Italy - Morning Walk: July 6, 2010
[Respected Harikatha Readers,
Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga.
Srila Gurudeva, nitya-lila pravista om visnupada Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja, is present in all his ages, and in all the years that we have all known him. Being a manifestation and intimate associate of Sri Krsna, he enjoys Krsna's qualities (saksad-dharitvena); he and his qualities are therefore ever-fresh and ever-unfolding.
As with Krsna's associates like Srila Sukadeva Gosvami, who spoke Srimad-Bhagavatam 5,000 years ago and yet his words are appropriate and vital today, and Srila Rupa Gosvami, who spoke 500 years ago, so Srila Gurudeva's words of guidance, which are not different from his heart, are our very life-breath for always.
This transcription (which contains endnotes from Gurudeva's lectures and darsans and morning walks that are just as vital as the rest of the transcription) has no sound or video accompaniment. It therefore doesn't contain his laughter, his sweet voice, and his intonations which reveal further meanings. However, by our prayers, he is happy to fill in all these aspects and more. – The Harikatha team]
Harinamananda dasa: Srila Gurudeva, sometimes devotees wonder what is the meaning and significance of wearing Vaisnava dress, because it is a five-hundred-year-old tradition.
Srila Gurudeva: If a person wearing red (saffron) cloth commits any sin, he will easily be caught. It is for this reason that our acaryas have given red cloth. Many kinds of person can dress in white, but if one engages in nonsense while wearing this red cloth, at once he will be caught.
Moreover, gerua ranga (saffron color) contains something mysterious. It gives something to the body that makes the wearer more able to resist kama (lust); that is why it has been given. But nowadays gerua is not real gerua; we use artificial gerua. [Gerua is a special stone which, when mixed with soil, produces the saffron color in cloth. -ed]
Harinamananda dasa: Some devotees think that it is not necessary to wear kurta, dhoti, or sari. They say that it is acceptable to walk around in ordinary non-devotee clothing.
Srila Gurudeva: No. They are wrong. All of our acaryas were very, very careful. Ramanuja, Madhva, and Visnusvami have all taken danda and this cloth. They discovered that this gerua ranga helps on so many ways.
This evening we will speak about Krsna's killing of Dhenukasura, Krsna's destroying Indra's pride, Krsna's chastisement of Kaliya, and perhaps Krsna's meeting the Yajna-patnis. (To a sannyasi) You, especially, can prepare to speak about Dhenukasura.
Sripad Ashrama Maharaja: Srila Gurudeva, it is stated , sampradaya-vihina ye mantras te nisphala matah. The mantra is meant for one to achieve the goal of bhava, and ultimately prema. If a kanistha-adhikari gives this mantra to a disciple, is there any effect?
Srila Gurudeva: A kanistha-adhikari should not do so. He should take that person to a high-class Vaisnava to be initiated.
Sripad Madhava Maharaja: A kanistha can be a vartma-pradarsaka guru (the guru who shows the path; who brings the candidate to the bona fide, self-realized guru)
Sripad Ashrama Maharaja: So, in a case where a kanistha-adhikari gives the mantra to a disciple, is there no effect?
Srila Gurudeva: If he does this, what is there to say? Many kanisthas are doing this.
Sripad Ashrama Maharaja: Somebody may say that because in some societies there are no high-class Vaisnavas, there is a need for kanisthas to give initiation.
Srila Gurudeva: In fact, even those who haven't reached the level of kanistha-adhikari – those with no adhikari at all – are giving 'initiation.'
Sripad Sudhadvaiti Maharaja: So, the fruit is not bhakti?
Srila Gurudeva: Millions of persons are doing this. Those with nothing, not even the qualification of kanistha, are doing this, and nothing can be done about it.
Sripad Sudadvaiti Maharaja: But will the fruit of this initiation be bhakti, or sukrti only? The disciples will not get bhakti; is this correct?
Srila Gurudeva: The result will be nothing.
