His Divine Grace Çréla Bhakti Rakñaka Çrédhara Deva Goswämé Mahäräj
24 th & 25 th May, 1983. Side A,
Guru Mahäräja : …….. even a great scholar when he's going to teach a child he must have to come into the lower position of a child and to educate him, or her. So the whole religious representation they have got such consideration, that these persons they must be allowed to eat anything and everything and to do something and we must be satisfied. When that course is finished then they will have a birth in a proper soil and then get higher chance of religious realisation. In the organic whole some sort of connection one must have with the other and everything is all right.
From Islam, Christianity, everything has got its place, either direct or indirect, some will help us direct and some from indirect. Everything has got its purpose and the principal is the Absolute which can harmonise everything. Even stealing and lying, that has also got position. Position means respectable position in the Absolute system. And in Kåñëa-lélä only that sort of peculiar harmony is seen.
He's lying and devotees are also lying, then stealing, ha ha, they're conscious they're stealing. Everything belongs to Him so really no stealing if we do it on His behalf. He's the Absolute Master of everything so if I use anything for His cause, no stealing. He has got Absolute Right over everything, that is rather, but still, stealing has got a peculiar process due to it, that is in Våndävana only, parakéyä. It does not belong to me.
Just as a family head, everything belongs to him, still, he may say, the guardian may say to his child: "Give me your pen my boy," or the play ball, "give your play ball to me." It belongs to him but in the absolute sense everything belongs to the guardian of the family.
That is the only way to harmonious life, harmony, synthesis. In our body, if a finger or any smallest part, if they work for their own selfish ends there will be a clash in the interest of the whole. If the finger says: "I shall work for me and I shall work for the palm only," greater selfishness, greater extended selfishness, then there will be clash. But when every atom of the body will say: "We shall work for the welfare of the whole body," then only will the body be healthy and wholesome. Otherwise if any selfish attempt, provincialism, or localism, these are all diseases. It will hamper the cause of the whole. So faithfully we must work for the whole, nothing less. Then there will be diseased part. Just as if you pour water into the root, the whole tree is fed. If you put food into the stomach, the whole body is fed. So whatever energy you have can command the whole for the centre, Acyuta.
Gaura Hari bol! Gaura Hari bol!
This is the key to success in life. Nothing less than that. Not that I shall be master, subduing the whole environment. "I'm monarch of all I survey." Fascism or democracy or anything, but it will go against, "only human body will live and other bodies will be kept without their food," this is not. It is a very deplorable life that you live in the plane of exploitation, without exploitation we cannot live for a moment. Only with the breath, then with steps, so many small insects with the water, we are causing death, that is pain to so many living bodies. The trees, everything, they have also got feelings. Causing disturbance, creating pain, our existence means to create pain and the reaction must come for us, action reaction.
So cent-per-cent surrendered life, and not for country nor for society nor for humanity, but for the Absolute. For the conception of the highest Absolute has been found in Kåñëa conception of Godhead. The beauty, the harmony, the ecstasy, the sweetness, the charm. Charm attracts, that attraction is service, that is surrender. Everything surrenders to the beauty, he's to charm, submit, unconscious of his own. We must sacrifice unto that function. Be worshipper of the beauty, serve the beauty.
Satyam-çivam-sundaram , its good that harmony is beauty, harmony means samaïjasä,
harmony means samaïjasä , adjustment, proper adjustment, proper adjustment is beauty. No complaint, everyone's demand met there, unconscious of his own self, charmed by the beauty, the purest of the pure. Forgetful, self-forgetfulness in beauty we find so forgetfulness.
Gaura Hari bol! Gaura Hari bol! Gaura Hari bol! Gaura Hari bol!
Self-sacrifice and self-forgetfulness, that is said to be of higher conception. Self-forgetfulness is considered as higher to self-sacrifice, subtle difference.
Devotee : What is the difference?
