Reject Bad Association - Part 2

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

This is in continuation of the transcription of nectarean class given by our beloved spiritual master HH Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj in Sri Sri Radha Neelmadhav dham, Rajkot in October 2009 on verse 11.26.26. In the previous class we heard from Maharaj as to how:

1. We should not be carried away by whims of the mind. 
2. When anything is connected with Krishna, it becomes glorious and worshipable - eg. brass arathi plate, cotton wicks, etc.

Now we shall hear further. 

In Bhagavad Gita verse 2.55, in the first line Krishna orders as what is to be done.

prajahāti yadā kāmān sarvān pārtha mano-gatān
ātmany evātmanā tuṣṭaḥ sthita-prajñas tadocyate

Prajahāti - jahāti means leave; prajahāti means completely leave; What is to be left? prajahāti yadā kāmān- kāmān - all  kāmān. That is the instruction of Krishna. kāmān means desires, all desires. What are those desires - mano-gatān - mental desires. The mind's desires. Krishna says in the first line itself that you completely stop all these desires of the mind. We will say, "How can I stop the desires Krishna? I have so many desires." So in the next line He says - "ātmany evātmanā tuṣṭaḥ". This is the way out. If you want to stop the unnecessary desires, then ātmany evātmanā tuṣṭaḥ - you should be completely satisfied with your Super-soul - tuṣṭaḥ. So we are the people who look inward and not outward. Outward people might try to amass wealth etc,try to enjoy. But we are completely satisfied with what we have because we know that whatever is coming from outside world is temporary. This world is duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam. 

These things were coming down as auspicious tradition in our families. But they didn't know to tell as to why we have to do it. But Srila Prabhupada has re-introduced these nice traditions in our life and also gave us the torchlight of knowledge as to why we have to do some thing. If we try to do "ātmany evātmanā tuṣṭaḥ", you are completely satisfied in yourself, then it is an invitation to help us come out of the material existence. Without His shelter, you can never come out of the control of the mind. sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor - but before that we should be completely convinced that our body is temporary. It is sure to go away one day. It is a fact. There is a saying

calat cittam calat vittam calat jīvana yauvanam
calācalam idam sarvam bhaktir yasya sa jīvati

Our mind is flickering. Our wealth is flickering. Our own life and youth are also a passing phase. There is steadiness and eternity only in devotional service.

So change of body is there. When one knows this then - ātmany evātmanā tuṣṭaḥ and remain satisfied, then sthita-prajñas tadocyate - You have steady intelligence. In unsteady life, you have to have a steady guidance.

Krishna willing, we shall continue to hear more nectar from Maharaj in the subsequent offering.

Hare Krishna.

Thank you very much.
Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva,
Sudarshana devi dasi.