Sripad Sridhara Maharaja: Srila Madhvacarya has not written any commentary to Brahma-vimohana-lila.
Srila Gurudeva: Brahma was Srila Madhvacarya's guru, so Madhvacarya considered, "My Gurudeva can have no fault." It is for this reason that he has not written a commentary to this pastime.
Sripad Sridhara Maharaja: Lord Brahma is our guru also, so how are we to understand this 'fault' of his?"
Srila Gurudeva: Mahaprabhu was very liberal. He was not narrow-minded like the followers of Madhvacarya.
Sripad Madhava Maharaja: It was through Brahma that Krsna performed so many pastimes. Krsna was able to fulfil the Vraja gopis' desires, the mothers' desires, and the cows' desires.
Srila Gurudeva: So many of Krsna's pastimes manifested from this one incident; so why should Srila Sridhara Svami refrain from commenting on it? Why should Srila Sanatana Gosvami or Srila Jiva Gosvami leave this out?
Sripad Madhava Maharaja: Or Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura.
Srila Gurudeva: They did not avoid writing commentaries on this pastime.
Sripad Sridhara Maharaja: Brahmaji is our adi-guru. He is a great Vaisnava. Being a great Vaisnava, why could he not see the original cowherd boys and calves?
Srila Gurudeva: He was influenced by some maya. [See Endnote 1] He was born from a lotus flower, so some defect must be there; that was the defect. [Endnote 2]
The influence of Krsna's maya was so much greater than the power of Brahma.
Sripad Madhava Maharaja: For one year even Baladeva Prabhu could not understand; what to speak of Brahma and Sivaji.
Srila Gurudeva: Baladeva thought, "Why are all these things going on?" He told Krsna, "O Prabhu, without Your mercy, no one can understand Your pastimes. Even I cannot understand; what to speak of others?
Sripad Nemi Maharaja: Are the gopis with whom Krsna dances married to the same cowherd boys with whom He plays in the daytime?
Srila Gurudeva: (To Brajanath dasa) What did he say?
Brajanath dasa: At the time of Brahma-vimohana-lila, all the gopis married the gopas. Then, after the lila was over, did they remain married to those gopas?
Srila Gurudeva: No, no, no. They married only one time, not two. After that one time, they thought, "This is my husband." [See Endnote 3]
Sripad Suddhadvaiti Maharaja: Gurudeva, in the Upadesamrta of Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja, at the end of purport five, he says not to take a guru if he is not uttama-adhikari; he also says "Don't become guru if you are not uttama-adhikari." Then he says that both the kanistha-adhikari and madhyama-adhikari may also take disciples, but that such disciples cannot make much progress due to insufficient guidance. The question is this: Below which level would you say that one should not venture to take disciples? [Endnote 4]
Srila Gurudeva: It is not written anywhere. But I think that, at the least, one requires the qualification of a madhyama-madhyama devotee in order to give initiation. [See Endnote 5]
Sripad Suddhadvaiti Maharaja: Does his giving of the diksa-mantra have the power to give divya-jnana?
Srila Gurudeva: It is not as powerful as if Narada would give it. If Narada gives initiation, at once, in a second, divya-jnana will manifest. But we are not like him.
Sripad Nemi Maharaja: What are the symptoms of a madhyama-madhyama-adhikari, Srila Gurudeva?
Sripad Madhava Maharaja: He is asking what is the qualification of a madhyama-madhyama? Is it ruci, or asakti, or nistha, or what?
Srila Gurudeva: Up to asakti. And, if bhava comes...
Sripad Suddhadvaiti Maharaja: The definition of divya-jnana is that the guru is putting the form of Bhagavan in the heart by the mantra, like a seed. From that seed manifests bhagavat sambandha visesa jnanam ca [from Bhakti-sandarbha], meaning specific realized knowledge of one's relationship with Bhagavan. At which level can guru know this?
