CC – Prelude to Gaura-purnima

Giriraj Swami: When I was a relatively new devotee, I had heard that the only thing we need to become Krishna conscious is the eagerness to become Krishna conscious. And later, after so many things that Srila Prabhupada said, I found the same statements in the scriptures. So, I raised my hand and asked Srila Prabhupada, “I have heard that all we need to become Krishna conscious is the eagerness to become Krishna conscious. So, if we are eager to become Krishna conscious, do we need to read books?” Srila Prabhupada replied, “If you are eager to become Krishna conscious, why would you not read books? You will be eager to approach Krishna by any means.”

Devotee: Just now we heard that we should read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with regular understanding and scrutinizing and careful examination, but I was thinking that unless we give an exam, we cannot examine. So, if we read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam for the first time, how can we actually scrutinize something that we don’t know?

Giriraj Swami: First of all, scrutiny means ‘examine and enquire.’ Now, when you are reading, even if is the first sentence—you can examine means, if someone suddenly puts a jewel in your hand, so from the moment you receive it, you can examine it, “What are the beautiful features of this jewel?” You don’t have to go beyond the first sentence. And ‘inquire,’ you should be thinking what does this mean? One of Srila Prabhupada’s last instructions when he was translating Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was to read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam regularly—read and discuss Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam regularly—as much as possible. The more the matter is discussed, the more it becomes clarified. So, you hear and you inquire, and by inquiring to yourself, you may get the answer because as Vaisesika Prabhu mentioned, śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ hṛdy antaḥ stho hy abhadrāṇi vidhunoti suhṛt satām—Krishna is in your heart. He is the well-wishing friend of the devotee. So, when you sincerely try to understand Him through Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, He helps from within the heart (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.17). And beyond that, you discuss with other devotees, and the more you discuss the more the matter becomes clarified.

Hare Krishna.

Devotee: You were talking about the glories of Bhāgavatam and I’m just going back to the work that you had quoted in the purport above, [Unintelligible 00:28:52] about if a person [Unintelligible 00:28:55] this means that he has done all the ritualistic activities and [Unintelligible 00:29:01] in the previous life. And I was just looking at the flip even if he was a dog eater, and I was looking at the flip side of it that even if you study although he doesn’t do all the ritualistic activities you can still be born as a dog eater in your next life. And it’s really [Unintelligible 00:29:16] that you should be reading [Unintelligible 00:29:18].

Host: Yes, [Unintelligible 00:29:22]. I’m sorry, Maharaja, please go ahead.

Giriraj Swami: When we were in Madras, we were staying with a man who had the theory that because we were not born in brahman families we could not be accepted as brahmans, and he agreed that we were by Vaishnavas and that Vaishnavas are greater than brahmans but that we cannot be brahmans until the next life when we take birth in a brahman family. And Achyutananda Swami was with us and he asked the man, “What is more powerful: sinful reactions or Krishna’s holy name?” Because one is born in a particular family according to his pious and sinful actions and reactions. He said, “What is more powerful?” He said, “Krishna’s holy name.” And then Achyutananda Swami said, “That means that by chanting the holy name of Krishna, you can eradicate all the effects of your past karma in the same life and be accepted as a brahman and more than a brahman.” And the man had to agree.

Devotee: [Unintelligible 00:39:52]. And this question has been coming to my mind since yesterday, and I was wondering that if I know that indeed realized that we see it in our own experience that it does in devotional process just take the impurities off slowly, but we have so many other deficiencies that still are ingrained because of our previous karma at birth, so do we keep coming back again and again to still be eradicated from all the impurities or the shelter of the guru and the hari-nāma would deliver us if we are determined?

