I am very much grateful to be among all of you this evening, 77th festival of Prerana and very grateful to all of you for coming. During this very busy time of the year on a weeknight, whether there was a change or schedule with such short notice, still so many of you have come. Thank you very much! If I had the time and energy to put a garland of affection and appreciation on each and every one of you, I would do it. But in my heart I am doing it at this very moment.

‘WORRY’ IN MATERIAL AND SPIRITUAL WORLDS

Why do people worry? There are numberless reasons within the world that we live. We may be worried about our health, about our wealth, about our loved ones, or our friends. We may be worried about our yesterday, today, or tomorrow. We may be worried about the environment, the situation in the world in politics. The nature of this world is birth, old age, disease, and death. The nature of this world is – everything is always changing, and essentially the biggest problem is – we want to control our environment. And eternal reality is – you and me, we are not the controllers, things they can go their own way. We can try our best; to some degree we have influence. But ultimately things are out of our control. So to the degree we are attached to anything or anyone on this worldly platform. There would be worries. Attachment brings worry.

Now in the spiritual world there was worry also. But Krishna is the object, that worry brings happiness, brings ecstasy, brings us closer. But worry in this world is something very different. The cause we will discuss, our lack of our spiritual fulfilment.

INNER FULFILMENT IS THE FOUNDATION

We are often giving the example of foundation of a building. Externally it cannot be seen. It’s hidden, it’s something that you may say it’s internal. Externally we see the building, the architecture, the furniture, the paintings, the particular building materials, maybe marble, maybe plaster. But it’s is the foundation that holds it up and gives it some strength. Without a strong foundation, when storm comes it will be all blown down. With a strong foundation, hurricanes, earthquakes cannot harm it. So our mind is stable when it has a strong spiritual foundation. Storms may come, reversals, but if we have that foundation of inner fulfilment, we deal with it with a very clear and practical mind, then it does not disrupt us. Because we are connected to something that is immortal, we are connected to the truth, which is our home, our home. Our real home, is where there is comfort, where there is love, where there is affection, where there is happiness, where there is trust, that is the actual meaning of home.

But in this world, we are like strangers in the foreign land. What is foreign is conception; I’m thinking that I am someone that I am not. I am thinking that I am this body. I thinking that I’m this mind. The body and mind are subjected to unlimited reversals, and ultimately the body dies, and it gets old, but the Atma is eternal, the Atma in its own nature is Sat Cit Ananda, eternal, full of knowledge and full of bliss. So going back home, to our real origin and uncovering the secrets of our true self is the way to come above, all this needless worry of this world and find real fulfilment. Whatever happens can not disturb that fulfilment.

Apuriman yaman yachala

During the monsoon rains, a puddle of water gets bigger and bigger and bigger. During the dry season, the puddle of water dries to nothing. Pretty much affected by the rains. But the ocean, whether it is the dry season or the monsoon rains, it remains the same. What is the difference? The puddle has no depth. Therefore it is completely affected by its environment, by circumstances. But the ocean in its own self has such depth. On the surface, it’s affected by the monsoons, but deep down, it’s not affected at all. It neither goes bigger or smaller. So, yes, on the surface, we have to deal with the things of this world, but if we don’t have much spiritual depth, it really can either elate us or devastate us, with anxiety, misery, and worry. But a person who finds that spiritual depth, who uncovers the truth within, deals with the things on its surface but nothing can change that fulfilment. Nothing can change that meaning, that love that is within.

LESSONS FROM THE STORY OF ‘FISH OUT OF WATER’

Years ago I was walking along the seashore and I saw a little fish, about this big, just about maybe 3 or 4 inches in size. He was laying there in the sand, whether he was a he or a she I really can’t tell.