Srila Gurudeva: If I know, and you know, why will that madhyama-madhyama not know? [Here, he is pretending to be like us, saying that he and we and the madhyama-madhyama guru may have varying degrees of knowledge of one's particular relationship with Krsna. -ed] However, realization of that knowledge will come at bhava. Without bhava, or rati, realization will not come; but even that level the realization will be as though 'covered with glass.'
Sripad Ashrama Maharaja: So, does 'up to asakti' mean ruci? Is ruci not madhyama-madhyama? 'Up to asakti' begins from where? [From Pinnacle of Devotion, in the chapter entitled "The Role of Siksa-guru" (footnote to the word 'prema' in 'prema maitre, krpa, upeksa'): "Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura writes in his Srimad-Bhagavatam commentary that a madhyama-adhikari cannot have real prema. But by thinking of how the gopis loved Krsna, he may receive a shadow of their prema. Thus he achieves the level of asakti, attachment for Krsna."]
Sripad Suddhadvaiti Maharaja: Ruci.
Sripad Ashrama Maharaja: (To Sripad Sudhadvaiti Maharaja) He didn't say ruci with his mouth. You said ruci.
Sripad Suddhadvaiti Maharaja: (To Sripad Ashrama Maharaja) But it is understood in all sastra.
Brajanath dasa: Gurudeva said, "Asakti."
Sripad Sridhara Maharaja: If we look closely, we see that so many gurus take disciples although those gurus' anarthas have not gone. They have not passed anartha-nrvrtti, yet they are taking disciples. How can they do this?
Srila Gurudeva: Nowadays there is no consideration of qualification at all – nothing. All are allowed to give, especially unqualified persons.
Sripad Ashrama Maharaja: Srila Gurudeva, you said, "Up to asakti." Do you mean nistha-ruci madhyama-madhyama, or only ruci-asakti madhyama-madhyama? [When Srila Gurudeva said 'up to asakti,' he meant that the guru must have already reached up to the stage of asakti. He must already be on the stage of asakti. -ed]
Srila Gurudeva: What is it that you continue to ask (ki sab)?
Sripad Ashrama Maharaja: If one is not madhyama-madhyama and he gives diksa, what reaction will he receive?
Srila Gurudeva: Good result (gati); there is no harm in this. Krsna will do what is needful.
Sripad Ashrama Maharaja: No, I am not referring to the madhyama-madhyama. I am asking about one who is less than that.
Brajanath dasa: What is the result of an unqualified guru giving diksa?
Srila Gurudeva: He should be qualified.
Sripad Ashrama Maharaja: But what if he is unqualified? Then?
Srila Gurudeva: What will be the result? You know.
Sripad Ashrama Maharaja: Me? Oh, please; don't do this to me. Don't do this to me.
Sripad Suddhadvaita Maharaja: So madhyama-madhyama begins at ruci; yes?
Srila Gurudeva: Do you know the meaning of mana (honor) and summana (honor, or respect)?
The desire for these things will grow. That unqualified person will thus think, "I am the only guru," and then he will fall down.
[ACCORDING TO THE SOUNDFILE, THIS IS THE END OF JULY 6TH AND START OF JULY 7TH]
Devotee: How can I know that my relationship with my Gurudeva is growing?
Srila Gurudeva: I have told this so many times. (To Sripad Padmanabha Maharaja) Please tell him.
Sripad Padmanabha Maharaja: Srila Gurudeva was recently asked a similar question in Los Angeles, California. His answer was, "You will be happy. If you are developing your relationship properly, you will be happy."
Devotee: I received diksa-mantra from you a year ago. What is my service?
Srila Gurudeva: You can serve according to your skill and qualification; preaching, distributing my books, reading my books – all these things.
Kamala-kanta dasa (of Germany): Srila Gurudeva, is there some special significance in Romahasana Suta's being killed with a blade of grass?
Srila Gurudeva: Kusa grass is very sharp, very sharp, like a knife.
Sripad Madhava Maharaja: If you don't hold it properly, it will cut you.