Guru Mahäräja : In sacrifice one is conscious of himself and s/he's doing, s/he's giving something consciously. "I am giving something for some cause." But self-forgetfulness in the plenary movement, s/he's giving something, s/he's moving, but s/he's been wholly captured by the interest of the whole, gopé stage. Deha-småti nähi yära , saàsära-küpa kähäì tära, tähä haite nä cähe uddhära:
deha-småti nähi yära , saàsära-küpa kähäì tära, tähä haite nä cähe uddhära
viraha-samudra-jale , käma-timiìgile gile, gopé-gaëe neha’ tära pära
(Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu continued: "The gopés are fallen in the great ocean of separation, and they are being devoured by the timiìgila fish, which represent their ambition to serve You. The gopés are to be delivered from the mouths of these timiìgila fish, for they are pure devotees. Since they have no material conception of life, why should they aspire for liberation? The gopés do not want that liberation desired by the yogés and jïänés, for they are already liberated from the ocean of material existence.")
(Caitanya-caritämåta, Madhya-lélä, 13.142)
"We do not care for us, no separate interest. If Kåñëa is satisfied we do not care for our condition. We are not conscious of our own existence." Deha-småti nähi yära, who has got no conception of his own body. Then, saàsära-küpa kähäì tära, the debt of this material world, the hell, all these things, are nothing for him, he's not conscious of his own body …….
(a short length of unclear recording)
Guru Mahäräja : …….. He's our revered Lord, we shall give feet dust to Him? No, no, no, it is not possible. You give your feet dust."
Then Närada came back disappointed.
"What? Närada, have you got?
"No, none would give it."
"No one, approaching to remove My difficulty? So much affection for Me they all show. You go to Våndävana Närada, you can with your yogéc, mystic powers, you can go immediately."
Närada came, all the gopés connected: "Oh, you are coming from Dvärakä? How Kåñëa is doing?"
"Now He's suffering temporarily from a very bad headache and only the feet dust of the devotees can cure Him."
"So there is so many devotees, you all are there and you can't give it?"
"No, no, none ventured to give feet dust so I am sent here."
"So, feet dust you have come to collect here, is that so?"
"Yes."
"You all come, we don't know who is the devotee but still you come and give your feet dust and mine, what else, you take it."
Närada was struck dumb. "All other pure devotees they deny, and you are coming so earnestly to offer your feet dust."
"We do not care for us, eternal hell, we don't care for that. Let Him get satisfaction even for a moment. At the cost of our whole life's future His instant pleasure has got more value."
Such degree of sacrifice, self-forgetfulness for the cause, for the centre, so much conscious of the benefit or pleasure of the centre, self-forgetfulness. They do not care for their society, nor for scripture, nor for any religious conception. Kåñëa is all-in-all. So much wholesale attraction. Suicidal squad, suicidal squad.
Gaurasundara. Gaurasundara. Gaurasundara.
High talks, but how much we are prepared for this.
Mahäprabhu began to take the name of "Gopé, gopé, gopé," in a time of His trance. And some paëòit scholars that hold some social position said: "You, Nimäi Paëòit, You are a big paëòit, and now you a devotee but that does not matter, but why do You take the name of Gopé, gopé, gopé ? Take the Name of Kåñëa. That will fetch something for You, we are told in the scripture. But You are taking gopé, gopé, what effect You will get? You are mad."
Then Mahäprabhu, ha, ha, there was a stick and with that stick He chased them.
"Oh, Nimäi Paëòit has become stark mad. We went to speak something good to Him and He came with a stick to kill us. We are not sons of ordinary men, we have got our position, our family dignity. We will save Him." They began to make conspiracy that, "Nimäi Paëòit should be given a good beating, a good lesson He must be taught."
Then Mahäprabhu suddenly cried out:
korila pippalikhanda kapha nibärite
ulatiyä äro kapha baòila dehete
("Oh, I came to make a drastic treatment of the cold, but I see that what I came to give, that has an opposite reaction. The highest type of medicine I administered, but I find that the patient is such, that this is increasing his disease. Then what to do? I came to work out relief for the people, and the people they are standing against Me, the well-wisher, the relief giver. Then, what may be the remedy for them?")
"I took the greatest measure to deliver these wretched souls, but I see that more sin is being collected, I'm rather creating more sins in the public. They're abusing Me and they're making conspiracy to punish Me. What for I came and such is going to be effective. So I shall have to take the role of a sannyäsé . I am one of them, a gåhastha, a householder, but if I become a sannyäsé, a preacher, then they may have some respect for Me. They'll say: "We are all householder's, He has become sannyäsé, He should be revered." Then from that reverence they will get some benefit, otherwise they will have to go to hell, thinking that I am their …….. : "Oh, He's my maternal brother, or paternal brother." In this way they're thinking so I have to take some steps in such a way that they will have to come to revere Me. I'm to take the role of a sannyäsé."
