Value of Time

The great politician-Pandita named Cāṇakya said that even one moment of time cannot be returned even if one is prepared to pay millions of dollars. One cannot calculate the amount of loss there is in wasting valuable time. Either materially or spiritually, one should be very alert in utilizing the time which he has at his disposal. A conditioned soul lives in a particular body for a fixed measurement and it is recommended in the scriptures that within that small measurement of time one has to finish Krsna consciousness and thus gain release from the influence of the time factor. But, unfortunately, those who are not in Krsna consciousness are carried away by the strong power of time without their knowledge, as clouds are carried by the wind.

- SB 3.30.1 Purport

Remembering Krishna at the time of Death

We can remember Krishna only when we are sada tad bhava bhavitah. When one is simply thinking of Krishna all the time, sada. Then only he’ll be able to remember Krishna at the time of death. If one is thinking of anything else, people, we know the story of Ajamila. He was attached to his son, so much so that he remembered his son at the time of death. Our last thought will be where our deepest attachment is. Wherever your deepest attachment, that will be your last thought.

So we have to be very, very careful that our consciousness is in the right place. And if we practice properly throughout our lifetime at the time of death we will. And we are seeing it’s happening.

Just the day before yesterday one devotee in South Africa all of a sudden left her body. They went shopping from six, she was quite elderly, she and her husband. Many of you know probably, Harichandan and his wife, Rukmavati. Harichandan comes here quite often. Harichandan and his wife. She had some heart problem. They did shopping from six to nine, then, no I am sorry, three to six. Three o’clock to six o’clock. They did their shopping, then they came home. At seven o’clock they did their arotika and then they took some prasad. Now, when they were shopping she was actually telling him that she had a dream that Bhakti Devi came and told her to come with Her. And then at ten o’clock at night she was telling that she was feeling suffocation. She was finding it difficult to breathe. And she just told him, see, my time has come to go, I am going to go. And she just left. I mean, such a glorious way of… and apparently she is just an ordinary housewife. She is not a big sannyasi or big devotee. She was just a simple… but we are seeing how Krishna Consciousness Movement is benefitting people. How can one leave his body or her body in this way? She is having some difficulty and she is saying, well, my time has come for me to leave the body. Gone!

This is how Krishna consciousness helps. The real help will come at the time of death. And it’s a beautiful experience. To tell you frankly, like, when Prabhupada was in his final days, Prabhupada was totally bedridden as I told you many times. Prabhupada couldn’t even turn to his side. We had to help him to make him turn to his side when he wanted to. And sometimes Prabhupada used to say that, “Don’t think that this won’t happen to you.” What Prabhupada was going through, and Prabhupada was saying that it will happen to all of us. In this way Prabhupada actually taught us how to die, how to leave our body. And at that time, I mean, I heard the expression, Prabhupada saying that, but couldn’t understand it. But now I am seeing it, what happens when the body gets old. It doesn’t function the way it used to function before. And it will happen. Gradually it will become bedridden.  Bedridden means the soul and the body will become separated gradually. And then finally the soul will leave the body and go.

So that is the arrangement of nature and we have to go along with that. But unfortunately what is happening nowadays, people do not want to accept death, do not want to accept old age, do not want to accept disease. They are trying to make all kinds of artificial arrangement. They are trying to find medicine so that they won’t get the disease. They are trying to make arrangements that they won’t become old. But it never happens. They become old, only, one doctor actually made a very wise statement the other day. He was telling, it was during the convention in South Africa. One doctor made that statement. He was invited to speak and he was telling, he frankly admitted, what modern medicine has been able to do is to prolong the suffering condition of the people. They have been able to simply prolong the suffering condition. The man was meant to suffer for five days and leave his body, but they are making the body to prolong for five years. And in these five years what is happening? The man is just suffering, prolong the suffering condition.

Okay, so that is the reality and we are very fortunate that Prabhupada gave us Krishna consciousness. So let’s take full advantage of it. There will be many hurdles. There will be many difficulties. There will be many obstacles.  Don’t worry about that. Just recognize you got the most precious thing and go ahead with it.

- HH Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaj
Lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam 3.25.15

Difference between Krsna Consciousness and Maya

So, material nature is a reflection of the spiritual reality. Everything seems to be there, but it’s a reflection. The reality is when it is real, not only an impression. It is there. Like, for example, leaves have a purpose. Flowers have a purpose. Fruits have a purpose. Like, we are hungry and we want to eat the fruit. Can we eat the fruit from the reflection? We like the beauty of the flower and want to pick it and make a garland. Can we pick the flowers from the reflection of the tree, although it appears to be there? That is the difference between the reality and the reflection.

