Notes on topics suggested for Meditation - 09/28
Sep 28, 2001
26 Qualities of a Devotee - From Manoj
A lecture by HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Srimad Bhagavatam 2.3.13, in Los Angeles

Pradyumna (leads chanting):

saunaka uvaca
ity abhivyähratam räjä
nisamya bharatar sabhah
kim anyat prstavän bhüyo
vaiyäsakim rsim kavim [SB 2.3.13]

Pradyumna: Translation: "Saunaka said: The son of Vyäsadeva, Srila Sukadeva Gosvämi, was a highly learned sage and was able to describe things in a poetic manner. What did Mahäräja Pariksit again inquire from him after hearing all that he said?"

Prabhupada: So Vaisnava, Sukadeva Gosvami, is learned and poet. So these are the qualifications of Vaisnava. As you know, there are twenty-six qualifications mentioned in the Caitanya-caritamrta, and one of the qualifications is kavi, poet. 

Every Vaisnava in our disciplic succession, all the Vaisnavas... In the later ages, within 200 years... During Caitanya Mahäprabhu's time, there were Vrndavana dasa Thakura, Vaisnava, Locana dasa Thakura, Kavi-karnapura. They were all big poets. Later on, Vidyapati, Candidasa. No, Candidasa before Lord Caitanya. Jayadeva. He also, before Lord Caitanya. All big, big kavis. So a Vaisnava devotee of the Lord is expected to have all good qualities. 

The more you become advanced in Krishna consciousness, all the good qualities that were covered by the cloud of maya will come out. Good qualities are already there. Just like Krishna has got sixty-four good qualities in full, and we are minute particles of Krishna; therefore we have got also those good qualities in minute particles. But these good qualities are now covered. Just like fire is covered by the ashes. So it does not act. 

Although there is fire, but when it is covered with ashes, it does not act. So we are fire. Krishna is fire; we are also fire, in quality. There is a very... There is a big fire, blazing fire, and the sparks. The sparks are also fire. Therefore we sometimes desire to imitate Krishna. Because we have got these qualities in minute quantity, so we think that "I am God, I have become." But we do not know the quantitative difference. That we forget. We can say we are God, but teeny God, not the Supreme. Spark. Fire, blazing fire, and the spark. 

Now, this quality, fire, this also becomes almost unseen when we are in this material world. Just like if the fire sparks fall down out of the blazing fire, it becomes extinguished. So in order to ignite again our fiery quality, we must go back to the original fire. Then the fiery quality, the brilliant fiery quality, will again be exhibited.

This is Krishna consciousness movement. So when we are in the process of going back to home, back to Godhead, out of so many qualities, twenty-six qualities becomes very... At least, they become manifest. And out of the twenty-six qualities, one quality is to become a poet. Poet is. Nobody can become poet unless he is poet. So kavi. And rsi, musni. Those who are philosophers, learned scholars, they are called muni, rsi. So? Read the purport.

Devotee: "A pure devotee of the Lord automatically develops all godly qualities, and some of the prominent features of those qualities are as follows: He is kind, peaceful, truthful, equable, faultless, magnanimous, mild, clean, nonpossessive, a well-wisher to all, satisfied, surrendered to Krishna, without hankering, simple, fixed, self-controlled, a balanced eater, sane, mannerly, prideless, grave, sympathetic, friendly, poetic, expert, and silent. Out of these twenty-six prominent features..."

Prabhupada: So with the advancement of our spiritual consciousness, Krishna consciousness, we should verify "Whether these qualifications are becoming manifest in my person." Just like when you eat, you understand that you are getting strength, or your appetite is being satisfied. Nobody can... Nobody requires to ask certificate. You can understand, yourself. 

Bhaktih paresanubhavo viraktir anyatra syat [SB 11.2.42]. If we are advancing in Krishna consciousness, then our attachment for material things will decrease. This is one side. Viraktir anyatra syat. Just like our students, they have become averse to so many things. You are all young boys and girls. So many young boys and girls are going to restaurant, to cinema, and so many other things, but you have become detached; you have no more attraction. So one side... Progress of bhakti means one side we shall be detached and another side we shall increase our attachment. So these are the qualifications.

