— { SERMONS OF THE GUARDIAN OF DEVOTION, II } —

CHAPTER THREE
BHAJAN—REAL AND APPARENT

Devotee: I have heard that some Acharyas hold that smaran, internal remembrance, is of prime importance as a devotional service to the Lord, above even kirtan or chanting; or is it subservient to kirtan?

Srila Guru Maharaj: There are some who are of that opinion because smaran is exclusively connected with consciousness, or more concerned with the subtle part of our existence; so that should be the most effective form of sadhana, or means to the end. But our Guru Maharaj, and Srila Jiva Goswami, and also Kaviraj Goswami Prabhu, laid stress on kirtan—especially for the beginners. Guru Maharaj says in his song Vaishnav ke? (‘Who is a Vasnava?’):

kirtana prabhave, smarana haibe,
se kale bhajana nirjjana sambhava

“Internal remembrance can occur by the power of kirtan, and only then is solitary Service possible.” Nirjjan bhajan or smaran, exclusive solitary Devotion unconscious of the environment, is not at all possible for beginners. And Srila Jiva Goswami says (Bhakti-sandarbha, sankhya 273):

yadyapy anya bhaktih kalau kartavya,
tada kirtanakhya-bhakti-samyogenaiva

“In this Kali-yuga, of the nine basic forms of Devotional Practices, the forms other than kirtan certainly should be practised, but they must be conducted subserviently to kirtan.” And this is the principle of Mahaprabhu’s preaching. Kirtan has its own special characteristic, particularly in Kali-yuga.

kaler dosa-nidhe rajann asti hy eko mahan gunah
kirtanad eva krsnasya mukta-sangah param vrajet

(Srimad Bhagavatam, 12.3.51)

(Sri Sukadev Goswami said,) “O King, the Age of Kali, the repository of all evils, has but one glorious characteristic: in this age, those who simply chant the Holy Name of Krishna are liberated and reach the Supreme Lord.”

Also, Srila Madhvacharya has written in his commentary on Mundakopanisad:

dvapariyair janair visnuh pancharatrais cha kevalam
kalau tu nama-matrena pujyate bhagavan harih

“In Dvapara-yuga, Lord Vishnu is exclusively worshipped by the people according to the principles of Deity worship delineated in the Pancharatra Scripture, but in Kali-yuga, the Supreme Lord Hari is worshipped only by the chanting of His Holy Name.”

In the Srimad Bhagavatam, when the incarnation of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is mentioned (Srimad Bhagavatam, 11.5.32), the method by which the people will worship Him is also given:

yajnaih sarikirtana-prayair yajanti hi sumedhasah

Here, yajnah means sacrifice, dedication, which is sankirtana-praya, or sankirtana-pradhana, which means ‘predominated by sankirtan, the congregational chanting of the Holy Name’; and this is performed by those endowed with sufficient piety. So, in this Age of Iron, kirtan has its own special privilege, granted by the Supreme Lord—Mahaprabhu’s speciality is preaching, kirtan. He inaugurated and conducted Hari-kirtan.

So, kirtan has been accepted by our Guru Maharaj, Srila Jiva Goswami, and others. To write about the Lord is also within the jurisdiction of kirtan. To preach is assertion—to take the message to others.

So also, to be engaged in answering the questions of the environment automatically demands concentration, which is very rare in this age. When one is doing kirtan, he automatically cannot but give all concentration and attention. He cannot speak independently; intuitively, he must be all-attentive. For this reason, kirtan has been recommended to be the highest form of bhajan, especially in the Age of Kali.

bhajanera madhye srestha nava-vidha bhakti
‘krsna-prema,’ ‘krsna’ dite dhare maha-sakti
tara madhye sarva-srestha nama-sankirtana
niraparadhe nama laile paya prema-dhana

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Antya 4.70,71)

“Of all forms of Divine Service, nine forms are superior, which with great potency bestow upon the devotees Love for Krishna, and their personal relationship with Him; and of the nine, the best is Nama-sankirtan. By offencelessly taking the Holy Name, the treasure of Love for the Lord is attained.”

