CC Madhya 22.45 – How to Become Free from Suffering

Giriraj Swami: According to Vedic literature Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam lists twenty-six different incarnations of Godhead. And at the end of the list it says, ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam, which means that all of the incarnations in the list are plenary portions or portions of plenary portions of the Godhead. But, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam, but Krishna is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead. And in the Bhagavad-gītā Krishna says, mamaivāṁśo jīva-loke jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ, that the living entities that is possible, parts and parcels of Krishna and are eternal. So it is the natural function of the part to serve the whole. Just like the hand is part of the body so its natural function is to serve the body. We are part and parcel of Krishna so our natural function is to serve Him. If the hand does not serve the body it is diseased and if we do not serve Krishna or to the extent that we do not serve Krishna we are also spiritually diseased. And the symptom of our spiritual disease is that we are suffering. Everyone who has a material body in the material world has to suffer and it is a sign of human intelligence to recognize that we are suffering. The Bhagavad-gītā says, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam. That we should always be conscious of the miseries of birth, death, old age, and disease. Because if we are in the illusion that we can find permanent happiness in the material world, we will have no impetus to progress in spiritual life and we will remain in our ignorant miserable condition.

Srila Prabhupada, our spiritual master, has given the example that if you go to an insane asylum or I don’t know what term they use now, mental hospital and you will see some patients maybe laughing hysterically and some may be crying hysterically, but both are suffering. It is just a different manifestation of suffering. So from the relative perspective we might enjoy or we might suffer but from the absolute perspective, it is all suffering. So human life begins when we inquire that, “I am forced to suffer, I don’t want to suffer, how can I become free from this suffering?” And the Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, all the Vedic literature is meant to give us the clue how to become free from suffering in the material world and gain ultimate liberation. Now people will continue suffering in the material world until they receive the association of pure devotees. Without the association of pure devotees one cannot understand one’s position and how one can become free from material suffering. So, I thought to read a few verses that explain this point. I am going to read from Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā Chapter Twenty-two, the process of devotional service which contains instructions that Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu gave to Srila Sanatana Gosvami. Krishna came on earth five thousand years ago and He spoke the Bhagavad-gītā to Arjuna and at the end of the Bhagavad-gītā He instructed, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru mām evaiṣyasi satyaṁ te
pratijāne priyo ’si me. Always think of Me, become My devotee, bow down to Me and worship Me. And, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. Give up all varieties of religiousness and surrender to Me.

But people could not understand how to follow the instructions of Krishna. And in fact some people thought that Krishna was asking too much. So Krishna came again five hundred years ago as Sri Krishna-Chaitanya in the role of a devotee to show us by His personal example how to always think of Krishna, how to become a pure devotee and surrender to Krishna. And He personally left only eight verses called Śikṣāṣṭakam but he instructed His disciples, especially Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami in the science of devotion. They wrote many volumes of the books. So here in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has instructed Sanatana Gosvami in the science of devotional service. And I am just taking a very small portion.

TEXT 43

saṁsāra bhramite kona bhāgye keha tare

nadīra pravāhe yena kāṣṭha lāge tire

TRANSLATION

The conditioned souls are wandering throughout the different planets of the universe, entering various species of life. By good fortune one of these souls may somehow or other be delivered from the ocean of nescience, just as one of the many big logs in a flowing river may by chance reach the bank.

TEXT 44

maivaṁ mamādhamasyāpi

syād evācyuta-darśanam

hriyamāṇaḥ kāla-nadyā

kvacit tarati kaścana

TRANSLATION

“ ‘Because I am so fallen, I shall never get a chance to see the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” This was my false apprehension. Rather, by chance a person as fallen as I am may get to see the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although one is being carried away by the waves of the river of time, one may eventually reach the shore.’

