Here are some notes from Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.98-99 delivered in Washington D.C. on July 4, 1976: · Putting a straw in his mouth and bowing down, Sanātana Gosvāmī clasped the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and humbly spoke as follows. Sanātana Gosvāmī said, I was born in a low family, and my associates are all low-class men. I myself am fallen and am the lowest of men. Indeed, I have passed my whole life fallen in the well of sinful materialism.” · So Sanātana Gosvāmī is teaching us by his personal behavior how to approach guru. That hes teaching. Tabe sanātana prabhura caraṇe dhariyā. To approach guru, the first business is surrender. · Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa Himself, but Hes teaching how to approach Kṛṣṇa. And His disciples, they are also teaching the same philosophy. There is no difference between Kṛṣṇas philosophy and Caitanya Mahāprabhus philosophy. It is not that we can manufacture some philosophy. That is nonsense. Philosophy is one; religion is one. Everyone has to follow. There is no second alternative. · Religion means the process by which we can understand the supreme controller. There is a supreme controller, as in every department, in every state, every affair, every business, every institution there is a controller. · So there are controllers. But so far Kṛṣṇa is concerned, He is described in the śāstras, Brahma-saṁhitā, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (BS 5.1). There are controllers, but the supreme controller is Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ. Īśvaraḥ means controller. Sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (BS 5.1). His form... He has form. Bhagavān means with form. We see the form here, vigrahaḥ. Vigrahaḥ means form. But His form is different from our. Hes sac-cid-ānanda. · He has got many forms, expansions, but His original form is Kṛṣṇa, with two hands and flutes. veṇuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda-dalāyatākṣaṁ barhāvataṁsam asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam kandarpa-koṭi-kamanīya-viśeṣa-śobhaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣam tam ahaṁ bhajāmi (BS 5.30) · So it is not so easy to understand Kṛṣṇa, but when Kṛṣṇa comes personally as a devotee and shows us the ways and means how to approach Kṛṣṇa, then it becomes easier. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu. · So when we approach guru, our first condition is that we must be humble and surrender. Praṇipāta. Prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṇa-nipāta. Then sevā, to serve the spiritual master; yasya prasādād, to gain his favor. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo. This is the process. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu... Sanātana Gosvāmīs teaching how to approach guru, so, very humbly... Dante tṛṇa lañā (CC Madhya 20.98). In India the system is that to..., symbolic representation of humbleness is to take one piece of grass in the mouth. Then it is to be understood that he is coming very submissively. · This time, Kali-yuga, is very, very fallen. People are very, very much fallen. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo (SB 1.1.10). Practically cent percent of the population at the present moment, theyre manda. Manda. Manda means of no value, or very bad, manda, or very slow. · The moving power of the body is the spirit soul. We are repeatedly trying to convince people this simple truth, but they are so dull-headed they cannot understand. Yes. So they have been described as animals. The śāstra, they say, yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). · Without understanding the value of life, na tad-janeṣv abhijñeṣu, without associating with abhijñaḥ, learned spiritual master, if he passes his life with this understanding, then he is no better than the cows and asses. This is the verdict. · He has understood that the so-called bodily conception that I am rich man, I am very learned man, I am brāhmaṇa or I am American, these are useless understanding. One who understands like that, he is... Sanātana Gosvāmī—hes a nīca jāti, the bodily conception of life nīca jāti. Nīca jāti, nīca-saṅgī. Why the bodily concept of life? Because the association is bad. At the present moment we do not get any education or good association to understand our real identity. That is the difficulty. Therefore he says, nīca saṅgī, patita adhama. Adhama means lowest of the mankind; patita means fallen. If one does not understand his real interest, he is called fallen. · So to surrender to Kṛṣṇa requires little qualification, and that qualification Sanātana Gosvāmī wanted. Therefore he has approached Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. We can follow his footsprints. He is also... He is an ācārya. But it is essential, essential. Dont be assured that you are very highly elevated person. Without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, everyone—this is a challenge—everyone is lowborn. Everyone is nīca, and badly associated, fallen and the lowest of the mankind, because hes missing the chance of understanding Kṛṣṇa in this human form life, and nobody knows what hes going to be next life. So it is a very risky civilization without any understanding of Kṛṣṇa. Be careful. Those who have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, execute the Kṛṣṇa consciousness business very cautiously so that we may not fall down. There is risk of falldown, but if we stick to Kṛṣṇas lotus feet—mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti (BG 7.14)—then there is no fear.
Posted on: Fri, 26 Sep 2014 06:59:15 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015