Mahaprabhu also accepted five principal limbs from the nine that are mentioned in the Bhagavatam as sravanam, kirtanam, etc.:

sadhu-sanga, nama-kirtana, bhagavat-sravana
mathura-vasa, sri-murtira sraddhaya sevana

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya 22.124)

“Association with the pure devotee, chanting the Holy Name, listening to Srimad Bhagavatam, residing in Mathura Dham, and faithfully worshipping the Deity.”

So, of these five, Mahaprabhu has given Nama-sankirtan the highest position. Nama-sankirtan has been considered best of all. It has been delineated by the Acharyas. That was especially given by our Guru Maharaj, and the basis is supported by the sastra, Scriptures. But if other Acharyas have shown preference for smaran in any instance, that will be in the sense that kirtan may be in the relativity of the material environment, whereas smaran is independent of the material consideration. From that point of view, smaran may be recommended as the highest, but that is not accepted in a general way. It may be a special opinion.

In Chaitanya-siksamrita, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur has clarified that there are two types of devotees in the stage just prior to attaining the highest plane of Paramahamsa or uttam-adhikara. The devotees who cross the middle stage (madhyam-adhikara) and reach towards occupying the highest position are called devotees in the stage of premaruruksu. They are classified in two sections—gosthyanandi and viviktanandi (or bhajananandi). The first are always engaged in preaching, and the second take to smaran or nirjan bhajan—a solitary life of worship, without mixing with the environment. It does not prove that one is superior to the other. The viviktanandi generally like secluded life and go on with smaran and those who are of the gosthyanandi type go on with kirtan, preaching, and also attain the highest position without corning to the school of exclusive smaran. Those who have attained the highest plane are known as premarudha.

IMAGINARY PERFECTION—SELF-DECEPTION

Guru Maharaj clearly said that when we are in a lower position, smaran is injurious. Rather, we should take to kirtan. Kirtana prabhave, smarana haibe, se kale bhajana nirjana sambhava. The Sahajiya school (imitationists) are more fond of smaran than kirtan. They are ‘followers’ of smaran. They lead a secluded life, and mentally they go on identifying themselves with a particular sakhi of their own age, her duty, her place of attendance in a particular place of Vrindavan, in a particular lila, under the guidance of a particular sakhi, and so on. They are required to go on meditating on all these things by their so-called guru. That is the process amongst the Sahajiya school, but we do not admit that. We consider it all false and imaginary. They are not fit for the plane. They do not have real sambandha-jnana, knowledge of what is what. They only go on with the habitual repetition of a particular mental speculation, but anartha-nivrtti (purging of evils) or any other process based on it cannot be effected thereby. Their imagined achievement is sheer concoction. They are not aware of the facts—the ontological gradation from Viraja to Brahmaloka, Vaikuntha and Goloka. They are pukur-churiwala—‘pond thieves.’ To think one can steal a pond is self-deception. We think that kind of ‘smaran’ to be something like self-deception.

For example, Srila Gaura Kishor Babaji Maharaj went on with smaran. Once, there was another Babaji who constructed a kutir nearby, a small hut, and he went on imitating Gaura Kishor Babaji, doing madhukari (subsisting on alms), sitting and meditating, and wearing similar cloth. Then once Babaji remarked, “If a lady enters into a maternity ward, she cannot produce a child only by imitating the sounds and symptoms of labour. Many things are necessary before that!” So only by imitating the Paramahamsa Babaji, bhajan cannot be effected. One must have connection with suddha-sattva, the real plane, and then all the higher symptoms may appear. Otherwise, all those speculative antics will manifest.

na uthiya vrksopari, tanatani phala dhari’
dusta-phala karile arjjana

(Kalyana-kalpataru, Upadesa 18)

Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur says that if one wants fruits without taking the trouble to climb the tree, what sort of fruits can he expect? The fruits will be ruined, or rotten. Without proper progression, it is all imagination—a madman’s feat. One must gradually reach the plane of truth, suddha-sattva. There are so many planes to cross—Bhur-, Bhuvar-, Svar-, Mahar-, Janar-, Tapar-, Satya-loka, Viraja, Brahmaloka. Mahaprabhu says that the creeper of Bhakti grows and rises up to Goloka, and she has to cross all these planes.

upajiya bade lata ‘brahmanda’ bhedi’ yaya
‘viraja,’ ‘brahmaloka,’ bhedi’ ‘paravyoma’ paya
tabe yaya tad upari ‘goloka-vrndavana’
‘krsna-charana’-kalpavrkse kare arohana

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya 19.153,4)

“The creeper of Devotion is born, and grows to pierce the wall of the universe. It crosses the Viraja river and the Brahman plane, and reaches to the Vaikuntha plane. Then it grows further up to Goloka Vrindavan, finally reaching to embrace the wish-yielding tree of Krishna’s Lotus Feet.”