Giriraj Swami: Well, we are born with a certain body—and even mind, but especially body—and that may remain the same. But what chanting with attention does is it purifies the consciousness, and when the consciousness is purified and fixed on Krishna, that’s really all you need. It doesn’t mean that what you can do with your body will suddenly change. The body is a vehicle. Say, you are driving a Ford and your consciousness is contaminated, then you purify your consciousness, you are still driving the Ford but instead of driving it to some other place, you drive it to the temple. But it’s still a Ford, it doesn’t become a Lexus. But there are qualities that are inherent in the soul, say the twenty-six qualities of the devotee, so those will naturally be manifest as you become purified. But in the process of purification, there may be bad habits that you want to overcome and then you make an effort, you practice. There may be good qualities you want to develop, so you make an effort.

Devotee: What if we don’t even know that this is a bad quality in me? So, what would you do for those?

Giriraj Swami: Well, as you become more purified, you become more aware of the impurities, if you have a dirty piece of cloth, you may not notice some drops here and there, because there is so much dirt. But when the cloth becomes so clean there is only one speck left, that one speck stands out. So, as you become more purified, your faults become—you could say—exaggerated internally, which is Krishna’s mercy so that you are aware of them and can work on them.

Devotee: I just had a follow-up question on the same topic, we say pure devotional service cuts through all the prārabdha of the living entity so the body. [Unintelligible 00:44:06] Pure devotional service should cut through all these. So, what is the meaning of that in this context? And also [Unintelligible 00:44:22] we give the example of alchemy process by which the gold and mercury change into gold. It is a process by which the gold is produced after initiation. So how can we understand that and body remaining the same?

Giriraj Swami: Well, we have a gross physical body and then within the gross physical body, in a seed form is the spiritual body. By the process of purification, we cease to identify with the physical body and we realize that our actual identity is the spirit soul. And as we progress further, it’s described like the maturing of a coconut. When it’s green, the soft part and the shell are intimately connected, but as it matures the soft part hardens and it detaches from the shell, I think we can even shake it and you can hear the. . . So, that’s what happens, that right now because our consciousness is invested in the body, the distinction between our spiritual body and physical body is blurred. But as we become more mature, the spiritual body becomes detached—it’s still in it, but it’s detached from it and you no longer identify with it. And when one reaches the state of bhāva, śuddha-sattva-viśeṣātmā—śuddha-sattva enters your body.

And Srila Prabhupada and the acharyas give the example of the iron rod in fire, that although it’s iron but by association with the fire it becomes hotter and hotter until finally it’s red hot, and then if you touch it to something it will burn. It’s still iron but it’s red hot, so it acts like fire. But it doesn’t mean the iron rod becomes a golden pot. It’s an iron rod but because it’s red hot it’s like fire, that fire is Krishna—Krishna consciousness, the spiritual reality.

Giriraj Swami: I was just going to say that are there are any good business people out there. You could buy all the sets—all twenty for ninety-nine dollars and resell them for profit. [Everyone laughs]

Vaisesika dasa: Bhaktivinoda Thakura mentions it in his essay on pañca-saṁskāra that even if one is a liberated soul, to set the example for others he goes through all the processes including initiation and so forth. Maharaja, would you comment on this?

Giriraj Swami: Yes, Srila Prabhupada explained that just as a railway train goes forward on two tracks, similarly the devotee also goes forward on two tracks: bhāgavata-vidhi and pāñcarātrika-vidhi. And although of the two bhāgavata-vidhi is more important than pañcarātrika-vidhi, but unless we go forward on the two tracks, there is a chance one could get derailed. So, it has been a regular theme in Srila Prabhupada’s teachings based on the previous authorities that one should engage in both simultaneously. But if one is at that advanced liberated stage, one could absorb himself exclusively in chanting and hearing. But that is a very advanced stage and when we are preaching, we want to set the proper example for others to follow but if one is in an advanced stage and is not involved in active preaching, then at that stage one can absorb oneself fully and exclusively in chanting and hearing.

Vaisesika dasa: How has it gone in history for those who have prematurely attempted to retire in hearing and chanting? And what was Prabhupada’s reaction to those who prematurely tried to do that?

