Lecture by His Holiness Radhanath Swami Maharaja.
 
Hare Krishna. I welcome you to Sri Sri Radha Gopinath temple for our Sunday Festival. My very sincerest gratitude to each and every one of you for taking your precious time to be with us today.
 
Each moment of life is infinitely precious, if we utilize it for the purpose that lord Krishna has given. “ayur harati vai pumsam” the Srimad Bhagavatam describes the nature of time in this way. That with every rise and every setting of the sun, we are one day closer to death. Time is such inconceivable energy of god. You cannot see, touch, taste, or hear it. It is so subtle, invisible but yet at every moment it is destroying everything. The highest of the highest of the Himalaya Mountain, time will make into a little piles of dust. Will burnout the sun, will evaporate every ocean and will devastate the physical lives of every living being from Brahma down to the little insects.
 
That is the power of time. Krishna tells us in the eleventh chapter of Bhagavad-Gita “I am time, devouring everything and everyone”.
“ye yathä mäà prapadyante
täàs tathaiva bhajämy aham
mama vartmänuvartante
manuñyäù pärtha sarvaçaù”
But as we surrender to Krishna, Krishna reveals Himself accordingly.
 
The Srimad Bhagavatam explains, one who utilizes their time to sincerely hear and chant the names and the glories of the lord with every rising and setting of the sun, we are one day closer to eternal life. This is the most serious choice a human being could make within this creation. How we are going to utilize our moments? To be devour by time or to be uplift it into eternity with every moment. “’sädhu-saìga’, ‘sädhu-saìga’—sarva-çästre kaya lava-mätra sädhu-saìge sarva-siddhi haya”. This beautiful verse tells that the association of a sadhu is the most precious thing with all of creations. That moment, that lava matra, that one twelfth of a second or as Shyam Das was saying that amount of time where the upper part of the eyelid touches the lower part of the eyelid, when you unconsciously blink. If that amount of time, if with a open heart and service attitude and an eagerness to hear, then open the doors to the perfection of liberation. “mahat-seväà dväram ähur vimuktes tamo-dväraà yoñitäà saìgi-saìgam” service to great souls opens the doors to spiritual perfection. But associating with people who bring out consciousness down again to the material plane it opens the doors to darkness and bondage.
 
A moment association with a devotee of the lord or a real saddhu is the greatest of all wealth, greater than all the property of this entire planet, greater than all of the treasury of Indra the king of heaven because we read about Indra. He is a devotee. So we offer our danadavat pranam at his feet. But still Krishna likes to teach good messages through his devotees. He is not free of anxiety. Because with whatever he has, he has attachment to it, to his wealth, to his power, to his beauty, to his wife, to his gardens, all are anxiety. No material arrangement can free us from anxiety. However much help, strength, fame, money. These are all temporary and this material world is endlessly mutable with complications. The three gunas are always in a flux of interacting with another and creating different types of situations. The most painful thing is the false ego wants to be the controller and things are just beyond our control. Everything is beyond our control. Sometimes we are in the illusion that we are controlling. Whether, you are the president of a nation with armies.
 
I just heard recently the president of Poland with his whole family and defense ministry just crashed in an airplane and died. Through his controlling the whole country and this was his own airplane. We pray for all living beings, Krishna will bless them. But incidents like this are lessons to all of us, whoever we are “padaà padaà yad vipadäà na teñäm”. This beautiful verse from Srimad Bhagavatam describes that if we take shelter of Mukunda, the Supreme Personality of Godhead the entire ocean of material existence is as easy to cross as a child stepping over the amount of water contained in the hoop print of a calf. But otherwise this is a place where there is danger at every step, why? Because everything is being controlled by time. Every breath you take, your one breath closer to death. It is a death breath. Even if you do pranayam. It is good for health and good for mind and everything. But if we remember the supreme lord.
“Om apavitrah pavitro va
Sarvavastham gato’pi va
Yah smaret pundarikaksam
Sa bahyabhyantarah sucih
Sri Vishnu sri Vishnu sri Vishnu”
One who remembers the beautiful lotus eyes of Supreme Personality of Godhead, even having passes through all situations of life is purified. Wherever we are coming from, whatever we have done. Krishna is all pure. So how to utilize our every moment?
 
The future we do not know, what will be? The past is dead. But to prepare for our future and learn lessons from the past we have to be very keenly aware of the present. Each moment we have is priceless because we could remember Krishna. We can absorb ourselves in his holy name, the beautiful form of his deity, serving his devotees and serving him, hearing about him. Krishna gives us so many wonderful ways to fix our minds.
 
The perfection of Yoga, is to become detached. The perfection of detachment is to become completely attached. The only reason we want to be detached from selfish desires is because they impede our attachment to Krishna. Otherwise who care about detachment? It diverts our attention away from the actual object of our love. In business management, it is taught in schools and seminars that how you utilize and manage your time that what’s going to make you successful. But that is an eternal truth on the spiritual path. How we utilize every precious moment.
 