But the pseudo-devotees do not care to know what is Paravyoma, what is Brahmaloka, what is Viraja, what is the Brahmanda. Without caring to know about these things, they approach any guru, receive some mantram, and go on meditating. But in such a stage, if one goes on meditating upon Radha-Govinda-lila, instead of entering Radha-Govinda-lila, he will rather entangle with the ladies and gents of this world. He will become entangled in the domain of lust and he will have to go to hell instead of going up to Goloka.

Charma-mamsamaya—kama, prema—chidananda-dhama. The carnal appetite is lust, whereas Love is the Abode of Divine Ecstasy. So, imitation is not success. It rather degrades. Imitation degrades. Imagination is only a mental exercise.

Devotee: What if that mental exercise is done with faith?

Srila Guru Maharaj: Mind is separate. Sraddha is connected with soul, atma, and mind is matter. Mind is material: a part of material potency. This is also clarified in Gita:

bhumir apo ‘nalo vayuh kham mano buddhir eva cha
ahankara itiyam me bhinna prakrtir astadha

(Srimad Bhagavad-gita, 7.4)

Mind is a product of the material potency, and the jiva is a product of para-sakti, the principal potency; and Svarupa-sakti, the Lord’s Personal Potency, is higher than the jiva. The nature of the mind is mental speculation (mano-dharma). That has nothing to do with truth. That is drawn from the material world, the world of misconception. The mind is full of misconception (avan-manaso gocharah). Mind cannot reach the stage of feeling or perceiving truth proper. It is only related to mundane things or exploitation.

Devotee: But isn’t pure mind a product of sraddha?

Srila Guru Maharaj: Mind cannot be pure, just as a fossil cannot produce life. Similarly, mind cannot produce sraddha. Sraddha is original and fundamental. When the Supreme Lord appears in the heart, mind vanishes. Reality is just the opposite. Darkness cannot produce light: light comes, darkness vanishes. So truth appears when real pure consciousness appears, and mental speculation vanishes. The mind is concerned with misconception. It is an element of the apara-sakti, the inferior potency. That potency is both subtle and gross. Earth, water, fire, air and ether are gross; mind, intelligence and ego are subtle; but they’re all material. Soul is transcendental. And Svarupa-sakti, or the Lord’s Personal Potency, bhajan, or Divine Service, and Goloka-Vaikuntha are all Supra-mundane and Transcendental—on the other side of the soul, not on the lower side where the mind is located. Mind emerges from the ego, that is, the false ego, and it is made of the exploiting tendency. But Mahaprabhu says, mora mana—vrndavana: “My speculation is on the other side—Vrindavan.” That is not an element of this mundane plane.

Devotee: So there is a pure mind?

Srila Guru Maharaj: Properly speaking, the word ‘mind’ does not deserve to be used in this context at all, otherwise everything will be wrongly equated. The residents of Goloka also possess senses, etc., but the affairs of the mundane world are never one with that. The mundane mentality is a product of exploitation, sense-exploitation. We need relief from this mind. We are surrounded by poisonous thought. In the narration of the Tridandi-sannyasin in Srimad Bhagavatam, all the disciplines are common in that the mind should be checked.

danam svadharmo niyamo yamas cha
srutan cha karmani cha sad-vratani
sarve mano-nigraha-laksanantah
paro hi yogo manasah samadhih

(Srimad Bhagavatam, 11.23.45}

“Charity, constant and conditional prescribed duties, mental and sensual control, hearing the Scriptures, holy vows and duties—all these are observed to gain subjugation of the mind. Mental control is known as the supreme yoga.”

