Diving into the Nectar of Srila Prabhupada’s Books—Devotee Care

Host: After hearing about the importance of reading Srila Prabhupada’s books, we will next hear Svarupa Damodara Prabhu to understand the program that we want to establish in Durban, about reading Prabhupada’s books. So, Svarupa Damodara Prabhu, will you please address this?

Svarupa Damodara: Hare Krishna, Guru Maharaja. Hare Krishna to all the devotees. It is so wonderful to be in all of your presence, under the merciful shelter of our Guru Maharaja, Srila Giriraj Maharaja.

Over the last few months, mainly in the mood of increasing and improving our service to our Guru Maharaja, one of our senior most godsisters, Her Grace Kunti devi Prabhu, gathered some of Guru Maharaja’s senior disciples to engage in discussions to find ways in which we can enhance all the disciples of Guru Maharaja and enhance their connection with Guru Maharaja in terms of their relationship and service to Guru Maharaja, in terms of their personal development in bhakti, and in terms of their relationships with each other, and also, how we can better represent Guru Maharaja and his mood and his service to Srila Prabhupada.

And in these discussions, Guru Maharaja, he participated in a number of these discussions with those devotees and has inspiringly encouraged his team to develop different ways to encourage the devotees and to engage them in service and to keep them all inspired in Krishna consciousness. These discussions were very inspiring, and so far have proven very progressive, and many types of initiatives have already commenced in different parts of the world, in different areas of Guru Maharaja’s service, or service to Guru Maharaja and Srila Prabhupada.

Regarding South Africa, specifically this program that we want to launch today is focused on South Africa, we know that Guru Maharaja’s connection here has been very significant in the history of Prabhupada’s movement here. Guru Maharaja has been involved here for almost forty years now, and he has encouraged devotees in many wonderful ways, he has kept the movement growing in so many amazing ways here. And although he hasn’t been here for many, many years due to severely reduced travels, Guru Maharaja has many, many disciples who are very much involved in the ongoing development of Srila Prabhupada’s movement here in South Africa. And many of Guru Maharaja’s disciples here also provide a lot of spiritual guidance to many, many devotees all across the country.

So, in honor of Guru Maharaja’s service in South Africa and in honor and in reciprocation with the devotees that are so committed to Guru Maharaja’s service, his disciples here in South Africa, and especially to further continue and enhance Guru Maharaja’s service to Srila Prabhupada in South Africa, we are very excited to launch a program, a service, that will deeply encourage his devotees in South Africa. And one of the best ways to be encouraged and inspired is to be in the association of the great saintly devotees, especially saintly devotees like Srila Prabhupada, Guru Maharaja, Guru Maharaja’s godbrothers and godsisters.

And we know from Srila Prabhupada’s teachings that the most constantly appreciable way to be in the association of saintly devotees is to constantly access their vāṇī, their instructions and their spiritual teachings. The previous acharyas, and especially for us, Srila Prabhupada, has blessed us with their personal association, their vāṇī, in the form of their transcendental books. And we know Guru Maharaja’s main service to Srila Prabhupada also is to write, and he has also shared the best of his personal association in the form of his books.

So today, in Guru Maharaja’s holy presence, we are launching a reading and discussion program, to systematically explore Srila Prabhupada’s books, Guru Maharaja’s books, and as guided by Srila Prabhupada and Guru Maharaja, the books of the previous acharyas.

And very importantly, it is a reading and discussion program in the association of each other, the devotees. Because it is in each other’s association with each other’s help and guidance, and with Guru Maharaja’s mercy, we are sure to unlock the many spiritual treasures that lie there in Srila Prabhupada’s books, in Guru Maharaja’s books. So, today, we encourage all the devotees that are here today to enthusiastically participate and join the groups that we will share shortly, and with firm faith, we all can be assured of the direct association of Guru Maharaja, Srila Prabhupada, and all the previous acharyas. Thank you, Hare Krishna.

Host: Hare Krishna, Svarupa Damodara Prabhu. Thank you very much for your beautiful words and explaining in essence the purpose of these meeting groups that we are going to start. In order to give us a testimony of the effect of the reading groups, I wanted to ask, like Svarupa Damodara Prabhu mentioned, one of our leading godsisters, Kunti devi Prabhu, to give us a testimony. Actually, from her, most of these initiatives have sprouted, from her desires to see devotees well in Krishna consciousness. Her heart’s flooded to us, and we, in our turn, are trying to continue that desire to serve Guru Maharaja in the best way possible, through association and reading Srila Prabhupada’s books. So, I wanted to ask Kunti devi Prabhu to give us some words, some testimony of reading Srila Prabhupada’s books in association. Hare Krishna.

Kunti devi: Thank you very much, everyone. Hare Krishna, Guru Maharaja. Thank you, Sudama Prabhu, for that beautiful, beautiful video, and Svarupa Prabhu always expressing everything so nicely. I think staying here with Guru Maharaja, the only service I can offer is to realize how much service there is that we need to do for Guru Maharaja, and that is why I appealed to many other devotees to help me, so that we can serve each other and serve Guru Maharaja.

And one of the best things that happened to me in the last year is that one of my godsisters invited me to participate in a reading group, and we have been reading every morning. For me, early in the morning, daily, and it has just given me so much life. We don’t even actually spend too much time discussing, but just being in the presence of Srila Prabhupada’s words, just being in the presence of these very sacred words, just opening one’s heart to those words, it’s just bathing! I really cannot miss a day and I look forward to that reading every single day.

