Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis,
Please accept my humble pranams! All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva!
Continuing on the topic - "Elevation to Perfection" based on the nectarean class given by our beloved Gurudev in Singapore based on the verse 3.23.56, Maharaj was super excellently explaining the verse,
neha yat karma dharmāya na virāgāya kalpate
na tīrtha-pada-sevāyai jīvann api mṛto hi saḥ
Anyone whose work is not meant to elevate him to religious life, anyone whose religious ritualistic performances do not raise him to renunciation, and anyone situated in renunciation that does not lead him to devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, must be considered dead, although he is breathing.
Maharaj bisected the verse very nicely as under:
1. How our Karma (work) should elevate to religious perfection.
2. How religious perfection should lead to renunciation.
3. How renunciation should lead to loving devotional service to the lotus feet of the Lord.
2. How religious perfection should lead to renunciation:
As soon as the karma becomes completely purified and we become relieved from the karmic reactions, then automatically dharma or religious perfection will be attained. There is no need of separate endeavour. Karma should be performed in that way that we are religiously going ahead.
Everything in this world goes up. In the hut, through the hole, all the atoms go up through the sun rays. Whatever is here living/non-living is attracted to Krishna because everything is His energy. But we stop this tendency by our dishonesty and by shirking our own duties. We completely destroy the whole thing. At the most what is likely to happen? you may not be able to get money, or you may not have vehicles/house. Why to stay in three- or five-star apartment, just sleep under million stars with no money. We should never endeavour beyond our capacity. If we have 10Rs, then we should try to do what is possible with Rs.8. That is allowed. Over endeavour always puts you in trouble. Our greedy/fruitive mentality always pushes us to over endeavour. If you want to over endeavour, take Srimad Bhagavatam in your hand and do over endeavour. That is allowed and you will be respected everywhere. In the worldly activities, over endeavour is condemned.
It is better to quit the world than to create dishonesty everywhere. By not following Srimad Bhagavatam we are killing ourselves and we don’t know that. Why Krishna has given these instructions. He knows because He has created the planet. This planet is manufactured by Krishna and He has given the booklet in the form of Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam and you will get the good results. But we are so very proud. As soon as He rejects us there is no way to survive. As it is we are in difficulty. Don’t add to your difficulties particularly by your dishonest behaviour.
Suppose we are to able to perform honest work then religious life begins. and such religious life should lead to renunciation. We have double R (RR – 1st R for Religious perfection and 2nd R for Renunciation). Religious life must naturally direct us to renunciation. This stage is very difficult because by our nature we are attached. But there is only one way that if you meditate upon transcendence, then sometimes we will be able to do it.
In Bhagavad Gita Krishna says in 10.41
yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ śrīmad ūrjitam eva vā
tat tad evāvagaccha tvaṁ mama tejo-’ṁśa-sambhavam
Know that all opulent, beautiful, and glorious creations spring from but a spark of my splendour.
So much of inconceivable energy and how much great He should be. We should always think about the greatness of the Lord. Because we don’t strive for religious perfection, we don’t have the tendency to think about Krishna. To just cultivate this tendency, you have to be very honest in the religious path. Otherwise you don’t have the peace to think about Him. In no way, our peace of mind must be disturbed. We can’t have any peace, unless we follow the recommended path given by scriptures. We try so many ways, but we are not peaceful at all.
Maharaj wonderfully delineated the process of cultivating renunciation. I shall try to post them in the subsequent mails.
It is wonderful that our guru maharaj, is giving us the practical way of devotional service. I pray again and again to the dust of the lotus feet of our Guru Maharaj so that by his divine mercy I will be able to apply it in my life and be really successful in devotional service.
Thank you very much.
Yours in the service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva,
Sajjana Priya Krishna das
Abu Dhabi.
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