Devotee: You were talking about kirtan; I have read that Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur says that japa (private chanting) is also related to kirtan (congregational chanting, or preaching), and also that Srila Rupa Goswami says there are three types of japa, namely manasik, or mental, vachika, or vocal, and upamsu, or whispered. Which is proper for us, and which is the most effective?

Srila Guru Maharaj: In upamsu there is no sound, only movement of the lips; and in manasik there is no lip movement. You ask which is superior of the three types?

Devotee: Yes.

Srila Guru Maharaj: Whatever is internally real will be superior. Japa must be genuine, not imitative. Our attention should always be towards the negative side. If we can practice that in a real way, our promotion cannot be checked. But without qualification, if we are very eager to go upward, there will be a tendency to fall down. Dasyaya te mama raso ‘stu raso ‘stu satyam: “May I have the aspiration for servitude.” For bhajan, or internal Service, such a temperament should always be followed. Tad dasa-dasa-dasanam dasatvam dehi me prabho.

Promotion is inevitable if we always try to adhere to the lower duty. Eagerness for promotion is the enemy. That is for pratistha (renown), and that will undermine everything. Srila Prabhupad said that imitation arises from the attraction for pratistha or desire to hold the superior position and acquire a name for oneself. That is the great enemy. Don’t fall prey to that pratistha, eagerness to hold the higher position. Rather, dainyam—humility—is the healthy sign of a devotee.

TANGIBLE DEPTH IN DIVINITY

Devotee: Maharaj, we see in the Hari-bhakti-vilasa that sometimes the glories of silent chanting are mentioned, and then in other places we see that the glories of chanting very loudly, as in the case of Haridas Thakur, are extolled. So, what is the adjustment?

Srila Guru Maharaj: Only a theoretical understanding won’t help you much. Try to catch the spirit of the thing. When backed by the sadhu, the Guru of very high type, you can do anything. By the grace of his support, whatever kirtan, etc., you may do, will be effective. Meditating may have been praised as more efficient in a particular context, but if you venture to superficially try and chant in that way, the opposition will be so great you’ll be nowhere—you will turn to be an atheist. It can happen if you don’t have sufficient support to fight against the odds. Don’t venture to attack the enemy when your position is weak. But when backed by the great generals and many munitions, you must march on. That will help us to engage in real kirtan.

The real factor is sadhu-sanga. It has association with the higher power. Otherwise, nothing has any value. The stand must be taken on the real plane—sadhu and sastra. We must cultivate the real thing. That is the all-important factor always—to keep up the reality of the bhajan. For the weaker devotee, the sadhak, or aspirant, the greatest necessity is sadhu-sanga, and the Scriptures are necessary for knowledge. Sadhu-sastra-krpa. Then kirtan will be best.

Vrindavan Das Thakur says that one feeds himself another feeds thousands and feeds himself. Who’s greater? Kirtan is to cultivate oneself and help many others to cultivate at the same time. But when you have no capital of your own, if you go to preach you will meet such opposition, asat-sanga, that the ankura, the bud, will be nipped. In that case, if you are kanistha-adhikari, a neophyte, don’t go to attack others without vigorous backing. Kirtan means to preach, or to attack others in a sense. Don’t venture, as kanistha-adhikari. You’ll be turned into an atheist. Only after passing through the proper stages—sravana-dasa, varana-dasa, sadhana-dasa and prapana-dasa (the phases of hearing, acceptance, practice, and attainment)—then you can preach independently (apana-dasa). Otherwise, only with the help of someone in prapana-dasa can you go to preach.

We should have an immovable connection with reality, an absolute conception of reality. Such a stable position is necessary. Invulnerable. A sure position, what is what—sambandha-jnana. Then we shall be able to understand and harmonise the differences that we find in the writings of the Acharyas; what applies where—under what circumstances a particular line has been advised to be taken up, and under what circumstances another has been advised. Practical knowledge.

HUMILITY

Devotee: Maharaj, this morning we were talking about humility. What is the perfection of humility for the kanistha-adhikari?

Srila Guru Maharaj: It may vary for different persons. So, one has to think out his own way. Humility means ‘to not encroach on the rights of others’. And also, it should not be such as to kill one’s own self. It must be natural.