Now when we are looking at the reflection, then our consciousness is stuck there. But when we look at the reality, in order to look at the reality we have to withdraw our consciousness from the reflection and then only will we be able to project it into the reality. Like, we are very hungry, so another reflection, impression of a reflection, can be seen in this way that in this world is a mirror. And, say we are standing there, and there is a table, full of beautiful, delicious food. And I am very hungry.

Now when I look at the reflection, extremely hungry, for seven days I didn’t have any food [laughs], and I come into the room and I see the reflection.  Then what will happen? Mind you, did anybody ever fast for seven days? [laughs] Well, you know how it is like to fast even for one day. And Nirjala Ekadasi you fast and you are very hungry. The next day, not the same day. And you see all kinds of beautiful prasad, delicious prasad. So what will be the natural reaction for you? You came in from the door and there you see a
beautiful table full of hundreds of delicious preparations. The whole world is full of preparations, foodstuff.



Now what will you naturally do? Won’t you just run to the food, thinking that the food is there? But you try to grab the food, what do you get? You get the food? Or you get the solid mirror? And you are so hungry and you are so, you became so obsessed with the prospect of having the food, then what do you do? You are trying to get the food, but you don’t get the food. But then what do you think? You think there is something wrong in your trying, that’s why you are getting no food. Maybe if you try harder, then you’ll get it. Your food is there, but you can’t just get it. So what do you do? You take a few steps back and then pounce up, thinking that now you get it. What do you get? You get hurt. The more you endeavor the more you get hurt. The more you endeavor the more you get hurt.

Then somebody comes into the room and sees you struggling like that to get the food. And then he tells you, “this is only the reflection.  You’ll never get the food you found in the reflection.” But since the reflection is there of the food since the food is there in the reflection, in reality also the food must be there! So the food is not there, the real food is there. But then, if you’re wise enough, then you believe in his words and you turn your face and you see, yes, the real food is there, the table is there, all the preparations are there. You simply just have to just approach in that direction, not in this direction.

So that is the difference between Krishna consciousness and maya. In simple words we can say that there is a reflection and there is a reality. The material nature, what is the definition of the material nature? The material nature is the reflection. Yathabhaso  yatha tamah [SB 2.9.34]. Abhasa. Abhasa means the impression of the reality. It is not the reality. It is the impression of the reality.

- HH Bhakti Caru Swami Maharaj -
lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam Canto 3, Chapter 25, The Glories Of Devotional Service Text 15

How to become a Pure Devotee

My spiritual master, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, describes in his purport to the Srimad Bhagavatam 1.5.29 what are the qualifications for becoming a spotlessly pure devotee of the Lord:

"These are the necessary qualifications of a prospective candidate who can expect to be elevated to the position of a pure unadulterated devotee. Such a candidate must always seek the association of pure devotees. One should not be misled by a pseudo devotee. He himself must be plain and gentle to receive the instructions of such a pure devotee. A pure devotee is a completely surrendered soul unto the Personality of Godhead. He knows the Personality of Godhead as the supreme proprietor and all others as His servitors. And by the association of pure devotees only, one can get rid of all sins accumulated by mundane association. A neophyte devotee must faithfully serve the pure devotee, and he should be very much obedient and strictly follow the instructions. These are the signs of a devotee who is determined to achieve success even in the existing duration of life."

It is very encouraging to note in the above description that we can achieve the supreme spiritual success of pure unadulterated devotion even in the existing duration of life. We do not have to wait for the moment of death to fully realize God. In fact my spiritual master personally ordered me in a letter written on 18 December 1972 from Bombay, India: "Now you just apply yourself for becoming qualified to see Krishna face-to-face." So we are meant to practice Krishna consciousness in such a pure and sincere way that we can fully realize God as soon as possible.

Becoming a pure devotee is no doubt a slow and gradual process, but we should not make it any slower or more gradual than necessary. This is so because we still continue to suffer in material existence to the extent that we are not completely pure devotees.  So why should we prolong our suffering? We should become completely free from all suffering as soon as possible by becoming completely pure devotees. This is actual intelligence.

So how is this attained? The first step is that one has to take shelter of a pure devotee, a devotee who is purely practicing and teaching the bhakti science. This is absolutely essential because it is only by placing oneself under the guidance of such a bona fide spiritual master that one can become a pure devotee. And then under his expert guidance the disciple will advance steady on the pathway of devotional and gradually attain the stage of being a 100% pure devotee, the perfection of existence.

- HG Sankarshan Das Adhikari

Material achievements are like play toys.