Srila Gurudeva: And kusa was readily available there.
Sripad Madhava Maharaja: Baladeva Prabhu took the blade of kusa and simply touched Romaharsana Suta with the tip of its blade. In this way, Romaharsana was actually killed by Baladeva Prabhu's desire.
Srila Gurudeva: Kusa is pavitra.
Sripad Madhava Maharaja: Meaning very pure; very auspicious.
Srila Gurudeva: It was for all these reasons that Baladeva Prabhu killed him by the kusa.
Devotee: Why is paran (the breaking of the Ekadasi fast at a specific time on the dvadasi day, by eating some grain) so important? Why is it so important to break the fast within such a little time-span, which is sometimes only ten or fifteen minutes? Moreover, how were people able to do this before the days of watches?
Srila Gurudeva: Oh, yes. If they don't know, there is nothing they can do; but if they know, they must do it within the proper time.
Devotee: Why is it so important?
Sripad Madhava Maharaja: If you don't follow, you lose the fruit of Ekadasi. This is mentioned in Hari-bhakti-vilasa and other scriptures. Ekadasi is tomorrow here; today in America.
Sripad Sajjana Maharaja: One day in Navadvipa, we had a time period of eight minutes in which to take paran. I had a watch, and I saw that the Bengalis were breaking their fast at exactly at the right time without watches.
Sripad Ashrama Maharaja: I have a question on guru-tattva. Maharaja is asking me to ask this question. Yesterday you explained that if a kanistha-adhikari gives diksa, the result is zero. But it has been said that you previously mentioned that if the kanistha-adhikari who is giving diksa is himself taking siksa from a higher devotee, this system might be okay.
My question is this: What is the need for a kanistha-adhikari to give diksa if he can directly send that person to the higher devotee, and he himself just helps with instruction?
Srila Gurudeva: The kanistha-adhikari should not give diksa. He should take the candidates to the uttama-adhikari.
Sripad Ashrama Maharaja: Somebody said that you mentioned once before that this system may be okay. I just wanted it confirmed.
Srila Gurudeva: But it is better to take them to the uttama-adhikari.
Sripad Suddhadvaiti Maharaja: What if there is no maha-bhagavat available in our sanga?
Srila Gurudeva: Madhyama.
Sripad Ashrama Maharaja: Madhyama; madhyama-madhyama.
Srila Gurudeva: Madhyama is available everywhere.
Sripad Suddhadvaiti Maharaja: Everywhere?
Srila Gurudeva: (To Sripad Suddhadvaiti Maharaja) You yourself can give diksa.
Sripad Suddhadvaiti Maharaja: Why are you cheating me now?
Srila Gurudeva: Nemi Maharaja, and you, and all. One day you will have to give diksa; today or tomorrow.
Sannyasi: Next life.
Srila Gurudeva: Better to start now.
Sripad Sudhadvaiti Maharaja: Double cheating now.
Brajanath dasa: They are inviting (meaning 'my observation is that they are anxious to start initiating').
Srila Gurudeva: They can all do it.
Devotee: Gurudeva, how can I keep your presence with me, in my heart, at every moment?
Srila Gurudeva: Oh, Nemi Maharaja, please answer.
Sripad Nemi Maharaja: First of all, we should follow Srila Gurudeva's instructions. We should serve his mission and understand "saksad haritvena samasta sastrai." Gurudeva is like Krsna; he is within the heart. So, we can constantly cultivate the sense that he is always with us – associating with him within our heart and serving him within the heart.
Srila Gurudeva: Are you satisfied?
Devotee: Yes
Sripad Nemi Maharaja: Yes, he's satisfied Srila Gurudeva.
Devotee: Thank you.
Sripad Suddhadvaiti Maharaja: Someone asked this question: The cows have vatsalya-prema for Krsna. Are they higher than the sakhas, who have sakhya-prema?