Giriraj Swami: It has not gone well for them. It has not gone well for them. There was a conversation with Srila Prabhupada in Juhu about devotees who were going to Radha-kunda to reside at Radha-kunda, and Srila Prabhupada basically said, “They should know what is Radha-kunda.” And the devotees were citing the later verses in The Nectar of Instruction and Srila Prabhupada said, “First, they should start with verse one—vāco vegaṁ manasaḥ krodha-vegaṁ.” Who knows Verse One?

Devotee:

NOI 1

vāco vegaṁ manasaḥ krodha-vegaṁ

jihvā-vegam udaropastha-vegam

etān vegān yo viṣaheta dhīraḥ

sarvām apīmāṁ pṛthivīṁ sa śiṣyāt

Giriraj Swami: And translation?

Devotee: A sober person, one who can control the six urges which are the demands of vācā—speaking, mana—mind, krodha—anger, belly, genitals, and tongue, then he is able to make disciples all over the world.

Giriraj Swami: Yes. So, Srila Prabhupada said one should do those things that are mentioned in the first verse before jumping over to the last verses. He also quoted the example of Raghunatha dasa Gosvami because Raghunatha dasa Gosvami is the acharya for Radha-kunda, but sańkhyā-pūrvaka-nāma-gāna-natibhiḥ (Ṣaḍ-gosvāmy-aṣṭaka 6)—he would always be chanting the holy name and offering obeisances. In other words, he was very humble. But then at the end Srila Prabhupada said, and this relates so much to what we just read, because then one of the disciples said to Srila Prabhupada, “Well, they should read the books properly and understand the books properly.” And Srila Prabhupada said, “One who is sincere will not make a mistake but everyone has my new independence and if one is ready to be guided by the spiritual master then all the guidance is there and he will not make a mistake. But one always has free will and if one does not want to be guided by the spiritual master, then what can anyone do?” So, it comes really back to that essential point of following the order of the spiritual master, having faith in the order of the spiritual master. And Prabhupada also said, “There are enough monkeys at Radha-kunda, we don’t require more.”

Devotee: Hare Krishna Maharaja. When you say that if you have faith in your spiritual master’s words, if you can follow, then you will not make a mistake, if you are sincere. When I think of Madhavendra Puri and Isvara Puri, my thought keeps coming back to the question that there should be a prāyaścitta because even though we are sincere sometimes our need to be independent overcomes all our sincerity and we make a mistake. What is the defining quality that redeems you?

Giriraj Swami: Well, let’s go back a little to avoiding the mistake. That’s a good question: if you make a mistake, how do you redeem yourself? But let’s go back one step. The discussion is so intimately related to the section in Caitanya-caritāmṛta that we are reading now. And I didn’t quote it because I thought we will get to it in the reading, but your question is drawing it out that—one should always feel himself to be a fool in front of the spiritual master and be ready to be chastised by him. That comes in this discussion. Guru more mūrkha dekhi’ karila śāsana (Cc Ādi 7.71): Mahaprabhu said, “My spiritual master saw Me as a great fool and he chastised Me.” So, Srila Prabhupada was saying that we always have to feel like a fool in front of our spiritual master and be ready to be chastised by him then we won’t make a mistake.

There was another discussion in Juhu. I think there was another discussion but it is the same theme when one of the devotees asked Srila Prabhupada about when you are perfect you don’t have to follow the regulated principles. And Srila Prabhupada replied, “One who is perfect never thinks that he is perfect. As soon as you think you are perfect, you are a rascal.” He said, “Perfect means” and then he quoted that verse, “that you always feel like you are a fool before the spiritual master and are ready to be chastised by him. And as soon as you think you are beyond being controlled by the spiritual master and chastised by the spiritual master, then you are fallen.” But Rupa Gosvami says that if by chance someone does make a mistake there is no separate prāyaścitta or process of atonement, but the process of devotional service itself is the best and most potent way to overcome an accidental fall down.