COMMENT

So we may think that there is no chance for us to get out of the material world because we are so fallen but most of us are so fallen, we don’t even think we fallen. So when one comes to the stage of thinking that he is fallen, he is already somewhat advanced because at least he recognizes his condition. Otherwise, people are in so much ignorance they don’t even think they are fallen, they think they are all right. It is just like the bums on Skid Road; they are intoxicated, they are living on the footpath, they are miserable from any standard but they think they are okay. So most people in the material world are like those drunken bums. They think they are okay because they have a house, that husband, wife, children, money, cars, bank balance, and portfolio. They think they are all right but actually they are in a totally miserable condition. And therefore one is advised to approach a spiritual master. The Bhāgavatam says, tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam, that when one is interested in the ultimate value of life one should approach a spiritual master.

There are two Sanskrit words; śreyas and preyas; preyas means immediate gratification and śreyas means ultimate benefit. So just like children are generally interested in immediate happiness, they just want to play and enjoy. And most children would rather not go to school, they would rather play with their friends and have fun. But the parents advise them you have to go to school because if you don’t go to school you will suffer later in life. So even though you don’t like to go to school it is for your ultimate good and then the parents force the children to go. So spiritually people are like children, they just want to enjoy. They want to earn money, accumulate money, play; they have a house, have a car, a family, but in the end all of these play things will be destroyed and the body that one utilizes will also be destroyed. So the saintly persons, the spiritual masters, Krishna Himself, they come and advise us. “Don’t waste the valuable human form of life just eating, sleeping, mating, and defending like animals, use it for the ultimate good; to become Krishna conscious.”

TEXT 45

kona bhāgye kāro saṁsāra kṣayonmukha haya

sādhu-saṅge tabe kṛṣṇe rati upajaya

TRANSLATION

“By good fortune one becomes eligible to cross the ocean of nescience, and when one’s term of material existence decreases, one may get an opportunity to associate with pure devotees. By such association, one’s attraction to Kṛṣṇa is awakened.”

PURPORT

Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura explains this point. Is this bhāgya (fortune) the result of an accident or something else? In the scriptures, devotional service and pious activity are considered fortunate.

COMMENT

This is a very important point. It is so important that after I read it I am going to ask you what I just read. So please pay attention.

PURPORT (continued)

Pious activities can be divided into three categories: pious activities that awaken one’s dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness are called bhakty-unmukhī sukṛti, pious activities that bestow material opulence are called bhogonmukhī sukṛti, and pious activities that enable the living entity to merge into the existence of the Supreme are called mokṣonmukhī sukṛti. These last two awards of pious activity are not actually fortunate.

COMMENT

Everyone wants to be fortunate, no doubt. So Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura explained that there are three kinds of activities that make us fortunate. So what are the three kinds? It is all right if you don’t know the Sanskrit but what are the three kinds? Okay wait, raise your hand if you think you know at least one of the three. Yes?

Devotee: The first one is to awaken the dormant Krishna consciousness in you, basically reviving the relationship that you have to understand with Krishna, that is the first thing.

Giriraj Swami: Yes, and what is the Sanskrit for that? Yes, bhakty-unmukhī sukṛti. And what are the other two?

Devotee: Bhogonmukhī sukṛti and mokṣonmukhī sukṛti

Giriraj Swami: And can you explain the meaning of those words

Devotee: Bhogonmukhī sukṛti means you do some past activity which will give you some kind of material enjoyment, and mokṣonmukhī is you want to enter into the surface by some kind of merging.

Giriraj Swami: Yes, you are pretty close. Bhogonmukhī sukṛti gives you material enjoyment, material opulence. And mokṣonmukhī sukṛti, helps you merge into the impersonal effulgence, in the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So out of these three types of fortunes only one is really considered fortunate, and which one is that? Yes, devotional service. And why are the other two not considered really fortunate?

Devotee: Some selfishness is there.

Giriraj Swami: Yes, selfishness is there, yes you have to come back again. They are temporary. Okay good, very good. Alright.