But what happened, we started reading, because we all know that we have to read Srila Prabhupada’s books, as the video showed. But as we started reading, our friendships and relationships amongst each other began to develop and deepen without even having to really talk. And even though we were all already friends and have known each other for many years and definitely I consider those ladies some of my closest friends, it just deepened that friendship and brought it to a higher level of a more spiritual type of relationship, rather than maybe just talking about anything.

And in the process, we recognize the needs of the other person, whether it’s practical or emotional, and we can just offer support. And sometimes it’s just by being there, sometimes it just comes from the words in the books. And just a few days ago, we were reading and reading, and I really had a burning question, and it was sort of troubling me a little bit, but right at the end of that chapter, Srila Prabhupada just pacified my question. So, there is no doubt that reading together is an extremely powerful spiritual practice, it is one of the five most powerful spiritual practices.

Every day when I read, I just cannot believe what Srila Prabhupada accomplished by printing these amazingly beautiful, powerful, completely transcendental literatures for our benefit. And I just began to really understand how important it is that we do this, that we read together, that we base our relationships on these spiritual practices. Because japa is a bit of a personal practice, saṅkīrtana festivals are amazing, but they are not always accessible, they are once or twice a year where you could really chant together all day long and it’s so blissful and wonderful. But we can do reading together every single day. And I would really like to encourage everyone.

And there are so many beautiful verses where Srila Prabhupada himself talks about this need that we read together, that his words can pacify all the people who are aggrieved in this material world, and this is all of us. And to end, I just want to chant this one verse, because I know Guru Maharaja loves this verse. I think we all know it, but I will just chant it.

[SB 10.31.9]

tava kathāmṛtaṁ tapta-jīvanaṁ

kavibhir īḍitaṁ kalmaṣāpaham

śravaṇa-maṅgalaṁ śrīmad ātataṁ

bhuvi gṛṇanti ye bhūri-dā janāḥ

This is from the Tenth Canto, but I’m going to read the translation from Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, Chapter Fourteen, Text Thirteen.

TRANSLATION

“‘My Lord, the nectar of Your words and the descriptions of Your activities are the life and soul of those who are always aggrieved in this material world. These narrations are transmitted by exalted personalities, and they eradicate all sinful reactions. Whoever hears these narrations attains all good fortune. These narrations are broadcast all over the world and are filled with spiritual power. Those who spread the message of Godhead are certainly the most munificent welfare workers.’”

So, thank you very much for giving me this opportunity. Hare Krishna.

Host: Hare Krishna. Thank you so much, Mother Kunti devi. I feel so enlivened that you have taken the time to join us, and thank you for blessing us with your presence. That was really, really enlivening to hear. Thank you so much. So, now we have reached the foremost highlight of our program, the moment I guess we have all been waiting for, and that is to hear from our dear Guru Maharaja. So, we invite you, Guru Maharaja, to please address us. Thank you.

Giriraj Swami: I will have to ask you to wait another moment, I will be right back.

That was nice, I hope we can see more of this. Usually before I speak, I sing the maṅgala-ācaraṇa prayers and lead a short kirtan. So, can we accommodate that in this program?

Host: Yes, Guru Maharaja, most definitely.

[Kirtan]

Giriraj Swami: Thank you all for joining us for this most important discussion about reading and discussing Srila Prabhupada’s books in the association of devotees, and for launching this program in Durban to have regular reading and discussion of Srila Prabhupada’s books amongst the devotees. Again, I will request the devotees on Zoom to put on your cameras, as far as possible, so we have a more personal interaction.

To begin, I will read an important verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that describes the process of chanting and reading and discussing among devotees, and the result of it. This is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Canto Three, Chapter Twenty-Five, Verse Twenty-Five.

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

TEXT 25

satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido
bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ
taj-joṣaṇād āśv apavarga-vartmani
śraddhā ratir bhaktir anukramiṣyati

TRANSLATION

In the association of pure devotees, discussion of the pastimes and activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is very pleasing and satisfying to the ear and the heart. By cultivating such knowledge one gradually becomes advanced on the path of liberation, and thereafter he is freed, and his attraction becomes fixed. Then real devotion and devotional service begin.

COMMENT

So, the last line of this verse has been discussed by our previous acharyas to indicate that by this process of discussing Krishna in the association of devotees, one progresses. Śrāddha in this verse refers to all the stages up to āsakti. Rupa Gosvami explains in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo ‘tha bhajana kriya, and so on.

So, śraddhā here refers to those first seven stages, from śraddhā  to āsakti. Then ratiḥ is a synonym for bhāva, bhāva-bhakti. And in this context, the acharyas say bhakti refers to prema-bhakti. So, by this process, one can progress through all the different stages, one after the other, ultimately, to prema-bhakti, at which stage, as Srila Prabhupada says, real devotion and devotional service begin.

Now, what is the effect of this? Of course, we just discussed the result in terms of spiritual progress, but there is another result that is mentioned two verses earlier, in 3.25.23.

TEXT 23

mad-āśrayāḥ kathā mṛṣṭāḥ
śṛṇvanti kathayanti ca
tapanti vividhās tāpā
naitān mad-gata-cetasaḥ

TRANSLATION

Engaged constantly in chanting and hearing about Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the sādhus do not suffer from material miseries because they are always filled with thoughts of My pastimes and activities.

