Hare Krsna Prabhujis and Matajis,
Please accept my dandavat pranams. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudev.
During Maharaj's recent visit to Auckland, nectar of Krsna Consciousness flowed with such velocity that we were all overwhelmed by the simplicity in which Maharaj could drive across crucial points to help our sadhana. Maharaj used the simple fact "We are all bound to die one day" as the vehicle to carry his transcendental messages. Maharaj explained that at the time of death our consciousness is lost from the feet upwards. Our legs, hands, eyes, ears, tongue etc all stop functioning. At that time only our devotional service will helps us. If our devotional service to Krsna is perfect then He will help us to chant His name and take us back home.
Maharaj gave wonderful discourses during his stay in Auckland. Although I am certainly not qualified to write due to my mundane mind and intelligence, but due to Maharaj's encouragement, I am trying to reproduce one such verse which Maharaj took from SB 1.6.21:
hantāsmiñ janmani bhavān mā māṁ draṣṭum ihārhati
avipakva-kaṣāyāṇāṁ durdarśo ’haṁ kuyoginām
O Narada [the Lord spoke], I regret that during this lifetime you will not be able to see Me anymore. Those who are incomplete in service and who are not completely free from all material taints can hardly see Me.
In the purport Srila Prabhupada says that, "The beginning of devotional service starts from the point when one is freed from at least two forms of material modes namely the mode of passion and the mode of ignorance. The result is exhibited by the signs of being freed from kAma (lust) and lobha (covetousness) And to be completely freed from all material tinges is to become free from the mode of goodness also.One must be completely freed from all material attachment and be situated on the plane of transcendence, which alone will help the devotee get in personal touch with the Personality of Godhead."
Srila Prabhupada has given a very important point in the above purport for our consideration. He says that even mode of goodness is not enough for attaining the Supreme Lord. Why is it so? This is answered by the Lord in Gita 14.6:
tatra sattvaṁ nirmalatvāt prakāśakam anāmayam
sukha-saṅgena badhnāti jñāna-saṅgena cānagha
O sinless one, the mode of goodness, being purer than the others, is illuminating, and it frees one from all sinful reactions. Those situated in that mode develop knowledge, but they become conditioned by the concept of happiness.
Srila Prabhupada expands on this important point in his purport to BG 14.6, "As The difficulty here is that when a living entity is situated in the mode of goodness, he becomes conditioned to feel that he is advanced in knowledge and is better than others. In this way he becomes conditioned."
This is the most important point. In mode of goodness there is every chance of getting into a comfort zone. We definitely get some peace when we are in the mode of goodness because we become sinless and equipoised. But that is not enough to become selfless. This is what the Lord indicates when He refers to Narada as "incomplete in service". Real selflessness means to not worry about our own difficulties but at the same time feel for the difficulties of others and try to help them. That is when the Lord will be actually satisfied with us. A Vaishnava's definition is given as "Vaiṣṇava, para-duḥkha-duḥkhī - A Vaishnava is one who is troubled by the sufferings of others". Narada muni took the cue from the Lord and we can see the result in his next life, how many souls he delivered through his transcendental instructions!
Thank you very much.
Your servant,
Ambrish das
Auckland.
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