Parikshita Maharaja had seven days to live. Now when we read these stories, which are great histories, if we really want to absorbed the experience the lessons then we should put ourselves in a place. If you had given the message that you had seven days to live, what will be your consciousness? Parikshita Maharaja was grateful. What did he do, when you know you have seven days, you know how precious every moment is. I have told that personal story of mine, when I was on that airplane and they announced about every five minutes, there is going to be an emergency landing. The control system for the plain became dysfunctional. They were saying, we are going to land at a four hundred miles an hour. When we started getting closer to the runway, we saw that there was about 25 fire engines big trucks with their lights blinking. There were many ambulances with their lights blinking waiting for us.
 
So I started thinking about what I always tell you in my lectures. That every moment is very precious. Really, as we are coming forward there was very likely that we will all die, in a matter of minute or two. I was not thinking about that whether I need a new computer. I want thinking the gossip the people are talking about me or anybody else. I was just “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”. The only thing in my life was just totally immerse myself in the sound of the holy name. There was nothing else with anything. Offering prayers for all the devotees and all living beings, what else is there in life? So time is precious. Parikshita Maharaja, with those seven days, he searched for the association of saddhus to spend every moment in the association of saddhus, hearing about Krishna from people who loved Krishna.
 
Srila Prabhupada would tell us, Parikshita maharaja knew 100% for sure, he had seven days. But none of us know 100% for sure we have even seven minutes. That is reality. How important time is to utilize? Chanakya pandit has said, “A moment wasted cannot be brought back with all the wealth in the entire world”. This human form of life is the crest jewel of Brahma’s creation. Because he gives the opportunity for us, to awaken the love of Krishna that is dormant within our hearts. Krishna is so kind. He has come within His name, so accessible everywhere and anywhere, whoever we are. “näma cintämaëiù kåñëaç caitanya-rasa-vigrahaù” the name of Krishna is chintamani will fulfill all the soul’s inner most desires. “änandämbudhi-vardhanaà prati-padaà” the lord can awaken that ananda that ecstasy that we have always been earning and longing for birth after birth after birth and never finding. It is within us. The name is none different than Krishna. Absorb yourself in the name and you are with Krishna because Krishna is all attractive. Being with Krishna, you cannot love Him, if you just aware.
 
Just like we have told that story of the person who became so attached to chanting Krishna’s names, he could not stop chanting. Rupa Goswami explains his realizations of chanting Hare Krishna. When I chant the holy names of Krishna with my tongue, I desire many many tongues. When that names enters into my ears, I desire millions and millions of ears. When that name enters into my heart it conquers my consciousness and I know nothing else. That’s his experience. Every time he recites the name of Krishna. That experience is available to all of us, if we just learn the art of chanting.
“tåëäd api sunécena
taror iva sahiñëunä
amäninä mänadena
kértanéyaù sadä hariù”
This is the art. When we are humble like a blade of grass. How many of you, when you touch another devotee with your foot, if you are cultured person, you will say, oh and take the dust and say Haribol. But when we step on a grass, do you even think about it? Everybody is trampling on the grass. We what the dogs are doing on the grass. Step on a grass and come right back up for the next person to step on like humbler than a blade of grass and more tolerant than a tree.
 
In the nature of a tree, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu is explaining it is always eager to serve others. In the summer, in the noon day 40 degree temperature in Maharashtra the tree is standing directed in the sunlight and while doing so, gives you and me shade to keep us cool. In the winter the trees are covered with ice but to keep us warm give its wood to make a fire for us to warm. Places like Maharashtra, it is only rains during the rainy season. Rain finished around beginning of October and the mango tree does not give fruit till May. That means that tree had a drop of water in about eight months. And yet he had giving us juicy luscious mangoes to quench our thirst. That is the tolerance of the tree. Real tolerance is not just tolerating for the shake of tolerating. It is tolerating difficulties in order to give pleasure to Krishna and to serve others. To offer all respect to others and not expect any respect for one self. If one can just do that the Krishna will be so pleased by that type of service attitude that he will reveal His divine love, divine form, and divine pastimes in His name. When we gain a taste for the name in that spirit we can stop chanting in the names of the lord, incessantly.
 
So this devotee was always chanting. One day he was going to respond to the forces of the nature. He had his lota and brahmana thread was around to his ear. When he was about to evacuate, he was trying to hold his tongue because he was thinking “I am doing such a contaminated activities and Krishna is nondifferent than His name. So I should not be chanting”. It is not like bring the deity in the toilet with you. His tongue was so incessantly addicted to the holy name that he was forcefully trying to control his tongue. A little boy was watching. He was struggling with his tongue to try to somehow or other stopped it from chanting. That little boy said to him, “Do not you know, lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu taught
“nämnäm akäri bahudhä nija-sarva-çaktis
taträrpitä niyamitaù smaraëe na kälaù
etädåçé tava kåpä bhagavan mamäpi
durdaivam édåçam ihäjani nänurägaù”
There are no hard and fast rules for chanting the names of the holy name. You can chant anywhere, everywhere and at all times.
 