As a sannyasi I felt it wasn’t my position to look so carefully. But this little fish was in so much worry, it was flapping, laying on the dry sand and flapping and flapping and flapping and then I looked in its eyes, I will say his, since its prerana. i was giving this analogy in chetana, I would say her. Its just to keep you all peaceful, i will consider the fish to be male. Because I don’t want to say it, because it will depersonalize, since he was a person. So he was flapping and flapping and flapping and I looked in its eyes and looked in total confusion and frustration and misery. Somehow or the other a wave washed this little fish up and here he was in the sand couldn’t breath properly and I was looking at him flapping and flapping and flapping and oh how he is suffering. He was hysterical.

I could have got a female fish and put it next to him, would that help him? I could have got some mango lassi with a nice sanitized straw and put it next to it, I could have got him a diamond ring or a ruby crown. I could have offered him a BMW, would all that make him happy? Because he was out of his natural element. Nothing can make you happy if you are not in your natural element.

So I picked up this fish and try to threw him back in the ocean, but he was so intensely worrying that every time I picked him up he flapped so hard that he flapped right out of my hand right back into hte sand. At least five times I picked him up and he flapped right out. I was his well wisher trying to save his life but he could not recognize me, becasue he was in such a state of trauma. Finally with both my hands, people if they saw mw they would have thought I was crazy, but with both my hands, this little fish, I cupped him in and trapped him and then i threw him as far as i can into the ocean. And I felt I did a good deed. Then a next wave came and then it receded back into the ocean and left the fish flapping in the sand. With two hands, again I trapped it, it was trying to get out, its was flapping, flapping and flapping. My whole body was vibrating. And as hard as I could threw it into the ocean. And I waited, the next wave came in. Then it receded back, and left my little fish flapping in the sand.

Now I am committed to save this fish. I tried to pick up the fish again. It was flapping, flapping out of my hands, and it eventually somehow or other tried to escape, but I caught him. And I went into the ocean carrying him step by step, up to my knees, up to my waist, up to my neck. And I had the fish over my head and as hard as I could, I threw him. Then I came back out. I was wet. And the next wave came… (Maharaj makes the sound of wave) No fish! (claps from audience)

I watched the next 12 or 13 waves. No fish! I felt that fish will never recognize that I saved his life. It’s a selfless task, thankless task. I got wet, spent so much time, fish will never thank me, doesn’t even know who I am. But I walked down a little, and I was feeling very nice, because, that fish really, when I saw him, when you see somebody really suffering, you naturally feel something very personal.

People would say there are vegetarians who eat fish. And they say fish don’t have feelings. Fish have feelings. Fish want to live. That fish was struggling and flapping as much as any human being would in that particular predicament. May not have any intellectual understanding of what was going on, but emotions were there.

I walked down the shore a little bit and I saw a boat coming in. And with the boat, I see fishermen, and they had stretched a net a long distance along the shore. And they brought the net in. And I looked in the net, there are hundreds and hundreds of those same little types of fish, flapping and about to be put in frying pans. There is nothing I could do. I wasn’t going to fight all the fishermen.

But I was thinking that saintly people, they do the thankless task, they work so hard to put one person back into the ocean of their natural position. But maya with her net, specially her internet (laughs and claps from audience), and so many other networks, and net profits takes people out of their natural position and puts them in unnatural situation on the shore on the sand of material existence. That is most important question in life.

THREE PLANES OF CONSCIOUSNESS

Essentially there are three planes of consciousness. There is the plane of enjoyment, there is the plane of renunciation, and there is the plane of devotion.

