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Freedom from what?

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Dec 2011, Sasolburg, Johannesburg, South Africa)

In religious tradition we find many values that are restricting interactions between men and women. Or restricting foodstuffs, consummation of alcohol, drugs – all of these things are governed by religious tradition. But there is logic to it, because there are also problems with these things. This is what we see, that when these things are becoming very prominent, then it gets into a huge mess! I mean if one's own son becomes severely addicted to drugs, then you cannot even have him in your house anymore, since he will steal everything that is there. That is what will happen and everyone knows that it gets like that. What to speak of all the violence and other things that are relating to something more socially accepted, such as alcohol!

So many spiritual traditions in the world are either forbidding or restricting these things, because they obviously bring problems in life! So there are regulative principles. The Vedic scriptures – the Bhagavad-Gita (which is one of the Vedic scriptures) is saying that it is introducing the regulative principles of freedom. All these regulations that are there, are not actually meant to suffocate people. A lot of people from all over the world have turned away from religion because they were tired from all these narrow suffocating ideas, and they just want to be natural:

'I just want to be natural!'

That tendency is there in the modern world…it's everywhere. It doesn't matter whether it is in Bombay…New York… Johannesburg…Paris or London, since it's all the same thing. The churches, temples and other religious buildings are empty due to people wanting to be free and natural. That is fine, but the Bhagavad-Gita is saying that these restrictions are the regulative principles of freedom. Freedom from what? Doesn't look very free at all! Not allowed to do anything. Not allowed to drink or smoke…………….. With so many restrictions, how can we call that the regulative principles of freedom? Yes they are called the regulative principles of freedom, because they set us free from suffering – that is the essence of it!

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A Movement For The Most Fallen!

(Kadamba Kanana Maharaja, 29 December 2011, Munich, Germany)

We should know that Lord Caitanya's movement is not to reclaim those who are in pure goodness.  It is not the movement to reclaim those who are fully self-realized and never under the influence of the 3 modes of material nature, who are never ever attracted to enjoying the senses.
No, the movement of Lord Caitanya is particularly to reclaim those who are most fallen!

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Engaging all of our senses!

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Mayapur, November 2011) Lecture – Caitanya-caritamrta part 6

Bhakti or devotional service means engaging all our senses in the service of the Lord. Sanatana Goswami wrote a book called, 'Sri Brhad Bhagavatamrta', which describes how Gopa Kumara is searching for the topmost abode. At one point Gopa Kumara had gone into the higher regions of this universe. He went to Tapaloka, which is just before the Brahmaloka. So it is the planet – the one before the last. That planet was filled with all yogis who are just focusing on the Lord within their mind. So Gopa Kumara was there and everyone said:

"Let's just meditate on the Lord within the mind."

But Gopa Kumara said:

"No, I want to see him!"

"But seeing is only the process of the senses which send signals to the mind. So seeing really happens in the mind! Therefore what it is really all about is the meditation, it is not the seeing, it is the meditation. So you should just meditate."

So that was their point, but Gopa Kumara said no, because he wasn't satisfied. What he wanted was: With all his senses to drink in the Lord. He wanted to see the form of the Lord; to think of the Lord; to smell the Lord; to hear the Lord; touch the Lord. He wanted to engage all of his senses in perceiving the Lord – that is bhakti!

So it sounds logical when one hears the arguments – yes it's all meditation, because everything leads to meditation, but then that is defeated. Gopa Kumara said:

"No!"

To engage all the senses in the service of the Lord and experience all of the senses – and that is higher. And you get descriptions about Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu saying:

"All my five senses are like a wild horse running to Krishna simultaneously, and each one of them is competing with the other for prominence!"

So it is very confusing, the sound….the smell and the sight are all competing with each other. So it is very interesting how love of God is about engaging all the senses. So even in practise we are already meant to engage all of our senses in the service of the Lord, and therefore a flower, water and flame – and all these senses are all engaged in the service of the Lord. And in the perfect stage each one of these senses becomes totally awoken!

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Dubai Versus Vraja

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Vrindavan Meditations

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