Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila, Chapter 15.
“Srila Vasudeva Datta knew very well that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was the original Personality of Godhead, Transcendence itself, above the material conception of illusion and maya. Lord Jesus Christ certainly finished the sinful reactions of his followers by his mercy, but that does not mean he completely delivered them from the pangs of material existence. A person may be relieved from sins once, but it is a practice among Christians to confess sins and yet commit them again. By getting freed from sins and again engaging in them, one cannot attain freedom from the pangs of material existence. A diseased person may go to a physician for relief, but after he leaves the hospital he may again be infected due to his unclean habits. Thus material existence continues.” (Cc Madhya 15.163 purport)
Giriraj Swami: “We have the same tendency: to abuse the provisions of the scripture, to commit sin on the strength of the chanting of the holy name, which is offensive. We make a transgression on either the subtle or gross level and think that because we are devotees chanting the holy names we won’t have to suffer the reaction. So, after we take to the process of Krishna consciousness, surrender to the spiritual master, and become free from sinful reactions, we have to be very careful not to engage again. The best protection is to keep association with pure devotees. Otherwise, if we stray from the association and get influenced by other, materialistic people — man is a social animal — being affected by their different ideas, we can fall away. We have to cling very closely to the association of devotees. And from that position of strength we can go out and help others.”
The Lord’s Merciful Devotees, Cc Madhya 15, Christmas Day, London