It is the same point. Here I will just add that the relationship between the spiritual master and disciple is very personal. It is like a father and a child. There is one incident, it is sort of different but it really illustrated that point to me. Srila Prabhupada had a disciple, he was from America and we accompanied Srila Prabhupada to India. And in Calcutta, he started to smoke ganja. You know what ganja is. And I happened to be in the room when Srila Prabhupada was speaking to the disciple in Calcutta and it was almost as if Srila Prabhupada was hurt. He said, “If you thought that this could help you, why didn’t you ask me?” Now, of course, he probably knew that Prabhupada wouldn’t approve of it, but still, Srila Prabhupada said, “Why didn’t you ask me?” And I think he expected us to be surrendered to his instructions. Even if our minds had different ideas based on our conditioning, but he expected us to present our ideas to him.

And again—this was I guess a test; I don’t know if I did what was right or wrong or what I had to do. Then Srila Prabhupada asked me if I would take this disciple as my preaching partner. And I was very fixed on my service of making life members which Srila Prabhupada said was a program he devised to distribute his books and for other reasons as well. And I just felt that he wouldn’t—not because he had taken ganja, I just didn’t feel he would work well on my team. I sort of indicated, “No, I can’t.” And Prabhupada let it go, he didn’t force it and I guess from the point what would have been the best thing to do?

But yeah, it is really a very personal relationship. I mean we read about the philosophy and it is certainly crucial towards spiritual advancement to be controlled by the instructions of the spiritual master. It’s also very personal.

There was another very senior disciple of Srila Prabhupada in India. He got an idea to do some business. It wasn’t a really very good idea. Prabhupada sensed that he was drifting away. And Srila Prabhupada spoke to him, “Once an animal belongs to a master, he should never leave his master and go away.” It was not philosophy. I mean it was the essence of the philosophy, but no quoting shlokas or giving elaborate explanations, but he just said, “Once an animal belongs to a master, he should never leave that master and go away.” And the spiritual master may not show how he feels but he does have feelings. He does have feelings.

There is one letter that Srila Prabhupada wrote. It was to a very good friend. It was again one of the very early devotees who came to Prabhupada and then he left, and then the friend who came with him was also very disturbed and Prabhupada wrote him something about how his Guru Maharaja awarded sannyasa to a disciple and then soon after the ceremony, the disciple’s wife came and took him away. And Srila Prabhupada said that his Guru Maharaja had wept with tears in his eyes that he could not save that disciple. And then Srila Prabhupada was saying how he was also weeping for that disciple who had left him.

So, there are many aspects to this issue of surrendering to the control of the spiritual master, but one is: Yes, it is true, there is no question of developing love for Krishna without it. But another is just that relationship that you don’t want to cause pain to your spiritual master, and to the contrary, you want to give pleasure to him. I think that is a good consideration for disciples at any stage.

Devotee: Maharaja, since this topic has come, not everybody is fortunate enough to really understand what is their spiritual master’s mind because the distance and everything separates. We are really fortunate that we have Mataji and Vaisesika Prabhu here. But I have seen where people feel that they don’t have that connection and the more we come up with some kind of an organizational structure then people feel that it’s another organization because I’m not getting that type of real connection with my spiritual master because if there are layers, how will I know what my spiritual master is thinking? Because [Unintelligible 01:25:48] his opinion and the layer in between could be different. So, in that case, how do we really understand what is there in my spiritual master’s mind? And how do I go and ask? And as you just said in this verse, as you just said, [Unintelligible 01:26:05].

Giriraj Swami: Well, I’ll tell one of my life incidents. It won’t completely fit the case you describe, but to some extent it will. When I was with Srila Prabhupada in Gorakhpur, he instructed me to write and I took it very seriously. And those were the days before computers and in India, typewriters were very scarce. Most people who needed a letter typed had to go to the courthouse and find some typist of sitting in front and dictate him something. So, I went out and bought some bound paper and some pencils to begin my writing.

