Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.
This is in continuation of the remembrances and glorifications of our spiritual master Srila Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj that took place in Shree Shree Radha Neel Madhav dham, Rajkot on December 21 2010. In the previous offering we were listening to the fiery lecture given by Maharaj on what is real knowledge, based on Bhagavad Gita verses 13.8 through 12.
After reciting the verse, meditating on the word-to-word and reciting the translation, Gurudev asked the devotees to take out Isopanishad wherein the purport of verse 10, Srila Prabhupada had listed the 18 points which Lord Krishna had mentioned in the above Bhagavad Gita verse. We were simply taken back to see how deeply Gurudev had studied Srila Prabhupada's books. Now let us continue to hear more nectar from Gurudev.
Gurudev reads from Isopanishad and requests the devotees to repeat the points.
"As advised in Chapter Thirteen of the Bhagavad-Gita (13.8-12), one should culture knowledge in the following way:
(1) One should become a perfect gentleman and learn to give proper respect to others. -
This is amānitvam. It is translated as humility. One thing we have to remember here that we have to completely shun unnecessary sense gratification. Only regulated freedom we are allowed to enjoy. Murali Prabhu has written nicely in granthraj forum about a Christian community about 700 people in number, they own 1200 acres of land and nobody is allowed inside. And again those who want to join, they have to prove themselves as a true follower for 3 years. There is certain setup of austere life. No contact with outside world. Frankly speaking they don't have any time to mix with outside people. He writes that its a very powerful community in Eastern Europe, Russia. I have also heard about a group of people who were living around Saudi Arabia, wherein the life was very austere. The main point is there is no collection, no preaching program because the austere life is there. So those who are fed up from this modern civilisation, they are attracted there. They are all well-educated - doctors and engineers. They till their land and they have one motto that whatever they want to use, they will manufacture. Whatever they want to eat, grow it. Unless we come to the austerity, it is very difficult to go on the spiritual path. We have accepted this austere path voluntarily and if we don't fit into this austere frame work, then there is no place in spiritual realm. This has to be very clear in our mind and that is amānitvam.
We don't expect any respect, we should not expect even any praise from others. We completely mind our own sadhana. And again inside also they have churches within that Christian community. They have their own lands and don't mingle with each other. That is vivikta desha sevitvam. In Bhagavatam it is very nicely said that in verse 11.9.10, vāse bahunām kalaho - If many people stay together, they fight. bhaved vārtā dvayor api - if there are two, they talk. If there are many, they quarrel. if there are two, they quarrel. eka eva vaset tasmāt - thats why you should live alone. And they are following it - that too a Christian community. Same thing is explained in Vedic culture. Because Christianity is nothing but offshoot of vedic culture. Unfortunately in this Kaliyuga we have forgotten and don't have inclination to austere life. That is why in the spiritual field also we want to entertain ourselves. This is wrong thing. Those who want to entertain themselves, our places are not meant for them. Simple truth. So we don't want to pollute our austerity by following sense gratificatory activities. This is amānitvam. We have our own path and we follow it sincerely. If people want, they will join. Now we are quite famous. So no need of advertisement also. Only devotional service will attract. Srila Prabhupada was very broad minded. yatra bhagavatā janāha sādhavo vishadhāshayā - and what do they do - bhagavat gunānukathana - except the narration of Krishna's pastimes and qualities, we don't do anything else. If anybody likes, they mix with us. If they don't like, they have their own world. And what do we do ? shravana vyagra cetasah - With eager ears we hear these things and try to purify these things. Otherwise as it is our existence is completely polluted and after coming here also if you want to pollute the atmosphere, this is not the place for you.
Amānitvam. Austerity must be there. Otherwise there is no reason to come at five o' clock in the morning. Without exception, those who stay in this home, must come for mangala arathi. Otherwise in the pretext of the health our mind says, "Don't get up. Take rest. You will die." And we agree to the mind. Please, you are all working population. We are not idle. And those who come here to be idle, please study 24 hours a day. This is not place to be idle and enjoy. Unless we purify ourselves in this way, we will never be able to release ourselves from the miseries which we are already experiencing. If you are not wanting to have austerity, this is not the place for you. If you wake-up for mangala-arathi you will not die and even if you die in mangala-arathi, that is the best thing to happen. It is better to die in front of the Lord during arathi rather than to die in the bed. Forget about your back, leg and head aches. They will not break if you wake up for mangala arathi. If you have back-ache, you should work very hard. Clean the place. Cook. Wash. This is the remedy. Taking rest is not the remedy. Please, all these symptoms of knowldege are for our betterment. You can be merciful to anybody and everybody. But don't be merciful to yourself. And if you are doing this, you are wasting your time. These places are not meant for that. We should have austere life enclave here. This is not free resting place. There are plenty of hospitals and other houses to take rest.
Just think of that Christian community - how austere they are ? Murali being a Muslim, muslims would be attacking those place. But because he is spiritually inclined and speaking Bhagavad Gita and Bhagavatam, they are friends with him. Please try to understand these things and this is symptom of knowledge. This is the beginning. If we don't begin with beginning symptom, how can we go ahead ? This is how our saints and sages lived. Vyasa Bhagavan did not have table or table lamps and see the literature he has given. Forget about him. You might say that it was very remote period. Take the case of Rupa Goswami and Sanatana Goswami - just 400 years ago. They sat under the trees and see the quality of literature they had given us. Now with all the amenties and wealth can we not work hard ? Enough of sleeping and enough of dancing and other non-sensical things. Otherwise you are wasting our time and polluting the whole atmosphere. Nobody will allow you here, if you don't change. Now please repeat - One should become a perfect gentleman and learn to give proper respect to others."
Krishna willing we shall continue to hear more nectar from Gurudev in the subsequent mails
Thank you very much.
Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva,
Sudarshana devi dasi.
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