The first qualification is kind. Just like these sannyasis. Our Rupanuga Gosvami. He has got a nice child, wife, nice wife. But, being kind to the humanity, he has accepted sannyasa. This is kindness. No homely comfort. This is kindness. 

Lokanam hita-karinau. Tyaktva turnam asesa-mandala-pati-srenim sada tuccha-vat bhutva dina-ganesakau karunaya kaupina-kanthasritau. Rupa Gosvami, Sanatana Gosvami, they were ministers. Ministers. Not ordinary men. And therefore their association was most aristocratic. Mandala-pati-srenim. Mandala-pati means big, big man, who have got many followers, leaders of the society. So, he gave up that association, tuccha-vat, "Eh, what is this nonsense?" Gave up, Rupa Gosvami. 

Tyaktva turnam acesa-mandala-pati-srebun sada tuccha-vat. Tuccha means very insignificant, "What is this?" Then what did they do? What he became? Bhutva dena-ganesakau karunaya kaupina-kanthasritau. You have seen Rupa Gosvami's picture. Only a little cloth. Kantha. Kantha means handmade quilt. All rejected cloth, they are put together and sewn; it is called kantha. They utilize even rejected cloth. That is called kantha.

So this Rupa Gosvami, Sanatana Gosvami, accepted this mendicant life although they were ministers, very rich men. Not only Rupa Gosvami, all the Gosvamis. Raghunatha dasa Gosvami was the only son of his father and uncle, and in those days the income was twelve lakhs, twelve hundred thousands of rupees. Almost king. So for being compassionate with these poor fellows, who have forgotten Krishna and working simply unnecessarily so hard to get some bread... That's all. Mudha. So by becoming kind upon them, they took this mendicant order. 

Therefore kindness. And peaceful. Vaisnava is never turbulent. But the demons, they create disturbance. Vaisnava is peaceful. Peaceful, truthful. Truthful. A Vaisnava knows the ultimate truth, Krishna. Therefore he's truthful. And equable. He has no distinction "Oh, here is a man, here is an animal. The animal has no soul, the man has soul."

They have no such conclusion. Every living entity has soul. As Krishna says, sarva-yonisu kaunteya [Bg. 14.4]. So he's kind not only to the human society. These philanthropists, altruists, nationalists, "this-ists, that-ists." This... They are partial. First of all, they may be kind... They are not kind. They are all selfish. But even though they are kind, they are kind to their own men. Not even outsiders. Not to the outsiders. 

In your country, they'll throw away grains. But there are so many hungry people; why they should not give? Produce more, if you have got land. You have got men. And they are not producing, they are (not?) engaging. The men are becoming hippies and they're lying idle, without any production. God has given so much land. Produce. Distribute prasädam. This is kindness.
But because they are not Krishna conscious, they cannot be kind. Faultless. You cannot find any fault of the devotee. Faultless. Magnanimous. Thinking of all living entities. There is no distinction, "Oh, I am American, I shall think for the Americans." "I am Indian, I shall think for..." No. Magnanimous. And the most magnanimous is Lord Caitanya. Namo maha-vadanyaya krishna-prema-pradaya te [Cc. Madhya 19.53]. 

Magnanimous. Giving krishna-prema, which is very rare. Krishna says, manusyanam sahasrenu kascid yatati siddhaye [Bg. 7.3]. It is very difficult to understand what is Krishna, and Lord Caitanya is distributing Krishna like anything. Therefore maha-vadanyaya, magnanimous. Mild. Mild and meek. Clean. Always cleanliness. Because you have surpassed the stage of brahminical life. Therefore, must be very clean. By taking bath, by washing cloth, keeping the kitchen very clean, everything clean. Temple... Tan-mandira-marjanadau. Sri-vigraharadhana-nitya-nana-sringara-tan-mandira- marjanadau. The temple should be bright always, clean. 

Then nonpossessive. Materialistic persons, they are trying to possess more, more, more. A Vaisnava, simply what is absolutely necessary, must have.

Just like we don't keep any furniture in our house... What is the use of furniture? We can lie down on the floor. So many things, materialistic persons they possess. But we try to simplify matters, plain living. 

