Greatest Miracle
As well as this morning we heard beautiful narrations of how our beloved Gurudev Om Visnupad Paramhansa Sri Srimad A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada by his inconceivable love and divine grace he lifted up and gave pure Bhakti to human beings who are in the most utterly destitute and bewilder condition of life. Malati Swami and Holyname swami who are speaking from their own experience who they had witness seeing Srila Prabhupada coming to places which where inhuman and utterly uncivilized from the spiritual point of view. And like a lotus flower remain completely pure, completely transcendental. People who had absolutely no spiritual conception of life, no idea of even the most basic principles of morality, people who were addicted to eating the flesh of cows, taking the most dangerous forms of drugs and intoxications, addicted to indiscriminate illicit sex relationships and gambling their whole away through speculation he gave them a life of pure love of God. This is the greatest of all miracles.
One time an Indian news paper report asked Gurudev- Can you show me some miracle? because you know here in India people are attracted by seeing someone who tell you what you did in the past or predict something which will happen in the future or someone who can read your mind and tell you what you are thinking or some one who can create for you some gold or some ashes but these things are not very remarkable because rarely to they change a persons life. And we have also seen people who can perform miracles by healing people who have terrible incurable diseases instantly. But this is not very relevant. Srila Prabhupada he said look at these young boys and girls they were addicted to illicit sex, intoxicating, meat-eating and gambling. They were completely godless and now they are living pure lives of devotion to God and service to humanity. “This is the Supreme miracle to change the person’s heart, to transform the quality of a person’s life because this miracle alone can carry us across the ocean of birth and death.” Every other miracle if you heal your body if some can heal your body of some disease a few years down the line this body would die in any regard. If you have some ashes or if you have some gold or if you have some gold you can keep it in the most special place on your altar but it is a matter of time till death comes and where is your ashes and where is your gold? If someone gives you understanding of your past exact information of what you have done early you are in this life and in previous life what difference is makes what done is done. But if some one can give you Krsna who is Yogeshwara who is the supreme master of all mystic powers then by the grace of Krsna we can transcend mortality and attain eternal life full of bliss and full of knowledge i.e. is the most wonderful miracle. And that miracle is being given to us by such great loving devotees of Lord through they are imparting to us the process by which we can have Krsna to chanting His Holy Name. You see such great devotees of the Lord they don’t want to attract us simply for them they want to attract us to Krsna they are the medium by which our connection to Krsna is established.
Who Is Magnanimous And Merciful Welfare Worker?
And in this age of Kaliyuga there is only one recommended process connecting with Krsna.
harer näma harer näma
harer nämaiva kevalam
kalau nästy eva nästy eva
nästy eva gatir anyathä
[Cc. Ädi 17.21]
By chanting His Holy Names. So who is the most magnanimous and merciful welfare worker that person who sincerely induces us to live a proper life by which we can sincerely call out the Holy Name of Krsna. And the name of Krsna will perform all the miracles required, perfect our life but unless we receive the name of Krsna through the divine grace of His blessed devotees or unless we learn a life style a devotion to God then the name of Krsna although we may sing it again and again and again it will have little or no value. So when we hear about such great persons are Srila Prabhupada we wondered where does such power come from?
Willing To Receive The Mercy
Krsna appeared within this age of Kali as Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Caitanya Mahaprabhu he taught how by His generous love He could awaken the love of God through anyone. There is no material qualification required. “The only necessity is to simply be willing to receive His mercy.” Lord Caitanya displayed how even the most unlikely beings can become purified and perfected by just accepting the mercy of the Holy Name. In fact He made His most prominent feature Hari das Thakur who happened to be born in an out cast untouchable family to the Smarta Brahmans he was considered a Malechha ,a Yavan but the most qualified of all Brahman Sri Advaitacarya worshiped him as the top most of all Brahmans.
Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare
Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare
On another occasion Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu dancing and He was chanting the Holy Names-
Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare
Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare
A simple tailor like a washer man he happened to see the Lord and just by hearing His chanting with the submissive heart and seeing His beautiful dancing just as he was walking down the road he raised his arm and he himself began to dance and chant-
Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare
Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare
And tears began to fall from his eyes. And he became a perfected devotee of the Lord. While Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu was travelling to Vrindavan He was walking through very dangerous and dense forest of the name Jharikhanda. He was alone with only one servant as an assistant. And as He was traveling His arms were raised and He was constantly in ecstatic love chanting the Holy Names-
Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare
Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare
We Must be Very Humble
There are many names of God. Lord Caitanya prayed –
nämnäm akäri bahudhä nija-sarva-çaktis
taträrpitä niyamitaù smaraëe na kälaù
etädåçé tava kåpä bhagavan mamäpi
durdaivam édåçam ihäjani nänurägaù
[CC Antya 20.16]
That My Lord you have so many names Govind, Rama, Allah, Yahuva, Krsna, Madhusudan, Hrishikesh and in each one of these names You have invested all Your power and all Your glory and simply by purely, offenselessly chanting any of these names one can achieve the perfection of libration. Then Lord Caitanya continued His prayer but I am so unfortunate My Lord that I have no taste for chanting your Holy Name. This way He taught us the process of chanting we must be humble. “If we think that we are great then the name of God will never reveal its greatness to us.” “To the degree we feel ourselves very meek and humble to that degree the name of God reveal its greatness.”
Pastime of Lord Caitanya In Jharikhanda Forest
So as Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu was chanting through forest he came upon on the forest path a tiger that was sleeping very soundly. What would you do if you are travelling through a forest and you saw a big man eating tiger sleeping very soundly? Most likely you would stop chanting and you would be praying in your heart please Krsna let this tiger sleep. And on the outer most tips of your toes you would go around him. But Caitanya Mahaprabhu went right to that tiger and placed His lotus feet on the tiger’s head and very loudly He called out chant the Holy Name –
Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare
Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare
So the tiger lift up in to the sky and began to dance and raised his arms and very loudly began to chant –
Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare
Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare.
Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu ki Jay! Sri Harinam-sankirtan ki Jay! He continued His journey and He came to very clear, fresh body of water. And He began to take His bath in the water then was chanting His Gaytri mantra. At this time He heard of most deadly wild elephants came to drink water from the pond. There is no more deadly animal in the entire world than a herd of mad elephant. A lion, a tiger they can kill you and eat you but a herd of wild elephants can destroy an entire village and entire town. The servant of Lord Mahaprabhu he was praying- let not these tiger cause any harm to my Lord. But Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu upon seeing the tiger with His lotus like hand He began to splash them with water. And as a single drop of water touched any of those elephants immediately the elephants very loudly roared with their elephantine voices-
Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare
Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare
Elephant are much louder than that.
Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare
Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare.
They are louder than that.
Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare
Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare
And in ecstatic love the big beautiful tears started falling from their eyes. And they were literally rolling the ground their limbs trembling in ecstatic love, tumultuously roaring –
Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare
Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare.
Greatest Misfortune- To Not Liberate The Soul From The Clutches of Illusion
Lord Caitanya became so happy to see His precious children completely immersed in love of God. Bhagavad Gita teaches-
vidyä-vinaya-sampanne
brähmaëe gavi hastini
çuni caiva çva-päke ca
paëòitäù sama-darçinaù
[Bg. 5.18]
Very saintly person he sees all living beings with equal vision whether one is a learned and pious Brahman or whether one is an elephant or a cow or a dog or even a sinful murderess personality because the soul which is pat of Krsna is in the heart of every living being. Great souls do not discriminate who the Lord’s mercy is meant to purify. We are not these bodies. The animals like the tigers and the elephants they spend their whole life simply making arrangements for eating and sleeping and mating and defending. And yet we see in this human civilization from the east and the east and north and the south although their may be so many various of varieties of architecture and types of food and types of landscape practically all the human societies engrossed in the same animalistic activities of eating and sleeping and mating and defending. Whether one is rich or whether one is poor everyone is doing the same thing just trying to enjoy and preserve their bodies and the bodies of those who are near and dear of them. Whether you are driving in a Mercedes Benz or whether you are driving in a Rickshaw you are the same person. You are suffering in diseased. It’s not going to make any difference whether you are driving in a Rickshaw or you are in the Mercedes Benz. In the same way if we are in ignorance whether we rich or poor, whether we are in a American body or Indian bodies or Russian bodies or African bodies, whether we are in male bodies or female bodies or Brahman bodies or untouchable bodies what difference is that make if we are in illusion we have to suffer. For that matter where we are in human body or a dog body or insect body or snake body or in the body of insignificant blade of grass if we are not realizing our time to realize our eternal nature our life just wasted. And this is to be considered the greatest of all misfortune to not liberate the soul from the clutches of illusion.
