Re: PREACHING THE KIRTAN OF THE LORD- By Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati

Nityananda! Gauranga! Hare Krishna!

Thank You Gouranga dasa prabhu. This is a very nice and powerful article.

Yours, Matus

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Srila Prabhupada and Srila Sridhara Maharaj nectar

A large kirtana party of brahmacaris, mostly members of Keshava Maharaja’s Devananda Gaudiya Math, met Srila Prabhupäda at the Navadvipa train station. The brahmacaris were meticulously neat, with their robes all dyed the same shade of saffron, their Vaisnava tilaka markings bold and distinct, their heads smoothly shaved, their sikhas precise. They offered Prabhupada and his party aromatic garlands made from flowers resembling lotuses and gathered around Srila Prabhupäda with worshipful enthusiasm. Also present were a few of Sridhara Maharaja’s disciples, waiting with rickshas to take Prabhupäda and his disciples to their guru's Asrama. Although between the two groups there was an unspoken competition for Prabhupada presence, he had previously agreed to go to Sridhara Maharaja’s place. He promised the members of Devananda Math that he would visit them next.
Soon after leaving the station the rickshas turned onto a road lined with lush tropical vegetation: banana trees, tall bamboos, exotic blossoming flowers. Prabhupäda saw simple villagers working near their straw-and-mud huts and, in the distance, the spire of Sridhara Maharaja’s temple.
A kirtana party greeted Prabhupäda at the outer gates of Sridhara Maharaja’s asrama, chanting Hare Ka and playing karatalas and clay madangas. Prabhupada entered the temple, offered obeisances before the Deities of Radha and Krsna, and then went to see his Godbrother.
Sridhara Mahäräja was very old, his sight failing, his joints stiff with arthritis. He stayed mostly in his room or sometimes on his veranda and moved only with slow, rickety motions. He was an austere and kindly Vaiñëava and smiled heartily on seeing Prabhupäda and his disciples. In fluent English he began praising Prabhupada preaching in America, repeatedly using Prabhupada phrase "Krsna consciousness." Swamiji's work, he said, was the fulfilment of Lord Chaitanya's prophecy that Krsna consciousness would one day spread all over the world. He laughed and smiled and praised the Kåñëa consciousness movement with no trace of jealousy.
"So you appreciate this phrase, "krsna consciousness.'" Prabhupada smiled.
"Yes," Sridhara Mahäräja replied, "and the disciples of Swami Maharaja also." And he turned towards Acyutananda and Ramanuja. "With very little effort your preaching will go far."
The boys were astonished. This was really something to write home about: sitting on the roof of a temple in this jungle paradise with old Sridhara Maharaja appreciating Swamiji's work as the greatest work on behalf of Lord Caitanya, and Swamiji sitting relaxed, grinning, and making humble replies! It was the high point of the trip.
My dear Satsvarupa, Please accept my blessings. I have already duly received the invitation from Harvard University. It is understood that they are scheduling me for 20 Nov. between 6 and 10 p.m. I can start immediately on the strength of my visitor's visa, but I am awaiting for Mukunda's reply for his trying for my permanent visa. Yesterday we have all come to Navadvipa. This place is another establishment of one of my Godbrothers. It is very nice and extensive place and my Godbrother, B. R. Sridhar Maharaj, has spared one entire nice house for our stay. He has also agreed to cooperate with our society. We shall observe his birthday ceremony tomorrow and the brahmacaris shall learn how to celebrate the spiritual master's birthday.
Vyasa-puja day, the observance of B. R. Sridhara Maharaja's birthday, was October 27. His disciples had erected a pandal on the temple road, and about a hundred people attended. Sridhara Maharaja sat on his vyasasana, and Prabhupäda and other sannyasi, all wearing flower garlands, sat in chairs next to Sridhara Maharaja. Prabhupäda spoke in Bengali. Some of Sridhara Maharaja's disciples, inspired by Prabhupada's preaching about the glories of spreading Krsna consciousness in the West, delivered speeches in English as Vyasa-puja homage’s to their spiritual master. Sridhara Maharaja, also speaking in English, gave a very scientific lecture on Krsna consciousness and the senses. Afterwards Prabhupäda told his disciples, "He has very high realizations, but he is keeping them to himself."