And on the plane of enjoyment, in order to survive, the environment is geared towards exploitation. The Srimad Bhagavatam there is a beautiful verse which ends “jiva jivasya jivanam”.  That those species that have hands there food is for species without hands, those who have four legs there species are for those who don’t have legs. Like the grass and so forth.  So in the animal species, even when we look at the beautiful natural scene there is so much competition there. That fish I am sure very happy frolicking in bliss because fish’s natural place is in the ocean. Yes!  Could swim, could breathe, could be happy, could find friends, could have a family. But on the shore because it is unnatural no matter what you do, it can’t really find happiness. It can find some relief but not fulfilment. But this analogy is limited, because even in that ocean there is bigger fish that want to eat it. Yes! And it could be eaten at any moment. So we look at the beauty of the ocean but factually fish are eating other fish at all times. And birds are killing insects and cats are killing birds, and bigger birds are killing smaller birds. And big animals in the forest are killing little animals. Yes!  The fox may kill the rabbit, than the leopard kills the fox, than the hunter kills the leopard, and the time kills the hunter. So there is this competition, It’s the nature of the world. Why? Its because of selfishness, it’s because we put ourselves in the centre. And we look around at all the conflict.  There is conflict among nations, conflict among religions, conflict among races, conflict among political parties within a nation, conflict among family members, conflict among different types of businesses, Conflict among different teams of sports, and there is conflict within our own minds, This is a world of conflict. Is it not? Because everyone has a different centre. Now for those philosophers who promote the path of renunciation it is taught that there can be no peace in this material existence. Because everything is temporary, everything is changing. Time is going to kill everything, And there is so much conflict for survival, for greed and for everything else. And we are exploiting so many things, so let’s get out of theis existence completely. Renunciants have nothing to do with it, any of it, any more. And there goal is like a deep dreamless sleep. A type of Samadhi, where there is just no more pain, no more suffering, no more birth and death. There is just deep sleep. You do not even have consciousness of your own identity. Not that is peaceful.

In the west when there is on graves which is rest in peace. Now death is actually the end of everything. You do not exist anymore. So that’s quite peaceful. But the problem is you can be reborn, according to your karma because it is the world of exploitation. For every action there is a correspondence reaction. That is the laws of Karma. You may hurt somebody to get up but that same type of pain has to come back to you. It’s the law. You can get away with it, either this life or the next. This life get smashed or you may take your next birth in a terrible, horrible situation. You can escape. The reactions will come, its Karma. So we want to get out of this karma. We want get out of all this frustrations. So Nirbisesa Sunyavada, go into the dreamless sleep or Samadhi, enlightenment.

REAL HARMONY

But the fourth path is devotion. Which recognizes that the highest of all solutions is to understand our urge, who we are and who is our origin? What is our origin? And to live in harmony with that. The Vedanta Sutra is a summary study of all the Vedas. Srimad Bhagavatam is commentary on that. So the summary study of all the Vedic literatures. The first verse is “arhtarto brahma jinasa” That now you have taken this – and precious human life. Its time to inquire into the absolute truth and the next verse is “janmädayo 'sya yad” which means the Absolute truth is from whom everything emanates. The Isoponishad explains “oà pürëam adaù pürëam idaà’ that the Absolute truth is the complete whole, which is perfect and complete. In all emanations and everything about the absolute truth is perfect and complete because the absolute truth is perfect.

So here we find if the Absolute truth or the complete whole or God is from whom everything emanates. The source of everything that exists, who everything is coming from, who is within everything and who everything is within. That is the whole. That is God. That is what we all have come in. That’s the centre. We need learn to recognize that we could actually have harmony within ourselves and create harmony within the world. And what is our relationship with the absolute truth. Lord Caitanya’s first teaching to Sanatana Gosvami “jévera ‘svarüpa’ haya—kåñëera ‘nitya-däsa’” that we are servants of Krishna. We are meant to serve.

EXPLOITATION OF ENVIRONMENT – SERIOUS PROBLEM

What is the problem with the environment these days? The ecology – serious problem. No need to go into a detail. Consider ecology to which we sense and touch the news. You know the four body disasters are looming over us, unless we make serious changes. I was told by some geologist not by some svamis, but by geologist. There was a 50 years, if we do not seriously start changing our policies as far as energy goes, there will be no Ganga and no Yamuna. There will be totally dried up because of global warming. Now how many hundreds and millions of people are depending on those rivers for survival. In fact geologist says, that you know somewhere as fight over coal, other where is fought over oil. In the future there will be war or fought over water, very difficult. You cannot live without water. If we exploit the environment or going to get the reaction. If serve the environment, we will create harmony, we will create prosperity. It’s all a matter of consciousness.