COMMENT

And the reason Srila Prabhupada uses the term sadhu is that in the preceding verses, we hear about sadhus, sādhanā sādhu bhūṣaṇa. Now, this process was recommended by Srila Prabhupada in one of his last purports that he dictated while he was on his bed in Vrindavan in his last days. This was his purport to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.13.54, almost at the very end of his translation effort. “Discuss Bhāgavatam daily as much as possible.” He said, “Everything will be clarified, because Bhāgavatam is the essence. Nigama-kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalaṁ and vyāsadeva-kṛta kiṃ vāparayer. When he was self-realized, Vyasadeva wrote this, aham muni kṛte. The more we read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the more its knowledge becomes clarified. Each and every verse is transcendental.” So yes, here Srila Prabhupada says, “Discuss Bhāgavatam daily as much as possible.”

So, I very much welcome this undertaking to systematically read Srila Prabhupada’s books in the association of devotees. When I first joined ISKCON in the old Boston temple, Srila Prabhupada introduced iṣṭagoṣṭhī, which is in essence chanting and hearing about Krishna, or discussing what we have read in the association of devotees. And Srila Prabhupada instructed us to have this iṣṭagoṣṭhī once a week and to discuss what we had read. And if we have questions, to try to get the answers from within our association. And if necessary, we could refer our questions to him. But he said the discussions should be on meaningful topics. He said for example, we don’t need to discuss how many miles long was Putana’s body, but we should discuss topics that are meaningful.

So, one of our early devotees in Boston, I mean, originally, she was in New York. But Prabhupada wrote to her, Balai dasi, who’s now in New Dvaraka, “Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated March 19th, along with the iṣṭagoṣṭhī notes, and I am always so pleased to see how nicely the iṣṭagoṣṭhī meetings are being carried on. So, I’m always anticipating your letters along with the iṣṭagoṣṭhī reports.”

And then, in a letter to Satsvarupa, who was my first temple president in Boston, he wrote, “You should therefore discuss the iṣṭagoṣṭhī from current reading matters from Bhagavad-gītā or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. We should try to understand everything from the standard of devotional service.” Srila Prabhupada has written many letters encouraging discussion in iṣṭagoṣṭhī. Later, sometimes iṣṭagoṣṭhīs became sort of business meetings in which devotees discussed different practical topics, which is fine, that’s also necessary. But specifically, iṣṭagoṣṭhī was meant for discussion of Krishna, especially based on our readings. And the term iṣṭagoṣṭhī literally means desirable association.

So, our association with each other is very desirable when we discuss kṛṣṇa-kathā, when we discuss what we’ve read in Srila Prabhupada’s books and how to understand them more deeply and apply them in our lives. And of course, along with reading, we have to be very attentive to our sadhana, especially our chanting of our rounds, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, because that cleanses the heart. I mean, chanting and hearing in general cleanses the heart. And specifically, chanting our rounds, or in kirtan also, of course, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam, it cleanses the dust from the mirror of the mind. So, we should chant as much as possible.

In one talk in Los Angeles, Srila Prabhupada said, “If you’ve got time, chant Hare Krishna. Don’t speak nonsense, chant Hare Krishna.” And if we are able to speak about Krishna, that’s also very fine, but somehow or other, this chanting should go on, chanting and hearing, chanting and hearing, chanting and hearing. 

And as Her Grace Kunti devi dasi mentioned, a byproduct of this association is that we become closer to each other. Our relationships with each other become deeper and more meaningful. So, we should do this. So, as I’ve sometimes mentioned, there are ten offenses against the holy name, and one is to blaspheme the Vedic literatures or literatures in pursuance of the Vedic version, the fourth offense. But there are different degrees of offenses, which were demonstrated in the pastime in which Bhrigu Muni visited Lord Brahma, Lord Shiva, and Lord Vishnu. I won’t describe that pastime now, although it’s very relishable, from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, but the most subtle offense is an offense committed in the mind.

When Bhrigu Muni met Lord Brahma, who is his father, he failed to offer obeisances, which as a son or disciple, he should have, to his father or guru. So, that was considered an offense in the mind. And next, he went to Lord Shiva, who was his brother. And Lord Shiva came forward to embrace him as a brother, and he told Lord Shiva, “Don’t touch me, you are always associated with ghosts and goblins, you have ashes all over your body, don’t touch me.” So, that was considered an offense committed with words. And then finally, he came to Lord Vishnu, who was reclining and His lotus feet were being massaged by His eternal consort, Lakshmi devi, and he committed an offense with his body. He actually kicked (shocking to say, but it was a pastime), he kicked Lord Vishnu on the chest. But Lord Vishnu was so sublime, He said, “Oh, Bhrigu Muni, please forgive Me for not receiving you properly! I hope that My chest was not too hard on your soft lotus feet!”

So, this fourth offense, to blaspheme the Vedic literatures or literatures in pursuance of the Vedic version, to actually blaspheme them would be an offense committed with the words. But it’s also a subtle offense, you could say an offense committed within the mind—not to read the books, not to attend the classes and discussions, because it indicates a subtly offensive mentality.

And Srila Prabhupada would stay up practically the whole night, translating, to give us these books. So, we should take advantage of the books, as Srila Prabhupada said in these videos that we saw, and we should not be ungrateful or neglectful of what he gave us. And if we regularly read and discuss, we’ll find it very enlivening on many levels, in many ways; in our relationship with Srila Prabhupada, with the paramparā, and ultimately, our relationship with Krishna, our relationships with one another. So yes, we should do this.

So, I request all of you, dear devotees, to take part in this reading and discussion program. It’s a wonderful initiative, but the program will be successful, and you yourselves individually will be successful in your spiritual progress to the extent that you participate. So, I am not sure what we have next, but we could have questions and comments now, or we could move along.