PURPORT (continued)

These last two awards of pious activity are not actually fortunate. Pious activities are fortunate when they help one become Kṛṣṇa conscious. The good fortune of bhakty-unmukhī is attainable only when one become Kṛṣṇa conscious. The good fortune of bhakty-unmukhī is attainable only when one comes in contact with a devotee. By associating with a devotee willingly or unwillingly, one advances in devotional service, and thus one’s dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness is awakened.

COMMENT

What does that mean willingly or unwillingly?

Devotee: So even though sometimes not intentionally you want to serve somebody but unintentionally serve devotee, basically and you get the benefit of that service.

Giriraj Swami: Yes, willingly or unwillingly. Someone might be invited to a satsaṅga and may not really have the idea of associating with the pure devotees, but as a social obligation one may go to please some family members, prasāda, make some good business contacts or maybe find a good match for the son or daughter. One may come not willing, not with the intention of associating with the pure devotee but for some other reason. But by chance one will get the association of a pure devotee and that can be a turning point in the person’s life. And there is a quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that supports that point. And then the next point

TEXT 47

kṛṣṇa yadi kṛpā kare kona bhāgyavāne

guru-antaryāmi-rūpe śikhāya āpane

TRANSLATION

“Kṛṣṇa is situated in everyone’s heart as the caittya-guru, the spiritual master within.

COMMENT

Now who is speaking?

Devotee: Lord Chaitanya to Sanatana Goswami.

Giriraj Swami: Yes, this is Lord Chaitanya speaking with Sanatana Gosvami. Kṛṣṇa is situated in everyone’s heart as?

Devotee: Paramatma.

Giriraj Swami: That is true but. . . Yes, caittya-guru; guru within the heart.

TRANSLATION

Kṛṣṇa is situated in everyone’s heart as the caittya-guru, the spiritual master within. When He is kind to some fortunate conditioned soul,

COMMENT

Now fortunate condition soul, what makes someone a fortunate conditioned soul?

Devotee: Bhakty-unmukhī

Giriraj Swami: Yes, and what are examples of bhakty-unmukhī sukṛti?

Devotee: Associating with devotees, hearing, serving ….

Giriraj Swami: Yes, associating with devotees, serving devotees, hearing, engaging in that nine processes.

TRANSLATION

When He is kind to some fortunate conditioned soul, He personally gives him lessons so he can progress in devotional service, instructing the person as the Supersoul within and the spiritual master without.

COMMENT

And then there is another beautiful verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as for example

TEXT 49

sādhu-saṅge kṛṣṇa-bhaktye śraddhā yadi haya

bhakti-phala ‘prema’ haya, saṁsāra yāya kṣaya

COMMENT

All right, because you are all very learned here. So sādhu-saṅge — by the association of devotees; kṛṣṇa-bhaktye — in discharging devotional service to Kṛṣṇa; śraddhā yadi haya. What is sraddha? Faith awakens. Then bhakti-phala; what is the meaning of bhakti-phala? Fruit of devotional service. ‘prema’ haya? Yes, pure love of Godhead. And saṁsāra. What is that?

Devotee: Conditional life.

Giriraj Swami: Yes. yāya kṣaya. And what does that mean, yāya kṣaya?

Devotee: ksaya means destruction.

Giriraj Swami: That is it. Okay now put it all together.

TRANSLATION

By associating with a devotee, one awakens his faith in devotional service to Kṛṣṇa. Because of devotional service, one’s dormant love for Kṛṣṇa awakens; prema, and thus one’s material, conditioned existence comes to an end.

COMMENT

Those are very powerful results.

TEXT 50

yadṛcchayā mat-kathādau

jāta-śraddhas tu yaḥ pumān

na nirviṇṇo nāti-sakto

bhakti-yogo ‘sya siddhi-daḥ

COMMENT

This is Krishna speaking, it is a quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam)

TRANSLATION

Somehow or other, if one is attracted to talks about Me and has faith in the instructions and if one is neither falsely detached from material things nor very much attracted to material existence, his dormant love for Me will be awakened by devotional service.’