HOW TO CREATE REAL HARMONY?

You see this is why, the conceptions of evolution, of just an evolution of matter, is very dangerous conception. Because how does it impel us to improve our character? We understand that ultimately everything is coming from consciousness. It’s the basis of everything that exists. God is the ultimate source of consciousness, and we as living entities, our basis is our consciousness. Consciousness is the symptom of the presence of the soul. If we forget our own soul and we just think that we are just matter then ultimately nothing matters. It only matters according to your particular preference. There is no absolute standard of what’s right and what’s wrong and what’s meaningful. But with our consciousness, If we are actually conscious of who we are and what is our relationship, what is my relationship with god, what is my relationship with the environment, what is my relationship with every living being, including humans. Then we can actually start to create real harmony, because it is based on the truth.

EGOTISM AND SELFISHNESS ARE THE REAL DISEASES

The Srimad Bhagavatam tells if you put water on the root of the tree, the whole tree is nourished. If you feed the stomach, the whole body is nourished. Every part of a healthy body is serving the whole body. The eyes are not selfishly just doing its own thing. The eyes are directing the rest of the body. The hands are supplying to the rest of the body. The stomach is bringing nourishment to the rest of the body. The nose is bringing oxygen to the rest of the body. Every healthy cell of the body is serving the whole body. That’s good health. Now what is disease? I’m not a doctor, but I’m speaking of a disease from a philosophical perspective. Disease is when germs or cells are in your body, and they are selfish. They are egoistic and selfish. They are thinking about themselves. They are not thinking about the whole body. All the cells that are healthy, are good cells, they just living for the whole body, supplying for the whole body but a cancer cell, what is a cancer cell doing? It’s living for itself. It’s eating the other cells. It’s fighting a war against the rest of the body. When all the healthy cell, the good guys, because they are concerned with the whole body, they all start to fight, against that disease. So it’s like if you have a cold, those cold germs, are selfish guys. They are just thinking about themselves. Eating you up, while you have the whole rest of your body fighting against it, fighting for the nation. There is a common purpose, actually you’re a nation. There is a lot of national conflict, from within the nation. With a cancer cell, fighting very hard, and re-doubling, regenerating, and remultiplying and each one is, “its jut about me”. And ultimately if those selfish cells become stronger and stronger and stronger then the cells that are working together for the whole body are ultimately killed and the body dies. That’s what is happening to this world.

REAL LOVE AND REAL COMPASSION BRINGS REAL HARMONY

The world is a body, humanity is a body and a proper body is where everyone is focused on feeding the stomach, everyone is focused on serving the whole, for the interest of every one. We may have people who are greedy and selfish and egoistic, they are cancer cells in the body and they are creating havoc. Energy and power, people consider that very important. But knowledge is much more important because if you apply all knowledge in utilizing the energy properly you can serve the whole body of the world it can be utilized in harmony with the absolute, God. But if we use that same power and energy without proper knowledge of who we are and what our real purpose in life is, it could create disaster. And knowledge brings love and compassion because that brings real fulfilment, and real love and real compassion brings real harmony to all living beings, because we recognize the spiritual essence in every one. It’s like atomic energy, it took tremendous amount of knowledge to create it, it can do good or it can be absolutely destructive depending on our knowledge, depending on our love, depending on our conceptions, our consciousness. The path of devotion teaches us the simple principle that we are all individual divine eternal units who are eternally connected to the supreme absolute truth or Krishna. And we are all meant to serve the absolute truth and in doing so we serve each other we create real harmony because we have a common purpose. The spiritual world or the real world is where everyone accepts that Krishna’s pleasure is my goal in life,  Ahaityuki apratihata every one is unselfish. In other words everyone loves. Real love means without a tinge of selfishness, real love means based on truth the selfless expression to please god, to be compassionate to all living being, that is real love. In the spiritual world its sacidananada, its a place of eternal bliss, eternal happiness its a gigantic unlimited family where everyone is there for each other, where everyone loves each other, where everything we do is for each other. Why? Because we see each other in relation to the centre, to the whole, to Krishna, that is home. The soul is from that place the soul is of that place to take the soul out of that world of selfless love and devotion where Krishna is in the centre is like throwing the fish on the sand and thats where we are now on the sand of the shore of material existence. That spiritual world, although is far beyond the material existence, it is present in the heart of every living being, today, now. Krishna tells in Bhagavad gita real happiness is within. real intelligence is to understand that, to be living within, to rejoice within thats where that ocean is. That is so deep with satisfaction that anything that happens on this superficial external world really doesn’t matter to us so much. We try to deal with it, but it can’t change our fulfilment and our integrity.