"They are modelled after real things. but they are just imitations. A little girl may spend hours imagining that her doll house is real, but it is still a toy all the time. Krishna has impregnated this material world with spiritual sparks, ourselves. And we are little children playing with toys, and Krishna is a kind father allowing us to play to our hearts' content. The material body comes into being, and it grows, leaves some by-prodycts, gets older, dwindles and vanishes. And this process is repeated over and over. But to avoid all this suffering, we must return to Krishna, to reality. Illusion is always strong and is saying, 'Look here! Enjoy. You are God! Why do you worship.?'

We are in the reflection and are being baffled. There is a saying, 'I thought I was building my cottage safely, but it was burnt to ashes.' Whatever we do here is patchwork. Where can you get happiness? Whatever material thing you will get will eventually vanish. So this sense of temporary nature of things should come to us.."

- Srila Prabhupada (Hare Krishna Explosion Ch6 Pg 114)

Krishna is for Everyone

"Most of the Western country, they are Christian. So the Christians believe in ...Lord Jesus Christ as son of God. But we are presenting the father, God Himself. So there is no contradiction. If there is son, there must be a father also. Without father, there cannot be son. So if you believe in the son, then you must believe in the father also. The father is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā,
[Bg. 14.44] He is the seed-giving father for all living entities. So Kṛṣṇa is for everyone.

Don't think that Kṛṣṇa, as it is stated in your English dictionary, "Kṛṣṇa is a Hindu God." He's not Hindu, He's not Muslim, or He's not Christian. He's God. God is neither Hindu nor Muslim nor Christian. It is bodily designations, "I am Hindu, you are Christian." This is bodily... Just like dress. You have got some black coat. Another has got some white coat. That does not meant we are different because we are in different coat or shirt. As human being, we are all sons of God. We are one. That is the conception. So at the present moment, we have divided the world on account of this shirt and coat. That is not. That is not good. Actually, the whole world or the whole universe belongs to God. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness "


Srila Prabhupada: Hare Krishna Festival Address -- San Diego, July 1, 1972, At Balboa Park Bowl
(Shared by Reb Revati Vinson Mataji)

Prabhupada Nectar

 

Because you have given your life to Krishna, you are already perfect. But it is just like the ocean, if you are swimming in it you may swim forever and not reach the shore. Similarly, there is no limit to the perfection of Krishna Consciousness. Letter to Abhirama, November 19, 1971.

 

The beauty of the outer skin can be destroyed in only a few hours ... merely by a dose of a strong purgative, but the beauty of truth is indestructible and always the same. Truth and Beauty,

November 20, 1958

There is only one guru—Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So those who simply repeat His words, they also become guru. But of course a guru never thinks himself as being God. He only thinks of
himself as the servant of the servant of the servant.

Letter to Mr. & Mrs. Bhatia, November 23, 1975.

Please Chant, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare/Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare

Three Types of Happiness & Having a desire to serve Krishna

Three types of Happiness

Mode of Goodness, Passion and Ignorance.

Happiness in the mode of Goodness :- Beginning like poison and like nectar in the end and wakes one to self-realization.
- There are many activities which appear like poison in the beginning. One may ask is it something like a child who restricts his playtime because he wants to study and then gets good grades. Is this happiness in goodness? - NO. Krishna explains, this must wake one up to self-realization.
- Vedas means knowledge. We all operate under the influence that knowledge is only found in schools and colleges and vedas is for religious knowledge. But Vedas is real knowledge. One should cultivate spiritual and material knowledge together.
- Sadly, education has become one of most successful commercial businesses. We may decorate and ornament a cage but if we don't feed the bird inside the cage, what good will the bird do living in a good environment?
- kamasya nendriya pritir: We should not utilize the body like cats and dogs.
- Hearing about the instructions might be painful when one is asked to sacrifice the object of senses, but when one uses his intelligence and gets the higher taste, he is benefitted.

Happiness in the mode of Passion: Derived from contact of senses with sense objects and is like nectar in beginning and posion in the end. - If we analyze the process of sense enjoyment which people are promoting actively, we will see that we are painful.
- Everyone is worried of Cancer, AIDS. These diseases are a result of sinful life.
- So, today 99.9% of the population is interested in pursuing happiness in mode of passion. Just like instant tea, coffee. Just for this instant sense gratification, we indulge in unlimited sense enjoyment.
- When we run after wealth, we engage in any activities.

Happiness in mode of Ignorance: That happiness which is blind to self realization, all illusion and is due to sleep and ignorance.
- In Kali-yuga people are spiritually lazy and very few are awake to self-realization.
- There is no understanding to God and no desire to even understand.