Well-wisher to all. Well-wisher. Just like we are advising our all students that "Save your country. They are becoming hippies. It is not... Future is very gloom. Try to save them." So Vaisnava will always think like that, how people will be happy. Sarve sukhino bhavantu. Vaisnava desire is not exploitation. Vaisnava desire is that "How others will be happy, how they will understand Krishna, how they will get happiness in this life and next life." This is Vaisnava. Satisfied, in any condition. Not that "I must have all these things; then I'll be satisfied. Otherwise, I'm going from the temple." (laughter.) No, this is not Vaisnava qualification. You must live with the devotees, even if you are not satisfied. Any condition, you should be satisfied. Because as soon as you leave the company, you become again rogues, again demons.

At least you'll be saved if you keep with the company of the devotees. Satam prasangän mama virya-samvidah. If you give up the company, then you again become rogues and demons. Therefore you must be satisfied, in whatever condition. 

"Whatever Krishna has given, that's all right." Satisfied. Surrendered to Krishna. And that satisfaction can be achieved only when one is fully surrendered to Krishna. If I have surrendered to Krishna, Krishna has taken my charge, Krishna says, aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami [Bg. 18.66], then why shall I bother myself? If I am thinking, "I am suffering," it is also Krishna's grace. We should take like that. Even in my consideration, I am in a position which is apparently suffering, we must accept as Krishna's grace: "All right, I have surrendered to Krishna. If Krishna is giving me suffering, that's all right." That is surrender. "Oh, I have surrendered to Krishna, and now Krishna is giving me suffering? Oh, leave Krishna consciousness." That is not surrender.

Surrender means in any condition you'll remain surrendered. That is surrender. Not that I put my own condition, and if you satisfy me, then I shall... That is business. That is not surrender. Surrender means in any condition, fully surrendered to Krishna. Without hankering. What is hankering? Why shall I be hankering? I know, Krishna will give me all protection. So then why shall I hanker? Without hankering. Simple. No duplicity. Simple. The worldly men, they are duplicatous, speaking something, cheater. That is the, one of the qualification of the materialistic man. He must be cheater. 

There are four defects: commit mistakes, to be illusioned, to become cheater, and imperfect senses. This is called material life, conditioned life. He must commit mistakes. However a great philosopher... We are talking about the philosophers. So many contradictory things they say. Because he's an ordinary man. How he can say the right thing? It is not possible. The right thing can be said only by liberated person.

Therefore we take advice from the liberated person. Just like we are understanding all this from Vyasadeva, from Sukadeva Gosvami. They are liberated. We are not reading some Mr. John R. Mead's (?) book. No. Liberated soul. So that should be our source of knowledge. 

Mannerly, prideless, grave. Grave means don't talk nonsense. Don't talk nonsense. Don't waste time. If you have got time, chant Hare Krishna, but don't talk nonsense. Grave, that is called gravity. Grave, sympathetic. 

We should be very much sympathetic. If some of our fellow men fall sick, we must take care of him, give help him. Because, after all, we have got this body. Sometimes we may fall sick. So one, we should be sympathetic. 

And friendly. Everyone friend. As Krishna is friend of everyone, suhrdam sarva-bhutanam [Bg. 5.29], so if we are Krishna's representative, how I can be enemy of anyone else? I must be friendly. Friendly. Poet. And expert. And silent. Silent worker, not advertising. Silent. These are the qualifications of Vaisnava. So we must try to follow; not imitate, but follow. Follow, that is nice. Then?

Pradyumna: "Out of these twenty-six prominent features of a devotee, as described by Krsnadasa Kaviraja in his Caitanya-caritamrta, the qualification of being poetic is especially mentioned herein in relation to Sukadeva Gosvami. The presentation of Srimad-Bhagavatam by his recitation is the highest poetic contribution. He was a self-realized learned sage. In other words, he was a poet amongst the sages. "

Prabhupada: That's all. Have kirtana. ( devotees offer obeisances).
[Back]

Sep 28, 2001
Para Dukha Dukhi - Submitted by Manoj
From a lecture by HH Radhanath Maharaj

A vaisnava hates to see others suffering. Para Dukha Dukhi - Their suffering is to see others suffering. They don't mind suffering themselves. But to see another person suffering is very very difficult. If you love someone, it's very painful to see them suffering. When we speak this word para dukha dukhi - we should really understand what it means. 

