From: Jyoti Pahuja
Although many persons may come to hear Srimad Bhagavatam, who is
actually hearing? To whose ears do these words penetrate and go deep
into the heart? There are many that are posing to be hearing, but
actually they are not hearing. The words are entering into one ear and
going out the other. It never penetrates to the heart because they
have no faith. They are crooked persons. They are not simple. This is
the only reason. They have no faith in the revealed scripture. They
are doubtful persons, so how can they get the result?

There was a village where Bhagavat-parayana was going on, recitation
of Srimad Bhagavatam for seven days, saptaha. Many people from
neighboring villages came to hear the recitation from seven o'clock to
nine o'clock each evening. There were two women who were regularly
coming. One was an old woman about seventy years old with gray hair.
The other was a young girl sixteen years old. She was the
daughter-in-law of the elderly woman.

One day in his lecture the speaker sang in Oriya, ananda bolo hari
hari, hari karibe upaya — "Chant the name of Lord Hari with pleasure!
Hari! Hari! Hari! Hari! That Lord Hari will enable you to cross over
the dreadful ocean of material existence." Both the mother-in-law and
daughter-in-law heard the speaker, but from that very moment the
daughter-in-law started chanting, "Hari! Hari! Hari! Hari!" She put
complete faith in those words. Although both of them heard, the
mother-in-law did not sing the song. Why is it that the
daughter-in-law was able to put full faith in the words of Srimad
Bhagavatam and start chanting, "Hari! Hari! Hari! Hari!" from that
very moment while the old experienced mother-in-law could not do so?
Because the old lady was not simple, she was crooked. She had no faith
in what she heard. This is a question of samasyatma, doubt. She was a
doubtful person. The young girl was very simple. She was not crooked,
so immediately she put faith in what she heard and started chanting,
"Hari! Hari! Hari! Hari!"

When the recitation finished, the ladies had to return to their home.
On the way there was a tidal river that they had to cross. When they
had first come the water was knee-deep, but when they were returning
it was neck-deep. The daughter-in-law was walking ahead and the
mother-in-law was following her. Chanting, "Hari! Hari! Hari! Hari!"
while she was walking, the daughter-in-law easily crossed over the
river and stood on the other bank. Meanwhile, the mother-in-law was
drowning in the middle of the river. She shouted, "Oh! Oh!
Daughter-in-law! You are there on the other bank! I am drowning here
in the river!"

The young girl replied, "You should chant, 'Hari! Hari! Hari! Hari!'"

The mother-in-law replied, "You rascal! Are you my master? Are you
teaching me? I am your master! You are my daughter-in-law, I am the
mother-in-law!"

The young girl said, "Didn't you hear? That speaker said, ananda bolo
hari hari, hari karibe upaya — 'Chant the name of Hari with pleasure.
That Hari will enable you to cross over the dreadful ocean of material
existence.' So what is this tiny river? Why will Lord Hari not be able
to help you cross this small river?"

The mother-in-law got angry. This is a practical consideration of
faith and simplicity. The young woman was simple, so immediately she
was able to put faith in the speaker's words and by chanting she
easily crossed the river. The old woman was faithless and doubtful.
Although she was experienced and old, she was a crooked person. There
was no simplicity in her heart. This is the point. The only thing
required is to be simple. Give up all of your crookedness and put full
faith in Krishna. Put full faith in His words, put full faith in the
revealed scriptures, and put full faith in the words of acaryas,
sadhus, and mahajanas. Then you will achieve success. This is most
important. You should be as simple as a child. By nature a child is
very simple. But when he grows up he becomes crooked. Why? Because of
association with crooked persons.

Some people will say, "Oh, if we become so simple then we will be
cheated. Therefore we will not be simple, we will be crooked". But
Krishna says, nayam loko 'sti na paro na sukham samsayatmanah – "If
you have no faith then you cannot get any happiness, either in this
life or the next." [Bg. 4.40] Why should you be crooked? Will it bring
you happiness? Will it keep you from being cheated? You are being
cheated, and you are not getting happiness, why? Why not be simple and
put faith in Krishna's words and achieve success in life? Sri
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu likes those who have simplicity. They are natural
vaisnavas. Simplicity is vaisnavism.
--

by: Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja
--

[From an evening lecture in Perth, Australia, 22.11.90

--
The only way to counteract the effects of this age of Kali is chanting
the Holy Names of Lord Krsna. There is no other way. There is no other
way. There is no other way. (Brhan Naradiya Purana)
Chant and be happy - "Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare/
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare"

--
Yours
Dinesh

Simplicity is Vaisnavism