And He told to Nityänanda and very few disciples, the warning to take sannyäsa on the last day of this Pauña month (December-January) ……..
and He went to Katwa and took sannyäsa.
Hare Kåñëa. Gaura Hari. Nitäi Gaura Hari. Nitäi Gaura Hari. Nitäi Gaura Hari.
Gaura Hari. Gaura Hari. Gaura Hari. Gaura Hari. Gaura Hari. Gaura Hari.
Devotee : Mahäräja, I have one question. He took sannyäsa from Keçava Bharaté. Is it because there were no advanced Vaiñëavas at that time?
Guru Mahäräja : Not that, immediately what a sannyäsé veça (external garb), at that time the Çaìkara school was holding a respectable position of the theists. So He took sannyäsa , and also He gave mantram to Keçava Bharaté: "That this mantram I have got in My dream so I can see what this will do."
Keçava Bharaté told: "Yes, this is the truth."
So He first gave to Keçava Bharaté and Keçava Bharaté he gave Him that. And in the form no so much formality he gave in the form of sannyäsa , a preacher only, the role of a preacher not in mantram especially. Just as Kåñëa accepted Sändépani Muni as a Guru. For Him it was a fashion, formal thing only, not real help to be got from the Guru, rather the Guru was converted into disciple after this function.
Only He wanted to enter the group of the preachers. The Çaìkara sannyäsés , they felt the prestige of the sannyäsa school enter and with that advantage began to take, took sannyäsa.
When He went to Benares that was the headquarters of the sannyäsés of the Çaìkara school. And when He met first the leader of the sannyäsé group, Prakäçänanda Sarasvaté, he addressed Him: "You are sannyäsé of our group but why don't You meet us? We are here, You come and step, sit along with us."
"No, I am the worst type of sannyäsé. I have no courage to take my seat along with you, you are so respectable sannyäsés."
Attack from the negative side. He was invited in some party and He went and took His seat in a very lower place, the place where they're washing their feet. He took His seat nearby, and taking the Name and they're discussing about so 'ham, and He's modestly taking the Name in the place.
Then after casting his eyes to the appearance of Çré Caitanyadeva, Prakäçänanda, who was boasting so much before, he was captivated: "Oh, such a figure, beautiful, stern, and no trace of any egoism there. Very, very simple, candid, won't go about that He has come to conquer, nothing of the type. So simple that it's desirable for us, for everyone to acquire such temperament." So Prakäçänanda was disarmed. "In this figure, there cannot be any cheating tendency. It is plain, simple, grand and divine." So he himself came, the leader of the Çaìkara school, from the high position and went there. "Why You take Your seat here? You belong to our group, Çaìkara group, sannyäsé Keçava Bharaté's group disciples belong to our group."
"No, I am a mean fellow. I can't venture to take my position as you are so big."
"No, no, no, that cannot be, You must come. Then I ask one question of You. Before I heard that the great paëòit Särvabhauma Bhaööäcärya was converted by You, and You dance and chant and take Prasädam of high preparation. This does not behove a sannyäsé to take, so I thought You are a magician, You can capture anybody and everybody like hypnotising. But now after looking at Your body I cannot but think that You have no bad motive anywhere for Your dealings, plain, simple. Then I ask one question to You: Why don't You, as a follower of Çaìkara school sannyäsé, then why don't You discuss about Vedänta ?"
"I'm not up in that higher type of scholar. Guru asked Me, You have not got such scholarship to understand what is the purport of Vedänta, You go on taking the Name."
"All right, You may take the Name, that is not bad, but why do You dance and in a mad way show so many symptoms, all these things?"
"I do not do it Myself. It is written in the scripture. When these sort of feelings came in Me I went to My Guru and asked: "What is this? I'm taking the Name of Kåñëa, I cannot contain Myself, so many feelings come and make Me dance and cry and move this way that way in a mad way." I asked My Gurudeva and he told: "You are most fortunate man in this world. It is mentioned in the scripture that real devotion will produce such symptoms in one's mind and body. So You are fortunate and I also consider myself fortunate that I have got the disciplic connection with You." He told Me this: "Go on taking the Name."
"Then the Vedänta consideration that is not necessary?"
"No, it is not necessary, the Name can do anything and everything."