At the time of entering the present Bagh Bazaar Math (of Sri Gaudiya Math in Calcutta), there was a festival. From a rented house, the Deities were brought on a chariot in procession. There was chanting and dancing, and the Deities were installed in the new Temple. Mahaprasadam was distributed. At twelve or one o’clock that night we went to bed. My bed was just nearby the bed of one of my Godbrothers, a learned professor. He was very humble. In the morning, the professor said to me, speaking very slowly, “Last night, I felt so much weakness that I thought I was dying. I thought that I would arouse you, but then again I thought, ‘No, why should I disturb the Vaishnav? He’s so tired tonight, and having his rest, so let me wait’; and after waiting a little I gained some strength, so I did not have to disturb you. But I’m still very weak now.” Very slowly, and soberly, he told these things. He was dying, and he did not arouse me, only for fear of disturbing my rest.

When I heard these things from his lips that morning, although of course he put it very gently, it struck me like thunder! I at once went to Prabhupad and informed him that such was the case: “A gentleman was almost dying last night—but he was too meek to disturb me.” Prabhupad and the devotees also knew of our professor Godbrother’s nature. They took the matter seriously and immediately called for a doctor.

Sometimes I think such humility to be dangerous. The disciple’s life is a valuable property of his Guru Maharaj’s, not merely his own. He’s not to be concerned with only his interest, but he should live in the interest of his Gurudeva. I could not appreciate such humility.

Everything must be of a real characteristic—connected with reality. I am thirsty—perhaps I won’t request any Vaishnav, “Please help me with a glass of water.” Then my disease may continue, for the sake of pennywise pound-foolishness. Common sense should be utilised always.

Devotee: Just before Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami: Maharaj left the world, he was in Vrindavan. He was lying on the bed, unable to eat anything; his condition was so bad he could barely take even a glass of water. But I marked that when anyone visited him, he would, even in that condition, always say to the devotees, “Give them Prasadam.” He himself could not eat anything—

Srila Guru Maharaj: Yes, he wanted to travel through the whole of Vrindavan and circumambulate Govardhan by bullock-cart. But Krishna Das Babaji Maharaj’s help was sought, and he came and was somehow able to dissuade him from that plan. Despite his serious condition of health, Swami Maharaj wanted to go to all the places of Lila like Radha-kunda and Govardhan, offer obeisances, and return.

So the fact is that anything in connection with God—all types of bhajan—all are good. We are not against anything of that type. But we must consider what will be most effective according to our capacity. At the same time we must not commit any offence by omission. If we say that smaran is superior and that the other types of bhajan like pada-sevana, etc., are of a lower order, how can we be so audacious as to condemn them in such a way? Still, we may distinguish very cautiously, but not merely to satisfy our curiosity. Only when the necessity arises shall we venture to establish the superiority of Laksmi over Sukadev, or Ambarish, and so on. But we must not venture to make light of such matters. These are all serious points.

To consider one Vaishnav over another is not a game: the points are very subtle. They are devotees, and we must not venture to place one above the other according to our crude necessity. It is not an academic exercise that as a professor we shall amass some theoretical knowledge to quote to the students. It should not be accepted in that line. We shall always be conscious of the practical side: “They are so great, and where am I? Who am I passing judgement over?” There should be some limit to our adventurous audacity.

Devotee: My friend was relating last night that you once said ‘humility is accepting no position’.

Srila Guru Maharaj: Yes. ‘No position’ because a servant has no independent position—his position is always on the command of the master. He’s always situated within infinite possibility. But he’s humble to his master, not to the goondas (rogues). His humility must be chiefly towards whom? “I am humble, the lowest of the low, to whom? Towards my master. I am humble towards the Lord’s own, the Vaishnav. I am humble there.” When it is necessary for Hanumanji to burn the golden city of Lanka, his humility is not disturbed. He is as humble as anyone can be in carrying out the order of Lord Ramachandra. He is fully given, wholly surrendered.