Every morning before dawn Sridhara Maharaja sent out a party of brahmacaris to perform kirtana in the villages. On Prabhupada's request, Acyutananda and Ramanuja joined them, leaving before sunrise and returning at dusk. Although Prabhupäda and Sridhara Mahäräja usually remained at the temple, one day they got into a rickshaw and accompanied the chanting party through the streets of Navadvipa.
The festival at the Devananda Math was a big affair. In contrast to Bhakti Saranga Goswami's asrama in Calcutta, where only widows had attended, B. P. Keshava Maharaja's Devananda Math had about two hundred brahmacaris and twenty sannyasi. Some of the brahmacaris, however, were not full-time but were attending school outside; so the asrama's atmosphere was a little like that of a social club. But when the kirtana and the circumambulation of the temple began, seven hundred people took part. The impeccably dressed sannyasi whose every piece of saffron cloth, including their cloth-wrapped dandas, was dyed exactly the same shade-danced back and forth before the Deities. A dozen sannyasi danced in a group, their dandas moving together, dipping and rising, forward and back, to the delight of the brahmacaris.
Prabhupäda sat on a dais with other dignitaries and spoke to the festival audience. Acyutananda, on Prabhupada’s request, spoke a few words in Bengali, bringing laughs and applause. Sridhara Maharaja spoke gravely in Bengali. A sannyasi from the Devananda Math, speaking for their absent leader, B. P. Keshava Maharaja, proclaimed in impassioned tones that although Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu's movement had been predicted to spread throughout the world, no one had known how it could be possible. Now, thanks to the work of Bhaktivedanta Swami, it was happening.
After a large feast in the evening, Prabhupada's party returned to Sridhara Maharaja’s Asrama. Sridhara Maharaja intimated to Prabhupäda that the Devananda Math emphasized quantity whereas his own Asrama emphasized quality. Curious as to what this meant, Acyutananda wanted to ask Prabhupäda. But the time didn't seem appropriate.
After nine days in Navadvipa Prabhupada was ready to return to Calcutta and prepare for his trip back to the United States. He and his two disciples took rickshas to Navadvipa and caught a morning train to Calcutta.
On the train, Acyutananda timidly put forward the question that had been on his mind: "Swamiji, what did you and Sridhara Mahäräja discuss?"
"Oh, many, many things," Prabhupada replied. "But if I were to tell you now, you would faint." After a silence Prabhupada added, "Still, I offered him to be president of our Society. I knew he would not accept. He is keeping things within him. Anyway, this is all beyond you. Do not have any ill feelings towards any of my Godbrothers. They are all great souls. There are just some differences on preaching and spreading. Even in your mind do not feel any ill will towards them. At the same time, do not mix very thickly with them."
Acyutananda suggested, "Maybe if these two sannyasi had each other's qualities combined..."
"Ah, yes," Prabhupäda said, "now you have understood me."
*         *         *
Srila Prabhupada’s intention in coming to Calcutta was simply to prepare to leave for America. He had his visitor's visa already, but he thought that if he stayed in India a little longer, in San Francisco Mukunda might be able to secure permanent American residency for him. He went to his sister's house to spend his last days in Calcutta there, but after only a few days he felt that the Radha-Govinda Deity-the Deity he had worshiped in his childhood-was calling him.
When Prabhupada had been no more than an infant, his servant used to take him and his cousin Subuddhi Mullik on a perambulator, wheel them into the temple courtyard, and take them before the altar of Radha-Govinda. And as soon as Prabhupäda could walk, his father would hold his hand and take him before the Deity every day. Sometimes Prabhupäda would go alone and stand for hours gazing upon Radha and Krsna, who appeared very beautiful to him with Their slanted eyes and fine dress and ornaments. It had been for the pleasure of Radha-Govinda that as a child, beginning at the age of five, he had performed his miniature Ratha-yatra festival.