Host: Hare Krishna, Guru Maharaja. Thank you for that most appropriate verse and discussion. Yes, there is time for questions and comments. So, if anyone does have a question or comment, please use the raise hand function on your Zoom program, and we will call on you when it’s your turn.  

Giriraj Swami: Okay, I will be back in a minute while you are considering your questions and comments.

Before we come to questions and comments, I wanted to add one more thing from my personal experience. One of my sannyasi godbrothers came to spend some time with me here at my ashram in Carpentaria, and we spent some time discussing some verses from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And it was really enlivening and enlightening. And we were discussing with each other how nice it was to spend time together, discussing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Very practical. So, now we can have questions and comments.

Host 2: Hare Krishna, Guru Maharaja. So, we have Brahma Samhita Prabhu. Would you please unmute and ask your question?

Brahma Samhita Prabhu: Hare Krishna, Maharaja. Please accept my humble obeisances. I suppose this question comes as a result of a discussion I was having with a devotee the other day. And I’m asking this because it seems like it comes up a lot. So, we are being advised to hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in the association of devotees, but to do this type of hearing, or any type of devotional practice, it requires some desire on our part. And what we find many times is that sometimes, because of our material attachments, we don’t have such a desire to do such things.

I suppose I’m wondering if a person can be so conditioned, or a devotee can be so conditioned, that they just not have a desire to do things that are necessary like this. Is it that sometimes we might find ourselves in such a conditioned state that we just have to accept, “I’m just like this and there is no point in trying?” That’s my question.

Giriraj Swami: Well, as stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ, which means that desire develops from association. So, even if one’s desire is weak, but if one associates with good devotees, sincere devotees, enthusiastic devotees, one’s desire will develop. There is no such thing as being too conditioned. All these five potent processes; the chanting of the holy name, reading of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and associating with devotees, can overcome one’s conditioning. But I should explain a little about the definition of sadhu-saṅga, association with devotees, as given by Srila Rupa Gosvami in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu.

sajātīyāśaye snigdhe

sādhau saṅgaḥ svato vare

So, sa-jātīya means, I mean, in a more literal sense, sva means one’s own, and jāt means caste, but in a general sense, we can say like-minded. And in our case, that would mean people who especially have faith in Srila Prabhupada. So, sajātīyāśaye snigdhe. Snigdhe means affection. So, the way Srila Prabhupada has translated the verse, sajātīyāśaye snigdhe, “Who have a similar affection for the Lord.” And that is certainly a valid and powerful translation. But in this verse, the word snigdhe can also mean that that sadhu should be affectionate to you. So, sajātīyāśaye snigdhe sādhau saṅgaḥ svato vare. And svato vare means he should be more advanced than you are.

So, sadhu-saṅga, as one of the five most potent items of devotional service, has these elements, that the devotee should be like-minded, or have a similar affection for the Lord, he should be affectionate towards you, and he should be more advanced than you are. And that association will definitely help you overcome lethargy, or whatever the other manifestation of your conditioning is.

Do you have anything more on this topic, or are you satisfied?

Brahma Samhita Prabhu: I actually have a word, if you don’t mind. With regards to associating with devotees who are more advanced, I’ve also heard it said that the way that you get the association of devotees who are more advanced, is that you first have to be able to tolerate devotees that may give you some trouble. Could you comment on it?

Giriraj Swami: You are saying that in order to get more advanced association, you have to tolerate neophyte devotees who give you trouble? Or what are you saying exactly?

Brahma Samhita Prabhu: I heard this from a class once, that the way that you get the association of devotees who are more advanced, is that you have to first be able to tolerate devotees who might. . . Sometimes, because of our conditioning, when we come to Krishna consciousness, (certainly in my case), we carry a lot of conditioning with us. If we are associated with the audience who are also in that condition, sometimes the modes of nature may not line up so perfectly and there might be some sort of difficulty in that type of association. So, I guess what this devotee was trying to express is that that is something that we have to learn how to tolerate, and as a result of tolerating that, Krishna will be merciful to us and allow us to associate with devotees who are more advanced. I’m paraphrasing, but that was kind of what I got out of it, and I just wanted to put it out.

Giriraj Swami: I think that’s a nice idea, and it made me think of quite a significant instruction that Srila Prabhupada gave in a lecture in New York on January 3rd, 1967.

He says, “Suppose you are in this Krishna conscious society. Now, you cannot expect that all the members of the society will be first-class men. How can we expect that? We are collecting members of the society from all classes of men. So, there may be a man in goodness, a man in passion, and a man in ignorance. But if you think, Oh, this man is not good, that man is not good, no, you should be tolerant. You haven’t got any connection with this man or that man. You are connected with the philosophy, with the process of life.

The same example: suppose you are on the ship. You do not find all men to be of your choice. There may be different kinds of men, but what is that to you? You have to patiently cross the Atlantic Ocean. Just sit down tightly on the ship and take advantage of the opportunity. That is your business.” Hare Krishna.

Host: Hare Krishna. Thank you very much, Maharaja, and Brahma Samhita Prabhu, for the nice question. I have a question here from Usha Lakshman. Usha Lakshman, would you like to unmute and ask your question? It’s on the chat. But if you can and want, you can unmute and ask your question directly to Guru Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: Yes, that’s better.

Host: Usha Lakshman Mataji, are you in the. . .?

Usha Lakshman: Hare Krishna. Hare Krishna, Prabhu.

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna. So, Usha, will you ask your question?

Usha Lakshman: Yes, Guru Maharaja. Hare Krishna, Guru Maharaja. I asked whether this iṣṭagoṣṭhī sharing can be done in regional GRS saṅga meetings?

