So today we are broadcasting from Kolkata, the birthplace of Srila Prabhupad. We left this morning from Chennai. It was a heartbreaking experience. We had been in Chennai for one year, more or less, and through the thick and thins of various ordeals of my health, they have always been there helping us. Sometimes we were visited by Bhakti Purushottam Swami, Gopal Krishna Goswami, Radhanath Swami and Uttama prabhu and Rukmini devi dasi, Bhakti Caru Swami and many others. So the devotees in Chennai are wonderful! It is very hard to say goodbye. At the same time, I was eager to get back to Mayapur, so I had mixed emotions of separation from such nice devotees and eagerness to go before Radha Madhava Ashta sakhis, Pancha Tattva, Nrsimha and Jagannath Baladev Subhadra, go before Prabhupad’s Pushpa samadhi, and to see Simantini devi and Lord Caitanya, Gauranga and the nine islands of Navadvip island – Simantadvip, Madhyadvip, Godrumdvip, Koladvip, Ritudvip, Jahanudvip, Modadrumadvip, Rudradvip and Antardvip. So now we flew from Chennai to Kolkata, and when we arrived in Kolkata some devotees were on the same flight as we were and they were disciples from the UK, who had been diverted to Chennai and rescheduled on the flight to Kolkata. But it was fairly quiet a bit inside the airport, but as soon as we went outside, there were maybe 500 thousand or more like so many devotees, chanting, dancing, raising their hands crying out Haribol and the police were frustrated what to do. They got a rope out to make a barricade and keep them back. Since, for the first year after my operation I should be very careful, not to get any infection, as it could be very serious, so on the one hand the caretakers were trying to keep the mob away, and on the other hand, they were so enthusiastic as they had not seen me for one year! Some were jumping with joy, some were crying, it was a very emotional occasion. I don’t know if pictures have been uploaded about this. I haven’t seen the Facebook as yet. But somehow or another I got into the car and then people came out all around the car, sides, front and gradually the car went through the crowd. And so now I have reached my destination which we are not disclosing because we don’t want people coming here. So this is the birthplace of Srila Prabhupad the birth city. At one time they wanted to close Calcutta temple because it was difficult and then Prabhupad wrote, you cannot close the temple at my birthplace. That this temple has to stay open. Prabhupad indicated that this temple must be a gateway to Mayapur and it is very important. So some devotees are seeing through the new temple’s land, some are preaching from the existing temple which was Prabhupad’s residence and pastime place. And then in the future we have some land but we want to procure more at the birthplace. So this is a part of the Gaura Mandal bhumi. That was sung – gaura madala bhumi, jeba jaane chitamani, taar hoye braja bhumi vaas. The Gaura Mandal bhumi is a transcendental place and those who realize this, they are actually residents of Vrndavan. So we are staying here for the night and going to Mayapur tomorrow morning. So that is my report for today. And I don’t have the notes of the Caitanya book, so I can’t give you a normal class. If you have some questions, you can send them up by internet and we will see what the questions are.
Devotees attending online were read out by repeater.
Question: Siddhantamani Prabhupad das: If a devotee who is initiated falls down due to enjoying sense gratification and breaks his regulative principles and has lost the holy name and vaishnava devotees, how can such devotee advance in devotional life ahead and what is his duty towards his spiritual master and how can he be sincere enough to get back to Krishna prema and serve Srila Prabhupad’s instructions again?
Guru maharaj: If one is initiated and breaks the principles, they are guilty of one of the offences to the holy name – disrespecting the order of the spiritual master. So there is no higher atonement than devotional service. So in that case one should repent for their misdeed and then again take up the practice of devotional service, as sincerely as possible, and gradually they can regain their status. But of course they have ceased their progress for some time, but they can start again and there is no other way recommended by the shaastras.
Online devotees read by repeater: Tapta Kanchini Radhika (guru maharaj said: oh! Tapta Kanchini Radhika! Haribol!), Swapnil Tikale (guru maharaj said oh!), Venkateshwara Govinda das (guru maharaj said: Venkateshwara Govinda das!),
Any question?
Question: What is the qualification to receive Krishna Prema from Nityananda prabhu?
Guru maharaj: It is not by any material qualification, neither BA, MA or PHD, not by any kind of money, not by any good karma, it doesn’t hurt to try to serve Lord Nityananda serve Lord Caitanya and His mercy is causeless! That whatever you are doing will not be sufficient to be worthy of getting His blessings. But He gives His blessings freely without considering the good and bad qualities. If you want His blessings, you are more likely to get it. But He even gives His mercy to those who didn’t want His blessings. Like Jagai and Madhai.
Sajib Roy offering heart. Guru maharaj said: Giving heart, thank you! O
Question: How do we inspire western bodied contacts to take up process of chanting Hare Krishna daily? Pratapmai Nitai das
Guru maharaj: You see there is no stereotype or standard answer that works for all. Everybody is an individual. So we have to adapt for each individual and give them what they are looking for. The answers that they seek. That is why Prabhupad said that it takes buckets of blood to make one devotee. It is not one thing for Indian devotee, one thing for western devotee, it is not easy. You have to understand where each devotee is coming from, what questions they have, what desires they have and how these are all insignificant compared to getting the mercy of Lord Krishna, compared to serving the Lord. So there are many preaching programs which help people to understand the essence of Krishna consciousness. How it applies to their life. If you can apply to the person’s life, then they would be more likely to try it out. But that goes for all people – east, west, north, south. If you know a little bit about them, that will help. Hare Krishna!
270 people on line.
Online devotees’ names were read out.
Question: We preach to people, some people take up and many people go away. How to be detached from the results of preaching. How to understand that the spiritual master is pleased with our efforts? Suseviniguru Gauranga devi dasi.
Guru maharaj: Krishna is in everyone’s heart as the Supersoul, or Paramatma, the Christians know as the Holy Ghost. So one is actually talking through the Paramatma in the heart of the living entity and to the Spirit Soul. So with the help of the Paramatma we want to help the jiva to get out his illusion. The word preaching has kind of a negative connotation. The word in Sanskrit or Bengali is prachaar, prachaar means to glorify the Lord and the process of His devotional service. It means how to encourage someone to take up devotional service. Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Prabhupad Thakur said that there is no scarcity in the material world, only scarcity is devotional service. Everywhere you go you see this scarcity. People work so hard to win some athletic completion, they work so hard to get some academic degree, they work hard to get a raise. But actually even if a little effort they give to serve Krishna, they would actually be able to perfect their lives. Who remembers the one athletic event five years ago? And some people leave and break their bones and die, but if we render some devotional service we never lose the result, it stays with us life after life. But all the things we achieve in this material world, the material things we achieve we leave behind us. Say we earn millions of dollars; we cannot take one paisa to the next birth or one cent. But any devotional service you do, it stays to your credit. If you have any credit, you leave this material world and go back to the spiritual world where you can serve the Lord constantly, where there is no birth, death, old age or disease. Hare Krishna!
Last question:
Read the names: Murlivadhan Shyam das, Rasa Gopal das: Guru maharaj read: We are waiting for you to come to Mayapur! Rasa Gopal comment: we are very, grateful to have your darshan after long travelling, please guru maharaj have good rest because tomorrow is a long day. Waiting for you at Mayapur. Guru maharaj said: Oh! Ha! That means I have to take rest very soon! This is my first flight after a long time!
Question from Vaikuntha Nitai (guru maharaj said: Oh, Vaikuntha Nitai!): Is this is the longest time you have not been in Mayapur since your first arrival?
(Transmission ended abruptly)
Transcribed by Jayaraseshwari devi dasi
19 February 2019