I was traveling with a party in India, and then within two weeks, we got a telegram. The leader of the party said that we are having a big pandal program in Bombay, and everyone should go to the pandal. In Bombay, Shyamsundar Prabhu was the temple president, he was heading the program, and so he had a meeting with all the devotees to divide up the services, and he asked me to raise funds. So, I said that Srila Prabhupada had instructed me to write, and Shyamsundar Prabhu replied, “You can write anytime, but this is one time in the year you could walk into the office of any big man in Bombay and ask for an advertisement for a souvenir.” So, I thought that what he said made sense and I also knew that Srila Prabhupada wanted us to cooperate with our authorities, so I agreed.

Then several weeks later, Srila Prabhupada came and it was the usual practice of Srila Prabhupada when he would come to a new place, he would go into his room and all the disciples would crowd in. It was small then; he would glance lovingly and smile and exchange some words with the fellow devotees. And then he looked at me and he said, “So, Giriraj, how is your writing going?” And I was so flustered, I didn’t know what to say. Hence, he just said, “Okay, we’ll speak later.”

So then later after everyone else had left, he asked me to come back in. I explained exactly what had happened and that I thought that what Shyamsundar Prabhu said made sense and I knew that he wanted us to cooperate with our authorities, so that’s what I did. But still, I wasn’t sure if I had done the right thing and I was very nervous. I was waiting, what will Srila Prabhupada say? He was quite grave, and I said, “Did I do the right thing?” And then Srila Prabhupada replied, “You can suspend the order of the spiritual master but you can never neglect it.” And then he said, he was very kind, he said, “My Guru Maharaja also instructed me to write, but I’ve been so busy traveling and preaching in India, I also hardly have time to write.” So yeah, he said, “Yes, one can suspend the order of the spiritual master but never neglect it.” I felt relieved, I was very happy that Prabhupada had understood, he understood.

So, one instruction of the spiritual master is to follow one’s more immediate authorities. So, you are saying “Okay, well, there are layers between me and my spiritual master.” But it is also a spiritual master’s instruction to cooperate with your authorities. So, by doing that you are following your spiritual master’s instruction. Now that said, there might be a specific issue that the spiritual master might have a different instruction for you than the immediate authority, but how many disciples can a spiritual master give direct instructions to? I mean just mathematically, if you consider how many disciples he has and how much time it would take for him to have one issue properly explained in sufficient detail to give the appropriate answer, it doesn’t add up. So, there is an element of practicality and then there is also the desire of the spiritual master and there is also Krishna’s mercy. And now, in our case Srila Prabhupada has left, so how do we get answers? We consult our godbrothers, not even necessarily godbrothers or godsisters but even others, and we pray to understand what Srila Prabhupada would want us to do in this situation. And so, you can do the same thing.

And caitya-guru, the guru is in the heart, and if you are very sincere, the caitya-guru will guide you either by giving an answer to the question or by inspiring you who to go to for the answer. Sometimes I’ll be stuck with a question and I do whatever, I chant and pray, it’ll come in my heart, sometimes the answer but sometimes it will come, Ask so and so. And then when I ask that person, I know that he is the authority to give me the answer to this particular question, and when he gives the answer, I take it pretty much as if it were coming from Srila Prabhupada. So that is something everyone has to deal with. It may happen that some have the opportunity for more direct association than others. That will happen, but ultimately, we will all be in a situation where we have questions that the spiritual master can’t answer directly, and we have to learn how to get the answer from him indirectly.

And coming back now to the holy name, Satsvarupa Maharaja asked Srila Prabhupada that, “Now you are here so we can ask you our questions directly, but what if in the future we have questions and you are not here? Then how do we get the answers?” And Srila Prabhupada replied, “The holy name of Krishna and Krishna Himself are the same. Do you realize this fact?” So, Hare Krishna.

Host: [Unintelligible 01:35:21].