Giriraj Swami: Well, I haven’t thought of that. In one sense, when I have a program, I take questions and comments. But I guess this is a good question for Svarupa Damodara Prabhu, whether people from outside of Durban can join this iṣṭagoṣṭhī program or if it’s just for devotees in Durban.

Svarupa Damodara: Hare Krishna, Guru Maharaja. Hare Krishna, Usha Mataji. So, we thought about this, and from a logistic point of view, trying to arrange the time and the frequency that could be most easily facilitating all the devotees, it seemed best to keep it according to country. And we are hoping that today’s program will inspire Guru Maharaja’s disciples and devotees in each zone, each country, each region, to get together and form similar reading groups.

There are devotees here from Mauritius on this program, from Europe, from America, from India, and we hope that this program will inspire them to organize. And we can also lend some assistance from our experience thus far in trying to develop the program. So, if anybody would like to, they could please contact Kunti devi Prabhu, Vrindavan Chandra Prabhu, Sundara Nanda Prabhu, and myself, and we could help try to set up those programs with you in your countries. Still, it is open, so anybody can join, but it will be easier to do it country by country.

Giriraj Swami: Well, that’s an excellent suggestion. Usha is from Mauritius, and Mauritius can easily have this program there, and I would recommend that they do.

Usha Lakshman: Thank you, Guru Maharaja.

Host: Thank you very much. Vraja Bhakti devi, could you unmute and ask your question? You need to unmute. Sorry, we can’t hear you. We still can’t hear you, Vraja Bhakti.

Giriraj Swami: Do you know how to unmute? Can we explain to her how to unmute?

Host: If you look at the bottom, there is a microphone picture.

Vraja Bhakti: Thank you, Prabhu. It was not allowing me to unmute so I was chatting with you, saying it’s not allowing me to unmute. Hare Krishna, Maharaja. Thank you so much for the wonderful session. My question is, Maharaja, you were mentioning that we have to hold on to the boat tightly and keep going. So, I was wondering—while we are holding on to that boat and being in that boat, sometimes we may tend to judge others and try to become impatient and commit offenses. And then we ourselves become a little intolerant, sometimes with ourselves, sometimes with other devotees. Would you please give us some advice or guidance on how we avoid that?

Giriraj Swami: Well, indirectly, you are asking about forgiveness. And forgiveness is a very important factor in the life of a devotee, and especially for a brahman. Just one second. So, “Forgiveness defines and beautifies a brahman.” And I’m going to quote two verses from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 9.15.39–40. I’ll just read the translations.

TEXT 39

My dear son, we are all brāhmaṇas and have become worshipable for the people in general because of our quality of forgiveness. It is because of this quality that Lord Brahmā, the supreme spiritual master of this universe, has achieved his post.

TEXT 40

The duty of a brāhmaṇa is to culture the quality of forgiveness, which is illuminating like the sun. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, is pleased with those who are forgiving.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Different personalities become beautiful by possessing different qualities. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says that the cuckoo bird, although very black, is beautiful because of its sweet voice. Similarly, a woman becomes beautiful by her chastity and faithfulness to her husband, and an ugly person becomes beautiful when he becomes a learned scholar. In the same way, brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas and śūdras become beautiful by their qualities. Brāhmaṇas are beautiful when they are forgiving. Everyone becomes beautiful by his special qualities. And the special quality of the brāhmaṇa, as described here, is forgiveness.

COMMENT

And that forgiveness can apply not only to the other devotees; it could also apply to yourself, to forgive yourself if you find some unwanted thoughts or unwanted activities. Forgive yourself and try to do better. Does that answer your question, or would you like to discuss more?

Vraja Bhakti: Thank you, Maharaja. But what if we are on the other side of it. If we say something, we can forgive, but if the other person doesn’t forgive us, what is our duty?

Giriraj Swami: Well, in one sense, to forgive the other person for not forgiving you. And this, of course, is a tricky question, because not only is it good for you if the person forgives you, but it’s good for the person to forgive you. So, if possible, act in such a way that the person will forgive you. Or maybe if things have deteriorated a bit in the relationship, ask a third party to help the other person to forgive you. Forgiveness is very important. It’s really troublesome to the heart not to forgive and to maintain whatever, grudges, resentment, blame, and such things.

Vraja Bhakti: Thank you so much, Maharaja. Thank you so much.

Giriraj Swami: A pleasure.

Host: Thank you, Vraja Bhakti Mataji. Kunti devi Prabhu, do you have a question?

Kunti devi: Yes. In your discussions, Guru Maharaja, or in the quotations also, there is a lot of emphasis on discussion. But sometimes I feel that almost every aspect of modern life is so contentious. Just what we eat, how we dress, Prabhuji, Mataji. And I sometimes find, in our reading groups, that maybe we should actually just allow Srila Prabhupada to speak to us. And we don’t try to discuss too much, because often, we just get lost in the discussion. And then we have so many different opinions, and before we know it, we are back in a sort of mundane consciousness, trying to find some words of Srila Prabhupada to support our personal position, or something like that.

So, I was just wondering, a part of the process may be to just really open our hearts with faith, or in the association of somebody else who has that faith even if we may not have it, and just let these words wash over us and cleanse our hearts. And then maybe as we make progress in our relationships and also in our spiritual life, then we can have more discussions, actual spiritual discussions and actual kṛṣṇa-kathā.