PURPORT

This verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.20.8) was spoken by Kṛṣṇa at the time of His departure from this material world. It was spoken to Uddhava.

COMMENT

Now this is a very critical point because it explains who is eligible for devotional service; who can achieve the result of devotional service. So the first word is yadṛcchayā. Now yadṛcchayā is translated here ‘by good fortune.’ Sometimes it is translated ‘somehow or other.’ And our acharyas have given long commentaries on the meaning of just this word yadṛcchayā because it is very significant. But for now we will just say by some good fortune. Mat-kathādau that means. . . What is kathā?

Devotee: Talks about Krishna.

Giriraj Swami: Mat-kathādau means talks about Krishna; jāta-śraddhas means awakened faith; tu yaḥ pumān. Now, na nirviṇṇo nāti-sakto; this is very important. Na nirviṇṇo means one should not be falsely detached or one should not be too averse. Do you know what averse means? Yes, one shouldn’t be too against. And nāti-sakto, one should not be too attached. In other words, one should be neutral, relatively neutral because if one is too averse one will go for impersonal speculation and detachment. And if one is too attached one will go for karma-yoga and enjoyment. So if one is too distasteful of material existence then he will go for detachment, for jnana-yoga. And if one is too attached, he will go for material enjoyment, karma-yoga. If one is neither too attached nor too detached or too averse, then one can engage in devotional service and by that devotional service awaken love for Krishna.

Alright now from two verses ago we discussed, what are the benefits of associating with the devotee and engaging in devotional services? What are the two specific benefits that are mentioned?

Devotee: [Unintelligible]

Giriraj Swami: Wait a minute, think before you speak, I mean everyone. We read it and we went over the words in the original, you all know the words, so what are the two results?

Devotee: kṛṣṇa-prema and [Unintelligible].

Giriraj Swami: Yes, one will awaken kṛṣṇa-prema and?

Devotee: Creates in your heart creates the opportunity wherever you are having the association with the pure devotees and that spread the bhakti process [Unintelligible]

Giriraj Swami: Yes, that is true. And then when you get that association, so one thing is prema arises, and? You said it, what you were going to say?

Devotee: yaya ksaya…

Giriraj Swami: Yes, saṁsāra yāya kṣaya. So now, Lord Chaitanya says the converse. Do you know the meaning of the word converse? Yes, not exactly the opposite but the other side. So by associating with the devotee pure love of Krishna awakens and material miseries are destroyed. So what is the converse?

Devotee: you won’t get the bhakti…

Giriraj Swami: That is it, and that is the next verse. That is what the next verse says.

TEXT 51

mahat-kṛpā vinā kona karme ‘bhakti’ naya

kṛṣṇa-bhakti dūre rahu, saṁsāra nahe kṣaya

TRANSLATION

Unless one is favored by a pure devotee, one cannot attain the platform of devotional service. To say nothing of kṛṣṇa-bhakti, one cannot even be relieved from the bondage of material existence.

COMMENT

So there are two concepts in logic, one is necessary; the necessary condition, a cause. And the other is sufficient. So it is necessary to develop bhakti and end one’s material existence to get the association of pure devotees. And if you don’t get that, and you can’t awaken to pure devotional services, you can’t even get relief from material suffering.

PURPORT

Pious activities bring about material opulence, but one cannot acquire devotional service by any amount of material pious activity — not by giving charity, opening big hospitals and schools or working philanthropically. Devotional service can be attained only by. . .

COMMENT

Close, one more step. This is a little new but we haven’t exactly read it in these verses.

Devotee: Serving the pure devotee?

Devotee: bhakty-unmukhī?

Devotee: Mercy of a pure devotee.