So he was very happy. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu was watching this in Puri. And he called the boy over and the boy ran up to him and Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu put him on His lap. He said, “Because you have so much faith in the holy name of Krishna, you are My guru”. Then he became Gopalguru goswami, one of the greatest acarya of our sampradaya.
 
There is a beautiful narration in this regard in Caitanya-caritamrita. Every year Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu would invite His devotees for the Ratha Yatra to stay with Him in Puri Dham for four months. An one time He saw that the ropes of Jagannath chariot, were breaking. So He called the residence of Kulina gram because He knew that in Kulinagram they make very good ropes. So He said, “Every year you should bring for Jagannath, Baladeva, and Subhadra’s chariot brand new silken ropes”. For those of you who have been to Puri Ratha yatra, you know how long those ropes are? There were four ropes for each chariot and each one is about a block long. There is thousands of people simultaneously pulling in those chariots are huge and heavy. So he gave them seva. They were so honored and they were so grateful for those people from Kulina gram, if somebody gave them billions and trillions of Rupees, it would not have made them so happy was the opportunity to serve. This is our happiness. This is the happiness that material nature cannot impede it because we could always serve in some way.
 
Like that South Indian brahmana on the Narmada river, he wanted to make an offering for Lord Narayana. But he had absolutely nothing. He was just living in the side of the river. So he decided, he would cook a feast. So he sat down and he started getting nice golden pots and went out to the forest in his mind and collected wood and made a fire and then he went to the market in his mind and brought rice, milk, subjis and everything else. He was making a feast in his mind. He made khir. After he made it, he let it cool down and he was thinking before I can offer to my lord, it should be nice and cool. So touched it to test if it is suitable for offering now and he touched it and his finger was burnt. It was so hot. Then he came out of his meditation looked at his finger and his finger was actually burnt. In Vaikuntha, lord Narayana started laughing and Lakshmi said, “Why are you laughing”? He said, “Look at the finger of that brahmana. Send for him now. I cannot resist this person’s association”. So Vishnu dutas came and brought him to vaikuntha five minutes later.
 
So this story shows us that there is no impediment because Krishna is Bhavagrahi. He sees our intentions. He sees our purposes. As long as our intention is proper, no matter what obstacles, whether we can do or not do it that is the perfection of our life. Krishna tells Arjuna in Bhagavad-Gita, “Whether you win this war or loose this war is not important. If you just try to fight for Me that is the perfection of your life”. The physical result is not important. Form the spiritual prospective, Krishna just wants to see that with all of our resources we are trying our best with the right intent.
 
So the residence of Kulina gram, were given this instruction, “Bring the silken ropes for Jagannath Chariot” and they were so happy. Then Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He revealed to the world in this very simple little incident, how dear a devotee is to Him even for the simplest thing! He said, “Generation ago, there was a great devotee, who lived in Kulina gram, his name was Gunaraj Khan. He wrote a book, “Sri Krishna vijaya” and in that book there is one line. That line says, “Nandanandana Krishna mora prananath”. That the son of Nanda, Krishna is my life and soul. Because of that one line that he has written, I am for ever purchased by him. In fact everyone who is residence of Kulina gram is most dear to Krishna, even a dog living in Kulina gram will receive the great blessings and mercy of Sri Krishna in his very dear to the lord because of that one line written with sincere devotion”.
 
Two of the residence Ramanda Vasu and Satyaraj khan, they asked a question. He said, “I am a grishastha, I am a house holder with the wife and family and children and in occupation. I am a very materialistic person. Extremely fallen. Please tell me, what is the spiritual path by which we can approach perfection? Because they asked with such sincerity, they were given the simple answer. “Constantly chant the holy name of Krishna and whenever possible serve Krishna and serve His devotees the vaisnavas”. The next question they asked, “How do we know who is a vaisnava is. So many people may say they are vaisnavas. So many people may think that they are vaisnavas. But how do we know and who to serve? What is a vaisnava? What is the quality? What are the symptoms? Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, “Anyone who even once chants the holy name of Krishna is a vaisnava and you should serve him”.
 
Srila Bhakti Siddhant Saraswati Thakur explains that what this means is to when we chant the name of Krishna even once with faith. To chant means to chant with faith form this prospective. Faith that Krishna is nondifferent than His name. Faith that this is a transcendental sound vibration, where in Krishna is connecting to all condition souls, who take the opportunity. Then Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, “If a person, even once chants the holy names in this spirit then they are freed of all sins of all offenses and therefore they are worshipable.
 
The next year, the residence of Kulina gram came with the silk ropes they offered to Jagannath, Baladeva, and Subhadra. As they were leaving at the end of four months, they would all meet lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and have intimate satsang. The same devotees asked the same question. They said, “Pleas tell us, we are stuck in such materialistic ways of life. What is the way of perfection?” Then Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu explained on a higher level. He said, “