It means love. Just like if your beloved mother or your father or your wife or husband or your child, and that child is suffering, it's painful. It's more painful than you are suffering yourself. Because there is such a deep attachment of love. A mother is willing to accept so many different types of pains, if it helps to free the child of pain. 

What a terrible misery it is when a child suffers. Because there is love. But this is love born of certain egoistic conception of reality. But a vaisnava in a developed state of consciousness sees every living being as a part of God, Krishna. Sees the relationship between himself and all other living entities. Sees every Jivatma as a brother, a master. Therefore there is love. There is actual love for every living entity. 

Therefore when he sees someone suffer, it is worse than suffering himself. The same experience of a mother feeling pain when she feels her child suffering, extended to a very deeper, greater purer state is what a devotee feels when he sees anyone suffer. Even a bird, a insect. That's para dukha dukhi. It's not based on some philosophical, logical, adjustment within one's mind that one is para dukha dukhi. It is the spontaneous nature of the soul, who loves every living entity, because he sees every living entity as part of Krishna. 

That is how Prahlad Maharaj .. It was out of pure love, for you … for me … that Prahlad Mahraj is willing to stay in this material existence as long as one of us is suffering in this material world. When Vasudeva Dutta prayed, Let me suffer for the rest of eternity, I don't mind. But I cannot tolerate any living entity - every species of life remaining in this suffering condition. Let them be liberated. Let me stay. He is speaking out of love. He sees the whole universal creation, and every species of life, and every living entity within that species of life as his intimate family member.

And this type of compassion is actually ecstatic. Any type of emotion that is aroused out of spiritual love is spiritual ecstasy.

….

If we just according to how we feel, make people are very conditioned to very impersonal, abusive, cold lifestyle of the past. So if we bring that into Krishna Consciousness and think I don't feel love for this person, so I will just treat him this way - Get out of my way. That may be the way we feel toward almost everybody. But we have to recondition ourselves. Don't act according to how you feel. Act according to how Krishna wants you to act. If it matches, it's wonderful. Otherwise, it doesn't matter. That's how love grows. 

We don't want to be pretenders. We want to do it to fulfill our goal. There are some people who fake it to achieve a material goal. And there are others who are in one sense, trying to follow footsteps of great souls. In one sense, it is faking it, because they don't feel it. But they are doing it sincerely to get themselves purified. They are doing it because they want to please Krishna. It is very important, we must be genuine.
[Back]

Sep 26,2001

Ture Compassion and Empathy, and prayer – Submitted by Cakrapani Prabhu

 

Haribol prabhus

 

HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE/HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE

 

True compassion and Empathy, and prayer

 

Thought- everyone here in the material world is suffering due to lack of Krsna consciousness in one way or another.  Therefore have compassion and give them ultimate relief.

 

First heal yourself (Best means of relief in Kali yuga)- chant the Hare Krsna Mahamantra

HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE/HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE

 

Next induce everyone you know ,  associate with, run into, etc., to chant HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE/HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE

 

Thank you, Hope all is well,

Cakrapani dasa

HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE/HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE
[Back]

Sep 25, 2001
Empathy - Submitted by Hardik
By HH Romapada Swami

From: "ISKCONDC" 09/25

Empathy is essential. Even though we are not this body, BG 6.31 indicates that we should feel empathy for others according to our own experience of pain and suffering. "para-duhkha-duhkhi krpambudhir yas tam aham prapadye." [from Srila Raghunatha dasa Goswami, Vilapa-Kusumanjali 6] One who is an ocean of mercy very much aggrieved by the sufferings of others. 

This is the work of the agents of tama-guna. We should not respond in kind, with tama-guna hatred. Rather, the feelings that we are all now feeling should be consolidated, and directed, channeled with MAXIMUM FAITH towards taking shelter in the Holy Name. 

Fear is striking the hearts of all who feel no shelter, or "At any moment this could happen to us, again!" Devotees know already the precarious nature of so-called material security. Our Vaisnava poets describe the false sense of material well-being to be like a drop of water on a flower petal, which will drop from the flower with the slightest trembling of the wind! 