Giriraj Swami: That’s good too. I mean, contentiousness is not necessarily bad. As Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami writes in Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, one should not avoid discussions of siddhanta because such discussions strengthen the mind. And I think of another statement that Srila Prabhupada made in Hyderabad. It may not be applicable, but at the Hyderabad farm, there were three leaders of devotees who were all very strong-willed and independent-minded. And Srila Prabhupada said, “You come together, you discuss, you fight like cats and dogs, and when you all agree, you go ahead.”

Kunti devi: Thank you, Guru Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: I want to read that exact verse that I quoted from Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami because there is one important part to it that I didn’t mention. So, the verse is Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā, 2.117.

TEXT 117

siddhānta baliyā citte nā kara alasa
ihā ha-ite kṛṣṇe lāge sudṛḍha mānasa

TRANSLATION

A sincere student should not neglect the discussion of such conclusions, considering them controversial, for such discussions strengthen the mind. Thus one’s mind becomes attached to Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

Kunti devi: Thank you.

Giriraj Swami: Alright, we are ready.

Host: Thank you, Guru Maharaja. Raghava Pandit Prabhu, would you please unmute and make your comment?

Raghava Pandit Prabhu: Hare Krishna, Guru Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna.

Raghava Pandit Prabhu: So, Maharaja, to see you and be in association with the devotees. Am I coming through clearly, loud enough?

Giriraj Swami: Yes.

Raghava Pandit Prabhu: Okay. I just wanted to read a little extract, which was written by Bhakti Charu Swami. The first time I read it, it gave me a lot of inspiration and motivation. So, it is just about a paragraph, and he is writing about the time when he visited you in Carpinteria.

So, he is saying, “It was indeed a spiritual retreat to meet these two very exalted devotees and very dear disciples of Srila Prabhupada.”

He is referring to you and Indradyumna Swami.

So, he says, “Giriraj Maharaja has a place in Santa Barbara which is about one and a half hours drive from Los Angeles. It is a very serene and beautiful place famous for avocado and various fruit orchards. As soon as I reached, practically straight away, Giriraj Maharaja and I began discussing various spiritual topics. Indradyumna Maharaja had a severe migraine so he was taking rest in his room, but when he got to know that I had arrived, he immediately came. He mentioned, ‘I jumped out of my bed totally disregarding my headache, took my bath, and came running to meet you.’ For about three hours, we had very stimulating discussions about various spiritual topics on how to spread this Krishna consciousness movement all over the world, overcoming various difficulties and hurdles, and thus fulfilling the prediction of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.”

And then he quotes a verse.

“yathā yathā gaura-pādāravinde
vindeta bhaktiṁ kṛta-puṇya-rāśiḥ
tathā tathotsarpati hṛdy-akasmād
rādhā-padāmbhoja-sudhāmbu-rāśiḥ

“I wrote the translation on a piece of paper as follows: ‘As one develops his attachment to the lotus feet of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, due to heaps of pious activities, accordingly, all of a sudden his heart becomes inundated with the nectar emanating from the lotus feet of Srimati Radharani.’ 

“Indradyumna Maharaja, out of his humility, took a photo of me writing the translation and said with a bright smile that he would stick the photograph on that sheet and preserve it. He also said, ‘And then eventually, I will auction it to my disciples.’ He mentioned how he once took the hand-written notes that Radhanath Swami had used in his lecture. Later, on the occasion of one of Radhanath Swami’s disciple’s birthday, he presented it to him and the disciple was very happy. The disciple naturally considered that this was one of the best gifts he had ever received. Indradyumna Swami really knows how to collect nectar and distribute it.””

It is a really beautiful article, and it continues, but I found it very stimulating and inspiring, and I really like the second part of the quote where Bhakti Charu Maharaja says, “All of a sudden, his heart becomes inundated with the nectar emanating from the lotus feet of Srimati Radharani.” 

So, in regards to the discussion we are having today, and reading that again, I just feel that many wonderful things can actually emerge from this [Unintelligible 01:58:13]. And actually, it was an instruction you gave me when I came back from India in 1990. And at that time, I imagine I came back very sick from India because I had a severe problem Typhoid. The year following that, you had come to South Africa, and you had done a most beautiful Nectar of Devotion seminar in Durban. And although I had attended the same seminar in Vrindavan, basically attending that seminar again with you in Durban completely rejuvenated me.

And just before you left, you gave me an instruction. You said that I should teach. Even though I was very sick and I was incapable of doing it, but you gave me an instruction that I should teach the Bhagavad-gītā to the devotees. And I struggled to go through it, and I completed that because it was an instruction from you. And I found this very profound because even at the time when I wasn’t able to speak, but because your aura was there, I was able to successfully accomplish it. But many other times when I was hearing without this feeling, maybe times I’ve started the reading of the Bhagavad-gītā but I haven’t completed it. So, I think your instruction that we should all get together to read is very profound and I hope some good fruits actually come from it. Hare Krishna.

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna. Nice. Bhurijana Prabhu often says, “The best way to learn something is to teach it.”

Host: Thank you very much, Raghava Pandit Prabhu, for your nice statements and reading of Bhakti Charu Swami’s message. Since there are no further questions, we would like to proceed with a program regarding a little description by Kamala Sundari Prabhu about the operation of the reading groups, how these reading groups will go about, and how you can assess them. So, I would ask Vraja Sundari Prabhu to please unmute and explain, please.

Kamala Sundari Prabhu: Hare Krishna. Can you hear me?

Giriraj Swami: Yes.