Srila Gurudeva: If those cows are vatsalya, then it may be. But first they should be vatsalya. They are unable to express themselves by words. The can simply think, "I want Krsna to be my son; then I will give Him my milk."
Are there any more questions?
Devotee: Gurudeva, since madhurya-prema is higher than sakhya-prema, how is it possible for somebody in sakhya-prema to be completely happy?
Brajanath dasa: He is asking: How can anyone with the mood of sakhya, or dasya, or vatsalya be fully happy, if the highest mood is madhurya-, or srngara-, rasa?
Srila Gurudeva: None of you have any mood at all. When bhava comes, you will be able to see who you are and what is your eternal relationship with Krsna – but that realization is compared to seeing something that is covered by glass. When you attain prema, you will be able to see everything clearly.
Sripad Madhava Maharaja: Will the devotee be happy by his own mood even though he knows that vatsalya-rasa and madhurya rasa are higher than sakhy-arasa?
Srila Gurudeva: He will realize his happiness when he reaches the stage of bhava.
Sripad Madhava Maharaja: Yes. But at that time will they think those in madhurya-rasa are higher, or will they be happy by their own rasa?
Srila Gurudeva: First let bhava come; then talk.
Darsana after the walk
Syamarani dasi: Srila Gurudeva, this is Dina-dayal prabhu. He was initiated by you thirteen years ago, and just now came back. He is like Ananta prabhu for communication; and he is like Dilip, who was helping the members of your society to communicate with each other.
Sripad Madhava Maharaja: Very good. Good, good.
Syamarani dasi: So now he has agreed to help us form a new Communication Seva-Team, to help the devotees to become leaders in communication, to train others so that everyone will feel encouraged to work together in harmony without conflicts, and to bring each other up to our highest potential of service to you.
Srila Gurudeva: (To Dina-dayal dasa) Oh, you can do it.
Syamarani dasi: We want to send a letter about this new seva-team to the sanga. We are wondering if you can say a few words encouraging...
Srila Gurudeva: You can say.
Syamarani dasi: Okay.
Srila Gurudeva: I have no time.
Syamarani dasi: You have already said so many things.
Srila Gurudeva: I have told everything in my classes. So, he should do it.
Dina-dayal dasa: Srila Gurudeva, thank you so much for your mercy, and I hope I can serve you as you desire.
Endnotes:
[Endnote 1: The maya that influenced Brahma was yogamaya, not mahamaya: "When Krsna killed Aghasura, Lord Brahma saw Aghasura's soul enter into Krsna's lotus feet. He thought, "How wonderful this is! I want to see more sweet pastimes." That is why he thought of stealing the calves and boys.
In the meantime, Krsna was thinking about how to fulfill four wishes: (1) the desire of all of the teenage gopis; (2) the desires of the cows and mothers; (3) the desire of Lord Brahma; and (4) His own desire to taste the affection of these associates. As He was contemplating in this way, Yogamaya at once appeared to Him and said, 'Prabhu, you are thinking about tasting these relationships, so I will arrange for this right away.' This is why she caught hold of Brahma and brought him under her influence. She made this thought arise in him: 'I am Brahma. I should steal away the cowherd boys and calves. Then I will see what He will do. Maybe He will come to me and ask where they are.'" (from Walking With A Saint, Miami, May 24, 2008)]
[Endnote 2: The gopis said, "Brahma was born from the lotus-navel of Padmanabha Visnu, so he is like that lotus flower. His intelligence is quite dull, because he has come from the stem of an inert lotus. How can demigods like Brahma know anything? They can pray to You and believe that You are the Supreme Lord. They can believe that You can create this entire universe in a second and then destroy it. They can glorify You like this, but we have known You from the beginning of Your birth, and we know You at this very moment. These demigods and yogis may pray to You for salvation, or they can pray to You that Your lotus feet may appear in their hearts. They should do so, because they are as foolish as anything. We are not like them, for we are very clever and intelligent." (from Origin of Ratha-yatra, Chapter 6, Krsna Meets the Gopis)]