Just two weeks ago, when Prabhupada had been staying at his sister's house, his health had prevented him from going to north Calcutta to see the Deity; so he had gone to Navadvipa without taking Their blessings. But now, although still weak and although preoccupied with travelling to the U.S., he felt that the Deity was calling him.
For the past 150 years, the Radha-Govinda temple had been maintained by the aristocratic Mulliks, a branch of Prabhupada own family. The Mulliks had owned the entire block on Harrison Road (now Mahatma Gandhi Road), and rents from the block-long building opposite the temple had financed the opulent worship of Radha-Govinda. In those days the Deities had been worshiped on a gorgeous altar in the large kirtana hall, and they had been dressed in silks and ornamented with gilded and bejewelled crowns and necklaces. All the pious Vaiñëava families of the neighbourhood would visit; and on Janmastami, Krsna's birthday, even British gentlemen and ladies would come.
But today the Mullik family possessed only remnants of the European art and furnishings that had once filled their homes and temple-relics from an age of former grandeur. And the worship of Radha-Govinda had pitifully deteriorated.
Srila Prabhupäda was pained to see the neglect. No longer were Radha and Govinda the centre of the Mulliks' lives. The Deity worship still continued-conducted by paid brahmanas but few people came to see. The main attraction now was the golden deity of the goddess Kali on the large altar in the kirtana hall. Radha and Govinda, "in the family" for many generations, had been relegated to a small upstairs room in the Mullik compound. Their dress was no longer elegant, Their valuable crowns and ornaments had disappeared, and there were no large kirtanas as before. Only a paid brahmana came in the morning to rub sandalwood pulp on Their shining bodies, dress Them carefully in whatever simple clothes remained, and place jasmine garlands around Their necks while a widow or two watched the silent proceedings.
Krsna consciousness was dying in India, dying from neglect. At least it was dying here in Calcutta. And in many other places in India, even in Vrndavana, the impersonal philosophy prevailed, and grand old temples had become residences for pigeons, monkeys, and dogs. Sad as it was, it only reinforced Prabhupada's conviction of the need to return to the fertile ground in the West. Although here in India the spirit of devotion was dying, in the West it was just beginning to grow-in New York, San Francisco, Montreal, Boston.
If pure Krsna consciousness were dying in India, then why shouldn't it be transplanted in the fertile West? There it would flourish. It would spread worldwide and even back to India again. When India, bent on following the West, saw the materially advanced Americans taking to Krsna consciousness, she would revaluate her own culture.
Prabhupäda saw a Krsna conscious revolution beginning in the United States. He didn't consider himself its creator; he was the servant of Krsna consciousness. Lord Caitanya's desire was that every Indian help to spread Kåñëa consciousness worldwide. Unfortunately, the very verses in the scriptures that prophesied a worldwide Kåñëa consciousness movement were a puzzle even to most of Srila Prabhupada’s Godbrothers. They admitted it.
But soon they would see. There was great potential in the West. Prabhupäda had shown many of his Godbrothers the newspaper articles-"Swami's Flock" chanting in Tompkins Square Park, "Ancient Trance Dance" at Stanford University-and he had brought some disciples with him. These were only beginnings. Much more had to be done.
And who would help? B. P. Keshava Mahäräja was dying. Sridhara Maharaja couldn't come out. Who else? Most Indians were impersonalises, no devotional yogis, or demigod worshipers. As Srila Prabhupäda stood before the Radha-Govinda Deity, explaining to Acyutananda and Ramanuja how he had worshiped Them in his childhood and how They had been his first inspiration in Kåñëa consciousness, he understood deeply that he must take Krsna consciousness all over the world, even if singlehandedly. Of course, he was not alone; he had disciples. And they were opening new centres even in his absence. He would have to return to them very soon and supervise his growing movement.
The Mulliks regarded Prabhupada more as a relative than as a spiritual leader. To them he was a hometown cousin who had done something successful in America. Narendranath Mullik, a childhood friend of Prabhupada’s, called Prabhupada Dada, "brother," and regularly joked with him.
 

