Kadamba Kanana Swami Govinda Valley, 2011) Lecture – Caitanya-caritāmṛta
Kadamba Kanana Swami Govinda Valley, 2011) Lecture – Caitanya-caritāmṛta
"They think they are the players, when they are in actuality the ball".
So have we ever thought of ourselves as the ball in the game?
So Prabhupada said:
"As the player….. no everyone is the player in this world".
Playing somehow or other, manipulating, arranging ….trying to get a good result – we know what we're doing, but Srila Prabhupada said:
"No, in reality we are the ball and in any point in time we can be kicked. Kicked to a next destination!"
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Radhadesh, Belgium, 2011) Lecture –Initiation, Part 1
"One is baffled in material life."
Baffled means defeated…we are defeated. Bhagavatam says:
"parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto
yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam", (S.B. 5.5.5).
When a person is not dedicating his life to the absolute truth (not only into enquiring about the absolute truth, but also not living according to the absolute truth)then that person is entangling himself in the network of more and more complications, which are endless. And these complications are ultimately leading to unhappiness.
Sometimes, the unhappiness may not be acute. Not acute in the sense that the suffering is so much prevalent. Especially in the western world where we are living in, where there is a lot of comfort. Sometimes people say:
"But I have never really experienced so much suffering. My life has been quite pleasant".
Yes, it may have been, but there is another type of suffering…..the suffering of not being fulfilled. Maybe when we live in comfort in our western world and after so many years, there has been peace in society, with so many years economically we have been doing well….we have all lived in great opulence in the western world. But we have only experienced emptiness of all that opulent lifestyle. The emptiness – the lack of happiness in that. So therefore, it is a fact that without Krishna Consciousness one cannot be happy!
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Radhadesh, Belgium, 2011) Lecture – C.c Adi 7.20-21
Without the Bhagavatam, you cannot live; without the Bhagavatam you are dead; without the Bhagavatam you are a ghost. It's like that, because the Bhagavatam is the very foundation of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's movement!
We see the evidence in the Caitanya-caritamrta, as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu presents the principle evidence which is also in the Bhagavatam….all in his preaching, and we see that the whole lifestyle that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was teaching is found in the Srimad Bhagavatam. Without Srimad Bhagavatam one cannot live! It is like that, what is there without it?
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Radhadesh, Belgium, 2011) Lecture – BG.15.3-4
I have a story about Andre who lived in Amsterdam. Andre was an unusual person, because he was bold. When other people were holding back, Andre didn't. Andre went to see the director of the biggest chain store (the big multi storey warehouses that are all over the country). He went and said to the director:
"In your book department, you do not have any books by A.C. Bhaktivedenta Swami Prabhupada. That's not correct. You should have them!"
And the director said:
"You know, you are bold! No one has ever walked into my office like that! I like you. I'll take them!"
And he put all the books …..full set of Prabhupada's books on the shelf of the chain store".
He was bold. He got himself from the society… a house for 'food for life', and like that Andre was extraordinary, but he had another side – his dark side. He was a little weak on the regulative principles and was living in Amsterdam, which is not a very safe place if you are having difficulties of that nature.
So I heard at one point, when I was in India, that Andre got AIDS. I happened to be coming through to Netherlands, and they told me:
"He's very ill now, and that these were his last days and if you wish, you can go to see him."
So I went to see him in a special clinic. When I was there, he coughed a ball of mucus…the size of the tennis ball came out! I couldn't believe it! Then he said:
"I like your singing."
So I said:
"Thank you very much."
He said:
"Can you sing on my funeral?"
I didn't know what I to say. I could say no, but I was thinking that it was best to get out! I was thinking:
"Do I have to stay here? I was meant to leave in three days".
Anyway he did leave his body very quickly, and I did make it for the funeral. It was an amphitheatre, and on the stage there was a box. So they asked me to start the kirtan. But before that someone had read out a letter, that Andre had written, which said:
"So all of you are my friends. You all think that I am dead, but you are wrong! I'm still alive and I'm still around. All of you are my friends, and all of you are very different, since you have all come from very different backgrounds. But for today for my sake, I want you to all appreciate each other. Now in a few moments, some of the Hare Krishna movement will come forward and will start to sing the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra, and I want all of you to sing along…..and not a little bit, but from the heart! Afterwards, there will be a feast served in my honour at the temple and you are all invited!"
So that was all read. So they started singing….and really got into it, and there was this big lady who started to sing in an operatic style! Of all the things….god not like that! The kirtan ended in twenty five minutes, and we got the signal to stop as per our agreement. As I stopped, they played 'Govinda' on tape and then the box sunk into the stage and below the stage they burn the box! The people cracked….they cracked. When the tune 'Govinda' was heard, they fell into each other's arms and they emotionally just cracked. After that one said:
"We never went to a funeral like that!"
Actually Andre had forgotten to mention that in his last days, he got initiated by P.D. Govinda Maharaja….just as a last thing and that was when he became Madhan Gopal…..so Madhan Gopal Ki Jay!
Yes, I always thought that he struggled, but he really did something at the same time, and it really did attract the mercy. Of course, it is best not to struggle and to just take shelter, and one who faithfully takes shelter is doing a great thing. But still we cannot become complacent. We must give ourselves with our heart and do something…do something….especially us!
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