Kamala Sundari Prabhu: Okay. So, I am going to describe the overview of the operation of the reading groups. So, the reading groups are going to be coordinated by an initial group of facilitators on Zoom or any other virtual platform that everyone’s comfortable with. We are going to start on Zoom, and at the reading groups, there will be time allocated for reading, discussion, and sharing, and this will be decided by the devotees that join the groups collectively once they do join groups. Devotees that join these reading groups, they may take turns, if they are comfortable, to read and lead the discussion. If a facilitator may not be there for some reason, the reading group can still go on.

So, how can we join these groups? We can contact the facilitator, which I am going to introduce shortly. And whichever, whoever you choose. You can choose more if your schedule allows, if you want to join more than one reading group. So, the facilitators will arrange an initial virtual meeting with the group members that contact them, and then they can discuss the frequency and the duration of the reading groups collectively. Some facilitators have decided on some times, so as soon as we have the full list of the chosen times and dates, we will post it on the WhatsApp groups. So, we will share all the confirmed information as well. And if for some reason devotees join a group and it doesn’t suit their schedule, they may also join a different group that may suit their schedule as well.

So, now I would like to introduce the initial facilitators. And these facilitators, I’m sure most of you know them, but for those that may not know them, we are introducing them in alphabetical order.

So, first, we have His Grace Kesava Krishna Prabhu. Kesava Krishna Prabhu joined ISKCON forty-one years ago. He currently serves as the ombudsperson for the ISKCON resolve, and Prabhu also serves at the Jiva Academy and at the ISKCON Review Committee.

Then, we have Mother Mallika. Mother Mallika joined ISKCON thirty-six years ago, and she is currently very involved in the Deity department at the Sri Sri Radha-Radhanath temple, as well as counseling devotees.

We then have Pundarik Vidyanidhi Prabhu, and he is going to be assisted by Isvara Puri Prabhu. So, Pundarik Vidyanidhi Prabhu joined ISKCON thirty-five years ago, and Prabhu currently serves as a facilitator at the Bhaktivedanta College and assists in temple preaching and counseling devotees and cooking.

Then we have His Grace Raghunatha Bhatta Prabhu. And Raghunatha Bhatta Prabhu joined ISKCON thirty-six years ago, and he currently is residing and serving at the Sri Sri Radha-Radhanath temple, and he is involved in temple maintenance, he is also the National Secretary for ISKCON Namibia.

Then we have Rasaraj Prabhu. He joined ISKCON many years ago, and he currently serves as a pujari at the Sri Sri Radha-Radhanath temple.

We then have His Grace Rupa Raghunatha Prabhu, and he joined ISKCON thirty-seven years ago, his current areas of service is he is a chairman of the independent conference office, and he is an affiliate of ISKCON resolve.

We then have Sudama Prabhu who joined ISKCON twenty-four years ago, and he currently serves as the media and design for the ISKCON Namibia project. He also serves in our Guru Maharaja’s media department and he edits videos.

We then have Kamala Sundari dasi, that’s me. So, I assist ISKCON Vaishnavi Ministry of South Africa when I can, and do some work around the temple.

So, these are the facilitators. So, these are the details of the facilitators, you may contact them. These details will also be shared on the WhatsApp groups and on the Zoom chats. So, you will have the details at hand to contact them if you want. And if I was unclear about anything or if you require any further information or you need assistance, please contact Mother Nikunja Viharini, and she will be happy to assist you and provide feedback on your queries. Thank you.

Host: Hare Krishna. Kamala Sundari Prabhu, thank you very much. So, we will be posting on the WhatsApp groups information if you missed anything, like Kalama Sundari Prabhu said. Before we continue with the next item, we were able to get. . . Sudama Prabhu, are you able to show? This is Bhakti Charu Swami’s note on the verse that you were quoting. It was being read a few minutes ago. “As one develops his attachment to the lotus feet of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu due to heaps of pious activities, accordingly, his heart gets inundated, all of a sudden, by the nectar in the emanating from the lotus feet of Srimati Radharani.” Sri Caitanya-candrāmṛta by Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati, Chapter Eight, Text Eighty-Eight. Bhakti Charu Swami’s note on the verse. Thank you very much, it’s wonderful.

We will now proceed to hear from a wonderful devotee that we all know, very dear to everyone, about his experience and realizations on reading in the association of devotees. Mahaprabhu dasa, will you unmute? Okay, you are unmuted now, you can speak.

Mahaprabhu Prabhu dasa: Thank you, thank you. Hare Krishna. Can you hear me?

Giriraj Swami: Yes.

Mahaprabhu Prabhu dasa: Alright, thank you, Hare Krishna. Hare Krishna, Guru Maharaja. All glories to Srila Prabhupada, all glories to your divine lotus feet, and all glories to all the devotees. And thanks for giving me this opportunity.

So, as I’m asked to speak in this regard, and devotee association is very important. I guess Srila Prabhupada said, “Most of our advancement is based on association.” And we can understand what is happening in that association. Without discussion, where does that association lead us? So, we have to associate with the devotees. And reading Srila Prabhupada’s books is just what is needed. Srila Prabhupada has spent sleepless nights, Srila Prabhupada has been painstakingly translating these books for us to read them. Srila Prabhupada said, “These books, they are not for distribution only, but they are also for reading.” So, we should read Srila Prabhupada’s books in the association of the devotees. And of course, books are the basis.

And then, the association of the devotees. What does association mean? Of course, reading Srila Prabhupada’s books. All of us here in this Zoom, if we are giving one verse from Bhagavad-gītā, and then we all are going to give on this verse for the next couple of days or a month or whatever, depending how many we are, if we had to speak on that one verse, all of us will speak differently, we won’t speak the same, because we have got different realizations. So, we’ll be looking at the same verse, one verse, but from different angles of vision, from different devotees’ realizations.