THE PEACE FORMULA

The Bhagavad gita explains there is the external world. Higher than the external world is the body, higher than the body is the senses, higher than the senses is the mind, higher than the mind is the intelligence – the power of reasoning, and higher than the intelligence is the atma, is the conscious force – our true identity. So, to find real fulfillment, we must uncover that essential nature of who we are. In the fifth chapter of Bhagavad gita, Krishna concludes

bhoktäraà yajïa-tapasäà sarva-loka-maheçvaram

suhådaà sarva-bhütänäà jïätvä mäà çäntim åcchati

The peace formula – the great acaryas say. What is the peace formula? Simply to understand that the Absolute truth is the proprietor of everything, the Absolute truth is the enjoyer of everything, and the Absolute truth is the best well wishing friend of all living beings. If we simple understand and accept that, we should have peace. Because we find God within ourselves. We find that relationship. And therefore, we are here for everyone, because we are all connected. We all have the same source, and we are all related on that platform.

So, the greatest problem in this world is lack of harmony. We can’t artificially make harmony just by peace treaties. Harmony has to be based on truth – Real harmony! What we really have in common, what our real connection to each other is.

And then worry… worry can be utilized for the highest purpose also. A person who is connected to the soul, and connected to God is finding that deep deep peace, fulfillment and love within worries about other souls. It is compassion. That’s higher than not worrying at all. Mother Yasoda worried for Krishna. When Bakasura ate Krishna, all the cowherd boys were worried about Him. When Kaliya had Krishna in his coils, for all that time the gopas the gopis – everyone was worrying about Krishna. But that worry was an expression of divine love.

COMPASSION OF DEVOTEES

And similarly great personalities, they worried for the people in this world who are suffering birth, old age, disease and death. Someone may be sick and dying, and if that is somebody whom we love, we naturally worry about them, we care for them, we fear for them. But the reality is – time is on, they are going to die, and we are going to die. Its just the reality of this world. Its just a matter of sooner or later. And the difference between now and 20, 30, 40 years – isn’t that much. Sukadeva Goswami explained, better one moment of full consciousness than long life. para dukha dukhi. Devotees, they feel pain for others. But that type of worry, that type of pain is compassion is perfectly focused on the centre, Focused on being an instrument of the mercy of God, Yes! Its not illusion, its not ignorance, It’s based on truth, therefore its beautiful. And acting according to that type of compassion, makes your inner fulfilment, your inner realizations deeper and deeper and deeper. Because it enriches your relationship with God. Because we are serving without selfishness, we are serving seeing the truth, being compassionate to the souls of others. And seeing their relationship, feeling their relationship to ourselves and to God.  So the path of devotion is the path that transforms the material world into spiritual.

The consciousness, material world is the material world we can’t change it on the external level too much. Whatever government, Whatever everything. Still everyone is going to die.  We want to make the best we can. No doubt its our duty to make the best possible we can, and the best it can be is to facilitate the people to get out to realize the world within. This is a universal truth.