So, why is Krishna explaining all this?
So that we can be educated and can make the decision.



If Krsna wants us to surrender to Him, how do we develop that love and devotion?
Rupa Goswami explains that:
- One must have a desire to establish a relation with Krsna and serve Him. When Krsna understands this desire, then Krsna will arrange a situation where you come in contact with a Sadhu & with Prabhupada's books. Then we will recieve knowledge. As a result of chanting, bhajana-kriya, the result is that the unlimited material desires that were stopping us to come to Krsna get eliminated. Just like if we take a medicine, it cures us of the germs in the body. We should never forget that the Supreme Lord is very unhappy when He sees that His parts and parcels are trying to be happy without Him.

- Service to the Lord starts with chanting His names & cleanses the heart and it is an ancient system of self-realization.
- Jump at the opportunity of becoming spiritually happy. Chant Hare Krsna, read Bhagavad-Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam and associate with devotees. Follow this simple philospohy and there is nothing to lose but only to gain.

- Notes from a lecture by HH Gopal Krishna Goswami Maharaj

Pure Devotional Service controls Krishna

1. The Lord cannot be understood by material senses. We need to purify our senses to understand the Supreme Lord and the pleasure that one can derive from executing devotional service is far more the pleasure obtained by Brahman realization or any other material happiness.

2. The emphasis is always on pure devotional service.
3. The happiness derived through the process of devotional service is the highest. When we come to the path of devotional service, we get introduced to so many rules and regulations and many austerities. One may question, if I perform austerities, what will I get in exchange?
- Lord Rshabdeva explains please perform austerities for the pleasure of the Lord. One will get unlimited and unending spiritual happiness.
- There is a limit to the height of the waves of the ocean but there is no limit to the height of the spiritual ocean. The happiness derived by executing pure devotional service is unending.
- Bitter in beginning, sweet in the end and wakes you up to self-realization. - Happiness is mode of Goodness
Sweet in beginning and bitter in the end and is due to contact of senses with sense objects. - Passion

4. Sins that we perform at different stages.
Some we have already experienced. Some we are experiencing. Some we are going to experience. Some are lying as seed. But Pure devotional service destroys all miseries. It is rarely achieved cos through pure devotional service we can control Krishna.

- Notes from a lecture by HH Gopal Krishna Goswami Maharaj

Why can't I see Krishna even after Chanting?

Hayagriva Das writes that although I have been chanting for long, the cosmos has not unfolded psychedelically before me. What have I done wrong? Why haven't I seen that apocalyptic vision witnessed by Arjuna on the Battlefield of Kurukshetra?



According to Prabhupada, Sri Krishna revealed this form to Arjuna as a special favour. What Arjuna saw of course is beyond description and human imagination. He saw the entire creation contained in the Lord's body. The pure devotees however are not eager to see this form. Devotees prefer the two-armed form of Krishna as a cowherd boy. The virat-svarupa is exhibited to materialistic men who can be impressed only by the might and opulence of the Supreme.

So, I finally gather the courage to approach Prabhupada and ask, "Why can't I see Krishna as Arjuna saw Him on the battlefield"?

"You can" Swamiji says. "This is the process, chanting Hare Krishna." "I've been chanting Hare Krishna for more than four months now, but still I don't see that universal form with all the heads and arms. What am I doing wrong."? I complain.

Swamaiji looks for a moment and hands me the manuscripts of his recent translations of the elevanth chapter verses. I read:

"O greatest of all personalities, O supreme form, though I see You here before me in Your actual position, as You have described Yourself, I wish to see how You have entered into this cosmic manifestation. I want to see that form of Yours. If You think that I am able to behold Your cosmic form, O my Lord, O master of all mystic power, then kindly show me that unlimited universal Self." (Gita 11.3-4)

"There" Swamiji says. "If You think I am able to behold Your cosmic form." So what does that mean?
I look at the verse and think deeply again and feel stupid again.

"It means Lord Krishna is the best judge, So Arjuna leaves it to Him." I say.

"Yes, that is the process. Arjuna was a great warrior and a great devotee of Krishna, He didn't want to see that virat-svarupa for his personal benefit. He was asking on behalf of the materialists. Yet he says to Krishna that 'If You think I am able'. This is the attitude we should have. What do you think?"

"I don't think I am ready" I say.



"Yes. my spiritual master used to say, 'Don't work hard to try to see God, but work in such a way that God wants to see you.' So we should just go on with our chanting, and see Krishna in our service. Carry on with devotional service sincerely, and everything will come in time."

- Hare Krishna Explosion Ch6: Back to Godhead