Giriraj Swami: That is it. The mercy. Yes, from our side we associate with them, we serve them, we hear from them, everything. But we need their mercy, that is ultimately we need.

PURPORT (continued)

Devotional service can be attained only by the mercy of a pure devotee. Without a pure devotee’s mercy, one cannot even escape the bondage of material existence.

COMMENT

Now this is another point that bhakti is independent. Bhakti does not depend on karma-yoga or jnana-yoga. In fact, if you mix karma and jnana with bhakti, bhakti becomes weaker. But karma and jnana cannot be successful without some touch of bhakti. And therefore it is said here that one cannot even get released from material existence without the mercy of the pure devotee even if one does jnana-yoga and perform severe austerities. But without the mercy of a pure devotee one cannot get even released from material bondage.

PURPORT (continued)

Without a pure devotee’s mercy, one cannot even escape the bondage of material existence. The word mahat in this verse means “a pure devotee,” as Lord Kṛṣṇa confirms in the Bhagavad-gītā (9.13)

COMMENT

Does anyone know Bhagavad-gītā (9.13)? Krishna describes a mahat or mahatma.

PURPORT (continued)

mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ

bhajanty ananya-manaso jñātvā bhūtādim avyayam

“O son of Pṛthā, those who are not deluded, the great souls, are under the protection of the divine nature. They are fully engaged in devotional service because they know Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, original and inexhaustible.”

COMMENT

So once when Srila Prabhupada was staying in an apartment in Bombay, a very prominent Hindu gentleman came into the meeting, mainly Srila Prabhupada was just speaking to his disciples but some prominent businessman and Hindu supporter must have visited Prabhupada and he came into the room. And he asked Srila Prabhupada, “How is it possible that India is a land of mahatmas, it has so many mahatmas, and still there are so many problems?” Srila Prabhupada replied, “The reason India has so many problems is because they can’t distinguish who is a mahatma and who is not a mahatma.” So in this verse mahatma is defined, described. So now, what are the elements of the description or definition of mahatma. I just read it.

Devotee: One who engages in devotional service…and not deluded

Giriraj Swami: You have gotten two of the three.

Devotee: [Unintelligible]

Giriraj Swami: The missing one is, under the protection of the divine energy.

PURPORT (continued)

“O son of Pṛthā, those who are not deluded, the great souls, are under the protection of the divine nature. They are fully engaged in devotional service because they know Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, original and inexhaustible.”

One has to associate with such a mahātmā, who has accepted Kṛṣṇa as the supreme source of the entire creation. Without being a mahātmā, one cannot understand Kṛṣṇa’s absolute position. A mahātmā is rare and transcendental, and he is a pure devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Foolish people consider Kṛṣṇa a human being, and they consider Lord Kṛṣṇa’s pure devotee an ordinary human being also. Whatever one may be, one must take shelter at the lotus feet of a devotee mahātmā and treat him as the most exalted well-wisher of all human society. We should take shelter of such a mahātmā and. . .

Devotee: and serve him

Giriraj Swami: This is like the earlier discussion where you were talking about what the aspiring devotees should be doing. But what does the aspiring devotee need?

Devotee: Mercy

Giriraj Swami: That is it. He gives mercy of a mahatma. And therefore Srila Prabhupada says,

PURPORT (continued)

Whatever one may be, one must take shelter at the lotus feet of a devotee mahātmā and treat him as the most exalted well-wisher of all human society. We should take shelter of such a mahātmā and ask for his causeless mercy. Only by his benediction can one be relieved from attachment to the materialistic way of life. When one is thus relieved, he can engage in the Lord’s transcendental loving service through the mercy of the mahatma.

COMMENT

So this is an important point that two ingredients are required. And these two ingredients were demonstrated in the pastime of Mother Yasoda’s binding Lord Krishna. It is described, it is said in the Dāmodarāṣṭakam, reading about Mother Yasoda’s binding Lord Krishna with ropes. Does everyone here know that story? Does anyone not know? Can you tell us that story in brief or not in brief?

