Maui, Hawaii, May 25, 2000
I was telling yesterday that our ears, nose, tongue, and all of our senses are mundane; but Krishna's Name, krsna-katha, krsna-seva, and all things relating to Krishna are transcendental - purely transcendental. How then can these mundane senses touch the transcendental Name and other items of bhakti?
There is a process, and I am explaining that process daily. We must be in the association of a high-class Vaisnava. If this is not so available, then be in the association of the Bhagavatam, Sri Caitanya Caritamrta, and the books of the Gosvamis. You should think that the Bhagavatam is Sri Vyasadeva and Sri Sukadeva Gosvami, Sri Caitanya Caritamrta is Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami, and the books of the Gosvamis are the Gosvamis themselves. You should think, "They are personally with me, and I must follow them." You should receive proper diksa and sambhanda-jnana: a relationship between Krishna and ourself. Then, all relationships will come automatically. Do you know Vrndadevi, Yamunamayi, and Gangamayi? What is your relationship with Yamuna? Can you tell? Use your intelligence. Why should we not think of Yamuna as Yamunamaiya (mother Yamuna) or Tulasi as Tulasimaiya (mother Tulasi)? Because it means that we do not feel any proper relationship. On what will devotees' relations depend? It will depend on their relationship with Krishna or Srimati Radhika. It depends totally on this.
If you are married to Krishna, then what will be your relation to Baladeva Prabhu? He will be your brother in-law. And what is your relation to Yasodamaiya? She will be your mother-in-law. And if your Svamini is Radhika, and you are deeply related to her, then who is Vrsabhanu Maharaja? How will you relate to him? He will be like your father, Kirtida will be like your mother, and all the sakhis of Radhika will be like sisters or friends. It all depends on the relation you have with Krishna or Radhika. We should know all these special relationships. If you have these relationships and are giving up all anarthas by the diksa process, and you are chanting, remembering, and residing in Vrindavana - this is the process of sambandha-jnana. If you are not physically in Vrindavana, then you can be there even in your mind, and you can be under the guidance of Srila Rupa Gosvami or any of his followers. By this process your chanting of Krishna's Name will gradually become transcendental. 'Ceto darpana marjanam. The dust from the mirror of the heart will be cleansed.' Otherwise, without following this process, the heart will never be cleansed. When the mirror of your heart will be fully cleansed, you can sometimes see Krishna and also yourself. Even if it is not fully clear, sometimes you can see, as if through a very clear glass. You may have a mirror, many books, and many pictures, but if they are locked in a glass bookcase, then although you can see, you cannot take them out.
If you continue chanting Krishna's Name and hearing hari-katha, your heart will be cleared - 'Ceto darpana marjanam bhava mahadavagni.' Your anarthas, unwanted things, will go away. 'Mahadavagni nirvapanam.'
What is bhava mahadavagni? So many problems are giving us pain, even more than those given by fire. If I have so much worldly love for my girlfriend or wife, and she rejects me, that experience will be very painful and it may even cause death. If you are running a big factory, and by the grace of Krishna it goes bankrupt, then what will you do? You will think, "Oh, everything is lost". Then you will think, "I should take poison and commit suicide." Your son may be very dear to you, but if he always insults you, you'll feel so distressed. If he is uncontrolled, and he is doing nonsense even in front of you, then you will feel so much pain. These are all mahadavagni, blazing fires. There are two kinds of davagni. One is in the forest. This fire creates wind and, riding on the chariot of that wind, it consumes the whole forest very quickly. If you are in that type of blazing forest fire, you will be finished in a moment. Even more powerful than this davagni is the ocean-fire. It is much more powerful, and we are in that davagni. However, if we are chanting the Holy Name and following the process that I have already explained, all davagni will quickly go away. Then we will not have to suffer.
I have explained a sloka:
bhaktih paresanu bhavo viraktir anyatra syat
(SB 11.2.42)
If you are taking very tasteful food, three things will be achieved with each bite, according to how much you eat: you will be satisfied, your appetite will diminish, and you will feel nourished and strengthened. All three will come at once. In the same way, when you are practicing bhakti, three things will also come. Bhakti means the practice of bhakti-yoga. Bhakti is the realization of Para, who is Krishna with all His associates in Vrindavana - with the gopas, gopis, sakhas and all others. You will realize this. How much will you realize? As much as you are engaged in bhakti. You will feel satisfaction, realization, and attachment will go away and detachment will come. It is bound to come. If, however, renunciation is not coming, and attachment to worldly things are not going, what is the meaning? Somewhere there is a loophole and we shall have to repair it. Who will repair this hole? Sadhu-sanga. Sri Svarupa Damodara, Sri Raya Ramananda, Sri Nityananda Prabhu and His associates, Sri Rupa Gosvami and Sri Sanatana Gosvami. They are all very powerful. And all gurus are also very powerful. We should cry bitterly and weep for this association.
