And sometimes Krishna gives us situations which are like walking through fire. And if you surrender to the Lord and you come out the other side you’ll be a new person.
I seriously think that since we made that “mistake” of chanting Hare Krishna and asking Krishna to give us service, and Krishna is like a magician, He’s got big sleeves, and Krishna has got so many things inside of his sleeves, so many tricks that He is planning to use on us to make us walk through fire. Because we asked for it. If we didn’t ask for it – he wouldn’t do it. But we asked for it!
Just remember – nobody ever told you that Krishna Consciousness is going to give you life free from problems.
Everybody told you that coming to Krishna consciousness is the endeavor to attain the highest thing.
Just like the majority of you here went to the university. And you know there’s like a regular diploma and the red diploma. So much work to get the red diploma, so much study and so much sacrifice! So much development of the intelligence.
Even to get a red diploma so hard work. Two red diplomas – double work. Krishna Prema Bhakti – so hard work!
Sometimes we have to walk through fire. Krishna wants us to walk through fire. And we say “No-no-no, I can’t walk through fire”, and Krishna is going “Come on” and we’re like “No-no-no-no-no”, and Krishna is like “Come on”, and then we walk through fire…
Sarvopadhi vinirmuktam tat paratvena nirmalam, nirmal means spotlessly pure. See just like if you take gold from the ground, you take it out and it doesn’t shine like gold. But they burn it, and they burn it, and they burn it, and they burn it, then it shines like gold. So Krishna will burn us many times – then we will shine like gold. And then we get that stamp: “Yes, this is a Devotee”.
Or what does Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur say? He says: “If you think you’re a Devotee – you’re not a Devotee. If you think you’re a Guru – you’re a resident of hell, permanent resident visa. Because Krishna is our Guru as the knowledge is coming from Krishna. And all of us we are simply meant to repeat the knowledge.
«Become pure devotees!»
All of us we should really be on the first command when it comes to Krishna consciousness. That is my request to all of you wonderful people, all of you wonderful devotees out there. Take it seriously. The only thing that will make us become advanced is deepening our hearing and chanting about Krishna.
If you’re one of the ones who are practicing for over 20 years and sometimes you feel like: “Gosh, when is it ever going to end?”
Increase the quality of your chanting.
Increase the quantity of your chanting.
Read more Srimad Bhagavatam. Read Caitanya Caritamrita. Read prayers.
Acaryas have written so many prayers. Read prayers of acaryas. Pray to Krishna. Krishna will hear you, when you read the prayers of acaryas – He hears you. When you speak in your own words: “Krishna, help. Krishna, save me”, Krishna will hear you.
But if we wish to become advanced we have to take the responsibility to do it.
Take the responsibility to do it. Like I can’t depend on him [points to a devotee in the audience] to make me advanced. I I can’t depend on Sri Krishna to make me advanced. The process is called self realization. Self-realization. So take the tools. The knowledge that comes in these books and the knowledge that comes in chanting Hari Krishna. Become Krishna’s pure devotee… Go back to the spiritual world! Go back to the spiritual world and serve Krishna with love!
And be with Krishna so that He can serve you with love. That’s another enigma, you know, we want to be the servants of God, we want to be the servants of Krishna – He is the best of all servants. He’s the greatest! But no one is as servant than Krishna.
So become a pure devotee and go back to the spiritual world! And it will be based, again, upon what? Hearing and chanting about Krishna. And the foundation of that is what? Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.
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