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PREACHING THE KIRTAN OF THE LORD- By Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati

 

PREACHING THE KIRTAN OF THE LORD

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupada

Please preach the kīrtan of the Supreme Lord, even if in doing so you have to incur debt; then in order to pay off that debt, you will have to be even more engaged in sevā. When your creditors put pressure on you, you will be forced to beg more for alms. Again, as the pious householders will not give you alms unless your character and conduct are pure, you will be forced to preserve a pure lifestyle with great determination and care. I will not leave one penny for you, and in that

way in the future you won’t be able to indulge in laziness and you won’t be able to give up your devotional lives full of hari-kīrtan and hari-sevā.

The matha is the center of hari-kīrtan, and hari-kīrtan is life and consciousness. To ensure that there is no place for laziness, bad conduct, trivial thought, gossip, or vulgar desire in the maha, you have to go from door to door, where your hari-kīrtan will be tested by the public. When the public will think that they are the givers of alms and you are the receivers of alms — in other words, that their status is higher than yours — they will criticize you in many ways, thinking you are objects of their mercy. Perhaps some of them will also be ready to kick you out. Then, on one hand, you will be able to become tnād api sunīcha, humbler than a blade of grass, and mānada, respectful to others, and on the other hand you will take great care to make your lives and characters pure and exemplary. Further­more, what will be beneficial for you is this: as you will correct the mistakes of the common people by citing the message of sādhu, śāstra, and guru-varga, you will not make those same mistakes.

Please do not be upset if someone criticizes you personally. But your guru-varga, śāstra, and mahājans are completely faultless, supremely lib­erated, and eternal associates of the Lord. If, due to ignorance, someone criticizes them, then you should correct that person’s mistakes by telling them the real truth. This will be very beneficial for both you and the ignorant people. If you become lazy about begging for alms from door to door to collect ingredients for hari-kīrtan, and if you indulge in laziness and bad habits, prefer­ring reclusive bhajan so you can escape others’ criticism, then your character will not be purified. You will not have the life of devotional practice. I will never give you any opportunity to become deceitful in the path of devotion in the privacy of your own home; I will never give you any op­portunity to live in a reclusive place so that you can become undisciplined in your heart, thinking no one will come to see or hear you there. You are my dearmost friends. I will never allow you to get into trouble. I will never allow you to give up the path of pleasing the senses of the Lord so that you can please the senses of the people of the world, as well as your own, because you received some temporary position or you could not tolerate some temporary criticism. 

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Is it more spiritual to find fault or see the good qualities in others

Is it more spiritual to find faults or see the good qualities in others?

Fault is easily found. We see good qualities in others when our hearts are full of love and kindness. To see the good must be more spiritual because we relish the fruit of the others spiritual growth (we connect). And we remain silent about the shadow, as we can see that shadow in our own self too, as we are doing the spiritual work internally (even as we talk and connect to the other). If we see fault, we should simply pray for the removal of the unwanted thing. That is kindness.

Just some thoughts. Something I need to practice.

Quote:

                                   

Criticism means the confession of my frustration with my inability to connect. taken from a forum (krsna dasa)

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Nityananda - destroyer of fear

Nityananda! Gauranga! Hare Krishna!

The greatest treasure of my life is the Holy Name of Lord Nityananda. It is so much hope giving to know that anytime one feels down and hopeless, struck down by the influence of one's wicked desires, the Holy Name of Lord Nityananda is always there to uplift one immediately and give one new life.

In spiritual life one has to become fearless and hopeful. Fear is a great hindernis for the flow of love. And in Kali Yuga fear and danger is at every step. Fortunate are those who has faith in Lord Nityananda and His Holy Name for He is the destroyer of any kind of fear and hopelessness:

ar naiko kalir bhoy
acandale den nama nitai doyamoy

"We no longer need to fear the terrible Age of Quarrel, for the  most merciful Lord Nityananda gives the Holy Name to anyone and everyone—even to  the lowest among men." Shrila Bhaktivinoda Thakura

Matus

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Control Of the Tongue

The soul is active and similarly the senses; their nature is to be active and of all the senses, Thakura Bhaktivinoda prayed that, the tongue is the most difficult to control. We have seen someone who is celibate, who is fasting, who is living such an austere life not allowing any of his senses to go anywhere but that person often times is very eager to find faults in others. The tongue is very, very difficult to control, and there are two ways in controlling the tongue. One is eating only Krsna’s Prasad; that prasad purifies your tongue at the beginning; Prabhupada said you eat as much as you like but after some time your tongue should be purified where you have the determination to eat what you need to perform your service nicely. And the other function of the tongue besides tasting is vibrating, we should not speak material subjects, we should not be unchaste, we shouldn’t talk create pollution in the atmosphere; we should not exploit others; we should speak what is positive to the service of the Lord and that is the glorification of the Lord.

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Re: how to defeat the Atheist

Nityananda Gauranga Hare Krishna

I think that proving that they are unreasonable and unintelligent through different arguments. Controlling the flow of the conversation, being strong and forceful.Prabhupada used to say all living things in this world come from other living things, in no case is life made from matter. So it would be unreasonable and unintelligent to think some higher living entity is not  responsible for this vast creation. Things are going on so nicely, the sun gives the perfect amount of energy to sustain life, clouds give their rain so grains grow, etc.