Devotee: To bind Krishna to a motar.

Giriraj Swami: Yes. So Krishna was very naughty and He stole butter and yogurt. And so Mother Yasoda wanted to stop him from further mischief. So she wanted to bind him with ropes and tie him to a grinding marble. But when she attempted to bind him with the ropes the ropes were two inches too short, and no matter how much rope she brought it was still two inches too short. So finally Krishna, seeing her laboring so hard, felt compassion for her and by His mercy, He allowed her to bind Him. And in that particular sloka there are two words: pariśrama which means hard labor and kṛṣṇa-kṛpā which is mercy. And so the acharyas have commented that the rope being two inches too short, one inch can be covered by the devotee’s hard labor and the other can be covered by Krishna’s mercy. Both are required. And when the two combine Krishna is bound.

So here too we require both. In your answers you have been focusing on your endeavors, which is good, you do have to make the endeavors. But the other side of it is Krishna’s mercy which is manifest to us through the mercy of the devotee. And therefore these verses and purports are explaining that not only do we engage in devotional service by following the mahatma’s instructions but we also beg for his mercy. And here also there are two examples given which Srila Prabhupada quoted. And they are found in the teachings of Ramanujacharya, examples of Ramanujacharya. So one is the monkey. The mother monkey and the baby monkey. Have any of you seen? Well you can go to the zoo. I saw it, I went to the zoo myself. So the baby monkey holds on to the neck of the mother monkey. And I saw this once in Johannesburg zoo. They live in very high trees and that little baby monkey is just holding on with his little thin arms and weak hands. And that mother monkey is jumping like very high up from branch to branch and tree to tree. So that is compared to a practitioner who is depending on his own strength. He is in a very precarious position because he is weak and he can lose his grip and fall down at any moment. But with the cat and the kitten, the mother cat picks up the kitten with her mouth and carries the kitten. The kitten doesn’t have to worry about anything, the kitten just allows the mother to carry him or her and has no anxiety. So in the ascending process we try to elevate ourselves by our own strength and in the descending process we let Krishna’s mercy come to us and lift us up. But both are required, we need to do both; make our efforts. But ultimately we depend on Krishna’s mercy or devotee’s mercy and we should pray for it. It is not that we should just sit idly and do nothing and pray for mercy. We also have to work. But we also shouldn’t think that by our own efforts we can be successful, we also have to pray for mercy.

Alright, well we could go on and on. But I think you can stop here and see if you have any questions or comments. Yes?

Devotee: We can obtain our devotional service by the causeless mercy of a pure devotee. So in each and every action, whatever we are doing in our daily life should we see the mercy of the devotee who is instructing us should be seeing each and every action what we are doing. And how can we know when we have ups and downs that means we don’t have enough mercy or there is not much endeavor from our side?

Giriraj Swami: Well that is a good question. But I think that she is saying that sometimes we have ‘ups and downs’ and so if there is a ‘down’ what is the cause? Does it mean we are not endeavoring enough or we are not getting Krishna’s mercy? But I think the real point here is that we should persevere whether it is up or down. That is the real point because it is not completely in our control. We do need mercy but mercy by definition cannot be demanded. You can beg for it, we can plead for it, we can pray for it but we can’t demand it, which means it may or may not come. But what we can do is continue our efforts.

