PLEASE NOTE, *THIS DOCUMENT IS AT DRAFT (NOT PERFECT) STAGE. IT IS RECOMMENDED TO READ WITH GM’S VIDEO IN BACKGROUND. *
Mukham karoti vacalam pangum langayate girim
Yat kripa tam aham vande sri gurum dina tarinam
Paramananda Madhavam Sri Caitanya Isvaram
Whatever language you ask question in I will try to answer in the same language.
Question: Hare Krsna guru maharaj. What should be the attitude of the disciple after getting initiated by guru? Sometimes we are thinking that just after taking initiation, from the next day we will become hundred per cent pure. But it is very difficult to become changed in one day. So therefore what kind of effort should we take after initiation?
Guru maharaj: After initiation – Srila Prabhupada said, initiation is considered to be birth. So just after you are born, you have to learn many things. You should try to learn essential things from the guru and senior disciples. I will give short answers as there are many questions.
Question: What is the first step or initiative to follow of the first sloka of the Nectar of Instruction?
Guru maharaj: Read the first verse. Vaco vegam manasa kroda vegam jihva vegam udaropasta vegam..
So this verse tells one to look for in the spiritual master. That is in this verse. So also there are the things that we should learn to do. One is that being a go dasa, servant of the senses or to be a goswami, master of the senses. So this verse tells us the things that we learn to control. We should not succumb to the urges of the senses. We should rather do that by engaging the senses in the service of Krsna. If we do that then we can very easily control the urges of the senses. And by controlling the senses in the service of Krsna we can get unlimited spiritual bliss. Anander sima nai anander sima nai, anander sima nai, niraananda dure jai, niraananda dure jai, niraananda dure jai!
Question: Hare Krsna maharaj, PAMHO. What is more important, chanting or service? Your most insignificant servant, Tamoguna (Not sure of the name!)
Guru maharaj: There are nine practices of devotional service in bhakti yoga. First is hearing and second is chanting. So why are separating chanting from service? That is the first service we do. If we do that service, we purify the mind. Lord Caitanya said that by doing the chanting, ceto darpana maarjanam, our consciousness is cleansed by chanting. By chanting we can do the other services properly. But if we don’t chant and hear, then we will see all the services are mundane! So we have to chant everyday and only two hours a day. Then the other 22 hours we can engage in Krsna’s service. Haribol!
Question: I am always confused under two circumstances – one, am I to complete my 16 rounds first and then other services or two, should I complete other services first and then complete 16 rounds with peace of mind, which is incorrect? Sumantra Gopi devi dasi
(This question was left because it was answered in the previous question.
Question: What is the secret behind the Hare Krsna mantra?
Guru maharaj: (Guru maharaj gestured and put his finger to his mouth a few times!!). If I tell you, it won’t be a secret! But the sruti tells us, the sastra tells us that the name of Krsna is not different from Krsna. So if we chant the name of Krsna, then we get the same effect of associating with Krsna. If we chant some mundane name like water, water, water, we don’t get our thirst quenched. When we chant the name of Krsna we get spiritual bliss! Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare! There was Ajamila who named his son Narayana. But he left his wife and did many illicit things. But somehow he was always chanting his son’s name. Narayana! Come to me walking, Narayana! Narayana, come on take your prasad with me! In this way he was chanting Narayana, Narayana many times. So at the time of death, the Yamadutas came to take him away. And he called his son, Narayana! Then he remembered that Narayana was the name of the Supreme Lord. So the Visnudutas came and saved him. Because he chanted the name of Narayana! So like this, the name of the Lord, even if chanted accidentally, has an effect. Lord Caitanya said, He was worried how the meat eaters, the fishermen would be delivered? Haridas Thakur said, don’t worry! Even the yavanas when they are attacked by the boar, they chant, Haram Haram! Because they are chanting Ha Ram, that means oh my Lord Rama! Although they may be thinking something else, they are saying the name of Rama. Hare Krsna, next question.
Question: How to follow Amanina mana dena?
Guru maharaj: Amanina mana dena means to offer respect to others and not expect respect for yourself. Somebody told me to read the book “How to win friends and influence people”. The book was written by Dale Carnegie I think. And the whole book was summed up in amaanina mana dena. Tell somebody something nice about him. You are a very beautiful lady! Oh you are a very handsome man! If you say nice things, people like you. So what is the difficulty? You can say something good about anybody! In fact, by saying something good, people will appreciate you! But if we don’t expect any appreciation, we will never be let down! Ha! Ha! One time, our communications minister told us in the GBC, that pick a person near to you, and tell them something nice about them. Not false, something real! Then tell something, constructive criticism. And then say something nice again! So like you tell someone, oh, your kirtan is very nice! But then you say, sometimes I am not able to follow you, you chant a very high melody! But your bhakti is so moving, that I feel great ecstasy in hearing you chant. Haribol! Haribol! Haribol! So like this, saying something nice and not expecting anything nice. That is aminana mana dena. Any problem in doing that? Instead, normally we criticize others and we accept everyone to praise us! We will be frustrated! Hare Krsna!
Announcement: Hare Krsna will be taking dinner and addressing in the main pandal after that. So we do not want him to be late. So guru maharaj will again answer questions tomorrow and anyone who has questions can write down and guru maharaj will answer.
Transcribed by Jayaraseshwari devi dasi
05 June 2019