Devotee: Hare Krishna, Maharaja. I understand the idea of the disciple being humbled in front of the spiritual master and willing to accept the chastisement, but the question of being in the mood of understanding one, is a fool it seems it can sometimes because we need more competence at least to try and be competent and it would feel if you are in a position of thinking you are the fool with somehow hindering your ability to also think that you can do things properly. I don’t know if you can help me with that.

Giriraj Swami: Feeling oneself a fool means that one feels dependent on the spiritual master and always prays for his mercy. It doesn’t mean that you feel that you can’t do anything. When I was meeting big people and preaching to them, I was always praying to Srila Prabhupada—always chanting and always praying to Srila Prabhupada. What you are asking is sort of like the question—What’s the difference between humility and low self-esteem? Because low self-esteem can be debilitating and Bhurijana Prabhu has given the answer that low self-esteem means that you think you are insignificant and humility means you think you are an insignificant servant of Krishna. In other words, you are not alone but you are with Krishna. You are insignificant but you are with Krishna. And low self-esteem means you are insignificant, worthless.

The other thing that came to mind when you were asking the question may not be [Unintelligible 01:37:41] but the question it came to mind in relation to being chastised. In Srila Prabhupada’s last days, he instructed Bhakti Charu Swami to make a certain preparation, cook a certain preparation for him. And when Bhakti Charu Swami served him the preparation, it wasn’t made the way Srila Prabhupada had instructed him to make it, and Srila Prabhupada became very angry and chastised him. Then later Bhakti Charu Swami told him—I’m not sure of the detail, maybe the doctor had said not to. . . there was some mitigating factor that he hadn’t mentioned to Srila Prabhupada. And then when later he told Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada said, “Well, why didn’t you tell me?” Sort of, “If I had known that then I wouldn’t have had to get angry at you.” So, I think it is what I said first. It is not even a question of how competent or incompetent you are, it’s a question that you want to serve to the best of your ability whatever your ability is and pray to Krishna and the paramparā to help you.

But then there is also a question of being realistic about what your abilities are, both in terms of your strengths and your weaknesses. Because there was a case in India when Srila Prabhupada asked someone to become the GBC and the person agreed and then it was too much for him. It was too much for him and he disappeared. He said, “I’m going to Mathura.” Such and such, he packed his bags and took the train to Delhi. And Srila Prabhupada commented that out of sentiment he had agreed to take up the responsibility. And that made me think, Well, I mean Prabhupada suggested it, wasn’t he good? But then he said out of sentiment he agreed, in other words, he didn’t make a realistic assessment of whether he could actually do it or not. Of course, one would question, maybe if he was more surrendered maybe could have done it.

So, I think it is something that we should do, sort of realistically assess what our strengths and weaknesses are. But ultimately, we are not alone, and when you do surrender to an instruction and take it up heart and soul, even if you are not materially qualified to do it, you can do it. Krishna arranges things, makes arrangements, moves the energy in such a way that that desire to serve will be fulfilled.

Devotee: [Unintelligible 01:42:18]. Thank you so much for sharing with us. One question, a follow-up question of [Unintelligible 01:42:31] Mataji that you answered that the suspend and negligence part a little bit, can you please elaborate a little bit more? And how we are not neglecting and just suspending? How we can make difference that we are just suspending it’s not our negligence of the instruction of the spiritual master.

Giriraj Swami: Well, the main factor in any situation is the sincerity. Just to give an exaggerated example, the spiritual master may ask you to stay in the temple room because an important guest is coming and you have to receive him. And then someone comes by with a big plate of mahā-prasāda and you think, Well, time, place, and circumstances. I have to honor the mahā-prasāda, and you think, Okay, I’m not neglecting it, I’m just temporarily suspending it, and you go off to the back room and eat mahā-prasāda, and in the meanwhile, the guest comes and there is no one to receive him.