What Is The Hope Of Peace?
We find how Lord Caitanya He even in the lower animals He was liberating them from attachment to the bodily conception of life and revealing to them their eternal spiritual identities as part of God as the eternal servant of Krsna. And you know that all animosity and quarrel in this world is simply due to the attachment to the selfish demands of the body and mind. And real peace and harmony and love amongst living beings is naturally created when the pure nature the loving sentiments of the soul are awakened. We see in this world there are so much conflicts and wars there is battling and fighting and warfare going on in our mind and that extends of battle and warfare amongst family members. And then warfare amongst various personalities within the communities here in India look at all the fighting and quarrel amongst different people of same nation. And then there is battle and quarrel amongst nation. Then we read in Srimad Bhagvatam that another ages there is even battles and quarrels between different planets. What is the hope of peace? Caitanya Mahaprabhu explains- as He was walking through the Jharikhanda forest how walking, dancing He was gracefully going through the forest path with His arms raised chanting the Holy Names –
Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare
Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare.
That time there was tigers that began to follow behind Him. And then deer began to follow behind them. You know in the forest the worst enemies are tigers and deer’s. When a tiger sees a deer he only has one thing in the mind to weak beat apart with his sharp claws, to bite his neck with the sharp teeth and to drink every drop of his blood and to eat every sliver of his flesh and to leave only behind his bones and then to add insult to injury he sucks the bones. Hari Bol… And the deer how does he sees the tiger? The deer knows that’s what going to happen to me this tiger sees me. So the tiger hates the deer and wants to murder it and the deer hates the tiger and wants to hide from it, these are some of the wonderful activities that take place in the beautiful forest. When we see the forest we say oh! How nice but these are what’s goes on in the material world. Even in the nicest place. And here in the city of Bombay basically the same thing is happening. It’s some little more sophisticated.
Kirtaniya Sada Hari
Anyways the world’s possible enemies they were walking side by side in complete spiritual trans as they were seen the beautiful golden form of Lord Caitanya. And Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu looked at them and He raised His arms and He said chant the Holy Names –
Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare
Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare.
And the deer’s and the tigers began to have wonderful kirtan together. I have seen with my own experience sometimes people’s who are competitors and enemies during the kirtan they become loving friends dancing and chanting together. But then when the kirtan ends gradually they become an enemy again that’s why Mahaprabhu said- kirtaniya sada hari. We should always done kirtan then there is no question of enemies. We forget everything except Krsna. These tigers and deer’s they began with great love and spiritual emotion to chant the Holy Names-
Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare
Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare.
And then the tigers began to put their arms around the deer’s. Brahmacaris don’t like to talk about these things but this is very something very spiritual. It is not material. And the deer’s put their arms around the tigers. Now let us see how Kardamba could translate this one. They put their lips together and began to kiss each other, very surrendered soul. But this is not some romance like on television this is actually they were expressing their love of God for one another in this extra ordinary way. And meanwhile their hearts would rubbing in the bliss of the chanting of the Holy Names-
Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare
Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare
This is the real formula for peace. In Krsna there is harmony in love amongst all living beings. Animosity is due to ignorance. “If you find peace in your own heart you can give great peace to others life.” You can only give to others what you have. We find that miserable people take great pleasure in making other people miserable. And happy people take great pleasure in making people happy. And saintly people whether they are physically in misery or pleasure it doesn’t matter they want to reveal the gift of their heart, they want to give the gift of transcendental joy. By distributing the Holy Names-
Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare
Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare.
Great Value Of Our Life
As Mahaprabhu was travelling to the Jharikhanda forest even the trees and the flowers and the grass they were all enraptured in ecstatic devotion and as He was chanting although they couldn’t chant themselves they help to create the ego of His chanting-
Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare
Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare.