Socrates, he was told to drink poison, Hemlock he was in prison, he said to the person who was giving him the poison, you can’t kill me until you find me. Now for the jail keeper, we already found you, you are in prison, you are going to die here. But for him I am not this body, I am the eternal soul, you can’t kill me. And he had conviction, he wasn’t scared, he was not worried, because he actually was Brahman realized, according to our acharyas. He realized, I am the soul. So he wasn’t worried but he took all risks to teach us because he was worried about others. Isn’t that amazing, he wasn’t worried about himself dying, because you can’t find me, but he was worried about people who did not have that realization. Knowing that he was within them, he wanted to help them to understand them. Jesus, he was crucified. He didn’t have to, all he had to do is leave town. They told him it was being planned and he knew and he just walked right into it. Because he knew this is what he had to do to establish Dharma, according to Gods will and his lila. So he may have suffered in one sense but that suffering was ecstasy, it was voluntary because he was not suffering for himself he was suffering for others.

Haridas Thakur he didn’t mind suffering for others, Selfless love and so many blissful saints. It’s not that all saints get tortured. We read about so many blissful saints, who are just in ecstasy intoxicated with love of God, giving Krishna to everyone, giving Rama to everyone. They understand that in order for there to be harmony there has to be a common center. Now there has to be only one possible common center and that’s the complete whole or God. Otherwise there is no possibility. We may say humanity is the common center, but than what about all this cows that are getting there throats cut and are screaming in agony, that’s not real harmony. What about the environment? Nationalism, it may be good, we have to go above that too, because we may harmonize within our own nation, I haven’t ever seen a nation able do that. But what about nations outside our own, are they not our brothers and sisters, they are not unless we see the common origin. Krishna says in Gita “aham bija pradahpita” I am seed  giving father for all living beings. When we recognize our own relationship with Krishna than we recognize our relationship with every living being. And we can actually create harmony. It’s the greatest need there is no solution really to worry, except finding the peace the love and the compassion

And the compassion in ourselves and being instruments of that compassion by connecting to that source that harmonizes everything. We have often given example of good dog and bad dog. Krishna tells in Bhagavad-Gita there is a divine energy and demoniac nature in all of us. The good dog is humility, charity, knowledge of the self, compassion, morality, generosity, and the bad dog is greed, lust, envy, anger, arrogance, and selfishness. Now we have both those dogs within us and they both hollowing for the food and what is the food. The decisions we will make of which dog we can have to feed, which voice within the mind will going to accommodate and every choice we make will making one of the other stronger or other weaker. Every time we are making immoral choice, we become more addicted to immorality because the bad dog becomes stronger and the good dog becomes weaker. Every time we make a right choice that’s how we become liberated by making the right choices. And how is that possible in a world where all around us there so much propaganda for selfishness. So dangerous if the cancer cells are seen to be the good cells and the good cells seen to be cancers. But that’s what in Kali Yuga is about. Bhagavad-Gita says what’s taken to be irreligion as religion and what’s taken to be irreligion is religion. So there are so much propaganda to be selfish, to be egoistic, to be greedy, This is what success about. This is how you get in this world. People are so interested getting ahead, we need people who have heads. The head is supposed to lead us in a right direction, very difficult. So the most important thing is to find the spiritual world within ourselves. To find that oceanic peace happiness. That is spiritual interest. Bad association is like the spiritual world because we have the same center. But if you become sectarian then it is not real. It’s not real. Not that what better than someone else. If we really serving the center together then we are trying to harmonize in a universal way. God has many names. God has many forms. God has “bhramayati…….” Has been revealed into different ways. Knowledge is so important and through this knowledge and through this in our purification God reveals himself. Gives us light, gives us hope, then individually and collectively we can be concerned with the real issues that the eternal issues and deal with the temporary situations of this world from that platform of the eternal blissful self. And from the spiritual prospective this is how we come above all this worry, curry, hurry and the mind is on flurry.

