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KC Nectar - Jul 01 | |
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Surrender HH Sacinandana Maharaj Submitted by Gopinath das. You might say: " No, no, no Sacinandana Swami stop with this lecture. Don't talk like this. I don't like misery. I like enjoyment. This verse is simply unrealistic. It says something which is not true. It says that we like misery." My dear devotees, although I know it is hard to swallow this, but listen to this example from the demoniac scientist: Once there was demoniac scientist who wanted to find out why it is so that people cannot change a situation which they have seen as miserable and why they go on. For instance in marriage where husband and wife slaughter each other from morning till evening. This is true for the material world or they go to over-crowded touristic spots where they just suffer in the sun or they go to cosmetic treatments where they peel off their whole skin. He wanted to understand why this is so and he made an experiment. He took the pot and started to heat up the water to all most the boiling point and then threw a frog into the pot. The frog immediately jumped out of the pot, to liberty because it was realy hot. Then the same scientist took a pan and in it created a paradise with nice imitation plants and an island and a little umbrella for the frog and he put the frog there. It was cool and chilly in the beginning. Then he slowly, slowly increased the heat. Then it became a little warmer for the frog but he had his mat island with umbrella and he went there and it was becoming slowly, slowly hotter and he thought: "This is an island and it is really hot. I will take a bath now", and he went into the water which was slowly heating up. He was bathing while the water was slowly becoming hoter and hoter so while enjoying the bath the frog lost consciousness and died. It was too hot. Because the frog was in his comfort zone something which was paradise, he did not leave the miserable circumstance... This is demoniac sceintific experiment but sometimes this experiment is very true for us also. We prefer to stay in our mat like comfort zone and although we have ample indications that this is not really a blissful life, of full bliss and knowledge , we are satisfied the way it is, because we have our little this and our little that and so on. Now, Krsna who sees the situation of His devotee does often something which is meant to shake us and awake us . He appears in our lives as the best of thieves . What he steals is our misery to which we are attached and he does something where He takes something away all of sudden. For example it can happen that our marriage partner disappears, it can happen that our fortune disappears and in a devotee life it can happen that our good name is destroyed for some time, it can happen that we get into the troubles with the persons we love most, our family. He takes away things as the best of thieves. There is an ancient prayer by an unknown Vaishnava author which is so moving that one almost wants to cry in ecstasy: " I offer my obeisances to that foremost of thieves who is famous in Vraja as the butter thief and who steals the gopis' clothes and Who for those who take shelter of Him steals the sins which have accrued over many lifetimes. Oh, I offer my obeisances to that foremost of thieves Who steals Srimati Radhika's heart, Who steals the dark luster (It is Syam's color ) of a fresh rain cloud and Who steals all the sins and all the sufferings of those who take shelter of His feet." And now hear how He does it: " He turns his surrendered devotees into beggers and wondering homeless paupers. Such fearsome thief has never be seen or heard of in all the three worlds. " And then the devotee gets in ecstasy. He said: " Hey Thief , You have stolen everything from me. My honour, my senses, and my very life but where can You run? I have caught You now with the rope of my devotion. You cut the terrible nus ( nus means rope) of Yamaraj . You sew the dreadful nus of material existance, You slash everyone's material bondage but You are unable to cut the knot fastened by Your own loving devotees. Oh stealer of my everything! Hey,Thief ! I have imprisoned You in the miserable prison house of my heart which is very fearful due to the darkness of my ignorance and therefore very long time you will have to remain receiving appropriate punishment for your crimes of thievery." It is an loving poem and it ends in very loving way: "Oh Krsna, Thief of my everything. The nus of my devotion remaining forever tight. You will continue to reside in the prison of my heart because I will not release You for millions of eons?" This astaka is recited in the poetic matter known as upajati. The Lord understands our situation that we are like frogs in our boiling comfort zones that it is difficult for us to overcome our conditioned nature and surrender to Him totally. Therefore, He helps but He only helps with those devotees who really wishes to obtain Him and He helps by stealing. Krsna has taken away my eyes and now I am wearing the glasses and He has taken away more significant things away and that is illusion that you can be happy in this material world, He has taken away some of my amount of pride, I know some of my karma has been taken away. It is very nice otherwise who will ever think of surrendering to Krsna,if you think everything is alright in the material field. Devotees pray: "Oh Lord, only the materially exhausted people turn to you in deep sincerity. Those who are blinded by physical beauty, by lots of learning, by wealth and by good aristocratic birth they cannot turn to You with this utmost deep sincerity." This verse tells us in an almost unheard way that material success is not desired by a devotee. Material beauty, material good birth and even a lot of knowledge can be dangerous for a devotee because it can take away his attention and attraction and he may not have that sincere feeling. We should have compassion to the rich people of the world, not envy. We should have compassion to the successful people in this world. REAL SURRENDER By H.H. Radhanath Swami Maharaj
The frustrations, the disappointments, the pains, the sufferings that come into our life is the love of God upon us, to purify our hearts, to bring us closer to the real standard of selfless service. We shouldn't react. When Krishna either does it through material nature or does it through another devotee or another living being, we should not respond by throwing thunderbolts upon Him. We should respond by bowing at the lotus feet in the presence of Krishna's mercy and by surrendering. Ultimately surrender means to surrender that ego. You can surrender all your material possessions, all your money. You can surrender your physical form to do whatever you are asked, but it is all incomplete until we surrender our ego to Krishna. And what does it mean to surrender our ego to Krishna? It means, "Krishna. You are enjoyer. I am meant for your enjoyment." We are striving sincerely to be the servant of the servant of the servant of our Guru and Sri Krishna. When Krishna sees our honest endeavor in this way, by His Grace, He frees us. And He will make so many wonderful divine arrangements to increase our sincerity, our humility, if we accept it with a grateful heart. There is no doubt that Krishna will lift us beyond this realm of Maya into the eternal realm of loving service. |