[Endnote 3: At the time of Brahma-vimohana-lila, all the gopis married, or more specifically, were betrothed to, the gopas who were actually the expansions of Krsna. Later, the gopis considered as their husbands the original gopas, who had been kidnapped by Brahma. -ed]
[Endnote 4: "In this verse Srila Rupa Gosvami advises the devotee to be intelligent enough to distinguish between the kanistha-adhikari, madhyama-adhikari and uttama-adhikari. A neophyte Vaisnava or a Vaisnava situated on the intermediate platform can also accept disciples, but such disciples must be on the same platform, and it should be understood that they cannot advance very well toward the ultimate goal of life under his insufficient guidance. Therefore a disciple should be careful to accept an uttama-adhikari as a spiritual master." (from Nectar of Instruction, Chapterh. 5 Purport] [This text does not say 'initiate.' It says 'accept disciples.' - ed]
[Endnote 5: Bilvamangala Thakura pays obeisances to Cintamani, who had inspired him to take shelter of Sri Krsna. What type of guru was she? A vartma-pradarsakaguru, one who says, "Come with me to a realized Vaisnava." The vartma-pradarsaka-guru shows the path. He may be kanistha, that is alright; but the initiating guru should not be less than a madhyama-adhikari.
What are the symptoms of madhyama-adhikari? You need to know these symptoms before accepting a diksa or siksa-guru. If you do not see these symptoms, then do not accept a person as guru. Otherwise, there will be so many difficulties in your devotional life. If that guru falls down, your life will be ruined and you will cry bitterly.
The first symptom of the bona fide guru is this:
tasmad gurum prapadyeta
jijnasuh sreya uttamam
sabde pare ca nisnatam
brahmany upasamasrayam
Srimad-Bhagavatam, 11.3.21
Any person who is seriously desirous of achieving real happiness must seek out a bona fide spiritual master and take shelter of him by initiation. The qualification of a spiritual master is that he must have realized the conclusion of the scriptures by deliberation and arguments and thus be able to convince others of these conclusions. Such great personalities, who have taken complete shelter of the Supreme Godhead, leaving aside all material considerations, are to be understood as bona fide spiritual masters.
Though all symptoms should be there in full, two are prominent. The first symptom is sabde pare ca nisnatam brahmany; the guru has complete knowledge of the scriptures. The second symptom is upasamasrayam; he is detached from material desires. He is always so happy serving Sri Krsna. If he is unhappy and feels that his life has so many problems, then he is not qualified to be guru. Haridasa Thakura was beaten in twenty-two marketplaces, almost to the point of death, but he did not consider this a problem. He kept chanting Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna. Prahlada Maharaja was tortured by his father, yet he never felt he had a problem. Rather, he stood on the head of all problems.
A guru who chants and performs the nine processes of bhakti, and who has taken diksa but who laments that he has so many problems – that his wife has cheated him, his children are not with him, he cannot manage or make money, or that he has no computer or no sufficient material facility – should be rejected at once.
The third symptom of guru is that he is realized in krsna-bhakti. Without having this realization, because he still has material desires, he is bound to fall. Besides these three symptoms, a madhyama-adhikari will have four additional qualities. The uttama-adhikari is of course superior and offers a superior result in bhakti, but such a guru is rare in this world. In the absence of such an uttama-guru, the madhyama-adhikari can be accepted as a siksa or diksa-guru.
But one should see whether or not he has the following four qualities:
1) prema –He has love and affection for Krsna. (Gurudeva's footnote to this word: Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura writes in his Srimad-Bhagavatam commentary that a madhyama-adhikari cannot have real prema. But by thinking of how the gopis loved Krsna, he may receive a shadow of their prema. Thus he achieves the level of asakti, attachment for Krsna.)
2) maitre – He shows friendship towards and offers...(etc.) (from Pinnacle of Devotion, Chapter entitled "The Role of Siksa-Guru")]