In this way the discussion began and Prakäçänanda could not put his point against His argument, then he was down, anyhow that day finished.
Another day, Mahäprabhu was engaged in kértaëa in the Bhindu-Madhava Temple and one of the disciples of Prakäçänanda told: "Oh, Çré Caitanyadeva is chanting and dancing in the next temple, if you like to see, let us go there." They all came and saw that wonderful dancing and chanting the Name in His trance, they're all charmed. And from then they gave up abusing Çré Caitanya's extraordinary Personality. Only from that connection the leader of the group came to see Him. But in that unassuming feature, no assertive nature to be traced there in that simple and noble figure, nothing crooked or any trace of any policy. He's plain and simple as truth is embodied and found. He was converted.
Hare Kåñëa. Some say he was converted and took the name of Prabhodhänanda and lived in Våndävana, some are of that opinion. But our line, Guru Mahäräja, did not. That Sisir Ghosh, Founder of Amåta Bazzar, he's of that opinion, but our Guru Mahäräja discarded that. That Prabhodhänanda was Tuìgavidyä incarnation, one of the eight sakhés of Rädhäräëé, he cannot be a mäyävädé.
Hare Kåñëa. Gaura Hari.
He was always a scholar of moderate type and was a (prakash smarta ?)
something atheist type. His tutor, he was tutor of his (family life, mangala (?)
When after returning from Goyä, Mahäprabhu was interpreting and teaching the grammar, giving interpretation of Kåñëa-Näma, Kåñëa-Näma, all related to Kåñëa, explaining grammar of Sanskrit. Then the students, they thought that for which we have come to learn as grammar from Him, it is not going to satisfy ……..
coaching we got from Him, Nimäi Paëòit, that's never to be had anywhere. We can't abandon Him immediately, can't leave Him. But how to improve the style of teaching?" So they went to see His early teacher, Gangadäsa Paëòita. "Nimäi Paëòit, we are very much pleased by reading under His care, but now after coming from Gayä He's explaining everything in Kåñëa-Näma. Though that is very valuable but for which we have come to learn, no effect of that. So if you please may influence Him."
Gangadäsa told: "Oh, you ask Him to see me."
And the students told Nimäi Paëòit that: "Gangadäsa Paëòita, Your previous teacher, he wants to see You."
And Nimäi Paëòit went to him, paid His respect.
And Gangadäsa asked: "How are You." All these things. "I'm very happy You went to Gayä and You have offered piëòam to Your predecessors, very good." All these things. But why don't You teach Your students in the previous way, they all appreciate Your teachings. But now after coming from Gayä You are taking a novel style of teaching. So don't do so, I say properly teach them. You have become a devotee I hear from the people, but whether Your father's forefathers, were they not devotees? You have become devotee of newest type, so don't go astray, remain calm and follow Your predecessors and teach well the boys so I do not have to hear in future any complain against You. Your students they won't go to any other school, they are very fond of You, so teach them well I say."
Mahäprabhu told: "By the dint of your foot dust, who can give challenge to Me, to the teachings?" All these things. "You remain satisfied, I shall teach them well."
. . . . . . .
Guru Mahäräja : Hare Kåñëa. Today is the day of Advent of Nåsiàhadeva. He's supposed to, He's eternally in Vaikuëöha. Only He came down here on a particular day to relieve His devotee to save from trouble, and hence we all are after Him if any obstacles or hindrances in the path of devotion.
"My Lord, You saved Prahläda, so we also file petition to You to do away with all the obstacles that may come in our way when we try with our small capacity to approach towards the Supreme. Naturally there may be many difficulties on the path and You are gracious enough to remove the great difficulty in the case of PrahlädaMahäräja. So we also expect hope that You will also remove all the thorns that may be fallen in our path towards the object of our aspiration.
Kåñëa, without grace in my past history I must have done many things which will come against me and the illusory energy in general that also won't allow me without clearing the debts that I incurred in so many previous lives under her control. So You are the only saviour if You come to our help then easily all these things may be managed and we may pass over to our desired end. So be specially gracious on us.
So Nåsiàhadeva to do away with the difficulties that may come in the way of our progress. And He generally helps the devotees in that way. So particularly with this idea that my little capital that may bring some success by Your grace. I am nothing. So many difficulties sure to stand in my way to check my progress ……..
End of recording, 24th May, 1983.
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