In this age of Kali the most powerful way of – to that inner connection and uniting ourselves with that center, with that focusing connection of the god is the congregational chanting of the holy name. “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”.

 

Is there any questions?

Question:  Hare Krishna, Maharaja. First of all, I would like to offer my humble obeisance onto your lotus feet. Maharaja as you explained that according to Srimad Bhagavatam that Jiva jivasys Jivan, so in this case suppose in a fisherman he is taking the fishes and selling in the markets to maintain his family. So do we think he is doing something sinful activities.

Radhanath Swami: Did you understand? Rather than talking about what sinful is, we must just speak science, how the world works that whatever sufferings is coming those fish. The reaction of that suffering has to come upon him. That’s the laws of Karma. Is that answer of your question? We may feel sympathy that he knows no other way to maintain his family. We may respect him for that but still you know, if our survival is causing pain and death to others there will be a reaction.

Question: It is said that Devotional Service fries the seed of sins that is there in our heart. Pure Devotional Service does only that. But for a neophyte Sadhika, like us, what is the solution or immediate response to sinful activity, or any sinful thought we may get.

Radhanath Swami: Any form of sincere Devotional Service has that effect. Pure Devotional Service has that complete effect. When there is Pure Devotional Service then no such seed can remain. In the Sadhaka stage of Devotional Service it is having that effect of burning those seeds.

Qusetion: It happens again and again, once we try to control sins, it again erupts.

Radhanath swami:  Vavayasha atmika................

It is required that we be determined. Considering for endless birth we have been conditioning ourselves and addicting ourselves to these things. A few years or even a lifetime of just practicing Devotional Service and purifying ourselves and overcoming it, is very small price, it’s a tiny, minuscule price for something so great. We must just be determined and be sincere. If we are determined and sincere, then Krishna will be there to help us. Its not you against maya. Maya is all powerful. You can not resist her. If you are simply sincere and determined to do the best you can then you have all Krishna’s help. Krishna will be there for you. He is always here for you. He is there for everyone. But he only reveals himself to help us according to our sincerity. Krishna is in your heart, just try your best, don’t worry about how hard it is, just keep trying your best with sincerity and Krishna will be there.

Question:  You told us to surrender to Krishna by congregational chanting of holy name. How can we really surrender ourselves to Krishna by congregational chanting? What is the Process?

Radhanath Swami: Begins by chanting regularly. Medicines should be taken regularly, and then that’s the beginning, to chant regularly and then we try to go deeper into the holy name by living according to the qualities of a Vaishnava or a true devotee.

Trnadapi suni cena.........

To live our life with humility, with tolerance and forgiveness, offering honour and respect to others, not demanding or expecting it ourselves. To live on the principles of morality and integrity; to live in the mood of servitude to others. When we live to strive to live our life like this and we chant regularly, then the holy name will bring our consciousness deeper and deeper and deeper, to understand our own spiritual essences and our relationship with god, who is all beautiful. When you actually experience the beauty of Krishna within your heart, that’s

Param drisvani............

It’s such a higher taste; it’s such a higher experience, and that whatever happens in this world you deal with it. But nothing can take away that unlimited love, that unlimited satisfaction of your relationship with Krishna. You just want to share that with everyone. That is the result of chanting properly.

Question: Whatever activities we are doing, somewhere or other we are exploiting somebody. We are going to get reactions of those things according to the laws of karma. What should we do, we don’t have other option?

