Firmly Fixed in that Faith

The fear of death is always emerging again and again, but a devotee must gradually rise above! I remember here in Mumbai we had over here our Sridhara Maharaja who became ill. His liver became defected and his health was going down. He stayed in Mira Road near the Bhaktivedanta Hospital for treatment.

I recall that I came to visit Maharaja and at the door of his apartment there was a schedule, which said;

"Morning: Mangal Aarti, then Japa, then Bhagavatam….then a little break…then bhajans. At 12.00 more Srimad Bhagavatam followed by Kirtan"

The whole day there was schedule of hearing and chanting. I came in and said;

"Maharaja you have a pretty nice schedule posted on the door"

He said;

"Yah, otherwise people will just talk about my liver all day, and they'll ask how my liver is and I will have to tell them how it is – that my liver is not so good. What can be said ".

So in this way Maharaja was using his time in hearing and chanting – and by that hearing and chanting he became more and more absorbed in being fearless! So much so that at the time when finally his health was really breaking down, he was in Mayapur and there was fluid in his belly - Maharaja only had a little bit of a belly, but there was fluid and it was getting blown up to huge proportions. Maharaja was lying on the bed and someone came and touched the belly. Maharaja was lying there with his eyes closed, and then he opened his eyes and said;

"It's a boy!" (laughter)

Who can joke on his deathbed? About his own condition? One who is transcendental. One who is not identifying with his material body. Then one morning he told his servant;

"Okay, I'm going to give up my body today".

He never made a thing about it and he said it earlier in the morning, and around 10 o'clock he left this world totally peaceful, totally nisthitā, totally unaffected, because he knew that Krsna is the well wisher of his devotees. He had no doubt about it. He was firmly fixed in that faith;
" Krsna is my well wisher, Krsna is my shelter, there is no other shelter"




(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Chowpatty, 12th December 2010)

 

 

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The Amazing Nature of Krsna

Dancing in ecstasy is natural but it has to be learnt. Glorifying Krsna is also natural because Krsna's qualities are so wonderful that is not at all difficult to describe – the amazing nature of Krsna! That is very simple.

One can look in all directions and find something wonderful about Krsna. For example let us go to Srimad Bhagavatum and in the beginning of the Bhagavatum we get some little portion of the Mahabharat. We get the situation where Aśvatthāmā has decided to kill the very last – the last of the Pandava. So that they will become extinct by killing Maharaja Pariksit in the womb as is planned. For the purpose thus he has unleashed the ultimate weapon a brahmastra. So this weapon is coming with great speed towards the womb, but Uttarā who is running towards Krsna for protection! And Krsna is personally protecting the embryo in the womb - Maharaja Pariksit.

Later we see how Maharaja Pariksit then for an entire lifetime is simply searching for that personality, that he saw when he was within the womb.
He had the darshan within the womb of the Supreme Lord – even before his birth. After that Maharaja Pariksit was no longer interested in any other person. Therefore, his name became Pariksit – the one who is doing a pariksha – a test from whoever he met;
" Is this the one I met Pariksit?"

"No"

"Is this the one?"

"No"

"Is that the one?"

"No"

"That one?"

"No…no..no..no!"

Like that Maharaja Pariksit was not interested in mundane life. He simply had no interest, although he was the emperor of the world, he had no interest in mundane life. So how merciful was Krsna? That he appeared in the womb to give darshan to Maharaja Pariksit.


"Why did he do that?"

We can think of different reasons. One is that Maharaja Pariksit must have been a very special soul who already in the last life must have been a devotee. Otherwise why would the Lord appear in this life - one can argue.

But, one might also consider other reasons. Another reason would be that his father's and grandfathers – they were extraordinary personalities. His grandfathers – he had five, they had pleased the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So, when one's grandfather has pleased the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then all auspiciousness will come upon us. That is Krsna's kindness, because Krsna recognises relationships. Krsna knows very well that the grandson is dear to the grandfather, so therefore when the grandfather is his devotee than naturally he will shower that grandchild with his blessing!

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Chowpatty, 11th December 2010)

 

 

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TWO KINDS OF PRODUCTION

There are two kinds of production: material production and spiritual production.

Arthadam. Artha means factual profit. So there are two kinds of profit.

Those who are materialists, they calculate profit by dollars, and those who are spiritualists, they calculate profit: "How much I have advanced today in spiritual or Krsna consciousness?" Both of them are profits.

So either make this profit or that profit, but don't waste your time. That is the proposal. But the best profit is, for human form of life, to advance in Krsna consciousness.

- Srila Prabhupada

 

 

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The Transcendental State Of Consciousness

In my life many times I have been in extreme circumstances – many times. We were driving in the car between Mayapur and Calcutta. I told the driver, "Aasthe, Aasthe" which means slow, " Deerae, Deerae". I told him because he had the tendency to speed up in the villages. I don't know but some drivers do that, whenever there are people they try to drive faster (laughter). I don't know what it is but they do that. So he was one of those and so I told him to slow down in the villages.

But suddenly, a cyclist who was also not slowing down, and had gotten in the middle of the road and right in front of our car and, 'Bang!' we hit him and then our car flew off the road – and it rolled! In the next moment I was flying! I didn't know that I could fly, but I could! (laughter). I was flying and then I had a landing on the grass - which I guess was good – on the part that we usually sit on (laughter). I was not sitting for a long time! You can understand that, that was definitely a situation and what do we do at such moments?

I was lying at the side of the road, and the people who were Bengalis were angry. Someone in their village had been injured, but still alive, and they thought that I was responsible. So there was a whole angry crowd that were around me. I learned Bengali on the spot on that day! (laughter). I didn't speak Bengali but I learnt it right there and then and managed to say to them;

"Did you get the driver?"

They said; "Driver?...driver?"

"Did you get him? He must be getting away"

So all the men said, "Yes lets go, and get the driver!"

So that was good. So we get in very difficult situations, and of course we have to do something practical at the time of death! But we also have to remember Krsna! Ultimately we take shelter of Krsna! I was there and I realised;

"Krsna I'm in big trouble…Krsna I mean I cannot runaway now…Krsna I depend on you and whatever you want, but it's up to you".

Then I became peaceful, and could accept; "Alright whatever Krsna desires"
That is transcendence. Transcendence is not that we pray on our knees;

"Oh Lord, oh Lord! Please save me! Please save me Lord !" – No that is not transcendence.

Transcendence is; "My Lord I'm placing myself in your hands. You know what is best, and I'm leaving it up to you. I mean the situation got out of control – not just a little bit, but totally. Now there is nothing I can do anymore. Now all I can do is leave it up to you." This is the transcendental state of consciousness, where one stops trying to be the controller!

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Chowpatty, 12th December 2010)

 

 

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