For the most part I believe that atheists deep down do believe in God or sense a higher power, but because of past karma they have come to despise and refuse to accept Him. Even if one can defeat an atheist they more than likely will still not accept God, unless they are fortunate. Prabhupada always used to expose such fools and show that they clearly didn't know what they were talking about and are clearly mad. At the time of death, they will believe in God's power, that we can assure them.

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Re: how to defeat the Atheist

Nityananda Gauranga Hare Krishna!

Dear Swamiji, Lowerthanarat, and devotees, please accept my humble obeisances.

Before we defeat the logical arguments of the atheists about the existence and meaning of the Lord we have to understand their arguments. There are many different kinds of atheists and their defeat would be from different angles as they approach the subject matter from different angles. The largest and most dangerous angle is impersonalism in which the personal aspect of the Lord is denied. This is equal to spiritual suicide and all the Acharyas of all the Vaisnava Sampradayas have defeated this concept from every possible angle.

Basically you are asking about those atheists who don�t believe in the existence of God which by the way eliminates their question to the meaning of God. Let us first define what atheism is (Wikipedia):

Atheism, as an explicit position, can be either the affirmation of the nonexistence of gods or the rejection of theism. It is also defined more broadly as synonymous with any form of non-theism including the simple absence of belief in deities. Although atheism is often equated with irreligion, some (so called) religions, such as Jainism and Buddhism, do not require belief in a personal god.

Many self-described atheists are skeptical of all supernatural beings and cite a lack of empirical evidence for the existence of deities. Others argue for atheism on philosophical, social or historical grounds. Although many self-described atheists tend toward secular philosophies such as humanism and naturalism there is no one ideology or set of behaviors to which all atheists adhere.

Now let�s look at their defeat and let us defeat them in their own field of so called logic. If we use logic in our arguments we have to make them understand the nature of �logical absolutes�. Logical absolutes are conceptual by nature and are not dependent on space, time, physical properties, or human nature. They are not the product of the physical universe (space, time, matter) because if the physical universe were to disappear, logical absolutes would still be true. Therefore logical absolutes are not the product of human minds because human minds are subject to the temporary existence. But, since logical absolutes are always true everywhere and not dependent upon human minds, it must be that an absolute transcendent Authority is authoring them. This Authority is called God.

The above argument alone defeats the atheistic concept of the absence of God. However it is so abstract that most atheists don�t get it and that�s ok because it is time they use their minds to awaken. By the way the above argument is false because the mind that is �gifted� CAN understand the logical absolutes by the grace of the Lord. But since we are all under the influence of the marginal energy we can assume that the minds of the atheists are exclusively directed to, and limited by, matter, space and time. So the above logical argument is sufficient to defeat the atheists on their own ground but again: most of them are so anesthetized that they don�t understand that they are defeated to begin with.

The biggest cause and lacking �fire� of the atheists is direct experience. If I define God to be X, and I can experience X, then my logical conclusion is that God exists. It is that simple for the devotees. It is really hard to believe that heat doesn�t exist while having your hand in the fire. So the best way to defeat the atheists is by our own example. Our great happiness is incomparable to their tiny happiness. When you can give them, somehow, a little peak into your heart they will be curious �how you do it� and you can tell them there is a world of color beyond the black and white existence of dry logical argument.

The above is just a general approach. Every kind of atheist, every person needs a different approach and needs to be guided individually to the lotus feet of Lord Gauranga Krishna. In our preaching efforts we can always help each other to do that. Specific situations are more interesting. I am a little afraid that both the above question and answer, will be consumed by our minds while we move on and digest the next mental satisfaction. The reality of Sri Sri Sri Sri Nityananda Gauranga Radha Krishna is so exiting that our hearts can nearly stand still and think about these subjects. We are so absorbed in the eternal kirtan of the Lord, His dance, His beauty and His super attraction, that we just grab the hands of the atheists and push them in the circle of wild dancing devotees. The kartels and the drums and the roar of the Lord will vanquish their so-called logic and turn them all into madmen. Then we ask them to stop dancing and ask: �What was your question again? Shall we go back to the armchair and speculate some more? Or do you want to continue dancing? What will a man who has just fallen in Love with Lord Gaura Krishna say? Gaura Haribol!

Your servant,

Hadai Nityananda dasa

Nityananda Gauranga Hare Krishna!

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