HH Radhanath Swami: In this world, exploitation is inevitable. To survive, people are exploiting each other. But from the spiritual perspective, if we have that mood of servitude, and we try as far as possible not to go beyond what is necessary. Killing living beings is one thing - You have to get the reaction of killing living beings. And business, our motivation should not be to destroy others. Our motivation should be to be the best we could be. We may have to try to defeat competition. But its not in a malicious way. If we are actually trying to destroy other peoples’ lives, we are going to get all the karma of that – 100%. But if are trying to do better than others, trying to defeat others – our competitors, and we try to do it, as far as possible, in honest way with integrity, there would be some karma, that would be minimized. And if we give some of the profits for spiritual, charitable purposes, then that can be removed. If we are doing things in a malicious way, then even if we give it to spiritual charitable way, the karma will be on us. And if we are trying to do things with proper integrity, proper honor, and we give results in charitable spirit, for spiritual cause, and at the same time, we are purifying our own heart by chanting God’s name and spiritual purifications, then we can raise above those minimal karmic situations. And they will not seriously affect our lives.

If we are using our business profits for a cause that is helpful to others as well, if we have a spirit of compassion rather than a spirit of greed, then the karma is minimized and nullified. When we are motivated by greed, selfishness, and inconsideration of how we hurt others, or hurting people beyond need, then serious karma may come upon us. Great accomplishments are not as satisfying or not as important as great qualities.

We were giving the example in Kolkata in Srimad Bhagavatam, Indra has the world record for the most Asvamedha yajnas. And he was very proud of universal record. No one had ever achieved what he did. And to perform one of these yajnas took years, tremendous amount of effort and tremendous amount of wealth. It’s a massive endeavor. You have to be an undisputable ruler of the entire planet in order to do it. And even then, so much wealth, so much time, so much position. To do one of such yajnas was absolutely impossible for 99.9% of the population of the universe. Indra did 100. It was a record.

And Prithu maharaj who was an avatar, Shaktyavesh. He had done 99. And he was about to tie the record. In other words, he was going to break the record. Now Indra was so worried. He was so fearful, and he was so envious that he was going to lose his standing, and not be number one. And he began to sabotagine secretly, Prithu maharaj’s attempts to perform the yajna. And every time, he sabotaged it. Prithu maharaj would try to catch him, and Indra would disguise himself as a saint, as a sadhu, sannyasi. And say, “I can’t punish you. You are a sadhu.” And it kept on happening again and again and finally they caught him. Prithu maharaj was about to punish him.

Brahma came down and said to Prithu, “This is Indra’s nature. He is a great devotee, but he is very proud and he is very attached. And because he is so proud and attached, he is creating havoc. He is creating irreligious principles, he is creating confusion, everything.  For the sake of the world, just let him hold the record and don’t do any more yajnas. So, Prithu maharaj agreed. So, the culmination of these yajnas is, Visnu Himself comes personally to accept your offering. Prithu said, “Alright, I will not do yajnas ever again. Because I will honour Indra. Let him be the record holder forever.” When he did that, Visnu came for him. Visnu ignored Indra. Indra was laying there. And Visnu was so happy and pleased with Prithu maharaj. And ultimately, Indra was so embarrassed that he bowed down to apologize, but still he would have done the same thing if Prithu tried to do it again.

Now who does the world love after the story. Does the world love Indra more or Prithu maharaj? Should we take a vote? Say Haribol if you feel Prthu maharaj is better of the two,(devotees chant HARIBOL!!!) Now Indra is listening! And so is Vishnu so it is a fact, the moment we care so much about having these records and having the most...these may impress people’s minds, but as soon as you don’t have that you don’t impress them anymore. Or you are nothing. Or else they are envious of you, but if actually have good character like prthu, being unselfish for the casue of the greater good which Prthu maharaj did then people honor you and love you from their hearts. What’s more fulfilling in life, to have the most or to be the most? People very very addicted and passionate to try to have the most and do the most. But is that helping the world or does it help to have the people who try to be the most. That means live by the best and highest qualities. And the highest quality is to live for the greater good of every one and how do we do that by focusing on the centre of what we all have in common. Essentially janmadhyasatha our relation with god, thats what we all have in common. And when we water the root of that tree and we can do universal good. Prthu maharaj did that that’s the example; accomplishments are great but the quality, the consciousness, the selflessness, the compassion, the devotion in which we do that is all important. Thats what the world will remember and thats what God will see.