Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis,
Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudev.
This is in continuation of the previous offering titled, "Prabhupada is our Ultimate Shelter", which is transcription of the nectarean class by our beloved spiritual master HH Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj on Srimad Bhagavatam verse 2.8.4, in Hawaii in 1997.
In the previous offering we heard from Maharaj about how important it is to follow the nice traditions laid out by Srila Prabhupada. If we don't follow his traditions, we will end up in some bad tradition. In this regard Maharaj was sharing a funny story about pickpocketeer and his wife praying to Lord to bless them with child who would also be number one pickpocketeer.
Now we shall continue to hear further nectar from Maharaj.
6. Follow Prabhupada's Tradition:
Maharaj: So then what happened, that, the time came, the son was to be born, so they were waiting eagerly that my son must be supreme pickpocketer. This was his tradition. So, the son was born and to his surprise his right-hand fist was closed like this (son's); he wouldn't open. So, they tried, tried, tried...showed so many people and took so much medicine, because unless he opens the hand how can he pickpocket? (laughter)
He was telling that "This son is no good for pickpocketing because he is always closed fist." So, they did not know really what to do. So eventually they went to some psychiatric and told the difficulty that our son has tight fist, he cannot open his hand, how can he pickpocket (laughter)? So, what happened that the psychiatric thought the father is pickpocketer (Maharaj addressing another Maharaj) Jai Maharaj! mother is a pick pocketer, so this son must be pick pocketer (laughter). Because it was their tradition. So, he thought that if we can show him nice necklace of diamond and gold and, beautiful necklace, maybe he will open his hand to take the necklace. So, he advised them to prepare a beautiful necklace and there was so much gold with them and diamonds and everything was there. So, the parents prepared a very nice necklace; beautiful necklace was prepared, and that necklace they showed to that son and, "Oh!", son immediately opened his hand to grab it, and the ring fell from his hand. There was a ring inside his hand (silence) and the nurse was searching for her ring (laughter).
The point is that whichever tradition you introduce the younger generation is bound to follow. So please don't commit mistake. Otherwise instead of this tradition, we will have some other traditions. Anyway, the traditions have got to be there. So, it's better to come submissively to this literature in order to elevate ourselves. This way, somehow or the other, we don't understand this, the importance of the literature, and that's why we don't come to the literature. As soon as we understand the importance, then nobody can stop. Nobody can stop. We'll find our time. So many times, we are wasting daily, unknowingly, we waste so much time. We have so much time at our disposal, but we unnecessarily, we are just in some cuckoo's land… we are always in. And we think that "I will do this, I will do that, I will do that, I will do that", and ignore to come to Srimad Bhagavatam.
We were in Fiji and the business tycoon is managing the temples. So, when I visited first time, so I told him that "Prabhu, you are a president and you must know a few shlokas or something". He said "No, no Maharaj, I am very busy, I can't learn these things (laughs). You tell me any other thing. If you want Lakshmi you can take, but no, don't trouble me" (laughter). I told him "Lakshmi? Yes, I want Lakshmi" (laughter). Someone said you should be expert in learning these shlokas. So, then he said "No, no, how to do it? I am very busy in my activities". I told that "You have so much time. What you should do, that you should study one verse, in the morning, and keep the xerox copy or written copy with you. And whenever you have few minutes, you just look to the verse, because you have already understood one verse, so if you go on looking to the verses, for the whole day, maybe in two days you will learn the verse". So, he tried that; he was studying one verse from Bhagavad Gita and he was repeating it for two days, and he learnt now...now he chants nearly seven chapters of Bhagavad Gita. So, this is how, such a busy man, if he can learn, we are really not that busy you know. So, while going, while coming back, while travelling in the buses or cars or whatever it is, if we can utilise our time, these verses will be with us and as soon as these verses are with us, we will be elevated always. You will never fall down to the ditch again. Otherwise as soon as you ignore this scripture, you'll definitely fall down.
Krishna willing we shall try to hear further nectar from Maharaj in the subsequent offerings.
Hare Krishna.
Thank you very much.
Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva,
Sriveda and Vaishnavi
Bangalore.
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