One of Srila Prabhupada’s very special devotee Madhudvisa Prabhu, told a story that Srila Prabhupada visited a temple. So the devotees asked Srila Prabhupada, “What pleases you the most?” Now many devotees asked Srila Prabhupada the same question because everyone wanted to please Srila Prabhupada, and they wanted to know what pleases him the most. Or maybe they were engaged in some service and they wanted him to confirm what pleased him the most. And sometimes Srila Prabhupada say book distribution pleases him the most, or taking care of the children pleases him the most, loving Krishna pleases him the most. But in this case he said, “What pleases me the most is when you struggle in Krishna consciousness.” And that is something we all can do. We may not all be able to distribute books, we may not all be able to teach children but we can all struggle. Sometimes even getting out of bed in the morning is a struggle. Struggling is something we can all do and if you struggle for Krishna that pleases Prabhupada. We shouldn’t give up the struggle and pray for mercy. But it is not that, “If I get mercy I will continue and if I don’t get mercy I won’t.” No, a devotee’s mood is, “I will serve Krishna no matter what; if He gives me His mercy or if He doesn’t give me His mercy, I will serve Him.” Yes. Shyamohini Mataji.

Devotee: Our attitude in whom we are in association, having association you should think, “Okay, whatever I am doing whether it is a small service or whatever or association will this help me help the others advance in Krishna consciousness and not [Unintelligible] “We always look for a good association, good association mean the same association in Krishna, Krishna’s devotees and [taking prasad and help others to come closer to Krishna like I should have this mentality that I should be… I should be in an association to working together, like holding hands…

Giriraj Swami: Yes that is perfect, that is the vision of Pancha-tattva, to taste Krishna consciousness and distribute Krishna consciousness. That is very much of the case that we should do both. And to spread Krishna consciousness means to work together. One person, what can one person alone do? But together we can do something. And working together means tolerating, it means ideally giving up our false egos because our false egos always, they create problems in any service even in japa. We can’t focus in our japa because of our false egos. Instead of hearing the holy name we are just thinking of ourselves. But in our individual practices although the false ego is an obstacle, we can make a show of chanting and no one will know for sure what is really going on. But when we have to work together then we can’t keep up the show because our false ego will clash with the other devotees, it may clash with their false egos and sometimes it might just clash with pure instruction. But that is what Srila Prabhupada said, “Your love for me will be shown by how you cooperate to spread Krishna consciousness.” So yes that is a very important point.

Devotee: Maharaja, what exactly mercy means in guru dakṣiṇā during when that guru or acharya give instructions. The sound vibration coming out of his mouth is a mercy itself to the humanity. So it depends on us whether we receive mercy or not. The instructions he is giving is the mercy, is out of mercy he is giving with instruction, otherwise you would not even have eligibility to get those instructions. So in that sense everyone is getting mercy. Now again it is our effort and our consciousness whether we are receiving mercy or not. So how do we understand exactly what exactly mercy means?

Giriraj Swami: Well what you said is true, the instructions are the mercy. But still we have obstacles within us and by our practices alone we don’t have the power to remove all the obstacles. So for that we need mercy. Now of course, part of the mercy is the instructions. śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ we receive the instruction to talk about Krishna and hear about Krishna. And then hṛdy antaḥ stho hy abhadrāṇi vidhunoti suhṛt satām, and the Lord who is the well-wisher of the truthful devotees cleanses the desire for material enjoyment from the devotee’s heart. So yes, there is a very intimate connection between receiving the instructions and receiving the mercy. Receiving the instruction is mercy. But sometimes one can experience mercy. One’s chanting, making the same effort to chant and struggling and then at a certain stage there is some mercy. You can feel that there is a difference. You are making the same effort but the difference is the mercy. That is a different kind of mercy, the instruction to chant is there, accepting the instructions is there but then there is another type of mercy just vicious compassion. He sees you are struggling He gives you some mercy to encourage you.

Devotee: Initially, what were the motivations you had when you join?

Giriraj Swami: Well I was looking for a guru. But before looking for a guru I was looking for perfect happiness. And then I understood that perfect happiness could not be achieved in the material world but it could only be achieved in spiritual life. But then I understood that to come to that platform I would need a guru. So that is why I was looking for a guru and I met many and was not satisfied with any of them. And ultimately, I met Srila Prabhupada and then I was satisfied; I had found my perfect master.