How to be humble?

(H H Kadamba Kanana Swami, 20th June 2012, Prague, Czech Republic) Lecture: SB.4.12.8

Sometimes the story is told about Lord Brahma, who stole the cows and the cowherd boys from Krishna. Then at that time Krishna took the place of all these personalities of the cows and the cowherd boys. So in the 'Navadvipa-dhama-mahatmya' it is mentioned that then Lord Brahma went to Navadvipa and he performed austerities there. He eventually got the darshan of Lord Caitanya. It is said that it would appear that Lord Caitanya then told him:

'Yes you will also appear with me in my pastimes, but you will take a very low birth.'



As in the legend, Lord Brahma is the original Brahman. He was initiated by Krishna with the Gayatri Mantra, so he had to take birth as a Mlechchas. As Lord Caitanya explained:

'You may take a low birth as a Mlechchas as Hari Das Thakura, so that you can develop humility.'

So if we originally are from a simple background, then that is in a way a benediction. If we don't have any special talents then that is a benediction. If we are not very learned or very beautiful then they are benedictions too, because then we can be servants, but as soon as we have a few attributes, then immediately we can be proud, which is difficult. So even if Lord Brahma and Dhruva Maharaja are struggling with these things, then surely all of us are also struggling!

Even if Ragunatha Das Goswami makes sure that he takes a humble position to protect himself from falling prey to false pride, then it's very sure that we must be very careful to take a humble position. So many times the questions are answered about, 'How to be humble?' By being a servant of the vaisnavas, which is also required!

A pure devotee develops the qualities of Krishna

(H H Kadamba Kanana Swami, 21st June 2012, Govinda's, Prague, Czech Republic) Lecture: Free Talk

Srila Prabhupada was in New York and he gave a lecture. He was explaining that:

'Yes I came to this hellish place.'



He said:

'Why would I have done that? I left such a nice place, Vrindavan. It's like everyone is worshiping Krishna, everywhere. Krishna has walked everywhere! Vrindavan is such a nice place! Why would I have left such a nice place to come to a hell like this?'



Prabhupada didn't see New York as the most important place in the world. He saw Vrindavan as the most important place in the world, but when Prabhupada was in New York then that was the most important place in the world, because there in his presence in New York the devotees could perceive Vrindavan more than by travelling to India and going to that town that is known as Vrindavan.

'nāhaṁ tiṣṭhāmi vaikuṇṭhe yogināṁ hṛdayeṣu vā

tatra tiṣṭhāmi nārada yatra gāyanti mad-bhaktāḥ,' (Padma Purana).



'So yes I'm not residing in Vaikuntha,' Krishna says, 'I'm not residing in the heart of the yogis. The place where I really reside Narada is where my devotees are chanting my glories!'

So therefore what I am saying is not just some idea that I came up with, but actually based on scripture, that when Prabhupada was in New York it was the most important place on the planet and really you can see that the International Society for Krishna Consciousness was like that. All the eyes were on wherever Prabhupada was, and everyone just wanted to go there. And anyone who wasn't there was thinking:

'Oh boy, we are not there.'

Because it is so that the pure devotees develop the qualities of Krishna. It's logical and it's certain to develop the qualities of the master, because what is important for the master is important for the servant. So logically the servant develops the qualities of the master! And the pure devotee begins to develop the qualities of Krishna and more and more he becomes the representative of Krishna.

One time Prabhupada was asked:

'How many pure devotees are there on the planet?' (One journalist was asking the question).

So Prabhupada was asking the devotees:

'How many members do we have on this planet?'



They gave some number and Prabhupada said:

'That's how many pure devotees there are!'



So Prabhupada was also very generous!