Our government leaders are telling us that other terrorists are on the loose in America at this moment, and other terror could strike at any moment. But we have the shelter of Krishna, in the form of His Holy Name, and His transcendental knowledge. This gives us a sense of protection, safety, and permanence even in the face of danger. We therefore must be shelter-providers and "spiritual safety-providers" for those who are feeling unsafe, without direction and without transcendental knowledge. This is our primary service at a time like this; as Vaisnavas, as little moving outposts of the spiritual world, in a very compassionate way, we must try to comfort others, and provide them the safety and shelter that we are in touch with, that is available to us all, the eternal shelter of Krishna in His holy name. 

This will only be felt by us if we become offenseless. Let's all begin a redoubled *serious* effort to become offenseless chanters of the holy name! Start with being VERY considerate in all dealings with Vaisnavas. Never make offenses to Vaisnavas, rather always be most humble and considerate in our exchanges with devotees. Extend this mood as appropriate to the non-devotees. 

Never lose shelter of Krishna, or you will not be able to effect this instruction. *There are many practical services which we can do in times like this, but my main request, in fact my personal internal meditation, is two-fold. I want to recommit placing firm and absolute faith in the power of the holy name to eradicate demoniac influences---within ourselves---and the other is to act with this purity externally in exchanges with others. "Let me become an unalloyed instrument of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, in delivering the yuga-dharma of hari-nama sankirtana." This spiritual force will alone bring about a permanent change. This requires our individual purity, i.e. offenseless chanting. 

** This and all previous digests are available on the internet, grouped by topics ** 
They can be accessed at: http://www.iskcondc.org -> Philosophy. You can also directly link to our Philosophy website by add the following URL to you website: 
http://www.prastha.com/cgi-bin/uncgi/renderphilo.pl 

This Email has been sent to you by the ISKCON temple of Washington D.C. 
Our contacts are: 
Email : mail@iskcondc.org 
Web Address : http://www.iskcondc.org 
Postal: 10310 Oaklyn Drive, Potomac, MD 20854 
[Back]

Sep 24, 2001
Notes on Sunday feast lecture - Submitted by Krpa

Haribol prabhus,
All glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

The sunday evening program at the Atlanta temple was good. I drove a bit early, an hour early. Attended all the programmes and came back after picking up some Govinda's prasadam - cakes and cookies. Yummy....
The sunday class was too good.. given by HG Balabhadra Battacharya prabhu. (He is SP's disciple). He has been in KC for 29 years. His explanation of the KC philosophy was very good. 

Most of the temples in US are discussing the same topic for the past 2 weeks... Is the WTC disaster according to the Karma... The people who died in the WTC because of their karma?? Does the devotees have anything that they can do....? These are questions asked by everyone in the US.

The BG sloka was 6.32 - A yogi is a person who sees all the living entities equally like his self - by dint of his experiences.

According to the SB, the distress comes on their own accord.

Prabhu, actually explained how the people died of their bad karma. But the devotees have a major role to play. He gave a lot of examples... During the churning of the milk ocean, the demigods and the demons were destined to die of the poison - hala hala. But lord Siva being very merciful drank a ocean of poison and became glorified as the nilakantha.

The devotees are more merciful than the Lord. They can change the karma of the general people. They can even deliver dead people by praying to Krishna. Prahlad maharaja prayed to Lord Narsimhadeva and asked Him to deliver his own father, who was killed by the Lord.

Once, When Krishna went to the hellish planet to get His guru's son. He blew His conch. Immediately, all the sinful living entities - like ruru's got delivered. The Lord is very powerful and can do anything He desires.

Though our compassion is conditional, Krishna and the pure devotees compassion is absolute.

Once in mayapur, some small children were fighting with dogs near a dustbin just to get some food. When S Prabhupad saw this. His eyes were full of tears and he ordered no one should go hungry within 10 miles radius of this place. We can argue - SP that's their karma that they are suffering like that. But the pure devotees are highly compassionate - they change the karma of people.

In general, people see so many of them dying. But when you find one in your family dying. You lament. This is because of hypocrisy.... So if we sincerely pray to Krishna and ask Him to deliver the dead......He being powerful can do anything and there will be a change in the world situation.

By the mercy of Srila Prabhupad, there are 40 temples inthe US and 150 temples in teh Russia...

So, prabhu was explaining how a vaishnava should view the world and be a para dukha dukhi and pray to Krishna sincerely and can definitely see a change in the world situation.

ys
Krpa
[Back]