And in this way they were also chanting the Holy Names. And thus they became completely purified devotees of the Lord. What the most determinant celebrate yogis in the Himalayas can’t obtain of the millions of births of Tapasya, contemplation in meditation the snakes and the weeds on the ground where achieving simply by receiving Lord’s mercy.
So Srila Prabhupada would tell us that we can’t imitate the supreme merciful incarnation of Godhead Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu who couldn’t instantly give Prema Bhakti the perfection of life to everyone and anyone. But as the servant of the servant of the servant of Lord Gauranga, Lord Krsna we can honestly endeavor to give this gift of Harinam to other living beings and i.e. the great value of our life to give this gift. There is nothing that will make us more dear to Krsna than helping the great souls in spreading this glorious Sankirtan movement. It is so simple.
Libration Is Insignificant By Product Of Pure Love
These little children when I am talking they are talking but when I am chanting they are chanting. They love to dance, they love to sing. Meditation will make your mind more peaceful no doubt. It can give you libration from all the sufferings of this world after great great ordeal. But the name of God brings one pure love. Hari das Thakur explained that libration is insignificant by product of pure love. And it’s so simple. But we have to chant with humility and sincerity and attention. We have to learn to chant in the mood of proper association with the Lord’s devotees. And they it is guaranteed. I am beginning to understand Hindi. Guarantee Hai. There like my Gurumaharaj. [(Translator) Devotee: däso ‘smi]. Hari Bol… It is guaranteed that if we simply love how to live in harmony with other Vaishnava devotees of the Lord and in their association just be a servant forget all your distinction, forget all your material aspirations just be a servant of the devotees continue on your family life bring your family to the association of devotees, take Prasad, dance and chant the Holy Name –
Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare
Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare.
Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare
Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare.
Let us follow in the footstep of the deer’s and tigers and the elephants. Then in a simple and pride less state of mind just take the name of Krsna, take the association of His devotees. Thank you very much. Is there any questions?
Question : Maharaj you told that libration is by product.
Answer : It is the insignificant by product. Not by product.
Question : I need little more explanation.
Answer : Explanation. One time Hari das Thakur was giving this example. He was explaining that in the early morning at the time done of we are waiting the Sun to rise. Before even the appearance of the Sun the sky is illuminated with light. This is just an insignificant by product of the presence of the sun i.e. about to come before us. “Libration means no more ignorance, no more suffering.” Suffering is all due to darkness. Even before love of God awakens in our heart automatically the light dissolves all darkness i.e. Mukti. But when that Sun of Krsna arises in our heart then there is pure Bhakti, Prema, divine love. When we becomes so completely absorb in love and devotion to Krsna automatically we become completely detached from all material desires which is the cause of all suffering. “Mukti means no more material desires but there is pure unmotivated, unalloyed love of God.” Krsna say – paraà dåñövä nivartate we have such a higher taste to serving the Lord in ecstasy that there is no question of even slightest chance of material desires to awaken in our heart i.e. Bhakti in the purified taste. Viswamitra Muni attains the Mukti but when he heard the trickling bells of Menaka he again aspire for material enjoyment.
Hari das Thakur even when Mayadevi herself came in the form of the beautiful woman and try to change his mind he was so busy tasting the sweet nectar of the chanting of the Holy Names-
Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare
Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare.
We was drowning so deeply in the ambrosial nectar of that love that there was no question of wanting to taste the temporary miserable conditions of material enjoyment. In fact Maya surrender to him and became his disciple. We may not be on that platform but we should understand that i.e. is the virtue of the goal of this path. And we should be willing to everything i.e. required to attract Krsna and His devotees to give us that love. Hari Bol…
Today is the appearance day of Tattvak Prabhu. That’s why he comes. Tattvak is a very wonderful devotee. He completely concealed the fact that it was his birthday and somebody found out and he learned about that person finding out he ran away to hide. But today we are allowing everyone to celebrate his wonderful glory. Let us wish Tattvak a very happy, healthy birthday by loudly chanting the Holy Name –
Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare
Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare.