So, the reasons for suspending it should be genuine, you shouldn’t be looking for a reason to suspend it. But if there is genuine reason, then yes, that is the principle. And Srila Prabhupada gave his own example, that when he first met his Guru Maharaja, his Guru Maharaja asked him to preach the message of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in English all over the world. And at the time, Srila Prabhupada thought I’m married, I have a small child. I can’t really—yeah, he used the word injustice—It would be an injustice to them for me to leave them to preach. But he always kept that instruction in his mind and he was waiting for the opportunity when he could execute it fully, and then gradually he began Back to Godhead magazine. And then at a certain time, it happened. He left home and took vanaprastha.

So, I would say that’s a pretty compelling reason if you have a wife and small child and they are dependent on you. And as he said, “My guru never told me that I should leave them but he just gave me the idea that I should preach.” But then later when the circumstances were more favorable, he was having dreams, his Guru Maharaja was calling him, but even then—as he explained—he would wake up he would be horrified, “Guru Maharaja wants me to leave home.” And then one of his godbrothers—he felt his Guru Maharaja was speaking to him through his godbrother—he said, “Without accepting sannyasa you cannot really fulfill this order.” So, it’s a matter of both faith and surrender. Surrender means a sincere desire to be the instrument for your spiritual master and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission.

Did that answer the question?

Devotee: Thank you, Maharaja. Your answers are very wonderful. Thank you very much. The discussion which we are having today, most of the time we are understanding that sincerity is very important. If you please elaborate on how we can check our consciousness to see whether we are really sincere or not? And does it mean having [Unintelligible 01:47:10] motives or if you can please elaborate on this?

Giriraj Swami: Well, to paraphrase Srila Prabhupada’s other statement, I would say, ‘If you think you are sincere, you are not sincere.’ If you are really sincere, you will see how insincere you are and you will work on becoming more sincere. But this question of sincerity, how to become sincere? Srila Prabhupada has given different answers. One answer which I heard very early, which I tried to apply, was that you have to follow all of the spiritual master’s instructions, however big or small. Now, with this older body, I find that I can’t follow all the instructions, however big or small, as I used to. But he gave another answer which I’m taking up as the main instruction on how to become sincere. And that is by associating with devotees who are sincere. So that’s why I come to San Jose and go here and there to try to become more sincere by associating with devotees who are sincere.

Host: Even in India people are astonished to see how these foreigners have learned to chant and dance in this ecstatic fashion. As explained by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, however, actually this is not due to practice for without extra endeavor these symptoms become manifest in anyone who sincerely chants the Hare Krishna mantra.

Giriraj Swami: When I arranged a program for Srila Prabhupada in Madras, the devotees held hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana down the main street road, and the newspapers carried a report that these European and American disciples were chanting and dancing in ecstasy. Now, one of Srila Prabhupada’s godbrothers wrote a letter to the editor saying that ecstasy is a very advanced stage, bhāva, and we cannot say that these Americans and Europeans have attained the stage of bhāva. And when Srila Prabhupada read that letter, I think he was definitely angry, he was definitely angry. And he did insist that this is a preliminary symptom of ecstasy that you dance while you chant. I mean you may not be permanently situated in the state of bhāva, but it’s a sign of an awakening of that.

When our godsister Yamuna devi, she told me once she was worshiping the Deities in London, she would put the Deities to rest at noon and do her Gayatri mantra, and tears would flow down her cheeks. And she mentioned it to Srila Prabhupada, and Srila Prabhupada said something like, “These are signs of bhāva.” I think he actually told Tamal Krishna Goswami that Yamuna devi had bhāva.

But yeah, this verse actually seems to describe Srila Prabhupada by his full realization of the holy name and his full awakening of ecstatic love for Krishna, that he could awaken people all over the world to the chanting of the holy names, and they, in turn, could have symptoms of ecstasy like dancing, and weeping, and so on. So yeah, we can’t imagine how blessed we are to be so close to him. I think everyone in this room was alive when he was on the planet so you know how blessed we were, and now to have the opportunity to continue exactly the same process and in the same mood that he gave us.