Humility, in other words, is surrendering. Humility means no opposition to the command of the master who is related to Vaikuntha, the upper section; not to the ordinary street zone, or tiger, or serpent. Humility does not drag them into the relativity of the serpent, tiger or jackal. Their real relationship is with the Vaishnav. That is the plane where the devotee takes his stand. He’s concerned with the Vaishnav. And ‘humble’ means that he does not resist his master’s instruction.

Without opposition, he carries out whatever order comes to him. He is humble. He possesses humility, sunichata. He is not sitting on a seat of prejudice. Generally we think of humility as pertaining to the outside world, but this is not the meaning. To the standard-thinking person, the members of the outside world are deluded—they are mad. Humility is not in the standard of madness, or catering to the mad people. A madman has no standard of his own. So humility means to have a standard from the standard world. Do you follow?

Devotee: Yes.

Srila Guru Maharaj: Prabhupad has defined humility as ‘that which is absent where there is a spirit of enjoyment’. Enjoying spirit, or exploitation, means aggression. There, there cannot be humility. Humility is only cent per cent Service. There is no humility in exploitation, or renunciation either. These two are opposed to the normal nature of the world. They are totally misconceived. They are enemies. They are the challenging element to the normal reality. Do you understand?

Devotee: Yes.

Srila Guru Maharaj: The spirit of exploitation and the spirit of renunciation—both are a revolt against the proper smooth working of the truth. So they are totally misconceived. And real humility must be in the relativity of the full aspect of the truth, not with the misconceived world. The standard is not of the misconceived, the madman.

Devotee: Yes. What about spiritual aggression? Like competition. There’s a competitive spirit between two persons who are doing the same thing. Then where’s the place for humility there?

Srila Guru Maharaj: There will be humility if it is really Service, because its object is the Centre. The devotee feels his inspiration and direction from there, and cooperates accordingly. He is connected with the Absolute Centre, so competition may be arranged by Yogamaya. He is not responsible because his necessity is only for the Centre. As we discussed, the Absolute is designed that way, but not out of necessity. Aher iva gati premnah, svabhava-kutila bhavet. It seems to be crooked, but it is not; it is the very nature of absolute dealings. It is necessary only for the variegatedness of the Service of Krishna. It is designed from the upper quarter. The devotees are not responsible for that.

OUR DUTY

Devotee: So we must not infringe on the property of others. There may be competition, but we should not infringe on the property of others?

Srila Guru Maharaj: Our duty will always be to dedicate ourselves more and more intensely—and we shall do that according to how we may be interfered with by the higher agency. We must always keep ourselves ready for that. Cent-per-cent we shall obey the handling from the upper house, without any hesitation. That is our duty. Whatever will be asked of us, we shall do.

On the battlefield, if the general asks a particular battalion to fight in the first battle, and they say, “Why shouldn’t the second battalion be commanded to go? Why should we go first? We shall die, and they will rejoice the victory in the last battle? Why should we go first?” What do you say?

Devotee: That is not dedication.

Srila Guru Maharaj: Of course. The military will shoot you then and there! “That is our consideration from above; it is not left to you whether Battalion 1, 2, 3 or 4 will go.” Only the highest brains have command. Complaint against that high command means to die—to be done away with immediately.

DEVOTION—RELATIVE AND ABSOLUTE

Devotee: So, Maharaj, Arjuna followed the instructions of Krishna without question—whenever Krishna ordered him to shoot, he did so. He faithfully followed whatever instructions he received. In one incident, Yudhisthir did not follow the instructions of Lord Krishna, but when the five Pandavas were on the mahaprasthana or voluntary journey to court death, Arjuna fell prior to Yudhisthir. Why did Arjuna have to fall?

Srila Guru Maharaj: That is not the criterion of the highest devotion. Yudhisthir’s achievement was a separate thing. Devotion proper is not connected there. That is some worldly affair of sattva-guna. Yamaraj, in the form of a dog, went on—but Arjuna had to fall, Bhima had to fall. The test was something else, connected with the mundane world. And they went to Svarga, Heaven.

That is not the highest attainment, but only a show of the outer case of the Pandavas. Really, the Pandavas are sakhas or friends of Krishna, but their going to Svarga is a separate outward affair. When the Pandavas reached Svarga, they saw that Duryodhana and others had already arrived there. Although the position of Duryodhana and company was much lower—they were the enemy camp—nonetheless, after death they all achieved their good and honoured position in Svarga.