So, it is important because, yes, books are a basis. These books. . . Of course, Guru Maharaja, I listened to one of the classes Srila Guru Maharaja gave, that these books of Srila Prabhupada keep us in Krishna consciousness. And service makes us happy. So, these books, they keep us from maya. Srila Prabhupada, as I said before, painstakingly translated these books for us, so that we can understand what this material world is all about and how to associate with one another. Everything is in Srila Prabhupada’s books.

For myself, I know because I’m always caught up, caught up being alone. And especially during this pandemic period, I’m always caught up alone here and then I have no senior association, you could say. I don’t have a senior association. And because of this, I’m always reading Srila Prabhupada’s books and Guru Maharaja’s books. They keep me alive. And I guess I’m still in Krishna consciousness today because of Srila Prabhupada’s books. This period, the pandemic, has made me understand or even appreciate devotees more. Because previously, I guess I was taking devotees for granted. But during this period, not seeing devotees that much, it made me appreciate devotees very, very, very much.

Also, once in a while, I go to Durban, because I’m always involved in doing so much. Sometimes, believe me, I have to admit that I don’t read that much, really. But getting the opportunity to go to Durban during the holidays, and then I got to read a lot because in Durban, especially, Svarupa, they engage me in giving classes in the morning. Most of the days when I’m there for a month or so, I’m always giving classes. And because of that, I’m able to read a lot, and I appreciate the devotees a lot.

So, we should really appreciate what Srila Prabhupada has done for us, because if it wasn’t for Srila Prabhupada, especially speaking for myself, I don’t know where I would be by now. And I’m still around in Krishna consciousness because of Srila Prabhupada’s books and the association of the devotees. And I would like to thank everybody for that, being surrounded by nice godbrothers and sisters and all the senior devotees, they encourage me to come along. This really goes a long way for me, and it makes me understand and appreciate Krishna consciousness more. So, thank you very much. I think this program of reading Srila Prabhupada’s books in the association of the devotees will again encourage me more to read Srila Prabhupada’s books and again appreciate devotees. Because we are all mercy cases. Speaking for myself, I depend on the devotees’ mercy to help me all the time. So, thank you very much, and I hope this program of reading Srila Prabhupada’s books will really encourage me to be more Krishna conscious. Thank you very much. Hare Krishna. [applause]

Giriraj Swami: Bravo! Bravo!

Svarupa Damodara: Hare Krishna, devotees. Such a wonderful experience, this launch, after reading and association program under Guru Maharaja’s shelter. Thank you, Guru Maharaja, for investing your blessings and your potency to the devotees. As you said, to the degree that they take it seriously, they will be reciprocated by your mercy, Srila Prabhupada’s mercy, Lord Chaitanya’s mercy, Radha and Krishna’s mercy.

So, devotees, we have all the information before us now, all the opportunities. The details will be shared on the WhatsApp chat groups for all of you to consider, and over the next few days, please do contact the facilitators of your choice, and they will start discussing with you although arrange a group meetings to discuss the frequency of your group, the dates and times, and the books that you will be exploring together systematically.

We hope this program will be very beneficial, we know it will be beneficial to you, and we hope to hear from you from time to time about your realizations. We will arrange possibly once or twice a year a larger gathering for the devotees to share their realizations in terms of the experiences, and hopefully, Guru Maharaja will also bless us on those occasions. Just like Srila Prabhupada’s was writing to Balai Mataji, that he is always waiting to hear about the developments on the iṣṭagoṣṭhī. So, I’m sure Guru Maharaja will also be happy to hear from time to time how things are going.

And to the devotees in the other regions or countries, please, let’s encourage each other by taking up this program. The senior devotees in your groups, I’m sure, can get together and plan similar programs, and we will be happy to share our planning with you all as well.

One very important announcement I would also like to make now before we hand over to Guru Maharaja to close the program is that finally, we have been told that Guru Maharaja’s book, I Will Build You a Temple: The Juhu Story, will be arriving in South Africa, in the Durban harbor. We were told it is due to dock on Tuesday 23rd, just in time for Gaura-purnima. So, hopefully we’ll have the books cleared in a couple of days and be sold. So, devotees, please be vigilant. We only have a few books, so please take them as soon as possible. You may contact the group facilitators as well, and they will help guide you, or someone from the groups will help guide you on getting your copies. And we hope you also take many copies to share with friends and families, selling to them. This book, as Vaisesika Prabhu had commented, is a historic book, it’s going to be a handbook for Prabhupada’s movement. From Prabhupada’s own words to his dear disciple who he trained directly on how to manage a community and a temple, that being our Guru Maharaja.  

So, thank you, Guru Maharaja, for participating in this program. Thank you to Kunti devi Mataji for inspiring us in the first place in all of this. Mahaprabhu dasa, for sharing your ecstatic realizations. And we also got a surprise blessing from Mother Vishaka, one of our senior most godsisters. So, thank you, Mataji, for also joining us and for your blessings as well. So, now we can request Guru Maharaja to please lead us into closing the ceremony, if he would like.

Giriraj Swami: Well, it’s been very ecstatic having all of your association, especially in relation to reading Srila Prabhupada’s books and discussing them. It’s true; he would hardly sleep at night. He would generally retire at about ten, and then after two hours, at midnight, he would get up, and then while we were all sleeping, he would be translating his books. So, we should show our appreciation and gratitude for his effort and care by reading them and discussing them.