Yudhisthir went with his old body of sattva-guna, worldly goodness. A ksatriya who dies on the battlefield is rewarded with life in Heaven. Yudhisthir went there, keeping his mortal body, although the others had to die first in order to take appropriate forms for that plane. But the plane was only that of sattva-guna, Svarga, and not the aprakrta, or Transcendental, Planes of Vaikuntha, Dvaraka, Mathura or Goloka.

Similarly, it is also mentioned in the story of the Kesavatara (Incarnations from hair) that Lord Vishnu gave a boon that a black and a white hair from his head would go and save the Earth from the horrors of the burden of sins she was suffering from. Those hairs are said to have taken the forms of Krishna and Balaram. They took up those two robes, but in that instance They are only Bhu-bhara-haranakari Avataras, or Descents appearing to relieve the Earth of its burden, and not Svayam Bhagavan or the Supreme Lord in Person. The Lord as He is in Vrindavan is entirely distinct.

So also it has been seen in many instances that the outer case is one thing, the inner man is another. The lower personality is absorbed. Just as when the prime minister comes to the city, the state governor’s function is absorbed in him, if he wishes. When the king comes to visit the colony, all the officers’ powers really vanish in him. Whatever he does must automatically be done by them, their own respective personalities dead. So when the higher descends into the lower case, the lower case loses its value. Then, when it retires, the lower case remains and the higher case ascends.

*   *   *

Nitai Gaurahari bol! We pray to Nityananda Prabhu. We want to come to an adjusted, former position: ‘If I have committed any offence, aparadha, when dealing with so many subtle things about the great personages, please, Nityananda Prabhu, absolve me of that offence and restore me to my normal humble position.”

sarva-vaisnavera pa’ye kari namaskara,
ithe aparadha kichhu nahuka amara

Vrindavan Das Thakur says, “I bow at the feet of the Vaishnavs; may there be no offence in my attempt to serve them.”

When we deal with so many great things, such as trying to speak about great personalities of the highest order, we should beg Nityananda Prabhu to pardon us for our audacity. He is patita-pavana, saviour of the fallen souls. He is adosa-darasi—He generally does not take any offence.

Fools rush in where angels fear to tread—where angels fear to tread, fools rush in. Like fools, we rush into the subtlemost realm of sentiments of the high order; so we must beg to be excused by the High Personalities. Apa-siddhanta, or philosophical adulteration, strikes very harshly. It was Svarup Damodar’s Service to first examine any poems or writings for purity before they were taken to Mahaprabhu. If writings with apa-siddhanta were offered to Mahaprabhu, He would be disturbed in a very cruel way. Apa-siddhanta cruelly attacks the ideal of the higher-thinking persons.

There is a narration by Kalidas about a king who required a palanquin carrier. At random he selected a man from the crowd, not knowing that the man was a learned man, a pandit. When bearing a comer of the palanquin, the man did not carry it steadily, due to his avoiding the ants on the road.

The king enquired, “Skandam kim badhati?” (Literally, “Do you shoulder [sic] hurt?”).

The pandit replied, “Na tatha badhate skandam yatha badhati badhate”—“My shoulder doesn’t pain me as much as your ‘pain’ (your grammatical misuse of badhati for badhate)!”

So, subtle beating is there in the higher sphere, in the higher sentiment. They may be offended. We shall, not with curiosity but with all humility and all respects to Them, try to enter into that garden without disturbing any plant or person roaming in that sphere. Otherwise our talks will be pure intellectualism, and not Hari-katha.

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CONTENTS

Foreword

PART ONE
• (1) Invite Vasudeva to the Throne of Your Heart
• (2) The Eye to See the Dham
• (3) Bhajan—Real and Apparent
• (4) Heralding the Twilight
• (5) The Krishna Sun
• (6) Perspectives on the Absolute
• (7) A Holy Day

PART TWO
• (8) Approaching the Higher World
• (9) The Divine Agent
• (10) Supersubjective Reality
• (11) Loving Surrender
• (12) Earnestness

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